Commitment

Dear friends,

I've talked a lot about wanting my own ministry. I've talked a lot about wanting to serve God all my life, but have my actions reflected that sort of commitment? What does my life look like at the moment? It looks pretty mundane, pretty normal as a city dweller. I work 8:30am to 6:30pm, five days a week, then on the weekends, I hit the gym, I attend fellowship, catch up with brothers, and attend church, and catch up with more people. During the week, sometimes I want to catch up with people too. That all seems pretty normal, but the catching up and fellowship takes up a lot of time, and eats into my rest and my time with God. I don't sleep on time on Saturdays because I've been treating it as a free day away from the work schedule, but that affects the rest of my week. I try to hang out with too many friends on the weekend, and that uses up too much energy. As a result, I'm merely hanging on when it comes to growing, learning, and serving. That's not what I want at all. That's not the level of commitment I need to reach the goal that I am running this race for. I'm not running this marathon simply to keep off the bus, I am running it to win. So the longer I serve Him, the more I understand what Paul is talking about through his own life of ministry.

"Know you not that they who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain. And every man that strives for self control is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. I therefore so run, not with uncertainty; so fight I, not as one that beats the air: But I roughly treat my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be disqualified." - 1 Cor 9:24-27 (KJV)

This season, God has been speaking to me a lot about commitment. I've picked up my cross, but am I really carrying it with every ounce of energy I have, or am I merely dragging it from one corner? Am I making the sacrifices needed to get to where God wants me in the short time that I have? Am I taking every step to ensure victory? It's called a partnership for a reason. Am I walking this 3-legged race, or am I the one standing still and yet demanding to win the race? 

I need to stay focused, stay committed. And truly have the faith and the character to do His work. 

"Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, since you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." - 1 Cor 15:58 (KJV)

"Whatever you might do, work from the soul, as to the Lord.." - Col 3:23a (BLB)

So pray for me, brothers and sisters, that I may work for the victory of the Lord and not just be tagging along, that I may grow in this work to the point where I can lead a successful ministry. For I know I am called to disciple, to teach diligently that others may come to know God through healing, restoration, and walking with me as I walk with God, as I follow the footsteps of Jesus.

In Christ,

James

Meditation and Godly Character

These past few months have been about growing deeper in my relationship with God, while I hadn't had so much visible progress as I had with my gifts in the past two years, I have been called to grow in 2 primary areas that are even more important to God than how we use our gifts: Character and Relationship with God.

Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

I have been spending many hours meditating. On Scripture that I don't know, and on Scripture that I do know. And as a result, I've been receiving more and more truth and revelation from God about them. It may not be amazing life-changing revelation, but I believe the more we know about God, the more we can grow in relationship with Him, and thus, the more we can truly be Christ-like.

I have spent 1-4 weeks on average on short passages or even individual verses, and I find that the more I meditate, the more I keep God's Word from departing from my lips, and keep them on my mind all the time, the more I'm able to reflect and grow in my character. I also realise that though it is painfully slow to grow in our character, it is through character growth that God makes us prosperous and successful in lives. By changing our hearts, renewing our minds, transforming us from within, He is guiding our bottom line, when we grow in our character, the stand that we take automatically upgrades. The things we can no longer stand for becomes clear, our desires, passion, what we are willing to fight for increases a thousandfold when we intentionally grow in Christ-like character.

And even though I don't always have my Bible with me, there are times when I just set aside time and intentionally meditate (while on the go) on Scripture that I already know, and because we are intentional and God is always ready to reveal more of His truth, there is always something new, something deeper you can receive from the same verses.

So.. this season is about keeping close to God's Word, growing in my knowledge of Him through meditating on all things good (Phil 4:8), and through keeping His Word close and constant in my heart. And being intentional with character growth.

My other reason for being so intentional about character growth is that our children or our flock tend to copy our flaws, and for the purpose of leading the flock that God entrusts to me, and for bringing up healthy children that love and glorify Him, I am motivated to keep my heart on task. I don't know when I'll have children, but I sure want to be a good example when that happens and not pass on things that will make them suffer unnecessarily.

