Day By Day

'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord Your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.' Isaiah 43:2-3a

How many of us live as though we entirely depend on God, Day by Day? When you are a cancer patient or suffering from a severe illness, you will learn the meaning behind the phrase 'Living Day by Day in the Palm of God's Hand.' You live with uncertainty, the fluctuations of your blood counts, the up and downs of your energy levels, the vulnerability to infections, with fevers coming and going. You brace yourself for periods of recovery, remission and relapses

During these uncertain times, you will learn to rely on the grace of God, day by day; His mercy and protection. You are encouraged by friends and families praying for you daily; for that you are ever grateful.  

 

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me.' Psalms 50:15

Living Day by Day dependent on the grace and mercy of God is experienced by the Israelites during their exodus from Egypt where they wandered for 40 years in the desert and wilderness. Throughout that period God provided them with manna from heaven but always just sufficient for the day. 

'Then the Lord said to Moses, "I'm going to make bread rain down from the sky for you. The people will go out each day and gather just enough for that day.' Exodus 16:4a  

God provides our Physical Needs day by day

Andrew Murray wrote, "Many a soul is disquieted with the thought as to how it will be able to gather and to keep the manna needed for all its years of travel through such a barren wilderness. It has never learnt what unspeakable comfort there is in the word: The day's portion for its day.  Manna, as your food and strength, is given only by the day; faithfully to fill the present is your only security for the future. Accept, and enjoy, and fulfil with your whole heart the part you have this day to perform. His presence and grace enjoyed today will remove all doubt whether you can entrust the morrow to Him too."

Christians who live hand to mouth eking their daily living understand God's provision for our physical needs on a daily basis. Similarly those who are ill and recovering understand how God sustain their bodies on a daily basis. 

God provides our Spiritual Needs day by day

When Jesus taught us to pray the Lord's prayer and one of the petitions is

'Give us today our daily bread.'  Matthew 6:9

Although this phrase can also be taken to mean our daily physical subsistence, it is most likely that Jesus meant spiritual nourishment; our daily sustenance of our soul and spirit. And this is usually provided by the daily inspiration of God's Word. Jesus said 

'It is written: Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes out of the mouth of God.' Matthew 4:4

Andrew Murray wrote, "As the lesson of the value and the work of the single day is being taken to heart, the learner is all unconsciously being led on to get the secret of day by day continually."

Day by day, God fulfills our spiritual needs, the bread that satisfies our spiritual needs.

God provides us our Spiritual Blessings day by day

Andrew Murray wrote, "We are so easily led to look at life as a great whole, and to neglect the little to-day, to forget that the single days do indeed make up the whole, and that the value of each single day depends on its influence on the whole. Each day of faithfulness brings a blessing for the next; and so the Christian life grows: as we give our whole heart to the work of each day." 

We live day by day, one step at a time, exercising simple faith that God will provide just what we need, when we need it. Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount said, 

'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothes?' Matthew 6:25 

'And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was not dressed like one of these.' Matthew 6:28-29

Living 'Day by Day' in the palm of God's hand gives all living with cancer and illnesses daily blessings.

'So do not worry, saying,"What shall we eat?" or "What shall we wear?" For the pagans run after these things, and you heavenly Father knows that you need them.' Matthew 6:32

Day by day, and with each passing moment,

Strength I find to meet my trials here;

Trusting in my Father’s wise bestowment,

I’ve no cause for worry or for fear.

He, whose heart is kind beyond all measure,

Gives unto each day what He deems best,

Lovingly its part of pain and pleasure,

Mingling toil with peace and rest.

Every day the Lord Himself is near me,

With a special mercy for each hour;

All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,

He whose name is Counsellor and Pow’r.

The protection of His child and treasure

Is a charge that on Himself He laid;

“As thy days, thy strength shall be in measure,”

This the pledge to me He made.

Help me then, in every tribulation,

So to trust Thy promises, O Lord,

That I lose not faith’s sweet consolation,

Offered me within Thy holy Word.

Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,

E’er to take, as from a father’s hand,

One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,

Till with Christ the Lord I stand.

Jesus said,

'So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today.' Matthew 6:34 (NLT)

Be assured that God has you in the palm of His hand. Timothy Keller, who this year succumbed to pancreatic cancer, wrote, “The central basis of Christian assurance is not how much our hearts are set on God, but how unshakably his heart is set on us.” 

