by: Jessica Heikoop
Romans 12:1-2 Present your bodies as a living sacrifice. (v. 1)
The congregation was enthusiastically singing I Surrender All.
Our pastor once observed that if we were being honest, most of us would have to change the words a bit and sing “I surrender most” or even “I surrender some.” Unfortunately he was right. God does not call us to surrender only part of ourselves to him. He calls for complete surrender.
Another way to look at this idea of full surrender is through Paul’s words in the passage we read today. The term “living sacrifice” is a powerful appeal and somewhat of an ominous expression at first glance. As Nancy Leigh DeMoss explains, though, it simply means to offer our bodies as a “complete presentation of ourselves to God.” It means that we devote ourselves to him with all willingness.
This encompasses every aspect of our lives. It is rendering to God all that we are and all that we have. True surrender doesn’t just pick and choose those parts of ourselves that we feel like giving him. He wants all of us, not just a portion of our lives, not a small fragment of our time, not merely a fraction of our possessions.
Selective surrender isn’t real surrender. If you want to be a living sacrifice, you can’t say, “Lord, you can have my heart but not my head, my voice but not my hands and feet.” You can only say, “Lord, I surrender all.”
************************
One of my previous churches stopped singing this hymn after a visiting speaker remarked that when we sang it, how many of us really meant what we were singing.........
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
The Cross
The Cross
A young man was at the end of his road , seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
"Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.
Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.
"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
***
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
***
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
A young man was at the end of his road , seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees in prayer.
"Lord, I can't go on," he said. "I have too heavy a cross to bear."
The Lord replied, "My son, if you can't bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then, open that other door and pick out any cross you wish."
The man was filled with relief and said, "Thank you Lord," and he did as he was told.
Upon entering the other room, he saw many crosses; some so large the tops were not visible. Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall.
"I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered.
The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."
***
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
***
YOUR CROSS
Whatever your cross
Whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine
After the rain Perhaps you may stumble
Perhaps even fall
But God's always there
To help you through it all ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
Sand & Stone
Sand & Stone
A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
at http://www.hlce.org.my
©HLCE 2000-2005
A story tells that two friends were walking through the desert. During some point of the journey they had an argument, and one friend slapped the other one in the face. The one who got slapped was hurt, but without saying anything, wrote in the sand: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE."
They kept on walking until they found an oasis, where they decided to take a bath. The one who had been slapped got stuck in the mire and started drowning, but the friend saved him. After he recovered from the near drowning, he wrote on a stone: "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE."
The friend who had slapped and saved his best friend asked him, "After I hurt you, you wrote in the sand and now, you write on a stone, why?" The other friend replied: "When someone hurts us we should write it down in sand where winds of forgiveness can erase it away. But, when someone does something good for us, we must engrave it in stone where no wind can ever erase it."
______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
at http://www.hlce.org.my
©HLCE 2000-2005
'It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere.'
'It doesn't matter what you believe, as long as you're sincere.'
That must be one of the most common statements I hear when people first start talking about faith. What do you think about that statement? Personally, I don't think these people really mean what they are saying, at least not literally. If you are walking on a lake that's covered with one inch of ice, no matter how sincere you are in believing you can do it, you are in for a cold soaking at best. If someone encourages you to try, "as long as you're sincere," they are no friend! The issue is less the sincerity or intensity of your faith than it is the trustworthiness of the object of your faith: Is it solid enough, deep enough, trustworthy enough, to be capable of holding your weight?"....
Brian D. McLaren in Finding Faith: A Search for What Makes Sense
www.Zondervan.com
Live Life Inspired.
That must be one of the most common statements I hear when people first start talking about faith. What do you think about that statement? Personally, I don't think these people really mean what they are saying, at least not literally. If you are walking on a lake that's covered with one inch of ice, no matter how sincere you are in believing you can do it, you are in for a cold soaking at best. If someone encourages you to try, "as long as you're sincere," they are no friend! The issue is less the sincerity or intensity of your faith than it is the trustworthiness of the object of your faith: Is it solid enough, deep enough, trustworthy enough, to be capable of holding your weight?"....
Brian D. McLaren in Finding Faith: A Search for What Makes Sense
www.Zondervan.com
Live Life Inspired.
EIGHT GIFTS
EIGHT GIFTS
1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING... But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE... It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT... A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really, it's not that hard to say Hello or Thank You.
______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
1) THE GIFT OF LISTENING... But you must REALLY listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.
2) THE GIFT OF AFFECTION... Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.
3) THE GIFT OF LAUGHTER... Clip cartoons. Share articles and funny stories. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."
4) THE GIFT OF A WRITTEN NOTE... It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or a full sonnet. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.
5) THE GIFT OF A COMPLIMENT... A simple and sincere, "You look great in red," "You did a super job" or "That was a wonderful meal" can make someone's day.
6) THE GIFT OF A FAVOR... Every day, go out of your way to do something kind.
7) THE GIFT OF SOLITUDE... There are times when we want nothing better than to be left alone. Be sensitive to those times and give the gift of solitude to others.
8) THE GIFT OF A CHEERFUL DISPOSITION... The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. Really, it's not that hard to say Hello or Thank You.
______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
Asked From God
Asked From God
I asked God to take away my pain
God said, No.
It is not for Me to take away, but for you to give it up
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.
I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea. ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
I asked God to take away my pain
God said, No.
It is not for Me to take away, but for you to give it up
I asked God to make my handicapped child whole.
God said, No.
His spirit is whole, his body is only temporary.
I asked God to grant me patience.
God said, No.
Patience is a by-product of tribulations; it isn't granted, it is learned.
I asked God to give me happiness.
God said, No.
I give you blessings. Happiness is up to you.
I asked God to spare me pain.
God said, No.
Suffering draws you apart from worldly cares and brings you closer to Me.
I asked God to make my spirit grow.
God said, No.
You must grow on your own, but I will prune you to make you fruitful.
I asked God for all things that I might enjoy life.
God said, No.
I will give you life, so that you may enjoy all things.
I ask God to help me LOVE others, as much as He loves me.
God said...Ahhhh, finally you have the idea. ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
Living Excellently for God
Living Excellently for God
Philippians 3:7-11
Mr Daniel Ho
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead..." Phil 3:7-11 NIV
Introduction
God's ideal for His people – abundance, prosperous and a life of blessings.
His requirements – obedience and loyalty.
Examples of success and failures in individuals and the nation of Israel in the OT.
