Amazon.com Widgets Psalm 139: 13-17 13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. 14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
In Choosing a Wife, Don’t Look for… – May 13, 2013
Proverbs 31: 30 30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Few weeks ago while asking the church attendees
Being Grounded and Rooted in Love – May 10, 2013
Ephesians 3: 16-19 16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 That Christ may
Lord, You’re Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
Last Sunday, we sang this song in the church. This is a beautiful song that translates the meaning of God in our lives. I am just glad that God came
When Women Arise to Glorify God – May 9, 2013
Judges 5: 24-31 24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent. 25 He asked water, and she gave
Don’t Worry If You Pass Through the Waters or Cross the Fire – May 14, 2013
Psalm 139: 13-17
13 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
Lately, I had been in deep stress. There are several problems that stormed my life – and these storms are huge that I felt being thrown down. Challenges abound in every aspect and corner of my life. Indeed, I am passing through the water or crossing the fire.
Yet, I’ll always remember that my days are ordered by the Lord and my life is framed by God. When I was created by God He has some plans for me. I may not understand His will, but what I understand is that God is still in control. The Lord who works in my life is still doing His wonders.
This scripture reminds me that I am not perfect. There are times that I am overwhelmed by problems that I face. I just wanted to throw in the white towel. I am not a perfect nor a super-Christian. There are times that I am losing hope that my faith and trust waivers.
But when these times come, I remind myself that God’s book for me is still being into realized. Everything in and of my life is written and planned by God.
What I need to do is to surrender to the will of God. Even if the storms and the fires of my life come, all I need to do is surrender to God’s will. There are several things that I may not understand but God is in full control.
In Choosing a Wife, Don’t Look for… – May 13, 2013
Proverbs 31: 30
30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Few weeks ago while asking the church attendees for Bible verses, this verse dawned on me. For three consecutive weeks, this verse was recited in the midst of the congregation. Then, my mind traveled back to the Lecture on Love we had last February.
(I am sorry, I will be speaking in the perspective of men.)
In choosing a wife, don’t look for a SEXY body, relationship is not founded on bodies. You should have married a mannequin if you want a SEXY body. Mannequins maintain their body, while women may just expand horizontally after a time.
In choosing a wife, don’t look for a PRETTY face, relationship is not about faces. You should have married a painting if you want a PRETTY face. One day, that PRETTY face will have wrinkles and will soon fade.
In choosing a wife, don’t look for a GENIUS mind, relationship is not a science research. You should have married a supercomputer if you want a GENIUS mind. Brain cells will die and sooner, she will forget about you.
And the list goes on.
In choosing a wife, be sure not to do the choosing. Let God choose the wife who should stay with you. Let God handle things the way they should go. Don’t push for your will.
Being Grounded and Rooted in Love – May 10, 2013
Ephesians 3: 16-19
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
The CROSS expresses the LOVE of GOD to us-ward.
Understanding the love of Christ to us-ward does not happen in just a single day. This is not an instant knowledge when we yielded to the power of God to save our souls. Rather, the inner man is strengthened by the Spirit of the Lord one day at time. This means that when Christ dwelt in our hearts through faith, He also quickened our spirit with His Spirit that we may live in His love.
The summary of our service to God speaks more of our love to Him. This is the value of our salvation for whatever we do, we must do in love of and for Christ. It is necessary for us, Paul reminded, to be grounded and rooted in this love.
This is an important part of our Christian life. Without love, it is easy for us to desert our position, leave our Commander, and just forget that our Commander gave His life for us because of love. When Christians are not grounded in the understanding of the love of Christ, it is easy to backslide from the service and ministry of Christ.
The love of Christ is a very broad one that it is hard to understand nor to discern it. As such, being grounded and rooted in this love is the only way for us to understand the love of Christ. As we go on with our Christian life and service to God, the Spirit teaches the love of Christ little by little so we will be able to discern its height, width, and depthness.
Until then, it would be impossible for us to be used by God for the fulfillment of His love for this dying world.
