'I am the Lord's servant' Mary answered. 'May it be to me as you have said.'
- Luke 1:38
As Pastor Wayde Goodall shared from this passage last night, an old song just kept playing in my mind, by Don Moen
Chorus:
Be it unto me
According to your Word
According to your promises
I can stand secure
Carve upon my heart
The truth that sets me free
According to your Word O Lord
Be it unto me
You promised your blood will deliver
Lord, we believe it's true
You promised us joy like a river
Lord we receive it from you
These things you have spoken
And you're bringing to pass
This world's disappearing
But your word will last
Chorus
You promised to carry our sorrows
Lord, we believe it's true
You promised unending tomorrows
Lord we receive them from you
You will be our provider
In your word it's revealed
And by the stripes that you've bowed
Lord we have been healed
Chorus
A timely reminder. Lord, may I be like Mary who obeyed and trusted in You although she had no inclination of the consequences of her obedience.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
You Never Need to Be Afraid of God's Plan - by Rev Wayde Goodall
Well, it's always nice to have Rev Wayde speak in church , all the way from USA. And his message was very very timely ( as a prelude to Christmas). The main message was taken from Luke 1:26-55.
He starts of with quoting the Scriptures from 2 Chronicls 16:9 ( TLT):
'The eye of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.'
And then he proceeds to talk about Mary, who never asked to be worshipped ( as the Catholics do) but was somehow a chosen teenager by God to carry and birth Jesus, the Son of God. In Luke 1:29-30, the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary and she is confused and disturbed ( and rightly so!). The common fears that Mary had ( and so do we):
1) Fear of criticism that says ' what will people think of me?
2) Fear of the supernatural that says ' what is going to happen to me?'
3) Fear of being inadequate which says 'how will I be able to handle this?'
4) Fear of change which says ' how will this change my life?'
Which is why the most repeated command in the Bible is FEAR NOT.
And the reason why we don't need to fear God's plan for our lives is:
1) We can be certain of His presence in our life
2) We can trust in God's supernatural power in our life
3) We can be sure that God will fulfil His promises in our life
Wow! How true is that!! Amen!
He starts of with quoting the Scriptures from 2 Chronicls 16:9 ( TLT):
'The eye of the Lord search the whole earth in order to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.'
And then he proceeds to talk about Mary, who never asked to be worshipped ( as the Catholics do) but was somehow a chosen teenager by God to carry and birth Jesus, the Son of God. In Luke 1:29-30, the angel Gabriel speaks to Mary and she is confused and disturbed ( and rightly so!). The common fears that Mary had ( and so do we):
1) Fear of criticism that says ' what will people think of me?
2) Fear of the supernatural that says ' what is going to happen to me?'
3) Fear of being inadequate which says 'how will I be able to handle this?'
4) Fear of change which says ' how will this change my life?'
Which is why the most repeated command in the Bible is FEAR NOT.
And the reason why we don't need to fear God's plan for our lives is:
1) We can be certain of His presence in our life
2) We can trust in God's supernatural power in our life
3) We can be sure that God will fulfil His promises in our life
Wow! How true is that!! Amen!
Saturday, December 5, 2009
LIFELONG VISION - by Ps David Lim ( Grace AOG)
Today's sermon in church was very timely for me......a reminder that God never waste any of our experiences.....This sermon was delivered by my church's senior pastor (Ps David Lim) from 2 Timothy 4:6-8
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
This is the 1st part of a 3 part sermon.
Begins with saying that a life-long vision grow through major phases in one's life.How we face the challenges of each phase determines when and if you fulfil the vision. These phases are:
1) Salvation Phase ( the most visionary thing you can do)
- this is where we begin and understand that our sins are forgiven
- this is where we hope for the future and the promise of eternal life
- now is when we live out Christ' life
- we start building up on God's word and claim his promises
- we live in the light of his return
- we start to win others to Christ
2) Discipleship phase ( Let His Word diret our steps_
- find mentors --> not physically, but through books, godly leaders by watching and learning from their actions and behaviour
- we discover our gifts and passion
- we start building character ( pure motives and integrity) so that we can:
a) have victory over temptation
b) grow through hurts
c) be faithful in the small things
d) do not side track
e) choose to glorify God no matter what circumstances we are in
He will continue the 3rd and 4th phases in the next two weeks.
For I am already being poured out like a drink offering and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day - and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
This is the 1st part of a 3 part sermon.
