"7 Days ... and Counting"

Oh my!!! I can hardly believe it; it's only a week away from the big day!!! Guess it hasn't fully sunk in yet; it all still seems so surreal. Oh well, it'll probably fully hit home when my beloved family arrives on 5th August (Wed)!!! Oh, i can hardly wait for their arrival!!! :)

Anyway, back to counting down to the big day ..........

Man, dunno how to describe my feelings ... Doubtless, i'm fully assured and certain of what i'm stepping into (i had better be ... haha); nonetheless, i gotta confess that whilst there is much excitement, eagerness and anticipation for what is to come, yet there seems to be a part of me that is somewhat ...... nervous (hmm ... a case of pre-wedding jitters?).

Amongst other things, i've been primarily reading and meditating on passages such as Ephesians 5: 22-33 and 1 Peter 3: 1-7 in preparation for the married life - and, yes, while it is an inspiring and idealistic goal that i hope to work towards, honestly, i find myself questioning if i'm up to it - for, indeed, it is a tall order - a very tall one!!! (*PS: I'm speaking specifically regarding the role of the husband listed in God's Word).

I mean, the "profound mystery" that the apostle Paul was talking about regarding the matrimonial bond and union of two people (i.e. husband and wife) is that marriage is in actual fact an reflection of the union between Christ and His church. Oh, how solemn the thought that God has ordained marriage as a copy to reflect the reality of the union of Christ and His church - and what a perfect union this is, for the moment we believed, we've been perfectly joined together as one with Christ. And oh, what a perfect pattern of selfless love and biblical headship that our Lord Jesus Christ has set for husbands to follow!!! If this is not a tall call to married couples (especially husbands), i don't know what is!!!

Whenever i read these precious passages of sacred Scripture regarding marriage, i tend to peer into the tunnel of the future ... and, as much as i find myself saying with an emphatic, "Yes, that's what i want!!!", i also inevitably find myself asking, "O Lord, who is sufficient for these things?" Perhaps this explains my paradoxical feelings of "nervous excitement" or "joyful solemnity"?!! :)

I know full well that, by myself, as much as i'd want to make the principles and imperatives laid down in God's Word my aim and ideal, i know that, apart from the grace of God, my feeble humanistic endeavors are bound for failure. Oh, how i need the super-abundant grace of God in matters such as these!!! As such, i find myself inevitably praying, "O Lord, enable me to be such a loving and exemplary husband - one that truly reflects Your selfless love for and servant-leadership over the church!!! Forgive me for my severe lack, extreme inadequacies, and so forth; my trust and my hope is in You and You alone!!! Help me to truly love, cherish, lead, guide, nurture, protect, and provide for Joy the way You have ordained in Your holy Word!!! Oh, grow me so much more and enable me to be a real blessing to the one i love and one whom You have graciously given to me!!! Oh, how i need Your grace and guidance!!! Teach me Your way, O Lord, and i will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart that i may fear Your name!!!"

May the Lord's constant guidance and blessing be upon our upcoming marriage - both now and evermore. Amen. :)

PS: To all our lovely friends helping out with the wedding preparations, etc ... thanks heaps!!! We appreciate each of you deeply!!! :)

"Husbands , love your wives,

just as Christ loved the church

and gave Himself up for her ..."

- Ephesians 5: 25

"The Primacy of Love ... for God"

Whilst doctrines of the Christian faith are extremely precious and of vital importance (and we certainly should do all we can to earnestly contend for the faith - e.g. Jude 3 ... and not under the guise or pretext of "love" compromise it in any way), let us neither forget nor neglect the more fundamental issue - namely, the primacy of our love for God. (May we not focus on the one to the neglect of the other.)

A simple reflective quote from John Newton, composer of the world-famous hymn "Amazing Grace", will suffice ...

"The longer i live, the more i see of the vanity and the sinfulness of our unchristian disputes; they eat up the very vitals of religion. I grieve to think of how often i have lost my time and my temper in that way, in presuming to regulate the vineyards of others, when i have neglected my own ... When our dear Lord questioned Peter, after his fall and recovery, he said not, Art thou wise, learned and eloquent? Nay, he said not, Art thou clear and sound, and orthodox? But this only, "Lovest thou Me?" An answer to this was sufficient then; why not now?"

