Children’s Pages Database

Proverbs 27:6

Proverbs 27:6, Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. Most people want to hear good things. But more importantly, we need to hear things that are true even if they bring us discomfort and pain. For example, if we have done something sinful, we need to be told the truth that it is wrong and we need to stop doing it. That is what a faithful friend would do when he speaks the truth which may seem like wounds (bruise) to us. However those truthful words are not meant to hurt but help us so that we will not continue down the wrong path. The opposite of a friend is an enemy. The enemy does not care about our well-being. Even when he knows that we are wrong or sinful, not only will he keep quiet but he will comment that it is the right thing to do. He will say to us, “Don’t worry about the sin. Everyone is doing it. It is alright to lie a little bit, or take things that do not belong to us, or cheat in the test.” He is like someone who kisses or embraces us. The word deceitful means to multiply. In other words, his action will cause us to continue living in sin, and the result is that we will “grow” and “multiply” in our sins. Dear children, would you rather have a truthful friend or an unloving enemy?

~2 min read

“…does not care about our well-being…”

Proverbs 14:20; Proverbs 19:4

Proverbs 14:20, The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends. The neighbour is someone who is close to us, like our friends. Today, people make friends based on many factors, like common interests and hobbies, or people whom they can share happy and sad moments with, etc. For some, there is also one reason why they want to make friends with certain people, though many may not admit to it, and that is “wealth.” That is why the rich hath many friends, while the poor is hated even of his own neighbour. Such friendship is not only superficial and untrue, but it is not lasting. It will only last as long as the person is rich! Proverbs 19:4, Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour. Dear friend, some people may claim to be your friends because you are doing well in your studies, great in sports, rich in resources, and successful in your accomplishments. You may think that you have many friends. But they are only your friends because of the things you have, and once you lose those things, they are nowhere to be found. Like the poor is separated from his neighbour, they will desert you. We must avoid such materialistic friends!

~2 min read

“…only last as long as the person is rich…”

Proverbs 28:7

Proverbs 28:7, Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father. The word riotous means worthless, vile, tremble or quake. When it is used in reference to the behaviour of a person, it means he is uncontrolled, unruly and disorderly in the way he lives his life in sinful pleasure. Basically, he is wild! His desire is to eat, drink and be merry. He does not consider the consequences of his actions. He lives for the present with no consideration for the future. Like someone who is partying and drinking all day long, and spends all his money and time on sinful, immoral and even violent activities. He will not only bring troubles to himself, but his parents will be ashamed of him. Dear children, a wise son is a reference to the believer who understands the Word of God, and is discerning. He knows that by associating with such riotous people, he will be influenced, get into trouble and bring shame to his parents. He will avoid the company of such people, and instead he keepeth the law meaning he obeys the Word of God which will guide and lead him on the path of righteousness. Is there anyone whom you know who is a riotous person? You must avoid associating with him or her otherwise the consequence may be very severe.

~2 min read

“…uncontrolled, unruly and disorderly…”

Proverbs 22:24-25

Proverbs 22:24-25, Make no friendship with an angry man; and with a furious man thou shalt not go: Lest thou learn his ways, and get a snare to thy soul. Anger is one of the strongest emotions of man. Though it is a common emotional feeling that everyone will experience from time to time, uncontrolled anger is a great danger. Interestingly, if one adds the letter “d” to the word “anger,” it becomes “danger. Indeed, an angry man is a dangerous man because he cannot control his passions. To be furious means to be extremely angry. Thou shalt not go with him means do not join him. Do not say, “It is alright. It is only an outing, or a casual conversation!” His bad behaviour will inevitably influence you, lest thou learn his ways. And when you are being influenced by him, it will be a snare to thy soul which means it will be bait or trap to you. Eventually, it will be a nightmare to you. Dear children, to make no friendship with an angry and furious man means “do not befriend or associate with him.” It is a command. As Christians, we should always be kind and gracious in all our ways, but we must be wise in the choice of our friends. When the angry and furious man cannot control his passions, it will be like boiling hot water which is heated up and overspillled. His anger will be imposed upon others, and the people around him (his friends) will be affected. If we are in the company of such people, there will be no peace but only trouble.

~3 min read

“…cannot control his passions…”

Proverbs 25:19

Proverbs 25:19, Confidence in an unfaithful man in times of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint. An unfaithful person is someone who cannot be trusted or relied upon. A friend is someone whom we share special moments with, as well as trust and rely on for support in times of need. But the unfaithful will betray, walk away or even turn against us in such times. When we have a broken tooth and we try to chew some food, or a dislocated foot and we try to walk, we are putting stress on them and they will cause us great discomfort and agony. Likewise, this is what will happen when we put our confidence in unfaithful friends who will disappoint us and bring great pain. Let us be wise and choose our friends carefully. Dear children, it may take time to find out who is faithful and unfaithful. Sometimes, it may take a trial to reveal to us the true character of our friends. It can be very disappointing, discouraging and painful when we find out that our “friends” are unfaithful. But we must not continue that relationship to avoid greater disappointment, discouragement and pain. Let us be wise and choose our friends carefully; make friends with the faithful and not the unfaithful.

~2 min read

“…cannot be trusted or relied upon…”

Proverbs 20:19

Proverbs 20:19, He that goeth about as talebearing revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips. Two types of friends are dangerous to be acquainted with. Firstly, the “talebearers” are people who go about carrying untrue or true stories (with an evil intent). Secondly, the “gossipers” are people who enjoy revealing personal matters about others. Oftentimes both talebearers and gossipers will exaggerate, distort or add onto the facts. They would use their fair speeches to create conflicts, unhappiness and divisions. They create jealousies, anger and vengeance in peoples’ minds. They reveal secrets which they have been entrusted to. Ultimately, they break relationships! Dear children, be careful of such people because oftentimes they will first compliment and commend you to win over your friendship and let your guards down. That is the meaning of flattereth. Then they will make you believe the things they say about others. If they are capable of sharing things and secrets of others, one day, they will share things and secrets about you as well. Do not entertain such people. Remember, it takes two persons in order for talebearers and gossipers to exist; the one who speaks and the one who listens. Do not have any part in talebearers and gossipers by giving your ears and time to them. When you do take, you will become a talebearer and gossiper whether directly or indirectly!

~2 min read

“…dangerous to be acquainted with…”

Proverbs 9:6

Proverbs 9:6, Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. Fools are those people who do not believe God nor fear Him (c.f. Psalm 14:1). Due to their unbelief, they live in spiritual darkness and follow the ways of sin and ungodliness. They do not understand and adhere to the Word of God, and live their lives with no sense of accountability to Him. Dear children, when you befriend the fool, he or she will influence you to follow the ways of the world. They will say to you, “Come on, it is alright not to worship God on Sunday. Instead let us go shopping, partying, drinking and watching movies. Let us dress sensuously, be attractive and draw attention to ourselves.” Such people can offer you nothing but danger, because they will cause you to sin and draw further away from God and His Word. The Bible emphatically commands us, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? (2 Corinthians 6:14-15)

~2 min read

“…they will cause you to sin…”

Proverbs 13:20

A friend is someone whom you know well and like, but is not related to you. A friend is someone with whom you share common interests. A friend is someone whom you like to have beside you whether in times of rejoicing or trouble. He or she is someone whom you spend a lot of time with, therefore he or she can influence you for good or bad. If you engage yourself with a company of good Christian friends, you will be influenced by things that are spiritual and God-honouring. So, it is important for us to learn to be wise in choosing the right friends in life. Proverbs 13:20, He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. In the Bible, the godly are referred to as “wise,” while the ungodly are referred to as “fools” (c.f. Psalm 14:1). As Christians who are wise, we ought to have a close relationship with those who are godly, and to avoid those who are ungodly. Proverbs 2:20, That thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep the paths of the righteous. We are advised to have a company of good Christian friends. They will remind us of the Word of God, encourage us in times of trials and struggles, rebuke us when we are tempted and fall into sin, and help to restore us, so that we will walk in the path of righteousness. Thus, we must choose the right friends wisely!

~3 min read

“…learn to be wise in choosing the right friends…”

1 Peter 2:9e

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: God has saved us, through the Lord Jesus Christ, out of darkness into his marvellous light. Therefore, it is only right for us to shew forth the praises of him. In other words, we are to declare or proclaim what a loving, gracious and merciful God He is. We want to tell everyone that if God can save us, He can save them too. Let’s suppose, you are chosen to be an ambassador for Australia. It is an honour to be able to represent Australia, and you will proudly declare the power, resources and abilities of this great nation, right? However, do you realize that as Christians, we are called to be ambassadors not for a great person or nation, but the Almighty God? 2 Corinthians 5:20 said, Now then we are ambassadors for Christ. As ambassadors for Christ, we must declare to the unbelieving world, the power of Jesus to save them from eternal damnation and reconcile them to God. Dear children, this is what we must do as ambassadors for Christ, to shew forth the praises of him, to our unbelieving loved ones and friends in school. We want to tell them there is only one Saviour who can save them from sin and hell, and His name is Jesus. We want to plead with them to believe in Him and receive salvation!

~3 min read

“…it is only right for us…”

1 Peter 2:9f

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: It is truly a blessing to be called a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people. With this blessing, comes the responsibility! There was a time when we were living in spiritual darkness. We were walking according to the power of the air (that is Satan), and following the course of the world, and we were by nature the children of God’s wrath. The word darkness speaks of both moral and intellectual darkness, which means we could not comprehend the truth and righteousness and this ignorance is manifested through the way we live. We were ignorant of the consequences of our sins, and we were heading for eternal hell, yet we thought everything was alright. We knew that we could not live forever on this earth, yet we kept building our earthly treasures. We knew that one day we would die, yet we did not want to think about the things of eternity. That is what it means to be in darkness. Dear children, it was God who had called us out of this spiritual darkness, and brought us into His marvellous light. God had saved us through faith in Jesus Christ, and today, we are no longer ignorant. We not only know what is right and wrong, righteousness and sin, but we are also able to do that which is right. We have God’s Word as a lamp and light to guide us, and we have the Holy Spirit to empower us. Therefore, we must live a transformed life, to shew forth the praises of Him who had saved us.

~3 min read

“…we were by nature the children of God’s wrath…”

1 Peter 2:9d

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: The dictionary would often define this word peculiar as strange or weird. But the biblical meaning is different; it means to possess something through a purchase. In the eyes of the world, the Christians may seem strange and weird, but in God’s perspective, we are special, a peculiar people, bought with a price, through the precious blood of Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 6:20, For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.  Dear children, perhaps you have been named as someone who is strange in your school or amongst your classmates. But you must always bear in mind that as a believer, you belong to the Almighty God! It does not matter how people may regard us, but what is most important is that in God’s eyes, “You are a peculiar people! You have been bought by the precious blood of my only begotten Son, Jesus Christ!”     

~2 min read

“…the Christians may seem strange and weird…”

1 Peter 2:9c

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: The word nation simply means a people. The word holy means separated or set apart, and oftentimes it is translated as a saint. Some people have certain strange ideas about being a “saint.” They think that a saint is someone who has done many good works, and is dead, and is in heaven. That is why the Roman Catholic Church have saints like Theresa, Nicholas, Anthony, Anne, and so forth. But if you read through the Bible, for example when Paul wrote to the church at Corinth and Ephesus, he called the believers “saints” (c.f. 1 Corinthians 1:2, Ephesians 1:1). It would be foolish to think that Paul was writing to a group of dead saints in Corinth or Ephesus. The reality is that he was writing to the believers who were called saints. Dear children, as true believers, we are called saints because we are set apart and separated unto God, which means we no longer belong to Satan or the world, and we are no longer under the dominion of sin. We have entered into a new relationship with God because of our union with Jesus Christ! As a holy nation, our hearts should always be focused on our spiritual citizenship and eternal home, which is in heaven!

