[Songs from the prayer room...]
I will waste my life
I'll be tested and tried
With no regrets inside of me
Just let me find I'm at Your feet (2x)
It's all about You, Jesus
It's not about me
Or what I can bring
It's all about You, Jesus
Come and take my offering
Come and take, take all of me
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Grow Up =)
["Grow Up!" That seems to be the most valuable advice we can give others and even ourselves, not in impatience, but in a loving tone. I remember the cherished people by my side who have ever gently said that to me. I appreciate these words, and keep them close to my heart. Here's something from Alice Smith's Insight]
Who would you call in a spiritual emergency? Do you have an Elijah--someone whom God has placed in your life as a mentor and role model? Although God provides us Elijah, in due time, we learn that we must not continue to lean on them. God gives us mentors for a reason; but he also gives those mentors for a season. His ultimate intention for us is to stand on our own. The day will come--if it hasn't already--for you to leave the safety and security of the nest and fly.
Consider the partnership of Elijah and Elisha. Three times Elijah made plans to leave; and three times Elisha replied, "As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." He admired and emulated Elijah. He didn't want his friend and mentor to leave. But there would come a time when Elijah would have to go (see 2 Kings 2:13-25).
At some point like Elisa experienced, your Elijah will have to leave. It is painful but predictable, and it's God's plan. You needn't refuse to release your Elijah, or else you will forfeit your full Kingdom potential.
When Elijah ascended in a chariot of fire, Elisha found himself alone. He returned to the Jordan River, which is symbolic of death and separation. "Crossing Jordan" means death to the old and birth to the new opportunities and responsibilities. Your Jordan experiences are those in which you must take the responsibility to walk out what your Elijahs have taught you. When you are alone, the Jordan, once a very familiar place, now seems overwhelming and impossible to cross.
Some wrongly conclude that troubles dissipate when one becomes a Christian. Not so. God does not remove trouble but He empowers us to overcome in the midst of it. After all, without trials there would never be triumph. There is no victory without war and there is no war without an enemy. Strangely, trouble is our friend. Trouble brings us to total dependency upon Christ. Prepare to cross your own Jordans, to confront your own giants and to gain your own victories.
The usual response to trouble is to say, "I can't." But we fail to realize that our tests are tailor-made by the Father (1 Cor. 10:13).
Wasn't God the God of Elisha as He was the God of Elijah? Even though it seemed overwhelming, Elisha was ready to cross the Jordan alone. And we must make the same journey too.
It's important when faced with trouble to keep our focus on Christ. When we focus on our trouble, all of our strength goes to the problem rather than the solution. At that point, we are not only afflicted by trouble but we are distracted from our communion with Christ who is the Source of our strength. Intimacy with Christ is where you will find the strength to stand. You are to stand in faith, walk by faith, and live by the faith of the Son of God (see Eph. 6:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20).
In 2 Kings 2:15, we read that "a company of prophets from Jericho were watching Elisha." Inside your heart you long to trust God for the extraordinary. But people are watching. You wish someone else could do the work for you. The thought may come to you as it probably did to Elisha, Where is my Elijah when I really need him? Amazingly, if you will press in and be true to the call of God, regardless of your feelings of insecurity and inadequacy or your lack of faith, the Lord will prove Himself to you.
In 2 Kings 2:23-25 we find Elisha being jeered by 42 young people at Bethel. Bethel means "the house of God." Yes, even Christian friends and family may mock your faith or your passion or the level of your commitment. When I was a newly saved teenager, older Christians said, "Alice, after you've been saved awhile, you'll settle down." Today, after more than 42 years, I am more passionately in love with Christ than ever!
Shortly after I began writing my first book, Beyond the Veil: Entering Into Intimacy With God Through Prayer, a Christian leader told me that I was foolish to think that I could write a book. That statement so intimidated me that I shelved the book for 10 months. However, I couldn't shake the fact that the Lord had spoken to me to write this book. In Christ I found the courage to begin again, and Beyond the Veil has become a best-seller. Yes, even in the Church you will find your critics. And its possible that those who have walked with you for years may leave you if the commitment level becomes too difficult for them.
Are you at your end of your endurance? Have you been feeling the need to quit? Don't do it! Your extremity of need is God's opportunity. Stand on His promises. In His time He will disclose the truth and validate you. The fight is not yours, the battle is the Lord's! Practice what the Elijahs in your life have taught you. Put on the mantle of prayer, stand confidently in Christ and stop looking back for your Elijah to do it for you. Jesus Christ is more than enough!
