Coming back to your first love

"To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:

The One who holds the seven stars in His right hand, the One who walks among the seven golden lampstands, says this:

' I know your deeds and your toil and perseverance, and that you cannot tolerate evil men, and you put to the test those who call themselves apostles, and they are not, and you found them to be false; and you have perseverance and have endured for My name’s sake, and have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have left your first love. Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first; or else I am coming to you and will remove your lampstand out of its place—unless you repent.' " - Rev 2:2-5

Let's get this straight.

The congregation in Ephesus toiled, persevered, did not tolerate evil, tested the apostle's teachings, endured for Christ, have not grown weary - and still..

God had this one thing against this amazing church that birthed one of the greatest Pauline epistles -

God wasn't happy they left their first love.

The NLT quotes :

"But I have this complaint against you. You don’t love me or each other as you did at first!"

How did the Ephesian church loved God at first?

"Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God’s people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you" - Eph 1:15

This was the first love that the church in Ephesus forsook. These were the deeds that God asked the church to start doing again!

Yes, the Ephesians defended the faith fervently, but something was amiss. I think there was probably a lot of head knowledge but a lack of heart knowledge.

It's just like a doctor who is well versed in the knowledge of medicine, defending what is right but lack the practice of treating patients.

They were so active in defending their theology, fighting heresy that they forgot the heart of the gospel is to love God and people. Let us not forget that.

"Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love." - 1 Cor 13:13

The woman with the issue of blood

"As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years,but no one could heal her. She came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak, and immediately her bleeding stopped." - Luke 8:42b-44

In other manuscripts, it was written that she spent all she had on doctors. Here was a poor and sick woman. For twelve years she was unclean, and according to Jewish law she could not touch anyone, and everything she touched was unclean and not touchable as well. If she was walking in public she needed to inform the people and consciously avoid having close contact with others.


"When a woman has her regular flow of blood, the impurity of her monthly period will last seven days, and anyone who touches her will be unclean till evening. Anything she lies on during her period will be unclean, and anything she sits on will be unclean. Whoever touches her bed must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whoever touches anything she sits on must wash his clothes and bathe with water, and he will be unclean till evening. Whether it is the bed or anything she was sitting on, when anyone touches it, he will be unclean till evening." - Lev 15:19-23

In fact, the Scriptures recorded that she only touched the edge of his garment, not Jesus himself, probably fearing of being stoned.

Imagine doing that for twelve years. Imagine the guilt and shame that were binding her. She dared not approach Jesus but that was the only hope. Desperation.

There was another reason why she touched the edge of the cloak, or tassels. In Hebrew, the garment is known as "tallit" and its edge is known as "tzitzit" - or wings. It is the same reference used in Malachi 4:2

"But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." - Mal 4:2

The sun of righteousness meant here is really the Son of righteousness, the Messiah. The tzitzit in Leviticus actually represented the 613 laws of Torah which would be fulfilled completely by the Messiah. Hence by faith in our Saviour, we will be made clean because the curse of the law was nailed at the cross. The woman believed that by touching the cloak of the Messiah, she will be made clean. True enough, the bleeding immediately stopped. Jesus commended that indeed "Your faith has healed you". In essence, it was not the tzitzit that healed her, but her faith in God.

Maybe you need to touch Jesus today. You need not touch just the edge of His cloak, but you can embrace Him today. The bleeding of sin will be stopped and you will be healed from the inside out.

Jesus did another thing.

"Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at his feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched him and how she had been instantly healed. Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace." - Luke 8:47-48

The Scriptures pointed out that she wanted to slip away - quietly. Why? Because she was afraid to be caught. Although the bleeding was stopped, but the shame remained dripping from her heart. She felt guilty of touching Jesus because she was unclean. She didn't want anyone to know.

But Jesus gave her an opportunity to testify in front of the crowd, how she was healed. As a result she was vindicated, and everyone then knew she was no longer unclean. She was set free from shame! Then Jesus said "Go in peace" Indeed it is such a peace to be free from guilt and shame.

Maybe today, you need to be free from shame as well and experience of God. Shame has pierced your heart, and you felt dirty and unworthy of love. Jesus came to die so that you may be set free to experience the forgiveness of God and abundance of life. Come and touch Him and let Him clean you from the inside out.

