A Whisper of Hope

"In the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the year Evil-Merodach became king of Babylon, he released Jehoiachin from prison on the twenty-seventh day of the twelfth month. He spoke kindly to him and gave him a seat of honour higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon. So Jehoiachin put aside his prison clothes and for the rest of his life ate regularly at the king's table. Day by day the king gave Jehoiachin a regular allowance as long as he lived." - 2 Kings 25:27-30 (NIV)

As Pastor Andrew pointed out in this week's sermon, 2 Kings could have ended with v26. But it ends with v27-30, a whisper of hope :)

"After the exile to Babylon: Jeconiah* was the father of Shealtiel, Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, Abiud the father of Eliakim, Eliakim the father of Azor, Azor the father of Zadok, Zadok the father of Akim, Akim the father of Eliud, Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ." - Matthew 1:12-17 (NIV) 

*That is, Jehoiachin(!)

Joy has dawned upon the world
Promised from creation
God's salvation now unfurled
Hope for every nation

Not with fanfares from above
Not with scenes of glory
But a humble gift of love
Jesus, born of Mary

Trust in the LORD

"Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future." - Ecclesiastes 7:13-14 (NIV)

And so,

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

No Greater Joy

"But why should the pretended pleasure of sin allure you, when you know that unspeakably more real pleasure will arise from the mortification than can arise from the commission of sin? Will you prefer the gratification of some unhallowed passion, with the deadly poison which it will leave behind, to that sacred pleasure which arises from fearing and obeying God, complying with the dictates of conscience, and maintaining inward peace?" - John Flavel, Keeping the Heart

"There is a greater pleasure than the empty promise of sin. It is "that sacred pleasure", as Flavel calls it. It is the life of fearing and obeying God, of believing the truth that God Himself is enough, satisfying our deepest desires." - Jonathan Parnell, Joy Comes to the Rescue

"Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing. The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing." - Psalm 34:8-10 (NIV)

There is a Higher Throne

"He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God's people. Amen." - Revelation 22:20-21 (NIV)

Freedom of Choice

"See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse - the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known." - Deuteronomy 11:26-28 (NIV)

You can choose your actions but not their outcomes.

"And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the LORD's commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?" - Deuteronomy 10:12-13 (NIV)

Give Me Your Hand

Toshi proposes to Andrea! - ACJC Alumni Choir Advent Concert, 8 Dec 12

Behold the Lamb (For Christmas)

Behold the baby born in Bethlehem
God in flesh, born of a virgin
The promised seed to crush the serpent's head
Jesus, our Immanuel

Shepherds quake, in fields where they lay
Angels sing: Christ is born today!
As a sign, wrapped in cloths and hay
Jesus, the baby born a King

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favour rests." - Luke 2:14 (NIV)

Random Thoughts

1. Do the right things and do things right.
2. Change before change is forced upon you.
3. Think to value-add.

Don't Waste Your Life

I will tell you what a tragedy is. I will show you how to waste your life.

Consider this story from the February 1998 Reader's Digest: A couple 'took early retirement from their jobs in the Northeast five years ago when he was 59 and she was 51. Now they live in Punta Gorda, Florida, where they cruise on their 30-foot trawler, play softball and collect shells...'

Picture them before Christ at the great day of judgment: 'Look, Lord. See my shells.' That is a tragedy.

- John Piper, Don't Waste Your Life

The outcome of following God with a false heart is a wasted life.

Only one life, 'twill soon be past
Only what's done for Christ will last

- C. T. Studd, Only One Life

Joy Has Dawned

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned... For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this." - Isaiah 9:2, 6-7 (NIV)

Assurance in Prayer

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him." - 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)

"If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer. Praise be to God, who has not rejected my prayer or withheld his love from me!" - Psalm 66:18-20 (NIV)

Rehab, Renew, Restart

Today I bumped into one of my ex-inmates in town and was reminded that every little thing we do echoes in eternity.

The Perfect Wisdom of Our God

Oh grant me wisdom from above
To pray for peace and cling to love
And teach me humbly to receive
The sun and rain of Your sovereignty

Each strand of sorrow has a place
Within this tapestry of grace
So through the trials I choose to say
"Your perfect will in Your perfect way"

"You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal." - Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

All I Have is Christ

"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." - Philippians 4:11-13 (NIV)

Hallelujah!
All we have is Christ
Hallelujah!
Jesus is our life

My Soul Finds Rest in God Alone

After singing this song 2 Sundays in a row, turns out that the ESV Bible in One Year wisdom literature reading for 1 Oct is Psalm 62(!)

God is both sovereign and good

"Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love. For you will render to a man according to his work." - Psalm 62:11-12 (ESV)

Awesome Cover

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus

"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it." - Genesis 4:7 (NIV)

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!" - Romans 7:21-25a (NIV)

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." - Hebrews 12:1-2 (NIV)

Holy Fire

In Elijah's day the holy fire had disappeared from the altars of Jehovah; and false fire was burning on the altars of Baal. The glory had departed, and no man could rekindle the sacred flame. When Nadab and Abihu "offered strange fire before the Lord," they died, for there can be no substitute for the true fire of God.

In our day, the greatest lack in the life of the individual Christian and of the church is the fire of God, the manifested presence and mighty working of the Holy Spirit. There is little about us that cannot be explained on the level of the natural. Our lives are not fire-touched. There is no holy conflagration in our churches to which people are irresistibly drawn as a moth to a flame.

It is the absence of the fire of God which accounts for the insignificant impact the church is making on a lost world. It never had better organisation, a more scholarly ministry, greater resources of men and means, more skillful techniques. And yet never did it make a smaller contribution to solving the problems of a distraught world. Our prayer should be, "Lord, send the fire." What else can meet the need of the hour?

The fire fell when Elijah obeyed God without hesitation.

The falling of the fire and the coming of the rain were a direct result of Elijah's obedience to facing Ahab, the personification of moral and spiritual evil. We will seek in vain the falling of the fire of God if there is some reserved area in our lives concerning which we refuse to obey God. If He is pressing on us the necessity of some act of obedience, restitution, apology or witness, we refuse to obey at our own cost. He cannot move in blessing until there has been obedience.

The fire fell after the ruined altar had been repaired.

The fire of God falls when there is spiritual unity among God's people. If there is some altar in our lives which has fallen into disrepair, the fire will not fall until it is reerected. What does the altar preeminently typify? Did Christ not offer Himself on the altar of the cross? Only when the cross in its full significance is restored to its central place will the fire of the Lord fall.

