What Is The Positive Confession Doctrine?

In an evangelistic meeting, I was ministering to the sick at the altar. I approached one lady and asked, “How can I help you?” The lady looked at me sheepishly and said, “I cannot tell”. “Why?” I asked. And she said, “If I told you then I would be doing a negative confession. I cannot tell you about what I am suffering from!”

Then it dawned on me that this lady was most probably taught that to tell people about one’s sickness is not wise as it is not a positive confession. To cut the story short, I managed to explain the root of this superstition to her that it was alright for her to share with me her infirmities without the “curse” of the negative confession hanging over her head.

The Positive Confession Doctrine is a belief system that has gained popularity in some Christian circles, particularly those who adhere to the Prosperity Gospel. This philosophy teaches that words have spiritual power and that if we speak aloud the right words with the right faith, we can gain riches and health, bind Satan, and accomplish anything we want. The belief is that positive confession can bring about positive results, while negative confession can lead to negative outcomes.

This belief system asserts that positive thinking and positive speech can shape a person’s reality and improve their physical and material circumstances. This doctrine has its roots in the teachings of Phineas Parkhurst Quimby, a North American healer, and mesmerist who lived in the 19th century.

Quimby believed that illness was the result of erroneous beliefs and that a mind open to God’s wisdom could overcome any illness. He argued that all effects on the human body were the result of a chemical change in the fluids and that the mind played a crucial role in this process. If the mind was directed towards a particular organ, that organ could become deranged, leading to illness.

Quimby’s teachings influenced other thinkers of his time, including Warren Felt Evans and Mary Baker Eddy. Evans developed the doctrine of Mental Science, which shared many of Quimby’s ideas about the power of the mind to shape reality. Eddy, on the other hand, founded the Christian Science movement, which emphasized the healing power of prayer and the importance of positive thinking.

The Positive Confession doctrine also has roots in the broader New Thought movement, which emerged in the late 19th century. New Thought teachings emphasized the unity of God and humanity, the power of positive thinking, and the ability of individuals to shape their own reality through their thoughts and beliefs.

The Positive Confession doctrine gained widespread popularity in the mid-20th century through the teachings of preachers such as Kenneth Hagin, Oral Roberts, and Kenneth Copeland. These preachers emphasized the importance of positive thinking and speech and taught that believers could use their words to create their own reality and overcome illness and poverty.

The idea of the Positive Confession Doctrine is definitely not based on biblical teachings, but if we want to connect it further, it is rather similar to the New-Age concept called the “Law of Attraction.”

This concept teaches that “like attracts like” and that positive thoughts and statements will bring about positive results. It suggests that everything is imbued with God’s presence and power, but not in the sense of the omnipresent Creator. Instead, it presents a Hindu/pantheistic view of God, which is at odds with our Christian beliefs.

One of the most concerning aspects of positive confession is the belief that words have a magical, spiritual power that can force God to give us what we want. This view is heretical and contradicts biblical teachings. It suggests that by using positive confession, we can manipulate God and bend His will to our own desires.

Furthermore, the results attributed to positive confession are said to be powered by the faith of the individual. This leads to the belief that illness and poverty are a type of punishment for sin, specifically a lack of faith. This idea is not supported by biblical texts such as John 9:1-3 and the book of Job, which refute the notion that illness and poverty are always the result of a lack of faith.

Positive confession can also be harmful because it promotes the idea that those who are experiencing difficulties in life are somehow responsible for their situation. This can lead to victim-blaming and can cause those who are struggling to feel shame and guilt.

In conclusion, while positive thinking and speaking can have a positive impact on our lives, the belief that words have a spiritual power to force God to give us what we want is not supported by biblical teachings.
It is important to remember that God is in control and that while we can pray and ask for blessings, we cannot manipulate God with our words. Instead, we should trust in God’s plan and seek to live a life that is pleasing to Him.

The Immeasurable Reward of Loving Jesus

Loving Jesus is a central tenet of our Christian faith, and it is a lifelong journey of growing in our relationship with Him. For true believers, Jesus is not just a historical figure or a wise teacher, but the Son of God who came to earth to save humanity from sin and death. The Bible teaches that God loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for our sins. Through faith in Jesus, we can receive forgiveness and eternal life, and we can experience the transforming power of His love.

Loving Jesus is more than just believing in Him or acknowledging His existence. It means having a personal relationship with Him and making Him the Lord and Savior of our lives. How do we know whether we have a deep personal relationship with Jesus? A piece of simple evidence is our regular communication with Him.

When you love someone, you want to spend time with that person, and fellowship with him or her. With God, it would be how often we really communicate with Him through prayers. Pastor John Piper said, “Prayer as a relationship is probably your best indication about the health of your love relationship with God. If your prayer life has been slack, your love relationship has grown cold.”

Another important way of showing our love for Jesus is by following His commandments and living our lives in a way that honors Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). This means that we must not only believe in Jesus but also live out His teachings in our daily lives.

As Frederick H. Taylor said, “Christ is either Lord of all or is not Lord at all”. Are we allowing Jesus to rule all aspects of our lives? To choose and pick what He can rule and what He cannot only means our unwillingness to give Him all of our hearts. In this case, Jesus might have to step out of our lives and leave us to our own devices. Many have gotten it wrong and tried to avoid obedience because they do not want to be “imprisoned” by it. What a tragic choice! Obedience is actually not bondage but freedom for it is the only way that God can hold our hands and lead us along this assured path to real freedom.

Jesus wants us to love our neighbors as ourselves, forgive those who have wronged us, and show compassion and kindness to those in need. Therefore, loving Jesus also means loving others as He loved us. Jesus taught us to love even our enemies and to show compassion and kindness to all people. He said, “By this, all will know that you are My disciples if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). This means that we must not only love those who are like us but also those who are different from us.