Let your heart live again

"Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews. Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed. One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, 'Do you want to get well?'" - John 5:1-6

38 years. 38 years of being immobilized, living by the pool of his hope, begging everyday of his life. 38 years of waiting, hoping and longing. Ironically, Bethesda meant the House of Mercy - but he received none.

Then Jesus asked a poignant question, "Do you want to get well?" It seemed like a merciless question to ask an invalid for 38 years. For 38 years he has been dissapointed by hope, and ridiculed by life. His heart probably grew very cold and very tired seeing people around him healed except him. Questions like these probably haunted his mind -

"Have I have sinned too much?"

"Does God hate me?"

He was becoming hopeless of any change and resigned himself to fate. Instead of saying a resounding "Yes, I want to get healed!", he answered :

"'Sir,' the invalid replied, 'I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.'" - v7

In Jerusalem, there was a belief that an angel would come at certain times of the year and stir up the waters in the pool. The first person to jump in would be healed of whatever diseases they had. So people would stand by the pool - the lame, they blind, the paralyzed, all hoping to get healed. So you see the man's answer was valid, but it hinted on a sickness deeper.

He said, "I have no one to help me". He was so resigned, that he did not even ask Jesus to help him to the pool, let alone asking Him for healing.

"Hope deferred makes the heart sick" - Prov 3:12

Have you had similar excuses when your hopes were dashed? Sometimes, it feels better to blame the situation than to seek God earnestly. That is a spirit of resignation. We do not inherit a spirit of resignation but a spirit of resurrection. You need to resurrect your hope and place it on the right Person, not persons.

"Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.' At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked." - v8-9

I believe when God gave the command, it shifted his focus from other persons to taking ownership of his situation. No one was still here to help him get up. Jesus didn't. He got up purely by the word of God. Now his hope was placed at the right pillar - the Word of God and healing power was instantly released. He was able to get up, take up his mat and walk. He took up his mat where he had eaten, slept and begged for 38 years. What he was dependant upon was rolled away and overcome.

Maybe your heart has been sick because of hope that was deferred. You lost hope, and depressed that things would not change. As a result you lost the zest of life, and fell ill. You need to be healed from the inside out, by claiming the Spirit of resurrection right now to lift you up from the paralysis of your situation, take up your problem and walk in victory!

Touching the untouchable

"Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, 'If You are willing, You can make me clean.'
Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, 'I am willing; be cleansed.' As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed." - Mark 1:40-42

In the first of the series on Healing from the Inside Out, we come to the account of a leper. When the leper met Jesus, he began with the words "If you are willing,.." He probably felt Jesus would somehow decline his request - just like how others have rejected him over the years. Then Jesus did something to him that might not mean much to others, but it meant a world to this leper.

He touched him.

To appreciate the depth of this act, you need to know that leprosy is considered a curse among the Jews. It is reckoned together with sin. The lepers were confined to leper community far away from the main city. Whenever a leper passed by anyone, he was supposed to shout "Unclean, unclean" or else he would be stoned. He was unclean and no one was supposed to touch him.

But Jesus did.

"The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, 'Unclean! Unclean!' As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp." - Lev 13:45-46

The extent of His touch reached beyond stigma of society into the deep recesses of his heart. It touched his soul. It touched his wound. It touched his desire to be loved and accepted like a child.

You need to know Jesus can touch the untouchable, the sin, the failures and the pain. Nothing is beyond the reach of God's compassion.

When God heals, He heals inside out. He touches your heart, forgives your sins and heals your wounds of rejection.

Maybe today, you had nursed some wounds of rejection over many years. It is time to let the Hand touch you and bring deep healing to bring back your worth as a person. I'm not talking about exalting the self above God; I'm talking about a portion of glory that is imparted to man and woman when they were created. It is God's pleasure to give that glory because we were created to reflect Him. We are His children. No one has the right to step on you like a mat. His glory covers you as His children, beloved and accepted. Anyone who touches you touches the apple of His eye (Zech 2:8)

When the heart is healed, a physical miracle ensued. Leprosy immediately left him. He was clean again - from the inside out. If you want God to touch you inside, cry out to Him now in your words, just as you are. Masks don't really work in the consuming fire - they melt like wax.

