JURONG OUTREACH - MAY 04

A Lethal Dose of Peppermint by Alan Smith
2 May 04

Dr. J. Wilbur Chapman told of a distinguished minister, Dr. Howard from Australia, who preached very strongly on the subject of sin. After the meeting, someone remarked "Dr. Howard, you shouldn't talk as openly as you do about man's guilt and corruption as it may offend someone. And if our boys and girls hear you discussing that subject, they will more easily become sinners. Call it a "mistake" if you will, an "error in judgment", but do not speak so plainly about SIN."

Dr. Howard took a small bottle down from a shelf and showing it to the visitor said, "You see that label? It says ‘STRYCHNINE’ -- and underneath in BOLD, red letters the word 'POISON.' Do you know, man, what you are asking me to do? You are suggesting that I CHANGE THE LABEL!! Suppose I do, and paste over it the words, 'Essence of Peppermint' don't you see what might happen? Someone would use it, not knowing the danger involved, and would certainly die. So it is, too, with this matter of sin. The MILDER you make your LABEL; the more DANGEROUS you make the POISON!" We dare not try to re-label SIN, lest we harm ourselves and others!

The Bible warns of the TRAGIC consequences of sin: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? DO NOT BE DECEIVED! Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; see also Galatians 5:19-21). OBSERVE THE WARNING LABEL: “THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH” (Romans 6:23). The sad news is that “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yet, because of Jesus, there is hope!

Observe the verses following those listed above. After stating that sin will cause one to forfeit his inheritance to heaven:

(1 Corinthians 6:9-10), the Apostle Paul wrote: "And such WERE some of you. BUT you were washed, but you were sanctified [set apart], but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). Again in Romans 6:23, Paul’s stern WARNING is followed by words of hope: "For the wages of sin is DEATH, BUT the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord." Indeed, “ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” BUT each can be "justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:23-24).

SIN is a serious problem; it is a matter of LIFE and DEATH (Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8)! DON’T try to re-label it -- expose it! DON’T try to cover it up – confess it! DON’T try to ignore it – allow God to cleanse and forgive you!

God WILL forgive those who: place their trust in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent of sin (Acts 17:30-31), confess Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38). God will CONTINUE to forgive those who CONTINUE to walk in the light of His Word as a way of life (1 John 1:7).

Make NO mistake about it: SIN IS POISON! Will YOU not accept the Lord’s antidote today?

Someone has come up with the following list of “politically correct” terms for teenagers:

#  No one fails a class anymore, he’s merely “passing impaired.”

#   These days, a student isn’t lazy.  He is “energetically declined”

#   You’re not sleeping in class, you’re “rationing consciousness.”

#   You’re not late.  You just have a “rescheduled arrival time.”

#   Your weren’t passing notes in class.  You were “participating in the discreet exchange of penned meditations.”

#   You’re not being sent to the principal’s office.  You’re going  on a mandatory field trip to the administrative building.”

#   It’s not called gossip anymore.  It’s “the speedy transmission of near-factual information.”

We have become experts at using language to hide the reality of our situation.  We don’t hear much about homosexuals, instead we talk of those with an “alternative lifestyle.”  Fornication is now referred to as “cohabiting with a significant other.”  We rarely sin; we merely “fail to live up to our full potential.”  It’s not a new game—the Pharisees neglected the welfare of their parents, but called it “Corban” (dedication to God). 

Changing the wording doesn’t change the sin.  “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” (Isa 5:20)

John's Seven Signs by Dan Winkler
9 May 04

The book of John focuses on seven of Jesus’ miracles, and a careful study of each can provide us with prinicples of encouragement.

DISAPPOINTMENTS? Remember when Jesus addressed an embarrassing moment, turning the water into wine (Jn 2:1-11)?  He is still the One we can turn to when life turns on us.  With Paul we say, “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion.” (2 Tim 4: 16,17)!

DOUBTS?  Remember when He healed a boy and told his father to return home, only for the father to go without question (Jn 4:46-54)?  He is still the one in whom we place our faith and our dreams, “Christ….the hope of glory” (Col 1:27)!

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:”

DISABILITIES? Remember when He healed a thirty-eight year old invalid? (Jn 5:2-9)?  Via His loving providence, we can still “be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might:

(Ep 6:10) “ Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.”

(Phi 4:13)! “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

DESIRES? Remember when He fed five thousand with a sack lunch? (Jn 6:1-14)  He still meets the desires of those who cry, “For me to live is Christ” (Phil 1:21) “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”!

