God is Always Ready to Mould You

It's tough to keep up with the posts. Especially now, when I am trying to finish my Architecture design these. I still want to try and be as consistent as possible. So I took some time to reflect on one of my 12 going to the army. It also serves as a reminder for me to hang in there and push on during this crucial period. You will find this post familiar if you frequent our tribe blog. :)


Last Sunday, we had a mini-initiation for one of my 12 who was going to "book in" for the first time on Monday to Tekong (the start of many more memorable book-ins...). Yups, Luke, my young padawan was just about to begin his training to become a jedi knight! Ermm, Luke Weeleopardcrawler perhaps? Ha ha. While, the process of change in the Army has often been described as "when a boy becomes a man", I have come to know that this is not necessarily true. As in, I have seen many people come out of Army pretty much still the boy they went in. More skeptical, depressed and perhaps, vulgar even.

The discipline and training in the army develops our character and pushes us to see ourselves for who we really are. It is in the tiring and "wah, I just want to give up" situations that our true colours are revealed and displayed for all the world to see. Some of us might be surprised or even shocked to see who or what lies beneath our normally pleasant and gentle self. However, the change and transformation does not come just by being part of the hardship. Those times only serve to reveal our weaknesses (and strengths too) if we choose to just be a passerby.

Change and transformation come only when we determine to persevere through and not give up. They come when we challenge the obstacles that hold us back and push forward to break the barriers that existed only in our minds. We grow in our character when amidst all the hardship, we can still pick ourselves up and be a blessing to someone else. This calls for sacrifice and a mindset of putting others above ourselves.


The reason why I found myself reflecting on all these is because I realised that the Army of God is not much different! Trainings like Encounter, Post-Encounter, SOL and the rest of the Ladder of Success and meant to built in certain spiritual disciplines in our lives. It's not easy for all of us to wake up early on a Sunday morning to be there to learn and receive but it's necessary. Being there itself does not change and transform us. It just reveals the condition of our heart before God! Being faithful to His word and applying it to our lives is what will build character. Godly character.

From my experience in the army (a few years ago...heh) I have learnt some principles that will help us in our walk with God.



1. Personal Determination
People enter the army with different mindsets. Some just want to go in and do the least. Others, try to make the best out of whatever vocation they are posted to. These are people who benefit the most. In the same way, our Christian growth starts with us determining to make something out of it. It begins with us saying, "Yes! I want the approval of God more than the approval of man!" While this might be inspired by your pastor or a great speaker of your G12 leader, it is a conviction that has to come from within you. You have to make a personal choice to do so!



2. Being with the Community
One of the best thing about the army is that you realise you are not the only one "suffering". Even when punishment is meted out, it is seldom the case that you go through it alone. Having people who are in the same situation with you makes for great encouragement. It is then that we can spur each other on positively.

While life is often less accommodating and we find ourselves in situations where nobody else seems to understand, it is important to surround yourself with people whom you can trust to help and encourage you. This is where your spiritual family come in. It is when we are among people whom we can trust to correct us when necessary but yet not judge us for the mistakes we make, that we can grow healthily.



3. Growing from strength to strength
In the army, after BMT (Basic Military Training) comes SISPEC, OCS or UNIT LIFE. After each phase of training, there is always another that presents greater challenges and opportunities. It is easy to grow complacent and enter the next phase of training with a more "bo chap" attitude if we are not careful. Sometimes, it is not so much out of complacency but out of tiredness. Imagine coming back from a 24 hour route march and then coming to terms with the fact that you will be off to Taiwan in 2 weeks for a 3 week training. There are lots of logistics to prepare for, you are physically tired and you have just been awarded 2 "extras" (extra duties given as punishment in the army) for forgetting to complete something. It takes great effort to push on!

Our Christian walk is no different. God wants us to grow from strength to strength. He does not want us to be complacent with what we have or who we are. It is when we become complacent in our spiritual walk that begin to entertain thoughts of "I can sort of do it on my own liao. I sort of don't need God." or "When is all these going to end? Where is God when I need Him? Is God still real???" The key is this. If we have built our foundations well, then we do not start from zero. We know to trust God and His sovereignty. We know to do our best and let God handle the rest. We know to depend on God and not on our own understanding. We have done all those before. But we need to do it even more now. That is how we will grow from strength to strength, and from glory to glory in the eyes of God.

Some of you know that I am going through a stressful period in school. I have had many thoughts of giving up and why this and that and how and what ifs and what nots and what's going to happen and why am I like that and why can't God just take it all away. The above post is my way of saying, in my hardship, I hope I can still be a blessing to the people around me. Writing it out, I am encouraged to press on in my own life and see God's grace at work in my life. I don't have all the answers to what I am going through, but God does. And my prayer for myself and for you too is that you will learn what it means to depend on God and grow from strength to strength. I leave you with a photo of Luke and the guys. And yes, and we celebrate each of you who is a soldier for Christ too. :)

Living the way God wants us to

From Chapter 10 onwards to Chapter 30, Solomon expounds on the principles of wisdom in the book of Proverbs. While, the first 9 chapters of Proverbs was a call to accept wisdom and avoid foolishness and wickedness, this second section goes more into detail about the specific virtues of wisdom or WHAT is wisdom.

