Ears (Part 2)

I looked back at one of the blog post I have written a few weeks ago and I suddenly realised that I'd forgotten to include an important revelation, hence this is part 2. (This is why God tells us to write down all the words He has spoken to us. [Jeremiah 30:2] )

The Lord gave me a pair of ears during Church Camp and spoke to me about hearing and obeying Him. Sometimes we may think that obeying the Lord is something very hard to achieve, because although we are born-again and spirit-filled, we still have the old nature of sinning against God.

Did you know that when we become Christians, we belong to God? Okay, maybe you know this. But do you know this as a piece of information and knowledge, or do you really take it as your new identity in Christ? This is what makes the difference.

I realised that as I learned more and more about the grace of God, the more I could appreciate what the Lord has done to give me a new identity, a new life. This statement "I belong to God" gives an underlying meaning that He owns me. God owns every part of me -- spirit, soul and body. He owns everything I have -- relationships, career, finance, health, talents, spiritual giftings, etc. God owns my heart, my inward parts, the deepest and most profound part of me.

Now imagine this: The Master has just bought a slave who have been in the bondage of a cruel, heartless enemy for years. He bought the slave with His livelihood, not because He wants to impose control over the slave, but because He wants to free him. Now the slave has been set free from all the bondages of the enemy, he no longer needs to endure tortures and sufferings, and he can now serve the new Master. Yet, the Master knows that the servant would probably take some time to understand the new ways of obeying serving his new Master, and He is gracious to his servant. Would it be right if the servant abuses his Master's grace and betrays Him?

God says His grace is sufficient for us and His strength is made perfect in weaknesses. By grace, we are no longer slaves to sin, but we are now slaves of righteousness. Sin shall have no dominion over us, for we are not under law but under grace (Romans 6:14). Therefore, we are able to walk in the newness of life, for we know that our old nature was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. For he who has died has been freed from sin (Romans 6:6-7).

More than that, God calls us as His children. We are no longer slaves, but sons and daughters of God, and if sons and daughters, then heirs of God through Jesus Christ (Galatians 3:26, 4:7). We truly, truly belong to God.

And if we belong to God, as children of God we love Him and obey His commandments. Not that we are able to by our own strength, but simply because He has given us the grace to hear and obey Him. 1 John 5:3 says: "For this is the love of God that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome."

King David understood that he belonged to God and ought to do His will in Psalm 40. Not only that, he knew that doing the Lord's will is a delight, and not a burden.

⁶ Sacrifice and offering you did not desire,
but my ears you have pierced ;
burnt offerings and sin offerings
you did not require. (NIV)

⁷ Then I said, “Behold, I come;
In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

⁸ I delight to do Your will, O my God,
And Your law is within my heart.” (NKJV)

The New International Version has verse 6 translated as "my ears you have pierced" -- precisely what it means to be a slave to someone. The piercing of ears means you are marked as your Master's slave. King David understood that the Lord did not want them to come to Him with sacrifices and offering, but with a heart that knew Him to be a God of love.

Again, as what 1 John 5:3 had said, when we know that God is love, our ears have been pierced so that we can hear and obey Him. And because He first loved us, doing what He says will be a delight.

The Timing of God

Did you know that God is always punctual and never late for anything? Even though we may sometimes think He is slow or even delays answering our prayers, He actually knows the perfect timing for everything. If He sees the end from the beginning and has time in His hands, He surely knows when is the right time for things.

I have been wanting to have a career switch for some months. I've thought long and hard about it, because I wasn't sure about where I wanted to go. When I finally took the step of faith to applied for another job, I had in mind that I was going to begin the new job in April, because I have planned for the Melbourne trip in March.

The interview went smooth, and I felt sure that it was going to be a good job, but they wanted me to begin in March. When I couldn't make it, eventually they turned me down. It was timing problem on both sides.

At that time, I felt very sad because I hadn't applied for any other jobs. It seemed like I had to delay leaving my company to an indefinite period of time. Nevertheless, I resolved in my heart that I would stay on and trust the Lord.

A month after the trip to Melbourne, the interviewer called me back and asked if I was still interested in the job. It was truly God's miracle open door for me! I went for an interview again and this time, it was the right timing for both sides. The boss even told me that a few months ago, the company was not doing so well, but is now picking up again.

So, I accepted the job offer and tendered my resignation letter. After checking on my annual leave, I could actually have one week off before the start of my new job. Wow, talk about the timing of God!

Truly, God knows the timing and seasons for our lives. He not only knows it, but takes care of us accordingly. So just be patient when God delays answering us. He has something better in mind. :)

Saying "I love You"

I have this distinct memory of myself before I became a Christian, that I could hardly bring myself to say the word "love", or "I love you", or even "God". It felt pretty difficult, but I didn't understand why. I had this perception that "love is sacred" and "God is Holy"... and hence these words shouldn't be simply said. After all, you need to say "I love you" and really mean it.