DESPAIR? Remember when He reached out for Peter (Jn 6:16-21)?  Aren’t we thankful that His hand extends to us with the promise, (Heb 13:5)  “I will in no wise fail thee, neither will I in any wise forsake thee”?!

DARKNESS? Remember when He gave sight to a blind man (Jn 9:1-11)?  But wait!  To man stumbling in the wretched darkness of Satan, He is still “the light of the world” (Jn 8:12)!  “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”

DEATH? “Remember when He stood outside the tomb of a friend, cried and said, “Lazarus, come forth” (Jn 11:1-44)?  Better still, THERE WILL COME A DAY “IN WHICH ALL THAT ARE IN THE TOMBS SHALL HEAR HIS VOICE, AND SHALL COME FORTH! (Jn 5:28-29) “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,  29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

We are blessed to call Jesus, “My Lord and My God” (Jn 20:28)

A Week of Good Thoughts

Suppose we start this very day
To live our lives in a different way;
Suppose we vowed and constantly tried
To help those in trouble on life’s wayside;
If we showed by our deeds a hint of His love
Wouldn’t earth be a bit more like heaven above?

ON MONDAY: Look for a smile today and return it with one of your own.  Give someone faith and hope, it’s such a beautiful loan.

ON TUESDAY: Gather a thought that’s kind, one that’s sincere and deep.  Be sure to pass it along for such are too precious to keep.

ON WEDNESDAY: Forget yesterday’s sorrows, mistakes, sadness, and pain.  Lift your heart with hope as flowers to sun and rain.

ON THURSDAY: Offer a word of comfort and prayer to help someone in need.   A little thoughtful gift, some flowers, or a smile makes us all rich indeed.

ON FRIDAY: You shall not pass this way again, so do any good you can do.  Don’t put it off till tomorrow or the chance may be lost for you.

ON SATURDAY: Today will soon be a memory so don’t let it come to an end, without a smile, without a song, or just a word from a friend.

ON SUNDAY: Don’t let worry and care depress you, or brush your joy away.  But arise and give thanks to God above, for His love and another “Blest Day.”

 “….let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others” (Phi 2:3,4)

Wife and Mother by Frank Young, The Christian Sentinel
16 May 04

One cannot think of a greater position in life than that of a mother— only one greater: that is a godly mother with godly children.  The power to become a mother, given by Jehovah, is, I think,  the greatest privilege in life.  Nothing will do more to affect society than to take woman from the holy pedestal upon which God placed her and put her in the commercial world,  carving a niche for herself. A married woman who works outside her home must remember her first duty is to be a godly wife or godly mother. We reap what we sow. (Gal 6:7)  “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

To disregard the Bible is to substitute human wisdom.  Thus doing, we must pay for the mistakes of man.

It has been said, “Rome conquered Greece militarily; but the Greece conquered Rome through her philosophy.”  There are many values more powerful than guns and weapons.  Revelation 11:15 says, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ: and he shall reign forever and ever.”  The Gospel, planted into the hearts of people, will change them into the image of the Christ. 

In no lives had the Gospel’s power been so demonstrated than in great women.  No deeper poverty comes to a people than for womankind to abandon her God-given role!

A world without a Jochebed would have been a world without a Moses.  Zachariah and Elizabeth “were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless” (Lk 1:6).  “And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.”

Of John we read, “Among them that are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist” (Mtt 11:11).  “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist: notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.” What a statement from the Christ!  And what a tribute to the influence of righteousness!  Yet, “...he that is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”  Tis better to rear children to become great Christians, than to have them reach great heights in worldl acclaim, and not be Christians.

“Just a housewife”? No! A mother of Zion; a homemaker; a “keeper at home” (Tit 2:5). “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”  God”s noblest gift to society.  “Wife and mother, the easy way out”? Rather, wife and mother, the greatest power for good!

One great woman, at the death of her second husband (both of whom were prominently known), said to her daughter and me, “What a privilege to have been loved by two great men.”  “Her husband is known in the gates” (Pro 31:23).  This woman said that of her husbands. 

Her children also, shall “arise up, and call her blessed’ her husband also, and he praiseth her” (Pro 31:28).  Of a wife it is said, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” (Pro 18:22).  Also, “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” (1 Tim 5:14). 

A double emphasis!  Her role is still blessed. “Bear Children.”  Let her love her position in life.  Let her honour God, bless the world by her marriage, and give this world another generation who will “rise up and call her blessed.”  For “strength and honour are her clothing’ and she shall rejoice in time to come” (Prov 31:25).

