Glenn Lim, spoke at my church youth service last saturday. It's been a while since i last saw him at Sonicedge cell. He was one of those guys who inspired me to join prisons. His life testimony is amazing, of how God redeemed his life from the pits of drugs, rebellion and despair, to make him who he is today. He's recently published a book entitled 'Wake Up Call', do get a copy of it to read! It's inspiring :)
He shared from Matthew 6:21
"For there where your treasure is, there your heart will be also"
Where you spend your time and your money, will show clearly where your heart lies. Whenever I'm out, I never fail to realize that a lot of people around me are engrossed with their handphones, ipods, palm, and now, the latest PSP. It seems that people can't be still, that we need to be 'entertained' every minute, every moment. We're not comfortable with silence. Music is good. But when we become dependent on it, it becomes bad. The same thing applies for almost every good thing. As John Piper puts it, the greatest enemy of hunger for God is not poison but apple pie - it is not the banquet of the wicked that dulls our appetite for heaven, but endless nibbling at the table of the world. It is not the X-rated video (for most of us at least...), but the prime-time dribble of triviality we drink in every night. For all the ill that Satan can do, when God describes what keeps us from the banquet table of his love, it is a piece of land, a yoke of oxen, and a wife (Luke 14:18-20). The greatest adversary of love to God is not his enemies but his gifts. And the most deadly appetites are not for the poison of evil, but for the simple pleasures of earth. For when these replace an appeitie for God himself, the idolatry is scarcely unrecognizable. The pleasures of life and the desires for other things are not evil in themselves. These are gifts of God. They are our basic meat and potatos and coffee and gardening and reading and decorating and traveling and investing and tv-watching and internet-surfing and computer-gaming and shopping and exercising and collecting and talking. But beware that all of them can become deadly substitutes for God.
For example, Glenn shared that guitar was his 'god' at some point in his life, he had a collection of more than 50 guitars, and a terrific guitar player to say the least, but he realized that this had taken our God's rightful place. So he had to surrender it to God and die to it. Believe it wasn't an easy choice but he still did it, and i believe God rewarded and honoured him for his obedience.
We make choices every day. All of our choices are based on our values, from what to wear, to what we say, to what we do, the moral choices that we make each day. We can choose Jesus or we can choose to turn away and ignore Him. Today we can choose Jesus but tomorrow we can choose not. It's a moment by moment decision to follow Jesus. That's why Jesus told us to take up our cross daily.
Realized that i've still not let go of some 'things' dear to me, not as easy as i thought... Sometimes i feel like the singer of the song 'iris'. But believe i'm not the only one; so yeah, if you're feeling this way, you're not alone if that helps...
Take care and may the Lord show His mercy to you each day.
Learning to Walk on Water
Sea of Galilee, Israel
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
On Healing
Lately I've been thinking on the issue of healing. If God can heal people supernaturally, why is there a need for doctors? When I go for those healing rallies, i can't help but doubt of the surety of healing. Don't get me wrong, I do believe that God can and does heal today. There are many people who can testify to this. But I also think that God doesn't heal all the time, for various reasons. Most of which we may not understand. And guess at times God can use medicine to 'heal' people as well.
I heard the testimony of an energetic and bright young man who was on his way to a bright future as a doctor, when he was struck with polio and paralyzed from the waist down. He was a christian at that time, and he did everything he could to be healed. He went to the doctors, he prayed, went for healing rallies, he tried everything, but still could not be healed. One day while he was praying by himself in his room, God showed him Psalm 147:9-11
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
He got his answer. From then on, he didn't seek to be healed, but instead, God used him to heal others! What do you know, a man in a wheelchair who can't 'heal himself' but instead heals others (through God's power of course).
This man is Dr William Tan, an outstanding neurosurgeon and wheelchair athlete.
Many people would think this is an irony, or maybe even a joke. But I believe there's an important lesson to learn from this. God does not always answer our prayers the way we want Him to, but we can still trust in His goodness. He can turn what seems like a tragedy into something beautiful, if we give it to Him.
