Apr 23, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hello Everyone,
God is always God in the midst of every season. This one central truth is the basis for how we navigate the seasons of our lives. We read in Ecclesiastes 3 of the many and varying seasons of life such as living, dying, sowing, reaping, flourishing, stripping, sickness, health, darkness, light, weeping, laughing and so on. They are descriptors of the seasonal transitions we encounter.
There are two important points to be made about seasons. Firstly, seasons are transitional and temporal, but they do shape our faith. Secondly, God is eternal and is always God in the midst of every season. Knowing the transitional and temporal exist in the context of the eternal gives us a hopeful perspective for every season of life. God’s faithful, eternal nature is the one constant that moves us through the temporal seasons and establishes the things of eternal value. And so, seasons help to ground our belief in God, as well as our experience of Him. We become more acquainted with Him, placing less emphasis on the season itself and greater emphasis on the eternal as we adopt a posture of trusting God in every season.
As we navigate this current season where we feel hemmed in by the boarders of a viral threat, we take up the posture of faith and trust, understanding God is the one who controls all things. The seasons aren’t in control, God is. This COVID-19 season will end and God will still be on the throne. God is always God in the midst of every season.
So, friends, get your “eternal” on today and affirm this truth.
Best days to come
Wen
Apr 22, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hello Everyone,
Faithful! The word faithful has a ring of comfort to it. It means loyal, committed, constant, unwavering, reliable, steadfast. Those descriptive words are beautiful, broad brushstrokes that paint a colourful picture of one aspect of God’s character; His faithfulness. The portrait of God we see in the Biblical narrative is one of perfect faithfulness running through the story like a thick thread. That thread is eternal and is weaved into our lives as an unbreakable cord. God is faithful!
When pressure or difficulty squeezes us from every angle, it is normal to experience discomfort. We long for God’s faithfulness and intervention. No matter what our circumstances dictate, when we shift our gaze to God, we find comfort. God is and will always be, everything He says He will be. Faithful. It is a proven, eternal truth that it is impossible for God to be unfaithful,. Faithfulness defines who God is. Deuteronomy 7:9 reminds us that God is God! That statement alone is a declaration of His faithfulness. It describes God as the faithful God who keeps His commitment to a thousand generations. There is never a time God is not faithfully working behind the scenes and acting on our behalf in perfect faithfulness. On our best days He is faithful! On our worst days He is faithful! He is faithful, past, present and future. What a relief and what a comfort.
So, friends, get your faith on, and take comfort that God is faithful.
Best days to come
Wen
Apr 21, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hi Everyone,
Treasure those you love and love with open arms.
One thing this global pandemic has put the spotlight on is the value of life. Everyone is doing whatever it takes to avoid contracting this deadly virus. Why is that? I believe God created us with an intrinsic sense of how precious life is. If life was worthless, then who would care. Not only has this pandemic reminded us of the fragility of life, it has struck another chord, reminding us of the value of life. The value of our humanity is front and centre as we realise what matters most; to treasure those we love and love with open arms.
This season has created the unique space for selfless love. It has opened a new portal for spending time creatively, doing things that count, leaving an impression of love on the hearts of others and appreciating the simple things that count for much. To treasure those you love and love with open arms is to step into selflessness; a place of vulnerability for the sake of others. It is loving without expectation. It is to love past the failures and be quick to forgive. It is the freedom to speak out words of affirmation that are often silenced by the fear of rejection. It is to embrace the gift of time. It is to serve and to sacrifice. It is to take the moments and create the memories. It is to show kindness and compassion and to walk the road of life in such a way that those we treasure and love will be better off because of us. It is to love like Jesus, who loves us with open arms (John 15:13). It may not be easy but when we understand how Jesus loves us, it gives us the platform to start. Step in and treasure those you love and love with open arms.
So, friends, get your love on today.
Best days to come
Wen
Apr 20, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hello Everyone,
I want to always be found with my knees bowed to Jesus. There is no one like Him.
When I contemplate life and how it could be if Jesus had not gathered me up in His arms, I cannot help but bow my knees to Jesus. Some of the deepest desires of the human heart include the need to be loved; really loved. Loved without the need to hide our imperfections or to work hard by the sweat of our brow to earn love, always knowing its fragility if we fail. We deeply desire acceptance, without the fear of rejection if we mess up. We need to belong; to have a place; to feel validated. We need purpose and meaning so that life is not lived with the resounding ring of meaninglessness. The truth is, without Jesus we would actually need to be perfect. That’s a daunting thought when we look into the mirror of our own souls, scrutinising the depths of our own hearts and seeing reflected back to us our numerous imperfections; imperfections that no other soul sees.
Why do I always want to be found with my knees bowed to Jesus? Because in Jesus, I don’t have to be perfect. He has gone to immeasurable lengths to secure me as a person. Every single desire of my heart is met in Him. What a humbling revelation that leads me to be found with my knees bowed to Jesus. There truly is no one like Him.
So, friends, get on your knees with me.
Best days to come
Wen
Apr 17, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hi Team,
What’s in your storehouse? (please don’t say toilet paper – joking 😊). Seriously, a storehouse is a place where you deposit provisions and gather supplies to ensure resources are available in times of scarcity. Sound familiar? Ideally, these resources should be gathered during times of abundance. What we are talking about today is the practice of progressively gathering our spiritual resources to deposit in our storehouses which becomes a rich supply when we are under fire or going through difficult times. What you deposit in your storehouse now will become your plentiful supply in time of need. So, what’s in your storehouse? Have you gathered an ample supply of spiritual truth that will serve you well and supply your needs when there is an assault on your faith?
Deposit every word you read from your Bible. Affirm every theological truth as a reality. Remember every defining experience where you encounter God’s faithfulness. Store up every word God speaks to you through a message. Reflect on the lyrics of worship songs. Record what you learn from books. These form your spiritual resources. Stockpile them! As we deposit these treasures and resources into our spiritual storehouses, they become a rich reserve we can draw from when life hurls heartache, hardship or suffering at us that can take us to the brink of unbelief. In these times we can open the doors of our storehouse and feast, be victorious, stand the test and declare, “it is well with my soul”.
So, friends, get your stockpiling on, gather your resources and fill your storehouse.
Best days to come
Wen
Apr 16, 2020 | Wens Pen
Hello Everyone,
What is your life’s portrait? You might ask me what I mean by that question. The idea of a portrait is a portrayal. It is a defining image that leaves an impression and a lasting impact. A good portrait enables the observer to settle on the subject right away. So, what’s your life’s portrait?
We live in an era of self-portraits, sharing our selfies with the world and drawing attention to our best life. That’s ok for fun. But what portrait do you want to reflect to the world? When people look at your life, what will they settle on? As Christians we are called to be a portrait of Jesus; the expression of Him. Whist we all nod and agree, being a portrayal of Jesus can challenge us. The portrait of Jesus is loving, kind, just, merciful, holy, good, faithful, sacrificial, humble, obedient, giving, hospitable, forgiving. Thankfully Jesus, our artist is still producing our spiritual portraits. Let’s choose one thing and ask Jesus to produce this in us as our portrait’s signature; one fruit of the Spirit that will leave a lasting impact on others, causing them to draw conclusions about the greatest artist ever, Jesus.
So, friends, get your portrait on and show the world Jesus.
Best days to come
Wen
