The Price For A Purpose Driven Life

I put the question about your choice between a dull and aimless life and a purposeful one to you in my last article. My presumption is that you would opt for a purposeful life. We would certainly encourage one another to do that if given the circumstances. However, it does not mean that a purposeful life is easy and comfortable. On the contrary, it usually costs us a lot of effort, devotion and a great price. For example, it costs Martin Luther King's own life for his calling.

The local homosexual communities are becoming more and more outspoken nowadays to fight for their rights. It is obvious that they are far from satisfaction in terms of what they are fighting for. I am sure they will not give up and they will continue to invest their effort, money and talent to reach their goal. I must state loud and clear here that I would in NO WAY endorse what they are trying to get. Indeed, the Bible is crystal clear that human homosexuality is NOT a divine design. Instead, it is a sin (Rom 1:25-28; Lev.18:22; 20:13). Despite their disobedience, the gay activists have demonstrated a determination, persistence and commitment worthy of praise as an example of their life pursuit. Regrettably, we Christians nowadays are often overcome by their perseverance and lobbying.

It is definitely NOT my intention to elaborate and discuss the complex phenomenon of homosexuality in this short article. Rather, I am using the example of the gay activists to arouse our reflections as to the price of a purpose driven life. Without a clear purpose and vision, nobody can invest properly and sufficiently in his/her life endeavors. The Apostle Paul is a typical example. Difficulties, barriers and hazards abounded throughout his effort to evangelize the gentiles. Besides the promise of a heavenly prize (2 Tim 4:7-8), God may be using similar afflictions to train us up, to humble and prove us in His eternal plan (Deut. 8:2).

Yes, we receive the grace of salvation (Eph.2:8) through faith. However, it is not exactly "free" in terms of our response and commitment to the Lord for true faith is always accompanied with heartfelt works (James 2:20). At the same time, there is always a great price and prize behind any earnest and far-reaching endeavor. So, Dear Brothers and Sisters, let's encourage one another with the Lord's word: “And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6:7 ,9)”

Be Steadfast to Your Life Purpose

Located in the vicinity of my residence are a stream and a bridge. A few large trees are planted by the side of the stream and near the bridge. A group of elderly villagers come almost every day and sit in the shade of the trees. They are retirees taking their leisured time and chatting routine there. Nonetheless, dullness and aimlessness could be observed from the facial expressions of a few old men among them. You may or may not envy such a lifestyle. However, some one hard pressed by the stresses and cruelty of living might find their lifestyle adorable. Indeed, it is a great contrast to the exhaustive and mind boggling lifestyles confronting the average adult in Hong Kong.

WE do need a peace of mind and periodic rests to refresh ourselves. However, a habitual dullness and aimlessness is a poison to every ambitious or serious life lover. Let's have some reflection by referring to a few examples in the Bible. Moses, if not driven by his fear of cruelty and persecution after he killed the Egyptian officer, could well miss his flight to Midian (Exo. 2) and consequently forfeit his opportunity to become the Israelites' deliverer from their bondage of slavery. Samson, without his total defeat before the Philistines, might not have asked God to give him the last chance to pull down the central pillars in the temple of Dagon (Jud. 16) in order to avenge the Israelites' oppressor.

I am sure you could think of more similar examples in the Bible. Let me cite another one before I conclude. Without the long night of discrimination and slavery of the Negro in the States, Martin Luther King (the great civil right leader) would not have made his famous speech of “I have a dream” on August 28, 1963. Without King and his sacrifice, the Emancipation Proclamation of America might still have a long way to become effectuated.

What is your choice if you are asked to choose between a dull and aimless life AND a purposeful one? I hope you've already got my message: The fulfillment of one's purpose of life is often accompanied by weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and even calamities. Let's be encouraged by Paul's words: for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor. 12:10). And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart (Gal. 6:7 ,9).

Faith and Fleecing

I have just read Dr. Ray Pritchard's sermon entitled “Don't Get Fleeced!” which is real good. You may click on the foregoing link to see his sermon. The Bible passage is from Judges 6:36-40, namely, Gideon said to God, "If you will save Israel by my hand as you have promised—look, I will place a wool fleece on the threshing floor. If there is…" ‧‧‧That night God did so. Only the fleece was dry; all the ground was covered with dew.

