Christmas Eve

Why is Christmas celebrated on December 25th? Christmas is a day where we celebrate the birth of Jesus. So that means Jesus' birthday must be on December 25th. Technically this is not necessarily correct as there is no evidence to suggest that, it is only a date that has been given by the early churches. The next question you may ask is: why God didn't tell us Jesus' birthday? The thing is He could have, but He didn't.

Everything God tells us is for a reason. God didn't tell us Jesus' birthday because I guess it wasn't important. The birth or the coming of Jesus instead should be something we celebrate and remember each day, not just once a year. Knowing when Jesus is born would not make a difference.

As you celebrate Christmas, remember the reason for the season. Jesus Christ came to this world to save us all. This is the greatest gift of all - salvation - but will you receive it?

Taste His Goodness

WOW! It's been an interesting couple of weeks. So much has happened, yet so little has been blogged (in fact none at all). Let's see, I'll begin with me starting my new job in North Sydney, this was on the first Monday of December. I was almost late, but thank God I got there in time. I spent half the day filling out forms and doing administrative stuff. There wasn't much I could do really, in fact I didn't do much at all until about Thursday or Friday of that week - I had to take over a project from one of the guys who was taking a holiday the following week. I had no idea what was going on and praise God that He gave me the wisdom to understand the project so that I could contribute in a positive way.

Praise God also that the work allowed to take one day off the following Monday for church camp. Church camp was awesome! (to say the least) I can't wait until next year's camp. Seriously if you've never been to Hope Church Camp, you ought to come, we even had visitors from overseas (New Zealand). We had plenty of fun, but also plenty of time to study the word and spend time getting to know God better and experiencing His goodness. The testimonies shared by the people there were just incredible! People were taken from the lowest to the highest, some came back to church and everyone was just blessed tremendously.

Some new things this year were the crown, which is a trophy and the winner (Mikkadesh) will get their team name engraved on one side of the trophy's base. The next 3 winners will get their names engraved in the other 3 sides. The winner of the "guardian angel" initiative received an iPod Shuffle! (more about guardian angel later). Finally souvenirs! We had ridiculously good-looking badges for everyone to buy, they were so popular that some were sold out. These badges were made by the team called "Unlimited Edition". There's going to be even more badges coming up so keep an eye out for them.

I can definitely say I have tasted the Lord's goodness over the past couple of weeks, what I have talked about is only half of it. When David said in Psalm 34:

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!" - Psalm 34:8

This means we need to really experience the Lord on a personaly level. You can't get someone to taste a food for you. Although you may have similar tastes, it is not the same as tasting it for yourself. It is only when you taste it for yourself do you get the complete picture. Using your senses you can begin to experience God because after all He is real! Words can only express such a limited set of feelings, we need to taste and see the Lord for ourselves to get the full picture. The more you experience Him, the more you will want to trust Him. One of His promises is that you will be blessed when you trust Him.

Thank you Lord for your blessings and allowing us to experience your goodness. Lord I trust that you will continue to guide my path and wherever you lead me, I know that I will be blessed. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Day Off

Thank you Lord for this wonderful day that I can just rest and not have to do any work (I'm sure I'll end up doing some work though). Yesterday was my last day at work for my old job. Next Monday I will be starting at my new job in North Sydney. It will be an interesting experience, praise God that He has opened the doors.

There's just so many things I could thank God for. Truly there is nothing impossible for God. I've heard testimonies where God has changed someone from nothing, from the lowest of lows, to becoming a someone and rising up to a new level. Truly I would not be here if it wasn't for the grace and mercy of God. I praise God for the wonderful church I have the priviledge of sharing this walk with God. Without the support of friends and family there is no way anyone could survive.

If you're feeling like you can't go on anymore, just want to encourage you that there is still hope and always will be. Look to Jesus, He will take you from the pits to glory after glory. Keep going, don't give up!

The Lord Will Bless

"The LORD will give strength to His people; The LORD will bless His people with peace." - Psalm 29:11

Wow this is an amazing promise from the word of truth, which is 100% reliable. The Lord will give strength to His people to His people. So who are His people? You are His people, when you have accepted Jesus Christ into your heart, you accept the entry into the kingdom of God. At the same time, you also accept the power of Jesus into your life. This power includes the strength:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

and blessings:

"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:19

How good is that? We will never be able to gain entry into God's kingdom on our own. No matter how good of a person we are, it is never good enough. But by the grace of God, He sent His Son as a living sacrifice to atone for all our sins and break the bondage of sin in our lives.

Thank you Jesus for all that you have sacrificed - your life, your everything. Just so that you could save a sinner like me. I'm sorry Lord for the sins that I have committed, help me to learn from my mistakes. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Recharge

How does a battery work? Batteries don't last forever on a single charge. A battery must be charged and when the power is used up it must be recharged again. Likewise we cannot survive without recharging ourselves. How do we recharge? Pray and wait upon the Lord.

Yesterday I decided to go around my neighbourhood (door knocking) to sell the fundraising chocolates. I prayed that I would sell all the chocolates. Yesterday I took one box with me, after going around one block I sold over half of what I had in the box. Praise God. The best part was not that I was able to sell the chocolates, but I got to invite 2 people to come to Church/Youthopea.

Also I have recorded yet another personal best for the 5km run - 26 min 12 secs. However I am falling behind in reaching my goal of 12 runs in a month. Yesterday I didn't think I could run a PB, because there was just problems popping up along the way. I got a slight stitch around the halfway mark. At 500m to go my laces got undone and I did get distracted a little. God reminded me though that although problems come up as we walk with God, don't get distracted by them. Focus not on your problems, but on the task at hand and the goal. So that's what I did, I just focused on my run and praise God I recorded the PB.

"Save Your people, And bless Your inheritance; Shepherd them also, And bear them up forever." - Psalm 28:9

I pray that I will be able to go to more houses and to reach out to everyone around my neighbourhood. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Sleep Deprived

For the past week or so, I've only been getting about 5 hours of sleep each night. For some this might be heaps, but for me this is nowhere near enough. I normally need at least 7 hours of sleep. Although I'm so tired right now, by coming to God, He gives rest and strengthens me.

Coffee doesn't work on me. Last night I had the strongest coffee I had ever. It was a jelly which was basically straight coffee. I ate about half a cup of that, even after that I was still able to fall asleep so easily. Sometimes hot coffee even makes me even more sleepy.

Praise God that He never fails to keep His promise. They say coffee theoretically keeps you awake, but fact is always changing. However with God, He is truth, truth that is everlasting.

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

Don't Stress

Why do you stress? Is it because you have a really hard exam coming up? Or maybe you've been put under alot of pressure at work. Our capabilities are limited, there's not much we can do about that ourselves. However God did not expect us to live on our own.