The NT shows how a relationship with God was possible for all people, opening a new living way through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Heb 10:20).
The example of the life of Paul, 1Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17. He was confident in telling the church "Be followers of me as I am of Christ". How is this possible for us to live excellently for God?
Choose Christ
Verse 7 - ..for the sake of Christ..
When face with decisions that will draw us from Christ, choose Christ.
Maybe costly especially in career and ambition. Choose a career that is not based on remuneration only but one that will enable you to serve in the church, be active in your family and improve society.
Choice is ours, God does not force on us His will.
The Bible is not a book of rules and regulations. It gives us principles. It shows us what happened to people who make wrong choice because they want their own will. Jesus when faced with a difficult choice was able to pray, "Not my will but yours be done".
The Holy Spirit helps us by giving us wisdom, strength and discernment.
Can never go wrong when we choose Christ.
Know Christ
Verse 8 ..surpassing greatness of knowing Christ..
How can we know God unless He reveals Himself to us? Apostle John writing to gentile believers explains this in the first chapter of John. The author of Hebrews says that God reveals Himself through his son, Jesus Christ.
Some practical ways of knowing Christ is daily reading of His Word and Prayer.
Ps 46:10 Be still and know that I am God This belief in God comes by reflection and quiet confidence in God.
The example of Mary and Martha by the author of "The cloud of unknowing" The Lord does not reject what we do for Him but better is the life of contemplation.
It is internalizing that relationship and knowledge of God; it is reflected by the serenity which is difficult for the world to understand. The Desert Fathers understood this as they retreated from the busy world into the desert.
AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy :"A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well"
Believe Christ
Verse 9 ..having a righteousness.. which is through faith in Christ..
In order to live excellently for God, it begins with faith in Christ. There will be times when we fail but we should not give up.
Wang Min Dow who suffered many, many years of imprisonment in China, failed when he was first tested with his faith in Christ. He was so ashamed the first time when he was asked to recant that he went out shouting "I betrayed my Lord".
To live excellently for God is to have faith in His son, Jesus Christ. The ancient Church Fathers when faced with death for their faith would reply, "I believe in Jesus who died for me because it is incredible. I believe He rose from the dead because it is impossible".
Our faith in Christ is visible in our attitudes, character and deeds. These are consistent throughout the day in whatever situation we may be in.
We are consistent in how we treat others, the young, the lowly and those superior to us. We are not a chameleon, the lizard that changes itself in different environment.
Our faith in Christ is tested all the time because Christ paid a price to redeem us. He is our master and which slave is greater than his master?
Our faith in Christ will mean that we live a life that will look forward to His second coming. It will also mean that we are involved in evangelism and missions. If we believe the only way to God is through the righteousness of His Son, then we must be making that known to others.
Conclusion
Living a life of excellence for the glory of God is expected of every believer in Christ. It begins with a choice. It involves a diligent desire to want to know Him better and living a righteous life of faith. It involves the will and may we have the courage to pray like what our lord and master prayed, "Not my will but yours be done". Amen.
Philippians 3:7-11
Mr Daniel Ho
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead..." Phil 3:7-11 NIV
Introduction
God's ideal for His people – abundance, prosperous and a life of blessings.
His requirements – obedience and loyalty.
Examples of success and failures in individuals and the nation of Israel in the OT.
The NT shows how a relationship with God was possible for all people, opening a new living way through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Heb 10:20).
The example of the life of Paul, 1Cor 11:1; Phil 3:17. He was confident in telling the church "Be followers of me as I am of Christ". How is this possible for us to live excellently for God?
Choose Christ
Verse 7 - ..for the sake of Christ..
When face with decisions that will draw us from Christ, choose Christ.
Maybe costly especially in career and ambition. Choose a career that is not based on remuneration only but one that will enable you to serve in the church, be active in your family and improve society.
Choice is ours, God does not force on us His will.
The Bible is not a book of rules and regulations. It gives us principles. It shows us what happened to people who make wrong choice because they want their own will. Jesus when faced with a difficult choice was able to pray, "Not my will but yours be done".
The Holy Spirit helps us by giving us wisdom, strength and discernment.
Can never go wrong when we choose Christ.
Know Christ
Verse 8 ..surpassing greatness of knowing Christ..
How can we know God unless He reveals Himself to us? Apostle John writing to gentile believers explains this in the first chapter of John. The author of Hebrews says that God reveals Himself through his son, Jesus Christ.
Some practical ways of knowing Christ is daily reading of His Word and Prayer.
Ps 46:10 Be still and know that I am God This belief in God comes by reflection and quiet confidence in God.
The example of Mary and Martha by the author of "The cloud of unknowing" The Lord does not reject what we do for Him but better is the life of contemplation.
It is internalizing that relationship and knowledge of God; it is reflected by the serenity which is difficult for the world to understand. The Desert Fathers understood this as they retreated from the busy world into the desert.
AW Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy :"A right conception of God is basic not only to systematic theology but to practical Christian living as well"
Believe Christ
Verse 9 ..having a righteousness.. which is through faith in Christ..
In order to live excellently for God, it begins with faith in Christ. There will be times when we fail but we should not give up.
Wang Min Dow who suffered many, many years of imprisonment in China, failed when he was first tested with his faith in Christ. He was so ashamed the first time when he was asked to recant that he went out shouting "I betrayed my Lord".
To live excellently for God is to have faith in His son, Jesus Christ. The ancient Church Fathers when faced with death for their faith would reply, "I believe in Jesus who died for me because it is incredible. I believe He rose from the dead because it is impossible".
Our faith in Christ is visible in our attitudes, character and deeds. These are consistent throughout the day in whatever situation we may be in.
We are consistent in how we treat others, the young, the lowly and those superior to us. We are not a chameleon, the lizard that changes itself in different environment.
Our faith in Christ is tested all the time because Christ paid a price to redeem us. He is our master and which slave is greater than his master?
Our faith in Christ will mean that we live a life that will look forward to His second coming. It will also mean that we are involved in evangelism and missions. If we believe the only way to God is through the righteousness of His Son, then we must be making that known to others.
Conclusion
Living a life of excellence for the glory of God is expected of every believer in Christ. It begins with a choice. It involves a diligent desire to want to know Him better and living a righteous life of faith. It involves the will and may we have the courage to pray like what our lord and master prayed, "Not my will but yours be done". Amen.
