Pray A Prayer of AUTHORITY Today.

We sang a song during the service today. It went like, "Tell the mountain to move away; tell the mountain to move away; move away, move away". I could really feel the conviction in the crowd as they were singing it. I felt so convicted myself.

It reminded me of how we need to pray prayers of authority at certain times. Whatever circumstance you are going through, be it a "mountain" or situation you feel has reached a stalemate or seemingly hopeless situation, perhaps you should take up the staff today, just as Moses did when he led the Israelites out of Egypt, and "tell that mountain to move away". Bring forth your petition to God with prayer and fasting, and at the same time, pray with authority.

Matthew 17 (NKJV)
20 So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 21 However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Mark 11 (NKJV)
22 So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.

Message from God today...

For the past two weeks Pastor David Wilkerson, founder of Times Square Church, had been ministering and preaching on Sunday mornings. It was indeed a refreshing departure from Pastor Conlon's preaching (not that I don't relish it; Pastor Conlon's a fantastic speaker and a tremendous man of God that I respect a lot, especially his leadership and zeal for God).

Today, Ps. Wilkerson preached an amazing sermon that I just felt the urge to post about here. I won't go into a long rhetoric but I'll just share the essence of it. His message entitled: "God's people will never be ashamed", and was based on Psalm 37:

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

Pastor Wilkerson was speaking this timely message in response to the crisis ahead in the nation and the world at large. Many are living in uncertain times, not knowing what the future beholds. He mentioned how the "wicked" will reap what they sow, and how this is already happening to some with the financial turmoil. In contrast, God's people will, as stated in verse 19, "in times of disaster they will not wither; in days of famine they will enjoy plenty". Apart from taking comfort from the fact that God's stated woes will come to pass, we are to rest on His promises that we will not be ashamed and will continue to be well-provided for during calamity. Imperatively, God's reputation is at stake here; whenever a promise like that is made in the bible, we can be rest assured that it will come to fruition because God must keep His word, like how he did when he delivered the Israelites out of Egypt by enabling them to cross the Red Sea--a seemingly futile endeavor by human standards, He made possible.

God cares about His namesake. In Isaiah 48, it is written:

9 For my own name's sake I delay my wrath;
for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you,
so as not to cut you off.

And in verse 11, He reiterates Himself:

11 For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another.

In this context He is saying that He won't allow Himself to go back on the promises He made to Israel even though they were stubborn and disobedient towards Him. In the same way, we know that God will fulfill His promises. And we need to look at eternity and not just here on earth.

One last line that Pastor Wilkerson said which impacted me was this: "Unity is not a feeling, it's a choice". Often in church, we feel dissatisfied because we feel that we lack a sense of unity, or we don't feel united as a church. But Pastor Wilkerson gave me an alternative perspective of unity as an action word. Unity does not mean no disagreement. Disagreements, in my opinion, can sometimes birth healthy discussions and collective action towards a common good, if managed appropriately. Unity means wanting a common goal, and sharing the burden as the team surges forward to achieve it.

Dear God,
I pray that those who fear will seek comfort in Your promises,
That they will always put their plans in Your hands
Because You know what's best for them.
Amen.

Be a Giant-slayer!

I went to "The Gate" tonight at Times Square Church. It is a Friday night weekly service for youths and young adults. Technically, I still fall into this group because it is catered for people from 18-30 years old. I had an awesome time worshipping the Lord and just dancing uninhibited. The speaker was fantastic tonight, and I was so glad that I made the decision to go for the service. He was amazing. His speech was so youth-appealing (he got us cheering before he started preaching!) and he had all the young people (including myself) bawling with laughter. But entertainment aside, his sermon was sharp and he didn't mince his words at all. The message was simply this: 

"You need to kill the lion and the bear in private,

before you can slay Goliath in public."

Basically, he was referring to how David from the bible killed a lion and a bear on two separate occasions when these beasts harassed the flock of sheep he was tending to. He did so in private on his own, by God's might of course. The pastor from Christ Tabernacle in Brooklyn (who is kinda plump, wearing this purple t-shirt, and perspiring profusely) likened the lion and the bear to the "idols" in our lives--basically sins like pornography, drug abuse, masturbation, pride, conceit, vanity, jealousy, etc. And to be able to do great things for God (// slaying Goliath in public), we need to tackle those sins aggressively. Additionally, if David didn't kill those creatures, he wouldn't have been able to slay Goliath. Why so? Because God showed him he could do those things, and hence, David had enough faith to stand up and declare that he was going to take Goliath on. The speaker had so many other mini messages embedded in his story of David that was so simple yet penetrating. 

After his message, he gave an altar call. And although I didn't approach the stage, I was just worshipping and crying out to the Lord from where I was (which was pretty close to the stage). For the past one year and even till now, for almost every single day, the same worry pops into my head: "I have to get into a PhD program, a good one." I'm tired. Exhausted. Fatigued to the core of my bones. I cope by either telling myself that God will decide whether I eventually get into one, by praying, or sometimes just thinking of how to do more research. Tonight I laid it at the cross again and cried out to Him. I really need to "kill" my chronic worrying and self doubt. I've been trying too hard on my own. 

