Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

Words: Charles Wesley, 1739.
Music: “Mendelssohn,” Felix Mendelssohn, 1840

Hark! The herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!

Christ, by highest heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the newborn King!

Prayer
Lord, may the words of the carols strike the chords of the hearts of seekers,
light up hearts that have turned cold
re-energize tired spirits and
bring warmth in an unkind world.
In Christ, most precious Name
Amen

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation;
O sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God, all glory in the highest;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to Thee be glory given;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Prayer
Lord, we sing this song, with lungs bursting with our praises and adoration for You as we celebrate your birth. In Jesus Name, Amen!

O Holy Night

Words : Placide Clappeau, 1847
English translation: John Sullivan Dwight (1812-1893).
Music : Adolphe C. Adam (1803-1856)

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!



Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, may we fall down on our knees with hearts full of gratitude for on this night, more than 2000 years ago, You came as a babe in a manger, with a mission to lay down your life for sinners such as us that we might be reconciled to God, our Father. By your sacrifice on the cross, we now have hope where there was none,
Show love where there used to be selfishness
Enjoy peace and serenity where there used to be hostility
Thank you, good Lord.


Have peace instead of animosityhere used to

Joy to the World

Words: Isaac Watts, The Psalms of David, 1719.
Music: “Antioch,” arranged by Lowell Mason, 1836

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Prayer
Lord, let the praises of thy people fill the earth this Christmas. May the joy of thy birth bring a new meaning in our lives.

All to Jesus, I surrender

Words by Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896
Music by Winfield S. Weeden, 1896

Judson had been seeking God's guidance whether to pursue art or to go into full time ministry. God confirmed that he should serve Him and the outcome of his decision was the composition of this hymn and for the composer, the discovery of a talent, hitherto, unknown.

When we put God first, his blessings come, one after another. We'll be amazed and overwhelmed by His goodness and generosity. And yet, we ought not to, for if He can give us the one closest to His heart - His Son, Jesus Christ, what else is there to withhold Him?

May we mean the words of this hymn when we sing it this Christmas season.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

A Prayer

The Lord loves those who are humble
The proud He abhors
The Lord loves those who do good
He hates those who do evil
The Lord loves those who show compassion
For He is a compassionate God
The Lord loves those who fear Him
But the self righteous He will reject
Oh Lord, my God
Let your light shine in the hearts
Of your people
That they may know what is true
And what is not
In Jesus most precious Name
Amen

Prayer for Peace

Dear Lord, this coming season
May your light shine into darkened souls
To release violent men from their evil
That they may lay down their arms
To seek armistice
That the land may be healed of bloodshed
That nations may show love and forgiveness
That peace may once again reign
To the glory of thy Name
In Jesus most precious Name
Amen

Prayer for the Church

May revival fall upon your people
May their hearts burn with love
For others perishing without You
May they show love and care
May they bring healing where there is hurt
May they seek forgiveness
Where there are misunderstandings
May they genuinely repent
And seek restitution for their wrongdoing
So that their songs of praise may rise up
To heaven and be a pleasing aroma to You
This I pray
In Christ most precious Name
Amen

Prayer of Guidance

Dear Lord, King of Kings
Lord of Lords
I seek your counsel
Be my guide
That I may not stumble
Establish my tent
Grant me sharp spiritual ears
To hear your promptings
That I may not stumble
For time is limited
So I lay down my plans
Guide me as you’ve guided Moses
Every step, every move
Until thy presence shine forth
Where thy servant resides
Now and forever more
Amen and Amen and Amen

Prayer

May this Christmas , see a rich harvest of souls
May they turn out to be faithful followers
Who will spread your grace and love
To the furtherest corners of the earth
Amen

The First Christmas- Visit of the Magi

On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother, Mary, and they bowed down and worshipped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. ( Mt.2:11)

Pix 1 : Christmas at the Curve (left) Christmas at Ikano (pix 2, 3)
In the gospel of Matthew, we have record of the first Christmas when three wise men (Magi) from the East followed the star to the place where the baby Jesus was born and there they knelt down and worshipped him with gold, incense and myrrh.

