DevotionTWENTY-SIX: No Pretending
How are u in your walk with God? One sure way to check is to examine your prayer life. You can go to church and do all kinds of 'religious' things, but none ever goes behind closed doors and get on their knees to pretend. Why? Because in your room, you only have the audience of One. Its just you and God and there's no fooling Him!
Matthew 6:5-6
5 And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Isnt is just marvellous that we're able to converse with the King of kings, creator of heaven and Earth, anytime, anywhere without having to make an appointment through some secretary or whatsoever? It gets pretty hard at times to even talk to our lecturers yeah?
Prayer is the truest test of our genuine heart for the Lord. Some may say: "I cant think of enough stuff to pray about. I get alone with God and pray about almost the same things over and over again, like "Bless Uncle John" and "Help me at work today". If u think u're getting bored talking to God, do you think God might feel bored hearing the same things over and over again? :)
To help us remember the things to pray for, we can probably jot them down in our notebook. This may help us to focus.
Others may say, "My problem is that I'll be praying and my mind will wander." Maybe praying aloud then could help u stay focused.
Or some others may also say "I begin to pray, and then I start to doubt." When u experience this, confess to Him your areas of doubt and ask Him to increase your faith. And He will!
Personally, I have fallen into these categories over and over again, like running out of things to say to Him and my mind wandering away just as I begin my prayer. But when I understand that God, who wants us to treat Him as a friend, wants us to tell Him how we feel about the things we experienced each day, and how He wants us to share our problems just as a close friend would want to be there to ease our burdens, so does He! I begin to understand better that prayer isnt like a formal conversation with someone distant, but in fact a conversation with a friend, who is ever so near and present around us.
Have you sensed a growing distance from the Lord or the need to bring some burden before Him that you've been carrying yourself around? Get alone with God. Pour out your heart to Him in faith. If God is talking to you about this, dont wait another moment - James Macdonald.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
devotion25 - World At War
"Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring - those who keep God's commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus. " Rev 12:17
"Enemy occupied territory that is what this world is." - C.S. Lewis
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." - The Usual Suspects.
Western Christianity is, to some extent, a religion with a bit of an identity crisis. There are aspects of Jesus' teaching which have universal appeal and make for an easy sell. Who doesn't want more peace and love in their life? At the same time, there are elements of Christianity which are less pleasant and so we may have a tendency to hide them in the closet and focus on areas where we are more comfortable. We don't want to even think about spiritual warfare, much less do anything about it. Maybe if we pretend it is isn't real, it won't affect us.
That strategy rarely works. Few combatants in war ever wanted to fight but they could not shake off the conflict once it consumed them. Once the shooting starts, all you can do is choose sides. As Aragorn tells King Théoden in The Two Towers, "Whether you would risk it or not, open war is upon you."
There is a war raging all around you at this very moment. Those who oppose God are locked in fierce combat with those who remain ever loyal. We know that God and the forces of good triumph in the end, but that day has not yet come. In the meantime, no one is invulnerable to the effects of this war. We are all casualties and have all been tormented by the evil one's forces.
It would be a mistake to attribute every bad decision or selfish act to the influence of the forces of evil, but worse still would be a steadfast refusal to acknowledge their existence. As you grow in intimacy with God and succeed in doing His work on earth, the more Satan and his forces will rally against you. If you are oblivious to this opposition or its source, you will be ill-equipped to handle it.
The most common tactic the devil will use to torment us is to tell us lies and deceive us. Frequently, we will get the message that we are worthless or that our efforts to serve God are in vain. At its worst, it can sometimes leave you wondering if God even exists at all.
"You're not good enough to pull this off."
"You're nothing but a filthy sinner."
"You're wasting your time."
When you hear that denigrating voice, you must make no agreements with it! You must never allow that voice to lead you down the path of hopelessness and despair. Don't give your tormentor a foothold by thinking, "...maybe I am wasting my time." Recognize it for what it is and demand it to flee.
There is more to spiritual warfare than ignoring Satan's lies. There is an active role for you to play and your contributions are desperately needed. Paul gives us our marching orders in his letter to the Ephesians. He writes,
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:11-17
Paul is not being metaphorical or figurative. Your best defense in this war is truth, righteousness and faith. Your best weapon is the Holy Word of God. How we live, according the principles Jesus taught, provides the best possible protection against the devil's schemes. How we witness and teach the Gospel - how we proclaim the good news of the Word - is a sword which pierces the enemy's heart.
"Enemy occupied territory that is what this world is." - C.S. Lewis
"The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he did not exist." - The Usual Suspects.
