"The Unfathomable, Incomprehensible, and Infinite Love of God"

Haha ... a mini-revival to my previously dormant blog (a whopping one year and two months of silence to be precise - that is, since 21st July 2007!!!)? Well, we shall see ... and only time will tell ... hehe. :P

Anyway, just felt inspired to drop a short, simple, but heartfelt post of what God has been showing me recently - namely, the amazing love of God that goes beyond my wildest imagination and comprehension ... (funny how God does it - that is, by reminding me through everyday human means - specifically, via my relationship with Joy.)

I shall unabashedly state at the outset how blessed i am to be loved by Joy - especially in the light of my countless weaknesses and failings, etc. Oh, only God and myself (and to a certain extent, Joy), knows how frail, weak, feeble, and wretched a person i am. And each time i think of it, i can only thank God for His grace in my life - and, for this particular instance, my relationship with the one whom i love, treasure and cherish. Let me elaborate ...

Almost always ... when i ponder about my relationship with Joy, the question of how can she love me - an ordinary and plain man full of weaknesses, flaws and failings - never fails to surface to my mind ... to which i've got no answer - no, none at all - but simply a heart filled with deep gratitude to Joy for choosing to love me in spite of who i am ... and, at a deeper level, the grace of God that made it all possible. Up till now, i've still got no idea as to why this is so ... and all i can do is to simply thank God for His grace shining through Joy ... as well as that of Joy's grace, patience, and love to me!!! [*PS: On a personal note, thanks Joy!!! I'm honestly amazed - even perplexed - each time i think of that!!! Thanks for bearing with me and loving me in spite of my many weaknesses!!! Love you heaps!!!] :)

Well, to get back on track (apologies for the mini detour!!!) ... Anyway, each time that happens, the Holy Spirit inevitably never fails to prompt me to think a little further ... sorta like an a fortiori train of thought (that is, an argument from the lesser to the greater) - namely, if that's the case of Joy's love to me, then how much more amazing is that of God's unconditional and unfailing love to me!!! Words simply cannot express how incomprehensible this is (well, to me anyway) - namely, how One so great (holy, perfect, infinite) can love one so small (sinful, imperfect, finite)!!! Joy's love to me (and i cannot thank God enough for that!) is but a mere glimpse of the gracious love God has for me and towards me!!! And if Joy's love (a human love) to me is already beyond my intellectual grasp, how much more is God's (a divine and perfect love)!!! I guess God, through Joy, has been encouraging me to ponder and try to grasp, in an ever-increasing and deepening measure, the incomprensible extent of His amazing and infinite love to me!!! (I know this sounds paradoxical ... but yeah, you know what i mean!!)

Little wonder John wrote in his first epistle - "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" (1 John 3: 1). Indeed, the love of God is great - and beyond all earthly comprehension!!! Oh, such love ... such grace ... such mercy that sent my Lord Jesus Christ to the Cross of Calvary as my substitute, as a propitiatory sacrifice - taking my place, my cross, my sin, my pain, my shame, and my death!!! Oh, how unfathomable God's love is - in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5: 8)!!! Oh, what other response should it elicit from us other than a heartfelt and spontaneous worship and adoration!!!

Thank You Lord for Your amazing love!!! Thank You for Your grace so free ... and Your mercies which are new every morning!!! Thank You Lord for showing me a glimpse of this amazing love of Your's through my dearest and much loved Joy!!! Thank You for her life ... thank You for bringing us together!!! Thank You for speaking to me and reminding me about Your infinite love for me through her!!! Oh, my humble prayer is that i may continue to grow more and more in grasping together with the saints how wide and long and high and deep is this amazing love of Yours!!! Oh, please help me comprehend and perceive, in a deeper way, this amazing and infinite love of Yours, O Lord!!! Make me ever true to You - both now and evermore!!! In Your great Name, Amen!!! :)

"The Great Commission"

"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 will be with you always, to the very end of the age."

- Matthew 28: 18-20

"Our vision is to help fulfill the Great Commission

by building strong and biblical people

to plant strong and biblical churches

in Brisbane, Australia, and all over the world"

- Hope Brisbane Christian Church

Oh, how blessed I am to be in a church that is right smack in the center of God’s will. And by that, I mean being in a church that has the right focus and vision; for I strongly believe that the mission of the church has been divinely set many, many years ago by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself – that of the Great Commission. And that is precisely the vision of our church (see above); it has the fingerprints of the Great Commission all over it!!! :)

In recent weeks, i had been pondering over the Great Commission and the vision of my local church; and in the process of it all, God has made me all the more convicted and convinced that this was the way to go – that the Great Commission was His very heartbeat; in fact, it is His very heart!!!

The Great Commission is not just for a select few; but rather, for each and every genuine believer of Jesus Christ. There is no shadow of doubt to this (which i will unfold later). The question we’ve got to seriously ask ourselves is this, “What part are we playing in obeying our Lord’s very command to make disciples of all nations (i.e. the Great Commission)?” God has spoken; what will our response be?

Had been utilizing the lunch breaks at work to meditate over the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ … and for record’s sake, I’ll briefly record the meditations of my simple mulling …

“All authority has been given to Me.”

Firstly, this verse seems to convey to me the BASIS of the Lord’s command for us to fulfill the Great Commission.

The basis of us obeying the command seems (to me anyway) to be two-pronged: Firstly, I see Jesus, with all authority, commanding us. And we, especially those who served in the army, know what it means to be commanded by someone with authority; there are no two-ways about it. How much more ought we obey our Lord Jesus Christ, who had absolute authority!!! We are to submit and obey; no questions asked!!!

Secondly, I see Jesus, with all authority, backing us. I mean, what greater assurance can one get than having the full backing of someone bestowed with absolute authority. Just think about it, we are on the winning side!!! Jesus, our Commander-in-Chief, with full authority (i.e. everything under His command and control; everything is subject to Him), has commissioned us!!! Oh, how awesome and assuring that thought; it ought to instill great confidence in our very hearts!!!

“Therefore, go …”

Next, the word “therefore” simply tells us what we are to do as a result of the preceding statement about Jesus’ authority. It simply says, “Go”!!!

If the preceding sentence was the basis / ground of the commission, then the word “go”, quite simply, to me, is the COMMAND. It is an active word; not a passive one. It is an action-oriented word; one that requires us to act. We are commissioned to go!!! But go where … and do what?

“… and make disciples …”

This is what it is all about, eh?! The Great Commission boils down to this single task: the making of disciples. It is all about making disciples for Christ!!!

