"Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” Ephesians 4:32-5:1 Perhaps you have heard this adage before: It is not the offense that destroys relationships, but instead, it is the inability to forgive that destroys relationships. Because offenses will come no matter what; we live in a fallen world. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:8) So at some points in our lives, we’re bound to have either offended someone or have been offended by someone. But since we’ve been forgiven of all of our offenses by our Heavenly father, who sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:9-10) We are in turn called to be imitators of Him and to forgive others just like He’s done for us. And one crucial aspect I’d like to highlight regarding genuine forgiveness, which isn’t popular in the world, is how God forgives us to the point where He promises to never bring up our past against us. There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1) For I will be merciful toward their iniquities, and I will remember their sins no more.” (Hebrews 8:12) “I, I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins. (Isaiah 43:25) It is tempting to “forgive” yet at the same time hold on to the past, by remembering, or worse, reminding everyone what so and so has done. What incredible joy in knowing how God completely forgives us to the point of wiping our slate clean. “Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. (Isaiah 1:18) And what a great example to imitate. It can be hard at times, but since we are called to be imitators of God, it assumes that it is possible for us to forgive like God has done for each of us. Ultimately, we’ve all offended our God, and yet he’s offered us unmerited Grace through his Son. How could we withhold forgiveness to others when we ourselves are just as much of a sinner? We are all wretched. We can be just as sinful as someone who is in jail for murder. Why? because Jesus said that anyone who has been angry with his brother deserves the same judgement as someone who committed murder (Matthew 5:21-22). Something to think about right? Article by: Mario Richard

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (Jam 4:7 ESV)   The world we inhabit lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19). Satan is a master deceiver who has been tempting humans to sin against God since the very first man and woman walked with God in the garden of Eden. The devil is thousands of years old, yet age has done nothing to weaken the strength of this fallen angel. He has so much experience with hunting his human prey that his fiery darts rarely miss their targets, striking the weakest points in our armor with pinpoint precision. He has one singular purpose—to kill and to destroy, which makes him more deadly of an adversary than all the half-hearted people of this world. Furthermore, Satan does not act alone, for he is the ruler of a united kingdom of demons (Matt 12:26). How sad to think that Satan is sometimes more united than brothers and sisters in the Christian church!   But the most devious and deadly schemes of the great Tempter of human souls are not found in his frontal assaults against humanity, but rather in his subtle, and eternally devastating suggestions that fly beneath our radar. The great skill of this enemy of our souls lies in suggesting to us ideas that agree with the sin-corrupted reasoning in our wicked and deceitful hearts. To the atheistic professor who is admired for his massive intellect and stellar contributions to research, Satan whispers, “God is a crutch for the weak. You, however are not weak. You are great.” To the religious and proud, the devil says, “Certainly Christ died to save you from your sins, but also need some of your own efforts and other works of the law to be truly saved. Look how well you are doing! You are certainly going to heaven!” To the half-hearted, lukewarm Christian who has put his hand to the plow but constantly looks back, the father of lies says, “As long as you believe Jesus died for you, that’s enough. Don’t let anyone judge you for the sin that you are living in.”   All throughout the Scriptures, this is his pattern. Satan used Peter’s own heart motives to get him to speak against Jesus’ desire to suffer on the cross. Satan filled the greedy heart of Judas with a plan to betray the perfect Son of God by selling him out for mere pieces of silver. Satan tempted Ananias to guard his own financial and social interests by lying to the apostles who were tasked with laying the foundation for the church of God (Acts 5:3). No human being alive is safe from his wicked words! Yet, we are not hopeless, for the Scriptures command us to RESIST him! And RESIST him we must—in the way that our Lord and Saviour did. In the wilderness, Christ set us an example of spiritual combat as he fought Satan with the living and active Word of God that is sharper than any two-edged sword. Jesus countered every fiery dart, not with his own cleverness and intellect, but with the sword of the Spirit.  