Trusting God in times of chaos

"They traveled from Mount Hor along the route to the Red Sea, to go around Edom. But the people grew impatient on the way; they spoke against God and against Moses, and said, 'Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" - Num 21:4-5

Often times when things don't go according to the way we want them to, we complain and begin to doubt God. But there is one beauty when we experience chaos in our lives - we learn the real meaning of trust that is derived from a pure, blind faith in God. We may not where our destination is headed, for we know who will be with us on this journey. And this alone is all we need.

"So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, 'Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating thier food with 'unclean' hands?'" - Mark 7:5

The way to lead a life of freedom is not the law but the grace of God. The way to a Spirit-filled walk with God is by God's grace, and not through good Christian exercises.

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, forgive us for the times when things start to go out of control in our lives and we begin to doubt you. Indeed Lord, since the time of our forefathers, we have been people of little faith. Woe to us, indeed. Therefore, Father, through your loving grace, would you grant us the trust in you that comes from a pure faith in you. Give us constantly a peace of mind, regardless whether we know where our destination is. For as long as we have the assurance of your Holy Presence with us at all times, take away any worry or fear in us. Help us to walk in the confidence of your love and grace. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Freed from legalism

By Nathanael Phoon Geng Chee

God ... made us adequate as servants of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (2 Corinthians 3:5-6).

Walking by the Spirit is not legalism, the opposite extreme from license. Paul said: "If you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law." (Galatians 5:18)

Stringently striving to obey Christian rules and regulations doesn't enable the Spirit-filled walk; it often kills it (2 Corinthians 3:6). We're told in Galatians 3:13 that the law is really a curse, and in Galatians 3:21 that it is impotent, powerless to give life.

Laying down the law - telling someone that it is wrong to do this or that - does not give them the power to stop doing it. Christians have been notorious at trying to legislate spirituality with don'ts; Christians don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance, don't attend movies, don't play cards, don't wear makeup, etc. But legalism can't curb immorality. In fact, laying down the law merely serves to heighten the temptation. Paul said that the law actually stimulates the desire to do what it forbids (Romans 7:5)! When you tell your child not to cross a certain line, where does he immediately want to go? Forbidden fruit often seems to be the most desirable.

Neither will a spirit-filled heart be produced by demanding that someone conform to a religious code of behaviour. We often equate Christian disciplines such as Bible study, prayer, regular church attendance, and witnessing with spiritual maturity. All these activities are good and helpful for spiritual growth. But merely performing these admirable Christian exercises does not guarantee a Spirit-filled walk.

Does this mean that establishing rules is wrong? Of course not. God's law is a necessary protective moral standard and guideline. But the means by which we live a life of freedom is not the law but grace. Within the confines of God's law, we are free to nurture a spirit-to-Spirit relationship with God, which is the essence of walking in the Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, help me encourage other believers to freedom in their walk with You and not impose on them a religious code of behaviour.

When being greedy is good

"They are the Israelites who are to be given wholly to me. I have taken them as my own in place of the firstborn , the first male offspring from every Israelite woman. Every firstborn male in Israel, whether man or animal, is mine. When I struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, I set them apart for myself. And I have taken the Levites in place of all the firstborn sons in Israel." - Num 8:16-18

On the second coming of God, like the fisherman, He will sieve the non-believers from the believers, who will inherit the Kingdom of God. Through the new covenant of the blood that Jesus Christ has shed for me, death will pass me on the second coming as how it came on the night of the Passover.

"He said to them, 'Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand?'" - Mark 4:21

"'Consider carefully what you hear,' he continued. 'With the measure you use, it will be measured to you - and even more. whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.'" - Mark 4:24-25

We are called to be the light for the darkness of this world. Since we brothers-in-Christ, our deeds should reflect our faith in God, for a lamp is meant to be placed on a stand to shine, and not to be hidden.
The second excerpt teaches me to continually live up to the highest moral standards of God because only by that, will I then be guided to make the right moral judgments when called for on this Earth.

