God Is Still Able - Henson Lim

Remember the time when faith was brimming and overflowing from within you?  It's as if each time you read the Bible, each word would literally jump right out of the page and into your heart.  You just lapped it all up.  No questions asked.  If God says it, you believed it.  Prayer was simple.  Decisions were easily made, standing on His promises.

Then the realities of life begin to hit you.  One by one, as if to wear you down bit by bit; like a wave that beats persistently against a rock, determined to reduce it to a stone, a pebble, a grain of sand, to nothing.  You still read the Word and you still pray.  But somehow, it's not like before.  For some strange reason, the dynamics have changed.  Don't you still believe?  Of course you do!  Don't you still have faith?  Of course you do!  And yet, the results are not as forthcoming.  Instead, the pace and demands of life become even more overwhelming.  You keep praying and you keep believing, but nothing seems to be happening.

To make it even more frustrating, you now know a lot more than when you first began. You have learnt so much more and have been exposed to so much more. You are more widely-read with deeper convictions. And yet, instead of helping, these have thrown up even more questions. What used to appear as black-and-white, today you realise some principles in certain situations are not quite as clear-cut.  Through experience, you discover that God cannot be put in a box.  His principles cannot simply be turned into formula statements.  His Word cannot be thrown about or applied as you please.

To make it even more challenging, you now come into contact with younger Christians, who like you before, are having mountain-top faith experiences.  They share with great joy and excitement.  You wonder, "Am I missing something here? What did I do or not do to lose what I once had?"  Ironically, these desire to be like you; but secretly, you wish you could be like them.  How easily and quickly they believe.  No questions asked.

Perhaps, that's where the key lies.  Think again.  Was it not the same childlikeness that caused you to believe and move as you did?  Did not that same boldness come from a simplicity of trust in the Lord and His Word?  What happened then?  Well, perhaps, the more you learned, the more you depended on yourself; the more you did for Him, the less you allowed Him to do through you; the more others looked up to you, the less you looked up to Him.

Yes, your faith must remain childlike.  That said, it must not remain childish, for we are all expected to grow from faith to faith.  As a young Christian, your faith grew when you saw the desired results - and the Lord obliged graciously.  But today, as a maturing Christian, your faith is to grow in another dimension ... when your desired result may not appear to be forthcoming at all.  You are in a different season and you are being stretched in different ways than when you were a baby Christian.  Perhaps, the most difficult thing for Christians to accept - and then to remember - is that God is more interested in the result we become in Him than the result we hope to receive from Him.  Easy?  Not at all.  That's what the Christian walk of faith, of spiritual maturity and discipleship, is all about.

Do not be discouraged or downcast.  Instead, know that you are in a good place.  The wave that beats persistently is God's instrument, not to break you down, but to shape you into what He wants you to be in Christ.  Take heart for your God has not changed at all.  He is still the same even as you undergo moulding and transformation.

Of course you know this.  And that's why you can confidently declare, "If God was able before, He is still able today."

Hidden Covetousness - Henson Lim

"You shall not covet your neighbour's house; you shall not covet your neighbour's wife, nor his male servants, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbour's." Exodus 20:17

I guess it is safe to assume that all - yes, all - of us struggle with this commandment.  There is not one who can say that he is above this or has dealt with covetousness so thoroughly that it is no longer an issue.  The sad truth is, even if I am not coveting at a particular moment, I am still covetous!  Deep within me, covetousness is hidden or nicely tucked away, waiting to be revealed at the next available opportunity.  How do I know this so well?  I know this from first-hand, personal experience.  Mind you, I don't declare this with pride but with disappointment.

I have a favourite saying of my own:  "By myself, I am the perfect Christian.  But put me in the presence of others, and the real me surfaces." This I have found to be true of the covetousness in me too.  On my own, I am happy (or so I think) with what I have.  Then I see what others have and I begin to think about how nice it would be to have the same thing too.  I rationalise that it would enhance my work and make me more effective for ministry.  Or I could be really happy with my little car ... nothing fancy and it gets me from Point A to Point B.  Then, I sit in someone else's car, sinking into the plush leather seats.  I look at the new hi-tech gadgets that come as a standard.  Even the beep of the reverse sensor sounds sweeter and more in-tune.

