Before My Lord
As my bended knees touch the floor, elbows rested on the bed and hands clasped together, my journey begins with "Oh Lord, my God!". There I was, a mere speck of existence in His vast universe, feeling utterly small about myself. Yet, being the selfish man that I am, always quick to put forth complains and petitions, sometimes slow to praise Him, sometimes forgetting to confess sins and trespasses. There is too much within me to say to Him, too little words to describe them, too pre-occupied with my own carnal reasonings while conversing with Him. I am entrapped by a contrasting struggle of saying-it-all against being totally being still before Him and praising His Name. Often, I feel like a praying schizophrenia.
Then, I just smack against this invisible wall of grace, a point where I am beyond reasoning, completely lost for words and numbed towards the environment around me. Beyond words that can describe, my spirit groans and my lips break out into foreign tongues. As that happens, I feel an awesome sense of connection between myself and God. The cogs engage, spinning and properly oiled. Every cell within my body, every fibre of nerve, every sensation within my gut and every uncried tear screams for the glory of God. There I was, a mere speck of existence, engulfed by His radiant love.
I often wondered, how and why does God ever put up with all this nonsense from me. I asked for an audible voice, He's silent. I asked for dreams and visions, He gives me excellent blank black sleeps. I asked for signs and wonders, nothing happens. For all those unanswered prayers, what do I do with them? Lethargy wears me down to keep praying them. Or should I still keep praying for them? I never had the privelage of being granted the foresight. But in hindsight, I can see His remarkable works in my life. I can only pray that His will be done while I cast myself into the unknowns of this world day after day. After all that is being said and done, I finally come to a realization that I just want to draw ever closer to Him time after time.
Book Review : Finishing Strong
A man with continuous valor for his wife, children and his Lord is a rare commodity these days. Steve Farrar gives a shocking statistic that only one in ten men finish strong. We are all familiar with race metaphor the Apostle Paul spoke of in the epistles. This book expounds into great details, with myriads examples of actual live, what it means to be finishing strong.
The book is divided into 3 main parts. The prelude chapter to the first part is filled with live examples of people who started off strong, but failed to finish it strong. It is captivating when Steve compares the outcome of Billy Graham, Chuck Templeton and Bron Clifford, all started strong and all failed the mark but one - Billy Graham. Steve was quick to point out that finishing strong doesn’t mean finishing perfect or unblemished. Also, one can still finish strong even if he had a poor start. In the remaining chapters of Part I, Steve went on to warn us about ambushes that prevent us from finishing strong : ambush of another women, ambush of money and ambush of a neglected family. To stay on course, Steve gave four underpinning “stay” principles : stay in the scriptures, stay close to a friend, stay away from other women and stay alert to the tactics of the enemy. Do Note the emphasis of staying away from the lure of other women. There are biblical accounts of man who threw it all away - Samson, David and Solomon finished so-so because of their philandering ways.
Part 2 grips the readers with a list of “not-to-do” list for a man who intends to finish strong. A fascinating analogy and lesson was drawn from the Titanic on how sin will take you further than you wanted to go, longer than you wanted to stay and cost you more than you are willing to pay. One chapter discusses about pride at length, using the life and times of King Uzziah as an example of a man who started off very strong in the Lord but finally spirals out disgracefully. Steve was very detailed in explaining how that happen, quoting both from scriptures and supported by contemporary examples. In the final chapter of the part, a man is called to be a leader in their family and community they are accountable to. It is outlined what marks an “unleader” which should be avoided - being unservant, unteachable, unjust, unhospitable and an unhappy family.
As the closing part to the book, Part 3 compliments Part 2 by providing prototypes of what it means to be finishing strong. One chapter is dedicated to explaining at length that it doesn’t matter how we lousy we start, as long as we finish strong. There were myriads of examples being expound, and it is comforting to know that the Lord is still on a lookout for men who is willing to un-equate their past lives and move on to enter His glory by finishing strong. Another chapter describes how God uses failures to mould man into His image to be used for His glory. Steve uses a humorous way of likening failure to a degree called Masters in Character Acquisition. He expounds tastefully the degrees core courses at great lengths using biblical examples. The closing chapters speak about the vision for the finish line and the endurance to keep pushing oneself closer to that line.
