Thank you, Abba Father

Our Abba Father is indeed amazing.

A few days ago, I came under attack for my religious beliefs. It was not easy for me because the source of attack was from a known source. This has not been the first time that such an incident has happened to me.

However, I believe that our Abba Father wants me to know that I should continue to stand firm in what I have faith in and I am on the right track.

I was checking my blog today when I noticed a message in my chatbox which was posted on 29 November 2008. The sender of the message was "Cyberanger". The message was "Take a look @ bestchristianblogoftheweek.blogspot.com"

I do not know who Cyberanger is. However, out of curiosity, I checked out the link and was surprised to see that my post of 23 November 2008 had been awarded "Best Christian Blog Of The Week". I am honoured and humbled.

At the end of the day, I believe that no matter which church we attend, what is more important is our faith and what is in our hearts.

We may start out with faith as small as a mustard seed. But plant it on solid ground and what do we realise after some time? The seed has grown into a plant.

It is not about how much we love the Lord. It is about how much the Lord loves us. For this, I am awed that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die for our sins on the Cross. At the Cross, Jesus took upon Himself all the curses and the punishment so that we can receive the blessings that God had for Jesus.

When we face trials and tribulations, we should not look towards ourselves. In and of ourselves, we can never solve our problems. Have you ever wondered why sometimes, when we are going through difficulties, if we simply "let go and let God", things somehow fall into place? Is that of our own doing? The answer is "no".

I have discovered that the more I try to solve problems through my own efforts and works, the less the problems get solved. Our God is a very gracious God - if we insist on doing things our way, He will not force His way on us.

It is a choice that we all make. For me, I believe that the Lord loves me and that He will always carry me on His shoulders. I have lost count of the miracles that have happened in my life. I believe that there is such a thing as "right time, right place". However, I believe that this does not happen by chance. Our God has put us in the right time and the right place.

We are all human and we have human imperfections. I do not deny that it is often difficult to "let go". "Let go and let God" is an advice that I have given friends and loved ones when they are going through difficulty but I know from personal experience that it is easier said than done. How, then, do we increase our faith? Faith comes by hearing the Word. We believe and we speak.

For some people, they find difficulty sitting down in a quiet corner and reading the Bible. If that is a challenge, then they may want to avail themselves of Christian sermons and Christian worship songs. You will be amazed that how inspired worship songs can be. I have found that when I am listening to grace-filled worship songs, a sense of peace comes over me and suddenly, life becomes less burdensome and we can face our lives with gusto. I am an anxious person by nature (I worry too much) and there have been times (especially at work) when I have realised that my heart is beating at a rate faster than it should. Something special happens when I put aside what I am doing and I listen to worship songs that lift the Lord - my heart slows down and a sense of well-being fills me.

Some people have remarked that there are people who attend church every sunday but the minute they step out of church, their countenance changes and they become hypocritical and behave like a "typical Pharisee". It is true that people in the early Church sometimes did not even have the opportunity to attend Church because of, for example, persecution of those who believe in Christ. However, we go to Church to sit at the feet of Jesus and to listen to the Word of God, not to "see and be seen". We should not bother about the behaviour of others who attend Church regularly but whose day-to-day behaviour belies their claim that they are a child of God. This is about you and God. It is not about what others see in you. Why? No matter how nice a person you may be, there will always be someone who has an axe to grind with you. The more blessed you are, the more the devil will try to come against you and to plant seeds of doubt in your mind as to whether you are truly the beloved of the Lord.

When we face difficulties, let us look towards the Cross and tell the Lord, "Father, I offer up to you this challenge that I am going through. I do not know what to do but I know that You know what to do. I leave this in Your hands and I thank You that You have overcome it. I may not see the manifestation of the victory right now but I believe that it has been achieved. For before Jesus gave up His spirit, He cried out, "It is finished!". And it indeed is. Thank you, Father, for your blessings. I am truly Your beloved.".

Reject the false claims! We are blessed and we are children of God. If a mortal father will give the best to his children, how much more our Abba Father will give us His best! There is no one more perfect than Jesus Christ and yet, He gave up his blessings and He took on our curses so that we can walk freely in the blessings of God.

Thank you, Abba Father, for all that You have done for my family and me. I know that You will always be there for me and I can turn you to in good times and in bad. I know that trials and tribulations in my life did not come from You but You will carry me through and bring me to triumph. All praise and glory to You, O Lord. My family and I have indeed been blessed and I know that we will continue to be blessed.

postscript:

I wrote the above post this morning. When I attended church late this afternoon, the message that the guest speaker, a Pastor from the United States of America spoke about was believing and speaking our faith. At that point in time, I felt that the Lord affirm what I have written in my post. Thank you, Abba Father, for showing me a sign that Your Word is true. I believe and I speak forth. I have victory through You.