Wrestle With God and Prevail
What do you usually do in your moments of fears and doubts? Do you rely more on your own strength, or sink into helpless lament, or do your problems drive you to draw closer to God, who has all the answers and power? Is prayer your last resort after all other options were exhausted and failed? Or is prayer your first response in handling life situations and problems? In your prayers, do you struggle in order to ask God to accede to your requests, or do you wrestle so that you can eventually submit to His will?
Having The Right Zeal
Some church goers said they used to be zealous but no longer so now. What went wrong? Have they really been zealous for God in the first place? How about some whose zeal has totally went the wrong way? Find out why “zeal” is an attribute which Christians should possess, and yet why we should also be extremely careful about it going the wrong way.
Go Back To The Promised Land
Even if we know God is good, many hurdles stand between us and God as we seek to follow Him. The world is always offering attractive deals, or conversely, threats, to keep us far from God. Thus, God is constantly beckoning those whom He loves to go back to Him, to return to His promises and plan for them. Sometimes, both faith and fear dwell within a believer. On the one hand, we trust that God is good, yet on the other hand, we fear that if we do not do things our way or the world’s way, we may lose out. The more we confirm God’s faithful protection over us, the more our faith can outweigh our fears.
The Restraining Work Of God
Someone asked: “Pastor, what is the worst thing God can do to a sinner besides sending them to hell?” The answer to that is: “When God doesn’t restrain that person anymore”. Find out why the loving God has to restrain us.
God’s Unconventional Blessings
We often have a fixated idea of what constitutes a good life and what blessings mean. We may also have a rigid mindset of how blessings should come, preferably in an easy, comfortable, painless and quick way. Yet sometimes, God breaks our typical expectations, only to surprise us with His unconventional blessings. Indeed, what God has prepared for those who love Him are “what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” <1 Co 2:9>.
Understanding And Resolving Anger
Some of us have been angry, frustrated and bitter all our lives, and we saw how that volatile emotion have hurt ourselves and our loved ones. Some may be moderate and do not seem to be struggling with violent temperament, but anger could be one of the most common and even powerful attributes we human being possess. We could have in many ways fall into anger knowingly or unknowingly in just a day of our lives. Find out the common causes of anger and how to deal with it.
Mercy In The Mess
Brokenness abounds in a sinful world. Every corner we turn, we can observe broken relationships, shattered hopes, crushed self-esteem, messy lives, etc. Having a broken relationship with God, fallen humans lack the capacity to love perfectly and live in holiness, thus multiplying the brokenness in the world. Yet, the living God still works within the mess, to demonstrate His mercy. God’s people may not be perfect but they are redeemable. If we look to Him in our brokenness, He can ultimately turn our pains into praise.
Discipline for the Loved, Grace for the Unloved
God’s love is holistic and comes to us just the way we need it. When we are on the wrong path, God’s love is shown through His discipline, so that we can follow Him in the right way again. Yet, when we are disappointed in life and feel as if we are forgotten, unloved, inferior, God comes to us with His awesome grace to comfort us and lift us up. We may feel our lives are not at the ideal state yet, but God is progressively fulfilling His good work and promises to us. Let us find strength in His unfailing love!
Finding Meaning In Our Lives
The quest for meaning (significance) is built into our humanness. Everyone of us deep down in our hearts, yearn to be valuable, useful, and that our existence means something to someone. Yet, what is the true meaning of our lives?
“Surely The Lord Is In This Place, And I Did Not Know It”
One great promise of God to His people is “I am with you”. This promise can strengthen our heart and give it rest, whenever we believe. Yet, the truth that “God is with us” is also one that is hard for us to be conscious of moment by moment. For we are more often preoccupied with things in front of us – the immediate pleasures, deadlines, things to do, persons we are facing, etc, than to be mindful of God’s presence. Have you ever encountered God personally? He is with you right where you are, even in your ordinary and mundane circumstances. Open your spiritual eyes to see Him now and find rest in following Him!
