keep it simple

Been learning what it means to..

- work for God/ His business

- be still

- rest in Him

- have joy and peace that transcends understanding

- enjoy God (& more than anything else)

Basically..it all links..when we rest in His love/ promises in every situation (i.e. trust Him fully instead of fighting battles on our own), we are still and close to Him (which gives us joy and peace!)..and in doing so, we are actually working for Him/ doing His work cause He works through our surrender for His kingdom. So in essence, as we rest, He works.

Hahaha sounds countercultural and counterintuitive right. But that's His style. Always going against societal norms cause He doesn't favour the status quo hahaha

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28‭-‬30 MSG

💛 that God is never stressed and never in a rush..the calmest and coolest 💛 I can sleep through any storm..because He can calm any storm 😌

So there remains a [full and complete] Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has once entered His rest has also rested from [the weariness and pain of] his [human] labors, just as God rested from [those labors uniquely] His own.

Hebrews 4:9‭-‬10 AMP

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will remain secure and rest in the shadow of the Almighty [whose power no enemy can withstand].

Psalms 91:1 AMP

Humans complicate, God simplifies..let's keep it simple 😌 dear God..may we know how much You love us so that we would really rest and not strive/ stress ourselves out anymore..💛

the root/ my weakness/ what God has been teaching me (Part 2!)

So..been thinking a lot about self-worth/self-esteem, fears, human nature and God's truth in trying to make sense of what has happened..

And thank God for what He revealed..here goesssss!

The greatest fear is the fear of not being accepted. It was the first fear Man had ever known and it has continued to plague all of mankind throughout history cause we were wired for connection by nature. And this fear is the cause of pride/self-centredness. See, if we are not afraid of whether or not we are accepted by ourselves/ others, we wouldn't focus on doing things to be so..

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord].

- Matthew 6:24 AMP

So, we're either following God/ ourselves (our own desires/ interests)..

And this means that there's only 1 other thing we can worship - ourselves. One may say that there are others..like money/ other people (because we care about what they think)..but actually..we are the ones who decided to do that due to our own desire for acceptance/ approval (including our own). So in essence, we are caring about what WE think..so who are we really following then? Ourselves. In our natural sinful state, we consider ourselves god..

In other words..we're either following God's heart/ our own hearts........

Source: Cru

We are either self-centred/ God-centred.

That is why we can know, believe and even experience that we're loved by God and still not be satisfied because WE have decided in our hearts that something else is more important than that. For example, even something holy-sounding like feeling/ experiencing His presence which resulted from thinking that "if God loves me, then I *should* feel His presence and hear Him".. But who decided that? I did. Or,  "I don't think God should love me because I'm such a sinner".. then we are just playing judge.. and again, we are the ones who decided to put ourselves in that position. That means such mentalities are borne out of self-centredness - when God doesn't fulfill our expectations/ desires and we get angry, it means we have made our expectations/ desires greater than His (i.e. deemed ourselves more important than God). But it also means..we were still fearful that we are not accepted by God in some way too.. cause we are all driven by our beliefs which are undergirded by love or fear..

So.. let's revise that statement..

We are either driven by fear/ by love.

Since it's in our nature to be fearful, we'd naturally seek to fulfill our human desire for self-esteem. Our very nature is our weakness and the root cause of our misery on Earth. Which is why the greatest lie is that we are not accepted unless we meet certain conditions. It was the first lie man knew and all the lies we are susceptible to believing are simply variations of it. The first/ greatest lie led to the first/greatest fear which led to the first sin. Sadly, we fall into the trap all too often and constantly evaluate ourselves over and over and our self-esteem fluctuates according to how we judge ourselves.. So how do we get out of this? The only way out is to not fear at all.

And that can only happen when we really know God's love.. cause the more we know Him, the more we'd believe in Him and the easier it would be to put our fears aside.. We'd find that in Him, we are accepted no matter what and realise there's no need for us to fear anymore :')

There is no fear in love [dread does not exist]. But perfect (complete, full-grown) love drives out fear, because fear involves [the expectation of divine] punishment, so the one who is afraid [of God’s judgment] is not perfected in love [has not grown into a sufficient understanding of God’s love].

1 John 4:18 AMP

This is how we know that we belong to the truth and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence: If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

1 John 3:19-20 NIV

And so..He doesn't condemn us..because He understands our weakness completely.. :'))

For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize and understand our weaknesses and temptations, but One who has been tempted [knowing exactly how it feels to be human] in every respect as we are..

Hebrews 4:15 AMP

1 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you ^a free from the law of sin and death.

