Jeremiah 1:17
“Get yourself ready! Stand up and say to them whatever I command you. Do not be terrified by them, or I will terrify you before them”

I prefer the God’s Promise Translation which says “… Do not be terrified in their presence or i will make you [even more] terrified in their presence”.

The Lord spoke this verse to us this morning at our VIP Huddle. It was so piercing that we laughed. Great cure for stage fright in children’s church.

So folks, never be afraid of what you do for God, otherwise what you do for Him will terrify you!

4 Things To Know So That You’ll Not To Be Scared of Kids
(or whoever you are scared of)

1. The Lord wants you to lead them. So Raise Up!
2. The Lord has something for you to tell them. So Listen up!
3. The Lord has given you courage to speak and lead. So Wise Up!
4. The Lord wants you to humble yourself to understand their world. So Buck Up!

I was at my morning club and I notice the building of a very good school in the neighbourhood being torn down. Their school motto “Persevere to Succeed” on a piece of wall still stands as the surrounding blocks diminished and fall. I’m tempted to see it as a sight of irony and pity. Yet I know better and decide to wonder where the school has moved to instead. Where are they having their lessons and activities? Surely they are somewhere else and still the great school we know it to be. Buildings and the structures are not all that important compared to what is greater; it’s people.

The power of the church is not in the power of the building, finance or organisation, it is in the power of the people. And the power of God’s people is in the power of their faith.

Is it deeds or faith first? Some say faith without deeds is dead so deed must be emphasised. Some say both is equally great. But I have an inclination to say that faith tops it without a benefit of a doubt.

I believe in work too but it is a very focused work. It is the focused work of building unwavering faith. Our primary focused energy should NOT be on work of righteousness because righteousness can easily turn inward and bad. However work on relationship, on trust, on devotion to God, on believing in the power of Christ, on truth and eternal principles and values. True connectedness with God is paramount.

• What are we doing on a consistent basis to bring us to trust God in a whole-nother level?
• What work are we doing to make our faith unwavering?
• What mindset should change about how it is seeing God smaller than the collosal God that He really is?

So what type of work would you put your focussed energy on? One day when buildings and structures surrounding what we do collapses what does our faith look like?

Work without faith is dead, perhaps deadlier than faith without works. The latter just need some motivation, leadership and encouragement. The former has no chance.

…. another one opens.

1. What is opening for you that you haven’t notice?

2. What is closed and you are still hanging on to?

If I could not fail, I think I’ll be myself. When I do, I think I could surprise reality. I could become the person I’m made to be. To become more myself is the hardest thing because my broken spirit just wants to get by and do whatever I can to avoid the pain of finding myself.

I find it truly gratifying when I see people become more themselves. When there’s no pretension, no lies but just the purity of hope and attempt of love. It is a rare occurrence but it is possible to sight. How do you detect such a person? Well, the language they use are are “tell me more”, “I see”, “I can” and “I will”, “thank you” and often “opps” and “sorry”.

Visited a child in the hospital who’s diagnosed with a rare illness. Wan Yueh, Hannah and I spent sometime with the mother yesterday just talking. Our role during the visit is to be more a listener than to talk. Our role after that is to have hope and expectation of God’s power to act according to His will than to be sad.

“We have not received the spirit of the world but the Sppirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words” - 1 Corinthians 2:12

Clarity of our words comes from the clarity of the mind and the spirit. It does not come from knowledge and the wealth of learned vocabulary but utterance of the Spirit in love and understanding. When understood, it is expression of love and wisdom for the fulfillment of God’s work on earth.

Find spiritual truths, use spiritual words God has freely given us today.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” - Romans 8:15

Not slave to fear but sons and daughters of the most High God.

Yesterday was a long day. I was at home with the kids the whole day (while Mag’s attending lectures) ‘Children-sitting’ is usually a mixed bag. It could be heaven, it could be hell. It is usually both for me. When I’m involved, I’m in heaven. When I’ll just get by, I’m in hell.

Later that day, Mag came home and announced that her grandma passed away in Canada. She was a kind and considerate woman, a jolly old soul. I recall what Mag shared about her diligence to wake up early every morning to pray for everyone in her family. Mag practically grew up with God’s protection invested through her prayers. Grandma believed in Jesus. Earth may be hellish but she’s now in heaven, definitely.

At night, Mag and I attended Philip, my old ’sheep’s wedding. Yes, he’s finally married to the girl of his dreams. We are so happy for him. Marriage… well, it could be heaven, it could be hell. It depends on how we make it to be.

I remember a man once said “It costs just as much to do it right as it does to do it wrong”.

Yes, we should do it right since doing it wrong is just as costly. Life isn’t going to be the longest thing we’ll do. Don’t have time for dragging our feet and sloppy living. Everyday must be deliberate and intentional with carefully planned out and executed stuff. It should be filled with energy.. with innovation and creativity.

However if innovation and creativity are all there is, it will also not make sense. What we do, shouldn’t leave us uneffected. It should cost us and make us. Otherwise its just the work of man. God’s work impacts us and makes us better people and disciples.

At the end of the day, work should not deplete us but revive us. Although we may be physically exhausted but spiritually we are more alive at the end of the day than at the start of it.

This will be my spiritual goal of today.

“They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all…

He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.“

2 Types of greatness…. Primary Greatness and Resultant Greatness. The disciples were looking for a type of greatness that cannot be achieved. It is a result of having primary greatness. How to gain primary greatness is through being a servant.

The other way is to be nice to children.

Matthew 18:4 says “Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

“Abraham was now old and well advanced in years, and the LORD had blessed him in every way” - Genesis 24:1

Michelle Shocked has a song that goes “When i grow up, I want to be an old woman”. What great insight and vision it is to dream of old age.

I want to grow old like Abraham. Well not exactly with the number of years he had but in terms of spirituality and connectedness to God.

Two questions:
1. So what type of old man or woman do you want to be when you grow up?
2. What do you need to do now to be such an old man/woman?
3. Sören Kierkegaard said “Purity of Heart Is to Will One Thing”. What is your one thing?