Spiritual Amnesia

Scripture

"When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied, they became proud; then they forgot me." (Hosea 13:6)

Observation

There are times we live content because everything is going well - everyone is fed, healthy, we are squeaking by with bills being paid, work is flowing fairly well, relationships are not strained --- but we tend to forget about the Lord who orders our steps and blesses our lives. This was the scenario for the children of Israel, as the Lord speaks through Hosea to remind us all. Being too satisfied can be a dangerous and slippery place for us to be in life.

Application

I've seen it happen with the people of God - the very ones who know to give God all honour for all the great blessings of the Lord - when they fall into spiritual amnesia, forgetting the very One who provides for and satisfies their lives.

It's too easy to slip into a prideful state of heart and mind. The dangerous thing is that I can drift into a satisfaction, a current that leads me to pride. It's a mindset that "I deserve what I am blessed with." I've seen great leaders and blessed people of God fall into the trap of spiritual amnesia.

How do I avoid this trap?
Let me give us two ways:

(1)...to always check my level of humility especially when I'm being blessed by God and working hard. It's when I'm working hard and sense His blessing that a boastful satisfaction creeps up on me. The "warning signal" flashes in my heart!

(2)...to always consider the poor. If I serve those in need, considering the needs of others and being a giver, this helps keep my life in balance. That is the reason why we should seriously consider a very generous gift to Shallom School in Dili, East Timor on Mission Sunday (5th August). When we give to the poor, we give to the Lord. We don't allow the blessings to become more important than the the Blesser.

Prayer

Dear God - What a great reminder for my heart - and so timely. At a time I sense Your hand and favour upon me, I need the reminders of today's word, lest I slip into spiritual amnesia. Help me to be kind to people around me and humble in heart and service.

Could've, Would've, Should've

Scripture

"And he did right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. Only the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. And the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death..." (2 Kings 15:3-5)

Observation

Uzziah was just sixteen years old when he became king. He reigned 52 years and "did right in the sight of the Lord" (2 Kings 15:2). If his life story ended there, he would have been remembered as "Uzziah; a great king who followed the Lord fully," a great epitaph for anyone's final resting place.

However, his life didn't end on such a high note. Instead, this great king went from hero to zero in 6.6 seconds flat, all because of compromise which he tolerated in the final years of his life. And the irony of it all is seen in how he is best remembered; more for his failure than for his accomplishments. Rather than an epitaph of honor, his reflected a life that could have been: "Here lies Uzziah; a great king who followed the Lord fully, but..."

Application

The same can be said of many who tolerate compromise in their lives. Rather than resolving issues, they allow it go unresolved, especially as it relates to the ways of God. And in so doing, they live a life of "could've, would've, should've."

• He was a loving father, but...;
• He loved his wife, but...;
• He sacrificed so much for the Lord, but...;
• He was a great leader, but...;

We can be so close, yet relegate ourselves to a position so far from where God would have preferred us to stand in relation to Him. In what we should have done, or could have done, we tolerate compromise instead. The Lord will not tolerate compromise in our lives. If we don't resolve the resolvable, He will do so for us; but, we must be willing to accept the consequences. It's our choice.

I spent yesterday visiting three people who have been unwell, two in their homes and one in the hospital. I came away inspired with every visit. These people were resilient. Two of them were in their eighties and both carried with them an uncompromising, tenacious faith in the Lord. They were pressing in to make use of their circumstances to glorify the Lord and make His Name great. They were desirous to walk in His will and they showed not one hint of a compromised faith or walk with the Lord.

You and I may not have had a choice how our life began, but we can choose how we want our life to end. And we cannot afford to tolerate compromise in the life we have yet to live.

Prayer

Father, may my life be completely devoted to you; let it begin today; let it begin with these circumstances you are placing in my life.

First Things First

Scripture

"Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom...

Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. Pekahiah did evil in the eyes of the LORD...

In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria." (2 Kings 15:19,24, and 29).

Observation

It began with those who make every reader weary of reading again and again, "And so and so did evil in the sight of the Lord." It repeats itself into ad nauseum. Menahem tried to buy an alliance with a thousand talents of silver (37 tons! or 150 million Sing dollars!) But it didn't work. Beginning in 740 to 721 BC, the Assyrians took Israel captive and deported them. This was the end of the ten tribes.

