The Hardest Thing To Do

Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Colossians 3:13

Forgiving someone who has hurt us is one of the hardest things we can do. We'd rather stay leashed up to the resentment like a dog to a fence. Because in our minds, our unforgiveness is paying them back for the pain they caused. But when you refuse to release the leash and drag that anger through life, you only end up hurting yourself.

It is natural for us to hold on to our wrath because of our sinful nature. The last thing we want to do is forgive.

But that's just what the Bible tells us to do. We're to forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us, not as we feel like forgiving. When Christ died on the cross for our sins, he was giving us the ultimate forgiveness. He was saying, "My love for you outweighs any wrong thing you have ever done or ever will do to me."

If we're honest with ourselves, we'll realize that we don't have what it takes to truly forgive someone of the wrong they have done to us. That type of power only comes from God. We must learn to open our hearts and allow God to replace our anger with his love. Let God's love transform your heart. Because it is the only way that we can truly forgive someone who has hurt us.

Would you pray today that God's love will flood your soul so that your anger has no power to emerge? Can also invite you to pray and prepare for the upcoming series this Sunday - Anger Management? Would you also pass the news around and invite someone to church this Sunday?

A Prayer for Today

Lord, I realize that I don't have what it takes to truthfully forgive someone for hurting me. Help me to open my heart and allow your love to replace my hurt , anger and resentment. Thank you for the ultimate forgiveness through your sacrifice on the cross. In Jesus' name, Amen.

When A Door Closes On You...

As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

2 Samuel 22:31

The sound of a slamming door is harsh. No one likes to hear that sound, because we often associate it with rejection. And when a door of opportunity slams in our face, the rejection can be more personal and deeply felt, especially when we felt the opportunity was a perfect fit for us.

We tend to look at lost opportunities through our own perspective. We think, "That was the one chance I had, and now it's gone. Nothing that good will ever come along again. That was it!"

But when a door of opportunity is slammed, remember that God has a reason behind it. And although the reason may not be clear to us, we have to recognize that God's plans are greater than our own. He is Sovereign and He never makes a mistake with our lives.

He has reasons for closing doors in our lives. The Bible says, "His way is perfect." He has reasons for not allowing you to take that job or not allowing that relationship to work out or not allowing that wish to be granted. Trust God and know that his ways are perfect and his reasoning is flawless. Look beyond the closed door. See it through God's perspective. And realize that the slammed door is a grand slam with a purpose.

Choose therefore to rejoice in the Lord - when God closes one door, He often opens another!

When God Hides Us - A Study In Ps 32

I thought I will do something more expository this morning.

Please read Ps 32 before you read what's ahead

Verses 1–5 are clearly one unit which deals with confession and forgiveness. The main point is in verses 1 and 2, is that to be forgiven is a very happy condition. Verses 3–5 tell us how to attain that happy state: first, negatively, don’t try to conceal your sin from God (verses 3 and 4), then, positively, acknowledge your sin and confess it to God (verse 5). So the point of verses 1–5 is: the person who does not conceal his sins but confesses them to God will find the tremendous happiness of a clean conscience and peace with God.

Then the first half of verse 6 draws an inference from verses 1–5: since this is the case, therefore, “Let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found.” If such great blessedness follows the prayer of confession, then, for goodness sake, let’s all pray!

Then in the second half of verse 6 and all of verse 7 there seems to be a shift of concern away from confession and forgiveness to the protection of God in the troubles of life.

Surely in a flood of great waters they shall not reach him (i.e., the godly). You are my hiding place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with songs of deliverance.

What David is saying is that the blessedness of the forgiven man in verses 1 and 2 consists not only in his peace of conscience but also in the protection that God now gives him in the midst of troubles. Or, to put it another way, the man who prays and confesses his sin to God is blessed not only because of what God does not do—namely, treat him according to his sins—but he is also blessed by what God does do—namely, preserve him from trouble and surround him with songs of deliverance. God is not only not against him, he is mightily for him.

In verse 8, God takes the pen in his own hand, as it were, and promises not only protection but instruction and counsel for how we should live from day to day: “I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.” The blessing of protection in verse 7 is great indeed, but it would be incomplete if it were not accompanied by the blessing of direction. What good would it be if he guarded us from destruction but did not tell us which way to go? Protection with direction, care with counsel, that is the happy condition of the person who prays to God and receives forgiveness for his sins.