It is interesting to note how Chapters 10-15 are written using the word "but" to contrast the ways of the wise and the foolish, while Chapters 16-22 focus more on using the word "and". In the latter case, the word "and" is used to emphasise the point made. (In Hebrew poetry, when each half of the same verse is joined with the word "and", the second half is usually of the same meaning and is used to emphasise the point made in the first half of the verse.) In Chapters 23 -30 the proverbs are grouped into topics covering various issues on practical living.

Having read Chapters 10-12, two things strike me.

1. The principle of sowing and reaping.
For every action, there is a consequence. 10:1 - "A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother." 10:17 - "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray." Every verse that speaks about the virtues of wisdom and what it will bring you contrasts with another that speaks about wickedness and its punishment.

More than just rules and guides to living, underlying the verses is a strong emphasis on the character of a Godly man as one who pursues righteousness, discipline and humility and is always willing to give. 11:2 - "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." 11:24 - "One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty." 10:16 - "The wages of the righteous bring them life, but the income of the wicked brings them punishment."

2. A strong emphasis to living by Biblical values
This might sound like a rhetorical statement. But I believe that many of us often give in to the ways of values of the world even embracing them, especially when it seems that everyone is doing it. Solomon doesn't give any excuses for it. He states it as it is. Proverbs 11:7 - "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes nothing." 11:28 - "Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf."

These are the ways of the Lord. They are a refuge for the righteous. The values and principles of the society we live in change like the wind. People will make a strong case for whatever they believe in whether right or wrong. In fact, right and wrong to a certain extent has become a relative term often decided by whoever has the biggest voice and greatest influence. We must not be deceived, the Lord's standards never change. His values are consistent throughout. We must hold on tightly and jealously to them.

Lord, teach me to live by your ways and be renewed in my mind so that I can have the wisdom to know your righteousness!

Sowing the right seeds

I have been meditating on what pastor preached about during service on Sunday. His message was titled "Living life according to the law of Sowing and Reaping." In summary, this is the message outline.

1. We reap WHAT we sow. Do not be deceived.
There is a Consequence to every action that we make. Galatians 5:7 tells us, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." What you sow in your life you will definitely reap. If you sow banana seeds, you will get a banana tree. If you sow apple seeds do not expect to get a durian tree! Galatians 5 seems to imply a certain finality about this. It is God's law that cannot be changed!

We need Clarity to know the things in our lives that are not pleasing unto God. Hebrews 3:7-9 tells us not to harden our hearts when we hear the Lord's voice. Many times, we deceive ourselves by telling ourselves that we are ok when we are not.

2. We reap AFTER we sow. Do not be discouraged.
Galatians 6:9, "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time, we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." It is altogether possible that we do the right thing, and yet not reap its harvest if we do not press on till the end! The process of sowing is not easy. It often involves patience, and a lot of hard work (Psalms 126:5-6). There is a also only a window of opportunity for the sowing. All the more, we need to press on for the season of sowing will not last forever. Harvest WILL come!

3. We reap MORE than we sow. Do not be calculative.
Out of one seed comes a whole tree of oranges with many more seeds. There is multiplication in the harvest! But this multiplication is condition on how much we are willing to sow, (2 Cor 9:6-8). All of us need to decide for ourselves how much we are willing to sow.

I was very moved by this message. It is a very powerful message that has many truths in it. Do you know what you are sowing in your life? If you don't, now is a good time to take stock and reflect. The truth is, there will probably be some things that are more obvious to you, and many others that you have sown subconsciously or unintentionally. It is these that are dangerous and which I urge you to be careful about. I realised that there are things in my life that I struggle with today, that are really the consequences of what I have been sowing in my life bit by bit unknowing of the "bad harvest" it would one day bring. Some of these have become huge tress with deep roots that require drastic measures to chop off.

One of the bad seeds that I have sown is that of procrastination and ill-discipline. I see now that it has grown to become a weed that acts like a parasite by first deceiving its host of its "benefits" and then slowly straggling its host so that the host is unable to produce anymore good seeds. The basis of procrastination is that it provides a momentary escape. A quick relief of not doing what needs to be done. It is all about self-gratification often disguising itself as some form of self-pity.

When full grown, procrastination produces fruits of ill-discipline. This fruit has the ability to suck all the will power and hope out of anyone who comes into contact with it. As Galatians 6 encourages us to NOT GIVE UP so that we will see the harvest, the fruit of ill-discipline discourages you and makes you ineffective and tired, even to the point that you fail to experience God's victory in many areas of your life.

Imagine how many of our youth today are sowing bad seeds without realising the consequence it will bring them in the future. Bear in mind that the principle of multiplication is not just limited to a good harvest. Sow the wrong seeds and you will produce a bumper crop of weeds and poisonous fruits! It is true that we are being deceived even as Paul warns in Galatians 6:7! Many of our youth today are too proud too take correction. They are deceived in thinking that they are sowing the right seeds when they are not. There is a need for us to pray and to speak wisely into their lives. It is time to be absolutely brutal in getting rid of the bad crops and planting new seeds that will glorify God. Thank God for His redemptive purpose in our lives so that it is never too late to start anew.

