As it is written: “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” - the things God has prepared for those who love him - these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 1 Cor 2:9-10 (NIV)
The apostle Paul quoted from Isaiah 64:4, "Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him." He applies it to the wonderful hidden plan of God for mankind's redemption (the crucifixion of His beloved Son on the cross of Calvary), which has been revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. Indeed, no human mind can possibly conceive crucifixion to be God's perfect plan for mankind's salvation. In fact, the rulers of this world were also caught by surprise when they thought they had the upper hand when Christ was killed on the cross. God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message (of the cross) preached to save those who believe (1 Cor 1:21; 2 Cor 2:7-8).
I was flipping through the book Blue Ocean Strategy by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne recently. They argue that lasting success comes from creating 'blue oceans': untapped new market spaces ripe for growth as opposed to competing with those already in existence - red oceans. The examples quoted that spawned multibillion dollar industries were mutual funds, cell phones, biotechnology, discount retail, express package delivery, coffee bars, home videos etc. Just 30 years ago, none of the industries were in existence in a meaningful way. The reality is that industries never stand still but continue to evolve with the changing times. The strategy to create blue oceans is the key to unlocking the potential in the market places. It takes vision, courage and experimentation to see beyond the current reality. The story of two shoes salesmen on an island where nobody wears any footware illustrates this point well. One exclaimed that there's no market for shoes while another saw immense possibilities.
In the spiritual sense, the cross was God's blue ocean strategy to a (spiritually) dying world. Nobody except God knew what He was doing. The good news is that it is still applicable today. We don't have to bring our wealth, achievements, prestige or status with us; they don't earn salvation for us. We come to him just as we are - broken, contrite and repentant - believing and entrusting ourselves to a Saviour who is able to save us from our sins. In today's world, where the thief comes to steal (our faith in God), kill (snuff out the lives of people) and destroy (family relationships), God extends forgiveness of sins to those who would come to Him in repentance and faith.
Curiosity abounds regarding the future and especially in how our world would end as seen in the interest in the 21 Dec date of the Mayan calendar. However, as believers in Christ we know from the book of Revelation, Satan and his emissaries would be eventually cast into the lake of fire. Likewise those who follow him. Preceeding this would be catalysmic events that would foreshadow the second coming of Christ. The unfolding of these events is open to interpretation. One thing is certain is that God had already in mind what He would do to usher in the second coming of Christ just as He did for Christ's first coming. Certainly, we may not perceive with our physical eyes nor ears but we can through our spiritual eyes and ears like Simeon and the prophetess Anna, whom the Holy Spirit revealed to them concerning the baby Jesus, the redemption of Israel (Lk 2:25-38).
The only way the church is going to perceive the unfolding of end time events is through prayer and fasting, just like what Anna did. We thank God for the raising up of prayer warriors and intercessors all over the world coming together in prayer houses to intercede for God's will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. May you and I be part of this prayer movement to usher in the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Maranatha!
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Monday, December 10, 2012
God of the Impossible
"Is anything too difficult (wonderful) for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Gen 18:14 (NASB)
Sarah was incredulous when this promise was given as she thought (rightly so) she was barren and way past child-bearing age (v 11); menopause having set in. Her laughter brought about the above retort from the Lord. God specialises in opening up barren wombs as in the case of Hannah and Elizabeth. He is the giver of physical life. The angel Gabriel told Mary, "For nothing will be impossible with God." (Lk 1:37).
This was in relation to Mary's immaculate conception and the conception of John by Elizabeth. As we approach Christmas, let's breathe a prayer of thanksgiving to God for sending Jesus into this world to become like us so that He can lead us back to God.
God also specialises in giving new birth - spiritual life. In responding to His disciples cry, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." (Mk 10:26-27). The disciples despair was due to the fact that Jesus had said it was difficult for the rich to enter God's kingdom because wealth can enslave a person, becoming his/her god. This promise by Jesus should encourage our hearts as we reach out to some hard nuts who simply have no time for God or who do not acknowledge Him personally. We need to rely on God and not in our own wisdom to save them.
At the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mk 14:36). Even though God can do all things, yet there are things He would not do if it's not in accordance to His will. The confidence we have in approaching a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God is that we ask according to His will (1 Jn 5:14-15). God not only sees the desires of our hearts but the sincerity and earnestness of our hearts as well.
In response to the father's plea, "... if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" Jesus replied, "If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes." (Mk 9:22-23). Jesus ties in our faith with God's ability to act on our behalf. Many times Jesus wasn't able to do much miracles because of unbelief in the peoples' hearts (Mk 6:5-6; Mt 13:58). Where things seem hopeless and impossible, these are the kinds of situations that we need to exercise our faith in the God of the impossible. Like the father of the child, we need to ask God to help our unbelief.
Jeremiah the prophet prayed by proclaiming, "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You." (Jer 32:17). Jeremiah was incredulous that the Lord spoke to him to buy field to plant and build despite the Chaldean invasion of the land of Israel and the scattering of God's people beyond their homeland. The Lord replied, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" (Jer 32:27). As you read on, you would find that the Lord promised to restore the fortunes of Israel by gathering His dispersed people back to the land of promise (Jer 32:37-44).
