Belonging to Christ

We are very familiar with Philippians 2:6-11 but how about from verse 1 to 5?

Philippians 2:1-5 NLT

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? [2] Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. [3] Don't be selfish; don't try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. [4] Don't look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. [5] You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Have we been sharing our lives with others showing love and compassion? Have we been working together with one mind and purpose in the Lord? Have we been taking an interest in others?

Pearlie

Jesus taking the highest honor, the highest place

I was worship leading in church today when I used this song, Jesus Shall Take the Highest Honor. 

We sing it oh-so-easily, but do we take Jesus and put Him as the highest in our priority, in our lives?

More often not, it's ourselves we find there, in the highest place. 

pearlie

When I didn't feel like attending church

I've been getting quite stressed up lately and I didn't feel like going to church this morning, which doesn't happen in all my life. 

Well, not that it doesn't, just that it's very rare.

However, I made the decision to go anyway. I know I didn't feel like it but I know I had to. 

So I turned up for service, and it turns out it's a good thing I did. 

I have always looked forward to Dr Leong Tian Fock's sessions and I didn't know he was preaching today. 

His sermon on Psalm 44, A House of Prayer: Through the Psalms of Lament was what I needed. 

He said at one point that there is no point in hiding from God. Because if we do, we are denying the fact that he is all-powerful, all-knowing and all-loving. 

He knows anyway, and he has the power to do something and he loves me. 

That's all I need to know for now to get myself right again with him. 

pearlie

My Tapestry of Songs

It's my birthday today and as I commute to work, I thought I'd shuffle play my 1000+ songs in my Apple Music and get surprise birthday gift songs one by one in a row. 

It's the happiest commute ever!

The first song itself gave me an idea to weave my own birthday gift by taking a sentence out of each song to make a tapestry of lyrics.

So I connected all 20 songs into one song all for myself. Yea, I was commuting quite a lot today. LOL. 

It was tough to connect 20 songs of different context, in its proper sequence as it plays, and I know it's far from perfect. It may even sound wrong but that's life isn't it?

We try to put things together but not everything seems to fit, and we never could attain that perfection we always wanted. 

But in the end, it is the LORD who holds our life together and it's only in him we find our true purpose, our final home. 

A TAPESTRY - OUR FINAL HOME

And he said age is just a number,

But it feels like I've opened my eyes again,

The Lord gave the word,

소리조차 내지 않을게요.

(sorijocha naeji aneulgeyo/

I won't even make a sound.) 

無論多麼壞 好心態,

(mou4 leon6 do1 mo1 waai6 hou2 sam1 taai3/

No matter how bad it can be, I am positive) 

가끔은 이 모든 게 두렵네,

(gakkeumeun i modeun ge duryeomne/

Sometimes, everything is so scary) 

같은 실수 다시 안해,

(gateun silsu dasi anhae/

I won't make the same mistake again) 

But thanks be to God.

Crucifixus etiam pro nobis,

(He was crucified also for us) 

Your grace abounds in deepest waters,

내가 살아가는 이유 너 하나야,

(naega saraganeun iyu neo hanaya/

The reason I live is only you)

오늘밤이 지나면 새로운 날이 시작돼.

(oneulbami jinamyeon saeroun nari sijakdwae/

When tonight passes, a new day will start)

내겐 끝도 없이 멈춰있는 시간 같아,

(naegen kkeutdo eopsi meomchwoinneun sigan gata/But it feels like it’s been eons)

고요한 침묵만 가득한 마음은,

(goyohan chimmungman gadeukan maeumeun/

My heart is filled with nothing but a still silence) 

오늘 그리고 지금 나의 삶은 도대체 무엇을 위하지,

(oneul geurigo jigeum naui saleun dodaeche mueoseul wihaji/Today and this moment, what is the purpose of my life?) 

I'm giving my all and I know peace will come.

I'm gonna give you my heart,

No holding back, no holding out,

And it was there that you found me,

You know I want that, home.

