:: one way. Jesus. ::

Friday, September 23, 2005

"Here I am, send me!"

I pray...that we, as Christians, will never lose the fire of God in us..Let us never let it run dry...nor let us dampen its flame...but let us keep adding coals into it..making it bigger and bigger...for our God is a consuming fire..he comes and sets people who are spritually dry on fire..on fire for the passion of His name..that nothing except living the life they are called to live by God will satisfy..

Let us not forget that we are not only "saved"..but also "called"..not by our own works but by the grace of God..thus...let us live as people who are called to be "a holy priesthood"..a people that will harvest genuine praise and worship to the father..a people that will not compromise the truth of the gospel but will boldly stand to proclaim it..a people who will commit their lives to see lives changed for Christ..

Anyway..can there be any other way that we can live our lives other than what Christ has called us, before the world began to live...when He is the Lamb who has been slain for the forgiveness of our sins...let his love compel us to live a life "worthy of our calling"..

Catch the heartbeat.."I am not ashamed about the Gospel of Your name...I am not ashamed!"

Benedict

History Maker - traveled on - 2:55 AM

Wednesday, September 21, 2005

We all dislike pain...dun we? It is unpleasant...and we all try to stay as far away as we can from it...sometimes even putting restrictions upon ourselves so that we would not experience pain...some to the extent that they FeAr pain. But..what does God have to say about pain?..and how should we react to it? I myself experience pain..pain of rejection, verbal hurts, and physical pain...I believe that as we journey through life..it is inevitable that we face PAIN. Psalms 11-13

In these psalms of David...we can find the place of pain in our lives, how does God deliver us from pain, and lastly, how we can respond to pain...

Let us first look at Psalms 11:

What is the place of pain in our lives? When we are in pain, we long to know why that particular pain has to happen to us. Maybe...we think...if we can see God’s hands behind that pain, it would lessen the pain. As God created us, he knows that the human response is to ask “Why?” Psalms 11 talks about the wicked shooting their “arrows” to those who are righteous in heart. In verse 4, we have God’s eye-view of the situation.

“The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous...”

If your heart is right before God, and you find yourself today in the midst of pain, no matter what it is, hear from his word: the Lord may be testing you. When you emerge, you will be a servant who is tested, tried and true.

The chapter ends with- “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; His countenance beholds the upright.”

He is beholding you, in the midst of your pain. And I believe, that the glory of God when it dawn on you...it will shine right through you! Even in pain, you will reflect the glory of the Almighty God.

Take heart,

Benedict

History Maker - traveled on - 7:41 PM

Monday, September 19, 2005

Jesus valued love..more than fire.

Remember the case where the rich young man came to him asking how he could get eternal life..and was turned away when Jesus asked him to sell his possessions and follow Him? The young man told Jesus that he had kept the commandments since young..but Jesus was looking beyond that..he was looking at the man's heart. When Jesus instructed the young man to "sell his possessions and come and follow me", he was speaking the word of truth- that made the young man go away sad..it pierced the young man's heart and revealed the lack of love in it.

The bible recorded that Jesus looked at the young man and "loved him". Jesus loved him so much..that he valued the man's heart attitude (whether there is the genuine love for God in it) above the man's response (whether he will eventually choose to follow Jesus or not; this will be most valued by someone who has more "fire" than love)..Jesus allowed the word of God to take its rightful course in the man's heart..he did not persuade him again but spoke the truth..

Jesus has called us to make disciples..not converts..disciples are believers who are rooted deeply in the word of God, and have a genuine love for God and for people..

Are we loving the people around us..that we cannot but share with them the gospel? or are we merely sharing so that we can count the numbers? Fire for God is good...but it must be balanced with love...if not...we merely want the fire in us to spread, not to say that it is bad, but losing the love that first called us to share the gosepl. If we share with them out of love..they can feel it.

Ben

History Maker - traveled on - 2:11 AM

Friday, September 16, 2005

frens..

having a heart of obedience is vital to a christian..it propples him into his destiny, catch God's heartbeat and be ALL that God wants him to. God cannot afford to use people who will "object" and "argue" with him over what he tells them to do...he is looking for people whose "hearts are devoted to him" and are so ever-willing to do His will.

But..sometimes..it is difficult to say, "I obey." That is why the christian life is all about obedience..if you master obedience..you will live a life of holiness and godly purpose. Paul led such a life..that was why he can bodly proclaim, "It is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me."

How did he manage to live such a life then? It is through living in the godly fear of God. This fear is not the same as "being afraid"..which implies that we are scared of God's punishment..remember..Jesus already paid for that on calvary. What the word of God is saying is that we must live our life in reverence and awe of our holy God. Let us begin to lay our passions, desires and heart attitudes before Him and let Him search us.."Search me, oh God." The Psalmist cried. Do we live our life..knowing that God is watching over our every word and action?

Because we fear Him..we obey..and the fear of the Lord brings down the manifested presence of God which compels and moves us to obey Him..even when it is tough.. remember Jesus- who went through the cross.."being obedience to the Father".

Let his love compel us.

Benedict

History Maker - traveled on - 6:04 AM

Monday, September 12, 2005

At the end..worship is our only rightful response to God's unconditional and unfailing love..

Worship overshadows the brightest star of music, hides the best voices of the century, dims the sound of drum beats, guitar, keyboard and any another instruments, makes the catching faces in the spotlight unattractive in comparison, and shuts out all thoughts and speech. That is worship.

Have you been worshipping?

