Take heart

"Take heart"!

1. He who says "Take heart" is saying to us "I AM" 

The disciples were facing a great storm. Jesus came to them walking on the lake. They were afraid. But the moment Jesus said to them in Matt 14:27 "Take courage" (Take heart) It is I. Don't be afraid" the fear left them. When going thru the storms of life, remember JESUS the great I AM. Do not be afraid. You are under my care. No storm can match my power and protection. Take heart because I AM who I AM. He is saying to us today "It is I"!

2. God pays attention to you & you alone 

A blind beggar calls out to Jesus to have mercy on him. Many asked him to keep quiet. But Jesus saw him & said to call him near. Mark 10:49 - "Take heart, He is calling you"

Take heart. He sees you. He hears you. His eyes are fixed on you. He is inviting you to draw near to Him. He wants to heal you & bless you. You are not alone in this world. When you are rejected by others, Jesus will not reject you.

3. Your sins are forgiven 

Matt 9:2 "Take heart my son, your sins are forgiven". Jesus said this to the paralytic man. Forgiveness of sins sets us free to pursue our healing/deliverance. As we humble ourselves before Him to ask for forgiveness of our anger, hatred & resentment toward others & our sinful actions. He is saying to us "Take heart, your sins are forgiven".

4. You need not rely on yourself anymore 

In Matt 9:22 Jesus turn to a woman who had a blood discharge for 12 years. She was reaching out to touch His robe thinking to herself that if she can only touch her robe, she can be healed. He said to her "Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well". Instantly she was healed!

Take heart - the mention of this phrase alone stirs up our faith to look up at Jesus and focus on His strength & healing power!

5. Your God has already overcome

John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world"

Jesus is saying as long as we in the world we will face all kinds of challenges but don't give up. In the face of pain, hardship, frustration, betrayal, financial lack, physical sickness - His triumph at the Cross will eventually be worked into every nook & cranny of our lives.

The One who has overcome is at work in our affliction preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond our expectation.

Take heart. Take courage. Do not fear!

(Summarized from Desiring God - article by David Mathis. Verses from NIV)

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Comfort without words

Whilst reading Job, I realize that sometimes we can comfort people by just being with them. Our presence matter more than words.

For people going through very tough times/serious illnesses, it is difficult to find the right words to say.

Job's wife (I wonder why she was not taken in the whirlwind with the children) probably screamed at him and could even have asked him to take his own life.

Job 2:9 "Then his wife said to him "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!"

From her words, it is obvious that she blamed God for Job's suffering. 

Job 2:10 tells us how Job answered her

"But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity? In all this Job did not sin with his lips"

In the same chapter, we read about 3 of his good friends who by contrast reacted differently to his situation. They heard about his predicament, made appointment to see him to "mourn with him, and to comfort him". His friends were - Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar.

So severe was Job's condition that they did no recognize him. What was their reaction?

1. They wept
2. They tore their robes 
3. They sat down with him on the ground 7 days and 7 nights

"....no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his grief was very great" Job 2:13

They left the comfort of their houses to sit in the midst of the ashes and to identify with Job in his suffering. 

In contrast to his wife, they did not ask Job to curse God nor blame God for his suffering.

Lord JESUS - grant us the grace to weep with those who are in pain and suffering. Give us the wisdom to speak or not to speak at the right time with the right words of comfort. In JESUS Name. Amen.

The 10 amazing things about the love of God

Rom 5:5 "Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us"

Love of God - Holy Spirit

We need to keep ourselves in the love of God by praying in the Holy Spirit. After all the Holy Spirit is the Love of God!

1. The love of God frees us from condemnation

Rom 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit"

2. The love of God fills our mind with life and peace

Rom 8:6 "For to be carnally minded is death but to be spiritually minded is life and peace"

3. The love of God gives life to our mortal bodies

Rom 8:11 "But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you"

4. The love of God helps us to put to death the works of the flesh

Rom 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live"

5. The love of God leads us into a deep relationship with God, we can call God Father

Rom 8:14-15 "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out "Abba, Father"

6. The love of God promotes us as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ

Rom 8:17 "and if children, then heirs - heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ"

7. The love of God helps us to pray

Rom 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered"

8. The love of God helps us to pray

Rom 8:26 "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered"

9. The love of God will always lead us to the will of God

Rom 8:27 "now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God"

10. The love of God works all things out for good for us

Rom 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose"

Rest in God

What is the rest of God?
How do we rest in God?

