To eat or not to eat

To eat or not to eat

This Sunday, we were privileged at CDC to listen to a message from Elder Steven based on 1 Corinthians 8. In the Corinthian church, one important issue had come up regarding the eating of food sacrificed to idols. Now it was common practice in those days for food to be offered to idols and then eaten by the worshipper. What the worshipper could not finish could be sold in the market, and quite often such worshippers would invite friends to come and eat together of this food. In a Malaysian Chinese context, this is a very similar situation, where many Christians have parents or relatives or friends who worship idols or ancestors and sacrifice food to them.

Now in reality, Paul explains that an idol is nothing at all in all the world, and food is food, neither making a person better or worse in a spiritual sense. However, to some, whose consciences are weak, to partake of food sacrificed to idols is to become part of the worship of the idol, and they should not take. Hence, if a more mature Christian takes freely in front of them, it may mislead them or cause them to sin and because of that in such circumstances, Paul says not to eat, not because eating is wrong, but because eating will damage the conscience of the other brother or sister. The principle is that whatever we do should be in consideration of others, especially in the family of God.

In the day of the Pharisees, those who considered themselves religious would distance themselves from the common people, and completely abhor the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the beggars. However, when Jesus came, He reached out to all, even the very lowest of society. Whether to the Samaritan woman or to Nicodemus, Jesus met them at their level and brought God’s truth to them. In a famous phrase, Jesus exclaimed “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick, I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners”. Those who know they need God are near to salvation, but those who think they are alright on their own are ever so far away. Elder Steven spoke of an incident where one was failed for plagiarism in a Bible School. Immediately, many of the other students avoided the offender, looking down on him. Only a few continued to stand by and accept the fallen student. This was a Bible School, yet there was no grace, but condemnation by her students.

In John 1, it is written that the law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Only truth without grace leaves no room for the sinner. Only grace without truth, gives rise to a license to sin. Grace and truth saves the sinner and sets him on the path of truth, to do what is right. Once we accept Christ, we are free, but at the same time we are slaves to righteousness. In following the Holy Spirit, who will lead us to love God and to love others, we will inherently always do what is righteous.

Coming back to the issue of eating or not eating, the important thing is to realize is that whatever we do should be done for the glory of the Lord. If eating causes a brother to sin, we should not eat, likewise wearing certain clothes, doing certain practices, drinking liquor for instance.

Elder Steven shared how he once attended a reunion and was offered alcohol. Now to him, there is nothing wrong with alcohol within control, but not getting drunk. However, a Baptist pastor who was there with him advised him to abstain as there could be younger brothers in their midst. For their sake, Elder Steven abstained, and he believed it was the right thing to do in that instance.

In his church, there are some who see buffets as sinful. The Elder sees it as nothing wrong yet will not mention it in the presence of these brothers and sisters out of respect for them. If anything will cause a brother or sister to stumble, it is best to abstain. Amazingly, there was even a brother who came up to Elder Steven during a fundraising and told him upfront that he would not contribute a single sen because he looked very prosperous, as he had a big belly. In this instance, even a person’s size could stumble a fellow believer, what more our actions. In a similar instance, there is nothing inherently wrong with a pastor driving a BMW, but if a poor church member may think, my offering is being used to help pastor sustain this lifestyle, then it is better for the pastor to drive a normal, average car. The principle is always to be sensitive not to stumble others.

The apostle Paul later wrote how he became all things to all men, so that by God’s grace, some might be saved. To a Jew he became a Jew, to a Greek he became a Greek. Always, always, his priority was to honor Christ in everything he did.

In conclusion, that too should be our aim in life – to be full of grace and truth, considerate of others in love in whatever we do.

God bless,

Jason

 

Stillness and Vision

Stillness and Vision 
Scripture:- And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. Isaiah 8:17

Observation:- In the midst of his prophecy, we see a glimpse of Isaiah’s relationship with the Lord and the way the blessed prophet sought God. In this verse, we see two very important concepts. The first is waiting. This gives the picture of the prophet sitting patiently expecting to meet the Lord.

God said “Be still and know that I am God”. Throughout the centuries, great men and women of God have learned the value of being still and waiting upon the Lord. The whole term “quiet time” is based on this principle, a time for us to be quiet, be still, and spend time with the Lord.

No matter how busy we are in today’s world of hustle and bustle, we need to find a place and time where we can be still and seek the Lord. Sometimes, it could be even while driving to work. Switch off the radio and be still, seeking the Lord’s presence in a traffic jam. It could mean for many, waking up earlier in the morning, before the children get up. For some, it is journaling on the PC in a quiet time of the day, perhaps the lunch hour. That stillness and waiting is an important part of our Christian experience, learning to know God and spend time with Him and with Jesus.

