The Year of the Lord's Favour

Jesus started off his public ministry in his hometown of Nazareth. In the synagogue, on a Sabbath day, the scroll of the prophet Isaiah (written abt 600 to 700 yrs BC) was handed to him to read.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”         Luke 4:18-19 NIV

Chinese New Year follows the lunar calendar, unlike the Western calendar which follows the solar calendar and falls on 1^st January.  For believers, this is not the year of the wooden horse but the year of the Lord’s favour! In fact, it has been so since Christ mentioned to the synagogue hearers that this scripture has been fulfilled in their hearing.  He did not include the day of vengeance of God. 

The Chinese zodiac, steeped in legends & mythologies, relates each year to an animal and its reputed attributes, according to a 12-year cycle. The Western zodiac relates constellation to each month. Both are linked to astrology or fortune telling, the focus is usually on what will happen to people in various stages of their lives or on what people should do on a particular day or in a certain month or year.  Astrology has its roots in Babylon; king Nebuchadnezzar summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamt (Dan 2:2 NIV). Daniel and his 3 friends were tested and stood out amongst all in the dept of wisdom and understanding.  The king found them 10 times better than all magicians & enchanters in his realm. 

We live in a world whereby it is becoming fashionable to reaffirm culture (beliefs, practices and lifestyles of different ethnic communities) and to advocate a multicultural society.  The diversity of human culture is part of God’s creation.  God’s imprint is seen in the diversity of natural creation.  God’s original purpose was to have the human race scatter over the earth and develop into diverse cultures.

However, mankind decided to reverse the scattering process by building a tower in Babel (ancient Babylon). It was not any ordinary tower though.  Archaeologists tell us it was a typical ziggurat, a well-known ancient structure designed for occult purposes – “tower that reaches to the heavens” (Gen 11:4) in order to draw on satanic power for their desired one world movement.  God’s respond was swift.  In one stroke, He ruined their plans by confounding their languages and they proceeded to scatter as God had intended.  The human race ended up, “Separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.”  (Gen 10:5 NASB).

Cultures are designed to glorify God.  However, Satan has succeeded in corrupting them, to prevent God from being glorified.  He did it first by provoking Adam & Eve to sin against God, corrupting the very human nature that was created in the image of God.  Then using multitudes of depraved human minds, he has continued his perverse activities, starting with individuals and then society as a whole.  His influence can be subtle at first before becoming militant.

Much of human culture and heritage is inextricably linked with religious philosophies and beliefs that Christians should not embrace.  How can we maintain an active appreciation of our cultural heritage without compromising our faith? In particular, how are we to show filial piety at funerals or celebrate the various Chinese festivals without going against the teachings of God by engaging in unscriptural practices?  To be sure, many of these issues can be emotionally-charged as they involve family ties.  

The Bible tells us to “… contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.”  Jude 1:3b NKJV

How can we as Christians, living in a culture that is governed by humanism and paganism, walk as salt and lights of the world without compromising our faith?  Jude continues by giving three specific examples of judgment passed by God for rebellion and unbelief (Jude 1:5-7).

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe.  [cowered by giants despite God’s promises]

Giants can come from pressure by society to conform or from cares and worries of life; deceitfulness of riches.  

And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; [angels, closest to God, not spared]

as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. [immoral lifestyle not condoned by God]

Recently, Facebook has added a customizable option with about 50 different terms people can use to identify their gender such as transsexual, androgynous, etc.  I don’t believe this diversity in human identity beyond male and female is God’s intention but a corruption of human identity from the pit of hell.

 

Let’s read Paul’s famous address to the Athenians on Mars hill [Greek is Areopagus: hill of Ares, god of thunder & war; Roman equivalent was Mars] with regard to handling cultural practices that are opposed to God.        

¹⁶ While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. ¹⁷ So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. ¹⁸ A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. ¹⁹ Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? ²⁰ You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” ²¹ (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.)

²² Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. ²³ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship – and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.”

