DIrection for 2010

Availability first, not abilities
Obedience first, not talents

Availability and Obedience

love expresses itself in obedience. "If you love me, keep my commandments", said Jesus in John 14: 15. Vocal claims of love for God and His Son are empty sounds unless they come from the hearts of faith, finding expression in willing, loving obedience to God's will. Faithful obedience to God shows we love God. 

Influence or influenced

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?
- David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The little things

My principal is retiring this year end and the children prepared some small cards to show their appreciation to her

Most of them wrote stuff like

- You are the best principal

- wish you good health

- why do you want to leave us?

- we miss you

and stuff along that line

As I was collecting them in class,

this particular one caught my eye

it was from one of the children in my class who is under the financial assistance scheme

they are given food coupons each week

while we are all trying to find nice big words to express our appreciation

this 9 year old expressed it by the simplest notion

giving thanks for the simplest of things

things that probably many of us take for granted for

things that we thought were rightfully ours

Are you faithful to the call of God?

We do not have to be heretics to be unfaithful; we can be too lazy to swim against the tide. - Horton

The Meek and Lowly One

We can learn nothing, even of Christ himself, while we hold our heads up with pride, or exalt ourselves with self-confidence. We must be meek and lowly in heart, otherwise we are totally unfit to be taught by Christ. Empty vessels may be filled; but vessels that are full already can receive no more. The man who knows his own emptiness can receive abundance of knowledge, and wisdom, and grace, from Christ; but he who glories in himself is not in a fit condition to receive anything from God.

From a sermon entitled "The Meek And Lowly One," delivered July 31, 1859.

Psalm 15
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

True worshippers
1) Values what is right - truthfulness and integrity
Inter-connected
Who can dwell in your holy hill?
Who can be called to be part of that family of God
One who lives righteously (v2) - God sets the standards
Personal thoughts - parable of talents, recognising the giver

2) does what is right - behaviour towards others
Knows God's truth and clings to it, and orders his life around it - being conscientious towards His commands

3) do not take advantage of the poor an needy
4) honest to his own heart


What happens when we worship?
It reveals who God is to us
It exposes who we are
We can't worship and not be changed

Despises what God rejects (v4)
vile - something that is spoilt and thrown away, rejected by God
one who has hardened his heart and living in a lawless manner - we ought to be careful of our close associations with such people

We ought to align ourselves with God's values
spending more time in the presence of God
worshipping in Spirit and in truth, not worshipping the "air" or emotional high as an end, but transformation as a result of spending time in communion with God

Personal thoughts - one very clear thing that God rejects - is sin. Personal reminder:
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

God requires of us
because He loves us
He sets the standards so that no one can boast of his own righteousness (living by faith through grace)

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

"Serve in the strength that God supplies that God may be glorified through Jesus" (1 Peter 4:11)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)