when i received my calling and promise a month ago, i did not understand. i did not know what to do. how can i be so soaked in the presence of God? how can i draw closer to Him? the desire grew, more hungry, more thirsty each passing day. it seems like it's never enough no matter how hard i try to spend time with God. i want more and more and more. i struggled, and never satisfied.
yet God has been so gracious, He did not leave me alone. right after that, KD started his series on the presence of God. was not easy but slowly it opened up my eyes and directed my heart into the right direction. ultimately, the presence of God is the person of God. knowing Him will bring you to constantly experiencing His presence. so i began the quest of knowing God, the very person whose presence we so long for.
i found myself more and more buried into His Word, as i am delving deeper and deeper to know Him more. there is an unquenchable thirst that can only satisfied in knowing Him alone, though knowing Him fully can only happen when i meet Him face to face later in eternity. thus my current life shall be filled with hot pursuit of knowing God. knowing the person of God in entirety.
i found Him in the Word. i found the Father in the Word, from beginning to the end. i found Jesus in the Word, from beginning to the end. i found Holy Spirit in the Word, from beginning to the end. and what's more, since He dwells in us, He is always speaking to us, quicken the Words in our hearts, bringing them up daily, in any circumstances, be it good or bad, happy or sad, joyful, tearful, fearful. and for that to happen, we ought to have a reserve bank for the Words in our heart, don't we? otherwise, where will the Holy Spirit draw those Words from? hence, the source of my hunger. i even attempt to memorise parts of the scripture, although i would be still considered a noob to ko asuy's standard. haha~
this is not something new. this is something we know long ago. reading the Word is something we probably have been doing for many years, although unfortunately without any zeal or passion. i have been reading the bible since i was thirteen (that is more than half my life), yet never with such intensity. for the first time i found real joy in reading the Word, meeting God in them, letting Him speak to me, and keeping those messages in my heart.
go back to the basic. devour His Words with passion and fervency, with a longing heart, with such humility to say "Lord, you know better than i do, teach me" and Words will jump to you! He will reveal Himself to you!
"The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul.
The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the LORD are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the LORD is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the LORD are firm,
and all of them are righteous.
They are more precious than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,
than honey from the honeycomb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins;
may they not rule over me.
Then I will be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer."
Psalm 19:7-14
read Psalm 119 too if you have some time to spare. i pray you will be so into the Word as the psalmist. be blessed!
disclaimer: this is but one facet of truly knowing God. there are many ways He reveals Himself to us. don't stop praying or worshipping Him. keep pursuing Him, friends :3
Monday, August 29, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
love, again
a scripture for when patients are annoying and you've already got a headache, when they demand, when they make you feel like strangling them. or maybe when your boss pushes you around, colleagues are not doing their job and you end up in loadshit of things to do. or maybe when your husband, wife, brother, sister, children get to your nerves.
remember...
God is love. and God's love is in you.
He loves them the same. and so will you.
and remember that...
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
do not mistreat them, even when you think they deserve it.
be a witness of love instead.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
it got me through last wednesday :3
ah, be blessed!
remember...
God is love. and God's love is in you.
He loves them the same. and so will you.
and remember that...
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
do not mistreat them, even when you think they deserve it.
be a witness of love instead.
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
it got me through last wednesday :3
ah, be blessed!
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
joy of the redeemed
The desert and the parched land will be glad;
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
He will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
He will come to save you.”
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
-Isaiah 35-
the wilderness will rejoice and blossom.
Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom;
it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they will see the glory of the LORD,
the splendor of our God.
strengthen the feeble hands,
steady the knees that give way;
say to those with fearful hearts,
“Be strong, do not fear;
your God will come,
He will come with vengeance;
with divine retribution
He will come to save you.”
Then will the eyes of the blind be opened
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.
Then will the lame leap like a deer,
and the mute tongue shout for joy.
Water will gush forth in the wilderness
and streams in the desert.
The burning sand will become a pool,
the thirsty ground bubbling springs.
In the haunts where jackals once lay,
grass and reeds and papyrus will grow.
And a highway will be there;
it will be called the Way of Holiness;
it will be for those who walk on that Way.
The unclean will not journey on it;
wicked fools will not go about on it.
No lion will be there,
nor any ravenous beast;
they will not be found there.
But only the redeemed will walk there,
and those the LORD has rescued will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
-Isaiah 35-
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Jehovah Jireh
my Father in heaven provides. at the right moment. just the right need.
i know He watches over me.
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches over me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
for His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches me.
"Let not your heart be troubled",
His tender word I hear,
and resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
though by the path He leadeth
but one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches over me.
i know He watches over me.
Why should I feel discouraged?
Why should the shadows come?
Why should my heart be lonely
and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion?
My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches over me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I'm free,
for His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches me.
"Let not your heart be troubled",
His tender word I hear,
and resting on His goodness,
I lose my doubts and fears;
though by the path He leadeth
but one step I may see:
His eye is on the sparrow,
and I know He watches over me.
Monday, August 8, 2011
presence-103
our amazing God is full of new revelations each day. the Holy Spirit truly reveals secrets of the Father to us as we walk with Him. i was so blessed with KD's sermon last night, it pieced another puzzle in the great mystery of God.
i was very tired yesterday, came in fifteen minutes late into the 4pm service, straight off a four hour drive from lakes entrance, with red nose and perpetual sneezing, a broken body, yet a hungry spirit. i was so worried i would not concentrate during the sermon and then wouldnt get anything. i was worried for nothing! it was a struggle to keep my eyes open, head buzzing and banging inside, and God is still so good. His words are ever so sharp, spoke right through all those hazy distractions into my heart.
time for lesson three!
the presence of God is not just "here" in church building, but also "there", everywhere else. is not our God omnipresent? how much will our lives change, relishing on this truth? in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy, thus our lives will be full of joy. there is restoration, peace, hope, and so much more! everything the Word says about the presence of the Lord is applicable in our daily lives, because He is here with us, even here with me when i'm crouching ala "abang2" on my chair, typing this message.
furthermore, KD also said, when we're in the presence of the Lord, we will worship automatically. one cannot not worship in the presence of God (please read carefully, double negative on purpose :p). it is a given. thus, true worship is continual too. everyday, every moment, our hearts offers thanksgiving and praises to Him. worship is our adoration to God, not supposed to be something we strive for.