May we continually abide in God's love ... and yes, while we seek to continually ground ourselves in the solid truths of the faith (which we should), let's preeminently continue to cultivate, develop, deepen and grow in our love for Him!!!

Oh, the thought of our beautiful Savior who lived a perfect life (for the imputation of His righteousness on us), died a perfect death (for the forgiveness our sins), and was raised in a perfect resurrection (for our justification and adoption) - what else does this ought to evoke from us other than a sincere, heartfelt, and passionate love for and worship of Him? Oh, let us grow in our love for our Lord and Savior!!!

The words of our Savior remains, "Lovest thou Me?"

"O Lord, let me be a man who, above all things, loves You wholeheartedly!!! Help me grow so much more in my love for and devotion to You. Amen!!!"

"Love the LORD your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength."

- Deuteronomy 6: 5

"The Centrality of Practical Obedience"

Arrghh ... i'm down with the dreaded flu; my nose just can't stop running and my eyes just can't stop tearing ... and, as such, my room is strewn with used tissues!!! How pathetic!!! :( For the record, i had been given a two-day medical leave for my troubles. So, yeah, it's resting-cum-recuperating time ... and since i'm at home, why not blog what's on my heart? So, here goes ...

*******

Over my years as a Christian, i'm more convinced (and convicted) than ever before that God's major goal, objective, purpose, and will for our lives - and, as such, it should be our major pursuit as well - is that we be conformed to the likeness of Christ to the glory of God. And this is what i want to be committed to.

Disclaimer: Having said that, i'm by no means undermining the centrality of the Great Commission in any way (my previous post on "The Great Commission" is proof of that); after all, the Great Commission is God's central mandate to His people (Matt. 28: 18-20) - and the church is God's chosen vehicle through which His infinite glory and manifold wisdom is to be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places (Eph. 3: 10).

However, it is my personal belief and firm conviction that central, fundamental, and essential to all these (i.e. our sincere desire to do God's work and see Him glorified) is that we not lose sight of or neglect this major goal of God for our lives - namely, conformity to the image of Christ.

So, yes, i shall reiterate my personal conviction once more: Christlikeness is God's major purpose for each of our lives; it is what He has predestined us to become (Rom. 8: 29), is in the business of doing (2 Cor. 3: 18), and is fully committed to (Phil. 1: 6). And His means of helping us attain that end are manifold ... and i know that God, through His Holy Spirit, is perpetually at work in each of our lives to help us attain to the full measure of likeness to His Son Jesus Christ.

*******

Along the lines of conformity to Christ, i thought it would be fitting to journal something that i've grown to embrace more fully in my life. What's that? Well, one area that i've become more and more convicted of is that of the centrality of practical obedience in our Christian walk. Indeed, obedience is very much a distinguishing mark of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself (see John 4: 34; John 6: 38; John 8: 28-29; Phil. 2: 6-8) - so much so that i'd say that the measure of our heartfelt obedience to God is an indication of our growth in Christlikeness.

Furthermore, obedience to God is also a revealing test of our love for God. Many times, it is easy to mouth the words, "I love You, Lord!" - but the reality, validity, and credibility of our profession is ultimately manifested by our obedience to the Lord's commands. This is made explicit by our Lord's words, "If you love Me, you will obey what I command" (John 14: 15) and "Whoever has My commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves Me" (John 14: 21a). And the apostle John affirmed this truth in his epistle, "This is love for God: to obey His commands" (1 John 5: 3).

To sum up, our obedience to God is the evidence of our love for God. So, the key question to ask ourselves is, "Do we love God? Are we obeying God in our lives?"

What i learnt over the years is that heartfelt obedience is paramount in the eyes of God - "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Sam. 15: 22). It is not so much sacrifice that the Lord seeks; rather, it is obedience borne out of a genuine love for Him that God esteems. Furthermore, it is not so much information gained through diligent study of Scripture (though this is crucial and is a prerequisite to us becoming like Christ) but transformation attained through practical heartfelt obedience that is what the Lord desires of us.

