Where Are You; In or Out?

... neither doth God respect any person: yet doth he devise means, that his BANISHED be not EXPELLED from him. (2 Sam 14:14b KJV, emphasis mine).

I'm seeking God about something recently and as I was doing my QT today, this verse popped out at me. Both KJV and NKJV used the word "banished" and "expelled".

I checked the Merriam-Webster dictionary and both words have similar meaning. Indeed, both the Common English Bible and NIV agrees with this when the same verse is printed as "... a BANISHED person does not remain BANISHED from him" (2 Sam 14:14b NIV, emphasis mine).

We, being unholy and with our own "merits", cannot be near the Holy God. But the verse speaks clearly about something: that God so love you and me, even though He (being the Creator) does not need to, but yet He works to make a way for us, so we will not remain away from Him.

"... he devises ways so that a banished person does not remain banished from him". (2 Sam 14:14b NIV). So it's not a permanent banishment or exile; there is a way to return.

The Message version of the same verse says "... He works out ways to get the EXILE back" (MSG, emphasis mine). The word "exile", interestingly, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary has a component which the words "banish" and "expel" do not have. According to the dictionary, "exile" is both passive (i.e. to be exiled) as well as active (voluntary on our part). And so it is, in the spiritual realm, we can both actively and passively exile ourselves from God's kingdom whenever we sin.

But here comes the equation: God works to provide the means to be out of exile but how do we appropriate it? What do we do about it? Have you done your part of the "work" to draw near to God and grow in His mercy and grace? Do you take His mercy and grace for granted?

For those who have yet to receive Christ, God shows the way through Christ. For those who have accepted Christ, God gives His Holy Spirit, conviction and His word to keep us walking well. So we are without excuse.

The bible warns us with the parable of the ten virgins (Matt 25:1-13). The Kingdom of God is like that and we can choose to be like the five wise virgins (some commentaries believe these are the equivalent of modern day bridesmaid) who was always ready for the arrival of the bridegroom or the five foolish virgins who was not diligent and not prepared. The result: they missed the banquet, the bridegroom and was kept outside.

If Christ comes today, how ready are you?

About Hell

Let's discuss about something that people don't like to talk about but yet it's worth having a discourse over it, so we have the right perspective about hell.

There are things we will never fully understand but yet I believe that there are things that God makes plainly clear to us.

So let's start to process a little...

What makes hell so bad is not God. It's precisely the opposite - His absence.

You may say, "Hell is on earth." This is only partially true because there is still a lot of good on earth. Thank God we get a probationary period on earth where we get to see a little bit of Heaven and a little bit of hell, and get to choose which one we want for eternity.

And some of us may think that ending our lives might be the best way to escape. God gave us life and asked us not to murder, this shows how serious He is about life. And so when we kill ourselves, we are throwing the life God gave us away. So suicide is not the way God prescribed.

In fact, God loves us so much and does not want any of us to go there (hell) and He gave us the Solution.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16 NKJV)

It's not God sending people to hell. It's the devil who snatches every sinner as his own possession.

No. People don't go to hell just because they don't believe in Jesus. People die and go to hell, first and foremost, because they are sinners and chooses to remain as sinners. People get confused why a loving God would send them to hell. But the truth is that God DID provide the solution, Jesus Christ.

Jesus proclaimed in gospel: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6 NKJV). Coming to the Father also would mean going into the presence of the Holy God, Heaven.

In summary..,
God is holy thus the place where God is, Heaven, is holy.

Conversely, the place where God is not present, hell, is unholy.

Everyone is a sinner and cannot attain righteousness by their own.

He is not unloving to send us to hell.

If indeed you believe God exist, He loves us so much He did not leave us clueless.

With suffering on earth, God is giving us a glimpse of heaven and hell on earth and is pointing us to the Solution. Suicide is not the way because it mocks the life that God gave in the first place.

He DID provide a solution because we can never be right before God no matter how we try.

God provided a Savior to take upon Him the punishments that we deserve for our sins so we, when we accept the solution and the work done my Jesus on the cross, we can be right again with God, repent and dwell where God is, Heaven.

And meanwhile, though life is difficult on earth, it can be filled with God's presence and peace during trials, joy, purpose, provision, protection etc.

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10b NKJV)

This is the reason why Jesus came: You. You dwelling with God.