Who would you call in a spiritual emergency? Do you have an Elijah--someone whom God has placed in your life as a mentor and role model? Although God provides us Elijah, in due time, we learn that we must not continue to lean on them. God gives us mentors for a reason; but he also gives those mentors for a season. His ultimate intention for us is to stand on our own. The day will come--if it hasn't already--for you to leave the safety and security of the nest and fly.
Consider the partnership of Elijah and Elisha. Three times Elijah made plans to leave; and three times Elisha replied, "As Jehovah lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you." He admired and emulated Elijah. He didn't want his friend and mentor to leave. But there would come a time when Elijah would have to go (see 2 Kings 2:13-25).
At some point like Elisa experienced, your Elijah will have to leave. It is painful but predictable, and it's God's plan. You needn't refuse to release your Elijah, or else you will forfeit your full Kingdom potential.
When Elijah ascended in a chariot of fire, Elisha found himself alone. He returned to the Jordan River, which is symbolic of death and separation. "Crossing Jordan" means death to the old and birth to the new opportunities and responsibilities. Your Jordan experiences are those in which you must take the responsibility to walk out what your Elijahs have taught you. When you are alone, the Jordan, once a very familiar place, now seems overwhelming and impossible to cross.
Some wrongly conclude that troubles dissipate when one becomes a Christian. Not so. God does not remove trouble but He empowers us to overcome in the midst of it. After all, without trials there would never be triumph. There is no victory without war and there is no war without an enemy. Strangely, trouble is our friend. Trouble brings us to total dependency upon Christ. Prepare to cross your own Jordans, to confront your own giants and to gain your own victories.
The usual response to trouble is to say, "I can't." But we fail to realize that our tests are tailor-made by the Father (1 Cor. 10:13).
Wasn't God the God of Elisha as He was the God of Elijah? Even though it seemed overwhelming, Elisha was ready to cross the Jordan alone. And we must make the same journey too.
It's important when faced with trouble to keep our focus on Christ. When we focus on our trouble, all of our strength goes to the problem rather than the solution. At that point, we are not only afflicted by trouble but we are distracted from our communion with Christ who is the Source of our strength. Intimacy with Christ is where you will find the strength to stand. You are to stand in faith, walk by faith, and live by the faith of the Son of God (see Eph. 6:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20).
In 2 Kings 2:15, we read that "a company of prophets from Jericho were watching Elisha." Inside your heart you long to trust God for the extraordinary. But people are watching. You wish someone else could do the work for you. The thought may come to you as it probably did to Elisha, Where is my Elijah when I really need him? Amazingly, if you will press in and be true to the call of God, regardless of your feelings of insecurity and inadequacy or your lack of faith, the Lord will prove Himself to you.
In 2 Kings 2:23-25 we find Elisha being jeered by 42 young people at Bethel. Bethel means "the house of God." Yes, even Christian friends and family may mock your faith or your passion or the level of your commitment. When I was a newly saved teenager, older Christians said, "Alice, after you've been saved awhile, you'll settle down." Today, after more than 42 years, I am more passionately in love with Christ than ever!
Shortly after I began writing my first book, Beyond the Veil: Entering Into Intimacy With God Through Prayer, a Christian leader told me that I was foolish to think that I could write a book. That statement so intimidated me that I shelved the book for 10 months. However, I couldn't shake the fact that the Lord had spoken to me to write this book. In Christ I found the courage to begin again, and Beyond the Veil has become a best-seller. Yes, even in the Church you will find your critics. And its possible that those who have walked with you for years may leave you if the commitment level becomes too difficult for them.
Are you at your end of your endurance? Have you been feeling the need to quit? Don't do it! Your extremity of need is God's opportunity. Stand on His promises. In His time He will disclose the truth and validate you. The fight is not yours, the battle is the Lord's! Practice what the Elijahs in your life have taught you. Put on the mantle of prayer, stand confidently in Christ and stop looking back for your Elijah to do it for you. Jesus Christ is more than enough!
Monday, August 20, 2007
Who's Number One?