The True Life Partner
The True Life Partner
Once upon a time, there was a rich merchant who had 4 wives.
He loved his fourth wife the most, because she was the most beautiful one amongst his other wives, and gave her a lot of his riches and wealth.
This man was very proud of his third wife and always tried to introduce her to all his friends, though he was always worried if his wife would run away with other guy.
He loved his second wife very much, because she was patient and understanding. Whenever he had problem, he always asked for her opinion; she was the one he could rely on. Through difficult times, the second wife always helped and was always by her husband’s side.
His first wife was a faithful partner. She always brought goodness for the family. She was the one who took care and organized her husband’s business. Unfortunately, the merchant did not love her that much. Although the first wife loved the merchant so much, he did not really care about her.
One day, the merchant was very sick and realized that he was going to die soon; so he called for all his wives.
He asked his fourth wife, “You are the one I love the most, I gave you beautiful dresses and jewelries. Would you accompany me?”
His wife was stuck shut, then she answered him, “Of course I wouldn’t!” then she left without another word. That answer hurt the merchant’s heart so much.
Then, he asked his third wife, “I too love you with all my heart and, this time, my life will be over. Would you go with me?”
The wife answered, “Life is so beautiful here, I will marry again if you die.”
The merchant was very struck with her saying.
Again, he asked his second wife, “I always turned to you every time I have problems and you always helped me. Now, I really need your help. If I die, would you stand beside me?”
The wife quietly answered, “Please forgive me,” she said, “I cannot help you this time. I can only see to your grave. However, I’ll make a beautiful burial plot for you.”
The answer was like a striking lightning. The merchant felt so hopeless.
Suddenly, he heard a voice, “I will stay with you. I’ll go wherever you go. I won’t leave you, I’ll be faithful to you.”
The merchant looked to his side and saw his first wife there. She looked so thin, like a person in starvation.
Feeling very sorry, the merchant whispered, “If only I could take care of you while I could, you won’t look like this my wife.”
In this life, we all have 4 wives.
The fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and money we spent to make it look beautiful and handsome, everything will be gone. It would quickly leave us when we passed away. There will not be any beauty left when we see Him face to face.
The third wife is our social status and wealth. When we passed away, everything that we have will be others’. It will leave and forget its owner.
Our second wife is our relatives and friends. No matter how close our relationship to them, they will not be with us forever. They will only accompany us to our grave. The first wife is our soul and truth. Maybe we often ignore and forget about them for the sake of wealth and our personal pleasure. However, the truth is that, only our soul and our truth that will always be and be faithful to us wherever we go. If our soul clings to Jesus and we do good deeds in truth, it will lead us to eternal life. ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
Once upon a time, there was a rich merchant who had 4 wives.
He loved his fourth wife the most, because she was the most beautiful one amongst his other wives, and gave her a lot of his riches and wealth.
This man was very proud of his third wife and always tried to introduce her to all his friends, though he was always worried if his wife would run away with other guy.
He loved his second wife very much, because she was patient and understanding. Whenever he had problem, he always asked for her opinion; she was the one he could rely on. Through difficult times, the second wife always helped and was always by her husband’s side.
His first wife was a faithful partner. She always brought goodness for the family. She was the one who took care and organized her husband’s business. Unfortunately, the merchant did not love her that much. Although the first wife loved the merchant so much, he did not really care about her.
One day, the merchant was very sick and realized that he was going to die soon; so he called for all his wives.
He asked his fourth wife, “You are the one I love the most, I gave you beautiful dresses and jewelries. Would you accompany me?”
His wife was stuck shut, then she answered him, “Of course I wouldn’t!” then she left without another word. That answer hurt the merchant’s heart so much.
Then, he asked his third wife, “I too love you with all my heart and, this time, my life will be over. Would you go with me?”
The wife answered, “Life is so beautiful here, I will marry again if you die.”
The merchant was very struck with her saying.
Again, he asked his second wife, “I always turned to you every time I have problems and you always helped me. Now, I really need your help. If I die, would you stand beside me?”
The wife quietly answered, “Please forgive me,” she said, “I cannot help you this time. I can only see to your grave. However, I’ll make a beautiful burial plot for you.”
The answer was like a striking lightning. The merchant felt so hopeless.
Suddenly, he heard a voice, “I will stay with you. I’ll go wherever you go. I won’t leave you, I’ll be faithful to you.”
The merchant looked to his side and saw his first wife there. She looked so thin, like a person in starvation.
Feeling very sorry, the merchant whispered, “If only I could take care of you while I could, you won’t look like this my wife.”
In this life, we all have 4 wives.
The fourth wife is our body. No matter how much time and money we spent to make it look beautiful and handsome, everything will be gone. It would quickly leave us when we passed away. There will not be any beauty left when we see Him face to face.
The third wife is our social status and wealth. When we passed away, everything that we have will be others’. It will leave and forget its owner.
Our second wife is our relatives and friends. No matter how close our relationship to them, they will not be with us forever. They will only accompany us to our grave. The first wife is our soul and truth. Maybe we often ignore and forget about them for the sake of wealth and our personal pleasure. However, the truth is that, only our soul and our truth that will always be and be faithful to us wherever we go. If our soul clings to Jesus and we do good deeds in truth, it will lead us to eternal life. ______________________________________________________________________
HLCE Online is on the web
The Three Hardest Words in the World to Use
The Three Hardest Words in the World to Use
Dcn (Dr) Alex Tang
Text: 1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Introduction
What do you think the three hardest words in the world to use are?
I owe you (Ah Long)
Make my day (Clint Eastwood)
Can do lah (Ah Beng)… but never do anything
I am sorry
Greatest since creation
Let me suggest that the three hardest words to use in the word are “love one another”. I am not talking about romantic love here. The type of romantic love promoted by valentine day and Hollywood. Valentine day means red roses and dinner. The price of red roses goes sky high and the restaurants make a killing. Romantic love is mainly infatuation, day-dreaming and lust. Hollywood movies promote romantic love; “Love at first sight.”
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is a story about a boy calling the psychiatrist host of a radio talk show about his father's prolonged grief over the death of his wife. Hanks, the father, is conned into confessing his grief to the psychiatrist. The father was talking to the psychiatrist over the phone unaware that it is simultaneous being broadcasted by radio all over the States. He shared about how he missed his wife and how he first met her. It was love at first sight. He also shared how he did not think he will love again. The love he had with his wife is only once for each lifetime. The rating for the show shot sky high and the radio station was flooded by thousands of phone calls from women willing to marry him! It also set in motion a series of events by which he met Meg Ryan. And it was love at first sight again! This is the only romantic movie I know that the couple met at the end of the movie.
