I used to think that I cannot always follow my desires, what I want or don't want to do. Because that will cause me to be irresponsible and unstable. Like what if you wake up the next morning and suddenly you don't want to be married to your hubby? I used to hear people quoting the bible saying that you cannot trust your heart because it is deceitful above all things. I think the author of Proverbs was referring to the person who is not saved, hence he cannot trust his heart. For believers who have the Holy Spirit living within us, if we are sensitive to Him, we will find that He is always leading us through our desires. Philippians 2:13 says that it is God who works in you both to will and to do according to His good pleasures.
Just like how people say grace will give others a license to sin. Yet the matter of the fact is people are still sinning under the law, perhaps even more because the strength of the law is sin. I always thought I got to force myself to do the things I don't like for the greater good of others, for the kingdom of God. That way I will build tenacity of character. But as I learnt more about His grace and the gift of righteousness, I realized that I was putting myself under the law, under demands when I do that. I know because whenever I forced myself to do something I don't like, to live up to others' expectation, a part of me dies. It's that part of me which God made me to be. When I keep forcing myself to do that long enough, I find that I don't even know I really am. I forgot to be true to myself, to who He made me to be.
In my walk with The Lord, I find that He never once forced me to do something I had no desire for. He will always work a desire in me before He shows me this is His will. And He always gives me a choice, whether I want to do it or not. If I choose not to do it, He will not condemn me for my choice. He will still assure me He loves me because His love is not based on my performance. Oh, that is so liberating to me! It's a life of grace. I have learnt to flow in His Spirit by recognizing the desires He puts in my heart. And when other people give me advice that doesn't bear witness to my spirit, I can be secure in what God told me. I will have a boldness that says 'Thanks for your advice but that is not for me.'
Oh then what about those times when you really don't feel like doing something yet you know The Lord would like you to do it? Do you follow your desire and defy God? When those times come and they do, The Lord will wait and patiently work in me to create the desire to do so. And He will tell me that if I do it, there will be a supernatural grace. He will supply the anointing for me to go through the thing I dread. Most of the times, after I have done it, I will realize that it was God causing me to overcome an area which I failed repeatedly. The mystery of grace is that it always causes you to overcome. The law will never give you the power to overcome.
I find that many people make Him out to be such a hard God. They will tell you that God left you in the fiery furnace to suffer so that your faith can be refined as gold. If you choose to opt out, then it shows that you are of a weak mettle. You have not fought the good fight of faith. Yes, I agree that God sometimes puts us through certain tests to let us grow but He knows our limits. He knows how much we can bear. His primary interest is our well-being, more than just the test at hand. He won't let us crumble. What people forget to tell you is that Christ is there with you in the fiery furnace. He is not a distant God. He is there with you in your darkest moments, turning your situation around.
After a while, I learnt not to put myself under the law, forcing myself to do things I don't want to. I learnt to go by the law of the Spirit, which means that I go by the life I feel on the inside of me. Well, you will ask: going by the life or lack of, is that even reliable? Surely! Much more reliable than going by the law. The law will only keep you in 'check' outwardly. But when anarchy rules, you will see the true nature of humans. Grace, on the other hand, will cause a heart transformation, which is far more lasting than outward behavioral changes. When I walk by the life of the Spirit, my desires will never lead me to do something to displease God or dishonor Him.
And even when I feel rebellious at times, like I really don't want to do the thing which I know is what God desires, there would be a struggle within me. There would be such an unrest in my spirit because eventually I don't want to make God upset. I will think about how good God is to me, how He never forces me to do things (unlike the world) and how He never makes me feel condemned. My heart would soften at that thought. After a while I would come back to the place of peace when I decide to align my will to His will.
That's the power of grace, my friend. The goodness of God will always lead one to repentance, which is the changing of our minds. That's the power of His love. He has given us free choice and He respects our decision. Yes I can exercise my free will to go against Him but why would I do that when I know that He loves me so much and everything He does is for my good? The law is cold and hard, given to the Israelites in tablets of stones but Jesus came personally to give us grace. It's easy to sin against two cold, hard pieces of stones but to sin against Jesus, the One who loves us so much, gave His life for us on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. How can one even bring himself to do that to Jesus? Oh the limitless love of God!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Friday, October 17, 2014
Why new believers seem to receive easily from God?
Recently someone asked this question about why it seems like new believers receive much easily than believers for a long time. I thought it was a good question hence I decided to delve a bit deeper on this. I remember hearing Pastor Prince saying that when a person accepts Christ, it is purely by grace so they are not conscious of their own works in the beginning. Fresh on their minds are thoughts of how undeserving they were, yet Jesus came and saved them. So right after they received Christ, even when they failed, they are conscious of His love and His forgiveness, hence it didn't hinder their prayers. They knew the answer to their prayers had nothing to do with their performance.
However, after being saved for some time, they may be taught that yes they are saved by grace through faith in Christ, yet in order to be holy, they got to do this and that. Unknowing they are being put under the law. Previously before they accepted Christ, they may be living a sinful life but because they are not awakened to the law, they do not feel guilty or condemned. After they are saved, their eyes are opened to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and they felt guilty each time they sinned. They slowly forgot that at the point of conversion, Christ has forgiven them of all their sins: past, present and future. They become more aware of their trespasses than before they were saved.
Those who are constantly feeling condemned and guilty, having fallen short of the standard of God cannot receive from Him, though all these blessings were already paid for by Jesus at the cross. They disqualify themselves by putting themselves under the law. Pastor Prince said that law is natural but grace is supernatural. You can hear the gospel of grace preached to you for ten weeks and then for one week, you hear a mixed message of law and grace preached. The flesh easily lapses back to the law. It's so subtle, how the law came in by stealth.
That's why it is so important to keep hearing the grace message because that builds faith and faith is what causes believers to overcome in this life. Faith is the currency of heaven and when you have the faith of God, you easily receive from Him whatever you need in life. No wonder Pastor keeps quoting Romans 5:17 '...how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ!' Hence the key to receiving from God is having an abundance of grace and gift of righteousness, causing us to reign in life!
However, after being saved for some time, they may be taught that yes they are saved by grace through faith in Christ, yet in order to be holy, they got to do this and that. Unknowing they are being put under the law. Previously before they accepted Christ, they may be living a sinful life but because they are not awakened to the law, they do not feel guilty or condemned. After they are saved, their eyes are opened to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and they felt guilty each time they sinned. They slowly forgot that at the point of conversion, Christ has forgiven them of all their sins: past, present and future. They become more aware of their trespasses than before they were saved.
