Author: Sis Mhay

When a rich young ruler called the Lord Jesus good teacher, He said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Mark 10:18)

Often we think some people are good and some people are bad or evil. But, the Lord Jesus said actually no one was good. Only God is good. We think some people are good and some people are not good because we use human understanding and standard to measure goodness.

Why did the Lord Jesus said that no one was good, but only God was good? What is goodness actually? The Psalmist wrote, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (Psa 118:1, 29) The goodness of God is related to His enduring mercy. It means God is good because He always shows mercy.

When Moses asked the Lord to show His glory, He answered, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you.” (Exo 33:19) What is the glory of the Lord? It is all His goodness. What is all the goodness of the Lord? When the Lord passed before Moses, He proclaimed, “The Lord , the Lord  God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” (Exo 34:6-7) So, all the goodness of the Lord is proclaimed in His name and they are related to His enduring mercy.

Goodness is not related to the moral quality of a person, but instead to his mercy quality. The parable of the good Samaritan illustrates this truth.

“A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.  Now by chance a certain priest came down that road. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.  Likewise a Levite, when he arrived at the place, came and looked, and passed by on the other side.  But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he had compassion.  So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.  On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you.’  So which of these three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?” And he said, “He who showed mercy on him.” (Luke 10:30-37)

Both the priest and the levite had moral uprightness, but the Samaritan had mercy. So, it is the Samaritan who is truly good, not the priest or the levite.

Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith (Acts 12:24). Why? He had compassion on the needy among the saints and showed mercy by selling the land that he had and brought the money to the apostles to be distributed to those who lack (Acts 4:36-37)

It is written, “how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38) God anointed the Lord Jesus with the Holy Spirit that He bore the fruit of Spirit goodness in His life. He went about doing good to people who suffered and had need. Thus, goodness is the expression of the enduring mercy of God and His kindness to people.

Scripture : Hebrews 11:1

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

The Christian life is a journey of faith with God. It begins and ends with faith in the Lord Jesus (Heb 12:2). Along thiis journey, the righteousness of God will be revealed from faith to faith because those are justified by God shall live by faith (Rom 1:17). Faith is the key in our relationship with God because without it we will never be able to please God (Heb 11:6). Therefore, it is very important for us to have an accurate understanding of faith. Now, in order to really understand what faith is, it is helpful for us to know what faith is not.

One of the most common misunderstandings about faith is we must deny the reality to be in faith. We close our eyes from the reality before us because we think that if we acknowledge it, we do not have faith. Therefore, when we are sick, we say we are healed; when we are weak, we say we are strong; when we do not have a certain thing, we say we already have it, etc. But then we become disappointed because the reality that we deny is still there before us. What is wrong here? It is our understanding of faith that is not accurate. Faith is not denying the reality at all. On the contrary, it acknowledges the reality. But, it refuses that reality to continue to exist because of the existence of another reality. This reality, although it is invisible, nonetheless, is more powerful.

Faith does not deny the visible reality, but refuses that visible reality to continue to exist because of another reality which is more powerful than that. This more powerful reality is the invisible reality. Therefore, if we truly have faith, we will not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen because we know that the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor 5:7; 4:18). So, when we are sick, instead of saying we are healed, we say we are sick, but by His stripes we were healed (1 Pet 2:24); when are weak, instead of saying we are strong, we say we are weak, but the strength of Christ is made perfect in weakness, and when we are weak, then we are strong (2 Cor 12:9-10).

Another most common misunderstanding about faith is believing what we want to believe. What does it mean? It means we choose to believe something because we want it to be true. This usually happens when we have a very strong desire about something. For example, we are in a certain situation and we desire a certain outcome from that situation. We also know that God is able to give the outcome we desire. Then, it is very natural that we will choose to believe what we want to believe. Now, in this case, we may or may not get what we believe. We cannot be sure.

If we have a very strong desire in our heart about a certain thing or situation, it will greatly influence what we believe about it. We will tend to believe what we want to believe. But believing what we want to believe is not faith. To help us understand more clearly we will take look at one hypotetical case. Let’s say that we are in the process of securing a business deal in another city. We want that deal so much and we know that God is able to give it to us. But, the problem is to secure that deal we have to leave our present highly paid job because we have to spend so much time away. After giving some time to think about it seriously, we finally resign from our job and spend much time securing that deal, believing that God is going to give us that deal. Now, will the deal finally be secured? May be, but we cannot be sure. Why? Because what we believe is not actually based on God’s specific will, but on our own will.  Therefore, in such situation, it is better for us to say, “If the Lord wills.”

