The Assurance of Providence - the Battle of Wills

Bro Koay Kheng Hin

I'm born in the year of the rooster. I'm going to retire in the year of the rooster. I'm also saved in the year of the rooster, so the year of the rooster is very special to me.

I want to begin with a little bit about the Ang Pow. It's a Chinese New Year tradition. It was started in the Sung dynasty and it was meant to be about the red color of the packet. That was more important than what's in the packet. Today, the symbolism of the red of the packet is less important than what's in the packet. The red symbolises many good things.

For many of us Chinese when we look into the coming year there is that anticipation of prosperity. We have this feeling that it will be more prosperous than the previous year.

The Jews also on the Passover night had the blood of the lamb painted on the doorposts. I want to look at the colour red. The title I want to speak today is on the Assurance of Providence. I want to say we have this assurance not because we are smart or capable but because we are the children of the almighty God.

I have two friends who has GAD (general anxiety disorder). We live in stressful times and in times like these the stress can get to us. The main cause of anxiety is the word uncertainty. It's that uncertainty that bugs each and everyone of us.

What is anxiety? You go to the office and you hear of VSS and you wonder if you still have a job soon. Your children's grades come down suddenly and you wonder what's happening with them. Or you have a pain in your back and you went for a medical check-up but the doctors are still not sure what's wrong. All these are uncertainties that causes anxiety.

Psalms 31:14-15

14 But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15 My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

This was at a time when David was being hunted. It speaks of a time when he was hunted by Saul and his friends all abandoned him. It was then he penned this Psalm. The word trust is always connected to trusting God. Verse 15 is where David mentions the Providence. God is in control of human affairs.

For example, I can give you every single incident of your daily lives. Today you are here because of Providence. It is the exact opposite of coincidence. Where it is the permissive will of God, even if the person is not here today, God is still with them. Good or bad, we fall under the sovereign will of God. God is in control but God also permits evil. God has that foreknowledge and control over it.

Today I stand here at the pulpit because he has permitted it or he had prescribed it. God is in total control.

The key is whether  the providence is good or bad for you. By the end at 12.15pm you will know.

In these two verses, King David was asking God to deliver him from his enemies. He was praying for the  providence of deliverance. The certainty come from the believe that God will deliver you from your adverse circumstances.

Matthew 6:30-33

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew struck a chord during those times. Many who listened to Jesus are people who are struggling to put food on the table. These are basic provisions. Matthew quotes the words of Jesus and he said don’t worry about food, clothing or shelter. That is the promise of provision.

As children of God most of us have more than enough. Amen? God's promise is that he will fulfill all our needs. That his children will not beg for bread. But God has not promised to satisfy our greed. Most of the times we are so anxious and we worry because of greed.

God bless us but we have to be wise and be good stewards and we will be alright. Two things come out very strongly.

You of little faith. Sometimes we have this uncertainty that things will not turn out well, it is an issue of faith.

When David said I trust in you, he also said you are my God. It's the same here, it says seek first his kingdom. Providence is working in our favour because we are the children of God. But to have that certainty need two things. To be able to believe that God is acting in your favour. But there is another by product of that faith. When you believe in God, it is that faith that draws you to him.

You will find the issue of faith is about where God is and who God is.

Luke 17:17-19

17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The compassion of Jesus  was on them and all 10 were cleansed. Only one came back to thank him. What is verse 18 teaching us? God is not an answering or vending machine. Someone you go to, to get whatever you need and then you go away and only coming back when you need him again. He wants to fellowship with you.

The nine who were cleansed but cabut (went away) broke the heart of our Lord. God wants to fellowship with us. The circumstances of life are points where you see his provisions but also points where he wants to meet with you.

When you want to have that assurance of providential favour in your life, the rest in your soul, you must have faith that God is working all the time that all things will work for good but he desires that you come to him not just for his blessings but for who he is.

I've a Christian friend who asked me if he can do Buddhist meditation or yoga to calm himself. The fact that he had to ask this shows he has not found rest in God. Outside the church there are so many who has not the peace of God and today as children of God we are in a position to tell them "let your heart not be troubled" because Jesus can give them a peace that surpasses all understanding.