~2 min read

“…he was writing to the believers…”

1 Peter 2:9b

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: The believers are described as a royal priesthood. The word royal means kingly or sovereignty. The word priesthood reminds us of the priest who offers sacrifices. A king is someone who rules, and a priest is smeone who offers sacrifices. When we put these two words together, it is so remarkable. What a spiritual privillege to be both king and priest! Dear children, we do not need anyone, whether the pastor, preacher or minister, to represent us before God. We go straight to God through our Lord Jesus Christ because we are called to be priests, and therefore, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16).” One day, we will rule together with Jesus Christ on this earth for one thousand years known as the millennial kingdom, when He returns (c.f. Revelations 5:10). What a spiritual blessing that God hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, therefore to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever (Revelation 1:6).

~2 min read

“…it is so remarkable…”

1 Peter 2:9a

1 Peter 2:9, But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:   The believers are described as a chosen generation. People often understand the word generation as a race or a group of people living at a period of time. But the biblical meaning is very unique because it speaks of being generated, and coming out from a source. That source is none other than God Himself. In other words, we believers are a race or generation produced from the source that is God Himself.    Even before the foundation of the world, God had already chosen or elected us to be His children. Jesus said, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you (John 15:16). It is not because we are wise, clever and smart, and that is why we have become Christians, and are able to enjoy all the heavenly blessings.    Dear children, if that is the case, then the credit goes to man for his or her faith. If that is the case, then salvation is a human work and glory goes to man. The truth is that salvation is entirely and totally God’s choice. If we are left on our own, none of us will choose God because the Bible clearly said, “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (Romans 3:11).” We are a chosen generation of God’s people and children because of Him alone!

~3 min read

“…salvation is entirely and totally God’s choice…”

1 Corinthians 13:13

1 Corinthians 13:13, And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity. Why is love the greatest? It is eternal — Faith and hope are very important virtues. But one day, when we get to heaven, whether by death or rapture, we will realise that only love is eternal. In heaven, we do not need to keep on believing because everything true will be known. In heaven, we do not need to keep on hoping because the reality of our hope will be realized, and we will be in our glorified state. Love is the greatest of these three virtues - faith, hope and charity. In this world that we live in, everything we do, say or think will be meaningless…without love. If there is no love (including faith and hope) our actions will be empty. That is why we must continue to believe and hope in love. Without it, everything would be in vain. Thus, love is the greatest! Dear children, one day all our spiritual gifts, ministries, faith, hope and patience will come to an end. Our love, however, will continue because even after we die and join our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in Heaven, there will still be love. There, we continue to love Him, and He will continue to love us. The only difference is that our love for Christ will then be perfect because there will be no more sin!

~2 min read

“…we will realise that only love is eternal…”

1 Corinthians 13:8

1 Corinthians 13:8, Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. Love (charity) never faiteth means it is lasting or permanent. Like a flower or leaf that falls to the ground, withers and decays, that will never happen to love which will never fall and die. There will always be love! But as for prophecies, tongues and knowledge, they shall fall, cease and vanish away. The word prophecies can mean foretelling or forthtelling. The revelation of God’s Word was given progessively as the Holy Scriptures was being written by the authors who were inspired by God. The word tongues was about known languages that the people had never learnt before. The word knowledge was about special knowledge not known before. Why would prophecies, tongues and knowledge fall, cease and vanish away? Well, the Apostle Paul explained; 1. Verse 9, For we know in part, and we prophecy in part. At that time, God was still revealing to the Apostles, and they were still receiving and writing the Holy Scriptures. What they knew was only partial (in part) of the entire canon of the Bible. 2. Verse 10, But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. The complete canon of the Bible (perfect) was completed, it had come. 3. Verse 11, When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Paul used the illustration of a child. Before the Bible was completed, he could only speak like a child, and his maturity was like a child. But when the Bible was complete, he could speak like an adult, and his understanding was like an adult. 4. Verse 12, For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. Paul used another illustration of a mirror. Before the Bible was completed, they could only see through this glass or mirror, and it was dark or obscure, and not clear. But when the Bible was completed, they could see clearly as in face to face. Dear children, today, we no longer need special revelation, spiritual gift of tongues-speaking or extra-biblical knowledge. We do not need anyone to come to us and say, “God has revealed to me a special revelation, or He has given me the ability to speak in tongues, or He has given me extra-biblical knowledge. Let me show it to you.” NO! The reason is simply because we have the complete canon of the Word of God - the Bible, which is the complete revelation of God”s Word, will and purpose..”

~5 min read

“…love which will never fall and die…”

1 Corinthians 13:7d

Love endureth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7d). The word endureth means an intense bearing. Our love is going to be tested, and in order to pass the test, we have to endure. Our love is going to be tested in very difficult circumstances, people, persecution, hostility, suffering and all kinds of trials and tribulations. It is easy for one to say, “I love,” in good circumstances, but it is another thing when he or she loves despite being in an adverse situation. Dear children, do you remember the story of Joseph who was betrayed by his brothers who later sold him to slavery? He was almost killed, thrown into prison, forgotten and suffered greatly. But despite all that, he forgave his brothers. Ultimately, the perfect example is our Lord Jesus who came to save His people from their sins, and yet they rejected, persecuted, mocked, and eventually crucified Him on the cross of Calvary. However, while Jesus hung on the cross, He cried out to His heavenly Father to forgive the very people who had done those great atrocities to Him. That is an excellent example of what it means “love endureth all things.”

~2 min read

“…in order to pass the test, we have to endure…”

1 Corinthians 13:7c

Love hopeth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7c). Have you ever felt like giving up? Surely there were times when we felt like giving up. What was the thing that kept us persevering? Hope! Despite Israel’s failure, there was still hope. Despite Peter’s denial, there was still hope. Despite the Corinthians’ disobedience, there was still hope. Likewise despite our shortcomings, there is still hope. There are so many promises in the Bible that make our love hopeful. As long as we are still alive, there is always God’s grace available for us. Thus, there is hope! Dear children, but our greatest hope is the resurrection. A true story was told of a dog owner who had passed away. After the funeral service at the burial place, everyone left. But the dog remained there waiting. For days, months and years, that dog would not leave the grave site because that was the place it last saw the master being buried. It was waiting for the master to return. It would not give up the hope that someday he would return again. If a dog’s love for its master could produce that kind of hope, how much more should our love for our Master? Three times in the last chapter of Revelation, our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Behold, I come quickly!” Do you believe He will come again for you? That is, hope!

~2 min read

“…Surely there were times when we felt like giving up. What was the thing that kept us persevering?…”

1 Corinthians 13:7b

Love has to do with how we think and feel about people and things. It does not mean we believe all things as good and right. Most certainly, we know how to differentiate between right and wrong, or righteousness and sin. What it means is that “I would rather be wrong by believing you, than to wrong you by not believing you. I would rather be taken advantage of than to hurt you by judging you in a wrong way.” a. We do not form opinions about the person. b. We do not try to read the person’s heart’s motivation (which is something we cannot). c. We do not hold a grudge against the person who has hurt us. d. We do not have evil imaginations, motives or intentions. Dear children, when we love by “believing all things,” it does not mean we will not be taken advantage of or be disappointed. But we trust that God will protect and take care of us. Even if we are being taken advantage of, or are disappointed, we know that He has a sovereign purpose for us!

~2 min read

“…how to differentiate between right and wrong, or righteousness and sin…”

Matthew 1:23

What does Christmas mean to us? Almost 2,000 years ago, the Gospel writer, Matthew, recorded the angelic declaration of the purpose and implication of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us” (Matthew 1:23). The assurance of God’s faithfulness - Christmas is a time to celebrate God’s faithfulness. Several hundred years before the birth of Jesus, God promised that the Saviour of the world would be born to a virgin (c.f. Isaiah 7:14). And just as He promised, Jesus, the Second Person of the blessed Trinity who waas co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Spirit, willingly descended into this world, and dwelt amongst men. Ultimately, He died on the cross and shed His precious to save His people from their sins. The abolition of fear from our lives - Christmas is a time our hearts are comforted knowing that Jesus not only came to save us, but to be with us. As our Emmanuel, He will never forget nor forsake us, and we will never be alone! The accountability to live godly lives - Christmas is a time we are reminded of God’s presence in our lives. If Jesus lives in our hearts, then it is our highest duty to hallow His presence with holiness. We must adore the things He adores, and hate the things He hates. He hates sin and loves righteousness, therefore we must never live in sin but in righteousness.

~3 min read

“…the purpose and implication of the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

1 Corinthians 13:7a

Love beareth all things (1 Corinthians 13:7a). The phrase all things does not mean love just simply accepts anything or believes in anything. Most certainly, we do not accept sinful things or believe in false teachings. Thus, all things mean things that are in accordance with God's Word and His will. The original word for beareth is very interesting. It means “roof.” Like the roof shelters us from the elements like rain, storm and sun. So the phrase “love beareth all things” means we are willing to patiently endure in order to protect those whom we love. Dear children, do you love your family and friends? If you do, then you are not only willing to bear their weaknesses and shortcomings, but you are also willing to protect them against criticism, sins and things that will destroy them. Most importantly, if they are unbelievers, you want to save and protect them from the eternal punishment in hell. So, no matter how many times they reject you, you will patiently endure and you will continue to share with them the gospel, with every opportunity that God has given to you.

~2 min read

“…roof shelters us from the elements…”

1 Corinthians 13:6b

But rejoiceth in the truth (1 Corinthians 13:6b) The word but is the contrast; instead of rejoicing in iniquity, we rejoice in the truth. Love is able to distinguish between right and wrong, righteousness and unrighteousness. In other words, love is discerning! What is truth? Truth is anything that is in accordance with the Word of God, or anything that reflects the will and character of God. And it is not based on our feelings, emotions or what the majority thinks. Dear children, love rejoiceth in the truth means you have to make a commitment to speak the truth. Love cannot tolerate wrong teaching, and it will cause you to take a stand for the truth against falsehood. Love cannot endure lies and deceptions. Love will cause you to speak the truth of the gospel even though you may be rejected and scorned at. For example, when your unbelieving friend says, “Well, it doesn’t matter what I believe in. Every religion teaches a way to salvation. I can pick and choose any religion I want, and I will still be in heaven.” You will tell them that it is not true. For there is only one way to salvation, and only Jesus can save them!

~2 min read

“…What is truth? Truth is…”

1 Corinthians 13:6a

Love rejoiceth not in iniquity (1 Corinthians 13:6a).   To rejoice is to be happy, or to find satisfaction.  So love rejoiceth not in iniquity means love does not take satisfaction from iniquity or sin whether it is our own sins or the sins of others.  When a sin is committed, it is already bad enough.  But to be happy about the sin or to take satisfaction out of it, is even worse.     Why is rejoicing in sin wrong?  It is wrong because first and foremost, sin offends and grieves God!  How can we be happy with something that offends and grieves our heavenly Father?       Rejoicing in sin can take different forms; 1. When you hope for someone to make a mistake, especially if that person is someone you do not like. 2. When you are eager to hear bad news about someone, again especially if that person has previously hurt you. 3. When you gossip about someone who has fallen into sin.  You may be speaking the truth, but your motivation is not to help but to cause pain to him or her.  Your intention is to reflect poorly on his or her character.  It is not for encouragement but to destroy!      Dear children, it does not matter whether the person is your friend or enemy, do you find yourself rejoicing in seeing him or her being destroyed in sin?  If there is some kind of joy being derived from the fall of another person, that in itself is sin.  It is not love because love rejoiceth not in iniquity.