Psalm 23 talks about God being the shepherd. It highlights who God is and who we are in God. Only through God can we have the provision, peace and pardon. Then in verse 5 in talks about God as a comforter, He wants to be there with you, in times of good as well as bad. God prepares the way for you, we may be able to plan our way, but ultimately it is God who needs to prepare the way for us. Finally, the Lord provides us with the life that we were created for.

Whatever it is, don't stress, you're not alone. Allow God to be the shepherd in your life.

A Common Goal

I have been using the Nike+iPod kit for a couple of weeks now and I thoroughly enjoy it. Just recently I found out that Nike actually has special events where people run as a group to reach the required goal. Through these things Nike has donated to charity (eg. 1 mile = $1). I think this is just a great idea. Imagine people from all over the world, reaching for a common goal. That is what we are called to do, we cannot do things on our own.

On Sunday our pastor gave the analogy of a snowflake. A single snowflake is one of nature's most fragile thing. Yet when combined together they can be one of the most destructive elements. We were not made to do things on our own, when God made Adam he said "it is not good for man to be alone". I am just thankful that I have such an encouraging church, who is there to help and support me in whatever the situation.

Empowered

The last couple of days I have been feeling very tired. I'm not sure whether it's a lack of sleep or whether I'm doing too much. It's easy when we do feel tired to ask God for strength and to rely on Him. But many times when we should have asked for His strength, but we fail to. We think we can live life on our own strength, however we can only live life to the full with the strength of God.

"But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." - Acts 1:8

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

We CAN do ALL things, but only through CHRIST who strengthens us. Life and power comes from the Lord. We do not generate our own power, but it is received from the Lord. The very breath that we breathe is borrowed from God, He could easily take it away in an instant.

Lord thank you that you have empowered us to live life to the full. Continue to strengthen me Lord so that I may a witness to you, everywhere I go. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Trust in What?

Who or what do we rely on to give us strength each day? Yesterday I was really touched to put my full trust in the Lord. The story is that I had been planning to go for my drivers license test (Driver Qualification Test) to get my full license. Week after week I would put it off, until on Thursday I remembered that my license actually expires in November. It turns out that it actually expired on the 12th of November which was just last Sunday.

My first reaction was of panic, I thought I would have to sit through the Provisional license test again! Thank God that I didn't and so the next day I went to the RTA first thing in the morning to do the test. I was thinking, if I didn't pass the test I would just renew my license, no big deal. In my mind I didn't want to renew my license, I believed God would help me through it.

I had not done any study except flipping through the notes because it was too boring to read. I can definitely say I trusted in the Lord with all my heart. I believe if it wasn't for Him I would not have passed the exam. The most amazing thing, was that I got a PERFECT score (100%), the lady there was surprised somewhat, because not many people get 100%.

Praise God, He is awesome!

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God." - Psalm 20:7

New Look

Well after almost 2 years since I've started using blogger, I've finally changed the look of my blog. This was due to the fact that I have now migrated over to the new Blogger beta and so I thought I'd try out the new layout customization. I think it doesn't look too bad at all, and the interface was not too bad. Although there were a few quirks, but having a bad line on my end didn't help either.

I haven't been blogging as much, sometimes the reason could be I just decided to read the word and worship God. Other times I've just gotten up late and so I have to rush to get to work on time. Often times it can be like that especially for working people, either we are just too busy and can't afford to spend time with God or we are so busy that we get tired and just don't feel like spending time with God.

You might think that it's a waste of time, but the truth is, you can't afford NOT to spend time with God. To be able to live a righteous life, our relationship with God must grow. The only way a relationship can grow is if you spend time with the other person. By growing in the Lord our spiritual lives are also strengthened. By being strong spiritually, it will translate to our physical lives.

Lord I pray that I would not fail to always remember to put you first, no matter how busy I am. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Faith To Live

What is faith? I watched an episode of House MD where they treated a "faith healer" who is used by God to heal the sick. Of course House does not believe in such things and calls him a lunatic. One of the things he says: "faith is ignorance". Well how would you live without faith? we need to have faith in different aspects of our lives. We need to have faith that the next time we take a breath there will be oxygen, we need faith that when we sit on a chair it will hold us up, we need faith that when we cross a bridge it won't crumble. It is impossible to live life without faith.

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." - 1 Corinthians 1:18

For people who have not received Jesus, the word of God is foolishness. It is only through the holy spirit can their eyes be opened to the truth. However for us who have been saved it it the power of God. We have that power, which is why we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Not by our own might, but by the power of God.

When we put our faith in God, we are not relying on what we can do, we like to be in control, but we need to let go and let God do His work in our lives. When we go to the beach, it's comfortable to just walk along the shore because we have full control, but when we go further into the water until we are no longer touching the sand, we have much less control and the waves begin to dictate where we go.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6

Allow God to take the reins of your life. See what He sees, not what you see.

Lord take my life and use it for your glory, thank you God that you have an awesome plan for my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

One Hope, One Way

You think that life is hopeless.
You think that your toils are useless.
There is a hope, there is a way.
God gave His Son that we may,
Receive salvation and His glorious riches.
His name is none other than Jesus.
- Written by: Victor (me)

Praise God! I hope these words have blessed you.

Hope Mission Centre has started a building project and it would be awesome if people could contribute by donating to the fund. To find out more about this project, please visit http://www.hopemissioncentre.com

Come Back

When we go through tough times and it seems like God is not there, it can be difficult. You start to wonder, where are you God? I don't feel you anymore...why is this happening?

But what really is happening is that you are the one that has left God, sometimes out of our own fleshly desires we leave God to satisfy our own cravings. Then when we hit problems, we ask why? If you want a reason, it's simply because you have decided to leave God.

God will never leave us nor forsake us, He would never let the devil snatch us from His hands, but we have a choice to move away from Him. Don't blame God when we face the consequences of our own actions. The only way we can be forgiven and restored is if we come back to Him.

Lord thank you for your unfailing love for us, that no matter how much we disobey you, no matter how much we have hurt you, yet you are willing to take us back with open arms. Forgive me Lord for the times that I have failed you, I pray that you would help me to be strengthened and not make the same mistakes again. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Don't Be A Wuss

What do we do when problems and trials come our way? Do we run away or do we stand up and face them? By ourselves we are not very strong, but if we have God on our side who can be against us?

"In the LORD I put my trust; How can you say to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain"?" - Psalm 11:1

So if we have the Lord on our side, if we put our trust in the Lord, then why do we still run away from our problems? This doesn't mean putting your trust in the Lord. When we trust in the Lord, we trust that our God is big enough to take us through the problems, to help us to overcome any obstacle.

God wants to be involved in your life, whether it be your school, work or anything. God is not someone that you just meet once a week. Whatever problems at work, school, home or anything else, you can speak to God about them. God has helped me numerous times to solve certain problems I had at work, also He's helped me at Uni, especially with my thesis.

