#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 18: Trust or Bust?

God whispered to me this morning, “I am (……)”, which dawned upon me that His assurance comes in the present tense, it is not the past tense of “I was (……)” nor the future tense, “I will be (……). That means God is in the present- He is with me, any where, every where- now. God will always assure, “I am your Father, who love you a lot to surely take care of you. And I know exactly what you are going through, as well as what you need…”

In other word, we should live in the present- now – today. We should not borrow tomorrow with the strength we have today. Wouldn’t it be wasted if we miss the blessings of 12 hours to enjoy today?

So look up, look around, and look out. Miracle is there- it need not be in the package we expect, nor appear significantly magical- no matter how minuscule, we should count our blessing and be grateful.

Let’s live one day at a time.

Between TRUST (that God will take care of what we need) and BUST (from feeling anxious or worried) is ENTRUST (our burdens to Him as He is far better at handling our lives than we do our own).

It is enough for the day.

https://www.facebook.com/wellfullfillED

God Exists Beyond History

… He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began… – 2 Timothy 1:9

My strongest tertiary education subject was history. I ever did come across these two abbreviations ,”B.C.” and “A.D.” that I really wondered why history marked events ‘Before Christ’ and ‘After Death’. I was not a Christian then to totally grasp an understanding about such a dating system in history- why not other gods to be mentioned? 

Google search revealed that “A.D.” actually stands for the Latin phrase anno domini, which means “in the year of our Lord.” “B.C.” was “Before Christ,” and since His birth, we have been living “in the year of our Lord”.

It is interesting to observe that historians around the world recorded the events of ‘B.C.” and “A.D.” in the life and times of Jesus Christ, which was clear that the birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ are the “turning points” in the world history, and befitting to state that Jesus Christ is the separation of the “old” and “new” eras.

Isn’t it an irony that there are so many in the world who do not believe in God nor acknowledge His existence when these abbreviations actually evidenced His Presence. Although “B.C.” and “A.D” are not referenced in the bible, there are truths which can be gleaned from it which found in Genesis 1:1, which reads: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth”. That means, time itself is actually a created entity, and God is the Creator. And cross-referenced to Psalm 90:1-2, which reads, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

And more……

For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world… – 1 Peter 1:20A

Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me. – Isaiah 43:10B

Behold, God is exalted, and we do not know Him; The number of His years is unsearchable. – Job 36:26

Truly, clearly, God is real? Isn’t this truth strong enough to refute any tongues that disclaim His existence? Blessed are those who have not seen God yet believe in Him (John 20:29).

P.S. The bible recorded so many miracles Jesus had performed in His Time, and the media has reported God is still working in the world today, which I need not have to add anything further hereto.

His Omnipresence

The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good. – Proverbs 15:3 NASB

Before I knew about this hymn written by the fifth-century Celtic Christian St. Patrick, “Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ at my right, Christ at my left…” I ever prayed such a prayer from time to time. It reminds me about the omnipresence of an Almighty who is always watching over me wherever I am, and in whatever situation I am in. It brings great comfort and assurance in knowing that He is always with me.

Praying such a prayer helps to:

1. re-align my focus on Him instead of my problems (Psalm 46:10);
2. declare to the principalities that Christ is for me, who can be against me (Romans 8:31), therefore I shall not fear;
3. affirm me that God loves me so much, to be watching over me at all times (Psalm 121:8);
4. bring me back to the enduring presence of God (Psalm 139:7);
5. fall back on the promises of God: (a) who goes before me to pave the way (Deuteronomy 1:30; Isaiah 45:2); (b) and He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5B);
6. remember to partner God in whatever I am about to do (John 15:4-5);
7. recall that God is Sovereign and in control (Colossians 1:17);

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).

Faith Even On Rainy Days

The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. – Psalm 37:23

A cell mate shared this beautiful Chinese song with me which lyrics resonated with every fibre of my being- I can relate to those times when I felt downcasted. In translating this song to English (though not literal), I hope to share this song to minister to those who need to hear it…

Song title: 祷告 (Pray)

– By Streams Of Praise

(Listen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YbBwg5B9Uk&feature=youtu.be )

 

祷告，因为我渺小；

Pray, because I feel inconsequential;

祷告，因为我知道我需要明了，你心意对我重要。

Pray, because I know I need understanding, to your Will as it is important to me.

祷告，已假装不了；

Pray, I can no longer pretend;

祷告，因为你的爱我需要；

Pray, because I need Your Love;

你关怀，我走过的你都明白。

You care for me, and know every path I tread.

有些事我只想要对你说，因你比任何人都爱我；

There are things I can only share with You, because You love me more than any one else could;

痛苦从眼中流下，我知道你为我擦。

Tears shed from pain, I know You will wipe my tears away.

在早晨我也要来对你说，主耶稣今天我为你活；

Come morning I pray, Lord Jesus I live for You today;

所需要的力量你天天赐给我，你恩典够我用。

I need Your Strength each day, for Your Grace is sufficient for me.