So the main point so far in verses 1–8 is that all the godly should pray to God in a time when he may be found. And as incentives David gives the promises of forgiveness (vv. 1–5), protection (vv. 6–7), and direction (v. 8).

happy birthday to my wife!

A heartfelt Happy Birthday - today - to my wife, Christina, on her 48th birthday. I know that folks don’t like their ages to be published but in her case, it’s okay since she doesn't look her age…at 48, she is still so elegant and beautiful.

When I first met her, I was attracted to her comeliness and her feminine poise. 28 years later, she is still so comely...and still so attractive.

This year, the Lord granted her the desire of her heart, moving her to a new job scope. It has been a new learning curve for her and what makes me so proud of her is that she still has that hunger to learn and to grow and to change.

Some things about her never changes - the quality of food at the dining table; the house that is always so well managed and organized; and keeping to a consistency in so many things, making the family secure and stable.

Thank you honey, for the years of friendship and partnership. Blessed Birthday!

Tiered cupcakes - a dozen in all that Thea got for her mom.

Bouquet of yellow roses with white baby's breath and green ferns I got Christina -
these were the three colour themes at our wedding; yellow representing radiance;
green - freshness and white - purity. And Christina carried a similar bridal bouquet at the wedding.

The Family!
May the LORD keep us always in Him, together.

Don't Sit Around. Go!

"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Matthew 28:19-20

Many Christians tend to shrivel up with fear at the mention of sharing Jesus with others. We hide behind excuses like, "I don't know enough about the Bible to answer every question."

Satan wants us to believe that we are not qualified. But when Jesus commanded us to "go and make disciples," he was telling us to simply be witnesses. And to be a witness, all we need to do is tell others what we have seen and heard in our own lives.

Christ wants to use each one of us to take part in offering the world the best news they will ever hear. And when we talk to others about Jesus' impact in our own lives, we open the door for them to experience the grace and mercy of God that will transform their lives.

Don't convince yourself that you aren't qualified to talk about Christ. If he's changed your life, then he's qualified you. Simply look for opportunities to share the good news of Christ. And give those people around you the chance to experience the change themselves.

Go!

Fighting Envy

Scripture

"Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked" (Nehemiah 4:18).

Observation

This is one of my favourite verses in Nehemiah!

So here they are ... working with a trowel of cement in one hand and a sword in the other. Sanbalat and Tobiah stationed themselves against them. Why? Their anger was ignited because they saw progress! Now that's about as malicious as you can get! But jealousy and envy are twins in the subtle war that destroys people and relationships. Envy is so powerful that even though you see something as good, you will be unable to benefit from it. Envy forbids you. It will debilitate your growth and stunt your future. It will withhold from you anything good ... especially if it gives credit to another. Envy demands credit and jealousy will not share it with anyone else. And if it cannot get the credit, no one else will either.

Ezekiel 8:5 defines jealousy, not as an emotion, but as an idol. It is a spirit that attacks us all.

"Then He said to me, "Son of man, raise your eyes now toward the north." So I raised my eyes toward the north, and behold, to the north of the altar gate was this idol of jealousy at the entrance."

Application

And I wonder if sometimes that enemy is within ... it could have infiltrated my own soul and I must be aware of the vices of my own heart. Jealousy can destroy me from within. Read what Nehemiah records about their enemy's strategy: "Also our enemies said, 'Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.'" The enemy's subtle and hides well. It could be lurking within us!

We must learn to build with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. Peter reminds us to be on the alert for the devil is like a prowling lion seeking those he may devour. Solomon weighs in and reminds us that the "woman of folly" sits by the way ... "Calling to those who pass by, who are making their paths straight." No, she doesn't go after the crooked ones. It's the ones trying to straighten their paths out that becomes allures her.

It would sure be nice if, as soon as we decide to serve God and rebuild a marriage, our relationships, our consciences or our faith, that life just immediately smoothed out. All the problems get dissolved!

Fat chance.

Instead, the enemy goes on the warpath. Jealous people get mad and envious eyes begin to squint in your direction. It just a part of rebuilding.

