of love enough

In CrossCulture Easter Camp, a tradition that we have had for a long time is "Itchy and Scratchy" - yes, inspired by the infamous show-within-a-show in The Simpsons! However, this "Itchy and Scratchy" is actually our form of "Angels and Mortals", where one person in camp takes care of another person throughout the camp. Basically, one person's back is itchy, so there is a "Scratchy" who is scratching that itch throughout the camp!

Camp has not yet started, but I think "Itchy and Scratchy" came early this year, because yesterday, I received random encouraging notes (and then even one gift) from people in church. Some came up to me and verbally encouraged me as well.. I felt very thankful!

You know who you are! And I thank each of you! :)

Then, the past-midnight melancholic Andrew began to ponder on ministries..

When I first entered a ministry, I was an extremely task-oriented person, finding comfort in front of a computer, or doing crafts somewhere in the back room away from the crowds and stage. I felt most comfortable when people know my art and not the artist. However, as the years went by, I realized that tasks are not the end-point of ministry. Tasks are the mediums, the driver, the vehicle. People are the target. Every ministry should be targeted to the people. I realized that even when doing tasks, it is important to keep the target audience in our minds. The Kingdom is made up of people, and people should matter.

I constantly thank God for this increasing realization. This has changed my perspective on ministry, and thus, how I minister or run a ministry. And I have grown to love these people, this church, and this community. Because I have learnt that Christ loved these people too - love enough to hang on that cross in suffering, so that we can be reconciled to Him.

How much is enough love? How much love does it take for one to show that love to another? And in what way?

I think if something matters to us, it is befitting for us to act. (If we care about that itch, it is befitting to scratch it!) And I am thankful that I felt a glimpse of God's love yesterday through these words of encouragement and gift from the church. There are itches all around in the church and the community. The question is whether we care or love enough to do something about them.

May we ever be empowered by His grace and His Spirit to accomplish what we ought to do in this world well :)

4 more days to camp, and this is MAX-power-mode on!

:)

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the Head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

- Ephesians 4:15-16

of opposites

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are the meek.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Blessed are the merciful.

Blessed are the pure in heart.

Blessed are the peacemakers.

Blessed are those are persecuted for righteousness' sake.

Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you, and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

For theirs shall be the Kingdom of Heaven.

For they shall be comforted.

For they shall inherit the earth.

For they shall be satisfied.

For they shall receive mercy.

For they shall see God.

For they shall be called sons of God.

For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Rejoice and be glad, for Your reward is great in Heaven.

Cause

Effect

They may not make sense.

But this is the Kingdom's principles.

And who's to say what is right in this world?

We are proud and arrogant creatures who assume things.

We are right until we are proven otherwise.

Blessed are those who were proven otherwise.

Blessed are those whose knees have fallen.

Blessed are those who have been made speechless.

For this is the start of an overtaking.

of a pursuit

We went into a topic of conversation of my interest and passion.
Strangely enough, it's about passion.

What causes a person to devote his/her life to something? What was their state of mind when they took that first step? What risks do they take? What leads them to believe with their heart that it was the right thing to do?

"Delusion" is the psychiatric word for an unshakable belief that one holds, that is out of the norm or that is not according to what most of a particular population believes in (and is, thus, incorrect). Some ideas, unfortunately (or not), found its roots with a "delusion" - the spherical earth, for example. So, I'm actually quite open-minded to see how a few delusions actually run in a person's life. Anyway, that shall be a start of another musing.

I brought up the point of "delusion", mainly because I could not fathom how someone delusional could have so much conviction and passion about one particular thing or event. He is a one-trick pony that refuses to budge, despite what everyone else says. How does the conviction and passion even begin to form?

In delusion, it seems to start with some kind of knowledge, albeit fact or fiction. The knowledge is so true to them, that it may even seem nothing else is true - this one thing above all others... ...nothing else, really. Deluded patients disobey the rules of society to accomplish what they know to be true. They deliberately placed themselves in situations where their lives will be risked. They yield to nothing.

Sometimes, I wish the church, including myself, would have such conviction regarding Christ. With knowledge secured and certain of who Jesus is, we would strive to know the only one thing that matters. Then, a pursuit, not just of the heart, but also of the hands and feet, along with the minds. I do wish the church would burn with a new revival, awakened to a new and rude awakening, for God's Namesake. Then, the comfort shall be disturbed, and the disturbed shall be comforted.

One pastor stated in the past, that people of passion do ridiculous things for God. Questions are raised. Discussions are sparked. Cultures are changed. Lives are affected for the Kingdom's glory. And I am convinced, that by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and the knowledge and revelation of overwhelming grace, the church could very well achieve it.

And the great thing is that hundreds of millions of people have actually confessed of their experiences with Christ all over the world. Thus, I'm convinced that this is no delusion. And if this is not a delusion, maybe this shall be the greatest pursuit of our lives.

As a fire consumes the fuel, may we be caught by His flame.

of a psalm

Oh my soul, know the Lord,

He is the Lifter of your head,

The satisfaction you require,

The Lord is enough,

What shall you want?

The Lord is your banner,

Raise Him high

And rest under Him.

Strong is the Lord in battle,

He is the Victor,

Who is glorious like Him?

Selah

He who reigns on high

Searches the face of the earth,

And looks into the hidden hearts;

Who can escape the Lord?

If I make my bed in Sheol,

You are there!

Selah

So, search me, O God;

No offering I bring

But that of a contrite heart,

For this pleases the Lord.
His steadfast love endures,

There is none like the Lord.

He will gladden the heart

Who seeks after Him;

There is no lack in Him,

Taste and know He is good!

Oh my soul, know the Lord,

He shall lift your head,

He shall satisfy,

He is Your reward,

And you shall want no more.

Search me

of my boasting

I've not been sleeping tonight, (no) thanks to the night shift period that I'm currently in. But at least I settled a lot of things that had been left procrastinated... And maybe because it's been a long time since I had a good jam - not those for bread, mind you - but those with music and singing and praying, I'm feeling quite pumped for this coming Thursday. I have been seeing a day when the church comes together to do nothing but earnestly admire God and seek Him, laying everything aside, as though for that few hours, nothing else matters...

With that said, I truly hate that I cannot play an instrument. I've tried and failed. But I do thank God that I could sing. I shared testimony of how I was tone-deaf in the past, and growing up, I had no musical background, which is still one of my life's unfixable regrets. I recalled not understanding the concept of harmony and embarrassed myself in front of my classmates when I stopped a group of us singing together because someone sang a different tune from the melody.

And neither was I an eloquent speaker - not that I'm currently one with the gift of the gab anyway. I remembered another embarrassing moment in primary school when we were asked to present a project in front of the assembly, and I had to repeatedly turn around to my group mates to ask them regarding the pronunciations of certain words. Yes, I was that kid who delayed the assembly because I could not pronounce "meter... metor.... merotite.... meteorite". Such vivid memory cannot be erased from one's mind easily...

Needless to say, however, God works all things (even my most embarrassing moments) for the good of those who loves Him. I'm continually amazed at every opportunity I'm given to lead the singing on Sunday service, cell groups and other sessions. I'm amazed at how God constantly uses my weaknesses to make me aware of how able He actually is.

Just past Sunday, I am very thankful for the encouragement given to me by two strangers. Though I was not leading that Sunday, these two sisters in Christ made me realize that God is using me every time I am serving on stage for His glory - that I'm not on stage for an act, nor for a performance, but to be genuinely vulnerable before a Holy God, and to show the world why I actually worship Him. For they spoke of how love should not be hidden under a basket, but that it should shine brightly on the stand... As God has become my inspiration, so had that moment been an inspiration to them. I'm grateful for them and their encouragement.

But, really, I'm not deserving of these glory at all.
When I say, "Glory be to God," for the reasons mentioned above, those words truly mean what it says, for God is too good for me to steal any of these from Him.

Your Word is a Light unto my feet, a Lamp unto my path.

On behalf of this man I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except of my weaknesses— though if I should wish to boast, I would not be a fool, for I would be speaking the truth; but I refrain from it, so that no one may think more of me than he sees in me or hears from me. So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. - 2 Corinthians 12:5-10