For myself, I am determined to uproot whatever procrastination and ill-discipline that is left in my life. Sometimes, it seems that the roots have grown so thick that their stranglehold is suffocating. But I will press on. I am clearing the land. I will burn it down if I have to. I have decided that I will only sow good seeds from now on. Seeds that will bring a mighty harvest that is worthy of a sacrifice unto God. Join me.

For He Has Overcome

Good Friday is coming soon. What does it mean for you? At G12 meeting last Wednesday, pastor let us watch a snippet from the Passion of Christ video. It is just a montage of scenes being played to the song, Jesus Died for Me. As I watched the scenes of Jesus being tortured by the Roman soldiers, I asked the Lord to search my heart. I realised that it is so easy to watch a scene like that, then feel sorry for what happened but point the finger to the Roman soldiers and blame them for such a sinful act. A sense of self-righteousness arose as I thought to myself, if I were alive at that time and knew Jesus, surely I would have fought to protect Him. Really?

Who was it who crucified Jesus to the cross? Was it just the Romans soldiers? If Jesus died and felt the pain of sin then, is it true then that He doesn't feel it anymore today? As we began to worship the Lord, I felt the Holy Spirit convicting me that each time we sin against the Lord, we crucify Him on the cross again. I am as guilty of putting the nails into His hands as any of the Roman soldiers. Yes, Jesus died and He rose again. He overcame death after paying the price for our sin. Sin that was not just the condition of man then. But also that of man today. How does our sin affect God? Does sin bring consequence only to our eternal being and have no consequence on anyone else? Surely not! Could it be that each time we sin, we continue to add to the pain and suffering that Jesus felt as He bore the weight of the world on His shoulders?

What then does Good Friday mean to you? What's so great about celebrating the death of Jesus? To me, it is about His deep love for me. A deep love that causes me to want to obey Him because I want to reciprocate as much of that love back to Him. It is also a time to remember that Jesus did not remain dead. He rose on the third day! It was as if Jesus was saying, "There is hope in me! Even to the point of death, I have overcome." No matter what situation I am going through, there is hope and victory in Jesus! He demonstrated it when He rose again! It is the reason why we can believe in Him, why we can trust in Him!

May this Good Friday not be just another ritual for you. May you truly know the depth of Jesus' love and His desire for you to have freedom and victory in Him as you remember His death on the cross and then His victory as He rose again to be with God.

Do not be anxious. Guard your heart and mind.

Recently, I have been under a lot of stress as I push myself to finish my Architecture Design Thesis project on time. It has not been an easy journey and I often ask the Lord why I find it so difficult to accomplish something that many of my other peers are able to do without much difficulty.

I felt the Lord leading me to Philippians 4:4-7.

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

One of the things that I realised about myself when I am under this kind of stress is that I tend to be very irritable. Call me on the phone and you will understand what I mean. I sound distant, I sound irritated, I sound like the whole world owes me peace and quiet. I bark at my mum when I need lunch and even try to make her feel guilty about my gastric when I feel she is taking too long. I flare up when she wants to use the computer to check her email cos I feel that each second and minute on the computer (where I do most of my work) is precious to me. Any disturbance whatsoever deserves to be given the harshest treatment and thrown out. Yup, that is mean under stress and pressure.

As I read Philippians, I am convicted of my most ungodly behaviour and attitude. Paul writes that we should rejoice in the Lord always! And particularly during times when we are anxious. He tells to let our gentleness be evident to all - meaning to show forth and demonstrate the character of God even in such challenging times. How can we do that? For some of us, and I am very much in this category of people, it is almost an impossible task! Why even bother you say? Here is the crucial part. Do not be anxious about anything. Do not be overwhelmed by the pressures that are surrounding you, Paul writes! Why? Because if we do, we are very close to backsliding! Paul says to depend on the Lord by praying and bringing your requests before the Lord in thanksgiving. Why? So that our minds and hearts will be guarded!

I learnt this personally recently. I did something I should not have. On hindsight, I felt it was something that I would not have done normally if I had been walking right with God. Having been corrected by my pastor, I realised that I had not guard my heart and mind during this period of stress. Instead of bringing my requests to God, I had decided to handle it my own way by worrying and allowing myself to give in and be overwhelmed by anxiousness and self pity.

Read the verses again. You will realise that the Lord understands our struggles. He has a way out for us. Peace which transcends all understanding. Isn't that beautiful? A peace that goes beyond human understanding. When all else seems to be going wrong, the Lord says, I offer you my peace. Let it guard your heart and your mind so that you will not sin in your anxiousness. Bring your issues to me. Come in thanksgiving because I am God who is still sovereign over all and I am using hardship to mould you to be more Chirst-like.

Are you in a similar situation? Hold on to God. Pray even more intensively. Let Him bring you peace. Learn to rejoice in Him. And be assured as written in vs 4. The Lord is near. Amen.

Have great urgency! We don't have all time!

What would you do if you realised you had just 3 months left to live? How would you live your life as a Christian? What would you do if someone you were close to had just 3 months left to live? How would you spend your time with that person? Does he know Christ yet? Does his family know Christ? Can God heal him? Will God heal him? Today, I had to ask myself these questions.

No, I am not dying. At least not until the Lord says so. I have a friend, a 15-year-old who has been diagnosed with some form of Neurofibromatosis which is causing tumours to spread within his body. The doctor did not have a very good prognosis. I found myself searching through the web, spending a large part of tonight trying to research on this illness. I have never felt so helpless before. Death can be quite the executioner. And when he strikes, who are we to say no, wait. Give me another 5 years. I am still young. I have the rest of my life ahead of me. Go find someone else who has been committing crimes and murdering people. Oh, but did I mention that Death has a good friend called Illness aka Disease? And Death is only too happy to meet up with him to have a party.

But you know what? There WAS someone who stared death in the face, allowed him to deal the fatal strike, then defeated him by rising again, now seated at the right hand of God. This person alone has the power and authority over death and illnesses. I mean, look at how many times he healed the sick? I don't have to say more for you to know I am talking about Jesus! The one in whom we can have hope and joy in. The one who did not remain in His grave but overcame the power of death by rising up from the dead to live again. Today, as I crossed the overhead bridge from the hospital to the MRT, I cried out to the Lord, "He is only 15! He deserves more than this!" And in the quietness of my heart, a steel but sure voice resonated with assurance, "I will save him. I WILL save him."

I learnt something about love today. I told God, perhaps I can exchange my life for his? I have had the opportunity to know and love God. That was all I ever needed. And then I realised, that was probably how God felt when He saw His people condemned to eternal separation from Him due to sin. He wanted to do something that would exchange His life for ours. What I felt for my young friend is but a fraction of what God feels for us. 1 John 3:16 - "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." Why would Christ die for us? His love for us compelled Him to do so.

So my answer to the above questions? If I had just 3 months to live, I would share with everyone my testimony in the hope that they would receive and come to know this saviour that I do. If I knew someone with just 3 months? I would do all in my means to pray, fast and seek God for Him so that he will come to know God and live the life that God wants him to.

But wait a minute. Why only if he has 3 months to live? Do we know what is going to happen tomorrow? Do you know that you will still be alive tomorrow? Why do we live our lives as if we have forever? WE DON'T! Why do we put off the important things until it is too late? When will we learn? Our time on earth is limited. Spend it wisely so that it matters for eternity!

And yes, God can heal. Yes, God will heal! He said it in His word! Do I have the faith? I pray so! Lord, I want to see a miracle. I know you can, and I am willing. I claim complete healing for my friend in Jesus' name! AMEN!

God is watching us!

As I read Proverbs 5, I was wondering whether Solomon wrote this as a metaphor, the adulteress referring to the things of the world that distract us from loving God. I was wondering because he repeats himself so many times on this issue, once more in chapter 6 and again in chapter 7. And I was thinking, wasn't Solomon the King with many wives? To me, it is strange for Solomon to write on an issue like this when he himself was a polygamous king! More interestingly, Solomon was the son of Kind David and Bathsheba - the very person whom King David committed adultery with and hence paid for his sin with his firstborn.

Well, to answer, the first question, the book of Proverbs should be taken as a teaching on the practical affairs of our lives. It is a book that teaches us how to live our lives in the right conduct, our prime motive being the holy fear of the Lord. So, in this context, Solomon WAS talking about avoiding seduction and temptation by the adulteress! It goes to show that things have not changed much since the time of King Solomon. The traps used by the Devil to tempt us into sin are still being repeated day after day in this age. No wonder Solomon felt it important enough to write so strongly to warn us against adultery!

A few things I was reminded of. Keep far away from temptation. Keep away from even the least bit of it. (vs 8, keep to a path far from her.) In other words, do whatever you can that is necessary to avoid it! If you are into pornography, then make sure your computer is in a public space. Make sure you have a filtering system installed on it, or a program that records the sites that you go to and sends them to your accountability partner! If you are smoking, then stay away from the friends who will influence you to smoke. Surround yourself with people who will encourage you to a healthy lifestyle. If you are married, don't ever allow yourself to be in a compromising position with someone of the opposite sex. Avoid at all costs social functions/ outings that will give rise to such opportunities.

God takes a very serious position against adultery. He values marriage very highly and rightly so. You know this in the way God often draws a parallel between the relationship of a bride and bridegroom and that between the church and Him. And in chapter 6 vs 33, it is emphasised that his shame (the adulterer's) will never be wiped away. vs 35, He (the husband) will not accept any compensation. Meaning, no form of restitution will be good enough to repay for what was done.

And God is not blind. vs 21, For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths. God knows and he is watching. Sin will not go unpunished (vs 22 The evil deeds of a man ensnare him). Sin CANNOT go unpunished. Remember the times when nobody was looking? When you compromised by giving in to sin even though you could feel the conscience of the Holy Spirit pricking you? God saw it all. And it is NOT acceptable unto Him.

