Hi readers! Today marks the 7th month of Fool’s Bench existence! If you still remember, it was on 22nd of September last year that this site was launched. Ever since then, many people have visited and shown a lot of love and encouragement, and today if you’re one of them, I want to thank you for your support.
But today is not about celebrating another month of Fool’s Bench! Today is about going back to its origins. Because today is also the birthday of a woman who a year ago, preached a message that inspired the name of Fool’s Bench. If you’ve been here long enough, you would know that I am talking about my spiritual mother – Pastor Lia.
So as I was thinking over the past few days what I could write about today, I thought there could be nothing more appropriate than to share with all of you my notes that I took down for The Fool’s Bench message more than a year ago; since you know, today’s about Fool’s Bench and Pastor Lia (who preached about The Fool’s Bench). Haha, ready for a #throwback? I present to you, one of the most important messages I’ve ever heard – The Fool’s Bench.
“The Fool’s Bench” by Pastor Lia
The first thing I remember Pastor Lia saying was that if we want to be world-changers, there are 2 questions we need to ask ourselves.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:1-2
Am I a Thermostat or a Thermometer?
Because if we blindly follow everyone else in the world, how can we change it? There is a huge difference between a thermometer and a thermostat – a thermometer measures room temperature, whereas a thermostat controlsthe room temperature.
Just look up Roger Bannister as an example. He set the temperature, a new standard, a new record. He is a “thermostat”. He changed the “rules” of the mile run forever. But what about us? Are we blending into environments or are we showing others how to live? World-changers are thermostats no matter where they are! They hold on to their convictions despite peer pressure. And in fact under pressure, their convictions are strengthened.
Look up another hero named Samuel in the Bible. He lived in an environment of corruption, but kept himself pure. In a time when God was clouded out by the world, Samuel lived differently. He too was a thermostat.
“Now the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no widespread revelation.” – 1 Samuel 3:1
And because he was a thermostat, God noticed Samuel and called him when He wanted to change the world. Just as how Samuel was different from the people around him, we can be the same too.
“that the Lord called Samuel. And he answered, âHere I am!â” – 1 Samuel 3:4
Am I Heavenly-minded or Earthly-minded?
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2
My pastors always say that Christianity is not the removal of the mind, but the renewal of the mind. So we want to lift the thoughts of our minds towards the things of God. And as Christians, we got to ask ourselves what exactly is on God’s heart.
And it can be safe to say, knowing my God for a few years now, that His heart is always for others; especially those who do not yet know Him. So if we want to change the world, we got to start with the people in our world. We got to live for others, not for ourselves. Of course, it isn’t as easy as it seems. Sometimes we might even feel like fools for living for others, reaching out to them and loving them. But that is why we have to be heavenly-minded.
To many people out there, the idea of “living for others” is a foolish one. But to God and to those who are heavenly-minded, it is a beautiful thing. Because money, possessions & success on Earth cannot be kept forever. It doesn’t matter whether you believe in Heaven & Hell or not, it doesn’t matter whether you believe in Jesus or not. One thing is for sure – all of us will one day depart from this world in death and all those things we have accumulated for ourselves in our time on Earth will be left behind.
Now I do not mean that success isn’t important. However, we should have both success and significance in our lives. And this can be done by being the “fools” that people may see us as. But it’s all about perspective. We aren’t just any fool on the street. We are a special kind of fools – fools for Christ. And I truthfully believe up till this day that fools for Christ are amazing. They are willing to make a difference in any way they can and see it worth their efforts – even if it means only one person getting touched.
In closing, Pastor Lia shared with us a story of a certain church in South Barrington, Illinois that has interesting benches in its lobby. Every weekend, there will always be a handful of members from the church sitting there, waiting for their friend, relative or colleague to show up. They have probably earlier in the week invited someone to come join them in church to experience all that they have experienced, which has impacted their lives in a certain way.
Fifteen minutes passes. Half an hour passes. An hour passes. A lot of these people that they are waiting for have said “Yes” to their invitations. But some of them never show up.
Thus, these church members waiting on the benches sometimes end up looking & feeling like fools. But I’m sure if you visit that church the very next weekend, they will be there again at the very same spot on the same bench, waiting. Because they are heavenly-minded and they don’t mind it. They know that what they’re doing can possibly make a difference in a person’s life that money cannot buy, and death cannot take away.
And so after awhile, these lobby benches that these people sit on every weekend became known throughout the church as “The Fool’s Bench”. That is where the name originated from. It’s so inspiring, isn’t it? I want to be able to live like these heroes, who nobody might even know about, but are the real thermostats and heavenly minds that are changing our world for good & for God. I leave you today with one last quote by missionary Jim Elliot that perfectly sums up this entire message into one sentence: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Today if you walk down a street and see coins scattered all over the floor, what would you think? You’d probably think the same thing as me, “Someone must have dropped it there accidentally. Finders keepers!” Haha. But let’s change the scenario a little. What if you walk down a street and don’t see a mess but instead you see two neatly stacked coins? I guess you would react very differently. You would think that it’s some kind of trap or that somebody must have placed it there on purpose! That’s exactly how I feel when I look at the world around me.
Reader, I believe the world is not an accident. When I look around and see the beauty of nature, I cannot ignore the great possibility that Someone was behind it all. I read about our universe, its solar systems, our planet, and I know that there is an intelligent design in everything. From how perfectly placed our Earth is in distance to the Sun for us to live to how it is tilted at an axis for seasons to occur to how water falls on land and goes back up to the sky in a cycle, I am so convinced that the world in which we live is not an accident. If I believe that a simple stack of coins is not an accident, it is natural for me to believe that a world which is exceedingly more sophisticated and complex than that has a Creator and a purpose. And even more so for you and I.
Because I believe that we are not an accident. I believe that we are results of something far greater than that of a cosmic explosion. When I look at our bodies, our minds and our systems, I just know in my heart that God has made us and in a way that no machine or artificial intelligence can replicate a 100%. I’ve seen accidents and know they don’t make things better. A car crash will never produce a Ferrari! Accidents make things worse and leave chaos & destruction at its wake. These things left to itself will then decay and decompose into disorder, the total opposite of what we and our world are.
I believe that we are fearfully and wonderfully made as we are. When I look at the animals in the zoo, I can see our similarities. Both they and us have a body and a soul. We can feel emotionally, they can too. We can think, and albeit at a lower intellect, they can too. But there is one huge difference I see even between my friends who behave like animals and the animals themselves. Only us humans have a spirit. And only spiritual beings can worship. I’ve never seen an animal with an inclination to pray or look to a greater power even in their most helpless state. But our species has since ancient times looked in many places to find God. I believe that we are different from animals.
I believe that God wants to have a relationship with us. Christianity is not just a religion in which we attain eternal life and are able to go to Heaven. Christianity is a relationship. In fact, eternal life is about knowing God. It can begin right here, right now.
“And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” – John 17:3
I also believe that God is our Father. He is not just a divine cosmic power or a Creator. Because a creator can always create something and throw it away if he doesn’t like it. A creator can create something and give it away if he feels good about it. A creator can make something and sell it away to earn profit from it. A creator can always destroy his creations and start over again. But a father can’t do all that. You can’t father a child and just throw it away. You won’t father a child and give it away. And of course you wouldn’t father a child just to sell it away. Even if a child turns out to be rebellious, disobedient and defiant, his father will never end his life and have another one.
Similarly, I believe that our Father in Heaven is the same. Even though we as His children have turned away from Him, He can never just wipe us out from the face of this corrupted world. Instead, He wants to redeem us, change us and bring us home. It’s always been His plan. I believe that He wants to bring redemption to our lives and to our world.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” – Romans 3:23
I believe we are all sinners! We are born selfish and have to be taught at a young age to be selfless. That is why we need God. But we also need Him because only a Creator knows the purpose of His creation. Friend, I believe you and I have a purpose. Do not ever think that you are an accident because accidents don’t have a purpose. Accidents are unplanned for, accidents are unwanted. When I look around me, at this keyboard that I am typing with, at this screen that I am looking at, at this chair that I am sitting on and at this bottle that I am drinking from, I realize that everything was made with a purpose. And wouldn’t it be the saddest thing to believe that lifeless objects have a purpose, but we don’t? Your parents might have told you that you were an “accident”, but today God is saying to you that you’re definitely notHis accident. Because if you are, He would not have come to die for you.
Yes, I believe that Jesus Christ came to die for you and I. I believe that He came to restore His relationship with us that was previously broken by sin – a relationship no amount of success and good works can mend. Just think about it; if today you had a row with your father and you ran away from home, would becoming a huge success or a philanthropist (though all are good things that we should be) earn back your relationship with your dad? No. Only if we were to go back to Him, apologize and ask for forgiveness, would that relationship be restored. It is the same for Jesus, just that He made the first move. Why? Because there is a penalty of death that we need to pay for our sins.
And here is why I believe that our God is both just and loving. Imagine that you got yourself into a car accident due to drunk driving. You end up in court and to your horror, your father who is a judge is sitting right there on the bench. As a judge, he has to mete out justice & punishments and cannot be biased towards you just because you are his son or daughter. So in all fairness, he reads out all the penalties that you will get including a fine and a suspension of your license. But at the end of it all, something interesting happens. He gets down from his bench after the court session, walks towards you and puts his arm around you. He then tells you not to worry, because he will pay the fine for you and drive you around until your suspension ends.
“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
I believe that is what God has done for us. God is not just a judge in Heaven who metes out punishment, but He is also our loving Father. That is why God became Man to die on the cross on our behalf to pay for the penalty of our sins. Now, if we accept that love and just believe, our sins can be washed away and we can be made clean in this relationship with Him. That is why I believe. I believe that He gave His life for me. I believe that He rose again. I believe that He is 100% Man and 100% God. I believe that He is good. I believe that I am forgiven. I believe that I have a purpose. I believe in Heaven and I believe in the name of Jesus. Do you?
