#PresenceandEssence

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

You are aware that all who are in Asia turned away from me, among whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus.

- 2 Tim 1:15~18 (ESV)

This week, we will look at the above mentioned passage from 2 Timothy chapter 1. It tells us a really low-point in Paul's life, when he was faced with intense persecution and the desertion of his disciples. The epistle could probably be written around A.D 67, during the time of Paul's second imprisonment in Rome, when there was intense persecution against Christians after the fire of Rome in A.D 64. It was indeed a terrible time to be a Christian, and one who lives in a country, sitting down reading whatever I'm writing here comfortably can only try to imagine the challenges faced by the Christians, and the temptations to renounce Jesus for the sake survival.

1. Phygelus and Hermogenes (v15)

The words 'You are aware' in v15 tells us that Timothy already knew of the desertion by the two individuals Phygellus and Hermogenes, so Paul why did Paul still want to mention them? Paul did not mention the two disciples who deserted him just to shame them, but perhaps, my personal speculation is that these two disciples under Paul were more noteworthy among the many who have turned away from Paul and the faith. I also believe that Paul specifically brought up something that Timothy already knew so that it highlights the loyalty and goodness Onesiphorus showed towards Paul in a time of great difficulty.

2. Onesiphorus - the loyal (v16~18)

May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains, 17 but when he arrived in Rome he searched for me earnestly and found me— 18 may the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord on that day!—and you well know all the service he rendered at Ephesus. - 2 Tim 1:16~18 (ESV)

I especially want to look at 2 things that Onesiphorus did which left an impression in Paul, causing him to note them down in this epistle to Timothy: a) he often refreshed Paul, b) not ashamed of Paul's chains.

a) Onesiphorus often refreshed Paul

It is one thing to be persecuted and stand firm in the faith in private, it is another to openly seek out and refresh a brethren in Christ who is suffering for the sake of the Gospel! Onesiphorus went against the odds to continue upholding and living out the Christian faith and core value - to continue loving people and to edify the church even in harsh times.

"If you love me, keep my commands.

- John 14:15 (NIV)

Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

- John 14:23 (NIV)

In this world, we all go through ups and downs. It can be intense persecution like that which was endured by the early church, or simply injustice and inconvenience poured all over us. But one thing remains - God's command for us never changes.

Paul described Onesiphorus's visits as refreshing - 'often' implying that he does not visit merely once or twice, but definitely several if not many times. This is a good point for us reading this text today to pause and ponder: "Can the same be spoken out of the mouths of people around us who encountered us?"

We are called to be salt of the earth and light of the world, pointing people to the Saviour, Jesus Christ both in word and in conduct. Can people feel and see the love of God through us? ​We are called to be witnesses of Jesus, let us carry our cross and live out a life according to His Word, which will automatically lead to refreshing encounters for those who interact with us, anytime, any day, anywhere.

b) Onesiphorus was not ashamed of Paul's chains

This is something very interesting. Before someone misinterpret or misquotes this section of the Word, claiming that sectarianism is fine because Onesiphorus was so devoted to his apostle, let us be reminded of the cause of Paul's chains.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, 11 for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

- 2 Tim 1:8~12 (ESV)

Paul explicitly said here that it was for the sake of the testimony about Jesus, about the Gospel that he had to suffer imprisonment and all other sorts of persecution. Thus, when Onesiphorus was commended for not being ashamed of Paul's chains, while he was most likely a great admirer of Paul, his loyalty was ultimately given to the Gospel of Jesus rather than Paul. Paul would not have earned support and the following of Onesiphorus without his lifestyle and message of the Gospel. Thus, Paul was definitely not advocating nor condoning sectarianism here, he was commending Onesiphorus for his courage to believe in Paul's witness about the Gospel, and his loyalty towards Jesus in spite of the situation they are in.

3. The reward of the loyal and faithful (v18)

Paul could not offer Onesiphorus anything except a prayer of blessing over him for the day when everyone is to account to the Lord. Indeed, God is a wise and good Judge, and He will reward those whose hearts are loyal to Him, and those who love Him by keeping His commands.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

- Rev 20:11~12 (ESV)

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

- 2 Cor 5:10 (ESV)

We all need mercy on the day when we stand before the 'Great White Throne' or the 'judgement seat of Christ' to be judged for all of our deeds. Those whose hearts are loyal to God naturally will find themselves receiving what is due for the good and the obedience they displayed while still alive in the mortal flesh. While it could be contentious depending on your eschatology whether or not all Christians stand before the Great White Throne or do they go to the judgement seat of Christ, it is good to remember that none of us should be proud of our own righteousness and good works, for neither is good enough to grant us eternal salvation.

He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.

- Rom 2:6~11 (ESV)

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.

- Isa 64:6 (ESV)

What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11     no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;    no one does good, not even one.”

- Rom 3:9~12 (ESV)

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

- Rom 3:20 (ESV)

It is hence wise for us to stay focused on Jesus, studying and obeying His Word while relying on the Holy Spirit with a pure and humble heart. Rewards and punishments are an exciting thing for us to speculate, but at the end of the day, I firmly believe that theultimate prize is our privilege of dwelling in the Presence of God forever - with everything else as a bonus. God is good, He is faithful and just. Let us leave the judging to Him and focus on living a life that glorifies His name.

​

Dear heavenly Father, help us to live a life that glorifies Your name, that introduces Your love to those around us, that they may see You through us. Help us to refresh others around us effectively without having to compromise our faith and values. Help us keep Your Word, and let us live each day to the fullest courageously, knowing that You are our source of strength and that You always love us. In Jesus's name I pray, Amen.

Let us live each day courageously, living out the Word, keeping His commands in spite of whatever situation(s) we may face each day. God is good,  He is just, and He loves everyone of us deeply.

God bless!

[presenceandessence-blog]

Upgrading in progress!

Hi there, I am the admin for presenceandessence.tumblr.com. I’ve shifted to this new account for administrative purposes. You may still access the posts from the past via this link, but new posts will be updated here! So do stay tuned!

P.S - sorry for the inconvenience caused! Looking forward to building a better platform to share devotions with you on a more routine and stable basis in the coming months! I’m still in the midst of preparations now :)

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

-  2 Tim 1:7 (NKJV)

This is a very familiar verse that people often quote for exhortation or encouragement. In 2 Tim 1, Paul was specifically directing this toward 1 thing - the preaching of the Gospel. Today, let us look at how one can stir up the gift in us (2 Tim 1:6), and to move with the Spirit of God in us, for the furthering of the Gospel.

The Gospel

On this topic, I really believe that there are certain things that we have to understand and remember so that we all might be faithful witnesses for Jesus. So I will be elaborating on the Gospel in this manner: 1. The essence - what is the core message, and 2. The manifestation of the Gospel - making the Gospel manifest just as Jesus was the Word in flesh.

1. The essence

Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying,“This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.”

- Acts 17:1~3 (NKJV)

I like how Paul was recorded here, preaching the Gospel's core message. There are a few things to take note in this short passage:

a) Christ had to suffer

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

- Rom 3:23~26 (NKJV)

No one will receive the Gospel without knowing why he/she is even in need of it. Christ suffered because of our sins, and as faithful witnesses, we need to communicate this across to people.

Everyone has fallen short of the glory of God. All have unfortunately inherited the sinful nature since the first sin of Mankind in the garden of Eden. Since then, humans had this innate separation from God, and with this, end up drifting further and further away from the glory and image of God that we are made for. As a result, death and suffering had gained grounds in our lives, and every sin we commit ends up in not just a further distancing from God, but also a worsening state of the world we live in.

God loves us deeply and hates that we are in this state, so He embarked on a huge project in order to reconcile us back to Him, beginning from the admitting of the sin in the garden of Eden.

And I will put enmity between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.”

