Seduced But Not Snared
In a fallen sinful world, temptations keep coming at us through relentless invitation, persuasion and aggression. Although we cannot control if temptations will strike us unwarned, we can choose to resist them when they come. Particularly, how can we guard ourselves from sexual temptation and not be seduced by it nor stumble others?
Give Me Neither Poverty Nor Riches
In a world full of comparisons and things that stir up our desires, it is indeed hard to remain content. Yet, the Bible offers us one wise prayer which we should all learn, especially in such times as the lingering pandemic, where our income may take a dip, or financial challenges may tempt us to doubt God or disobey Him. Let’s learn from the prayer of Proverbs 30:7-9 today.
Greatest Blessing: “God Is With Us”
Are you able to see that God is with you, even in hard times? What impact does God’s presence have on you? The Bible tells us that, “the Lord was with Joseph and he became a successful man”. Does God define success and prosperity in the same way as the world? If it is different, how different? How should Christians measure success? What happens if you make the source of all blessings – Jesus the Overseer of your life?
Festive Mission and Watchfulness
Chinese New Year is perhaps the most important holiday to the Chinese. Yet, while we celebrate, we also need to be watchful for the various forces of idols which work especially hard to capture people’s hearts and minds during this festive season. When things are happy, we tend to let our guard down, but we need to know that there is spiritual battle behind the beautiful new clothes, festive feasts and happy atmosphere. The happy mood must not distract us from God’s purpose, which is to seize the opportunity to show God’s love and share the gospel to our loved ones.
Ordeals are to Drive Us to God, Not to Sin
Often, during trials and ordeals, people tend to fall into a deep sense of self-pity, which may in turn lead them to justify that it is alright for them to indulge in certain sins to relieve themselves. They feel God should understand why they are being a bit loose to gratify their desires, as life is too hard for them. Now, this is a very dangerous mindset. Our ordeals should not be the basis to justify our sins, but they are opportunities for us to cling closer to God and trust Him more.
Grace In Holiness, Holiness In Grace
Do you feel divine grace is out of reach to you? The gospel tells us God extends His grace even to undeserving sinners, and where sin increased, grace increased all the more. But does such grace mean we can feel free to sin more? Certainly not! For God is also holy, and He judges and disciplines sinners.
Guilty Of Self Idolatry?
The Bible warns us that during the last days, people will be “lovers of themselves…rather than lovers of God”. It correctly points out our tendency to love ourselves above God. Even among churchgoers today, we notice a subtle trend of self-worship taking a form of “Christian consumerism”, where Christians think that church exists to serve them, rather than God. Instead of asking “Is God pleased with me?” or “How can I live for God?”, people are more concerned with “What can God give me?” While we should love ourselves, we need to note that our love of self can become destructive, if we consider the “self” as more important than God.
Directed By Physical Reality Or Faith?
While Christians cannot be impractical, we also cannot let physical reality alone direct our thinking, emotions, decisions and life. Instead of being influenced or made helpless by the seen reality, we can trump reality by faith in God. Are you more directed by physical reality or faith? How does a faith-directed life look like?
Train Ourselves To Give Thanks
Thankfulness is the lens to help us see God’s amazing glory, sense His presence and confirm His work more clearly in our lives. Our lives may look dull, common, or even seem like a mess, but when we focus on the right angle, like how a photographer did, we can see beauty in the ordinary or mess. However, gratitude is not something natural to us sinners, so we need to train our eyes to see reasons to give thanks and practice growing a heart of thanksgiving.
Resolve To Live A Holy Life
If to be consecrated means to be different, then we need to ask if we truly dare to be different from the world, even when it may come with persecutions? Would we rather be socially acceptable, or God-acceptable? God wants us to start the year right with a consecrated and holy heart. Consecration is not a one-time resolution but a lifetime lifestyle. Even if we are already believers who are serving God, we need to guard ourselves from a “typical” Christian living, which is not what consecration is about. So how can we restore a consecrated lifestyle and serving?
