Eager Efforts

An inspiring devotional that speaks to me about God's grace cannot be earned, and as long as we serve with a pure heart that seeks to glorify him in our life and bless others, he is well pleased and he accepts our service, a worship onto the Lord, wholeheartedly. It is not about how good or bad one fares, not just approval from others or even my own personal judgment that really matters, the thing is we can be totally free to serve God!

"You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God-- not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life." Ephesians 2:1-10 (NRSV)

ONE spring my wife and I planted gardenias. "We'll help," said our two young sons. We gave them trowels, and they began digging. Before we knew it, they were off playing with their toys, leaving a few shallow holes in the dirt. Of course we didn't mind. Actually, we were pleased by their effort.

But if I'd hired a landscaping firm to plant those gardenias, I'd have been upset. "You won't get paid until it's done right," I might have said. That thought reminded me of the difference between serving as a response to God's grace and love and serving in an attempt to earn these gifts of God with our works. It's the difference between the eager offerings that children give their parents and the anxious toil that workers may do for their employer.

Our position in our Father's house is secure. Even if our good works are mixed with the remnants of sin and the best we can do is dig shallow holes for the Almighty, God is pleased with our effort. When we look for salvation in God's grace and not in our own good deeds, we are free to offer joyful service.

By Marvin Lindsay (Virginia, USA)

Prayer: Dear Father, help us to remember that we are not your employees but your children. As such, we long to be like you and to serve you. Amen.

Are You an Optismist or a Pessimist?

Sherlock Holmes and Watson were camping in the forest. They had gone to bed and were lying beneath the night sky. Holmes said, “Watson, look up. What do you see?”


Watson obliged and answered, “I see thousands of stars.”

“And what does that mean to you?” Holmes asked.

“I suppose it means that of all the planets in the universe, we are truly fortunate to be here on Earth. God is all-powerful and even though we may seem small and insignificant, we can live each day under God's power. In a meteorological sense, it means we’ll have a sunny day tomorrow. What does it mean to you, Holmes?”

“To me, it means someone has stolen our tent.”

"Are you a optimist or a pessimist?" Asks the facilitator this morning.

We are reminded, from scriptures and from our life experiences and also the life experiences of others, that as Christians, the difference is life is not that we have a trial-free life but we have a God-filled life; a life we know where the presence of God will help us weather through the storms whenever it comes.

We are reminded from Romans 8:28-39 that:

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose... If God is for us, who can be against us?... No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

In the story of Daniel, we see how others had meant harm for him. As a result, he was thrown into a lion's den. Miraculously, he survived the ordeal and responded to the King the next day

Daniel 6:21-22 (NIV)
Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.

As a result, Daniel was saved and God was glorified as the King issued a decree:

Daniel 6:26-27 (NIV)
"I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.

He rescues and he saves;
he performs signs and wonders
in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
from the power of the lions."

What do you do when you face a difficult moment? Do you remember what He has done in your life and what He has done in the lives of many? Will you trust in the Lord and hold on to His hope? Do you fear and revere the Lord to be found "innocent in His sight"?

When the Lord reigns, all will be well.

Psalm 63
A psalm of David. When he was in the Desert of Judah.

1 O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

3 Because your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify you.

4 I will praise you as long as I live,
and in your name I will lift up my hands.

5 My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

6 On my bed I remember you;
I think of you through the watches of the night.

7 Because you are my help,
I sing in the shadow of your wings.

8 My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.

9 They who seek my life will be destroyed;
they will go down to the depths of the earth.

10 They will be given over to the sword
and become food for jackals.

11 But the king will rejoice in God;
all who swear by God's name will praise him,
while the mouths of liars will be silenced.

Prayer for the Workplace

Hi everyone!

Got this nice prayer at our devotion today and it was interesting as the facilitator got us to take a line each and pray as we are ministered by it. A nice reminder that we enter our work with God and His presence is always with us.

My Heavenly father, as I enter this workplace
I bring your presence with me.

I speak your peace, Your grace, Your mercy,
and Your perfect order in this office.

I acknowledge You power over all that will be spoken,
thought, decided, and done within these walls.

Lord, I thank You for the gifts You have blessed me with.
I commit to using them responsibly in your honor.

Give me a fresh supply of strength to do my job.

Anoint my projects, ideas, and energy so that even my
smallest accomplishment may bring You glory.

Lord, when I am confused guide me.

When I am burned out infuse me with the light of the Holy Spirit.

May the work that I do and the way I do it bring faith, joy,
and a smile to all that I come in contact with today.

And Lord, when I leave this place, give me travelling mercy.

Bless my family and home to be in order as I left it.

Lord, I thank You for everything You've done,
everything You're doing, and everything Your're going to do.

In the Name of Jesus I pray, with much love and thanksgiving.

Amen.

Devotion: How Can I Forgive?

This morning in devotion, me and my colleagues read the story of Corrie Ten Boom and shared about forgiveness. Some of you might be familiar with Corrie's story, a powerful true story and reminder about forgiveness.

Just as I read the article from Our Daily Bread, three words caught my attention "Jesus, help me!". Right at that point in time, God placed on my heart something which He wants me to be reminded and also to share - we can forgive with help from God.

For me, I had long been affected by a failed friendship 4 years back, which has scarred me, and affected how I relate with people. I started to be wary of people and could not trust people, afraid that they would hurt me. It was also that time that God brought me back into His community and I remember that whenever I share about the matter, either in cell or in office devotion, I would not fail to tear. Yes, the hurt was so deep I told myself I could not bring myself to forgive my friend. I became more and more bitter and started to hate the fact how this has scarred me to the extent I feared social interactions with people. It's not my fault that this has happened and has scarred me so much. Yes, I hear about forgiveness and know I am to forgive, for my own sake and as commanded by God. But how?!