I heard the testimony of an energetic and bright young man who was on his way to a bright future as a doctor, when he was struck with polio and paralyzed from the waist down. He was a christian at that time, and he did everything he could to be healed. He went to the doctors, he prayed, went for healing rallies, he tried everything, but still could not be healed. One day while he was praying by himself in his room, God showed him Psalm 147:9-11
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his delight in the legs of a man;
the LORD delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
He got his answer. From then on, he didn't seek to be healed, but instead, God used him to heal others! What do you know, a man in a wheelchair who can't 'heal himself' but instead heals others (through God's power of course).
This man is Dr William Tan, an outstanding neurosurgeon and wheelchair athlete.
Many people would think this is an irony, or maybe even a joke. But I believe there's an important lesson to learn from this. God does not always answer our prayers the way we want Him to, but we can still trust in His goodness. He can turn what seems like a tragedy into something beautiful, if we give it to Him.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Nostalgic
Today I went to Changi Airport for lunch with my collegues. I walked past the arrival hall, the same place where I had walked through just 3 months ago. The scene of family and friends waiting for their loved one(s) to come home, the luggages and all, reminded me of those carefree days.
Where are the days of old
When things were simpler
It’s kinda different now
Now I understand
Why Peter Pan didn’t to grow up
I’m grown up now
Or trying to rather
There is a season for everything
To be thankful for and make the best of the present
Cherish the past
And hope for the future
Is what I’m learning to be
Where are the days of old
When things were simpler
It’s kinda different now
Now I understand
Why Peter Pan didn’t to grow up
I’m grown up now
Or trying to rather
There is a season for everything
To be thankful for and make the best of the present
Cherish the past
And hope for the future
Is what I’m learning to be
Monday, November 05, 2007
7 Laws for Life
I went for a seminar by CWR (Crusade for World Revival) over the weekend. The speaker was Mick Brooks, the guy who took over Selwyn Hughes, the founder of CWR. Selwyn wrote the daily devotional “Every Day with Jesus” amongst many other things. He was an inspiring writer and speaker. He went to be with the Lord earlier this year.
The seminar was based on Selwyn’s book “The 7 laws of spiritual success”. It was one of those “I’ve heard before and I know” foundational teachings, but I still need to hear them again once in a while. I guess it’s like repairing the foundations of the building when it gets worn out. Here’s to share with you guys what I took home from it. I pray it encourages and refreshed you just as it did for me =)
Why are they spiritual “LAWS”? Why not sth which sounds less serious/ harsh like “principles” or sth along those lines… That question came to my mind too. No one likes laws. Especially in Singapore, when it seems that laws restrict our freedom and all. But perhaps we can see it this way. Just as physical laws govern the physical universe, spiritual laws govern the spiritual realm. We cannot deny or go against the law of gravity, if we do (e.g. try jumping off a 30-storey building), we will be in big trouble. When we go against laws, we are not actually breaking the law per se, but we break ourselves on them. Laws are reliable, unchangeable and provide order for the universe. Laws are always there, they are not created, they are just discovered.
Before I go into the 7 laws that govern spiritual success, let us define what success is. Everyone, in whatever role we take up in life, wants to be successful but there is a great difference between the way the world sees success and the way God sees it. Well, Success in spiritual terms is KNOWING the will of God and DOING it.
At Selwyn’s 70th birthday, he sat down and asked himself: what have I learnt in the many years I have been a follower of Christ? He came up with a list of between 40 to 50 things, which he narrowed them down (thankfully) to these 7 things, which he believes are absolutely essential to living an effective and successful Christian life.
Here they are:
Law #1: Put First things First
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” - Goethe
Man was made primarily to worship our Creator – which is to ascribe due to worth to what we value most.
