Have you ever experienced a doldrum in your life where everything (other than yourself) in your life whizzes at an extremely fast pace but yet you are still pretty much rooted where you are? Silence. Pause. Inactivity.
I always like to use the phrase ‘time flies’ and it’s true. It does! Been about a month since I last wrote on my blog. What has transpired in the past 1 month?I’ve cleared all my markings for examinations. I’ve been to Cambodia and back, not withstanding all the coordinations and preparations needed for an overseas school trip. I did my FIRST video presentation, using Imovie for my Cambodia trip, took lots of photographs and that’s about it – all in 1 month’s work! Of course, eating a little and putting some weight here and there. I don’t whether the amount of work done is a good gauge as to whether I have used my time effectively or ineffectively, but it does show my sense of mortality. I’m a human and I am bound by space and time. In this 1 month, I can only DO this much… and the good news is, I have more deadlines looming over my head before I can get a well-deserved break! When will I ever finish all the work I need to do???
Because of my hectic schedule, I find myself praying less & sleeping more, reading less & eating more. Maybe that’s one of the reasons why God is silent and I am in a doldrum. I am in a rut, waking & sleeping and going about my daily chores like a zombie, slowly losing my sense of being and sight of my wonderful Creator until today… when I suddenly stumbled upon the song ‘I just want you’ by PlanetShakers. I did force myself to read the bible actually, but it was dry. REAL DRY… until I hear this song, ‘I just want You’. I couldn’t find the clip sung by Planetshakers on Youtube, and the best I could get is this version sung in one of the services in City Harvest Church. I like their worship and the songs never fail to minister to me.
Indeed, it echoes the cry of my heart at this present moment – Lord, how can I go about life without my God in my life? Life without God is meaningless and no wonder, I am stuck in a rut. This has to be THE song of the week, because it reminded me once again, the deepest need of all humankind and that is God. We will never find our rest and refuge, always toiling, working, playing, partying mindlessly, unless and until, we come on our knees again, back to the arms of our Creator, Saviour and God.
‘There’s no greater love than Yours, Nothing else could compare.
And even if I search all the world, I will never find a love like Yours.”
May this song minister to you in the weeks to come, just as it has to me. I just want You Jesus. I just want You, more than anything else in this world.
I really can’t imagine how life will be like without music. And thank God for giving us talented Christian singers in His Kingdom to encourage & prod us along in our journey on earth. All thanks to my old friend Gerald, who sent an email sharing an old song by Michael Card titled ‘Love Crucified Arose’. That’s a wonderful song & from the Youtube link, I deviated; I went on to search for other songs & discovered a singer whom I have never heard before. Her name is Kari Jobe and her songs are … WOW… ministering. I like her clean cut voice. It’s simple and I guess it’s in the simplicity that we all encounter God personally.
As a person who can’t live without music (or rather my ipod), I indulgently added more songs to my already vast collections (despite the many DEADLINES looming over my head!). Not surprising, with my effort over the years, I now have quite a lot of Christian songs in my Itunes, which I proudly termed – My Collection. One good way, which I think I could put my collection of songs to good use is to share with YOU – my fellow brothers & sisters in Christ (or visitors) to my blog. This sort of started this ‘Jeffrey’s #1 Hit Chart for the week’ kind of thing. Of course, I will update it as and when I need a break from the madness of work; to this solitude of retreat & regaining of my sanity through writing.
So now on to the topic of this week – the #1 hit chart for the week is …(drum roll)… Kari Jobe’s ‘We Cry Out’. Why is this song on my #1 chart this week? A nonsensical and duh answer would be because I like this singer. However, on a serious note – I think this song does go out to all my friends who are experiencing some difficult situations in their lives. To some; it is the agony of leadership & the weariness of moving people who refuse to be moved; to another, it is the health & speedy recovery of her loved one; to another, it is to face up to reality in midst of despair and defeat; and to another, it is the perils and challenges of living alone in a foreign land. Yet, despite all our challenges & circumstances, there is something we can all do – and that is to CRY OUT to the Lord.
I especially like this song, because it reminds me of the Grace of the Lord. The lyrics in the first 2 stanzas are especially moving and ministering:
“Father of life, seated on your throne of grace/ It is only by your mercy we are saved.
Lord You said, if we call upon Your name/ We and our families will be saved.
Father of love never failing to forgive/ Each moment is a gift from you to live.
We are only here to tell the world about your grace/ Until the day you take us all away.”
