Matthew 5: 33 - 37

"Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. Simply let your `Yes' be `Yes,' and your`No,' `No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
The question that I ask after reading is that making oaths prohibited? If so, then we will have problems making oaths at the Commissioner of Oaths to give evidence on oath in a court of law.
I think to look into the context of the passage, Jesus was emphasizing in his teaching that an honest man do not need to resort to oaths; it was not that they should refuse to take an oath if required by some external authority to do so.

So therefore, oath-taking or swearing will only be pathetic if it is a confession of our own dishonesty. The only reason is that when we know our simple word is not likely to be trusted, so we try to induce people to believe us by adding a solemn oath.

As Christians, we need to say what we mean and mean what we say.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYERLord Jesus, help me to say honestly but yet tactfully. To mean what I say and say what I mean. Amen.

Matthew 5: 31 - 32

"It has been said, `Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.

LECTIO & MEDITATIO

Today, many marriages head to divorce. It is sad to see this happening. If everyone were to take these words of Jesus seriously, there will be more commitment to one another. I think this does not only concern marriages but also commitment to one another in word or promises we make to one another. Sometimes I feel many of us do not keep our promises. We simply forget what we promise or simply refuse to keep our word.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to keep my commitment to my wife and my family. Help me also to keep my word and promises I make to the people around me. Sometimes I forget what I promise but Lord, bring back memories so that I can be a man of truth and integrity. Amen.

Busy weekend

Had a very busy weekend.
First someone's father passed away and I conducted the cremation service on Friday morning and Church Prayer Meeting was on Friday evening before picking up Ruth from the airport.

On Saturday morning, conducted a sea burial and then fetched the children for ballet class and Tien Sia. After that went to visit a church member's son's one year old birthday celebrati0n.

Sunday morning is busy with work and then went home. Had to settle some of the children's homework and project work. Went out for dinner and see how my new house is doing. It is looking good.

Architect Drawing









Present State of Building













Next week will be a busy week...
Furthermore I will be preaching for all the Worship Services next Sunday.

Lord Jesus, strengthen me spiritually, physically and mentally as I look forward for another busy but fulfilling week. Amen!

Matthew 5: 27 - 30

"You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Jesus focus on another of the 10 commandments – Do not commit adultery and even deepen the application of adultery. Even sight and imaginations will cause a person to fall into sin. From this application, Jesus brings to me that it is not just doing the physical action but even in thinking and looking… It is what is in the inside that matters. Sin begins not on the outside but the inside. Sometimes it is so difficult to live this standard Jesus has set, because it means every single second and minute, we need to be cautious of not just our behaviour but our thoughts and words.
To be true to ourselves, where your heart is there your treasure will be also. So the only way to have victory over sin is to surrender totally to His will and to allow Him to help us live this life of holiness.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to live to the standard of holiness you have set through Jesus. Though it may seem humanly impossible to control our thoughts and words every moment, every minute and every second, it is divinely possible. So take control of my mind, mouth and being. Amen.

Matthew 5: 25 - 26

"Settle matters quickly with your adversary who is taking you to court. Do it while you are still with him on the way, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge may hand you over to the officer, and you may be thrown into prison. I tell you the truth, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Jesus advised that if we have unpaid debts, make settlement quickly especially if the creditor has intention to take us to court.

This illustration that Jesus told is that we must not allow any estrangement to remain but to put right immediately. As soon as we are conscious of a broken relationship, we must take initiative to mend it, to apologise for the grievance we have caused, to pay a debt we have left unpaid, to make amends. If we want to avoid committing murder in God’s sight, we must take every possible positive step to live in peace and love with everyone.

Sometimes it seems so difficult to practice what Jesus had taught. To take every possible step to live in peace and love with everyone is something I yearn to do but in circumstances I am in. I may want the peace and reconciliation but the other party may not respond the same. Sometimes I get so worried that I may be misunderstood if I take such steps. Sometimes it is not that I have caused the grievances but instead I have been grieved or hurt. I always believe that I just need to obey and do what is required of me, then leave the rest to God.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to put things right especially when I am the offender. Help me to be humble to ask for forgiveness. Amen.

