Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label encouragement. Show all posts
Saturday, April 26, 2014
THE EYES OF THE LORD
15The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry.
16The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. — Psalm 34:15–17
Over and over, the Bible talks about the “eyes of the Lord” on us. What does that mean? And what difference does it make?
1. The eyes of the Lord are inescapable. Proverbs 5:21 tells us that “a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord, and he ponders all his paths” (See Proverbs 15:3 too)! God sees it all because He’s watching.
2. The eyes of the Lord are synonymous with what’s right and true. Deuteronomy 6:18 says, “And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may go well with you.”We read about Old Testament kings who “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,” and leaders who “did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” The eyes of the Lord are constantly gazing on us and moving us toward what is good.
3. The eyes of the Lord are focused upon and attentive to His own. While God sees everything that happens on your block, He has a predisposition to fix His attention upon what’s going on in the lives of His children and to extend loving care toward us. 1 Peter 3:12a says, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.” Because you love Christ, God pays attention to you in a special way.
4. The eyes of the Lord are searching for people to bless. God is looking for people on whom to show His favor. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him.”He’s flat-out looking for people who want to experience His strength. He’s never tired of picking out His children in the crowd.
5. The eyes of the Lord are provoked to grace when He observes a righteous person. Genesis 6:8 says that “Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (nkjv). What a great challenge; what a great promise. I hope that when God sees you and me, He says Get more blessing over to that child; He loves My Son! And help her; she’s following My way.
Friday, April 11, 2014
When You're Overwhelmed
"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer; from the end of the earth I call to you when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I, for you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy." - Psalm 61:1-3
God promises that He will give us a peace that surpasses understanding, but not necessarily a peace that always will give us understanding.
You may be facing a personal crisis right now. Maybe it is a lack of finance. Maybe it is a foreclosure on your home or a loss in your academic results. Maybe you have a personal relationship with others that is falling apart or a prodigal brother or sister. Maybe you have a life-threatening illness. Maybe you are paralyzed by fear as you think about an uncertain future. So what should you do? The Bible tells us the answer to worry is prayer: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
I have lived by these words all my Christian life, because I have been hit with harsh reality of it. There have been waves of deep sadness that have overwhelmed me at times. So I pray. Sometimes my prayers are not long, but simply a cry out to God: God, help me. Give me strength right now. And He does. He gives me the strength that I need. It is not necessarily more than I need, but He gives me what I need for what I am facing at the moment.
The psalmist wrote, "From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). So when you are feeling overwhelmed, pray. Things will fall into their proper place as God brings about the events of your life according to His perfect will.
God promises that He will give us a peace that surpasses understanding, but not necessarily a peace that always will give us understanding.
You may be facing a personal crisis right now. Maybe it is a lack of finance. Maybe it is a foreclosure on your home or a loss in your academic results. Maybe you have a personal relationship with others that is falling apart or a prodigal brother or sister. Maybe you have a life-threatening illness. Maybe you are paralyzed by fear as you think about an uncertain future. So what should you do? The Bible tells us the answer to worry is prayer: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7).
I have lived by these words all my Christian life, because I have been hit with harsh reality of it. There have been waves of deep sadness that have overwhelmed me at times. So I pray. Sometimes my prayers are not long, but simply a cry out to God: God, help me. Give me strength right now. And He does. He gives me the strength that I need. It is not necessarily more than I need, but He gives me what I need for what I am facing at the moment.
The psalmist wrote, "From the end of the earth I call to You, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I" (Psalm 61:2). So when you are feeling overwhelmed, pray. Things will fall into their proper place as God brings about the events of your life according to His perfect will.
- Greg Laurie
Application
What in my life makes me feel overwhelmed? How do I normally handle it?
What can I do to help remind me to pray first when I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed?
Prayer
"Dear Lord, thank You so much that I can run to You in prayer at the first sign of stress. Forgive me for all the times that I try to figure it all out, and only when I've tried everything else, finally go to You in prayer. Help me to remember that when I go to You first, You will fill me with Your peace and strengthen me. Amen."
Application
What in my life makes me feel overwhelmed? How do I normally handle it?
What can I do to help remind me to pray first when I am feeling stressed and overwhelmed?
