The Irony

Just completed a major fundraising for my organisation and though it has been traumatising few weeks working round the clock and falling sick but it was amazing seeing how God provides and how at the end of the day, I was able to sustain through it all... As I wound down and took a walk around Orchard, I could not help but hear Christmas carols playing over the PA and that people sing. I started to wonder if people really knew the reason behind Christmas and even know the meaning of what they are singing? It seems that it is rather a paradox that some maybe celebrating Christmas without really understanding what it is really about? Behind this "season of giving", behind all the snow flakes, snowmans, doves, Christmas trees, santas, mistletoes, presents, celebration, is the greatest gift ever given by God. And even for many Christians, including myself, how many of us remember what this season really means?

In the following sermon, Elder Freddy Boey brings us through a critical reflection on what Christmas really means, highlighting the irony we face in life...

• The irony that we as humans who are so capable of things technologically, medically, scientifically which should mean a better life but life doesn't seem to be getting better after all; we are yet not able to resolve the hatred and anger in people.
  
• The irony that man, as creative as they are, are actually destructive.
• The irony that despite globalisation and all whcih makes the world a "smaller" place yet we have failed to love one another.
• The irony of Christianity that God, who is portrayed to be fearsome in many religions, would express Himself as a baby, born of a virgin to come to save humanity through forgiveness through the work on the cross.
  
• The irony of Christians being said to be inheriters of God's kingdom were be meek people told to offer other cheek when striked (Luke 6:28-30)
• The irony that pain is sometimes necessary or made necessary by ourselves.
• The irony that a technologist would be delivering a sermon on God when we think that science and religion do not go together.
• The irony that accepting the Lord is as simple as accepting the gift already laid before us.

Listen to Christmas Message: Silent Night, Holy Night here, given by Elder Freddy Boey at Riverlife Church on 21 Dec 2008.

一件礼物

Yi Jian Li Wu 一件礼物 - 基督教泉南堂

1。有一件礼物，你收到没有，
眼睛看不到，你心会知道，
这一件礼物，心门外等候，
是为了你准备，别人不能收。

副歌：生命有限，时光也会走，
如果你不珍惜，机会难留，
礼物虽然好，如果你不要，
你怎么能够得到，
怎么能得到？

2。亲爱的朋友，你是否想到，
马槽的婴孩，是为你而来，
亲爱的朋友，你是否了解，
最好的礼物是人子主耶稣。

Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

This is the verse which has spoken to me and brought me back to Christ. A friend once asked me "God has not forsaken you, have you forsaken Him?" Do you believe that God has His plans for you and that you can be filled with His love, peace, joy and hope? As the song reminds us, the gift is yours and it is for you to decide...

So You Would Come

So You Would Come - Darlene Zschech

Before the world began
You were on His mind
And every tear you cry
Is precious in His eyes
Because of His great love
He gave His only Son
Everything was done
So you would come

Nothing you can do
Could make Him love you more
And nothing that you've done
Could make Him close the door
Because of His great love
He gave His only Son
Everything was done
So you would come

Come to the Father
Though your gift is small
Broken hearts, broken lives
He will take them all
The power of the Word
The power of His blood
Everything was done
So you would come

OL3 Celebrates Christmas

Our CG Celebrate Christmas is here on 12 Dec (Fri), 8pm @ 31 Ris Grandeur. Join us a simple gathering with food, games, songs and a video on the hope of Christmas.
Join us by emailing jameslimsl@yahoo.com.sg by 11 Dec 2008.

Onelife 3

What's Your Compassion Quotient?

She is running
A hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
She is trying
But the canyon's ever widening
In the depths of her cold heart
So she sets out on another misadventure just to find
She's another two years older
And she's three more steps behind

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

She is yearning
For shelter and affection
That she never found at home
She is searching
For a hero to ride in
To ride in and save the day
And in walks her prince charming
And he knows just what to say
Momentary lapse of reason
And she gives herself away

Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?
Or does anybody even know she's going down today
Under the shadow of our steeple
With all the lost and lonely people
Searching for the hope that's tucked away in you and me
Does anybody hear her? Can anybody see?

If judgment looms under every steeple
If lofty glances from lofty people
Can't see past her scarlet letter
And we've never even met her

He is running a hundred miles an hour in the wrong direction
Ask: In this world of hurting people, why have we been blessed?

A Blessing

Genesis 12:3 (NIV)
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

An Ambassador in the Ministry of Reconciliation

2 Corinthians 5:18-21
18. All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19. that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.


One with God's heart for His People

2 Peter 3:9 (NIV)
9. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

John 10: 11-16 (NIV)
11."I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14. "I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15. just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

John 21:15-17 (NIV)
15. When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?" "Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
16. Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."
17. The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep.

People Need the Lord

Everyday they pass me by,
I can see it in their eyes.
Empty people filled with care,
Headed who knows where?

On they go through private pain,
Living fear to fear.
Laughter hides their silent cries,
Only Jesus hears.

People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize, people need the Lord?

We are called to take His light
To a world where wrong seems right.
What could be too great a cost
For sharing Life with one who's lost?