Yet another most common understanding about faith is confusing it with hope. We say that we have faith, but many times what we actually have is hope. It is true that hope is included in faith (Heb 11:1), but hope is not the same as faith. What is hope? Hope gives us a positive outlook towards the future. Hope enables us to say that something good can or may happen to us. When we say that God is going to heal us, or that God is going to give us what we ask of Him, often what we actually say is not a confession of faith, but a confession of hope, which is important to hold fast (Heb 10:23) as an anchor of our soul (Heb 6:19). They are confessions of hope because they only point to the future possibilities.

What is the difference between hope and faith? Hope is an expectation that a certain thing will happen one day whereas faith is an assurance that a certain thing will happen at any time. When we have hope, we still cannot be sure. But when we have faith, we will be sure. Why? Because faith brings the things we hope for to the present by having them as a substance in us (Heb 11:1). We are assured now that what we hope for is bound to happen because we already have it as a present invisible reality.

Faith is not denying the visible reality, but replacing the visible reality with the invisible reality. The apostle Paul wrote, “while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” (2 Cor 4:18). Faith is not believing what we want to believe but believing what God wants us to believe because faith actually comes from God’s word. The apostle Paul wrote, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Rom 10:17) Faith is not hoping that something will happen to us one day but knowing that something is bound to happen to us at any time because we already have the substance of that thing now. The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)

In his gospel, John wrote, “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.” (John 11:5) Martha, her sister Mary and Lazarus were siblings. They did not belong to the same family as Jesus. Nor were they known specifically as Jesus’ disciples. But, Jesus loved them. They were Jesus’ friend. Jesus often visited their house and stayed with them.

Only a few encounters Jesus had with Mary, Martha and Lazarus were recorded in the Holy Scripture. Two of these encounters are Jesus’ visit to their house (Luke 10:38-42) and the raising of Lazarus from death (John 11:1-44). Mary, Martha and Lazarus are three different individuals of the same family. Each one describes one aspect of ministry. Mary represents worship, Martha represents service and Lazarus represents glory. These three aspects of ministry must be in the right order. Ministry begins at Jesus’ feet, it begins with worship; followed by washing people’s feet, serving them and the result should be the transformation in their lives from death to life and freedom.

1. Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet to hear His word (Luke 10:39)

The beginning of ministry is not washing the feet of the people but sitting at the feet of Jesus. The beginning of ministry is not humbling ourselves before people but before Jesus. The ministry does not start with speaking to people but with hearing from Jesus. If we do not humble ourselves and sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His word, it will be very difficult for us to humble ourselves before people, to wash their feet, serving them and we have no words from God to speak to them.

The problem with many of us is we often come to Jesus just to speak to Him. We may sing to Him but we do not really worship. We just want talk in prayer, but never listen. If we worship Jesus, His presence will bring us to quietness so that we can hear from Him. Then when we speak to Jesus it is more as a response than as a request.

When we often sit at Jesus’ feet and hear His word, we will get to know Him. Because Mary often sat at Jesus’ feet, she got to know Him. When Jesus was about to die, she kind of knew that. So, she came to Him, taking with her a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, then anointed His feet and wiped His feet with her hair (John 12:3). Jesus said she did it for the day of His burial (John 12:7).

2. Martha serving people at the table (John 12:2)

Ministry is not only sitting at Jesus’ feet but washing the people’s feet as well. Ministry is not only worshiping God but serving people as well. To wash the people’s feet we must humble ourselves before them and bear with their conditions. In serving people, we must attend to their needs. Like Martha, we must be diligent and fervent in spirit in doing so (Rom 12:11). Nevertheless, if we do not spend enough time at Jesus’ feet in worship to hear His word, we will be troubled and worry about many things like Martha when we serve people. We will easily be distracted and discouraged. Then we will not be effective in serving.