Money, alliances, and military strategy will not compensate for unresolved sin in the eyes of the Lord. It's like painting over a rusted fender or putting a carpet over termite eaten floors. It's a quick fix, but it is not a long term remedy.

Application

How I must check my heart often and again. It has a tendency to weeds. It has a leaning toward worldliness. Constant vigilance is required. A daily scrubbing.

Today, I will again check the bearings of my heart, the course of my life, and be sure I am accurately following the GPS the Lord placed within me. I will always retrace what is most important in my life:

1. A healthy, personal,relationship with Christ that is growing.
2. A genuine marriage and a close family.
3. A healthy ministry that overflows out of my walk with God.
   
4. A healthy body and a healthy soul that is creative.
5. Time to enjoy life with family and friends.

And under number one, I will check my soul to be sure that my compass is working and that there is no unresolved sin under the carpet.

Prayer

Dear Father, keep me on target in this season of my life. In Jesus name!

Public Face And Private Face

Scripture

"Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:14)

Observation

Do we have two sides of life? Seems like we do. I see that everyday in the political world. I even see it in religion. I see it in the market place.

Which is most important? Are they equally as critical?

Maybe it's not how we act when in the floodlights. Maybe it's how we act in the shadows... when things are delayed and postponed. When there's no one around that we feel we have to impress. That's who we really are.

When the platoon commander is present, soldiers show respect. But as soon as he leaves, they default to cynicism and rampant defiance.

Paul takes time to remind us that there is indeed a certain conduct in God's household during the "delays of life." He tells us: "If I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves..."

Application

Maybe that's the real us! When we are delayed. When things aren't pre-scripted and choreographed and structured. Maybe the true "us" is not packaged with our pleasantness and eloquence in public. Whether we are before the spotlights or the in front of the home fires, we are reminded that we are called to be the pillars and supports of the truth.

The best remedy

We never know who is watching us. We would go crazy trying to be two people. We might forget which one we are in any given moment! So the best remedy? The best is to be genuine to the core ... to be consistently the same one who is in the spotlights as the one who is in the shadows.

Last week in East Timor I had a wonderful time relating to my fellow pastors in Love Singapore, dear friends of mine. We laughed much and simply enjoyed each others company. Someone observing us, senior pastors, asked me one evening: "You are a public figure," she said. " How do you handle the discrepancy of having to have a public image and a private one?" She was probably thinking that once I am in my own ministry setting, I would put on a different front.

My answer was simple. I told her that once you divide your public face from your private one, you've already bought trouble. We cannot have two faces. The best is stay with the same disposition under every lighting condition. You will be much happier! And I am the same fun-loving person whether I am with my staff, my family or my friends. I just want to have one face.

That is what authenticity is, isn't it? We all have to work hard to maintain who we are... the one we are when we have no one to impress and nothing to prove and where we have nothing to lose. If we feel we have to put on a public face to please the masses, we will soon find ourselves morphing into the image of man.

Press into the image of God so you don't lose yourself. That is how we were created in the first place. Be yourself at all times. People will enjoy more of you!

Prayer

Dear Father: Thank you for creating me in Your image. Help me to be vigilant to stay that way. In fact the best thing I can do to find myself is to become more and more like You everyday! That way, I won't lose who I am along the way.

Bearing Fruit That Lasts

Children Playing In Shallom School, Dili

Scripture

"He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace… because we have sought the LORD our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered" (2 Chronicles 14:6,7).

Observation

I am weary as I walk through the history of Israel watching crowns placed on heads of state that disobey the very one who placed them there. The land too is weary. But finally, a man named Asa arrived with a fresh breeze. And he wasted no time. His first order of business was to restore the preeminence of God and remove the idols. And in no small act of courage, he remanded his grandmother Maacah, to house arrest after having dethroned her as queen mother. I'm sure it made front page news in all the surrounding village papers!

The clean out was brutal, but the final fruit was sweet. Now, in a land of spiritual peace and order, the citizens could "build and prosper". That wasn't an option before. The villages had been aflamed with idolatry, infighting, debauchery, and all that leaches from an infected society. But when God was re-installed as King, the people's hearts rejoiced. Now the towns people could lift their eyes from themselves and look into the future.

