Power

Power exists in three realms, namely, in heaven, on earth and under the earth.  We are told that God had highly exalted Jesus and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:9-11).

In heaven, power belongs to God and He rules forever by His power (Ps 62:11; 66:7).  By the power of His word, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1).  This is the creative power of God which brings order out of chaos.  By the creative power of the Holy Spirit, Mary was conceived with the holy seed of heaven (Lk 1:35).  We also see this in the ministry of Jesus when he went about healing those who were sick and oppressed by the devil.  He brought wholeness to physical and emotional constitution and restored relationships.  The creative power of God reverses the works of the devil (1 Jn 3:8). 

In hell (or figuratively under the earth), there are principalities and powers which were created by God (Col 1:16).  These are fallen angels who have rebelled against God and followed Lucifer, a former arch-angel in charge of heavenly worship. These demonic hordes are bent on stealing, killing and destroying (Jn 10:10a), or what is known as displaying destructive powers.   They rob people of their wealth and health (like Job), and also seek to turn people away from Christ.  The devil sought to destroy the Jewish nation during the times of Queen Esther and King Herod, to forestall the birth of the Messiah. 

On earth, there are various hierarchies of powers from the political level (government-governed) to the family unit (parents-children).  It behooves those in authority to exercise their power wisely and not use it to take advantage of the weak and downtrodden.  When power gets to one's head, often times we can see it being abused resulting in disastrous consequences.  Even in religious organisations, power can be abused as in the case of Rev Jim Jones of the Peoples Temple in Jonestone, Guyana who brought about a mass killing through cyanide-laced holy communion.  Charismatic personalities can often hold people under their power and charm.  There is always a need to seek spiritual discernment to see whether an intention or action is of God or not.  Mankind, no matter how good they may be, is always subject to the influences of evil in this world.  Peter at one point in his life was confessing Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of the living God.  But the next instance, he was hindering the work of God and had to be rebuked by Jesus (Mt 16:16, 22-23). 

If God has placed you in a position of authority or leadership, pray that you can use your power with discretion to build and not to tear down (2 Cor 13:10).  Seek Him for wisdom in the worship and service of His great name.  The devil is also seeking the worship of people in exchange for the diabolical powers that he can give.  Recognise that we are all under the authority of God (including the devil) and that whatever power that has been granted to us has been delegated. 

Birthdays

Birthdays are supposed joyous occasions for the birthday boy or girl.  Usually he or she would be feted with well wishes and presents; celebrations with food and entertainment are also in order, especially with family and friends.  The Happy Birthday song would usually be sung before the cutting of a cake.  Incidentally, the melody and the lyrics of the song were written in the mid-nineteenth century by the Hill sisters for a classroom greeting with the words, "Good morning to all" until someone changed it to the familiar words which is used universally.  Birthdays can also be celebrated for nations like Singapore which turned 47 recently. 

In the Bible, there are occasions when one's birth is not celebrated or rejoiced over.  Job cursed the day of his birth:
After this, Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. He said: “May the day of my birth perish, and the night that said, ‘A boy is conceived!’ That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.  Job 3:1-4 (NIV)

We can understand why Job did not want to be born.  He had just suffered the greatest calamities of his life, being robbed of his possessions, children and health.  It's like how we sometimes wish the ground would open up and swallow us when we have committed a great mistake to avoid embarrassment.  But Job had it worst.  He may have celebrated his birthdays in the past with family and friends, but when you are really down and out, celebration is out of the question.  When we are no longer looking forward to our birthdays, we need to ask God to turn things around for our good.

Let's look at a New Testament example.  In referring to Judas Iscariot, Jesus said, "The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”  Matt 26:24 (NIV)

The consequences are great for Judas who betrayed his Master.  He caused an innocent person to be killed.  We read that he regretted his actions and committed suicide (Matt 27:3-5).  We could say this also for the wicked monarchs King Ahab and Queen Jezebel; also Aldolf Hitler and all those who take away innocent lives senselessly.  Many are born into this world as innocent babes but with the genetic code to commit sin.  It is through the various influences of life and the choices one makes that predisposes one to a life of crime and brutality.  We can also open our hearts to the influences of the devil when we give him permission to do so by dabbling in the occult or idolatry.  If we recognise our propensity for evil, we need to repent of our sins and ask God for His forgiveness. 

Finally, two instances of joyous birthday celebrations found in the Bible.  One is the birth of Obed the son of Ruth and Boaz, who was the grandfather of king David (Ruth 4:16-17).  His birth took away the shame of barrenness and caused the line of Noami and Elimelech to continue leading to the birth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  And this is the next joyous birth occasion that I want to share:

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.  Lk 2:10-11 (NIV)

The birth of our Saviour is a cause for great celebration because He has come to save the people from their sins.  We are beneficiaries of the finished work of Christ at Calvary's cross.  Not only is the birth of Jesus a cause for rejoicing, likewise the birth of Billy Graham, Bill Bright and all those who have made an impact for God by drawing people closer to Him through Christ.  May you be such a person as we celebrate the birth of a saint (one set apart for God). 

Praying for those in authority

Singapore celebrates her 47th birthday today.  This is a time to remember the nation in payer and there are many things to thank God for.  Here are a few to get you going:
1. God's eyes are on this nation, moulding and transforming Singapore to what she is today.
2. Early political leaders who had the foresight and tenacity to bring about the necessary changes.
3. Protection from all elements that are harmful to Singapore.
4. Peace, progress, stability and harmony in this nation.

Next, let us continue to pray for Singapore.  We have been exhorted by the apostle Paul to pray for all those in authority, in order that we may live peaceable and quiet lives.  At the same time, we have also been exhorted to live as responsible citizens in the land where we live.

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.  1 Tim 2:1-3 (MSG)

Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it's God's order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you're irresponsible to the state, then you're irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you're trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear.  Rom 13:1-3 (MSG)

Let's pray the following:

• Righteousness and justice to be the foundations of the government and judiciary
• God’s wisdom on our cabinet ministers to rule well with a good head & heart
• Parliamentarians to contribute to robust debate that would help steer the nation into her God-given destiny
• Continued peace, progress, harmony  and economic prosperity: different ethnic groups to co-exist and contribute to the success of S'pore
• Freedom to worship God and propagate the gospel of Christ  
• Protection from all harm and danger (both physical and spiritual)
• Christians to be responsible citizens and contribute to the well-being of the nation

HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!