The entire book is filled with accounts of characters from the bible and contemporary examples, which makes the read both appealing and relevant. Unlike many books which are probably more abstract and philosophically inclined, Steve Farrar’s straight-to-the-gut style and a tendency to outline core messages meant that this an easy book to read and comprehend. A must read for all men out there who wants to live a significant life for Christ.
The Godly Man's Picture
I am currently working on book review - I am reviewing "Finishing Strong" by Steve Farrar. It is still work in progress, but I need to get that out very soon. So while I am weaving words around that, here's something I've come across from Thomas Watson, who gave twenty-four characteristics of a godly man in his book "The Godly Man's Picture", dated way back in 1666 :
1. a man of knowledge
2. a man moved by faith
3. a man fired by love
4. a man like God
5. a man careful about the worship of God
6. a man who serves God, not men
7. a man who prizes Christ
8. a man who weeps
9. a man who loves the Word
10. a man who has the Spirit of God residing in him
11. a man of humility
12. a man of prayer
13. a man of sincerity
14. a heavenly man
15. a zealous man
16. a patient man
17. a thankful man
18. a man who loves the saints
19. a man who does not indulge himself in any sin
20. a man who is good in his relationshops
21. a man who does spiritual things in a spiritual manner
22. a man thoroughly trained in religion
23. a man who walks with God
24. a man who strives to be an instrument for making others godly.
It's a breath-taking list...quite literally. I took a deep breath after punching those out on the keyboard. I admit...I have problem with Number 8.
I cringe in embarassment hearing complains from our sisters that chivalry is a rare commodity among men today. The epitome of a godly gentleman is a man complete with excellent manners, courtesy and social refinement. Beneath that demeanour is a heart of sincerity, kindness, faithfulness and generosity. A godly gentleman exudes the aura of Christ that is in him and radiates love and compassion outwardly to people surrounding. So gentlemen, make no mistakes. We are, after all, recognized by our fruits.
Mid-Week Musings : Learning to Wait
If I was asked to single out one big issue I struggle with, I would have said "waiting". Even when there were circumstances in my life where I actually see the value and benefits of waiting (like the nice condominium I acquired below market value after waiting for about 18 mths in search of a property), I still struggle massively with the area of patience. To some extent I'm convinced that I'm a man of action, and when I do things, I do it now, and I want to see results now. Now now now. I don't want to wait until kingdom comes. Impatience to me is like caffeine, which makes my heart pulsative. And that is unbiblical - I know it is. In the process I sometimes end up creating a mess of a probably perfect outcome with a horribly imperfect timing due to lack of patience.
I thank God that He is gracious, and He is the one who is patiently working in me, and He works things out for the good of me, because I love Him and I am called according to His purposes.
I've came across some good quotes about patience and waiting :
Lewis Smedes writes :
Waiting is our destiny as creatures who cannot by themselves bring about what they hope for,
We wait in the darkness for a flame we cannot light,We wait in fear for a happy ending we cannot write,
We wait for a not yet that feels like a not ever,Waiting is the hardest work of hope.
M. Scott Peck writes :
Delaying gratification is a process of scheduling the pain and pleasure of life in such a way as to enhance the pleasure by meeting and experiencing the pain first and getting it over with. It is the only decent way to live.
Daniel Goleman writes :
At the heart of emotional intelligence is the ability to delay gratification and not live at the mercy of impulse.
A Child's Faith
When we were young children, we hardly have problem with faith. When was it when you saw a child, when he/she learns to walk, fall and said "I will never walk again." Never! Instead, he/she gets up and toddle again. As a parent, we delight in watching our baby boy/girl take the first step. Children are so adorable simply because they are so childlike in their approach. They laugh because they feel happy, they cry when they feel hungry; feed them and they laugh again. Our hearts melt when we see our little ones snuggle up peaceful to sleep, without a hint of worry on their faces.