We have to stand in awe of Yahweh - the Creator of the heavens and the earth - from the tinest atoms to the huge universe. He knows how the earth and the universe function, and above all, He knows how mankind functions. When we begin to acknowledge God for who He is, He begins to work on our behalf (Heb 11:6). God is mindful of our frailty but condescends to shower His lovingkindness upon those who fear Him.
"For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass;
as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them." Ps 103:14-18 (NASB)
Sarah was incredulous when this promise was given as she thought (rightly so) she was barren and way past child-bearing age (v 11); menopause having set in. Her laughter brought about the above retort from the Lord. God specialises in opening up barren wombs as in the case of Hannah and Elizabeth. He is the giver of physical life. The angel Gabriel told Mary, "For nothing will be impossible with God." (Lk 1:37).
This was in relation to Mary's immaculate conception and the conception of John by Elizabeth. As we approach Christmas, let's breathe a prayer of thanksgiving to God for sending Jesus into this world to become like us so that He can lead us back to God.
God also specialises in giving new birth - spiritual life. In responding to His disciples cry, "Then who can be saved?" Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." (Mk 10:26-27). The disciples despair was due to the fact that Jesus had said it was difficult for the rich to enter God's kingdom because wealth can enslave a person, becoming his/her god. This promise by Jesus should encourage our hearts as we reach out to some hard nuts who simply have no time for God or who do not acknowledge Him personally. We need to rely on God and not in our own wisdom to save them.
At the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will." (Mk 14:36). Even though God can do all things, yet there are things He would not do if it's not in accordance to His will. The confidence we have in approaching a prayer hearing and a prayer answering God is that we ask according to His will (1 Jn 5:14-15). God not only sees the desires of our hearts but the sincerity and earnestness of our hearts as well.
In response to the father's plea, "... if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!" Jesus replied, "If You can?’ All things are possible to him who believes." (Mk 9:22-23). Jesus ties in our faith with God's ability to act on our behalf. Many times Jesus wasn't able to do much miracles because of unbelief in the peoples' hearts (Mk 6:5-6; Mt 13:58). Where things seem hopeless and impossible, these are the kinds of situations that we need to exercise our faith in the God of the impossible. Like the father of the child, we need to ask God to help our unbelief.
Jeremiah the prophet prayed by proclaiming, "Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You." (Jer 32:17). Jeremiah was incredulous that the Lord spoke to him to buy field to plant and build despite the Chaldean invasion of the land of Israel and the scattering of God's people beyond their homeland. The Lord replied, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?" (Jer 32:27). As you read on, you would find that the Lord promised to restore the fortunes of Israel by gathering His dispersed people back to the land of promise (Jer 32:37-44).
We have to stand in awe of Yahweh - the Creator of the heavens and the earth - from the tinest atoms to the huge universe. He knows how the earth and the universe function, and above all, He knows how mankind functions. When we begin to acknowledge God for who He is, He begins to work on our behalf (Heb 11:6). God is mindful of our frailty but condescends to shower His lovingkindness upon those who fear Him.
"For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. As for man, his days are like grass;
as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer. But the lovingkindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children, to those who keep His covenant and remember His precepts to do them." Ps 103:14-18 (NASB)
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Desires of our heart
"3Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. 4Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass." Ps 37:3-5 (NKJV)
Don't we all have desires - some godly and some not so godly. The wonderful promise that God will give us the desires of our heart is conditioned on us delighting in Him. What does it mean then to delight ourselves in the Lord? The verse preceding and following the promise found in verse 4 will offer a clue. Both talk about trusting God; verse 3 adds that we need to feed on God's faithfulness, that is, we rely on God's character to fulfill what He has promised - He is a faithful God. Trusting also means committing our ways to the Lord (v 5); this we do so through prayer. When things don't turn out the way we envisage, we often give up praying and lose sight of His faithfulness. Delighting ourselves in the Lord would therefore mean a continual trust and communication with God despite the circumstances of life. God, who searches the hearts of all men, would grant us the desires of our hearts when He sees our total dependency on Him.
Three OT patriarchs exhibit this quality of establishing intimacy with God with the result that God heard and answered their prayers.
1. Abraham: he was called the friend of God because of his faith in Jehovah (Ja 2:23; Gen 15:6). He believed God's promise regarding his descendants being as many as the stars of heaven despite Sarah being barren. When God expressed His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness of the cities, Abraham interceded for Lot and his family. He was bold enough to 'bargain' with God 6 times not to destroy the cities if there were certain number of righteous people present (Gen 18:23-33). Unfortunately, there weren't 10 righteous people - Lot's family constituted only 4. But the Lord was mercy; He remembered Abraham's intercession and saved Lot's family (Gen 19:29). The desire of Abraham was granted.