The fire fell when the whole offering was placed on the altar.

It is not one great initial dedication only, but continuing acts of surrender. God will not be satisfied with a partial surrender. Ananias and Sapphira presented part to God, pretending it to be all, but at what tragic cost to themselves.

Abraham was called upon by God to surrender to God the worst thing in his life and the best thing in his life. He had to surrender Ishmael, son of his carnal unbelief, and send him away from his paternal tent into the wilderness. He had to place on the altar Isaac, son of his sublime faith, and lift the sacrificial knife. Then the fire of the Lord fell on Abraham and there came the divine response, "In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice." The last piece of the sacrifice had been placed on the altar.

We cannot deceive God. He knows when the altar is full and His response will not tarry. When Elijah placed the last piece of the sacrifice on the altar, there was the flash of flame.

- J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Maturity

Football and Chess

No other team sport places such an emphasis on harmony between players as football. As in chess, every movement or action affects everything else around it. One badly positioned piece or player can be ruinous. Consequently, a group of superior footballers will often lose to technically weaker players who are interacting more harmoniously. In the same way, as every serious chess player knows, having more powerful pieces left on the board does not guarantee a win. It is the power of the interactions between the pieces which is decisive.

Perhaps it is no surprise that both Rafael Benitez and Karel Bruckner (longstanding coach of the Czech Republic national team) are both avid chess players, and know only too well how much greater the whole can be than the sum of the parts. Both are famous for their ability to create exceptional teams without exceptional players. Indeed, according to his agent, Benitez has no particular aptitude for noticing good players, such is his preoccupation with watching the team as a whole.

As a result of the endless possibilities of harmony and interaction, both games are limitless: infinitely complicated, infinitely interesting, forever elusive and mysterious, and always open to new interpretation. This makes them very exciting to play and watch.

- Adam Wells, Football and Chess: Tactics; Strategy; Beauty

Tangled Theology

"Oh what a tangled web we weave,
When first we practice to deceive!"

- Sir Walter Scott, Scottish playwright

Not that theology tangles, although it has the potential to do so - as Paul thrice warns Timothy in 2 Timothy 2.

"Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarrelling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen." - 2 Timothy 2:14 (NIV)

"Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly." - 2 Timothy 2:16 (NIV)

"Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." - 2 Timothy 2:23-24 (NIV)

Anyway, I was watching the movie Tangled (based on the German fairytale Rapunzel by the Brothers Grimm) on my flight back to Singapore from Istanbul and couldn't help but notice more than a few allusions to the biblical narrative (whether intended or not).

1. Old Birth

Rapunzel was abducted at birth and locked up in a high tower under the supervision of a wicked witch.

We have been abducted at birth (one might even say before birth) and locked up in a prison of sin under the supervision of the law (cf. Galatians 3:23-25).

"For as in Adam all die..." - 1 Corinthians 15:22a (NIV)

2. Old Life

Rapunzel sees floating lanterns (released annually by the King and Queen to mark the birthday of their lost Princess ie. Rapunzel) through her window and longs for something beyond her tower but continues to obey her "mother" (the wicked witch).

We see through a glass, darkly (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:12) and long for something beyond our present age but continue to obey our sinful nature.

"As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." - Ephesians 2:1-3 (NIV)

3. Justification by Faith

Flynn Rider, the white knight in shining armour (or so) stumbles upon Rapunzel in her tower and she sees her tiara (ironically stolen by Flynn Rider) for the first time.

Christ redeems us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (cf. Galatians 3:13), that we might receive the full rights of sons (cf. Galatians 4:4-7).

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." - Ephesians 2:4-5 (NIV)

4. Ascension

Flynn Rider brings Rapunzel out into the world to see the floating lanterns and releases a lantern with her.

Floating Lanterns at Sam & Heather's Wedding, July 2011

Christ commissions us to be the light of the world (cf. Matthew 5:14-16), just as He was the light of the world.

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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 28:18-20 (NIV)

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit."" - John 20:21-22 (NIV)

"He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight." - Acts 1:7-9 (NIV)

5. Sanctification

Rapunzel sees that Flynn Rider has left her (not knowing that he has been captured by opposing forces) and follows her "mother" back to her tower.

We struggle with sin as we remain in the world but not of it (cf. John 17:15-19). We need to be reminded that the Spirit helps us in our weakness (cf. Romans 8:26) and that God will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (cf. 1 Corinthians 10:13).

"So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God - through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin." - Romans 7:21-25 (NIV)

6. Descension

Flynn Rider rides to Rapunzel's tower on a white horse to battle the wicked witch.

Christ descends from heaven on a white horse to judge the earth (cf. Revelation 19:11-16).

"They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."" - Acts 1:10-11 (NIV)

7. Glorification

Finally, Rapunzel is described as 'a princess worth waiting for'.

As the bride of Christ, our worth is found in Christ - who has given His life as a ransom for many (cf. Mark 10:45).

"Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world." - John 17:24 (NIV)

The church's one foundation is Jesus Christ her Lord
She is His new creation by Spirit and the Word
From heaven He came and sought her to be His holy bride
With His own blood He bought her and for her life He died

Of course, the entire plot does not perfectly allude to the biblical narrative (eg. Flynn Rider is healed by Rapunzel's tears). But then again, nothing perfectly alludes to the biblical narrative.

"For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears." - 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (NIV)

Happily Ever After

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."" - Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)

In a way, the biblical narrative is like a fairytale. Only that it's true!

The Stubbornness of Grace

The Stubbornness of Man in Sinning

"He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been." - 1 Kings 15:3 (NIV)

The Stubbornness of God in Saving

"Nevertheless, for David's sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong." - 1 Kings 15:4 (NIV)

You, O Lord, have made a way
The great divide You healed
For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still
Yes, Your love goes further still!

You alone can rescue
You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us
Led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Count Your Blessings

"Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy." - Proverbs 14:10 (NIV)

Count your blessings, not your burdens!

"I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.""

- Lamentations 3:19-24 (NIV)

The Gospel in Isaiah

Isaiah is to the Old Testament what Romans is to the New Testament.

Because the Sovereign LORD helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame.

He who vindicates me is near. Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!

It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me. Who is he that will condemn me? They will all wear out like a garment; the moths will eat them up."

