PASTORAL CHAT
The Lord Has Saved Me From Disaster
It was Friday night Oct 7, 05 when after Prayer Meeting we returned home back to College. At about 10.45 with two students carrying hymn books up my house and I four or five steps from the ground for safety I should have grasped the hand rail. Alas! I missed the grip which would send me falling backwards to disaster, but somehow I swerved inwards to the staircase and I landed with a severe bump on my left eye. Thereafter I could not follow what was happening. I was quickly whisked to Alexandra Hospital where they made a thorough examination of me from head to foot finishing at about 3 am. Suddenly my wife appeared which made me feel better. Since I was in first class ward she could stay with me all the time. The medical report was I was completely untouched, safe and sound.
I would like to share with you here a Chinese proverb in the light of the Word of God. The Chinese proverb says, “Little children fall and they grow up. Old people fall and they die.” I could have died had I fallen backwards but in the light of Ps 91:9-12, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways. They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a tone.”
I am speedily recovering and report back to the Hospital doctor for a final clearance. Pray for me that I may serve our congregation to the best of my ability. Praise the Lord for His keeping. Amen.
Put God First, God Blesses You Richly
by the Pastor
Text: Matt. 6:25-34
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof means enough for the day is bad enough.
We worry about our livehood, with regard to what we shall eat and what we shall drink and what we shall wear. But Jesus says the birds are fed by God, the flowers are better clothed than King Solomon and the Gentiles seek for these things. Christians should not be concerned for these things which God provides us. What is required of us is we should seek God’s kingdom and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto us. From Matt 6:33 may I give the title of my message, “Put God First, God Blesses You Richly”.
Life is full of struggles. Children going to Primary Schools are made to carry heavy school bags and to take tuition in English, Chinese, Mathematics and Music, some piano plus violin. They are rushed off to school before the break of day! What I say here is the truth and no exaggeration.
But parents while worried about their growing up and welfare have forgotten God the source of their success. To bring God into their young lives they should teach them to pray before they go to bed and to pray when they get up in the morning. They should be taught to return thanks for the three meals and whenever they eat. They should be taught to ask God for safety going out of the house and coming in. I remember my grandfather who was a pastor always prayed for the safety of his grandchildren before leaving home. Now I add thanking Jesus for dying on the cross for our sins.
I have two grandchildren. I teach them to pray. I test them, “Did you pray last night when you went to bed and get up this morning?” The elder always says yes but the younger gives no answer. We come now to school exams which parents are more concerned about. If parents just then wake up to their need of God it may be too late.
Now we come to adults. Of much neglect in adults is prayer. This hymn, “Ere you left your room this morning, Did you think to pray?” This is found in Revival Hymns and Choruses No. 362. In the last days of the Japanese war we cried out to God to save us from falling shells around us. Now that there is no war we don’t pray. I did not pray for another reason. Calvinism teaches God knows everything ahead so why should I pray. Until I find the Bible teaches Jesus would pray for long periods and Paul also prays. In I Thess 5:17, Paul urges us to “Pray without ceasing”. This has now taught me to pray in the morning and whenever I am troubled such as misplacing my keys. Does God answer my prayer? He does. You try to pray in the morning and whenever in trouble. What an enriching life to be in touch all the time with God! For He really answers our prayers.
One important relationship between us and God is tithing. What is tithing? It is recorded primarily in the last book of the Old Testament. Malachi 3:10, 11, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, i.e. onetenth of your income into the church, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; …”
Truly those who give to God, God keeps on giving to them. Deuteronomy Chapter 8 says (vs. 17-18), “And thou say in thine heart, My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, …”
But I have known a church member who cultivates the opposite habit. He takes pleasure to take from the shop he is working as much expenditure as he can charge. As much expenditure not only for himself but what he considers to be for the business run by the shop. All this is done without the knowledge of the boss. In legal language this is criminal breach of trust. A jail sentence awaits him if he is found guilty.
But for us that will seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness (take note, his righteousness) Jesus says, “all these things we need, i.e. what we shall eat and what we shall drink, and what we shall wear shall be added unto us.” Put God first, God blesses us richly.
THE GOSPEL OF LIFE: Chapter XVI
John 16
Jesus’ Parting Words to His Disciples
One reason why Winston Churchill could rally an unprepared nation to resist the Germans to victory in the last War was his frankness. Contrary to Neville Chamberlain’s mincing of words, Churchill told the nation the seriousness of the ordeal facing them in no uncertain terms.
He who is the Truth, in his parting words, tells the disciples all the trials that will now break upon their heads like a thunderstorm. Thus Ch. 16 begins abruptly, but truthfully: “These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not be offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service” (fanaticism of a Jewish jihad).
Jesus then bolsters His argument for leaving them with the good results that will come – the sending of the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, to take His place – in a greater way (v. 7)! On one hand the Holy Spirit will convince the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, on the other He will guide the apostles into all truth, since they cannot receive all of it now.
Jesus allays their sorrows and their fears with the assurance of victory over death. Their sorrow would be for “a little while” when it will be turned into joy (v. 20). Our Lord compares his ordeal to a woman in labour, “but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for joy that a man is born into the world” (v. 21).
Furthermore our Lord promises them the security of being supplied by the loving Father above, if they will but ask in His Name.
Strengthened by our Lord’s plain speaking, the disciples express their restored confidence (v. 29, 30).
Jesus says for the last time how the disciples will be dispersed by the coming trials, but He will stand the test because the Father is with Him. Memorise v. 33 and test your memory of Jn 14:27 which speaks of the peace that the world so sorely needs.