Believer, are there lies that you are believing right now? Are the minions of the kingdom of darkness so feeding your pride that you worship yourself and not Christ? Or are they so crushing you with waves of guilt and despair that you find that you have lost sight of Christ? Resist the devil and he will flee from you! Tell them as you despair over how you will pay your bills that “Man does not live by bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Deut 8:3). Tell them as you grieve over your past sins, “Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies (Rom 8:33 ESV).” Tell them when they butter you up and feed your pride that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Pet 5:5). Strike with God’s divine weapons and the terrible dragon will flee!  Christian, the venomous snake whose poison sends people into eternal death is no match for the One who lives inside of you. Put on the armor of God and not the armor of Saul which is your own righteousness and works. Sharpen the Sword of the Spirit by filling your soul with the divine Word so that you might not sin against God. Then, resist your devilish opponent with God’s weapons and live in the peace and joy of God. And though the righteous may fall seven times, by the power of God, we will rise again to the glory of God (Prov 24:16).  Article by: Samuel Chua

11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!" (Luke 11:11-13) Years ago, when my son was about four, I made delicious fruit shakes to be had with dinner. While my back was turned, he climbed onto the table and started slurping his drink. When I told him, “No, that’s for dinner,” he replied, “I’m just testing it.” I asked, “For what?” He answered, “Poison!” Then he laughed hysterically and quickly went back to chugging his shake. His answer was so hilarious that I couldn’t stop laughing. Then I realized—he had sneakily gotten away with doing something he wasn’t supposed to: drinking his shake and distracting me with humour! Later, I wondered, why did we both laugh? Then it hit me—we both understood, deep down, what Jesus said here. My son never believed for a moment that there was poison in that cup because he knew I was a good dad who loved him. That’s why his joke was so funny. And if he knows that DEEP down about me —a human, sinful father—how much more should we know about God? Father, help me remember in times of desperation and despair that You are a good Father who sent Your Son to die on the cross for our sins. Help me trust you in your goodness as I call on your Name. Help me believe that whether I receive what is pleasurable or painful, it all comes from the hand of my good Father. Written by: Samuel Chua

And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! (Luke 12:22-23 ESV) There are many birds in our city, but we do not often pause to consider how spectacular their lives are. A bird does not seem to be a very intelligent creature, but rather one that simply wanders around with no other purpose than to search for food and a mate. Yet, on the fifth day when the Lord said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens” he looked at his creation, the birds he had made, and said it was good. We see them as nuisances that inconveniently poop on our cars, but Christ does not see them this way. For in the eyes of our Saviour, that common bird is a megaphone that declares to us the faithfulness of our Father’s daily provision! Yet, few of us stop to give God praise for these creatures. Very few, upon examining bird droppings on their windshield, would say, “Amazing! For a bird to defecate like this, the Lord must have provided for it a hearty meal!” If we heard someone speak this way, we would most likely laugh! Not because what they have said is false, but rather, because their perspective is highly unusual. “What? You see a bird defecating on your car, and you praise God for his hand of provision?” Remarkable. And yet it is true! The fact that the bird who has no storehouse nor ability to cultivate crops can survive is incredible! How can this be? A bird has no bank account nor even a college degree, and yet it not only lives, but also raises little birdies to do the same! And this is the Lord’s point! You need not fear that you have little in your storehouses or retirement fund, for it is not those things that ultimately feed you, but the God who feeds the sparrow! He will also feed you! Do you want proof that the Lord will clothe you? Then all you need to do is look out at the wild flowers that grow. You may call them weeds and think them to be as annoying as the bird that decorates your car with unwanted droppings, yet our heavenly Father says that he has clothed them with such splendid petals and colors that not even the royal robes of the great Solomon could rival them! And if the Lord so delicately clothes that which is alive today and then thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not also care for you? But in reality, the food and the clothing are but small things that all men seek after and the Lord has given us something far greater to seek. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things—food and clothing included—will be added to you. If it is true that it is our Father’s good pleasure to give us the kingdom, then why would we not throw ourselves wholeheartedly into the great task at hand? He has told us to go and make disciples of all nations, to baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. He has commanded us to heal the sick and preach the Good News of Christ’s death and resurrection. He has adopted us as his very own sons and daughters and to us he has entrusted the glorious ministry of reconciliation! So then my brothers and sisters, if it is true that Christ has removed death’s sting and the anger of God burns no more against us, and if it is true that his dying breath has breathed out to us the gift of life, then let us throw ourselves at the foot of the throne of grace and take up our crosses and proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth! We who are ambassadors for Christ, let us then remember, that as we fulfill his Great Commission, he who feeds the sparrow and he who clothes the lilies of the field, will also feed and clothe us.   Article by: Samuel Chua

