Psalm 27:13
I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
I love this verse. It's been made into a song which I can't recall the title but it's something along the line of Faithful God.
When I chanced upon this verse today in the midst of the devotional passage, I'm reminded of the hope that Christians possess that differentiates us from anyone else.
At the moment of salvation, we exchange the new life which Christ brings for the old that we live. In all circumstances, we enter into the realization of life more abundant as we draw upon the never failing grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. What we get is rejoicing for weariness, radiance for dreariness, strength for weakness, triumph through difficulties, and hope for uncertainty.
These past weeks have been trying with frustrating work issues. Honestly, if my eyes sees what is natural and I don't see God in the picture, I would say that work life is really annoyingly sucky and not worth pursuing. But, I'm reminded again that life is worth going through without despair because God is there in the picture and His hope avails inspite of what I perceive.
May you learn to trust this verse that you and I will see the goodness of God in the land which we are living in now.
blessings,
M.
"Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?" (Matthew 6:25)
21 April 2008
07 April 2008
Amazed but not Transformed
1 Kings 18:21
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Elijah was a great man who exemplified extraordinary faith and effective prayer. There are four remarkable instances in his life of the efficacy of the fervent prayer of a righteous man. He prayed for the restoration of the widow's son at Zarephath, and the child was restored to life. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years.
The last document of how God used him amazingly is written in 1 Kings 18 where he confronted the 450 priests of Baal at Mt Carmel. In modern context, it would have been an amazing television/cable reality spectacle as Elijah's challenge was to prove who was the true and living God.
What is alarming is the silence of the children of Israel. They were so blinded in their sinful lives that no one could answer Elijah's question. Similiar to today's popular reality programmes, the people literally participated in a game where they waited to see which God would answer the prayer with fire. Only then would they decide which was the real God for them to follow!
The bible records that when the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the people fell prostrate and cried "The Lord, He is God". However, we need to notice something very significant. God's power was miraculously manifested, and the people were prostrate in fear. You would have thought that this would have inferred that the children of Israel weren saying; "If He is the true and living God, He shall be our God, and we will serve Him only."
I'm sure there were some who believed and committed their lives to Him. However, numbers of these people were only convinced, not converted, not transformed! They did not yield to the truth that He was the only true God, nor consent to the covenant He gave to all who believed in Him. The "miracle of the moment" had impressed them, even Ahab, but their hearts were not changed nor were their lives transformed. No true faith had taken root in them!
Today, when I realised the truth of the people of Israel in the bible, I'm deeply concerned as I draw some parallel to some of the lives which we have in church. These are individuals whom have seen with their eyes, felt with their physical, touched in the emotional and encountered with the spiritual, yet their lives today are unyielding, disobedient, wayward and disconnected despite the weekly attendance in church.
What makes me fearful (even somewhat resigned) is the sober recognition that the children of God who lived with one of the greatest prophets and witnessed such a powerful miracle still refused to respond and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore, what hope do the wayward ones of today have?
I struggle with the reality of 'believers', who are drawn by the Holy Spirit to a deeper commitment to the Lord, and yet often do not surrender their lives to be transformed. They, like the children of Israel, are impressed and convinced by the truth, but choose to live liberally instead of surrendering to God's righteous ways. Yet today, I acknoweldge in faith that with God all things are possible, therefore I elect now to pray in faith and break the bondages of corruptable sins in the individuals whom I observe to be indifferent to God. They will not continue to live a life like those of the Israelites of the old testement.
"Lord I plead the transforming power of Jesus, which you revealed to Saul on his way to Damascus, on the lives of those who have seen, felt and experienced you before but today have elected to walk otherwise. I pray 1 Kings 18:37 and for my 33 birthday present, this month I ask boldly for these lives to be transformed and returned".
If my God is for me who can be against me! Therefore, surely today I will declare, blessed be the name of the Lord!
M.
"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." (1 Kings 18:37)
Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.
Elijah was a great man who exemplified extraordinary faith and effective prayer. There are four remarkable instances in his life of the efficacy of the fervent prayer of a righteous man. He prayed for the restoration of the widow's son at Zarephath, and the child was restored to life. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three and a half years.
