Was Joseph A Good Dad?

Kenny Song at Harvest Revival Centre

http://harvestrevivalcentre.com/

How many here are fathers, may I see your hands? Grandfathers? My hands are also raised, both hands, because I have two grandsons. That's my daughter Pam with my two grandsons while on holiday. I learned a long time ago becoming a father is much easier than being one. I became a father at 24 so you can imagine the responsibilities that came with it when I was just getting my footing on my business and married life.

Fathers, tell me if these words sound familiar.

- This is going to hurt me more than it hurts you.

- How should I know? Go ask your mother.

- Just wait till you have kids of your own.

- Who’s paying the bills around here, anyway?

- When you make your own money, you buy what you want!

- Stop playing with your food.

- Quiet! Can’t you see I’m trying to think!

- Why? Because I said so!

- My pocket money was only 20 cents.

- Buy what toys? I make my own toys when growing up.

And my favourite:

- When I was your age…

Fathers…do these sound familiar? We fathers may be very different and comes from all walks of life but there are some things only fathers can relate to. Like I said, being a father is no easy task. We have to provide, protect, instruct and discipline our children on a practical level and love and guide them spiritually.

Today, I want to look at one particular father mentioned in the bible. He is responsible for the upbringing of the Son of God. Who's that?

I titled my message, "Was Joseph a good dad?"

We have don’t have much Biblical material to work with, but I believe that Joseph like us, struggled with being a “dad” as well. In many ways, I feel for Joseph. While Mary is lifted up as the one who sacrificed, Joseph is peripheral where even in the Biblical accounts, only a few passages tell his story. Joseph was the earthly father of Jesus, the man entrusted to raise the Son of God.

Matthew 1:19-20

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

Joseph was a righteous, merciful, discrete, obedient and intelligent man, who followed God’s direction in the midst of other options.

And we know that Jesus of Nazareth came directly from his Joseph’s lineage. Jesus spent thirty years with his family before his ministry. And I have to believe that Jesus picked up his personality traits not only from His heavenly Father to whom he gives much of the credit, but also from his earthly father, who was there at least in those beginning years.

Skilled as a carpenter in the small town of Nazareth, Joseph spent time teaching his son the trade as well as providing spiritual training. Jesus is very often described as working and being taught by Joseph in his carpenter’s shop. This was an inherited occupation Jesus performed before going into His ministry. We see this today as well, as businessmen hand the mantle over to their sons or daughters. What the father does, often influences the career choices of their children.

When Jesus spoke of God as being like a loving Father, he could draw from his youth the kind of love he had from Joseph. Joseph stands as a testimony to the value of integrity, obedience, faithfulness, and especially to honouring the entrusted role of "fatherhood.” 

So, this morning let's look at Joseph and see how he was a good father.

1. First and foremost, Joseph loved his wife

Ephesians 5:28 says, “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.”

There is no doubt that children watch their parents…

I strongly believe that to be a good father, you must first and foremost be a good husband (not just because my wife is here ya).

If they see disrespect, statistics show that it will carry into the children’s marriage. If they see verbal, mental, or physical abuse, children will think that to be normal. If there is little value given to wives and to the opposite spouse, children will use that model in their future homes, families, and marriages.

Words between husbands and wives, like please, sorry and thank you will be picked up by your children. During their formative years, they are like a sponge and pick up everything.

That is why when children swear, or behave rudely, it often reflects on their parents, carbon copies of the original.

Often, we use the term wreaked marriages that ends up in divorce. Have we considered the wreaked lives of their children because of the divorce? Their insecurities, their pain, and the helplessness of seeing their parents split apart.

But…

If they visibly see love and respect, it will be modelled in their marriage and family. If the father honours the mother (and vice versa), that is exactly what the children will look for in their marriage.

If the parents cherish one another, love each other, then that will carry into the children’s lives as they grow older.

That familiar Proverb rings true, “Train up a child in the way they should go: and when they are old, they will not depart from it.” (22:6)

The earthly Jesus treated women with respect. Probably more respect than any other religious leader of his day…

He loved his mom. Even to the point of making sure that she would be cared for as he died on the cross.

He valued each and every person. Whether the thief on the cross or the solider or the blind or the sick...he saw value in each person.

When Joseph had the decision before him to either leave Mary quietly or make a big fuss, even in the midst of his own pain, he wanted to do what was best for Mary, sacrificing himself, his reputation.

Jesus did the same as he gave himself up because of his love for the church. I believe he first saw that all-giving love in his father’s love for his mother. If we want to be good fathers, we need to love our wives, just as Joseph did.

