by Pastor Daniel Yaw

Introduction
Receiving a call from a stranger is no longer a rare thing.  It is so common that once you hear it on your phone, you could almost discern that it is a scam call.  The person on the line (if it is a person and not a voice recording) will sound stern.  I just had that again a few days ago, so I know it is a scam.  It is also clear that they prey on the fear of the possible victim. 
Fear is a real feeling in all of us, Christian and non-alike.  Certain things trigger in us when fear is employed, and we will immediately respond to remove that fear, leaving many actually fall into the scammer’s trick.
What about this fear in our Christian life?
In Hebrews 12:28, it says, "Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe." 
The book of Hebrews continually brings this contrast and comparison of Jesus and the past, the old and new covenant, with the knowledge that in Jesus, it is always better.  Then there is also this contrasting theme of fear and faith. 
The opposite of faith is actually fear.  We need more faith because we fear that our faith will be disappointed.  Well, that is natural if we do not know the object of our faith.
Faith in our "awesome God," as mentioned in Hebrews 12:29, removes all fear.
 
Fear
Reading these few verses, the first thing that stands out is a warning. It is a warning for those who refuse to hear or listen to the Lord.  The example given earlier is the example of Esau, who refused to listen to the Lord, with the consequence of God's judgment upon his life.  Later on, in the example of Moses that when the people refused to listen to the Lord, they did not escape the judgment of God.
Fear, though we frown upon it, is something viewed as undesirable, but it has a beneficial element in it.  The fear of being judged by God is sometimes a "good" motivation to live a life pleasing to the Lord.  Fear of death keeps us living.  Fear of failure keeps us striving.  Fear of danger keeps us safe.  While it is a warning, that fear keeps us faithful.  When there is no fear in this perspective, it can be dangerous. 
 
Faith
The next element is faith - faith in our awesome God.  God will shake the "shakeable", that which was created, that which is temporal.  Our life on earth is all temporal.  The past month, we have seen some of our brothers and sisters take to glory.  It may be sad, but the sadness is temporal.  There is hope because there is faith in the promises of God.  Only the kingdom of God and His promises are eternal, and those are unshakeable.  Our faith must lie in the unshakeable.  God will shake yet another time.  There will be shaking as in the past - the flood, the exiles, and finally the tribulations.  Whatever it takes, our world may be shaken, but our faith in God in his eternal kingdom will not and must not.
 
Conclusion
"Therefore, let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe."   Yes, in “reverence,” or rather, the literal word is the word “in fear” and awe.  That is what our journey of faith is about.  A holy fear and a rightful faith.
 

by Rev Daniel Yaw


Introduction
 
"But you have come to Mount Zion and the city of the living God."  (Heb 12 22)
 
When we think of mountains, we normally have a negative idea of them.  Mountain of problems, mountain of trials, mountain of testing, and mountains that must be removed.  While that is true, we realized that there is also a good mountain, a mountain of refuge that we can run to.
The book of Hebrews is about comparing the old and the new.  The greater in Christ and the lesser by the law.
Today, I am led to think of the placement God has put me in.  My joy indeed is not of this world, but to whom I belong and to where I am destined to go.  I know that we all go through times we wish we could avoid.  However, understanding where we are, who we belong to makes a difference.  The case of two mountains is a message as to which mountain I am on.
 
The Mount of Sinai
 
I thought of three characteristics of this mountain. 
 
It is a Temporary Place:  It is here on earth for the time when God would appear to Israel and bring to them the law.  It is only to prepare the people to embrace the salvation and grace of God.  It will fade away.  The law was to prepare their hearts to receive the coming Messiah, that with the realization of man’s sin, we come with a need for forgiveness only found in Jesus and his grace alone.  Likewise, many things that are promised in the future tell me that troubles here are only temporary.
 
 
It is a Terrifying Place:  Even Moses, the most "holy" of the lot, said that he trembled at that place.  It was a place that the people were fearful to hear from the holy God for fear that they would die.  It was not a pleasant place indeed.
 