- Gen 3:15 (NKJV)

I believe that this is the first prophecy of a coming Saviour, one that is capable of bruising and crushing the head of the Serpent, that is Satan himself. Definitely this is not an ordinary human. It was talking about the promise of a Messiah that will sacrificially defeat Satan - as seen in Jesus's 'bruising' (and nailing) of His feet at the Cross of Calvary. At the Cross, Jesus paid the price of sin. Through His suffering, Jesus took the wages of sin of all Man (you and I included) upon Himself, so that we are all able to be washed and made righteous in Him, allowing us to come close to God once again without perishing. God is Holy, and sin cannot dwell in His Presence without being judged. Therefore Jesus was the solution to reconcile us fallen humans back to our Holy Heavenly Father.

b) Rose from the dead

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures

- 1 Cor 15:3~4 (NKJV)

Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.

- 1 Cor 15:12~14 (NKJV)

Jesus's resurrection is as important as His sufferings for us. The Scriptures and prophecies pointed to a Saviour who will die for our sins (especially Isaiah 53), and Jesus Himself said (Matt 17:22~23) that He will rise from the dead just as it was proclaimed in Ps 16. Not only is it a miraculous event that proves Jesus's divinity, it serves to tell us that our sins are now forgiven because of Him, and whoever's faith is in Him shall be saved.

Without the resurrection of Jesus, all of us will still be in sin, and our faith will be in vain. But because Jesus had indeed resurrected and appeared to various witnesses and still continues to win people over to Himself today, we know that He indeed has resurrected and the Gospel is indeed good news - we no longer need to be dead in and because of our sins, for we are saved by Jesus the Christ.

c) This Jesus is the Christ

For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Messiah,' and will deceive many.

- Matt 24:5 (NIV)

He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is near.' Do not follow them.

- Luke 21:8 (NIV)

Jesus said to them: "Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and will deceive many.

- Mark 13:5~6 (NIV)

As we approach the end of times, this is all the more important. The devil is defeated.Death has no hold on people who have placed their trust and faith in Christ Jesus. So the enemy seeks to distort the knowledge of Jesus.

Jesus Himself warned us through these 3 accounts in the gospels that people, deceivers, will claim to be Jesus, or to be the Christ. Yet, there is only 1 true Jesus and 1 true Christ - 'This Jesus is the Christ'.

This Christ, His name is Jesus. And this Jesus had suffered for us through crucifixion and died, but He rose again on the third day. This is the one and only true Jesus, the only true Christ.

Over the centuries, different accounts of who Jesus is have been produced. But let us as His followers, know who we are following, and let us present Him accurately to the people around us.

Now, to me, these form the core, the essence of the Gospel. Any preaching of the Gospel must be Jesus-centric, explaining and demonstrating how He redeemed us, and how any one can come to the same salvation through Jesus the Christ. The manifestation of the Gospel however, can be played out in many different forms.

2. The manifestation of the Gospel

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

- 1 Pet 4:10~11 (NIV)

Everyone had the fallen nature of Man, but each have different sins manifested in their lives. This still of course goes within the confines that all sin and temptation to all of mankind. What I am saying is that different people fall to different temptations, and therefore, when Jesus redeems them, they glorify God in different ways as well. Sin produces different material sufferings in Man, but through Jesus, these sufferings can be overcome and transformed into testimonies of His Goodness.

Hence, the manifestation of the Gospel can take on many different forms - in the many testimonies that we are able to tell people about how Jesus had transformed us, and how great this new life in Him is.

Everyone has a different story, but like I said earlier, each story will carry the essence of the Gospel. Every single testimony for Jesus is a form of manifestation of the Gospel - explaining and demonstrating how Jesus had and can transform us fallen people.

====================================================================

Coming back to 2 Tim 1:6~7, Paul told Timothy to stir up the gift and encouraged him that the Holy Spirit in him is of power, love and self-control/sound mind. All these are for the preaching of the Gospel.

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

- 2 Tim 1:8~10 (NKJV)

The gifts and the Holy Spirit in us are not for our own use and benefit. The Holy Spirit did not come like a genie to grant wishes or whatever. They are for the edification of the Church, and for the furtherance of the Gospel. Friends, in our life on earth as we seek to preach the Gospel, we will require His power (signs and wonders), we must do it out of love, and we must exercise self-control (be wise). Let us hence lean in closer to God, to know Him more, and make ourselves more available for the furtherance of His Gospel.

Knowing that we have the Holy Spirit in us, let us therefore preach the Gospel accurately and boldly. God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

In recent years, there seems to be once again, a rise in intolerance and hateful behaviour towards people of 'other' group. It is also unfortunate that such behaviour is even found among people who claimed to be Christians. Is 'guardedness', 'rejection' and condemnation truly the way for Christians? I think we ought to look back at the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. - John 13:12~17 (NIV)

"No servant is greater than his/her master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him/her." This is a portion in the Bible that many Christians probably are familiar with. The episode where Jesus was about to be betrayed by one of His chosen 12, and the following 4 chapters (John 13~17) were Jesus's parting words to His disciples before His great Passion.

The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

- John 13:2~5 (NIV)

Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.”  For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.

- John 13:10~11 (NIV)

Notice that Judas, the one who was going to betray Him, was one of those that Jesus had washed! Jesus knew the temptation that was already placed into Judas to sin against Him, yet He served Judas just as He served any other disciples in the room that fateful night.

So what can we learn from Jesus our Master and great example?

1. Love your 'enemies'

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

- Matt 5:43~48 (NIV)

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

- John 13:34~35 (NIV)

Having set the context earlier, this adds weight to this verse when Jesus said, that the world will know we are His disciples if we can love one another, even our enemies just as how He served Judas. Love does not strive to prove that one is correct, but love does its best to protect, encourage, and to bring people closer to Jesus. Those who love Jesus will keep His commands, and this is one of the most important commands Jesus gave to His disciples and us - to love one another, and to serve with great humility, putting aside every selfish ambition and thought.

2. By loving, Jesus saves

By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35 (NIV)

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”  The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him. Jesus said, “This voice was for your benefit, not mine. Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to show the kind of death he was going to die.

- John 12:27~33 (NIV)

It is by our love for one another, within the Church and love for everyone else, that the world will know we had been with Jesus, and are His disciples. Amazing isn't it? Of all things, Jesus did not say by miracles, people will know. Neither did Jesus say, by great theological arguments, people will know. Jesus clearly instructed us the one thing we struggle with - to love our neighbours (enemies included) as ourselves as the one thing to prove to the world that He Loves, and we are His disciples.

In John 12:27~32, a voice came from heaven! This is indeed a sign and a wonder that must have captured the attention of many people. But signs and wonders are not here to affirm Jesus and to give him confidence, but rather, it is for our benefit. Witnesses of God's miracles and goodness are given the opportunity to have the seed of Faith planted in us, so that we may see that indeed Jesus is high and lifted up, and had become our Saviour, our redemption for our sins.

Signs and wonders indeed draw attention, but it is only when the name of Jesus is high and lifted up, will people be drawn to Him. It is recorded in verse 33 that Jesus was making clear the kind of death He will go through, and yes indeed, the death Jesus goes through is because He Loves, that He will give everything in exchange for us. It us through Love that He draws all men to Him. Now then, can't we as His followers too understand this: there's no better way than to follow His example and command - to love one another?

​Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him;    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

​

Paul instructed in the book of Romans that we need to put love in action, and the above paragraph of verses illustrates what it means to love our enemies. We should hate what is evil - not calling something perverse and corrupted, something unholy to God good, and we ought to cling to the Word of God and its standards. But hating evil does not mean hating the people who have been caught in the lie. Yes, it is difficult to love them especially if they aren't particularly kind to us, but let us not overcome evil with evil, and let us not be overcome by evil. We must always remember, Love never fails.