Through His love our hearts can feel
All the grief they bear.
They must hear the Words of Life
Only we can share.

People need the Lord, people need the Lord
At the end of broken dreams, He's the open door.
People need the Lord, people need the Lord.
When will we realize that we must give our lives,
For peo-ple need the Lord.

People need the Lord.

We are the Reason


As little children we would dream of Christmas morn
Of all the gifts and toys we knew we’d find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

We were the reason that He gave His life
We were the reason that He suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all He could give
To show us the reason to live

As the years went by we learned more about gifts
The giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying in the rain
All because of love
All because of love

I finally found the reason for living
It’s in giving every part of my heart to Him (every part to Him)
And all that I do every word that I say (you know I’ll be saying)
I’ll be giving my all just for Him, for Him (every thing for Him)

Will this be a merry Christmas for some and will they come to know the hope and good news behind the season?

Will it be a merry Christmas for you and have you yourself come to know and believe in the good news behind the season?

How are we treating the people who needs Christ? Do we truly love them and care for them as Jesus had cared for people?

How have you been treating outreach? Have it been stamping out of need to fulfill quotas, to feel good for playing your part as a Christian or have been stamping out of love of a Christ-follower for people; to see them overcome their struggles with God?

The Destination or The Process?

"Morning Run" by lusi

Cell Discussion: Israel in the Wilderness: Faith
Hi everyone, thanks for your sharing today. I had been blessed by your sharing of verses which has ministered to you during times of trials. I hope you will remember these verses as they have spoken to you in the past and keep them close to your hearts. Anyway, I hope to share some of my personal takeaways from my preparation for cell last night.

An Object Lesson on Faith
In fact, I thank God for bringing us through the cell. Frankly, before cell, I was totally clueless how to facilitate cell last night. I had been going through a tough week dealing with negative emotions and thoughts which had been affecting my self-esteem but then soon, God helped me realise one thing; that He had brought me through an object lesson about faith this whole week.

I have also been "plagued" by self-esteem issues and always tend to feel inferior and have all kinds of negative thoughts about myself and my abilities. I doubt myself constantly. And even though I am still face these issues now, but then the main difference, as I have come to realise, is how I am responding more in faith now. In the past, I would have been very devastated whenever this happens and sometimes it can really spiral downwards. But God has brought transformation to my life through the past few months and years that I am now able to cope with these thoughts and feelings.

Oooo, I have to admit it had been a horribly draining week but then by the end of it, I have come to realise how, despite being still affected by these feelings, I am able to overcome it because I held on to God in faith. I have faith in God because I had seen how He has shown me grace and brought me back from backsliding, how He has brought me through trials, how He has guided me through ministry (both my cell and work ministry), how He has changed my life and I also remember the promises I have received from Him through His word. And I hold dearly to God, responding in my mind "God, no matter what the circumstances, I am holding on to You and Your promises to me, knowing that You will bring me through."

On Faith & Deeds
Anyway, even though I realised how God had brought me through an object lesson in faith, I was still totally clueless as to how to facilitate cell. So yesterday morning, as I made my way to work, I prayed to God to show me how to facilitate cell. As I opened the bible to do my quiet time, I opened to James 2 (the reading for the day) and the heading read "Genuine Faith" (James 2:14-26). I read the chapter which spoke about faith without deeds is dead. Even though I understood that the sermon last Sunday was on faith, somehow the link was not evident. I was sensing being led to use this verse as the opening for cell discussion and I remember thinking to myself "God, this verse does not really link to what we are talking about, but I will have faith and trust in You. I will use this verse, trusting You will use it to minister and open the discussion."

The Confusion Begins: In Deed or Not In Deed?
The worst thing came when I arrived at work and as I accessed the Our Daily Bread website, the devotion shown was for the day before (since it is a day before in the states), on "Whom Will You Trust?". It is no doubt on faith but then the devotion made me more confused. Just this morning, I had read from James 2:26 that faith without deeds is dead. And now, the devotion has a verse from Ephesians 2:8-9 which says "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." So what, is works necessary? I became very very confused.

Then, I thank God for giving me time to discuss the topic briefly with Min Qin over the phone during lunch and as we discussed, God brought me to 2 Peter 1:3-11 (NIV):

3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;
6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;
7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall,
11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

And he also brought me to Philippians 3:8-11 (NIV):

8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.
10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

2 Sides of Faith: Saving Faith
And everything was beginning to click together, including a deeper understanding of what Elder Freddy mentioned on Sunday about the 2 sides of faith. It became clear to me that, on one hand, faith as in Hebrews 11:1 says that "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Just as we have accepted by faith about God and what He done on the cross for our salvation, so we accept by faith Christ as Saviour and Lord of our lives and so do we accept by faith that at the end of the journey, we are assured of where we will go. This is the saving faith. And this was mentioned in Ephesians 2, that we are saved by God's grace and not because of what we have done. In fact, I have recently read a devotional which says that the "God of Christianity never claims to be fair". Yup, you heard it right. Andy Stanley mentioned in the devotional that "A truly fair God would give you exactly what you deserve and nothing more... He decided not to give us what we deserve-that's mercy. In addition, God decided to give us exactly what we don't deserve-we call that grace". So it is no doubt that we are saved by grace and it is through faith in Christ that we are saved.

