A Letter to God -- 13

What is my stress compared to You?

Because of Your great love for us

You struggled in Your prayers

In that hour before Your sacrifice

You remembered Your creation

How doomed they are without Your courage

You remembered Your calling

To die in place for the unworthy

You remembered those who hated You

Those who rejected Your love, that never changes

You remembered those who scorned You

Knowing not the respect that You deserves

The sweat that You flowed

The sweat that was actually blood

Who had been there before?

Who had sweat blood before?

So great is Your stress when You struggled

To run away, or to saves us all

But You chose the path never taken

Betrayed, unloved, hated, but yet You chose this road

I will remember always that night

When everyone was in their cozy bed

When everyone was carefree and worry-less

That You had struggled and chose, to save us all

MORE THAN CONQUERORS

hey there, had been a long time huh. Just wanna share something today to encourage those who feel DOWN, STRESS, DISAPPOINTMENT, SICK, RESTLESS etc negative things happen in your life...

For the past few days i had been sick, heaty body, cough, soarthroat etc etc..after coming back from Bible Conference. Asking Elden and Avalon, is there any sins that i had been committed which cause me to sick so severely. ( well, there is a cantonese saying, "free to die, but not free to sick") As I had been so sick and tired throughout the day, (not even have strength to wash my clothes) not doing anything contributing, go lecture also unable to listen and receive....aiks, i hate being SICK!

Well, today God is telling me something as i am still tired of being sick. Spirit of God told me, "why are u letting this sickness to control over your life?" This struck me!What am i doing? I forgot my identity as the child of God, as coheir with Christ......

Lots of time we allow things happen in our life to surpass the priority of God in our life. This things might be as important as money, family, friends, spouse, career....but what i wanna share is the little things that drag us, let us feel useless, let us feel restless, that draw us far away from God. Those little things include sickness, disappointment, relationship problem, arguments with friends, assignment, project, stress, etc....

we might think that, " O I am going to fail tis subject this sem!"

" O i am going to die as i m having soarthroat and it never cure"

" My girlfriend dump me, what is the purpose of life now?"

..

..

this little ocassions happen in our life Frequently. And lots of time we respond to it with a very negative thinking, mindcept and action. Basically, we EMO.

Hence, i wanna encourage all of u who are emo-ing right now, STOP UR CRY! STAND UP! PUT ON YOUR SMILE!.. None of these small little negative events shall conquer my life! Because I had the victory through Jesus Christ! I will be set FREE!!!!

A note of Joy

As I was doing my devotion this morning, God revealed to me certain things in the book of Ecclesiastes. Many may regard Ecclesiastes book is a gloomy and pessimism because of the findings based on the writer’s limited view of those things “under the sun,” the visible things of life.  Today God revealed a different perspective in this book; joy is a gift of God.

There is nothing in possessions whether in material goods, in money; there are no earthly materials that can enable us to have joy forever.  However, it is possible to obtain a kind of “joy” all your life if you take it from the hand of God. This gift of joy will be given to those who please Him [Ecclesiastes 2:24~26]. How to please God? Faith! It is faith that pleases Him, belief that He is there and that everything comes from His hands. God intends us to have joy, gladness, happiness and His program to bring it about including the opposites; pain, sorrow, bereavement, and disappointment – all these things are gifts of God. When we see life in those terms, any and every element of life can have its measure of joy- even you’re in sorrow, pain, and grief.

Sometimes we do have a problem where we have such a shallow concept of things; we want everything to be smooth and pleasant. Most of the struggle of life comes from us, wanting to be God ourselves, wanting to take charge of our lives. When things don’t go along the way we want, we sulk and pout and get angry with Him. We threw away their faith and say, “What’s the use? I tried it, but it doesn’t work.” If you attempt to live a life without recognition of God, ultimately you will find yourself empty, dissatisfied and restless that life is miserable and meaningless.

In conclusion, I would encourage everyone to continue to trust in the Lord with all your heart and not lean on our own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him. Sometimes God send hardships in our lives so that we might be taught. Let’s continue to pursue faith and believing that He has made everything beautiful in its time; for whatever He do, no one can able to fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. Lastly, the secret of joy and life is the presence of God himself!

A Valentine Message

Remembering Back- The past can give you hope for the future..

Married people make it their business to remember how their love began. Anniversaries recall their wedding day, year after year. Wedding rings remind them about commitment. Wedding photos capture the moment when “two become one”. In remembering the beginning of their love, couple often find new hope for future. Forgetting, on the other hand, amount of treason. If one person forgets the all-important anniversary, tears and anger may follow.

Doesn’t all these statements above ring bells in our head? Probably, we should ask a few questions from above; Are we taking note or remembering how we and our relationship with Christ began like the married people? What reminds you of your commitment to God today? Jesus’ crucifixion captures the moment where God reconciled humans as Jesus says “It is finished”. In remembering the beginning where Jesus as our first love, everyone finds a new hope for the future. But two things we should remember are God’s grace and His unconditional love.

Like married couples remembering back, we too can recall God’s work – his powerful victories recorded all through Scriptures, His promises and proofs of love toward his people. Through all the tough times that we have gone together with God, I believe we are strengthened to face the future and to recommit ourselves to trusting God’s care.

As I remembered Pastor Denis mentioned in the bulletin, the greatest quality we can ever have in this world is love. Love is truly and simply the best policy in our life. As we are celebrating Valentines today let us not focus in the worldly kind of love; lustful love, or a love blinded by lies, or a selfish love. Loving someone is a decision, rather than a feeling or emotion. Instead, we should learn the love where we love God more than our partner. We should have our loving relationship with God beyond than anything else. If you can give your Valentines an expensive gift, singing love song or surprises and most of all time, what about our God? God is our valentine too. What gift or surprises are you presenting to God today? God doesn’t require you give Him surprises or an expensive gift; broken hearts, broken lives He will take them all. All God ever wanted is an obedient heart and spend some quality time with Him.

Therefore if you have forgotten your first love today, I urge you to remember and capture back the very first moment where you fell in love with God. I believe God loves you more than your Valentine. You were on his mind, even before you were born. Every tear that you cry is precious to His eyes. God is there for you all the time even your partner left you. God even gave His most precious gift to everyone; His son Jesus as a gift even it’s not on the Valentine’s Day. Can you see God’s love extends right to your heart?

Is God Unfair?

Have you ever felt in a situation where you know that you don’t deserve such treatment and outcome even though you follow the commands and decrees of the Lord? When that situation comes, think of Job; a character that found in the book of Job. Job was a man who is blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil [Job1:1] and he had undergone many underserved treatment. First, raiders stole his belongings and slaughtered his servants. Then fire from the sky burned up his sheeps, and a mighty wind destroyed his house and killed his sons and daughters. Finally down with a horrible, painful disease. “What did I do to deserve such suffering?” he wailed.

 Job was involved in a cosmic test, a test proposed by Satan staged on earth. Satan claimed that people like Job love God because of His abundant blessings and the good things He provides. Satan challenged God that Job’s faith would melt away along with his riches and health and proclaimed that Job would surely cursed God  [Job 1:10-11]. In such extreme test of faith, the “best” man on earth suffered the worst calamities. Nevertheless of all Job’s calamities, Job not only did not curse God but he also struggled to do what is seemed impossible to him: to keep on believing in a loving and fair God. God has “distant” and silent Himself from Job and tested Job’s faith.

Sometimes in our life we face situations like Job, our world seems to crumble apart and turned to colorless. Nothing makes sense anymore and you are tired of everything! God seems to be “distant” and silent. At such moment of crisis, each of us is put on trial. We became actors in a contest staged on earth just like the one Job went through.  Beyond all crisis, Job did what is seemed impossible to; believing, rooting himself in a loving and fair God, did not curse God. What about us today? What are we rooting ourselves in? Will we be able to keep our mouth from cursing and swearing God saying God is unfair? Surely God cannot be unjust.  Don’t blame God; instead praise Him for protection and life that He has planned for you. Let us not allow the circumstances to control us but let God to take hold of every circumstance that we have. At times God will “distant” and silent Himself so that we will call upon His name; rely on Him so that we will grow through life and to test our faith. God never ever abandon us because He has promised to be with us always. Everything happened must have its own reason.

In conclusion, let not our faith fade away as we face calamities. Let’s continue to love God sincere and genuinely, not only because of His abundant blessings and the good things He provides. Sometimes we don’t see and understand why we’re going through such a difficult time, but we should submit to the pain that we go through even if you don’t understand it and rely on God . Do remember that not all suffering comes as punishment; a person’s trials , in fact may be used to win a great spiritual victory. God can use suffering to improve a person, if it is received in the right spirit. The Lord blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first [Job’s life before the catastrophes].  God has the power to give and take.

Love Letter to my Dear

Oh LORD have mercy

God most high,

For Your nature is love,

Your anger last awhile

But Your love last forever

Show us Your grace

Shower us with is that we may be filled

Empower us with Your grace

That we may go the distance

LORD let Your light shine forth through us

Eventhough we dwell in the counsel of the wicked

LORD teach us Your ways of righteousness

That all may see and praise You

God You alone are worthy

In all seasons

When I fail and when I pleases You

Your love for me never changes

God You alone are worthy

Even if my attention wavered

My love divided

You never forsake me

LORD I will run after You all of my life

I will seek Your face forever and ever

No love satisfy me more than Your love for me

Even when I do not feel it, You still fill me

I yearn for Your love, Your filling

I yearn for a loyal heart to You, a steadfast love

A day in Your house is better than a thousand days elsewhere

And in Your arms of love will I find true rest

May it pleases You oh LORD

My love, my devotion, my actions

LORD make me steadfast in You

For falling in love with You is what I desire for

A love so deep, so sweet, so pure, so full

Before my steadfast love for Her, may I have first a steadfast love for You

Love me more, my dear

Make me drunk in Your love

That the earth may pale to Your love

A steadfast love is my petition

A passionate heart is my request

For You and my dear LORD alone

Embracing Change to Experience Life

As I was listening to a sermon by my hometown’s church pastor; Rev. Christopher Mun with the topic of Embracing Change to Experience Life, I was prompted and convicted by the Holy Spirit to share what I’ve heard and learnt. As we stepping from the year of 2011 into the second week of the year 2012, probably there are 3 questions that you should ask yourself in this New Year.
a)    How different you were when in the second week of the year 2011, compared to 2012? Are there any changes in areas of your life?
b)    How much of you are new when the year 2011 passed and come into 2012?
c)    How different are you by the end of the year of 2012?

Indeed, everyone has new resolutions and desires to change to be better in the areas you probably weak in; ministry, academic, career, finances, and etc…Sometimes we as believer struggle upon the abundant lives that God given to us. In John 3: 16, God promises an eternal life. The word eternal life is the same word as abundant life! How come in the Lord we supposed to have abundant life, eternal life yet we are still we not living at the stage of our lives where God has promised for you and I? What is abundant life? Abundant life is a life full of blessing, provision, healing, protection, inheritance, His presences, peace, joy and excitement. Each of us should enjoy the abundant life in Christ while we are on earth before returning to our Heavenly Father. Christian life is not boring, in fact should be full of excitement because we still can rejoice and having peace in the Lord no matter what happen in the world or react.

One of the basic purposes of the Church of Jesus’ Christ today is to be a positive transforming agent in the lives of people. People experience a change, development, growth, excitement and full of God’s Kingdom has for you and me when we invited the Lord as the personal savior in our lives as they visited the House of God. People of God today need a change so that we can grow closer to Jesus. We cannot grow closer to Jesus unless we are in “motion” where we make the decision to grow closer to the Lord.

In 2 Corinthians 3:16-17 says But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. I believe the Lord ask us to “unveil our faces” or not to hide or cover the part of our lives that we needed God to change.  We should open ourselves; in the areas of our lives to let God to change. The spirit of God will not forcefully change us because God has given us the “freedom” to choose. Unless we “ move” together and cooperate together, nothing is changed because we have refuse/stopped God to let Him touch us by hardening our heart! Some of us sometimes insisted to change the “failure areas” with our own strength, but I can tell you that man made changes without heart conviction does not last. In verse 18, And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. As the areas of our lives changed, where we are in the process of becoming Christ-like, it reflects God’s glory; that glory that never fades in our lives. People will be able to see God’s glory through us and it will reflect God’s characters as well as we are being transformed into His image.

Therefore, brothers and sisters it is never too late to do what is right. Ask of God to change you into a vessel that can be used by Him; a living sacrifice that has a lifestyle pleasing in His eyes. Make a prayer and ask God to change you into someone He wants you to be today~