Yearly Archives: 2012

Who Do You Owe Your Life to?

Most of us as True Jesus Church members claim to believe that we owe our lives to God. For me, when I examine myself, I find that it is one thing to think that way, but you could say that most of us would agree that we act as if we owe our lives to ourselves. I mean, we could look at the way we pamper ourselves to see who is really king in our lives.

Recently, I pondered over 1 John 5.20: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding, that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” From an evangelistic perspective, this verse contains the truth that Jesus is in fact the One True God (cf. Rom 9.5), for He testified Himself, “I and My Father are one” (Jn 10.30). Continue reading →

Being Committed to Jesus

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For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day. (2 Tim 1:12)

It’s time to reflect on things to be thankful in the past year and set personal goals for the coming year. New Year’s resolutions may vary each year with different goals in mind. But the resolution of being committed to Jesus is a lifetime conviction, requiring time, effort, and determination.

Being committed to Jesus means to know Him, trust in Him, obey His commands, and follow Him. Through the four gospel books, we can think and reflect on Jesus’ teachings, imitate His character and wisdom, be moved by His sufferings and love, and treasure His power and salvation. Belief starts with faith and concludes with faith. We must know who Jesus Christ is, what He has done, and what He is able to do. We must have a conviction that this knowledge about Jesus Christ is true. We must act upon that knowledge and conviction, trusting in Jesus daily. We must be personally touched by Jesus Christ and be willing to surrender our life to Him. Continue reading →

When God Takes Us Out of the Greenhouse

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“It’s better for the plants if you take them out of your garden shelves. You shouldn’t really keep them covered up with that plastic covering,” my mum suggested. “What if they get eaten by insects? And the weather? If it’s too hot, they’ll dry up; too much rain and they’ll drown!” I exclaimed.

Ok, looking back I could see that I was being a bit too protective over my plants. But could you blame me? I had just started gardening and, like a child, eagerly watched my seeds grow and waited excitedly for, well, the fruits of my labor.

However, I reluctantly listened to her advice. After all, my plants had stopped growing for weeks and the strawberry fruits that did appear hadn’t ripened at all. I took each plant pot out of their protective home, and with an anxious heart left them out in the open, vulnerable to the elements and to nasty little insects. Continue reading →

Effects of Soldiering

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It is well-documented that not all soldiers come through experiences of warfare completely unaffected. It is one of the reasons why we should have compassion and give respect to those who do enter into the battlefield. It is not really easy until we ourselves encounter a similar situation where we can understand a little better what people go through.

This leads us to think about what Paul said to Timothy, “You must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ” (2 Tim 2.3). Hardship is a funny thing. It can affect people in different ways. We might have observed those who undergo hardship: some people may end up being very stingy with what they earn, whilst others who also go through similar experiences in life result in being extremely generous. So, then this makes us think that when we are serving God, what effect is it having on us? Continue reading →

Compassion and Mercy

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Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. (Mt 5:7)

I was touched to learn that the victims of Hurricane Katrina offered their help to the people on the East coast after Hurricane Sandy. The survivors of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans understood the sufferings and needs of New Yorkers in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. In times of disaster, people come together and share what they have. This is compassion – the humane quality of understanding the suffering of others and wanting to do something about it. Mercy is compassionate treatment of the unfortunate and helpless.

In His ministry, Jesus often reached out and helped people in need. He healed the sick, and fed four thousand with seven loaves and a few small fish (Mt 15:30-38). Jesus is compassionate and merciful to people who are in need. Through the Holy Spirit, we can show such sensitivity to the people around us.

When things are going well in our lives, we may feel spiritually fit and become indifferent. Perhaps we attend church regularly, make our offerings to God, and feel comfortable with the status of our faith. But have we stopped to consider the true meaning of worship, the essence of the teachings we practice? Continue reading →