Application

When the the seas are angry, progress ceases. But when the storms are stilled, seaports bustle with activities: shipbuilding, conversation and laughter, buying and trading … all the things that make for a great life.

The same is true in a nation, a church and our families. Building a culture where an undying devotion to Christ is preeminent paves the road for future building. It cannot happen unless there is a godly, devoted living and a unity of spirit.

This week I was in East Timor with the Love Singapore leadership. It was a joy to meet up with the missionaries who are pouring their lives into East Timor - Brazilians, Malaysians, Singaporeans. These people labour ceaselessly with intense devotion to Christ. The result is the progression of God's Kingdom in that nation.

In the school Agape has adopted (Shallom School) , Isabel Ferrario and her colleagues work day and night to build for the future. We now dream of setting up a secondary class next year so that those kids who had spent their primary years with us will not stray away in those vulnerable teen years. The future of East Timor is in the young we are nurturing today!

Isabel and her dedicated team are doing all they can on the ground to invest in these young lives. The school is therefore bustling with activity, surging with life, growing in strength. We so honour our missionaries and workers in the field who are "fortifying the city" for God.

Fruit can only be born from mature trees. Therefore, churches and peoples that have stepped beyond petty infighting and struggles are the ones that bear fruit for the Lord. Churches, not absent of problems, but churches that know how to resolve each problem in a way glorifies God and builds biblical character. May that be so today!

Prayer

FATHER, thank you for Asa! Thank you for the missionary fervour that is invading East Timor today. May your Church advance for that is the only way the harvest will be reaped.

Any Worth In Giving Up My Rights?

Scripture

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant..." (Phil. 2:6-8).

Observation

"But emptied Himself." The great "Kenosis" passage, which in the Greek means He "laid aside His privileges." He, who although was fully God, did not grasp what was His, but He voluntarily laid it aside. And because He did, He won our salvation and we are alive today because of His commitment.

Application

I know there will be times that I must also lay aside my privileges. The things that are my rights, my choice, my volition ... things I CAN do. But simply because I can and because I "desire to," does not mean that I should.

How many times we may wake up with an urge to leave a marriage, relationship, or a ministry. It might be our right to do so. We may feel righteous to do so. We might even have the rationale and the opportunity to follow through on our desire! Still, we may need to "lay aside our privilege" and stay put. How many times have I felt this urge! But after remaining, I look back and each time, I have been SO GLAD that I laid aside that privilege and emptied myself! I have found that I may need to get out of the pain but not out of the position. Out of the confusion but not out of the calling.

There are many other privileges that I've discovered it's better to lay aside. For example, though one may be the boss who has the authority direct or demand certain tasks to be done. I've found that it is better to request and politely ask instead. It not only gets the task done, but it also increases morale. We may need to "lay aside the privilege" of being a boss and take on the form of a servant. For indeed leaders are there to serve those in his care so that their best is brought forth. That is the sign of a good leader.

As husbands, we should "lay aside the privilege" often especially when it comes to telling the wife what to do! Many of us have learned the hard way, and if we do not, we will experience a hard life!

In the past couple of months I had the privilege of walking through the pain of a dear couple whose marriage was severely tested. Things are better now but the only reason there is no bitter sting to that relationship was because the wife refused to abdicate her position despite her pain. She chose to honour her calling to be a wife in the midst of the chaos that surrounded her marriage. She "laid aside her rights" and took on the towel instead of the sword. And she emptied herself. She did the ultra unusual and God is coming through for that marriage.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, You were willing to lay aside Your privilege of being GOD! Help me to be willing to lay aside those much smaller privileges and in the same way, watch redemption and wholeness be the result of the kenosis moments of a leader, a husband, a father, a friend. Thank you for inaugurating the way for each of us, for what You did makes what we should do so much more worthy and understandable. Give me Your power and wisdom as I learn to serve Your people.

To enjoy life is a gift from God!

Scripture

"I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good in one's lifetime; moreover, that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his labour - it is the gift of God." (Ecclesiastes 3:12)

Observation

Solomon was a bit cynical in his writings, but a singular theme surfaces over and over ... Here it is: rejoice in each day. Every breath and each activity is worthy of our notice!

