Enduring Faith

Prompted to Cover Faith
I had been preparing for cell discussion this week and even though I had missed the first sermon on "Enduring Faith" but instead attended the second service on "Power of the Blood", I just felt prompted to cover on the topic of faith this week. The topic kept appearing throughout the week - at my department devotion, corporate devotion and also through what happened this week in ministry, witnessing faith in action.

What is Faith?
And so, I began to reflect upon faith in my own walk. I can hear myself asking "So, what is faith? What's the big deal about it?" In fact, faith is a very common topic in the Christian walk and I was thinking that it would be timely for us to take a closer look at it; examining it more carefully.

What have we learnt about faith in our walk with the Lord?
I have come a long way in my ministry, starting from just an ordinary cell member to being God's servant in cell ministry and having to learn to rely on Him, learning how His grace is sufficient for me and how He is in control when I let Him.

Here are some thoughts on faith, as shared by some of you during cell discussion and also some things I have come to realise over the years, walking with God:

• Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of the unseen (Hebrews 11:1);
• Faith does not commensurate with the number of years we have been a Christian; it is possible for a Christian young in faith to have more faith than a Christian of many years;
• Strong faith becomes easier to exercise and more evident during trials;

Trials, Faith & Joy
In James 1:2-4 (NIV), it is said:
2. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3. because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

When I saw these verses for the first time, I asked myself, "how can it be that one can consider it joy when facing trials? It must be crazy!" I remember during my personal and spiritual break earlier this year, I was reading from Acts and was amazed at how despite being persecuted, Paul still stood by his faith, strongly. I remember telling myself "what strong faith! I wonder why he has such strong faith?" But slowly, I have come to understand the verses as I reflect upon how God has helped me through the tough times; times which left me on my knees praying while everything was crumbling down, times which, on hindsight, helped molded me to be the way I am now. I have slowly come to appreciate the flip side of trials, even though, yes, I have to agree that it is tough.

Why Trials?
Bob Sorge describes perseverance and endurance as faith sustained over time in the midst of pressure and crisis. So that naturally leads me to ask: Why trials?

• Trials Bring Us Back to God - When I think about it, the first thing I have come to realise is that trials sometimes happen to bring us back to God.
  
  For me, life was going relatively smoothly for me. Though I was brought up as a Christian, I began to drift away from God because I felt that this was a part of my life which was not important at all since there were no big trials in my life... With success in most things I do, I became more self-sufficient until something hit me real heard. Then suddenly, I was facing career, relationship, friendship problems all at the same time. I had nowhere to turn and then God brought me a friend, who I had lost touch with for a long time, to come into my life. This friend eventually brought me back to Him. I still recall when I messaged another friend on the first Sunday I came to Riverlife, my friend replied "it took a trial for God to bring you back to Him". So take heed that sometimes, trials is a signal to go back to God.
  
  
• Trials Help Us to Rely on God - Then, I began to see how trials also help us to rely on God. Indeed, if we believe that God is the Great Almighty, the one who created everything and gave life, then why are we sometimes reluctant to let go and let God? I am very familiar with this because sometimes, when facing problems, I tend to say to God "God, I know you are big but then let me deal with this problem myself because I believe I can do it". But then, when we accepted Christ and made Him our saviour and Lord, isn't He also Lord over all, including our trials? Do we just treat Him as only a saviour or do we take the whole package and accept Him as Lord of our lives as well, trusting that He has His plans for us, plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11)?
  
  I recall how stepping up into ministry had been one of the biggest trial for me and I had to rely on God. I recall the days when I cried about things, about how hopeless things felt, about how lousy I felt about myself because of all that is happening. I had no where to turn to and had to look up. Today, as I look back at the tough times and see how God had blessed my hands in ministry and how things started to take a turn when I stopped trying and prayed and commit it into His hands, I praise God for being there. A friend has ever shared that she had once had to deal with worry when she did not hear from her husband, who went to work overseas, for 2 whole weeks. She tried reaching him but to no avail. But yet, she could not do anything else except to pray. In the end, thank God, her husband returned the next day. It's true that sometimes, there is nothing else we can do but to look to God.
  