God did say in the book of Acts that if we believe in Him, we and our family will be saved. It’s really a timely reminder for all of us to realise that time is precious and it’s a gift from God to us. More than that – God is one who will hold true to all that He has promised. We need to reconnect with Him again by crying out to Him & calling on His name. There is one thing God cannot do; and that is to go contrary to His character.
As I approach the end of 2009, I am totally blown away of how fast time flies. I can’t really say that I have accomplished much this year – let alone to account to God for how badly I have managed my own time. Yet, despite of all my ineffectiveness, I am thankful that God’s grace is there – ever supporting & holding me. Likewise, my friends – remember God. His grace is always there – we just need to cry out to Him, hold on to Him and seek solace in His loving arms.
In closing, I want to share with you God’s promises to me when I was at my lowest ebb of my life this year. It has been a tough year, not just in terms of work, but also in my personal arena. Yet, God always speaks when we are ready to listen. And in the stillness of that morning, I heard God’s voice in Isaiah 45:2 – 7 saying … “I will go before you and level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the Lord, the God of Israel, who summons you by name. For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honour, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the Lord and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of the setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the Lord and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.”
Give thanks to God in all circumstances and CRY OUT to Him. I’m sure He answers & speaks, when we are all ready to listen. Enjoy Kari Jobe’s ‘We Cry Out’.
Christian songs are somehow therapeutic. They have this amazing power to calm any anxious soul and bring one into the inner sanctuary of the Living God. My penchant for Christian music is quite varied & wide – I listen to anything from Hymns, to Hillsongs, to Chinese & even Cantonese gospel songs. I like especially the Cantonese Christian music as the melody is soothing and lyrics are very very meaningful.
One particular piece that I like very much, especially for the apt lyrics at this moment of my life – is the song ‘Shi Zhi Jia De Guang Mang’. Translated into English, it means ‘The Glory of the Cross’. I would like to attempt something that I have not tried before, that is to do a translation of this song from Cantonese into English. I would like very much to share this song with you, and also for myself as it is a good reminder, that no matter how tough life’s challenges can be – we still must pick ourselves up & walk again. We must keep the cross of God in our sight.
Here’s a translation of the song ‘The Glory of the Cross”.
The road ahead is tough, but compared to your road to Calvary my ’sufferings’ are nothing at all. I need to get up & walk again. You faced the troubles & difficulties, you experienced all the human emotions of joy and sadness.When embrace by the depth of your love, I gain freedom & victory
*Chorus: I keep my eyes on the Glory of the Cross, I live each day with You. You help me in my weaknesses and understand my current circumstances. Despite all the difficulties & sadness that I faced, you are always by my side. You watched over my life, I have the confidence to face the challenges head on.
May the song encourage all the faint-hearted and help us understand that our challenges are nothing compared to the suffering Jesus’ suffered. We may feel pain and sadness in the face of our setbacks in life, but if we keep the Cross of our God firmly in sight, the road ahead will still be light. Our steps may be heavy and adversities many, but we must keep getting up & moving on – with the Cross of Jesus firmly in our sight.
King James version, New King James version, New American Standard Bible, New International version, Good News Bible, Amplified bible, The Message & the available versions go on and on and on…
Today is Teachers’ Day. Kudos to all teachers and we all deserve a good rest and pat on our back for investing in the lives of our youths. I took the opportunity today to visit The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition that is held in Singapore. Going on a weekday afternoon is one sure way to beat the maddening crowd which one would otherwise meet on a weekend or evening. The prospect of coming face to face with artifacts spanning over 5000 years certainly whet my appetite quite a fair bit. Moreover, the artifacts are a living testament of my faith and belief in the Word of God. It’s definitely a chance not to be missed to encounter the ancient relics.
Although there are only 3 galleries for the whole exhibition, it is sufficient to leave a deep impact for all her visitors. What it fails to cover in breadth and quantity, it compensates by its depth and quality. It’s really amazing to see the hand of God in the preservation of His Word through the centuries. Quoting from a signage from the exhibition on The Dead Sea Scrolls, it says:
“Interestingly, the only complete scroll in the entire Dead Sea collection is the 2,100-year-old Isaiah Scroll which contains this prophecy about Scripture: ‘It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it’(Isa 55:11).”
Indeed, I believe that it is beyond mere coincidence that a shepherd boy would wander off looking for his lost sheep, near the caves of Qumran; that of all the biblical texts, Isaiah – that prophetic book about the coming Messiah would be found in its complete form.
