#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 38: God Takes No Vacations, Check In To His 247 Hotel

What a MAR-vellous month planning for an upcoming trip to Europe (finally my maiden step into this continent…) to be inspired to pen this devotional – whilst I am getting all excited with this blessed vacation, it dawned upon me that God never takes a vacation… He is always working, tirelessly, without twiddling his thumbs nor fidgeting his fingers. 

He takes no breaks- You will never find a holiday email responder that will greet you, “I am currently away and may not have access to my mailbox. Apologies for any inconveniences arise thereof, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.” 

He never stops- You will never find His STOP sign wherever you are out on the roads.
He never retires- You will never hear Him announcing it is time to enjoy the next phase of life.
He never disappears- You will not find Him missing any where.
That is yes. 
And God owns a hotel, for the weary travellers.

Welcome to God’s “Everland Rendezvous Hotel” (if I may be audacious to name it at such)- that offers beyond 5-star services, 247 (24 hours times 7 days), and promise a picturesque view. This hotel is famous with their brand tagline, “If there is nothing more you can ever lose, then the next best thing you can ever have, is TRUST, for this cost you nothing. Welcome to a FREE stay!” Woah, sounded like a great deal too true to snag? (Understandably with the inundated slew of scams going on that would turn anyone into a skeptic.)

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe in Me as well. In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am.”
– John 14:1-3

While familiarising the route around the hotel, don’t violate the moment between sunsets or sunrises, pause, and consider this whenever a sunrise or sunset, steals your breath, and the sun ray kisses your face, visualise such awe-inspiring magnificence of God’s palpable presence. Look up to the vastness of the skies, and you will find yourself so minuscule in view of God’s borderless expanse.

While ambling gingerly to your assigned room, do look out for the welcome mat embroidered with Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God.” And there a poster on the wall arranged in a typographic layout, “Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.” (Psalm 62:8 NKJV)

In the middle of the room, a cosy king size bed allures you to plonk right into comfort that is blanketed with God’s loving care- “He will not let your foot slip— He who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.” (Psalm 121:3-8). Not forgetting a fluffy pillow nestling on the bed cushioned with God’s appeal to rest up, “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7 NASB).

(Do you know: Waiting is a spiritual discipline that call for a sustained effort to focus on God through concerted prayers and continual belief. It is not an inactivity nor passiveness, or to be in a state of assuming the worst, to worry, fret, make demands, or take control. The key is perseverance with diligence.)

The lamp by the bedside is conspicuously a physical reminder from Psalm 27:1-2, “The Lord is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid? When evil men advance against me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble and fall.” 

Look no further, a clock display on the side table, flashes an interactive message,“It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, and work your worried fingers to the bone. Don’t you know He (God) enjoys giving rest to those He loves?” (Psalm 127:2, MSG). 

Last but not least, get ready to fuel up with a good tea-break by the coffee table with an artisanal tea-set tray array with the finest curated snacks, “When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight…“ (Jeremiah 15:16A).

What an amazing room that is filled with God’s Goodness! You will feel spirit-charged even for a night, and of course you can stay as long as you need. Won’t you be able to trust such an Owner who take care of everything we need? 

P.S. Upon self check-out, remember to look out for this little last reminder memo sticked to the box, “Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.” (Roman 12:12 NLT)

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 36: Growing, Going and Glowing: Gloom to Bloom

‘Then this shall be the sign for you: you will eat this year what grows of itself, in the second year what springs from the same, and in the third year sow, reap, plant vineyards, and eat their fruit.
– 2 Kings 19:29

My little garden makes a great visual reminder that God takes care of all His creations, and how He supplies all the necessary provisions for daily living. I am in awe that God is such an amazing Designer – He creates so many varieties of plants for our pleasure! 

Since I do not have green fingers, I have to consecrate more effort in taking care of my “green pets”. Any garden can turn messy if we neglect it. And if we fail to do our part in watering, pruning and feeding them with light, the garden will see “gloom”, and in a matter of time, it will be “doomed”…

Make no mistake about this: You can never make a fool out of God. Whatever you plant is what you’ll harvest. (Galatians 6:7 GW)

Indeed, we reap what we sow: if we sow little, we will reap little; if we fold our arms, we get nothing; and if we chose to play dumb, we get messes.

He who watches the wind will not sow and he who looks at the clouds will not reap. – Ecclesiastes 11:4

A Church put up a sign that reads, “God makes miracles out of messes and mistakes.”

Whoa, wouldn’t this uplift your spirit from woe that pinned you against the hard wall of life-altering circumstances? 

So how can we grow a blooming garden in trusting God for our lives? Do you know, God has great 101 planting tips that can be gleaned from the Bible:

‘For there will be peace for the seed: the vine will yield its fruit, the land will yield its produce and the heavens will give their dew; and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things.
– Zechariah 8:12

1. Plant a mustard seed, named TRUST:

“For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21)

1. Fertilise the ploughed soil, with TRUST:

As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty. (Matthew 13:23 ESV)

1. Water with a living stream, of TRUST:

He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38)

1. “Vitamin-ise” with the son-light, under TRUST:

Because of the tender mercy of our God, With which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace. (Luke 1:78-79)

1. Prune with care, in TRUST:

Jesus says, Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that continues to bear fruit, He [repeatedly] prunes, so that it will bear more fruit [even richer and finer fruit]. Pruning is vitally important for us to grow in our walk with God. (John 15:2 AMP)

1. Wait with perseverance and patience, and TRUST:

Sow your seed in the morning and do not be idle in the evening, for you do not know whether morning or evening sowing will succeed, or whether both of them alike will be good. (Ecclesiastes 11:6) and he goes to bed at night and gets up by day, and the seed sprouts and grows—how, he himself does not know. (Mark 4:27)

We may not have the know-how and we may not always understand what God allows, but we can always trust the Master Gardner with our “garden” whatever its condition, who can take care of messes better than we do.

I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. – 1 Corinthians 3:6

And be patient, for you shall see your garden flourish in the Hands of God. The crux is, do you trust Him?

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#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 34: Debugging Your “Head-ware” or “heart-ware”

Good news to welcome your 2024- This devotional warrants an eyebrow-raising headliner: Someone Can Make The Dead Alive!

Feeling the ‘D’ emotionally from the 3Fs (Frustrations, Fears, and Failures) of the modern-day struggles: Dumb, depressed, denied, disapproved, demotivated, disappointed, discouraged, disillusioned, disenfranchised, depreciated, despondent, desperate, demoralized, defeated, debilitated, depleted, deserted……

Actually so much of our stress is self-imposed: 

1. Accumulating the ‘D’ from obsessions:

With our world obsessed with getting more, spending more, doing more. How much is ever enough……

1. Feeling the ‘D’ from fixations:

We know that the past is no longer in our control, yet we dwell over it. We also tend to believe that we hold the future in our hands, yet we fret about what may come, with joy or pain……

1. Bearing the ‘D’ from assumptions:

When life sucks, we often wish we can change our present circumstance, whether we are living ok (hoping for something better) or not ok (seeking for a breakthrough)……

Before the year ends, it is high time to give life a clean slate by bidding ‘D’ goodbye. For a certainty, we will not live a life free of trials. Trials are served for purposes to test if our faith holds real, or simply barely surviving on empty words. 

At any point in time, our level of faith will unveil how much we trust God – there are some circumstances which we have no control over – He allows such circumstances to happen in our lives in order to give our faith opportunity to be proven, through situations like a compromised business dealing, a project that suddenly turn awry, plans that go south, unexpected persecution, an unreasonable boss, a difficult colleague, or a challenging relationship that requires unconditional love – so as to unravel what is in your mind in order to reveal what is your heart: the “head-ware” or “heart-ware” issue.

That is life. We have our fallibilities and flaws, living with imperfections and inconsistencies, day to day. We will be confronted on any front emotionally, physically, financially, relationally and socially, where we will face the harsh reality that challenge our faith in our natural responses:

1. Shock: Why did this have to happen?
2. Anger: Why me?
3. Grief: What have I lost?
4. Fear: What is going to happen next?

So what is the case in point- In reality, we often leave God at the periphery of our lives and look for Him only when we are desperate and have no other options. We mess up, rebel and ignore His Truth, then want Him to bail us out. This carnal self-centeredness has been hardwired in our human spirit, since the Fall of Adam.

The reason why our public life is so disordered and our private life so hampered by anxiety is because we will not be still and know God.
– A. Maude Royden

Just as a doctor must cause pain when he sets a broken bone so it may heal, so God’s discipline is not capricious but curative, and ultimately life-giving.

God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did. (Romans 4:17)

For He is a Master Fixer.
He is a Master Surgeon.

It is a clarion call for us to surrender and buck up, there is no neutral ground. We can trust that God will reveal what we need to know. So long as our faith rest totally in God, we need not weigh the risk of failure, for only He can turn your setbacks into comebacks. Let Him ride with you through your storms and tide over life’s irascibilities.

The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. (Proverbs 16:4 ESV)

P.S. The afterglow of Christmas may have dimmed to welcome 2024, but if you have Jesus in your heart, every day can be celebrated. 

#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 26: Psst! I’ve Got A Great Secret How To Rid Your Monkeys!

The June school holidays is a hot season for travelling bugs. Planning itineraries and what to pack for the trip have been the fun part for any travel enthusiast. And whenever I travel, I would be reminded of a dear friend who love bags and pouches, big or small, where all her stuffs are always well-compartmentalised. I am always amazed by how neat her luggage is. The only problem is, her luggage is always full to the brim, which made me wondered if it is necessary to bring along stuffs that may not be essential. Imagine how wonderful if we travel light, not having to bear the weight of lugging?

Apart from luggage, how about our usual haversack or bag that we carry for the day? Friends have been commenting about my 2.5L load haversack, that looks “overbearing”, and too burdensome for me to lug it around. And yes, I am always teased as a food delivery Jane! 

Indeed, haversack or luggage is heavy, especially when we load what goes in. I feel more at ease to be well-packed, or at least comforted to know I am in control to be over-prepared than under-prepared. Unbeknownst to me, between the first step on the floor to the last step out of the door, I have grabbed some baggages , unconsciously or subconsciously, without thinking much- the bags I grab aren’t made of special materials but made of burdens: The suitcase of distrust; A duffel bag of anxieties; A hanging bag of weariness; A backpack of doubt; An overnight bag of fears. Not to mention, it is already load-FULL to count! Little wonder, before the sun set, my strength is already waning with fatigue paying a visit. Lugging luggage is indeed physically draining!

Don’t you realise, oftentimes, God has been whispering, “Set that stuff down, my Child! You are carrying burdens you don’t need to bear!” Let’s read Matthew 11:28, where Jesus says, “Come to me all of you who’re weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” 

So how about packing Jesus into our luggage and carrying God as our backpack? We all need to learn to travel light (with God). We all have our own monkeys, but we needn’t have to piggy them any longer, give them over to God and trust Him to navigate through life’s course. He is “weightless”, yet essentially a heavyweight (for any situations), and He is all we need. 

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#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 20: The Greatest Love of All

God is the……

Author of your story,

Perfector of your faith,

Bread of your life,

Water for your soul,

Healer of your body,

Provider for your needs,

Anchor for your storms,

Peace for your anxieties,

Counsellor for your emotions,

Source for your strength, 

Hope for your future.

Such is He a,

Lover of your person,

and a trusted

Companion on your journey, 

For life.

So, can’t you trust the One who can hold your everything?

For those who find Me (God) find life and receive favor from the Lord. - Proverbs 8:35

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#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 19: Travelling Places- Gas Up or Break Down?

“I get to lie down in green pastures, being led beside quiet waters, and guided along the right paths. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, I will not fear, for God is with me.”

Psalm 23:2-4

I missed travelling… I dream I could have an opportunity to sit in a caravan that go places. Though I am not a driver, but having been chauffeured, I can well imagine myself at the steering wheel, capturing picturesque sceneries:

Sun-dappled meadows. Arid dry lands. Snow-capped mountains. Treacherous terrains. Luscious pastures. Dew-laced woodlands. Meandering rivers. Breathtaking peaks. Rugged plains. Deep valleys. Magnificent cityscapes…….

Don’t you marvel at these sights that everything in creation gives evidence of God’s existence? Sighting the intricacy of snow that falls, the thunderstorm that roars, the mountain stream that trickles, the vast sea that flows… which concluded that God is, undeniably, there, with His handprints every where.

Life itself is full of mountains and valleys, the ups and downs. Today’s economy is getting more volatile than ever, and the market can turn topsy-turvy any time. The weather is also getting unpredictable and can change by the hour. The future is, but an untraveled trail with unexpected twists and turns. Even the best route isn’t all sun-dappled meadows and quiet riverside lanes. We will journey over rugged terrains or through dark valleys, from time to time. While travelling, we may come across these warning sign-posts erected by the roadsides:

Sharp bends. Land slide. Under construction. No fishing. No loitering. No swimming. No entry.

Then the dashboard of our life beeps an alert- Tank running low! If we are not in time to gas up, we will be in danger- Engine will stall soon. We will have to resort to emergency brake……

At that critical moment, there seems to appear a mirage that reads, “Life Guard on duty”.

Will the barometer of your TRUST engine then be zero? Half-filled? Or full tank?

In the fallen world of change, in all our heartbreaks and disappointments, there is only one constant- God, whom we can trust- so we need not have to fear change, for He is our anchor that holds our strongest storm. He will be our strength in our worst battles. We don’t have to be afraid, we can put our trust in Him, for His word and His promises always come through.

“The Lord himself will go before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forget you. Don’t be afraid and don’t worry.”

Deuteronomy 31:8

And the Lord knows the path before you, He is your perfect Guide for life. He watches over your every steps and teaches you His paths revealed through His word. The only way to ensure we are walking on the right path is to follow Him who knows the way. Even on our darkest days, God says, “I’m here and I’m with you.” And when life doesn’t feel good, He is faithful. That is, if you will humble yourself and reverence Him, He will give instructions about the way you should choose. Because He sees every obstacles and temptations along your way, and He wants to guard your steps so that you won’t stumble off course.

“The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you.“

Psalm 32:8

Choose to trust the Lord and pursue His will rather than what might feel good or look right. You will be blessed with much more than you can ever imagine.

Take heart too that God is also a Comforter, who promises to walk alongside you so that you never have to face life’s challenges alone.

“You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you. So, trust the Lord always, because he is our Rock forever.”

Isaiah 26:3-4

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New Year, New Hope, New Life. Blessed 2023!

Life without meaning has no hope.

Life without hope has no faith.

⁃ Nick Vujicic

We all have foundation, we all know the Word of God, it is a matter of how solid or how well is our structure that can withstand the winds and storms of life.

2022 endemic was eventful, 2023 may be rough but we can hang on tough because tough season won’t last but tough people do. So no matter what we are going through, or what we be facing, God is still in the picture.

Because He is a Living God- He is always there, always speak, always watching over us… It is us who fail to grasp His Presence and His Person. We are either blindsided or deafened.

So the question is- why?

Very likely that we rationalise too much. We get too secular. We put God in a box and limit Him. And the key issue is our own belief system is flawed – we believe what we chose to believe. We are myopic and have not change our glasses. Our inner man is overpowered by our flesh.

So basically, the poke (gentle stage) or furnace (advance stage) test is- how well is God living in our life?

Life will have its struggles because the world we are living in will have troubles which God has already warned that in this world we will have troubles, that is expected, but take heart that Jesus said He had overcome the world, if you expound this word ‘overcome’, He overcame then and is still will be now and future unless the world (which we are living now) disappears.

So there are 3 principles we can live in the power:

1. Anchor

What is an anchor? It is a heavy object attached to a cable or chain and used to moor a ship to the sea bottom, typically having a metal shank with a pair of curved, barbed flukes at one end. That is a physical description.

How does this apply in a spiritual context? We need to anchor deep in the Word (Bible as the sea) of God to keep us stable on sea of life and choppy water of the seasons. So the deeper you anchored, the more firm you stand. It holds your ship.

Be still and know that I am God (Ps 46:10). Let not your hearts be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me. (John 14:1)

2. Hope

What do you understand about ‘hope’? Dictionary defines hope as a feeling of expectation and desire for a particular thing to happen; it is a feeling of trust.

So how do we place our hope in God?

If to summarise what the dictionary defines, that means “to trust God for something you want (expect / desire) it to happen.” Thus He promises in Isaiah 49:23, “I am the Lord; those who hope in Me will not be disappointed.”

And hope should be the last thing to lose- Many people are depressed because they are losing or lost hope, and they keep looking or dwelling on the dark side but fail to consider there is always two sides to a coin, and we have choices- hold on, persevere, stop dwelling or the flip side.

On another plane, actually what do you consider as miracles? Something “poof” or some kind very magical? Truth be told, it is not necessary, it can be something small, Nd it may not come in a package we have expected. It is simply mean God’s Handprints upon something, so the truth is, God does miracles every day, we just need ears to hear and eyes to see (2 Kings 6:17)- isn’t we are still living considered as the greatest miracle? Imagine we can live another day to do what we love doing?

So life has hope. It isn’t the end- there is always light at the end of tunnel if we keep on walking.

3. Presence

We all know that God is Omnipresent and Omnipotent. The question is, what do we need to do with or in His Presence?

We just need to practise abiding, for He is always there, and in His Presence we can find strength. So we just need to keep still. Yet we fail to abide… So what is actually abiding? Literally, it means to ‘stay’ or ‘remain.’ To abide in the Lord means that we continually receive, believe and trust that Jesus is everything and has everything we need. Abiding also mean the need to be still, to let God be God to do the things in His Will and in His Timing, knowing and trusting that He is in control. Abiding is also a time where we need to recharge or pluck to the power source, which is God alone.

As disciples, our faith will always be put to the test. In 1 Kings 19:11-13, God told Elijah: “Go stand in the presence of the Lord outside your cave on the mountain… First, a violent windstorm came up that blasted the mountain… but the Lord was not in the wind.

Got the last verse? Imagine God is not present where you are or going to, including your prayers for His answer… So His Presence matters.

