Rest and not quarrel

Hebrew 3:7

 So, as the Holy Spirit says:

“Today, if you hear his voice,

8do not harden your hearts

as you did in the rebellion,

during the time of testing in the desert,

9where your fathers tested and tried me

and for forty years saw what I did.

10That is why I was angry with that generation,

and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,

and they have not known my ways.’

11So I declared on oath in my anger,

‘They shall never enter my rest.’”

The above passage refers to Pslam 95. It talks about the time when the Israelite first came out of Eygpt and camped at a place called Rephidim in Exodus 17.  At the camp site, (Exodus 17:1), they couldn't find water so they quarreled with Moses and asked for water. They couldn't believe that the God who just performed all those miracles again and again just to get them out of Eygpt is going to save them again by doing... more miracles.

Eventually, Moses strike the rock and out came water. 

What is interesting however, is that the place where they camped is called Rephidim, meaning Rest. But because of their unbelief, Moses called that place (Exodus 17:7) Massaha and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”. 

Massah means testing and Meribah means quarreling.

Do you see the picture now? Even though God has placed the Israelites in REST, due to their unbelief they simply could not see the goodness of God and thus called Rest to be 'testing' and 'quarreling'. 

Today, God has placed you in that place of REST. But many of us have doubts about whether this good  God will ever come through for us in our finances, our health, our family...etc. We quarrel internally - is God with us? We ask, maybe this is a test from God? Maybe this is the soverign will of God? We turned the place of REST to 'quarreling' and 'testing' even though provision was right at hand.

In truth, just like the story in Exodus, God was willing and able to provide the Israelites with water. This is still true today. Jesus wants to provide for you. So rest in His complete work, knowing that Daddy God will take care of you. 

Rest: let's strive diligently to enter it.

Hebrew 4:11 Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.

If there's anything to strive for, it is to be rested. Lest you 'fall by following their example of disobedience'. I find this greatly oxymoronic (I don't even know if this sentence makes sense!). On one hand we have to strive diligently, on the other we have to rest. How la? 

The rest that Hebrews is referring to here is the finished work of Jesus. And it is asking us who believe, so that those (hebrews 4:10) who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. 

So whenever we embark on anything, start from the posture of rest, knowing that God has done it for you. Start from the position of completion, believing that He has given you success. 

And this is rest: believing in Jesus and His finished work.

Rest: the rhythm of grace

Rest is not doing nothing, it is a state. One can be lying in bed, sleeping (in the hospital) but is not restful, on the other hand, others can be running a marathon, doing an ironman race or practicing scales and yet be completely at rest. 

You either are in rest or not. But if you would like to 'do' rest, then rest is this: God directed activity. Doing what you feel God is leading you to do in the rhythm of grace. It is He who leads us to quiet waters, to lie down on green pastures. Rest is simply following the good shepherd at each moment of our lives with complete joy and careless abandonment. 

I find that whenever I move away from rest, my troubles quickly stack up exponentially. I first get overly busy then I get really tired then I get really grumpy then I lash out at people around me then kaaabooom! But I realiased, that these actions just reflect that my trust is NOT on Jesus. My trust was on my ability to do stuff, to fix problems.

On the other hand, I find that when I'm in the flow of rest, success finds me even when I'm watching TV. Sales are closed when I was playing computer games. Miracles happen.

Therefore, rest. Those who are heavy laden go to Jesus and He will give you rest. Are you heavy laden with financial worries? Are you heavy laden about the health of a love ones? Are you heavy laden with the worries of your baby or your child? Go to Jesus, and He will give you rest. 

God's Goodness, remember

First off, Happy Rosh Hashanah (16th September 2012), the Jewish new year. Happy Jew Year! 

As we head into the new year, take a minute to remember all the Good that has come into your life just in the last year. Among you, i know off one getting a promotion, another a pay rise with a change of job, another a new job, a new baby, a miracle cure, a new hdb/flat/house, son getting a scholarship...etc etc etc... you know who you are! :)

What a wonderful year it had been with so many testimonies! Truly miracles and goodness follow all of you folks wherever you are!

