A very beautiful bell created using words, it brings many meanings. The words are pretty small, you may need to squint your eyes to read all of them. Sorry! Do enjoying reading [[: Tmr service ler, are you peeps very excited for it? See ya tmr :D
Heyo peeeps, last week was flooded with words, now this week we're gonna be flooded by pictures! Today, it's going to be a very nice story of a new born- child {taken from email} [[: Enjoy!
One cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.
Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.
At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature.
Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. "I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly as he could.
"There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one"
Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.
She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.
"No! No!" was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.
Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.
But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.
But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.
At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time. And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.
Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.
She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story. One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother, Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent. Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"
Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, "Yes, it smells like rain." Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"
Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain." Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells like Him".
It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."
Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.
During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.
You now have 1 of 2 choices. You can either pass this on and let other people catch the chills like you did or you can submit to your laziness and act like it didn't touch your heart like it did mine.
IT'S YOUR CALL!
"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."
This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He saw me, and He asked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" I responded: "Lord please, take care of the person who is reading this message, their family and their special friends. They deserve it and I love them very much" The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning, but not its end.
ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings, we call them FRIENDS. Pass this on to your true friends.
WD1 had caregroup yesterday! It was held at Jurong West Stadium, and we actually sat at an area where we got ourselves super dirty and unglam! Our whole legs were so dirty haha!
After that, 3brothers from WD2 and Jingmei {alumni} came to join us together for lunch at RI BEN CHUN {forgotten the jap name}. We had a lot of fun together, tho we were separated by seats. A few left after eating, and the rest went to the shelter under crystal's house to play snapjack and some games. We somehow exercised away the fats that we gained minutes and hour ago [[:
Anyway, the 4 of them went for jogging and walking around the whole NTU in the morning. Great! Next time, we should have such activities to keep ourselves healthy! LOL! Let the pictures and video do the job from now [[:
Finally, i'd received the videos from our dear booneh :P Yesterday we really had a lot of fun, but it was tiring lah [[: LOVES the fellowshipping we had while we were having KFC outside marina square.
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY.
We were just like this "quote" yesterday, discussing a lot of global stuff. I just want to praise and compliment our LINKING skills! (crystal said this) Why?! Because, i can't remember what was the 1st topic we were talking about but we linked all the way from terrorism (the longest topic) to what northpole ice melt to..... many many more. It was an almost non stop topic. Obviously, the oldest(s) did most of the talking while the younger and youngest were listening with mouth wide open (EUGENE lo!) HAHA!
We didn't video down our conversation part because we were so focus-ed in our talkings, and booneh's hp was almost going to explode of limitation LOL! Alrighto! Enjoy the videos below!
Alrighto, i was late at home. Cant make it on time to blog exactly on national day! It's ohkay [[: Sincerity do make a difference! :P
SERVICE&WEST HUDDLE
Service was brought earlier because of national day. We were almost late but made it for everything. It started @ 11am, ended @ 1pm :D We went to buy our lunch before heading to istana park for west huddle. Had lunch together while sharing our most treasured thing in our life :P
After lunch, played si wang zheng ba sai. Sathya was the winner! Congrats :D 2nd round, from our unit crystal went up and kena forfeit to write "I love singapore" using their butt. Dewen was evil enough to sabotage zhengkai! LOL! I believe videos&pictures will speak everything so just enjoy it below! :D
Those got money went to kbox [[: As for those who've no $$ went to watch fireworks, i was one of them! There were boonhow, eugene, jarren, me, crystal and cassandra.
We, first went to nexus, wanted to buy books but unfortunately missed the timing of their duty. We joined in the tertiary p&w and announcement. What a different feeling! :P After that we went to have meal @ wanton mee stall. Went up to nexus again after the meal, waited till 630pm. Bought the books, left for city hall.
Jingmei (alumni of WD) joined us shortly later after her tertiary service. We waited for her @ city hall and was chased by the staff there twice D: First, we went to buy donuts. The area there were flooded with people! Seriously flooded! We needed to squeeze like dont know what in order to get to marina square. Especially at one part, when we went up the escalator, there were just no space to move anymore and the people behind us just pushed us in. We were like... man.. so afraid to lose one another. Eugene was the most pitiful one. He had to carry the donut on top of his head in order to walk through the whole crowd. I was.. trying to fan them with my AMEN fan XD Finally, after minutes of suffocation and squeezing, we got in marina square. Well, videos&photos will speak everything again! There are 5 parts to each of our "trips". However, i've got only part 1 with me, hopefully i'll get in tomorrow and post it up here :p Take a look @ photos first :D Just in case if you don't know, there's westd videos' photobucket. All the videos are in there, if you're interested, click here to go and watch :D
Next coming up event: UDMM for harvester peeps [SATURDAY AFTER SERVICE] :D Next coming up event: HOPE CARNIVAL! MUST COME! THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE HOPE OF SINGAPORE CHURCH!!! :D Detailed information see from reminders [[:
Tmr is Singapore's birthday! Cool yeah? :P Tmr is also service and west huddle day! woo [[[:
How's ur day today?! Any celebration in school? hee!
Anyway, do enjoy today's entry! :D
PART 3: {continued from yesterday's entry! Part 1: entry Aug 06, Part 2: entry Aug 07}
I recently talked with a Christian Brother, about how it was hard for me to give money to the Lord. That it seemed like there was always something in the way of me giving God 10%. This wonderful Brother told me about 10-10-80...No... it is not a savings on the phone bill, but rather a group of percents that work.10 percent to God, 10 Percent to savings, and 80 percent to bills. I thought on this for awhile and then got out my pen and paper. I figured the paycheck the way I was doing it.Bills... and the rest to decide what to give God and Me. Then I figured it the 10-10-80 way. I'm here to tell ya, it works! I gave a lot of thought about how to save money, and figured it at a dollar amount I pulled from thin air. I have started the 10-10-80 plan. Not only do I have more money this way, I feel like I am in control of the money, instead of the money being in control of me. By giving God what is HIS to begin with.... I put my trust in Him to see me through the rest.When you give God his dues, He will bless you abundantly. I have glanced over the next few months,and by the end of the year... I will be out of debt and have enough to put a down payment on a vehicle that we really need. God knows are every need, and he knows are every want.God sees to every need that we have. And sometimes, we get the pleasure of being blessed on some of our wants as well. In closing, I just wanted to send this out for those that struggle with this issue as well. I have learned that as Christians we need to share these things,so that others may benefit from the knowledge we have received. I thank God for sending the Christian Brother who told me the 10-10-80 plan. I hope this helped someone else whom is struggling with giving unto God as He asks Us to do.