Those who are constantly feeling condemned and guilty, having fallen short of the standard of God cannot receive from Him, though all these blessings were already paid for by Jesus at the cross. They disqualify themselves by putting themselves under the law. Pastor Prince said that law is natural but grace is supernatural. You can hear the gospel of grace preached to you for ten weeks and then for one week, you hear a mixed message of law and grace preached. The flesh easily lapses back to the law. It's so subtle, how the law came in by stealth.
That's why it is so important to keep hearing the grace message because that builds faith and faith is what causes believers to overcome in this life. Faith is the currency of heaven and when you have the faith of God, you easily receive from Him whatever you need in life. No wonder Pastor keeps quoting Romans 5:17 '...how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ!' Hence the key to receiving from God is having an abundance of grace and gift of righteousness, causing us to reign in life!
Training your thoughts
In my last blog post, I mentioned about how I have learnt to train my thoughts to focus on what God wants me to think about. The Lord gave me an imagery of how a nail is magnetized by a piece of magnet. Rubbing the nail with the permanent magnet causes a stronger, more lasting magnetism in the nail. One pole of the magnet must stroke the nail from one end to the other in a single direction. The magnet must be lifted completely off the nail after each stroke before beginning the next one. The nail's magnetism increases with each stroke. Stroking with one pole of a permanent magnet works because it aligns the molecules in the nail in the same polar direction, giving the nail a positive and a negative end.
In the same way, this is how we train our thoughts. As we keep submitting each thought to the obedience of Christ, it becomes easier the next time to take captive of the negative thought arising in your mind. Romans 12:2 says 'Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of the mind.' This is the process by which our mind is transformed, the renewing of our minds. As we keep doing this, our thought processes would not be haphazard and all over the place. These thoughts, like the molecules in a nail, will be gradually aligned in the same polar direction, pointing towards Christ.
Jesus is like the magnet which magnetizes my thoughts and attracts me to Him. As I turn away from my self consciousness and choose to focus on Jesus and His righteousness, I find myself becoming more and more like the Magnet. And as a result, I attract other people when I become transformed into His glory. People see the glory of God radiating from my life and they too become interested to know about this wonderful Savior.
Initially it may not be that easy to take captive of each thought but as time passes, you will find that it more and more effortless as you behold the face of Jesus. After some time, you may suddenly realize one day that your thoughts are no longer random but you have trained your mind to think in God's ways, to see things as God sees. 1 Corinthians 2:16 says we have the mind of Christ. Once you learnt to see things from God's perspective, you will be able to discern the deep things of God and His will for your life.
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Relationship with God
The other day I was listening to Pastor Prince's sermon and noticed this interesting point. He said that God always like to speak to us in terms of relationship. It's like when you first seek The Lord and ask Him questions like why haven't I received my breakthrough or why am I still single, He will not answer you directly. Instead, He will tell you how much He loves you and how precious you are in His sight. That may be an irrelevant answer to your question but in fact, that is the key to your breakthrough. The answer lies in knowing how much God loves you. The more you are conscious of His love, the more good things start happening to you.
I remember crying out to God in 2010 asking when will I receive the breakthrough to my promise. God didn't answer me directly. In fact, He kept saying that this promise is already given and it will surely come. What He directed my focus to was His love for me. He spoke about how He felt towards me and who I am to Him. It was a personalized love letter to me. That was actually the first time I was able to hear Him speak at length and I recorded everything I heard. After I had a fresh encounter of His love, the matter at hand suddenly paled in comparison. It was like nothing else really mattered so long as I had His love. That's really basking in His love and being pampered by Him.
Later on as I grew in my relationship with God, I noticed that I don't just go to Him with my prayer requests anymore. And I found that there's no need for me to keep talking. Sometimes I stay still to listen to His still small voice, other times I just bask in His presence, enjoying His company. I noticed that when I wasn't seeking Him for any answer, just enjoying His presence and resting in His love for me, God will speak. He will come and tell me His plans for me and give me specific instructions on my next step. I find Him leading me like a shepherd does His sheep. It's amazing how far this relationship has gone. He just have to gently nudge me or give me some hints and I get it. I instinctively know what He wants from me. John 10:27 says 'My sheep listen to My voice and follow Me.'
I don't doubt if I hear Him correctly and I don't keep going back to ask Him to confirm. If I was unclear, I would wait upon Him for confirmation before I proceed. Then when I experience the peace within, I will know it's His voice. Most times I realized that when I was so desperately seeking an answer, He didn't answer me directly. But some time later He will reveal the answer I had asked. Many times I would have already forgotten about my question as I got lost in His love and then He will bring me to remembrance.
Pastor said people who are conscious of His love will shine with His glory. They are so comfortable to be with. They are so secure that you don't have to worry what you say will bruise their ego or hurt them. In fact, they don't care about what men think of them. And others are attracted to them. I really hoped to be like one who is radiating with the love of my Abba God. The world can see that there's something different about you. The starting point to receiving your breakthrough is really in receiving His love for you. That's when you can be transformed from glory to glory in Christ's image. When you are so full of His love, you can be over comers in this world.
Recently I was thinking about how my relationship with God has changed so much. I have grown so much closer to Him. I have been able to hear His voice much more clearly than before. I also noticed that He speaks plainly to me nowadays. When I asked Him questions, He answered quite promptly, in a matter of days or weeks. Sometimes almost immediately like a conversation I have with any human beings. Not only that I also noticed that I don't really misinterpret Him like I do before. When I read the past journals, I realized it was me talking most of the time and me interpreting what God is telling me. Sometimes I think He is saying this but He is not. It was after some time that I understood what He was talking about.
Nowadays I feel so conscious of God talking to me. It can be anytime, anywhere. When such thoughts come, I try to jot it down. I have learnt to distinguish if that was my thought or His. And nowadays my thoughts are more organized and less scattered, not all over the place. Thank God I have learnt to train my thoughts and subject them to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). When alien thoughts try to invade my mind, I will be able to recognize them through the emotions I feel. My emotions are my radar, if I don't feel good, then there could be some wrong thoughts or wrong believing somewhere. Of course it's not like that all the time but most times, my emotions are a good signal.
Dear Beloved, know that the battlefield is in your mind. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says that the weapons we fight with are not of this world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. I find that dwelling on the love of Christ will help us focus our thoughts on Him. Perfect love drives out all fear. The other thing is to dwell on the good things, whatever is noble, lovely, praiseworthy, of good report. Be on the watch out for toxic thoughts which cause you to feel confused, accused, guilty, worried etc. when those thoughts come, you can choose to switch channels in your mind. Take captive those thoughts and submit them to the obedience of Christ.
