A Christian needs to pray when one finds he or herself loving the things of the world more then God.
A Christian needs to pray when one finds that he or she is making decisions purely on emotions.
A Christian needs to pray when one finds that he or her schedule is so packed that he or she does not have time to slow down, take a breather and spend time with God.
I need to pray.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Saturday, July 25, 2009
The Greatest Of All Is...
Love isn't a feeling alone. It's a decision, a commitment. The ability to follow through on the decision to love when things or circumstances vary.
Much can be said about love, I've experienced it first hand as I set myself to grow in love over the past few weeks. What happens when one opens up to another and does not the get desired response? The answer is to continue loving. What happens when one prays continuously for a person but yet sees no fruits in his attempts to draw him closer to God? The answer is still to continue loving. What happens when one finds it impossible to love a person any longer? Ironically, the answer is again to continuing loving.
I was reminded that love comes hand in hand with perseverance.
I was glad I made the decision to grow in love, I have so much more to grow. Till the day, Christ brings his work to completion in me, I will seek and desire to love more.
1Corinthians13:1-3
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.
Much can be said about love, I've experienced it first hand as I set myself to grow in love over the past few weeks. What happens when one opens up to another and does not the get desired response? The answer is to continue loving. What happens when one prays continuously for a person but yet sees no fruits in his attempts to draw him closer to God? The answer is still to continue loving. What happens when one finds it impossible to love a person any longer? Ironically, the answer is again to continuing loving.
I was reminded that love comes hand in hand with perseverance.
I was glad I made the decision to grow in love, I have so much more to grow. Till the day, Christ brings his work to completion in me, I will seek and desire to love more.
1Corinthians13:1-3
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.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Your Will, Not Mine.
It's been more then a month since I last updated my blog. It's been a really hectic few weeks, both in terms of military life as well as my spiritual life. God has really been speaking big time over this past few weeks and I've really learnt a lot in addition to enjoying myself big time.
Matthew25:14-28
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
"Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
God, help me to remember that all that I have right now was given so that I may use it to glorify you. What is mine, is not mine. It is yours. Help me to remember that this life was created to give you praise; this life was created to worship you. Most importantly, this life was created to love you and to do your will.
To one who is faithful with little, more will be given. To one who is faithful with little, God will add on.
Help me to be faithful, God.
Matthew25:14-28
"Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
"After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
"Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
"His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
"Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
God, help me to remember that all that I have right now was given so that I may use it to glorify you. What is mine, is not mine. It is yours. Help me to remember that this life was created to give you praise; this life was created to worship you. Most importantly, this life was created to love you and to do your will.
To one who is faithful with little, more will be given. To one who is faithful with little, God will add on.
Help me to be faithful, God.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Well Said
1Corinthians13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
3 things I cannot care less about. 3 things that I need to value above all.
A new mindset. Gogogo.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
3 things I cannot care less about. 3 things that I need to value above all.
A new mindset. Gogogo.
Saturday, June 27, 2009
All In You
In you, I find my peace. In you, I find the refreshment that I desire.
In you I find my everything.
In you I find my everything.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Shout out loud!
Two words that I have been experiencing the true meaning of over the past few weeks or perhaps months. Trying and Training.
Trying
This person is particularly irritating and yet you want me to meet him up, love
him and spread the gospel to him?
I already have so much to do and yet you're asking me to come for caregroup/service
or meet up people.
I am tired and super emotional right now. I don't feel like doing anything.
But because Jesus would, I'll try to be like him and do what he would do.
These are examples of real life situations or statements that are privately tell God or myself. And they are pretty frequent too. I've come to realise that it's pretty tough trying to do or accomplish something for God if we let the word TRY remain in our vocabulary as we serve God. The word try serves as an excuse, more often then not for me to give up on things. "I've already tried and I don't think I can take it anymore. It's really emotionally and physically draining (sometimes it really is tiring -.- lol)"
Training
Ever participated in a competition, be it a sports related one for the physically outgoing, or for the intellectual and arts based people, a competition? Recall the moments and times leading up to the competition/contest where you put in every single ounce of energy and brain power that your body or brain can muster all for the sake of victory? Recall the times when training was not easy, when you ended up with wounds all over, going to school and falling asleep because you were too tired or even the times when you almost went near to a breakdown due to stress because certain things in the midst of training were not going your way. Recalling all this, the word TRAINING is indeed intimidating.