- Isaiah 50:7-9 (NIV)

As the New Testament reveals (after Jesus' life, death and resurrection) what the Old Testament conceals (before Jesus' life, death and resurrection), so Romans reveals what Isaiah conceals - in particular, that Isaiah 50:7-9 is grounded in Jesus' life, death and resurrection. Just like everything else is.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

- Romans 8:28-39 (NIV)

The True Vine

"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing... As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete." - John 15:5, 9-11 (NIV)

For Christ to work in and through us, we must abide in Him. Are we abiding in Him, delighting in Him?

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart." - Psalm 37:4 (NIV)

*****

On my way home from church, I noticed that the car in front of me (a BMW X Series no less) had the words 'Yeshua Ha'Mashiach' (Hebrew for 'Jesus the Messiah') printed on the number plate. While I've seen cars with Christian bumper stickers and even fish (Ichthys) decals before, it was the first time I saw something like this.

Incidentally, the message in church was on 'Knowing God's Name' - and as we know, the name of Jesus (Yeshua) means YHWH saves.

Not coincidence, but providence!

The Gospel in Genesis 22

*Random Thoughts from Seminar by Dr. Jim and Val Harvey on Discovering the Difference Knowing God's Name Can Make*

'Adonai' is translated (and really means) 'Lord'. On the other hand, 'YHWH' is translated as 'LORD' but really means 'I AM'.

God does not have different names. Rather, God has one name (YHWH) with different titles (eg. Adonai - the God who is Lord, Yireh - the God who provides etc). To illustrate, Dr. Jim Harvey has one name (James) with different titles (eg. husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather etc).

Jesus (Yeshua) = YHWH saves

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." - Matthew 1:21 (NIV)

The God Who Provides

Interestingly, the word 'love' (Hebrew: ahavah) occurs in the Bible for the first time in Genesis 22:2. (The word 'love' in Genesis 20:13 is more accurately rendered as 'kindness'.)

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."" - Genesis 22:2 (NIV)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16 (NIV)

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)

Genesis 22 is not about how a good God could issue an ostensibly evil command. Neither is Genesis 22 about how Abraham passed the test of faith and how we too can follow in his footsteps. Rather, Genesis 22 is about love. A lamb. A substitutionary death. And resurrection. In other words, the gospel!

"He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."" - Genesis 22:5 (NIV)

"Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went on together." - Genesis 22:8 (NIV)

"Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."" - Genesis 22:13-14 (NIV)

*****

"By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, "It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned." Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death." - Hebrews 11:17-19 (NIV)

Prophylaxis

"It is easier to build a boy and girl today than to repair men and women tomorrow." - Pastor Bill Wilson, founder of Metro Ministries

Source: The Christian Post (Singapore), Let's Build Families Before They Come Apart

Give Thanks for His Salvation

We may not be able to share in all thanksgivings, but we can all share in giving thanks for salvation.

For example, someone who has just lost a child may not be able to share in the joy of having a newborn baby. However, there is no one who cannot share in the joy of salvation.

"In that day you will say: "I will praise you, O LORD. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation." With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." - Isaiah 12:1-3 (NIV)

Persevering in Prayer

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!'"

And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

- Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)

Is God like that crooked judge? Of course not. Does He have to be pestered and coerced before He will answer your prayers? Not at all. So this is not a parable comparing God to the judge, but rather, contrasting Him with the judge. The striking contrast is evident at multiple points:

1. The widow was appealing as a stranger while God's people are appealing to Him as His beloved elect (1 Peter 2:9-10);

2. The widow could only appeal from a distance while we can come boldly before the Father (Hebrews 4:15-16);

3. The widow met with an unjust judge while we have a righteous Father who is for us (Romans 8:31-32);

4. The widow pleaded her own case but we have an Advocate (Romans 8:34);

5. The widow had no promise of an answer but we have abundant promises given to us (Jeremiah 33:3; John 16:24; Luke 18:8a);

6. The widow had limited access but we, who can pray to God anytime, have unlimited access;

7. The widow's asking provoked the judge but our asking delights God!

...Then comes the surprising twist to the whole parable. This is Jesus' chief point, made in the form of a compelling question: "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

Will there be anyone left who trusts in God and does not give up on Him? In other words, will there be anyone laying hold of God and His purpose for his life in the last days in spite of very difficult circumstances?

Will there be anyone who has faith that God knows and that God cares? God knows what is happening and He cares to help in His time. God is faithful; therefore we can hold fast to God with a faith that does not lose heart nor give up.

Have you ever been disappointed by God? Have you ever asked God for something and not received an answer? Then you started pestering. Still nothing. At this point most of us give up. We simply quit praying. That is a big mistake - to give up on God. We are creatures of extremes. We pester too much and we give up too soon.

Some might say, "But I don't have strength to carry on." Strength is not what you need. Faith is! Strength comes from looking at yourself and your meagre resources. Faith comes from looking at GOD and His abundant resources!

The point of Jesus' parable is to have faith that God IS faithful. The widow's parable was told to remind us of God's faithfulness. A faithfulness that is sure. Thus we should appeal to God by faith, believing that He is the God of the "How Much More!" (cf. Luke 11:13) and trusting that because He knows best, He will answer with our best interests at heart. (Often, this means not answering our felt needs, but our real needs.)

The question is, will we persevere in faith in the faithfulness of God? 

- Edmund Chan, Growing Deep in Faith

Interesting

This week's message at Kay Poh Road Baptist Church, 'Give Thanks for His Salvation' is taken from Romans 16:25-27 while this week's message at York Baptist Church, 'Altogether Now!' is taken from Romans 16:1-13, 16 and 19-27.

"Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past, but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him - to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen." - Romans 16:25-27 (NIV)

Mission, Vision and Values

Again, the theme of the Bible is the kingdom of God.

Mission

"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising 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 28:18-20 (NIV)

Vision

"Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."" - Revelation 21:1-4 (NIV)

Values

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." - Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)

Cultivating Your Inner Life

*Random Thoughts from Singapore Bible College's 60th Anniversary Pastors' and Leaders' Conference 2012 (Rev. Edmund Chan)*

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

God's Design: Living from the inside out

The heart (within) precedes the ways (without). Trust and obey. Obey in trust.

The quality of our ministry flows out of the quality of our lives.

God's Desire: Living wholeheartedly

'with all your heart'

'in all your ways'

God's Delight: Living with Christ at the very centre

'Trust in the LORD'

'acknowledge Him'

Trusting God

Why is it so hard to trust God? After all, He is trustworthy, willing, able and has no hidden agenda.