²⁴ “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. ²⁵ And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. ²⁶ From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. ²⁷ God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ²⁸ ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’

²⁹ “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by human design and skill. ³⁰ In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. ³¹ For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”  Acts 17:16-31 NIV

Two principles to guide us in living under an open heaven and to experience God’s favour in our lives:

1.     Acknowledge God as Creator and renounce false worship (v 25, 29-30)

Athens is the centre of Greek culture, philosophy and education. No doubt, when Paul was addressing the people, they could overlook the city with its magnificent temples and many gods. They thought Paul was introducing 2 new gods – Jesus and the resurrection.

The Athenians were very religious but they did not have a personal knowledge or relationship with the Creator of the universe.  They were rather superstitious and just in case they missed any god, they erected one “to an unknown god” altar; for fear of deprived blessing or incurring punishment.

One legend had it that there was a terrible plague in the city of Athens, and attempts to appease the gods and stop the plague had no effect. One of the wise men of the day brought a flock of sheep to the top of Mars Hill and released them. Wherever these sheep stopped, an altar was set up to an ‘anonymous god’ and the animal was sacrificed. This course of action was allegedly effective and the city returned to health.

Paul took the opportunity to correct their ignorance by presenting God as the Creator of everything.  They were ignorant on 3 counts:

1. About where God dwells (24) – not in temples
2. About the kind of worship God wants (25) – not through offerings of man
3. About how God can be thought of or represented (29) – not made by human design & skill

This teaching, where God is the Creator, flatly contradicted both the Epicureans, who believed matter was eternal and therefore had no creator, and the Stoics, who as pantheists believed God was part of everything and could not have created Himself.

As believers in Christ, we are not to participate in the worship of graven images nor those of our ancestors.  We can respect our ancestors but we are not to worship them in the hope that they can grant us blessings from beyond the grave.  We should also not participate in rites and rituals performed by pagan religious people for the dead.  In many cultures, works of art glorifying the creature rather than the creator may become tourist’s souvenirs eg. Tiki (Polynesian carving of human form), tribal masks, lamps with beautiful works of art, statues of deities, etc. Some of these objects could attract evil spirits. When in doubt, don’t buy or get rid of them, if you have the authority to do so.    

Writing to the Colossians, Paul exhorted them, “Don’t let others spoil your faith and joy with their philosophies, their wrong and shallow answers built on men’s thoughts and ideas, instead of on what Christ has said.”  Col 2:8 LB

Our lives should be governed by God and not by the clever philosophies of men.  In particular, man has invented and dabbled in divination by looking at the stars and animals (horoscopes) to govern their lives.  As believers, we are not to participate in such things as palmistry or card reading, following our horoscope signs or almanacs, etc. We should get rid of anything associated with such signs.  You would have to pray over artwork depicting horses; what was its intent? Was it to glorify the created thing rather than God?

In the celebration of Chinese New Year, there are good cultural traditions that believers can observe such as coming together for reunion dinner and showing respect for the elders. However, Christians are not to fall into the trappings and trimmings of luck and prosperity symbolised by various practices such as exchanging of oranges, tossing of yu sheng, decorations with auspicious words in red paper and pussy willows, etc. as if these practices confer blessings.   To be sure, these are man-made traditions which serve to fill the coffers of lucrative commercial traders.  The same can be said of Christmas traditions.  Blessings, favour and prosperity comes from the Lord.   

2.     Seek Him, reach out for Him and find Him (v 27)

The Athenians believed they were racially superior to all other people groups.  So imagine the shock for them to learn that God has created ALL people from Adam and Eve alone.  No one race is superior to the other; we all bleed and are all equally corrupt, desperately needing a Savior.  God has apportioned each nation their inheritance in the hope that they would seek after and find Him because He is not far from anyone.  The Bible tells us to: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”   Is 55:6 NIV

God is a personal God (not an impersonal one).  Ever since the fall of mankind, He has been reaching out to men.  Firstly, by calling to Adam, “Where are you?” and subsequently, through Abram, by calling him out of Ur of Chaldees.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.  ² “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. ³ I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”   Gen 12:1-3 NIV

