Living by Faith- 2006

"... but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Press on, brothers and sisters!

2005 has past, and we thank and bless Him who has faithfully watched over, guided us through a trying and blessed year.

2006 has come, and we continue to praise Him who will faithfully watch over, guide us through another trying and blessed year!

Let me make some resolutions for 2006:

I. To live by faith through this year; Depending trusting entirely on Him!

God has graciously revealed to me, by His Spirit, that only "through our Lord Jesus Christ" should I live by and live in. For only then can we please and glorify the Lord. To walk by faith and never by sight means much, very much indeed!

The very essence of it, is to exercise faith, by grace, in the living and mighty God. Trusting, depending on Him for every moment, every part of our lives. And it really means these..

To trust the Lord for deliverance and grace sufficient for every single trial and tribulation, no matter how difficult a situation it may put us in, notwithstanding the areas of our lives so senstive that He is working in, and irregardless of the strength and wisdom we ourselves possess to overcome them. For it was never meant to be faced with anxiety, even when we have depleted our resources, but was meant from the start that God would deliver us from, only to that we realise, each trial refines and sanctify us into Christ-likeness- which is our desire!

To cease to doubt and be anxious about the unknown. Be it what school would be like? Whether we will be able to face the world and stand strong in the Lord? Where are we to go or what are we to do? For we know who holds tomorrow! (:

To exercise and learn patience and self-control, definitely trust, in every relationship that we should encounter and that which the Lord is to bless.

And to live and walk by faith.. really means to risk all we have that God may abundantly pour out even more. That we may learn to lean and depend entirely on God for every second of our lives because we never leave any back-up plans available, that if God was to fail us we would be without hope. But praise the Lord, for He never fails those who hope thou in Him. Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord!

II. To complete reading the Bible this year!

Ahh.. Not for the Bible from Pastor! HA.. But simply that our knowledge and understanding in His Word may increase greatly. That our desire to have the dimness of our sight, blindness of our sight, and dullness of our hearing removed, to be able to thirst and pant after the wisdom of God. That we learn of and claim upon the promises of His Word. To be established and grounded, that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good work. AND! To delight in the revelation and enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, to know Christ, in full reality.

III. To obey the call of the Lord: "For you shall go to all to whom I send you, And whatever I command you, you shall speak." [Jer 1:7] and be a faithful witness to whom God sends. That I may have the compassion and love as Jesus had, for the lost!

I thank the Lord that He lead me to start my Bible reading this year on the book of Jeremiah. Well.. Sounds like my name, heh, but thats not the point. It was startling because I didnt expect, or at least I didnt remember what the content of the 1st chapter was about when I decided on this book.



"Here I am, Lord, send me!"

Let us be found faithful in the calling of the Lord! That neither may we despise the calling but crying out, "Ah, LORD God, I am only a youth." nor should we puff ourselves with pride to think we can handle it on our own. May we depend wholly on the Lord, in humility, meekness and sincerity, walk worthy of that calling to which we are called!






IV. To experience God, to behold His glory, through and through.




I enjoyed what Watchman Nee mentioned about an experience with God:

All the spiritual experience of the Christian is already true in Christ. It has already been experienced by Christ. What we call `our' experience is only our entering into His history and His experience. It would be odd if one branch of a vine tried to bear grapes with a reddish skin, and another branch tried to bear grapes with a green skin, and yet another branch grapes with a very dark purple skin, each branch trying to produce something of its own without reference to the vine. It is impossible, unthinkable. The character of the branches is determined by the vine. Yet certain Christians are seeking experiences as experiences. They think of crucifixion as something, of resurrections as something, of ascension as something, and they never stop to think that the whole is related to a Person. No, only as the Lord opens our eyes to see the Person do we have any true experience. Every true spiritual experience means that we have discovered a certain fact in Christ and have entered into that; anything that is not from Him in this way is an experience that is going to evaporate very soon.

Indeed, an experience with God is the revelation of Christ Jesus Himself unto the enlightenment of our weary eyes and the "cut in the heart" mentioned in the book of Acts. Do we seek an experience with our Lord God only in Camps, or in revival meetings? Have we no desire for an experience with Him on a daily basis, that we may discover more and more about our blessed Savior each day? Let us seek to experience Jesus day by day, through every blessing, through ever trial, through His precious Word, we CAN experience Him as His Spirit reveals to us Jesus Christ our Lord!