Lord thank you that you are always there for us, I pray Lord that I would put my trust more and more in You rather than my own abilities. Make me a man and not a wuss, who runs away at the sight of a problem. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Refuge

"The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, A refuge in times of trouble." - Psalm 9:9

God is a just God, He doesn't believe in poverty, discrimination or anything like that. Which is why, whenever we are oppressed or we are facing a problem. The Lord is there with open arms to take care of us. We can see there are so many problems and so many people in this world facing oppression. Not only in the physical, but in the spiritual. What are we doing about it?

Lord help me to help those that need you. Use me to feed the hungry, heal the sick and give to the needy. In physical or spiritual, bless me so that I can bless others. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Miniscule

If you think about it, the universe is so big, we haven't even seen 1% of it. So in the grand scheme of things, we are just a microscopic speck. Imagine you had something like an iPod. On the iPod there's the metal case, the screen, the circuit boards. Then if you go even deeper, you'll find different types of bacteria on it and specks of dust. That's similar to how we are compared to the universe.

The awesome thing is: God still cares for you, no matter how insignificant you are, God actually made you to be just a little below the angels.

"For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor." - Psalm 8:5

It's amazing to think that God, the almighty, would care for people like us, and go to all the trouble to save us, so that we can be with Him.

Thank you God!

Garage Sale

Today and in the coming weeks, Hope Church will be having a garage sale. In the bible, people gave up everything to be given to those in need.

"Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need." - Acts 4:34-35

This is essentially similar to what we are doing. The church members have donated their possessions so that they can be sold and having the proceeds go to the church. The main focus will be the Hope Church Building. The building alone costs $610,000, plus more for the renovations that we need to do.

We can apply this same principle in our lives, we are selfish people, so it is hard most times to share the things that we have. However when we do share, you will certainly not lack. To us this doesn't make sense, because God says, give and you will have more. Sounds like a contradiction, but that's because we've been brought up to think that giving means we have less.

Lord thank you for all the people who have shared with me, I pray that you bless them abundantly and overflowing that they won't be able to contain it. I pray that the garage sale will be a success and that you will have your way. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Life Involves Risks

Living life to the full involves taking risks, imagine if we never took any risks and each step we took was pre-meditated. It would be very boring, because you could always tell what was going to happen next. Sometimes to make it big, we need to take risks, eg. the companies and businessmen they invest into "things" in the hope that the "thing" will do well and they'll get their returns. However there is always the risk that the "thing" will not do so well and they have just lost millions of dollars that they've invested.

Compare that to someone who only invests a few thousand dollars, because they know that they will gain for sure, even though it's only a little. The sowing and reaping principle can be applied here. The more you sow, the more you reap. I think one of the biggest factors for small businesses to thrive, is having people to invest in it. Not just a few thousand, but millions, basically giving their all. In the end there will be two scenarios, either they will go bankrupt or they will be successful. The result depends on who we invest in.

Jesus wants us to give our all to Him, as He has done for us. Jesus died for us, risking the fact that people would not accept Him. We have the responsibility to accept Him and although it may be a risk to us, because of our background, families and friends. There is no other purpose in life.

God Hears Your Prayer

There is alot of bad things happening in this world, war in Iraq, terrorism, racism. People think why would God allow such things, well the fact is that He doesn't want those things to happen to us, but they are there because this world is full of sin and people have made a decision not to obey God.

However even through our disobedience God can still forgive us, there is not a sin too great for God to forgive. The only thing we need to do is come back to Him. When we pray and cry out to Him, our prayers are heard.

Whatever your needs are, cry out to God, come to Him and He will hear your prayers, just like how He heard the prayers of Israel when they were enslaved by the Egyptians.

Thank you Lord that you care so much about us that you hear each and every one of our prayers. I pray that you would meet my needs for today Lord and that I can be a blessing to the people around me. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

New Job, New Year

I have confirmed that I will be starting at my new job on the 4th of December. Praise God, prayer really works! The company is bigger than my current company now, and I will be getting more pay. The best thing about it, is that I will meet new people that I can witness to.

Another testimony I have is that, I am now officially 23 years young! Praise God that He has brought me this far. I still can't fathom the fact that I am 23! that's twenty-three!...

God is awesome, He has been so good. Thank you Lord, I pray that you would help me to become stronger as I grow more and more in you and as I walk with you. Forgive me Lord for the sins I have committed, help me to learn from my mistakes. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Education

Education is important, even Jesus had to go through a period of learning. Had he not done that, He would not have known the scriptures to be able to fight the devil, and to teach in the synagogues. Sometimes we see education as a chore, something we must do, even though we don't really want to. Education plays a big part in your life, without education you cannot grow in knowledge and wisdom.

"But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge" - 2 Peter 1:5

I'm glad I did university, from my degree I have gained the skills necessary to make me someone that is useful in my workplace. If you live a country where education is freely given, think about all the other children living in third-world countries who don't have the luxury of free education. We have education and yet we want to throw it away. Learn to appreciate the education that you have, because through it, you will have the chance to become great one day.

Technology

Being a computer engineer I have always worked with technology, and so it has always been normal for me to be able to do all the cool things I do. One client my work has was amazed at how you could control a computer remotely. Whereas the engineers like myself would never think of it like that.

It's like that when you've been a Christian for so long, you get so "used to it" that you forget how amazing your life is compared to what it used to be. You forget that feeling of salvation when you first accepted Jesus into your hearts. Blogger seems to be having problems, but I'm glad God is always there, no matter what. Even though you may not appreciate Him, God is always faithful, for he loves each and everyone of us unconditionally.

Give thanks for everything that you have no matter how big or small.
"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Thank you Jesus for the amazing life you have given me and I know that the journey is still a long way to go. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Eternal Gladness and Peace

We all want to be glad, we want to be happy. However nothing in this world can truly give us true happiness, because everything in this world is temporal. Only Jesus can give us true happiness because:

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." - Hebrews 13:8

God is not limited and so happiness from God is not limited.

There are many people in this world that live their lives with great sadness, either because they don't have Christ in them or they have yet to receive the joy that is from the Lord. When we are Christians we have the right to be able to receive joy. It is the fruit of the spirit. Many people don't have this joy because of the way people treat them. People long to be loved by other people, they want others to be nice to them.

"There are many who say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us." - Psalm 4:6

Other people are humans just like us, they are not perfect, they still make mistakes. We can't totally rely on others to be our happiness. However Jesus will never betray you, God will never leave you nor forsake you.

Thank you Lord that we can have full confidence in you, that you will never leave us nor forsake us. Lord I pray that as I live each day, may the joy that is from you radiate through my life. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Job Interview

This afternoon I will be going for a job interview at Digitus Information Systems. I'm not really sure what to expect, but I believe that God has already gone before me. Whatever doors are meant to be opened, He will open, and likewise whatever doors need to be closed, He will close.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

If you lack wisdom today, ask God to give you wisdom in whatever area it is and He will give it to you. God is not stingy, He wants to bless you.

