Angels, Ministering Spirits

(by Rev Hien Nguyen)

Text: Heb 1:13-14

Today, we will learn about angels, what they are and what they do. The atheists do not believe the existence of God or angels. Many are like the Sadducees, who “say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit” (Acts 23:8). Many ignore God and His Word but believe in angels and even worship angels as their guardians. How do we know the truth about angels so that we may have proper attitudes toward them? Thank God for His perfectly inspired and perfectly preserved Word, through which we may know the truth about God and man and today about His angels.

Angels, God’s Created Spiritual Beings

Both the Old Testament and the New Testament mention angels. The term “angel” in Hebrew, malak, with 214 occurrences, KJV translates as “angel” 111 times, “messenger” 98 times, “ambassadors” four times, and “variant” once. And in Greek, aggello, with 186 occurrences, KJV translates as “angel” 179 times, and “messenger” seven times. Then, angels are God’s messengers sent to do His will and His work.

God created innumerable angels by His Word (Ps 148:2-5; Col 1:16; Heb 12:22) at any time during the 6 literal 24-hour days of God’s creation. God did not create angels as robots but as immortal spiritual beings, “ministering spirits” (Heb 1:14; Luke 20:36) without corporeal bodies or marriage like human beings (Mark 12:25; Luke 20:36). They have their own will to choose to obey God (Ps 103:20) or to rebel against Him, e.g. Satan and fallen angels (Isa 14:12-17; Jude 6). They have greater knowledge and wisdom than men (2 Sam 14:20) but not all knowledge and all wisdom as God (Job 4:18; Matt 24:36; Ps 147:4-5). They have greater power than men (2 Kings 19:35; Ps 103:20) but not all power as God (Jude 1:9; Rev 19:6). They have their desire, “which things (God’s salvation for mankind) the angels desire to look into” (1 Peter 1:12) and have their emotion, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke 15:10).

Although human beings are “a little lower than the angels” (Ps 8:5; Heb 2:7), they were created after God’s image directly by God’s hands and breath (Gen 1:27; 2:7) while angels were created by God’s Word (Ps 148:2-5). Therefore, God’s salvation in His Son Jesus Christ is for human beings and not for fallen angels. And when having been saved in Christ, human beings are regenerated to be God’s children and partakers of God’s divine nature (2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:1-2), so in the future they shall even judge the world and angels (1 Cor 6:2-3). How we thank God and praise Him for His great salvation for mankind, including us!

Through God’s Word, we know the names and the high rank of some angels: the archangel Michael, the defender of God’s people (Dan 10:13; 12:1; Jude 9), the angel Gabriel, the announcer of God to His people (Dan 8:16; 9:21; Luke 1:19, 26), and Lucifer, the light-bearer became the cursed Satan, the Devil, due to his pride and rebellion (Isa 14:12-17).

As beings created by God, obedient angels or “elect angels” (1 Tim 5:21) dare not receive the glory and worship duly and exclusively reserved for God alone (Rev 19:10; 22:9). Only Satan and fallen angels proudly and deceitfully tempt others or mislead others to worship them (Matt 4:9; 1 Cor 10:20). Therefore, even when we are enjoying the ministry of angels, we only need to thank God for them and worship God alone, the Creator and Maker of everything, including angels and human beings.

Ministry of Angels

Toward God: Angels worship God (Neh 9:6; Heb 1:6) and sing praises to God and the Lord Jesus Christ (Ps 148:2; Luke 2:13-14; Rev 5:11-12). They fulfil God’s will, purposes and commands (Ps 103:20-21; Matt 13:39-42). They execute God’s judgments (2 Sam 24:16; Acts 12:23; Rev 16:1). They (especially the angel Gabriel) announce God’s Word and convey His will to His servants and children (Dan 8:1; Luke 1:19, 28).

