"On Sin and Dog's Pooh"

Imagine with me ... It is 4am in the morning and you wake up to go to the toilet. You step out of your room and at your second step out of the room ... "squish". It is dark ... but you realize you have stepped on something that shouldn't be there - dog's pooh. Yikes!!! :(

*******

Yes, in case you are wondering, that was exactly what happened to me just last night - the very first time i came into physical contact with pooh of any kind (well, as far as i can remember anyway)!!! Oh, how gross the feeling!!! To recap (and pardon the explicitness of it all) ... First came the soft, warm and sinking sensation as my toes 'submerged' into one of the few brown lifeless lumps ... then came the slight stench to confirm my momentary fears of what i might have stepped on. Ooh, the wonders of the sense of touch and smell!!! "SCOOTER!!!" my mind echoed in protest ... but he was nowhere to be found; probably hiding in my sister's room, soundly asleep!!! Oh well, guess that's part and parcel of having a dog at home. :)

Anyway, i did what i believe most of us would do (at least in our sane moments) ... i ran straight into the bathroom and started washing away the unwanted stain off my left foot. Yes, i was determined to get that yucky thing off my foot as soon as i could!!! Oh, you should have seen my utter eagerness to rid myself of that stain!!! Yucks!!! (*Gotta confess that even now i can still 'feel' that sensation as my toes slid into Scooter's excretion!!! Urggh!!!) :P

On hindsight, this incident somehow taught me a spiritual lesson. As human beings (and in the right frame of mind), we would be quick and wise enough to rid ourselves of any 'foreign' thing that we know shouldn't be on our body (in this instance, dog's pooh); however, the question that came to me was how quick are we, as born-again Christians, to deal with sin in our lives? Oh, if we would be quick to rid ourselves of dog's pooh on our feet, how quick would we be to rid ourselves of its spiritual equivalent - namely, sin? Oh, far be it from us to cherish sin in our lives (which, sometimes - oddly enough - we are guilty of)!!! Think of it: Cherishing sin can be likened to us loving to have dog's pooh left smeared on our body!!! How absurd the thought!!! But oh, how sometimes we fail to see it as such!!! May God grant us eyes to see sin as it really is - a deadly posion coated with sugar to entice us or, for that matter, dog's pooh decorated with eye-catching and exotic flowers to attract us!!! Oh, the surpassing sinfulness of sin and the exceeding execrableness of excretion!!! Oh well, i trust you get the idea!!! :P

O Lord, please help me view sin the way it really is - that is, a spiritual equivalent of dog's pooh (or even better, to view it as something much more abhorrent, detestable, and absolutely disgusting)!!! Oh, let me be ever so quick and vigilant to deal with sin in my life and not let it fester. Let me not be so hardened, blinded or deceived that i foolishly cherish sin in my heart!!! Let me do what i did with Scooter's misplaced pooh - that is, get rid of it at the first instance!!! Help me to always say no to sin but yes to righteousness!!! Amen!!! :)

"In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin

but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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: 11-14

"A 'Dogged' Audacity"

I was sitting in my living room relaxing when all of a sudden, Scooter (my family's pet dog) came running towards me with its tail wagging incessantly, circled around the chair i was slumped upon, looked up at me, and then, as if out of great familarity, leapt onto my lap and made himself comfortable (see picture above taken by my sister). Oh, the audacity of this little thing - making himself comfortable on my lap!!! :)

This very simple audacious act of Scooter provoked a question in my heart as i reflected on the incident. The question that came to my mind was this - "How confident are we, as Christians, in our approach to our heavenly Father?" Do we come to Him with absolute confidence (like little Scooter did to me) and, may i use the term, "reverential audacity"? Do we make ourselves comfortable in His awesome presence, snuggling up beside Him and into His embrace (albeit with reverence)? Or are we approaching God from a distance and with tremendous caution?

Then the revelation came ... Oh, what a privilege that the way has been made for us Christians to access the very presence of our heavenly Father, the Creator of the universe, without fear or apprehension, but with absolute confidence and full assurance of faith!!! All this only made possible by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary, Golgotha, and our faith in Him and His great redemptive work.

Indeed, through Jesus, the way has been miraculously paved for us sinners to approach a holy, righteous and just God - something quite unthinkable apart from our divine Mediator and His great redemptive and reconciliatory work!!! His very words, "It is finished", as He hung on the Cross, giving up His Spirit, and the historical event of the immediate tearing of the curtain in the Temple from top to bottom signalled the acceptance of the one and only (and once-and-for-all) perfect sacrifice of the perfect God-man Jesus Christ by God the Father for our sins - and, more than that, depicted the free access to God now granted to us because of the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins. No longer do we need a priest to go behind the curtain to the Holy of Holies to approach God on our behalf; we ourselves have been made priests!!! Talk about spell-bounding miracles and endless grace!!! We now have free access to God on the basis of what Christ has done for us - His great substitutionary work on the Cross (to me, the most significant event in all of human history). By His obedient and substitutionary work on the Cross, we sinners have now been declared righteous (and made clean) by faith in His blood - and, as such, we can now boldly approach our heavenly Father - personally, intimately, and confidently. Simply awesome!!! Simply amazing!!!