2. Second, Joseph didn’t expect perfect children

I remember when my daughter came into this world, and I carried our baby for the first time, I just whispered to myself…perfect. We were very specific when we prayed for our daughter before she was born. We named her Pam after Pamela Ewing, that TV series playing at that time, because the actress was the kindest person in the TV series. Anyone knows what TV series is that?

We prayed that she would have dimples, my skin, my wife's chin, my nose, my wife's ears…and you know what? God answered every one of our heart's desire for her. She even has four dimples, though we never prayed specifically for that. Perfect. Babies are such angels. Then they grow up and how often we hear parents scream at those "little devils". We quickly learn they are not perfect.

The story in Luke of Jesus in the temple is one example. The parents take off expecting Jesus to be playing with his friends only to find out that they’ve lost their kid. (Anybody ever been there?). Have you ever suddenly lost your child for a moment, like maybe at the malls?

I remembered when I was an 8 year old, my mother took me shopping along Penang Road. We were from Alor Star. She was busy looking at clothes with my auntie, when a bald man suddenly grabbed me and ran towards Chowrasta Market. Other pedestrians shouted at him and he dropped me after about 50 meters. My mother ran and grabbed me and just held on to me crying. That feeling where you think you have lost your child. After she calmed down, I remember vividly what she told me next. "Don't tell your father". :)

Mary asked Jesus, “Why have you done this to us?” and Jesus’ response, “Did you not know that I must be about my father’s business?”

We know now what Jesus was talking about, and today we don’t fault him for this, because we understand that Jesus had a different agenda than mom or dad.

But I’d be willing to admit that Joseph had a long talk with his son on the way back home just as I would have done if that happened to my daughter.

But the point is that just as there are no perfect fathers, there was only one perfect child in Jesus Christ.

As fathers, we cannot expect children to meet all our expectations, to fulfill all our goals for them, to be what we want them to be. They are not perfect.

I was not perfect growing up. I was lazy, played a lot and exam results were never stellar. I was an average student. So when I got my results for Form 6, HSC, I failed. But I love to draw, so I told my father I want to join an Art College. Those days, Art was very different from Design Schools today. My relatives discouraged my father, saying I can never make good money and job options are few. They say artists only make money after they die.

But my dad sat me down and asked me this. Are you sure that's what you want to do? I said yes! And he took me out to Penang to register at an Art College and because of his encouragement and support, I have loved my work and I praise God I didn’t do too badly either. My dad didn’t ask for a perfect son, he just loved me, imperfect as I was.

Spilled milk, broken things here and there, a poorly written test, a dent in the family car… children make mistakes and they are far from perfect. Things can always be replaced but a broken heart is hard to mend.

But it’s the good father, like Joseph, who, even when he doesn’t understand his child, like that time in the temple, says “that’s okay, let’s go home.”

Fathers, our children may be clumsy or athletic, scatter-brained or organised, shy or cakap banyak, crude or sophisticated… love them for who they are, they are your children.

Colossians 3:21 says – “Fathers, don’t make your children resentful, or they will become discouraged.”

If we want to be good fathers, we need to understand that our children are far from perfect. Just love and encourage them.

3. For our last point this morning, Joseph did all that he could do for his child

If you turn in your Bibles to Matthew 2:13-23, we see the familiar story of Joseph taking his family to Egypt and then to Nazareth by direction of angels.

Can you imagine leaving house and home, job and career, family homestead and family ties, to pick up and move to a foreign land, just because an angel told you so?

I have to believe that Joseph was a man of prayer. And no one can contest the fact the Joseph wasn’t in direct communication with God.

For his child, for his family, and for himself, I am sure that Joseph was in prayer. Even when he and Mary couldn’t be with Jesus, they knew that where they couldn’t be, God could be.

As fathers, we need to pray for our children and our families and to God for our strength. Why? Because our Heavenly Father loves our children and our families as much as we do…even more…Amen?

I also believe that Joseph did all that he could do for his family, he prepared his children.

Joseph not only prepared his child to leave home, he prepared Jesus for a lifetime, and beyond.

Proverbs 23:24 says, “The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise son will be glad in him.”

Preparing our children for that day when they finally leave our home is only part of the picture. Preparing them to live a productive lifetime in this world experiencing success and coping with failure, is another integral part, but it’s just that…a part.

As fathers, mothers, grandfathers, and grandmothers, we need to be preparing our children for eternity. God didn’t give us our children just to be doctors, teachers, engineers, lawyers, or preachers. He gave them to us to prepare them for everlasting life through Jesus Christ.

While we can’t choose for them, we CAN choose to show them the Way, the Truth, and the Life that leads to salvation, and their spiritual destiny. As parents, we need to be giving our children every opportunity to accept Christ for themselves.