I remember reading love stories and novels, thinking, what's love? What's love that it's so captivating, so alluring and passionate? Can we live without it? Why are some people willing to die for it? the so-called "in the name of love"...?

I could not understand it, but I knew I longed for it. I longed to be loved, to be held in the arms of the someone special, to be romanced. To me, love was the exclusive romantic feeling between man and woman, fairytale stories like Cinderella and Snow White... Gives you the dream-like, fantasy idea right?

When I was form 5, my friend invited me for an Easter Outreach at her church. After the night's performance, it was followed by the preaching.

The preacher talked about how Jesus suffered on Good Friday and was nailed on the cross, that because God so loved the world He gave Jesus to die so that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

Somehow, I sat there listening to him and I started crying. I didn't know why I was crying, but the tears just kept flowing. And when the preacher asked those who want to receive Jesus to raise their hands, I was among the few who did so. After that, my friend went with me to respond to a prayer. I was still crying and I didn't know what to do. The preacher asked if I could feel God loving me, but I said No. He asked me again if I could feel the people that God had placed around me are loving me, but I just fell silent and kept crying, because I didn't know how to answer him.

Finally, I didn't accept Christ that night. But from then on, I knew that Jesus died for me. I didn't understand why He did that, or why it was significant. I just knew that He had suffered death. Yet if you asked me whether God loves me, I would say no. This was because I had felt so much rejection from friends and family that I thought there was no way God would love me. I felt that I was too unworthy to be loved by God.

Fast forward to my first year in KL, I was again invited to church for Sunday Praise Celebration. I felt awkward singing songs with the words "love", "I love you, Lord", "God" and so on. It didn't feel right to me. But as I learned more about the gospel and how Jesus died and resurrected to give me new life, I began to see that God wanted to love me.

In another meeting at church, the Lord touched me again and I was once more down in tears. That night, a friend led me to pray the sinners' prayer and I received Jesus Christ into my life as my personal Saviour and Lord. I could truly feel God's love touching me deep in my heart, and I knew that it was love in its deepest and highest and greatest form.

Now, I have no problem saying the words "love" and "I love you", because I know that I have received love into my heart. I can even tell my family and friends that I love them. But above all, God, I love You.

Verse to Remember:

John 3:16 -- For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Ears

World Harvest Church Camp day 2, night session with Ps. Dennis. I was with those few who didn't manage to join the whole 4 days 3 nights but still travelled all the way to Rawang every night for the night sessions.

We were late that day because of the rain and massive jam, so by the time we reached Rawang it was towards the end of the worship. Nevertheless, as we stepped into the hall, I could immediately feel the strong presence of God in the place. I quickly found a seat to settle down and opened my heart to draw in His beautiful presence.

At this point, Ps. Dennis had started to prophesy. He was speaking as he saw what was happening in the spiritual realm. He said that there were angels ascending and descending in that place. He spoke of turning points, that for many it was turning points for their lives. The Holy Spirit was filling each of us. He said that the Lord was there and He was giving to each of us gifts, all wrapped nicely in beautiful boxes.

Having my eyes closed, I was drinking from the Spirit, literally. I was gulping in fresh water from the Holy Spirit, allowing Him to fill me and refresh me, desiring Him more and more. And when Ps. Dennis said there were gifts for each of us, I just stretched my hands out in front of me as a sign of receiving from the Lord.

I saw a beautiful square box delivered into my hand. I looked into the box and saw a pair of ears. I received them, but I was thinking to myself, "Ears? Not eyes to see better, but ears? Lord, what is it that I need to be hearing?" It wasn't because I didn't welcome what the Lord had given me, but I was curious to know if I haven't been hearing the Lord.

The Lord reminded me of Romans 10:17 -- Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

Pondering upon this, He also spoke to me another verse in Matthew 7: 24 - 27:

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine [Jesus], and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.

God was saying to me, "Hear and obey". It was an instruction for what I was going through currently, as well as something that He was building in me for the future. I needed to hear what God says and obey it, do it. I need to hear the right things, not gossips and destructive words. I needed to hear the word of faith, which is also the word of Christ. I needed to hear truth and follow it.

I believe the pair of ears were the spiritual empowering that God has given me, so that not only will I hear faith, but I would do accordingly.

Over the past 3 weeks or so, I have experienced this frequently. It felt like I had installed a large speaker over my spirit or heart; I felt myself being very sensitive in knowing what the Holy Spirit was saying. I'm still learning to hear more and do according to what He says. The Lord would impress upon my heart what advices to give, what to pray, what I should do or say, etc. This is especially true when I'm desperate and don't know what to do. It ALWAYS works.

Isn't this the coolest way to work with God? you hear from Him and just do accordingly? Ministry doesn't need to be difficult or need us to strive so hard to persuade people to believe in Jesus. People don't need persuasion; they need a demonstration of the power of God, and that's what preaching the gospel is all about. Hear and do. hear AND do.