And if the first sentence is the basis of the commissioning, and the word “go” is the command, then the making of disciples has got to be the GOAL of the command. We are to be in the “disciple-making” business!!! Oh, Lord, let this be my major goal in life … and may I never swerve from it!!! Help me to be faithful to this very end!!!

“… of all nations …”

Hold on a minute … there is a little 'clause' behind the goal of making disciples … and it is this: “of all nations”.

Hmm … if the goal of the Great Commission is to make disciples, then these few words, “of all nations”, has to be the SCOPE of that goal. It has far-reaching implications: It tells us that we are to make disciples of all nations; not just a select few, but all nations!!! God’s heart is evident in this; it is for the world!!! God’s desire is that none should perish, but that all come to Him in faith!!! Is God's desire our desire?

The goal of the Great Commission is that of making disciples of all nations. But what exactly does it entail? What does making disciples involve? It seems to me that Jesus answered this question in the immediate verse that follows; the follwing verse seem to imply the COMPONENTS of making disciples (i.e. what is involved) … and specifically, it seems to consist of 2 major components ...

“… baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit …”

So, here we have it, the first component of making disciples is (and rather implicitly) simply this, the winning of souls (i.e. evangelism); for how can we baptize others without them first coming to saving faith in our Lord Jesus Christ? The command to baptize them presumes that we have first won them to Christ; and this calls for the preaching of the gospel to those who do not yet know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As it says in Romans 10: 14-15, “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

Therefore, I see, in this verse, that the first component of making disciples is that of being a herald - proclaiming the gospel of Christ and winning souls for Christ. It involves us going to the lost, sharing with them the gospel, and winning them for Christ. And now that we have won people to Christ, what next? The next line completes the picture for us …

“… and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Component #2 in the disciple-making process consists of teaching them the things of God in bid to bring them to full maturity in Christ (i.e. discipleship). We are not to leave them as they are; rather, we are to look after them, nurture them, teach them, and disciple them in Christ!!! We are to make disciples out of them!!!

And the GOAL of our teaching, as seen in this verse, is that of obedience; specifically, obedience to everything (i.e. the SCOPE of obedience) Jesus had commanded us.

And as I allowed this thought linger on a little more in my head, it dawned upon me that the word “everything” in the phrase, “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”, is all-encompassing. We are to teach them all that Jesus had taught and commanded us - and this includes this very command in Matthew 28: 18-20 - namely, the Great Commission!!! The Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ is one of the things that we are to obey ... and not only are we to obey; we are expressedly commanded to teach others to obey it as well!!!

Well, no more excuses!!! Every Christian is commanded to obey the Great Commission. Each of us has a part to play in helping to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ!!! We are all to be involved in this great redemptive work of God!!!

So there we have it: To sum it all up, the Great Commission, or the making of disciples, encompasses us moving people from a state of unbelief (i.e. through evangelism / winning souls / salvation) to full Christian maturity (i.e. through discipleship / Christlikeness). This is what it is all about ... We are to be involved in winning souls and discipling them to full maturity in Christ; and they, in turn, are to win souls, and disciple others to full maturity in Christ ... and so on and so forth – until the Great Commission is accomplished!!! Awesome!!! This is God's mission for His church and people; will we stand up and be counted?

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

Oh, what comforting and assuring words from our Savior and Lord!!! Oh, what a fitting finale to His very command!!!

So far, we have seen the basis of the commission (i.e. the authority of Jesus), the command of our Lord (i.e. to “Go”), the goal of the command (i.e. to make disciples) and its scope (i.e. of all nations), and the components of the goal (i.e. evangelism and discipleship).

Now, here, we see the PROMISE of our Lord, namely, that He will be with us – always … and as if that is not enough, He gives it a double-emphasis, adding the words, “to the very end of the age”!!! Furthermore, the CERTAINTY of our Lord’s promise can be seen in the little word “surely”; as if God is man that He should lie!!!

Oh, how reassuring this thought is as we go about seeking to do God's work in fulfilling the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ!!! Oh, what a very fitting way to conclude His command / commissioning of us!!! Let us go fulfill the Great Commission; for He is with us – to the very end of the age!!! Amen!!! :)

**********

And indeed, that's why i say i'm so blessed to be in a church that is in the very center of God's will. For I am fully convinced that one of the key ways to help fulfill the Great Commission is to build strong and biblical people who will, in turn, plant strong and biblical people, in Brisbane, Australia, and all over the world.

It's interesting to note the order - for only with strong and biblical people can we plant strong and biblical churches. And indeed, the church has to be strong and biblical in order to impact the world for Christ. Oh, how very crucial it is that churches be strong and biblical - for the church is the vehicle God has chosen to make known to the world His manifold wisdom (see Ephesians 3: 10-11). Let us seek to be a strong and biblical church, one that impacts the world for Christ the way He would have us!!!

My humble prayer is that God will use me (and each and every one of us) to this very end; that God will continue to deepen my convictions and that faith may arise in my heart to know that in spite of my many inadequacies, God can, and will, still use me for His purposes.

Let us join hands in seeing the Great Commission fulfilled in our life-time by the grace of God!!! Amen!!! :)

"I Love to be with You"

When i recall, it really seems amazing, almost (and perhaps) divine, how a worship song crept into my head while i was busy at work this morning.

The song was an old one entitled, "I Love to be with You". And as i let my heart and mind take over as i worshipped God (in my heart, of course!) with the song, it suddenly dawned upon me that that was indeed the cry of my heart. It indeed expresses my deepest desire. And as i meditated and mulled over the song, each line became precious ... they seem to echo the depths of my heart there and then ...

"I Love to be with You"

Chorus:
I love to be in Your presence Lord
I love to be with You
For when i touch Your glory
Your Spirit restores me
I love to be with You
Lord i love to be with You

Verse 1:
All my fears disappear
Whenever I'm with You
Every care becomes a prayer
That I can be with You

Verse 2:
I exchange all my pain
And You give me perfect peace
Your steadfast love is like a flood
That washes over me

Here, then, are my simple mullings of the song ... line upon line ...

"I love to be in Your presence Lord"
The picture that this line brings to my mind is that of God's tangible and manifest presence ... There i am, in the midst of worshipping God - enveloped by His awesome presence. Oh, how i love that feeling; how i love to be in Your presence Lord!!!

