Dear……
‘And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as Thou wilt.’
Matthew 26:39
This time last year, I was in Shanghai. And the photos in the album, a work of love painstakingly put together by Janet my better half, attest to the wonderful memories we had of the rejuvenated Grand Old Dame of Asia, but more importantly, the new experiences we had in attending church service in Shanghai over Good Friday as well as Easter.
'..he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.'
Hebrews 2:14
As most of us attend Good Friday service this morning, not just to commemorate but to celebrate and remind ourselves and all of the love of Christ for all of us and to affirm the victory of the saving grace of the cross, for death no longer has a grip on those who take up the salvation offered to all and we need no longer live our lives under the bondage of sin and its price, the fear of death.
‘Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children.’
Ephesians 5:1
Such a wonderful and obvious truth, why then does not many believe? And sadly this disbelief also applies to many professed Christians who mouth their beliefs, but whose heart has no place for the risen Christ. Is there a reason to stay lukewarm? Is it because of the real and perceived risks to one's life and limbs?(as in this morning's headline on the 5 large bombs discovered near churches in Jakarta). Or in acknowledging and following our Lord Jesus Christ, would one be prepared to stand firm in the face of discrimination and persecution, as in the present seemingly difficult circumstances for Chinese worshipers in the Shouwang Church in Beijing? Seemingly difficult not because one is belittling the real challenges that our brethren in China faces, but rather, it is an acknowledgment that God is Sovereign and to Him only must we yield and no other and in yielding to Him, His grace will come forth.
( see this link for a testimony of faith http://www.chsource.org/site/en/blog/628-a-letter-to-the-congregation-beijing-shouwang-church.html )
( http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Shouwang-Church:-Celebrating-Easter,-even-at-the-cost-of-arrest-21354.html )
Common experience is that the thirst for our Lord is even greater in times of refinement compared to moments of ease. And what we are witnessing in China today is that innate faith that rest firmly upon the Lord our God, our Rock even as the burdens of lives intensifies. For a nation whose budget for internal security is as large as that for its external defense, it is indeed a strange experience for repressive forces who will find that man's cruelties and their repertoire of tools available do have its limitations when dealing with seemingly defenseless Christians, for whom, many have come to boldly live out the dictum, "to live is Christ, to die is gain." and our prayers are that these men, women and children of faith will remain steadfast in the spirit, knowing that the love of God will be anchor them through the present storm and that God's love through these lamps of faith, will overwhelm the once hard and dark hearts of their detractors, for man plans, God directs.
‘For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord, walk as children of light.’
Ephesians 5:8
Would we who are blessed in Singapore and Hong Kong, be able to remain unmovable in our faith in the face of intense pressure that wants us to renounce our faith? Or is it already a reality that the comforts of a material life has already shifted many from their focus on the Lord our God and indeed, many have already renounced their allegiance to God and yielded to the temptations of Satan's world?
'And deliver them who through fear of death were all in their lifetime subject to bondage.'
Hebrews 2:15
Life as a Christian will be challenging, for we are asked to be no longer of this world, much as we are still living in this sinful world, till Christ returns. And this is best exemplified by how our Lord Jesus Christ, on Palm Sunday, was feted by all as he sat on the colt heading towards Jerusalem, after having rounded off his miraculous ministry with the resurrection of Lazarus. For any of us in His position, the sweet smell of success must have be pretty aromatic. Yet, who is to expect that just a few days later, things turned fairly sour and Christ was to find himself despised and cruelly crucified on Good Friday.
‘Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
Matthew 26:41
Is it understandable then for many “on fire” Christians to quickly lose that desire to live out their faith,when the reality of an ungrateful and difficult world fairly quickly doused the once vibrant faith and leave them smoldering in the embers of hurt and discouragement?
‘He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.’
Matthew 26:42
How can we the carnal and imperfect man be like Christ, who though taking on the form of us human, yet is not like us? Yield is the word God placed in my heart and letting go and letting Him is what His Spirit leads me on in today’s sharing. All of us know truly how wonderful the plans of God are, even when circumstances might seem cruel and illogical, as in the case of our Lord Jesus Christ who was put to death despite his good and miraculous works. Yet in his death, was his resurrection on Easter day, which forever broke the grasp of the devil upon the sinful man.
Yield to maturity(YTM) is a basic foundational concept in the pricing of bonds. It works on the assumption that if you buy and hold a bond to the end of its life, what will be the annual return or yield that you will receive, assuming the interest received is reinvested at the same rate.
‘Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.’
Ephesians 5:17
What about YTM as a spiritual concept? From the moment you commit to receive the gospel of salvation and invite the Spirit of God into your heart as a believer, you have entered into a covenant to let the Spirit of God transform you from the carnal man to the spirit man in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ. You must be willing to yield your all to the Holy Spirit and this will continue till the day Christ brings you home. And yielding does not come from your own strength, but rather from a desire to stay in the presence of Lord, come what may, to allow His sanctifying presence and power to imbue us with that inner peace, joy and deep assurance, that will keep us focus on Him, while we wait upon Him in His ways and timing.
‘And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.’
Romans 12:2
As we take time to celebrate, and not just commemorate Good Friday and Easter Sunday, celebrate because the victory over death is won and it is for us who believe to “plunder” from the devil its ill gotten gains of sinful souls by sharing and living out the power of the saving grace of the gospel.
‘..but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.’
Romans 16:19
But the way to do it is not in the the way the carnal world does, that is, on our own strength and understanding. But rather, as the verse in Romans 16:19 reminds us, God's way is for us to submit to His will, to live out the fruits of the Spirit with love, and to love our enemies, then only can we truly resist and overcome the delusions of the devil and claim the victory that is already won. Submission to the sanctifying grace of God can only come if we have that hunger for and desire to follow our Lord and let me close by pointing you to the words in the song, “As the deer pants for the water.”.
As the deer pants for the water,
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.
I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.
You're my Friend and You are my Brother,
Even though You are a King.
I love You more than any other,
So much more than anything.
THE PARADOX OF YIELD
Bring all ye the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in Mine house, and prove Me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'
Malachi 3:10
God knows our limits. For us in the developed world, repression is less direct in terms of right to worship(at least for now, but let us not take it for granted for society is evolving and Christians will be persecuted in the new religion of secularism as witnessed in the West) but more in terms of loss of material comfort. And indeed many are yielding to the call of the devil in exchange for the temporal mountains of treasures he promised.
'Ye have said. It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of hosts?'
Malachi 3:14
Why? Because the carnal man is always looking to increase his yield on his treasures in the world. And this error in focus is causing many of some wealth great angst as they search relentlessly for investments that can give them better returns than the paltry interest rates on cash in most countries. In this End Times intensified, there will be a greater surfeit of false prophets and greater delusions, and the world we live in today is living off the self denial of governments in not dealing with the financial excesses of the past years and as more jump into the bandwagon of "inflation hedges,' be it properties, soft and hard commodities, the day is nearing where many will be right about their investment choices, yet still be seriously mauled by the sudden twists and turns that will epitomize this inflation dragon that they are riding on.
Our good Lord reminded me that indeed, the best investment is in His Kingdom, in taking time with Him and in investing in the salvation of souls He will surely place in our lives. Death is not the end all. There is eternity with the resurrected Christ. But where we will be in eternity? Be it damnation or heavenly bliss is dependent upon how we live our faith today.
'While it is said. Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.'
Hebrews 3:15
Only in yielding to God, rather than looking for yields on the temporal treasures of this world, will we be able to navigate safely the sin littered road to damnation that the devil so desires us to join him in.
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