Audio Bible

I found a website that provides "Audio Bible" service. (provided by BibleGateway.com)

Now I can use turn it on and listen to bible verses being read as I do my other work. I am quite excited about it, as now I can have one more way to saturate my mind with God's word.

If you have read my earlier blog on the benefits of being united with God's word, you would find out why this so excites me. CLICK HERE TO READ. I am now using it to listen to my favourite "Proverbs".

Along the way I have also put up a link to the web page beside my blog for your easy reference. Oh.. and also a bible verse quick search, just in case you need it.

"Do not be conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2)

Every time when I hear of preachers telling us how God spoke to them, and led them and guided them to make some decisions, I wondered how they did it. Why God leads them in such a way, but it doesn't happen to me? When I asked God for advice on which decision to make, why is it that I don't have answers from God saying, "do this" or "don't take the offer"?

This verse gives me an answer to my question. The Greek word for "test and approve" in this verse ("dokimazo") can also be translated as "discern". So, this verse can also be translated as such:

If our minds are renewed (by God's word), we will be able to discern what God's will is.

No wonder those preachers are so closely led by God! They have spent so much time reading God's word that their minds are so renewed by it. Hey, they don't simply go up there to preach unless they have read up quite a bit...

(In case you are wondering, I don't know Greek, but a software called "e-Sword" can come in quite handy if you want to do some research.)

Attitude Behind the Testimony

I was listening to a sermon by Joyce Meyer on the internet last night. Just want to share something that have caught my attention.

(Joyce Meyer's slot was right before Ps. Prince's slot which is at midnight, so sometimes if I was early I will listen to her message also, which I thought was very good and relevant and interesting)

She shared about this incident where she was having some problems (with her pantyhose that keep tearing up!). While she was in the toilet with a Christian friend, it happened again, for the fourth time that week. Out of frustration she just gave a sigh. Her friend said, "You know, I have prayed over my pantyhose and it didn't tear up, I've been using it for the past 6 months".

She felt discouraged after hearing that, it didn't occur to her that she needs to pray over her pantyhose. But the interesting thing is that sometime later this friend shared with her that almost immediately after she gave this "testimony", her pantyhose tore up! She decided to ask God why do these things happen so often... there are many times where we are experiencing victories in a certain area, but the moment we share it out, that victory stopped.

I thought that was interesting too... come to think of it, this "phenomenon" has also occured to me many times, just that i thought it was purely a coincidence and brushed it aside. Was it because God has decided to stop that blessing for a certain reason? What was the reason?

Wait a minute... aren't we suppose to share our testimonies to encourage and edify the church? Aren't the enemy defeated by the blood of Christ and the words of our testimony? So, why do sometimes when we hear other's testimony we feel discouraged and small instead of being encouraged and edified?

This was the answer given to Joyce Meyer:

The reason is because sometimes the motive behind the testimony is not to encourage others. Our motive is sometimes to show that we are slightly better than them.

Wow! I have learnt something important today. We should share out our testimonies to give God the glory, but the attitude behind the testimony is all so important because if we were not careful, we might end up getting the glory for ourselves... "God blessed me because I'm a good Christian, I did this and that...."

So, before we share out our testimonies, don't just blurt it out... apply some wisdom. Do some quick check:

1. What is our motive? Is it to give glory to God and to encourage our listeners? Does our testimony point to Jesus, or to ourselves?
2. Is this the right time to share it? We must also be sensitive to the situation of our hearers. An advice by Joyce Meyer: If someone is going through a tough time struggling in this area, don't share it at that moment... be sensitive!

Haha! I know it is quite a challenge... most of the time when we had a victory we are too excited to share it out, we will be too excited to think through what's the motive behind, whether it is the right time, etc... but growing in wisdom is also part of growing in our spiritual lives. Like the book of Proverbs say:

"A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver." (Proverbs 25:11)

A testimony aptly given can really encourage and edify your listener. He will say, "Ahh... God is REAL! I want that victory in my life!"

Man + Word Unite!

The other day I was watching this Chinese drama serial. One of the characters jovially explained to his friends that the reason why he was so good in his golf was because he will sleep hugging his golf clubs every night... and therefore resulting in his "man-and-golf club united as one" state!

I thought that was funny and didn't think much about it, until last night when I was just smiling to myself while thinking over that joke. I suddenly began to think, what would happen if we Christians can reach a state of "Man-and-Word-united-as-One"? That would be interesting, I thought to myself.

So, I decided to do some research into that thought. The first passage that came to mind is the passage where God gave Joshua a "briefing" on how to do well in leading the people of Israel into the Promised Land:

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:8)

The next passage that has something similar to say:

"...But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers." (Psalm 1:2-3)

Very interesting! Two different passages talking about what happens if you meditate on God's word day and nighthow: you will be successful and prosperous in "whatever we do" .

Imagine with me, how wonderful would it be if we can be successful and prosperous in whatever we do? We practically don't have to think much or worry about which course to take, which job to take, etc, because it really doesn't matter because whichever path you take will lead you to success. We will just enjoy life, worship God, literally walk into successes after successes without much worrying or struggling.

All this is very exciting for me. Since early this year I have been memorizing the book of Proverbs (18 verses so far), and that was exactly what I have been doing... meditating on it day and night. My aim is to memorize it at least once through chapter by chapter. Doing it together with Alisha makes it all the more fun, since we can recite it to each other and encourage each other. (Thank God for a girlfriend who shares your passion for Jesus!)

I am very excited to see how all these will turn out... I don't know how, but I know deep inside that 2008 is going to be a great year. For me, this year is going to be "The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not be in lack... surely goodness and love will pursue me all the days of my life".

The reason why David was a man after God's own heart. Part 2 : The Reason

The answer can be found in the following passage:

O LORD, remember David and all the hardships he endured.
He swore an oath to the LORD
and made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
"I will not enter my house
or go to my bed -
I will allow no sleep to my eyes,
no slumber to my eyelids, .... (Psalm 132:1-4)

This passage says that David had a life purpose, a passion and a deep desire, he said that he will not enter his house or allow sleep to his eyes until he does something.

What was the burning passion of his life, that David said that he will not rest or be contented with his life until this one thing is fulfilled? Before we go into the answer to this, let us look at the background to the story of David in order for us to fully appreciate the significance of David's life purpose:

The Background:

The background to this story can be found in 1 Samuel 4-7. At that time in history Israel still had no king yet, and the Israelites were having battles with the Philistines. When they realised that they were losing the battle, they brought the ark of the covenant of God with them into the battlefield, hoping that they can now perhaps win the battle.

However, the Israelites lost the battle that day and many Israelites were killed on that day. The Philistines captured the ark of the covenant and brought it to their homeland.

The Philistines at first brought the ark of the covenant into their pagan temple, but after a series a 'mishaps', the Philistines became very afraid and they decided to send the ark back to Israel.

The returning of the ark was halted halfway when many people were struck down and died when they looked inside into the contents of the ark. The Israelites, too, became afraid and decided keep it instead at a place called Kiriath Jearim.

The bible says that the ark was kept there for some 20 years. Throughout that entire time, no one in Israel had a heart to bring the ark back to Jerusalem.

David's Heart Desire

With that background in mind, let us go into the one thing that David had desired in his heart:

"I will allow no sleep to my eyes, no slumber to my eyelids,

till I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.

(Psalm 132:4-5)

When David was still a youth tending his father's flock in the field, he has heard about the news of the ark being captured and that nothing was being done to bring it back to its place in Jerusalem.

David has set it his life purpose to bring the ark back into its resting place.

And when God sees that David's desire was to fulfil what was in God's heart himself, God was so pleased with David that He lavished on David all the blessings and resources required to accomplish this task.

Personal Comments and Application

This is something I have learnt from listening to Ps. Joseph Prince's sermon. The question to this is indeed something I have been thinking about since I was a new believer. Many possible answers have been considered, but none of which so far has settled in.

Not until recently when this message was being preached by Ps. Prince... when I heard it, I knew deep inside me, "yes.. this is it!".

How does this apply to my life? We need to translate this to our present lives: The ark of God represents God's manifest presence, and Jerusalem is the centre point of Israel.

Personally, this is how it applies in my life: I will set my life purpose to bring Jesus into the hearts of people. For me, this will mean sharing the gospel to unbelievers, strengthening God's church and establishing God's covenant of grace. This will be the theme for my life.

The reason why David was a man after God's own heart.

David was a fascinating character in the Bible. At a young age God has already chosen him to be king over His people Israel. He was the only person in the Bible whom God declared was a man after God's own heart.

For God to say that David was a man after His own heart, it means that David knew what was in God's heart, in other words, he knew what God's desires was, and that he was actively seeking God's heart, and seeking to accomplish what God desires.

David made God's desires his own desires.

God so pleased with David, that it was stated in the Bible that God actually liked him.

Howbeit the LORD God of Israel chose me before all, the house of my father to be king over Israel forever: for he hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father; and among the sons of my father he liked me to make me king over all Israel: (1 Chronicles 28:4 KJV)

And God did not stop there!

Not only was God pleased with David, God was pleased to bless him. When we read the story of David in the bible, we can't help but notice that David's whole life was so filled with success, so successful that even the king of that day, King Saul was afraid of him. (1 Samuel 18:14-15)

• God granted him great wealth and prosperity.
• God gave him wisdom beyond that of his enemies (Psalm 119:98)
• God gave him victory over his enemies and greatly increased the boundaries of his kingdom
• God protected him from all his enemies
• He had favour with many other other people. Some of his friends loved him so much that they were even willing to risk their lives to get David a drink of water (1 Chronicles 11:15-19)
• "In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him" (1 Samuel 18:14)
• This is a recurring theme in his story: "The LORD gave David victory everywhere he went" (2 Samuel 8:6, 14; 1 Chronicles 17:6, 13)
• God was pleased to make a covenant with David, a covenant which is everlasting and irrevocable, that his throne will be secure through all generations. This covenant was known and referred to as "the sure mercies of David". (Isaiah 55:3, Acts 13:34)

It seemed that David's whole life has been marked out for God's blessings!

But, what was the main reason why David was a man after God's own heart? What was the main attribute that has set him apart from all other great heroes of the Bible?

The answer to this is really a great revelation for myself. I have been meditating on these truths for the past few days, it was so exciting... I have decided that this will be my personal theme and goal for the year 2008 and beyond.

I have purposed in my heart that I want to be like David, to be a man after God's very own heart.

In my next post: THE REASON.