2017

At the beginning of 2017, I would like to spend a brief moment looking back at my memories of God.

1998 - The year I came to Christ, having discovered by proxy how real His love for us is through college students who I had looked up to, crying in prayer for a God so loving, to touch their hearts.

1999 - The year I was wounded in my heart, and found that God can help me with that.

2000 - The year God told me that my life is His, and it is sacred. The year He told me He had a plan for me, it is a plan for good and will give me a hope and a future.

2002 - The year I met with brothers and sisters halfway across the world for the first time. He opened up my world, and showed me a love so rich, so colorful, and so exciting that I yearned to serve Him more. (Went to Germany and Switzerland on my first missions trip)

2002-2010 - The years God assured me that no matter where I am, or what I do, or how bad I do, He is always there for me, helping me in every way I let Him. The years I started to reach out to Him whenever I fell.

2010 - The year God said I have not forsaken you, I have been preparing your way for this. The year God continued to prepare my way for bigger and better things.

2011 - The year God assured me that His plan is perfect and wonderful, and He will reward my faith with more faith.

2012 - The year I lost my way, but God had not stopped working for my good. He continued to prepare my way for when I was to return, but also wept tears of sorrow knowing the pain that I will go through as the consequences of my actions and choices.

2013-2014 - The years God welcomed me back to His side, nursed me when I was down, carried me as I bore my sins.

2014 - The year God rescued me from the depths of my pain, and restored me to where I was before I lost my way, and continued to bless me and pour His knowledge into me as I was willing to hear.

2015-2016 - The years God doubled my portion, released in me gifts, and restored my soul. Blessed me abundantly in every area of my life, and prepared me for ministry.

2016 - The year God brought me back into ministry, but also the year God leveled my poppies, and brought my pride down 10 notches. The year God revealed to me more of my scars from before, and what I must go through to become an even better man of God.

And so.. this is where I find myself at the start of 2017, humbled.. still broken, but knowing that no matter how lost, how hurt, how broken, how far I leave His side, He will never leave mine, and He will nurse me, He will teach me, and He will restore me to even greater things than ever before, as long as I turn to Him.

2017 - The year God restores me to greater glory, closer relationship with Him, and brings me further along His uninterrupted plan for me. The year full of blessings, so much that I cannot count. The year full of joy, and peace, and hope because He is my Lord, He is my Shepherd.

Fast and pray

Dear friends,

I have come to a new season where I have feasted hungrily on revelations that God has brought to my attention, and as I serve in ministry, and serve in various prayer, healing and ministry settings, I have come to realise that I am indeed close to God's heart, and through the last few years have drawn close enough to see visions and hear His voice, and manifest healing, and all in all, this experience is wonderful, but it is not nearly enough! I have only just tasted and seen that the Lord is good!

And so, this past week, as I needed to clear my head and make some decisions in life, I had spent it fasting and praying. I had fasted from meat, from people, from entertainment, from electronic communication and social media, and during the time that I fasted, I spent time praying, soaking, pouring over my Bible, and meditating on all of it, and had done nothing else but to draw close to God. Answers and revelations came easily, and I was able to recenter my life on God, as well as discover several wonderful ways of connecting deeper into the Word. Namely, soaking while reading aloud and going over the same scripture over and over again. As well as personalising the Word, by writing my interpretation of it, visualising it happening, and turning some of it into personal prayers to pray over myself. All of which has helped me grow in my intimacy with God and Jesus. Which is amazing! So amazing, in fact, that I have decided to continue this fast, though I will be eating meat again, but I have now lost interest in much of the ways that I spent my idle or resting time, and am going to dive into the Word whenever I can. Especially having received the message in Mark 4. That every Word I take and plant in my heart will manifest thirty, sixty or a hundred times over! I can't wait to be so firmly rooted in the Word that God himself manifests in my life!

And so, I'm going to spend a lot of time pouring over Scripture and it will help me grow, and at the same time, I will continue to seek to grow in practical ways as I continue my work in ministry.

Much love and blessings,

James

Majesty (Just Love)

by James Fung, 10/31/2016

Eat your fill, fill your heart.

