Sunday, October 16, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Get On Board Today Or Stay Clear!
by Rev. James Wong
To be decisive is to make a clear decision on a course of action. The result is clarity of purpose and action. However, our decision must be well-informed and based on good judgment. We must try to perceive the impact and the implications of the decision. Indecisiveness arises from fear or the laziness to do critical thinking will lead to procrastination and inaction.
If a word is to be chosen to describe the life of Joshua, it is the word “decisiveness.” His finest moment came when he stood in front of his people and cried, “... choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." (Josh 24:14).
We must come to absolute certainty concerning major issues of life and the business of serving God. If Joshua would lead our church today, he will be saying, “You are clear about the vision. You have heard the plan. You know what need to be done. It is now decision time. You got to make up your mind and make a decision now. You need to get on board or stay clear because this coach is leaving the station.”
Today, to be a follower of Jesus Christ, to be a member of the church, life group involvement, tithing, serving in ministry, daily devotion, conflict resolution in relationships, amending our bad habits, improving our attitude, caring for someone, Bible reading … in all these we need to make bold and calculated decisions. We need to make tough and sometimes, costly choices, to live for God. Life is not a game and spiritual growth is not something that is to be taken lightly. The Bible does not teach that life is a fairy tale. Life is a battle, a race and being faithful to God to the end (see 2 Tim 4:7). Here are some major issues to consider:
1. What decisions you need to make concerning your spiritual life, serving God and your relationship with God?
2. What decisions you need to make concerning your family, your marriage and other relationships?
3. What decisions you need to make concerning your career advancement?
4. What decisions you need to make concerning your finance, your health, personal habits and other pertinent issues of your life?
Your answers to the above will determine your course of action and the outcome of your life. May God give us Joshua’s decisiveness.
Are You A Merciful Person?
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
~ Matthew 5:7
I) What is mercy?
1) Mercy is a Godlike quality.
4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ~ Ephesians 2:4-6
2) Mercy is a Christlike quality.
17 For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. ~ Hebrews 2:17
3) Mercy is love in action.
II) Why show mercy?
1) God has shown me mercy.
33 Shouldn't you have had mercy on your fellow- servant just as I had on you?’ ~ Matthew 18:33
2) It makes me happy.
17A kind man benefits himself, but a cruel man brings trouble on himself. ~ Proverbs 11:17
III) How to show mercy?
1) I will be patient with people.
14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14
2) I will be forgiving.
13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ~ Colossians 3:13
3) I will help people in need.
17 If 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? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. ~ 1 John 3:17-18
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Fuel Your Life With Passion
by Rev. James Wong
Nothing great is ever achieved in life without passion. The driving force behind every piece of great art, music, architecture, drama, writing, is passion. Without passion there will be no creativity or breakthrough.
Romans 12:11 says, “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.” Our passion can wane as time goes by. To maintain that passion, we need to ‘keep our spiritual fervor.’ The word ’keep’ talks about making a conscious choice that involves discipline. We need to make the effort to keep our passion of serving the Lord otherwise we become lukewarm. Here are a few thoughts on keeping our passion on fire for the Lord.
1. God wants us to serve him with passion. When you think of serving Christ are you energized or you approach the subject with reticence? Jesus said the most important thing in the Bible is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30). The word ‘heart’ is translated as ‘passion’ in the Message Version of the Bible. God wants us to put some spark, some oomph, some zest and some enthusiasm in our relationship with him.
2. Passion makes our life exciting and meaningful. When we serve with passion, the tasks that we do becomes exciting and meaningful. People who do their work dragging their feet will usually produce mediocre result. It is passion that makes the impossible possible. We will not be able to raise the standard of our service for Christ or for anyone without putting passion into it. This is the new attitude that we should have; “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as though you were working for the Lord and not for men” (Col 3:23 TEV). Imagine the result we are able to achieve if we carry out each task with ‘all our heart’.
3. Passionate people are always learning, re-inventing themselves and exploring new things. Things are changing so fast in the world that the solution of the past can become the problem for the present. Jesus talks about the new wineskins and the new wine. Our mind must be as elastic as the new wineskins that can be stretched during the fermentation of the new wine. Passionate people maintain the spark in their life by constantly learning new things, keep on improving and re-inventing themselves and exploring new things. There is so much to discover and learn in life. Don’t always think the same thought, watch the same movie or play the same song. Like a frog, jump out of the well and discover a new world out there. Live passionately everyday for we follow Christ.
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