Ready for Christmas?

“Ready for Christmas,” she said with a sigh,
As she gave a last touch to the gifts piled high,
Then wearily sat for a moment and read,
Till soon, very soon, she was nodding her head.

Then quietly spoke a voice in her dream,
“Ready for Christmas? What do you mean?
Ready for Christmas when only last week
You wouldn’t acknowledge your friend on the street.

“Ready for Christmas, while holding a grudge?
Perhaps you had better let God be the judge,
Why, how can the Christ-child come and abide
In the heart that is selfish and filled with pride?

“Ready for Christmas when only today
A beggar lad came and you turned him away
Without even a smile to show that you cared?
The little he asked – it could have been spared.

“Ready for Christmas? You’ve worked, it is true,
But just doing the things that you wanted to do.
Ready for Christmas? Your circle’s too small –
Why, you are not ready for Christmas at all!”

She awoke with a start and a cry of despair,
“There’s so little time and I’ve still to prepare.
O Father, forgive me, I see what You mean,
To be ready means more than a house swept clean.”

Yes, more than the giving of gifts and a tree,
It’s the heart swept clean that He wants to see;
A heart that is free from bitterness, sin –
Ready for Christmas – and ready for HIM.

Alice Hansche Mortenson

Ladies Fellowship Sermon - Fruitful Christians

Philippians 4:10-19

Our time on earth is limited. Does it matter? Yes - at the time of being called home, will you be found wanting? Will the scale tip to one side? If so, will it tip towards the good or the bad? We must live our life to the fullest and be fruitful. We live not for ourselves but for God's glory. In good times and bad, we must still be able to rejoice in the Lord. We must see God's hand moving in our lives and recognize His leading. All things happen in our lives regardless of good and bad can only happen if God allows them; so that we will bear Him good testimonies at all times under all situations. Godliness with contentment is great gain. Everything we do must be done for His testimonies sake. Learn from Paul: "I can do all things through our Lord Jesus Christ."

In our lives it is impossible to resist the will of God, for if it is His intention for you to do something, you will do it eventually. If you resist you will only suffer in the process, and yet you will still end up doing God's will. If we submit to His will, He will give you the necessary grace and wisdom to carry out His work.Therefore, rejoice! For the Lord our God is merciful to be part of our lives, leading and guiding us for His Glory.

Sunday Service Sermon - Standing Up for God

Daniel 1:1-21

Daniel walked right with God from very young until the end of his life. He was a man that exemplified how we should live by faith. Contrary to the saying the every man has a price, Daniel has none. He lived for God alone. Few faced such temptations and yet remained faithful, except Daniel. He is the rebuke for us all, those who are weak in the spirit and only go with the flow of the world.

Daniel faced adverse situation as a slave in Babylon. Chapter 1 showed the destruction of Jerusalem. See the event in the eyes of the sovereignty of God, for God gave Jehoakim to be defeated, and not the mightiness of man in Babylon's victory. We must view all our events in our lives through the spectacles of God's perspective, then could we see the true intent of our lives.

Daniel faced great temptations. Nebuchadnezzar made it easy for the young people of Israel to forgot God, although he did not outrightly forbade them to worship. So long as generations of people knew not God, there will not be traces of God left in the history and culture of the place. See modern day Turkey, UK or Europe. The timing of the temptation was also bad. Daniel just arrived after a long journey and he was physically weak. Surely it is right to obey the King since God allowed them to be given to his hands? The consequences of disobedient is severe. Daniel already purposed in his heart not to defile himself. He took it upon himself to speak to the guards privately and did not hide the true intention of the request. He did it with much wisdom given by God.

In the modern day we faced much temptation that is easy for us to succumb to its pleasures. But the bible tells us that such pleasure are but for a season and do not last. Stand up for God and sin not. If you live for God you will find that God will take care of you, just like he did for Daniel. He and his friends rose far higher than the rest of the captives in Babylon. The life of a compromised Christian is the worse life to live, and far worse to die in.

Shout Out - How Great Thou Art

O Lord my God, When I in awesome wonder,
Consider all the worlds Thy Hands have made;
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.


Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art.
Then sings my soul, My Saviour God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, How great Thou art!

Sunday Service - The Promise

Galatians 3:16

Jesus' coming to save the world was foretold and as promised, He came. He is the Messianic seed that came so that man may have Salvation. God has kept His promise as stated on the Bible, even in Genesis 3:15, the first Gospel given to Adam and Eve. This promise was subsequently fulfilled via the Abraham line. By faith, Abraham believed in this seed that came only two thousand years later, and he looked forward to Christ's first coming. By this faith, he was saved.