Begins with saying that a life-long vision grow through major phases in one's life.How we face the challenges of each phase determines when and if you fulfil the vision. These phases are:
1) Salvation Phase ( the most visionary thing you can do)
- this is where we begin and understand that our sins are forgiven
- this is where we hope for the future and the promise of eternal life
- now is when we live out Christ' life
- we start building up on God's word and claim his promises
- we live in the light of his return
- we start to win others to Christ
2) Discipleship phase ( Let His Word diret our steps_
- find mentors --> not physically, but through books, godly leaders by watching and learning from their actions and behaviour
- we discover our gifts and passion
- we start building character ( pure motives and integrity) so that we can:
a) have victory over temptation
b) grow through hurts
c) be faithful in the small things
d) do not side track
e) choose to glorify God no matter what circumstances we are in
He will continue the 3rd and 4th phases in the next two weeks.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
REFLECTIONS ON 2009
Wow! In a twinkling of an eye, 2009 is almost over! How time flies! Although there were days that i wished it would end.....at other times I puzzled at where all the time went......
Since it is the long weekend ( Hari Raya Weekend) , I thought I would take some time to reflect on 2009 and begin to start praying for the direction of 2010.
All in all, I must say that 2009 has been a terribly tough year - battling with depression, loneliness, failures and disappointments. The loneliness seemed to snowballed this year, culminating with many bouts of depression. To add to that, the disappointments with friends, church and cell group just did not make it any better. The very people I needed to turn to in those times just vanished away and didn't even show their care. Maybe I demand to0 much....too much of people and their time..... but the words just kept playing in my mind - People don't care how much you know till they know how much you care..... How true! And for that reason, I just decided to stop going for cell group.....defiant - maybe? But I just could not face people who only cared about themselves and no one else..... I just couldn't.....what is the point of discussing all the Bible verses and not ever putting it to use?!? Hypocrisy if you asked me!
Failures - well, in terms of exams, I have had to take my MRCP part 1 like 3 times before clearing it! But God is faithful - and he enabled me to pass my part 2A at the 1st attempt. I know how bad it would have been for me if I ended up like my friends who had to take part 2A multiple times as well...... so, on one part I had failures, I also had successes....God is good...and He remembers how hard I struggled to study and pass the exams.....
Yet, 2009 isn't all gloom and doom....In it all, I learnt TRUST...and yes, it is TRUST spelt in capital words......in every situation, TRUST just seemed to shine at me......and in the darkest times, that is when God is biggest and strongest and brightest..... it is in those times that He made me recollect all His goodness and blessings....How I prayed at the beginning of 2009 for favour with colleagues and bosses - and that I do have! I prayed for health - and that too He has granted me! So instead of focussing on what I do not have, I can now focus on what He has given me....and to continue hoping and looking forward to what He will give me in the future......
And that is why 2009 is a Year of TRUST - aptly put by Pastor Freddy in church last evening! Indeed , God you know my heart!
So, what is the meditation of my heart for 2010? I want it to be a Year of Joy!!! Why? Because there has been too much tears and disappointments in my life. I want JOY in every circumstance and situation...no matter how bad or difficult it will be....I want His JOY...His unending JOY....His overflowing JOY....for too long I have been wallowing in self pity....it is time to stand up and declare and proclaim JOY into my life....I don't know how it will come into my life and what form it will take.....But I want HIS JOY!!!
So I looked up verses on JOY and this is what I found:
1 Kings 1: 40 - And all the people went up after him, plating flutes and REJOICING greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
1 Chronicles 12:40 - There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine , oil, cattle and sheep, for there was JOY in Israel.
1 Chronicles 15:16 - David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing JOYFUL songs, accompanied by musical instruments : lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:25 - So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed- Edom, with REJOICING.
1 Chronicles 16:33- Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for JOY before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
1 Chronicles 29: 9 - The people REJOICED at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 29:17 - I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with JOY how willingly your people who are here have given to you.
2 Chronicles 20:27 - Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned JOYFULLY to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to REJOICE over their enemies.
2 Chronicles 30: 26 - There was great JOY in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
Ezra 3: 11,12 - With praise and THANKSGIVING they sang to the Lord: ' He is good, his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of PRAISE to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for JOY.
Ezra 6:16 - Then the peoples of Israel - the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the house of God with JOY.
Ezra 6:22 - For seven days they celebrated with JOY the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with JOY by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God ,the God of Israel.
Nehemiah 8:10 - Nehemiah said: 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared, This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength.'