Matthew 5: 21 - 24

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, `Raca, ' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, `You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift."

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Jesus begins to deepen the demands of the law… he started with the 6th and the 7th of the 10 commandments, the prohibitions against murder and adultery.

In verse 21 – 22, Jesus talked about murder, he made the application of murder much wider than physical murder. It included thoughts and words as well as deeds, anger and insult as well as physical murder. In the Greek manuscript, additional words of “without a cause” puts the anger into perspective. Not all anger is evil as there are righteous anger. Jesus is referring to unrighteous anger, anger of pride, vanity, hatred, malice and revenge.

Insults are mentioned at the end of verse 22. Jesus warns us against calling our brother “Fool” insulting his intelligence.

Angry and insulting words or thoughts may not lead to the ultimate act of murder but they are tantamount to murder in God’s sight. Our thoughts, words and looks all indicate that as sometimes we dare to say, “we wish that person is dead.” Such an evil wish is a breach of the sixth commandment.

Sometimes it is so difficult to go to that person I am angry with because of some misunderstanding or even are real mistreatment done to me but the scripture tells me that I need to surrender it to God. If there will be an opportunity, God will give me the strength and the love of Jesus to approach that person and reconcile.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I am sorry and I ask for your forgiveness for this anger I have in my heart. Help forgive and help me reconcile. Amen.

Matthew 5: 17 - 20

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
So far Jesus has spoken about Christian Character and Christian Influence. Now he goes on to the practical actions to reveal the Christian Character and the practical aspects of Christian Influence.

He began with righteousness. The ‘good works’ refers to works of obedience. Jesus begins the sermon with a third person (Blessed are the poor...). He continued with the second person (You are the salt…) Now he uses the first person (I say to you…)

The passage can be divided into two parts:
First Christ and the law and then the Christian and the law.
Christ came not to abolish the law but to fulfill the law that He will be the Righteous One who will bring justification for the sins of the whole world so that we will all be justified for heaven. So as Christians who have been set free from the bondage of sin, we live in His righteousness and in His power we live righteous lives in this world. Sometimes it is so difficult living the righteousness of God as fallen people, that is why we continue to live in His grace and mercy, yet working hard to be sanctified daily, striving towards perfection, always improving ourselves to live for God.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to live in Your righteousness and even when I fall, pick me up and sanctify me that I may continue to strive towards perfection in Your grace. Amen.

10 things God won't ask me

I received an email with this topic on 10 things God won't ask me on that great day.
It is a reminder for me and all that God looks differently at things...

1. God won't ask what kind of car you drove. He'll ask how many people you drove who didn't have transportation.

2. God won't ask the square footage of your house, He'll ask how many people you welcomed into your home.

3. God won't ask about the clothes you had in your closet, He'll ask how many you helped to clothe.

4. God won't ask what your highest salary was. He'll ask if you compromised your character to obtain it.

5. God won't ask what your job title was. He'll ask if you performed your job to the best of your ability.

6. God won't ask how many friends you had. He'll ask how many people to whom you were a friend.

7. God won't ask in what neighborhood you lived, He'll ask how you treated your neighbors.

8. God won't ask about the color of your skin, He'll ask about the content of your character.

9. God won't ask why it took you so long to seek Salvation. He'll lovingly take you to your mansion in heaven, and not to the gates of Hell.

10. God won't have to ask how many people you going to encourage, He already knows your decision.

Matthew 5: 14 - 16

"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.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
When Jesus to us being the light of the world, He is referring to the good works we do in the world. Let men see your good works, then they will give glory to your Father in heaven. The Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 49: 6 refers to God’s Servant would be a light to the nations which is fulfilled only in Christ Himself and also by Christians who bear witness to Christ.

