by Pastor Daniel

Introduction
We have passed another year and it is time to celebrate and usher in the new year of 2018.  God has been good to FCC in many ways.  God is faithful in providing all our needs, strength and perseverance in our challenges and comfort in our dismay.  This is the God we have!  As we enter the new year, allow me to share some thoughts of our theme for the year 2018

MORE FOR JESUS, MORE LIKE JESUS!

This new theme focuses on two elements of our Christian life: Evangelism and Discipleship.  That is what summarizes our journey with the Lord since the day we receive Him as Lord and Savior.

MORE FOR JESUS
This is our call in life in all that we do.  It does not matter where we are and what we are doing, our aim and goal as one who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is to obey his command.  His greatest command and commission is to “Go and preach the gospel!”  

We do not have to stand behind a podium to do that.  We do not have to have a crowd of a few hundreds before we do that.  The Great Commission that says, “GO!” is best translated as “As you are going.... PREACH.”  This means as we are going about our business, as a school teacher, as a office manager, a factory supervisor, a medical officer, a labourer, a housewife, a student, we bring Jesus Christ in our midst.  That is how we preach and share the gospel of Jesus Christ so that more will be won for Christ.  

In 2 Corinthians 5:20, it says that “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us.”  In other words, in the sphere in which God has put us, we represent our Lord Jesus Christ - with our lips and in our lives.  We convey this message of hope and reconciliation with God.  Our colleagues, friends and relatives will see “Christ” in us by how we say things and how we conduct our day to day living.

As we enter this new year, may we burn with this passion for Christ’s obedience - to bring more people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ so that they too will enjoy the blessings that we are enjoying now.  They too will have the peace that we have experienced.  They too will have the grace that we have tasted.  May the life of Jesus not be kept for ourselves but to be shared with others.

It is also to share in the passion of God that “He wills that none should perish”, as He wants all men to be saved.

MORE LIKE JESUS
This second part of the theme is about DISCIPLESHIP.  It is about a life of transformation that we become more and more like our Master.  In the great commission, the command besides going and preaching, we are also to make disciples of all nations.  But as we are in the process of making disciples, we must firstly become His true disciples.  It is not an event, it is a process.

More like Jesus is about this journey that we are all participating fervently now.  The call of discipleship is the same for all of us but the element in this process may differ from one another as God has chosen and called.  The goal of this is that we will be conformed more and more like His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  2 Corinthians 3:18, “We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”

Romans 8:29 says, “Foor those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”

This is another passion of God that we must all wholeheartedly share - that we all become what He wants us to become - more and more like Jesus.

Conclusion
A blessed new year to all of you and may this new year be a year of MORE - More for Jesus and More Like Jesus.