If you want to believe, all you have to do is pray this prayer with sincerity:
Dear Father God, I admit that I am a sinner And I ask for your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ died for me On the cross and rose again. I confess that Jesus is my Lord and Savior. Holy Spirit, help me to obey and follow God. Change me from the inside out. In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen.
p.s. If you happened to have stumbled upon this post and have just prayed the prayer above, I want to congratulate you because you have made the best decision in your life! This is only the beginning for even greater things to come and I would like to tell you more. So if you have just believed in Jesus through this post, don’t stop there! Let me know by messaging me through Facebook, and especially so if you live in Singapore! Hope to hear from you soon!
Light. It brings with it warmth, comfort, vision and direction. What would we do without it? With no light, there is no sight. But there’s more. In this world full of darkness, light isn’t just an illumination, it’s an embodiment of truth, hope & life. It’s what we use to see, to navigate, and to fight in and against this darkness.
Think about it. Light is everywhere. It’s found in the screen you’re looking at, in the lamps along the street, in the Sun that brings us day. Yet without darkness, light will not be obvious or necessary. Of course, I wish that the life and the world that we live in would just be perfect. But you and I know that’s not possible.
So what can we do? I say we can either curse the darkness, or light a candle. Today on Good Friday, I don’t just choose to recognize the darkness in our world; I choose to remember. I choose to remember on this day what it’s all about. Easter is not about the bunnies or the eggs. Easter is about the Light of the world – Jesus Christ.
The Light came to our imperfect world two thousand years ago to die for our sins. He took upon Himself the sentence we all deserved on this Friday many many years ago. But He didn’t stay dead. On the third day, He rose again defeating even death itself.
Jesus Christ did all that because He wants to bring His light into our darkness, into our lives. And it’s only when we first let Him light up our lives, that we can then be a light to others. It doesn’t matter what kind of light we are, we were not meant to stay in darkness.
We were created to shine brightly like a city on a hill! And the beautiful thing is that all of us are different kinds of light making a difference to the world in our own unique ways. One light is all it takes. But before that, just as how light needs a source of energy, we need a source of energy no matter who we are.
You could be an LED, a flashlight or a wall lamp; nothing changes the fact that Jesus is the source of the light in us. So today, come to God. Recognize the darkness in this world but also remember the Light of the world. He wants to bring His light to us so that we can bring His light to others. This Easter, let’s light up our world together.
There is a man in Heart of God Church whom I am most honored to share the same birthday with. He’s none other than Garrett Lee, one of our senior leaders! And just 2 weekends ago, he preached a sermon about the power of our minds. I found it very practical and today, I want to tell you what I learned from it.
Firstly, let me ask you a question. Do you know that our thoughts are very important? What we usually think will eventually become what we believe. That is why, we need to guard our minds with this power we have over them. Because at the end of the day, what’s inside of us in our minds will affect our outside in terms of our life and our behavior. There is a saying:
“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.”
So as you can see, it is indeed very important for us to guard our thoughts and our minds. But more than that, the Bible says that we got to renew them.
“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” – Romans 12:2
The scripture above says that we are transformed by the renewing of our minds. God wants us to be transformed in His image by the renewal of our mind, and not be conformed to the image of the world. That is what Christianity is about! Christianity is not the removal of the mind, but the renewal of the mind.
While our greatest ally – God wants to transform us, our greatest enemy – the devil wants to conform us. Ever faced temptations to say a lie or a vulgarity before having thoughts like “the whole world is doing it, so it’s okay”? That’s just one example of the lies that the devil can speak to you. And if we do not renew our minds, we will fall for it!
People don’t just stop sinning when they become Christians you know? They don’t stop sinning because “Oh, Christians don’t do such things.” If that happens, it’s not transformation anymore, it’s conformation! And I can’t place more emphasis on this, but God is all about transformation. We will only stop sinning because of a mindset shift that results from true transformation! Thus it all begins with the renewal of our thoughts that will eventually affect our destiny.
If you have a Bible with you, flip with me to Ephesians 4:22-32. This long string of verses show us what it means to be transformed by the renewal of our mind. Read it, you’ll know what I mean. Transformation, for good or worse, comes from the renewing of our minds. That is why we need to guard our minds, because they are easily infiltrated. But how? Here are 3 simple ways to do it.
1. Prayer
“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” – Philippians 4:6-7
Friends, there is a power in prayer. It’s in prayer that we align our thoughts to God’s and lift them up to a whole new level. And it’s only when that happens, that all the wrong thoughts in our minds will go away.
#2 Focus our thoughts
“Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthyâmeditate on these things.” – Philippians 4:8
Disclaimer: the meditation here in this verse is not referring to the usual meditations that people do. You know the kind where you “empty your mind”? Nope, that’s not the one that the Bible is referring to here! The “meditation” here in this verse refers to the focusing of our thoughts on the good things –Â things that are true, pure, praiseworthy, etc, etc, etc!
This is because the devil will come to tempt us with thoughts that are 99% true, to try to conform us. But we must know that truth only works at a 100%. The devil will try to give us dishonorable thoughts; we must set our minds on things of honor. He will try to taint our thoughts with impurities; we need to be just and treat people right. As we reject those bad thoughts and fill our minds with pure ones, the devil will not take ground in our lives. Also, we need to think about things to love others, instead of having selfish thoughts! The last thing that Philippians 4:8 teaches us is to set our minds on good reports. Don’t always be negative and focus on the bad reports! We all have good reports in our lives; it’s just what we choose to focus on. Thank God for all the good things in our lives.
#3 Remember our salvation
“Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;” – Ephesians 6:14-17
Finally as Christians, we have to constantly remember our salvation. In life, we are always fighting a spiritual battle, taking new grounds. That is especially true in this new season, so we got to be ready. In verse 17 above, salvation is described as a helmet. Why? Because helmets protect our head, the most important part of our body. It’s where the brain is, where the mind is.
That is why, in order to guard our minds, we have to remember the eternal grace and love that God has placed in us. If we have a revelation of His love for us and understand eternity, we will have a different perspective. Bad things that happen will not seem so horrible anymore. Good things that happen will not seem that fantastic too! Everything fades in light of eternity. Our life on Earth is only but temporary. That is why and how we guard our minds.
Hi readers, it’s a new season! Before I begin writing about the message that was preached by Pastor Lia over the weekend (27th & 28th February), let me first show you in video form the kind of fun we have in church. Be awed.
Haha, have I ever mentioned before how much I love my pastors and my church? If you thought what you saw was cool, wait till you come and experience them for yourselves! Alright. Today we are talking about seasons, and I’m going to once again do my very best in bringing you my pastor’s message. But trust me, nothing beats hearing the man & woman of God for yourself. First scripture of the day:
“To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;” – Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
After showing us how cool our “runway screens” can get, Pastor Lia begins her sermon with this scripture. Because there is a season and a time for everything in God’s calendar, as well as our lives. In our school, in our families, in our friendships – all of them go through different seasons. What’s important is doing the right thing in the right season. Because if we flow with God and His seasons, tremendous blessings will be poured out over our lives.
However if we don’t flow with Him, our lives might turn out to be frustrating and disappointing. Today, I believe we are all in a new season; not just for my church as a whole, but for you and I as individuals. And this is how we can all enter into this season and flow with our God.
#1 Don’t get stuck in a season
Firstly, we got to learn how to flow and move together with God. Don’t let past seasons determine our destinies, no matter how good or bad they were. People are held back in their lives because they can’t seem to get out of a season. For some, it could be due to nostalgia. You know what I’m talking about; their favorite phrase is “those good old days…” Now it’s totally okay to have fond memories of the past, but it’s a whole other thing to hold on to it and refuse to let go!
Sometimes, people also cling on to old seasons because of fear. They fear and worry that the coming seasons will not be as good as their current one. If you’re feeling this way right now, let me just say that God will always bring us to a better place in a new season. As long as you and I walk faithfully with Him, we will go from glory to glory and faith to faith. We will not go from glory to sorry or faith to failure!
There are also those who hold on to these seasons because they can’t forgive themselves for their past mistakes. Maybe they’ve made foolish decisions in this past season and feel condemned, unable to let go and move on. Or maybe it was a season of loss and grief, when they experienced the death of a business, a dream, or a loved one.
âMoses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to themâto the Israelites.” – Joshua 1:2 (NIV)
“Now then, you…” God spoke to Joshua after the death of Moses. He was trying to tell him and all of us here today one thing – it’s a new season. It doesn’t matter whether it was good or bad, it’s time to move on! Don’t let nostalgia, fear, self-condemnation, grief or even friendships and relationships get in our way. It could have been that way for a long time now but it’s time to let go.
Don’t try to resurrect things such as past relationships that God has allowed to die in our lives. Flow with Him, or else everyone except for us would have moved on to a new season. We can then be compared to people wearing fur coats in summer and swimsuits in winter – out of season. That is why we got to not only move on, but also learn to act & talk for the season we are in.
#2 Put away childish things
“When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.“ – 1 Corinthians 13:11
After moving into a new season with God, the second thing we have to do is to put away childish things. As humans, we have been designed to improve, grow and develop. Just look at things around us (or on us) like our hairs & nails. They keep growing, and it’s the same for kids! You don’t see them for a few weeks or for a month, and when you finally do meet them again, you’ll be shocked at how much they’ve grown and how different they now look!
So as you can see, we have all been designed for change, increase and progress. But though we were made to desire for growth, we got to know that it is one thing to desire, and another thing entirely to grow. Change is inevitable. Growth however, is intentional. If you sit around long enough, your hair will naturally turn grey. That’s change. But for growth, intentional plans have to be put in place. Especially so in this new season.
