Main point: Being sure

Today's Scripture Union has a strong and encouraging message for everyone, both Christians and non Christians and i wanted to share with everyone.

1 John 5:13-21
Concluding Affirmations
 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
    16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that you should pray about that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.
    18 We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one cannot harm them. 19 We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one. 20 We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true. And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.
    21 Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.


Main point: Being sure
Consider what difference it makes to your daily life to know that you have eternal life. So many of our anxieties relate to fears about the future. John repeatedly assures the early Christians that their future is entirely secure with Christ. Ours is too!

Secure in Christ
What does this security look like in your life? Does it give you confidence in prayer (vs 14,15)? Does it help you to be friendly and caring towards other Christians, including watching out for their spiritual well being (vs 16,17; see Galatians 6:1–3)?

Does it lead you to practise in your behaviour now all that will prepare you for heaven, where there will be no sin (vs 18,19)? Does it inspire you to grow in your knowledge and understanding of this wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ (v 20)?

Sin that leads to death?
No one is entirely sure what the ‘sin that leads to death’ is (v 16), but it probably refers to those who were once in the church and have now left and are teaching against the truth of Christ (see 2:22). What there is agreement on is that if you are worried that you’ve committed it, then you certainly haven’t!

Being sure of God
We can expend a lot of energy on worrying about our doubts, being anxious about the future and feeling very insecure. John would urge us to be absolutely sure of God, to believe what he says about his Son Jesus, to live a life of love and reflect the light and purity of God’s character in how we behave.

Praise The Lord!

Amen.

January 2010

We are at 2010 at last. Where did all the years go? lol! Yes, its a new year and again for me, a new chapter in my work. Looking back, i would say that i have learnt alot about the working world, about life and about myself. In the last 1.5 years, i think i have learnt alot and the experience is both enriching and invaluable. I felt i have learnt more in my 1.5 yrs here than the last 9 years of working in my previous companies.

In a sense, it gave me a new insight into myself that i did not know or realise. I suddenly feel my age.

However, as a Christian, i am often felt i am not growing alot. I have always things that i am still carrying them and not leaving it to the Lord. The weight of it can sometimes be heavy but still, i do know i sometimes still insist on carrying them. lol! The world news makes it no lighter as it is often depressing. Problems, people falling from grace, the lies uncovered and others dun exactly paint a nice picture of what the world is today.

But still, we give thanks to the Lord because He promises that He will always be with us forever. He knows our every strength and weakness. He knows our flaws and i know it is no use covering or giving excuses for things because the Lord knows. When u come before Him and confessing and just tell it as it is, the weight often is lifted.

Jesus says love your enemies and pray for them. I tried but i decided to tell the Lord that i dun really feel like praying for them. haha! Yes, its not Christian-like but yes, that is what i feel and i confess it to God. I said i cannot love this enemy because i just cannot. Strange as it sounds but instead of saying a prayer for them and asking the Lord to bless them but secretly grudgingly doing so, when i confess it to the Lord, i actually experience the peace and i know that i can now really pray for them and ask the Lord to help them and myself to change.

His strength is made perfect in our weakness. Its like love i guess. U are at your weakest when someone else has the power to make u happy or sad and when u no longer have control over that. However, it is also at this time that u are at your strongest because of the fact that u are in love.

Things naturally become valuable when they are limited. Paintings by famous painters fetch alot when there are no more new paintings available. Life itself is valuable because of death. Strange irony. We treasure life because we know that we dun have eternity to enjoy it. Everyone of us has the same fate, no matter who u are.

Life is not about climbing the coporate ladder, nor is it about relaxing and taking things easy. Life is about being happy and sharing that joy that Jesus came to give us. There is eternal life beyond this life and that is the prize that Jesus is saying and we are encouraged to run the race and fix our eyes on the prize.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteouness and all these things will be added unto you.

If the sparrows who neither reap or sow but our Heavenly Father feeds them, how much more precious are we?

For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

We have an all powerful, merciful and loving God. Give thanks to God for His great love, mercy and grace.

And everyone who calls on Jesus, they will be saved!

Praise the Lord!

Amen!