3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over many waters. 4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty. 5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon. Psalm 29:3-5   The thunder of a mighty storm is not a testament to the greatness of nature, but to the power of the awesome God who “speaks” about his grandeur and unsurpassed might to us. Verse 5 is a statement of fact: God breaks the cedars of Lebanon. Now breaking down trees is not inherently significant. Lumberjacks fall trees all the time.  A man with only a hand axe might labour for a long time, but with perseverance, he will succeed in chopping down the tree . However, God’s tree-falling instrument is not an axe, chainsaw, nor even an excavator. He does not summon a work crew to consult with on how he should make his cuts. No! He does not use the things that we weak creatures must use. The instrument that God uses for smashing the massive cedars of Lebanon is his “voice”! If there is anything to be learnt from this simple phrase, it is that there is a massive difference between us and God.   Who is like our God? Could you throw away your chainsaw, stand beside a cedar tree and shout until it broke into pieces? Would you accomplish anything more than scaring termites off its bark? And yet, the Lord is different as his voice thunders in the storm. At his “words,” not even the mighty trees of the forest can stand. At his voice, their bark is stripped and their massive trunks snapped by an enormous invisible force. The same voice that commanded the earth to sprout and brought the tree into existence is the same voice that can tear the great trees apart, limb from limb, and snap their twelve-foot trunks like a child would snap a small twig. I have heard many say that they wish that they could hear the Lord speak. But I daresay we do not understand what we are asking for. When the Israelites were assembled around Mount Sinai and saw the thunder, the flashes of lightning and the entire mountain smoking as if it were being consumed by flames, they trembled in terror and stood far away. You speak to us Moses, and we’ll listen! But don’t let God speak to us lest we die! Who has such a voice? And if God’s awesomeness is heard in the storm that destroys giant cedars, how much more awesome must the person of God himself be? If the very sound of his voice levels entire forests and causes people to fear for their lives, what must seeing God be like? No wonder Isaiah upon seeing God in his glory fell to the ground in fear that he would be struck dead. How can unworthy creatures like us look on him who is eternal, all-powerful, and has a voice like thunder that smashes the greatest of trees? Can you see then why the person of Jesus Christ is so stunning? He was fully God, yet people could hear his voice, and not flee in terror. People could look at him, and not be struck dead. The holy God was veiled in humanity as an act of mercy so that we could see the Way to eternal life and not die in our sins. Yet, the mercy of God was repaid with contempt. The great King whose voice can break trees was instead nailed to one. The voice that can calm storms stayed silent as his tormentors mocked him. His voice could have summoned twelve legions of angels dressed in shining robes and with burning swords in their hands to slaughter his enemies, yet, his voice called out for their pardon instead.  Christian, are you grateful that Christ’s words on the cross were not “Destroy all my enemies,” but “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do?” Are you grateful that the storm of God’s wrath will not break you like one of the cedars of Lebanon because Jesus’ body was broken for you? Christian, if you are discouraged and need to be reminded of the power of God, remember that his voice alone can smash the cedars of Lebanon! If you find yourself proud of your own achievements, remember that your voice does not carry across the oceans like the voice of our God. He was wounded for our transgressions and slaughtered for our sins. He took the penalty we deserved so that we might one day be in fellowship with him forever.  Brothers and sisters, let us rejoice that the mighty voice of God did not break us like the cedars of Lebanon, but broke his own Son so that we could be whole. To such a truth, there is only one proper posture—worship. Thank you, Lord Jesus.  Written by: Samuel Chua

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel." (Luke 2:25-32 ESV)   The final wish of a dying person often can tell us a lot about what they value in life. There are those who fought on distant battlefields in their youth and want nothing more than to return and pay one last visit to the place that claimed the lives of so many of their friends. There are those who poured their lives into their families and want nothing more than to be surrounded by all of their children as they pass from this life. There are those who tragically destroyed relationships with old friends and want nothing more than to see them so that they might make amends with weeping and tears and find sweet reconciliation before they die.  