Childish things for example, have to be intentionally and deliberately put away. They do not automatically leave our lives. When we grew up, we knew to put away our dolls, toys and games. But it’s not those things that we are talking about here. It also does not mean that we can’t have some fun and recreation once in awhile. What Pastor Lia is referring to is childish ways. These childish attitudes can destroy so many things in our lives, but what exactly are they? Here are some examples:
Needing to win all the time
Childish ways of responding to rejections and conflicts
Needing attention all the time
Moodiness
Childish ways of handling offense
Let’s go through some of the above. Are you a person that can’t take “no” as an answer? Do you always have to get what you want, be it from your parents or from your friends? Then most probably, you have a childish way of responding to rejections and conflicts. Next, are you needing attention all the time? Are you always so self-absorbed that in every conversation, you’re the only one talking? Time to ask somebody “How are you?” How about being moody? Your kiddish emotions can swing from one extreme to the next within minutes. You’re like a land mine and a time bomb. And in case you didn’t know, people find it difficult to even be around you, not to mention approaching you!
How about dealing with offense? Do you get easily offended all the time? Do not let offense dwell in your heart. In life, we will always have conflicts and confrontations. The key is how we handle them. Because sorry to burst your bubble – there is no end to criticisms. I mean come on, even the best artists, leaders and politicians get criticized. There’s always that small 0.01% group of people who are 24/7 unhappy. Even three Happy Meals a day can’t solve their problem. *ding*
I mean seriously, they complain all the time. Paramedics call such people in an accident “screamers”. You know those people who shout out in pain and agony? Fun fact: the paramedics are trained to go to them last. Because if they are screaming, they are pretty much still alive! So they would “skip” them and go to the ones who are lying by the road lifeless or against the steering wheel silent. Because these people are in so much pain that they don’t even have the strength to call out for help. Some of them might even be breathing their last. So what can we learn from these heroes? Never give our attention to the screamers first. We go to the ones who need us first, the ones who are suffering in silence, the ones who really need our attention.
I have to put in a clause here though. THIS DOES NOT APPLY to people who are correcting us out of love, like our mothers! You might feel that they are nagging at you all the time but please don’t see them as “screamers”. They genuinely care for you. They’re not criticizing you! But regarding those who live to criticize and manage to find a way to speak some of their “kind words” to you, this is how you handle them.
Evaluate
First and foremost, we got to evaluate ourselves based on the criticisms that we’ve received. Ask questions like “Could I have done better?” or “Does the critic have a point here?” The last thing we want to do is to be so proud of ourselves and not learn to change (if the criticism was truly constructive). We have to make criticism work for us and use it to our advantage. See it as a way to make ourselves better!
Expel
Next, we have to expel whatever poison that the criticism might have put in our heart. A lot of criticisms come out of a jealous or cynical person, so we got to make sure to remove the “sting” of what we just heard from them. Take in only the factual part that we can learn from, but never the emotive part. Because that will cause us to take offense and grow bitter over time.
Entrust
“In return for my love they are my accusers, but I give myself to prayer.” – Psalm 109:4
Finally, we have to learn to entrust all these criticisms into God’s hands. The Bible says that God is greater than our hearts, and that even if we condemn ourselves, He won’t. So if we ever feel any tint of negativity from these criticisms, the one thing we must do is to lift them all up to Christ. People may judge us easily, but Jesus knows the intents of our heart and that our abilities are limited. He loves us no matter how people criticize us.
So that is why we must entrust these criticisms to God. Because even if our heart condemns ourselves, God is greater than that. He has an amazing future for you and I. Don’t let these criticisms linger and cause you to be sidetracked by offense. Especially if you just came back to Jesus not long ago due to past offenses; put away childish ways of dealing with them, let them go and walk strong in Christ.
#3 Start sowing in this season for the next
Last but not least, after we’ve moved into a new season and put away all the childish things in our lives, we have to start sowing. Our God is a God of seasons. And these seasons are constantly changing and moving. We need to have a “Harvest Mentality”, where we not just live for the pleasures of today but also for the fruits of tomorrow.
You never get what you want in life. You only get what you prepare for. Wishful thinking about what you desire for the future wouldn’t help!
“Take a lesson from the ants, you lazybones. Learn from their ways and become wise! Though they have no prince or governor or ruler to make them work, they labor hard all summer, gathering food for the winter.“ – Proverbs 6:6-8 (NLT)
Have you ever observed ants work? There are lessons we can learn from these tiny creatures. They know how to prepare for the next season! So in the same way, we shouldn’t squander everything that we have in one season and find nothing to harvest in the next. Look at clothing stores. They always sell clothes for the next season! Why? Because people don’t buy clothes for a season only when they’re in it! It would be too late. You wouldn’t wait till winter comes before you prepare to get some warm clothes, would you?
“The lazy man will not plow because of winter; he will beg during harvest and have nothing.” – Proverbs 20:4
In the same way, we must learn to plow in the “winters” of our lives so that in the “summers”, we can be harvesting and reaping what we have sown. So what do you want to sow for the next season? Or rather, what would you like to reap next season? Start sowing. Could it be better grades that you’re looking to reap? Study seriously. Could it be healthy friendships that you’d like to have in your life? Sow healthier conversations that are less frivolous & judgemental but more serious & encouraging.
Would you like to be closer to God? Sow some time into Bible-reading and prayer. Hoping to reach out to your family members? Sow kindness. Looking to reap good health? Exercise and diet. What we sow in this season, we will reap in the next. That’s what the harvest mentality is all about. But that’s not all. In closing, Pastor Lia reveals that there’s another mentality that we need to have – the gift mentality.
What is this gift mentality? Imagine giving gifts to children for Christmas or for their birthdays. When we give it to them, they would receive it happily and thankfully. They wouldn’t think they don’t deserve it or that they need to work for it. That’s the gift mentality that is above and beyond the harvest mentality. We need to have both.
God is our Father and He not only wants us to work hard, but He also wants to give us gifts. More than just sowing with our best, we must also believe for “surprises” from God within the gift dimension. For unless we are like a little child and receive the Father’s good gifts, we will not enter the kingdom of heaven. This is not being childish, it’s being childlike.
So we reap and we sow. But on top of that, we must also know that God loves us and wants to give us gifts that we didn’t work for. So you might be studying hard for an examination, hoping for a ‘B’. But God wants to give you an ‘A’. You might be sowing into a sibling’s life, hoping that he/she would one day come to know the love of God. But Jesus wants your entire family to experience Him. We need to reap both the harvest and the gifts that God has for us. The harvest mentality looks to the fruit. We sow, we cultivate, we harvest.
But the gift mentality looks to the gift and to the Giver. It comes free by the grace of God. So if you’re a person that is so used to always fighting for what you want in life, you got to know that with God, you don’t have to live life with your fists raised. You might be used to going against all odds, but Jesus wants to turn your opposition into opportunity. He wants to turn your weaknesses into your weapon. He wants to turn your pain into your promotion. He wants to turn your test into your testimony. Step into a realm where half the effort will produce twice the quantity & twice the quality.
Hi readers! After a 2-week break over Chinese New Year – eating all the food there is to offer and spending all the time we had with our families, all of us are finally back in church! Now it might have been the re-opening weekend for our church, but it is also only our second weekend here in our New Home! If you do not understand what I’m talking about or have not been keeping up with the happenings of Heart of God Church, check out this previous post of mine. If you are on the same page as me (or have just returned from reading that post), let’s get into what I’m going to be talking about today.
What I’m going to be writing about today is basically the message preached by Pastor How over this re-opening weekend. After an emotional testimony was shared by one of the leaders in our church, Pastor How encourages her and takes the stage – the stage some of us now call “Cross Stage 2.0”. Haha, you got to come check it out for yourself. But anyway, he begins his message with the word “humility”. It was a weekend when many people are going to come to God, be it for the first or not. That didn’t matter. What mattered was they did. However for them to do that, they got to first be humble.
Because it is not our strength that will bring us to God, but our humility. And in that case, humility becomes our strength. Many people would need just that to believe in God and His power that can change their lives. But I know for sure that there are some who needs more. Maybe a little evidence? Maybe a personal encounter? Well to me, Imaginarium isnât just a place, itâs a story. In fact, itâs Godâs story. I know I’ve said this before, but the very existence of our New Home is an evidence of Godâs faithfulness and a memorial that glorifies Him.
As I stepped into this place for the first few times, I couldnât help but be reminded again and again of the journey that God has brought us through. If not for Him, we will really not be who we are today. So if anyone asks me, âHow do you know God is real?â I will bring them to this place, show them around and tell them, âBecause I see Him here â at every corner, in every person, in every life.â
So really, if you have never stepped into our church before, come and see it for yourself. Let it be an inspiration for you; we had such humble beginnings. If God could do for us what He did all these years, then He can do anything for anyone who has faith – including you. Pastor How used the scripture in Mark 9:17-27 (NLT) to illustrate this.
âWhat do you mean, âIf I canâ?â Jesus asked. âAnything is possible if a person believes.â – Mark 9:23 (NLT)
In these verses, we find a man coming to Jesus for help because an evil spirit has possessed his son. To cut the long story short, Jesus successfully cast it out. The boy also regained consciousness and recovered. But within this story lies a few interesting things that we can learn from. Firstly, note what the desperate father says to Jesus in verse 24.
The father instantly cried out, âI do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!â – Mark 9:24 (NLT)
Sounds paradoxical, doesn’t it? You must be wondering whether this father believes or not. But the thing is, sometimes we do this ourselves too. Sometimes, we find ourselves having a conflict between our mind and our heart, just like the father! Maybe you’re a Christian, maybe you’re not. But you can definitely relate to being in a situation whereby your heart wants to believe in something, be it for a miracle or a breakthrough, while at the same time your mind is full of doubts about it. Well you know what? Christianity is that kind of faith; the kind where at times, our hearts and minds go into a conflict, where we experience a little of what the man in verse 24 had – unbelief.
What is unbelief? It is a lack of faith or trust, most commonly appearing in the form of doubts. For example, you may have heard that Jesus can heal, that He wants to have a relationship with you, that He can change your life for the better. But because you’ve never personally experienced those things before, you find it hard to believe in them. And as a result, you may not believe in Jesus too. Fortunately, that is normal. Let me repeat myself. It is totally normal to oscillate between faith and doubt, even as Christians! One thing you must know is that our God is doubt-tolerant. He will not release His wrath & curses upon you just because you have some doubts. It’s not Him.
