Exodus 15:1-2
Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD : "I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.
This was the thanksgiving song of Moses after the crossing of the Red sea. God had just performed one of the greatest miracle to deliver the nation of Israel by parting the Red sea for Israel to cross and destruction of the Egyptian army as the Red sea closed in on them. One can imagine the jubilee and joyous victory amongst the Israelites as they witnessed the awesome crashing of waves upon their former slave masters.
Today, I'm reminded of the need for us to count our blessings and take time to be greatful to the Lord.
Yesterday was an eye opening moment for the Rangers who went with us to FCBC to assist their Rangers programme. From the moment we saw the throngs of young people inside the MRT station to the time we stepped foot into the cavernous Expo hall, we aimlessly wandered until we found the open location of the Rangers gathering area. It made many of us feel like mountain tortoise because we never could imagine that there would be so many young people and young adults alike attending church in this far flung location of Singapore Expo.
With 8 faithful Rangers, we were grateful that only 40% of the FCBC rangers attendees came as we were kinda overwhelmed with the conditions and situation before us. Huge, open and noisy, the environment was something that made us feel bare and vulnerable. Didn't help that the kids weren't exactly docile and quiet, but rather the opposite.
As I glanced at the younger Rangers who were handling the DR group, it was an impressive sight to observe as I watched them attempt to match the DR kids energy and lead them. Looking at the hyper DR kids as they played games, it reminded me of the Cebu children of my first mission trip who played catching with wild abandon and always ran out of the game boundaries.
I'm not sure if all the Rangers who went enjoyed themselves or were blessed to be there amidst the chaos and confusion, but I was really blessed to see each of the youth step out and attempt to help out.
Its nothing awesome like the parting of the mighty Red sea, but trust me, it was an incredible sight and feeling to observe ordinary teenagers step out of their self-centred, bless me lives and ever procrestinating attitude to contribute to the Kingdom of God. Especially in a mega-church and in situations of non-optimum environment, few trained leaders and maddening throng of kids.
It strikes a cord similiar to Luke 10:2 where Jesus told his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."
This was made more poignant when the youth service ended and the Expo hall was filled with youths gathering in circles having their cell groups and fellowship for the week. The contrast of ERs attempting to give much to help DR, versus youths gathering to receive more ministry really blessed my heart because I firmly believe that the time is here where youths are to arise and partake of selfless giving to the body of Christ rather than sit about to receive blessings.
For a brief moment yesterday, I witnessed how this plain vanilla generation from a little nondescript "mountain tortoise" church can be called to stretch its arms and start impacting many from a giant church and I'm truely greatful for the opportunity to witness this work of God. So, today I count my blessings for their willingness to obediently serve the Body of Christ to the best of their availability, despite their lack of formal training. More so when I see how they abandoned all pride as they stuck with their tasks in their "goofy uniforms" instead of feeling overwhelmed by embarressment in front of the 600-1000 trendy youths.
May the Holy Spirit speak to you today and enable you to say "In all I think and do, Lord I lift them unto you, come Holy Spirit take over my wilful heart as Lord I lift this life as worship unto you and am willing to be used to bless those you lead me to".
Blessings,
M.
God's voice thunders in marvelous ways;he does great things beyond our understanding.He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth,'and to the rain shower, 'Be a mighty downpour.'So that all men he has made may know his work,he stops every man from his labor. (Job 37:5-7)
26 February 2007
23 February 2007
Choices
Ruth 1:11-13
But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"
I've never really understood the reason why Ruth would want to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. Frankly, unless she had no family back home to go to or they were very aweful people I don't see why she would want to follow her emotionally bittered mother-in-law. Even as a heathen Moabitess, I'm really sure that Ruth did not saw Jehovah Elohim in Naomi's life. Especially when the bible shows how bittered Naomi was because God had made her live through the death of her 2 sons and her husband (see Ruth 1:20-21)
Despite Naomi's clear instructions to Ruth to return home, twice! Yet Ruth made a choice to follow Naomi as the bible records her making a heartfelt plea "May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
But as the bible later records in Ruth, the choice to stay with Naomi was indeed a good choice, for out of this decision, Ruth was to be part of the lineage of king David and eventually Christ.
This Chinese New Year celebrations was just like any others, until it was tampered off when I got news of a friend who was medically unwell. Only when I visited her, did I know of the fact that she underwent 2 surgeries because cancer had struck her. What's sobering was the fact that she was already in an advanced stage and there was nothing medically which would give her the assurance of success in treatment or impending death.
Death is always around, but when such a sobering situation strikes someone close to us and we physically witness how life is in the process of being robbed, that the weight of reality hits home.
