A Touch of His Presence

Migraine, flu & fever kept hitting me with no good reasons & it started to roll in on early hours of both Sundays, 31st 2006 & 7th of 2007. I miss the last sermon of year 2006 but with the wonders of technology, I manage to get hold of the sermon. Satan love to steal, kill & destroy. I believe he came to steal the words of God, our foundation with our relationship with our Lord. Yet the scripture says, "'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on Every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God." Matt. 4:4 [NASB]

On the 7th, my migraine was so bad I have to take sleeping pills to 'knock me out'. I sent out distress message to my care group leader for prayer. In my heart, my only desire is to attend the first Sunday service in the year 2007. I do not know how I made it to the last service as I was feeling unwell & it is of quite a distance to drive from home to church. Pastor taught us to seek for the healer not the healing, Jehovah-Rapha. "The Lord that heal" If you are facing any lack, seek Jehovah-Jireh. The Lord will provide! My migraine, flu & fever subsided when the service ended. Halleluiah, we have a good God! Amen?!

Jesus came to set us fee from hell, do you believe it deeply in your heart? We know God has a will for us. 'For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare & not for calamity to give you a future & a hope.' Jer. 29:11 [NASB] God is not the God of confusion, & wherever He sees sincere seekers with confused heart, we can bet He will do whatever it takes to help us see His will.

God has given each part of the body of Christ an assignment. One way God reveals His will to you is through Church. He speaks to one member of the body through another member. It could happen in a Bible class, a small group, during communion, or during dessert. God has as many methods as He has people...

We also learn God's will by spending time in His presence. The key to knowing God's heart is having a relationship with Him. A personal relationship. God will speak to us differently than He will speak to others. Just because God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, that doesn't mean we should all sit next to the bush waiting for God to speak. God used a fish to convict Jonas. Does that mean we should have worship services at Sea World? No. God reveals His heart personally to each person.

For that reason, our walk with God is essential. His heart is not seen in an occasional chat or weekly visit. We learn His will as we take up residence in His house every single day. Walk with Him long enough & you come to know His heart. When you spend time with Him in His study, you see His passion. Welcome Him to enter the gateway of your soul & you'll perceive His will...

Want to know God's will in your life? Then answer the question: What ignites your heart? Forgotten orphans? Untouched nations? The inner city? The outer limits? Heed the fire within! Do you have a passion to sing? Then sing! Are you stirred to manage? Then manage! Do you ache for the ill? Then treat them! Do you hurt for the lost? Then teach them! What is the fire that consumes you? Mark it down: Jesus comes to set us on fire! He walks as a torch from the heart to heart, warming the cold & thawing the chilled & stirring the ashes. He was at once a Galilean wildfire & a welcome candle. He comes to purge infection & illuminate our directions...

The fire of your heart is the light of our path. Disregard it at your own expense. Fan it at your own delight. Blow it. Stir it. Nourish it. Cynics will doubt it. Those without it will mock it. But those who know it - those who know Him - will understand it. To meet the Savior is to be set aflame. To discover the flame is to discover His will. And to discover His will is to access a World like none we've ever seen...

Inspired By:

Max Lucado

Personal Computer Vs Personal Savior

Had a wonderful Pre-Xmas celebration with my care group beloved brothers & sisters in Christ. We had Pot luck kinda party where we each bring our best food to the table. I brought along a platter of fruits & a bowl of chocolate fondae, complimentary done by my younger sister, idea inspired by a sister in Christ, imagine chocolate with strawberry or Kiwi! The bad news is we over heated the chocolate in the microwave oven...so much so for the excitement!

We have a mass service on Sunday at Singapore Indoor Stadium for an English combine service as by the grace of God, the church is growing in an amazing speed, estimated to be at least fourteen thousand believers. Pastor preach about the secret to receive miracles, in short, believe in your heart, confess with your mouth & All things will come to a past!

He re-enforce the promises in Deuteronomy 28 where we are Bless with our basket , Bless shall we be when we come in, & Blessed shall we be when we go out. The Lord shall cause our enemies who rise up against us to be defeated before us; they will come out against us one way & will flee before us seven ways. We shall lend but not borrow. The Lord will make us the head & not the tail, & we only will be above, & will not be underneath! Amen?!

