Pilgrim

I am a pilgrim on a journey

To the Promised Land;

I have asked God for guidance,

That He would take my hand…

Often anxious, often weary

As meandering paths I tread

I remember my Saviour;

He had no place to lay His head…

I will trust Him for He already has traveled this narrow way;

He is my fire by night, my pillar of cloud by day

He will never leave me, nor forsake me;

His Promise is sure

I will be with Him in His Kingdom,

Where we will dwell forevermore…

While I journey on this road,

I find tokens of His love:

The garden of tears,

The Cross on which He shed His blood…

He died to relieve me

Of my burden of sin,

So He could raise me to glory,

To a new life with Him…

Now I live to serve Him,

Though my debt I cannot repay;

All I can do is walk this journey

In His strength each day…

Soon, my journey will be over

And I will take my rest;

When my King comes in glory,

I will awaken in the City of the Blessed…

This poem was inspired by: Gal 4:26, Heb 11, Matt 8:19-20, Ex 13:21-22, Matt 28:18-20, Mark 14:32-72, John 19:16-20, 2 Cor 5:21, Is 53, Rom 6, Ps 46, Rev 21-22

Lead us not into temptation...

Some of us often think that we are invincible and cannot be tempted. The truth of the matter is that the perceived lack of temptation can mean one of two things. Either you are so strong in the Lord that all temptations are powerless against you, or nothing is a temptation to you any longer because you engage in sin with no resistance. No one can claim to be totally free from temptation.  Even our Lord was tempted in the wilderness by satan. Satan knows our weaknesses, having had a long time to study us and he is expert at ensuring that we are subjected to the maximum possible degree of temptation.

However, we are comforted by the fact that God does not allow us to be tempted beyond our capabilities and with every temptation comes a way of escape (1 Cor 10:13). With this knowledge, we can view temptation as just another test which, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can overcome with distinction. Sometimes God uses the temptations satan throws at us as a test of our loyalty to Him, but be assured that He is always in control and will not let satan tempt you beyond what you are able to bear. Temptations may get tougher as you get stronger, otherwise they wouldn’t be a temptation anymore! As the King of the Universe, God is within his rights to test any of His subjects, but as long as we meet the temptations in the power of His Spirit, we are safe.

Jesus once talked about the unpardonable sin i.e. grieving the Holy Spirit. Many have wondered what He meant by this. What is the unpardonable sin and how is it committed? The unpardonable sin may, aside from outright blasphemy, occur when one fails to take advantage of the aid the Holy Spirit provides in resisting temptation, choosing instead to indulge in the resultant sinful actions that the temptation spawns. The unpardonable sin is not necessarily a once-off act, but rather it is the dullness of the conscience that is the result of repeatedly neglecting to listen to the conviction of the Holy Spirit of the sins in your life and His warnings against temptations.  Eventually, the Spirit of God will leave you to your own devices and there will be no forgiveness as you will no longer have the convicting voice of God’s gentle Spirit wooing you to repentance. The Psalmist recognized this when in Psalm 51, after having committed the heinous crimes of adultery and murder, he pleaded with God not to take away the influence of the Holy Spirit from his life. He knew that without such influence, he would be lost forever. (Ps 51:11)

If you are worried about having committed the unpardonable sin, chances are you haven’t! The fact that you are being tempted is a good thing as it means that you still have some good in you that satan seeks to destroy. Don’t give him the pleasure of totally corrupting you! Ask God for help in times of temptation. Don’t lead yourself into temptation by being in the wrong place at the wrong time or subjecting your senses to stimuli that lead to unwarranted temptation. Most temptations are triggered by the five senses. The strongest deterrent to temptation is active service in the kingdom of God, a strong prayer life and knowing how to apply the Word of God. 

"And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come." -Matt 12:32

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."-1 Cor 10:13

"Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me."-Ps 51:11

The King who Serves

God is calling us all to active service in His Kingdom. Although His Kingdom has not yet arrived visibly in majestic splendor in the clouds of glory, we have declared Him King in our hearts and He remains the King of the Universe and beyond.

Jesus asks some interesting questions in Luke 17:7-10. He asked His disciples which master, having a servant who came in from the field, would give his servant permission to sit down and eat before having first served the master. He then states what the conventional master would do i.e. ask to be served first. The master would not thank his servant for having performed his duty since he was merely fulfilling his purpose, neither would the servant expect any thanks from his master for having done his job.