Thank you Lord for the interview I have today, thank you Lord that you have made the way before me. I ask Lord that you would grant me wisdom for this interview. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

No Pain, No Gain

Throughout the book of Job, we see that Job is basically stripped of everything, his property, his livestock, even his family and friends go against him. We need to understand that when we face a trial, it is required so that we may be able to grow. For us to get stronger we need to exercise and as the saying goes "no pain, no gain".

Whenever we come to a problem it is easy to just give up and let the problem take over. However if we have God in us, who can be against us. There is not a problem too big for God.

"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" - Romans 8:31

For a plant to grow it must go through the harsh conditions of the weather, the hot sun, the thundering rain. This is why it is important that we make sure we are firmly rooted in Jesus. Only through Jesus can we get through these trials and problems in our lives. If it wasn't for Jesus, I would have caved in a long time ago, but because of Him, I am able to keep going, from glory to glory.

Lord, I thank you that you are a dependable God. Thank you God that through the trials and problems in my life that you use them to help me to grow and become more like you. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Behemoth

Behemoth is thought to be one of the strongest animals known. The description given from the book of Job:

"Look now at the behemoth, which I made along with you;
He eats grass like an ox.
See now, his strength is in his hips,
And his power is in his stomach muscles.
He moves his tail like a cedar;
The sinews of his thighs are tightly knit.
His bones are like beams of bronze,
His ribs like bars of iron." - Job 40:15-18

Many times we challenge God, thinking that we know what's best and God doesn't. Human nature is selfish and so we always want to do things for ourselves. In the book of Job, God challenges him saying:

"He is the first of the ways of God;
Only He who made him can bring near His sword." - Job 40:19

God is saying I am the creator of all things, man cannot dare to bring down a behemoth because of its incredible strength. Only He who made him has control over it. Man may think they are oh so powerful, but God still reigns supreme.

I have had many successes in life, from doing well in school and university to being able to accomplish tasks I have been assigned at work. When we do things and we do them well, don't fall into the trap of feeling that you can do anything on your own and you don't need God. Without God we cannot do anything. Only through Jesus Christ can we accomplish what we have and will accomplish.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Lord, humble me as your child and servant. Only you have power over all things and that only through Christ that I can do all things. Strengthen me each day to do your will. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Heroes

I'm sure we all have people we look up to in our lives. When I was young, my hero was Michael Jordan because I loved basketball and he was very good at it. When we think about heroes, we think about people who are powerful, someone who can stand up and save the day. Some friends have told me that there is a new TV show now in America called "Heroes" and it's about these so called "ordinary" people having special powers. This is a typical image an a hero from our perspective.

Jesus is another hero of mine, but not only is he a hero because of his greatness, but because he actually played a part in my life to take me where I am now. The Jews were expecting a Messiah to come and free them from the Roman empire, so they pictured someone big and strong. However God had other ideas. Throughout the bible God tends to use people who are weak, because when we are weak, God is made strong in us.

"Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 12:10

Jesus came and no one could believe that He was the Saviour of Mankind. Who could believe it when He ended up submitting to the Roman authority and dying in the most shameful way. How could a hero end up dying, it doesn't make sense.

Although Jesus died after 3 days, He rose from the dead to claim His victory. God works in wonderful ways, sometimes we just don't understand until the plan is complete. Jesus is the ultimate hero, because He has conquered death itself. No other person on this earth I know can do what Jesus did, not Buddha, not Mohammed, or anyone else who claims that they have the "truth". For the only truth comes from Jesus.

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

So who is your hero?

Being a Rebel

Why do kids rebel against their parents or teachers? Usually it's because they want to be different, they want to have their own identity. Guess what? by rebelling, they have conformed to the world's standards. To be truly against the flow, we need to look at how Jesus lived his life.

"To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also. And from him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either." - Luke 6:29

What he says is Luke 6 is not an easy thing to swallow. Jesus is totally against the grain of the world. This is what being different means, to be different means we go against what the world says we should do. Rather than revenge, we should love our enemies, give and don't expect anything back. This is what Christianity is all about, it's about going against worldly standards and living up to the high standards set by God.

Lord help me to be different, change my heart so that I may be obedient to your word. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Created For You

"Praise the LORD!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!
Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all you stars of light!
Praise Him, you heavens of heavens,
And you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the LORD,
For He commanded and they were created." - Psalm 148:1-5

Praise God! He created the whole earth and everything in it from nothing. The more you think about it, the more you can see and realise just how great is our God. He made things to fit together so well, the trees, the sky, the ground and everything else. Don't forget He also made you, and you are good because all things are made good.

It doesn't matter if people tell you you're ugly, they don't see you like God does. You are beautiful and handsome in God's eyes. Then why do we see so much evil in the world? That is because of sin, once sin enters, the pure creation becomes murky and dirty.

Thank you God that you have created everything and you love us above all things - to the point that you sent your Son to die for us. Thank you God that everything you created was for us!

The Greatest Need

What do you think is your greatest need? Is it to be healed from your sickness? Is it financial needs? Peace in the family and your life? You may think that these are important to you, but God knew that our greatest need is to be forgiven for our sins. That's why God came up with such an idea that shows His selflessness - sending His one and only son to die in our place.

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." - Matthew 6:33

When we come to God, the first thing we should be asking for is for God to forgive us and to make us righteous before Him. When we seek His righteousness, God will bless us with other things like finances, health, etc. This shows that we need to come to God with the right attitude and the right heart.

Lord forgive me of my sins, make me righteous before you. Let my life be your light unto the world. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The Walk of Faith

A Christian's life can be described as one - a walk of faith. That's what God wants us to do, to walk each day with faith in Him, that in every situation, we put our faith in Him, no matter how big or small the situation is. Having faith means to put our trust in Him completely. We cannot please God without faith.

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." - Hebrews 11:6

If you think about it, you can't live without no faith. You must have some sort of faith, whether it be in God or in other things (or maybe in a number of things). If you had no faith whatsoever, you would not be sitting down on the chair right now. You had to do that in faith knowing that the chair will hold you up.

But you say this is different from having faith in God because you already know that the chair is not going to collapse, not true. If you had never ever heard of a chair or even sat in a chair you wouldn't be as certain. Likewise we need to experience God, the more we experience Him, the more faith we will have in Him. Don't discount things before you try them, and you certainly can't afford to discount God from your life.

Undo (Ctrl-Z or Command-Z)

Don't you wish sometimes that y0u could just press the undo button for your life? Maybe you've said something you shouldn't have, or maybe you offended someone. I know I have many times and many times I wish I could just undo it and do it all again. Unfortunately there is no undo button, but there is a way to receive hope and everlasting peace for the future no matter what atrocities or crimes you've committed.

"Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Think of yourself like a piece of white paper, at first God made you to be pure and holy. When you sin you cause yourself to get dirty or even ripped. It's hard to undo the damage, no matter how much you try to tape all the bits of paper back together again. Although it might get close, but it is never good enough for God's standards.

Thankfully there is a way, and that is through Jesus. If we receive Him, Jesus will take away that old and run down piece of paper and make you a clean sheet of paper once again.

Thank you Jesus that I am a new creation in you. Lord forgive me of my sins and help me to be wise and not sin anymore, but instead let me shine your light unto the world. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Stagnancy

We live in a society that is so blessed compared to many places around the world. We have access to drinking water, social welfare, abundance of food, shelter and most even have the luxuries of owning a car, a computer and so on. God has given us so much, but do you know that the more you have the more responsibility you need to have? God bless us with things like money just so we can have fun. Sure it's ok to have fun, but we need to be good stewards, by being wise in how that money is being used.

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey." - Matthew 25:14-15

The parable of the talents paints a picture of a master giving his servants some of his wealth to take care of. Being wise does not mean we just make sure nothing happens to the talent we have been given by hiding it. When we hide our gifts and abilities and don't use practise it, they will never develop and grow. You may think that hiding your money in a box somewhere means that you keep it safe, but in the end if it's not growing, it's actually shrinking. In the sense of wealth, things like depreciation and tax would eventually cause it to lose in value.

"Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord's money." - Matthew 25:16-18

Likewise the less we use our gifts and abilities, whether it be sporting or musical, over time we start to lose that ability or at least we lose the proficiency we once had. Like when I started to play guitar, there is a big difference when I played everyday to when I only practised every few days or even once a week. By not practicing as much, my skills are no longer improving as much as it was before. Over time you can even forget how to play certain things.

"So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents." - Matthew 25:27-28

We need to keep moving with the Lord, we can't be stagnant, because it means we are moving backwards. Like a car on a steep hill, if you don't press the accelerator/gas, you will roll back down again. God knows your capabilities, he wont give you a hill you can't climb, but we also need to be diligent and not complacent in our walk with God.

Thank you Lord God for the gifts and talents you have given me. I pray that I will use them for your glory that they may multiply and bring you even more glory. In Jesus name. Amen.

God Speaks To Everyone

God can speak to anyone, even people who are not Christians!

"Then the LORD called yet again, "Samuel!"
So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, "Here I am, for you called me." He answered, "I did not call, my son; lie down again." (Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, nor was the word of the LORD yet revealed to him.)" - 1 Samuel 3:6-7

This is how people's hearts can be changed through the power of God and the Holy Spirit. We need to pray for our friends and relatives so that God will speak to them and move their hearts. When we bring someone to the Lord, it is not by our own strenght, but by the power of God.

We need to be wise and remember that God can speak through non-Christians as well as other Christians. Just because they are a non-Christian we totally disregard their advice or point of view. We need to ask God for wisdom so that we may discern between right and wrong.

How Do We Love?

Do you love them by buying things for them? Maybe paying for their dinner. Spending time with them. Always saying nice things. Calling them up and sending them text messages. Giving them a hug. All these things are valid points when we want to show our love for another person. However there is something much deeper that goes on before you can truly love a person.

The bible tells us what love is:
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

But there is still the root of love, which comes from knowing someone. You cannot love a person without first knowing them. The more you know the person, the more you begin to see their character and their personality and the more you can love them for who they are. Likewise when loving God, it all comes down to how much do we know about Him? Are we taking the time to read His word to get to know Him better. Do we pray enough to communicate with God?

Lastly, we need to love for God is love. If we don't love then we don't have God.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

Notice that love is choice and not a feeling, you choose to love someone, you choose to show love for someone. It is not whether you feel like you're in love. When God says we need to love, it means we need to be shining the love of God through our lives.

Thank you Jesus that you showed the ultimate act of love that You came to the earth as a human being and died just so we could be with You. Lord help me to love others and also help me to be wise with the time I have, by spending time with You and taking the time to pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pay Attention

Most people like to have things their own way, because they think they know best. We make decisions everyday based on logic, based on what we think makes sense. What do we do when that still small voice inside of us speaks to us? Do we pay attention to it and even listen to it? That is God speaking to you. God knows what is best for you, even though you may not see it, but in the end, God's decision always turns out to be the best for His people.

""For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

We are only mere mortals, what right do we have to argue against the almighty God? There is no limit in what God can do.

Lead me Lord in your ways for your ways is the best for my life. Forgive me Lord for the times that I have ignored you. Teach me Lord to always be obedient to you. In Jesus name. Amen.

No Fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Why do we get scared? Maybe because we think something bad will happen. However as Children of God, there is no reason to fear, there is no reason to be afraid of anything. Jesus has conquered sin and He has even conquered death itself.

"knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him." - Romans 6:9

What then is there to be afraid of? We need to realise that we already have the victory in Jesus Christ. Don't let the devil make you think otherwise, he will try to put doubt and fear into your mind, but it is all a lie. The devil is called the father of all lies. Let us learn to live a life with no fear, but full of the peace of God.

Thank you Jesus that you died and rose again for us, and because of that we can have the same victory over sin and over satan. Lord help me to live life with no fear, but with your power, of love and of a sound mind. In Jesus name. Amen.

Living Sacrifice

Back in the day, in the days of Abraham, Moses, Elijah and all the other prophets. They had it so much harder. If people wanted to pray to God, they had to first go through a high priest, who would have to walk into the "holy of holies" and he needed to be clean (righteous) before God or he would be struck down as soon as he enters the holy place. This holy place was where God made His presence.

Then if the people wanted to repent from their sins they would need to offer a blood sacrifice from a clean animal, e.g. goat or lamb. This sacrifice was so that the punishment for sin could be taken away.

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to come down to the earth as flesh. Jesus came as our high priest, He was now the way we could reach God. Jesus also became our lamb, who died to take our punishment for the sins we have committed. Now the animals, once sacrificed would stay dead, however when Jesus died He rose again, conquering death and so that is why we call Him the living sacrifice.

When we receive Him into our hearts that same Jesus is living in us, that same power is also in us, we have victory over anything imaginable, even death. For one day we will leave this earth to live eternally with our heavenly Father. There is one thing people cannot avoid, that is death, but you can choose where you will be for eternity.

Perfection

Is it impossible to be perfect? Many people would agree it is. However God calls us to be more like Him, to be righteous, to be perfect. Wait a minute, didn't we just say it is impossible to be perfect? Well you see that is another lie of the devil, the devil says we can't be perfect, but God says we can!

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" - Matthew 5:48

We shall be perfect, through our faith in Jesus Christ. Don't let the devil let you think otherwise.