Yet, as I was reminded on a faithful afternoon in camp, the Bible commands us, his children, to undergo strict training.
1Corinthians9:25
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Replacing the word try with train, "But because Jesus would, I'll train to be like him and do what he would do." When I replace the word try with train, I find that I have less excuses to give myself. Whenever I feel tired, drained or perhaps even emotional, I am reminded by God that that is exactly what training is all about. When have you ever trained for something and tough times are absent?! Of course training isn't all about going through hardships and challenges, you don't get hurt, tired and emotional all the time! Savour the good times, when you see growth and you hit the goals or accomplish the task that you want to do for God. Perspective is probably the key word here. Seeing and comprehending the value of what you are doing will determine the amount of effort one puts into doing things. If I love God, I need to recognize that the things of the kingdom take priority over all else and I will put in my best effort to train for the final outcome; a crown that will last forever.
Personally, I need to grow a lot in love. Undergoing training would mean I need to learn to love people with the right kind of love, in the right way, with the right degree of love at the right timing. I won't try to love people, but I'll set apart my life to train and to learn how to love, even in the midst of tough times.
Above all, I was reminded of the most crucial fact, that one may replace the word try with train and do all things with the best effort. However, that does not exempt one from failure. Man are weak and definitely fallible. But one thing is for certain, God will save the day. Even with victory, recognize that it is ultimately all about God's grace and not one's personal effort.
Something I didn't deserve. Grace.
Trying
This person is particularly irritating and yet you want me to meet him up, love
him and spread the gospel to him?
I already have so much to do and yet you're asking me to come for caregroup/service
or meet up people.
I am tired and super emotional right now. I don't feel like doing anything.
But because Jesus would, I'll try to be like him and do what he would do.
These are examples of real life situations or statements that are privately tell God or myself. And they are pretty frequent too. I've come to realise that it's pretty tough trying to do or accomplish something for God if we let the word TRY remain in our vocabulary as we serve God. The word try serves as an excuse, more often then not for me to give up on things. "I've already tried and I don't think I can take it anymore. It's really emotionally and physically draining (sometimes it really is tiring -.- lol)"
Training
Ever participated in a competition, be it a sports related one for the physically outgoing, or for the intellectual and arts based people, a competition? Recall the moments and times leading up to the competition/contest where you put in every single ounce of energy and brain power that your body or brain can muster all for the sake of victory? Recall the times when training was not easy, when you ended up with wounds all over, going to school and falling asleep because you were too tired or even the times when you almost went near to a breakdown due to stress because certain things in the midst of training were not going your way. Recalling all this, the word TRAINING is indeed intimidating.
Yet, as I was reminded on a faithful afternoon in camp, the Bible commands us, his children, to undergo strict training.
1Corinthians9:25
Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Replacing the word try with train, "But because Jesus would, I'll train to be like him and do what he would do." When I replace the word try with train, I find that I have less excuses to give myself. Whenever I feel tired, drained or perhaps even emotional, I am reminded by God that that is exactly what training is all about. When have you ever trained for something and tough times are absent?! Of course training isn't all about going through hardships and challenges, you don't get hurt, tired and emotional all the time! Savour the good times, when you see growth and you hit the goals or accomplish the task that you want to do for God. Perspective is probably the key word here. Seeing and comprehending the value of what you are doing will determine the amount of effort one puts into doing things. If I love God, I need to recognize that the things of the kingdom take priority over all else and I will put in my best effort to train for the final outcome; a crown that will last forever.
Personally, I need to grow a lot in love. Undergoing training would mean I need to learn to love people with the right kind of love, in the right way, with the right degree of love at the right timing. I won't try to love people, but I'll set apart my life to train and to learn how to love, even in the midst of tough times.
Above all, I was reminded of the most crucial fact, that one may replace the word try with train and do all things with the best effort. However, that does not exempt one from failure. Man are weak and definitely fallible. But one thing is for certain, God will save the day. Even with victory, recognize that it is ultimately all about God's grace and not one's personal effort.
Something I didn't deserve. Grace.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
An Addiction
Galatians1:10
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Say no to being an approval addict.
"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."
Say no to being an approval addict.
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