mag nation

Was browsing the site and am curious to have a leaf through these, if not for content, then for design and layout.

30 June 2011 Addition - Surroundings: Guide to Decorated Living

30 June 2011: Found the preview
Love the happy feeling it gives

30 June 2011: Found the preview

Extra Curricular

Frankie

Hello Sandwich
The author has a Tokyo Guide Zine too

Oh Comely

Peppermint

Uppercase. Its Digital Scrapbook.

And while we're on the topic of magazines, I'm glad to have chanced upon Girl with a Satchel - you'll see why from the website.

As sheepish as I am to admit it, I found the blog by 'Googling' Asher Keddie from the hit television series 'Offspring', yesterday afternoon (Yes Belle, you may frown at me for following the show. Weird, considering I didn't even bother with Season 1). It was out of sheer curiosity but led to me realising Asher played Blanche d'Alpuget in the series Hawke and Ita Buttrose, founding editor of Cleo, in Paper Giants. I then sifted through photos of Blanche d'Alpuget and Bob Hawke without thinking too much of anything. Interestingly, the couple appeared on the news last night.

This isn't the first time someone or something has come to mind for no apparent reason, only to be brought up in the media or in conversation with a friend later in the day. Something to wonder about...

Leaving you with a photo I like by Spotted Moth

The Tomorrow Book

I saw an enlarged version of one of the pages of this book at the Look! Book Exhibition in the State Library in Melbourne City. Another one that caught my attention was Mr Chicken goes to Paris by Leigh Hobbs. They had a hilarious-looking 3D display of Mr Chicken but sadly no cameras were allowed in that hall.

Revolution in Egypt - sent to me via email

NOT REPORTED by CNN or BBC

Watch this video and you will know why the outcome of the Egyptian protests came out as best as it could be. For years, Egyptian Christians have been praying fervently for their nation, the Arab region and the entire world. Their regular prayer meetings usually draw 1000 people each time.  Is there any wonder why God is moving so powerfully now?

Miracle on Friday, February 11th 

Mubarack supporters started to attack peaceful demonstrators midway through the protests at Tahrir Square. The situation seemed bleak, as though everything would turn violent, giving Mubarack the excuse to use force. To worsen matters, a few thousand convicts were either released from jail or had escaped on their own and were causing havoc on the streets. 

On Friday, February 11th, the number of protesters swelled because it was the day of worship. However, they were also most vulnerable because of it. (They prostrate themselves in prayer.)  What better opportunity for the trouble-makers to cause disruption to the protests. Then the Christians took the initiative and did a most gallant thing. They held hands and formed a human protective wall around the Muslims so they could fulfil their religious obligation.

Miracle on Sunday, February 13th

The Kasr El Debora Evangelical Church is located right next to Tahrir Square.  For a few weeks its 8,000 regular worshippers were not able to get to the sanctuary to pray. 

On February 13th, they took the bold step of taking their worship to the Square. This would have been totally unthinkable just a month ago. In the past, this would be illegal and would draw serious and deadly consequences not only from the government but from the public. The Church thought it would take another 50 years before their dream to worship openly would become a reality, but on February 13th they took a big step of faith. 

250,000 were at the Square that day, most of them Muslims. Due to the Christian gesture on February 11th, the worship went on without any disturbances. In fact, many in the Square joined in the worship, in prayers and in singing.

          Miracle on Wednesday, February 16th

With this historic breakthrough, Christians invited Muslims to come to Church to pray for the nation, for peace and for the new leader. Amazingly, one thousand Muslims joined 2,500 Christians in prayer. Could we be experiencing the partial fulfilment of Isaiah 19:22-25?

   22       The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them. 

   23       In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrians will come into Egypt and the Egyptians into Assyria, and the Egyptians will worship with the Assyrians. 

   24       In that day Israel will be the third party with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth, 

   25       whom the LORD of hosts has blessed, saying, “Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.” 

   

God is shaking up Egypt to call Israel to repentance, to return to Him in repentance and in trust:

For thus the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said,

“In repentance and rest you will be saved,

In quietness and trust is your strength.”

