The Cooling Stream

Choose Life

2014-07-15T12:44:00.001+08:00

I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; that you may love the LORD your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the LORD swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” —Deuteronomy 30:19-20

God takes no pleasure in seeing us lost, wandering, searching. He wants us to know His will. He makes it clear and simple. He gives just two choices: “life and good” or “death and evil” (Deuteronomy 30:15). He even says which one to choose: “Choose life”. To choose life is to choose God Himself and obey His Word.

When Moses addressed the Israelites for the last time, he pleaded with them to make the right choice by observing “all the words of this law. . . . Because it is your life” (32:46-47). God’s will for us is life. His Word is life. And the Lord Jesus Christ is the Word.

God gave us a perfect example to follow— the Lord Jesus Christ.

When the Word is our guide and worship is our goal, God will grant us the wisdom to make life-affirming choices.

Let us love and obey God and enjoy life in Him.

Restoring Order

2014-07-08T15:23:00.001+08:00

Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men.

—Titus 3:1-2

Order requires intervention.

It does not happen naturally.

God brought order out of chaos.   He did it when He was creating the nation of Israel (Ex. 7–14).  When God said it was time to bring the Hebrew people out of Egypt, Pharaoh objected.  His nation’s economy depended on the Hebrew workers, so Pharaoh didn’t want to lose them.   To change Pharaoh’s mind, God sent 10 plagues to convince him.  Pharaoh’s magicians were able to duplicate the first two plagues.  But they could not reverse the plagues—any of them.  They could cause chaos, but they could not restore order.  Only God can do that.

With effort, we can bring order to our living spaces. But none of us can bring order out of the emotional and spiritual chaos of our lives.  Only God can do that.  He restores order to chaotic situations when we live as God intended—speaking no evil, being peaceable and gentle, and showing humility to all (Titus 3:2).

Our world and our lives do have much chaos and confusion.

We need God to restore our souls.

May God help us to live as He want us to live— serving Him and loving others.

When we put our problems in God’s hands, He puts His peace in our hearts.

Follow the Father!

2014-06-29T14:50:00.001+08:00

Now the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the former ways of his father David; he did not seek the Baals, but sought the God of his father, and walked in His commandments and not according to the acts of Israel. — 2 Chronicles 17:3-4.

Asa, king of Judah, modeled devotion to God for a season in his life (2 Chron. 14:2).

He removed the idols from his kingdom, restored the altar of the Lord, and led the people into a covenant with God.

Asa’s son Jehoshaphat carried on this legacy by seeking the God of his father and walking in His commandments.

Jehoshaphat purged the land of idol worship and sent out priests and Levites to teach God’s law in all of the cities of Judah.

Jehoshaphat’s reign resembled that of his father.

He faithfully honored Asa’s godly example.

Yet even more important, Jehoshaphat’s heart took delight in the ways of the Lord.

Today, if we are looking for a father to follow, remember our heavenly Father and take delight in His ways.

We honor God’s name when we call Him our Father and live like His Son.

Christ's Gifts for the Church

2014-06-23T19:56:00.001+08:00

For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith. —Ephesians 4:12-13

Christ gives spiritual gifts to the church, the body of Christ. These gifts include:

(a) apostles, who open up new mission territories to the gospel;

(b) prophets, who apply the Word in spiritually compelling ways;

(d) pastors/teachers, who communicate the Word so that believers are built up in their faith.

All the parts of the body are necessary for the body to function properly.

And no one part is better than another.

God gives gifts to His church.

They are giving for the benefits of the body of Christ.

The gifts are given so that Christians will be “perfected” in their faith and move on to maturity.

The effective use of these gifts creates a unity that bears witness to the reality of Christ.

It matters little what title or position we hold in the church.

What is important is that we strengthen the faith of God's people.

It does not matter if we are moved to another role.

It does not matter if we no longer hold a specific title or position.

Out of love for God, we serve to build up fellow believers.

May God use us as His instrument to touch others' lives.

May our lives show others God's grace.

