What does shining for God means?

“Shine for God!” Well we Christians are very familiar with that line, aren’t we? We say it and hear it all the time. It’s in the Scriptures we read, the sermons we listen, and the songs we sing. But if our nature as a Christian is to shine for God then why aren’t we seeing it in the church, in society, in marketplaces? Well im sure there must be at least some Christians at our marketplace, in our schools, in the supermarket etc. Then why aren’t they shining?! Why aren’t we shining?! Now that brought me back to think what does shining for God means.

What many people always think of shining for God is in the works that we do for Christ, our performances – how well we do, how high we can score in our exams, how far the target I can hit in my sales, how good I can perform in front of my boss, so that when people asks of our success we can say it is God who brought us the win – and we call that shining for God. That’s the method we do, that’s the route most of us walk. But is that the most effective way? I’m not saying it is wrong, in fact to go for excellence is a very biblical principal, but I do not agree to the methods. Striving for excellence with human’s limited strength and wisdom brings us to fall (yes Albert Einstein worked so hard for a lightbulb to glow, it must need extraordinary and supreme determination to do it. Steve Jobs did a superb job on advancing technology, but still he passed one day), we even find very shocking news how people would manoeuvred to get their goals, be it Christian or not, that is human’s limitation, that’s the norm in this world. Don’t get me wrong I’m not referring that to all the public. Yes, I do know of many people who walk and do righteously in climbing their way up to success. Praise God for that! But it is tiring ain’t it? If we don’t hit our targets at the bull’s eye, it can be disappointing, no? So do I mean shining for God is a tiring thing to do? Absolutely no! That shouldn’t be.

So if I don’t shine by proving my works, what and how do I shine? I believe the core of being a Christian is all about this man named Jesus, and what He has done on that cross 2000 years ago, that changed the course of all human history. You tell me you are a Christian today can’t escape the truth that it is this Jesus who brought you to your new identity this day. So how to shine? Shine based on what He has done! It’s just as simple as that. We shine what God has done in our lives, we shine the transformed work of Christ in us without having us doing anything! It’s not about our outward doings and never our strivings for excellent performances to shine for Him. Shining for God is never having our involvement in it, it is having no addictives of our part added to it. If it is so, then it is not pure shining anymore! Because humans are imperfect! What makes us perfect in righteousness is the work of Christ on the cross where He exchanged His righteousness to us, and our unrighteousness to Him.  There’s where the veil of the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle of God was torn so that we do not need the blood of bulls and goats to cleanse us of our sins. There’s where all our sins have been forgiven and we are made righteous forever. There’s where we can have direct access to God without having to go through human-priests. And there’s where the old covenant was broken and the new covenant established! You see, it’s all solely the work of Jesus. So it is also His part to let Him shine for all to see, we don’t interfere!

What Christ has brought to you is GRACE (His finished work), no more LAW (methods, works, striving, sweat)! When you accept Him, you accept all the things He did and make it personal to you. Galatians 2:20-21, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” The old covenant (law) has passed, and the new covenant (grace) has come. We are called into the new covenant, into grace says Hebrews 8:8-13. So it is the same with shining for God, not by our works, but by the finished work of Christ.

Matthew 5:14-15, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house”. What we have been doing with our performances and claim it to shine for God is like lighting a lamp and put it under a bowl – not 100% giving its full light, and soon the light will be put off! See that even the verse involves action words, actions = works. Works (the law) brings death (to the work of Christ), 2 Corinthians 3:6 NLT. Death = light does not shine. But instead we should put it on its stand – do nothing and just let it glow for all to see! And that light is 100%. Being a vessel of God purely just mean being a vessel – not standing in between our works and God, no. Our works are opaque, it diminishes the full amount of light that can be shone. Just like grace is free, so should we be free from our “added” works, and let alone for the work of Christ to shine in us and through us.

Let His light shine you to success, and all you need to do is just follow the light, nothing else. Let’s be hollow and let the light of God shine to its best! That’s the best way to shine for God.

Cheers people! :)

One Resolution for A Lifetime

New year resolutions! Everyone making their resolutions, and yes I have mine too. Hehe

While thinking and thinking about the resolutions I want to make, all of them summed up to only one. And so I have only one, and it will be the only one resolution for my lifetime! That is...

New Year Resolution: 
Stay conscious that Jesus loves me and lives in me! I am highly favored by the King in everything I do because I am God's beloved, His righteousness! 

Simple? Yes, simple but powerful! Restful increase is the guaranteed outcome.

I resolved that everything I want to accomplish comes from this one resolution only. So no more for me, the many complicated and self-effort resolutions I can never make it and in the end I'd still have to live with my own disappointments. And hereby I want to share a restful increase message from Luke 10:38-42:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”


I resolved to be a Mary instead of a Martha, how about you?