To sum up in a nutshell, we need to abide in His Presence, anchor deep in His Word, in order to be upward-looking in Hope, forward-looking in Faith, and outward-looking in Strength.

Bless your 2023 with the 3 keys of a good start!

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#RecessionProofed #HowToTRUST (Total Reliance Under Stressful Times) Experiences 8: God Have You Fully Covered For Life!

My recent review on my insurance coverage have inspired me to pen this devotional that God can be our ultimate Insurance- 

All of us feel secure to have some sort of protection to be well prepared for rainy days. There is nothing wrong in so-doing, but oftentimes, life doesn’t go as planned- None of us like unexpected ‘surprises’ that life may throw at us. But God has us all covered for life with these fundamental Truths from His original policies. 

1. God Is Our Life Policy.

You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble

He will never leave us nor forsake us, He will be our safety net we can fall back on.

2. God Is Our Protection Policy.

Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. – Psalm 54:4

No matter what happens, God is the Strength and Promise that undergirds our lives, 24/7. 

3. God Is Our Savings Policy.

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 4:19

He is our ultimate Provider, who meets all our needs.

If I may be audacious to propose a brand tag for God’s TRUST Insurance succinctly, it will read “The ONLY GUARANTEE, TRUSTED for life.” with these guarantee:

1. God never fail.

“I am the same yesterday, today and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

He is the only constant that will not change though times can change; He will not call quits and abandon though markets can crash: He will not contradict His Integrity as it is part of His Divine character even though the laws on earth may evolve from time to time.

1. He will take care of ALL our needs. 

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

– Psalm 23:1

God knows exactly what we need, even before we ask of Him. In Him, we will lack nothing. 

2. 100% Safe. 

The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. – Psalm 121:7-8 

God is a strong tower and make a good hiding place; where He can preserve us from troubles, keeping us safe.

Where on earth can we find such a FREE insurance coverage that not only guarantee for life, we can also reap much benefits from it! God is good! 

DO YOU KNOW #RelationshipsMatters#BeTheChange Tips Series

I was prompted to compile a series of useful resources on relationships which I had acquired from attending equipping classes, handling various ministries and volunteering in outreaches.

#RelationshipsMatter because they are fundamental to our well-being. But this world is made up of imperfect individuals who are wired differently, brought up in different environment that influenced their upbringing and emotional make-up. Our life experiences also influence the way we see, think, feel, and response. In any relationship, it takes a lifetime to truly know and understand a person, better and better over time. Certainly, nothing comes easy, and often easier say than done, but not to forget, as much as it takes effort with two hands to clap, each of us have a part to play.

DO YOU KNOW #RelationshipsMatters

#BeTheChange Tip 1: The Heart Of The Matter Is The Matter Of The Heart

What we see determines the way we think;

What we think determines the way we feel;

What we feel determines the way we react;

And how we react determines the way we act.

So what consumes your mind controls your life. And at the center of it all is your heart- It will do good to look at our heart to get to the root cause of a problem. Each of us hold the key to our hearts- unlock it to reveal the truths. And when you know the truth, the truth shall set you free.

#HeartOfTheMatter #MatterOfTheHeart

The Best “F” Word Ever…

A General Practitioner dispenses antibodies pills to combat viruses, bacteria or germs in our body whenever we fell sick. But what about when we succumb to spiritual illness? Our Divine Physician already built a mobile 24/7 dispensary with unlimited stock, where we can consult for all sort of conditions, without the need for a physical Queue ticket. (P.S. We can stay safe wherever we are!)

Like Vitamin C for our daily immunity booster, try this reinforced supplement staple to be consumed 3 times a day for building a strong spiritual immunity for a well-fortified soul:

1. FRET not

Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray! Let petitions and praises SHAPE your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. – Philippians 4:6 MSG

The bible reminds us that our thoughts run our lives, and we do have a choice each day: DECIDE if to see things under the “Son”light or in the dark, and that will determine how we end the day, week(s), month(s) and even year(s). Our perspective is often obscured by magnifying our problems, forgetting how BIG our God is. In the era of social keyboard-warriors, we should be spiritual verses-warriors, and be a game changer! And expect to see how God does His work.

2. FEAR not

You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, because of what Jesus has DONE for us. – Philippians 4:19 LB

F-E-A-R is simply False Expectation Appearing Real. The more we fear, the more it opens door to allow the Devil to mess with us. The best antidote to counteract fear is to recall what God has already done for us, and remember that He who paid with His life, love us so much, will He not know what we are going through and surely give us what we need? 

3. FORGET not

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are FIXED on you! – Isaiah 26:3 NLT

Our faith may wane at times, but no matter how tired, tried, and tested we are, we just need to take time to be still to recall the God, the Keeper of time and eternity, is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, can keep us in perfect peace when our minds are fixed on Him as we trust in Him.

Water it down well with God’s Living Water from Psalms 89:34, “My covenant I WILL NOT BREAK, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” and John 13:17, “Now that you KNOW these things, you will be blessed if you DO them!” 

Last but not least, remember to have enough rest and a good night sleep, a tired mind and an exhausted spirit is prone to attacks, as the Bible reminded us in Deuteronomy 25:17-18, “Never forget how the Amalekites… attacked you when you were exhausted and weary, and they struck down those who began to lag behind…”

#PostCOVIDseason: Living Through Life Dilemmas

Recent health check sent me a little unnerving, as it is my first time to hit a record high in my pressure reading… I can’t believe that it hit me since I am pretty conscious of my diet and exercise almost daily… Getting a little pensive, some burning questions gnawed in the deep recesses of my soul relentlessly- “I am already half a foot in the grave, how should I be living the next half?” “Will I be muddling through life living the same old same old?’ “How best should I be living as if tomorrow may be the last day of my life?”… 

The past one year hanging tough through COVID19 should have shed some new light to a post pandemic season:

“You have experienced many things. Were all those experiences wasted? I hope not! (Galatians 3:4 ICB)

1. RE-VIEW the what-have-been’s and the what-should-not’s. 

“Did you go through this whole painful learning process for nothing? It is not yet a total loss, but it certainly will be if you keep this up!” (Galatians 3:4 MES)

2. RE-LEARN and un-learn from life challenges.

You can’t control what gets your attention.

You can control what keeps your attention.

• Rick Warren

3. RE-DEFINE the new, not resume the old.

We may make our plans, but God has the last word. (Proverbs 16:1 TEV)

4. RE-SET for a purposeful post-COVID living.

“I’ve banked your promises in the vault of my heart” (Psalm 119:11 MSG)

5. RE-START in hope with God.

Obey God and be at peace with Him; this is the way to happiness. (Job 22:21 NCV)

6. RE-FOCUS so as to live intentionally. 

“Lord, the people who set their mind on you, you keep completely whole and steady on their feet, because they keep at it and don’t quit. So, depend on God and keep at it because, in the Lord God, you have a sure thing! (Isaiah 26:3-4 MES)

We can take heart that God bolsters us with His love and presence throughout the seasons. 

Garbage In, Garbage Out

In the past 2 months of Circuit Breaker, people have been nuahing at home the whole day and glued to anything rectangular – TV, phone, tablet and laptop – as a keyboard warrior on social media, posting on Instagram or Tik Tok, or drama or FB Live, bingeing die die also must have potato chips, ice cream or snack on hand to feed itchy mouth. Cannot tahan, the whole pack sure gone in no time and you grab more and raid the fridge. Alamak, with such lazy-bum lifestyle, little wonder all complaint kings and queens cry father cry mother that they are getting bui bui from being chronic couch potatoes. And aiyee, the pot bellies gets deeper and the muffin tops spill out more…

(P.S. Sounded like you and it is time for a detox: Garbage in, and garbage out? Let me offer you some slices of “bread” as a healthy option that won’t tip your weighing scale- Eat bread and live life to the full!)

“I (Jesus) am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” – John 6:35

Ever since I embarked on my newfound joy of making bread with my new toy as part of my “keep-me-sane” therapy, I have learnt a lot from “Bread”: from studying recipes to creating new inventions and learning about the entire baking process. It is not as simple as I thought which I once dismissed that bread is simply a clump of flour. Only when I am hands-on, did I discover that each ingredient, the quality right down to the quantity affect the outcome- each loaf turned out differently with different mixture, shape, size, colour, aroma, texture and taste. Individual ingredients need to be mixed well to form the dough, and the success of the bread lies in the kneading process that tested how well the dough is made.

The bread maker by default comes with preset menus for different made with its minimum duration. From time to time, I love to peer over the status monitor to check on the progress. I thought being mindfully watchful ensure the bread will be in good hands. I can’t hurry nor short-circuit the process otherwise the bread will not be baked well and the outcome may be ruinous! The entire process is long but somehow I have developed greater patience, as a result- Aren’t good things worth waiting for after all the hard work? Imagine the indescribable joy of witnessing the final product with satisfaction. 

Bread may be a simple staple food for everyone, but to me, it holds a deeper meaning – not just my love for this carbohydrate, it is a visual reminder that God, as my Provider, whom I can go to Him with a child-like petition to ask for provision each day:

Give (me) today (my) daily bread (Matthew 6:11). And which of you, being a father, will give a stone to his son, who makes request for bread or for a fish, will give him a snake? (Luke 11:11 BBE)

While physical bread represents an essential for survival, so God will ensure we are fed in order to live; Spiritual bread represents a necessity for sustainability, so God will provide all that we need to survive well. 

…for man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. – Matthew 4:4

The kneading process also bring me to a deeper realisation that God’s handprints are in every details of my life- He is intimately aware of the ongoing situations; every pull, every tug, every grind, every turn, every pressure, every processes: He knows all my pain and counts all my tears. Each journey may be fraught with challenges and often offer new learning experiences, but God is always there and with us all the way. We can be assured that we are in His good hands, and will be provided for if we trust Him, day to day.

P.S. Never say bo jio – wanna taste my bread, private message me ha!

#SGUnited #StayHomeStaySafe #SinglishQT Series (5) QT: No-mess Spiritlicious Recipes For Good Health And For Life

Everyone can guess that the trending posts on FB during Circuit Breaker period is “I also can cook!” Imagine it can be very kang kor for Singaporeans who love to makan are being barred from dining out. When the popular quick-fix fast food giant, MacDonald, suay-suay kenna infected with the COVID-19 virus, had to cease operations on 19 April, forced many to find alternatives to jiak. So since being “imprisoned” at home may as well learn to anyhow masak-masak up a storm and get to hao lian photo-bombing on FB and IG. And wah sei, some really machiam restaurant style. Lagi best, some anyhow agar agar chin chye hantam, throw in anything into the wok also turned out to be bagus siah! Really, it can be super leh chey and sian to da pao all the time. And every day eat same same can be jelat. So may as well check out recipes online and be creative as a chef-wannabe with homecooked food!

 

(Ok, enuff with the Singlish liao…)

 

And now, isn’t it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You’re more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you’ve come out of this with purity of heart. – 2 Corinthians 7:11 MSG

 

While relishing a succulent muffin, I got into my usual habit to dissect what ingredients that gave the muffin its flavourful oomph. Each individual ingredient, may be tasteless, but they are integral to the success of making the muffin as a whole. And when these ingredients are mixed together, the final first bite gives it its verdict.

 

And yes, the bible is our best “recipe” book we can turn to if we want “omphlicious” food that feed us spiritually. Just as physical food feed our body, we need spiritual food to feed our soul. And what we feed grows, what we starve dies. So when we eat well, we get stronger. And the more we eat, the bigger our muscles when we build them up. (By the way, it is harmless to binge on spiritual food and we will not grow out of shape too!)

 

Depending on our “craving” at the time, we will need the right “ingredients” from the bible, follow the “recipe” as instructed, and just have to wait patiently for the “timing” to get the final product. We can trust that the result is always to our “satisfaction” if we “follow” the “full” recipe correctly. But of course, we may not get it “100%” right all the time because of certain or unexpected “human and mechanical errors”. It is also necessary to go through more “trials and errors” in order to “improve” our “skills”, as each “process” offers different “learning” experiences.

 

Practice makes better. Nothing will go wrong if we fully follow the instructions given. After all, God’s the Teacher, we’re the students, so trust His training. There will always be something new to learn each day- so check out God’s “recipe” today, you can be assured of the most satisfying meal for the day (and minus the stress)!

 

#SGUnited #StayHomeStaySafe #SinglishQT Series (2) Labour Day Special QT: Mai Kan Cheong, More Than Enough- Stockpile Treasures From Heaven.

(Be warned: Singlish overloaded! Cheem local ‘vocab’ may stretch you! Power siah!)

When the local government raised the Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (DORSCON) level to Orange as a result of increased cases of the novel coronavirus on February 7, sending signal that the disease was deemed severe and infection might be contagious. This news was enough to drive Singaporeans into a panic mode, worrying about their livelihoods and the top-of-the-mind response was, “Food!”. You got it- Singaporeans went siao chiong-ing to raid the supermarkets. Worried over food scarcity should the country follow suit to lockdown nationwide, they die-die must stock up the necessities. And wah piang eh, the situation was really sibeh jialat, the shelves for toilet rolls, kitchen towels, wet wipes, maggie mee, rice, eggs, canned meat and hands sanitisers had been wiped out almost clean! I simply don’t understand such mentality especially with paper products which are not edible! Wah lau eh, like that die already loh when the aunties with mountain-full trollies of those essentials made the headlines with our infamous Singaporean symptoms: Kiasu-ism and Kiasee-ism. I myself malu as a local to witness the snatch and hoard culture. My fellow Singaporeans, tolong leh, steady pompipi, it is not the end of the world lah! This kiasu virus is even more potent than COVID-19 and soon the buay tahan virus would evolve even stronger. Sian, I had to join the queue just to get a few simple essentials, but no choice leh before the stock kosong! And sibeh suay to have to jostle with the crowd, the snaking queues really had me flipped!

(Ok, let’s turn sane with proper English now.)

These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. (Matthew 6:32) Do not be like them (the pagans), for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:8) 

So, the question is, “Are you the type of person who see half a glass of water as, half full or half empty?” 

Insecurities. It is what drive us to react and response the way we did. Living in today’s world which prizes achievements, social status, material comfort and wealth, that equate success, has bred a downhill trajectory ethical culture. Failing which or fallen short of such benchmark, we may feel insecure like social misfits. And this label left many of us a disgruntled lot with a “hoarder” mentality- the constant need for covetousness and accumulating possessions to feel safe in the least. Sometimes, even the more than enough is not enough…

Because, insecurities will always breed insecurities. This fella will always precipitate:

i. Fear, so we worry. 

ii. Lack of faith, so we get anxious.

iii. Distrust in God to provide or can provide, so we take matters into our own hands.

But the best counter-measures to overcome insecurities: 

1. Turn on the power of prayers

Because worry and prayer cannot co-exist at the same time, either you expend energy worry or better utilise the time to pray- which is useful?

And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. – Matthew 21:22

2. Magnify God instead of zooming in on the situation

Turn your focus to our infinite God who is much bigger and can handle anything and everything.

‘Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.’ – Jeremiah 32:17

3. Meditate on God’s Promises

Rehearse the truth of His Promises over and over until they sink in, for example, one of the good reminders from Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. …”

4. Allow God’s Peace to rule in our heart

If God’s Peace anchors our heart, insecurities will not rock or cause a rippling effect to our soul.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. – John 14:27

5. Recall how God has met our previous needs and be reassured that God still care

We are all forgetful beings, so we need to make conscious effort to recall how God had previously provided for our needs. In so doing, we will be more assured that God who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, still care to meet our needs.

Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

6. Trust God to supply as He knows our needs

God, as our loving Father cares for His children, will take care of what we need.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. — 2 Corinthians 9:10

7. Learn to live in contentment

Keep life free from having to want more, and learn to live with what we have at present.

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. – 1 Timothy 6:6-10

8. Seek to live one day at a time

Worry does not serve any purpose for good, just as Corrie Ten Boom aptly put across, “Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.”

Therefore, take no thought about tomorrow, for tomorrow will take thought about the things of itself. Sufficient to the day is the trouble thereof. – Matthew 6:34 

So, stockpile the treasures above instead and the inventory will keep us in good faith to fight a good fight, over the long run. 

BE INTENTIONAL (12): Changes- It Is Time To Recalibrate Our Lives

I am the Lord, and when it is time, I will make these things happen quickly. -Isaiah 60:22 NCV

It is often said that life is a like a game of chess – a strategy board game where every decision made on each move of a chess piece will impact the entire game. And each move will result in different outcome. 

By the same token, COVID-19 pandemic has effectuated changes in our lives that require us to adapt to everyday situations and adjust our expectations. Changes is fundamental for us to get our acts together.  

So what is God doing right now? It is time to recalibrate our lives and thrive in this season of crisis. We cannot remain where we are and expect to move with God, nor expect Him to move without doing anything.

And to quote someone, ”Stupidity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome.”

We need not be victims of circumstances, though we do not have control over the external, but we have control over what we can do at best, and leave God the rest.

So changes is not necessarily a bad thing- There are times when God need to shake things up to force us to change – He is intimately aware that we will not move forward without a push. So He will put us in situations that will make us uncomfortable (in whatever our area of struggle) to stretch us and make us grow. His ultimate goal isn’t to make our life miserable but to push us to a greater purpose for His higher Glory.

Change, and we be changed too.

When people’s lives please the Lord, even their enemies are at peace with them. – Proverbs 16:7 NLT

So hang on tight, and trust that God will eventually bring something good out of it, one day.

I trust the Lord God to save me, and I will wait for him to answer my prayer. – Micah 7:7 CEV

BE INTENTIONAL (7): Let it all out, lay it all down, leave it all behind.