God’s gifts to us are not for us but for others.

Meekness is not Weakness

2014-06-14T11:51:00.001+08:00

Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

Meekness is not weakness.

Meekness is an attitude of humility toward God and gentleness toward men, springing from a recognition that God is in control.

It is strength and courage under control, coupled with kindness.

Meekness is an attitude toward God in which we accept His dealings with us as good, and therefore without disputing or resisting.

We see this in the Lord Jesus Christ who found His delight in doing the will of His Father.

The meekness manifested by the Lord Jesus Christ and commended to the believer is the fruit of power.

The Lord Jesus Christ was meek because He had the infinite resources of God at His command.

He could have called angels from heaven to prevent His crucifixion.

The Lord Jesus Christ told His weary, burdened followers, "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect model of meekness.

As a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:23), meekness is a virtue that should characterize the Christian.

Lord, If You Are Willing

2014-06-10T11:01:00.000+08:00

And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”(Matthew 8:2)

Here we have a leper who didn't hesitant to interrupt Jesus with his needs.

His disease made him desperate.

He had been ostracized from society and was in emotional distress.

He saw the Lord Jesus Christ busy with great multitudes.

But he made his way through the crowd to talk with Him.

He came and worshipped Him.

He approached the Lord Jesus Christ in worship, with trust in His power, and with humility, acknowledging that the choice to help belonged to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean."

In compassion, the Lord Jesus Christ touched him, though he was "untouchable" by the standards of the Jewish law.

The leper was cleansed immediately.

Like the leper, we don't need to hesitate to approach the Lord Jesus Christ with our desire for His help.

Let us go to Him in humility and worship.

Let us have confidence in His power.

Let us trust in Him; He will make the best choices for us.

Let us surrender to His will.

Through Faith in Christ Jesus

2014-04-17T20:13:00.001+08:00

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:26 )

We are sons of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The law is no longer our tutor.

God the Holy Spirit is now our tutor.

He gives us the faith to believe in Christ Jesus.

He tutors us all through our life.

Salvation is from faith to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are all baptized into Christ.

We died together with Him.

We live together with Him.

Our commitment is to put on Christ.

We are one in Christ.

There is now no distinction between the Jewish Christians and the Gentile Christians.

There is now no distinction between the free men and those who are servants or slaves.

There is now no domination of the men over the women.

In Christ Jesus, we are one body.

We are one in Christ.

And we are Abraham's seed.

And we are heirs according to the promise.

All of grace.

Not by the works of the law.

But through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, alone!

No Compromise

2014-04-10T08:34:00.001+08:00

Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed. (Galatians 2:11)

The apostle Peter came to the Gentile Christians in Antioch.

The apostle Paul confronted the apostle Peter because he was to be blamed.

Before certain Jewish Christians came from Jerusalam, he would eat with the Gentile Christians.

But when they came, he withdrew and separated himself.

He feared those who insisted on the rite of circumcision for salvation.

And the rest of the Jewish Christians followed him.

Even Barnabas was led astray with their hypocrisy.

What the apostle Peter did was wrong.

He was not honest about the truth of the Gospel.

He had compromised it with the tradition of men.

By His action, he had led many Christians astray.

Salvation is by grace through faith.

No more and no less.

No compromise and no excuse needed!

What we have to do is to be honest about the Gospel of God,

And we insist on explaining the whole truth of God in love!

The apostle Paul confronted Peter before everyone else.

The apostle Peter had shown favoritism toward the Jewish Christians.

He had separated himself from the Gentile Christians.

He had put a stumbling block before the Gentile Christians.

He had exalted the Jewish Christians.

He had compelled the Gentile Christians to live like the Jewish Christians!

Whether we are Jews or Gentiles, we are all saved by faith in Jesus Christ.

We are saved because we have believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Circumcision is nothing; uncircumcision is nothing.

What counts is a true faith in the living God!

The Jewish Christians was given the Law.

They were commanded to keep the Law.

But history showed us that they had failed miserably!