My friend has always been a fair-skinned beauty, voluptous lady. Humourous and very zesty for life, there was no lack of suitors who would approach her. and I recall going out lunch with her some 6 years ago and got waylaid by a man who stopped her to give her his contact number on his POSB receipt. Clearly she never called him because our rationale was POSB was for the average man, if he had written it on a foreign bank that would have shown him to be financial more wealthy and suitable. That decision was followed by great laughter on our part.
Yet, this week, as I sat on the chair and looked at her, she was far from her former glory. Having loss much blood and weight through 2 operations, her bones were now showing and the fullness of her voluptous flesh was lost. However, what was terribly different was the attitude which she now carried.
Some 3 odd years ago, she followed her cousin to church nicely. Then she made a decision to accept Christ into her life. For the next year or so, life was still status-quo to before she attended church. When I met her occasionally, we talked and discuss at leisure issues such as "How she successfully got a free bible and save good money","why must tithe, when she will tithe and why 10%? she'll give lesser first", "why cannot play majong or gamble?", "what's wrong with the occasional swearing or worldly indulgence". Then, myself and another friend were extremely skeptical of her profession as a christian. But honestly, with discussion of her faith and topic like the above, who could blame us anyway?
Then many moon later, one day, she told me that she much awaited conception was successful and her husband was attending church with her when the name of the baby came into his mind. That's where I realised that not only had she gone deeper and foresaken her past, she had reached the stage where her passive husband was brought to Christ as well.
Now, 2 kids later and some 3 years later, as she sat to relate to us her encounter with cancer and life the past month, plus the fact that her death or life is all unknown even as she undergo weekly tests and a soon-to-come chemotherapy, something is uniquely different about her. Ever sentence that proceeds out of her mouth is littered with Faith, Hope and Trust in God.
I am humbled as I sat there listening to her exclaim her faith in God and the choice she has made to look up to God's soverignty, inspite of all that cancer has robbed her and the uncertainties of passing away and leaving behind 2 young toddlers.
Amidst the psychological torment of imminent death, she choosed to see the powerfully ordained life which Christ has offered and the healing availed because of the suffering on the cross. In all the aweful medical procedures that she underwent, she choosed to thank God for the opportunity to experience and understand and to ultimately praise Him in front of those who asked her why was she different from others.
Even as I left that day, and continue to pray for her to see the Hope and Faith come to fruition, at such a sobering time, I'm reminded that when the time of persecution and the storms of life hit, we must be like her and choose well. More so because we must choose God's soverign will over our inward struggles.
Ruth probably choosed to follow Naomi out of filial piety and God honoured her for her decision. What about you? Many of us will never be in the situation of my friend. Rather, we will only have minor bumps in our lives which, when it causes us to stumble, we'll end up howling and squealing in pain or depressingly bemoan our failures.
Someday, may you and I learn to choose God and praise His soverign ways above our hopelessly blind, human struggles.
Blessings and may the Lord be glorified in the life and struggles of my friend,
M.
"The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." (Ruth 4:14-15)
But Naomi said, "Return home, my daughters. Why would you come with me? Am I going to have any more sons, who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters; I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me-even if I had a husband tonight and then gave birth to sons-would you wait until they grew up? Would you remain unmarried for them? No, my daughters. It is more bitter for me than for you, because the LORD's hand has gone out against me!"
I've never really understood the reason why Ruth would want to follow her mother-in-law, Naomi. Frankly, unless she had no family back home to go to or they were very aweful people I don't see why she would want to follow her emotionally bittered mother-in-law. Even as a heathen Moabitess, I'm really sure that Ruth did not saw Jehovah Elohim in Naomi's life. Especially when the bible shows how bittered Naomi was because God had made her live through the death of her 2 sons and her husband (see Ruth 1:20-21)
Despite Naomi's clear instructions to Ruth to return home, twice! Yet Ruth made a choice to follow Naomi as the bible records her making a heartfelt plea "May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
But as the bible later records in Ruth, the choice to stay with Naomi was indeed a good choice, for out of this decision, Ruth was to be part of the lineage of king David and eventually Christ.
This Chinese New Year celebrations was just like any others, until it was tampered off when I got news of a friend who was medically unwell. Only when I visited her, did I know of the fact that she underwent 2 surgeries because cancer had struck her. What's sobering was the fact that she was already in an advanced stage and there was nothing medically which would give her the assurance of success in treatment or impending death.
Death is always around, but when such a sobering situation strikes someone close to us and we physically witness how life is in the process of being robbed, that the weight of reality hits home.