~3 min read

“…If there is some kind of joy being derived from the fall of another person, that in itself is sin…”

1 Corinthians 13:5d

Charity thinketh no evil (1 Corinthians 13:5d) The word thinketh is an accounting term. It means to reckon, or to take into account. In other words, love does not keep a record of the wrong done to you or harbour ill feelings toward those people who have hurt you. Do you keep a record or hold grudges against people who wronged you? It does not mean that you have no memory of the things done to you or cannot remember those things. It means you are willing to forgive. Do you remember Jesus taught Peter about forgiveness? Peter asked, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22). Which means we are to forgive indefinitely! Then Jesus went on to illustrate the servant who owed the king 10,000 talents, and the kind forgave him the huge debt. But another servant who owed that first servant one hundred pence, and the first servant who was forgiven, caught hold of him, choked him by the throat, and threw him into prison until he paid up the small debt. When the king heard about what the first servant did, he was very angry, and said to him, “I forgave all your debts. Shouldn’t you also have compassion on your fellow servant just as I had pity on you?” The king delivered him into prison until he paid up all that was due unto him. The moral of the story is this, Jesus said, So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses (Matthew 18:25). Dear children, when we consider our salvation, and the enormous debt of sin that we owe to God that we could not pay. According to the justice of God, we deserve the loss of everything including our soul. But God forgave us of all our debts through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, how can we not forgive another person of the wrong done to us?

~3 min read

“…But God forgave us of all our debts through Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, how can we not forgive another person of the wrong done to us?…”

1 Corinthians 13:5c

Not easily provoked (1 Corinthians 13:5c) To be provoked is to be angry. It is a sudden outburst of emotion. Here, it is not about righteous anger, like when Jesus was angry with how the people abused the Temple, or when Paul was angry with the heresies, immoralities and wickedness. We ought to be angry with the sins, atrocities and evil happening around the world. But even in our righteous anger, we must be careful because anger often leads to sin (c.f. Ephesians 4:26). Paul was speaking about things done to us that are personally offensive. Are you someone who is easily provoked and offended leading you to explode in great anger? If there is something that needs to be corrected and someone brings it to your attention, are you irritated? Someone who is easily provoked is not approachable and teachable. People who are easily provoked oftentimes react by shouting, screaming and yelling. They cannot control their anger. Once a girl said to her pastor, “I know that I lose my temper easily, but it is all over in a few minutes.” The pastor replied, “Well, that is true, and so is the nuclear bomb, and so is the impulsive murderer.” Dear children, if we are easily provoked, it can cause damage in a very short time. Our anger is always destructive, and our outburst of anger can break relationships and lead us into trouble. As a believer, if you recognise that you have an issue with anger, ask the Spirit of God to help you. Pray that God will control your anger and take steps to deal with your anger. A good friend of mine was able to control his anger, and he said, “Whenever I feel this anger starting to rise up in my heart, I will take three steps. Firstly, I will walk away from the situation. Secondly, I will recite the church memory verses. Thirdly, I will pray. And it has helped me to control my anger!” Praise God for giving him godly wisdom!

~3 min read

“ … Pray that God will control your anger and take steps to deal with your anger.…”

1 Corinthians 13:5b

Seeketh not her own (1 Corinthians 13:5b) Love seeketh not her own means it is not selfish.  A loving person does not seek his or her own interest. The unbeliever puts himself first, others second and God last (or He is not even on the list).  But the Bible commands the believer to put God first, others second and he last.  As Philippians 2:3-4 said, Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Dear children, what does that mean to you?  It means in all your desires, devotion, decisions, aspirations, goals, ambitions, and things you do, say or think, must always first be focused on the glory of God (what have your actions got to do with God’s glory), followed by the good of others (how can your actions be helpful to others), and not just only about yourself.  Do not forget Jesus’ command that you must love the Lord with all your heart, soul and strength, and love your neighbour as thyself!

~2 min read

“ … A loving person does not seek his or her own interest…”

1 Corinthians 13:5a

Love does not behave itself unseemingly means it does not misbehave or act rudely.  He or she is not someone who does not care for other’s feelings.    Have you ever encountered someone who says whatever he feels like saying or does whatever he wants, without any thought for anyone?  When you ask him, “Why do you do that?”  His response is, “Well, this is the way I am.  I have the right and freedom to say and do what I want.”  People who behave themselves like that, only think and care about themselves and not others.  Such people have no love for others!      Dear children, remember Jesus taught us, Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.  In other words, we should treat others how we want them to treat us.  The motivation behind Jesus’; teaching was love not self-interest.  Do you want people to be polite, gentle, kind and generous to you?  Love does not behave itself unseemingly, or without any care or thought for anyone.  If you have love, then you will apply the golden rule that Jesus has taught you to unto others what you would want them to do unto you.

~2 min read

“…If you have love, then you will apply the golden rule that Jesus has taught you to unto others…”

1 Corinthians 13:4e

Charity is not puffed up (1 Corinthians 13:4e) Charity is not puffed up means love is not arrogant or proud. This pride is closely associated with boasting, but here it has the idea of someone who is so inflated with pride that he becomes arrogant and rude. The Corinthians were puffed up and proud about their spiritual knowledge, about their spiritual gifts and even about their famous teachers, “Some say we belong to Apollos, others say, we belong to Peter, and yet others say, we belong to Paul.” They were so twisted in their pride that they boasted about their worldliness, idolatry and immorality, including incest, which was not even practiced by the pagans. People who are proud can be so blinded by their arrogance that they would not be able to differentiate between truth and error, nor between godliness and worldliness. Let me share with you the testimony of William Carey, often known as the father of modern missions. He was a brilliant linguist who was responsible for translating parts of the Bible into almost thirty-four languages and dialects. He had been raised in a simple home in England and in his early days, he worked as a cobbler. When he first came to India, he was often ridiculed for his poor background and former occupation. One day, at a dinner celebration, a proud man said to him, “I understand, Mister Carey, that you once worked as a shoemaker.” “No, no, your lordship,” Carey replied, “I was not a shoemaker, only a shoe repairman.” He did not even claim to make shoes, only repair them. That is the kind of man God would use in His ministry, not someone who says, “I have several degrees, masters, bachelors, PHDs. I am able to speak in many languages. I have written many books and articles. I have established many churches.” William Carey said, “No, I am a nobody, and yet God chose to use me.” Dear children, the believer who has love, will display the characteristics of love. Love is patient, kind, not jealous, does not boast, and is not proud. Maybe there was a time when we were impatient, unkind, jealous, always boasting and proud. But today, as believers, we have been transformed by the power of God and we have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are new creatures, and we recognise that these sins are inconsistent with the life of a believer. So, we pray and ask the Lord to help us, “Remove these sins from our lives so that we may manifest this agape love that is patient, kind, not jealous, not boasting and humble!”

~4 min read

“…someone who is so inflated with pride that he becomes arrogant and rude…”

1 Corinthians 13:4d

Charity vaunteth not itself (1 Corinthians 13:4d) Charity vaunteth not itself means love does not brag or boast. Boasting is the other side of jealousy (in a bad sense). Boasting is to want others to know about us and to make them jealous of us (instead of us being jealous of them). For example, when someone boasts about her piano gradings, “I am grade eight, what about you? Only grade three or four?” or someone boasts about his creativity skills in drawing, “Look at what I have drawn for the lesson. Let me take a look at yours, is that all you can do?” Dear children, who is the source of all our physical and spiritual blessings? God! We are just the recipients of God’s good gifts. When we boast, we not only forget who the Source is, but we are robbing God of the glory He deserves. Whether it is the ability to do well in school or sing in the choir or play the piano, God did not give us those gifts and strengthen us to boast about ourselves, but rather to bless and serve others, and ultimately to glorify Him!

~2 min read

“…to want others to know about us…”

1 Corinthians 13:4c

Charity envieth not (1 Corinthians 13:4c) The phrase Charity envieth not means love is not jealous. Someone describes jealousy very interestingly, “There are two kinds of jealousy. The first one is “I want what someone else has. If my neighbour has an expensive car, I want it. If my friend has an excellent result, I want it.” That sort of jealousy is bad enough, but the second kind is even worse; the attitude is, “I wish they didn’t have what they have.” The second kind of jealousy is more than just being selfish, it is desiring evil for someone else. It is jealousy at the most corrupt and destructive level. A classic example was found in 1 Kings 3:16-27. King Solomon discovered the woman who pretended to be a child’s mother. When her infant son died, she secretly exchanged him for the baby of a friend who was staying with her. The true mother discovered what happened, and when their dispute was brought before the king, Solomon ordered the baby to be cut in half so that each woman would receive half of the baby. In his wisdom, Solomon wanted to see how the “two” mothers would respond to find out the “true” mother. The true mother pleaded for the baby to be spared, even if it meant losing possession of him. The false mother, however, would rather have the baby killed than for the true mother to have him. In other words, if I cannot have it, neither can you. That is jealousy at its worst! Jealousy is a terrible sin and it has plagued the people of God since the beginning of time. It was jealousy that caused Cain to kill his brother Abel, the first murder in the Bible. It was jealousy that caused Joseph’s brothers to sell him into slavery. It was jealousy that caused the Babylonian officials to have Daniel thrown into the lion’s den. It was jealousy that caused the elder brother in the parable of the prodigal son to be angry with his father for showing attention to his younger brother. Dear children, we have to be careful because the sin of jealousy will increase in its wickedness. Our first reaction of the flesh is to want to have what someone has, and if this sinful passion is not controlled, it will grow to the worst level, and that is to wish evil for that person. When we are jealous, we are not loving, and when we are not loving, it is sin! We must repent and ask God to help change our hearts so that we will truly love the people. When we see our friend who is popular, talented and does well in her studies, rather than being jealous, we are happy for her! Love envieth not!

~5 min read

“…jealousy at the most corrupt and destructive level…”

1 Corinthians 13:4b

Charity is kind (1 Corinthians 13:4b) To be kind is to be gracious. It does not mean to have some kind thoughts, or gracious feelings, or nice sentiments, but to be kind in action. When Jesus commanded us to love our enemies (Matthew 5:40-41), He meant to love them in action, And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. How and where does this love begin? The first place we should begin showing kindness is in the home. The husband and wife must be kind to each other and the children, and the children must be kind to one another and to their parents. It is more than just having kind feelings toward one another; they must do kind things for one another, to the point of self-sacrifice, when necessary. Then this kindness must be extended to the church, the covenant family. The church is the place where the believers show kindness with their words to encourage and edify, not words to discourage and break-down. The believers show kindness with prayers by interceding and giving thanks for answered prayers. The believers show kindness by their actions by serving one another. From the family, to the church, this love of kindness is subsequently exercised everywhere the believers go to - the workplace, school and amongst friends. They are willing to help those in need whether spiritually, physically, emotionally or financially. Their kindness always points the people to God and never to themselves.

~3 min read

“…He meant to love them in action…”

1 Corinthians 13:4a

Charity suffereth long (1 Corinthians 13:4a) Today, love is the most written and spoken topic of all times, in poetry, books, television and movies. But what is love according to the Bible? The word charity (agape) is love in English. It is love in its highest and purest sense. To suffer long is to patiently endure. It is to be patient with people; for example, someone who is being taken advantage of by another person and yet not retaliate. The supreme example of patience is God Himself. It is because God suffereth long or is patient that prevents this world from being destroyed and allows time for men to repent and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). What about us? • We need patience to love: We have been commanded by God to love our neighbours as ourselves. But what if those people have opposed, discouraged, disappointed and persecuted us? We still have to love them, so we need patience! • We need patience to share the gospel: We have been commanded to share the gospel to the lost. But what if those people keep rejecting the message of the gospel? We still have to keep sharing the gospel, so we need patience! • We need patience to serve in the church: We have been commanded to serve the Lord. But what if those people criticise and say all kinds of things about our services? We still have to keep serving, so we need patience! • We need patience to forgive: We have been commanded to forgive those who have sinned against us. But what if those people keep repeating those things that they have done to us? We still have to forgive, so we need patience! Dear children, it is not possible for us to exercise such patience except through love - a love for God and our neighbours. It is not possible based on our own strength, but only through the indwelling Holy Spirit. When we live our lives according to the Spirit’s leading, we will produce the fruit of the Spirit, and one of which is love. It is a supernatural love, and only the Spirit can help us. Thus, we need to pray, “God, I know it is difficult to love especially in difficult situations, and facing difficult people. I need to be patient. Help, strengthen and grant me the patience to love!” God will surely give you this love which is longsuffering!

