Everyday is a gift from God

Colossians 1:9-14

9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Today's ODB title is very interesting: "What God owe us". Of course, God doesn't owe us anything! But it is us who at times, or perhaps many times behave as though He owe us alot. We've often taken His goodness and grace for granted: blaming or being upset with Him for not answering our prayers, yet on the other hand forgetting to thank Him when He blesses us.

In line with my previous post, this passage and ODB re-affirms the lesson that I believe the Holy Spirit is teaching me. That is, not to take God for granted. And not to take my status as a Christian for granted too.

Being able to wake up alive and healthy every morning is a miracle and gift of life from God day after day. And being able to call myself a Christian and child of God is the priviledge that is bought at a costly price, but given to me free.

Today, I realised that I can do nothing for myself...I can't keep myself alive if not for God's breath of life in me...and I can't freely go before God and talk to Him if Christ does not stand with me to represent me as my high priest. I realise that life is really not in my control at all, it is God who is in control of my life. I'm alive only as long as He keeps His breath of life in me. The moment He takes it away, my physical body become nothing more than an empty shell.

Lessons learnt:
1. Be grateful each day when we find that we still can wake up alive. Everyday is a gift of life from God.
2. Live out our gratefulness in our actions ie try our best to live a life worthy of what He has done for us and given to us.
3. Learn to stop complaining as this is a very destructive habit. It's a no. 1 sign of ungratefulness. It cost the Israelites the chance of entering the Promised Land God had intended for them!

Being a Christian....what a miracle!

Hebrews 10:5-7

5Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said:
"Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but a body you prepared for me;
6with burnt offerings and sin offerings
you were not pleased.
7Then I said, 'Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll—
I have come to do your will, O God.' "

As I read this passage of the Bible (Hebrews 10 talks about Christ's sacrifice which is once ane for all), I started to wonder what it was like to be a 'christian' back then in the OT...where 'christian' was probably not even the term to describe them.

The high priests had to offer annual sacrifices to atone the sins of the nation. I heard from a sunday sermon once that during that time of the year, the high priest would keep himself away from the people and think about nothing but GOD's words. Hey, it's a stressful job man....a slightest imperfection in actions, words or even thoughts would be the end of his life! I remember in Sunday School they taught about the high priest had a rope tied around him, so in case he did die inside the Holy of Holies, he could be pulled out.

Seems like God is so cruel and unmerciful...but think of it this way: If a white piece of cloth is perfectly white, even a tiny speck of black ink would be very obvious wouldn't it? That's the way it is with God...He's perfect that every tiny little imperfection becomes very apparent in His Holy presence. This is the basis which I begin to realise what a miracle it is for us to be christians!

When Christ came to die on the cross for us, He atoned for our sins once and for all....meaning there's no longer any need for the annual sacrifices, no longer the need for the high priest to represent us in the presence of GOD. Jesus took the place of the high priest in that one ultimate sacrifice. And the result is we can enter the Holy of Holies into GOD's presence.

No, it does not mean that GOD has changed...He has not lowered His standards to accept imperfections in His presence. It simply means that HE sees us through Christ. Because Christ is perfect, and Christ took the penalty of sins in our place, we are seen as perfect in GOD's eyes because of Christ. It's like when a child breaks something in a departmental store, and his parents paid for the thing that was broken, the matter is resolved. Not because the departmental store decides to let the child go, but because his parents have already paid the price. That's the same with us.

I've heard this truth being preached many times over the years of my life as a Christian, but today it just felt so real. What a priviledge! Christ must have realised what His sacrifice would mean for mankind that He decided to do it...He knew that His sacrifice would mean that man can come back into GOD's presence forever...He knew that His sacrifice was the only way God can see man as perfect.

Sadly though...because we are free to now enter GOD's presence, many of us have taken this priviledge for granted...we often behave as though it was our right in the first place...sometimes we even act as though GOD owed that to us. We take GOD's grace and we take Christ for granted many times in our lives. Man can be so ungrateful! But thank GOD that HE is faithful...He does not change His mind because of our sins...no matter what we've done wrong, HE still sees us through Christ.