But you were not willing,

And you said, “No, for we will flee on horses,”

Therefore you shall flee!

“And we will ride on swift horses,”

Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift.

Isaiah 30:15

Thought provoking words

“We’ve conditioned ourselves to hear messages without responding. Sermons have become Christian entertainment. We go to church to hear a well-developed sermon and a convicting thought. We’ve trained ourselves to believe that if we’re not convicted, our job is done. If you’re just hearing the Word and not actually doing something with it, you’re deceiving yourself."

"A person who is obsessed is characterised by committed, settled, passionate love for God, above and before every other thing and every other being. Such a person isn't consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Such a person cares more about God’s kingdom coming down to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress."

"We need to live lives that demand an explanation" - Lives that do not make sense to others such that they want to know why and how we live that way, like Paul's life. Lives that demonstrate holiness (not self-righteousness), humility, pure and generous love, joy, hope and peace that transcends all understanding.

Philippians 4: 13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" - said by Paul but often misquoted. We need to look at the context of Paul's statement. The purpose of the verse is not to tell us we can be successful by the world's standards, but to tell us we are already rich in Christ no matter our circumstances.

Paul learnt the secret of how to be content in all situations and at all times, whether he had nothing to live on, was in prison, was being persecuted and tortured, was shipwrecked, or was recognised and approved by others. Paul realised that God cares for all our needs. He knows what we require so we need not worry about these things, and can be free to focus on seeking God and His kingdom (the things that are dear to His heart) and His righteousness.

Are we getting the message? Nothing else should matter to us but what is right, and what is right is digging deep into the Word and going out to spread that Word whether people receive us or receive the Word or not. I'm not talking about bible bashing but leaving our comfort zone to reach out to others by loving them and sharing honestly about Christ. It's not about spewing theology to sound knowledgeable and win debates, but about living out the truth.

How much of this life are we still holding onto? Do we really get that Jesus is enough? There may be principles (not referring to specific practices) in the Bible that we do not like, that we prefer did not exist. But the key is not rejecting these things or trying to change Jesus or His teaching so we can be happy, but tweaking ourselves so we are aligned with the way He lived.

God created us in His image but we are not to be returning the favour. We should not be re-creating God according to our preferred image or, in other words, making Him the way we want Him to be. Examples of false understanding - I believe God is fine with me being filthy rich and lapping up the luxury without caring about the needs of others. Or, I believe God is okay with me sleeping with my boyfriend or girlfriend because we love each other. 

The reason is, if we alter the truth to suit us, we will get to the end and realise how wrong we were and we have to live with the consequences of that for eternity. Why not get it right now? We can experience Him as our provider, as everything we could ever need or even want.

Quotes and teaching by Francis Chan (from his book titled 'Crazy Love' and sermon titled 'What do you need in order to be happy').

It doesn't have to be

Following God doesn't have to be a head game. Yet it often is for me. The battlefield of the mind. The warring thoughts, the tugging emotions. Swaying now to the left, and now to the right.

David Gray sings (in Babylon), "Let go of your heart, let go of your head. And feel it now." Jenn Johnson from Bethel Church incorporated this when worshipping with the song "I love Your presence" by Anthony Skinner. She took the lines "And if you want it, come and get it, crying out loud. The love that I was giving you was never in doubt" from David, singing "And if you want it, come and get it, crying out loud. The love that He has (referring to God) given you is never in doubt".

We were made for abandonment. To experience freedom. But we hold back out of fear. The fear of others' opinions. Some of us are told that expressing praise through the extension of our hands,clapping, bowing, kneeling, dancing (even if it appears uncoordinated and uncool), jumping, shouting triumphantly, the use of instruments and the like is undignified and unnecessary. Others view such acts as cult-like. "Fanatics", they brand us. Yet it's "anything goes" at a rock concert, club or sports game.

People lose themselves in alcohol and drugs. They yell profanity and abuse one another. This has become a norm in various societies. People putting themselves aside to focus on the infallible God (not a fallible heavy metal band leader or business guru or rugby star) and connect with Him, however, is counted insane, weak, foolish.

Where is the logic in that?