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, I want to give thanks for the wonderful gift of the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ that you have given us to be sacrificed so that we can be redeemed from the claws of death. Father, as I am now a believer, mould me LORD to become more in Christ so that I may inherit a larger portion of the treasures in heaven. Yes, with this eternal perspective in mind, help me to be spiritually greedy for your love and kindness, so that with all you have shown onto me, it can be shown onto the others around me. In Jesus' most living name, I pray, Amen."

Priestly blessings

"The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." - Num 6:24-26

I thank God for the days which He has filled with peace for me, and for the peace of heart in the ages to come. Through this peace, it has given me the strength and enabled me to focus on keeping God's commands and that I will not fall into the temptations set by Satan.

"So that, 'they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'" - Mark 4:12

By the grace of God, He has helped me to open my eyes and ears to align my senses according to his heavenly vision. But not let this grace that was shown unto me be taken for granted, lest I will cease to remain in God's holy presence.

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, by your loving kindness and grace, you have filled my heart with overflowing peace and joy, by just being in your presence. Father, would you help me to always retain this quietness so that even when you whisper, I am able to hear you. Dear Lord, I pray that you will continue to grant me godly wisdom to interpret and handle daily affairs that will allow me to shine forth the light of your Heavenly Kingdom. Abba Father, please open my eyes and ears to always receive your words and acts of loving kindness. In Jesus' most precious name, I pray, Amen."

A generation of lazybums

"Keep all my decrees and laws and follow them, so that the land where I am bringing you to live may not vomit you out. You must not live according to the customs of the nations I am going to drive out before you. Because they did all these things, I abhorred them." - Lev 21:22-23

Obedience to God is a fundamental manifestation of our faith and love for Him. Because of the nature of humans, we tend to stray away from love and walk on the path towards self-destruction without realizing it. Often times, our sights are focused on the short-term pleasures rather than on eternity. We've become generations of lazy bums, constantly on the look-out for short cuts in life.

"At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life" - Matt 27:51-52

The torn curtain of the temple signified the death of Jesus Christ. Such was the love he held for each one of us that he died for our sins so that we could we reunited with Him and the Father in heaven. No matter how hard we try, we can never return Jesus with the love that he has loved us; we can only love him from the best of what we can give.

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, God of the omnipotence, You are Infinite Greatness, and yet, because of the smallness of us humans, Lord, you have stooped down for us in ways so that we can reach you more easily. Abba Father, would you fill me with an overflowing of love and wisdom so that I can in return, show my love for you in the little things that I do on earth. Father, help us to realign our vision according to Yours in heaven, to shift our attitudes and mindsets from one that is constantly looking out for shortcuts, to one that is more permanent. Father, you are the potter and I give myself to be molded by you so that I can be made ready for your kingdom. Amen."

Meek as a lamb

"You must keep the Israelites separate from things that make them unclean, so they will not die in their uncleanness for defiling my dwelling place, which is among them." - Lev 15:31

"But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge - to the great amazement of the governor." - Matt 27:14

By remaining silent thrice when one was brought to church in the Roman times, the accused is assumed as guilty. Jesus, however, attempted to make no defense for himself. He could have pleaded not guilty for the accusations produced by the priests, but he chose not to. Instead, he stood in front of the governor, answering that He is the King of the Jews, yet meek as a lamb.

PRAYER:
"Dear Jesus, you are the King of kings and Lord of Lords, thank you for your unconditional love to die for my sins that I can be joined with our Father in heaven. Even as king, Jesus, you are ever so meek and gentle. Help me Lord, to be cultivate a heart of meekness as well, so that when I am wronged or insulted by self-righteous people, I will be slow, or will not even turn to anger or defence.
Father, would you also keep me separated from all the things that will make me unclean. Lord, sometimes the heart desires to repent, but because of our circumstance and the world we're in, the odds against us are so great. Therefore, Father, would you by your grace-given faith, grant me the strength to discipline the flesh so that all unclean acts can be separated from the body, the temple of God. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."

The sheep and the goats

"All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left." - Matt 25: 32-33

PRAYER:
"Abba Father, I am like the lost sheep that loses its way the moment the shepherd is not around to guide it. Father, i do request that you will always be around to guide in every moment of my life; where I have erred, Father would you rebuke me and guide me onto the right path. Father thank you for showing your grace and mercy unto me, and enable me to do all things that are pleasing and worthy to Your name. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Am I ready?