Love is the easiest and hardest thing to give away. Let me explain this one. Love is easy to give to those that are our favorite people. The hardest people to Love are those that need it the most, the people with an outer shell, a protective wall, if you will, around them. Ever wonder why these people have that hard shell to begin with? Someone they loved hurt them, in most cases. I often think about the people that are rude to me at the checkout in stores, or the people in traffic that give each other an unfriendly look, or gesture. Those are the people that are hard to love sometimes. Even closer than that though...the hardest to love are sometimes people within your church. I have had that problem recently, I admit. Although we are commanded to Love One Another... at times, there is the "sandpaper" people that just rub you the wrong way. Here is the answer... I have found this works so much better than being irritable. Be nice. No matter what the sandpaper scratches on be loving. Agree to disagree. Be a peacemaker. When you see someone who ignores you at all times. Do the following.... Smile At Them. It isn't much, it doesn't hurt, and a smile is sometimes the best thing you can say. I'm currently trying to see people through God's Eyes instead of my own, and when I do that... Everyone looks like a child in need of Love and my caring attitude. Also, as a wise person said once..."Have a positive attitude, It may not change the situation, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth it. "lol... No, really, what this person is saying is that no matter what someone else is doing, don't let it affect your attitude. Be nice, Smile..remember God Loves all of us. Also, no matter how well you know a person, you may not know that person's current situation that may be dragging them down. Plus, remember, God commanded them to love you back!!
Here is my point of view: I think that TV is no worse than real life. I do not think that we get the idea of teenagers having sex from TV shows or Movies, I don't think that teenagers using drugs is new, or that guns used in horrific acts by kids is brought on by TV. I think teenage sex has always been there even when we didn't have it out in the open, it was just done more discreetly. My own mother who lead a sheltered life, was told about sex at school from a friend, since it wasn't talked about at home. She recalls certain girls that you knew "did it" but you just didn't say anything. I don't think the fact that sex is shown more on Tv or Movies effects us. In fact, It's my opinion that watching a movie or a Tv show about teenage sex, or that has drugs in it, or guns used in horrific acts would cause someone to NOT go out and do what they watch. All three things have been around for years. We took westerns off of TV because they were too violent, in there place there are now cops shows that talk about everything that goes on in the world. I don't think that by putting blinders on to things that are happening around us is a way to deal with them. By saying well, I don't use drugs, and I don't watch movies or tv shows with drugs in them, don't solve the problem, and it don't guarantee that you won't encounter drugs at your schools or in your neighborhoods. I do not think that being sheltered is the answer, I think being educated is. Teenagers 50, 75, and even 100 years ago had the same decisions to make about sex, drugs, and violent acts. I think the only difference is that 100 years ago a girl didn't just walk in the house and say "Hey, mom, I'm pregnant." We can blame TV and Movie all we want, but I think it comes right down to family upbringing. I don't have all the answers, but I with all my heart do NOT believe that you watch a movie, and think to yourself, "oh, gee, that looked like fun, let's go have sex, get high, or shoot someone!" I do think that it is natural for teens to think about all three, because when we are teenagers is when we start getting our own ideas, thoughts, and feelings. I think it is the parents responsibility to make sure that their kids are rooted in the church. To make sure there kids know Jesus and have a relationship with Him. I also think it is just time for people to quit whining that they saw it on a movie or tv, and decided to do it. I personally think that if a movie has that much of an effect on you, then maybe you do need to only read the Bible but most, I would say at least 99% of the people think on there own, and let's face it as I said before, TV and Movies are only showing what is going on in real life, things that we see everyday. If you plan on blocking out the "Bad" part of the world how are you ever going to change it??
This very question has been asked of me by a friend not very many years ago. I remember my answer to her. When I read my bible it is like I am finally listening to God. My heart opens up and I am uplifted by His words. I am more open to "hear" God while reading my bible. It gives me a higher understanding of people and there feelings. It gives me answers to my many questions. OF course I think the real question is How do I apply what I have read in my life?? I often find that after being at church or after opening my bible and reading a while that for the next few moments I am the sweetest person to everyone...I feel no need to gossip or to put anyone down. However as my human part takes over.....I find myself slipping back into the same old habits that are not obedient with God. I no longer drink or smoke and will be free from both --it will be a year in September---since the doctor told me to quit ....but you see I think and Some may call me crazy but I think that Jesus held me and that He gave me a second chance-(for those that don't know I was in a bad accident that could have easily killed me.) that day. I have not got over my accident and some are tired of me talking about it .....however.....I was going the wrong way.....and my bible had not been opened for at least 2 years. I had started to open it up and go back to church in July before the accident in September last year. However the weekend before the accident I had been so drunk that my uncle had to drive me back to his house.... I had slipped once again. You see reading the bible makes a huge difference. Even though I had slipped I am a child of God. As a child you should listen to your parents. As a child of God you should Read His Words. He will talk with you about all your problems and He will help you through.
JIAYOU! SEE YOU TMR!
Ppl who havent pass me west fund, please pass me tmr! THANKS :P
CONFIRMATION! Don't forget to send in confirmation :P
On saturday, there's west huddle! You should receive message from the leader that goes SOMEHOW like this: {i dono bout urs, but mine is like this}
Yox! urgent msg!! ahh! due to westd's sotong leaders that fgt tht we actuali fgt abt sat's westhuddle! its a lunch westhuddle! all pack food to istanapark! 115pm! frenx r most welcome! sorie guys!! reali sorie! SORRY!
LOl! So yeap, don't forget to clear all the dong dong you've after service :P Anyway, anyone want to go marina bay watch fireworks?! heee! :P
Enjoy today's entry: {part 2, from yesterday entry!}
My Father is battling cancer. My mother and I are sharing in the care of him, in my apartment between chemo visits. Tonight, I rubbed Dad's legs as they were hurting Him so. As I sat at His feet. I thought of how the children sat at Jesus feet, and what they must have felt. The first thought that came to mind is Pure Love. No matter what I have done in my life I have the pure love of Jesus, and of Daddy. I thought of how a Father is to be an example of Jesus in His children's lives. I believe that my Dad has done that. My Dad never knows a stranger. At the same time, my Dad can't tell you what the person was wearing, or the color of hair they had. What He can tell you is that man is a believer, and He always knows His name. If you met my Dad once, He remembers you forever. If ever someone needs something my Dad has, it is their's for the taking.