Western Christianity is, to some extent, a religion with a bit of an identity crisis. There are aspects of Jesus' teaching which have universal appeal and make for an easy sell. Who doesn't want more peace and love in their life? At the same time, there are elements of Christianity which are less pleasant and so we may have a tendency to hide them in the closet and focus on areas where we are more comfortable. We don't want to even think about spiritual warfare, much less do anything about it. Maybe if we pretend it is isn't real, it won't affect us.
That strategy rarely works. Few combatants in war ever wanted to fight but they could not shake off the conflict once it consumed them. Once the shooting starts, all you can do is choose sides. As Aragorn tells King Théoden in The Two Towers, "Whether you would risk it or not, open war is upon you."
There is a war raging all around you at this very moment. Those who oppose God are locked in fierce combat with those who remain ever loyal. We know that God and the forces of good triumph in the end, but that day has not yet come. In the meantime, no one is invulnerable to the effects of this war. We are all casualties and have all been tormented by the evil one's forces.
It would be a mistake to attribute every bad decision or selfish act to the influence of the forces of evil, but worse still would be a steadfast refusal to acknowledge their existence. As you grow in intimacy with God and succeed in doing His work on earth, the more Satan and his forces will rally against you. If you are oblivious to this opposition or its source, you will be ill-equipped to handle it.
The most common tactic the devil will use to torment us is to tell us lies and deceive us. Frequently, we will get the message that we are worthless or that our efforts to serve God are in vain. At its worst, it can sometimes leave you wondering if God even exists at all.
"You're not good enough to pull this off."
"You're nothing but a filthy sinner."
"You're wasting your time."
When you hear that denigrating voice, you must make no agreements with it! You must never allow that voice to lead you down the path of hopelessness and despair. Don't give your tormentor a foothold by thinking, "...maybe I am wasting my time." Recognize it for what it is and demand it to flee.
There is more to spiritual warfare than ignoring Satan's lies. There is an active role for you to play and your contributions are desperately needed. Paul gives us our marching orders in his letter to the Ephesians. He writes,
Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Eph 6:11-17
Paul is not being metaphorical or figurative. Your best defense in this war is truth, righteousness and faith. Your best weapon is the Holy Word of God. How we live, according the principles Jesus taught, provides the best possible protection against the devil's schemes. How we witness and teach the Gospel - how we proclaim the good news of the Word - is a sword which pierces the enemy's heart.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
DevotionTWENTY-FOUR: Working Together
Have u read the book of Nehemiah (chapter3) before? It can be quite discouraging to come to a chapter like this because it consists largely of unpronounceable names and long-forgotten people! But this chapter tells of a story of the work of repairing the gates and walls of Jerusalem that Nehemiah had been sent to do.
Nehemiah 3:1-10
1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built...5 And next to them the Tekoited repaired, but their nobls would not stoop to serve their Lord...10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite their house.
Wow! Thats really quite a mouthful of names, isnt it?
All through this account, you would have noticed the phrase "next to him" worked so and so, and "next to him" worked others. The writer takes note not only the workers but also the shirkers (those who shirks their responsibility).
Did u know God records slackers too? When people will not take up their ministry, God puts their name down in that column as well.
Notice they also worked near their home. Verse 10: Jedaiah "made repairs opposite his house". Verse 23 tells of certain men who "made repairs in front of their house". So what does this mean?
God has placed us strategically where He wants us to be. Your neighbourhood, office or home is where your ministry should be. That is why God put you there. This is brought out beautifully as we watch these people labouring in their neighbourhood.
Finally each one completed his assigned task. They kept on until they had finished their work. Some had more work to do than the others, but no one failed - except the 'nobles' who would not dirty their hands.
Even as some of us take on certain ministries, we may encounter many difficulties. Like fitting in rehearsal time into our schedule, joining some extra courses to better enable ourselves in teaching / facilitating, working with people we may not feel comfortable with...
I remember sharing with you guys about me taking up this leader role, that I believe God may use it to help me become a more responsible person. Definitely, I had my struggles coming to accept this role as I know this would mean lesser me time.
Have u guys watched Evan Almighty? Morgan Freeman, acting as God, said something like this. If u prayed for family warmth / better relationship, do u think He just gives / bless u with that cozy, fuzzy feeling within your family members? No. He gives u opportunities (situations) that in these situations, the family may work together and so be more closely bonded with one another.
And when Evan prayed that he might be able to change the world, God gave him oppotunities to show / work towards how he may indeed change the world (in a manner Evan never thought or could imagine). That throughout, we notice how God (Morgan Freeman) equips Evan with the relevant tools and even help from the animals when no one was there to support him!
Keep on trusting in Him, and know that where He calls you to He will surely equip you.
Finally, lets continue doing our assigned task till its done, that we know then He is pleased.
