JURONG OUTREACH - November 07

WHAT DOES THE "SUNDAY ONLY CHRISTIAN" MISS?
2nd Dec 07

It is an eclectic club. Some of its members have only ever come one service per week, whose perceivable spiritual progress has been hard to measure. Others, perhaps more tragically, have waned from greater faithfulness in the past to the more tepid attitude toward the sacred assemblies at which God is always present. The Bible makes it clear that those who fail to put Christ first have honored and idolized something above Him. That is an unenviable position in which to find oneself. Yet, these who neglect faithful attendance deprive themselves of so much. 

They miss information. Bible classes, sermons, table talks, and mid-week devotional talks all help build our knowledge and strengthen our conviction in what we already know is true. This information is like a flashlight for the journey in a dark, dark world (Psalm 119:105). If we take heed to that word, we do well (2 Peter 1:19). To identify the enemy, you must know all about him.  

They miss association. The people dearest to God are there. Christ, our Savior, friend, older brother, King, Shepherd, Door, and Mediator, is there. The earliest Christians were steadfast in fellowship with each other, a fellowship contextually shown to be spiritual in nature (Acts 2:42). Paul reminds us we should prefer one another, something we fail to show when we give preference to some other place and event (Romans 12:10).

They miss inspiration. We need our spirits lifted. Others need us to lift their spirits, too (cf. Philippians 2:3,4). In worship we can get our spiritual batteries charged. Coming together helps us each face the world. We are to be renewed in the spirit of our minds (Ephesians 4:23,24). The assemblies aid us in this.  

They miss provocation. Often, we do things we know we should not do. As such, we need to be provoked or stimulated to do what we already know is right (Hebrews 10:24). Sunday-morning-only Christians come nowhere close to obeying Hebrews 3:13 and the admonition to exhort one another daily. At the assemblies, we lift each other up and hold each other’s hands in our common life (cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:14)  

They miss edification. We have a responsibility to be here and build up other Christians. Remember, love edifies (1 Corinthians 8:1). You cannot do that as well from a remote location. We are to use our abilities to help perfect the saints, to work in ministry, and to build up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). That’s a "done together" activity in which those withholding their presence cannot engage.  

They miss immunization. The world is infected with sin and it is often hard to live for Christ (cf. 1 John 5:19). We can and do "inject" ourselves with strength at every service, an injection that will help us fight off the cancer of sin (cf. Jeremiah 7:18). Attending all the services strengthens our spiritual health (Psalm 42:11).   Who thinks he or she is better equipped to fight alone than with the collective help of the church as well as the special strength available as by God’s design when we assemble together?  

They miss jubilation. There is nothing as seemingly miserable as the Christian who feels that it is his "duty" to come to at least one service a week and comes out of such a compunction (look at David – Psalm 122:1). It is a shame that "S-M-O" Christians miss the excitement of baptisms and others who come forward for prayers, the encouragement of seeing new Christians participate in worship or young people demonstrating their faith, and the example of others whose words, actions, and attitudes make us glad we are Christians. Few whose hearts and minds have been fully engaged in an assembly will walk away regretting or more depressed than when they arrived.  

They miss obligation. We are mutually accountable (Romans 1:14; Hebrews 3:13; Colossians 3:13; etc.). We are indebted to God (Romans 8:12). We are commanded by Him to come together (Hebrews 10:25). None of these obligations comes with an expiration date. We consider those who shirk their obligations to be irresponsible. What obligation outweighs the one laid upon us by the Lord? The many, many principles of scripture lead to an unavoidable conclusion. We are to attend all the services. What is more, we should want to be together with Christ and His people at every opportunity. If we do not want this enough to make it happen, maybe something is terribly wrong with our "affections" (cf. Colossians 3:1,2).  

By Neal Pollard

RETURNING THANKS
9th Dec 07  

Many years ago two boys were working their way through Stanford University. Their funds got desperately low, and the idea came to them to engage Paderewski, the great Polish pianist, for a piano recital. They would use the funds to help pay their board and tuition.  The great pianist’s manager asked for a guarantee of $2,000. The guarantee was a lot of money in those days, but the boys agreed and proceeded to promote the concert. They worked hard, only to find that they had grossed only $1,600.  

After the concert the two boys told the great artist the bad news. They gave him the entire $1,600, along with a promissory note for $400, explaining that they would earn the amount at the earliest possible moment and send the money to him. It looked like the end of their college careers.  

“No, boys,” replied Paderewski, “that won’t do.” Then, tearing the note in two, he returned the money to them as well. “Now,” he told them, “take out of this $1,600 all of your expenses, and keep for each of you 10 percent of the balance for your work. Let me have the rest.”  

The years rolled by -- World War I came and went.