Toward Jesus Christ: God sent the angel Gabriel to announce to Mary that she would conceive by the power of the Holy Spirit and bring forth a son who would be named “Jesus” and be called “the Son of the Highest…the Son of God” (Luke 1:26-38). God sent His angel to announce to the shepherds the birth of the Saviour, Christ the Lord, and a multitude of the heavenly host (angels) praised God (Luke 2:9-14). God sent His angel to Joseph telling him to take Jesus and Mary to flee into Egypt as well as to come back after Herod’s death (Matt 2:13, 20). God sent His angels to minister to the Lord Jesus after the temptation (Matt 4:11), to strengthen Him when He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:43), to roll back the stone in front of the tomb (Matt 28:2) and to announce His resurrection to the women (Luke 24:4-7; John 20:12-13). After the Lord Jesus’ ascension, two angels announced His return in like manner (Acts 1:10-11). In heaven, angels are singing praises to the Lord Jesus (Rev 5:11-12). When the Lord Jesus returns, His angels shall gather His elect from every part of the world (Matt 24:31), and all the holy angels shall be with Him (Matt 25:31). Truly, the Lord Jesus humbled Himself to be a Man, “a little lower than the angels” (Heb 2:7), but He is the very God, the Creator, who is far superior to His created angels (Heb 1:2-14).

Toward Believers: It is so encouraging and comforting to know that angels are “all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation” (Heb 1:14). “Ministering,” from Greek term leitourgikos, which is used only once here, denoting the performance of service, employed ministering. “Sent forth” in Greek, apostello, denotes sending forth on a certain mission to fulfil. Angels are sent by God to fulfil His purposes and work, and this shows the full sovereign control and direction of God upon His angels. God has sent His angels to minister to/serve “them who shall be heirs of salvation” or to them who are saved in Christ Jesus, including you and me! It is amazing that the ministry of angels toward believers is still ongoing as the verb is in the present tense.

- Protection: God sent His angels to protect David and those who fear Him, “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them” (Ps 34:7). God sent His angels to shut the lions’ mouths and preserve Daniel’s life (Dan 6:22). God sent His angels to deliver the apostles out of prison (Acts 5:19) and Peter from prison (Acts 12:7-11). Our Lord Jesus says, “Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven” (Matt 18:10), and this refers to the guardian angels of God’s little children. It is so vital to have God’s presence in our hearts and our lives or else we are only helpless victims of Satan and his fallen angels. Truly, we have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit in us and with us (John 14:17, 23) and His angels encamping around us. How safe we are in our heavenly Father’s care! This truth really encourages and comforts us when we take a trip to an unsafe place, doing a mission work or a ministry over there. However, we should not tempt God by going to a perilous place full of dangers or temptations according to our own will or Satan’s challenge and then expect God to protect us or His angels to keep us and bear us up in their hands (Ps 91:11-12; Matt 4:6-7). I really thank God every time I recall His protection when a Christian brother and I took some mission trips around our country, even to faraway rural areas and border regions to share the Gospel during our summer vacations in the 1980’s. Truly, God’s angels still encamp round about those who fear Him and trust in His Word.

It is so comforting to learn that God even sends His angels to minister to His children until death, carrying their souls home when they die. Lazarus “died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). Even the archangel Michael contended with the devil and disputed about the body of Moses (Jude 9). In my country, I witnessed some Christian families, when a Christian grandparent or parent passed away, some unbelieving children contended with Christian children in the family to bury their loved one according to Buddhist rites, but through the prayers of Christian children and of the church, in the end their loved one was buried according to Christian rites. Here, we can see Satan and his fallen angels even want to harm our bodies when we die, but thank God for the ministry of His angels.

- Guidance: God sent an angel to direct Philip to minister to the Ethiopian eunuch (Acts 8:26) and the Holy Spirit said to him as well (Acts 8:29), so it is not by accident when we are directed to meet someone and share with him or her the Gospel. Thank God that we may enjoy the guidance of our Lord Jesus Christ, our good Shepherd (John 10:3-4) and that of the Holy Spirit (John 16:13; Acts 8:29; 16:7), and that of God’s Word (Ps 119:105), and that of His sovereignty and providence through His angels. Praise the Lord!

- Provision: God sent His angel to bring some food and water to Elijah to sustain him for his journey to Mt Horeb (1 King 19:5-8). Thank God that He is our Shepherd and we may enjoy His provision and loving care (Ps 23) and sometimes He may send His angels in the form of human beings to minister to us without our awareness (Gen 18:2; Heb 13:2).

- Encouragement: God sent His angel to encourage Paul in his perilous journey at sea during the storm (Acts 27:23-25). We may enjoy timely encouragement and comfort from God the Father (1 Cor 1:3-4), from the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt 9:22; Acts 7:55-56; 2 Tim 4:17), from the Holy Spirit our Comforter (John 14:16; Acts 9:31), from God’s Word (Ps 119:50; Rom 15:4), from God’s servants and children (2 Cor 7:6,13; 1 Thess 3:2), and from His angels in the form of human beings without our awareness.

