When You Don't Desire God, It's Time to Fall in Love.

Have you ever come to (or are already at) that point in your life as a Christian where you no longer find joy in your walk with God or have much of a desire for Him?

When your quiet time seems so dreadfully dry that you think time is better spent doing work or even just watching tv?

When reading the Bible is as boring as studying for History?

When church is but a routine that you have to adhere to because you're after all a Christian and don't Christians go to church?

And even if you go, you are just so burdened by the things preached as though you are already not carrying a lot of weight and the preacher just keeps piling up "4 steps applications" that you need to "do" in order to get right with God.

"You need to do this", "You need to do that", "You need to evangelise more", "You need to have more faith", "You need to pray more", "You need to fast", "You need to discipline yourself", "You need to spend more time with God", "You need to serve more"

You are already in this state of despondence (hopelessness) and that's all you hear. It's not that you don't want to do them, with all sincerity and earnestness, you want to do it. But you simply can't, you tried, you failed, you feel bad and then you feel worst. Naturally you don't do it anymore. And eventually, you'll want out.

Is this your Christianity today? I don't know but it certainly was mine not too long ago, until, i fell in love with the Gospel.

You see, falling in love is not a mere choice or a decision we make, we don't just decide to fall in love with that girl or guy. We are captivated, as though our hearts get stolen by him or her and here is the really weird thing, we are totally cool about it. Now the question is what makes us feel this way?

I rediscovered the Gospel and my heart was arrested by how freakin' (i dont usually like to use this word but when i do, i mean it in a mind-blowing kind of way) crazy the love of God is. "What? You mean God being completely aware of all this that i'm feeling toward Him, all this lack of desire, all these failures, all these sins i'm committing and will ever commit, knowing all this and yet chose to die for me?"

It makes no sense at all! But if it's the start of something, it has gotta be the start of a life of purpose, no i don't need to do this and that to gain the love and approval of God, Jesus did all that already (and He did it exceedingly well, because you know, He actually DIED and ROSE again.) So now i work because He worked first and is continually working and i love because He loved first and is continually loving.

"So now i work because He worked first and is continually working and i love because He loved first and is continually loving. "

You may or may not have come to that stage of despondence in your walk yet. If you have, i'm actually happy for you because you're gonna be in for a (rude?) awakening. If you have not, then i hope this post bears with you, that there is real hope in the message of the gospel for not just non-believers but road-weary Christians as well.

"Do You Feel Loved by God?"

"Do You Feel Loved by God?"

There maturity of a christian can be determined by asking the above question followed by a "why". The one who bases his/her answer to the first question on biblical truths, shows maturity. Any other answers reveals a loop-hole in our relationship with God and it will threaten to get bigger and bigger.

God's love bases not on our personal circumstances or predicaments. It's basis exists solely in truths so sturdy yet wonderful. A christian who thinks God might not love him as much as before he committed a particular sin is in for a guilt trip round worldly sorrows. While another who relates God's love to the apparent blessings in his life at a particular juncture may just turn out to be a "fair-weather" christian. When the storms do come, it'll be in no time that he will start to blame God.

However if one bases the love of God on the unchanging truths, he shall learn and know that God loves him, no matter what he did or can/will ever do. This is the heart of the Gospel. In this, he finds strength to stand up after a fall, grace that contends with sin and joy simply unspeakable by mere words. And when the storms of life come, in the form of a death of a close-one, the lost of a job or being diagnosed with a terminal illness, he may falter at first because well, that's just human. But still the knowledge of the love of God is entrenched deeply in him.

And this is the love of God, "that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "And neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)

So do you feel loved by God?

Gospel: God Worked.

In the Gospel, God worked. The Gospel can be condensed into 4 power-packed verses in the book of Romans. You ready? It's Romans 3:23-26.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus." Romans 3:23-26 (NASB)

meh. it's like one of the many verses we just read and overlook. But these verses clearly outlines why God has worked, what was it He worked, the resultant of His work and what our response is toward that work that He did. In short, in the Gospel, God worked, Jesus paid the price in full, His blood appeased God's holy wrath toward sinners and we are justified as we put our faith in Him and His complete and perfect work on the cross.

Sounds pretty low level isn't it? But it's exactly this that we so desperately need! Our assurance should have never depart from the work that is already completed on the cross. We have chosen instead, to place our assurance in the things we do as Christians, the duties, obligations, service, the battles against our old selves, trying not to sin or break God's law, etc, etc. Now, the problem occurs when we find ourselves simply, unable. (But that is reserved for another time.)

to be continued...

Gospel.

If i were to ask you this question, "Where would you go if you were to meet with a fatal accident tonight?".

No, this aint for non-believers but believers. Now i imagine, you'll be thinking of the things you've done or not done in your life pertaining on the things of God. Great! let that flow for a while and then as you resolve to yourself if you've qualified or not for heaven, let me tell you this...

You are simply unconvinced of the gospel.

Just as i was. Until recently as God spoke thru His Word and thru gospel-centred preachers like Joshua Harris, Matt Chandler, C.J. Mahaney, John Piper and Mark Discroll then i realize how wrong my beliefs were and that just made my Christian life so full of uncertainties, so full of defeats, so full of fear and all so performance-driven.

We live our lives with a theology so flawed, caused by our lack of understanding of God's Word and our laziness to examine scripture. So we fall back on the most basic thing that our heart calls us to: work. Effort is good, it gets us good grades, gets chores done, gets us awesome career reports, etc, etc, oh wait, i'm sure it's so good that it gets us to heaven too! So the gospel just becomes a name we call the first 4 books of the new testament or just something of a cliche term for nonbelievers.

That's where we are so wrong.

to be continued... (or post will get really loooooong! :O)

From Nettles to Myrtles. (Isa 55)

Every choice, every action bears consequences. Deeds done in our period of err breeds stinging nettles. But seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God he will abundantly pardon.

The mercy and goodness of God will cause myrtles to grow, as He reverses the consequences of your sin and you will go out with joy, and be led forth with peace..

G.A.S

All musicians have this in common, only to different degrees. Wait wut? What's GAS? It's an acronym for Gear Acquisition Syndrome. ;) Example for usage: "I've been having major GAS on a Gretsch Black Falcon".

Was having a conversation with Jerrold and Clarence the other day and i just realized this little truth. Well, Jerrold's GASing for a cajon, fueled by his new found talent in percussion, Clarence's GASing for a mini taylor which i think i'll never comprehend WHY (it sounds so bright and springy!) and i'm GASing for some pedalsss, namely the sparkle drive and just today, a tremoglo.

BUT the tricky thing is that, GAS has the potential of turning really ugly. It's like, okay let's take an example of hungering for chocolates (i'm gonna assume everyone <3 chocolates, because WHO DOESNT?!), first we go like "uhhh i think i can use some of that, chocolatey stuffffs", then we go like "okay, i want that chocolate.", then we gooo like "I NEED THAT CHOCO NAO." It becomes an obsession and before you know it, you have just spent on something that you might not actually need.

It's pretty much a heart matter i guess. Imagine, a Black Falcon (thats a guitar btw) sitting on the throne of your heart instead of God, that's just mighty wrong...

Now that i've preached to myself, i guess i'll ask myself the following questions next time when i'm thinking of getting new gears:

1. Do i actually need that? How much difference or impact is it gonna make to the church's worship setting?

2. Are there any thing else in church that needs my giving more than having a new sound? Building fund, education support for foreign kids, etc.

3. Is there a cheaper alternative?