How does this account speak to us today? Gold is as precious today as it was in the days of Herod. Our money is our gold. Do we tithe as part of our worship to God? There are wonderful testimonies of people who tithed faithfully and experienced God's blessings and faithfulness. It's not easy and I'm still learning.

Is our worship as incense rising up to heaven? Apart from our relationship with God, on a horizontal level, are we a fragrance within our sphere of relationships?

Myrrh speaks of death and hope. Jesus' body was embalmed with myrrh. Why? Because he would rise again on the third day. Do we die to our selves, our ambitions?

Christmas in the real sense is so different from the commercialized one with Christmas sales, Christmas trees, dazzling lights and music and booze.

Christian Apologetics (Part 2)

Mrs. Wong was an old neighbor. Her son is working in Taiwan and her married daughter, Alicia works as an accountant in a developer's firm and visits her on weekends to help her get her groceries. Mrs. Wong lives with her ninety year odd old mother.

She spends her day at home, glued to the square box, only moving when it's time to prepare meals or when nature calls or for grocery shopping. Sadly, her lifestyle reflects many women in their retirement age.

She's a-religion. Although her daughter, Alicia has embraced Buddhism in a big way, she remains non commital. She follows her to the temple, sometimes, though.

I shared several testimonies with her. It's not the first time, I've shared with her. She told me her former colleague had also shared with her.

I pray that through a chain of witnesses, Mrs. Wong will one day become a Christian.

Christian Apologetics

D.... heard the testimony of a Chinese pastor on video. The testimony was very touching and tells of God's providence to a poor student throughout his years of studies abroad. He shares of how through the generosity of fellow Christians, he came to know a God who is real, who cares, who answers prayers and who can be trusted. After his graduation, he went into full time ministry.

I cut out the sermon by Dr. Billy Graham relating to Christian families. Instead, I shared of God's faithfulness to me.

D.... has been exposed to a church wedding when he attended the wedding of his sister in law's sister. His excuse is that he is a Buddhist and he gets drunk sometimes.

The devil's ploy is often that all religions are the same and that "oh, I'm not good enough to be a Christian."

How to defend the issue of "all religions are the same." Use an analogy that your listener can relate to. For my Chinese students in China, I would tell them :
"There are many ways to go to Beijing - by train, air, bus, on foot etc. But there is
only ONE way to heaven. And it is not by being a good person, obeying your parents, abiding by party rules etc, etc. Although such things are good, by themselves if they are within the law, they cannot solve the SIN issue. Jesus, by his death on the cross serves as a BRIDGE between GOD and MAN. When you accept Jesus as LORD and SAVIOR, you bridge the gap between yourself and GOD. He solves your sin issue because your sins are forgiven.

Other religions provides rules. Christianity asks ONLY that you BELIEVE that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried and rose again. Once you confess that and invite JESUS to be your LORD and SAVIOR, you have eternal life and your sins are forgiven- as simple as all that. And your place in heaven is guaranteed. In other religions, you can work till doomsday and still WILL NOT be able to fulfill your tasks because sinning is in our nature.

How to defend the issue of "I'm not good enough to be a Christian."
You don't become good to be a Christian. It's the other way round. As Jesus said, I come for the sinners. Once you believe in Jesus Christ, something wonderful takes place within your heart and spirit and by God's enabling, you will desire to do good because you love HIM.

A Faulty Remote

The Rusty Coil (Pix 1) Remote Control (Pix 2)
Liu Po (ur) returned my call. She’s unable to make it for the breakfast video. What a waste, I thought. I’ve got three videos and no one to show it to. I had invited my nephew, David but he shied off when he heard about the video. But surprise, surprise!!! My neighbors whom I had also invited and requested to RSVP by Tuesday, called on Wednesday evening. Beyonce is coming with a friend.

I’ve previewed the English video. The testimony is powerful. If I use it, I would need to cut off the songs. I’ve also seen the Chinese version. It is good too. Which to choose, that’s the problem. If I choose the Chinese video, I don’t have to bother with using the remote but if I choose the English video, I would need to select the shorter version and to fast forward and I'm unable to do it because the remote control is not functioning since the battery had leaked causing a rusty spring. The machine doesn't make allowance for manual function. Nevertheless, I would still need to get a new remote that works on my video.