You can only impart what you have. If you come to me for big bucks sorry I cannot help you. Not that I have no money, but if you're talking about money for business I cannot help you. But if you say you worry or cannot sleep, you can give me a call. Hopefully don't everyone call me.

The peace of God is our heritage. It is something we can only have if we have the experience of that assurance working in our life. I'm a science person so there's the theory and the experience.

Many times in our desperate situation we cry to God but when God deliver us the house become quiet. If you look at faith in Hebrews 12:2, Jesus  is the source of our faith.

Hebrews 12:2

looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

He is the perfecter of our faith. It is both an event and a process. The day we accept Jesus  is an event. We are changed from being an orphan to become the children of God. Someone who was helpless to becoming children of God.

That faith should keep on growing. Until the time when you meet with every problem your faith has surpassed it and you remain cool and calm, where the peace of God will rest in you. A peace that surpasses all understanding.

Every time we talk about prayer, there is a place for petitional prayer but have you practiced conversational prayer or have stopped contemplative prayer? That is what Jesus uses to perfect our faith. How do we experience this faith?

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

The assurance of providence provides a certainty that will remove any anxiety.

This is only half the story. For non Christians they cannot understand providence. For those who do not believe in God providence does not gel but faith does. They do what they can and then it fails. They say what can be done. It's fate.

But for someone who believes in God, you talk to the person if things don't work out, they will say what to do, it's God's will.

But as a Christian when you talk about the will of God, we may think it's not the best. If the person cannot accept that the will of God is not the best for him, how do you tell the person to rest in the providence of God. I call it the battle of wills.

When a person becomes a child of God, he will have on one side, God's will and on the other side his will or dreams. When a person accepts Christ on Sunday morning don't expect him to be like Paul on Monday morning. He will start with a mix of God's will and his will. But as he grows, God's will grow while his will lessens. Maturity comes with how much God's will is actualized in your life.

Providence will finally overcome and shine above everything else.

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Paul says you are struggling but if you still think as the world thinks, you will battle with God's will. Then only you can says God's will is perfect.

Then you will not say "what to do? God's will" and instead say, praise the Lord, God's ways are better than my ways and his thoughts higher than my thoughts.

I want to tell you a little story.

When we talk about the life of faith, we say we have a problem and we pray. No answer. We then ask our cell leader to pray with us. Then another week goes by, we persevere. Then God answers. Your faith is now even more than your cell leader's faith.

When Daniel went into the lion's den you can tell Daniel was praising God. Who has more faith, the man in the lion's mouth or the man who has been delivered from the lion's mouth. Many of us our faith gets a booster when God answers our prayer but not when God has yet to answer. Don't Praise God for the suffering but praise God in our suffering because we believe God has his purposes beyond what we can comprehend.

What we talk about faith the Chinese calls heaven's will. The best illustration is from the Chinese novel, the romance of the three Kingdoms. One of the wisest in the novel at 80 years old, he cornered his enemies and burned the army. The general of the enemy was going to commit suicide and that wise man was smiling with victory in sight. That time was the driest of a 7 year drought and while he was basking in his victory, a heavy downpour came and the fire was snuffed out and the enemy escaped. He looked up to heaven and said heaven's will cannot be opposed. And in the movie he vomited blood, never recovered and he died.

Compare him to our great man Joseph of Genesis. Seventeen years old and was sold as a slave. Met Potiphar wife's and was thrown into prison. By the time he came out of prison he was 30 years old. It was a long long time. And at the end this was how he saw God's providence.

Genesis 50:19-20

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20 You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Joseph was someone who had a strong grasp of the providence of God. What came out of Joseph all the time was God. It is the basis for Romans 8:28. God at times permit it but God did not stop there. He will use the circumstances to turn it around for his propose. The perfecter of your faith. From that incident came David and from David, Jesus.

I want to encourage you that no matter what happens in your life, his providence is not only for your good but because he has a greater purpose.

I'm a chess player and you must have a game plan. God has a game plan. His provisions always have a part in his kingdom. God has his jigsaw pieces all laid up. We cannot see it.