Lionel 

Praying In The Spirit

'Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches the heart knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.' Romans 8:26-27

Prayer is communication with God, a communion with the Almighty. As we all know communication can be verbal or non-verbal and that is the same for prayer.

Christian Meditation is often referred to as the prayer of the heart. In meditation we are to sit and keep our body still, then the mind should stay silent and be focused on God. Father John Main, who inspired the World Community of Christian Meditation, would say that we are to set our mind on the Kingdom of God. To help focus the mind, the WCCM recommend repeating silently a mantra, 'Maranatha' which is Aramaic and means 'Come Lord.' At some time in the meditation, though not always, our spirits would soar as the Holy Spirit leads us to a prayer without words. St Paul described such praying as 'praying with my spirit.'

This kind of praying could be distinguished from our usual praying with words, praising God with our adoration, making our confession, offering our thanksgivings and presenting our supplications or petitions (ACTS). We are taught to pray like this when we first become Christians. We could pray vocally or pray silently. A fellow Christian meditator, Andre Croquet use the term, devotional prayer. St Paul described this as 'praying with my mind.'

I would normally spent some time in meditative prayer followed by devotional prayer in the mornings and evenings. Putting the two together, one following another, is a recent spiritual experience for me. I hope to make this a habit from now on. 

Both are important to the growth and spiritual experience of Christians. Whether devotional prayer or meditation prayer, the Holy Spirit comes close and guide us to pray. As St Paul put it, 

'What am I do do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also; I will sing praise with my spirit but I will sing with my mind also.' 1 Corinthians 14:15

 

There is also another term describing prayer, often used in the Bible; 'Praying in the Spirit.' In the Greek the term 'pray in the spirit' generally has two slightly different meanings. It can mean praying with the help of or by means of the Spirit. Or it can also mean praying in connection to or in the sphere of the Spirit. J Oswald Sanders said, 'It is clear that praying in the Spirit means much more than praying by the Spirit's help, although it is included. We pray by means of and in dependence on the Spirit's help but the Spirit is in the atmosphere in which the believer lives. Our prayers will then be, in substance, the same as the intercession of the Spirit within us.' (Ref 1) 

'And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people.' Ephesians 6:18

'But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit.' Jude 1:20

John Piper said, 'Praying in the Spirit means our prayers are moved and guided by the Holy Spirit. That is, we are prompted to pray by the Holy Spirit; He's awakening it and moving it. And the things that we pray for are being shaped and determined by the Spirit. So, it's His power that carries the prayer, and it's His leading that guides, the prayer.' (Ref 2)

J Oswald Sanders quoted Andrew Murray, 'Just as wonderful and real is the divine work of God on the throne graciously hearing, and by His mighty power answering prayer. Just as divine as is the work of the Son, interceding and securing and transmitting the answer from above, is the work of the Holy Spirit in us in the prayer that awaits and obtains the answer. The intercession within is as divine as the intercession above.

Weakness and inadequacy in the art of prayer are not surprising to God. He never intended that prayer should be left to our own unaided faculties. So He gave the Holy Spirit to instruct, inspire, and illumine our hearts and minds. Unaided by Him, we would be likely to pray for things not only contrary to God’s will but injurious to ourselves.' (Ref 1)

We all do struggle with praying as noted by Andrew Murray. Don Moen also experienced the distance from God as he struggled to find the inspiration to write songs. He said that in that struggle, God led him to write this song 'I will Sing, I will Pray'

Lord you seem so far away

A million miles or more

It feels today

And though I haven't lost my faith

I must confess right now

That it's hard for me to pray

But I don't know what to say

And I don't know where to start

But as you give the grace

With all that's in my heart

I will sing

I will praise

Even in my darkest time

Through the sorrow and the pain

I will sing

I will praise

Lift my hands to honor you

Because your word is true

I will sing

Lord is hard for me to see

All the thought and plans you have for me

But I will put my trust in you

Knowing that you died to set me free (oh thank God you died)

But I don't know what to say (what to say)

And I don't know where to start (where to start)

But as you give the grace

With all that's in my heart

I will sing

I will praise

Even in my darkest time

Through the sorrow and the pain

I will sing

I will praise

Lift my hands to honor you

Because your word is true (say it again)

The Puritans put it very simply, 'Pray until you pray.' This means get on with it, keep on the habit and routine of praying. Do not hurry. Take our time. Just put prayer to practice. Somewhere, somehow, the Holy Spirit will come to meet us and prayer will soon gets hold of us. 

