Watch What You Say!

Watch What You Say

Dear children,

Have you ever landed yourself in a messy situation whereby you squeezed out too much toothpaste and found it hard to put it back into the tube? Words from our mouth are like the toothpaste. Once they come forth from our mouth, it is almost difficult to put it back. We caused not messiness but hurt and destruction to those whom we wag our tongues at. One reason a dog is such a loveable creature is his tail wags instead of his tongue. We wag our tongues when we do not guard what we speak and often than not we hurt someone with our tongue before we come to realize it. How often have you spoken an evil word against your friends, loved ones or teachers? How often you hurt or discourage someone with your tongue? There is an African proverb that says, “a cut may heal, but the cut of the tongue does not.”

The word “tongue” is mentioned 93 times in the Bible. God knows the destructive power of the tongue. In the book of James, he warned us not to belittle the little muscle in our mouth. If left uncontrolled, it can cause much harm. It will be like a little fire that caused a wildfire. It will be an unruly evil and full of deadly poison. Furthermore, the tongue if left untamed could be a whip and will fall into craftiness and deception (Job 5:21, 15:5, 20:12). It is perverse (Proverbs 15:4) and kills like a deadly arrow (Jeremiah 9:8). Benjamin Franklin, one of the founders of United States of America once quoted about the injurious nature of tongue: “Man’s tongue is soft, and bone doth lack; yet a stroke therewith may break a man’s back.”

An Untamed Tongue Displeases God
God regards our religion worthless if we do not guard our speech or tame our tongue: “If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. James 1:26. An untamed or unguarded tongue displeases God.

James also reveals the absurdity of us as Christians who can use our tongue for evil and at the same time have no reservations to use it to praise and worship God: “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing….” James seems to be shaking his head in disbelief when he added, “My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” He uses nature to reason with us, “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.” How often we speak evil, be it a hurtful word, a vulgar expletive or taunting or discouraging words to our parents, brothers or sisters or friends? Then without having any guilt in what we did, we lift up our voice to sing praises to God on Sunday Worship? May the Lord forgive us of our hypocrisy.

Controlling our Tongue
Proverbs 12:18 declares, “There is that speaketh like the piercings of a sword: but the tongue of the wise is health.” God wants us to use our tongue wisely. It will bring heath (edification or encouragement) if we do so. This comes with self-control which is important to a God-pleasing Christian life. Lack of self-control in our lives will not lead us to victorious, abundant life. Our witness will be ineffective. God wants us to obey Him, not with our own strength but with His help. With self-control, being filled with the Holy Spirit, we will not speak evil words but pleasant words—Proverbs 16:24, “Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.”

Ambassadors for Christ
The apostle exhorted us in 2 Corinthians 5:20, “Now then we are ambassadors for Christ….” An ambassador is the highest ranking official representing a country where he comes from. He is responsible to carry out every mission that is assigned to him by the country which sent him. Applying to us as God’s children, we are the representatives for His country (heaven). We are to carry out His commandments and tasks He laid for us. So, we have to live in obedience to God and guard our hearts, thoughts and speech.

Could we say like Samuel the prophet, “the Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”(2 Sam 23:2)? God wants us to be light of the world and salt of the earth. We are to be lights to illumine for Jesus Christ. We are to be salt so that we will cause others to thirst for Jesus Christ—the Living Water. As His children and ambassadors, let us please Him always. Let our chief aim in life be always to glorify our Lord. We must have self control(which is the fruit of the Spirit) over what we say. If you want to glorify God and make your life worthy to Christ, do what the apostle Peter wants us to do: “For he that will love life (willing to love life), and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile (deceit)” 1 Peter 3:10.

Conclusion
Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. It is consecrated to God. We are to present ourselves at His altar as a living sacrifice. Therefore we have to take heed of this tongue of ours as David desired in Psalm 141:3, “ Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.” Next time unedifying words are to be at the tip of your tongue, remember what you have learnt that God is displeased with a poisonous tongue. May our spoken words be always edifying and as Proverbs said, “a word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver.”

Back To Basics

Back to Basics

Dear Children,

Before you are able to take the PSLE in Primary 6, you will have to learn the basics or foundation of the school subjects—English, Mathematics, Science, and Chinese. Unless you are a genius, if you were to proceed straight to take the PSLE without going through the basics of the subjects, you would not be able to make it. Likewise, in our spiritual walk with God, we need to go back to the basics. What are the basics then?

The basics or foundation of Christian living is to know the Living Word intimately, ie. Jesus Christ Himself. Also, we have to know the written Word of God, to have a strong relationship with the God of the Word and to fellowship with other Christian friends.

Knowing Intimately the Living Word
Jesus is the living Word. He came to this world to save sinners. Who are the sinners? Everyone in the whole human race is a sinner. Romans 3:23 clearly stated without apology: For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. You and I are separated from the holy God because of sin. How then can we ever get to know Jesus since we are His enemies? Thank God, we can through believing in God’s great love for us by sending Jesus to live righteously, without sin for us and to die obediently on the cross for our sins. Instead of us being punished, He was punished for our sins. Isa 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. The apostle Paul by the Holy Spirit revealed God’s love in Romans 5:8—But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us

Hence, if we put our trust in Jesus, we are able to know Him intimately. The Holy Spirit will put a holy desire in us to love Him. However, it must be noted that at times we let our sins grieve the Holy Spirit.

