#107. God Will Make It Right

If you can't make it happen and no one else can, there is only thing left to do - look up and trust in God to make it right.

#106. Happiness Has Nothing To Do With Pleasure

You feel pleasure when you want something and you get it or when you don't want something and you remove it. Pleasure is always relative. Happiness is absolute. Happiness is the understanding and acceptance of life as it is in this very moment as completely perfect because every creation of God is perfect. The degree to which you do not accept life in all of the Divine forms is the degree to which you suffer.

#105. Paul Washer - The Shocking Youth Message

Paul Washer preached this shocking youth message in 2002 at a conference. I would appreciate it if you spent 58:57 minutes now to watch this video.

#104. You Do Not See Things As They Are, You See Them As You Are.

When you look, you see reflections of your being. When you listen, you hear echoes of yourself. If you don't like something about what you see and hear, no point in smashing the mirror, change who you are becoming.

#103. Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)

#102. Psalm 46:10

#101. Remember Who You Really Are

You are not your wallet, your job, your kids, your house. You are not your activities or your worries or the labels other people give you. Like an actor you play these roles, and like a good actor you sometimes forget who you really are. Time to wake up now, and remember that you are a being of immense power and breathtaking beauty created in the image of God.

#100. God Has An Important Purpose For You And Made Everything Possible For You To Succeed

That's not to say it's an easy purpose or a convenient one. It might very well seem hard or even impossible but it only looks that way. The truth is that one day you will look back and see how all the pieces fit together and how your life has been a complete and utter success.

#99. True Faith From And Through Doubt

If you never questioned your beliefs - you are just a puppet dancing to somebody’s strings. If God had wanted your mindless obedience, you would've been created without mind and without free will. But you have both so you can come to God of your own accord. Just look at the lives of saints, - most of them had gone through a dark night of the soul, and that's why their faith was so strong. The path to true faith always goes through doubt. So ask those questions you've always been afraid to ask, and find the answers, and then your faith will become unshakable.

#98. Every Day You Are Choosing Either To Be Grateful Or To Be Disappointed

You can worry to no end about what you don't have. Or you can marvel at God's breathtaking gifts: the morning dew, the sun, the clouds, the trees, the flowers, the birds. Could you create any of these? These miracles of life are always around you, ready to be celebrated, ready to be welcomed into your life.

#97. Relationships Are All About God - Part V

When we’re irritated with a roommate for not doing “their share”, our problem really is that we don’t see our roommate as better than ourselves. We don’t see a stack of dishes as an opportunity to serve.

We see ourselves as equal or better and we’re irritated our roommate doesn’t understand this dynamic.

When we’re irritated with our husbands because they don’t clean up after themselves, it’s really because we’ve forgotten that we need to consider other people’s needs over our own. We are here to serve not because we’re women but because we are believers.

In a beautiful, healthy, God-centred relationship between two people (roommates or spouses, etc.) it should be a wonderful competition between who can serve the other better. Who can show Christ to one another more? It is so great to see when a wife and husband both get this image from Christ. Relationships are gorgeous when both people in the relationship are constantly asking, “How can I serve you? How can I model Christ’s humility for you?”

Obeying God no matter what is going on is the key to unity with other believers.

Modelling humility and desiring to please the Lord, by following in His servant footsteps is the key to oneness with others.

Self-centeredness is what keeps us from showing the world that Jesus is through our unity.

If we’re upset about something that is not a sin issue, we may need to get over it. “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.” (1 Peter 2:19)

We may need to turn the other cheek. “But I tell you, Do not resist an evil person. If someone strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.” (Matthew 5:39-42)

We may need to forgive since love keeps no record of wrong “It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.” (1 Corinthians 13:5)

And we can never ever retaliate.
“When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (1 Peter 2:23)
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Romans 12:14)
“Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my 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.” (Romans 12: 17-20)
Unity is a miracle. Apart from Christ, we cannot love people who are not just like us; we have a hard time loving people who are just a little different than us.