When I travel from home to work, and from work to home, I am thankful for the roof over my head.  Then, I visit a few homes and I notice the huge living rooms, the swimming pools, the gyms, the quiet surrounding of private properties.  I begin to fantasise that perhaps God would understand (and provide, even) if I got myself into some debt that I might enjoy the same comforts.  After all, if anyone needed a bigger house with more facilities, that would be me.  But wouldn't a bigger house require more work and effort to keep it neat, tidy and spotless?  And so, my covetous heart proceeds to contemplate the luxuries of having a few maids to help my dear wife manage the household chores and cooking.

Yes, I have covetousness hidden in my heart.  And it will always be there unless I learn what it truly means to have Christ and His words hidden in me instead.  Without Jesus, I am prone to find my security and sufficiency in the things and comforts of this world.  I will never be satisfied with what I have if I am not first satisfied with who Christ is to me.  If I am not careful, these I crave for can become hidden idols that I secretly worship in my heart.  When outwardly I profess Jesus, inwardly I am adulterous and unfaithful to Him.  Instead of seeking Him for who He is, I seek Him to provide that which rivals Him.

Dear Lord, search my heart and enable me to deal with the hidden covetousness that is there.  Open my eyes to see the beauty of Jesus and His glory that fully and truly satisfies.  Teach me to rejoice with others when I see how they are blessed.  Remind me to always be thankful for what I have and in all situations.  May I learn as Paul learnt - to be content in whatever state he found himself, relying solely and wholly in the Person of Jesus who alone strengthens him. Amen!

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?

Little Leadings by the Spirit - Henson Lim

Mention the leading of the Holy Spirit and one would almost expect to hear accounts of manifestations, prophetic utterances, mighty miracles and great spiritual exploits.  Not that these are inaccurate but perhaps we have been conditioned to expect only the big things when the Spirit desires to lead us even in the most mundane of chores.  In fact, I wrestled with the Spirit in one of these little leadings just the other day.

It had been a packed morning for me (as it usually is with our household of six* children) – getting the kids up and ready, helping with breakfast, rushing out and back with the bags of groceries.  Tired and exhausted, and it was only 10am, I had a quick shower and changed to leave for work.  The hot and humid weather didn’t help at all and within minutes, I was perspiring again as I packed my computer and work stuff, all the while thinking to myself, “Gotta get to office quick.  So much work to do!”

Just then, my one-year old daughter, Deborah, crawled in and I was greeted with her broad smile … and a strong scent that filled the entire room.  My little one had done ‘big business’ and there was no ignoring that fact, and smell.  Immediately, I rationalised, “I am too busy and I am running late.  Serene will just have to change her.”  At that moment, the Holy Spirit reminded me, “Your wife is unpacking the groceries, and the children are waiting for her to resume school with them.  Help her.  Change Deborah’s diaper.”

“But I am late!  I have work to do!”  I found myself arguing.  The truth was that I didn’t want to do it and I didn’t relish the inconvenience of the delay and detour from the nobler task of preparing the next lesson for my students at the School of Ministry.  But the one who needed to learn a lesson in ministry that morning was me, and the Holy Spirit gently said again, “Help her.  Change Deborah’s diaper.”  This time, I heeded the instruction and obeyed the Holy Spirit’s leading.

It is definitely more exciting to be led by the Spirit to do mighty things for God.  But God is looking for obedience not only in the big things, but also in the little things.  Interestingly, it is when we are faithful in the little things that God will move us on to bigger things.  Changing a diaper may not appear to extend the Kingdom of God at all, but it revealed the pride and self-importance I had placed upon myself and my ministry.  I may desire to excel in matters of the Kingdom but God knows the need to develop the character of the Kingdom in me before I can be trusted to manage such matters.  And that is what the leading of the Spirit is all about; that we may be changed by the Spirit into the image of Jesus Christ, from glory to glory (2 Cor 3:18).  Likewise, Rom 8:14 says, “For as many as are led by the Spirit, these are sons of God.”

Don’t limit the Holy Spirit to power encounters and supernatural happenings in church services and ministries only.  If you’d allow Him, God desires to lead you and guide you through every aspect of life in extremely real and practical ways.  The next time you feel a prompting to mop the floor, to switch off the light, to pick up litter, to clean up after your children, or to hug your spouse, it could very well be the leading of the Holy Spirit.  Be sensitive to His voice and be prompt to obey.