When I said the three hardest words in the world to use, I am not talking about romantic love. I am talking about Christians loving one another in a congregation. Do you think it is easy to love one another here? In this church? Really? Do you love me? Do you love me enough to give me 10,000 dollars when I ask you to?
John in his pastoral epistle 1, 2 & 3 John is writing to Christians. One of the key points he wanted them to learn is to love one another. Not superficial, romantic love but really really love one another.
Exposition of Text
1 Jn 3:11-15. John here made it plain that his admonitions were directed to Christians.
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
But before telling his audience precisely what love is, he first told them what it is not. It is most certainly not the kind of action Cain exhibited toward his brother Abel. Cain murdered his brother (Gen. 4:8) and in that action he was influence by evil one. Hatred on the part of one Christian toward another is the first step towards murder. The non-righteous will always hate the righteous. Anyone who hates and murders does not love the victim. Howard Marshall, professor of New Testament in the University of Aberdeen, writes, “Hatred is the wish that the other person is not there: it is the refusal to recognize his rights as a person, the longing that he might be dead.”
Love one another is then not murder but the opposite of murder. What is the opposite of murder? Giving or adding to a life. As murder is the taking away of a life from another, Christian love should be giving more of life to another. John explains what Christians loving one another is…
Murder and hatred is taking away a life or minus-ing a life of another. (Life minus)
Christian love is adding to a life of another (Life plus)
v. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. It is the giving more of life. We know what Christian love for one another is by observing Jesus Christ. Christ gives life.
Jn 15:13
v.17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? How does the giving of life happens in Christian love for one another? In our material possessions! God shows His love for us by giving his only Son so that all who believes can have eternal life. Jn 3:16.
v.18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. How then can Christian love for one another be lived out in the church?
(a) not with words or tongues
(b) with actions
(c) in truth
Christians love one another not with words but with actions and in truth
Applications
a. Love one another not with words or tongues
James 3:5-6
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
i. Saying kind things but is insincere
“Let’s have a “win-win” situation”
“Our God is great and He will send someone to help you”…why not you?
“Brother, I will pray for you”…do you really intent to set time aside and pray?
“Let us set up a committee to study it”…meaning you do not want to make a decision
“Our Father is rich, ask Him to bless you”…meaning you will not be the one giving out of your pocket. ii. Saying ‘kind things’ in an unkind way (gossip)
“You know Sister so-and-so, she have this problem with her husband. Her husband beats her. I am telling you so that…..”
“Brother so-and-so lost a few thousands dollars on the stock exchange. Christians should not speculate. I have always believe that. I am telling you so that….”
“Brother so-and-so lost his job last month. So shameful lah. That’s why we have not seen them around church lately. I am telling you so…” Meaning: It is good to let other Christians now what is happening to so-and-so.
Deeper meaning:
Thank God it is not me
Serve them right
Yum, yum, nice juicy gossip iii. Promising much but do not deliver
“Brother, if you need money just let me know. I am always there for you. But at this moment, I have a cash flow problem…”
“Sister, if you need to talk, call me anytime. Here is my handphone number. At night I switch my handphone off…”
NATO (No Action Talk Only)
It is so easy with words. Many of us hide behind words. Many of us do not say what we think. If we are asked to do something and we do not want to do it, instead of saying no, we say something vague like, “I’ll pray about it” or “I’ll get back to you”. In the Bible, words are not a mark of Christian love. If you say “I love you”, the apostle John says “prove it!"
b. Love one another with actions i. Respect one another
Listen to one another. Wait until the other person stops talking before you open your mouth.
Be punctual. When you are late you are making the other person wait. You are making the other person waste his or her time.
Don’t be rude. Wait until the church service and announcement is over before you leave the hall.
Agree to disagree. You do not need to win every argument. You do not need to have the last words. ii. Care for one another
Is everyone in your small group okay? Does anyone need help?
Do something nice for someone in the congregation this week.
Offer to baby sit so that young couples with young children can have an evening off for a valentine dinner.
Mothers carpool so that you can have time for yourself.
Hospitality. Open your home to one another. To visitors.
Visit the sick. Bring a small gift. Keep them company.
Offer to help in spring cleaning and painting a church member’s house as Chinese New Year is coming.
Buy your Christian brothers and sisters a dinner. iii. Give to one another
Is another in financial need? Maybe, if you can afford it, offer an interest free loan.
Give some money without expecting anything in return.
Be a mentor to the younger Christians
Give your old clothes, furniture, books, crockery to the Salvation Army, Old Folks Home, Orphanage
iv. Pray for one another
c. Love one another in truth
i. Be honest with one another
Speak the truth with love
Tell it as it is
Let your yes be yes and no be no ii. Confess to one another
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Confess your sin only to people you trusts.
Confession is good for your soul
Confession is important for spiritual growth iii. Rebuke and Restore one another
Rebuking and restoring is a sign of love
Luke 17:3
So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
“It’s none of my business” is not love.
Reconcile if anyone has offend you.
Matt 5:22
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Conclusion
1JN 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
The three hardest words in the world to use are “love one another”. To murder is to take away a life, to hate is to take from a life. To love is to add to a life. John teaches Christians to love one another not with words but with actions and in truth.
Dcn (Dr) Alex Tang
Text: 1 John 3:16-18
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Introduction
What do you think the three hardest words in the world to use are?
I owe you (Ah Long)
Make my day (Clint Eastwood)
Can do lah (Ah Beng)… but never do anything
I am sorry
Greatest since creation
Let me suggest that the three hardest words to use in the word are “love one another”. I am not talking about romantic love here. The type of romantic love promoted by valentine day and Hollywood. Valentine day means red roses and dinner. The price of red roses goes sky high and the restaurants make a killing. Romantic love is mainly infatuation, day-dreaming and lust. Hollywood movies promote romantic love; “Love at first sight.”
Sleepless in Seattle (1993) starring Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is a story about a boy calling the psychiatrist host of a radio talk show about his father's prolonged grief over the death of his wife. Hanks, the father, is conned into confessing his grief to the psychiatrist. The father was talking to the psychiatrist over the phone unaware that it is simultaneous being broadcasted by radio all over the States. He shared about how he missed his wife and how he first met her. It was love at first sight. He also shared how he did not think he will love again. The love he had with his wife is only once for each lifetime. The rating for the show shot sky high and the radio station was flooded by thousands of phone calls from women willing to marry him! It also set in motion a series of events by which he met Meg Ryan. And it was love at first sight again! This is the only romantic movie I know that the couple met at the end of the movie.
