Weekly Devotion: Love Begets Love

By Pastor Chan Chong Yew

Love begets love

"We love, because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19.

One universal principle of life is to reciprocate the love that you received. Treasure those who truly love you and actively return your love to them. Common wisdom tells us that if a tree bears good fruit, you should spend more time caring, fertilizing and pruning it. So that it will bear even more fruit. For a tree that bears no fruit, one should consider giving it some time, then cutting it off eventually. Spend more time with the good trees and at the same time getting rid of the bad ones. The problem is many people gravitate towards those who hurt them. These people are carried away by their wounded emotions and by the darkness of their hearts. They take from those who loved them and give it to those who would destroy them.

We need to identify those who truly love us and make plans to spend quality time with them. Speak words of love, acts of service, and the buying of gifts. Our family, spouse and parents have all contributed much into our lives. Ben Elton said, "If only the strength of the love that people feel when it is reciprocated could be as intense and obsessive as the love we feel when it is not, then marriages would be truly made in heaven." Hence, we must always remember to reciprocate the love we received from our spouse. By reinvesting what we have taken from them, will cause them to amplify the love that they have given to us. Thereby, we create a sustainable energy of love that will not easily die much like a cyclone whose winds recycle and feed into itself. 

Our God in heaven who gave His Son Jesus, truly loves us. In Psalm 139:13-18, the psalmist celebrated the love of God:

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You wove me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Wonderful are Your works,

And my soul knows it very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth;

16 Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

And in Your book were all written

The days that were ordained for me,

When as yet there was not one of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!

How vast is the sum of them!

18 If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand.

When I awake, I am still with You.

In the above passage, God was there molding us even when we were still in our mother's womb. As for our future, God has ordained His perfect plans me. We reciprocate our love for God by spending quality time and connecting with Him. We want to know His desires and join Him in fulfilling His will on the earth. We want to see Him, feel Him and touch Him. Some gravitate towards the devil through the pleasures of sin knowing their destruction is at hand. By doing good and loving God, we cause Him to reveal more of His love towards us! No wonder the Psalmist say in Psalm 63:3, "Your lovingkindness is better than life itself!"

Sermon: How to Experience More of the Kingdom - Luke 18:25-30

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Weekly Devotion: Doing the Father's Business

By Pastor Chan Chong Yew

Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. Colossians 3:23-24

Companies are competing for top grade employees with the right skill set and most importantly, the right heart. A person with the right skills is efficient in contributing as an individual limited to his direct responsibilities. But a person with the right heart goes beyond that: he is effective in influencing the company's culture and direction towards the common good. As an employee, if we work for an interest beyond our own so called "KPI", God will reward us not just with wages, but with an inheritance fit for a prince. The above passage instructs us not to work selfishly for personal or human interest, but for God's purposes. Hence, whatever sacrifices we make for the greater good of the company, our reward will come from Him. For God is the grand owner of all companies.

One company in their candidate screening strategy leaves waste papers on the floor of the interview waiting room. Those that pick up the waste paper and dispose them in the basket tend to view the interest of the company as his own. People in this category will more likely make decisions considering the impact to the whole organization as well as its long term repercussions. They also exhibit certain resilience and tend to be better team players. They may not stand out from the crowd at the first glance. However, they prove themselves when they deliver the results over the long term. Skillful and savvy people may seem impressive in the short term, but if their motives are for personal gain alone, they may make decisions that could hurt the organization in the long term. The financial crisis that happened in 2008, was partly due to unscrupulous bankers and sales people hungry for profit. Company executives hid losses from shareholders. Government officials misled the public concerning their national debt. 

The world is looking for people who are motivated towards a higher purpose. However tough our job may be, God has placed you there with a divine purpose; that is to become a channel of blessing to the organization. Having that in mind, seeing our circumstances from God's perspective does motivate us to press on. Remember, you are the best person for that seat that you are sitting on. You are anointed for this moment and there is no one in the world more suitable to do the job than you are. Lastly, at the end of the working day, rejoice for the job well done as one who is faithful unto Him.

Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary. Galatians 6:9.

  

Sermon: How to Experience More of the Kingdom - Colossians 1:27

Audio Sermon By Pastor Chan Chong Yew
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Weekly Devotion: I Believe, Therefore I See

By Pastor Chan Chong Yew

"Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed." John 20:29

There are two kinds of people: those who believe after they have heard the promises of God, and those only after they have seen the evidences. Both lead to an increase of faith in God. However, those who belong to the second category will experience only limited growth. But those who believe purely from the word of God will receive greater blessings and unlimited growth. Those who are in the second category base their trust on physical evidences and reports. They often thrive on other people's energy and successes. But those of the first category will surpass their peers and do things that were never done before. Unlike those of the second category, their thoughts are often unconventional and they root themselves not on popular opinion but on first principles. They have an immovable conviction and persevered in their personal beliefs until they see results. 

In John 20, Thomas a disciple of Jesus proclaimed that he would not believe that Christ has resurrected unless he sees and feels for himself the imprint of the nails on Jesus' hands and side. Why did Jesus single out Thomas? Didn't the rest saw the resurrected Jesus before they believed? The reason is because Jesus had told them of His resurrection before He went to the cross. Based on Jesus' word, they should have believed and expected His resurrection. Thomas was singled out because the disciples responded to the news carried by the women and sought out the tomb where Jesus laid whereas Thomas did not. Thomas' approach to faith is based on evidences. Hence, there is no faith at all. Some of us are moved more by people's testimonies rather than by the word of promise. Such are easily discouraged when things are not moving fast enough. They are often attracted to new methodologies, and admire high profile personalities.

In order to affirm Thomas and protect His faith, Jesus showed Thomas His hands and side (John 20:27). Thomas grew in faith that day because of what he saw. However, like Thomas, we all need to take risks and made bold decisions based on God's word and not on resources we could see. Jesus said, "Seek first His kingdom's vision and work, and all that we need will be given to us." (Matthew 6:33). As we take God at His word, we move into action saving souls and healing the sick. We set up ministry platforms to reach out to the world and God will provide for us the resources needed. We take the first step by faith, God will then provide the results. 

I make it my lifestyle to rejoice at the face of every challenge, for that is proof of my faith in God. I seek to see the vision of prosperity as God would see it in the future, and by faith I persevere and work it out. The bible said in Galatians 6:9, that we ought not to lose heart, but press on in the good work, and in due time we shall succeed.

Sermon: Enter the Kingdom as a Child - Luke 18:15-17

Audio Sermon By Pastor Chan Chong Yew
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