The salt and light which Jesus used have much to me about Christian responsibilities in the world:

1. There is a fundamental difference between Christians and non-Christians, between the Church and the world.

2. We must accept the responsibility of this difference.
The function of salt is largely negative – it prevents decay.
The function of light is positive – it illumines the darkness.
Jesus calls us to exert a double influence on the community by arresting decay and bringing light in the darkness ie. to stop the spread of evil and to promote the spread of truth and goodness.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me be an influence to the world.
Amen

Matthew 5: 13

"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Jesus went on to talk about Christian influence.
If the beatitudes describe the essential character of the disciples of Jesus, the salt and light metaphors indicate their influence for good in the world.
The world will undoubtedly persecute the Christian, yet the Christian’s calling to serve this persecuting world. This must be our only retaliation.

Every home however poor, used and still uses both salt and light. Salt had a variety of uses. It is both a condiment and a preservative. Before the refrigerator was invented, salt was used to keep meat wholesome and to prevent decay. The effectiveness of salt is conditional; it must retain its saltiness. Strictly speaking, salt can never lose its saltiness.

I am given to understand that sodium chloride is a very stable chemical compound which is resistant to nearly every attack. Nevertheless, it can become contaminated by mixtures with impurities, and then it becomes useless, even dangerous. Desalted salt is unfit even for manure. In the past there were no refineries. Around the Dead Sea which while contains sodium chloride, also contained much else. Of this dust sodium chloride was probably the most soluble component and so the most easily washed out. The residue of white powder still looked like salt, and was doubtless still called salt, but it neither tasted nor act like salt. It was just road dust.

So too, a Christian. Christian saltiness is Christian character depicted in the beatitudes, exemplified in both deed and words. For effective Christian influence, one must retain one’s Christlikeness, as a salt retains its saltiness. If Christians become contaminated with the impurities of the world, they lose their influence.

Someone once said,
“If you want to find the Church, look in the world. And if you want to find the world, look into the Church.”

We are in the world but we must be able to distinguish and be discerning how we live our lives that we are not contaminated by the world.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me not lose my saltiness by the contamination of the world. Help me to live a life of Christlikeness and follow You. Remind me each day that how I live will determine my Christian influence in the world I live in.
Amen!

Matthew 5: 11 - 12

"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
There are 2 ways of persecution mentioned in verse 11.

1. Insult
2. Falsely say all kinds of evil against you

I realize that both the ways mentioned are connected with the words.
The first is about insulting a person and the second is to be falsely accused of some evil deed. Both affect the character of the person being persecuted.

There will be times in our lives we feel that we have been judged unfairly of our character during times of misunderstanding and especially when we know deep within ourselves it never meant to be.
And as a result, we had to pay the price dearly for the things that had happened.
This part of the Beatitudes encourages those of us to
“Rejoice and be glad because great is your reward in heaven.”
To rejoice and be glad is something difficult to do when we are in the midst of such struggles and persecution.
That is why we rejoice not of the struggles but we rejoice because God knows and He will reward us in heaven…

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to look further than the persecutions I go through.
Even when my character is being questioned or even smudged, remind me that You know me and my heart for You.
Amen!

Matthew 5: 10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
From peacemaking to persecution – from the work of reconciliation to hostility is quite an irony. But when we look at it again, however hard we try to make peace with some people, they refuse to live at peace with us.
Not all attempts of reconciliation succeed.
Indeed, some take the initiative to oppose us or slander us.
This is not because of our idiosyncracies but for righteousness sake.
They find distasteful the righteousness which we hunger and thirst.

Jesus expects his disciples to rejoice and be glad (vs 12) under persecution.
We are not to retaliate but to jump for joy because our reward is great in heaven.
We may lose everything on earth but we shall inherit everything in heaven.
Persecution is a token of genuineness, a certificate of Christian authenticity.
Suffering is the badge of true discipleship.
Following Christ means suffering because we have to suffer.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, remind me that when I am persecuted for your sake to have an attitude of joy and a vision of heaven, knowing that it is proof of the genuine faith that I have in you.
Amen.