If we know that we are already truly loved and we are not entering a friendship or a marriage for what we can get out of it, but with only one goal - God’s glory, then we will choose to obey God in the area of relating to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

So, we know who we are in Christ.

We don’t expect people to do for us what only God can do in our lives. We stop thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought. We stop letting other people dictate our behaviour. We’re also called to make sure our brothers and sisters are not living in sin as the Bible says, we're supposed to continue to pray for them and accept them in love.
“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5: 13 – 20)

#96. Relationships Are All About God - Part IV

Paul says that he learned how to be content with a lot or content with a little. While he was talking about material things, I can’t help but think it applies here as well. I believe that if we are content in our relationship with the Lord and truly believe we have worth because God says we do, then we would not get our feelings hurt or get angry, thinking “we don’t deserve this or we deserve better than this” when people don’t live up to our expectations in our various relationships.

Being constantly consumed with checking up on how everyone is treating me makes my relationships about me, not God.
Being selfish and being Christ-like is the battle between the Spirit and the Flesh. Being selfish and being loving are at war with each other. “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God-” (2 Timothy 3:1-4) sums this up beautifully.

When we choose to be unloving, we are saying, “I love myself and demanding my way. I love protecting myself and thinking about me. I love those things more than I love God.”

When we are angry at our husbands for not taking out the trash or being late or being insensitive, we are saying, “I love having a clean house. I love my husband doing his share. I love demanding my own way. I love throwing myself a pity party. I love rubbing it in. I love making him feel horrible because he knows something is wrong with me since I'm killing him softly with my silence. I love being a baby. I love throwing fits. I love having no self-control. I love being entitled to being upset. I love all of those sinful things more than I love God.” When we choose our sin over the Lord, we are saying that God is only worthy of obedience (obeying His Word to love our husbands no matter what, to treat them kindly and with respect) when my feelings are not at stake. If obeying God is actually going to affect me or my feelings in any way, then no, God, you are not worthy of obedience.

We cannot love like Jesus if we are consumed with disobedience and selfishness.

It reminds me of that book, The Five Love Languages. It’s a great book, don’t get me wrong.

Knowing our love languages as friends or as a couple is only important so we can let God use us in more effective ways to communicate His love to them, not so we can make sure they love us the way we want to be loved.

Because we already know and have settled who we are in Christ and His great love for us, our goal in relationships should be “How can I serve you? How can I be a blessing to you? How can I show you God’s love?” Most of what we’re so upset about not getting from other people, we already have in Christ. We’re spoiled, always wanting more, aren’t we? God uses words like “lavish” and “abundantly” when describing His provision for us. Yet we will want to slit our wrist when just one mere mortal in our life doesn’t give us even more of the things we think we need.

Now what about being annoyed or irritated with someone? What about that? What if they keep doing us wrong?
What if our roommate never does the dishes when she should? What if she leaves the lights on when she leaves even though she’s been asked not to do this? What if she eats my cereal?

Can you hate her? Can you avoid her? Can you leave her nasty notes on the kitchen counter using capital letters and lots of underlining?

What if my husband does nothing to initiate communication? What if he never goes out of his way to make me feel special? What if he never compliments me when he should?

Can I be bitter? Can I never talk to him back? Can I sing “Earl Had to Die” but use my husband’s name instead?

No. Why?

Because being a believer means we have thrown away the idea that life should be fair, that life is all about 50/50. Being a believer means our circumstances and the behaviour of others around us do not in any way dictate our response or our behaviour.

In other words, my behaviour as a believer is contingent upon nothing else besides the word of God.

There is no place for “If you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” in a believer’s train of thought. That thought process was derailed when we were crucified in Christ.

As a believer, we must realise that we are called to keep scratching someone’s back even if they never turn around and scratch ours or say thank you.
We are to keep loving and behaving in God’s honouring ways, no matter how others around us are behaving because that is what Jesus did.

“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
We hated Him. We were rebellious. We were awful and what did He do in response to our nastiness?

He loved us.

Thank goodness our behaviour does not change His.