Why Worship? Bcos… In worship…
1. God communicates His presence to us
2. We demonstrate and develop trust in God
3. We are saved from egoism.
Worship is to precede work. However, we often get these two things in the wrong order. We are too concerned about the cause of Christ than Christ Himself.
The central focus of the Christian life is not what we do for Him but what He has done for us (Clarification: What we do for Him is important, but it shouldn’t be the central focus)
Law #2: Develop the Attitude of Gratitude =)
1. Look for the good in everything – Ever heard of the silver lining behind the cloud?
2. Choose to thankful. Praising God is an action of the will.
3. Give thanks in everything – Yup, even in bad times.
Law #3: Keep on Keeping On (i.e. Don’t give up! Persevere in difficult circumstances)
In the christian walk, people give up bcos of various reasons:
1. Trials and troubles – John 16:33 tells us that we will face troubles, but Jesus tells us not to fear bcos He is greater than our troubles. Also, James 1:2 tells us to count it pure joy when we face troubles, bcos it moulds our character.
2. Doubts about the faith – to doubt is not sin. It is normal to have doubts. But we need to confront and anchor them in Scripture.
3. Persecution – Jesus said that we will face persecution if we are true followers of His, but He said that this temporary suffering is nothing compared to the glory in Heaven, so we must be ready to face them with courage, knowing that the Lord understands and will give us strength to face them as well.
4. Falling into sin – Don’t minimize sin or try to justify yourself. Instead, go to God with it and claim His forgiveness. Turn away from the sin and move on. Don’t brood over the past.
Law #4: Remember to Forget (i.e. Choose to Forgive)
“He who cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass” – George Herbert
This is something we all struggle with… but these principles might help us:
1. Remember how much we’ve been forgiven – those who has been forgiven much forgive much; those who have been forgiven little, forgive little
2. Deal honestly with lingering resentments – don’t deny the hurt or/and anger. Bring it to God and choose to release it to Him.
3. Beware of the consequences of not forgiving – remember the story Jesus told of the unforgiving debtor.
Law #5: Give Yourself to Others (i.e. To Love Others)
What is love?
One of the greatest definitions of love I have come across if this:
‘Love is moving toward others without self-protection’. Love is becoming vulnerable and being willing to be hurt. To love well is when though perhaps your own heart may be hurting you can move toward others and be more interested in them than you are in yourself.
We are made in the image of God – whose nature is other-centredness – hence we function best when we are more involved in giving than receiving. But bocs of the fall, we’ve become self-centred creatures. Doesn’t take very long for us to realize that… And often it’s difficult to love.
The speaker asked smth which really got me thinking: Why do people get married? Most answers are: for companionship, procreation, to be loved and taken care of, etc. I realised that most of these reasons are very self-centred. Rarely do you hear someone say they get married bcos they want to give themselves to their partner for the rest of their lives.
How can we learn to become more other-centered?
1. Look into the mirror of Christ – the more we look at Jesus the more challenged we will be to act and behave like Him. As you gaze at Him contrast His attitudes and actions with yours. Decide to follow His example.
2. Ask God daily to show you someone you can serve – It can be someone we know or don’t know. Often we miss opportunities to minister to others because we do not have the attitude of serving. Those with a serving attitude see opportunities where others see nothing. I believe in divine appointments. Even a seemingly irritating insurance agent may be an opportunity to witness for Jesus =)
3. Cultivate the art of giving – I once heard that the best cure for selfishness and greed is giving. It’s been tried and proven to be pretty effective!
Law #6: Continual Repentance
Most Christians see repentance as a one-off event during conversion. But repentance is not only the doorway into the Christian life; it is also the way the Christian life is developed and maintained.
What is repentance? Well, it is NOT…
- regret
- remorse (feeling bad about doing wrong)
- reformation (changing behaviour without changing our attitude or heart)
- reparation (making up for the bad we’ve done)
The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which means a change of mind.
A change of mind about what? One may ask….
Ultimately, it is the change of mind about where we find love, our self-worth and significance.