I've always thought the cry by Moses was a very bold and exciting one. I longed to cry like Him daily to the Lord. Yet only to discover what it really means when we make that cry... Blessedness, I call it. (:

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J. Oswald Sanders called it the "Prostrating Vision of God" I cant agree more.

This prayer of Moses has re-echoed down the centuries. Successive generations of Christians have prayed for a vision of God, often without realizing the possible implications of such a petition. Not infrequently they have failed to recognize the answer when it was granted. John Newton, converted slave trander passionately loned for the transforming vision, but the answer to his urgent prayers game in a way which staggered and almost overwhelmed Him. He has recorded this experience.

When we pray for a vision of God, what are we expecting? a glowing vision in the sky? A blinding flash of glory such as that which overwhelmed Saul of Tarsus? A thrilling, overpowering sense of spiritual exaltation? A stdy of the visions of God recorded in Scripture gives quite a different picture. In not one case did the vision immediately result in elation and ecstasy. With absolute consistency it produced to those whom it came profound self-abaseement. In every instance the experience was awe-full, not ecstatic. And the more intense the vision, the more complete the prostration before God.

If this is true, before we ask God a vision of Himself, we should be prepared for the certain result. In the dazzling whiteness of the snow the cleanest linen appears soiled. Before the spotless purity and holiness of GOd, everything earthly is seen stained and unclean. In the presence of God, Joshua the holy high priest appeared "clothed with filthy garments" and therefore disqualified for office [Zechariah 3:11] We have no grounds for expecting to be exceptions of this rule.

If we ask in what form the vision will come, we are not left without doubt. "God hath shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of JEsus Christ [2 Cor 4:6]

Let us review through history, what happened to men of God who were showed His glory:

Job: When confronted with the vision of God, the perfect man is reduced to abject self-abhorrence [Job 42:5-6]

Jacob: Confronted by the vision of God, the man who had succeeded in deceiving everyone else is compelled to acknowledge his own secret shame [Genesis 32:24, 30]

Moses: In the man to whom was to be entrusted the deliverance of God's chosen people, the vision resulted in reverential awe and averted face [Exodus 3:2-6]

Elijah: He could remain defiant and petulant in the face of a majestic display of God's power, but he was broken and subdued by His voice of gentle stillness and hid his face [1 King 19:11-13]

Isaiah: Lips which had mediated the Divine message were foul and unclean in the light of the holiness of God [Isaiah 6:1-5]

Daniel: One of the most blameless of saints when confronted with the divine glory is prostrated at the corruption, not of his vices but of his virtues! [Daniel 10:7-9]

Peter: When the man whom God would use to open the kingdom to Jew and Gentile saw the vision of God, he could think of no alternative to banishment form His presence [Luke 5-8]

Saul of Tarsus: The glory of God shining in the face of the ascended Christ blinded and prostrated the man who probably came nearer than any other to justification by works. [Acts 9:3-5]

John: Earth's sweetest and most gracious saint falls as though lifeless in the presence of the transcendent majesty and holiness of God [Revelations 1:13-17]

A consistent pattern appears throughout these visions. First the vision, then self-abhorrence, self-abasement, the adverted face, the sense of uncleaness, blindness, prostration, comeliness turned into corruption, self-banishment, falling as dead. Do we still desire to pray for a vision of God

But there is still another side to the picture. God takes no pleasure in seeing His children lie in the dust. If He abases and humbles them , it is only that HE may exalt them in due season. Humiliation is not an end in itself, it merely prepares the way for blessing. The open lesson of these visions surely is that God cannot entrust a man with any deep blessing, any important spiritual ministry, until there has come a complete collapse of self.

True the vision of God inevitably leads to self-revelation, but always with a beneficent end in view. God does not aim merely to humiliate us. There is no need to fear being brought to an end of ourselves for "the end of self is the beginning of God." Indeed we may welcome the vision of God if our deepest desire is to advance in holiness and to be of the greatests use to Him.

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The prostrating vision of God is indeed, blessedness, to those who desire santification wholly and Christ-likeness! Sorry, but I guess my summary is really pathetic! Ha..

School's starting soon! Haa.. May we continue go forth as shinning lights and be found walking worthy of our calling. Yet let us never cease to love, seek and trust in the Lord with all our hearts!

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,
Just to take Him at His Word
Just to rest upon His promise,
Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord."
Jesus, Jesus how I trust Him!
How I've proved Him o'er and o'er!
Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!
O for grace to trust Him more!