In our zeal for God's people and for God, we must always remember the command of Jesus - to love! We are called to preach and share the gospel, not to win arguments and crush people's spirits. We pull down strongholds in the heavenly places, to show people Jesus and His Way, His Word. It is ultimately still an individual's decision to believe and accept Him or not. We should not force our way through, and we are called to love.

Let us overcome evil with good, with the love of Christ. It is by this, that the world will know Jesus is real, and that we are His faithful followers who have been bought and transformed by Him, to love just as He loves.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God, 9 who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began, 10 and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

- 2 Tim 1:8~10 (ESV)

Two weeks ago, the post was bout us receiving the Holy Spirit for the furtherance of the gospel. Today, we will see how this holy calling is to be done both in preaching, and in daily living!

for which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher,12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.

- 2 Tim 1:11~14 (ESV)

​

There are a few interesting things to note through the above passage, let us glimpse at what our holy calling in Christ is like through it.

1. Appointed... which is why (v11~12)

Paul acknowledged his calling and role in the kingdom of God - to be a preacher, an apostle and a teacher of the gospel. Truly, it is important to know our part in the kingdom of God; knowing our function in the Body that will God intended of us to edify and bless the rest of the Body. No part is the same; every part has its own function and challenges.

I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

​- Eph 4:1~6 (ESV)

​For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ.13 For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.14 For the body does not consist of one member but of many. ​- 1 Cor 12:12~14 (ESV)

This is why Paul first mentioned his calling and function in the Body of Christ before talking about his sufferings for the sake of the gospel. The devil is caught in a dilemma today. On one hand, he doesn't want to simply let people get saved by hearing sound preaching of the gospel, but on the other hand, the more he persecutes, the more people see the fruit of the Holy Spirit in those persecuted. Many in the world had and will hence turn to the Lord after witnessing the testimony of Him through the sufferings and lives of the persecuted saints. Therefore, develop the character of Christ!

2. Not ashamed... convinced that He is able to guard (v12 and v14)

Let us be aware. While it is interesting, exciting and even encouraged to pursue God more, desiring more of Him and to serve His people, with greater responsibilities comes greater temptations and trials. Let us be not ashamed as well. No temptation has overtaken us except that which is common. Temptations and challenges lie everywhere in our broken world, and we need to acknowledge this fact because only by acknowledging that we are weak and need God, can we truly experience and yield to His leading to navigate and overcome all things. It is through this that our character is molded more and more into one that resembles Christ.

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.

- 2 Cor 4:8~12 (ESV)

While we hone our technical skills in preaching and ministry, it is even more important to hone our character with the help of the Holy Spirit, to develop the fruit of the Holy Spirit, which will guard us from falling away in times of pressure, hardship and sufferings.

​But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

- John 14:26 (ESV)

​

The Holy Spirit guards us in our thoughts and emotions - He gives us remembrance of scripture, the promises of God, and He is also our comforter in times of need. He is more than capable of  helping us overcome tragedies and challenges, but we need to believe and yield to Him. Justice may not seem like what we imagined it to be, for we have limited understanding fixed in time and space. God is Judge, and He is Just.

Leave the judging to Him, let us live out a life worthy of Christ, exemplifying the love of Christ. Through this, He will guard and preserve us till the day we finally meet Him face to face.

3. Follow the pattern of the sound words (v13)

And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray.

- Matt 24:4 (ESV)

And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.

- Matt 24:11 (ESV)

For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

- Matt 24:24 (ESV)

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

- Matt 7:15~20 (ESV)

Not every preacher today is good. Jesus Himself warned us that in the last days, we will see impostors of Him and wolves in sheep's clothing waiting to deceive His people. There is only 1 pattern of sound words we should follow, and that is the Bible, the Word of God. There can be different interpretations, but none of the interpretations can be taken as sound if it conflicts with the nature of God revealed through the Bible, and the direct revelation of His ways that were already recorded in the Word.

Many preachers today are great communicators, but do we see the Love of God in them? Many preachers talk about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but can we see their healthy walk with the Lord? Many preachers teach the Word, but are they living a life that is in accordance to the Word which they preach? Are they accountable to God?

Let us be discerning and diligent. No preacher is perfect, but they should be connected and accountable to God, bearing the responsibilities that come with their words. We need to learn the Word for ourselves and edify one another through the knowledge gained about Christ.

Dear heavenly Father, I thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to be with us today that we will not be sheep without a Shepherd. You continue to build Your Church through Your workers appointed for Ministry, guided by the Word and the Holy Spirit. Help us to be more attentive and yielded to You, and keep us from the evil one. We want to be more like You. Develop in us Christ-likeness that we may be able to love the people around us just as You love us. In Jesus's name i  pray, amen.

We need the Holy Spirit to guard us and guide us in our holy calling. We preach Christ both in words, and more importantly, through our lifestyle and character. Let us be more led and attentive to the Holy Spirit by praying, worshiping and continuous obedience to His Word. Only then will we truly see the full glory of God being manifested in and through our lives.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

I would like to take some time to reflect on the Reformation​​​​​​​, and will attempt to articulate my thoughts on the entire matter and its impacts on us Christians. What I am putting up here is a mere perspective which any reader is free to justly critique and disagree with. I shall begin this post with a summarising thought:

Ultimately, we are called to love God with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

-  John 13:34~35 (ESV)

John chapters 13~17 recorded the final words of Jesus to His disciples before His arrest at the garden of Gethsemane. Jesus began it with instructing His disciples to have love for one another - not to be a divided group. He also repeatedly reminded the disciples to keep His commands and teachings, and as quoted above, Jesus specifically commanded them to love one another just as He loved. He even went further to tell disciples that it is by this unity of love that people will know that they are disciples of Jesus.

Today marks the 500th year since the Reformation Day that split the Christian world further into two factions - the Catholics and the Protestants. While there are merits from this 'reformation', I pray that the Christian world can be better reconciled in the name of Jesus instead of allowing doctrinal differences create strife and violence amongst each other.

The split in the Christian world began at the Reformation, but it did not stop there. Ever since that schism, the Protestant Christian body had also been splintering into different denominations and sects due to different interpretations of the same Bible. While I agree that doctrines and theological understanding is important, I would not want to pride human knowledge of the Word over the explicit words of Jesus.

Jesus told us to love one another. We are to build one another up, and lovingly correct one another, not fight nor destroy each other.

I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment.

- 1 Cor 1:10 (ESV)

Paul taught us that sectarianism is carnal, and there should be no divisions among ourselves. Sure, we have great teachers of the Bible in the past and even today, sharing and teaching us how the faith with the goal of presenting us as mature believers and disciples of Jesus. But this should not take precedence nor priority in terms of our love for one another. No leader is perfect, no human is perfect. We are all works in progress, and it will only do the Christian body (and ultimately by extension the world) good if welearn to love just as Jesus did - in Truth and with Grace.

Same mind and judgement

I personally find this term quite interesting as it is something that seems impossible to be achieved. Every human has a different lens through which the world is interpreted and understood - thus, producing different opinions and judgements on matters. This said, I still believe that it is possible to be of one mind and judgement, if we bear the character of Jesus.

The same mind may not necessarily mean identical theological understandings, but could be referring to the same loyalty and resolution to follow and obey Jesus.Believers can all have this, in fact, all Christians should have this as their life goal! Our goal in life is not to accumulate wealth, fame, popularity or any other thing but to simply follow and obey Jesus. Such should be the mindset and mentality that all Christians should bear.

​

With the right mindset, even though we each may judge a matter differently, it will not deviate drastically in terms of our methods in dealing with it. Yes, the physical and manifested outcome will be different as different methods are applied, but the spiritual direction can be of the same track - one that is honouring and done in obedience to God's Word; done with Grace and not upsetting the truth that is written in the Bible.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?