Talking about loving the unlovable, I must confess that it wasn’t easy for me and my team of orphanage volunteers to take in those street children who lived on the streets of Phnom Penh in Cambodia. They were naughty, quarrelsome, thieving, and absolutely filthy with lice in their hair. They were unlike the average children who have a certain degree of innocence in them.

After spending time living on the streets, they adopted the dirty tricks of the world. At a very young age, these unfortunate children, in order to survive, had learned to be manipulative, conniving, and cunning. Some older kids in our orphanage were fighting among themselves, stealing from our orphanage, and bullying smaller or younger kids. However, despite these, the love of Jesus motivated us to continue and take good care of these children. In fact, we went on to establish two more orphanages and were able to bless over 1000 homeless children.

We must seek to build bridges of understanding and compassion, even with those who may come from different social backgrounds, disagree with us, or hold different beliefs. We live in a skeptical world that is enveloped in competition, aggression, suspicion, and fear. And all these may affect us to become prejudiced against certain professions, certain races, and certain social classes. However, when we love Jesus deeply, we will soon discover that His love is helping us to take down these barriers. He comes in to open His arms of love through our lives. This love opens a passageway for hostility to become hospitality. A zone of Agape love is created to welcome the very people we fear or doubt. As Henri Nouwen so aptly said that in this zone, “strangers can cast off their strangeness and become our fellow human beings.”

Loving Jesus is not always easy, and it requires us to make sacrifices and put Him first in our lives. But the reward of loving Jesus is immeasurable. Through His love, we can experience joy, peace, and a sense of purpose that cannot be found anywhere else.

As we love Jesus more deeply, we can also grow in our love for others and become a reflection of His love to the world. We can become agents of change and transformation, bringing hope and healing to a broken and hurting world.

In conclusion, loving Jesus is at the heart of our Christian faith, and it is a journey that requires us to continually grow in our relationship with Him. Whether we are just starting our journey or have been walking with the Lord for many years, we must always strive to love Him more deeply and share His love with those around us. Through His love, we can become the people that God created us to be, and we can make a positive impact in the world.

Here is a message by Rev Albert Kang that elaborates more about what Agape love is:
https://youtu.be/uRQ0B1Cs-RE

Here is a message by Pastor Karen Wong about the secret to tapping into God’s reservoir of love:
https://youtu.be/nFSVd-4N5MU

Empowered Witnesses For Christ

There is a story about a believer who prayed to God for the courage to witness for Jesus. He said, “Father in heaven, if you really want me to witness to someone about Jesus, please show me a sign as to who this person is.”

Later that day, he took a bus and realized he was the only passenger. Then, the bus stopped for another passenger. The timid Christian was shocked to see this tall tattooed man boarding the bus. And his fear became more intense as the man sat right beside him.

The timid believer was praying for the bus to stop quickly so that he could get away from this scary man. However, before he could do anything, the man turned and talked to him. He was surprised because he could see tears in that man’s eyes.

The man said quietly, “I had a terrible dream and found myself in hell. You looked like an intelligent man. Can you tell me how not to go to hell?” The timid believer said, “Wait, let me pray about this!” He immediately bowed his head and asked the Lord, “Is this the sign for me to witness now?”

POWERFUL WITNESSES
You may laugh at the reaction of this believer because the Lord had made it so obvious. Sadly, this story represents the fact that many Christians do not see the need or have the knowledge of witnessing for Jesus. They consider witnessing or evangelism as a secondary requirement, in spite of the fact that they are specially called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ.

In Acts 1:8, Jesus said, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” You are not just going to be a witness but you will be a powerful one. This power that Jesus promised is not just for the disciples in the Bible but for every believer today.

We have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to boldly witness and share the gospel with confidence and speak the truth in love. We can command healing for the sick and see them healed, and we can cast out demons in the name of Jesus. As we apply the “two-hand” punch – applying the power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons plus sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, the power of the Holy Spirit will help us to overcome fear and doubt. We can trust in God’s strength and not our own abilities. People will be miraculously healed and they would want to know what supernatural power heals them. And that is when we can share the Gospel with confidence. When we step out by faith, the Holy Spirit will always empower us to do what we cannot do on our own.

LIFE WITH AGAPE LOVE
Power Evangelism is effective when it is enhanced by our life testimony. We have to live a life that reflects this Agape love and grace of God. We witness for Jesus is by being the love of Jesus extended. Jesus commanded us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and this includes everyone we come into contact with. When we show kindness, compassion, and forgiveness to others, it can be a powerful witness to the love of Jesus. Oftentimes, the seed of salvation is planted.

AUTHENTIC FAITH
By being authentic and true to ourselves, God will use our unique testimony to touch others for Christ. While this can seem intimidating at times, however, it is important to remember that we do not have to be perfect or have all the answers. Instead, we can simply share our own personal experiences with Jesus and how He has transformed our lives. As unique individuals, God has indeed given each of us a unique story to share. We can share our testimony, how we came to know Jesus, and the ways in which He has worked in our lives. When we are open and honest about our struggles and how Jesus has helped us through them, we can be powerful witnesses to others.

In conclusion, witnessing for Jesus can seem intimidating, but it is important to remember that we do not have to be perfect or have all the answers. By being authentic and true to ourselves, loving others, and living out our faith in our daily lives, we can be powerful witnesses for Jesus Christ.

Here is a video on how God can empower you to change the world
https://youtu.be/sO1i-zj2FF8

Here is another message by Rev Dr. Wilson Ng that will bless you too.
https://youtu.be/jVhT0yx2uHc

The Lost Art of Christian Meditation

Christian meditation is a spiritual practice that can help you to connect with God on a deeper level and gain a greater understanding of His will for your life. It is a way of quieting your mind and focusing your thoughts on God’s truth.

We all know that Jesus spent long hours meditating and praying. He did that in the early morning hours way before dawn. He was showing us an example of what a true child of God should do regularly. We should have a deep and loving communion with our Father in heaven as often as we can. This discipline of Christian meditation is the essence of true discipleship.