God is not a slave driver. He does not use us and not care about us. He is a king with Kingdom purposes and he cares about his citizens. But more than a king be is also our Father and he cares and his work in our lives is part of that jigsaw that has a far greater purpose than those who don't know God.

The passage about the battle of will is best represented in Matthew 26. Jesus is both a perfect God and a perfect man. The Bible says Jesus was hungry and thirsty. He was 100% man. His humanity at this time shows his suffering was real. He was on the cross as the perfect man. In that perfect humanity Jesus approached God the Father and prayed.

Matthew 26:39

Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

But what is most beautiful is that he said not my will but your will. Your will be done. In KJV, thy will be done shows the graciousness of God's providence in our life. The will be done has brought us to where we are, saved, to be sanctified and glorified. God is always good. You may not understand it but if you can just cry, thy will be done and you will be most blessed.

SaveSave

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.

It's Okay to Cry

Rev Gideon Lee

Sometimes we can come to a place where we must be dignified because men don't cry. Psalms 6 must be read with Psalms 51 because they are Psalms of repentance. At this point of writing he was a very broken man. In his brokenness we will see how he placed his hope in God.

Psalms 6

1 Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger

or discipline me in your wrath.

2 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint;

heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony.

3 My soul is in deep anguish.

How long, Lord, how long?

4 Turn, Lord, and deliver me;

save me because of your unfailing love.

5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name.

Who praises you from the grave?

6 I am worn out from my groaning.

All night long I flood my bed with weeping

and drench my couch with tears.

7 My eyes grow weak with sorrow;

they fail because of all my foes.

8 Away from me, all you who do evil,

for the Lord has heard my weeping.

9 The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;

the Lord accepts my prayer.

10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;

they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.

Note that David is not saying to God not to discipline him but not to discipline him in his anger.

David was in such anguish that even his bones were in agony. This was how intense it was for him.

Verse 7 onwards show the turning point of David's repentance. Earlier he was just pouring out his heart. He turned from the negative to the positive.

Your prayers are not in vain this morning. God accepts your prayer.

Our heavenly Father loves you. The Christian life is most of the time filled with abundant life. Sad that sometimes we walk along with a papaya face. Sad face. The Bible says rejoice in the Lord and I say to you again rejoice.

But our Christian life is also sometimes a life a tears. Solomon says there are times for tears. Tears are neutral. It can be tears of joy or sorrow.

A good cry before the Lord helps us to release that tension. Tears are also beneficial for our health, it lubricates your eyes and also remove irritants. When things get in your eyes you start to tear up. Tears are beneficial for our spiritual wellbeing. Some songs as we worship and connects with God we cry because God touch us.

At Bible school there is the altar and it's a place where we soak it with our tears. There are cushions at the altar where the students go up front to cry before the Lord. It was a sacred time. I remember seeing people cry at the altar.

Part of what I do is weddings and funerals. At weddings we shed tears of joy but at funerals we can sometimes be so numb that we fail to empathise with the family. It becomes routine to you. Like doctors who are so used to treating people that we can become very rough with our words. That's why doctors are now taught bedside manners. We can become so numb to sin.

That is why I felt I should share this message not just for you but also for me. That is to not take God for granted.

David wrote this Psalms because he purposely sent Uriah to the battle front to be killed because he wanted to marry Bathsheba. The prophet told Nathan that because of what he did the child will not survive. I can imagine David was at the bed grieving for his son who is dying because of what he did.

On our day we can become numb to the call of God in our life. We can hear God speaking clearly to us and we ignore him. Or his commandments, we become numb and take it lightly. Don't get me wrong. I believe in his grace and mercy but let's not forget that he chastises those he loves. He considers you his own. Like how we chastises our children. Let's not harden our heart and take him for granted.

We become numb to the call of God, sin and his conviction. We become so cold and so hard. David was different. He wrote Psalms 6 and 51. It was not a victory shout. He was in pain and was in anguish.

David at this point was on his way back to a right relationship with God. He is not there yet but was on his way to restoring his relationship with God. But there will be tears along the way.

The type of tears are the tears of sorrow as in verse 1. Sorrow is a feeling of deep distress. God confronts our sin just as in David's life and there will be tears of sorrow. Not just on what he did but who he did it to.

