JURONG OUTREACH - JAN 05

ONE OF US
2 Jan 05

Joseph Damien was a nineteenth-century missionary who ministered to people with leprosy on the island of Molokai, Hawaii. Those suffering grew to love him and revered the sacrificial life he lived out before them.

One morning before Damien was to lead daily worship, he was pouring some hot water into a cup when the water swirled out and fell onto his bare foot. It took him a moment to realize that he had not felt any sensation. Gripped by the sudden fear of what this could mean, he poured more hot water on the same spot. Again, there was no feeling whatsoever.

Damien immediately knew what had happened. As he walked tearfully to deliver his sermon, no one at first noticed the difference in his opening line. He normally began every sermon with, "My fellow believers." But this morning he began with........ "My fellow lepers."

Now Damien could FULLY RELATE to the lepers because he BECAME a leper. He knew personally the struggles that they faced. He could actually feel their pain!

Damien’s experience portrays the wonder of the Incarnation -- how JESUS, "being in the form of God, … made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men" to live among us (Philippians 2:6-7).

The Hebrew writer informs us of the importance of the incarnation: "Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted" (Hebrews 2:17-18).

Because Jesus was "made like His brethren" (human), He understands us. He "knows all about our struggles" as He has shared the human experience with us  AND- He knows how to help!

He ALSO knows our deepest need: salvation from sin and a relationship with our Heavenly Father.

In order to provide for our deepest need, Jesus lived among us, and then died for us, "to make propitiation [to pay the price of redemption] for [our] sins." "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, EVEN... the death of the CROSS" (Philippians 2:8).

The ONLY one who could take our place and pay the price for our sins has to be one who is like us, yet without sin. Jesus was that One (Hebrews 4:15-16). He became "ONE of US" to save us!

There IS a response on our part: Jesus saves those who: believe in Him and trust Him (Acts 16:31), repent of their sins (Acts 17:30-31), confess Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), are baptized (immersed) for the forgiveness of sin (Acts 2:38),
-AND- who commit their lives to faithful obedience (1 John 1:7).

He became "LIKE YOU" in order to "SAVE YOU". Won’t you accept His offer?

 Salvation Is Free

Salvation is free...if you want to take hold of it today
The choice is yours...will you choose to obey?

Salvation is waiting...but only you can save your soul
God wants you to be saved...but you are in control!

God has the ability...but you must heed His call
To obey...be baptized...take heed unless ye fall!

Salvation truly is the most precious gift for man
So seek out your salvation...by following God’s plan!

Salvation is wonderful...salvation is free
It’s yours for the taking...what will your answer be?

Philippians 2:12
“Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as
In my presence only, but now much more in my absence,
Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

THE LORD IS MERCIFUL
9 Jan 05

God's mercy is wonderful. He does not have to give us mercy. But His love is so great that He does give it. “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever." (1 Chronicles 16:34). God's mercy does not fade away. His mercy has seen us through another year. "Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations," Deuteronomy 7:9.

Looking back with regret for the things we ought to do and have not done, for the things we ought not to do but have, we ask our heavenly Father to forgive us our sins and to help us look forward to a new year of service and dedication to Him.

"But I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble,' Psalm 59:16. We have a place to run to when in trouble. God is our 'refuge' for safety and peace when confronted with problems. Our Lord is there to guide us all the way if we love and obey Him.

The following brethren need special and fervent prayer for their health:

Yong Yaw—pray that the biopsy result for Hepatitis B will turn out well.
Angelia—pray that she will recover fully from her recent long ailment and that God will grant her patience and strength to wait for that day to come.
Ullas—pray that his health will improve and his heart will become stronger.
Rama—pray that he will recover fully from chest infection and asthma.
Sharon—pray that she will gain strength day by day and that she will be restored to her full health soon.  Pray that the cancer cells will be all gone for good.

EVERY MAN IN HIS PLACE
16 Jan 05

In Judges 6-8, we learn about Gideon. God chooses Gideon to deliver his people from the Midianites. Gideon calls the Israelites to war against the Midianites. Thirty two thousand men respond to his call. Twenty two thousand go home because they are afraid to fight. God tells Gideon that there are still too many men.

God does not want the Israelites to believe that they defeated the Midianites. He wants them to know that they defeat the Midianites only because God is on their side.

Gideon is told to have the men go to the water and drink. Those who drink from the water by lapping water from their hand will be the ones who fight. Only 300 men drink water this way. Gideon takes these 300 men and divides them into 3 companies. The three companies then surround the Midianite camp in the middle of the night. Each man has a trumpet, an empty pitcher and a torch light.

At the appointed time each blows his trumpet and breaks the pitcher. And each shouts "The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon."

The Midianites are surprised and end up fighting among themselves. Many kill each other. The rest run for their lives. It is a huge victory for the Israelites. They won the battle without having to use swords.