God bless you all with restful increase as well! :)

Hugs for 2013

So goodbye I say to 2012 and welcome I say to 2013!

Profound, really profound. I laid awake on my bed before the dawn of the new year, thinking and reflecting about the year that has just passed, and downloading for what is to come this year. I say our dear Friend will never fail to prepare us for what is ahead, and tell us always before time. This year is a year of Newness and Wisdom.

Indeed thinking about some changes that will come this year, some transitions and many decisions to be made, wisdom cannot hide her face. But He promises to be my Wisdom, He promises to bring freshness into the things I do, and to the group I'm in. Feeling mixed, there is excitement but there is also fear. Please note that the "fear" I mention is not the state of being "terrified" or "afraid". But how do I say? Nervous, maybe. But no I don't mean "worried". You know, there's always a first time we need to breakthrough. I don't know exactly what changes there will be, but I definitely know and can feel it, that He is working on preparing me inside out. It means more transformations alright! And yeah, bring it on!

Decision-making. A word I used to dislike, very much. But maybe not anymore soon? I don't know.

"As I was praying for you, I have an impression that God wants me to tell you about decision making. There may be a certain kind of fear you have about nailing decisions, and God wants to pluck that out of you. He will give you the wisdom to discern and decide", these words from a dear sister really made my heart freeze for a moment.

"Do I really have to do that, God? Like really? But... isn't it a little too fast? You know I'm not prepared yet", my heart pounded anxiously while I thought about that.

I probably know what those words from that sister meant, because He knows what is in my heart even when everyone else around me does not, He spoke so directly. And I'm so thankful for the words. It's a timely message for a new year! At least something I am assured of, at last. No more self battle on my thoughts, no more emotional struggles about it. Because He says He is taking care of it! Sigh of relief, at last, or at least for a little while too see what He will bring about. And yes, that's why He is preparing me for things I'm unprepared! Another year of preparation that is, another year with different wonderful experiences.

Maybe you are thinking with me what is all this decision making about? Decide on what? I don't know very clearly yet, because my God is too surprisingly and creatively awesome to be predictable! So, we'll see. But I'm sure of His faithful character! He won't disappoint me, neither will He do the same to you. :)

Blessed 2013 peeps! Be involved in His project and amazing adventure He's marked out for you, maybe? You won't regret! ;)

He is making all things new!

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. - Isaiah 43:19

Kisses for 2012

I am totally amazed how fast a year had just gone by, and 2013 has just jumped in my face with an unexpected hello!

2012 has been a GREAT, AMAZING, and AWESOME year! It is impossible to write out all of 2012 in mere words, but I must definitely say God has been so faithful! When God had told me that 2012 would be a year of healing and transformation, I didn't understand until the year was approaching to its end. It really is an amazing story to tell of a creative and brilliant Author of my life. You nail the words "healing and transformation" alright! My life had never been more adventurous than that. There were many cross-roads to stand-by, and many choices to be made. It's a year of growth and many first-times.

I could link it from a dream of prophecy to a land of bareness, then to a deep valley, and finally to a flowing river. There were many days and nights drenched in tears. There were more than countless emotion-evoking incidents that challenged me right in the core. Disappointments and discouragements were all over the place. But though as it is, my God had never left me. It's a year of many testings and trials. I started from nowhere, in fear and doubts to a place of rest and peace; and from all those testings came a Truth I would not have discovered and digested if the sea of trials had not overwhelmed me. It's a year of trust and faith.

There was like a chain of past strangling me from moving forward, and keeping me in fears for the many years. But there was a dream that broke all the feelings of inferiority and comforts came from the naked Word. It's a year of victory and breakthrough. It was hard to take in new perspectives and new ways of thinking where the old would not feed on, so my ego had to surrender to welcome the new and the right. The former views of things I thought I already knew was then again challenged. It's a year of unlearning and relearning. And nevertheless, it's a year of blessings and favor to relearn about the finished work of Christ on the cross, that, changed everything.

So all in all, 2012 was a year of:

• Growth and many first-times 
• Testings and trials
• Trust and faith
• Victory and breakthrough
• Unlearning and relearning
• Blessings and favor

...and all these sum up the header of the year... "HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION".

Healing of past and emotional hurts, and transformation of new mindsets and perspectives of life.

Discover the undiscovered

One life. Many moments.

Every stage of life we walk, we discover more, we learn more. And that goes on and on....

It's a matter of discovering it early or late, with some experiences we will reach that point of maturation.

One life can touch many lives. A heartbeat can make a miracle. A breath can make a difference. And how many heartbeats and breaths do we have?

What do we think about ourselves? What is our value?

I discovered I can do more, more than I think I could. Not by my own strength, but by the ability and strength so graciously given. Not limited by boundaries, there's so much we can accomplish, so much we can establish.

