Grateful to God

^"8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk ... he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. ⁹ ... all the people .... were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."  Acts 3:8-10

The lame beggar begged for money and expected Peter and John to give him some. He definitely got more that he expected ... a miracle healing.

As soon as he was able to walk, he rejoiced, "walking and jumping and praising God." He forgot about the money that he had begged for. His attention wasn't on the money nor his handicap anymore.

His immediate and new focus then was on the One who healed him. Being grateful, not to Peter and John, but to the Almighty God, he went into the temple courts to praise Him. And praise God he did! 

The people heard him, they recognized that he was the lame beggar, but he was now walking and jumping - healed! They were amazed at his testimony that he was healed by God.

I am grateful to God for all that He has done for me and want to testify of His goodness too. I am glad that I was given the opportunity to give my testimony before my church's congregation last week.

Since I was saved more 40 years ago, God's protective hands were always upon me and my family. While I have had many blessings, I have also had many difficult storms in my life. I had to deal with many of life's problems, such as failing in business and having to deal with the resultant financial debt, enduring and waiting for healing of certain illnesses and the likes.

It is in those difficult moments that I find Abba Father faithful, real, loving and assuring. For each and every of those moments, He assured me through specific verses in the bible. They came alive to hold and help me through the dark hours. And praise and glory be to God, I came out of each of those situations stronger and more compassionate towards others.

I am grateful to my God for being faithful and true throughout my life. Those experiences allow me to help those who are also going through similar situations. I know that my God will help them and lead them to victory because He did it for me. He will always do so.

Hear how good God is.... 

Praise the Lord!

Steven

God, will You heal me?

Have you prayed to God to heal you of a particular illness? Or asked Him to heal someone who is sick?

I have experienced instances of immediate manifestation of miraculous healing. At other times, healing came days or even months later. 
Yet there were those times when healing doesn't come for a long, long time. The case of my cervical spondylosis is one of those. 

It has been 3 years since I was suddenly struck down with multiple nerve impingement due to a couple of cervical vertebrae collapsing. The pain was immense and eventually, I had to quit my job in order to recuperate from the side effects of the drug that was prescribed to me.

This month marks the 3rd year of suffering that condition.

By God's grace, I feel much better now, though I cannot say that I am completely healed of that condition. My neck reminds me frequently that if I did not stop punching the keyboard and take a rest, the pain will strike.

I believe that Abba Father heals and I prayed, pray and will continue to pray daily for my complete healing. There are many bible records about healing:

Matthew 9:35 ...
"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 

Mark 1:40-42
"A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” ....  “I am willing,” Jesus said. “Be clean!” Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed."

James 5:14-15 ...
^"Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up."

It is clear to me that it is God's will to heal. Then why do I, and some people, not get healed after praying to Him?

Does that mean that the I have sinned? Or is it that I do not have enough faith?

Ps David Lim in his book, "Spiritual Gifts, A Fresh Look" teaches clearly on this subject:

"Healing is in three stages. First, we were healed at Calvary. Jesus paid the full price of our salvation, and for our wholeness. Second, we are being healed now. We are not in heaven yet where there shall be no more sickness. We live in a sinful world, full of disease, and we have a mortal body. God provides many means by which we appropriate our healing. Third, one day complete healing will be manifested for all. (Revelations 21:4 and 22:2).

It is God's will to heal unless He has a greater will in that immediate situation. If there is not yet healing, God is doing something greater for now. We may not even understand what it is or how God is being glorified. But we can put our trust in God's hands. He will cause all to glorify His name. He is sovereign!"

For me, this understanding is enough. I declare that I will leave my life completely in the sovereign hands of my Abba Father. He who loves me so much that He gave His only Son to come and die for me, will heal me in His time. And if He chooses to delay my healing, I know that it is for a greater glory for His Name.

I echo Paul's affirmation, "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Cor 12:9

Abba Father, not my will but yours be done. Let me glorify you in all circumstances!

God bless.

Steven

The Same Vision Over Again!

Two years ago, I decided to use the hymn, "Be Thou My Vision" as the guiding theme for my sharing. As I was worshiping God at last Sunday's service, I was just thinking about a new theme for my blog sharing for the new year.