When my Dad tore down houses, He would sell the lumber from them. He had times when someone would come to the house saying that they could pay Him for the lumber later. Dad would figure up the total of the lumber, help them load it on their truck, and would tell them before they left to remember what the total was, because He would never think of it again. Then one day a bill would show up in the mail, and Dad would be sitting at the kitchen table praying aloud for God to pay the bill for us. It never failed that someone would show up to buy lumber or to repay for lumber already taken. Dad would just smile, and Thank God. There are a lot of nurses and doctors, who do not understand my Dad right now. Dad will laugh, and joke with them. The nursing and doctor staff act like Dad is not going to make it. Dad will smile and say "Only God knows that, I am doing my part." I stopped tonight, and thought of all the "moments of love" that my Dad and I have had at the kitchen table, or with me at his feet with a lotion bottle. All these moments, that God must just smile down, and say to me, "I love you my child."
Isn't it reassuring to know that God doesn't make accidents? Everything in our lives happens to teach us something. Sometimes the lesson is easy to learn, and other times, the lesson requires a few tears, and some emotional commitment to understand all that we are being taught. No matter if our parents were planning for us to appear or not. God picked out our parents. God knew when we would be born. God knew if we would be born earlier than the doctor thought. God knew if we were going to require more time than the doctor thought. God knew if our nose was going to be small, medium, or large. He knows everyday of our life. God knew that one day I would be sitting up at midnight, typing out the words He was placing in my heart that had to be written. Yet, with all this...we still call things in life an accident. This knowledge made me pause and re-consider things. If a deer hits the car...maybe we're traveling the wrong road. Perhaps, God is trying to tell us that our direction is off course. If the car you have is slowly falling apart (like mine). Maybe God is telling us that we need to repair more than the car. Maybe our souls need maintenance. If your driving a brand new vehicle maybe God is showing you the greatness that comes from following Him, and is granting your desire for a new vehicle. For every problem in our lives there is a lesson to be learned from it. I believe that until we learn each lesson, that the same problems will attack us. The fact that God never makes an accident....has me looking at people around me and thinking better thoughts of them. After all, God loves them, and as their sister in Christ I should love them too.
How many times do you stop, and look in the mirror thinking.... if only my butt was smaller?.... if only my eyes were green instead of blue?... if only my tummy was a little bigger... if only.... if only.... I confess that I liked nothing about my mirror image. I would look in the mirror, and would think if only I was a size 4 dress, then I would like myself better. Truth of the matter is...God made us in His image. We have to learn to love what we see in the mirror. I recently came into this frame of mind when my Dad started losing all kinds of weight due to chemo. I had heard people talk and talk about losing weight, and everyone is on a diet, we have to watch our carbs. blah blah blah. Ideal body weight. If my father had been at his Ideal body weight. he would only weigh 50 lbs. right now. The average skeleton weighs 70lbs. In my opinion, I believe that God knew my Dad would need the extra weight. Several years ago when I was run over by a jet ski, the doctors confirmed that if I had been at ideal body weight, they believe I would not have come out of the lake at all. Now, I personally believe all of that is up to God. IF I had only been at 120 lbs, and it wasn't my time to go, I believe God would have left me here on earth for my purpose. Anyway, back to the self-image. You have to love the body you are in. Granted that is clique'. However, if you can't love yourself, and you are made in God's image...then how will you ever fully love another? I have come to a place in my life, where no matter what the mirror says, I am going to act like I am already a size 4. Good self image is an important part of the Christian walk when you consider the image we are made after. For me the most important thing to remember when I look in the mirror anymore is that Jesus loves me, despite what I may see in the mirror.
I often think of how wonderful it is that God don't keep a "Credit Score" on us all. I recently got my credit report, and for anyone who has been in tough spots,you can certainly understand how... even while you wanted to pay everything on time, and in full, there are times, due to circumstances that things just simply don't get paid. How wonderful it is to know that prayer is Free. Jesus paid the price for our sins and He is not keeping a record of our debt to Him. How thrilling it is to know that when standing before God... Our credit rating is not going to effect if we are in Heaven with Him forever or not. God is not going to look at me, and say, "On July 15th, 1993.. you committed sin. You now owe Me 12 Prayers, and then you must fill out a form to have Me take it off of your Credit Score. "It is wonderful to know that the very day that I asked forgiveness of any sin in my life, it is immediately deleted from God's memory bank. Therefore, my credit with God is excellent, as long as I am asking for forgiveness, and striving to be just like Him.It is indeed a blessing to know that God is always there to listen to me. God is always ready to help, and a constant friend. I know as I contact these people,to get things right on the credit report, that God is going to help me to know what to say,and I am praying that He will touch the hearts of people, that they may help me out of these problems of my teen years. It is wonderful to know that no matter what these people may say to me, that God is in control, and He has my best interest at heart. Yes, I am so glad that my "Credit Score" with God reads "Excellent".
Don't forget to submit in confirmation to your leaders hor! :P Anyway, how's your week with God?! This saturday is national day, after service there's nothing to do but they are deciding to go for kbox and many more :D Think of something to do bah! Hee!
This week's entries all got story to read, cool eh?! If you want more story, please do leave comment in the tagbox. Or if you guys want testimony, videos, or anything else, just leave your suggestion in the tagbox! :D
Enjoy today's entry! :P {A story taken from a website, cant rly rmb which}
A question was thought about as I was hearing of people in other countries having to hide the bible, or be punished due to laws of the land. The question was this: In a country where we don't have to hide the Bible, how many of us DO? I can tell you right now that I have 5 or 6 Bibles. The cursor on my computer is a Bible with a cross, I can change the cursor to many different symbols of religion. (a dove, mother Mary, scripture) I wish I could say that I never change my cursor to anything, and that my Bibles are always in sight. However, I can tell you friends, that my Bibles are lost half the time. 75% of the time, I am looking up the scriptures online, because it takes less time. LESS TIME. I often am convicted that Jesus didn't do things in worldly timely manner. In fact, reading on the life of Jesus we would find that Jesus took time to do things right. Jesus took time to listen, He didn't rush through anything He was teaching. Why do I try to rush through learning? Because time even in the life of a housewife is hectic. I have had people say, "Well, a housewife without children has all the time in the world." A housewife is never short on things to do. Running a household with or without children is time consuming. (Granted, with children is more hectic.) However, I often wonder, if we would all slow down, and take a little more time on the important things, and less time on the mundane, wouldn't we be better off? More time on Reading God's Word, Less time on reading up on the latest news. More time on building relationships with other believers, Less time on making sure the house is picture perfect before inviting others over. More time on making sure we are feeding people who are hungry, Less time on going to Weight Watchers, and going on the latest diet to create a slim figure. More time on listening to those that are hurting, Less time talking about what we should be doing. More time on Prayer, Less time on Worry. More time on Worship, Less time on latest trends of fashion. More time on Hugs, Less time on tears. More time on loving people, Less time wasted on hate, and anger. More time..... We have 24 hours in a day, 365 days in a year, yet....Time always seems to disappear.