When I said the three hardest words in the world to use, I am not talking about romantic love. I am talking about Christians loving one another in a congregation. Do you think it is easy to love one another here? In this church? Really? Do you love me? Do you love me enough to give me 10,000 dollars when I ask you to?
John in his pastoral epistle 1, 2 & 3 John is writing to Christians. One of the key points he wanted them to learn is to love one another. Not superficial, romantic love but really really love one another.
Exposition of Text
1 Jn 3:11-15. John here made it plain that his admonitions were directed to Christians.
This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him.
But before telling his audience precisely what love is, he first told them what it is not. It is most certainly not the kind of action Cain exhibited toward his brother Abel. Cain murdered his brother (Gen. 4:8) and in that action he was influence by evil one. Hatred on the part of one Christian toward another is the first step towards murder. The non-righteous will always hate the righteous. Anyone who hates and murders does not love the victim. Howard Marshall, professor of New Testament in the University of Aberdeen, writes, “Hatred is the wish that the other person is not there: it is the refusal to recognize his rights as a person, the longing that he might be dead.”
Love one another is then not murder but the opposite of murder. What is the opposite of murder? Giving or adding to a life. As murder is the taking away of a life from another, Christian love should be giving more of life to another. John explains what Christians loving one another is…
Murder and hatred is taking away a life or minus-ing a life of another. (Life minus)
Christian love is adding to a life of another (Life plus)
v. 16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. It is the giving more of life. We know what Christian love for one another is by observing Jesus Christ. Christ gives life.
Jn 15:13
v.17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? How does the giving of life happens in Christian love for one another? In our material possessions! God shows His love for us by giving his only Son so that all who believes can have eternal life. Jn 3:16.
v.18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. How then can Christian love for one another be lived out in the church?
(a) not with words or tongues
(b) with actions
(c) in truth
Christians love one another not with words but with actions and in truth
Applications
a. Love one another not with words or tongues
James 3:5-6
Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.
i. Saying kind things but is insincere
“Let’s have a “win-win” situation”
“Our God is great and He will send someone to help you”…why not you?
“Brother, I will pray for you”…do you really intent to set time aside and pray?
“Let us set up a committee to study it”…meaning you do not want to make a decision
“Our Father is rich, ask Him to bless you”…meaning you will not be the one giving out of your pocket. ii. Saying ‘kind things’ in an unkind way (gossip)
“You know Sister so-and-so, she have this problem with her husband. Her husband beats her. I am telling you so that…..”
“Brother so-and-so lost a few thousands dollars on the stock exchange. Christians should not speculate. I have always believe that. I am telling you so that….”
“Brother so-and-so lost his job last month. So shameful lah. That’s why we have not seen them around church lately. I am telling you so…” Meaning: It is good to let other Christians now what is happening to so-and-so.
Deeper meaning:
Thank God it is not me
Serve them right
Yum, yum, nice juicy gossip iii. Promising much but do not deliver
“Brother, if you need money just let me know. I am always there for you. But at this moment, I have a cash flow problem…”
“Sister, if you need to talk, call me anytime. Here is my handphone number. At night I switch my handphone off…”
NATO (No Action Talk Only)
It is so easy with words. Many of us hide behind words. Many of us do not say what we think. If we are asked to do something and we do not want to do it, instead of saying no, we say something vague like, “I’ll pray about it” or “I’ll get back to you”. In the Bible, words are not a mark of Christian love. If you say “I love you”, the apostle John says “prove it!"
b. Love one another with actions i. Respect one another
Listen to one another. Wait until the other person stops talking before you open your mouth.
Be punctual. When you are late you are making the other person wait. You are making the other person waste his or her time.
Don’t be rude. Wait until the church service and announcement is over before you leave the hall.
Agree to disagree. You do not need to win every argument. You do not need to have the last words. ii. Care for one another
Is everyone in your small group okay? Does anyone need help?
Do something nice for someone in the congregation this week.
Offer to baby sit so that young couples with young children can have an evening off for a valentine dinner.
Mothers carpool so that you can have time for yourself.
Hospitality. Open your home to one another. To visitors.
Visit the sick. Bring a small gift. Keep them company.
Offer to help in spring cleaning and painting a church member’s house as Chinese New Year is coming.
Buy your Christian brothers and sisters a dinner. iii. Give to one another
Is another in financial need? Maybe, if you can afford it, offer an interest free loan.
Give some money without expecting anything in return.
Be a mentor to the younger Christians
Give your old clothes, furniture, books, crockery to the Salvation Army, Old Folks Home, Orphanage
iv. Pray for one another
c. Love one another in truth
i. Be honest with one another
Speak the truth with love
Tell it as it is
Let your yes be yes and no be no ii. Confess to one another
James 5:16
Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Confess your sin only to people you trusts.
Confession is good for your soul
Confession is important for spiritual growth iii. Rebuke and Restore one another
Rebuking and restoring is a sign of love
Luke 17:3
So watch yourselves. "If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him.
“It’s none of my business” is not love.
Reconcile if anyone has offend you.
Matt 5:22
"Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you; leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Conclusion
1JN 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
The three hardest words in the world to use are “love one another”. To murder is to take away a life, to hate is to take from a life. To love is to add to a life. John teaches Christians to love one another not with words but with actions and in truth.
“Vision & Purpose In Christian Service”
“Vision & Purpose In Christian Service”
Nehemiah 1
Rev Nicholas Yeo
Life has a purpose; God has His purposes through our lives; For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10); if our lives are adjusted to God in every detail, He can achieve His purposes thru us. David (Psalmist) says, I desire to do your will, O my God (Ps40:8); Lord's Prayer, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10); Jesus said, Yet not as I will, but as you will (Mt 26:39); series of messages on Christian service in next few wks using Nehemiah. Esther,
Ezra, Nehemiah – most recent in historical dating (ca 400 BC).
EZRA – 1st 6 chpts: rebuilding of temple; last 4 chpts: restoration of worship;
Nehemiah – 1st 6 chpts: reconstruction of Jerusalem walls; last 7 chpts: reinstruction of God's people.