Just as I thought that my theme based on "Be Thou My Vision" had run its course, the worship leader sang the hymn.

Now this is unusual. Our church sings hymns only occasionally as contemporary songs are usually sung. But today, a number of hymns were sung.

Suddenly I realized that God was using the worship session to realign my theme for blog sharing .... letting God be my vision always!

Let me reproduce the hymn in full and let God speak to you too.

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Let's realign our vision. Let's focus on God, let Him be our thoughts at all times!

God bless.

Steven 

Martha, Martha!

Busyness caught up with me over the last three months. House shifting is a major project and one of the top 10 stress factors in life. My family shifted into our new house just barely three months ago. There are still so many things to be done to turn the house into our home.

I was also busy with ministry work, tending to the sheep that the Lord has assigned me to. I was even busy with BSF homework, answering questions but knowing Him deeper in those answers I gave!

Those were the excuses that I had for not consistently sitting at the feet of the Lord over the last few months. I struggled to keep the sacred time daily. There were always some things that took my morning quiet time away. I could not be still before Him.

For the whole of last week, I asked Abba Father what to share on the blog today. I struggled with writing this post. I simply did not know what to share. I was suffering more than just a writer's block.

I thought hard but did not quite hear Him. Finally as I penned my thoughts, praying again before my fingers hit the keyboard, the Lord revealed that the state of my fellowship with Him was suffering.

"Martha, Martha" suddenly became a deafening roar! 

I am reminded of what the Lord said to Martha in Luke 10:42-43.

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed — or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

How often we let the busyness of life take away the more important things in life - as the Lord puts it," few things are needed or indeed only one."

Lord, I repent. I do not want to allow busyness to become my spirituality. I want to be still and know You, Father.

As I keyed in the words of this blog, I ask for the Holy Spirit's help to consistently want to and to sit quietly at His feet. It is for my own good. His words refresh me, feed and nourish my hungry soul.

And He is faithful not to let my heart turn cold. Hence the urging to repent. Abba Father, thank you for your faithfulness and love.


To those who are reading this, don't do "Busyness As Usual".

God bless.

Steven

God wants us to enjoy worship

So far in the last month, the following names of God were discussed:

Jehovah Nissi - He is my Banner.
Jehovah Ezer - My very present Helper.
Jehovah Shalom - He is my Peace.
Jehovah Saboath - My Captain of Hosts.
Jehovah Jireh - He provides all my needs.
Jehovah Raah - He is my Good Shepherd.
Jehovah Rapha - My Healer.
Jehovah Shammah - My Father who is always there for me.

In this final posting on the Names of God, I am glad to learn that Abba Father wants me to enjoy my worship of Him.

As Jehovah Tsidkenu, He sees me as a righteous person through His Son (Jer 23:5-6). God is so holy that only those who are righteous can come before Him.

Because of sin, I can't go before God. But His love for me sent Jesus to the cross. By His death, He took my sins and imputed His righteousness to me.

From a condemned sinner to a sinner saved by grace, I can now go into God's presence boldly to worship Him. Praise the Lord.

He is also Jehovah Mekeddeshem, the Lord who sanctifies (Heb 13:12). There is a three-fold sanctification; upward, inward and outward.

I am being sanctified to have a intimate relation with my Creator. At the same time, my inner man is being sanctified so that I can give up my old self to be the person He wants me to be. And finally, I am being made to be more like Jesus Christ, His ultimate goal of reconciliation.

By being my Righteousness and Sanctifier, Abba Father allows me to go into His presence to enjoy worshiping Him.

Conclusion

God sets me apart for His purposes, that is, to touch our world. He gives us Purpose. His Names show His character and love for me.

Our greatest need is to focus on all God has done for us and to appropriate His blessings.

God bless.

Steven

God's goodness to me

Surely your goodness and love will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever. 

Psalm 23:6

David ends this psalm by proclaiming God's goodness over himself, reflecting an unwavering faith in his relationship with Him.

Indeed, God's goodness and love will always be with those who have chosen to be His children. I have been in this relationship with  when I was 14, God has demonstrated, over and over again, His faithfulness, love and goodness to me through my life.