Paderewski, now Premier of Poland, was striving to feed thousands of starving people in his native land. There was only one man in the world who could help him - he was in charge of the U.S. Food and Relief Bureau. He quickly agreed to help and soon thousands of tons of food were sent to Poland. After the starving people were fed, Paderewski journeyed to Paris to thank the man for the relief he had sent.... “That’s all right, Mr. Paderewski,” was his reply. “Besides, you don’t remember it, but you helped me once when I was a student at college, and I was also in trouble.”  The man’s name? Herbert Clark Hoover, 31^st President of the United States of America.”

Paderewski, with great generosity and kindness, was able to help a couple of struggling college students. Years later, one of those college students was able to say “Thank you” by assisting Paderewski and his people in a great time of need.  It is a wonderful thing to be able to return thanks for a noble action done on behalf of another. 

Friend, something has been done for YOU!  You didn’t ask for it, but you desperately needed it.  It happened long before you were born, but you may still benefit greatly by the action of a loving, generous Person. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). 

Because of OUR grievous condition due to our sin, the kind and loving Heavenly Father gave us His Son to die on the cross for our sins (Romans 5:8).  Because of this great Sacrifice, we may have forgiveness from our sins (Ephesians 1:7) and the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23). 

How can we return thanks for this indescribable Gift and receive those blessings?  By our humble submission to His will:
believing and trusting Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house,
turning from our sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.
confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
and being baptized (immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38).Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.Then we can continue to show our gratitude by seeking to live obediently to His will for the rest of our lives (John 14:15). If ye love me, keep my commandments. 

Friend, a great thing has been done for you: Jesus died for you so that you might live.  Won’t YOU “return thanks”  by giving your life to Him?   

CONTINUE IN THAT WHICH IS GOOD
16th Dec 07

When you and I study the two New Testament epistles that the apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, it is obvious that Paul really cared about his younger brother in the Lord. For instance, Paul calls Timothy his "dearly beloved son" (2 Timothy 1:2), says that he prays for Timothy night and day (2 Timothy 1:3), and has a great desire to see him in order that he might be filled with joy (2 Timothy 1:4). Yes, there was a close relationship between these two co-laborers, and it showed.  A thought to ponder is that preachers need to be encouraged to stay the course. The Holy Spirit had earlier charged Timothy, "Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee" (1 Timothy 4:16). Timothy was an evangelist (2 Timothy 4:5), but that did not mean that he could just throw an internal switch that would automatically cause him to "keep at it." In particular, many young gospel preachers of our era have become frustrated in their work for the Master. We need to hold up the hands of those young brothers (and their wives) who faithfully proclaim and live the gospel, lest they join the growing number who have laid down their swords.  

On the other end of the age spectrum, those aging, faithful evangelists who have labored for decades and borne the heat of the day, they, too, need to be exhorted to continue in that which is good. 

Elders and deacons also need to be on the receiving end of our encouragement. Deacons often do work that goes unnoticed and unappreciated. By word and deed, we need to let them know that we appreciate their efforts. Before they reach the point of becoming disheartened, we need to exhort them to continue their great work. Pastors of the flock have an awesome obligation that is second to none in importance. They, too, can become frustrated by the congregation’s unstable attendance, apathy, or chronic criticism. The only perfect pastor is the Chief Shepherd, Jesus (1 Peter 5:4). While we should not withhold words of rebuke from those who truly need it (1 Timothy 5:19,20), it is equally true that both overseers and deacons deserve to hear from you and me ("the common folks"), not only when we desire to express dissatisfaction with something that they are doing or not doing, but also when we just want to tell them, "Please keep up the good work. Continue."  

While it is true that deacons, elders, and gospel preachers must continue in their faithful works, the New Testament reveals that all saints of God need to continue in what is right, and they, too, stand in need of exhortation. Jesus said, "If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed" (John 8:31). The Master later told His apostles, "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love" (John 15:9). 

Consider the message of Acts 14:22, where it is written, "Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."  

A child of God remains holy and without blame in the sight of God only when he is willing to "continue in the faith grounded and settled" (Colossians 1:22,23). It is important for a babe in the Christ to get off to a good start in the Christian life, but it is also true that all of us need to keep at it.  

Again, the key word is "continue." The Christian race has a beginning point, but the crown does not go to the one that simply enters the contest. The crown is for the one who endures and keeps on showing his/her love for the Lord (James 1:12) – the one that finishes the course (2 Timothy 4:7). Every child of God needs to take the following admonition to heart: "Hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end" (Hebrew 3:6). The Lord does not want to see us begin well, then "fall out." Let us not be deceived: faithful service to God is not about what I was or what I did. Rather, it is about what I do and what I am. Am I a continuer?  