2 Sides of Faith: Faithfulness
But then Elder Freddy also spoke about faithfulness. And it is more about how we "run the race". In 2 Peter 1, Peter wrote to give guidance to growing Christians and asked to "make every effort to add to your faith..." So there is faith but then there is more after that... It seems that it is a process that as we profess our faith in Christ Jesus, it is not complete. We are to continue the process of being more Christ-like so we do not become ineffective and unproductive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:8) and becoming more like him in his death, (2 Peter 1:10) pure, holy and blameless but yet obedient to God. So it speaks of the process. So, is process more important or the destination? Well, both!

And Elder Freddy Boey has clearly given the analogy of running in the Olympics to show how we are to live as Christians and as children of God:

• Just as it is by invitation to join the Olympics, so are we also invited into God's family by His grace.
• Just as it runners represent not themselves in the Olympics but their countries, so are we to represent God in the race, knowing His identity and reflecting it.
  
• Just as the runners having to keep their eyes on the prize, so are we to run the race with faith, fixing our eyes on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-2), to run the good race, in a way to win the prize (1 Cor 9:24) and receive the crown of righteousness (2 Tim 4:7-8).

Elder Freddy Boey has further mentioned that faith is the way of the church. It is the way of life for Christians.

How Do We Keep the Faith?
There are giants that keeps faith away from us, just as the giants has kept the Israelite from possessing the promised land from God and they had been sidelined for close to 40 years, wandering in the wilderness. In the same way, there are giants which would keep faith away from us e.g. fear, wrong teachings, persecution, losing focus and being swallowed up by the world and/or succumbing to our sinful nature etc. What are some of the "giants" in your life which is keeping you from being faithful?

In keeping the faith, different of you have shared how you have kept the faith. For me, it was the promise which I had received from God and subsequently being affirmed through His Word (1 Chronicles 12 and Zechariah 2) when I was doing cell planning. For some, it is in keeping with Godly counsel while for some, it is prayer and for some, it is the Word of the Lord which has encouraged you in your darkest moments and in trials. From Psalm 23, 1 Cor 15:58, 2 Tim 2:4-7, Matt 6:5-7, Matt 6:25-34, Matt 14:25-33 and to Psalm 46:10, all these verses spoke to different ones of you during difficult times. Remember how the Lord has brought you out of the pits. Finally for some, it is a strong conviction in your life that God is always with us and will deliver us. Just as in Matthew 14:33, the people in the boat saw what Jesus did and came to worship God when they came to realise truly He is the son of God. So we need to first know who our God is and trust that His ways are not our ways (Isa 55:8) and that He knows best and is almighty to save.

So at the end of the day, we start the race and will end the race with faith, but we are also reminded to run the race with faith. Both the process and the destination are important. Just as it is useless to just stay put at the starting line, knowing that the finishing line and the prize is on the other end. But unless we start running and run according to the rules, it will be a futile race... True, we have been saved by grace and we have faith in our salvation, but just as James 2:26 reminds "As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead". The deeds of becoming more Christ-like and adding to our faith goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, love are equally as important.

God has been faithful to us so how will you respond in faith?

Related Topic: Running the Race

God Amidst Trials and Storms

Talking about trials and storms in the previous post, here are 2 accounts of people who have been through the storms of life but yet was touched by God, which in turn blessed and inpsired many others with their songs.

Horatio Spafford went through a series of tragedies in his family but yet pulls through it all with God. In the end, both he and his wife even continued to bless many others with their hands. This is his story:

On October 8, 1871, as Horatio and his wife Anna were grieving over the death of their son, the Great Chicago Fire swept through the city. Horatio was a prominent lawyer in Chicago, and had invested heavily in the city's real estate, and the fire destroyed almost everything he owned.

Two years later, in 1873, Spafford decided his family should take a holiday somewhere in Europe, and chose England knowing that his friend D. L. Moody would be preaching there in the fall. Delayed because of business, he sent ahead of him his family: his wife Anna, and his four remaining children, daughters Tanetta, Maggie, Annie and Bessie.

On November 21, 1873, while crossing the Atlantic on the steamship Ville du Havre, their ship was struck by an iron sailing vessel and two hundred and twenty six people lost their lives, including all four of Spafford's daughters. Somehow his wife, Anna, survived. On arriving in England, she sent a telegram to Spafford beginning "Saved alone."

Spafford then himself took a ship to England, going past the place where his daughters had died. According to Bertha Spafford, a daughter born after the tragedy, the hymn was written in mid-Atlantic.

After the tragedy, the Spaffords had two more children: a son, Horatio, born in 1876, and a daughter, Bertha, born two years later. Sadly, young Horatio contracted scarlet fever and died at the age of four. Then in August 1881, the Spaffords set out for Jerusalem as a party of 13 adults and 3 children and set up the American Colony.

