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Sunday, March 14, 2010

My Christian God is a Holy One

I know people reading this come from every religion. This is not to disrespect your faiths, it is a profession of mine.

Dear Christian brothers and sisters,

I wrote the previous three blogposts because as I was doing my bible study fellowship a few days ago, something happened that made John 2:13-16 very salient to me. Carelessly, I mistakenly analyzed John 2:13-16 twice and gave wrong answers in my worksheet. I was still kicking myself for my carelessness, when I read of George Yeo and Jack Neo.

Having read John 2:13-16, Christians will understand what I mean when I write "Our God is a Holy God. He will not allow his temple to be defiled."

And if fellow Christian brothers and sisters are sceptical of God's hand in this, then let me share that at the same moment when I received a blog reader's alert about Temasek Review's link to my blog, I received my TGIF bible study. To those Christians who think that God's forgiveness is cheap, please read below the TGIF bible study that came not earlier nor later, but at the exact time when I learnt about Temasek Review's bloglink.

God's forgiveness is gracious... but it is not cheap. God's grace is freely given... but one does not cheat Him of his grace.

The First Requirement of Ministry

TGIF Today
God Is First
Volume 1 by Os HillmanSunday, March 14 2010
"The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the Lord." - Joel 1:9b

The first requirement for being used by God in the life of others is to mourn on their behalf. We must identify with their pain and suffering. Each of us must be broken for others first.

In order to be fully used by God in the workplace, we need to understand what breaks God's heart. When we understand what breaks God's heart, we are able to mourn on behalf of a grieving person, or a nation we are called to serve. What breaks God's heart? When we begin to answer this question, we begin the first step to becoming instruments of change for those things that are important to God. Perhaps it is an overemphasis in our own talent and abilities, or lack of complete trust in Jesus. Perhaps it is the lack of respect for human life that leads to the killing of innocent babies. Perhaps it is the deceit and pride that often rule the workplace of commerce. Or perhaps it is the strife and divisions among His own Body that grieve Him most. When we begin to mourn over our own sins in these areas, God begins to use us as instruments of righteousness to affect these things. It was only when God let me see my own sins in the workplace and how they broke His heart that I began to be an instrument for His purposes.

Today, ask God to show you what things in your world are breaking His heart. Then see how He might want you to be the priest to affect for Him.

The first step is identification with what breaks God's heart.

I apologise if non-Christian readers don't understand some of what is in this post. I am not trained in theology and I don't know how to properly explain. Mature Christians will understand, I think.

4 comments:

Fresh Fry aka 福星 said...

i'm not Christian and i understand, and i believe this is so too.

Petunia Lee said...

Fry - Thank you.

JaniceLai (Wet thumbie) said...

Petunia,
Amen to your thoughts on God is Holy! In this age many downplay the seriousness of sins. Even to God's redeemed people, the Lord does not treat sin lightly. Though our sins may be forgiven if we seek forgiveness from God, the consequences of sins will still be bored by the sinners. The biblical account of king David is one fine example in which he had to pay 4 folds for his adultery with Bathsheba.
It is not a sin to be tempted but a sin to fall into temptations.

Wet thumbie.

JaniceLai (Wet thumbie) said...

Petunia,
Amen to your thoughts on God is Holy! In this age many downplay the seriousness of sins. Even to God's redeemed people, the Lord does not treat sin lightly. Though our sins may be forgiven if we seek forgiveness from God, the consequences of sins will still be bored by the sinners. The biblical account of king David is one fine example in which he had to pay 4 folds for his adultery with Bathsheba.
It is not a sin to be tempted but a sin to fall into temptations.

wet thumbie