Every morning you’ll hear me at it again. Every morning I lay out the pieces of my life on Your altar and watch for fire to descend. – Psalm 5:3, MSG

Hello 2020! A new year often signify changes that can make us apprehensive and uncomfortable— Seasons change; plans change; people change; feelings change; and things change— Ways we cannot see; times we cannot control; events we cannot comprehend; and things we cannot understand. Undeniably, changes are inevitable and unpredictable, but God is still in the center of it all. As the calendar turns another page, each day comes with a God-given Gift:

1. Gift of a NEW day. 

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. – Lamentations 3:23

Each morning is a new day, new beginning. It is a chance given to start over or make the best out of it. It is a loving reminder how God has sustained us the night before and bless us with a gift to live another day. He carries us through day to day. What greater gift can there be to live another day? So, treasure each day and live for His Glory.

2. Gift of SURRENDER. 

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. – James 4:7-8

Do we want to carry baggages from the past year(s) to the new year: Insensibilities. Sensualities. Guilt. Mistakes. Wilderness. And whatnots. Lay them down; let them go; and hand them over. Each day is a call, a chance to humble ourselves and surrender all that is in our heart, our mind and on our hands. Breakthroughs take 100% God and also 100% man- to let go and let God – God can’t do any thing if we withhold any thing. Let God have the key, He is way far better in handling our lives (and messes) than ourselves.

3. Gift of MERCIES. 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” – Lamentations 3:22–24

The God who is slow to anger, and abounding in love and faithfulness, is ever so gracious. His Grace unmerited and given, therefore we can hope in Him to see us through the seasons, whatever we are facing.

4. Gift of RENEWAL.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. – 2 Corinthians 4:16

Day by day, continuously, God makes us new every moment, and each day brings a fresh beginning.

5. Gift of LOVE. 

His Love endures forever.  – Psalm 136

God is love. No matter how faith less or faithless we are, He will always be faithful. Since God has already given His All which demonstrated the extent and the depth of His Love, no good thing will He withhold from us.

6. Gift of BLESSINGS. 

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:19

The crux is- what do we “see”? His blessings are actually everywhere— it is a matter of perspective— they may not come in the package we expect, they may be the little things we often dismissed or overlooked. Look around, and count our blessings, and we will realise we have actually forgotten to be grateful. 

7. Gift of the HOLY SPIRIT.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. – 1 John 4:4

The Holy Spirit living in us is an Overcomer – that with Him and through Him, we can do all things.

8. Gift of ASKING. 

Ask of Me, and I will give you… – Psalm 2:8

Ask and you shall be given (Matthew 7:7)! What would we want to ask God for? Call upon Him and He will answer and tell us great and unsearchable things we know not. (Jeremiah 33:3)

9. Gift of EMPOWERMENT.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. – Psalm 28:7

What is the center of our lives? And this centre will drive us. Chase feelings and feelings will bring us on a roller coaster ride with highs and lows; follow our heart and our heart will bring us go places with heartbreaking zig-zag turns; chase the world and the bible warns that we will lose our soul. Make Jesus the centre, and life will be back in the balance. 

It Is Always Easier To Quit!

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it.… – Matthew 7:13-14

A recent conversation with a friend caught me mulling over a point blank question, “How desperate are you for a breakthrough?…… It is your choice, and your choice determines the result.”

We all live each day with decisions to make, big or small, poor or wise, and our choices determine where we will end up in: each decision will result in either repercussions or blessings. 

Some of us hate to make choices; often vacillating between A and B, unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Let’s face it- most of us love to take the easiest route, and it is a no brainer to make that choice. Why? Because it is always easier to quit than to continue, and it costs us less pain. Who doesn’t like the easy way out? 

SO,

we chose to cave in and give up, too readily and too easily. 

BUT,

if things come easy, do we need God?

AND,

The heart of the matter is often the matter of the heart.

 

The crux is, how desperate are you for a breakthrough? Here’s are some gauge you can find answers in:

1. Are you griping, “Too tall an order I can’t do it. I am just a common man.”?
2. Is your decision based on self and emotion or God and His direction?
3. How many times have you pray about the situation in a day?
4. 4. How many times have you consulted the Bible and the Great Teacher in the day
5. How often do you humble yourself at your knees in seeking breakthrough?
6. How willing are you to die to yourself?
7. How willing are you to change yourself first than to change the situation?
8. Have you exercise other sound options and try until something happens?
9. Have you persevere until something happens?
10. Do you prefer to settle for less?

 

Great men of suffering ever shared their experiences:

When God does an impossible task, the takes an individual and crushes him.

– Charles Swindoll

 

Until a man is nothing, God then can make nothing out of him.

– Martin Luther

 

Ever wonder, the greatest Glory awaits those who chose to persevere? Jesus persevered, at the point of death. If He didn’t, there is no Hope for mankind. Jesus is God, yes, but He was also 100% man, in the same skin as you and me.

I recalled the time I was in a health, Identity and financial crises, so broken from coming to the end of my tether, and desperately begging for a breakthrough that I literally chewed the Bible for any morsel of God’s living Word, day in and day out. As a newborn spiritual baby, I prayed like a mad woman not knowing how to fire with any spiritual gears bestowed. I just need to get out of my valley and get up on my feet. Was it easy? No. Was it quick? No. It took me a year (may be longer). Miracle happened because I chose to preserve, I made the choice to believe that God will bring me through it, and God didn’t waste my tears, my efforts to die to self and gut-wrenching pain. I didn’t give up then, so here I am, a living testimony of His Grace and amazing transformation. 

If I chose to give up then, I believe my life would have cost me more agony and landed me in more mess than before.

So it all boils down to your choice- Be wise.

Some of us may shrug at this devotion and brush it off “It is not applicable to me”. Let me submit to you that the Bible says in John 3:30, “Only when I decrease, so that God can increase”. Like it or not, we will all be tested- Brokenness is fundamental to restoration, and it is the only antidote to our self-centered nature.

 

When I am unable, God is Able;

When I am powerless, God empowers;

When I am faith-less, God is faithful;

Whenever I cringe in fear, God always stay near.

(Everything He Did) He Does It For You

I was inspired to pen a spiritual version of this popular secular song by Bryan Adams, “(Everything I do) I Do It For You” as my spirit was crooning away… If you know the song well, you can sing along as a love song from God. You can google  Youtube for the soundtrack.

(Everything He Did) He Does It For You

-Written on 14 Sep 2004

 

Look into His Eyes,

You’ll see what you mean to Him

Search His Heart

Search His Spirit

And when you find Him there you’ll search no more

He tells you, you are worth saving for

He tells you, you are worth dying for

You know it’s true

Everything He did, He does it for you

 

Look into His Heart

You’ll find there is nothing there to hide

Just come as you are and give your life

He would take all of your sacrifices

He tells you, you are worth loving for

You can’t help there’s nothing you want more

You know it’s true

Everything He did, He does it for you

 

There’s no love – like His Love

And no other – could give more love

There’s nowhere – unless He is there

All the time – all the way

 

He’ll tell you, you are worth dying for

You can’t help it there is nothing you want more

He would fight for you

He would die for you

Walk the fire for you

He had died for you

 

You know it’s true

Everything He did, He does it for you.

Trials into Triumph: 7 Truths to Anchor Deep When Life Gets Tough

Christ is all, and is in all. – Colossians 3:11B

We all know that life is never perfect, and can never be perfect in this fallen world, with the vicissitudes of life in the volatile times. Sometimes, life does not go the way we want to, and we get caught up in our daily lives, and forget that this world does not define us. Whenever things are not going well, there is an inherent tendency to believe that God is not working in the situation. We are also tempted to think the worst, where everything from our vantage point seems bleak- We see no way out and perceive gloom and doom over the future. But little do we know that in such times, God is actually working behind the scenes orchestrating His plans to accomplish His purposes for our good and for His Glory. 

We may hate to admit that tough times draw us nearer to God with greater dependence and reliance on Him that result in a greater level or new level of faith. And those lessons are precious which can never be learnt in the good times. God knows what we need in life, but we need a fresh perspective on our situation- what we perceive will be different from what God can see. Remember, tough seasons do not last but tough people do, so in order to hang on well, we will need to anchor ourselves on these living truths:

#1. Fight the good fight and keep the faith

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome!” – John 16:33

Life will always be a series of tests and our faith will come under fire. And during those times of challenges, do we cringe in fear or cling to faith? Stand firm, let nothing move you, and always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord will not in vain (1 Corinthians 15:58). 

We will be trained to persevere and fight in faith, for faith is the confidence what we hope for will actually happen, it gives us assurance about the things we yet to see (Hebrews 11:1).

#2. Don’t lose hope for the day and keep disappointments at bay 

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. – Romans 12:12

Each day is a day of renewed hope since God has made each day a new page, a new chapter and a new beginning. We should be heartened to know that the faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease; Great is His faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each morning (Lamentations 3:22-23 NLT).

Therefore we have hope each day and rejoice, no matter what is happening around us, let us not lean on our own understanding, but in all our ways, acknowledge God and He will make straight our path (Proverbs 3:5-6). And always be joyful, keeping up a prayerful spirit at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

#3. Refuse to have conversation with the Devil and stand firm 

Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” – Matthew 16:23 NLT

It is ok to be in the wilderness but it is not ok to sojourn in it, any longer we will get lost wandering and likely to end up as bitter souls like the Israelites. When we are emotionally and spiritually down, we are susceptible to attacks. The devil loves to take advantage of our vulnerabilities to play his favourite tool- deception. As a father of all lies, he will never stop insinuating doubts into our subconscious mind. Be careful what you think, because your thoughts run your life (Proverbs 4:23 NCV)– an idle mind is the devil’s playground, and every temptation always start in the mind, therefore we must always guard our thoughts and renew our mind with the Word of God constantly.

The devil is also good as masquerading as angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14), so not everything good is from the Lord, whether through opened doors or providing options, hence make no assumption and be spiritually discerning if it is really from God.

One of the key values we ought to learn is to be content whatever our circumstances, and always be thankful, this way the power of the enemy will not have a hold over us since his ability in frustrating us will be rendered impotent.

Each time we are tempted, we should consciously choose God’s Truths over the devil’s lies; choose to gravitate our mind Godward; choose to believe that God will work things out in the end; choose to trust God and be patient for His divine provision or intervention; choose to live in peace and joy in the moment, and find rest knowing that He has good things in store for your future.

#4. Be still and know that God is still in control and keep on trusting 

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” – Jeremiah 32:27

Although God can do anything and nothing is impossible with the Almighty, but sometimes it is not necessary that God will provide a way out in our situation, He will provide a way through it. We just have to keep trusting that God knows best because His ways and thoughts are far higher than ours (Isaiah 55:8-9). And blessed is the one who trust in the Lord and make Him his hope and confidence (Jeremiah 17:7). 

Be still, let go of your concerns, and let God be God. (Psalm 46:10). After all, God is not deaf nor his arms too short to move (Isaiah 59:1).

#5. Cast your eyes on God alone

I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 121:1-2

Whenever we look down, we can only see things with shadows, but if we look up, we will have a wider perspective and see light. In other words, we either magnify our problems or we magnify God in the situation- which is a better choice? It is also good to look around us and admire God’s creations- there are wonders beyond our apprehension what God can do, that you be surprised there is actually miracles everywhere. 

#6. Remember God is faithful even when we are faith-less

If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is. – 2 Timothy 2:13 NLT

It is an immutable fact that God is 100% faithful, even if we are faithless or faith-LESS. He knows what we need, He understands how we feel, He anticipates what is to come, and He is familiar with all our ways. He promises His Presence whenever we call on Him (Psalm 145:18).

Count your blessings what you have, not what you do not have. Recall how God has provided and blessed us with in the past, insodoing that will assure us that God will work things out in the end.

#7. We are more than conquerors through Christ who strengthen us, and continue to declare the living promises of God

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. – Romans 8:37 NLT

The almost impenetrable wall of Jericho came tumbling down only after seven days of incessant prayers marching around it (Hebrews 11:30). It is a great reminder that no matter how impossible a situation is, we will have the ultimate victory in Christ Jesus. With the Bible at hand, where it contains His Word like fire and like a hammer that smashes a rock (Jeremiah 23:29), and the living promises that when God speaks, He acts upon it and will not be unaccomplished (Numbers 23:19), we are more than conquerors through Christ in us and for us.

Therefore, be anxious for nothing, submit our concerns and lay down our requests to God and the supernatural peace of God will transcend all understanding will guard our heart and mind in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7). So be patient until God speaks and acts.

How To Tip the Scale of Depression

The way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know over what they stumble. – Proverbs 4:19 ESV

The recent spate of suicides by celebrities rendered me pensive that the world is getting darker, and darker… Many must had been in great emotional and mental turmoil that they could not overcome the lurking darkness that had gnawed relentlessly at their soul perpetually. How great must be that darkness! Indeed, even the bible warns that anxiety weighs down the heart (Proverbs 12:25) and hope deferred makes the heart sick (Proverbs 13:12). 

It is not unknown that the bible even recorded godly men have their fallen times and overtaken by darkness, one example can be found in Genesis 15:12, which reads, “Now when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and behold, terror and great darkness fell upon him.”

I can empathise to a certain extent since I once wrestled with the onset of mild depression. Given a pessimistic nature as a result of an unhealthy upbringing during childhood, I could anticipate gloom and doom whenever my soul was down-casted. 

“But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! – Matthew 6:23

With no one at home to turn to nor able to share my struggles with whenever I needed help, I found it hard to trust people around me as I was taught that no one in the world was trustworthy. I was a loner, growing up with a belief system that if-no-one-can-help-me-only-I-can-help-myself. It was a sheer misery growing up that life in itself was meaningless. I painfully questioned my existence as I was lost in my own darkness and not knowing where I was heading… I could not recount the number of times I did contemplate (in my mind) to just end my miserable life, and that indelibly etched encounter with a speeding car which stopped on time at inches away from me, did jolt me up. It took me decades to surrender myself – I just need someone, whoever and whatever it was, to save me out of crises on all fronts- I was at the end of my tether then.

Thanks be to God, He drew me out of my deep water.

For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, – Colossians 1:13

Can you imagine that I used to be a super anti-Chirst, who cursed the God who gave me a rotten life (at that time). Such was a cynical and critical soul I was that I blatantly refuted the bible indisputably. Yet lo and behold, just because I took the first step in surrendering myself, on my humble knees desperately crying that I needed help. And miracles happened- my life was never the same since. I must say my conversion was very dramatic.

I had to expose the deeds of darkness so that I would not be held captive by them:

(a) Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; – Ephesians 5:11 NASB

(b) But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. – Ephesians 5:13 NASB

And because I had exposed them, I let Jesus into my life:

(a) The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. – John 1:5 NASB

(b) When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” – John 8:12

(c) This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. – 1 John 1:5

It is definitely no easy feat to come to the end of oneself to the point of total surrender. We can all be deceived or misled into thinking we are doing alright. The bible warns in 1 Corinthians 10:12 NLT, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”Luke 11:35 also reads, “Then watch out that the light in you is not darkness.”

Fears can also keep us from moving forward:

(a) Everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come into the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. – John 3:20

(b) And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? – Matthew 16:26 NLT

(c) For even though they knew God, they did not honour Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. – Romans 1:21 NASB

The critical step is to first acknowledge we have a problem and need help, and want to be helped. God will then take care of the rest if we are willing. Let God has the driver’s seat, He is far much better in steering our course and in control than us. Here I am, very thankful to God that I did not lose any ounce of my sanity. All I did was to stop being stiff-necked to wallow in my own self-pities parties any longer. There is no way I can stop wrestling with darkness until I let a glimmer of light in. 

P.S. In addition, I actually could not find answers to the vicissitudes of life in other religion at that time until I picked up the bible where I found Hope, Love, assurance, comfort, strength, wisdom and direction. Thereupon, it lays the foundation of living in Freedom, Truth and Light.

Why Waiting Is So So Hard……

“God does everything just right and on time, but people can never completely understand what He is doing” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 NCV

Living in today’s fast-paced world where everything is a quick-fix, quick-gain, quick-grab, quick-bite, quick-sale, quick-fly, quick-quit and quick-confirm (a Singlish terminology), little wonder that people are a lot more impatient now than ever. Nobody likes to wait — except Singaporeans’ unflinching penchant for good food that long-long queue means die-die-must-try (speaking in Singlish again) — as waiting always challenge one’s patience, and is always the hardest and perhaps painful, especially when we are in a hurry.

And it hurts to know that God has never been in a hurry- He is never too early nor too late – His Timing is always perfect. But we are the problem – how do we hear His answer, nor know His Timing? 

Wait, wait and wait… Delay after delay… And yet God is still silent. We all have such seasons in our lifetime. But God has His reasons that we are not able to grasp His infinite incomprehensibleness.  

So when we are in a hurry, we are susceptible to commit the fallacy in taking matters into our own hands, thinking that God will still bless us if we think our decision is right. Little are we aware that impatience really means it is a lack of trust. When we are impatient, we are implying that we do not trust God enough to wait any longer, because time is running short and we reinforced our decision, thinking that God does not care enough to answer on time in our best interest, or perhaps, we think that God’s way is not the best. And here’s another pinch to our already bruised soul- God never reveal His Timetable nor His plans for us, ahead.

Sounds familiar? 

I had been there, and it took me donkey’s years to really learnt that trusting God’s timing is always a maturing of character and testing of faith, that I need to discern between hearing God says, “No.” and “Not yet.”. And delays are not necessarily His denial. (And yes, I often wish God can simply say, “Yes!” and make my life easier, but I guess I would not have learnt what it means to differentiate discernibly His Will in so doing.)

From time to time, I often have to remind myself how God had prepared Moses for 80 years, including 40 in the wilderness from a somebody (he was born a Prince) to a nobody (he became a refugee from murder) then to be somebody He had intended Moses for (leading the Isrealites to the Promised Land). I am sure, like Moses, we all have wondering and wandering times, struggling with “What is next, God?”, “When, God?”, “Is it time yet, God”, “What is this, God?”, “Are you there, God?”…… And God’s “Not Yet” took Moses 80 years in waiting… Woah, it is a-gulping-long-time…

God can do any thing any time, time is never a factor to Him. But He is far more concerned in our Character than our comfort; that we act in Faith than respond in fear; and that we preserver in Trust than we panic and tumble. Common to the adage that great souls are birthed through seasons of pain and suffering, our learning path will be shorter so long as we do not short-circuit our process of God’s refinements. Just as James advised, “Don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed” (James 1:4 MSG).