Moved by a series of profound tragic losses, Chicago natives Anna and Horatio Spafford led a small American contingent in 1881 to Jerusalem to form a Christian utopian society known as the "American Colony." Colony members, later joined by Swedish Christians, engaged in philanthropic work amongst the people of Jerusalem regardless of their religious affiliation and without proselytizing motives--thereby gaining the trust of the local Muslim, Jewish, and Christian communities. During and immediately after World War I, the American Colony played a critical role in supporting these communities through the great suffering and deprivations of the eastern front by running soup kitchens, hospitals, orphanages and other charitable ventures.

Spafford died on October 16, 1888, of malaria, and was buried there in Jerusalem.

It Is Well with My Soul


When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say,
It is well, it is well with my soul.

(Refrain:) It is well (it is well),
with my soul (with my soul),
It is well, it is well with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
(Refrain)

My sin, oh the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
(Refrain)

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
(Refrain)

And Lord haste the day, when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
(Refrain)

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horatio_Spafford

You might not be familiar with John Newton but he wrote one of the songs we are all familiar with, Amazing Grace. John's account is one where God used a storm to begin to bring him back to him. Through the storm, John recognised that he could only rely on God and later worked with William Wilberforce towards the abolition of slave trade in the British Empire. This is his story:

John Newton was born in Wapping, Essex, in 1725, on July 24, the son of John Newton, a shipmaster in the Mediterranean service, and Elizabeth Newton (née Seatclife), a Nonconformist Christian. His mother died of tuberculosis when he was 6. Newton spent 2 years at boarding school, at the age of 11 he went to sea with his father and sailed with him on a total of six voyages until the elder Newton retired in 1742. Newton's father had planned for him to take up a position as a slave master at a sugar plantation in Jamaica but in 1743, he was pressed into naval service, and became a midshipman aboard HMS Harwich. After attempting to desert, Newton was put in irons and court martialed. The captain was determined to make an example of Newton for the rest of the crew. Thus, in the presence of 350 members of the crew, the 18-year old midshipman was stripped to the waist, tied to the grating, and received a flogging of 96 lashes, and was reduced to the rank of a common seaman. Following that disgrace and humiliation, Newton initially contemplated suicide, but he recovered, both physically and mentally, and, at his own request, he was placed in service on a slave ship bound for West Africa which eventually took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He became the servant of a slave trader, who abused him. It was this period that Newton later remembered as the time he was "once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa." Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had been asked by Newton’s father to search for him on his next voyage.

Religious Conversion
Sailing back to England in 1748 aboard the slave-ship Greyhound on the Atlantic triangle trade route, the ship encountered a severe storm and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and prayed to God as the ship filled with water. It was this experience which he later marked as the beginnings of his conversion to evangelical Christianity. As the ship sailed home, Newton began to read the Bible and other religious literature. By the time he reached Britain, he had accepted the doctrines of Christianity. The date was March 10, 1748, an anniversary he marked for the rest of his life. From that point on, he avoided profanity, gambling, and drinking, although he continued to work in the slave trade. He later said that his true conversion did not happen until some time later: "I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterwards."

Newton returned to Liverpool, England and, partly due to the influence of Joseph Manestay, a friend of his father’s, obtained a position as first mate aboard a slave trading vessel, the Brownlow, bound for the West Indies via the coast of Guinea. During the first leg of this voyage, while in west Africa (1748-49), Newton acknowledged the inadequacy of his spiritual life. While he was sick with a fever, he professed his full belief in Christ. He later said that this experience was his true conversion and the turning point in his spiritual life. He claimed it was the first time he felt totally at peace with God.

Still, he did not renounce the slave trade until later in his life (when he wrote a tract decrying it in aid of abolitionist William Wilberforce). After his return to England in 1750, he made three further voyages as captain of the slave-trading ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and the African (1752-53 and 1753-54). He only gave up seafaring and his slave-trading activities in 1754, after a serious illness.

Anglican priest
In 1755 Newton became tide surveyor of the port of Liverpool, again through the influence of Manestay and, in his spare time, was able to study Greek, Hebrew, and Syriac. He became well-known as an evangelical lay minister, and applied for the Anglican priesthood in 1757, although it was more than seven years before he was eventually accepted and ordained into the Church of England. Such had been his frustration during this period of rejection that he had sought also to apply to the Methodists, Independents and Presbyterians, as well as directly to the Bishops of Chester and Lincoln and the Archbishops of Canterbury and York.

Eventually, in 1764, he was introduced by Thomas Haweis to Lord Dartmouth, who was influential in recommending Newton to the Bishop of Chester, and who had suggested him for the living of Olney, Buckinghamshire. On 29 April 1764 Newton received deacon’s orders, and finally became a priest on 17 June.

As curate of Olney, Newton was partly sponsored by the evangelical philanthropist John Thornton, who supplemented his stipend of £60 a year with £200 a year "for hospitality and to help the poor". He soon became well-known for his pastoral care, as much as for his beliefs, and his friendship with dissenters and evangelical clergy caused him to be respected by Anglicans and non-conformists alike. He was to spend sixteen years at Olney, during which time so popular was his preaching that the church had a gallery added to accommodate the large numbers who flocked to hear him.