We can’t choose for them, we can’t decide which path they are going to take, but we can set the example. I believe this is what Joseph did. Jesus knew about his spiritual heritage because of his parent’s devotion.

We, as parents, can have a Godly influence on our children. Let us never forget that their physical presence in this world is only a shadow of what eternity will be.

If we want to be good fathers, we need to do all that we can do for our families, just as Joseph did.

I do not have to tell you that Fatherhood is not doing well in our society…

Some sad and tragic incidents have happened right at our doorsteps. A group of young children riding their bicycles dangerously in the wee hours of the morning was mowed down. Where were their fathers?

Just this week a young 18 year old teenager, Nhaveen was physically and sexually attacked, because he was different and was declared brain dead before he succumbed to his injuries. Why? He knew those boys. Somebody wrote an article titled: Bullies are not born. They are raised. Where were their fathers in their upbringing?

It's not just here but it is happening everywhere. Children hardly see their fathers. I call them "Disappearing dads". Who do these children turn to for advice and guidance. Mr Google has replaced many fathers. It's sad. Google can give you information, but not Godly guidance.

My daughter Pam loves talking to my wife. They can spend hours talking. I also don't know WHAT they talk about? So much to say meh? She gives her emotional support, shares her hurts and joys, and tell each other what's happening in their lives.

Then when advice is needed, my wife will often tell her, go ask your father. Every time I get a call from her, it's for advice, opinions and decisions. That's what I'm there for. She runs to me in her time of need.

When she was just about 7 years old, she was crossing the road and the person watching her lost sight of her for 2 seconds and a motorcyclist rammed into her and she was flung meters away. I carried her in my arms and we rushed her to Gleneagles. Her waist area was turning blue black. Thank God it was only bruises because the doctor said she was so light she didn’t take the full impact.

But during that time at the hospital, she refused to let me go. Just wanting daddy to be beside. Fathers, we give our child assurance and security. It makes a world of a difference for them. A feeling only fathers can give.

Studies of young criminals have found that more than 70% of juveniles in state reform institutions come from fatherless homes. Children from broken families are nearly twice as likely as those in two-parent families to drop out of high school.

Now, more than ever, I believe that as fathers, we need to be positive role models. The most precious commodity we can give to our children are our prayers and our time. Not things.

Let us fathers learn from Joseph.

• We have to love our wives.
• We have to understand that our children are not perfect.
• We have to do all that we can do for our families.

Will you join me in prayer this morning for all fathers, grandfathers and spiritual fathers….

God, our Father, in your wisdom and love you made all things, including each and everyone of us. We give you thanks in that you are not absent, but present with us.

Bless our fathers, may they be strengthened by their faith, may they become an example of your love, and may they honour you always.

For those fathers, who have given us life and love, we show them our respect and love.

For those fathers who have lost a child through death, we pray that their faith will bring them hope and comfort.

For men, though without children, who have nurtured and cared for us as spiritual fathers, we give you thanks.

And for those fathers who are struggling, we pray for strength and wisdom that comes from you, our Abba Father.

Amen.

Wonderful worship. Love that song Good, Good Father.

Senior Pastor Rev Dr Benard Augustine

Sermon titled: "Was Joseph a Good Dad?"

The Messenger

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

The title for today is the Messenger and I think it's a timely message and it's not targeted at anyone in particular but that all of us are messengers. As I talk to some in church, there is this sense of a new season and that God is doing something new and it is something that God has planted in not one or two but many in the church. When God calls us out we need to know how God uses us.

This messenger is one "M" of three "Ms".

The first "M" is about the Master. The second "M" is the Message and the third "M" is the Messenger.

I want to begin with a story. It's real life but how accurate I'm not sure. It happened 2500 years back before Christ. It's a story that our marathon runners will probably be able to identify with. It's about the battle of marathon. The Persian army came against the Athenians. The Athenians ran 42 km out of Athens to this place Marathon where the battle was fought. And this man Pheidippides, he's the messenger.

On the day of the battle the Athenians were outnumbered 3 to 1. Seems like an impossible task but they won. Pheidippides was given the honour to run and he ran 42 km to Athens and when he reached Athens he shouted "rejoice we conquer, we have won" the city celebrated and he collapsed and died. He was the messenger for that particular battle.

But when I saw my friends ran, they never collapsed so I was wondering if Pheidippides was fit. But the more I dug into it, before the day of the battle he was also the runner that ran to Sparta in order to get help. And that was the killer. He ran 225 km across mountaineous terrain. Ran to Sparta and then ran back. So over that 2 to 3 days he ran over 500 km. He also fought that day with full armour and he had to run that last 42 km.

There are three things in the story that applies to us.

When he ran to Athens, he had the good news. Rejoice and we conquer. And we too as a messenger has the good news to proclaim.