  I have once received a SMS that went "when facing problems, do not say 'Oh God, we have a big problem' but instead 'Problem, we have a big God!'" Believe it and proclaim it!
  
  
• Trials Brings Growth - Yet another thing I have realised about trials is that it brings growth. I am reminded how we are all "Work in Progress" and how trials provide the opportunity to mature and even critically think about what could be better in life. Ultimately, it is about growing to become the person God wants us to be.
  
  James reminded that "perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything". Through trial and perseverance, we will grow and mature to be complete and not lacking anything. In the same way, I have come to see how much I have grown as a person over the past few years as I continue to walk with the Lord; how He continued to challenged me to live a life that would honour Him. I have come to slowly overcome many problems previously faced, including my introvertedness and I have to admit that stepping up in ministry has challenged me to a higher standard of living a God-honouring life.
  
  I always believe that Christianity is not a religion but a relationship with God. And part of that relationship with God is first reconciling with God and then walking righteously with Him. I have learnt how God is more concerned with who we become and how we walk with Him more than anything else because "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Sam 16:7b). It is not the outward person but the real person He is concerned with.
  
  
• Trials Help Us Bless Others - Yet another thing I have come to realise is how trials are also intended for us to bless others. Several times, I saw how God has used my past experiences to help me understand others and minister to them. Though some of these past experiences were painful, God nonetheless helped me to address some of these through the sermons and NLE. As was as if I was put through a rehabilitation programme. Then God used me to minister to others. Through my past experiences, I got to be able to share with others how I have been through similar struggles and how, with God, I had been able to overcome it.
  
  
• Trials Build Faith and More Faith - Lastly, trials builds more faith. When we overcome a trial with God, it helps us build more faith in Him to overcome future trials. Just as Jason has shared, we have sometimes come to realise how God is bigger than anyone or anything else when we just be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).
  
  
• And I just realised that the cell had a similar discussion of trial here: how trials bring people closer back to God, how trials prepare one for ministry, how trials indicate the devil is trying to put a stop to you responding to God's call and how trials may also indicate something is spiritually not right.
  

Trails are here to stay
It's interesting how some of us sometimes feel awkward that as Christians, we face trials too. But trials are certain to stay in our lives because James 1:2 says "whenever you face trials of many kinds" not "if you face trials of many kinds". Trials are certain and it is not surprising that Christians face trials. But what is different is that, as children of God, we are certain that God is with us and in control as long as we seek Him and His will. He will bring us through it all.



Still
Hide me now
Under your wings
Cover me
within your mighty hand

When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you above the storm
Father you are king over the flood
I will be still and know you are God

Find rest my soul
In Christ alone
Know his power
In quietness and trust

How do we build faith?
I have thought through it and at the end of the day, the way which has worked for me is to (i) know God, (ii) see God at work in our lives and (iii) living daily with God; having the Holy Spirit with us. We need to know who God is, how real He is and live each day with Him.

It seems that to grow in faith, we need to know God's character, who He is and how He sees us. We need to know who we are in God's eyes and how much He cares for us and wants the best for us before we can grow faith and trust in Him. After all, isn't that how we grow trust and faith in others? We need to be more "God-aware", knowing how real He is in our lives, watching over and blessing us, through daily thanksgiving. Finally, we need to live God-honouring and righteous lives, having the Holy Spirit with us. As we continue to walk closely with God, we will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and His prompting.

Luke 8:22-25 tells us how Jesus calms the storm. Jesus had told his disciple to go to the other side of the lake. As they sailed, Jesus feel asleep and a storm came. The disciples panicked and When the storm came, the woke Him up, only to have Jesus asking them about their faith. Indeed sometimes, we can be like the disciples; despite having Jesus on board, they had little faith. It would be different when we know who is in the boat with us and know who He is and how He has seen us through our days.