All too often, we try to numb our pain with things such as:
Food, Alcohol, Entertainment (tv, internet, games, movies, enjoying oneself), Material Comforts & Possessions (or what they call retail therapy)
Yet, the only one who can meet our real needs is God.
We need to ask ourselves this important question: Where do I go when the going gets tough? What is my escape route? Who is my comforter?
If the answer to these questions is not God, then we’ve sinned and need to repent before God…
Law #7: Care for Your Soul
Just like a garden which needs to be weeded and watered regularly, our soul needs to be cultivated. In this world, whatever is neglected degenerates. Our soul doesn’t take care of itself. This applies to human relationships as well. What more our relationship with God. Whatever you feed, grow; Whatever you starve, dies.
What is the soul? It comprises of the mind, heart and will.
How do we care for our souls? Spend Time:
1. Studying God’s Word
2. Talking to God in Prayer
3. Develop the art of being Still and Listening
Yup. That is all. I hope you’ve been blessed, inspired and encouraged =)
May we not only listen to the Word, but be Doers of it as well.
Amen!
The seminar was based on Selwyn’s book “The 7 laws of spiritual success”. It was one of those “I’ve heard before and I know” foundational teachings, but I still need to hear them again once in a while. I guess it’s like repairing the foundations of the building when it gets worn out. Here’s to share with you guys what I took home from it. I pray it encourages and refreshed you just as it did for me =)
Why are they spiritual “LAWS”? Why not sth which sounds less serious/ harsh like “principles” or sth along those lines… That question came to my mind too. No one likes laws. Especially in Singapore, when it seems that laws restrict our freedom and all. But perhaps we can see it this way. Just as physical laws govern the physical universe, spiritual laws govern the spiritual realm. We cannot deny or go against the law of gravity, if we do (e.g. try jumping off a 30-storey building), we will be in big trouble. When we go against laws, we are not actually breaking the law per se, but we break ourselves on them. Laws are reliable, unchangeable and provide order for the universe. Laws are always there, they are not created, they are just discovered.
Before I go into the 7 laws that govern spiritual success, let us define what success is. Everyone, in whatever role we take up in life, wants to be successful but there is a great difference between the way the world sees success and the way God sees it. Well, Success in spiritual terms is KNOWING the will of God and DOING it.
At Selwyn’s 70th birthday, he sat down and asked himself: what have I learnt in the many years I have been a follower of Christ? He came up with a list of between 40 to 50 things, which he narrowed them down (thankfully) to these 7 things, which he believes are absolutely essential to living an effective and successful Christian life.
Here they are:
Law #1: Put First things First
“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” - Goethe
Man was made primarily to worship our Creator – which is to ascribe due to worth to what we value most.
Why Worship? Bcos… In worship…
1. God communicates His presence to us
2. We demonstrate and develop trust in God
3. We are saved from egoism.
Worship is to precede work. However, we often get these two things in the wrong order. We are too concerned about the cause of Christ than Christ Himself.
The central focus of the Christian life is not what we do for Him but what He has done for us (Clarification: What we do for Him is important, but it shouldn’t be the central focus)
Law #2: Develop the Attitude of Gratitude =)
1. Look for the good in everything – Ever heard of the silver lining behind the cloud?
2. Choose to thankful. Praising God is an action of the will.
3. Give thanks in everything – Yup, even in bad times.
Law #3: Keep on Keeping On (i.e. Don’t give up! Persevere in difficult circumstances)
In the christian walk, people give up bcos of various reasons:
1. Trials and troubles – John 16:33 tells us that we will face troubles, but Jesus tells us not to fear bcos He is greater than our troubles. Also, James 1:2 tells us to count it pure joy when we face troubles, bcos it moulds our character.
2. Doubts about the faith – to doubt is not sin. It is normal to have doubts. But we need to confront and anchor them in Scripture.