My friend has always been a fair-skinned beauty, voluptous lady. Humourous and very zesty for life, there was no lack of suitors who would approach her. and I recall going out lunch with her some 6 years ago and got waylaid by a man who stopped her to give her his contact number on his POSB receipt. Clearly she never called him because our rationale was POSB was for the average man, if he had written it on a foreign bank that would have shown him to be financial more wealthy and suitable. That decision was followed by great laughter on our part.
Yet, this week, as I sat on the chair and looked at her, she was far from her former glory. Having loss much blood and weight through 2 operations, her bones were now showing and the fullness of her voluptous flesh was lost. However, what was terribly different was the attitude which she now carried.
Some 3 odd years ago, she followed her cousin to church nicely. Then she made a decision to accept Christ into her life. For the next year or so, life was still status-quo to before she attended church. When I met her occasionally, we talked and discuss at leisure issues such as "How she successfully got a free bible and save good money","why must tithe, when she will tithe and why 10%? she'll give lesser first", "why cannot play majong or gamble?", "what's wrong with the occasional swearing or worldly indulgence". Then, myself and another friend were extremely skeptical of her profession as a christian. But honestly, with discussion of her faith and topic like the above, who could blame us anyway?
Then many moon later, one day, she told me that she much awaited conception was successful and her husband was attending church with her when the name of the baby came into his mind. That's where I realised that not only had she gone deeper and foresaken her past, she had reached the stage where her passive husband was brought to Christ as well.
Now, 2 kids later and some 3 years later, as she sat to relate to us her encounter with cancer and life the past month, plus the fact that her death or life is all unknown even as she undergo weekly tests and a soon-to-come chemotherapy, something is uniquely different about her. Ever sentence that proceeds out of her mouth is littered with Faith, Hope and Trust in God.
I am humbled as I sat there listening to her exclaim her faith in God and the choice she has made to look up to God's soverignty, inspite of all that cancer has robbed her and the uncertainties of passing away and leaving behind 2 young toddlers.
Amidst the psychological torment of imminent death, she choosed to see the powerfully ordained life which Christ has offered and the healing availed because of the suffering on the cross. In all the aweful medical procedures that she underwent, she choosed to thank God for the opportunity to experience and understand and to ultimately praise Him in front of those who asked her why was she different from others.
Even as I left that day, and continue to pray for her to see the Hope and Faith come to fruition, at such a sobering time, I'm reminded that when the time of persecution and the storms of life hit, we must be like her and choose well. More so because we must choose God's soverign will over our inward struggles.
Ruth probably choosed to follow Naomi out of filial piety and God honoured her for her decision. What about you? Many of us will never be in the situation of my friend. Rather, we will only have minor bumps in our lives which, when it causes us to stumble, we'll end up howling and squealing in pain or depressingly bemoan our failures.
Someday, may you and I learn to choose God and praise His soverign ways above our hopelessly blind, human struggles.
Blessings and may the Lord be glorified in the life and struggles of my friend,
M.
"The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age." (Ruth 4:14-15)
12 February 2007
Life Abundantly
John 10:1o
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The Christian life is one which is meant to be of abundance. The dictionary defines the term "abundantly" as something marked by great plenty (as of resources), or experiencing affluence.
Yet today if you were to look at yourself in the mirror, can you ask yourself any of these questions to audit your life:
i. Are you enjoying your life?
ii.Is your life today the way it is meant to be?
iii. Are you living up a life according to your maximum potential which God wants you to?
Perhaps all the three questions above could be rephrased as "Do you have a sense of purpose in all that you are doing every day?"
I'm not surprised if many of us answer the questions with the following answer "No. I live daily but I have no life". Why? All because we live robotical lives as we run the rat race at school or at work. Even more when we strive on in our programmes, aspirations and goals without recognising that we are called to be heavenbound in everything we do.
I'm challenged by the promise of abundance that Christ promises in our lives but I see so few experiencing. I'm not talking about abundance of money only but a life that Christ promises encompasses a more abundant multi-faceted life beyond just money! We are talking about an overflow of health, joy, peace, wealth, blessing and love that the richness of experiences are so deep and wide than it overwhelms our needs and wants.
In Genesis 41, when Joseph interpretes Pharoh's dream of Egypt experiencing 7 years of abundance before 7 years of horrible famine, we see that the 7 years of abundance allowed the people to store so much food that during the next 7 years of famine, Egypt could not only support itself, it could even sell it to people living in the neighbouring region. That's called abundance! Having so much more that it is able to overflow and support others around you.
Thus, if God is the awesome great God who is more than enough for you and me, why are so many of us wallowing in the lowly things and drowning in earthly stress and unfulfilled potential. Even worst, many are living a life today that is neither free nor abundantly, but plagued by duress and uncertainties of our circumstances and unknown future.
One of the secrets of experiencing the abundance promised by God is clearly stated in the parable of the talents of Matthew 25:29 where Jesus states "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."
Invest all the talents, gifts, time, efforts, plans back to God!
Be a sower of everything which has been birthed to you and use it for Godly purposes! Why spend one short 45 minutes of your weekend in corporate church worship and the rest of the sabbath being an inactive participant when you clearly know that there are so much things which needs you to do, someone to encourage, someone to bless. Here's 2 simple suggestions t try out:
i. Everyday of the weekday allows for opportunities to chat/worship with God and frankly evaluate with Him how your day has been with or without him.
ii. Is there a friendship which you should incorporate mentorship or encouragement? Can you start to omit some of the useless, mindless nonsense in your conversations and talk about 1 Godly truth or 1 thing that brings God into perspective.
There are just too many things which you can do for God with the talents, time and life imparted to you. We need to start experiencing the glorious breath of God's life invigorate our weary earthen body and enhance our sensory perception as we plow through the daily tasks. Then will we start seeing the reality of God back in your life and His purpose amidst our daily grind of life.
I pray that today, you'll examine your life and realise that its really fruitless and weary to go through the routines, personal aspirations, stress and endless earthly activities without meeting God daily.
It is time that your spirit man awakens from its contented/slumber state and crave in desperation. Remember, you and I need are born for a purposeful existence and to experience a life that is much more than this because a life with Jesus Christ brings about more abundance!
blessings,
M.
I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:14)
The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
The Christian life is one which is meant to be of abundance. The dictionary defines the term "abundantly" as something marked by great plenty (as of resources), or experiencing affluence.
Yet today if you were to look at yourself in the mirror, can you ask yourself any of these questions to audit your life:
i. Are you enjoying your life?
ii.Is your life today the way it is meant to be?
iii. Are you living up a life according to your maximum potential which God wants you to?
Perhaps all the three questions above could be rephrased as "Do you have a sense of purpose in all that you are doing every day?"
I'm not surprised if many of us answer the questions with the following answer "No. I live daily but I have no life". Why? All because we live robotical lives as we run the rat race at school or at work. Even more when we strive on in our programmes, aspirations and goals without recognising that we are called to be heavenbound in everything we do.
I'm challenged by the promise of abundance that Christ promises in our lives but I see so few experiencing. I'm not talking about abundance of money only but a life that Christ promises encompasses a more abundant multi-faceted life beyond just money! We are talking about an overflow of health, joy, peace, wealth, blessing and love that the richness of experiences are so deep and wide than it overwhelms our needs and wants.
In Genesis 41, when Joseph interpretes Pharoh's dream of Egypt experiencing 7 years of abundance before 7 years of horrible famine, we see that the 7 years of abundance allowed the people to store so much food that during the next 7 years of famine, Egypt could not only support itself, it could even sell it to people living in the neighbouring region. That's called abundance! Having so much more that it is able to overflow and support others around you.
Thus, if God is the awesome great God who is more than enough for you and me, why are so many of us wallowing in the lowly things and drowning in earthly stress and unfulfilled potential. Even worst, many are living a life today that is neither free nor abundantly, but plagued by duress and uncertainties of our circumstances and unknown future.
One of the secrets of experiencing the abundance promised by God is clearly stated in the parable of the talents of Matthew 25:29 where Jesus states "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."
Invest all the talents, gifts, time, efforts, plans back to God!
Be a sower of everything which has been birthed to you and use it for Godly purposes! Why spend one short 45 minutes of your weekend in corporate church worship and the rest of the sabbath being an inactive participant when you clearly know that there are so much things which needs you to do, someone to encourage, someone to bless. Here's 2 simple suggestions t try out:
i. Everyday of the weekday allows for opportunities to chat/worship with God and frankly evaluate with Him how your day has been with or without him.
ii. Is there a friendship which you should incorporate mentorship or encouragement? Can you start to omit some of the useless, mindless nonsense in your conversations and talk about 1 Godly truth or 1 thing that brings God into perspective.
There are just too many things which you can do for God with the talents, time and life imparted to you. We need to start experiencing the glorious breath of God's life invigorate our weary earthen body and enhance our sensory perception as we plow through the daily tasks. Then will we start seeing the reality of God back in your life and His purpose amidst our daily grind of life.
I pray that today, you'll examine your life and realise that its really fruitless and weary to go through the routines, personal aspirations, stress and endless earthly activities without meeting God daily.
It is time that your spirit man awakens from its contented/slumber state and crave in desperation. Remember, you and I need are born for a purposeful existence and to experience a life that is much more than this because a life with Jesus Christ brings about more abundance!
blessings,
M.
I will satisfy the priests with abundance, and my people will be filled with my bounty," declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:14)