Just remember where we are standing now- how far we have come, we are not yet where we want to be, but at least we are not where we used to be. 

Here’s God’s golden rules:

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act – Psalm 37:7 NLT

Also it is not good for a person to be without knowledge, And he who hurries his footsteps errs.- Proverbs 19:2

Last but not least, LEARN to be patient and WAIT in trust for God’s Best in His perfect Timing.

“I Tell You The Truth…”

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth. – 3 John 1:4 

Did it ever occur to you that some of Jesus’ words were affixed with “I tell you the truth…”? Nearly seventy times found in the Bible that Jesus is quoted as having said that famous liner. This revealed not only was Jesus concerned with the truth and to express what He had to say was the truth as it is, but to reinforce the importance of that truth in order to remind us to pay attention to it. 

We may all claim that “Of course, I know…”, but if we honestly examine our attitudes and actions, we had have to confess that we do not always measure up nor really act like we do. Sometimes the voices in the world can delude us into believing certain truths what our sinful nature likes and be deceived into endorsing them. We ended up feigning ignorance or take the truth with a pinch of salt and even dismiss it readily citing excuses on the weakness of human nature.

It is evident that nobody likes hard truth, much less to hear the truth being slapped to our face. Surely none of us like to be forced to accept certain truth as the Only Truth. But it remains a fact that as Children of Light, if we claim that we experience a shared life with Jesus and continue to stumble around in the dark, we are obviously lying through our teeth— we’re not living what we claim. (1 John 1:7A MSG)

The entire Bible is the Ultimate Truth, whether we like it or not. And that is the hard truth.

Here’s some of the stark truths that we may not like to hear but will stop us in our track to reflect over our walk with God:

1. Is there a difference in our spiritual life now compared to where we were a spiritual baby? Do we experience true transformation since our first conversion? (Cross reference to Ephesians 4:20-24)

2. Judgement Day will bring to light our work and its quality will be tested with fire to reveal if it can withstand the heat. (Cross reference to 1 Corinthians 3:13). Do we have any thing to present to God when we come before Him one day? Will we be proven faithful to the things He entrusted us with or call us to do?

3. Not everyone who calls the Lord “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of God gets to heaven (Cross reference to Matthew 7:21-23). Will God really know us when He separates His Sheeps and goats on the Final Day?

4. All our deeds, big and small, whether spoken or unspoken, done or devising, blatant and hidden, will be recorded in the books, and we will be judged accordingly. (Cross reference to Revelation 20:12). How would we stand before God?

5. We all find it nauseating to have distasteful lukewarm food, and in the same figure of speech found in Revelation 3:15-16 which used to express disgust that God had for those who are lukewarm, in other words, lacked spiritual zeal. Would we still continue to be complacent as bench-warmer with a folding-arm mentality in our walk with God?

6. Do we come to God only when in need and treat Him like some cosmic vending machine expecting Him to bless us when we have not been spending time with Him, choose to go to Abba’s House only as and when we like, we neglect our spiritual growth, we complain about the chores of carrying out God’s work, choose to be disobedient to His commandments etc.? (Cross reference to Deuteronomy 28)

The truth is this: We can be­lieve in God and sin, but we cannot walk in sin and enjoy God’s Presence at the same time. 1 John 3:9 (NLT) says, “Those who have been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of God.” In addition, Romans 6:2 (NLT) says, “Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it?” In other words, we should not want to sin. And the closer we are to God, the more conscious we are of sin, and the less we will do it. Habakkuk 1:13 says, “God’s eyes are too pure to look on evil; he cannot toler­ate sin.” So if we walk with God, our eyes will be purified too to look on evil, and we will come to hate sin like God does, as the one who called us is holy, so we too should be holy in all we do (1 Peter 1:15).

And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. – John 8:32

Image courtesy from Richard Chan

A Victim into Victor: When You Can’t Trace God’s Hands, Trust His Heart

And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10

Not so long ago, there was a continuous spate of events about the breakdown of our local train made me realised that humans grumbled a lot when they encountered the inconveniences of disruptions. Regarded in the same light, we are also quick and inclined to throw a fist at God for the one thing that caused us great disappointment or anger, yet we failed to count the times God has blessed us with so much more. Just one setback can discount everything else.

When things aren’t going in our favour, we are susceptible to strike a protest or stage a long-drawn  rebellion. And before long, we spiralled down to a spiritual “black-hole”. The truth of the matter is, there is always a cause and effect in everything – it all start with an incidence that provoke a thought to engender a decision which in turn evoke our emotion and lead us to an action. Don’t belittle even the little thing because it is often the little foxes that spoilt the vineyards (Song of Solomon 2:15). A small spark is capable to set an entire forest on fire. (James 3:5B)

I once was on a rampage why life was so unfair to me. I felt coerced having to accept my “ill fate” that I did not deserve. Broken dreams broke my heart, so much that I came to hate this God who claimed He was good and everything was in His control. I had been cussing vehemently, “What a joke! There is NO God.” I was so broken that God actually came in person- In a deliverance session of dealing with my deepest pain, I saw myself as a three year old lost, enshrouded in darkness and wailing away. At that instance, Jesus came smiling, held my hand to comfort me and led me out of that darkness. As the back view of the two silhouettes dimmed away, I found my heart touched in a very supernatural way in showing me how much I was loved that He came to lead me out of that black-hole. That was my personal encounter with a living God that I could not deny His existence. That was how God got my little fox- it was the aching void of rejection in the need to be loved.

We all had our past, our former way of life with old mindsets and belief systems. And life in the fallen nature has us on roller-coaster from time to time. Although we may have accepted Jesus into our lives which already marked a new beginning, but some of us are still living with foxes that are nestling in deep burrows. The quality of our lives now reveal traces of what had been once-upon-a-time.

Hollow out the little sly fox(es). Jesus is very near to the broken-hearted. When we can’t trace HIs Hands in whatever situation we are in, we can trust His Heart no matter how you feel. A victim by exigencies can become a Victor by overcoming.

P.S. Today is Good Friday, let’s look at the Cross, again, the horizontal beam demonstrates how wide is His Love and the vertical beam shows how deep is His Grace. And when the two beams intersect in the middle, God affirms that nothing can separate us from the Love of God, no matter how far and how deep we have wandered. Because of His Greatest Sacrifice sending Jesus nailed on the Cross, there is no redemption beyond the impossible. Jesus bore our transgressions, carried the cross for our shame and sting by painful rejection from His own Father, yet He was willing to lay down His Life for our sake, so that we can live. Shouldn’t that give you reasons enough to hand to Him what you can’t handle? Shouldn’t that teach us not to take His Grace for granted?

Trials into Triumphs: Fear to Faith

My life is in your hands. Save me from enemies who hunt me down. – Psalm 31:15 CEV

I ever wondered why some of us do struggle with trusting our Heavenly Father with our lives when we can entrust our own mortality to pilots who take us across bottomless oceans and precipitous mountains. Those who love to travel have this unspoken assurance and faith that the planes they are in will arrive at their destinations safely. Such is an absolute trust in finite pilots behind the wheels, but yet we fall short in trusting God altogether who is infinite and in control of the entire universe.

I am one such traveller who is apprehensive about taking flight. I really do not like the idea of floating in mid-air for hours, I felt as if my heart may pop out of my mouth any time, hence, I never get to enjoy the flight with ease. However, I do love the destination. Regrettably, in order to get to the destination, we need to embark on the journey whether we like it or not, and the road ahead is often paved with uncertainties of what is yet to come.

And truth be told, life is never perfect nor free from trials and testings. Many a times we made zig-zag turns or even u-turns in life that mess up our lives. As a result, we unwittingly enter into the wilderness or even the Valley of Baka (weeping). During those times of testings, it is human nature for believers to struggle even in our faith. Trials can incapacitate us with fears physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially, relationally and mentally.

Yet the place of our greatest triumph is usually birthed from our greatest pain- God will use our greatest failure or deepest sorrow as a catalyst for a glorifying end in our lives and the lives of others. Our valley or pit becomes revived springs for ourselves and others, where we will go from strength to strength (Psalm 84:6). Only through ‘death’ can new springs come forth and a new strength emerges.

Recall Jesus at the Garden of Gethsemane, pleading at the feet of the only One who can sustain him. How deep was His anguish that He even shed tears in blood. Even to death, Jesus submitted to His Father’s Will obediently (Hebrews 5:8). Ultimately, He overcame His testing, triumphed over His enemies and emerged victoriously.

It takes fear to confront Faith;

It takes Faith to conquer Fear.

Faith and fear cannot co-exist in the same plane.

Only through partnering God, can we be overcomer like Jesus did. (John 16:33) Take heart that in all things God works for good of those who love Him. (Romans 8:28)

A Mess Into A Message: Your Story Is HIStory (“HIs-Story”)

They bruised his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar. Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph’s character. – Psalm 105:18-19 NLT

In the earlier days as a new believer, I saw myself in a few visions where I stood before a congregation to share about God. Lo and behold, I was requested to share my testimony for a session, “Faith To Heal The Wounded Soul” at my church’s Women’s Encounter. I had to muster enough courage to stand ‘naked’ before an audience of unfamiliar faces just to relate my checkered past. At some point in life, I really hate my life, I always begrudged why my life was beset with issues and challenges that were hard to bear. My life was such a mess up- a broken home, broken body, broken life and broken dreams- health crisis, identity crisis, financial crisis, and family crisis, I had been through them all. I did wonder would my life turn out differently if I have known Jesus much earlier…… If only I stop being so obstinate, I would have avoided much hard knocks of life and saved myself from much bruises and injuries. Perhaps, I am bearing the consequences of my own rebellion and bad choices.

But I must brutally confessed that it is better to go through life with God than without Him. Life will be more bearable with an Almighty than to shoulder it alone.

And my story is HIStory (“HIs-Story”), that took me years of broken dreams and humble circumstances in order to break every ounce of pride and self-will, to come to the end of myself.

If you ever wonder why life can be a series of mess- adversity of failing health, failed career, failed finances, failed relationships, and broken dreams?

Ever wonder why are we on earth for, having to go through such crises in certain seasons of our lives?

Ever wonder why must we go through storms of life?

And ever wonder if we took one wrong turn, we have missed out God’s Best?

Even after much wrestling with God, we can never seem to find those answers with bended fists, brandished arms and clenched teeth. Most of life’s difficult questions are best answered when we go through things that try us the most, for those are the things that God allow to prove by the truth of the Word of God and His Sovereignty. And there is always Light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long, His purposes will always prevail. God certainly desire us to be freed, if only we allow Him a free rein in our lives- changes can only happen when we embrace them openly.

We are made for more than just managing problems in life, that whatever we are going through act as catalysts in experiencing God’s Purposes, Grace, Power and Glory, that unfold a greater story. And the good news is, even if we missed an opportunity, took the wrong turn or made a wrong decision, “The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me” (Psalm 138:8). God is much bigger than our disobedience or mis-calculation on our part, isn’t that comforting to know our entire life won’t be thrown off course? Everything in life has His gentle Handprints, but you hold the pen to your story.

Some of the staunchest Christians I know are people who had periods in their life when they questioned the Bible, Christ, and God.  But as they continued to examine the matter, there was overwhelming evidence that only “the fool hath said in his heart, there is not God.” In God’s economy, you must go down into the shadow of grief before you can scale the heights of spiritual glory. You must come to the end of self before you begin to live. When we come to the end of ourselves, we come to the beginning of God.

– Billy Graham

The Only Way To Defeat Darkness Is Light

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. – John 1:5

A tagline from a movie trailer flashed, “The only way to defeat darkness is light.” It reverberated to me that the world is getting darker…… The recent surge of suicides reported in the news, reinforced with campaigns in promoting awareness about depression and mental illnesses, and triggered by a recent traumatic event, it hit me that the scariest part actually isn’t darkness itself, it is when there is no light inside of us – a spiritual darkness that has inconceivable repercussion on a person’s soul that will beget physical consequences.

Let’s supposed a room encounters a sudden power outage, and it is enshroud in complete darkness. Any normal human being would react with a panic at an instance; most of us would cringe in anxiety of the surrounding darkness, which as a result render us immobilised with fear. And the longer we sit in that room, darkness will loom to be larger that it seems to be. Eventually, we held in hostage by its principalities.

If anyone walks in the dark, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.- John 11:10

We certainly cannot war against darkness with our mere flesh and strength, it is the principalities behind it that require spiritual weapons. Just as a physical light lights up the room of darkness, spiritual light (inside of you with the power of Holy Spirit, God’s Word, and prayers) can cause darkness to flee too!

Therefore when there is no light inside of us, we can’t activate its power, we will be like a walking dead, and life will seem like an abyss of darkness. The only way to defeat that darkness is light.

In Him (Jesus) was life, and the Life was the Light of men (John 1:4). Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (1 John 5:5).

But the sad reality is, many of us get so accustomed to the darkness over prolonged period that we do not want to turn on the light, or rather we refuse to do anything to seek the light. Some of us have succumbed too easily; some of us held on too tightly to the chains that bound us to our own dungeon and not ready to face the light. The truth is, God has already provided the options for us to be freed, the key is whether we have let go and let God.

David prayed, “When I am ready to give up, he knows what I should do” – Psalm 142:3 GNT

Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Though I (may) sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. – Micah 7:8

Get up, search for the light, turn on the light, walk towards the light and look to the light. Darkness will have to flee even with a flickering light, no matter how small or weak is the candle wick, let the light shines.

Problems. You Have Not Reached Your Limit Yet!

Sometimes it takes a painful situation to make us change our ways. – Proverbs 20:30 GN

A threesome conversation with friends on how our flesh becomes flabby as we age, that we burst into laughter when we were jesting about how soft our “chicken wings” (the area where biceps is located) are. It is a sad reality that women are more prone to donning “butterfly sleeves” if we do not exercise our arms.

I trained with weights almost every day in order to maintain the toned muscles I had painstakingly built since my younger athletic days. (P.S. Trust me, I am not motivated to exercise all the time when I had my times of lethargy, busyness and moodiness. I would try to find lame excuses to resist training….) It takes daily discipline (certainly a lot of dying to the self) and resolution to take the grind. Just as the adage that goes, “No pain, no gain.”

Weights build resistance. By adding more weights to our training, pressure are applied to our resistance which help to stretch our muscles further. Our muscles are stretched every time we add pressure and our resistance gets better with each intensity. As a result, our muscles are toned according to the weight we can handle.

In the same context, pressures of life, problems, challenges, stresses, troubles and trials help to train us towards building stronger faith-muscles, higher resilience and better character. The more intensified our training, the greater the reward to God’s Glory.

Here are some of God’s purposes in our problems to train us:

We can rejoice when we run into problems they help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady (Romans 5:3-4, LB). training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age. (Titus 2:12)

1. They are opportunities to stretch our limits and to rely on Him to help;
2. They add spiritual dimension to our faith;
3. They are test to reveal our heart and purify our motives;
4. They offer difference experiences in order to break down our wrong values and belief system in order to change our perspectives and our heartitude (heart and attitude) for renewal;
5. They help to direct us when we derail from His plans for us or we are threading on dangerous grounds;
6. They are showcases for God’s testimonies when we overcome them.
7. They are temporary and can’t be compared to the eternal glory that outweigh them all.

Remember that God is much more interested in our character than our comfort; He is more concerned how we journey in our race than how well we started or how far we go. He will use trials to refine our character, and until we have learnt what we need to learn, God will always bring back the same issue again (and again…). What is God speaking to you through your problem or situation today?

“Problems are inevitable, but suffering is optional.”, for we have the Holy Spirit living inside us to help us.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4)

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).

New Season. New Chapter. New Hope. RENEW.

It has been 11 days into the new year- are we ready for the new season? R.E.N.E.W your resolution for the year:

R: RECHARGE your body, mind and soul

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit. – Psalm 51:10-12

It is time to re-evaluate your life, recharge your body, renew your mind, reject lies and excuses, and refocus your priorities. Remember, our greatest glory lies not in never failing, but in rising up each time we fail; and it is always better to start somewhere than not at all; it is now or never.

E: EXPERIENCE God (again)

“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” – Psalm 16:11

Nothing beats being in God’s Presence: the Source of true joy, renewed confidence, hope, strength, restoration, healing…… Seek Him continually, remember the wonders He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He pronounced. (Psalm 105:4-5)

N: NULLIFY the things that hold you ransom

“throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” – Ephesians 4:22-23

Each passing year will leave behind some baggages, the more you hold on to them, the more they will get heavier and weigh you down. Hoarding junk is unhealthy, so get rid of the clutter, only then can you truly be liberated when you let go and let God.

E: EXERCISE your faith

“According to your faith it will be done to you!” – Matthew 9:29b

Faith is like muscle, the more you exercise to work out your muscle, the more it can be stretched, strengthened and hold well when tested.

W: WORK with God

“You will not succeed by your own strength or power but by My Spirit” – Zechariah 4:6

If you do what you always do, you will get what you have always gotten- working with fail finite strength will produce limited or barren result, but working with the Supernatural (with God) you will be where you never think possible.

Let Jesus In (Teach Me What I Cannot See)

P.S. May this be my e-gift to all this season.

“Teach me what I cannot see.” – Job 34:32

While seeking God for a specific Word during my stroll in the park one night, I received the following impressions on the above Rhema word.

We all have Holy Spirit residing in us, but how many of us so often seek His counsel in every aspect of our daily lives? And how often do we pray such a prayer, “Teach me what I cannot see.”?

We all know that God possesses all-encompassing Wisdom and Higher Knowledge as an infinite Sovereignty. And He sent His Holy Spirit, as a Helper, to reside in each of us. He will teach us all things, and bring to our remembrance all that God said (John 14:26).