In antiquity, believers also spent much time meditating and contemplating the Word of God. Some of these early Christians isolated themselves in desert communities to meditate and pray. They could be doing household chores or weaving baskets, but their minds, and hearts would be meditating on the scriptures in silent contemplation.

The island of Singapore is where I was born and grew up. My father owned a chicken rice business along East Coast Road. So, I spent many hours at the seaside in Katong. One of the things that I loved to do was gaze at the sea. In my young mind, I wondered what was beyond the horizon. Was there a God out there?

There was a mystery hidden in the crashing waves and vast open sky. Every cloud that floated by seemed to carry a silent message that eluded me. I sat for hours, alone but not alone. The silent quests of my wondering mind had kept me too busy to be alone. Little did I realize that I had stumbled upon “contemplation”. Later, when I became a Christian, this sense of wonder and awe helped me to contemplate and meditate upon God’s Word and His wonderful presence.

Kevin Holloran states: “Meditation is thinking in the presence of God, thinking God’s thoughts to Him and applying them to our lives, allowing our hearts and minds to be flooded with truth from the Word that the Spirit massages deep into our souls.”

SCRIPTURE MEDITATION
One of the key aspects of Christian meditation is the use of scripture. By meditating on God’s word, you can gain a deeper understanding of His character and His plan for your life. This can help you to make better decisions and live a more fulfilling life. There are many different ways to meditate on scripture, including selecting a passage and reflecting on its meaning, memorizing a verse and reciting it throughout the day, or using a devotional or meditation app. Our church offers help in terms of meditation videos. Please help yourself to these videos andwe trust that they will help you in building up your spiritual life. [For FaithLine’s meditation videos, please click here]

GUIDED MEDITATION
Christian meditation can take many forms, including guided, silent, and group meditations. Guided meditations can be helpful for beginners, as they provide a structure and guidance for the meditation. We do this type of guided meditation in our Church on our prayer nights known as “Faith Power Night”. The participants join us through Zoom and meditated along with us. A recording of the meditation video is posted on YouTube so that others may benefit. [Please click here for a guided meditation by Pastor Karen Wong, the coordinator of Faith Power Night]

Silent meditations can be more challenging, but also more rewarding, as they allow you to connect with God on a deeper level. Group meditations can be a powerful way to connect with other believers and experience the power of prayer and meditation in the community.

PRAYER
Another essential aspect of Christian meditation is the use of prayer. Prayer is a powerful tool for deepening your relationship with God and experiencing His presence in your life. It can involve talking to God and asking for His guidance and wisdom, as well as listening for His voice and being open to His leadership. There are many different ways to pray, including using a prayer book or app, writing out your prayers in a journal, or simply speaking to God from your heart.

PRAYING IN TONGUES
Praying in tongues is based on the fact that the Holy Spirit gives you the ability to pray in a language that is not known to you. This language is a form of communication between you and God. This is an important prayer gift that is given to those who seek it with a sincere heart. This is also a form of worship that allows you to connect more deeply with God. When you pray in tongues, you bypass your conscious mind and speak directly to God in a language that is not limited by your own human understanding. This practice has helped many to express their love and devotion to God in a more profound way.

MEDITATE WITH MUSIC AND ART
In addition to scripture and prayer, Christian meditation can also involve using music or art to help focus your mind on God. Music can be a powerful tool for worship and meditation, as it can help to quiet your mind and focus your thoughts on God.

Every Sunday, after lunch, at 1:30PM, our sanctuary is used for “Open Worship”. This is similar to what is commonly known as “Soaking Service”. The participants may join and leave at any time. We have quiet instrumental worship music playing in the background. From time to time, the participants sing along with the music. There is freedom in movement as there is no fixed way of soaking in the Lord. Some people sit on chairs, others sit on the floor, some pace the floor, some dance, some cry, and some do flagging. The important key is that all who come should be able to open themselves up and spend quality time with the Holy Spirit. This weekly session helps our members to quiet their souls, let go of their struggles, draw near to God, and enjoy His holy presence. If you are interested to join us, here is our address:

Open Worship
Sundays – 1:30PM
FaithLine Centre, 3rd Floor, Wisma TA, 1A,
Jalan SS 20/1, Damansara Utama, 47400
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

Coordinator: Pastor Karen Wong – WhatsApp or Telegram @ +60 123503500

Art can also be a powerful tool for meditation, as it can help to engage your senses and connect with God in a new way. As an artist, I really know how true this is. For those hours of continual creative expression with my brush, paint, and canvas, the presence of the Lord was there.

SENSE OF GRATITUDE
Finally, Christian meditation can involve practicing mindfulness and gratitude as a way of staying present in the moment and appreciating God’s blessings. By focusing on the present moment and cultivating an attitude of gratitude, you can experience God’s presence in your life in a new and powerful way. This can involve simple practices like taking a few deep breaths and noticing your surroundings or keeping a gratitude journal and reflecting on the blessings in your life.

Overall, Christian meditation is a powerful tool for deepening your relationship with God and experiencing His presence in your life. By regularly engaging in this practice, you can gain a greater understanding of His will for your life and find peace and joy in His presence.

You are invited to meditate on Psalm 71 with Pastor Karen Wong, the coordinator of Faith Power Night at FaithLine International Ministries:

How To Hand Over All Interrupting Thoughts

One question that I received quite regularly is “How can I pray without interruption to my mind?” For years, I struggled with all the stray thoughts while trying to experience the presence of Christ in my prayer time. Then one day, I found a way and I like to share this with you.

MONKEY BRAIN – The anxiety that we sometimes experience comes from the constant barrage of thoughts in our minds. That barrage is like unruly monkeys jumping in and out. We can call this “monkey brain”.

This is disturbing especially when you want to enjoy the Lord’s presence.

How do you prevent these “monkeys” from interrupting you?

There is a way. It’s called “Handing-over Prayer”.