But as much as God’s righteous saints might also desire these earthly pleasures, the greatest desire of the Christian who has been born again into the family of God is to see the Lord’s Christ—Jesus. Old Simeon could not pass from this life in peace until he had feasted his eyes on the one who would bring consolation to the hearts of God’s people. But Simeon was not looking for a mighty warrior to bring deliverance from the tyrannical oppression of a foreign army. No, this devout saint anticipated something more, for he saw in Isaiah’s vision of God’s servant (Is 42:6-7; 49:6) that the Christ would be “a light for revelation to the Gentiles.” And though he never lived to see the glory of the resurrected Christ and how God would save the world through him, he was content with the vantage point that God had given him in salvation history. Simeon had only a short glimpse, a tiny amount of time to hold in his hands God’s masterplan of salvation, yet this glimpse of Jesus gave him unimaginable peace!  But though righteous Simeon had the privilege of seeing firsthand the humble glories of the incarnated God-man, are we not as Christians more blessed than him? Though we have not seen him, we love him and believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible (1 Pet 1:8)! Though we are not first-century citizens of Jerusalem, was not the crucifixion of Jesus Christ publicly portrayed before our very eyes as we heard the preaching of God’s Word (Gal 3:1)? Are we not also recipients of the Spirit of adoption who has sealed us for the day of redemption, and who declares to our anxious hearts that we are indeed children of God (Rom 8:16)?  We who live on this side of the cross are witnesses to Jesus’ resurrection and to God’s ironclad promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church! Simeon never heard the words of Jesus himself as he preached, but we who have Bibles in our hands and hearts have heard the voice of the Good Shepherd speak into our souls! And if we have been privileged to see beyond what this old saint was permitted to see, are not our peace and joy greater than his?  Christian, do your life’s troubles weigh on you so heavily that you daily cry out for relief? Let the Lord Jesus part the clouds of sorrow in your life and give you a glimpse of his glory so that he might remind you that his yoke is easy and his burden is light to bear. Are you grieved over the sins that you have committed this last week? Let the Lord give you a fresh glimpse of his great work on the cross for you as you read about his sacrifice in his Word! Does your anxiety about the future rob you of sleep and cause the lines of worry to grow upon your face? Cast then, your fears on your Lord who cares for you and ask him to open your eyes so that you might glimpse the chariots of fire that surround all your enemies (2 Ki. 6).  Christians, words cannot express how grateful we are that Jesus did not offer us the temporal comforts of removing sickness, oppression or even suffering from our lives while leaving us to die under the soul-crushing weight of our sins. He tore the veil and then gave us his Word so that we might see his glory. No one can be more precious to our souls than the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. No one else is more lovely. No one else is more desirable. And nothing else can bring such peace to our hearts as a glimpse of our Lord Jesus Christ. May the God who opened your eyes to see his Christ, give you a glimpse of Jesus once again, today.  Written by: Samuel Chua

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)   There are few resources given to us by our Lord that are as precious and invaluable as time. Our wealth and material possessions may increase, but the amount of time that we have on earth only continues to diminish with each passing day. And when our time on earth is done and the Lord calls us home, we will be called to stand before the Lord’s judgment seat and give an account for how we invested or wasted our talents during our time in our Master’s vineyard. The apostle understood this and urged his Ephesian brother and sisters to make the best use of their time, knowing that the evil days in which we live in earnestly seek to devour our precious time with empty promises of pleasure or threats of anxiety. Yet for the apostle, he understood that there was no more meaningful way to spend his time than to spend it for the Lord. “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain,” he said. And living for Christ meant fruitful, spiritual labour for him (Phil 1:21-22).  When our eyes are not fixed on eternal things, we become loose with our spiritual spending. Our eyes rove around the world, eagerly looking for some new gadget or hobby to spend our time on. We are no different from the shopper who wanders into the mall intending only to browse, yet leaves with an armful of unnecessary purchases and an empty wallet. Time cannot be hoarded—only spent. And if we do not know what to spend it on that is of value, we will spend it on that which is valueless, fleeting and perishable. Oh, that we would follow the example of our Lord and Master who spent his precious three years of ministry in incomparable service to his God! Never did he waver in his resolve nor did he shrink back from spending his time on bearing with his weak disciples and walking the road to his own death. May we be like our Lord and redeem our time by walking the road of the cross and not the road to Vanity Fair that will only lead us to our own destruction.  It is said that we often overestimate what can be done in two years, but underestimate what can be done for the Lord in twenty. How true! Too often, we think that the things the Lord asks us to do are mountains that are too difficult to climb and so we fail to take any steps at all. In our faithlessness, we shrink back from the road say as the Israelites did, “This is a land that devours its inhabitants.”  