It is interesting that in chapter 7, verse 21, we read, "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp..." Each of the 300 men had their appointed place to stand. Each had his job to do. Their success depended on each staying in his place.

Those in the church have a place. Each person is needed if the church is to be successful in the community. God expects us to all work together to evangelize our community. God is the one who wins the battle but each of us must do our part.

There is a need for team work in preaching the gospel. Some individuals can read the Bible out loud. Others are good at explaining what the text says. Others are good encouragers. There is a need for those who plan the work of teaching and preaching.

Just like in the days of Nehemiah and Ezra. After the wall of Jerusalem was rebuilt by Nehemiah and the Israelites, the people gathered to hear the law of God read.

Nehemiah 7:66-67, tells us that the population of Israel at this time was about 50,000. On the first day of the seventh month, the people all gathered in Jerusalem They asked Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses and instruct them in what they were to do. Ezra stood on a pulpit of wood which had been made especially for the occasion.

He opened the book and read from it in front of all the people. In Nehemiah 8:7, we read, "Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place."

Nehemiah had led the people in completing the wall of Jerusalem and in encouraging the people to follow God.

Ezra was able to read the law well. He also had encouraged the people to rebuild the Temple. The men named in our verse above were talented in explaining the text. The chief of the fathers and the Levites and priests led the people in a desire to know more about God's word (Neh. 8:13).

Every member of the Lord’s church is important in playing a part to encourage one another to serve the Lord and remain faithful to Him. May you find a place of service to the Lord in His church in 2005 and resolve to serve Him diligently throughout the year. (1 Cor 12:14-27)

Verse 14 For the body is not one member, but many.
Verse 25 That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
Verse 27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.

NAGGING
23 Jan 05

Love this word? Far from it.  In fact, we hate it when someone nags at us. However, everyone one of us is guilty of this although the men would love to put the blame on the women.

We had a lively discussion about this activity last week at the Family Cottage Meeting. What is nagging? What has the Bible got to say about this?  Is it a sin?  How to stop someone from nagging?  Is there a cure?  Let’s take a closer look at all these questions and see if there’s any answer to them.

Firstly, what is nagging?  It is defined in the Oxford dictionary as “constantly finding faults”, “worry, annoy by scolding”. Don’t we all nag at times?  A few brothers mentioned that their wives nag at them to do things seemingly unimportant and trivial.  They admitted too though, that they are also guilty of nagging at their wives when their wives are behind the wheels.  Children of course, think their parents are the expert nags. Do you remember the teenage girl from brother Eddy’s sermon who said this of her parents? “My mother does not converse. She lectures.  I ask a simple question, she gives a long complicated answer.  My father is worse, he thinks he has all the answers and he talks in chapters!”  Is it uncommon for children to nag at their parents? Do you see a mental picture of a child asking “Why?” “Why?” “Why?” and “Why not?”  “Why not?”

So you see, all of us dislike to be nagged at but at the same time, we are all guilty of nagging at others, one time or another. So why do people nag?  When a person repeats a question or a statement over and over again do you consider it nagging or being persistent?

A brother was applying for a transfer to a job which he wanted very much.  After a few weeks of waiting, when there was no respond, he approached the person in charge to check on the progress of the application.  There was no answer yet.  He waited a while more and asked again. The officer found him a nag.  But the brother thinks he is only being persistent. A child wants to have a new bicycle and asks his father for it.  After waiting for a few days, he asks again.  Is he nagging or is he only being persistent?  The Bible recorded an example of this in Luke 11:5-8. Being persistent could be annoying to the recipient but nevertheless it is not nagging.

A mother told her child to brush his teeth before going to bed. He didn’t heed his mother’s advice.  So she reminded him again and again. In another instance, a mother told her child to take his bath before settling down to rest on the sofa.  The child didn’t budge.  She reminded him again and again till he moved. Why did she nag?  Often, a person nags because she  sees the consequence that will follow. Moreover, it is pointed out that a person only nags at the ones she loves and cares about.  Would you nag at a total stranger to do something which you think is good for him?

In the first case, the mother is concerned that if her child did not take care of his teeth, they would be decayed and there would be added dental bills to be paid.  In the second instance, who would have to clean up the sofa dirtied by a sweaty and smelly body?  Why did the husband nag at the wife when she was driving?  Could it be that he was afraid of someone being hurt and the big hospital or repair bill that followed?

People nag because they want something badly, they nag because they could see the consequences that follow and they nag because they care.  Having understood somewhat why people nag, it may help us deal with the problem.

Some people nag out of good intentions but if they do so often enough, it will become loathsome and ineffective. 

Is there a cure? Knowing that the person who nags at you actually loves you, do what you are supposed to do quickly, that eliminates the need for a reminder.  Communicate and explain your intentions, that eliminates anxiety.

Is nagging a sin?  What has the Bible to say about this?