Something more important that I glean out of this exhibition is that the Bible we hold in our hands so easily available today, in myriad varieties and copies and versions, don’t really come easily. Ironically, the prosecution of the reformers came from the Church – who believed that Scriptures should not be in the hands of the common, but only those approved by the State.
We have to be thankful for the lives of John Wycliff, Eramus, Martin Luther, William Tyndale and many more who paved the way for the modern English bible we hold today, in our hands. They were the best of minds in their time; the bravest of men who devoted their God-given talents & time to doing what they were called to do. There wasn’t a hint of reservation, retreat or hesitation. Death didn’t come easy for most of them but certainly the impact & legacy they leave behind is still felt very much today.
I didn’t know Church’s history can be so interesting. Today, I got reacquainted with my faith & the Bible I hold in my hands. It’s covered with many martyrs’ blood and more importantly, it’s a testament that God’s enduring word will last for eternity.
I ought to be ashamed that my waking hours are spent languishing on worldly matters; I ought to be ashamed that I need to ‘motivate’ myself to read the living word of God regularly; I ought to be ashamed that I have so many nicely decorated copies of the Bible (Life Application, NIV Study Bible, NASV) that are collecting dust in that obscure little corner of my room: I ought to … start to treasure the Bible I hold in my hands.
It has been such a long time where the never-ending pursuit of God is so palpable in my life. Even as I looked back at the various milestones in my life, the indelible marks left by God and His mercies are so clearly evident. This particular time, is no different from the others. God sought me & taught me through His Word the need to be serious in my walk with Him. It started with a small responsibility – to prepare a Bible study on Numbers 25, but the preparation ended with a heavy heart and the realisation that I have so failed God in so many ways in my life.
I was assigned to lead in my CG bible study session last Friday. Being my usual lazy self, I thought perhaps I could catch a wink and wake up later to prepare for my Bible study session. So I took my afternoon siesta at about 3pm, hoping to wake up at 4pm. Lo & behold, I slept heartily past 4pm, to 5pm, and then to 6pm. When I was fully conscious & had enough of rest, it was already 6.30pm! I panicked as I had to get out of the house soon. I took out my Life Application Bible & started looking at Numbers 25. In that short 20 minutes or so, I knew it was a very heavy passage to digest and I couldn’t understand the full gravity of the thrust of the passage itself. I prayed that God would help me capture the essence of the passage and more importantly, a glimpse of His heart.
The passage speaks about how the Moabites infiltrated into the camp of Israel and caused them to turn and sin against God. What the Moabites couldn’t do through warfare and sorcery, they accomplished through the women. The Israelites were totally entrapped and captivated by the beauty of the Moabites and Midanites women. Soon, their hearts were turned away from God and were participating in rituals of idolatry. God’s anger was great and in that day, 24,000 people died from swords & plague. It is scary how this passage depicts a similar situation then and now. In fact, we have to content with evil that is so insidious that we no longer view them as evil. I see how the passion & lust for worldly things have replaced our zeal and love for the Almighty God. I see my endless pursuit of ‘things’ in my life, drawing me away from realising my potential in Christ. It’s really frightening to see how the world has got into me, even without me recognising, thinking and doing something about it. It was a good wake – up call, one to the realisation that I’m a child of God and I have a destiny in the hands of my ever-loving Father.
God was already preparing my heart to receive this message some time back, when I read Jeremiah 5. In it, verse 28 caught my attention. It says of the Israelites that ‘they have grown fat & sleek.’ I didn’t pay much attention to it anyway then, but somehow I knew that it was a very apt description of my lifestyle and my life. I have grown fat & sleek in many ways. I have not tended the garden of my heart as diligently and disciplined as I should. I allow my own laziness to consume me and my worldly desires to fuel my everyday. With Numbers 25, God brought me back to my knees again, to the realisation that I need Him, more so than He needs me.
I like Eugene Peterson’s translation of 2 verses in Romans 13:13 & Col 3:15, as I did a further reflection on Numbers 25. In Romans 13:13 from The Message, it says:
11-14But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about! (emphasis mine)
In Colossians 3:5
5-8And that means killing off everything connected with that way of death: sexual promiscuity, impurity, lust, doing whatever you feel like whenever you feel like it, and grabbing whatever attracts your fancy. That’s a life shaped by things and feelings instead of by God. It’s because of this kind of thing that God is about to explode in anger. It wasn’t long ago that you were doing all that stuff and not knowing any better. But you know better now, so make sure it’s all gone for good: bad temper, irritability, meanness, profanity, dirty talk.