2. Moses: he spoke to God like a man to a man (Dt 34:10). Of course, no one can see the face of God and live. He must have seen the representation of God in various forms eg. the burning bush or a thundering voice. He learnt humility through hardship and reliance on God. Moses spent an inordinate amount of time in God's presence cultivating intimacy with Him. He found favour in God's sight and as such when he requested God to show him His glory, God obliged by showing him His hind glory (Ex 33:12-23). When Moses came down from the mountain, he face reflected God's glory so much so that he had to put a veil over his face (2 Cor 3:13). Moses is another patriarch whom God delighted in, despite his sins. We are told that God buried him in a valley of Moab and no one could locate it (Dt 34:6).
3. Elijah: this prophet of God had developed such intimacy with God that by his word things are brought to pass. By his word, the armies of Israel were destroyed by fire (2 Kg 1:9-12). This was so because he had a direct line of communication with God (2 Kg 1:3,15). The many miracles that Elijah was able to perform attest to the great faith he had in God. We are told in the book of James that Elijah was a man like you and me; he prayed earnestly and God answered him (Jas 5:17-18). He prayed seven times before he saw a cloud the size of a hand in the horizon and knew that rain would follow. Elijah's intimacy with God saw him taken up in a whirlwind by God, translating him from this earthly life to a heavenly one (2 Kg 2:12). This is but a type of translation (rapture) that believers would experience when Christ returns.
Do you have godly desires? Then begin to delight yourself in the Lord, cultivating intimacy with Him.
Abraham's desire was for the salvation (deliverance) of Lot's family from destruction. We too can desire the salvation for our Friends, Relatives, Associates and Neighbour by interceding on their behalf.
Moses' desire was to see God's glory. We too can desire and impart God's glory to others if we spend time with God.
Elijah's desire was for God to send rain to a parched land. We too can desire and experience the rain of the Holy Spirit in our lives if we earnestly seek after Him.
May God grant you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him!
Don't we all have desires - some godly and some not so godly. The wonderful promise that God will give us the desires of our heart is conditioned on us delighting in Him. What does it mean then to delight ourselves in the Lord? The verse preceding and following the promise found in verse 4 will offer a clue. Both talk about trusting God; verse 3 adds that we need to feed on God's faithfulness, that is, we rely on God's character to fulfill what He has promised - He is a faithful God. Trusting also means committing our ways to the Lord (v 5); this we do so through prayer. When things don't turn out the way we envisage, we often give up praying and lose sight of His faithfulness. Delighting ourselves in the Lord would therefore mean a continual trust and communication with God despite the circumstances of life. God, who searches the hearts of all men, would grant us the desires of our hearts when He sees our total dependency on Him.
Three OT patriarchs exhibit this quality of establishing intimacy with God with the result that God heard and answered their prayers.
1. Abraham: he was called the friend of God because of his faith in Jehovah (Ja 2:23; Gen 15:6). He believed God's promise regarding his descendants being as many as the stars of heaven despite Sarah being barren. When God expressed His intention to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah due to the wickedness of the cities, Abraham interceded for Lot and his family. He was bold enough to 'bargain' with God 6 times not to destroy the cities if there were certain number of righteous people present (Gen 18:23-33). Unfortunately, there weren't 10 righteous people - Lot's family constituted only 4. But the Lord was mercy; He remembered Abraham's intercession and saved Lot's family (Gen 19:29). The desire of Abraham was granted.
2. Moses: he spoke to God like a man to a man (Dt 34:10). Of course, no one can see the face of God and live. He must have seen the representation of God in various forms eg. the burning bush or a thundering voice. He learnt humility through hardship and reliance on God. Moses spent an inordinate amount of time in God's presence cultivating intimacy with Him. He found favour in God's sight and as such when he requested God to show him His glory, God obliged by showing him His hind glory (Ex 33:12-23). When Moses came down from the mountain, he face reflected God's glory so much so that he had to put a veil over his face (2 Cor 3:13). Moses is another patriarch whom God delighted in, despite his sins. We are told that God buried him in a valley of Moab and no one could locate it (Dt 34:6).
3. Elijah: this prophet of God had developed such intimacy with God that by his word things are brought to pass. By his word, the armies of Israel were destroyed by fire (2 Kg 1:9-12). This was so because he had a direct line of communication with God (2 Kg 1:3,15). The many miracles that Elijah was able to perform attest to the great faith he had in God. We are told in the book of James that Elijah was a man like you and me; he prayed earnestly and God answered him (Jas 5:17-18). He prayed seven times before he saw a cloud the size of a hand in the horizon and knew that rain would follow. Elijah's intimacy with God saw him taken up in a whirlwind by God, translating him from this earthly life to a heavenly one (2 Kg 2:12). This is but a type of translation (rapture) that believers would experience when Christ returns.
Do you have godly desires? Then begin to delight yourself in the Lord, cultivating intimacy with Him.
Abraham's desire was for the salvation (deliverance) of Lot's family from destruction. We too can desire the salvation for our Friends, Relatives, Associates and Neighbour by interceding on their behalf.
Moses' desire was to see God's glory. We too can desire and impart God's glory to others if we spend time with God.
Elijah's desire was for God to send rain to a parched land. We too can desire and experience the rain of the Holy Spirit in our lives if we earnestly seek after Him.
May God grant you the desires of your heart as you delight in Him!
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