As we grow older, things seem to change. Life doesn't appear to be as simple as it seemed. Things got greyer by the years. The world snares at us to comform and compromise. Our hearts grew cold and hard with each fleeting disappointment. Our integrity stand grew soft as we are become more short-sighted thus giving in to immediate gratifications. As we become supposedly more educated, we justify and analyze. Too much of that, we nullify and paralyze faith. We become consumed with ourselves; we are embittered by our circumstances. The problem is simply because we "grew up". That doesn't necessarily mean that we mature.
The Bible says very clearly that it is impossible to please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6). To make giant strides for God, a ginourmous faith is required to match that. It is at places of extremities where God meets His people to make giant strides for Him. Abraham was challenged to leave his homeland; Moses did some time in the wilderness; Elijah ran away; Peter had to get his feet wet.
Jesus said, "Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." (Matt 18:3-4). Having a childlike faith is the single most important element to move into the glory of God. Having a childlike faith means that we need to renounce all that we are - our intellect, power, money etc to humble ourselves to a position that we are able have faith and receive accordingly. We need to unlearn what we have learned.
As I peer over the boat, my head screams in retaliation, my muscles tense up, my heart races. It is in places of extremities that God meets His people. It is a childlike faith that God is pleased with. I know in my spirit that this feet is going to get wet. I reckon, a minute on stormy waters with Jesus is better than hours in the boat.
Mid-week Musings : Not giving a foothold
A certain man wanted to sell his house for two thousand dollars. Another man wanted to buy it very badly, but he was a poor man and didn't have the full price. After much bargaining, the owner agreed to sell the house to the man for one thousand dollars. But the reduced price came with a stipulation. The owner would sell the house, but he would keep ownership of a large nail protruding from over the front door.
Several years later, the original owner decided he wanted to buy the house back. Understandably, the new owner was unwilling to sell. As a result, the original owner went out, found the carcass of a dead dog in the street, and hung it from the nail he still owned. Soon the house became unliavable, and the family was forced to sell to the owner of the nail.
If we leave the devil with even one small peg in our life, he will return to hang his rotting garbage on it. You may own the entire home, but if you give the enemy access to just one nail in your life, it definitely puts you in the high risk bracket.
Embracing 2007 with Christ
I was asked by a friend what my new year resolution was. I told her that there is no such thing as a new year resolution for Christians, because we do daily resolutions. That was what Jesus had in mind when He said "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." (Luke 9:23) It speaks of an attitude of submission, and it suggest focus and sustainability. We all need to do that conscientiously because we are called to conform to the image of Christ.
Nevertheless, we all love milestones. I would agree that the closing of 2006 is chronologically convenient to pause and reflect upon the year. We thank the Lord for all His grace and blessings in abundance that He has flourished our lives with. We seek His mercy and forgiveness for our trespasses for we are not perfect, and we do stumble along the way too. By His strength, we are able to win by surrendering to Him alone. We pick ourselves up again to continue the race He has set before us.
As we chart our way into the unknowns of 2007, Jesus has got to be our priority numero uno - no compromise. If you claim to love God with all your hearts and with all your soul and with all your mind, you will know what it means by putting Jesus first ahead of everything else in your life. And He has a promise to match that : "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask whatever ye will, it shall be done onto thee" (John 15:7). Keep Jesus close by communing and internalizing His words.
Begin to stride forward in faith. Step out of the comfort zone. Many of you would agree that God's favourite meeting place with you and I is in places of extremities. Unless we push ourselves to that sphere of extremities, we will never be able to experience God in His full power and glory. Faith, like muscles, needs exercise - it needs action. I am completely convinced that faith and action exist together, and that faith and non-action is an oxymoron. It's really that simple : if I don't dare to do, that means I don't have faith. And what would that mean? God will not be pleased with me, for without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). Hey...if you wanna walk on water, you gotta step out of the boat, mate.
There is a race set before us that we're all participating. A race that will take the entire lifetime for us to run it. A race where at the end of it, we will exchange our cross for our crown - with a condition that we finish it, and finish strong. Therefore we need to keep the end in mind : finishing the race, and finishing it strong. 2007 is just another insignificant strip of the time fabric of your existence on this earth. What we do in this insignificant block of time has significant eternal consequences.