Yet, we as finite beings of a fallen nature, living in the natural world, have eyes that only see the physical. In other words, there is limitation to what we can see with our eyes: our own limited abilities and understanding. Sometimes we have our own blind-spots, and can be blind to certain truth. Sometimes we can be so self-focus when we are inward-looking. If we are honest, we live by sight far often than we live by faith. With our inherent weaknesses, it is contrary to reason to teach ourself what is correct and what is true, in such a way our understanding will be very much flawed.

So when we request for someone to teach us, it takes great humility to acknowledge that this person has greater knowledge and understanding, which only God makes the mark. He says in Jeremiah 33:3 ESV, “Call to Me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.” Who in the world have such deep insights?

Some of us may reason, “Doesn’t He (God) see everything I do and every step I take?” (Job 31:4 NLT). Yes, God knows every details, but as a loving Father, He doesn’t want to breathe down our neck nor forcefully coerce a confession. We will be willing to learn if we are first convicted and be open to changes. God is willing to teach us. When we seek His Teachings, it will be a life-changing process that will transcend boundaries and empower us supernaturally, relying and depending only on the Living source.

It is now time to reflect- What dull your spiritual senses?

1. What do you SEE? 

(a) What have veiled your eyes?

(b) Did you fail to see God’s handprints in each details of your life?

(c) Did you overlook His Will for you?

(d) Have you missed His Way?

 

2. What do you HEAR? 

(a) What have blocked your ears?

(b) Have you been missing His Voice?

(c) Did you lose that sense of Familiarity in hearing Jesus?

 

3. What do you FEEL? 

(a) What have choked your heart?

(b) Are you not able to feel His Presence near?

(c) Are you not able to feel the heartbeat of Jesus?

(d) How is your compassion quotient?

 

4. What do you UNDERSTAND? 

(a) What cause your spiritual antenna to be defective?

(b) Have you been spending time in His Word daily?

(c) Have you been living your life with what you have learnt?

(d) How is your relationship with God?

 

It would be good to pray along with these verses prior to doing our own reflection:

“How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults (Psalm 19:12 NLT). Put me on trial, Lord, and cross-examine me. Test my motives and my heart (Psalm 26:2 NLT). Teach me what I cannot see.” (Job 34:32)

“Teach Me What I Cannot See.” (Prelude)

Transformation does not take place in experience, transformation takes place in reflection on experience.” – St. Ignatius

I usually take time to do some reflection for the year end closing. It is an important spiritual discipline to take the time to review our life and reflect over our experiences over the year:

1. Take inventory of our walk with God and bring all things under the Lordship of Christ.

2. Be honest with ourselves with a magnifying glass to see our weaknesses and our strengths:

(a) We may discover something about ourselves that need God’s help.

(b) How can we overcome weaknesses to glorify God?

(c) How can we become a better person that honour God?

(d) How is our Christlikeness quotient?

3. It cultivates gratitude to count our blessings so that we will never forget God’s Faithfulness, and thank Him for how much He has shown His Love to the extent of caring, providing and protecting us.

4. It allows us to detach from worldliness of a secular life and re-align ourselves to our Saviour and Creator.

6. Life in retrospection tracks our progress in becoming better disciples of Jesus Christ, where new godly habits may need to be cultivated and certain teachings or disciplines to be reinforce.
7. Through identifying how God is working in us and how He is working around us heighten our awareness in living a more fulfilled Christian lives.

Ideally, reflection should be done on a daily basis, so that: (a) we are continually living in God’s Presence, and (b) it helps to set our heart and mind on spiritual things that matter (Colossians 3:2).

The Dangers Of Feelings

The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? (Jeremiah 17:9 NLT) He who trusts in his own heart is a fool. (Proverbs 28:26a)

Here’s a point-blank question: “Are you a person who do things based on feelings?”

If you have been living life based on feelings, that means you let your heart (emotions) rule more than your head (provided it is of sound and godly wisdom). But God has a different take about trusting our feelings because our heart is most deceitful.

Living in an era that is about “feel good in order to live good” or “live good in order to feel good.”, the society of today has conditioned us a “Follow your heart!” culture where it places a very high value on our own desires and emotions.

When we live our lives based on whimsical emotions, we become subservient to our feelings instead of God’s Spirit and His Word. Following our heart cultivates an attitude of self-centredness rather than yield to surrender. And the flip side is, we cannot become true servants of Christ if we are controlled by our feelings. For a life lived in God is not lived on the plane of our feelings, but of the Will of God.

When we allow our feelings to take the lead, we will end up making a lot of foolish and self-focused decisions, and ended up making a mess of our lives. We will also develop the tendency to pick and choose the ‘truth’ that appeal to us personally, and reject those that contradict what we want to hear or receive. Whenever we try to edit the ‘truth’ to be in line with our emotions or preferences, we are actually placing our own opinions and thoughts higher than God’s.

I confessed that I can’t recount the number of times I didn’t feel like going to church, leading cell group, going to cell meetings, going for ministry, going to meet someone in need out of inconvenience, and God knows what else. And I often brushed them off as it is human to feel like that. It is not uncommon for most of us.

Understanding how our feelings come in play and how we can overcome them is all based on this golden rule- “First decide (wisely based on God’s Word) then feelings will follow.”

1. Feeling opposes faith

A feeling that is based on the ‘right moment’, “I don’t feel that my faith is strong enough.” versus a decisive choice to just believe, “I chose to have faith no matter what!!”

2. Feeling is contingent

A feeling that depends on whether you feel like it, “I really don’t feel like forgiving this person.” versus a decisive choice to just forgive as an act of obedience, “I chose to forgive this person because I myself have been forgiven by God.”

3. Feeling is double-minded

A feeling that can’t decide between ‘yes’ or ‘no’, “I am not sure if I feel like going to church.” versus a decisive choice to say ‘yes!’, “I chose to die to myself (whatever you are feeling at the moment) and just go to church.”

4. Feeling is fleeting

A feeling has ‘moods’ which can swing anytime and commitments tend to be very short-lived, “I feel like doing this. And the next moment, I don’t feel like doing this anymore.” versus a decisive choice to persevere, “I shall keep to what has been set initially despite how I feel.”

5. Feeling is natural

A feeling naturally derive from how we feel at the moment, “I feel like…. / I don’t feel like…” versus a decisive choice to yield to the supernatural, “Although I don’t feel up to it, but I can do it through Christ who strengthen me.”

6. Feeling can cook excuses

It is human nature to base decision or act on our emotions, and we often blame our fallen nature for our sins. If we are honest enough, we are very good at cooking excuses based on how we feel.

A life controlled by feelings is not very healthy, especially when our spiritual walk will be affected, therefore it is high time to set right with God in this area.

Last but not least, we also need to be mindful that something that “feels” right doesn’t mean it is right. No wonder God says, those who trust his own heart is a fool.

Thank You God

It stirred upon my heart to offer a worshipful prayer with thankfulness of His Love and Grace upon my life. And the best thing is, I can feel my heart changes: (a) when I show my gratitude for each blessing; (b) when I realised about the things I failed to see in the moment until I recount them.

Thank you God that Your Love and Faithfulness is new every morning! Great is Your Faithfulness and Your mercies never failed. Thank you for being faithful even when I have been unfaithful.

Thank you God for loving me when I have been unlovable. Thank you for bearing with all my nonsenses, my wilfulness and my wanderings, forgiving me time and again for all my failings, even when I have hurt You.

Thank you God for sustaining me each day, that I can live, breathe, hear, walk, think, speak and do what I am able. Thank you that all has been well with my soul.

Thank you God for all the wonders You have made, and the miracles no one can count. Thank you for reminding me that miracles happen every day, in the big and even in the small, for it is You who made them.

Thank you God for Your life-giving Word that speak alive to me when I need it. Thank you for every Rhema Word, revelation, and divine guidance that direct me, change me, encourage me, strengthen me and nourish my soul physically and spiritually.

Thank you God for reminding me that even with a mustard seed of faith, I can move my mountains of impossibilities. Thank you that there is nothing too great on earth that you can’t handle!

Thank you God for helping me to keep the faith that You are in the process of healing me and restoring me to complete wholeness. I should be thankful for what I have than what I do not have, because things could have been worst had it not been for your divine intervention.

Thank you God for all your plans to prosper me and not to harm me, plans to give me a hope and future. Thank you for ushering me in Your Highest plan for my highest good for Your highest purpose. Thank you that in all things God You work for good.

Thank you God for every inspiration, ideas and concepts at work for You are my Creator and my creativity comes from You. Thank you for Your Hands upon my business, its operations, cashflow and working relationships. Thank you for each supernatural favours and divine intervention that you appoint men into my court.

Thank you for each and every provision each day. I thank you for for the good and bad times and how thankful I am for every one dollar added to my bank account.

Thank you God that You are my true Source, apart from You I am nothing, without You I can do nothing.

Thank you God that you are the Ultimate Sovereignty, in control of every situations in my life, and my future is in Your good Hands.

Thank you God for all the angels whom You have sent to cross path with me. They have been your vessels of Love, Hope and Faith. Thank you for making my journey on earth more bearable.

Thank you God that You have keep me safe from all harm’s way, and watching over me, even when I sleep.

Thank you God for seeing me through each season of my life, the ups and downs, that Your Presence matters to me more and more. Thank you for being my constant tower of refuge and strength. Thank you for upholding me when I am downcasted and Your Comfort brings consolation to my soul.

Thank you God for each milestones and breakthrough in my life, that You are intimately involved in every details that bear Your handprints of unmerited grace and unending mercies.

Thank you God for blessing me in ways I cannot see, for each blessings I counted that I am so blessed far beyond what I can ask for and imagined.

Thank you God I am who I am, where I am and how I am, because of You.

Take Up And Cross (Part 2)

I shared previously about denying my self- When I started to question my faith, I could no longer hear nor feel God, to the extent that spiritual journal for the last quarter of 2015 to the whole year of 2016 was unusually bare. I had lost the intimacy with God totally when I was in rebellion in my pit. Thereupon, I arrived at the next hurdle found in the same key verse:

“If any man will come after me, let him (a) deny himself, and (b) take up his CROSS DAILY, and (c) FOLLOW me.” – Luke 9:23 KJV. 

The centrality of true discipleship is: 1. Take up the Cross daily. And I want to add in another parallel, 2. Crossing daily.

1. The way of the Cross:

(i) A total dedication as His Disciples – For Jesus relinquished His rights as God and lived His Life solely in fulfilling His Father’s Will

(ii) Giving up our lives for the Kingdom – For Jesus had died on the Cross for the redemption of mankind. It calls for a full surrender of our lives.

(iii) It requires sacrifices that will cost us – Consider that God paid a very exorbitant price when He gave His Only Son to die on the Cross to pay the penalty for our sins that Jesus doesn’t deserve to bear.

(iv) An instrument of death – It is a reminder that we need to die to ourselves, daily

Most of us stop at taking up the Cross, but yet to CROSS further because of limitations, fears, inadequacies, inconveniences, sacrifices to make etc. Simply, we haven’t arrive at denying ourselves. The first hurdle in the verse points to denying ourselves, upon which we can then take up the Cross. Then Jesus said, “AND follow Me.” “and” is found twice in the same verse, which emphasises a step-by-step call for action. It is a daily process, and not a one-time destination. There is no way we can move forward without first denying ourselves. (And by the way, denying ourselves apply for good times too, and not just the bad times.)

2. The last hurdle will then be “Follow” Jesus. Following Jesus require crossing daily- Do as He did. 

I think, to summarise all the above is found in this verse-

He (God / Holy Spirit) must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. – John 3:30

Just want to end my sharing with 2 more hard truths that never fail to rein me in:

Many of us can address God as God, but how about calling Him Lord? Having His Lordship, means He rules and reigns in every areas of our lives: work, finances, relationships, emotions, our heart and even our plans. If Jesus is not Lord of all, He is not Lord at all.

Life will always be a series of TEST but through them we can come out stronger and glorify Him in our TESTIMONY;

Our lives may be a MESS but they can be turnaround for His beautiful MESSAGE;

When we face TRIALS in life, always recall and remember, how God can bring us into TRIUMPHS.

The Pain Of Denial (Part 1)

P.S. I will be sharing in parts as it will be too much to share at one time. I was prompted to share my convictions, and hope by sharing this entry in my own spiritual journal, it will bring illumination in a new light.

“If any man will come after me, let him (a) DENY himself, and (b) take up his cross DAILY, and follow me.” – Luke 9:23 KJV. 

We all have heard this verse far too many times. If we are honest, we also switch off many times. This has been the mandate of my previous cell at one time till a time it became alive to me– I went through a very difficult transition in my life two years ago when I was impacted with a physical condition, although not life-threatening, that a surgery could not fix and a healing miracle seemed implausible — Dashed dreams. Crushed hope. Wretched self. Menacing fears.

The first few weeks upon receiving the check-up report, I wasn’t able to worship in church– I was incapacitated to sing nor clap along. All in my mind was, “Why??” and “God, where are you?” My ex-G12 cell and my mentor had showered me with inordinate amount of concern, but I wasn’t grateful. I just wanted to be left alone as I justified the rights to my disappointments and lamely to confess my anger with God too. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to attend the weekly G12 meetings, and I even withdrew myself from the cell. But to my surprise, I couldn’t abandon my open cell that I had to lead every Friday. I still fulfilled my duty, shared the Word, and put on smiles (though I was struggling very badly as if a hypocrite).

Was I wearing a mask with my open cell? No. It was one method that helped me- “Deny myself.”

I couldn’t count the number of times “I didn’t FEEL up to it or FEEL like to”, “I didn’t WANT to…”, “I hate to be forced to…”, “I have the RIGHTS to…” I merely trying to cook up excuses as justified reasons. Till I came to a point that I realised I was actually very self-centered, very consumed with “I, me, myself” and very inwards-looking, focusing on myself only. I put my feelings and emotions before God as how I feel and what I want is more important than Him. It was a constant battle to deny, deny, deny, deny myself in the pit. It was even a scarier experience when I was enshrouded with darkness, alone, and found myself drifting away spiritually over six months. I was aware of such a downwards spiral, but I refused to yield as I was wrestling with God like Jacob. What really jolted me was- I began to lose myself while threading on a very thin tightrope, and any moment longer, I think I had tipped to the other side. That was unthinkably scary.

So how did I climb out of the pit, and back to the Cross? I have to simply keep denying myself daily, yes, EVERY DAY- deny my mood for the day, deny my emotions, deny my rights, deny my will, even to denying my convenience (my own time, my own pace, my own freedom…), and surrender to the Cross.

If we are honest with ourselves, it is by NATURE we follow what our flesh leads us. It is unnatural for us to contradict our flesh and that takes SUPERNATURAL intervention with the help of the Spirit. Aside to taking action to deny the self, we can draw reinforced strength from these verses:

So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. – Galatians 5:16-17

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. – Romans 8:7-8

There is no change in my physical condition, but I had stopped asking all the whys because there will never be any answer- and who am I to question the Sovereignty? It was a decision whether to continue rotting by being my own god or to let go of all and let God be God. And letting go doesn’t mean to remain status quo. Just like bible says, “Faith without action is dead”, so I had to force myself since it is unnaturally of me to crucify my flesh to weaken its desires. It is simply to put to action in denying myself.

No doubt it is an uphill task because our flesh gets stronger when our Spirit is quenched by sins. It is a humbling experience to call upon God for help in this area.

So first thing first, get right with God. Face it honestly- Overcome it with God far easier and better than letting what consumed you and lose yourself.

Honey, I stumble the kid!

Be careful, however, that your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. – 1 Corinthians 8:9

Spending time with a 13-month old toddler at home reminded me of an indelible verse my previous mentor etched permanently on my mind, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ, follow my example” (Ephesians 5:1). She taught us not by speech (since we can pick up from the bible) but by her actions. I had the privilege to be able to serve and learn in both married and singles ministries the past years. My mentor then never failed to correct me whenever I did or said something not befitting as a Child of God which I always remember her last counsel to me, “Whether you like it or not, people around you are watching you because you are considered a spiritual Senior.” Honestly, I didn’t like that, but that is a resounding truth to all of us, especially with pre-believers.

Aside to spiritual matters, there is another aspect of being a good example starts from the home. Home is where the foundation is built. It amazed me how impressionable my toddler niece is at such a very tender age- on one occasion I was fiddling with my hair, and she was mimicking me! In many instances, she picked up what I did more than what I said. I realised she is watching me and I have to be very mindful that I should not set a bad example.

Indeed, kids remember what you did more than what you said. Therefore, we have to be very careful not to become a stumbling block to any one. We all have the freedom to make choices each day, live the life we want, and to do what we feel like to do. But this freedom can cost us or another person something, and it may be too high a price to pay because what we do today will determine tomorrow.

Parents, God has entrusted you with great responsibilities to nurture His little children in your care, and how are you doing with this divine task? Imagine this- if we are always living a bible-less and prayerless life, not applying kingdom values as godly parents, and not promoting family altar time, how are we going to enforce spiritual disciplines to the kids? Thence what godly values would we be imparting to them?

Singles, we may not have kids at home to watch us, but we don’t have to wait for a kid to change us. Because we have our family, the world and God watching us too- Character is who you are when no one is watching. (Of course, this applies to parents too.)

Show example by what we do is the best lesson we can teach— just to mention a few examples— we don’t remind kids to do their Quiet Time when we as parents fail to have this daily discipline; we don’t teach honour to a kid when we dishonour others by not respecting other people’s time when we turn up late for appointments.

Yes, we are absolutely not perfect, but that doesn’t excuse us for not doing what we supposed to do, and knowing the right thing to do yet not doing it. Kids are watching around us, and would we like to be accountable for stumbling them? Let’s remember too, God is watching.

So prepare your minds for action, be completely sober [in spirit—steadfast, self-disciplined, spiritually and morally alert], fix your hope completely on the grace [of God] that is coming to you when Jesus Christ is revealed. [Live] as obedient children [of God]; do not be conformed to the evil desires which governed you in your ignorance [before you knew the requirements and transforming power of the good news regarding salvation]. But like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves in all your conduct [be set apart from the world by your godly character and moral courage];  because it is written, “You shall be holy (set apart), for I am holy.” – 1 Peter 1:13-16 AMP

The change always first begin with you- you can, if only you want to. There is a difference between “I will” and “I want”- all of us can do any thing but not all of us want to; unless we want to, then we will do it.

So, how is our “inner” life thus far?

Courtesy photo (P1040652) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

Money Matters

Those who love pleasure become poor; those who love wine and luxury will never be rich. – Proverbs 21:17

I had a deep reflection while on the way home last Friday after cell, because it was a subject that was very close to my heart- Money Matters. I chanced upon Proverbs 21:17 which warns those who indulge in carnal pleasures and sensual gratifications, and spend time and money in such a way, are very likely to be poor, and not rich in or towards spiritual things. Dictionary defines pleasures as extravagant living, expensive feastings, and costly leisures or entertainments, and we have often heard that where our money goes to tell a lot about us. And interestingly, according to Ecclesiastes 5:11 NLT, it also warn that the more you have, the more you spend.

I retrospected my life now to the time I was steeped in debts before I gave my life to Jesus. It was a joke that my best subject in Accounts had flunked me in life- poor financial decisions reaped bad consequences. That catastrophe had forced me to live the other spectrum of life: back to the basics- one pair of jeans, one pair of shoes, one bag and one tee-shirt. (Lest you wonder, irrespective of style, cut, type, colour, function, it was just one item only.) Believe me or not, I literally wore them like a set of uniform. Plain Jane? Boring? Sure, but I had no means to indulge. I even had to stay away from shopping lest I be tempted. Till a time my mum had to encourage me that it was high time to change my wardrobe a little as I seemed to live like a tattered beggar. Whenever I needed to make a purchase, I had to prayerfully consulted my Chief Financial Officer (God of course) a few times, “Should I or should I not?” Now that my life is better, I no longer lived that pathetically. However I have to guard myself against all covetousness with a “want versus need” evaluation. But of course I still do make imprudent decisions at times.

Last Friday night after some insightful revelations by the author, I was nudged spiritually, and stumped by a myriad of questions I could not answer:

“Why do you need another pair of shoes?”

“Why do you need another top/ bottom?”

“Why do you need to travel to so many countries?”

“Why do you spend money on immaterial things?”

“How do you spend my money? Have you consult Me?”

“What do you think pleases Me?”

I am no Saint to be sharing this, but I felt in my Spirit to pen down what I had received: Whether we all like it or not, if we are honest, how we spent our money only seek to indulge the “self”: I want to look good; I want to feel good; I am entitled to spend the money because I have worked hard for it; I deserve to reward myself; I need comfort food or things; I want to achieve my dreams; and all on the wanted list.

Some helpful questions to ponder:

1. Are you sure the money you have are yours?
2. Who give you the right to spend what pleases your flesh?
3. Are your “want”s your “need”s? So are they necessary or rather essential for you to live?
4. Are you doing what God wants you to do?
5. How have you been sowing in the Kingdom of God?
6. Why are you so uptight in giving generously to the kingdom purposes of God when you can spend extravagantly on what you love?

Look at Jesus: just a pair of well-travelled sandals, perhaps a few pieces of weather-beaten garbs, and a basic appetite for simple meals.

I am sure some of us will rationalise that Jesus lived in the old era but now we have much choices, therefore the application is not relevant in today standard of living; some of us may also justify “I don’t spend on expensive things” so it won’t hurt, but I do concur that it isn’t about the value, it is our attitude of the heart: what if God asked, “How about you give what you supposed to spend it on, to bless someone who needs it more?”

Listen to how our heart respond, we will get the answer.

Money is the second most referenced topic in the Bible, where it is mentioned more than 800 times. God had first laid the blueprint so that we would not get consumed by the world. We will need God to help in our weaknesses in this area- be humble, God will spotlight the areas that we need to work on.

Do You Know You Can Lose A Skill You Have Not Use For A Long Time?

Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life — guard it well. – Proverbs 4:13 GNT

Do you know that when you have not cycle for donkey’s years, you will lose the skill of cycling? Kid you not, I have not been cycling for 17 years, and to my horror, I now struggle balancing the bike! I reminisced how I used to cycle along the stretch of East Coast Park in my heyday, and loved speed. Not long ago, I picked up cycling, and it unnerved me. After rounds of flustering attempt, I finally managed to cycle a short distance.

P.S. How did I get going? I simply recalled how I first learnt cycling myself when I was in my adolescence, without any help nor affixing the bike with additional wheels.

Similarly, if we have not utilise our God-given talents or apply the knowledge we have picked up from the bible regularly, they can easily dematerialise.

Proverbs 19:8 (GNT) says, “Do yourself a favour and learn all you can; then remember what you learn and you will prosper.”

Therefore, do not take it for granted, it is to your own benefit to guard what you have learnt well- continual learning and application will keep you in good stead in your personal and spiritual life.

When Conscience Pricks……

They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them. – Romans 2:15

Having been working on my own for 6 years, I know that running a business is not easy. It is akin to treading on treacherous ground when I am surrounded by a lot more shrewd business-people. On many occasions, I have been conflicted by compromising situations, either a make-it or break-it decision. I could not count how many times my conscience has been on toes.

Sometimes as a result of unwise decision with lack of prudence, we acted indiscreetly and made mistakes. I can totally relate to how it feels to have my conscience gnawing relentlessly. But when I seek to redress the wrong and do right, it feels good to breathe the air of liberation,  and able to lift my head up without condemnation.

Our conscience can bear witness to our actions, and we will reap what we sow. We have to consider even our innermost thoughts which can breed evils that prick our conscience too. If you think you can camouflage an evil thought or keeping hush over a bad action, be warned that God knows every details, whether inwardly or outwardly.

Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord. – Jeremiah 23:24

When one’s conscience is seared, that is when darkness of the soul has rendered the person impotent of thinking, feeling and doing right. And if we persist in walking down the wrong path, we will be on a spiritual downward spiral.

Holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, – 1 Timothy 1:19

But if we seek righteousness, we leave no room for malice and can stand upright before others.

Having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. – 1 Peter 3:16

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. (Romans 13:5) It is good to include in our prayers that we be sure we have a clear conscience and desiring to act honourably in all things (Hebrews 13:18), just as Paul could declare, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” (Acts 23:1)

Our spiritual lives should be temperated by love, guided by a pure heart with good conscience and acting upon a true faith. (1 Timothy 1:5)

In a nutshell, it resonates with a famous quote that goes:

Watch your thoughts;

They become words.

Watch your words;

They become actions.

Watch your actions;

They become habits.

Watch your habits;

They become character.

Watch your character;

It becomes your destiny.

Period.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

A punctuation mark has just inspired me- a full-stop, in other word, “Period”.

We have all from time to time entertain the dot, dot, dot, dot, dot, dot. But often God puts a period to where it should be. Although our life is a journey, our ups-and-downs are never a destination: Each hard knock is a school; each trial is a teacher, each experience is an education; each test is a testimony; and each challenge is your character development. And that is where we all need to learn where to put the “period”.

RECALL (Upward focus):

1. God is All-powerful (Matthew 19:26). Period.
2. God is Sovereign (Psalm 103:19). Period.
3. God is our Refuge and Strength (Psalm 46:1). Period.
4. God is unchanging, He is the same, yesterday and tomorrow (Hebrews 13:8). Period.
5. God is in control (Psalms 22:28). Period.
6. God is our double-portion (Isaiah 61:7). Period.

REALIGNMENT (Inward transformation):

1. Fix our eyes on things unseen (2 Corinthians 4:18). Period.
2. Set our mind on things above (Colossians 3:2). Period.
3. Guard your heart with all vigilance (Proverbs 4:23). Period.

RESPONSE (Outward action):

1. Wear your full armor of God daily so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11). Period.
2. Think of thoughts that are true, good and sound (Philippians 4:8). Period.
3. Hold your mind steadfast on God and trust in Him so that you can have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Period.
4. Cast your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:22). Period.
5. Do not rely on your own understanding (Proverbs 3:5B). Period.
6. Be anxious for nothing but pray for everything (Philippians 4:6A). Period.
7. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done (Philippians 4:6B). Period.
8. Submit to God and resist the devil (James 4:7). Period.
9. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will direct your paths (Proverbs 16:3) Period.

RETRAIN (Forward resolution):

1. Always be on the alert and stand firm (1 Corinthians 16:13). Period.
2. Be an overcomer (1 John 4:4). Period.
3. Fight the good fight of the faith (1 Timothy 6:12). Period.

And God will work things out in the end (Romans 8:28). Period.

Do Not Despise Small Beginning

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (The seven lamps represent the eyes of the Lord that search all around the world.) – Zechariah 4:10 NLT

While on the way to a friend’s office to help rectify some defective printing goods two weeks ago, I was doing my usual morning reflection on the bus- I expressed my deep gratitude to God again for an account that I never dreamt landing on my lap without prospecting it. I acknowledged that it was truly a divine provision from God– I had to be home-bound in June to help my parents to babysit my baby niece staying with us– Since then, this Client has been engaging me for small jobs each month. I ever paused to ponder over why their projects were all so budgeted. I reckoned that this Client might not trust me for a bigger project until I proved myself with all these small jobs. I was then reminded about a biblical principle to be faithful with the little so that I can be entrusted with much (Luke 16:10). Lo and behold, I heard a small still voice that followed after my train of thoughts, “Do not despise small beginning.” It amazed me how this liner was ever found in Zechariah 4:10 NLT!

Everything has a beginning, and usually started small, so that we can take one step at a time, and depend on him one day at a time. If we remain humble and faithful, relying on God’s blueprint for us, we will be on the road God has already mapped out for us. Above all, God calls for responsible stewardship in big and small alike, to honour Him in all we do. Since everything we have belongs to Him, so if we are faithful to what have been entrusted to us in both quantity and quality, only then can we be trusted with confidence to take care of bigger things. Nothing is insignificant to God- He looks at both our heart (attitude) and our hands (stewardship), and He will reward us in His due time.

His master replied, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very small matter, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ – Luke 19:17

P.S. And yes you have guessed it- after 3 months, my Client decided to engage me for a higher value project. I believe my earnestness paid off. And all thanks to God! May God continues to establish the work of my hands for His Glory sake!

Courtesy photo (P1040673) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

“You Gotta Wait, Lord, I Am Not Free Now.”

“Good day, My Child! Hope you have a good night rest. Today will be a good day! Look……”

(Interrupt……) “Sorry God, I am in a rush. There are too many things on my plate now. You gotta wait, God.”

“But I just need……”

(Interrupt……) “God, I gotta go! Please let me settle what I need to do first ok?”

God replies lovingly, “Sure, My Child. I can wait.”

As the day goes, and the night falls.

After a long hectic day, “Sorry Lord to keep you waiting…… But I am too tired now…… Can I talk to You tomorrow? I badly need a break……”

With a sad undertone, God waits in vain, “My Child, is it too much to ask you to give Me 15 minutes out of 1440 minutes of your time?”

“There is so much I want to share with You…… Have you pause to look at how I send the cool breeze while you are walking to work under the sun?”

“Have you pause to look around that I have sent angels to cheer you up when you are stressed and feeling down?”

“Have you pause to notice that you have received messages that I am trying to get your attention?”

“Have you forgotten I am just next to you?”

 

Does the above scene sound familiar? We all have moments like these when we take God for granted. When we are busy and no time for God, then we are really too busy and need to re-look into our priorities and time management. Sometimes we get too consumed by our own that we have neglected what really matter, to the extent that He has to resort to disciplining us for our good, because He wants us to learn the values of true kingdom living and not the values of this world, for everything on earth will pass away.

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.” – Haggai 1:7-11

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, And delight yourself in abundance. – Isaiah 55:2NASB

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. – Ephesians 5:15-17

We are called to give very careful thoughts to how we should be living, and to give account to everything in our lives. We will reap what we sow, and we will not know if we can stand before God unashamed on Judgement Day. God will not get angry, but out of His great love for us, He is still waiting for any of His beloved Child that none should perish but everyone to come to repentance to His saving Grace.

Every moments count. Review your life in all earnestness today; do not take it lightly, consider those who do not even have a chance to do so.

 

Courtesy photo (P1030901) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

T.R.U.S.T.

The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect peace, Because he trusts in You.- Isaiah 26:3 NASB

I still do struggle with trusting God periodically, especially during trying times. The word, “Trust”, seems too abstract to me on how to really apply it effectually. Proverbs 3:5-6 taught that we are to trust in the Lord with all our heart and lean not on our own understanding; in all our ways submit to Him, and he will make our paths straight. The question is how to really trust God with ALL our heart? As emotional beings, our heart can be deceitful for we can easily swayed by capriciousness of being human; even if we get our feelings under control, our mind can still wander. Hence it has been my million-dollar question on how to really trust God under stress?

Until I found the answer in Isaiah 26:3, God will keep me in perfect peace if my mind is stayed on Him, because I trust in Him. I sum up TRUST as:

Total

Reliance (on God)

Under

Spiritual

Tenacity

 

Human strength fails because we have limited capacity, there is only so much we can do, but with the Holy Spirit living in us, we can be empowered and to persevere under testings.

Not by might nor by power but by my Spirit (Zechariah 4:6). For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

That is why we need to rely on God totally, only then can we pull through trials, trusting God to do what we can’t. And in any relationship, trust takes time to build, likewise with God. We can build a stronger trust in a never-failing God by:

(a) Recalling what He has done before and claiming what He can do for you now

(b) Recounting your blessings and be thankful

(c) Reminding yourself of His Love and how faithful He has been

(d) Remembering that God is Sovereign over everything on earth and is still in control

(e) Rejecting negative thoughts for what we worry about usually do not happen

(f) Resisting temptation of the flesh to manipulate things your way

(g) Refocusing on the goodness of God

(h) Relying fully on the Word of God and its living power

(I) Resting in quiet confidence that God will bring it to pass

 

These building blocks not only strengthen your trust in God, you will also find perfect peace in Him when you keep your mind steadfast to Him in trust.

How Big Is God Or How Big Is Fear?

“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears” – Psalm 34:4

Someone once asked, “How big God really is?” I must admit it is hard to describe how big, how great and how infinite God is in literal terms. Not long ago, I managed to grasp a better concept- I love to spy at my mini pet shrimps and water snails with a magnifying glass from time to time, so that I can observe how well they are doing in the tank. And the more I zoom in, the larger the size of the object. Distance also plays a part because the nearer I am to the tank with the magnifying glass, the clearer the details captured. And when I take a step back, the object doesn’t look so intimidating after all.

This macro-view and micro-view analogy made me realised how big the size of God depends on how near I am to Him. And the more I focus on the object at close-up, the more I am able to see every thing with much clarity.

But in reality, the size of God is often downplayed by our fallibleness- things of this world and of darkness are more magnified than they really are, especially fears. No one is immune to fears and often legitimate enough to rob us of peace, joy and even faith in God. Search has also revealed that the word “Fear not” or in its equivalence, “Do not be afraid”, appear 365 times in the bible! Isn’t it intriguing to know that God in His infinite wisdom know we need help in dealing with this subject while living on earth? God has already prepared the bible for us to have one ammunition against any fear per day!

First and foremost, we need to recognise the fear that we have, and face it point-blank- confess it, confront it and conquer it. Fear is simply an acronym of False Expectation Appearing Real. And the opposite of fear is faith, in other word, you will need supernatural faith together with God’s living Truths, to counter fear.

You may realise that Satan’s most effective strategy in instilling fears to strike you down is nothing new nor creative:

TRICK 1: Fear of poverty or not having enough.

Who doesn’t fear lack? Though money is important for survival but it isn’t omnipotent. When money becomes an obsession, that is where evils (i.e. worries, anxieties, fears, idolatry……) reside. And the more you chase after something, the more it will elude you. Would it not be better to go after God, who is the God of Multiplication of 5 barley loaves of bread and 2 small fishes (Luke 9:15-17), who says He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5), and knows exactly what you need even before you ask of Him (Matthew 6:8)? So seek God first, and He will provide all that you need.

My God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry.” (Proverbs 10:3)

TRICK 2: Fear of failures.

All man are imperfect and fallible with our fallen nature, and it is inevitable for us to make mistakes periodically. Therefore, it is ok to fail but we should stand up where we fell and not be too harsh on ourselves. Instead, we should embrace failures as rare opportunities to learn or do better, after all, life lessons are always learnt best through hard knocks. Remember, we have the wisest Counsellor and Teacher living in us whom we can consult with.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. (2 Timothy 1:7)  We are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37)

TRICK 3: Fear of men 

If we are honest enough, all of us feel good when we are paid compliments, and we thrive in relationships where we feel appreciated. However, that can be a very thin line we are threading on as we can easily fall into the trap of pleasing men in order to win their approval, for the fear of men prove to be a snare (Proverbs 29:25). So put our confidence in God, who is not fickle-minded, that we can be secured against rejections from capricious men.

“I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you are afraid of man who dies (Isaiah 51:12A) Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils. Of what account is he?  (Isaiah 2:22)

TRICK 4: Fear of the unknown.

Venturing into the unfamiliar or considering the unknown future can be unnerving to all of us. With each passage of time, things around us never stay constant, and uncertainty often precipitates unsettling changes. The bible counsels us not to worry about tomorrow since we do not know what it may bring (Matthew 6:34). That is why we are to live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7) for faith operates in the supernatural and has the power to overcome this natural fear.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:8)

TRICK 5: Fear of losses.

There is no gain without pain, and changes are often necessary for growth; and when there are changes, there are inevitable losses or pain in some ways. Sometimes, through losses, we draw nearer to God and gain new insights about our lives. Losses may not be that fearful if we look in light of God who owes everything in our life and we are merely entrusted with stewardship to take care for Him on earth. After all, we come to earth with nothing and we shall depart with nothing too.

I will give up whole nations to save your life, because you are precious to me and because I love you and give you honor. (Isaiah 43:4 (GNTD)) I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3)

TRICK 6: Fear of sicknesses.