Most people make the mistake of trying to fight the thoughts that inundate their minds. When you fight a thought, you become “violent”. And that leads to stress. The very idea of fighting may be the reason why you don’t like to spend time with the Lord. It’s just too stressful.

So, what is the ideal way?

Here are some simple steps to help you focus upon the Lord whenever you pray:

IDENTITY – Instead of fighting the interrupting thoughts, you welcome them one by one. When an interrupting thought comes, you acknowledge it. You identify and welcome it. This is important because you are telling your mind not to be stressed by that stray thought. When a stray thought flashes in your mind, immediately identify and acknowledge it. This means that you are in control of it. You are not trying to fight it but you now have the power to manage it.

SHAPE AND COLOR – Some people think in images and pictures. If you are one of them, it may be helpful to give the interrupting thought a shape and a color.

For example, if the thought of a particular fear such as financial bondage comes into your mind, give it the shape of a black ball.

If a good thought comes but it is still interrupting your time with the Lord, you will want to give it a shape and color too.

Take an example, the image of someone you love appears. Identify the person, and in your mind, put a red heart shape frame around the person’s face.

HAND OVER TO THE LORD – Since your purpose is to spend time with the Lord, you will want to hand over all these good or not-so-good thoughts and images to the Lord.

You may lift up the interrupting thought with your hands (real or imaginary) and gently release that interrupting thought to the Lord… just like you are releasing a bird.

The other approach is to open your hands and drop the thought. It’s similar to dropping a heavy object.

Both approaches help to prevent the thought from staying in your mind and free you to worship and meditate upon the Lord.

REPETITION – If the thought interrupts again, gently repeat the process.

CONTACT POINT OF FAITH – Soon, you will realize that you are able to focus upon the Lord better. To help your mind remain in the presence of the Lord, you may like to use a word or phrase to serve as a contact point of faith.

As for me, when I realize that I am losing focus, I will call out, “Lord Jesus”. His name helps me to return my attention to Him. You may use any words. Some say, “Hallelujah” and others say, “Maranatha”. Every time, they are distracted, they simply say that word or phrase to serve as a contact point of faith. So, you can do likewise.

SPEAKING IN TONGUES – If you have the gift of tongues, you may pray in tongues after you meditate upon the Lord and enjoy His presence. Speaking in tongues helps you to remain in the Lord’s presence and also allows your being to rest in His embrace.

I trust that you will enjoy spending time with the Lord as you get saturated with His love and peace. You need to practice and get used to releasing all your stray thoughts and anxieties to the Lord. God bless!

Albert Kang

Here is a video teaching on Handing-over Prayer. Please check it out.
https://youtu.be/SXdOvskQiV8

Hope In The Future – Power In The Present

There is a little town in Maine that is under Flagstaff Lake. Few visitors to this lake realized that. They enjoyed the delectable lobsters and walked along the idyllic shores of the lake but seldom were they told of the submerged Flagstaff Town.

It was in 1949 that the residents got the confirmed news that their town was to be flooded and submerged because of the construction of a hydroelectric dam. Imagine that you were one of the residents of this little town. You were told to vacate the place at a given deadline. Though you would be compensated, the town that you grew up in would forever be submerged under fifty feet of water and probably in time, lost to memory.

Months before the flooding arrived, every repair work and renovation stopped in Flagstaff. That was common sense – why should anyone spend money and effort on refurbishing buildings that would be submerged underwater soon? All roads were left with gaping potholes. Every building came under disrepair and the town was ugly to sight. Families started moving out and soon Flagstaff became a “ghost” town.

In response to this despondency, Dr. Halford Luccock, Professor of homiletics at Yale University, commented, “Where there is no faith in the future, there is no power in the present.”

This is so true. The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish….” When you cannot have hope in the future, the present can be paralyzing.

I pray that in this new year, you will discover that the kingdom of God is full of hope. Paul the Apostle, the great proponent of hope, wrote in Romans 12:12 – “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

A bride who is walking down the aisle beams with the hope of a great future with her groom. A mother holding her newborn is filled with joy and hope for her child. A young graduate jumps with hope because she has great potential for her future career. Even prisoners who have hope of being with their loved ones after serving their sentences, behave and survive better in prison. This hope for the future is so important that you cannot take it lightly.

So, as a child of God, you should have great hope because you know that your future is in the hand of the infinite and brilliant Creator. How did Paul the Apostle thrive even while in a cold Roman prison cell? He had hope because he knew the Lord of hope personally.

There are two things that can really enhance your hope.

The first is good relationships. Begin by establishing a good relationship with the Lord. This is vital because it will affect all your other relationships. When you have peace with God, you will have peace with others. If you struggled with having good relationships with others, then instead of blaming others, check your relationship with God.

All long-term relationships are established by having many dosages of forgiveness and Agape love. Where do you get an abundant supply of these? You get them from the Lord. The closer you are to the Lord the more loving and forgiving you would become. And these are obviously recipes for good relationships.

The second is good achievements. Whatever the Lord has assigned you, excel in it. Whatever job you are doing, give your best effort. Nobody can succeed for you and nobody can fail for you. In your business or job, always seek to go the second mile for your customers or employer.

During the time of Jesus, a Roman soldier was allowed to force anyone to carry his backpack for one mile. After that, he needed to find another person to do the task. The original person who carried the backpack was no longer obligated to assist the soldier anymore. You can imagine the Jewish victim who was forced to do the task. He must have resented the soldier.

When it came to Jesus, it was different. Instead of teaching His disciples to fight for their rights, and to resist the cohesion to serve the enemy, Jesus told them to willingly follow Roman law. Then He added a shocking instruction, “If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles.” (Matthew 5:41).

One can imagine how shocked the Roman soldier would be when the victim offered to carry his backpack for another mile. What Jesus taught was that His disciples were to live beyond the requirement of Roman law. The second mile was not required by the law and so it was known as the “Freedom Mile”. The victim suddenly had the freedom and power to bless his oppressor. The Roman soldier would most probably be confused and think that the victim had become crazy. As for the disciples of Christ, they knew their identity as children of the kingdom of God. The second-mile principle is part of their lifestyle.

