Supporting Role

Exodus 17

 

When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed. When he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side. His hands were steady until sunset. Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

Exodus 17:11‭-‬13

We are not all called to be in the front, but we all have a part to play in the body of Christ. Aaron and Hur were not the ones God used to empower Joshua to defeat the Amalekites, but they supported Moses - without them, Moses might not have been able to do it.

So likewise, our Christian leaders need our supporter they might not be able to do what God had called them to do.

Father, help me support my spiritual leaders and not be jealous of their position. In Jesus' name, amen.

Keep calm and carry on

Matthew 25

The Parable of the 10 virgins point out to us that we need to be always ready for God. This means that we daily take up our cross and follow Him. We must not weary of doing good. If we sin, we must quickly repent and receive His forgiveness.

The parable of the talents point out that we need to invest what God has given us for His kingdom. We should not waste the talents God has given us. It also reinforces the point of the Parable of the 10 Virgins that we need to always be ready for God.

Then the vision of Jesus separating the sheep from the goats tells us that we do have a reward waiting for us if we follow Him. Every good deed we do for our fellow humans, God actually takes it as us serving Him.

This Easter morning, let us be reminded to keep on following Jesus!

Father, thank You for Your wonderful salvation. When we get weary, remind us of Your great reward. May we fix our eyes on You, the author and perfecter of our faith, and wait on You, and have our strength renewed as eagles. May we never weary of doing good. May we endure to the end. In Jesus' name, amen.

Am I unrateful?

Exodus 16

 

The whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron in the wilderness; and the children of Israel said to them, “We wish that we had died by Yahweh’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the meat pots, when we ate our fill of bread, for you have brought us out into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Exodus 16:2‭-‬3

After seeing the amazing rescue from slavery, this is what the Israelites said.

It's not wrong to be concerned that food is running out, and to ask for help, but we need to guard our attitudes.

 

Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, “At evening, then you shall know that Yahweh has brought you out from the land of Egypt; and in the morning, then you shall see Yahweh’s glory; because he hears your murmurings against Yahweh. Who are we, that you murmur against us?”

Exodus 16:6‭-‬7

So got scolded.

 

Moses said to them, “Let no one leave of it until the morning.” Notwithstanding they didn’t listen to Moses, but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and became foul: and Moses was angry with them.

Exodus 16:19‭-‬20

How often do I repeatedly not follow God's instructions?

 

Father, on this Saturday before Easter, I remember Your sacrifice for us. May I respond with obedience and not grumbling. In Jesus' name, amen.

Commemorating Good Friday during COVID-19 Lockdown

Exodus 15

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.  Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:1-2

The Israelites celebrated God saving them from the Egyptians with this song. 

 Then the very next thing, they got angry and complained because the water was bitter!

When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.  The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them; and he said, “If you will diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”  They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

 Exodus 15:23‭-‬27

Yet, God still came through for them in spite of their ungratefulness.

God has given us an even greater salvation though Jesus! As we face Good Friday cooped up in our homes, may we remember that and keep that in perspective.

Tonight, we will commemorate Good Friday with our Life Net Group (church small group) online. Each family will prepare holy communion and we plan to partake it together in the online meeting. This is a new experience for us as we had always celebrated holy communion physically together.

Father, may I remember Your goodness and faithfulness instead of focusing on the negatives, knowing You still care for us. In Jesus' name, amen.

Wise guy, eh?

Proverbs 4

Everyone values wisdom, but in Proverbs, wisdom isn't just being clever and smart - it's also tied up with righteousness and eschewing evil.

We've seen people who are clever in a worldly way, Machiavellian and crafty, accomplish much but do evil things.

Godly wisdom is not like that. Godly wisdom is good and righteous.

In fact, the Bible calls immoral people "fools", e.g. Psalm 14:1. They're not stupid, but in God's eyes, they're being foolish.

So let us be wise in God's eyes, rather than fools.

Father, fill me with godly wisdom, not the world's wisdom, that I may walk in Your ways. In Jesus' name, amen.

Reminders

Exodus 13

You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ It shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Yahweh’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

Exodus 13:8‭-‬10

Many times we see God asking the Isrelites to do something to remind them of what He had done for them.

We humans can know something but not take it into account in our daily actions because it's not at the front of our minds. It's not just "Melayu mudah lupa" like Dr. M. says, but "Manusia mudah lupa". ("Malays forget  easily" / "Humans forget easily".)

That's why it's important to remin ourselves of God's truths regularly. For example, yesterday's sermon by Pastor Malcom didn't tell those of us who have been Christians for a while anything new, but it is good to be reminded that we're saved by grace through faith, not of works, and yet also faith without works is dead, so that every day our actions are guided by those principles.

Father, thank You for your salvation and Your truths. Remind us regularly that we may live inlight of them. In Jesus' name, amen.

Hypocricy

Matthew 23

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin,   and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.  You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.   You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter, that its outside may become clean also.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Matthew 23:23‭-‬28

Jesus spoke out greatly against hypocricy.

We humans have a tendency towards hypocricy - we tend to think of ourselves as good people and are more able to see the faults of others than our own faults.

Father, open my eyes to my own faults and help me recognize and correct them. Help me to remove the hypocricy from my life. In Jesus' name, amen.