"I love to be with You"
I know this may sound like a play of words; this second line actually (more of less) means the same thing as the first ... pardon me, but the picture it gives me is something different. With this verse, i see myself standing closely beside my Savior and Lord. It was something real, something much more tangible; there Jesus is - right beside me ... enveloping me with His loving embrace. Oh, how i love to be with You!!!

"For when I touch Your glory ... Your Spirit restores me"
In the following two lines, the songwriter exposes the reason why we (or at least me) ought to love to be in His presence; the connective word "for" says it all.

Oh, how i love to be in God's presence ... to be with Him ... for when i touch Your glory. The word "glory" could mean many things ... but two things stood out to me: firstly, that of the shekinah glory of God (the weight of His tangible presence), and secondly, that of seeing and beholding God in all His awesome splendor and infinite worth (seeing God for who He is; beholding the beauty of His holiness).

And indeed, it is because of that intimate and stupendous encounter with our Lord that the next logical thing happens: namely, "Your Spirit restores me". Ooh ... i'm sure many of us can attest to that ... for when we are lost - really lost - in God's sweet and holy presence, there we find serenity, peace, joy, rest, and a whole host of other wonderful things; our spirits are restored in the presence of our King!!! Oh, how i love to be in His glorious presence!!!

"I love to be with You ... Lord, I love to be with You"
These two lines that follow simply reiterates the desire of my heart after mediating over the preceding verses. It is interesting to note the double emphasis. Indeed, i love to be with You, Lord!!! Oh, how i love to be with You!!!

"All my fears disappear whenever I'm with You"
The next line delves even deeper as to what happens to us when we are lost in His presence - all our fears disappear. And indeed, how true this is. I can remember so vividly how in God's presence, all my fears and concerns all disappear ... Indeed, i believe it is because when we are in His presence, God lifts us up to where He is ... and there, we get a bird's eye view of everything; everything (our troubles, etc) all fall into their proper place as we embrace the sovereignty of our Lord. Everything - absolutely everything - is now viewed in their proper perspective - through the very eyes of our Lord. Thus, the songwriter could write - and we can attest - "All my fears disappear, whenever i'm with You." As 1 John 4: 18 says it so aptly - "... perfect love casts out fear ..." Oh, how i love to be with You!!!

"Every care becomes a prayer ... that i can be with You"
The song goes on to tell us how every care of ours that we carry with us into God's presence now becomes a prayer ... for in His presence, we can unload and cast all our anxieties upon Him, for He cares for us (1 Peter 5: 7). And indeed, our only 'concern' now would be that we can be with God!!!

"I exchange all my pain ... and You give me perfect peace"
After going through the chorus once again, this next verse describes vividly what happens when we are deep in God's holy presence; a divine transaction takes place. For there, we find ourselves unloading and trading all our hurts, pains, disappointments, etc with God's perfect peace - a peace that surpasses all understanding; a peace that comes from God alone. How awesome and satisfying the thought!!!

"Your steadfast love is like a flood ... that washes over me"
This next line expands a little more on the divine exchange that was mentioned earlier. It is God's love - His steadfast, eternal, everlasting, and very tangible love - that swamps over our souls like a flood ... it is this agape love of God that releases us from all our human cares and wants. Oh, it's like the balm ... the balm that flows in and heals ... that restores ... that refreshes!!! How true this is ... i'm certain that all of us have experienced the reality of God's love flow in and through us during our times with Him!!! How great that feeling ... Oh, how i love to be in His presence!!!

Concluding Remarks ...

Ponder, my friends, over how wonderful, how rewarding, how satisfying God's presence is to those who would long and pant after Him!!! Oh, how sweet is His very presence!!! Let's keep coming for more of Him; for we can never get enough ... the more we drink, the more we desire and long for more of Him!!! Paradoxical, but true ... and i close with this prayer:

"Lord, how i love to be in Your presence; how i love to be with You, by Your side. Oh, take me deeper, ever deeper in that sweet presence of Your's where unceasing joy abounds!!! Oh, i love to be with You - forever!!!"

"The Surpassing Value of Bible Memorization & Meditation"

"God is my refuge and strength;

an ever-present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear,

though the earth give way

and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam

and the mountains quake with their surging.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

He lifts His voice, the earth melts.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord,

the desolations He has brought on the earth.

He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth;

He breaks the bow and shatters the spear,

He burns the shields with fire.

Be still and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

The Lord Almighty is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress."

- Psalm 46

Oh, how very precious the very Word of God is to our souls - especially when we are down / weary /discouraged / disillusioned / fearful / fretful, etc. Oh ... it's just like the healing balm that comes in to soothe, to heal, to mend ..... and more than that, to bring forth strength, life, and restoration.

God reminded me this morning of the infinite value of having Scripture stored up in our very being. Had been feeling a little down and discouraged due to certain events that had been happening - and those thoughts were hovering over my mind early this morning. However, on the way to work, while on the train, I felt God prompt me to meditate on Psalm 46 - a passage which I had stored in my heart not too long ago .........

It was just as well that i had to make my own way to work today - and that via the train - for my usual mode of transport (i.e. Eddy's car) was not available due to the driver being unwell. (Hope Eddy gets well soon!) Anyway, it gave me ample time of reflection and meditation before the Lord ... and for that, i thank God. On hindsight, i believe that God had sovereignly orchestrated this situation that i found myself in (i.e. making my own way to work). :) My destination, by the way, was the suburb of Wacol ... quite a long way off (that means, more time!!!). Furthermore, i would have to walk for about 30 minutes to reach my workplace (and that means, even more time!!! Hallelujah!!!). Well, i thought i would make full use of the time in dialogue with God and in meditation over the passage He had laid in my heart. And boy, did it pay dividends!!! :)

At first, i gotta confess, i couldn't really recall everything smoothly ... but as i continued to meditate over what was in my mind, it all suddenly flowed. Awesome!!! And it was through the process of meditating over Psalm 46 over and over again that God reminded me of how valuable, how precious it is to have Scripture stored up in our hearts. As i mentioned earlier, i was not feeling too well (physically - was sick since Sunday - and emotionally) ... but through the process of prayerfully flipping and tossing the passage back and forth in my head, i was immensely encouraged. The Scripture warmed itself to me. There was new strength - supernatural strength - that appeared in me. There was new joy - abundant joy - that gushed forth from my inner-being. There was new peace - peace that surpasses all understanding - that welled up within my soul. I knew the divine Potter was at work; He was using the Psalm i had memorized to bring forth life and renewal into my spiritual man once again. He was strengthening me with His Word; He was encouraging His little child.