Contrasting this with promises made by man, it is common for promises to be made easily and broken quickly, regardless of how sacred the promises may be. A good example is the marriage vows where "till death do us part". How quickly is this promise forgotten and broken with divorces? How lightly do people let go of marriage without making the fullest effort to reconcile. Have they forgotten the sacred vow and the promise of a lifetime together?

God's answer is always yea is yea and nay is nay. May we follow closely God's example and keep our promises, regardless of how small the promise could be. Always remember that we are held accountable to God and not man.

The Knots Prayer

Dear God,
please untie the knots
that are in my mind,
my heart and my life.
Remove the have nots,
the can nots and the do nots
that I have in my mind.

Erase the will nots,
may nots, and
might nots that find
a home in my heart.

Release me from the could nots,
would nots and
should nots that obstruct my life.

And most of all, dear God,
I ask that you remove from my mind
my heart and my life all of the am nots
that I have allowed to hold me back,
especially the thought
that I am not good enough.

Amen.

(author known to God)

Shout Out - Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Sunday Service - In The Beginning

John 1:1-14

The "Word" means "logos" in Greek, the revealer of God. The son of God is the revealer of the nature of God. God's perfect representation. In the beginning - Genesis, Jesus existed, He is the creator of all things. He is the uncaused first cause. He has no beginning for He is the beginning, the eternal.

This passage demonstrated the doctrine of trinity; one God yet three persons; three persons yet one God. 1 John 5:7 is the proof text for the trinity nature of God. In this passage, we focus on the second person of the trinity - The Word. Verse 1 - The Word was with God; The Word was God. He is the eternally begotten Son of God. Westminster Confession of Faith - where begotten implies not born of the flesh, and not just 'only' as used in other versions of the Bible, These versions do not have the proof text for the doctrine of Trinity.

Question: Was Jesus the Son of God before He came to earth? Is the Sonship of God eternal or did it only begin when He came to earth through the virgin birth? So if there is no Son, is there therefore a Father to start with? This is dangerous and erroneous view. John 3:16 states very plainly that for God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son of God, so it showed the Jesus was the Son from eternity, ever in the bosom of God. (John 1:18)

Therefore, know and learn the truth of this doctrine. If we love God, then be clear of the true nature of this God that we believed.

Excerpts from Spurgeon (2) - The Trial of Your Faith

“The trial of your faith.” 1 Peter 1:7

Tried faith brings experience. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pass through the rivers; and you would never have known God’s strength had you not been supported amid the water-floods. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity, the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too.

Thank God for what grace you have; praise him for that degree of holy confidence whereunto you have attained: walk according to that rule, and you shall yet have more and more of the blessing of God, till your faith shall remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.

Taken from Spurgeon's daily devotion, Nov 12.

Thought: We all hated trials and blamed God for them as we inevitably fail them so badly each time. Little do we know, such trails and the corresponding failures strengthened us and made us stronger in our faith. God knows we needed this, for without faith, it is impossible to please God.

Asking God for Help…Unceasingly

“Pray without ceasing” I Thess 5:17

Satan’s attack is unceasing, what’s your counter attack? Ask God for help… unceasingly! Every actiosn, words, thoughts are more than just ‘dealing with the situation’. It is a spiritual warfare! So long as you are tempted to sin by 1 wrong thought, word or action, Satan wins! How weak we are, when facing such attacks? How sinful we can be, trying to deal with it by ourselves!

Praying is to ask God for help. He listens, he cares, he is in control. The realisation of having sinned is like a pail of cold water splashing unto your soul. You instantly wake up to the fact that you failed God, yet again! Why do we allow ourselves to reach that stage, when we could have prayed the minute we need to make a decision to react? Why do we not rely on God for strength, wisdom and ability? Truly, we are sinners.

Pray! Pray unceasingly, pray without stopping, ask God for help. He listens, He answers, He protects. This is His promise to us. Such blessed assurance!

Taken from an old post dated December 27, 2009

Christmas Eve - Lesson for Scrooge

“Christianity is not something you take up, it is something that takes you up… and consume you totally.”