Conclusion

Dear friends, angels are real as God is real. We thank God for creating us after His image, redeeming us in Christ our Saviour, granting us eternal life, taking care of us and sending His angels to minister to us while we are living in the sinful world of darkness full of snares, temptations, and attacks from Satan and his fallen angels. We only need to worship God and thank Him while enjoying all His blessings including the ministry of angels. Amen.

Forgetting the Past and Looking for the future

“But this one thing  I do, forgetting those things which are behind,
and reaching forth unto those things which are before,”  Philippians 3:13

Introduction: 
      Wishing all "A VERY HAPPY AND BLESSED NEW YEAR - 2012. The New Year has just dawned, everyone of us have lots of hopes and aspirations. In the past 2011, we had mixed feelings and learned many valuable lessons which may be greater teacher for this year. With those exposures and experiences, let us heed St Paul’s counsel in Philippians 3:13 and learn some valuable lessons.
    
“Forgetting those things ... behind” – A Christian life is to run the race and secure the prize. It is unlikely that he would stop to look behind him to see how much ground he had covered, or who of his competitors had fallen or lingered in the way. He would keep his eye steadily on the prize, and strain every nerve that he might obtain it. If his attention was diverted for a moment, it would hinder his race, and the outcome might be his losing the crown. He would not allow any reference to the past to interfere with the one great effort to win the prize. However, it may be, and is, profitable for a Christian to look over the past mercies of God to his soul, in order to awaken emotions of gratitude in the heart, and to think of his shortcomings and errors, to produce penitence and humility.
So, let us then look onward not backward. Let us not spend our time either in pondering the gloomy past, and our own unfaithfulness, or in thinking of what we had achieved and thus becoming puffed up with self-complacency; but let us keep the eye steadily on the prize, and run the race as though we had just commenced it.

Unto those things which are before - Before the runner there was a crown or garland to be bestowed by the judges of the games. Before the Christian there is a crown of glory from our Saviour, the eternal reward of heaven. There is the favour of God, victory over sin and death, the society of the redeemed and of angelic beings, and the assurance of perfect and eternal freedom from all evil. These are enough to animate the soul, and to urge it on with ever-increasing vigour in the Christian race. Above all, the joy of seeing Jesus our Lord and Saviour face to face which is our heavenly hope.
New Year Resolutions: 
       With keeping in mind the above thought from Paul, shall we make some resolutions for this New Year. Obviously, the past is behind us. We can't undo it even if we wanted to, but we can start the New Year with hope and purpose. 
• A better way to start the New Year with God's help. "Let this coming year be better than all the others.”
• Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time. (Praying, Reading Bible, Giving, Serving etc.)
• Call up a forgotten friend (especially in the church and family). Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories.
• Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep.
• Walk tall, and smile more. You'll look ten years younger.
• Don't be afraid to say, 'I love you.' Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.
• As each year rapidly passes I'm becoming more aware of the fact that life is short.
• So be sure to make 2011 an investment in eternal values knowing that, in the words of the poet, we have "Only one life 'twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last."

Conclusion:
        True happiness does not mean living without pain or hurt—not at all. True happiness is learning how to live one day at a time, in spite of sorrow and pain. It is learning how to rejoice in the Lord, no matter what has happened in the past. You may feel rejected and abandoned. Your faith may be weak and you think you are “down for the count”. Sorrow, tears, pain, and emptiness may swallow you up at times, but God is still on the throne. He is still God! So as Paul exhorts us to “forget the lingering past and look for the bright hope of future in Christ”

     Please continue to pray and thank Him for another New Year in which to serve Him. Ask Him to invest it wisely in eternal values so that when you stand before Him face to face, will hear your welcome words:
Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.”  Have a Blessed year 2012 and God Bless you.