King David penned these wonderful words (a reminder of God’s holy intent for all nations):

All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations will bow down before him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord  and he rules over the nations.   Ps 22:27-28 NIV

God’s outreach to mankind culminates in the Person of Jesus Christ who came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.  As if to preempt the Athenians’ thoughts: ‘If we are so wrong, then why is there no catastrophe, no plague?’  Paul declared: “That there was no catastrophe is not due to the effectiveness of your idol-worship, but rather to God’s mercy in overlooking your ignorance.”  He urges repentance while there is still time to do so, lest the day of vengeance or judgment comes, when it would be too late.  God’s final revelation to mankind is through the man, Jesus, whom God raised from the dead – a personal God coming in flesh to reveal Himself but also one who is going to judge the world.

God’s favour is tied in with atonement at the cross for all mankind.  As we proclaim the good news, we have the opportunity to set the prisoners free (salvation), bring recovery of sight to the blind (healing) and set the oppressed free (deliverance).  As believers, we can also lay hold of the promise that God's favour would surround us like a shield (Ps 5:12).  Have a favourable year in the Lord!

God's Thoughts

Two things I would like to share about God's thoughts.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."   Is 55:8-9 NIV.

God's thinking is definitely much higher than ours.  We may think that we know a lot or that the world in the last few decades has accumulated a lot more knowledge than the past centuries combined, well they certainly cannot surpass the knowledge God has.  In fact, not just knowledge per se, but also the manner of thinking is also different.  The way humans think is very much different from the way God thinks.  Over on this side of heaven, we do not have full knowledge and understanding as to how end time prophecies will come to pass. For instance, there are many different interpretations or schools of thought with regard to the second coming of Christ.   Some say He will come before the tribulation, while others in the middle and yet others after the tribulation.  The Bible correctly tells us that we know in part and we prophesy in part (1 Cor 13:9).  The various end time prophecies found in the Bible may not tell us the whole picture.

Just as our existence on earth is in two different environments - mother's womb and earth - so likewise when we die and are released into heaven, we would experience a totally different environment.  In the spirit realm, we could possibly fly like Jesus when He ascended to heaven.  Our thinking and understanding would also be changed when we meet with our Creator; the aha moment would come when we begin to understand the Scriptures from God's perspectives.  Someone has said that if we couldn't get along on earth, how can we get along in heaven?  Well, our thoughts and attitude toward one another would also be changed.  There would also be infinitely more things to know and understand.   The beauty and glory of heaven will certainly surpass that of earth.    

The second thing I want to mention is that God thinks a lot about us.
"How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them!"  Ps 139:17 NIV

There are so many people on earth and yet God is interested in each one of us, especially His children.  It's like thinking everyday and every moment about our own children.  Well, that may be true during their formative years but as they grow older and have their own programmes and activities, it will become infrequent. Because God thinks of us, He also wants to communicate with us.  He has our future in His heart: "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  Jer 29:11 NIV.  This promise was spoken to the children of Israel when they were in Babylonian captivity, punished for their sins of rebellion and idolatry.

Even though we may go through difficult times, God will see us through if we put our hope and trust in Him. We may have gone astray from God, but like the father of the prodigal son, God longs eagerly for us to return back to Him. He thinks about us everyday and the moment He sees us coming back to Him in repentance, He runs toward us to welcome us home.  Let's heed the injunction of prophet Isaiah and return back to God this year.

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.  Let the wicked forsake their ways    and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon."  Is 55:6-7 NIV 

Blessed New Year 2014!

The message on the last Sunday of 2013 was on being empowered by God for 2014.  It was delivered by Dr Paul Ang.  I thought it was a timely message for the new year.  In summary, there are three points:
1.  Release the past to God - Joseph had a difficult past where he was ostracized by his brothers, thrown into the pit and then into prison before moving on into the palace.  God caused him to forget the past (Gen 41:51) and often times, there is a redemptive purpose for the unpleasant things that happen in our lives (Gen 50:20).