Today among Christians, a fleece is usually taken to mean seeking to learn the will of God by means of a pre-determined sign. For example, you're faced with a job offer and don't know whether to say yes or no. So you say to God: "Please give me a sign." It's not just asking for guidance. It's when you say, "Lord, I want you to do such and such, and if you will do what I have asked, I will know what your will is."

Dr. Pritchard mentioned in his sermon "The Plan" which is Pat Robertson's book on the will of God. It was written in the aftermath of his failed candidacy for the presidency of the United States. In 1985, a hurricane was moving up the eastern coast of the United States. All the forecasts said that the hurricane was going to hit the Virginia Beach area which is where Pat Robertson has his headquarters. As a consequence, Robertson decided to pray for God's confirmation of him running for the American presidency. He dared challenge the Lord to direct the hurricane out into the Atlantic Ocean instead. His reasoning went like this: "Lord, if I can't move a hurricane, how can I move a nation?" To his amazement, the hurricane did suddenly turned to the north and east before it hit Virginia Beach and eventually drifted harmlessly out over the North Atlantic Ocean!

Judge 6 tells us that God said to Gideon, "I am going to use you to deliver My people." The command is loud and clear. God repeats it two or three times. Gideon, though perfectly clear of God's command, opted to put out a fleece for God’s reassurance. Gideon doubted God's command with a good reason – what can a humble Manasseh achieve in front of a mighty enemy?

The gist of the question is: our contemporary usage of the fleece is not the same as Gideon's. We use the fleece today when we are uncertain about what God wants us to do. Remember “the fleece” was never intended to determine God's will. Rather, it is a quest to ascertain God's will by asking for a pre-determined and subjective sign.

Coming to the question of faith, Corinthians 5:7 teaches us that: "We live by faith, not by sight." Obviously, “What is God's will” is yet a different challenge for believers. After all, we still have to choose. After all the prayer, all the study, all the counsel, all the meditation, all the Bible study, all the thinking, all the writing down of options, after we've agonized, still the moment comes when we must decide. God won't take the responsibility for us. If you're going to take that new job, you've got to decide for yourself. If you are going to sell your house, you can't wait for God to write a message in the clouds.

Three Crucial Considerations:

1. If we are still searching for God's will, fleecing can be dangerous, misleading, manipulative and confusing.
2. What is the measure of faith (see Heb. 11:1-2) in the Bible?
3. Assuming we are having difficulties, what shall we do if God's will is crystal clear before us especially as mature Christians?

Men's Fellowship on June 10th

There were altogether 6 of us joining our fellowship this time even though our brothers dropped in at different points along our meeting. We had a good discussion at the home of Thomas Tsang, deacon of our Chinese chapel as well as one of our founding members. Though our brothers are so busy nowadays, we managed to sit together and talk about “God-representations in the face of trans-cultural experience”–an extract of a paper by Brian W. Grant , Professor of Pastoral Counseling, Christian Theological Seminary. Grant cited a number of his trips to India each of which had produced crises - physical and spiritual - generating questions about the impact of physical and cultural context on his identity and experience as a religious person.

For example, Grant visited Bangalore in June 1997. He said, “We shopped for three hours on MG Road before the Globalization in Theological Education meeting, combining stifling heat with retail claustrophobia. I collapsed on the bed with a sense of spiritual emergency. I felt I had lost track of God while battling the heat and the crowd. A few hours later, leading worship for the meeting, I forgot the words of the last half of the Lord's Prayer. And the gout came back.” Such experiences prompted Grant to ask the following questions:

1. What relationship exists between God and our experience and/or image of God?


2. When our most direct psychic representations of God change so dramatically and unsettlingly in response to changes in our contexts and circumstances, what does that tell us (if anything) about God's reality and how God is known?


3. What implications do the answers to these questions have for our understanding of how God acts in human life, and how we can, do, and should behave towards God?