Sources:

Troye Sivan, Seventeen 

Rachel Platten, Better Place 

Handel George Frideric, The Messiah 

Chen, Love Words 

Yoga Lin, Worst Come to Worst 

BTS, Anpanman 

Sik-K, Sorry (1000) 

Handel George Frideric, The Messiah 

Antonio Lotti, Crucifixus 

Hillsong, Where Oceans Rise 

4Men, 너 하나야 (Only You) 

Taeyang, Stay With Me 

10cm, That 5 Minutes 

Chen, Flower 

Bewhy, OK 

Sia, Helium 

Coldplay, A Sky Full of Stars 

Rend Collective, All That I Am 

Gungor, Late Have I Loved You 

BTS, Home

pearlie

Tired but happy

I'm tired but happy.

It was a really long day today with back to back meetings but I'm happy with how the day went.

My colleague did say to me once that it seems to take very little to make me happy. 

I'm not sure if that's the case but now at this age, I think I have lowered down my life expectations. 

Life's not perfect but nonetheless, I feel I'm blessed and I'm thankful to God for it. 

Trust in the LORD, and do good; 

dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.

Delight yourself in the LORD, 

and he will give you the desires of your heart.

~ Psalm 37:3-4 (ESV)

pearlie

Why everything matters

One of my favourite books in the Bible is definitely Ecclesiastes, and if you perform a search in my blog, I talk about and quote from it quite a lot. 

Today I felt I needed to read the book again, and so I started to re-read Philip Graham Ryken’s preaching commentary on Ecclesiastes. 

Ecclesiastes: Why Everything Matters

by Philip Graham Ryken

I remember reading the book in year 2012 and six years down the line, it’s time I read it again, and once more learn that whilst everything is meaningless, why and how everything matters. 

I did not blog about this book when I read it then but I did do a book review in 2015 on Thomas Nelson’s A Life Well Lived, A Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes. 

A Life Well Lived, A Study of the Book of Ecclesiastes

by Thomas Nelson

And now that I am reading my blogpost Enjoy Your Life! again, I think it’s time I re-read Nelson after I finish Ryken’s. 

pearlie

The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear?

Psalm 27:1-14 (ESV)

The LORD is my light and my salvation; 

whom shall I fear? 

The LORD is the stronghold of my life; 

of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, 

my adversaries and foes, 

it is they who stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me, 

my heart shall not fear; 

though war arise against me, 

yet I will be confident.

One thing have I asked of the LORD,

that will I seek after: 

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, 

to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; 

he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; 

he will lift me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me, 

and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make melody to the LORD.

Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud; 

be gracious to me and answer me! 

You have said, "Seek my face." 

My heart says to you, 

"Your face, LORD, do I seek."

Hide not your face from me.

Turn not your servant away in anger, 

O you who have been my help. 

Cast me not off; 

forsake me not, O God of my salvation! 

For my father and my mother have forsaken me, 

but the LORD will take me in. 

Teach me your way, O LORD, 

and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 

Give me not up to the will of my adversaries; 

for false witnesses have risen against me, 

and they breathe out violence. 

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living! 

Wait for the LORD; 

be strong, and let your heart take courage; 

wait for the LORD!

pearlie

Attaining Life Fulfilment

I've accepted that we've all got crap to deal with and problems that we're fighting not to be defined by. At the end of the day, we all want the same stuff: fulfillment, love, support, comfort, and a hot-air balloon with laser guns attached to it. The most important thing is that we appreciate the crazy ride we're on. 

~ Zach Anner

It's easy to look at the things of this world to solve our challenges and obstacles in life, but when we submit our lives to Christ, His grace, mercy, peace and love will bring true fulfillment to our lives. 

~ Bethany Hamilton

If you so choose, even the unexpected setbacks can bring new and positive possibilities. If you so choose, you can find value and fulfillment in every circumstance. 

~ Ralph Marston

For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

~ Philippians 1:21 (ESV)

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

~ Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)

pearlie

Food and thoughts: crowd out, don’t cut out

I found out about the diet advise of “crowd out, don’t cut out,” where it will not work to cut out food that taste good but may not be good for you. So instead of cutting it off completely, crowd it out with good food, and you can still savor some of the tasty stuff in small quantities. 

I realize I have been doing that. For one, I drink a lot of water and I feel quite full as a result. And recently, to stop me from opening up tins of CNY goodies at work, I would pop a Fisherman’s Friend lozenge and that worked fabulously in helping me stay away from cookies and snacks. 