"Jesus was coming!!!" The people shouted. As Peter and John pulled the camel aside, Simon - a well-known pharisee of the day appeared at the doorstep to welcome Jesus into his house. The talks and chatter could be heard, as the people waited for another miracle to happen, for Jesus' name was already known far and wide as the Healer, Dead-raiser, Teacher and Rabbi. Hiding in the shadows, trying to keep out of view from passer-bys, was a woman. She could not afford to be spotted, for she will be forced to go the way she came. She could not allow that- she had to see Jesus.

She had come so far- away from where she worked and lived...just to meet Jesus, whom she heard was visiting the house of Simon- the pharisee. Her people had scorned her, and discouraged her from going. They had said that Jesus was a Holy man, and he would not entertain those who are sinful like her. But, she had dismissed that. She had heard about the incident where Jesus forgave a woman who was caught in adultery, drawing a line for those who had never sinned to stone her...and saved that woman from death...That had inspired her and left a seed in her heart...just a little hope in this Jesus. It would not be safe, there would be many risks involved...but all she could trust was in the character of Jesus- that He is Good.

Nearing the house, some of the housekeepers caught sight of her and their lips curled up in shock...and they wanted to stop her. But she did not care, there was a strange confidence rising out of her- springing from the hope that Jesus would accept her. The words of Jesus- which she had heard many time, "I have come not for the healthy, but for the sick," encouraged her. In her heart, she knew that she was crippled by sin and guilt...she needed a savior.

With anticipation and desperation stirring in her heart, she pushed open the door, and barged into the house. When she saw Jesus, the words that she had memorised- for so long , to say to Jesus, faded away...and her knees started to go weak...and she felt as if her heart's deepest and eternal longing would that day be satisfied...as she looked deeper into his face, her very being crumbled inside her- maybe that was what King David meant in the Psalms:- A Broken and Contrite Heart, Oh Lord, You will not despise.." She thought.

All the hurts and pains she felt since young began to pour out..as she knelt at Jesus' feet. Her heartaches that she had tried to cover up before people began to be touched, she felt, by Jesus' hands- but wait...Jesus was not moving...but she was sure it was Him. As he touched, her heart began to mend and restore, little by little, bit by bit. The guilt that she had contained in her life, at that moment, began to be washed ...she experienced springs of living water soak her soul and make it clean...her mouth opened but no words came out...

In her heart, she was just telling Jesus about the "many" sins she had committed and how she felt burdened by the weight of guilt and wrongdoings...how she was trying to please people..and how much life hurts her...Jesus respond in a way that seemed to say "My child, it will be alright. All you have to do...is come back to me."

Tears of gratitude begin to fill her eyes, and she started to wash Jesus feet with her tears, and wipe them with her hair...at that point..nothing else matter more than Jesus...all she wanted and needed is Him...then she reached into her pocket and took an alabaster jar- one that Jewish woman kept till the day of her marriage, to make her smell nice...and broke it open and started to pour the contents on Jesus' feet..till the fragrance of the perfume filled the room..but she was still adoring Jesus..

Looking up at Jesus, He said, "Woman...you are forgiven. Your faith has saved you." Yes!!! Her hearts pounced when it heard that words...at last, she was free! And she knew, as she left, she would never be the same again.

History Maker - traveled on - 12:58 AM

Friday, September 02, 2005

Crisis in life can prove to be stumbling to many people, even Christians- if we don't prepare beforehand for the challenge. In the bible, we read about the incident where Jesus and his disciples were on the boat when they encountered a storm at sea. Although the disciples had seen the miracles that Jesus had done on dry shore, they failed to trust Him at sea.

They quickly woke Jesus up as he was sleeping then, in fear of drowning, and cried out to Him to save them. Jesus answered, "Where is thy faith?" Though they knew the Power of Jesus, they lost their trust when it seemed that Jesus was asleep in their crisis.

Many of us sometimes get disillusioned when we face challenges in life. In our hearts, we do accept Jesus' sovereign control of our lives, that God He Reigns in every season of our soul- whether abundant or barren. However, we fail to express that in our daily lives, when we are confronted by the crisis. Thefore, God- in His mercy, has given us Holy Spirit, to remind us of what Jesus had said...this include personal instructions and impartations that we receive from Him in times of worship.

That is why it is so important for us to spend time, staring at the son and adoring Him. When we are in awe of Him, He begins to imparts to us his real-ness and might in our lives. So that when we are challenged, when we feel as if God is "asleep" and there is no sign of His intervention in our lives, we can still PRAISE Him till we see breakthrough coming.

Remember...although Jesus is "asleep", He is still on the boat, and He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Where's your strength placed today? In God?..or yourself? (your own passions and abilities) "Blessed is the man whose strength is in You.."

Do not forget that "even the winds and waves obey Him". All you have to do when you are in the boat with Jesus is to "be still and know that I am God".

With His Love,

Benedict

History Maker - traveled on - 6:49 AM

the traveller

Name: Benedict
Walked since: 1994
Walked For: God and God alone..His forever..with Family. Friends. Church. ...

past roads

[x]November 2004 [x]February 2005 [x]March 2005 [x]April 2005 [x]May 2005 [x]June 2005 [x]July 2005 [x]August 2005 [x]September 2005 [x]October 2005 [x]November 2005 [x]December 2005 [x]January 2006 [x]February 2006 [x]March 2006 [x]April 2006 [x]May 2006 [x]June 2006 [x]July 2006 [x]August 2006 [x]September 2006 [x]October 2006 [x]November 2006 [x]December 2006 [x]January 2007