Do not forget the less fortunate in your own backyard

Do not forget the less fortunate in your own backyard. Sometimes we are so busy with our own lives that we fail to notice those in need around us.

When you lose hope and faith has drained from you

In 94, when I was diagnosed with leukemia, I sat in the hospital bed feeling utterly hopeless and drained of all faith. While flipping through the Bible, God revealed to me a verse in Mark 9: 23,24

²³ “‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

²⁴ Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

The background of the story was that a father had a severely demon possessed son. It was an "impossible" situation for this father. What I really liked was the father's reponse to Jesus : “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” I believe that this statement was the flintstone that resparked his depleated faith.

Many times we are faced with "impossible" situations in our life and we feel totally drained of faith. Remember, we can always turn to God and admit to Him that we have hit rock bottom, our tank is empty and we are running on fumes. May God give you a new spark to relight the fires of your faith!

Visited an eight year old boy suffering from leukemia this week with fellow believers, and prayed with the family. I shared with them how this passage of Scripture sustained me through the next two years of chemotheraphy.

Even now this verse sustains me with a new "impossible" situation that reared its ugly head in my life this week. The Lord reminded me of this same verse as I prayed for this family, and I guess it was for me too. Instead of staying down and depressed, my wife and I began praying and confessing the Word, getting our church elders and close friends to pray with us.

I feel at peace now. “Everything is possible for one who believes.”

Strengthen yourself in the Lord

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. (1 Samuel 30:6 NKJV)

 

While David and his men were away, the enemy swooped in and destroyed their home and carried their wives and children away captive. In the midst of the despair, David turned to the Lord and strengthened (hung on) himself in the Lord. After that he was a changed man, pursued his enemies and recovered all that was lost.

 

When you have hit rock bottom, come to your wits end, hang onto God. Even if it feels like the last rung on the ladder. You will find strength to fight back and recover all that was lost! 

Every testimony has a test in it

The word "testimony" starts with the word "test". If we go around telling people how good and easy life has been for you, it's called bragging...

Moving past the outer courts

"Sunshine" theology such as the health and wealth Gospel, effortless Christianity etc is increasingly gaining in popularity. While I personally believe in the miracle power of God, the favor of God, healing, excelling in the marketplace, I feel that such one sided thinking could be a stumbling block for many Christians as they mature in the Lord.

As you walk longer in the Lord, gone are the days when we get an instant response from God every time we prayed. The silent periods gets longer, our hearts get vexed, our faith is stretched to breaking point. Conflicts and trials start to increase in intensity and frequency. We seem to be putting out one fire after another... A loved one in the family dies, we get sick, businesses flop, there is a divorce( 50% of Christian marriages fail in many parts of the world).

The Old Testament describes the tabernacle in 3 parts.

1) The outer courts
2) The Holy Place
3) The Holy of Holies.

This can be used as an analogy to describe our walk with God in the New Testament. If we want to move from the outer courts and get closer with God. We will go through "refining" by God.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, (1 Peter 1:6, 7 NKJV)

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all. (Psalm 34:19 NKJV)

As we get closer to God, the trials get more intense and last longer. But rest assured, God delivers us out of them all!

Remember the goodness of God

So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided." (Genesis 22:14 NIV)

So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, "It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared." (Genesis 32:30 NIV)

In the Old Testament, when men of God had an encounter with God, they would name the place to remind them of God's goodness. So when they passed a certain area, they would recall what God had done for them.

When you are faced with a trial in life, look back at your milestones. Remind yourself of the goodness of God. If He could do it in the past, He is more than able to do it again.

No trial = No testimony

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. (Revelation 12:11 NKJV)

If we did not run the marathon, there is nothing to testify about. If we did not scale the mountain, how can we point the way for others? We overcome the devil by what Jesus did on the Cross AND by the testimony of our trials.

• Believing in "Effortless Christianity" is naive. Such beliefs leave the believer wide open, weak and unprepared for life's challenges and an easy "push over" for the enemy.
• We have been redeemed by the work of the cross, but we still live in a sinful broken down world.
• Bad things still happen to good people and Christians too, though it is not their fault. The world will only be redeemed after Christ's 2nd Coming.
• So do not see your trial as a burden, but view it as an opportunity to fight back at the devil.
• "No devil, you cannot oppress me anymore. I overcome you with the Blood of Jesus and with my witness of God's goodness! "

You make all things beautiful in Your time

He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11 NIV)

Lord I put my trust in you

Your ways are higher than my ways!

 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Life has been uphill for a long time... Lord I don't understand... But one thing I know. Your ways are higher than my ways! I will put my trust in You.

Thank you Jesus

As we near the Easter period, I'm reminded over and over again about this verse

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed ( Isaiah 53:5KJV)

Thank you Lord!

Blessed be the name of the Lord!

Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped. And he said: Naked I came from my mothers womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord. (Job 1:20, 21 NKJV)

I have decided to follow Jesus - no turning back...

Was feeling a little down this week. Felt discouraged over certain yet to be answered prayers... Spent a little time worshipping with my ipod... and felt the presence of God just step into my room...

Brought back to my memory the song

"I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back. no turning back..."

Giving your life to Jesus - what does it really mean?

As believers, everything we do should fall into 2 categories

1) Loving God
2) Loving people.

Above and beyond WWJD (What would Jesus do?), we should ask ourselves this question:

Is what I'm doing/going to do, show my love for God and people?

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Galatians 2:20 NIV)

It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

Do we treat God like a heavenly Santa Claus - with our long prayer lists of what we want?
Do we give offerings because we love God and people, or are we trying to twist God's arm for a blessing?

If we were to lose it all, will we still love God?

I was meditating on Job the other day, I came to a realization that the book of Job is a love story - a man's unwavering love for God.

Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him.  (Job 13:15 NKJV)

Is our love for God based on how life treats us?

When Jacob wrestled with God for a blessing, I've always wondered about what happened.

Genesis 32:24-29
Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. 25 Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. 26 And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.”
But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!”
27 So He said to him, “What is your name?”
He said, “Jacob.”
28 And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.”
29 Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.”
And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there.

Jacob left the encounter with God a blessed crippled!
I believe that God wanted to remind him to look beyond the blessing, and live life reliant on the "Blesser"

To be truly blessed - is to live life reliant on God. Above and beyond what we can achieve or obtain in life, it is all meaningless if we are not reliant on God.

Matthew 16:26
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

When we say that we give our lives to God, it has to be more than a figure of speech.

For some to give our lives to Jesus may mean the ultimate sacrifice of martyrdom. 8 out 12 of the Apostles met their end that way.

For the rest of us it is surrendering/submitting our dreams and aspirations , our will (the sum total of our life) - to the will of God.

Instead of trying to make a name for ourselves, focus on exalting the name of Jesus through our lives!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

I love the old hymn:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus

Look full in His wonderful face

And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace


Keep our focus on Jesus and not our needs. God will make sure that things will fall in place.

And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not worry about it. For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you need them. But seek his kingdom,and these things will be given to you as well. (Luke 12:29-31 NIV)

The Greater Secret

The Secret by Rhonda Byne makes an interesting read about the power of a focussed mind to obtain whatever you want in life, be it a new car, house, promotion at work etc. It seems that a number of people of different religions have embraced this idealogy as it was my Hindu friend who enthusiastically introduced me to the series video. He talked about creating a vision board with photos of whatever he wanted to achieve or obtain. The points about focus are valid, however, for the Christian believer, this teaching leans toward the New Age movement as it points to the universe and not God our Creator as our source in life.

The Apostle Paul knew of a greater "Secret".

Our Happiness is:
not based on what we have or do not have,
not based on what we achieved or failed to achieve. 

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. (Philippians 4:12 NIV)

I'm just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I've found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am. (Philippians 4:12, 13 MSG)

Our happiness is in the Lord and not stuff and achievements.

For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh— though I myself have reasons for such confidence.
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless. But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. For, as I have often told you before and now tell you again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:3-8, 13, 14, 18-20 NIV)

Paul was an acomplished scholar, a "Hebrew of Hebrews", a professor of the Law in his days - a major accomplishment which took years of hard work and study. He had a high status among Hebrew society and was among the elite in society.

But whatever were gains/achievements to him, he considered as garbage.

Our happiness is not based on what we achieved or obtained.

I'm writing this entry to encourage believers who have feel discouraged for not "achieving" or "attaining" a certain level of success as other believers.

Many times, we like to compare ourselves with others to gauge how "well" we are doing

"If my neighbour's car, house or even ministry is bigger and better than mine, then something must be wrong..."

Growing up in church and school, I used to be upset when just about everybody I know has surpassed me. Even those who joined my church later than me were promoted as youth leaders and have gone onto work full time in church.
Even my former classmates have surpassed me - they have high paying jobs, live in fancy apartments and drive nice cars.

And me- I take the bus, live with my parents until my budget apartment is completed in 2 years. To top it off, I'm fighting off 2 cancers and my new business just lost 2/3 of my clients. This is among a host of other challenges I face. For the longest time I felt that my life has been stuck in 1st gear. (or in reverse at times)

I can go through all things through Christ who stengthens me!
My happiness in in Him

So what if your ministry has only 20 people and you have been laboring for the past 20 years and your contemporary built a mega church in half that time.

As long as you have been faithfully doing what God told you to do, you are ok. God is only interested in obedience, not the "success" one attains through their own strength and sacrifice. A good idea does not automatically make it a God idea.