I felt so close to God both in the train and while walking to my workplace. It was simply awesome!!! His presence was so real, so tangible - and His peace so soothing. The Holy Spirit made the Psalm so vivid to my very situation ..... so much so, that at the end of it all, i could say with utter conviction of heart that, indeed, "God is my refuge and strength; a an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, i shall not fear (fret) ...."

There were so many precious truths and encouragements that God spoke to me through this Psalm. Don't worry, I won't go through the details about my mullings from this Psalm (i shall spare you the agony!) ... but i gotta say that it was extremely enriching, extremely rewarding, extremely refreshing. It was simply awesome!!! You should try it some day too if you haven't already done so ... meditate over God's Word prayerfully ... and see what it does to your inner-man!!! Try it!!! It does good to your soul!!!

In a nutshell, and for my own record's sake, what God revealed to me this morning was that of His sovereignty, His infinite power, His omnipotence ... and with that revelation, God's peace came flooding into my soul. I could only stand in awe of the sovereignty of our God. I felt comforted, encouraged, and strengthened. Oh, how great, loving, and wise our Lord is!!! Only He, and He alone, knows the best way to restore His children - and for me, this morning at least, was through meditating over His Word!!! Oh, what a great and gracious and loving God we serve!!! Blessed be His name - forever!!! Amen. :)

"Spiderman 3"

Watched "Spiderman 3" with Joy last Saturday. Gotta confess that it was quite an interesting and enjoyable show ..... well, all shows are enjoyable - very enjoyable - when you watch it with someone you love. :)

Anyway, there were two scenes from the show that seems to be stuck in my mind - thus my writing of this blog. The first was that of Spiderman putting on the dark suit (dunno what else to call it) and somewhat enjoying its hold on him - of course with him seemingly oblivious to what was actually happening. The other scene that is etched in my memory is that of Spiderman, upon realizing what the dark suit was doing to him, making a deliberate choice and effort to put off / tear off the dark suit that seemed to have cleaved itself around him.

As i meditated on these two scenes, i realized that it relates so very well to our struggle with sin. No doubt, we Christians have been washed and set free from sin by our Lord Jesus Christ - but our battle with sin does not end there and then. It is a very real, very fierce battle that all of us - even the most holy ones - have to face daily - at least until the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Anyone who claims otherwise just needs to flip to the first epistle of John and read verses 8 and 10 of chapter 1:

"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (v.8)

"If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His Word has no place in our lives." (v.10)

If one is still not convinced of the reality of our battle with sin, let him also look to the apostle Paul's struggle with sin in Romans 7: 19-20 - "For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it."

So, yes ... the battle wages on - a real, ongoing battle. Temptations are indeed very much an inevitable part of life. Having said that, however, we need to realize that it's actually just a matter of us appropriating the victory over sin that Christ has wrought for us on the Cross of Calvary - for, by the work of Jesus on the Cross, we are now free to live our lives free from the bondages of sin. And that's precisely what the apostle Paul urged us to do in Romans 6: 11 when he said, "In the same way, consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus" - for that's what we are and should be. And in verses 12-14, he clearly shows us the choice / responsibility on our part of not letting sin reign in our lives. The words, "do not" clearly indicates the conscious choice that we can and have to make ............

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." (Romans 6: 12-14)

Indeed, sin can seem so pleasurable, so enjoyable - but its end is destruction - along with those who persist in it. It's just like a deadly poison coated with appealing sugary stuff that seeks to tempt and deceive us. Oh, what a warning this should be for us all to watch our lives closely and not to hesitate in ridding ourselves of all sin.

In the movie, we can see Spiderman enjoying his new-found 'prowess' (when he put on the dark suit) ... and although he seemed to know that it wasn't right, he persisted in it - and by so doing, he allowed the dark suit (symbolic of sin) cleave deeper into the very fibre of his being - and soon found himself subject to its mastery. And what is true of the dark suit to Spidey is also true of sin to the Christian. The verse that sprang to my mind was that of Romans 6: 16 (NKJV - since this was the one i memorized a few years back) - "Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one's slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness?" Indeed, how true it is - Spiderman found himself more and more a slave to the dark suit that he had put on. Likewise for us as well, if we are not careful, we may find ourselves ensnared by sin - and worse still, to allow sin to gain mastery over our lives. The lesson, i guess, is simple: Be quick to rid ourselves of all sin!!! Resist the devil and he will flee from us!!!

Of course, like all action-hero movies, it all ends well. Spiderman somehow awoke to his senses - and there, at the steeple of the church (hmm ... a mere coincidence?), he took responsibility and made a deliberate choice to rid himself of the dark suit (i.e. sin) that was so easily entangling him (see Hebrews 12: 1). As the scene shows, it was not an easy thing to do - for he had allowed it to sink deep into his being. But nonetheless, Spiderman prevailed ... and stripped off the dark suit (i.e. sin / 'old self').

This is precisely what we Christians are to do daily - as Ephesians 4: 22-24 puts it so aptly- "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitudes of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." We are to, like what Spiderman did at the steeple of the church, to consciously put off our old sinful self - and to put on our new self - created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. And the great news is this: In Christ, we can - for we have the victory in Him!!! We will prevail in our battle with sin - for sin shall not have dominion over us!!! Amen!!! :)

Funnily enough, as i was writing, yet another scene popped into my mind - and with this scene i conclude. This was the incident where Spiderman had rescued the photographer from the dark suit that had gained mastery over him. One can see the power and lure of sin over one's life from this episode - the photographer, in spite of being separated from the suit by Spiderman, found it more desirable and pleasurable than anything else (symbolic of sin having a foothold on our desires and lives) - and as a result of his love for the dark suit (i.e. sin), he rushed in to be with it ........... only to be utterly destroyed along with it. And how true it is - all sin ends in destruction - along with all who persist / cleave on to it. Let us remember that and take heed.

Oh, let us realize the power of sin over our lives!!! Let us understand the enormity and severity of sin!!! Let us understand sin's dreadful end - and let it compel us to be ever watchful in preventing sin from creeping into our very lives!!! Let's be quick to repent of any known sin - and not let it gain mastery over our very lives. Let's look to Christ and His saving work on the Cross - and find our victory in Him!!! Amen!!! :)

"Lovest thou Me?"