Lord, You’re Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me
Last Sunday, we sang this song in the church. This is a beautiful song that translates the meaning of God in our lives. I am just glad that God came into my life. This was sang by the HBBC Assurance Trio. Copyright belongs to them.
LORD YOU’RE THE BEST THING,THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME
Within my life for so long,
You were right when I was wrong
I can’t repay, all the love you’ve given me
You were my friend when no one cared
I felt alone, but you were there.
Lord, You’re best thing that ever happened to me.
Chorus:
And I owe it all to you Lord,
All I have is yours Lord
Take my life, make me what you have me be.
For I’m you child and You’re my Father.
I’m the clay and You’re the Potter.
Lord, You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.
Borrowed treasures, borrowed dreams.
All life’s joys You’ve given me
When trouble comes, You’re always there to make me smile
Let come what may Thy will be done.
I love you Jesus, God’s Only Son.
Lord, You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.
When Women Arise to Glorify God – May 9, 2013
Judges 5: 24-31
24 Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be, blessed shall she be above women in the tent.
25 He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.
26 She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen’s hammer; and with the hammer she smote Sisera, she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.
27 At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down: at her feet he bowed, he fell: where he bowed, there he fell down dead.
28 The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice, Why is his chariot so long in coming? why tarry the wheels of his chariots?
29 Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself,
30 Have they not sped? have they not divided the prey; to every man a damsel or two; to Sisera a prey of divers colours, a prey of divers colours of needlework, of divers colours of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?
31 So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: but let them that love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might. And the land had rest forty years.
Woman, what are doing for the work of the Lord?
What women can do in the church for the service of the Lord? They can do what God wills them to do.
Of course, in the church they should leave matters to men and they should keep their silence. But women should have a place in the work for there are things that men can’t do. When men failed, women arose to occasions. They are as vital as men are to the church and the work of the Lord.
Look, we have here a woman who arose to the occasion to do what men failed to do. Jael killed a fledging general who was able to get out of the hands of the army. What men lacked in doing, Jael did in just one nail.
In the church, women have a great part in the ministry. In fact, they comprise the biggest part of the church workers. They teach children in the Sunday school class, take care of extension classes. As mothers, they raise Christian kids who do fear God and do know the commandments of the Lord. As wives, they encourage their husbands to continue working for the Lord.
In every sphere of their lives, women work for God. At home, while they take care of their kids, they praise the Lord. At their workplace, while they talk to people, they express the image of God. In anyplace, women play a part – and they do it well.
Praise for women who rise into occasion, who wake up and sleep to praise the Lord.
When Smile Is All You Could Answer Them – May 8, 2013
Colossians 4: 5
5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.
The greatest test of calmness and grace is in the middle of the storm.
If you think Christian life is an easy one, you are absolutely wrong! How can it be easy when you have to bear those who are against you? How can it be easy when you have to render good for evil? How can it be easy when you have to smile even when you are faced with most detestable man who ever lives the world?
Indeed, it is not easy one.
An advice I get from a friend when I am faced with a battle of the world is just to SMILE. I don’t find any reference in the Bible about smiling, but I found GRACE. In fact, my friend may not be biblical in his advice, but I guess I should take it into heart. I think I should just smile at them who are without the gospel of Christ when they attacked me blatantly and dastardly.
And I won’t fool you, I’d love to take arms. I would even love to pray to God that He sends a strong lightning to devour them, even their bones. I would love to see that, but it isn’t right. Our flesh may love those things, but the Spirit that dwelleth in us groaneth for GRACE.
I have decided that I should keep the calmness of my soul even if the world rages in hatred. Afterall, it is not about what they say, but what my Master says.
Why should I be distracted from the work of the Master when bastards in the street growls in anger? God forbid I succumb to such.
God Designs Us for Humility – May 7, 2013
Obadiah 1: 2-4
2 Behold, I have made thee small among the heathen: thou art greatly despised.
3 The pride of thine heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, whose habitation is high; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?
4 Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord.
Are you chained by pride?
Prior to college, I received a letter from a friend. He reminded me of the problem of pride, of the problem of making oneself a little higher than other people. But I also received another letter telling me “to soar to heights and fly high”. Two different letters; two different messages. The other was a warning of haughtiness, while the other an exhortation of wanting for more.