"The Lord said to Moses: 'If anyone sins and is unfaithful to the Lord by deceiving his neighbor about something entrusted to him or left in his care or stolen or if he cheats him, or if he finds lost property and lies about it, or if he swears falsely , or if he commits any such sin that people may do - when he thus sins and becomes guilty, he must return what he has stolen or taken by extortion, or what was entrusted to him, or the lost property he found, or whatever it was he swore falsely about. He must make restitution in full, add a fifth to the value to it and give it all to the owner on the day he presents his guilt offering.'" - Lev 6:1-5

It is a wonderful news of grace that through the death of Jesus, we no longer need to make restitution for our own wrongdoings, because the blood of Jesus has already been made for that. Therefore, we should no longer live in the guilt of sin, but with courage, lead a Christ-like life, according to the providence of God's grace.

"But he replied, 'I tell you the truth. I, don't know you. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour." - Matt 25: 12-13

This verse reminds me of the need to constantly stay ready for the coming of God; to live ready for Jesus' return involves living in light on the day of the judgment, when our deeds and motives shall be revealed.

PRAYER:
"Abba Father, forgive me for the times when I stray away from your love to indulge in personal pleasures. Merciful Father, help me to not rely on my own emotions, but to always look to you in your faithful ways to guide myself; help me, Lord, to prepare my heart constantly so that it will be ready on the time of your second coming; to always live as the light for other people. Grant me the sight that I will not be blind as you lit up my path, so that I may go do all that is worthy of your name. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."

The search for peace

"The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." - Matt 23:11-12

Humility is more than just the act of being humble or modest. I think true humility in one is reflected when one places God above the self in everything that he does. So instead of being the center of the circle and God the circumference of it, we ought to become the circumference with God in the center so that all we do is according to God's bidding.

PRAYER:
"Dear Father, help me to learn to revere, obey and thank You; to express the appropriate sorrow for sin; and to pursue a quietness in which I might be able to hear Your whisper. Abba Father, there is so much noise and distraction our lives, most, if not all of which, emphasizes the importance of the self. Indeed, the world today has never been more focused personal gratification than ever. So Father, would you help me to filter out all these noises and distractions in my life, and help me to come back into the quietness and peace of Yours. As your disciple Paul has said, 'The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus, only possible through a relationship with Him.' So Father, help me not to fall away from your grace; whenever that happens, I trust You'll nudge me gently back into your path of righteousness. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."

The worthy wedding guests

"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.''For many are invited, but few are chosen.'" - Matt 22:13-14

Often times, we scorn the grace of God without realizing it. It happens when we presume on God's grace or fail to honor His Son, and then we will find ourselves banished into the darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. God, is the king of our lives, and many are invited to repent, but only those who respond worthily will share the inheritance of the chosen covenant people.

PRAYER:
"Heavenly Father, thank you for this invitation to your Son's wedding banquet. Abba Father, would you search my heart for any part that might refuse or be slow to repent to a particular sin, and where there is sin, would you then speak to me of it and guide me back to the path of repentance, so that I may be worthy of your mercy and grace in Your second coming and the inheritance of my share amongst the chosen covenant people. In Jesus' name, I pray, Amen."

The benevolent farmer

"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way. Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said." - Matt 21:35-37

Even as the tenants killed their landlord's servants one after the other, the farmer had remained benevolent as he believed that sending his son to them would help the tenants do what is right to distribute the farmer's share of the crop. In a way, the farmer here is like our Father in heaven, ever so benevolent, and willing to look past our sinfulness. But, there will eventually be the time when God's patience runs out, and the farmer will retaliate and destroy the evil and unrepentant tenants.

PRAYER:
"Benevolent Father in Heaven, you have shown much of your grace and mercy upon me. Help me, Lord, to be like the farmer in the parable, to show exceeding kindness and love to my enemies, even up to the point when doing so would be deemed as foolish. For Father, I know that you will right any injustice that falls upon me; I'll focus on following the commands of Your kingdom. In Jesus' name, Amen."