I remember crying out to God in 2010 asking when will I receive the breakthrough to my promise. God didn't answer me directly. In fact, He kept saying that this promise is already given and it will surely come. What He directed my focus to was His love for me. He spoke about how He felt towards me and who I am to Him. It was a personalized love letter to me. That was actually the first time I was able to hear Him speak at length and I recorded everything I heard. After I had a fresh encounter of His love, the matter at hand suddenly paled in comparison. It was like nothing else really mattered so long as I had His love. That's really basking in His love and being pampered by Him.
Later on as I grew in my relationship with God, I noticed that I don't just go to Him with my prayer requests anymore. And I found that there's no need for me to keep talking. Sometimes I stay still to listen to His still small voice, other times I just bask in His presence, enjoying His company. I noticed that when I wasn't seeking Him for any answer, just enjoying His presence and resting in His love for me, God will speak. He will come and tell me His plans for me and give me specific instructions on my next step. I find Him leading me like a shepherd does His sheep. It's amazing how far this relationship has gone. He just have to gently nudge me or give me some hints and I get it. I instinctively know what He wants from me. John 10:27 says 'My sheep listen to My voice and follow Me.'
I don't doubt if I hear Him correctly and I don't keep going back to ask Him to confirm. If I was unclear, I would wait upon Him for confirmation before I proceed. Then when I experience the peace within, I will know it's His voice. Most times I realized that when I was so desperately seeking an answer, He didn't answer me directly. But some time later He will reveal the answer I had asked. Many times I would have already forgotten about my question as I got lost in His love and then He will bring me to remembrance.
Pastor said people who are conscious of His love will shine with His glory. They are so comfortable to be with. They are so secure that you don't have to worry what you say will bruise their ego or hurt them. In fact, they don't care about what men think of them. And others are attracted to them. I really hoped to be like one who is radiating with the love of my Abba God. The world can see that there's something different about you. The starting point to receiving your breakthrough is really in receiving His love for you. That's when you can be transformed from glory to glory in Christ's image. When you are so full of His love, you can be over comers in this world.
Recently I was thinking about how my relationship with God has changed so much. I have grown so much closer to Him. I have been able to hear His voice much more clearly than before. I also noticed that He speaks plainly to me nowadays. When I asked Him questions, He answered quite promptly, in a matter of days or weeks. Sometimes almost immediately like a conversation I have with any human beings. Not only that I also noticed that I don't really misinterpret Him like I do before. When I read the past journals, I realized it was me talking most of the time and me interpreting what God is telling me. Sometimes I think He is saying this but He is not. It was after some time that I understood what He was talking about.
Nowadays I feel so conscious of God talking to me. It can be anytime, anywhere. When such thoughts come, I try to jot it down. I have learnt to distinguish if that was my thought or His. And nowadays my thoughts are more organized and less scattered, not all over the place. Thank God I have learnt to train my thoughts and subject them to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). When alien thoughts try to invade my mind, I will be able to recognize them through the emotions I feel. My emotions are my radar, if I don't feel good, then there could be some wrong thoughts or wrong believing somewhere. Of course it's not like that all the time but most times, my emotions are a good signal.
Dear Beloved, know that the battlefield is in your mind. 2 Corinthians 10:4 says that the weapons we fight with are not of this world. They have divine power to demolish strongholds. I find that dwelling on the love of Christ will help us focus our thoughts on Him. Perfect love drives out all fear. The other thing is to dwell on the good things, whatever is noble, lovely, praiseworthy, of good report. Be on the watch out for toxic thoughts which cause you to feel confused, accused, guilty, worried etc. when those thoughts come, you can choose to switch channels in your mind. Take captive those thoughts and submit them to the obedience of Christ.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Ministering to the Lord
I chanced upon this article by Watchman Née on 'Ministering to The Lord' which I am sharing because I never heard anyone speak on ministry like he did. Whatever he wrote spoke to me, it was almost as if God Himself was talking to me. Below is an excerpt of what he shared about ministering to The Lord.
Work for the Lord undoubtedly has its attractions for the flesh. You may be thrilled when crowds gather to hear you preach, and when numbers of souls are saved. If you have to stay at home, occupied from morning to night with mundane matters, then you think: How meaningless life as! How grand at would be if I could go out and serve the Lord! If only I were free to go around ministering!
But that is not spirituality. That is merely a matter of natural preference. Oh, if only we could see that much of the work done for God is not really ministry at all! He, Himself, has told us that there was a class of Levites who busily served in the Temple, and yet they were not serving Him; they were merely serving the House. However, service to the Lord and service to the House appear so much alike that it is often difficult to differentiate between the two.
There is a heavy burden on his heart that you might realise what God is after. He wants ministers who will minister to Him. "They shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood. They shall minister unto me" (Ezekiel 44:15). The thing he fears most is that many of you will go out and win sinners to the Lord and build up believers, without ministering to the Lord Himself. Much so-called service for Him is simply following our natural inclinations. We have such active dispositions that we cannot bear to stay at home, so we run around for our own relief. We may appear to be serving sinners, or serving believers, but all the while we are serving our own flesh.
The conditions basic to all ministry that can truly be called ministry to the Lord are drawing near to Him and standing before Him. But how hard we often find it to drag ourselves into His presence! We shrink from the solitude, and even when we do detach ourselves physically, our thoughts still keep wandering outside. Many of us can enjoy working among people, but how many of us can draw near to God in the Holy of Holies? Yet it is only as we draw near to Him that we can minister to Him.
To come into the presence of God and kneel before Him for an hour demands all the strength we possess. We have to be violent to hold that ground. But everyone who serves the Lord knows the preciousness of such times, the sweetness of waking at midnight and spending an hour in prayer, or waking very early in the morning and getting up for an hour of prayer before the final sleep of the night. Unless we really know what it is to draw near to God, we cannot know what it is to serve Him. It is impossible to stand afar off and still minister to Him. We cannot serve Him from a distance. There is only one place where ministry to Him is possible and that is in the Holy Place. In the outer court you approach the people; in the Holy Place you approach the Lord.
The passage we have quoted emphasises not only our need to draw near to God; it also speaks of standing before Him to minister. Today we always want to be moving on; we cannot stand still. There are so many things claiming our attention that we are perpetually on the go. We cannot stop for a moment. But a spiritual person knows how to stand still. He can stand before God till God makes His will known. He can stand and await orders. You who are leaders need to particularly consider this. Can you be persuaded to call a halt and not move for a little while? That is what is referred to here: "stand and minister unto me." Don't you think that a servant should await his master's orders before seeking to serve him?