- James 4:12 (NIV)

Now this is the difficult part. So what is truth? Whose interpretation is right? Yes, while being 'right' is important, the most important thing is still our accountability toward God. No one is perfect, so no one should pride themselves in this flesh, for it only sets us up for an eventual fall. To me, we should all strive to keep the great commandment - to love God, and to love people. If we can stay true to this goal in life, I am sure God can help us accomplish even the impossible that we can't even imagine nor comprehend at this moment. Simplistic thinking, some people might say, but I truly believe that God is Judge, and judgement belongs to Him.

Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord's servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will. - 2 Tim 2:23~26 (ESV)

While we are called to focus on love, it is far from being licentious and permissive of all kinds of behaviour etc. Love seeks the best for the loved. We should seek to correct one another out of love; out of a desire for the best for the individual and not boastfully as though we are the saviour, for there is only one saviour Jesus Christ. Like what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy, I believe in doing our part to share what we believe in and think is best, and allow the individual / brethren to consider and decide for themselves what to do. Let God do the judging, let us focus on obeying Him and loving people.

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that we are redeemed and now heirs of Yours through Christ Jesus. Help us Lord, to love as You do. Mould us and reveal to us Your heart. Help us to love people in both Truth and Grace just as You do so over us all. Allow us to be vessels and carriers of Your Love. Give us clarity in theological understanding, and keep us close to You. Ultimately, help us be more like You, and to be united as one Bride, one Body of Christ for Your glory. In Jesus's name I pray, amen.

Let us always remember that no human is perfect, and we should ultimately aim to live a life accountable to the Lord. He is still Sovereign, He is still Lord. Injustice will never ultimately prevail. Keep calm, keep the faith, and keep the love of Christ.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also.

-  2 Tim 1:5 (NKJV)

As I read 2 Timothy again recently, the words 'genuine faith' or in other translations 'sincere faith' stood out for me. The original greek word for 'genuine' in this verse meant "unfeigned, without hypocrisy", and it meant so much for me in this season.

Faith - something that is a core in the Christian belief, yet sometimes we take it for granted, especially after knowing the Lord for awhile. Let us take some time today to rediscover what genuine faith in God is like.

1. Faith is an assurance

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.

- Heb 11:1 (NIV)

Other translations may translate it to "substance", "reality" or "assurance", and they all point to one thing. Faith gives us confidence in what we believe in, it gives us something to stand upon; a set of evidence on its own.

As a former atheist, I used to mock this whole concept as this sounds like delusion to me. I used to proudly claim that I have no use nor anything as ridiculous as faith in my life. Yet, after coming to know the Lord, i discovered that everyone has a certain degree of faith in all aspects of their lives.

Take for example, before we even sit on a chair, we need assurance that it will not give way and fail us. But do we always use a substitute to test the chair thoroughly before sitting on it just because we are told it is a chair? We have faith in this chair that it will not fail us based on what we had known of it.

Take again for example, we breathe because we need to, but what gives us the confidence to breathe this air instead of trying to secure for ourselves oxygen masks? We don't at every moment in our lives hold a test to check out the condition of the air around us before taking a breath do we? We breathe because we need to, and because we have faith in the air around us. We build this basis of confidence, a kind of faith that the next breath we take will not kill us on the knowledge that the last breath did not kill us, and facts around us - both in time pass and the immediate reality seen in other living things.

Faith is not absurd a concept. It is something everyone has, and the explanation to why life can continue without us having to be robbed of a sense of security. If one indeed lives without faith in their lives, this person will get nothing done as he/she will be busy suspecting everything in the world. Faith is something that begins our walk with Jesus, and it is that which will bring us to the end while transforming us to be more like Him while we are still here on earth.

2. Faith is grounded in the Word

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.​

- James 2:14~17 (NKJV)

Faith without works is dead. There is a huge difference between knowing and living it out. The Word of God is given so that we can know our God and to know how we should live that we can experience the life God intends us to have; a life of true liberty and peace. So how should it come to life? What is the basis of a Christian's faith? It is in none other than Jesus Christ Himself.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.​

​- Matt 7:24 (NIV)

Jesus taught us that whoever hears His words and put them into practice, it is likened to having built our lives on a firm foundation, a rock that stands the tests and trials to come. As mentioned earlier, we can have faith in anything and everything, but it is not necessarily beneficial nor 'right' (subjective, based on perspectives). We need to remember that as exciting and attention-catching the power of God can be, the only thing that does not pass away is the Word of God. The Word of God is equivalent in its eternal status as God - something that will not pass away. The Word of God is from God to teach us and to allow us to understand Him. We are made in His likeness and image, we are made to fellowship with and worship Him. All of us are made with a specific purpose in life.

It is therefore important that we always come back to the Word of God to know Him, and to let our faith rest and grow upon. Our faith should not be built on the power of God, not on the feelings we get when we come before Him, but on the Word of God that shows us the nature, the heart of our marvelous God.

3. Faith imputes to us righteousness

He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us. It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.

- Rom 4:20~25 (NKJV)

No one can earn the grace of God, it is the unmerited favour from Him to us. but we receive our justification through faith in Jesus, that He indeed had suffered and died for our sins, that we can rise again like He did out of the grave.

for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.

- Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)

The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

- Ps 34:19 (NIV)

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

​- Isa 64:6 (NIV)

There are many promises in the Bible that God gives to the righteous - and no one can be righteous by their own efforts. The only way we are made righteous is through faith in the resurrection of Jesus. Abraham received righteousness because he trusted in the promise of God to him. Today, we have the manifested promise of God - Jesus Christ who came to take away the sins of the world. We too, receive righteousness if we can trust in the manifested promise Himself.

4. Faith should be without hypocrisy

Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.

- Gal 6:7 (NIV)

Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere human being, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness is intended to lead you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed. God "will repay each person according to what they have done." To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.

- Rom 2:2~7 (NIV)

​The Word of God is a mirror, something that allows us to conduct a self-check, a foundation and basis which we use to account to God our daily life. I like to think of it as a guidebook to life - it's basically like a hack in a game which allows you to have understanding of the gameplay and everything that is happening, thus giving you an advantage towards the ultimate end / goal. It is for us to discover God, and to help us be transformed and renewed to be more like Him. It should not be used as a tool for us to pass judgement on people. Sure, we are called to preach the gospel and share the warnings of God, but it is never to be used to elevate us above others. We are all sinners saved by grace through faith. None of us deserve salvation, but God gave Himself for us on His own accord to grant us salvation and redemption. Therefore, everyone must settle an account with Jesus Himself at the end of times. Judgement belongs to God.

Faith without hypocrisy will lead us to repentance, producing fruits of repentance.

Think with me. If you truly believe in something, will you not do things according to it? If you trust the manual that accompanies an electronic product you've purchased, do you not always go back to it for instructions and operate the product according to it? Likewise, true faith will always lead us back to God, and to the ways of God. Faith without hypocrisy... it is something that only God can judge, but we can work on it ourselves using the Word of God as our foundation and relying on God to help us with it.It is not something that we boast about. It is something that will eventually transform us to be more like  Christ. It is not fixed in time - it can only be seen in continuity, and i would even say, only at the end of time.

"Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You that You permit us to have faith in You. You are good. You give all of us opportunities to turn to You, and an abundance of signs all around us to point towards You. I pray that You help me work out my faith towards You, let it be without hypocrisy. Help me to follow You. This prayer I make today, it is the same as the one I have made when I first knew You. Help me to follow You. Help me grow my faith in You, that I may be transformed more each day to be like You, and to love You more every day. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen"

Let us continue building our faith in God with the Word of God. Faith enables us to trust God at every step of the way. It can grow or diminish if we are not careful, therefore, let us rely on God and not be proud. God exalts the humble, and He gives grace to those who trust Him and fear Him.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning,which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

- Luke 16:22~25 (NIV)

I felt provoked to write this post after watching a heretical video that suggested God is actually Satan by taking verses completely out of their contexts and intentionally focusing on sufferings of characters by prematurely ending narratives that in the end glorify and prove the Holiness and goodness of God. I initially wanted to title this post as "Deception and perversion", or "The false god", but eventually decided otherwise as I felt that I should glorify God even while exposing the deception of the enemy. In all things that we study about God, let us never forget to be God-centric and glorifying.It is tempting to venture into unchartered waters and difficult topics in theology and knowledge about the spiritual things, but ultimately, as mentioned in my first official post on this website, all studies should lead us back to the awesomeness of God, helping us love and appreciate Him more. Therefore, I shall focus on sharing how we can learn to discern heresy and deception.