 

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. (Psalm 34:18) You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. (Psalm 139:2)

Even on rainy days, the Lord is near; Even in the pit, the Lord is there. He knows every details of our lives. He searches our heart and know our thoughts even before we could find the words to say. (Psalm 139:23)

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8A) The Lord will protect you from all evil; He will keep your soul. The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever. (Psalm 121:7-8 NASB)

Keep faith. Keep going. Keep praying. There is always light at the end of the tunnel.

The Wilderness: A Call To Trust

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. (Psalm 68:19) “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant!” (Psalm 35:27) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. God is in the midst of us; we shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. (Psalm 46:1,5) “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27) And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19)

An emotional season in the pit in the late 2015 to early 2016 had derailed me from the track of faith and incapacitated in my regular routines- I neglected my business while cowering under self-pity blankets. I thought I’d left Egypt eon ago, instead of being whisked into a promised land of milk and honey, all I could see was mountains and snakes at every turn. I had trod into an unfamiliar territory- another wilderness! When I finally jostled from my “deep slumber”, reality hit that the economy was taking a downturn, I began to feel the heat when the company registered negative cashflow for almost a year. Insecurity set in when the uncertain future loom in and fears seized me. Alas I was standing at a verge, with the army of Egyptians hot on my heels, facing me was the Red Sea, with no other way of escape.

At that crucial moment, I cried out as hard, as much, as long, to the Almighty to save me and deliver me from my helplessness. By a bat of an eyelid, I found myself on a Rock, my enemies no longer pursued me. God finally broke the long chill of the silent nights, “Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in Me.” (John 14:1) reinforced with Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He’ll make your paths straight.” His voice resonated with the word “Trust”.

In the silent mire of abyss, my impatience got the better of me, I doubted God had heard my prayers. But I ended up with a megaphone blasting my ears, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?!” (My hairs really on stand…) By this, God had shown me that even a mustard seed of faith could move mountains and they shall be moved! Thence, my faith skyrocketed to a new level.

Much as “snakes” tempted me into discouragement, God had in the same breath faithfully sustained me with His one-step-at-a-time blessings and His day-to-day-double-portion of Strength. By His Grace, He gave me a gift of an encouraging Spirit that I could be optimistic; He gave me a vision in conquering the “Goliath(s)” in my life; He spoke to me His Life-giving Promises that I could profess victory; He had shown me that He is a God of Multiplication when He impressed me with a scenario where Jesus multiplied 5 barley loaves of bread and 2 fishes to feed the 5000 people full; He inspired me to compose a poem that Jesus can still a nasty storm (“Anchor Deep”); and He led me to pray with prayers I had never prayed before.

God is still teaching me something about “Trust”; and no doubt that He is bringing me closer to Him so that I can hear Him better; He is disciplining me through His refining fire to keep me going from strength to Strength and from faith to Faith; So that I can rest unto God’s Peace, “Peace I leave with you; my Peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27) and His Faithfulness, “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.” (John 15:7).

I am thankful that God had been there, and even the present. I counted my blessings for the people who has eased my burdens in some ways. I marvelled at how God had provided despite the impossibilities. There is always a miracle every day- big or small, it is how you see them.

God is not hard of hearing- Our tears are precious to Him for He is especially close to those crushed in spirit. Just be still and let God be God. He will walk on the water and grabbed you before you could sink just as Jesus rescued Peter from drowning when His faith failed him.

“The more secured you are in Christ, the stronger you stand even if your whole world came crushing down. Your security is not found in transient things but in Him alone.”

P.S. And one thing for sure- Every time I pray, the Supernatural always happen in the spiritual realm- that we cannot see now but will happen later. So keep praying- P.U.S.H. (Pray Until Something Happens).

Metamorphosing Into The New Season

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace. – Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

As you pass this mid year of 2017, are you still carrying the baggages of the rued past? All the ne’er-do-well that embittered you; all the might-have-been that frustrated you; all the all-over that unnerved you; all the why-me that crunched you; and the sins-in-the-flesh that checkmated you.

The pains. The tears. The dollars. The seconds. The misses.

Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. – Hebrews 12:1

Metemorphosing Into The Seasons

1. Basking in the heat of SUMMER

Lying supine in the meadow flanked by the flower-beds resplendent of flamboyant blooms, carpeted lusciously in green, enshroud by a warm symphony of suffused gold and pink rays, the butterflies flit flirtatiously from one flower to another; a morning avian serenading you; the beautiful nature beckons.

Dreams seem beautiful. Life seems wonderful. When will time freezes at this standstill?

2. Sojourning SPRINGtime

The vibrant kaleidoscope of colours mushrooming the landscape coupled by a dream-like and surreal aura from the relucent glaze of the sun sends you bedazzled, enchanting like a jewel box sparkled with shimmering satin and sequins.

The beauty is lingering. The future is promising. When will hope springs forth certainty?

3. Traversing AUTUMN terrains

The foliages rustling at your feet, the pebbles rattling, the onslaught of the autumn chill gnaws your spine relentlessly. Moonlight filtered through the naked branches and scattered dappled patches on the foliages-strewn ground. And the next minute passes like a slow-motion suspended trailer.

