"The Primacy of Love ... for God"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Love the LORD your God

with all your heart

and with all your soul

and with all your strength."

- Deuteronomy 6: 5

"The Centrality of Practical Obedience"

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

*******

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

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

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

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

*******

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

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

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

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

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

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine

and puts them into practice is like a wise man

who built his house on the rock.

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house;

yet it did not fall,

because it had its foundation on the rock.

But everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not put them into practice

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

The rain came down, the streams rose,

and the winds blew and beat against that house,

and it fell with a great crash.”

(Matt. 7: 24-27)

"Then Jesus came to them and said,

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

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations,

baptizing them in the name of the Father

and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.

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

(Matt. 28: 18-20)

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

Do what it says.

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

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

after looking at himself, goes away

and immediately forgets what he looks like.

But the man who looks intently

into the perfect law that gives freedom,

and continues to do this,

not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—

he will be blessed in what he does.”

(James 1: 22-25)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Teach me Your way, O Lord,

and i will walk in Your truth;

give me an undivided heart,

that i may fear Your name."

- Psalm 86: 11

"The Simplicity of Intimacy"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way,

he came to a village

where a woman named Martha opened her home to him.

She had a sister called Mary,

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

But Martha was distracted

by all the preparations that had to be made.

She came to him and asked,

"Lord, don't you care that my sister

has left me to do the work by myself?

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

"you are worried and upset about many things,

but only one thing is needed.

Mary has chosen what is better,

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

- Luke 10: 38-42

"What Do You Really Want?"

"What do you really want?" ... This was the recurring question that kept flashing in my mind this morning - sovereignly placed there, i believe, by the Holy Spirit. And that was my "burden" this morning as i thought within myself what is it - after all has been said and done - that i really want.

So, after some deliberate and honest pondering, this is what i came up with ...

"I want to be a man who truly knows, loves, and serves God:

A man after God's own heart -

One who sincerely loves and is devoted to God and His Word;

One who is captivated by His love and glory;

One who knows and understands His call;

One who is driven by His purpose;

One who is compelled by His love -

serving God by loving others with His love

and nurturing them in the faith through His Word."

Having come up with this, i've gotta confess that many questions also shrouded this heartfelt desire of mine ...

Whether or not i truly know, love, and serve God may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want;

Whether or not i sincerely love God and am devoted to His Word may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want;

Whether i truly know and understand God's call for my life may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want;

Whether i'm a man driven by God's purpose may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want;

Whether i'm one who is compelled by God's love may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want;

Whether i'm serving God by loving others and nurturing them in His Word may be a big question mark -

but that's what i want.

So many questions, so many doubts, so many concerns .... but in spite of all these uncertainties, there's one thing that i'm sure of:

This is what i really want!!!

"O Lord, make me such a man - one who serves and fulfills Your purpose in my lifetime!!!"

"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!!! :)