Serving the Lord

An encouragement in time of need...

"But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15

Serving God will not always be the easy choice. But it is a choice that brings the kind of consequence we can live with. — Bill Crowder

Being a good steward

This seems to be the theme these 2 days.

Yesterday, Pastor in church talked about being a good steward of what God has given to us. That is how we should use our talents and gifts that God has given to us, cos at the end of the day, when we are called home to be with the LORD, He is going to hold us accountable of what He has given to us.
(Bible Ref: Matt 25:14-30)

This morning, a colleague sent me an email about practicing christian ethics in our work or businesses. The email reminds us that our primary vocation is spreading God's love and the message of salvation and grace. This does not mean turning our workplace into church services, but it do mean reaching out to those whom we frequently are in contact with ie our colleagues, business associates etc. But how are we to reach out if we ourselves do not show godly examples? And one of the important aspect and christian ethics is diligence. God wants us to remember that our jobs are only our avocation - a means of earning a living, a tool which we can use to perform christian ethics.
(Bible Ref: Prov 22:29)

And as I was reading today's daily bread, it corrected the wrong attitudes that christians may take when reading the bible. We should step out of our consumerism mindset and not see ourselves as 'consumers' of the word of God, but rather we are creators and changers of the truths and principles that we have learnt from the bible into our lives. We ought to bear fruits in the gifts that God has given to us...again, it talks about good stewardship.
(Bible Ref: Eph 4:11-13, 1 Cor 3:10-11, 1 Cor 3:14)

Let us strive to be good stewards for all that God has given to us in our lives....our work, our time, our talents and gifts, our strengths and character, our relationships, our loved ones.

New lessons learnt the past few days

Haven't been blogging for awhile on this blog....BUT! I haven't been slack in my BS hor!

Just wanted to post about the lessons learnt the past few days which struck me:

1. The commandment on "Do not murder": It was quite a fresh perspective that we can "murder"each other with our words and the things we say. Thing we say on purpose to spite our loved ones. Especially towards our closest ones, we often tend to speak more harshly and unkindly to them than strangers!

2. Therefore it's important to WATCH WHAT WE SAY. And strive to say kind words to people around us. And pray for them, so that we may not "murder" them with our words but instead, give life.

Am still on my fast currently...and it has sort of become a lifestyle for me I guess. I'm trying to fast breakfast everyday...but on days when I give in to hunger, I try to do a Daniel fast instead. People have been asking me what I'm fasting for, I've also been asking myself. Frankly I don't know exactly what I'm fasting for, just that I know it helps me to be more aware of God's presence in my life and learn to rely on him for small things like overcoming hunger and overcoming temptations to eat the food I like.

Physically, I do feel I've benefitted from it. I think I'm stronger cos for the past week, I've been consistently lacking sleep...but each day when I wake, I could by God's strength and grace summon the energy to wake up and face the day. It's hard to explain...cos it's not like I'm fasting for a specific item, but more trying to make it a lifestyle.

Also decided not to be too regimental about it, and I'm enjoying the flexiblity of choosing between Daniel or Breakfast fast each day. I'm enjoying my fast...maybe I'll carry on doing this for sometime longer...perhaps the rest of this year...and try to stay on the fast everyday except on days when there's a special occassion like wedding dinner or tours etc...Hope I can persevere on! Cos I think it's good training :)

Esteeming God's Laws

1 Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1)

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. (Psalm 19)

9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10 I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12 Praise be to you, O LORD; teach me your decrees. 13 With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. 14 I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. 15 I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. 16 I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word...105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. (Psalm 119)

Let's strive to live according to God's instruction manual!

Christian, really?

1In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."...5People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. (Matthew 3:1-2,5-10)

Lessons from the passage:

1. Going to church does not make one a Christian
2. Knowing the Bible well does not make one a Christian
3. Having a great preacher/pastor in your family line does not make one a Christian
4. Serving more fervently in church does not increase your chance of going to heaven

As christians, many church related things can still distract us. This is a ploy still used by Satan today to keep us from drawing our focus to God. Many times we still tend to think that we're 'safe' based on our hard work we've done for the church. God doesn't base His criteria for entering Heaven from what we do, He sees our heart.

