THE YEAR OF THE TIGER

A. THE FEATURES OF THE OFT-MENTIONED TIGER

B. THE FACT OF THE NON- MENTIONED TIGER.

C. THE FAKE NON-EXISTENT LION/S

A. THE FEATURES OF THE OFT-MENTIONED TIGER.1. ITS CAT MEMBERSHIP

2. ITS COLOURATION AND CAMOUFLAGE

3. ITS COVER – A NIGHT STALKER

4. ITS CROUCHING POSTURE

If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”Gen 4:7, NIV

.

• God is not mentioned in the Book of Esther, but He is there!

The Tiger is the Devil in Disguise.

• The Tiger is not mentioned in the Bible, but it is there!

The Devil is the

Master of Disguises.

B. THE FACT OF THE NON-MENTIONED TIGER.

OR BEWARE OF THINKING WHAT IS THERE AS NOT THERE.

B. THE FACT OF THE NON-MENTIONED TIGER.

OR BEWARE OF THINKING WHAT IS THERE AS NOT THERE.

1. In General, beware of the Devil in Disguise.

2. In Particular, beware of the Devil in Disguise as a Lion, a member of the Cat family, as a Tiger is.

B. THE FACT OF THE NON-MENTIONED TIGEROr BEWARE OF THINKING WHAT IS THERE AS NOT THERE.

• 1. In General, Beware of the Devil in Disguise. He is…

• a. Like a Roaring Lion Seeking its victims. I Pet. 5:8

• b. In his Servants as Ravening Wolves in Sheep’s clothing. Matt. 7:15

• c. The Red Dragon after the Seed. Rev. 12:9-13

• d. The Revived Beast against the Saints. Rev. 13:1, 2

1. IN GENERAL, BEWARE OF THE TIGER IN DISGUISE.2. IN PARTICULAR, BEWARE OF THE TIGER AS A LION.

The Tiger The Devil as a Lion, I Pet. 5:8

i. A Member of Cat Family

A Lion (also of the Cat Family)

ii. Striped to disguise its Presence.

As a Roaring Lion

iii. Hunts among the Tall Grass.

Walketh about

iv. A Loner – a Night Stalker

Seeking

v. It is a Man-eater Whom he may devourThe Tiger is the Devil in Disguise as a Lion.

A. THE FEATURES OF THE OFT-MENTIONED TIGER.B. THE FACT OF THE NON-MENTIONED TIGER, Or BEWARE OF THINKING WHAT IS THERE AS NOT THERE. C. THE FAKE NON-EXISTENT LION/S OR BEWARE OF SAYING WHAT IS NOT THERE AS BEING THERE.

1. It is NOT in the Streets, but the Slothful says A Lion IS there.• a. The Slothful

saith…• b. The Sluggard

saith…

• “ There is a lion outside, I shall be slain in the streets.” Pro. 22:13

• “There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets”. Pro. 26:13, KJV

• “There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets!" NIV

1. THE SLOTHFUL SAITH, “There is a lion outside, I shall be slain in the streets.”Pro. 22:13

It is NOT in the Streets, but the Slothful says A Lion IS there.

The Slothful saith,

“There is a lion outside,

I shall be slain in the

streets.” Pro. 22:13

a. He has a ReasonableExcuse for not Serving. He should not Risk…

i. Spending too much Time…

ii. Spending too much money…

in the Lord’s Service.

1. THE SLOTHFUL SAITH, “There is a lion outside, I shall be slain in the streets.”

Pro. 22: 13

a. The Slothful has a Reasonable Excuse.

b. The Slothful has a “Royal” Excuse:

If you can get the king of beasts to apologise for your idleness

there is a sort of royalty about your pretenses. - CH Spurgeon

i. The Time is not yet opportune - Pro. 6:9-11; 24:33, 34 ct. Rom. 13:11

ii. One Turn more in bed please - Pro. 26:14

iii. The Task does not yet fit - Pro. 26:15

1. THE SLOTHFUL SAITH, “There is a lion outside, I shall be slain in the streets.”Pro.

22: 13

a. The Slothful has a Reasonable Excuse.

b. The Slothful has a “Royal” Excuse.

c. The Slothful can yet Reason Excellently. He is Slothful…

i. Yet his Tongue works overtime. “He saith....” Pro. 22:13

cf. Neh. 4:10, 11, 12 ct. 14

ii. Yet his Thinking (Imagination) is not idle.

