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(Saturday, January 20, 2007-)
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# A God Who Hides Himself
This is one of the first posts not realated to a specific day. Jz the first of my thoughts and happenings over the past few days. Friday, music prac day, was once again an awesome time of sharing by the wonderful Rachael. Hope you read the Straits Times today cuz its abt your job. But then again, you don't know this blog exists. But for those who do, thanks for still reading it n tagging my board with anything random. Aand the past few days have been awesome for me. Life has been bursting with life. Not the kind of life with lots of things to do and having fun kind of "life", but its a deeper feeling of having my spirit and soul nourished. Something to feed that deep longing in my heart, a sense of purposeful accomplishment. You know, rather than just accomplishing mundane everyday things. I feel that my life has touched a little on the "abundant life" that Jesus promised.
So how did this abundant life thing come about? Well, lets say it started with an awesome musicians sharing last Friday. One verse, had a Rhema-like property to it. Colossians 5v23-24.
23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,
24since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
This verse has so much power in it. It gives me a reason to go to school everyday. More than jz the $52 paycheck, more than seeing friends, more than teaching classes. It is the Lord Christ I am serving. Imagine that. Everyday, a chance to serve the creator of this universe. And more than just wanting to serve Him, it tells me to do it with all my heart. Which means, nothing second best. Aa lifestyle of worship unto God, a reason to rejoice in every situation, a chance for me to make a difference. In everything I do, home, school, church, it spurs me on to do my best. Not only that, it speaks of promise and hope. An eternal one, that this is not just some passing fad or jz hype, but it says that there will be an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. And from what I think, an inheritance is something so valueble, its something you are entitled to, not like a hope of something good, but an eternal reward which will one day be mine. Yayness! Aand this add so much more "life" into everyday.
This brings having an excellent spirit to a whole new level. Not being content at where I am but pushing on for more. Cuz we are called to work at it with all our heart cuz truly, its not MOE im working for, its not jz year1s im teaching, but its all for Him, who deserves only the very best. Although it won't be easy giving 100% everday, and I don't think im there yet, but its that drive that has given 2007 a taste of His abundant life for me! Like the issue of not gossiping which the musicians shared abt. How we should be working at everything with all our hearts, which includes school. And how we should be excellent students n not make fun of teachers. How teachers should be excellent as well. Its hard, but its worth trying to reach!
Then again, this Friday's message was again by the awesome Rachael. And it was not any easier than last week's to take in, but nonetheless impactful and important. It was on surrender.
What is Christianity today to me? Is it jz taking the nice parts but leaving the hard ones out. Is it still the religion Christ taught? What standards apply to me? The whole counsel of God or just what I like? The music, the words, the time spent. Is it reflective of what Christ would want. Here's the verse, Romans 8v5-11
5Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man[e] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[f] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.
This might seem familiar to most, but how many of us truly accept what it says. For me, just reflecting on my desires. What do I want in life. Honestly, my first thought would be for 2007 to be a year I draw closer to God. Then other desires came in like having good friends and getting into Uni. To be stable financially also came into mind, to be sure of the right one, so many things i want in my life. Then came the truth, what does the Spirit desire? It wasn't so much of me having wrong/evil desires that struck me, but rather the desires that didn't cross my mind. Where was having compassion for the lost, a servant attitude, purity, sanctification, humility, building up God's kingdom. So many desires for Him were obviously missing, and I reflected if I'm a real "Christian". Have I jz taken Christianity for all the easy parts of life and never gone the full measure of letting Jesus be Lord over my life and not merely Saviour. Cuz if my mind wasn't filled with the Spirit's desire, it had to be filled with parts of the sinful nature which leads to death. And hence how the Abundant Life is now much more relevant to me.
Verse 6. The mind of the sinful mind is death. It never occured to me that getting everything I wanted in life wouldn't be life at all but death. Cuz only a mind filled with the Spirit will bring not only life but peace as well. I guess thats why so many people are depressed nowadays. Cuz they never seem to get what they want. Even if they do, they are rotting with death on the inside. And the only way was to surrender our lives to a God who knows whats best for us, even when we don't agree. And that's when things can a take a turn for the worst cuz in Isaiah 45v9, it says Woe to you who quarrels with his Maker. When God brings the hard times, and we quarrel with God, its a recipe for disaster. I mean i haven't reached the "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice" level in life, but Im learning to trust that (Isaiah 45v11), God knows what He is making/doing. I mean, its so ridiculous for the pot to say to the Maker, You have no hands (v11 too I think). Like come on, take a look at yourself, does a pot have hands, can we change the universe? I mean, He knows like, everything there is to know, yet I won't trust that he wants what best for me.
Then came the next pretty weird part. Isaiah 45v15. Truly you are a God who hides Himself. Wow... totally comforting when my life is in turmoil?... A God who hides himself.. just what I need... But actually, yeah, thats what I need. I mean, if God was always there and helps me in everything, I would jz take Him for granted. It would be like, God please give me one more hour to sleep and ta daa, I get it. And life goes on like how I want it to, not according to His will, leading to a slow death of life in me. It takes effort to find God, and it says God is a rewarder of those who earnestly seek Him. So since God hides himself, I have to seek Him. When I do, He gets a chance to reward me for my efforts as well. That's a pretty good deal I guess? And it also means that when things are bad, dun stop looking to Him for answers. Especially when things are bad, God has something good in store for us. So for me, its time to really take on real Christianity and 2007 has been a great time so far, with a little taste of true Abundant Life.
Today was Fusion Rally. Suprised FX at C.E.D.S and met some councillors, who generously added lipstick to me. Headed down to Victory something Church, or not church, but something. Ya. Had fun there, with the Leap of Faith game which saw some casualties. Congrats to Isaac though for not hurting too many people n getting free Synerg!z tickets. Sunny too! And the worship was awesome though i felt the praise session was a little off... But the band was technically good, maybe jz the sound system was a little bad for the upper gallery. But it was really good. Song of the day, The Stand. Pre-Chorus.
So what can i say,
What can I do,
But offer this heart O God,
Completely to You.
Ps Chris Long shared a powerful sermon on Obed-Edom, not a disease of some sort (means servant in the wilderness) but the man who kept the Ark of the Covenant. How longing for God will grant you blessing. Carrying His presence is all you need to have a wonderful happy life. It was from 1 Chronicles 13v12. Yup. Awesome how jz having God with me can mean so much more than anything in the world. Having all I need, having the blessings. Above all, a more personal relationship with a God who cares s much for me.
I've found the reason to live. The reason to start 2007 for You. That reason is You.
the story ends like this;
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