Am I Self Righteous?

Life Checkpoint: if you were to die in the next hour, how sure are you that you will go to heaven? When God sees you in heaven and asks why He should let you in, what would you say?

God has given us a heart and head to know what is sinful and what is not, regardless if we are Christ followers or not. The ten commandments, or for that matter, even if we were to just look at a few of the commandments, asking us not to murder (even in the mind when we are angry), not to commit adultery (even in the mind when we lust), not to bear false witness or lie (regardless of the reason), not to steal and to honor our father and mother; these itself provide us with a yardstick to know we cannot keep it apart from God's help.

No wonder, when the rich young man came to ask Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus gave him an opportunity to examine his life (see Matt 19:16-22, Mark 10:17-22, Luke 18:18-23).

Think about it, it's impossible for a rich young man to not have broken God's commandments because man is fallen. But the rich young man's response was "I've kept all these from my youth". Apparently, the man was using his own yardstick, which is lower than God's. But Jesus loved him (Mark 10:21) and gave him another chance to examine his life honestly. He asked him to sell all he had, give to the poor and follow Him. It was a heart's test as Jesus was trying to bring him to a checkpoint in life for his own yardstick. Jesus did this to expose his true love for money above love for God, and by that he broke the first, second and tenth commandment to love God, to not worship any idol (including idol of money) and not to covet.

A lot of times, we can be self-righteous and think that we are there. But the painful truth is that we are NOT there. Heaven is a place of holiness and God is holy. He cannot allow anything that is unholy to enter. It is no longer about how much or less sinful one is over others because ALL are sinners. It is about how we allow God to come into our sinful lives to turn things around through Jesus Christ.

When we are self-righteous, we think we have reached there but in truth we have missed the Holy God's mark. Paul, the person who wrote most of the new testament, who we will thought is righteous before God, also confessed "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me" (Philippians 3:12). But He (God) provided a way for us, Jesus Christ, who being from God and sinless, took the punishment for our sins and died on our behalf. The bible says that the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23) (first physical and then eternal death in hell). But Jesus came to take that death. Now you understand how God loves you and wants you to have nothing to do with eternal death from Him.

The solution: turn away from self-righteousness, know that there is no other way to be right with God expect through the One He sent. If you have yet to, accept Him into your life as Savior and also Lord. Invite a Christian friend to take you through the sinner's prayer with you because there is power in the spoken word. Just like in a marriage, the couple can know that they love each other so much but until they verbalize "I Do", the marriage is not valid.

There is power in the spoken word because, even God spoke the world into being (see Gen 1), let alone us who can speak to our situation. I have recently come to realise in my healing and wholeness, there is indeed power in verbalizing my forgiveness. Until that healing session, I had thought I have forgiven some people until I spoke the forgiveness. Somehow, when we proclaim, our spirit, soul (which includes the mind) and body agrees. So speak it.

Now that you have accepted Jesus as Savior, He has cleansed you of the eternal death that plagues you with your sins. But while you are still alive, you cannot continue in your sin. Jesus said to the adulteress woman "Go and sin no more (John 8:11). He will also be Lord of your life as He shows you how to live righteously, just as He Himself lived while walking on this earth alive, and now in our lives, through the Holy Spirit. Yes, we will fall into sin again but keep coming back to God, repent truthfully and allow Him to work in your life. But do not take His grace for granted and keep sinning, mocking God.

So, if you were to die in the next hour, how sure will you be you will be in heaven? What would you say if God asks you why He should let you into heaven?

God's Model for Salvation

There's a problem with evangelism in modern day Christianity. Many may say "you won't ever find true happiness and peace until you have Jesus", but some pre-believers may not understand that when all is going well. Some may say "you have a God-shaped void in you heart" which again puzzles pre-believers. While some may go through trials and accept God or say the sinner's prayer, the result is that he or she may not fully understand the decision he/she made and will soon fall away.

Think about a doctor, he might know what a patient is suffering from and prescribe a treatment but if the patient do not know what they are suffering from and hence the need of treatment, it is little wonder they may stop treatment.

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (John 1:17 NKJV)

The way God evangelized was to give the law first then grace next. The law reveals the problem man has and how there's no hope self-medicating, no matter how we try. Grace and truth through Jesus reveals the answer. No wonder Paul wrote in Romans that he would not know what sin is except with the Law. Elder Freddy Boey once gave an example that unless the law and road sign says speeding beyond a certain limit is unlawful, we will not know that it's unlawful.