I have been fascinated with this topic since ministering it last year at Kemaman church.

God gave me further understanding of it this year during morning prayer. 

What is the rest of God?

There are 3 ways for us to rest in God:

1. Rest in the Word of God
2. Rest in the Work of Jesus on the Cross
3. Resting while walking with God

1. Resting in the Word of God.

The Word of God leads us to rest in God but 4 things must be settled before we can enter into the rest of the Word of God:

1. We must believe that it is available for us. This is a believer's rest and cannot be available for non-believers:

Hebs 4:9 "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God"

If you are not God's people, you have to start believing before you can enter into the rest of the Word of God.

2. We must stop struggling in our own flesh to work things out.

Hebs 4:10 "For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His"

This will require us to voice our prayers to God by intentionally releasing our prayer needs to God.

3. We must start being diligent in God's Word.

Indeed how can we rest in God's Word if we do not even know what is written in the Word. Get yourself a Bible memory app that can help you commit verses to memory.

Hebs 4:11 "Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience"

How to be diligent in God's Word? Study it, read it and memorize it!

4. We must start obeying the Word of God.

Hebs 4:12 "For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart"

2. Rest in the finished work of Jesus

Jesus finished His work on earth and rested. What did He finished or accomplished through His death for us?

He finished His work on the Cross by giving us a way to God via saving us from our sins which no one else can do.

He finished His work on the Cross by giving us a chance to make peace with God.

He finished His work on the Cross by giving us a chance to receive our healing and restoration of divine health.

Isa 54:5 "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed"

3. Resting while walking with God

Walking with God is not the physical activity that we do as in jogging or exercise. It is actually in a relationship with God which is restful and full of comfort, peace and joy. 

Gen 5:24 "And Enoch walked with God and he was not, for God took him"

Hebs 11:5 "by faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death "and was not found, because God had taken him" for before he was taken he had this testimony that he pleased God"

Quotations:

FB Meyer 

"To all of us Christ offers rest, not in the next life only, but also in this life. Rest from the weight of sin, from care and worry, from the load of daily anxiety and foreboding. The rest that arrives from handing over all our worries to Christ and receiving from Christ all we need. Have you entered into that experience?"

Watchman Nee

"Our rest lies in looking to the Lord, not to ourselves"

Andrew Murray

"Do not strive in your own strength"

Charles Swindoll

"In place of our exhaustion and spiritual fatigues, God will give us rest. All He asks is that we come to Him...that we spend a while thinking about Him, meditating on Him, talking to Him, listening in silence, occupying ourselves with Him - totally and thoroughly lost in the hiding place of His presence"

Seeing the lost like Jesus

Date: 18/11/17

Luke 16:19-27

"There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named, Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table...so it was that the beggar died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom. 

The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torment in Hades, he lifted his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. The he cried and said "Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in torment in this flame.

But Abraham said, "Son, remember that in your lifetime, you received good things and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all these, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us"

Introduction - Jesus saw the lost quite differently from His disciples:

Characters

1. Samaritan woman - 

Disciples regard her as living in sin & untouchable but Jesus regard her as someone who needed to know the truth.

2. Adulterous woman - 

Disciples regard her as someone who has to be stoned?? Jesus regard her as someone who need to know forgiveness

3. Blind man - 

Disciples regard him as someone who has sinned or his parents have sinned. Jesus regard him as someone chosen to reveal the works of God.

4. Tax collector - Zacchaeus

Disciples regard him as a corrupt person but Jesus regard him as someone ready to repent and make restitution.

5. Mary Magdalene

Disciples called her a sinner and a prostitute but Jesus regard her as someone in need of love and forgiveness.

Seeing the lost like Jesus in 4 areas:

1. Jesus saw the great Divide (great gulf fixed)
2. Jesus saw the Depravity of sin
3. Jesus saw their Destiny in hell
4. Jesus saw their Despair without a shepherd

Jesus saw the great Divide 

The rich man may have been indulgent all his life and shut out his eyes and ears to the needs of Lazarus but that was not the main reason he was in hell. It could be that an indulgent lifestyle made a person selfish and hard but the main thing that separated him from God was his sin. 