2. Maximise your presence - use whatever gift(s) God has bestowed on you for the good of others.  Joseph used his interpretative gift for good, which eventually elevated him to become the second in command in Egypt.  We have to sanctify ourselves, just like Joseph did, by not allowing temptations to have a grip on us. God is certainly a rewarder of those who seek after Him (Heb 11:6).

3. Believe God for a great future - the best is yet to be.  The prophet Haggai prophesied that the latter glory of God's house shall be greater than the former.  Indeed, with God all things are possible and all things are possible to them that believe.

The Bible tells us that love keeps no record of wrong (1 Cor 13:5).  This means we have to forgive the people who may have hurt us in 2013.  As we do so, we set ourselves free to journey into the new year unencumbered with any excess luggage.  We can then worship and serve God with a whole heart like David did when he confessed his sins to God (of adultery and murder).  God is not only interested in our service for Him in the new year but also the fruits we are to bear for Him - both of our own character and souls saved. Use the gifts and talents God has given to draw people closer to Him.  Where there are challenges ahead, believe that God can turn things around and cause things to work together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).  Love never fails and God is love!

Wishing you a blessed 2014!  

A tale of 2 mountains

In my previous post, I mentioned about Elijah  where God questioned him as to why he has gone to Mt Horeb.  Before coming to Horeb, Elijah was at another mountain, Mt Carmel, where he alone contended with the false prophets of Baal and Asherah.  The contrast between these two mountains cannot be more startling.  In life, we can spend an inordinate amount of time in one mountain at the expense of the other.

Mt Carmel represents our life filled with activities and performance, just like Elijah where he conducted a miracle campaign in front of the people of Israel with showmanship thrown in for good measure.  To be sure, he called on God to rain down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice.  God answered his prayer and the Israelites acknowledged Jehovah as the true God. Elijah had all the false prophets slain. It was, to say the least, a very successful outcome to the contest Elijah had thrown the gauntlet at the false prophets. However, this great performance took a toll on Elijah's socio-emotional well-being.  No wonder he suffered a burnout and went into depression at the threat from Jezebel.   It was indeed a spiritual battle at its peak whereby the forces of darkness were sent helter-skelter.  Our life is a constant battle between good and evil, whether we are involved in spiritual or so called secular work.

Mt Horeb represents our life filled with quietness and refreshing as we wait for God to speak and minister to us.  We certainly do not have knowledge of all things and sometimes we need to hear a revelation from God to enable us to put things in perspective.  As we allow God to mould us, our lives would be transformed by the His power, just like Elijah where he was no longer afraid of Jezebel's threat and went back to continue the rest of what God intended him to do.  Mt Horeb is time alone with God as opposed to attending a prayer meeting whereby it can degenerate into performance mode, if we are not careful.  It is less of talking and more of listening to God, which is a great discipline by itself.

The question to ask ourselves: Which mountain am I spending most of my time in 2013?
Certainly, we cannot avoid Mt Carmel but we have to endeavour to spend more time at Mt Horeb.
May the new year 2014 bring us more to Horeb!

An Interview with God

I’ve had the privilege of being in interview panels interviewing students either for a special programme or for a scholarship.  I have also interviewed adults wanting to join the education service.  I have sat in interview panels where teachers are being interviewed for key personnel positions.  At the same time, I had also been interviewed for key appointment positions as well.

One common denominator in interview panels is that there is usually a chairperson accompanied by at least 2 others.  How successful you will be is determined by how well you answer the questions that would be posed to you.  Questions are asked to draw out the character and values of the person, apart from sizing up his/her intellectual capacity and knowledge of things around.  

Job wanted an audience with God to present his case.

³ If only I knew where to find him;

    if only I could go to his dwelling!⁴ I would state my case before him    and fill my mouth with arguments.  Job 23:3-4 (NIV)

God did answer Job in the form of an interrogation or interview.

“Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”   Job 38:3 (NIV)

Imagine having an interview with God – a panel constituting of the Godhead.  This is not an interview to determine your entrance to heaven.  If you are a believer, that has already been settled by Christ’s death on the cross of Calvary.