You think: This thing would not be wrong, or that thing is the very best that could be done so you go ahead and take action without stopping to inquire if it is the will of God. We who are His children all know that we ought not to do anything evil, but we think that if only our conscience does not forbid a thing, or if a thing commends itself to us as positively good, that is reason enough to go ahead and do it.
That thing you contemplate doing may be very good, but are you standing before the Lord awaiting His command regarding it? "They shall stand before me" involves halting in His presence and refusing to move till He issues His orders. That is what ministry to the Lord means. In the outer court it is human need that governs. Just let someone come along to sacrifice an ox or a sheep, and there is work for you to do. But in the Holiest Place there is utter solitude. Not a soul comes in. No brother or sister governs us here, nor does any committee determine our affairs. In the Holiest Place there is one authority only - the authority of the Lord. If He appoints me a task I do it; if He appoints me no task, I do none.
But such ministry is confined to a certain place: "They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge" (Ezekiel 44:16). Ministry that is "unto me" is in the inner sanctuary, in the hidden place, not in the outer court, exposed to public view. People may think we are doing nothing, but service to God in the Holy Place far transcends service to the people in the outer court. Ministry Without Sweat.
Let us ask God in all honesty: "Am I serving You, or am I merely serving the work? Is my ministry truly unto you Lord, or is it only ministry to your House?" If you are pouring with sweat all the time, it is safe to conclude that it is the House you are serving, not the Lord. If all your busyness is related to human need, you may know that you are serving men, not God. I am not despising the work of slaying sacrifices at the altar. It is work for God and someone has to do it-but God wants something beyond that.
God cannot secure everyone for service to Himself, for many of His own are reluctant to leave the thrill and excitement of the outer court. They are bent on serving the people. But what about us? Oh that today we might say to the Lord: "I am willing to forsake things, I am willing to forsake the work, I am willing to forsake the outer court and serve You in the inner sanctuary." Brothers and sisters, can you bear to let the external structure go, or must you persist in putting up a scaffolding to preserve it? It is the Holy Place that God is out to preserve-a place utterly set apart for Him. I beseech you before God to hear His call to for sake the outer court and devote yourself to His service in the Holy Place.
Brothers and sisters, the work of God is God's own work, and not work that you can take up ac your pleasure. Neither churches, nor missionary societies, nor evangelistic bands can send men to work for God. The authority to commission men is not in the hands of men, but solely, in the hands of the Spirit of God. Serving the Lord does not mean chat we do not serve people, but it does mean that all service to people has service to the Lord as its basis. It is service Godward that urges us out manward.
Let us ask ourselves: Does our work minister to our satisfaction or to the Lord's? I fear that when we have worked for the Lord, we are often thoroughly satisfied before He is satisfied. We are often quite happy with our work when He has found no joy in it. Blessed are they who can differentiate between ministry to sinners or saints, and ministry to Him. Such discernment is not easily acquired. Often it is only by much drastic dealing that we learn the difference between ministry to the Lord Himself and ministry to the House.
Work for the Lord undoubtedly has its attractions for the flesh. You may be thrilled when crowds gather to hear you preach, and when numbers of souls are saved. If you have to stay at home, occupied from morning to night with mundane matters, then you think: How meaningless life as! How grand at would be if I could go out and serve the Lord! If only I were free to go around ministering!
But that is not spirituality. That is merely a matter of natural preference. Oh, if only we could see that much of the work done for God is not really ministry at all! He, Himself, has told us that there was a class of Levites who busily served in the Temple, and yet they were not serving Him; they were merely serving the House. However, service to the Lord and service to the House appear so much alike that it is often difficult to differentiate between the two.
There is a heavy burden on his heart that you might realise what God is after. He wants ministers who will minister to Him. "They shall come near to me to minister unto me; and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood. They shall minister unto me" (Ezekiel 44:15). The thing he fears most is that many of you will go out and win sinners to the Lord and build up believers, without ministering to the Lord Himself. Much so-called service for Him is simply following our natural inclinations. We have such active dispositions that we cannot bear to stay at home, so we run around for our own relief. We may appear to be serving sinners, or serving believers, but all the while we are serving our own flesh.
The conditions basic to all ministry that can truly be called ministry to the Lord are drawing near to Him and standing before Him. But how hard we often find it to drag ourselves into His presence! We shrink from the solitude, and even when we do detach ourselves physically, our thoughts still keep wandering outside. Many of us can enjoy working among people, but how many of us can draw near to God in the Holy of Holies? Yet it is only as we draw near to Him that we can minister to Him.
To come into the presence of God and kneel before Him for an hour demands all the strength we possess. We have to be violent to hold that ground. But everyone who serves the Lord knows the preciousness of such times, the sweetness of waking at midnight and spending an hour in prayer, or waking very early in the morning and getting up for an hour of prayer before the final sleep of the night. Unless we really know what it is to draw near to God, we cannot know what it is to serve Him. It is impossible to stand afar off and still minister to Him. We cannot serve Him from a distance. There is only one place where ministry to Him is possible and that is in the Holy Place. In the outer court you approach the people; in the Holy Place you approach the Lord.
The passage we have quoted emphasises not only our need to draw near to God; it also speaks of standing before Him to minister. Today we always want to be moving on; we cannot stand still. There are so many things claiming our attention that we are perpetually on the go. We cannot stop for a moment. But a spiritual person knows how to stand still. He can stand before God till God makes His will known. He can stand and await orders. You who are leaders need to particularly consider this. Can you be persuaded to call a halt and not move for a little while? That is what is referred to here: "stand and minister unto me." Don't you think that a servant should await his master's orders before seeking to serve him?
You think: This thing would not be wrong, or that thing is the very best that could be done so you go ahead and take action without stopping to inquire if it is the will of God. We who are His children all know that we ought not to do anything evil, but we think that if only our conscience does not forbid a thing, or if a thing commends itself to us as positively good, that is reason enough to go ahead and do it.
That thing you contemplate doing may be very good, but are you standing before the Lord awaiting His command regarding it? "They shall stand before me" involves halting in His presence and refusing to move till He issues His orders. That is what ministry to the Lord means. In the outer court it is human need that governs. Just let someone come along to sacrifice an ox or a sheep, and there is work for you to do. But in the Holiest Place there is utter solitude. Not a soul comes in. No brother or sister governs us here, nor does any committee determine our affairs. In the Holiest Place there is one authority only - the authority of the Lord. If He appoints me a task I do it; if He appoints me no task, I do none.