It was a "Touch-me-not" Place:  The people will not go near that place.  It is unapproachable.  Even a beast, upon touching it, will be stoned.
Then there is the Mount of Zion
 
The Mount of Zion
 
Mount Zion is characterized differently in three ways as well as I thought about it.  There may be more but focussing on these three brings comfort and arouses faith.
 
The Gathering of the Angels - It is a festive place filled with joy, not fear.  It is a place of safety, not danger.  It is a place of celebration because of the goodness therein.  It is sheer GLORY!
 
The Gathering of Saints -  It is a gathering of the saints who were redeemed by God.  We who believed and by faith are His firstborn enrolled in heaven.  Our names are written in the book of life forever.  It is a note of GRACE!
 
Thus, the Grace of God ever present:  It is a place that reminds us that our security lies in the grace of God shown to us - the gift of God that is irrevocable.  Romans 11:29 says, "For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable."  The great news is that we belong to Mount Zion.  We are saved and welcome to this mount merely by the free grace of God and not by our works.
 
Conclusion
 
Let us then look at the right mountain.  Mount Sinai may come before your eyes often, but bring in Mount Zion that will last forever.  Let us walk faithfully with our God.

 

by Pastor Daniel Yaw

Introduction
This month of May is a month of remembering.  We remember mothers in May, being Mother’s Day.  We are also celebrating Hokkien Fellowship’s 15th anniversary this year.  Looking at Deuteronomy 8:2, the Bible says, “And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you.”
I was watching a video clip where two people were talking to each other.  One of them could not quite remember the past.  The other said to him, “You have to move on forward.” To that, he replied, “How can I move on if I cannot remember?”.  Therefore, remembering is a good thing.  It helps us to know how to steer our move forward in the right way.  Let us think about the subject of remembering.
 
The Motivation of Remembering
 
When Moses spoke those words, he reminded them of God’s working in their lives and exhorted them to constantly remember.  Remembering becomes the motivation for us to live our lives.  The motivation lies in the way that we look at the past, remember it, because we will see how the Lord has worked and been faithful.  We therefore remember what the Lord has done in our lives.
If God had done it in the past, he could do it again.  Look at the things we have done or accomplished – and because it was successful, we will have the confidence to do it again.  In the same way, we know what God has done in our lives, and thus, it motivates us to move forward with the presence of God.
Many times, our failure to remember causes us to doubt, and we have our struggles with God.  Life was trying in the wilderness for the people of Israel.  Therefore, Moses exhorted them to remember how the Lord had led them through those years of struggle in the wilderness.  It is in remembering, they could continue to trust God.
 
The Momentum of Remembering
 
And then remembering will push us forward.  As mentioned above, it gives us confidence and it makes us move!  I thought of God’s faithfulness in my life, in my family, and all these years of service; he had never failed to provide for all our needs.  I am confident in God as my provider.  Never a day did I experience a lack in my life struggles? Yes, but never lacking.   Will God continue to take care of me and my family?  Surely, He will!  as He had!  So, in the face of uncertainty, in the face of troubles, in the face of sickness, I know that my LORD will lead me “the whole way”.
When we remember the graciousness of our mothers, we have the momentum to carry on life despite its challenges.  When we remember the goodness of God in the Hokkien fellowship, those serving serve with joy.  When we learn to remember the mercies of God, we learn to move forward because God promises to be with us.
 
The Mindset of Remembering
 
The LORD told us to remember “the whole way THE LORD HAS LED YOU”.  The mindset, meaning the right way of remembering, is to remember the ways of God.  Sadly, sometimes in my life, I choose to remember the wrong things – the injustice, the hurt, the betrayal, the disappointments in life.  The result is a stagnation or even a regression in my life.  Then the LORD led me to think that even in those experiences of life, I can see the work of God in me.  That is the mindset.  Let us remember how the Lord has led us the whole way. 
 
Conclusion
 
Remembering does not come automatically.  We take the effort to do so.  Remembering the right things is also always more difficult compared to remembering the wrong things.  Let us then remember the things that will help to propel us forward and not pull us backward.  God bless you all.