When asked why we awkwardly stand and observe the worship in church, or simply choose to stay solemnly still without entering into God's presence, do we respond with, "Well, God knows my heart", "I have an introverted personality", "I don't feel like it", "This is Church"?

Do we truly grasp how much God loves us? Do we recognise He is the only one worthy of our complete worship and devotion, that He's the only one who can carry our burdens? That if we don't praise God, who only has our best interests in mind, we will consciously or unconsciously praise someone or something else? Our passivity robs us of our destiny. Our calling can only be achieved through our wholehearted response.

If it feels like God doesn't show up, it's because we haven't honestly given Him an invitation or room to sit with us.

We're blinded and deceived because the enemy knows if we figure out the truth, we will have the power of God working in and through our lives. That there will be genuine rest, peace, joy (and so strength), hope, healing, purity, boldness, victory, unity and salvation.

Are we willing to give Him a chance to show Himself real in our lives?

Perhaps I wait for that one incredible personal encounter with God, thinking that I will then naturally respond with total surrender. But perhaps God waits for me to choose surrender, despite whatever is going on in my life or how stupid I feel I look, before revealing what I've been missing out on. 

He has held nothing back from me but there is so much in store I have yet to receive and experience because of my own choices. He does not hide treasures from me but for me to find and revel in.

He doesn't play games that taunt and tease us, so why do we? Why do we bargain and blame, and make empty promises?

Following God does require our heads. It is perfectly logical. God is intellectual and He's made us intellectual. In fact, He's given us wonderful minds. He did not create robots or defected goods. We do not throw away our wisdom and blindly obey. We obey because we know it is the wisest decision. We've worked out He is good and can be trusted, even if uncertainty lies ahead. We exert the effort to consciously throw off the negative thoughts and feelings that hinder (so in this regard, we are "letting go of our heart and head"). The thoughts that take our voice and press on our hands and feet so hard we cannot move.  

(Reflections on this song and my current read: The Great Connection by Bonnie Deuschle)

i ♥

This statement by Alan Marshall Beck (especially the second paragraph):

"Boys are found everywhere -- on top of, underneath, inside of, climbing on, swinging from, running around or jumping to. Mothers love them, little girls hate them, older sisters and brothers tolerate them, adults ignore them and Heaven protects them.

A boy is Truth with dirt on its face, Beauty with a cut on its finger, Wisdom with bubble gum in its hair and the Hope of the future with a frog in its pocket."

Illustration by Quentin Blake

Illustration by Quentin Blake

Apart from that, I'm wondering if all my Roald Dahl books are still in our Singapore home. I hope they are because I ♥ my Roald Dahl books. I should complete the set. I don't yet have Boy and Going Solo. I've read Charlie & the Chocolate Factory and the one of the glass elevator but I don't own them either. I should have Matilda, The Twits, The Witches, The BFG, Fantastic Mr Fox, Esio Trot, James & the Giant Peach, Danny the Champion, Dirty Beasts, George's Marvelous Medicine, and Revolting Rhymes.

Illustration by Quentin Blake

God's Response

I wrote this post yesterday - It is difficult. I believe God is answering me with the following passage by Oswald Chambers. The answer is not entirely clear in relation to all my questions, but I think therein lies the invitation to seek further. To contemplate what He is saying here, and to begin to apply it so I may discover its greater truth.

Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds?

"Behold, He is coming with clouds . . . " Revelation 1: 7

In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” ( Nahum 1: 3 ). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.

It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?

There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.

“. . . they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9: 34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus . . .” (Mark 9: 8 ; also see Mark 2-7 ).

My Utmost For His Highest

Oswald Chambers

Justice

[The "X" structure at the core of the Whirlpool Galaxy, taken by NASA) - A reminder that above everything, God chose us to be at the centre of His heart and plan]

Sometimes I visit my own blog just to look at the daily verse from Biblegateway in the sidebar. Today's verse is from Leviticus 19: 18 "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD".

What struck me is how after giving a command or instruction, God then says, "I am the LORD (in capital letters no less)". I know we're meant to analyse scripture in context so what I am about to say may not be accurate in light of where this verse sits in the Bible since I have not read the whole chapter surrounding it.