Of course, God began a work in me and over the span of a few years, I can see his rehabilitative programme taking place, as I am being ministered through sermons, new life encounter, cell discussions and even by people God has brought into my life. Then, one day, I suddenly realised that my hatred for this friend has subsided that I could even pray for him. And in the last few days, I have even met up with him face-to-face, first time in many years, and was even able to sustain a genuine conversation with him without a tinge of hatred at all. But, it did not become clear to me until this morning during devotion and God made me realise how I have been brought from "bitter" to better. It hasn't been an easy road but God has not only restored me but also has helped me to forgive this friend of mine. And now, I am relatively more a confident person having left my baggage behind.

Why do you forgive? Because God commanded so. Colossians 3:13b reminds us "Forgive as the Lord forgave you". And just in case you forgot how God forgave us, look at Luke 23:34 where Jesus uttered the words "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Jesus forgave the people who crucified Him and humiliated Him. And He also forgave you and me, long before we were even born and said that we repent. This is the power of His love.

How do we forgive? With God. Just as Corrie mentioned "Jesus, help me!" and just as I have come to realise how God has helped me to forgive. He has the power to help you deal with your unforgiveness and bitterness too. Will you entrust it to Him and say "Jesus, help me!"

How Can I Forgive?
READ: Matthew 18:21-35
If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. —Matthew 6:15

Some of life’s hurts are so deep and painful that to forgive the people who caused them seems impossible. Yet Jesus says that we can’t experience His forgiveness if we have an unforgiving spirit.

In World War II, Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie were arrested for concealing Jews and were sent to a German concentration camp. Betsie died a slow and terrible death as a result of the cruel treatment.

Then, in 1947, Corrie spoke about God’s forgiveness to a church in Munich. Afterward, a man sought her out. She recognized him as one of the guards who had mistreated her and Betsie. He told her that he had become a Christian, and with extended hand he asked for her forgiveness. Corrie struggled with her feelings, but when she recalled the words of Jesus in Matthew 6:15, she knew she had to forgive. She silently prayed, “Jesus, help me!” and thrust her hand into the hand of her former tormentor.

Someone has said, “Forgiveness is not a case of ‘holy amnesia’ that wipes out the past. Instead, it is the experience of healing that drains the poison from the wound.”

God asks us to do for others what He has done for us through Jesus Christ. He’ll give us strength to forgive.

— Dennis J. De Haan

Lord Jesus, give us grace each day
That we may follow in Your way,
Especially when some unloved soul
Needs our forgiving to be whole. —DJD

Since we all need forgiveness, we should always be forgiving.

Love Letter

NLE Testimony

NLE (Men), now known as Divine Encounter (Men), is coming from 30 Oct-1 Nov @ Mercure Johor Palm Resort & Golf. Wonder any of you keen to go along together for a time of refreshing, healing and restoration? I do strongly encourage you to go if you believe that it would help or especially if the Lord is prompting you that you need further restoration. Just make the step in faith and leave the rest to the Holy Spirit.

I share with you here my concise testimony which I shared in church last year. I have previously shared my encounter in detail here.

Psalm 23:1-3 (NIV)
¹ The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. ² He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, ³ he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

As I shared in my previous testimony, the Lord may be saying to some of you "the time for restoration and healing is now". May the Lord make you lie down on green pastures and lead you to quiet waters.

“An upgrading project”… that’s how I would describe my experience with the New Life Encounter (Men) last year. Just like an upgrading project, I have come to realize in the days following NLE, that God has begun a work of significant restoration through NLE. Having been through the beatings of life… I’ve experienced God’s healing, restoration and renewal. He is also slowly working in my life to make things better than before…

Hello, my name is James. I am from OneLife and am currently also serving in the cell ministry there. I thank God for the opportunity to be able to stand here to share with you about NLE (Men). Frankly speaking, when I was approached more than a month ago to share my testimony for NLE, I was very hesitant. I still remember and am very grateful for the work God did in me through NLE. But being the introverted me, I thought that “this is not for me, leave it to others”. And yet, a part of me battled with that thought and gradually, I became convicted of the need to testify to what God has done in my life, and to bless others as God has blessed me. So, I told God that I am going forth in faith, believing that He will use it for His glory.

I came to RiverLife in August 2005. At that time, I was going through some struggles in my work and personal life, everything seemed to be falling apart. I was deeply wounded by people and circumstances and badly needed respite. In addition to that, I was also burning out at work.

I had backslided for some 15 years. For years, I had rejected friends’ invitation to church, for fear of being looked down upon as a backslider. But this time round, my friend told me that RiverLife was having a service to launch her new building and so I thought I would just come by to visit.

During that service, I was ministered to and rededicated my life to Christ, and God began healing my hurts. It’s interesting how God brought me back during that service (which happens to also be RiverLife’s anniversary). So now every year, I am reminded of my own coming back to God as the church celebrates her anniversary.

Over the course of time, I began to be ministered by God through the weekly sermons, and it began to help nurse my past disappointments, emotional hurts and unforgiveness. But one day, I realised how I had not really gotten over some of my unforgiveness. God impressed upon my heart how I was overwhelmed by unforgiveness and bitterness towards the people who had hurt me, and this was affecting both my personal and spiritual life. And I thought, “It is by no fault of mine that I am this way!”

But my problems in trusting people persisted. Everytime I got emotionally hurt again, I would spiral downwards. It was as if I had hit a glass ceiling and could go no further… I was getting real sick and tired of always yearning to connect with people but yet battling my tendency to withdraw from them for fear of disappointment and hurt again. I was getting very frustrated and desperately needed a breakthrough! And so, I decided I would give NLE a try.