Let's talk about computers, our gateway to Internet access that leads us globally. Computers are a legalist, impersonal pragmatists. Push a button & get a response. Learn the system & get the printout. Blow the system & get ready for a long night. Computers are heartless creatures. Don't expect any compassion from your laptop. They don't call it a had disk for nothing. Some folks have a computer theology when it comes to understand God. God is the ultimate desktop. The Bible is the maintenance manual, the Holy Spirit is the CD & Jesus is the 1800- service number.

Call it computerized Christianity. Push the right buttons, enter the right code, insert the correct data & bingo, print out your own salvation. It's professional religion. We do our part & the Divine Computer does his. No need to pray . No emotional attachment necessary. And worship?. No kneeling. No weeping. No gratitude. No emotion. It's great-unless you make a mistake. Unless you err. Unless we enter then wrong data or forgot to save the manuscript. Unless we're caught on the wrong data or forget to save the manuscript. Unless we're caught on the wrong side of power surge. And then...tough luck, buddy, we're on our own.

Religion by computer. That's what happen when we replace the living God with a cold system; we replace inestimable love with pro-form budget; we replace the ultimate sacrifice of Christ with the puny achievements of man. When we view God as a computer & the Christian as a number-crunching, cursor-commanding, button pusher...that is religion by the computer. God hates it. It crushes His people. It contaminates His leaders, it corrupts His children. How do I know? He said so. Jesus condemns religion by the rules. With eyes blazing & pistols firing. Jesus rips hole after hole in the hot-air balloon of the Pharisees...

A person is made right with God through...Being good. A person is made right with God through goodness. Pay our taxes. Give sandwiches to the poor. Don't drive too fast or drink too much or drink at all. Christian conduct-that's the secret. Suffering. There's the answer. That's how to be made right with God-suffer. Sleep on dirt floors. Stalk through dank jungles. Malaria. Poverty. Cold days. Night-ling vigils. Vows of chastity. Saved heads, bare feet. The greater the pain, the greater the Saint...

No, no, no. The way to made right with God? All of above are tried. All are taught. All are demonstrated. But none are from God. In fact, that is our problem. None from God. All are from people. Think about it. Who is the major force in the above examples? Humankind or God? Who does the saving we or Him? If we are saved by good works, we don't need God-weekly reminders of the do's & don'ts will get us to heaven. If we are saved by suffering, we certainly don't need God. All we need is a whip & a chain & the gospel of guilt. If we are saved by doctrine then, for heaven's sake, let's study! We don't need God, we need a lexicon. Weigh the issues. Explore the options. Decipher the truth...

But be careful, student. For if we are saved by having exact doctrine, then one mistake would be fatal. That goes for those who believe we are made right with God through deeds. I hope the temptation is never greater than the strength. If it is, a bad fall could be a bad omen. And those we think we are saved by suffering, take caution as well, for we never know how much suffering is required. In fact, if we are saving yourself, you never know for sure about anything. We never know if we've hurt enough, wept enough or learned enough. Such is the result of computerized religion: fear, insecurity, instability. And most ironically, arrogance, making ourselves righteous without God.

That's right-arrogance. The insecure boast the most. Those who are trying to save themselves promote themselves. Those saved by work display works. Those saved by suffering unveil scars. Those saved by emotion flash their feelings. Dare we stand before God & ask Him to save us because of our suffering or sacrifice or our tears or our study? I dare not. "A person is made right with God through faith." Romance 3:28 Not through good works, suffering or study. All these may be the result of salvation but they are not the cause of it. How will we escape from God's judgment? Only one way. Through faith in God's sacrifice, His only beloved son, Jesus Christ. It's not what we do; it's what He did.

A personal computer would be different. In fact it wouldn't be a computer; it would be a friend. A friend who gives us what we need instead of what we request. A friend who knows more about us that we do. A friend who doesn't have to be turned off at night & on in the morning. A computer like that? Too much to ask, I know. A God like that? Still too much to ask. But that's what He is. Why else do you think He is known as our personal Savior?

Inspired by:

Max Lucado

The Fig Tree or the X'mas Tree?