Some five years later, in 1772, Thomas Scott, later to become a biblical commentator and co-founder of the Church Missionary Society, took up the curacy of the neighbouring parishes of Stoke Goldington and Weston Underwood. Newton was instrumental in converting Scott from a cynical 'career priest' to a true believer, a conversion Scott related in his spiritual autobiography The Force Of Truth (1779).

In 1779 Newton was invited by the wealthy Christian merchant John Thornton to become Rector of St Mary Woolnoth, Lombard Street, London, where he officiated until his death. The church had been built by Nicholas Hawksmoor in 1727 in the fashionable Baroque style. Newton then became one of only two evangelical preachers in the capital, and he soon found himself gaining in popularity amongst the growing evangelical party. He was a strong supporter of evangelicalism in the Church of England, and was a friend of the dissenting clergy as well as of the ministry of his own church.

Many young churchmen and others enquiring about their faith visited him and sought his advice, including such well-known social figures as the writer and philanthropist Hannah More and the young M.P., William Wilberforce, who had recently undergone a crisis of conscience and religious conversion experience as he was contemplating leaving politics.

Abolitionist
John Newton has been called hypocritical by some modern writers for continuing to participate in the slave trade while holding strong Christian convictions. However, during his early years as a slave trader he did not consider himself to be a true Christian: 'I was greatly deficient in many respects...I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time later."

It is true, after what he felt was his true conversion to Christianity, he continued working the slave routes for a few years, but he eventually came to repent. He later joined William Wilberforce in the campaign for abolition. In 1787 he wrote a tract supporting the campaign, Thoughts Upon the African Slave Trade.

Among his greatest contributions to history was encouraging William Wilberforce, a Member of Parliament for Hull, to stay in Parliament and "serve God where he was", rather than enter the ministry. Wilberforce heeded the ex-slaveship captain's advice, and spent the next twenty years successfully working for the abolition of the slave trade in the British Empire.

"Amazing Grace"


Amazing grace, how sweet the sound
That sav’d a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears reliev’d;
How precious did that grace appear,
The hour I first believ’d!

Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promis’d good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease;
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who call’d me here below,
Will be forever mine.

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Newton

Enduring Faith

Prompted to Cover Faith
I had been preparing for cell discussion this week and even though I had missed the first sermon on "Enduring Faith" but instead attended the second service on "Power of the Blood", I just felt prompted to cover on the topic of faith this week. The topic kept appearing throughout the week - at my department devotion, corporate devotion and also through what happened this week in ministry, witnessing faith in action.

What is Faith?
And so, I began to reflect upon faith in my own walk. I can hear myself asking "So, what is faith? What's the big deal about it?" In fact, faith is a very common topic in the Christian walk and I was thinking that it would be timely for us to take a closer look at it; examining it more carefully.

What have we learnt about faith in our walk with the Lord?
I have come a long way in my ministry, starting from just an ordinary cell member to being God's servant in cell ministry and having to learn to rely on Him, learning how His grace is sufficient for me and how He is in control when I let Him.

Here are some thoughts on faith, as shared by some of you during cell discussion and also some things I have come to realise over the years, walking with God:

• Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of the unseen (Hebrews 11:1);
• Faith does not commensurate with the number of years we have been a Christian; it is possible for a Christian young in faith to have more faith than a Christian of many years;
• Strong faith becomes easier to exercise and more evident during trials;

Trials, Faith & Joy
In James 1:2-4 (NIV), it is said:
2. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3. because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When I saw these verses for the first time, I asked myself, "how can it be that one can consider it joy when facing trials? It must be crazy!" I remember during my personal and spiritual break earlier this year, I was reading from Acts and was amazed at how despite being persecuted, Paul still stood by his faith, strongly. I remember telling myself "what strong faith! I wonder why he has such strong faith?" But slowly, I have come to understand the verses as I reflect upon how God has helped me through the tough times; times which left me on my knees praying while everything was crumbling down, times which, on hindsight, helped molded me to be the way I am now. I have slowly come to appreciate the flip side of trials, even though, yes, I have to agree that it is tough.

Why Trials?
Bob Sorge describes perseverance and endurance as faith sustained over time in the midst of pressure and crisis. So that naturally leads me to ask: Why trials?

• Trials Bring Us Back to God - When I think about it, the first thing I have come to realise is that trials sometimes happen to bring us back to God.
  
  For me, life was going relatively smoothly for me. Though I was brought up as a Christian, I began to drift away from God because I felt that this was a part of my life which was not important at all since there were no big trials in my life... With success in most things I do, I became more self-sufficient until something hit me real heard. Then suddenly, I was facing career, relationship, friendship problems all at the same time. I had nowhere to turn and then God brought me a friend, who I had lost touch with for a long time, to come into my life. This friend eventually brought me back to Him. I still recall when I messaged another friend on the first Sunday I came to Riverlife, my friend replied "it took a trial for God to bring you back to Him". So take heed that sometimes, trials is a signal to go back to God.
  
