Inaugural Message to the Ladies Fellowship
(Message delivered by Pastor at the Ladies Fellowship’s Inaugural Meeting on 4 Feb, 04)

And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with him, And certain
women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and
many others, which ministered unto him of their substance. (Luke 8:1-3)

Who were the many others who ministered unto Him of their substance? Suffice it for me to mention four other Marys, viz, Mary, mother of Jesus, Mary of Bethany, Martha’s sister, Mary, sister of Mary, mother of Jesus, wife of Cleophas and Mary, mother of Mark of the Upper Room, where the early church gathered.

As Jesus went preaching with his twelve disciples it is the women who looked after their food, e.g. Martha (John 12:2) and their stay, e.g. Peter’s mother-in-law (Mark 1:35). Who care for Jesus more – men or women? Evidently in this account of Luke 8:1-3, it is the women. How about today? From personal knowledge, I believe it is still women. Is it because men are too busy?

As we form our Ladies Fellowship let us have a meaningful objective. In place of our Saviour, now we have the Pastor to lead the church. He is well taken care of by the church. But missionaries, labouring afar off with small young churches need our help. We should from the start set a goal to help them. So in the West, when they form a Ladies Fellowship they start it right away as Ladies Missionary Society. They covenant among themselves to take a regular collection to help a certain missionary family. Every church does that.

I have been leader of a Pilgrims contingent to the Holy Land. Each trip we have 50 pilgrims. When we went to the Holy Land on our second trip in 1987 we gathered enough money to help the local Palestinians to buy a piece of land to build their own church. With further contributions by later pilgrims they have now built one at Shepherd’s Field. A young son of the old Pastor went to Philippines to study theology for 4 years and is now back serving with a Filippino wife.

Our Ladies Fellowship could take a freewill offering every month and send to the Holy Land to support the young pastor once a year. By the way I am proposing an 11th Pilgrimage to the Holy Land next September, 04. In all my 10 Pilgrimages including No. 10 in 2001 when hostilities broke out we returned safely without losing a hair. We prayed fervently for safekeeping. So giving to missions is our first objective.

No. 2. We have the exemplary conduct of Mary of Bethany who listened to Jesus’ sermon and is highly commended, and also for her ointment worth 300 pence. So our monthly meetings must be well attended to hear God’s Word. We must pray for good speakers. But do not forget the collection to help our missionaries. There is a Scottish saying, Many a mickle makes a muckle. When the
Lord begins to bless your meaningful giving you will be surprised like our 1987 Pilgrims what we could do. We have built them a church!

One extra thing I know, your action will do good to the men to move them to action. Our new church is a missionary church.

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SERMONS FROM THE EIGHT-PEAKEDMOUNTAIN OF BLESSING III

“It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.” (Matt. 5:31-32)

The normal custom of the ancient Near East was for a man to verbally divorce his wife, “I divorce you” three times (Muslim’s law). But the Law of Moses (Deut. 24:1) required a written statement that gave protection to the wife. This statement was not a licence. The only exception given by Christ is fornication.

Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God’s throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matt. 5:33-37)

Oath taking is allowed in Lev. 19:12 and Deut. 23:21. To forswear means to swear falsely or perjure oneself. Perjury is a crime for it is a lie uttered before God. A man may be sentenced to three months jail for perjury today. By Jesus’ time there was much cheating in oath taking which is condemned. Therefore our Lord makes plain speaking, Yea, yea and nay, nay the rule. Anything added comes from an evil heart. James teaches what our Saviour teaches, the same. But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation (James 5:12).

Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other
also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and
from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. (Matt. 5:38-42)

Here again Moses Law Ex. 21:24 is quoted and twisted by lawyers to seek private revenge, but it was a public law balancing justice to punish no more than inflicted. Instead of vindictive private
revenge Jesus urges private suffering for the injury in v. 39, 40, 41. In v. 42, Rather give or lend without expecting any return. If the Jews today would become so meek I believe the Palestinians suicide bombers would cease. I had an experience of my new Volkswagen being hit from the rear by another car. I forgave him and I had saved myself a lot of headaches. I suffered $85 in repairing my car and that was the end of it. I was glad to turn in left cheek in Jesus’ words.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. (Matt. 5:43-48)

“Ye have heard that it hath been said”, not Moses written laws but the cunning words of crooked lawyers. But here is Moses’ Law, “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him. (Ex. 23:4-5)”. The Law of Moses plainly refutes Matt. 5:43. Love your enemies in your private dealings emulating the Father above but no compromise with haters of God, like the Pharisees. Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come (Matt. 12:31-32).

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