I sense the Lord making me check my value system once more. Have I been influenced by the standards of the world so that I have compromised on His standards? Do I think it is "not unusual for Christians to fall into adultery since we are all mere humans and imperfect" and therefore consider it an acceptable evil? Have I become comfortable with the fact that it is normal for pre-marital sex to take place among our young people? Have I even entertained that thought myself? Will I make it a point to stand up to all these SINFUL values when it matters or will I just quietly acknowledge that it is a lost cause anyway.

God detests sin. Sexual immorality is one of those that especially angers and hurts Him. May I grow to hate every shred of the presence of sin in my life so that I might know holiness in Him.


Resources:
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary, Proverbs - a good online commentary that I found on the book of Proverbs.

Covenant Eyes - A good and cheap internet accountability software.

A+ Premium Filtering - A comprehensive internet filtering program for Christians.

Wisdom is Supreme

Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. This is a recurring theme that Solomon repeats again and again in the book of Proverbs. In fact, he writes many times for sons to listen to their father's instructions and not forsake his teachings. He emphasises it again and again, the words pay attention repeating themselves so many times. What is it about wisdom that is so important? Why didn't he say, Love is supreme, or brokenness is supreme? Why wisdom? Proverbs 4:7, "Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all that you have, get understanding."

Those are some powerful words aren't they? I believe they hint at something though. If we study and take seriously all the promises that are given if you embrace wisdom and follow her, we begin to see a glimpse of the life that God meant for us to lead. For example,

1. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered. (vs12)
2. She... will present you with a crown of splendour. (vs 9)
3. She will protect you. (vs 6)
4. They are life to those who find them. (vs 22)

These are only from Chapter 4. If you were to make a list of all the blessings from Wisdom in the entire Proverbs, it will probably extend a few pages.

I can't help but ask myself what kind of life I am living now and comparing against that which the Lord has intended for me to. I fall very far behind! There is so much that the Lord has intended that I am missing out on! So, why wisdom??! I felt the Holy Spirit guiding me back to Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. Wisdom is not something that you fill yourself up with and sit on a mountain top and meditate like some guru or sage. It is about putting God's instructions and directions into action, even under many challenging situations we face on earth. Fear and reverence of God MUST propel us to do so! It is not fear in an intimidating sense, but a holy respect that compels and convicts us to live out obedience, not just understand it.

I have been trying to put into application what God is teaching me each day. Yet I find it really difficult to do so. It is a great challenge! There is a sense of lathargy and inertia to constantly apply the word of God in my life. Now, if I understood fully that my life depends on me doing that, would I still give in to all the excuses I make for myself? I doubt so! The truth is, that sense of urgency IS very real! Yet, it is so easy to turn a deaf ear!

I realise my life cannot stay the same. And I need God to change me. I will be spending time praying at least 15 min for myself every day. I want a breakthrough in my life. And I am doing something about it. What about you?!

We give because God first gave.

When was the last time you felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to go over and pray for someone or to bless a brother or sister-in-christ by helping him/her financially or through other means, but chose to ignore it?

Proverbs 3:27-28 struck me, "Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act. 28 Do not say to your neighbor, 'Come back later; I'll give it tomorrow'— when you now have it with you."

I remember a few instances where I did exactly that - ask the person to come back later, half hoping that he will forget, half thinking, perhaps I will have a need for this later, so better wait. However, vs 27 says very clearly to not withhold good from those who deserve it! And it says this in the same passage as things like, "Do not plot harm against your neighbour," or "Do not envy a violent man or choose any of his ways. " God considers all these of the same importance!

We have all heard this before, that sin is not only doing the wrong thing, but also NOT doing the right thing! The principle is not difficult to understand. God Himself is the giver of ALL good things! We are but stewards of all that He has blessed us with and we are to be GOOD STEWARDS. If all we have is His, then we need to be attentive and obedient how He wants us to use it. Do you feel proud of the fact that you collected much ang pow money during Chinese New Year or that your salary is of an above average amount? Remember that there is nothing there that we can boast of, only of His goodness in our lives. Ask the Lord today, how He wants you to invest the things He has blessed you with.

The Lord wants ALL your heart

Having meditated on Proverbs 3:5-6 for the past 2 weeks, it was special to come back to it again in Chapter 3. Somehow, it has grown to become one of my favourite verses and one that never ceases to bring me back to the greatness of God and the smallness of my struggles. Each time I read it, I feel the Lord's mighty hands protecting me and His love assuring me that He will make my paths straight.

I was just observing how the verses were written. Often when verses are written in similar format as in these 2 verses, a comparison can be made between both of them. "In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." There seems to be a causative effect here. Cause: Acknowledge him. Effect: He will make your paths straight. If I were to use the same structure to interpret vs 5, then it follows that Cause: Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Effect: Lean not on your own understanding.

Many times, we think of it the other way around, i.e. Stop understanding it yourself, and after you have done that, trust the Lord. What God seems to be saying to me is the opposite! Trust in me FIRST! And all the rest of the things shall become shadows in my light. The Lord really is saying this, "Make your focus ME and not your own understanding!" When we choose to focus on God, our paths will naturally become straightened before us, Hallelujah!