I believe that the essence of the centrality of practical obedience in the Christian faith can be captured by the following three passages of Scripture (among many others) ...

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice is like a wise man

who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house;

yet it did not fall,

because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not put them into practice

is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house,

and it fell with a great crash.”

(Matt. 7: 24-27)

"Then Jesus came to them and said,

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.””

(Matt. 28: 18-20)

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves.

Do what it says.

Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says

is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and,

after looking at himself, goes away

and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But the man who looks intently

into the perfect law that gives freedom,

and continues to do this,

not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—

he will be blessed in what he does.”

(James 1: 22-25)

Just a simple superficial surface glance at the aforementioned passages should yield a common deductive result - namely, the centrality of practical obedience to the Word of God. Just some brief observations regarding practical obedience from the passages mentioned will suffice ...

Firstly, in Matthew 7: 24-27, the contrast is between the wise builder and the foolish builder. Everything about them is similar - albeit with one exeption - namely, their foundation (and, as a consequence, their outcomes). The wise man built his house on the rock whereas the foolish man built his on sand. And it is interesting to note that both of the men had heard the word preached to them - but only one obeyed (i.e. "put them into practice"). The difference in the foundation (rock vs. sand) seems to relate, to a certain extent, to the responses of the two men (obedience vs. disobedience to the revealed Word). And this was the vital difference - thus, the centrality of practical obedience to the eternal truths of Scripture in general and the gracious gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in particular.

Secondly, in what is affectionately known as the Great Commission passage - Matthew 28: 18-20 (and as unfolded in my previous post) - it is interesting to note that whilst the goal of the Great Commission is that of making disciples, and the means to attain that goal is through baptism (which presumes evangelism and conversion) and teaching (which encompasses nurturing believers in the faith), the underlying goal of the overarching goal of our teaching (i.e. making disciples) is that of practical obedience - as evidenced by the words of our Lord, "... teaching them to obey everything i have commanded you" (v.20). So, once again, the centrality of practical obedience in the Christian faith is being emphasized. It is not just teaching (or learning) that matters, but faithful obedience to God's commands.

Thirdly, the passage in James 1: 22-25 is rather self-explanatory. Here is an imperative for us not merely to listen to (or merely read, study, or memorize) the Word; rather, we are to do what it says (i.e. practical obedience). James went on to unfold the absolute absurdity - and may i add, stupefying stupidity - of not putting God's Word into practice by likening it to a man who, having looked at himself in a mirror, does nothing about it and immediately forgets what he looks like. How ludicrous!!! Oh, far be it from us to be such a man!!! James then contrasted it with a man who puts God's Word into practice and pronounces such a one blessed. The conditions of being blessed implicit in verse 25 seem to be fourfold - firstly, there was dedicated devotion ("looks intently into the perfect law"), secondly, there was persistent perseverance ("continues to do this"), thirdly, there was assiduous assimilation ("not forgetting what he has heard"), and, finally, there was ... (you guessed it!) ... practical obedience ("but doing it") to the Word of God. So, once again, the centrality of practical obedience is brought to the fore. :)

*******

While by no means comprehensive, nevertheless, it is because of and through these simple thoughts and contemplative reflections over the years that deepened my conviction regarding the centrality of practical obedience in our Christian walk.

To end of, and for our encouragement to practical obedience, if the evidence of our love for God is that of obedience to His commands (John 14: 21a), then the reward of love through the obedience of faith is the gracious self-manifestation of God to us (John 14: 21b). Oh, what greater incentive can one have than to have the promise of God's tangible manifestation of Himself to us? What else are we waiting for? Let's resolve deep in our hearts to walk in obedience to the Lord's commands and to seek to put God's Word into practice in our everyday lives!!! May the Spirit help and guide us!!! :)

O Lord, let me be such a man!!! Help me live out my life in constant loving obedience unto You!!! Amen!!! :)

"Teach me Your way, O Lord,

and i will walk in Your truth;

give me an undivided heart,

that i may fear Your name."