It was not that my life was plain sailing; storms were present to hone and build my character, shape my relationship and strengthen my faith. Over those times when I was feeling abandoned, His hands embraced me and lift me up.

I will proudly boast of His faithfulness, love and goodness, which have kept me strong as I struggled with life's challenges at home, at the workplace and even in church. Because of His great love, I am not consumed, His compassions never fail they are new every morning, hallelujah! (Lamentation 3:22-24).  

Let's read Psalm 23:6 again and chew on it. God's goodness and love will follow us all of our life. He said it, He will do it. So relax in Him and enjoy the relationship and fellowship with our loving Abba Father.

David's expression in Psalm 23 truly reflects the shepherd heart of God. We are Jesus' flock. He will do all to keep us protected, well -fed, well-rested so that we can enjoy the abundant life that He came to give. His love and goodness will pursue us all our days!

God bless.

Steven

Peace in Adversity

Psalm 23:5

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

Do you ever wonder what this verse actually means and how it relates to a shepherd and his sheep? It seems to be out of place in this psalm. What was David thinking when he penned those words.

Shepherds generally do not eat at the table. They are out in the pasture with their sheep. Having a table represented feasting, not just eating. David was referring to the pleasure of a proper feast, such as those he had in his palace. 

Can one enjoy a proper meal, a feast, in the presence of his enemies?

Any one who can feast in the presence of adversity or enemy is surely blessed. Only one who has peace that surpass all human understanding can eat so comfortably.

David was able to do so because his trust was in his Shepherd. It was such a deep trust that he know that his life was safe in His hands, and so he can feast in their presence.

I experienced a little of what David experienced.

My family shifted house just last week. We are shifting house the second time in our last 30 years. House moving is a life-changing event that is among the top 10 stressors in life. We had to plan months ahead, execute it during the day of actual shifting and will be spending weeks or even months to settle down in the new environment. 

For us the, the added stressor was moving into a house that has not quite been completed; this means that we have to deal with the workers who are still doing the finishing touches.

To add to the  problem, on the second night in our new house and tired from the days of packing and unpacking, I reversed my wife's car out of the garage and crashed it into a stationary truck. The back window was completely smashed. The repair costs more than $1000!

Are my wife and I stressed? Absolutely.

But by the grace of God, I am so glad and even am amazed that the both of us are able to handle the stress very well; this is unusual. Despite all that has happened, we did not get angry, lose our heads, raise our voices nor quarrel. There were many instances and circumstances that we would have done so, normally.

I am amazed that instead, my wife and I spoke words of assurance to each other, encourage one another and keep each other's spirit going. She did not even get angry at me for smashing her car! Hallelujah!

And on the part of anointing his head with oil, David was referring to what shepherds usually do; they rub oil on the sheep's head to keep the flies from irritating them (flies like to lay their eggs on the furry head of the sheep but the sheep gets completely irritated by the buzzing of these flies).

In the same way, my Good Shepherd keeps the irritations of the world from me when He anoints me with the oil of the Holy Spirit. We can choose to reject or neglect this, but it will be to our own chagrin. If we welcome the Holy Spirit's anointing, our cup will surely overflows with the wine from heaven and we can enjoy our feast.

Indeed, the Lord is my Shepherd, He gives me such peace that I can even have a feast, complete with good wine, in the presence of adversities because He continually anoints me with the oil of the Holy Spirit.

Try it!

God bless.

Steven 

My Shepherd's rod and staff comfort me

"Even though I walk
    through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
    they comfort me."

 Psalm 23:4

The rod and staff are essential tools of work for every responsible shepherd. Without these two instruments, the flock will be severely in danger.

Straying is a common problem with sheep.  Sheep tend to lose focus on the shepherd and thus easily stray away from the flock. As they stray, he sheep easily wander on to dangerous grounds such as steep cliffs or where the predators are. If not rescued, the sheep may be killed.

An alert shepherd, besides leading the flock right up front, has to always look out for the wayward sheep. The shepherd will use his rod to hit that sheep as a form of discipline, to get it back on track. He is gentle but firm on the sheep but the rod is certainly used to get the stray sheep back on track.