Everything mellows by time. Everything plunges into a comatose. When will it be a resuscitation of vitality?

4. Enveloped by the WINTER avalanche

The journey through the uncharted terrains gets rougher, encompassed by a thick bedding of snow. The incessant showers of snow pellets frosted your vision, greeted by life obscurities and enfolded by a hyperventilating miasma of tempest, the road ahead looks solemnly bleak.

All hopes come to blight. All efforts come to naught. When will dawn be glimmering?

But……

Be thankful for what you have instead of counting what you had missed;

Be thankful for what you went through instead of whining over the bumps;

Be appreciative of your-pain-in-the-neck for these often are the people whom God used to teach you something;

Instead of complaining about the thorns on a rose, be thankful for the roses amongst the thorns.

Behold 2017. A reborned person. A renewed mind. A reformed heart. A refreshed Spirit.

Just Believe

(Jesus says), ”Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” – John 14:1

A conversation with an ex-collegue who is also a Brother-in-Christ last Wednesday, left me in rumination… “Your job is simply to pray and to just BELIEVE. It isn’t your job to find out what God is doing in your life, nor to question His Sovereignty over why things happened as such… You just have to do your part to pray and keep praying, and simply to believe and take God’s Word as it is. You should pray like you believed!”

I was then led to the verse John 14:1 and a new light was shed- Ever wonder why Jesus repeated, “believe also in Me” when He already encouraged us in the preceding line, “believe in God”, since He is God Himself?

Perhaps to most of us, God seems too abstract a concept to grasp, and He seems like a super-cosmo being that is hard for us to feel or hear Him, let alone to see Him. We have to admit that we are physical being who need to see, feel and touch real things. That is why Jesus has to remind us that He is God in a physical form too- He came in flesh, and scooped down to our level to relate to us so that we can see, hear and feel Him. In other words, through John 14:1B, God is conveying a few key messages:

1. God in the flesh is REAL AND NEAR so that we know He can emphatise with our present

Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; SEE my hands. REACH OUT your hand and PUT IT INTO MY SIDE. Stop doubting and believe.” – John 20:27

God is our refuge and strength, an EVER-PRESENT help in trouble. – Psalms 46:1

2. God in the flesh arose as an OVERCOMER so that we have the same Hope and Victory

(Jesus says), “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I HAVE OVERCOME THE WORLD.” – John 16:33

3. God in the flesh is the immutable “I AM” so that we can be assured of His unfailing Nature

“Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I AM” (John 8:58). “I AM” is a powerful reminder on the nature of God- “I AM” the Almighty God, nothing is too hard for me (Jer 32:27); “I AM” Jehovah-Jireh who provides for your every need (Philippians 4:19); “I AM” the Divine Healer who heals (Exodus 15:26); and the list goes on…

Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday and today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) The bible has recorded uncountable miracles that Jesus did in the past, and He will not stop performing those miracles now or in the future. We need to fall back on such history to remind ourselves, forgetful human beings, what God had done and has promised. God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? (Numbers 23:19)

Last but not least, imagine that Jesus posed a question personally- “Do you finally believe?” (John 16:31), and how would you answer?

Abundance

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it ABUNDANTLY. – John 10:10 ESV

Cross reference to other translation, is “full” (NIV)’ “satisfying” (NLT) and “everything” (GWT).

I have often wonder aboutt the word “abundance” which implies to me, “richness”. In the World’s dictionary, it literally means “material wealth”, where I can hope for million dollars, successful businesses, dream houses, dream cars, edifying relationships, satisfying marriage, healthy body… That’s abundance!

Until I read and re-read the first liner that Satan steals, kills and destroys. If abundance equates to material wealth, Satan can only steal and destroy but wealth can not be killed.

So in other words, in God’s dictionary, it means “living to the full.” It is a promise that no matter what is going on around us, we can have PEACE in the midst of storms; we can have JOY in times of darkness; we can have HOPE when circumstances seem hopeless; we can have SECURITY when times are uncertain; we can have STRENGTH when our flesh is failing; we can have CONTENTMENT in times of little; we can still partake of His Blessings no matter what, for God is the same yesterday, today and forever. We can live life to the full which cannot be bought or compensated with whatever figures in your bank account.

That is the highest order of abundance.

Have a blessed day looking to God to help you be filled with His Abundance.

P.S. Try apply this- “Satan can rob you of (hope), kill your (hope) and destroy your (hope).

God is, I Am.

The God who spoke, still speak.

The God who listened, still listen.

The God who moved, still move.

The God who molded, still mold.

The God who forgave, still forgive.

The God who blessed, still bless.

The God who transformed, still transform.

The God who delivered, still deliver.

The God who empowered, still empower.

The God who strengthened, still strengthen.

The God who healed, still heal.

The God who saved, still save.

He is the God of yesterdays, today and tomorrows.

He is the God of all possibilities, where men can’t, God can.

God is, I Am.