BLESSED AND THE PEACEMAKERS

Enjoying the Peaceable Fruit of Righteousness
John Belt:
December 21, 2009

Isaiah 32:17 The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.

As Believers in Jesus Christ we have been graced with His righteousness. Apart from Him we have no righteousness at all. He is the Gate to Heaven's courts. It is through Him that we are able to approach the Throne of God. The Blood of Christ is sufficient to bring us into His courts again and again. Our righteousness is as filthy rags and will not even begin to bring us even close to the entryway of the courts of God.

Romans 4:5-6 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works.

Although Christ has made the way for us there does remain an effect of righteous living that we can only experience to the degree that we align ourselves with His thoughts. His righteousness must have its work in sanctification for us to experience the peaceable fruit that is promised to us in Scripture. To the degree that we yield to His ways as revealed in His holiness, to the same degree we will live as a habitation of God, experiencing a greater fullness of His life in this earthly life.

Aligning Our Hearts with Righteousness

1 John 3:10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

The spirit of the world is everywhere and accessible to the eyes and ears of us all. Idolatry runs rampant in our society and is disguised, many times innocently, to dull the senses, causing Believers to lose their spiritual sharpness. Discernment is needed in these days as compromise has been redefined in many circles. What was compromise 50 years ago now is acceptable to many. The standards have been dumbed down in the minds of many. God's standard is always here and is available to us as a guard for our hearts. His word is grace, protection and wisdom for our times as illuminated by His Spirit.

It is necessary for us to break ties with the idolatrous patterns of our society that we may see more clearly, hear more clearly and walk in the peace of Christ, making a difference. Jesus told us that His peace was different than the peace the world gives. That means that His peace is superior, not temporal but eternal, and effective in our hearts making us pliable for God's use. The work of righteousness is peace and quietness. When our hearts come into alignment with the righteousness of God we reap the fruit of rest, peace and a quiet experience in the inner sanctum of our hearts.

Voices come from many directions to steal away "righteousness" manifested by the Spirit of God. Counterfeit peace is substituted in place of the true peace that only God can give, a peace that is never ending. The idols of this age are aiming to lure the people of God away from the inheritance that is obtained through simplicity of devotion to Christ. If we have trouble seeing what the idols of this age are, then most likely we have been seduced in measure to some of these things. In return, our spiritual power is diminished, leaving us wondering where the peace of God has gone from our lives.

The Substance of His Peace

The peace of God is substance and notable. The Lord has blessed us with the tangible realities of His Kingdom; they are part of our inheritance that we can experience at all times. No matter what is going on around, His manifested presence is always there for us. The best the enemy can do is distract us off the path, causing us to lose sight of what was once so clear. The beauty is the simple cure. We are able to simply repent of coming into alignment with lies, agreements that are unrighteous—thoughts that do not reflect the heart of God. It is here that we are able to receive cleansing from all "unrighteousness" and experience the peaceful fruit that comes with the territory of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is first of all "righteousness," then peace and joy follows.

Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters.

Our addiction to noise must be broken. There must be a revival of loving the quiet place with God. We should be addicted to "quiet." God promises us quiet resting places. Deep within us is where the Lord longs to take residence. With so much noise coming from every direction in our society, we need to be the people who know God in the place of "stillness." It is in this place that He establishes His glory within us and finds the place of release through us.

We have been made the righteousness of God in Christ. As we agree with His righteousness in our lives it becomes a river of life that flows through us. His righteousness makes us right in God's eyes. His righteousness flowing through us brings us into His realm of His peace, joy and liberty in this life.
His Peace Be Yours...

John Belt
Live In His Presence Ministries
Email: admin@liveinhispresence.com

SEEING GOD FROM THE VANTAGE OF REST

"May We Be Diligent to Enter into Rest With Our God"
Tiffany Ann Lewis
September 13, 2009

Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.—Revelation 3:20

Knock - knock.
Who's there?
The Lord.
The Lord who?
The Lord of the Sabbath...

The Hebrew verb Shabbat (Sabbath) means to cease, desist, to put an end to, and of course to rest. But it is so much more than just a day; it is a spiritual doorway in which we can connect with our Creator. Let me explain.

The commandment to remember the Sabbath is the fourth out of the Ten. In Hebrew, numbers are represented by the letters of the alphabet. The number four is represented by a letter that is called dalet. Now, each letter also has a corresponding pictogram (a picture representing the word). Stay with me because, the pictogram for dalet is...a door! How profound considering Jesus said, "I am the door of the sheep" (John 10:7). We can see through these symbolisms that the commandment is a spiritual door into rest, while at the same time it also symbolizes a choice—to open it or to keep it closed.

It doesn't stop there; the word itself comes from a root which means draw out, draw up, and draw council (Dalah—Strong's #1802). God is supernaturally drawing His Bride. It is like a magnetic pull in the spirit beckoning us to this door. "These things says He who is holy, He who is true, 'He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens'...See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it..." (Revelation 3:7-8). The Lord wants to dwell with us.

Draw Me Away, Lord, I Will Run After You!

In the Song of Solomon, God (the Divine Lover) appears as an eager lover, a leaping deer, who is longing for intimacy with His Bride. We see Him knocking on the door saying, "Open for me, my sister, my love, my dove, my perfect one..." (Song of Solomon 5:2).

In this heart-wrenching passage, we see that the Shulamite (the bride) did not arise and respond to the knocking. She was tired and had already prepared for bed, her own type of rest. The Beloved went a step further and put his hand to the latch of the door. Her heart yearned for him, then unfortunately when she arose and opened the door, her lover had already left. All that remained was what could have been—the liquid myrrh (symbolic of His presence), which was dripping from the handle, now covered her hands.

Like all Scripture, this passage too is a mirror into our own life. So often we are so tired from the works and worries of this world that we don't respond immediately to the invitation either. However, the liquid myrrh that is left on the door allures us, motivating us to swiftly arise the next time and welcome Him in.

There is a beautiful tradition in Judaism called Kabbalat Shabbat, which literally means, "The receiving of Shabbat." It is a portion of the Shabbat service on Friday night to welcome the Sabbath as a groom welcomes his bride. After the candles are lit and prayers are said, the L'cha Dodi (Come, My Beloved) is sung to escort the Shekhinah—God's indwelling presence—into their midst. To this day, many congregations arise and turn to the doorway or even bow to welcome the Shekhinah.

The Heavenly Bridegroom Knocking on His Bride's Door

Beloved, this is about welcoming the Lord into our midst. Shabbat is a doorway into His rest that we can enter into every day. Not just once a week, or once a year. The door is wide open—the Blood of Jesus Christ opened it up...it is finished. May we be diligent to enter that rest and Shabbat with our God.

But Shabbat isn't just about resting from our labors, it's about discovering God. All things have been hidden in Him from the beginning of time and God wants us to discover them. For, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2).

He desires for us to know Him and to comprehend the full width, length, depth, and height of the outrageous love that He has for us, not just the portion of it that we currently understand. It's Divine hide and seek; the more we seek the more we will find. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:8).