◄ Romans 8:1-2 ►

:'))) Still grasping and taking hold of this amazing truth..since God already accepts us because of Jesus, then we really don't have to fear/ judge ourselves anymore.. We are free from our innate fears and strong desire to judge/ esteem ourselves.. 

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.

Romans 6:14 NLT

https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.6.14.NLT

Really, the Christian life is just reliving the gospel over and over again - remembering that Jesus has received God's judgement on our behalf ONCE AND FOR ALL and the verdict is fixed! Nothing good or bad we do can ever change that so we really don't have to be scared/ judge ourselves anymore! When we keep remembering this, we stop being stressed/ scared and feel true freedom! 😃

It was for this freedom that Christ set us free [completely liberating us]; therefore KEEP STANDING FIRM and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery [which you once removed]. (...) But I say, walk HABITUALLY in the [Holy] Spirit [seek Him and be responsive to His guidance], and then you will certainly not carry out the desire of the sinful nature [which responds impulsively without regard for God and His precepts]. For the sinful nature has its desire which is opposed to the Spirit, and the [desire of the] Spirit opposes the sinful nature; for these [two, the sinful nature and the Spirit] are in direct opposition to each other [continually in conflict], so that you [as believers] do not [always] do whatever [good things] you want to do. (...) Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. - Galatians 5:1, 16‭-‬17 AMP, 24‭-‬25 NLT

But since what we would naturally do and what God does are in conflict, we would only completely stop struggling when we are out of this world. We might fear again but let's keep in mind that God loves us so much that He sent Jesus to stand on our behalf in His courtroom who has redeemed for us the lifetime pass of His love..

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten ([a]unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

John 3:16 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it [a]overflows).

John 10:10 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

Really.. Christian = Christ i a n = without Christ, I am nothing.. 

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.  - John 15:4‭-‬5 NLT 

We can't get the right fruit if we are not at the right vine.. even if we are, we can't get the fruit by plucking it and putting it on ourselves (that's through our own efforts - and even if we somehow manage to and have some semblance of the fruit, it would rot someday). The fruit is naturally produced if we stay on the vine.. when we believe in Jesus, we are placed on it..and when we remember that He would never condemn us because of His love, we would stay there and not go back to being fearful.. this means we will continually experience Him when we realise just how much He loves us.. 

Through Him we also have access by faith into this [remarkable state of] grace in which we [firmly and safely and securely] stand. Let us rejoice in our hope and the confident assurance of [experiencing and enjoying] the glory of [our great] God [the manifestation of His excellence and power].

While we were still helpless [powerless to provide for our salvation], at the right time Christ died [as a substitute] for the ungodly. Now it is an extraordinary thing for one to willingly give his life even for an upright man, though perhaps for a good man [one who is noble and selfless and worthy] someone might even dare to die. But God clearly shows and proves His own love for us, by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Therefore, since we have now been justified [declared free of the guilt of sin] by His blood, [how much more certain is it that] we will be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, it is much more certain, having been reconciled, that we will be saved [from the consequences of sin] by His life [that is, we will be saved because Christ lives today]. Not only that, but we also rejoice in God [rejoicing in His love and perfection] through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received and enjoy our reconciliation [with God].

- Romans 5:2, 6‭-‬11 AMP

This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord. Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God’s presence. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.

- Ephesians 3:11-‬12‭, ‬16‭-‬20 NLT

So may we know His love so well that we'd not be blinded by any fear/ lie.. now and forevermore!! ✨✨✨ In Jesus name, amen 😌💛💛💛

//edited in June 2020

the root/ my weakness/ the thing God is trying to teach me?

It's been coming on and off - the thought that how what I'm feeling and how I'm behaving is similar to how I did in previous daunting experiences..I noticed a pattern..and yet I've never really put my finger on it or stopped to ponder about the root cause..I guess there have been answers (I've found/ I've been told) here and there..but I haven't really sat down to put it all together..now seems like the time to do so..even though I actually planned to write out my LP and submit it tonight..(yes the stress is real and consequently, my procrastination........which is my weakness too...)

