It's a New Season... of Hope & Love

Firstly, I'd like to wish all my readers a Happy New Year! May your new year be filled with hope, joy, peace and love abundantly through the love of our Lord Jesus Christ.

It's a new season. Time to let the past be the past. Time to expect a new season of blessing.

If 2006 has not been a good year, expect God to turn your problems around. If you've been waiting for a new season, the time is now. Don't hold back, don't look back.

Don't look back.

It felt just like yesterday when I heard the new year message in City Harvest Church early 2006. Ps Kong Hee was speaking about not looking back. It was around that period which I started writing my first blog I think. You can find my older entries at my old blog by clicking on the link to the right sidebar. It was after I heard the message, when I named my blog, 'Not looking back...'.

As I reflect upon the previous year, I'm beginning to remember all that has happened. New relationships, new church, new friends, new business - so many changes in such a short time. Some bad, some good. God led me to a church so filled with life where my new journey started - there are so many people I've met who've impacted my life in such a meaningful way; I would never have known them if it wasn't for taking that new step. The church I attended in 2006 in Melbourne was easily the most vibrant and loving church in that city - I remember the cheerful, warm and loving faces of the people as I seeked God's love, as I seeked to find a new place I could call home, just for that little short time I had left in Melbourne. At that time, my life was in partial turmoil - I was getting out of a wrong relationship, most of my close friends have left the country, a church which I once called home abandoned me, my spiritual life was faltering; I heard my heart cry, "Were there still people out there who could receive and love me for who I am? Who would love and accept me despite my flaws?"

I remember so clearly the first time I stepped into Carlton Lifegroup at Leicester Street, Melbourne. I saw something different.
I felt the love of God eminating from the people around me. A feeling that was so profound that I'm sure no one could deny it. And I could hear my heart whsiper to me, "Here is a place I could call home". And I made it my home. For the whole year.

You see, sometimes we have to take that step forward. And we can't afford to look back. If I had never taken that new step, I would have missed all the good things and blessings God had in store for me that year. Who knows what else I would have missed?

Don't let fear and the past hold you back. If you're expecting something from God this year, know that this will be THE year. Never give up hope.

Romans 4:18-25 (Amplified Bible) gives an example of God pulling through for someone when it whose situation was utterly hopeless:

[For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be.(E)

He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb.(F)

No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to God,

Fully satisfied and assured that God was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

That is why his faith was credited to him as righteousness (right standing with God).

But [the words], It was credited to him, were written not for his sake alone,

But [they were written] for our sakes too. [Righteousness, standing acceptable to God] will be granted and credited to us also who believe in (trust in, adhere to, and rely on) God, Who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead,

Who was betrayed and put to death because of our misdeeds and was raised to secure our justification (our [e]acquittal), [making our account balance and absolving us from all guilt before God].

If you have a promise from God, this scripture is encouragement that there is hope out there. And Jesus bought that hope for us by His blood. You don't have to be christian to receive this. This promise is for everyone. All you need to do is to believe in Jesus - that He died on the cross for our sins. Know that someone out there, loves you. And that someone is Jesus. That someone is God. It's not a religion. It's not about going to church or doing 101 things to be a good person. It's a relationship of love.

For God so loved the world, the he gave his one and only Son (Jesus), that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

(John 3:16-17 NIV)

Odd. I initially wanted to blog about something else today. Perhaps I've been led to share this for a reason. If what I've shared spoke to your heart, then know that Jesus loves you that much to have me blog about this instead, just for you. What better way to start your new year than to have a relationship of love with Jesus?

--->For those who are in Melbourne and would like to know which church I'm talking about - it's Richmond Assembly of God

Long absence

I have wanted to update this blog for a long time.

You see, when I established this blog, I didn't just want it to be a story about me. I wanted it to be a story about someone bigger, someone better, someone who was perfect. I wanted this blog to be an encouragement to people who read it; to stimulate their thoughts abit; to share my insights and revelations of what I was learning in my life; to let people know that there was hope out there. I wanted it to be a testimony of my life with Jesus.

Over the past few months, so much has happened, and I felt no encouragement to write at all. I had many ideas floating around my head, but for some reason I didn't manage to put it in writing.

A friend once asked me, "Why haven't you updated your blog for so long?".

I replied "Hmm... I only want to write intellectually stimulating stuff on my blog, not the usual day to day ramblings. I put quite a bit of thought before each post, so it takes some time. Else I won't write anything."

I'm somehow surprised with my own response. Perhaps I'm contradicting myself now. Cause I really don't have much to write about this time round.

I've been down in the dumps for a while now. It was like my whole life came to a complete halt; nothing else mattered. How can I encourage people now? At times, I felt that I myself need the encouragement. I felt like the Psalmist in Psalms 88:

O Lord, the God who saves me,
day and night I cry out before you.
May my prayer come before you;
turn your ear to my cry.

For my soul is full of trouble
and my life draws near the grave.
I am counted among those who go down to the pit;
I am like a man without strength.

I am set apart with the dead,
like the slain who lie in the grave,
whom you remember no more,
who are cut off from your care. (v.1-5)

I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with grief.
I call to you, O Lord, every day;
I spread out my hands to you. (v.8-9)

But I cry to you for help, O Lord;
in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Why, O Lord, do you reject me
and hide your face from me? (v.13-14)

I used to wonder why some Psalms were quite depressing. They seemed somewhat negative as well. But they are in the Bible, that is for sure. Why are they there? Has anyone given thought about it? Maybe it was there cause there were times where God's people went through extreme difficulties as well. They suffered, and felt that God was far, especially when terror struck. Maybe they even fell to depression, I don't know.

Here is what I think. It was put there, just cause God knew I would need to read those scriptures at a certain point in my life. He knew that when I was depressed and wasn't in my 100% faith speaking mountain moving mode, I would still find encouragement knowing godly people have gone through bad times before. He knew, that I would read these scriptures, and know that God is able to relate to my feelings, right there, right then, right now.

You know what? I'm encouraged knowing that the Bible actually spoke of how I was feeling. It was like....I felt that God was still able to relate with me.... to cry with me, to embrace me; even when I wasn't full of faith. You see friends, it is His faithfulness that pulls us through anyway. It's all about Jesus and His finished work.... His faithfulness.

The living, the living - they praise you,
as I am doing today;
fathers tell their children
about your faithfulness

(Isaiah 38:19 NIV)

I guess God has encouraged me again. Hope this does the trick for those out there who feels that God can't relate and is far away. He can relate after all.