It is sin that separates us from God. We cannot hope to bridge the great gulf by our own good works, money, religion or by just being a good person. We need Jesus - the only way, the truth and the life. It is a gift of God not of our own works lest any man should boast.

Jesus saw the Depravity of sin

During the times of the Lord Jesus just as it is now, sin has its consequences.

Characters

1. Samaritan woman - 

She lived in adultery, that was her depravity. She was looking for love in the wrong places (Luke 4:48)

2. Mary Magdalene -

She was a prostitute. She became possessed by 7 demons as a result of her sexual depravity (Luke 7:47)

3. Rich man - 

He idolized money and self indulgent lifestyle as his god (Matt 6:26). His depravity was fleshly indulgence. He was not a seeker of God.

4. This generation -

Drugs, alcohol, partying, hedonistic, social media bullying, same sex relationships, broken marriages, adultery, rebellion, murder, violence, debauchery.....

Jesus saw their Destiny in hell


The rich man asked Abraham to send prophets to his home to tell them about hell (Luke 6:27 "Then he said, 'I beg you therefore, father, that you send him to my father's house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they come to this place of torment"

Even people in hell are concerned about the lost. What more we who are alive and can tell others about Jesus. God wants us to do this while we have breath as death means the end of all evangelism!

Jesus saw their Despair without a shepherd

Matt 9:36 "But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd"

Despair means to be totally at lost, no more hope in life, tough to go on living and can lead to suicide.

Young and old, there are times when we are weary or scattered. There are times when work becomes ritualistic and without meaning or purpose. Life becomes and endless toil of working and struggling to put food on the table. However if we allow Jesus to guide us lovingly like a shepherd, we will find true meaning to life - to reach out to others and tell them the Good News!

Disciples - Please stand up!

While reading John aloud during morning 

watches (we have been reading scriptures 

aloud since the 40-day prayer and fasting),

this verse in John suddenly hit me “Then 

Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him,

 “If you abide in My word, you are my 

disciples indeed” John 8:31.

Why did Jesus emphasize this to the Jews when

they had already believed? Does believing in 

Christ make you a disciple? There can only be one

answer to this question, mere belief in Christ does 

not make you a disciple. You only qualify to be 

called a “disciple” if you abide in His word.


A convert merely professes his faith in Christ but a disciple remains in the word of God no matter what the cost.

This is the stand that Jesus clearly made even when addressing the "secret" believers!

It is also interesting that in John 12:42, there was 

mentioned another group of prominent, rich and 

very influential believers but they feared to 

confess Him publicly lest they should be put out 

of the synagogue for they loved the praise of men 

more than the praise of God. They were the rulers

of the city/house of God having religious and 

political influence maybe even earning a hefty 

salary from their positions. Jesus did not 

recognize them as disciples. Instead He put a caveat – they can only be called disciples if they remain/abide in His word.

This set me thinking - who is a disciple? 

I heard this fascinating testimony told to me by 

one of my prayer partner during the morning 

watches which showed the difference between a 

convert and a disciple.

“A general had paraded some Christians which he 

had arrested and intended to make a sport of them 

and to kill them unless they renounced Christ. He stripped them naked and put them in the shivering cold. He then made them stand before him as he himself sat on a table laden with the best kind of food and wine. 

He also brought piles of warm clothes with him. He then asked them if they wanted to eat the food and to drink the wine. They had to renounce Christ as a pre-condition if not he will let them die in their hunger and in the biting cold.

Suddenly God opened his eyes. He saw many 

angels descending upon the Christians. The angels

carried crowns with them. On those who refused to renounce Christ for the food and the clothes, the angels placed the crowns on their heads even as they crumpled to the ground and died in the extreme cold. Their spirit then ascended to heaven with the angels that had crowned them.

However there was one person who could not 
decide what to do.  He was tempted by the clothes and the food. The general saw the angel going up and down above this person, up and down, up and down in tandem with the wavering faith of the Christian. Finally the angel with the crown left and ascended to heaven without crowning this person because the person chose to deny Christ by surging forward to eat the food on the table and to take the warm clothes for himself.

