The Gift of Friendship

From the May 31, 2006 post ...

Heavenly Father,

We want to thank you for the gift of friendship. The joy and the pain that comes with it. We want to thank you for the opportunity to have some to call a friend and to be someone's friend. You place us in lives of others, for us to touch the lives of one another. You commanded us to love one another, to encourage one another, to remind one another, to point out and rebuke one another when one is going astray. But You also reminded us to be cautious and to be constantly reminded of the plank in front of our own eyes. Lord, we pray that when rebuking, we will not let us not concentrate too much on our friend's speck but also to examine ourselves. Grant us the patience in sharing, wisdoms in speaking, the rights words and most importantly a genuinely humble and caring heart when we share to our friends. Give us the heart to forgive, as You have forgiven us. Grant us the peace as we forgive others that might hurt us.

Lord, we surrender all these to You, in Your son Jesus precious name. Amen.

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G.R.A.C.E

From the Aug 4, 2005 post ...

Been compiling this over the years, please feel free to add to the list! :)

GRACE = God's Redemption At Christ Expense
PUSH = Pray Until Something Happens
FROG = Fully Relying On God
WWJD? = What Would Jesus Do?
ASAP = Always Say A Prayer^[1]
BUSY = Being Under Satan's Yoke
GIFT = God Is For Truth^[2]
YAHWEH = You Are Honourable Wonderful Eternally Holy

credits:
^[1] - colleen
^[2] - http://www.freewebs.com/devshout/coolsayingsandverses.htm

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Must You Repeat?

From the May 11, 2006 post ...

Okay, how many of you have had that feeling that He is leading you to one specific topic again and again?
You know, having hearing Him through different speakers, different venue about the same thing again and again?

Well, early this year, or shall I say, this year so far I am certainly having one of such experience. The following are collections of notes I jot down during in various services I have attended. These notes were compiled with the intention and was hope eventually getting on this blog. So hopefully this entry will kick off that effort as I have some dated few years back.

The first was shared, during a Mission Weekend event.

Note: The following should not be considered as actual quotes from the speaker's message but rather as what I have recorded as I hear the message and what God had spoken to me during the message.

Yeoh Seng Eng [link]
March 11, 2006
Venue: Bandar Sunway Gospel Center (BSGC)
Event/Service: Mission Weekend

Missions - The Challenge & What I Can Do

1. What's the ultimate goal of the church?

It's worship. But since worship does not exist in all parts of the world yet, therefore mission exists. The key emphasis of mission is not on the 'lostness' of men, which calls us to minister, but on the LORDship of God, which calls for everyone to worship Him. He is worthy to be praised and to be worshipped. As in, Psalm 97^[1], He is the God who reigns. And we are to rejoice and praise His name!

In Isaiah 6:1-3^[2], Isaiah was not only distressed when King Uzziah died but was also depressed. As God's prophet he knew that the good King Uzziah will be succeeded by a wicked king. But then, amidst his sorrow, God reveal Himself to Isaiah through a vision. In this vision, Isaiah saw a triumphant King, an All-Powerful, Almighty God.

Ponder for a moment how weak we sometimes perceive our God to be, that we feel that He really need us? That He is depending on me and you?

If worship is ultimate, ...

2. How Can We Glorify Him?

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him. Delights are better than duty. Delights give honour to the recipients rather the giver.

Take this example, supposed a church pastor, when visiting a patient in a hospital and when thanked by the patient, said, "Don't mention it, it's my duty as a pastor". Would it better if he is to say, "It's my pleasure (delight)"?

When we are most satisfied in Him, we will then be most delighted in Him. And when we are most delighted in Him, we will want to tell others all about Him.

Our God loves to serves us and He does not need us to serve Him as He is complete. For example, giving thanks, does not lift Him up any higher cause He is already lifted up. But instead, it gives Him pleasure, delight, and we want to give Him delight for what He had done for us.

Try comparing to other gods who want to be served, to our god who wants to serve us, as the Son of God came down to serve us and to die for us. So a God which cannot be served can only be enjoyed. For God's glory is most reflected in us when we are delighted in Him.

If He is glorify, when we are satisfied ...

3. How Can We Show We Are Most Satisfied in HIM?

We show our satisfaction in Him when we accept His plan in joy and suffering, we are not asking for martyrs but sometime it's painful to see the lack of it.

There was a missionary couple to a tribe that they ministered for so long but yet nothing happened. But one day, their child passed away. After the burial, the villagers were silent and deeply moved, realizing the sacrifice and the love of these couple for them.