With the New Year fast approaching, we will all be making our New Year Goals. This tradition is a good time to reflect on where we have been in the past year, and how we are going to grow in the New Year to come. One of my goals for the New Year is to send more cards out to family and friends. This new year I am hoping to have a deeper connection with others. I would like to have a group of lady friends that we would get together and go out. There is a ladies group in my church, however...there are not any ladies in the church my age. Don't get me wrong, I really like the ladies group, but having peers around your own age group is nice to have as they are where you are in life. I find myself struggling to have something to say with the group of grandmothers that get together right now in our church. My second goal is to either have a 30hr/week job, or to come up with a course of study to go to school for that would help me find a job that I would be good at. Right now, I clean the church, and I love it. I have applied for other cleaning jobs, but haven't been called to any. Third goal is to lose weight. I have even started looking on Ebay for some exercise tapes, and we have already started adding veggies to our diets more. My final goal of the new year is to be able to know when to keep my mouth shut. lol...
It is so easy to make friends when we are children...you just ask the person to play a game, and through the playing, you form friendships. As an adult..I find it harder to make friends. It seems like the people around me are not in the same car I am in. I am married, but have no children. This is an odd category to be in. While there are many many couples in the church I attend...they are either parents or grandparents. Or they have attended college together, and now are just starting off in life, which is behind where I consider myself to be on the road. At times, I feel like I am riding in a two seater car...with just Jeff being my only friend. While Jeff has a job, and talks to people outside of the church family. My job is at the church, and I am not expanding out into the community. However, even with my husband having more people to be able to talk to, after having been in this town for a year...we had our first company to the apartment on New Year's Day. It was a So-So day, even though, we were worn out from the night before. I have friends that I have made online...wonderful friends. I have been a housewife for two years, and I am finding that I need to get out more...as I am starting to lose the natural ability to make friends. Making friends in my comfort zone of down-home, or online, or even while I was on a job was easy. I find that being out of a comfort zone, and without a job where I work around a lot of people...that I don't know what to say to people. Small talk is getting harder to come up with. I miss the good old days when you picked someone to play on your team, and you were friends by the end of the game.
Today---- I got up, got ready for the day...and as soon as my feet found the floor, I had an off day. I looked around and saw work all around me to be done. I saw dishes to be done, vacuuming that had been put off, Trash that hadn't made it to the trash can, a lot of surfaces that needed some dusting, and of course Lunch needed to be cooked. I let it all heap up on my shoulders, and found the weight to be too much to handle. Which got me to thinking how many times in our lives do we look around for the "bad" stuff, and not look for the "good" stuff within our day. So, I am making a list of "Good" stuff to think about, for each "Bad" that I had in my day.
BAD= dishes GOOD= I have a plate to eat from, and pans to cook in. Many people don't. I have running water to wash my dishes in, there are some that don't.
BAD=vacuuming GOOD= I have the ability to run a vacuum cleaner, I own a vacuum cleaner, I have a rug to vacuum. Some don't...
BAD=Trash to be picked up. GOOD= Having Trash to pick up means that I have a lot of things, because if you don't own hardly anything there is not a lot of clean up to be done.
BAD=Dusting GOOD= Dust is just a part of life, everyone has dusty areas of there life, so I am never alone in having dust.
BAD= having to make Lunch again! GOOD= there are people who are starving, that would love to have the food, I am complaining about having to cook.
Let's all look for the "GOOD" in Our lives.
When I think about God, the first emotion that comes is Love. The first verse I think of in the Bible is "For God so loved us that he gave his only begotten Son, so that we can have everlasting life".. To think that God loves me more than He loved his own child. That is a concept that is hard to understand. To know that God loves for us is easy. To accept that love and not feel like it is conditional is hard in today's society. It a society that has advertising that promotes you will be loved only if: skinny, part of the "in" crowd, and of course you must be sexy! I'm so glad that God loves me regardless. If I have a bad day, God still loves me. If I speak the wrong words, God will forgive me and still love me. I cannot lose God's love. Friends may come, and friends may go, but God will always be there! God is everything to everyone all the time! When you think about that, it is amazing that God takes that much time for everyone who calls upon His name. I love God. God loves me. I'm so glad that fact will never change. It's a stable core to have when life is rolling up and down.
I am forever reminded that God loves me. I have a husband that listens to me, when I need to be heard. I have wonderful parents that love me no matter what kind of mood I am in. My sister and I love each other, and when times call for it, are very close. I know I can call on my sister anytime. She always has time to listen, laugh, or be critical of my life...depending on the day. Some people on the outside looking in, would think that I have nothing. We have a car that is falling apart, I don't always have a new outfit to wear. From time to time, we have enough for me to buy one new outfit, and I mix and match it with other clothes. Sort of an old shirt meets new pants type thing. My hair is the same style every season, I occasionally trim the bangs, to try to make it look different. Living 3 hours from the town I grew up in...People there look at me different...they think I have really made something being married, and having moved twice since being married. The thing is that People will always have a certain opinion based on looks, based on what a person drives, or wears. It's all unimportant. In the long run, no-one is going to remember what I had on today, by the end of the week. I am starting to look at my life through God's eyes... Through God's eyes...He gave me wonderful parents, a sister that I could treat better, a husband that loves me through everything, I have a place to live each month, no danger of the heat being shut off, I have a bed to lay down in each night. I've been blessed to own a computer so that I can share my thoughts with everyone out there. This last August, God gave me a job. I can say this in complete confidence, I didn't apply for this job, a member of the church approached me and asked if I would like to take over cleaning the church. I was to be paid twice a month...the person that writes out the checks approached me and offered a weekly check. So...needless to say...God has really blessed me. If we all stop long enough, we can all be Thankful for what we have. It is in focusing on the "don't have's" that brings down a persons Spirit.