Jesus warned us through Luke 16 that after His Passion, there will come a time of great deception, with people claiming to be the Christ but are actually deceivers of others and themselves. Given the digital age we live in, heresy and strange teachings have become rampant with the ease of publishing and dissemination of information. It is therefore of utmost importance that we as believers learn to understand and know God for ourselves, and to continue introducing the same Jesus to others.

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

- John 14:26 (NKJV)

The Bible is to be the foundation of us knowing God, and the Holy Spirit brings to remembrance the contents of the Bible. No knowledge about Jesus can be taken as infallible no matter how good-sounding it is unless it is scripturally backed and sound.

By scriptural-backing, I don't mean taking just one verse and teaching it as though it is a universal truth. The entire Bible is a full narrative about our awesome Lord, and interpretations of the Bible can never contradict other parts of the Bible. If it does go against the nature of God and His own commandments in the Bible, we know that it is not of Him, but is nothing more than deception. To better understand this, let us go to the famous example of Jesus in the wilderness.

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.” Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “‘He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands,    so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’" Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only." Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him.

- Matt 4:1~11 (NIV)

1. God does not tempt

Verse 1 here talked about how Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Explicitly, it is written here that the temptations came from the devil, not God. But it seems problematic as one might ask: "Why would the Holy Spirit do that!" This verse is by no means saying that God encourages us to go into tempting situations, it is a mere reflection of reality and a reminder that temptations come from the devil.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

- James 1:13~15 (NIV)

Who, then, are those who fear the LORD? He will instruct them in the ways they should choose.

- Ps 25:12 (NIV)

The law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip.

- Ps 37:31 (NIV)

A person's steps are directed by the LORD. How then can anyone understand their own way?

- Prov 20:24 (NIV)

Firstly, there is no shame in being tempted. Every moment that we live in this fallen world is a moment exposed to temptations. The Bible also tells us that our steps are directed by God - and we can trust in His good nature that His thoughts of us are of good and not of evil, and He will always instruct and provide us with a righteous way of escape from temptation. God in His Sovereignty has great thoughts for us, and sometimes He may choose to allow us to go through testing to refine us. If we fall, we know that we have this area for improvement. We need to come before God, confess the issue and repent. But if we do pass the temptation and overcome it just as Jesus did, it is of great joy! Either way, the point is that if we can rely on God and choose to stay with Him, He will indeed never let us utterly fall, and His plans ultimately serve to transform us more into His image despite the unconventional path. God can therefore permit us to go through testing in certain seasons for specific purposes, but He never sends the temptation into our hearts for He is holy. The only one who tempts is the devil.

2. Do not desire to be tempted

Although God can permit testing in certain seasons for reasons known only to Him until it becomes revelation to us, temptation is not something that we should desire.

“This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done,    on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts,    as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation,    but deliver us from the evil one.’

- Matt 6:9~13 (NIV)

Jesus taught us a model prayer and in it, He taught us to pray specifically that God do not lead us into temptation (meaning to not be left in this vulnerable position of being tempted) but to deliver us from the evil one (to keep us from the tempter and from sin). It is clear that to be tempted is not to be a way of life. Jesus was tempted at all points and so are we because of the broken world we live in, and this kind of environment is far from ideal. The ideal world and situation is one where temptations cease to exist, and there is no need to be delivered from the adversary because he is banished for good. These will only happen in the age to come after Jesus's return and judgement upon the earth.

3. Defend yourself with the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

- Eph 6:16~17 (NIV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

- 2 Tim 3:16~17 (NIV)

The Word of God is effective in fighting the deceits of the devil. In Eph 6, Paul talked about the armour of God and instructed believers to take up the sword of the Spirit and be armed with the shield of faith. Faith indeed shields us from the evil one, but it is lacking in power to rebuke him. The sword of the Spirit, the Word of God is the one that has the ability to tear down the lies, and to rebuke the devil. Jesus in Matt 4 demonstrated this - to every temptation given by the devil, He replied with a scripture relevant to the situation, effectively defeating the enemy.

4. Know the Word well

Notice that satan actually quoted the Word of God to try and dupe Jesus in Matt 4:6.Jesus did not yield to the challenge nor believe in his words because He knew the Word well. Satan quoted the scripture out of context, and it was said in a way that contradicts another part of scripture - that is, one shall not test God. This is one extremely important point to note when we study scripture and when we pray to know more about God. He will never contradict His own Word. Should something be contradictory to the nature of God and His Word, it is definitely a lie by the devil. The Word of God is powerful and holy. But it is also a material thing manifested in this world which God gave to us to discover Him, and it can be intentionally corrupted due to its material property. It was in the beginning of Mankind as it is written in Gen 3:

Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”

- Gen 3:1 (NIV)

The devil is a deceiver, and half-truths are a kind of lie in itself. The first lie believed by Mankind was this - a corrupted understanding of God's instruction, of God's Word. Therefore, it is our duty as believers to not be sluggish in our passion for Jesus, in our desire to know Him more. We want and we need to know Him for who He is, according to the standards of the Holy Bible. If something is not in the Bible, we can never claim for certainty that it is from God even if it sounds logically sound and good. If something is mentioned in the Word, we should also by no means try to explain it away and ignore it.

Let us take God's Word seriously and as it is in its context. It is only then can we fully appreciate and come to understand God, and become effective witnesses of Him while we are still walking on this earth.

"Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are faithful even when we are not. God, help us to grow in our desire to know You more through Your Word. Help us to develop a greater hunger to know You and Your Word more. Holy Spirit, come and teach us on the righteous path. Help us to see Your Nature that is Sovereign, Faithful and Good. Help us to discern things that are not of You and to stay clear from their influence. Ultimately, I thank You that You who have begun a good work in us will continue to perfect it until we meet on the last Day. We praise You, and love You, in Jesus's name I pray. Amen"

Let us not grow weary in our pursuit for God. It is not always convenient and easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

​Peter was one of the closest disciples of Jesus, but we are often more familiar with his failures than his strengths. We often forget that He was the one who walked on water when the others were afraid, he was the first one who declared Jesus as the Son of God, and he was the one who preached the first sermon after Jesus's ascension. There was one thing that Peter excelled in despite his weaknesses and even his denial of Jesus out of fear at that terrible night; Peter truly loved Jesus and wanted to be as faithful as he can to Jesus. This eventually allowed Peter to become so close to Jesus, and participate in the many miracles for God's Glory. Faithfulness is key to seeing the power of God manifest in our lives. Throughout the Bible, we can see many signs and wonders both in the old and new testament. Today, I just want to highlight 3 kinds of power that God grants to those who trust Him and chose to be faithful to Him at all cost. 1. Power to overcome

But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. - 1 Cor 15:57 (NIV) For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. - 1 John 5:4 (NIV) I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. - John 16:33 (NIV)

God likes us to know that we can be overcomers through Him, and overcome times of adversity through Christ who strengthens us. He warned the disciples and us that life is not going to be all smooth and great now just because we follow Him, but the contrary is true - we will all go through tests, trials and challenges even as Christians.Our Faith in God enables us to become overcomers, firmly anchored in the assurance of His Love for us, in His Sovereignty and good plans for us, allowing us to know that no matter how terrible the situation, we can overcome it together with Jesus. During the days of the first church, persecutions were rampant, people give up their lives just to follow the risen Jesus. There was literally nothing to gain out of joining this 'new religious movement' that is hinged on whether or not one accepts that Jesus had really risen. It was an unpopular thing, it was a difficult thing, and definitely a dangerous decision with little payout for following Jesus, yet the church could pull through and prosper even. The early Christians rested fully in Jesus, staying faithful to His instruction and the teachings of the apostles who taught on the life they shared with Jesus. Their faith granted them the peace in times of danger, their faith granted them the power to overcome the worst of losses and trouble.