~4 min read

“…to patiently endure…”

Matthew 6:13b

Jesus had taught us the Lord’s Prayer, and He ended with, For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen (Matthew 6:13b). What does it mean to pray thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory? • Kingdom - We are acknowledging the kingship of God. We do not belong to the kingdom of this world, but the kingdom of God. As His children, we are concerned about His kingdom, and we want Him to be the King of our lives. • Power - We are acknowledging the power of God. Our God is all-powerful, and He alone knows what is best for us, and is able to answer our prayers. • Glory - We are acknowledging the glory of God, and want Him to get all the glory. When God answers our petitions in the Lord’s Prayer, we want to give Him all the credit. His kingdom, power and glory are forever, eternal and unchangeable. And to that, we say, Amen, which means, truly, or let it be! Dear children, is your prayer only about yourself? Does your prayer have anything to do with God’s kingdom, power and glory?

~2 min read

“…His kingdom, power and glory are forever, eternal and unchangeable…”

Matthew 6:13a

Have you ever been tempted to lie, cheat, be angry and bitter?  Surely you have!  We face temptations every day of our lives.  So why does Jesus teach us to pray such a prayer, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil (Matthew 6:13a)?  Then why would God want to lead us into temptation?     Understanding the meaning of temptation The original word for temptation (peirasmos) can mean either good or evil, to be tempted to do evil or to be put to a test or trial.  For example, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  The devil’s objective was to tempt Jesus so that He might yield and fall into sin.  The Spirit’s objective was for Jesus to go through the test, be victorious and fulfil all righteousness.  And we all know that Jesus passed the test and He was victorious when He overcame the temptations of the devil in the lust of the flesh, eyes and pride of life, by the power of the Word.  He repeatedly said, It is written.  (Matthew 4:1-11)      Understanding the petition in this prayer We know that God allows trials into our lives for a beneficial purpose like building up our faith, being patient, trusting Him even more, experiencing His comfort so that we may help others going through the same trials, etc.  So, there are many spiritual benefits!   When we pray to God, And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, we are implying several things.  1. We acknowledge that God alone has the power to keep us from temptation and trials. 2. We believe that God cares for us and He does not want us to yield to temptation and fall into sin.  3. We understand that God alone knows whether we are spiritually mature and strong enough to face the temptation and trial, and He will only allow it when we are ready to face it and be victorious. 4. We know that God wants to remind us as we pray this prayer not to yield to temptation.  Dear children, we may pray, lead us not into temptation, and deliver us from evil, and God may still allow it to come into our lives.  Why?  Because He knows that we are ready to face the temptation and trial, and He has the power to help us, and He will give us His grace and strength, so that we will be victorious and strengthened in our faith.  Our God is in control of all things, including the temptation and trials we face.  Do you trust and believe in Him?

~4 min read

“…and God may still allow it to come into our lives. Why?…”

Matthew 6:12, 14-15

And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors…..For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:12-15) The word sin is translated as debt to refer to spiritual debt. Man’s greatest need is forgiveness. Sin separates man from God, and it is his greatest enemy. As believers, we have experienced God’s “once-and-for-all” forgiveness at the moment when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We are no longer condemned, under judgment and destined for hell (Romans 8:1). We are justified! But as long as we live our lives on this earth, we are not perfect. We still continue to sin, and we need to ask God to forgive us. We need to be cleansed on a daily basis because every day we fall short of God’s perfect holiness. We need to be sanctified! Here, Jesus was not speaking about the forgiveness we need for our salvation, but the forgiveness that comes after that. It is a forgiveness that restores our broken relationship with God. Sin brings guilt, pain, fear, doubt, anxiety and sadness, and we need God’s forgiveness so that we may once again enjoy fellowship with our heavenly Father. Dear children, if God will forgive us, how can we be unforgiving toward those who have sinned against us? When we pray, forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, it means “deal with us in the same way.” God has said in His Word that if we are unforgiving, He will not answer our prayers (Mark 11:25-26). Remember, this prayer is not about justification (praying for our salvation), but it is about sanctification. If we are unforgiving, though we may not lose our salvation, however we will experience bitterness, anger and unhappiness because of the sin of unforgiveness. God wants to forgive us, so that He can remove all the animosities in our hearts and enjoy fellowship with Him.  

~3 min read

“…we have experienced God’s “once-and-for-all” forgiveness…”

Matthew 6:11

When we pray, Give us this day our daily bread (Matthew 6:11), we need to understand three important things, the Source, the seeker and the supplication. I. The Source The One who is able to answer our prayers and provide for our needs is the Source. He is the One whom we address our prayers to, our Father which art in heaven! Our heavenly Father loves us and provides for all our needs. Sometimes, God would provide for His children through miraculous means, but His primary way of provision is through work. He blesses His children with good health and strength, and job opportunities, so that all their needs may be met on a regular and daily basis. II. The Seeker The word us is a reference to the believers, or children of God who belong to Him. As His beloved children (1) they can come to God, (2) they are invited and urged to come to Him, and (3) God delights when they come to Him. III. The Supplication Daily bread not only represents food but all our physical needs. Martin Luther said, “Everything necessary for the preservation of this life is our daily bread, including food, a healthy body, good weather, house, home, wife, children, good government and peace.” John Calvin said, “This petition refers to whatever God knows to be essential.” In other words it refers to all the needs of life, and anything that nourishes us; our physical, emotional and material needs. Dear children, having learned that God is the Source, we are the seekers, and our supplication we ought to pray for all our needs, each time we pray, give us this day our daily bread, we should consider the following points: a. We ask for our needs not our wants; What we want may not be good for us, we only ask for our necessities, and God alone knows what is necessary for us. b. We ask daily; When we pray regularly and repeatedly, it shows our total dependence on God. c. We ask knowing that God cares for us; God cares for every detail of our lives, including the ordinary day-to-day things of life, like daily bread. And nothing is too big or small for Him! d. We ask not only for ourselves but others; Jesus teaches us to pray “give us” not “give me.” We must consider the needs of our brethren! e. We ask with a grateful and thankful heart; When we pray for our daily bread, we are not only acknowledging that God is the Source, but we are also grateful and thankful that He had provided for us on a daily basis.

~4 min read

“…we need to understand three important things…”

Matthew 6:10b

Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10b) Oftentimes, we hear believers pray “Thy will be done,” but do they really mean what they pray?  Do they understand what it means?  What does it mean to pray, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven?  Firstly, we need to understand that God’s will is perfect!      . Understanding God’s will is perfect God is perfect, and therefore His ways and will are also perfect.  Psalm 18:30, As for God, his way is perfect”  Man’s ways and will are imperfect because he is sinful, and his sinfulness contributes to all the problems of this world.  So, there are two wills; one is perfect and the other is corrupt.  God’s will is perfect, and man’s will is always tainted with sin.  When the believer sees all the sin and wickedness on this earth, he is sad and troubled, and therefore, he desires for God’s perfect will in heaven to be mirrored on the earth.  He desires to see the people living righteously and serving God’s glory, so he prays, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. II. Pray with understanding When we pray such a prayer, we need to understand what it means?  What is God’s will?  God wants us to understand His will, and He has revealed it to us in His Word, the Bible.  Let me give you some examples, it is God’s will that; we be saved (Galatians 1:3-4), submit to the authority (1 Peter 2:13-15), keep ourselves pure (1 Thessalonians 4:3), give thanks for everything (1 Thessalonians 5:18), etc.  In fact, everything that is written in the Bible (commandments, promises, warnings, blessings, judgments and so forth) are God’s will for us.  Therefore, we need to study the Bible, understand what we ought to do and not to do, and if we obey everything God says, we will do well! III. Pray with faith and assurance Some may pray “Thy will be done,” but they do not believe that God’s will be perfect.  Others may pray “Thy will be done,” but they do not understand what His will is.  Yet others may pray “Thy will be done,” but they do not trust that God will answer their prayer.  That is why some people may pray this prayer, but in their hearts, they secretly want their own will to be done rather than God’s will.   Dear children, when we pray, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven, we must understand that God’s will is perfect, and we pray understanding His will through the Bible, and we pray with faith and assurance in our hearts.  

~4 min read

“…there are two wills; one is perfect and the other is corrupt…”

Matthew 6:10a

Thy kingdom come (Matthew 6:10a) When we think of a kingdom, we think of a great castle with a king like King Richard III or Henry VIII, with knights, soldiers and horses. But that is a human kingdom. Here, Jesus was speaking about God’s kingdom. As believers, our citizenships are not of this world but in heaven with God as our King. His kingdom is spiritual and supernatural, and it is infinitely more superior, powerful and perfect to all human kingdoms. Believers belong to the kingdom of God!  The word kingdom means sovereignty or dominion, and basically it means God reigns and rules as our King. Essentially, God is the King of the entire universe, but sadly, sinful men do not recognise this truth. The Jews believed that the Messiah would come and rule the world, and initially, some did believe that Jesus was the Messiah and they mistakenly thought that He had come to remove the ruling Romans and establish His kingdom immediately. When Jesus did not do that, they were disappointed and offended, and they had Him crucified on the cross of Calvary. There was even a mocking sign nailed on His cross, Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Sadly, they did not understand that Jesus’ first coming was to die for the sins of His people, and His second coming would be to establish His millennial kingdom. In His millennial kingdom, all the glorified believers would rule together with Him for one thousand years on this earth.  Dear children, Jesus had saved us through His first coming, and He promised to come again. So when we pray, thy kingdom come, we are praying, “Come Lord Jesus, come quickly!” How can this prayer, thy kingdom come, affect our lives? 1. Our King - In the meantime, while we wait for His soon return, we want Jesus to reign in our hearts and be the King of our lives (Luke 17:20-21). 2. Our repentance - But how can Jesus rule in our hearts, unless we first repent from our sins and believe in Him as our Lord and Saviour? (Matthew 3:2) Have you believed in Jesus? 3. Our commitment - Our decision to follow Jesus is a persevering commitment. The kingdom of God is for those who have decided to follow Jesus and will not look back (Luke 9:62).  4. Our value - The kingdom of God is priceless, and it is worth so much that we are willing to give up everything just to have it (Matthew 13:44).  5. Our pursuit - Since the kingdom of God is priceless, then it is to be pursued above everything else (Matthew 6:33).  

~4 min read

“…sinful men do not recognise this truth…”

Matthew 6:9b

Today, names do not mean much to us except like some convenient labels to identify the people with.  But in ancient times, a person’s name was closely related to who he was; his identity and reputation.  How much more important were the names of God which described His attributes and nature?  God’s names are important whether in time past or today, for He is eternal.  Just to cite a few examples of God’s names; 1. God was known by the name Elohim which acknowledged Him as the Creator (Genesis 1:1). 2. God was known by the name Jehovah which acknowledged Him as the Redeemer (Genesis 7:16, Matthew 1:21). 3. God was known by the name Jehovah Jireh which acknowledged Him as the Provider (Genesis 22:14). 4. Most importantly, the Second Person in the Triune God came into this world and died on the cross of Calvary, and His name is Jesusfor He shall save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21). The word hallowed means to sanctify or make holy.  And hallowed be thy name is a command, which means we must honour, glorify and esteem God’s name highly. Dear children, how can we hallow God’s name?   Firstly, we must not swear in His name like the way people say “I swear in Jesus’ name” but just simply speak the truth at all times.  We must not profane His name like the way people use words like “Gosh” or “Jeez” to refer to God and Jesus.  We must not profane His titles like the way people say “Go to hell” because God alone is the ultimate Judge to send a person to hell.  Ultimately, we must remember that as Christians we bear the name of Christ, and therefore we must live a godly life that reflects His presence in our lives.