[Something I found on the internet on Who's Number One? http://www.sermoncloud.com/pastors-edge/whos-number-one]
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Before we get into the first commandment, you need to understand that these laws were not given to the Nation of Israel as rules for a relationship with God. These laws were given as a reflection of a relationship with God. You don't keep the Ten Commandments in order to have a relationship with God; you keep them because you do have a relationship with God. The Ten Commandments are not rules for religious people; they are guidelines for God's people. They were meant for God's family.
As our sons began to grow up, we established certain rules in our home: do your homework, don't talk back to your mother, make your bed, and be home on time. I did not give these rules to my kids so they would be my kids; I gave these rules, because they were my kids. These rules simply reflected how I wanted my kids to behave.
Now you will see why the first commandment is not only the first commandment, but it is foundational to the other nine, because if you don't get the first one you will never get the other ones. In the first commandment, God is not saying, "If you want to have a relationship with Me, this is what you have to do." He was saying, "If you have a relationship with Me, this is what you want to do." The first commandment forces us to answer the question, "Who's Number One?"
[It's like God is saying, I did not ask you to love me so that you will be a lover of God. I commanded you to love me because you are a lover of God! So the first commandment is about our identity as a lover of God!]
Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
Before we get into the first commandment, you need to understand that these laws were not given to the Nation of Israel as rules for a relationship with God. These laws were given as a reflection of a relationship with God. You don't keep the Ten Commandments in order to have a relationship with God; you keep them because you do have a relationship with God. The Ten Commandments are not rules for religious people; they are guidelines for God's people. They were meant for God's family.
As our sons began to grow up, we established certain rules in our home: do your homework, don't talk back to your mother, make your bed, and be home on time. I did not give these rules to my kids so they would be my kids; I gave these rules, because they were my kids. These rules simply reflected how I wanted my kids to behave.
Now you will see why the first commandment is not only the first commandment, but it is foundational to the other nine, because if you don't get the first one you will never get the other ones. In the first commandment, God is not saying, "If you want to have a relationship with Me, this is what you have to do." He was saying, "If you have a relationship with Me, this is what you want to do." The first commandment forces us to answer the question, "Who's Number One?"
[It's like God is saying, I did not ask you to love me so that you will be a lover of God. I commanded you to love me because you are a lover of God! So the first commandment is about our identity as a lover of God!]
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Be-attitudes in Luke 6 & Matthew 5
LUKE v17
"And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people..."
[v20-26] Our attitude towards Circumstances
- a worldly or kingdom perspective?
[v27-38] Our attitude towards People
- be Christlike!
[v39-45] Our attitude in Ministry that will sustain you
- be Christlike, learn to see clearly, be honest with yourself, guard your heart.
[46-49] Attitude towards God
===============================================
Matthew 5
v1 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them..."
[Matt 5,6,7] How to grow the fruits of the be-attitudes and measure them.
"And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people..."
[v20-26] Our attitude towards Circumstances
- a worldly or kingdom perspective?
[v27-38] Our attitude towards People
- be Christlike!
[v39-45] Our attitude in Ministry that will sustain you
- be Christlike, learn to see clearly, be honest with yourself, guard your heart.
[46-49] Attitude towards God
===============================================
Matthew 5
v1 "And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them..."
[Matt 5,6,7] How to grow the fruits of the be-attitudes and measure them.
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
God will take care of us!
[Many times, we live our lives, wondering.. Will God take care of us? Can we trust Him? The word of the Lord striked my heart, when I saw how He took care of the multitudes. Those who followed Him, sought Him, those who were 'lost'. He had compassion on them, took care and provided for them, through the miraculous provision of food, even with leftovers! Surely we can trust Him, as we follow and seek Him. God is so good!]
Those who followed Jesus
[Feeding of the Four Thousand)
Mark 8:1-3
"In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
Those who sought Jesus
[Feeding of the Five Thousand)
Mark 6:33-37
"But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”"
Those who followed Jesus[Feeding of the Four Thousand)
Mark 8:1-3
"In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with me three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”
Those who sought Jesus
[Feeding of the Five Thousand)
Mark 6:33-37
"But the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; for they have nothing to eat.” But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.”"
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Monday, June 25, 2007
Friend of God
John 15:13-15
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
[Moses]
Exodus 33:11So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
[Abraham]
2 Chronicles 20:7Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
Isaiah 41:8"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
James 2:23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
[Lazarus]
John 11:11These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
and so is Mary, King David... to be continued...
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.