Let’s say it’s an interview to determine your level of preparedness to meet your Creator.  What might He ask you?  As 2013 draw to a close, I would like you to ponder these questions by way of personal reflection with regard to our relationship with God.

1.      What are you doing here?  (1 Kg 19:9)

Elijah went to Horeb (or Mt Sinai where the Law was given through Moses), the mountain of God to seek Him.  God did not summon him to go there. In fact, God has need of Elijah to continue His work.  Hence the question: What are you doing here? Not an usual question to start off an interview as most interviewers would like to find out the reasons why you are applying for the position / programme / scholarship?

You must understand that God is all-knowing.  The reason why He asks questions is so that we can verbalize what’s in our heart.  For Elijah, he sought God to tell Him how zealous he had been for God while all the rest have rejected Him.  But his pride turned into self-pity when he realized his life was in danger and like the rest, he would soon be killed as well.  Earlier Elijah had prayed: “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.”   1 Kg 19: 4 (NIV)

After the display of wind, earthquake and fire, God asked the same question a second time.  When an interviewer asks the same question again, it means you have misunderstood what is asked and need to reframe your reply or seek clarification.  Elijah could have asked God for strength and courage to carry on but he didn’t; in fact, he gave the same response.

Elijah didn’t have complete knowledge of what was happening – you can say he was not organizationally aware – God had to remind him that there were still 7000 people in Israel who have not worshipped Baal.  He’s not a Dodo that is going extinct!

What are you doing here? 

Reflecting on the year 2013, what would say to God?

• Will you tell Him what you’ve done? Your  zeal & steadfastness for God, like Elijah
• Will you bring your complaints to Him? Unanswered prayers or burdens too heavy to bear
• Will you confess your weaknesses and ask Him for strength to carry on worshipping and serving Him?

2.      (a) Who do you say I am? (Mt 16:15)

A question to draw out your knowledge of the organization or whom you would be serving.  No one can know who Jesus is unless God reveals it to him/her.  Upon Peter’s confession of faith, Jesus promised to build His church.  Subsequently, all who profess faith in Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord are part of this universal church. 

Who do you say I am?

Is He your Saviour?

Is He your Lord?

If not, why don’t you confess Him today?

(b)  Where are you? (Gen 3:9)

God is not so much interested in your physical location as to your spiritual location.  Certainly God knows where Adam and Eve were; God simply wants them to come clean before Him.  And you know what; they started to blame one another for what had happened.   Man blamed woman who blamed the snake.

Where are you?

If Jesus is Lord of your life, have you been obeying Him?

Are you going through the motions of being a Christian, holding to a form of godliness, but yet denying its power?

We can be persevering and working hard for the Lord, like the Ephesian church, but we can lose our first love for God.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (closest), how close are you to God?

3.      What is that in your hand? (Ex 4:2)

A question to see what you can offer in terms of talent, skills or expertise.  When you give whatever you have to the Lord, He will transform it into something wonderful, like the lad with the 5 loaves and 2 fishes to feed the 5000.  Moses had a lot of excuses to avoid being called to be the deliverer of Israel.  Many of us would defer to someone else for a task to be done. 

What is that in your hand?

Are you going to say nothing?

God has given us the ability to make wealth (Dt 8:18)

Have you been faithful in your tithes and offerings?

God has given us spiritual gifts for His service (1 Pet 4:8)

Have you been faithful in using the gift God has blessed you?

Now the final question.  Usually, the final question of an interview is “Do you have any questions for us?”  This is where the tables are turned where the interviewee can seek answers to queries he/she may have.  And the final question God has for you is no different.  It is an offer which no one should resist. 

4.      What do you want me to do for you? (Mk 10:51)

Blind Bartimaeus had a deep-seated longing to be healed of his blindness.  Ever since he heard of Jesus the miracle worker, he longed for the day to meet Him and to be touched by Him.  That day eventually came.  And like a little child who is not self-conscious, he shouted again and again with all his might, “Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me!”  With an intense cry like that, God cannot help but stop to attend to his need. 