That is why sometimes Christianity is called the Fight of Faith! We constantly fight doubts in our own mind. Even the Bible contains multiple examples of this fight. You see, the Bible is not propaganda. It doesn’t exaggerate the good and cover up the bad; it tells us both and everything in between. In it we see the victories & the defeats, the good men & the fallen men. In the same way, our Christianity is not a “bed of roses”. We find ourselves at the mountaintops where believing is easy, and we also find ourselves in the valleys where having faith is difficult.
If you have your Bible with you, just look at the Book of Psalms. It is an emotional and spiritual journey of a man, consisting of both the nice and not-so-nice parts. Flip to chapter 23 and you’ll see the faith, the joy and the praises. Flip one chapter back to 22 and you’ll see the struggles, the frustrations, the pain. Just a chapter apart, and the contrast so huge. So once again I must say, it’s normal. Some days we’re at chapter 22, some days we’re at 23. For the man in Mark 9:24, he was swinging between these two. What’s most important was that he was honest with God about his feelings. We should do the same.
But while it’s okay to have a little unbelief in us, disbelief is a realm we should never step into. Disbelief is when a person decides NOT to believe. It is very different from unbelief, because regardless of evidences, people of disbelief have already made up their minds. They don’t listen to explanations, they only think about arguments. The Bible describes this as a very dangerous hardening of the heart.
“That is why the Holy Spirit says, âToday when you hear his voice, donât harden your hearts…” – Hebrews 3:7-8 (NLT)
Never harden your heart, reader. Big problems arise for those who do so because they have already closed & locked up the doors to their minds and their hearts. Even if good things are presented to them, they see it as bad. When testimonies and stories of changed lives are shared, they see it as a scam. When churches are mentioned, they immediately think they’re all bad. Indeed, a quote from Stuart Chase could not be more true.
“For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don’t believe, no proof is possible.” – Stuart Chase
What is faith? It is believing in something even though there may not be a physical proof of it yet. That’s called faith! If we need proof to believe in Jesus Christ, then it’s no longer faith anymore. I can tell you, I have never seen Jesus physically before. I’ve never heard His audible voice. Haha but you know what? My life has been changed by Him since I believed in Him. I have had many of my prayers answered. I have felt His love and His presence. And I’m not alone. Sometimes, you just got to believe first before you see.
If you harden your heart, you will go from unbelief to disbelief. Just think of two of Jesus’ disciples for a minute. Peter had unbelief and so did Judas, but both of them had witnessed the works & miracles of Jesus in the flesh. One of them repented and became one of the greatest apostles ever. The other one betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. You know which of them moved into disbelief. Unbelief is fine. Disbelief is not. Unbelief says that “I want to believe but I can’t!” Disbelief says that “I simply do not want to believe.” They are very different.
“If we deny him,he will deny us. If we are unfaithful,he remains faithful…” – 2 Timothy 2:12-13 (NLT)
Today as you are reading this, you might be a believer, a non-believer, or an ex-believer. But one thing you must know is that there is a difference between denying God, and losing faith. Denying Jesus is a very serious thing, but I don’t think any of you reading this would deny Jesus in disbelief and hate Him. Even if today, you’re no longer going to church or hanging out with your friends whom you met in church, I’m sure that deep down in your heart, you still believe in Jesus. You just simply went through a season when you were unfaithful. But just like the verse above says, even if we are faithless, God remains faithful. It’s just who He is.
So come back to Jesus. He loves us regardless of all the sins we might have committed. Look at some of the great men in the Bible, they all had their past! Abraham slept with his maid, but now we call him the father of faith. Moses had anger issues, so much so that he killed a man; but we now know him as the one who parted the red sea. Noah was a drunkard, but we know of him as the one who built the ark. Told you the Bible wasn’t propaganda, right? David committed adultery and many more atrocities that broke at least 4 of the 10 commandments. Now we call him the man after God’s own heart. Peter denied being affiliated with Jesus, but as previously mentioned, moved on to becoming one of the greatest apostles ever. What does that mean?
It means that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. And it is only possible because of the love & the power of God that we can have in our lives when we believe in Him. We are all not perfect. But with the power of the blood of Jesus Christ in our lives, we can be redeemed and have a future, just like the saints in the Bible. All we got to do is to be humble, put away all the pride that we have and come back to Jesus.
Let me end this post with one last analogy by Pastor How. If you’re driving towards a certain destination today and you find yourself making a wrong turn somewhere, what would you do? Would you get all frustrated and beat yourself up against the steering wheel for making such a mistake? Would you stop the car, get out and give up driving? Or would you keep on driving in the wrong direction? No. You make a U-turn. It might cause a little bit of delay, but at least you turn around and rectify that wrong turn. In the same way, most of us will not have a perfect path to our spiritual destination in God. What matters is when we make a “wrong turn”, we repent and turn around to go back on track. If you need to, make that U-turn today.
p.s. Pastor Tan Seow How & Pastor Cecilia Chan, more affectionately known as Pastor How & Pastor Lia are the senior pastors of Heart of God Church â my spiritual home.
In every story In every season Jesus Youâre always here Through every Journey In every blessing Jesus You’re always near
Weâve come this far Like Youâve promised In You there is no fear With grateful hearts We raise an anthem Our song our joyful tears Your love has brought us here…
In You we stand victorious In You weâre more than conquerors Let our Church arise Our hearts are on fire We live to glorify
We lay our lives On this altar Jesus Youâre worth it all We bend our knees, We surrender. Jesus Youâre all we see. Jesus Youâre all we need…
To God be the Glory To God be the Glory To God be the Glory He shall reign forevermore!
Hi readers! If you’ve been following me on social media over the past week, you would have known that my church has just moved into our New Home! It was such an emotional and significant weekend for all of us, especially for those who have given in one way or another to the building of Heart of God Church over the past decade (and even before).
So in light of all that, the songwriting team of our church worked really hard especially over the past month to produce Victorious for the commemoration of this momentous day. And yes, those words you just read at the beginning of this post are its lyrics.
For myself, over the past few days, I’ve also been thinking on how to dedicate this week’s post to this historical weekend. But even after cracking my brain for a long time, I still couldn’t decide on the best way to approach it. Well that is, until now.
When I saw an Instagram post by Pastor Lia just awhile ago, I knew this was the way to go. Because seriously, this song captures & expresses every single thought and feeling that we all have as Christians in this church. Every line that we sang with this song during service just resonated so strongly with me. Allow me today to explain to you why.
“In every story In every season Jesus Youâre always here Through every Journey In every blessing Jesus You’re always near”
Some of you may not know this, but our New Home did not come into existence just like that. Our church has been through a long, sometimes arduous but mostly exciting journey to get to where we are! Throughout my 4.5 years in Heart of God Church, I’ve witnessed many things. I’ve been through many seasons with the church – mostly ups, but also some downs. I’ve heard and have been a part of many incredible stories that have birthed forth from the lives of others. There are so many different experiences we all share, but one thing remains constant – Jesus.
No matter whether we were journeying through the valleys or celebrating at the mountain tops, Jesus has always been there. At our highs, we have Him to thank for bringing us there. At our lows, we have Him to thank for lifting us up again and turning it all around for good. Looking back, Jesus has been the center of every story and every season in Heart of God Church!
“Weâve come this far Like Youâve promised In You there is no fear With grateful hearts We raise an anthem Our song our joyful tears Your love has brought us here…”
Even for our New Home, He has already given us a vision of this place since a long time ago. Our pastors and leaders would tell you how God has spoken to them and promised us this land. That is why none of us feared even though it took such a long time for our dreams to come into fruition. We always believed that with man, it may not be possible; but with God, ALL things are possible.
And indeed, after a long wait, He has fulfilled His promises to us! The road here may not have been as easy, smooth-sailing and quick as we’ve imagined, but God’s timing is always perfect, and the results that we got – more than anything we’ve imagined. Throughout this time of praying and waiting, we’ve also seen how God has moved for us in many different ways. It’s now not just man’s hard work that brought us here, but God’s love for us. That is why we are so happy and thankful to give Him all the credit and all the honour.
“In You we stand victorious In You weâre more than conquerors Let our Church arise Our hearts are on fire We live to glorify”
During the opening service last weekend, everybody’s hearts were just so unified under one cry – the cry of our hearts that was amplified by the chorus of this song. Because even though it was a weekend of celebration, victory and joy, it was also a weekend of thanksgiving unto God. Without Him, we would not have conquered all our battles as a church and as individuals.
Yet even after all these triumphs, we all knew that this is only the beginning of the great story that God is penning for Heart of God Church. This isn’t our destination and place to get comfortable in. It is our launching pad to the world and into the destiny that God has put in place for our church! As we begin this new chapter of our story, we’re going to change the world even more for Jesus.
“We lay our lives On this altar Jesus Youâre worth it all We bend our knees, We surrender. Jesus Youâre all we see. Jesus Youâre all we need…”
Now, let’s talk about Imaginarium. Every single corner of our New Home is amazing and beautiful. I love all of it; you got to come check it out for yourself to know what I mean! Haha, I ain’t spoiling anything for you here. But beyond just the physical structures, I choose to see more. I see that beyond a chair, there was someone in church who sacrificed and gave their best financially. I see that beyond a room, there was someone in church who sweat buckets fixing and cleaning. I see that beyond a stage, there was someone in church who spent hours planning and working.
This is not just a building, this is the House of God and more. To me, Imaginarium isn’t just a place, it’s a story. In fact, it’s God’s story. The very existence of our New Home is a testament of God’s faithfulness and a memorial that glorifies Him. As I stepped into this place, I couldn’t help but be reminded again and again of the journey that God has brought us through. If not for Him, we will really not be who we are today.
So if anyone asks me, “How do you know God is real?” I will bring them to this place, show them around and tell them, “Because I see Him here – at every corner, in every person, in every life.”
But what about you? What do you see? If you have never stepped into Heart of God Church before, join us for our re-opening on the 20th! Come to this place and see it differently; you’re stepping on holy ground. Behind the tangible structures of wood, concrete and steel, lies the intangible stories of sacrifice, hard work and faith. There is so much I can tell you, but to write down all the stories here would mean
this little entry would never be completed, haha.