3. Lazarus raised from death and set free (John 11:44)

Ministry is not serving people and meeting their needs by any means but by the glory of God only. Why? Because any other means has no power to bring people from death to life and set them free. Only the glory of God can do that. But the glory of God will not manifest if there is no worship. After their brother Lazarus died of sickness both Martha and Mary came to Jesus, saying the same thing, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” (John 11:21 32) Martha most likely was standing on her feet and feeling angry when she said that, but Mary was falling down at Jesus’ feet in worship and weeping when she said that. The glory of God did not manifest after Martha came to Jesus. It manifested only after Mary came to Jesus. This glory of God raised Lazarus from death.

With Jesus every helpless and hopeless situation is an opportunity for the glory of God. When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” (John 11:4) But for that glory to be manifested, faith must be present. Jesus said, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40) And faith will be imparted to us as the spirit when we worship God.

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:23

“Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

God created man according to His own image (Genesis 1:27). In line with God Himself as a trinity, man was made as one tripartite being. There are three parts that constitute man: spirit, soul and body, but these three are one. The spirit is the innermost part of his being and is the essence of his being. By his spirit, man can be conscious of God and have communion with God. The soul is his intermediate part that makes him conscious of himself and is the seat of his personality. The soul itself is composed of three major areas : mind, emotion and will. The body is the outermost part of man and is visible. It is the means whereby man relates to the physical world. The spirit, the soul and the body are different parts of man’s being, but they are intricately interconnected.

When God first created man in His own image, his spirit, his soul and his body were perfect. Each part was perfect in itself and they were perfect in harmony one with another. His spirit was always conscious of God and had an uninterrupted and intimate communion with Him. What he experienced in his spirit then flowed to his soul. The presence of God and the glory of God filled his personality. He had no trouble in knowing the mind of God, in feeling His emotion, and in surrendering to His will. He found himself completely in God. His body, in turn, then expressed this perfect state of his soul as he related to the physical world. Therefore, he could subdue the earth and exercise dominion over all other creations of God easily. Thus, originally, the spirit of the man controlled his soul, and then his soul expressed this control of the spirit through his body.

Because of sin, the spirit of the man was separated from God. This state is called death (Romans 6:23). Consequently, his soul became corrupted because it was cut off from the glory of God. Man became more conscious of himself than of God. His own self took the place of God. He became afraid of God, rebellious and wise in his own eyes. The desires of his body became uncontrolled and predominant. His body now controls his soul. Because the spirit of the man no longer supplied the life of God to his body, his body began to experience decay.

Through the Lord Jesus, God has provided salvation for the whole being of man (Hebrews 7:25). His spirit, his soul and his body can be restored to their original state and their order. When a man receives this salvation, his spirit is instantly made alive by the Holy Spirit and becomes conscious of God again. Then by constantly feeding himself with the word of God, his spirit will grow and become strong. The apostle Peter wrote, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,” (1 Peter 2:2)

After a man’s spirit has become alive his soul can begin to be restored. Much of the restoration of the soul is about the renewal of the mind. The apostle Paul wrote, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2) How can a man renew his mind? By meditating the word of God day and night. Joshua wrote, “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.” (Joshua 1:8)

As a man’s mind is renewed by the word of God, he will live according to the Spirit and his body will receive life from the Holy Spirit in him. The apostle Paul wrote, “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Romans 8:11) Now by the Holy Spirit he can put to death the sinful deeds of his body, discipline his body and bring it into subjection (Romans 8:13; 1 Corinthians 9:27)

When the restoration of the state of a man’s spirit, his soul and his body takes place; his spirit, his soul and his body are put back in the original order. His spirit controls his soul, and then his soul controls his body. Then he can live as God created him to be, that is, to have dominion over the earth so that all things are subjected under his feet. The writer of the book of Hebrews wrote, “You have put all things in subjection under his feet.” (Hebrews 2:8)

Dominion is possible only when our spirit, our soul and our body have been restored into their right state and order. Therefore, we should always grow in our spirit, renew our mind and discipline our body that we are sanctified completely and our whole spirit, soul and body are preserved blameless until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:23).

There are three basic spiritual practices that we must learn to do secretly. Secretly here means not before men to be seen by them. These spiritual practices are doing charitable deeds, praying, and fasting. If we do them to be seen by men, God will not reward us. But if we do them not to be seen by men, God will reward us openly. When God rewards us openly, men will clearly see it.