The general believed in Jesus as a result of what 

he saw and gave up his worldly position to follow

Christ and to suffer along with the saints who 

died”.

I think the answer is clear to us as to who the 

disciples are and who are not.

There are 3 distinct marks of a disciple:

1. He remains/abides in the word - a disciple  finds time to read and obey the word of God.  He immerses himself in the word. Day and  night he meditates on it and studies it (Psalm  1). He diligently seeks the God of the word in  the word of God. 

Heb 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" 

How can we have faith that pleases God? How can we diligently seek Him? We can only seek Him in the word of God and in prayer.

   Faith comes from hearing and hearing by the word of God (Rom 10:17). The more we hear the word of God, the more we will build muscles of faith. The more we immerse ourselves in the word, the more we will be transformed to be like the word of God and changed/shaped in our attitudes and outlook (Rom 12:1).

2. He is a worshiper – a disciple loves to worship Jesus  exclusively. 

John 9:31 "Now we know that God hears sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him". 

See the connection between worship and prayer in this verse. A worshiper is also an intercessor. Worship will naturally lead us to intercession. Even the Lord's prayer gives us the flow. We start with worshiping and exalting Jesus. Prayer will naturally flow forth from our life. Effective prayer begins with worship and exalting the Lord Jesus Christ!

When I started writing the church prayer blog, the Lord told me not to write "attendees" (I had to record the number of people) but to write "worshipers" instead. Now I know why!

A worshiper is also one who gives his full allegiance to  Christ and Christ alone (John 4:23-24). Worship turns his attention away from himself and his daily concerns to the God of the universe.

3. He is a servant – a disciple is willing to serve others even if it means to wash the feet of others. Jesus himself washed the feet of not only those who loved Him but also his betrayer. In the midst of the disciples, Judas was also there. Why did He do that? Because of love.

   We are to continue serving and reaching out to those who hate us, to those who hit back at us and curse, to those who will even turn back from following Christ. Jesus continue to reach out to me even when I forget about Him, even when I back-slide, even when I do not stand up for him.
   
   A mark of a servant is that he does not seek to draw attention to himself. In fact he is happiest when others do not mention his name. 

   One day God spoke to me "Why do you want to receive accolades from men? When you receive glory from man on earth for all your good deeds and spirituality, you have already received your reward but when you serve Me without seeking the glory of men, you will receive greater rewards in heaven. The rewards far exceed the rewards man will give you on this earth and in this life. 

   Seek to be unknown, seek to be unknown, remain humble, nameless and faceless so that Your Father in heaven will reward you richly when the time comes"

As a servant a disciple considers others better than himself. He does not judge others when he sees their dirty feet. He does not criticise or condemn others. He does not even complain about others or point out their mistakes (God forgive me as I do this countless of times).

He makes every effort to help others clean up their lives (John 13:14-15). His greatest joy is to see others becoming better than him in service unto the Master.

4. He is a witness for his master - in fact the dictionary meaning of a disciple is just someone who follows the teaching of his master. We are disciples of Jesus because we believe in His message and His teachings. 

He is one who loves his teacher so much that he finds such joy in teaching others what his teacher has taught him and is committed to make others become like him. In other words, a disciple points others to Jesus and make “copies” of others like him who will follow after Jesus (Matt 28:18-20).

4. He is willing to give his all to Jesus even it means giving up his own life – this is yet the final test of a true disciple. Is he willing to count all things loss for the attaining the riches and glory of his eternal inheritance in Christ

Is he willing to give up his position, name and reputation in society just to be considered a disciple of Christ? Many in the gospels were put out of the synagogue by believing in Jesus during the time when the Lord walked on the earth. There is a price to pay for following Jesus. In some cultures, it means paying with our own lives. 

John 12:25 “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” - an appropriate verse to illustrate the story above. 

All through history, we see disciples of the Lord willingly lay down their lives to bear His mark. The Lord's disciples being the examples for us to follow.

   Are there any true disciples out there? Please      stand up!

Psalm 32 - The 7 greatest needs of man

This wonderful Psalm tells us of the 7 great spiritual needs of man which are all fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ. What are they?