Nehemiah 12:43 - And on that day they offered great sacrifices, REJOICING because God had given them GREAT JOY. The women and children also REJOICED. The sound of REJOICING in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Esther 8:16 - For the Jews, it was a time of HAPPINESS and JOY, GLADNESS and honor.
Esther 8:17 - In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was JOY and GLADNESS among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating.
Job 8:21 - He will yet fill your mouth with LAUGHTER and your lips with shouts of JOY
Job 33:26 - He prays to God and finds favour with him, he sees God's face and shouts for JOY; he is restored by God to his righteous state.
Psalm 5:11 - But let all who take refuge in you be GLAD; let hem ever sing for JOY. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may REJOICE in you.
Psalm 16:11- You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 21:1 - O Lord, the king REJOICES in your strength, How great is his JOY in the victories you give!
Psalm 21:6 - Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him GLAD with the JOY of your presence.
Psalm 27:6 - Then my head will be exalted above above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of JOY; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Psalm 30:5 - For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but REJOICING comes in the morning.
Psalm 32:11 - REJOICE in the Lord and be GLAD, you righteous; sing all your who are upright in heart!
Psalm 35:27 - May those who delight in my vindication shout for JOY and GLADNESS; may they always say, 'The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well - being of his servant.'
Psalm 42:4 - These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of JOY and THANKSGIVING among the festive throng
Psalm 43:4 - Then I wil go the altar of God, to God, my JOY and my DELIGHT. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Psalm 48:2 - It is beautiful in its loftiness, the JOY of the whole earth.
Psalm 51:8 - Let me hear JOY and GLADNESS; let the bones you have crushed REJOICE.
Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the JOY of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit; to sustain me.
Psalm 67:4 - May the nations be GLAD and sing for JOY, for you rule the peoples justly, and guide the nations of the earth.
Psalm 71:23 - My lips will shout for JOY when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed.
Psalm 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of JOY.
Psalm 126:6 - He who goes out weeping carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of JOY, carrying sheaves with him.
Proverbs 14:10 - Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its JOY.
Proverbs 15:23 - A man finds JOY in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!
Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your food with GLADNESS and drink your wine with a JOYFUL heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
Isaiah 9:3 - You have enlarged the nation and increased their JOY; they REJOICE before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men REJOICE when dividing the plunder.
Isaiah 29:19 - Once more the humble will REJOICE in the Lord; the needy will REJOICE in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 35:10 - They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting JOY will crown their heads. GLADNESS and JOY will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 51:3 - The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. JOY and GLADNESS will be found in her,THANKSGIVING and the sound of singing.
Isaiah 51:11 - The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting JOY will crown their heads. GLADNESS and JOY will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 55:12 - You will go out with JOY and be lead forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you and all the trees will clap their hands.
Isaiah 60:15 - Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one travelling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the JOY of all generations.
Isaiah 61:3 - And provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty, instead of ashes, the oil of GLADNESS, instead of mourning and a garment of PRAISE, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:7 - Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will REJOICE in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting JOY will be theirs.
Jeremiah 15:16 - When your words came, I ate them; they were my JOY and my heart's DELIGHT, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty
Jeremiah 31:13 - The maidens will dance and be GLAD, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into GLADNESS I will give them comfort and JOY instead of sorrow.
Habakkuk 3:18 - yet I will REJOICE in the Lord, I will be JOYFUL in God my Saviour.
Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord you God is with you, he is might to save. He will take great DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will REJOICE over you with singing.
Wow! And those are just from the Old Testament only!!
Since it is the long weekend ( Hari Raya Weekend) , I thought I would take some time to reflect on 2009 and begin to start praying for the direction of 2010.
All in all, I must say that 2009 has been a terribly tough year - battling with depression, loneliness, failures and disappointments. The loneliness seemed to snowballed this year, culminating with many bouts of depression. To add to that, the disappointments with friends, church and cell group just did not make it any better. The very people I needed to turn to in those times just vanished away and didn't even show their care. Maybe I demand to0 much....too much of people and their time..... but the words just kept playing in my mind - People don't care how much you know till they know how much you care..... How true! And for that reason, I just decided to stop going for cell group.....defiant - maybe? But I just could not face people who only cared about themselves and no one else..... I just couldn't.....what is the point of discussing all the Bible verses and not ever putting it to use?!? Hypocrisy if you asked me!