If you would do that in your service to others, it will not only be pleasing to the Lord but it will give you good results. No customer is going to leave you and no good employer is going to fire you when you are applying this kingdom principle.

Finally, unlike the people of Flagstaff, you can be assured that even when this old world passes away, the Lord is going to create a new earth… plus a new heaven (Revelation 21). You as a faithful child of God will inherit all these in your future.

Apostle Peter reminded us of this great promise of God. It is through Christ, we have been reborn into “…a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:3-4).

Your life will be greatly enriched when you realize that by establishing good relationships and having good achievements, you are actually fulfilling the will of God in your life here and now. Then with the eternal hope of God’s promise of a new heaven and a new earth, you will be able to keep the proper perspective of what your life is all about.

May this new year be a year in which you have “hope in the future and power in the present”.

God bless

Albert Kang

Why Do You Drink Poison And Expect Your Enemy To Die?

In the teaching of the New Testament, believers and bitterness are contradictory to each other. It’s like fire and water. They just cannot mix. A true believer cannot harbor bitterness in his or her heart. Paul the Apostle encourages every believer to “get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.” (Ephesians 4:31 NLT).

Jesus emphasized that “forgiveness” is part of the basic character of a true believer.
Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”
Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
Matthew 18:21-22

The rabbis of antiquity recommended the “three-strikes-and-you-are-out” approach in forgiving. A person is required to tolerate and pardon three offenses of his opponent. However, after that, he is allowed to retaliate or take revenge.

Peter was more magnanimous than the rabbis because he recommended forgiving the offender seven times. Jesus blew the concept of three and seven pardons out of the water with His “forgiveness” standard raised to “seventy times seven”. Jesus did not mean that we should only forgive 490 times. His answer to Peter set the biblical standard: as believers, as long as the person repents, you have to forgive that person. If he offended you again and again and repented, again and again, you will have to forgive Him. Yes, countless times. The apostles who were listening with Peter finally exclaimed to Jesus in full recognition of their weaknesses, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:3-5).

However, you may say that it is easy to say but the feeling of unforgiveness and bitterness is difficult to overcome. It is especially difficult when you have been hurt by those whom you least expected to do so. As time extends, such unresolved anger gradually turns into full-blown hatred and bitterness.

Many believers are stuck in this rut of bitterness and feel totally helpless in overcoming it. The worse thing for them to realize is that the people who hurt them do not even seem to care how they feel. In their deep anger, the devil is having a wonderful time manipulating them. He suggests many ideas of malice and revenge. And that is why bitterness and hatred inevitably become the sin of murder.

Some secretly wish that bad things will happen to the offender such as dying a gruesome death. Others curse these offenders under their breath. The more religious ones pray imprecatory prayers of judgment upon their adversaries even though the teaching in the New Testament does not encourage that. Instead, the Apostle Paul exhorts believers saying, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not” (Romans 12:14).

If you can identify with these struggles, here are some helpful steps to help prevent you from poisoning yourself.

TELLING THE TRUE STORY TO JESUS
Stop and consider telling the most accurate story only to Jesus and yourself. Why? Because for too long now, you have created a story for others so as to justify your inner struggle, hurt, and pain. You also provide the reason why it is impossible to forgive the person or persons who hurt you.

Like a good detective, you may have to search through years of scattered memories and historical rubbles to determine the facts of the situations that caused you to retaliate in anger and hatred.

Is it what the person said or did, or is it being made to look ridiculous that offended you?

When I was around seven years old, I was “made a fool” by an uncle at one of our family gatherings. It was actually nothing – this uncle mimicked my childish voice when I addressed him. All my cousins laughed and I felt thoroughly embarrassed. Ever since that incident, I had a dislike for this uncle. It did not amount to hatred but at any family functions, I avoided him at all costs. It was not until I was 40 years old that I realized that it was that particular hurt that caused me to “dislike” this uncle. Thank God for revealing that to me. How did I resolve it?

The best approach to such a negative encounter is to confess, repent and hand the hurt feeling to the Lord in the Handing-over Prayer. That was what I did and I reconciled with this uncle socially and in my heart.

STOP TELLING YOUR STORY TO EVERYONE
One of the hurting people’s weaknesses is the desire to tell their negative stories to just about anyone. You can tell your story to a counselor or pastor so that you may receive helpful counsel and advice. However, if you repeatedly share your negative story with everybody you are keeping that painful memory alive.

When you prayed and surrendered that hurt to Jesus, He had begun the healing process in you. As you keep trusting and handing the struggle to Him, soon that inner wound will be healed.

Repeating your negative story is like digging into your old wound and making it all bloody again. Then Satan will control your life because he strives in conflict and pain. Unknowingly to you, the devil has shackled you with the chains of victimhood.

CHECK YOUR EXPECTATIONS
Another reason for the inner hurt may be that you have unrealistic expectations. Even though it is common for everyone to have certain unrealistic expectations, that does not mean that it is healthy.

An elderly missionary who returned alone to the USA from the mission field of Africa wanted to be treated with great honor and respect. However, the denomination did not really accord him the level of honor that he expected and according to his son, this missionary died an angry and bitter man.

A close relative had an adversarial marital relationship because she expected her husband to be able to read her mind and anticipate everything that she needed. She associated his inability to discern her needs as he did not love her enough. She was perpetually hurt despite the assurance from her husband.

Another friend expected her family members to respond in certain ways and when they did not, she was furious. For her entire life, the sad and often angry memories of her “uncaring” family members were repeated in endless narratives to others.

Unrealistic expectations are damaging because they are too complicated for any ordinary relationship to be established. These expectations are destined for failure. No amount of unforgiveness and bitterness will change your situation. By paying attention to why every unrealistic expectation ends up in failure or quarrel, we may become wiser and better at dealing with such disappointments.

