Revisiting the Meaning of Good Friday

With Good Friday round the corner, let me put this question to you: How many Good Fridays have you been through and even as we go through our how many-th time, do we still remember the significance of this day?

Even as a child, Good Friday to me, is public holiday and I remember being all happy because we would all pack off the the hall to watch a video on Jesus, which means it is a time out from class... But not until my coming back to Christ have I come to realize the real meaning of Good Friday. 

As I revisited some of the articles in this blog, I am brought to the article "I am the Cross" and am reminded once again of the significance of the day. Even though I have read this story before, it does not fail to almost bring tears as I read through what Jesus went through and what kept him to the cross. And yet, these are just words. How much more pain did Jesus has to go through in the actual crucifixion? And for what reason?

As I go through thinking about Good Friday, I am brought to 1 Peter, where I read about the work of Christ on the cross:

1 Peter 2:22-25 (NIV)
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

1 Peter 1:18-21 (NIV)
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Even before Christ came, prophets told of the work of the one who would be sent by God for our sake. One of them is Isaiah as he wrote in Isaiah 53.

Isaiah 53:3- 7(NIV)

 ³ He was despised and rejected by men,

       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

       Like one from whom men hide their faces

       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 ⁴ Surely he took up our infirmities

       and carried our sorrows,

       yet we considered him stricken by God,

       smitten by him, and afflicted.

 ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,

       he was crushed for our iniquities;

       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

       and by his wounds we are healed.

 ⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

       each of us has turned to his own way;

       and the LORD has laid on him

       the iniquity of us all.

 ⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

       yet he did not open his mouth;

       he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

       and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,

       so he did not open his mouth.

Jesus Messiah

1 Peter 2:21-25 (NIV)

To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Jesus Messiah

He became sin

Who knew no sin

That we might become His Righteousness

He humbled himself and carried the cross

Love so amazing

Love so amazing

Chorus:

Jesus Messiah

Name above all names

Blessed Redeemer

Emmanuel

The rescue for sinners

The ransom from Heaven

Jesus Messiah

Lord of all

His body the bread

His blood the wine

Broken and poured out all for love

The whole earth trembled

And the veil was torn

Bridge:

All our hope is in You

All our hope is in You

All the glory to You, God

The light of the world

Judge Ye Not

Hi everyone,

A good reminder as we approach Good Friday that God died not just for you and me but for all...

At the cross as man crucified Him, Jesus said "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.".

JUDGE YE NOT

I was shocked, confused, bewildered
As I entered Heaven's door,
Not by the beauty of it all,
Nor the lights or its decor.

But it was the folks in Heaven
Who made me sputter and gasp--
The thieves, the liars, the sinners,
The alcoholics and the trash.

There stood the kid from seventh grade
Who swiped my lunch money twice.
Next to him was my old neighbor
Who never said anything nice.

Herb, who I always thought
Was rotting away in hell,
Was sitting pretty on cloud nine,
Looking incredibly well.

I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal?
I would love to hear Your take.
How'd all these sinners get up here?
God must've made a mistake.

'And why is everyone so quiet,
So somber - give me a clue.'
'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.
No one thought they'd be seeing you.'

JUDGE NOT!!

Remember...Just going to church doesn't make you a
Christian any more than standing in your garage makes you a car.

Every saint has a PAST...
Every sinner has a FUTURE!

As I was doing my QT this morning, I am reminded of Paul's heart for God's people. And we cannot doubt that it is people like him who has caught the heart of God and how ministered to the Gentiles, as well as many people who caught the heart of God, that we can be here as a child of God.

Romans 15: 20-21 (NIV)

It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."

The untold millions still untold.

~ James Lim

First Intercessory Prayer Meeting

SP shared about prayers on last Sunday. The last kind of prayer is intercessory and do you know it is one of the most powerful prayers believers can ever experienced in their spiritual life? I sign up for Intercessors Network Ministry on last Sunday (last day of 21 days of prayers). Actually at that time I felt its a special prompting I feel God is putting into my heart. I saw the booth many times in church past few weeks but did not sign up till then. I did not know it is the last day of sign up initially. What makes me decide to sign up?

Actually through the 21 days of prayer,I do felt I have certain experiences of breakthrough. I felt God had birth forth a deeper hunger and longing for God in my heart. But my prayer life is still not every stronger. I hope through this ministry it can motivate me towards a stronger prayer life and inner man. I hope to know more about prayer, what prayer is really about? how to pray and how to pray more effectively? From what I have know so far, this is very important. If I myself know it is very important, I will wanna to focus on it and be committed to such growth, so I see the importance of such an intercessory ministry to help me grow closer with the lord in prayer. So I am thankful to God for another step of obedience to walk with him through focused prayers.