There is no justifiable reason for a child of God to "quit," that is, cease to continue in the path of righteousness. We know that Satan has a truckload of lame, sorry excuses that people come up with for becoming lukewarm, doing nothing, or just "dropping out." When God says, "Continue," but the devil says, "Quit," we need to be wise enough to know and accept wise instruction when we hear it! "Continue in the faith" is the only choice that leads to life eternal.

-- Roger D. Campbell

WISE AS SERPENTS
23rd Dec 07

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves," Matthew 10:16.Christ was speaking to his twelve apostles when he made the above statement.  Christ knew that the apostles would have many trials when they went about preaching the truth. There were going to be individuals and groups of people that would not only not want to hear the truth, but would also attempt to stop them from preaching the truth.

Jesus told the apostles that he wanted them to be wise as serpents. What did he mean? There are various possibilities. The snake does not have eyelids. The snake cannot close his eyes. Even when the snake is asleep the eyes are open. This gives an outward appearance of never sleeping. If you did not know better you would think that the snake is always watching and looking so that he can avoid any trouble. That is what the Christian is to do. The Christian should always be alert. The Christian should always watch out for those who would attack the truth. 

The snake is a cold blooded creature. The snake survives best when it can lay in the sun and warm himself. The snake does not do well if his body temperature drops too low. As long as the snake can stay in the light and keep his body warm, he can hunt and go about daily activities. The Christian is supposed to stay in the Light. God is the spiritual Light. If the Christian does not stay in the Light, then the Christian cannot go about daily activities as he should. Without staying in the Light, the Christian becomes spiritually cold and eventually will die.

Snakes are some of the cleanest animals on earth. The snake secrets an oil that covers all the scales. This dries and becomes hard and smooth. Nothing can stick to it. So, even though the snake must crawl through dirt and mud, it basically stays clean.

The Christian must live in this world. And in daily activity must sometimes come in contact with the dirty sin of this world. But, if the Christian stays close to God and His word, the sin will not stick to him spiritually.  The shield of faith (Ephesians 6:16) Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked is a part of the Christian armor. From the snake perspective, the shield of faith is the hardened oil shield.

The Parable of the Pencils 

As a pencil maker packs his ready

made pencils into a box, 

He gives them a final exhortation.

He speaks to them and says

“My dearest pencils,

in order to be of good use,

you have to

First let yourself be placed in the

hands of others. 

Though you have to go through pain

every now and then,

Know that this is because

you’ll be sharpened for even better use. 

Some of you have red coating and

some of you have blue.

It doesn’t matter what type of coats you wear

because what Matters is the inside 

Do not be afraid to make mistakes too,

my beloved pencils.

There is always an eraser to correct them.

Then after correction, try, and try again. 

Lastly, my dear pencils don’t stop writing.

Be it in a child’s examination

or in a parent’s letter,

Don’t stop writing until

your job is finished.”

AUDIENCE OF ONE
30th Dec 07

A brilliant young concert pianist was performing for the first time in public. The audience sat enthralled as beautiful music flowed from his disciplined fingers. The people could hardly take their eyes off this young virtuoso.  As the final note faded, the audience burst into applause.  Everyone was giving him a standing ovation.

As the young man stood before the audience, he scanned the audience until he found one person in particular.  He finally located him, and when he saw that this person was also standing and applauding with great approval, the young pianist graciously acknowledged the ovation. 

WHO was the person whose opinion meant so much to the young man?  Whose praise and approval meant the most to him?  It was his teacher!

Virtually all of us seek the approval of someone. Whether we are aware of it or not, we do things with an eye to the approval of one audience or another. The question is not whether we have an audience but from which audience are we seeking approval. 

It is a great temptation to seek the approval of the “crowd.”  But it is not the approval of the “crowd” that is most important.  After all, the opinion of the “crowd” often changes.  

In fact, the “crowd” (the world) often applauds the wrong things! The Apostle Paul asked, “Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men?”  Then he affirmed: “If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Galatians 1:10). 

In the end there is ONLY ONE Audience that really counts: God!   

He is the One to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:13).  He is the One that we must seek to please. 

God is also the One what we should WANT to please.  Why?  Because He created us in His image (Genesis 1:26-27).  “And God said, Let us make man in our image,

after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.” 

And, because even though that image has been marred due to our sin, He still wants to save us.  He loves us so much that He gave His Son Jesus to die for our sins so that we might have forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7) and the hope of living with Him eternally in heaven (1 Peter 1:3-4).

 God will save those who:

believe in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house

turn from their sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead

confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation

and are baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

He will continue to cleanse those who continue to strive to follow His revealed will (1 John 1:7).But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.  

Do WE have the same desire for God's approval as that pianist had for his teacher's praise?