As we wrapped up cell, I sensed that as we shared about our past struggles and how God brought us through it all, we are reminded how we all stand as testimonies of how God has worked in our lives, including how God even sent timely word to us during those tough times to comfort us and assure us, be it through Our Daily Bread, the bible or even through a bible verse in a colleague's diary. Many of you shared how this happened many times for you and indeed God sees you in your trials. He knows and comforts.

The Choice
If you want to build faith, build a relationship with God. If you have yet to do so with Him, do so today. Faith is a choice; when trials come, do not look around but look up.

Everyday Thanksgiving

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm rings,
thank you, Lord, that I can hear.
There are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes closed against the morning light as
long as possible,
thank you, Lord, that I can see.
Many are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off rising,
thank you Lord, that I have the strength to rise.
There are many who are bedridden.

Even though the first hour of my day is hectic, when socks are lost, toast is burned, and tempers are short, my children are so loud,
thank you, Lord, for my family.
There are many who are lonely.

Even though our breakfast table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the menu is at times unbalanced,
thank you, Lord, for the food we have.
There are many who are hungry.

Even though the routine of my job is often monotonous,
thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to work.
There are many who have no job.

Even though I grumble and bemoan my fate from day to day and wish my
circumstances were not so modest,
thank you, Lord, for life.

- author unknown

Ephesians 1-4:16

How is everyone enjoying the study of the book of Ephesians so far? I do not know about you but then the current sermon series on the book of Ephesians is making me fall in love with the book. It's one of the books which says so much succinctly and yet contains so much depth and insights into how we should live lives as a child of God.

Who We Are in God? (Ephesians 1)
Starting with Ephesians 1, Paul first tells us how we are valued in God's eyes (v4-5) and what he did for us (6-10):

4. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love 5. he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— 6. to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. 7. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. 9. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10. to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.

There Must Be More Than This (Ephesians 1)
But then, it does not stop there, Paul tells us that "there must be more than this"; that there is more to just salvation but he prays that the eyes of our hearts be open that we will have the wisdom and be able to experience God more (v17-21). :

17. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. 18. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19. and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, 20. which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21. far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

Being God Aware (Ephesians 1)
To experience (i) hope, (ii) blessings and (iii) His power. We need to be, like Lydia nicely puts it, "God-aware" because God is in our lives and all we have to do is jut be more aware about it. Which is why I am encouraging for a time of thanksgiving everytime we meet for cell because it helps us to see how real God is in our lives and help to also encourage others. For me, I can see how there is marked difference between the time I backslided and now. Yes, there are still of course challenges (who says life is going to be easy for Christians?) but then the difference I realise is that I have God in my life and in many areas of my life, including work, ministry and personal life, I have seen God work in marvelous ways. I am more positive now and trust in His power. With each thanksgiving, I am reminded more of this. Where is God in your life? Is He your saviour, redeemer, friend, counsellor? How can we make Him the Lord of our lives?

Saved by Grace, not Works (Ephesians 2)
Ephesians 2 then starts off by reminding us again what God did for us, that we are saved by grace (v1-9); for God showed mercy to us even when we did not deserve it because of our sin and unrighteousness. Then Paul makes his case, instructing the church about how we are to live as a body of Christ because "His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, 16and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." (v15b-16). There are no strangers to God's kingdom and God's family because all deserve God's grace.

Praise for God and Prayer for Ephesian Church (Ephesians 3)
Then, Paul breaks into praise and prayer in Ephesians 3, recounting how he himself was unworthy (v8-9) but yet God shown him grace. Paul, formely Saul, persecuted and allowed the killing of Christians but had an encounter with God in Damascus (see Acts 9). He then prayed for the Ephesian church.

Live a Worthy Life (Ephesians 4)
Ephesians 4 begins instruction on how we are to live in the church, the body of Christ. The "Church" is not merely a physical building as most of us would understand it but the community of believers who have come to accept salvation and Christ as Lord. Paul starts off by asking us to live a life worthy of the calling we received (v1). The question is: what is a worthy life? Maybe we can gain some insights from Colossians 1:10-12 which says:

10. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11. being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12. giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.