You may not be able to understand all his questions without reading his article. However, the 1st and 3rd questions are rather plain and meaningful. I wonder whether you have such similar experiences if you were a foreigner coming to Hong Kong the first time especially when you are a missionery. Hong Kong is quite westernized and yet China at large is still quite oriental and her people (not the government) quite superstitious. I heard stories of demon possessions in China (the rural area especially) once in a while and I am sure you could dig out numerous cases of reported exorcism in China if you so wish. The question then becomes how severe is the spiritual warfare (2 Cor.10:3-4) between God's and the devil's camps nowadays? To put it differently, do and should our experince affect our knowledge of God and vice versa, and is our experience dependent on the culture around us? Please share your experiences or views with us. Blessings.

For Man-to-Woman Marriages

Today (June 7), I've just submitted my opinion to the CBS forum on the United States' constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. It reads:

“I am in favor of the constitutional amendment that bans gay marriage. Besides a Christian, I have got the following anthropological considerations:

The human race has been preserved and propagating with man-to-woman marriage for at least thousands of years. No scientific study or analysis could disprove the importance of such a social norm. If this norm is threatened simply because somebody claims it is NOT democratic enough, it is very unscientific and DANGEROUS (c.f. super germs and environmental pollutions subsequent to the discovery of penicillin and the industrial revolution -- NOBODY could anticipate the shortfall coming with apparent short term solutions!). We should safeguard the man-to-woman marriage norm.

The world is currently endangered by the spread of AIDS, possible pandemics like SARS and the bird flu. More unfortunately, NO country on earth has a 100% sure solution to either prevent or cure the potentially hazardous situations created by the widespread of such diseases, not to mention that many UNDERDEVELOPED countries are simply UNPREPARED AND INCAPABLE of dealing with any major outbreak such as to contain them from further spreading. Unfortunately, the gay community is found to be a prominent sector with a high threat (risk) towards AIDS. Thus, we should not blindly push for something such as gay marriage (hence safeguarding the man-to-woman marriage is important) unless we have a scientifically proven solution to heal and prevent the spread of AIDS, etc.

Technologies such and cloning, test-tube babies and sperm donors have imparted a serious threat to the ensured propagation and sustainability of the human race because our scientists admit that NO ONE can guarantee there will be NO unforeseeable or harmful consequences from such technologies to the human race. Furthermore, we have already been faced with such challenges as behavioral problems of single-parent children and problems of unknown parent(s) as a result of unscrupulous marriages and sperm donations.”

I am happy to hear your views especially your solution towards a really harmonious and healthy human relationship for the sustainable development of our race on earth. Regards and blessings.

Howard

Men's Fellowship on May 13, 2006

5 of us took a leisure walk along the Mui Tsz Lam Road which was right next to the Chevalier Garden and Ma On Shan Country Park. The road bears a remarkable countryside setting with trees planted along both its sides. It was an uphill walk of around 30 minutes. We spent roughly an hour going up and down the road. The scene at our mid-hill destination was good – you had a mixed view of green slopes and the downhill high-rises from where we were.


Tom,Terrence,Teddy & Eddy (Howard's friend on the right) were in the photo. I was the photographer.
There was an added delight along our way – some birds and frogs were available for watching. We took a picture of a frog which happened to jump across the road in front of us. It was kind of a funny and smart guy. It stopped among a patch of dry grass and pebbles. Even the ants mistook the poor fellow as their free meal and crawled upon it!


Do you recognize the frog? It has a good camouflage.
The trip did us fun and we had a short discussion about the possible effect of bullying in our lives followed by a lunch fellowship together (except Tom as he had another appointment) before we departed.

Let's Chart Our Lives

I proposed last time (May 21) that your life purpose will be revealed if you can let go your earthly wishes and desires and be ready to accept Jesus’ sovereignty as God and Lord of your life. On the one hand, the Lord Jesus clearly teaches us that (Jn. 6:63) it is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail and His words are spirit and life. On the other hand, Paul further opines that (Rom. 8:6 -7) to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, indeed it cannot!

The main reason to let go our earthly wishes and desires is to create enough space and readiness to receive God’s word and will concerning our lives. The Bible is clearly indispensable. Equally important is our attitude and understanding of God’s will for us. People who are in the habit of writing diaries would find them useful and enlightening for making life reflections as well as inductions. In a way, diaries are records and charts of our emotions and experiences. Just as any systematic record (e.g. health, financial, etc…) would help a person to grasp and understand his/her status or needs, our diaries (especially those written honestly and purposefully) would help chart our needs as well as God’s will for us.