But such ministry is confined to a certain place: "They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge" (Ezekiel 44:16). Ministry that is "unto me" is in the inner sanctuary, in the hidden place, not in the outer court, exposed to public view. People may think we are doing nothing, but service to God in the Holy Place far transcends service to the people in the outer court. Ministry Without Sweat.
Let us ask God in all honesty: "Am I serving You, or am I merely serving the work? Is my ministry truly unto you Lord, or is it only ministry to your House?" If you are pouring with sweat all the time, it is safe to conclude that it is the House you are serving, not the Lord. If all your busyness is related to human need, you may know that you are serving men, not God. I am not despising the work of slaying sacrifices at the altar. It is work for God and someone has to do it-but God wants something beyond that.
God cannot secure everyone for service to Himself, for many of His own are reluctant to leave the thrill and excitement of the outer court. They are bent on serving the people. But what about us? Oh that today we might say to the Lord: "I am willing to forsake things, I am willing to forsake the work, I am willing to forsake the outer court and serve You in the inner sanctuary." Brothers and sisters, can you bear to let the external structure go, or must you persist in putting up a scaffolding to preserve it? It is the Holy Place that God is out to preserve-a place utterly set apart for Him. I beseech you before God to hear His call to for sake the outer court and devote yourself to His service in the Holy Place.
Brothers and sisters, the work of God is God's own work, and not work that you can take up ac your pleasure. Neither churches, nor missionary societies, nor evangelistic bands can send men to work for God. The authority to commission men is not in the hands of men, but solely, in the hands of the Spirit of God. Serving the Lord does not mean chat we do not serve people, but it does mean that all service to people has service to the Lord as its basis. It is service Godward that urges us out manward.
Let us ask ourselves: Does our work minister to our satisfaction or to the Lord's? I fear that when we have worked for the Lord, we are often thoroughly satisfied before He is satisfied. We are often quite happy with our work when He has found no joy in it. Blessed are they who can differentiate between ministry to sinners or saints, and ministry to Him. Such discernment is not easily acquired. Often it is only by much drastic dealing that we learn the difference between ministry to the Lord Himself and ministry to the House.
Thursday, October 9, 2014
The Timing Issue (Part II)
I can tell you that the waiting is definitely not easy, because there is always a press, a straining forward. Apostle Paul said in Phil 3:13 'I press on towards the goal for the prize which Christ has called me heavenward.' There will be times you will be discouraged when you see nothing happening. There will be lies thrown by your enemy saying you must be crazy or stupid to believe this promise. Your enemy may tell you that you must have heard God wrongly for if it is really His will, it must have already happened long ago. You may be comparing yourself to people around you who too have waited but have received their promises. You may be wondering what is taking God so long or whether you have missed it somewhere. Or that God has forgotten you and left you behind.
In times like these, brethren, you must go back to His word. Go back to the vision that you have written and encourage yourself in The Lord. Focus on His faithfulness and His love for you. Maybe just take some time off that promise and rest in His presence. It will refocus you and give you strength to carry on. Reviewing your past victories will also help to strengthen your faith as you tell yourself that since God has done it for you before, He will surely do it again. Tell yourself that you are not alone, for many great men of faith in the bible and even in modern times have gone through the path and emerged victorious. Whatever it is, don't give up. When the going gets tough, you can always take a break, time out but don't leave the race. You may think that the fulfillment of this promise is all about you but you will never know how much your perseverance will impact others. It's not just about you anymore.
So you may think: if this vision God gave me may only occur some time in the future, which I don't know, so what am I going to do in the meantime, while waiting? There is always a time and season for things to happen this side of heaven. I would say: just enjoy whichever season you are in. Even though you are still waiting for that promise to manifest, it doesn't mean that is the only exciting thing that is ever going to happen in your life. Along the way, God has many bountiful blessings stored up for you, as some harvests in your life may come earlier. Just enjoy these blessings of God along the way. The key is finding a balance between giving up on your dream and being so fixated on it that you cannot do anything else. That is a place of peace, while you can rest in Him while waiting.
Sometimes you may have to go through a season or two before you come to that due season, the appointed time of your manifestation. Some of these seasons may feel like the wilderness. Know that these seasons are necessary to prepare you if not God wouldn't have allowed you to go through those seasons of waiting. While you may not like these wilderness seasons, they are very important in building up your character. For it is usually in the wilderness that one gets to encounter God in undiscovered ways and that one gets to discover who he or she is to Him. God is merciful. He will not leave you in that dry season for too long. When you have learnt and heard all that He wanted to teach you in that season, He wastes no time in moving you out of the desert.
When that time comes, things will start to get exciting. You will know your due season has come from the messages God has been showing you. Not only that, He will cause signs and wonders to occur according to His messages. Look out for the changes in seasons, the signs of the fig tree telling you that summer is near. The reason He is showing you these signs is to get you prepared to cross over to the new season. Usually God will tell you to fan into flames, rekindle the fire, raise up your hopes and expectancy, look out for the manifestation of your promise. He is getting you into position to 'give birth to' this dream. Be sensitive to His leading and be prompt to do what He tells you during this time for it would be crucial to the delivery. It is an exciting time because all those years you have been waiting for it, this moment has finally arrived. You wouldn't want to miss a single bit of this momentous time in your life. Yes, in a short while, you will be carrying this promise which means that you have finished the race well. And your reward has finally come. Your joy would be great!
In times like these, brethren, you must go back to His word. Go back to the vision that you have written and encourage yourself in The Lord. Focus on His faithfulness and His love for you. Maybe just take some time off that promise and rest in His presence. It will refocus you and give you strength to carry on. Reviewing your past victories will also help to strengthen your faith as you tell yourself that since God has done it for you before, He will surely do it again. Tell yourself that you are not alone, for many great men of faith in the bible and even in modern times have gone through the path and emerged victorious. Whatever it is, don't give up. When the going gets tough, you can always take a break, time out but don't leave the race. You may think that the fulfillment of this promise is all about you but you will never know how much your perseverance will impact others. It's not just about you anymore.
So you may think: if this vision God gave me may only occur some time in the future, which I don't know, so what am I going to do in the meantime, while waiting? There is always a time and season for things to happen this side of heaven. I would say: just enjoy whichever season you are in. Even though you are still waiting for that promise to manifest, it doesn't mean that is the only exciting thing that is ever going to happen in your life. Along the way, God has many bountiful blessings stored up for you, as some harvests in your life may come earlier. Just enjoy these blessings of God along the way. The key is finding a balance between giving up on your dream and being so fixated on it that you cannot do anything else. That is a place of peace, while you can rest in Him while waiting.