~3 min read

“…people use words like “Gosh” or “Jeez” to refer to God and Jesus…”

Matthew 6:9a

Christians must learn to pray, and who else can teach us better than Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:9-13 known as the Lord’s Prayer.  Jesus said, After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.  He did not say, “Pray these exact words,” but rather pray like this way or along this line.  Thus, we must not repeat this prayer as a mindless exercise but to pray with understanding and faith in our hearts. There are six petitions in this prayer beginning with God first followed by men; thy name, thy kingdom, thy will (God), and then give us, forgive us, lead us (man).  It is right to begin our prayer with the glory of God and then to be followed by our needs. There are two families in this world; those who have God as their Father, and those who have the devil as their father (c.f. John 8:32-44).  Before conversion, the sinner is following the ways of the devil and he is a child of God’s wrath (c.f. Ephesians 2:1-3).  But by God’s grace and mercy, and through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, he is adopted into His family and becomes a child of God.  Therefore, he is able to approach God and call upon Him as his heavenly Father. Dear children, have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who can save you from your sins?  If you have, then you can pray and call upon God, our Father which art in heaven.  Consider what it means to pray and call upon God as our heavenly Father; 1. Having God as our Father is a mark of our faith. 2. Having God as our Father means we have the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 4:6, Romans 8:15). 3. Having God as our Father means He will help, teach, guide, direct, provide, love, care and pick us up when we fall (Matthew 6:25-32). 4. Having God as our Father, we are assured of His forgiveness (Luke 15:21-24). 5. Having God as our Father, we need not be fearful for He will never forget nor forsake us, and no one is greater than Him. 6. Having God as our Father means we are not the only child, for He has other children who are our brothers and sisters. That is why we pray, Our father. 7. Having God as our Father which art in heaven assures us that He is always watching over us. What a blessing that we can pray and call upon God, our Father which art in heaven!

~4 min read

“…we must not repeat this prayer as a mindless exercise…”

Matthew 6:5

Christians ought to pray always.  Our prayers are directed to God who hears us.  Sadly, there are some people who pray but their motivation to pray is not for God to hear, rather it is for the people to hear.  They desire for the people to hear their prayers so that they would be applauded for their spirituality. Jesus condemned the hypocrites who loved to pray while standing in the synagogues and corners of the streets to be seen by men.  Those hypocrites wanted to be “rewarded” with the applause of men, and Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, They have their reward (Matthew 6:5). There was another problem and that was the people would pray like the pagans with vanity or meaningless repetition thinking that God would hear them because of their “many” words.  Does God not know, and does He need us to repeat so many times in order to hear us?  Most certainly not! Dear children, God wants us to pray, and speak to Him, and tell Him all our concerns.  Jesus said that when we pray in secret, God hears and He will answer us (c.f. v.6).  It does not mean that we should not pray publicly or openly like what we used to do in a prayer meeting.  What it means is that we must never pray for men to hear and praise us.  Our prayers must never be used to show off our spirituality.  We do not pray like the pagans with vain repetitions because God knows everything about us even before we ask Him.  We need to pray truthfully and meaningfully, speaking to God from our hearts.

~3 min read

“…but their motivation to pray is not for God to hear…”

Matthew 6:1-4

Alms are money and food given to the poor.  Believers ought to give and support the poor as God has commanded and blessed us so abundantly.  God takes into account not only what we give but how we give.  There are some people who give to the poor to “show off” their generosity.  During Jesus’ time, they would go to crowded places like the synagogues and streets to “perform” their acts of charity.  Jesus called them hypocrites, because in reality they did not have the love to give but rather the love to receive the applause of men.  Jesus said that such people had received their reward! Believers should not behave in such a way.  Jesus went on to say, But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: (Matthew 6:3)  He was speaking in a metaphorical sense, which basically means believers ought to give in secret. Dear children, when we give and help the poor in secret, nobody will know.  But there is One who knows everything we do whether in the open or in secret.  And that is God!  When we give and help the poor by “blowing our trumpet” and let everyone know that we are kind, loving, and generous, people will approve and applaud us. We have received our reward from men.  But is this the reward we are seeking after?  Most certainly not!  Instead, we want to be approved by God, and receive His commendation.  Thus, we ought to give secretly, because though no one knows, God knows.  Jesus said, thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.  One day, when we see Him face to face, He will reward us openly.

~3 min read

“…God takes into account not only what we give but how we give…”

Matthew 5:44-48

Remember the previous lesson we learned about the danger of omitting and adding onto the Bible, and then misunderstanding what God’s Word really means. Then Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:44, But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.  The word love is agape; it is a divine love from God, and it is sacrificial (c.f. 1 John 4:8). We are commanded to love regardless of what people would say or do to us, and to return good unto them. Though loving our enemies who have done terrible things to us is not an easy thing to do, yet it is possible for the believer. Because the Lord Jesus Christ who has saved us with His love (agape), He is also working in our lives that we will love (agape) others.     Jesus gave us two reasons why we should love our enemies; The first reason is, That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45). To love our enemies and to pray for our persecutors show that we are the children of our Father which is in heaven (c.f. John 13:35). The impartial love you show to your enemies will show that you are truly a child of God by following His example as He shows His impartial love in sending the sun and rain on both the righteous and unrighteous.  The second reason is, For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? (Matthew 5:46). The publicans or tax-collectors had a very bad reputation in Jesus’ time because they would collect more tax than they were supposed to. But even those much-hated tax-collectors had their own friends whom they loved. If the believer only loves his friends, he was doing no better than those cheating publicans. And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? (Matthew 5:47). In other words, when you only welcome or greet your brothers, do you think you are better than others? Even the publicans do that!  Dear children, we Christians should have a much higher standard of love than the rest of the world. Wherever we are and wherever we go, we must always be loving and forgiving, and communicate the love of God (which we have received through Jesus Christ) to the unbelieving world. Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48). With men it is impossible, but with God all things are made possible. God provides us with the Holy Spirit who will empower us to live such a life, by loving our enemies.  

~5 min read

“…We are commanded to love…”

Matthew 5:44

An enemy is an adversary; someone who is hostile and opposed.  A Christian should not be an enemy to anyone but rather be a neighbour.  We may not be able to stop people from treating us as enemies, but it is important that we should respond to them lovingly as a good neighbour.  We want to learn from our Lord Jesus how we ought to respond.       Jesus said in Matthew 5:43, Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.  The rabbis of old had perverted the truth of God’s Word in two different ways.  Firstly, it was the sin of omission by removing the phrase as thyself.  Leviticus 19:18, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  Secondly, it was the sin of addition by adding the phrase hate thine enemy.  By the sin of omission, the rabbis had taught that the meaning of neighbours only included those people whom they had approved.  By the sin of addition, they had taught that the Jews were honouring God by despising anyone who was not Jewish, or “sinners.”  So, Gentiles, tax-collectors, criminals and prostitutes were not considered as neighbours, such people were despised as outcasts.  That was the reason why the Jewish leaders were surprised and appalled with Jesus because He openly sat and ate together with the tax-collectors and sinners.  On top of that, by adding the phrase hate thine enemy, the Jews totally contradicted God’s truth (c.f. Exodus 23:4-5, Proverbs 25:21, Romans 12:20).  Instead of hating “one’s enemy” Jesus taught us to love and help anyone who is in need (The Good Samaritan in Luke 10:30-37).    Dear children, there are two important lessons we can learn from here.  Firstly, never omit or add to the Word of God.  There is a warning in the Bible to anyone who does that.  God will add all the plagues that are written in the Bible and remove his name from the book of life (c.f. Revelation 22:18-19).  That is a very serious warning!  Secondly, when we do that, we will misunderstand what God’s Word really means.  Like in the case here, God wants us to love our neighbour, and to treat everyone as a neighbour (not an enemy).  Do you have any enemies?  Please do not have enemies, and you must love everyone as your neighbour and friend!  Are you a good neighbour?

~4 min read

“…A Christian should not be an enemy to anyone but rather be a neighbour…”

Matthew 5:38-41

In the Old Testament, God gave the law through Moses, eye for eye, tooth for tooth (c.f. Exodus 21:24). The primary purpose of this law was to stop the people from taking their own revenge. Oftentimes, when people got hurt, they would want the person who caused the pain to suffer more than they did. But God’s law did not allow the penalties to escalate or be excessive. The punishment had to fit the crime which was known as the law of retaliation! In the New Testament, the religious leaders would often quote from Moses saying, “An eye for an eye, that’s it! If you hurt me, I have the right to hurt you! If you take my eye, I will take yours. It is tit for tat. An eye for an eye!” But Jesus said, Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also (Matthew 5:38-39). Jesus did not contradict Moses, but rather He corrected the religious leaders of His day for their misinterpretation of the law. To strike someone on the right cheek was much more than an injury, it was an insult. Most people are right-handed, and in order to strike someone on the right cheek, one has to strike him with the back of the right hand. People would not accept such an insult and they would fight back and say, “You insult and strike me on the right cheek, I will insult and strike you back. An eye for an eye!” However Jesus explained, “When it comes to personal injury, if someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.” Dear children, the purpose of the law was to make things right, not to harm someone else. When we are wrong, we need to make things right and do everything justice requires. But when someone does us wrong, we do not have to insist on justice, instead we have an opportunity to show mercy, forgive and give up our rights to make the people pay for what they have done to us. Jesus showed us by His example when He suffered all kinds of insults and injuries on His way to the cross (Isaiah 50:6), and He even prayed for His persecutor, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do!” This is the law of love! If we apply this law of love in our lives, family, church and society, then we will truly be a living testimony of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ! All to the glory of His precious name!

~5 min read

“…eye for eye, tooth for tooth…”

Matthew 5:34-37

In Matthew 5:34-36, Jesus said, Swear not at all; neither by heaven for it is God’s throne, or by the earth or Jerusalem for there are His footstool and the city of the great King, or by thy head for one cannot make his hair white or black.  At first sight, it appears as if Jesus forbade the taking of vows.  If that is the case, then what about the marriage vows or church membership vows?  Are we contradicting ourselves by doing something that Jesus forbade?  Most certainly not! In those days, there were people who swore upon heaven, the earth, Jerusalem or even their own head, and why did they do that?  The reason was to add “more truth” to what they said.  Oftentimes, they were lying and not speaking the truth, therefore they needed something to back-up what they said.  Similar to the way in modern times, when some people would swear upon their parents’ graves.  Why do they do that?  To authenticate or substantiate what they say is true.  To let the listeners have the impression that what they said is so true, real and serious that they are willing to use their parents’ graves as a “guarantee” or “collateral.”     Dear children, what we speak is either true or false, and anything else we say is totally unnecessary for it cannot add more or less truth to it.  When we always speak the truth, we do not need to back-up what we say.  Therefore, Jesus said, But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil (Matthew 5:37).  Simply speak the truth always, and you will not need to resort to swear on anything to make your truth more truthful.  So, Jesus was not forbidding taking vows, but He was speaking about those people who were not speaking the truth and needed to swear to add more truth or back- up what they said.

~3 min read

“…At first sight, it appears as if Jesus forbade the taking of vows…”

Matthew 5:31-32

As Jesus was speaking about the sin of committing adultery, He wanted to correct the wrong teaching of the rabbis of His days. The rabbis were the religious teachers. In those days, the rabbis had taught that the people could divorce their wives for any reason. That was why Jesus said, It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement (Matthew 5:31). The phrase it hath been said was a reference to the common misconception of the rabbis.   Then Jesus said, “This was not God’s design and plan for marriage.” Marriage is permanent, till death do they part! The only allowance for divorce is when one party has committed adultery. But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery (Matthew 5:32).   Why did God allow divorce on the ground of adultery? When a couple got married, they were making a vow before God. Adultery defiles the marriage, and breaks the marriage covenant. It was a very serious sin! In the Old Testament, when the people committed adultery, they had broken their marriage vows before God to be pure and faithful, and they would be stoned to death. But God was gracious, and He wanted to spare the people from the death penalty and to free the victim from the marriage covenant. It was because of the hardness of man’s heart that God allowed divorce on the ground of adultery.   Except for the sin of adultery, if any man divorced his wife for any reason, when she got married to another man, she had committed adultery with him. And the man who married her, had committed adultery with her.   Dear children, God willing, you will grow up and get married. God’s design and plan for marriage is that it is permanent, till death do they part! Even if there is the sin of adultery, you must forgive and pray for reconciliation. Adultery should not be an option for any reason.    

