Trust AND Obey

Trust and Obey - key words for our daily discipleship living. We long for revival and transformation for our lives, our church and our nation.

To see this happen, we need to ask the Lord to give us a burdened heart for the lost, bended knees to continue persistently praying for them, a clear mind to visualise the goal of winning/consolidating/discipling/sending and calloused hands to do the work each day (seeking God's divine appointments and opportunities)

Let us NOT negate the small but significant faith that we have by the words of our mouth by declaring the difficulties BUT let us speak forth that we can see salvation of the 12 and 144 in these next 10 months!

Just like Elijah when praying for rain (1 Kings 18:41-45) and Peter walking on water (Matt 14:28-31), we look to Jesus ignoring all the negative things that are thrown at us and confessing that the God of the impossibles is able and willing to move in and through us to do the very thing He desires - to see the harvest brought in and discipled!

Jesus said that we will have what we say if we do not doubt but speak faith!
Mark 11:22-24: "Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, `Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

So let us arise, shine! This is the season of harvest!

Free Thinking?

I have always wonder why someone would call themselves a freethinker. What does that mean? That you are thinking freely or you are freely thinking?
What does mean to be truly a free thinker or a thinker who is free?
Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." He also said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
It is obvious that freedom is tied to truth - knowing the truth will set one free. Deception or deceptive thinking will cause one to be in bondage but Truth or 'truth' thinking will set one free.
Knowing the truth is more than just cognitive knowledge but it is actually knowing the very Person who embodies all truth - the Truth Himself, Jesus Christ.
So if you really want to think freely or freely think - you need to know the Truth then truly You are free to think as the Truth thinks.

'Smooth and Rough' Blessings

In this life, we often want everything to go smoothly and we pray for blessings from the Lord to make all things work according to our plans. Yet there are times when it seems everything is falling apart and it is a rough and bumpy road we travel on.

I learn that God's blessings are for both the 'smooth sailing times' as well as the 'rough seas'.

He never rescinds on His promises and His purposes. He is always there with us whether we experience smooth or rough situations. This is the first and greatest blessing - He is ever-present (His omnipresence).

In the smooth times, we may experience all things are in our favour and all things seem to fit nicely. We rejoice as we see God answering our prayers and see His omnipotent power at work.

But in the rough times, we tend to forget and start to question why our prayers seem to go no where. We realise often after reflecting when the rough time has passed, that He knows all things (His omniscience) and what we think was a loss was actually working out for our good according to His plans.

So the test comes - will we continue to trust and rejoice in the rough times just like the smooth times or do we start to grumble, criticise and forget He is there?

Longing for heaven

Have been thinking about heaven recently. Read about it, thought about it and spoke about it. Perhaps I am getting to an age where I am a step closer to the door that leads to it.
Often people do not want to think about what lies beyond death preferring to focus on the here and now.
But I submit that we cannot truly live till we are ready to die. 
Our purpose and meaning for our lives are tightly coupled to our readiness and understanding of what lies beyond the doorway of death.
Jesus said "I am the door, if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture". 
Incredible words but how true its promise - only one door to eternal bliss and rest - Jesus Christ.
The other door (of self-effort, self belief, self-centredness) leads to eternal misery and unrest.
Heaven is for real for God is real and where God is, there is heaven.
Hell is for real for where there is no presence of God, that is hell.
Dear reader, choose this day which door you will enter for eternity starts today.

Creator, Servant, Saviour King

Truly God is our Creator King!
He did not just create us and let us fend for ourselves. Nor did He rule us with an iron hand as a dictator. No, He created us AND desire to reign over us for our good (if we allow Him to do so).
We are NOT created as robots but as free-will agents with choice - to choose to love Him and submit to Him or to reject and rebel against Him.

Truly God is our Servant King!
He came to serve us and not to be served. Yet His servanthood does not diminish His dignity and authority as King of kings. His exemplary Servant model of leading us shows us what His kingdom is like - leading by serving.

Truly God is our Saviour King!
He gave up His life willingly for us on the Cross of Calvary. He is the righteous King who judges and punishes all who are evil. All of us are evil sinners - we all know our hearts. Yet our King, after pronouncing the sentence, took upon Himself, our punishment so that we do not have to do so. Do we willingly allow Him to reign in us with the thought of "Amazing Love, how can it be, that You my God would die for me!" or do we reject Him and treat with contempt His salvation freely given to us?

This Good Friday/Easter, let us be reminded to continually thank our Lord Jesus, our Creator, Servant and Saviour King!

Ungratefulness - the scourge of mankind

It is increasingly evident that the trend towards ungratefulness is increasing as many nations and societies become more affluent. Ungratefulness results in many boorish behaviour exhibited in society - whether road bullies, inconsiderate neighbours and habitual complainers.
Ungratefulness breeds a wrong mindset that assumes a right to be served first and always - requiring all to meet the needs and wants of the ungrateful.
To counter this, all of us need to learn to be grateful and thankful each day. 
Gratefulness to God who created us and all things for us to enjoy.
Gratefulness to God for those people He brings into our lives that encourages us and even rebukes us in love.
Gratefulness to God in His sovereign purpose and will that places us where we should live and work.
And the list goes on... being thankful never ends as long as we live.
Why not start today to thank God for one thing? Then continue each day to add one more and one more till you have 10,000 reasons or more why we should be grateful.
May we, made in the image of God, redeemed by the blood of Jesus and daily being filled by the Holy Spirit, exhibit an attitude and mindset of thankfulness always.
"To thank or not to thank, there is no question about it - always be thankful"

Can Jesus find faith when He comes again?

In Luke 18:8, the Lord Jesus asked this question: "when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
This faith is NOT faith in ourselves though many (even Christians) profess faith with their mouths in the Lord but inwardly their faith is in themselves and their abilities.
This faith is NOT faith in systems though there are good ways of doing things but ultimately these systems cannot replace doing God's will (which sometimes may seem illogical or foolish).
This faith is NOT faith in leaders and their teachings though they may be walking in God's purpose for every human person cannot always be right and never make a mistake.
True faith is in the Lord Jesus that we can say and act on the premise that Forsaking All I Trust Him only and this is sufficient to make all things possible and to do all things.

Where is your faith today?