It has been said that for six days God expressed His hand, but on the seventh He expressed His soul and provided a day for us to discover Him rather than His work. This interpretation was drawn out of the Hebrew word vayinafash which is found in Exodus 31:17: "...for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested (Shabbat) and was refreshed (vayinafash)."

Vayinafash comes from the root word which is translated as soul (nefesh—Strong's #5315). It means to breathe or inhale, or to refresh oneself, and has a range of meanings all related to the essence of a living being. The text could literally be translated as, "and He breathed." Beloved, God breathed out and we can breathe it in. It is His rest, for it is finished. This revelation brings the modern day song "Breathe" to a whole new level, doesn't it?

Knock – Knock...

We could stop here, but as you know, the more we seek the more we will find. I mentioned a word earlier you may not be familiar with—Shekhinah. Shekhinah is a verb that means to dwell, abide, reside, settle, inhabit, and is used to signify the dwelling or settling presence of God. If you have ever heard the phrase, "The Shekhinah Glory," it is referring to the Divine dwelling presence of God in all His glory. You see, when God walks into the room, all His splendor, abundance, wealth, and reputation come along with Him.

This is where Moses was when God revealed His precious thoughts to him: in the Shekhinah, the dwelling presence of God. The Lord's glory was revealed to him so powerfully in that encounter that Moses needed to veil his face from others.
And the glory (kavode) of the LORD abode (Shakan) upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud...so Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain.—Exodus 24:16 KJV and verse 18 NKJV

Notice that it was the seventh day, the Sabbath, when the Lord called out to Moses and Moses went into the midst of the cloud...and Moses responded.

There is a practical lesson that we can utilize in our own lives today regarding how to "get into the Lord's presence." Respond when you sense the Lord knocking at your door, arise and receive Him into your spiritual space. There are no formulas really, just capture your thoughts and focus on what He did—but more than that, focus on why He did it.

Jesus Christ laid down His life rescuing you from the grip of death because He loves you and wants to be with you. You were worth it to Him. That revelation alone is enough. It doesn't have to be for an hour or a day; it can be for a brief moment of any day. Beloved, the Lord just wants to whisk us away. "Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold..." (Revelation 4:2).

There is a purpose to the presence—to get to know God, not to apprehend the things of God but to apprehend Him. Shekinah Glory is about dwelling together with God, Immanuel—God with us, in every aspect of our lives. The glory, the signs and wonders, are a byproduct of His presence and simply come from His nature. It's one package. In His presence there is fullness of joy, and at His right hand there are pleasures forevermore. We experience them by being in His lovely presence, which is the heart desire of God and indeed the very purpose of creation.

Let us close where we began...
Knock - knock.
Who's there?
The Lord.
The Lord who?
The Lord of the Sabbath...

Beloved, the Lord is knocking. Arise, open the door and welcome the Shekhinah in. Amen.

Tiffany Ann Lewis
Dancing with the Flame of the Lord Ministries
Email: tiffanyann@tiffanyannlewis.com

SEEING GOD….AN EVENT OR A PROGRESSIVE EXPERIENCE?

God’s ways are mysterious. However, the word “mystery” when used with reference with God refers to knowledge of God that is yet to be unfolded to us. God may have unfolded that knowledge to His prophets and apostles, and the revelations may already be written in His Word. Yet, it may be a mystery to us, if it has yet to be revealed to us.

However, we are to pursue God, not pursue mystery. As we pursue God, He reveals things to us that we have not encountered before. And as He does that, we are to obey the revealed, not pursue the concealed.

Our righteousness, therefore, is the state we are in when we are in obedience to the Lord, and the blood of His Son purifies us from all sins:

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.”
(1John 1:5-7)

In this sanctified state, we are able to enter into His presence and enjoy heart-to-heart communion with Him:

“I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see. Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
(Rev 3:18-20)

And so, we are able to “see” Him, spirit to Spirit:

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
(2 Corinthians 3:16-17)

So, yes, seeing God is a spiritual event.

However, seeing God more and more clearly is also a progressive experience. As the apostle John tells us:

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. Everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.”
(1 John 3:1-3)

As children of God, our journey with Him is called “relationship.” It is all a matter of growing in greater intimacy with God. Yes, God can be our Master, and we can be His slave. This is one kind of relationship. (The slaves of the Old Testament are loyal and committed to their masters….but this is another story which we can explore later, perhaps). Then there is the relationship of Master and servant, which is somewhat better, because of the greater degree of freedom in the relationship than compared to that of a slave’s. Then, there is the relationship of Father and child; and better still, Father and son. Coming from service into sonship is a great transition—it is crossing the River Jordan and coming into the Promised Land. Sonship is not only a position, it is taking on the Father’s image. It is also having the character of the Son. It is Christlikeness.

Attaining Christlikeness is, as such, both an event as well as a journey. It is an event because when Jesus died on the Cross for us, He had paid for our sins, and when we accept His gift of righteousness and accept God as our Father, we are legally make a son of God. This is what being “born again” means.

“…to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God.”
(John 12-13)

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
(2 Corinthians 5:17)

But once we are born again, and have attained the new life in the Lord, we are also to grow in righteousness. In this sense, Christlikeness is a progressive experience. It is a journey of putting off… and putting on…. We put off our carnal, worldly, or old sinful nature, and put on godliness:

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
(Ephesians 4:22-24)

However, do be warned, dear saints (sanctified ones), this journey is not one we determine the pace of. It is not a journey we can lead ourselves or other on. It is a journey in which we need to wait on the Holy Spirit to lead us on.

In the Old Testament, this journey is played out for us as the wandering in the wilderness. During the desert wanderings, whenever the cloud of the presence of God rested, the people rested.

“On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evening till morning, and when it lifted in the morning, they set out. Whether by day or by night, whenever the cloud lifted, they set out. Whether the cloud stayed over the tabernacle for two days or a month or a year, the Israelites would remain in camp and not set out; but when it lifted, they would set out. At the LORD's command they encamped, and at the LORD's command they set out. They obeyed the LORD's order, in accordance with his command through Moses.”
(Numbers 9: 15-23)

This picture above is the pattern set for us. It is the Lord who determines the direction and the timing, as we journey with Him. All we have to do is to be sensitive to Him to His leading so that we learn how to move with Him. We learn to remain in His glory cloud, and be watchful. When He says move, we have to be ready. We have to travel light.

The Israelites had not yet reached the Promised Land. If they had gone ahead of God, and had stopped watching the cloud…if they had started to plant and build or dig for gold, they would not have been able to move with Him.

During this journey, the Israelites could both see the cloud of God’s presence, and journey with Him.

Happy journeying…

One piece of advice for a smoother journey—make sure you travel light, walk in step with Holy Spirit, and enquire of Him constantly:

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”
(James 1:5)

BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY WILL SEE GOD. (MATTHEW 5:8)

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
John 14:21


CAN WE SEE GOD?

Many people today are very learned, and are disillusioned because they find that in all their searching, they do not find God. One such person argued that there is no God because if He exists, He shouldn’t be so hard to find.

