I awoke one morning with some inspired thoughts. Over the years I have learned to pay attention to these. Sometimes they are suggestions to do something. When I had to preach more often, there had been sermon ideas or outline alignments or fresh perspectives. This time it was to improve the menu at the top header of my blog. It is to make more resources more visible and available to readers.
One is a section of links to blogposts I will write about prayer helps. Most of us struggle with prayer, as I have. Over the years I have tried many things to freshen and deepen my fellowship with the Lord. Some helped a lot. Some didn’t. I want to write about these practical suggestions so that those who want can try them too. If the suggestion leads to life, continue in it. If it does not, stop and move on.
The other section is about preaching. I have read an average of at least two books on preaching per year. It was something I loved doing. I would invariably be excited by some insight I gained or some method or skill I would try out. So I have decided to revisit some of these books I have read, and reflect on what can be gleaned, and reproduce some useful extracts from them. I hope pastors, both experienced and newbies, will be blessed and inspired to freshen their preaching as they read the blogposts. Hopefully, they will go on to buy and read the whole book too.
Do have a look at them by clicking on the relevant buttons in the header banner.
Memorising verses was something I did as a spiritual discipline in the early years of my spiritual growth. I was influenced by the Navigators in the late 1970s and 1980s when the Lord raised this ministry to add a solidity to the growth of the Singapore church during that period.
MEMORISING SCRIPTURES
I recall attending Navigator conferences that packed large halls and practical workshops that motivated us and gave us practical instructions that helped us to grow spiritually. One of these workshops was on memorising scriptures. It fuelled me to buy memory packs and make my own personal store of memory verses. I memorised over a hundred verses.
I read somewhere that Jesus often quoted verses in his preaching and teaching ministry. If I recall correctly there are about 150 different verses that Jesus quoted from the Old Testament, and this is only what had been recorded by the writers of the gospels. What if the unrecorded were included. I figured that if the sinless Son of God needed to keep so much of God’s word in his heart I dare not conceive of living with less.
That season lasted for a few years and continued into my National Service days when I met with two other Navigator trained Christians in the NS Christian Fellowship at Mindef. As iron sharpens iron, so we sharpened each other.
TO SLOW DOWN AND GIVE ATTENTION
Recently, I found the Lord inviting me gently into this spiritual exercise. It started with a difficulty in concentration during my daily scripture reading. The words passed over my mind like birds that swiftly flew by. So I simply began to write down and coloured the verse that caught my attention. I did it deliberately to slow my mind down, to give attention to each word, to allow God to give insights. I found it helpful because it prevented me from merely going through the motion of “having done my quiet time” for the day.
I was going through Psalms after I retired. When I reached Psalm 103 I found that every verse were so meaningful that I decided to slow down and try to memorise and meditate on a verse a day. Then this was followed by Psalms 112. I was surprised at the grace given to me to do this. Prior to this the only psalm I have memorised was Psalms 23. Having done these two psalms, I felt drawn to memorising passages in the epistles that are packed with teaching about Christ’s finished work and new covenant blessings. So now I am “in Christ” and in “heavenly places” in Ephesisan 1.
I do not know how much longer I will continue with this spiritual exercise. As long as it gives me life, I will continue with it. However, the Spirit blows where it wills, and I want to follow where my faithful friend drops markers of nourishment and life.
Maybe reading this stirs in you a prompting or desire to try this. To write down and colour verses to help you slow down when reading scriptures. Or to go further and memorise and meditate and pray scriptures. Whatever you choose to do, let me know in the comment box how it turned out.
The steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon those who fear him.
Racism is a hot topic today all over the Western world and even in multi-racial Singapore. The backdrop of the death of George Floyd and “Black Lives Matter” in the past year, and recent local discussions about racism make this topic something all Christians should be knowledgeable about, so that we can be formed to be effective witnesses in our attitudes, conversations with people and in our online interactions.
I preached this message “RACISM AND THE CHURCH” to my home church (World Revival Prayer Fellowship) on July 2021, and decided to upload it on my BLOGPASTOR channel. It was well received by members because it was a relevant and pertinent topic on social media as well as the national newspaper.
It is a 40 minutes full message, so if you wish to scroll to what interests you, here is a guide: 0:00 Stories of casual racism 6:48Definition of Racism 8:00 Examples of serious racism where lives were lost and the church was an accomplice 14:35 God has a multi-racial dream 16:59 We share a common ancestry 19:22 Research spun off from Human Genome Project throws light on the races 25:25 What went wrong and how it can be made right 31:44Personal action steps we can take.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNuIQIjn4fE&t=2s
I trust that this message has blessed you and you will share it with other Christians so when opportunities arise, Christians can be confident to talk about it and share about God’s multi-racial dream and His love.
If, like me, you had some experience of subtle or casual racism directed at you do share (without being vitriolic) your experiences and how you sorted out the hurts and insults in the comment box below.
POSTSCRIPT: I sent my videos to pastor friends for input, and retired pastor Seng Chor commented that mention of the creation of man in the image of God (Genesis 1:27)should shape our view of how we view people of other races: with respect and graciousness. This certainly is the foundation on which to frame our view of race equality and multi-ethnic relations. Thanks, Seng Chor.
