Two Becoming One - Henson Lim

I love it when the world discovers something that the Bible has already declared thousands of years ago. The experts may attribute it to some revelational research, crediting themselves for such wisdom and intelligence in their field of study; but all they have done is only prove that the Bible is indeed true.

The Straits Times carried one such 'discovery' in the article "Love's brain chemistry" by Diane Ackerman on Tuesday, 27 March 2012.

The opening line reads, "A relatively new field, called interpersonal neurobiology, draws its vigour from one of the great discoveries of our era: that the brain is constantly rewiring itself based on daily life. In the end, what we pay the most attention to defines us. How you choose to spend the irreplaceable hours of your life literally transforms you." (emphasis mine)

New field? Great discoveries? Did not the Apostle Paul urge his charges in Rom 12:2 not to be conformed to the world, but to be transformed by the renewing of the mind? By the wisdom of God, Paul knew what these neurobiologists would discover years later. He knew that whatever the mind is set on, that is what will ultimately define us. In Rom 8:5, Paul warns, "For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit." He says it again, albeit with different words, in Col 3:2, "Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth."

What thrilled me most was the paragraph that was highlighted in the article: "When two people become a couple, the brain extends its idea of self to include the other; instead of the slender pronoun "I", a plural self emerges who can borrow some of the other's assets and strengths. The brain knows who we are. The immune system knows who we're not, and it stores pieces of invaders as memory aids. Through lovemaking, or when we pass along a flu or a cold, we trade bits of identity with loved ones, and in time we become a sort of chimera*. We don't just get under a mate's skin, we absorb him or her." (emphasis mine)

Hey, Moses knew this long before there was a field called neurobiology! In Gen 2:24, Moses wrote prophetically, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Referring to the divinely appointed institution of marriage, this alludes to the consummation of that marriage through the most intimate physical act of sexual union between the husband and his wife. In the words of the neurobiologist, through that act of "lovemaking", the couple "absorbs" each other. In biblical terms, the two have become one!

Romantic as this sounds, we must not miss another application. In warning the Church in Corinth against sexual immorality, the Apostle Paul quotes from Gen 2:24. "Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For 'the two,' He says, 'shall become one flesh.'" (1 Cor 6:16) In our society today, sexual promiscuity is celebrated more than frowned upon. Can you imagine what is happening, given our new neurobiological understanding!? If, through sexual union, a couple becomes a composite of one another, then multiple partners simply results in multiple composites of bizarre proportions. In other words, we have created an undefinable level of mutated monsters that are wreaking havoc in relationships and societies today!

I thank God for such articles that affirm the Word of God - not that the Word of God needs any such affirmation in the first place. There is only one phrase I totally disagree with where Ackerman considers humans "as the most social apes". My prayer for her is that she would one day come to know the One True God who created us all in His image and be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Amidst all her wonderful discoveries as a neurobiologist, may she receive the revelation that all this cannot simply happen by chance through evolution. Before Ackerman and her colleagues ever discovered such wonderful truths about the brain and the mind, the Creator God has already recorded the findings in the Bible.

*Chimera: An organism, organ, or part consisting of two or more tissues of different genetic composition, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering.

I Will Give You Rest - Henson Lim

I was really blessed when I heard this preached at the recent LoveSingapore Pastors' Summit 2011.

In Exodus 33, God told Moses to bring the Israelites into the land.  As He has promised, He will drive the enemies out and give Israel the land.  But God Himself will not be in their midst (v3).

This point hit me hard.  I can seemingly have the breakthroughs and victories in my life and still not have God!  I can have what appears to be a successful and active ministry and still not have God!  I can have all the promises and blessings and still not have God!

I never saw this so clearly before.  But Moses understood it perfectly.  That's why in Exod 33:15, he said to the Lord, "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here."  The key is found one verse before, in v14, when God said to Moses, "My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Read that again!  And don't miss the connection between God's Presence and His Rest!  Think about this ... Moses was willing to forego the Promised Land if God did not go with him.  He knew that blessings without God would be meaningless.  He'd rather remain in the wilderness where he had the presence of God, than receive the promises apart from God!  In today's terms, it would be like saying, "Lord, don't heal me ... don't give me that raise ... don't grant me the job I've been asking for ... don't bless me with a bigger house ... if it means my relationship with You will be affected."  Can you imagine saying that at all?!

The scenario changes in the New Testament but the principle remains the same.  Through the person of Jesus Christ, we have God with us, Immanuel (Matt 1:23).  God's Presence is there for us if we would choose to run boldly into His arms through the living way made possible by Jesus.  In His Presence, we find love, peace, assurance, comfort,  joy, hope.  That's the rest that the Lord promises; the rest that so many desire to have, but so few experience.  It's found in relationship and communion with Him, in His Presence.