The shepherd also uses his rod as an instrument of protection against the predators. They fight off wolves and other animals which are trying to make game of the sheep.

How I am like the wayward sheep sometimes. Unknowingly, or deliberately, I step out of God's plan for my life. If not for my Shepherd's rod of discipline, which may seem harsh to me at that point, I would have walked myself into danger. I am so glad His rod brings me back onto the even path and out of harm's way and that He uses it to protect me from my predators.

The staff, a rod with a crooked end, functions differently. Very often, a sheep strays on to a dangerous place, such a dangerous cliff. Those places may also pose a danger to the shepherd. So he reaches out to the entangled sheep with his staff, gently hooking the sheep with the crooked end and bringing the frightened sheep back to safety.

In the same way, I have experienced the gentle staff of my Shepherd, pulling me back from danger and setting me on safe grounds again. Oh, how re-assuring it is to feel the cuddling of His staff around me when I needed help. 

No wonder King David exclaimed that even as he walked through the darkest valley in his life, he had no fear, simply because he felt the comfort of the Shepherd's love and assurance, meaningfully expressed through the shepherd's rod and staff. David knew it well because he was a shepherd who cared for his sheep.

And I know too, because my Shepherd cares for me all the time.

Praise the Lord!

God bless.

Steven
 

The Shepherd's my guide

A shepherd will tell you that a sheep does not know that it has gone astray. Unguided, the sheep will merrily go where it wishes to go, and many times, to dangerous pathways.

The shepherd's most critical task is to lead his flock along the right paths. It is the shepherd's duty to make sure that he stays ahead of the flock to guide them so that they will follow his direction to stay on course.

Like sheep, I get lost along the way in life. For most of those times, I am unaware that I am lost, at least an the beginning. In fact, my very mortal nature pushes me to think that I am not lost, or if I finally admit that I am, it makes me think that I can find my way back to the right path.

Most of those times, I did not purposefully make an obvious major u-turn of my direction, which I can surely see. It is the simple straying, through a series of small and unseemly wrong steps that eventually sent me off course.

The sad truth is that in most of those times, I was unable to recover my path using my own knowledge and skill. I can only depend on my Shepherd to lead me to along the right paths.

David knew exactly what he was referring to when he penned Psalm 23:3b ...

"He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake."

I thank God that my Shepherd always gently guide me. However, I have to constantly warn myself that I can still get lost if I loose sight of Him.

To keep looking at my Shepherd, I must keep my quiet time and have periodic time out with Him. As long as I do so, I am able to focus on Jesus and hear what He has to tell me, and so, leading me on the right paths.

Despite having my daily quiet time, I find it most useful to have a periodic time out with Jesus. I would find a few hours off from the hustle bustle of daily life, go to a quiet place such as a park or by the sea, to seek His face. I learn to train my ears and heart to listen, instead of the usual asking in prayer.

My Shepherd never fails to lead and guide me to the right paths because of His name's sake. And all paths for His name's sake are good for me. Hallelujah!

I encourage you to spend regular quiet time and take periodic time off to seek His face. He will surely keep you walking in the right paths.

God bless.

Steven

I failed, or have I?

I having been following Selwyn Hughes' devotional over that last 6 weeks on the theme of failure. Funnily enough, I have been struck by a feeling of failure.

It is not that I have failed in any specific area or matter that I am handling. The feeling just came as though it was a practical session of applying what Selwyn was teaching.

Interestingly enough, this came after my wife and I had just successfully facilitated a couples weekend retreat. We led 11 couples to grow closer to each other and to God in love. The feedback from every participant was very affirming and mostly encouraging. We knew we have influenced and positively impacted them with our sharing.

It was in that context that I was struck with the feeling of failure. It doesn't make sense. But it did affected me so much that I did not felt that I should continue writing my blog, hence the message on Monday.

On reflection, I realized that the Holy Spirit was giving me a chance to experience the agony of those who are feeling that they have failed. Empathy requires one to feel the pain before of being of help.

The psalmist proclaimed,

" ¹ 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?...

 ¹³ I remain confident of this:
   I will see the goodness of the LORD
   in the land of the living.
¹⁴ Wait for the LORD;
   be strong and take heart
   and wait for the LORD."