I can recall the day of departure to NLE at Harbourfront, I was waiting around with the other brothers-in-Christ. I remember “beating myself up” emotionally, asking myself “why did I subject myself to this, coming to this retreat all alone?” The introverted side of me was causing me to feel real vulnerable amidst all the unfamiliar faces. I remember asking how I was to survive the next 2 days. I uttered a short prayer to God to watch over me the next 2 days, and help me keep the focus of dealing with my issues.

I had always thought that I had forgiven people for how they hurt me. But on the contrary, I came to realize during NLE how the hurt was still pretty raw and painful. The sessions not only helped to surface my unforgiveness towards others but even towards myself for the things I had done to grieve God. Some of these things have been repressed for so long I had totally forgotten about them. Most importantly, I have come to learn and understand from the heart, how we have been commanded to forgive, how Christ Himself set an example of releasing forgiveness through His work on the cross, how we are all WIP (Works in Progress), and how God not only loves us but wants to be reconciled with us, and to empower us.

Immediately after NLE, I went back to journal about my experience and encounter with God. It was a good time of reflection as I came to full realization and appreciation of the work that God had begun in me. So, I have much to share and can really go on and on about my 2 days experience. But the main thing is that I am really here to encourage those who need a touch from the Lord- take a step of faith and come forth to let Him start His work of significant restoration in you. Ecclesiastes 3:1 says “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”. And I believe that God is saying to some of you here that it is time for you to release and commit your struggles to Him…allow Him to breakthrough for you.

Are there any areas of unforgiveness and bitterness in your life now? Are there areas which you find difficult to let go? God is willing to work with you and heal you if you yield yourself to Him… Thank you.

James Lim Soon Leong
OneLife
RiverLife Church

Defining Moments

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It Is...

Hi morning!

I was ministered by today's Our Daily Bread. It reminds me that as we are sometimes overwhelmed by life with fear, worry, depression, disappointment, despair, Jesus can comfort us as He comforted His disciples in Matt 14:22-33.

Three particular “It is” statements can lead us through… “It is written” (Matt 4:4,7,10) can help us overcome temptations. “It is I” (Matt 14: 27) brings comfort in times of need. “It is finished” (John 19:30) speaks of His love and work to save and redeem us. Will you let Jesus speak into Your heart today? I did and I was comforted to know that it is Him.

He Is Enough

READ: Matthew 14:22-33

Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” —Matthew 14:27

Sometimes we are overwhelmed by life. The crushing waves of disappointment, endless debt, debilitating illness, or trouble with people can cause hopelessness, depression, or despair. It happened to Jesus’ disciples. And it has happened to me.

Three statements by the Lord beginning with the words “It is . . .” offer us comfort, reassurance, and hope that Jesus is enough. The first is in Matthew 4 and is repeated three times: “It is written” (vv.4,7,10). In responding to the three temptations of Satan, Jesus gave us proof enough that the Word of God is true and overcomes the most powerful forms of temptation and pressure.

The second statement, “It is I” (Matt. 14:27), was spoken when Jesus told His terrified disciples that He Himself was presence enough to stop the howling storm and calm the raging seas.

Jesus spoke the third “It is” from the cross: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). He assured us that His death was provision enough to pay the debt for our sins and set us free.

Whatever our circumstances, Jesus is present with His love, compassion, and grace. He is proof, presence, and provision enough to carry us safely through. — David C. Egner

When trials overwhelm our souls
And tempt us to despair,
We need to reach out to the Lord
And trust His tender care. —Sper

God’s love does not keep us from trials; it helps us get through them.

1 John 4:13 (NIV)

We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.

He has given us His Spirit ti guide us, remind us, empower us to walk with God.

Video Sermon: Recovering, Living & Sharing the True Gospel of Jesus

Hello everyone.

Here are the video sermons by Dr Corne Bekker when he was here in July.

"Recovering the True Gospel of Jesus" by Dr Corne Bekker (12 July 2009)

Sermon @ Riverlife Church - "Recovering the True Gospel of Jesus" by Dr Corne Bekker (12 July 2009) from James Lim on Vimeo.

Jesus warns about false prophets and teachers; the challenges we face today is not only worldly values which impacts lives but also a watering down of the gospel to fit our livestyles, to justify our lives and/or to manage our sins.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ is radically simple. Are we preaching the true gospel of Jesus?

"Living and Sharing the True Gospel of Jesus" by Dr Corne Bekker (19 July 2009)

Sermon @ Riverlife Church - "Living and Sharing the True Gospel of Jesus" by Dr Corne Bekker (19 July 2009) from James Lim on Vimeo.

In this sermon, Dr Corne Bekker address Riverlife Church on the impending revival and what to look out for as the enemy will come to counter the work of God.

He also shares from Mark how we are to live and share the true gospel of Jesus.

Are You Tired?

Luke 10:38-41 (NIV)
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!""Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

My Realisation that "I Am Tired"
I am tried... yes, I have to admit that as I was going through devotion last week, I have come to realise that my life is filled with so many things; appointments, to-dos, meetings, trainings, planning etc that I am beginning to feel drained.

And what came out during my devotion last week came as a timely reminder from the Lord as I focused on the topic of simplicity throughout the week. And as if to reinforce the reminder, a recent sms conversation with a friend further emphasized how I needed to do something about this.

A few weeks back, one of my friends asked to meet up, since it has been ages since we last met each other. My natural response was to take out my diary and after looking through my diary, I messaged him back "let's meet on 8 August" - the day this conversation took place was 8 July. Well, no choice, that was the next available date I have given all the things I had to go and attend to and the dates I had to set aside for other things.

Not surprisingly, my friend responded something to the effect "Wow, you very busy hor? have to wait one month to meet up with you!" The sms initially made me chuckle but then made me realised how there is truth in it as well and I was indeed "very busy".

