Be on the Watch for Christ's Coming Again

Luke 21:34-36
“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

We have to be on the watch for Christ's second coming, just like the watchman on the Titanic watching for icebergs. The thing is, like the watchman on the Titanic, we fail to keep watch. We weigh ourselves down with being drunk. We indulge in leisure to temporarily fill our hearts and neglect the Lord who is the only one who can truly fill our hearts.

We weigh ourselves down with the worries of this life. Worrying puts away our sight on God. And we can no longer keep an alert watch on the deck but rather look at distractions.

Thus, because of this, the coming of Christ to such people will be sudden and they will be unprepared.

Who will face Christ's second coming? For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Everyone.

Thus, how should we prepare ourselves?

1. But stay awake at all times, We have to be awake in Christ. Awaken to His Word. His Kingdom. His commands on us. His requirements on us. We have to be sensitive to His glory, His wrath, His coming.

2. praying that you may have strength We have to pray. We have to dear near to God daily in prayer. Prayer come with a promise. It gives us strength. Strength to live for Him.

3. Finally, know that we will one day stand before the Son of Man. We will one day have to account for ourselves before Christ. While we had the chance, did we serve Him, obey Him, love Him, proclaim Him? Do them now, to prepare yourself.

Luke 8:4-21 Learning to Listen to the Word of God

As we reflect on our spiritual growth through the years, we may realize that even after many years of listening to sermons, our spiritual growth is minimal. Worse, it maybe stagnant. Even worse, its in degradation. Where does the problem lie? Often, its lies in our listening to God's Word.

Luke 8:8 "...He who has hears, let him hear."

We listen, but we don't receive. We listen, but we do not yearn for it. We listen but we do not retain it. We listen, but we do not practice it. Hence, what we listen, we forget. When we forget, our lives immediately are filled again with the worries and concerns of the world.

Luke 8:5,7, "The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the air ate it up. Other seed fell into among the thorns and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out."

Hence, when we listen, let us YEARN to listen. THIRST to listen. Yearn for the Word of God. In the parable of the sower, Jesus says in Luke 8:8 "Other seed fell into the good soil and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great. " Good soil does not happen automatically. We become good soil when we yearn for the nutrients and fertilizers given to us.

Next, PREPARE your HEART for the Word of God. Good soil is only good soil because someone has previously dug it to soften it making it fit for planting. Prepare your heart to listen. Be in good condition to listen. Do not come hurriedly, come late, go hurriedly, with your minds full of thought of doing something else, that you are distracted from listening.

Lastly, RETAIN the Word of God through NOTE-TAKING, MEDITATING and PRACTICING the Word of God. Take notes of sermons. Follow along with the preacher. Listen actively. Mediate on what you have listened. Mediate repeatedly. Practice it. Obey it. Live it.

Luke 8:21 "...My mother and My brothers are these who hear the Word of God and DO IT."

Reflections on fukuoka

I had the privilege of bringing 25 students to Fukuoka japan for a study trip recently. What was more fortunate was that Peixuan could join me half way and soaked in the nice innovation of japan.

The students enjoyed themselves as evident from their facebook statuses. I forged a closer tie with some of them and also made many friends in them during the trip.

The people of japan are diligent, pays attention to details, very intelligent, innovative, courteous, likes asthetics, and simply just makes top quality products.

I managed to meet up with missionary couple friend there. We met a couple of nights and they brought us around and also to their house and church.

Thank God for their ministry there. Though the numbers are few, Pr xiao Jian reminded us that it is God who works and brings salvation grace to people. Hence, he is not discouraged but continues to serve in the hard gospel soil of japan.

Indeed the gospel soil of japan is hard just as described in the parable of Jesus. Hard to take root and soon eaten by birds.

The people of japan need the gospel. They are in the best in many things, in culture, in technology, in science, in people. But yet, the many attacks of Satan manifest in their country. Publicly available are pornographic tv channels in the most private of places, in hotel rooms and homes. Lusts so easily take root in particularly a man's mind because of these.
The weapons of lust continue to manifest in pornographic magazines and newspapers sold all over.

