Lord’s Day, Vol. 2 No. 14
(1) Church Camp 2014 – Jesus is the Joy of Living
Thank God for 38 including 5 children below the age of 12, who have signed up for our first church camp. We have sufficient number of campers to cover the minimum 15 rooms required by the hotel. Traders Hotel in Puteri Habour, Johor Bahru is located just a 15 minutes drive from the Tuas checkpoint. We pray for a time of praise, rejoicing and spiritual feeding on the Word of God. The theme of our camp is, Jesus is the Joy of Living.
If you are minded to attend the camp but have yet to sign up, you are welcome to do so. Closing date for the camp registration is 13 April 2014.
(2) Charity is not puffed up (1 Corinthians 13:4e)
To be puffed up is to be filled with pride and self-conceit, a haughty spirit, lacking in humility and graciousness. It describes an inflated ego and a superiority complex. It is a prideful contempt of others and an air of self-importance that puts down others to elevate oneself. The character of biblical love is without such self-exaltation or arrogance but is in fact filled with lowliness. Charity is not puffed up. The Bible tells us that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5). It is a disposition that gives way to others. It is a mindset that esteems others better than themselves. There is not an air of presumptuous superiority. A sober assessment of the redeemed man is to know his position as a sinner saved by grace. There is nothing he can boast about himself because he has a proper perspective of his own depravity and a holy reverence for his God. The fear of God rules in such a heart so that he has no occasion to feel any good in himself but is brought low in humbleness before his God.
This is a man that has met with God as the prophet Isaiah did. Isaiah said, “Woe is me, for I am undone, I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips”. It is a correct assessment of his fallen estate. He knew that he could not cleanse himself. It was God who cleansed his unclean lips when a coal was brought to touch his lips to purge his sins. There is no righteousness that he could boast of. His ‘righteousness’ was given to him by the mercy of God. Hence, we notice that a true Christian who possesses God’s love is not puffed up. He knows his place. He is no better than his neighbour because he is in need of God’s mercy daily as he wrestles with his own corruption, in this mortal fleshly body.
This is a man who realizes that the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). He is aware that the garment of his redemption is not his own. It was graciously given to him by the sacrifice of his Saviour on the cross at Calvary. He knows that it is by the mercy of God that he is not consumed. He knows that he regularly transgresses God’s commandment and is in constant need of repentance and cleansing and renewal.
He realizes that his abilities and attainments are by the grace of God and therefore dare not boast of any innate superiority. This allows him to be a channel of blessing to direct others to God through Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect example in that he humbled Himself and borne the burden of our sins. The Bible tells us that by His stripes, we are healed. The way of the cross was most excruciating, most cruel. Yet, our Lord bore it all to purchase our redemption. It is all by His mercy and grace that we are made righteous in the sight of God. Therefore, let us with a spirit of humbleness give to our Lord all praise and glory. This love is void of arrogance but is endued with humility. May the Lord grant us this humbleness of heart to the praise of His Name. Amen.
Yours lovingly
Pr Lek Aik Wee