I love testimonies. It reminds me how real God is in my life. And whenever I face new challenges, I remember His goodness towards me. He is able to do it before and He will do it again in the future. And so here, I'm copying a past testimony I received years ago. And to all new and would be mothers, Jesus love you!

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(from:      http://eric_chin.blogspot.com/2010/07/testimony-time.html)

This is testimony from a friend. As she choose to remain anoynmous, we will call her Angelina. (Because Angelina Jolie is going to be SALT). I told her to share with us what God is doing in her life so that we can all be encouraged!

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Amen! I am going to add on to how great God’s love for us is!

I am currently 5 months pregnant. I have hypertension since young, but it has not affected myhealth since and neither have I prayed for healing until now when I am pregnant. I feared for thesafety of my baby. The doctors I have consulted are worried as this is considered a high-riskpregnancy, which added on to my worry and stress level as I couldn’t enjoy the pregnancy asmuch as I want to.

It was then that I shared with Li Ping about my condition and requested for her to pray for meand baby. Eric and Li Ping shared the promises of the Gospel to me as they felt prompted byGod to convey this message to me. It’s not that I am ignorant about the Gospel, but I guess I didnot know how to exercise my priviledge as God’s child.

Li Ping wrote an e-mail to me explaining how the Gospel worked. When Jesus died, there wasalready healing! So then why is my blood pressure still not showing a normal reading? I realisedthat I have been praying prayers of “Please heal my condition” rather than claiming the healingthat has already been granted and approved! Now my prayers are “I know and believe I have anormal bp reading because Jesus has redeemed my heart and given his perfect one to me!”. Itis a step of confidence in the Lord’s promises.

The next time I went for a doctor’s checkup, I took Li Ping’s advice and told God a reading Iwant to see. However, the first 2 readings were high, and my heart sank. The nurse took a 3rdreading and it was the reading that I had asked for. Somehow that did not delight me. I felt thatif my bp reading is normal, it should not take 3 readings to show. In my next visit, I told God I am frustrated, that while it is tough to stand confident in His promises, I needed to see results that this is happening. I wanted Him to SHOW ME the actual reading that I had asked for in the first reading.

In one of the visits to the doctor again, the nurse took my reading and it was normal the first time, although my heart was racing with anxiety! God truly loves me and my baby and has healed me, I trust Him that He will continue to show me the “good” readings from now on. It took me a lot to battle against the negative thoughts of my mind to trust Him, but I know that His promises are real and are worth relying on!

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Angelina, sent me this a couple of weeks ago. Yesterday she told me that when she checked her BP yesterday morning it showed normal the first time. And it was one of the best reading she ever had.

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Keep your eyes on Jesus

2 Corinthians 1:19      For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by me and Silas and Timothy, was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always been “Yes.” For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

As we move towards the end of the week, the US is on an election fever, Apple is announcing its new products and we are moving on to Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year on the 16th of September (evening).

While we still face many challenges in our lives, the Lord's promises never change. No matter how many promises God has made, they are 'Yes' in Christ.

Sometimes when the 'onslaught' of demands or challenges get too intense we tend to forget who we are in Christ. But do not worry because it is Christ who makes you stand firm. He who has anointed you has also put his seal of ownership on you. All you have to do is to remember Him and keep believing!

Surely goodness and mercy is hunting you down as you read this! So marvel at His love for you and REST from your own works. He will take care of you, your health, your baby, your blood pressure, your provision and whatever your needs may be. Because He is your good shepherd, You shall not be in want.

The Jesus is in the Details

Just a few days ago, on my way back from gym, I discovered that my 'gym-backpack' is starting to fall apart. I told wife in passing that it would be great to have a new gym bag. One that has a compartment for wallet & phones, shoes, dirty clothes and clean clothes. It's a lot to ask but one can hope.

On the way back, we went to a nearby mall to pick up some groceries. Lo and behold, there's a sports sale. And sitting on the top of the pile of 'unwanted' bags is my new gym bag. Everything that I want, at 60% off. I didn't even have to go looking for it.

Jesus, the lover of my soul, is THE God of details. At times like these, I just felt so loved. And folks as we moved to Tuesday, think of Jesus who has gone before us and prepare for us a good week where His blessing is in our going in and going out... where His goodness and mercy shall Hunt for us all days of our lives.