• Feelings of inadequacy in previous experiences - cycling, SM - made me just wanna avoid it altogether..but SM duties (the bare minimum) were a weekly affair..I've thought that: never mind if I'm not good at these things..as long as I still can teach kids (about the only thing I thought I'm actually decent at), I'm not a failure.......but this notion or to put it more succinctly, this belief was challenged right from the beginning of the year..I never really realised how it became such an integral part of how I determined my self-worth..how it was actually a core belief within..which explains why my self-esteem was crushed so badly..each time a bad incident occurs, it dips and by the end of each week, I felt like a complete failure..and the reason why I constantly had to think of things I still could do to remind myself that I have other abilities..
• Sometime in Term 1 I came to the conclusion that God was teaching me about identity and grace (life-long process ah this one..haha)..and while identity is tied to self-worth, I think maybe the more accurate term to describe what I'm learning this season would be self-worth..I need to learn that even if God took away ALL my abilities (including the ones I think I still have for now), I am NOT a failure (I learnt that it's okay to fail..but it's one thing to think that way..and another to believe that you are a failure..) and I still have worth, simply because I am His..this is a difficult concept to wrap my mind around..OMGOSH..I THINK..I HAVE GOTTEN TO THE CORE..I HAVE FINALLY REALISED WHAT IT IS GOD HAS BEEN TRYING TO TELL ME..
  
  As I said, there have been answers here and there..but the more I heard, the deeper I dug, somehow I felt more and more like it's my fault that things are the way it is..like the identity thing..I felt that it's my fault that I tied my identity to being a good teacher..and all the reminders of Prov 3:5-6 I've been seeing everywhere..and feeling like "yea I guess I'm not trusting enough..that's why I'm being tested.." and even the "Just wait" poem I read yesterday..and then God telling me/ me remembering that I said what gives me ultimate satisfaction is being close to God..it just made me feel worse..cause it seems like I failed to keep to my word..so basically everything just produced feelings of condemnation in me..but little did I know..that there was a part 2 to what God wants to say (which I didn't hear yesterday) because now that I reread it, the words that stand out to me are..
  
  "You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me
  You'd not know the depth of my love
  
  You'd never experience the fullness of love
  You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
  But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart."

So all along, God has just been trying to tell me He really loves me NO MATTER WHAT..that in His eyes, I am precious and of worth no matter what abilities I have or don't have..I really DON'T have to be good at doing what I am supposed to do (i.e. what I've always thought is my calling) for Him to think I am worthy..omgosh......I think..this is crazy. Crazy love. And thought 2: I think this will change the way I perceive others too..it is true..knowing God's love helps you love others too......

GOD SIMPLY WANTS ME TO KNOW JUST HOW MUCH HE LOVES ME. This season isn't meant to knock me down..it's just His way of showing me how much He loves by exposing the incorrect beliefs I held deep down..OMGOSH MINDBLOWN. HEARTBLOWN!!!!! God had to take away the one ability I never expected to lose (cause I didn't think he would do so if He called me to it..) so that He could teach me this lesson (and not in a fierce disciplinary way, like how the phrase is usually used)..

"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"

- 1 John 3:1

INDEED!!! And omgosh do you see..the word "called"....before I am called to be whoever God calls me to be (which can differ depending on His plans), I am called His child first. And that's a fact that will never change. My calling is always to be a child of God. My calling is always to know His love first. My calling is to be loved by God first. No other calling is as important as this one. Everything else is secondary (that's why the term 'secondary calling')..wah..........THIS IS CRAY!! Things you thought you knew..but perhaps haven't really understood deep within..this..this is what God does..this..this is the business God is in..unearthing things that shouldn't be in your soul, just so you know the DEPTH of His love..every time a little deeper..you thought you knew..but God has a way of showing you a deeper dimension..omgosh..thank You God....for loving me the way You do......

At the end of the day, God just wants to help me be closer to Him by knowing His love..and help me keep my word..cause He knows it is indeed true that I am ultimately satisfied by being close to Him..and the times I feel better..and then beaten down again (and begging God to release me from this pain..)..this cycle will just keep repeating as long as I think my self-worth is tied to my ability to fulfill the calling I think He has for me..

The lesson now is not "God is strong and good and I am weak and terrible" (though that's also true..we are all but sinners)..the lesson is not meant to condemn me..and crush my soul..

Omgoodness..suddenly remembering the words of Eph 3..

"And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God."

- Eph 3:18-19 (NLT)

It..is this simple. The purpose of life..is to know His love..

"God created you not mainly to do things for him, but to delight in him. The more we enjoy God, the more he is honored, and our very purpose in life is fulfilled." 

Did God plan everything?

God planned everything. Maybe our mistakes were planned so that we would see that we need Him cause if we are perfect, we wouldn't need God. And because we'll always make mistakes, we'll always need Him and it is through this need that we would know Him and be able to tell others that He's the one they need too. (our life purpose! =D)

• “Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”
  ‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• “We may throw the dice, but the LORD determines how they fall.”
  ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:33‬ ‭NLT‬‬

• “A man's mind plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps and makes them sure."
  Proverbs‬ ‭16:9‬ ‭AMP‬

• “A person’s steps are directed by the Lord. How then can anyone understand their own way?”
  Proverbs‬ ‭20:24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

• “Lord, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.”
  ‭‭Jeremiah‬ ‭10:23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

"God has told us that He is in charge of the world - and everyone and everything in it.  God is running everything in this universe according to His will – not ours." We gotta remember it's all about Him, not about us.