Yet in the eyes of God, we are all made and designed for humility. He made us small among the heathen to make us humble and to keep our feet on the ground. He does not intend that one day we will just consider ourselves so big – that we will explode. Humility is the place designed by God for us that He even set us an example by leaving heaven to be born in the lowly manger.
Why? Because pride deceives the heart.
When we start to think that we are just too great, we start to believe that God is not important in our life. But we need to remind ourselves of how weak and poor we are, God is glorified. This is the exact purpose of our lives.
In times when we think that we are great, let us keep the truth in our hearts. We are nothing before God. He loves us but we are not that vital.
Do not wait for God to pull you in such a big boom to the ground before you realize that you will just die and rot. And if you haven’t accepted Jesus, you’ll go to Hell.
Keep Christ’s Peace – May 6, 2013
Philippians 4: 6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Have you tried that you cannot sleep because of the problems you keep on thinking? Honestly, I have been into these situations many times. I can’t seem to rest my mind for there are several issues and concerns that must be sorted out. But even if how hard I think, I can’t find the solution nor get problems solved. I was just wasting my energy and deprived myself of a good night sleep.
What am I missing? I am missing the peace of Christ.
And the problem? Because I don’t seek the help of God. I failed to pray.
God is inviting us to talk to Him, to bring to Him our cares and worries, but we don’t do it. Instead, we try to figure out how can we get out of the problem. Instead, we seek the help of others. And instead, we just exhaust our energy in thinking about those problems.
We failed to bring our worries and cares to the master problem solver, to the hearer of all, to the unlimited grace of God. We failed to ask God for help and then we just allow God to stay out of picture.
Don’t we think that God can answer our prayers? Don’t we know the power of God? Don’t we know that God gives peace of mind and all?
Beloved, it is time to regain our sleep and rest our burden on the Master.
God is Sovereign of All – May 4, 2013
2 Chronicles 7: 13-14
13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Most parents would give their kids conditions for the kids to obey them. For small kids, we would bargain a box of candy for them to follow our orders. While for teenagers we would exact obedience by keeping them inside of the house for detention. Indeed, parents have their ways in exacting obedience from their kids.
In this passage, we see our God in the most ordinary situation. I understand and believe that there’s nothing we can do more for God to love us more and nothing less for God to love us less. But in this passage of the Holy Word, we find how God is determined to exact obedience from His people.
We need to understand the perspective of God. He is a great One. He can do whatever He wanted to do. In fact, He has the liberty of dispensing grace or pouring judgment. Yet, we see our God bargaining with us. He is telling us the condition of His blessings and curse. Yet, our God is pulling the string of blackmail on us for obedience. (But I believe this is not a blackmail, though.)
With all these, we need to understand that as always God is a lovesick father wanting for our love. But this does not mean that He won’t pour judgment on us. God is a lovesick father, but not a spoiler. He is still in the job of putting us in the right place of service to Him.
In everthing we do, let us remember the condition of God’s blessing. We have to remind ourselves that our God still rules the kingdom of men.
When Fighting Back Is Restricted – May 3, 2013
Romans 12: 17-19
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Last Sunday I taught in the class extension. I told them that revenge is of God’s and not ours. One of the students there said: What if I am punched by another, should I not return him the favor?
I told the young boy:
It is indeed human nature that tells us to take arms and fight for our cause if we think we are right. However, God works not on allowing us to take revenge because revenge is His alone. It does not mean that because Jesus said that if someone throws us a stone we should return him or her a bread, revenge is impossible. Even if we don’t fight back for ourselves, it is God will do the fight for us. There is no reason to do it on our own because we can only do small damage than what God can do.
Beloved, I understand that we all have our own desires to fight back. We don’t want our pride to be trodden by people; and we don’t want others to put us in a bad state. However, we need to remember the value of revenge. We are not here in this world to live a life that is only for us. We are here to live for God.
If others would mock us and speak all manner of ill things against us, let us keep our peace and smile with love. And remember, God is not mocked for whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.