Whether we are Jews or Gentiles,

We have all failed and fall short of the Glory of God.

By the works of the law no flesh shall be justified!

No! Not one!

Salvation is by grace through faith.

No man-made rule or tradition is needed

Not even the Jewish circumcision!

Paul, an Apostle

2014-04-04T10:16:00.001+08:00

Paul, an apostle (not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised Him from the dead), and all the brethren who are with me,

To the churches of Galatia: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. (Galatians 1:1-5)

The letter to the Galatians was written by Paul.

Paul was an apostle.

The apostles were the early followers of the Lord Jesus Christ who carried the Christian message into the world. They preached the gospel, or the Word of God.

An apostle is not from men nor through man. No man can appoint himself or others as an apostle. Apostleship is a gift of God.

Apostleship is conferred by God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. God the Father had raised the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, and the work of spreading the Word of God was given to the apostles.

The apostle Paul included his brethren in his letter. It is a good practice to emphasise teamwork and unity among Christians.

The letter to the Galatians was a secular letter to the churches in Galatia.

The apostle Paul greeted the Galatian Christians with the grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. All good things come from God, and it is always a good practice to admit our dependence and submission to God.

Galatian 1:3-5 deserves our attention: "our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen".

Grace and peace are given through our Savior Jesus Christ. God the Father sacrificed His Son to save us from the present evil age. The Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself up willingly for our sins. He died for our sins on the cross at Calvary.

Salvation belongs to the LORD. Glory be to God forever and ever. Amen.

The Temple of the Living God

2014-03-28T08:31:00.001+08:00

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1)

In 2 Corinthians 6:16, We are told that we are the temple of the living God. God will dwell in us, and walk among us. He will be our God, and we shall be His people.

We are the dwelling place of God. We are His living temple. God lives and moves among us.

This is serious business. We are to get ourselves ready.

We are to cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit. Nothing stands between us and God. Nothing hinders our relationship with God. Christ has reconciled us with His Father.

Nothing separates us from the love of God. We are to honor God by living a holy and righteous life. We are to live according to the Word of God, and be a light of God to the world and our family and friends.

We are to obey God and fear Him only. We are to keep God's commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

We are to please God and do His biddings.

We are to worship God and God alone. Nothing else matters.

The Lord's Prayer

2014-03-12T20:03:00.001+08:00

Our Father in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

—Matthew 6:9

Words do not have to be many to be meaningful.

The Lord’s Prayer is one of the shortest and most memorable of all Jesus' teachings.

The Lord's Prayer brings help and healing.

It reminds us that :

God is our heavenly Father.

God's power is at work on earth, just as it is in heaven.

God provides food, forgiveness, and fortitude for each day.

All honor and glory belong to Him.

There is nothing in our past, present, and future that is not included in our Lord’s brief words that help and heal.

It is easy to speak many words and give little thought to the things we say.

Let us rather spend more time meditating on God and His words.

Lie Down in Green Pasture

2014-03-09T05:49:00.001+08:00

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;
—Psalm 23:2-3

Sometimes we need to be reminded to lie down.

In Psalm 23, Our Good Shepherd makes us lie down in green pastures and leads us beside the still waters.

God knows that we need calm and rest.

Our bodies need regular rest.

God Himself rested on the 7th day after His work of creation (Gen. 2:2-3; Ex. 20:9-11).

Jesus knew there was a time to minister to the crowds and a time to rest. He instructed His disciples to “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” (Mark 6:31).

When we rest, we refocus and are refreshed.

Rest is a gift.

Rest is a good gift from our Creator who knows exactly what we need.

Praise God that He sometimes makes us lie down in green pastures.

Obey our Pastor

2014-03-08T09:44:00.000+08:00

Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you. — Hebrews 13:17

Pastor makes an easy target for criticism.

Every week he is on display, carefully explaining God’s Word, challenging his people toward Christlike living.

It is easy to overlook all the good things a pastor does, and focus on our personal opinions.

Let's remember that our pastor is not perfect.

Though we must be careful not to follow him blindly, we must only confront his errors through the proper channels.

Our pastor is faithfully presenting God’s truth and modeling servant leadership.

Before God, he is responsible for guiding us spiritually.

We should want him to do his work joyfully and not grievously.

Causing him grief would be of no benefit to the church.

By honoring our pastor we honor God and make things better for our church.

Let's remember: Every pastor needs the support from his people.

God Cares

2014-02-21T15:52:00.000+08:00

Sometimes, we feel as if we can't go on,

We are tired, we are weak, and we are worn,

But God knows our limits better than we do,

And in His Strength we find the enablement to endure.

Sometimes, our lives are overloaded with fears, struggles, and heartaches,

We feel that we are in danger of going under,

In those times, let us remember our Heavenly Father,

He is ready to help us carry our load,

Sometimes, the testings of life can be a burden too heavy to bear,

But we can be assured that God loves us deeply;

He knows our load limits,

He knows... and He is ready to help.

The apostle Peter said, “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7).

Look unto Jesus

2014-02-04T10:29:00.000+08:00

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. —Hebrews 12:2

Salvation is only through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. He had chosen us before the foundation of the world, and He will keep us saved to the end.

Jesus died on the cross to take the punishment for our sins. He died to save us. Jesus died on the cross to satisfy God's justice and reconcile us with God. Jesus died on the cross to prepare for His people the Way.

Jesus died a humiliating and torturous death. Jesus died for the victory of winning souls. Jesus had victory over death and the grave through His resurrection.

We are to look unto the Lord Jesus Christ, all the days of our lives, in peace and in war, in troubles and in trials.

If God is for us, who can be against us?

The Power of the LORD Will Shadow You

2013-12-04T07:40:00.001+08:00

There are times in our lives when a death, a tragedy, or a sudden turn of events eclipses everything else.

It happened to Mary, an unmarried young woman who was told that she would become the mother of the promised Messiah, God’s Son (Luke 1:26-33).

When she asked how this could happen, the angel Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you." —Luke 1:35

Mary's response leaves us in awe: “Let it be to me according to your word" (Luke 1:38).

This Christmas season, as we consider the birth of Jesus into our world, it is worth pondering the word "overshadowed."

It speaks so powerfully of the Lord’s presence in our hearts and His ability to outshine our darkest moments.

To Know and Love God

2013-11-27T05:37:00.001+08:00

There is a special relationship between love and knowledge.

When we love something, we want to know everything about it.

When we love a place, we want to explore every inch of it.

When we love a person, we want to know every detail of his or her life.

But some of us want to be loved without allowing ourselves to be known.

We are afraid that we won’t be loved if we are truly known.

We don’t have to worry about that with God.

God's love is far superior to ours. He loves us in spite of our imperfections: “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” —Rom. 5:8.

Furthermore, God continues to make Himself known to us. Through creation, Scripture, and Christ, God reveals His character and His love.

With God, we need not fear being known. God loves us and He wants to know all about us.

We can tell Him everything. We can safely confess our faults to Him.

To know God is to love Him.

And The Truth Shall Make You Free

2013-11-21T06:09:00.001+08:00

Apostle John recorded a debate between Jesus and a group of people who believed He was making false claims about Himself (John 8).

Jesus told them, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32)."

But they told Him that they had never been in bondage to anyone. They said to Him, “How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?” (John 8:33).

That same debate goes on today.

Those who oppose Jesus seek to discredit His statements and twist them into lies.

But Jesus says, “I am telling you the truth,” and promises to give us a freedom we can find nowhere else.

Are you slaves to your sins? Or are you truly free to serve God?

Jesus is the Mediator between God and man; only Him has the truth to make us free.

How Receptive is the Soil

2013-11-14T20:14:00.001+08:00

Different soil produces different results.

Good soil yields good crop; some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty (Matt. 13:8).

How receptive we are to the Word of God determines the condition of our hearts, our spiritual growth and progress.