But often times, when sharing the gospel, we miss out the condition and prescribe the treatment. Or worst, we do things in reverse, we share about grace to pre-believers and then pound believers with the law, which then some will see it as being legalistic and fall away.

When there's no conviction by the Law, there's no repentance and without repentance, people may not come to fully understand God's grace. That's God's order. The old testament leads to the new.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NKJV). We have all lied, stole, had unholy thoughts towards others, dishonored our parents at one point in time or another. God's commandments gave awareness of what is wrong and show that by ourselves, we are condemned to never be able to enter holy heavens and into His presence. But this godly awareness will lead us to God's salvation plan, Jesus.

May God give us the prompting and sensitivity by His Holy Spirit as we minister to pre-believers, to help them understand their need for God's salvation. May we REALLY save one more for Jesus.

Writing inspired by "From Buddha to Jesus" by Steve Cioccolanti

Feel Be Filled

 

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Imagine a jar that is made to fill salt but instead you forcefully fill it with large, jagged and heavy rocks. Before long, cracks develop and the jar threatens to fall apart. And we start wondering why this is so.

We are intricately created and woven together by God as an amazing being (science attests to that); created you in such a way that only a TRUE and MEANINGFUL relationship with God can fill the void in life. However, we, myself included, sometimes choose to have relationship (often times ungodly ones) with people and things. We fill it with people who seem but cannot meet our real needs, activities/things that seem to temporarily meets the need or numbs it. It's no wonder things come crumbling down sooner or later, just because it's just not meant to be that way.

Try all you may but go back to your Creator and Daddy God because ONLY He knows and can fill you. Man are fallible and will fail you. Activities and things are but temporal and, well, just things. You have only one life to make the right choice for eternity. Live it well and come back to God and be filled in just the right way.

"We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.
We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed". (2 Corinthians 4:7-9 NLT)

God has been trying to get your attention and stands in the doorway to receive you in His arms, no matter you have yet to come to Him or have once came to Him but now far away. Here you have nothing that you need to prove about yourself and is where you CAN be accepted.

"But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him". (Luke 15:20 NKJV).

Feel be filled.

"What do you want Me to do for you?"

Jesus asks "What do you want Me to do for you?" (Mark 10:36,51). In two separate occasions, people approached Jesus to ask of Him in Mark 10:35-52.

"... how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:11b NKJV).

Daddy God longs to give good things to you; provisions, spiritual and emotional wholeness, health. All we need do is ask of Him what will please His heart to give, simply because He grants good gifts for us to grow in His glory; according to how we ought to be in Him.

In Mark 10, James and John asked to sit at the left and right of Jesus but to which He replied that it is not for Him to grant but by the Father. But in verse 46-52, a blind man comes to Jesus and was healed. Not only by God but also by his own faith.

Ask the Father for what would please His heart to give and exercise faith. It pleases Him to give you good gifts. Keep asking because, God loves you.

"... God is faithful... For the Son of God, Jesus Christ... was not "Yes" and "No," but in him it has always been "Yes." For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:18-20 NIV).

Has the Lord given you a promise? As I read this morning, I sensed from the Lord His reminder that nothing that the Lord spoken will not come to pass i.e. what He says He will do He will do. So trust in Him. If in Samuel, what the Lord spoke of Eli's house, who displeasured Him, came to pass, let alone His good promises that He gives you. He will bring it to pass. Hold on to His promises. The loving Father God has good plans and promises for you and me.

Chopsticks or Drumsticks

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Reflection: I saw a youth walking around with two sticks in his hands. Though they look like chopsticks, I knew they are drum sticks. But had I not known about drums, it would have puzzled me why he is walking around with chopsticks.

And I started to come to appreciate how God loves you and me. Do you know that He loves you, and you have been blessed to be able to know Him and now understand His love in your life?

"For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ". (2 Cor 4:6 NKJV)

It is God who chose you and me and gave us revelation of who He is. And after He shoned this light, and we responded in faith, we are no longer blinded. We no longer need see drum sticks as chopsticks, which is indeed puzzling to see someone walking around with. God revealed Himself to us.

"At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Cor 5:16, 17 NLT).