Does this seem familiar? Or maybe you have yet to come to the same stage as me but is well on the way there.

The Desire to Simplify our Lives
In an observation in my devotion last week, the author commented how we have all become "anxious, overwhelmed, overworked... and the more we fill our lives with time saving devices and time saving strategies, the more rushed we feel...".

In another observation, he confidently mentioned that whenever people ask us "Hi how are you?", our response would be something like "Oh, doing fine la, just busy, busy busy. You know packed schedules, lots of meetings, people to see, places to go".

Are you tired? Maybe, some of us has come to the stage where we are so tired, we want to just simplify our lives. And the bible seems to have lots of suggestions how we can do just that. I have learnt that:

1. The Need to See the Eventuality of Life (Setting Things in Perspective)
   "Imagine for a moment that your physician announced that you had only six months to live. Close your eyes for sixty seconds, put yourself in that position, and wait for the thouthgs and feelings to arise. Among other things, I bet your perspective changed and your values shifted... the notion that your earthly life has a definite end gives you perspective and a sense of urgency about the things that matter most".
   
   Romans 13: 11-14 (NIV)
   ¹¹And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. ¹²The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. ¹⁴Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
   
   Without eternal perspective, we seem to be still asleep, living each day as it is and living to help ourselves make our lives on earth better. Well, nothing wrong with that but then we are reminded that we have life beyond death as well and what are we doing about it? Paul asked us to wake up and live each day clothed with the Lord Jesus as we live righteously. That is what God desires, that He "did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life" (1 Thessolonians 4:7) and to "be holy and blameless in his sight" (Ephesians 1:4).
   
   Today is the only day guaranteed to you, yesterday is over and tomorrow may never come...
   
   If there are anything which we have yet to repent of, ask God to help you identify these which may stand in your way of drawing to Him and experiencing His love, grace, mercy, plans and power in your life.
   
   
2. The Need for Focus on the Inner (Ask: Am I Focusing on the Right Things?)
   "We often get it backwards by attempting to start on the outside and moving inwards. Sometimes we can start by giving up certain behaviours and responsibilities, but ultimately its an illusion to think we can surrender possessions, wealth, or even a busy schedule without also having an inner change... simplicity begins by having a single purpose in life... when you stray away from God, you get caught up in the world's system and lose sight of your main purpose" which is to love God and His people (see the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-31).
   
   Matthew 6:19-21
   ¹⁹"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
   
   Science and psychology has shown that a person's inner world is real and can have great impact on our lives. We act based on what is happening on our inner worlds. So in our inner worlds, where do we focus? Do we focus on the eternal or do we focus on things of the world to quench our thirst at the depth of our souls?
   
   Do we "expend much of our emotional and physcial energy buying things we don't necessarily need, with money we certainly don't have, in order to impress people that we don't even like" in this world system of 3"i"s that speaks of "increasing your possessions, impressing others and indulging youself"?
   
   What is your purpose, what is your priorities, definition of success, perspective of life?
   
   
3. The Need to Guard Against the Enemy's Tactics / Refute the Enemy's Lies (Ask: Am I Duped?)
   "Someone once asked billionaire Nelson Rockefeller how much money it would take to satisfy a man. His answer: 'Just a little bit more!'... Perhaps one of the most powerful lies of Satan is the notion that something outside ourselves (money, possessions) can fill the thirst deep within".
   
   What brings us joy and happiness? Is it the tangible? well, I don't doubt, to a certain extent. But then, ultimately, the intangible given by God gives us meaning and purpose in life. It only goes to show we are not made to live life as mere creature comfort chasers.
   
   Thank God for all the non-material possesions that we have: our life, our health, our senses, our giftings, skills, talents, nature and the world around us, friendships and love from relationships, our salvation from the Lord and many others. Begin with a heart of thanksgiving to see what God has placed in your life.
   
   1 Thessolonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
   ¹⁶Be joyful always; ¹⁷pray continually; ¹⁸give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
   
   Want to be joyful? Start by giving thanks for all the things God has given you. God wants us to remember lest we forget of His love, grace, mercies and blessings just as the Israelite forgotten how He had delivered them, much like us.
   
   At two places in the early parts of the bible, we see how God knows we are forgetful people and wants us to be reminded of what He did for us so we will not stary away from Him
   
   Exodus 16:32 (NIV) - After God gives manna to the Israellites in the wilderness...
   ³² Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.' "
   
   Joshua 4:20-24 (NIV) - After God held the Jordan River so the Israllites can cross...
   ²⁰ And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan. ²¹ He said to the Israelites, "In the future when your descendants ask their fathers, 'What do these stones mean?' ²² tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan on dry ground.' ²³ For the LORD your God dried up the Jordan before you until you had crossed over. The LORD your God did to the Jordan just what he had done to the Red Sea when he dried it up before us until we had crossed over. ²⁴ He did this so that all the peoples of the earth might know that the hand of the LORD is powerful and so that you might always fear the LORD your God."
   
   So, God is always present in your life, we just have to be more God-aware and refute the lies of the enemy that God cannot satisfy us and we only need material possessions to make us happy; that God cannot satisfy us.
   
   For me, another area which I have found the enemy working is in the area of self-esteem. For many years, I have low self-esteem and I relied on others' affirmation of me to make myself feel good. I felt I was not good enough and worked hard to earn my affirmation. Well, the story went that I became burnt out and started to see how I was in a state I cannot save myself anymore and this is when I let God come into the picture to restore me. Well, my "homecoming" testimony in a nutshell.
   