Glad suffering shines better than gratitude. The way of love is both self denial and ultimate joy. When we understand that this is His work, we will not take it as doing His work, but instead, letting Him do His work through us.

His work, if we choose to believe and accept, is done through us.

Before you embark to full time mission field, here a few words of caution, when you arrive on the first day for a mission, please determine the date you will depart. Because the longer you stay the tighter you clasp and the tighter you hold and it will become your work and not His work.

Brother Yeoh then share the following, to the whole congregation, during the Sunday service. This is more of a collections of verses which Brother Yeoh shared, as he walked us through his ministry, the Care Channels.

Note: The following should not be considered as actual quotes from the speaker's message but rather as what I have recorded as I hear the message and what God had spoken to me during the message.

Yeoh Seng Eng [link]
March 12, 2006
Venue: Bandar Sunway Gospel Center (BSGC)
Event/Service: Mission Weekend

Missions and Christian's Responsibility Towards Poverty

Something to ponder:
The root of poverty may not be monetary but spiritually
1. The poors are lost (spiritually) and the losts are poor.
2. Any strategy to reach those unreached with the Gospel would also be a strategy to reach the poor.

Truth #1: God loves the poor

¹⁴Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ¹⁵He taught in their synagogues, and everyone praised him.

¹⁶He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. ¹⁷The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to preach good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to release the oppressed,
¹⁹to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
²⁰Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him, ²¹and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

Luke 4:14-21

⁴ However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today

Deuteronomy 15:4-5

Truth #2: He is against those who plunder, oppress, exploit the poor

... but loves those who show love to them.

¹⁴ The LORD enters into judgment
against the elders and leaders of his people:
"It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
the plunder from the poor is in your houses.

¹⁵ What do you mean by crushing my people
and grinding the faces of the poor?"
declares the Lord, the LORD Almighty.

Isaiah 3:14-15

¹ Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the LORD delivers him in times of trouble.

Psalm 41:1

¹⁷ He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 19:17

²⁷ He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Proverbs 28:27

One of the theme in the Book of Exodus is on how we ought to treat the less fortunate.

There are two judgments that we will face on earth. The judgement of man and the Judgement of God, which of the latter is more severe. Not all law are justice as some got will have flaw and loopholes. Even though you escape punishment from the first one, you will not escape the second. When we look at the poor, we can rejoice because we know He is just that He will reward them in heaven.

Truth #3: Poverty is not God's desire

Again, Deuteronomy 15:4-5^[3].
And neither is wealth our aim objective, Proverbs 30:8-9^[4].

Three Broad Classes of the Poor
1. The Deserving Poor
- Widows, orphans, the disabled and others (who will work if they could).
2. Working Poor
- Able to work and willing to work but need our help (support, experience, expertise)
3. Undeserving poor
- Able but not willing to work

Pitfalls
1. To give indiscriminately to the undeserving poor is to increase their poverty.
2. Fail to challenge them is to condemn them in their poverty forever.

Key Points to Take Back
1. At all times, make effort to restore and maintain the dignity of the poor.
2. To help the poor is NOT always fun, convenient or pleasurable.

Suggested Readings
1. Let the Nations Be Glad!: The Supremacy of God in Missions - by John Piper [link]
2. A Tale of three Kings: A Study in Brokenness - by Gene Edwards [link]

The third was during my trip to Singapore, and when I visited the church of my former youth member who is currently studying here.

Note: The following should not be considered as actual quotes from the speaker's message but rather as what I have recorded as I hear the message and what God had spoken to me during the message.

Rev. Bryan Tan
April 22, 2006
Venue: Trinity Christian Center, Singapore [link]
Event/Service: Young Adult Service

Caring for the Poor and Needy

Do we carry God's passionate heartbeat in our everyday living?

Do we carry God's passionate heartbeat in our everyday's living? Or are we totally indulged in - I, me and myself - our own human trinity?

In Psalm 103:8^[5], we know our God is a compassionate God. And from Isaiah 41:17^[6], we know He will not forsake the poor and the needy. He is concern, sympathize, empathize the poor and the needy.

Will parents, when warned their child not to do something, but when the child did it in spite of the warning, and brought harm to his or herself, the parents will laugh and ridicule the child? They will not! How much more will God love His children?