[Moses]
Exodus 33:11So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.
[Abraham]
2 Chronicles 20:7Are You not our God, who drove out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel, and gave it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever?
Isaiah 41:8"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend,
James 2:23And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.
[Lazarus]
John 11:11These things He said, and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”
and so is Mary, King David... to be continued...
Monday, June 18, 2007
Remarks of Bill Gates - Harvard Commencement
Two salient points I picked up from a person with a passion in life:
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/06.14/99-gates.html
[the following paragraphs are parts of the speech made by Bill Gates]
1) Four stages of problem solving
If we can really see a problem, which is the first step, we come to the second step: cutting through the complexity to find a solution.
Finding solutions is essential if we want to make the most of our caring. If we have clear and proven answers anytime an organization or individual asks “How can I help?,” then we can get action – and we can make sure that none of the caring in the world is wasted. But complexity makes it hard to mark a path of action for everyone who cares — and that makes it hard for their caring to matter.
Cutting through complexity to find a solution runs through four predictable stages: determine a goal, find the highest-leverage approach, discover the ideal technology for that approach, and in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology that you already have — whether it’s something sophisticated, like a drug, or something simpler, like a bednet.
The AIDS epidemic offers an example. The broad goal, of course, is to end the disease. The highest-leverage approach is prevention. The ideal technology would be a vaccine that gives lifetime immunity with a single dose. So governments, drug companies, and foundations fund vaccine research. But their work is likely to take more than a decade, so in the meantime, we have to work with what we have in hand – and the best prevention approach we have now is getting people to avoid risky behavior.
Pursuing that goal starts the four-step cycle again. This is the pattern. The crucial thing is to never stop thinking and working – and never do what we did with malaria and tuberculosis in the 20th century – which is to surrender to complexity and quit.
The final step – after seeing the problem and finding an approach – is to measure the impact of your work and share your successes and failures so that others learn from your efforts... This is essential not just to improve the program, but also to help draw more investment from business and government. But if you want to inspire people to participate, you have to show more than numbers; you have to convey the human impact of the work – so people can feel what saving a life means to the families affected.
2) Much has been given, much is expected
My mother, who was filled with pride the day I was admitted here – never stopped pressing me to do more for others. A few days before my wedding, she hosted a bridal event, at which she read aloud a letter about marriage that she had written to Melinda. My mother was very ill with cancer at the time, but she saw one more opportunity to deliver her message, and at the close of the letter she said: “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
When you consider what those of us here in this Yard have been given – in talent, privilege, and opportunity – there is almost no limit to what the world has a right to expect from us.
In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue – a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don’t have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them.
Don’t let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives.
http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2007/06.14/99-gates.html
[the following paragraphs are parts of the speech made by Bill Gates]
1) Four stages of problem solving
If we can really see a problem, which is the first step, we come to the second step: cutting through the complexity to find a solution.
Finding solutions is essential if we want to make the most of our caring. If we have clear and proven answers anytime an organization or individual asks “How can I help?,” then we can get action – and we can make sure that none of the caring in the world is wasted. But complexity makes it hard to mark a path of action for everyone who cares — and that makes it hard for their caring to matter.
Cutting through complexity to find a solution runs through four predictable stages: determine a goal, find the highest-leverage approach, discover the ideal technology for that approach, and in the meantime, make the smartest application of the technology that you already have — whether it’s something sophisticated, like a drug, or something simpler, like a bednet.
The AIDS epidemic offers an example. The broad goal, of course, is to end the disease. The highest-leverage approach is prevention. The ideal technology would be a vaccine that gives lifetime immunity with a single dose. So governments, drug companies, and foundations fund vaccine research. But their work is likely to take more than a decade, so in the meantime, we have to work with what we have in hand – and the best prevention approach we have now is getting people to avoid risky behavior.
Pursuing that goal starts the four-step cycle again. This is the pattern. The crucial thing is to never stop thinking and working – and never do what we did with malaria and tuberculosis in the 20th century – which is to surrender to complexity and quit.
The final step – after seeing the problem and finding an approach – is to measure the impact of your work and share your successes and failures so that others learn from your efforts... This is essential not just to improve the program, but also to help draw more investment from business and government. But if you want to inspire people to participate, you have to show more than numbers; you have to convey the human impact of the work – so people can feel what saving a life means to the families affected.