Sometimes you may have to go through a season or two before you come to that due season, the appointed time of your manifestation. Some of these seasons may feel like the wilderness. Know that these seasons are necessary to prepare you if not God wouldn't have allowed you to go through those seasons of waiting. While you may not like these wilderness seasons, they are very important in building up your character. For it is usually in the wilderness that one gets to encounter God in undiscovered ways and that one gets to discover who he or she is to Him. God is merciful. He will not leave you in that dry season for too long. When you have learnt and heard all that He wanted to teach you in that season, He wastes no time in moving you out of the desert.
When that time comes, things will start to get exciting. You will know your due season has come from the messages God has been showing you. Not only that, He will cause signs and wonders to occur according to His messages. Look out for the changes in seasons, the signs of the fig tree telling you that summer is near. The reason He is showing you these signs is to get you prepared to cross over to the new season. Usually God will tell you to fan into flames, rekindle the fire, raise up your hopes and expectancy, look out for the manifestation of your promise. He is getting you into position to 'give birth to' this dream. Be sensitive to His leading and be prompt to do what He tells you during this time for it would be crucial to the delivery. It is an exciting time because all those years you have been waiting for it, this moment has finally arrived. You wouldn't want to miss a single bit of this momentous time in your life. Yes, in a short while, you will be carrying this promise which means that you have finished the race well. And your reward has finally come. Your joy would be great!
The Timing Issue (Part I)
The other day I was reading my 2011 blog posts. I was surprised to notice that God was telling me many of the same things He is saying now! This meant that I haven't really moved on from that mountain all these years. By right He shouldn't be telling me the same thing years ago. I should have moved on, He should have been telling me other things now. After so many years, I was still on the topic of season change and transition times. I guess the timing issue has been a stronghold for not only I have problems accepting His timing, I also had much difficulty discerning if my time has really come.
This was compounded by the fact that a long time has passed and I have mistaken so many times that this was it when it still wasn't the appointed time. Maybe in my heart I so desperately wanted my time to come that I psyched myself to believe it. Did God ever try to tell me it wasn't so? Or was it only on hindsight that I realized He was trying to tell me it wasn't so yet I wouldn't listen. But I guess I was just so ready to embrace the tiniest possibility that my time has come. I was so ready to raise my hopes knowing full well that I might be disappointed later on. I carried on like this for many years until this year.
Somehow I decided to take a different stance. I decided not to be desperate but to be nonchalant. I decided I shall not easily believe that my time has come unless God proved it to me. Unless He managed to convince me. I don't want to misinterpret Him on this matter anymore. And so I put the onus on Him to persuade me. I don't want to jump to conclusions or blindly step out in faith unless I was so sure that He had spoken. I rather wait than to step out amiss. Chances that I miss His timing are far lesser than me stepping out and falling flat on my face.
On hindsight, I realized that the enemy could press my button in a certain area of my life because I had allowed him to. It was due to the stronghold in my mind. I guess when God said He wouldn't show me His will for my next season in 2008 because He wanted me to trust Him, the enemy planted a lie since then. His lie was that I will never know God's will or the exact timing of this promise. And ever since then, the enemy has been torturing me on this point that I couldn't know His timing. Just because God said He wouldn't show me His will then doesn't mean it's forever. There would come a time (and it has happened) that He came and revealed to me His will for my next season without me asking for it.
For whatever reason that God couldn't reveal to me His will back in 2008, I trust that it must be for my own good. Perhaps I would have given up if He revealed to me that I must wait so long for this promise. Or what would I have done in the interim? Would I have continued to seek Him for my next steps? Or maybe by revealing His timing for this promise, it would have created a bigger stronghold for I would always be referring to the appointed time as somewhere very far in the future. The truth of the matter is when my appointed time comes, there is no reason for God to hide it from me. When the fullness of time has come, God will surely tell me what I need to know about the timing, so that I could agree with Him, cooperate with Him and declare the thing He is bringing to pass in my life.
I noticed that for many people, when God sent them a vision or prophecy, He usually doesn't reveal when it will happen. I guess He doesn't want us to be fixated on this certain time in our future. He wants us to live in the present, savor the moment, live dependent on His leading everyday. Usually when people first received that prophetic word from God, they always assume that this will take place very soon in the future. But when it didn't happen and things got more difficult instead, they got all disillusioned or bitter. What they didn't realize was the devil was trying to steal that word, that vision from their heart. So when they gave up believing God for that vision, the enemy succeeded. Most people may have no problem believing the vision no matter how impossible it seemed. What I find common is that they will face problems when they realized that there is an appointed time for the fulfillment and that time isn't always revealed to them. They usually won't know how long to wait. Now that may be a great uncertainty to many people who must have some control over their lives, like me in the past.
That's why Hab 2:3 was written to encourage them to press on in their faith, keeping in mind that the vision awaits an appointed time but it will surely come and not delay. What people need to know is there is usually a process leading up to the fulfillment of that vision. It may be fast or slow but nevertheless it is a necessary process when God prepares you for that blessing. That is why it is called is a fight of faith. If it happens soon enough, well and good. But the question remains: if it tarries, will you be willing to wait for it, until it happens. Yes, God's gifts and calling for our lives are irrevocable but the actual fulfillment of it still depended on our response to a certain extent. Because God has given us free choice and we can choose not to wait, or to give up on that vision. We can say no to His plan for our lives, because it was getting too tough or too painful to carry on believing.
Let me tell you what is more painful. The death of a dream. The end of all hopes for what you have been believing God for. Somehow you know God has indeed spoken, given you His promise but yet you chose to give it up. When you did that, one part of you died for you will never know how it feels like when that dream is fulfilled. You will live life always wondering what would have happened if you have persevered till this promise came to pass. Yes, you may get momentary relief from the resistance or the pain but this dream may haunt you for the rest of your life. Of course at some point you may come to the place of peace. But as for me, I rather choose to persevere till I see this promise fulfilled in my life. I know when that day comes, all that I have gone through would be nothing compared to the joy of holding this promise in your hands. The joy of entering into all that God has prepared us for.
This was compounded by the fact that a long time has passed and I have mistaken so many times that this was it when it still wasn't the appointed time. Maybe in my heart I so desperately wanted my time to come that I psyched myself to believe it. Did God ever try to tell me it wasn't so? Or was it only on hindsight that I realized He was trying to tell me it wasn't so yet I wouldn't listen. But I guess I was just so ready to embrace the tiniest possibility that my time has come. I was so ready to raise my hopes knowing full well that I might be disappointed later on. I carried on like this for many years until this year.