Yet, Moses saw God face to face; God was his friend:

The LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend.
(Exodus 33:11)

As for me, I, too, love to gaze into God’s face. He is the lover of my soul.

But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.
(2 Corinthians 3:18)

My lover is to me a sachet of myrrh
resting between my breasts.
My lover is to me a cluster of henna blossoms
from the vineyards of En Gedi.
How beautiful you are, my darling!
Oh, how beautiful!
Your eyes are doves.
How handsome you are, my lover!
Oh, how charming!
And our bed is verdant.
(Song of Songs 1:13-16)

In fact, a warm fuzzy feeling is now filling my heart as I write this posting. God is with me, filling me with joy at His approval.

And do you know that if I don’t see God, when I come to Him, I would be distraught:

All night long on my bed
I looked for the one my heart loves;
I looked for him but did not find him.
I will get up now and go about the city,
through its streets and squares;
I will search for the one my heart loves.
So I looked for him but did not find him.
The watchmen found me
as they made their rounds in the city.
"Have you seen the one my heart loves?"
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found the one my heart loves.
I held him and would not let him go
(Song of Songs 3:1-4)

You see, seeing God is a matter of the HEART. Purity of heart is what is required. We fail to find God when we try to use our mind, or our own wisdom. Being more learned and going to Bible School or to the University, or getting several degrees do not guarantee that we can have intimacy with God. In fact, this is said about the mind of man:

For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
(1 Corinthians 1:19-21)

Instead, God reveals Himself to those who love Him.

However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him" --
but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.
(1 Corinthians 2:9-10)

IDOLATRY BLINDS US SO THAT WE CANNOT SEE GOD

So, just how precious is God to you? God has to be very, very precious to you for you to be able to see Him. In fact, you will have to pursue Him. David pursued God and was as thirsty for God as a deer for water:

As the deer pants for streams of water,
so my soul pants for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
When can I go and meet with God?
Psalm 42:1-2

When you get that close in intimacy with Him, you will definitely see Him. So, by verse 7 of Psalm 42, David realizes that when he goes that deep, God’s presence washes all over him:

Deep calls to deep
in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
have swept over me.
By day the LORD directs his love,
at night his song is with me--
a prayer to the God of my life.
PS 42:7-9

You see, you must want Him above all else. That is the secret. As long as there is anything you want or love more than God, that thing will block God from your sight.

Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?
Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
(Psalm 24:3-4)

That thing that you love more than God, and will not give up, will be your idol. Abraham had to even lay Isaac on the altar to demonstrate to God that he loves God more than Isaac:

Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
(Genesis 22:2)

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
"Here I am," he replied.
"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
(Genesis 22:9-12)

Is God a cruel God? Is He a jealous God?

Cruel, no. Jealous, yes.

God is not being cruel; He tested Abraham because Abraham cannot afford to love God’s gift to him, Isaac, more than he loves God. If he does, it becomes idolatry. Idolatry blinds a person’s eyes. Abraham, on the other hand, must have the right perspective so that he can continue to trust God to bring His purposes to pass in his life. Isaac is a creature whom God has given to Abraham as a son, to be the delight of his heart. But if Isaac becomes his idol, his god, his consummate desire; Abraham would surely miss the purposes of God for him and his descendants. He would spend all his life and everything he has taking care of this son. Instead Abraham has to live a life of faith, to fulfill his destiny as the father of faith. He has to live out his life believing that the God who gives, can also provide everything. He is Jehovah Jireh. So Abraham declares God’s name as Jehovah Jireh:

And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah-jireh. As it is said to this day, In the mount of Jehovah it shall be provided.
(Genesis 22:14)

If Abraham’s life is directed by his love for his idol; not by his complete trust in God, he would fail to realize that God has a purpose for giving him Isaac in the first place. So, yes, God is a jealous God. But He is jealous for our good. He has a destiny for our lives, and He does not want us to miss that. He also knows that the devil does not want us to come into the fullness of what He has for us, so that we will be robbed blind by the enemy of our soul before we realize it, if we live in disobedience to Him and His commands.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
(John 10:10)

God’s love is a love that protects. God’s Word is His love letter given to us to protect us from the devil. His Word is a lamp unto our feet, to direct us in His way.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
(Psalm 119:105)

WE CANNOT SAY WE LOVE GOD IF WE DO NOT OBEY HIM

We cannot live in disobedience to God’s word and say that we love Him. God equates obedience to love:

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
John 14:21

To see God, start checking every area of your life. Is there disobedience? Is there idolatry—i.e. anything you put before God, e.g. your mission, your desires, your family, your friends, etc.?

If we have allowed so many things to come between Him and us, it would take time to clear the baggage. But God is faithful, and His Spirit is there to help us always. Before we know it, we begin to sense His presence.

For this is what the high and lofty One says--
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit…
Isaiah 57:15

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

Someone once said that evangelism is equivalent to "a beggar telling other beggars where to find bread."

Wow! How true that is. If we fail to remember that, how soon the religious spirit begins to attack us.

At the base of the religious spirit is pride. Other wrong spirits that builds on this evil foundation are self-righteous, judgemental and critical spirits. The spirits of accusation and condemnation also follow fast. Then, we go into bondage and spiritual blindness.

Mercy and forgivenss is God's character. The Word mercy in Matthew 6:7 tramslates as compassion.

When Jesus walked on the earth, He was always full of compassion for sinners. If He eyed anyone, even the Pharisees, he had only eyes of compassion for them.

Only God is able to judge anyone accurately. But now, is the time for mercy to trumphs over judgement. So James repeats Matthew 5:7 in other words:

[James 2:13 ASV] For judgment is without mercy to him that hath showed no mercy: mercy glorieth against judgment.

[James 2:13 NIV] ...because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

We may discern some...by his grace. And, surely, we must discern by the grace of God, with a character and attitude growing in LOVE, and the other fruits of the Spirit--patience. goodness, kindness....

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 says: If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Mercy or compassion for others can only be obtained via a broken spirit and a contrite heart. God will work in our lifes to bring a deep realization of how sinful and in need of His mercy and compassion we ourselves are. This conviction brings with it a brokenness and godly sorrow that is possible only because we see how good and holy God is and how desperately wicked we ourselves are:

"Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret..." (2 Corinthians 7:10)

The more we experience this godly sorrow for our own sins, the more we will be able to feel compassion for our fellow brothers and sisters who also need God's mercy and grace. Truly, we are blessed when we are merciful, for we will obtain more mercy. But a prideful heart will think it has no need of mercy.

Only God can judge and He does so with so much grace:

For this is what the high and lofty One says--
He who lives forever, Whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.

I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before Me--
the breath of man that I have created.

I was enraged by his sinful greed;
I punished him, and hid My face in anger,
yet he kept on in his willful ways.