Wisdom is God's WILL for our lives

Let your life be led by the wisdom of God.
Do not be like the weeds of the fields,
swayed and tossed around by the winds of change.

The title that is given to Chapter 2 of Proverbs in most Bibles would say - "Moral Benefits of Wisdom". Having read through the chapter, I feel it is is more appropriately written as "Understanding God's will for you to live in wisdom."

I am reminded once again , that when God says in verse 1, "My son, if you accept my words, and store up my commands within you" .... then verse 5, "then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God." , He wasn't using the word, "if" as conveying a meaning of uncertainty. For example, if there is a traffic jam, I will be late. Or if I the flight is delayed, you will be upgraded to business class.

No, the word 'if' is used to state certain obvious truth and to highlight the consequences of obeying/ disobeying. Take for example, if you are a mother, you will take care and want the best for your children. The fact that you are a mother is not an uncertainty. It is the truth. And it follows that you WILL want the best for your children.

Back to the verses, God WANTS us to accept his words and store up His commands within us. It is not a "if you feel like doing it" but a "DO IT!" Then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God (vs 5) . Then you will understand what is right and just and fair (vs 9). For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it; but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be torn from it (vs 21, 22).

God has spoken very clearly how we must lead our lives as believers. If we choose not to, we choose a life of being cut off from Him. Yet, many times, we tend to be swayed by the values of the world and attempt to match God's standard to it by saying, why is God's standard like that? It seems so unfair. What is wrong with pre-marital sex? We are intending to get married anyway. What is wrong with homosexuality? The people truly love each other. What is wrong with backstabbing my boss? He deserves it. What is wrong with shouting at my mother? She shouted at me first. And the list can go on.

What is our response? The first 2 verses of Proverbs 2 seem to sum it up for us. Accept God's words. Believe them. Be zealous over them. Don't deny them because you cannot understand them. Don't doubt them because the world says otherwise. Embrace them.

Store up my commands within you. Be a person who enthusiastically obeys my commands. Keep them, meditate upon them. Value them.

Is there something in our life that you find difficulty obeying the Lord in? Or a principle that your cell/G12 leader is trying to teach you but you find difficulty obeying? Check your heart today, and obey. It is God's will for you.

The wrath of a divine and perfect judge

I was reflecting on how we receive and exalt the attributes of God's character such as love, kindness, grace, forgiveness, etc. with much readiness but when it comes to things like God's judgement and His wrath, we get all tongue-tied and try to make up excuses for God by saying things like, "Oh, no lah, that was God in the old testament. Now, there is grace." or "Ermm... Yah, I also don't know why He has to destroy the whole of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sounds like tough love."

We skirt around the issue, wondering how a God who is kind and all-compassionate could also wipe out entire cities and send plagues that devastate and even take lives. And then we think, "Thank God he is not like that anymore." And we have this hazy impression that somehow God has mellowed over the years and become more tolerant of our wrong doing.

DO NOT BE DECEIVED ANY LONGER! Our God is the same yesterday, today and forever! If He detested sin in the old testament, He does not tolerate it any more in today's world! If He was a God who judged His people then, He will come to judge us also! Make no mistake, the God of love is also the God who will judge us according to how we have led our lives and give according to each person what he has done!

Matthew 16:27, "For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

Romans 2:6-11. "6God "will give to each person according to what he has done." 7To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. 8But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. 9There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; 10but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 11For God does not show favoritism."

What is our response to this then? Does God judge so that He can frighten us into submission and obedience? Well, for those who refuse to believe in Him, there is certainly much to be afraid about! But the true purpose of God's judgement is really to reveal the morally perfect character of God. Would God be perfect if He treated ungodliness the same as godliness? Would He still be morally praiseworthy and perfect if He did not make a distinction between what was right and what was wrong? No! Moral indifference would be an imperfection of God, not a perfection!

We tend to understand God's wrath and His judgement in terms of our own human imperfection whereby when one gets angry, he loses control. He becomes irrational and impulsive. We forget that God is perfect. His wrath is judicial - meaning He gives to us only what we deserve! God is only angry where anger is called for. It is a necessary reaction to the sin and immorality in our lives.

I realise that our faulty understanding of God's wrath stem largely from the fact that we treat sin too lightly. We give excuses for sinning. "It's just a small thing, everyone is doing it. What's the big deal?"

Learn to see sin the way God sees it, as extremely detestable. Ask God to reveal to you the corruption of sin in your life, so that you can appreciate God's totally uncompromising stand towards it. Ask God to give you a holy fear for Him. It is only when we learn to worship Him in reverence and godly fear that we can serve Him acceptably. Decide today to live a life that will stand up to the judgement of Jesus when He comes again!

Wise Up!

The book of Proverbs is written by Solomon and some others. By now, you should know that the main theme of Proverbs is Wisdom. The first 9 chapters of Proverbs talk about the need for Wisdom. Why Wisdom? What happens if you choose to reject wisdom? Very often, wisdom is personified as a woman crying out to God's people to receive her.

Proverbs 1: 5 says, "Let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance." while in 1:22 implores, "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?"