The Lord Jesus said to His disciples,

“Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven. Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” (Mat 6:1-4)

“And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Mat 6:5-6)

“Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Mat 6:16-18)

When we do a charitable deed, like giving alms or feeding the hungry, we should do it in secret. We do not tell anyone before or after we do it. When a blind man begged the Lord Jesus to heal him, He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. After He healed him, He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town nor tell anyone in the town.” (Mrk 8:22-26) When we pray, we should go into our room and shut the door or go to a solitary place. We do not pray to be seen by men. Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, the Lord Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed (Mrk 1:35). When we fast, either we should go to a solitary place or our face should look fresh so that we do not appear to men to be fasting. The Lord Jesus fasted in the wilderness where there were no people (Mat 4:1-2).  

Doing charitable deeds, praying and fasting can be done individually and God will reward us openly if we do it in secret, not to be seen by men. Nevertheless, God will reward us more if we do those three spiritual practices together. We do charitable deeds during or immediately after prayer and fasting.

Scripture : Proverbs 14:14

“The backslider in heart will be filled with his own ways”

Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot are two disciples of the Lord Jesus. They were chosen by the Lord Himself and followed Him everywhere He went. They had a common experience of falling into a terrible sin. Peter denied the Lord three times (Mat 26:69-75) whereas Judas betrayed the Lord by selling Him to the chief priests, scribes and elders for thirty pieces of silver (Mat 26:14-16). Both of them acknowledged that they had sinned against Jesus and were remorseful (Mat 26:75, 27:3). Peter came back to the Lord and was restored, while Judas went away and committed suicide. The question is, why was Peter restored, but Judas was not?

Peter, when he fell into sin, was in a good spiritual state. He was in love with the Lord Jesus that he said that he was willing to die with Him (Mat 26:35). Judas, on the other hand, was already in the backslidden state when he betrayed him. He used to steal the money that was put in the money box before he sold Jesus for thirty pieces of silver (John 12:6).

When we fall into sin, it doesn’t always means that we are backsliding in our heart or in a bad spiritual state because falling into sin and backsliding in heart are two different things. Falling into sin is an event whereas backsliding in heart is a state. It is true that when we are backsliden in heart, we will easily fall into sin. Nevertheless, we still could fall into sin even when we are in a good spiritual condition. The possibility is always there.

King David fell into sin when he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband, Uriah. But, he was not backsliding in his heart from the Lord. His heart was still loyal to the Lord his God (1 Kings 11:4). King Solomon, on the other hand, was backsliding in his heart from the Lord in his later years and fell into the sin of idolatry. He worshiped foreign gods (1 Kings 11:4-6).

We could fall into sin at any state, whether when we are backsliding in our heart or when we are moving forward spiritually, though the chance of falling into sin when we are backsliding is greater than when we are moving forward. If we fall into sin when we are backsliding, it is more difficult for us to be restored. We may be remorseful, but we may not come back to the Lord because we have lost our love for Him and find our heart so hardened that it is difficult for us to repent. There is always a danger that we sink deeper and deeper into sin until we cross the line where we find no place for repentance anymore like Esau (Heb 12:17). On the other hand, if we fall into sin when we are moving forward, we can be restored immediately because we still have love for the Lord and our heart is still gentle and soft. Nevertheless, we will suffer some consequences in proportion to the gravity of our sin. King David was instantly restored when he was rebuked by Nathan of his sins of adultery and murder because he still loved the Lord. His heart is still gentle and soft that he readily acknowledged that he had sinned against the Lord his God (2 Sam 12:13). Nevertheless, he would have to suffer the consequences of his sins. There would be adversity against him from his own house, his wives will be taken from him and be given to his neighbors, and his child who was to be born to him would die (2 Sam 12:10-12,14).