After the sign up, I had my first experience of the first Intercessory Prayer Meeting by the ministry in Church. I had the experience of much faith filled prayers. All are free to pray and worship in spirit and in truth. Some of the fellow intercessors also weep when they prayed. I was so touched in my spirit. I began to see the meaning of weeping prophet e.g. Jeremiah. The intercessors are so in touch with God that they feel how God feel, they prayed with full emotions and their whole being is so engaged with the prayers. Something that really shake and moves my heart is when 2 young ladies (about 17 to 18 years) share their burdens for the younger generations in the present day, they felt very sad about the lifestyle of the youths they see around them, many are living in ways less than pleasing, in impurity and immorality, they have the heart and desire to make a difference as Christians in their life however it may seems so tough. They prayed till point of tears. I also teared as I hear their prayers and the cry of their heart. The young generation need God's love to fill their heart but the sad reality is that family of the present age is under serious attack, many young people have not been able to experience love at home therefore they turn to various sources in life for love and satisfaction: sex, drugs, internet, computer games for a sense of connection but yet they are so disconnected in reality. There is a deep longing and yearning within these young souls for unconditional love and acceptance. We need to redeem the sacredness and uphold the importance of family as the basic unit. Actually through this prayer and heart cries of the 2 young ladies, I kinda felt burdened for the youths. How can we reach the youth with the love of Christ? We know many are lost and they need the love of Jesus to really filled this void in their life. It is also sad to see them living in immorality and impurity, some of them are even devoid of respect for other elderly people, who is there to teach and guide them? Family upbringing? From my personal experience, some years back I had lived in ways that is wilful, dishonoring to God and I know it is not right. This was in the past but by God's grace I am reconciled with the Lord and in the restoration process. I hope through this experience maybe God can use it to bring back some of those younger ones who had strayed away from you and back to you again. These lives belong to God, no one else can meddle! However as much as the burden I had, I really wanna to set apart my heart to be right before God (even before embarking on any area of ministry) first therefore I will settle for my H&W first that I can be healed first so that I can really be a blessing as I serve him in ministry he had called. At the mean time, I will also take time to seek God for what we can do as a church and body of Christ to respond to the heart cries of the youths and any visions and direction for the prayer ministry.

I also felt these words birth forth in my heart towards the end as we are praying for parents and the youth generation of today and their relationship:
"He will (L)restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and (M)smite the land with a curse." Malachi 4:6
God had assured us he will restore relationships in the family. It is the purpose in his heart, it does not delight God at all to strike the land with a curse. God wanna to see reconciliation and restoration of relationships in our life. What is our response to what God had assured? Most important, it is also important we need to be reconcile to God, our first love.

Dalit Child Sponsorship

Today is the Mission Drive weekend. I thought it is good to share about how I came to sponsor one of the Dalit Child some weeks ago on 13th March. Before the CE course on that day, I saw the Dalit Child booths and the pictures of the Dalit children. There is a prompting within my heart to go to the other side of the booths and to look at one of the pictures in the middle row. I saw a little boy, he looks quite different from other boys, seems pretty mature for boy of his age? There is something outstanding about him. Then I look at the description, he had a elder sister who had paralysis and most of their family's income is spent for her treatment, they do not have enough to eat and pay for. When I read this, somehow it gripped my heart. I felt a prompting that I could be God's vessel to bless this family and this little boy by sponsoring him so that through education support, the family would be able to break out of current situation of poverty trap, also recognizing how tough it is for the family taking care of a young girl who is immobile. However I see a bright future ahead of this little boy as God will provide and bless even though I believe the situation maybe tougher than I could ever imagine. Therefore I really hope this little contribution will bring a little light into this little boy's life and his family, and he will be empowered to rise up to the calling God had put into his heart. Also I pray that the little boy and his family will witness God's love through the most simple way of giving and acts of love, may they see God's miracles in their life, especially his sister that God will cause her to walk one day! That many will testify the goodness of God and power of God at work! I thank God that I obey God when I felt prompting to be part of the Dalit Child Sponsorship program, it is always a blessing to give. It is also my first time involving in this program, felt privileged to give even though I had other concerns too. But I am glad I choose to put God's will above all in my heart. I hope I can pray constantly for the Dalit Child I am sponsoring, looking forward to exchanging letters and writing to encourage and show love, even though I am not quite sure what to really write. Also look forward to visit the Dalit Child maybe next year 2011, by God's grace and his good timing. As I ponder and share about the process of sponsoring the Dalit Child, is there anything God is prompting and challenging you in the area of mission? Dear fellow brothers and sisters, I urge you to respond to the call God had put in your heart. A little step of obedience will not only bless the lives of the individuals you are touching but will also bring you one step closer to the heart of God. It is all about God.