Prayer
"Dear Lord, thank You so much that I can run to You in prayer at the first sign of stress. Forgive me for all the times that I try to figure it all out, and only when I've tried everything else, finally go to You in prayer. Help me to remember that when I go to You first, You will fill me with Your peace and strengthen me. Amen."
Thursday, April 10, 2014
God does miracles. We as believers of Christ know that. We know it from the Bible, like from the book of Exodus or the book of Matthew. We sing praise hymns of how amazing His good works of wonders and miracles were in the time of Moses. Even non-believers themselves know that God is all powerful and can make miracles happen in a wink of an eye. If a high percentage of us can all agree that God does miracles, does it mean that that same percentage of people experience God’s miracles?
Tuition centre was my second home. I showered, ate, finished my school work, joined in some classes and did basically anything a 7 year old girl can do at a tuition centre. I had that routine every day after school and in the evenings, mum picks me home after office hours. Despite the fact that I grew up in an educational area where all my tutors were available to me at all times and could help me in solving my problems in my school subjects, I was not a bright student. I was a late bloomer instead.
Despite all the tutorial help, I still didn’t do well. My total mark averaged below 50% for many exam terms. I remembered how I reacted when I saw a big round zero scored on my BM (Bahasa Melayu) test when I was 8. I remembered how I always stayed back after school to attend extra classes to sharpen my grammar in BM. I was 9 years old and those classes were meant for students who aged 7 years and below. And how could I forget that I can’t even speak proper English. I only started speaking a proper sentence when I was 7. An understandable sentence would already make my mum so proud of me in those days.
My mum could only pray for me and commit it to the Lord. Amazingly, she was not really worried about my education and my future. She knew somehow that whatever it is, God will take care of my future.
When I was 10 in year 2006, my family were given an amazing privilege to move aboard to Rome, Italy. My step dad had been called to do a project there for a few years and he was given a choice to bring his close ones along. He decided to bring us with him. My step dad, mum, older brother, Thomas, and I went together with enthusiasm and excitement to the upper side of the world which has a different climate and a different environment which calls for a different lifestyle. My brother and I were given the opportunity to study in an international school. I made many new friends and learnt so much about different cultures and backgrounds. Besides that, I got the chance to learn new international languages such as Italian, Spanish and French, even though I didn't really speak BM at that point. I took extra classes for English too. I learnt so much when I was there for the first few months. Everything was so different there compared to my old school system back home. We stayed in Rome for nine months and it was through this that everything changed. God had answered my mum’s prayers.
I began to speak better. My English improved after I came back from Rome in the year 2007. I began to do better in school. I used to be always behind in my studies, but later on, I started to get ahead of the students in my class after I came back. And it did not stop there; I continuously grew and became better in studies up to secondary school when I was 17, studying for my final year exam, SPM.
It was on the year 2013 and that difficult period is still very fresh in my mind. I studied very hard. So hard to the point that my head started to hurt. I also began to lose appetite which lead to me losing weight and health. It was a very stressful period due to the fact that I wanted to get the results that would get me a scholarship.
During the trial SPM examination period, I get headaches that seem incurable at that time because it still hurt even after a lot of prayers for recovery. I missed some important trial papers like Biology and Chemistry so that I could rest. Due to the pain, I could not study efficiently for the actual SPM and I worried about my performance in my papers. I prayed and prayed during and after taking all my SPM papers. I prayed in faith and complete trust in the Father to have full control over my life including my future.
On March 20, 2014, our SPM results were announced. I have to admit that I was very nervous but somewhat calm. I didn’t really think of what to expect and was worry-free. Praise God for that! When I went up to queue in the line to take my results, I began to have butterflies in my stomach, that I tried to get everyone to take their results before me. I didn't even want to see it when it was my turn to take it! When I stood in front of the desk opposite my class teacher, she smiled with her eyes. She then stood up and gave me a hug which made me questioned a lot like, “Why is she giving me a hug? Is my results good that she’s proud of me? Or is she just trying to comfort me because I got bad results?” I gave her a puzzled look, thanked her, and went off far away from that crowded place to have a look at my thin piece of paper that seemed so flimsy but important. I widened my eyes in disbelief. I was shocked that I double, or maybe triple, checked the name of the student on that piece of paper. Then mum called me over to find out what I got. She was speechless for a moment and asked me, “Are you satisfied?”