How great is this message given to all the “Scrooges” of the world. Most Christians are what we called Sunday Christians where they spend 2 hours in church on nice Sunday mornings and hoped that will fulfill there obligations as Christians. It is a past-time for Sunday morning… and it is back to the ‘real’ stuff for the rest of the week. Truly, they can be the nicest, most generous and charitable person at work or at home, but they are also the ‘Scrooge’ for spiritual life!

Do we need the Spirits of the “Christmas Past”, “Christmas Present” and “Christmas Yet-To-Come” to wake us up to our spiritual well-being? Did we do justice to the Lord Jesus Christ who came on this earth to die for our sins so that we may live forever? Have we any ounce of gratitude for the love, mercy and compassion that our Lord God gave us so abundantly in our lives? We only need one spirit - the Holy Spirit, to tell us how wrong we can be, how disappointed God must have been seeing the way we spend our lives.

Truly, it is time to look Christianity straight in the eye and ask yourself – “Is Christianity just a past-time, or it is something serious?” It is time to stand-up to the faith that is given so graciously to you and do something about it! The salvation that is so richly given to you is going to take you up and consume your whole life! The old has passed away and the new has been given to you to start your life right, and to walk the narrow path to leads to the Kingdom of God.

A wonderful message to rekindle the fire for the Lord!

Taken from an old post on December 26, 2009

Excerpts From Spurgeon (1) - Fountain of Life

"With Thee is the fountain of life."—Psalm 36:9.

THERE are times in our spiritual experience when human counsel or sympathy, or religious ordinances, fail to comfort or help us. Why does our gracious God permit this? Perhaps it is because we have been living too much without Him, and He therefore takes away everything upon which we have been in the habit of depending, that He may drive us to Himself.

We are like the prodigal, we love the swine-troughs and forget our Father's house. Our Lord favors us with a famine in the land that it may make us seek after Himself the more. The best position for a Christian is living wholly and directly on God's grace- “Having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Having nothing of our own to trust to, but resting upon the merits of Jesus. When we are brought to a thirsting condition, we are sure to turn to the fountain of life with eagerness.

Morning and Evening, Spurgeon. 16 October.

Thought: Have we stray away from God so much that he needs to chasten us in this manner? God, please have mercy on your people! Call us back, for we are as lost sheep, searching desperately for our shepherd!

Resurrection from the Dead

At a memorial service, after delivering a message based on the miracle performed by Jesus on Lazarus' resurrection from the dead...

Bereaved wife: Pastor, can Jesus raise my husband from the dead now?
Pastor: Yes, He can, but He will not do this now.

Long pause, and then the bereaved wife walked away. The Pastor was puzzled at this question, but did not pursue it. After a few weeks, at another occasion...

Bereaved wife: Pastor, do you recall I asked you the question, whether Jesus can raise my husband from the dead?
Pastor: Yes I did.
Bereaved wife: Pastor, I am glad that Jesus will not raise my husband from the dead now.
Pastor: ...why?
Bereaved wife: My husband accepted the Lord shortly before he was called Home. Prior to that, he has led a very sinful life. If he is raised from the dead, he could have gone back to his old ways and sin again. It is better now that he is with Him in the Heavenly Home, and sin no more.

What matters is not how long you live your life, it is how you live your life that matters. If you continue to live in sin, then it is already one life too many!

A Memorial Service

I always had the impression that memorial services are kept short, but tonight I attended one that lasted 2 full hours. A typical service would have some singing, testimonies and a short preaching by the Pastor. Essentially the service I attended tonight follows the same format, except for some differences. The testimonies are long and extremely weepy. I am only a colleague of the mother, whose own mother passed away. I don't even know the deceased's name, until I step into the house. However, I found myself sobbing away at the testimonies of mostly the grandchildren of the deceased.

At first I find the distraught family very much a concern. Surely they know that they will meet their ma ma once day in heaven? And now she is in a better place, with the Lord Jesus. She feels no pain for she is now Home! I always believe that a Christian service should be a solemn but joyous one, for the deceased is for better off being taken Home then to suffer much in illness. Besides, we look forward to God's glorious coming where we will be given perfect body, where there will be no pain. Surely this is hope enough not to be too weepy?

Then, I took a step back and survey the people at the wake, they are not really mourning like people of other religion, where death is the end for them. This is a godly Christian family, full of love and care of each other. I was in awe by the love surrounding this lovely old lady. She spent time with the youngsters, befriend them and was a very big part of their lives. I was moved by the emotional but sincere testimonies of the grandchildren. By the time the fourth testimonies was read out by a granddaughter, the whole yard was filled with weepy and sniffling guests.