The last document of how God used him amazingly is written in 1 Kings 18 where he confronted the 450 priests of Baal at Mt Carmel. In modern context, it would have been an amazing television/cable reality spectacle as Elijah's challenge was to prove who was the true and living God.
What is alarming is the silence of the children of Israel. They were so blinded in their sinful lives that no one could answer Elijah's question. Similiar to today's popular reality programmes, the people literally participated in a game where they waited to see which God would answer the prayer with fire. Only then would they decide which was the real God for them to follow!
The bible records that when the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice, the people fell prostrate and cried "The Lord, He is God". However, we need to notice something very significant. God's power was miraculously manifested, and the people were prostrate in fear. You would have thought that this would have inferred that the children of Israel weren saying; "If He is the true and living God, He shall be our God, and we will serve Him only."
I'm sure there were some who believed and committed their lives to Him. However, numbers of these people were only convinced, not converted, not transformed! They did not yield to the truth that He was the only true God, nor consent to the covenant He gave to all who believed in Him. The "miracle of the moment" had impressed them, even Ahab, but their hearts were not changed nor were their lives transformed. No true faith had taken root in them!
Today, when I realised the truth of the people of Israel in the bible, I'm deeply concerned as I draw some parallel to some of the lives which we have in church. These are individuals whom have seen with their eyes, felt with their physical, touched in the emotional and encountered with the spiritual, yet their lives today are unyielding, disobedient, wayward and disconnected despite the weekly attendance in church.
What makes me fearful (even somewhat resigned) is the sober recognition that the children of God who lived with one of the greatest prophets and witnessed such a powerful miracle still refused to respond and turn from their wicked ways. Therefore, what hope do the wayward ones of today have?
I struggle with the reality of 'believers', who are drawn by the Holy Spirit to a deeper commitment to the Lord, and yet often do not surrender their lives to be transformed. They, like the children of Israel, are impressed and convinced by the truth, but choose to live liberally instead of surrendering to God's righteous ways. Yet today, I acknoweldge in faith that with God all things are possible, therefore I elect now to pray in faith and break the bondages of corruptable sins in the individuals whom I observe to be indifferent to God. They will not continue to live a life like those of the Israelites of the old testement.
"Lord I plead the transforming power of Jesus, which you revealed to Saul on his way to Damascus, on the lives of those who have seen, felt and experienced you before but today have elected to walk otherwise. I pray 1 Kings 18:37 and for my 33 birthday present, this month I ask boldly for these lives to be transformed and returned".
If my God is for me who can be against me! Therefore, surely today I will declare, blessed be the name of the Lord!
M.
"Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again." (1 Kings 18:37)
31 March 2008
He Cares
1 Peter 5:5,7
Likewise, ye younger....casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you
This verse has been a blessing to me this morning. It ministered to me as I recognised that God has pledged to care for me and to take care of me and all the things that would cross my path. Interestingly, when you read through 1 Peter 5, you'll see that Peter was addressing the younger in the church to stop worrying.
Don't we all worry and become anxious for the things which are to come. I came into work this monday morning dreading the issues and stuff which I've to accomplish in this week as well as the weeks leading up to June. Added to that are the never ending responsibilities in the church and outside of it. Days like these where I spend one brief moment thinking about the unsolved issues and amount of endless work which I need to do with my limited mental capacity and time, I really shudder in trepidation and wish it can all disappear.
Far from it disappearing in a snap of my fingers, I realised the simple truth that God has for us to live by. To cast it all on Him. If you've done fishing, you'll know that the concept of casting. With a simple flick of the hand, you cast your hook, bait, line and sinker into the sea. (There's no varying flicking techniques like how we are told to lice, topspin or pound a tennis ball.) From then on, you just wait patiently and do little, because the fish will either bite or it won't. Apart from jigging the line, there's nothing much to do to induce the fish to bite, even then you never know what fish would go for the bait.
Likewise, we are just to flick our worries to God because He cares and want to relief us from it. If we don't cast it to Him, we are not empowering God to handle our issues. Today, may you too come to an understanding that we serve a God who cares, and doesn't want us to live stressed, anxious lives. May you and I learn to say "life is good because my God cares and attends all my worries".
blessings,
M.