I used to think that wisdom was something that is good to have. Not everyone is wise. But somehow, if you are really blessed, and you have lots of experience and you are matured in your ways, you are considered wise. It struck me that wisdom is not just something good to have, but something that God wants ALL of us to have. In fact Proverbs tells us that if you reject wisdom, we will end up being overwhelmed by distress and trouble! Now that is really something to think about isn't it? While we often chase after the qualities of God like love, joy, humility, etc. How many of us actually make it a point to be filled with wisdom?

What exactly is wisdom then? Why does the author of Proverbs tell us that "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of all wisdom?" I like the way J.I. Packer in his book, "Knowing God" put it.

"In scripture, wisdom is a moral as well as an intellectual quality, more than mere intelligence or knowledge, just as it is more than mere cleverness and cunning. For us to be truly wise, in the Bible sense, our intelligence and cleverness must be harnessed to the right end. Wisdom is the power to see, and the inclination to choose, the best and highest goal, together with the surest means of attaining it.

Wisdom is in fact, the practical side of moral goodness. As such, it is found in its fullness only in God."

If true wisdom in its fullness comes from God, then our inspiration for such wisdom should be God himself. It is no wonder that are to have the fear of God! What does the fear of God have to do with wisdom? Well, much. Having the fear of the Lord can be translated as 'being totally preoccupied with what God thinks of us." It is not the kind of fear that causes intimidation, but one that drives us to seek His approval and His approval only.

O God, more wisdom for me please!

To Rise Under Severe Tension

Our willingness to trust God is put to the test in difficult situations, not in easy ones. Did I just say something obvious? Not almost. God reminds us for the need to trust Him precisely because we struggle to do so in those areas.

I used to think that it is easiest to trust God in our times of desperation. I realised that people in desperation don't really trust God. They just need a quick solution to their problem. Trust is an intentional choice. A choice to say, "Yes, I will do it your way even though I really feel like doing it my way now cos I know my way will make me feel better and I really just need to feel better."

Trust is keeping the commandments of God in your heart and living and staying true to a life that will please God rather than your self or others, understanding that God is the ultimate justifier and judge of our lives. Even in the small things.

Yesterday, I was tempted to skip my presentation in school. I felt very lousy about the work I had done so far even though I knew that was the best I could do. I did not want to go through the whole process of standing before a crit panel and being "torn to shreds" by them. The thought of putting myself in that situation was just too unnerving. I had already typed an sms to my tutor to tell him that I had bad gastric and needed to see a doctor. Obviously it was a half-truth but I dreaded the crit presentation that much.

I thought long and hard about it and in a moment of seeming desperation, was going to press the 'send' button. Then I was reminded of what God has been teaching me. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding." Was I acknowledging God in this matter if I were to take the easy way out? The answer is obvious!

I took a deep breath and prepared my stuff. If God is a God who says will carry me through and I believed in such a God, then I need to let my actions speak for it. Thank God, the presentation did not go far south like I thought it would. I was certainly not "torn to shreds" as I imagined. In fact, I thought there were quite some constructive suggestions. Though I was still pretty negative about the whole experience yesterday, on hindsight today, I see it was the hand of God that brought me through. I now understand why Solomon said to acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your paths straight.

To borrow a quote,

"Be a (Godly) man. Do the right thing!"

About Trusting the Lord

Trust in the Lord to carry you through.

I'm going to jump to Proverbs 3 for a while as I've been meditating on this verse for a while. Provers 3:5-6 should be a very familiar verse to many of you. This is one of the verses that I grew up with, having memorised it as early as Primary school.

However, as I read it once again and let it sink into me, I realise that trusting God does not come as naturally as I expected. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

Trust in the Lord, not with one part of your heart, but with all of it. Not only in things that have to do with ministry, but in every area of your life.

I'm going through a really stressful period of my life right now. It is not a stress that I like or I want and it is causing me much anxiety and pain (in the stomach). As I meditate on the words, "Trust in the Lord", I find that while my mind tells me to do so, my heart does not dare commit. As I reflect more, I discover the root of it - I seek the approval of man more than I seek the approval of God. I find myself unable to trust God because I fear the outcome of doing so. An outcome that might make me look bad or lousy before man. I find that the stress comes from wanting to meet up to the expectation of the world. And I fear that by letting God take control, I might lose my worth before man. I realise too that deep inside, I have a faulty view of God. I fear that God will not come to my rescue. I fear the I will be left to my own means.

Look at vs 5 and 6 again, this verses do not just talk about how to live right. They speak about a God who is so great and so mighty that we will never fully comprehend or understand His ways. They speak about a God who is mighty to save. A God who is so powerful that nothing is beyond Him. That is why we can trust Him and Him only. Do you find your ways or the ways of the world contradicting with the ways of God? Yet, the Bible tells us, "Don't doubt Him. Trust Him. Do not depend on your own reading of the situation, do not think that there is no hope, do not fear what is to come. Trust in the ways of God! God knew it would be difficult to do so because we are so prone to doing things our way. Yet, God's only condition is to acknowledge Him in everything, and He will make things right.