For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40, ESV)   The preciousness of Jesus Christ to us who believe cannot be underestimated. In this small section in John’s Gospel, Jesus says that for those who believe in him, he will raise them up on the last day and repeats himself four times. Remarkable! Here Jesus is not speaking about raising us from sick beds so that we might recover, but raising us from the great sleep of death—the resurrection of the dead.  The Old Testament is filled with glimmers of the afterlife, however, the images were shadowy until the dawning of the light of Christ. But what was certain was that the wicked would ultimately fall under God’s eternal displeasure and wrath (Ps 37:38, 68:2, 75:10, etc.), whereas the righteous would enjoy the blessings of God’s presence (Job 19:26; Ps 16:9-11; etc.). That is why the Psalmist can say “As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness.” (Ps 17:15). The OT saints knew that God alone had the ability to raise them from the dead (1 Sam 2:6). But no one imagined that the God who would raise their fleshly remains from the grave, would be the same God to offer his own flesh for their sins. And this he did in the person of Jesus Christ on the cross. What is outrageous about Jesus' statements is not that God can raise the dead, but that people would have to look to him, Jesus, for eternal life, and that he, Jesus, would raise them from the dead. And if Jesus Christ were not God, this would be sheer madness and utter blasphemy!   Believer, do you think much of the fact that God in Jesus Christ gave his life so that you could have eternal life? Do you think about how he purchased every moment of the life that you are privileged to have under the sun? Do you stand in awe of him as your Master who made you and has employed you in His service? Do you think of his great compassion as he answers your daily prayers? Do you long to see his face when your eyes open from the sleep of death? Do you know that at his command, your body which may be but bones and dust will reassemble itself and new, undying flesh and muscles will be knit to your frame?   Be encouraged, brothers and sisters, that the great Physician of our souls hears you even now when you call to him and he is the God who heals you. He who promised is faithful and will never fail us! And the Jesus who died for you, is the same Jesus who will never leave you as an orphan and will raise your body from the grave on that last day.  Though Easter Sunday has come and gone, the hope of our resurrection has not. It remains, and daily we rejoice and live in unshakeable hope. There are no such thing as ordinary human beings in the kingdom of God—only blood-bought, immortal sons and daughters.   Written by: Samuel Chua

Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16 ESV)   The life of God’s preachers and prophets is always intimately tied up with their message. The message is alive because its source is divine and the living and active Word of God is the only force in the world, capable of transforming the immortal soul. At the same time, the life of God’s preacher is a living message that preaches the other 6 days of the week. His life continues to preach even when Sunday has passed and his lips do not move. The fire of sermons will fade and die, but the character of a man fully devoted to Christ is permanently burnt into our minds. How often have I heard Christians say, “I can’t recall exactly what he said, but I remember that he was zealous for God’s Word and that he deeply loved his people.” God has designed us to be deeply touched by people who do not just plead with us, but also radically alter their entire lives for our sake. Paul’s instructions to his young disciple were simple. Watch yourself and watch your message. Preach radical biblical truths and then radically live by them. That was Paul’s duty, that was his hearers’ duty, and that is ours as well.   Brothers and sisters, what do you preach with your lips to your work colleagues, friends and family? Does the person of Christ season all of your speech? Does his merciful work of redemption for you on the cross manifest itself in abounding grace to others? What does your manner of life preach to the watching world? Would they say that there is a great love for His Word and His people? Or is there only a love for your own words and pleasures? Is there a consistency between what you say and what you do? Truly we are justified by faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone. It is always accompanied by Christ-exalting words and deeds. Examine yourself my dear brothers and sisters and pay close attention to the warnings revealed to us in the Scriptures. For by so doing, we and those whom we love, will taste the unmerited, gracious salvation of God.   Written by: Samuel Chua

