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.