However, upon wondering why God chose to say that, this conclusion makes sense. He's reminding us that He alone is God and Lord. Which means He alone is sovereign over all. He alone. In other words it does not include us. I believe He is saying we should not take matters into our own hands, executing revenge to quench our rage or soothe our hurt. We don't get to judge and bear a grudge for we too are not faultless. The ultimate authority to judge and deliver an eternal sentence lies with God alone. We are no better or lesser than our neighbour and ought not to see ourselves or them higher or lower than what our (and their) God-given identity demands.

This leads me to what God once told me - what I deem to be justice isn't always what He knows to be true justice. My thoughts and ways are always going to be tainted with limited, sinful, self centred thinking. He knows the extent to which He can redeem a person. There is no situation that is beyond His ability to make good.

***********************************************************

28 June addition (by Oswald Chambers):

The Overshadowing of God’s Personal Deliverance

". . . I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord" —Jeremiah 1: 8

God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally— “. . . your life shall be as a prize to you . . .” (Jeremiah 39:18 ). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance.

The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.” Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard— we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6 ).

***********************************************************

My question is this: Lord, why have You not been delivering children from abuse, disease and calamity? They couldn't have disqualified themselves from Your promise, being so young in years and knowledge. If You reveal Yourself to them, will they not believe and follow wholeheartedly with childlike faith and wonder? They would not know to devote themselves to other things willfully.

Jesus, please show me then where You were when they were being hurt. Help me understand how Your promises work in relation to such horrors. Please give me comprehension, clarity, wisdom and a deeper more personal revelation of Your grace, especially for those who bring the pain to the little ones. Enable me to see them through Your eyes and not burn with hatred because of what they are doing to others.

"So you think you can ush"

Ever wondered whether you are truly qualifed to be an usher at your church. Well, here is a safe, take home test kit (on the Stuff Christians Like website) to work out your eligibility in private.

Apparently the book "Stuff Christians Like" is a worthwhile read if you want to laugh more. It's on the funny side of faith.

Found the following content on Pastor Perry Noble's website as well. He writes great posts. They make so much sense and provide both insight and inspiration.

Here's one on 'Four Fights You Should Not Fight':

#1 – The fight to keep people happy. First of all…that is not a leader's job…and if it is then Jesus really stunk at that. Number two…no matter what you do someone is always going to be upset. SO…please HIM, not “them!”

#2 – The fight to have all of the answers. Reality is that you don’t know everything, that is why God placed a team around you! Refusing to admit that you don’t know something isn’t showing your weakness…but rather revealing your pride. Sometimes one of the godliest things we can do is admit we are stumped to the people we serve with and ask for their help in figuring out the solution to the problem! (See Proverbs 15: 22, Proverbs 24 :6)

#3 – The fight to be “well balanced.” Here’s the bottom line on this…there are many things I do not do well…and for me to try to focus my time and energy on those things and neglect the gifts God has given would be a divine slap in the face to my Creator. (Pastor Steven wrote about that here…EXCELLENT read!)

#4 – The fight to have complete assurance that something will work. You and I will NEVER know the outcome until we are willing to take the step of faith that God has led us to take. If you wait to have 100% assurance that something will work…then I am 100% sure you will never attempt anything great for God. For example…nowhere in the Scriptures does it say that God gave David 100% assurance that he was going to be successful in his bout with Goliath…he just simply took a step of faith and the rest was history. What step of faith is He leading you to? (Hebrews 11: 6)

"The Secret of the Lord"

"The secret of the Lord is with those who fear Him..." Psalm 25: 14

What is the sign of a friend? Is it that he tells you his secret sorrows? No, it is that he tells you his secret joys. Many people will confide their secret sorrows to you, but the final mark of intimacy is when they share their secret joys with you.

Have we ever let God tell us any of His joys? Or are we continually telling God our secrets, leaving Him no time to talk to us?

At the beginning of our Christian life we are full of requests to God. But then we find that God wants to get us into an intimate relationship with Himself— to get us in touch with His purposes.