~4 min read

… “This was not God’s design and plan for marriage. Marriage is permanent…”

Matthew 5:28-30

Oftentimes people only think of the physical aspect of keeping God’s commandments, but they forget the essential spiritual aspect.  Sin begins in the heart which results in the committal of the physical act.  So, Jesus used the example of the seventh commandment, thou shalt not commit adultery.  In those days, the people were only concerned about the physical act of committing adultery.  But Jesus said, whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:28).   Who then has not sinned in the heart, in the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life?    Knowing that the member of one’s body is the cause of sin, what must one do?  Then Jesus said, “If your right eye, or your right hand caused you to sin, then pluck it out, and cast it away from you, because it is better for you that this member of your body perish, then for your whole body to sin and perish in hell (c.f. Matthew 5:29-30).”  Clearly, Jesus was not saying that one should literally do that because if the right eye and the right hand were cut off, the left eye and the left hand can still carry on those sinful acts.   Basically, the right eye represents a person’s best vision and the right hand his best skill.  What Jesus was teaching is that one should be willing to give up whatever is necessary, even his most valuable assets, in order to protect him from sin and evil.          Dear children, there may be certain things, activities or friendship that are harmful influences to cause us to sin.  We may cherish them and hold them close to our hearts, but no matter how precious they are to us, if they cause us to sin, then we must be willing to put them away.  Because we want to protect ourselves from sin and evil, keep ourselves pure and glorify our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

~3 min read

“…Sin begins in the heart which results in the committal of the physical act…”

Matthew 5:24

Some people would come to God, with all their religiosity; their worship, tithes and offering, services and so forth.  But their hearts are far away from Him because there are things that are hindering them from worshipping Him.  There are certain unrepentant sins that are hindering them from worshipping Him in spirit and in truth, and that is the sin of unforgiveness.  Therefore, Jesus said, Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift (Matthew 5: 24).  In other words, one must remove all hindrances from the true worship of God. Worship is about God, and we must be made right with Him.  Just as a person who is at enmity with his adversary, what must he do?  Matthew 5:25, Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.  A person must make right his life with the Lord Jesus Christ, by repenting from all his sins.  And unless all his sins are forgiven, he will not be made right with God, neither will he be able to worship Him nor his gifts be acceptable to Him (c.f. Matthew 5:26). Dear children, God has forgiven all our sins, how can we not forgive our brothers and sisters who have sinned against us?  Our unforgiving spirit will hinder us from worshipping God who has forgiven us!

~3 min read

“…one must remove all hindrances from the true worship of God.…”

Matthew 5:20

Some people think they are very holy and as such, they are acceptable by God into His kingdom. But Jesus said, For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 5:20). The scribes and Pharisees were meticulous in their observance of the law, even to the extent of adding unto the law. Here, Jesus was saying that God’s standard was perfect, which exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees which might be commendable to men. Jesus went on to cite the example of God’s perfect standard. For example, the commandment not to kill and anyone who committed the sin of murder is in danger of His judgment. In men’s eyes, it was all about the physical killing, but in God’s eyes, it was more than that. If a man was angry with his brother, or called him “Raca” (empty) which the Sanhedrin council forbade, or called him a fool (moron), that person in God’s sight was guilty of hell fire. According to God’s perfect standard and justice, he would be sent to the eternal lake of fire. Dear children, which one of us has not been angry, or called our brothers and sisters degrading names? God’s standard of righteousness is perfect, and in His eyes, we have all sinned. That is why we need a Saviour who has kept the laws of God perfectly, and He is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. A Saviour who is perfect in His speech, thoughts and deeds!

~3 min read

“…they are acceptable by God into His kingdom…”

Matthew 5:17-18

Today, there are some people who say that the Ten Commandments are no longer applicable to us because we are saved by grace and not by the law. Indeed, it is true that we are saved by grace through faith (c.f. Ephesians 2:8) but we are still required to obey the Ten Commandments, not to be saved but because we are saved. Let us listen to the words of Jesus who testified the truth that the Ten Commandments are still applicable to us. The Saviour kept the law perfectly - Matthew 5:17, Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. No man can keep the Ten Commandments perfectly. Only Jesus alone could and He did keep them perfectly, therefore, He came not to destroy (meaning to void or empty), but to fulfil (as He kept them perfectly). As our Lord and Saviour, Jesus had kept the law of God perfectly on our behalf. The law is still applicable - Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5:18, For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. One day, this present heaven (the universe) and the present physical earth will be destroyed because they have been tainted with sin. And God will create the new heavens and the new earth where the believers will dwell with Him for all eternity. Until then, Jesus said, “not one jot or one tittle” which means even the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet (jot) or the Greek alphabet (tittle) shall disappear or vanish from the law or the Ten Commandments, till everything be accomplished. Dear children, today, the Ten Commandments are still applicable to us, and we seek to keep them not to be saved because no man can be saved by keeping them perfectly. Only Jesus can! We seek to keep them because we are saved, and the Ten Commandments regulate the way we should live our lives, not to sin against God but to His glory of His precious name.

~4 min read

“…not to be saved but because we are saved…”

Matthew 5:14b

Matthew 5:14b, A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. A hidden light may still be light, but it is useless.  That is the reason why people do not light a candle and put it under a basket, but instead it will be put on a candle-stick to light up the entire house (c.f. v.5:15).  Likewise, a Christian may hide his light, perhaps out of indifference, fear of offending others, or lack of love.  When he does that, he demonstrates his unfaithfulness to the Lord.      Therefore, Jesus commanded the Christian to let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven (v.16).  The Christian ought to shine before men by letting men see his good works and the beauty that the Lord is working through his life.  God is the One who creates the light in him, and his choice is whether to hide or shine it.  The purpose of letting his light reveal and shine his good works is not to bring attention to himself but to God who alone is able to save the souls of men.   Dear children, if each individual believer faithfully lives his life to be the salt of the earth and the light, he will be able to influence the world.  However his individual influence is still limited.  But as a church, when all the believers faithfully live their lives to be salt and light, their collective influence will be great.  This world is full of lost souls who cannot see their way to God because of all the sins, distractions and barriers.  But when all the believers join together as the salt and light to point the way to the Father’s house, what an amazing testimony it will be!

~3 min read

Matthew 5:14a

Matthew 5:14a, Ye are the light of the world Christ is the source of our light. John 1:9, That (Christ) was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. Jesus said in John 9:5, As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. Today, His light shines in the world through those whom He has saved. He has transformed the believers from darkness into His marvellous light, and given them His Word to be a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path (Psalm 119:105) so that they can be His instruments of light. Therefore, He said to the believers, ye are the light of the world. To be the light of the world; 1. The believer must be different. He is not worldly, and he lives a life different from the world he is called to shine. 2. The believer must be righteous and true. He lives his life according to the Word of God, demonstrating the truth of the Bible.   3. The believer must proclaim God’s light. He will not only live out of the principles of the Gospel, but he will declare it to the world as well.  4. The believer must follow the example of Christ. He follows the example of the true source of light which is Jesus Christ.   Dear children, Jesus has saved you, and He calls you to be the light of the world. You must be different from this world which is darkened by sin, be righteous and true, and proclaim His Gospel, and follow the example of Christ. Your life cannot save anyone, but through your life, you will point others to the Gospel which can save their souls.    

~3 min read

Matthew 5:13b

Matthew 5:13b, but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted?  It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Much salt in Palestine, such as those found on the shores of the Dead Sea is contaminated with other minerals that make it repulsive.  When any of those contaminated salt was discovered in the houses, it would be thrown out immediately.  The people are careful not to throw it in the garden or field because it would kill the plants.  Instead it would be thrown onto a path or road for the people to step on and grind it into dust and disappear. There is a sense in which salt cannot really become “un-salty” but nonetheless, it can be contaminated, thus losing its value as salt.  When that happens, its saltiness can no longer function. Here, Jesus was not speaking of losing one’s salvation.  God will not allow any of His own children to be taken away from Him.  Jesus Himself said, My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand (Jn.10:27). Christians cannot lose their salvation, just as salt cannot lose its inherent saltiness.  But Christians can lose their value and effectiveness in the kingdom of God when sin and worldliness contaminate their lives - just as salt can become tasteless when contaminated by other minerals. Dear children, as believers, we have this great responsibility to the “salt of the earth.”  We cannot be an influence for purity in the world if we have compromised our own purity.  We cannot sting the world’s conscience if we continually go against our own conscience.  We cannot create the thirst for righteousness if we have lost our own thirst.  We cannot be used by God to prevent the corruption of sin in the world if our own lives have been corrupted by sin.  To lose our saltiness is not to lose our salvation, but it is to lose our effectiveness and to become disqualified for service.  Pure salt will not lose its saltiness; Christians who are pure in heart will not become tasteless, ineffective and useless in the kingdom of God.

~4 min read

Matthew 5:13a

Matthew 5:13a, Ye are the salt of the earth: Jesus said that the believers were the salt of the earth.  What are the characteristics of salt? 1. The first thing about salt is the colour; in its purest form, salt is white. 2. The second thing about salt is the flavour; salt adds flavour to the food. 3. The third thing about salt is that it stings; especially when it is applied to wounds. 4. The fourth thing about salt is that it creates a thirst; it increases the body’s craving for water otherwise there will be dehydration which may result in death. 5. The last thing about salt is that of preservation; salt has preserving qualities to stop meat from decaying. Dear children, ye are the salt of the earth means to have the characteristics of salt in this world.  Christians are to be purein their speech, thoughts and words.  Christians are to add flavour and blessing to the world by living out the truth of the gospel.  Christians are to sting the world by sharing God’s Word which will prick the man’s conscience - the unbelieving needs to be confronted of their sins through the gospel of Christ.  Christians who live their lives being pure, a blessing to others and sharing God’s Word, will create a thirst for God in those who do not know Him.  Finally, Christians who are indwelt with the Holy Spirit represent God’s presence in the unbelieving world and their lives act as a preservative to stop the unbelieving world from degenerating into further sin.

~2 min read

Philippians 3:10-11

Recently, we commemorated the resurrection of Christ.  It is truly a great blessing and comfort to learn about the resurrection. Just as Jesus was raised from the grave, one day we will also be raised.  But we must not only rest upon this truth in the future, but also how do we respond to it at this moment as we live our days on this earth?   Let us learn from Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians, That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;  If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead (Philippians 3:10-11). Firstly, it is to know Christ - Notice Paul did not say “I may know about Him” but that I may know him; it is not about having some head-knowledge about Christ.  But rather it is about knowing Him personally, intimately and experientially that would affect our day to day living.  The only way to know Him in this way is through a serious study of the Bible and to live our lives in obedience to His Word. Secondly, it is to know the power of His resurrection - Again, Paul was not speaking about the facts of the resurrection but the experience.  He wanted to experience the same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead, in his life.  As believers, we would experience Christ’s resurrection power in two ways; (1) it is the resurrection power that has saved us, and (2) it is the resurrection power that will sanctify us so that we will overcome the temptations and trials of life, and live a holy life to glorify God.  Thirdly, it is to fellowship in His sufferings - To fellowship is to share or participate.  When we live our lives for Christ, it is inevitable that we will suffer for righteousness’ sake.  But we are willing because we are suffering for His sake; and it will confirm that we are united with Him. It will draw us closer to Him, we will learn to appreciate what He has done for us, and we will grow in our love for Him and mature in our spiritual growth.   Dear children, if you desire to live such a life as mentioned above, Paul said, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.  What does it mean to attain unto the resurrection of the dead?  It does not mean that Paul was unsure if he would be resurrected from the dead.  The word resurrection means to raise, or to stand up.  Living people are standing up, and dead people are lying down, right?  In other words, when you know Christ, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, then you will live a “resurrected life” (standing up) in the midst of those who are “spiritually dead” (lying down).  Your life will be a wonderful testimony of the resurrected power to those who are unbelievers.