This was the question that popped into my head early this morning. I was at once reminded of the incident of Jesus reinstating Peter in John 21: 15-17. There, Jesus addressed this personal and searching question to the apostle Peter - not once, not twice, but three times. And this was the question, it seems, that Jesus was asking me ...

And as i pondered over this passage, i saw a pattern develop: "Do you truly love Me?" ... "Feed My lambs" ....... "Do you truly love Me?" ... "Take care of My sheep" ....... "Do you love Me?" ... "Feed My sheep".

What God reminded me was that our love for Christ should be the basis of all of our service unto Him. Our love for God must be the mainspring of our labors for Him. (Note: It was only when Peter confirmed his love for Him that Jesus gave Peter the command to feed His lambs - which seems to convey, to me at least, that loving God precedes serving Him / true service for God is a natural outflow of our love for Him.) It is pointless, even futile, for us to serve our Lord without having a genuine love for Him. One cannout genuinely serve God without first loving Him. Our love for Christ must be the foundation for our service unto Him. Anything else would probably be service out of a sense of duty - and would become a drudgery. Any motivation, other than the one stemming from a love relationship with Christ, will amount to nothing. And without the foundation of love for Christ, i doubt that there will be any patient endurance in our service to God. Oh, how we need this love to be prevalent in our lives. It is this love for God that motivates, that compels, that energizes.

How much do we love God today? Let the question that Jesus posed to Peter many years ago be pressed upon our very hearts today: "Do you love Me?" Let this question search the deepest recesses of our hearts and draw out a response from us - "Do we truly love Christ?" - this is the key question we need to ask ourselves every now and then. What is our love of our Savior like? Is it red-hot? Is it lukewarm? Only we (and God) know the answer. Whatever it is, let's seek to love Him even more fully.

As i let this searching question sink deeper into my heart, i found myself crying out to God, asking Him to help me love Him more fully, more sincerely - and that my love for Him will always be genuine and true. Indeed, as it says in 1 John 4: 19, "we love because He first loved us." I want to be serving God not out of obligation or a mere sense of duty; but out of a genuine heart of affection and love for Him. Oh, how i need God to help me love Him more!!! My sincere prayer is to really know and love God much more than ever before - and to ensure that all that i do (i.e. serving in ministry, etc) always stem from a genuine heart of love for my Lord and Savior.

In closing, i shall endeavour to use the now famous 'resolutions' by Jonathan Edwards - albeit with my own resolution .... and may it be a motivation for us all too:

Resolved: To love God more - and let this love be the foundation of my service unto Him and His people. :)

"Hope in God"

Ever felt frustrated deep within - at yourself, or with the circumstances that surround you? Well, i had been going through a period as such ... and waves after waves of frustrating thoughts as to circumstances and myself kept coming - seemingly perpetual, seemingly unending. It was like as if after getting my head above the water that another wave came crashing down ... and there i was again - beneath the waters. By no means an easy time ... or a fun thing to be in ... no, not at all.

Was seeking God early this morning (with all my frustrations, discouragements, burdens, etc) ... and just when God seemed to be silent / far-away, i was led to the passage in Psalm 42. I promptly flipped to it and read it prayerfully before God ... and meditated over it.

As i read, God spoke to my spirit through this psalm; and at the same time, my mind recollecting (and expanding on) some things i had read in a book by John Stott not too long ago: Firstly, God brought to my attention the state / circumstance the Psalmist was in. The Psalmist seemed to be in some kind of depression - probably due to the circumstances that he faced - internally and externally: (1) People were mocking him with regards to his faith in God (v.3, 10), and to make matters worse, (2) God seemed to be far away / indifferent as to the plight the Psalmist was in (v.9) - so much so that he longed for and thirsted after God (v.1-2) as he recalled the times he had in God's presence (v.4).

Have you ever felt like that? I certainly did. Perhaps it is not people, but our very own minds, that are taunting us - it seems to tell us things like, "What's the point?", "Look at you / your situation. Where is God in all these?" and so forth. And worse still, God does indeed seem distant / far away from us.

Then, God drew my eyes to see how the Psalmist dealt with the depressing circumstance he was in (PS: For greater effect, try putting yourselves in his shoes!!!). What God showed me was that, the Psalmist, in spite of his circumstances and feelings, was determined not to give in to his moods. He seems to get a handle over himself before he let his feelings run wild - and he even reproaches himself for his feelings of depression (perhaps implicit from the questions he asks himself in v.5a and 11a). He acknowledges (i.e. gets in touch with his very feelings) the state that he was in (i.e. depressed, confused, etc) - and asks himself the hard question of "why so" - why was he feeling this way?

And, with each of his self-questioning (v.5a, 11a), instead of seeking to find the reason as to his depression, he came up with a remedy: "Put your hope in God" (v.5b, 11b). He knew that he had to give up his feelings of melancholism / self-pity / frustrations ... and instead of all these things, to put his trust and hope in God. He was determined not to let circumstances or even his feelings, for that matter, dictate his faith in God. He disciplined himself not to look within himself (self-pity), or around him (circumstances), but rather to look upwards (hope in God) - for He is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46: 1). His cure / remedy / solution to his feelings of depression was to look to and trust in God. Indeed, as Psalm 121: 1-2 puts it so aptly: "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

I reckon it will not always be easy (especially if we are in the midst of certain struggles), but that's exactly what i will strive / discipline myself to do - to look to God and to put my hope in Him - for yet will i praise Him, my Savior and my God. And friends, that's what i urge each of us to do as well.

"Here I Stand"

Was worshipping God with the song, "Here I Stand", when i started to ponder deeply over the meaning of the words ... what made the songwriter write them, etc. And by that, I am not professing to be an expert in songwriting - or songs for that matter; those who know me know that i am the least muscically-inclined person ever ... and that, not an exggeration whatsoever. I just pondered slightly as to the meaning of the words ... and tried - to the best of my ability (in my poor, finite mind) - relating it to Scripture.