Failures - well, in terms of exams, I have had to take my MRCP part 1 like 3 times before clearing it! But God is faithful - and he enabled me to pass my part 2A at the 1st attempt. I know how bad it would have been for me if I ended up like my friends who had to take part 2A multiple times as well...... so, on one part I had failures, I also had successes....God is good...and He remembers how hard I struggled to study and pass the exams.....
Yet, 2009 isn't all gloom and doom....In it all, I learnt TRUST...and yes, it is TRUST spelt in capital words......in every situation, TRUST just seemed to shine at me......and in the darkest times, that is when God is biggest and strongest and brightest..... it is in those times that He made me recollect all His goodness and blessings....How I prayed at the beginning of 2009 for favour with colleagues and bosses - and that I do have! I prayed for health - and that too He has granted me! So instead of focussing on what I do not have, I can now focus on what He has given me....and to continue hoping and looking forward to what He will give me in the future......
And that is why 2009 is a Year of TRUST - aptly put by Pastor Freddy in church last evening! Indeed , God you know my heart!
So, what is the meditation of my heart for 2010? I want it to be a Year of Joy!!! Why? Because there has been too much tears and disappointments in my life. I want JOY in every circumstance and situation...no matter how bad or difficult it will be....I want His JOY...His unending JOY....His overflowing JOY....for too long I have been wallowing in self pity....it is time to stand up and declare and proclaim JOY into my life....I don't know how it will come into my life and what form it will take.....But I want HIS JOY!!!
So I looked up verses on JOY and this is what I found:
1 Kings 1: 40 - And all the people went up after him, plating flutes and REJOICING greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
1 Chronicles 12:40 - There were plentiful supplies of flour, fig cakes, raisin cakes, wine , oil, cattle and sheep, for there was JOY in Israel.
1 Chronicles 15:16 - David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing JOYFUL songs, accompanied by musical instruments : lyres, harps and cymbals.
1 Chronicles 15:25 - So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed- Edom, with REJOICING.
1 Chronicles 16:33- Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for JOY before the Lord, for he comes to judge the earth.
1 Chronicles 29: 9 - The people REJOICED at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord.
1 Chronicles 29:17 - I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with JOY how willingly your people who are here have given to you.
2 Chronicles 20:27 - Then, led by Jehoshaphat, all the men of Judah and Jerusalem returned JOYFULLY to Jerusalem, for the Lord had given them cause to REJOICE over their enemies.
2 Chronicles 30: 26 - There was great JOY in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem.
Ezra 3: 11,12 - With praise and THANKSGIVING they sang to the Lord: ' He is good, his love to Israel endures forever.' And all the people gave a great shout of PRAISE to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for JOY.
Ezra 6:16 - Then the peoples of Israel - the priests, the Levites and the rest of the exiles - celebrated the dedication of the house of God with JOY.
Ezra 6:22 - For seven days they celebrated with JOY the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because the Lord had filled them with JOY by changing the attitude of the king of Assyria, so that he assisted them in the work on the house of God ,the God of Israel.
Nehemiah 8:10 - Nehemiah said: 'Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared, This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength.'
Nehemiah 12:43 - And on that day they offered great sacrifices, REJOICING because God had given them GREAT JOY. The women and children also REJOICED. The sound of REJOICING in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Esther 8:16 - For the Jews, it was a time of HAPPINESS and JOY, GLADNESS and honor.
Esther 8:17 - In every province and in every city, wherever the edict of the king went, there was JOY and GLADNESS among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating.
Job 8:21 - He will yet fill your mouth with LAUGHTER and your lips with shouts of JOY
Job 33:26 - He prays to God and finds favour with him, he sees God's face and shouts for JOY; he is restored by God to his righteous state.
Psalm 5:11 - But let all who take refuge in you be GLAD; let hem ever sing for JOY. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may REJOICE in you.
Psalm 16:11- You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with JOY in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
Psalm 21:1 - O Lord, the king REJOICES in your strength, How great is his JOY in the victories you give!
Psalm 21:6 - Surely you have granted him eternal blessings and made him GLAD with the JOY of your presence.
Psalm 27:6 - Then my head will be exalted above above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of JOY; I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Psalm 30:5 - For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but REJOICING comes in the morning.
Psalm 32:11 - REJOICE in the Lord and be GLAD, you righteous; sing all your who are upright in heart!
Psalm 35:27 - May those who delight in my vindication shout for JOY and GLADNESS; may they always say, 'The Lord be exalted, who delights in the well - being of his servant.'
