January 3, 2010
Read in context: Genesis 3:1-24
"But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9)
God took the first step to reach out to man. He walked in the garden.
Before the fall, He used to walk with Adam and Eve in the garden. The garden of Eden
was perfect. The fellowship was sweet.
There was another garden mentioned when Jesus was still on earth. The Garden of Gethsemane. The Roman soldiers went to the Garden with the same question,"Jesus, where are you" in their heads; and find him they did there with Judas' help. (See Matt 26:37-41)
Question: How does the 'garden' in my heart look like? A perfect place for God to walk freely or a place where the Son of man is easily betrayed for the world?
In the Garden of Eden, God did the first act and it wasn't very dignified.
He called to man - hard to imagine a high king come looking for a subject (my Hollywood and Chinese shows are failing me here :)
God is and always the One who initiates the first call - just as He called Adam and Eve here, He called Noah, Abram, Jacob, the disciples and so on -
This the first ever recorded question God posed to mankind - "Where are you?"
Question: What should my response be to a King who calls me? Do I hear His call daily - "where are you?"
My prayer is that may God never have to ask me this question 'Where are you' ever again. To walk with you in our garden, this i endeavour to do. But should i fail Lord - please do call out to me. Amen
Monday, January 3, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Planning and Trusting
January 2, 2011
Not all of us believe in resolutions nowadays.
For some, recurring failures had drained all our hopes of ever keeping them. So why try?
There are also people who propagate that there is no need to plan since God is in control. “Whatever will happen will happen according to God’s will,” so they say. Such faith! Yet these same people will plan for their job security, promotions, wedding, family, insurance, finances and even vacations!
Then there are those who believe so much in planning that they run their lives as if everything depends on them. God is pretty much a spectator in their race against time to accomplish all that they want.
As disciples, what is our approach to goal-setting and life-planning?
As disciples, we are to live a life of balance; learning to hold the tensions of God’s promises and our responsibilities.
We are to plan and not live our lives haphazardly, without planning.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Yet we put not our trust in our intelligence nor boast in our plans for we know that we are but “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Instead we say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15, 16a)
So let us plan responsibly and humbly submit our hopes to God and allow Him to unfold His purpose in us.
Not all of us believe in resolutions nowadays.
For some, recurring failures had drained all our hopes of ever keeping them. So why try?
There are also people who propagate that there is no need to plan since God is in control. “Whatever will happen will happen according to God’s will,” so they say. Such faith! Yet these same people will plan for their job security, promotions, wedding, family, insurance, finances and even vacations!
Then there are those who believe so much in planning that they run their lives as if everything depends on them. God is pretty much a spectator in their race against time to accomplish all that they want.
As disciples, what is our approach to goal-setting and life-planning?
As disciples, we are to live a life of balance; learning to hold the tensions of God’s promises and our responsibilities.
We are to plan and not live our lives haphazardly, without planning.
“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.” (Ephesians 5:15-17)
Yet we put not our trust in our intelligence nor boast in our plans for we know that we are but “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Instead we say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” (James 4:15, 16a)
So let us plan responsibly and humbly submit our hopes to God and allow Him to unfold His purpose in us.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Hesed-keeping God
November 28, 2010
Love is part of being human. We either love something or someone.
Love is wired into our human DNA. Love is an initiative and a response.
In an imperfect world filled with stories of infidelity and of betrayals, blessed is the man who finds love; - loyal, committed, faithful love.
God displays that kind of love. The Hebrew word for it is ‘HESED’.
‘Hesed’ is that loyal love that honours the pledge of commitment in a covenant. And our God is that hesed-keeping God; fiercely loyal and loving without reservation.
The more we hang around God, the more we learn that love is part of being divine. Love is, after all, wired in the divine DNA of God.
As disciples, the Holy Spirit is in us and the divine DNA is now part of who we are as well.
Christians are now called to be ‘hesed’-keeping people – faithful to God and showing loyal love to our fellow beings.
Imagine what a mighty force the church will be if we are such people?
In this time and age where peace is so elusive and love is so scarce, the disciples who exhibit such love will truly ‘shine as stars’.
Love is part of being human. We either love something or someone.
Love is wired into our human DNA. Love is an initiative and a response.
In an imperfect world filled with stories of infidelity and of betrayals, blessed is the man who finds love; - loyal, committed, faithful love.
God displays that kind of love. The Hebrew word for it is ‘HESED’.
‘Hesed’ is that loyal love that honours the pledge of commitment in a covenant. And our God is that hesed-keeping God; fiercely loyal and loving without reservation.