Oh, let us thank God for His amazing grace in that while we were still undeserving sinners, He initiated this great redemptive plan to reconcile us to Himself through faith in the blood of His Son Jesus Christ. Oh, what love this is!!! How amazing, how divine!!! Let us take heart and understand, at a deeper level, the signifincance of this central historical event - namely, the atoning work of Christ on the Cross - and approach God with a holy and reverential confidence and in full assurance of faith - for the way has been paved for us by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!!! Blessed be the name of our Lord!!! :)

"Therefore, brothers,

since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place

by the blood of Jesus,

by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,

and since we have a great priest over the house of God,

let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith,

having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience

and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess,

for he who promised is faithful."

- Hebrews 10: 19-23

"Motherly Instincts"

This is in tribute to my beloved mum ...

Oh, the beauty of motherly instincts that God seems to have placed inherently within mums was made manifest recently - just 2 days ago to be precise. Allow me to recount the incident ...

Just only about 6 hours prior, my family and i (pictured above - including Joy and my brother's girlfriend) were having a great time feasting - in an early celebration of my dad's 62nd birthday. Gotta say that the Japanese seafood buffet was simply glorious!!! Oh, the wide array of awesome food in front of us; we were simply spoilt for choice!!! What a sumptuous meal we had!!! Add to that the company of your loved ones - and you couldn't ask for more!!! :)

Fast-forward 6 hours, at about 1:30am ... i was asleep when i was suddenly awakened by a deep sense of discomfort. I tried fighting it off for about 15 minutes but to no avail. Giving up, i sat up from my bed and discovered that i had indigestion (i think) - the nauseousness, the 'weak' feeling and all. Oh, how i dread that sickening feeling!!! I hate it big time!!! You know, the discomfort and all. Not the best thing to have while only on my second day of holiday in Singapore!!! :(

After sitting there dazed for a while, i grabbed a nearby G2000 plastic bag - just in case. On hindsight, i'm glad i did ... 'cos in the space of a mere 2 minutes, i was utilizing that bag big time!!! Yes, in case you're still wondering, i was vomitting my great exploits during the lovely dinner i had barely 6 hours ago. Oh, the glorious food ... all returning to that plastic bag albeit in a different form!!! Such a waste!!! :(

The vomitting lasted for about 5 minutes or so ... and as i was vomitting, i somehow recalled my childhood days. I remember rather vividly how, as a little boy, when i was unwell (e.g. stomachache or indigestion), i would go to my parents room to seek "parental" help. And yes, i also remember the times where my mother would always be by my side to "help" me through it. Oh, the memories; they just seem like yesterday!!!

That was then ... but being an adult now, disturbing my parents was the last thing on my mind. So, i continued doing what i needed manfully to do - vomit!!! Haha. :P

And it was then that my mum suddenly appeared from her room ... obviously awoken by the noise my vomitting made. And when she stepped into my room to be beside me, it was then that i experienced a sense of deja-vu. Oh, it was like a re-enactment - a rolling back of the years. Her comforting hand stroking my back in bid to comfort me and her tender voice assuring me as i continued vomitting into the now-heavier-than-ever bag. :)

This simple act of love brought back (tangibly) memories of old ... and not just that, it also reminded me of the great love of a great mother. Oh, thank God for the motherly instincts He has somehow placed within them!!! The tender-loving care of a mother to her child was made manifest with the appearance of my mum beside me in my time of "distress"!!! What made it all the more impacting was the fact that as i was recalling my childhood days while i was vomitting (fancy me to do that! In fact, i was also praying that the rest would be okay!!!), i was also thinking if anyone in the family would come to my aid first, who it would be ... and the answer in my mind was, undoubtedly, my mum!!! And, yes, i was spot on - she appeared not long after i had that thought!!! Oh, how i thank God for my amazing mum!!! Gotta confess that her presence did make a world of a difference to me (although i felt bad for waking her up)!!! :)

Looking back, i thank God that i have since recovered from the indigestion (and back to my eating best once again)!!! [Oh, you won't want to be ill during your holidays in a land where food is cheap and good!!!] But a more important lesson unfolded - namely, the amazing love of a mum who hears (and feels) the slightest 'afflictions' of her beloved child. Oh, how i thank God for my mum!!! How i love my mum (although i don't always make it known verbally to her)!!! She's simply the best!!! :)

This verse in Isaiah seems to portray what i'm trying to say ... "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!" (Isaiah 49: 15). Implied in this verse is the inherent care that mothers have toward their children - placed there by God (i believe) - thus the somewhat rhetorical question in verse 15. But this verse speaks much more than that; it ultimately points us to someone far greater - God. It utilizes the human imagery of the intricate care and compassion a mother has for her young to add greater weight and force to what God is like towards us. The analogy goes something like this: Even if our mothers may forget us (which, by itself, is a highly unlikely thing), God will never ever forget us!!! Oh, such is the eternal and unfailing love of our heavenly Father towards His children!!! What blessed assurance it ought give our hearts - knowing that the love and care of God is far greater than the love and care that even the best mother can give!!!