I have seen his ways, but I will heal him;
I will guide him and restore comfort to him,
creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel.
Peace, peace, to those far and near,"
says the LORD. "And I will heal them."
(Isaiah 57:15-19)

HOW GRACIOUS AND COMPASSIONATE OUR GOD IS!!! MAY WE RECEIVE HIS MERCY SO WE WILL KNOW WHAT MERCY IS. AND MAY WE KNOW HOW TO BE MERCIFUL, SO THAT WE MAY OBTAIN HIS MERCY.

Repentance unto Righteousness on GDOP

In Matthew 5:48, Jesus commands us to “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”

The word “perfect” in this context, according to Strong’s concordance, means to be “complete (in various applications of labor, growth, mental and moral character, etc.).”

The BBE (Bible In Basic English) version of the Bible translates Matthew 5:48 as:
“Be then complete in righteousness, even as your Father in heaven is complete.”

In Mat 6:33, Jesus also commands us:

“But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. “

I am beginning to understand that God means business with us when it comes to being perfected in righteousness. Our state of righteousness at any time in our life fall far short of the standard of righteousness God demands of us. So, at any time of our life, there is great room for improvement. In other words, at all times of our life we have to make the seeking of righteousness to be our preoccupation.

The more we see God’s holiness, the more we become aware of how short we fall. It is this awareness that drives us to seek after righteousness. As John tells us in his first epistle:

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure” (1 John 1:2-3).

So, we are to actively seek to be righteous. Yet, the Bible also tells us that righteousness is a gift.

“For if, by the trespass of the one, death reigned through the one; much more shall they that receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, even Jesus Christ” (Rom 5:17).

How can it be a gift, and yet it seems like hard work. In fact, we are asked to “work out“our salvation?

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose“ (Philippians 2:12-13).

So how can righteousness be both a gift and the result of hard work?

The secret is in the words “work out.” The gift of righteousness is ours. Righteousness lives in us because Christ lives in us. We have to work out our salvation by living out this righteousness.
The secret is in coming into agreement with the Word of God by the enablement of the Holy Spirit.

The Word of God tells us that “…because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Eph 2:4-9).

God accepted us as holy and perfect in His sight because the price has been paid by Jesus who became the atonement for our redemption. So, at any time we die, in Christ, we are perfect enough to come before God in Heaven. Through the blood of Jesus, we have received the gift of righteousness.

However, we know even though God has imputed righteousness to us because of the sacrifice of the cross, we are far from perfect. We still think and say and do things that are contrary to God’s Word.

So how do we work out our salvation?

“Work out our salvation….”
So we have this salvation, and now we have to work it out.
How?
Only with the help of the Holy Spirit:

“When He [the Holy Spirit] comes, He will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment…(John 16:8).

We badly need the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins so that we can be truly sorry. Without Holy Spirit’s conviction, there can be no true repentance that leads to transformation that propels us onto the perfection that is required of us.

We need Holy Spirit conviction.

On 31 May 2009, the whole Christian world is praying all over the world for this outpouring of the Holy Spirit. When he comes, He will convict. Only then can true repentance follow.

Join the Global Day of Prayer.

http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/
http://blog.dumc.com.my/events/2009/04/24/global-day-of-prayer-malaysia-2009

Or just google Global Day of Prayer to see what is being done around the world.

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS…

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled.
(Matthew 5:3-6)

When Jesus was in wilderness, fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, the devil came to him…

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: `Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. "If you are the Son of God," he said, "throw yourself down. For it is written:

" `He will command his angels concerning you,
and they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.' "

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: `Do not put the Lord your God to the test.' "

Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: `Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.' "

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.
[Matthew 4:1-11]

Hey, do you get it…Jesus fasted 40 days and 40 nights and then the devil came to tempt him!!! We would think that if we have prayed and fasted, the devil would leave us alone, ya? We sometimes think that if the devil disturb us or tempt us we are not spiritual enough. Hey, I also used to think this, except the verses above tell me differently. The devil doesn’t come to us when we are bad…why would he? When we are bad, he already has us obeying him. No, he came to Jesus when Jesus was about to begin His ministry to destroy the devil’s work. Jesus mission was to destroy the devil’s work, as He tells us in John 10:10:

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full..” So, the devil was out to destroy Jesus’ ministry, even before Jesus could start His ministry. For this purpose, the devil came to tell Jesus a pack of lies.

Now, we know that the devil told Jesus a pack of lies. But how was Jesus to know it was a pack of lies??? If you noticed, Jesus recognized every lie of Satan’s and countered him with SCRIPTURE!!! If not, Jesus might have been destroyed when he tried to throw himself down from the top of the temple!!! The devil would have destroyed him instead. Why would he want to destroy Jesus? It was because he knew Jesus had come to destroy his work!!!

JESUS KNEW THE SCRIPTURES SO HE COULD RECOGNIZE TRUTH FROM LIE!!!

How did the devil appear? Did the devil appear as an ugly apparition, or as an angel? We don’t know. But we know he tried to appear very kind. He told Jesus to turn the stone into bread because Jesus was very, very. very hungry. Hungry enough to turn stone into bread, maybe. It had been 40 days since he had eaten, remember! But Jesus knew God’s way and God’s Word. He recognized the lie. When we know the truth, we will recognize the lie.

On another occasion, Simon Peter was used by the devil to speak his lie to Jesus, and Jesus immediately recognized the devil’s lie and rebuked the enemy who was using one of his own disciples to speak his lie:

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"
Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
[Matthew 16:21-23]

Was Peter the devil suddenly? Just a short while ago, He had confessed that Jesus was "the Chrsit, the Son of the Living God!" (Matthew 16:16).

No, it is the same Peter. But Jesus recognize the lie, and Peter didn't. Peter spoke out the lie of the enemy when he did not know it was a lie. Just as earlier, the Holy Spirit had revealed to him that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and Peter had spoken it out and was commended by Jesus for having received that revelation; now it was the devilish revelation that Jesus should not die on the cross, and it was the same Peter speaking it out.

When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"

Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." Then he warned his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.

Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. "Never, Lord!" he said. "This shall never happen to you!"

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
[Matthew 16:13-23]

So the same Peter, who had not yet learnt to recognize truth from lie spoke out both the words of the Holy Spirit and of the devil. Jesus who knew the Word knew the source of the words Peter had spoken. Jesus could discern what was spoken by Peter.

Discernment is very important, and it comes only with much time spent immersing ourselves in God's Word and fellowshipping with the Holy Spirit. Jesus had such kind of intimacy with God. And by the time He started His ministry at the age of 30, He had undergone the years of preparation. In fact, at the age of 12, He was so learned, He could sit among the wisest teachers in the Israel to discourse with them. But His time was not up yet; He was too young to commence ministry at the age of 12, so He returned with His parents to continue His time of preparation. There is a timing of God, and Jesus knew this.

WHAT HAS ALL THIS TO DO WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS???

The truth is we cannot be truly righteous without the TRUTH. Whether we are righteous or not depends on whether we live and walk according to God’s Word. God’s Word is the gauge of our righteousness. So, to be righteous, we need to know the Scriptures thoroughly….not just the letter of the law that kills, but the Spirit and the Word that gives life and life abundantly.