The more we hang around God, the more we learn that love is part of being divine. Love is, after all, wired in the divine DNA of God.
As disciples, the Holy Spirit is in us and the divine DNA is now part of who we are as well.
Christians are now called to be ‘hesed’-keeping people – faithful to God and showing loyal love to our fellow beings.
Imagine what a mighty force the church will be if we are such people?
In this time and age where peace is so elusive and love is so scarce, the disciples who exhibit such love will truly ‘shine as stars’.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Fear, Risk and Faith
November 21, 2010
Faith, fear and risk – they are all verbs that describe our challenge to live godly lives and fulfil God’s great purpose for us.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith is being convinced of who God is and is built on the unshakeable foundation of an abiding relationship with Him. It is fixing our eyes constantly on God and who He said He is.
Fear comes about because of uncertainty. Without perfect foreknowledge, it is easy for us to be intimidated by the physical limitations and future provision. The only way for us to overcome fear is to step out and act out our faith in God.
Risk then becomes the action-verb for faith. However, it will be foolish to think that any type of risk undertaken by Christians is a demonstration of active faith.
While it is true that Noah, Abraham, Moses and all biblical heroes of faith took risks – they do so because they had a trusting relationship with God and were convinced of who God is. They were fixated on pleasing God and therefore were able to overcome their fears. Convinced of God, they took the risk.
What men call risk, God calls it faith.
Faith, fear and risk – they are all verbs that describe our challenge to live godly lives and fulfil God’s great purpose for us.
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)
Faith is being convinced of who God is and is built on the unshakeable foundation of an abiding relationship with Him. It is fixing our eyes constantly on God and who He said He is.
Fear comes about because of uncertainty. Without perfect foreknowledge, it is easy for us to be intimidated by the physical limitations and future provision. The only way for us to overcome fear is to step out and act out our faith in God.
Risk then becomes the action-verb for faith. However, it will be foolish to think that any type of risk undertaken by Christians is a demonstration of active faith.
While it is true that Noah, Abraham, Moses and all biblical heroes of faith took risks – they do so because they had a trusting relationship with God and were convinced of who God is. They were fixated on pleasing God and therefore were able to overcome their fears. Convinced of God, they took the risk.
What men call risk, God calls it faith.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Staying faithful when Life is difficult
November 14, 2010
How can disciples remain faithful to God in the face of hardships and trials?
Saw an interesting quotation this week that read, “Everything will be okay in the end. If everything is not okay, it is not the end.”
Not a bad advice if you are facing a bad situation; and quite a biblical way to handle life’s problems.
To trust God and serve Him faithfully in times of great trials calls for faith. This faith requires that we take our eyes off life’s physical circumstances to the Supernatural invisible God of life.
During times of great stress and struggles, we put our hope in God and pray that everything will work out well in the end. However, if in spite of our petitions and prayers, things fail to change for the better and sometimes even if it takes a turn for the worse, we must not lose heart.
Trials and difficulties cannot put a full stop to our lives. Even if everything is not okay, it is not the end.
To remain faithful disciples of Jesus, we must learn to shift our focus from the huge mountains to the God of the mountains. To live faithfully, we learn to discern the Presence of the Invisible in the pressures of the visible. Then we can declare as Habakkuk did in Habakkuk 3:17-19,
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to tread on the heights.”
How can disciples remain faithful to God in the face of hardships and trials?
Saw an interesting quotation this week that read, “Everything will be okay in the end. If everything is not okay, it is not the end.”
Not a bad advice if you are facing a bad situation; and quite a biblical way to handle life’s problems.
To trust God and serve Him faithfully in times of great trials calls for faith. This faith requires that we take our eyes off life’s physical circumstances to the Supernatural invisible God of life.
During times of great stress and struggles, we put our hope in God and pray that everything will work out well in the end. However, if in spite of our petitions and prayers, things fail to change for the better and sometimes even if it takes a turn for the worse, we must not lose heart.
Trials and difficulties cannot put a full stop to our lives. Even if everything is not okay, it is not the end.
To remain faithful disciples of Jesus, we must learn to shift our focus from the huge mountains to the God of the mountains. To live faithfully, we learn to discern the Presence of the Invisible in the pressures of the visible. Then we can declare as Habakkuk did in Habakkuk 3:17-19,
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
He enables me to tread on the heights.”