The second is despite his exhaustion and obstacles, he did his job. We as the messenger of Christ is also in the position. But sharing the good news is not a bed of roses. Even as a 60 year old like me we are still at it.

And third he became a martyr for what he was doing. Paul too became a martyr.

Hold on to these three things.

And here is the beginning of my sermon. 

The Master

John 12:31-32 (KJV Strong's)

31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

Jesus spoke these verses on the week of passion. The Greeks were there too and they wanted to know about him. And here he turned from the Jews to the Greeks and to all men. And here Jesus was talking about the cross of Calvary. And he was talking to all men, drawing all men unto himself.

In verse 31, he said Satan will be driven out on the day Jesus is lifted up. On the day Jesus is crucified. The prince of the world and the prince of the air will be driven out. The insight here is that the cross of Calvary is not just about Jesus being crucified because the Jew leaders instigated it or that the Romans had the power to crucify him.

The cross of Calvary is the time when Satan will be defeated. Jesus is the last Adam. The first Adam missed it. That was the first spiritual battle. They were meant to have dominion over the earth and they missed it.

Immediately after they missed it in Genesis 3, Satan will be cursed and Jesus  will crush his head and he will bruise the heel of Jesus. It was prophetic proclamation of Jesus  defeating the devil. It is a spiritual battle. When we share the gospel we are taking the spoils of the spiritual battle at Calvary. Men are spiritually dead and nothing we can do can make them see truth. There's a spiritual blindness that covers their eyes.

We cannot draw men to Jesus per se but Jesus is the one that draws all men to himself. He is spiritually blind and spiritually dead. But when the kairos time is right, Jesus will draw that man to himself.

When we share the gospel where does the power lies? We who are smart may think it's our brain. Or to some it's the method. That has a place because we need some order or programme so that we can mobilise all of you and that our movement can bear a certain focus or weight. It's like an army. There must be a strategy or method. The Athenians had a strategy. He lured them because they was outnumbered. He had a plan and the church must have that.

But having said that you can have the best programme but at the end of the day it is the people who goes to share the gospel that will determine the success of the programme and the Intercessors that covers the programme because it's a spiritual battle.

I want to work on this question. Where lies the power of Jesus that draws all men to himself. What is that power?

The Message

Romans 1:16 (KJV Strong's)

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The gospel. How does Jesus draw all men to himself? It's the gospel or evangelion or the good news. It's the payment for the men who brought the good news and later became the good news itself. The gospel is on the basis of the death, burial and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The message must always be true and consistent as it's precisely about Calvary, Jesus' burial and the empty tomb. This are immovable facts. The gospel encompasses a lot about what happened at Calvary. The understanding of what happened at Calvary are things we can appreciate. If I talk about this then we can skip lunch.

I can summarise this. My students like me for this. Yesterday was teacher's day celebrations and they wrote about me. I was thinking they said I'm the best Physics teacher but they wrote I'm the best story teller. Especially they like how I summarise things to 123.

When we look at the cross, where does the power of the gospel lie? It lies in Jesus as the lamb of God. 

John 1:29 (NIV)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

The power of the gospel lies in Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. I want to put it in perspective. We live in a world where money is powerful. In the world today apart from Apple and Microsoft, it is the money game. They can go above a billion in 2 years. If you look at Apple and Microsoft it took more than two years. No matter how much money you have, money cannot wipe you clean and take away your sins before God.

Some businessmen  think they can earn their billions and then give back as compensation. It's the lie of the devil.

Take away money and a lot of people think the more good I do the more sin I wipe out. They think all their good works will compensate and take away their sins. Today I want to affirm and confirm that there is no other way sins can be taken away but by the blood of the lamb. This is the only way we can come back to God.

1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.

Jesus as the lamb of God was the climax of the Old Testament sacrifices. The sacrifices then had to be perfect and without blemish but they were perfect only to human eyes. But Jesus was perfect and without blemish. He was sinless throughout his 30 odd years when he walked the earth. He was the perfect Lamb of God referring to the life he led. This itself draws all men to himself.

We may share and think we are not effective. Most people are stubborn with their mouth but what's in their heart is another matter. They may say I don't need God. I will live my own life. But within, he may be troubled. In every men and women, there is an emptiness and vacuum that only God can fill. No matter how much money they have, there is an emptiness within.

I testify of this. My two brothers came at me before I was a believer. My brother came back home and my mom was worshipping with food and my brother did not eat. My mom asked why he had no appetite and my brother finally said I've become a Christian so I cannot eat food offered to idols. The first thing my mom and dad asked was have you been baptised. Those days that was the important factor. He said yes so mom said she'll cook separately for him.