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." - 1 Peter 5:10

Let's strive to live a life that is perfect and pleasing to God, although we may still make mistakes, we need to repent and turn from our sins.

Lord help me to live a life that is pleasing in your eyes, let me live not by the standards of the world but by your standards which is above the world. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

True Wisdom

Do you desire wisdom and understanding? What kind of things are you doing to attain it? The bible says that wisdom can only come from God, for God is an omniscient God and after all He was the one that created the world and each one of us. God's ways are much higher than us, we just cannot understand it.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

So how can we attain wisdom? By revering and fearing God, and obeying His commands.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever." - Psalm 111:10

God is not a stingy God, He will give willingly. He wants to give, but whether you want to receive it is another thing.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

Sharpen One Another

"As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." - Proverbs 27:17

When I first read about this verse, I first thought it to deal with men to work together, to bond with each other and help each other out. But really what it's saying is that, everyone should be doing it, not just men, for God does not believe in sexism. As Christians we have the responsibility to grow spiritually, but we can do so much more with others than just by ourselves.

As the saying goes '2 heads is better than 1'. When we begin to share our experiences to others, and likewise listen to others, we begin to learn more about God through others and by confessing what we have done, we allow our spirit to be lifted. So lets be people that seek to lift and encourage others, rather than ignoring the chance when it presents itself.

Plan Things Out

"Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations." - Proverbs 27:23-24

We need to know the state of the things that we have, so this may include money, time, possessions. We need to be wise to be able to manage our finances, time and other things, so that we don't run into problems. Basically we need to learn to plan things out, rather than just go with the excuse that "God will provide". Sure God will provide, but we need to be doing our part as well and not be lazy.

Planning may include building a budget so that you know what you are spending and what you are receiving, and plan it out so that you don't over spend and you are able to pay your bills on time. By planning for the worst, will allow us to always be ready to attend to whatever problems may arise. It could be that your computer's hard drive suddenly fails and you need to go out to buy a new one. Whatever it is you can rest assured that you are ready.

Although we plan our time and finances, our finances will not last forever. So we cannot make the mistake of depending on our finances more than we depend on God. You cannot assume that if you are well off with finances, that all your generations will be ok. Things happen, according to the will of God, there is no coincidence.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Refined

"Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. " - Isaiah 48:10

For silver to be made perfect, it needs to go through a refinement process where all the defects are taken out. Likewise our lives were full of defects before we accepted Christ, but as we allow God to work in us. He is continnually refining our lives so that one day we can be like Him. Being refined is not an easy thing, in fact it hurts, to go through problems and affliction. In the end the rewards are far more than worth it.

Lord I know that you are continually refining me each day, even though it may hurt, I only know that it is for the best. Strengthen me and help me not to stray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount on wings like the eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint" - Isaiah 40:31

Today I didn't have a good day with my body, felt really sick all over. Feels like I've got a fever or something. My body is sore, I've got a headache and my stomach feels yucky. The only thing I can be happy about is the fact that God has promised He will renew my strength if I wait upon Him. The devil can do what he likes, but he has already lost! Hallelujah!

What are you waiting for?

Do you know where you will be going after leaving this world? Everyone has sinned and fall short of God's standard, but He is so gracious that He gave His son to die for us on the cross. So that through Jesus' death we may receive salvation.

The world has it's own standard, and alot of people even though they have not received Jesus live a very comfortable life. Some might even say, better than Christians, however what constitutes a better life? If they don't have Jesus they still have an emptiness in their hearts, they still lack looking forward to one day living eternally with the Father. Instead they will have eternal death.

"Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter." - Proverbs 24:11

Imgine seeing your relatives and friends being taken to the slaughter, if we had a heart for them we would not want to see them go to such a place. Alot of the times the only chance that people will get to know Jesus is through you. So what are you waiting for?

My Focus

What is your focus in life? Is it to get the best job possible, so you can earn lots of money? Or is it to be famous and admired by others? Or maybe you don't have a focus at all. It is important to have a focus and a goal, without a focus, we would just be swayed to and fro with what the world throws at us. My focus is to do the will of the father, this includes spending time with God, making sure I fulfill my duties that have been given to me by the church, to always encourage others, to pray, and list goes on.

I have to admit that sometimes I do slack off, I'm not perfect, but whatever happens, I need to continually come back to the right track. How do we know when we are on the right track? Only through God can we be sure that we are on the right track.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." - Psalm 16:9

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

Only in God can we have a future and hope. Only in God can we find true purpose and meaning in life. Money is of no use when you die, similarly fame and power. If you're not living for God, then what/who are you living for?

Power To Bless

God has blessed us with many things, among those is the power and authority we have in Jesus. This power and authority God has given us, was intended to be used so that we could help others who are weak and to bless those who need to be blessed. God doesn't want His people to keep hoarding the blessings He has given to them, but rather to be a channel of blessing to the people around us.

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." - Luke 6:38

When we give to others, it allows God to bless us with even more things. Think of it like a cup, God can easily fill up your cup to the full, but if you just keep it to yourself any blessing God wants to give you, will be missed because the cup will not contain it. However when you start giving the contents of the cup to others, God will no doubt fill it right back up again. The size of your cup depends on your faith in God.

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." - Romans 12:3

How much do you love me?

That is the question Jesus asks. We know how much God loves you, He loved you so much that He sacrificed Himself to die for you. He didn't get someone else to do it, but He made it a personal thing. How much you love someone can be determined by how much you are willing to give up for that person. God gave up everything.

"knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ut with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." - 1 Peter 1:18-19

So the question is, how much are you willing to give up for God?

Limited World

The world has its limits. Scientists have predicted that the end of the world will come, planet Earth is not going to last forever. So it is important what we put our faith into, do we put it into the world or God. By putting your faith in the world it means to let things like money, career, property and other things rule your life. Essentially you live life tso that you can have all these things, because it is what our human nature wants.

"Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world." - Galatians 4:3

However our human nature is selfish, it only seeks to please one self. Before becoming a Christian that was my behaviour, I would always do things for myself. By receiving God, He has broken the bondage that came from ruling my own life. Now I have Jesus to rule my life, and I cannot think of a better person to do it.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

New Life

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

The old life was a life that was controlled by the flesh and sin, by receiving Jesus we allow Him to take control of our lives and to get us back on track. This new life we have in Him is eternal (or everlasting), it does not end. Not only is this new life eternal, it is also of the highest quality of life. When you believe you are no longer a sinner, but you are now a child of God, free from all sin. Believing doesn't make you perfect, but it starts you on the right track to becoming perfect.

Lead The Way

Lord I need you to always lead the way for me, because only you can show me the right way and the best way. When we pray we allow God to go before us, Jesus is the only way to God. As we walk in His ways, we will eventually reap the blessings that God has for us. The reason why we might not be blessed is because we keep insisting to go our own ways.

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

Let God lead you to His glorious riches, we always have hope as Christians, even though we may not receive what we have asked for on earth, we will receive it in heaven.

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." - Romans 5:5

Unconditional Love

That is the kind of love God has for us, so as God loves us in this way. We ought to love others in the same way. I need to especially show the love for the people whom I live with - my family. Sometimes it's hard when they dissappoint you, but that's why they call it unconditional love, it is love with no conditions. No matter how many times people stuff up, we need to love them. Similarly no matter times you or I stuff up, God still loves us to the point that He would die for us.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:11

Father help me to show uncondtional love to my family and friends. Also I pray that whatever I do, let your love shine through my life. In Jesus name. Amen.

World Peace

Peace is something we all desire, even right now I desire to have peace in my own household. People talk about world peace, but talking is not enough, and no matter what we do we cannot have true peace without God. The only way we can have eternal peace is through Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" - Romans 5:1

Father I pray that you would fill our household with your peace, I pray Lord for those who still have not accepted you as Lord and Saviour that you would touch them and turn their hearts. So that through Jesus Christ they may have peace in their lives. In Jesus name I pray.

"Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." - Romans 15:33

Consequences

When you see the word consequence it usually relates to something bad, but consequences can also be a good thing. For every action you do, there is a consequence. One example would be depending on how much sleep you get the night before, you would feel either tired or not so tired. I didn't get enough sleep and now I feel so sleepy.

"Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" - but not everything is constructive." - 1 Corinthians 10:23

The lesson: sleep earlier tonight (hopefully). The bible doesn't specifically say that it's wrong to not sleep early, but it does encourage us to be wise in our actions.

Early Start

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

I was up at 5.45am this morning so I could get to Baulkham Hills by 7am. There is a Reed Exhibition this week of which we are doing the support of our system.

Thank you God that we can find rest in You.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

written by Mary Stevenson

Thank you Jesus, that although I may not see you or feel that you are around, I know that you're always there.

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6

Riding The Waves

In life problems come and when we put our faith in Jesus, He is not there so that we would be problem free. On the contrary, when we have Jesus, He carries us through the problem, as long we have faith in Him. The difficulties we face is used by God to strengthen our faith and character. There was a saying I had read: "you cannot avoid the waves, but you can learn to ride them".

Likewise we cannot avoid problems to happen, the devil loves to give people problems, especially when we are against him. As Christians we should be expecting problems to come our way.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

We need not be afraid, because Jesus has overcome the world. That same Jesus is in each one of us, if we have received Him into our lives. Let's not avoid the waves in life, because when we do, we only end up going in the wrong direction, rather ride the waves with the power of Christ so that we will reach the goal set before us.

Memory

How good is your memory? If you're still in school or university, your memory must be pretty good still. If you're a retiree your memory might not be so good. In any case no matter how good our memory is, we can get distracted and forget things. God on the other hand does not forget anything at all.

"Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you." - Ezekiel 16:60

God does not forget His promises, whatever He says will come to pass.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11

If there is anything you can count on, it is God's word. When we live our lives based on earthly successes, it is all very unpredictable. Just like when we build a house on sand, our lives become unstable. We need to build our lives on the solid foundation that is found in Christ Jesus.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11

Faith and Fear

Faith and fear cannot be together, when you have faith you won't fear the situation or problem you're going through. I myself am going through my own problems, in the midst of looking into other job opportunities and also decisions have to be made for my future.

Jesus says: "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26)

We need to remember that God is always with us and he can overcome any problem or obstacle. No matter how big or how tough it may be, we have a big and tough God.

God Loves YOU

Did you know that God loves you, no matter what you've done in the past?
Did you know that God loves you, as much as He loved Jesus?

"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." - John 17:23

This is Jesus talking, He recognises that God loved the people, just as much as He loved Jesus. That is a HUGE thing. Jesus is perfect and we are far from perfect, yet God still loves us the same.

Thank you God for your wonderful love and grace toward us, while were sinners you sent Jesus to die for us.

Live To Serve

I have been brought up in a pretty strict household, I guess you could say we are the typical asians. I would have to do the vaccuming at least once a week. Other things I had to do was the laundry and other general things that needed to be done around the home. One thing I found myself doing whenever we had guests over was being a "runner". Similar to the runners at the TV/Movie studios, but instead this was at home. I didn't like it whenever I would be told to get something, by the time I get back, they forgot to tell me to get another thing, so I would have to keep going out to the shops. Normally a few times before they finally get it right.

Over the years I have learnt that when I do these things, I'm not doing it for my family, but for God.

"And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" - Matthew 25:40

As Christians we are called to be servants of God. When we are a servant of God, we are not being controlled and manipulated like some earthly masters, but God is a loving God. He gives us free will, and not only that He also gives us advice on the direction we should take.

"knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:24

I'm glad I'm serving God and not people.

Precious Life

A friend of mine has an aunty that is on the brink of death. She is in hospital in Hong Kong and the worst part is that she is not a Christian. So we can imagine what that means. Life is so precious sometimes we forget to think about it. Friends and family you see one day could be gone the next. Even though life on earth is great, what's more important is our life eternally. Do you know where you will go when you leave this earth?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

There is only one way to heaven which is eternal life, the only other option you have is eternal death or suffering which is hell.

If you are a Christian I'd also like to ask you a favour and support my friend in prayer for her aunty, who as far as we know will be going to hell (in the next day) unless she receives Christ.

God bless.

Our Personal Jesus

"clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." - 2 Corinthians 3:3

Before Jesus came God had Moses to write the laws on tablets of Stone. Now that Jesus has come to bring a new covenant, we no longer live by those laws alone. The laws are no longer written on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh. There are 2 things I would like to point out here:

1) Flesh - symbolises life. When the law was written on stone, it could have been any old tablet of stone. Now that the laws are written on tablets of flesh, in comparison to stone, the flesh has life. Instead of having heart of stone, we need to have a heart of flesh that is receptive to the word of God. The word of God is not dead, but is living, which means it is very much relevant and will be tomorrow and forever.

2) Everyone has a heart and so God wants everyone to receive this blessing. In other words God wants to know each and every one of you personally. No longer is the law written on the stone so that people would have to go to the place where it is kept to read what it says, but it is now right inside your heart.

God wants to know you personally, but will you let Him?

Old vs New

The Old Covenant:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine."- Exodus 19:5

The old way was for the people to keep the law of God, in this way the people were ruled under the law. They had to obey everything the Lord had commanded or else they would be punished, to atone for their sins a sacrifice was to be made to God.

The New Covenant:
"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." - Galatians 3:22-25

When Christ came, the new covenant began, which meant that we are now living in the grace of God. Jesus came to become the ultimate sacrifice that whatever sins we have done (whether big or small) is forgiven.