"A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)
Likewise, ye younger....casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you
This verse has been a blessing to me this morning. It ministered to me as I recognised that God has pledged to care for me and to take care of me and all the things that would cross my path. Interestingly, when you read through 1 Peter 5, you'll see that Peter was addressing the younger in the church to stop worrying.
Don't we all worry and become anxious for the things which are to come. I came into work this monday morning dreading the issues and stuff which I've to accomplish in this week as well as the weeks leading up to June. Added to that are the never ending responsibilities in the church and outside of it. Days like these where I spend one brief moment thinking about the unsolved issues and amount of endless work which I need to do with my limited mental capacity and time, I really shudder in trepidation and wish it can all disappear.
Far from it disappearing in a snap of my fingers, I realised the simple truth that God has for us to live by. To cast it all on Him. If you've done fishing, you'll know that the concept of casting. With a simple flick of the hand, you cast your hook, bait, line and sinker into the sea. (There's no varying flicking techniques like how we are told to lice, topspin or pound a tennis ball.) From then on, you just wait patiently and do little, because the fish will either bite or it won't. Apart from jigging the line, there's nothing much to do to induce the fish to bite, even then you never know what fish would go for the bait.
Likewise, we are just to flick our worries to God because He cares and want to relief us from it. If we don't cast it to Him, we are not empowering God to handle our issues. Today, may you too come to an understanding that we serve a God who cares, and doesn't want us to live stressed, anxious lives. May you and I learn to say "life is good because my God cares and attends all my worries".
blessings,
M.
"A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones." (Proverbs 17:22)
28 March 2008
God Delights in Me.
Psalm 18:19b
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
My ears perked up when I heard this verse.
I was humbled when I heard the verse that "the Lord delights in me" and I pray you will too. It suddenly elevated the truth of God's great love for such a incomplete, imperfect person in me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a self pitying party or a self condemnation whipping session but I pray that you see the depth and breadth of the love of an incorruptable God who chose to look at us whom are of sin, flaws and poor nature, and still chose to delight in us.
I'm humbled that He even stopped to look and yearingly care about us who are insignificant, blemished and yet full of arrogance because we feel that we matter because we have breathe and the energy to live the life we choose. When faced with the revelation of His character, I'm reminded of how self absorbed many of us are in our lives and how we forget the amazing grace of our saviour who awaits for us to come back to Him to spend communion time with Him.
The cross is the very demonstration of His great love for you and I. Because He loved us too much to see us live aimless, broken, self-indulgent lives for the 70 years that we have on this earth.
I cannot tell you how deeply I feel for the many lives today that I see in church who come and are emotionally torn, physically worn, mentally warped, and socially wounded but choose to come religiously in their protective shells. You must see what I see today; the sheer simplicity and purity of God's amazing grace for us that speaks to the inner man!
If I only had one message to share at the end of my life, I'll share about the amazing grace of God who is always there, caring for me even though I often chose to live my own life without Him. Today, I pray you see the revelation of God's immense love for you.
blessings,
M.
"What is man that You magnify him, and that You are concerned about him, That You examine him every morning and try him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18)
he rescued me because he delighted in me.
My ears perked up when I heard this verse.
I was humbled when I heard the verse that "the Lord delights in me" and I pray you will too. It suddenly elevated the truth of God's great love for such a incomplete, imperfect person in me. Don't get me wrong, it's not a self pitying party or a self condemnation whipping session but I pray that you see the depth and breadth of the love of an incorruptable God who chose to look at us whom are of sin, flaws and poor nature, and still chose to delight in us.
I'm humbled that He even stopped to look and yearingly care about us who are insignificant, blemished and yet full of arrogance because we feel that we matter because we have breathe and the energy to live the life we choose. When faced with the revelation of His character, I'm reminded of how self absorbed many of us are in our lives and how we forget the amazing grace of our saviour who awaits for us to come back to Him to spend communion time with Him.