But my mom said after that he don't use his head. How can he baptised then only tell us. I must say I added fire. I said yes, he didn't think. I repented already. I told my parents I won't be like that. You all can depend on me.

I had a younger brother who stayed with my elder Christian brother. He also keep sharing with him. I asked him how was it staying with elder brother? He said okay but he said everyday ask me to go to his church. So I gave him sound advice. I said you are staying in his house. If he ask you to go to church go lo. After all it's just one Sunday morning what do you think he can do? Two hours only. He talk you ma listen lo. Why you want to argue with him? After all you are staying at his place and if he gets angry you have to go out and find a room. Sound advice. So he said, ya, maybe you are right.

Three months later, we met and I remembered so I asked how did it go with brother? He said very well. All is okay. He still talks to me about Jesus. The he said, now I want to talk to you about Jesus. I nearly fell off my chair. I said I asked you to listen left ear in right ear out. He said I followed your advice, left ear in but it didn’t come out the right ear.

They kept talking to me about Jesus but I asked a lot of questions those days. I looked smart in front of them and that I'm okay but they are not. But when I'm alone I struggle. Everybody needs Christ. The good news is for everyone. The lamb of God that takes away the sin of God.

That cross gives us the doorway to eternal life. The word eternal life has a duration to it. Beyond eternal life is the quality of life. It's a life of God. I find people fall into three categories. One is you cannot mention death in the house. It's denial. The other group says they are not afraid of death. But those who come face to face with death will panic. And there is the third group where I want us to reflect a little bit. They have grown comfortable with death. This is our Christian heritage. Like Paul who says where is your victory O death. We of all people should be comfortable with death. We will be liberated to live if we embrace death in a biblical manner. I said embrace, not covet.

I look at death as the door that transits us to the eternal glory of God. We should feel comfortable as we are on a journey and death is the door that transits us. I have reflected on it when I read Martin Luther's last speech where he said he can see the glory of God.

The moment we can embrace Christ in death, then the journey of life allows us to be more than conquerors. And this draws all men. Who don't want to live? Everyone. Death is darkness and to be avoided but at Calvary, death brings life eternal.

Romans 5:8 (NIV)

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Love is most used but least understood. It is used often. I do not want to go into a technical exposition of love because love cannot be explained. The love of God where Jesus draws all people is a sacrificial love with kindness. In that kindness is grace. In the love of God expressed on the cross is the drawing power of Jesus Christ. This is a brief summary.

Here I can end the message but I talked about the messenger so I have to continue.

The Messenger

Romans 10:14-15 (NIV)

14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

You all are the messenger.

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (NIV)

14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ’s triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.

Notice the word everywhere. To me it's every tribe and nation. The triumphal is tied to the keyword uses us. It's through us. God has given us that privilege. Only we can transmit the power of the gospel. It's a privilege and a responsibility. God has given you that privilege when you were saved. Without the master all is meaningless. You and me are the messenger.

In the gospel we hold the means to life and death. Christ holds the power to life and death. Many of us have been taught that our focus is on the message. I want to put to you that we cannot separate the message from messenger. The message is different from the messenger but they cannot be separated.

Paul uses the word fragrance. It's a nice scent and the knowledge of Christ brings salvation and life and it is the fragrance of Christ.

I give you a scenario. You share with a friend. I tell you a story from my mother. My mother said a group of Christians came to share with my mother. My mother said she was busy. There were three of them. In the midst of the conversation, the person said all of you are worshipping worthless idols. My mother got angry. In the end the young men said free one you also don't want. My mother got upset. Years later my mother became a Christian. And where was the power of the gospel.

Your life is being observed. We cannot separate the message from the messenger. Even as we speak about the love of God people will be able to sense a certain concern and care. I talked to someone who became a Christian and asked why she accepted the Lord when at first she was not very open. I thought she'd say it's because I shared well and clearly. She said in the end it's because she felt the care and concern. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care.

You may ask how do I grow in the love of God so that you can impart it in your life. I can let you know love is a funny thing. It grows on you. How does it grow? You have to take the small step to look out of your family and yourself and see and walk with another person.

I want to thank the Lord that my mom was the one who said I've changed. Much of my life revolves around my family. My excuse is I have no time. The first step I took to walk along with someone who had a time of difficulty, I grew in the love of God. When you take care of your parents and buy gifts for your wife or care for your children, it's a very different dynamic when you choose to walk with someone whom you don't know that well.

I make it a point that in my life I have someone I walk along with. Recently I walked with someone who had a health issue and has not been to church a while and I asked if he has been baptised and he said no. I shared and he accepted the Lord and I told him I'll be visiting him. If you don't walk with a person you may not realised that how much you have to be thankful for. You'll change.