Deuteronomy 15:7-11^[7], Deuteronomy 24:14-15^[8], Deuteronomy 24:17-22^[9]
Summed up as, "You want to be blessed? Then care for the poor!". Don't deprive the alien or the fatherless and widow of your land. The 'aliens' at the time of Old Testament refers to the people from outside of Israel/the Jewish people and they are not of the same FAITH!

Proverbs 14:31^[10], Proverbs 19:17^[11], Proverbs 28:27^[12]
You honor God when you are kind to the needy. And He will bless you!
The poor are still made in the image of God, just like you and me!!
We need to move from the compassion stirred by emotion, by spur of the moment, by 'soap dramas', to compassion that's genuine, just like Jesus shown to the poor, widows, prostitutes, lepers and lames just to name a few.

Acts 2:44^[13], Acts 4:34-35^[14], Acts 11:28-30^[15]
Early churches knew evangelism and sharing with the marginalized go hand in hand. This includes sharing physical, social, and spiritual needs of one another.

1 John 3:17-18^[16]
We response immediately when to receive blessings and anointing. Will we do the same in giving? Is our heart beating with God?

To close, let's look at the parable of The Sheep and the Goats, in Matthew 25:31-46^[17]. Are you doing it to Jesus as you ought to do?

Were all these merely a coincident? Or is He clearly putting forward a message to remind us again of His love.

I'll leave you all with this speech made on February 2, 2006, during the United States' National Prayer Breakfast by Bono from the music group U2. [video | transcript]


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... "do you hear My cries?!"

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Bible References:

Psalm 97 [back to top]
¹ The LORD reigns, let the earth be glad;
       let the distant shores rejoice.
² Clouds and thick darkness surround him;
       righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
³ Fire goes before him
       and consumes his foes on every side.
⁴ His lightning lights up the world;
       the earth sees and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
       before the Lord of all the earth.
⁶ The heavens proclaim his righteousness,
       and all the peoples see his glory.
⁷ All who worship images are put to shame,
       those who boast in idols—
       worship him, all you gods!
⁸ Zion hears and rejoices
       and the villages of Judah are glad
       because of your judgments, O LORD.
⁹ For you, O LORD, are the Most High over all the earth;
       you are exalted far above all gods.
¹⁰ Let those who love the LORD hate evil,
       for he guards the lives of his faithful ones
       and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
¹¹ Light is shed upon the righteous
       and joy on the upright in heart.
¹² Rejoice in the LORD, you who are righteous,
       and praise his holy name.

Isaiah 6:1-3 [back to top]
¹ In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. ² Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. ³ And they were calling to one another:
       "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
       the whole earth is full of his glory."

Deuteronomy 15:4-5 [back to top]
⁴ However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, ⁵ if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today

Proverbs 30:8-9 [back to top]
⁸ Keep falsehood and lies far from me;
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread.

⁹ Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say, 'Who is the LORD ?'
Or I may become poor and steal,
and so dishonor the name of my God.

Psalm 103:8 [back to top]
⁸ The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

Isaiah 41:17 [back to top]
¹⁷ "The poor and needy search for water,
but there is none;
their tongues are parched with thirst.
But I the LORD will answer them;
I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

Deuteronomy 15:7-11 [back to top]
⁷If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. ⁸ Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. ⁹ Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. ¹⁰ Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. ¹¹ There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Deuteronomy 24:14-15 [back to top]
¹⁴Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. ¹⁵ Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.

Deuteronomy 24:17-22 [back to top]
¹⁷Do not deprive the alien or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge. ¹⁸ Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the LORD your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

¹⁹When you are harvesting in your field and you overlook a sheaf, do not go back to get it. Leave it for the alien, the fatherless and the widow, so that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. ²⁰ When you beat the olives from your trees, do not go over the branches a second time. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. ²¹ When you harvest the grapes in your vineyard, do not go over the vines again. Leave what remains for the alien, the fatherless and the widow. ²² Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

Proverbs 14:31 [back to top]
³¹He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,
but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.

Proverbs 19:17 [back to top]
¹⁷He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD,
and he will reward him for what he has done.

Proverbs 28:27 [back to top]
²⁷He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.

Acts 2:44 [back to top]
⁴⁴All the believers were together and had everything in common.

Acts 4:34-35 [back to top]
³⁴There were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵and put it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to anyone as he had need.

Acts 11:28-30 [back to top]
²⁸One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) ²⁹The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. ³⁰This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

1 John 3:17-18 [back to top]
¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Matthew 25:31-46 [back to top]
The Sheep and the Goats
³¹"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

⁴⁰"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

⁴¹"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

⁴⁴"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

⁴⁶"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."