- Psalm 86: 11

"The Simplicity of Intimacy"

The simplicity of intimacy. These were the words that came to my mind as i was walking to Joy's place (to help her with our new dining table that we just bought for our soon-to-be "new" home - so exciting!!!). I'm not too sure why and how these words suddenly appeared in my mind ... (perhaps due to the diverse enigmatic things my mind had been brooding over regarding the very real paradoxes of Christian ministry - something that i may, in time to come, blog on) ... but in any case, it was a word in season for me. Oh, how sweet and soothing these heavenly words were to the ears of my heart!!! :)

Well, i reckon it is part and parcel of life that, inevitably, there will be times where we get bogged down by the doldrums of life and ministry - and it is times such as these that make us stop and wonder what we are all about. Perhaps such times of seemingly somber (and usually melancholic) reflections has its God-ordained purposes - especially in the midst of the potentially hectic pace of life and ministry (even when all is still and nothing seems to be happening ... and you are left wondering whether it is all worth it) - in both the ups and the downs, the highs and the lows of ministry. (*Of course, more often than not, it is the downs - even if it is a "pseudo-down" - that get us thinking ... and that, melancholically.)

And my heart was apparently in such a state when, i believe, the Lord laid this simple yet profound phrase in my heart ~ "The Simplicity of Intimacy" ... and made me ponder over it against the backdrop of all my inner questionings, burdens, discouragements, cares, concerns, confusions, and even thoughts of giving up (which, by God's grace, i don't think i will; it is His grace that has carried me thus far, and it is His grace that will lead me till the end).

And as i ruminated over the divinely inspired words, i found that it resonated deep within my heart. I found myself saying emphatically, "Yes, that's what i want!!! All i want is a simple and intimate life with You - knowing You, loving You, and serving You." Away with all the hustle and bustle of life and ministry (*don't get me wrong - it's not that they are not important!) - but, to put it pictorially using a cake metaphor, if i were to slice away all the 'superficial' layers (i.e. the icing and decorations) of what i do (i.e. my service / ministry), what i hope (and want) to find underneath (i.e. the substance or essence of the cake) is that of a life of simplicity - specifically, the simplicity of intimacy with our personal Lord and Savior. Oh, what a blessed state that would be! :)

Oh, i want to be like Mary of old where she was commended by our Lord for choosing the "better part" - namely, intimacy with Him. I don't want to be sidetracked by the peripheries of life and minstry - for only one thing is needed - the simplicity of intimacy with our Lord and to enjoy His imminent companionship. For, indeed, that's what we were primarily created for - and, as i always teach others, let me preach it to myself - our being always has to precede our doing. And, out of the overflow of our relationship with God and of beholding His glory, splendor and beauty (i.e. our being), i believe our service (i.e. our doing) - that is, proper doing - will naturally follow.

"O Lord, let my life be one that is known for its simplicity in intimacy with you. Let me not be caught up in "serving" You - as if You, the sovereign and omnipotent One, ever needed our "service" (Acts 17: 25). It is only by Your grace that You have given us the privilege of "serving" You - and that, with Your enablement, without which, we can do nothing (John 15: 5). In all our "service", let us never forget that You are the One empowering us (1 Corinthians 15: 10; Philippians 2: 13; Colossians 1: 29). And, after everything has been said and done, only one thing matters - an intimate, living, thriving, and vibrant relationship with You, my Lord and King. Everything else - no matter how noble (ministry included) - is secondary. Oh, grant me a life of simplicity of intimacy with You - so much so that all my cares and concerns in life and ministry fade away - for You are my all in all. Amen."

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way,

he came to a village

where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

She had a sister called Mary,

who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.

But Martha was distracted

by all the preparations that had to be made.

She came to him and asked,

"Lord, don't you care that my sister

has left me to do the work by myself?

Tell her to help me!"
"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered,

"you are worried and upset about many things,

but only one thing is needed.

Mary has chosen what is better,

and it will not be taken away from her.""

- Luke 10: 38-42