Eh 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

Col 4:6  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

The next time you are tempted to nag, think before doing so.  Are my words gracious? Are they edifying? Do they minister grace unto the hearers? 

Remember, even the wise man, Solomon has said that :

"A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike” (Prov 27:15)

"It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.” (Prov 21:19)

ARE CHURCH CHOIRS AND SOLOS SCRIPTURAL?
30 Jan 05

Many are using choirs and solos in their attempts to worship God. Are choirs and solos authorized by God as a part of Christian worship? To find the answer to this question, we must turn to the Bible. The Bible is God’s Word (2 Tim. 3:16,17; John 12:48; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Peter 1:3; Jude 3). Man does not have the right to add to, nor to take away from, the teaching of the Word of God (Rev. 22:18,19; Deut. 4:2; Prov. 30:6). The New Testament portion of God’s Word is the standard of authority for what we do in the work and worship of God today (Col. 2:14; Heb. 8:6-13).

In His Word, God has authorized five acts of worship for His church. These five acts are: singing (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), giving (1 Cor. 16:1,2; 2 Cor. 9:6,7), prayer (1 Thess. 5:17; 1 Tim. 2:8), eating the Lord’s supper (1 Cor. 11:23-29; Acts 20:7), and the preaching of the Word of God (Acts 2:42; 20:7; 2 Tim. 4:1-4). These acts of worship are authorized by direct statements, commands, implications, and approved examples.

Singing in worship is commanded by God. The New Testament contains many examples of Christians singing in worship to God (Acts 16:25; Rom. 15:9; 1 Cor. 14:15; Eph. 5:18,19; Heb. 2:12; James 5:13). These passages describe the kind of music God has authorized so that His people can worship Him “in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).

The kind of music God authorized is singing. This singing is congregational singing. It is done by every Christian in the assembly! It must be done with understanding. The purpose of the singing is for Christians to glorify God and to teach and admonish one another.

Does Ephesians 5:19 teach congregational singing? The word in the original Greek language in which the New Testament was written, which is translated as “speaking,” means “to utter speech, to convey speech, to use the tongue or faculty of speech, to utter articulate sounds, to talk, to tell, to use words to declare one’s mind and thoughts.” The New Testament word translated “yourselves” is a “reflexive” pronoun of the third person. It shows that the person who acts and the person who receives the action is the same. In other words, while one is speaking to others in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, others are also speaking to him in the same way. This is a clear reference to congregational singing where all mutually teach one another as they unite their voices in song. To obey this command, there must be an interchange of action. When one group or person is active (a choir or soloist) and another group is passive (the listening audience), there is no interchange of action. Ephesians 5:19 can not be obeyed by choirs or solos!

Therefore, when the church is worshipping God by the act of singing, there is teaching and admonishing one another taking place. Colossians 3:16 clearly teaches congregational singing! When one group or individual (the choir or soloist) is active, and another group is passive (the listening audience), there is no interchange of teaching and admonishing!

Congregational singing (singing by every member of the congregation) was the practice of the church in the first century. But many today claim that choirs and solos in the worship are permitted because the Bible is silent concerning them. When God commanded Christians to sing and admonish one another, that eliminated choirs and solos in worship. It was not necessary for God to give a long list of “Thou shalt nots” concerning singing.

When God specified congregational singing, that eliminated choirs, solos, and instrumental music.

Choirs, solos and mechanical instruments of music in New Testament worship were never commanded by the Lord! No apostle of Christ ever approved of choirs, solos or instrumental music in the worship to God! No inspired New Testament writer ever taught or approved of them. There is no command, implication or approved example of the use of choirs, solos or instrumental music in New Testament worship. Thus, they are completely without the authority of the Lord! To use them in worship is sinful (Matt. 15:8,9-12; John 9-11; Rev. 22:18,19).

Must worship be entertaining? Many seem to think so. Every Christian must realize that God has commanded him to worship in “spirit and in truth” (John 4:24). This means that every Christian must worship with the correct attitude and the correct actions. God is the One who is being worshipped. He is the audience. Therefore, He is the One who must be pleased!

Some try to defend the use of choirs and solos by saying that 1 Corinthians 14:26 teaches such. A close look at the verse will reveal that it does not teach the use of either choirs or solos. To say that “every one of you hath a psalm” does not mean that every one sang a solo or that several sang solos. A psalm can be read or quoted. In this context, Paul is dealing with the misuse of a spiritual gift. The best explanation of what the verse means is Acts 4:23-30. When the disciples heard what had happened to Peter and John, “they lifted up their voice to God with one accord...” (Acts 4:24).

All worship, at all times, and in all places must be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). If one does not worship in the right acts and with the right attitudes, his worship is vain and he is guilty of sin. There is absolutely no authority in the New Testament for the use of choirs and solos in worship. Therefore, those who practice such are worshipping in vain and are guilty of sin.