Somehow I decided to take a different stance. I decided not to be desperate but to be nonchalant. I decided I shall not easily believe that my time has come unless God proved it to me. Unless He managed to convince me. I don't want to misinterpret Him on this matter anymore. And so I put the onus on Him to persuade me. I don't want to jump to conclusions or blindly step out in faith unless I was so sure that He had spoken. I rather wait than to step out amiss. Chances that I miss His timing are far lesser than me stepping out and falling flat on my face.
On hindsight, I realized that the enemy could press my button in a certain area of my life because I had allowed him to. It was due to the stronghold in my mind. I guess when God said He wouldn't show me His will for my next season in 2008 because He wanted me to trust Him, the enemy planted a lie since then. His lie was that I will never know God's will or the exact timing of this promise. And ever since then, the enemy has been torturing me on this point that I couldn't know His timing. Just because God said He wouldn't show me His will then doesn't mean it's forever. There would come a time (and it has happened) that He came and revealed to me His will for my next season without me asking for it.
For whatever reason that God couldn't reveal to me His will back in 2008, I trust that it must be for my own good. Perhaps I would have given up if He revealed to me that I must wait so long for this promise. Or what would I have done in the interim? Would I have continued to seek Him for my next steps? Or maybe by revealing His timing for this promise, it would have created a bigger stronghold for I would always be referring to the appointed time as somewhere very far in the future. The truth of the matter is when my appointed time comes, there is no reason for God to hide it from me. When the fullness of time has come, God will surely tell me what I need to know about the timing, so that I could agree with Him, cooperate with Him and declare the thing He is bringing to pass in my life.
I noticed that for many people, when God sent them a vision or prophecy, He usually doesn't reveal when it will happen. I guess He doesn't want us to be fixated on this certain time in our future. He wants us to live in the present, savor the moment, live dependent on His leading everyday. Usually when people first received that prophetic word from God, they always assume that this will take place very soon in the future. But when it didn't happen and things got more difficult instead, they got all disillusioned or bitter. What they didn't realize was the devil was trying to steal that word, that vision from their heart. So when they gave up believing God for that vision, the enemy succeeded. Most people may have no problem believing the vision no matter how impossible it seemed. What I find common is that they will face problems when they realized that there is an appointed time for the fulfillment and that time isn't always revealed to them. They usually won't know how long to wait. Now that may be a great uncertainty to many people who must have some control over their lives, like me in the past.
That's why Hab 2:3 was written to encourage them to press on in their faith, keeping in mind that the vision awaits an appointed time but it will surely come and not delay. What people need to know is there is usually a process leading up to the fulfillment of that vision. It may be fast or slow but nevertheless it is a necessary process when God prepares you for that blessing. That is why it is called is a fight of faith. If it happens soon enough, well and good. But the question remains: if it tarries, will you be willing to wait for it, until it happens. Yes, God's gifts and calling for our lives are irrevocable but the actual fulfillment of it still depended on our response to a certain extent. Because God has given us free choice and we can choose not to wait, or to give up on that vision. We can say no to His plan for our lives, because it was getting too tough or too painful to carry on believing.
Let me tell you what is more painful. The death of a dream. The end of all hopes for what you have been believing God for. Somehow you know God has indeed spoken, given you His promise but yet you chose to give it up. When you did that, one part of you died for you will never know how it feels like when that dream is fulfilled. You will live life always wondering what would have happened if you have persevered till this promise came to pass. Yes, you may get momentary relief from the resistance or the pain but this dream may haunt you for the rest of your life. Of course at some point you may come to the place of peace. But as for me, I rather choose to persevere till I see this promise fulfilled in my life. I know when that day comes, all that I have gone through would be nothing compared to the joy of holding this promise in your hands. The joy of entering into all that God has prepared us for.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Korean dramas
Recently I am watching a Korean drama by Lee Min Ho called 'Personal Taste'. I don't know whether it's because his cool and nonchalant attitude reminded me of Heng in the past or that he is really good looking, an eye candy. But those scenes when he took care of the female character really warms my heart. Somehow these romantic scenes are very well taken. I cannot help but feel intoxicated by this love they had.
It's just the way he looked at the female lead...so very sweet. I don't know why but I feel like a young girl all over again. These intense emotions of love are coming back to me.
Maybe I feel so very loved by my dear hubby and also by My Lord Jesus. I know I am not indulging in a fantasy love world. It's reality. But I am so very drawn by the drama that I cannot help watching three episodes in a row. This story talked about a girl who lost her mother since young. She grew up without the love of her father, and ended up living like a naive girl even when she was all grown up. She was betrayed by her good friend and her boyfriend, who attempted to get married without her knowing. She was heartbroken and devastated.
Eventually she met this guy acted by Lee Min Ho, her tenant who managed to turn her from a girl to a woman and helped nursed her emotional wounds. She mistook him for a gay so was able to open her heart to him. They grew closer as the day passed, having spent a lot of time together as roommates. This guy even helped her take revenge at her ex-boyfriend as he changed his mind to woo her back. But this guy had unknowingly fallen in love with her. She was also beginning to see him as the most important person in her world.
This lady was kind and very caring but she got emotionally attached to people easily. She was also very trusting. After spending some time with her roommate, she grew very attached to him because he took meticulous care of her since she was quite a scatterbrained person. There were many funny moments of them together too. He told her to be strong and not trust people easily but she said she couldn't, maybe because she was deprived of love and affection. Her mum died when she was five and her dad didn't really show love to her. The guy's heart went out to her when she said that and showed her more tender loving care.
Slowly the female lead found herself falling in love with her roommate yet because she thought he was gay, he would never be able to love her as a woman. That pained her heart so much because she had an unrequited, one-sided love. She even wished that she could be born a man! Unrequited love is so painful...and I know Jesus feels that way whenever I couldn't reciprocate His love for me. He longs for intimacy, much like a man who loves his woman longs to hold her, touch her and be intimate with her. Now I understand the verse 'hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life' from His perspective.
I was wondering why God had me indulge in a world of intense love. He knows I have been inundated with all these poisonous and negative thoughts in recent months. And the only effective way to deal with such fearful and doubtful thoughts was to indulge in His perfect love for perfect love casts out all fear. In this perfect love with Christ, there is no room for any doubts or unbelief. Pastor Prince said the time you love God most is when you are most conscious of His love for you. And good things happen to you when you are conscious of His love for you. Faith works effortlessly in an atmosphere of love. Don't judge His love for you from your circumstances. Look to the cross, where God's demonstration of love was clearly portrayed.