Knowing God’s Word
In our busy schedule, we must never neglect the reading of the Bible. There are some of us who have taken the easy way out by just reading the devotional books and leave the Bible unread. The devotional is just a “dessert”. But the main course or staple of spiritual food is the Bible.

We need to have a diligent and daily intake of God’s Word to walk in the Spirit to have a relationship with our God. Not only we read the Bible, the Bible reads us. Other books are given for our information. The Bible is given for our transformation. A young believer was given a Bible by his Sunday School teacher. A warning note was pasted on the Bible that read: Warning: This book is habit forming. Regular use causes loss of anxiety, decreased appetite for lying, cheating, stealing, hating. Symptoms: increased sensations of love, peace, joy, compassion.

Read the wonderful words of life everyday. It is a lamp to our feet, a light to our path. Job 23:12 Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.

Having a Strong Relationship with God
To have a strong relationship with God, we must not neglect prayer. Charles Spurgeon, the prince of preachers ever said, “A prayerless life is a Christless life.” If we are not talking to God and regard prayer as burdensome, then we need to reexamine whether we are saved.

God wants us to watch and pray. 1 Peter 4:7, But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer. To maintain a daily consistent prayer life is hard work. Satan does not want us to pray. It would be a threat to him and his work when we pray. He puts high priority to destroy our prayer lives. Without prayer, it is easy for the cutting edge of spiritual life to grow blunt and dull. The result would be complacency. We fail to walk closer and having a true relationship with God is when we deny prayer and the Word. Ps 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.

There is a poem entitled “Too Busy Too Tired” that speaks so much of us:

Too busy this morning
I’ll say a prayer quick
Tonight I’ll have time
To study and to think.

Tonight I’m too tired
To study God’s Word
I’ll wait til next week
Then I’ll worship the Lord

Next week came too fast;
But it seems that I may
Have more time next month
To read and then to pray

Next month! Oh yes,
I just wonder why
My love for the Lord
Is about ready to die…

Having Fellowship with Brethren in Christ
It is important that we find good bosom Christian friends in Church whom we can share our daily struggles and feelings. With good Christian friends we could build one another up in the faith. Hebrews 10:24-25 says,
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together…. Hence, no man is an island in Church. We have to have fellowship with brethren in Christ. Proverbs 27:17 says, Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

Conclusion
We must return to the basics if we want to have a deeper relationship with God. We must not neglect to examine our salvation, to read God’s Word, to pray and also to fellowship others.

May the Lord help us.

Tithes and Offerings

Giving Offerings and Tithes to God

Dear Children,

What do you understand of giving our tithes and offerings during worship? Do you put much thought to what you do when it comes to giving our offerings?

Tithing and offering is part of our worship to God. It is to live out our hearts’ desire to worship and thank God for His bountiful blessings upon us. It is a response to His faithfulness, love, mercy and grace upon us. It is also to acknowledge that God owns everything. He made everything out of nothing. God owns everything, our wealth, our body and soul. God’s ownership of the world is clearly stated in Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (cf 1 Cor 10:26).Psalm 50:10. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. No matter how much we have, they belong to Him. We are but stewards of His many blessings.

God gave us hundred percent but requires only a tithe or ten percent back. If you have your four weeks of pocket money which may amount to $20, God just wants you to tithe $2 back to Him. After you tithe, the additional amount you wish to give is called offerings.

Many Christians misunderstood that tithing or giving of the tenth of our income is done away with together with the ceremonial laws of Moses. But the gift of ten percent first appeared before the ceremonial laws that God made with the people of Israel. It was in the time of Abraham in Genesis 14 when he gave the tenth of his goods from the conquest of the kings to the high priest, Melchizedek.

Also, Abraham’s grandson Jacob followed Abraham’s example by giving a tithe. At the end of the dream of the ladder to heaven in Gen 28:10-22, Jacob said, “Of all that Thou shalt give me, I will surely give the tenth unto Thee.” (v.22)

Jesus put His stamp of approval on this practice in Matthew 23:23, Luke 11:42, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.” In this verse Christ rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for focusing on the “dos and don’ts” of tithing to the minute herbs but neglected important matter, like judgment, justice or mercy. The justice and mercy they ought to have done without neglecting the other. Here, Jesus did not consider the tithe as outdated.

Likewise in 1 Cor 9:13, 14 In v. 13, the Holy Spirit reminds the New Testament saints that under the Moses times, God had made provision for the maintenance of those who ministered in the temple. “Do ye not know that they which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar? Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.” The words “even so” emphasized the same method are to be used in the support and maintaining of the preachers of the Gospel as were used in supporting the temple of old.

WHY WE SHOULD GIVE TO THE LORD?

The Law of Reciprocity:
Since God owns everything He doesn't really need our tithes and offerings. But God wants us to tithe so that we understand the law of reciprocity. Just like when someone smiles at you, you smile back. We should reciprocate his love for us with our love with our giving.

The Work of God
God’s appointed method for the financing of the work of the gospel which he has been pleased to place in our hands is through His children’s giving. Hudson Taylor, the missionary to China made a true statement, “When God’s work is done in God’s way for God’s glory, it will never lack God’s supply.”

Test of our Faith
When we received our income, we set aside the 10 percent. We live on the 90 percent. He will enable us to accomplish far more with the 90 percent that is left than we could have done with the original one hundred percent. This submission to God’s command is an important process of maturing us in our faith. As we give, we grow spiritually, learning to honour and reverence God and to always put Him first. Remember, we are channels of His blessings rather than store houses (Acts 4:32-35).
It is an antidote against coveteousness.
When we give, we acknowledge all our money is His. We make conscious effort to be good stewards of His money. We spent wisely and we give generously to God and to the gospel work. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:12-13.

HOW WE SHOULD GIVE TO THE LORD?

Whenever we give, we must give with thanksgiving and love (Deuteronomy 8:11-18).

We must possess the earnestness and cheerfulness when we give. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver. (2 Corinthians 9:7-8)

The apostle Paul also tells us that we receive according to the way we give: 2 Cor 9:6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.

We must not show off our giving: Matthew 6:1-4:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Conclusion
The Lord will bless us with a special blessing (Malachi 3:10; see Haggai 1:6,9,13; 2:15-19; 1 Kings 17:10-16). Let us honour the Lord and not be indifferent to Him. Let us fulfill this obligation with love and cheerfulness and sincerity and gratitude on our part.

Giving Thanks

Thanks! Thks! Tx! Tq!

Dear Children,

Most often than not when we sms to our friends, we would end of with either “Thanks!”; “Thks”’ “Thx” or “Tq”. It is certainly appropriate that we end our sms with some Christian grace and courtesy. But do you thank God for all His mercies and His favour upon you?

Do you ever thank God that you are a student? Do you thank God for homework and that you have the strength to do them? Do you thank God for your parents, your siblings? Do you thank God for clothes to wear, water to drink, appetite to eat and a shelter over your head? If you have, praise God! But these are the things we could thank God for.

What about those things that are not nice? For example, failing in a test, having friends who are unfriendly, teachers who are very stern, encountering schoolwork that is difficult or going through an illness. These circumstances are called trials or difficulties in life. What is your attitude then? You must thank God for them. God in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says “in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” If you read carefully this command from the Lord, He wants us to give thanks in everything. That means, good times or bad times. A godly example we could follow is Job. His wife wanted him to curse God because of the misfortune that has befallen upon them. But what did Job respond? In a very thankful and worshipful manner he said, “What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” Job 2:10.

Soon you would have finished your exams. If the results that you received are not up to your expectations, are you going to complain or feel discontented? If you are in that state, remember what God said in 1 Thessalonians 5:18—“In everything give thanks…”

You give thanks to God that you have been given good health and strength to undergo your exams. You thank God for the teacher who put in effort to mark your papers. You thank God for your parents or tuition teachers who have coached you. You thank God that He is using these results to humble you and to cause you to work harder for His glory. You give thanks also that this is His will for you in Christ Jesus.

We believe in a sovereign God. We know nothing happens by chance. Whatever circumstances happen in our lives, God allowed it according to His will and good pleasure. We know that all things will work together for good to those that love God to them who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Joseph made an insightful remark when after Jacob his father died, his brothers were afraid that he would take the opportunity to seek revenge. But Joseph assured the brothers with this words of comfort, “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.” Genesis 50:20

Everyday, night and day, constantly, continually, all the days of your life, you must thank God no matter what the circumstances you are in because “it is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” Lamentations 3:22-23. Let us not be like the nine lepers who did not return to give thanks to Jesus when he healed them.

Conclusion

Remember, we are all debtors to God and therefore we ought to give thanks to Him. It is our Christian duty and it must come from our hearts. I would like to end with this poem:

A Poem on Learning to Have a Grateful Heart

Forgive Me When I Whine

Today upon a bus, I saw a lovely girl with golden hair; I envied her -- she seemed so cheerful, and how, I wished I were so fair; When suddenly she rose to leave, I saw her hobble down the aisle; she had one foot and wore a crutch, but as she passed, a smile. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two feet -- the world is mine.

And when I stopped to buy some sweets, the lad who served me had such charm; he seemed to radiate good cheer, his manner was so kind and warm; I said, "It's nice to deal with you, such courtesy I seldom find"; he turned and said, "Oh, thank you sir." And then I saw that he was blind. Oh, God, forgive me when I whine, I have two eyes, the world is mine.

Then, when walking down the street, I saw a child with eyes of blue; he stood and watched the others play, it seemed he knew not what to do; I stopped a moment, then I said, "Why don't you join the others, dear?" He looked ahead without a word, and then I knew he could not hear. Oh God, forgive me when I whine, I have two ears, the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go; with eyes to see the sunsets glow, with ears to hear what I would know. I am blessed indeed. The world is mine; oh, God, forgive me when I whine.

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