My responsibility is to love You

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

So when the Lord is working things together for good, my responsibility is to love Him. Lord, thank You for faithfully working Yourself into me in whatever situations I meet. This is the assurance that I can eventually fulfill the calling according to Your wonderful purpose.

Always open to You, and always love You. This is my prayer, Lord.

It was the Lord

Sometimes it seems like it was men's decision to do or not to do something. However, I realised that behind men's decisions, it's the Lord's hand moved by a lot of prayers.

One thing just happened and when I saw it, I said, "Praise the Lord". It was indeed the Lord's perfect will behind everything we encounter.  One of the reasons why we need a lot of prayers is also for this. We won't be tossed about by human opinions, feelings, and environment. Instead, when things befall, we can see the Lord's hand moving behind the scene regardless it seems good or bad. For this, I praise You.

As a consecrated person, the Lord's hand is guarding and arranging everything for good.

My 17th anniversary with You

I have been thinking to post some enjoyment to remember my 17th anniversary with the Lord but somehow I find it difficult to articulate what I've been enjoying. I'll probably grasp another opportunity to write down what I've received from the Lord.

There are still some feelings I'm struggling with. Oh Lord, but recently I've been enjoying this hymn- Divine Romance. To be honest, since I was a young person, we sang it frequently and I kinda getting tired of this hymn. I picked up this hymn again and realised that this hymn contains and describes a lot of my recent feeling.

I just want to consecrate myself to You, Lord. For I do not know where I will be going, and I don't know how my life will look like and end up with. I'm here asking You to draw me day by day. Sorry for being distracted from the vision. It's really not me who can follow You, but Your mercy, grace, and preserving power that keeps me all the way. Draw me more and more, Lord, so I don't just follow You in an ordinary or careless way but follow You by running toward Your love.


This divine romance
Is My heart’s deep plan,
I became a lowly man
To court My country girl.

Nothing could deter,
Nothing can alter
My eternal love for her;
I’ll gain My country girl.
___________________

In Your love I’m drawn,
To You I belong;
I am not my own, Lord,
I’m Yours alone.

By Your love I’m drawn,
In Your name I’m charmed,
And Your Person captured me,
For I’ve been kissed by Thee.

Thank You, Lord, for courting me. I believe it's the time to respond to Your love, once again. I love You :) 

The experience of the sin-dealing life

Each one of us, more or less, is involved in serving people. So recently I have been considering how to experience and dispense the sin-dealing life because this is one of the most important services of the priests. We all know that we can never have a holy, clean, and rejoicing life if we dwell in sins. If I dwell in sins, you feel the pain, and if you dwell in sins, I'm bothered as well. 

The first picture is in week one in Leviticus 8:14-15 and 10:17  (the verses in day 4 and 5).

"And he brought the bull of the sin offering, and Aaron and his sons laid their hands on the head of the bull of the sin offering. And Moses slaughtered it and took the blood and put some of it on and around the horns of the altar with his finger, and purified the altar, and poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar and sanctified it, to make expiation for it" (Leviticus 8:14-15). 

"Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary? For it is most holy, and He gave it to you to bear the iniquity of the assembly, to make expiation for them before Jehovah" (Leviticus 10:17).

These verses show us that whoever has the heart to serve the saints have to experience the sin offering before we can make expiation for God's people before Jehovah. 

And the sister verse in 1 Corinthians also tells us that whenever we notice some inappropriate situations among God's people, the first thing is not to come to this person to judge and point out the faults. Instead, we have to prove ourselves first. We enjoy the sin-dealing life within so that we have the grace to dispense such a life to our fellow believers. 

But again, what's the application for us in the new testament age? Previously when I read Philippians 3:3, Paul said, "For we are the circumcision, the ones who serve by the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh". And my reaction to this verse somewhat remains in that kind of impression which I should enjoy the Lord in the morning and be filled with the spirit, and by this experience, I serve the Lord. But I was just reminded that the children of Isreal could enjoy the manna every day and still roam in the wilderness instead of getting into the Goodland.  

So, with the help of week 2 message, I realised that it's very significant when we say "we serve by the Spirit of God" because God is the burning and consuming fire! Whenever we touch Him, we are exposed who we are, we get burned, and because we're burned so we want to burn others. But sometimes it might not be my experience. I can enjoy the Lord and pray and do whatever spiritual exercises but not being burned to that extent. And all these are just an indication that I'm still a person who is pretty much in the flesh and need the cross as the sin-dealing life. Praise the Lord, through the burnt offering, our sin offering is also accepted by God.

Eventually, we can have Paul's experience and boast in Christ Jesus as the source of our service to people, and have no confidence in the flesh. 

What are the hindrances for the life to be manifested?

John 10:30; 37-38

"I and the Father are one."

"If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; But if I do them, even if you do not believe Me, believe the works so that you may come to know and continue to know that the Father is in Me and I am in the Father."

Sometimes in the church life, we think we are focusing on life. Because of this, if the work does not seem effective or bearing fruit, we might say "that's okay, it is a matter of life. If it doesn't work out, then don't be too bothered about it because we're not really focusing on the work".

I wasn't sure whether this kind of attitude is okay or not.

However, this morning when I read John chapter 10, I realise that if we really pay attention to life, the life shall manifest at a certain point in the Lord's work. As Jesus is one with the Father, so whatever He did, people should be able to recognise from the work that the Father is in Jesus, and Jesus is in the Father.

Additionally, I read the booklet "expecting the Lord's blessing" from Watchman Nee. If the Lord does not bless us, whatever we do is in vain.

All of these just remind me of my portion in the Lord's move in Europe. I am at where the Lord has placed me, but am I a hindrance for the Lord to pour out His blessing? How about the people I have been shepherding, is there any fruit coming out from me being one with the Father?

Lord, I do not want to fall into introspection but at the same time, I do not want to be fruitless. You must bless me, and if there is anything hindering Your blessing, shine on me and burn them away. I desire to be a cleansed channel for You to flow out!