Indeed, I was. After that very day, my mum has been telling all her friends about my achievement from her business friends to our home fellowship group. My mum has been telling about how amazing God has been for me. Our home fellowship leader, Uncle Pao was also amazed and asked my mum to tell me that I should share my testimony to more people through the church's magazine, Rejoice!
On March 19, 2014, when I was on bed ready for a night rest, in the quiet room I whispered, “God, tomorrow is the day. You know all the prayers I've said and how many times I have mentioned them over and over again. Just know that I am not requesting you to give me straight As. The only thing I request for is faith, trust, and peace. May not my will but your will be done. Amen.” If you were wondering what I got for my results, I got 9 As and 1 C.
I really thanked God for writing my life story from the very beginning until now. He had everything planned out and that really assures me that God has a reason for everything. All the strengths, personality traits, and even weaknesses have a reason why God put them in you. God did not simply create you in the way you are right now but made you the way He wants you to be. To Him, you are perfectly imperfect. You already are the miracle. God does not want you to fail but to succeed in His God-given plans specifically made for you only. We are not made to be victims but to be victors. So, do not worry and commit it to the Lord. Trust Him in the heart and believe that God does miracles and He can and will do it in your life. Praise and glory to the Lord!
- Wei Chen
Tuition centre was my second home. I showered, ate, finished my school work, joined in some classes and did basically anything a 7 year old girl can do at a tuition centre. I had that routine every day after school and in the evenings, mum picks me home after office hours. Despite the fact that I grew up in an educational area where all my tutors were available to me at all times and could help me in solving my problems in my school subjects, I was not a bright student. I was a late bloomer instead.
Despite all the tutorial help, I still didn’t do well. My total mark averaged below 50% for many exam terms. I remembered how I reacted when I saw a big round zero scored on my BM (Bahasa Melayu) test when I was 8. I remembered how I always stayed back after school to attend extra classes to sharpen my grammar in BM. I was 9 years old and those classes were meant for students who aged 7 years and below. And how could I forget that I can’t even speak proper English. I only started speaking a proper sentence when I was 7. An understandable sentence would already make my mum so proud of me in those days.
My mum could only pray for me and commit it to the Lord. Amazingly, she was not really worried about my education and my future. She knew somehow that whatever it is, God will take care of my future.
When I was 10 in year 2006, my family were given an amazing privilege to move aboard to Rome, Italy. My step dad had been called to do a project there for a few years and he was given a choice to bring his close ones along. He decided to bring us with him. My step dad, mum, older brother, Thomas, and I went together with enthusiasm and excitement to the upper side of the world which has a different climate and a different environment which calls for a different lifestyle. My brother and I were given the opportunity to study in an international school. I made many new friends and learnt so much about different cultures and backgrounds. Besides that, I got the chance to learn new international languages such as Italian, Spanish and French, even though I didn't really speak BM at that point. I took extra classes for English too. I learnt so much when I was there for the first few months. Everything was so different there compared to my old school system back home. We stayed in Rome for nine months and it was through this that everything changed. God had answered my mum’s prayers.
I began to speak better. My English improved after I came back from Rome in the year 2007. I began to do better in school. I used to be always behind in my studies, but later on, I started to get ahead of the students in my class after I came back. And it did not stop there; I continuously grew and became better in studies up to secondary school when I was 17, studying for my final year exam, SPM.
It was on the year 2013 and that difficult period is still very fresh in my mind. I studied very hard. So hard to the point that my head started to hurt. I also began to lose appetite which lead to me losing weight and health. It was a very stressful period due to the fact that I wanted to get the results that would get me a scholarship.
During the trial SPM examination period, I get headaches that seem incurable at that time because it still hurt even after a lot of prayers for recovery. I missed some important trial papers like Biology and Chemistry so that I could rest. Due to the pain, I could not study efficiently for the actual SPM and I worried about my performance in my papers. I prayed and prayed during and after taking all my SPM papers. I prayed in faith and complete trust in the Father to have full control over my life including my future.