It is so hard to trust God because we want to be in control. But if we cannot trust the one who died for us, who can we trust?

"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?" - Romans 8:32 (NIV)

The Big Picture Conference

*Random Thoughts from Project Timothy's Big Picture Conference (Dr. Barry Webb)*

The theme of the Bible is the kingdom of God. Trusting God is not so much about going to heaven when we die as it is about praying for His kingdom to come, His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

False Wisdom (Genesis 3:6-7) vs True Wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-6)

"When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realised they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves." - Genesis 3:6-7

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." - Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Wisdom in Creation (Genesis 2:2) and New Creation (John 19:30)

"By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work." - Genesis 2:2 (NIV)

"When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." - John 19:30 (NIV)

The Conclusion of the Matter

"Then I realised that it is good and proper for a man to eat and drink, and to find satisfaction in his toilsome labour under the sun during the few days of life God has given him - for this is his lot. Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work - this is a gift of God." - Ecclesiastes 5:18-19 (NIV)

"Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil." - Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 (NIV)

Trust

Trust in a promise of God suited to your need.

This is the way that the action you are about to take becomes an act of faith. This is what Paul meant when he said in Galatians 2:20 that the life he now lives he lives by faith in the Son of God. Living by faith means overcoming obstacles to obedience by trusting promises of help and future happiness.

An act is an act of faith when the strength to do it comes through trusting in a promise of God. When you bank on God's help and His promise of happiness to get you through your task, then you are living by faith, and walking by the Spirit...

Trust in some promise that assures you that the world's incentive towards disobedience is not as great as God's incentive towards obedience.

- John Piper, Sanctification in the Everyday

The Tapestry

As God and the believer work together, God's achievement is like the front of a lovely tapestry. The worker employed on such a tapestry sees only the back as he adds stitch after stitch with his needle. Yet all these stitches are slowly creating a magnificent picture which happens in all its glory only when every stitch is done and it is viewed from the right side. But all this beauty cannot be seen as it is being created.

It is the same with the self-abandoned believer, who sees only God and his duty. To fulfill this duty moment by moment consists in adding tiny stitches to the work. Yet it is by these stitches that God accomplishes those marvels of which we sometimes catch a glimpse now, but which will not be truly known until the great day of eternity.

How good and wise are the ways of God! All that is sublime and exalted, great and admirable in the task of achieving holiness and perfection, he has kept for his own power. But everything that is small, simple and easy he leaves us to tackle with the help of grace.

- Jean-Pierre de Caussade, Abandonment to Divine Providence



He sees the masterplan
He holds our future in His hands
So don't live as those who have no hope
All our hope is found in Him

We see the present clearly
But He sees the first and the last
And like a tapestry
He's weaving you and me
To someday be just like Him

God is too wise to be mistaken
God is too good to be unkind
So when you don't understand
When you don't see His plan
When you can't trace His hand
Trust His heart

The Wonder of the Cross

May I never lose the wonder, the wonder of the cross!

"May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." - Galatians 6:14 (NIV)

Not To Us

"But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand." - 1 Chronicles 29:14 (NIV)

Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ

"Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness." - Romans 6:8-13 (NIV)

Apart from Christ, we cannot be living sacrifices because we are dead in our transgressions.

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:4-10 (NIV)

Puzzles and Paradoxes

"When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple." - 1 Kings 8:10-11 (NIV)

The cloud both reveals and conceals the glory of God. Similarly, Scripture declares both the majesty and mystery of God.

"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." - Deuteronomy 29:29 (NIV)

Faith is not blind; neither is it about what we see.

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." - Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)

Except

"Solomon showed his love for the Lord by walking according to the statutes of his father David, except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places." - 1 Kings 3:3 (NIV)

What turns your attention away from God?

8 Keys to Revival

*Day 2 of RBC Bible Conference 2012*

1. A message from God

"Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you."" - Jonah 3:1-2 (NIV)

2. Servants who obey God

"Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city - a visit required three days." - Jonah 3:3 (NIV)

3. Fearless preaching

"On the first day, Jonah started into the city. He proclaimed: "Forty more days and Nineveh will be overturned."" - Jonah 3:4 (NIV)

4. People who believe God

"The Ninevites believed God." - Jonah 3:5a (NIV)

5. Sorrow over sin

"They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth." - Jonah 3:5b (NIV)

6. Leaders who take the lead

"When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust." - Jonah 3:6 (NIV)

7. Earnest seeking after God

"Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."" - Jonah 3:7-9 (NIV)

8. Life change

"But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence." - Jonah 3:8 (NIV)

Grappling with God's Heart

*Day 1 of RBC Bible Conference 2012*

All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god...

The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked [Jonah], "What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?"

"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you."

Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. Then they cried to the Lord, "O Lord, please do not let us die for taking this man's life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, O Lord, have done as you pleased." Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm.

At this the men greatly feared the Lord, and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows to him.

But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.

- Jonah 1:5a, 11-17 (NIV)

We usually focus on Jonah or maybe the Ninevites. How about the sailors?

The text doesn't say that the sailors would not have turned to God if Jonah had gone to Nineveh in the first place. (Perhaps God in His sovereignty would have provided other means - it is counterfactual to speculate.) Nevertheless, the text does say that what happened - namely Jonah turning from God - led to the sailors turning to God.

"Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." - Jonah 2:8 (NIV)

"When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened." - Jonah 3:10 (NIV)

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)

*****

"The only sacrifice is to live outside the will of God." - David Livingstone

"To run away from the will of God is to run away from God." - Ajith Fernando

Just Do It

No unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant.

Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquillity, and hindering our communion with God.

If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.

- Alexander MacLaren quoted in C. J. Mahaney, Biblical Productivity

Worship and Work

For the Christian, then, daily work is inextricably bound to worship. Here, it is perhaps important to point out that the Sunday worship should not be seen as a pause at the end of the week. Rather, for Christians, worship on Sunday begins the work week by pervading it with the good news of God's love and salvation.

Worship at the beginning of the week not only hallows the rest of the week, but also significantly transfigures our understanding of daily work. It enables us, firstly, to understand our proper relationship to work. It shows us that although work is important, the purpose of human life must not be understood as work without end, but to exist in creative relationship with each other and with God.

And secondly, worship helps us to see that our daily work is always a graced activity, infused by divine grace and animated by the Holy Spirit.

Finally, Christian worship helps us to understand our work in relation to the work of God. As theologian David Jensen has brilliantly put it, 'The work that we do is made possible through the work that does not belong to us alone.'