Yet so much can be done for our Lord over the course of twenty years if only we are willing to faithfully redeem the time each day! The Christian who begins to memorize the New Testament at a rate of one verse per day will complete the New Testament in twenty years. Listening to the Bible on audio or reading aloud according to a plan for just fifteen minutes a day, will result in having read the Bible two dozen times over the course of twenty years. Reflecting each day on what God has done and writing a short half-a-page diary entry for twenty years will result in a literary work that is five times the length of Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy. Writing one word of encouragement for brothers and sisters each week will produce a treasure trove of over a thousand encouraging articles. So much can be done if we place our hands to the plow and do not look back as we strive to redeem the time!  Brothers and sisters, the days are evil, so let us not waste a moment of our time on the fleeting pleasures of this world, but spend them well in service to our Lord and Saviour who spent his time well, and saved countless poor, lost sinners like you and me.  Written by: Samuel Chua

1 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.” (Revelation 22:1-5 ESV)   The heavenly home that God has promised to those who love him is without comparison on this earth. No island resort or king’s palace can compete with the great garden-city that our Lord has crafted to be the everlasting place of rest for his saints.   Inside the massive walls of the New Jerusalem runs the grand promenade. And down the middle of this street, flows the river of life, whose waters sparkle with the brilliance of crystal, so pure and clear that if you were to dip your hand in it, you would not be able to tell that your hand were underwater save for the fact that you felt it was wet! And the water of this river flows forever and is more pure than the ice-cold glacier water of the mountains because it contains the very essence of life itself (22:1). No earthly water that we have ever tasted can compare to this perpetual fountain of youth, for its source is none other than the throne of the eternal God whose strength will never fade and who dwells in brilliant, unapproachable light. The water is the unceasing flow of immortality that all saints great and small will drink from. And they shall rest on the river’s beautiful banks in peaceful days that will never again be marked with hurry or anxiety—endless days that will never again know suffering, sickness, or the pain of death, surrounded by loved ones with eyes brighter than they ever were in life. The faces of our brothers and sisters will have none of the wrinkles and creases that belonged to our former manner life, but instead will ever be ready with smiles of rapturous joy. Their voices will sound with laughter and without any hint of sadness or mourning. And their bodies! They are ageless and perfect bodies full of vitality, strength, and perpetual youth. Never again will we speak of doctors, hospitals or medical devices, except to jest with one another.   And the tree of life will no longer be blocked by the fearsome angelic warrior with his flaming sword, but will yield its delicious fruit that we will freely consume from the King’s orchard. How strange to think that we will be able to eat without purchasing from this marvelous tree that does not produce but one kind of fruit, but twelve! How marvellously abundant is the provision of God that we saints should be able to sink our teeth into the fruit of the tree of life that shall change its shape and taste each month but never lose its key nutrient of immortality.  But as wonderful as the gifts of unending prosperity and peace are, there is one greater gift still—the presence of our Lord God himself. On the day when ours eyes close to this world, they shall open in the King’s country. And though we will see many unimaginable sights, the greatest delight to our eyes will be what old Simeon longed to see—the face of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.   And in that day, we will no longer walk by faith, but we shall walk by sight. For we shall see Him as He is. We will see Him who loved us before the ages began, and we shall hear the familiar voice of Him who spoke to us all these years. We will walk in the presence of the One whose very being gives life, and we will touch the nail-scarred hands that purchased our salvation. Though we have never seen him, his face will not be unfamiliar to us, as it was to Mary when she gazed on the gardener outside the tomb. And we will love him, more dearly than we have ever loved before. Our helper, brother, savior, friend, redeemer and sovereign Lord, will never be parted from us again. In that land, we will live forever and ever, and when ten thousand years have passed, we will have another ten thousand to look forward to. Our years will have no end and we will live forever with him in the city that will never have night nor gloom, illuminated with the brilliance of God himself.  What a joy and hope we have to look forward to! Let us therefore not fail to run the race marked out for us, and so gain our eternal reward.  Written by: Samuel Chua