I have learnt through the years that responsibility is always the mark of spiritual maturity. The most mature members in a congregation are those who stay with the work that has been assigned to them until it is done. - Ray Stedman
Have u read the book of Nehemiah (chapter3) before? It can be quite discouraging to come to a chapter like this because it consists largely of unpronounceable names and long-forgotten people! But this chapter tells of a story of the work of repairing the gates and walls of Jerusalem that Nehemiah had been sent to do.
Nehemiah 3:1-10
1 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. 2 And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built...5 And next to them the Tekoited repaired, but their nobls would not stoop to serve their Lord...10 Next to them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired opposite their house.
Wow! Thats really quite a mouthful of names, isnt it?
All through this account, you would have noticed the phrase "next to him" worked so and so, and "next to him" worked others. The writer takes note not only the workers but also the shirkers (those who shirks their responsibility).
Did u know God records slackers too? When people will not take up their ministry, God puts their name down in that column as well.
Notice they also worked near their home. Verse 10: Jedaiah "made repairs opposite his house". Verse 23 tells of certain men who "made repairs in front of their house". So what does this mean?
God has placed us strategically where He wants us to be. Your neighbourhood, office or home is where your ministry should be. That is why God put you there. This is brought out beautifully as we watch these people labouring in their neighbourhood.
Finally each one completed his assigned task. They kept on until they had finished their work. Some had more work to do than the others, but no one failed - except the 'nobles' who would not dirty their hands.
Even as some of us take on certain ministries, we may encounter many difficulties. Like fitting in rehearsal time into our schedule, joining some extra courses to better enable ourselves in teaching / facilitating, working with people we may not feel comfortable with...
I remember sharing with you guys about me taking up this leader role, that I believe God may use it to help me become a more responsible person. Definitely, I had my struggles coming to accept this role as I know this would mean lesser me time.
Have u guys watched Evan Almighty? Morgan Freeman, acting as God, said something like this. If u prayed for family warmth / better relationship, do u think He just gives / bless u with that cozy, fuzzy feeling within your family members? No. He gives u opportunities (situations) that in these situations, the family may work together and so be more closely bonded with one another.
And when Evan prayed that he might be able to change the world, God gave him oppotunities to show / work towards how he may indeed change the world (in a manner Evan never thought or could imagine). That throughout, we notice how God (Morgan Freeman) equips Evan with the relevant tools and even help from the animals when no one was there to support him!
Keep on trusting in Him, and know that where He calls you to He will surely equip you.
Finally, lets continue doing our assigned task till its done, that we know then He is pleased.
I have learnt through the years that responsibility is always the mark of spiritual maturity. The most mature members in a congregation are those who stay with the work that has been assigned to them until it is done. - Ray Stedman
Sunday, March 23, 2008
devotion25 - 寶貴十架
Happy Easter Sunday Revs! xD
Today's devotion is simple. Take some time to listen to this song and ponder on the lyrics. Let's go back to the foot of the cross and thank God for all the goodness He has bless us with. Take some moment to thank God for sending His son to die on the cross for us and give us life.
Today's devotion is simple. Take some time to listen to this song and ponder on the lyrics. Let's go back to the foot of the cross and thank God for all the goodness He has bless us with. Take some moment to thank God for sending His son to die on the cross for us and give us life.
主耶穌 我感謝祢 祢的身體為我而捨
帶我出黑暗 進入光明國度 使我再次能看見
主耶穌 我感謝祢 祢的寶血為我而流
寶貴十架上 醫治恩典湧流 使我完全得自由
寶貴十架的大能賜我生命 主耶穌我俯伏敬拜祢
寶貴十架的救恩是祢所立的約 祢的愛永遠不改變
goodnight,kev! xD
Happy Easter Sunday
Dear brothers and sisters, I hope during this holiday you are refresh by our Lord and staying strong in your walk, dwelling in His goodness and blessings. Today, I was in church for the Easter drama that was put up by the youths. It was thought evoking - gospel made real.
Anyway the main thing was that my sister came to church with me. It was the second time she came to my church and it was a great encouragement to me. For the recent months I have seen God working in my family and the ministry that I'm in. I believe God have destined us to be loved by Him and if you have been praying and waiting for the Lord to give an answer for the salvation of your family, DOUBT no further! God will move. God will clear hinderances. God have saved and will continue to save! Our loved ones are in God's list =)
Let's encourage and spur one another to go forth into the world, into the campus, into families and into our love ones in bringing the love of our father into the world =)
Anyway the main thing was that my sister came to church with me. It was the second time she came to my church and it was a great encouragement to me. For the recent months I have seen God working in my family and the ministry that I'm in. I believe God have destined us to be loved by Him and if you have been praying and waiting for the Lord to give an answer for the salvation of your family, DOUBT no further! God will move. God will clear hinderances. God have saved and will continue to save! Our loved ones are in God's list =)
Let's encourage and spur one another to go forth into the world, into the campus, into families and into our love ones in bringing the love of our father into the world =)
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
devotion24: You Never Thoroughly Intended It
I read quite a lot, both for pleasure and for my theological studies. Every so often, I read something that stops me dead in my tracks and affects me so deeply that I have to put the book down and consider what I've just read. No author has done that as powerfully and frequently as C.S. Lewis. Today, I want to share one of those moments with you and explore how we can apply it to our relationship with Jesus. (In fairness, these are not his own words - Lewis was quoting William Law). He wrote:
If you will stop here and ask yourselves why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.