Are we so intimately united to Jesus Christ’s idea of prayer— “Your will be done”  (Matthew 6: 10 ) — that we catch the secrets of God?

What makes God so dear to us is not so much His big blessings to us, but the tiny things, because they show His amazing intimacy with us— He knows every detail of each of our individual lives.

“Him shall He teach in the way He chooses” ( Psalm 25: 12 ). At first, we want the awareness of being guided by God. But then as we grow spiritually, we live so fully aware of God that we do not even need to ask what His will is, because the thought of choosing another way will never occur to us.

If we are saved and sanctified, God guides us by our everyday choices. And if we are about to choose what He does not want, He will give us a sense of doubt or restraint, which we must heed. Whenever there is doubt, stop at once. Never try to reason it out, saying, “I wonder why I shouldn’t do this?”

God instructs us in what we choose; that is, He actually guides our common sense. And when we yield to His teachings and guidance, we no longer hinder His Spirit by continually asking, “Now, Lord, what is Your will?”

Oswald Chambers

My Utmost For His Highest

The Peace Of God

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful" Colossians 3: 15

To mature in God, we have to be constantly led by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 8: 14). So how does the Holy Spirit lead us? There are a number of ways:

(1) The Holy Spirit quietly impresses. This is basically when you get an impression toward something in your heart. When Jesus healed the paralytic man in a house at Capernaum, He was impressed in His spirit about the cynicism of the scribes (Mark 2: 8). When Paul was in Lystra, he was impressed in his heart that a crippled man had faith for healing (Acts 14: 9). No wonder Paul says that we should “regard no one according to the flesh” (2 Cor. 5: 16). Paul is implying that we should learn to discern people by the impressions that the Holy Spirit brings to our hearts.

(2) The Holy Spirit prompts gently. In Matthew 4: 1, “Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” A Holy Spirit-prompting or leading is when you “just feel like” doing something. When a believer is walking right with God and man, God often reveals His guidance through the believer’s inner desire. , Whenever you “feel like” doing something (within the boundaries of righteous living), it is very likely that it is the prompting of the Holy Spirit. You must learn to discern His guidance in this manner.

(3) The Holy Spirit stirs you up. This usually has to do with your feelings. In Acts 17: 16, when Paul was at Athens, “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.” The stirring of the Holy Spirit usually has to do with a provocation in our emotions. God allows us to experience a little of how He feels toward a situation. This stirring can often come as a “burden” in the heart. Habakkuk the prophet felt the burden of the Lord (Hab. 1: 1-2). Jeremiah wept when the burden of God came upon him. Whenever the Holy Spirit stirs you up, it is to direct you to pray or to do something productive for the kingdom of God.

(4) The Holy Spirit guides us by His peace. This is the most common form of Holy Spirit guidance. Colossians 3: 15 says to “let the peace of God rule in your hearts.” The word “rule” means to be an umpire or referee. In a ball game, it is usually the umpire who decides if the ball is counted in or out. Let the presence or absence of God’s peace be the spiritual umpire within you whenever you need to make a decision over a matter. Never go against the peace of God. A lack of peace is the clearest sign that God’s will is not in a particular course of action.

Kong Hee

President (Founder)

City Harvest Church Singapore

When Worship Makes No Sense

By T. Suzanne Eller

(Thanks Shin Yee for forwarding this to me)

"Christian brothers, I ask you from my heart to give your bodies to God because of His loving-kindness to us. Let your bodies be a living and holy gift given to God. He is pleased with this kind of gift. This is the true worship that you should give Him." Romans 12: 1 (New Life Bible)

The book of Romans stumps me. It doesn't make sense. Honestly.

It was written during the hardest part of Paul's life, a time when he was in jail and he had done nothing wrong. He wrote when the church people who once applauded him now plotted to kill him or waited in the streets, tearing their cloaks in rage because they couldn't stone him.

It puzzles me because it is filled with sayings like "nothing can separate me from God's love," and "my brothers, consider it all joy when you encounter trials." It is a book of hope, of joy, and of life. Yet Paul wrote it from such a place of darkness.