I particularly like the way Eugene Peterson translated these verses because they really bring out the modern day mentality of living & the way of life. How often do we hear people saying ‘I like to do it my way’ or the countless ‘whatever’ muttered by many youths of today. That’s the life shaped by things & feelings instead of by God & how often I am so, so guilty of it.
A few recent events have caused me to think about the brevity of life and the final ‘departure gate’ we will have to cross one day. That’s one gate where we will bid our goodbyes to this world & a hello to our Glorious Father. While at the crematorium yesterday for an ex-student of mine, I suddenly remembered a newspaper article I read some time back. In it, was an interview with Mr Lim Siong Guan, ex head of the civil service in Singapore. I can’t really remember the exact words but in a gist, he mentioned that the value one leaves behind in an organisation could be seen in how many of the initiatives are kept. If the incumbent CEO throws away many of the previous CEO initiatives or ideas, then that must not be a very valuable initiative. Likewise, in our life, the strength and value of our work is not determined by what we accomplished while alive. Rather, the value of all our present work and effort should be assessed on the impact it leaves, even long after we are gone. We need to leave a legacy behind, one that builds for the future. Our Lord Jesus modeled that very well for us … and we are aware of the legacy & impact He leaves behind 2000 + years ago through the lives of the disciples that He poured His life into.
Living a life that pleases God is a tall order and one that requires great discipline & encouragement from like-minded friends. Truly, I am not perfect. Truly, I have my own past, failures and regrets. But I am excited because I also know what my Lord can do when I am totally surrendered to Him. I want to begin a new adventure of faith with Him. I want to pursue Him, as He continues to pursue me, even till now. Just like how Jesus was able to turn water into wine in the first miracle He performed, I am certain that IN GOD, He is able to turn my weaknesses into strengths, my pains into joy, my defeats into victories.
May I invite you all to join me in this new found adventure of faith with God. My Jesus, my beautiful Saviour
I like a devotion shared by my cellgroup member some time back. It’s a devotion from Os Hillman on 27 July 09 and it speaks about how the little in a day we put in, can be our greatest achievement over a long period of time. Am putting this in my blog, so that I can remember it & more importantly learn to apply the principle to my life. For my friends here, please enjoy this devotion.
Little by Little
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Monday, July 27 2009
“All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty” (Prov 14:23).
Is there something you would like to accomplish in life but simply cannot find the hours in the day to get started? Many of us suffer from procrastination. We justify putting our dreams aside because we don’t believe we have the time or resources to accomplish the task.
Many times people tell me they believe they are called to write a book. I tell them, “Great, if God has called you to write a book, begin to write it.” Sometimes the response is: “But I don’t have a publisher.” “That has nothing to do with it,” I say. “That is not your problem. If God calls you to write a book, you are to begin to write. You may not be writing to get published. You may be writing for other purposes.”
“The LORD your God will drive out those nations before you, little by little” (Deut 7:22). If God has given you a vision to do something, begin by taking baby steps toward that project. Begin to focus on the vision and take action steps toward it. Many times people ask me, “How in the world do you have time to write? You travel so much and seem to have such a full schedule.” My answer to them is that I have a specific time of day in which I commit to writing. It is usually between 5 AM and 8 AM. I have found this to be my most creative and productive time. Very little can get in the way of this time if I believe God has given me a project to do.
You will be amazed at what God can do with a little each day. Do not let procrastination prevent you from accomplishing what God may want to do through your life. Make plans today to take baby steps toward the vision that is in your heart.
I don’t know whether it’s coincidental or there is a spiritual truth behind it, but something really terrible happened while I was going to church today. I was, as usual, minding my own business and thinking about things, when suddenly I felt myself thrust forward and I heard a ‘clack’ sound. For a moment, my ankle was in extreme pain and I couldn’t proceed walking. I almost fell down, but didn’t really. I sat on the kerb to rest my ankle as I could feel the acute pain in my ankle. It was really silly of me not to look where I was going; or maybe it was LTA’s fault not to have the pavement leveled. Either case, my ankle was sore and I had no one to blame. Proceeded to church, with a slight limp and attended the service. Strangely, the pain wasn’t that bad during the church service. It was when I reached home that I couldn’t even walk! My mother brought me down to a chinese sinseh at Ann Siang Road. Got my leg all wrapped up like a dumpling and I had to limp back home. When night fell, I found the pain unbearable and went to see the doctor to get medical leave (MC) for tomorrow. I can’t just aggravate my injury, with my ankle all wrapped up right?