The question now is that: with God revealing Himself so plainly to us, what is your response to Him through your life, if indeed you believe in Him? Are you indeed living that new life God gave you?

In Matt 11:12-26, we catch a glimpse of what kind of life pleases the Lord and what kind displeases Him. A life of unfruitfulness, of defiling His sacred temple (our bodies) displeases Him greatly, while a life of faith and of forgiveness, which He spoke of, pleases Him.

What is your response through your life?

Our reactions is and must be congruent with our revelation.

No Sin is Righteous

Therefore “Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you.” “I will be a Father to you, And you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:17, 18 NKJV)

David has been described as a person after God's heart. And the verse above sheds light why this is so. Even though David has sinned, but his heart continues to seek to depart from what is unholy and unrighteous.

"I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness." (Psalm 101:3, 4 NKJV).

Sin is sin. Unholiness is unholiness, regardless the reason. In 1 Sam 15, God gave victory to King Saul but mentioned that he is to destroy all. Not because God is sadistic but because He loves His children and know that they will be corrupted if corruption is allowed to remain. But Saul greatly displeased God and did not destroy all. Even though he gave the reason that the best is left for sacrifice to God and tried to put the blame on his people, God sees the heart and was greatly displeased, to the extent of rejecting Saul. God cannot be mocked and no reason, even if it is to be used as worship and sacrifice to the Lord, is acceptable for sin. Sin is sin and God is holy. Reasoning and blaming won't help.

Perhaps that is what sets David from Saul; not that David never sinned but his heart was tender towards God and sought to depart from unholiness so that God can be pleased to call him His child. This is how much God loves you to want you to stray from Him.

Paul says "We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain". (2 Corinthians 6:1 NKJV).

"For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7b NKJV)

What aspects of your life do you need change so God will be pleased with you? Reasoning won't help.

Vengeance is Whose?

Life Checkpoint: Do you have in your life some unresolved issues where someone has wronged you and you feel great distress whenever you think of him/her? Do you think "how dare him/her after all I have done? I don't deserve this!" if so, I sensed from my quiet time to share this with you.

Recently in my healing and wholeness, I have also come to realise I have unresolved hurts that held on to and literally controlled my life. But that has been dealt with. Yesterday, was just chatting with someone on what it means to forgive and forget. And as I read from 1 Sam 24 & 25, I sense God teaching me on it. In 1 Sam 24, we see how David (who was pursued by King Saul for his life, though for no wrongdoing of David's) had an opportunity to kill Saul but yet he did not. But yet in the next chapter, he encountered Nabal who was insolent to him when he asked for food for his people and he refused, mocking him saying that he (Nabal) does not know who David is. This after all the kindness that David has shown to Nabal's shepherds. Unlike in the previous chapter, David got angry and arose with his men to want to kill him, only to be stopped by Nabal's wife who stopped him midway and reasoned with him. To which David, finally realising it, said that her advice is good and stop him from needless bloodshed and taking vengeance in his own hands (1 Sam 25:33).

And we read on that Nabal was struck dead by the Lord ten days later and King Saul was dead some time after. God has indicated 3 times in the bible, both old and new testament that vengeance is His.

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but  rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. (Rom 12:19 NKJV)

Why does the Lord requires that we leave vengeance to Him? I could only think its because God does not want us to even entertain evil in our lives and have our lives wrecked by it.

In the words of King David, ‘Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.’ (1 Sam 24:13a NKJV). When we hold on to unresolved bitterness, we allow wickedness and evil into our lives.

In the word of Nabal's wife, "don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance" (1 Sam 25:31a)

God sees the heart and is more concerned of your heart, not wanting it to unnecessarily be filled with malice, hatred, bitterness, which is not of Him and which wrecks your life. If you do have these unresolved issues, think about how it's eating you and your life up. When we let go and let God, we are trusting in His good time things will work for good for you who follow His way. God will deal with it. Not letting go to God is not trusting God and wanting to run your own life. His purposes for you are always good.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28 NKJV)

God is not asking you to let go of your bitterness but to let go to Him and let God take over so you can be pure. He judges.

God's Antivirus Version U

Reading God's word is just like installing an antivirus on your computer.

New computers may come with no antivirus or with limited antivirus. In the same way, when we come into the world, we might not have the knowledge of the Word of God (the Word of God is always with and around us) or we might have it (though in a limited way) while we were growing up in a Christian family.