Holding on to that faith knowing that when we fail and fall, there is support, there is grace, there is strength. What could possibly be too hard? If God is for us, who can be against us?

For only one reason would I stretch myself for something more. Only one. I just wanna push myself a little further, because I am so strongly convicted that I can do everything through him who gives me strength.



God, hear the longings of my heart, listen to the depths of it. This is my desire to serve You. I ask You to transform me in and out, through ups and downs, through high mountains and deep valleys. I know it is easy to say, but I don't want to just say empty talks. I know my choice will not be an easy journey, I know there will be hard testings, for there is a price to follow You. But even so, I pray that You will strengthen and give me the faith to trust and take up the cross. When my heart grows cold, warm it with Your love. When my eyes become blinded, unfold it with Your perfect grace. When my ears are not listening to You, speak through the clouds with Your gentle voice. When my paths are not straight, lead me by Your righteous hand. When the days are dark, light them with Your glory. When I'm drowning in the sea of doubts, assure me with Your promise. When I can see the road ahead, be my faith to take the step. When my flesh is weak, strengthen me like never before. When my spirit is tired, refill me with Your joy. I declare that my past, fears and pains shall not hinder me to move forward and serve You fully. I declare that my weaknesses will be a testimony of Your grace. I pray for courage and confidence to stand so firmly in You. I have only one life, and I don't wanna waste it. There are so much I know You have enabled me to do. Jesus, be the center of my life, my thinking and in everything I do. I want my life to honor You. Humble me so I may lift up Jesus and not myself. For all glory be to You, Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, You are my reason.

Numb

Went to the dentist today! My first time, well sort of, other than the time I went while I was really young in which I have forgotten. I was only told that the visit was horrible! My parents said that I was being scolded badly by the dentist for crying because I was scared, and all I did was cry even harder. Yea, which kid wouldn't? Being fearful of the "scary man behind the mask" and worst, got scolded for that! That Mr. dentist must have been awfully fierce. But those were not recorded in my memory which is actually good as well. All I knew until today is that I don't dare to go to the dentist! Yet if it wasn't because of the cavity in my little tooth, there probably wouldn't be a chance for me to take that courage and visit one.

As I laid on the dental chair this morning, there was a peace and calm feeling that hovered over me, much to the opposite of what I would expect. And I saw Jesus standing right there in front of me smiling and saying, "Don't worry, It's going to be okay. I'll wait and be here with you through the whole process." Of course, I didn't see Him physically but spiritually. That was what made my heart settled in overwhelming peace. I don't know why the song "Beautiful Savior" started playing in my mind while the dentist reached out his hand and equipment into my mouth, but it's just so soothing. I'm glad He appeared although I'm just there to pluck a tooth off. He's still there for comfort. And it gives me more faith to trust in Him more in this as well as other situations. I'm only going for a dental surgery and He's there for me, what more to say when I'm going through big times?

The visit wasn't that bad after all. Though I still wished the other dentist had helped to pluck my tooth off, and not the one who attended to me cause' I heard the other one is better. Haha! Now I'm typing this while having a cotton stuffed into my mouth to ease the bleeding. I can still feel the numbness of the narcotic treatment, not only in my mouth but I think half of my head. You can guess that it's not comfortable. The doctor also provided paracetamol to kill the pain if it strikes after the numbness - which is what I dreaded most! But oh wells, it'll be alright, just as Jesus said. :)

He's like the numb that stops my pain, taking all to Himself so that I can be shielded!

At times when we feel we cannot do certain things because of self-quoted inadequacies or fears, Jesus will always be by our side helping and walking us through those moments. And when we feel we really had to give up, He appears and gives us a lift of strength, courage and peace to carry on. With God, all things are possible!

Jesus..my Comforter, my Prince of peace in whom my heart will trust!

Gotta grow

At times I do feel like I'm growing, older and hopefully more matured. To learn to appreciate people around me, to learn to take the initiative to approach people, to learn to offer help, to learn to serve, and learn to watch my own actions and behavior (not all times, but just recently..haha girls must learn this!). Time must have pressured me to all these realizations. But there are plenty more to these.

There are still limitations I have to breakthrough, comfort zones to step out of, fears to break off, and courage to chase after. As age increases and as time passes, priorities will alter, perspectives will change, characters will be moulded, wisdom will increase, attitude and thinking will be different. It's all a process of life, and I'm glad we all will go through stages like these.

I really wish to grow more, in wisdom, understanding, character, thinking, attitude... so that at least in times of need, I could offer help a little, to change circumstances around and to enhance relationships. And yes I'm utterly grateful because the Holy Spirit in me is able to help me accomplish all these. Praise the Lord! We've got to prepare ourselves for the harvests.

Thank You Holy Spirit, may You move and work through me just as You will.

Never say "no" to learning.