Tag Jesus

Does Jesus know you?

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

whoisjesus1

You know Jesus, but does Jesus know you?

Matthew 7:21-23
21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.
22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

It’s interesting to note how many will say, “I know Jesus!” or “I serve Him” but in turn Jesus says, “I never knew you”. It’s like me saying, “I know Lee Hsien Loong, my prime minister… I serve my national service and pay my tax”… But I’m sure, he will say, “I don’t know who is Andrew”.

There is no personal relationship.

I’m concern how many of us, the Church especially in this day and age have equated our attendance or involvement with church events, activities or programmes as having a relationship with Jesus.

The reality is our relationship with Jesus is forged and deepened mostly out of the four walls of the church and in real life, not sheltered (but not apart from His Church).

For ie. How we obey Him in our sufferings? How we are surrendering to His will in challenging circumstances? How we remain faithful in the mundane humdrum of life? How are we extending grace to those around us?

However today, we people pay a lot of attention on the form and not the power. We want to DO more, we look for what to DO next, and we are engross in what we can DO. We are missing the plot.

Doing doesn’t mean you know Jesus. You can do a lot and accomplish a lot but find out that you do not know Him a lot or none at all. And that’s a horrific reality. You know that you know Him or He knows you when you bear His fruits; you BECOME like Him. Now that’s power!

We become like Him only because we are communing with Him. When we bear His fruits, it’s evidence of His life living and working in us. So today, don’t confuse form with power, and pursue His power and not the form.

So you know Jesus, does Jesus know you?

Now I am Andrew

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

andrew-1Unknown to most, Andrew is actually my rebirth or baptized name. My birth name, which was given by my parents is Kelvin.

It was God who gave me the name “Andrew” during the period when I was due to be water baptized.

While spending time with God, I was reading the scriptures and came to the part where Jesus Christ invited Peter and Andrew to follow Him.

As I read my spirit was stirred, it felt as if Jesus was calling out to me as ‘Andrew’, “Come, follow me.” (c.f. Matthew 4:18-19)

I had an encounter with Jesus!

Although I knew He was calling me, ‘Andrew’, I hesitated to assume that He wanted to change my name. Thus, I told Him if it was His intention to change my name that He somehow confirm this to me. And boy did He!

The first confirmation

That same week at a church service, the passage that was preached was… YES you guessed correctly! It was about Andrew!

The preacher taught how Andrew was evangelistic who brought people to Jesus including his brother, Peter.

I didn’t really want to believe this as a confirmation and regarded it as a coincidence.

The second confirmation

The next following week at the church service. My younger brother joined me for the first time upon, he responded to receive Jesus Christ during the altar call.

As like most altar calls, my younger brother left his seat to approach the stage area to where the pastor was. I accompanied him. And after he prayed to receive Jesus with others as well, the pastor walked towards us and spoke to us.

He asked my brother’s name and mine. And we told him we were brothers. At that remark, the pastor shook my hand enthusiastically and affirmed me saying, “Wow! You are an ANDREW!”

Could you imagine that???

The final confirmation

If that was not convincing enough for me, God pulled another trick just for His own pleasure just to prove a point.

I have always been a huge fan of Manchester United Football Club and follow closely to their games and developments. Therefore, I know the names of every player of this team.

That following week while reading the papers on the team, I realised the name of their prolific star striker, Andy Cole had suddenly changed. And that was the name he was known as since he started his career!

Now make a guess to what name it now read? That’s right… ANDREW Cole!!!

Till today, there hasn’t been a clear explanation why Andy Cole changed his name from that time onwards. And it had to happen during that period!

What are the chances of that happening?! God truly knew how to get my attention and to convince me to accept the change of name!

My new identity in Christ

Now 15 years as Andrew, I understand and appreciate why God took all that effort to change my name.

Like how He did so for many of the biblical characters in the Bible such as Abram to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, Simon to Peter and so on, He did so to establish a new identity for that person.

The old me (Kelvin) is now no more and the new has come. Now in Christ, I am Andrew with a new mission in life ordained by God and I embrace His call.

I know for a fact the kind of person the old me called Kelvin is. And there’s nothing good in him. This new name not only reminds me that this new life that I have I now live consecrated for Him, but also to firmly anchor me in my new destiny in Christ.

I’m no longer looking back, I’ve decided to follow Jesus!

The greater glory found in Grace

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

Image

Contrary to mainstream’s fear or belief of licentious grace, GRACE does not demand any lesser than the law. In fact, grace DEMANDS and EXPECTS more.

Jesus always pointed out that the law focuses on our performance and OUTWARD behavior manipulation, but grace focuses on our heart and INWARD transformation that manifests outwardly.

The law places demands on you and I, we are thus ENSLAVED by guilt, fear, shame and condemnation because of our weaknesses. But grace places that heavy demand on CHRIST, and not on you and I… Halleujah!

For we can NEVER meet the glorious standard of God that the law demands.

But by grace, CHRIST on our behalf fulfills that demand which took HIS LIFE and consequently, sets us FREE. That is a COSTLY demand that allows us through our faith in His Son, to become the righteousness of God!

What do you want Him to do for you?

andrewong2024 Leave a comment

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go,” said Jesus, “your FAITH has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

~ Mark 10:51-52

Most times, we err by misplacing our faith in man rather than in God. We naturally look and trust in what we man can (or cannot) do- our credentials or achievements, our physical attributes, and capabilities. And that misplaced faith causes us to limit God in our lives.

I love how Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you”. He did not say because of your bad or splendid past or because you’re poor or rich, so I healed you. It is the blind man, Bartimaeus’s faith that healed him. And that faith was placed on what God can do (and not what man can do).

Friends, with God all things are possible. Place your faith solely on Him. God loves it when you and I place all our ‘bets’ on Him. He relishes when we fully trust Him. That’s the only condition God simply looks at- our faith and nothing else.

What is it do you want God to do for you today that you cannot do? Approach your loving Abba Father and ask Him to do it for you. And according to your faith (and His will), it will be done to you.

Faith activates a response from God

andrewong2024 1 Comment

Most of us would have read or heard about the miracle healing of the woman who was bleeding for 12 years from the gospel.

For those unfamiliar, this story is about a sick woman who believed that she would receive her healing by merely touching the cloak of Jesus (c.f. Mark 5:25-34).

She did just that when Jesus passed by her and true enough, her bleeding immediately stopped.

Faith touches God

What is interesting about this miracle was the response of Jesus. He turned around in the crowd and asked,“Who touched my clothes?”

It is interesting because there were many others around Jesus who were touching him. Even his question caused his disciples to be puzzled.

But strangely enough, no one else but that sick woman received her miracle. And we can safely surmise that there were others possibly needing a miracle of some kind.

So why did Jesus responded only to her touch? And what made her so special? FAITH. It was her faith.

Have faith in God 

Similarly, many of us may pray to God just as many in the crowd were touching Jesus. But are our prayers made with faith or out of a religious habit?

Therefore, when it comes to answering prayers, it is not our needs that activates a response from God. It is our faith.

And in particularly, God responds in a real and powerful way to those who have the faith to believe in Him and expect results.

So today, are you in need of a miracle? Or is there a prayer that has not been answered for a long time?

Remember it is our faith that will get God’s attention amongst the crowd and activate a response from Him. So have faith and believe for your miracle.

andrewong2024 2 Comments

My Doodling:

If you’re reading this now, I should be in the air flying towards Vietnam! I’ll be there for a week… Yeah! 

Looking forward to the wonderful people, food and culture that makes that country a perfect haven to find rest from the never-ending demands and datelines *yucks*