However, there are always people who wants to wreck havoc in our lives and create viruses. And new viruses are added each day. In the spiritual realm, satan does that. While some links, softwares and pirated warez looks tempting and nice, it has an army of viruses waiting behind to do the damage it has been programmed for.

It is thus crucial that we find the right antivirus and that's not the end; we need ensure it is updated so when a new virus tries to enter our system, we can nip it in its bud and/or clean it. God gives this antivirus and it's His word and it's free. No need for annual subscription to renew license, it's free.

Do you have the right antivirus software and are you updating it to deal with new challenges? If not, it's little wonder that damage is sometimes done and systems can halt and jam and even die.

And even though you do not have antivirus, are on a much limited antivirus, have not updated it and/or have been infected, there's nothing that God's antivirus cannot rectify and it's never too late to install the right one and update it to God's antivirus.

Satan longs to disarm us of God's antivirus or to have us stop updating it as he throws old tricks (new packaging) at us.

God's Word is a gateway which prevents unnecessary infection, and even though infection has taken place, He can rectify it because the Programmer created you and gave the antivirus; His word.

No wonder it's called B.I.B.L.E: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17 NKJV)

Which Sorrow? My Testimony (Coming Out of Depression)

2 Corinthians 7:10-11 (NIV)

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

This morning, as I did my quiet time, I came across this passage. And it seems that God was trying to capture my attention as one part of the passage sprung out to me. As I read the verses again, I sensed God telling me that sorrow is always here with us, because we live in a fallen world and simply because we are created by Him to have emotions. No matter how much we try, even with our very best, to avoid sorrow and regardless of what others tell us about being able to escape sorrow when we choose to be happy, the truth is: sorrow is here to stay. And I am sure, as you are reading this, God may bring to mind periods where you have been through sorrow, over something which may have happened to you, over a loss or even over someone else. We need to face the truth and come to terms that sorrow is normal because we are just not robots with no emotions. The difference though is the kind of sorrow: Godly and worldly sorrow.

Some of you may not know but I have been battling with depression for the last few months. It has been a rough year since July 2011. The year saw me preparing for my wedding and renovations of our new home and being stressed out by all the decisions that need to be made for it, facing my dad’s diagnosis of advanced stage lung cancer in August 2011 and coupled with it, the uncertainty of how we are going to cope with it physically, emotionally and financially, striving to understand all the medical jargons being spewed out to me and trying to stand tall to make decisions about care plans for my dad and also for his treatment, shuttling to and from work and hospital to accompany my dad, facing the news of the death of my wife’s beloved grandfather, subsequently dealing with my unexpected but eventual departure of my dad due to pneumonia, facing news of my wife being diagnosed with large fibroids and requiring surgery, facing the unexpected and sudden death of my cousin who we have reconnected back just a few months back before my dad’s passing on and so on. And all this while, I was running low in my “tank” and on my strength while trying to cope with worrying and ministering to people in ministry, while trying to deal with past hurts in ministry and previous work stints, cope with work, worrying about health problems that surface one after another in the last few months and also negative thoughts in my mind that I am unworthy. Yes, by the time my cousin passed away suddenly in April 2012, I found myself starting to crumble under pressure. My depression was starting to worsen and I found myself being dazed, had no interest in anything, had an insatiable appetite, was quiet and at times and had wanted to even break down and cry when I am alone and outside. Life was getting too difficult to bear and even though I had no courage to commit suicide, I remember praying before sleep that God will just take me away in my sleep that I can be far away from all these. Have you felt this way before?

I asked God what have I done to have to go through all these? But even though with that being said, I still trusted God because He had seen me through many trials in the past before and has revealed Himself real as He worked in my life in many miraculous ways. Trust me, if you live my life, you will know what I mean. There are many miracles and blessings that just shows God is real. I held on to God and He continue to bring me much assurance of Him being with me.

And some of His assurances are captured in my thanksgiving journal, beginning at the church camp on 8 Jun 2012:

Even though with all the assurance, I did not quite understand why I was going through all these.

At first, I thought that it might have been spiritual attacks because just before my depression told a dive for the worse in end May when my cousin passed away suddenly, I received two unique experiences and knew that the Lord might be calling me to a greater works:

So, in my heart, up till the time of my first Healing & Wholeness session last Saturday (14 Jul), I had sensed that it might be spiritual attack from Satan.