In Deut. 26:5–10, God commanded the Israelites to offer their first fruits to Him by reciting the so-called historical shema (i.e. an oral confession) acknowledging how God had led them out of Egypt and suffering with a mighty hand, great terror and with signs and wonders; and how God brought them into Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. This becomes the central theme in Israel’s worship before God and a vivid reminder of their national purpose. Indeed, our faith in God is linked and entwined with our own history – be it personal or national.

Dear brothers and sisters, I encourage you to work out your own shema by periodically writing down what you have experienced and perceived in your life. If you want to share your written testimony with us, you may consider passing your testimony to our church or me either in person or by email. I have just renovated my blog at http://howards-collection.blogspot.com/ which contains basically my weekly and other articles intended for sharing and encouragement among Christians. Your testimony (if any) will be published there for reaching out to any passers-by there. May God bless and help us. Amen.

The Power of Letting Go

Let’s recall our last statement (May 7), namely, in discovering God’s purpose for our life, it’s always helpful to look at the probable consequences of our choice or decision. Remember that you have been saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in your life (2 Corinthians 4:10 ). Focus your energy and powers so that you may achieve the purposes of your election as a child of God. Treat every occasion which may come your way as an opportunity to serve our Lord and the people around you. Why? While we could do nothing to achieve our salvation, we have to do something to exhibit God’s salvation. This is similar to the Chinese saying, “What you have within will be exhibited without.” (有諸內，形諸外) We must "work out our own salvation" which God has already worked in us ( Philippians 2:12 ).

Are your speech, your thinking, and your emotions evidence of your salvation working "out"? If you are still the same gloomy, grumpy person, set on having your own way, then it is false to say that God has already saved and transformed you. Spiritual vitality and maturity relate to our inner quality and readiness to face anything God brings our way. The only proper goal of life is to glorify the Son of God in and through our lives. As our Lord never dictated demands to His Father, neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, we can embark on Paul’s appeal to us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our spiritual worship (Roman 12:1).

Paul went on to urge us not to be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of our mind, that we may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Hence, what is the purpose of our life in the Lord. In short, your life purpose will be revealed if you can let go your earthly wishes and desires and be ready to accept Jesus’ sovereignty as God and Lord of your life. May God bless and help us. Amen.

The Choice for God

In an article entitled “DISTINGUISHING NEEDS FROM WANTS”by Randal Walti (Business Life Today), he referred to the popular concept of life is summed up by the things in one's life: The more things one has, the happier one will be. Is that true? Walti once had an experience of moving from a large home to a much smaller residence. He then realized how many things he had been having in his life became a burden. I am sure you would agree with him if you have a similar house move before.

In discovering God's purpose for your life, it's always helpful to look at the probable consequences of your choice or decision. For example, you may ask yourself what are the consequences of not buying a better TV, item of furniture, etc… if you are pondering over buying something or not. Smart investors often ask themselves the question: Is there a better investment scenario with my existing capitals? As Christians, we might ask ourselves a similar question, “Am I really serious about investing for the future according to God's will and wish?” If a few small reductions in lifestyle would allow you to be more at ease and happier such as you can spend more time with your children, spouse, etc…, you have a better opportunity to experience, understand and glorify God's will and wish for you.

Another important reminder in our pursuit for our life purpose is to avoid letting our wants override our values. Otherwise, the object of our desire has probably become an idol obstructing our relationship with God. Thus, the Bible states it is impossible to serve both God and money (with the same fervor and at the time). Material things can negatively affect our lives if we start to worship the creation more than the Creator. As human beings, it is easier to seek entertainment rather than the God of the universe. Attractive but unnecessary things can deceive well-intentioned people into living more for their own glory and gratification instead of living for God. When in doubt, ask, “How will this thing help me love God better?”

Dear brothers and sisters, let's be wise and faithful according to our Lord's teaching (Luke 16:10-13): He who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. …. No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

Your Will be Done

When Jesus was struggling with his passion in Gethsemane against the threat of death and separation from His Father (Matt. 26:36-44), he asked his cup be passed from him three times. Nevertheless, He has set an example for all of His followers to honour God The Father’s will instead of ours concerning purpose and mission of our lives.

As Christians, we may still be searching and struggling with our lives’ purposes. Vexation and distraction are, more often than not, encircling our lives at the same time – Your boss might have just spoken to you harshly, one of your closest friends is at odd with you or your family is facing a stressful situation recently. Else, you may be enjoying and embraced by others’ admiration as a result of your recent achievement or success in your career. What are you going to do then? Would you think that your life’s purpose has been fulfilled, or are you at a loss concerning the purpose of your life?

I mentioned last time (article of April 9) that motivation is a powerful force for activity and accomplishment. Indeed, we need a motivation to discover our own life’s purpose. Such a motivation must come from God and His words. In order to do that, I invite you to ponder over the following 3 questions:

1. Are you satisfied, deep inside your heart, with your current situation?


2. Do you believe that God endorses your current life style and endeavour?


3. Is there any direct bearing on the Lord Jesus’ great commission (Matt. 28:19-20) and the great commandment (Mark 12:30-31) as a result of your current pursuit?

If your answers to the foregoing questions are NOT always affirmative, let’s encourage one another with the Apostle John’s teaching (II Jn. 8; RSV): Look to yourselves, that you may not lose what you have worked for (OR we have accomplished as in NASB), but may win a full reward. Yes, the Lord is intending to give every one of us a heavenly reward subsequent to our accomplishment of our own purpose and mission on earth. Let’s all re-affirm the Lord’s prayer (Matt. 6:10), “May your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Amen.

Purpose vs Problem

In my last article, I mentioned that our lives are intertwined with good and bad things. Such a situation calls for our choice and response – we can choose to focus on our purposes or on our problems. I presume most of us would naturally turn to our problems first. If that was the case, let’s remember that God has a purpose for trials and tests (James 1:2-4).

Should you find yourself in a tight spot today, don't just view it as something to endure or bad. Rather, consider it an opportunity for growth. You should use the occasion to examine your heart. Perhaps God wants to teach you something and develop an area of your life, to mould you as a potter does to his clay (Isa. 64:8) or even to give you a blessing in disguise! We need certainly to rely on and trust our Lord, the Father both in His work and purposes.

What about if you just weren't motivated to do anything? Please remember that motivation is a powerful force for activity and accomplishment. More often than not, the real problem in our lives is a lack of motivation. We would then be in trouble certainly. In Ephesians 4 we're given a clear picture of the unity God desires among His people. Eph. 4:15 – 16 teach us to speak the truth in love so that we are to grow up in every way into Christ from whom the whole body is joined and knit together. When each part is working properly, the body of Christ will grow and up-build itself in love.

The foregoing teaching is a vivid reminder and guide to lead us out of our problems. We should talk to our brothers and sisters in truth and love which means sharing our worries and fears with someone we trust and believing in God’s love and care among His people. As Christians, we are joined together by our faith and knit together through love and hope in Christ. By giving a chance to your beloved brothers and sisters to work out their purpose of mutual up-building, God will renew in the spirit of our minds and reveal His purpose for our lives. So let’s cheer up and be united in God’s purposes for us as a holy family.

What Is Driving Your Life?

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren (The Interview), Rick said, “People ask me what is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity.” Most of us live 60 to 100 years on earth, but we are going to spend an infinite number of years in eternity. Yes, our bodies will die one day but our souls will not.

Our earthly lives are just a preparation: God prepares us for His eternal plan. We were made by God and for God and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. This is perhaps why we often hear grumbles about the dullness or emptiness of living. More often than not, life is filled with problems. The reason for this is that God is more interested in our character than our comfort. The bible clearly tells us that our life goal is to grow in character, in spirituality and in Christ likeness.

For this reason, our lives are intertwined with good and bad things. The important issue is: No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on; and no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes or you can focus on your problems.

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness and will become overwhelmed by your problems and pains. One of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We need to ask ourselves, “Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's love and purposes for my life?”

Dear brothers and sisters, let us pray hard for God’s purposes for our lives and ask Him to empower and bless us to become living testimonies of His wonderful plan for each of us. Amen.