[12] But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, [13] who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12-13 ESV)   Of all the blessings that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers to us as Christians, the greatest blessing by far is the royal privilege of adoption as children of the living God—sons and daughters who will live forever as heirs of the eternal kingdom which He has promised to those who love him. Justification by faith is a great blessing that is foundational to every other blessing and primary because of our greatest need to have our sins atoned for before a righteous God. But justification is the means to the ultimate blessing of eternal, intimate fellowship with the God who is our Father. And the security of this relationship that is built on divine love is the secret to the inimitable life of the Christian believer. If Christianity demanded obedience from its followers by threatening them with the sword and judgment, we Christians would only excel at protecting our own lives. But because our faith is built on a foundation of undeserved mercy and forgiveness through the God-man Jesus Christ who laid down his life in an ultimate sacrifice of love, we can tangibly portray divine love as we sacrifice our very own lives in our passionate pursuit to love and to share the Gospel with our fellow man, even if we are hated in the process. This our world cannot do, for mercy triumphs over judgment. And when the world excommunicates us as outcasts because of our faith, we can take heart in knowing that God is our Father and that there are no orphans in his Kingdom. It was J.I. Packer who wrote, “…you sum up the whole of the New Testament religion if you describe it as the knowledge of God as one’s holy Father. If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child, and having God as his Father.” Father! What a short word! Yet one that has more facets and shines with more relational brilliance than the world’s most beautiful diamond!   Child of God, do you think much of your undeserved adoption into the family of God? Do you realize that the mighty angels who stand in the heavenly throne room of God will never be blood-bought, redeemed, sons and daughters of God? When your life seems absolutely overwhelming, do you run to God as the Father of comforts who cares for you? Do you delight daily in your Father’s presence the way that a small child delights in simply being with his parent? Do you treasure the precious moments of your days as gifts of grace from a Father who takes great pleasure in showering you with blessings? Never forget Christian, that God did not just forgive your sins to spare you from hell. He forgave your sins so that you might be restored to what you were meant to be—a divine image-bearer who will worship him as King and love him as Father—forever.  Written by: Samuel Chua

[14] I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, [15] just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  (John 10:14-15 ESV)   Sheep. There is no better word in all the Scriptures to describe our humble and frail condition in this world. The most courageous, godly and Spirit-empowered person is still at best, a poor, helpless and defenseless sheep who desperately needs daily guidance and protection from our Good Shepherd. God’s people are never described as self-sufficient or inherently capable, but always dependent and incapable apart from the great Shepherd’s guidance. As the need of God’s people has always been to be shepherded and cared for, is it any wonder that the Lord GOD trained the great king David, not in the ivory courts of the palace, but in the rugged hills of a shepherd’s domain? And does not the title of “Good Shepherd,” teach us about the intimate and unceasing care that our Lord Jesus has for us?  Jesus is a king, but He is no tyrant. He is not a robber, harsh taskmaster, mocker or torturer of His people. No, He is a shepherd—and a good one. Unlike the bad shepherd who sacrifices his sheep to the wolves to save his own skin, our Lord laid down His very own life so that His sheep might live an abundant life. It is His tender hands that gently treat and bind our spiritual wounds that we receive from the thorns and thistles in this world. It is His strength that carries us when our feet threaten to slip beneath the waves of the storms of life. It is His rod and staff that smash flat the giants of doubt and despair that we meet when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And when we are starving and dying of thirst, it is His sure footsteps that lead us to the green pastures and still waters where we may drink, eat, and lie down in perfect peace. No bank account, door lock or elite army can ever offer us the supreme safety and security that our Good Shepherd does. How can anyone dwell more secure than when Jesus, the Son of God, acts as the very door to the divine sheepfold where we find our rest? So long as the great high priest who rules by the power of an indestructible life occupies the way into the fold, no robber nor wolf nor demon nor even death itself can reach us, unless they first pass through him.  