"In the heart of a bulb
is  a promise of spring;
In the little blue egg
is a bird that will sing;
In the soul of the seed
is the hope of the sod;
In the soul of a child
is the kingdom of God.”

Christianity, My Hobby by Sis Angelia Chew
23 May 04

An undergraduate was trying to do a research on how devoted people  are to their religion nowadays.  So he went around the places of worship in Singapore to do interviews.  He first came to a temple and interviewed a middle-aged man,
“Hi uncle, how often do you come here?”
“No la, recently a number of bad things happened to me at work. So I was thinking of asking the gods in there to protect me and grant me some good luck.  I don’t always come.”

After a few more interviews, the undergrad came to a church building.  He saw a group of youngsters walking out from the church building after attending the service.  So he went up and asked them a few questions.
“Hi, so sorry to take up some of your time.  Do you come here often?”
“Oh yes.  We come every Sunday.”
“Oh I see.  So what do you usually do in the service conducted by the church?”
“We just follow what we are told to do.  Anyway, we have been coming since we were young; more or less we know what to do.  If we don’t come, we feel uncomfortable.” 
“So you mean all of you come EVERY Sunday?”
One of them answered, “Ya, most of the Sundays. But sometimes quite difficult because I still feel that once a while,  we should enjoy ourselves on Sundays since we have been working so hard for the past five days. If I work on a particular Saturday, usually, I will try to rest more on the next day.  So I won’t come.”
“Thanks for the information.  Nice talking to you.”

Some people are very committed to their hobbies.  For example, a person who likes scuba diving, he will make sure he goes for his scuba diving every week because he enjoys it.  But there are others who treat their hobbies as something they will do during their pastime.  My hobby is playing squash.  But I do not have the discipline to play every once a week.  Sometimes when I am tired, I will go home and sleep instead of playing squash.  Is Christianity slowly becoming one of the many hobbies we have? Every Sunday and Wednesday, we come for services.  It has more or less becomes part of the routine in our lives.  Every Wednesday after work, at around 6.30 pm, we start travelling to Boon Lay, have our dinner and attend Bible class.  Every Sunday, without fail, we wake up in the morning and go for worship.  (Basically, no friends will ask us out on Sundays because they know that we have to worship God)  So more or less, it has become part of our lives. Some may even feel something is amiss if they don’t worship God on Sundays. I mean some only.  Have you ever encountered something in your life that disrupted the peaceful routine that you have always enjoyed? What do I mean?  For example earlier I mentioned earlier that I like to play squash.  When I first picked up the sports, I was having my school holidays.  So every week, without fail, I would book a court and play the game with my friends.  After about half a year, although I still like that game very much, I seldom play it because I was having my training in a school and my work schedule was very tight.  I hardly had time to do my own things, not to mention spending time to play squash.  Something disrupted my schedule in carrying out my favourite activity.  Of course, my will wasn’t strong enough  to persevere  too. 

Think about it, is our religion also something that we will spend time on only if nothing disrupts our schedule? What I mean to ask is: is attending services  something that we will do only if we have extra time?  If something has to take away most of our personal time, then will we sacrifice the time for attending services to have our own activities done? Someone ever told me, “It is different. Last time I could attend Church services every Sundays because I was still a student.  I have my Saturdays to rest and recharge.  Therefore, on Sundays, I managed to wake up early.  But now I am working from Monday to Saturdays, I have only Sundays left to do my own things, and you ask me to spend half the day in Church?  I don’t even have my own time to do my own things.” I can understand how this person feels.  Christianity is something we have to make sacrifices for.

(Rom 12:1-2) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” 

Jesus Christ had the power to do a lot of things.  He has the power to escape from the unjust punishment done to Him, he could have come down from the cross and just abandon us.  But he didn’t.  He did not sin and yet he had to give up His life for us.  What He has given to us is not His time, His possession, but His sinless life.  True religion is not about giving up what we don’t need, but giving up what is precious to us.  Just like the woman who gave all she had, although is only 2 mites, compared to the rich man who gave more, Jesus commented the woman who gave less because that was all she had (Mark 12:41-44).  She was giving what was considered more precious.  When we are not forced to make a choice between God and the world, it is not difficult to fulfill the responsibilities we have as a Christian.  But when we come face-to-face with a situation where we have to make a choice, our faith will only grow stronger each time if we make the correct choice!

(Mtt 6:33) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

May we be able to put God first in our lives and be able to make the sacrifice for Him when the time comes.  May we continue to strive on for our upward goal even if we had failed in time past. (Lk 9:62)