So today, I just really want to dedicate this post to God and to all the heroes that I count my privilege to be amongst every single day. Thank you Pastors, leaders and fellow church builders for giving your all since the beginning. Truly, every cent, every second, every effort was worth it.
“To God be the Glory To God be the Glory To God be the Glory He shall reign forevermore!”
As the late-January sun cast its light on my face,
I walked to the gate that led to that place.
Realizing now that it’d be my last,
I took a good look before I walked pass.
Walking through excitedly, I recalled the past.
I entered without purpose but departed with one.
For it is in these grounds where I encountered the One.
I remember.
Took the path I trod for four and a half years,
Then entered the elevator with many others.
We used to fit in just fine in this space,
But now we’ve grown too big to have breathing space.
In no time I found myself inside the hall.
It’s here where I learnt He gave me His all.
Jesus died for me so now I can live for Him.
I remember.
After a right turn I came to the shelves,
The place where I bought the first Bible for myself.
Then another turn up a unique flight of stairs.
These spiral steps led to a few rooms upstairs.
The Lounge was the first of them all that I saw.
It once was just a walkway, now not anymore.
But what I wanted to find was outside that door.
I remember.
The door led outside to a place named Alfresco.
It was there I had Bible studies a long time ago.
Before I knew it I was inside a big room.
It was none other than the Henderson Room.
Inside this room I remembered our beginnings.
Not only was it meant to be used for our meetings.
In here I was believed in and trained to serve,
Even though none of the above I had deserved.
I remember.
Next I found myself by the cafe.
It always filled me when I served for the day.
Turned around and headed on the path to the gents.
Here as an Usher I used to spend moments with friends.
And of course there’s that one room all the way at the back,
Where I spent hours at times, back to back.
There was where my gifts were discovered,
There was where my dreams were uncovered.
I remember.
The Media Room was what all of us called it.
Creativity and life always burst out of it.
In there was where all the magic happened.
But without the power of a team, nothing would happen.
Soon I found myself in a tight space.
Though cleaning equipment were stored in this place,
We used to worship and pray here before we had space.
I remember.
Last but not least I came to the cross.
Not just a stage shaped like a cross.
This was an altar where we laid down our lives,
With many of us committed to Christ.
On this platform testimonies were shared.
Through the miracles people knew that God cared.
From here the Word was preached without falter,
By the man and woman of God we both call “Pastor.”
I remember.
Indeed we’ve been through much as a church.
As we closed this chapter, emotions surged.
But many would know this is only the start,
As we enter our New Home all with filled hearts.
To my children and their children these stories I’ll tell,
And with these words I’ll begin my tale,
“I remember…”
Hi readers, Happy New Year! I hope you had a wonderful 2016 so far because for me, the year looks like it’s going to be amazing. In fact, I believe it might just become one of my best years yet. As for why, I will get to that in a while; but for now, let me begin my first post of the new year by sharing with all of you what Pastor How preached over the first weekend of 2016. For those of you who do not know, Pastor Tan Seow How & Pastor Cecilia Chan, more affectionately known as Pastor How & Pastor Lia are the senior pastors of Heart of God Church â my spiritual home.
And just this past weekend, Pastor How preached a practical sermon on how all of us can make 2016 the best year that it could ever be. Here’s my detailed write-up of what he had to say:
P.H.DÂ –Â we should all get it.
LOL. I know what you guys are thinking. No, I don’t mean we should all get a Doctorate of Philosophy. And that wasn’t what Pastor How meant too. Haha what he was trying to say is that for us to have a great year, we need the following 3 things.
1) Make Progress
The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement. All of us, no matter how capable, always have areas in our lives that can be improved. So if we are able to make progress in all these areas in 2016, I’m pretty sure the year won’t be that bad after all. Even Pastor How wants to make progress. And over the past year, he did. Firstly, he launched a website last year and started writing. If you haven’t seen it, I recommend you check it out! There are articles over there that really shifted my mindset, and it can do the same for you too. Secondly, if you came to Heart of God Church over the past year, you would realize that Pastor How started preaching without the pulpit and physical notes! These are just some examples of how progressive our Pastors are.
And you know what? They are still making progress today! Pastor How told all of us that he hopes to preach in Mandarin one day, currently a daunting task for him. So this year, he plans to pick up Mandarin all over again. But what about you? Are you constantly pushing & challenging yourself? For me, even as a writer, I want to make progress! I want to be able to produce quality articles in a shorter amount of time this year. We got to move up to the next level. We got to have a relentless drive for progress.
The question now is “How?” How do we make progress? Well first of all, we have to turn our experiences, both good and bad, into wisdom. We have to take some time to reflect and evaluate about 2015. What are some of the things we did right? What are some of the things we did wrong? Did we repeat our mistakes? The thing is, mistakes are only mistakes when we make it once. The second or subsequent times we make the same mistake again, it’s no longer a mistake anymore. It is now a decision.
It is okay to make many mistakes, as long as they are different ones! But if we keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, it shows that we have not learnt anything from them, and have made a decision to do it again.
“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” – Albert Einstein
In the famous words of Albert Einstein, do not be insane! We can’t just hope for a better year. Hoping doesn’t make the year better or different. I mean, did you suddenly get all your desires when the clock struck twelve on January 1st? Exactly. You see, the world and the people around us rarely change, and most of the time, we have no power to change them too. The only person that we have power to change is ourselves. And it’s only when we change, do we affect change around us.
Next, don’t blame others! When we experience problems or make mistakes, it is easy to put the blame on everyone else except ourselves. But what we do not realize is that blaming others is as good as giving someone else control over our destiny. When we blame others, we will not take responsibility for our wrongdoings, and as a result not change. And when we don’t change, we don’t turn our experiences into wisdom, and without gaining wisdom, we don’t progress.
An example that Pastor How gave is a person who is always late for appointments and meetings. If this person always blames the traffic for his lateness, instead of seeing it as his own fault, he will never change! But if he takes responsibility for his bad habit, he will take the necessary countermeasures against traffic jams, train breakdowns and overcrowded transport. He will leave his house earlier and never be late again! Progress.
Another common example is a student who blames his teacher for bad results. I mean, come on. If we keep blaming others, we are effectively removing power over our own lives and handing it to those people or things that we blame. We become like a weak pawn that can be manipulated by anything and everything. For me, I want to be the master of my own life. I want God to be the Master of my destiny! How about you?
Another way to see if we’ve progressed as a person is to look at our problems. In life, there will always be problems. That is the hard truth, and it is especially true if you’re moving forward. It’s simple physics right? When you want to move something forward, there is always friction. If you don’t want problems, the only way is to sit still and do nothing! So in a way, it’s sort of good when we have problems. The only thing is – have our problems progressed?
Yes, we will always have problems. But if we have truly progressed as people, so will our problems. For example, a boss can have manpower problems in the first year of his company. But if he has this same issue in the fifth, tenth and fifteenth year of his company, what does it show? It shows that he never learned to manage his staff! He never progressed! In the same way, our problems have to progress. Or else, we haven’t learned anything. That boss can have manpower issues in the first year, cash flow difficulties in the fifth, and welfare problems in the tenth; it’s fine! At least he has learned to solve different problems and progressed. Similarly, we got to think what are some areas in our lives that we would like to progress in. Start the year with the end in mind.
2) Make History
P stands for progress, H stands for history. If we make not just progress, but also history in the year 2016, I am sure it will be quite an awesome year to remember. But what defines making history? Well, ask yourself a question.
“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”
Yes! When was the last time you did something for the first time? Making history does not necessarily mean doing something huge. It can be as simple as trying out something new! You’re making history in your own life. You can do something fun, something adventurous; don’t let your inner child die! Learn a new sport, a new language, a new instrument. Have a spirit of adventure and make milestones this year. For me, I am going to attempt to make a Lightsaber video, just for the fun of it! And also, I am going to read my Bible from cover to cover. But what is it for you? Start the year with the end in mind and list down some things you would like to do to make history. Don’t procrastinate and DARE to make history. As an example halfway through his sermon, Pastor How did something fun with all of us in church. He challenged us all to stand on our chairs. Now it may be something easy for you, but for some, it is history-making! Haha.
3) Make a Difference
Last but not least, for all of us to have an incredible year, we got to make a difference. Sure, making progress and making history on a personal level is a good thing. But life ain’t just about ourselves. Life should be about others. What will make 2016 even more significant is us going out there and doing something to love another person. If you have never done something like that before, maybe this is a good year to start. Besides, if you want 2016 to be different, you got to first do something different. If you want something you have never had before, you got to do something you have never done before.
So in summary, let’s get our P.H.D this year. I believe that as all of us make progress, make history, and make a difference, 2016 can be our best year yet. For me and the rest of my friends in Heart of God Church, this is probably already the best year for us. Oh I haven’t told you, have I? Over the past weekend, we just received the best news ever. After many months and even years of waiting, our New Home has finally been approved!
That is why I said this could be my best year yet! I’m so happy to start the year with such a victory and as a matter of fact, we will be moving in very very soon. On the 31st of January, we will be having our opening service in the new premise! It will be super awesome, so I would like to invite you to come join us (though you don’t need to wait till then!). Especially if you have never visited us before, it’s time to make history. Haha, you’ll be blessed. See you soon!
Hi everyone! Merry Christmas! Before I begin my article for today, I would like to just thank all my readers for your positive responses and support for Fool’s Bench over the past 3 months. I first “announced” and launched this site on 22nd September, 2015. And in case you haven’t noticed, this past Tuesday marked the third month of its existence! Your encouraging comments and shares on social media, especially over the past week, really keeps me going, so I would like to thank you for that.
Today, I will be writing to you my last post for 2015, which is a detailed account of Pastor Howâs message over the weekend of 12th & 13th December. I have saved it for now because I believe this message is the best for the holiday season -and the best should always be left for the last. So after this, you will not hear from me again… until 2016! Hahaha don’t worry, I am just taking a break from here to allow for more time with my church, family & friends over Christmas and New Year’s Day. I’ll be back.
But for now, let’s begin, shall we?
Pastor How takes the stage once again and begins his message, a sequel to The Miracle Maker. If you haven’t heard The Miracle Maker before, you can read about it here first. Continuing from where we left off last time, Pastor How does a quick recap about the events in Luke 8:40-56.
There was an influential man named Jairus who came to Jesus Christ in desperation, inviting Him to his house to heal his dying daughter. Christ being who He is, obviously agreed. But as they were on their way to the house, an unnamed woman with a blood issue came forth and touched the corner of the robe that Jesus was wearing. Immediately, she was healed.
Although it was a great miracle that ought to be celebrated, it also inadvertently interrupted and delayed Jesus for awhile. Indirectly, because of this woman’s actions, Jairus’ daughter died before Jesus could reach her. Thankfully, the miracles did not stop there. Jesus assured Jairus and in the end, rose his daughter from the dead, giving this short (but true) story a happy ending.
From this, we know that sometimes God is teaching us to wait. Even if our miracles seem to have been hijacked, we just got to put away all our fears and believe. And as we faithfully do so, the miracles will come to us, and sometimes so suddenly, we don’t expect it. With Jesus Christ our Miracle Maker, miracles do happen. But there’s also another thing that we need to have for that to be true.
‘34Â And he said to her, âDaughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.â‘ – Mark 5:34 (NLT)
What we need to have is what the woman with an issue of blood had – faith. If we want a miracle and want to “steal” one like how this woman did, then we got to have faith. Because miracles only happen to those who put themselves in a realm & atmosphere of faith.
“A little faith brings us to Heaven, but a great faith brings Heaven to us.”
What Pastor How said was so true. It just takes a little faith to believe in Jesus and have a relationship with Him. Just a little. And the Bible says that when we believe in Christ, we will have abundant life on Earth and everlasting life in Heaven. So in a sense, it just takes a small amount of faith for you and I to go to Heaven.
But on the other hand, you will understand it takes so much more faith to believe for a miracle, especially when our situations seem like they can’t get any worse. Yet again, if we were to really have that much faith, it will bring Heavenly miracles upon us.
You may then ask, how can we get such great faith? Well, to have a great faith like that, we must first start with having a little faith. We can only go from faith to faith and glory to glory! To have a great faith for miracles, we need to first have a little faith in Jesus. So today, if you’re not yet a Christian, I urge you to have that little faith in God. Believe in Christ first and soon, your miracles will come.
‘27Â She had heard about Jesus, so she came up behind him through the crowd and touched his robe.’ – Mark 5:27 (NLT)
But if you have never really heard about Christ before, begin today! That’s what the woman first had before she got her miracle. She heard about Jesus and came to have knowledge about Him. But hearing isn’t enough. What really matters is our first reaction when hearing about Him. For some, they react with hostility when they hear Jesus’ name. For others, they react with openness, they receive Him gladly. No matter whether you’re a Christian or not, you must have an open heart to Jesus. Because it’s only when we open the doors of our hearts, that we will open the doors to our miracles.
‘18Â Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him.â’ – Luke 8:18
The woman with an issue of blood was desperate for a miracle in her life. How about you? Do you need miracles in your life? Be open. It’s not about what we hear, but how we hear it that will determine whether we get our miracles or not. Be open and have a heart of faith, especially if you have been a Christian for a long time!
There are some of us who were even born into Christian families. We have been hearing the name of Jesus our entire lives and sometimes, we can lose the novelty of it and take it for granted. We think that we know everything there is to God; we think that we have “been there, done that”. Today, let’s believe again in the name of Jesus and let faith arise in us. There is power in His name.
’28Â For she thought to herself, âIf I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.â’ – Mark 5:28 (NLT)
You know what else is powerful besides the name of Jesus? Our thoughts. Miracles begin with the thoughts that we have. Just look at the woman; she thought to herself in faith the best possible scenario, and it happened for her. We are all movie directors in our own heads, telling ourselves stories all the time. Be it when we are in the midst of waiting for our exam results, army postings, job offers or medical checkups, we are by nature, horror movie directors. We got to change that and have faith!
‘17Â So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ – Romans 10:17
How do we get faith? By hearing the Word of God. With the Word of God in our hearts, we will be able to replace the director of horror movies in our brains, with a director of epic fantasy films. And as we do so together with prayer and a belief that breakthroughs are coming, miracles will happen. Fill our thoughts with good things!
‘30Â Jesus realized at once that healing power had gone out from him, so he turned around in the crowd and asked, âWho touched my robe?â’ – Mark 5:30 (NLT)
Pastor How moves on to talk about the next verse in this passage that we’ve been studying. If you read the New Testament enough, you would realize how interesting this scripture is. In every other scripture where Jesus performs a miracle, He is always the One that initiates it. Well that is, except for this one in Mark 5:30.
This time, it wasn’t Jesus who initiated to perform a powerful miracle. It was a person who came to pull out this power from Him! The woman that we’ve been talking about had so much faith that it allowed her to steal a miracle. You see, faith has the power to activate God, to activate His power. It can pull down and pull out the power of God.
So many people were crowding around Jesus that day, yet He was able to tell apart the very different touch that someone had in the crowd. What makes the woman’s touch so different from the rest of the multitude? Her faith. Jesus could feel the touch of faith that came from the woman with an issue of blood.
Today, many people are also “touching” Jesus; many are calling out His name, many are worshiping Him, many are doing His works. But will we have a different “touch” that will catch His attention? Will we have that same touch of faith that will stop Jesus in His tracks, that He would stop and look from Heaven and notice us?
Jesus touched many but only one touched Jesus.
That day, many people came into contact with Jesus, yet only one truly touched Him. Most of the time, we always hope for Jesus to touch our lives and change us. Bur maybe what we need to do first is to touch Jesus. God can always touch us, but we must first touch God.
So in essence, stealing miracles has to do with 3 kinds of faith – faith in our hearing, faith in our thinking and faith in our actions. Why? Does faith move God? Not as much as it moves us.
Faith doesn’t move God. Faith moves us to God.
The thing about faith is it isn’t a formula. It definitely isn’t arm-twisting or manipulating God. God is God, we have no control over Him. But who we do have control of is ourselves. By having faith, we actually move ourselves closer to God and into His realm of faith. This is because God’s thoughts and ways are always higher. By having faith, we lift ourselves in our thoughts and ways closer to His, and that’s when the miracles will happen. To get a miracle, we need to move into its very zone where God belongs. He can and He wants to bring a breakthrough in our lives.
But if God is so good and generous in His blessings, why then do we still have to “steal” His miracles at all? Exactly – we don’t need to. Pastor How explains why the woman had to do what she did. Firstly, she thought she was not worthy to receive a miracle. Back in those days, women were unfortunately considered to be of lower status than men, almost seen as second-class citizens. Furthermore, they don’t usually talk to men, much less touch them. Secondly, women with bleeding conditions such as this were considered unclean.
That is why this woman wanted to sneak behind Jesus secretly just to touch Him and hopefully steal a miracle. She did not understand the heart of God. Look, I’m sure if she were to present herself openly in front of Jesus, He would be more than happy to heal her. Why? Because we will never be too dirty or unworthy for Jesus and His love for us.
‘8Â But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ – Romans 5:8
In fact, He loved us so much that He died for us. Not when we were perfect (we will never be 100% good), but when we were messed up. The Bible describes Jesus as a physician, who came for the sick and not the righteous.
‘17Â When Jesus heard it, He said to them, âThose who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.â‘ – Mark 2:17
What Jesus said was so true, wasn’t it? When do we need a doctor? When we are sick. When do we need Jesus? When we are sinners. I know what some of you may be thinking in your heads today. “I will only go to Jesus after I’m holy.” Just like the woman with an issue of blood, you feel that you’re not holy enough or good enough to become a Christian. But that’s the point isn’t it? It’s exactly because we are not perfect that we need Jesus.
And just like the verse above says, Jesus came and died for us not when we were perfect, but while we were sinners. To say that you’ll only go to Jesus after you’re a better person is as good as saying you’ll only go to the doctor when you’ve recovered from your sickness. All of us needs God. No matter how smart, capable or attractive we are, there is one thing we can’t deny – that we are all sinners deep down on the inside.
But there is a New Hope whose name is Christ that will help clean up the mess in our lives, big or small. He will transform us from the inside out; we must let Him do so. Just as Jesus allows us to touch Him, we must allow Him to touch us. Then yet again, why did Jesus allow the woman to touch and interrupt Him? Why did He allow Himself to be hijacked and delayed? Jairus’ daughter was dying and He knew it.
I personally believe there are 2 reasons for this. The first is simply because Christ is in control. He probably knew that whatever happens to Jairus’ daughter, she will still be healed in the end. But I also believe in a second reason for His attention to the woman with an issue of blood. He was trying to show us something about Himself.
Pastor How uses a few examples to illustrate his point. At the bank, there is a queue for priority/preferred banking and a queue for normal banking. On a plane, there is a business class and an economy class. At the theme park, there is an express queue and a normal queue. From here, you can see that sometimes, certain people get more privileges. The rest of us ordinary kids would love to have that kind of priority too where there is little to no waiting involved. But sometimes, that’s how our world works. When you’re richer, more influential, or more famous, you get these “first class” privileges. But that’s not how God works.
The woman with a blood issue used her worldly understanding to interpret God’s character. She saw herself as a nobody. Jairus on the other hand was a leader of the synagogue (simply put, the Jewish church). He was probably more influential, more rich, more connected, and maybe even more holy. So when the woman saw him approach Jesus, it’s almost like us seeing somebody who’s part of a priority queue. She probably felt like there is no chance for her anymore, that she will never get her miracle ever. But because she was desperate, she decided to steal a miracle instead.
Once again, there’s no need to steal a miracle from Jesus. All we need to do is to ask and we will receive. God does not give priorities to anyone! That’s why He stopped for the woman! Pastor How gives us an analogy:
Now imagine you’re a pastor and one day, you receive a call from the richest billionaire in your country. His daughter is very sick, and he wants you to pay a visit to his mansion, just to say a prayer over her. Obviously, you would be more than happy to oblige. So you head out of your church and start walking towards your car. But as you’re walking, this poor old lady approaches and stops you. She also is experiencing some health problems and knowing that you are a pastor, asks for a prayer over her too. Would you, because you’re on your way to visiting a rich man’s mansion, put her aside and reject her? Exactly.
That is why Jesus stopped. Christ our Lord is not just the God of the rich and powerful, but also the God of the weak and poor. He loves everyone, He died for everyone. What Jesus was trying to show us when He stopped for the woman was that He was not at the beck and call of a rich ruler. He does not give priority to the rich & influential, though He does not despise them either! He went and performed miracles for both the woman and Jairus, didn’t He?
It doesn’t matter today if you’re a socialist, a socialite, or just socially awkward. Christ died for you, rose again, and wants to have a relationship with you. Christianity is not some philosophy or code of moral ethics that only teaches you how to be good or do good. It is a living relationship with Jesus, a supernatural one that also involves having faith in His miracles. This Christmas, you got to start to have a little faith.
‘4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the worldâour faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?’ – 1 John 5:4-5
This world is filled with beautiful things, but also ugly ones. Life will always be full of mountains and valleys. To overcome the world and our problems, we need faith. To get a miracle in our lives, we need faith. But to have faith itself, we need faith first in Jesus Christ. Because this faith in Jesus will activate our faith for miracles. Simply put, the more faith we have, well… the more faith we have!
It’s not rocket science! The more we sleep, the more we want to sleep. The more we eat, the more we want to eat. Something is activated in both cases. For one it’s lethargy, and for the other – appetite. The same goes for giving! The more we give to others, the more we want to do so. Why? Because generosity is activated. This is also one of the reasons why Christians tithe! More than just a sign that we are putting God first in our lives, this giving makes us generous too. Think about it, if we can give 10% of our finances to God, we will definitely be able to give in the same way to our family & friends too!
So that’s why if you need a miracle this Christmas, you got to start with having that little faith in Jesus Christ. CHRIST-mas is about Christ anyways. Today, know that He WANTS to give you a miracle, and you don’t need to steal one. Know that you are never too unholy, too incapable, too unworthy for Him. Know that He loves you no matter what you’ve done, no matter who you are. This Christmas, believe in Him and you will receive your miracle(s).
Haha, if you’re wondering where to spend your Christmas at this year, the best place that I know of is of course Heart of God Church! And just to give you a hint, you will enjoy this weekend even more if you’re a fan of Star Wars. We’re going to have an awesome time in church and many people are going to also share about how their lives were miraculously changed by God in this place. If they can experience their miracles, so can you. Take a step of faith, come to church this weekend, and you will receive the greatest Miracle you will ever have in your life.
See you in church, see you in 2016!
p.s. Pastor Tan Seow How & Pastor Cecilia Chan, more affectionately known as Pastor How & Pastor Lia are the senior pastors of Heart of God Church â my spiritual home. If you enjoyed this article, or are interested to find out more about our church, do check out my posts about my experiences in this awesome place.Â
Note: The following is my detailed account of Pastor Howâs message over the weekend of 4th & 5th December. Pastor Tan Seow How & Pastor Cecilia Chan, more affectionately known as Pastor How & Pastor Lia are the senior pastors of Heart of God Church â my spiritual home.
Miracles – we all need them.
Be it in the small or big things, we find ourselves constantly hoping for miracles to happen. That sickness, that result slip, that crush. Haha whatever it is, considered legitimate or not, these “miracles” are a part of our lives. In fact for some, being alive every single day is a miracle by itself. But away with our own concept of miracles. It’s time to know what the Bible says about them.
Pastor How takes the stage the very weekend he’s back from a short break. And literally the first thing he says blows my mind:
“Church is a place where our family become our friends
and our friends become our family.”
Wow okay, what does that mean? Simple. Today, you may be part of a family and yet not feel any affection for those human beings living under the same household as you. On the other hand, you could have a bunch of friends you love so much, you wish you could live under the same roof and enjoy their company everyday! It’s the same on the flip side.
Maybe you belong to a family that is so closely knitted together like best friends, yet have a bunch of friends that are more like acquaintances. You wouldn’t share with an acquaintance your problems, dreams or secrets, would you? You get the idea.
But seriously, when I mentioned all of the above, it must have clicked with some of you. Because if it did, you know what you need in that relationship you have in mind – a miracle. It could be a relationship with a parent, a child, a sibling or a relationship with a co-worker, a schoolmate, a partner. No matter if it’s a relative or a friend, there is good news.
With Christ, there is a chance of reconciliation for any broken relationship. He is the God of redemption and restoration, the God of miracles – the Miracle Maker. If you need a miracle today, look no further than to Jesus. Don’t look to your left or to your right to the people around you. Worst of all, don’t look down on yourself. Instead, look up to Him and believe, for your miracle is on its way.
In Luke 8:40-56 of the Bible, we can clearly see that Jesus is indeed the Miracle Maker. He performs 2 miracles in these verses alone and I recommend you to refer to it as you read this article. If you’re looking at it right now, have a quick glance at what kind of miracles Jesus did. But more importantly, look at how willing He was to do so.
You would start to realize that Jesus not only can, but wants to give us miracles! It is possible to live in a zone of miracles in our lives. This does not only apply back then in the days when He walked the Earth. It applies today, tomorrow, forever! Why? Because Jesus has always been and will always be the same God that He is. The iPhone can go through multiple changes. The climate can go through multiple changes. Even the church can go through multiple changes. But the character of God stays constant.
‘8Â Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.’ – Hebrews 13:8
So if you’re reading this today and need a miracle or miracles in any situation, meet the Miracle Maker. Just like how you would go to a baker for bread, a tailor for an outfit, and a jeweler for jewellery, you would need to go to the Miracle Maker for miracles.
Using Luke 8:40-56, Pastor How further explains the process in which miracles are attained. First things first, we got to welcome the Miracle Maker.
‘40Â So it was, when Jesus returned, that the multitude welcomed Him, for they were all waiting for Him.’ – Luke 8:40
1) Welcome Jesus
There is something in this verse which the multitudes did that we ought to learn to do every single day. And that is to welcome Jesus. Not just when we need Him or have something to request of Him; but every day, in every area of our lives. Well that is, if you’re already a Christian. If you’re not yet a Christian, you got to first welcome Him into your heart.
Now I know what some of you always think. “I will believe in Jesus after He has given me a miracle.” But it’s obvious in this verse, that’s not how it works. Pastor How gives a few analogies.
Imagine you’re a girl today (assuming you’re not). There is this guy that really likes you and has just confessed his love for you. And you sort of have a mutual feeling for him too. But because there are so many “good choices” out there, you answer him with this, “Okay. I sort of like you too. But I don’t  want to go into a relationship with you yet. Unless… unless of course, you first buy me an expensive diamond ring?”
How do you think the guy would react? I think whatever liking he had to you previously would be destroyed because you’ve just shown yourself to be such a gold digger! You find this ridiculous, you find this funny. Yet this is the message some of you are sending to God. You see, the order is wrong. If you want the gift before the giver, chances are you won’t get your gift because the giver sees no genuineness in your relationship with him.
So in this case for the guy, he would see no point in buying you the diamond ring because that’s what you want, not him! I mean would you buy a gift for someone, knowing that he or she doesn’t really love you but just wants to use you to satisfy their own desires? No!
On the other hand, if you love the guy for who he is and have an awesome relationship with him, the diamond ring(s) will follow! But of course, you don’t get into a relationship with that hidden motive of wanting gifts, but because you genuinely love that person. The same goes for God!
Before we can have the blessings, we must first have the One who blesses. Before we can have miracles in our lives, we must first welcome and meet the Miracle Maker. Matthew 6:33 makes so much sense right now.
‘33Â But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.’ – Matthew 6:33
It is also for this very reason of welcoming Jesus that the atmosphere in our church every weekend is on the high. If you have visited Heart of God Church before, you may think that the members here are crazy. Haha we clap, we cheer and we respond in our services. To some, we may seem over-enthusiastic. But this is how we welcome Jesus. This is our sign to God that we welcome His presence and His spirit to work in every single one of our hearts. Besides, if we can clap for celebrities, motivational speakers and ministers, how much more should we clap for the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus Christ?
2) Wait for the
Miracle Maker
The next thing that we got to learn to do if we want to see miracles in our lives, is to wait. We live in a “microwave generation”, where almost everything needs to be instant. We love instant noodles, instant information and Instagram, haha. But when it comes to God, we got to learn how to wait. And it isn’t just passively waiting for God that I’m talking about here. We need to also actively wait on God. So that anytime he releases a miracle, we are ready for it.
If you’re looking for instant miracles that come at the snap of your fingers, then you aren’t actually hoping for miracles. What you’re really looking for is magic. And get this straight, Jesus Christ is not a magician, but a Miracle Maker. Waiting is just part of the process for certain miracles in your life. And even though sometimes it can get pretty frustrating and unsettling, I have to agree with Pastor How that this waiting makes that miracle much more precious. Actually if you think about it, anything becomes more precious when you got to wait for it before getting it.
Let’s take sex for example. God had created it to be something precious to be saved for marriage. But throughout the generations, the Devil has perverted it. The idea of only having sex after being married is nowadays considered too “old-school” or “traditional” for many people. But if you think about it, don’t you agree that waiting for marriage before sex makes that whole experience more precious? It becomes something that God had meant for it to be – an intimate bond that only 2 people who have made a covenant with each other share. Otherwise, it just becomes casual (sex) as we call it.
Going back to miracles, sometimes we just got to be patient and fervent in prayer for them. In church, we always say that praying is like talking to God. But at this point in his sermon, Pastor How also compares it to texting. Now imagine praying as texting Jesus.