3. Persecution – Jesus said that we will face persecution if we are true followers of His, but He said that this temporary suffering is nothing compared to the glory in Heaven, so we must be ready to face them with courage, knowing that the Lord understands and will give us strength to face them as well.
4. Falling into sin – Don’t minimize sin or try to justify yourself. Instead, go to God with it and claim His forgiveness. Turn away from the sin and move on. Don’t brood over the past.
Law #4: Remember to Forget (i.e. Choose to Forgive)
“He who cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass” – George Herbert
This is something we all struggle with… but these principles might help us:
1. Remember how much we’ve been forgiven – those who has been forgiven much forgive much; those who have been forgiven little, forgive little
2. Deal honestly with lingering resentments – don’t deny the hurt or/and anger. Bring it to God and choose to release it to Him.
3. Beware of the consequences of not forgiving – remember the story Jesus told of the unforgiving debtor.
Law #5: Give Yourself to Others (i.e. To Love Others)
What is love?
One of the greatest definitions of love I have come across if this:
‘Love is moving toward others without self-protection’. Love is becoming vulnerable and being willing to be hurt. To love well is when though perhaps your own heart may be hurting you can move toward others and be more interested in them than you are in yourself.
We are made in the image of God – whose nature is other-centredness – hence we function best when we are more involved in giving than receiving. But bocs of the fall, we’ve become self-centred creatures. Doesn’t take very long for us to realize that… And often it’s difficult to love.
The speaker asked smth which really got me thinking: Why do people get married? Most answers are: for companionship, procreation, to be loved and taken care of, etc. I realised that most of these reasons are very self-centred. Rarely do you hear someone say they get married bcos they want to give themselves to their partner for the rest of their lives.
How can we learn to become more other-centered?
1. Look into the mirror of Christ – the more we look at Jesus the more challenged we will be to act and behave like Him. As you gaze at Him contrast His attitudes and actions with yours. Decide to follow His example.
2. Ask God daily to show you someone you can serve – It can be someone we know or don’t know. Often we miss opportunities to minister to others because we do not have the attitude of serving. Those with a serving attitude see opportunities where others see nothing. I believe in divine appointments. Even a seemingly irritating insurance agent may be an opportunity to witness for Jesus =)
3. Cultivate the art of giving – I once heard that the best cure for selfishness and greed is giving. It’s been tried and proven to be pretty effective!
Law #6: Continual Repentance
Most Christians see repentance as a one-off event during conversion. But repentance is not only the doorway into the Christian life; it is also the way the Christian life is developed and maintained.
What is repentance? Well, it is NOT…
- regret
- remorse (feeling bad about doing wrong)
- reformation (changing behaviour without changing our attitude or heart)
- reparation (making up for the bad we’ve done)
The Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which means a change of mind.
A change of mind about what? One may ask….
Ultimately, it is the change of mind about where we find love, our self-worth and significance.
All too often, we try to numb our pain with things such as:
Food, Alcohol, Entertainment (tv, internet, games, movies, enjoying oneself), Material Comforts & Possessions (or what they call retail therapy)
Yet, the only one who can meet our real needs is God.
We need to ask ourselves this important question: Where do I go when the going gets tough? What is my escape route? Who is my comforter?
If the answer to these questions is not God, then we’ve sinned and need to repent before God…
Law #7: Care for Your Soul
Just like a garden which needs to be weeded and watered regularly, our soul needs to be cultivated. In this world, whatever is neglected degenerates. Our soul doesn’t take care of itself. This applies to human relationships as well. What more our relationship with God. Whatever you feed, grow; Whatever you starve, dies.
What is the soul? It comprises of the mind, heart and will.
How do we care for our souls? Spend Time:
1. Studying God’s Word
2. Talking to God in Prayer
3. Develop the art of being Still and Listening
Yup. That is all. I hope you’ve been blessed, inspired and encouraged =)
May we not only listen to the Word, but be Doers of it as well.
Amen!
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