My 21 days of prayers: Testimony & Sharing

We finished the 21 days of prayers on 21 March. So many things I have heard from the Lord during this period even up till now, I felt God is still in the midst of giving me revelation and understanding about issues in my life and directions. I am really thankful for this journey, how God had breakthrough in my life. I am really amazed by God's work in my life, his grace and courage uplifting my spirit. I just wanna to share the areas God had moved my heart in this period(actually the 21 days of prayer is just the beginning of the breakthrough I am beginning to see in my life):

The assurance of God's peace and strength to close the last chapter of an important relationship in my life even in the midst of deep emotions within my heart. In fact it is a very painful process I undergo as I choose to end this chapter of my life under such circumstances especially for me as a person with such strong cravings for family. But I have come to a point when I realized ending this chapter is very important for me, I felt peace even though emotionally it may not have been easy. God tells me it is the time to let go and move on from this painful past. I felt the peace to let go of this past pain and guilt I have been going through in these past 3 years. God still has his assurance and promise for me. What has happened in the past is only the work of the flesh. But something greater will happen. I will witness God's powerful work of the spirit in my life, something that I have never experienced before in my life where I will experience unprecedented faith and fruitfulness in the Lord. Lord open up my heart to see greater things in my life. I choose to seek your face and obey you completely in my life. I choose to have undivided devotion and love for you. Only you shall my heart long after deeply.

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to weep and a time to laugh,.....
a time to mourn and a time to dance,.....
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,.....
He has made everything beautiful in its time." (Ecclesiastes 3)

I also decided to go for H&W after the cell prayer session at my house on 07 Mar.
God had prepared my heart to go for the H&W now. Nothing better than God's good timing now. In fact after I send in my H&W forms, I began to feel something different in my spirit. I felt a sense of peace in my heart. That God is so good to me that he is about to start a new work in my life. It seems like I am beginning to hear from God again. Behold I am hearing from God, nothing can block the connection as I choose to yield to him and lay hold of my past, my pains and sins before him. My past and sins had no hold on me anymore. Within 2 weeks I submitted the form, I heard from church on the H&W session they had arranged for me. I managed to know who my counsellor is, I thought her name is very familiar but I had no recollections who she is. Actually I saw her on the day I submitted the form which is also one of the prayer meeting I came for. Then I saw my counsellor on few days ago at the church Intercessors prayer meeting. I didnt know she is the one. I went for prayer for my family situations and struggles. She is the one who prayed for me. At that time, when she prayed for me, I suddenly felt she could be my counsellor (the name and person kinda matched). It is also amazing she is the one who prayed for me. It is confirmed when Pastor called her name later. I am thankful God kinda prepared my heart to meet my counsellor first before I formally meet her in the H&W session.

I remember on 7 March, I saw the advertisement at Pasir Ris Mrt Station with this renown quote: Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising up whenever we fall. What a rhema word for me from God! I felt God is telling me to rise up where I have fallen in the area of relationship. God is ready to redeem me and the painful past I went through. Who is the one who restore? Who is the one who give us strength to rise up from where we have fallen? Is not it God? God is willing to to restore us back to where we had been. But are we willing to take that step of faith with the Lord? Are we willing to trust the Lord? Just that leap of faith?
I felt the assurance of God's promises and provision in my life. Something different has happened now. I have chosen to lay hold of God in my life. I will trust him wholeheartedly (not just my mind alone but my heart totally) with unwavering faith, God shall be the desires of my heart. I will cry out to God and he will hear me and answer me. God will prove that he is so faithful to deliver his promises. God will never shortchange us if we commit in our heart to trust him. God will be my deliverer forever!

From my readings from Breakthrough Prayers, the painful past and story of a young lady touches my heart deeply. I see how God is so gracious to a broken young women from Haiti. God's power and love can heal us in places only he can touch. God wanna me to know that his answers are always worth waiting for. I need to keep holding onto the Lord today no matter how I feel, no matter how bad things get.

I am also assured so much by God's love and forgiveness in the 21 days of prayers, I received these verses and stories released to my heart:
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
and have no compassion on the child she has borne?
Though she may forget,
I will not forget you! (Isaiah 49:15) God has not forgotten me!
Luke 7:36-50 (The sinful woman actually adores Jesus so much that she is willing to give all of her to Jesus, far beyond his disciples and other people do for Jesus. I recognize this require faith, and she knows Jesus right in her heart)
John 4&8: Referring to reaction of Jesus when he saw them, Jesus loves them.
"You shall no longer be called the abandoned. You shall be called beloved. This is a special word that Pastor Betty released on 03 Mar during the prayer meeting, also my actual birthday. Thanks God for giving me this special day when I can choose to consecrate my life once again to God. In fact I feel in my spirit that the breakthrough had progressive started since from onset of 21 days of prayers as we prepared our hearts and being to pray.

Indeed I am really thankful for this 21 days of prayers, I felt a transformation in my life that words may not be able to fully express it. Not only it had empowered me to heighten my faith and trust in the Lord. In the midst of uncertainty about life and things around me, I felt the constant assurance & reassurance of God's peace in my life. I realized such a deep longing for the Lord within me. Therefore I am determined to walk right with God daily, nothing is better than living a life of obedience and abiding in him wholeheartedly in which ever area of life.