Run with perseverance!

Don't expect life to be easy on you; If it so, you won't discover the possiblities God has put within you. Therefore, run with perseverance.

Don't think you will always hear His voice in silence; If so, you won't realize that God has actually already put the answers in your heart. Therefore, run with perseverance.

Don't linger on sadness when you experience failure; If everything is about winning, you won't learn that you can actually do some more. Therefore, run with perseverance.

Don't await that someone will always pick you up; If that's the case, you won't find out that God has enabled you to push yourself up. Therefore, run with perseverance.

Don't be surprised when you find yourself alone at times; If they will always be around, you won't really see that above all, God is actually who you need after all. Therefore, run with perseverance.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2, NIV

PERHAPS

After listening to Ptr Paul's message this morning, there's one word that really struck me. It was not the highlight of the message in fact but it came to me like a bomb and the Lord spoke to me through the word -- perhaps!

Perhaps is an expression of some sort of uncertainty yet it's the same word Jonathan used when he called his armour bearer to go up and invade Philistine garrison.

Then Jonathan said to the young man who was carrying his armor, “Come and let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; PERHAPS the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few.” 1 Samuel 14:6, NASB (emphasis added)

Jonathan was not sure yet he moved up in courage. He was not certain yet he took the step. He didn't know what awaited him yet he pursued his destiny. He didn't have any idea of the future but he knew his God!

Not having the full picture is the perfect picture of walking by faith. It is where we discover that God has actually bigger things on mind than what we know.

Perhaps God is just waiting for the same courage from you. Perhaps HE is just waiting for you to take that bold step. Perhaps HE is just asking you to move up and take what is yours. Perhaps HE is teaching you to let go and move towards your promised land. Perhaps HE is just asking you to take your full assurance from who HE is!

Perhaps and many more perhaps. Most of the times, God will not tell you what's on the other line but you wouldn't really know unless you cross it - be bold and embrace!

Thoughts into captivity

“Just because you have a thought, you don’t have to think it… bring every thought into captivity (2 Cor 10:15)” – twitted by Max Lucado

Sometimes the tests will not come in a big wave or strong storm… Sometimes, they come in silence. And sometimes, we just find ourselves wondering and holding tight as changes in life pass us by. Thoughts will keep on knocking into our head for sure and no wonder we always say that our mind is the battleground. It takes so much stillness in our minds and hearts to hear every “hallelujah” our spirit is crying out.

At times, you would feel nobody seem to see the depth of your cry and that every small victory would mean a lot… and that every time you trip, you would just want someone to tap your shoulder and say “it’s ok” or every time you slip, you just long to have someone reminding you how great you have done so far and just let your mistakes fly away.

Oh... sometimes you would ask GOD questions that you yourself know the answer – you just want to blurt it out. And in every silence, sometimes, you would just close your eyes holding on to every encouragement you could find – no matter how small that is. Yet sometimes in finding, you are putting yourself in stickier mud... and so sometimes, doing nothing means doing something.

Sometimes, you know you are neither lonely nor doubting, but you just find yourself seeking to what seem to be missing… and this is one of the moments you would realize that there must be a good reason why GOD’s kingdom must be seek and as promised, those who will seek with all their hearts will find it.

But yeah, bring every thought into captivity… as the enemy is trying to ensnare you away from the stillness of HIS love. This is why we have to renew our mind daily – feed our thoughts with HIS words, fill our hearts with HIS peace.

And when you are back to your senses, you would smile and just say, “yeah, I can be the answer to my own prayer...”

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 ESV

Unfamiliar Road

I remember one time I was talking to myself the things that I'm not really comfortable with and one top of mind answer I had was: "Facing the UNKNOWN". I guess like everyone else, nobody wants to walk the road of uncertainties. We get uneasy knowing we will face things we may not know. 

Yet at the same time, this could also give you the excitement if you will just see it in the eyes of faith. It's turning our question from "God, why am I here?" to "God, what are You teaching me?" 

As I was having my time with God, HE just reminded me of this one basic principle: the gold process. To get pure gold, it has to go under a certain degree of heat... and during this process, the mineral impurities will be separated. Being in the unfamiliar road would make you see what are from God and what are not. In the process, God will show you the impurities of your heart, not to say "you are bad" but a message that "HE is good". HE is that good that inspite of your imperfection, HE has chosen you to reflect His glory... And little would you know, HE is in the process of purifying you for HIS plans that you have never imagined. 