We first send him our request in the form of a message.We then wait and wait. There’s no reply.We spam him a little.Nope, still no reply…… until THIS happens.
You know what that bubble means. You get excited don’t you? Because you know the reply is coming; Jesus is typing – the miracle is on its way. Today, we must imagine ourselves looking at our spiritual smartphone, and seeing the text bubble on the spiritual screen. Our miracle is coming!
Though it may take awhile for His reply to come, Him “typing” shows that He has already “Read” our message! In fact, since the moment we sent Him our message, He has already received and seen it. Look at what the Bible says.
‘12 Then he said, âDonât be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.13 But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.’ – Daniel 10:12-13 (NLT)
Since the first day we prayed, He has already heard us! But what’s causing all the delay? Only God knows. Oh I really believe that He knows. And His thoughts are always higher. He knows not just only what we humans know, but everything that we don’t as well. That is why in the delays, I still trust in Him. He will bring forth the miracles in His perfect timing. Besides, delay is not denial.
When it’s in His perfect timing, God will send in that miracle that you need immediately. But this “immediately” only applies for His timing and will, not ours. Pastor How brings us through a few of the verses in Luke 8 once more to illustrate that God is not a God of our “instantly”, but His “immediately”. His thoughts are always higher; His timing always perfect.
Verse 44: “…immediately her flow of blood stopped.”
Verse 47: “…she was healed immediately.”
Verse 55: “…she arose immediately.”
So as you can see, sometimes, God’s timing requires us to wait for the miracle that we want. But it’s in this waiting that His “immediately” is produced. Another example about this can be found in the book of Acts. In chapter 1, before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He appeared to His disciples and commanded them to wait for the Holy Spirit to come. That’s cool and all except for the fact that He didn’t give them an exact date or time when this miracle would arrive! They had to wait just like some of us today, not knowing when we would receive our miracles. But guess what? In chapter 2, God fulfilled His promise on the Day of Pentecost.
‘ 2Â And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Â Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4Â And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.‘ – Acts 2:2-4
“Suddenly”. We all love that part. But what many of us forget is that our waiting produces the “suddenly”. Yes it may be tough to wait. But just like in the story of Pentecost above, our waiting will not be in vain. As we keep the faith, there will be a sudden breakthrough. We got to see that our miracle is just around the corner. We have to see that the “bubble” is on the “screen”.
Pastor How then continues with an interesting point that I can’t help but relate to so much. Maybe you can relate to it too. It is that sometimes, we feel like our miracles get hijacked. In the Luke 8 story that we have been referring to so far, there was a man named Jairus who came to Jesus for help. His daughter was at home, dying. In desperation, he came to Jesus to beg for Him to go to his house and perform a healing miracle for his 12 year-old.
And of course, Jesus agreed. But as they were on their way to the house, a woman who had an issue of blood came behind Jesus, touched the corner of His garment and got healed immediately. You know what Singaporeans call this? “Cutting queue”, haha. The woman hijacked Jesus in that moment! And Jesus let her! Now no doubt, she received a great miracle. But due to her actions, Jesus was delayed a little. And because of this delay, as you would read, Jairus’ daughter died even before Jesus could reach her.
I really wonder what was going through Jairus’ head when he received the news. I wonder how he felt. It could be similar to what some of us are thinking & feeling today for our own miracles. Sometimes, we pray longer than other people, yet they get their miracles & breakthroughs before us. Sometimes, we see our friends receive their best news ever, and instantly after, we receive our worst. Jairus watched a miracle happen right in front of him for a woman who was sick. He saw the immense possibility that his daughter could also be healed. Yet straight after, he received the worst news.
“Why isn’t the miracle happening to me? Does Jesus love me less? Were my prayers ineffective?” All these could be the questions flooding Jairus’ mind and even ours. If not, we could easily be offended, both with God and with that person who “cut our queue”. “The woman doesn’t even have as bad of a condition as my daughter. At least she isn’t dying! Does Jesus not know how to prioritize?”
It is natural for us to have all these negative thoughts but it is our responsibility not to let them get to us. Because at the end of the day, God loves us all the same. He just, as mentioned, has His own timing for every single one of us! We will get our turn to receive miracles too. It may get rough, it may get dark, it may get worse. But keep on going because at times, things have to get worse before they get better. Things have to get darker before they get brighter sometimes.
What matters is, can we walk through the darkness? If we are able to, we will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Just take Christ’s death as an example. Good Friday wasn’t really good man. It was a day of darkness and despair, especially for the disciples. And so it was for the next 2 days. Until of course, when Easter Sunday came along. The Bible says that Jesus rose again on the third day and defeated even death itself. Now isn’t that the most miraculous & celebrated Sunday in history? Exactly. Our “third day” is also coming. All we have to do is believe.
3) Keep believing
&Â don’t be afraid
‘49 While He was still speaking, someone came from the ruler of the synagogueâs house, saying to him, âYour daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.â 50 But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, âDo not be afraid; only believe, and she will be made well.â’
– Luke 8:50
In the scripture above, we see again the very scene where Jairus receives his bad news. His daughter is dead but thankfully, that isn’t the end of the story. Jesus upon hearing the news immediately turns to Jairus and encourages him. Why did He do that? Well the first reason is obviously because He cares for Jairus. But the second reason is that Jesus understood the power of words, be it positive or negative. In this case, negative words that could destroy Jairus from the inside was spoken to him.
Therefore, Jesus decided to counter those negative words with His own. Today, we have to also learn to counter negative words from people and ourselves. And we do so not by positive thinking or some motivational quote and speech, but by the words of Jesus – the Word of God. These words of faith are exactly what we need to counter fear. That is why I always say that the Bible isn’t just a book! Don’t let negativity destroy us. Fight it using the Word of God.
On the other hand, don’t be weird & super spiritual Christians who always deny the facts. If you’re sick, you’re sick. Denying it isn’t an act of faith. Saying “I’m fine” while coughing blood isn’t going to make you any better. Pray but also see the doctor! We must have a balance. And we can do so by differentiating facts and truth. On one hand, we don’t deny the facts, but on the other, we hold on to the truths of God.
Truth is greater than and beyond facts. It is a fact that Jairus’ daughter is dead. No use denying it. But it is also the truth that God will raise her from the dead. We got to subject the facts to the truth, and not the other way around!
‘52 Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, âDo not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping.â53 And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, âLittle girl, arise.â‘ – Luke 8:52-54
Now don’t be surprised. When we operate in faith and truth, people with their facts will laugh at us, just like how the people in Jairus’ house ridiculed Jesus. They knew for a fact that the little girl was dead, but they didn’t understand the truth that Jesus is a Healer. We may have people like that in our lives, always mocking us for our faith in miracles. You know what we need to do about them? Just learn from Jesus and “put them all outside”! Outside what, you ask? Outside your inner circle of friends who have influence over you! Because these people would only make your faith leak. And without faith, it is difficult for miracles to happen and for God to move.
That is also the reason why I’m always found in church every single weekend (and actually on the weekdays too). Because it’s there where I find my closest friends who are always speaking faith into my life. In church, there is an environment and atmosphere for miracles to happen. When I am not with them, I spend time in God’s presence and Word. As I’ve said, it’s in His Word that we can counter negativity and fears, and learn to fight our battles.
Today,  are you looking for a miracle in any area of your life? Then welcome & invite Jesus, the Miracle Maker into that zone. And when things get stretched out longer than you expect, don’t doubt Him. Only believe.
If you have never met the Miracle Maker before, well what are you waiting for? Welcome Him into your life and not only would miracles follow, but also love, joy, purpose, freedom and transformation. Last scripture of the day:
’54 But He put them all outside, took her by the hand and called, saying, âLittle girl, arise.â55 Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately. And He commanded that she be given something to eat.’ – Luke 8:54-55
Notice the Bible says that the girl’s spirit returned to her. Hmm, this means it left when she died. But where did it go during that point of time? See here’s the thing – when we die, it isn’t the end. Our body is only but a temporary container. The true essence of our being is our spirit. The question of the day is, where is our spirits headed after we die? For me, I am 100% sure that even if I am to die right now as I’m writing this, I am meeting my Heavenly Father in Paradise. This is what I call the greatest miracle of all time. But what about you? If you’re not exactly sure where you’re headed when you leave this Earth and body of yours, make sure today. How do you do so? Meet the Miracle Maker, invite Him into your heart and allow Him to to lead you on the greatest adventure of your life.
‘28Â And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.’ – Romans 8:28
In the end, all things will work together for good to those who love & trust in God. For Jairus, he could have been upset with Jesus, but he chose to trust in Him. And guess what? His daughter was miraculously revived and his story had a happy ending! Miracles exist and can happen for you too. Even if… you know, sometimes our miracles get “stolen”?
Hey wait a second. If our miracles can get stolen… Does that mean that we can steal miracles too..? That’s exactly what Pastor How is going to preach about this weekend. Haha that’s right, it’s not the end yet. There is a second part to this message. I mean, how can we read about 2 miracles in Luke 8 and just end by only talking about 1 of them, right?
Now, we know more about the Miracle Maker. But on the 12th & 13th of December, we will find out about the Miracle Thief. Time for a switch of roles. If you enjoyed reading my account of this message by Pastor How, you will love hearing the next part for yourself in church. So don’t miss out on it and I will see you there!
Hi everyone! Happy December! It’s the start of the last month of the year, so what better time than now to have another monthly recap right? Hahaha. So without further ado, here are all the content released on Fool’s Bench in the month of November.
1) For Fun
2) For Laughter
3) For Creativity
4) For Christ
That’s all for the month of November! Hope you enjoyed reading and I’ll see you again soon in this exciting month.
Haha, ready for a #throwback? I present to you, one of the most important messages I’ve ever heard – The Fool’s Bench.
Haha. But let’s change the scenario a little. What if you walk down a street and don’t see a mess but instead you see two neatly stacked coins? I guess you would react very differently. You would think that it’s some kind of trap or that somebody must have placed it there on purpose! That’s exactly how I feel when I look at the world around me.
Fool's Bench 
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