Who will?

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."  - 1 Corinthians 6:13

 

 

Five or ten years ago, the world wasn't as foolish as today. We were warned about the last days and the perilous times. Undoubtedly, we are in the last days. And if the world is full of filth these days, how much more 10 or 20 years from now? It may not be obvious in our country yet, but other Christians worldwide are criticized, challenged, and persecuted already. And sooner or later, we'll soon find ourselves in that state.

 

As light bearers and ambassadors of Christ, are we still taking a stand? Are we still running to win? And are we still walking worthy of our calling? Anytime soon, our Lord and Savior will gloriously come again, and will He still find us faithful until that day? How's your personal relationship with God? Just a few questions to reflect on.

 

More and more people are getting cunningly deceived, and it's vital for a Christian to have the continual discernment between right and wrong and to firmly refuse to be swayed by the ways of the world. In all areas of life, whether it be in the music or movies, the devil is strongly and effectively penetrating. And we should be keen and wise enough to be able to see and avoid the pitfalls ahead. Yes nobody's perfect, we may fail and get into the trap, but God's loving grace always finds us back.

 

It's a constant daily battle for us, and the only way we can win is to stay in God's presence. There is a dire need for us, ambassadors of Christ, to stand out and bravely make a difference. Because if we won't, then who will?

 

 

 

Sighted

“I see God in everything…”

At every GCAMP-out, I have always been struck by an event that compels me to write, with the exception last year (due to my laziness).

This year, after the 9^th National GCAMP-out with the theme, “Walking Worthy of Our Calling”, I reminisced and searched for an inspiration for my write-up. After a moment of free thinking, I finally realized this time was something different, something I did not see coming. This time I did not see God’s greatness on top of a mountain, or while lake canoeing, or during a midnight bonfire.

I rerun the happenings in my mind, and I am taken aback by the people behind the success of the GCAMP-out.

I see the generous hearts of the people who gave for the Lord and His work.

I see the laborious hands of the servants of the Lord – toiling, sacrificing, always on the go for what needs to be done, anticipating, working together, lending a hand, and mustering the time and strength to work and take care of things. No questions asked, no complaints, only genuine efforts rendered.

I see the dedication in the eyes of the preachers and I see their propelling passion: taking time to prepare themselves, surrendering to what God wanted them to deliver, seeking to share everything they could to inspire and bring people closer to God, leading the worship and meditation, and speaking God’s words into life.

I see the excitement and relentless participation of the delegates, the eagerness to listen to the meditation, the honest efforts in obeying the rules, respect given, the camaraderie shared, and the laughter so contagious. How different is it to be in fellowship with fellow believers? No inhibitions, no injustices, no discriminations, mutual goals.

I see the vision of the leaders, without which, the people perish. By their vision, wonderful fruits were brought forth.

I see how the founders and pillars willingly surrendered to God and His ministry.

I see what every GCAMP chapter has gone through along the years, to keep the fire burning.

I see the commitment and devotion of every GCAMPer who instilled the ministry in their hearts.

And with these, I see God in everything. I see His greatness and what He is capable in shaping one’s life, I see His wondrous love, I see His endless grace and mercy, I see His benevolent hands, and a lot more of Him.

Thus, overwhelming gratitude fills my heart and shows in my face. Blessed beyond measure to have witnessed such.

And I snapped out of my reverie… Having been reconciled and given the ministry, are we really bringing the message of reconciliation? Are we walking worthy of our calling as ambassadors of Christ? Or are we swayed by the ways of the world? The life we have, the talents we have been given, the numbered time we are blessed with each day --- is God glorified? Think on these things.

Die to Self, Live for CHRIST

I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

The decision to follow Christ is a challenge, yet living by the decision is a tougher and greater challenge.

"I am crucified with Christ . . ." Jesus Christ laid out the Ultimate Sacrifice through the shedding of His precious blood to wipe away the filth of our sins before the eyes of God [the Father]. When we declared our faith to God and believed in the Gospel of Salvation, it doesn't end there. As Paul had strikingly stated, we are crucified with Christ. That entails nailing our sins, guilty pleasures, and selfish desires to the cross. We DIE to SELF. We no longer take the sole command of our lives, but we surrender to the will of God. However, are we committed to it? Are we really seeking God's will in every bit of area in our lives? Dying to self is a daily, conscious effort. It requires constant desire to serve, glorify, and lift God's name up high; living a life of full obedience; and giving out our best for the Most. But undeniably, we fail so often. Yet His benevolent grace abounds much more. Howbeit, shall we continue in sin?

". . .nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me . . ." Still, to let Christ be the center of our lives necessitates complete surrender. We ought to be not just Christians by name, but by soul and spirit. The devil will, by all means, pull us away and will always look for an opportunity to lure us to sin; but by all means also, we must let the power of Christ be manifested in our lives. Because Christ dwells within us, we ought to draw closer to God and resist the devil so he may flee from us.

". . .and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God. . ."  Let our faith be evident as we walk by it and not by sight. When we deliberately choose to please God through our faith, we overcome the demons within and around us and shield ourselves from the fiery darts of evil and temptation, thus emerging victorious. But are we living life in the flesh by faith or life in the carnality of the flesh alone? Is it the cross which is before us and the world behind us or the other way around?

". . .who loved me and gave himself for me." When we consider what Christ has done for us, we come into deep realization of our nothingness. We ought to instill in our hearts and minds how he suffered and carried the burden of our repulsive sins, with tears and blood. Now brethren, let us imagine and picture out the passion and anguish of Christ as He blamelessly died on the cross for OUR sins; and every time we allow ourselves to be ensnared by sin, conjure this up in our minds. Let us think of God's unmerited favor and marvelous love toward us, sinners. This should be enough reason to live for Christ. Before we succumb into temptation and sin, we ought to remind ourselves the price it took to save us from the penalty of sin, which we can never repay.

In our daily walk with God, let us strive to be committed to service, gearing up through prayer and devotion.  Again and again, let us walk worthy of our title as ambassadors of Christ. Let us bear in mind to die to self, and live for Christ -- the Lord of lords and King of kings.

A Life that Counts

"Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"                                                             2 Corinthians 13:5 

More often than not, we need to stop in our tracks for a while, look back and ask ourselves, "Am I living a life that counts?"

In a world that has a lot to offer, so many things can wrap and consume us, a lot of concerns can narrow our vision, and different engagements can thwart us from doing our mission. As ambassadors for Christ, have we been doing our part? Have we stood up to the name? Are we walking the talk? Can others see Christ in us? 

It's easy to get swayed by the world, and get our attentions wrapped up to what the world tells us are important. The world says, "Money is important", "School is important", "Pleasure is important", "Work is important", "Social networking is important", and the list can go on and on. But what does the Bible say about that? Were we not told to set our minds on things above and not on Earthly things? As pilgrims, it is indeed very difficult to stay detached to Earthly matters, since we ourselves are living in this world. However, we have the option to stay rooted and grounded in Christ, and make our lives count. Yes, a lot of things are important, but are we using these matters to be an avenue of service? Or are we unknowingly becoming slaves of it?

Beloved, let us examine ourselves. What takes most of our time? What are the reasons behind the stuffs that we do? Is it for God's greater glory or merely for self satisfaction? Are we fired up or burnt out? Every day should be a time for a throwback and self-check. Let us pray as the Psalmist has prayed, "So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom."

We are no strangers to these words; however, human nature and certain bearings constantly tug us to pull away, making us feel hesitant to break free from dullness and contented to settle with the mundane. It takes humility, surrender and deep-seated eagerness to overcome such hindrances and struggles. Let us continually endeavor to prove our own selves, looking unto Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. Rekindle the flame of each other and together let us make our lives count.