God doesn't want to be in the passenger seat, He wants to be the Driver in our lives." What does it mean to have someone else drive? In my case, my husband usually is the person who drives our car. I never thought of all the trust that a passenger puts in the person driving the car. A passenger is sitting on the sidelines enjoying the view as the driver handles all problems. The driver has to hit the brakes if cut off, or approaching a red light. The driver must be alert to all possible problems on the road. Driving conditions, other drivers, traffic lights, stop signs, potholes, speed bumps, speed limits and pedestrians to name a few. The passenger on the other hand...has a great seat, can play with the radio, or watch the clouds in the sky, has a window to look at scenery, can even rest if tired. That is what it is like to hand your life over to God. It's like being a passenger. You have time to play, rest, and trust that God as the driver in your life will make everything okay. God is looking out for you. He is seeing the potholes that we can't see. God knows if the traffic light will be on go or stop. Speed bumps and other people will enter our lives daily, and God will handle it, if we just let Him in the driver's seat. If it's raining in our lives, and it's hard to see, we just hand the steering wheel to God. If it's sunny and bright out, we still hand the wheel to God so we can enjoy the scenery of the day. Handing over the "Car Keys" to God can be scary at first, but soon...you will be set-back in the passenger seat, relaxing and listening to the sweet sounds of Peace, Love, Joy, and Hope. I'm learning to love the passenger seat...without the worries of trying to drive!!
I had for the past month been pouting like a three year old about not being able to go home for Christmas. Never mind the fact that my parents had been at my house for 4months. I was missing my down home roots. Missing the community that I love. (The same community that I am also glad to be away from at times.) I kept asking God ...WHY?? Why on earth did we have a car that had so many issues? Then..I was online last week..and was looking over vehicles that I thought we could never own. Then seeing the link to the credit application, I said to my husband...well, what do you think? The worst that can happen is that they say no. He agreed. Then we looked over our income, decided on a payment we could easily afford, and applied. We prayed that night that God who is in control of everything would grant us the vehicle we applied for. I just want to say that God did not give us the Truck we wanted. He gave us the Truck we never saw coming. We were approved for a loan, but the GMC that we looked at was not available due to mileage. So, we were approved for a 1997 Chevy S10. I was skeptical at first. Then we test drove it. oooh, how wonderful to have everything working!! We looked it all over, saw that it had a 6 month warranty on it, and decided we would see if anything else would be approved. It was the only truck on the lot that was approved. We accepted it. We thanked God. God blesses us everyday, and a lot of those blessings are overlooked. We started counting our blessings for the month of December so far... My husband works for a company that gives out a Christmas Bonus each year. This year the bonus was twice the size as last year. So, we were able to stock up on groceries---mainly bought a lot of canned veggies, and canned items, as we do not have a lot of freezer room. We were able to buy a TV, VCR, and DVD...not a need, but a want....so we're now able to watch the movies we have. We're looking at going down home for Christmas. Brother Eugene and family, gave us a desk that they no longer use for the computer, it is a LOT better than the one that we had. Jeff's dad came to see us before going to GA for Christmas, and He gave us $50 for Christmas. My parents are doing well health wise, and we are going to be able to help them a little bit in the money department, as the month of January is looking really tight for them. We are able to start a small savings account!! After counting these blessings we realized that we are only on December 16th. God is just SOO GOOD to those that turn to Him!!
In closing......
Heavenly Father, I pray that you use my words to touch the hearts of others, Lord. Let them realize I am not bragging about what we have, but rather I am bringing all Glory to You!
I am bringing these things up to show what you can do to help improve our situations. I thank YOU Father, for all you give us. I thank you as it is All in Your hands Lord!
In Jesus Name, Amen!!
Does anyone ever notice that everything has a web address on it anymore? Even my soda pop I am drinking has a web address, so I decided to go to the web address. When the page loaded up--there was before me everything imaginable with the soda logo on it. It reminded me, as I put things into the online shopping cart of how Jesus was tempted with all the worldly things He saw before Him. In remembering that I emptied the online shopping cart, thinking ..."what do I need with a canteen?" This reminds me that the more that a person reads of the Bible the more these things come to mind when we are about to make a mistake. I mean, I'm sure I could have found a use, for a sports bottle, canteen, and another key chain...however, it saved me from another bill on my credit card. I find that when we are about to do something foolish, that God will send a teaching to mind. Jesus spent so much of His time here teaching us, and if we just open our Basic Information Before Leaving Earth (B I B L E) manual. It is all there for us to learn.
Lord, Make me an oak tree.
Give me roots that are strong in You.
Let me rely upon you for everything. I wish for you to water me with your knowledge. Feed me with Your truth.
Make me an oak tree that I may have branches that reach upwards to You in worship.
May my leaves be attractive, and reach other people to share Your love with them.
Lord, make me like an oak tree. Strong in your word. Watered by your mercy and grace. Roots that stand firm and sure in You.
That's all I can ask Lord, and then I can speak that I am totally devoted to you.
Your Child...
Jesus Loves Me This I Know...For The BIBLE Tells Me So..... This song is such a comfort at any age. I find in times of hardship of any kind this little tune will play through my head. Like my own little song from Jesus to Me to remind me that He does love me. In my walk I have discovered that Love is not always just getting what you want. There have in fact been times, I have asked God to give me things that were not in His will. And was grateful later that God did not grant my request. For example...and I am sure most of us have this one....There was a boy that I would have done anything for...and I prayed nightly for God to let the Boy love me back. It didn't happen. But now I am married to a man that is so much better for me than what I wanted in the first place. Now, understand, there wasn't anything wrong with the Boy I wanted as a teenager... However, He just wasn't right for me. God knew that way before I did. Other times in life we need something, and God will hand it to us, before we know that we need it. For example...Knowing we needed to move to Des Moines, and not having the money...we were asking God for a mild winter. God did so much better than that!! A truck that we had been trying to sell...SOLD!! Providing us with enough to move here, and to stock groceries for our first winter in Des Moines. I tell you, there was a lot of praising going on in this household!! So, when life seems to be handing you lemons, and you have forgotten how to make lemonade... just remember...Jesus Loves Me, This I Know for the BIBLE Tells Me So.... AMEN!!
This is part 1 of the whole story! Part 2 shall continue tmr! Hope you'd like it :P {The story is inter-linked by colors}
No time no time! No time for caregroup, no time for shepherding, no time for meeting, no more for service. NO TIME FOR QUIET TIME!
Not forcing you to read the follow email that was sent to me very long time ago, but it would be good if you read, especially if you've got the time [[:
Read only if you have time for God Let me tell you, make sure you read all the way to the bottom. I almost deleted this email but I was blessed when I got to the end
God, when I received this e-mail, I thought I don't have time for this. And, this is really inappropriate during work. Then, I realized that this kind of thinking is... Exactly, what has caused lot of the problems in our world today. We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning.. Maybe, Sunday night... And, the unlikely event of a midweek service. We do like to have Him around during sickness.. And, of course, at funerals. However, we don't have time, or room, for Him during work or play... Because.. That's the part of our lives we think... We can, and should, handle on our own. May God forgive me for ever thinking... That... there is a time or place where.. HE is not to be FIRST in my life. We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us. If, You aren't ashamed to do this... Please follow the directions. Jesus said, 'If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before my Father.' Not ashamed?