TIME TO HAND OVER YOUR BURDENS

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-29: “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
The Lord is definitely sympathetic to your hurts and brokenness. You can come to Him with your tale of sorrow, and He will not scorn you. You can cry upon His shoulders, and He will not push you away. In the deep silence, you will hear His voice of comfort and liberty. He will gently untangle your throbbing affliction and His peace will calm that stormy discrepancy.

Every hurting memory does not need to own or control you. Every flood of pain does not need to drown you. When all these come and they will come, all you need to do is to acknowledge each feeling of hurt and pain. Don’t fight it. Just acknowledge it, receive it, and then give it a shape and color in your mind.

For example, someone falsely accused me of something and I was hurt. The inner hurt continued to fester as long as I avoided it. When I took responsibility to acknowledge it. I gently received it and gave it the shape of a square and the color was green. Then what did I do with that angry feeling that had a shape and color? I gently handed it over to the Lord.

You may be wondering whether that painful thought ever come back and the answer is that it kept coming back. And I kept up with the same handing-over process. Then, one day, it just didn’t come back with that emotional baggage anymore. I recalled all the words of the false accusation, but they no longer carried that emotion of hurt, anger, and pain in them. I no longer disliked the person who said it. I was able to honestly pray for him and even fellowship with him without any hesitation in my spirit.

Jesus is not only most willing to give you rest but He assures that you will surely find rest in Him. When you trust Him with all your struggles, you will receive your spiritual refreshment. A strong dose of inner nourishment and deep peace will flow within when you hand every ugly thought and painful memory to Him.

As you hand over all to the Lord, you may want to enter into His service and bask in the light of His teaching. The first “rest” is while serving Him, you’ll find your purpose of being, and the second “rest” is found in His life-giving Word. You’ll discover daily purification from the filth of the world. Both are necessary for your spiritual refreshment and growth. And both these can only be found in Christ and Christ alone. May you refuse to poison your life and surrender everything to the Lord.

Here is the playlist of a compilation of Handing-over Prayer videos for you to listen to and share with others.
Playlist of Handing-over Prayer

Handing-Over Prayer Is A 24/7 Experience

Jenny was troubled by worries about her teenage children not doing well in school. The Covid-19 situation and the two years of perpetual lock-down had taken the enthusiasm for learning away from these growing youngsters. No matter, how she nagged, scolded, and even threatened, nothing changed. She prayed to God but even those prayers were so stressful. She was pleading and her voice of despair seemed to rise no further than her ceiling.

One day, she watched one of my YouTube teaching videos on Handing-Over Prayer. According to Jenny, she followed every step carefully. It took some effort to really believe that Jesus was actually interested in what she had handed over. As she faithfully handed over every thought of concern to the Lord, her body became relaxed with the sweet assurance of God’s presence. And the best part was that she began to see some changes in her children. Her kids actually performed well in their recent class tests. Jenny was elated. She decided to hand over her relational struggles with one of her sisters. And a miracle happened – that sister called her to reconcile. She then handed a difficult client to the Lord through Handing-Over Prayer. I believe you can guess the outcome – the client decided to buy the full range of health products that she had proposed.

Today, Jenny no longer finds prayer stressful. It’s no longer a duty or religious requirement. She mused, “For the first time, I am really enjoying praying.” She said that she loves using this Handing-Over Prayer because she wants to see how God answers her prayers.

What Is Handing-Over Prayer?
You must have read what Jesus said about coming to Him and He will give us rest (Matthew 11:28). Handing-Over Prayer is the process of going to Jesus with every one of our concerns, handing them over and then just resting in Him. One of the biggest struggles that we have when we pray is always the inundation of stray thoughts. We want to focus on Jesus but our minds are refusing to cooperate. And thus, praying becomes a chore. We are always fighting to keep stray thoughts at bay so as to stay focused on the Lord. However, the brain is designed to think. These stray thoughts are like a whole troop of monkeys jumping in randomly into your mind. And that is the reason why many fail in praying is because of this phenomenon.

Accepting All The Monkeys
In Handing-Over Prayer, you will never need to worry about the “monkeys” or stray thoughts. In fact, you learn to accept all stray thoughts and side issues as they rush into your mind. Yes, you have not read wrong – learn to accept all these thoughts. Whether they be good, negative, angry, hateful, lustful, or holy, welcome them.

As Handing-Over Prayer is not violent, you do not need to fight these “monkeys” or treat them as unwelcomed interruptions. As they come into your mind, recognize that they are there in your mind, and identify them. Then gently isolate them for the handing over to Jesus.

Do not ruminate upon them but just hand them over to Jesus. Your mind is not a warehouse for all these stray thoughts. In this instance, you should treat your mind as a clear channel or a transfer station. This means that nothing stays in you and everything flows through you to Jesus.

Do Not Feel Guilty
Anything may come to your mind. It may be thoughts of anxiety or joy. However, as long as they are going to distract your time with the Lord, you just acknowledge and identify them. Take time to gently hand over all your “monkeys”. Do not feel guilty if what comes to your mind are lustful thoughts or even evil thoughts. They are temptations and temptation is not sin. Acting upon the temptation is. There is no condemnation, stress, or demand on your part. Just come confidently before Jesus, hand over and let the Lord take care of all your thoughts and struggles.

As you hand over to Jesus, say this simple prayer: “This thought I hand over to you” or “this thought I surrender to you”. If the thought comes back many times, simply hand it over again and again. Do not resist it – just receive, identify, isolate and hand it over to God.

Where Can You Do The Handing-Over Prayer?
You can do the Handing-Over Prayer almost anywhere. Many believers do it while driving to and from work. Some told me that when they were stuck in traffic jams, instead of getting upset, they took the opportunity to do the Handing-Over Prayer. Many homemakers followed my advice to do it during their daily house-cleaning session. Others do it during their gardening. One creative account was doing the Handing-Over Prayer while showering. There is no limit of creative ways that you can use this prayer approach. It will be ideal if you can find a regular time in the day to do this Handing-Over Prayer. For example, in the morning, just before or after your devotion. The Lord encourages us to pray alone in a private place – “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6:6).