I attribute this to the fact that the testimonies were delivered by youngsters, for they may not have fully grasp the hope that is in the deceased. Thank God for the last testimony, a closing speech by the head of the household. It is a balanced testimony about good memories to be remembered for this dear ma ma. Some of them were even funny,  and this lighten the mood greatly. The Elder's sermon was another great encouragement, for the emphasize was rightly on the salvation and hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. In all, it ended on the positive, as it should be.

"And when my task on earth is done, when by Thy grace the victory own. Even death's cold wave I will not flee, since God through Jordan leadeth me." An except from the song "He Leadeth Me", sang at the Memorial Service.

Bible Land Pilgrimage - Testimony (1)

Having been to the holy land last year, Greece and Turkey are quiet unlike Israel. For one, due to the vast distance between biblical sites, we had to spend longer time travelling on the road. The initial disappointment of having such long ‘downtime’ was turned into blessed time of rest and praying for God’s direction for me in my life. With only few hours of sleep during the night, the long bus journeys helped in recuperating in physical strength so as to better focus on our guide’s sharing of the background to the historical sites. During such long journeys I was able to quieten my soul while communing with God through prayers, committing my life’s supplications unto His loving hands.  I found that I had run ahead of God as I tried to deal with my life’s problems through my own might. As the beautiful Greek landscape rolled outside the window, God spoke in the stillest of my heart and I realized my lack of faith in Him over the events of my life and sought His forgiveness.  The time spent on the cruise while waiting to reach the Greek islands also allowed me chance to ponder on God’s direction for me in my life. I learnt to be patient and wait upon Him for guidance in times like these. “Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily beset us and run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.” Hebrew 12:1-2.

The Lure of Israel

What is the lure of Israel? Why would pilgrims return and yet desire to visit the Holy Land again? Some pilgrims visit Israel year after year. Why?

Israel is unlike any place in this world. Currently it is war torn and even dangerous. Its climate is harsh – months without rain and finally when it did, it blizzard so badly that planes have to be grounded. However, it is also a place full of evidence of God’s Blessings.

Take Ein Gedi Botanical Gardens for example. It is not far from the dead sea, a sea where nothing grows. All around it are bare hills and dry sand. But everything that the Kibbutz decided to grow, it always grow bigger, better and stronger! With a little irrigation and a whole load of God’s Blessings, nothing could stop the flowers, fruits and plants demonstrating God’s grace upon this land.

Truly, Israel is a land of milk and honey!

Originally Posted on SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 2011

God's Providence, Blessings and Gifts

The pride of life is one of the three greatest sins of man. The sole goal of a person without God is to amass wealth. Wealth not only in terms of money, but possessions, status and recognition. Few realized that man - naked as he come, naked will he go.

A spiritually right person will realize that he is but only on a short journey of three score and ten years on this earth, before he finally reach his destination. On this short journey, God may bless him with gifts and provisions so that the journey is a God-glorifying one. Man is but a steward of such provisions and gifts that are graciously given by God. Like the parable of the good servant, man needs to guard these provisions, make best use of them and multiply them for God's purpose and use. For he knows that one day he will stand in front of God and be counted.

"Well done my good and faithful servant, come thou into the kingdom of heaven." Oh how we yearn to hear our Saviour say...

Originally Posted on MONDAY, JANUARY 17, 2011

Unfair? A Reflection on God's Permissive Will

Recognizing that nothing in this world ever happens by chance, it is then logical for us to acknowledge God's sovereign will on all things that happens in this world.

If by having a "new doctrine" make a school "new", then we would have tons of schools sprouting up like mushrooms. If a school, by having new theories, new inventions, new thinkings, new paradigms; they are then deemed to be a different school from the previous that they came from, then no schools would encourage any new thoughts!

The absurdity of the verdict for this case is just that; and worst. There simply isn't any doctrine adopted by the college that is new! If VPP is new, then it is as new as the bible since there are so many verses from both new and old testament that supported VPP. To miss this point entirely is simply an indication of the lack of Holy Spirit's illuminating work. Unfortunately this is so for the Judge.

The lesson learnt is this - wait upon the Lord and abide in Him, trusting that he will provide according to His will. All things works for the good of those that loves him. Fret not, fear not, depress not, for our treasures are in heaven and we will see our Lord face-to-face very soon.