A "worthy" life now that God has saved you from darkness with what Christ done on the cross and a "worthy" life in response to that, administering God's gifts to fulfill God's purpose and will for you. Have you thought about what the purpose of your life is? For some of you, you have shared that you have come to realise while for some, you are still discerning. Keep praying for God to show you His purpose for your life.

Some would say a "worthy" life is to grow to be more Christ-like. To me, being Christ-like is not only about how we behave but about one's heart too. Do we behave in a Christ-like manner but ALSO develop a heart for God just as Christ did? We can see this heart for God through Matthew 22:37-40 which speaks of the two greatest commandment that summarizes the 10 commandments; love God and love our neighbours (Christ has He himself explained in Matthew 5:17 that He did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it). But it seems that Paul is taking this a little further by telling us ways in which we can fulfil the 2 greatest commandment; because if we love God and our neighbours, all that is mentioned in Colossians 1:10-12 will come to be.

Ultimately, it is about our heart for God and what we are doing in our walk with Him in response to what Christ has done for us on the cross.

The Purpose & Power of Community (Ephesians 4)
Then Paul speaks of the purpose and power of community; reminding us that although we are all diversely different with different gifts, we are all one in Christ. Unity in diversity! The purpose of God's community is really to help build up each others' lives (v12) that we become more mature and Christ-like (v13-14). In this way, we will not be swayed by lies especially from the enemy, whose aim is to distance us from God, ever since the beginning of time.

12. to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13. until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

Colossians 2:2-4
2. My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments.

And part of the building up and also maturing is how the community can help people to receive restoration and healing from God for past hurts. A Christ-centered community can allow God to administer healing and restoration through it but in a similar way, a non Christ-centered community can also has the power to destroy much. Love in a Christ-centered community can bring about much building up. For me, the community played an important role in helping me rebuild my life when I first came back to God (even though I did not foresee myself staying in cell at that time). In the same way, part of the building up also comes from how we help restore others from sin, helping to keep each other accountable. This would be what we may sometimes called "tough love".

Galatians 6:1-2:
1. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

So, the purpose and power of God's community is really to help us, upon being saved, to continue our walk with the Lord as WIP (Work in Progress); to help build up and mature, to edify each other.

Different Yet United; Gifts and Instructions (Ephesians 4)
Now how are we to be able to tap into and release the power of God's community? God gave gifts to everyone to allow for one another to build one another up. Everyone will have gifts given by God that he/she can administer to help build each other up (v7-8, 11-13):

7. But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8. This is why it says: "When he ascended on high, he led captives in his train and gave gifts to men."...

Romans 12:4-8:
4. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5. so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8. if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

God's Gift & Accepting the Significance of His Gift to Us
The analogy of the body is constantly used because everyone has a part to play and God has a purpose for different ones of us with different giftings. It is important that we learn to accept the gifts God gave us and how uniquely God made us to be.

1 Corinthians 12:27-30:
27. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. 28. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. 29. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? 30. Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?

I shared about how initially when I was called to leadership, I struggled and struggled and struggled. I was feeling all lousy about how I was such an introvert and how I could not compare to other leaders. Whenever, I see other leaders leading their cell, I remember always asking myself and asking God "God, why can't I be more extroverted?", "God why can't I be more charismatic?" etc But soon, God helped me realised how He had made me different and gave me giftings for the purpose He has for me. Now, as I look at our cell, it becomes clear what His purpose is for me and how much He had blessed my cell ministry. Not only that, I have also come to realise how everything came together to help me in my work ministry. I have been put into IT training and I picked up IT and training skills. I have worked in a hospital as a medical social worker but could not survive more than 6 months but I picked up important case management skills. I have been put into a professional association working at policy development level and I picked up project management and programme development skills. Now, God not only called me back from backsliding but also into my current job where everything fits together nicely. All the skills has come in handy and, by God's grace, my work ministry was taking off, despite not having done volunteer programme management before. God never wastes our past experiences and God has His purpose for us. Do we accept the unqiue self God has made us to be?