As I watched the Korean dramas, I also realized that through these years of spending time with God, I have grown so attached to Him. Those little things we shared together, the times He spoke to me and encouraged me, comforted me. The secrets He shared with me, how He opened up His heart and shared His thoughts with me. I remembered how I would cry out my heart to Him and take my doubts to Him, reasoning with Him. How I wavered at times, how I went through all the emotional ups and downs but every time without fail, God will give me hope and bring me back to the place of peace.
It was really magical for me to be lost in the world of intoxicating love. It made me think about our courtship days. It was so sweet and intense. Of course our love has grown so much now but sometimes it's good to reminisce those courtship days. When I think about those memories, the intense emotions of falling in love came back all over again. I believe God is the One who caused me to remember such emotions. In this world of captivating love, I also felt Jesus' love for me. It was so wonderful that I didn't want to leave this world. Nothing else mattered so long as I was in His embrace, with my eyes locked in His.
In this magical world, I feel like I am so beautiful and so precious, hotly pursued by my Lover. In and of myself I am not that attractive, just like that female lead. But because my Lover is so handsome and outstanding, yet the fact that He only has eyes for me makes me so special. It's like what is it in me that made Him love me so much. Yet it's not about me but all about Him. Just like when the father asked the guy what was it that he loved about his daughter, he couldn't answer, yet he said his heart was just so drawn to her. How true! There is nothing in me that could attract Jesus but yet my heart so captivates Him. At the end of the day, it's about His great love for me. I am so blessed for I experienced this love and I know Him intimately.
After watching a few Korean dramas, I realized that true love always faced some resistance. The couple will usually face opposition from parents or there will be a jealous person trying to wreck their relationship. Either that or they have hidden some truths and afraid that the other person will find out and feel betrayed. In such cases, there's a stronghold over them. The moments the couple spent together are often very sweet but alas, there are always distractions from the outside. But I guess these are all tests of true love for their relationship and true love is able to withstand such tests. Eventually the couple who is determined enough to be committed to love each other will always end up together. Like in the case of this drama, the couple finally overcame all the odds and the guy proposed to her. What a perfect ending!
Maybe I feel so very loved by my dear hubby and also by My Lord Jesus. I know I am not indulging in a fantasy love world. It's reality. But I am so very drawn by the drama that I cannot help watching three episodes in a row. This story talked about a girl who lost her mother since young. She grew up without the love of her father, and ended up living like a naive girl even when she was all grown up. She was betrayed by her good friend and her boyfriend, who attempted to get married without her knowing. She was heartbroken and devastated.
Eventually she met this guy acted by Lee Min Ho, her tenant who managed to turn her from a girl to a woman and helped nursed her emotional wounds. She mistook him for a gay so was able to open her heart to him. They grew closer as the day passed, having spent a lot of time together as roommates. This guy even helped her take revenge at her ex-boyfriend as he changed his mind to woo her back. But this guy had unknowingly fallen in love with her. She was also beginning to see him as the most important person in her world.
This lady was kind and very caring but she got emotionally attached to people easily. She was also very trusting. After spending some time with her roommate, she grew very attached to him because he took meticulous care of her since she was quite a scatterbrained person. There were many funny moments of them together too. He told her to be strong and not trust people easily but she said she couldn't, maybe because she was deprived of love and affection. Her mum died when she was five and her dad didn't really show love to her. The guy's heart went out to her when she said that and showed her more tender loving care.
Slowly the female lead found herself falling in love with her roommate yet because she thought he was gay, he would never be able to love her as a woman. That pained her heart so much because she had an unrequited, one-sided love. She even wished that she could be born a man! Unrequited love is so painful...and I know Jesus feels that way whenever I couldn't reciprocate His love for me. He longs for intimacy, much like a man who loves his woman longs to hold her, touch her and be intimate with her. Now I understand the verse 'hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life' from His perspective.
I was wondering why God had me indulge in a world of intense love. He knows I have been inundated with all these poisonous and negative thoughts in recent months. And the only effective way to deal with such fearful and doubtful thoughts was to indulge in His perfect love for perfect love casts out all fear. In this perfect love with Christ, there is no room for any doubts or unbelief. Pastor Prince said the time you love God most is when you are most conscious of His love for you. And good things happen to you when you are conscious of His love for you. Faith works effortlessly in an atmosphere of love. Don't judge His love for you from your circumstances. Look to the cross, where God's demonstration of love was clearly portrayed.
As I watched the Korean dramas, I also realized that through these years of spending time with God, I have grown so attached to Him. Those little things we shared together, the times He spoke to me and encouraged me, comforted me. The secrets He shared with me, how He opened up His heart and shared His thoughts with me. I remembered how I would cry out my heart to Him and take my doubts to Him, reasoning with Him. How I wavered at times, how I went through all the emotional ups and downs but every time without fail, God will give me hope and bring me back to the place of peace.
It was really magical for me to be lost in the world of intoxicating love. It made me think about our courtship days. It was so sweet and intense. Of course our love has grown so much now but sometimes it's good to reminisce those courtship days. When I think about those memories, the intense emotions of falling in love came back all over again. I believe God is the One who caused me to remember such emotions. In this world of captivating love, I also felt Jesus' love for me. It was so wonderful that I didn't want to leave this world. Nothing else mattered so long as I was in His embrace, with my eyes locked in His.
In this magical world, I feel like I am so beautiful and so precious, hotly pursued by my Lover. In and of myself I am not that attractive, just like that female lead. But because my Lover is so handsome and outstanding, yet the fact that He only has eyes for me makes me so special. It's like what is it in me that made Him love me so much. Yet it's not about me but all about Him. Just like when the father asked the guy what was it that he loved about his daughter, he couldn't answer, yet he said his heart was just so drawn to her. How true! There is nothing in me that could attract Jesus but yet my heart so captivates Him. At the end of the day, it's about His great love for me. I am so blessed for I experienced this love and I know Him intimately.
After watching a few Korean dramas, I realized that true love always faced some resistance. The couple will usually face opposition from parents or there will be a jealous person trying to wreck their relationship. Either that or they have hidden some truths and afraid that the other person will find out and feel betrayed. In such cases, there's a stronghold over them. The moments the couple spent together are often very sweet but alas, there are always distractions from the outside. But I guess these are all tests of true love for their relationship and true love is able to withstand such tests. Eventually the couple who is determined enough to be committed to love each other will always end up together. Like in the case of this drama, the couple finally overcame all the odds and the guy proposed to her. What a perfect ending!
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