On March 20, 2014, our SPM results were announced. I have to admit that I was very nervous but somewhat calm. I didn’t really think of what to expect and was worry-free. Praise God for that! When I went up to queue in the line to take my results, I began to have butterflies in my stomach, that I tried to get everyone to take their results before me. I didn't even want to see it when it was my turn to take it! When I stood in front of the desk opposite my class teacher, she smiled with her eyes. She then stood up and gave me a hug which made me questioned a lot like, “Why is she giving me a hug? Is my results good that she’s proud of me? Or is she just trying to comfort me because I got bad results?” I gave her a puzzled look, thanked her, and went off far away from that crowded place to have a look at my thin piece of paper that seemed so flimsy but important. I widened my eyes in disbelief. I was shocked that I double, or maybe triple, checked the name of the student on that piece of paper. Then mum called me over to find out what I got. She was speechless for a moment and asked me, “Are you satisfied?”
Indeed, I was. After that very day, my mum has been telling all her friends about my achievement from her business friends to our home fellowship group. My mum has been telling about how amazing God has been for me. Our home fellowship leader, Uncle Pao was also amazed and asked my mum to tell me that I should share my testimony to more people through the church's magazine, Rejoice!
On March 19, 2014, when I was on bed ready for a night rest, in the quiet room I whispered, “God, tomorrow is the day. You know all the prayers I've said and how many times I have mentioned them over and over again. Just know that I am not requesting you to give me straight As. The only thing I request for is faith, trust, and peace. May not my will but your will be done. Amen.” If you were wondering what I got for my results, I got 9 As and 1 C.
I really thanked God for writing my life story from the very beginning until now. He had everything planned out and that really assures me that God has a reason for everything. All the strengths, personality traits, and even weaknesses have a reason why God put them in you. God did not simply create you in the way you are right now but made you the way He wants you to be. To Him, you are perfectly imperfect. You already are the miracle. God does not want you to fail but to succeed in His God-given plans specifically made for you only. We are not made to be victims but to be victors. So, do not worry and commit it to the Lord. Trust Him in the heart and believe that God does miracles and He can and will do it in your life. Praise and glory to the Lord!
- Wei Chen
Tuesday, April 08, 2014
Matters Concerning National Security (Sorry, had to. I used to want to be an FBI agent)
"And he said: 'Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'" - Matthew 18:3, NIV
Hello.
Matthew 18:3 speaks of the faith of a child, and with every passing season I've begun to realise some of the reasons why God revealed himself to me when I was, in many ways, too young to understand the complex Christian doctrines, and too young to question things that we tend to question as we grow older, more cynical, and more jaded.
My walk with Jesus began when I was around 7 years old. My mom accepted Christ when she was 17, at a youth camp back in Ipoh, but backslid for many years due to a personal tragedy. Owing to this, my brother and I never went to Sunday School. Instead, a devout Buddhist aunt of mine took me to the Buddhist version of Sunday School, which I didn't enjoy very much as they made me chant in Mandarin, which was beyond my linguistic capabilities, and eat vegetables. I always knew God was real–don't ask me how–I just did and was confused when my aunt told me to recite certain mantras when I was scared. (I used to suffer from nightmares). Once, I asked my dad if god was deaf, since I had to repeat my prayers many times in order for him to hear me.
One day I saw a carving of Jesus on the cross outside a Catholic church and asked my mom what that man was doing up there. She told me his name was Jesus, and he died for me. "That's nice of him. Can we bring him down?" I then went around telling people that a nice man named Jesus died for us and that we should each give him a big hug when we meet him in heaven. I accepted Christ about two to three years after that, right after a prayer about whichever god who was real to make my mom stop crying was answered when I went downstairs after praying that in my room. Coincidentally, another aunt shared the Gospel to me then. I took that as a sign from the nice man Jesus and said, "Okay," without any idea of what I was getting myself into.
However, I spent the next few years not going to church, as we couldn't find one that we could see ourselves committing to, and gave up after a few tries. Finally, when I was 14, while I was waiting for lunch to be served, I happened to see a picture of a church in the newspaper and told my mom that I wanted to try out church again. FGA was our next try. It literally took one of the pastors to grasp me by the hand and haul me up to L3 to get me to go to YC, but it happened.