Chance and Opportunity

A chance is available in a situation where you had not expected it or planned for it to happen. For example: As we were in California last October we had a chance to visit the museum. When something is planned and it can also lead on to something else, we would say there is an opportunity. Parents would certainly agree to that if children work hard at school, they have an opportunity to score higher grades.

It is our church’s vision that we will become a praying body, developing our congregation in an understanding and practice of prayer, including individual prayer, family prayer, small group prayer, and congregational prayer. I have invited you in my article of Feb. 26 to encourage one another with this belief: While we wait with the Lord’s patience, we will find great enrichment through His promise.

Jesus promises his followers that the Father will give them another Counselor to be with them for ever [John 14:16]. The Counselor is the Holy Spirit. Have you thought about having the Holy Spirit as your Counselor? Yes, what a wonderful thing it is! However, have you experienced or are you convinced that the Holy Spirit is with you? There is no scientific proof to the aforesaid questions. Nevertheless, Jesus reminds us that the work of the Spirit is just like a blowing wind: The wind blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes or whither it goes [John 3:8 RSV]. Here is the good news – you shall know it if the Holy Spirit has ever worked on you.

In terms of prayer, there is a promise in Rom. 8:26, namely, the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. Brothers and sisters, let’s hold firm to these promises and work together towards our vision to become a praying body in the Lord. You must have heard about the 10 p.m. prayer for the church and been invited to join us in this spiritual endeavor. Even you are not always available at 10 p.m., let me encourage you to join our prayer effort at a time convenient to you. If you do that consistently and persistently, I belief it is not just a chance for you to make a difference in our church. Rather, it will be an opportunity for you to experience God’s promise and be transformed and lifted up spiritually as have been with the prophets and apostles.

Wait With Patience

Have you had any idea of how much of your time is spent in waiting? Do you feel a sense of helplessness and emptiness when you wait?

The message of Feb.21 in The Springs in The Desert is “Wait With Patience”. Mrs. Cowman quoted Ps. 37:7 saying, "Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him". If you were out of steam either for your resolution or your goal in the Lord, Cowman's message is timely encouragement and refreshment. She asked, “Are you tired of seeing nothing move? Are you just at the point of giving it all up? ” Perhaps you have not waited in the right way. This would take you out of the right place – the place where He can meet you.

Patience takes away worry. Patience takes away your weeping. Why feel sad and despondent? Our Lord knows your need better than you do, and His purpose in waiting is to bring more glory out of it all. Patience takes away self-works. The work He desires is that you "believe" (John 6:29), and when you believe, you may then know that all is well. Patience takes away all want. Your desire for the thing you wish is perhaps stronger than your desire for the will of God to be fulfilled in its arrival. Patience takes away all weakening.

Instead of delaying and unfruitfulness, it is a time of letting go – knowing that God is getting a larger supply ready and must get you ready too. God's foundations are steady; and when His patience is within, we are steady while we wait. Patience gives worship. "Let (all these phases of) patience (i.e. steadfastness and perseverance) have her perfect work" (James 1:4). Our almighty Lord chose to manifest his mightiness through the humble life of Jesus, not a great warrior king. Paul echoed on such mightiness in humility as he quoted God saying, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Cor. 12:9)

Dear brothers and sisters, let's encourage one another with this belief: while we wait with the Lord's patience, we will find great enrichment through His promise. Amen.

Our Transition

I am sure you would agree with me on this: We get much of our motivation from our hopes which indeed steer our lives. Among our hopes as a congregation, we are looking forward to have our full-time pastor soon. Obviously, we have to live with the fact that we are still waiting for our pastor to come along. Joanne shall continue to work as our interim part-time minister in the coming 6 months. As for me, I shall be her partner and supporter because our CMC has kindly agreed to permit me to take up an even more flexible role. The reason behind such a change relates much to my New Year resolution to diligently discover my long-term ministry. Yes, an interim minister in our church is only a transition for me. Besides the fact that I lack the confidence and experience to serve as our full-time minister, my calling in the Lord is much more felt in the area of brotherhood support. As a result, I need to venture outside our church for the opportunity and confirmation towards such an aspiration.