A 24/7 Prayer
This is indeed an ideal 24/7 approach to prayer and you can actually do what the Bible speaks about “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Praying all the time may be something new to you. Like all habits, it has to be practiced regularly until it becomes a part of your daily activities. I pray that you will enjoy handing over all your struggles and disturbing thoughts to the Lord and just rest in His presence.

Here are some helpful videos about Handing-Over Prayer.

Understanding Generational Curses – Part 6 (Nature Versus Nurture)

The Real Generational Curse
What is a Generational Curse? If you have not read my five earlier articles about this topic, please do so. For first-time readers, a generational curse is described as “the cumulative effect on a person of things that their ancestors did, believed, or practiced in the past, and a consequence of an ancestor’s actions, beliefs, and sins being passed down.” (Gospel Coalition).

As I have explained in my previous articles that the Adamic Curse of the original sin has often been misunderstood as the generational curses of our ancestors. Once this is understood, you will be glad to know that you have been liberated and there is no need to adopt the erroneous tedious approach of repenting and renouncing every sin of your ancestors. The Bible shows us a more expedient way – “Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people.” (Romans 5:18).

Therefore, if we were to use the language of the proponents of the generational curse, our biggest “generational curse” is found only in the first couple that God created – Adam and Eve. Their disobedience produced the Adamic curse and the original sin. And ever since then, after the Fall, the nature of all human beings has become corrupted and sinful. The imperfect environmental and genetic factors have compounded the problem which made us more susceptible to bad habits and poor health. Thus, our behaviors and medical records resemble those of our parents and their parents and we can link them directly to the Adamic curse but not the so-called generational curses. However, in spite of what we inherited, there is also the question of our own responsibility and accountability of our lives and behaviors. That raises the question of whether we are more affected by our nature or whether we are simply nurtured to become the types of people that we are.

Nature Versus Nurture
This is an age-old debate on whether we inherit our behaviors or we learn them from our elders. Dr. Brenda Shook, a professor of psychology at the National University, the largest, private nonprofit university in San Diego, USA, enlightens us by stating that we have often asked the wrong question – “Is human behavior genetic or learned?” The more accurate question should be “To what extent is a particular behavior genetic or learned?”

Without going into all the complicating scientific details, Dr. Shook said that we do not inherit behavioral traits or personality but genes. And these genes contain information that produces proteins. These in turn form various combinations that ultimately affect our behavior. In short, while our DNA code does not change, the epigenome may change. Interestingly, the environment and social influence can turn on or off a gene.

Dr. Shook says, for example, that you may think that a good singer has inherited her talent genetically. However, she points out this might not necessarily be true. The good singer may not have a good singing voice but somehow her brain is wired in such a way that she can learn and remember easily all the vocal lessons that she has taken. And so her excellent singing voice is due to her ability to remember and activate all the vocal skills that she has acquired. The immense ability to remember is inherited but her vocal excellence is not. This singer is an example of the effective use of both nature and nurture.

An understanding of human behavior from a scientific point of view is beneficial for our understanding of “generational curses” so that we are aware that we are not slaves to the DNA that we inherited from our ancestors. And that it is scientifically observed in their study of Epigenetics that the epigenome when affected by outside influence, will affect the physical structure of the genome, which in turn, dictates which genes to turn on and which to turn off.

Differentiating Reality From Excuses.
As Dr. Shook has pointed out a person’s character may be affected both by nature and nurture. And so with that understanding, we should be able to differentiate what is reality and what is an excuse. No one can fully blame their ancestors for how they behaved and the consequential results of their behaviors.

For example, one believer approached me for advice because he believed that he was under the generational curse of gambling. He told me that his father was a gambler and so was his grandfather. However, I discovered that all his other four siblings were not gamblers. If it was a generation curse then why didn’t it affect all his other siblings? In fact, all of them were doing well in their careers and living responsible lives. Later, one of his brothers told me that this man was the “black sheep” of the family. Since a child, he had lived a very irresponsible life. He was the only one who did not help out at the mother’s hawker stall selling wanton noodles. He was playing truant somewhere while all his siblings realized their stark financial situation, and helped their mother whose business was the only source of income. To me, this man was definitely not under any generational curse but simply an irresponsible person who lived a very careless life.

Personal Dysfunction Versus Generational Curses
Too many people hide behind this concept of generational curses and dodge the true problem that lies in their personal dysfunction and wrong decisions. If they only take responsibility to resolve their problematic behavior than merely embrace this false teaching of generational curses so as to render themselves, helpless victims.

In conclusion, the only real curse is the wrong belief that we are powerless to break our personal dysfunctions and surrender our future to these mystical “generational curses”. When we understand that the Adamic curse has been nullified at the cross, no amount of “generational curses” can derail the purpose and objective of God in our lives.

What Does It Mean To Be Seated In Heavenly Realms?

The question is often asked, “how can we be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms if we are still here upon this earth?” Let’s look at what Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:4-7

But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. ⁶ And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, ⁷ so that in the coming ages He might show the incomparable riches of His grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus.

The Theory of the Spiritual Position
Some teachers of the Bible believe that this is a spiritual position. The idea is that though we are living in the physical realm and experiencing natural realities, our spirit “in Christ” is seated in the exalted spiritual realm known also as “heavenly places”. This is supposedly the spiritual realm of Christ’s victories and therefore, you are expected to live in His favor and victory on earth.

Does your spirit need to leave your body to enter into the heavenly realms? Some teachers have the idea that is very similar to Plato’s dualism (but not in its entirety). If my understanding of what they believe is correct, then they are saying that the body and spirit are two separate entities and can exist in different spheres. So, the spirit is “seated” in the heavenly realms with Christ while the body on earth is being directed by that human spirit that is seated above. I do not subscribe to this mystical idea and I will explain why later.