However, as I read the verse from 2 Corinthians 7:10-11 above, I sensed that God is also telling me that He needed to work with me as a person to prepare me for greater works.

On 11 Jul 2012, I wrote these words in my devotional as God impressed on my heart that morning:

As I read it , yes, it does speak of abundant life in God in this fallen world, but more so, it made me realise that God was doing 2 things here to me: (1) Asking me to go back to the source of abundant life; Him and not anyone else and (2) Growing me as a person.

In fact, I have so focused on verse 2 about trials that I forgot about verses 3-4 which says: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing”.

And today, going back to 2 Corinthians 7:10-11, it is as if God bringing me full revelation of what He wanted me to learn and that sorrow has been but an instrument of perfecting me. Indeed, I felt spoken to that there are two kinds of sorrow: worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. One brings life and one brings death. Sorrow apart from God or worldly sorrow, can make us feel so hopeless and brings physically, spiritual and psychological death but godly sorrow drives us towards God, towards Hope.

Look at how the Message bible puts it:

Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

I thank God that in my distress, I had not let go and continue to seek Him. And yes, surprising to some, God allows distress to sometimes bring us to our knees to come back to Him and rely on Him. And we HAVE the choice to turn our sorrow, which is unavoidable in life, to godly sorrow or worldly sorry. What is the Lord telling you in your sorrow?

I used to interpret verse 10 as only for those who have yet to know God, but today God shows me that, in fact, we all need to repent from our imperfect ways and when sorrows come into the picture, God can use it to turn us around.

I thank God for how He brought me back to Isaiah 41:9-10 just as I prepare to facilitate worship with Min Qin, Joyce and Joshua for the first time with the young adults in my church last Friday (13 Jul). God reminds me that I am in His hands. He had given me this verse a few years back when I was going through another rough patch, which I overcame and grown from it.

The Lord says (Isaiah 41:9-10 NIV):

I took you from the ends of the earth,
    from its farthest corners I called you.
I said, ‘You are my servant’;
    I have chosen you and have not rejected you.
10 So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

How do I know that God has turned things around for me? Frankly, as I type this, I do not know what lies ahead me (no one knows) but then what surprised me is that how God quickly turned things around over just 2 hours. I had been depressed and getting increasingly depressed over the last 1 year but over just 2 hours at the Healing & Wholeness counselling session, God turned things around. It has to be God! And I know that God is holding my hand no matter what.

I leave the depression behind knowing and confirming once again God is real in my life and that I only need get my love and source of life from Him and not anyone else or anything else. I lost my dad but I now can rely on my Daddy God.

And so God says and reminds in closing:

2 Corinthians 7:11 (MSG)

And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart..

May this bless you and encourage you to look to God in your sorrow. Stop running away from sorrow but allow God to work in your sorrow as you turn your worldly sorrow into godly sorrow which brings hope.

The Source of Abundant Life

THE ABUNDANT LIFE

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. (John 10:10 NKJV)

"John 10:10 also reminds us of how much God treasures His creation, in that Christ came so that man might experience abundant life."

THE TRIALS

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1:2 NIV)

PLAYGROUND OR BATTLEFIELD?

The verse says "whenever" not "if" we face trials. There is a certainty there is trials. As Christ followers, we need realize that this abundant life is lived in a real world filled with pain, rejection, and failure. Therefore, experiencing the abundant life God intends for us does not mean that our lives will be problem-free. On the contrary... the abundant life is the experience of God's love, forgiveness, peace and power in the midst of those problems. So it's not surprising, as to some, that it's a battlefield everyone of us, pre-believers included, need go through. The only difference is which kingdom are you in and who is your general leading you? It's a battlefield, not a playground.

WHERE TO BEGIN: THE SOURCE

And for those struggling with self esteem, like me, the reminder is that the biblical concept of it is not that one feel worthy or good but that of an accurate perception of ourselves based on God's truth. There's no need to prove ourselves. "We must understand this hunger for self worth is God-given and can only be satisfied by Him. Our self worth is not dependent on our ability to earn the fickle acceptance of people but rather it's true source is the love and acceptance of God. He created us. He alone knows how to fulfill all of our needs".

Go to the source.

Article inspired by "The Search for Significance" by Robert S. McGee