The needs are:

1. The need for forgiveness
2. The need for righteousness
3. The need for relationship with Father God
4. The need for protection
5. The need for guidance

6. The need for faith
7.The need for joy

1. The need for forgiveness.

Ps 32:1 "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered". We need to confess our sins to receive forgiveness. Sins weigh us down heavily but the blood of Jesus cleanses us from all sins.

Sometimes we may not remember all our sins (particularly moral sins when we first came to the Lord) but the Lord will gently remind us of them when we walk with Him. The key is to be quick to confess them when the Lord brings them to mind.

Once our sins are confessed there will come upon us such a lightness in our soul. Such freedom, such blessed peace! Confession of sins is health to our soul and adds years to our life.

In fact, v3 & 4 tells us the consequences of not confessing our sins to God. Physical illness could result from us refusing to acknowledge our sins before God. We might feel vitality drained from us. 

For e.g. it is often thought that the manifestation of backache is a result of us not forgiving someone.

Whether sickness is a spiritual problem or a natural problem of diet or stress or environmental factors, there is no harm in us confessing our sins to God.

Ps 32:5 "I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" and You forgave the iniquity of my sin"

A lady with whom I did baptism class felt convicted to write down all her sins item by item before going down into the water. She listed down all the key sins in her life. After confession, she felt such joy, liberty and freedom and went down into the waters of baptism delivered and cleansed.

I saw a vision of her standing before the throne of God. Angels lined up at the side of this huge staircase leading up to the throne. I heard Father God said to her "All your sins have been forgiven. I remember them no more. Do not mention them to me anymore. The slate has been wiped clean"

2. The need for righteousness.

Psalm 32:2 "Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit"


Righteousness is a gift from God. We are clothed with the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness. It is God who justifies us who is he who condemns us?

3. The need for relationship with Father God

We are all made with a vacuum for Father God. Our heart yearns and longs for a relationship with a greater spiritual being, greater than us, mightier than us & more powerful than us. 


In our finite mind, we want to know a God who is infinite. In a way we can say that man desires spiritual enlightenment from a higher source/being.

When we have experienced the forgiveness of God and receive the righteousness of Christ as a free gift, we will have free access into the presence of God the Father.

Righteousness is the springboard for godliness.

Ps 32:6 "For this cause everyone who is godly shall pray to You in a time when You may be found, surely in a flood of great waters they shall not come near him"

Prayer is relationship with God. Prayer fulfils the need of ours to relate to God as our heavenly Father.

4. The need for protection

Great floods will not overwhelm us - Ps 32:6.

God is our hiding place, He preserves us from trouble and surrounds us with songs of deliverance - Ps 32:7 "You are my hiding place, You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance"

Ps 32:10 "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked, but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him"

We may be in the midst of trouble. We may be in the midst of a great storm (the enemy may come in like a flood) but the ultimate fact is that, we will surely be delivered!

He not only preserves us but He delivers us. In the end, we come out of our trials with songs of deliverance.

5. The need for guidance

Ps 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go. I will guide you with My eye"


Ps 32:9 "Do not be like the horse or like the mule which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle, else they will not come near you"

God says He will show us the way we need to go. He will guide us with His eye. We need to be sensitive to the Holy spirit, listen to His gentle warnings. we should not be rash like the horse or stubborn like the mule. Rather, we should be led by the Spirit.

6. The need for faith

Ps 32:10 "Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he who trusts in the Lord, mercy shall surround him"

It is so important to trust in God no matter what the circumstances. We need to watch the confession of our mouth. We need to keep on confessing the Word of God over our situation and circumstances no matter what is happening in the natural. 

I have osteo knees. Sitting down and standing up can be really painful. At times I can hear the knees click as though the ends of the knee bones are brushing against each other hence the source of the pain.

Lately I have been confessing this prayer "Lord I command the cartilage to grow. Lord Jesus I rebuke the pain"

Even though the pain is still there, I will not let it get me down. The cartilage has to obey the Word of God! After all God created it and it can regenerate at God's command.

7. The need for joy

The Psalm ends with a wonderful note of joy. It is a threefold note of joy - be glad, rejoice, shout for joy. We are the righteous, the saints of God, having been justified by faith, cleansed by the blood of Jesus. there is every reason to rejoice!

Ps 32:11 "Be glad in the lord and rejoice, you righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart"