Weeks 19 & 20 (10) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

I just came back from a great weekend in London, preaching in Hope London Central on Saturday and conducting a wedding ceremony on Sunday for Hason & Stephanie. God has blessed the wedding day with glorious sunshine. It was so warm that some of us had to stay in the shade when we were taking pictures outdoor! One normally gets this kind of weather in the English summer. In May, it was definitely a bonus.

I guess God was smiling at the new couple. I felt very happy for them too because Hason was my student 8-9 years ago when I was lecturing at London South Bank University. He became a Christian when I brought him to Hope London. Stephanie also became a Christian in Hope London. Now they are married – a beautiful story! Indeed, the story of every Christian man or woman is a beautiful story - God’s story. Our journey in Christ is both an exciting and challenging journey, but every bit of it is for a reason, for our good.

On Saturday, the Lord led me to preach a message based on [James 1:2-4] “How To Face Trouble”, a subject most Christians find it difficult to cope. The truth is Jesus said plainly that "...In this world you will have trouble..." [John 16:33 NIV]. It is because we are living in a fallen world.

[James 1:2-4] encourages us “To Face Trouble” with:
i) Correct Response – “consider it pure joy....”
ii) Correct Understanding – “testing...develops perseverance”
iii) Correct Perspective – “that you may be mature and complete”

God in His wisdom teaches Christians how to live a victorious life in a troublesome world. It will require a supernatural power that comes from the Holy Spirit. Those who rely on God and persevere till the end will be able to look back in life and give thanks for God’s amazing grace and wonderful love.

Maturity in Christ is not necessarily related to age, but is related to a faith that is unyielding when tested again and again and again. “These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed.” [1 Peter 1:7 NIV] At 61, I still have some distance to go yet. :o)

Maturity in Christ is “……Trust in the LORD and do good……Delight yourself in the LORD……Commit your way to the LORD……Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret — it leads only to evil…….” [Ps 37:1-11 NIV]

Maturity in Christ is “……devote your heart to him and stretch out your hands to him,……put away the sin that is in your hand and allow no evil to dwell in your tent…..stand firm and without fear……forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by…….be secure, because there is hope…….” [Job 11:13-20 NIV]

Maturity in Christ is “…..not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you……..suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name……So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.” [1 Peter 4:12-19 NIV]

Maturity in Christ is to know that “The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good…..The LORD detests the sacrifice of the wicked, but the prayer of the upright pleases him. The LORD detests the way of the wicked but he loves those who pursue righteousness……Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great wealth with turmoil……The LORD is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous……The fear of the LORD teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor. [Prov 15:3,8,9,16,25,26,29,33 NIV]

Amen & amen.

Weeks 17 & 18 (10) - Blessings of Divine Guidance

In my message dated 24th November last year, I said “……..This year’s Queen Speech is the last one before the General Election in May/June 2010. The Conservatives have been tipped to win the next election, ending 13 years of Labour government.......I sense that the UK is moving into a very interesting era. A Conservatives win with a big majority is by no means certain. A majority of a few seats will make policies passing into laws difficult, especially policies on finance and the economy. This may lead to the International Monetary Fund getting involved in the UK finance policy making process!”

Sure enough, on 6th May, the electorates returned a very interesting result. Not only did the Conservatives not win the election with a clear majority. The result was a “Hung Parliament”. The Conservatives, winning 306 seats, were short of a majority (of at least 326 seats). Labour came 2nd with 258 seats. Liberal Democrats came 3rd with 57 seats.

The Conservatives leader David Cameron, made a "big, open offer" to the Lib Dems about jointly forming a strong, and stable government. Entering talks with the Conservatives, Mr Clegg stressed his priorities, including "fundamental political reform", but said they would act in a "constructive spirit" in the "coming hours and days". Electoral reform is likely to be a key battleground - the Lib Dem have long campaigned for the first-past-the-post system to be replaced with a form of proportional representation (PR). But the Conservatives oppose changing the voting system.

Mr Clegg said the election result meant politicians had to talk to each other as "people deserve good, stable government". He said the Lib Dem would enter into talks with other parties in a "constructive spirit" over the "coming hours and days", and the party would press its case for its four priorities - tax reform to make the system fairer, a "new approach" to education to give a "fair start" to all children and to the economy and "fundamental political reform to our political system".

The Conservatives won most votes in the UK election but were short of a majority - Gordon Brown remains PM while the Conservatives see if they can form a government. Mr Clegg also spoke to the PM by phone on Friday. Mr. Brown has offered talks if Lib Dems cannot agree with the Conservatives. Labour has offered the Lib Dem a referendum on changing the voting system. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw told the BBC it was "not credible" that the Lib Dem would do a deal with the Conservatives without the promise of electoral reform. He said Gordon Brown could remain prime minister in a "progressive" coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats, if their talks with the Conservatives failed.

Whilst the end result will not be known for days, if not weeks, British politics will never be the same going forward. The days of 2 main parties (Labour and Conservatives) taking turn to govern have ended. It opens the way to coalition government that Continental Europe are used to.

I try to discern what God is doing in the midst of this. I sense God saying “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way………”.

God is shaking Europe and the UK. Following the global financial crisis of 2009, more recent events included the Iceland the volcanic eruption, the financial trouble in Greece and now the uncertainty in the UK. But one thing is certain. God is trying to get our attention to turn back to Him instead of turning to our own way.

God is calling His Church to rise up at this crucial time. Through the Church, God’s message will be made known in the world. Through the Church, His blessing will flow in the midst of all these troubles and fears. “Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth — he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.” [Ps 33:12-22 NIV]

The struggle of Job is a great encouragement to all who are experiencing difficulties in life, whether they are believers or not. Job understood the Lordship and sovereignty of God very well. ‘"…..I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me…… though you know that I am not guilty and that no one can rescue me from your hand? "Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me? Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? ......You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your providence watched over my spirit. "But this is what you concealed in your heart, and I know that this was in your mind: If I sinned, you would be watching me and would not let my offense go unpunished. If I am guilty-woe to me! Even if I am innocent, I cannot lift my head…….. [Job 10:1-16 NIV]. I wish I have Job’s unshakable faith when I face the kind of troubles that Job faced!

The reality is that most people, believers included, do not understand God’s thoughts and His ways in times of trouble. Can one rejoices “……though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.” [1 Peter 1:3-9 NIV] Can we pass the test of God’s refining fire so that our faith may be proved genuine?

Do we believe God’s promises that “……The righteous man is rescued from trouble……..through knowledge the righteous escape …….. The truly righteous man attains life…….Be sure of this:…… those who are righteous will go free……The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he who wins souls is wise. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner! [Prov 11:8-10,19,21,22,28,30,31 NIV]

Amen & amen.