He wouldn't be pleased with all that we've done if our hearts are not turned to Him. And He is most pleased if we don't do anything but just focus on Him, as seen in the case of Martha and Mary. Of course, God has a purpose and a mission for each of us, but wants us to draw close to Him first, then He will tell us what He wants us to do....not we doing it first and then showing Him proudly what we have done.

Many people who actively serve has a danger of falling into the trap of basing their salvation and faith on their works. We tell non-christians or new christians that we are all saved by grace and not works, but many times we are subtle-ly blinded in our hearts by all our busyness, and may unknowingly put our trust in our Christian-ly achievements instead of on God.

Perhaps that's why Jesus is especially delighted with children, they possess one single quality that somehow seems to fade with age - that is, total dependence. As fully functioning adults, it is a challenge as we have be brought up to be independent in order to survive in a competitive society. But we still need to be totally dependent on God for every aspects of our lives. It's tough! Cos we have to be both at the same time, but it's not impossible. For that, we really have to depend on God to give us strength and wisdom to know how to do that!

What are we basing our faith on today?

Hearts turning into stones?

1 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?"
3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?"
4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me."
(Exodus 17:1-4)

6 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
7 for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care. Today, if you hear his voice,
8 do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, as you did that day at Massah in the desert,
9 where your fathers tested and tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years I was angry with that generation; I said, "They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they have not known my ways."
11 So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest."
(Psalm 95:6-11)

Meribah means quarrelling and Massah means testing. The Israelites quarrelled with Moses when they did not have water to drink. They tested GOD by challenging the authority of His appointed servant Moses. This was after they had experience the parting of the Red Sea and also the miraculous provision of Manna from heaven.

We would think that if we were one of the Israelites who had seen the Red Sea parted and food literally dropping from the sky, we would never think about rebelling againts God and will probably have absolute faith in Him. But is that true?

Have there been instances in our lives where we have experienced tremendous blessings from God, and we are grateful...for awhile. When we face a challenge or difficulty, what is our first response? Do we then begin to question in our hearts "God, what are you doing about this?". Instead of praying and seeking God for help, are we then expecting Him to do something about it immediately as though he is our maidservant?

Living in this country, are we then proned to do what most people are inclined to doing when they feel that they are not receiving the best: Complain. Perhaps this seems like a small flawed...complain. After all we're just voicing out our rights and helping the system or service to improve, right?

I don't think so...I believe that there is a thin line between complaining and giving feedback. When we complain, we tend to get all emotional and focus on ourselves and how much we have been shortchanged. At that moment, we lose focus on God and on His provision in our lives. In the name of genuinely wanting to help to improve a service or person we are complaining against, we are actually simply trying to fight for something we believe we deserve.

God has told us in His commandments to love His with all our hearts, mind, soul and might, and love our neighbours as ourselves. There've been times when I'm guilty of this: complaining when I do not feel good about something...looking back, I see how unloving and how unkind in my thoughts and words whenever I do that! I do not see how I'm loving God nor my neighbours.

We need to guard every thought and actions lest they slowly and unknowingly lead us to a point where our hearts are so hardened that we cannot hear and see God anymore. Let's not be rebellion and allow our hearts to turn into stones. Instead, let's turn to God and depend on His grace and provision everyday of our lives!

Heart Conditions

The Parable of the Sower

1Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water's edge. 2He taught them many things by parables, and in his teaching said:

3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times."

9Then Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

10When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. 11He told them, "The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables 12so that," 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'[Isa 6:9,10]"

13Then Jesus said to them, "Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? 14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown." (Mark 4:1-20)

I walked by the field of a lazy person, the vineyard of one with no common sense. I saw that it was overgrown with nettles. It was covered with weeds, and its walls were broken down. Then, as I looked and thought about it, I learned this lesson: A little extra sleep, a little more slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest— then poverty will pounce on you like a bandit; scarcity will attack you like an armed robber. (Proverbs 24:30-34)

What is the condition of our hearts today? Is God's words falling on good soil? or on rocky and thorny grounds? Are we the lazy farmer who is not upkeeping the garden of our hearts, and allowing thorns and thistles to grow? Are we hungry for God?