Healing from the inside out

The LORD heals in ways beyond human logic. He is interested in the healing both the heart as well as the body. In the accounts of Jesus' healing, every story reveals a beautiful picture of healing the whole person. In the Hebrew understanding, the person is not divided in spirit, soul and body but rather one whole man. Each faculty of the mind, heart and body are related and affects one another.

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." - Prov 16:24

"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." - Prov 17:22

These Scripture verses reveal that the emotions and words do affect our physical health. Have you heard of the doctor's advice for people with heart attacks to control their temper? Do you know that fear and anxiety can be causes of asthma and allergies? How about yourself? Do you see your own emotions affecting your appetite lately? How about hurtful words that run deep in your soul - Did that affect your health?

By His grace, you can break free and be healed from the inside out.

In the coming days, I will share about how Jesus ministered healing - from the inside out and how you can apply that into your life. If you know people who are sick, please share this website and encourage them to subscribe for these insights. I am trusting that miracles will take place when the truth shall set them free!

I AM

God said to Moses, "I am who I am . This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.' " - Exo 3:14

I AM is the foundation of all revelation of God. The Hebrew word is YHWH. YHWH cannot be pronounced but was later added the vowels from the word Adonai to form what we know today as Jehovah.

YHWH means I AM who is the everlasting God, who is the same yesterday, today and forever. It also means TODAY or NOW. I AM is not I was and not I will be. God is an ever present help in times of need, and His promises are for you today. The promises He gave to Abraham thousands of years ago is valid for you today through Jesus Christ.

When understood, it becomes the foundation of all other names of God. When you declare God as Jehovah Rapha (our Healer), He says I AM the Healer, not I was or going to be. God is the Healer today!

When God says He is Jehovah Jireh (our Provider), he is telling you I AM your Provision today, not sometime in the future or a fact of the past.

When God says He is Jehovah Shalom, He is your Peace today, tomorrow and forever!

You see YHWH is foundation of all knowledge of God.

Before you call upon the name of God, know this that YHWH desires to manifest Himself to you now, at this very moment.

A new name

"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."'
- Rev 2:17

I want to focus on the latter part of the verse :

"And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it."

A white stone was generally used as a cast of vote to acquit a prisoner from guilt. Hallelujah! How precious is the significance for we who are not condemned but found in the blood of Christ.

The comes the name on the stone. I wonder what the special name will be? It has to be different and personal for each of us, because no one else except God will know. So that probably strikes out some generic identities like "child of God" or "disciple of Christ"

And it has to be new, meaning a previous name or label was given to us. Familiar with some of the careless labels given by our family, teacher - useless, good for nothing, sissy?

Then, I felt something stirring inside, that many are looking for purpose in their lives. Many do not know why they were going through certain situations in their lives. There were pain, joy, success and tragedy along the journey. Every challenges you are going through now, and how you overcome them will contribute to the name on the stone. A unique name. A name that spelled our destiny. A name that reflects the goodness of God. A name that reveals the victory of Christ in us.

Will the name be
"One who despite poverty, became an apostolic entrepenuer"
"One who faced many rejection, but never stopped to declaring my Name"
"One who was abused and hurt, but didn't choose bitterness over My love"
"One who was born with dyslexia but never stopped learning, and became a teacher of men"
"One who lost his husband, but made Me her husband, and brought comfort to others who lost dear ones"

You see if you don't have a challenge, you won't have a story to tell.

What is the purpose of life? Personally for me, I believe it is to turn every challenge to a testimony for Christ.

In the end, how we live here will weave a story that will be read for eternity and a song that will be sung by the angels.

What will your name be? Think about your pain, tragedy or challenges. A new name can emerge from your crisis.

The love of many shall wax cold

"And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." - Matt 24:12

Iniquity has indeed abound in this world most recently with the terrorist attack in Mumbai, and the seige of the Bangkok Suvarnabhumi International airport. Tonight, I heard the news of a fellow countryman, Lo Hwei Yen who died in Oberoi hotel, Mumbai. Something broke in me. Why did innocent people have to die?

I don't have the answers. Suffering is hard to explain; it is best felt.

