Sunday, December 5, 2010

Christmas In Youtube

by Rev. James Wong
Christmas is here again. The most used phrase in Christmas is ‘Merry Christmas”, which simply means ‘Happy Christmas.’ There are thousands of video clips in Youtube with songs titled ‘Merry Christmas’ to bring joy to all the people around the globe. The question is, how can we be truly happy during Christmas? Here is what Jesus talks about concerning happiness.

"Happy are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8 TEV). Happiness is a heart condition. Jesus says, a person with a pure heart is a happy person. Pure heart here means unmixed with unclean motives. Such a person is a person of integrity. Jesus is saying that happiness comes to you when you are the same on the inside as on the outside. How to have a pure heart?

1. Remember that God sees everything. The key phrase in Matthew 6 is "your Father sees what is done in secret." (v.4, v.6, v.18). Nothing is a secret to God. Everything that I do in private and public is known to him. Knowing that God is always watching me will give me the awareness to avoid doing things that are not pleasing in his sight. It is the devil’s lie that tells us that ‘no one will know.’ I can fool others but I cannot fool God. It relieves me of all stress and unnecessary phoniness to know that being a child of God I now can live for God, and in spite of all my weakness God still loves me deeply and unconditionally.

2. Review your motives. Proverbs 16:2 (NLT) says, “People may be pure in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their motives.” An examination of our motives helps to keep our hearts pure. In Matthew 6, Jesus talks about the wrong motives of the people in giving, praying and fasting. Their ulterior motives were to display their spiritually superiority and piety. None of these pleased God. Let us be transparent before God. “Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart. For I am always aware of your unfailing love, and I have lived according to your truth. (Ps 26:2-3 NLT).

3. Live to please God. If you live your life trying to please everyone, you will be the most unhappy person on planet earth. However, you must be reasonable in everyway so that you do not end up offending person unnecessarily. “Happy are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” If we have an unmixed motive of living for God we shall see God in the circumstances of our life. If our heart is dirty, it is like looking through dirty glasses and we will not be able see clearly. Live to give glory to God and not to stroke our hidden pride.

As we prepare for the coming of the King, Jesus Christ the Star of Christmas, let us repent of our mixed motives and ask God; “Create a pure heart in me, O God, and put a new and loyal spirit in me.” (Ps 51:10 TEV). Christmas in Youtube cannot match this.

God Will Meet All Our Needs

Philippians 4: 14 - 20
Rev. Johnny Wong


I. The premise: I must be generous to others
25A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
~ Proverbs 11:25

38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
~ Luke 6:38

3 reasons for being generous
1. My giving is an encouragement to others (v.14-16)
2. My giving is an investment in the future (v.17)
3. My giving is a sacrifice to God (v.18)


II. The promise: God will meet all our needs
1. The source
2. The scope
3. The supply

6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. 7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ~ 2 Corinthians 9: 6 - 8

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