Psalm 27:1,13-14

And there were those of you who responded to my last blog and encouraged me to keep going. God bless you my dear fans.

So friends, do not dwell in your sense of failure, for in itself, that is failure. But look up to the heavens and wait upon the Lord with confidence. 

I did. He answered.

Abba Father will not allow His children to fail, unless we choose to!

God bless.

Steven

Pray Away Your Anxiety

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

One week into this year, I experienced the onslaught of an anxiety attacks. Yes, anxiety visited me and tried to run me down!

The enemy exploited a change in my business situation which required me to change course and direction. It was not an unexpected change although it was a major one for me. In fact, it is to be a change for the better.

However, I felt restless, worried and inadequate. I became more and more anxious. Despite having constantly tasted God's goodness and plenteous blessings, I was imagining the future negatively. The bombardments were for real.

What is amazing is that throughout that period, Abba Father sent His encouragement through so many ways that His assurances and instructions were much louder than anxiety's blasts.

Through a few unrelated quiet time articles from different writers, pulpit messages and scriptures, Abba Father spoke to me gently and assuredly. His message was simple:

"Bring your complaints to Me like David did." Psalm 39

"Wait upon Me, I care for you." Psalm 40:1-3

"Call to Me, I will answer you." Jeremiah 33:3

"Pray for all things and at all times." Philippians 4:6

"Renew your strength." Isaiah 40:31

I literally went up to the mountain in solitude to pray to Him. I went to Kent Ridge Park one afternoon, plug my iPod playing worship songs into my ears, sat in quiet contemplation and simply waited upon Him.

When I was just about getting into His presence, raindrops started to fall. I complained to Him, "Father, I came here to be with You, surely You can hold the rain and let me come in to Your presence." It was an instant answer. The drizzle stopped.

After about 10 minutes, it began to rain. I felt disappointed. I took my stuff and started to walk towards my car, wanting to just sit in it to wait for rain to stop. On my way, I complained again, "Father, I came here to seek You, and I am determined not to leave this place even if it rains."

With that, I walk towards the highest point in the park where there was a shelter. I wanted to continue my seeking there. As the reached the shelter, the rain stopped abruptly. It did not rain again throughout the solitude time I spent with God.

Not only did Abba Father met me, He totally assured me of His presence and gave me the peace of waiting on Him and trusting that He cares for me.

I attended Saturday's church service and a visiting speaker from Vietnam shared a simple but pertinent message; "In all things, under all circumstances big or small, pray to God." It was another confirmation for me.

Anxiety visited me and tried to run me down. Praying drove it far away. Hallelujah!

Dear beloved, we all ought to pray always.

God bless.

Steven

His Power in My .Weaknesses

"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Cor 12:10

Paul described himself (and us) as merely jars of clay (2 Cor 4:7). According to Dr Tan Siang Yang of Fuller Seminary, jars of clay in Paul's time were the cheapest of the containers used. They were akin to the styro-foam boxes that we use for take-aways today.

He used it to aptly describe us! By our self, we are like dirt. But more importantly, Paul used it to magnify our weaknesses, that we have no power whatsoever in us. But the moment we acknowledge the presence of the Lord and allow Him to have His way in us, we are transformed.

Jesus is the "treasure" that Paul referred to. With Him in us, the power of God shines through and triumph in very situation. We may be "hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Cor 4:8-9)

Paul realized his weaknesses. More importantly, he realized that when he acknowledged his weaknesses, he allowed God's power to manifest. That conviction led him to say “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Beloved, ask the Holy Spirit to help us to constantly realize that we are like jars of clay, that which can and will be transformed by the in filling of the Holy Spirit. And when that happens, we will reflect God's power and glory.

God bless.

Steven

Working out my salvation

^"3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life ....⁵ For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness ...."  2 Peter 1:3,5-7

Oswald Chambers said, "We are in danger of forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can do. We cannot save nor sanctify ourselves ... but God will not give us good habits or character, and He will not force us to walk correctly before Him. We have to do all that ourselves. We must “work out” our “own salvation” which God has worked in us."

I am reminded that my desire to be more like Christ is not and cannot be a prayer. I have the responsibility to work on it to be more like Christ.