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Faith, trust and risk
November 7, 2010
What is faith? The Bible says,
‘Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is conviction in an invisible God who creates, sustains and controls the visible world. Faith is belief in what this invisible God says He has done and will do. Our faith is in a Person, not a plan or a program or even a church. Our faith is in the Person, Jesus Christ. ‘No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18).
Faith trusts the invisible God and believes that the unseen is more solid and real than what our naked eyes can see. Faith, when exercised, will inspire others to trust God and gives God the free hand to demonstrate who He is.
Risk is part of the faith equation. Where there is no risk, there is no need for faith. Hudson Taylor, the founder of O.M.F, captured it in one statement,
"Unless there is an element of risk in your exploits for God, there is no need for faith."
Yet all risk is calculated risk. Jesus says we are to sit down and count the cost before building – and that is our role as disciples of Jesus. To do our homework thoroughly, know the cost, all the risks and consequences and then ultimately – still trust God.
When our faithfulness and faith in God come together as one, God, the Master builder, takes over. A beautiful partnership between God and us unfold and the results are miracles and divine encounters.
In following God, the greatest challenge is not circumstance, but our lack of faith in a trustworthy God.
Without faith, it is impossible to be faithful because the root of faithfulness is faith.
What is faith? The Bible says,
‘Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.’ (Hebrews 11:1)
Faith is conviction in an invisible God who creates, sustains and controls the visible world. Faith is belief in what this invisible God says He has done and will do. Our faith is in a Person, not a plan or a program or even a church. Our faith is in the Person, Jesus Christ. ‘No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known. (John 1:18).
Faith trusts the invisible God and believes that the unseen is more solid and real than what our naked eyes can see. Faith, when exercised, will inspire others to trust God and gives God the free hand to demonstrate who He is.
Risk is part of the faith equation. Where there is no risk, there is no need for faith. Hudson Taylor, the founder of O.M.F, captured it in one statement,
"Unless there is an element of risk in your exploits for God, there is no need for faith."
Yet all risk is calculated risk. Jesus says we are to sit down and count the cost before building – and that is our role as disciples of Jesus. To do our homework thoroughly, know the cost, all the risks and consequences and then ultimately – still trust God.
When our faithfulness and faith in God come together as one, God, the Master builder, takes over. A beautiful partnership between God and us unfold and the results are miracles and divine encounters.
In following God, the greatest challenge is not circumstance, but our lack of faith in a trustworthy God.
Without faith, it is impossible to be faithful because the root of faithfulness is faith.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
God's Kingdom rule
October 31, 2010
The kingdom of God is here and not yet.
We live in an age of tension – the time when God’s reign is here but yet not fully in place. Victories are relished in the midst of sin. While there is healing, there is still sickness and pain. The kingdom of God coexists with the ugliness of man’s sin.
Yet the light has penetrated into the darkness and disarms its lies and deceptions. Where the light has fallen, there is liberty. There is freedom to choose the light over the darkness.
As disciples, we long to walk in obedience but struggle with surrendering our wills to His kingdom rule. One of the reasons for our struggle is because it is frightening to relinquish our control over to God.
If we have been walking with God long enough, we realize that God has His own ideas, His own timing and His own way of doing things.
God cannot fit into a box. He is uncontainable, unpredictable and honestly, doesn’t fit into our framework or our timetable. And that honestly is quite annoying.
What do we do with such a God?
I suggest we follow His cues, go by His timetable and play by His rules.
Then perhaps when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Thine will be done on earth as it is in heaven. … for Thine is the kingdom, power and the glory forever” - we can truly AMEN it.
The kingdom of God is here and not yet.
We live in an age of tension – the time when God’s reign is here but yet not fully in place. Victories are relished in the midst of sin. While there is healing, there is still sickness and pain. The kingdom of God coexists with the ugliness of man’s sin.
Yet the light has penetrated into the darkness and disarms its lies and deceptions. Where the light has fallen, there is liberty. There is freedom to choose the light over the darkness.
As disciples, we long to walk in obedience but struggle with surrendering our wills to His kingdom rule. One of the reasons for our struggle is because it is frightening to relinquish our control over to God.
If we have been walking with God long enough, we realize that God has His own ideas, His own timing and His own way of doing things.
God cannot fit into a box. He is uncontainable, unpredictable and honestly, doesn’t fit into our framework or our timetable. And that honestly is quite annoying.
What do we do with such a God?
I suggest we follow His cues, go by His timetable and play by His rules.
Then perhaps when we pray the Lord’s Prayer, “Your kingdom come, Thine will be done on earth as it is in heaven. … for Thine is the kingdom, power and the glory forever” - we can truly AMEN it.
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