Don't Keep Your Promises

25 Sept 2013
A promise gives hope and makes people excited. The promise-maker can become popular very fast and receive the support from the people he made the promises to - a deal, a favor, a commitment. His ratings go up. Because he is reaping the initial rewards, he is tempted to walk away and not do the hard work on delivering his promises. He goes to another group and makes new promises and start taking the benefits again. Making promises and not keeping them is very common.

It is effortless to break a promise. Many people are doing it regularly. However, consider some results a promise-breaker will get.

1. Make a lot of people angry.
2. Make people distrust him. His bad reputation will catch up very soon and start to precede him. 
3. Frustrate people and make them feel betrayed .
4. Kill team spirit.
5. Invite loads of criticisms.
6. Sabotage his own dreams and ambitions and then wonder why he failed.
8. Live like a hermit, for the people close to him will leave him. Families fall apart.
9. Be his own worst enemy.
10. Endure an unfulfilled life.

There will be a immediate cost to pay when you keep your promises but to break them incurs a much much higher price tag over a much much longer period of time.

Stop Breaking and Start Honoring your promises.
DONT JUST BE A PROMISE-MAKER; BE A PROMISE KEEPER!

'Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill?...He...who keeps his oath even when it hurts…He who does these things will never be shaken.' Ps.15:1,4,5

Who is Doing the Watching?

14 Sept 2013

Tough times are intent to stay. Darkness is gathering for one final onslaught. The future is uncertain, but certainly unstable. Before one crisis subsides, another and another and another emerges. Even strong men falter in their steps. Look outward and there is chaos. Look inward and there is confusion.  It's time to look upward to Christ and you are certain to find calmness, confidence and courage.

The Psalmist pens this song ' I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from. My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.' (Psalms 121:1)  Trusting in the Rock of Ages will see you through tumultuous times. God is unchanging. He is immovable. He is the Strong Tower. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

"God watches over you, yes ordinary you.

He will not sleep or slumber and neglect you.

He is your shade to protect you every second of every 24 hours.

He will keep you from all types of harm.

He watches over your every movement.

He watches over you now and in the future."

(My version of Ps.121:3-8)

God is watching over us, paying meticulous attention on us.

Let's be watching Him....and peace will never be far away.

Should Christians Celebrate Halloween

Halloween

Background

“The celebration of Halloween, also known as the witches' new year, is rooted in the ancient pagan calendar which divided the year into Summer and Winter by two fire festivals. Before the birth of Christ, the day we know as Halloween was part of the Celtic Feast of Samhain (sah-ween). This feast was a celebration of Druid priests from Britain and France and commemorated the beginning of Winter.

It was a night on which the veil between the present world and the world beyond was pierced. The festivals were marked by animal sacrifices, offerings to the dead, and bonfires in recognition of departed souls. It was believed that on this night demons, witches, hobgoblins, and elves were released en masse to harass and to oppress the living. For self-preservation many Druids would dress up as witches, devils, and ghouls, and would even involve themselves in demonic activities and thus make themselves immune from attack.” - Hank Hanegraaff

Activities they do on Halloween

Dress up like demons, witches, skeletons and monsters…

Attend parties in such demonic costumes.

Tell ghost stories or watch ghost movies.

Visit haunted or spooky places

Children – trick or treat – going from house to house asking for candy, guising

Carve and light up potatoes and pumpkins, place it in front of the house to ward off evil spirits.

Should Christians be involved in Halloween and Halloween parties?

What Christians should not do.

1. The Chinese celebrate the ghost festival – would you dress up like a ghost or demon and organize parties during that festival? I guess not. We should respond the same to the Western version of the ghost festival.

2. The power of darkness is glorified. There are those who invoke spirits and offer sacrifices to the dead and spirits, celebrating Halloween is a channel to invoke the powers of evil– Do not participate in it. Christians should exalt the Lord and worship him only.

3. Christians should dress up to reflect the beauty and light of God and not disguise themselves as evil beings. Avoid every appearance of evil.

What Christians can do?

1. Engage those who celebrate Halloween and tell them the background and spiritual significance of this practice. An opportunity to declare the truth.

2. Do not be afraid of the powers of darkness and know that they are defeated by the resurrected Christ who lives in us. We do not disguise ourselves to look like evil to escape evil but live in the light to defeat evil. Declare the power of the Lord to those who fear.

3. A time to remember our departed loved ones and the departed saints for all the good that they have done and give thanks to the Lord for the impact they have made.

Rev. Aris Siew

The Missing Youths

In my recent trip to the UK in the month of April/May which is the beginnning of spring, one of the obvious things I noticed was that many of the churches have congregations made up of predominantly elderly members. The UK church has lost its impact on the youth. The youths consider the church as irrelevant to their lives and their world. Church leaders are now working hard to win this generation back to the Lord and to the path of righteousness.