27 "Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name." Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." 29 The crowd that stood there and heard it said that it had thundered. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him." (John 12:27-29 ESV)   The words of a man who is about to die can be some of the most profound that he will ever speak. Our Lord Jesus spoke many deep things about the nature of the kingdom of God, eternal life, and how his followers were to treat each other, yet the words spoken at this particular moment are among the most significant that our Lord and Savior ever uttered.   There are only three instances in the life of Jesus in which the Father speaks from heaven. At Jesus’ baptism, the Father declares Jesus to be his beloved Son with whom he is well-pleased (Matt 3:17) and inaugurates his earth-shaking ministry. At the Transfiguration, the veil of human flesh is peeled back for a moment and the earthly eyes of the disciples looked upon the blinding glory of Jesus Christ that was his from before the foundation of the world. The Father then speaks for a second time, declaring Christ to be his beloved Son with whom he is well pleased once again, exhorting his disciples to “listen to him.” The final time that the Father speaks is here. As the Son pours out the anguish in his own soul but sets his face towards the cross with the knowledge that it was for this very purpose that the Lamb of God came into the world, the Father speaks one final time.   The mighty plan of salvation will require an immense sacrifice that has no parallel and will never have any parallel in human history. And the reason that Christ willingly went to the cross was to glorify the Father’s name. The living Word of the Father declared from the vault of the heavens was our omnipotent God’s confirmation of his infinitely glorious masterplan to redeem the human race from the eternal wages of sin and death in the fires of hell.   But despite how pivotal and magnificent of a moment the third and final utterance of the Father was in salvation history, there were many who heard but did not hear. Many heard the everlasting Father’s very own voice echo from the skies above, and yet many heard nothing but thunder. Many heard the words of the living God himself—words confirming the glorious purpose for which the Son of God came into the world—yet all they could hear was a loud, but otherwise ordinary boom of a thunderstorm.   How shocking this is! How unfathomable! To think that the God of the universe SPOKE in an intelligible, stentorian voice, from his royal dais in the heavens, to a large crowd about the grandest work to ever be accomplished and yet many did NOT hear him!  Jesus was absolutely right when he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father (Joh 6:65 ESV).”  And when Peter made his confession that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus also rightly exclaimed, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” (Matt 16:17 ESV)  Brothers and sisters, let us never forget that the only reason we can hear the Word of God is because God gave us ears to hear. If he were not merciful to us, the reading of the Holy Scriptures would be no different from reading a fiction novel or a textbook. Instead of hearing the voice of the Good Shepherd speaking words of eternal life from the sacred writings, we would only hear the voice of some common mortal clamoring for our attention in an ordinary book. We would find no encouragement in our daily devotionals. We would never feel the comfort of God’s voice from his Word in the midst of the trials of life. We would find nothing for our souls to rejoice over if the Scriptures were only the common thunder of man and not the living oracles of God himself.   We have indeed been given a precious treasure in God’s Word, but we must also praise God that he gave us ears to HEAR his precious Word. What a great gift it is to have been given the knowledge of the secrets of heaven (Matt 13:11) and to hear the voice of the living God leading to eternal life. And for this undeserved gift of mercy, we give him the highest praise.   Written by: Samuel Chua

A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent makes rich. 5 He who gathers in summer is a prudent son, but he who sleeps in harvest is a son who brings shame. (Prov 10:4-5 ESV)    The Israelites lived in an agrarian society that understood that there was a time for everything. There was a time to plant and a time to pluck up what was planted (Ecc 3:2). The regular rhythms of the sun and the moon were ordained by God to govern the seasons so that we might learn about the importance of discipline and order. The God whom we serve is a God of order and peace—not confusion and chaos. And the beauty and symmetry of his creation reflects the manifold perfections of this glorious God.  In this proverb, we are enlightened by the divinely-inspired wisdom of king Solomon regarding the importance of labouring at the appropriate time. Those who are dependent on their harvests to survive cannot work on their own timetables but must adhere to the heavenly schedule that God has ordained. The farmer who is lazy and refuses to harvest his crops when they are ripe during the summer will find only spoiled fruit and rotten vegetables in the fall.  