Yes, I do Love God. HE is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and every day. Without Him, I will be nothing. But, with Christ, HE strengthens me. (Phil 4:13) This is the simplest test. If You Love God... And, are not ashamed of all the marvelous things HE has done for you...
THE POEM
I knelt to pray but not for long, I had too much to do. I had to hurry and get to work For bills would soon be due. So I knelt and said a hurried prayer, And jumped up off my knees. My Christian duty was now done. My soul could rest at ease. All day long I had no time to spread a word of cheer. No time to speak of Christ to friends, They'd laugh at me I'd fear. No time, no time, too much to do, That was my constant cry, No time to give to souls in need But at last the time, the time to die. I went before the Lord, I came, I stood with downcast eyes. For in his hands God held a book; It was the book of life. God looked into his book and said 'Your name I cannot find. I once was going to write it down... But never found the time'
Easy vs. Hard
Why is it so hard to tell the truth but Yet so easy to tell a lie? Why are we so sleepy in church but Right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up? Why is it so hard to talk about God but yet so easy to talk about nasty stuff? Why is it so boring to look at a Christian magazine, but yet so easy to look at a nasty one? Why is it so easy to delete a Godly e- mail, but yet we forward all of the nasty ones? Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger? Do you give up? Think about it . Are you going to forward this, or delete it? Just remember-God is watching you. Prayer Wheel-Let's see the devil stop this one! Here's what the wheel is all about. When you receive this, say a prayer for the person that sent it to you.... That's all you have to do.... There is nothing attached.... This is so powerful.... Do not stop the wheel, please.... Of all the free gifts we may receive, Prayer is the very best one.... There are no costs, but wonderful rewards... GOD BLESS!
May God keep you and bless you. If this doesn't give you chills, nothing will...this message is very true. Hope you are all as blessed as I was from this story. I wonder how many people will delete this without reading it because of the title on it?
There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak...'I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, 'What you got there, son?' 'Just some old birds,' came the reply.
'What are you gonna do with them?' I asked.
'Take 'em home and have fun with 'em,' he answered 'I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time' 'But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?'
'Oh, I got some cats,' said the little boy. 'They like birds. I'll take 'em to them.'
The pastor was silent for a moment. 'How much do you want for those birds, son?'
'Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!'
'How much?' the pastor asked again.
The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, '$10?'
The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.
The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.
Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.
One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. 'Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!'
'What are you going to do with them?' Jesus asked.
Satan replied, 'Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!'
'And what will you do when you get done with them?' Jesus asked. 'Oh, I'll kill 'em,' Satan glared proudly. 'How much do you want for them?' Jesus asked
'Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!'
'How much?' He asked again.
Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, 'All your blood, tears and your life.'
Jesus said, 'DONE!'
Then He paid the price.
The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit.
Notes: Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell.
Isn't it funny how someone can say 'I believe in God' but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also 'believes' in God).
Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing?
Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to them.
Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
I pray, for everyone who sends this to their entire address book, they will be blessed by God in a way special for them.
And send it back to the person who sent it, to let them know that indeed it was sent out to many more.
PS: Not trying to condemn you, but just hope that this would clear alittle bit of your understanding about coming to church activities :D
JIAYOU :D
The video below is a testimony of F.I.R {a chinese taiwan band} Enjoy!
Are you feeling very frustrated or tired over some stuff in your life now? Being persecuted or many more? Beware, Satan is working real hard like us, working hard for the Kingdom of God. Sometimes you realised why haven't you got the time to go for events like caregroup, shepherding, service or events, well, that's a choice for us.
I recalled an entry that was posted in Dewen's blog on June 18. It goes:
Never think church activities as an obligation. They are not obligations. If you love God, you will come. Church activities are not social clubs. They are not there for you to skip as and when you like it. Is God not worthy of your time? oh come on…pls…you muz be thinking. “i can also worship God at home rite?” then i tell you that your thinking is ABSOLUTELY wrong. if that’s what God intended, then why did He instituted church and put Acts church in the Bible. Come on, get your act together. Church is not a playground. If you want to play, go somewhere else. Dont mess with what God instituted.
For people who faced school commitments and parental objections, I FULLY empathised with your situations.really! But you have to try your best to ask and ask again. Get your priorities right. God is more than worthy. I was once persecuted by parents. I was once threatened of being demoted of my rank in cca and all CCA points to be taken off me by my CCA teacher. i mean what’s the big deal? Honestly, i dont feel that as a sacrifice. Come on, what did we give? some of our time and some of our rights to God. then in comparison, what did Jesus give? HE GAVE HIS LIFE. mind you! Its really time to give your best and commit.
Even for myself, i have got time that will hinder myself from attending ministry like this. The problem is not whether you CAN make it or not but rather did you try your BEST to prioritise God's ministry. Below is an e-mail sent to me, have a look and see how satan works in order to stop you from attending church's ministry.
SATAN'S MEETING:
Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said,
'We can't keep Christians from going to church.' 'We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth.' 'We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their saviour.' 'Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken.' 'So let them go to their churches; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with Jesus Christ..'
'This is what I want you to do,' said the devil: 'Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!'
'How shall we do this?' his demons shouted.
'Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds,' he answered. 'Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow.' 'Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles.' 'Keep them from spending time with their children.' 'As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!' 'Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice.' 'Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive.' To keep the TV, VCR, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly.' 'This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ.' 'Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers.' 'Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day.' 'Invade their driving moments with billboards.' 'Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweepstakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes..' 'Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives. ' 'Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night.' 'Give them headaches too! ' 'If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere.' 'That will fragment their families quickly!' 'Give them Santa Claus to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of Christmas.' 'Give them an Easter bunny so they won't talk about his resurrection and power over sin and death.' 'Even in their recreation, let them be excessive.' 'Have them return from their recreation exhausted.' 'Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead.' 'Keep them busy, busy, busy!' 'And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences. ' 'Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Jesus.' 'Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause.' 'It will work!' 'It will work!'
It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of Jesus to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does 'BUSY' mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?
So now, what is your conclusion? Continue to let Satan control you or stop yourself from being controlled by him? Get your life right and prioritise things right! :D
Have you ever reject people simply because they are too disgusting, too ugly, act cute buey cute, arrogant, irritating, fierce and many more? Have you ever gossip behind people's back or even scold someone behind people's back?