For I desire mercy, not sacrifice,
and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6 NIV)

My wife used to work in Canada in a ministry that focussed on the elderly/physically and mentally handicapped. What touched me the most was the faithfulness and obedience to the call of God. It is not easy to operate a ministry like that as it takes dedication. Will it ever become a mega church? Well, the ministry tends to be the last port of call before eternity...

Be happy where you are in life. Don't compare yourself with others or use achievement as a gauge for your walk with God.

10 laws of Love

In my previous blog, I mentioned that the 10 commandments are about love and not legalism.

While in meditation of Exodus 20, I realize that the word "10 commandments" is actually a "theological construct" - something the church came with to label this passage of scripture. To me, it is actually a guide on Love. Loving God and loving others.

Loving God:

"I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. "You shall have no other gods before me. "You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. "You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name. "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:2-11 NIV)

For if we love God, we:

1 & 2) Would not want to put anything before Him or idolize things - Like our career, ambitions, our most precious - not even our own family!

3) Would not use the Name of God in vain. Understand that the Name of Jesus is higher than our problems and situations. Treasure the Name of Jesus

4) Keep the Sabbath. Take time off from our busy lives and worship Him, not just on weekends, but on a daily basis in private devotion.

Loving people:

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. "You shall not murder. "You shall not commit adultery. "You shall not steal. "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor. "You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." (Exodus 20:12-17 NIV)

For if we love people, we:

5) Love our Parents:
"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12 NIV)

Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old. (Proverbs 23:22 NIV)

Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord. (Colossians 3:20 NIV)

6) would not murder and bear unforgiveness

Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him. (1 John 3:15 NIV)

7) would love our spouses and not commit adultery

But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew 5:28 NIV)

8) would not steal

"For I, the Lord, love justice;
I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
and make an everlasting covenant with them. (Isaiah 61:8 NIV)

9) would not bear false testimony, or cover our rear ends at work and make a fellow worker a scapegoat.

There are six things the Lord hates,
seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies
and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. (Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV)

10) would not be covet what is our neighbours. We would not be consumed by keeping up with the Joneses, the Rat Race

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. (1 John 2:15, 16 NIV)

Jesus summed up what this "love list" is all about:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (John 13:34, 35 NIV)

So let us live our lives, loving God more fervently, loving others more whole-heartedly!

You shall love the Lord Your God :)

Matthew 22:37-40

37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.

Whoever says that the 10 commandments are no longer applicable to the New Testament obviously did not see Jesus' reference to the 10 Commandments.

While the grace messages have quite a few valid points, some fail to realize that the Law still applies and that the Law is actually about Love and not bondage.

The Law (10 commandments) can be summed up as:

1) Loving God

2) Loving others

Too often, the emphasis is about God loving us. Kinda self-centred.

Is it not time we start loving Him and others inspite of the circumstances and how others treat us?

I can go through anything through Christ who strengthens me

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

A famous verse with preachers about faith. I was meditating on this verse the other night and came across a personal revelation of this verse of scripture.

I like how the NIV version puts the words of Apostle Paul:

Philippians 4:13 

11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

The problem with that the faith message and the "health and wealth" gospel, that it is not often handled in a balanced way. Sure I believe that God wants us to prosper and be in good health. We often forget that we live in seasons

Genesis 8:22 says

22 "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat,
summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

Before seed time and harvest, there must be Fall and Winter.

To expect seed time and harvest perpetually all year round or all your life is setting up yourself for your faith to be destroyed. Many an uninformed person has given up on his faith when things turned sour.

1 Timothy 6:6 says

6 But godliness with contentment is great gain.

Paul learnt the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether in need or in plenty.

I'm writing this to set people free from guilt for "not having enough faith".

You lost your job, your health, have prayers unanswered... its ok. God does not look at you differently.

Often we accuse people who don't get a miracle or get healed in a prayer line of lacking faith or commited a sin against God.

Someone losing a job, something bad happened etc, has nothing to do with faith.

Faith is the the ability to go though 

Often when we go through trails, realize that God is not upset with us

It is a fallacy to associate personal success/achievement/failure with faith or the lack of it! 

God allows circumstances to change us, to bring us closer to Him

God is more interested in changing us than our circumstances.

We can go through all things through Christ who strengthens us!

And as the cycle goes, winter will turn into seed time and harvest again if we do not lose heart

Gal 6:9 sums it up by saying

9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:6-10
6 Even if I should choose to boast, I would not be a fool, because I would be speaking the truth. But I refrain, so no one will think more of me than is warranted by what I do or say,7 or because of these surpassingly great revelations. Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

It has been some time since I last blogged. I went through a period of depression and doubt. Its ok, I believe tha God allows us a period to reflect and even be angry at Him. "He can handle that!"

His grace is sufficient for me and I am being perfected in my weakness.

Latest update on my life. I got married to a beautiful Godsent woman in March last year. God sent me a help mate! We're still facing an uphill climb in life, but His grace is more than enough for us.