The best present this and every Christmas ! - Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

With all the presents this Christmas, lets remember the best present ever from God. His son Jesus Christ. An eternal gift that can not be bought or traded.No earthly present could match this and there is enough for all.

Have you unwrapped your present yet ?
This gift remains unopened unless you make the move to accept and unwrap it.
Have a safe and Happy New Year !

Deuteronomy 6:12 be careful that you do not forget the Lord...

when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery

A kindly reminder I got today in my daily word e-mail.

Short but to the point, it is something that we take for granted sometimes ... well a lot of the times. There are so much we need to give thanks for. Gods blessings is always with us and is always generous.

1 Corinthians 3:18-19 Do not deceive yourselves

1 Corinthians 3:18-19
"Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight."

Lest we think we are too smart...
we don't really know as much as we think we do.
Little knowledge is always dangerous especially if we do not have the full picture
How many of us truely see the whole picture
As our vision is restricted to our own little world
We need to be more open to learn more to understand more
And to know our own limitations.
Only God can truly see the whole picture
To understand the vastness of the universe.

Romans 8:29 It is only through His power that we can ever be set on a right path of being ...

We must never even hint that repentance is determined by what we believe is "right" outward behavior. Repentance is always a condition of the heart, and doing right in the eyes of God is only accomplished by allowing His Spirit to transform us into a "new creation" (2 Corinthians 5:17). It is only through His power that we can ever be set on a right path of being "conformed to the likeness of His Son" (Romans 8:29).

What we do is never enough. We can never do enough "good works" to redeem ourselves from all the wrongs and evil thoughts that we have done. Only God's grace can redeem us. Similarly we cannot resist all the temptations the world has to offer by ourselves. Only through God's guidance will we be able to move in the right direction and every day we need to look to him for his strength and guidance.

Jeremiah 21:8-9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague.

Jeremiah 21:8-9 (New International Version)


8 "Furthermore, tell the people, 'This is what the LORD says: See, I am setting before you the way of life and the way of death. 9 Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague. But whoever goes out and surrenders to the Babylonians who are besieging you will live; he will escape with his life.

There are times when we find ourselves in the wrong place. Should we stay or should we go ? The decision should be simple if we are true to what we believe. Sometimes this involves giving up something precious, a good position, a good remuneration or some other sacrifice. The weight of this is only measurable by each individual and the choice is entirely yours.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness...

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matthew 6:33).

It is really hard to be focused and concentrate of the right things so that we are heading in this direction. But if it was easy then every body would do it. As we know not all of us are able to do this. There are a lot of things that we know we should do and is good for us but somehow we never do it or never do it often enough.

God expects us not to compromise. He has given us so much blessings and if you take a wider view of life, these are only little things that God expects from us in return. How can we not put God first ?

Lets review ourselves and work towards a better relationship with God.

A Prayer to improve ourselves

Father, forgive me, because I know that I am often selfish
and seldom think through the implications of my decisions based on the needs of others.
I want to have the mind of Christ
and be more selfless and sacrificial with everyone who needs your grace
and the tenderness that you have placed within me to share with them.
Please bless me as I seek to be like your Son in this area of my life.
In Jesus' name. Amen.

Matthew 17:27 Go to the lake and throw out your line...

Matthew 17:27


"Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours."

God provides in so many ways...
As it was in the Bible, when Peter ask how to pay the tax man...Jesus asked him to go to the lake and catch the fish who in turn will have sufficient funds in it to pay the tax. This would seem to be an odd way to provide for a need but it definately would be remembered !

Do you remember the fish that God provided for you...?

You are where you need to be...

God always has a plan for you. The places you have been, the experiences that you have, the people you have met ...all are part of a bigger plan. Some small events that you never gave a second thought to, a place where you felt you had to go, at a particular time, on a particular day.

Take for example this weekend. I was at a neighbouring town on my usual weekend errants. My thoughts were bouncing between visit a new hyper market nearby or to go further across the bridge into the mainland to check out some of the other shopping centers there for some items for my collection. Eventually I settled for staying on the island and going to the hyper market nearby. Not really remembering the actual location, I decided to go to the new mall which I had visited before in the general area to see if it was located there. After parking my car, I went down and checked at the information counter. No sign of the hyper market here. Oh well, I thought, I would have to continue my journey to see if it was further up the road.