I had an awesome time tonight, and most of today actually. It was raining but I had my rubber boots! I had some hiccups in the morning that got me frustrated but I eventually made it through even though things weren't as satisfactory as I would have liked them to be. Otherwise, everything was great! Yay, the weekend's here!(=

Pretty red boots! Nice??

Songs we sang at "The Gate" tonight:

"I will Search" by Israel and Meleasa Houghton from "Israel and New Breed". 

"The Stand" by Hillsong United - Sounds very pop, and I love the chorus!

"Awesome" by William Murphy - short and powerful.

"Perfection is the ideal to aim for. But imperfection is the reality we have to work with every day." Second Home Affairs Minister, Mr K. Shanmugam, in his maiden speech at parliament yesterday, in response to the recent security lapses (i.e. MSK escape, escape attempt by 2 accused persons from the subordinate courts, and the father who successfully went through customs with his son's passport). 

My immediate reaction to this statement when I read it in the papers was like "Wow! Is Mr Shanmugam a Christian or what?" What he said was in essence how our Christian life should be! The verse that popped into my mind straightaway was what Paul said to the church in Corinth in 2 Cor 13. His parting words in the letter were: "Aim for perfection." We are instructed to aim for the perfection embodied by Jesus. 

However, there is a second part to it. The minister wasn't making excuses for the grave blunders by MHA, but highlighting a serious truth. In increasingly complex operating terrain, it was impossible for MHA to derive foolproof measures. And that was the reality; there are bound to be limitations and we can only aim for the ideal. So the Christian relevance? We live amidst the seductive temptations in the world and our severe human limitations like our lack of faith, self-doubt, laziness, limited resolve, etc, interfere with our ability to be perfect. 

So do you think God expects us to be perfect and without a blemish like Christ, just as how the Singaporean community expects MHA to be completely immune to security lapses? I don't think so...even the great apostle Paul admitted in Philipians 3:12 that he was not perfect yet. Amazingly, our God is the most magnanimous and forgiving God. When we lapse, He allows us to turn back and repent. You don't believe that there is no sin too big that God won't forgive? Chapter 33 of 2 Chronicles narrates the story of Manasseh who did a crap load of evil in God's eyes by defiling the land with Asherah poles and Baal altars, but "in his distress he sought the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. And when he prayed to Him, the Lord was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea" (2 Chron 33: 12-13). For those of you who feel that you have sinned greatly and are too unworthy to be forgiven, please know that God wants to forgive you. Every sheep matters such that the Shepherd will find means to seek that sheep again. 

I struggle a lot with self-doubt and skepticism about God's ability to turn situations around. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this struggle. So many times I've tried to take charge of my circumstances. At times I do my utmost to appear to others as though I were in control. We don't like to lose control or seem as though we have, don't we? We think it makes us look weak and lousy. It's a huge blow that punctures our self esteem and sends our pride to the dumps. We want to be the best vocalist, best guitarist, best drummer, best at whatever we do! But you know what, when everything goes too well, when we excel at everything we do and when we are well-provided for and wealthy in every aspect, it is easy to be lulled into a complacency and self-sufficiency. That's when we adopt the false sense of security that we don't need God to survive and we don't need His blessings. It's dangerous. It is also possible that God withholds certain talents from us because He knows we can potentially fall into this trap if we weren't strong enough (Read Matthew 25:15). 

Do you know that when we admit that we aren't that strong after all, and that we actually need to rely on God, He is actually pleased? In Isaiah 66, the Lord says this:

"This is the one I esteem:

he who is humble and contrite in spirit, 

and trembles at my word"

This line simply means that the Lord likes those who are humble, sorry for their wrongdoings, and respectful of His Word. 

In Matthew 5, Jesus gives the Sermon on the Mount and taught the Beatitudes. Those who are "blessed" or rather favored by God, are those who are "poor in spirit"--people who are not self-conceited but recognize that they have a void or emptiness which requires God's divine provision. Because we are imperfect, we must realize that we can only depend on God. And those who choose to are blessed. 

I hope that when you feel lousy, you will remember this verse written by Paul when he felt tormented. It is one of my favorites which encourages me when I feel horrible about myself. I printed it out on big font and pasted the print-out on my wall in the office when I was still working in MHA. It sustained me throughout and continues to do so. 

2 Cor 12:9: 

But He (the Lord) 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.