In Malaysia, the task of reaching the youths is increasingly challenging. To avoid losing the Malaysian youths, the church needs to....
1. Attempt new ways to communicate with and to the youth. Remove 'white elephant' programs.
2. Put a priority on the youth ministry. Release top leaders to minister to them and the necessary funds to have creative programs.
3. Build the youth ministry on the strong foundation of the Word of God and of prayer. The methods and stlyes of communication needs to be contemporary but the message is non-negotiable.
4. Teach them how to live out/ apply the principles of God to lead successful and influential lives for God. Blessings and godliness can dwell together.
5. Provide them with encounters with God so that they can experience Him personally. Faith must be personally experience.
6. Challenge them to biblical, radical discipleship. Equip and release them for works of service and ministry. If they are simply sitting in church, they will end leaving the church to join any organization that calls them to sacrifice for a cause[noble and sadly the ignoble too].

The youths face many challenges in their lives. May we come alongside and mentor them. Its time for us to raise up the Joshua's, David's, Timothy's of our generation. Neglect the youth and the future of the church will simply be reduced to a weak and uninspiring instituition which the world gladly ignores.

More than Charisma and Conquest

Today's culture celebrates charisma and conquest. By 'conquest', I mean high achievements.
The personality cult is exalted to dizzying heights.
People are crazy over those with good looks, electrifying presence and the intelligent smooth communicator, amazing talent and of course the winners. These key indicators are todays success factors. Those who have them are hailed as today's heroes. They are considered super-sapiens, the elite of humanity.

People focus their energies running after these things and are rudely awakened by life that success is not equivalent to fulfilment and contentment. Success does not necessarily receive God's approval even though it receives tons of human praise. The truth is - Charisma and Conquest without CHARACTER makes an empty soul. It reveals an empty soul.

Character makes a person human.
Character makes a person useful.
Character makes a person truly great.

The making of character is a long and hidden journey that many chose to neglect to their misery and the misery of others. Few will chose this path but for those who do, they are the real heroes.
Work on the exterior but dont shut down the interior work. In fact, most people need to slow down or even shut down the exterior work for a while and lock in on inner development. That includes me.

GREATER!

Our God is the God of the Greater.
He promised Solomon a throne greater than his father David. (1 Ki.1:37)
The glory of the latter temple shall be greater than the glory of the former. (Haggai 2:9)
He told Nathaniel that he will see greater things. (John 1:50)
Jesus shall bring us greater revelations (John5:20)
Jesus promised that those who have faith in Him shall do the works He is doing and even greater works than that. (John14:12)

It excites my heart that God wants to lead us to greater things. 2009 and beyond shall be greater years ahead than all that we have experienced. He is not the God of the diminishing order but of the increasing order. The greatest days of the church lies ahead of us, not behind us.
Technology has progressed forward, and so have medical science, communications, education and every field of life. The spiritual aspect is no different. We are wired for greater things and wired to the God of the Greater.

2008 is now history. Today is what all we have got and every step takes us forward into a future that is brigther. So pray great prayers, dream great dreams and think great thoughts. Reach up and forward for a life of greater purpose and influence.

Path to Greatness

Power is potentially destructive!
Just look around you - you can see it in the office, school, government, community and even in the home. Those who have power easily fall into the trap of using and lording over people. This is the system of the world. Me-First. Win at all cost. And when you have won, dont let the world ever forget it.

' NOT SO WITH YOU...' were the words of Jesus to his disciples.
He is speaking on the system of the His Kingdom.
It is opposite of the world.
It is from above and not below.
It is selfless and it is serving.

To be great, be the servant.
To be first, be the willing slave.
It is unorthodox, unbelievable and some may even say unrealistic! But it is the way of His kingdom and the way of God.

Strange teaching but Jesus lived it. He came to serve and not to be served and he gave up His own life doing it. He had all power and all authority, yet he used it to serve all people.

'Worthy of worship, this Jesus' you may say.
But wait...do you hear something...He is inviting you to join Him in this path to greatness.
Hello...are you still there?

Courage

It takes courage to speak up against wrong.
It takes courage to lead others forward with real risks of failure.
It takes courage to carry on in the face of opposition.
It takes courage to do what is right even when it makes you unpopular.
It takes courage to face your problems and not run from them.
It takes courage to admit wrong than to fix the blame on someone else.
It takes courage to advance when the team wants to retreat.

Some talk about courage.
Others pray for courage.
A few feel courage.
But true courage is more than words, prayer and feelings.
How can you tell if you have courage?
True courage ACTS!!!