Lord, renew my mind so that I will know how to trust you and to acknowledge you in all I do!

Wisdom and Discipline

I am reading Proverbs this period of time and I find it exceptionally intriguing and relevant as I am learning to manage stress in my school work and to trust in the Lord.

Proverbs 1
Prologue: Purpose and Theme
1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

2 for attaining wisdom and discipline;
for understanding words of insight;

3 for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life,
doing what is right and just and fair;

4 for giving prudence to the simple,
knowledge and discretion to the young-

5 let the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning get guidance-

6 for understanding proverbs and parables,
the sayings and riddles of the wise.

7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and discipline.

As I read through Proverbs 1, I observed that almost always, the word wisdom is mentioned together with discipline. Solomon seemed to know instinctively that one came with the other! True wisdom comes with discipline. A life of discipline makes you wise! As we read on, we realise that Solomon gives us a hint how to make the right choices with our people - a disciplined and prudent life!

Now, if you think back to what Solomon did as a living, you begin to understand that his words are truely precious! As a King, Solomon probably had to manage many things - his citizens, policies, welfare of the people, international relations, even war! It was important for him to do what was right, just and fair. And the secret to this? Acquiring a disciplined and prudent life.

What then is wisdom? I thought my pastor put it very rightly when he said it is the "art of living." I believe that is what Solomon was talking about when said in verse 3, "doing what is right, just and fair". That is what wisdom is! Doing what is right, just and fair before the Lord!

So what about discipline? How should I live a life of discipline? I believe it starts with creating intentional time to spend with the Lord. And this extends not just to spiritual disciplines but to all areas of my life. Am I living my life intentionally for God? I used to think so. But I realised discipline is something that I am weak at. It is not just something good to have. It is crucial in living my life right before the Lord. I will be looking into the various areas of my life to see how discipline can be instilled. I used to think it was a bad word, this discipline. I hated it. Now I believe it is part of becoming more Chirst-like. Amen

Your people are at best, what you are.

Being a spiritual mentor in all of the Christian sense is something we should never take for granted. Do not expect your people to be growing and living in victory if your life is not right before the Lord. Very often, it is easy to cruise on complacency in your own walk with God since by virtue of the fact that you are a leader, you already know more than your people. Do not be fooled though by this temporary sense of self-reliance in discipling your people. Shallowness can only breed shallowness. A life of sin will only breed a life of sin.

That is a scary though isn't it? That who we are, our people will become. But that is a given since discipling involves pouring out of our lives into the lives of others. If you only have superficiality and selfishness to pour out, that is what is going to go into the lives of your members. Now, I'm sure you are thinking, "Ok lah, I'm still ok. I don't think I am that selfish or superficial." Well I urge you to reflect upon this again. Are you consistent in your walk with God? Do you spend time regularly in prayer and worship? Is your life a testimony of obedience and love before God?

I say this not suggesting that we become religious and ritualistic in our "practice of Christianity". Rather, we need to realise that we are but stewards of God's people. Meaning, we take care of them on HIS terms, not ours. When we get into a lifestyle of self-dependence and self-reliance in our discipling, we have become ineffective in our discipleship. This is a crucial yet often unvalued principle of discipleship. To quote my pastor, "Take care of the depth of your relationship with God, and He will take care of the breadth of your ministry."

I myself often find my mind going into "self-reliant" mode, whereby I see myself teaching and discipling by relying on my past experiences and expertise rather than on supernatural and spiritual inspiration of the Holy Spirit. I discovered it is very easy to do so, especially in times of busyness and stress where I conveniently "chuck God into a corner of my cupboard" so that I can "take Him out again" when I am freer. How foolish of me! How deceived I have become!

I have decided to post my daily devotions on this blog too. It is my way of creating a structure to ensure my time with God and also a way of helping myself be more intentional in my reflection and meditation on the word of God. And I know it will help me become a better disciple-maker. May you be blessed and inspired as you read them.

A Great New Adventure

My pastor was speaking to me about the issue of mentoring one day. He was at this talk where the speaker shared that Singapore as a nation can and needs to grow in the area of mentoring. We need to develop a stronger culture of mentoring in everything we do. That sparked off something in me. I have been a youth leader in church for 12 years now. In recent years, I have had the opportunity to lead and influence (in various capacities), youths in other arenas too, especially community work. I have learnt much through my experiences and I think some of these learning might help encourage those who are in a similar journey (youth work).

In this blog I will share my own experiences and learning these past 12 years doing youth work in church. Obviously it will be from a Christian perspective as I see no other way that is possible or even thinkable. I will also include reflections from my time with God and precious revelations gleamed through my conversations with Him. I have decided to call this new blog "I am an Architect of Man, but a Servant of God." In short, AOMSOG.

The term Architect of Man is taken from when I thought long about my mission statement in life. I realised I wanted to be a builder of lives. And not just a builder, but a designer of lives. I want to be able to bring out the best in people's lives, to lead them to discover their gifting and specialness so that they might come close to living out their full potential and purpose in God. I hope those of you who read it will be encouraged to do exactly that. For yourself and those you have influence over.