Incidentally, the Sermon for today was on Numbers 22 – 24, where God opposed Balaam’s path with an angel. The donkey could not proceed on and the furious Balaam had to smack the mule but got rebuked instead. ‘I have come here to oppose you because your path is a reckless one before me.’ Maybe it was a ‘retribution’ from God for me not attending prayer meeting or I am just plain unlucky today! (My chance of running a half-marathon is in jeopardy. Both doctors advised me against running in 2 weeks time)
How often do we unwittingly or intentionally travel on dangerous roads? In my journeys, I always find myself coming back to the same spot. Somehow, I find myself going in circles, but yet – it’s a different kind of stop altogether. I don’t know how to describe it, but this incident is certainly a good reminder that we need to tread carefully on earth. One of my favourite poems that talks about choosing one’s path wisely is by Robert Frost and it is titled ‘The Road less travelled’.
ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth
Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
Robert Frost
In a realistic sense, it’s true that we can’t travel on both paths as a solo traveller. Either we have to take one, and forsake the other, or take the other and forsake the one. There is certainly no way of walking on both. Likewise, in my journey on earth, I have to choose to walk in the way of God, or the way of the world. The destination is different and the two paths are never the same.
I certainly feel that I have arrived at a junction yet again. Two paths lay before me. Yet, I am rooted where I am. I am contemplating, thinking and staring into the woods world away. I don’t know which path I should take, but I know I should tread carefully. God’s assurance to Jeremiah greatly provides much wisdom & help to my situation.
Jeremiah 6:16 ‘ Stand at the crossroad and look. Ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your soul.’ I hope I will walk in it & not like the Israelites say ‘We will not walk in it.’ God grant me the courage to tread where no man has gone for the purposes of your kingdom and the refining of my soul. The ancient pathway is good and I guess I will not go wrong. I just need the courage to take the road less travelled upon.
This is my first foray into blogging. Indeed, it is a little surprising that a person like me who is normally lazy, could have such great impetus to venture into an activity that requires a little more time on my part. I guess technology has its advantages after all. Through blogging, it not only helps to capture my thoughts in writing, it is also a platform where accountability could be exercised. Accountability is a very BIG word and the best possible way where I can share my life and keep track of my own spiritual growth is through Blogging. To my fellow pilgrims (brothers & sisters in Christ) in this common journey of faith, I hope this blog of mine will grant you insight into my spiritual journey as well as act as an platform for us to process learning points and truths together.
WHAT IS STRATEGIC PLANNING?
I attended a cluster symposium on ‘Strategic Planning’ last Thursday. My Principal who delivered the opening address, gave a real interesting paradigm shift to the whole idea of strategic thinking. He painted a metaphor of a potter moulding a clay and liken the potter to the strategist who continually has to structure and create his work of art. There is deliberation and planning in the whole process. Yet, the paradigm shift presented by the speaker is not so much the plan, but the PEOPLE. This truly shows my Principal’s heart- people before plans.
I may have some prior knowledge what strategic planning is all about. Yet, when I remove my worldly lens and consider it from a spiritual perspective, strategic planning is nothing more than putting God back in the whole equation of things. It is not about people before plans, neither is it just pure, meticulous planning. It is God, right in the forefront of things. Being strategic is about being focused – making sure that we are not barking up the wrong tree. We are not called to be a someone to everyone. Each of us are called for a purpose and being strategic requires us to Know our purpose and keep to the purpose. The Israelites under Moses had a shot on the promise land. Yet, they missed it because they completely threw God out of the picture. They were certainly not strategic though they did an intelligent thing – to send spies out to spy the land!
Beyond people and plans, to me, being strategic means making sure that I am on God’s side and following his agenda. I cannot make my plans without putting the Almighty God in the whole equation. It is only when our plans are made revolving around Him, then will we see the fruits of our labour. We have many examples in the Bible that teaches us this. No great battle is won without the help and blessing of God! Thus, being strategic is to put God first, beyond people and plans and to make sure that it is really God’s leading in the every step that I take.
God may you help me to be wise in this worldly age. There are so many things that will distract me and I know that my natural tendency is to use my own talent to go about my work. Yet, I know I will accomplish so much more when I am totally surrendered in You. God, help me to be strategic – by following your ways and not my ways.
The ancient pathway is good and I guess I will not go wrong. I just need the courage to take the road less travelled upon. 