Psalm 42:4 - These things I remember as I pour out my soul; how I used to go with the multitude, leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of JOY and THANKSGIVING among the festive throng
Psalm 43:4 - Then I wil go the altar of God, to God, my JOY and my DELIGHT. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
Psalm 48:2 - It is beautiful in its loftiness, the JOY of the whole earth.
Psalm 51:8 - Let me hear JOY and GLADNESS; let the bones you have crushed REJOICE.
Psalm 51:12 - Restore to me the JOY of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit; to sustain me.
Psalm 67:4 - May the nations be GLAD and sing for JOY, for you rule the peoples justly, and guide the nations of the earth.
Psalm 71:23 - My lips will shout for JOY when I sing praise to you - I, whom you have redeemed.
Psalm 126:5 - Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of JOY.
Psalm 126:6 - He who goes out weeping carrying seeds to sow, will return with songs of JOY, carrying sheaves with him.
Proverbs 14:10 - Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its JOY.
Proverbs 15:23 - A man finds JOY in giving an apt reply - and how good is a timely word!
Ecclesiastes 9:7 - Go, eat your food with GLADNESS and drink your wine with a JOYFUL heart, for it is now that God favors what you do.
Isaiah 9:3 - You have enlarged the nation and increased their JOY; they REJOICE before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as men REJOICE when dividing the plunder.
Isaiah 29:19 - Once more the humble will REJOICE in the Lord; the needy will REJOICE in the Holy One of Israel.
Isaiah 35:10 - They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting JOY will crown their heads. GLADNESS and JOY will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 51:3 - The Lord will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the Lord. JOY and GLADNESS will be found in her,THANKSGIVING and the sound of singing.
Isaiah 51:11 - The ransomed of the Lord will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting JOY will crown their heads. GLADNESS and JOY will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Isaiah 55:12 - You will go out with JOY and be lead forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you and all the trees will clap their hands.
Isaiah 60:15 - Although you have been forsaken and hated, with no one travelling through, I will make you the everlasting pride and the JOY of all generations.
Isaiah 61:3 - And provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty, instead of ashes, the oil of GLADNESS, instead of mourning and a garment of PRAISE, instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:7 - Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will REJOICE in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting JOY will be theirs.
Jeremiah 15:16 - When your words came, I ate them; they were my JOY and my heart's DELIGHT, for I bear your name, O Lord God Almighty
Jeremiah 31:13 - The maidens will dance and be GLAD, young men and old as well. I will turn their mourning into GLADNESS I will give them comfort and JOY instead of sorrow.
Habakkuk 3:18 - yet I will REJOICE in the Lord, I will be JOYFUL in God my Saviour.
Zephaniah 3:17 - The Lord you God is with you, he is might to save. He will take great DELIGHT in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will REJOICE over you with singing.
Wow! And those are just from the Old Testament only!!
Friday, November 13, 2009
PSALM 19
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the Lord is PERFECT,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are TRUSTWORTHY,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lod are RIGHT,
giving JOY to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are RADIANT,
giving LIGHT to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is PURE,
enduring FOREVER,
The ordinances of the Lord are SURE,
and altogether RIGHTEOUS.
They are more PRECIOUS than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are SWEETER than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
FORGIVE MY HIDDEN FAULTS.
KEEP YOUR SERVANT ALSO FROM WILLFULL SINS;
MAY THEY NOT RULE OVER ME.Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART
BE PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT,
O LORD, MY ROCK AND MY REDEEMER.
Amen! what a heartfelt prayer from the heart of King David! May I too desire that which he desired and prayed for!
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they display knowledge.
There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.
Their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the end of the world.
In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun,
which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is hidden from its heat.
The law of the Lord is PERFECT,
reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are TRUSTWORTHY,
making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lod are RIGHT,
giving JOY to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are RADIANT,
giving LIGHT to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is PURE,
enduring FOREVER,
The ordinances of the Lord are SURE,
and altogether RIGHTEOUS.
They are more PRECIOUS than gold,
than much pure gold;
they are SWEETER than honey,
than honey from the comb.
By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them is great reward.
Who can discern his errors?
FORGIVE MY HIDDEN FAULTS.
KEEP YOUR SERVANT ALSO FROM WILLFULL SINS;
MAY THEY NOT RULE OVER ME.Then will I be blameless,
innocent of great transgression.
MAY THE WORDS OF MY MOUTH AND THE MEDITATION OF MY HEART
BE PLEASING IN YOUR SIGHT,
O LORD, MY ROCK AND MY REDEEMER.
Amen! what a heartfelt prayer from the heart of King David! May I too desire that which he desired and prayed for!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Hope is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul....
Been reading my daily devotional material by Selwyn Hughes (EDWJ) entitled 'Being Real in the Psalms' and was truly truly glad for its contents.....which kinda summarised my life....and all the thoughts and emotions which I have been battling with (at least over the last few years)...... God truly knows what I need in each season and time of my life......
He starts off explaining about the 'uncomfortable' psalms- the psalms that acts as a mirror to our soul....which expresses the full range of human emotions - fear, anger, disappointment, hurt.......feelings that we are often ignorant or or willfully reluctant to face........the feelings that Christians are apt to ignore or repress....just because they are negative....and that they often question God or challenges His place in our lives......
And what is the purpose of these'uncomfortable' psalms??? The psalms that are a 'jarring outpourings in which the psalmists captures the struggle of the heart as it attempts to make sense of the goodness of God in the midst of the troubles of life......and he concludes that the purpose of these psalms are - to invite us to admit whatever we feel, know we are not alone in those feelings and to work through our uncomfortable emotions to a deeper relationship with God...... how these psalms not only teach us to praise and worship, they also teach us how to wrestle with negative feelings until those negative feelings give way to hope....
Then he goes on to expose one by one these negative feelings...beginning with fear......etc etc...and lays open the real reason for these negative feelings.....that reveals inner 'dis-ease'....the suspicion that God is not good.........Oh how true this is!!! And how many times have I struggled with this thought!!!!
Fear says , 'Is God capable of taking care of me?'
Anger says, 'Why does God allow my goals to be blocked?'
Envy says, ' God seems to bless other people more than me.'
Disappointment says, 'Is God fair?'
He says that our feelings may surface in the horizontal context of life- as a result of circumstances, events, situations - but they have a vertical context also: our concept of God.......How true!!!
Quoting Walter Brueggemann - 'The laments are refusals to settle for the way things are; they are acts of relentless hope that believes no situation falls outside of Yahweh's capacity for transformation; no situation falls outside of Yahweh's responsibility,.... It might surprise some to discover that in the darkness of our emotional wrestling with God, we grow in our understanding of Him....but only if we want to grow.....and this lesson, I have indeed learnt the hard way.......tough times, but so valuable in the growth of our souls.......
And then he goes on to talk about righteous vs unrighteous anger........and gives pointers to deal with unrighteous anger (anger that is self centred)...
1) When angry, be still and STOP
2) Next, WAIT
3) DO NOT FRET
And this is based on the scripture in Psalm 37: 1-40 'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret..'
Then he goes on again to talk about fear and all its permutations...the solution? Focus on God..... Fear of God (being in awe of God) strips away all other fears and compels us to deal with a God who has everything under His control..... Fear clarifies where it is that we place our trust.......
'Fear knocked at the door, faith opened it and lo, there was no one there' .......
If the greatest threats and the things we fear most are matters over which we have no control, how important it is to develop a relationship with the One who is never out of control.... Indeed, this advice is definitely a solid rock to hold on to in times of turbulent times....
After that, he goes on to expose envy. Envy (he says) is malicious grudging- wanting to gain what we do not have. It is born of the deep love of self....and then he quotes Dr. W.E Sangster who wrote - 'To practise comparison with one's fellows is often to be trapped into sin. If we are not as virtuous as they are, we are tempted to imply it is only in appearance and they are possibly hypocrites; if they have tasted more of the sweetness of success than we have done, we often slide into envy.'....This is followed by quoting Psalm 73 as an example....our negative emotion indicate far more than that we are experiencing mental turmoil; they reveal how strongly sin reigns in our hearts......and then he continues to take apart Psalm 73 to analyze how Asaph responded.... how his perspective was changed after being in the presence of God.... and the key to a changed perspective always lie in our understanding......
Then, he goes on to talk about despair...which is defined as : the loss of hope, the refusal to struggle, a deadening of the heart to the idea that one will be helped or rescued..... characteristics of despair includes:
1) A desire NOT to struggle
2) The FLIGHT from desiure
- over the years, he has met many people who were going through life , attending to their daily duties in a mechanical way (sounds like me!), but inside they were dead. They had put to death all desire. To desire, such people say to themselves, mean to be hurt, so they argue that if they don't desire they won't have to endure the pain of disappointed longings.
