The Kingdom of GOD

Be Undefiled

 

Remember

Transiting from 2020 to 2021

As we come to the end of 2020, we attest to the fact that 2020 is a pandemic year. The global pandemic of COVID-19 has definitely thrown everyone off this year. However as a Christian, I truly believe that GOD has ordained COVID-19 to serve His Purpose. Therefore, Christians should not despair because of the sufferings or inconvenience that come about with COVID-19. The simple reason is GOD is Sovereign (Job 42:2, Psalm 115:3, Isaiah 45:7-9, Matthew 19:26) and so even if COVID-19 makes you sick and weak and / or it render you unemployed becoming poor and hungry, Christians have to trust GOD (Matthew 6:25-34). Many times, Christians worry just like the others of this world and this type of modus operandi is one used by our enemy, the devil. He seeks to cause doubt in our GOD (Genesis 3:1) and the fear of death in our hearts (Philippians 1:21). Just as when Christ, the Son of GOD was revealed, the devil sought to incite doubts through temptations (Matthew 4:1-11) and eventually to kill Him on the Cross (John 19:17-18).

 

But this verse which recorded what Christ had said is apt:

 

"Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

- Matthew 10:28

 

Yes, we are going through hard times but remember that GOD is in full control because through Christ's Work on the Cross, He has already proven that He is able to redeem us from the most dire situations ever. In my humble opinion, GOD ordained COVID-19 to come to pass because He wants all of us as the people of His Kingdom to refocus upon Him. The question remains if we truly believe that GOD is Sovereign over all matters under the sun (Ecclesiastes 6:1-2).

In this pandemic year, I faced with many challenges and by the Grace of GOD, He has seen my family and I through the year. Giving thanks to the LORD is the posture I undertake for the most part of this year. In expressing my gratitude to my LORD, I soon realized that I have absolutely no control over the situations of my life at all but GOD does (Proverbs 19:21). GOD calls the shot, not me and this is my learning point for 2020. Accepting this point reveals to me the need to deny myself, take up the Cross daily and follow Christ (Luke 9:23). This sums up the meditation of my life in 2020 as I handle work and family, playing the roles of a counsellor, a husband and a father. The challenges are immense but I now came to the realization that if I look beyond myself, my own needs under the sun, then I would be able to seek GOD’s Kingdom and Righteousness (Matthew 6:33) first Where He exists beyond the sun (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14). This thus would be the moment when I am truly living out the Purpose of GOD which is to shape me to be more Christlike and, in this regard, to put others’ interests above my own (Philippians 2:3-5) - the goal of Christian living.

O Christians, may we learn how to seek first GOD’s Kingdom and Righteousness always in 2021 and remember that we are Heaven’s Citizens passing through this earth for a limited period of time. Let our time on earth be spent fulfilling the Will of our Abba Father by echoing what Jesus said (John 4:34). Have a Blessed New Year ahead. 🙏🏽

Change of Heart Needed

 

Finally...

 

Walk Wisely

 

Thinking about the Christian life

Intimate Christ

Speaking the Truth in LOVE

The POWER within us

Christ's Workmanship

Saved in CHRIST!

Keep Doing Good for All

Be There for One Another

Freed from Slavery

One in Christ Jesus

Live to CHRIST

Closure of 2019 Chapter

As we approach the closure of another year, the last twelve months of my life was spent across my family, my studies and my work. There were challenges along the way but through GOD’s Grace, I managed to overcome them. There were moments of sadness and regrets because one of my pastors passed on suddenly but yet again, these moments highlight the fact that I do not have control over anything and I can only look to GOD. The only true GOD and Jesus Christ Whom He has sent (John 17:3).

My second daughter came in April and I am now a father of two. With prior experience, my wife and I do realize that it was easier on us as we brought her home from the hospital to start caring for her well-being. Personally, parenthood is an advanced moulding and training of my soul compared to marriage which serves as a basic level, now that I looked back on my journey so far. Kids bring joy to the family but they also reveal my own sins greatly. The fathering experience allows me to realize how rebellious I can be spiritually to my Father in heaven. Being a father brings to my mind in practice how it is like for my Father to sacrifice His Only Son. Fathering is not a job for the faint-hearted. I can only learn as I go along, concurring with the fact that I am never perfect and would definitely make grave mistakes but I have to learn from them to improve on my fathering role.

My studies in counselling would come to an end in March, 2020. It had been a challenging journey not because of the course work but the sacrifices which I would have to make in order to attain this degree. At this juncture, I am glad that I am completing my studies soon and made the right choice to upgrade myself. I thank GOD for opening the door for me to become a counsellor and how the counselling journey has been a fruitful one for me. Discovering my own interest in counselling has been a wonderful experience that widens my perspective in how one crafts out a career path. My heart is grateful to GOD who answers my prayers when I pray for a new direction in my career.

With my completion of my studies, I am excited to apply what I have learnt to my work as a counsellor. I hope to improve on my counselling skills continually as I work with more clients. As I dedicate the remaining time of my career journey to counselling, I would like to make impact in people’s lives. Consequently, I hope my children will be inspired as I share my career journey with them in the coming years.

2019 had been a year where I felt split across different roles, as a father, a husband, a student and a counsellor. It was busy for me and I also learnt that in the midst of busyness, I can trust in GOD who has a much clearer direction and plan for me. In this coming New Year, I pray that I can spend time to focus on my church in building up the church body and encouraging fellow brothers in their walk with our LORD. I wish all a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year ahead.

What is Eternal Life?

Spirit of Truth

Vine and Branches

Love GOD

Love One Another

Abundant Life

The Truth

Living Water

The Harvest

My Food

Born Again

Children of GOD

2018 Recall

Yet another year of 365 days had come to past. I thank GOD for blessing me with a good wife and a cute daughter. We had a blessed year where we are provided for and GOD has granted me a stable job. In addition, my wife and I also thank GOD for giving us another child who will be arriving in Apr / May next year. We look forward to how GOD would see us through the upcoming challenges for us in 2019…

Engage Minds by Reason

but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; 

- 1 Peter 3:15

Give Thanks to the LORD

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

- 2 Corinthians 9:15

Our Awesome GOD

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

 “For who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been his counselor?”

“Or who has given a gift to him
    that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. 
To him be glory forever. Amen.

- Romans 11:33-36

Cheerful & Joyful Heart

A cheerful heart is good medicine,
    but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

- Proverbs 17:22

Hearts are Tested...

The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold,
    but the Lord tests the heart.

- Proverbs 17:3

Seek God Always

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

- Jeremiah 29:13

Drink Fresh Water

Drink water from your own cistern

And fresh water from your own well.

Should your springs be dispersed abroad,

Streams of water in the streets?

Let them be yours alone

And not for strangers with you.

Let your fountain be blessed,

And rejoice in the wife of your youth.

As a loving hind and a graceful doe,

Let her breasts satisfy you at all times;

Be exhilarated always with her love.

For why should you, my son, be exhilarated with an adulteress

And embrace the bosom of a foreigner?

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the Lord,

And He watches all his paths.

- Proverbs 5:15-21

Know the Will of GOD

For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

- 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

May 14, 1948

Then it will happen on that day that the Lord

Will again recover the second time with His hand

The remnant of His people, who will remain,

From Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Cush, Elam, Shinar, Hamath,

And from the islands of the sea.

And He will lift up a standard for the nations

And assemble the banished ones of Israel,

And will gather the dispersed of Judah

From the four corners of the earth.

- Isaiah 11:11-12

Praise the LORD!

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits on His holy throne.

- Psalms 47:6-8

Are you GOD's friend?

"Did you not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?"

- 2 Chronicles 20:7

Looking Ahead to 2018

As 2017 comes to a close, I thought about my life for this past year. It had been a year of learning for me as I took up the new role of a father. My daughter was born earlier this year and a new chapter of my life began. Being a father is indeed a life-changing experience for me. I figured that I have much to learn and also much to give up as I now dedicated much of my time to my family. Looking at my child, I sometimes do not believe that GOD has graciously gave her to my wife and me. The reason is she is so cute. Her laughter and smile just melt our hearts.

Looking back to the years where I lament about being single, I realized how GOD has brought me thus far. There is a purpose in marriage and GOD allowed me to be married because He wants me to learn something through it. Ultimately, it is never about being single or being married but it is about believing in His Son – Jesus Christ Whom He has given His Testimony (1 John 5:10-12). Being single has its purpose while being married taught me about true love which leads me to reflect on GOD loving me as my Heavenly Father, how I can be loving my wife unconditionally as her husband and with our new addition – how to love my daughter as her father. The greatest model of love is displayed at the cross and what I am being trained by GOD in this passing moment of life is merely a glimpse of what Jesus had demonstrated to all of us (Phil 2:5-8).

Life is short and passing away in a blink of an eye. Coming towards the end of the year, I received news that Pastor Harley Johnson (the pastor whom I got to know when I was working in Lehi, Utah) had gone home to our LORD. His dying wish was that he can meet the LORD, finishing well in his life. Every moment that I got to spend with him back in those days have now became precious moments in my mind. I was deeply encouraged by Pastor Harley who always finished his sermon with an invitation for people in the congregation to receive Jesus Christ as their personal LORD & SAVIOUR. In wrapping up the church service, he would always invite all in the congregation to sing this short hymn, Heavenly Sunshine together.

Heavenly sunshine! Heavenly sunshine!

Flooding my soul with glory divine;

Heavenly sunshine! Heavenly sunshine!

Hallelujah! Jesus is mine!

I believe that he is truly walking with our LORD and enjoying the heavenly sunshine now. Once again, I am reminded that I will meet the LORD one day and to give an account of my life (Rom 14:12). Everything that I have gone through in this life is nothing compared to the experience I will have when I am home with the LORD (Phil 3:8, Rom 8:18). Treasure every experience I have now because they are there to teach and prepare me for heaven. Let every living moment become a precious moment and be living for the LORD. Let us spend the time of our lives to know the LORD a little better each day and be thankful for all that we have by counting our blessings (1 Thess 5:18).

Have a blessed year in 2018!

no other besides HIM

To you it was shown that you might know that the Lord, He is God; there is no other besides Him.

- Deuteronomy 4:35

Know GOD, Give Thanks to Him

Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before Him with joyful singing.
Know that the Lord Himself is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter His gates with thanksgiving
And His courts with praise.
Give thanks to Him, bless His name.
For the Lord is good;
His lovingkindness is everlasting
And His faithfulness to all generations.

- Psalm 100:1-5

Sanctified

For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have had consciousness of sins? But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year by year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says,

“SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME; IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE. “THEN I SAID, ‘BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.’”

After saying above, “SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND sacrifices FOR SIN YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL.”

He takes away the first in order to establish the second. By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

- Hebrews 10:1-10

Redeemed

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a [a]tree”—in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

- Galatians 3:13-14

GOD, the Author of History

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!
Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you;
He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.

- Zechariah 9:9

I am the FOOL!

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.”

- Psalm 14:1