As I walked to the car park, I missed the door to the second floor where my car was parked and entered the ground floor parking. As I turned back to find the door leading upstairs, a young couple approached me and ask me if I could help them as their car was not starting. They pointed me to their car parked near the entrance of the car parking. I told them to wait as I drove my car down.

After reaching their car, we maneuvered the car out of the bay so that we could hook up the jump cables. It started up on the first try and we both continued on our way. I finally found the hyper market a short distance down the road.

Now looking back, I could see so many factors falling into place.
What if I had not changed my battery 2 weeks ago ? Would my battery had been able to jump start the other car?
What if I had gone straight to the hyper market or followed my original plan to go accross to the main land ?
What if I had gone straight up to the second floor without missing the door ?
Sure eventually they would have found some other person to help them but can't help to think that I was placed at there at that point in time for that purpose.

How many other incidence in your life that you look back and realiase that you were not there by accident ?

Luke 12:6-7 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?

 

Luke 12:6-7

New International Version (NIV)

6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

It is nice to know that you are considered worthy to be cared for. Throw your worries to God and he has a plan to take care of you. This does not mean that you run accross a highway or step in front of a bus but to put your trust in God and do what you need to do.

An interesting discussion on Christianity with Ravi Zacharias

This discussion with Ravi Zacharias is thought provoking and expands your view on various topics
Jesus puts everything on a higher level.


Christian documentation


Science and other thoughts

‘My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’- Philippians 4:19

 ‘My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.’ (Philippians 4:19)


Some people take this promise to an extreme and assume that they can do anything they like without thought. It seems like that type of promise where you can depend on God to provide no matter what you do ...or do not do.

This is not a promise to allow you to do nothing and just be lazy and not take responsibility for your life. No this is a promise that God will provide what you need no matter what the circumstances, no matter how dire things may get. You still need to do your part, plan your life, work hard at what you do and of course keep the faith. This is a partnership that you have to play your part too.

Importance of Prayer

Prayer is a vitally important part of our Christian walk, but it's often greatly misunderstood. Prayer is how we talk with our Heavenly Father. It can never be used to manipulate God nor cause Him to do anything outside His perfect will. God is not our magic genie who has to grant our wishes!

Prayer should not be I want I want...
Give thanks for blessings, your family, your life
And for the joy and safety of others too.

My God will meet all your needs - Philippians 4:19



"My God will meet all your needs" (Philippians 4:19), and "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26). He wants us to love Him and trust Him to provide!

Does that promise make you humble that someone would care for you so much ? Imagine someone will always be there for you, to take care of you and to watch over you.

Who would do that for you ?

This simple phrases are really inspiring and so full or promise. In my life, there are so  many instances of this. Sometimes I feel that I do take it for granted. It is so easy to do. So we should keep reminding ourselves that every thing is a gift from God and we should share the gifts that he has given.

...you will be saved. - Romans 10:9

"That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your hear...that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." - Romans 10:9

The only way is through Jesus Christ. No other religion is as clear as this, that through no good works on your own you can be saved. Only through the acceptance of God' sacrifice of his son Jesus Christ on the cross that you can be saved.

Accept that knock on you door, that stirring in your heart. That is God calling you. Let him in today and your ticket to be saved will be issued.



 

Are you taking care of the house that God left you ?

I was tidying up my family home last weekend and a thought entered my mind. This house that I lived in for so many years, was left empty after my father passed away almost 5 years ago. I wondered if I was doing the best that I could with this house. What would my dad be thinking ?

Isn't this the same as what God has done after Jesus Christ sacrificed himself on the cross ? Didn't he leave something for us to take care of ? What would he think of the job we have done so far ? Have we kept his house well  and tendered to his garden ?

A sobering thought indeed.

Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless -- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:7-9 (NIV)

"Follow Me!" (John 21:19)

Jesus still called: "Follow Me!" (John 21:19). Jesus had a plan for Peter that would not be hindered by Peter's failures.

As we grow to a better understanding of God's love, we will ultimately face how small our love is by comparison. But let's take comfort that God knew our weaknesses when He called us into His Kingdom. He has a wonderful plan and will always provide what we lack in order to accomplish all He desires. There is nothing hidden from God. He knows everyone He calls; so let's boldly follow, in spite of our weaknesses!


Imagine such a love that goes beyond all a person's weaknesses.
To be so generous that you are able to encompass all that make one whole
The good and the bad

Jeremiah 32:17 Nothing is too hard for you.