There is always a possibility of falling into sin even though we are in a good spiritual state. The reason for this is human weakness and imperfection. If we stop when we are supposed to move forward, we make ourselves vulnerable to temptation and we can easily fall into sin. King David was supposed to go out to battle, but he lingered in Jerusalem and was idle in his house (2 Sam 11:1). One evening he walked on the roof of his house and he saw a woman bathing. He was tempted and fell into adultery (2 Sam 11:2-4). This sin should have never happened, but because King David stopped moving forward and did not guard his heart, he fell into it. There are occasions when we fall into sin which we could have avoided. We fall into it because we stop moving forward and do not guard our heart with all diligence. However, there are also times when it is impossible for us not to fall into sin even though we don’t stop from moving forward spiritually. This is because of the inherent nature of independence and stubbornness that we still have inside us. The Lord Jesus knew that Peter would fall into sin by denying Him three times when satan sifted him as wheat although he said that he was ready to go with Him, both to prison and to death (Luk 22:31-34).

The most dangerous state that we can be in is backsliding in heart (Prov 14:14). It is the state of our heart in which we draw back from God. We move away from Him and our soul no longer follows closely behind Him. There are three stages of backsliding in heart :

1) We harden our heart (human choice).

2) Demons harden our heart (demonic bondage).

3) The Lord hardens our heart (God’s judgement)

The first stage of our backsliding in heart takes place when we begin to lose our focus on God. Other things, such as the cares, riches and pleasures of this life (Luk 8:14), begin to distract us and we no longer look unto Jesus (Heb 12:2). Slowly but surely, we become occupied by them. Our heart is divided. This affects our relationship with God. There is no longer intimacy in our fellowship with Him and we become far from Him. God’s commandments become burdensome to us and we begin to do things our way. At this stage, we will still feel the Holy Spirit grieves in our heart (Eph 4:30) and convicts us in our conscience so that we may repent (Heb 3:15). However, if we choose to harden our heart, He will draw back from us. Our heart will grow hard like Pharaoh (Exo 7:13,22; 8:15,19,32).

If we continue to harden our heart when our heart is divided instead of repenting immediately, we are in danger of being pulled away farther from God by the evil force. Demons begin to bind us (2 Tim 2:26) and we will have no power to overcome temptations. We will fall into sins and not able to rise again. We will be enslaved by sins (Rom 6:20) and sink deeper and deeper in our sins. We will be filled with our own ways (Prv 14:14) and be entangled again in the pollutions of the world and overcome (2 Pet 2:20). At this stage, our heart will be so hardened like Pharaoh (Exo 9:7) because of the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13) and the demonic bondage. Now, if it is the first or the second time we fall into this stage, God will still have mercy on us. He will help us come to our senses (Luk 15:17) and deliver us from the snare of the devil (2 Tim 2:26). However, if we have been in and out of this stage several times, God may choose to have us delivered to satan for the destruction of our flesh, that our spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus (1 Cor 5:5)

The third and final stage of backsliding in heart occurs when we become separated so far from God that we cross the line of death. Every sin committed before we cross this line is sin not leading to death and every sin committed after we cross this line is sin leading to death (1 Jhn 5:16). Once we cross this line of death, we will fall away completely and God Himself will harden our heart like He did with Pharaoh (Exo 9:12,35; 10:20,27; 11:10) so that He might execute His righteous judgement on us. Our conscience will be so seared with a hot iron (1 Tim 4:2) that we will sin willfully even though we have received the knowledge of truth (Heb 6:6; 10:26). At this stage, we will be counted as those who have trampled the Son of God underfoot, crucified Him again for ourselves and put Him into an open shame; counted the blood of the covenant by which we were sanctified a common thing; and insulted the Spirit of grace (Heb 6:6; 10:29). We will fall into the hands of the living God and will be counted as His adversaries. We will find no place for repentance anymore, but a certain fearful expectation of judgement and fiery indignation from God which will devour us (Heb 10:27; 12:17). Our name which has been written in the Book of Life will be blotted out (Rev 3:5).

Backsliding in heart is a serious matter. God has no pleasure in us if we draw back from Him (Heb 10:38). The question now is “How can we keep our heart from backsliding?” The most important thing that we can do is to make sure that our heart is always completely surrendered to God. Then, we must also keep this surrendered heart with all diligence that it stays surrendered and does not become divided. If we find ourselves begin to be distracted by other things and we tend to do things our way, then it shows that our heart begins to stray away from its surrendered state. We must come to God as soon as possible, repent sincerely and surrender back our heart to Him. A daily communion with God and a consistent assembling of ourselves together where we can receive exhortation daily will create an atmosphere that helps us to keep our heart from backsliding.