Not just the act but it is God whom he sinned against. That he sinned against God and fell short. The first step is not knowing you sinned but that you sinned against God.

Psalms 51:4

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in your verdict

and justified when you judge.

David understood that he was sorry for what he did to God. When will we realise that we have sinned against our heavenly father. Are you ready to return to God? Remember the story of the prodigal son? He asked for his inheritance, squandered his life but came to his senses when he had to fight with pigs for food. He wanted to go back to his father's house to be a servant. He was willing to trade his position as the son to be a servant. Just as he was coming and from still afar, the father did something a Jewish man is not supposed to do.

His father ran towards his son, a Jewish man will not do that. The story of the prodigal son is about the love of the father. He hugged him and gave him a kiss. He told the servants to bring clothing and put a ring on his finger. He couldn't care less what the people were thinking. He was in full view of the people. This was what God did for us.

David also cried tears of anguish in verse 2 to 7. He was in such deep pain that his bone hurt. It was through a period. Not just immediately but it was for a period.

How many of you have been in such a desperate situation that you just cried before the Lord and you wet your bed with tears. Sin affects us emotionally, spiritually and physically.  That was what David went through.

Don't you think sin affects you physically? When we are in stress we are affected physically. Our blood pressure go up, you can't sleep, your immunity goes down and you lose your appetite. If you sleep around, it will also have consequences to your sin. Physically.

Spiritually also it will make a divide between us and God. Our relationship with God won't be as good or sweet as it used to be. 

Psalms 51:17

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.

Contrite heart means crushed by the weight of sin. God's chastisement will come if we continue to sin. We can play church. I have to say this. If you continue to hurt God and sin, we will face his chastisement.

There were tears of repentance in David's heart. David came before the Lord offering a contrite heart and tears of repentance before the Lord. God will still restore David, that's why he's known as a man after God's heart.

There was this traveling evangelist and after his meeting he took a train to his next destination in the morning.

In the train sitting with him was a young man who was downcast. He looked worried and stressed.  He struck a conversation with this young man hoping to help him.

The young man opened up to him and told him his life story. He said he used to be a wild child and was a handful for his parents. He said it was so bad he punched his father. And on that day his father said as much as I love you, you can no longer stay in this house if you continue like that.

So he left the house but he said three weeks ago he got saved. So he wants to get right with his parents to see them and say sorry. He was not sure he would be accepted. So he called his father that he wants to come back. He said if you still want me back tie a white ribbon on the apple tree outside the house. If he sees it he will come down and if he do not see the ribbon, he would move on.

So he told the preacher if he could see on his behalf the white ribbon because he could not bear to see it. As the train approached he looked out and he said you don't have to worry. Not only was there a ribbon on the apple tree but ribbons were all over, every branch and fence and a big cloth with the words "Welcome home my son".

There is always a place for you to come back. God will not turn you away. If you come back to God like David there will always be reconciliation. My prayer for you is to never harden your hearts.

A Time for Everything

Rev Gideon Lee

This morning I want to preach from the he book of Ecclesiastes.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,

and a season for every activity under the heavens:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,

a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,

a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,

a time to mourn and a time to dance,

5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,

a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,

6 a time to search and a time to give up,

a time to keep and a time to throw away,

7 a time to tear and a time to mend,

a time to be silent and a time to speak,

8 a time to love and a time to hate,

a time for war and a time for peace.

9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race.

11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Do you know that Malaysia has 4 seasons? The dry season. Then the drier season. The wet and the wetter season. 

We are now entering the raining season and then flooding during the wetter season. There's a place and sequence to everything. Winter does not come after summer. There's spring before summer. And autumn before winter. And Ecclesiastes says there's a season for everything.

A time to be born and a time to die.

To be born and to die is out of our control but I said last week that God is in control. Last week we just had two funerals. Beyond our control but we know who is in control. There is also a time for us to be born into the kingdom of God. How we responded to his word as it was shared to us. We were once the enemy of God but now we are a friend to God.

We have gone through seasons of war, like during the Japanese occupation and I was told by my parents that they survived on tapioca with chilli padi. But these don't last. There is a season to everything. These kind of season do not last. If you are going through a season of suffering or lack, it will come to an end. Just as summer will come after spring.