   Sometimes, the devil do also use negative self-talk to distract us. "You are not worthy", "you are insignificant" etc and the result is that we get more and more distracted from seeking God because we need to validate ourselves and start to rely on external sources to do so. For some of us, it might be work, for some of us, it might be ministry or even for some of us, both... There is nothing wrong with work and ministry but then, just that it can be a distraction for us, making us so so drained we put seeking God a second priority.
   
   "God, I am tired and maybe I will miss church service just this once" or "God, I am exhausted today with ministry so I will rest my body and skip quiet time perhaps just this once". Soon we drift further and further away.
   
   Yes, God do call us to work and ministry but then if it is taking you away from seeking God and growing your love for both Him and His people, then, most probably it is a smoke screen.
   
   You are worthy and God loves you, each and every one of you.
   
   John 3:16 (NIV) - What God did for us in love
   ¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
   
   Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV) - We are adopted as His children
   ... In love ⁵he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.
   
   Jeremiah 31:3ff (NIV) - Despite Israel's continued disobedience, God still love them
   ... "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. ⁴ I will build you up again..."
   
   and there are tonnes of other bible references which shows God's love for us.
   
   So we need to know our identity in Christ and refute the enemy's lies and counter the enemy's strategies. Jesus, when He was tempted at the start of His ministry by the devil, knew this and countered with 3 strong words "it is written..." (see Matthew 4). He knew the word of God and the tactics of the devil in wanting to throw Him off His feet. In the same way, the devil will try all ways, including using smoke screens, to distract us from drawing to God.
   
   2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
   ⁴The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. ⁵We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
   
   
4. The Need to Trust in the Lord (Learn to Trust in God)
   By this time, if you have been more God-aware, it would be not difficult to trust in the Lord because you will see Him at work in your life and will believe that whatever happens, He is always there. And verses such as Hebrews 13:5-6 will just resonates in your heart:
   
   Hebrews 13:5-6 (NIV)
   "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." ⁶So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
   
   Proverbs 3:5-6
   ⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
   
   Yes, the bible did say, lean not on your own understanding because sometimes, we may never understand why we are put in certain situations. But we need to know that "God is at work in your life and that He has grand purposes for you. Recognize that God is sovereign and ultimately in control of all things. Have confidence that God is even involved in the situations that seem to be difficult or negative... He is intimately involved with you and aware of every details of your life, working everything out according to His purpose".
   
   Romans 8:28 (NIV)
   ²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
   
   Yes, for some of us, trusting in the Lord comes naturally but yet for some of us, trust in the Lord comes whenever we can no longer handle things and just "let go and let God". Just like in Luke 8, Jesus and His disciples went on a boat to the other side of the lake and was hit by a storm. Even though with Jesus on board, the disciples panicked (well, I would do the same too if I was there). But Jesus asks in Luke 8:25 "Where is your faith?". For some of us, we come into an encounter to trust God during a storm and when we realised we can no longer handle it ourselves.
   
   "Don't you hate it when you lose your keys? Just as I (Sam) was walking out the door the other day, I realized I didn't have them. I was going to be late to an important meeting. I had things to do and people to see. But I couldn't even leave my house without my key: keys to my car, keys to my office, keys to my files. I was paralyzed and helpess without them. All of a sudden my fast-paced world came to a screeching halt. I had to immediately align my priorities, and I was consumed with my task - to find my keys. It seems a simple task- to find my otherwise insignificant and unappreciated keys-but it became an essential and mandatory part of my day".
   
   Sometimes, we treat God like the keys. But unlike keys, God is significant but still we overlook, do not appreciate and sometimes even taken God for granted. But in times, of crisis, we just have to refocus our priorities to recognise we can no longer deal with it alone.
   
   Sometimes, it takes a crisis but sometimes, it also takes a community to help us to trust in the Lord. For me, I have come to realise the power of community as each week, we come together to do life as a cell and allowing God to minister to us through one another. It is also powerful to see how God is at work in each and others' life and sometimes, when I am going through a tough week but hears how God is real in anothers' life or even help another to overcome difficulty, it makes me so much more say "God, I know you are real. Come and work in my life and help me through this situation". And the amazing thing is that, all these are working even though we do not necessarily see them.
   
   
5. The Need to Make the Decision (Seek God First)
   Just like in the beginning of the article, we started with the account of Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary, we shall conclude also with this passage and look at the truths.
   
   The passage gives us insight into a sharp contrast between that of Martha and Mary. Despite opening the house to Jesus, Martha became busy and distracted with the preparation in the kitchen while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus to listen to Him. Sure enough, we can justify to say that Martha would like to honour Jesus but here Jesus shows us that all we need it sometimes to learn to sit at His feet and listen to His words. We can be like Martha, opening our hearts to God and allowing Him to come in, but yet allowing the distractions of the world to pull us away. Jesus saw the opportunity to teach Martha that we need not worry but first seek Him and all else will fall in place.
   
   Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
   ²⁴"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
   
   Matthew 6:31-33 (NIV)
   ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
   
   Make the choice to choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and be still to know that as we seek Him and His kingdom and His righteousness, things are in His hands. Don't just slow down but choose to sit at His feet.
   
   But I know at times, fear will grip you again and concerns and doubts and worries will come again. And that is where the need to guard against the enemy comes again and to see God at work in your life and to trust Him.
   
   

Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
"Be still, and know that I am God"

11 Be Still And Know (Ps 46_1-2, 10).mp3 -

Note: References in blue are taken from "Devotional for Dating Couples" by Ben Young & Dr. Samuel Adams

My Hope-Devotional Reading on 09 July

Hi everyone, this is a very meaningful devotional reading that I had for the day, may it minister to your heart today!