The God of the Bible Is a God of Love

 “The LORD is slow to anger.” Indeed, our God is not a God with a short fuse. Psalm 103:8 says, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 

God does not take a delight in the destruction of the wicked. He is not trigger happy to condemn sinners to eternal damnation. In fact, He is a very patient God. Although sinners deserve their just condemnation, God desires their repentance. So God waits and waits. He keeps on waiting for sinners to confess their sins to Him and repent of their ways. When a sinner repents, God is very ready and quick to forgive. Ezekiel 33:11 tells us, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live.” 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

The Prophet Jonah who was Nahum’s predecessor knew this very well, how the Lord God of Israel was slow to anger. Jonah was a reluctant prophet to the Ninevites for we read in his book, in chapter 4, verse 2, “And he prayed unto the LORD, and said, I pray thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in my country? Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish: for I knew that thou art a gracious God, and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repentest thee of the evil.” A hundred and fifty years earlier, Jonah had preached judgement against Nineveh, and the people repented. God forgave the Ninevites. The same word was preached to them by Nahum. God “is slow to anger.” He was ready to forgive them if they would only repent of their pride and confess Him as the only living and true God to whom they should accord all glory and honour. The Ninevites knew how merciful and forgiving God could be. This should have moved them to repentance.

Did the Ninevites repent? Not this time. God had to take punitive action for He the God of justice “will not at all acquit the wicked.” God finally judged and destroyed the Ninevites, but consider how patient He was. He only took action in about 600 BC, a hundred years after Nahum’s word to them.

God will wait for sinners to repent, but He will not wait forever. One day God will judge this world again. He did so once before by a worldwide Flood, and waited for 120 years for the people to repent but they refused, the souls “Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing” (1 Pet 3:20). Noah preached while he built the ark but none repented. The Flood came and all were swept away, save Noah and his family. 

Are you still outside of God’s Ark of salvation? Are you still unrepentant of your sins, still unbelieving, refusing to trust in Jesus Christ and accept Him as Lord and Saviour? God is still waiting for you, but He will not wait for long for judgement is coming soon. The signs of the times tell us that Jesus Christ is coming back soon. Take heed to this warning, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:  Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless. And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation” (2 Pet 3:3-15).

Do not delay, salvation is today!

Do We Truly Worship the King Jesus Christ?

The truth that Jesus is King has been recorded in the Old Testament: “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come” (Gen 49:10), and “there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel” (Num 24:17), “Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the sceptre of thy kingdom is a right scepter” (Ps 45:6; cf. Heb 1:8), and “For unto us a child is born, …and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). And God’s prophecies have been fulfilled in Jesus “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David” (Luke 1:31-32), and “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass” (Zech 9:9; cf. Matt 21:5), and so forth. However, there are different attitudes toward the King Jesus recorded in the Holy Scriptures, which one is yours and mine?

Worship the Lord Jesus Christ as King:  The “wise men” (Matt 2:1) or Magi, in Greek, magos and in plural mágoi, “the name for priests and wise men among the Medes, Persians and Babylonians…Magi specialized in the study of astrology… In the New Testament they represent the name of the Magi, wise men from the East, most probably from Persia or Arabia, who came to salute the newborn Messiah (Matt. 2:1, 7, 16)” (Zodhiates). They must have received some revelation from God through the Scriptures (including the book of Daniel) and through supernatural signs like “his star” (v 2) and dreams, “being warned of God in a dream” (v 12). Their living faith in God’s revelation moved their hearts and feet to go and seek for the newly “born King of the Jews” with only one purpose, “come to worship him” (v 2). They did not mind the long distance, time, efforts, not to mention dangers on the road for many days as they had to travel by night to see the star. How about you and me?

Thinking that the baby King must have been born in the capital city, in a palace in Jerusalem, they stopped by Jerusalem. Their presence and inquiries made King Herod “troubled, and all Jerusalem with him” (v 3). Disappointed at meeting with the King and religious leaders in Jerusalem, they left and “lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy” (vv 9-10).  It is always wise and joyful for you and me to follow the direction and guidance of our Lord, not by supernatural star or dreams, but by His Word, by the Holy Spirit and by His sovereignty and providence. Then the Magi came “into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh” (v 11). They humbled themselves, “fell down and worshipped” Jesus! This must be the proper motive, attitude and purpose of every true Christian. They also opened their “treasures” and presented them unto Jesus. What are your and my treasures? Is it our heart, our self-will, our life, our body, our wealth? “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” (Rom 12:1). Here we also see God’s sovereignty and loving care. The Magi’s gifts provided what Jesus, Joseph and Mary needed for their urgent trip to Egypt and their stay over there until King Herod passed away. It is always wise for you and me to trust in God’s sovereignty and loving care in all situations.