What do you want me to do for you?

This is not a question whereby you have to think long and hard.

It should come spontaneously as a result of an intense and deep longing which you’ve been crying out to God all this while. Ask Him now!  God wants to hear you verbalize your need.

Character of Interviewer: The grace of God shone through in all the examples of the people God questioned in spite of their weaknesses and frailties.

For Elijah, God recognized his work on earth.  When he was running away due to the threat by Jezebel, God provided sleep and refreshment for him.  He knew his servant Elijah was tired and worn out and so asked him to anoint Elisha to succeed him.  But He didn’t grant him his request to die but took him home on a heavenly chariot.  Elijah’s translation to heaven is a type of the coming rapture which the omega-transition generation will experience, by-passing physical death.  Like Elijah, God will certainly recognize the work that you do for Him in this generation, despite the sufferings or persecutions you have to endure. 

“God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.”   Heb 6:10 (NIV)

For Peter, his confession of Jesus as the Christ, the anointed of God, brought him into the glory realm before his death.   He saw Jesus glorified and in conversation with Moses and Elijah, whose experiences of ‘death’ were rather unusual.  One died and the body couldn’t be found; the other didn’t die but got translated to heaven.  Jesus, Himself, was to experience death & resurrection.  Like Peter, you may also be taken into the glory realm before your time to meet God.  However, this does not happen often and not to everyone.  If you do, it is His grace towards you. 

For Adam and Eve, their disobedience to God brought about toil, pain and death. However, out of this ominous situation, God’s grace shone brightly where the promised seed will crush the head of the serpent – referring to the salvation plan of God for mankind – and the clothing of animal’s skin for their nakedness. 

“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”  Gen 3:18 (NIV)

We are all beneficiaries of this grace of God!

For Moses, he started off as a reluctant deliverer of Israel.  He grew into his job and it’s not an easy one having to lead about 2 million people across desert lands; many were stiff necked and rebellious people.  Moses’ patience was tested and he became the most humble man on the planet.  Despite his disobedience, God allowed Moses to see the Promised Land (west side of Jordan) from afar and God Himself buried Moses (Dt 34:6).  How would you like God to conduct your funeral service?  O the wonderful grace of God!

For Bartimaeus, he received his sight!  And likewise, you too if you keep knocking on heaven’s door. 

When we are discouraged, fearful and anxious, all we could hear is the voice of the enemy taunting us – telling us to give up; just like the words of Jezebel sending Elijah fleeing for his life and wanting to end it all. When you quieten yourself down, as what Elijah did in the cave of God, you will be sensitive to God speaking.  He received instructions to go back and complete some unfinished business.  His fear and anxiety dissipated when he realized he wasn’t the only left and God could use ungodly people to fulfill His will in getting rid of unrighteousness, including Jezebel.

Do you have unfinished business from God? 

Remember that God will not take you to a place where His grace cannot sustain you.

God’s reply to all of us is and will always be:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”   2 Cor 12:9 (NIV)

It is God’s grace that will see us through the challenges of 2014 as well.  Keep close to God and listen to His instructions for our lives. 

God's blessings

It is the blessing of the Lord that makes rich,
And He adds no sorrow to it. Pr 10:22 NASB

We all want to be blessed by God - be it materially or experiencing His peace or receiving divine health and so forth. The wise man Solomon proclaims that it is the LORD's blessing that makes us rich without having any need for us to feel guilty or experience any uneasiness due to something we have done with evil intent.

God's blessings can be material wealth just as He has blessed Abraham with flocks, herds, precious materials and slaves (Gen 24:35). Abraham did not acquire them through unscrupulous means but through gifts from Abimelech (Gen 20:14). Abraham also tithe to the Lord by giving a tenth of everything he had (Gen 14:20). We can never outgive God in His generosity towards us, His children.

God's blessings can be seen in the ability He has given us to create wealth by using our minds and hands (Dt 8:18). We should thank God for a healthy body; allowing us to earn our own keep and having sufficient to give away as well. No doubt, God has also blessed Abraham with the ability to multiply his flocks and herds.