My Hope

Suggested Bible Reading
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.
-1 Peter 5:6-10 (NRSV)

Today's Scripture: May our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God our Father, who loved us and through grace gave us eternal comfort and good hope, comfort your hearts.
-2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 (NRSV)

MY life has been filled with hard trials. When I was just two or three days old, I almost died because of the midwife's carelessness. Ever since then, I have suffered from various illnesses. Then, when I was a teenager, I had a kidney operation that left me unable to have children.
When I got married, I decided to adopt a child, Iva. Although I loved her unconditionally, I was upset because she too was ill. I struggled alone with her illnesses, without the support of my husband, an alcoholic. While I was taking care of Iva, my mother-in-law tried to take her away from me. Eventually, Iva died in my arms at the age of 13. I felt absolutely helpless but managed to find strength for the next trial -- my husband divorcing me.
I wouldn't be alive right now if I didn't know Christ. Fortunately, during all those long years of suffering I was a Christian. When my daughter died and I couldn't see a direction in my life, God showed me the right way and gave me a message of comfort. Through my struggles I learned an important lesson: We cannot blame God when we suffer. We live in a sinful world filled with imperfect people, but God is perfect and merciful. God is our hope.
Anna Georgieva Georgieva (Pleven, Bulgaria)

Prayer: God of all compassion, help us to feel your presence and comfort in our times of suffering. Amen.

Thought for the Day: Everyone suffers, but believers never have to suffer alone.

Church-wide Synchronised Prayer Guide

Hi everyone, we will be having church-wide synchronised prayer and even though we are not meeting together as a church.

You can refer to the above prayer pointers to continue to pray for ourselves, our nation, our church, our leaders and our families. Click on the banner above to download the prayer pointers.

Reflections of H1N1

Riverlife 1st eService (28 June 2009) from James Lim on Vimeo.

Hello everyone,

I am sure that you would have "attended" our first e-Service on Sunday. And I was thinking isn't it cool how despite the mini-crisis or major disruption" as SP calls it, our church is still able to rise above the situation and overcome it. As someone has put it, we have victory over the enemy!

I have to admit that when the H1N1 infections in Riverlife Church was first made known over a week ago and when the church was identified as one of the initial few community cluster, it had not been easy. All of a sudden, it seemed that the virus is coming to our doorsteps and affecting people around us; there was worry for people admist us who are working in the healthcare sector, people who have been infected, people who are suspected of infection, people who are unwell and also people who are overseas.

And there was suspicion whether or not I myself had also been infected. People around me were also coming up to me and asking me "you are from Riverlife right?". I even had a friend who was concerned about contact with me that ultimately a gathering was cancelled for peace of mind. There was fear, feeling of being rejected, worry, uncertainty. Though I would have to say that it is not a major crisis, it nonetheless affected me a bit throughout the week.

But, in recent days, I have had the chance to also reflect upon the whole experience and I would say that to me, the mini crisis seemed to brought on positive effects as well. I realised:

• how some were being pulled together in unity through this episode and how some cell, especially the central two cell which had 5 out of 10 infections in Riverlife. Some of us prayed for each other and for the situation as well
• how I can sometimes be inward looking and it took this episode to remind me that I should not take things for granted and only pray when something happens but that God cares for everyone too; that be it whether Riverlife has infections or not, we should also pray for everyone;
• the nature of the Church as people rised up to the occasion and who are willing to bless others by offering their time, effort and giftings for the sake of others; this as SP mentioned, is what Church is all about, not a building but the body of Christ coming together in unison for God and His people;
  
• how God provides for us despite the circumstance; providing us with technology that we are able to continue to be edified by SP and come together as a church in Spirit to worship and hear from God;
• how Riverlife Church is relatively well known now given all that happened, which makes me ask what's next for the Church? Is God positioning us for something that Riverlife could rise up to as we continue to seek Him?

I must say that Sunday's online sermon was powerful and it challenged me. As I sat there to hear from Senior Pastor, God placed in my heart the verse from Romans 8:31 (NIV) "What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?".

Throughout the weekend, God seems to be asking this question as I did reflection for my foundation for cell leadership course and through the sermon:

"Will you still worship me in Spirit and in truth and trust in me?"

I may not know specifically what God's plans are but I do know He is real. To me, the uncanny coincidence about the second wave of revival starting with the youth and how the second wave of the H1N1 virus (as Minister of Health called it) was caught by our youth, may goes to show either (i) this is coincidence or (ii) something is happening and this is a preview of greater things to be done. Either way, I still think we need to grow in our walk with the Lord and have His power and glory manifest through us.

Within a few hours on Saturday and Sunday, I was also assured from Isaiah 40:31 (NIV) two separate times:

"but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Will you stand firm and worship God in Spirit and in truth? After all, if God is for us, who can be against us? Will you believe in Him?

God Of This City

You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You are

You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless
You are

There is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

For greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things have yet to come
And greater things are still to be done
In this city (Here)

We believe, we believe in You, God!

We want to continue to give thanks to God for all His healing and that all the Riverlife cases have been discharged. Let's also thank God for the many staff and volunteers who have worked hard during this challenge. Let's pray for God's favour and restoration and protection over them. Do continue to pray for our leaders as they lead us during the time of the calling to revival and could be susceptible to spiritual attacks.

H1N1 Updates from Riverlife Church

Dear all,

Our Senior Pastor has released a personal note to all riverlifers on the H1N1 situation in our church. You can read the personal note and also updates from church on the church website at http://www.riverlife.org.sg.

Please also note that there will be a pre-recorded service for this week which you can access from the church website from this Saturday. 27 June from 7pm.

I will keep you all updated of things.

Thank God that most of the those infected are doing well and recovering. Let's continue praying for everyone during this time.