I need your prayers and understanding for such a change as you shall be seeing me much less frequently than before. Nevertheless, please do NOT hesitate to talk to me as you wish for I am still an interim helper in terms of pastoral services. In the meantime, our CMC members will continue to share the burden of running our church collectively. Hopefully, such an arrangement will provide a smooth transition for our future pastor's coming. There may be inconveniencies, however, for example, things may take a bit longer to materialize and church decisions might take some time for collective endorsement. We again need your understanding and support to make good our arrangements. Let's continue to press on toward the goal and prize of God's calling as a holy family in His Kingdom. Amen.

Congratulations And Be Prosperous

Today is the Lunar New Year’s Day. I would like to kunghei (i.e. congratulate) and wish you a wonderful and prosperous year. You may recall from my sermon on January 1st in which I quoted Gary Ryan Blair’s saying: “New Year is the only holiday that celebrates the passage of time. Perhaps that's why, as the final seconds of the year tick away, we become introspective. Inevitably, that introspection turns to thoughts of self-improvement and the annual ritual of making resolutions, which offer the first of many important tools for remaking ourselves!” There is a related Chinese saying, “The face of the earth renews as spring returns. (春回大地，萬象更新) ” Yes, there is always a hope of renewal especially during such times as celebrating the new year.

As Christians, our hope of renewal is further guaranteed by the word and the will of our Lord: Therefore, if any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold, the new has come (II Cor. 5:17; RSV). Dear brothers and sisters, we all need such a renewal and the underlying wisdom in the Lord. Let’s keep on reminding and encouraging one another towards such a life goal. To this end, I would like to share with you the following lines from a devotional movie “Another Chance”:

If we might have a second chance
to live the days once more,
and rectify mistakes we’ve made
to even up the score,
…     …     …     …     …     …     …
But we can’t retrace our steps,
however stands the score,
Tomorrow brings another chance
for us to try once more!

The above devotional reassures us again of Paul’s teaching: “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philip. 3:13–14).” I hope we would truly attain our hope and wish in the way ahead. May the Lord bless us and keep us on. Amen.

Growth and Order

Elisabeth Elliot (Back to the Bible) once wrote on nine principles for the shaping of a Christian family. They include firstly the authority of Christ followed secondly by order. Elliot quoted punctuality as a visible sign of order. Her father often reminded her, "When you're late, you are stealing from another person the most precious commodity, which is time."

Dear brothers and sisters, have you made your New Year’s Resolution? If so, has it anything to deal with order? As an interim minister of our church, I must apologize for my unpunctuality at times. Presumably, most of us have been unpunctual occasionally and there is a variety of reasons behind it. However, our growth will be affected if our unpunctuality becomes habitual. Why? Being human, we and our church are subjected to the normal norms and effects of human interactions. For instance, we like to start our worship at 9:45 a.m. while it is often started around 10 a.m. instead. Such a phenomenon not only affects our feeling but our spirituality as well because our worship is a divine appointment with God. We’d hardly miss any important appointment with a prominent person. Most likely, we would be well prepared for it. Hence, punctuality reflects our preparation. If we are not well prepared for worshipping and meeting our Lord, do you think our spirituality will be benefited accordingly?

One of my New Year’s resolutions for you is that 2006 will be a year full of blessing, growth and realization of your personal goals in the Lord. Let’s learn from the Lord’s teaching on the faithful and observant servant (Luke 12: 35-40) for blessed are those servants whom the master finds vigilant on his arrival. As leaders of our church, I am sure our leaders would agree that it is our obligation to set a good example in our church. To this end, your support and encouragement are vital. Let’s therefore stimulate one another towards the good deeds and blessings in our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Dedication

In my last article, “Living a Life Worthy of The Lord” on December 11, I quoted Sylvia Penny saying, “To live a life worthy of the Lord we need, first and foremost, to be obedient to His will in our lives.” In a nutshell this requires us to show evidence of our faith in the form of good works.

Jesus during his earthly ministry has set the ultimate example for Christian living. The Apostle Paul (Phil.1:21) also said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Such teachings all point to an ultimate gain and reward in heaven for those who live their lives worthy of the Lord. Today is Christmas. What would you do to celebrate our Lord’s earthly birth? Joanne reminded us last Sunday (December 18) by pointing out that Christmas is the best time to rededicate our life to Him and to tell others about our Savior. She also challenged us to put Jesus back to the center of Christmas.