A time to scatter and a time to gather. You must understand these were written in a time when agriculture was their life. What do you do before you plant? You have to clear the land by gathering the stones. And they collect the stones to build a wall around to protect the land.

 A time to search and a time to give up.

Once I lost a poodle and I prayed hard to find it. I prayed really hard that time and the good news is I found it in a drain. I'm glad God searched and found us and did not give up.

 A time to keep and a time to throw away.

We all know what this is talking about. We often keep things because we always say one day we will need it. But that day often don't come.

 A time to be silent and a time to speak.

How often sometimes we wish we had not spoken something? There was once I tried to impress my boss and I realised the more I spoke, I realised the less I know. And what do we do like all salesmen is to goreng.

This morning I'm going to talk about stepping into a new season.

1. It will bring changes
2. It will bring new challenges
3. It will bring new champions

It will bring changes

We all know change is inevitable but we all know who holds tomorrow. Some of us are on the mountain top and we can see everything in the horizon. Or some of us are in the valleys, when we are going through a tough time. But these seasons don't last.

Matthew 4:18-20

18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.

One moment a fisherman and another he became a disciple of Jesus Christ. We know Peter one day did great exploits for God. A new season of his life came in a moment. This new season brought new changes in his life. One encounter with God and his life changed.

How many of you look forward to new seasons in your life? No meh? When in school I always look forward to the school holiday season. No school, no homework. No seeing the teachers for two weeks.

Do you know on the first day of school holidays I would throw my school bag at a corner and one day before school opens it's still where I left it. That's me la.

New seasons bring about new changes. Whether we like it or not, it'll come.

It will bring new challenges

But with it comes new challenges. Like when we first accepted the Lord, we have to put away the old ways.

Peter had challenges that he had to face following Jesus. Like walking on water. Like Peter, learn to step out of the boat and meet new challenges.

Like Joshua, who shared at cell that he will be studying in UK for his masters. There will be new challenges. No more char koay teow, only fish and chips. He shared how God miraculously provided the scholarship. New challenges.

Peter was the only one recorded to ever walk on water besides Jesus. Peter also denied Jesus three times. Jesus already said that and he denied Christ. New challenges. Peter went through this period of time but it did not stop him from following Jesus.

Jesus appeared to Peter and gave him a new challenge. Peter do you love me? Three times Jesus asked him. Some theologians said Jesus had to ask him three times for the three times Peter denied Jesus.

Are you going through a new challenge today? New job? You do not have to be afraid to go through new challenges.

It will bring new champions

Last but not least, new challenges make new champions. Peter was transformed from a fisherman to become a powerful preacher of the word. There was a power that rested upon him at the upper room that made him a champion.

He preached one of the most powerful sermon that day and 3,000 was added to the church that day. New champion.

We all became new champions the day we asked Jesus to come into our life. Sometimes we look and say it's impossible for my old grandmother to accept Jesus but it happens. New champions for God.

Jesus said follow me and I'll make you fishers of men.

I want to leave this with you. Just as changes is inevitable, we praise God that Jesus never changes. He is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. His character never changes.

These are some things that never changes.

• The Bible will never change. God's word does not change. 

• Prayer does not change. It changes us and the situation but prayer to God never changes because he will still answer. 

• The Holy Spirit does not change. He is still moving in our midst like he did before. 

• God still inhabits the praises of his people. That never change. 

• There will still be singing in God's house. That will not change because of our gratitude for what he has done. 

• God will still bless his people. That will never change. 

• There will always be room for one more soul at the cross. He does not wish any should perish. 

• God's love for you and me will never change. Things may pass away but his love for us will not change.

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God is Still In Control

Rev Gideon Lee

This morning I want to talk to some of you and I think you need to hear this message. That God is still in control.

Haggai 2:21-23

21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:

‘I will shake heaven and earth.

22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;

I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.

I will overthrow the chariots

And those who ride in them;

The horses and their riders shall come down,

Every one by the sword of his brother.

23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

Note that the word used here is the Lord Almighty.