The second principle in the verse is vision. One part of our quiet time is in hearing, but there is also an active part where we look. What do we look for? Pastor Mark Virkler, who was called to a special ministry to teach Christians how to commune with God, teaches us to look for a picture in our mind of Jesus, typically in a New Testament setting. Imagine Jesus by the well where He met the Samaritan woman, or Jesus and the boy with 5 loaves and 2 fish, or Jesus with Jairus’ daughter. Having that picture in our minds, we should go on to focus on Jesus in stillness and then write down what He says to us, and we can respond and have a conversation in our journal. It takes a leap of faith to do this, but I have and continue to find it very useful and precious in my relationship with the Lord.

Application:- Find a time and place where we can be still and wait upon the Lord. Imagine Jesus in our mind’s vision and hear Him speak to us through random spontaneous thoughts. Write it down in notebook or PC. Jesus always encourages, always blesses, always gives us peace. Over time, we will be much blessed in our communion with Him and with God.

Prayer:- Lord, let me find a time and place to seek You often and spend time with You. Let me see You, and commune with You. Speak to me, Lord, I want to know You more and more. In Jesus name, Amen.

Take heed and be quiet

Take heed and be quiet

Scripture:- And say unto him, Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted for the two tails of these smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin with Syria, and of the son of Remaliah. Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have taken evil counsel against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeal: Thus saith the Lord GOD, It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass. Isaiah 7:4-7

Observation:- In was a dangerous time in Judah, for Syria and Ephraim plotted to overthrow King Ahaz, and place their own king over the land. Against this backdrop, we see the ministry of the prophet Isaiah who came to King Ahaz and prophesied that the evil plan of the wicked men would not stand and would not succeed.

Many times throughout the history of Israel and Judah, we see the miracles of God in defending the weak against overwhelming odds:- Moses and the runaway slaves against the might of the armies of Egypt, David against Goliath, Gideon, Samson, Elijah, Samuel and Asa, to name but a few.

As the Psalmist says “God is my refuge and my strength, and ever present help in times of trouble”. Again God was true to His Word. History records that Rezin was unsuccessful and Judah continued to stand during the time of King Ahaz.

Application:- Sometimes we too may be assailed by trouble, which we feel is too much for us to bear. It is in such times we are called to “take heed and be quiet, to fear not and not to be fainthearted,” When in trouble, stop and quietly turn to God and lean on His strength and protection. He will pull us through. Against whatever terrible plans and works the enemy throws at us, we must have faith that God will not let it stand, that its threats will not come to pass.

Prayer: - We thank You, Lord, that You are always our refuge and our strength. Even in a dark place, Your presence is with us, and You fill our hearts with joy. Bless and protect each one of our team O Lord. Help us grow closer to You. Give us hope and wisdom in all things. In Jesus name, Amen.

Calling evil good and good evil

Calling evil good and good evil

Scripture: Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!  Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21

Observation: This scripture from Isaiah gives us firstly a picture of a deceiver. What does the deceiver do? He calls evil good and good evil, he deems darkness as light and light as darkness, and casts bitterness as sweet, and sweet as bitterness. In the garden of Eden, God had specifically told Adam and Eve not to eat from the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden of Eden, warning them that they would surely die. The fruit was very bad for Adam and Eve, but the serpent called it good, and convinced them that it was good for them when in fact it wasn’t.

This deception continues today in very large scale. What is good in the eyes of the world – obsession with wealth, material things, physical beauty, entertainment. These are the things that the world says will fulfill us and satisfy us. In the West, God, Christian values and prayer are increasingly painted as politically incorrect, intolerant. What is evil is called good, and what is good is called evil. Embracing other religions is called a good thing, upholding God’s purity and holiness is laughed at.

In an increasingly warped world, many think they find meaning in darkness, the occult, witchcraft, pain. Strange rituals of secret societies entail their members to be buried in coffins. What is darkness is deemed light, and what is light is deemed darkness. Likewise, bitter is called sweet, and sweet is called bitter.

Those who advocate and practice these are wise in their own eyes, prudent in their own sight. They think they know it all, and have the world at their mercy. However, their wisdom is their folly, and it will lead them to woe and death.

But we who follow Christ are called to follow His Word and His teachings. We are called to abide in the Vine, for we are the branches. To abide in Him means to constantly be aware of His Holy Spirit which He gives us, who is our guide and friend. We are called to trust in the Lord with all our hearts and lean not on our own understanding, to consider the Lord in all His ways, and He will make our paths straight.

What is true wisdom? It is to be humble and follow Christ each day in dependence on His Holy Spirit.

Application: Lean on the Holy Spirit to help us discern what is right and wrong, what is good and evil. Be humble and depend on the Lord for wisdom in our daily decision making. He watches over those who seek Him

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are ever my Rock and my Refuge, my Helper and Guide in time of need. Send forth your Holy Spirit to lead me that I may please you in all my ways. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let us walk in the light

Let us walk in the light

Scripture: O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD. Isaiah 2:5

Observation: In this Scripture, we see a call to the house of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the Lord. What does it mean to walk in the light of the Lord?

When we think of light, we straight away think of the sun and the moon. The sun, the greater light was placed to govern the day and the moon, the lesser light was placed to govern the night. When we understand science a little better, we realize that the light of the moon is actually a reflection of the sun, and the moon has no light source on its own.