Matthew 5: 9

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
The sequence of thought from purity of heart to peacemakers is so natural, because one of the most frequent causes of conflict is intrigue while openness and sincerity are essential to all true reconciliation.

Every Christian is meant to be a peacemaker in the community, in church and in their family. We are all called to pursue peace and strive for peace with all men.

Peace means reconciliation. And God reconcile himself to the world through Christ on the cross. He made peace with us at an immense cost. True peace and true forgiveness are costly treasures which we must give in order to receive.

To be a peacekeeper is to keep the peace which is already there whereas peacemaker means to pro-actively make peace from misunderstanding, quarrels and unforgiveness.
And we are to be peacemakers, not just peacekeepers.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help to make peace with my enemies and better still make peace and be the one who reconciles among two parties who face misunderstanding and hurts with each other.
Amen!

Matthew 5: 8

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
Purity ‘in heart’ indicates the kind of purity to which Jesus is alluding as the words ‘in spirit’ indicated the kind of poverty he meant.
The poor in spirit are the spiritually poor as distinct from those whose poverty is only material. From whom, then, are the pure in heart being distinguished?
Most interpretation of purity in heart is an expression for inward purity, for the quality of those who have been cleansed from moral – as opposed to ceremonial.

Only the pure in heart will see God, see him now with the eye of faith and see his glory in the hereafter, for only the utterly sincere can bear the dazzling vision.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER

Lord Jesus, search my heart and make it pure that I may see your glory in my life.
Amen!

Matthew 5: 7

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

LECTIO & MEDIDTATIO
Mercy is compassion for people in need. Mercy always deals with what we see of pain, misery and distress, these results of sin.whereas grace deals with sin and guilt itself.

This beatitude is akin to Psalm 18:25.
Mercy embraces both forgiveness for the guilty and compassion for the suffering and needy.
No particular object of the demanded mercy is specified, because mercy is to be a function of Jesus' disciples, not of a particular situation.

This theme is common in Matthew.
The reward is not mercy shown by others but by God.

For to be meek is to acknowledge to others that we are sinners.
To be merciful is to have compassion on others, for they are sinners too.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to be merciful to others how difficult it may to forgive others.
Remind me Lord that you have forgiven me much more than I can do the same for anyone else.
Amen.

Matthew 5: 6

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

LECTIO & MEDITATIO
"Hunger and thirst" vividly expresses desire (Psalms 42:2; 63:1).
It is best to take "righteousness" here as simultaneously personal righteousness and justice in the broadest sense.
These people desire not only that they may wholly do God's will from the heart, but also that justice may be done everywhere.
All unrighteousness grieves them and makes them homesick for the new heaven and earth -the home of righteousness (2 Peter 3:13).
What they taste now whets their appetites for more.
Ultimately they will be satisfied without qualification only when the kingdom is consummated.

Righteousness in the Bible has at least three aspects:
a. Legal
Legal righteousness is justification, a right relationship with God.
b. Moral
Moral righteousness is that righteousness of character and conduct which pleases God.
c. Social
Biblical righteousness is more than legal and moral. It includes social righteousness as well which is the liberation of oppression and the promotion of civil rights, justice in law courts, integrity in business dealings and honour in home and family affairs.
Thus Christians are committed to hunger for righteousness in the whole human community as something pleasing to a righteous God.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus help me seek complete righteousness whether in legal, moral or social that I may be a righteous Christian for you.
Amen.

Matthew 5: 5

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

LECTIO & MEDIDTATIO
The word "meek" generally suggests gentleness and the self-control it entails.
To be meek toward others implies freedom from malice and a vengeful spirit.

Jesus exemplifies it best in Matthew 11: 29 and 21: 5.
We may acknowledge our own spiritual bankruptcy and mourn.
But to respond with meekness when others tell us of our bankruptcy is far more difficult. Meekness therefore requires such a true view about ourselves as will express itself even in our attitude toward others.