We modern city-folk have been immensely blessed in that we have airplanes and trucks that can supply us with delicious out-of-season fruits and goods from far-off lands even in the dead of winter. We work all year round and trade for what we need. This is a good thing and it means that our summers must not be wholly spent in back-breaking work to provide for ourselves lest we starve in the upcoming winter. Yet, we must never forget that even those we buy from must be diligent to use their harvest times productively in order to sell and trade with us. No one is exempt from following the ebb and flow of the divinely fixed seasons.  As Christians, we delight in the beautiful sunshine and warmth that God gives us during the summer months. But we must never forget that we are living in the last age—a spiritual, summer harvest season that is rapidly drawing to a close as our Lord Jesus prepares to return. Jesus said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few. Therefore, pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. (Luke 10:2 ESV)” We are grateful to no longer live in the winter season of human history when Messiah was only a promise and the polar nights of sin and death shrouded us Gentiles in a valley of deep darkness. We are privileged to have witnessed the spring season in which our Lord walked the earth and brought the newness of eternal life to all who would believe in him. And we are blessed to now live as workers in the master’s vineyard in the summer of our Lord’s harvest! Oh, there is much joy, peace, and rest to be had as we bask in the golden rays of the love of Christ that fill our hearts with warmth and everlasting happiness. But let us remember that the summer God has blessed us with is also a time for diligent labour!   “Lift up your eyes,” said the Master, “and see that the fields are white for harvest (John 4:35).” The world around us is blooming in this spiritual summer with souls that have been prepared from before the foundation of the world for us to reap as fruit for our King. They are planted everywhere around us in the oddest places. Perhaps a family member, or a neighbor, or a person who rides the bus with us every day. A young teenager driven away from his home, a single mother with three children, an outwardly happy work colleague who is struggling with inner depression. Church, do you see these lost sheep as our Master does? Our King desires a royal priesthood, a holy nation of redeemed people to worship him, and he has made us ambassadors of his kingdom to preach the Good News and to lead souls out of the kingdom of darkness into the marvelous light of Christ!   Taking a summer break from a regularly scheduled church program or small group does NOT mean taking a break from God, his Word, or his mission for us. And so long as our Lord delays his coming, we remain in the summer of our Lord’s harvest. It is always summer for Christians.   So, let us be diligent—not slack—this summer as we labour for his kingdom. Let us not be unfaithful servants who bury their talents to pursue the pleasures of this world, but let us be prudent sons and daughters who work with the fervency of those who know that NOW is the time to reap and gather souls for our Lord’s good pleasure.   Written by: Samuel Chua

He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:24 ESV)   The entirety of life’s strivings in our few short days under the sun can be summed up in one sentence—the desire to return to Eden. The perfect happiness and bliss that the first man and woman enjoyed in the garden of God is what every single human being aspires to whether they know it or not. In Eden, Adam and Eve were free to eat from the fruits of the garden, free from the curse of sin and death, and free from judgment and criticism as they wandered about naked and unashamed. They had stress-free and divinely-provided occupations, and most of all, supremely soul-satisfying intimacy and daily fellowship with the God who walked with them in the cool of the garden.  But when sin entered the human race, the holy God whose eyes are too pure to look on evil, could no longer abide in presence of sinful man. In a moment, the relationship between God and mankind changed from one of creator and employer to judge and avenger. Lest the pure glory of the holy and just God destroy their sinful beings, Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden and forbidden to eat from the tree of life. And to make clear just how serious this separation was, a mighty angelic creature with a sword of fire was stationed to guard the tree.   The tree which had once nourished their lives was now completely untouchable. The text says that the sword turned every way, teaching us that there was no path whatsoever for man to take in order to return to fellowship with God. No person—no matter how stealthy or mighty—would ever be able to bypass that dread angelic warrior, signifying that the way back to the presence of God was closed to sinful man on pain of death.  