Our bodies are subject to degeneration when we age, and susceptible to any diseases while living on earth. Although sicknesses and infirmities can be threatening, the bible warns that it is scarier to lose our soul (Matthew 10:28), for nothing will profit a man who lost his soul. And when we look in light of a better home in Heaven, whatever we are going through on earth pales in comparison to the crown of life and an unperishable body we will receive when God calls us home.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) The Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies. The Lord sustains him on his sickbed; in his illness you restore him to full health. (Psalm 41:2–3)

TRICK 7: Fear of inadequacies.

Both Moses and Paul wrestled with feelings of inadequacies and inferiority, when they were assigned with tasks that seemed too big a hat for them. But God who created us, know exactly what we are made of, He will not put us in places where we cannot perform nor glorify Him. Sometimes, God uses our weaknesses to display His Strength so that others can praise Him for what He can do. We can take heart that when God commissions us for a task, He will provide the means to accomplish what He has set us to do, He will not let us be tempted beyond what we can bear (1 Corinthians 10:13). So trust Him, and do whatever He calls you to.

Paul conceded, ‘Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God” (2 Corinthians 3:5, NASB) ‘I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NASB).

TRICK 8: Fear of being alone.

God made us to have a relationship with Him and others, He never intended for us to be alone. That is why church and cell fellowship helps to meet this need of companionship, where we need each other to be encouraged, edified and supported through this journey on earth. And with Holy Spirit living in us and God who is omnipresent, we are never alone. So look deep inside and look up, and you will find  that God is always near.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6) For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)

TRICK 9: Fear of losing control.

Control-freaks fear losing control because they are afraid their lives will be out of tune, they do not even leave to chances for any unexpected situation. Such control freaks have to constantly stay on their toes in order to hold their ground. But no matter how meticulous we plan nor how strong we are, life will always caught us by surprises. Only the Sovereign God, who is all-mighty hold the reins and remains in control over everything. It is wiser for us to relinquish this right and let Him have the driver-seat of our lives; with God, nothing is too hard for Him (Jeremiah 32:27).

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) “I know that You can do all things, And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. (Job 42:2)

TRICK 10: Fear of stepping out of comfort zone.

Almost all of us love status quo and remain where we are because it is undeniably comfortable. We are averse to stepping out of our comfort zone because what challenge us can cause us to become a bundle of nerves. Imagine if Abraham did not obey God’s call to go to a faraway place (Genesis 12:1) and chose to remain in his comfortable zone, Abraham would not have fulfilled his destiny that God had for him. It certainly took Abraham a lot of faith and courage to overcome his human tendencies, but it was wise of him to trust God for the result. Only by stepping out of our comfort zone, can we see a new beginning. Therefore,  when God calls, do not fear, for He promises to be with you on the way and all the way.

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (Proverbs 16:9) “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9)

Courtesy photo (P1040139) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

 

It Is Not The End

I felt very led this morning to pen this “song” after I heard the song by a singer from Taiwan last Sunday at service. It resonated deeply with my soul, as I could relate entirely to his lyrics as I walked through that path before. Thus I decided to pen my own, as my deepest writings are always birthed from my darkest times. But they are not the end, like the Psalmists, God’s Glory always prevail. I have included the English translation lest some may not understand mandarin well.

 

在我失意堕落的时候

在我失信迷路的时候

眼前的黑暗让我迷失了自己

 

所有的疑问困惑

所有的恐惧痛苦

让我看不到以后的路怎么走

 

慌了碎了哭了

累了服了放了

这条路仍然还是要继续走

随着时光的流逝

随着时间的考验

我依然还能坚强到底

因为有一个人能够承担我所有的一切

祂不会让我孤单

也不会让我孤独

祂会陪我走完这条路

因为有祂的爱

这世界充满了希望

有了祂一切都能捱过去

 

English translation:

When I lost hope and felt depressed

When I lost faith and felt lost

The darkness ahead overwhelmed me

 

All my doubts and confusions

All my fears and pain

Caused me to lose sight of how I should walk the path ahead

 

Confused. Crushed. Teared.

Tired. Surrendered. Let go.

I still have to continue to walk on.

As time passed

As time tested

I still can endure to the end

Because there is Someone who can carry all my burdens

He will never leave me

Nor let me be alone

He will walk with me to the very end

Because of His Love

There is hope in this world

With Him, I can overcome everything

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28) In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37) For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4) For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Courtesy photo (P1040119) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

 

When All You See Is Your Pain, Perhaps Then You Lose Sight Of God?

I was watching “The Shack” film at https://solarmoviez.to/movie/the-shack-19835.html (Thank God for the subtitles!)- I can relate to how the main character of the movie, Mack, struggled with God when he was plunged to the abyss of pain. In the process, He had an encounter with God, where Mack confronted Him why He allowed bad things to happen and why He didn’t stop the tragedies. God knew exactly how Mack was feeling, thus He had planned for Mack to meet Him at the Shack- the place where his pain began when he lost his youngest daughter. God was showing Mack that healing can only began at the place of pain when he let go and let God- Mack was stunned when God responded to his barrage of questions, “When all you can see is your pain, perhaps you have lose sight of Me.” God had walked through with Mack his journey of inner healing thereafter.

I love this movie (except some parts are a little controversial, but as a whole, the key messages are sound and edifying). I was actually stumped at the point where God told Mack, “When all you can see is your pain, perhaps you have lose sight of Me.”

Indeed, I lost sight of God two years ago when I went for a physical review. And the double whammy was when I was told I had a higher chance of getting dementia as a result of this deterioration. At that point, my world seemed to crash down and it was a very dark night. I could not help but sobbed convulsively almost involuntarily as fears seized me. I was an emotional wreck. In the deepest recesses of my heart, I bombarded God, “God, why is this happening? I thought You can heal?”, “God, are you there?”, “Is it not in your will to heal me?” and all the “Whys?”. I remember vividly, the first few weeks after my physical review, I could not worship at church service, and I could not even sing or utter prayers. I recall trying very hard to contain my pain, as if my heart was oozing blood profusely. Even well-meaning friends wasn’t able to offer the slightest comfort, and I found myself withdrawing from them instead. Over time, my heart gradually calloused, and I was in a spiritual spiral of decline when I wallowed in my own pit. That was not all, I was rendered dysfunctional and could not operate my business, I was incapacitated for almost six months.

I received no answers to all my whys, it was a vain tussle. This emotional and spiritual battle only I could fight, no one else can fight for me. I was well aware that the only way out of the pit was to climb out of it. I recalled how God had delivered from my financial crisis eons ago, He would not stop lifting me out of any deep waters (Psalm 18:16). And reality sank in when the last statement of accounts had jolted me that my savings had been dwindling, I realised then that I had been subsisting living without any income. The detachment from God had left a deep void in my heart and the spiritual deafness had made me yearned to hear from my Heavenly Father even more. I started to draw near to God, surrendering my pain and fears, and by His Grace, I received healing emotionally and spiritually. I will re-learn to trust Him for my physical healing.

Through this journey, I recognise that sometimes God allows “the pit experience” (pain) to happen in order for us to draw closer to Him, because it is human tendency that when life is going well, we may forget about Him. Isn’t it true that we pray the hardest in our most challenging moments? And we pray the least when we get too busy? (And yes, be warned that God does discipline us lovingly when we wander off..)

As the common adage that goes, “No pain, no gain.”- Pain is often a catalyst for necessary growth:

(1) that we emerge stronger with new level of faith, trust and refined character.

(2) as it changes us for good, if we allow God to deal with the issues in our lives.

(3) so that God’s strength be displayed in our weaknesses.

(4) to humble us to rely and depend on God instead of our own strength.

(5) in teaching us the value of being Christ-like in His suffering.

God always have a purpose in your pain, let Him walk you through your pain, only He can handle it far better than you do yourself. And your healing process will be shorter too.

“Consider it all joy, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love. (Romans 5:3-5 NLT) His grace is all you need, for His power is greatest when you are weak.” (2 Corinthians 12:9a TEV) 

Courtesy photo (P1040440) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

Look At Your Hand To Remind Yourself How To Have A TOTAL Quality Quiet Time

I was inspired to share about how we can have a quality Quiet Time with simple “Rules of the hand” (in chronological order of priority / importance):

1. Thumb = Eyes = Read > Ingestion
2. Index = Ears = Hear > Reinforcement
3. Middle = Mouth = Pray > Appropriation
4. Ring = Mind = Mediate > Renewal
5. Pinky = Heart = Memorise > Inscription
6. Palm = Core = Act > Application

1. We have to first read the Word of God in order to feed ourselves spiritually. The more we read, the more Light you allowed the Word to permeate into every areas of “darkness” (not necessarily mean negativity but can be a dull / passive spirit too) in us. For the word of God is living and active, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow… (Hebrews 4:12). Light and darkness cannot co-exist, therefore “darkness” has to flee even with a flickering light- the more light there is, the less room for “darkness”.

2. Faith comes from by the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17). Sometimes a powerful encounter with God comes when He speaks either to you personally or through His Word. Tune your ears to supplement your reading. Hearing audio bible or devotions can be good ingestion too.

3. It is a good exercise to appropriate the Word which we have read or heard by praying with it. God would love to have us to ask Him for anything. Our mouth is designed to sing and declare His Goodness, worship in praise, articulate what we want, verbalise His living Word that has power over principalities and internalise His Word when we speak. “If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” (John 15:7) You do not have because you do not ask God. (James 4:2B)

P.S. When we verbalise our prayers, Satan and its demons hear and shudder. That is why warfare prayers are usually loud to deafen them.

4. Our mind is often a playground for the devil and easily susceptible to deceptions. That is why it is so important to guard our mind as it is like a gate to our soul bypass our heart. The only way to guard our mind is to constantly fill it with the Word of God by meditating upon the Truths. And when we know the Truth, the Truth will set us free indeed (John 8:32). The benefits of meditation: (a) train our mind to be renewed by the Word of God, which in turn effectuate a change of heart; (b) it aligns our mind and heart to the center on God; (c) it reinforces spiritual discipline of believing and trusting God for His promises. “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

5. Writing aids memorisation. And we best remember things that we store in our heart. And our heart is the central part of our being: we feel, speak, react and behave out of which is from our heart. That is why God prefers us to imprint His Words upon our hearts. “You shall therefore impress these words of mine on your heart and on your soul; and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontals on your forehead.” (Deuteronomy 11:18 NASB) The heart of every matter is a matter of the heart: your heart is either a dead scroll or a living tablet, you reap either of the fruit you have sown in your heart.

6. Last but not least, all our fingers can only work together with the palm to be fully functional as a hand. Our hand is designed to perform actions. Ever wonder why we open our hands when we are prayed over? That is a receiving posture of faith. When we don’t put to action what we read, hear and know, it is fruitless- Knowledge without application is abortion. “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)

Look at your hand daily to remind you the importance of a TOTAL quality Quiet Time, and you will reap the full benefits of being fruitful in your walk with God.

Courtesy photo (P1030698) taken by Rachel Hong @ Bandung, Indonesia, August 2017.

How Do You Run Your Race?

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. The race is not to the swift or the battle to the strong, nor does food come to the wise or wealth to the brilliant or favor to the learned; but time and chance happen to them all.” –1 Corinthians 9:24; Ecclesiastes 9:11

I am trying to shed some pounds, so I decided to head to my office’s gym. The thread mill is a challenge to me since I have a poor stamina, so every minute is a test of strength and endurance. Notwithstanding, I challenge myself for 30 minutes, and begin slowly with a paced speed. Halfway through, I really want to give up as I am panting profusely. But the motivation of shedding the pounds get me going. However, eventually I still cannot overcome my physical lethargy.

Meanwhile, a verse from Hebrews 12:1, dawned upon me, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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.” At that instant I receive a vision: Jesus waiting at the end of the red line, cheering me to persevere. There are many runners already run past me and ahead of me. At the back of my mind I am wondering, “Oh dear, will I be the last? Will the crowd jeer at me?”

Through this vision, I begin to ponder if I am running my own race for the applause of men or for the glory of self… Since I am already in the race, it will be a shame to give up. When I catch a glimpse of Jesus cheering me on at the end of the red line, I decided to fix my eyes on Him. (A song then played back in my head, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus”, by Micheal W. smith)

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full, in his wonderful face

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of his glory and grace”

As I desire to run into the embrace of Jesus at the end of the line and to hear Him affirming me, “Well done!” follow by a pat on my shoulder, I reckon it is better to go slow and steady to complete the race than going fast and run out of breathe later. So I pray to the Lord to help me finish this race, no matter how daunting, I will not give up. Eventually, I manage to persevere and finish the race.

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.” – 2 Timothy 4:7

I care not how fast I have completed the run, God cares more about my shape. Hang on, the word “shape”, refers not to my body, but my character. So is the word “race”, which denotes my journey and my destiny. To sum it up, God is not concerned about how well I have started, nor how fast and how far I can go, He is more concerned on how strong I can grow.

Some of us may be ahead (the runners running ahead in my vision); some of us are still behind; some of us are discouraged that the “crowd” (in my vision, it represents the people around you. It also corresponds with “a great cloud of witness” in Hebrews 12:1) do not appreciate your effort, or have condemned you thinking that you cannot make it; some of us really want to give up this long-drawn race since strength is sapped…

The crux is:

Do you run with your own strength and focus on the wrong things in life, and thrown off-track?

Or, will you run in partnership with the Spirit and set your heart on things above and not on earthly things, and stay on track?

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.” – Acts 20:24

The Danger Of Dullness

“For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they scarcely hear, and they have closed their eyes; otherwise they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.” – Acts 28:27 NSAB

From time to time, I have heard many who probed, “How can I hear God? I can’t seem to hear anything… Why is God not answering my prayers?” I do not have a specific answer for them (since I am not God nor a super saint to know His plans) but there is a key verse (as above) that prompted me to share some insights.

God reveals Himself to us in many different ways, though may not necessary be in audible voice. And we all are aware that a hardened heart or when we are steeped in sins, we cannot hear God. The verse above brings to light a natural spiritual degression, as well as a condition for God’s healing or deliverance.

 

THE BEGINNING STAGE 1: OUR HEART

1.1 When our heart becomes dull, calloused, hardened, wax gross as a result of sins……>

1.2 And interestingly, Psalm 119:70 mentions “their heart is unfeeling like fat…”, in other word, “fat” means full of oneself or things of the world…

 

PROGRESSIVE STAGE 2: OUR EARS

Our ears (to hearing God) becomes dull and hard of hearing……>

“Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot hear My word.” – John 8:43

 

PROGRESSIVE STAGE 3: OUR EYES

We will close our eyes, which means to turn blind to the truth or ignore them……>

The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. – 1 Corinthians 2:14

 

PROGRESSIVE STAGE 4A: IN DENIAL

Having hardened our heart, shut off our ears and close our eyes, we will live in denial. And that means we refuse to acknowledge there is a problem or an issue, nor to accept the truth……>

“He (Satan) will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.”  – 2 Thessalonians 2:10

 

FINAL STAGE 5: IN DARKNESS

We will then walk in darkness.

“They do not know nor do they understand; They walk about in darkness;” – Psalm 82:5

 

But God is gracious to add a “Y-junction” to STAGE 4B: RETURN, to repentance. Only THEN, can we truly experience God’s deliverance and healing. Repentance is the key that unlocks your prison.

When our Spirit is alive, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. (Jn 16:13) This is when the Spirit of Truth will open your eyes and ears, renew your mind and transform your heart.

There is no way we can’t hear God since we have the wisest Counsellor living is us and He is the Spirit of all Truth, unless we must have shut our ears, close our eyes and harden our hearts– Sometimes God did reveal something to us but we may not accept it as what we are hoping for or expecting it to be.

“God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world. -C.S. Lewis”

Guilt. The Blues. Deception.

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1

Recent news about my friends’ parents committing suicide weighed heavily in my heart. Their deaths left behind mark that we cannot find any answers to. At the same time, I noticed that my blogsite registered the highest traffic on the topic of “When Forgiveness Is Hard…”. It seems like many of us have had a hard time either in releasing forgiveness or in the need of forgiveness, even to one self. National statistics had also shown that a rising number has suffered from depression, and it is a worrying trend.

We all have seasons in the doldrums and have entertained negative thoughts from time to time, but what is that furtive silent killer that gnaw incessantly inside us and tip us off balance? It is not uncommon that many in the world today wrestle with the vicissitudes of life to battle the blues, guilt and even deception. How then can we emancipate ourselves from the limitations that life has dealt us?

It is well-known that our mind is the Devil’s playground, therefore I would like to share 7 life-giving Truths that will bring Light to this world of darkness:

1. Accept God’s forgiveness and forgive yourself

Guilt is one of the key hot buttons that Satan love to press. But we have to recognise that when we genuinely confessed our sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). (And yes, we have to be truly repentant.) Forgive, just as God has forgiven you.

2. Accept the fact you are God’s creation and dearly loved

I had been there- spending time and money to look good on the outside that it became an obsession, and in the end only to discover that I could not be what I hoped to be like someone else. It was depressive. The crux was, I could not accept and love myself. It took me years to learn that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) that there is no one else as unique as me. And the bonus is, I am dearly loved. (John 15:9, “I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love.”)

3. Look at yourself through God’s eye

Sometimes Satan insinuate us with thoughts of failure, but we have to stand firm secured in our identity as the beloved Child of God, to resist such temptation. After all, we all have failed in one way or another. Remember that we are work-in-progress and remind yourself that God isn’t finished with you yet (Philippians 1:6).