You want to grow in the agape love of God, walk with somebody. There are a lot of hurting people. Sometimes they just need a listening ear. You will grow and you will be transformed.

I like to give an analogy. You do not have to attract bees. If you have the flower and the fragrance the bees will come. Your walk will affirm your faith. The world needs a bit more kindness. It is the church that holds the key to eternal life so treasure the gospel that you hold. Know that Jesus is drawing all men to himself and you can have the fragrance of God in your life.

Walk with Faith

Pastor Peter Soratana

In Psalms 119:105, your word is a lamp unto my feet and a light on my path.

Nowadays we may not use torchlight. In Thailand we use street lamps and car light as we travel. There are lights all over the city and it's bright. Sometimes we rely so much on the lamp post that we did not realise our headlights are not working. Only in darkness do we realise the headlights are not working. Without the headlights we cannot move on.

The word of God is like that light. Many times we can still go on with our lives because we rely on the street lamps in the cities. When we are in the dark, then we realise we need the light from the word.

There was one time I needed to travel from Bangkok to a place that's dark in the mountains. It's the first time we went there. We started to question the villagers how to get there. They gave directions but the best is to stay overnight. But I needed to leave because I needed to preach the next day.

The way became darker and darker and we relied on the headlights. The road has lots of bends so we had to move slowly. Near midnight it was full of fog and we could not see. The headlights shined on the fog so we cannot see the way. So we used fog lights. The moment we on the fog light, the light became so bright we could see the way.

Apart from the word of God that we rely on, we also need a special word from God so that we can break through the fog. We cannot just rely on our knowledge but based on the word of God through the relationship we have with God. It's the word of God through our experience. Something we can pull from our heart and apply it.

We sometimes just open the Bible when in trouble to look for the word of God. And we can't find it. At the end of the sermon I will call on a person to share his testimony. I want to tell you problems exist not just to war against the Christians but also everyone. Health, relationship, finance, problems in school which attacks us. Problems come with sin. Because everyone sin and fall short of the glory of God. Those who fall in sin are slaves to the sin. And there's no way to escape the sin that strangles you.

A lot of people try to be a good person to escape from sin. Or try all kinds of things. Like accumulate a lot of money to break free from sin. Some people try by going to certain places or worship idols. Or be involved in charity to break free from sin. Everything that belongs to the slave belongs to the master. All the goodness the slave does belongs to the master. So all the good things the slave does cannot break free from the master. But there is a higher power and we need this higher power to buy you out.

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

All of you have been bought from sin and all of you have been bought from the master. God uses his status as King of kings to buy you out. But nobody seems to realise that and still act like a slave. Some change from Buddhism to Christianity but still live as a slave. God has bought you with the high price in Jesus Christ. God bought you expecting nothing in return. So how should you respond? Just believe in what God has done for you. God has bought and paid for you so you are no longer a slave.

Sickness belongs to a slave. Fighting with one another belongs to a slave. We don't have to fight each other. God has enough gifts for everyone so no need to be jealous of anyone.

We often have enemies surrounding us. Like receiving a letter of termination. There are different sorts of problems but it's how we response to these problems. We may respond with worries. And do not know how to handle the problem. Or you go to a doctor and is told you have a problem and we believe what the doctors say. And believe what is happening to us. Or you read a letter and and is told your son's application to a school is rejected. We respond with shock. This is the response in the example of 1King 6. Or blame the servant of God. And refuse to accept our mistakes but blame others.

In 2 Chronicles King Jehoshaphat faced the same problem when surrounded by enemies. But King Jehoshaphat seek help from God. A different kind of response from two different kings.

I'd like to invite my wife Pinky. We have been together 9 years. God is alive and he's been dealing with our problems all these years. When Pinky was pregnant three months, the doctors told us all is well and it's a boy. 95%. So we decided to name our life child as Peniel, the face of God. Someone that God will use in future. At the 4th month we consulted the doctor again and we found something's wrong. The kidney of the baby is not working. The left side is bigger and the right side is smaller than normal. Both kidneys are not working. The doctor told us to abort and that he will pay for all the bills.

He wanted to send us to KL and to provide us accommodation apart from paying for the bill. Everything seemed like a blessing because all will be paid and we were told we can try again. But we trust in God. He promised that he will bless us and it will not come with sorrow. And the child is a blessing. God will take care of it and we believed. The doctor say he won't take care of us anymore and told us to consult another doctor. We believed that when we come for an ultrasound all will be normal. But the second doctor told us the same diagnosis as the first doctor.