Paul was a real person, not a superhero. What did he discover during those hard times that prompted such rich writings? I think the treasure is found in today's key verse, Romans 12:1. He was a worshipper. I know he sang songs because Scripture shows him singing at the top of his lungs when he was in jail. I don't think, however, that Paul is limiting this to a hymn. It became a way of life. In spite of the dark places, he looked toward the Light, and there he found joy.

Ten years ago a drunk driver slammed into my son. I stood in the church several days after the wreck. I had a bag packed in my car, prepared to go back to my son as soon as service was over. I was weary. I felt helpless. I had come to church only because my husband made me.

"Babe, you have to have a break," he said, promising to stay by Ryan's side.

My son was in pain and had months ahead to heal. The drunk driver had passed away, leaving behind only an underinsured policy that left us with piles of hospital bills and debt.

I grieved for my son. I grieved for the drunk driver's family. I grieved for the loss of normalcy. I grieved--period.

All I knew to do was to raise my hands and lift my face. Tears washed down my cheeks. I wasn't praising God because of my darkness, but because He was the only Light I knew to reach for. "God, I don't know what the future holds. I don't know how we are going to make it. But I know You."

It was both a physical act - raising my hands - and an act of the heart. I climbed into my Abba Father's arms and wept out of gratefulness. I danced on the inside though there were no dancing shoes in sight.

I thought Romans confuses you, Suz.

That's what I love about it best. In the natural it makes no sense, but supernaturally I totally get it. Darkness holds no power when I hold on to the Light. How can I help but worship Him when I discover that immense truth?

Dear Father, I pray for my sister who feels discouraged, overwhelmed, or lost. I worship You, for You are our Light in the darkness. You see her and rejoice in her faith, even faith as small as a mustard seed but large enough when placed in Your hands.

Having God’s "Unreasonable" Faith

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you —Matthew 6: 33

When we look at these words of Jesus, we immediately find them to be the most revolutionary that human ears have ever heard. “. . . seek first the kingdom of God . . . .” Even the most spiritually-minded of us argue the exact opposite, saying, “But I must live; I must make a certain amount of money; I must be clothed; I must be fed.” The great concern of our lives is not the kingdom of God but how we are going to take care of ourselves to live. Jesus reversed the order by telling us to get the right relationship with God first, maintaining it as the primary concern of our lives, and never to place our concern on taking care of the other things of life.

“. . . do not worry about your life. . .” ( Matthew 6: 25 ). Our Lord pointed out that from His standpoint it is absolutely unreasonable for us to be anxious, worrying about how we will live. Jesus did not say that the person who takes no thought for anything in his life is blessed— no, that person is a fool. But Jesus did teach that His disciple must make his relationship with God the dominating focus of his life, and to be cautiously carefree about everything else in comparison to that. In essence, Jesus was saying, “Don’t make food and drink the controlling factor of your life, but be focused absolutely on God.” Some people are careless about what they eat and drink, and they suffer for it; they are careless about what they wear, having no business looking the way they do; they are careless with their earthly matters, and God holds them responsible. Jesus is saying that the greatest concern of life is to place our relationship with God first, and everything else second.

It is one of the most difficult, yet critical, disciplines of the Christian life to allow the Holy Spirit to bring us into absolute harmony with the teaching of Jesus in these verses.

My Utmost For His Highest

Oswald Chambers

** Matthew 6: 25-34 is the passage God brought me to before I came to Australia. I was afraid to come to an unfamiliar place. Afraid of the people and being away from family and friends. He promised He would take care of everything. He had already gone ahead to prepare the way in fact. I have experienced this promise from the time I started preparing to leave home. So it should not be any different in this new season. I must remember His promise still stands. He's holding me in the palm of His hands.

ICLW

It's started! I totally forgot until I found comments from people I don't know. Am so happy they actually thought to stop by and say something good. Most of you probably have no idea what I'm talking about so look right to the orange icon with a dog on it. Click on that and you'll understand what ICLW is :)

Interestingly, after reading the 6! comments I received today (from friends and through ICLW), I noticed that the daily verse from Biblegateway is Romans 15: 2 "Each of us should please his neighbour for his good, to build him up". I took that to mean we ought to encourage one another to build one another up.