Look at yourself as how God sees you: You will be called by a new name that the mouth of the Lord will bestow. You will be a crown of splendor in the Lord’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the Lord will take delight in you, and your land will be married. (Isaiah 62:2-4)

4. Decide to be positive at all times

Anxiety can creep in like an armed bandit, binding us to worry over things which we cannot control, and which dominates and controls our mind and trouble our heart, filling both with doubt, fear, and dread. Anxiety cannot be removed; it must be replaced- Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things (Philippians 4:8). We remove our anxiety by handing over our concerns and worries to the Lord, trusting him to care for us- Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7)

God’s power is working in you and through you even when you don’t see or feel it- For you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.” (Philippians 4:13)

5. Anticipate the abundant life God has in store for you and trust Him

God has a beautiful plan for you. And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose for us. (Romans 8:28)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:17 NASB) The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Take heart that God will make everything beautiful in His Time (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

6. Always choose to be thankful

Change your garment of mourning to a new garment of thanksgiving- give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit (1 Thessalonians 5:18-19). Just as light and darkness cannot co-exist, similarly, thankfulness and ingratitude cannot occupy the same room in your heart. Count your blessings, each and every day, even for the little things. Sometimes in our busyness and constant pressures from life demands that we can be sidetracked or blinded. By giving thanks, you will begin to see how blessed you are for what you have instead of what you do not have (which many others may not have what you have too!)

7. Surrender your life to God and start serving others

I discovered that when I let go and let God takes over, it takes my mind off myself. (James 4:7, “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God.”)

And when I consider how others who are less fortunate than me who need help, I realised life isn’t that harsh on me after all. As I serve others, I am less inclined to wallow in my own self-pity parties (Proverbs 11:25 says “Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.”). Matthew 6:33 NLT says, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” God promises to provide for our needs- so if we run after things, we will never have enough. Seek God first and we will have everything.

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome all evils, because the One who is in you is greater than the one (Prince of Darkness) who is in the world. (1 John 4:4). Therefore, you are more than conquerors through Christ who loves you. (Romans 8:37) For every child of God defeats this evil world, and you achieve this victory through faith. (1 John 5:4)

 

Something To Mull Over: A Matter Of Perspective

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? – Mark 8:36

Ever heard of the adage that goes, “Many build their wealth at the risk of their health, only to lose their wealth in order to rebuild their health”? Let me offer another angle too- “Many pursue the things of this world at the risk of losing their soul, only to regain their soul by letting go of things of the world.”

People always assert that money can always be earned back, but not health when it is at risk. That explained why many have fallen to sicknesses as a result of high stress and mental illness as a result of depression.

I have been mulling over why I have been obsessing with finances, ever since I embarked on the journey of entrepreneurship, where cashflow is not insured from time to time. I sensed I may be “losing myself”. To begin with, I have been living with a faulty belief system that I need to have more in order to enjoy more, and when I finally got there, somehow I wasn’t happy in achieving the goal. Life somehow seems meaningless- is there all to it – Do our existence contingent on our possessions?

Then Jesus said to them, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.” – Luke 12:15

In other word, greed is a bottomless pit, the constant pursuit of wanting more or having something better, which is never ending can be meaningless.

The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart. I realised that I need a paradigm shift to see things from another perspective.

 

Which Is Truly Important?

—————————————

I may not have earned a lot,

but I am thankful that I am not that poor to worry about my next meal;

I may not own a house,

but I am thankful that I still have roof over my head and a place to sleep;

I do not own a car,

but I am thankful that I do not impose upon myself such a liability;

I may not have amassed much wealth,

but I am thankful I still have good health;

I may not be a game changer,

but I am thankful that I can do what I am best at and called to do;

I may not have achieve success as the world pursues,

but I am thankful I can get up each day to do what I love to do;

I may not have a lot of material things that money can buy,

but I am thankful for the simple things that bring joy which money cannot buy nor time can redeem.

At least I enjoy true peace and a good night rest each day,

for many it costs them too high a price to pay.

At the end of the day, what can you bring to Heaven?

 

“If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones.” – Luke 16:10A

Happiness is not something to arrive at or the need to acquire it. True joy can be attained in the moments, even when you have little. Life is best lived simple, if we learn to see things from another perspective.

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).

The Green-Eyed Monster

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30) It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else. (Ecclesiastes 6:9b GNT)

Many years ago, I used to love this perfume, Envy, by Gucci. I simply love its scent, and the green colour was soothing to the eyes too. It was the only perfume as a self-confessed brand loyalist, that I would stick to for years. The second generation after the popular Envy series was, Envy Me. I was contemplating then to try it out, until a remark from a close friend in the church,, “Are you sure it is a good idea to fall head over heel in love with Envy? Are you not aware that Envy is a green-eyed monster?” (My friend was trying to raise her concern without malicious intent on the product, for she knew I struggled with envy……)

Envy reared its ugly head in the early stage of my life because of my own imperfections that I seek perfection elsewhere in order to compensate for the gap: Where I should be in my career; What I should possess in life; And how I should appear to others. I was always on the pursuit of “bigger and better things”, failing which, I was green with envy whenever someone had what I could not have. I once held a conviction that I needed to have certain things to be happy, and envy bred a competitive spirit in me, “Look what they are getting? Why did they deserve it? I deserve what they have! So I am going to get more and have it better!” to a point that I secretly wished they would fail, because it made me feel better that they could not have what I could not have.

Envy was eating into me every time I compared myself to others- it didn’t make me feel superior but rather painfully lousy. And my heart could not be at peace because I was obsessed with covetousness. And contentment was never found in my dictionary.

It took me years to learn that making comparison is the root of all envy. And the very key to overcoming envy is to stop comparing yourself to others. I have to recognise that the Bible says, “Isn’t everything you have and everything you are sheer gifts from God? So what’s the point of all this comparing and competing? You already have all you need.” (1 Corinthians 4:7-8 The Message) For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man. (Mark 7:21-23)

Instead of focusing so much on the-never-haves and the-never-happens, I should be grateful for what I do have, since life itself is a blessing, and what I have been given not others can have. There isn’t anybody like me, for God made me to do which others can’t. So there isn’t really any basis for comparison. When I knew the truth, the truth sets me free indeed.

The Bible also tells us that we already have more than we need and far more than we deserve. Every good thing in our lives is a gift from God. We can pick a leaf from the Apostle Paul who said, “I have learned to be content.” So being content is a learning process that we have to exercise continually- when we are content, there is no room for envy.

A Blank Page

Each book, each chapter, each page,
Strewn with autographs of life-
Scribbled with regrets.
Pierced with rejections.
Trampled with derision.
Crumbled with resentment.
Composing into a cacophony of hoots and wails.

And Heaven declared a new lease of life.
Erased with The Divine Blood, leaf by leaf.
Finished.
A brand new page-
Tomorrow births a new beginning.
A blank new chapter-
Tomorrow glimmers a new hope.
How would you choose then to fill those dashes?

The brushes. The bruises. The stings.
Try again. Get up again. Start over again.
Tomorrow is a blank new page.

But ever thought how many pages you have left?
Those misses you are afraid to try again…
Those times you fail to treasure…
Those lives you have no time to care…
A blank page.

“Forget the former things;  do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. – Isaiah 43:18-20

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.

Even With Grey Hairs I Am With You

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. (Psalm 23:6A) I will be your God throughout your lifetime–until your hair is white with age. I made you, and I will care for you. I will carry you along and save you. (Isaiah 46:4)

I was having a coffee break with 2 friends yesterday chatting about retirement plans when the uncertain future caught us a little apprehensive since we are single with age catching up. One of them shared that she does not look too far ahead to the future as we do not know what can happen tomorrow, therefore it is more important to live in the present, trusting God each step, day by day. Recalling God’s faithfulness in the past had helped her to deal with life’s challenges with renewed faith, strength and comfort. She shared a particular verse from Psalm 23:6 which she always anchored herself on- “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me ALL THE DAYS of my life.” (Emphasis in caps). This verse appeared to be a life-giving bread for me, at the same time I “heard” a small still voice, “Even with grey hairs I will be with you”.

Most of us dread old age, especially when our bodies are subject to decay anytime.

Most of us dread loneliness, especially when we may be walking through life alone.

Most of us dread darkness, especially when we are in our pits.

Whether we are single or married, or whether we are in the high or low season, we all face different issues in each stage of our lives that can render us insecure and fearful about what is next. Although reality bites— our world may fall, and men fail—  the Lord our God is always constant, till the end of the earth, today and forever: God gave His Family (God’s community) who can uphold us, His closest Companion (Holy Spirit) who is always with us, HIs billet–doux (love letters from the bible) which remind us of His Faithful Love, His spiritual communication tool (prayers) which we can tap into the Source of Power, and His Songs (worship) which minister to our souls.

Look back, at His Faithfulness;

Look now, at His Loving-kindness;

Look ahead, at His Trustworthiness.

What Truly Matter?

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul? Or what will a man give as an exchange for his soul? – Matthew 16:26

Recent news about my friends in their 40s, have lost their fight with cancer, one after another since the beginning of the year. A friend rued over the missed chance to have a last meal with one of them whom he was close to, because he couldn’t find the time of convenience. And he missed the opportunity twice. He didn’t expect she be called Home so suddenly… He lamented that there was no way to assuage his pain and entertained many “If only”s…

Life has no “if only”s. And we only live once. Something that is lost is lost forever, there is no turning back of the clock… So what truly matter?

Many of us are so caught up with the world (busyness and self-pursuits) that we neglect the things that truly matter. What if you discovered that you only have 24hours to live? And what if Jesus come and it is right now a Judgement Day? How then will you account for your life? Do you shudder to think that you really get to Heaven? Be warned, Jesus said, amongst us are sheeps and goats, and some sheeps God tells them plainly, “I don’t know you! Depart from me!” (Matthew 7:22-23)

And no one can tell you if your salvation is genuine, only you know. We may even live our spiritual life pious, but God looks at our heart, and He knows whether we are fake-label sheeps. It is undeniably a frightening thought but good to always hold us in check. I shuddered most to think that I may fall away before His coming that we do not know when. I shuddered to think that I have nothing to present to the King of Kings my offering when I stand before Him, when He expects how I have lived my life on mission on earth.

Many of us lived life “soul-less” (i.e. Without purpose or meaning, and even losing your character), or “as we like it” or “when we feel like it”, or “it is okay there is always another time”. That is when we often take things for granted. Ever considered:

(a) Time waits for no man?

(b) You spend your entire life to build wealth, but it can’t buy you health; only to end up we have to spend all our wealth to regain our health.

(c) A career or your money can’t buy you happiness, eternal security, and even relationships. Life will have no meaning.

(d) You can’t take anything to Heaven, except your character and your “report card”.

What truly matter? The sting is, you won’t know what you may have to pay in the future.

Consider how you live NOW, for you never know what is going to happen the next hour. It all boils down to your choice.

Purpose Driven Life- Knowing God’s Will

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” – Luke 6:46

A few conversation with friends recently got me thinking, expressly when one of them shared that she would not mind God place her in a lower position with a big pay cut to be in a place where God could use her to touch and transform lives in the society. She felt that life would be more purposeful then. She rued over what is the point of living life with so much stress just to earn a fat pay, when one day she may have to pay with her lost time, aging physique and failing health? I affirmed her that God would be pleased to honour her heart desire because that is God’s heartbeat.

Truly, it doesn’t matter how much I earn. It doesn’t matter how much I have attained. What will truly appear in my Cirriculum Vitae to God: Will it be marked with spiritual milestones that God count or fleshy accomplishments that will return to dust eventually?

The bible does not exhort us to earn more money (and yes God does bless some with wealth), to get fat pay check, to live in a big house, to drive the newest car, to climb corporate ladder (and yes God does place some in positions of influence), to travel all over the world, or in short, any earthly pursuits.

Ever consider what happens when the time comes for unemployment, a painful pay cut, a “humiliating” position, a financial or health crises, over a prolonged season of uncertainties- The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble (Proverbs 16:4). The challenge at such times is, God remains silent- It is often said, the Teacher is always quiet during the Test.

We already live half of our lives knowing that life is always full of surprises. And the reality is, God often have to bring us to nothing in order to bring us to something, that is part of His humbling process to surface issues that we did not truly let go. In other word, part of us still want to have the final say (to our ideals, our plans, our rights etc.).

“The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders, and interfering with God’s work within us. ” ― A.W. Tozer

The true greatness of a man’s strength lies in the measure of his surrender. – William Booth

Who told you that you need to get into that position? Who told you that you need to have a certain pay package? Who told you that you need to go into a venture? The list goes on. What if your expectations or your plans are not God’s will for you?

Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails. – Proverbs 19:21

Here’s the take- A purpose driven life is one that sets on doing the Will of God. “Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose” (Philippians 2:12-13). Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15)

Success is, fulfilling the complete purpose for which God has made you. It is in His Will that what we have been entrusted with on earth is merely a means to advance the purposes of His Kingdom. Success has nothing to do with wealth, accomplishments, status, or standard of living, as the world defines, nor will they appear on our CV to God. We are called to live a life of obedience to the Father when we fulfill the purposes that God had pre-ordained when he made you and me. But do you know the purposes you are made for? Let go and let God. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. Until you learn this principle, expect that you be going through the same test again, and again.

And let’s face it- we already have half a foot in the grave, and what really matter in your next half of your life? And you never know the hour your time has come, therefore, work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for you do not get to bargain in front of God’s Judgement Seat.

G.R.O.W.T.H

It is pretty interesting to observe babies- when I helped to look after my baby niece. Such experiences have distilled many truths about growing up:

(a) Infants need food- they start with milk.

(b) Infants will grow up if they keep drinking milk. But when they reach a certain age, they can take solid foods, and grow into the next stage of life.

(c) Infants automatically cry for feed when hungry

(d) Because of regular feeding, infants grow bigger and stronger, and outwardly changed.

In the same context, God has much to say:

Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation. (1 Peter 2:2); I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. (1 Corinthians 3:2)

Spiritual babies eventually have to grow up. If their growth is stunted, it may be a result of not being hungry for spiritual foods. In order for growth to happen, we must first be thirsty and hungry in order to ingest any intake. The Bible tells us that God “satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things” (Psalm 107:9). And spiritual growth has to be intentional; when one is truly hungry for the things of God.

How to be hungry for God and grow up? I was just inspired to “formulate” a growth strategy, which will lay the foundation for intentional growth.

G = GO to God for His Words and in prayers, daily (Jeremiah 33:3)

R = RELY on Holy Spirit always (Ephesians 3:20)

O = OBEY God moment to moment (Jeremiah 7:23)

W = WALK in the Spirit at all times (Galatians 5:25)

T = TRUST God day by day (John 14:1)

H = HUMBLE yourself in need of Him each and every day  (John 15:5)

The Antidote For The Pain That Comes A-knocking On Your Door* (Part 2)

*Continue from “When Pain Comes A-knocking On Your Door” as posted the previous day

 

Here is an antidote for your pain from Luke 8:50:

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and [you] will be healed.”

For the wounded hearts and the ailing souls.

 

In need of more prescriptions? The Physician will be glad that you ask.

 

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and [you] will be provided.”

For the pockets decorated with holes.

 

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and [you] will be delivered.”

For the lives at the end of the tether.

 

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and [you] will be guided.”

For the future that loomed with an overcast.

 

“Don’t be afraid; just believe, and [you] will be victorious.”

For those who need to straddle through many hurdles.

 

For effectiveness, gargle your prescription with a glass of faith three times a day after “bread” and voila, you are on the brink of restoration.

Fake Label Christain

True and False Disciples

“Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’ – Matthew 7:21-23 NLT

I remembered a friend shared that a lady with imitation AAA rated (means very close to the real goods) Gucci bag checked into the actual Gucci store during its sales. She felt proud to own that label which was the envy of many. A sales representative caught her red-handed for carrying an imitation, and a police case was filed. The lady was then escorted out with glares by many bystanders. The consequence was unthinkable- She might go to jail for such a folly in passing off an imitation that could crown her to be a real Guccian.

Do you see any association to the passage about what God says about goats and sheeps in His Church?

Just by one label- Fake Christain.

And God has the eyes to see who carries such label and He labels them goats. And goats are casted out of His Gate. Many of us professed our faith and yet live a life only as a Sunday Christian. Many of us claimed that we believed and prayed the sinner’s prayer yet our lives are not reflecting true conversion.

Don’t be surprised, God also have something to say about those who are so fervent about God and involved in a lot of ministries but fall short of being a true believer because their hearts are far away from believing Him and acknowledging Him as Lord and Saviour. Read the verse 22-23 again- It addresses the group of people who did God’s work, mind you, and yet, God can see through their hearts.

Isn’t it scary to hear God telling you, “I don’t know you!” or “I never knew you!”? Would you really know you are truly saved? Do you think just having a stamp on your passport guarantees you an entry to Heaven? If so, everyone can have it easy. We can always chose to be a non-practicing Christian.

Let me give you an illustration- A General Practicioner (GP) is a doctor with a certificate that verifies his professionalism. What if this GP never practises medicine after graduation, can he still be a doctor? Will he still be seen as a credible doctor to the public who is seeking medical help?

Likewise, sure, we get an acknowledgment that we are christians when we prayed the sinner’s prayer. So what is next? Read verse 21 again- It emphasis the last line, “BUT (means by this condition) the one who DOES (be doer not hearer) the WILL (God’s purposes and plans for all of us) of my Father…”.

Verse 23b has an even solemn message- “Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.” Who are these people? Dictionaries define breaking God’s laws as being lawless as “not bound by laws”, “wicked”, “trangressor”, “disobedient”, “violator”, “immoral” and the list goes on. In short, it simply means, no regards for God’s Laws- You know about the rules yet you defy them. We are people of lawlessness because we sin from time to time. But take heart, that Jesus singles out “workers of lawlessness”. Workers work hard day and night with an intention (either for promotion or just to earn more money etc.). In interpreting this, if we continue sinning (it is already at work) and breaking God’s laws or principles intentionally (deliberate disobedience), God has an ultimatum- “depart from Me!”

For example, we all know that carrying imitation goods are prohibited. If we get caught by the original manufacturer, we are in big trouble because we break the laws. It is clear that we cannot escape from such laws. So knowing it, and we deliberately act against this law, would not justice has its way one day? Perhaps, if your conscience is working, you would have stop robbing someone of the copyright.

James summarised in James 2:14-25 (NIV) that the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Let’s check our hearts:

What are we truly- Are we REAL label for Christ?