The Theory of the Legal Position
Other teachers suggest that this “seated in heavenly realms” is an expression of our legal position. We are still here on earth and the “heavenly places” expression has to do with our legal rights being restored by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. To them, our new legal position has placed us not so much as being physically there in the heavenly realms with Christ but having the legal rights and authority of Christ who is in the heavenly realms. Our real-life condition remains staunchly here on earth but we function with heavenly authority. This theory sounds plausible but is it really what the Bible is teaching?

The Prophetic Perfect
Having discussed the two commonly preached positions, let’s venture into the biblical understanding of this exciting portion in Ephesians 2:4-7. For this purpose, I like to introduce you to a particular style of writing of the Bible known as the Prophetic Perfect. Bible scholars recognize the Hebraic and Aramaic idiom of using past tense to express the certainty of something in the future. This is known as the “perfective of confidence” – something that God is so confident that in His mind, even though the event is still in the future, He declares it as accomplished or has already happened.

The Promise To Abraham
For example, in Genesis 15:18, in the original Hebrew text, it is “To your descendants, I have given this land.” At that time, all those descendants had not existed and how could God give them the land? You would not be asking this question if you understood that God was using prophetic perfect in his promise. He was so confident in giving this land to Abraham’s descendants and so He used the prophetic perfect to emphasize the certainty of the event one thousand years before it actually happened.
There are just too many occasions that the prophetic perfect has been used in the Bible for me to list all of them here. Let me give you a few more examples:

Victory In A Battle
A quick reference to Numbers 21:34 (NIV) –  The Lord said to Moses, “Do not be afraid of him, for I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land. Do the same to him as you did to King Sihon of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon.” 
The context of this portion was God assuring Moses that Israel would win the battle against Og, the king of Bashan. Here most of the English translators kept the original prophetic perfect meaning. Reading the NIV translation, you may think that the battle was already over because God said, “I have handed him over to you, along with all his people and his land.” The truth is that the battle had not been fought yet but in the mind of God, it was already a done deal.

The Coming Of The Messiah
Let’s check a prophecy about the coming of Jesus, given by Balaam. We read Numbers 24:17 (NIV) – “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” Did you realize that in most English translations this portion is in the future tense except in the Young’s Literal Translation (YLT)? The reason is that Robert Young the translator followed rigidly what he read in both the Textus Receptus (TR) and the Masoretic Text (MT). Young’s translation has accurately expressed the Hebrew text of the prophetic perfect tense – “A star hath proceeded from Jacob, And a scepter hath risen from Israel.”
This was to be fulfilled by Christ 1,400 years after the prophecy but in the sight of God, it was already a done deal.

Let’s look at another popular scripture about the coming of Jesus – Isaiah 9:6. God was so certain of the coming of His Son that He made Isaiah write in the prophetic perfect tense- “To us, a child has been born, to us a son has been given, and the government has been on his shoulders, and he has been called Wonderful, Counselor….” Can you now recognize the force of the prophetic perfect tense? Isaiah was writing as though this birth of Jesus was a past event, even though he knew that it would be something far in the future – actually 700 years into the future.

Prophetic Perfect Tense In The New Testament
What about the prophetic perfect tense in the New Testament? We have to remember that the New Testament was written in Greek but by people who were mostly Jews or living in the Jewish culture. It is like me – I am Chinese and raised in Chinese culture but I speak and write in English. Many of my Chinese cultural influences are reflected in my English messages and writing.

The Prophetic Perfect Tense In Jude
In Jude 1:14, we see the force of the prophetic perfect tense at work – “It was about these people that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, when he said, “Look, the Lord came with myriads of His holy ones.” (Amplified version). The International Standard Version states: “Look! The Lord has come with countless thousands of his holy ones.“
Most English translators used the future tense to translate this portion because they did not want to confuse the readers. Imagine those who only read the “prophetic perfect” translations, they may not understand the purpose of God in emphasizing His certainty of a future event, and so they may be puzzled and ask, “When did the Lord come back with thousands of His holy angels?” Once again, the purpose of the prophetic perfect tense is to indicate the certainty of the second coming of the Lord with His angels.

The Prophetic Perfect Tense of Ephesians 2:6
Paul apparently used the prophetic perfect tense when he wrote: “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus“. Surprisingly, the majority of the English translations followed the past tense in the Greek text and did not use the future tense. And that is why many believers who have no idea about the idiom of the prophetic perfect struggle with this idea of “seated in the heavenly realms” while they are still here, very much alive. on earth. If only they knew that God is so confident of them sitting with Christ forever in heaven in their future that He inspired Paul to express it in the past tense with the prophetic perfect sense.

Most scholars will tell you that the concept that God has “already seated His people with Christ in the heavenly realm” as a past or present experience is not found in all the other epistles of Paul the Apostle. The more accurate explanation will have to be that this is a statement of God’s absolute confidence that His people will one day be seated eternally with Christ.

Now, you may have some doubts about this explanation. Let’s look at the fact – you are here on earth and not in the heavenly realms. You can only look up to what Colossians 3:1 has stated – “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.“

Which Scripture Is Literal?
Now, you have to figure out which scripture is literal and which is prophetic perfect. If you accept Ephesians 2:6 as a literal “sitting in the heavenly realms now” then you will have to reject Colossians 3:1 which places you on earth, looking above where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. However, since the Bible does not contradict itself, I would definitely accept Colossians 3:1 as literal and Ephesians 2:6 as an expression of the prophetic perfect tense.

Therefore, based upon Colossians 3:1, we are now living on earth, serving the kingdom of God and we are looking and seeking “above” where “Christ is seated right now in the heavenly realms”. Then, with our understanding of the prophetic perfect tense in Ephesians 2:6, we are confident that one day, in the future, we will definitely be seated with Christ in the heavenly realms.