Words can make or break a person. I was hesistant about joining the ICLW community as I wondered if my blog would offend anyone stopping by, resulting in a negative comment. I know I should not let the opinions of others affect my sense of security and faith but I still struggle with this. I want to be someone who builds others up with my words. Got to be careful because I tend to have a bit of a loose tongue sometimes and say things I regret later. Need to keep myself in check.

This is the first time I have received six comments at one go and all of them affirmed me. I thank God for those who dropped by because I've been a little down off late. Friendly comments are a good pick-me-up.

Special thanks to Rayson for the incredible encouragement. I am impressed by your maturity and the way you write. Keep writing! You're like the next Oswald Chambers.

Spiritual Hunger

"And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!” So God granted him what he requested" 1 Chronicles 4: 10

Today, I want to look with you at a man by the name of Jabez. The Bible never describes Jabez as a man with special abilities or talents. He was just an ordinary man with an extraordinary testimony! Like Jabez, we may be ordinary individuals, but we can achieve great things for the Lord!

Jabez was a man who stood out. He wasn’t sitting and waiting for some miracle to fall from the sky. There was something different about him, he pressed in to God and broke through! Interestingly, the first eight chapters of 1 Chronicles are all genealogies. There are over 600 names mentioned, but right in the middle of it, God singles out one man for special recognition-Jabez. “Jabez was more honorable than his brothers” (1 Chronicles 4: 9). Why was he more honorable? Because of his unusual spiritual hunger.

Spiritual hunger brings three things to a person’s life:

(1) Spiritual hunger births fresh vision.

Jabez prayed to God to enlarge his territory! His hunger birthed a great vision (1 Chronicles 4: 10). He wasn’t going to live a mediocre life; he wanted to expand and grow! While Jabez’s friends and brothers were satisfied with being average, he wanted the Lord to do something significant in his life.

(2) Spiritual hunger produces faith in God.

Evidently, Jabez had some kind of 'disability' as his name in Hebrew means “painful.” He must have caused his mother so much pain when he was born that his mother labeled him as such. Jabez probably had to struggle with being unwanted and unloved. He must have suffered rejection as a child and that probably would have been a big handicap in his life. But Jabez’s faith was stronger than his handicap. So instead of being a cause of pain to others, he rose up and took hold of God in faith to become a great man of God.

(3) Spiritual hunger brings God’s blessings.

Jabez was honoured by God because he prayed! He prayed for God’s presence in his life (1 Chronicles 4: 10). He knew that apart from God, he could do nothing. Jabez also prayed for God’s protection in his life. Jabez knew that without God’s protection, he could lose everything overnight. But with God’s presence and protection, he didn’t need to fear anything.

What made Jabez stand out from the crowd? He had something that the rest did not have … spiritual hunger. He did not want to live an ordinary life like the rest of the people. He wanted more from God.

Kong Hee

President (Founder)

City Harvest Church Singapore

Hidden Hurts

Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

People who have been abused or have gone through traumatic experiences have sought to survive and cope with life behind a myriad of defense mechanisms. Some have been ritualistically abused to such an extent that they have no conscious memory of their experiences. Others constantly avoid anything that would stimulate those memories. Unable to process those experiences from the past, they live in denial. Others rationalize or try to suppress the pain with food, drugs or sex.

However, this is not God’s solution for their lives. The psalmist prays to God to search his heart and bring everything to light. God does search and test our hearts. “I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jer. 17:10). Knowing this, you can always count on God to bring your past conflicts, however suppressed, to the surface at the right time so that everything can be brought into the light to be dealt with.

The first step in God’s answer for repressed trauma is shown here in Psalm 139:23-24. God knows about the hidden hurts within you which you may not be able to see. When you ask God to search your heart, He will expose the dark areas of your past and bring them to light. Not only is God the Healer of our hearts, He is also constantly near to those who are brokenhearted; to restore and lead them back to the path of wholeness. “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds” (147:3). “The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a contrite spirit” (34:18).