Like all men, I do not possess the strength and ability to do it myself. That is why God assured us through Peter that He has given us "everything we need" for a godly life. Hallelujah! I love you,Dad!

Join me to appropriate His divine power and to allow Abba Father to help us work out our salvation to fulfill His holy purpose (Philippians 2:12).

God bless.

Steven

Rejoice - Right and Wrong Ones

"However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you... "

Luke 10:20

The word rejoice is almost associated in positive phrases entirely throughout the new testament text. There is only one verse that says, "do not rejoice"; that which is found in the passage above.

Last week, I shared about my learning on right and wrong burdens. I shared that there are certain "burdens" that God has put upon me and I work towards fulling them.

While willing and wanting to complete those tasks, I want to remind myself that I shall not rejoice when I successfully achieve these "spiritual successes".

It is one thing to complete God's assignment. It is yet another to rejoice that I (yes, capitalized and in bold) have been successful. My brother, Jesus, clearly tells me that I should not rejoice even when the spirits are subjected to me, but that I am His (Luke 10:20). I must seek the Giver and not the gifts, the Builder and not the buildings, Abba Father and not a religious god-head!

And so, I shall rejoice for the Lord is good, for all that He has done for me on and beyond the cross. I shall ask Abba Dad to help me not to rejoice in my spirituality.

God bless.

Steven

Sin MUST die

"... count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ...do not let sin reign in your mortal body ..."

Roman 6:11-14 

I have a confession to make.

I am not without sin. I want to. But I am not yet.

Apostle Paul reminds me that my old man was crucified with Christ, that the body of sin might be done away with, that I should no longer be a slave of sin. (Romans 6:6)

He further admonishes me not to offer any part of myself to sin but rather, to God and offer every part of myself to Him as an instrument of righteousness. (Romans 6:13)
 
So I am challenged to make a decision that sin MUST die in me, not simply restrained or suppressed, but completely crucified!

It will not be an easy path ahead. Temptations will still come, and I expect them to be even more as I make this commitment. I will not have the strength to overcome these attacks. This leaves me to only one way ahead; I shall call upon Jesus to identify me with His crucifixion and death, until I am certain that sin in me is completely dead!

Let me close by quoting Paul again, "sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace." (Romans 6:14)

Join me.

God bless.

Steven

Land of the Risen Son

"There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."

Luke 21:11 

My wife and I returned to Singapore from Japan last Wednesday - the day the first earth quake (7.2) hit the country at around 11am. Our flight left at 10.10am. We all know that a second one hit Sendai and Tokyo catastrophically on Friday, causing extensive damages and lost of lives.

While we thank God for His protection upon us, our hearts go out to the millions of Japanese who were affected by the earthquakes and the resultant tsunami.

One of my cell member made a correct observation though - he said that we should not be surprised by such catastrophes; Jesus had warned us and they should be expected in this fallen state of mankind. Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, droughts, AIDS, H1N1 and the likes are the direct consequences of a world that have rejected God. The world is cursed since the day that Adam fell into sin.

Deuteronomy 28:15-68 lay out all the curses for those who disobey God. In particular, verse 59 says that "the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses." 

But God is merciful and gracious to those who turns to Him and repent. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 declare God's abundant blessings upon those who obey Him. Verse 12 says "He will open the heavens..... to bless all the work of your hands." 

My wife and my prayer is for the people of Japan to come to know the love of Jesus for them. The Japanese are wonderful people and God loves them.

Join us in praying that they will believe and receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior. 

Join us to pray that the Land of the Rising Sun will become the Land of the Risen Son!

God bless.

Steven

Dare to Persevere

" ...... the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."    

James 1:3-5

The dictionary explains "perseverance" as:

1.  Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

 

2.  Theology - continuance in a state of grace to the end, leading to eternal salvation.

 

My attention is drawn to the second definition .... perseverance is the continuance in grace, believing in Christ, which leads to eternal salvation.

Throughout the new testament, perseverance is mentioned many times.

 

We are directed to persevere, as suffering produces perseverance and then character (Romans 5:3-4).

We are to run the race marked out for us with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1).

We are to let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:4)

We are to add perseverance to self control and thereafter, godliness (2Peter 1:5-7).