In a very real sense, walking the light of the Lord causes us to be like that. We begin to reflect the light that is emanated from the Lord. He is our light source, and we become little lights amidst a dark world when we walk in the Lord.

In John Chapter 1, we see a beautiful illustration of Jesus as the Word that became flesh. In Him was life and that life was the light of man. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. Jesus described Himself as the Light of the World and also His disciples the same way. We who follow Jesus also reflect His light.

In 1 John 1:6, the apostle John warns,  If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. If we really know Jesus and have fellowship with Him, we will walk in the light, we will walk in truth.

When Jesus left the earth to ascend to Heaven, He promised His disciples that they would receive power from on high, and at Pentecost, the Holy Spirit descended upon them like tongues of fire. Again, the tongues of fire is the light of the Holy Spirit given from the Father of light! Practically, each day as we walk our Christian lives, we are called to live by the Spirit. Every decision, every moment, we need to be aware of the Holy Spirit who is with us. He is the light that guides us. He will lead us in the right paths, and those who are led by the Spirit are no longer under sin.

Application: Praise God for the great light that He gave us, His Son Jesus Christ. We walk in the light by growing our relationship with Jesus and seeking to walk in the guidance of His Holy Spirit

Prayer: Oh Lord, You are my light and my guide. Help my eyes ever look up to thee, and my heart and hands follow Thy Holy Spirit who guides me along the right paths. In Jesus name, Amen.

Learn to do well

Learn to do well

Scripture:- Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: Isaiah 1:17-19

Observation:- Moving into the 1^st chapter of Isaiah, we see the state of the people of Israel which is desolate, in turmoil, and overthrown by strangers. And the Lord declares through Isaiah that this is because they have become a sinful nation and laden with iniquity, forsaking the Lord and doing evil all the time. In the face of this, the Lord asks His people to repent and instead “learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless and plead for the widow”.

To do well means to do good things that pleases the Lord. It also means having a spirit of excellence to do the best we can in everything good thing we are called to do. To seek judgment is to seek justice and righteousness. The ways of evil exploits others for one’s own benefit. From these verses we see that God’s heart is always concerned about the oppressed, the orphans, the widows, those who have no other recourse of help. In the parable of the sheep and the goats, we see how the Lord was so pleased with His servants who fed and clothed the poor, helped the sick, encouraged those in prison.  Good works are of course by no means the path or way to salvation, yet those of us who are saved are called to good works. If we claim to have fellowship with Jesus, we need to do the things He does and be concerned with the things He is concerned about. The Lord came to set the captives free, to heal the broken hearted. He always had compassion on the outcast, the poor, the sick.

In the next sentence, the Lord speaks of how the sins of Israel, though red as scarlet can be as white as snow. They just needed to be willing and obedient, and they would eat the good of the land, that is, enjoy God’s good blessing.

When God forgives, our past is removed, we are made righteous, as if we had never sinned. All it takes for us is to be willing. That willingness is a very important thing. It is a heart, an attitude that is set on being willing to be obedient and do what God wants. Helping the poor and needy is always in God’s heart. Hence, we too should do the same for we must reflect our Lord and Father.

Application: Seek the Lord, and ask Him how you may become involved in helping those who need help.

Prayer: Lord, give me a willing heart, to see others as you see them, and give me the opportunity and grace to serve you by helping those in need. In Jesus name, Amen.

Set me as your seal

Set me as your seal

Scripture:- Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.

Song of Songs 8:6

Observation: The bride calls to her lover to set her as a seal upon his heart, as a seal upon his arm. In olden days, as is now, the seal upon a scroll or letter protected it so that it would not be opened except by the intended receiver. In essence, what she is saying is that: let me be the only one that you love. The arm is the symbol of strength of a man, and a wife looks to her husband’s arm to hold her, provide for her and protect her. By asking to be the seal on his arm, the bride is asking her lover to let her be the only one beside him that he will protect and provide for.

The love she has for him is so strong and so zealous, it is like the most fiery fire. That strong, passionate love is the love that our Lord Jesus feels for His church which is His bride, His beloved that He will provide for and protect. And we must learn to reciprocate that intense, passionate love that He feels for us. We love because He first loved us.

We should also note, that not only does Jesus set us as the seal upon His heart. He has also given us His seal which is His Holy Spirit. Ephesians 1:13-14 says . “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” The earnest, or the deposit of the Holy Spirit is given us in our hearts as a promise of our future inheritance and eternal life to come. The gift of the Holy Spirit shows us how God so dearly loves us, and as we walk in the spirit, we will show His fruit, and the first fruit always is love.

Application: Praise our Lord Jesus that He loves us so much, setting us like a seal on His heart and a seal on His arm. He will surely protect us and keep us safe as His chosen beloved people. Thank God for His precious Holy Spirit that He has given us, that helps us walk in His ways, and seek His love and glory.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your great love and compassion to us. Seal us up in Your love and blessing, and let us never fall away. Give us ever more of Your Holy Spirit, and never let Your Spirit depart from us. Praise You, Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus Christ, precious Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.