Reject Jesus as King and Seek to Destroy Him: King Herod the Great was troubled to hear of another “King of the Jews” because he only wanted himself to be king. He pretended to be devoted, saying, “that I may come and worship him also” (Matt 2:8), but later he could not hide his wicked heart to destroy all the children two years and under in Bethlehem where Jesus was born (v 16). Those who hate Christianity and do not want Jesus to be their King are like Herod as they only want to be king themselves.

Ignore Jesus’ Kingship: When Pilate asked Jesus if He is King, Jesus confirmed, “Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice” (John 18:37). Sadly, Pilate ignored Jesus’ Kingship although he feared Jesus and tried to release Jesus. Many including so-called “Christians” have heard of Jesus as King, and they might fear Him, but they are not submissive to Jesus as the King of their hearts! They still say, watch, listen to and do what they like regardless of the Lord and the approval of His Word!

Want a Human King instead of Jesus Christ: Pilate wanted to release Jesus, but the chief priests, Jewish leaders and the Jews cried out, “Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar” (John 19:15). Many would rather follow and serve a human leader than Jesus Himself, the King of kings! How about you and me?

Written by Rev (Dr) Prabhudas Koshy 

Blessed Christmas!

 

Let us rejoice for the incomparable
gift of God, the Son of God, our
Saviour and Lord, Jesus Christ,
who was born for us in the little
town of Bethlehem.

May Christ be always magnified
in Gethsemane Bible-Presbyterian
Church, where the Lord has joined
us all together to serve Him.
Come, let us worship Christ,
the Newborn King.

Love in the truth,

Your Pastor

Good Tidings of Great Joy To All People!

At the birth of Jesus Christ, the angelic announcement was – “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people” (Luke 2:10).

Who can have the great joy promised at Jesus’ birth? The angel announced that the joy is to “all the people”.

Does that mean every individual who lived on earth? Certainly not. It certainly does not mean "universal salvation". The Bible does not teach salvation of all men. In fact, the Bible tells us that some will reject Christ and His salvation, and thus be damned into eternal suffering of hell.

The joy of salvation is to all who would come to Christ by faith. He saves all sorts of people, from all sorts of backgrounds. There is no racial, national, social or gender discrimination. There may be many kinds of distinctions and discriminations in this world but none of them excludes us from the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

He saves males and females, children and old folks, the rich and poor. He also saves criminals and police officers, religious hypocrites and atheists as well as Africans, Indians, Chinese, Europeans, Jews, and all alike, if they would come to Him in repentance and faith. Jesus came to give hope of salvation to sinners in every realm of life.

We praise God that our church can truly celebrate this wonderful aspect of the Christmas message. We come from many nations, races and backgrounds. Our ministries are extended to people in all sorts of situations. Let us as one people of God from everywhere, being saved from of our sins, praise our Saviour today.

We must also renew our dedication to indiscriminate preaching of the Gospel everywhere, for this is the will of God. We must dispel any unhappiness that remains in us against global Gospel outreach. We must not be like the OT prophet Jonah who was very displeased that God wanted to forgive the evildoers of Nineveh. We, as God’s people, must reflect God’s impartiality. Jonah even went so far as to say to God, who had just relented from judging the Assyrians who repented, “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live” (Jonah 4:3). Would you rather die than see God’s saving work and will even reach out to exceedingly wicked evildoers who repent in our day? Remember that the Gospel birth announcement of the angels was sent to “all the people”.

Let us renew our minds and rededicate ourselves to preach the Gospel to “all men”. That will be a very appropriate and solemn way to celebrate Christmas!

Not Santa Claus, but Christ the Lord

Many Christians have desecrated the glory of Christ by singing about Santa Claus. To many, Santa Claus is a god-like figure.

The message of Christ’s incarnation has been so perverted by their stories of Santa’s sudden appearance through the chimney! They have veiled the glorious Gospel story of the gift of salvation by Christ with the stories of Santa’s surprise gift boxes!

Who will you be honouring this Christmas? Christ or Santa Claus? What will be your heart’s desire and joy this Christmas? Christ’s gift of eternal life or Santa’s perishable material gifts?

While Christ draws us to God, Santa draws men to the world. While Christ gives us spiritual gifts, Santa lures us with material gifts. While Christ renews us to be godly, Santa corrupts us to be worldly.

It is Christ the Lord, whom God gave to us, not Santa Claus!