Some Christians grow fast and are fruitful; some very slow with no visible growth.

But the truth is Christians always grow, either visibly or invisibly.

The apostle James challenged us to prove the genuineness of our faith by what we do. (James 2: 18)

So “What kind of soil are you?”

Christian Beauty

2013-10-29T19:42:00.000+08:00

Christians should be different!

No matter what they look like on the outside, within them there should be a beauty that reveals God’s love and work in their lives.

In their inner being, Christians delight in God's law. (Romans 7:22)

In their Spirit-controlled mind, Christians enjoy life and peace. (Romans 8:6)

At the ripe time, Christians will produce the fruit of the Spirit, a beautiful array of qualities such as love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness. (Galatians 5:22)

Christians delight in the Scriptures. And the Holy Spirit works in their heart to make them look good on the inside.

Christian beauty comes from the inside.

Comforting Presence

2013-10-20T16:58:00.000+08:00

In times of distress, familiar faces offer strength beyond description. They provide comfort for the deep feelings of loneliness setting in from the loss.

Martha and Mary were surrounded by friends and mourners who comforted them when their brother Lazarus died (John 11:19). Then the One they most longed to see, Jesus, came and wept with them.

In loss of any kind, Jesus always gives His comforting presence. We must do the same.

Often the best comfort is just being there.

Our Foolishnesss

2013-10-14T08:16:00.001+08:00

There is no limit to the foolishness we can get ourselves into. And there is no limit to the damage we can create by our foolishness and the choices it fosters.

David poured out his struggle and complaint to God in Psalm 38. He recounted his own failings and the painful consequences he was enduring because of those failings. He made an insightful comment: “My wounds are foul and festering because of my foolishness” (Psalm 38:5).

The answer for such destructive foolishness is to embrace the wisdom of God. In Psalm 38:15 David said, “In You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord my God.”

Proverbs 9:10 reminds us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Only by allowing God to transform us can we overcome the foolish decisions that cause so much trouble. And with His loving guidance, we can follow the pathway of godly wisdom.

We need God’s wisdom to overcome our foolishness. And we humbly ask God for it.

Today is the Day

2013-09-30T20:27:00.001+08:00

“This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

Today is a very special day.

Today is the day God gives us a new opportunity to praise Him.

Today is the day God provides for our needs and wants.

Today is the day God wants to speak to us through His Word.

Today is the day God desires to renew our inner person.

Today is the day God seeks to bless us.

Today is the day God will do us good!

With God as our guide, every day can be a special day.

Every new day gives us new reasons to praise the Lord.

And today is the day!

Glorifying God

2013-09-08T19:01:00.001+08:00

Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You. (John 17:1)

1. Jesus' death is according to God's plan of salvation.

2. Jesus has glorified His Father with His life.

3. Jesus is asking God His Father to glorify Him in His death.

4. Jesus desires to glorify God His Father with His death.

5. The apostle Paul in Philippians 1: 21 said, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

6. Christian should seek to glorify Jesus Christ with his life and death.

Serving God Faithfully

2013-08-29T17:17:00.000+08:00

The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever. (Psalm 119:160)

Scriptures are God’s Word. All Scriptures are God breathed. All Scriptures are inspired of God. We must never take God's Word lightly. Every Christian should hold God's Word in high regard and regularly spend time reading and meditating on it in order to become more Christ-like.

All God's Word is truth. Don't choose some scriptures to follow and some to disregard. We should hold all Scriptures with the same respect. We must believe God's Word in its entirety. We must read the whole Bible and not just dip in and read what we feel like reading.

God's judgments are righteous. God is just; He rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked. God is fair; He judges each man's work impartially. God is love; He forgives us if we repent and believe in the righteousness of His beloved Son. Christ died for sinners, and won salvation for them!

God’s judgments endure forever. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-caring. God is faithful to His covenants. God is true to His Word. God is faithful even when we are faithless. It is better to serve God and let Him bless us richly. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the House of the Lord than be anywhere else.