In fact, if we do not know the Word of God thoroughly, we can be mislead by false teachers, as Paul warned the Corinthian Church about such false teachers:

…For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.
[2Corinthians 11:13-15]

In fact, in Galatian Church, there were people teaching the Christians there lies that were leading them away from the simple faith in Jesus. Paul was frustrated when faced by such false teaching that was threatening to undo his work among the Galatians:

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel-- which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned!
[Galatians 1:6-9]

If then, there is the possibility that we may be taught the wrong things, what do we do? Do we just mistrust everyone? No. We should listen, and then search the scriptures ourselves like the Berean Christians did:

…the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.
[Acts 17:10-11]

These Bereans were commended as NOBLE because they were not only teachable, but they were also wise and not at all gullible. They examined the scriptures and searched for the Truth.

So, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:33,

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Hey, it pays to search the scriptures!!! Real treasure is found in God’s Word.

I love what Proverbs 2 which tells us:

My son, if you accept my words
and store up my commands within you,
turning your ear to wisdom
and applying your heart to understanding,
and if you call out for insight
and cry aloud for understanding,
and if you look for it as for silver
and search for it as for hidden treasure,
then you will understand the fear of the LORD
and find the knowledge of God.
For the LORD gives wisdom,
and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He holds victory in store for the upright,
he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless,
for he guards the course of the just
and protects the way of his faithful ones.
Then you will understand what is right and just
and fair--every good path.
For wisdom will enter your heart,
and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.
Discretion will protect you,
and understanding will guard you.

In the same way, Psalm 1 commends the man who seeks out the Word of God:

Blessed is the man….
….[whose] delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
[Psalm 1:1-3]

TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS IS MEASURED BY OUR CONFORMITY THE TRUTH REVEALED TO US IN GOD’S WORD

So we cannot have righteousness apart from the Word of God.

And Christlikeness is also our measure of truth, because Jesus is the Word made flesh, He is the Word fleshed out for us to understand how the Word is to be lived out:

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
[John 1:14]

To be truly righteous, therefore, we need to become more and more like Jesus each day. It is not by rules and religious practices, which was what the Pharisees were practicing. The Pharisees were religious teachers who paid great attention to every detail of the law, yet they missed out on the Truth of God’s Word. So, Jesus warns us about mere religiosity which is not at all righteousness:

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
[Matthew 5:20]

We are righteous through conformity to the Word of Truth. It is by our faith in His Word. And God’s grace works righteousness in us, through our faith in Him, as we conform to His Word. God both justifies and sanctifies us as we believe in His Word.

Therefore, before we can be used of God to do His work, we need first to be conformed into His likeness through obedience to His Word. There is, therefore, a time of preparation and transformation during which we attain unto the righteousness of God through the Word of Truth, so that we can more and more be the light and salt of the earht. And if we want to preach His Word, we have to first know His Word so that we do not preach heresy.

And if we study His Word and thirst after Righteousness, God gives us the promise that we will be filled. If we have a hunger for Righteousness according to His Word, we will be filled...satisfied. And we are blessed if we have this hunger.

Portraits of Meekness

Abraham

Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
[Gen 18:2]

Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites.
[Gen 23:7]

Again Abraham bowed down before the people of the land.
[Gen 23:12]

One of the pictures or portraits I have of Abraham as I read the book of Genesis years ago was of this simple man of faith bowing low before people he met, with utmost humility. Then, I wondered if it was for this simple, humble state of mind Abraham had that God chose him to walk the land alone, going to the land where God said He’d lead him into.

God had the plan all the while to take the land, and God would in time, grow Abraham’s descendents into a huge nation who would go in to take the land under the leadership of Joshua.

However, Abraham’s time was not the time to take the land.

It would be foolhardy of him to do so.

A wise man like Abraham knows the times and season. He also knew the nature of his calling.

Moses

Moses did not begin meek. He saw the Israelites under severe bondage. He wanted to help deliver them. But he tried to do this on his own strength, in his own wisdom, and in his own time. Moses was presumptuous:

“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

The man said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid and thought, ‘What I did must have become known.’

When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian…
[Exodus 2:11-15]

After this presumptuous move to deliver the people on his own strength, Moses had to flee for his life. And for 40 years, he remained in the university of the desert of Midian learning the virtue of meekness.

When God appears to him in Exodus chapter 3 to finally instruct him to be the deliverer he had wanted to be, 40 years ago, Moses was no longer interested. In his long conversation with God in Exodus chapters 3-4, we can see that Moses realized that the task was not as simple as he had earlier thought, when he rashly acted and bungled it. This time, he gave God many excuses why he felt unqualified, and why God should send someone else instead. After God had countered all his objections, Moses finally told God that he was just not interested:

‘…Moses said, "O Lord, please send someone else to do it."’
[Ex 4:13]

Peter

Peter replied, "Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will."

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times."
But Peter declared, "Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you." And all the other disciples said the same.
[Matt 26:33-35]

We know that all the apostles fled when Jesus was captured. And Peter who had been most presumptuous did exactly as Jesus said he would—betray Jesus three times.

Peter, like Moses, had underestimated his own ability. He wasn’t even aware of his own unpreparedness for the task he had set himself.

Peter was not ready when he thought he was, to be the witness he had wanted to be for Jesus. There had to be a work of God in his life first. This came in Acts chapter 2, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the disciples, including Peter, in the upper room. Then, he was ready to be the witness he had wanted to be.

Both Moses and Peter had presumed themselves to be ready to serve God, when they were actually merely undergoing the period of preparation. When the power came to move, both men knew the power of God. When the power to act comes, it is a reality, not a presumption.

Both men had to undergo a season of obedience and preparation.

Only God know how long a season of preparation we each need.

WHY ARE THE MEEK BLESSED?

In the beatitudes (the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 5:2-12), we are only told, “Blessed are the Meek…” But we are not told why the meek are so blessed.

However, God’s Word always line up to support each principle He teaches us. Some of the verses that jump into my mind right now are:

Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
[Mark 9:35]

"People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." [Luke 13: 29-30]

For it is written:
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe….For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
[1 Corinthians 1: 18-25]

"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."
[James 4:6]

Your beauty…should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight.
[1 Peter 3:3-4]

Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
"God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble."
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
[1Peter 5:5-7]

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.
[Proverbs 11:2]

Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,
but humility comes before honor.
[Proverbs 18:12]

All these verses above show us that meekness (which is translated as “humility” in some versions of the Bible) is the opposite of pride, haughtiness, or moving in our own worldly wisdom and strength. Meekness also has the same meaning as humility, having a teachable spirit, having an attitude of dependency on God and lowliness of mind among men.

If we look at the Bible, in many instances, we see that pride is associated with God’s wrath and judgment. God resists the proud, we are told.

So why is the meek blessed?

I think it is mainly because when we remain meek, we remain teachable. We do not become presumptuous towards God and judgmental towards our fellowmen.

Who can discern his errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful [presumptuous] sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.
[Psalm 19:12-140

So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
[1 Corinthians 10:12]

Many times we are not aware of our hidden faults. And when we do not deliberately and carefully cultivate a meek, quiet, teachable or humble heart towards both God and men, we can fall into the danger of becoming proud, haughty and judgmental. Then, we will come under judgment ourselves.