- Dr Roland Chia, The Dignity of Daily Work

True Love

Son, you just asked me: How can someone show love over and over again when they're constantly rejected?

Caleb, the answer is: You can't love her because you can't give her what you don't have.

I couldn't truly love your mother until I understood what love really was. It's not because I get some reward out of it. I've now made a decision to love your mother whether she deserves it or not.

Son, God loves you even though you don't deserve it. Even though you've rejected Him. Spat in His face. God sent Jesus to die on the cross and take the punishment for your sin because He loves you.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 (NIV)

Verse of the Day

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." - Micah 6:8 (NIV)

The Purpose of Scripture

- Reblogged from Caleb

Watching the above video got me thinking about what Scripture is meant to do and what Scripture is not meant to do.

What is the purpose of Scripture? Ultimately, the purpose of Scripture is to point us to Christ.

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself... They asked each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?"" - Luke 24:27, 32 (NIV)

"Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." - John 20:30-31 (NIV)

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:14-17 (NIV)

Worship Matters

And I worry when the words of some of the modern worship songs seem to me just a random selection of Christian slogans as it were rather than actually a narrative of the world as claimed by Jesus and as rescued by Jesus in His death and resurrection and the world is still a suffering place, but which is looking forward to the new creation. Some worship songs are struggling to say that, but if the narrative is broken then it's not actually helping the people who are singing it in the way that it should.

And then the other thing I really, really worry about is the music. Quite a lot of the contemporary worship songs don't actually have tunes in the proper sense. They have two or three notes which they go to and fro on and then maybe they have a chorus which lifts it a bit, but it's still often not a tune. When you go back to some of the older things way back into the medieval period and through the 16th, 18th century etc. you have an actual tune. And the point about a tune is that it's telling a story. It's going somewhere.

And I am very anxious about worship songs which have deconstructed the tune - the idea of a tune - and that's the radical nature of post-modernity to deconstruct the narrative. That's where our culture is. But we ought to be discerning how to do fresh actual tunes, not sort of past issues, copying what was done in the 16th or 17th or 19th or whatever century, but actual refreshed new creation tunes rather than simply a scattering of random notes. You can feel the difference in the congregation when they're given a real tune to sing.

- N. T. Wright, Scripture & History

God's Sovereignty

Witnessing God's sovereignty in the lives of others is part of God's sovereignty in our lives.

In other words, it is in God's sovereignty that we witness His sovereignty in the lives of others.

But If Not

"Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."" - Daniel 3:16-18 (NIV)

Do we have a "But if not" in our spiritual vocabulary? Is our faith fireproof? If wars should arise and son, daughter, husband, sweetheart be taken from our side, have we a "But if not" to carry us through that fiery furnace? If business should fail or financial reverses be experienced? If ill health grips us? When old age enfeebles us? When bereavement strikes? When desire for a life partner is not granted? When cherished plans are thwarted? If Christian work does not meet with the success we envisaged? When we are not designated to the mission station we expected or live with the fellow worker we would choose? Let us emulate the dauntless faith of the noble three who maintained their confidence in God in the face of seemingly unrewarded faith. "But if not, we will still go on trusting God," said the three men. They did not fall into self-pity or unbelief.

We may not always understand God's dealings with us at the time, and He nowhere undertakes to explain Himself. "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter" is His promise. In the meantime we learn many a lesson in the furnace of testing...

Job lost all - home, herd, family, health, even his wife's sympathy - yet in the midst of the holocaust his faith triumphed gloriously. "He shall bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold him." But if not, "though he slay me, yet will I trust him."

Imagine the poignancy of Isaac's question to Abraham, "Where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham had his answer ready. "God will provide a lamb," but if not, I will still trust, accounting that God is "able to raise him up even from the dead" (Hebrews 11:19). Such a thing as a resurrection had never been dreamed of, but Abraham's faith rose to the occasion and he received him back from the dead in a figure.

John the Baptist was languishing in prison. He was disappointed that he had received no message from Jesus, that He had taken no steps to liberate or even visit him. He sent his disciples with the question, "Master, am I mistaken? Art Thou He that should come, or look we for another? But if not, my faith is not stumbled. I will keep on looking for another."

The Lord Jesus was agonising in prayer in Gethsemane, in such distress that bloody sweat forced its way through His pores. "Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But if not, thy will be done."

- J. Oswald Sanders, Spiritual Maturity

Perfect Freedom

Jesus teaches His followers an essential of discipleship: "If you continue in My Word." It means a life of commitment to His teaching, acting on what we already know. In that context we keep on learning the truth about God, ourselves and others, about His purpose for our life and the problems we face. In the process our Lord also frees us from the tyranny of the urgent in our daily lives.

St. Augustine expressed a paradox of the Christian life: "Slavery to God is perfect freedom." In other words, commitment to the will of God - the purpose for which we are designed - offers freedom to become the person we are meant to be - freedom to travel along the road of God's choice...

We need to recognise that the term "time management" is a misnomer. A person cannot do anything to time itself - delay or hasten, save or lose it - much less "manage" it. The challenge is to manage ourselves under the lordship of Jesus Christ, from Whom we get our goals and values. The basic question is what we do within the time frame granted to us - how we plan, decide, organise, evaluate, revise our tasks.

The bottom line is managing ourselves to make the best use of our abilities and opportunities. This is what we really mean when we use the popular misnomer "time management".

- Charles E. Hummel, Freedom from Tyranny of the Urgent

On Galatians 2:11-21

The question at issue was not, "How can individual sinners find salvation?" but rather, "Are Christian Jews bound, by the Jewish kosher laws, to eat separately from Christian Gentiles, or are they bound by the gospel to eat at the same table with them?"

- N. T. Wright, The Letter to the Galatians: Exegesis and Theology

Of course, the two are not mutually exclusive. How we find salvation are saved shapes how we respond to the gospel, how we respond to the reality that in Christ there is neither Jew nor Gentile - 'for [we] are all one in Christ Jesus' (Galatians 3:28, NIV).