But I’m also crowding out this other one thing. There are some thoughts and worries that I cannot cut out. But it does not help to think or worry about it either. 

So I’m practicing crowding out by replacing my thoughts with better things. I did not crowd it out with serious stuff today but with something simple and easy enough to fill my mind for the time being. 

It worked perfectly.

Philippians 4:6-9 (MSG)

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious-the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

pearlie

Hold fast to Jesus

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

~ Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)

You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

~ Deuteronomy 10:20 (ESV)

pearlie

Be still my soul, the Lord is on your side

pearlie

Why was Jesus born?

We celebrated Christmas Eve today at church and it wasn’t the usual Sunday service. After praise and worship, there was a short skit where three men talked about what Christmas is in Starbucks...

...followed by the same three guys playing the three wise men having a discussion about the birth of Jesus in Starbeth Cafe in Bethlehem. 

Then pastor gave a very good sermon about Christmas. 

I didn’t get the chance to take any notes but I remember a couple of new things I learnt from him:

1. The Jews knowing that the prophecy of the coming of Messiah was about to be fulfilled did not welcome the birth of Jesus but the magi who weren’t Jews were so excited about it they wanted to not only go and visit and give gifts, but to worship him. 

2. The virgin Mary was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by sexual relations with a man, and with that  Jesus did not inherit the sinful nature of man. And what the Holy Spirit did to “overshadow” Mary—the same way he overshadow the world when it was created—was when he prevented the sinful nature of Mary to be passed on to Jesus. 

The birth of Jesus more than two thousand years ago marked the history where God became man to save us from ourselves, from our sins.

Even if you do not believe him, this happened in history and therefore you do need to ask the question, why?

pearlie

Some reflections about praying and being with God

I admit don’t pray very well. 

I am okay when I have my own private prayers because I will just speak my mind without much thought about structure or form. I wouldn’t think of what I should say, I will just speak my mind and from the heart, sometimes casual and sometimes formal. 

But when I pray in public or when I attend prayer meetings, I get quite stressed up as I don’t usually know what to say. I do know what to pray for, especially since it’s a prayer request. I just don’t know how to pray it. 

I also hold the view that we do not treat prayer like a wishing well, asking only for things we want, or reminding God to keep his promises, as if he needs any reminding. 

So to the very core of it, I do not really understand prayer. To me, God already knows what’s best and will give us his best, whether in a form of a blessing or discipline, he knows what is best for us. 

So then, why and what do I pray? 

I pray because it’s commanded by God and so I do it. But what do I pray about. I am not exactly sure and so other than taking on how Jesus taught us to pray, I would just speak my mind and my heart.

I also began to see what books I have on prayer and found I this in my stash. 

Praying Backwards, Transform Your Prayer Life by Beginning in Jesus’ Name

by Bryan Chapell

I have just started reading it and I like it. I do not want to rush through it and thought I’d read it bit by bit to learn and practice as I go. 

Here are some gems so far from the Introduction and first portion of the first chapter:

When we pray “in Jesus’ name,” we pray for his sake more than our own. We still present our desires and concerns to God, but we do so in the context of yielding our priorities to Christ’s priorities.

In this fallen world you cannot avoid suffering; you can have peace in the midst of it. You cannot avoid trials; you can have confidence of their purpose. You cannot bind God by your prayers; you can guarantee his blessing. You cannot direct the will of God; you can pray according to his will and rest in the assurance of his love. You can pray knowing that God will marshal the powers of heaven to accomplish on earth all he knows is best for your eternity. Praying in Jesus’ name is the key.

We approach the throne of grace without the burden of our sin and with the righteousness of our Savior. We ask for his blessing based on God’s wisdom, not ours. We trust in his faithfulness, not in the adequacy of our faith.

I especially like what Chapell says here: We trust in his faithfulness, not in the adequacy of our faith. 

I always berate myself for not praying enough, for not reading his Word enough, for not keeping close to God enough, and I realized I have been depending a lot on what I have done or not done to keep this relationship with God, when at the end of it all, it is God himself who first sought me, and who first call to fellowship and commune with me. 

So the next time when I am reminded to pray or read the Bible or just to be in his presence, I must not do it in guilt that I have not done enough, but to simply be there with the ever-present Emmanuel, God who is with us, who is with me. 

pearlie

3 Amazing Stories about Faithfulness

I was at Faith Methodist Church Cheras today as Grace Notes presented an anniversary anthem for their 30th anniversary celebration. 

