God's Medicine Bottle

[Source: This article by Rev Dr Kong Hee is sourced, with acknowledgement and full credits to City Harvest Church, from City Harvest Church's Daily Devotion of October 4, 2005.]

"For they are life to those who find them, and health to all their flesh." Proverbs 4:22 (NKJV)

Proverbs 4 gives us God's prescription for healing and good health. The word "health" (4:22) literally means medicine. God is Jehovah Rapha -- the Lord who heals -- and He has a divine medicine that can cure all diseases. This divine healing comes by the power of the Word of God: "He sent His word and healed them" (Ps. 107:20). God's Word produces physical healing. Whenever a doctor prescribes medicine, he expects his medication to be taken regularly and according to the directions. The same is true with God's "medicine" in Proverbs. The directions are "on the bottle" and no cure is guaranteed if you do not follow it. 

Photo by pina messina on Unsplash

Proverbs 4:20-22 outlines four steps in receiving the healing power of God's Word:

(1) "Give attention to my words" (4:20a).

So often, we read God's Word with divided attention. Our minds are so preoccupied by the "cares of this world" (Matt. 13:22), that it causes the Word of God to become unfruitful. For God's Word to produce the healing effects in our bodies, we must shut out the things of the world and give our complete attention to God.

(2) "Incline your ear to my sayings" (4:20b)

  

An inclined ear implies an attitude of spiritual hunger, humility and teachability. Stubbornness and unbelief limits the effects of God's Word in our lives. Jesus warned us against traditions of men that make God's commandments of no effect. Traditional religious ideas, prejudices and preconceptions often stop miracles from happening. Therefore, always stay open and hungry to the Word of God.

(3) "Do not let them depart from your eyes" (4:21a)

To receive the benefits of physical healing promised in God's Word, it is necessary to keep both eyes totally fixed on the promises. A double-minded Christian will receive no miracle from the Lord (James 1:7-8). Do not be overly concerned by the symptoms of the sickness. Instead focus on His Word with unwavering faith.

(4) "Keep them in the midst of your heart" (4:21b)

The heart is the inward center of the human personality. Our heart controls the whole course of our lives and all that we experience (4:23). As such, if we allow the Word of God to enter our spirit regularly through our ears and eyes, it will have the power to effect life to our souls and health to our flesh.

Therefore, give time to the Word of God, because it is "life to those who find [it], and health to all their flesh."

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Click here to learn more about Kong Hee.

  

Holy Spirit: the Seal, the Pledge and the Witness

(The following article is adapted from the preaching of Rev Bobby Chaw at City Harvest Church on 2 November 2019.)

Even though Jesus Christ has ascended to heaven, we are not left as orphans for the Holy Spirit is with us.

As Jesus has said in John 14:15-18 (NKJV), “If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—  the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you" (John 14:15-18 NKJV).

Let the Presence of the Holy Spirit encourages you to keep thanking, praising and worshipping God while believing for the substance, breakthroughs and miracles that you have been praying for. 

Knowing and reminding yourself constantly about the significance of the Holy Spirit in His roles as the Seal, the Pledge and the Witness will certainly go the distance to strengthen your walk of faith in God.  

1) The Seal 

"In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," (Ephesians 1:13 NKJV). 

The seal speaks of security in having the full backing of God as our Mighty Fortress, Deliverer and Avenger. 

For example, we can take heart of God's authority and protection like Psalm 91:1-2, 9-11 (NKJV), "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress;my God, in Him I will trust.”....Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways." 

The seal also signifies ownership; it is like the imprint of a signet ring. As Jesus our Good Shepherd has said, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand" (John 10:27-29 NKJV).

2) The Pledge
 

The Holy Spirit is the guarantee or "the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory." (Ephesians 1:14 NRSV). 

A pledge encompasses a downpayment, an obligation to complete and a sample of what is to come. Our God is faithful and keeps His promises as He watches over His Words to perform it. 

"For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV). 

We can look forward to a new and glorious body with the Holy Spirit as our pledge. "For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NKJV).

3) The Witness 

The Holy Spirit is our witness concerning the things of God. He establishes certainty (truths), gives guidance, helps us to pray and provides assurance.

"For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” It is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God," (Romans 8:15-16 NRSV). 

"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you" (John 14:26 NRSV). 

"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words" (Romans 8:26 NRSV). 

"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God" (Romans 8:14 NKJV). 

"Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2 NKJV). 

Today, the Holy Spirit is still witnessing to us. 

Do you trust in God or riches?

To the people of this world, money and social status is the main thing. So they chase after world goods such as luxury goods, swanky palatial houses and posh cars.

If not careful and deep-rooted enough to adhere to Biblical principles, Christians may covet these worldly trophies of social status, as well. The danger is when we pursue such riches to glorify our success and elevate our independence from God by starting to think that we 'have arrived' in this life.

Our ultimate trust must be fixed on God alone regardless of whether we are rich, poor or somewhere in-between. That's the bottomline. We are richer or poorer depending on our relationship and fellowship with God. The constant refrain for us to address is: "Where is God's place in our daily walk with Him?" 