His Lion is not Realistic. His Lion is not Authentic

cf. Gen. 24:27; Pro. 3:6

iii. Yet he Took great pains to

escape from pains.

1. It is not in the Streets, but the Slothful says A Lion is there.

2. They are not in Sight, but the Sluggard now says there are Two Lions.

• The Sluggard says, "There is a lion in the road, a fierce lion roaming the streets! Pro. 26:13, NIV

a. The Explanation and the Excuse: It is too Risky - There is a Lion outside”.

i. He is not Samson - a man of great Power. Jud. 14:5, 6

ii. He is not David - a man of great Faith I Sam. 17:34-37

iii. He is not Daniel - a man of great Prayer. Dan. 6:22 cf. 9:3ff

2. They are not in Sight, but the Sluggard now says there are Two Lions.

b. The Exaggeration…

(Heb. implies lion was a fierce lion, NIV)

It might just be…

i. A Pal he might have to part with Cf. Jas. 4:4

ii. A Practice to give up;

iii. A Path to walk away from.

…and the Embellished Fear: (“I shall be slain in the street.”)

i. Of Survival when one is Committed. Jas. 1:2-5

ii. Of Suffering for Christ. Phil. 3:7-10

iii. Of being Singled-out for Contempt….

2. They are not in Sight, but the Sluggard now says there are Two Lions

a. The Explanation.

b. The Excuses.

c. The Exaggeration.

d. The Embellished Fear:

“I shall be slain in the street.”

i. Survival when one is Committed.

ii. Suffering for Christ.

iii. Singled-out for Contempt:

He Forgot about: David’s & Daniel’s God The Destination of the

Child of God. Isa 35:8, 9 The Despot, the Lion of

Judah. Rev. 5:5, 6

The imaginary lion is his

excuse for not serving.

cf. Josh. 24:14-18

CHALLENGE:

• If there is a lion without, is there no

lion within?

• You need the Lion of Judah within

• If you serve Christ and suffer, you will surely suffer if you do not serve Christ.

• to counter the Lion, your Disguised Devil and Adversary, without.

3. There are only TWO LIONS that are Real:

a. The Tiger-Lion which is the Disguised Devil and our Adversary. I Pet. 5:8

• He is the Tiger in our Lives who Helps us Conceive the lions in our Mind.

• Beware of the Lion who is the Devil in Disguise...

Furnishing our Imagination with Excuses from Serving.

Making our Iniquity Eliminate us from Serving.

Making our Indifference to Exempt ourselves from Serving.

3. There are only TWO LIONS that are Real:

a. The Lion who is the Disguised Devil and who is our Adversary. I Pet. 5:8

b. The Lion Who is the Lion of Judah and Who is our Advocate. Rev. 5:5 cf. I Jn. 2:2

• He is the One Who has Conquered the Lion and will Help us Conquer the other lions – the tigers in our lives.

• Rom. 8:37• Nay, in all these things

we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

WILL WE HAVE THE LION OF JUDAH REIGN OVER US IN THIS YEAR OF THE TIGER, 2010?

• Will we try to find Tiger Excuses in not serving the Lord – will there be one lion, two lions or perhaps even more lions (tigers?)in our way, so that we cannot go straight to the vineyard to serve as co-labourers with God. I Cor. 3:9

IN GOD’S FUTURE KINGDOM WHEN THE LION OF JUDAH REIGNS…

• The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

• In this Year of the Tiger can we say:

• And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isa. 11:6, 7

• as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD?

BLESSED CHINESE NEW YEAR

• Wishing you All • A Blessed and

Bountiful Year of Peace, Prosperity (Josh. 1:8) and Productivity in the Lord

• Especially our Chinese brethren

• in this Year of the Tiger

2010• From myself, my

wife and my Family