So rebuild with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other. It can be done. The temple was magnificent for the Jews, and it can be the same for us.

Prayer

O Lord, expose envy in my soul and expel it. Amen.

The Hand of God

Scripture

"...Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me" (Ezra 7:28).

Observation

I noticed that the hand of God was upon Ezra, and because of that, he took courage, he received his requests, and he succeeded. Everything fell in place because of the hand of the Lord being on his life. Now, this didn't excuse him from hard work. He still had to log his requests with the King. He still had to organize. He still had to make the long, arduous journey to Jerusalem. He still had to fast, be on guard, and be wise. But you can still do all of the above, yet if the hand of the Lord was not on us, we would not succeed.

Application

The same is true today. Over the years, I have been a student of the hand of God, and I have seen His blessing poured out on some, and I have similarly seen his Hand removed from others.

I have seen brilliantly funded projects that are well planned, yet the results were far less than desirable. On the other hand, I have seen projects with very low budgets, and God blessed it beyond compare.

Now, I haven't yet understood it all. And then again, maybe I am not supposed to. But I know that without God's presence and without His hand, we can do nothing. Come to think of it, if we figured it out, we'd probably make a science out of it. We'd conjure up a formula and sooner or later, we'd market it. It would be touted as the latest and greatest.

I think God wants us to just stay near to Him without making Him into a formula. In that way, we'd stay in relationship with Him rather than seeing God as a method to get our desires met.

This Christmas, we are going to stage our musical at Victoria Concert Hall. This is a project that not just involve finances but planning and preparation. Will God bless it? Yes, he will not because it is a big project but because we choose to be heavily and humbly dependent on him.

Prayer

Lord, thank you for Your mighty hand on my life. I so desire to have a vibrant relationship with You and to see Your purposes fulfilled in my life. I ask that you would see me as your did Ezra and may I proclaim that the Hand of the Lord was always on my life.

Myanmar - A Collation Of Pictures For Prayer

Ps 12:5

"Because of the oppression of the weak
and the groaning of the needy,
I will now arise," says the Lord.
"I will protect them from those who malign them."

Stewards, Not Owners!

Scripture

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Luke 18:22).

Observation

This may seem at first glance, an abandonment of all possessions. It seems to say that if you are to "really" follow God, your have to somehow take a vow of poverty, rejecting all earthly goods.

A high price to pay for anyone! However, as we read further, we find that this is not an abandonment but a transition ... a transition from being an "owner" to being a "steward." We need to view it as becoming a steward, not a slave.

It's like a person who enlists into national service. He. He must leave his old clothes at home. His possessions and toys will need to be left behind because he can't bring them with him into the army. But now, he will receive his rations and even his clothing; they will be supplied by the army.

The same is true with the Lord. We will be provided for, but everything we need are provided by the King whom we serve. And His provisions are actually better than we can fare on our own. Either I will provide for myself, or I will choose to live God's way and allow Him to provide for me.

Application

Over the years, I had to learn how to live life as a steward and let God provide for me in His way. And it has always been far better than mine! Example after example fills my mind on how God has provided... and He provided exactly what I needed; when I needed it, without fail.

Look what we find a few verses later in verse 29: "I tell you the truth," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life."

Here we find that God promises to replace what we have given to Him many times over ... in this life! He has no desire for His people to live in abject poverty for the sake of the Kingdom. It is rather, a promise that He will provide in far greater ways. Oh yes, there may be times of lack, but if I am a steward, the "amount" He entrusts to me is His choice, not mine. My choice will be the condition or the stewardship of what He has entrusted. Not "how much," but rather "how am I using and investing" what I have been given - and I need to use all my resources, knowing God is owner, I am just a steward; a manager.

Prayer

Lord, How thankful I am for your goodness and grace. You are so kind and abundant. I choose to live your way and follow you. Lord, everything You place in my hands is Yours. You are the owner. I am a steward.

Lust, Caution 2

Scripture

"So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires." Colossians 3:5

Observation

No one is immune from the sinister influence of lust. It lures both men and women alike with promises of pleasure and satisfaction, but in the end it only brings destruction. The Bible is filled with lists of warnings against ungodly behaviour that will not only cause physical destruction, but eternal destruction as well. Sexual immorality, a byproduct of lust, is in every single one of those lists.