Genesis

Genesis, earth and heaven in a cosmic kiss
Evolution must have been like this
Oh, I believe in Genesis

DNA, shaping creatures from the dust and clay
Double helix in the Milky Way
Oh, Genesis means DNA

How He made it all 40 billion(?) years ago
Wisdom, truth and love
For He spoke and it was so

Genesis, Eve and Adam in a land of bliss
In a paradise we all now miss
Oh, I believe in Genesis

In a trice, didn't listen to divine advice
Einstein wondered whether God played dice
We're trapped within a world of vice

Why they had to fall - I don't know, it doesn't say
They did something wrong
And we've longed for God's new day

Genesis, royal priesthood in a holy bliss
New Jerusalem will be like this
Oh, I believe in Genesis

When the Ship Comes In

Friday Morning

Paul Tripp on Marriage (Part 3)

Principle 3: Marriage, this side of heaven, is always a war between two kingdoms.

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." - Matthew 6:21 (NIV)

1. Everyone lives for some kind of treasure.

2. The thing that is your treasure will control your heart.

3. What controls your heart will control your words and behaviour.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." - Matthew 6:33 (NIV)

4. Do not seek horizontally what you can only get vertically. Do not attempt to solve horizontally what you can only solve vertically.

5. Good things never happen when you turn a blessing into a demand. Husbands do not *need* wives who respect them before they are able to love their wives. Wives do not *need* husbands who love them before they are able to respect their husbands. Christ is all we have, and Christ is all we need.

6. Jesus did not come to make our little kingdoms better. Jesus came to bring us out of our little kingdoms into His kingdom.

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:7-11 (NIV)

7. Love is willing self-sacrifice for the good of another that does not demand reciprocation or that the person being loved is deserving. Love loves to love.

Paul Tripp on Marriage (Part 2)

Principle 2: Sin causes us to shrink our lives to the size of our lives.

1. The DNA of sin is selfishness.

2. Sin, in its fundamental form, is anti-social - it causes us to dehumanise others, treating others as either vehicles or obstacles in our lives. Sin destroys relationships.

3. God will not sacrifice His throne to place us on it.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (NIV)

Paul Tripp on Marriage (Part 1)

Principle 1: A marriage of unity, understanding, and love is not rooted in romance, but in worship.

"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognised by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." - Luke 6:43-45 (NIV)

The heart is the causal core of our personhood. Our words and behaviour are more formed by what's inside of us than what's outside of us.

Implications

1. All marriage problems are heart problems. Issues like finances are the occasion, not the cause of marriage problems.

2. Lasting change in marriage always travels through the pathway of the heart. Romance is a result, not a cause.

3. The cause of marriage problems is not others but ourselves. We do not have the power to change someone else - only Jesus does.

Paul Tripp's Daily Prayer

Lord, I'm a person in desperate need of help today.

I pray that in Your grace You would send Your help into my life.

And Lord, I pray for the humility to receive Your help when it comes.

Awe of God

*Notes of Paul Tripp's talk on Ministry: Dangerous Calling at ARPC*

1. The Danger of Familiarity

Ministry is a glory war. It is our calling, not our identity. It is centred on our awe of God.

5 Evidences of Awe of God - Humility, Tenderness, Passion, Discipline and Courage

We are called to pass our awe of God to the next generation.

We can quickly lose our awe of God and replace it with awe of ourselves.

2. The Danger of Arrival

We can subtly redefine maturity.

We can be theologically knowledgeable and spiritually immature.

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first." - Hebrews 3:12-14 (NIV)

*****

George gave insight as to why Colson went on to do such transformative work in his lifetime, saying, "He never got over the wonder and surprise of encountering Jesus Christ as a real person."

Source: Chuck Colson Memorial Celebrates Life 'Well-Lived'

Verse of the Day

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." - Romans 15:13 (NIV)

Abraham's Story

Consider what Romans 4 says of Abraham. He was chosen by God to receive His covenant promises. He was told that his offspring would be like the sand on the seashore. Yet his wife was a very old woman, way beyond child-bearing age, and he had not yet given birth to the son who would carry on his line.

Romans 4 tells us something significant about Abraham's heart. When you and I are called by God to wait for an extended period as Abraham was, our story is often a chronicle of ever-weakening faith. The longer we think about what we are waiting for, the longer we consider how we have no ability to deliver it. The longer we have to let ourselves wonder why we have been selected to wait, the more our faith weakens.

Not so with Abraham. We're told in this passage that during this time of protracted waiting his faith actually grew stronger. Rather than meditating on the impossibility of his situation, Abraham meditated on the power and character of the One who made the promise. The more Abraham let his heart bask in the glory of God, he grew convinced he was in good hands. Rather than a cycle of discouragement and hopelessness, Abraham's story was one of encouragement and hope.

- Paul Tripp, The Man Behind the Ministry

The sovereignty of God...

...means that we should not regret anything that has ever happened in our lives.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28 (NIV)

The Consolation of God

"Unless the LORD had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, "My foot is slipping," your love, O LORD, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul." - Psalm 94:17-19 (NIV)

When the same verses hit you from different sources, it is probably not a coincidence.

Restart

"So the LORD God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, "Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life. And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.""" - Genesis 3:14-15 (NIV)

"The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." - Isaiah 11:8-9 (NIV)

Verse of the Day

*From the Old Testament reading of the ESV Study Bible plan for 24 Apr*

"You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." - Isaiah 26:3 (ESV)

3 in 1

"The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." - Isaiah 11:2 (NIV)

The trinity in one, or in fact a quarter of a verse.

Papiss Cisse: £10m Striker Gets a £6 Haircut

Screaming fans mobbed Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse when he went for a £6 haircut at a barber's shop in Gateshead.

The £10 million forward visited The Barber Shop on Sunderland Road in Felling for a trim.

Owner Iyad Attallah said, "It was crazy. Everyone was screaming his name asking for a picture."

"But Papiss didn't mind. He really enjoyed seeing the fans."

"His haircut would have cost £6 but I didn't accept the money because I see him as my friend now, and I don't charge my friends."

Source: Sky News (article and video here)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16)

The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. "These men who were hired last worked only one hour," they said, "and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day."

But he answered one of them, "Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?"

So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

- Matthew 20:9-16 (NIV)

The grace of God amazes penitent sinners - and alarms proud saints!

Penitent sinners cry out, "I'm so bad - surely God can't love me. Yet He does!" Grace amazes them!

Proud saints call out, "I'm so good - surely God would be impressed by me. Yet He isn't!" Grace alarms them!

Our view of God exposes the true condition of our heart. If you were to ask the vineyard workers what they thought of the vineyard owner, you would receive totally different answers depending on who you asked - the late 5pm workers or the early 6am workers...

Failing to understand God's grace, we are often calculative, competitive and conceited. Understanding God's grace, we are contented!