Sometimes, we tell ourselves that we must be more Christ-like. Gossipping is a sin and we shouldn't do it! But, at another point of time especially when we get angry over someone, we will start complaining and grumbling to another person. Well, maybe we did it unknowingly? If that's the case, maybe we still have the chance to change this bad habit. But if you already know that you're gossipping and sinning yet you continue to do so then .. you should know what's the problem with you.
Emotion is a gift that God gave us when we are first borned into this Earth. (Didn't you cry when you were once a baby?) Even so, that doesn't mean we should be complacent and take it for granted. In fact, we shouldn't use it as and when we like! Emotion does kill. How does it kill? Simply by building up anger or depression in your heart. However, nothing is impossible with God. If you choose to look to God and rely on Him, you would remember this: Psalm 4:4, In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent. Selah
There were times when God grabbed you tightly the first thing when you made a prayer to Him. When you are at the lowest point, and nobody can help you including your dearest family members, friends or beloved ones, you looked to Him and He was there for you. When was the time thefirst thing you did was to tell God rather than your beloved ones?
Exodus 23:2,"Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
Our ultimate home- God's Kingdom. Why are you living like the world?
Testimony from an e-mail:
This is a good story and is true, please read it all the way through until the end! (After the story, there are some very interesting facts!):
I am a mother of three (ages 14, 12, 3) and have recently completed my college degree. The last class I had to take was Sociology. The teacher was absolutely inspiring with the qualities that I wish every human being had been graced with. Her last project of the term was called, 'Smile.'
The class was asked to go out and smile at three people and document their reactions. I am a very friendly person and always smile at everyone and say hello anyway. So I thought this would be a piece of cake. Soon after we were assigned the project, my husband, youngest son, and I went out to McDonald's one crisp March morning. It was just our way of sharing special playtime with our son. We were standing in line, waiting to be served, when all of a sudden everyone around us began to back away, and then even my husband did. I did not move an inch... an overwhelming feeling of panic welled up inside me as I turned to see why they had moved. As I turned around I smelled a horrible 'dirty body' smell, and there standing behind me were two poor homeless men. As I looked down at the short gentleman, close to me, he was 'smiling'. His beautiful sky blue eyes were full of God's Light as he searched for acceptance. He said, 'Good day' as he counted the few coins he had been clutching. The second man fumbled with his hands as he stood behind his friend. I realized the second man was mentally challenged and the blue-eyed gentleman was his salvation. I held my tears as I stood there with them. The young lady at the counter asked him what they wanted. He said, 'Coffee is all Miss' because that was all they could afford. (If they wanted to sit in the restaurant and warm up, they had to buy something. He just wanted to be warm). Then I really felt it - the compulsion was so great I almost reached out and embraced the little man with the blue eyes. That is when I noticed all eyes in the restaurant were set on me, judging my every action. I smiled and asked the young lady behind the counter to give me two more breakfast meals on a separate tray. I then walked around the corner to the table that the men had chosen as a resting spot. I put the tray on the table and laid my hand on the blue-eyed gentleman's cold hand. He looked up at me, with tears in his eyes, and said, 'Thank you.' I leaned over, began to pat his hand and said, 'I did not do this for you. God is here working through me to give you hope.'
I started to cry as I walked away to join my husband and son. When I sat down my husband smiled at me and said, 'That is why God gave you to me, Honey, to give me hope.' We held hands for a moment and at that time, we knew that only because of the Grace that we had been given were we able to give. We are not church goers, but we are believers. That day showed me the pure Light of God's sweet love. I returned to college, on the last evening of class, with this story in hand. I turned in 'my project' and the instructor read it. Then she looked up at me and said, 'Can I share this?' I slowly nodded as she got the attention of the class. She began to read and that is when I knew that we as human beings and being part of God share this need to heal people and to be healed. In my own way I had touched the people at McDonald's, my son, instructor, and every soul that shared the classroom on the last night I spent as a college student. I graduated with one of the biggest lessons I would ever learn:
Need help in Quiet Time or some inner understanding? Hopefully this entry today will make you feel more encouraged and more motivated to go all out for Christ. Of course, i pray that as you go through this entry, God will comfort you and soften down your heart to receive His help. No matter what, you must jiayou for God ohkay. Let's all stand firm together (:
Battlefield of the Mind Part I: Prepare for War "The spiritual battle takes place in our minds, but the place we give Christ in our hearts determines our victory" ~ Magdalene.
The battlefield or realm in which our spiritual warfare takes place is in the mind of every believer in Christ. We wrestle, or strive and struggle in our minds against world systems, the flesh or the carnal nature, and the devil. The mind encompasses our thoughts (imagination, reasoning, and intellect), as well as our emotions and will. In all of these aspects lie the very heart of an individual. By our thoughts and feelings we determine our will and purpose for our lives. As Christians, we seek to live by the truth and power of God because they are our assurance of God's promised victory in each and every situation in life, and we are not ignorant of the reality of evil, and the destruction that surrounds our world on a daily basis. It is in this process that we will encounter a very real spiritual struggle in our thoughts, emotions and will because the adversary knows that these areas are directly related to the power of our faith and means to receiving the promises of God. The adversary's goal is to weaken the faith of every Christian. We read from 1PETER1:5, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
If we choose to live a half spiritual and half carnal life, we jeopardize much of our victory in Christ. Although, at the moment of conversion we received Christ and are assured of our salvation, our hearts still need to be right with God in our commitment to follow Him. When we follow Him we build a sure foundation in which Christ said in Luke 6:47 - 49, I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
As Christians, we are deceiving ourselves if we are not walking with God from the heart. This has nothing to do with religion, legalism or ritualism because these have nothing to do with true religion. True religion is a matter of seeking to understand God's love and committing your heart to follow the way of Christ. God says in James 1:27, Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
This verse is speaking about compassion and moral goodness versus the many philosophies of the world that are in opposition to the love and justice of God. Our liberty in Christ sets us free from these worldly entanglements.
In James 1:25, But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it—he will be blessed in what he does.
The devil hates the righteousness of God with a pure hate, as well as God's creation, especially those who follow after the righteousness of God. We are told in the epistle of Peter to: (1Peter 5:8) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
In stark contrast to the devil, God also searches the earth but for a different reason. 2Chronicles16:9, For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war."
Since we have a very powerful and hateful enemy, we need to be watchful of our thought life and hearts and to remain in close fellowship with God, so that His power can effectually operate in our lives. Scripture tells us in Psalm 91:14, "Because he loves me," says the LORD, "I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
The first step to take in preparation for the spiritual warfare that is before us, is to get our hearts in the right place. To set our love upon God, is to walk with God, and when we walk with God, we remain in His presence and promised protection.