James

Personal note from Senior Pastor 主任牧师的话

RiverLife Church
Note from the Senior Pastor
25 June 2009

Dear sisters and brothers in RiverLife,

As you are probably aware by now, RiverLife Church has been identified as a community cluster of local H1N1 infections. Since 19 June, ten H1N1 cases have been linked to our church (please refer to attachment). We have contacted all adults and youths who came into close contact with them, as well as their household members, to quarantine themselves at home. Thankfully, all ten of them are recovering well and no new cases have been reported since. I wish to thank the pastoral staff, cell leaders and members for extending their care and support to those hospitalised or under home quarantine.

As a precautionary measure, the church leadership decided to cancel our youth service on Saturday, 20 June, and our children's services and classes on Sunday, 21 June. This is partly because children and youths are more vulnerable to the H1N1 virus. My sincerest apologies to those who did not receive the notice and came to church with their children. I thank you for your kind understanding and cooperation with our staff and volunteers. To keep yourself posted, please check out our website at www.riverlife.org.sg for updates and announcements.

Last night, the Elders’ Board met and a decision was made to suspend all church-based meetings and programmes until and including Saturday, 4 July. These activities will resume on Sunday, 5 July.

There are a few reasons behind the implementation of these measures. Firstly, as one of the first two “community transmission clusters,” our risk level should be deemed even higher. We are concerned for the health and safety of our people and those whom we come in contact with. Secondly, this matter has received extensive media coverage on TV and in the newspapers over the past few days. It is important that we assure the public that we are doing all we can to contain this local spread.

Although we have not had any new infections since 22 June, this time frame from now until 4 July may still be a high risk period. Furthermore, we are expecting the return of many Singaporeans from overseas holidays during this time. The Elders’ Board has decided that it will be wise and socially responsible to suspend all our church-based meetings and programmes until 4 July.

In addition, I appeal to all RiverLifers not to visit other churches over the next two weekends. We wish to be considerate about the health and peace of mind of the other churches in our city. To ensure that you receive spiritual input during this time, we will post pre-recorded English and bilingual services on our website, which will be available for download from 7pm on Saturday, 27 June. You can conduct a family service or have a personal time of worship in your home. I have a message that I believe God wants me to share with you, so be sure to tune in.

This has been an unusual and challenging week for our church, to say the least. I want to salute the staff and volunteers for their herculean efforts in coping with all the last minute changes. They have served with excellence and great attitude. I also wish to thank RiverLifers for your understanding, cooperation and prayers. I am sorry we have not been able to update you sooner and faster due to our overstretched resources.

Why is this happening to us and how are we to respond to it? I will share more in the pre-recorded service, but suffice to say that whenever God wants to move powerfully in and through someone or a church, He will first allow us to be shaken, and then awaken us to pray and seek Him. I have not seen such a commitment to prayer in our church for a long time. We are even more convinced than before that God is sending an outpouring of His Holy Spirit upon us.

The devil is obviously not pleased, and will do all that he can to distract and discourage us when we are rising up as an army to impact our society and bless the nations. Yes, we must do what is socially responsible but we must not be thrown off by distractions or doubt. Let us stand firm and stay focused on what God wants to do. Let us seek purity, pray like never before and be united in our passion for God.

Let me end with the words in 1 Peter 5:8-9, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

Amen.

Yours in Christ,
Rev Vincent Lun

To the Ends of the Earth

Love unfailing
Overtaking my heart
You take me in
Finding peace again
Fear is lost in all you are

And I would give the world to tell your story
'Cause I know that you've called me
I know that you've called me
I've lost myself for good within your promise
And I won't hide it
I won't hide it

Jesus, I believe in You
And I would go, to the ends of the earth
To the ends of the earth
For you alone are the son of God
And all the world will see
That You are God
You are God

The Essence of our Faith

Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done

on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts,

as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation,

but deliver us from the evil one.

Matthew 6: 9-13 (NIV)

For many of us, myself included, this is a very familiar prayer. The Lord's Prayer is the model of prayer which the Lord Jesus taught His disciples on how to pray.

More Than Mere Words
I remember days in the past when I used to recite this daily in school, not fully appreciating the prayer and what it means. At that time, I just know it as something which I needed to say every morning, mouthing literally empty words and not knowing what it means to pray the Lord's prayer.

In fact, the Lord Jesus warned about the heart condition when praying; that it should not be "for display" of one's holiness or one which has lots of babbling of words. In Matthew 6:8 it tells us that our Father knows what we need before we even ask Him. So, Jesus teaches us the Lord's Prayer and as we discussed about it yesterday, I have come to realise how amazing it is that a short prayer like this can cover quite a bit. In 52 words, it covers our desire to praise God, to pray for God's kingdom, for God's will, for our daily needs, a reminder for us to forgive as we have been forgiven by God, to pray for God to guide us in our walk with Him and to help us in our daily struggles with sin and the enemy.

The Lord's Prayer sets the background for Dr Joseph D' Souza's sharing last week and I would say it was a refreshing perspective for me. For a long time, even after having appreciated the Lord's Prayer, I have thought of it mainly as a prayer for myself but the sermon has challenged me and helped me see how it is also for God's children too:

• "Hallowed be your name" (v 9) -
  
  Application for Self - Do we desire to hallow God's name, glorifying it? Is God just a genie who brings you out of the pits and who continues to grant your wishes or is there something more to it? How are we hallowing His name? Do we sometimes even profane His name through the things we do, just like how some shared about believers being a bad testimony? How do we deal with that when we see it?
  
  Application for our relationship with others - Hallow His name as we help others with their difficulties, help them to know God, draw near to Him and even praise Him. But how will others praise God when they do not even know Him? Dr Joseph D' Souza mentioned that many, like the Dalits (the untouchables), do not know that they are made in the image of God and that He loves them. As someone have put it nicely, you might be the only way in which people can see Jesus. What are you doing about this? Are you helping others to know God, to have His power work in their lives and praise Him?
  