Revelations 2:2,19 tell us that the Lord will specifically "know" our perseverance along with our love, faith and hard work.

Let us dare to persevere because of the grace of God.

God bless.

Steven

Be weary of worry

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.    Matthews 6:34

If I say to you, "Do not worry", some of you will reply, "I can't help it, I am just overwhelmed!".

But if I were to tell you not to entertain the thoughts of the Devil, you will probably say, "Yes, I do not want to entertain his thoughts."

Do you know that worrying is mediating the thoughts of Satan. 

The Devil wants you to worry and worry lots because worrying is the opposite of faith in God. One worries because he is not sure if God would take care of his needs.

But our Lord clearly assured us that God cares for us totally and there is no point in worrying (Matthew 6:25-31). Instead, He said that we should seek first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33) and all our needs will be taken care of.

It is our decision; to trust God at His word or to worry as Satan wants us to. 

To overcome Satan's trick, let's start by strengthening our position in Christ by reading and knowing His promises. Every time that you have a thought that is contrary to God's will and word, cast it down immediately. Simply refuse to worry by committing your needs to God. Read His word to counter Satan's thoughts.

You can stop worrying. Decide for your self. Be weary of worry and you will be set free.

Praise the Lord who is faithful and is able to keep us all from the fiery darts of the Devil. Indeed, God has won and Satan has lost!

God bless.


Steven

Dare to believe

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered..... Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Mark 11:22,24 

Kenneth Copeland, in his article "Four Words That Work", shared that "Believing .... is the key to everything in the kingdom of God. It's the way we tap into the very power of Almighty God.....It's as simple as saying, 'I believe I receive.'"

The issue many of us grapple with today is simply the lack of trust in God.  We are tempted over and over again to doubt the authenticity of God's love for us. "Did God really say ..." (Genesis 3:1) and "... your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God.. " (Genesis 3:5) are the Devil's age-old trick, which unfortunately still traps many Christians today.

Selwyn Hughes said that, "..the root of man's sin is not rebellion or disobedience but a failure to trust. Rebellion and disobedience are, in fact, symptoms of a profound lack of trust."

His children's lack of trust in Him breaks Abba Father's heart.

As my wife and I trek through our spiritual path recently, we are being taught to move from "We must know that He knows" to "Dare to wait" and now to "Dare to believe" in Him.

His words are clear; ".... when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-7)

The story of my house hunting is still unfolding. God is indeed performing His work in "strange" ways but I must say that my wife and I know the conclusion already.

We believe we receive!

Praise the Lord and God bless.

Steven

Dare to wait

 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:6-7

When I penned my thoughts for "We must know that He knows" last Tuesday, my wife and I were waiting for the buyer of our house to exercise his option on Thursday. 

The buyer did not exercise. You see, after we sold our house, we immediately bought another a few days later. With the transaction falling through, it meant that we would also not be able to exercise our option; our 1% option money, which a large sum, would be forfeited.

However, what followed was a clear and undeniable demonstration of God's faithfulness because "God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Rom 8:28)

My wife and I were at peace even though the transaction fell through. A number of friends who were praying for us felt disappointed though.

One even remarked that "such a thing should not have happened to you". I affirmatively replied, "If you know Him like I do, there is no disappointment because I know that He knows. This incident may have happened so that you and others may know that we all can trust God like this."

Later that evening, my wife and I were ministering to a couple who had just made a major decision - moving back to their home country. They were leaving that weekend but had yet to receive a firm answer for the husband's job application there. They were naturally concerned as the move impacts the whole family.

We shared the peace that God gave us as we walked through our own situation. We reiterated that if we really believed that He knows, then we must "dare to wait" for His plan to unfold.

The wife messaged me the following day to say that her husband had just received a call, informing him that he was not offered the job. However, they were at peace instead of being disappointed; they were encouraged that we can trust God and so they did likewise.

Indeed, God ways are higher than our ways. While we must know that He knows, we must also dare to wait upon Him.

To end this sharing, I want to give God praise and glory - my house was sold again within a week and for the same price.

I encourage us all to dare to wait upon a faithful and loving God.

Praise the Lord and God bless.

Steven