The song goes like this:

Here I stand forgiven
Here I stand holy and righteous
You paid the price
When You laid down Your life
Jesus, I surrender all

I walk with You in my heart
I walk with You in my heart
Find me at the cross
Down on my knees
Thank You Lord for saving me

Hallelujah (x3)
Here I stand forgiven

The Scripture that came to my mind as i meditated over the song, if you haven't guessed it already, was that of Romans 12: 1 ... and the preceding 11 chapters for that matter. "Therefore, i urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship." (Romans 12: 1)

Dunno why, but this verse hit me powerfully as i let the song run through my mind and heart. I believe it is fair to say that this song, as with Romans 12: 1, forces us to look back at the amazing grace and mercy of God - and compel us to offer Him our heartfelt worship as well as our lives. The reason why i sort of included the first eleven chapters of Romans was due to the simple word, "therefore", in Romans 12: 1. I believe it forces us to look back at all that was written in the preceding eleven chapters ... which, i believe, is simply the mercies of God. Mercies in that the early chapters show us clearly and convincingly that we are sinners - guilty and without excuse whatsover ....... yet, God in His goodness, grace and mercy, took the initiative to save us from our plight. We deserved nothing but punishment - yet He took our place and made a way for us.

So, the song ...

"Here I stand, forgiven ... Here I stand, holy and righteous"
As i pondered over these two lines, i came to realize that's what we are - it describes our state and status. Indeed, we are forgiven ... indeed, we are made holy and righteous (not by our own works, but by faith in the One who justifies). Why is this so? What made this possible? How can we, sinners, be forgiven ... and not only forgiven, but made holy and righteous? The next few lines in the song gives us an answer ....

"You paid the price, when You laid down Your life"
Yes, indeed, as we mentioned earlier (related to Romans 12: 1), it is simply by God's mercy that we have been forgiven and by His grace that made us holy and righteous. We didn't deserve it whatsoever; the only thing we deserved was death and punishment (Rom. 6: 23). But, even then, the penalty for sin had to be paid (otherwise God would not be a just God) ... so, He sent His only begotten Son (Note: through the giving of His Son, God was giving Himself to us) to die our death so that we may live (John 3: 16) and have this abundant life that He has given unto us (John 10: 10) -- thus the lyrics "... You paid the price [the penalty for sin], when You laid down Your life [what the penalty demands] ...".
Thus, God, in His great mercy, had done for us what we neither deserved nor could do for ourselves; He saved us.
The question that is that in view of all these (i.e. the mercies of God), what then? How ought we respond to such great a love and mercy that God has graciously bestowed upon us? The answer, perhaps, can be found in the next line of the song ... as well as in the latter part of Romans 12: 1 ...........

"Jesus I surrender all"
Yeah, as simple as that. That sums up the response it should elicit from our hearts - that of heartfelt surrender to our God and King. As Romans 12: 1 urges us to ... "in view of God's mercy ... to offer [present / surrender] our bodies [to God] as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is our spiritual act of worship". This ought to be our worship unto the Lord - that of surrendering / yielding of ourselves (our lives) to Him.
Lord, help me to truly offer and surrender my whole self to You!!!

"I walk with You in my heart (x2)"
Walking depicts living ... The life we now live ought not to be our own, but Christ's. Indeed, as Paul said, "For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain", we ought to so live our lives for God - walking with Him daily, in his ways of truth, love, and righteousness. This, i believe, is part of the surrendered life ... it is part of our spiritual act of worship. Walking with Jesus is a very real, personal, and intimate thing that we ought to do. In fact, that is what Christian life is all about - walking closely with the One we love.

"Find me at the cross, Down on my knees, Thank You Lord for saving me"
Not only that, but i also believe that meditation of the mercies of God (as Paul urges us to in Romans 12: 1) will cause us to fall on our knees in worship unto God for His grace in saving us. The words, "find me at the cross", i believe, depicts one who looks back at the grace and mercy of God ... and by so doing, one finds himself brought to His knees in worship ... and spontaneous worship and thanksgiving flow out from our grateful hearts - "Thank You Lord for saving me".

"Hallelujah, Hallelujah ... Here I stand, forgiven"
Oh, the thought of it all is simply overwhelming ... it ought bring about unceasing praise and worship unto our King ... the doxology that He alone deserves ought to continually be at the forefront of our lips. Hallelujah!!! Hallelujah!!! Here I stand, forgiven - because of Your great mercies!!! Oh, how great the love God has lavished upon us - that we should be called children of God (1 John 3: 1)!!!

So, there we have it ... a brief description of my simple mullings over the words of the song - and relating it to Scripture. Oh, the greatness of the mercies of God!!! How great the unsearchable depths of His love!!! Little wonder the apostle Paul, after writing eleven chapters that show, explicitly or implicitly, the mercies of God, urges us to offer ourselves to Him. And with that i conclude ... and urge us (and myself), along with Paul:

"Therefore, i urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - for this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12: 1-2)

"God, our Vindicator"

"Awake, and rise to my defense! Contend for me, my God and Lord.

Vindicate me in your righteousness, O LORD my God; do not let them gloat over me."

- Psalm 35: 23-24

A minor incident occurred at work today that reminded me (once again) of the amazing goodness and faithfulness of our Lord in all matters - both great and small.

It all began while I was busily working on the pile of invoices in front of me at my desk (like what i always do day in, day out ... seemingly unceasing, the flow of invoices!). One of my colleagues (and friend) then came over to my supervisor and said she could not find some of the processed invoices in the archive cabinet. My supervisor duly followed her into the nearby archive room to search for the 'missing' invoices ... and after a moment's pause, i heard (albeit faintly) my name being mentioned. I'm not sure why, but the thought of me being accused somehow crept into my head ..... whereby i immediately tried to dismiss the thought. Then, the moment came: My supervisor, upon returning back to her seat, leaned over to me and told me the incident in the archive room ..... and said that my failure to file the invoices under the correct state (eg: QLD, VIC, NSW, WA, SA) has led to my friend being unable to track down those invoices in the first instance.

Whoa!!! When i heard that, something in me sorta 'snapped'. Many thoughts raced through my mind - e.g. how should i answer this unjust accusation / how should i confront my friend, etc. Gotta confess i was a little angry and disappointed - albeit only for a while - with my friend. (*Here, you see my carnal self arising from within ... hehe!!!) ... Reason being, i remember very vividly that just the day before, i had deliberately stacked the various completed invoices according to their respective states and was carrying them to the archive room to file them - only to find my friend there filing some other invoices as well. There, she told me to pass the entire stack of mine to her ... and that she would help file them for me - which i gratefully did - and furthermore, left her with instructions as to the way i stacked them.

So, there you have it ... and this was precisely what got into me: How could my friend - who knew that she was the one who filed the invoices wrongly - accuse me of doing it? Boy, was i fuming mad (well, sort of!) ... and i could literally feel some words of defense rising up from within me when my supervisor spoke to me. But somehow (and thanks be to God!) i managed to keep it all under control.