And the meek, not the strong, aggressive, harsh, tyrannical will inherit the earth.
The verb "inherit" often relates to entrance into the Promised Land.
Entrance into the Promised Land ultimately became a pointer toward entrance into the new heaven and the new earth. (Isaiah 66: 22; Rev 21: 1)

It is interesting to note that in the beatitudes ‘the meek’ come between those who mourn over sin and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Meekness is expressing itself in attitude and conduct with respect for others.
The man who is truly meek is the one who is truly amazed that God and man can think of him as well as they do and treat him as well as they do.
This makes him gentle, humble, sensitive, patient in all his dealing with others.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me to be meek, gentle and self control especially as a minister of your word. Amen.

Matthew 5: 4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.”

LECTIO & MEDIDTATIO

One might translate this 2nd beatitude
“Happy are the unhappy" in order to draw attention to the paradox it contains.
What kind of sorrow can it be which brings the joy of Christ’s blessing to those who feel it?
It is plain from those promised comfort are not primarily those who mourn the loss of a loved one, but those who mourn the loss of their innocence, their righteousness, their self-respect.
It is a sorrow of repentance.

Weeping for sins can be deeply poignant and can cover a global as well as personal view of sin and our participation in it.

Isaiah 40: 1
"Comfort, comfort my people" is God's response to human sin.
The first two beatitudes deliberately allude to the messianic blessing of Isaiah 61: 1 - 3.
But these blessings, already realized partially but fully only at the consummation,
depend on a Messiah who has come to save his people from their sins.

When we mourn because we know that we are sinful,
only then can we experience God’s mercy.
That is why someone once said,
“Only bad people needs the mercy of God.”
Jesus said that he came for the sinners and the sick.

So it is truly our attitude that God sees in us.
Do we mourn for our sins?
Do we feel that we need a Saviour?
Do we ask for forgiveness because we know that we have done wrong?

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus, help me recognize that I am sinful.
That I need a Saviour to forgive me and save me from my sins.
Amen.

Matthew 5: 3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

LECTIO & MEDIDTATIO

The word ‘blessed’ can be translated to the word ‘happy’.

The word ‘poor’ literally means ‘’material need’.
And because the needy had no refuge but God, poverty can be identified with the humble dependence on God.

Psalms 34: 6
“This poor man cried out to God in his need.”

So ‘poor’ describes as people with a contrite and humble spirit.

Isaiah 61: 1
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.”

Therefore, to be poor in spirit is to acknowledge our spiritual poverty indeed our spiritual bankruptcy before God.
We have nothing to offer, nothing to plead, nothing which can buy us favour for heaven.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER
Lord Jesus help me to realize that I am nothing.
I have nothing that can buy me favour for heaven.
Help me to rely totally on you, my Lord and my God.
Amen.

Matthew 5: 1 - 2

LECTIO & MEDITATIO

When Jesus saw the crowd, he did not get excited to go to the crowd and teach them immediately. Instead he went up to the mountain and sat down.
I suppose he went up to pray. He went up to seek the Father.
He went up to be with God.
But when the disciples went up to the mountain to look for him, he then began to teach them.

CONTEMPLATIO / PRAYER

Lord Jesus, help me remember to seek you first in all I do.
To put you first and to remember to spend personal moments with you before ministry.
Before I speak with anyone, remind me to speak with you first.
Then only will my words be filled with your love and grace.
Amen!

Series on the Beattitudes

As I was thinking about choosing what passage to use on over these few months for my personal daily meditation, I felt God wants me to look at Christian Character and Conduct.
A very basic fundamental which I would like to grow in my own faith and ministry.
And where is a better place in scripture than to begin with the teachings of Jesus in the Beattitudes or the Sermon of the Mount which stretches over 3 chapters in the Gospel of Matthew.

CONTEMPLATIO/ PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thank you for giving me an opportunity to grow in the meditation of your word and to be more like you in Christian Character and Conduct. May you be glorified in my life. Amen.