Being a Christian todays means that we do not have to face death for the sins in our lives...Christ has already paid the penalty on the cross. But we do not want to sin because we are grateful to God and Christ for what He has done for us. We've turned over a new leaf, like a prisoner who has been released and makes his mind not to commit crimes again. I think that's the way we ought to live our lives...that's the only small way which we can, in the capacity of a human, try to repay GOD and show gratitude for the good He has done for us.

May we always remember that each day that we're alive as a Christian is a miracle!

Seeds among the thorns

Matthew 13:3-8, 18-23

3Then he told them many things in parables, saying: "A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

18"Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20The one who received the seed that fell on rocky places is the man who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21But since he has no root, he lasts only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, he quickly falls away. 22The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful. 23But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown."

Never thought this would ever apply to me. I've always regarded the "seed" mentioned in this passage as the salvation message. Today it shed new light...the "seed" refers to GOD's words too. And my seed has fell into the thorns.

Time to do some weeding, and fertilizing.

Slacking...But God is good!

Been slacking for my personal relationship with God. Have been really busy and tired that it just seems impossible to find time to do it!

But God is good...despite my slacking, He has blessed me with a wonderful weather for my photoshoots day. It's hard to believe that He was not in control when we see for ourselves that whenever we were in the car travelling to our next outdoor shots location, it would be raining. But whenever we reach the destination, the rain would stop and the sky would be clear.

In the midst of the rainy weather, God gave us pockets of time where the rain would stop and we can take our photos. He even cleared some parts of the sky and made it blue and white so it would look nice on our photos. Even the photographer said that no one would believe we actually took our photos on a rainy day!

We have been praying for a cooling yet bright weather...and God gave us all that! All glory to Him! My wedding photos can be a testimony of his goodness now!

The Life of Jesus

Today's Our Daily Bread talks about how we should remember Easter when we are celebrating Christmas. Jesus' life is marked by 2 events that are impossible in the eyes of man. I liked the way the author put it, that Jesus had entered this world through a "NO ENTRY" door, and left the world through a "NO EXIT" door... How so?

He came to the world in a virgin womb, and left from an empty tomb. KNowingly or unknowingly, the world celebrates His birth and death year after year...but how many really knows the real meaning of Christmas & Easter?

I think it's up to us who knows to tell the good news of Jesus Christ to others!

"If you ask anything in My name, I will do it"

John 14:14.

A simple and straightforward verse. But not so simple and straightforward to act on. Too often I'm too easily wavered and distracted. Everytime something does not go my way, I start to doubt if this is really true. "I asked it in Your name, but You didn't do it." I wouldn't say it outrightly, but God knows my heart.

God forgive me for doubting You!! Thank God for His everlasting love to keep me assured that despite doing this many time over, He still is gracious and loving towards me.

I believe that He will do it, but perhaps just not my way. Just trust that He will do it. Focus on the trophy at the end of the race, NOT on the distractions and onstacles that come along. And most importantly, don't give up!

When we are praying for something, don't ever give up believing and trusting that He has something perfect and wonderful in store for us. Cos He only wants to give us to best....just that sometimes we have to wait and keep believing the He will give it to us even when we face obstructions.

Learn to believe it simply: "If you ask anything in my name, I will do it."

Learn to Wait

Today’s ODB talks about the example of Simeon who have waiting for the LORD for almost his whole lifetime. Haven’t done Bible Study in this manner for a long time….much like doing literature :)

The Passage: Luke 2:25-35

25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.
26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,
28 Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:
29 "Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel."

Simeon waited because of a revelation from the Holy Spirit. He also obeyed the Spirit and went to God’s temple. There he saw Jesus, the messiah he has been waiting for all his life. He got to hold Jesus in his arms and he didn’t forget to praise God.

I think when God gives you a sneak preview of something to come, and for that something you have been praying, hoping, expecting, then you keep praying, hope and expect again and again, when it really happens you probably wouldn’t forget praise God. Overflowing joy will just flow out from your whole being!

But the process is tough…it’s so tough to keep hoping and expecting and praying but not seeing results. The passage didn’t state how long Simeon waited, but from the tonality of the passage, it seems he had been waiting a long, long time. But he still never gave up waiting. Cos if he did, he wouldn’t have gotten the chance to see Jesus.

Once again, a reminder from the LORD to wait upon Him. And in His time, He will bring it to pass. Don’t get gan cheong or worried! Learn to trust in Him at all times.

Lord, help me to trust you always!