Thursday, January 10, 2013

GOD IS ABLE

We dream our dreams
We prepare our plans
But God out dreams us every time!
And out plans us every time!
God's dreams are zillion zillion times above and beyond anything we could  ever dream for ourselves.

I say let's live His dream!


Well, I've noticed that when God desires something, He takes responsibility for it and provides for it. He was gracious enough provide me bike without borrowing any money from anyone. His money wasn't wasted in loans and interest rates and stuff like that in getting me a new bike. On top of that, He surprised me (just because He felt like it) with an awesome promise for this new year from Ephesians 3:20 which says , Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that at work in us

This verse kinda got a whole new dimension to my faith life. If we use that as a basis for understanding Ephesians 3:20, the possibilities are mind-blowing. Think about it. We don't know the depth and breadth or the scope of the things that we don't know. Our imaginations are restricted by the boundaries of our knowledge. This has to make you shout out loud with joy that we serve a God that is able to do exceedingly abundantly above anything we can ask or THINK. "Exceedingly abundantly above"? That phrase ventures boldly into the realm of the unknown. This is the God we serve. He can work in ways we don't even know how to ask Him to work because He works in ways that surpass our intellect, understanding and imagination. God Himself declares that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are higher than ours (Is. 55:8).

If we are mindful of that, then we will be able to trust God and that He will work in on our behalf in ways that are far past finding out. No situation is too hopeless for God to reach into and bring His transforming grace!
As we go through this year, let us covenant together to make sure that we don't limit Almighty God to work within the boundaries of our understanding and imagination. Our God is the God of “immeasurably more!”

Heavenly Father, I believe You can do immeasurably more in me.
Please give me eyes to see the immeasurably more you want to do through me!
In Jesus Name
Amen!
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Thursday, December 27, 2012

MY MAKER, MY HUSBAND

Was so encouraged by this passage this week. Thank you Jesus for speaking to me from Isaiah 54.

4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
5 For your Maker is your husband,
the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
the God of the whole earth he is called.
6 For the Lord has called you
like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I will gather you.
8 In overflowing wrath for a moment
I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
says the Lord, your Redeemer.
9 This is like the days of Noah to me:
Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
and will not rebuke you.
10 For the mountains may depart
and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
says the Lord, who has compassion on you.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012

EVERLASTING GOD



Yesterday we sang "Everlasting God" in a worship seminar that I attended. I'm sure most of you have heard this song. As I sang, the words struck me differently and they had a deeper meaning. Immediately I thought of blogging here and I knew I had to share this today. I know so many of us are hurting, physically and emotionally. I just want each of you to know that problem your facing is temporary coz we have an Eternal God. This song is SO fitting to where we are in this journey!

It’s hard to act like everything is alright, when in fact everything is terribly wrong, and life is just constantly punching you in the face, not literally of course. No matter how hard you try to make something work, it never works out. You try doing everything on your own but your pride, selfishness, and bad intentions/ambitions get the better of you. When you finally hit “rock- bottom,” after every hit, every toss, and every fall, you feel as though no one is on your side, when really, God has been on your side all the time.


He is there when you’re up and when you’re down, you get up, He gets up, you fall down, He falls down with you and feels your pain and agony. He humbles you and reminds you that in your stumbles, He is always with you ‘til the end. He molds you in his image. He guides you through your darkest hour. His love towards you is unconditional. He is, and always will be, your Everlasting God.
Please listen to this song if you haven't. I know it will bless you. And if you know it, please listen to it with "fresh" ears.

Everlasting God lyrics:

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on the wings
Like eagles
Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
'Cause You are, You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary
You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on the wings
Like eagles

Scripture verses:

Isaiah 40:28-31 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary,and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.

 

Psalm 90:1-4 Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.
Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.
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Monday, November 5, 2012

TRUSTING HIS TIMING

Awesome reminder from TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria. Just what I wanted to hear today.

One thing I’ve learned is that God doesn’t always work on our time table. In fact, He rarely does. But, in a single moment, God can change your life! All throughout scripture, we see examples of how God was working behind the scenes and instantly turned things around for His people. Scripture tells us He is the same yesterday, today and forever which means if He did it for them, He can instantly turn things around for you, too!

You may be going through some difficulty today, but be encouraged because your times are in God’s hands. Trust that He has your best interest at heart. He wants to pour out His favor. He wants to take you further than you dreamed possible and work in your life in ways beyond what you have ever imagined.

Let this truth sink down into your heart today. Resist discouragement by speaking His Word over your future. Keep standing, keep hoping and keep believing because He is working behind the scenes. Have faith because your times are in His hands, and He will lead you in the life of victory He has for you!


A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, today I humbly come before You giving You all that I am. I trust that my times are in Your hands. I trust that You are working things out in my favor. I set my focus on You knowing that You are working things out for my good in Jesus’ name. Amen.