In fact, the more we receive revelations from God, the more we have to be careful we do not develop a proud, haughty heart or a superior attitude. Even Paul, the Apostle said he had to be protected from such pride:

“To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
[2Corinthians 12:7-10]

Wow, God allowed the enemy to torment Paul so that he can remain humble. He is human after all, and the great revelations he receives can cause him to become conceited. So God allows him to undergo trials. The result of this discipline is that Paul begins to rejoice when he is weak…because that is when he sees God’s power at work in him.

As long as there is the hidden sin of pride and presumption in our hearts, God, our Master Porter, will to continue to mould and shape us. We are disciplined for our own protection because the evil one’s downfall was pride.

Being human, we may fall prey to pride and presumption, but if we consistently judge ourselves rather than others, we can protect ourselves from this danger.

God wants us to be teachable, to continually examine our own lives to make sure we are living in accordance to His Word and Holy Spirit’s leading. We should not move into a critical and judgmental attitude that find fault in others.

The Bible tells us in Matthew 7: 1-2, "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged….”

Now we know that God's judgment…is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
[RO 2:2-4]

So, in meekness, let’s focus on this exhortation of Paul’s in Philippians2:12-13:

“ Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”

Let us continue to rejoice in meekness, humility and dependency on God. We are blessed when we do.

BLESSED ARE THE MEEK

"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the earth.”
Matthew 5:3-5


How do you respond to this injunction of our Lord’s—to be meek?

Do you respond with the thoughts: “I am already a very meek person?”

Or, do your find yourself saying, “Meekness? No, thanks! I don’t want to be a doormat.”

Or, maybe you say, “Ah meekness….not so easy!”

As for me, meekness was a nigh impossible virtue to cultivate. It took many years after I had received the gift of salvation before the Holy Spirit even began prompting me about valuing this virtue. But by this time, the Lord had done much stretching and shaping in my life.

I don’t know about you, but before I was saved my favourite song might have been Frank Sinatra’s “I did it my way,” had I known the song then. I believed very much in my accomplishments, and relished in getting obstacles out of my way to worldly success. I believed so much more in self-assertion than in dependency on God or others.

I think anyone stands in a better stead of cultivating this virtue than me.

But today, I rejoice with the Lord, and agree. Yes, Lord, ‘Blessed indeed are the meek!!!’

On the road to cultivating meekness, I have realized one thing. Some people are temperamentally meek. Their secure home background, and obedience to loving parents have prepared them to have a seemingly meek demeanour.

Others have tried to convince me that they are very meek and obliging people, always very accommodating.

To a certain extent, the two groups of people above are right, but I can tell you that I have encountered the stiffest resistance from them when I bring forward some spiritual truths to them that are counter to their own personal belief. They can be resistant in the coolest, but most polite way.

On the other hand, there are people who would be resisting authority and offending people most of the time. However, when confronted with spiritual truths, they can be most accepting and easily convicted.

So in my search for this seemingly illusive virtue, I went to the bible. There are two people the bible clearly describe as “meek.” Moses in the Old Testament, and Jesus in the New Testament.

When I had wanted to learn faith, I studied the man of faith, Abraham. I found to my greatest amazement that Abraham had failed so many times, in quite disastrous ways…and yet, God had counted faith to his account. Then, I realized Abraham was a man God had cultivated faith in. He has walked with God and had learnt how to trust in a faithful God…that was faith.

So when I wanted to study meekness, I went to look at the life of Moses. And I found this statement made about him—it was an aside, or a ‘by-the-way’ kind of remark, made about Moses:

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) Numbers 12:3

On studying Moses, I realized there are two Moses…the Moses before the desert experience…the one who murdered an Egyptian official; and the Moses who met God at the Burning Bush and was forever changed.

"When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. [Acts 7:23-24]

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh. [Ex 7:7]

The Moses who was the Prince of Egypt was a self-assured, self-assertive young man. In my old mindset, a man like him, like Obama, would have been my hero. Then Moses fled into the desert, and the real shaping of the man started. It took 40 years before Moses emerged as the “meek man,” ready to be used by God. Even then, he got temperamental at an important time—in Numbers Chapter 20—and this unfortunate show of temperament had cost him entry into the Promised Land!

How much God demands from us when we want to be used by God!

Another character who impresses me is Joseph. Joseph was a man well-bred, and loved above all his brothers. He had dreams of greatness:

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it."

His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?" And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me." [Genesis 37:5-9]

What is most interesting is that Joseph next ends up in a pit. After that, he got into an even bigger pit….a prison. For what? For doing the right thing…resisting Potiphar’s wife’s adulterous advances. How did Joseph behave in prison? Was he bitter against God? Was he perplexed? We don’t really know the emotional process he went through between the time he landed in prison and the time when God gave him an opportunity to interpret a dream to get him out of this prison. But what we know is this…Joseph’s character was tested. The Joseph just before God took him out of prison was the picture of meekness.

After God had proven him, then he was raised to the highest office of the land of Egypt during his time. From being a slave and a prisoner to being Governor of Egypt… and we applaud him. God had tested him, and he had been shaped so that he had the character to contain real greatness.

But the Joseph who had the dream might not have been ready for such greatness…

And so, I learnt this: there is a temperamental kind of meekness that help us in life. But real meekness develops only after our character goes through fire…after God, our Master Potter, has shaped us into the vessel fit for His use.

The Bibles says in Psalms 24: 1-2,

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it;
for he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the waters…

Before He leads us into inheriting this earth, He has to shape us. So Peter tells us:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into…an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade… In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
[1Peter 1:3-7]

God will shape us, and He will help us to become overcomers…. If we will remain meek and humble before the Master Potter who allows all the circumstances in our life to shape us… like He did Moses… like He did Joseph. It may take 40 years…. But He can only used us when the character and meekness of Jesus can be revealed through us.

The only person who is truly meek is Jesus:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
(Mathew 11:28-30)

"Say to the Daughter of Zion,
`See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' "
Matthew 21:5

So I have to keep studying Jesus to know what true meekness is…. I have to, if I want to have Him revealed in my life.

BLESSED INDEED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN…

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant …. or to mourn like the rest of men, who have no hope. (1Thessalonians 4:13)

Is God sadistic… is that why He wants us to mourn?

We mourn not because God wants us to mourn. We mourn when we discover our loss.

The problem is that God’s ways are not our ways, and have never been.

Before we came to know Him, we have gone our own way. We did things the way we did…which is the way the people of the world do things. And we think we are very wise and right.

When we come to God, we find that His ways are not our ways. So, when we had gone our own way, in our own wisdom, we discover when we come to Him, that we have sown lots of “wild oats”, so to speak; and what we sow, that will we reap.

One of the sad things I discovered, that I’d done in my own wisdom, was to bring up children in a child-centered way. This is what most modern parents do. Our whole axiom of child raising seems to be based on the happiness factor. Our aim in child-raising is making our children happy.