  
• Trials Help Us to Rely on God - Then, I began to see how trials also help us to rely on God. Indeed, if we believe that God is the Great Almighty, the one who created everything and gave life, then why are we sometimes reluctant to let go and let God? I am very familiar with this because sometimes, when facing problems, I tend to say to God "God, I know you are big but then let me deal with this problem myself because I believe I can do it". But then, when we accepted Christ and made Him our saviour and Lord, isn't He also Lord over all, including our trials? Do we just treat Him as only a saviour or do we take the whole package and accept Him as Lord of our lives as well, trusting that He has His plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)?
  
  I recall how stepping up into ministry had been one of the biggest trial for me and I had to rely on God. I recall the days when I cried about things, about how hopeless things felt, about how lousy I felt about myself because of all that is happening. I had no where to turn to and had to look up. Today, as I look back at the tough times and see how God had blessed my hands in ministry and how things started to take a turn when I stopped trying and prayed and commit it into His hands, I praise God for being there. A friend has ever shared that she had once had to deal with worry when she did not hear from her husband, who went to work overseas, for 2 whole weeks. She tried reaching him but to no avail. But yet, she could not do anything else except to pray. In the end, thank God, her husband returned the next day. It's true that sometimes, there is nothing else we can do but to look to God.
  
  I have once received a SMS that went "when facing problems, do not say 'Oh God, we have a big problem' but instead 'Problem, we have a big God!'" Believe it and proclaim it!
  
  
• Trials Brings Growth - Yet another thing I have realised about trials is that it brings growth. I am reminded how we are all "Work in Progress" and how trials provide the opportunity to mature and even critically think about what could be better in life. Ultimately, it is about growing to become the person God wants us to be.
  
  James reminded that "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". Through trial and perseverance, we will grow and mature to be complete and not lacking anything. In the same way, I have come to see how much I have grown as a person over the past few years as I continue to walk with the Lord; how He continued to challenged me to live a life that would honour Him. I have come to slowly overcome many problems previously faced, including my introvertedness and I have to admit that stepping up in ministry has challenged me to a higher standard of living a God-honouring life.
  
  I always believe that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God. And part of that relationship with God is first reconciling with God and then walking righteously with Him. I have learnt how God is more concerned with who we become and how we walk with Him more than anything else because "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7b). It is not the outward person but the real person He is concerned with.
  
  
• Trials Help Us Bless Others - Yet another thing I have come to realise is how trials are also intended for us to bless others. Several times, I saw how God has used my past experiences to help me understand others and minister to them. Though some of these past experiences were painful, God nonetheless helped me to address some of these through the sermons and NLE. As was as if I was put through a rehabilitation programme. Then God used me to minister to others. Through my past experiences, I got to be able to share with others how I have been through similar struggles and how, with God, I had been able to overcome it.
  
  
• Trials Build Faith and More Faith - Lastly, trials builds more faith. When we overcome a trial with God, it helps us build more faith in Him to overcome future trials. Just as Jason has shared, we have sometimes come to realise how God is bigger than anyone or anything else when we just be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
  
  
• And I just realised that the cell had a similar discussion of trial here: how trials bring people closer back to God, how trials prepare one for ministry, how trials indicate the devil is trying to put a stop to you responding to God's call and how trials may also indicate something is spiritually not right.
  

Trails are here to stay
It's interesting how some of us sometimes feel awkward that as Christians, we face trials too. But trials are certain to stay in our lives because James 1:2 says "whenever you face trials of many kinds" not "if you face trials of many kinds". Trials are certain and it is not surprising that Christians face trials. But what is different is that, as children of God, we are certain that God is with us and in control as long as we seek Him and His will. He will bring us through it all.



Still
Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust

How do we build faith?
I have thought through it and at the end of the day, the way which has worked for me is to (i) know God, (ii) see God at work in our lives and (iii) living daily with God; having the Holy Spirit with us. We need to know who God is, how real He is and live each day with Him.

It seems that to grow in faith, we need to know God's character, who He is and how He sees us. We need to know who we are in God's eyes and how much He cares for us and wants the best for us before we can grow faith and trust in Him. After all, isn't that how we grow trust and faith in others? We need to be more "God-aware", knowing how real He is in our lives, watching over and blessing us, through daily thanksgiving. Finally, we need to live God-honouring and righteous lives, having the Holy Spirit with us. As we continue to walk closely with God, we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His prompting.

Luke 8:22-25 tells us how Jesus calms the storm. Jesus had told his disciple to go to the other side of the lake. As they sailed, Jesus feel asleep and a storm came. The disciples panicked and When the storm came, the woke Him up, only to have Jesus asking them about their faith. Indeed sometimes, we can be like the disciples; despite having Jesus on board, they had little faith. It would be different when we know who is in the boat with us and know who He is and how He has seen us through our days.

As we wrapped up cell, I sensed that as we shared about our past struggles and how God brought us through it all, we are reminded how we all stand as testimonies of how God has worked in our lives, including how God even sent timely word to us during those tough times to comfort us and assure us, be it through Our Daily Bread, the bible or even through a bible verse in a colleague's diary. Many of you shared how this happened many times for you and indeed God sees you in your trials. He knows and comforts.

The Choice
If you want to build faith, build a relationship with God. If you have yet to do so with Him, do so today. Faith is a choice; when trials come, do not look around but look up.

Everyday Thanksgiving

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as
long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, my children are so loud,
thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord, for life.

- author unknown

Ephesians 1-4:16

How is everyone enjoying the study of the book of Ephesians so far? I do not know about you but then the current sermon series on the book of Ephesians is making me fall in love with the book. It's one of the books which says so much succinctly and yet contains so much depth and insights into how we should live lives as a child of God.

Who We Are in God? (Ephesians 1)
Starting with Ephesians 1, Paul first tells us how we are valued in God's eyes (v4-5) and what he did for us (6-10):

4. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5. he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6. to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10. to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

There Must Be More Than This (Ephesians 1)
But then, it does not stop there, Paul tells us that "there must be more than this"; that there is more to just salvation but he prays that the eyes of our hearts be open that we will have the wisdom and be able to experience God more (v17-21). :

17. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19. and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20. which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21. far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Being God Aware (Ephesians 1)
To experience (i) hope, (ii) blessings and (iii) His power. We need to be, like Lydia nicely puts it, "God-aware" because God is in our lives and all we have to do is jut be more aware about it. Which is why I am encouraging for a time of thanksgiving everytime we meet for cell because it helps us to see how real God is in our lives and help to also encourage others. For me, I can see how there is marked difference between the time I backslided and now. Yes, there are still of course challenges (who says life is going to be easy for Christians?) but then the difference I realise is that I have God in my life and in many areas of my life, including work, ministry and personal life, I have seen God work in marvelous ways. I am more positive now and trust in His power. With each thanksgiving, I am reminded more of this. Where is God in your life? Is He your saviour, redeemer, friend, counsellor? How can we make Him the Lord of our lives?

Saved by Grace, not Works (Ephesians 2)
Ephesians 2 then starts off by reminding us again what God did for us, that we are saved by grace (v1-9); for God showed mercy to us even when we did not deserve it because of our sin and unrighteousness. Then Paul makes his case, instructing the church about how we are to live as a body of Christ because "His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." (v15b-16). There are no strangers to God's kingdom and God's family because all deserve God's grace.

Praise for God and Prayer for Ephesian Church (Ephesians 3)
Then, Paul breaks into praise and prayer in Ephesians 3, recounting how he himself was unworthy (v8-9) but yet God shown him grace. Paul, formely Saul, persecuted and allowed the killing of Christians but had an encounter with God in Damascus (see Acts 9). He then prayed for the Ephesian church.

Live a Worthy Life (Ephesians 4)
Ephesians 4 begins instruction on how we are to live in the church, the body of Christ. The "Church" is not merely a physical building as most of us would understand it but the community of believers who have come to accept salvation and Christ as Lord. Paul starts off by asking us to live a life worthy of the calling we received (v1). The question is: what is a worthy life? Maybe we can gain some insights from Colossians 1:10-12 which says:

10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

A "worthy" life now that God has saved you from darkness with what Christ done on the cross and a "worthy" life in response to that, administering God's gifts to fulfill God's purpose and will for you. Have you thought about what the purpose of your life is? For some of you, you have shared that you have come to realise while for some, you are still discerning. Keep praying for God to show you His purpose for your life.

Some would say a "worthy" life is to grow to be more Christ-like. To me, being Christ-like is not only about how we behave but about one's heart too. Do we behave in a Christ-like manner but ALSO develop a heart for God just as Christ did? We can see this heart for God through Matthew 22:37-40 which speaks of the two greatest commandment that summarizes the 10 commandments; love God and love our neighbours (Christ has He himself explained in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it). But it seems that Paul is taking this a little further by telling us ways in which we can fulfil the 2 greatest commandment; because if we love God and our neighbours, all that is mentioned in Colossians 1:10-12 will come to be.

Ultimately, it is about our heart for God and what we are doing in our walk with Him in response to what Christ has done for us on the cross.

The Purpose & Power of Community (Ephesians 4)
Then Paul speaks of the purpose and power of community; reminding us that although we are all diversely different with different gifts, we are all one in Christ. Unity in diversity! The purpose of God's community is really to help build up each others' lives (v12) that we become more mature and Christ-like (v13-14). In this way, we will not be swayed by lies especially from the enemy, whose aim is to distance us from God, ever since the beginning of time.

12. to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13. until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

Colossians 2:2-4
2. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

And part of the building up and also maturing is how the community can help people to receive restoration and healing from God for past hurts. A Christ-centered community can allow God to administer healing and restoration through it but in a similar way, a non Christ-centered community can also has the power to destroy much. Love in a Christ-centered community can bring about much building up. For me, the community played an important role in helping me rebuild my life when I first came back to God (even though I did not foresee myself staying in cell at that time). In the same way, part of the building up also comes from how we help restore others from sin, helping to keep each other accountable. This would be what we may sometimes called "tough love".

Galatians 6:1-2:
1. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

So, the purpose and power of God's community is really to help us, upon being saved, to continue our walk with the Lord as WIP (Work in Progress); to help build up and mature, to edify each other.

Different Yet United; Gifts and Instructions (Ephesians 4)
Now how are we to be able to tap into and release the power of God's community? God gave gifts to everyone to allow for one another to build one another up. Everyone will have gifts given by God that he/she can administer to help build each other up (v7-8, 11-13):

7. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."...

Romans 12:4-8:
4. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5. so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8. if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

God's Gift & Accepting the Significance of His Gift to Us
The analogy of the body is constantly used because everyone has a part to play and God has a purpose for different ones of us with different giftings. It is important that we learn to accept the gifts God gave us and how uniquely God made us to be.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30:
27. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30. Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

I shared about how initially when I was called to leadership, I struggled and struggled and struggled. I was feeling all lousy about how I was such an introvert and how I could not compare to other leaders. Whenever, I see other leaders leading their cell, I remember always asking myself and asking God "God, why can't I be more extroverted?", "God why can't I be more charismatic?" etc But soon, God helped me realised how He had made me different and gave me giftings for the purpose He has for me. Now, as I look at our cell, it becomes clear what His purpose is for me and how much He had blessed my cell ministry. Not only that, I have also come to realise how everything came together to help me in my work ministry. I have been put into IT training and I picked up IT and training skills. I have worked in a hospital as a medical social worker but could not survive more than 6 months but I picked up important case management skills. I have been put into a professional association working at policy development level and I picked up project management and programme development skills. Now, God not only called me back from backsliding but also into my current job where everything fits together nicely. All the skills has come in handy and, by God's grace, my work ministry was taking off, despite not having done volunteer programme management before. God never wastes our past experiences and God has His purpose for us. Do we accept the unqiue self God has made us to be?

Talking about giftings, I am reminded of an illustration used by a fellow friend to demonstrate how we are all different but important, just as parts of a body are.

One day, various parts of a certain body entered into a heated debate about who is the most important of all. Every prominent and well-known part claimed to be superior to the others.

The Brain started the ball rolling by saying, "I am the most important of all. Without my ability to think, what can the body and all the parts do? You will all be helpless like a newborn baby!" Not to be outdone, The Eyes exclaimed, "Do you really think so? Without our ability to see where the whole body is going and what is happening, what can anyone of you do? And what can you, Mr Brain, do if you have no idea what is happening?". "That's what you think, Mr Eyes, " said The Hands. "Just look around you: how many things are made only possible by us and the 10 digits that we have? Can you even put on the clothes without us? You will be as naked as the lamppost. Hahaha", The Hands continued.

The ears, mouth, legs, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and various others took their turns to pitch their importance above the rest, all except for the lowly ass****. He did not know what to say. He thought again and again. What can he boast about? Nothing much, actually.

By now, everyone who has said their piece, turned to the quiet ass****. Suddenly, they all broke out in a guffaw.

"Of course (heehee) he has nothing to say, " offered Mr Brain, trying to control his laughter. "He just takes out the trash. Buahahahaha!" So, while the rest continued to poke fun at him and called him all kinds of unflattering names, the ass**** did not say a single word. He was too hurt to even mutter anything. He just shut up and sobbed quietly.

One day passed. Another day came and went. By the third day, the various parts of the body were groaning and moaning. The colon, intestines, stomach, liver and various members of the digestive system began feeling like wool and clogged drains at the same time. The throat and mouth became sore, while the eyes turned blurry and teary. Even the brain began hallucinating, while the limbs and various external parts of the body became numb and weak. The heart was at a loss as to what to do when the blood it pumps kept bouncing back almost immediately.

"Wwhhh...at's hhh..appening? Are we ddddyyyy...ing?" The Brain asked. The Eyes kept quiet. They couldn't tell what was wrong. Likewise, the ears, the mouth, and everybody else. After a long pause, a weak voice from far down was heard. "Maybe..." said the colon, "...it's got something to do with our friend, Mr Ass****, sir." "Everything we processed for disposal isn't moving at all. I think we are gonna die...The toxins have hit us..."

Finally, Mr Ass**** spoke.

"Sorry, folks. I have remained shut for the past few days to reflect on what happened. It's true. There's nothing noteworthy for me to say. I cannot claim to be as important as any one of you because I am just a lowly garbage man. Nevertheless, I hope you will accept me as a fellow member of this body. Nobody asks to be an ass****, and I am just trying to do this unglamourous task assigned to me everyday, and to do it well."

You can read a similar illustration in 1 Corinthians 12:20-26.

God's Instructions: Unity & Love
So, enough about gifts. What about instructions? Paul instructed that the church needs to remember that even though we are all diverse and different, we are one and are told to make effort to keep the unity:

Ephesians 4:2-5
2. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But how do we keep the unity? Paul recognise that we need to make effort and this can come from one thing: love. Paul later mentioned in Colossians 3 about the list of things we need to do but gives an indication how we can achieve it:

12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And this interestingly points us back to Christ's greatest commandment again: love your neighbour. Paul mentioned that love will bind them together in perfect unity.

In fact, Christ himself mentioned about loving one another in John 13:34-35:

34. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Others can be found in Romans 13:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:11-12, 2 John 1:5.

But like what was mentioned earlier, love and tough love can both edify and help build up. But we need to always remember that whatever it is, the commonality is still love.