- Edmund Chan, Growing Deep in Faith

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility

"The Son of Man will go as it has been decreed, but woe to that man who betrays him." - Luke 22:22 (NIV)

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him." - Acts 2:22-24 (NIV)

"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." - Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)

"For you will certainly carry out God's purpose, however you act, but it makes a difference to you whether you serve like Judas or like John." - C. S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

Verse of the Day

*From the Wisdom reading of the ESV Study Bible plan for 3 Apr*

"When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul." - Psalm 94:19 (ESV)

Choice of Words

*Random thoughts arising from this morning's message in church, Standing on the Promises of the Covenant God (2 Samuel 7)*

Speaking for the LORD (Our Action)

"After the king was settled in his palace and the LORD had given him rest from all his enemies around him, he said to Nathan the prophet, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent." Nathan replied to the king, "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you."" - 2 Samuel 7:1-3 (NIV)

Do we sometimes take it upon ourselves to speak for the LORD when He has not spoken (eg. matters on which Scripture remains silent)?

Speaking by the LORD (God's Reaction)

"That night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: "Go and tell my servant David, 'This is what the LORD says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? ...Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.'"" - 2 Samuel 7:4-5, 16 (NIV)

If we speak for the LORD when He has not spoken, we might not only refuse to let Him speak for Himself; we might also be surprised (not necessarily in a good way) when He does speak.

Speaking to the LORD, under the LORD (Our Response)

"O LORD Almighty, God of Israel, you have revealed this to your servant, saying, 'I will build a house for you.' So your servant has found courage to offer you this prayer. O Sovereign LORD, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign LORD, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever." - 2 Samuel 7:27-29 (NIV)

In other words, praying about the hidden will of God based on the revealed will of God.

Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness

That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory

Townend/Getty Songs in Chinese

Behold the Lamb
Come People of the Risen King
How Deep the Father's Love for Us
In Christ Alone
The Power of the Cross
There is a Hope

More from Chinese Immanuel Church (Sacramento, California) here. Time to introduce Townend/Getty songs to the Cantonese congregation!

Prayer of Moses

"If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favour with you." - Exodus 33:13a (NIV)

Two Ways to Read Genesis 32:22-32

That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maidservants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob's hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. Then the man said, "Let me go, for it is daybreak."

But Jacob replied, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."

The man asked him, "What is your name?"

"Jacob," he answered.

Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."

Jacob said, "Please tell me your name."

But he replied, "Why do you ask my name?" Then he blessed him there.

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared."

The sun rose above him as he passed Peniel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore to this day the Israelites do not eat the tendon attached to the socket of the hip, because the socket of Jacob's hip was touched near the tendon.

- Genesis 32:22-32 (NIV)

The Man-Centred Way

Jacob wrestled with God and was blessed. Therefore, we should wrestle with God until He blesses us.

The God-Centred Way

God takes the initiative to reveal Himself to us by His grace. Furthermore, God accomplishes His purposes through us wrestling with Him; working out our salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose (Philippians 2:12b-13, NIV)

On Truth and Power

*Random thoughts arising from this morning's message in church, Crucified Truth (John 18:28-19:16)*

On Truth

"You are a king, then!" said Pilate.

Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

"What is truth?" Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him."

- John 18:37-38 (NIV)

According to Jesus, truth is absolute. Everyone on the side of truth listens to Him.

According to Pilate, truth is relative. Ironically, in his capacity as a judge Pilate then goes on to make the truth claim that he finds no basis for a charge against Jesus.

(Is the claim that 'truth is relative' absolute or relative? If the claim that 'truth is relative' is absolute, then it is not relative. If the claim that 'truth is relative' is relative, then we cannot say with absolute certainty that 'truth is relative'. Therefore, truth is not relative.)

On Power

"Do you refuse to speak to me?" Pilate said. "Don't you realise I have power either to free you or to crucify you?"

Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."

From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting, "If you let this man go, you are no friend of Caesar. Anyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar."

- John 19:10-12 (NIV)

According to Jesus, power is given to us from above (ie. by God). In Romans 13:1, Paul instructs us that everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.

According to Pilate, in his capacity as a judge he has the power to either free or crucify Jesus. Again, this is ironic on a number of counts.

Firstly, Pilate's power - all the more so in his capacity as a judge - is (or at least ought to be) grounded in truth, which Pilate holds is relative. To this end, Pilate's power is relative.

Secondly, Pilate's power is given to him from above.

"Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen." - Acts 4:27-28 (NIV)

Finally, Pilate's power is taken away from him from below.

"From then on, Pilate tried to set Jesus free, but the Jews kept shouting... finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified." - John 19:12a, 16 (NIV)

Excursus: Why the 'therefore' in John 19:11?

The first part of John 19:11 refers to God - the One who gave Pilate his power, while the second part of John 19:11 refers to Caiaphas (the high priest that year) and the people - the one(s) who handed Jesus over to Pilate.

In my humble opinion, the 'therefore' in John 19:11 hints that God revealed who Jesus was to Caiaphas and the people - indeed, this is one of the main themes in John's gospel - but that they rejected Him and handed Him over to Pilate to be crucified.

In logical form,

1. God gave Pilate the power to either free or crucify Jesus. (Stated Premise)

2. God revealed who Jesus was to Caiaphas and the people, giving them the power of choice to either accept or reject Jesus. (Underlying Premise)

3. Therefore, Pilate was responsible for his choice to crucify Jesus, while Caiaphas and the people were responsible - indeed, guilty of a greater sin than Pilate - for their choice to reject Jesus and hand Him over to Pilate to be crucified. (Conclusion)

*****

How are we responding to the revelation we have received?

How to Read the Bible

In our Sunday school class circle we were discussing Genesis 22, the account of God coming to Abraham and telling him to take his beloved son, Isaac, and offer him as a sacrifice. "I have always struggled with this story," one man in the class said. "I just can't understand how God could ask Abraham to do that. It just seems so cruel."

Many of us have struggled to understand what seems like an outrageous request... perhaps we're meant to feel a bit appalled. Perhaps it is not until we feel a sense of outrage over these seemingly unfair requests that we can be prepared to feel an appropriate sense of wonder when we begin to see what we're meant to see in these difficult-to-swallow scenarios. When we begin to see what God intends for us to see, our outrage gives way to adoration, consternation gives way to worship, and horror melts into humility before a God who, rather than asking the unthinkable of us, has done the unimaginable for us.