Looking back, I'm so immensely grateful that God has been there for me all along. His timing really is perfect and painful situations were eased by His presence and His strength when I really couldn't go on alone. Despite no earth shaking miracles taking place in my life (yet), I've watched Him help me overcome my inferiority complex and crippling shyness, heal broken friendships, keep me from falling in with the wrong crowd, and grow my courage and help me with my studies.
Even with Jesus, life is hard and there are many more prayers waiting to be answered, but I know that when my strength fails, my God will come and take over and that it is when times are hardest, that we gain more insight on how infinitely big, strong, and good our Father is. There are no coincidences in God's book, nor will there ever be.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28, NIV
- Jun Cheng
Hello.
Matthew 18:3 speaks of the faith of a child, and with every passing season I've begun to realise some of the reasons why God revealed himself to me when I was, in many ways, too young to understand the complex Christian doctrines, and too young to question things that we tend to question as we grow older, more cynical, and more jaded.
My walk with Jesus began when I was around 7 years old. My mom accepted Christ when she was 17, at a youth camp back in Ipoh, but backslid for many years due to a personal tragedy. Owing to this, my brother and I never went to Sunday School. Instead, a devout Buddhist aunt of mine took me to the Buddhist version of Sunday School, which I didn't enjoy very much as they made me chant in Mandarin, which was beyond my linguistic capabilities, and eat vegetables. I always knew God was real–don't ask me how–I just did and was confused when my aunt told me to recite certain mantras when I was scared. (I used to suffer from nightmares). Once, I asked my dad if god was deaf, since I had to repeat my prayers many times in order for him to hear me.
One day I saw a carving of Jesus on the cross outside a Catholic church and asked my mom what that man was doing up there. She told me his name was Jesus, and he died for me. "That's nice of him. Can we bring him down?" I then went around telling people that a nice man named Jesus died for us and that we should each give him a big hug when we meet him in heaven. I accepted Christ about two to three years after that, right after a prayer about whichever god who was real to make my mom stop crying was answered when I went downstairs after praying that in my room. Coincidentally, another aunt shared the Gospel to me then. I took that as a sign from the nice man Jesus and said, "Okay," without any idea of what I was getting myself into.
However, I spent the next few years not going to church, as we couldn't find one that we could see ourselves committing to, and gave up after a few tries. Finally, when I was 14, while I was waiting for lunch to be served, I happened to see a picture of a church in the newspaper and told my mom that I wanted to try out church again. FGA was our next try. It literally took one of the pastors to grasp me by the hand and haul me up to L3 to get me to go to YC, but it happened.
Looking back, I'm so immensely grateful that God has been there for me all along. His timing really is perfect and painful situations were eased by His presence and His strength when I really couldn't go on alone. Despite no earth shaking miracles taking place in my life (yet), I've watched Him help me overcome my inferiority complex and crippling shyness, heal broken friendships, keep me from falling in with the wrong crowd, and grow my courage and help me with my studies.
Even with Jesus, life is hard and there are many more prayers waiting to be answered, but I know that when my strength fails, my God will come and take over and that it is when times are hardest, that we gain more insight on how infinitely big, strong, and good our Father is. There are no coincidences in God's book, nor will there ever be.
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28, NIV
- Jun Cheng
Friday, April 04, 2014
A Message from Our Pastor
Why Does Life Have to Be So Hard?
God has the answer! He hasn't abandoned you. He is right there, wanting to help you, direct you, and sustain you. He is with you in your trial right now and through it, He can use it to accomplish great things.
I started off my journey as a Christian at a very young age of 15. Since the time I've accepted Jesus, I've often found that my life was never the same as before. In fact, at times, I realized that after becoming a Christian, I've encountered many more hardships. But this is just a perception I had for many years as a young Christian. Looking back and reflecting now, with all the difficulties and hardships in life I had encountered, I have witnessed the reality of God in all the impossible situations I went through. Having cancer for 7 years was only the beginning of knowing my God personally. After I received a great miracle of healing from cancer, I thought life would be much easier and more enjoyable for me. But that wasn't true at all!