There are many things in this world where we have no control over. Like the stock market. Whether it goes up or down. 

We have no control over the rising cost of living or wages that are stagnant. We have no control over what's happening around us even our own security. Like hand grenades being tossed into a new eating outlet. Or the shootings that's happening right, left and centre. Or the recent news that ISIS is coming here.

Many things happen where we have no control over.  A world in turmoil and uncertainty. Maybe some of you are dealing with some personal issues. Like bills you can't pay or issues at work. Or health issues.

But matter what you are going through I want you to know there is one who is totally in control and his name is Jesus. When we see what's happening fear creeps in. And we forget who is in control.

My outline is like this.

1. He has a sovereign plan for you and me.
2. He possesses supreme power.
3. He has selected you and me for this special plan.

He is omniscient. He is all knowing. He knows all things. He is omnipotent. He is all powerful. And he is omnipresent. Always present, everywhere all the time. This is the God that we serve. This is the same God that we call Abba father.

Matthew 10:29-31

29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

The sparrows are one of the most common bird. They are not really pretty. They don't sell sparrows into he bird shop. God says even if one of them falls to the ground God knows. Are you not more valuable than sparrows. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. We don't tak count of our hair but God knows. Some this unimportant as this God knows. Are you not more valuable than sparrows?

It also tells me that God is control because he knows how many sparrows died yesterday. What a comforting knowledge to know that he is concerned for us. He has a sovereign plan.

Our government is not in control. Our prime minister is not in control.

God has a sovereign plan.

He has a sovereign plan for your life. The word of the Lord came to Zerubbabel not one but twice. God spoke to Haggai that God has commissioned him to build the temple. God is in control because he has a plan. If God has a sovereign plan for us, then what is our response.

We need to be a willing vessel so that God can use us. God want to do that in our church. For each and everyone of us. All he ask is that we avail ourselves. Here am I, use me.

This morning when I went to the Hokkien service I was pleased to see a new worship leader. This morning I am also quite please to see Ephraim Song leading with Alvin. We need to avail ourselves.

God's plan is good but our response has to be here am I Lord, send me. We need more people to serve here. Church do you here me?

The plane and nothing if God has no power to accomplish it.

He possesses supreme power.

Haggai 2:21-23

21 “Speak to Zerubbabel, governor of Judah, saying:

‘I will shake heaven and earth.

22 I will overthrow the throne of kingdoms;

I will destroy the strength of the Gentile kingdoms.

I will overthrow the chariots

And those who ride in them;

The horses and their riders shall come down,

Every one by the sword of his brother.

There is great debate when is that day but it doesn't matter because it will come to pass. God has the power to shake the heavens and the earth. Who can do that? Only God can do that. The same God that says to the storm be still. Only God has power over nature according to the Jews.

He will overthrow rulers and government according to the scripture. How many of you are praying for your country. I want you to know God can turn things around. He possesses a sovereign plan for us and only him can dictate it. He has supreme power.

Pray for our chief minister Lim Guan Eng but understand that God is in control regardless of the outcome.

Romans 8:31

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

He is in control of our situation. We may not see his hand on it but let's trust his heart. That he is in control.

Because we have no need to fear because God is powerful. We need not fear those that may come and persecute us because he is powerful. We can be comforted by his power. He will work all thing out for good to all those that love him and is called according to his purpose.

He has selected you and me for this special plan.

v23 ‘In that day,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will take you, Zerubbabel My servant, the son of Shealtiel,’ says the Lord, ‘and will make you like a signet ring; for I have chosen you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

A signet ring is use to authentic an instruction by using the ring to seal the letter. So that you know it comes from the emperor or king. It shows the authority given by the bearer. He has given us the authority. God has called each and everyone of us. We are to make disciples and he has given us the authority to do it. What has God called you personally to do? He did not save us to just come to church and look pretty.

Be brave enough to say here am I, use me. God gave us instructions through the word. Your instructions are found in the he word of God. He is telling you there is something he wants you to do.

God's calling contains a purpose and privilege. All of us will be rewarded with some crown that we can lay before the Lord and I hope all of us will have something for him.

We may all not start well but we should all end well. That's what's important.

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