Nehemiah a historical book, but we will emphasize upon the spiritual lessons that are here for us all.
Key word here is “wall” (v3); also in the 6 chpts. Today's cities generally have no walls; famous Berlin Wall broken down; Great Wall of China in ruins, have become tourist spot; however, some places build walls to separate, like the Israeli walls separating the Palestinians, the fences along certain boundaries between nations to prevent illegal entries of people; in those days, walls built around cities: Jerusaslem, Jericho, Gath, Jabneh, Ashdod (2 Chr 26:6 He [Kg Uzziah] went to war against the Philistines & broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh & Ashdod); All these cities were fortified with high walls & with gates & bars, & there were also a great many unwalled villages (Dt 3:5). Walls signified power, protection. Absence of city wall meant people were defenceless against their enemies.
But walls also signified beauty. (Future glory of Jerusalem: Isaiah 60:18, No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.) Wall built around city impressive-looking; so wall = witness & testimony. There is a wall to be built around the city of our soul; a testimony to be erected around our church; a wall of witness & testimony to be built around the whole Kingdom of God in all the world. And this must be our concern.
Now, whether we are basically concerned with bldg the wall in our own soul, or with bldg the wall of our church, or with building the wall of the Kingdom of God throughout the whole world, we will discover that there will be warfare, troubles, opposition, & vigilance; & there is no winning without warfare / no triumphs without troubles / no opportunity without opposition / no victory without vigilance. Because, whenever the people of God say, Let us arise & build, Satan says, Let me arise & oppose.
1. Let Us Observe The Preparation.
Nehemiah's bro. & some other Jews returned from brief visit to Jerus & gave tragic report of broken walls: v3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile & are back in the province are in great trouble & disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, & its gates have been burned with fire." pressure & burden in his own heart: v4 When I heard these things, I sat down & wept. For some days I mourned & fasted & prayed before the God of heaven. Why did he weep & mourn & fast & pray? He knew God's real purpose for people in Jerusalem. Nehemiah not the last to weep over Jerusalem; one day our Lord Jesus wept over that city, & mourned & prayed & sacrificed His life for it.
Hundreds of people ever since have wept & mourned & fasted & prayed when they understood the revelation of the conditions as they really are.
Lesson :Load is not lightened unless first felt pressure in own soul; no one is ever used of God to bring blessing until God has opened his eyes & made him see things as they are; Nehemiah was called to build wall, but first he had to weep over the ruins.
Christian work is not a hobby; if so, it leads to failure; look at ruins before Christian service; look at absence of Christian teaching in schools or groups before you get involved in SCFs or uniformed organisations; look at poverty of Christian instruction & influence in young people before you start Bible School teaching or Children's Church or Children's Hour; then look at the people who are more interested in the fleeting pleasures of sin than in the life that Jesus said He would give abundantly to those who would seek after Him.
Look & weep.
Jesus (Mt 9:35-38) had compassion on the crowds; ..like sheep without a shepherd; ..“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (In mid-60s while a school teacher, my concern on lack of national full time workers in Christian service; prayed; sent to be a pastor; am retiring next year: constitutionally, GPM.. and constitutionally, bodily;) But Lord still sending out workers. And in your current various occupations, when you sense the calling of God to serve, respond to that call.
Do we see self-satisfaction (complacency) in ourselves? Are we not concerned with the cold state of things in our lives? Do we see a great inertia in ourselves to move into Christian service? These are ruins, like the ruins of the Jerusalem walls; God's purpose for Jerusalem was that its walls should be Salvation & its gates should be Praise (Isa60:18) & these symbols of Salvation & Praise were lying in ruins. Is God calling some of us to weep & mourn over the ruin of these emblems in our lives? We are called to mourn over the failure of many of us who are supposed to live lives which reflect Jesus Christ.
Look at ourselves. Wall speaks of witness & testimony. Need any mourning? our wall of separation? prayer life? Bib St? walk with God? personal devotional life? consistent testimony before others? Christlike life? Do these lie in ruins in God’s eyes?
2. Let Us Observe The Prayer.
Vision of ruin, brokenness & need; temptation to say: Helpless, hopeless, don’t attempt to do anything about it. Tendency for conflict & discouragement to set in; but observe Nehemiah's prayer; quite clearly a man fed on Word of God;
The prayer is given in the structure of God's revelation of Himself; that kind of prayer can never fail; sets name of God on one hand, O Lord God of heaven (5), calls himself & people as your servants (6,7,8,10,11), & on other hand calls the kg of Persia as this man (11).
Nehemiah knew his inadequacy, & unworthiness for the task; first, must gain favour from kg; then apply for leave of absence to go to Jerusalem for job God was calling him; even though he had great influence in royal court & in position of responsibility, an impossible thing to happen unless God intervened.
Nehemiah's prayer of confession included himself in the confession of sins of his people; he grounded his prayers on God's past dealings with Israel: [RD 1:8 "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, cf Lv26:33, “I will scatter you among the nations & will draw out my sword & pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, & your cities will lie in ruins.”
RD 1:9 “but if you return to me & obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there & bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.” cf Dt30:4,5, 4 “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you & bring you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, & you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous & numerous than your fathers.”
RD 1:10 “They are your servants & your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength & your mighty hand.” cf Dt9:29, “But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power & your outstretched arm."] Nehemiah grounded his prayers in God's past dealings with Israel, & saw in those things a mirror of all God's future plans.
Lesson: Whatever our ruins may be, we can go back to God's past dealings; we ground our confession & prayer on the cross / blood / empty tomb / ascended Lord; the cross sets us free from bondage & condemnation, disarmed demonic strongholds; the blood brings forgiveness & cleansing from sins, deliverance from fear of death, reconciliation with God, it brings life & healing, & it destroys the devil who has the power of death; the empty tomb shows that the purposes of God can never be frustrated, the empty tomb shows a new & changed life that can be lived in Jesus Christ; the ascended Lord shows his supremacy, the giver of life, the giver of power, the one who will be with us to the end of the age; then we will see in these things the mirror reflecting all God's purposes for us & for this world of ours.
In prayer exercise, am still a learner; prayer is battering not chattering; prayer is battle not prattle; prayer is working not wording; prayer is warring not boring; prayer is fight not flight; prayer is rooted in promises of God & in covenant of the blood; we have reasons given to us by God in his Wd why he should answer, & we can read them there. That's why Nehemiah's prayer was answered – based on God's purposes & God's promises; our prayers ought to be like that, so that God's purposes may be realized; but more often we hear prayers just asking God to bless the work, to bless the sick ones, to keep us plugging along, to keep the work going.