2) Much has been given, much is expected
My mother, who was filled with pride the day I was admitted here – never stopped pressing me to do more for others. A few days before my wedding, she hosted a bridal event, at which she read aloud a letter about marriage that she had written to Melinda. My mother was very ill with cancer at the time, but she saw one more opportunity to deliver her message, and at the close of the letter she said: “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
When you consider what those of us here in this Yard have been given – in talent, privilege, and opportunity – there is almost no limit to what the world has a right to expect from us.
In line with the promise of this age, I want to exhort each of the graduates here to take on an issue – a complex problem, a deep inequity, and become a specialist on it. If you make it the focus of your career, that would be phenomenal. But you don’t have to do that to make an impact. For a few hours every week, you can use the growing power of the Internet to get informed, find others with the same interests, see the barriers, and find ways to cut through them.
Don’t let complexity stop you. Be activists. Take on the big inequities. It will be one of the great experiences of your lives.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Somewhere over the rainbow
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Way up high,
There's a land that I heard of
Once in a lullaby.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Skies are blue,
And the dreams that you dare to dream
Really do come true.
Someday I'll wish upon a star
And wake up where the clouds are far
Behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops
Away above the chimney tops
That's where you'll find me.
Somewhere over the rainbow
Bluebirds fly.
Birds fly over the rainbow.
Why then, oh why can't I?
If happy little bluebirds fly
Beyond the rainbow
Why, oh why can't I?
Monday, May 21, 2007
Happy Birthday Celyn!
Beautiful bride
Dancing with joy
Beautiful bride
Basking in His love...
Closing her eyes
Making a prayer
Heads lifted up
Hoping in Christ...
Take me higher
Draw me nearer
Close to Your throne
Close to Your heart
Beautiful bride
With tears of joy
Beautiful bride
Sealed in His love
Dancing with joy
Beautiful bride
Basking in His love...
Closing her eyes
Making a prayer
Heads lifted up
Hoping in Christ...
Take me higher
Draw me nearer
Close to Your throne
Close to Your heart
Beautiful bride
With tears of joy
Beautiful bride
Sealed in His love
Happy birthday Janet!
Look left, look right
Where am I going?
What do I do?
Look left, look right
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to do?
Look left, look right
I look for nothing else
cos' God is right here by my side
By my side, right from the start
Where He leads, I'll go!
What He does, I'll do!
Where am I going?
What do I do?
Look left, look right
Where do I want to go?
What do I want to do?
Look left, look right
I look for nothing else
cos' God is right here by my side
By my side, right from the start
Where He leads, I'll go!
What He does, I'll do!
Living on the Edge
[A poem dedicated to the youths - Bel, Pris, Abby]
Are you ready, world?
Here we come
Here we come
Not with weapons of this world
Nor trusting in chariots or horses
No, not relying on own wisdom alone
With the weapons of worship, we will advance
With the weapons of warfare, will will conquer
Not by might nor by power but by His Spirit!
Trusting in the Name of the Lord
Jehovah Sabaoth
Lord of hosts
A generation that seeks Your face
A generation that will arise
An army of God unstoppable
Living on the edge
Fearlessly overcoming obstacles
Holiness is our goal
Who is our God
Who is our Chief
Jesus Christ, soon and coming King!
Are you ready, world?
Here we come
Here we come
Not with weapons of this world
Nor trusting in chariots or horses
No, not relying on own wisdom alone
With the weapons of worship, we will advance
With the weapons of warfare, will will conquer
Not by might nor by power but by His Spirit!
Trusting in the Name of the Lord
Jehovah Sabaoth
Lord of hosts
A generation that seeks Your face
A generation that will arise
An army of God unstoppable
Living on the edge
Fearlessly overcoming obstacles
Holiness is our goal
Who is our God
Who is our Chief
Jesus Christ, soon and coming King!
Dove eyes
[A poem dedicated to Cynthia. Your dove eyes have ravished the God and King...]
My soul contemplates
As I dwell in Your presence
I'm waiting for You
I'm gazing at the One I love
So caught up
So drawn in
He is my God
He is my King
No eyes have seen
No ears have heard
What a mystery!
What an awesome God!
Time flies...
People pass me by...
But one thing I seek
Just to be in Your house
In Your presence
Never wanting to leave
Dwelling daily
Burning for You and You alone
My God, my Bridegroom King
You are coming
I am Yours
You are mine...