*as at the time of writing this article; the number has since increased to seven.

10 Keys to a Perfect Body - Henson Lim

The number “10” always indicates a completion or a perfection in God’s divine time. How significant that I should be invited to speak on “Unity in the Church” on 10 October 2010 ... 10.10.10! As I prepared, I entitled the message “The Perfect Man”, drawing 10 key points from Eph 4:7-16. But the night before, an idea popped into my head (definitely the Lord’s creative leading), and I promptly re-titled it, “10 Keys to a Perfect Body”.

On a scale of 1 to 10, how would Jesus score? Quite obviously, the answer would be, “A perfect TEN!”, for He is the only One who is perfect. From Eph 2:15, we see that the Church is a new man in Christ. A man, as we know, has both a head and a body. And Jesus, our Lord, is the Head and we are His Body. Now, whilst the Head is perfect, we know that the Body is not exactly there yet. Yet, in Christ, the Personification of Perfection, the Body has been given the Potential of Perfection! Hallelujah! That all sounds great, but look at Church Unity (or disunity) and we quickly realise that we are still a long way off the mark. For reflection and examination, to church leaders and members alike, allow me to humbly present the following “10 Keys to a Perfect Body” ...

1. Recognise the place of Grace wherever we are placed by His Grace

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” Eph 4:7

Each of us has been gifted and placed, not because we are good or deserving but entirely by His grace. As we make clear our place of calling, God graces us with a special favour to function well in that call. Some may be called to the frontlines and some to be in support of others. And to whom much is given, much is expected. According to the measure of Christ’s gift, grace is given that there may be no pressure on performance. Yet, this is no excuse for shoddy work, for in response to His grace, each will do the very best for the Master.

2. Understand and Utilise the Gifts

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, …” Eph 4:11

Even this one verse has drawn argument and contention within the Body. For sure, God has raised men and women who function strongly as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. These are all nice titles, but may we remember that it is God who appoints and not individuals themselves. More critically, God gave these for the benefit and profit of the Body, and not for the advancement of personal ministries. Whilst not all may be called into these offices, all are called to be sent (apostolic), to declare His Word (prophetic), to bring good news (evangelistic), to shepherd and care (pastoral), and to teach, correct and direct! The Body is not about individualistic, spiritual superstars. Understanding and utilising these gifts require submission and co-operation within the Church.

3. Equip the Saints, Edify the Body

“ … for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, …” Eph 4:12

For the gifts to function and to be fully activated, the Body must be equipped accordingly. To equip means to make fully ready, to arrange, to set in order, to complete, to bring to perfection ... that the work of the ministry may be done by all in the Body; not just a meagre 10% working with 90% criticising! Whilst a level of perfection is required for ministry, it is in and through ministry that the saints are further perfected. That’s how to Body is edified, strengthened and built up! It’s about the building of character and lives, not physical structures and programmes. Numbers are nice, but let’s be promptly reminded that they do not necessarily mean spiritual growth in the lives of the believers.

4. Focus on the Unity of the Faith

“… till we all come to the unity of the faith …” Eph 4:13a

If you haven’t already noticed, there is an attack on Christianity; not necessarily through physical persecution but through ideas, values and attitudes! Our faith is being shaped by consumer culture, the world has crept into the church, and pluralism has reduced Christianity into merely a system for moral living. Ask and interview Christians, and you will be sorely surprised by their lack of depth through shallow and superficial spiritual taglines! Whilst there is nothing wrong with personalising the faith, it has swung to an extreme of individualistic and self-centred faith. As such, there is no unity of the faith in the Body of Christ! Clearly, there is a strong need to go back to basics, to the fundamentals, to the “old ways” and the “ancient paths”. Our people must be taught again what the Church stands for and what she believes. Our pillars of the faith must be strengthened!