We are to love others with God's exact agape kind of love, the kind that never expects anything in return.
So, there cannot be an “if you/then me” mentality among believers.

If my husband never compliments me, that does not mean I’m not going to compliment him.
If your roommate doesn’t do her share of the chores, it does not mean you get to not do yours.
If your co-worker lies about you, you cannot retaliate.

In order to practice these things, we need to constantly remind ourselves of our position as believers.

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbles himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8) Although He was God, He became an example of a servant to us, a picture of true humility. We should have the same attitude of humility and service that Christ had.

The true spirit of humility is “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3).

#95. Relationships Are All About God - Part III

In order for unity between believers to happen, we are going to have to eject some wrong thinking out of our minds about why relationships exist between brothers and sisters in Christ.

The reason why we are not united with other believers is because people hurt us or annoy us. But the problem is, God knew this would happen and He is very clear that not loving or liking people because they hurt us or annoy us is not ok.

God says we are not to show favouritism “But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers.” (James 2:9). Forgiveness “Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Colossians 3:13) is something that should define us as believers.

When people hurt our feelings, it’s usually because they are or are not doing something we think they need to do to make us “feel” a certain way.

When people irritate us, it’s usually because we think we do not deserve to be treated the way they are treating us right?

So, let’s unpack our suitcase of dysfunction called “hurt feelings.”

First, let’s remind ourselves that we do not need anyone to make us feel special or loved because we’ve already settled that God completely takes care of that.

Here’s an example:
It’s my birthday. One of my friends does not call me or send me a card in the mail. I’m mad at my friend. She should have called. Now I'm wiping down the counters in my kitchen and planning to go on vacation during her next birthday.
My husband does not write me a love letter when I have said, that is all I want for my birthday. Instead, he buys me a back massager. He says he wants my back to feel better. I secretly think he's sick of me asking him to massage my back.
I’m mad at my husband. He should have written me a love letter that says I'm the best wife ever instead of a back massager.

First, let’s step back and ask a few questions:
Have either of these people sinned here? No.
Believe it or not, it is not a sin to forget to call someone on their birthday. It is not a sin that my husband bought an electronic back massager instead of writing a love letter. Really! I’ve tried desperately to find it in the Bible.
It may hurt my feelings, but those things do not break the heart of the Father.

However, the fact that my feelings get hurt so easily may be sinful.

My feelings and demands that I have for other people to treat me a certain way in order for me to be “happy” may be selfish. If my feelings cause me to sin (be angry, feel depressed, doubt God’s love for me, want to run over my husband), then they are an idol in my heart. If I’m willing to sin to get what I want or because I do not get what I want, my feelings and expectations of others are an idol. By my behaviour, I have shown that my “right” to have my feelings hurt or being angry with my husband are more important than obeying the Lord.

#94. Relationships Are All About God - Part II

If women were really looking for a one-day marriage that brought God honour and glory, we would not be running after this illusion of romance and love that we are so bent on obtaining.

Running after a feeling, after the drama of a relationship means we are pursuing our own selfish fulfilment. If we were looking at a man the way Christ looks at him and that’s only at his heart,

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

God says He does not look at the things we look at, He looks at the heart. Many of you are passing up a church full of Godly men because they are not good looking enough or wooing you off your feet. They are not making you have goose bumps and hot flashes. They aren’t making you weak in the knees.

One day God is going to judge your husband according to the way He loved you. And do you know what God says husband-love is?

First, let me tell you what it is not.

It is not a love that brings you flowers or remembers your birthday. That’s nice and praise God, it happens but that’s not it.
It’s not a love that makes you feel silly and goofy. That’s nice and praise God, sometimes it happens, but that’s not it either.
It’s not a love that makes you “feel” anything. It’s a love that makes you “look” like something. Jesus.

God says that your husband is supposed to love you in one way with a sanctifying kind of love.
Let's break it down:
God is love. Lost people do not even know how to love if they don't know God. Hence, anything that lost people think about love is probably wrong and distorted.
If we are running after the “love” that we paid $6 - $10 to see on the big screen, we are running after a lie, an illusion.
If after seeing those movies, we find ourselves depressed and unsatisfied, it's because we have just fed our flesh a big plate of trash!

We may need to stop feeding the flesh something that makes us sin (feel sad, lonely, depressed).

Here is what God says about love:
In Ephesians 5, God says husband love is judged in one way.
Did our husband present us as a radiant bride, without spot or blemish? Did he hold you accountable to God’s word even when you were ugly and unteachable? Did he do it even when it made you mad?

This takes a real man. Some men are too wimpy to love like God demands.

Most of you are running after a love that amounts to nothing.
If you are looking for a man who will always make you feel good about yourself, you’re running after a pansy of a man!

Why do you think you need to be in a relationship?
Is it because you desperately want someone to hold you accountable to God’s Word so you can grow even more in your relationship with Christ? Or is it because you are lonely, you want a romance rush or you want someone to make you feel some way you aren’t feeling right now? Remember, we've already settled that those are God’s jobs and He is a pro at what He does.

Are your motives selfish or God-centred?

Marriage is about God taking two people who are busy bringing Him glory with their lives independently and making them one flesh for His glory. Your oneness with your spouse is not how much you giggle, not how good looking you are together, not what beautiful babies you will have, not how great your new last name sounds with your first name. Your oneness is what will bring God glory.

#93. Relationships Are All About God - Part I

We know that everything about us apart from God is selfish, wicked and worldly.

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

Anything we do “in the flesh” that comes natural to us will end up in ruin because our motives will always be self-serving. So, it is not terribly shocking that we have taken something that God created. Sometimes, relationships between people turned them away from being a God thing and turned them into a “me thing.”

What are the selfish reasons we enter relationships?

How can this make me happy?
How can this fulfil me, complete me?
How can this fill a need in me?
How can this keep me from being lonely?
How can this make me feel like I’m loved?

God says “and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.” (Colossians 3:10). We are to do everything in life with God’s glory, not our glory in mind. God says that relationships are supposed to be all about Him, not us.

#92. How To Make Christian Dating Relationships Work

Recently, my Christian friends encountered some relationship problems. I went to do some reading and research and came across a few articles. Here is one of them:

1. Christian relationships depend on good communication. Keep lines of communication open. If you date somebody who you cannot see on a consistent basis, it is important to talk at least once a day, preferably via telephone. Only through regular communication can a relationship be sustained and blossom.

2. Voice your expectations on a consistent basis. When it comes to Christian dating, women and men alike should be sure that their partner knows what they are expecting out of a relationship. If, for example, you want a relationship that leads to marriage, that should be made clear as soon as feasible.

3. Maintain purity during visits. Christian dating relationships can be ruined if there is physical intimacy before matrimony, and premarital sexual relations are forbidden in Scripture. Have an accountability partner and never stay in the same room on visits.

4. Honesty is important in Christian dating relationships. Do not lead the other person on. Christians dating one another should break it off immediately if both know that the relationship will not end in marriage. There is no point to courtship if matrimony is not the intended end.

5. Seek counsel from Christian friends and family members. Talk regularly about your relationship with other mature believers and be honest. They can help you see if you are headed down the wrong track with another person.

6. Pray and study together. Christian dating relationships should be marked by the disciplines of prayer and study. Pray for each other and the relationship. Study the Bible with each other so that you might discern God's leading.

#91. Aiden Wilson Tozer said

“An infinite God can give all of Himself to each of His children. He does not distribute Himself that each may have a part, but to each one He gives all of Himself as fully as if there were no others.”

“In almost everything that touches our everyday life on earth; God is pleased when we're pleased. He wills that we be as free as birds to soar and sing our maker's praise without anxiety.”

“Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.”

“The Word of God well understood and religiously obeyed is the shortest route to spiritual perfection. And we must not select a few favorite passages to the exclusion of others. Nothing less than a whole Bible can make a whole Christian.”

“You can see God from anywhere if your mind is set to love and obey Him.”