But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.”

- 1 Sam 17:34~37 (NIV)

Even in the times of the old testament, we can see from the example of David. David could so easily defeat the giant Goliath because he had been faithful to God, and thus saw the goodness of God in his life which gave him the confidence to slay this overwhelming adversary. David did not neglect his role as a shepherd boy despite his anointing episode with the prophet Samuel. He was faithful to the sheep that was left in his care, and even fought off lions and bears just to protect his sheep. Little did he know, his faithfulness actually contributed to his 'training' and preparation to one day face Goliath. Faithfulness brought David on a path that allowed him to hone his natural skills, eventually becoming the reason for his success over his enemy. 2. Power over things (authority and leadership)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. ​- 1 Pet 5:6 (NIV)

I firmly believe that God exalts the humble and opposes the proud. Pride can also be manifested in terms of a selfish desire for power and recognition; desire for authority and leadership. While there is nothing wrong to desire to serve God in a greater capacity and to hold more responsibilities together with Him, we need to focus on loving God by being faithful to Him and the Word instead of loving the positions of authority and leadership. It is unfortunate that many great leaders made leadership an idol in their lives and end up doing things just to sustain it rather than to truly benefit followers. Such is what God does not want for His people, and hence whoever desires to be leaders need to seek Him first and be humble! Being humble here means to accept that we don't always know what is best, hence trusting and relying on God and His Word in all that we do instead.

He said to his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD."

- 1 Sam 24:6 (NIV)

But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the LORD's anointed and be guiltless?

- 1 Sam 26:9 (NIV)

Again, consider king David. Despite the atrocities that Saul did against him, never once did David choose to revolt and overthrow Saul with his men, even feeling guilty for having cut off part of Saul's robe. It seemed highly illogical, but all that David wanted and was doing was to be humble (not presumptuous) and honour the Word of God, to live by it. David eventually became one of the (if not greatest) king of Israel who was loved by many simply because he was faithful to the Word of God, firmly deciding not to claim leadership and power on his own but to trust in God for the appointment and time. 3. Power for miracles This is an interesting point... Let's begin with Jesus Himself.

Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry. - Luke 4:1~2 (NIV) Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread through the whole countryside. ​- Luke 4:14 (NIV)

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit after His water baptism, but He was yet to be moving in the power of the Spirit at this time. What changed then? Jesus's demonstrated faithfulness to the statutes of His Father allowed Him to resist all three great temptations of the devil and to return in the POWER of the Holy Spirit which brought forth many miracles since. It is our love for Him that fuels our desire to stay faithful to His Word - the sword of the Spirit which allows us to effectively fend off the attacks and tear down the defences of the enemy. Therefore, Jesus Himself had left us a pattern to follow after - a model of pursuing God which leads to us becoming better vessels of His Power for His Glory. Lastly, on the day of Pentacost, 120 people received the Holy Spirit in the upper room.

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” - Acts 1:4~5 (NIV) When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues[a] as the Spirit enabled them. - Acts 2:1~4 (NIV)

There were way more people who saw Jesus after His resurrection, but only those who were faithful enough to heed His command to 'tarry in Jerusalem' received the first ever outpouring of the Holy Spirit which enabled them to pray for and deliver the miracles of God.

Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

- John 15:4~5 (NIV)

Friends, at the end of the day, I am not saying that we need to prove our faithfulness to anyone. Faithfulness is perceived and judged by Jesus alone, so let us focus on just loving Him. Faithfulness is enabled and sustained by Love. We need to keep connected with Him if we want to keep bearing fruits that are good. In God's omniscience, He knows the best decisions to make, and it is up to us to choose to be faithful to Him. It is hence just wisdom to obey His Word since He knows everything while we don't.

Faithfulness sets us up for greatness and power, therefore, let us always seek first to love and please God, and all the power we need to overcome, to lead, and to bless people will be experienced. God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

​- Matt 25:14~15 (NIV)

Ever wonder why Jesus doesn't take us home to Him the moment we come to His saving grace and work for us? Jesus has a job for us to do! He wants us to be witnesses for Him, share the Gospel and make disciples in His likeness throughout all of the world. To accomplish this task, He had also given to each of us a measure of gifts, 'talents' and responsibilities, as symbolised by the bags of gold in this parable.

Just like a seed, God gives to us for us to use it wisely, nurturing it and eventually witness the fruits. It could be simply blessing others with the Word of God, that they too one day share the same Word to more people - thus fulfilling the multiplication mentioned in this parable. The focus is not on the multiplication however, it is really on the heart of the servant, hence the title of this devotion - Good and faithful servant.

The Goal

“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

- Matt 25:19 (NIV)

There will come a day, when our King Jesus returns at His second coming, when all of us need to settle accounts with Him - accounting for every single word we've spoken, every deed we've done, and for the stewardship of whatever He had placed in our care while we were/are still alive on earth. He is fair, He is just, and He cannot be fooled. Everyone will have their works tested. Those that have stayed true to Him, loving Him and keeping His Word will receive commendation, while those that had not been faithful will be denied.

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.Come and share your master’s happiness!’

​- Matt 25:21 (NIV)

1. "Well done, good and faithful servant."

Personally, this is my wish - to hear Jesus telling me this when I finally meet Him up close physically at THE Day. After coming to the saving knowledge of Christ, I learned and decided that I only have 1 life on earth, one shot to make a difference in the lives around me, and the only way I can do that is to follow Jesus. I prayed and asked to be used by Him, and in every single little way I am permitted by Him to do, I give thanks. My only concern is if I had been a faithful servant of Him for Him and His people.

I am not perfect. I make mistakes. I am also clearly aware that I may not see the fruits of my labour and sowing in my lifetime on earth. But I know that as long as I am a good and faithful servant, every work will produce fruits for His Glory, and my life on earth, everything that I had tried my best to do for Him and with Him is worth it. We all make sacrifices to serve God and to follow Him in obedience. It can be extremely inconvenient, but we do it by faith anyway.

2. "Faithful with a few things"

This part assures and reminds me not to belittle whatever small act we do for Him.Even if it is just 1 person who attends the prayer meetings I organise, it is worth it for God, and I need to do my part by being faithful to the call and responsibility He had placed in my charge and life.At the same time, I find this portion really humbling.

“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.Come and share your master’s happiness!’

- Matt 25:22~23 (NIV)

5 bags of gold... 2 bags of gold... By comparing both servant's cases, it is clear that God is not concerned with the amount of fruits. He is concerned with our attitudes and relationship with Him. No one is to think too highly of themselves because of the fruits that could be seen. There is only 1 Judge to determine if our fruits are of God's glory, and He is Jesus. We don't know much, we don't know what the future holds. God alone has the full knowledge of all things, and hence He alone is capable of meting out eternal verdicts on our works.

Therefore my friends, let us always remember to be humble and stay focused on God. Let us do things never for the praises of men nor our own satisfaction. Let us do it out of love for Jesus, a desire to simply obey His commands (not trying to out do God's commands presumptuously as well), and let us be focused on wanting to be an accountable and faithful servant to Him at the end of time.

3. "Come and share your master's happiness"

One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.

- Ps 27:4 (NIV)

To be able to share in His happiness would also mean that we will ultimately receive the crown of life and not be separated from Him anymore - granted the dwelling together with Him forever. The greatest joy of Christians should be the final reunion with Christ Jesus our Lord, our ultimate Lover. Being able to celebrate with Jesus, to share His happiness for all that we had sowed and worked upon together with Him... This should be a great privilege that every one of us should recognise and desire. God can accomplish much on His own, but He chose to let us in on many of it, to use us for His Glory so that He may share His happiness with us when we reunite with Him.

Lastly, I want to stress that accountability to God is the most important thing that we must remember. Whatever we do, we do it as though it is done unto God, not out of compulsion, but out of a love. We serve because we love, and we can love because He first loved us. All good works of ministry begins with Jesus, and all Glory should be given back to Him as an 'end', and He in turn will share His happiness with His faithful servants. I pray that we can all work together and receive this remark from Jesus on the promised day.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST SON. <Luke 15:11~32>

When I first read this passage in the Bible, I saw it as 2 different sons, each lost in their own way. And much of the passage seems to focus on the 1st lost son, the younger son, who is (in)famous for having squandered his inheritance but returning as a repentant son. The way most sermons about this have shared it in a way that makes the backsliding of this younger son sound like it happened over an extended period of time. But I feel that if we look at the essence of the story, we can discover another piece of the beauty of God's Word for our lives.

1. Short-term gratification and sin

​

Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.

- Luke 15:11~12 (NIV)

We usually see this phrase as the beginning of a long journey of backsliding. But in essence, all forms of sin is a form of backsliding, of straying away from God. When we choose to sin, we have effectively told God what the younger son said to his father: "Give me my share of the estate", 'cashing out' whatever we have to spend on things which we perceive as better than what God has in store for us.

One can apply this to any form of short-term gratification, and we humans so often choose sin because of the short-term gratification it offers. It is a growing phenomena given the widespread instant-services we get these days. From instant messaging apps, to instant-photo or life-sharing apps, we want things fast. Our minds have been wired to think immediate, and children are growing up without the environment which trains them patience. Short-term gratification is indeed a growing issue in our lives, decreasing our capacity to exercise our authority over sin, giving in to the desires of our flesh for quick 'wins' which aren't actually wins at all.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”... 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.

- Gen 3:1, v4~6 (NIV)

Take the case of Adam and Eve for example. They decided to eat the fruit (especially Adam, since he was the one who heard the command directly from God), thinking that it is time for them to be like God by eating the fruit just as the serpent had tricked them. The desire for a quick gratification / result, the pride against the wisdom of God, these are the essence of sin which was also demonstrated in the story of the prodigal younger son - trying to take what God gives to His children to use it for purposes that we think we can do better, or that we deserve the rewards right now.

Thing is, even good things of God can be wrong if taken at the wrong time. Sex is meant for procreation between a married couple. It is made a beautiful thing of God, for married couples to bond in the deepest level of intimacy. However, choosing to take it before marriage is clearly a rebellious move against the wisdom of God, and consequences will have to be borne by whoever commits them. Great stuff, but if misapplied against the instructions from the Word of God, it is sin as well, it is a journey of running away from the Will of God.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

- Rom 3:23 (NIV)

Nothing for us to be surprised about. Everyone is a sinner who is saved by Grace through Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The tragedy is not the greatest in the sin, it is the greatest if one does realise it is sin and yet not turn away from it. This is where we can learn from the younger son of the parable.

“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.

- Luke 15:17~20 (NIV)

The point is not to go around bashing ourselves, nor for us to think that we need to strip ourselves of the identity and truth that we are truly heirs of God through Christ Jesus. Instead, the focus is on the humble heart of repentance: 1. understanding that what we have done - the disobedience and pride held against God - is sin, 2. deciding to return to the Father and apologise, seeking forgiveness.

Both acts require great humility, and together, they are the seeds of repentance.

2. Our loving Father

Friends, every time we choose sin over God, we have effectively behaved like the younger prodigal son. But there is still hope. Our Loving Father in heaven is just like the Father in the parable. He never ceases in thinking about us, and He always waits for our return. At the sight of our repentance and return to Him, He embraces us and draws near to us, welcoming us back with great joy and love. Such is our Heavenly Father for every single one of us who are works-in-progress.

Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,

- Acts 3:19 (NIV)

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”    says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet,    they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson,    they shall be like wool.​

​- Isa 1:18 (NIV)

Through Jesus, there now stands a way for repentance and forgiveness for all of us. Through the Word of God, we understand His heart for us more and it is through such understanding that our minds are being renewed, and have our lives transformed as we obey the Word. Repentance is a choice. It happens when we humble ourselves to the rule and wisdom of God, acknowledging that we don't know best, and that we long to be once again in His plans for us.

This parable therefore shows us that there is no condemnation from the devil that we should listen to, and we should always remember that our Heavenly Father is One who loves greatly. A simple heart of repentance, a contrite heart He will not despise. Come to the Father, and He will make us whole again.

Prayer:Dear Heavenly Father. I thank You for the atoning work of the cross and for the love You have for me. Indeed Your thoughts for me are of good and not of evil, to give me a hope and a future. No matter how far away I may run from You, You always wait patiently for my return. God, cleanse me and make me whole again. Help me to follow You, and allow me to dwell in Your presence all the days of my life. In Jesus's name I ask. Amen.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

“Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them.

- Exo 25:8 (NIV)

God desires to love us and to dwell amongst us. When He first delivered the Egyptians out of Egypt, He gave them His commandments to protect them (through showing them what it means to be holy), and then the instructions for building His Tabernacle. The Tabernacle is the first of the 3 physical building dwelling places that were mentioned in the Bible.

So why does God want to dwell with His people? The answer is actually because God loves. Think for a second. If you love your pet (insert animal), won't you want to spend as much time with it as possible? If you love a person, won't you also enjoy spending time with that person? A couple romantically in love can't forget their partner and have them on their minds all the time; can't wait till their next physical meeting. God loves us extremely deeply, and He longs to be with us! We are made to dwell in His Presence and to know Him. It was sin that caused the necessary separation between us and Him.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

- John 3:16 (NKJV)

To remedy this situation, God sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die at the Cross and be the propitiation for all of our sins, that whoever believes in Him receives the free gift of Grace and eternal life. Without the cleansing through the blood of Jesus which was shed for our sake, there is no way God can ever dwell with us without us perishing due to the unholiness in us.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

- 2 Cor  5:17~21 (NKJV)

Jesus paid a high price for us, just so that He could once again be reconciled with ALL Man, and dwell in our midst - to give us true joy and life. God loves to see us dwelling safely in Him, relying on Him and chatting (praying) with Him about all aspects in our lives. Our Father loves to converse with us, and to work together with us.

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

- Gen 1:26 (NKJV)

In Genesis, in the beginning of Man, God made Adam and Eve to maintain the Earth. God could very well do it on His own. He is more than capable of doing that! But He chose to create Man to enjoy His creations and be a part of His works in His Presence and fellowship! Today after the fall of Man, God still chooses to use us as part of His marvellous plan to redeem the Earth back to its glory.

So how does God do it through us? He makes us His dwelling place.

“God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their pre-appointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;  for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’

- Acts 17:24~28 (NKJV)

Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.

- John 14:23 (NIV)

No longer does God dwell in physical buildings built by Man today. He chose to dwell in those who love Him, and will abide in His Word - thus allowing His Word to be manifest and hence follows the Glory of God.

God is omniscient, hence, He knew every limitation and capabilities we have. He seeks to dwell in each and everyone of us that His Presence can be carried to wherever we are and to whatever we have direct influence to. We are the modern day tabernacle and temple. We are the carriers of God's Presence, His chosen dwelling place, and therefore, we ought to take up this privilege with great joy and humility! There are a few things to remember since we are indeed His dwelling place today.