Dear brethens, is this the reason that there are high rate of broken marriages or marriage that continue but both spouses have extra marital affairs?

I have certainly no say in judging them for I am a sinner myself. But it is the Word of God which condemns man of sin. And it is a real world out there. Real people who seemingly have good careers and lives but yet in the most depths of their hearts they are trapped by sin.

The Wors of God warns of adultery. She attracts us like a bed or roses with fragance do. But it leads one unto the path of death. Not only to himself, but his wife, family and to everyone dear to him. It happened to Jack neo. It happened to tiger woods.

Not only the people of japan, but all man, need the gospel to set us free from sin which leads to eternal death after a life on earth filled with sorrow, regret and pain.

Embrace the gospel. Repent. Believe in the saviour who died. Who redeemed your sin by the blood that he bled. Who gave us eternal life through his death.

What other hope do you have to reject Him? What other hope?

It is with this hope that we find hope in our lives, that we are assured of a better place, that God cares for us now and everything works for the good of us.

I love japan. I love the people of japan more. I pray for Pr xiao Jian and wife that God through them brings about salvation grace to the people of japan.

Luke 2:21-40 Simeon & Anna. The Witnesses of Christ

Luke Chapter 2
V23 every first born is to be consecrated to God. Mary knew Jesus belonged to God. The messiah, the savior.
V24 offering sacrifice, a pair of doves or pigeon. Some like Mary and Joseph were not wealthy, thus could only afford pigeons instead of bulls or sheeps.

The Witnessing of Simeon.
V25-35 Simeon, bearing witness for Jesus. He was righteous and devout. Waiting for the consolation of Israel. He knew Jesus was the savior, even though Jesus was just a child. Simeon believed in faith.

V29-32 Simeon’s Song of deliverance.
V29" you have now dismiss your servant in peace."
Simeon knew Jesus was the savior of all people.

Qn: are we worthy of dying on the cross if we are willing?
No. A lamb sacrificed needs to be without blemish. What more the ultimate sacrifice?

V34 many will fall, referring to those who opposed Jesus.
V35 a sword will pierce Mary's own soul referring to the day Jesus is crucified.

We have many similarities with Simeon.

Simeon hope for the  coming of the savior. We hope for the second coming of Jesus. We live a testimony for Jesus. Simeon lived righteously and devoutly. Both have the holy spirit upon. By the moving of the holy spirit, we preach, we bear testimony, we offer. both are servants who serve. Do not be an idle person in church. Serve. Both have spiritual hindsight. Seeing value in spiritual things. The more we rely on the grace of God to live, the more we see the spiritual value of things. Simeon whole life was focused on praising God. He was satisfied just seeing God.

Qn: are we satisfied just by seeing God?
A Christian's joy resides sufficiently just by desiring God.

V29 dismiss in peace. When it's time for us to live, let us be dismissed in peace. To leave this world in peace. But while we on the earth, let us work for God.

The witness of Anna. V36-38

Qn: why do we want to live a long life?
To be of good use like Anna.

V38 she spoke about the child to ALL.

How do we measure the value of someone's life? Working hours? Achievements? Joy? Exciting?
If by these measurements, Anna seems to lead a boring life. Day and night in the temple.
She meet with suffering 7 years after her marriage. She could have bitterness in her heart. But let us know that there could have sufferings, but not bitterness. Bitterness is pessimistic, extreme, repeated thinking about a bad thing that happened. Let us pray that we would not have bitterness.

Anna's hope was in heaven.
She was lacking but she did not have any regret.

To summarize her life with one word, service. She lived Alice of value. When you are convicted to serve God, you will live a life of value. No matter what age you are, we can testify about this child.
Jesus had the witness of Anna and Simeon. But what did he witness about himself? The way, the truth, the life.

V40 described the growth of Jesus to 12 years old. He grew. He was a normal child with no supernatural gifts. There is no mention of his growing years because he was a normal child. Do not take into account recordings outside the bible.