Originally Posted on SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2010

Tossing a Coin - A Q&A with Pastor

Q: Is tossing a coin the same as casting lots? Is tossing a coin biblical? Can we use tossing of a coin to know God's will?
A: No, tossing a coin is like gambling, it is not biblical.

Q: Why?
A: We should be guided by the Word of God and not by gambling. It is like deciding between 2 girls to marry. So you flip a coin and pray that head is this girl and tail is that girl. So when the girl asks you why you want to marry her, you say "I flip a coin!" Ridiculous. You can flip a coin for trivial matters that is not life and death, like in a football match, deciding who goes first; but not important life decisions where you need to be guided entirely by God's commandment.

(My view: this is true – what if both girls are non-believers and you decide to flip a coin. “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?” 2 Cor 6:14. God’s will for you could be neither head nor tail!)

Q: But isn't tossing the coin like leaving it up to God to decide on the outcome, similar to casting lots in the bible? It’s it like voting done in churches now?
A: We do not know exactly how the lots were casted in the bible as it did not go into details. Voting in churches firstly is required by law. Secondly it is done with the guidance of God’s word. The Board of elders carefully examine each candidate for election and only shortlist those that are eligible. Then they will allow the congregation to vote between the candidates, but the decision largely lies in the board of elders who are guided by the biblical principles of the eligibility of the candidates. There is extensive application of God’s word in the whole process.

(My view – I think the voting only decides the final candidate, but all shortlisted candidates have already been carefully chosen with God’s help, so exactly who the final candidate is does not matter all that much.)

Bottom line - "That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4. But how do we know the will of God then? We need to read and study to understand his will. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Tim 2:15. So only with more reading and studying you will be able to discern the truth and know God’s will for you.

Originally Posted on SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2010

Not My Will But Thine Be Done

When Jesus Christ submitted His human will to His divine will when He prayed at Gathsemane, He knew that His divine will coincides with God's divine will, and God's will is always the best. No matter how much He would have desired for the cup to be passed from Him, He knew - His Father's will was for Him to die for the sins of all mankind, the righteous sacrifice that can exchange for our passage to heaven.

Without Jesus' death, where will I be? Will I not submit my own will to His at all times out of the gratitude that He deserves? How can I insist on my will when I know His will is the best for me?

But..."Lord, you know the deepest desire of my heart, can it be in your will too, for me to have what I desire?"

Nonetheless, not my will, but thine be done. I submit to you, my Lord, 100%.

Originally Posted on SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010

The Greatest Love Story

True love is when someone is willing to sacrifice for you. Imagine...

"You are the worst criminal ever born. You live your life with the only aim of breaking all the laws ever existed and you enjoyed every minute of it! One day, you got caught, after being tried and convicted of your guilt, you finally realized how bad you are... You felt sad, remorseful and hated yourself for being such a person as you are.

However, all is lost for the wages of sin is death. No one on this earth could ever save you. You are indeed the most wretched soul on earth. You deserve to die!

Suddenly you heard the greatest most wonderful news... you have been pardoned of all your sins! Someone just took your place and atoned your sins! Someone died in your place! Someone who loved you that much that he is willing to carry all your sins and died for you! You almost cannot believe this, but it is the truth..."

How could you not be touched? You could not help but be wholeheartedly grateful to your Saviour! The only thing he asked you to do is to believe in him. Believe and you shall be saved! So easy... salvation is given to you so rich and free!

The Saviour is none other than Jesus Christ the Lord! He saved you from being a condemned sinner! Believe and you shall have everlasting life!

Will you believe?

Originally Posted on FRIDAY, APRIL 2, 2010

How To Pray?

We always say that God’s answers to prayers are “Yes”, “No” and “Wait”. Actually God will always answer “Yes” so long as the prayer is done according to God’s will. As such, we must be careful how we pray - do we pray to demand things for our own selfish reasons? Given that this world is not going to last and we are but here for only 70 years, what would matter to God is how we serve him in this lifetime before we reach heaven to get our rewards. Therefore, we should always be praying to ask for His will for us while we are on earth, knowing that whatever material/ financial/ emotional needs will be taken care of by Him, for God will clothe the grass of the field, how much more would He provide for us? (Matt 6:30). So all that we need to do is to commit our cares to Him – be it salary or promotion or even marriage!

Originally Posted on SATURDAY, APRIL 3, 2010