“Life Performance”

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Published: Wednesday, 18 December 2019 09:25
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17th Pastoral Thanksgiving: Part I

“Life Performance”

By Augusto A. Kho

District 6 of Pangasinan Association (DAP)

Mc Donald’s – Carmen

December 16, 2019 (Monday); 9:30 a.m.

 

Perform your best as if it is the last performance of your life

 

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Perform
A teaching staff came from nowhere from the school building. The word “perform” came into the picture referring to that teaching staff. How is she? How did she perform this year? How she will be performing this coming 20230?

 

It dawned on me about Philippians 1:6 that says,
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: “

 

 

Memorable

Philippians 1:6 is very memorable to me as far as ministry calling is concern.


I was in Thailand then as a missionary to one foreign organization. I was instructed by the Lord to leave my 10-year work in the travel industry. After serving there in Thailand where I travel three times a year all over Singapore and Malaysian for church deputation work, the Lord spoke and said that I should leave Thailand and go back to the Philippines after 13 years of absence.

 

Then He gave to me Philippians 1:6 saying that He shall perform or fulfil whatever he have called me up to do in the Lord’s work.


When I was back in the Philippines, Kuya Dan Balais who was a friend for three years prayed for me before his congregation as unto the Lord right there in their Sunday Service. While I was about to prayer for, their music team leader Kuya Ernie Palacio started to sing, “He who begun a good work in you, He who begun a good work in you, He will able to complete it, He will able to complete it, He who started the work will be able to complete it in you.”


Right there in the stage, I cried before what He have spoken in Thailand is the same message He gave when I arrived in the Philippines as a confirmation of His call.

 

While the finishing work was done and completed by Christ alone on the cross, His works in us requires absolute obedience as well that He may complete the task that He appointed us to do. Obedience in the performance of our call is all that matters as well.

 

 

The word “perform”:

  • Abrahamic Covenant. Gen. 26:3, “Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father.”

  • Levitical Calling. Number 4:23, “From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.”

  • Zeal of Jesus Kingship and Prieshood. Isaiah 9:6-7, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.”

  • Perform “asah” (aw-saw) i.e. to accomplish; the performance



Stint as dancer

I was a dancer for many years be in terms of classical ballet, jazz and cultural dance. It is not because I want to but it is because I need to – am exempted in ROTC and PE yet they provides me passing grades, plus the scholarship. I was sporting then a long hair till on my shoulders during the Hippie time. And by joining the university’s Dance Group gives us an exemption not to attend the ROTC and PE subjects yet we will be provided a passing grade.

 

The training on dance is rigid almost the same training techniques which are being given to sport enthusiasts like basketball player and gymnasts.

 


Strict discipline in the dance includes rigid training; good time management;, good physical grooming, well-discipline life, moral substance and presence of mind and right focusing (especially on stage). Stage performance is all that matters. The same is true to a Christian who have been called by God (because we are surrounded by “clouds of witnesses” probing our life performance in Hebrews 11:1).

 

As a dance performer, I always keep this in mind “Perform your best as if it is the last performance of your life.” The same must be true in the ministry.

 

 

In every performance we do, we always think it will be our last performance that no one ever knew when you will be struck with fatal accident if not you will be disqualified for some other reasons. This must be true to every believer in the Lord Christ. Performance matters as Saint Paul put it this way:

 

“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: “

 

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Perform Defined

Paul define “perform” in Greek “epiteleo” which means:

  • To accomplish

  • To execute

  • To complete

 

Tasking a divine task is very much different in completing it with total or blind obedience. It is when performance matters.

 

How did you perform this year? Is it the same passion, degree of faith, blind obedience compared many years back when God called in the ministry? What is our attitude and heart motivation, is it still real, without guile and sincere as a token of love to God and to our country? Or you merely performing it not unto God but just to your denomination?

 

“Man looks on the outward appearance but God looketh in the heart,” prophet Samuel said.

 

Or shall we say or even promise that 2020 is where I will give the best performance of my ministry life?

 

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