It is definitely going to be an awe-inspiring list… somewhat literally. Yeap, a listing on 24 characteristics of a godly mans in a book, “The Godly Man’s Picture” written by Thomas Watson, some thousand years ago (Year 1666 to be exact….)   

1. A man of knowledge 
2. A man moved by faith 
3. A man fired by love 
4. A man like God 
5. A man careful about the worship of God 
6. A man who serves God, not men 
7. A man who prizes Christ 
8. A man who weeps ** 
9. A man who loves the Word 
10. A man who has the Spirit of God residing in him 
11. A man of humility 
12. A man of prayer 
13. A man of sincerity 
14. A heavenly man 
15. A zealous man 
16. A patient man 
17. A thankful man 
18. A man who loves the saints 
19. A man who does not indulge himself in any sin 
20. A man who is good in his relationships 
21. A man who does spiritual things in a spiritual manner 
22. A man thoroughly trained in religion 
23. A man who walks with God 
24. A man who strives to be an instrument for making others godly   

Well, guess all the guys may be taking a deeper breath when reading Number 8. OK, I must admit guys do have problem with Number 8. In spite of everything, guys, arr… a.k.a. kayu (sorry, but this is what I learnt up from the YA Camp I attended last year – still fresh in my mind-lerr and I do agree with Pastor… Kayu which is taken from the well-known Restoran Kayu Nasi Kandar (Penang) in SS2)   

Well, chivalry, undoubtedly, is an exceptional commodity amongst men these days. Yeap, the epitome of a godly gentleman is a man complete with excellent good manners, courteousness, and social sophistication: Beneath the demeanor is a heart of sincerity, compassion, truthfulness and bigheartedness. 

In conclusion, a godly gentlemen (or women) presents the characteristic of Christ that is in him and exudes devotion and kindness outwardly to people surrounding. So, people, make no mistakes. We are, nevertheless, recognized by our fruits. 

In this time of human history, I guess there is an exceptional total of “happenings” that continuously vye for our attention. Correct me if I am wrong. In general, our working hours are longer these days; we have a family to take care for, and our regular need to be considered (at times irrational and voracious), wondering why I have not start serving any ministry, attending cell meetings more frequently and the list just goes on and on. 

Well, when we spread ourselves too thin, we are in actual fact reducing our availability for God’s power to work in and through our lives. Huh, no wonder we are repeatedly putting up with burn-outs these days. 

Whilst we came before the Lord in our usual daily prayers, we are often quick to throw in our complaints and lay endless petitions. A good look in Matthew 6:7-8 is where Jesus tells us not to babble on like the pagans, and that our Father in heaven already knows our need. 

Jesus goes on to teach us how to pray. Well, let us look closer at the Lord’s prayer : Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Now, take note on the order of the prayer : saluting God, praising His name, desiring His Kingdom, and seeking His will. Only then the rest of the prayer was on our needs, forgiveness, and our protection. 

In Matthew 6:33, Jesus tells us to seek the Kingdom of God first before all these things shall be added unto us. Ok, note that “all these things” also includes His gifts that He promises us. It is an issue of sequence, ya. God and God alone has to be desired above everything else. 

Ok, here, I am not recommending that we should drop all that we are doing right now. By no means, ‘k. Coz I believe Jesus is persistently challenging all of us about the issue of priority sequence in our lives. So, you and I may need to restructure the sequence of priorities, and wherever necessary, may be challenged by God to give something up altogether.

So, the next time, you and I come before the Lord in prayer, do invite God to speak in our hearts as we open our prayers with: “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name.” 

Melissa’s Birthday

Blessed….Are the poor in Spirit

Matthew 5:3-12
The beatitudes, found in Matthew 5, are the famous verses that Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with. We’re going to go through these beatitudes in the next couple of weeks as we prepare for our cell retreat. Keep praying!

Introduction

The Greek word for ‘blessedness’ in this passage, and throughout the whole passage, is the word ‘makarios, makarios’ (sp?).

Some modern translations have translated this word ‘happy’. ‘Happy’ are the poor in spirit. ‘Happy’ are those who mourn. ‘Happy’ are those who are empty, who are hungry, for they shall be filled. But let me say today that this word does not mean ‘happy’, this word means ‘blessed’. What is blessed? What does it mean to be blessed? Well, you could be happy today, and sure if you’re blessed today, and if you’re in the Lord, and if you’re living and walking in the light of the Lord, and have the joy of the Lord - of course you can be happy. But you could be happy here today, and not blessed of the Lord. There’s a difference.

This word ‘blessed’ simply means this: God’s approval on your life. God’s approval on your life - that if you follow these instructions given within the Beatitudes, God will smile on you, God will approve you. It’s not something that is affected [by] how you feel, it’s not something about if you feel poor, well then you’ll feel that you’re approved with God - it’s not something like that, but it is stating what you are before God. Not how you feel, but what God thinks of you - there’s a vast difference.

You may be depressed today, you may be downhearted, circumstances, illness, perplexity in marriage or in family relationships or in business. All of those things can come in and we can be downhearted, and we believe the lie of the devil that the Christian should never be downhearted or depressed, that he should be walking with a smile always on his face - and you think: ‘I am not worthy, am I really living this Christian life that is to be lived?’

This word ‘blessed’ [could be] put like this: it is the applause of heaven, it is the approval of God upon your life. Now of course believers are already blessed, if you look at Psalm 32 and verse 1 you see there that every believer is blessed because his transgression has been forgiven, his sin has been blotted out. Psalm 1, the believer, we also see, is blessed if he walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful. If he lives a holy, sanctified life after God, he will be blessed.

But as we look at this passage of Scripture, we need to ask ourselves today: Whose approval do we look for? Do we look for God’s approval, or do we look for our business partner’s approval, our friend’s approval, our colleague’s approval? Do we look for our church’s, our elder’s, our pastor’s, our youth leader’s, our teacher’s approval? Are we only satisfied when we get the praise of men, the approval of men, or we get into a circle where we get a pat on the back and we feel that we have reached the goal, or would we rather have the approval of God?

That is what blessed means: God approves.

First Beatitude: Blessed are the poor in spirit

It begins so strongly, Blessed are the Poor in spirit. What does this mean? Being poor in spirit means brokenness.

In the description by Charles Finney:

“It means people who have come to realize their spiritual state. In this it is implied that we understand our own guilt and helplessness, and realize as a practical fact our own utter emptiness by nature of every thing good, and of any tendency to that which is good. It is one thing to hold this in theory, and another thing to be heartily sensible of the humbling fact. Most professing Christians admit in words that they are in themselves wholly helpless and destitute, but to know and feel as an abiding practical conviction that this is their true spiritual condition how few are able!

Being poor in spirit implies that we see in its true light the tendency in us to every thing evil–that we understand that the habitudes of our minds, that our appetites and propensities, that nearly the whole power of the sensibility continually tends to selfishness.

A deep and abiding sense of the absolute need we are in of a Savior from our utter wickedness, helpless and just condemnation. Not only a sense of this dependence upon Christ, and helplessness out of him is implied, but a willingness to have it so–a willingness to cleave to Christ in all his offices and relations, a setting aside self, a self-loathing, a self renunciation in all respects, a casting away all hope in ourselves, all dependence upon ourselves, all trust in our own wisdom or righteousness, or our efforts at sanctification, and every thing else which is our own. These things are implied in poverty of spirit in the text. In short it is a correct view of our utterly helpless state, a realizing sense of that fact, and a disposition of soul corresponding to such views.”

But it doesn’t end there, because the poor in spirit are blessed. Continuing in Charles Finney’s text:

1. Because the kingdom of God is within them. The text says, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” They have already the first elements of the kingdom of God within them.

2. Because flesh and blood has never revealed this to them. Before, they might have had it as mere theory after the flesh, but if they have come to feel and realize their state in its dreadful aggravations, flesh and blood have not revealed it unto them, but God has uncovered with his own hand the deep vileness of their souls and undertaken their cure.

3. They have already surmounted the greatest difficulty in the way of their salvation. After Christ has provided a feasible method of salvation, so that God can be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus, the greatest difficulty is to make mankind see their need of Christ. It is a great work to make men feel themselves hopeless, to humble them, to tear away their self-dependence and self-righteousness, and the notion of resources in themselves for any thing good. God is constantly engaged in bringing about this result. When a man has come to know himself and to renounce himself in all respects as to dependence and hope, then rely upon it the greatest difficulty is overcome, and the chief discipline endured.

4. It is the most painful part too. To slay him, to tear away the last fiber of hope in his own righteousness or efforts after righteousness, and burn in upon his soul a sense of his real abominable wickedness and hopeless ruin in himself, so sunk in the lowest pit of shame, as to abhor himself with unutterable loathing! All this is painful enough; but once gone through with, the man begins to understand himself thoroughly, becomes poor in spirit, glad to renounce all self, part with his own righteousness, his own wisdom, his self-dependence, because they are nothing.

5. Because he has now come to be prepared for the application of the remedy for his disease. He is in an attitude in which Christ is best pleased to see him. When Christ has convinced him of his own utter helplessness and that the more he tries to wash and cleanse his pollution, the more polluted he becomes, and that all he can do is only sinking him deeper into the horrible pit–then, then the soul is ready to receive Christ in all his offices and relations–to receive a whole Christ as presented in the gospel.

6. Because in a sense, such a person has already learned what the remedy is. He has learned to reject himself, and that his dependence must be utterly and forever on another than himself. He has learned how blessed it is to be nothing, to know and do nothing of himself, to be universally dependent upon Christ for every thing–for breath, for grace, for faith, for every thing; to have Christ his “all and in all.”

7. Because they learn how blessed it is to trust Christ. They see such fullness in Christ, they do not wish any strength of their own. Their wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption are in Christ, and they need and wish for none of their own. Christ is all they need, and they need nothing in themselves. They have them all in Christ, and they are willing and glad to have them in him.

8. Because they have learned how to be composed in the midst of all kinds of trials. They neither have nor seek any resort in themselves. They know in whom their strength lies, and who is their strong tower.
9. Because they have no self interest. They have seen themselves to be perfectly destitute and worthless. They have no reputation to build up, they have no appetite that must be gratified, no passion that must be catered for, none of these to contend for or hold on to. They are emptied out, and every particle of self value is gone entirely. They labor not for themselves, but for Christ.

10. Because to be poor in spirit is to be rich in faith. Then poor in the proper sense, emptied of dependence upon themselves, then they are rich in faith.

Conclusion

John Wesley describes it like this: ‘He’, or she,

‘who has a deep sense of the loathsome leprosy of sin, which he brought from his mothers womb, which overspreads his whole soul and totally corrupts every power and faculty thereof’

Someone who realises, in the sight of God and biblically speaking, what they are, and what they are more importantly in the sight of God. It is simply this: it is a recognition of personal, moral and spiritual unworthiness. Spiritually, morally, personally, socially, in every single realm that you can think of of the human life, that you’re showing that you are in need of God. An excellent rendering of this verse is this: ‘Blessed are those who realise that they have nothing within themselves to commend them to God, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven‘.

Tags:beatitudes, cell notes

Was surfing the net when I came across this.

According to a Pastor Gordon MacDonald, a leader would have to deal with the following four (4) basis type of people :

1) VIPs (Very Important People) - They are known as today’s leaders, coz from them, a leader would receive strength and encouragement.

2) VTPs (Very Trainable People) - They are tomorrow’s leaders. Like VIPs, they are also talented and temperamental, just that they are lack of experiences and maturity. And to achieve their full potential as men of God, they must therefore be trained and discipled.

3) VNPs (Very Nice People) - These are likely to be seen with the leader and consider the leader as their friend. Usually generous and kind naturally. No doubt the VNPs are fun to be with, but they hardly ever make a significant contribution to the accomplishment of the leader’s vision.

4) VDPs (Very Draining People) - These are those who tend to be lacking confidence with a lengthy history of rejection. Since the leader is a kindhearted person, they are drawn to him, demanding more and more of his life. Their neediness, obviously, will consume him.

So food for thought – which type are you? As for me, guess I’m all types at a different session in my life. And now that I’m complete conscious, I’ll keep myself away from being a VDP. Ha!Ha!Ha!

“The trouble with a great many men is that they spread themselves out over too much. They fail in everything. If they would only put their life into one channel, and keep it, they would accomplish something. They make no impression, because they do a little work here and a little work there… lay yourselves on the alter of God, and then concentrate on some one work.” - D. L. Moody -

In summary, we all have to bring to a standstill from being all things to all people. Instead, we all need to live a God-centered life, rather than a need-centered one.

Jeremy’s Birthday!

The title belongs to a YA cell blog, but I thought it pretty appropriate. I wrote this the night after our feet washing meeting, when the after effects was obviously present. I contemplated posting this, now a week removed from our meeting that night, but since I did have the intention to post before, I’ll go ahead and do it =). I don’t know if I’m the only CL having these thoughts.

I have come to realize that as a cell leader, I have often failed. Not in an obvious manner, or a terrific face flat manner. But in my heart, and in my thoughts I have failed. I have placed pride above all things. When dealing with cell members, I have used my own wisdom, and though never verbalized, the frustrations and sometimes, the indifference I have, I harbored it, and made assumptions on the members’ characters. That guy? Nah, he only serves if there’s a reward of recognition. That girl? Always giving the same excuse. That person? Can’t be depended on, always fails. So and so? Nice person, but pretty hopeless in getting things done? So and so? Etc etc

These were confessed in my mind, but I realize, that I need these to be released, and all these thoughts to be forgiven. If not, the cell will not grow. If not, the group will not become what its supposed to be. By my nature, I am not an open or extremely caring person. That’s me. My character. I don’t believe that we should all act the same way and be the same way. For instance, Kelvin and Donald are caring cell leaders, who can talk, and sympathise with the members. I’ve come to terms that I cannot imitate them, because that’s not how I’m wired. Should I ask for God to change me? No, I should ask God to use what I have. Our approach might differ, but we have the similar responsibility, that is to care for our sheep. How we do it can be different, it’s not a flaw that I don’t express it the way they do. But it is a flaw if I am indifferent for the members. I don’t care. I don’t really give a hoot. Indifference sometimes sets in my heart, borne out of frustrations, of trying to motivate and inspire but failing. I become apathetic and give up on trying again. I become personally frustrated.

Its pride.

Because our pride and our ego takes a hit when we fail at something, we don’t want to expose ourselves again. So we stop planning for oikos, we stop evangelizing, we stop doing community outreaches because of poor response. I say, my cell isn’t moved to serve. So why should I care so much?

And God really dealt with me. Whose cell did you say this was??

Mine, Lord.

No, it’s mine.

I realized that I have completely messed up and took ownership of the cell, when I should be taking stewardship. God’s saying, in essence, when the members make a decision to not participate, why are you so downcast? I will deal with them privately, in my own time, in my own gentleness and love. Your job is to continue and persevere. Your job is to disciple a few, and pastor the flock. If there are times, they seem indifferent, so what? Who are you to say, they have personally affronted me? You are but a steward of my people.

This is a cell group.

We’re not a social group. We’re not here only for the good things. We’re not here for the rides and the activities. Sure those are fun. Sure, I really really am proud of our cell girls during the futsal tournament. But if that’s all we are, a social team, then we will pack this cell up and stop meeting.

Somehow, I lost my way. Somehow, I missed the point of cell. It is to create a place where people can come. Not just for popular activities. But those hurting, to be edified. Those searching, to be evangelized. But they will only come when the environment is right, and as a cell leader, it is my responsibility to create that environment. And that, I have failed to do, because I myself, have refused God to deal with me because of my pride. And God has brought me back to my Ai, and here, He is dealing with me in a way that I never thought would be possible. It is the continuous breaking of pride, as James 4:6, He resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. I was by no means humble, my humility was cloaked with pride, and therefore resisted, opposed.

Some of you might be reading this and going ‘Aw, come on, don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s just a cell group.’

Not exactly. The principles transfers to the other aspects of leadership each one will eventually take. In our organisation, whether you are leading 5 or 500 people. In our families, for guys, when we take the lead as the head of the household. The lessons we learn along the way will hopefully prepare us for bigger responsibilities in life as we move up, and move forward. The cell group can provide the environment where God deals with us whether its pride, ego, timidity, fear, anger, lust, and if brokenness is needed, then healing can also take place.

To my cell members, I ask forgiveness. With my own strength and dependence I have led this cell and have not been responsible on my own dealings with God. The realization is not too late, as God is merciful to draw us back, and as I come back to Him, to truly seek His will, it is my prayer that this cell group will grow together, nurtured in their spiritual walk and become all that God wants us to be. And when we do eventually multiply, we will be ready to lead other groups and create environments for the nurturing received.

Mother’s Day!

In regards to the recent post on “Releasing to God”, here’s a poem that resound closely my approach towards God being a Christian.

Written by Richard Exley, this poem can be found in the book “Man of Valor” 

I am afraid of saying ‘Yes’, Lord 
When will You take me? 
I am afraid of drawing the long straw 
I am afraid of signing my name to an unread agreement 
I am afraid of the ‘yes’ that entails other ‘yeses’ 
O Lord, I am afraid of Your demands, but who can resist You? 
That Your Kingdom may be done but not mine, 
Help me to say ‘Yes’.

Proverbs 3: 5 – 6 : “Trust in the Lord with all your hearts, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”

Seems like we are all exceptionally terrific keeping ourselves hectic these days. Yeap, full of all kinds of activities, i.e. busy, buSY, BUSY (very, very da busy). Well, busy schedules as we go all-out to struggle with the workload to meet the datelines and meet the demand of our superiors/ bosses. Busy spending time with our loved ones at home. Or perhaps stealing time to be with our partner / spouse after a long exhausting workday or over the weekends. … and all these are the demands of our everyday life, I wonder….

Needless to say, there are many Christians out there, yeap busy people with concern that at times look as if somewhat tremendously heavy to bear. At a stance, I was just imagining the following three (3) scenarios.

(1) My mum, a harried housewife to take care my Big Sis’s colicky baby and a 3-year old toddler, yeap to feed and preteens who stipulate she, my mum be their arbitrator over their petty quarrels.

(2) My two (2) cousin brothers, 15, being stressed out rushing from one tuition class to another, in preparation for their PMR examinations this year, and at the same time juggling with their extra curricular activities.

(3) An uncle, a CEO and a father of two (2) children, having to get by with my grandma who does not live with him, caring two (2) households, going from one board meeting to another, deliberating over hefty issues that will determine the direction of his Company

No doubt we all are needy people, requiring having our spiritual batteries recharged on a regular basis so we would not crumple under the pressures of life. Well, in the midst of the hustle and bustle of life, am sure the Word of God encourages us to enter into a Secret Place – a place where we can draw from the Source of Life and may allow living waters to flow without having to dry out.

This Secret Place could be found when we construct our moment from our busy to-do lists and reserve it as our “Quiet Time” with God. Err, despites deadlines and obligations, guess we should safeguard our quiet time conscientiously, also do regard it as a spiritual investment to help us be at peace in the midst of escalating pandemonium. This, a prime time that our Maker would twist us to the correct frequency with Him so that we too can hear His voice much more obviously and be more obedient to His Spirit’s prompting.

Well, let us all enter into His Secret Place and let our Maker rejuvenate our spirit and to cause the living water to flow in us freely once more.

So, to all my cellies out there, see you guys on Fridays at our cell meetings – more regularly [Hah, was trying to remind myself also, even as I was typing this out ]