Why would God ask Abraham to offer his son as a sacrifice? Is God trying to teach us that we should be willing to sacrifice what is most precious to us? No. This story is not recorded to inspire sacrifice to God. Instead, it paints in vivid colours the sacrifice of God. The point of this story is not to convince you that you must be willing to sacrifice to God what is most precious to you, but rather to prepare you to take in the magnitude of the gift when you see that God was willing to sacrifice what was most precious to Him - His own beloved Son - for you...

If we read the Bible assuming that we are expected to follow in the footsteps of those who are featured in its pages, we will find ourselves always trying harder to sacrifice and obey but never measuring up. We'll assume that God asks us to do things that will make us miserable just to put us through a test of our allegiance - diminishing, rather than magnifying God in our hearts.

But when we read the Bible recognising that it is not about what we must do for Him, but about what He has done for us through Christ, rather than being offended by what we fear He may ask of us, we find rest in what He has done for us.

- Nancy Guthrie, How Could God Ask That?

The Rule of Law

While the Bible contains numerous exhortations to love the LORD, nobody in the Bible ventures (in the first person) to profess that they love Him. At least not in the original Hebrew (ahab) or Greek (agape), although Peter comes close in John 20:15-17 when he says that he loves (philia, not agape) Jesus.

On the other hand, Psalm 119 alone contains countless references to the psalmist loving the Torah, the Law.

Principle: The proof of our love for the LORD is not the profession of love but covenantal commitment to His Law.

Food Laws

Premise: "You are the children of the LORD your God. Do not cut yourselves or shave the front of your heads for the dead, for you are a people holy to the LORD your God. Out of all the peoples on the face of the earth, the LORD has chosen you to be his treasured possession." - Deuteronomy 14:1-2 (NIV)

Therefore: "Do not eat any detestable thing." - Deuteronomy 14:3 (NIV)

Clean animals tend to be associated with sacrifice (cf. Deuteronomy 14:4-5).

On the other hand, unclean animals such as scavengers tend to be associated with death but not by sacrifice (cf. Deuteronomy 14:12-18).

The Grace of Law

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob." - Deuteronomy 30:19-20 (NIV)

It is by grace that we are extended the offer of life or death.

It is by grace that we are enlightened on the consequences of not choosing life.

It is by grace that we are enabled to choose life.

Deuteronomy

How are Christians to read the book today? The following principles may guide in the face of this challenge. First, rather than beginning with what the NT has to say about Deuteronomy, we should read the book as an ancient Near Eastern document that addressed issues current a thousand years before Christ, in idioms derived from that cultural world. Although the NT church accepted this book as authoritative Scripture, Deuteronomy sought to govern the life of Israel, composed largely of ethnic descendants of the patriarchs.

Second, we should recognise the book as a written deposit of eternal truth. Some of these verities are cast in explicit declarative form, as in "Yahweh is God; there is no other [god] besides Him." Others are couched in distinctive Israelite cultural dress, for which we need to identify the underlying theological principle. For example, "When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof." This represents a specific way of demonstrating covenantal love for one's neighbour.

The validity of specific commands for the Christian may not be answered simply by examining what the NT explicitly affirms. On the contrary, unless the NT explicitly declares a Deuteronomic ordinance passe, we should assume minimally that the principle underlying the command remains valid.

Third, after we establish the meaning of a passage in original context, we must reflect on its significance in light of Christ, who has fulfilled the law (and the prophets, Matthew 5:17). This means not only that He is the perfect embodiment of all the law demands, and its perfect interpreter, but also that He represents the climax of the narrative. The message of the NT is that the One who spoke on the plains of Moab is none other than Jesus Christ, Yahweh incarnate in human form.

- Daniel I. Block, Deuteronomy

More Lessons from Deuteronomy

1. There are two stone tablets on which the ten command(ment)s are written.

"These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me." - Deuteronomy 5:22 (NIV)

The significance of having two tablets is not that the first tablet lists the "vertical" commands (1 to 4, pertaining to the relationship between God and man) while the second tablet lists the "horizontal" commands (5 to 10, pertaining to the relationship among men). Rather, both tablets list all 10 commands. The first tablet is God's copy of Israel's commitment to the covenant while the second tablet is Israel's copy of God's commitment to the covenant (not that it is in doubt), in keeping with the ancient Near Eastern practice of parties holding a copy of each other's commitment to an agreement.

2. Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5 are addressed to the head of the house, the only one who would have children/servants/livestock (cf. Exodus 20:8-10, Deuteronomy 5:12-14). Again, the head of the house is responsible for everyone and everything in the house.

Interestingly, Exodus 20:8-10 is grounded in creation (cf. Exodus 20:11) while Deuteronomy 5:12-14 is grounded in the exodus (cf. Deuteronomy 5:15).

3. Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11 (You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God) are not so much about swearing as they are about misrepresenting God as His body here on earth. In other words, saying we belong to God while living like we belong to Baal.

Lessons from Deuteronomy

1. Moses is not speaking to Singapore. Moses is speaking to the church in Singapore.

2. The Deuteronomic Formula for Life: Read, Hear, Learn, Fear, Obey and Live

3. The head of the house is responsible for everyone and everything in the house.

"When you build a new house, make a parapet around your roof so that you may not bring the guilt of bloodshed on your house if someone falls from the roof." - Deuteronomy 22:8 (NIV)

Deuteronomy 22:8 is not about building a house (structural). Deuteronomy 22:8 is about building a house (spiritual).

Power is nothing without control

Today I met an ex-prison officer (purely by coincidence divine providence) who was in service from the mid 70s to the mid 90s. He shared a few things about jailcraft which were interesting to say the least.

Today I also attended a BGST public lecture on the role and ministry of Moses in the book of Deuteronomy. Or 'Will the real Moses please rise?'

The 3 Rs

Not just rehab, renew and restart. But remember, respond and reflect.



And so with thankfulness and faith we rise
To respond and to remember
Our call to follow in the steps of Christ
As His body here on earth

As we share in His suffering
We proclaim: Christ will come again!
And we'll join in the feast of heaven
Around the table of the King
Around the table of the King

Verse of the Day

"[Rehoboam] did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD." - 2 Chronicles 12:14 (NIV)

The verse does not say that Rehoboam did evil because he was not seeking the LORD. The verse says that he did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD. Not seeking the LORD is the symptom, while not setting your heart on seeking the LORD is the cause.

Have you set your heart on seeking the LORD?

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power

Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forever more