Pulpit To Pew

FROM MY HEART

Let me greet all fathers today a Happy Father’s Day! I am hopeful that this day will bring joy and celebration to each of our families here in church. As a father, I am also thankful for allowing me to preach in just two services today and the afternoon will be a special time for me and my family. In order to enjoy the true meaning of celebrating this day, I think it should be done out of love and not obligation or guilt. I am sure that the pressure to express and the pressure expected is high. It is here that I would like to pour some oil of grace, that the tension to express and expect be done away with.

Let us remember that the heart of any celebration is done from the heart . . . minus the guilt trip. Therefore, let us not pressure others to celebrate the way we do. Let everybody enjoy the freedom on how they will or will not celebrate today. To simplify things, let us all have grateful hearts everyday, Take time today in prayer for your “dad” . . . most of all, take time to worship our Heavenly Father together with all other saints.

Not everyone is blessed to have good memories of their fathers. In fact, others are traumatized when they remember the abuses of their own dad. My suggestion is to give them space to grieve and not pressure them to celebrate. Rather, offer a silent prayer for healing. Let us remember that not all families here in church are complete. Let me encourage you . . . even though you are not complete, you are still a family! And by the grace of God you can still rejoice!

To my fellow dads, if your wife or kids remember you today, humbly give thanks. If they don’t, humbly accept, for there just are things in life which we cannot demand. To the children, find time to pray and somehow give your dad a break today . . .how you express your thanks is your style. And to those who have been so disappointed with their dads, I suggest, bring it to God in prayer so you will not have bitter hearts. Express your grief to the Heavenly Father. He is in charge of transforming . . . not us. If you never had a dad in the flesh, thank God . . . in church, God gave us a lot of “dads”.

“Pray like this…..Our Father….” Matthew 6:9

HAPPY NO PRESSURE FATHER’S DAY TO ALL!!

Prayerfully,
REV. ARNEL TAN

Brokenness In the Life of Naomi - Part2

Rejection is not easy, we have too much pride, too much of us, that’s why we are hurt so badly. Lord why are you doing this to me and Lord why now? And even though our future is in Your hand it is hard to be broken still. Naomi felt that way. Wherever she went she felt a corner and there’s nowhere to go. God was hamming her in, what does God want? Certainly He wants our attention. It is easy to say He has my attention maybe but I think God wants our attention the way He expects the kind of attention from you. Maybe the kind of attention that we’re giving Him is not enough and He wants more and then He breaks us.

Brokenness In the Life of Naomi - Part1

When everything you try to do as good as you can, always ends up with a close door, you try very hard and yet life seems to be against you. There is a day where nothing seems to work or where everything seems to go wrong. Think about those moments and ask what God is up to. What does He want in my life? Why does He allow many things in my life to happen that are negative as far as I can see? What’s the use of endurance in such moments when everything in life seems to be out of step with what I want to do? These are some questions in life when we experience the rock bottom of our life or brokenness.

A Subtle Take Over - Part2

A beginning of subtle take over is a tolerated greed. What is a tolerated greed? I want that, I want it now, I want it right away. It is also a case of unconfronted or unchecked desires, you call it dream, achievement, hard work but deep inside it is greed and there’s this difficult one, the wounded pride. It is no longer the issue of land about Naboth who said to King Ahab “no”. If you are a person who no longer can accept a “no” then you just turn to be a monster even when you are a king. If God can accept a “no” how can you not accept it? Sometimes power, influence and even the things that you have done to others tend to buy their hearts but it should not be, but always give them the freewill to say either yes or no.

A Subtle Take Over - Part1

I have a question for you that you must answer on your own and between God. Is it still an issue for you today to ask the question how did I get this property? How did I own this car? How did I own this house? Or how did I win this woman? Or how did I ever get this position? It’s a scary question because all the while, it will reveal some subtle take over along the way. To be honest it is easy to say to wait for your turn and wait on the Lord but the longer it is the more irritating it becomes.

God's Calling to Samuel - Part 2a

How did God prepare Samuel for the task? How did the purpose of the Lord fulfilled in the call of Samuel? How do you glorify God in your call? What adjustment are you willing to make? Adjustment may mean transfer, resignation, or leaving a good job for a lower one, adjustment means temporary separation for a time.

God's Calling to Samuel - Part 1a

What is your calling? Like Samuel called to ministry as a priest and a prophet, this message may not be only for a full time missionary or full time ministry, not at all but what about if God calls you to be a teacher, God calls you to be a godly police officer, God calls you to be a righteous businessman, God calls you to be a married person, God calls you to a singlehood and a lot of calls. What we want to achieve to this message is to create a desire in our hearts to be sensitive enough to listen and willingly obey to God’s calling.