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

My times are in Your hand...(Psalm 31:15)

To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven. (Ecclesiastes 3:1)

But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! (Habakkuk 2:3).

PS: 
Related article:


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Friday, November 2, 2012

UNDIVIDED HEART

My heart is all over the place, divided between my family, friends, shoes, clothes, and God. We all have hundreds of things that divide our hearts. For the last few days I have been meditating on what is it to have an UNDIVIDED HEART.

I felt God saying, “Grace, you need to have an undivided heart”. A heart that is not distracted, a heart that will never compromise, a heart that will remain focus on God. A heart that is willing to give up anything, any person, any relationship because this heart is so in focus, so in love with God. It is called the undivided heart. The cry of my heart has been to have an undivided heart.

The heart means everything to our body and the situation of it can effect us spiritually, physically, mentally and emotionally. It says in Proverbs, “Above all else, guard your heart.” May be because the heart is our weakest point. We can have heartaches, disappointments, struggles, hassles and more that can cause us to be broken. Physically, we can carry on. But emotionally, we won’t be able. With those struggles, they can affect our devotion to the Lord. An undivided heart will be soon divided. Once a heart is broken into pieces, it does hurt, of course. A broken heart is a divided heart already. And that kind of heart loses it purpose. It will be dead. It won’t pump blood, it won’t beat, it won’t feel and it won’t be devoted to its Creator because it’s dead. But one great thing is for sure, God hears the cry of the broken. He can restore a broken heart and use it again for His purpose. Once He restores and heals my heart, then I can present it to the King again. This time I can present it as whole and without any distractions. I want to start securing an undivided heart to the Lord.

One good thing that we can do is, we quiet our hearts. It is because the Holy Spirit sometimes speaks in whisper; so when our lives, minds and specially the heart are busy, it can be hard to hear His voice. I want to allow God to show me how He feels about the condition of my heart; Seek Him with all my heart first, not a mate. Even if I have all the riches in life, all the best of friends and all the relationships in the world, but this is my assurance, I will never be completely happy and content with my life and with what I have. The truth is, there will still be a part in my life that can never be replaced or filled by anything in this world because only God can fill those emptiness and restore the broken. I pray that God will give me an undivided heart.

Sometimes it is difficult to secure an undivided heart to the Lord and enjoying life. Insecurities and discontentment still arises. But if we said we encountered God and have experienced His grace in an extreme way, we will be able to keep an undivided heart to the Lord and enjoy this season. A heart that is focused on God only. AN UNDIVIDED HEART!

Scripture verses:

“I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.” (Ezekiel 11: 18-21).

“Hear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy…Guard my life, for I am devoted to you…Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul…You are kind and forgiving, abounding in love to all who call to you…You are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God. Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” (Psalm 86: 1-6; 10,11)

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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

FALLEN HARDER THAN THE FIRST TIME

This poem was written in a tough phase of my life, where there were some mountains that I was climbing, and i fell badly again n again. I realised that this time i had fallen harder than the first time.


Fallen deep into a pit again,
No words can explain the pain,
Broken trusts and shattered dreams
Talks are filled with loud screams
Can anyone feel my heart ache?
Its way more than I can take
Coz i had Fallen harder than the 1st time!

i climb the mountain all over again
When i fall down it goes in vain
i do the things i know it will hurt
All thought it’s just rot and dirt
i think of the things i need 2 4get
Wish i get the right priorities set
Coz i had Fallen harder than the 1st time!

All i need is Your strength n grace
To lift me up n help me run this race
Coz faith in U can move any mountain
Your word is so true and so certain
I’m grateful for Your second chance
Allthough i had fallen harder than the 1st time!
My God is still in control of this life of mine!

Don't look at the mountains but look up to the God who made the mountains!!! =)
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Friday, October 12, 2012

PRIDE Vs BROKENESS


Just read something today... Pretty long...but so true...

Proud people focus on the failures of others.
Broken people are overwhelmed with a sense of their own spiritual need.

Proud people have a critical, fault-finding spirit; they look at everyone else’s faults with a microscope but their own with a telescope.
Broken people are compassionate; they can forgive much because they know how much they have been forgiven.

Proud people are self-righteous; they look down on others.
Broken people esteem all others better than themselves.

Proud people have an independent, self-sufficient spirit.
Broken people have a dependent spirit; they recognize their need for others.

Proud people have to prove that they are right.
Broken people are willing to yield the right to be right.

Proud people claim rights; they have a demanding spirit.
Broken people yield their rights; they have a meek spirit.

Proud people are self-protective of their time, their rights, and their reputation.
Broken people are self-denying.

Proud people desire to be served.
Broken people are motivated to serve others.


Proud people desire to be a success.
Broken people are motivated to be faithful and to make others a success.