Oughtn't we allow God to be LORD over all aspects of our lives, which He Himself has given to us in the first place?

Let the Word of God speaks to us and remind us that we ought to trust in God and not in riches so that we can refine our value of what is sacrosanct to God for our own sake.

"But God will break you down forever;

He will take you away and tear you away from your tent,

And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah.

The righteous will see it and fear,

And will [scoffingly] laugh, saying,

“Look, [this is] the man who would not make God his strength [his stronghold and fortress],

But trusted in the abundance of his riches,

Taking refuge in his wealth.”" (Psalm 52:5 - 7; Amp).

""“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."" (Matthew 6:19 - 21; NIV).

We need to be heavenly-minded enough and God-centered enough to trust God and His Word so that we can truly be in this world and yet not of this world.  Riches do not accord us with a permit to do as we please and we must not allow riches to detract us from worshipping God who is all powerful and owns everything.

How Do You Know That God Loves You?

One of the way by which you know that God loves you is when He chastens you. God loves you so much that He doesn't want you to stay the same. He will prune you like a gardener and mould you like a potter.

Chastening is never pleasant and not easy to embrace. To survive chastening, you need to begin with the end in mind; to see yourself a son or daughter who brings honour and glory to the household of God.

Chastening is not the wrath of God. It a process of divine discipline or training of the LORD. “Discipline” means the whole training and education of children stemming from the Father's love and correction. 

Forms of chastening may include trials, affliction, agony and anguish. The following are 4 examples from the Holy Bible: 

1) King David - retributive (punishment).

2) Job - corrective training (refining) when his pride was tested. "But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10 NKJV). Gold is not afraid of the fire. 

3) Abraham - educative (be a man; you are My prophet) 

4) Paul -preventative (preservation) as the thorn in his flesh kept him from pride and kept him to depend on God.

Thus are the sons of of God who do not despise chastening nor become discouraged in the face of chastening and learn to submit themselves cheerfully to the process of chastening which works out a glorious good in and through them.

Joshua's encountered with the Commander of the army of the LORD is instructive. 

"And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, a Man stood opposite him with His sword drawn in His hand. And Joshua went to Him and said to Him, “Are You for us or for our adversaries?” So He said, “No, but as Commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said to Him, “What does my Lord say to His servant?” Then the Commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take your sandal off your foot, for the place where you stand is holy.” And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13-15 NKJV). 

The preincarnate Christ who appeared to Joshua was neither for Joshua nor for his enemy. He has not come to take side, but to take over and take charge of the army of the LORD.

When Christians (parent and children; husband and wife; cell group leader and members; pastor and leaders; employer and employee) have disagreement, the reflex action is to ask God to take side. But, what is needed is for us to submit and follow the leading of the LORD Himself. It is about His Personal Presence and Powerful Provision.

And, what is the purpose of chastening? That we might be partakers of His holiness and enjoy the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

"And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: 

“My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; For whom the Lord loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.” 

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. 

Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness. 

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:50-11 NKJV).

As true sons and daughters of God we can expect chastening (personalised son-training or daughter-training) which produces perseverance, character and hope in the Holy Spirit within us (Romans 5:3-5).

This article is adapted from what Rev. Choong Tsih-Ming has shared at City Harvest Church (CHC) 5 pm service on 9 March 2019. He is very excited as this year CHC will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary as a church and noted that the 30th year is the year when children crossover to adulthood in Jewish culture and that Jesus Himself launched His ministry on His 30th year.

Fresh Perspective and Insights on Communion with God

Pastor Bill Johnson was in City Harvest Church recently and the following are the sermons which he had shared for your edification.

Click here for Be Transformed by the Renewing of Your Mind

Click here for Valuing The Presence of God

Click here for Why and How to Have Communion 

Right Perspective of Success in Life

In the realm of nationhood, nationalists would boast about the prowess of their country's influence and standing. On the homefront, parents take pride in their children while grandparents are goo-goo, gaa-gaa-ing about their grandchildren. 

At institution of learning, students make their mark in the academic, sports and social-cultural-and-political arenas. On the workfront, individuals and companies bask in their performance and economic success.

Where is God in the scheme of our works? Lest we forget, we do well to remember to include and honour God as part of the the equation of our being and becoming.

Thankfully, we have the Word of God to help us keep a right perspective of what true success in life constitute.

Consider Jeremiah 9:23-24 (NKJV) with the clarion call of how God sees true success in the way we live our life:-

"Thus says the Lord:

“Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom,
Let not the mighty man glory in his might,
Nor let the rich man glory in his riches;
But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the Lord."

As further expounded by the Amplified Bible,

"Thus says the Lord, “Let not the one who is wise and skillful boast in his insight; let not the one who is mighty and powerful boast in his strength; let not the one who is rich boast in his [temporal satisfactions and earthly] abundance; but let the one who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows Me [and acknowledges Me and honors Me as God and recognizes without any doubt], that I am the Lord who practices lovingkindness, justice and righteousness on the earth, for in these things I delight,” says the Lord."

Truly, the reverential fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. When we give due honour to God, He is delighted with us. What more do we need, when God is pleased with us?