1. Firstly, God reminded us to persevere in our everyday life, such as worship, study of the Word and prayer. These things though small, add up. Just as a body needs food, so does our soul. We need to feed our bodies with the right things to be fit. Eating junk food everyday will make us unhealthy and sick. Same with our spiritual walk, if we feed on God's Word we will glow with health. But if we feast on the junk and drink polluted waters from the drain flowing of the world, we will smell exactly like them. A stench will come out from us. Does our life give off a stench that smells of the world? Or have we been soaking in the perfume of God's presence?
2. Secondly, God spoke to us thru a vision that Aunty Lillian saw as we responded to God. The vision was of Jesus standing in the centre of the circle looking at us. Then there were the various doors of our hearts that have been open to the devil, allowing him to give us the junk of the world to mess up our lives. But Jesus stands and asks us, where is the door that is open to Him? Have we readily accepted the junk from the devil? It's time to open our hearts to God again.

1. Did i open my heart to God instead of the devil? Have i been actively resisting the devil and opening my heart to God instead?
2. What are the "junks" in my life that i need to get rid of?(specific sins, habits, temptations.)
3. Have i taken any actions to get rid of them?
4. Have i been persevering in the small things? (private worship, study of God's Word and prayer)

Living for God

It's never too late to respond to God. Even you did not respond, you can still do so in your Quiet Time and start to take active steps. If you did respond but were not able to live it out, don't give up just bcos you failed once. Determine to pick yourself up and keep trying till you know that you have made progress. True change is the fruit of perseverance and diligence. It is a result of the faithfulness of a child of God as he/she steps out of the safe church environment into the world where temptations are aplenty and the Prince of the World rules with his iron fist.

The true test of our committment does not lie in the number of tears we shed at the altar or how earnest we are at the point of decision. No, it's right there in the world. It is there in the canteen when you are sitting with your non-christian friends and they start to gossip, backstab, scold swear words, and you sit listening. You are tempted to join in talk that is not pleasing to God, that will pierce His heart. Or the test could come when at the end of the day you come home wanting to watch your favourite TV programme,and God waits. He waits for you to fulfill your committment to be faithful in the little things. But you dilly dally till its past bedtime and you fall asleep, passing Him by. The test can comes in the privacy of our rooms, in front of our computers, away from the eyes of Christian brothers and sisters, with only self to answer before God. How far would you take your committment to God? Has it started and stopped at the altar?

In the world where temptations abound, in the secrecy of your room, in the mundane routine of life...God is asking....are you willing to live for me, child? Because this is where the real change happens. This is what matters to God. It does not end at a Saturday altar call. It starts there...

Perseverance

The good news is... God doesn't care how many times you try but fail. Your mind may tell you that God has given up on you just because this is the umpteenth time you've failed Him. But God doesn't care, as long as you've tried wholeheartedly. Repentance after failure is what matters to Him. A repentant heart each time you fail. And a perseverance to see it thru. A perseverance that says, "God, no matter how many times i fail, i'm gonna try again till i get it right. Till i get it right Lord, i'm not gonna give up on you." The apostle Paul writes to encourage us in the same way, not to take our failure or our bad past to heart, but to press on. Focus on the prize, and not on your failures in other words!

"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13.

Remember, many can respond to the altar. In fact, we all should respond when God speaks to our hearts and not harden ourselves. But how many are willing to live out the committment? How many are willing to persevere in the face of discouragement and hardship? When the "good feeling" is not always there to spur us on. Are you willing? I pray you will be one of those who will step out from the crowd and say yes. Step out and be set apart by God. Set apart the days, minutes and seconds and live them worshipfully unto God. Remember, it's not too late to respond to God even now. God waits for you His dear little child, His heart waits for you, His power ever-ready to transform you. Open your heart and hear His whispers once again.