The interesting was that, in the midst of all the inner conflict that was waging within me, i could clearly hear God challenging me whether i would trust Him to vindicate me and whether i would leave this matter into His sovereign hands. I sorta had a mini dialogue with God as to my 'rights' (for i badly wanted to defend myself from this unjust accusation) ... but, by the grace of God, came rather quickly to a conclusion that this was only but a minor issue ... and that i shall not be too bothered by it. Instead, i chose to take on the challenge of God - and place my trust in God - and not try to take matters into my own hands. Whether or not i was vindicated, i left it entirely to God, who knows what's best in every situation (Isaiah 55: 8-9). And when i made that decision, although the war that was waging in the battlefield of my mind was still there ... i could feel it fading away - slowly but surely. :)

Then, something quite remarkable happened that made me really, really glad and appreciative that i had not reacted the way i would have if i were to claim my 'rights' and have it my way (i.e. confront my friend / have a 'showdown' with her, etc.) ..... as well as remind me of the faithfulness my Lord and King: My friend, after completing her task (and totally oblivious to the intense 'warfare' that was waging within me), came to my supervisor and confessed (yes, confessed!) that she was the one who had misplaced the invoices - and not me (*kudos to her for that!!!). At first i could not believe my ears ... but when it sunk in, i thanked God that i had not acted out of impulse and defended myself. I believe i would have been a fool had i done so!!! And not only that, i also would not have been able to witness the amazing faithfulness and vindication of God!!! Instead, by choosing to trust in God and His vindication, that was precisely what i got (and witness first-hand)!!! Simply amazing!!!

Through this simple and minor incident, i was reminded afresh once again of God's faithfulness to His people. And i thank God for this simple lesson learnt - that when wronged, we can trust in His goodness, for, indeed, God is our vindicator!!! And even if nothing happens, we know that "in all things God works together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose" (Romans 8: 28). Therefore, we can rest and trust in Him - for He is good!!! Amen!!! :)

"Love ... with Action ... and in Truth"

I was at work today when, out of the blue, a verse that i read this morning somehow re-surfaced to my mind. The verse? 1 John 3: 18 - "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with action and in truth." And with it, i began meditating, pondering, and devouring (well, sort of!) it ...

Indeed, this has been one area i have been asking God to help me grow more in - that is, my love for others. It has been my constant heartcry that i may grow much more in my heart and love for people. And i was duly challenged as i meditated over this verse.

If one wonders where the cliche, "Action speaks louder than words", comes from, one need not look further than this verse - i think!!! :) Indeed, it's so true ... love demands action (we are not just to love with words ... but we are to love with action too!) ... and as i thought about God, i can only thank Him that He loved not just with His words - but with action as well - the very act of sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross as a propitiation for our sins. "For God so loved the world that He gave ..." God's love translated itself into action ... and by so-doing, He satisfied His wrath - and justice - and purchased for us eternal life and a restored relationship with Himself. Thank God for His amazing love and grace!!! :)

So, well, God reminded me that it is not enough for us to have good intentions ... for having good intentions is one thing - translating them into action is another altogether!!! And boy, do i know it well!!! For sometimes, we (or at least myself) may have good intentions, but how many times have we failed to translate them into action? For me, quite countless, i think. :P

The verse goes on to say that we are to love "with action and in truth". Was pondering over this for a while ... and then marvelled at the supreme wisdom of God in making this plain in His inspired Scriptures. I could clearly see why God did not just say love "with action", but also tagged the words " ... and in truth" behind it as well - for it is of vital importance that our loving action be coupled with truth - for one can love with action (that is, outwardly, superficially), but yet not sincerely / genuinely (in truth). And herein lies the great challenge - to love "in truth" - with full sincerity of heart and genuineness - and not even a hint of pretense or hypocrisy.

My heartfelt prayer is that God would grant me His heart - that i may love others with the perfect love of His (or at least close to that!). I know i have much to grow in this aspect ... but i strongly believe God is working in me and through me ... and that by His grace, i will grow more in my pastoral heart for people more and more in the days to come. Amen!!! :)

"The Exceeding and Abundant Love and Grace of God"

"For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

- Ephesians 3: 14-19

In the past week, God has been doing something deep within my spirit ... i do not understand why, but He caused me to look deep within myself - and there, as i meditated, i came to a deeper realisation of how wretched a man i am (no one knows how terrible a person i am - but me and God ... and having said that, the scary thing is that even we may not know the full extent of our ugliness due to the deceptiveness of our hearts (Jer. 17: 9) - but God alone, the omniscient One, knows ... even as i write, the "filthy rag" metaphor comes to mind). With that it mind - and by the grace and plan of God - i thereby came to a richer and deeper revelation (and appreciation) of the awesome splendor of God - His holiness - as well as His love and grace towards me, a terrible sinner - not just in saving me, but also His grace and goodness towards me in every aspect of my life.

It wasn't at all a condemning process (just in case some of you may feel that way) - for God's gracious hand was definitely upon this entire process ... and His Word has said that "there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom. 8: 1). In fact, in direct contrast to any condemning thoughts, came a clearer picture of the extent of God's love and grace towards me (or us, His people, for that matter). All i felt was the assurance of God's love and grace upon me as i meditated upon my sinfulness and God's holiness. I stand amazed how One so great could love one so small. I simply worshipped.

It was there that a precious truth came to my mind (which i believe holds true): It is only when we have a right view of self and sin can we begin to better comprehend the extent of God's love and grace towards us. And although this knowledge may not be complete (i'm not 100% convinced that we can fully comprehend the full extent of God's love for us by ourselves), yet when pondered and mulled over long enough, ought to cause us to fall our knees and worship our gracious and loving King - which it did me. Oh, the greatness of God's amazing love and grace towards us ... what other response ought this to elicit from us but to simply worship Him!!!

Indeed, when we have a true view of ourselves, we will be truly amazed that God (and sometimes, even our fellow-men!) can treat us so wonderfully well. Spellbounding thought this is!!! And this ought to cause us to walk humbly before God and men - with a constant gratitude towards the amazing grace of God upon our lives. As a part of the song "God is Good" goes (and this sums up the two opposite extemes so very well - our human sinfulness and God's divine love) : "We were sinners, so unworthy, still for us He chose to die ..." (the songwriter's personal paraphrase of Romans 5: 8 ? Well, seems like it ... to me at least!) Indeed God is good ... and His love endures forever!!! Thank God for that!!! :)

Oh, God, how i stand in awe in the beauty of Your holiness!!! It is only by Your grace that i am saved!!! Thank You for this precious gift of salvation!!! May i never ever despise such great a salvation!!! Thank You for this life ... thank You Lord for everything!!! Let not praise and worship cease from streaming forth from my mouth - for You alone are truly God ... You alone are worthy of all praise and honor!!! I am Your's - forever!!! Amen.