God is a humorous and creative God. He likes to use those whom we least expect to succeed to do great things for Him. Just like how we rejoice and celebrate when a weak character in a movie is vindicated when he defeats some baddies and defies all odds. Which one is more representative of God's power? One who can actually accomplish the feat based on his usual human ability or one who can't do so with his own natural ability. Of course, it is much easier for others to believe that God's divine intervention was at work when the latter succeeds. So moral of the story? If you think you are weak, boast about it and proclaim confidently that God can help you overcome all odds! Remember strive for perfection but don't let your imperfections get you down.

6 Lessons from Grace

Nope, I'm not talking about a girl named Grace. Rather, I referring to Grace Assembly of God which I visited this morning. Decided to check it out since it's just in the heartlands of Bukit Batok where I reside. Don't ask me why I decided to ponteng my usual church today. Let's just say that I stayed out late last night and wanted the luxury of sleeping in on a Sunday morning. Enough said, here are some of my own personal takeaways from the experience--a tremendous one...

1. "I don't believe in God but I miss Him" vs. "I believe in God but I don't miss Him."

Do you find yourself in the first category or the second? The pastor preached this today (said he read the first phrase in Readers Digest) and I thought it was very sharp. The first mostly describes an independent-spirited non-believer who reveals his/her vulnerability in the storms of life and need for affirmation and love (our non-Christian friends?). Many of us may fall in the second group. We are believers by name but have lost ourselves in the business of the world--distracted and caught up with our lives here. For me, I just want to miss Him. I don't want to shed my dependency on Him because it's sometimes so tiring just trying so desperately hard on my own and giving in to my human pride. That leads me to my second lesson learnt...

2. We need to miss God. 

This links to one of my earlier blog postings on experiencing intimacy with God (the 4th myth of intimacy). We can't possibly experience the fullness of intimacy of God in this world; our limitations are too severe--we can't neglect our work, our flesh is weak, we're lazy and distracted, etc. Furthermore, like what I learnt today, we are physically separated from the fellowship of God. Until the day we meet God in heaven, we'll miss Him on earth and look forward to the day we can fellowship with Him in eternity. Long for Him. If you find yourself not missing Him or desiring after Him like how a wife misses her husband when he has to go abroad to work, pray and ask Him for that longing and yearning. 

3. Age holds no barriers.

Watching some oldies lifting their hands as the worship team played "Shout of the King" and "King of Majesty" at Grace Assembly was so inspiring. The choir, made up for middle-aged ladies, sang and clapped with so much energy and verve! When I went back to my youth service today and watched our beloved thirteen-year-old play beautifully on the keyboard, it was a gorgeous sight. But when I saw her sing so fervently and passionately as she played, the sight of that touched my heart even more and tears began to well in my eyes. Sometimes when I watch my youths so deeply absorbed in their worship, it moves me greatly. Age holds no barriers...it's the heart that rejoices before Him that matters...

4. Our bodies are instruments of praise.

The first thing I noticed when I stepped in as they began the service at Grace was the presence of tambourine dancers. I was so captivated by their form of worship. It has always been my desire to see a dance ministry develop in church. It's such a beautiful way to worship God because in dance one releases all inhibitions and the entire body is used as an instrument to worship God. During the service, I readily lifted my arms and clapped my hands--it was so natural to do so because I just felt so engulfed by the presence of God. It wasn't simply just the cool music or large and nicely-decorated sanctuary; it was the earnestness and fervor of the congregation, all wanting to seek God and use their bodies--their voice, limbs and hearts--to worship God that spurred me on. I was so inspired that I penned some lyrics--though a bit amateurish, they are a reflection of my heartfelt desire and eagerness to worship God.

5. I'm just one talent among many. But that's okay!

Having served in a small church for a while now, I have all along felt comfortable with my talents. You know you are pretty much above average where you are. Once in a while, you let your pride get to you or you assure yourself that you are good. When you enter the sea and leave the pond, you realize that you're just another talent. You are blown away by the tremendous talent beyond the pond. I've been confronted by this thought several times as I contemplated my future in a bigger church when I do move to New York. Today, it came to me again. However, today I felt so satisfied just being in the congregation and I uttered in my heart "God, if you could just allow me to be among your choir of angels in heaven!" I just want to serve Him with others; I don't have to be outstanding. I don't want to feed my pride.

6. How nice if we could just learn from each other!

It was so refreshing being in a different church today. The culture was very pleasant to me. I really liked how many members worshipped passionately, how the worship team encouraged each other in a debrief following the service, how the Pastor preached so brilliantly revealing God's anointing on his life and his gifting in ministry (he was sharp and perceptive), etc. There were so many things that we could learn from. In my mind sparked questions like "Do the AOG churches have a best practices sharing?", "Would it be a good idea to have a worship director and division in the AOG council?" Sometimes, we get so caught up in forging our own church identity and protecting our own church doctrines and traditions from being eroded and "contaminated" by emerging pop cultures from other churches that we miss out on learning from each other. Grace Assembly has a wonderful organizational culture that makes it an inviting place to go to. It's not just the fancy outlook, but an entire packaging and marketing strategy from its locations to the type of equipment they invest in. The reality is this: we live in a world where marketing is important. The "study visit" today was a good one. I wish I could get some of the older youths to join me, and that these visits to other churches inspire them in their own ministries and propel them to strive for greatness in their service to Him. Besides, God meant for all of us to worship Him in unity; it doesn't matter which church you are from, what matters most is that we serve the same God. Visit other churches once in a while with the right mentality and attitude and you'll stand to gain much. 