Lust is a God-given desire for intimacy that has gone haywire, manifesting itself in a physical attraction that leads to illicit sexual actions. Often times, people play around with lust thinking, "Oh, I can just fantasize about my beautiful co-worker. It's not like I'm actually cheating on my wife," or, "There's no harm in wearing this blouse with the plunging neckline. It's just trendy.'"

But lust has a strong and powerful influence that drives many Christians into a life of deception. They pretend to follow a path of purity outwardly, while inside they have become enslaved to lust's tight grip. God doesn't want us to live that way because he knows that in the end it will only lead to destruction.

Application

Yesterday, we talked about the need to treat the lust that is hidden in our hearts with caution. And caution must inevitably lead to action. When we recognize lust, we must also resist lust before it becomes a full-blown sin of immorality. We must do it for the good of our soul; the good of our walk with God and the good of our relationship with our spouse.

Today, let’s start breaking down the hold that lust has on us by listing the areas of vulnerability in our lives. Write out the consequences of giving in to those areas. And then, ask God to help you walk in purity before him, yourself, and others.

Prayer

Lord, I know that I am not immune from the tight grip of lust on my life. It can have a damaging effect on my family, career, and most importantly my faith. I pray that you will help me to walk in purity and not become a slave to my lustful desires. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Lust, Caution

Scripture

"When tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15

Observation

As we sail the seas of life, there are some pretty enticing land sites. They are filled with beautiful palm trees and all the fruit your heart desires. Let’s call these little land sites Temptation Islands. But as promising as these islands seem, the minute we abandon our ship and turn our backs on our crew—our spouse, the church, good Christian friends and fellowship —we find ourselves isolated on one of the Temptation Islands.

Application

One of the most powerful Temptation Islands we drift towards is lust. God has given us sexual desire as a gift to be shared exclusively with our spouse. But Satan takes that desire, customizes it to our weaknesses, and then lures us into believing that we can still experience God's blessings even though we give in to the sin of lust.

But the good news is that we don't have to helplessly drift toward the Temptation Island called lust. God has empowered us to make the right choice. And he will always give us a path of escape. He will give you the strength you need to sail away from temptation.

What you and I need to do when it comes to such temptations is to act with caution and find a person to whom we can be accountable and secure. Satan, in those seasons of vulnerability wants us to stay isolated but God intends us to win those battles only when we are rightly associated with others.

Ang Lee has come up with another movie (An NC16 version of the movie opens in Singapore today), this time dealing with extra-marital affairs in WW2-era Shanghai. He calls it ‘Lust, Caution.’ I don’t think it is a movie worth our time. At most, it will drift us all to our own Temptation Island. But there is one word from the movie title we need to heed when it comes to lust – caution!

Prayer

Lord, I want to live a pure life before you. Help me to control my sexual desires and reserve them for the person you have reserved for me. Empower me to make the right choices and to discover your path for my life. Teach me to exercise graet caution when it comes to lust. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Work Is Worship

Scripture

One day as Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God, 2 he saw at the water's edge two boats, left there by the fishermen, who were washing their nets. 3 He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat. Luke 5:1-3

Observation

Jesus's word for frustrated workers can be found in the fifth chapter of Luke's gospel. Peter, Andrew, James, and John made their living catching and selling fish. Like other fishermen, they worked the night shift, when cool water brought the game to the surface. And, like other fishermen, they knew the drudgery of a fishless night.

While Jesus preaches, they clean nets. And as the crowd grows, Christ has an idea.

He noticed two boats tied up. The fishermen had just left them and were out scrubbing their nets. He climbed into the boat that was and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Sitting there, using the boat for a pulpit, he taught the crowd. (Lk 5:2-3)

Jesus claims Peter's boat. He doesn't request the use of it. Christ doesn't fill out an application or ask permission; he simply boards the boat and begins to preach.

Application

He can do that, you know. All boats belong to Christ. Your boat is where you spend your day, make your living, and to a large degree live your life. The office you work in, the classroom where you study, the grocery store you manage, the family you feed and transport-this is your boat. Christ shoulder-taps us and reminds:

"You teach my classroom."
"You run in my store."
"You work on my job site."
"You serve my hospital wing."
To us all, Jesus says, "Your work is my work."