Jesus is the light of the world, he who follows Him shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life (John 8:12). As you embrace the truth of God’s Word in your heart today, let His light shine deep into the innermost parts of your life. As you meditate upon His love for you, allow the Holy Spirit to be your Counselor, Comforter and Healer. He wants to restore you completely and lead you back onto the path that leads to His eternal and abundant life.

Kong Hee
President (Founder)
City Harvest Church Singapore

Totally agree!

Great post on Leadership, Marriage and Dancing, Charis! I can't dance to save my life but I'm getting a hang of marriage and I'm loving it :) (Talk about coincidence! Fab just changed TV channels and it's showing that movie about dance with the Zorro guy in it...I can't believe his name just flew out of my head! And naturally I've forgotten the title of the show too)

For the mums out there

Whose ministry altered the day little feet came into play...

"Off-stage Worship"

Emotional Outburst

Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”Numbers 20:12

Numbers 20 marked the end of 38 years of wandering since Kadesh Barnea. For the second time, there was no water for the children of Israel. This time, not only did they blame Moses, they started blaming God, “If only we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!” (20:3). What a perverse lot! Actually, they should have already been in the Promised Land a long time ago, if only they themselves had not chosen to stay in the wilderness.

God then instructed Moses to “speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water” (20:8). The rock represented Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). The first time, God told Moses to “strike” the rock (Ex. 17:6). In striking the rock, it signified that Jesus had to be crucified. Christ was stricken, smitten and afflicted so that the waters of life could flow out to a thirsty and dying humanity. But the second time when the Israelites needed water, Moses was to speak to the rock. Now for us, living after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, all that is necessary is for us to speak and life flows. But Moses lost his temper and shouted at the people, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?” (Num. 20:10). Likewise, we have no right to taunt, mock or rail at other people because the only thing that makes us different is the grace of God.

However, it can be challenging to control our temper when we are leading such perverse groups. So, we still need to monitor our emotions during times of stress and beware of the dangers of making decisions when we have low emotional reserves. Moses destroyed the prophetic type. By striking the rock twice, it would mean, in effect, that Christ would have to be crucified twice. Yet, notice the greatness of God in the next verse, “Water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank” (20:11). Even though God’s type had been destroyed and God’s servant had failed, God still caused the water to flow out. That was the grace of God despite human failure!

For Moses’ indiscretion and emotional outburst, he was disqualified from entering the Promised Land. Can you see the tremendous tests and standards God has for a leader? With privilege comes great responsibility. Just think of how Moses had served so tirelessly for 40 years. And then he was denied what was most precious to him—entrance into the Promised Land. In the Lord’s eyes, the measure of success is not the outcome of the effort, but the obedience of His servant.

Kong Hee
President (Founder)
City Harvest Church Singapore

Apathy

"...In the world it calls itself Tolerance; but in Hell it is called Despair. … It is the sin which believes in nothing, cares for nothing, seeks to know nothing, interferes with nothing, enjoys nothing, loves nothing, hates nothing, finds purpose in nothing, lives for nothing, and only remains alive because there is nothing it would die for...."

Dorothy Sayers

There are many things in life to which I have come to develop a sense of apathy. Though my heart mourns for women and children abused and for families torn apart, I have come to be numb towards those whose lives seem to be well on the surface. Worse, I have come to not care if those who bring pain to others' lives receive judgement. I have no concern for their end, no qualms of them living an eternity without God, no desire for their salvation. Which is scary if you really think about it. On the one hand, I cry out to God for Him to move in this world, to stop the violence, to not make me look upon injustice. On the other hand, He asks that I reach out to those I encounter daily and tell them of His existence and His goodness, and I decline the offer or shy away from any potential opportunity. The irony. One day I hope for my heart to love all people. Even those who seem to take a sick pleasure out of inflicting misery upon another. What will it take for God to bring about such a change in me? Will I need to be broken by such a person, only to be restored by God and compelled by His love and mercy towards me to extend forgiveness and grace? I dare not think. I look for hope. I long for peace. I struggle with truth. I wait for justice.

2 Peter 1: 5-9 "For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ"