Here’s a recent video from Dr. Brian Simmons about the ministry of Charles Finney and revival in New England. Dr. Brian Simmons was the senior pastor of Gateway Christian Fellowship in Connecticut, and is an incredible teacher of the Word.

I remember a season in my life, probably around 2007, where I would listen to a whole bunch of his messages on mp3 as I walked to work from Bugis MRT to Arab Street. I think I barely understood a fraction of what I heard back then, but there was an authority and originality in his preaching and teaching that clearly did not come by mere study, as well as an intimacy with God that was readily apparent.

I wanna preach like that someday!

Here’s a great video on the life of John Sung that I chanced upon. Noted by some as the John Wesley of China, he’s comparatively little-known, but was probably the most influential Chinese revivalist of the 20th century. In his 14 years of ministry, he was used to spread revival to China, Vietnam, Singapore and other countries.

I highly recommend his biography by Leslie T. Lyall, and a recently released collection of his diaries, The Journal Once Lost (compiled by his surviving daughter Levi). They are both published by Armour Publishing. 

The biography by Lyall is the best introduction, it is well worth the read. I found these two books (and his life) to be absolutely inspiring. Do watch the video, it’s the only one I’ve ever found about him!

I had the privilege of spending some time this week with an older gentleman who has spent his life in obedience to God’s call by working in the mission field in India, as well as in pastoral, teaching, and bible college ministry. In recounting his experiences to me, I just felt encouraged and refreshed by the wisdom and insight of a life spent following after God.

I recorded some of the thoughts that he shared with me for future reference. Here are some of them:

A Verse Which Sustained Him Through His Life and Ministry

Jeremiah:17:8 – “He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

He emphasized the importance of getting our roots deep into God’s Word (represented by water). It is the essential key to fruitfulness in and out of season.

The Importance of Bible Study

He shared that a worrying trend that he’s noticed in Singapore (after working in bible college ministry) is the lack of biblical study and teaching, which has often been replaced by programmes and ministry activities. While not diminishing the need for programmes/outreaches/cultural relevancy/etc, he continually emphasized to me the importance of knowing the bible.

Hunger was the key that helped him to get into the bible. He just got to a place where he was desperate enough to cry out to God to give him a love for the Word, and pursued that for many years. That hunger has kept with him throughout the past twenty years, though there have been seasons where that desire has been stronger and weaker.

He spoke admiringly of teachers in his life who have taught in the Word, and he still holds them in high regard. This revealed to me a man who is still fascinated by God’s Word (even after years of teaching), and knows that he has barely scratched the surface of His Word after more than twenty years.

He still maintains the spiritual discipline of getting into the bible, with most mornings spent with about two hours in the bible before his daily responsibilities.

He also suggested the importance of waking up early to seek God even in the midst of a busy schedule. He believes that the spiritual refreshing and renewal from that time will sustain a person through even the most busy of schedules. He warned about succumbing to the enemy’s tactics to wear out the saints as quoted in Daniel:7:25.

Relationships and God’s Testing

He shared a life situation that happened where it seemed like the people around him just didn’t seem to understand what he was going through, no matter how he tried to explain things. He felt frustrated in that situation, but after some time he realised that God was testing him to see how he would respond. Sometimes when things don’t seem to go our way and no one understands, God is waiting to see the response of our hearts to the situation.

Following God’s Call

He shared that one will never know how God will connect the dots in a person’s life to fulfill His plan. He shared of how God directed him and his wife with supernatural confirmation to work in Tanzania, only to spend two weeks actually there and the rest of his year in other parts of Africa due to permit problems. At the end of that year, he received a sudden phone call regarding a crisis vacancy in India. He had to make the decision to stay or go within one night, and he prayed and felt a release to go to India. He has since had twenty years of fruitful ministry in India. While travelling in and out of India to renew his visa, he found himself transiting through Singapore frequently. Through a series of events, he found himself working with a church and bible college in Singapore as well.

Matthew:23:1-12

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ”The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi.’

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one Teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

1. Preach something but not do it.

James:3:2 states that “We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.” That means to say that all believers (including spiritual leaders) will mess up once in a while, especially in the area of speech. The caveat here is the issue of consistency and conscience, where the Pharisees’ lifestyles consistently did not match up with the things they taught, and their consciences had become hardened to the point where they saw no need to adhere to what they preached. Spiritual elitism had bred where they probably felt they were ‘above the rules’.

2. Put heavy burdens on followers, but be unwilling to help.

The burden of leadership isn’t just about getting things done. It is about helping followers grow and become all that God has called them to be. The Pharisees saw their followers as a means to an end, and as resources that were to be utilised to serve their ministry agendas only.

True spiritual leadership will involve bringing people together to serve a determined goal/objective, but comes with the ability and desire to bring out the best in people and release them into the maturity, gifts, and sphere of influence that the Creator intends them to possess.

3. Be more interested in how you appear before men rather than who you are before God.

Nobody with some understanding of Scripture would consciously want to do this. (See the life of Saul.) However, unresolved rejection, hurts, unsanctified ambitions, hidden judgements, unrenewed mindsets and unbiblical worldviews can blind a person to this. I’ve had to struggle with this a lot, because this can be SO subtle, and is so deeply ingrained into our culture that we can easily fail to identify it in our lives.

4. Desire earthly titles and positions, and not servanthood.

It’s interesting that Jesus told his disciples to not call anyone ‘teacher’ or ‘father’. To have leaders with these qualities are actually desirable. We need leaders who have the understanding and insight to teach, and the Apostle Paul further highlighted that there were (comparatively) many teachers, but few fathers. When Abram was promoted in his spiritual calling, his name was changed to Abraham, which meant ‘father of many nations’. (Genesis:17:5)

The issue was one of spiritual identity. The true and primary identity of a spiritual leader is a servant. Though one may function as a teacher, preacher, leader, pastor, and even be a spiritual father, the primary identity of a leader is servanthood.

Servanthood has absolutely no privileges, unlike fathering and teaching. As much as we need true spiritual fathers and teachers (and i would suggest that all leaders should grow in these areas), leaders might remain as servants in their hearts, and function primarily out of this identity in leadership. This was the crux of apostolic leadership in the early Church and clearly exemplified in the life of Paul.

PS. I’m still doing some of this, honestly. Let’s persist in getting these out of our lives!

Love’s cry of a great awakening.

Release the hands that heal the broken ones,

touched with the fire of Your holy love.

Daniel:1:1-6

1 During the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign in Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave him victory over King Jehoiakim of Judah and permitted him to take some of the sacred objects from the Temple of God. So Nebuchadnezzar took them back to the land of Babylonia and placed them in the treasure-house of his god.
3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, his chief of staff, to bring to the palace some of the young men of Judah’s royal family and other noble families, who had been brought to Babylon as captives. 4 “Select only strong, healthy, and good-looking young men,” he said. “Make sure they are well versed in every branch of learning, are gifted with knowledge and good judgment, and are suited to serve in the royal palace. Train these young men in the language and literature of Babylon.” 5 The king assigned them a daily ration of food and wine from his own kitchens. They were to be trained for three years, and then they would enter the royal service.

6 Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah were four of the young men chosen, all from the tribe of Judah. 7 The chief of staff renamed them with these Babylonian names:

Daniel was called Belteshazzar.
Hananiah was called Shadrach.
Mishael was called Meshach.
Azariah was called Abednego.

Historical Background
It is important to note that Daniel was deported to Babylon in 605 BC, during the first Babylonian invasion of Judah. There would be two more invasions of increasing intensity in later years.
Daniel was part of the royal family and nobility (Daniel:1:3) during the reign of Jehoiakim, and it is possible that he was a relative of the king. It is also very likely that he was aware of the prophetic career of Jeremiah (and may have even been physically present to hear), who prophesied to several of the kings of Judah. The prophecies of Jeremiah were generally negative toward the backslidden nation, that they decried judgment against the people of Judah, warning of an impending invasion by Babylonian forces.

The Political Genius of King Nebuchadnezzar

Nebuchadnezzar was an incredibly intelligent and astute leader/politician. There were several benefits to deporting and indoctrinating these young nobles and intelligentsia from Judah:

1. It further crippled the remnant of Judah by taking away the nation’s hope for the future, which was their brightest and most capable leaders of the future.
2. Nebuchadnezzar realised that it would be easier to rule over the downtrodden nation by gaining the affections of and proselytising to people who already possessed nobility and influence within their community. Once he had won these people over to him and the culture of Babylon, the rest of the common folk would quickly follow suit.
3. He intentionally raised up indigenous leaders who would influence the tone and culture of their community. This would allow a semblance of benevolence toward the Jewish community after the outright invasion of this nation.

This is the biblical precursor of scholarship programs that are so prevalent in many countries today. Nebuchadnezzar was intentional in creating another route of success and prominence for the youths whom he deported. The youths were:

1. young men of royalty and nobility who had tasted of the good life and the lifestyle of the successful back in Judah. They would have loved the privileged treatment they had in Nebuchadnezzar’s court, food and wine.
2. They were also young and impressionable, and, like many shrewd young men caught in social conditions beyond their control, were likely to do whatever it takes to succeed.
3. They were promised a place of prominence in the Babylonian society through serving in the king’s palace, which was worlds apart from the conditions in their homeland by this point.

These factors created an environment that was very tempting and beneficial for a young man to defect to another culture and political system.

Daniel:1:8-16

8 But Daniel was determined not to defile himself by eating the food and wine given to them by the king. He asked the chief of staff for permission not to eat these unacceptable foods. 9 Now God had given the chief of staff both respect and affection for Daniel. 10 But he responded, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has ordered that you eat this food and wine. If you become pale and thin compared to the other youths your age, I am afraid the king will have me beheaded.”

11 Daniel spoke with the attendant who had been appointed by the chief of staff to look after Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 12 “Please test us for ten days on a diet of vegetables and water,” Daniel said. 13 “At the end of the ten days, see how we look compared to the other young men who are eating the king’s food. Then make your decision in light of what you see.” 14 The attendant agreed to Daniel’s suggestion and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of the ten days, Daniel and his three friends looked healthier and better nourished than the young men who had been eating the food assigned by the king. 16 So after that, the attendant fed them only vegetables instead of the food and wine provided for the others.

17 God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.

The Reasons Behind the Fasted Lifestyle of Daniel

Daniel had been forced to learn the language and literature of Babylon (Daniel:1:4), which most likely included elements of sorcery and the magic arts that were so prevalent in Babylon (Daniel:2:2).  Yet he submitted to the educational system, but instead resisted the food and wine of the king. Why did he chose to resist in the area of food?

I believe Daniel chose abstain from the king’s food and wine for these main reasons (I’m not suggesting that these are the only reasons, but these are three key reasons I believe are important):

1. As a form of indentificational intercession for the Jewish people.

It is remarkable that throughout the life of Daniel, we learn that he never forgot about the nation and the people of Israel, even when he was in the heights of political office and success in Babylon later in his life. He prayed three times a day with his window opened toward Jerusalem (Daniel:6:10), he searched the scriptures regarding Jerusalem (Daniel:9:2), and he prayed fervently to receive understanding and revelation regarding events in Jerusalem (Daniel:9:20). It is likely in chapter one that Daniel chose not to eat because he wanted to identify with the Jewish people, and could not bring himself to enjoy the pleasures of the court while his own countrymen were suffering. Psalm 137:4 might describe Daniel’s state of mind here: “But how can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a pagan land?”

2. As a form of resistance against the spirit of the age.

The youths were promised pleasure, success, and prominence. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life were paraded in open display in Babylonian society.(1 John:1:16) The sensual temptations of Babylon were strong, and Daniel thus chose to live a lifestyle that was ascetic in comparison. This kept his spirit lean and undefiled by Babylon, and was a sign of the consecration of his life.

3. As a aggressive way of keeping his spiritual senses sharp and his discernment strong.

Daniel:1:17 states that: “God gave these four young men an unusual aptitude for understanding every aspect of literature and wisdom. And God gave Daniel the special ability to interpret the meanings of visions and dreams.” This verse comes straight after the completion of their initial fast. Many teachers would explain that fasting physically weakens the body, and in turn subdues a person’s flesh, emotions, mind, and will to the person’s spirit. I believe that Daniel chose a lifestyle of fasting as an aggressive way of keeping his spiritual senses sharp and attuned to the Spirit of God in the midst of the rampant sorcery, witchcraft, and magic. It was his way of positioning himself to receive God’s wisdom and discernment amidst the spiritual confusion of Babylon. Matthew:11:12 states that: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Babylon was definitely a place that warranted such spiritual force and aggression.

The spirit and culture Babylon is the type of the end-of-the-age scenario that will manifest across the earth before the second coming of Christ. Some of these scenarios in Daniel chapter one will hit closer to home that many of us realise right now, but many of the keys to overcoming are already revealed in this chapter. May many modern-day Daniels arise!

“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

- Dylan Thomas, “Do not go gentle into that good night”

John the Baptist was a burning and shining lamp for his generation (John:5:35), and lived a life marked by spiritual zeal, intensity, and focus. Yet, our hearts today are so often lukewarm. We derive our contentment from distractions and temporary pleasures that do not truly satisfy.

Why are so many people attracted to rock bands that display raw passion and rage? Could it be that we were created to live with an intensity, zeal, and passion that go far beyond our wildest dreams?

What do you live for?

Where are those who would rage against the dying of the light? Where are the burning and shining lamps of this day?

I believe that the life of John the Baptist holds an important message for us.

May the flame within our hearts burn brighter day by day, month by month, and year by year; until the close of our days.

“Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” – Ephesians:5:14

Abraham Lincoln wrote this statement for a national day of prayer: confessing the state of the nation, and declaring the need for humility and God’s mercy. Perhaps some readers might find these words to be strangely appropriate and prophetic of our times, as I do.

Here is the prayer:

President Abraham Lincoln’s Proclamation:

A Day Of National Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer

in the The United States Of America on April 30, 1863

WHEREAS, the senate of the United States, devoutly recognizing the Supreme Authority and Just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations, has by a resolution, required the President to designate and set apart a day for National prayer and humiliation:

And whereas, it is the duty of nations as as well as of men, to owe their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord:

And, in so much as we know that, by His divine law, nations, like individuals, are subjected to punishments and chastisements in this world, may we not justly fear that the awful calamity of civil war, which now desolates the land, may be but a punishment inflicted upon us for our presumptuous sins, to the needful end of our national reformation as a whole People? We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years, in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth, and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace, and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us! It behooves us, then to humble ourselves before the offended Power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.

Now, therefore, in compliance with the request , and fully concurring in the views of the Senate, I do, by this proclamation, designate and set apart Thursday, the 30th day of April, 1863, as a day of national humiliation, fasting, and prayer. And I do hereby request all the People to abstain on that day from their ordinary secular pursuits, and to unite, at their several places of public worship and their respective homes, in keeping the day holy to the Lord, and devoted to the humble discharge of the religious duties proper to that solemn occasion.

All this being done, in sincerity and truth, let us then rest humbly in the hope authorized by the Divine teachings, that the united cry of the Nation will be heard on high, and answered with blessings, no less than the pardon of our national sins, and the restoration of our now divided and suffering country, to its former happy condition of unity and peace.

In witness whereof, I have here unto set my hand, and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the city of Washington this thirtieth day of March, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the eighty-seventy.

By the President:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

William H. Seward, Secretary of State