5. Strive for the Unity of the Knowledge of Jesus

“… and of the knowledge of the Son of God, …” Eph 4:13b

In the gospels, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” and more pointedly, “Who do you say that I am?” Similarly, there are many views about Jesus today. Interestingly, Jesus is not just everything to everyone, He’s anything to anyone! We all love and know Jesus as Saviour, Healer, Provider, Lover of my soul and Friend. But how about Lord and Master? The Church must strive for the unity of the knowledge of the Son of God, differentiating from just wanting to know what Jesus can do for me, to who He really is! We have to move on from mere intimacy in relationship to obedience to His mission and purpose! And to know Him is to be like Him. Like Paul, we too must strive for that perfection that is found only in Him.

6. Raise Spiritual Giants

“… to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, …” Eph 4:13c-14

Let us not be contented to stay spiritual infants but determine to grow into His fullness! Quite obviously, the enemy knows the problems he will have if every believer rises up as a spiritual giant. No wonder he keeps bringing deception, discouragement and distraction into the Body to keep us from growing and perfecting the Body. Which teaching is right? Which church trend is of the Lord? Should we embrace every spiritual move? Little children don’t know how to discern these, but will simply go with the flow and follow the crowd! Not that the churches are not filled with activity or offerings, but it is not about more head knowledge or more bible study programmes! The only safeguard against the wiles of the enemy is once again, the pursuit of the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of Jesus!

7. Speak Truth in Love

“… but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ…” Eph 4:15

While many Christians are all caught up with the “doing”, Paul shows us that our spiritual growth is best evidenced through the “speaking”. Is it not true that our speech often reveals or betrays us? For out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth shall speak! Our speech is a mark of Christian maturity (or the lack of). James 3:2 says, “If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” Some are very quick to speak the truth but without love, bringing offence, hurt and bitterness. Conversely, some only want to speak love, but are totally unwilling to confront the situation with truth. Perfection in the Body is demonstrated through our ability to speak the truth in love!

8. Check the Joints

“… from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies,…” Eph 4:15b-16a

When Body is not aligned with the Head, it results in a lot of aches! But if we are to be aligned with Jesus, the Head, we must be aligned with His purposes and His mission. Yet often, there is a disconnect between our lives, the church and the Kingdom. Our agendas are simply not in alignment with God’s will and purposes for the Kingdom! No wonder we experience such discomfort and pain. To be aligned with Jesus also means to be aligned with His Word. Instead, we tend to learn Christian truths and concepts in parts, and then mix and match these according to how we desire, taking things out of context. More discomfort and pain! Then there is the misalignment between leadership and the congregation. If we are all truly aligned with Jesus and with one another, do we have the same heart and the same mind? Are we willing to put petty differences aside for the sake of the Body? Are we willing to give up personal ground and rights for the greater good of the Kingdom? Or do we harbour hurt and unforgiveness in the Body? Only when the above points are addressed and put back in place will the joints begin the hold the Body together and enable it to move with purpose and direction.

9. Work Effectively

“… according to the effective working …” Eph 4:16b

All said, there is work to be done but it is must be done effectively through the effective working of God’s power. In other words, it must not be working for working’s sake or doing ministry simply for the sake of serving in the church. These may be needful but not necessarily effective. Instead of relying on our own strength, we have to learn to rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. This same power that raised Jesus from the dead will also bring life to our dead works. Only the Holy Spirit can empower the Word, bring new hope into situations, change and transform lives! Is it not scary that the reliance on ourselves, our methods, our know-how’s and our tradition can all render the Spirit’s power ineffective?

10. Make It Your Business to bring Growth

“… by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” Eph 4:16c

Finally, we have come full circle to where we first began our journey. The first point challenges us to recognise how each of us has been called and placed by His amazing grace. And with the measure that has been given to us, we are now expected to do our share. If not, grace would have been given and received in vain. Clearly, it is pointless to go through these 10 keys and not do anything about it. It would just be another great concept and teaching, but nothing is going to happen! Everyone knows that you don’t get a perfect body by just sitting down, surfing the net or watching TV. It’s time get off, get up and get on with some solid spiritual workout! Growth, unity and perfection depend on each and every one of us to work out what God has already worked in. But remember, don’t go it alone. Instead, stand on the Word and rely on the Holy Spirit “by which every part does its share.” Don’t keep waiting for others. Make it your business to bring growth to the Body.

“Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.” Heb 6:1-2 (emphasis mine)