But we can look back to a place where Jesus died & shed His blood & rose from a tomb & ascended into heaven, & we can know He is coming again. Surely He did not do all that to leave us living as we are today; or to leave our churches weak & inadequate in their impact & insufficient in their witness.
Conclusion
Nehemiah was prepared for service even though it may be at the cost of his life. He could have remained in the comfort & ease of a life serving an earthly king & advising an earthly king. But he was prepared for service of God.
The principles of Christian service are similar. We are prepared to serve the Lord only by sacrifice. We are fit for the work of God only when we have wept over it, prayed about it, & then we are enabled by Him to face the task that needs to be done.
Nehemiah 1
Rev Nicholas Yeo
Life has a purpose; God has His purposes through our lives; For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (Eph 2:10); if our lives are adjusted to God in every detail, He can achieve His purposes thru us. David (Psalmist) says, I desire to do your will, O my God (Ps40:8); Lord's Prayer, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven (Mt 6:10); Jesus said, Yet not as I will, but as you will (Mt 26:39); series of messages on Christian service in next few wks using Nehemiah. Esther,
Ezra, Nehemiah – most recent in historical dating (ca 400 BC).
EZRA – 1st 6 chpts: rebuilding of temple; last 4 chpts: restoration of worship;
Nehemiah – 1st 6 chpts: reconstruction of Jerusalem walls; last 7 chpts: reinstruction of God's people.
Nehemiah a historical book, but we will emphasize upon the spiritual lessons that are here for us all.
Key word here is “wall” (v3); also in the 6 chpts. Today's cities generally have no walls; famous Berlin Wall broken down; Great Wall of China in ruins, have become tourist spot; however, some places build walls to separate, like the Israeli walls separating the Palestinians, the fences along certain boundaries between nations to prevent illegal entries of people; in those days, walls built around cities: Jerusaslem, Jericho, Gath, Jabneh, Ashdod (2 Chr 26:6 He [Kg Uzziah] went to war against the Philistines & broke down the walls of Gath, Jabneh & Ashdod); All these cities were fortified with high walls & with gates & bars, & there were also a great many unwalled villages (Dt 3:5). Walls signified power, protection. Absence of city wall meant people were defenceless against their enemies.
But walls also signified beauty. (Future glory of Jerusalem: Isaiah 60:18, No longer will violence be heard in your land, nor ruin or destruction within your borders, but you will call your walls Salvation and your gates Praise.) Wall built around city impressive-looking; so wall = witness & testimony. There is a wall to be built around the city of our soul; a testimony to be erected around our church; a wall of witness & testimony to be built around the whole Kingdom of God in all the world. And this must be our concern.
Now, whether we are basically concerned with bldg the wall in our own soul, or with bldg the wall of our church, or with building the wall of the Kingdom of God throughout the whole world, we will discover that there will be warfare, troubles, opposition, & vigilance; & there is no winning without warfare / no triumphs without troubles / no opportunity without opposition / no victory without vigilance. Because, whenever the people of God say, Let us arise & build, Satan says, Let me arise & oppose.
1. Let Us Observe The Preparation.
Nehemiah's bro. & some other Jews returned from brief visit to Jerus & gave tragic report of broken walls: v3 They said to me, "Those who survived the exile & are back in the province are in great trouble & disgrace. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, & its gates have been burned with fire." pressure & burden in his own heart: v4 When I heard these things, I sat down & wept. For some days I mourned & fasted & prayed before the God of heaven. Why did he weep & mourn & fast & pray? He knew God's real purpose for people in Jerusalem. Nehemiah not the last to weep over Jerusalem; one day our Lord Jesus wept over that city, & mourned & prayed & sacrificed His life for it.
Hundreds of people ever since have wept & mourned & fasted & prayed when they understood the revelation of the conditions as they really are.
Lesson :Load is not lightened unless first felt pressure in own soul; no one is ever used of God to bring blessing until God has opened his eyes & made him see things as they are; Nehemiah was called to build wall, but first he had to weep over the ruins.
Christian work is not a hobby; if so, it leads to failure; look at ruins before Christian service; look at absence of Christian teaching in schools or groups before you get involved in SCFs or uniformed organisations; look at poverty of Christian instruction & influence in young people before you start Bible School teaching or Children's Church or Children's Hour; then look at the people who are more interested in the fleeting pleasures of sin than in the life that Jesus said He would give abundantly to those who would seek after Him.
Look & weep.
Jesus (Mt 9:35-38) had compassion on the crowds; ..like sheep without a shepherd; ..“The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” (In mid-60s while a school teacher, my concern on lack of national full time workers in Christian service; prayed; sent to be a pastor; am retiring next year: constitutionally, GPM.. and constitutionally, bodily;) But Lord still sending out workers. And in your current various occupations, when you sense the calling of God to serve, respond to that call.
Do we see self-satisfaction (complacency) in ourselves? Are we not concerned with the cold state of things in our lives? Do we see a great inertia in ourselves to move into Christian service? These are ruins, like the ruins of the Jerusalem walls; God's purpose for Jerusalem was that its walls should be Salvation & its gates should be Praise (Isa60:18) & these symbols of Salvation & Praise were lying in ruins. Is God calling some of us to weep & mourn over the ruin of these emblems in our lives? We are called to mourn over the failure of many of us who are supposed to live lives which reflect Jesus Christ.
Look at ourselves. Wall speaks of witness & testimony. Need any mourning? our wall of separation? prayer life? Bib St? walk with God? personal devotional life? consistent testimony before others? Christlike life? Do these lie in ruins in God’s eyes?
2. Let Us Observe The Prayer.
Vision of ruin, brokenness & need; temptation to say: Helpless, hopeless, don’t attempt to do anything about it. Tendency for conflict & discouragement to set in; but observe Nehemiah's prayer; quite clearly a man fed on Word of God;
The prayer is given in the structure of God's revelation of Himself; that kind of prayer can never fail; sets name of God on one hand, O Lord God of heaven (5), calls himself & people as your servants (6,7,8,10,11), & on other hand calls the kg of Persia as this man (11).
Nehemiah knew his inadequacy, & unworthiness for the task; first, must gain favour from kg; then apply for leave of absence to go to Jerusalem for job God was calling him; even though he had great influence in royal court & in position of responsibility, an impossible thing to happen unless God intervened.