- however, you CAN know God so intimately that though your desires on a human level are not met and you feel disappointed and hurt, you can live with that hurt without the loss of your soul.
3) Loneliness
- definition of loneliness: Isolation from those who mean so much to us
- Can Christ succour us in loneliness and save us from despair? HE CAN
- No one need be lonely, however separate from others he or she may be, if the lonely moments are used to get closer to God
Steps to dealing with despair:
1) Be willing to acknowledge our feelings
2) Talk to God about it
3) Understand and accept the fact that we live in a sinful world where not all our expectations wil be met, not all relationships succeed and not all hopes are realised
God will not allow His children to live life without desires because it will make them less than human. So He will constantly prod us and challenge us, sometimes by arousing our deepest passion.
- Lord, is that what you are doing with me? To stir my soul?
Indeed I agree with Selwyn....better to be mad than to feel nothing.....
Then he finally touches on shame...which is based on a flawed sense of self...
Lord, teach me to acknowledge my true feelings before you...not to wallow in self pity....but to steep myself in your presence to the point that it changes my perception of those negative feelings.....may those tough times be a time of drawing nearer to you and to throw myself in your arms, knowing that you will NEVER let go of me..... and may you restore that HOPE...... that I so desperately need.....
He starts off explaining about the 'uncomfortable' psalms- the psalms that acts as a mirror to our soul....which expresses the full range of human emotions - fear, anger, disappointment, hurt.......feelings that we are often ignorant or or willfully reluctant to face........the feelings that Christians are apt to ignore or repress....just because they are negative....and that they often question God or challenges His place in our lives......
And what is the purpose of these'uncomfortable' psalms??? The psalms that are a 'jarring outpourings in which the psalmists captures the struggle of the heart as it attempts to make sense of the goodness of God in the midst of the troubles of life......and he concludes that the purpose of these psalms are - to invite us to admit whatever we feel, know we are not alone in those feelings and to work through our uncomfortable emotions to a deeper relationship with God...... how these psalms not only teach us to praise and worship, they also teach us how to wrestle with negative feelings until those negative feelings give way to hope....
Then he goes on to expose one by one these negative feelings...beginning with fear......etc etc...and lays open the real reason for these negative feelings.....that reveals inner 'dis-ease'....the suspicion that God is not good.........Oh how true this is!!! And how many times have I struggled with this thought!!!!
Fear says , 'Is God capable of taking care of me?'
Anger says, 'Why does God allow my goals to be blocked?'
Envy says, ' God seems to bless other people more than me.'
Disappointment says, 'Is God fair?'
He says that our feelings may surface in the horizontal context of life- as a result of circumstances, events, situations - but they have a vertical context also: our concept of God.......How true!!!
Quoting Walter Brueggemann - 'The laments are refusals to settle for the way things are; they are acts of relentless hope that believes no situation falls outside of Yahweh's capacity for transformation; no situation falls outside of Yahweh's responsibility,.... It might surprise some to discover that in the darkness of our emotional wrestling with God, we grow in our understanding of Him....but only if we want to grow.....and this lesson, I have indeed learnt the hard way.......tough times, but so valuable in the growth of our souls.......
And then he goes on to talk about righteous vs unrighteous anger........and gives pointers to deal with unrighteous anger (anger that is self centred)...
1) When angry, be still and STOP
2) Next, WAIT
3) DO NOT FRET
And this is based on the scripture in Psalm 37: 1-40 'Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret..'
Then he goes on again to talk about fear and all its permutations...the solution? Focus on God..... Fear of God (being in awe of God) strips away all other fears and compels us to deal with a God who has everything under His control..... Fear clarifies where it is that we place our trust.......
'Fear knocked at the door, faith opened it and lo, there was no one there' .......
If the greatest threats and the things we fear most are matters over which we have no control, how important it is to develop a relationship with the One who is never out of control.... Indeed, this advice is definitely a solid rock to hold on to in times of turbulent times....
After that, he goes on to expose envy. Envy (he says) is malicious grudging- wanting to gain what we do not have. It is born of the deep love of self....and then he quotes Dr. W.E Sangster who wrote - 'To practise comparison with one's fellows is often to be trapped into sin. If we are not as virtuous as they are, we are tempted to imply it is only in appearance and they are possibly hypocrites; if they have tasted more of the sweetness of success than we have done, we often slide into envy.'....This is followed by quoting Psalm 73 as an example....our negative emotion indicate far more than that we are experiencing mental turmoil; they reveal how strongly sin reigns in our hearts......and then he continues to take apart Psalm 73 to analyze how Asaph responded.... how his perspective was changed after being in the presence of God.... and the key to a changed perspective always lie in our understanding......