My soul contemplates
As I dwell in Your presence
I'm waiting for You
I'm gazing at the One I love
So caught up
So drawn in
He is my God
He is my King
No eyes have seen
No ears have heard
What a mystery!
What an awesome God!
Time flies...
People pass me by...
But one thing I seek
Just to be in Your house
In Your presence
Never wanting to leave
Dwelling daily
Burning for You and You alone
My God, my Bridegroom King
You are coming
I am Yours
You are mine...
Friday, May 18, 2007
Deeper...
Isaiah 40:13
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
Do you know Jesus wept? John 11:35
Do you understand why He wept? John 11:5, 11
Do you know Jesus did not go immediately to Lazarus when He heard that he is sick, but waited two more days? John 11:6
Do you understand why Jesus did that? John 11:4
A little bit closer, a little bit higher, a little bit deeper in You...
“You are My witnesses,” says the LORD,
“And My servant whom I have chosen,
That you may know and believe Me,
And understand that I am He.
Before Me there was no God formed,
Nor shall there be after Me.
Do you know Jesus wept? John 11:35
Do you understand why He wept? John 11:5, 11
Do you know Jesus did not go immediately to Lazarus when He heard that he is sick, but waited two more days? John 11:6
Do you understand why Jesus did that? John 11:4
A little bit closer, a little bit higher, a little bit deeper in You...
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Everything has its time...
Ecclesiastes 3
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
The God-Given Task
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him.
That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past.
To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
A time to tear, And a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
The God-Given Task
What profit has the worker from that in which he labors? I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. I know that nothing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.
I know that whatever God does,
It shall be forever.
Nothing can be added to it,
And nothing taken from it.
God does it, that men should fear before Him.
That which is has already been,
And what is to be has already been;
And God requires an account of what is past.
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
My Life Goal...
[Prayer of my heart from Ezra 7:10]
NKJV
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel."
NASB
"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."
NIV
"For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."
Hosea 6:3
"Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth."
NKJV
"For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel."
NASB
"For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel."
NIV
"For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel."
Hosea 6:3
"Let us know,
Let us pursue the knowledge of the LORD.
His going forth is established as the morning;
He will come to us like the rain,
Like the latter and former rain to the earth."
Thursday, April 26, 2007
[Isaiah 58] The fast that pleases God
[There are much benefits in physical fasting, let alone one done in the spiritual context. Fasting cleanses our body, and there are many areas in our lives that God can cleanse as we approach fasting with a sober heart and right attitude. Fasting is also not just about ourselves. We are reminded to remember the needs of others, especially the poor - the people very much on God's heart. Most of all, as we seek God, He promises to bless us! That's just Him! We can trust Him, and He is always good...]
A) Four areas in our lives to ask God to CLEANSE
so that we may draw near to God with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 2:3-4)
Isa 58:6
(B) Four types of people to CONSIDER
Isa 58:7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Consider the needs of those around you and reach out to them. This pleases God.
Matt 25:40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ "
(C) Five promises of God to CLAIM
Isa 58:8-9
1) Then your light shall break forth like the morning
A) Four areas in our lives to ask God to CLEANSE
so that we may draw near to God with clean hands and a pure heart (Psalm 2:3-4)
Isa 58:6
1) To loose the bonds of wickedness
- Ways in us that are not right before God ~ Ask God to surface them and deal with them radically!
- Pray the prayer of King David in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
2) To undo the heavy burdens
- Past sins/issues that we are still holding on to that added weight/baggage in our lives, so that we cannot run swiftly or are choked in our growth in the Lord ~ Ask God to surface them and deal with them speedily!
3) To let the oppressed go free
- External or internal opposition, either voluntary - eg due to wilful sins in our lives that open doors to oppression or involuntary - eg. generational iniquity ~ Pray with someone and be set free!
4) And that you break every yoke
- Extra load that you have taken upon yourself unnecessarily that strips you of the joy in knowing, loving and serving God ~ Cast them aside, Learn to carry the yoke of the Lord, which is easy and light.
- Matt1 11:28-30 "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
(B) Four types of people to CONSIDER
Isa 58:7
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?
Consider the needs of those around you and reach out to them. This pleases God.
Matt 25:40 "And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ "
(C) Five promises of God to CLAIM
Isa 58:8-9
1) Then your light shall break forth like the morning
- Your ministry/life will be fruitful. God is light. His light will shine through your life/ministry.