Proud people desire self-advancement.
Broken people desire to promote others.

Proud people have a drive to be recognized and appreciated.
Broken people have a sense of their own unworthiness; they are thrilled that God would use them at all.

Proud people are wounded when others are promoted and they are overlooked.
Broken people are eager for others to get the credit; they rejoice when others are lifted up.

Proud people have a subconscious feeling, “This ministry/church is privileged to have me and my gifts”; they think of what they can do for God.
Broken people’s heart attitude is, “I don’t deserve to have a part in any ministry”; they know that they have nothing to offer God except the life of Jesus flowing through their broken lives.

Proud people feel confident in how much they know.
Broken people are humbled by how very much they have to learn.

Proud people are self-conscious.
Broken people are not concerned with self at all.

Proud people keep others at arms’ length.
Broken people are willing to risk getting close to others and to take risks of loving intimately.

Proud people are quick to blame others.
Broken people accept personal responsibility and can see where they are wrong in a situation.

Proud people are unapproachable or defensive when criticized.
Broken people receive criticism with a humble, open spirit.

Proud people are concerned with being respectable, with what others think; they work to protect their own image and reputation.
Broken people are concerned with being real; what matters to them is not what others think but what God knows; they are willing to die to their own reputation.

Proud people find it difficult to share their spiritual need with others.
Broken people are willing to be open and transparent with others as God directs.

Proud people want to be sure that no one finds out when they have sinned; their instinct is to cover up.
Broken people, once broken, don’t care who knows or who finds out; they are willing to be exposed because they have nothing to lose.


Proud people have a hard time saying, “I was wrong; will you please forgive me?”
Broken people are quick to admit failure and to seek forgiveness when necessary.

Proud people tend to deal in generalities when confessing sin.
Broken people are able to acknowledge specifics when confessing their sin.

Proud people are concerned about the consequences of their sin.
Broken people are grieved over the cause, the root of their sin.

Proud people are remorseful over their sin, sorry that they got found out or caught.
Broken people are truly, genuinely repentant over their sin, evidenced in the fact that they forsake that sin.

Proud people wait for the other to come and ask forgiveness when there is a misunderstanding or conflict in a relationship.
Broken people take the initiative to be reconciled when there is misunderstanding or conflict in relationships; they race to the cross; they see if they can get there first, no matter how wrong the other may have been.

Proud people compare themselves with others and feel worthy of honor.
Broken people compare themselves to the holiness of God and feel a desperate need for His mercy.

Proud people are blind to their true heart condition.
Broken people walk in the light.

Proud people don’t think they have anything to repent of.
Broken people realize they have need of a continual heart attitude of repentance.

Proud people don’t think they need revival, but they are sure that everyone else does.
Broken people continually sense their need for a fresh encounter with God and for a fresh filling of His Holy Spirit.


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Wednesday, October 10, 2012

THE UGLY PIT

I've kinda got myself back in the pit again lately. Oh, how I hate the pit. The place that I have been at many times before but I told myself I am never going to go back there again... I am in that place OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN. So when is the day that I will learn from my mistakes and my past and completely finish this journey through the wilderness? Will that day be soon? The feeling and the pain of my bad choices should have been done and over with a long time ago. Even though it's not good that I have been making bad choices and I have lost my focus. God is dealing with me about that but I believe God will use this pain and this season for His good.

To remember where I was last year, and then the year before, alot has changed and I have learned alot. I lost focus of God, the more I realized how screwed up I am. That's a good thing in a way that I realized that I am nothing without God and I desperately need His help in EVERY aspect of my life. But sometimes when I get the realization that I am just totally screwed up, it can bring me down when I lose my focus on God, and it starts that self-hate cycle that I’m trying to overcome.

I just want to enjoy life and the journey. But I have to go through this season first. God's not going to let me give up and He's not going to take the hard things away in life that I have to deal with. I just have to stay super focused and keep my eyes on God and go through.

The most important lesson that I learned through this journey is that my strength is directly connected to my relationship with God. If I lose my focus and stop seeking Him, I lose my strength. The times that I lost that focus, I choose to sin and make wrong decisions. Another lesson that I learned is seeking things will never make you happy. Only the joy of the Lord will make us happy. How many times have I been tempted by my flesh telling me that if you get that certain thing/person, it will make me satisfied, happy, content, etc..... Never happens.

I'm tired of being a screwed up mess. I know that I need to give my mess to God and let Him fight my battles for me. Just why is that so hard for my prideful self to do? Or, after I let the Lord fight a battle for me, I slowly take it back because now I think I can handle it on my own. It's like, ok thanks God, but now I can take care of it from here... And then I get myself back into the same hole that I came from. And that same hole is where I’m at now...I give up God… I give up handling things on my own! Please take control God!
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