Then, he goes on to talk about despair...which is defined as : the loss of hope, the refusal to struggle, a deadening of the heart to the idea that one will be helped or rescued..... characteristics of despair includes:
1) A desire NOT to struggle
2) The FLIGHT from desiure
- over the years, he has met many people who were going through life , attending to their daily duties in a mechanical way (sounds like me!), but inside they were dead. They had put to death all desire. To desire, such people say to themselves, mean to be hurt, so they argue that if they don't desire they won't have to endure the pain of disappointed longings.
- however, you CAN know God so intimately that though your desires on a human level are not met and you feel disappointed and hurt, you can live with that hurt without the loss of your soul.
3) Loneliness
- definition of loneliness: Isolation from those who mean so much to us
- Can Christ succour us in loneliness and save us from despair? HE CAN
- No one need be lonely, however separate from others he or she may be, if the lonely moments are used to get closer to God
Steps to dealing with despair:
1) Be willing to acknowledge our feelings
2) Talk to God about it
3) Understand and accept the fact that we live in a sinful world where not all our expectations wil be met, not all relationships succeed and not all hopes are realised
God will not allow His children to live life without desires because it will make them less than human. So He will constantly prod us and challenge us, sometimes by arousing our deepest passion.
- Lord, is that what you are doing with me? To stir my soul?
Indeed I agree with Selwyn....better to be mad than to feel nothing.....
Then he finally touches on shame...which is based on a flawed sense of self...
Lord, teach me to acknowledge my true feelings before you...not to wallow in self pity....but to steep myself in your presence to the point that it changes my perception of those negative feelings.....may those tough times be a time of drawing nearer to you and to throw myself in your arms, knowing that you will NEVER let go of me..... and may you restore that HOPE...... that I so desperately need.....
Friday, September 4, 2009
Random thoughts....
It's only been 2 days since I went back to work after a week long break.......immediately felt black clouds gathering around me.....a sense of dread .....feelings of depression starting to slowly seep in..... it took only 2 days...... sigh...
suddenly felt all kinds of emotions welling up..... fear... anger .... resentment....fatigue...... etc etc....why? I really have no idea....guess it was all those pent up frustrations over the last 3-4 years trying to escape.....
Really really feel like giving up.......really..... even my colleagues are feeling the same way...... it's tough......
I think Mum finally understood.....only in this last trip home....... we had a chat....which ultimately always ends up with the topic of dating/ finding a life partner......being very honest with her....I think she finally sensed my distress....even despair....and the loneliness that sometimes overwhlems......it was with this question: Have u ever considered going back to australia? tt made me realised how long it really took her to understand my predicament......my line of works exerts tremendous stress on me .... physically.... mentally... emotionally ..... even socially, my line of work has impoverished me by diminishing whatever little time and energy i have to socialise and develop meaningful friendships.......and really , its pretty sad when your own family members dun understand at all!!!
then again....who can I blame? I chose to take this path on my own.....stating that I think God called me to this ministry......but these days, i'm seriously beginning to doubt it........maybe i heard wrongly? maybe i was mistaken? .... I really dunno..... maybe, just maybe, its time to head in a different direction.......
suddenly felt all kinds of emotions welling up..... fear... anger .... resentment....fatigue...... etc etc....why? I really have no idea....guess it was all those pent up frustrations over the last 3-4 years trying to escape.....
Really really feel like giving up.......really..... even my colleagues are feeling the same way...... it's tough......
I think Mum finally understood.....only in this last trip home....... we had a chat....which ultimately always ends up with the topic of dating/ finding a life partner......being very honest with her....I think she finally sensed my distress....even despair....and the loneliness that sometimes overwhlems......it was with this question: Have u ever considered going back to australia? tt made me realised how long it really took her to understand my predicament......my line of works exerts tremendous stress on me .... physically.... mentally... emotionally ..... even socially, my line of work has impoverished me by diminishing whatever little time and energy i have to socialise and develop meaningful friendships.......and really , its pretty sad when your own family members dun understand at all!!!
then again....who can I blame? I chose to take this path on my own.....stating that I think God called me to this ministry......but these days, i'm seriously beginning to doubt it........maybe i heard wrongly? maybe i was mistaken? .... I really dunno..... maybe, just maybe, its time to head in a different direction.......
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