Believer, do you know the care of your Good Shepherd’s loving hands? Do you delight in the sound of your Good Shepherd’s voice? Do you rise early in the morning expectantly waiting for your Lord to let you graze in the lush, green fields of His precious Word? Do you sleep in peace knowing that your Good Shepherd unceasingly watches over your vulnerable and weak condition even while you slumber? Does your life overflow with joy and tears of gratitude for each day that you live for Him on this earth? Do you fiercely love Him for His ultimate sacrifice of laying down His own life for you on the cross?   The glory of the Christian life is not that we are weak and helpless sheep, but rather that we are weak and helpless sheep who BELONG to an omnipotent and unfailing Good Shepherd. We rejoice not because of the abundant possessions that we OWN, but because we are OWNED—owned by the One who purchased us with his blood, sealed us with His Spirit and calls us His very own!  Written by: Samuel Chua

[8] And the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” [9] Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? [10] Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. [11] But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” [12] And the LORD said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. (Job 1:8-12 ESV)   To say that the story of Job is a tragedy is an overwhelming understatement. He was wealthy beyond comparison, but in one single day, his livestock were destroyed, his servants were slaughtered by raiders, and his ten children were crushed to death in an accident when their house collapsed. Furthermore, Satan was allowed to afflict him with loathsome sores that so disfigured his features that his own friends could not recognize him. But in the midst of such monstrous suffering and loss, what is clear is that although Satan afflicted him, God was the one who permitted this evil to befall Job.  It is sobering for us believers to know that when the Enemy of our souls seeks our destruction, his work and activity is restricted by the LORD our God. He cannot touch our possessions so long as the Lord’s hedge of protection surrounds our lives. He cannot touch our health unless the Lord allows him to. The God who dwells in heaven and does all that he pleases rules even over the demons and they cannot lift a finger without his express command. But if all that God ruled over, was demonic activity, this would not be encouraging. The great encouragement to us as believers is not that God rules over Satan’s activities but rather that he rules over them AND uses them to serve his good and glorious purposes. All throughout the Bible, we read of the Lord’s power to redeem that which is evil for the greater good. In Romans 8:28, we are told that for those who are called according to God’s purpose, all things—ALL THINGS without exception—work together for good. What man meant for evil in condemning Joseph to prison, God meant for good in saving his chosen people from a devastating famine. The wickedness of Satan that inspired Judas to betray his Lord was ultimately used by God to accomplish the magnificent work of eternal redemption through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross!  The incredible harm done to Job, his steadfastness under trial coupled with God’s restoration of him at the end of his trial was not only under God’s control, but served God’s brilliant purpose in giving a model of hope to countless believers throughout the ages who have found courage in God to praise His Name in the midst of their severest afflictions. No man or demon—whether Job or Satan—could ever have imagined that God would use this horrendous tragedy to write canon Scripture that would serve as words of encouragement to millions upon millions of God’s followers as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death.   Believer, do you think about the fact that the greatest schemes of the Evil One in your life are under the sovereign control of God? Do you realize that whatever harm Satan inflicts upon you has been permitted by a God who loves and cares for you? Do you believe that Father of lights who gives good and perfect gifts to his children intends to use what is evil in your life for ultimate good and for His glory?   Though Satan prowls around like a roaring lion who seeks to devour us, he is ultimately God’s unwitting servant. What he intends for evil, God uses to accomplish good—ultimate good. And in that we can always rejoice.    Written by: Samuel Chua

[7] “Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? [8] Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? [9] Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? [10] So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:7-10 ESV)   The self-indulgent society in which we live teaches us that we are what we make of ourselves. We are free people, entitled to pursue whatever our hearts desire and no one has the right to tell us what to do. But the words of our Saviour here in the days of his flesh preach just the opposite. We are not free people, but slaves. The Greek word doulos  which is here translated as “servant,” can be more accurately translated as bondservant (ESV footnote) or slave. In the Greco-Roman world of Jesus’ day, a slave was his master’s property and fully owned by him. He had no rights of his own, but lived with one singular ambition—to do his master’s will. And so it is with followers of Christ. To be a follower of Jesus is to be a slave of God.  But as shocking as this is to our culture that prizes personal freedom, we must not think that being a slave of Christ is a negative thing. The Scriptures are clear that no one—not a single person—is truly free, but all are slaves. Paul says, “… when you were slaves to sin, you were free in regard to righteousness” (Rom 6:20). Therefore, we are either slaves of sin or we are slaves of God—there is nothing in between. The only freedom we have if we do not belong to God is the freedom to sin and to disregard the law of God. But the only benefit that this “freedom,” offers is destruction. If God is not our master, then we serve another master—the master of sin and death. He is a cruel master and so long as we serve him, the wages that we earn will only lead to death.  BUT the free gift of God, who bought us with the blood of His very own Son and removed the chains of sin from our souls, is eternal life!  What a joy it is to have been purchased from the slave market of sin and employed in our Master’s family! We are unworthy in that we did not deserve to be saved. We are unworthy in that we have no good apart from God. We are unworthy in that we were God’s enemies. And yet He chose not just to forgive us of our crime of high treason against his holiness, but also to mark us as his very own! Never have we seen such a picture of pure, divine and matchless love! And though we are commanded to serve, we serve out of outrageously grateful hearts that are the recipients of incomparable divine mercy! O what a joy it is to be a slave of Christ rather than a slave of sin!   Christian, do you ever think about the fact that you are an unworthy slave of God? Do you realize that your life is not your own but whatever suffering or work your Master has for you is His particular assignment for you? Is it your life’s ambition to properly steward what He has given you so that you might maximally glorify your Master? Do you labour and suffer for God because you love your Master and singularly desire to please Him with everything that you have? Or do you harbor bitterness in your heart because you cannot accept his Lordship over your life when He does not give you what you want?   Christian freedom is not the right to live and do as we please, but the freedom to live for righteousness and to be God’s slave. The Christian life is the privilege of living for Him who for our sake died and was raised (2 Cor 5:15). God’s antidote for the sin of discontentment, dissatisfaction and entitlement is not to give us what we think we deserve, but to give us true knowledge of who we are. And when we have finished labouring diligently for Christ and drunk the cup of suffering that He has poured out on each of our lives for our sanctification, we shall have the satisfaction of standing before our King’s throne. And we will say, “Master, I stand here clean because of what Jesus has done and not what I have done. All the good works that I have done were but my duty and I am still nothing but an unworthy slave.” And in that day, our Master will say, “Well done good and faithful slave. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your Master.”  Written by: Samuel Chua

[31] “Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. [33] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 ESV)   The heart of the born-again believer in Christ cannot help but shout for joy at the infinitely valuable gift that has been given to us through the new covenant. The Son of Man bled and died on Calvary’s cross—not to pay for any sins of His own, but to pay for the sins of others. The righteous, holy One of God died to give life to unrighteous, unholy enemies of God, so that by His own blood He might purchase a people for His own possession.  The history of the children of Abraham is nothing short of 2,000 years of incontrovertible proof that our greatest dangers do not come from foreign armies, tyrannical leaders, or severe famines, but from our own wicked and deceitful hearts. All throughout the desert wanderings, the greatest danger that the children of Israel faced was not a lack of life-giving food or water, but their own evil, and unbelieving hearts that led them to fall away from the living of God. And though they entered the Promised Land under God’s mighty hand, they broke their covenant with Him and as a result, were carried away into exile in Babylon.   But it is here in Babylon, when the judgment of God had reached its zenith, that these unimaginably hopeful words by the prophet Jeremiah were uttered. A new covenant unlike the old! A new covenant that the finger of God would write on the tablets of human hearts! A new covenant that promised hope of an eternal future with God who would permanently deal with sin and make them a people who would never wander from Him again. And this kind of hope, is far greater than any hope that freedom from oppression or debilitating suffering can offer.  