God's blessings can also be seen in a bountiful harvest when He blessed Isaac after he had sown and was the envy of his neighours (Gen 26:12-15). Abraham experienced God's blessing of a son, Isaacc, in a season of barrenness, fulfilling God's promise to him that his descendants shall be like the stars in heaven.

Begin to thank God for the blessings that are coming your way. He can choose to direct provision for your needs to be met. These blessings will make you glad and not add sorrow upon you. Indeed, God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).

Words to live by

This is an excerpt of the message I gave today at the Saturday Service.

There’s an old proverb that says: “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.”
In an earlier form it went something like this: “Eat an apple on going to bed, and you'll keep the doctor from earning his bread.”

When we eat healthily, we will contend less with illness in our body and hence spend lesser amount of time seeing the doctor. The onus is on us to keep our bodies healthy. Proverbs are simple concise sayings that contain wisdom and truths. There are many such sayings in the Bible, esp in the book of Proverbs. I want to share one today. These are the words we can live by.

“Anxiety in the heart of a man weighs it down, but a good word makes it glad.” Pr 12:25 NASB

What is anxiety? In the KJV, it uses the word heaviness, with the meaning of
Sorrow: Distress and uneasiness over things that have occurred or could happen
Fear: of the unknown especially of the future events that have yet to occur (imagined or otherwise)

What can we be anxious about?
Health (ill), relationships (strained), finances (lack)
Meeting (how things are conducted)
Interview (for a job/course/scholarship)
Examinations (including medical ones)
Project or task given to handle
Outcomes or results eg. Ballot for P1 registration, flat allocation, etc.

How does it weigh us down?

Anxiety can cause us to feel stressed up. Though a certain amount of stress is good for us, (as it girds us into action to prepare ahead of time or to overcome the challenge at hand), an inordinate amount can cause us to be paralyzed by inactivity or destructive behavior such as escaping into a world of drugs, alcohol and gambling. All of us cope with the stresses of life differently. Some are more high-strung than others; while others relish the adrenalin rush by doing things last minute. Signs of inability to cope are manifested in physio-emotional symptoms such as depression, loss of appetite, frequent headaches, sleeplessness, etc.

The peace of God eluded Jacob for 20 years when he struggled in the flesh to fulfill God’s prophecy over his life. It was all to culminate in his meeting with Esau whom he last heard bore a grudge against him and wanted him dead.

Jacob was heading back to the Promised Land when he heard that Esau was coming to meet him with 400 men; this brought great fear and distress to him.

7In great fear and distress Jacob divided the people who were with him into two groups, and the flocks and herds and camels as well. 8 He thought, “If Esau comes and attacks one group, the group that is left may escape.” 9 Then Jacob prayed, “O God of my father Abraham, God of my father Isaac, LORD, you who said to me, ‘Go back to your country and your relatives, and I will make you prosper,’ 10 I am unworthy of all the kindness and faithfulness you have shown your servant. I had only my staff when I crossed this Jordan, but now I have become two camps. 11 Save me, I pray, from the hand of my brother Esau, for I am afraid he will come and attack me, and also the mothers with their children. 12 But you have said, ‘I will surely make you prosper and will make your descendants like the sand of the sea, which cannot be counted.’” Gen 32:7-12 NIV

Jacob girded himself into action (self-protection mechanism) by
•Splitting the people/animals into 2 camps
•He prayed to God, reminding Him of His promise and asking God to deliver him from his brother Esau
•He sent gifts ahead for his brother to appease him

Jacob was a man who had to grapple with the 3-D syndrome:
1. Deception: cheated Esau of his birthright & blessing; connived to produce more & stronger flocks for himself and less and weaker flocks for Laban (Gen 27:35-36; 30:37-43)
2. Doubts: he doubted God’s promise to him and made a conditional promise to follow God only if God provides and protects him (Gen 28:20-21); very unlike his grandfather Abraham who believed God & was counted as righteous.
3. Departure: took flight on the advice of Rebekah to Haran (Gen 27:43); fled from Laban without informing him (Gen 31:20-21)

What is a good word?