Jeremiah 32:17

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁷ “Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

This is so true. With my schedule currently and a team member travelling to China for assisgnment, we were tightly staffed and I prayed hard, to be able to take off early on Friday to spend some time with my girlfriend who was coming to town. As it was the amount of work slowed down on Friday and with no great crisis happening, I managed to get out on time and got to the airport as she came out of the entrance. Beautiful timing by God's grace.

The afternoon went smoothly and checking into the hotel room, I checked back with work and cleared a few outstanding items within an hour. After that there were no great crisis calls and we have a peaceful weekend together.

Through the blessing of God.

Trusting in God...learning to let go

I used to worry about my girlfriend as she travelled around the world for her job. I used to get her itinery and track he flights on the numerous flight and airport websites. Then after a while she stopped sharing her itinery and I would get upset. Then I figured it was all in God's hands. I would be too far away to do anything and worrying would not do me any good. I started to learn to let go and leave it in God's hands. Trust in him to take care of her and bring her back home safely.

There are things in this life that we do not have any control of or we can do nothing about. We need to learn not to carry all on our shoulders and to let go. Give our trust to God that all things he gives for our good.

Genesis 1:12 The land produced vegetation...

The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.


Genesis 1:12

The bountiful life on Earth that we enjoy all stems from God. Without all the vegetation, there would be no life on Earth. The amazing array of plant life which provides oxygen, food, medicines and so much more to sustain us is a gift from God and we should nurture and cherish it.

do not slander one another" (James 4:11)

James wrote about this arrogance when he said, "do not slander one another" (James 4:11). He said when we are unfairly critical of others we not only disobey God's law of love, but we are actually speaking against God's law and sitting in judgment over the law - and there is only one Judge! (James 4:11-12). Willful disobedience involves elevating ourselves to the throne of God and judging which of His truths apply to our life. This is the ultimate arrogance!


Every day we struggle to contain ourselves. It is so easy to slide down the path of arrogance and to fill your self with grand thoughts of the skills that you posses. Trying to be humble needs a conscious effort in order to not out grow your self and remember all things comes from God. All blessings need to be repaid and shared.

Philippians 2:5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

Philippians 2:5


"Your attitude (or mind in the KJV) should be the same as that of Christ Jesus."

Jesus came to give His life as a sacrifice for sin. But many portions of His life were for the express purpose of giving us an example by which to live. With all the power of the Universe at His command, He humbled Himself and demonstrated the mind and attitude of a servant; "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve" (Matthew 20:28).

To be a mind of a servant is being more the thinking in a sub servant manner. It is to be humble and be of  service to others. Each day we face situations where people who are what we consider of a lower level to us in terms of knowledge or skills. Some times it is hard to bring ourselves to their level to appreciate the world from their side. Every day we struggle with ourselves to live up to this ideal. It is definitely not an easy walk.

James 1:19 Listening and Doing

James 1:19 (New International Version)


Listening and Doing

19 My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry,
 
Man if anyone says that God doesn't speak to them, can not be listening. As I was preparing this blog posting, someone was asking me a something that based on their experience in the job should be something they should already know and I was getting a little upset over this. I look at this phrase and had to take a step back to calm down. This really hit me how difficult this is.

 
 
God never promised us an easy road that is for sure. This is definately some that we need to remind ourselves every minute every hour every day.
 
 

 

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD'S wrath

 

 

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD'S wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.


(Zephaniah西番雅書1:18)

Ephesians 1:16-17 I have not stopped giving thanks for you...

Ephesians 1:16-17
"I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know Him better."

"press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:14)

Paul tells us to "press on toward the goal" (Philippians 3:14), "run a good race" (Galatians 5:7), and "fight the good fight" (2 Timothy 4:7). Each of these acknowledge the struggle and exhort us to keep moving forward. But there are times we become weary and even the thought of pressing, running, or fighting becomes difficult. Yet, we know we must endure - we must overcome!


Yes everyday we have trials and tribulations. Yet no where else can you find encouragement like it is shown in the Bible. Every day God speaks to us and to encourage us.

The goal for each of us will vary but the words are the same. The outcome is entirely up to us and God's blessings. We know we can over come anything if we believe in the words of encouragement.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another

Ephesians 4:32 (New International Version)


32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Post this in your blog or facebook page today
For never a truer word
Be spoken
In this day and age
Of violence and oppression
Intimidation and deceit
We need this passage
Everyday
To remind us
Of how we should be
To one and another.