Monday, February 28, 2011

Dear all,

As I start today’s devotion post, I just wanna say Happy Friendship Day! It’s a bit late, but still, I really appreciate each and everyone of you for giving me a chance to be your friend! 

We are in the season of LOVE, so for today, I want to share with you from Rev 2: 4-5.

Rev 2: 4-5
Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent.

Even as we celebrate V-day or Friendship Day with our loved ones, let us also take some time to evaluate our LOVE for our God who so loved us that He gave his only Son to die on the cross for us. As one preacher said, it’s ok if God had many sons, and He just have to give one of His sons to die on the cross. But God loved us so much that He gave His ONLY Son for us! So how much do we love God?

In these 2 verses, it talks about the church of Ephesus who have left their first love. In the same way, let’s also ask ourselves if we have left our first love for God. In the midst of our busyness, in our struggles with our FYPs, projects, assignments, work politics, work stress, have we also left our first love? Do we still enjoy spending time with God? Does this phrase still mean the same to you – “One day in Your courts is better than a thousand days in the world”? Have we forgotten how to trust and believe in God for His promises to us?

It’s very easy for us to leave our first love if we do not guard it well. It applies to me as well. But we must LEARN to remember where we have fallen, to repent and do the first works! If you ask me, what are our first works? It might differ for each one of you. Maybe it’s to pick up the guitar and start to worship. Maybe it’s to serve God more by availing your time for Him. Maybe it’s to seek God in the morning daily when you wake up. But let’s make it a point that we will come back to our first love and do the first works!

I want to share this real life example with you. Pst Bill Wilson – If you have not heard about him, do pick up his books and read. Pst Bill started his children’s ministry with driving the bus around to fetch the children to church. He believes in staying where the action is (he stays in a ghetto, with all the drug addicts, the outcasts of society etc), to stand in the gap between the living and the dead. Over the years, even as his ministry begins to grow, he never leaves this first work of driving the bus to fetch the children to church. To him, this is one thing that keeps him sane, and remind him of why he is doing and continuing this work of God. To put things into perspective for you, last Christmas, Pst Bill’s church had a total attendance of 150,000 children, in 3 different locations. Despite all that, he always chose to make it a point that whenever he can, he will drive the bus around to fetch these little ones to church before he rushes off to preach.

In a lunch that he had with Pst Eileen and some of the staff last Monday in Singapore, he was asked what kept him going all these years (and he’s already 60 years old, survived 3 gun shot wounds coz he was mugged, while staying in the ghetto, beaten up, thrown off a building, survived a plane crash before). Something he said really made an impact on me.

“Our commitment must be STRONGER than our emotion!” – Pst Bill Wilson

And this is so true for us. Our commitment to God must always be stronger than our own emotion. As much as our flesh tries to come against us, we must learn to crucify our flesh and be committed to God, to do the first works and come back to our first love! And friends, I want to encourage you, let’s choose to be committed to God in everything we do! Amen!
L1v1nG 4 JeSuS at Monday, February 28, 2011