A good word (spoken) is a timely word that is suitable for us at a particular season of our life. It is the rhema of God released to lift up the weight and bring lightness of heart for us to carry on living. How do we obtain this good word? We have to hear it from God ourselves or rely on godly people to speak to us on God’s behalf.

Jacob’s past was about to catch up with him, and sleep fled from him. God came in the form of an angel to initiate a wrestling match with Jacob.

22 That night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two female servants and his eleven sons and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. 23 After he had sent them across the stream, he sent over all his possessions. 24 So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25 When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26 Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.”
But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
27 The man asked him, “What is your name?”
“Jacob,” he answered.
28 Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.”
Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.”
But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there.
30 So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.” Gn 32:22-30 NIV
Why would God want to wrestle with Jacob as opposed to simply speaking to him and how long did it last? It must have been a fairly long wrestling match; during that period of time, God must have been speaking to him and Jacob’s past flashes into his mind.

Jacob had a lot of fears, weaknesses and insecurities that God wanted to break in his life. There’s no better way to do so than through a wrestling match. Clearly, the angel could have easily subdued Jacob but he didn’t. In God’s mercy and grace, he wanted Jacob to admit his weaknesses that he is a supplanter or cheat before releasing a good word which would change his identity and destiny forever – no longer would he be called heel grabber but Israel, prince with God (literally). God dealt with Jacob’s deception by giving him a new name. Likewise, we ourselves when we become Christians.

Despite his hip being dislocated, Jacob clung on to the angel instead of letting go despite the severe pain he must have endured. This is what God wanted him to do all along, that is, to trust and depend on Him no matter what happens. What was the blessing that Jacob was requesting? Hadn’t God blessed him with flocks, herds and families? I believe it was the peace of God that had eluded him these past 20 years; to know that all would be well in his encounter with Esau and that God will bring him safely back to his father’s house. God dealt with Jacob’s doubts and departure in one fell stroke. Whether Jacob contemplated to run away again from his fears when he was left alone, we don’t know. But one thing is clear, the act of God certainly put paid to that thought of fleeing once again.

Have you had an encounter with God like Jacob did?
If you've ever prayed long and hard over a certain matter or questioned God or doubted your faith, or struggled through a time of spiritual dryness or puzzled over the discrepancies between what you've heard in church and how you are living life ... then you've wrestled with God, whether you are aware of it at the time. Know that God is breaking and moulding you into His image in order that you may trust Him more.

Jacob bore the scar of battle, a dislocated hip, a constant reminder of his need to cling on to God for blessing, instead of trusting in the arm of flesh.

Jacob called upon God in his dire straits and so should we. He acknowledged his unworthiness and claimed God’s promises over his life (that his tribe would not be wiped out). He specifically requested God to save him and his family from the attacks of Esau. God came in respond to his request to wrestle him; to deal with his 3-D syndrome – God’s peace and favour came upon him after he humbled himself before God. Jacob's story is an object lesson in the application of Phil 4:6-7.

6 Do not be anxious (Stop being anxious) about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present (keep on doing so) your requests to God. 7 And the peace (at one again) of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:6-7 NIV

Are you anxious and fearful over life’s problems? Turn them over to God in prayer. It says in every situation present your requests to God. God wants to change your identity from a worrier to a warrior, from being fearful to being faith-ful, from being storm-tossed to experiencing serenity in God.

Do you know of people who are anxious and fearful over life’s circumstances, weighed down by emotional anguish? You and I can be instrumental in bringing a good word to them to lift up their spirits. We don’t have to be prophets to bring an encouraging word to others. The Bible exhorst us in Heb 3:13 "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness." NIV

God wants to use you to be instrumental in bringing a good word, a word of encouragement to those who are discouraged or anxious about life’s issues. A good place to start would be to release the truths of God’s Word to them. And we can only do so inasmuch as we input the Word of God into our lives.

Be that channel that makes people glad by lifting up their spirits!