The washing machine was washing as usual when I step near to enter the bath room for my shower after a late night work. My leg lost the grip on the floor & I fell as mum forgot to put the pipe in the drainage & the floor was flooding with liquid soap. The next moment, I was on the floor feeling great pain on my right ankle, in no time it swell & I shouted to my Dad for an ice bag. I applied the ice bag on my ankle before I bandage tightly applying simple first aid learning...

A sister in Christ who had worst experience calmed me down for that night. X-ray showed hairline fracture & the swelling was caused by the sprained. I refused to look at the X-ray film, telling myself not to look at my own flesh but the perfect work on the cross. As I refused to be admitted for observation & being in cast, the doctor ordered for a review on the next day, 14th of December, 2006.

16th of December was my much awaited Christmas celebration with the new care group, to fellowship with beloved brothers & sisters in Christ. I would not be able to attend if I am put on cast or hospitalized & it will be a dreadful Christmas & the worst New Year to come. I applied ice therapy through the 13th & 14th, pray in spirit & focus my pain & swelling on the old rugged cross. In the evening of 14th for review, a second X-ray was taken.

The first question of all was, "What did you do Godwyn with your ankle?" I told the doctor I prayed & applied ice therapy as I have no medical knowledge beyond that. I experience Divine healing, as I look at the first X-ray in comparison with the second, my ankle was completely healed! Halleluiah! I remembered in Matthew 21:21, it says in short, if you have faith, it will happen...

Our God wrote the book on making the impossible possible! In the scripture, it said, Jesus saw a fig tree on the side of the road. As He approached the tree, He noticed that though it had leaves, it had no fruit. So He denounced the tree. "You will never have fruit." The tree immediately dried up. The next day, the disciples saw what had happened to the tree. They were amazed. Just twenty-four hours before the tree had been green & healthy; now it is barren & dry...

"How did the fig tree dry up so quickly? They asked. Jesus gives them this answer," Truly I say to you, if you have faith & do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be taken up & cast to the sea,' it will happen. And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:21-22 [NASB]

That is the way God intended it. He intends for all of us to live out our vows but with our own particular accent. For some, it is with an accent on the sick. For others, it is a concern for the imprisoned. Still others have a burden for scholarly research or giving. But whatever our accent the message is still the same.

The message of the fig tree is not for all of us to have the same fruit. The message is for us to have some fruits. Not easy. Jesus knows that. "If you have faith & do not doubt, you will be able to do what I did to this tree & even more." Faith in whom? Religion? Hardly. Religion is the hoax Jesus is out to disclose. Faith is not in religion; the faith is in God. A hardly, daring faith that believes God will do what is right, every time. And that God will do what it takes-whatever it takes-to bring His children home.

He is the shepherd in search of His lambs. His legs are scratched, His feet are sore & His eyes are burning. He scales the cliffs & traverses the fields. He explores the caves. He cups His hands to His mouth & calls into the canyon. And the name He calls is yours! God is the father pacing the porch. His eyes are wide with His quest. His heart is heavy. He seeks His prodigal. He searches the horizon.

He examines the skyline, yearning for the familiar figure, the recognizable gait. His concern is not His business, His investments, His owning. His concern is the son who wears His name, the child who bears His image. YOU. He wants you home. It is only in the light of such passion we can understand this incredible promise: "And all things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive." Matt 21:22 [NASB]

The fruit God assures is far greater than earthly wealth. His dreams are much greater than promotions & proposals. God wants you to fly. He wants you to fly free of yesterday's guilt. He wants you to fly free of today's fears. He wants you to fly free of tomorrow's grave. Sin, fear & death. These are the mountains He had moved. These are the prayers He will answer. That is the fruit He will grant. This is what He longs to do: He longs to set you free so you can fly...fly home!

Inspired By:

Max Lucado

Excuse me, are you a Christian?

I will never abandon my blog neither I will forsake it, as faith comes from the listening/reading of the good gospel of Christ Jesus. Amen? Blogging allows me to fellowship with brothers & sisters in Christ from the World! I feed on the words & share as I believe Right believing produce Right living...sharing is loving as God is love...

Godwyn, how do you explain your sudden halt? Many medical issues had arose during past few weeks & my workload sank me down like the Tiatanic. I had two day surgeries done for my tootache, the surgeon did a Root Canal procedure. As my gums are truely sensitive, it took long while to stop the bleeding.