Praise God!

So Naturally

My hands naturally clap before you

As my voice reaches you in heaven

My hearts beats in unison with the drums

That signal the coming of the one and only King

I want so much to praise You

Lift my hands and say "I love You"

For in Your awesomeness

That's all I want to do

Can't help but just to praise You

My heart cries out and sings "I love You"

Cause in the light of Your beauty

That's all I want to do

So naturally...

My hands they willingly lift before You

My voice it sings of Your might and splendor

Oh Lord, do not hide yourself from me ever

So naturally my heart praises you my one King

EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD....cont'd

Having talked about the myths, it's good to look at the flip side to examine what intimacy with God entails. Here are five truths to be remembered:

1. Intimacy begins by giving yourself away.

As mentioned before, it's not about how much God does for you or how good He makes you feel. Embrace Him in faith and worship Him in purity and service.

2. God works quietly behind the scenes.

He intervenes in dramatic ways according to His own timing and will. When we start to ask why great things happen for others and not ourselves, we should  rejoice in the fact that He does marvelous things in their lives. 

3. God has already done more for us than we deserve.

He already sent His son to die for us and opened a way for us to be redeemed. He has made the option of eternal life available to us.

4. God is doing a lot more for us than we know of.

He protects and blesses us 24/7. The bible describes God standing like a sentinel at the gates of our lives, keeping out anything that is more than we can bear (1 Cor 10:13). When big things happen to us, we know that God has a purpose in mind (Romans 8:28)

5. If it's intimacy we want, we need to be more interested in the Giver than the gifts.

His idea of intimacy is a love relationship with us, not a gift exchange.

Remember these five truths always...

My last officially-scheduled worship-leading in church...

This morning was tough. My mind was still suffering a minor congestion from sleeping late the previous night.

[TIP#1 for worship-leaders, try to ensure you are well-rested on the night before if you are leading the next day--a responsible gesture to God and His church. Try to refrain from giving excuses like--how I'm going to here--"I stayed out partying last night till 12 midnight"]

I had my songs prepared but the technical flow and linking between songs were going to be tricky. But to me, I felt inspired to do these songs in that manner. There was not only a lot of thought that went into it, but also a reflective contemplation of how God could intervene through the worship session. 

[TIP #2 for worship-leaders, do not be hesitant to adopt the spirit of experimentation and openness in song and music arrangements. For services, however, make bold attempts if you are rather certain that God wants it that way (this is first and foremost), or that the team can potentially work things out]

I didn't convey my mental blueprints to the team. And neither did I elaborate on the kind of worship environment to be enacted during the service. Sometimes, I can't find the words to describe these things, and my inability to play any musical instrument proficiently doesn't help (recorder doesn't count, right?)

[TIP #3 for worship-leaders, formulate your own jargons that promotes common understanding among your team so that it is easier to communicate effects to be created more efficiently (e.g. "Hawaiian/coconut-style"). Importantly, take time to convey your plan and basis for it, so that you and your team can begin practice on a common ground and share the same vision. Doesn't have to be a thesis on it; a simple one or two-liner explaining your(God's) intentions would suffice most of the time.]

There had been times I experienced frustration during practices because I couldn't express my intentions clearly or help the team understand certain things. It was stressful in the earlier days when I just started worship-leading, but now it's simply frustrating. In these occasions, the usual cognition that jumps into my brain is thoughts of self-doubt and inadequacies. Next, would be finding something or someone to blame. I know and admit that that's a horrible thing to do.

[TIP#4 for worship-leaders, never indulge in self-pity by telling yourself that you are lousy, that its not your calling, or asking yourself why you have to do it (especially before service!). Don't blame others when things don't seem to work according to what you want. Learn to be flexible and make changes accordingly, and be open to what the team has to say.]

There were some hiccups during the practice, but nothing dire actually. It was just self-doubt and self-directed agitation, when things didn't work out according to what I wanted. Then again, that was just me and my expectations tormenting me. I felt alone and sian. A counter I gave against those was simply to pick up the bible and find solace in His word. Though I surrendered (not absolutely) the task to the Lord, in my heart was still some unsettlement. 

Service started with a bang--not a carnival fanfare, but an awkward tension. Everyone didn't seem keen on moving forward when invited to. Guess I embraced too much optimism in making that endeavor--it was really pretty much the spur of the moment. My usual confidence and poise melted into futile attempts to pick up the pieces and glue them together. It was a loud "Urgh!" and "Oh well" in my head and off we went with the first song. 

Throughout the first song, thoughts of self-doubt resonated within my mind: "Is this really my calling?" I persisted and cried out in my head, "God help me!" Many times I just wish that I wasn't really there but in actual fact I was standing at the front of a cinema hall with so many pairs of eyes staring at me and I had no where to run. I couldn't wish it away. Throughout the first song, I was wrestling with these negative cognitions. It was a tough struggle till they dissipated at the end of the song. It was a breakthrough! I persevered and banished those thoughts. I kept telling myself to turn my eyes on Him and worship Him without bothering about whether the congregation was.

[TIP #5 for worship-leaders, live in the present and not dwell on a less-than-exciting kick-start to the service. Focus on yourself worshipping Him before thinking about whether others are. Don't allow negative thoughts to flood you. Tell yourself, "No matter what I'm going to praise you God!". Keep your mind on that.]

After gaining back my balance and gaining momentum, I approached the slow songs which caused some problems earlier during the practice. As worry swept my mind, I recalled how Simon Peter fell when he made an attempt to cross the lake on his feet. Because of his hesitation and lack of faith, he allowed his human worries to subject him to failure. There was fear, but I decided to meet them in faith and go according to what I felt was spirit-led. Fortunately, I was on the same page as the Holy Spirit. I took things slowly and immersed myself in experiencing His presence, and did those songs which could have potentially led to an anti-climax. 

[Tip #6 for worship-leaders, don't have the impression that praise and worship ALWAYS has to be built up and dramatic. Most essentially it has to be sincere. Sometimes, we need to have moments of stillness during worship to allow the Spirit to speak to us, or to simple allow the peace of God to reign among His people. Fundamentally, we need to create a conducive atmosphere for God to work--that's just it! So flow with the Spirit]

[Tip #7 for worship-leaders, technical stunts can become major distractions and stumbling blocks. If they do so, let them go. It's not a performance or evaluation of how good you are as a song-leader. Forsake things that can potentially feed your own vanity and pride. God will use your talents but only if you recognize that they're from the maker and not your own]

God just flowed during today's service. I was amazed and glad. It's such a wonderful feeling to know that He used you as His vessel! It's so uplifting when you see clear signs (like when Pastor preaches something relevant to your songs, or when someone prophesizes during the praise and worship) that indicate that you were His instrument. Though I get discouraged from time to time and I doubt myself, I have all these incidents to remind me of how He has used me before and I could be used again as long as I invested my talents and not bury them. 

[Tip#8 for worship-leaders, always keep the Mary and Martha story close to you. While Martha was busy with serving Jesus, her service to Christ had degenerated into mere busywork that no longer had the complete devotion to God. When our ministry becomes chore to us, try to recall this story. Don't be busy doing things for Jesus, that you are not spending time with Him, and don't allow your service to become self-serving. Other lessons we learn are not to feel sorry for oneself when one's efforts are not recognized, and don't be too overconcerned about details. Importantly, don't be distracted by the technicalities in the service and neglect the one we worship.]

[Tip#9 for worship-leaders, mingle with members of congregation and find out briefly the needs among church members. Sometimes, you can use songs to allow God to minister to them. If the church is going through spiritual dryness, we can select songs that are themed around that. Or if you know that the speaker is going to emphasize on something beforehand, you can choose songs surrounding that theme.]

[Tip #10 for worship-leaders, don't be harsh on yourself when you don't see "results" or when service seemed "lousy". God works in amazing ways which are sometimes beyond our comprehension.]

EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD - PART IV

In the last posting, I cautioned against equating intimacy to how much He is doing for us. That was the first myth. Here I'll talk about several other myths we must beware of:

MYTH #2 - Intimacy is about an informal buddy-buddy relationship with God. 

We should not expect a backslapping chumminess with God. Instead our relationship with Him would always be marked by a sense of awe and respect, even when we enjoy sweet moments of close fellowship with Him.

MYTH #3 - The experience of intimacy is the same for us all.

As mentioned before, it is dangerous to try to pour ourselves into the mold of someone else's experience. People from different cultures and with different personalities will experience Christ in a wonderful variety of ways.

MYTH #4 - We can experience the fullness of intimacy with God in the here and now.

Our limitations are too severe. Since the fall of man, we became subject to our physical vulnerabilities and emotional state. Our participation in society prevents us from spending all our time in contemplative solitude. Now we should live for the day when we will enjoy His presence unhindered.

MYTH #5 - We can experience intimacy with a partially surrendered life.

We don't need to be perfect but we certainly need to be fully surrendered. That entails living a life in submission and obedience to the Lord. Though we fail, an immediate repentance and refusal to become entrenched in failure will keep us on the path toward Him. 

REMEMBER: We are to love the Lord our God with our ALL our heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22:37). 

EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD, PART 3

Just as it's essential to touch on expectations prior to delving into the definition of intimacy with God, it's equally important to address some misconceptions we have before we go into the specifics of what intimacy really are. This will help everyone to start on the same page.

THE FOREMOST MYTH OF INTIMACY WITH GOD:

"Intimacy is primarily about what He will do for us when we get close to Him"

Notice that at the heart of such thinking is self-centeredness. Remember that the greatest commandment from God is to "Love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all our soul, and all our minds". Asking yourself what God has done for you lately means that we are measuring the quality our relationship with Him by what He is doing for us at any given moment. God's reality should not be quantified by the number and intensity of His interventions in your life. 

Don't wait for a handout and not make active steps toward God. It's always easy to opt for the rush of spiritual adrenaline in a quick hit and not focus on the long haul. But like the seeds that fall on shallow soil (as mentioned in scripture), the seedlings die quickly unlike those that are deep-rooted and nourished by His word. Track Him through prayer, fellowship with other Christians and practicing the commands in scripture. Intimacy is characterized by steadfast faithfulness. We can die by simply waiting for handouts! Think old testament characters like Abraham and Joseph who waited on the Lord for years and in the meantime chose to be faithful to Him.

Finally, our lives should be driven by the eternity to come, and not by here-and-now experiences. Just as we know we need to work hard in our studies before the exams so that we can enjoy the fruits of our labour later on, we need to strive hard for His kingdom to enjoy the eternity that is far beyond what we can humanly envision. In our strivings, we can certainly enjoy the satisfaction, sustenance and security from God. We may think that Christianity is about God pleasing us, but our ambition in life should be to please Him. Paul demonstrated his understanding of this in 2 Corinthians 4:8-18. 

INTIMACY IS ABOUT FAITHFULNESS NOW AND FULFILLMENT THEN - AND IN GOD'S TIME!

EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD

Posting 2:

As mentioned in the first posting, in seeking intimacy, the first step is to examine our expectations and set them straight. The next step is to define the "process that keeps our soul turned toward God". 

According to Stowell, "(t)he pursuit of intimacy is an intentional commitment to take steps toward God and, in the process of that Godward motion, to grow more deeply conscious of, connected to, and confident in Him alone as the only source to satisfy, sustain, and secure".

It is a mouthful isn't it? Breaking this down, we see that:

1. The process of seeking Him must be INTENTIONAL. Be proactive; be actively focused on this!

2. The process of seeking Him is a non-negotiable COMMITMENT on our part. Apply His principles persistently and patiently in your life!

3. The process of seeking Him means consciously CONNECTING with Him. Communicate with Him regularly. Appreciate His creation, model His character and conduct, praise and worship Him wholeheartedly, connect with Him in faithful obedience even in crises. 

4. The process of seeking Him means putting your CONFIDENCE in Him. We must embrace a way of life that increasingly fills our souls with satisfaction, sustenance, and security; we must truly believe that He is the source of all we need.

FINALLY, it is important to repent in our actions and attitudes, and to let go of self-sufficiency and totally rely on God, as we seek intimacy with God.

SERIES ON EXPERIENCING INTIMACY WITH GOD!

Hi everyone, I've just finished reading a small booklet by Our Daily Bread, on experiencing intimacy with God. This is actually an adaptation from a book by Joe Stowell, Radical Reliance: Living 24/7 With God At The Center. Felt so refreshed and inspired that I've decided to provide a summary of some pertinent points that have transformed my view of intimacy with Him. I encourage you to stay tuned to my blog to learn more about this and find greater satisfaction in your walk with Him.

So for the debut posting...let me start first by touching on... 

EXPECTATIONS OF INTIMACY WITH GOD...

"...(if) you are expecting intimacy with God to arrive as a blast of the Spirit that will cover you 24 hours a day for the rest of your life with an eternal season of ecstatic praise, warm feelings, and tangible chumminess with the Almighty God of the universe, then this is going to be a disappointment to you". 

The main point is: If we are going to expect intimacy to be equated to simply FEELINGS and EMOTIONS, then we are inevitably setting ourselves up for disappointment. 

Hence, in seeking intimacy with God, we need to address our expectations a the first instance. As the booklet mentions: "(i)ntimacy with God must not be defined in terms of its experiential elements". 

Next, related to this is the point that: "(e)ach of us will experience Him differently. And He will respond to us differently at different seasons and intervals of life". There is no "universal" experience. 

Therefore, by defining it as what a particular individual experiences would entail another disappointment for us if we don't experience it in the same manner. Refrain from framing your own to match others, especially those who have shared their own in biographies and testimonies. 

One last point but certainly no less important is: "(w)hile none of us experience God in precisely the same way, all of us do come to Him by way of the same road map. We do the process; God responds with an individualized product". 

In my next posting, I shall talk more about the process of seeking intimacy with God... stay tuned.

Just Musings...

So much has happened recently. Not so much in my life exactly (sorry to those who are expecting exciting life accounts, but my life is kinda boring at the moment), but rather in the world around us. Yes, most of you will probably guess easily that I'm talking about the twin tragedies in Asia--the Sichuan earthquake and the Cyclone Nargis that hit Myanmar. Amidst these, everyone's talking about rising fuel and food prices. In neighboring Indonesia, civilians have taken to the streets to protest the escalating fuel prices, hurling molotov cocktails at police officers and being subdued with pepper spray. American Idol season 7 just crowned David Cook as their latest winner...(okay just to point out the diverse things happening in the world...not that it's a major upset--I like the fella). 

Seeing images of people devastated by the catastrophes has brought me to tears. I'm really a crybaby at heart. Cast aside that confident and poised facade, and you'll see a very vulnerable me. I read the newspapers, and tears can just well in my eyes. When the twin towers were struck in the 911 incident and CNA kept screening the clips round-the-clock, I seemed as though I was on some korean drama marathon, one of those "Winter Sonata-Stairway to Heaven" ones of course, for the subsequent weeks. Not going to start about the time when SQ06 crashed in Taiwan...

As people from all nations rally around the bereaved and help in efforts to reconstruct the country and mend the broken hearts, the resiliency among the adversity is simply remarkable. Grieving is normal in the first instance, but ultimately, most cope, adapt and pick themselves up. You see people who have lost loved ones step up to tend to other survivors--for example, the Chinese female police officer who is nursing several children who had lost their mums. The altruism is equally amazing. Of course, there are many people who don't give a hoot about these things. We can't really blame them cos' these may be of remote significance to them--these events happened thousand of miles away from us--and imagine if we were to be so affected by everything that happens in the world...we'll be crushed every time something major strikes the world. Life still goes on and people need to function per normal. Nonetheless, events like these present a strong reminder that life is uncertain and fragile for that matter. Our country is fortunate to be buffered from natural disasters, but accidents or illness can happen to anyone of us. Life is like a vapor, transient and fleeting. But in our short lifespan on earth, it would be ideal to savor every moment and enjoy the gifts of family and friends. Events such as these serve grave reminders to the father that returns home from work every night to a sleeping household, the overachiever that spends more time socializing with his computer at work then his parents at home, the online junkie that lives his entire life virtually (no pun intended) in the Cyberworld (all references are not specific to the male species of course).

The ironic thing about humans is that we know what is good for us, we know what we should do, but our human flesh always wrestles with our will and wins. It takes major crises that are personal to us to jolt us to our senses. Sometimes, it may be too late. Lost time can't be reclaimed. Sometimes, learning doesn't last; as memories of these incidents fade overtime, we return to our baseline. Unrealistic optimism and complacency seem to reign in our human faculties. Psychologists study these and related fallacies that humans commit. We aren't as logical as we think. We minimize possibilities of mishaps and failures. But that's who we are! And it helps us cope with things in life. These human adaptations, as evolutionary psychologists term them, perhaps enable us to cope with the uncertainties in life and instills in us hope. We all need hope to function, don't we? In my opinion, both our logic and the lack of it makes us totally human. That's why we are so unpredictable at times and the social sciences are not as straightforward as the natural sciences because of this. 

Through all these, my awe for God has augmented. He has created such interesting creatures--humans are fascinating. I guess that's why psychology is such a captivating field. In our frail humanity, we can be resilient. Despite circumstances, we can forge ahead in our lives. In spite of our weaknesses, He can help us triumph over overwhelming situations and formidable obstacles and He delights in doing so. Just like how He helped David defeat Goliath, His divine power equips us with the means to overcome whatever adversity comes our way. Just like how we are thrilled seeing a dark horse win a competition, because it gives us the hope that we too can be like that person. In addition, intelligent as we may be, we are often illogical. We knowingly do what we know may not be good for us. Many times we know what we need to do, but we refuse to do it even though it may be best for us to do so. Sometimes, we allow human emotions to cloud our logic or trade away our values to enjoy a moment of rebellion that will cost severely. Our incredibly human nature contrasts starkly God's truly divine, supernatural and supreme nature, doesn't it?

Okay, I've emptied my thoughts and its time to stop. But let me end with this quote--my fave one for now. From 2 Corinthians 12: 9,

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. 

It reminds me that I am weak, but I need not worry and instead should delight in it because I can give Him the due credit when I succeed and His glory will be revealed through me. My weakness make me rely on Him. In the uncertainty, I can rest on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. 

An Art Lesson...

Nope, I'm not taking art lessons at the moment. Neither do I think I have a gift in this area, though all my immediate family members seem to be able to draw something more than decent that could be placed on display in a fancy store in Manhattan. Tonight I went to an art exhibition at St Mary's (a church my parents attend regularly), and became a fan and advocate of art therapy. For the past year or so, my mum had been joining this art therapy class at her church and four of her masterpieces were being celebrated tonight.

The reception for tonight's event looked dashing, the lighting was pretty and the place looked absolutely classy. Well of course, given that this is a church that has won several awards and has been featured on the Straits Times for its stellar architecture. I went there with my dad, clueless about what to expect. But what I took home was more than the beautiful sight and wonderful art pieces (and not forgetting the exquisite and lovely finger food!). 

The evening was kick-started and set into motion by Joanna, the art therapist, who gave a quick, bite-sized intro into Art Therapy 101. As a psychology grad, and someone who is really into clinical work and therapy, I always felt that art therapy was a great way to express one's inner emotions and to discover one's innermost thoughts. However, tonight I learnt something new about this form of therapy. Joanna mentioned how members who joined the class were taught to withhold all judgment and suspend all criticism, especially on themselves as they learnt to draw and paint. It reminded me of how frustrated I used to get in art class when the apple I drew just wasn't the perfect one I envisioned in my mind, and how perfectionist and demanding we can sometimes be on ourselves. The culture that was nurtured in the class, one that allowed little flaws and imperfections to shine, reminded me of how God's glory is often made perfect in our weaknesses. We go through life yoking ourselves to the expectations we import from the world and that gives our self esteem a huge beating very often. As I reflected on what was shared and the testimonies given about the supportive environment in the classroom, I realized how therapeutic art therapy can be. Everything is individual and each piece has its own distinctive identity and meaning that captured a snapshot of the sacred place that God brought each artist into when He inspired them to craft these wonderful pictures. Each week as their skills improved, I'm sure their confidence augmented. It's amazing how God can minister to a person and how he or she can testify about it through his or her art piece. 

As I stepped into the exhibition room, I was marveled by the awesome use of colors and brilliant drawings on the canvases hung on the walls. I began to read some write-ups that explained how the artist got his or her inspiration. I really felt ministered by God as I read the learning lessons people gleaned as they painted. However, when I laid my eye on the one my mum painted without knowing she was the one responsible for that beautiful piece of art, I felt especially poignant. It was a gorgeous piece that won many compliments for its realism and intricacies. Unfortunately, someone purchased or I might (well might only cos' I am feeling rather poor now) have bought it. When I read her write-up, I was extremely touched and I felt the tears welling in my eyes. Her reflections were very insightful and I was so proud of how she had experienced God in such a personal way. I've got so much to be proud of about my mum; she is fantastic in art, at organizing one thousand and one things, and wonderful at packing my luggage (she sure can squeeze many things into tiny spaces)! I really hope that she can continue to grow in the Lord and continue to pursue Him through art.

After being ministered by the masterpieces at the exhibition, my dad and I walked out of the church without making any purchases. I guess we are too thick-skinned to feel bad about enjoying the art without paying any price. Anyways, I asked my dad whether he could draw after hesitating for a while (we hardly converse casually unless its at a special dinner or something). And finally when I summoned the courage to ask him, he shared how he actually corrected some of my mum's drawings- some ducks-because (and this is according to him) she wasn't adept at capturing proportions of life forms. He told me how he used to be the Art director (or editor, I can't remember now) of his pre-u magazine, and how he won an art competition when he was young. As he spoke of all this, I felt that I was really getting to know him more and more, and I felt so drawn to his stories. He went on about how he liked to draw animals and he was the only one at home who had the artistic flair. Next, he shared about this famous Singaporean artist (Chen Wen Xi or something like that) who died, how his paintings became valuable, how he was known for drawing gibbons, and how he would draw them in all sorts of positions with his trademark strokes and use of signature smudges. My dad was telling me of his visits to Bukit Timah Hill and how he found some monkeys very cute--they were in all sorts of positions (please don't think dirty hor!). He wanted to take some photos and draw these monkeys at home according to those photos and develop his own style of painting monkeys. These were little snippets of my dad I wouldn't have known if I never asked.

One last thing that I would like to add is my own reflection on tonight's event. All the nice paintings I saw bowled me over, and I just saw the awareness and mindfulness of the people who created these paintings. It took tremendous patience to complete each piece. And the question I had was: how many people would slow down nowadays in the hurried pace of life to admire a painting or take in a breathtaking sight? Do we, who are so busy reacting to the stimulation we receive from the hustle and bustle of society, cherish the moment or savor the beauty of God's creation in our everyday life? In those days, when there wasn't PSP or DS Lite, kids would spend more time on the drawing board, developing a keen sensitivity to their surrounding in the process (not saying that they don't nowadays, just less). Now we rather type then pick up a pencil, or click on some keyboard rather than color with a crayon....well, just some thoughts (not verified through any experiment whatsoever--psychologists are just so empirical!).

I wish I had the talent to draw or paint. My parents have it. Guess it all went to my sis who is now studying architecture. Anyway, God is fair in dishing out all talents to people. For one, I can sing better than any of them (heh, no hard feelings ya). Anyways, art therapy seems great and I really hope to use it in the future if I do practice clin psych.  

 

Fin