How to set our love upon God
John 14:15"If you love me, you will obey what I command. 1 John 5:3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 1 John 3:23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.
His Promises To Those Who Love Him
John 14:21Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." John 14:23Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
God loves us unconditionally; however, by responding to His love we know God by experience. When we sow God's Word in our hearts and act upon it, we will reap the supernatural power and love of God. God will bring it to pass, and we will know God in a way we never thought possible. We then begin to understand the meaning of living on the holy mountain of God or in the presence of God. In Psalm 15, David expresses the righteous love of God in a believer and his or her dwelling place in God's holy hill.
LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.
The love of God works the righteousness of God. Our achievements do not genuinely profit us when they are not motivated by the love of God, not even our greatest gifts and sacrifices. God tells us that love alone will not fail.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.(1 Corinthians 13:1-6)
God desires the heart of an individual, and if we make a decision in favor of what is given to us from His Word, we will reap the wonderful promises of God, and obtain a sure footing for the battles of life. If our intentions and purposes are lined up with those of God’s, we will profit in everything we do, and obtain God's deliverance from all evil.
This however does not mean that we move along in life, and take no precautions for our own safety because we are walking with God. We always do our best to care for ourselves and rely on God to do the rest. God cautions us to the following: (Matthew 7:6) "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces. (Matthew 10:16) I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
What A Righteous Heart Is Not
Does a righteous heart mean that we must be perfect in order to receive His promises?
If we become distracted by an ideal of perfection, we will find ourselves lost in a revolving door that takes us further away from the pure path that is set before us, and once again we become entangled with the works of the flesh and condemnation. The Christian life is not about a million do's and don'ts, its more about do unto others what you would have them do unto you.
To possess a perfect heart before God, means that our intentions, motives and purposes agree with the heart of God. We acknowledge His love for us, and have made a decision to return that love because He first loved us, but our perfection will not be complete until our full redemption in Christ at His 2nd Coming. Conforming to the image of Christ is a process of growth in the knowledge and power of Christ as we draw nearer to Him. Like a baby, we first receive the pure milk of the Word, and as we mature spiritually, we are able to digest the meat. God is full of mercy and grace towards His children, and seeks to deliver them out of trouble and restore them back to fellowship with Him, if we fall away. When our heart is right with God, we are motivated by the things of God, but by no means does this guarantee that we will never fail God or others.
The righteous will continue to acknowledge their mistakes and change their course or direction in life. A true believer is in a continual state of repentance by putting off the works of the flesh and continuing in the things of God. A Christian may suffer from his or her errors, but to remain in a state of condemnation and retardant growth because of them does not work the grace or righteousness of God. God looks at the intent of the heart and not our weaknesses and failures. God doesn't judge us according to the standards of men, but He always looks on the heart. The apostle Paul says in 1Corinthians 2:5, so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.
The Opposition and the Reason for Our Spiritual Warfare: The World, the Flesh, and the Devil
The World, the flesh, and the devil are in opposition to Christ. We are forewarned to put on the whole armour of God so that we can overcome these obstacles through the power of God. This is also a part of the Christian walk; your heart may be in place but so is your spiritual battle.
Why the World, Flesh, and the Devil in Spiritual Warfare?
When a believer is gaining ground for Christ in any of the 3 realms, whether we are winning souls for Christ, or overcoming obstacles to our personal walk with God, we will experience resistance in the world, the flesh, and the devil. Be not afraid, this resistance will come and is a sure mark of your progress!
Some Words of Encouragement for the Weary
There will be times when it is necessary and also an act of wisdom to retreat or step back a little from forging ahead spiritually, and to take the time to reflect, renew our strength and to gain perspective for our lives. We may even begin to feel a sense of relief and become complacent. If we are tempted to remain complacent, we should remind ourselves of the lives we will never touch, the spiritual heights we will never reach, and the force of faith that will no longer impact the invisible world to keep the enemy at bay. There are legitimate struggles in life, and we can become discouraged, but even if we feel discouraged, and we keep placing our trust in the Lord, He will not fail us. Some battles may be lost because lesser obstacles were overlooked at the start, and there are times, out of enthusiasm, we move ahead of our present capacity. It is not wise to tackle unfamiliar territory unless we are led by the Lord, to do otherwise is to witness the casualties of spiritual warfare. As a pastor once advised, when we fail, get up, and dust off our clothes and keep moving on.
Christians experience real problems, and doing our best to overcome them through the power of God, will involve struggles and wrestling's that Paul defined as "warfare." Is your battle personal? Are you fighting fear, doubt, depression, physical problems, condemnation, obsessions, worry, despair or hopelessness? Is there an attitude, a habit, or a part of your flesh that is destroying you and you know it, but you can’t seem to get a handle on it? Has your good intentions to win family and friends to the Lord now turned into a personal attack against you? Are you threatened by the hostility and hate of others, do you fear isolation or how others can hurt you? Are you disturbed by your own hardened heart? Then seek God for His deliverance because He has provided a way for us in Christ, set your love upon Him and He will deliver you.
Psalm 34:19A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all; Psalm 34:4I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
God will transform our hearts and cause us to prosper in Him.
(KJV)Psalm 37:5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
The Agony and The Ecstasy
When a believer in Christ is committed to live for Christ, and to be God’s light in a dark world, he or she will experience, to a varying degree, the "agony and the ecstasy."
Jesus sweat drops of blood during His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before His crucifixion.He endured extreme cruelty, both psychological and physical persecution that culminated in His death on the cross. The Lord's ecstasy was His inherited prize, the Church, known as the body of Christ. Are you sensitive to the sufferings of others? Have you ever felt sickened as you witnessed some type of suffering, but were helpless to do anything about it?
Just think what we can accomplish for the Lord; every decision we make, and every word and deed we perform, either glorifies Christ, Who is worthy to be glorified, or gives a back seat to the sufferings that He endured for us. Everyday is an opportunity to wipe the brow of Christ. In all of this, Christ won the victory for us, but we must continue to grow and trust God in our daily fight against evil. In our decision to give our whole heart to the Lord, we take hold of "the ground of Christ" then we take back the ground that the devil has stolen from us.
Where do we begin in our spiritual warfare?
With ourselves! Set your love upon the Lord!
(KJV)Psalm 57:7My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise. Woah, paisey hor. For those peeps who know my 'character' in blogging should know i got the 'habit' of typing super ultra long post! HAHAHAH! Well, i really did enjoy reading all these. This passage encouraged me quite a lot (: JIAYOU!
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