Nehemiah's prayer of confession included himself in the confession of sins of his people; he grounded his prayers on God's past dealings with Israel: [RD 1:8 "Remember the instruction you gave your servant Moses, saying, 'If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations, cf Lv26:33, “I will scatter you among the nations & will draw out my sword & pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, & your cities will lie in ruins.”
RD 1:9 “but if you return to me & obey my commands, then even if your exiled people are at the farthest horizon, I will gather them from there & bring them to the place I have chosen as a dwelling for my Name.” cf Dt30:4,5, 4 “Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you & bring you back. 5 He will bring you to the land that belonged to your fathers, & you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous & numerous than your fathers.”
RD 1:10 “They are your servants & your people, whom you redeemed by your great strength & your mighty hand.” cf Dt9:29, “But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power & your outstretched arm."] Nehemiah grounded his prayers in God's past dealings with Israel, & saw in those things a mirror of all God's future plans.
Lesson: Whatever our ruins may be, we can go back to God's past dealings; we ground our confession & prayer on the cross / blood / empty tomb / ascended Lord; the cross sets us free from bondage & condemnation, disarmed demonic strongholds; the blood brings forgiveness & cleansing from sins, deliverance from fear of death, reconciliation with God, it brings life & healing, & it destroys the devil who has the power of death; the empty tomb shows that the purposes of God can never be frustrated, the empty tomb shows a new & changed life that can be lived in Jesus Christ; the ascended Lord shows his supremacy, the giver of life, the giver of power, the one who will be with us to the end of the age; then we will see in these things the mirror reflecting all God's purposes for us & for this world of ours.
In prayer exercise, am still a learner; prayer is battering not chattering; prayer is battle not prattle; prayer is working not wording; prayer is warring not boring; prayer is fight not flight; prayer is rooted in promises of God & in covenant of the blood; we have reasons given to us by God in his Wd why he should answer, & we can read them there. That's why Nehemiah's prayer was answered – based on God's purposes & God's promises; our prayers ought to be like that, so that God's purposes may be realized; but more often we hear prayers just asking God to bless the work, to bless the sick ones, to keep us plugging along, to keep the work going.
But we can look back to a place where Jesus died & shed His blood & rose from a tomb & ascended into heaven, & we can know He is coming again. Surely He did not do all that to leave us living as we are today; or to leave our churches weak & inadequate in their impact & insufficient in their witness.
Conclusion
Nehemiah was prepared for service even though it may be at the cost of his life. He could have remained in the comfort & ease of a life serving an earthly king & advising an earthly king. But he was prepared for service of God.
The principles of Christian service are similar. We are prepared to serve the Lord only by sacrifice. We are fit for the work of God only when we have wept over it, prayed about it, & then we are enabled by Him to face the task that needs to be done.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Seven ways to protect your marriage against moral failure
Last night discussion pitched into a sharing about a theologically trained leader who got angry over his job demotion, confided in a female colleague at work because the wife couldn't understand his office problem and frustration and ended up now asking for a divorce from the wife and 2 young kids. He and wife are close friends of 2 group members and it's truly baffling how someone like him is now even asking for a divorce. Others all shared the boundaries and rules we should all maintained in order to avoid coming to this situation. Below, Pastor Rick Warren of Saddleback Church shares his pointers.
Like the saying goes, the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence; the grass is greener where you water it. We must make sure our marriage is growing and developing, or we’ll be susceptible to moral failure. If you want a happy marriage, you’re going to have to work at it.
Song of Solomon 1:6 (NASB) says. “They made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own vineyard.” There’s a danger in ministry of spending your time repairing other people’s marriages and neglecting your own. I’ve worked very hard at my own marriage. Kay and I have learned that you can’t develop separate lives if you’re in ministry. Separate lives can lead to moral failure if you’re not careful.
Here are seven tips to keep you from developing separate lives:
Song of Solomon 1:6 (NASB) says. “They made me caretaker of the vineyards, but I have not taken care of my own vineyard.” There’s a danger in ministry of spending your time repairing other people’s marriages and neglecting your own. I’ve worked very hard at my own marriage. Kay and I have learned that you can’t develop separate lives if you’re in ministry. Separate lives can lead to moral failure if you’re not careful.
Here are seven tips to keep you from developing separate lives:
- Involve your mate in your ministry. You need to keep your spouse informed about what’s going on in your ministry. At one point I took home all the personal mail I got at Saddleback and shared it with Kay. I wanted her to know what was going on at the church. Secrets lead to separate lives. You’ve got to ruthlessly eliminate secrets in your marriage. Make your spouse a part of what your ministry is about.
- Surround yourself with reminders of your family. I keep a drawer filled with reminders of my family. Whatever reminds you of your family (a picture, keepsake, etc.), use it. Do this and you’ll keep in mind all you have to lose with a moral failure.
- Keep lines of communication open. I read a Christianity Today survey once that said 49 percent of ministers rarely or never talk to their spouse about sexual temptation. That’s asking for trouble. Keep the lines of communication open. Most affairs begin with shared feelings and shared frustrations that should have been shared with a mate. They say, “I can’t talk to my husband or wife, but this person understands me.” Baloney! Affairs begin by emotional bonding, and they continue through secrecy and dishonesty.
- Direct attraction toward your mate. You’re going to be attracted to other people – even if it’s fleeting. But you need to redirect that attraction to your mate.
- Date your mate. You and your spouse need a regular date night. Put it on the calendar. Don’t let anything get in its way. It doesn’t have to be expensive. If the weather is nice where you live, have a picnic somewhere. There may be someone in your church willing to babysit your kids as a ministry to your family. Regardless of how you make it happen, you need to do it.
- Make much of your marriage in public. There shouldn’t be any doubt in the minds of the people you’re serving that you’re happily married. I’ve said many times to our congregation that I am hopelessly in love with Kay. I want people to know that. I try to speak positively of her to the church family. I’ve presented her with flowers in front of people at the church. Public expressions of affection are important.
- Never discuss your marriage problems with anyone of the opposite sex. If you do, you’re asking for trouble. Discuss them with people of your own sex. At Saddleback, we only let our ministers counsel someone from the opposite sex once. After that, they’ve got to refer them to someone else. I think that’s wise counsel. When your marriage is hurting, it’s too easy for you to see someone who is listening to you as the answer.
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