The cross is the very demonstration of His great love for you and I. Because He loved us too much to see us live aimless, broken, self-indulgent lives for the 70 years that we have on this earth.
I cannot tell you how deeply I feel for the many lives today that I see in church who come and are emotionally torn, physically worn, mentally warped, and socially wounded but choose to come religiously in their protective shells. You must see what I see today; the sheer simplicity and purity of God's amazing grace for us that speaks to the inner man!
If I only had one message to share at the end of my life, I'll share about the amazing grace of God who is always there, caring for me even though I often chose to live my own life without Him. Today, I pray you see the revelation of God's immense love for you.
blessings,
M.
"What is man that You magnify him, and that You are concerned about him, That You examine him every morning and try him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18)
24 March 2008
Benchmarking Ourselves
Jeremiah 10:23
"The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks to direct his steps"
Every parent always falls into the trap of benchmarking their kids with others. We all grew up somehow realising that we can never seem to be the smartest kid because when we get 99%, there's always someone who gets 100%. Even when we obtain a perfect score, we'll be told that its a good job but it must have been an easy paper or asked how many others have obtained similiar perfect scores.
Sadly, it results in us having in-built systems of always comparing with everything and everyone. Alternatively, we end up striving to as high a standard as possible and base it upon our wishful aspirations. Want some proof? How much money would you say you would like to earn per month in order to live a contented lifestyle? What would you consider contented anyway? The answer for these 2 questions which most of us would provide would go on and on endlessly. We know that we should be contented with anything we have, but we still do aspire for more anyway.
The word of God tells us that our standards, our direction, our way must be found outside of ourselves in Jesus Christ. There is nothing within man to give him a true sense of direction. So there is really no point trying to compare our life with equally flawed individuals. Until we align our hearts to God's Word, we will never find what our soul seeks more than anything else: peace with God and true fulfillment in life, living under His Lordship and the Sovereignty of His will!
Technically, we lower the standards when we benchmark our intentions and behaviours with what we consider to be the right thing to do or the rationalise our thinking by our intelligence. Therefore, may we remember that the only benchmark we need to have before us should be following God's standards and His words. What is it? "Be Holy for I am a Holy God"
blessings,
M.
"Thy Word is a lamp unto thy feet and a light unto thy path" (Psalm 119:105).
"The way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walks to direct his steps"
Every parent always falls into the trap of benchmarking their kids with others. We all grew up somehow realising that we can never seem to be the smartest kid because when we get 99%, there's always someone who gets 100%. Even when we obtain a perfect score, we'll be told that its a good job but it must have been an easy paper or asked how many others have obtained similiar perfect scores.
Sadly, it results in us having in-built systems of always comparing with everything and everyone. Alternatively, we end up striving to as high a standard as possible and base it upon our wishful aspirations. Want some proof? How much money would you say you would like to earn per month in order to live a contented lifestyle? What would you consider contented anyway? The answer for these 2 questions which most of us would provide would go on and on endlessly. We know that we should be contented with anything we have, but we still do aspire for more anyway.
The word of God tells us that our standards, our direction, our way must be found outside of ourselves in Jesus Christ. There is nothing within man to give him a true sense of direction. So there is really no point trying to compare our life with equally flawed individuals. Until we align our hearts to God's Word, we will never find what our soul seeks more than anything else: peace with God and true fulfillment in life, living under His Lordship and the Sovereignty of His will!
Technically, we lower the standards when we benchmark our intentions and behaviours with what we consider to be the right thing to do or the rationalise our thinking by our intelligence. Therefore, may we remember that the only benchmark we need to have before us should be following God's standards and His words. What is it? "Be Holy for I am a Holy God"
blessings,
M.
"Thy Word is a lamp unto thy feet and a light unto thy path" (Psalm 119:105).
23 March 2008
Your Legacy
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
"For our light affliction, which is but a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal"
It has been a good 4 to 6 weeks which I've been unable to post anything due to crazy life of 3 weeks of reservist, 1 week of work and 1 week of Ranger's national camp. The most ironical part of my absence being that I had met up with my 2nd and newly set up discipleship group and I mentioned that posting each posts was very important as it allowed me to find and self discover scriptures. Needless to say, after making pledges to be faithful, I'm overwhelmed by life's challenges and I can't even step up to fulfil the fresh pledge. I can only sigh at the frailities of myself and how it's really challenging to stand up to life's crazy schedules.