All these "revelations" you have learnt in your years of Christian journey would just be "concepts" and "principles" if they are not tested... If they are not flesh out. Jesus didn't just take the "WORD" wherever He went, HE WAS THE WORD HIMSELF (John 1:1). It's no longer just knowing the principles and taking it wherever we go, it's about living them -  that your words and yourself will be one. It's like when you talk about "grace", that grace itself permeates in your life. When you talk about "self control", that very word will be seen without you saying it. When you talk about "all things are possible", your life itself will show that indeed nothing will hold you back. 

Being in the "unfamiliar road" is the perfect time to take all these "familiar principles" you have known and make it your reality -- your very life message.

Unshakable

“… so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:27, NIV


This came to me like an echo from GOD to my heart. “Unshakeable” is something that separates the disciples from the crowd, the mature ones from the yet to be matured. So when shaking comes – where do you stand? The shakable or the unshakable?

It is no longer a surprise to us that shaking comes – it is no doubt expected. One thing that assures us is that we have received an unshakable foundation, we just have to stand firm and remain steadfast. Nothing in the world can shake the goodness of GOD. No one can even fathom how great HE is – that’s why HE said, “I am who I am” (Exodus 3:14)

“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” Hebrews 12:28, NIV

Be part of the “unshakable”.

The BIGGER WHY

They say, it’s the WHY that will drive you to move forward. It’s the reason behind that gives you the will to take another step. But what if you can’t find the reason? What if you don’t know the purpose why things happened?

I bet many would fall without having a clear understanding of the why.

Then I looked at my heart. What keeps me then going when I don’t understand? I came up with this answer: it’s first knowing the bigger why behind the why. It’s like I aim to give my best at work because I want to be a good testimony or I give because I want to be a blessing to others… but behind all the WHY’s I do things because I am loved by GOD and I love HIM. So if my work will be shaken or how the people will see me, even if I don’t understand, I will keep on keeping on because first, my GOD loves me so much.

I think that’s one big difference from the world. Now I’m having a clearer understanding of the bigger WHY, if you don't have it, you will lose sight of track when everything else fail... when all your whys fail. Everyone needs a strong ground to stand on… something that will never change through all seasons and there’s only one I can think of: HIS love.

So as for me, I’ll keep on declaring, in high or low season, I will praise GOD.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! 
His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1, NLT

The Bigger Blow

When there's crisis in our lives, the tendency is we get weak because we stop what we are doing. But the more we stop, the more the enemy advances. And the more we give in, the more we unconsiously agreeing with the satan's subtle schemes.

Jesus clearly said, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work." (John 4:34). It is in the doing what we should be doing, believing what we should be believing and pursuing what we should be pursuing that we get strengthened. If we stop, we deprive ourselves from eating our spiritual food. And that's like letting the enemy take the upper hand because guess what? The enemy's goal is to steal away that purpose God has given us - he wants to steal that "moment".

Instead, let me share to you one of my principles in my walk with God: when the enemy is trying to steal away my joy, I give the enemy a bigger blow! Whenever he touch my family, I would say, "Alright, I'll get up and encourage more people." Whenever I see his plans advancing, yes there are moments that I will just give myself a break - let all the things out of my chest, cry out to God... but at the same time, I tell the enemy, "Watch out. Once I'm back, I'll definitely give you a bigger blow. I'll preach all the more. I'll excel all the more. I'll lead all the more. I'll love all the more. I'll write all the more. I'll give all the more. I'll give you more bigger blows!"

For this I know, I'm strengthened in living my very purpose!

"Each time He said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me." 2 Cor 12:9, NLT

Because it takes HUMILITY to GROW

Sometimes, it is in this "yeah, I know that" moments that God is actually teaching us BIG time... but learning takes humility. No wonder sometimes kids learn faster. They have lesser understanding of what we call "pride". And no wonder JESUS promotes childlike faith. They don't need logic to fully believe. The best part is, when "pride" takes the upper hand is actually the time we need "humility" the most. Whilst pride plays around selfishness, humility talks about selflessness. Pride capitalizes on "what I think"; humility sees "what HE thinks". 

"He leads the humble in doing right, teaching them HIS way." Psalm 25:9, NLT

Sometimes, we redefine what humility is and only wear it when it doesn't hurt us. Stubbornness blinds us. We indulge too much on what we know instead of what we should do. 

Humility talks about radical surrender, unconditional obedience to God. It is not "OK GOD I'll do this if..." or "I will believe when...". Humility recognizes the nature of God - not just what He already did or can do, but the very nature of HIM who knows so much far better than we do. Humility highlights HIS LOVE. It speaks more than just about trust or faith. It is not merely preaching about peace. It is a state of the heart. 

Humility is behaving like this, "HE must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." John 3:30, NLT

And if we really want to grow, wearing the cloak of humility is definitely a good start.