Winning the invinsible war!

I was just recapturing the thoughts that Chuen shared with me the other night with one of my urban life member…

We initially planned to have a girls’ outing – playing basketball, among our Urban Life girls last Sunday. However, due to some challenges, it was cancelled! My friend asked me, “Why whenever we plan something for the girls, it always didn’t turn out…”

Here’s the thing…

The work of enemy, the world & our flesh are constantly battling against us – churches are prosecuted & mocked, believers that are ridiculed or insulted, ministry constantly facing challenges & obstacles… the list goes on. But if all these don’t happen, it shows that the church is unknown or unheard. Our ministry is not sound. The enemy doesn’t think it’s worth his time trying to put away or bring down what God is trying to do in this world. The enemy sees that the church is weak enough, hence he doesn’t need to do anything but just sit back & watch as the church fades away from the eye of the world.

But if the enemy is making every effort to bring down, to stop, to oppress the work of God that churches & believers try to do – trying to bring the message of reconciliation in Jesus Christ, it shows that we are doing the right thing! We are heading the right decision! We are fighting the right fight! We are claiming whatever that is rightfully ours (given by God)!

We can’t just give up, or feel discourage we just face a few strikes from the enemy; we gotta keep defending & attacking back until we claim everything that belongs to God & ours! & we are not doing it alone, but God is with us & for us til the very end! So, DON’T GIVE UP! Kick off the thoughts of negativities, the thoughts that says “Someone’s can do a better job” “I am so lousy” “I’m hindering others’ growth” but put on the helmet that Jesus has given us – helmet of salvation.

Phil4:8 (Msg) Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

Hand & Feet for Jesus!

It has been a fortnight since 2008 Hillsong Conference. It certainly has been a blessing moment for me. God really shaped my character & core being as a whole – enlarging it to prepare the way for His people.

I began this conference, fasting and knowing that God wanna realign my vision… Not knowing most of the speakers that were coming this year, there weren’t any expectations. As the conference begins, God constantly reminded about “JUSTICE” “POVERTY” “COMPASSION”… I know my heartbeat is to reach out to the young people, so the poor & needy never cross my mind. Not that I don’t feel for them, but this issue never compelled me to move “the other side of the road”. I told God, “Yes, I know about these people, tell me more. Enough telling me about them!” I sorta avoid/run away from these 3 words God constantly placed in my heart.

I remembered this pastor mentioning this verse:-

Mat25: 34"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

37"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

40"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

“God’s heart is always with the poor. If you wanna serve God & not involve these people that He cares, You are not serving God!”

That statement spoke to me deeply. God cares for these people so much, and if I wanna serve Him & please Him but not think/care/remember/consider/do something for those who are in needs & living in poverty, I am not serving God. If I sing “break my heart for what break Yours” and not doing so, then God’s heartbeat is not my heartbeat.

Felt that, for now I should just “do” it… If it pleases God, I’ll do so, and I know as I continue to serve Him in this area, I believe He will cultivate this heartbeat in me. He will break my heart & make me fall in love with these people.

Gal2: 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

This conference speaks to me about “Loving God & Loving His people!” Never less than that. Felt that it is much more impactful than the previous conference, and the conviction really shaped my heart to be more like Him. I thank God for the good start & I am excited to be a hand & feet to extend His kingdom.

The next level!

Remembered what Ps Rusell shared about moving to the next level.

Luke5: 17One day as he was teaching, Pharisees and teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were sitting there. And the power of the Lord was present for him to heal the sick. 18Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus. 19When they could not find a way to do this because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and lowered him on his mat through the tiles into the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. 22Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, "Why are you thinking these things in your hearts? 23Which is easier: to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'? 24But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins...." He said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." 25Immediately he stood up in front of them, took what he had been lying on and went home praising God. 26Everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, "We have seen remarkable things today."

This story about Jesus healing the paralytic man as a result of the faith of these 4 men!

If the 4 guys just remain at the same level, the crowd is hindering them from reaching to Jesus (the miracle). But they saw the need to move towards the next level (up the roof, broke the tiles & lowered their friend down), the paralyzed man was healed! Imagine us miss this miracle cause we didn’t see the next level God has set before us.

It’s never an easy journey to move towards the next level… the thought of carrying the paralyzed men up the roof, break the tiles and slowly lower him down without him falling, that’s a tough job. But Jesus sees everything, He bless accordingly. He is pleased to see the faith-stretching moments!

What is your next level that God has set before you?

Are you willing to walk towards it?

Live LOUD!

Was talking to Chuen yesterday and she said “The words of one person can be so powerful. Because of one encounter she had with a doctor when her grandma was critically ill, she was inspired. The doctor might not be the person that walk her entire medical career decision, but she surely had planted the first seed!”

The power of one person’s word! Whether you realize it our not, you are actually making a difference. We are constantly influencing the people around us without us noticing it.

During my junior’s farewell, she shared how this friend left a footprint in her life. She said 2 ½ years ago, when she first met her friend, J, she was actually crying in her room. But she was so thankful of J for being there, comforting her. When she was sharing this with J, J hardly remembered this encounter – maybe, he was there offering her tissue box; but this “one day” was vividly remembered by my friend.

Your action and presence matters! You may not notice it, but you are making a mark!

Why am I so passionately illustrating this? This is because recently, I have a couple of encounters with different people saying that they do not wanna return to Malaysia after graduation. Say lifestyle overseas is much better than the one in KL. Well, I have no problem with that, because, facts remain as one! Undeniably true. What saddens me was when I hear them saying that our country is “beyond repair”- lack of rights, privileges, opportunities; political issues; corruption – thefts, robberies, crime; the list goes on. To a certain degree, well this might be true. “The grass is always greener on the other side”

Speaking of overseas, I mean the developed countries. Yah, it is definitely cleaner, healthier air to breathe in, better pay and lifestyle, maybe less corruption. But don’t forget, the developed countries been thru what developing countries going through before. We don’t know, because we weren’t born in that generation to see/experience it. What about gun shooting? What about sex promiscuity? Parents’ abandonment? Kids’ upbringing? Do any of these developed countries doing any better than our country? I can’t put a “yes” answer. You tell me!

But I believe, if young people start to have this mentality and start to flee from this country and never return, I wonder what our country will turn out to be. Probably worse? I don’t know. But if we start doing/saying something, I believe there will be changes! Because as lives are changed, values and characters will change for the better, and with that, actions change too!

Maybe the person that you share lives with will one day be a leader in a big company. With that, the values of this company might change. The way they handle business, treat their employees, deal with marketing strategies. Or who knows, this person might turn out to be a doctor, saving lives and doing mission works for the poor, or maybe borderless doctor! Or another possibility where this person’s life might be changed thru’ one word of encouragement that comes from you during a cold, dark night where this man is in his lowest moment. God puts many crossroads in our lives, where we meet different people, and speak into each others’ lives at different point of time. We sometimes help shaped another person’s defining moment without us realizing it.

It’s not a matter of becoming a hero, change the world or whatever. But I believe it is about impacting lives. Even preaching the gospel, it’s not just about getting someone to say the sinner’s prayer, but it is about allowing people experience God in every moment of their lives. That’s a change! That’s the difference I wanna make!

Pastor Shawn said in his blog, “Make a calling decision, not merely a career decision. Make a life, don't just make a living.” I second this statement. My life is definitely a calling decision given by God. What about yours? Is your life so small that it can only be all about you?

Pro18:21The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.