Nonetheless, it's really time to pick up the pieces and continue.
Just 30m mins ago, I was just reading an email subscription which I get from Saddleback church. The topic was about Leaving a Legacy. As I read on, it stated this fact, "Every great and godly legacy starts with one person. Someone who says, "Enough is enough." No more pointless pain. No more tolerance for the deceitful, destructive, and dysfunctional lifestyle. Time to reverse the curse. Will that someone be you?"
Today during the Easter sunday service, Sis/Aunty Mabel gave a long sharing as a sunday school teacher that the kids which she taught in her early days are today parents and grown adults. Then, she nicely pointed out that I was her student (a terror in those days) and as I grew, I ended up as a teacher and mentor to her son. Something which she would have never imagined when she first taught me coz I was a real "Bart Simpson terror" child.
Many of us in church may be the one called to be a trailblazer that plows a path for the generations to come. In our human perspective, we really can't see that far. Everything seems temporary and the present would be overwhelming as we view in doubt and look at the surmounting crazy issues of life before us.
Perhaps there will not be signs along the way for us to follow. Our promise from the scriptures is that only God goes before us and during our journey we may feel alone, but we need to be assured that many will follow. What's worrying is that some of us may not endure long enough to faithfully finish our leg of the race!
With a generational view, we need to note that we were created to be part of an ongoing heritage and what life throws at us is trivial when we view it with an eternal perspective. Every lap we run with integrity and intensity will help those who begin where we end. It's really similiar to our earthly reasons for slogging hard to leave behind a financial blessing to our offsprings someday when we pass away.
Therefore, I pray that we will come to discover that running this race in life is not just about winning, but about finishing your leg of the race that would impact the next generation after you- albeit of your offsprings and/or the spiritual offsprings which come behind you.
blessings,
M.
"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Psalm 119:71 )
"For our light affliction, which is but a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal"
It has been a good 4 to 6 weeks which I've been unable to post anything due to crazy life of 3 weeks of reservist, 1 week of work and 1 week of Ranger's national camp. The most ironical part of my absence being that I had met up with my 2nd and newly set up discipleship group and I mentioned that posting each posts was very important as it allowed me to find and self discover scriptures. Needless to say, after making pledges to be faithful, I'm overwhelmed by life's challenges and I can't even step up to fulfil the fresh pledge. I can only sigh at the frailities of myself and how it's really challenging to stand up to life's crazy schedules.
Nonetheless, it's really time to pick up the pieces and continue.
Just 30m mins ago, I was just reading an email subscription which I get from Saddleback church. The topic was about Leaving a Legacy. As I read on, it stated this fact, "Every great and godly legacy starts with one person. Someone who says, "Enough is enough." No more pointless pain. No more tolerance for the deceitful, destructive, and dysfunctional lifestyle. Time to reverse the curse. Will that someone be you?"
Today during the Easter sunday service, Sis/Aunty Mabel gave a long sharing as a sunday school teacher that the kids which she taught in her early days are today parents and grown adults. Then, she nicely pointed out that I was her student (a terror in those days) and as I grew, I ended up as a teacher and mentor to her son. Something which she would have never imagined when she first taught me coz I was a real "Bart Simpson terror" child.
Many of us in church may be the one called to be a trailblazer that plows a path for the generations to come. In our human perspective, we really can't see that far. Everything seems temporary and the present would be overwhelming as we view in doubt and look at the surmounting crazy issues of life before us.
Perhaps there will not be signs along the way for us to follow. Our promise from the scriptures is that only God goes before us and during our journey we may feel alone, but we need to be assured that many will follow. What's worrying is that some of us may not endure long enough to faithfully finish our leg of the race!
With a generational view, we need to note that we were created to be part of an ongoing heritage and what life throws at us is trivial when we view it with an eternal perspective. Every lap we run with integrity and intensity will help those who begin where we end. It's really similiar to our earthly reasons for slogging hard to leave behind a financial blessing to our offsprings someday when we pass away.
Therefore, I pray that we will come to discover that running this race in life is not just about winning, but about finishing your leg of the race that would impact the next generation after you- albeit of your offsprings and/or the spiritual offsprings which come behind you.
blessings,
M.
"It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees" (Psalm 119:71 )
05 February 2008
Money.
Genesis 17 :13
"A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Last saturday was one of those rare Saturdays which I was able to attend service because I wasn't needed to help out in Living Springs. During the sermon, Ps Alvin asked this question to everyone, "what would make you happy?".
When questioned, 'money' was one of the immediate answers that was volunteered. I must say that I was rather disgusted with the honest answer and am still rather repulsed by the bluntness by which it revealed the spirit behind it all. I'm not asking for a politically correct answer like good health, but I did wish for a righteous answer that would arise from people who really sought for the right thing. Simply because the mouth only speaks/proclaims what comes from the overflow of the heart, so if the spirit of all was right, the answer would be too.
We will always need money, good grades, companionship, favour and everything that would make this life's existence better. But beyond that, we're only here for a temporal purpose. When I read the above verse, I'm reminded that we are like the slaves of Abraham purchased for a price. The differnnce is we have been purchased by something worth more than money - the blood of Christ. How can any of us in church therefore feel that we are lacking in wealth to make us happier then? If your instinctive answer to happiness is something earthly, may the Lord circumcise your heart and let you know who you belong to.
With a microcosmic and earthly mentality to life, it's really no wonder why so few live victorious lives. If we're only focusing on money and worldly stuff to bring us meaning in life, then I think life is really sad and the life that we are tasked to live as a Child of God is really an underperforming one.
This was my answer to the question: "I wish that all my Rangers live an amazing God fearing life that fulfils the destiny and potential that I glimpsed. That they would grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ until the day they make it through heaven's gate."
May you recognise that just as Abraham's slaves and family were promised God's everlasting covenant, so is your life. But until you decide to seek therefore the kingdom of God, you'll never grasp the concept of how your life is to be full of joy and abundance.
blessings,
M.
And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing." (Luke 22:35)
"A servant who is born in your house or who is bought with your money shall surely be circumcised; thus shall My covenant be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
Last saturday was one of those rare Saturdays which I was able to attend service because I wasn't needed to help out in Living Springs. During the sermon, Ps Alvin asked this question to everyone, "what would make you happy?".
When questioned, 'money' was one of the immediate answers that was volunteered. I must say that I was rather disgusted with the honest answer and am still rather repulsed by the bluntness by which it revealed the spirit behind it all. I'm not asking for a politically correct answer like good health, but I did wish for a righteous answer that would arise from people who really sought for the right thing. Simply because the mouth only speaks/proclaims what comes from the overflow of the heart, so if the spirit of all was right, the answer would be too.
We will always need money, good grades, companionship, favour and everything that would make this life's existence better. But beyond that, we're only here for a temporal purpose. When I read the above verse, I'm reminded that we are like the slaves of Abraham purchased for a price. The differnnce is we have been purchased by something worth more than money - the blood of Christ. How can any of us in church therefore feel that we are lacking in wealth to make us happier then? If your instinctive answer to happiness is something earthly, may the Lord circumcise your heart and let you know who you belong to.
With a microcosmic and earthly mentality to life, it's really no wonder why so few live victorious lives. If we're only focusing on money and worldly stuff to bring us meaning in life, then I think life is really sad and the life that we are tasked to live as a Child of God is really an underperforming one.
This was my answer to the question: "I wish that all my Rangers live an amazing God fearing life that fulfils the destiny and potential that I glimpsed. That they would grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ until the day they make it through heaven's gate."
May you recognise that just as Abraham's slaves and family were promised God's everlasting covenant, so is your life. But until you decide to seek therefore the kingdom of God, you'll never grasp the concept of how your life is to be full of joy and abundance.
blessings,
M.
And He said to them, "When I sent you out without money belt and bag and sandals, you did not lack anything, did you?" They said, "No, nothing." (Luke 22:35)