Of course, if what you do is totally absent of eternal purpose, then indeed, vanity of vanity, all is vanity. But that is not my usual problem. I am often too single minded and ultra-focused.

While accomplishing tasks, we miss life. While growing ministry, we miss the growing kids. While hurrying to keep schedules, we exchange meetings for meaning.

Application

So today, I will take time to enjoy it, not just complete it. Instead of typing out this devotional in order to feel a sense of accomplishment, I will instead, enjoy the flow of thought; the adjectives that bring the words to life, and the rhythm of sentences that orchestrate truth. Even my Vietnamese coffee tastes better (and stronger) when I decide to let my taste buds experience the roast!

Hey, wait a minute. The sky is blue! I didn't even notice that till now. Cotton clouds drift slowly by, hoping I will notice them, and the strong stout trees that I drive past every day to and from work on Upper Thomson Road draw attention to themselves by rustling their leaves in the wind. Life is actually splendid when I take a moment ... to enjoy the moment.

Today is Tuesday and Tuesdays are very busy days with early morning mentoring with my pastors and staff meeting at mid-morning and then staff mentoring in the afternoon. But what warmed my heart about today was the fact that we did not just sail through the day from meeting to meeting without meaning. We had time to celebrate three birthdays at the staff lunch. We had even more time to affirm one another as we reflected on leadership issues at the staff mentoring time. And we closed the day with time to pray for our families who are in need. We lived the day, we didn't just rush through it doing work!

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to be not just a man of purpose but also a man of peace; a peace that starts on the inside. I remember the old rabbinic saying which says: "One day God will hold us accountable for all the things He created for us to enjoy, but we refused to do so." I don't want to be guilty of that. I must ruthless remove all hurry from my life, and in doing so, I will be able to hear your voice more clearly and sense your heart more poignantly and live my life more meaningfully and love the people around me more dearly. Amen.

That Which Is Better Than Vision

Scripture

"Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, but happy is he who keeps the law" (Pr. 29:18).

Observation

The Book of Proverbs is written in stereo ... couplets that either reinforce one another or a set of antonyms that oppose each other. The purpose in either case is to increase the reader's comprehension by giving context and understanding through comparison.

Vision is something everyone needs to keep hope alive. Without it, we go in several directions at once and we lose traction. But where does vision come from?

In the local church, we hear that often. "What is your vision?" someone new to the church might say. Or on their way out, some may say, "You don't have enough vision."

I have witnessed that where there is no vision, the people tend to just make one up.

But here, we find an interesting twist. This balancing couplet steers us to the very genesis of vision... "but happy is he who keeps the law."

The bottom line is if we are people who keep His laws with all our hearts, vision will be a by-product, not the primary driver. Vision will emerge as the Holy Spirit leads those whose hearts are obedient and sold out to His ways and His Word.

I have seen often how the Lord reveals His will along the way when we are ready to absorb His next assignment. He knows when we are ready to not only have the zeal to say "yes," but the fullness of character and enough of His likeness to fulfill that "yes."

Application

The key thing here is I must not be swayed to perform as much as obey. Surely God has much in store for us and assignments to fulfill, but I must give my emphasis to a culture of obedience and devotion to Christ. In the midst of that heart, I will open my ears to assignments, projects, direction and expansions as God assigns... and He definitely does!

Yesterday morning, we celebrated Youth Day in the services. I had the privilege of announcing to the church that one of our young man, who grew up in the church as a child, is now coming on board to be a staff intern as he prepares himself for full-time service. Years back, I never envision this would happen. Neither did he or even his parents, although they must have prayed. But what let to such a re-direction in his life was obedience. His obedience, our obedience for the pleasure of God. Obedience paves the way for vision.

1Th. 4:1 reminds us of this charge:

"Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more."

But the bottom line? Our happiness and our joy must not come from a "mission accomplished" as much as it will be from keeping the Law, hearing His heart and obeying His voice with gladness of heart. There will be the pull to perform, but may the pull to be near His side be the strongest attraction of all.

Prayer

Dear Jesus, being a people with a keen relationship with you is of great importance to me. In the end, that is what we will need to lean on ... not accomplishments or projects. Yes, they will be wonderful memories and they will hold the faith-record of Your faithfulness, but that which will bring the greatest joy is that we have walked ever so closely by Your side.

"Do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven." –Luke 10:20