1. Obey His Word - be holy

Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

- 1 Cor 6:19~20 (NIV)

You are to be holy to me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be my own.

​- Lev 20:26 (NIV)

​

We need to obey His Word so that His Name will not be profaned, for we no longer are just ourselves, but a dwelling place for the Lord. We are called to be holy just as He is - a place that is intentionally kept honourable for Him, worthy of His Name in all reverence. I must stress however, that it is not our works that earn us the privilege to dwell with God and Him in us - it is completely by the Grace of God, and we ought to treasure it! You wouldn't dishonour a person you love, so why do that to God? Let us keep His Word, be holy just as He is to the best of our abilities, knowing that we are all accountable to Him.

2. Take care of our bodies

​

Honouring God with our bodies also mean taking good care of our body. It is an important thing which I myself am trying to do better to honour God. We wouldn't let any earthly building decay if it meant something to us. We will do regular maintenance, routine checks and upgrade / repairs whenever necessary just to keep it in shape. So what is stopping us from doing the same to the dwelling place of the Lord that is our own bodies? Are we guilty of trading off health for something else? Personally, I've been spending much time on various ministries and school - so much to the point that I realised that my own body is no longer as tough as before. I repent. I prayed and am trying to change my lifestyle to be more led by the Holy Spirit towards something that is more sustainable and honouring for Him. I learned the importance of taking care of this earthen vessel of His, which is also the vehicle' I am using to serve His people on earth. If I am truly interested in longevity and effectiveness, it is only wise that I start caring for this body and health. I repent, and am trying to change. If you are like me for whatever reason, won't you join me?

3. Representatives of God - Carriers of Love

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

- Mark 12:30~31 (NIV)

God called us to love our neighbours as ourselves (which is as important as loving Him with all that we have) because we are His earthly representatives! His Presence dwells in us, and when people see us, they ought to see Jesus!

From the Gospels, we can truly see how Jesus was like - the Word in flesh, full of Grace, Truth and Love. We cannot claim to be lovers of God if we don't abide by His Word which tells us to love people. We are called to be carriers of His Love, carriers of Love - and God is Love; once again, we are His dwelling place indeed.

Currently (happening this week, 11~15 Sep 2017), there is a ground-up movement organised by ordinary student Christians who simply want to see Christians truly rise up to the call and be carriers of God - carriers of Love. A love that is not seeking, but perfect and unconditional. The world has much hate and strife to offer, and that is already too much. The world needs more Love to heal, more Love to connect, and more Love to achieve peace.

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us.

- 1 John 4:7~16 (NIV)

If you are a Christian, won't you join me, and join us to be carriers of Love - to truly be God's dwelling place on earth where His Name can be high and lifted up, where all Man will be drawn to and receive Him into their lives? :)

Let us carry the Love and be salt and light in this broken down world. Let us point people to Jesus, the One who saves, and the One who Loves.

God bless!

[formerpresenceandessence-blog]

Get wisdom! Get understanding! Do not forget, nor turn away from the words of my mouth. Do not forsake her, and she will preserve you; Love her, and she will keep you. Wisdom is the principal thing; Therefore get wisdom. And in all your getting, get understanding.

- Prov 4:5~7 (NKJV)

This exhortation in the book of Proverbs speaks of the benefits and importance of gaining wisdom. In today's world, many are looking for wisdom - better ways to do things, to govern, and to live. Is there a difference between Biblical wisdom and the common wisdom in the world? Is 'worldly wisdom' necessarily evil? Today, let us explore a little into these.

1. Biblical wisdom VS 'worldly' wisdom

Wisdom as defined on Merriam Webster:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wisdom  

​​1a :  accumulated philosophical or scientific learning :  knowledge

b :  ability to discern inner qualities and relationships :  insight

c :  good sense :  judgment

d : generally accepted belief challenges what has become accepted wisdom among many historians — Robert Darnton 2:  a wise attitude, belief, or course of action 3:  the teachings of the ancient wise men

Some might also define wisdom simply as the ability to apply knowledge at the right time, for the right results. There is no mention of God in this at all - and such is the definition in the world today. Therefore, there is a distinction to be made between biblical wisdom and the wisdom recognised by the world.

The world is constantly seeking for methods that brings benefit (often the quicker the better) without relying on God for instructions as God isn't deemed as the authority and source of wisdom. Such wisdom exalts Man and denies (not acknowledging) God, and such is what we will term 'worldly' wisdom.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

-  Prov 9:10 (NIV)​

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.

- Ps 111:10 (NIV)

According to the bible, reverence toward God, recognising, honouring and trust in God is key to finding wisdom. Biblical wisdom is rooted in the fear of God. Why is it that the bible calls it wisdom to fear God?

Wisdom is supposed to bring about benefits to those who possess and exercise it. Wisdom is logical, and wisdom is indeed a precious thing to be treasured. As Christians, we believe in the Sovereignty of God. Any person who is sound in their thinking will recognise 'authority' when it comes to instructions. A doctor's advice is more precious and considered 'wisdom' as he/she is the subject matter expert - definitely more credible than a random person who knows not much about medicine and health we find off the streets. In computer games, gamers seek to know the game moderators / admins for they possess special abilities or tips/cheats to help gamers gain an edge in the game.  The ones in authority... the ones who are 'subject matter expert' are those that we go to for wisdom.

For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

- Col 1:16~17 (NKJV)

Since God, Jesus, is the King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who is before all things, is it not wisdom to heed His Word and instructions then? Christians should obey the principles, the patterns in the Bible and the commandments of God because it is simply logical! What better way to live than to obey the creator of all things? The Bible calls the fear of God as the beginning of wisdom, and this is true. Without first humbling ourselves toward God, how can we constantly obey God's Word without finding ourselves in a struggle to follow through? Humility and respect toward God for who He is - this is the beginning of finding Biblical wisdom, granting us the growing ability to listen and know God, and the right thing(s) to do.

So this begs the question - is worldly wisdom necessarily evil since it is not the same as Biblical wisdom which we claim to be the right kind?

2. Worldly wisdom and evil

Personally, this is a difficult question to answer. On one hand, anything that leads people astray from God, anything that is contrary to the Holiness of God is evil - and given that worldly wisdom does not acknowledge God, it can be called evil. But to be fair, there can be technical/functional 'worldly' wisdom - eg. how to bake a tasty cake which the Bible does not actually talk about.

The Bible is more concerned about a human's heart than the technical things. It is concerned about ethics, it gives us morality standards, and in these confines, I will call worldly wisdom evil as it denies the Sovereignty of God, thinking it knows more, knows what's fairer, and what's better - This, is evil, a blatant rebellion against God.

God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

- Gen 1:28 (NKJV)

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

- Matt 22:37~38 (NKJV)

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.

- Eccl 12:13 (NIV)

While Mankind is looking for better methods to solve the world's issues, God is looking for better Man to reign through and solve the world's issues. Mankind was and still is entrusted with this earth, to care for it, to live on it, and to cultivate / rule over it. Though authority was lost to Satan at the Fall of Man, God is still Sovereign. The Bible is like the divine cheat code that will help Man restore that which was lost, and to bring back God's Glory into all of the earth. Wisdom of God - it is within reach, it is in the Word of God, accessible through the fear of God.​

It may sound strange and ridiculous to non-believers. As a former Atheist myself, I found the Bible ridiculous back then. But as I continued to study the Word, to pray and commune with God, I discovered just how wonderful the Word is despite its deep mysteries (or maybe the mysteries made it so beautiful).

Yes, anyone is free to debate over this and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and is free to disagree to whatever is written here. But why not give the Bible and God a try? I stand by the Word, and I firmly believe that all answers we need to settle the issues we face and see today are found within the Bible. All it takes is humility and obedience toward God, and as we keep His Commands, we will surely see the goodness and Glory of God.

God bless!