“We can afford to follow Him to failure. Faith dares to fail. The resurrection and the judgment will demonstrate before all worlds who won and who lost. We can wait.”

“Sometimes I go to God and say, “God, if Thou dost never answer another prayer while I live on this earth, I will still worship Thee as long as I live and in the ages to come for what Thou hast done already. God’s already put me so far in de4bt that if I were to live one million millenniums I couldn’t pay Him for what He’s done for me.”

“When we try to focus our thought upon One who is pure uncreated being we may see nothing at all, for He dwelleth in light that no man can approach unto. Only by faith and love are we able to glimpse Him as He passes by our shelter in the cleft of the rock.”

“I am Thy servant to do Thy will, and that will is sweeter to me than position or riches or fame, and I choose it above all things on Earth or in Heaven.”

#90. Beyong Words To Speak With Your Heart

You can mouth the words of a prayer all day long and just waste your time, unless you also speak with your heart. And to speak with your heart means to embody first. If you pray for love, be loving. If you pray for wealth, be generous. If you pray for health, practice health yourself. What is your favorite prayer? How can you begin to embody it?

#89. Breakthrough Missions

Sometime back, four representatives from Breakthrough Missions (Drug Rehab Halfway House) came to my church to give a speech, sang worship songs and shared their testimonies.

Yesterday, unknowingly I came across a show called ‘不由自主Compulsions’. There were three guys sharing their stories on how they broke free of their bondage to drugs. They are from Breakthrough Mission.

If you know of anyone who is struggling to break free from drugs, I would recommend that you bring him/her to Breakthrough Missions. I have heard quite a number of powerful testimonies on how they changed for a better after entering Breakthrough Missions.
For further details, you may go to http://breakthroughmissions.org/.

“So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” (John 8:36)

#88. Great Is The Lord

#87. The Stranger On The Road To Emmanus

The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus. Written in narrative form, The Stranger On The Road To Emmanus explains the Bible chronologically from Creation to Christ, beginning with simple truths and moving to the more complex. The book lays the foundation of the Gospel with major Old Testament stories, builds upon essential biblical truths in a logical manner, and culminates at the Cross and the Resurrection.
The book is fully illustrated with drawings, diagrams and maps to help communicate the message visually.

#86. Hallelujah

#85. The Servant Song

Yesterday, I was having dinner with Zhe Hao and Wen Shan and they shared a song with me which I would like to share it with you too.

#84. 1 Peter 2:20-24

"But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:20-24)

#83. While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord

#82. Trust His Heart

#81. A Cause For Celebration

Today, you should celebrate what an unbelievable life you have had so far: the accomplishments, the many blessings, and, yes, even the hardships because they have served to make you stronger. Just as a gem cannot be polished without friction, nor can a life be perfected without trials. Take a time to acknowledge your life and to praise yourself.

#80. Not Alone

Even when you feel physically alone, know that you are surrounded by divine love. Like God, love is not visible, but that does not mean it is not there. You are loved.

#79. Judgment

When someone dies, does he/she faces judgment immediately and goes either heaven/hell? Or he /she have to wait until the second coming of Jesus where everyone is judged on judgment day before going to heaven/hell?

When a person dies, his/her destiny is sealed. He/She can’t undo his/her decisions or make new ones.
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,” (Hebrews 9:27)
When a person dies, his/her soul goes to Heaven or Hades. Those in Hades will await the final judgement. After judgement, they are cast into the lake of fire.
“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” (Revelation 20:11-15)

For those in heaven, will they be judged as well? Or their soul just goes to heaven for eternity? Why some day that everyone will be judged on judgment day?

Christians face the Bema Judgment; it is to determine the giving of rewards, not salvation. Non Christians will face the Great White Throne Judgment on Salvation.

#78. Have You Been Skipping Out On God's Most Important Gift To Man - Love?

Love is the blood of the soul. God wants all beings to have healthy and strong souls, so God created a simple law to nourish the soul: the more you give love, the more you receive love. Remember all the beings you love - people, animals - that you haven't thought of lately. Do not wait anymore, reconnect with them today and express your love.