It was a highly painful event I doubt I will not forget. Things got more challenging with bad news that my Godpa's elder brother passed away peacefully with cancer on Friday morning. The next is the wake, sorrow & grief. Recent days fixing of my ingrowing toe nails make me limp daily to walk...these are the days. Daily, I told myself to put my eyes on the Perfect Finished work on the cross & looked away from my own flesh...it works as Christ always heal...

I'm not a religious person, I just believe in our relationship with our Abba in Heaven. When we think God is too busy for little people like us or too formal for poor protocol. When people are refused access to Christ by those cloest to him, the result is empty, hollow religion. Ugly religion!

God always hears those who seek him. The right heart with the wrong ritual is better than the wrong heart with the right ritual. Ideally, we approach God with the right motive & the right method. And sometimes we do. Sometimes the words of our prayer are as beautiful as the motive behind the prayer. Sometimes the way we sing is as strong as the reason we sing.

Sometimes our worship is an attractive as it is sincere. But many times it isn't. Many times our words falter. Many times our music suffers. Many times our worship is less than what we want it to be. Many times our appeals for God's presence are about as attractive as those of blind men on the Road. "You will seek Me, & find Me when you search for Me, with all your heart. I will be found by you." Jer.29:13 [NASB]

Ironic. of all the people, the blind turned out to be the ones with the clearest vision - even before they could see...

Inspired by:

Max Lucado

Our Father who is in Heaven

Toothache, heavy work load & much more are my lousy excuses for not blogging. I have been wondering about issues I cannot solve & reminding myself to let go let God. I am just confuse & trying to rob myself of great joy by going back to the bitter past. Some called it spiritual warfare, others might define it as habits...anyway manage to draft up a post before church service today for sharing as I miss all of you!

"Our father who is in heaven." God is. Not God was. Not God will be. Not God could be or should be, but God is. He is the God of the present tense. When we come to Christ, God not only forgives us, He also adopts us. Through a dramatic series of events, we go from condemned orphans with no hope to adopted children with no fear. Here is how it happens. We come before the judgment seat of God full of rebellion & mistakes. Because of His justice He cannot dismiss our sin, but because of His love he cannot dismiss us. So, in an act which stunned the heavens, He punished Himself on the cross for our sins. God's justice & love are equally honored. And we, God's creation, are forgiven. But the story doesn't end with God's forgiveness...

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out "Abba! Father!" The Spirit Himself bears witness with our Spirit that we are children of God. Rom. 8:15-16 [NASB]

It would be enough if God just cleansed our name, but He does more. He gives us His name. It would be enough if God just set us free, but He does more. He takes us home. He takes us home to the Great House of God. God has adopted us. God sought us, found us, signed the papers & took us home...believe it or not, He did...

Our achievements, however noble they may be, are not important. Our credentials, as starry as they may be, are of no concern. God is the foundation of our life. The key question in life is not "How strong am I?" but rather "How strong is God?" Focus on His strength, not ours. Occupy ourselves with the nature of God...

And we though God adopted us because we were good looking. We thought He needed our money or our wisdom. Sorry. God adopted us simply because He wanted to. We were in His good will and pleasure. Knowing full well the trouble we would be & the price He would pay, He signed His name next to ours and changed our name to His and took us home. Our Abba adopted us & became our Father...

To some, the thought of trusting a Heavenly Father is doubly difficult because our earthly father might have disappointed us or mistreated us. If such is the case, I urge you: Don't confuse your Heavenly Father with the fathers you've seen on earth. Your Father in Heaven isn't prone to headaches & temper tantrums. He doesn't hold us one day & hit us the next. The man who fathered us may play such games, but the God who loves us never will...

May I remind you, this adoption is something we receive, not something we earn...

Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor ruling spirits, nothing now, nothing in the future, no powers, nothing above us, nothing below us, nor anything else in the World will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 8:38-39

Our Father will never turn us away. When the words of others hurt you or your own failure distress you, step in the house of God. Gaze at this painting & be reminded of our God: It is right to call Him Holy; we speak truth when we call Him King. But if we want to touch His heart, use the name He loves to hear. Call Him Father...Daddy

Inspired by:

Max Lucado