Luke 2 – The Birth of Christ

Recorded on 3rd Feb 2010 from Chin Lien Bible Seminary night class spoken by Rev Teo Kiak Hock.

Question: Why was Jesus born in Bethlehem?
Because it was the town of David.
Because it was the town of bread and Jesus is the bread of life.

Question: why was Jesus born in a manger?
He came Unto earth, and made nothing of himself.

Question: why did the angels appeared to the shepherds instead of anyone else?
They could have appeared to the Sadducees, Romans or other important people. But they appeared to the shepherds because God often works in a way contrary to the world. He doesn't use the wises, most intelligent, or the richest. This is evident in the salvation of the Greeks due to the Jews rejecting Him.

Another reason is because all the sheeps under the shepherds are used for offering as a sacrifice. Each sacrifice requires millions of sheeps. The greatest sacrificial lamb is Christ. Hence the shepherds have to know of this lamb.

Third reason why angels appeared to the shepherds is because Christ came to be our shepherd.

In verse 9, the glory of God shone with the angels. It's important that he glory of God shines with the church. The glory of God shone with Moses and dwelt with the temple. The church is just a empty shell if the glory of God is not present.
The glory of God left the temple 2400 years ago when it departed from the temple as mentioned in Ezekiel 11. But on this night, the glory of God shone with the angels. We ought to greatly give thanks for this. What child is this that such a phenomenon? Remember the hymn. This child is a saviour.

Today we have forgotten the meaning of saviour. It is actually a great word. Today, we don't preach Christ as the saviour but him as the giver of peace, prosperity, as a fulfillment, as healing or just something good. What a pity. How would those who remain sick, poor feel? That God does not love them?

Without Jesus, you sill can gain wealth, health, fulfillment, family togetherness. But Jesus came to give something no other can. The redeemer of our sins. The saviour of our sins. To pay the price of our sins. Have you believed in the wrong Jesus? We ought to stand before the great white throne of judgment. But thanks be to God for Jesus has SAVED us. This child is our saviour.

Qn: should we celebrate Christmas since it's a pagan day of celebration?
There is no absolutes for this. We do not have to be argumentative about the date itself. What's important is that we remember the birth of our saviour. Many people today also do not know that 25th of dec is a pagan date of celebration.

Verse 12. You will find a baby wrapped in cloth, lying in a manger. V13. Suddenly, there appeared a legion of angels. This  is a separate appearing of the first angel that appeared to the shepherds first. How many angels were there? From Micah, from revelation 4, 5, we can infer that there were millions of angels in that appearing. Why did the Angela appear? The angels have seen the second person of God before in the heavens. The angels seeks the secret of salvation too. This great saviour, from the glory of heaven, now willing to come into earth. Hence just like the angels glorifying God, we have to glorify Him.

V14. And peace be unto man. This peace refers to the peace between God and man. Not the world peace that we often think or the peace during Chinese new year.
Seeing the angels worship God, the more we man the recipients of grace, ought to worship!

Can you imagine the fellowship between Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, Zechariah, Elizabeth when they met at the manger? They would witness, share with one another the great experiences they had. This is like us sharing the gospel because we are excited with the great news!

V20. The shepherd left and gave glory and praises to God. They went back to shepherd. Went back to the same work. But the attitude is different. Now they had seen the Lord. Christ was with them. Praising God is linked to having the correct theology. He shepherds received the correct theology and thus were Able to praise the Lord.

The progression of the shepherd were they heard, they believed, they obeyed, they praised. They gave thanks.

Now Mary would have thought how to raise the saviour of man? So many difficulties for her. Hence she had to deeply ponder over it. V19.

In the next portion of verses, Luke had some witnesses to testify to his writings. Mary, Simeon, Ana, Joseph the righteous one. It was extremely difficult to find a righteous person during that time of the Pharisees, saducceess. Yet Joseph was one. Recall that there were only 120 believers who gathered as mentioned in acts 2 after the resurrection of Christ. Few are the righteous during that time. What about now? Are we one of them?