Rest, my child. Next to me

Rest.

I lay my head on His lap

Looking up at His Glorious Face

Ten thousand stars, shining and all

All within those eyes

Uncomparable... undeniable.

Gentle. I can't..

Can't even describe

This feeling of majesty

Of indescribable peace and love

So majestic..

Yet, so simple

Your love, Lord

Breaches all barriers

Bridges all gaps

A million miles in the blink of an eye

Your eyes, Lord

Your love, Lord

I can see.. so crystal clear

Your voice, your love, your desire

For my life.

So clearly spoken..

In the silence; in the vacuum called Space

The twinkle of the stars; the twinkle in your eyes

Show me more, Lord.

Show me more.. show me all.

I only want Your best

Your best you will give.

Daddy, thank you.

Thank you for giving me

Your best love

Bite size love

Fill my heart slowly

Overflow slowly..

Grow my heart more, Lord

I don’t want to spill

I don’t.

It’s okay, my Child

Let it spill. Let it spill.

I will give you more than you’ll ever need

In every

Single

Drop.

So drink, my child.

Fill your heart.

Rest in my presence.

And just Love.

Growth

Dear friends,

I have grown so much in the past month that I cannot just cover in a short update. As I mentioned before, I have started working full time in the ministry setting, and I am being so blessed by it. My supervisor is very keen on pruning me, and as a result, I am being renewed every week and making changes in my life with thorns that have plagued me for a long time. As I prayed with more direction, discernment, as well as more faith, small miracles are happening in my life.

A few of the miracles I've experienced so far are:

Increased productivity
i) my reading speed has quadrupled, as I have been able to read faster and focus for longer
ii) my time awareness and management has improved, as I recognise that I am a steward of God's resources and that includes time. I have started to plan on the go, and to do a constant rundown of each day and each task, to ensure and repeat success.

Better relationships
iii) I have acquired more of a human touch, such that even strangers around me are warming up to me in a very short time, and people that I've known for longer are also yielding the way to their hearts.

Better discipline/Self-control
iv) I have gain discipline over the fear of hunger, as well as the sin of gluttony, as I have learnt that hunger without fear, pride or insecurity, is just a physical symptom, and while fasting, I can fully rely on God and His provision for my health and my needs. As a result of fasting, I have cut down my meals to healthy amounts with nutrition as a focus, rather than fullness.
v) I have also been shown that I have taken in certain destructive lies of the enemy, such as being transparent with emotions is equivalent to honesty, while it is just grounds for the enemy to reap destruction. So, in seeking to manifest more self-control in this domain, I'm working towards even more productivity and better relationships.

Greater understanding of God's Word
vi) From reading, memorizing and meditating on the Word, as instructed in Joshua 1:8, I have gained more insights on what the Word says, as well as opened new ways to gaining more truths. I'll share more about that in another update.
vii) I have been rereading God's promises and reciting those Scriptures to myself to keep myself in a constant state of joy and hope, which is exactly what God intends for us. Rather than focusing on the darkness that is happening, we are the salt and the light, we should focus on the God of hope and be brimming with joy and peace at all times (Romans 15:13).

Additional benefits
viii) As additional gains from the above blessings, I have more time, better relationships, and better health than ever before, and as a result of this, I am able to pick up a few hobbies that I didn't have time before. I now hit the gym once a week (will work up to twice a week when possible), picking up a new instrument, the Ukelele, for personal worship, reading and memorizing more of the Bible (something that I am adamant about now), and also reading the occasional book to invest into the future that God has planned for me.

As you can see, God is leading me to higher grounds and it's been an amazing adventure so far. I've also been doing a bit more writing on Facebook, just short devotions for my friends to share in my discernment. Not sure if God is calling me towards writing more, but I'll be writing my lengthy updates here and focusing on snippets of God's Word on Facebook.

Much love,

James

Fiction writing

Lately, I had been inspired by a friend to do a bit of fiction writing. So, here's an idea that I was playing with this morning. Enjoy.