In the liturgical tradition of the church such as the Lutherans, “Advent” is a holy season commemorating the first coming of Christ as Saviour and a reminder of His second coming as Judge. It is the beginning of the Christian year and covers the period from the Sunday nearest to the 30th of November until Christmas. From the 6th century the season was kept as a period of fasting and penitence. It may seem a bit dissonant when the celebration of Jesus’ birth is mixed with penitence. However, The Bible (Ps. 51:17) reminds us that the sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit and God will not despise a broken and contrite heart. Indeed, a life without bitterness is very unusual and probably futile. As for both food and life, bitterness is one of the basic flavors to make up a remarkable and lasting recipe. Without question, the birth of Jesus is destined with his crucifixion without which our salvation would have missed a firm and eternal ground. So, brothers and sisters, let’s encourage one another to do and fulfill the will of God by a heartfelt commitment of our deeds to Christ.

Living a Life Worthy of The Lord

The presentation last Sunday (Dec. 4) by our Filipino sisters was interesting and enlightening in that it vividly illustrated the idea of the armour of God as depicted in Eph. 6:10-24. Without doubt, we Christians have an obligation to live our lives worthy of the Lord so that we will be protected and empowered to win the spiritual warfare around us.

Sister Sylvia Penny of the Open Bible Trust hits the bull's eye of today's devotional theme (Her Article) by pointing out that: To live a life worthy of the Lord we need, first and foremost, to be obedient to His will in our lives. In a nutshell this requires us to show evidence of our faith in the form of good works. She goes on to ask, “If we were put on trial for our Christian faith, would there be enough evidence to convict us?”

Indeed, faith and work could not be separated when the quality and fruitfulness of our lives are in focus. Ephesians 2:10 also points out that we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. The good works in question are clearly set out in Ephesians chapters 4-6 and elsewhere in the Bible. Hence, we may take the internal quality and external expression (deeds) of our lives to be the result of putting our faith in Christ Jesus.

John 6:28-29 mentions in passing that the people asked Jesus what must they do to do the works of God? Jesus answered them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.' Elsewhere, James 2:14 adds, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" A saving faith, then, is one that manifests itself in good deeds as a natural consequence. It is as natural as babies and toddlers are after milk and toys.

If we are to live a life worthy of The Lord, then our good works are indispensable evidence of our faith. Dear brothers and sisters, Christmas is about the commemoration and celebration of Jesus’ birth wherein we have a tradition of giving out presents to one another. What would you give to the Lord this year in order to celebrate Christmas? Would you consider offer your good deeds as a living sacrifice and gift to the Lord Jesus? May the Lord help and encourage us. Amen.

What A Name We Have!

"Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full" (John 16:24; KJV).

During the American Civil War, a man had an only son who enlisted in the armies of the Union. The father was a banker who very reluctantly let his son go. He became deeply interested in the soldier boys, and whenever he saw a uniform, his heart went out as he thought of his own dear boy. He spent his time, neglected his business, gave his money to caring for the soldiers who came home invalid. His friends argued with him, saying he had no right to neglect his business and spend so much thought upon the soldiers, so he decided to give it all up.

But then there stepped into his bank one day a private soldier in a faded and worn uniform with signs of battled wounds. The poor fellow was fumbling in his pocket to get something or other, when the banker saw him and said to him: "My dear fellow, I cannot do anything for you today. I am extremely busy. You will have to go to your headquarters. The officers there will look after you."

Still the poor fellow stood, still he fumbled in his pockets and, by and by, drew out a scrap of dirty paper, on which there were a few lines written with a pencil, and laid this soiled sheet before the banker. On it were the words: "Dear Father: This is one of my comrades who was wounded in the last fight, and has been in the hospital. Please receive him as myself. --Charlie."

In a moment all the resolutions of indifference which this man made flew away. He took the boy to his palatial home, put him in Charlie's room, gave him Charlie's seat at the table, kept him until food and rest and love had brought him back to health, and then sent him back again to fight for the flag.

Dear brothers and sisters, how do you feel today? Let's remember that Jesus Christ has made a promise on his name so that we can be confident to make any supplication before our heavenly Father and be assured that it will be granted for our joy in the Lord.

(abridged from In His Name by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)