3rd Quarter 2011

FIgHT
CPYF Uth Chronicle
T o E n g a g e , E d u c a t e a n d E d i f y

tHE

Contents
Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11

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Editors Note. Know Thyself Knowing Thine Enemy The Christians Art of War Taking the Fight to the Devil Jesus Vs. Satan My Bloo Over 25 YF Speak Reports from Events! Short and Broad

Dear Reader,
Being that I was one of those kids who wanted to grow up to be a soldier, it comes as no surprise that The Fight, which is this issues theme, is one of my favorite metaphors for the Christian life. (Of course, I have since mellowed and have found out that being a soldier in Call of Duty, Battlefield or any other war game is much more fun than actually slathering camouflage cream and lugging your gear about a muddy forest) There are many things that enamor me to this idea of combat; the preparation in the form of strategic planning, the beauty of properly executing maneuvers in the midst of battle, the sweetness of victory that ensues. However, the real spiritual war is nothing like the pretty little picture I just painted. Often we are set against an adversary or circumstances which are too much for us, we step onto the battlefield not having any idea what to do, and the resultant defeat can produce exceedingly painful consequences. And there is NO ESCAPE from The Fight. We are thrust into the fray from the very moment that we are saved, and we are slated to suffer this assault from then, right unto the point we breathe our last breath. Such is the nature of fighting in the LORDs army. There is no chance to downgrade. However, take heart! The LORD of Hosts is our supreme commander, and we hold the line alongside other saints. And now, the Uth Chronicle has produced its own combat manual to help you out as you fight the good fight. Conventional military wisdom holds that if you know thyself and know thine enemy, you can survive a hundred battles without suffering defeat. We acknowledge that this wisdom is also applicable to our

spiritual battles, and as such, we have Dn Simon Chua telling us about our strengths and vulnerabilities, and how to leverage or otherwise cover them. Preacher Ko Lingkang provides the other half of the intelligence report, educating us on Satan by examining his many names. God does not send us into battle unarmed, but provides every Christian access to a spiritual armory whereby we can effectively withstand and repel the Devils

Editors Note

assaults. Dn Han provides us with a study of Ephesians 6, instructing us on how to create an impenetrable defense and an irresistible offense with our many spiritual implements of battle. For your strategic considerations, The Fight between the two ultra-heavyweights, Satan and Jesus Christ is examined by both Dr. Jeffrey Khoo and myself. Dr. Khoo provides a systematic overview of the mechanics of Gods salvation plan, and I examine the fight to see if there are any stratagems employed by Christ that we may emulate. Following on, we have Dora writing to us from Korea and Jon Jon exhorting us from beyond the age of 25. Ever wondered what the deal was with glorying in tribulation? Jon Jon tells us how the various trials of life have affected him, and how he has dealt with them. In this issues YF Speak, our special operative Brian has surveyed the YF and asked what sins we are most susceptible, and has provided some specific strategies to overcoming these sins. Also note the many reports stemming from the myriad of events occurring in the May/June period. What is FCM Camp? What is it good for? Special operative Brian infiltrates the camp on your behalf and tells us whether it really is just another camp and whether it is worthy of our time. The Combined Youth Conference, YF Outing, Church Family Camp and Parents Appreciation Night. Look out especially for the pretty pictures in the photojournalistic Family Camp report by Sophia! And if anyone is in need of comic relief, I have withheld Joel Tans Parents Appreciation Night report in favor of Joanne Khors more serious one, but I will send you a copy if you ask me for it. Do not neglect our Ex-Teenz that Talk section, where we thank God for yet another new YFer who has successfully made the transition and now implores more of the young ones to step up and be ready to receive many blessings. We also ask Christie Yeo and Joy Khor who they think their ideal boyfriend from the Bible might be =D Keep an eye out for future happenings of the YF in our upcoming Calendar of Events, and past happenings in the lives of our YFers in Short and Broad. Also look out for a new segment which will commence in the next issue, named Dunno, Do What?! May this issue spur you on to fight harder for our LORD, holding the fort, even through the second half of this year. Agape, jQ

Know Thyself
Introduction

by Dn Simon Chua

is a well known Chinese proverb in Sun Tzus Art of War. It carries the meaning that by knowing self and the adversary, one will not experience danger even after a hundred battles. This military proverb was penned with conventional warfare in mind, but shrewd businessmen of our age have adapted it for application in their business dealings. If interpreted rightly in light of Scripture, this proverb can also be used by the Christian to ensure a perpetual state of safety even through numberless battles.

Is it really possible?
The previous sentence has answered this question. Upon first examining this proverb, one may conclude that its claim is utter exaggeration. We argue that even with full knowledge of both self and adversary, there must surely be a few occasions of defeat, especially when protracted over a hundred battles! To this, I ask you to examine the promises of God to Israel on Mount Gerizim. Through Moses, God pronounced this blessing in Deuteronomy 28:7 The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face: they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways. God did not say how strong or valiant (or weak and cowardly!) the adversaries were these facts were inconsequential. Gods emphasis of this blessing is that He Himself will ensure the unequivocal defeat of Israels enemies.

Know your battle

Sun Tzus Art of War was written for military strategists, and as mentioned earlier businessmen have adapted it for the battles of the business world. No matter the demographic group, each has identified the nature of their battle. What about the battle of the Christian? God tells us in Eph 6:12 that as believers, we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. The battles of the Christian are spiritual battles. You cannot fight spiritual battles with mortal weapons.

Know Thyself
Know your state
I am assuming that this article is being read by a Christian. If you are not, I am afraid the battle is already lost. Outside of Christ you cannot win you cannot even fight because you are dead in sin (Eph 2:1)! How can you fight against principalities when you do not know the biblical principles, or maybe you know them but do not subscribe to them? Against powers and the rulers of the darkness of this world, when you do not know your real enemies? Against spiritual wickedness in high places, when you do not understand what is their constitution and where exactly are these high places? The Word of God tells us that there is no salvation outside of Jesus Christ (Act 4:10-12), Gods only begotten Son (Joh 3:11-21). A spiritual battle can only be fought by a spiritual person who is alive in Christ (1 Cor 15:22). To the Christian, the battle is on! This is your state you can not sin (i.e. you have the ability not to sin). The promise and blessing pronounced to Israel on Mount Gerizim is a promise to every Christian, which is a perpetual state of safety and victory at every battle! And here is the condition obedience (Deu 8:1-2). This is the sole condition. capable of all achievements this is the way of the world. David the Psalmist tells us in Psa 39:4-5 LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah. This is the doctrine of mans frailty and mortality, and the Christian will do well to remember this truth.