If we consider Christianity to be a life-long journey, then surely the destination is a perfect and complete union with Christ. We begin the journey by not knowing Christ at all and it is complete when we have surrendered to Christ so fully and completely that nothing of ourselves remains.
If we stop to take a look at the things which prevent us from reaching that goal, it will appear that there are hundreds of little things on the journey which block our way. Work, friends, community and family responsibilities all present obstacles. We're so busy!
The truth that Lewis brings to our attention is that there are not many reasons, but rather one simple reason which underlies it all. If you don't have the kind of passion and intimacy in your relationship with Christ that you should then you don't fully intend to. You see, the quality of your relationship with Christ is all in your hands and no one else's. This is not like a marriage where both husband and wife must work to achieve closeness. Christ is and has always been completely accessible and available. He waits patiently for us to take each next step toward Him. You either take the steps or you don't.
Every reason you can imagine for why you have not taken the next step on the journey can be distilled down to one simple fact - you don't want to. There is no secret or magic formula here. It's simple. We come closer to Christ by spending time with Him, reading His word, serving Him and praying. None of us are being physically prevented or restrained from doing these things and so the choice to do them or not to do them is ours alone.
Yet, we do other things instead. We watch TV, put in a little overtime at work, visit with friends or any other myriad of things that are more important to us at that given moment. It's a given that there are things we must do to survive such as eating and working in order to make money to pay for our food and shelter. Jesus understands this. Yet, there is so much that we do not need to do. All that time we could be working on our relationship with Jesus. But we don't.
I'm busy! I have work to do! I'm tired! Wrap the excuse any way you wish and surround it by any reason you like but when you unwrap it, what you will find inside every time is the same basic truth. You don't intend to have a better relationship with Jesus.
The relationship you have with Jesus is exactly the one you want to have. When you want to have a closer, deeper relationship with Him, you will. Nothing in this world can prevent it.
Goodnight Revs,
kev!(:
If you will stop here and ask yourselves why you are not as pious as the primitive Christians were, your own heart will tell you, that it is neither through ignorance nor inability, but purely because you never thoroughly intended it.
If we consider Christianity to be a life-long journey, then surely the destination is a perfect and complete union with Christ. We begin the journey by not knowing Christ at all and it is complete when we have surrendered to Christ so fully and completely that nothing of ourselves remains.
If we stop to take a look at the things which prevent us from reaching that goal, it will appear that there are hundreds of little things on the journey which block our way. Work, friends, community and family responsibilities all present obstacles. We're so busy!
The truth that Lewis brings to our attention is that there are not many reasons, but rather one simple reason which underlies it all. If you don't have the kind of passion and intimacy in your relationship with Christ that you should then you don't fully intend to. You see, the quality of your relationship with Christ is all in your hands and no one else's. This is not like a marriage where both husband and wife must work to achieve closeness. Christ is and has always been completely accessible and available. He waits patiently for us to take each next step toward Him. You either take the steps or you don't.
Every reason you can imagine for why you have not taken the next step on the journey can be distilled down to one simple fact - you don't want to. There is no secret or magic formula here. It's simple. We come closer to Christ by spending time with Him, reading His word, serving Him and praying. None of us are being physically prevented or restrained from doing these things and so the choice to do them or not to do them is ours alone.
Yet, we do other things instead. We watch TV, put in a little overtime at work, visit with friends or any other myriad of things that are more important to us at that given moment. It's a given that there are things we must do to survive such as eating and working in order to make money to pay for our food and shelter. Jesus understands this. Yet, there is so much that we do not need to do. All that time we could be working on our relationship with Jesus. But we don't.
I'm busy! I have work to do! I'm tired! Wrap the excuse any way you wish and surround it by any reason you like but when you unwrap it, what you will find inside every time is the same basic truth. You don't intend to have a better relationship with Jesus.
The relationship you have with Jesus is exactly the one you want to have. When you want to have a closer, deeper relationship with Him, you will. Nothing in this world can prevent it.
Goodnight Revs,
kev!(:
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
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