- You will receive God's divine healing, upon your heart, mind, soul and body.
- You shall be right before God and men.
4) The glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard
- He will watch over you. You will have no fear of darkness or opposition.
- He will hear your prayers and answer them!
Monday, April 16, 2007
[Psalm 1] A life that's blessed and prosperous
[We are blessed already, not by our possessions or status, but by knowing God and his laws, and living them out to the fullest makes us prosperous! There is a blessedness and prosperity that is available both to us here on earth, and there in the days to come in eternity...]
WHAT (focus):
On God’s laws - chew, meditate, think, dwell, reflect, sense, contemplate, consider, ponder….
WHEN (intensity):
Day and night (v2)
WHERE (position):
By rivers of water – plant, take root, bear fruit (keep growing through the seasons!)
HOW (attitude):
Take delight in God’s law (v2)
Walk not in the counsel of the ungodly (v1)
- Listen to the right folks, dude.
Stand not in the path of sinners (v1)
- Do righteous acts. God is watching.
Sit not among the scornful
- Speak wholesome talk. Be found among the godly.
WHY (purpose):
There is a God who sees us (v6 For the Lord knows the ways of the righteous). And he is coming again (v5 the judgment). Don't play play...
SUCCESS 101 = What + When + Where + How + Why
WHO is God?
One who knows our ways, and is coming to judge. The upright - He will bless and prosper. The ungodly – They will not stand in God’s judgment.
Promises to claim, and conditions:
Blessedness and Prosperity in all we do if we stay steadfast and faithful till the end...
- Faithful (sit, walk and stand uprightly, taking root in God’s word, and bearing fruit in seasons)
- Steadfast (leaf does not wither), keep doing what is good.
Outline:
v1-2 The Conduct of the upright
v3 The Growth of the upright
v4-5 The Detriment of the ungodly
v6 The God of our hope
WHAT (focus):
On God’s laws - chew, meditate, think, dwell, reflect, sense, contemplate, consider, ponder….
WHEN (intensity):
Day and night (v2)
WHERE (position):
By rivers of water – plant, take root, bear fruit (keep growing through the seasons!)
HOW (attitude):
Take delight in God’s law (v2)
Walk not in the counsel of the ungodly (v1)
- Listen to the right folks, dude.
Stand not in the path of sinners (v1)
- Do righteous acts. God is watching.
Sit not among the scornful
- Speak wholesome talk. Be found among the godly.
WHY (purpose):
There is a God who sees us (v6 For the Lord knows the ways of the righteous). And he is coming again (v5 the judgment). Don't play play...
SUCCESS 101 = What + When + Where + How + Why
WHO is God?
One who knows our ways, and is coming to judge. The upright - He will bless and prosper. The ungodly – They will not stand in God’s judgment.
Promises to claim, and conditions:
Blessedness and Prosperity in all we do if we stay steadfast and faithful till the end...
- Faithful (sit, walk and stand uprightly, taking root in God’s word, and bearing fruit in seasons)
- Steadfast (leaf does not wither), keep doing what is good.
Outline:
v1-2 The Conduct of the upright
v3 The Growth of the upright
v4-5 The Detriment of the ungodly
v6 The God of our hope
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Stunned... Silenced... Repented... Restored
[Job 38-40]
[The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job through the storms of his life, and brother Job was silenced by the revelation of God's Omnipotence... He repented and confessed God's sovereignty and power...]
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
.....
[Job 40]
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 “ Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken,
but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
------------------
[Job 42]
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
[The LORD Reveals His Omnipotence to Job through the storms of his life, and brother Job was silenced by the revelation of God's Omnipotence... He repented and confessed God's sovereignty and power...]
1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:
2 “Who is this who darkens counsel
By words without knowledge?
3 Now prepare yourself like a man;
I will question you, and you shall answer Me.
4 “ Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
.....
[Job 40]
1 Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said:
2 “Shall the one who contends with the Almighty correct Him?
He who rebukes God, let him answer it.”
3 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
4 “ Behold, I am vile;
What shall I answer You?
I lay my hand over my mouth.
5 Once I have spoken,
but I will not answer;
Yes, twice, but I will proceed no further.”
------------------
[Job 42]
1 Then Job answered the LORD and said:
2 “I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
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