But sadly, and I am often guilty of this too, many prefer the presence of His promises more than the promise of His Presence.  Or even worse, to think we are in His Presence just because we are blessed materially or successful in ministry.  Oh, may I have the heart of Moses, the one who spoke to God face-to-face, the one who was willing to give up everything just to be in His Presence.  Oh, may I be like Mary, the one who chose the better part of sitting at the feet of Jesus, the one who was willing to tarry than be caught up in the hurry and flurry.

The promise of His Presence is there for me, as it is for you.  By God's grace, we no longer have to ask for it as Moses did.  But perhaps we have taken all that for granted and totally missed the significance,   Jesus said in Matt 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Will we run into His Presence? Will we enter His rest?

Showers of Blessing in Singapore

Outpouring - 27-28 March 2010 - Reported by Henson Lim
As part of Covenant Vision School of Ministry’s Certificate programme, students have to attend a 2D1N Encounter Weekend. This year’s was theme was “Send Your Rain” and a total of 70 participants came together to seek the Lord for a fresh outpouring of His Spirit. Interestingly, throughout the entire week leading up to the weekend, it rained and rained. I rejoiced in my heart … first in the natural, then in the spiritual!

Well, we did ask for the Lord to send His rain; and boy, did we receive it! When the Lord sends His rain, it doesn’t just drizzle … it pours! Awesome … during worship, during teachings, during prayer, during ministry … buckets and buckets of rain … heavy showers of His goodness, mercy, love and blessings.

From the word ‘go’ on Saturday morning, the Lord’s presence was with us. Whether just an admin instruction or an ice-breaker activity … the Lord was there. Hearts were so eager and so open to His leading and prompting. Everyone was so hungry and so expectant. We just knew God was going to move and work powerfully. When Sis Trisha began the first session of worship, she stood there overwhelmed and found it difficult to speak. Later, another sister encouraged her that she saw a huge dove hovering just above her! Every worship session was so uplifting as we exalted Jesus and declared His Name and Kingdom! Praise God for all the anointed worship leaders in Sis Trisha, Pastor George and Pastor Jun.

I am so, so awed by God’s leading in the teaching sessions. The speakers did not discuss their topics at all. Each was given the theme and as we sought the Lord, He led each of us so beautifully. Rev Francis Khoo opened with a strong reminder that the Spirit is given so that we can be empowered to fulfil the mission of the Kingdom, that we can also be enabled to live Kingdom lives. Bro Jacob Sim was next, and he shared from the depth of his heart. He encouraged everyone with the assurance that God’s promise is sure and the latter rain will come. But in the meantime, we must keep on keeping on, keep on believing, and keep on doing what we are each called to do.

That baton was handed to me and I released what I sensed the Lord was saying to the church in this critical season. I simply took over from where Bro Jacob left off. To keep on keeping on, we are to prepare and renew our minds, which leads to obedience, which pushes us towards holiness. The key that would keep us on track would be the fear of the Lord. A challenge was then made for all who desired to be Elijah Christians (as opposed to Ahab Christians). When they responded to the altar call, the Lord took over. I sensed such a strong presence, and when I shouted and declared, “He is coming, He is coming, He is here!” some went under the power of the Spirit without even anyone laying hands or praying. After that, it was so easy. We just allowed God to move and to minister, and so many were touched by His love and presence.

The next day, Rev Wilfred Png took to the pulpit and he promptly took over from where I stopped the night before … the fear of the Lord. It was a wonderful time of exploring Scriptures and being convinced and convicted of God’s promises those who know what it really means to fear Him. For too long, the church has rationalised and minimised the fear of the Lord. I believe this is such a word in season and it carries a very strong anointing for all who would receive it in their hearts and spirits. Rev Francis Khoo came on for the final session and issued another strong challenge for all to be raised up for God’s endtime purposes. One by one, the participants came up and knelt at the altar, offering and yielding their lives to the Master.

The Encounter Weekend ended on a very high note with many testimonies of how each encountered God in very special and personal ways. This is indeed no surprise at all. When we make time to meet God, He is always ready to meet with us! What fun it is to just frolick in His rain like little children. One sister even had a vision of pools of water and she was having such a great time swimming and splashing around.

What a weekend it has been! As I write this post, I am still so overwhelmed by the goodness and faithfulness of God. I am deeply humbled by how He allows us to partner Him in the work of the Kingdom that we can share in the joy of seeing breakthroughs in lives. Thank You, Lord, for sending Your rain! And yet, this is only the beginning of more to come