God knew that it would come to this, that man would not obey His words, that His law would be rejected. This was all planned out that God even after His own people rebelled, He still loved them and cared so much about us that He went to the extent of sending His own son to set us free.

God no longer looks at your sins, whatever things you've done in the past. When you accept Jesus, the only thing God sees is the blood of Jesus that covers you. God is not a God of the past, He is a God of the present and the future.

Mind of Christ

I've been living with my sister's family ever since I came to Australia and God has been telling me to move on. At the moment the job that I have has average (or below average pay) and plus I've been helping my sister to pay off her debt, it's not helping me to save much money at all. Our God is not an average Go, but an above average and supernatural God. Nothing is impossible for Him. I don't know how God is going to provide for me, the only thing I know is that He will somehow provide for my needs.

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. " - 1 Corinthians 15:57

God has the victory, we can only do so much, but in the end it is the Lord who works through all things to cause them to be for the good of His people. Our human minds are limited, but God's way of thinking is higher than ours. By being in Jesus Christ we also have access to the mind of Christ. No matter what the devil tries to make you think, we have victory over the evil one.

"For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. "" - 1 Corinthians 2:16

Contentious Person

A contentious person is someone who will not let go of a situation until they get their way. Here's a short film made by Luminous Media (winner of Best Animation at the 2006 Ignite Festival).



Likewise in relationships, rather than focused on trying to get what we want, we should be focused on what we can give. The former comes from a selfish attitude, while the latter is of love and selflessness.

Who Am I? (part 2)

"Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me" (1)

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished" - Romans 3:23-25

Thank you Jesus that you care about me.
Thank you Jesus that you came for me.
Thank you Jesus that you sufferered for me.
Thank you Jesus that you died for me.

Thank you Jesus that I am made whole.
Thank you Jesus that I am made new.
Thank you Jesus that I am no longer a sinner.
Thank you Jesus that I can be called your child.

Jesus loves you, but will you accept His love?

(1) Who Am I By Casting Crowns

Who Am I?

"Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart"(1)

"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine." - Isaiah 43:1

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."" - John 8:12

(1) Who Am I By Casting Crowns.

God's Choice

The story of Moses is quite interesting. God spoke to Moses personally and He chose Moses to be the leader for the israelites to be freed from the Egyptians. God showed Moses many signs and wonders to prove that He was God. However Moses was not confident in himself.

"Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."" - Exodus 4:10

Moses was not the best spokesperson, in fact if it was up to me to choose, he would probably be the last person I would choose. Moses was slow and his speech was stuttered, hardly the kind of leader you would want. The main thing to note here is that God chose Moses. It's not like as if God had no idea of his speech impediment, but God specifically chose Moses. Moses tried to reason with God to choose his brother (Aaron) instead.

Throughout the Bible God chooses some of the most unlikeliest of characters to accomplish His will. This is because through your weakness, God's glory may prevail. Through our weakness, the Lord is made strong in our lives. I'm pretty shy myself and I am nowhere near being called an eloquent speaker. However God has called me to lead and I believe He will strengthen me and give me the wisdom and things I need to lead His people.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Through Christ, you can do anything!

Courage Under Fire

We live in a world where moral value is not always something people thrive on. We live in an immoral society, with things like piracy, homosexuality, breaking the law and many other things. As Christians we have been called to shine the light of Jesus to the world. We have been called to send the message to people to turn from their ways. That's not an easy thing, especially when you're the only one (at work, school or anythings else) against everyone else.

We need to be bold and to stand firm in our faith. We won't be doing it alone either, if we ask the Holy Spirit to empower us, wherever we go. Thank God that I was able to stand up for my beliefs at work where we had a discussion on software and music piracy. By doing that I was able to influence my work place, even though they may still be doing it, they have started to stop using pirated software. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to speak out.

"The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion." - Proverbs 28:1

Yoked

A yoke is like a wooden plank that goes around the neck of an ox. Yokes come in pair, so that 2 oxen can be yoked together. Why? Well apart from having some company, the work becomes much lighter when both are working at the same time.

As Christians we need to be yoked with Jesus.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:29-30

When we are yoked with Jesus, our walk becomes so much easier, we lift up our burdens to Jesus and He will carry us through. However this is a team effort, Jesus has done his part by taking away our burdens, we also need to do our part. If one of the yoked oxens decided to do nothing, I don't think the other ox would appreciate it very much. Similarly as we are yoked with Jesus, we need to do our part.

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." - Luke 14:27

Finally by being yoked with Jesus it becomes a relationship, you no longer carry your burdens on your own, but you have someone to share it with. As we walk with God, we spend time with Him. We don't just learn about Him, but we learn from Him.

Bribery

Once upon a time there was a man named Paul. He was a great man, with character, integrity and values. One day he was caught to be put on prison, claiming that he was stirring up crowds. The truth was that he did no such thing. Even though Paul was innocent, he still submitted to the governing rule. Felix the Roman official, was a corrupt man, he knew of Paul's innocence, so he tried a number of times to get Paul to give him a bribe.

"Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him." - Acts 24:26

We all know corruption is a sin, but sometimes it takes time to realise it. Corruption does not only take form in bribery, but many other ways too. When we fill our minds with ungodly things, that is corruption, eg. watching a graphic movie. Corruption is a degenerative process, it won't hit you straight away. It is an on going process, but the end result can be devastating.

Once we can see that something is corrupt in our lives, we need to fix it as soon as possible. If you have sinned God will forgive you.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Off The Hook

Have you ever done something bad, but someone else let you off the hook? That is grace in action. The bible says that everyone has sinned:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," - Romans 3:23

We have all made mistakes in our lives, but God loved us so much, Jesus came so that we can be saved from it.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

There is nothing we can do to earn God's grace, no matter how much of a goody goody we are, we will never be good enough for God's grace. The only thing we need to do to receive God's grace is to accept it. The bible says that God's grace is freely given as a gift to you:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Just like you don't have to work for your birthday presents, you don't need to work for the gift from God. All He wants in return is for you to cherish that gift, thank Him and love Him.

GRACE = God's Riches At Christ's Expense

God enabled us to receive His inheritance at the expense of His Son's life.

Newton's Third Law

Newton's third law states: "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"

This is true in our spiritual lives, as we do more of the will of God, Satan will have to try harder to bring us down. As soon as we stop doing the will of God, we give Satan a chance to take a break. We need to be continually studying the word and doing God's will so that we would be like the seeds sowed on the path.

"Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them." - Mark 4:15

When we don't take the word of God deep into our hearts, we give Satan a "free shot" as such. We can never let our guard down, because the devil is always there ready to pounce on you.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

Resist him. When we resist Him we don't need to fight against him directly, but instead build yourself up in the Lord. By doing that Satan will not get a foothold of your life.