Pray until you pray.

Lionel

Ref 1: J Oswald Sanders Praying in the Spirit 2004https://www.cslewisinstitute.org/resources/praying-in-the-spirit/

Ref 2: John Piper, How do we pray in the Spirit? 2021 

https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/how-do-we-pray-in-the-spirit

The Eye Of A Needle

The Eye of a Needle Rock Formation, Sylvan Lake, South Dakota

'What do you have that God hasn't given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?' 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NLT)

'But who am I and who are my people, that we could give anything to you? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!' 1 Chronicles 29:14

He was a young entrepreneur, a self-made billionaire, a very confident upstart. On hearing of a preacher of the same age attracting crowds in his home town, the rich young man approached Jesus, with some audacity, to ask whether he would qualify for eternal life. Firstly, Jesus told this man to keep the commandments, to which the smug gentleman proclaimed that he had kept all the commandments and almost boasted then what more was needed. Then, Jesus went for the weak spot, "If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come follow me."

This encounter was recorded for us in Matthew 19:16-24. It did not have a happy ending for the young man rejected the chance of a life-time to follow Jesus and  went away sad because he had great wealth. Bishop Solomon in his book 'Practical Christianity' concluded, "He was, unfortunately, a prisoner of his wealth and his greed that lay behind its accumulation."

The Eye of a Needle Gate

Referring to the Needle's Eye or  the smaller doorway of a Riad, the rest station of the caravans that prevents camels and other animals from entering, Jesus said

'I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. I'll say it again - it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!' Matthew 19:23-24 (NLT)

This young and rich man had a choice to make, God or Money and he chose money. He could not afford to part with his money so he parted with God.

To be sure not all wealthy people are like that young man. Many are very good people who are very humanitarian in nature. Many are philanthropists, very generous with their wealth, giving to the poor, supporting missions and social concerns projects. But wealth has its downsides, although many will not admit it.

Why did the rich young ruler walk away? Why can't the wealthy part with their money? The problem was not wealth per se but the insatiable accumulation of money and possessions leading to avarice, greed and selfishness. The Apostle James wrote of this, rather forcefully, in his epistle, James 5:1-6 

Money corrupts:

• The Encumbrance. The rich young man not only wanted to get to heaven but he also wanted to bring along all his hoarding and riches with him. He wanted to secure his future not only spiritually but materialistically. That hoard weighed him down, encumbered him and he is trapped, never free, 

'You have hoarded wealth in the last days' James 5:3b 

• The Excessive Greed. Despite the hoarding and accumulation of money, it is never enough. The Bishop Robert Solomon commented, 'Such greed can never satisfy. Like drinking sea water when one is dying of thirst, it will only make matters worse and finally destroy the greedy.' 

'You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves for the days of slaughter.' James 5:5 

• The Exploitation. The hoarding and greed for money can create in the wealthy, an insensitivity for the needs of others, an antipathy to the poor. Apostle James said that there is exploitation of workers by the wealthy, robbing them of just wages.

'Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your field are crying out against you.' James 5:4    

How do we deal with the problem of money? Jesus told the rich young man to sell all his goods and give to the poor. Jesus was saying that the wealthy should empathize with the poor and needy, to share their wealth. The wealthy is expected to give generously, Jesus is making a case for Radical Generosity, not just a trifle giving. Why?

• Our money belongs to God. Timothy Keller stated 'While secular individualism says that your money belongs to you, and socialism says your money belongs to the State, the Bible says that all your money belongs to God, who then entrusts it to you.' 

'Everything comes from You and we have given You only what comes from Your hand.' 1 Chronicles 29:14b

 

 'What do you have that God hasn't given to you. And if everything you have come from God, why boast as though it were not a gift.' 1 Corinthians 4:7b (NLT)

• Our money does not last. We may think money and possessions bring honour, prestige and fame. But these things are merely temporal, they do not have everlasting value. These material and lavish things cannot guarantee our future. Jesus said

'Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.' Matthew 6:19 (NLT)

• Our money should be generously donated. The type of giving amounting to Radical Generosity is described in two verses of the Bible

'One person gives freely and gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.' Proverbs 11:24 (NLT)

'They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor.' Psalms 112:9a (NLT)

In the Hebrew text, the meaning and nuances of the type of giving found in these two verses describe Radical Generosity. We are used to understand Biblical giving as Tithes, Offerings and Sacrifices. But the meaning in the above verses convey an exuberance, excessive, lavish almost wanton way of giving, a fourth type -  Shock Giving.

In amount the giving here is described as shocking, unbelievably large. In attitude the giving here is described as throwing it away; giving and forgetting that one had given. Once given, there is no need to control the use of the gift. It described the way the Jewish farmers would sow their crops, scattering liberally, extensively and freely on the ground.

'The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and who ever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must decide in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.' 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 (ESV)

So give cheerfully, after all that money you give away really belongs to God. There is a hymn often sung after during the offering in church, 'We Give Thee But Thine Own.' 

We give Thee but Thine own,

Whate'er the gift may be;

All that we have is Thine alone,

A trust, O Lord, from Thee.

May we Thy bounties thus

As stewards true receive,

And gladly, as Thou blessest us,

To Thee our firstfruits give.

O hearts are bruised and dead,

And homes are bare and cold,

And lambs for whom the Shepherd bled

Are straying from the fold.

To comfort and to bless,

To find a balm for woe,

To tend the lone and fatherless

Is angels' work below.

The captive to release,

To God the lost to bring,

To teach the way of life and peace-

It is a Christ-like thing.

And we believe Thy Word,

Though dim our faith may be;

Whate'er for Thine we do, O Lord,

We do it unto Thee.

Lionel  

Ref 1: Bishop Emeritus Robert Solomon. Practical Christianity Chap 12: A Warning to the Wealthy. Cru Asia Ltd, IMprint Edition, 2022 

Ref 2: Tim Keller on Justice in the Bible

https://quarterly.gospelinlife.com/justice-in-the-bible/

God's Lively People

 

Intergenerational Activities at MWS-Charis ACE

'Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. The one who falls alone is in real trouble' Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NLT)

When my late father was alive, on the first day of every Chinese New Year we celebrated two birthdays, his and my grandson, James. They were both born on first day of the New Year which means that at every CNY we will be celebrating their Chinese birthdays. Such birthday celebrations are a big deal to our extended family, altogether 43 of us spanning three generations. We count it very fortunate that we are a close knit family and will find reasons, ever so often, to be together. 

Such extended family gatherings are becoming a rarity in modern urban societies. Today, many families are separated, fiercely independent more nuclear than extended. The old people in these families become secluded in their small apartments in empty nests as the children leave home to establish their own nuclear families.  This world has lost its sense of community. The ‘kampong’ (village) spirit is long gone. In its place is a selfish, ego-centric individualistic modern reality; the old left alone at home.

The song by Ralph McTell, 'The Streets of London' describes a pathetic loneliness amongst the old, that exists in our crowded cities. There is a very tragic line in the song, 'The rain cries little pity for one more forgotten hero and a world that doesn’t care.'

Have you seen the old man

In the closed down market

Kicking up the papers

With his worn out shoes?

In his eyes, you see no pride

Hand held loosely at his side

Yesterday's paper

Telling yesterday's news

So, how can you tell me you're lonely

And say for you that the sun don't shine?

Let me take you by the hand

And lead you through the streets of London

Show you something to make you change your mind

Have you seen the old girl

Who walks the streets of London

Dirt in her hair

And her clothes in rags?

She's no time for talking

She just keeps right on walking

Carrying her home

In two carrier bags

So, how can you tell me you're lonely

And say for you that the sun don't shine?

Let me take you by the hand

And lead you through the streets of London

Show you something to make you change your mind

In the all night cafe

At a quarter past eleven

Same old man

Sitting there on his own

Looking at the world

Over the rim of his tea cup

Each tea lasts an hour

And he wanders home alone

So, how can you tell me you're lonely?

Don't say for you that the sun don't shine

Let me take you by the hand

And lead you through the streets of London

Show you something to make you change your mind

Have you seen the old man

Outside the seaman's mission

Memory fading with

The medal ribbons that he wears?

In our winter city

The rain cries a little pity

For one more forgotten hero

And a world that doesn't care

So, how can you tell me you're lonely

And say for you that the sun don't shine?

