Reminds me of this verse from 2 Corinthians 5:17. As we transit from the old year of 2005 to the new year of 2006, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" And when we travel over to the new year, doubtless there'll be happy memories, sad ones, and those of the bittersweet kind where you don't know whether you ought to laugh or cry.

Yet in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 it says, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Whatever we have in this old year, if only we would just put it down, and reflect on God's wonderful provision for us. for Christ said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30)." And when we realise that we walk with him, he carries our load for us, then what do we have to do? Nothing. Just walk with him, for he carries us every step of the way. Just imagine him being a car driver and you're sitting in the car, with your burdens/fears/troubles/co ncerns all taken off your back and put in the car boot.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint (Isaiah 40:28-31)."

I can only imagine the countless number of people out there who refuse to take a seat in his grand luxurious Rolls Royce stretch limo, preferring instead to soldier on to an existence without him at all. And we, brothers and sisters, are the ones who have to change that mindset of the people around us.

Joel.

Singularly, the most powerful and impacting event on this world. For nothing else can ever claim to have had such a lasting impact on the world, 2000 years later and still running.

One of my camp colleagues asked me, "What does Christmas mean to you?" Taken aback (brain switches off at lunch), I could only respond with, "The birth of a really great man. And I celebrate that birth!" When I could've gone along and shared my entire life conversion story with him, I didn't. Then again, maybe he wasn't prepared enough yet. True, Christmas is to commemorate the birth of a great man. So great, even after his death (and resurrection), he's still in the limelight. The book that he has authored continues to be the most popular bestseller ever. Of course, that's the Bible, and nothing but.

He came, not as a king but as a common man. not to be served but to serve. "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45)." As a result of his obedience we now have freedom to worship, access to God, and no more will we live in condemnation forever! As Jesus humbled himself before God, shouldn't we, mere mortals attempt to emulate him? His was perfect humility. As the Son of God, and being a member of the Trinity, he didn't have to do that! But he did, and God honoured him by giving him all authority on heaven and on earth (Matthew 28:18), seating him at the right hand of his throne.

How beautiful is that! Even when we crucify him for our own sin, he is still faithful and just, and intercedes for us continually.

Joel.

Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"^; and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile." (1 Corinthians 3:18-20)

Is it really that great being "wise" in the eyes of the world? For human wisdom is warped, what they perceive as "cool" and "hip" can be utterly sinful and distasteful in God's eyes. For example, men who go around sleeping with other women are labelled as "virile" and "strong", but that's utterly distasteful.

This is what the Bible has to say, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

What are the prices that we have to pay for being "fools" in the world? We end up getting ridiculed, scorned, and chastised when we choose not to be a part of the world. People may say we're being dumb when we don't indulge in casual sex or drugs, especially when that brings about pleasurable and high sensations, and we're missing out on such stuff by being "prudes", but yet God has a better plan for us than to see us waste our lives on these meaningless things which is equivalent to a chasing after the wind. In the end, 50 years down the road, they pay the price for their foolishness, and we're firmly held in God's bosom.

Yet it is not up to us to condemn or judge these people for their sin, but to persuade them to stop their wrongdoing. "When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood.  But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself." (Ezekiel 3:18-19) The onus is on us to turn people back to God and not to judge them, for God himself will do the judgment when he reappears again one day.

Being foolish: Great? Disgusting? I'd rather be the dumbest guy on all earth, if that would magnify my God even more in his wisdom and justice and peace.

Joel.

 

I have to keep emphasising that it is not a one-off thing. Many people go to revivals, cry out, tears freely flowing, tongues speaking, rolling on the ground laughing/crying/shaking without having any recollection whatsoever after recovering, and then life goes back on to normal again. Is it? With such a close encounter with God, never expect your life to be the same again. Never expect normalcy, for God is and will be doing something in your life you've never dreamed of.

So many times people fall into the trap of having been touched by God, and leave, only to be back to their normal selves again. Don't fall into that snare! For what use is it if every time there is an altar call, you go up, you cry your heart out, you promise you will change and you will let God change you, but in the end there are no fruitful results after that rededication to Him?

I am convinced that the Spirit will move in ways that we cannot see or hear, but come on. Guys. Do not ever take the Spirit for granted. Never treat the grace and mercy of God as cheap and infinite which lets you continue to sin and repent, but guard your heart and keep it away from the evils of this world.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

(Philippians 2:5-11)

For "it is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit, who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace." (Hebrews 6:4-6) And it is a warning to us that we should never ever take God for granted.

Joel.