  Matthew 5: 14-16 (NIV)
  "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
  
• "your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven" (v10) -
  
  Application for our relationship with others - in this part of the prayer, there is not only a desire to see God's kingdom be established and His will be done, it also provides us an opportunity to respond to His work. Dr. D'Souza aptly highlighted about how even in the most advanced and greatest kingdom on earth, there will still be hurting, lonely people. Perhaps, as KK has shared, we will never get to fully fathom the full extent of the greatness of God's kingdom now but we may each have a part of the kingdom to show others. What is your picture of God's kingdom that you can show others? Are you showing it? Do you trust that God can work through you in having His will be done here? Do you have faith that you can play an instrumental role in having God's will be done here on earth as in heaven?
  
  See the parable of the cracked pot.
  
• "Give us today our daily bread" (v 11) -
  
  Application for self - For many of us, this might be what constitutes as a major part of our prayer and yet for others, it might be a struggle as they continue to wonder if they can trust in the Lord to provide for their needs. Just as we are reminded in a later part of Matthew 6 (after the Lord's prayer), in Matthew 6: 25-34, we are assured that God knows what we need and He provides. Nerve-wrecking as it may be for some but the fact is that God provides even though it may not be in the way we expect it. But on the other extreme, I am also reminder that our God is not a genie or like one of pagan gods where our only prayers are just about blessings.
  
  Application for our relationship with others - But importantly, as Joshua has shared, upon reflecting why we have been given so much while others lack, what does it tell you? As Gary Haugen said it aptly in Global Leadership Summit 2008 (something which made me think and which is stuck with me as I walk with the Lord): Why have we been given so much amidst suffering of others? So we can be a channel of blessing from God to others.
  
• "Forgive us our debts, as we also forgiven our debtors" (v 12)
  
  Application for self & relationship with others - I was doing quiet time this week and I have come to realise how we are called to love one another. Ideally, this is good, because we have been reminded in scriptures by Jesus, to love God and our neighbours; the greatest commandment of all (Matthew 22: 36-40). But, I do know sometimes we have people who fail us and it becomes difficult to dispense forgiveness. But yet we are reminded by Christ not to let the sun go down while we are still angry. In my life experiences so far, I have learnt that the person who lose out is usually myself; in my anger and unforgiveness, I live a life of defeat and of bitterness. At the end of the day, it robs us of joy and it also divides us.
  
  See articles on dealing with unforgiveness and anger.
  
• "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one" (v13) -
  
  Application for self - We are reminded how we are not to play around with sin and to ask for God to be around us to help us resist the enemy and his schemes in our lives, whose aim is to derail us from God's love... We need God's power in helping us to deal with this daily.
  
  Application for relationship with others - Dr. Joseph D'Souza points to the need for social justice and how it is not enough to just treat the wounded but also to stop the perpetrator in continuing to do harm, but through righteous ways. We saw how Jesus had been held back in His dealings with the Pharisees and religious leaders whose hearts were hardened and who misguided His people from following God. He rebuked them on several occasions. In the same way that we may be the only way in which others can see Jesus, how can we help others who are oppressed by evil and do so in righteous ways?

The Christian Faith
After having gone through the Lord's Prayer, I continue to do my quiet time through the week. God made me reflect on what the Christian faith is really all about. Though I am not trained theologically, the arbitrary conclusion I got as I read His word is that the faith is about reconciliation with God, both for ourselves and for other people.

It is, as Jesus has put it, about loving God and our neighbours as ourselves.

God has saved us from the pits but then it does not stop there. God loves His children as well and He does not want "anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentence" (2 Peter 3:9). You are valuable to Him but so are His other children.

The apostle John wrote in 1 John 4: 9-12, which spoke to me this week:

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. "

The command is clear: love God and your neighbour, God's fellow children.

And James clearly states that your love without action or faith without deed, is dead. See article on "Faith without Deeds vs Love and Action"

We can learn from Jesus as He came to show us the way to proclaim our faith, not merely through words but also through action just as He went around and made a difference by healing, speaking the truth, forgiving people of their sins and giving them hope and peace.

How will you respond to this?

Faith Without Deed vs Love in Action

I read this from a devotion this week and thought it was a clear picture about faith and actions:

Imagine for a moment that you embark on a mountain-climbing expedition somewhere
in the Colorado Rockies with your good friend. At some point along the way, you
lose your footing and find yourself in the precarious position of dangling off
the edge of an icy two-hundred-foot cliff by one finger (let's make this
dramatic). You are screaming for your friend, crying out for help.

But he doesn't reach down to help you. Instead your hiking buddy
begins to eloquently intellectualize and verbalize his love toward you. He even
begins to experience all kinds of wonderful, blissful feelings about how much he
loves you and how much he will miss you when you fall to your death on the rocks
below. He tilts his head ever so slightly, bites his lip, and says, "I love you
so much. I'm just overwhelmed with loving feelings toward you right now."

Would you call that love? Of course not! You would most certainly
call that something other than love--maybe cruelty, apathy, or hatred. Yet so
often we define love as some nebulous emotion or sentimental words when in
reality, love is so much more than feelings. Love is primarily manifested
through action. Love is something you do.

I think the picture is clear (and drama) enough. God demonstrated love in action by sending His son, to be crucified and to die for our sins so we might be reconciled to Him.

James mentioned in James 2:14-26 about how faith without deed is dead.

If you profess to love God, His commands, His people, then don't stop at just proclaiming it, demonstrate it as God has done, with love and not as actions without love.

Be it uttering a prayer for someone who is in need, helping someone, going on missions, big or small, show your love for God and His people through your actions, actions filled with love.