What is prayer? Prayer can be a lot of things. It can be a means of making request to God. It can be a means of expressing what is in our heart to God, etc. However the most basic thing about prayer is it is a communion with God. Through prayer a relationship with God is built. Therefore, the more we pray the more we should know God.

There are three things that we need to experience in our communion with God :

1. Connection with God.

2. Communication with God.

3. Cooperation with God.

1. Connection with God.

Connecting with God is the first thing that must happen if we want our prayer to be a communion with God. How do we know if we have established a connection with God? We could sense or feel His presence. What kind of presence of God that we can feel when we are connected with Him? The presence of God as Man because God has become a Man in the person of the Lord Jesus. How can we feel this presence of the Lord Jesus? By believing He is right before us (Psa 16:8).

2. Communication with God.

After we feel the presence of God before us, then we should begin to communicate with Him. Communication is two ways, therefore, we should not only speak, but listen as well. We speak to God, and God listens. God speaks to us, and we listen (Job 13:22). The easiest way to listen to God is to read the Bible, which is the Word of God, audibly. As we do that, we shall hear the words that we read and God will use those words to speak to us. How do we know that God has spoken? We feel our heart is touched by the words we read.

3. Cooperation with God.

Our communication with God must lead to cooperation with God. Why? Because every word that God has spoken must be responded before it can bear fruit in our lives. How do we respond to the words which God has spoken? By agreeing and believing those words. However, to agree and to believe, we must surrender our thoughts and our wills to God and submit to His thoughts and His wills. How do we know that we have cooperated with God? We experience God working in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure (Phi 2:13).

Scriptures: Matthew 25:1-13

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.  Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,  but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. “And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.  And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’  But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’  And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’  But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour  in which the Son of Man is coming.

The parable of the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins describes how God will make separation among His people, His church, in these last days. A virgin is a picture of a believer and five is a picture of a group. We are approaching the most important day for the church when she will be the bride of Christ and be united forever with the Lord Jesus as her bridegroom.

The parable of the five foolish virgins and the five wise virgins describes who, among His people, will go with the Lord Jesus to His wedding. Not every believer will take part in the wedding between the Lord Jesus and the church. Only the believers who are counted as the wise virgins will be there.

Both the foolish and the wise virgins in the parable take their lamps. However, the foolish virgins do not take oil in their vessels, whereas the wise virgins take oil in their vessels. There will be no difference nor separation between the foolish virgins and the wise virgins if the bridegroom is not delayed in his coming. Both the foolish and wise virgins will be able to find the way to meet the bridegroom because all their lamps will still be burning. But, the bridegroom is delayed. When the bridegroom finally comes, the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because there is no more oil in their vessels, but the lamps of the wise virgins are still burning because they still have oil in their vessels.

The lamp represents the light of God’s word. King David wrote, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

(Psa 119:105) The oil represents the Holy Spirit as the fuel that keeps the lamp burning. The apostle Paul wrote, “Do not quench the Spirit.” (1 The 5:19) The foolish virgins are the believers who have the word of God in their lives, but the word of God that they have no longer gives light to their feet and path because they lack the fuel of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The wise virgins are the believers who have the word of God in their lives and the word of God that they have continues to give light to their feet and path because they are full of the fuel of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

To be counted as the wise virgins we must not only have the word of God in our lives, but we must always be full of the Holy Spirit as well. When we are full of the Holy Spirit, we shall not sit still but shall go as witnesses to the Lord Jesus (Act 1:8). Like a car, when there is fuel in its tank, its engine can be turned on. In the same manner, when the Holy Spirit is in our lives, our spirit can be turned on by prayer and worship because our spirit is like the car’s engine. After the engine is heated, then the car is ready to move and go. After our spirit is burning, then we are ready to move and go as the Lord’s witnesses.

What is a witness? A witness is someone who tells what he has seen and heard. He must have a first-hand experience. He cannot speak something he has heard from someone else. A witness of the Lord Jesus Christ is a believer who declares what he has seen and heard in his spirit, not what he has heard from someone else. We are supernaturally transformed into the witnesses of the Lord Jesus when we are filled with the Holy Spirit because as we are being filled, we shall see or hear in our spirit. Then, we speak what we have seen and heard with our spirit.

The last days are like the night. We will easily fall asleep. It is the time of darkness. We will not be able to see. To be spiritually awake and watchful in the last days we need the lamps of the word of God in our lives. To find the path to the wedding place of the Lord Jesus we also need the lamps of the word of God. Our lamps must not go out. Therefore, we must always be full of the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit is the fuel that will keep the lamps of the word of God burning in our lives. The Lord Jesus warned us, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” (Mat 25:13)

Scripture: Luke 12:35

“Let your waist be girded and your lamps burning”

Those are the words of the Lord Jesus to His servants in the last days before His return. A servant whose waist is girded is a servant who is always ready to serve his master, while a servant whose lamp is burning lamp is a servant who always has light to keep him awake, to keep him from falling asleep (Luke 12:37).

How can we keep our waist girded as the Lord’s servants? How can we always be ready to serve the Lord? Our waist is girded by a belt. Belt is related to truth (Eph. 6:14). The truth of God’s word girds up our mind so that it will not easily fall into thoughts of men. The Lord Jesus said to His Father, “Your word is truth.”  (John 17:17) The apostle Peter wrote, “Therefore gird up the loins of your mind.” (1 Pet. 1:13) So, to always be ready to serve God our mind must always be girded by the truth of God’s word. For this to happen, we must constantly listen to God’s word.

How can we keep our lamps burning?  How can we always be spiritually watchful and do not fall asleep? The lamp represents God’s word that enters our heart.  The psalmist wrote, “The entrance of Your words gives light; It gives understanding to the simple.”  (Ps. 119: 130) God’s word that only enters our mind but does not enter our heart will not give light.  So, to always be spiritually watchful and do not fall asleep, our heart must always receive God’s word.  For this to happen, we must constantly meditate on God’s word.

Scriptures: Romans 8:29-30

“For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.”

God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows the end from the beginning. Therefore, He plans our lives from the beginning to the end even before we live on this earth. It is called predestination. What is God’s predestination for us? It is that we should be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

God’s predestination for us is divided into three stages. Each stage ìs related to a specific work of each person of God the Trinity:

1. The calling from God the Father.

2. The justification through the Lord Jesus.

3. The glorification in the Holy Spirit.

Does God exist? This question must be answered first before we can enter God’s predestined plan for us. How do we know there is a God? The apostle Paul wrote that even though we could not see God, but His invisible attributes are clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead (Rom 1:20). It means by looking at the things around us in nature we will know there is God out there. This is God Father calling us.

If God does really exist, then the next question is “What kind of God is He?” He is the God who loves us so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us that we may justified before Him. Our greatest problem is sin. Sin separates us from God. We become so far from God that God is no longer real to us. So, God became a man and dwelt among us, the invisible became visible. Then, as a man He died on the cross for us that we might be made righteous before God. This is God the Son justifying us.

What is the purpose of God justifying us through His Son? First, it is to reconcile us with God so that we can have relationship with Him. Second, it is to open the way for God to come into our lives and lives in us. God then sent the Holy Spirit to abide in us. The Holy Spirit who is in us will transform us into the image of the Son of God so that we may be able to express God through our lives. This the Holy Spirit glorifying us.

The picture of God’s predestination can be seen in the life of David. David was predestined to be king over Israel, but he had to go through the three stages of God’s predestination before he actually fulfilled God’s plan for his life. He was called when he was anointed with oil, he was justified when did not dare touch the Lord’s anointed and he was glorified when he became king of Judah.

David received God’s calling for his life when Prophet Samuel anointed him with oil, and the Spirit of the Lord came upon him from that day forward (1 Sam 16:13). The sign of what God predestined him to be, a king over God’s people, began to be seen. Then he was justified of his calling to be a king by not killing or harming king Saul though he had opportunities to do so. He did not dare to touch the Lord’s anointed because he understood that it was God Himself who anointed Saul to be king over Israel.

David was glorified and promoted to be king after he overcame the greatest loss of his life in Ziklag. The Amalekites attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way, including David and his men’s wives, sons, and daughters (1 Sam 30:1-3) David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God (1 Sam 30:6). Eventually, David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives. And nothing of theirs was lacking, either small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything which they had taken from them; David recovered all (1 Sam 30:18-19). Three days later he was anointed king of Judah (2 Sam 1:1-2; 2:4).