Having given the strength to endure, being part of a community of believers to experience the amazing God's love, enjoying the grace of God that is sufficient for me at anytime of my life, receiving blessing after blessing for each step of faith in obedience towards the word of God, and on and on the list goes. These are some of the things I can brag about in my every experience of pain, of suffering, of every trial and testing I had to go through in the past.
There were ongoing battles in my financial dependency, my relationships with people, my every day job, and church activities. But in every hard and impossible situation I encountered, it allowed me to cry to God and be completely dependent on Him. And the best part of it, I can truly say, after 17 years of being a Christian and sailing through storms, never once did I feel abandon nor did I see my prayers go unanswered! There was a lot of pain to endure, but it was only to make me be more sensitive towards others. There was a lot of battles in life, but it was only to make me be more compassionate to those around me. There were walls and walls surrounding me, that seemed impossible to break through, tear down, or even get over, but it was only so that I could share GREAT testimonies of how real God can be!
"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?" - Hebrews 12:5-7, ESV
Find God's purpose in your pain and don't let bitterness, unbelief, or discouragement rob you of the treasure God is refining in you.
When life is hard, it’s for a purpose. Trials and difficult times in the life of a Christian are an opportunity to find out how big God is. A trial can be small and irritating or huge and shattering. One can take you by storm, fast and furiously, altering life forever. Or it may be a hardship that stretches over months, years, or even decades. Your conduct is what you do; your character is who you are. Trials are about what God wants to adjust in the actions you choose, and what He is working in your character to help you choose those actions. And if you’re one of God’s children, you are likely going through a trial right now. Whether physical, relational, economic, emotional, or circumstantial, it’s the most difficult aspect of your life.
Hebrews 12:5-7 speaks to God’s involvement in that difficult thing. Here is His instruction: “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord” (v.5b).
When God moves toward you to make changes in your conduct and character, don’t regard it lightly. Go ahead and do some heavy thinking. Don’t be casual or indifferent about His approach: "I’m getting kind of weary of this. I don’t think God really knows my limits." No matter what painful hardship is yours right now, do not despise or regard lightly how the Lord is working. He is teaching you. And He knows what He’s doing.
When God is allowing something that makes your life hard, remember: “the Lord disciplines the one He loves” (v.6a). It’s like parental instruction. A child’s desires are no guide for healthy growth, but a loving and wise parent knows their child will benefit from certain discomforts and, at times, even a measured amount of pain.
God’s role is that of your heavenly Father: “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (v.7). God loves you. And when He saved you, He started a process He will continue until the day you meet Him in heaven (Philippians 1:6). Salvation was just the beginning. Today He is working in you through your trials—for your good and for His glory.
God has the answer! He hasn't abandoned you. He is right there, wanting to help you, direct you, and sustain you. He is with you in your trial right now and through it, He can use it to accomplish great things.
I started off my journey as a Christian at a very young age of 15. Since the time I've accepted Jesus, I've often found that my life was never the same as before. In fact, at times, I realized that after becoming a Christian, I've encountered many more hardships. But this is just a perception I had for many years as a young Christian. Looking back and reflecting now, with all the difficulties and hardships in life I had encountered, I have witnessed the reality of God in all the impossible situations I went through. Having cancer for 7 years was only the beginning of knowing my God personally. After I received a great miracle of healing from cancer, I thought life would be much easier and more enjoyable for me. But that wasn't true at all!
Having given the strength to endure, being part of a community of believers to experience the amazing God's love, enjoying the grace of God that is sufficient for me at anytime of my life, receiving blessing after blessing for each step of faith in obedience towards the word of God, and on and on the list goes. These are some of the things I can brag about in my every experience of pain, of suffering, of every trial and testing I had to go through in the past.
There were ongoing battles in my financial dependency, my relationships with people, my every day job, and church activities. But in every hard and impossible situation I encountered, it allowed me to cry to God and be completely dependent on Him. And the best part of it, I can truly say, after 17 years of being a Christian and sailing through storms, never once did I feel abandon nor did I see my prayers go unanswered! There was a lot of pain to endure, but it was only to make me be more sensitive towards others. There was a lot of battles in life, but it was only to make me be more compassionate to those around me. There were walls and walls surrounding me, that seemed impossible to break through, tear down, or even get over, but it was only so that I could share GREAT testimonies of how real God can be!