Many people may respond and say this had to be true because both doctors said the same things. But not us. We consulted a third doctor at Island Hospital and God blessed us with someone who sponsored us. We hoped for a change but it was the same. Both kidneys not working. And the doctor said he will do the abortion. It seems right because we can do it here instead of KL. But no, we trusted in God. If we trust in God we will continue to walk with him. It's like driving the car without a headlight. We believe God will help us to turn the situation into good.

So we decided to consult the 4th doctor and we found a Christian doctor. We had to go to Butterworth and after the ultrasound, the same thing, both kidneys not working. But the doctor didn't say abort. He said we can trust God and not worry but to praise him.

We consulted the same doctor the 5th time which was the same result. We came to church and some people felt sympathy and some were negative like that we were not good servants of God. Must be the punishment of God. So some wanted us to return back to Thailand and they will take over the ministry. We still love them and forgive them. But what they told us was contradictory but we tell people about our child and all is good.

We felt pressurised by church members to move back to Thailand. But we had to be strong and appear cheerful as it will affect the health of the baby. But we didn't receive the love and support from the surrounding but we have God. Every morning we praise God and we put our hands on the child and prayed that through his stripes Peniel will have life and will be born strong. We spoke goodness on our child. We did not let the ultrasound play on our mind.

We believed that the child will be healthy and strong. If you believe you will see greater things. At 7 months during the usual check up, everything was still the same despite the prayers and trust. But our faith still remains and we believe in God that this blessing will not come with sorrow. We did not believe in what we see. We continued to put our hands on the child.

Some people will give up after 7 months because nothing have changed. But we continue to trust God because God will not fail. God will accomplish what he desires.

On the 8th month the doctor examined and there was a smile on the face of the doctor and he said God has changed the situation. The big kidney became normal and the smaller kidney became bigger and was working. And the doctor say 2 more weeks for delivery. Because the child is big at 3 kilos and is good to deliver on 8 and a half month.

When we arrived to church we were questioned again. If we still want to remain in this church and still want to deliver, they will not pay for anything. When delivery came we only had RM50. We went to BM and was clueless. Those called to the counter paid the deposit and went for delivery. We did not know there was a deposit needed. We just trusted God to provide.

When the nurse called and we went to the counter, she told us to go to the labour room without asking for a deposit. The nurse asked if we wanted 4 bedded or single. To save cost we asked for 4 bedded room but she said 4 bedded full so we had to take the single room with only RM50.

And she asked what milk we wanted and we had no idea. She showed us the most expensive milk. We only had RM50. In the room, a Thai lady asked us if we had money to pay for the bill we said we only have RM50. She said you'll be here 3 days so she said she'll loan us and transfer some money. But the Bible says we will not be a debtor so we said no. As the lady said she wanted to lend us the money a message came in to Pinky's phone and a church member sent a message to congratulate us, told me to take a good rest and the day we leave the hospital he will fetch us and take care of all the bills.

With the problems with our child we got a special Visa. We are often questioned why we come so often but with Peniel's problem we can come in and out without problems. Hallelujah.

The hand of God is not short nor his ear deaf that he cannot help you. There is two ways to choose. Choose the easier way of the world and walk traditionally and walk according to the majority or you want to choose to walk with Jesus. If you choose to walk with Jesus  you have to walk with faith. If you don't walk with faith it is not possible to please God. Let the word of God today encourage you. Through our testimony it's not that we are special. God does not choose special people but it's about how we choose to respond to God. We choose to be obedient and trust God. It's not just based on the knowledge of the word of God but on how we respond to him.

Mother's Love

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

When pastor Gideon asked me to speak on Mother's Day I asked if he was sure? Maybe he was confused as I have done Father's Day before. I believe pastor Gideon heard from the Lord when he asked me to speak on Mother's Day because he may not know it, but I know I am blessed to be here.

 I would like to start with something like this. A man love his mother and the man love his wife. And one day they are both drowning. Who do you save first? I don't want to answer this question because I don't want to go where angels dare not tread. The answer would probably be, let me think about this. It's a philosophical question.

The mother may not say it but in her heart she would say save your wife. The mother's heart is always sacrificial. It will always be - the child comes first. And she would say save your wife.

Mothers are not perfect. But mother's have a special love for her child. If your mother scolded you yesterday don't think that your mother is not like that. But the seed of sacrifice and the bond to her child will always be there.

The Bible records that David lay with Bathsheba and Solomon come from that. This was after the first child had died after birth. When a lady conceive, and the mom loses the child, it is a terrible thing. Something that we cannot understand. And healing takes a long time. And when another child came along, there is a special bond that this child is God's gift back to me.

