Seek Jesus First

I attended church a few days ago and my favorite pastor preached on seeking Jesus first so that all these things will be added unto you. Not some things, not a few things but ALL these things will be ADDED and not given to you. We should not forget to pray and have quiet time in our pursuit for more financial blessings as we work hard every day to put bread on the table for our families. This verse is taken from Matthew 6:33 which is one of my favorite verses since a student.

God Blesses with More than Enough

Heaven is very rich and My Heavenly Father always blesses with more than enough for his Children. He is not Al Cheapo, but Al Shaddai. He is a God who gives and gives and does not know when to stop. He is a God of Abundance and his children will never have to beg in the streets for they will have enough food, clothing and a shelter over their heads. My God is the creator of the universe, the beginning and the ending. He is Alpha and Omega. And He is the author of my life and the author of the Bible. Therefore, I am thankful to my classmates for introducing my God to me since 1985 and I never looked back.

7 Keys to Building a Character of Gratefulness

I attended church yesterday and the sermon notes are listed here in brief.

The 7 Keys to Building a Character of Gratefulness.

Begin with God.

Count your Benefits/Blessings.

Simplify expectations.

Adopt a forgiving perspective.

Identify your benefactors.

Make time to thank.

Express your thanks clearly and overtly - in words, deeds and gestures.

We are Now Under God's Grace

We are no longer condemn or under the law as in the Old Testament. Since Jesus died, we have been reconciled to our Heavenly Father and are under God's Grace, divine protection and unmerited favor. No longer do we have to work and do right to earn God's favor but just rest on Jesus and depend on His finished work at the cross to bring us to a life of prosperity, health and all the good things in life. We can never depend on ourselves to win God's favor because we are imperfect and have sinned. Life in the Old Testament is hard and depends on keeping the Law but no longer so in the New Testament, which is only a third the thickness of the entire Bible.

Make Friends with Fellow Christians

Last week's sermon on friendship was pertinent and practical. We cannot shun friends altogether and need to have a few close friends that we can share our secrets, problems, etc. We cannot possibly be friends with everyone we meet but we need to be selective in the friends that we keep. For fellow Christians, it is advisable to keep close friendship with other fellow Christians so that when one is down, the other can bring him up. Two heads are better than one anyway. When you have a close friendship with another Christian, it is a 3 person friendship involving the Holy Spirit to seal the bond together. Otherwise, it can be fragile and get fractured easily.

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

Matthew 6:33 states the following: 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God and all these things shall be added unto you'. It does not say that these things shall be taken away from you but instead Added unto you. So whatever you desire like prosperity, health, good success will be added unto you as you seek out God's kingdom. And it does not say some things, a few things but ALL things. The Bible is very precise since God is the author. Hence we should pursue Godly things like worship, attending church service, reading the Bible, singing songs of praise, etc. We should never abandon our spiritual growth and pursuits as we work every day to put food to the table.

Inheritance

A wise man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. - Proverbs 13:22.

For parents with children, they should not think that leaving property or money for their kids is a waste where they should spend it on themselves. A pastor in another church even shared in his sermon that he won't leave any thing for his children. What lame excuse! Well then go read Proverbs 13:22 where it is clearly stated that a WISE man leaves an inheritance for his children's children. Two generations down the road. As parents you should not think that your kids will squander away your wealth. One parent lamented, "Why leave so much for the kids? Let them earn their own money!" This is the general opinion of most middle-class working parents.

Thank goodness, I have also seen some rich parents spending a huge chunk of their money to help their kids start up their own business. Instead of working outside for others, why not work for yourself and keep all the money? The best way to do this is to go into business venture and set up a company. I have seen 2 or 3 clients where the generous father pays to have futsal courts set up for their kids to run and manage. If your kids are poor, when you are old, who is going to take care of you? Think of it as a win-win basis when you leave some money for your kids to spend on as you age.

Prayer and Praise Releases Endorphines

Endorphines are the feel good hormones that are released after you have exercised or laughed. It is known that morphines also has endorphines but the more you consume morphines, the more addicted you become to the drugs and it has bad side effects. However, it has been scientifically shown that praying and praising God our Heavenly Father also releases endorphines and that is why you feel happy afterwards. In the Readers' Digest, it was stated that people who attended church regularly, lived longer by 7 years than their non-church attending counterparts. So, this explains why attending a good church with annointed preaching like Pastor Joseph Prince's New Creation Church in Singapore will make you feel happy, contented and prosperous. Hence, choose a good church that you feel comfortable with.

How to Be Happy

Proverbs 16:20 tells us, "Whoever trusts in the Lord, happy is he." And Psalms 146:5 indicates that happiness comes to those who find their help and hope in God. It says "Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help." The foundation for happiness is a proper relationship with the Lord. But to fully experience that happiness, we must build on that foundation in a practical way. Here are the 10 Rules for Happier Living:

1. Give something away.

2. Do a kindness.

3. Give thanks always.

4. Work with vim and vigor.

5. Visit the elderly and learn from their experience.

6. Look intently into the face of a baby and marvel.

7. Laugh often - it's life lubricant.

8. Pray to know God's way.

9. Plan as though you will live forever - you will.

10. Live as though today is your last day on earth.

- Richard De Haan

Happiness is to know the Saviour,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behaviour,
Happiness is the Lord. - Stanphill

Proverbs Chapter 7

Here is my reading this morning from RSV:

10. And lo, a woman meets him, dressed as a harlot, wily of heart.
11. She is loud and wayward, her feet do not stay at home;
12. now in the street, now in the market, and at every corner she lies in wait.
13. She seizes him and kisses him, and with impudent face she says to him:
14. "I had to offer sacrifices, and today I have paid my vows;
15. so now I have come out to meet you, to seek you eagerly, and I have found you. 16. I have decked my couch with coverings, colored spreads of Egyptian linen;
17. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.
18. Come, let us take our fill of love till morning; let us delight ourselves with love.
19. For my husband is not at home; he has gone on a long journey;
20. he took a bag of money with him; at full moon he will come home."
21. With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him.
22. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast
23. till an arrow pierces its entrails; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.
24. And now, O sons, listen to me, and be attentive to the words of my mouth.
25. Let not your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths;
26. for many a victim has she laid low; yea, all her slain are a mighty host.
27. Her house is the way to Sheol, going down to the chambers of death.

This whole chapter is about avoiding harlots and prostitutes. Therefore, let your wife satisfy you and not other women. Not only do you cheat on your spouse if you visit a brothel but you also lose money and integrity in the process. So, young men, control your raging hormones and don't waste a penny on hookers.