"And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? 'My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.' It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?" - Hebrews 12:5-7, ESV
Find God's purpose in your pain and don't let bitterness, unbelief, or discouragement rob you of the treasure God is refining in you.
When life is hard, it’s for a purpose. Trials and difficult times in the life of a Christian are an opportunity to find out how big God is. A trial can be small and irritating or huge and shattering. One can take you by storm, fast and furiously, altering life forever. Or it may be a hardship that stretches over months, years, or even decades. Your conduct is what you do; your character is who you are. Trials are about what God wants to adjust in the actions you choose, and what He is working in your character to help you choose those actions. And if you’re one of God’s children, you are likely going through a trial right now. Whether physical, relational, economic, emotional, or circumstantial, it’s the most difficult aspect of your life.
Hebrews 12:5-7 speaks to God’s involvement in that difficult thing. Here is His instruction: “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord” (v.5b).
When God moves toward you to make changes in your conduct and character, don’t regard it lightly. Go ahead and do some heavy thinking. Don’t be casual or indifferent about His approach: "I’m getting kind of weary of this. I don’t think God really knows my limits." No matter what painful hardship is yours right now, do not despise or regard lightly how the Lord is working. He is teaching you. And He knows what He’s doing.
When God is allowing something that makes your life hard, remember: “the Lord disciplines the one He loves” (v.6a). It’s like parental instruction. A child’s desires are no guide for healthy growth, but a loving and wise parent knows their child will benefit from certain discomforts and, at times, even a measured amount of pain.
God’s role is that of your heavenly Father: “It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?” (v.7). God loves you. And when He saved you, He started a process He will continue until the day you meet Him in heaven (Philippians 1:6). Salvation was just the beginning. Today He is working in you through your trials—for your good and for His glory.
- Pastor Anand
Wednesday, April 02, 2014
Do Not Worry
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Matthew 6:25 to 34
Hi
I'd like to share with you something that happened during the preparation of my exams awhile back.
Sometime ago, it was the period of my exams. Before it started I was really scared about how I was going to get through it. There were high expectations of me. So many doubts came creeping into my mind and the pressure kicked in and I was terrified.
But amidst everything I remembered this verse that God spoke to me about sometime ago. It was Matthew 6:34. I decided to read the whole passage the verse came from and when I did God just settled all of my uneasiness.
I grew up in church. And I was taught that God would provide for all our needs. But when I read, “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”–it was different! It wasn’t just some children’s church teacher or my mom telling me that “Hey! God provides for you you know!” These were the words of Jesus, our God. And he said specifically to me and he’s saying it to you, “Hey! I provide for you you know! I know what you need so don’t worry man.” It was amazing.
I was sitting in CG one day and we were talking about how Jesus gave His whole life for us. And honestly for a long time, I’ve overlooked this. I mean yes, I knew that it was beyond painful when Jesus was beaten and bruised and then crucified. But I thought about it and it occurred to me that when He died on the cross, Jesus felt the same way another person felt when I hurt that person or thought wrong of that person. Just imagine: the curses you throw at the person who cuts your lane in a terrible jam (for those who drive), the hatred that you have for this friend at school who just cannot stop irritating you, that you feel when you hear stories of kidnappers, animal-abusers, child-abusers, murderers and rapists, and the hatred that you bear against other people. Or maybe the feelings that you have when your parents or your friends or your school teacher looks down on you with disappointment. Jesus felt every single one of these feelings on the cross. And on top of that He was whipped, had his flesh torn, was spat on and was beaten badly. I also learnt that He carried a cross that weighed about 300 pounds. And He overcame all this. This is our Jesus.
Where am I getting with all this? Jesus was not born in vain. He did not die so we could worry. He did not rise from the grave three days later so we could spend our lives hating it. Whatever situation you’re in, whether it’s exams or a problem at home or whatever, remember that God knows what you need. Jesus knows what you need. We just need to let Him take over and do what He has to do.