Our Wednesdays matter to him as much as our Sundays. He blurs the secular and sacred. One stay-at-home mom keeps this sign over her kitchen sink: Divine tasks performed here, daily. An executive hung this plaque in her office: My desk is my altar. Both are correct. With God, our work matters as much as our worship. Indeed, work can be worship.

Peter, the boat owner, later wrote: "You are a chosen people. You are a kingdom of priests, God's holy nation, his very own possession. This is so you can show others the goodness of God" (1 Pet. 2:9 ).

A priest represents God, and you and I represent God. So "let every detail in your lives--words, actions, whatever--be done in the name of the Master, Jesus" (Col. 3:17 msg). You don't just drive to an office; you drive to a sanctuary. You don't attend just a school; you attend a place where God is at work. Your boat is God's pulpit.

Prayer

Lord, You own it all. My home, my work, my ministry - they are Yours O Lord. I am just the steward. You are the Owner. Amen

Character In A Cave

Scripture
Listen to my cry, for I am in desperate need; rescue me from those who pursue me. Set me free from my prison that I may praise your name. Psalm 142:6-7

Observation
Caves are dark, dreary, and desolate. Claustrophobia, dizziness, and even suffocation become real dangers if you venture too far in. The walls seem to close in, and you feel imprisoned as the ceiling seems to be pressing down lower and lower.

Application
We've all experienced times in our lives where we've felt like the things of life have pursued us and chased us into a cave. We find ourselves wandering aimlessly through dark and dismal caverns of existence thinking, "There's nowhere for me to turn. Surely, this is the end." And we rely on our own strength to get us out. We scream; we get mad; we frustrate; we fret; we fume.

But the reality is that God does some of his best work in our lives when we are inside the darkest caves. He is the light that can guide us out and the air we can breathe when life seems to suffocate us and cut us off. We just need to put our pride aside and turn to him.

When you find yourself facing life in a cave, don't allow pride to keep you from getting out. Admit to God that you need his help, rely on his light and refreshing breath and experience the freeing power of his helping hand.

This morning I am reminded how many times God has used caves to craft my character. Without time, there are some lessons I would have never learnt and some character traits I would have never developed.

Prayer
Lord, thank you for providing me hope in the caves of life. Thank you for the times in the cave that allow me to experience some of your best work. Help me to trust you, rely on you and follow you through all the caves of my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

What Is Discipleship?

Scripture

"And Jesus said to him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." And He said to another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Permit me first to go and bury my father." But He said to him, "Allow the dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and proclaim everywhere the kingdom of God." And another also said, "I will follow You, Lord; but first permit me to say good-bye to those at home." But Jesus said to him, "No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." Luke 9:58-62

Observation

Discipleship costs. Although our salvation is a free gift from God, there is a price that we must be willing to pay if we are to truly follow Him. Just as He suffered on the cross and sacrificed Himself for us, there are sufferings and sacrifices we must be open and willing to accept as being a part of our lifelong walk with Him.

But suffering and sacrifice are "foreign words" in our present vocabulary, aren't they. Our society has sold us a contrarian view – that comfort and convenience should rule instead. We live in a world where convenience is "king." We're constantly lured by marketing schemes and advertisements to products that offer us "the good life."

For example, it isn't enough anymore to simply own a telephone. From rotary dialed handsets, to push button dialup, the telephone has advanced to cell phones and now to the all-inclusive "iPhone." And in this technology war, one can bet on seeing even further advances in the future – all aimed at the consumer's convenience. Sacrifice and suffering – two words that may have become foreign to the world, but so necessary in a disciple's life, if we are to "walk the talk" of a disciple.

Application

Sometimes being a disciple is easier said than done. It's easier to say that we bear the cross of a Christian, than to actually carry the cross. It's easier to say that we're willing to sacrifice ourselves for Christ, than to actually live through the consequences of our belief. If I am going to accept the challenge of discipleship, then I must be willing to not just proclaim my discipleship, but be willing to live it, regardless of my needs, wants and desires, my ambitions, past achievements and successes.

Prayer

Father, I put my hand to the plow and will never look back. May I live my life for you.