Christian Living

The Christian Community and Me Collin Leong. Jan 18 2017   A. Introduction “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.”   (Acts 2:42) Though not directly obvious, the passage above contains a word similar to the idea of “community”  - the word “fellowship” is translated from the Greek “koinonia.”   In the NASB version,  “koinonia” was translated to “fellowship” twelve times, “sharing” three times, and “participation” and “contribution” twice each.”  In KJV, “communion” was also another word used for “koinonia”. For the early Christians, koinonia was a radical change in lifestyle after their conversion. In the context of Acts chapter 2, you can feel the hunger of the converts from all over Asia for corporate worship, prayer and learning as they lingered on in Jerusalem after the Passover. They recognized the needs of the fellow believers and sold their belongings to support one another. Presum...

Stewardship - What, How, and Who  Collin Leong. Jan 21, 2017 A. Introduction And the Lord said, “Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.  (Luke 12:42-43) When Jesus (and the apostles) use the word “steward” the connotation is not that of a slave without authority. In the Old Testament, the steward is a trusted servant of the King, empowered with much autonomy to manage the household events and treasures of the palace.  Joseph, the prime minister of Eqypt, also had a steward in charge of his house. (Gen 43:16-25). Joseph’s brothers had to go through the steward, to whom they call “lord” before they can meet with Joseph.  Probably the most famous steward is Ziba, the steward of the King Saul’s household who managed to trick David into giving to him the possessions meant for Mephibosheth’s  (...