Altar Call
by James Fung (July 4, 2016)

“Come on! Hurry up!”

I opened my eyes and looked around. What is this place? It’s so bright. Before I could figure it out, a hand grabbed my robe and dragged me along. Robe? I looked down, I was wearing a white robe with little specks of gold dust. Woah, that’s awesome!

“Leett uerr go!” I twisted around. “I can walk by myself.”

I was greeted with a weird smirk. “Walk, James? We’re flying.” And true to his word, we were indeed flying. I instinctively looked around his robe to where a name tag would normally be, and the letters P-e-t-e-r appeared in gold dust and quickly disappeared again. Oh, right. We’re in heaven again. Wait, does my robe do that too?

“Yeah,” answered Peter.  I laughed.  Seeing that I didn’t know how to fly, I let him lead me through the pearly white lanes and into a building. Not unlike Peter Pan at all. Pun not intended. Peter laughed too.

***

As soon as we entered the building, Peter nudged me towards a line of angels who were lining up to enter the Throne Room. I resisted the urge to glance at their robes, because I knew the gold dust would respond to my thoughts. I got to experiment a bit on the “ride” here. Made a little gold dust car go honk honk around my robe, and a gold dust shark do a little ballet with a seal. Such good fun.

So I lined up behind the last angel, and waited in line. The hall was massive, even for angels. The ceiling was far higher than most cathedrals that I have visited on earth, but I could still see it in details because I was in my heavenly body. So, I watched as clusters of busy bodied angels go on with their daily business, not unlike an office on earth. That is, if they all had wings.

The queue was moving quickly, and when I got to the head of the queue, an angel asked me, “Which flavour?”

“Uh…” I wasn’t sure what to say. “What flavours are there?”

The angel sighed. “Blueberry, strawberry, mango, grape, orange, and lime.”

“Oh, right. Blueberry please.” He pushed what looked like a blue tube into my hand, and the next one gave me a box of cards and directed me a seat.

Wow! It was like… a Bingo hall! No, it wasn’t “like” a Bingo hall. IT WAS A BINGO HALL. I laughed so hard. The angel next to me nudged me, “You better get ready. It’s going to start soon.” He gave me a serious look.

“Oh, right. Well, I don’t gamble. Aah….” I glanced at his robe. J-o-s-e-p-h. “..Joseph. So what should I do?”

He smiled. “Oh, right. You must be the new guy. Here, open up your box and let me show you what we are actually doing.”

I opened my box, and stared into a stack of bingo cards. Unimpressed, I took them out and laid them out in front of me. Then I took my “blueberry” dabber and planted it in the middle.

Grinning, Joseph took up his own “grape” dabber, and opened it from the top end, and took a sip. What? He took a sip? I looked around the hall, and surely enough, there were quite a few angels sipping from their dabbers. “Waiittt… what is that?”

“This… is a fruit juice dispenser. It comes in any form that you like.” He demonstrated by turning it into an icy and then into a lollipop. “But don’t eat from the other end, that side is really a dabber.”

Excited, I held the strange contraption in my hand. The power to mark and the power to slurp! I pictured a frozen jelly snack in the shape of a dolphin, and just as Joseph explained, it was there. Oh, and the taste is beyond heavenly!

Joseph cleared his throat. I didn’t know that you can do that in heaven.. clearing throats, but I turned my attention back to him. “The reason they designed these is so that we can have something to re-energize us as we do these all nighters.”

All nighters?! What? “Let me explain. They’re about to have an altar call at Sacred Heart Emmanuel Church at their annual rally in Indonesia, and when that happens, God is going to write down a bunch of numbers, and the archangels will be in charge of disseminating them to us. Our job is pretty easy.. as you probably can guess already.”

“We.. find those numbers and dab them with our dabbers!” Still high from the energy frosty.

“Yes, good boy. But make sure to only dab the number in your column, and to pass them in order down to the checkers.”

“What do they do with these numbers?”

“They pass them onto the spinner and tailor angels, and they prepare the robes and heavenly bodies for each saved soul that comes forward.”

Dumbfounded, I blinked.

***

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned back to my body on earth.