What kind of dinner should I prepare for my guests? The choice is between Italian and Chinese. I don’t trust my oven, yet I’m inclined towards Italian. We’ll just have to see this coming Sunday.

Lord, may your Holy Spirit touch the hearts of those watching the video.
In Christ's Name
Amen

How does God speak to his people today?

I took Scripture as an examination subject for my Senior Cambridge. Sister Anne told us "the days of Acts are over." She continued by explaining that Jesus does not need to prove His Godhead anymore through miracles like what was recorded in the Book of Acts. (In the Book of Acts, believers spoke in foreign tongues, the blind could see, the lame could walk, miraculous healings took place and God spoke to his apostles audibly, He gave them dreams and visions as He did in the Old Testament.

The Days of Acts are definitely not over! God continues to work in ways that cannot be explained by human logic. How would you expect a man who has a successful business as a medium to be converted? Mediums use sorcery and have the help of foreign spirits and this comes from the mouth of that very medium. But when he came under the power of God, he gave up his lucrative business to follow Christ.

What about the hardcore drug addicts? They have no control over their lives. They would sell their mother for a shot of the drug. They may have gone from one therapy to another but with dismal failure. But one touch of God's love and "walla," the chains of addiction are broken. To see their transformed lives is to see God's power at work. You may see some of these former drug addicts in Christian drug rehabilitation centers.

God used a young Christian boy to witness to the dreaded Botak Chin, leader of a notorious gang that went on a spate of heinous crimes. Botak Chin accepted the Lord before he was hanged.

A young lady was crossing the road at the pedestrian crossing when she was knocked down by a driver who disobeyed traffic rules. She died without hearing the good news that GOD gave us a gift in the form of Jesus Christ who showed His love for us by being punished for our sins so that we can be saved for eternity. That young lady never had the chance to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. We can leave a lot to chance, but death is certain. Are you ready to meet the Savior should death sneak upon you? If not, you should give considerable thought to what follows after death. Only Christians escape judgement by virtue of their faith in Jesus Christ and they have a pass to Heaven.

A Sinner's Prayer

Lord, this hour I need to feel
Your touch
To know that you're close by
To be reassured that you've not forsaken me

For if you have
Then there's no point in living
For without you, I'll be careening downhill
Like a car that's out of control

So, Lord please reveal yourself
Intervene into my situation
Set the record right
As much for my sake as well as yours
In Jesus' Name
Amen

…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Ro 10:17, NIV)

I have issued an invitation to Liu Po(ur) and her friends to my place to watch an evangelistic program. They can only come if their employer gives the nod of approval. They begin work at eleven in the morning and I promised to take them to and fro from my place so that they would not be late for work. I’m yet to receive any confirmation.

Meanwhile, I’ve worked out my menu. I was weighing between a local breakfast and a Shenyang breakfast. A local breakfast might not go down well with their taste. A Shenyang breakfast, on the other hand, would arouse nostalgic feeling of home but my Shenyang pancake might not be to their standard. The Shenyang bing is a kind of savory pancake much like roti chanai. I decided the latter was too much of a hassle.

Soya bean curd would be closer to home. In mainland China, it is not eaten sweet but savory. This combined with our local yong tou fu would be acceptable to their appetites, I hope.

We will finish off with fruits and Chinese tea. I’ve got high grade Chinese tea and my Chinese students who come here to study always complain that fruits here are expensive. I can’t argue with them on that point. I’ll have papaya, banana and pineapple.

I came up with a hitch because my VCD player could not play the DVD record. I sent it to the photo studio shop to make a copy but they couldn’t convert the DVD to a CD. Finally, I was forced to open up the box which contains my Philips DVD player from China. I tried connecting the cords but in the first few attempts, I only managed to get the audio going. After much fiddling, I actually succeeded in connecting it. Considering, I’m such a dunce with machines, it has to be the help of the Holy Spirit.

The next step is to translate my testimony into Chinese and to start rehearsing. It’s a big step since I’m out of touch with Mandarin but I’m hopeful. Thanks, LORD for this opportunity. Pray you open the way for them to come.

…faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ. (Ro 10:17, NIV)

Shi Xue on the left and Feng Jing on the right, at my apartment, 1998

I first met Shi Xue through Feng Jing, my study partner. The latter was my huxiangbangzhu. The term means mutual help. I helped her improve her English language and she helped me with my Mandarin. Soon all three of us became more than language partners. We became friends. We went shopping together, visited musuems and I even visited Shi Xue’s place. That’s quite something at that time because the atmosphere was still pregnant with mistrust and suspicion of foreigners and a bad report from neighbors could land her in serious trouble.

She’s a medical doctor as well as an inspector of hospitals – a very influential position. She shared that some parents would kneel before doctors to beg for the lives of their sick child. Remember the one child policy. Shi Xue never joined us for church. She was afraid she would be spotted by someone from the hospital.
She once told me that she found a group of cleaners in her hospital, reading the Bible and praying. “They looked so happy,” she said with nostalgia in her voice and eyes.

We kept in touch after I left the college and she told me once she was ready to become a believer. I wonder if she has. Surely, there is less restriction today than there was way back in 1998. P/S Feng Jing was baptized in the year 1999.

Lord, this coming Christmas
As the gospel is being proclaimed
Pray that it will touch those seeking
For the true meaning of life
For those who have fallen away
May their faith in You once again be restored
Unto your glory
Lord, I pray that the faith of your people
Will be solidly built upon your Word
So that their faith remains strong
Despite the winds of adversity
The cruelty of the wicked
Or the twisted distortions of evil lips

"...and they will call him Immanuel - which means, God with us."(Mt:1:23, NIV)

Christmas is an occasion for celebration for on this day, two thousand years ago, God gave mankind a gift in the form of a Savior born in Bethlehem. He grew up to become the greatest Teacher, the greatest Preacher and the greatest Story teller. He dared to challenge the religious authorities of his day on the teachings of Scripture.

How was it possible for a man with little or no formal education to do that? The answer is obvious. He is the author of the Bible. It was He who gave the commandments to liberate mankind and help them live an obedient life. The religious authorities, on the other hand, had imposed multiple man-made rules upon God’s commandments which made religion rigid and obedience to its rules, stifling and burdensome.

The message of Christmas is clear and simple. The Savior of the world came in the form of man. He lived among men, experienced human weaknesses yet did NOT sin. His ultimate love for mankind was demonstrated when he died on the cross for OUR sins. If you believe the Christmas message, say this prayer in all sincerity:

Dear Jesus
I confess that I am sinner
Please forgive me
Thank you that you died on the Cross
For my sins
That you were buried and that
You rose again on the third day
I accept you as my Lord and Savior
May your Holy Spirit be my guide
To help me to be obedient
To your teachings
From this day forth
In Jesus Name
Amen

Congratulations! You now belong to the family of God. In order to grow in your faith, your next step is to join a Bible based church in your locality, read the Bible and pray daily.

...for I am the LORD who healeth you. (Ex:15:26)

Throughout my spiritual journey, the LORD has been good and faithful. When I was in my mid thirties, I began to suffer a dull, sour ache around my neck region. It was so bad that my head was always bowing down. I thought I would never see the end of the year.

I saw several general practitioners who prescribed nothing more than painkillers. Finally, by the grace of God somebody suggested that I visit the orthopaedic surgeon which I did. He took an X-ray of my neck region with me carrying two heavy pails. The X-ray showed dark regions around my neck region. The dark regions was the outcome of an old injury. I was involved in an accident when the bus I was on collided with a timber lorry. The impact was so powerful, my upper body lurched forward. This took place in my early twenties. And throughout those years, I often suffered from a dull ache which was tolerable until this outburst. The doctor explained that the old injury had compounded making my neck muscles unable to support my skull.

I was put on a three days per week treatment of traction and physiotherapy for several weeks. The relief, however, was momentary. The moment the treatment ended, the miserable pain returned.

Finally, someone took me to a healing service. When I was prayed over, I felt a warm rushing sensation over the afflicted area. It was like the sensation of rushing water massaging my neck. I remember closing my eyes to take in the sensation. Although there was no change in my situation, I knew that the LORD had touched me. Several days later, during my Bible reading, I saw a passage in the Old Testament about rushing water. It immediately confirmed what my spirit already knew- that the LORD had healed me. Blessed be His holy Name!