~5 min read

Psalm 51:7

Psalm 51:7, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. King David was very sorrowful in his heart because he sinned against God. He did a wicked thing. He took another man’s wife for himself and killed that man treacherously. God was angry with David, and He rebuked him sharply through His prophet Nathan. David broke down before God in repentance. He pleaded with the LORD to forgive his sins. He felt so filthy. He could not bear the shame because his life was so strained with sin. So he prayed that the LORD would wash away his sins. Do you know why David prayed, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean”? In his day, an animal was sacrificed for the forgiveness of sin. The priest would dip a branch of a plant called hyssop in the animal’s blood and sprinkle it upon the people. David had in mind the sprinkling of blood with hyssop when he pleaded for the forgiveness of his sins. The shedding of blood in the animal sacrifice was to show that one day the Lord Jesus would come and give Himself to be the sacrifice for our sins. Jesus came as the “Lamb of God” to take away our sin. So He bled and died on the cross. Now if you confess your sins and plead to the Lord for forgiveness, you will be washed and made even “whiter than snow.” (My Soul’s Delight - Illustrated Devotions, Volume 1, written by Rev Dr Prabhudas Koshy)

~3 min read

Matthew 28:1-7

Matthew 21:4-5, 9

Matthew 5:10-12

Matthew 5:10-12, Blessed are

Matthew 5:9

Matthew 5:9, Blessed are

Matthew 5:8

Matthew 5:8, Blessed are

Matthew 5:7

Matthew 5:7, Blessed are

Matthew 5:6

Matthew 5:6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. To hunger and thirst speak of a great desire, a strong pursuit, or a passionate ambition inside our hearts to seek after something that will honour and glorify God, and that is righteousness. Just as food and water are required for physical life, so righteousness is required for spiritual life. Some examples of hungering and thirsting after righteousness: 1. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to love righteousness and hate unrighteousness or anything that is sinful. 2. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to seek after the glory of God. 3. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to desire to grow spiritually. 4. To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to be worshipful, prayerful, faithful in service, and love the Word of God. Dear children, when you hunger and thirst after righteousness, Jesus promised, they shall be filled. To be filled is to be completely satisfied. Notice the word shall is in the future tense. In other words, as you live your life seeking after righteousness, you shall be filled, but you will still long for more righteousness. One day, you will be completely filled and satisfied, and that is the day when you arrived in heaven.

~2 min read

Matthew 5:5

Matthew 5:5, Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. What is the meaning of meek? Meek means gentle or humble. The difference between poor in spirit (v.3) and meek (v.5) is that poor in spirit focuses on our sinfulness, while meekness focuses on God’s holiness. Meekness will make us humble by seeing how holy and righteous God is. 1. Meekness is one of the characteristics of the believers. 2. Meekness is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) 3. Meekness does not mean weakness, but rather power put under control or the ability to exercise self-control (c.f. Proverbs 16:32). An example is a strong animal (e.g. horse or ox) which is tamed by a trainer to do some useful work. In other words, the meek is someone who is able to control his anger, emotions and feelings. 4. Meekness is the opposite of pride, violence and vengeance. 5. Meekness is not the lack of conviction, and he is not afraid to speak and defend the truth. There are many biblical examples about meekness i.e. Abraham (Genesis 13:8), Moses (Number 12:3), Paul (2 Corinthians 10:1), and most importantly, Jesus Christ (1 Peter 2:21-23). The spirit of meekness is the spirit of Christ! Dear children, what does it mean to inherit the earth? After God created man in His own image, He promised to give him dominion over the whole earth. But due to the fall of man, that inheritance was lost. One day, the believers will regain the promised inheritance when Christ returns and they will rule together with Him for one thousand years. Those believers who will rule with Christ are characterised by meekness and not pride.

~3 min read

Matthew 5:4

Matthew 5:4, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. What is the meaning of blessed are they that mourn? The word mourn is the strongest kind of grief, like grieving for the dead. It is not just an external weep but an inner agony and deep pain. Like the picture of a beggar who was desperately poor, with one hand he covered his face in shame and with the other hand he reached out for help. The believer who understands his spiritual poverty will deeply grieve in his heart as he reaches out to God to save him. Why is it a blessing to mourn? Grieving for one’s spiritual condition is the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, and it will lead the person to confess and repent of his sins. The promise is that they shall be comforted because God will forgive their sins (c.f. Psalm 32:1-2). Dear children, if you are a true believer, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you (Romans 8:9). Each time you sin, the Spirit of God will convict your heart causing you to grieve because of (1) what sin has done to you, (2) the spiritual struggle, and (3) losing the joy of your salvation (you will not lose your salvation but you will lose the joy that salvation brings). That grief will lead you to confession and repentance, and you will receive God’s forgiveness and be restored. Thus, as a child of God, Jesus says to you, Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

~3 min read

Matthew 5:3

Matthew 5:3, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What is the meaning of poor in spirit? The word poor means to shrink, cower, or cringe like the way beggars would crouch and beg for alms. It is to recognize that without God, one is lost, hopeless and spiritually dead and to beg for God’s grace and mercy. There is no more pride, self-righteousness and self-confidence. It is a spiritual poverty! Why is poor in spirit a blessing? Firstly, it is because Jesus said so. Secondly, it is because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Humility is the only way a person can enter into the kingdom of heaven as he will acknowledge his need for God. Thirdly, the person who enters into the kingdom of heaven is a believer and therefore he is indwelt with the Holy Spirit, and through the Spirit, he will produce spiritual fruits. Fourthly, he will be exalted (Luke 14:7-11). Dear children, can you see how blessed it is to be poor in spirit? The person who is poor in spirit is humble (Luke 18:9-14) and repentant (Psalm 51:17). He will turn his eyes away from himself and look to God, for he will be saved. God will lift him up as he will not give opportunity for sin, and he will be prayerful. What a blessing! Are you such a person? In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

Matthew 5:3-12

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught His disciples by beginning with a series of blessed are the…..which was known as the “beatitudes” (it is a word derived from Latin). To be blessed means to be happy, or blissful. Here, Jesus was speaking to the believers and so this “blessedness” was meant for them. It was not a superficial feeling of happiness based on the circumstances, but a deep supernatural experience of happiness when one’s life was right with God. Dear children, do you want to have this blessedness? This blessedness or state of happiness and blissfulness can only come to you through your relationship with Jesus Christ. You must trust and believe in Jesus for salvation, and live your life in accordance with His Word (the Bible). When you do that, Jesus promised, “You shall have the kingdom of heaven, be comforted, shall inherit the earth, be filled, shall obtain mercy, see God, be called the children of God, and great is your reward in heaven.” In the following weeks, we shall learn each and every segment of the beatitude.

~2 min read

Exodus 20:17

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.” (Exodus 20:17) To covet is to want something or someone that does not belong to you; it is to want very much what someone else has.  No one would steal without first wanting the very thing he or she steals.  This tenth commandment teaches us that we are not to be worried all the time about things and about what other people have which we do not have.  Rather than being envious, greedy and always wanting the possessions of others, it is much better that we learn to be content and happy with the things that God has already graciously provided for us. People, who are jealous of other people’s possession, often forget their own blessings. Instead they complain against God.  If you truly have a need, why not tell God about your need instead of coveting.  God’s law is the secret key for happiness and contentment.  Hebrews 13:5b says….and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

~2 min read

Exodus 20:16

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. (Exodus 20:16) The ninth commandment forbids us to bear false witness against our neighbour.  To bear false witness is to speak falsely, and we must never lie to harm anyone.  God has given to us the ability to speak so that we can use our words to praise Him and to bless others.  But if we speak falsely to mislead someone, damage someone’s reputation or for our selfish reasons, it is a terrible sin. We lie when we speak falsely, make up stories, exaggerate and gossip.  Often when we gossip behind someone’s back, we add a lot of untruth and we are hurting the person’s reputation.  Do you like someone speaking falsely about you, making up stories about you and gossiping about you?  If you do not like that to happen to you, why should you be doing that to someone else? As Christians, we are children of God and therefore we are children of Light and not children of Darkness.  We ought to live in the truth, whether in church, family, school or wherever we are.  We tell the truth no matter what happens; we may be scolded or punished but God loves us because we dare to stand up for the truth. Learn to be careful with what you say.  Ask yourself these questions, “Is it true with what I am about to say?  Would I say it if the person I am talking about is here to listen?  Will God be pleased with what I am about to say?”  Remember that God knows everything that you say, whether truthfully or falsely, and He is grieved whenever His children lie and break the ninth commandment. In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:15

The eighth commandment thou shalt not steal teaches us to have respect for one another’s property.  To steal is to take something that does not belong to you.  Stealing is a sin against God.  Every time a person steals, he is failing to trust in God’s provision and he or she is also robbing what God has provided for others. If you are a Christian, then you must have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ whom God has so graciously provided for your salvation.  If God has so lovingly saved you from eternal damnation, will He not provide for your needs?  Does He not know what you really need, so much so that you have to steal to provide for yourself.  Most certainly not!  God knows all your needs and will provide for you according to His sovereign will and time. If you borrow a book, make sure you return it.  If you don’t and you intentionally keep the book, it is stealing.  If you go into a shop and the shopkeeper gives you too much change, do not go away feeling glad that you have received too much; instead you should return it.  If you don’t, you are stealing. Have you stolen or taken anything from anyone without permission or have you borrowed anything and not given back?  If yes, repent, give back what you had taken and ask the Lord to forgive you.  Remember, people may not know what you had done but the Almighty God knows everything that you do, in the open or in secret. In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:14

Adultery means taking someone else’s husband or wife and treating him or her as your own. This commandment has to do with keeping ourselves and others pure. In the beginning, God created Adam, and Genesis 2:18 says, And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Subsequently, God created Eve out of Adam’s rib. In the New Testament, Jesus also says, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female,And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder (Matthew 19:4-6). Marriage was instituted by God at the very beginning. The physical union between a husband and wife was God’s idea in the first place. It was for the goodness of mankind that Adam may have a help meet and they could be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28). But instead of being faithful husband and wife, people look for relationships outside of marriage. Not only did they destroy their own families, but they also destroyed other families. Can you imagine, daddy and mummy are divorced, leaving the children without parental care and love? It is a terrible sin in the sight of God. We must also keep ourselves pure by guarding our thoughts against lust. Jesus says, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Our God is holy and righteous, and His standard is perfect, and expects us to be holy as well (c.f. 1 Peter 1:16). Therefore, we must be careful to guard our thoughts that we may not sin against Him. In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:13

Almost everyone seems to agree with the sixth commandment, thou shalt not kill. Christians or non-Christians alike would agree that it is wrong to kill. Murder is a terrible crime that is forbidden in every country. Life is so precious because man is made in God’s image. To kill someone is to disregard God who alone is the Giver of life and sovereign over life and death. The sixth commandment preserves the sanctity of human life. While most people would think that they have perfectly kept this commandment because they have not committed the sin of physical murder, abortion or euthanasia, but what about the murder of the heart? Jesus said, Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire (Matthew 5:21-22). So instead of being one of the “easiest” commandments to keep, thou shalt not kill actually is one of the hardest because we may not have killed anyone physically but we often kill him/her with our thoughts, words or gestures. Have you ever been so angry with someone that you wished him or her to be dead? Are you prone to anger easily? Is there anyone whom you secretly resent? If yes, you have just violated the sixth commandment. Everyone of us has sinned because we have broken God’s law including the command thou shalt not kill. The Bible says the wages of sin is death, but there is hope for us because the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23). Jesus came into this world and died on the cross to save us from our sins. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Have you believed in Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world? In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~4 min read