I myself was raised on the happiness principle. If I wasn’t happy, I could make the whole household unhappy. In fact, when I am not careful, this problem of control can arise again and again. I can control the whole household with my mood alone.

And my children, too, raised on this principle can hold us to ransom when they are not happy. And, when they grew up, they think God must make them happy.

So, often, our relationship with God is ruled by how happy He makes us.

Unfortunately, God is not so concerned about making us happy as making us HOLY.

So when we come to God, we may suddenly be confronted by this mismatch: His holiness against our unworthiness. That makes us very unhappy indeed! In fact, it can make us wretched.

Our wretchedness does not make God unhappy. He reveals in His Word that a humble and contrite heart is greatly favoured by Him:

For this is what the high and lofty One says--
he who lives forever, whose name is holy:
"I live in a high and holy place,
but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
I will not accuse forever,
nor will I always be angry,
for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me--
the breath of man that I have created.
(Isaiah 57:15-16)

Has not my hand made all these things,
and so they came into being?"
declares the LORD.
"This is the one I esteem:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit,
and trembles at my word.
(Isaiah 66:2)

Jesus has paid the price for our redemption from all our sins, failure and guilt on the cross with His precious blood shed as atonement for every wrong. Our morning should turn to gratitude, if we are contrite and humble of heart. So shall our mourning flee away, when this reality of what Jesus has done for us comes to us in the freshness of all its truth. Then, redemption will no longer be a mental apprehension of a spiritual doctrine. It will be a reality in our lives.

Then, we really praise God!
Then, we know He is good and His mercies endure forever.

We praise God He knows what is in man, and He does not reject us. In fact, we gives us fresh promises for us and our posterity. Whatever God does, is for us, and our children and their children:

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass,
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD's love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children's children—
(Psalm 103:8-17)

Jesus has turned the tables on the enemy of our soul, and we rejoice. This is why we are blessed when we mourn. When we mourn, we are comforted. He is our Helper, Counselor and Comforter!

Stay with Him. He will process us through to recovery. He turns our mourning into dancing. And we fall in love with Him.... He is the Lover of our souls. So, we know why Paul says, "REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS, AND AGAIN I SAY, REJOICE1"

BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN

Matthew 5:3-4
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted."

God is so good. He always shows us His way. Often, as people who are used to seeking help from people, we invariably turn to people for the kind of help that only God can give. This is our human nature. It's only when we learn through hard experience that help from people is always limited because only the Lord knows the precise shape and size of the hole in us. Only when we know that only He can provide the piece of help and comfort and counsel that fits the shape and size of the the hole in our souls that we eventually run to Him first, whenever we have a need.

Jesus allows us to mourn.

Yesterday, I attended a grief counselling workshop, by mistake (but then, nothing ever really happens as a mistake!). It was a most enriching experience. It was for those who have suffered a recent loss of a loved one. When I was in the room I could feel the grief in some of the people there. I thank God for such a ministry where people who are really in the midst of their grief can go to mourn and be understood!

I learnt that when a sudden loss occurs, there is the primary loss that comes from losing the loved one; but there are also secondary losses associated with losing the benefits of that relationship. For example, the widow may lose the income of the former husband. She may also lose his help in the house, like paying the bills and ferrying the children to school and tuition. During the period of loss and adjustment, the emptiness and void and helplessness is so real.

But praise God, they do have a period of mourning and adjustment, taking stock and realigning, with help from mentors. Most importantly, they learn to look to God as their counsellor and comforter.

But I came away from the workshop feeling like there is much loss in my life that I've yet to mourn over. I did not suffer a sudden loss. However, as I have learnt to be poor in spirit, in a humble attitude before God, I see the many holes in my soul.

I lost my grandparents and my mother lost her parents when she was a newborn. That was a huge loss that left lots of big holes in her life that were passed right down to us--at least, to me, as her only daughter. (I cannot speak for my brothers, especially as we had a great father!)

My mother's being orphaned, and having no mothering, left no proper model for her or for me. So between the time I was a teenager growing up into adulthood and the time I was saved and provided with spiritual re-mothering, there were lots of holes that had not been properly filled. But oh yes, the holes had been temporarily filled--by me, in my own wisdom and strength.

In the hole of self-esteem, I had filled it with my own career pathway that would have led me to stardom, if the Lord had not interferred.

In the hole of self-abasement, I had filled with good works that would earn me affirmation and approval all around.

And I won't tell you any more of the other holes....

Anyway, just as Issac redigged his wells (Gen 26:17-23), so I had wells to re-dig. I had to dig up all that mud and stones and debris that I had filled the holes in my soul with. And when I did, fresh water was there.

So this morning, I re-dug one of those wells. It was an important relationship that had been broken. I brought a brother to the Lord, and confessed to Him about how I had invariably affected his life by giving him the wrong kind of stuff to fill his soul with when I tried to help in my own wisdom and strength. Sadly, this wrong kind of remedy or help had affected him all these years!

Praise God, He is truly the comforter. God is true to His Word!

"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO MOURN, THEY WILL BE COMFORTED."


God's comfort came in the form of peace, and the promise of restoration from His Word, that the later years of my brother's life will be far greater than his former years!!! Can you beat that??? THAT IS COMFORT!!!

Indeed, every hole in our life will be filled and what's more, we know how to point others, confidently, to the Comforter.

Whatever loss, whether recent, or long-lost but not redeemed, He can do it. And we can re-dig holes that we have filled in our own strength and wisdom--which we will invariably do, as it is in our human nature to do this--and expose these old holes to the Lord. As we re-dig, there will be some pain and mourning over the loss, as if it is a fresh wound, since it is exposed afresh. When God does the filling this time around, it is completely healed. His grace is poured on us. His comfort comes to us. His peace reigns in our hearts. His promises keeps us confident and full of praise for Him.

We move on like Mount Zion which cannot be shaken.

Such is the comfort God gives those who mourn...

Blessed, indeed, are those who mourn....

BLESSED ARE THE POOR IN SPIRIT

Thank You, Lord, that our spiritual poverty is blessed, for it is when we know we have nothing in ourselves—when we are empty—that we are truly blessed. For this is when we are ready to be filled. You are attracted to the vacuum in us that screams out for You, O Lord.

Lord, You know how we have this sinful tendency to try to look good on our own strength. We face the world with our own set of tricks and defenses and try to match the bravado of others with some of our own, so we can maintain some sense of self-worth.

Lord, when we are full of ourselves, and our own plans and desires, cause us to come to You and fall at Your feet, and enable us to empty ourselves, so we can be truly empty. We acknowledge that we have no strength or ability to come to You when we are so full of ourselves. We acknowledge that when we’re full of ourselves, we get proud and arrogant. With this haughty spirit within us, all our righteousness will be as filthy rags to You.

When we are strong, Lord, let it be the strength that you fill us up with when we come to you, humble and needy or broken and contrite. And when we do that, Lord make us truly strong in Your Strength. Make us the head, not the tail. Make us a blessing to others.

Then we will not be proud because we know that our strength comes from You. Then we will continue to lean on You and be completely dependent on You. Then we will be in right relationship with You. You alone are the source of all we have and do.

So, help us Lord to continually come to You in this way. To commit ourselves fully to You, to lean on You, and hope confidently in You, for You keep us in perfect and constant peace when our hearts and minds are so set on You.

Then, Lord, may we walk humbly before You, letting Your light in us shine forth. Let the cleansing waters and joy You fill us with refresh others. Let the confidence You put in us inspire others. Let the assurance and hope we have in You put assurance and hope in others, too.

So Lord, help us to be the light and salt of the earth.

Lord, let us continue with You in this way…. Amen.

SET FREE

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--
for your love is more delightful than wine.

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the maidens love you!

Take me away with you--let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.

How right they are to adore you!

Dark am I, yet lovely,
O daughters of Jerusalem,
dark like the tents of Kedar,
like the tent curtains of Solomon.

Do not stare at me because I am dark,
because I am darkened by the sun.
My mother's sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I have neglected.
[Song of Songs 1:1-6]

Someone once said, “We must let the Bible redefine our theology.” By theology here, I would mean the set of beliefs I have in my mind concerning God. All of us have our pool of knowledge about God, but is the God in our mind an idol, or is He who He really is, as He reveals Himself in His Word?

If we do not continually, day by day, redefine our understanding of the nature of God by renewing our minds according to His revealed Word, we will continually be working from some presumptions and expectations that may again and again floor us as we go on to incresingly discover, to our utter frustration, the flaws in our own understanding.

Philip Yancy, in his book, Soul Survivor, details his journey at such a redefinition of his Faith and God. Like Yancy, my journey was, at the first leg of it, a struggle on the individual level, trying to make sense of the incongruence between actions of some Churches and Christians, and the deep-seated beliefs I myself held and had expected from them. Eventually, we are all faced with the towering shadows of the established religions under which we have lived for a great part of our lives. Whether we like it or not, these shadows have blocked out the reality of the true nature of God. And for a long time, we try our best to see light while still living under these shadows.

And Yancy says, “I have had to forgive the church, much as a person from a dysfunctional family forgives mistakes made by parents and siblings” (pp 55-56).

And what are some of these mistakes?

We have broken the first commandment. We have made for ourselves idols. We look all around us for gods to worship.

In fact, we have come from an idolatrous ancestry. Our forefathers have not known God, or made God known to us. They had not made God, God. Instead, our gods have been many: other people, our children, our parents, church elders, world leaders, etc. We expect them to be the light to us when Jesus says, ”I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”

I know a friend whose god is her daughter. I know another friend whose god was her mother. I know yet another person whose god is the man in her life (even though this man had yet to appear in her life). And I know many people whose god is money, eventhough they'deny it most vehemently.

One of my greatest gods was other people. Boy, was I a people pleaser!!! Without knowing it, I’d been subconsciously wired to please other people. I worked hard to please them and get their approval and affirmation. I wanted to help them, so they’d give me their approval.

Conversely, I’ be working out the messiah instinct wired within me. I believed it to be my mission to save others, believing I was laying my life down for them. I wanted to help; I wanted to save them; but what I’d subconsciously wanted was that I’d be given some approval.

And you know what…. There are plenty of people out there who are just waiting to use me. Some use me unthinkingly because I’d mistakenly made myself so available; others use me because they know I’d foolishly made myself so available. The people who made use of me included both individuals and organizations.

And so,

“My mother's sons were angry with me
and made me take care of the vineyards;
my own vineyard I have neglected.”

Was it all their fault? No, I was the people pleaser. I was with this leprous condition. Something deep in me needed satisfying. What I didn’t know was this: only a truly great and pure love from heaven can satisfy such a great urge. No earthly being can meet this need. I didn’t know that till I found Him. Then, when I did, my face turned from other people and my cry went out to Him:

“Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth--
for your love is more delightful than wine.

Pleasing is the fragrance of your perfumes;
your name is like perfume poured out.
No wonder the maidens love you!

Take me away with you--let us hurry!
Let the king bring me into his chambers.
We rejoice and delight in you;
we will praise your love more than wine.”

Once we have discovered the Lover of our soul, we have discovered the Healer. We are on the road to recovery.

Then we don’t need people to affirm us, nor do we need to save people. All we want is more of Him.

And, we are set free. Free from self-abasement, self-effacement, dependencies, addictions, etc.

Instead, we become enslaved to the Lover of our souls. We grow deeply in love with our Saviour; our Cousellor; our Comforter, our Helper. And we are safe in this enslavement.

This enslavement to the Lover of my soul, strangely enough, is true freedom. This love alone sets me free. This alone is true freedom: Freedom from control and manipulation. Freedom from obsessions and fears. Freedom from addictions and dependencies. Freedom from enslavement to other people's opinions and disapproval. Freedom from the messiah syndrome. Freedom to be ourselves.

And then we are truly free to choose, to love, to worship. to serve.

And we are free to allow others to choose.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. [Galatians 5:1]

THE SECRET OF CONTENTMENT

“…I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” [Philippians 4:11-13]


I have read this interview with Rick Warren before, but as I read it again, when a friend forwarded it to me, I feel the tug in my heart. I thank God that I can learn from a great contemporary example what it means to be contented in all circumstances.

A question we can ask ourselves is this: "If God were to bless me out of my socks, like He did Rick Warrent, would I be able to still walk humbly before Him--just like if He didn't???"

Untill we know beyond the shadow of a doubt that we can be so trusted by God, let's be contented with Him supplying us with our daily bread. And let's be very thankful for that. As Jesus asked: "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" [Mark 8:36]

I believe God is able and ready to bless us at any time. And I mean it...at any time!!! But are we ready to be so blessed without losing our own soul? It would be most ironic wouldn't it, for our most loving redeemer to do the very thing that would bring us everlasting loss? So, I am very thankful that He knows exactly what to do with each of us who commit our lives completely to His care and purpose.

Hope the reading, or re-reading, of this interview with Rick Warren blesses you, too.


An Interview with Rick Warren (Writer of 'PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE')

You will enjoy the new insights that Rick Warren has, with his wife
now having cancer and him having 'wealth' from the book sales. This
is an absolutely incredible short interview with Rick Warren, 'Purpose
Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.

In the interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond: In a
nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last
forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart
is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body, but not the end
of me.

I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions
of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal.
God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.
We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life
isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just
coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one. The
reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than
your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He
is in making your life happy.

We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of
life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness..

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the
toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life
was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the
mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.

Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of
like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have
something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good
things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to
be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is
always something good you can thank God for.

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems: If
you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which
is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get
rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of
thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for
her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened
her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her
a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people. You have to learn
to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For
instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15
million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.. It also brought a
lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't
think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to
live a life of ease.

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money,
notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped
me decide what to do, 2 Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from
the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace
Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the
sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years
since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating
to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions?
Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness?
Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my
life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say,
God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more
and love You better God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do
list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do..

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.

Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.

Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD.