Anyone who has been to Myanmar recently will know that you have to do certain things within a certain time. The weather is extremely hot, resulting in a lack of electricity as their generators are powered by the rivers. While walking in the mall, there may suddenly be a power outage. You have to grab hold of the opportunity to finish what you have to do!

The speaker had to conduct Spiritual Meeting in Myanmar. He had to iron his shirt. He thought he could bring his shirt over to iron it but was told there was no electricity! From then on, he learnt his lesson and grabbed hold of the opportunity to iron his shirts whenever he could.

This led him to think about the topic: work while it’s still day.

Often, this isn’t something we think of. Only when we meet with problems does this come to mind.

Mothers would understand this well. Once the baby sleeps, they have to grab hold of the opportunity to do other things. When the baby is awake, you have to focus all your attention on him/her.

These are experiences in our lives that teach us we have to grab hold of opportunities to do what we need to do.

Who came up with the phrase “work while it is still day”?

John 9:4
“I just work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work.”
These are the words of Jesus Christ. This is a saying that everyone can understand as most of us work in the day and rest at night. This was especially so in the agricultural society then. Once the sun rises, they start working in the fields. Once the sun sets, they have no choice but to stop working. In our society today, some of us work at night, rendering the words of Jesus less applicable. Although Jesus uses the day and night, the main thing is the teaching that we have to carry out what we need to do whilst the chance is still there.

Jesus even uses Himself as an example. “I must work the works of Him…” He knows He must work the works because the night is coming. He knows the time He has on earth is short and has to make use of all the time He has to build up the Kingdom of God.

These words also tell all of us as Christians that we ought to work while it is still day.

What works do we have to do? Work more to earn money? Study more to get more accredited? Quickly enjoy this world - planning holidays to different places to explore? This is the work some people desire to do. Even if they have no time, they would like to use the time to work on these days, as these are things precious to them.

“Whilst there is still time, I need to enjoy this life!” Is this our view on time as well?

God has given all of us 24h a day. How do we make use of this time to do what we need to do?

Firstly, do we think that we don’t have to worry too much because we still have a lot of time? Even if we know it’s necessary to serve in church, do we think we still have a lot of time to do so? Some articles report that the climate is changing and we’re left with 5 years to save the earth. They claim that if we miss the opportunity to salvage the condition of the earth, we’ll have many years of bad weather.

In Singapore, this may not be so apparent. But there are indeed impacts. The climate change may cause us to experience some disasters. It may seem like Jesus is coming soon, according to the signs of the Last Days.

Even if we don’t look at it from a religious POV, from just a secular POV, there is less time for this world. How then can we say we still have a lot of time?

Even if we don’t focus on the changes on the Earth’s climate, we can also see how the hearts of men are becoming more and more corrupt. Taiwan just passed the gay marriage law. Not only have homosexuals married, there now have been homosexual divorces. The whole world is becoming more and more liberal with regards to sexual relations. Morality is becoming more corrupt.

Even though people preach world peace, what the world focuses on today is to treat yourself as the most important. This is just like what Paul says in 2 Tim where men are lovers of themselves.

Truly even from the viewpoint of morals, we see the world is headed for destructions.

Let’s not just look at others, let’s look at ourselves too.

We have limited time. All of us are walking towards death; everyone’s end is death. Often, this isn’t something we want to think about. But even if we don’t, we know that we suffer from ailments. A person’s health status to deteriorate after 20 years old. You find you have aches here and there and it takes longer to recover. When you’re 40, you realise you can’t read anymore, you need to wear spectacles! In your 70s, it’s easier to get breathless, harder to fall asleep. All these signs tell you your body is walking towards destruction. It also tells you you have limited time.

When we take a look at these phenomenons, the world at large, and ourselves, all point towards the limited time we have.

Truly, we need to make use of the opportunity to use the time to work.

We may suddenly find we run out of time. Should we be diagnosed with cancer, how would we take the news? The first message we receive from this news is that our time is almost up.

A month ago, the speaker was suffering pain between his eyebrows. He visited a doctor in Singapore who diagnosed it as sinusitis. The pain recurred in Myanmar so he visited an ENT doctor. He inserted a device into his nose to check if there was a lot of inflammation. After checking, he said that there were no signs of inflammation, but there was a tumour between the nose and throat. He asked whether he experienced any bleeding or pain. The tumour at that area is commonly experienced by those of south Chinese descent (i.e. us). He didn’t say if it was cancer. He just told the speaker to visit him every 6 months. He was also offered to do a biopsy on the tumour to check if it was malignant. That night, the speaker messaged Bro Sen Kee to ask for his opinion (in case he kena tricked by the Myanmar doctor LOL). Bro Sen Kee showed it to another doctor who verified it was indeed a tumour. He advised the speaker to do a biopsy. Coincidentally, he returned to the hospital the next day, so he told the doctor he wanted to do a biopsy. The results would only be available after a week. But because he had to fly to the northern part of Myanmar the next day, he had to wait an additional week. At that point in time, he felt the doctor had told him, “Your time is up.” The speaker thought to himself: it shouldn’t be cancer…since I didn’t bleed. Even if it is, it’s probably an early stage.

At that point of time, he had decided on some things. If it was late stage, his time was indeed almost up. There were things he needed to finish! He had to work while it was still day.

It was was early stage cancer, it would affect his work as a preacher. If he had to undergo chemotherapy, his body would become much weaker and inhibit his ability to travel around.

If it was indeed cancer, there were 3 things to do (besides ensuring he has salvation):

1. Find a young preacher to replace him. He already had people in mind, including sisters. “If I approach you, don’t reject me ah!” “Pr Shee is quite old leh. 10 years no more preachers already” lol
2. Bring my family to be saved
3. Mystery~~

If you were told you had cancer, would what you want to pursue still be to travel the world? If you weren’t a Christian, perhaps this would be your choice. But if you have the heart to worship God, you would probably not spend anymore of your time thinking of these things.

Let us consider: if we were to receive this news, what thoughts would we have?

The speaker has to tell us the results otherwise we’ll all come ask him later HAHA. Thank God the tumour was benign! But he doesn’t want to place all his hopes on the results from Myanmar so he intends to redo the rest in Singapore.

Since he has time on his hands, the things he has in mind can be stretched out. Nonetheless, he knows he MUST do them.

Should we receive such a news, are there things we want to complete?

A few points on encouragement on the things we should do. If we ever come to such a scenario:

1. Save yourself
   Phil 2:12
   “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling”
   This is said in an affirmative manner. Salvation is a grace that’s freely given. But we still need to work it out! All of us have only been able to enter on the road to salvation, we still need to walk/complete it!

How much time do we spend on things regarding our spiritual lives? How often do we think to ourselves that we ought to attend more services and pray more? Perhaps we do think about it but we make excuses and have many ‘but’s. “I want to read the Bible today but…I’m tired.” “Since I’m tired today, it’s okay. The sun will still rise. I can read it tomorrow.”

Perhaps there are some times where we are really really tired. It cannot be said we’re lazy but that we’re too tired.

But if we’re in a scenario where we really don’t have time left, would we have the same thoughts? If we’re about to breathe our last, we would definitely be praying!

We ought to examine ourselves while adopting this attitude. Are we really putting in effort to work out our salvation? Even if we are putting in effort, are we putting in our UTMOST effort? Perhaps we say we are, perhaps we see some people attend every service, but when we speak to them, you realise they’re unwilling to listen.

Perhaps you say to him, “You speak rather loudly. Could you speak a bit softer?” And he replies, “But that’s just how Hakkas are. What do you want me to do?”

We find it strange. This person attends services but can’t accept the views of others. Does this truly reflect his efforts to save himself? Because there’re some characteristics a Christian ought to have, and these are rather basic.

Matt 18:3-4
Whenever we talk about entering the Kingdom of Heaven, we think about John 3:5. But do we remember that Jesus said we have to be like children to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. This means being willing to humble ourselves and to listen to the advice of others. A person able to put away his pride, to be humble and listen to the words of others is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven according to Jesus.

Today we need to ask ourselves: although we come for services and put in our effort, how is our heart? Are we like a little child, humble and willing to receive the views of others?

Even though this is a basic trait, we don’t see it in all Christians. Not all Christians work hard to build up this trait.

Even when a person has much knowledge, prays well, leads many things in church, he may be unwilling to accept advice in church. We may say, “Well of course since you put it across in such a way, he won’t accept lah! If you put it nicely, he will.” There’s some truth in that; we hope admonishment is told to us gently. But if we think about it from a different angle, since a Christian should be humble, even if a child tells you off, we should listen. Even if it’s our enemy who says it! If it’s accurate, we should accept it.

Today we may have watered this down by overemphasising for the need for tact. This is an area we as Christians ought to put in more effort in. If we are able to do this well, it’ll be much easier for us to build up our lives as a Christian. Putting in effort to pray, read the Bible, and come for services regularly is not that difficult. But becoming humble like a child is.

Have we put in effort to be like a child?

If we aren’t able to be like a little child, we aren’t able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Let us reminds ourselves to draw near to god. Only when we draw near to God, can we be like God. James also tells us if we draw near to God, God will draw near to us too. When we put in the effort to draw near to Him, He will put in the effort to draw near to us too.

Work out our salvation while it is still day!

cont. on things we should do if we ever receive such news

1. Whilst it is still day, we also need to put in the effort to build up the glorious church

John 4:35
“Do you not say, ‘There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!”

Have we lifted up our eyes to look? Have we seen that it’s time for harvest? That the harvest is ready? Why is it that we’re not putting in effort to reap the fields? The reason why we aren’t doing so is because some people say, “There’s still 4 months!” “Who’s gonna listen to us preach now?”

In Kale, northern Myanmar, there are 3 churches. There used to be more but they fell away. When they first arrived, there were many Christians. They thought it would be easier to preach, they thought they should thirst for the truth. But actually, it was even harder to preach! To them, Christianity is not a religion, but a culture to them.

When the Chinese today say they’re a Buddhist or Taoist, they don’t actually understand their religion. It’s passed down from their parents; it’s more of a culture.

For this reason, the sexual immorality there is shocking. A pastor can continue being a pastor after committing sexual immorality. There were people who came to our church and wanted to be a pastor. “Why can’t you be a member?” Because when you’re a pastor, the church gives you a house, some land and some money. A pastor is a job that’s lucrative and desirable. Many youths study theology in India and Philippines. Preacher Titus and ex-preacher Ana(sp?) attended the theological schools of other denominations. A lot of them are motivated not to preach the gospel but to earn a living.

Divorcing and remarrying is like changing clothes to them. This was the life of some our Myanmar members before they came to believe. The churches they were originally in told them this was permissible.

The problem they faced was how they were to preach the gospel to the Christians there because they weren’t concerned about the truth.

Is the harvest really ready? Doesn’t seem to be ready.

But the Lord Jesus has already raised the True Jesus Church. How can it not be the time? When is the time? Only when there’s no one left in True Jesus Church?

From the time True Jesus Church was raised up to now, to the time the Lord Jesus comes again, IS the time of harvest.

All of us HAVE to put in the effort to build up the church to be glorious. Do we have this heart?

Preaching the gospel is difficult work. Peter, Paul, even Jesus didn’t have an easy time preaching. Even though He says these things “the harvest is ready”, He had a hard time preaching too.

Preaching is difficult because it requires changing hearts. Even as believers, we know it’s difficult to change our hearts. What more unbelievers?

We know it’s difficult to preach the gospel. But as long as we’re willing to reap the harvest, God will guide.

An evangelistic meeting was organised in Myanmar. One hadn’t been held for a long time. Still, they held it, believing people would turn up. There’s no need to worry. Just do the task, God will lead the people who should be saved. Question is: have we realised we need to work while it’s still day?

All of us are part of the True Jesus Church. We have to help drive the church to glory!

While it is still day,

1. Work out our salvation
2. Build up the church to be glorious

Let us do the will of the Lord Jesus.