Worship the Lord Jesus Christ! Rejoice in Him and do His will!

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

When you are grieving

(Psalm 31)

Definition of Grief .           “Grief is a reaction to a major loss. It is most often an unhappy and painful emotion.” .           Grieving is not something done to us, but rather something we do. .           Grieving isn't continuous, but it is recurring. Causes of Grief  They can be triggered by: The death of a loved one; A chronic or an incurable illness; The end of a significant relationship. ARE YOU GRIEVING?  IS GRIEF NATURAL? 1 Peter 1:6 “Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:” ¡  We are not immune to troubles; ¡  They are part and parcel of life. ¡  They should not be prolonged.   .           INTRODUCTION 1.         OUR MOMENTS OF GRIEF (v.9-13) 2.         OUR COMMITMENT IN GRIEF (v.1-8) 3.         OUR ENCOURAGEMENT IN GRIEF (v.14-24) .         CONCLUSION 1. OUR MOMENTS OF GRIEF (v.9-13) Psalm 31:9-10 “Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble: mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.”   How grief has affected HIM  .           Emotionally affected – His soul & life are threatened (v.9); .           Physically affected - His eye is consumed with grief, his belly, his bones are consumed as well– death (v.12); .           Psychologically – His fears of enemies multiplied (v.11-13); .           Spiritually affected – His brokenness (v.12).   5 Stages of Grief  Denial àRationalizeàAngeràDepressionàAcceptance  ¡  Denial (This isn't happening to me!) ¡   Rationalizing (It cannot be true…) ¡   Anger (Why is this happening?) ¡   Depression (I don't care anymore!) ¡   Acceptance (Lord, thy will be done)   How grief can affect us  .           The act of grieving is an intrusion on our physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and cognitive worlds: .           We are hurt physically: shoulders, chest, arms, legs, head. .           Our emotions, especially our heart feels trampled and irreparable.   FURTHERMORE…  .           Our social connections have been severed; we've lost our sense of direction; .           Spiritually, we wonder about God, and question our faith and beliefs; .           Cognitively, we are filled with irrational thoughts and wonder if we've truly gone crazy!   2.         OUR COMMITMENT IN GRIEF  ¡  Psalm 31:5 “Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.” (cf. Luke 23:46) ¡  The Psalmist’s unshaken confidence in God; resting on God's faithfulness. ¡  God has helped me before – He will help me again.  WITH REFERENCE TO WHO GOD IS TO US: HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS (v.1) HIS DEFENCE / HIS PROTECTION (v.2,3a) HIS NAME (v.3b) HIS STRENGTH (v.4) HIS TRUTHFULNESS (v.5) 3. OUR ENCOURAGEMENT IN GRIEF ¡  Psalm 31:19 “Oh how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee; which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men!” ¡  Realizing how good God is to us. ¡  Counting the blessings of God to us! ¡  Looking on the right perspective of life; ¡  Psalm 31:24 “Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” ¡  Finding strength and grace in the LORD; ¡  There is hope for the people of God! ¡  The endless hope will be our consolation.  CONCLUSION ¡  Psalm 31:22 “For I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cried unto thee.” ¡  See the example of Peter (Acts 12:6); ¡  There was loss, grief and uncertainty; ¡  Prayer can only help so much…(v.5,12).   VERSE TO REMEMBER Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Dear friends,

For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

you and I are living in this world full of sins, deception and spiritual darkness and one day this world will be destroyed. Only the Lord and those who do God’s will remain forever. Satan still uses the world with the lust of the flesh (nice food, pornography, worldly pleasures, etc.), the lust of the eyes (nice clothing, nice and high-tech gadgets, nice cars, nice property, nice things, etc.) and the pride of life (wealth, position, power, fame, popularity, etc.) to attract and tempt so many to worship him to gain the world. God is the God of beauty and wealth, “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good… And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food” (Gen 1:31; 2:9). It is not wrong when you and I have all the good things, the wealth and fame to humbly serve the Lord and glorify Him, but it is seriously wrong when our hearts are enslaved to these worldly things and try to have these things for self-will, self-pride and self-glory. Jesus’ warning is always true, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt 16:26). May the Lord help you and me to love and highly value Him and His Word above all, to live by Him and His Word, and to resist and overcome Satan and his temptations through prayers and God’s Word each day until our Lord and King comes back with all His glory. Amen.