Exodus 20:12

The first four commandments govern our responses to God, and the last six commandments govern our responses to human relationships. Love for God must come first because we cannot truly love one another unless we love God. And in teaching us how to treat one another, God starts with our families. Loving our neighbour starts at home, by first honouring our parents. If anyone fails to honour his parents, do you think there is anyone else he will honour? The relationship between the parents and child is the first and primary relationship. Normally, the first people a child knows are his parents. If we do not respect authority at home, we will not respect it anywhere. Charity does begin at home! The Israelites had just been brought out of the land of slavery and God had promised to lead them to the Promised Land. One way to ensure they would keep living in the Promised Land was to honour their fathers and mothers. In the Old Testament, some of the most frightening curses are reserved for children who rebel against their parents (c.f. Leviticus 20:9, Deuteronomy 21:18, 19, 21). In the New Testament, disobedience to parents is listed as one of the signs that we are living in the last days when perilous times shall come (2 Timothy 3:1-2). Dear children, our parents deserve to be honoured for the many sacrifices they make for us. They deserve to be listened to because of their wealth of life experience. But the most important reason is that keeping the fifth commandment glorifies God. What about you? Have you been obeying and honouring your parents? Your parents will not be with you all the time, and whatever time God has given to your parents to be with you; cherish, love, honour and obey them to the glory of God. In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:8

Last week, we had considered the third commandment and today we want to talk about the fourth commandment. A day is made up of 24 hours, and a week is made up of 7 days. As the clock ticks away, we know that time is fleeting. The events of yesterday are fast gone and we look forward to a new day, today. Who is in control of time? Most certainly, God! God says, six days, shalt thou labour, and do all thy work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath. He, who has created all things including time, has commanded us to remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. To remember involves more than just our memories; it is not just saying, “Oh, I remember today is my birthday.” To remember is to demand our actions; our total commitment in the service of God. Today, we keep the Sabbath on Sunday, the Lord’s Day (Revelation 1:10, Acts 20:7, 1 Corinthians 16:2) commemorating Christ’s resurrection. On this day, we gather for worship, fellowship, Bible study and evangelism. A story was told of a man who was approached by a beggar on the street. The man reached into his pocket to see what he had. Finding seven dollars and feeling somewhat sorry for the beggar, he held out six bills and said, “Here you go, you can have them.” Not only did the beggar take the six dollars, but with his other hand he struck his benefactor across the face and grabbed the seventh too. What do you think of the beggar? Don’t you think he has done the wrong thing? Then what do you think of a sinner (saved by the grace of Jesus Christ), who insists on taking seven days a week for himself? Dear children, are you willing to give this day solely unto God? We have time enough for ourselves on the other six days, and on the Lord’s Day, let us honour God by going to church to worship Him, spend more time praying to God and reading the Bible. In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:7

Exodus 20:7, Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. People are identified by their names. It is extremely important that we must not jest, make fun or misrepresent anyone’s name. Nobody likes to be identified with a name that does not reflect him or her. How much more the Almighty God who is the Creator of the heavens and the earth? Using God’s name in vain is a great sin because it is a direct attack on His honour and glory. What are some of the ways in which Christians can fall into the sin of taking the name of God in vain? . Using God’s name as a cursing or swearing word to show our frustrations, or join others when they are doing it. a. Using God’s name as a kind of exclamation point. b. Using God’s name for our sinful and selfish purposes, like falsely telling someone, “The Lord told me to do this or to do that.” It is both a lie and an abuse of His name. c. As believers we bear the very name of Christ (we are called Christians), yet we continue to live in sin. What are some of the ways in which Christians can honour God’s name? . Bearing a good testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ. a. Singing hymns and praises to glorify His name. b. Acknowledging God in our lives by saying, “Thank God,” and “Praise the Lord!” c. We can honour God’s name in evangelism, worship, fellowship and every activity of our life. Dear children, if we have used God’s name in vain in the past, we must repent and ask God to forgive us. Let us continue to give glory and honour to the only wise God, whom the Bible says, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory (Isaiah 6:3). In Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Exodus 20:4

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. (Exodus 20:4) There is only one living and true God.  He is the Creator who made us and He owns us.  He is the Lord who has power over you and me.  But fallen man because of sin, did not want to acknowledge, worship and honour God in the way he ought to.  Instead of worshipping God, man worships idols. God had taught us not to make any image or idol to represent Him.  We are not to carve an idol in the shape of either a human being, or like any animals, or birds, or insects, or reptiles, etc.  We must never sin by misrepresenting Him in any shape or form.  There is nothing that man can make with his hands to show what God is like.  God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

Exodus 20:2-3

Exodus 20:2-3, I am the LORD thy God which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. God saved the children of Israel and delivered them from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. He had proven Himself to be the only God by defeating all the gods of Egypt through the ten plagues. Therefore, the children of Israel must not worship any other gods except the Lord Almighty. Dear children, Jesus has saved us through His death and the shedding of His precious blood on the cross of Calvary. Through His resurrection on the third day, Jesus has proven Himself not only victorious over sin and death, but He is also the only living and true God. We must not worship any other gods but the Lord Himself. Today, many people may not worship physical idols, but sadly, they worship and idolize people like celebrities, or their material things like houses and cars, or even themselves when they live their lives solely for themselves with no consideration for God at all. We must love and honour God above anyone or anything else. Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with thy soul, and with all thy mind (Matthew 22:37). With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

Proverbs 11:2

When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom. (Proverbs 11:2) All the students were gathered at the stadium for the school sport’s day.  Everyone was eagerly waiting for the principal to make an important announcement.  The principal announced on the loudspeaker, “The prize for the best sportsman of the year goes to James.”  James was elated, as he smiled while walking up to the podium to collect his trophy.  Everyone clapped loudly. But as the days went by, his friends noticed a great change in him; he had become proud.  To James, no one can be better than him, and everyone must be second to him. Whenever his friends praised someone for doing well in any sports, James would say, “It isn’t great at all, or he won because the rest of the competitors are weak.  He can never beat me.” The next year came, and it was the school sport’s day again.  This time, James did not win any trophies.  He thought he would surely win, but to his surprise, he came in last place in almost every event.  With all those prideful remarks that he had made and with no victory, James became extremely ashamed of himself. Dear children, when pride cometh, then cometh shame.  We must never be proud because everything we have, our talents, abilities and skills, cometh from God.  As He graciously gives, He can also take away.  The Bible tells us that with the lowly is wisdom because he knows that God loves the humble and hates the proud.  Therefore, he always humbles himself.  Do you want to be a wise person?  If you do, then humble yourself and acknowledge God with reverence.For the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. (Proverbs 1:7) With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Proverbs 12:22

Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight. (Proverbs 12:22) The dictionary explains the meaning for the word abomination as “anything greatly disliked and abhorred, or treated with disgust.”  When the Bible says, abomination to the LORD, is it not a frightening thought to know that the Almighty God is disgusted about certain actions or behaviours?  What fills God with such great dislike and disgust?  Lying lips! Susan was not happy with Mary because she was not invited to the latter’s birthday party.  So, she came up with a wicked idea to falsely accuse Mary of stealing the money that the school had collected from the book fair.  Susan lied to the teacher saying that she saw Mary stealing the money. Poor Mary, nobody believed her.  Her parents, her teacher and all her classmates really thought she was a thief.  Finally, Susan told the truth, that the money was not stolen but placed in one of the cupboards.  But it was too late! Mary’s parents were so disappointed with her that they transferred her to another school.  From then onwards, the teacher and all the classmates no longer believed in Susan even though she spoke the truth. Dear children, lies hurt people.  They make people think wrongly and then cause people to do wrong things which will bring them much trouble.  But there is a greater fear than just all these consequences and that is, lying lips are abomination to the LORD.  God hates lies!  We must not lie, but rather we must always speak the truth because we fear God more than men and trouble.  God is pleased with those who are truthful and honest. With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

Lamentations 3:25

The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. (Lamentations 3:25) When a person desires to get something, he or she will seek it with great patience.  Like a hunter will wait patiently for his prey to take the bait.  Or a farmer will patiently labour for the harvest of crops. What is your greatest desire in this life?  Do you earnestly desire the goodness of the Lord? There is great comfort, assurance and encouragement for those people who seek the Lord and wait for Him.  For the Bible says, The LORD is good unto them that wait for him….that seeketh him. The Lord will forgive all their sins and grant them eternal life.  He will give them His grace and mercy.  He will give them His Spirit and empower them.  He will guide and protect them.  He will provide for their needs and cheer them.  He will comfort and strengthen their hearts.  Ultimately He will lead them to the glorious heaven and be with them forever in His eternal kingdom.  Yes, indeed there is the abundance of goodness in this life and the life to come that awaits those who wait for the Lord. With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. (Proverbs 16:24) One day, you are sick and you are not able to attend school for a week. Mary, your classmate, hears that you are feeling sad and lonely, and she decides to visit and cheer you up. She said lovingly, “How are you? I missed you so much. Here is a “Get well” card that I personally drew for you. During your absence, I will collect all the class notes for you.” With such kind words and careful thoughts from Mary, will you not feel happier? Those are such pleasant words to hear and you will almost feel much better just by listening to them. They are sweet to your soul, and certainly health to your bones. You will be cheered up! In olden times, honeycomb was very expensive because it was helpful to the health. Even today, it is still highly recommended for health benefits. Honey is not just useful but its sweetness is so tasty and appetizing. It is soothing and everyone enjoys it. The Bible tells us that if we speak words that are pleasant, they are like honeycomb. In other words, our pleasant words can be beneficial and satisfying, for they can revive the heart and soul. Dear children, have you been speaking pleasant words to cheer the hearts of your parents and friends? When mummy and daddy are sick or have a hard day at work, have you ever said kind words to them? When your classmates and friends are sad and disappointed, have you ever encouraged them with words that will cheer their hearts? Many of your friends may not know the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you know that the most important words that will not only cheer their hearts, but also save their souls, are the blessed words of the Gospel? Let us tell them about the Gospel of our Saviour Jesus Christ! With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~3 min read

James 5:19-20

There may be some people who profess their faith in God, but in reality they are false believers.  The reason is because they have strayed from the truth of God’s Word. What must we do?  Neither we nor our words can convert a person, only the Gospel of Christ.  So, we must preach the true Gospel to them!  Therefore, James said, Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; (James 5:19). What will happen when we do that?  Let him know, that he which converted the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins (James 5:20).  By God’s saving grace, the person may be turned from his erroneous ways, and he will be saved from his sins. Dear children, our goal is to reach out to every sinner with the Gospel, because the threat he is facing is death - eternal death.  Once the sinner repents of his sins and believes in Jesus Christ for salvation, he is saved, and God will then cover the multitude of sins he has committed.  Let us be faithful, strong and courageous, to share the Gospel that is able to save the soul from death! With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

James 5:16b-18

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much (James 5:16a). The word effectual means effective, the original Greek word (energeo) is from where we get our English word “energy.”  The term availeth much means it is very strong.  The prayer of a righteous man is effective because he relies on God’s power and his prayer is energised by the Holy Spirit.  Weak prayers come from weak people, and strong prayers come from strong people! James gave an example of the power of prayer, and that was Elijah’s prayer (vv.17-18).  In those days, there was a devastating 3 ½ years of drought in Israel. Elijah prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth fruits.  It was not because Elijah had some supernatural powers but simply he relied on God’s power and his prayer was energised by the Holy Spirit. Dear children, when troubles and afflictions come into our lives, we must pray.  But we must pray fervently and persistently, relying on God’s power, and trusting and believing that He alone is able to deliver us, and all things will work together according to His will (Romans 8:28).  When we do that, our prayer will be energised by the Holy Spirit, and it will be powerful. With love in Christ, Pastor Paul Cheng

~2 min read

James 5:16a

James 5:14-15

James 5:13

James 5:12