I do still worry at times. But I am reminded and I find comfort in these verses, that God has it all under control and that He will come through for me. And He did! I didn't get top of the class for my exam results, and I didn't do half as well as my other friends did. But my results were good. And everyone was happy. I wouldn't have done better without Him there guiding me through the papers.
I pray that these verses and words blesses you the same way it blessed me.
Let go and let God. Don’t worry.
"…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
- Basil
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- Matthew 6:25 to 34
Hi
I'd like to share with you something that happened during the preparation of my exams awhile back.
Sometime ago, it was the period of my exams. Before it started I was really scared about how I was going to get through it. There were high expectations of me. So many doubts came creeping into my mind and the pressure kicked in and I was terrified.
But amidst everything I remembered this verse that God spoke to me about sometime ago. It was Matthew 6:34. I decided to read the whole passage the verse came from and when I did God just settled all of my uneasiness.
I grew up in church. And I was taught that God would provide for all our needs. But when I read, “…your heavenly Father knows that you need them.”–it was different! It wasn’t just some children’s church teacher or my mom telling me that “Hey! God provides for you you know!” These were the words of Jesus, our God. And he said specifically to me and he’s saying it to you, “Hey! I provide for you you know! I know what you need so don’t worry man.” It was amazing.
I was sitting in CG one day and we were talking about how Jesus gave His whole life for us. And honestly for a long time, I’ve overlooked this. I mean yes, I knew that it was beyond painful when Jesus was beaten and bruised and then crucified. But I thought about it and it occurred to me that when He died on the cross, Jesus felt the same way another person felt when I hurt that person or thought wrong of that person. Just imagine: the curses you throw at the person who cuts your lane in a terrible jam (for those who drive), the hatred that you have for this friend at school who just cannot stop irritating you, that you feel when you hear stories of kidnappers, animal-abusers, child-abusers, murderers and rapists, and the hatred that you bear against other people. Or maybe the feelings that you have when your parents or your friends or your school teacher looks down on you with disappointment. Jesus felt every single one of these feelings on the cross. And on top of that He was whipped, had his flesh torn, was spat on and was beaten badly. I also learnt that He carried a cross that weighed about 300 pounds. And He overcame all this. This is our Jesus.
Where am I getting with all this? Jesus was not born in vain. He did not die so we could worry. He did not rise from the grave three days later so we could spend our lives hating it. Whatever situation you’re in, whether it’s exams or a problem at home or whatever, remember that God knows what you need. Jesus knows what you need. We just need to let Him take over and do what He has to do.
I do still worry at times. But I am reminded and I find comfort in these verses, that God has it all under control and that He will come through for me. And He did! I didn't get top of the class for my exam results, and I didn't do half as well as my other friends did. But my results were good. And everyone was happy. I wouldn't have done better without Him there guiding me through the papers.
I pray that these verses and words blesses you the same way it blessed me.
Let go and let God. Don’t worry.
"…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
- Basil
Tuesday, April 01, 2014
Pray and Wait
About two years ago, I went on a missions trip to Cambodia together with a team from my high school. Ultimately, it was a really great experience for me to go out and reach out to the children at the FGA Cambodian Child Care Centre. But what I'd like to share with you is what led up to the trip–a real blessing from God.
When I first heard of the missions trip I was very eager to go, but after hearing the amount of money that I needed to spend for the trip I was pretty disappointed because I didn’t really have that kind of money to spend on it.
One night, I was at prayer meeting and I asked God to make a way for me to go and to show me a sign that it was His will for me to go, but I didn’t get any answer nor did I get any sign. So I left it as it was.
A few days later, I decided to start saving money so that I could go for this missions trip. I managed to get enough money of my own for the trip. After getting the funds for the trip, the teacher who was in charge called me and asked if I was still eager to go for the trip and I told him that I was. And to my utter surprise, he replied me saying that there is a parent who is very willing to sponsor me to go on the trip because God had impressed upon that parent's heart to pay for me. I was extremely grateful and I went on to go for the missions trip.
What I learned from this is that constant praying works and when God doesn’t answer you immediately, it doesn’t mean He doesn’t hear your prayers. Who knows? He probably has much more in stored for you! You just need to wait for His perfect timing.
I hope this encourages you one way or another. :)
- Gabe
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