Let me take you by the hand

And lead you through the streets of London

I'll show you something to make you change your mind

Erich Fromme in his book “The Sane Society” wrote, “There is not much love to be found in the world of today. There is a superficial friendliness that rather conceals a distance and indifference, a subtle mistrust.” Psychologist Karen Horney wrote, “The average individual today, even when they have many contacts with others and are happily married nevertheless feel comparatively emotionally isolated. They are hungering for a great deal of affection and yet find great difficulty in obtaining it.”

Can the church fill this gap? Is there a Christian community spirit today? 

Some years ago my church the Charis Methodist Church started a Activity Centre for Elders together with the Methodist Welfare Society, MWS-Charis ACE. At a neighbourhood of high rise apartments, we established this centre on the ground floor of one of the blocks. We had three objectives in 3 phases:

• Phase 1: Growing Old Gracefully. We invited the elderly in the community to join us at our centre and participate in the activities organised from 9 a.m to 5 p.m, Mondays thru Fridays. Until then they were mostly alone in their apartments whilst their children are out working and the grandchildren in school. Today we have about 200 members with different 80 members attending the centre daily. They are interacting with each other, exercising, playing board games, singing Karaoke, playing Ukelele, having happy hours celebrating their birthdays. Excursions to various attractions and shopping centres are organised. 

• Phase 2: Growing Old Healthily. The staff from the local hospitals and the Healthy Promotion Board gave lectures on health issues of the elderly. They started to monitor their blood pressures and weight. Everyone is given a annual health screening. Supervised exercise classes are held three mornings a week. A nurse will visit the centre for consultations if required. Each member takes personal responsibility over personal health

• Phase 3: Growing Old, Reaching Out. Under supervision by the Health agency, Agency for Integrated Care (AIC), the centre started reaching out to elderly sick who may be less mobile. Staff and members are trained in Health Befriender Programmes and given a list of elderly people in the neighbourhood to visit and inquire into their health issues. This phase attempts to empower the capable elders to reach out to their neighbours by telephone communications or home visits

This engagement is how love and community is expressed by the church written in the Bible as Koinonia. As we worship God in a vertical relationship, we also establish fellowship with others in a horizontal relationships. We can then face future challenges undaunted, the elderly will grow old together gracefully as:

A Sharing People

Firstly, Koinonia describes a people whose relationships with one another are so deep that they share many things in common. It embraces the concept of joint participation, sharing together, caring of one another. The Bible describes this phenomenon like a living body with all the different parts gelled in unity.

A Generous People
Secondly, Koinonia means a generous community. It is interesting that the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians used the same word for the offering he was raising from the Greek churches in aid of their fellow Christians in impoverished Judea. The church is a fellowship of people who exhibit the principle of generosity. We should give freely as we see the needs of others within and without the church.

A Engaged People
Thirdly Koinonia carries the principle of Engagement; of Total Commitment. We are not afraid to live lives of interdependence with one another. Engagement goes beyond just church members or Christians but to the community and society at large. We are true neighbours, brothers and sisters. We are comrades, sharing our joys and pains. We are united by common experiences, interests and goals. We are God’s Lively People

The Bible states 

'And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching.' Hebrews 10:24-25

The apostle Peter wrote, 

“Love each other deeply, because love will cause many sins to be forgiven. Open your homes to each other, without complaining. Each of you has a gift to use to serve others. Be good servants of God’s various gifts of grace.” 1 Pet 4:8-10.

That main objective of the Methodist Welfare Society - Charis Methodist Church Activity Centre for Elders is to 'Reach Out and Touch Somebody's Hand.'

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can

Take a little time out your busy day

To give encouragement

To someone who's lost the way (Just try)

Or would I be talking to a stone

If I asked you

To share a problem that's not your own (Oh no)

We can change things if we start giving

Why don't you

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can

If you see an old friend on the street

And he's down

Remember his shoes could fit your feet (Just try)

Try a little kindness and you'll see

It's something that comes

Very naturally (Oh yeah)

We can change things if we start giving

Why don't you (Why don't you)

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand

Reach out and touch (reach out)

Somebody's hand

Make this world a better place

If you can

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand (touch somebody's hand)

Make this world a better place

If you can (why don't you)

Reach out and touch

Somebody's hand (somebody's hand)

Make this world a better place

If you can

Lionel