I was glad to be there and I realize how much I miss attending a liturgical Methodist Sunday service!

Rev Dr T Jeyakumar was the speaker and his sermon based on Revelation 14:1-5 was a very good lesson and reminder for me to remain faithful to the Lord. 

Revelation 14:1-5 NLT

Then I saw the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of mighty ocean waves or the rolling of loud thunder. It was like the sound of many harpists playing together. This great choir sang a wonderful new song in front of the throne of God and before the four living beings and the twenty-four elders. No one could learn this song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. They have kept themselves as pure as virgins, following the Lamb wherever he goes. They have been purchased from among the people on the earth as a special offering to God and to the Lamb. They have told no lies; they are without blame.

The author of Revelation uses a lot of imagery language and the 144,000 people is used to represent all the people that belongs to God. 

But why the number 144,000?

12 times 12 times 1000? If it is really 12 times 12 times 1000, then it clearly depicts all of the redeemed people of the Lord - 12 tribes multiplied by 12 tribes and on top of it multiplied by a thousand.  

I like Rev Jeya's focus on verse 4: It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb. (ESV)

When I first read v.4, I felt rather discouraged. I know I am not pure nor have I been really following and obeying all the time. Does that mean I am not part of the 144,000?

But again Rev Jeya reminded us that it's imagery language that was used and that v.4 takes on the marriage covenant imagery where the groom remained undefiled. 

As such the three lessons of v.4 is that of (1) being faithful, (2) following Christ and (3) belonging to God as his redeemed. 

With that I am most encouraged. 

Rev Jeya also gave us some examples in being faithful to God. It is easy when things are well and good but when things get tough, will we still be faithful?

The stories he told were harrowing true events. 

First, he referred to what happened recently when three bus loads of Christians were stopped by a group of ISIS men in Egypt. They were ordered to alight the bus one by one and each of them were asked two questions: "Are you Muslim?" and "Will you be a Muslim?" As they firmly stood by their faith, they were either shot or had their throats slit. Imagine you were in the line to get off the bus to answer the two questions and as you watch what is happening, will you remain faithful?

The second story about Nabeel Qureshi. He was a Muslim who became a Christian after he studied the Bible and as much as he tried to refute it, in the end he found there is no way he could deny the logical truth and the love of Christ. He then put his life into studying theology and spent his days being a testimony for Christ but he faced a lot of cruel criticisms from a lot of people. He soon found himself in stage 4 stomach cancer and the verbal abuse became even more relentless. He held on firmly to his faith in Christ till his death on 16 September 2017. If we were in such a situation, will we still hold on to our faith?

His third story was one that made me tear up. I don't cry easily but this one made me. I did a search and found it in a book entitled Heroes of Our Faith by Patrick Sookhdeo (2012).

I really can't imagine how it will be like when one is being buried alive, and what more with kids!

Will you remain faithful? 

Tonight we will have supper with the King of kings, the Lord of lords.

pearlie

The Furious Longing of God

I am in Day 2 of my fasting from TV. 

I am reading again. 

I have heard of Brennan Manning and the popularity of his books but I never did find out more about him though I did purchase a few of his book in my Kindle. 

I decided to read The Furious Longing of God, and it was exactly what I needed. 

The Furious Longing of God

by Brennan Manning

Manning was a master and expert on words. He really had a way with it. Mark Batterson who wrote the foreword to the book said, "Brennan has a raw poetic writing style that puts him in rare writing company. His words will gracefully confront the status quo in your life and reawaken a deep desire to know the One who desires you. Brennan also has a way of putting into words the subliminal fears and hopes and desires many of us have a difficult time verbalizing. That’s why his books resonate with readers on such a deep level."

The book touches on Christian Spirituality and how furiously God loves us. 

Both theology, which is faith seeking understanding, and spirituality, which is the faith-experience of what we understand intellectually, offer a glimpse into the mystery. Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles (1 Cor. 13: 12).

The men and women who are truly filled with light are those who have gazed deeply into the darkness of their own imperfect existence.