But God in his mercy did not leave us to die outside the garden. Though the serpent struck us a mortal blow with his venomous lies, God promised us an offspring who would crush his head, Jesus Christ. By his sacrifice on the cross for sinners, our precious Lord and Savior quenched the flames of that fiery sword for those of us who believe. He did not do so by bending the laws of justice, but by boldly accepting the deathblow of justice. Christ took the place of sinful man as he approached the flaming sword on the cross. And though the sword sank into his flesh and claimed his life, the innocent lifeblood of the Lamb of God poured forth from the hole in his side and extinguished the flames of God’s wrath—flames that no water could ever extinguish, but only his blood could. “It is finished,” shouted the Christ from the cross, and so it was. The wrath and anger of God was forever satisfied. To all who believe in the Son of God as the Way, the Truth and the Life, the path back to Eden has been cleared. There is only one way—not many—but it is the sure and perfect way nonetheless. Never again should we as believers live under fear that we will one day meet the cherubim’s flaming sword, for our citizenship in the new garden of God was paid for in full by the blood of our Savior.   Christian, do you think about your Lord who gave himself up to be struck down by the flaming sword for your sins? Do you rejoice that Christ has provided in himself the Way for you to return to the garden of God? Do the realities of the eternal heaven and hell weigh heavily on your heart and mind as you look at a perishing world? Is your soul moved with compassion for the millions of people who do not know Jesus and continue to live under the threat of the angel’s flaming sword that will forever separate them from the holy God who made them?  We are more than conquerors through him who loved us! Let us never forget what a great gift we have received in our Christ who paved the Way into the garden of God through his own body and blood. And from grateful hearts, let us go into the world on beautiful feet and preach the Good News. Blood has extinguished the flames of our punishment. All that remains—is grace.   Written by: Samuel Chua

The godly father wakes each day, To seek the King and walk His Way. He wages war on demon foes, On fleshly snares, and worldly woes.    God’s truth he wears around his waist, With honest words his mouth is graced, His righteous works adorn his chest, To those in need, he gives his best He comes in peace to those irate, And snuffs the blaze of strife and hate. A shield divine protects his heart, And blocks the Tempter’s flaming dart.    A Gospel helm upon his head Gives strength to win o’er any dread His battle sword, the living Word, Stabs to life the dead who have heard. He fights this war with prayers and pleas, With cries to God while on his knees. He serves his home, his church, and friends, For poor, lost sheep, his soul contends.    With holy words he leads his wife, And builds his home through sacrifice. His little ones, he loves and guides, Through seasons fair and raging tides  A father’s walk and Christ-like love Reflect the heart of God above And show to all our Father’s face, Love for sinners, and saving grace.  Written by: Samuel Chua

"Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel" (which means, God with us). (Mat 1:23 ESV)   Throughout the Old Testament, God’s promise to be with his people was a great source of strength. God promised Isaac that he would be with him, to bless him and to establish the oath that he swore to Abraham (Gen 26:3). God promised a troubled Jacob that he would be with him if he left his uncle and returned to the land of his kindred (Gen 31:3). Moses and Joshua both received signs and words from God to encourage them to speak on behalf of God and to wage war (Ex 3:12, Josh 1:5).  But the coming of Jesus Christ into this world expanded the very phrase, “God with us,” beyond what anyone could ever have imagined. For God did not just grace the world with the care of his Presence, but his very Presence came into our world. How remarkable this is! As Charles Wesley wrote, “Our God contracted to a span, incomprehensibly made man.”  The God who crafted the entire universe condescended to enter into our world and added to his divinity the weakness and frailness of human flesh. The infinite God became an infant. The Creator whose breath forms ice (Job 37:10) would feel the chill of the evening wind. The Provider who feeds the beasts of the field would need to be fed at his mother’s breast. The eternal one would age into a man. The all-wise one would need to grow in wisdom. The immortal Lord would suffer death. The giver of joy would become a man of sorrows. The comforter of all would cry at the grave of Lazarus. The quencher of spiritual thirst who gives fountains of living water would himself thirst on the cross. What a paradox he is! Who can understand this great mystery?  He was fully God, yet fully human—and knew what it was to be human. And though he was tempted, he succeeded against sin where no human being had ever triumphed. He knew the maximum weight of human temptation in every aspect of life—more than anyone who has ever lived, yet he did not succumb for a moment and triumphed where Israel had failed!  And there is no path that we believers walk that he has not already walked before us! Are you abandoned and lonely? Then look to the one who had no place to lay his head. Are you crushed under the weight of grief? Look to the man of sorrows. Do you agonize over the crushing weight of your responsibilities? Look to him who bore the weight of Gethsemane. Truly he is a God who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses because he was made like us in every way but without sin (Heb 4:15). Christ has walked your path, and he walks with you now. Not just as the God who sees and ordains all things for your good, but as the God who walked our very world and walks with you now. And surely, he has promised, to be with you—to the very end of the age.   Written by: Samuel Chua

"When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots and an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the LORD your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 2 And when you draw near to the battle, the priest shall come forward and speak to the people 3 and shall say to them, 'Hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies: let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, 4 for the LORD your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.' (Deut 20:1-4)   We are naturally afraid of things that are larger than us. We are not scared of a barking chihuahua, but we would do well to run from a charging grizzly bear. We are afraid at the thought of being attacked alone by a mugger on a dark night, but we feel safer in the company of three or four friends.  The people of Israel lived under the constant threat of war from neighboring nations with armies that dwarfed their own. Furthermore, their enemies often possessed military resources that gave them an enormous advantage in battle. The charge of warhorses would shake the very ground that the armies stood on, sending fear into the knees of even the bravest soldiers. Archers riding on chariots could send their deadly arrows into the ranks of Israelite soldiers like stinging hornets and then flit away quickly to a safe distance. Heavy horses and chariot wheels surging across a battlefield could overwhelm an army of infantry by simply crushing them underfoot.   Now, although such an army could perhaps be defeated by a larger army, the Scriptures expressly forbade the Israelite kings from acquiring many horses for themselves (Deut 17:16). How odd it would seem! Don’t we all know that being outnumbered in battle is generally a bad idea? What king, going out to war, does not first deliberate whether he’s able to fight an enemy army of twenty thousand with his own army of a mere ten thousand? (Luke 14:31) Yet, God was clear that the Israelites were not to amass for themselves these horses and chariots. And the reason for this express prohibition on gathering military might was so that they would know that it was the LORD who took care of them. Their divinely limited army served as a daily reminder that no matter how much they grew or how rich they became, ultimately it was the LORD who “brought them up out of the land of Egypt,” who would continue to fight for them if they would only wholeheartedly obey his commands.  And this is true for us as Christians as well! Though we might feel alone or outnumbered in our daily battles, we do not need to be afraid if the LORD God fights for us. We may feel dumb and incapable of engaging a wise and well-spoken individual with the Gospel, but we do not need to be afraid if the LORD fight for us! We may look with envy at those around us who have access to better technology, more money, greater numbers and feel despair at our own deplorable lack. Yet, we do not need to be afraid if the LORD fights for us!   Brothers and sisters, it is better to go with faith in God and a shepherd’s sling than dressed in the armor of Saul. It is better to enter spiritual battle with the sword of the Spirit and knees that are bruised from the rigors of extended prayer than it is to have money, intelligence and manpower. How careful we must be when it comes to acquiring for ourselves “horses and chariots” that tantalize us with offers of safety and security in this world when it is only the LORD our God who can truly save!  Christian, are you facing insurmountable odds in your life? Are you in a desperate situation because your obedience to our Lord’s commands has caused an army of people who despise God to rise against you? Are you discouraged because what you now have seems so small when compared with those around you?   Take heart, brothers and sisters, and remember that nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few (1 Sam 14:6). The LORD who loves us will not let us live under the cruel delusion that it is our own hand that saves us. And though our army of thirty thousand may have been reduced to but three hundred (Judg 7), we may fight with courage knowing that the LORD has given our Midianite enemies into our hands. Oh Lord, let us never turn to the world for provisions to live the Christian life lest we fool ourselves into believing that what was begun by the Spirit can now only be accomplished by the army of flesh. And may You get the glory as we come to you in humble dependence. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. (Ps 20:7)  Written by: Samuel Chua

Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. (2 Tim 2:3-4 ESV)   The Christian life is not a calling to live life safely aboard the comfort of a cruise ship that is basking in the warm waters of the Caribbean, but rather to serve on the deck of a battleship that is being inundated with cannon fire in the waters of battle. Here the apostle reminds us that we are to act and think like soldiers and not civilians. We do not march to our own beat but answer to the trumpet calls of our captain Jesus. Some of us will be ordered to the front lines where the fighting is thickest and fall in battle, whereas others of us will serve as support, bringing supplies to others as David did at his father’s request. Whatever our roles, we are all enlisted in the King’s service and not our own. How dangerous our deceitful hearts are! How tempting it is to want to choose a life of ease and call it Christian. Sin in our hearts drives us to mould God into our own image, rather than allowing him to mould us into his own image. Just like the Israelites who crafted the golden calves and declared them to be the gods who brought them out of the land of Egypt, so too do we have a natural tendency for crafting God into our own image—to make him fit our desires and our requests. But if we do so, we are not followers of Christ, but of our own religion.   Everything we do must not be put through the grid of what we want and prefer, but whether or not it aligns with our commanding officer’s desires. And the Scriptures are nothing less than the King’s orders for his soldiers. Christian soldiers have only one goal in mind, and that is to please our commander and Lord. Nothing else will do. Do not grow weary in doing good. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Go and make disciples of all nations. We are called to evaluate every single decision we make in light of whether it pleases our Lord Jesus and not our own desire to avoid suffering.   What an example our Lord Jesus was to us! In his life, he shied away from comfort and wealth, and instead chose the road of suffering, single-mindedly devoted to his Father’s will. Though his flesh recoiled at the sight of the cup of the wrath of God as he interceded in the garden of Gethsemane, he was obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. Our Lord certainly participated in what we would consider normal in life, such as a wedding at Cana and dinners with those who wished to speak to him, yet, he was a man of sorrows, acquainted with much grief. But because of his suffering and grief, you and I have been set free from the curse of eternal death through his work on the cross. Words are simply inadequate to express our infinite gratitude for this immeasurable sacrifice that was purchased for us on the crucible of suffering! Praise be to God!  Christian, are you aware that you live during a time of war in which eternal lives hang in the balance? Do you arm yourself each with the armor of God, sharpening the sword of the Spirit in your times with the Lord each day? Do you think about your shopping habits, what you watch on TV, and how you spend your time outside of work? Do you make your decisions around what will please your commanding officer the most?  Never forget that there are no civilians in the kingdom of God—only soldiers. Soldiers who endure suffering and advance against the gates of hell through laying down their lives as their Lord and Saviour did for them. Do not be distracted by the civilian affairs of this world! And when we have completed our mission assignments on this earth, we shall be blessed with the victor’s crown.  Written by: Samuel Chua

“It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, [8] but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt” (Deut 7:7-8 ESV).   The beauty of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that it is not for the proud and mighty, but for those who are willing to bow the knee and acknowledge their humility before God. The Christian life is full of reminders that God is great and magnificent, whereas we are small and insignificant. Yet, there is an incredible amount of joy to be had, knowing that God has chosen the foolish and small things of this world to shame the wise and the grand. For in man’s weakness, not his strength, God’s glory and kindness shines brighter.  If our Christianity were grounded in some sense of our worthiness before God we would live in a state of either constant pride or constant fear. If we believed that we were excellent Law-keepers like the rich young ruler who came to Jesus or the other Pharisees, we would snub those whom we deemed to be poor keepers of God’s Law. In our hearts, we would slowly begin to measure people according to our own sense of holiness rather than God’s and so steal glory from God by usurping his proper authority as Judge. If, however, we believed God loved us because of our own initial worthiness, this would not help us one bit. In fact, it would terrify us, for we would live in constant fear of losing that initial favor.   Our eyes were opened not because we were worthy of love, but because God chose to set his love on us. The foundation of our Christian lives is the concrete of grace not the sinking sand of fear. What a marvelous gift grace is! Grace is solid enough that we can stand on it through the trials of life, yet pliable enough that when we fall, we are not smashed but gently caught by its net. Grace is firm enough that we can leap from its platform into the ministry our Lord calls us into, yet grace is soft enough for us to rest on when we seek comfort and quiet from our sufferings.  How grateful we are for grace! God’s grace brought us out of spiritual slavery from our old taskmaster of sin, God’s grace sustains our frail bodies as we endure trials in this world, and God’s grace will ultimately bring us home to glory. The grace of God frees us from having to live a life of deception, claiming to be great, when we are nothing more than needy creatures who are in need of daily grace. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! May God’s grace be sufficient for you today and always. As the old hymn writer said,   Through many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, And grace will lead me home.   Written by: Samuel Chua