Contrast this with John 13:3-5 where Jesus, knowing His position as master and sent of God, laid aside His garments and took the position of a servant in washing the feet of His disciples. What was He trying to say? He was trying to show that He is not a master like the masters of this world, who too often do not deserve the respect given them. Being the Son of God, He has every right to our respect and worship and yet He assumes the posture of a servant.

Now examine Luke 12:37. Jesus speaks of the future reward of His servants i.e. those who have labored for Him in this world. If He were like other masters, He would not thank them or give them honours for merely performing their assigned tasks. However, this verse reveals that when His Kingdom in all its glory is established, the King of the Universe will still be the same Lord that serves His servants and bestows upon them honours they don’t deserve! It says that His servants who are found working at His return will sit at His table and He will come forth girded to serve them. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever! (Heb 13:8)

He served during His time on earth. He gave His life to save us from our sins, and in the future He will still consider it a delight to serve those whom He loves. This shows that what you do doesn’t detract from who you are (Luke 22:24-30). The King remains the king even though He chooses to serve. So basically the message to us in Luke 17:7-10 is that we are not greater than our Lord. We should not expect any thanks from those we serve. We’re just doing our duty! Don’t let your service come tainted with ulterior motives or exercise a superiority complex over those you serve. Let the love of Christ, the servant-King, shine through your deeds. Let all the world see it and give glory to God! (Mat 5:16, 1 Cor 10:31, Col 3:17, Phil 2:14)

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."- Matt 5:16

Light up the world for Jesus!

Life is a celebration of our creation, salvation and redemption which Christ has accomplished for us. Life is not supposed to be a meaningless existence. God has given each of us a mission and a purpose which is clearly spelt out for us in Matt 28:20.

We are to go into all the world and preach the good news to every creature, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. When we are given a task by our superiors at work, we hasten to complete it. Why is it that we cannot seem to employ the same principle in having some enthusiasm for doing the work of our ultimate Master, the Lord Jesus Christ?

God has poured out gifts upon every person in His Kingdom. These are to be employed in the earnest work of God that brings sinners to the Saviour. Some people have not yet discovered their gifts of service because they have chosen not to take a step of faith in trying new things. Every investment that yields a good return contains an inherent amount of risk therein. The best investment you can make in your lifetime is that of investing in the life of someone else. When we go all out for God, He multiplies our efforts. After all, it’s only our job to plant the seed. The Holy Spirit is the one who waters it, working conviction and repentance in the heart of the lost.

Some have gifts that seem greater than others; some people have the ability to preach eloquent sermons while many can only hope that others see the image of Christ in their daily conduct. God’s purpose is not to give you great wealth and riches but rather to impart the eternal riches of His grace and His Word in your life so that you may be a wellspring of life to a world that is thirsting after Him.

From every good relationship come life lessons. God tests us and brings us victorious through many trials to show us just how powerful He is and to give us a testimony. “Every person is born into the Kingdom of God to be a missionary”. You don’t have to go to a far-flung island to tell others about God’s saving grace. Your testimony can make a difference in your local community. No one on this earth has the exact same testimony as you, but someone may steal somebody else’s sermon or revelation.  Your testimony is like your fingerprint, as it stems from your unique relationship with God.

Your life is a living epistle to the world. We are called to be shining lights in a dark and perverse world, reflecting the glory of our eternal Father. I challenge you today: Don’t just exist. Live with meaning and purpose. Drink the cup of life to its dregs. And last but not least, remember that having fun is not a stereotype. Life is not about being part of the “in crowd” or partying away mindlessly as if there is no tomorrow. You can choose to have fun any way you choose, but the best way to have fun is to have fun God’s way-reaching out to the world one soul at a time and being part of Jesus’ plan to restore us to His image. Let’s leave a legacy that continues into eternity! Let’s go out there and light up the world for Jesus! 

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid." -Matt 5:14

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven."-Matt 5:16

Scripture refs: Matt 28:20; 2Cor 3:2-3; 2 Cor 3:18; Phil 2:15-16; John 4:14;  Prov 11:30; Matt 5:13-16