Let's take heart in (and thank God for) the amazing love of our mothers (and give them the due honor they deserve) ... and, more than that, let us rest fully assured in the eternal and unfailing love of God (and let it bring forth songs of worship and adoration from the deepest recesses of our hearts!). Amen. :)

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life,

neither angels nor demons,

neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,

neither height nor depth,

nor anything else in all creation,

will be able to separate us from the love of God

that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

- Romans 8: 38-39

"Lessons from a Toddler's Outstretched Arms"

The Incident:
Looking back, it's amazing how as i was making "funny" faces (as most adults do when face-to-face with toddlers - especially cute ones) to Kristabel (Joy's cute 1-year 8-month-old niece - pictured above), she - whilst comfortably tucked away in her mother's arms - suddenly leaned her little body toward me, gave me a cute "i want you / please carry me"-look (accompanied by a wry smile), and stretched forth both arms towards me - as if in earnest for me to carry her!!! I duly obliged ... I mean, how could i ever refuse? (Oh, you should have seen the look on her face and her demeanor!!!) :) Awww ... sooooo sweet!!! Sooooo cute!!! Gotta confess i felt real good there and then ... and my heart sorta melted - cute little girl that she is!!! :P [*Note: The amazing thing is that i've only met her not too many days ago!!! Even her mum seemed perplexed by her 'unusual' response!!!]

The Lesson:
On a more spiritual note, imagine with me how pleased our heavenly Father would be if we, His precious little children, would but (like little Kristabel) stretch forth our arms toward Him - longing for His touch, yearning for His embrace, and desiring for His presence. Oh, what great joy and delight that would bring to our dearest Lord and King!!! What a blessing it must be for our Lord to see His little ones clamoring after His very presence and intimate embrace - desirous to be enveloped in His loving arms!!! I mean, which earthly father would not love to have his little ones yearn for his embrace? Oh, the wonders of outstretched arms towards our heavenly Father!!! I can even picture the smile that would appear on the countenance of our blessed Lord if we would but come before Him with such child-like yearning and earnestness!!!

Shall we, like little children, stretch forth our arms towards our heavenly Father, and yearn for His intimate touch? Why not do it this very moment - right now, right where you are? Tell Him how much you want Him, long for Him, yearn for Him, and are in absolute earnest for Him!!! :)

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me,

and do not hinder them,

for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

- Matthew 19: 14

"Of Lushy Leaves and Thin Twigs"

Was spending time with God yesterday morning when God brought to my attention a small tree outside my window - a tree that i had never taken notice of (of any significant detail anyway). It was not so much the tree that God brought my attention to; rather, it was a particular part of the tree that my gaze fell upon - namely, that of a branch with green, lushy leaves that shone under the morning sun. However, that was not all ... on that same green lushy branch hung a dangling twig - a dry, withered, and lifeless twig. It seemed as if it had somehow been broken off the branch - albeit still dangling from it. But the contrast spoke volumes ...

And it was to this contrast that my attention was arrested and my eyes fixated. There and then, God spoke to me through this unique picture of the green lushy leaves and the thin dry twigs. It sorta reminded me of the immense importance of us abiding in Him and He in us - for He is the source of our spiritual life and vitality; nothing and no one else will suffice. John 15: 1-8 immdiately sprang to mind ... and the question that popped in my mind was this: Do we want to be like the thriving green lushy leaves that sparkled under the morning sun (signifying health and life), or do we want to be like the dead, withered and dry twig that dangled lifelessly at the end of the branch (signifying lifelessness and death)? Are we abiding in Him in a living, thriving, vibrant relationship?

Oh, how i want to be so vitally connected to and be in intimate union with God every single moment, drawing that strength and sap of life from Him (and that only He can give) so that i may thrive - and be like that green lushy leaves, sparkling under the bright morning sun and teeming with vibrant life!!! And my prayer is that each of us, as precious children of God, would resolve deep within our very hearts to remain rooted in Him, and to abide in Him and His Word - that we may never go dry like that lifeless dangling twig - but remain refreshed daily in Him, by Him, and through Him - brimming forth with the life that only God can give!!!

O Lord, impress the words in and truth of John 15: 1-8 deeper than ever into my heart ... and help me to continually abide in You, the true vine - and never ever neglect that vital communion with You. Oh, draw me so ever deeper in love with You and in Your presence - for there i know i can find peace in the midst of turmoil, joy in the wave of gloom, comfort in the wake of sadness, courage in the shadow of fear, faith in the valley of doubt, and strength in the face of weakness.

Oh, how blessed it is to be in Your presence - for there i find fullness of joy and life abundantly!!! Oh, let me be like that thriving green lushy leaves, bearing fruit and giving life to all who come near!!! Amen.

"But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,

whose confidence is in Him.

He will be like a tree planted by the water

that sends out its roots by the stream.

It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.

It has no worries in a year of drought

and never fails to bear fruit."

- Jeremiah 17: 7-8

"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!!! :)