Know your weakness

We are children of many weaknesses, prone to leave the God we love. There are three things that God has instructed His children to do continually. Rejoice evermore, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks (1 The 5:1618). God knows that we are prone to do otherwise lets face it! We walk about with a gloomy face and become angry over the slightest matter. We fail to commune with God even for one hour when we should possess a p r a y e r f u l spirit all the time all the day. We are a people with many complaints, counting our curses rather than our blessings.

Know your strength

You have none. Christian, I beseech you to turn away from high mindedness. As descendants of Adam, we are inclined to sing our own praise. We have a strong sense of misplaced or misguided self-worth and believe that through our own determination we are

Know Thyself
IN Summary
Knowing that we have no strength of our own and that we are weak, what are we then to do so as to emerge victors at every battle? We do what every soldier does when on the field of battle we look to the Commander, our God! Very often, we are self- dependent rather than Goddependent, especially in the mundane things that we do, and we carry this attitude into our service in church a prayerless attitude, the hallmark of depending on self. Some of us are bestowed with spiritual gifts, and thanks be to God that many youths are coming forward to use these spiritual gifts in Gods service. Examples of such spiritual gifts are good vocals, being musically inclined, apt to teach, being creative, good leadership, etc. As you serve, do not neglect your duty to pray. You are a spiritual person, in a spiritual exercise, and you are not serving God if you do not pray.

Dunno, Do What?

Dealing with difficult doctrines? Caught in confusing conundrums? Got an issue with an indeterminate end? Look no further than Dunno Do What? the Uth Chronicles latest column where we tackle anything pertaining to spiritual matters. Whetheryouvegotquestionsregarding biblical knowledge or the application of it into our lives, write in to us at uth.chronicle@gmail. com or look out for the new Dunno, do what? box that will be placed at the May God help us to serve Him by YF notice board and well address them depending wholly and solely on Him, and publish it in the next issue of the committing all things unto Him in prayer, Uth Chronicle!
and drawing wisdom out of Gods Word that we may understand His will.

I.
A.

Names Reflecting his Character

Lucifer (Isa 14:12)

The origin of the word in the English, comes from the Latin Vulgate which also translates the Hebrew as Lucifer. The literal meaning of the Hebrew word, heylel is shining one, light bearer or morning star. The word only appears once in this place, and was probably his name before his fall. Then after, when his being was corrupted with the blackness of sin, he no longer shone but was rather characterized by utter darkness. Jesus Christ rather, is the by Pr Ko LingKang true light that shineth in the world, that According to Sun Tzus Art of War, the evil and darkness comprehended not. if you know your enemies and know (John 1:5) yourself, you can win a hundred battles B. Satan without a single loss. Whilst this is the secular wisdom of an unbeliever, what This title is used a total of 56 times in he says does indeed have some merit in the King James Bible, 19 times in the OT our spiritual warfare. In this fight, we and 37 in the NT. It is taken from the wrestle not against flesh and blood, but Hebrew satan which literally means against principalities, against powers, opponent or adversary, or as a verb, against the rulers of the darkness of to withstand. The Greek rendition, is simply a this world, against spiritual wickedness satanas, in high places. (Eph 6:2). The chief of phonetical transliteration. these spiritual powers is of course our The aspect of character brought out by adversary the Devil, Satan himself. As this title is the idea that Satan is the you read through the Bible, there are nu- direct rival of God, who will oppose and merous passages and verses that speak be an adversary to everything that of Satan, and there are thus multiple God does. He is the direct opposite of a ways through which we can know more perfect holy God, himself being totally about him. Indeed whole books have been evil, corrupt and self-serving. written on this very topic, of knowing the The Devil wiles of the Devil, or about understanding C. Satan. For the purposes of this article, This name is used exclusively in the I have chosen to do a brief study on the New Testament, and comes from the various names of Satan, and through Greek word diabolos. (Remember the them to come to a better understanding computer game Diablo or the word of his various attributes and abilities. diabolical) Its literal meaning is that of

Know Thine Enemy

a slanderer, or false accuser. The idea

behind this title is that of someone who would maliciously give false reports that would injure the reputation of another. Satan is thus one who seeks to defame God, usurping his glory. He would also seek to stumble believers, causing them to lose their testimony and witness to the world. D. That Old Serpent (Rev 12:9) This name here is an obvious reference back to the Garden of Eden, where the devil took on the form of a serpent and tempted Eve. The adjective old is an indication of his vast experience and cunning craftiness. Serpent, would probably be a reference to the fact that it was a beast that was more subtle than any beast of the field. (Gen 3:1) To title him as that old serpent, is a reflection of the presence of this crafty deceiver who has been around since the beginning, and is continually deceiving the whole world. E. The Great (Red) Dragon (Rev 12:3,9)

faced with much vigilance and prayer. F. The Wicked/Evil One (John 17:15, 1 John 5:18)

Often times in the Greek, the writer would use the adjective with the definite article as a name for Satan, ho poneros, which literally means The Evil. A similar idiom in Greek would be the term from which the word Saint is translated from hoi hagioi, which literally means The Holy Ones. (e.g Eph 1:1) This name of Satan thus is descriptive of his intrinsic evilness or wickedness, of which his whole being embodies. Satan is thus simply evil. The definite article the gives this evilness a specific personality behind it. It is not just a concept of evil, but a person behind it that is simply pure evil.

II.
A.

Names Describing Position

Anointed Cherub (Eze 28:14)

Added to the idea of his craftiness and subtlety is a title that portrays him as a terrifying, great destructive beast who is wroth against God and His people, and seeks their total devastation. It is probably from this passage where the commercial world gets the image of a cute furry red dragon with two horns, a pointed tail and carrying a pitchfork. But we must banish that thought, for the image portrayed is that of a truly ferocious beast, who has great might and power, who sought to devour her child as soon as it was born (v.4), fought together with his army of angels against Michael the archangel (v.7), and is now deceiving the whole world. (v.9). He is therefore not one to be taken lightly at all, and must be

He was created as a Cherub, angelic beings of the highest order or class, created with indescribable powers and privileges. If we refer to other parts of scripture, such as Gen 3:24 (Where Cherubim [plural of Cherub] were placed as guardians of the garden of Eden), or Exo 25:18 (where the Ark of the Covenant was constructed with two cherubim overlooking and surrounding the mercy seat) or Ezekiel 1:5-14, 10:4, 1822 (where they had a mystical appearance, and associated with the glory of God), we are able to see that Cherubim were designed to be proclaimers and protectors of Gods glory and holiness, having direct access to the very throne of God. So Satan was

originally a Cherub class of angelic beings, and being the anointed one, of the highest rank. That was his original exalted position which he lost when he chose to rebel against God and was thus cast down from heaven. B. The Prince of this world (John 12:31, John 14:30, John 16:11)

world, but it is only in this age. There will come a time where Christ will return to take his place as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and vanquish Satan forever. D. The Prince of the Power of the Air (Eph 2:2)

This title was used by Jesus himself, and appears thrice only in the Gospel of John. Literally translated, the idea would be ruler of this cosmos. The word used for world here, is the Greek word kosmos, from where we get our word cosmos. This therefore speaks of the physical dominion that Satan has over this universe. He is acting as the de facto ruler, having authority over all men and E. Beelzebub, the Prince of the angels who are not in Gods kingdom. This Devils (Matt 12:24, Luke 11:15) was the authority which Satan was able to offer to Jesus when he tempted him Jesus was accused by the Pharisees of casting out demons by the authority in Matt 4. of Beelzebub, whom he later compared Note also that twice when Christ used to being Satan. This again shows the this title on Satan, it was associated position that Satan has as ruler over with an impending judgment. Thus while the rest of the demons in the world. it seems Satan is having the upper hand He is later in the passage described as for now, having dominion over the world, a strong man who owns a house, but it is only for a moment. For in time to interestingly, Jesus also mentions that come, God will judge Satan permanently in casting out the demons, he has to and he will be cast into the lake of fire first bind the strong man. This would forever. indicate the absolute authority that Jesus as God has over Satan. C. The god of this World (2 Cor 4:4) In distinction to the title above, the original word from which world is translated here is not kosmos, but is aion, which has a connotation more with regards to the time period. Therefore to call him the god of this world, is an indication that his reign is only temporal. True, that he is enjoying some measure of the worship attributed to a deity from the pagan religions of the

Again the word prince here can be translated as ruler; the word for power gives the idea of authority, jurisdiction; and air here would refer to the atmospheric region. Therefore this would refer to the dominion that Satan has over the realm of his fallen angels, and possibly over the elements as well. (ref. the methods Satan used to torment Job)

III. Names Indicating Activity

A. Tempter

This is Satans prime mode of operation. It was the act that he did in causing the fall of mankind, and was also the method which he tried to cause Jesus to sin as well. It is also the method which he is using on us daily, and continually causing us to fall into sin.

Although this name is attributed to Satan only twice in the Bible, (Matt 4:3, 1 Thess 3:5), it is nonetheless a very evident activity that Satan is continually engaged in, and is what we should always be wary of. B. Accuser One name of Satan that is seldom used and rarely spoken of is that of being an Accuser. Rev 12:10 declares him as the accuser of our brethren...which accused them before our God day and night. This phrase gives us some insight to one of the more malicious activities which Satan is also engaged in. A reference can be made to the account of Satan accusing Joshua the high priest in Zechariah 3. Satan was standing with Joshua, before God accusing him of the sins on behalf of the Jews who had returned from exile. He stood as the prosecutor proving his case that Joshua was guilty, and Israel deserved to be judged. This is often the situation we face when we sin as well. Instead of seeking forgiveness immediately, Satan would come and accuse us of our guilt, to further drive us away from God and to be caught up in our own remorse and self-pity, but never coming to the Father to seek forgiveness. Such accusations drove Judas to commit suicide before having true repentance and believing in Jesus Christ whom he betrayed. (Matt 27:3-5) C. Father of lies/ Deceiver Satan is also described as Jesus in John 8:44 as a liar, and the father of it. He is the one who deceiveth the whole world (Rev 12:9). Satan is a deceiver, and has always been deceiving man, since the first temptation of Eve when he asked her, yea hath God said? As Dwight

Pentacost notes, Deceit is the characterization which the Word of God gives to us of Satan, and it gives us the first principle by which Satan operates. We want to emphasize this aspect of the truth. Until we realize that Satan cannot, under any circumstances, operate in the realm of truth, but must always operate in the realm of a lie, we will not be prepared for his manifestations or for the temptation which he presents to us. [Your Adversary the Devil, 50] This is in direct contrast to God, whom the author of Hebrews says, cannot ever lie. (Heb 6:18) Therefore we can rest secure in the truths of the Bible, but trust nothing else in the world, however convincing they may be. Satan is a master of deceit, and can use all ways and means to trick us and tempt us to sin. Our only defense against this is the inerrant and infallible, perfect Word of God! D. Angel of Light (2 Cor 11:13-15) Along the same idea of Satan being a deceiver, Paul terms him as being an Angel of Light, which further emphasizes the idea of his crafty and cunning deception. He describes Satan as one who appears on the surface as one who is righteous and holy, to deceive even the elect (Matt 24:24) This should come as a great warning to us, that when we go about in this world, we must be wise as serpents, always sober and vigilant, for Satan can appear as he likes to deceive at any time.

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Summary
This list is by no means an exhaustive list. What it does is represent the scope of the titles that have been attributed to him, and thus presents the multifaceted aspects of his power, character and activity. Satan is indeed a very real and dangerous enemy that we must all contend with. This is a spiritual warfare that we are all involved in. Like it or not, we have been all drafted into the Lords army, and must thus be prepared to face our adversary, the devil. We must be alert at all times, and know the enemy well in order to fend against him. In this battle, there is no downgrading or reporting sick. It is a 24 hour battle that has no stand down. The end will only come after Christs second coming when he will vanquish death, hell and Satan forever. In the meantime, we are to watch and pray, and resist the devil always, looking to Christ and God as our shield and defender.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8

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A CHRISTIANS ART OF WAR

Ephesians 6:10-18 By Dn Han Wie Kwang

CHRISTIAN LIFE IS A WALK, A RACE, AND ALSO A BATTLE That our Christian life is a battle tells us that it must not be easy or smoothsailing, but will be plagued with stress, difficulties and problems. Thats why the apostle Paul exhorted the Christian brethren to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might(Eph 5:10). The Christian battle is not fought with the strength of our mortal bodies. We need the strength of the Lord and the power of His might.

Ephesians 6:10-18 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.

This fight is not optional. One is immediately cast into the deep end on the day of our converstion. When we pledge our allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ and our faith in him, we are immediately delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light, and it is from this point that we must begin our service in the Lords army. Through it all, the most crucial point to note is that we must not fear, but be strong in the Lord.

BE PREPARED & EQUIPPED How then can we be strong in the Lord? What should we do so that we can be prepared for the Christian battle which rages daily? The Word of God is clear. We must put on the whole armour of God. Yes, the whole armor in its entirety, not merely a part of it. This God given equipment is vital to the Christians effort on the battlefield, and we cannot hope to succeed without it. It must ever be adorned, and never put off. If we do so, God assures us of victory. So, what is this armour that Apostle Paul refers to

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in the epistle to the Ephesians, and who Satan, the old serpent, the devil, the really are our enemies? Lets try to an- adversary, the father swer the latter first. of lies, the deceiver, the murderer from the beginning and the accuser of the OUR ENEMIES brethren[Editors note: See Kangs The text in Ephesians 6:11 tells us that article on Knowing Thy Enemy!]. And the armour of God is meant to equip us each of these names tells us the to withstand the wiles of the devil, character of the Evil one. He and his control the evil and that refers to Satan, the chief ad- minions of the world to versary of God as well as his minions. system But the war is waged on more than one promote his evil work of deception and front. The Bible tells us that the Chris- destruction. His evil work is not tian battle is fought both from within haphazard at all, but systematic and and without, that is to say, the enemies carefully planned and executed. Thats are found both in us as well as outside what the word wiles of the devil really means, which in Greek us. methodeia meansmethodically. The sin nature, also known as the old Indeed, we have a formidable man in us, is the enemy within that is con- enemy with all his company. Moreover, our stantly at war with our renewed spirit. enemies outside are Our sin nature is not removed at the invisible and cannot be point of our conversion, but stays with handled physically. Thats why our us till we breathe our last breath. Hence, Christian battle is spiritual and not physour old sinful self is the enemy within. We ical, for we wrestle not against flesh must be aware of it and battle against it. and blood (Eph 6:12). The enemies are Paul mentioned this in Rom 7:20-23. The not physical and visible beings, but are sinful desires, thoughts and passions powerful, evil and come from the old man. The Bible tells us deadly principalities, powers, to yield to God in submission and obedi- rulers of the darkness of this world and ence to His Word, and let not sin there- spiritual wickedness in high places. That fore reign in your mortal body, that ye sounds frightening isnt it? should obey it in the lusts thereof(Rom 6:12). In other words, we must daily mortify or put to death our old self. DO NOT FEAR, BUT BE STRONG Compounded with the enemy within are the enemies without. Who are they? Satan with his minions and the evil systems of the world are the enemies without. The Word of God calls the Evil one by many different names: We are not to fear, but be strong in the Lord. We must be fully aware that the Lord Jesus is with us in our Christian walk and He is for us in our Christian battle. The Lord of Hosts is on our side of the battle. Isnt this thought

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very assuring and comforting? What we really need to do is to lean on the Lord, to submit to Him, to resist the devil and in doing so, he will flee from us (James 4:7). Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Eph 6:13). The days are evil and perilous, the enemies from within and without are formidable, but we have the Lord of Hosts on our side and we have on us the armour of God. So, we shall not fear. We must stand boldly in the Lord against all manner of sins, lies, falsehood, deceptions, evil and all appearances of evil. We do so by taking up the full armour of God.

6:14-17.

There are 6 parts of the armour of God, namely, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit. The whole armour of God gives protection to the entire person. Of which, 5 parts are protective in nature, while the 6th, that is, the sword of the Spirit, functions both defensively and offensively.

THE ARMOUR OF GOD Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit used the imagery of the armour of a Roman soldier to illustrate the spiritual armour of a Christian in spiritual battle. All the parts of the full armour of God are carefully described in Ephesians First, lets take a look at the sequence in which the different parts of the armour are listed. Obviously, the order in which the various parts are listed is not the exact sequence in which a soldier put on his armour. However, it is interesting to note that our first line of defense is the

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belt of truth. It is no surprise because the mode of operation Satan takes on is to propagate half-truths, lies or deception. He and his minions operate by opposing God and His truth. He works through the various media, false teachers, false pastors and false leaders in order to promote his course. Thats why it is so essential that we esteem Gods truth so highly in our lives and that our Christian lives are characterized by truthfulness. We must speak truthfully and live in accordance to the truths of God revealed in His Word. It would mean that we reject anything or any person that sets itself against Gods truth. The belt of truth is so important because it holds all other parts of the armour together. If we professed to be Christians and are found lying and doing things just to what the word of God teaches, we become vulnerable to spiritual attack and become an easy target for the evil one.

righteousness. We must grow and continue to mature in our Christian life. We must grow in holiness and in practical righteousness, which only makes sense when we already have the imputed or positional righteousness in Christ. In our spiritual battle, when we feel defeated and discouraged, we must look to Christ who had victory over sin and death. This victory belongs to us. So, when we sin, we must repent from our sins and turn to Jesus and be sure that our sins are forgiven. There is therefore no condemnation in him who is in Christ Jesus. We must put on the breastplate of righteousness. If we are children of the Holy God, our lives must reflect His holiness. We must be people of integrity and purity in this dark and evil world. If not, we would bring shame to the name of our Lord Jesus and lose the opportunity to bear a good testimony for the Lord.

Second, lets consider another part of the armour--the breastplate of righteousness. As an important part of the armour that protects the vital organs of the body, we cannot live our Christian life without putting on the breastplate of righteousness. But what righteousness is it? All born-again believers are imputed with the righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are justified before the Holy God because of the perfect righteousness of Christ. Therefore, the accuser of the brethren has no case against us because we are covered and cleansed by the precious blood of Jesus and are clothed with Christs robe of

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Third, lets take a look at the shoes of a Christian soldier. The feet of a soldier are important for moving swiftly and standing firm in battle. Yes, we are to stand firm in the Lord, to be firmly grounded in Him and in the Gospel of peace. The Gospel of peace is also called the Gospel of Christ because it was Jesus Christs vicarious death on the cross that brought peace between us and God. We are no longer children of wrath and we are no longer enemies of God, but fully reconciled with Him. Therefore we can stand firm and know that we are at peace with God and that He is on our side in our spiritual warfare. With this firm footing, we can advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ to declare it to our

friends, relatives and neighbours who are still outside the kingdom of God so that they too will make peace with God and be saved.

Fourth, we have the shield of faith, wherewith we shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. It is not enough to have the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness and the shoes of the Gospel of peace. The evil one spares no effort to attack believers with fiery darts, casting doubts on Gods Word and His promises, discouragement, deception and fear. Faith, acting as a shield, keeps these fiery darts as far away from us as possible. A Christian soldier cannot go in the battle of Christian life without faith and trust in the Lord of Host, who is all powerful, all knowing and all present, and in His infallible Word the Bible. He must look to Jesus, the author and finisher of his faith. True and genuine faith comes only by hearing of Gods Word and through understanding His promises. It is so important that we increase our faith by spending much time reading and mediating on Gods Word. Faith is taking God at His Word. Having a strong faith in Jesus and a deep understanding of the Bible drives away doubts, discouragement and fears. It instills in a believer God-confidence and spiritual boldness.

vation by the grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and that salvation is of God. We were saved from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin and in the future, from the presence of sin. The helmet of salvation here refers in particular to the hope of salvation (1 Thess 5:8); the hope of the final glorification of our mortal body. In our daily spiritual conflict, we must never lose focus on Jesus our Saviour, or lose hope of our future salvation glorification, which is the ultimate victory in a Christian. This hope is not a wishful hope, but a certainty waiting to happen in the near future. With this, we must battle on, and seize every opportunity to advance the kingdom of God by sharing the great salvation grace in Jesus Christ to many.

Fifth, lets consider the helmet of salvation. A helmet protects the soldiers head from any fatal blow. What salvation does it refer to? We know that all born-again believers obtain sal-

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Sixth, the last part of the armour is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Taking up the shield of faith with one arm and the sword of the Spirit with the other, we can wrestle in our spiritual warfare. The 2 complement each other. Both have to do with the Word of God, that is to say, His revealed truths and precious promises. But unlike the shield of faith which is defensive in nature, the sword of the Spirit is both defensive and offensive. It is the sword of the Spirit because it comes from the Spirit of God who is the Spirit of truth. It blocks every falsehood and error that comes from our enemies without. It discerns and brings to light every sinful thought and evil motive within (Heb 4:12). We must

learn to use it, and use it well. It is not so much having the Word of God in our laptop or the iPhone, it is also not merely holding the Bible in our hands, but rather having the Word of God in our heart; and it involves knowing, understanding,remembering,believingandapplyingGodsWordinallsituations.Thereis really no short cut to it. It requires serious discipline, hard work, much time and deep commitment. This is the calling of a Christian soldier. Be sure, this calling is demanding but there is no other way to win this spiritual conflict. To be ignorant of the Bible is to present yourself a liability in the fight. Immature and ignorant Christians are likely to be tossed to and fro by every wind of false doctrine and to fall prey to false teachers and covetous pastors. We must not let up in our fight, for the spiritual battle continues to intensify. It is therefore no surprise that the sword of the Spirit continues to be a key target of Satans assault; a disarmed Christian poses no threat to him! We must study the Bible and pray without ceasing.

So, have you put on the whole armour of God? Do you have on you the belt of truth, the shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit? Even if you do, it is still not enough. We must also pray without ceasing. By praying, we fight our Christian battle against the invisible enemies with Gods strength. Through prayer, Christian warriors communicate with the Lord in the heat of the battle. We must pray always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit. We must both watch and pray with all perseverance. Are we praying for ourselves, family members, church leaders and fellow church members? We are not alone in the spiritual battle, so lets encourage one another to stand firm in the Lord with the full armour on, and to watch and pray, for the days are evil. May God help us.

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Taking the Fight to the Devil

by His Active Obedience: A Textual Study on Luke 4
Rev Dr Jeffrey Khoo

testing because He had to earn the righteousness His people needed to enter the kingdom of heaven. It is part of His active obedience. Just like Adam had to be tested in the Garden of Eden in order to secure life eternal through obedience, Christ as the greater Adam had to go through such a test to secure our salvation. This is clearly taught by Paul in Rom 5:12-21: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by one mans offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came

The temptation of Jesus is recorded in all 3 synoptic gospels (Luke 4:1-13, Matt 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13). It was truly a crucial event in the life of Christ. We are told that Jesus, being full of the Spirit, was immediately led by the Spirit into the desert. There He was tempted by Satan for a period of 40 days and nights. During this period of time, Jesus fasted, and did not eat anything. This made Him all the more physically vulnerable to the devils temptations.

Why did Jesus have to go through this time of temptation or testing? Jesus had to go through this time of

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upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. Adam failed, but Christ passed the test. We are not only saved by His death; we are also saved by His life (Rom 5:10). In Luke, the temptation account is placed immediately after the genealogy of Jesus which Luke has traced right back to Adam. Luke through Pauls instruction has correctly portrayed Christ as the 2nd Adam who must accomplish what the 1st Adam failed to do, namely, eternal life. What Adam failed to do under the covenant of works, Christ succeeded under the covenant of grace. Christ, being mans perfect Representative, kept the Law of God on our behalf through His active obedience. Adam failed to obey Gods commandment in the Garden by yielding to Satans threefold temptation (Gen 3:6, 1 John 2:16). But Christ successfully resisted the same threefold temptation, thereby securing righteousness to every one that believeth (Rom 10:4). The

threefold temptation consists of (1) the lust of the flesh, (2) the lust of the eyes, and (3) the pride of life. Having been tempted by Satan, Eve partook of the fruit because it was (1) good for food, (lust of the flesh), (2) pleasant to the eyes (lust of the eyes), and (3) to be desired to make one wise (pride of life). By so disobeying God, Adam and Eve plunged not only themselves, but also the whole human race into the condemnation of sin. Jesus Christ was also tempted in the same threefold way: He was tempted (1) to turn stones into bread (the lust of the flesh), (2) with the kingdoms of the world (lust of the eyes), and (3) to jump from the pinnacle of the temple (the pride of life). Christ was victorious. He defeated Satan with the Word of God quoting (1) Deut 8:3, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God; (2) Deut 6:13, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve; and (3) Deut 6:16, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit (Eph 6:17). It is a very effective weapon against Satans fiery darts of temptation. Christ conquered Satan. He perfectly obeyed the commands of God, and so saved us by His active obedience.

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Jesus vs. Satan

A play by play commentary
By Joel Quah When the coaches of an American Football team do their preparation to play another team, one of their most valuable game planning resources is past game tape (recordings) of the other team. Coaches scrutinize the game tape to analyze their opponents strategies, and then go on to modify their own strategies to counter them. If coaches discover that a particular strategy employed is effective against their forthcoming opponents, they strike gold. Their task is made all the simpler, in that they can then copy that strategy, and begin practicing its execution immediately. This sort of game planning is applicable in many adversarial situations. Gamers often watch replays to the same ends. Debaters who can anticipate their opponents arguments based on tendencies hold a distinct advantage. Since times of antiquity generals have realized the importance of discovering the enemys strengths and weaknesses before engaging them on the field of battle. Is the average Christian able to gain insight on a being as powerful as the Devil, and in doing so get a leg up on the adversary? I put to you that it is, and one of our best resources is the account of The Fight itself, between the Devil and the LORD Jesus Christ himself, taking on His foe in His fully man, fully God form. So, ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to tune in to Luke 4:1-15, which carries this epic bout. I believe it to be the 20

chronological account, given the logical movement from wilderness to city. Coaches would never dream of watching game tape only once, so I invite you to ruminate on it, using the instant replay button as oft as ye can. We find ourselves in the midst of the desert, Jesus already in His 40th day of temptation. Even though there is no indication of what occurred during these 40 days, we can safely assume that it was spiritually intense. The evidence: Jesus had fasted all this time, and being subject to human frailties (as He was also fully man at this point), He hungered. The decision to fast is an intriguing one. It is a trade-off between physical weakness and spiritual strength. It is certainly no casual strategy, and one that is not commonly employed, especially in the modern era, where even midnight hunger pangs can be assuaged by logging on to www.mcdelivery.com.sg and clicking a few buttons. However, it is a winning strategy, and its application is logical. The battle between Christ and the Devil was not fought on the physical realm, but on the spiritual. Sacrificing physical comfort for greater spiritual focus only enhances ones efforts against the Devil and his minions. If the situation demands it, we must not be afraid to abandon our fleshly needs and focus completely on God, who will give us the victory if only we turn to Him and walk in His way. What of our physical needs? God will take care of them, as He sustained Jesus (as He did Moses) for 40 days without food. It might seem that the strategy of fasting has an intrinsic flaw that the resultant physical weakness opens more avenues for the Devils assault.

However, if we execute this strategy is versatile and will likely be highly cusproperly, as Jesus does in this account, tomized according to our strengths. the spiritual strength drawn will invari- The Devil might say to me, If thou be ably be sufficient to thwart the Devils intelligent, get the top grades in school, advances, for we rely on God, and God and this scholarship, and that award. Or he might say, If thou be good at sport, never fails. Nevertheless, the Devils subtly word- compete hard, even on Sundays there ed concern for Jesus physical well- are many days given to the Lord already, being was actually a carefully disguised and only a few that can be used to lay dart, and if an attack in kind is employed hands on the trophy. He might even say, against us, we must be quick to recog- If thou be the leader of this committee, use this opportunity to do something nize and quick to react. good and impress those that look on. The Devil asks, If thou be the Son of We must be careful to guard ourselves God, command this stone that it be made against our strengths, that our enbread. ergy is not diverted from our service to It is unlikely that the exact form will be God by seemingly innocuous activities. used again, for we are neither the Son The only way to keep our eyes on Christ of God, nor are we able to make stone is to fast and pray daily, to deny self into bread by our own volition (I on the and take up our cross as the Word comother hand, can easily make what should mands us to. be bread into very charred stone). But Following on, Christ is taken up into a while the exact attack will not be repli- high mountain (climbing mountain with no cated, the underlying strategy is still vi- food not funny), and is shown all the able and extremely potent. kingdoms of the world, and is offered all One realizes on deeper analysis that the of them if Christ would worship Satan. request was not for Jesus to perform This seems, on all accounts, an extremean act that was inherently sinful. Turning ly silly offer. All the world was already stone into bread was not morally wrong, Christs, and will be forever. Perhaps or against any written law. Therein lay Christ did not exhibit the manifestathe subtlety of the Devils inquiry! No- tions of control at that point in time, but tice that it starts with If thou be the could this sort of temptation hold any Son of God. The first prong of the at- power in it? tack was to lure Christ into performing what seemed to be a morally neutral act out of pride, thereby rendering it sinful. Of course, one could take the suggestion and perform the act without succumbing to pride, but even so, this would have broken the fast, demonstrating a lower priority for spiritual focus in favor of satisfying physical desires when the Devil was still at hand, and striking hardest. This strategy from the Devils playbook 21

Sadly, we are often the victim of such istry would have benefitted from Him temptations, which can be categorized casting Himself off from the pinnacle as temporary instantaneous gratifica- of the temple, and reaching the ground tion temptations. While the name might unscathed. Would not such a feat perbe long and unfamiliar, we are all certain- formed in a public square be excellent ly familiar with this sort of temptation. publicity and authentication for His Each time we tell a lie, we try to avert earthly ministry? Dont some pastors immediate retribution, even though we resort to magic to draw the multitudes know from Scripture that our sin will find nowadays? us out and our punishments are simply Such thinking is worldly, and I speculate compounded. Each time we succumb to that a ministry begun in glitz and glamor sexual temptation, we ludicrously be- cannot possibly be God honoring. Such lieve that the fleeting moment of plea- actions point to self, which renders the sure will somehow outweigh the bless- subsequent ministry dead before it even ings that will come if we resist. The Devil begins. Jesus began His ministry in the time and again will offer us nothing for synagogues teaching the Word of God, something, and we must realize that our and in so doing gained recognition in the flesh is not to be entrusted with such God honoring fashion. decisions, as it will drive us to accept these ridiculous bargains. Our only hope The old adage power corrupts, and is to constantly renew our minds, battle absolute power corrupts absolutely hard and mortify (kill!) the old man, keep- proves true in this instance. Part of the ing our eyes on eternity, where our re- motivation for jumping off the great height would be to gain the satisfaction ward is, and where true value lies. from the validation of His unique posiWe also note that Jesus prefaces His tion. Anyone of us who has ever wielded reply to the Devil at this juncture with any authority would likely have experithe words Get thee behind me, Satan. enced this sort of temptation as well, If the Luke account is truly chronologi- and those of us who will come to wield aucal, we must accept that even Christs thority of some sort will also most probwords to the Devil were not sufficient ably be tempted to pull rank at some deterrent to stop the Devil in his tracks, point of time. and what more ours. If God sees us fit enough to go through trials and tempta- The term pulling rank should be familtions, a mere request for the ordeal to iar to those who have been through the military, some other uniformed group end will not be honored by the Devil. or have existed in some other power The Devil now takes Christ to the pin- structure. For the girls, the young, and nacle of the temple, where in all likelihood Brian, you can safely interpret the term a crowd had gathered, and tells Him to as abusing power. throw Himself off, and let the angels catch Him. This form of temptation is Making people address you by your title often depicted as the pride of life, just to feel shiok, ill-treating or overand shares similar elements to the first working a subordinate just because temptation, albeit in a more accented you can, arranging events for your personal benefit rather than in the inform. terests of the group you serve, comOne might even think that Christs min22

ing late for meetings and getting away with it because you can these form a non-exhaustive list of abuses of power. Or maybe you just like to do things in a fanciful way, to show off, to make people aware of the skills and talents you possess. If you use your talents or the power entrusted in your hands to serve self, you have fallen prey to the Devils trump card. It hardly needs to be said that the only weapons against the Devil is the Word of God and many hours spent on our knees. Jesus parried each of the Devils strikes by skillfully wielding the sword of the spirit. Can we do so with the same sort of skill? Do we spend time sharpening our sword and devote time to practice wielding it? Do we actually remember to unsheathe our weapon when the Devil and his minions poke their heads round the corner? If we do use our swords, do we strike with conviction? Are the words contained in that wonderful book merely words to us, or do we believe in them in our heart of hearts? Take heart as we take to the fight. Unlike in a physical fight, where the combatant grows weaker with each maneuver, the Christian is strengthened with each dart we deflect and each blow we deal. Certainly Satan would not have relented after 40 days if he thought Christs defenses were weakening. On the contrary, he fled, witnessing that Christ stood firmer than ever, His mastery of Scripture making His defense impenetrable. We too must strive for such excellence,

and God has promised us the victory if we walk in His path. Beware, soldier. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, and strengthen, settle you. Swords out. Be ready.

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!
ahnnyeonghaseyo!
According to the lunar calendar, today is buddhas birthday. and i know that because it is a national holiday. this is the 2nd nh in 6 days, which also comprised a weekend. so ive been getting a lot of rest and i managed to mess up my weird sleep-wake habits even more, haha! things are good here! (: thank God i was able to settle down really really quickly, and there werent any big problems with paperwork. some of my orientation group mates had the wrong kind of visa and so couldnt apply for their alien registration card, and it was quite a bit of trouble. i only had to deal with my mistake of carelessly registering for a business course thats taught entirely in korean haha. =P but i managed to drop it, and ended up with a better (no essays or presentations, just calculations woohoo!) biz module at a timeslot that suits my timetable best. the Lord is indeed very good! (: I really like the way classes are held here. its the classroom-style of teaching, in a class of not more than 40 students (hurhur). and labwork is done on a voluntary basis without needing to submit lab reports! but on 2nd thoughts, i think its still good exposure that we have manymanymany compulsory lab sessions in ntu. the pace of teaching is slower here, and im only doing 18 hours/week now, as compared to about 26 hours/week if i were in ntu this semester. haha so everythings nice, especially when i also get to miss yucky courses like biophysics and advanced biochem heh. =P one thing though, the biz prof especially likes to remind us that we are the top 0.3% of the cohort. this kinda puts some pressure on me cos it means im surrounded by really smart people, and although i only need to pass, i dont exactly want to be the black sheep pulling down the class average. so yes, still have to work hard, if not harder! food-wise, im glad they have a fair share of rice and noodles and spice and tofu here, so alls good. craved carrot cake really badly when i fell sick, but its okay ill be back in less than 2 months! ordering food and getting around on my own isnt much of a problem because i can read korean and i know basic vocab/ phrases. i only have problems when random people on the streets start asking me for directions (on average, 3 times/week) which i can hardly understand or reply intelligently to. or when we cannot understand each other when i want to pay my phone bill or want to get letters posted. but never fails, haha! 24

also thank God for safety thus far! the streets are safe to walk in even at midnight. and with the other korea and its nuclear nonsense just up north, and the recent tsunamis and earthquakes that hit japan so badly, it is only by the mercies of God that south korea is preserved. radioactive compounds were found along the coasts though, but the concentrations are way too low to cause any harm, so thank God for that! and whats an overseas experience if you dont fall ill, right? =P felt quite terrible during those few days but it taught me to lean solely on God for strength and help. and indeed God is our ever unchanging Father who is faithful to deliver and comfort! (: i attend yongsan baptist church here, and it felt like home when i first walked in. the familiar hymns were so good to hear! and when the pastor started preaching about being separate, and about not using the music of the world to attract people to church, and sticking to the good old kjv bible, i literally heaved a sigh of relief. really thank God for raising up a faithful ministry to feed and evangelise to the foreign community here! and of course a place for me to worship at while im away from home! talked to a couple of people at church (because they talked to me first haha) and we lunch together every church lunch sunday thats on the 1st week of every month. i had quite a bit of a shock to see how they perform baptism though. i thought the candidate for baptism (is that what hes called?) would just squat into the pool of water that hes already standing in. but no, the pastor would cover his mouth and nose with a cloth, and support the guys back with his palm and get him to lie on his back into the water. it was kinda scary to watch because it seemed like he was gonna drown the guy. and how scary it must be to lie on your back from standing position la. haha like suling said, kinda takes more courage to profess the faith like that! and thanks for the all the recordings of yf messages and special items and even the doctrinal defense. really appreciate the effort, and i was richly blessed and encouraged, not to mention that they make me feel like im here with you guys! and thank you all for your prayers, i appreciate it! (: hope everybodys well back home and i shall see you guys in singapore really soon (even sooner than when this issue of uth chron is gonna get published haha)! ! God bless! 25

(1 Thessalonians 3:3-4). Over the past six years, God has sent many trials into my life. Looking back, I By Jon Jon fully agree with what Paul wrote in Romans 5:3 I can still vividly remember And not only so, but we the day I asked my older glory in brother how I would know tribulations also... whether I truly believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. I was only six years old then. I glory in the trials that Looking back over the past God has sent into my life. It two point six decades, my has strengthened my faith knowledge of Christ began and has taught me valuwhen I was six. However, able lessons. I have learnt it was only fourteen years to lean more on Him, to draw later, at the age of twenty strength from Him and that that I accepted him as my man doth not live by bread only, but by every word Savior and Lord. that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth Ever since being born again, man live.(Deut 8:3b). everything felt different, and there was this great gladness in my heart - all I When I went through those wanted to do was to serve trials and tribulations, the Lord. And that was ex- there were times when I actly what I did. I served really struggled, and there God and it brought me much were times when it felt like a walk in the park. These joy (BIG joy). two contrasting feelings arise not because of the The Bible says that all varying intensities of the Christians are destined trials. The variable was me. to go through trials and Whenever I fought against tribulations Gods will, and relied upon my own strength, these trials seemed giganormous (gigantic + enormous). But when I completely submitted to God, and walked close to Him, the trials that I faced were so easy to bear.

Growing through Struggles

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Fighting obviously does not mean fighting against Gods will and relying on our strength. On the other hand, fighting refers to fighting the good fight of faith. We do so by submitting ones self to God, putting our complete trust in Him, leaning not on our own understanding, but instead we must truly truly truly just commit everything to Him, believing that all things will work together for good to those who love God. Thank God we dont have to face these trials on our own. I really thank God for YF for it was where I have found so many brothers and sisters in Christ. These brothers and sisters have been a great source of encouragement, and have often pointed me back to Christ, reminding me of His goodness and faithfulness. Looking forward, I am confident that many more trials will come into my life. I pray that God will enable me to continue to fight the good fight of faith, that I may truly be the seed which is sown on the good ground (Mark 4:20).

It is ironic that this quarters Uth chronicle is titled The Fight. I guess we got to properly define what we mean by Fight and who we are Fighting with. I believe this fight refers to 1 Timothy 6:12

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YF SPEAKS
On 25th June, four months after the last Uth Chronicle o(pi)nion-inspired survey, it once again polled YF about sins they are most susceptible to, and how they tackle those sins. The focus is seeking out weaknesses in our spiritual armour so that we may be able to address these flaws. The sins and their remedies have been sorted into categories. In no particular order of severity, here they are:-

Confessed Sin: Wrong Priorities

Under this category, some confessions involved materialism, being influenced by worldly philosophies and fitting in with secular friends. As Christians, all of us are surely faced with the struggle to obey the biblical injunction to be in the world but not of the world.

Proposed Remedy: Renewing the Mind

Romans 12:2 speaks of being transformed by the renewing of your mind, and one remedy that was offered rightly notes how this is necessary. But what is able to effect this transformation? Other responses have also provided the right answer: diligent study of the Bible. A greater understanding of who God is and what He has done for us will surely making it easier to obey the command to present [our] bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, and to keep things in their proper perspective by reminding us that it is but [our] reasonable service (Rom 12:1) to such a gracious and merciful Heavenly Father!

Confessed Sin: Procrastination/Laziness

The problem with procrastinators being the leaders of tomorrow is that they will never be leaders today. Solomon writes on the dangers of procrastination in Proverbs 6:9-11, How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man. This writer is definitely guilty of this sin, as the survey was supposed to be conducted much earlier!

Proposed Remedy: Prayer and Action

Most of the remedies involve doing more QT and praying more. While these certainly are needful, we would do well to heed Proverbs 6:6-8, Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. After the reading and the praying, action must follow! The ants receive no direction, yet they work. May we, who receive direction from the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God, work in a manner that demonstrates the worth of our instructions! 27

Confessed Sin: Neglecting the Word

The Psalmist clearly has a thirst and hunger for the Word as he declares, O how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day (Psalm 119:97). Yet it often seems that we rarely demonstrate that kind of love for what is supposed to be the milk and meat to a hungry soul.

Proposed Remedy: Discipline and Love

Discipline is the oft-cited panacea for a lackluster Quiet Time and it appears again here. While it is certainly instrumental, it is also only half a solution since discipline alone engenders a kind of dutiful study of scripture that may be without heart. Exposure to the Word of God must be accompanied with the realization that this is the Word of God. When we remember that the Bible is the Creator condescending to communicate with the creature, a loving Fathers words to His children, a Holy Gods commandments to His chosen people then we may make a proper study of the Bible, and find it a joy instead of mere duty.

Confessed Sin: Pride

We are all familiar with the statement of how Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall (Proverbs 16:18). Yet despite the Bibles clear warning about the dangers of indulging in pride, we often find ourselves puffed up on account of some perceived ability of our own.

Proposed Remedy: Humility

Apparently a no-brainer, but humility is perhaps one of the hardest things to cultivate. It goes against human nature, which means that the entire endeavormustbefirmlygroundedinspiritualthings.Tothatend,manyoftheproposed remedies involve prayer. That aside, the best place to begin is not by comparing ourselves with others, but by comparing ourselves with God. There will likely always be some aspect of us that can be deemed better than someone else and these may turn into occasions for pride to rear its ugly head, but looking at God will bring anyone into the right frame of mind; all are sinners before a thrice-holy God, and all are saved only by grace. The words of 1 Corinthians 4:7 are instrumental in reminding us of our abject poverty, and how all that we are and have is from God: For who maketh thee to differ from another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it? 28

Confessed Sin: Temper/Impatience

We know of patience, or longsuffering, as one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. That is not to say we will never get angry; there is such a thing as righteous anger, but we must be angry at sin, not for any other reason. As Christians, this is one of the things that should be manifested in our lives. However, we often fall short of the mark, particularly with those closest to us; they are the ones who are privy to our temper and impatience on account of how were so used to them. The result? Because of our lack of patience, these people get experiential knowledge of Proverbs 27:3, A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty: but a fools wrath is heavier than both.

Proposed Remedy: Charity

The root cause of temper and impatience can usually be traced to selfishness; a worldview that is firmly centred around I, where anything that inconveniences us in even the slightest way becomes a nuisance. The perfect remedy for this is for us to consider the sacrificial love of God and His demonstration of it on the cross. In light of that kind of patience towards sinners, any quarrel or contention that might engender anger or impatience will seem petty. And if it seems a tall order to always exercise that ability granted to us by the Holy Spirit, Hebrews 12:3 tells us to consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

As Christians, warring against the flesh is inevitable. This survey has served to show, however, that we are not alone in this fight. With Christ as our Master, with the enabling of the Holy Spirit, and with the encouragement of likeminded brethren, we are more than able to lead victorious Christian lives!

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P.A.N.
Parents Appreciation Night was held on 28 May, with about 35 parents graciously taking their time off to be fed with Gods Word by Rev Das Koshy, and to be fed by *cue Beethovens 5th Symphony* us, with comparatively less appetizing food. The evenings programme began with singspiration, followed by a song item by the YF, Happy the Home where God is There, to reflect our desire for godly homes. Rev Das Koshy then spoke on Relationship with Parents from several passages, first addressing the parents and then the children. Proverbs 23:19 Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way. What a great responsibility parents have- to know good doctrine, and guide their children in truth! In turn, children are instructed to keep Gods law (Proverbs 28:7), and to do all things (yes, that includes housework and homework) diligently (Proverbs 10:5). Have we been slothful in our duties at home, at school and at work? Have we failed to recognize how difficult it is for parents to bring us up? Have we obeyed them as unto the Lord or do we just brush them aside especially when we are busy with our own work? These are questions we have to ask ourselves. Thereafter, there was an activity that pitted parents against their children, which got pretty interesting responses. Thank God for the sporting parents who participated! Brian, our friendly YF president, also spoke with our parents on why we disappear every Saturday evening and what the YF does as a ministry. All glory be to God for his very encouraging sharing (not my words but some parents that gave feedback).

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Dinner was served in the fellowship hall, and comprised a very varied menu of chicken teriyaki, black pepper chicken, chicken curry, chicken and beef satay, potato salad, crme brle and fruits. Even though FCM Camp had just ended that morning, groups worked hard to prepare something decent. And I learnt that parents are very hungry people, because they cleared out the rice AND the dishes! (okay it was partially my fault for not portioning properly, apologies!). But all in all, most parents were full and I got no reports of stomach flu the next day so it was operation successful =) I thank God for how everything went smoothly. Operation Successful was only successful because of Gods enabling. Thank God for the labor of the committee members; their enthusiasm to serve God was very encouraging! Also thank God for the many who stayed behind to help clear up after dinner, and for Gods mercy in sustaining my health on the day itself (I crashed with a fever that very night when I reached home after Parents Appreciation and was bedbound for 18 hours!). There were also so many other little things that I had overlooked/forgotten but by Gods grace, things turned out relatively well in the end. May Parents Appreciation Night remind us not only to appreciate our parents on one night, but every day of our lives because they are placed in our lives by God! And may our homes truly reflect the words of the hymn: Lord, let us in our homes agree This blessed peace to gain; Unite our hearts in love to Thee, And love to all will reign.

~Joanne Khor
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A Publication of Calvary Pandan Youth Fellowship Calvary Pandan Bible-Presbyterian Church 201 Pandan Gardens Singapore 609337 Email: uth.chronicle@gmail.com Edify, Educate, Engage