“The Lord works out everything to its proper end — even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭16:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1:11-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“For we are God's [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“[Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭2:13‬ ‭AMP‬‬

“When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.””
‭‭John‬ ‭11:4‬ ‭NIV‬‬  

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 

Colossians 1:16 NIV

"How can God tell us to “be anxious for nothing” (Phil 4:6) unless He not only knows, but is in control of, everything that is going to happen to us?" :)

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/God-is-in-control.html

God is a super detailed God!
He gave very specific instructions and measurements to Noah on how to build the ark (Gen 6:14-16) and to Moses on how to build His sanctuary (Exodus 25-30)! And these are just a few of the specific things God has said.

correction: not knowing where he was going (Heb 11:8)














Read more:
http://www.goodnewsaboutgod.com/studies/spiritual/home_study/plan_of_salavation.htm

Agree with most of the content except the free will part haha just cause it makes sense to us (because of our finite minds) that we have no free will because God planned everything doesn't mean we have no free will. It's just that we cannot comprehend how God's plan and our free will tie in together. :) But then again, only God knows the right answer! Haha but whatever the case it shouldn't affect my view of God cause I know my need for God > my need for logic/my need to be correct

Faith and works?
Things are actually very simple. God just wants us to trust Him. When you trust a friend, you'd do what your friend tells you to do. So, we don't have to worry about our works. Just concentrate on trusting God and we will naturally do what He says ☺

Lovers

You know..I think the deepest level of relationship one can go with God..is that of a lover..and I feel like God has been trying to get me there..okay am I making sense? Haha gonna try putting the levels into words..

First, you treat Him like an almighty God, which He is..but at this stage it's very one-dimensional..He seems very far away..and you don't really have a relationship with Him.

Then, you treat Him like a father..now you have a relationship..you think He's strict..maybe you still feel a distance - sometimes you feel Him, sometimes you don't.

Then, the next level, He's your best friend, you tell Him everything..when something happens, you tell Him..you share your deepest secrets with Him, you hear Him speaking to you, you know when He's talking to you..and it can be through anything. You know it because you are best friends with Him. And best friends always have telepathy.

And the very last part, your best friend becomes your lover..and then you realize everything comes together..Him being a loving father, Him being able to be your best friend, a God who places love above all things, a God who puts the desire in all of us to love and be loved..of course He'd want to take that ultimate place in your heart eventually..it all makes sense doesn't it? A jealous God..a God who wants you to love Him with all your heart..THIS IS OUR GOD. WHO WANTS TO BE OUR LOVER.

I think that's why all this while I've been hearing "me first..me first..ME. FIRST." from Him.. He wants my everything, not just a part of me.

I am meant to be the bride of Christ. We all are.

(First written on 9 Dec 2011, edited on 9 July 2012)

Grace

Hiiiiii!! This is the 2nd of the series! =D

We judge people different from us. But what we need to know is that the people we judge need as much love as we ourselves do. The grace that God extends to you is the same as the grace He extends to everyone else. And that's what we should do as well - extend God's grace to everyone we meet and know! =D

- Written on 7 July at 1.02AM

Saw this and thought it's really apt so I decided to include it in this post!

So watch yourselves. “If your brother or sister sins against you, rebuke them; and if they repent, forgive them. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” (Luke 17:3-4)

God bless, take care and byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!! =D

Surrendering to God

Hellooo!! Haha so I promised to post some of the stuff I've written over this month on my blog! And here is one of the things I wrote! =D I've learnt that..

Surrendering to God means NOT wanting a certain outcome for what you're praying for; it means not insisting that God can only grant you that outcome but rather, leaving it in God's hands, having an open heart and keeping in mind that God is sovereign and will do what is best for you! =D

The Bible does say ask and you will receive..you can ask for what you want but God won't give you what you want if you are unable to accept any other outcomes. That is God's will for you - to trust Him.

Of course, if you're asking for things in line with His will for example, for His wisdom, His strength..that He'll help you to break certain bad habits..God will never say no!

Usually surrending to God means that you are not sure if it's in line with God's will..you're not sure if that's what God wants for your life..that's when you have to trust God and not demand Him to fulfill your expectations :)

- Written on 3 July 2.49AM

Yup this is just the start!! More of my notes to come so do keep a lookout for them! Haha God bless, take care & byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! =D