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?

Do Not Worry!

Date: 10 June 2007
Speaker: 杨天恩牧师

Scripture Reference:
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:33-34


A) Worry stems from self-centeredness

- People today are seeking self-satisfaction and self-gratification. This leads to the declination of moral values.
- Worry is the reflection of self-centeredness.
- Worry is also the driving force of self-centeredness

WORRY -- driving force --> SELF-CENTEREDNESS -- unfulfilled desires --> MORE WORRY
(vicious cycle)

* Are we living in a state of constant worry?

- Jesus sees our worries, and therefore He said 'Do not worry.'


B) Characteristics of Worry:

(i) Going after meaningless/worthless things

• 'consumerism', brand consciousness
• even modern church seems to be 'buying' services, going to churches based whether they feel the pastor or worship or maybe even facilities are good.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-21

* Are our hearts set on eternal things?

(ii) Becomes selfish/stingy/overly protective of our own possessions/wealth

"The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. Matthew 6:22-24

• 'Eyes are good' = Generous / 'Eyes are bad' = Stingy
• Based on Jewish culture, 'light' represents good deeds or behaviours
• If we are generous, we'll be doing good deeds and others will see Christ in us and glorify God.
• Conversely, 'Darkness' represents bad things from Hell, and therefore we do not glory God if others see only darkness in us.

Conclusion: We should serve God wholeheartedly and set our hearts on Him, and do not worry!

Sermon on the temptations of Jesus, and us

Date: 27 May 2007
Speaker: Ps David Lim

Scripture Reference: Luke 4:1-13

The Temptation of Jesus
1Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert,
2where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread."
4Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.' "
5The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world.
6And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to.
7So if you worship me, it will all be yours."
8Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.' "
9The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down from here.
10For it is written: " 'He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully;
11they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "
12Jesus answered, "It says: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "
13When the devil had finished all this tempting, he left him until an opportune time.

Most people go through 3 types of temptations:
- Name / Fame / Status
- Wealth
- Personal Glory

A) Name / Fame / Status (v4-5):
- This is the lust of the flesh.

"Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11

- We should be lifting up the name of Christ instead of ourselves.


B) Wealth (v6-8):
- This is the lust of the eyes.

"The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want." Psalm 23:1


C) Personal Glory (v9-13):
- This is the lust of our self / pride
- All power/position on earth is temporary
- What is our life, whether the good things or bad things, compared to eternity?

Ascension Day

I didn't know yesterday was Ascension Day till I read the ODB online. It gave me a fresh prespective of the life and mission of our Lord Jesus Christ. Most of the time, we celebrate His birth during Christmas, remember His sufferings on the cross during Good Friday, and rejoice on His resurrection day on Easter Sunday. But we often forget or are unaware (like me) about this special Day which is the Ascension Day, 40 days after His resurrection. It's this day that completes the whole picture isn't it?

Reading the ODB, I realised that the life of Christ actually reflects our Christian life. His birth gave us hope, and is akin to our new birth when we accept the Lord as Saviour of our lives. His sufferings on the cross assures us that He understands all that we go through in life. His death is like the dark hours in our lives where everything seems so hopeless and helpless. His resurrection tells us that in Him, we can overcome all things that have come against us. And His ascension assures us that He is right now at the right hand of God the Father interceeding for us every moment of our lives. At the same time, He sent the Holy Spirit to live in us to be our beacon and guiding light.

Thank God for this fresh perspective!

Read from: http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-05-17-07.shtml