His presence is grace, above everything. it is not us who control it through our worship, through our song selections, through our mood building. it is all by the grace of God. what i am taking home, is that, we truly need to live a life of intimacy with Him, in full obedience, to be pleasing in His eyes. when we do, man, i believe God cannot wait to pour out His grace to us! He loves us so much, u know...
so, one thing i will pursue, is to desire Him, to know Him more and more each day. to walk in intimacy with Him. to soak, be immersed in His presence. to bury myself in His truth, His Word of truth. to be one after His own heart. i pray my heart will never be satisfied, that i will crave, thirst, hunger and long after God, every day of my life. coz i know there is so much more of Him than what i will ever comprehend. i dont think i can have enough of God.
let us be always humbled to bow down before Him.
worship God with your lives, for He is already here with us :3
i was very tired yesterday, came in fifteen minutes late into the 4pm service, straight off a four hour drive from lakes entrance, with red nose and perpetual sneezing, a broken body, yet a hungry spirit. i was so worried i would not concentrate during the sermon and then wouldnt get anything. i was worried for nothing! it was a struggle to keep my eyes open, head buzzing and banging inside, and God is still so good. His words are ever so sharp, spoke right through all those hazy distractions into my heart.
time for lesson three!
the presence of God is not just "here" in church building, but also "there", everywhere else. is not our God omnipresent? how much will our lives change, relishing on this truth? in the presence of the Lord, there is fullness of joy, thus our lives will be full of joy. there is restoration, peace, hope, and so much more! everything the Word says about the presence of the Lord is applicable in our daily lives, because He is here with us, even here with me when i'm crouching ala "abang2" on my chair, typing this message.
furthermore, KD also said, when we're in the presence of the Lord, we will worship automatically. one cannot not worship in the presence of God (please read carefully, double negative on purpose :p). it is a given. thus, true worship is continual too. everyday, every moment, our hearts offers thanksgiving and praises to Him. worship is our adoration to God, not supposed to be something we strive for.
His presence is grace, above everything. it is not us who control it through our worship, through our song selections, through our mood building. it is all by the grace of God. what i am taking home, is that, we truly need to live a life of intimacy with Him, in full obedience, to be pleasing in His eyes. when we do, man, i believe God cannot wait to pour out His grace to us! He loves us so much, u know...
so, one thing i will pursue, is to desire Him, to know Him more and more each day. to walk in intimacy with Him. to soak, be immersed in His presence. to bury myself in His truth, His Word of truth. to be one after His own heart. i pray my heart will never be satisfied, that i will crave, thirst, hunger and long after God, every day of my life. coz i know there is so much more of Him than what i will ever comprehend. i dont think i can have enough of God.
let us be always humbled to bow down before Him.
worship God with your lives, for He is already here with us :3
sharing from sydney :3
sharing from another brother of mine!
...today i hope to humbly share about being still.
Last time i thought being still meant sitting down in a quiet room and soaking and meditating in God's presence. It was true but recently i received a revised understanding from God.
Being still essentially mean letting the Spirit reign over our flesh.
Walking in spirit and truth no matter where we go and what we do. That is being still and knowing He is God. Regardless of circumstances, location and companionship. When we shower we (our heart) can be as still as the water even though our hands are scrubbing our hair. Even in victoria market, in the midst of shouting and shuffling, we can still be still and be totally calm and peaceful. The key is to deny ourself and let The Spirit of God reigns in us and tell us what to do.
When we are still, we receive Freedom, Discernment, Revelations, Wisdom, Knowledge, Awareness, Sensitivity, Presence of God, Confidence, Humility, Peace & Joy, Love, Calmness and serenity, Heart and mind of worship, detachment and enlightment and most importantly, we receive God Himself. Even better, devil cant attack us or tempt us when we are still in God. *In stressful situation we will remain calm, joyful and loving and we will not be frustrated and be tempted to swear, tear and be dispaired*
The key is to be still and to deny the flesh. Being aware that God is in us. Being still is an everyday, every minute, every second business. Not a business only meant at home in the room, within the prayer closet. No! It is everywhere as the Father is omnipresence! The water is always still as it follows the current. The water itself doesnt move. It is the current that moves the water. Our flesh are not supposed to move by itself! Our flesh is supposed to shut up and let the Spirit guides us. It is the voice of the Father/Spirit that instruct us to move. We have to be still as we wait for direction and guidance from the Father. The Eagle, have to be still as he waits for the Wind (God) to glide and propel him further forward.
Be still everywhere in all you do and wait for instructions.
Here in Sydney, in the midst of boredom and slumber and inactivity i begin to ponder and complain! Tuhan aku bosen! Tuhan bawa aku jalan jalan! Tuhan whats my assignment in Sydney...Tuhan ini Tuhan itu...Then God (i think i annoyed Him) finally taught and told me that it doesnt matter where i am, what i do or who i am with. They dont make any difference. It is God that makes all the difference. The difference is that "I, The Father, am inside you"...so shut up, be still and know I The Father am inside you and in control.
I am sharing this as approppriate because God is taking us all to the next spiritual level. I.E. He is starting to feed us real food.
Hence lets be still and be aware of the Father in all we do.
Finally, i am thankful and happy that God is working and changing all of our heart. We make the choice to run to Him but the Father is the one that change us. Let us all open our hearts and run to Him. Let us all perpetually BE STILL and BE AWARE of His presence and wait for His counsel. All glory & praise to Him alone. Amen.
A little cheeky secret of God The Father.
God the Father loves to be busy answering prayers and when He is busy with prayers, He wont have time to think of other ideas (cheeky ones as well)...:D...so Lets keep God The Father busy with our prayers and intercession. Because if we dont have prayers for Him to answer then The Father become so free He starts becoming cheeky and starts planning some cheeky ideas (I.E. Moving people overseas just because He wants to...matchmaking people.... :D)...LOL...He is laughing now as i reveal His secret to you all. He is adorable! Hahahahah...also...when we pray....be super duper specific! He is a very detail God! :)
Enough for now! i am heading to the city after this to explore more of Sydney! Yay! Be blessed everyone! :D
On a note! Having said all that, may i add that it is important and crucial to soak in Him and to spend personal quality time with Him daily! and to worship Him in spirit and in truth no matter where we go! Actually they work hand in hand together.
S.H, 2011
...today i hope to humbly share about being still.
Last time i thought being still meant sitting down in a quiet room and soaking and meditating in God's presence. It was true but recently i received a revised understanding from God.
Being still essentially mean letting the Spirit reign over our flesh.
Walking in spirit and truth no matter where we go and what we do. That is being still and knowing He is God. Regardless of circumstances, location and companionship. When we shower we (our heart) can be as still as the water even though our hands are scrubbing our hair. Even in victoria market, in the midst of shouting and shuffling, we can still be still and be totally calm and peaceful. The key is to deny ourself and let The Spirit of God reigns in us and tell us what to do.
When we are still, we receive Freedom, Discernment, Revelations, Wisdom, Knowledge, Awareness, Sensitivity, Presence of God, Confidence, Humility, Peace & Joy, Love, Calmness and serenity, Heart and mind of worship, detachment and enlightment and most importantly, we receive God Himself. Even better, devil cant attack us or tempt us when we are still in God. *In stressful situation we will remain calm, joyful and loving and we will not be frustrated and be tempted to swear, tear and be dispaired*
The key is to be still and to deny the flesh. Being aware that God is in us. Being still is an everyday, every minute, every second business. Not a business only meant at home in the room, within the prayer closet. No! It is everywhere as the Father is omnipresence! The water is always still as it follows the current. The water itself doesnt move. It is the current that moves the water. Our flesh are not supposed to move by itself! Our flesh is supposed to shut up and let the Spirit guides us. It is the voice of the Father/Spirit that instruct us to move. We have to be still as we wait for direction and guidance from the Father. The Eagle, have to be still as he waits for the Wind (God) to glide and propel him further forward.
Be still everywhere in all you do and wait for instructions.
Here in Sydney, in the midst of boredom and slumber and inactivity i begin to ponder and complain! Tuhan aku bosen! Tuhan bawa aku jalan jalan! Tuhan whats my assignment in Sydney...Tuhan ini Tuhan itu...Then God (i think i annoyed Him) finally taught and told me that it doesnt matter where i am, what i do or who i am with. They dont make any difference. It is God that makes all the difference. The difference is that "I, The Father, am inside you"...so shut up, be still and know I The Father am inside you and in control.
I am sharing this as approppriate because God is taking us all to the next spiritual level. I.E. He is starting to feed us real food.
Hence lets be still and be aware of the Father in all we do.
Finally, i am thankful and happy that God is working and changing all of our heart. We make the choice to run to Him but the Father is the one that change us. Let us all open our hearts and run to Him. Let us all perpetually BE STILL and BE AWARE of His presence and wait for His counsel. All glory & praise to Him alone. Amen.
A little cheeky secret of God The Father.
God the Father loves to be busy answering prayers and when He is busy with prayers, He wont have time to think of other ideas (cheeky ones as well)...:D...so Lets keep God The Father busy with our prayers and intercession. Because if we dont have prayers for Him to answer then The Father become so free He starts becoming cheeky and starts planning some cheeky ideas (I.E. Moving people overseas just because He wants to...matchmaking people.... :D)...LOL...He is laughing now as i reveal His secret to you all. He is adorable! Hahahahah...also...when we pray....be super duper specific! He is a very detail God! :)
Enough for now! i am heading to the city after this to explore more of Sydney! Yay! Be blessed everyone! :D
On a note! Having said all that, may i add that it is important and crucial to soak in Him and to spend personal quality time with Him daily! and to worship Him in spirit and in truth no matter where we go! Actually they work hand in hand together.
S.H, 2011
An essay on Exodus: A similarity between the Israelites and our mentalities
too much of a scientific title? well, the following essay is written by my researcher friend, a good friend of mine. i thought i will share it here too. i pray it truly opens our spiritual eyes to see, and if we've seen, let us learn to really see :3
Have you ever wondered how does it feel to be blind? Moreover, have you ever wondered what will happen to someone, who were born blind, when she/ he received an eyes transplant?
Interesting question isn’t it? Will that person recognise whatever/ whoever in front of him/ her? If your answer is a yes, well sadly, you do not understand the gravity of the situation. This person was born blind so how could she/ he identify anything that she/ he never seen before? As a matter of fact, this is not a hypothetical experiment. A gift of vision to someone who is visually impaired is no longer a fantasy. Many research have been done in this area and, believe it or not, a prototype which relies on grafting electrodes into parts of the eye, which can allow signals to be sent to the brain and be interpreted as visions, is being developed at the University of Melbourne. It is called project bionic eye. Granted, this is more like an implant rather than transplant (google the definition for both to see the difference). However, with the rapid expansion in technology, wouldn’t you think it is possible to make the blind see in the future? Personally, I think it is possible!
Now, let’s come back to what will happen when someone see for the first time. Put yourself in that blind person perspective. You have been living blindly, literally, for 25 years. You open your eyes for the first time. You see an image, a vision.. of something, or maybe someone. You see that the thing is moving towards you. You can see the part of the thing is moving and you can hear something coming out from the moving part. “Welcome to the real world” is what you hear. You have no idea what that thing is. You, however, recognise the voice as the doctor that has been treating you. You bring your hands towards the moving part. You start touching it, feeling it. You move your fingers around and realise that you are touching the face of the doctor. Suddenly, you realise that it is really the doctor that has been treating you for the past couple of months. Now, you begin to relate the vision and the touch, a process which every baby goes through at their early stages of their life. Congratulations!
So far, so good. Now that you can see. Then what? You need to start learning. Alas, learning is not fun. You have been so use to identifying things with your sense of touch and hearing; vision is so weird. As much as you enjoy looking at everything around you, you do not know what they are. You cannot even identify your loves one without your sense of touch or hearing. You need to touch and see things at the same time and memorise the name of the things that you see.
You begin to lose faith in your vision although it has been the greatest gift in your life. You begin to think that life is much easier when you were blind. You can manage your way around your house or even the streets better with your sense of touch compared to your newly granted vision. You begin to be feel frustrated..
It is up to you how you would like to continue the story. Would you take the easy way out and live your old ways of life using the sense of touch? Or would you rather persevere with your new gift?
Well, I hope that I have given you a glimpse into a life that, hopefully, none of us has to endure. Maybe you start asking why am I telling you this story. The point of this story is to illustrate the similarity that the Israelites felt when they came out from Egypt as detailed in Exodus. I have a confidence that most of us know the story of Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land, Canaan. Throughout the journey, we read that the people of Israel keeps complaining. They complained that the life in the dessert was harsh. They complained that God had forsaken them, when in fact He did not. They even built an idol and worshipped it, although God gave a clear message that they must not worship any other Gods. They did all these despite the Grace of God that had given them a freedom from slavery. At one point, they even started asking Moses to led them back to the Egypt; to the slavery.
The mentality that the Israelites had back then is what I called the slave mentality. They had been enslaved for too long that they did not know how to treasure freedom. Think back to my example of the blind person, that person too has a slave mentality. He has been enslaved by the blindness for too long that he could not treasure the gift of vision. In both cases, the Israelites and the blind person thought of going back to their old ways of life; throwing away the gift of freedom that God has given them.
I pondered through these illustrations when I was in a car on my way back to Melbourne from Lakes Entrance. Suddenly, I realised that we, too, have the slave mentality. Alas.. I know that none of us has been enslaved by disabilities or physical slavery but ALL of us has been enslaved by sins until we accepted Jesus in our life. Interestingly, we were enslaved by sins without even realising it until we met Jesus in our life. He liberates us from sins through His death at the cross. He gives us the promise of His salvation. He promise an eternal life for those who believe in Him and do His works. However, very often we prefer not to obey His command. Very often we succumb to the very sins that Jesus has died to free us from.
We often make excuses with God; excuses that lead us to sins, i.e. those that we have been enslaved with. Our slave mentality often lead us to think that we cannot escape sins. Let me tell you this, if we cannot escape sins, Jesus death at the cross would have been in vain. His death would mean nothing because He could NOT beat sins and deliver us from eternal death. You see the reward of sins is death and yet, we still commit sins. Such a contrast. And, this stems from our slave mentality. A mentality that dictates us to live the way we live before. A mentality that says small sins is fine. At least I am better than those non-believers, or so you think. Well, guess what, sins are real and those who commit it would still reap its punishment. Take a look at David’s life. He is a person of God. He loves God and God loves Him. However, when He committed adultery, the punishment was still there. Another example is Moses. He committed something which many of us would consider “minor”. He struck the rock with His staff to provide water to the Israelites when God asked Him to speak to it. Despite everything that he had done for God, God punished him by not allowing Him to enter the Promised Land. Can you imagine how sad is that? Put yourself in Moses’s perspective. He was old. He had spent at least 40 years in the dessert because of the Israelites did not obey God, a sin that He did not commit. He had to put up with the complaints from the Israelites through all those time and yet, one small sin (an act of disobeying God for the first time) prohibited him from seeing the fruit of his works. Sadly, in other words, knowing and accepting God in your life does not mean that you are free to commit sins. The purpose of Jesus death is not for us to use as a credit against every sin that we commit.
I am NOT perfect! I am not writing this article because I am perfect and start pointing my finger at you and condemn you and your way of life. The reason I am writing this article is to remind each and every one of us who reads this article that the devil can work in a very subtle way. In fact, it can be so subtle that we may not realise it until we are drown in sins. That is why I am going to leave you with this verse from Psalm 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Remember people, always guard your heart and do not be careless with it! Lets repent from our way of life that is wrong in God’s eyes and start living the way He wants us to live. He still loves us. If not, we would not have sacrificed His only Son to liberate us from sins.
I pray for those who read this article (including myself) will be blessed by God and step closer into His Kingdom.
S.T, 2011
Have you ever wondered how does it feel to be blind? Moreover, have you ever wondered what will happen to someone, who were born blind, when she/ he received an eyes transplant?
Interesting question isn’t it? Will that person recognise whatever/ whoever in front of him/ her? If your answer is a yes, well sadly, you do not understand the gravity of the situation. This person was born blind so how could she/ he identify anything that she/ he never seen before? As a matter of fact, this is not a hypothetical experiment. A gift of vision to someone who is visually impaired is no longer a fantasy. Many research have been done in this area and, believe it or not, a prototype which relies on grafting electrodes into parts of the eye, which can allow signals to be sent to the brain and be interpreted as visions, is being developed at the University of Melbourne. It is called project bionic eye. Granted, this is more like an implant rather than transplant (google the definition for both to see the difference). However, with the rapid expansion in technology, wouldn’t you think it is possible to make the blind see in the future? Personally, I think it is possible!
Now, let’s come back to what will happen when someone see for the first time. Put yourself in that blind person perspective. You have been living blindly, literally, for 25 years. You open your eyes for the first time. You see an image, a vision.. of something, or maybe someone. You see that the thing is moving towards you. You can see the part of the thing is moving and you can hear something coming out from the moving part. “Welcome to the real world” is what you hear. You have no idea what that thing is. You, however, recognise the voice as the doctor that has been treating you. You bring your hands towards the moving part. You start touching it, feeling it. You move your fingers around and realise that you are touching the face of the doctor. Suddenly, you realise that it is really the doctor that has been treating you for the past couple of months. Now, you begin to relate the vision and the touch, a process which every baby goes through at their early stages of their life. Congratulations!
So far, so good. Now that you can see. Then what? You need to start learning. Alas, learning is not fun. You have been so use to identifying things with your sense of touch and hearing; vision is so weird. As much as you enjoy looking at everything around you, you do not know what they are. You cannot even identify your loves one without your sense of touch or hearing. You need to touch and see things at the same time and memorise the name of the things that you see.
You begin to lose faith in your vision although it has been the greatest gift in your life. You begin to think that life is much easier when you were blind. You can manage your way around your house or even the streets better with your sense of touch compared to your newly granted vision. You begin to be feel frustrated..
It is up to you how you would like to continue the story. Would you take the easy way out and live your old ways of life using the sense of touch? Or would you rather persevere with your new gift?
Well, I hope that I have given you a glimpse into a life that, hopefully, none of us has to endure. Maybe you start asking why am I telling you this story. The point of this story is to illustrate the similarity that the Israelites felt when they came out from Egypt as detailed in Exodus. I have a confidence that most of us know the story of Moses who led the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land, Canaan. Throughout the journey, we read that the people of Israel keeps complaining. They complained that the life in the dessert was harsh. They complained that God had forsaken them, when in fact He did not. They even built an idol and worshipped it, although God gave a clear message that they must not worship any other Gods. They did all these despite the Grace of God that had given them a freedom from slavery. At one point, they even started asking Moses to led them back to the Egypt; to the slavery.
The mentality that the Israelites had back then is what I called the slave mentality. They had been enslaved for too long that they did not know how to treasure freedom. Think back to my example of the blind person, that person too has a slave mentality. He has been enslaved by the blindness for too long that he could not treasure the gift of vision. In both cases, the Israelites and the blind person thought of going back to their old ways of life; throwing away the gift of freedom that God has given them.
I pondered through these illustrations when I was in a car on my way back to Melbourne from Lakes Entrance. Suddenly, I realised that we, too, have the slave mentality. Alas.. I know that none of us has been enslaved by disabilities or physical slavery but ALL of us has been enslaved by sins until we accepted Jesus in our life. Interestingly, we were enslaved by sins without even realising it until we met Jesus in our life. He liberates us from sins through His death at the cross. He gives us the promise of His salvation. He promise an eternal life for those who believe in Him and do His works. However, very often we prefer not to obey His command. Very often we succumb to the very sins that Jesus has died to free us from.
We often make excuses with God; excuses that lead us to sins, i.e. those that we have been enslaved with. Our slave mentality often lead us to think that we cannot escape sins. Let me tell you this, if we cannot escape sins, Jesus death at the cross would have been in vain. His death would mean nothing because He could NOT beat sins and deliver us from eternal death. You see the reward of sins is death and yet, we still commit sins. Such a contrast. And, this stems from our slave mentality. A mentality that dictates us to live the way we live before. A mentality that says small sins is fine. At least I am better than those non-believers, or so you think. Well, guess what, sins are real and those who commit it would still reap its punishment. Take a look at David’s life. He is a person of God. He loves God and God loves Him. However, when He committed adultery, the punishment was still there. Another example is Moses. He committed something which many of us would consider “minor”. He struck the rock with His staff to provide water to the Israelites when God asked Him to speak to it. Despite everything that he had done for God, God punished him by not allowing Him to enter the Promised Land. Can you imagine how sad is that? Put yourself in Moses’s perspective. He was old. He had spent at least 40 years in the dessert because of the Israelites did not obey God, a sin that He did not commit. He had to put up with the complaints from the Israelites through all those time and yet, one small sin (an act of disobeying God for the first time) prohibited him from seeing the fruit of his works. Sadly, in other words, knowing and accepting God in your life does not mean that you are free to commit sins. The purpose of Jesus death is not for us to use as a credit against every sin that we commit.
I am NOT perfect! I am not writing this article because I am perfect and start pointing my finger at you and condemn you and your way of life. The reason I am writing this article is to remind each and every one of us who reads this article that the devil can work in a very subtle way. In fact, it can be so subtle that we may not realise it until we are drown in sins. That is why I am going to leave you with this verse from Psalm 4:23: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Remember people, always guard your heart and do not be careless with it! Lets repent from our way of life that is wrong in God’s eyes and start living the way He wants us to live. He still loves us. If not, we would not have sacrificed His only Son to liberate us from sins.
I pray for those who read this article (including myself) will be blessed by God and step closer into His Kingdom.
S.T, 2011
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Jesus paid it all :)
I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
For nothing good have I
Whereby Thy grace to claim;
I’ll wash my garments white
In the blood of Calv’ry’s Lamb.
And now complete in Him,
My robe, His righteousness,
Close sheltered ’neath His side,
I am divinely blest.
Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.
When from my dying bed
My ransomed soul shall rise,
“Jesus died my soul to save,”
Shall rend the vaulted skies.
And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
how can you identify a woman who fears the Lord?
another gem from desiringgod.org, based on Proverbs 31.
First, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. Look at verse 25. I love this line, and I praise all you women who are like this: "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." Satan dangles in front of her the specter of tomorrow's troubles, but she glances up at the almighty God at her right hand (her magnificent German Shepherd!) and laughs at Satan's folly.
Second, the woman who fears the Lord has practical wisdom. Verse 26, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." We've been taught from grade school on that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), so it's no surprise that the woman who fears the Lord "opens her mouth with wisdom."
Third, the woman who fears the Lord is strong. Verse 25, "Strength and dignity are her clothing." Verse 17, "She girds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong." She will be morally strong. Proverbs 23:17 says, "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day." The woman who continues in the fear of the Lord will have power to resist all the allurements to envy, to desire what she shouldn't have.
Fourth, a woman who fears the Lord will live not for herself alone but for others, especially her husband, if she is married. Verses 11, 12, "The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life." A woman who fears the Lord will not squander the family's livelihood on frivolous purchases, but will have the complete trust of her husband because she is for him and not against him.
click here for full sermon :3
First, a woman who fears the Lord is not anxious about the future. Look at verse 25. I love this line, and I praise all you women who are like this: "Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come." Satan dangles in front of her the specter of tomorrow's troubles, but she glances up at the almighty God at her right hand (her magnificent German Shepherd!) and laughs at Satan's folly.
Second, the woman who fears the Lord has practical wisdom. Verse 26, "She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue." We've been taught from grade school on that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Proverbs 9:10), so it's no surprise that the woman who fears the Lord "opens her mouth with wisdom."
Third, the woman who fears the Lord is strong. Verse 25, "Strength and dignity are her clothing." Verse 17, "She girds her loins with strength and makes her arms strong." She will be morally strong. Proverbs 23:17 says, "Let not your heart envy sinners, but continue in the fear of the Lord all the day." The woman who continues in the fear of the Lord will have power to resist all the allurements to envy, to desire what she shouldn't have.
Fourth, a woman who fears the Lord will live not for herself alone but for others, especially her husband, if she is married. Verses 11, 12, "The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not harm all the days of her life." A woman who fears the Lord will not squander the family's livelihood on frivolous purchases, but will have the complete trust of her husband because she is for him and not against him.
click here for full sermon :3
love and faith
God is so gracious. there are always lessons to learn everyday if we want to listen to Him. sometimes we just need to drop everything down and listen. sis said, God whispers from time to time :3
i was humbled yesterday. God keeps dealing with my pride, my vilest, most prominent vice. He said, humility is the key. if i wanna soar higher with Him, i've gotta bow lower. less of me and more of Him.
if you read one of my recent posts, i wrote about God's promise to me, that's kinda awesome, since God always promises awesome things. yet, He gave me the second lesson, presence-102, straight away :p
i was in the prayer tower yesterday, expecting great things. i did receive something, however not in a way i expected. we were deep in worship when this thought flashed into my mind. "hey, who do you think you are that you can pull God's presence down?" man! it's so true! who we are to think that God's presence comes down because of our praises and worship? it is up to Him, isn't it? He is sovereign! and, it really is up to Him whether He wants to manifest His presence or not. it is all by grace. we can only plead, ask for His grace and mercy. and we can be so bold to ask, also all because of grace Himself has come down to reconcile us with God. the blood of the true sacrifice, the true High Priest, sanctified us to enter that sanctum sanctorum. it was humbling, really humbling.
so, if it is up to God to manifest His presence, why would He does it so very often for us? i cannot go to any other conclusion but love. God loves His people. God wants to be intimate His people and wants His people to know Him with passion and fervency. God's heart will not stand if His people cry out to Him with all of their hearts. He will surely come down to meet us. just like the Father who ran to meet His prodigal son. we cannot reach Him, so He reaches down. isn't it beautiful?
the danger of being overly "spiritual" is that we tend to rely on our feelings or emotions about things. do we feel moved? do we feel something stirred up in our hearts? i firmly believe that is one of the way God speaks to us, a way the Holy Spirit reveals God's mysteries to us. what i also believe is that there will be "dry" times in the sense that i will not be able to sense anything, although by faith, i believe God omnipresent is always with me, in here, in my heart. this is when my faith is exercised, "the just shall live by faith".
o how precious faith is!
it is "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
i did not feel God's presence as i would usually felt last night.
but i felt love. His passionate, zealous, rapturous love :3
thank You, Lord!
i really can't wait for what's to come!
let's keep pursuing Him!
keep adding to our faith with the hearing of the Word and experiencing His glorious love, every step of our way, till we meet Him face to face <3
i was humbled yesterday. God keeps dealing with my pride, my vilest, most prominent vice. He said, humility is the key. if i wanna soar higher with Him, i've gotta bow lower. less of me and more of Him.
if you read one of my recent posts, i wrote about God's promise to me, that's kinda awesome, since God always promises awesome things. yet, He gave me the second lesson, presence-102, straight away :p
i was in the prayer tower yesterday, expecting great things. i did receive something, however not in a way i expected. we were deep in worship when this thought flashed into my mind. "hey, who do you think you are that you can pull God's presence down?" man! it's so true! who we are to think that God's presence comes down because of our praises and worship? it is up to Him, isn't it? He is sovereign! and, it really is up to Him whether He wants to manifest His presence or not. it is all by grace. we can only plead, ask for His grace and mercy. and we can be so bold to ask, also all because of grace Himself has come down to reconcile us with God. the blood of the true sacrifice, the true High Priest, sanctified us to enter that sanctum sanctorum. it was humbling, really humbling.
so, if it is up to God to manifest His presence, why would He does it so very often for us? i cannot go to any other conclusion but love. God loves His people. God wants to be intimate His people and wants His people to know Him with passion and fervency. God's heart will not stand if His people cry out to Him with all of their hearts. He will surely come down to meet us. just like the Father who ran to meet His prodigal son. we cannot reach Him, so He reaches down. isn't it beautiful?
the danger of being overly "spiritual" is that we tend to rely on our feelings or emotions about things. do we feel moved? do we feel something stirred up in our hearts? i firmly believe that is one of the way God speaks to us, a way the Holy Spirit reveals God's mysteries to us. what i also believe is that there will be "dry" times in the sense that i will not be able to sense anything, although by faith, i believe God omnipresent is always with me, in here, in my heart. this is when my faith is exercised, "the just shall live by faith".
o how precious faith is!
it is "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
i did not feel God's presence as i would usually felt last night.
but i felt love. His passionate, zealous, rapturous love :3
thank You, Lord!
i really can't wait for what's to come!
let's keep pursuing Him!
keep adding to our faith with the hearing of the Word and experiencing His glorious love, every step of our way, till we meet Him face to face <3
Monday, August 1, 2011
all the ladies!
A message for the ladies that came out from last night sharing too. and funnily the messages came from two used-to-be-cheeky men, haha.
Ladies are going to be the cornerstone of each family. If we are right with God, our families will be strong too. If we are not right with God, our family will be weak and it will be very easy for the devil to sneak in and destroy our family. Women are to be the backbone of their families. We need to be properly equipped to raise a new generation who is God fearing. The rearing started from the family, and that is why being mothers is very important. If the mother is not right, it is impossible for them to lead the children to know God from early age.
Women tend to be more sensitive to God’s heart and more sensitive in general. Be the backbone of the family, through prayer, praise and worship. Women who worship, hahaha, just like BIC’s ladies fellowship.
For the younger generation, please respect yourselves, and men will respect you. For goodness sake, cover up. Show not what does not need to be displayed. Respect your bodies too. Once your trust is violated, it will be difficult for you to trust God. And if you cannot trust God, how can you love Him fully and have an intimate relationship with Him? Mothers, guard your daughters, teach them well in the Lord. Oh, in this vile world, immorality reigns and who will enlighten them with what is righteous if not the people of God? The families of God?
So remember ladies, you’re important. As important as men, maybe more, hehehe.
Guard your heart and your body well.
Be blessed!
Ladies are going to be the cornerstone of each family. If we are right with God, our families will be strong too. If we are not right with God, our family will be weak and it will be very easy for the devil to sneak in and destroy our family. Women are to be the backbone of their families. We need to be properly equipped to raise a new generation who is God fearing. The rearing started from the family, and that is why being mothers is very important. If the mother is not right, it is impossible for them to lead the children to know God from early age.
Women tend to be more sensitive to God’s heart and more sensitive in general. Be the backbone of the family, through prayer, praise and worship. Women who worship, hahaha, just like BIC’s ladies fellowship.
For the younger generation, please respect yourselves, and men will respect you. For goodness sake, cover up. Show not what does not need to be displayed. Respect your bodies too. Once your trust is violated, it will be difficult for you to trust God. And if you cannot trust God, how can you love Him fully and have an intimate relationship with Him? Mothers, guard your daughters, teach them well in the Lord. Oh, in this vile world, immorality reigns and who will enlighten them with what is righteous if not the people of God? The families of God?
So remember ladies, you’re important. As important as men, maybe more, hehehe.
Guard your heart and your body well.
Be blessed!
if we love Christ...
from Desiring God.
J. C. Ryle writes:
1. If we love a person, we like to think about him. We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
2. If we love a person, we like to hear about him. We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
3. If we love a person, we like to read about him. What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
4. If we love a person, we like to please him. We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
5. If we love a person, we like his friends. We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
6. If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor. We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
7. If we love a person, we like to talk to him. We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
8. Finally, if we love a person, we like to be always with him. Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
Holiness, (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press,) 247-249.
J. C. Ryle writes:
1. If we love a person, we like to think about him. We do not need to be reminded of him. We do not forget his name or his appearance or his character or his opinions or his tastes or his position or his occupation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
2. If we love a person, we like to hear about him. We find a pleasure in listening to those who speak of him. We feel an interest in any report which others make of him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
3. If we love a person, we like to read about him. What intense pleasure a letter from an absent husband gives to a wife, or a letter from an absent son to his mother... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
4. If we love a person, we like to please him. We are glad to consult his tastes and opinions, to act upon his advice and do the things which he approves... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
5. If we love a person, we like his friends. We are favorably inclined to them, even before we know them. We are drawn to them by the common tie of common love to one and the same person... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
6. If we love a person, we are jealous about his name and honor. We do not like to hear him spoken against, without speaking up for him and defending him... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
7. If we love a person, we like to talk to him. We tell him all our thoughts, and pour out all our heart to him. We find no difficulty in discovering subjects of conversation... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
8. Finally, if we love a person, we like to be always with him. Thinking and hearing and reading and occasionally talking are all well in their way. But when we really love people we want something more... Well, it is just so between the true Christian and Christ!
Holiness, (Darlington, England: Evangelical Press,) 247-249.
so blessed, i can't contain it!
Dear beloved,
I have a little sharing for you from last night, when we gathered for Stan's farewell. Mr. Hanitio humbly obeyed God and prayed for us one by one for three hours non-stop, and I want to share what I have been blessed with, to you, Cui and to all of you whom I believed have been as blessed as me. I sort of don’t know where to start now for there are so many things I want to share. I will pretty much pour out my heart here, so if some are too personal, feels too close for comfort, I apologise.
Cui prayed that I am currently being shaped and molded into who God wants me to be, so there are struggles in my life. I believe all of us is continually shaped and sanctified throughout our lives, so this was pretty generic. That’s what I thought, at first, but he continued with more.
God will use me to lead, to be a leader, which sort of my situation at present although I lead in a small scale. Since he called me to be one, He’s going to equip me for it, thus all the process of shaping and molding aforementioned. Still following?
Then, this is what overwhelmed me and I found it hard to believe at first. God is going to use me to bring God’s presence wherever I go. Wow. It is a great privilege and a great responsibility. I am still amazed. Why? Why me Lord? Why would You want to use me? I am dirty, sinful, unworthy to bring such holiness and glory down, “Woe to me, for I am unclean, not just my lips but my being, heart, mind, body and everything!”
Yet this is His promise, and my God keeps His promises. It made me realize that the grace I understood all this while, in fact, is even greater, beyond comprehension. The immensity of God’s love, the greatness of His grace and the power of His blood in our salvation and redemption is beyond what is fathomable. He does not see me anymore; the Father sees Jesus’ righteousness that is imparted upon me. He truly restored us to our original purposes. And all by grace. Nothing from me, at all. Thank you Lord for the cross, for Your amazing love!
He asked me to deny myself and love Him more. Denying self so that He can pour out more of Himself into me. So that when people see me, they don’t see me, they see Jesus. Denying self so that I know that it is not me, not my work nor the work of any man, but the work of His Holy Spirit alone, and that all the glory goes unto Him. So that I will not take pride in this very cool task He entrusted me. Haha.
Few weeks ago, in discipleship we were asked to write down what God has called us to be. Man, I was pretty clueless of my calling at that time, I just was not sure at all of what I should write. We were given few minutes to pray. So, I did, and just wrote the desire of my heart at that time. I want to be a woman after God’s own heart. And it is coming true!
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) I really believe this. No, I don’t just believe, I’ve experienced it. And I tell you one thing, when the Lord is your delight, you don’t want anything else but Him. For real. You don’t truly delight in the Lord when your heart still craves for material things.
Furthermore, God opened up a scripture to me this morning, about the vine and the branches. Jesus is the true Vine and we are the branches. Attach to Him, and we will bear fruits. Detach from Him, and we will wither and die. We need Him, not just everyday, but every hour, every minute, every breathing second. John 15:1-8
As I shared with Stan last night, daily communion, relationship with our Lord is vital. It is like breathing. It is like the vine supplying the branches with all the nutrition they need. No favour, anointing or blessing that will flow if we are not attached to the source. And it is continual. A flow is continual. We’re given to give and we need to keep being refilled to keep giving, to keep functioning. All God’s promises are conditional, provided we stay with Him, close to Him, very close to Him. There must be intimacy, between you and God alone.
Oh I am excited for the forthcoming movement of the Holy Spirit! There will be more great things to come and I am looking forwards to more experiences and more sharings!
Be blessed :)
God loves you!
xoxo
allie
I have a little sharing for you from last night, when we gathered for Stan's farewell. Mr. Hanitio humbly obeyed God and prayed for us one by one for three hours non-stop, and I want to share what I have been blessed with, to you, Cui and to all of you whom I believed have been as blessed as me. I sort of don’t know where to start now for there are so many things I want to share. I will pretty much pour out my heart here, so if some are too personal, feels too close for comfort, I apologise.
Cui prayed that I am currently being shaped and molded into who God wants me to be, so there are struggles in my life. I believe all of us is continually shaped and sanctified throughout our lives, so this was pretty generic. That’s what I thought, at first, but he continued with more.
God will use me to lead, to be a leader, which sort of my situation at present although I lead in a small scale. Since he called me to be one, He’s going to equip me for it, thus all the process of shaping and molding aforementioned. Still following?
Then, this is what overwhelmed me and I found it hard to believe at first. God is going to use me to bring God’s presence wherever I go. Wow. It is a great privilege and a great responsibility. I am still amazed. Why? Why me Lord? Why would You want to use me? I am dirty, sinful, unworthy to bring such holiness and glory down, “Woe to me, for I am unclean, not just my lips but my being, heart, mind, body and everything!”
Yet this is His promise, and my God keeps His promises. It made me realize that the grace I understood all this while, in fact, is even greater, beyond comprehension. The immensity of God’s love, the greatness of His grace and the power of His blood in our salvation and redemption is beyond what is fathomable. He does not see me anymore; the Father sees Jesus’ righteousness that is imparted upon me. He truly restored us to our original purposes. And all by grace. Nothing from me, at all. Thank you Lord for the cross, for Your amazing love!
He asked me to deny myself and love Him more. Denying self so that He can pour out more of Himself into me. So that when people see me, they don’t see me, they see Jesus. Denying self so that I know that it is not me, not my work nor the work of any man, but the work of His Holy Spirit alone, and that all the glory goes unto Him. So that I will not take pride in this very cool task He entrusted me. Haha.
Few weeks ago, in discipleship we were asked to write down what God has called us to be. Man, I was pretty clueless of my calling at that time, I just was not sure at all of what I should write. We were given few minutes to pray. So, I did, and just wrote the desire of my heart at that time. I want to be a woman after God’s own heart. And it is coming true!
“Delight yourself also in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalm 37:4) I really believe this. No, I don’t just believe, I’ve experienced it. And I tell you one thing, when the Lord is your delight, you don’t want anything else but Him. For real. You don’t truly delight in the Lord when your heart still craves for material things.
Furthermore, God opened up a scripture to me this morning, about the vine and the branches. Jesus is the true Vine and we are the branches. Attach to Him, and we will bear fruits. Detach from Him, and we will wither and die. We need Him, not just everyday, but every hour, every minute, every breathing second. John 15:1-8
As I shared with Stan last night, daily communion, relationship with our Lord is vital. It is like breathing. It is like the vine supplying the branches with all the nutrition they need. No favour, anointing or blessing that will flow if we are not attached to the source. And it is continual. A flow is continual. We’re given to give and we need to keep being refilled to keep giving, to keep functioning. All God’s promises are conditional, provided we stay with Him, close to Him, very close to Him. There must be intimacy, between you and God alone.
Oh I am excited for the forthcoming movement of the Holy Spirit! There will be more great things to come and I am looking forwards to more experiences and more sharings!
Be blessed :)
God loves you!
xoxo
allie
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