Man’s greatest problem has never been how to escape from the city of Babylon, but how to escape from the Babylon within. We can flee the wicked cities of the world and try to live in law-abiding utopias, but we will never escape from the world of unrighteous that is contained within our human hearts. Because of sin, the tendency of the human heart is never to worship the God in whose image and likeness we are created, but rather a god who is created in our own image and likeness. The ultimate question of the Bible was never how to get God’s people out of Babylon, but how to get Babylon out of God’s people. And the joy we have as Christians is knowing and experiencing how this ultimate question has been answered. Because of what our Lord Jesus did on the cross, we rejoice that the curse of sin has been broken and that there is no more condemnation for those of us who are in Christ Jesus!  How essential the new heart is! For without it, obedience to the law of God is impossible. Pursuing it on our own will only lead us to die with the unattainable demands of the law of God on our lips—but absent from our hearts. The Law shouts “Give!” but the Gospel shouts “Gone!” How grateful we are for this Gospel that frees us from the impossible demands of God’s holy law. How grateful we are for our precious Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who saved us from our sinful selves!  Christian, when was the last time that you considered your own helpless state apart from God’s help? Do you feel deep gratitude for our God who performed spiritual heart surgery on you to remove your heart of stone and to give you a heart of flesh? Do you glory in the fact that when you cried out for mercy, when you were drowning in the cesspool of your own sin, that He came and saved you and made you His very own? Do you weep tears of gratitude, knowing that when you could not keep His God’s holy law, He did it for you?   The boast of the Christian believer can never be, “Look at what I have done for Christ!” but rather, “Look at what Christ has done for me!” There is no such thing as humble people in this world—only HUMBLED people. Humbled people who have been given new hearts that beat with eternal love and reverence for their Saviour, Lord and King.  Written by: Samuel Chua

"Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.  Isaiah 49:15  The image of a mother and her child is a powerful one and there is nothing else like it. A father may hold and protect a helpless infant, but only a mother can nurse and nourish with her body. A father may laugh and wrestle with his child, but only a mother will ever feel that child struggle and kick from within her womb. All relationships in this world are lives intertwined with other lives, yet no relationship, except the mother and the child, is one of life carrying another life. For nine whole months, the child will grow and learn to hear mother’s voice. Mother’s own body will be the shield, warmth and protection from the elements for that developing child’s own fragile little body. It is no wonder then, that mother and child have a special bond unlike any other.  I have often heard it said that a father may leave his child, but that a mother never will. In Canada, single mothers outnumber single fathers with children, four-to-one. But though statistics attest to the bond between mother and child, this is not absolute. We all know of children whose mothers have abandoned them as they chose their own pleasures and lusts instead of the privilege of motherhood. How incredulous this seems and it yet it is true! “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?” asks the Lord. “Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.”  How great is the Lord’s care for us! His great love infinitely exceeds the most intimate picture of life-sustaining love on the earth! And as deep as the most doting mother’s love is for her child, the Lord says that his love is greater still! Though a mother may suffer from Alzheimer’s or dementia and forget your name, the Lord knows the very hairs upon your head and even the new name which he will give you on a white stone (Rev 2:17). Though a mother may fill herself with alcohol and abandon you, your heavenly Father will never leave you or forsake you, and promises to fill your emptiness with his Spirit. Never will we wail piteously for spiritual milk and find ourselves with nothing to slake our spiritual thirst. Never will we cry for food and find that the Lord has let his righteous go hungry (Prov 10:3).  Believer, do you ever contemplate that as vast as the difference is between a mother and a child, the difference between us and God is greater still? Do you realize that as helpless as an infant is, we are more helpless still? When the suffering of our lives seems intolerable, are you encouraged by the knowledge that the Lord cares for you more intimately than any mother does?  Though we might cry to our Lord ten times a day as needy infants do, we should never fear that our cries will go unheeded. Our Lord is closer to our cradle than any mother could possibly be. He nurses us with the milk of his Word and treats our spiritual sickness of sin with the blood of his own Son. Therefore, be content, little Christian child. Remember that your heavenly Father hears your cries and will never, ever forget you. And if he did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us (Rom 8:32), how much more, will he remember us in our hour of greatest need.  Written by: Samuel Chua