Talking about giftings, I am reminded of an illustration used by a fellow friend to demonstrate how we are all different but important, just as parts of a body are.

One day, various parts of a certain body entered into a heated debate about who is the most important of all. Every prominent and well-known part claimed to be superior to the others.

The Brain started the ball rolling by saying, "I am the most important of all. Without my ability to think, what can the body and all the parts do? You will all be helpless like a newborn baby!" Not to be outdone, The Eyes exclaimed, "Do you really think so? Without our ability to see where the whole body is going and what is happening, what can anyone of you do? And what can you, Mr Brain, do if you have no idea what is happening?". "That's what you think, Mr Eyes, " said The Hands. "Just look around you: how many things are made only possible by us and the 10 digits that we have? Can you even put on the clothes without us? You will be as naked as the lamppost. Hahaha", The Hands continued.

The ears, mouth, legs, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver and various others took their turns to pitch their importance above the rest, all except for the lowly ass****. He did not know what to say. He thought again and again. What can he boast about? Nothing much, actually.

By now, everyone who has said their piece, turned to the quiet ass****. Suddenly, they all broke out in a guffaw.

"Of course (heehee) he has nothing to say, " offered Mr Brain, trying to control his laughter. "He just takes out the trash. Buahahahaha!" So, while the rest continued to poke fun at him and called him all kinds of unflattering names, the ass**** did not say a single word. He was too hurt to even mutter anything. He just shut up and sobbed quietly.

One day passed. Another day came and went. By the third day, the various parts of the body were groaning and moaning. The colon, intestines, stomach, liver and various members of the digestive system began feeling like wool and clogged drains at the same time. The throat and mouth became sore, while the eyes turned blurry and teary. Even the brain began hallucinating, while the limbs and various external parts of the body became numb and weak. The heart was at a loss as to what to do when the blood it pumps kept bouncing back almost immediately.

"Wwhhh...at's hhh..appening? Are we ddddyyyy...ing?" The Brain asked. The Eyes kept quiet. They couldn't tell what was wrong. Likewise, the ears, the mouth, and everybody else. After a long pause, a weak voice from far down was heard. "Maybe..." said the colon, "...it's got something to do with our friend, Mr Ass****, sir." "Everything we processed for disposal isn't moving at all. I think we are gonna die...The toxins have hit us..."

Finally, Mr Ass**** spoke.

"Sorry, folks. I have remained shut for the past few days to reflect on what happened. It's true. There's nothing noteworthy for me to say. I cannot claim to be as important as any one of you because I am just a lowly garbage man. Nevertheless, I hope you will accept me as a fellow member of this body. Nobody asks to be an ass****, and I am just trying to do this unglamourous task assigned to me everyday, and to do it well."

You can read a similar illustration in 1 Corinthians 12:20-26.

God's Instructions: Unity & Love
So, enough about gifts. What about instructions? Paul instructed that the church needs to remember that even though we are all diverse and different, we are one and are told to make effort to keep the unity:

Ephesians 4:2-5
2. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

But how do we keep the unity? Paul recognise that we need to make effort and this can come from one thing: love. Paul later mentioned in Colossians 3 about the list of things we need to do but gives an indication how we can achieve it:

12. Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And this interestingly points us back to Christ's greatest commandment again: love your neighbour. Paul mentioned that love will bind them together in perfect unity.

In fact, Christ himself mentioned about loving one another in John 13:34-35:

34. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Others can be found in Romans 13:8, 1 Peter 1:22, 1 John 3:11, 1 John 3:23, 1 John 4:7, 1 John 4:11-12, 2 John 1:5.

But like what was mentioned earlier, love and tough love can both edify and help build up. But we need to always remember that whatever it is, the commonality is still love.