However, I find myself getting wary of it getting too loose on the grace of God. The book seem to elevate the love of God without enough mention of the grace of God and how undeserving we are of it. 

Manning said, "if we continue to view ourselves as moral lepers and spiritual failures, if our lives are shadowed by low self-esteem, shame, remorse, unhealthy guilt, and self-hatred, we reject the teaching of Jesus and cling to our negative self-image."

It is true that those qualities are not what God wants in our lives. There is after all no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 

Maybe it's just me, but I cannot read the book with reckless abandon, though that was what I felt when I read it - to really immerse myself in the furious longing of God. 

To simply be in his presence all the days of my life. 

pearlie

When and how to surrender when we are conditioned to fight?

I was reading Jeremiah 21 today and when I read these few verses, I have a question,

Jeremiah 21:8-10 (NLT)

"Tell all the people, 'This is what the LORD says: Take your choice of life or death! Everyone who stays in Jerusalem will die from war, famine, or disease, but those who go out and surrender to the Babylonians will live. Their reward will be life! For I have decided to bring disaster and not good upon this city, says the LORD. It will be handed over to the king of Babylon, and he will reduce it to ashes.'

I understand that God disciplines us to teach us to be mature, more so when we really needed the lesson, when we need to humble ourselves and accept it. 

However here in Jeremiah, God was telling his people to surrender to their enemy in order to live. God did warn them and gave them years and years of warning through the prophet Jeremiah to repent, but they did not turn away from the disobedience. They gave no heed to God and his commands and yielded their lives to other gods. 

And God is telling them to surrender and to be defeated. 

I suppose we are indeed brought up to hold on to what we think is ours, but if you think about it, what is ours? Doesn't everything belong to God? What we are, what we have and what we are trained and skilled in, all ultimately belongs to Him. 

But to surrender to an enemy? To give ourselves to what we know is bad? It is so against what we as human are being taught and conditioned to do. We are taught to fight and stand up for what is ours. 

Is it even right to give up our rights? How will we know that is what God wants from us?

pearlie 

How's your walk with God today?

My reading was on Isaiah 65 today and it was a firm reminder for me that certainly spurred me to be serious about my relationship with God. 

The LORD says, "I was ready to respond, but no one asked for help. I was ready to be found, but no one was looking for me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am!' to a nation that did not call on my name. 

~ Isaiah 65:1 (NLT)

How is your relationship with Jesus right now? Not how it was yesterday, not how it will be tomorrow, but how is it today?

pearlie

Great is Thy Faithfulness

I woke up with this song playing in my head, telling myself to fully have faith in the Almighty God who is ever so faithful. 

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee,
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not,
As Thou hast been, Thou forever wilt be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above;
Join with all nature in manifold witness,
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today, and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside.

pearlie

Lord, purify my heart, correct me, discipline me

Our sermon this morning by Rev Wong Fong Yang is on Proverbs 3:11-12, entitled Do Not Despise the Lord's Discipline. 

We would normally accept discipline when we know we have done wrong and the Lord disciplines us, but it is when we have not done anything wrong, the Lord still disciplines us. Why?

The answer is pretty straight forward, though hard to take: it is because He loves us and wants to mature us.  If you imagine yourself not having gone through any difficult periods in your life, how would you have turned out to be? Not a very matured or nice person for that matter I'd say.

So be glad for the Father's discipline on us, his children, whom he loves. 

I was worship leading today and I picked Refiner's Fire as the song of response which was most appropriate. I had the privilege to have my former vocal teacher, Charity Lee, to be my back-up (what are the odds? We ended up attending the same church!). It was fulfilling to sing the song with her, calling out to God to purify and cleanse us. 

I found this video by Jeremy Passion and The Katinas who did an amazing job on the song. I kept listening to it over and over again as I work on this post. What a lovely interpretation of the song. 

Do take a listen. 

pearlie

Christ is risen indeed

I finished reading Köstenberger's book, The Final Days of Jesus, and found it excellent as a companion to reading the Scripture on a day-to-day basis during the Holy Week.

I have also concluded the daily readings everyday with the videos provided here, with this video on the Resurrection Day:

I will do this again next year, and make the passages of the Passion Week, of the atoning death and resurrection of Jesus the focus of my thought, meditation and commitment. 

pearlie