However, God's word warn us 2,000 years ago that because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. When men and women who hears so much about God's justice, do not see peace and justice being accomplished, there is an anger hurled towards God. They conclude that either God is dead, God cares less or God is evil. Then the love they once had for God, waxed cold. If something has turned cold, it must have been hot before. There are people who were once on fire, serving fervently for the LORD who will get disillusioned and angry because the God they served is not the God they knew.

How then can we prepare against the inevitable?

You have to settle in your heart before the day comes when tragedy hits your life, that God is good. Please pause and let this burn in you. This is not some cliche saying. This is faith when the rubber hits the road. No matter what happens, be like Job who neither forsook the LORD, nor sinned against Him. God does care, but His ways are way higher than ours. Every tragedy in the hands of God is a seed to your next overcoming - because you are called to be an overcomer. Instead of letting the pain diminish the fire, let it refuel it with a zest for justice. Instead of looking at why God let it happen, think of how you can champion a cause. The world is not looking for another lamenter but another fighter.

Your breakthrough is not just for you

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose." - Acts 16:25-26

It is interesting to know that Paul and Silas were not praying at their point of crisis. They did not cry out to God to deliver them out of their situation. Most of us (that's a loud yes for me) would cry out to God to just get us out of problem when trouble knocks at our door. That's a perfectly legitimate request, but there is something better. Praise.

Bring to God a sacrifice of praise,

"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name." - Heb 13:14-15

When is praise a sacrifice?

It is a sacrifice when you praise God for His character when the circumstances does not match His provision - and you choose to praise nevertheless, looking upwards rather than sidewards.

"The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, 'Don't harm yourself! We are all here!'

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, 'Sirs, what must I do to be saved?'

They replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.'" - Acts 16:27-31

Then the breakthrough came for Paul and Silas. However, notice that Paul and Silas did not leave the prison although the door was opened and the chain was loosed. Most of us consider open doors as answers to prayer, don't we? On the contrary, Paul and Silas did not rush to leave the situation but sought to obey God. Eventually, they shared the gospel to the jailer and he and his household got saved! They didn't get out of their problem but they got through their problem. They didn't run away from adversity but faced it with faith.

Many time your breakthrough is not just for you! It is for your neighbour, your colleagues and your family. Your breakthrough is a beacon of hope for them, as your testimony becomes the spirit of prophecy to release the same breakthrough in them.

So when you through a challenge, think to yourself who will be blessed by your victory and hang in there until His purpose is achieved.

Sometimes things will get worst before...

"Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days." - John 11:6

One of the hardest thing Christians can understand is when God decides to wait.

If Jesus was to leave immediately when he heard of Lazarus sick, he would not have died. The question is why didn't He?

There are times when the heat has to be turned on in order to accomplish His purpose. The fire of His delay has to burn away the dross of self-dependence. During the wait, the flesh revolts, and raises a coup d'etat to overthrow the rulership of the Holy Spirit. Missiles of doubts bombards the mind to change the heart.

Nevertheless, our strategy is to man the fort of faith. The prophet Habakkuk once sang

Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls-
Yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.
The LORD God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills. - Habakkuk 3:17-19

Yet will I praise thee.

When Jesus did come, Lazarus died. The irony disturbed the minds of the followers. A crisis of faith took place. I can imagine a storm brewing in the minds of the believers who once believed that with God all things are possible; still true but not all the time. That is the lie of the enemy. Satan doesn't want to ruin your belief, he just wants to poison your belief, that God's word is not true ALL the time, just sometimes. He whispers, "Sometimes God doesn't heal, sometimes God doesn't help and sometimes God doesn't care."

But God is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Just as Lazarus died before a greater glory can be manifested, something in us has to die, before God can manifest Himself fully in our lives. It could be a stubborn addiction, a little doubt or unseen pride. Whatever it is, they are like dust that block the light of God from penetrating through our lives. God desires to mature our character more than serving our convenience.

"When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come out!' The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face." - John 11:43-44

Eventually God raised him up. No death can stop the power of God, because every kingdom, every principality, every tongue and every knee shall bow before the Most High.

God is faithful. The name Lazarus means God is my help - and when the time came, God did help.