"Scooter"

Had a nice chat with my sister yesterday evening ... and guess what?! A pleasant and little (literally!) surprise ...... apparently, a new "member" has joined my family in Singapore. Its name? ... Scooter, a 9-week old puppy ... yuppy!!! (Can hardly hide my delight!) :) Apparently it is a Maltese crossed with a Jack Russell ... i dunno what the latter is - but according to Joy, it's a "hyper"-dog ...... haha ... perhaps that explains why my sister gets awaken up at 4am almost every night by its pitiful whining (play-acting?)!!! :P (Haha ... Fancy me gloating over my sister's 'misfortune' ... even though i know she doesn't mind looking after scooter whatever the hours ... well, perhaps!!!)

Got sent several photos of the dog ... and 2 video-clips. Boy, gotta say it's such a cutie!!! :) Feel like going back to play with it ... haha ... but of course, that may not be possible - for now at least ... but yeah, am looking to plan a holiday sometime in May or June next year. Will see how things come along. :) And oh, you guys gotta see the video!!! Will show it to you all ... it's such a hyper dog (truly) ... full of frenzied action ... and not to mention its non-stop chewing of almost anything and everything (literally!) - just ask my sister: There was a video which began with Scooter chewing his toys persistently (gotta say i feel tired for his little jaws) ... and come the end of the video, you see him next to my sister ... and the last thing you see and hear is a loud "OUCH" !!! Hahahaha .... you guessed it!!! :P (Yeah, it's me once again laughing at my sister's little 'misfortune'!!! Such a great brother that i am, ya?)

Anyway, the best thing of all is that dad, mum and sis all seem to be enjoying this little thing prancing around the hall. Can almost feel their joy teeming forth from the video ... just perfect!!! :) And yes, you read it correctly - even my dad - who had expressed in no uncertain terms his stand ("NO") about having dogs in the house in the past. :) So great to see them happy, laughing and having a good time together!!! Gotta confess i'm utterly excited about that little furry thing too!!! Haha!!! :)

Hmm ... was just pondering over the joy that abounds when we talked about the "new addition" to the family when i started to think about something more spiritual, something more eternal: If most of us would rejoice over a puppy ... how much more ought we to rejoice over a new "member" added to the family of God!!! Indeed, the joy should be exceedingly, abundantly greater ... for eternity is at stake ... and it definitely is!!! Truly, it is always so great to see new ones come to know God for themselves. Had recently led a brother to Christ ... and man, was so delighted when he made the personal decision!!! Praise God for that!!! All glory goes to God!!! It (the salvation ... and the feeling of delight at the puppy!) just fueled my passion to see many more come to know God for themselves!!! And that's my sincere prayer ... and prayerfully, this is the first of many more to come!!! Amen!!! :)

Guess God used little Scooter in more ways than one - in letting me meditate over the delight of seeing new ones added to His eternal kingdom. May this passion burn ever bright as each day passes!!! :)

"A Man of Truth"

Haha ... i can't believe it ... i'm actually starting to blog (well, trying to anyway) !!! This seems more and more ludicrous by the minute!!! Anyway, with my many friends seemingly enamored by it ... i just thought to give it a fling to see what all the buzz about this 'latest phenomenon' is all about. Hmm ... think i shall use this space to journal my thoughts and journey with God ... sorta like a diary kinda thing. How long this will last (or how frequent the entries) only time will tell ... and, hehe ... i personally don't have much faith in seeing this develop much (haha) ... but we shall see .................. :)

Was spending time with God this morning ... and one thing that impressed strongly upon my heart that i feel God challenging me was simply that of being "a man of truth" - a man of absolute integrity in all i do, say, or think. God seemed to be challenging me to a higher standard than before. As i reflected upon this, i come to realize how mammoth a task it is for me - no matter how sincere my desire - and it was there and then that it dawned upon me how utterly i needed the grace of God to help me grow in this aspect. Left to myself, i am but an utterly 'spent force' in my quest to live by truth; i am under no illusion as to the many weaknesses of mine (too numerous to count). There, and then, I humbly asked God to help me grow in my quest to live by the truth - that in all things, at all times, i shall love, adhere to, live by, and be an upholder of the truth ... that His truth shall be prevalent in my very life. (*Do pray along with me to this end!)

I asked God what are some practical ways in which i can really see this come to pass in my life ... and two simple things came to my mind: relationship and Word.

Firstly, relationship. God reinforced in my mind the importance of us abiding in God- that through this abiding process, we are slowly but surely being transformed day-by-day into ever-increasing Christlikeness (2 Cor. 3: 18) ... and as a result, see the fruit (not just ministry - but more importantly, character fruits too) being produced and cultivated in our lives (John 15: 4-5) - for as we abide in His presence, something happens: a divine exchange / a spiritual osmosis process takes place - the filth, junk and dross drop off in the very presence of the Holy One. We repent and change as He graciously unveils the areas of our lives that need cleaning up. The key is to always come before God with an absolute heart of surrender - that He may have free course in our lives ... and speak the very words we need to hear - words that can bring about transformation in our lives.

Secondly, the Word. Indeed, God's Word is truth (John 17: 17b) ... and this brings about a simple equation: If God's Word is truth (which it undeniably and irrevocably is), and if i wanna be a person of truth, it takes no rocket scientist to discover how do i go about doing so. Knowing God's Word = knowing truth. And knowing the truth precedes us living by the truth - for how can we live by what we do not know? Also, along with the sanctifying nature of God's Word (John 17: 17a), Scripture also testifies about itself in 2 Timothy 3: 16-17: "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." I see "righteousness" as synonymous with "a man of truth" - that is, God's Word is useful in my desire to be a man of truth (righteousness) ... and since that is exactly what Scripture does, i yield myself entirely to it. I want to be a man who truly knows, loves and lives by God's Word ... and thus my concluding prayer .............

Lord, may my desire for You and for the pure spiritual milk of Your Word never wane ... in fact, let it grow and deepen by the minute!!! Let me be like Ezra of old, who "set in his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel" (Ezra 7: 10 ESV) Amen.