Proverbs 10:1

The proverbs of Solomon:

A wise son brings joy to his father,

but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

Have you ever wondered why Solomon didn't write it the other way? That a wise son brings joy to the mother and a foolish son brings grief to his father? I think Solomon knows that a father's love and mother's love is different. A mother's love of a wayward child is different. If a son takes drugs both will be grieved but the first one who will say enough is enough is the father. When he has to draw the line, it'll be the father. But have you heard? Mothers will still secretly give to their son, like money. This is something that we see happening. When it comes to bonding with the child, the mother has a nine month head start.

That attachment with a child the father will not be able to really grasp. A mother's love has a certain empathising touch. The mother weeps in the heart when a child goes through a difficult time. It is this that expresses itself as a mother's love in a softness of heart for the child. And it is very direct. A mother will naturally want to embrace the child. That is a mother's love.

That love is drawn from two aspect, a sacrificial aspect and an unconditional aspect. That's why the mother will say save your wife.

This is where we want to look at where is the source of a mother's love. The agape love of God is expressed as sacrificial and unconditional.

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

While we are yet sinners described God's unconditional love and Christ died for us described his sacrificial love.

That is why man will say only when a man becomes good does he deserve our love. God showed his love when we are still a sinner. And God is not all talk, he demonstrated his love by dying for us.

In the mother that sacrificial and unconditional love is expressed through her empathising for her child, that softness of heart and in the mother lies the capacity to love like that. On Mother's Day I want to say you are special because you have that capacity to lay your life down for your child and it's a gift of God. And when we say you have that seed, we have to nurture it. And we don't know how far you can go as you draw near to the Lord. That seed of sacrifice and unconditional love will grow in your life. It is a gift, nurture it and you will be blessed.

It is no accident that Solomon when God chose him was a pretty smart fellow. He was to ask one thing from God and he chose wisdom. And God said he has chosen a good thing. He asked for wisdom and God gave him everything.

1 Kings 3:27-28

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.

And here you see how Solomon used his wisdom from God in dealing with mothers. If you read the passage before these verses and you'll see how wise Solomon was in dealing with this case. Solomon knew there was a strong bond between a mother and the child.

1 Kings 3:23-26

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

Here you see an aspect of how a mother feel when a son's life is at stake.

In my school I have all ladies young and old. In a hall of 600 I can be the only man. When I told them I have a difficult assignment from my pastor to speak on Mother's Day and one person in particular told me, have you heard of a son's face where only a mother can love? You see, others see that child with their eyes but only a mother sees her child through her eyes.

I  am a reader of books but now I learn how to Google. So I read this story.

There was a child in school who is always asking questions in class. And the teacher got irritated with him because of his many questions. The teacher called the mother to complain that this child of hers is problematic.

The mother said my child is not backward and I'm taking her back to school him at home. This boy is Thomas Edison who has more than 1,000 patents.  That is why he was always asking questions. The school cannot accommodate him because he was a genius. But the mother saw him as special. The mum sees more, my son has potential.

But if the mum had listened to what the teachers said what would have become of Thomas Edison? That's a mother's love.

You also saw cases in earthquakes where they found a mother cradling her baby from the debris. That is a mother's love.

Today you've heard this, so what's your response. You may say I'll buy her a special gift, or take her to a special place but have you thought of what your mother actually wants? Mothers want obedient children.

I told my teachers at school that my mum seldom cane me and when she does, she canes me softly. But my brother will always kena. When my mum says come, he will stay at the corner and when my mum goes to him he runs around the room. He said not fair, mum canes him 10 times but only 2 times on me when we both did the same thing. I told my brother don't run. When mum says come you go and say sorry. But he never learns, so kena. Mothers want obedient children.

Ephesians 6:2-3

2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

I believe a man who dishonours his father or mother cannot honour God. Don't be a Pharisee. If he don't honour his parents, he is in no position to honour God.

Some time back I had a talk to my mother. I told my mum it's not how much money a son has in taking care of the mother but how much love he has. A son who has money may not give her mum the care that she needs in failing health. While a son who loves his mom will find a way to find the money for her mother's treatment.

My mom is not well and I spend time with my mom. Back from school and I'll sit in the wheelchair by her. My mom used to iron clothes until late at night so I whenever saw her and decided to stay with her. She can iron with her eyes closed and I told myself I'll stay with her until she sleeps. So after a while I'll tell her to go to sleep. She thinks I must care for her but because she don't sleep I cannot sleep.

I just want to say this to all of you. If your mum is not well, honour and care for your mum. Mums will always care for their child but it is sad that children sometimes don’t care about their mum. I want to take this opportunity to also thank my wife because as a son I also have my limitations.

Now coming back to the question of whether to save your mum or your wife, you may have the problem but your mum will not. She will say save your wife. For mothers, the child will always be in her heart. A mother will always grief when her child is not doing well.

So finally remember this, always care for your mum when she's not doing well.