Joshua 3:15-16 Leap of faith

Joshua 3:15-16


"As soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away."

God always teaches us about faith and trust by directing us down a path we think is too hard to travel - into circumstances we don't understand. After all, if we could clearly see and understand, there wouldn't be a need for faith. But we often miss the opportunity to experience the true glory of God because we fail to obey and take the first step.

Sometimes we get plunged into a situation far beyond our control, just like the people of Japan these few days with the earthquake and tsunami devastating the country. We may not need such an extreme event. It may be a new job, a new investment ...but faith means trusting in God to lead us to some where safe, some where good. Are we willing to get out of our comfort zone and to take the first step...the leap of faith.

Japan 8.8 Earthquake and Tsunami

Our thoughts are with the people of Japan as a 8.8 earthquake and tsunami hits Japan today.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/09/japan-quake-idUSTOE72802A20110309

http://www.newshawker.com/japan-earthquake-today/article-6818

Our thoughts and paryers are with them in this trying time.

Psalm 139:23-24 Search me, God

Psalm 139:23-24 (New International Version, ©2011)

23 Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

No matter what you feel, think or do,
God knows what lies deep in your heart.
Your deepest thoughts, fears or longings
There is nothing that you can hide
From the one that made you
Your God
And Creator

Being human
We are full of weakness and temptations
There is nothing that we can do by ourselves alone
So we need to call upon help from our Father above
To help us over come our weakness

Pakistan's only Christian member of government is assasinated

Was to sad to hear of the assassination of the only Christian member of government in Pakistan, Shahbaz Bhatti. It is unfortunate that a minority's actions bring about a bad reputation for the Muslim world as they use violence for anything that they disagree with. Unlike normal rational people who can argue with words and look for compromise in any situation, these people prefer to maim and kill through the rocket, bombs and gun. They do not do their religion any favours by advocating hatred in the name of religion and target people based on their religious views.

Although God teaches us to turn the other cheek, our human side sometimes bears a huge weight and struggle to forgive and offer the other cheek. Guess this is the eternal struggle that we must endure to show the world that there is a better way to resolve issues and that the love that God gives us over comes all.

1Corinthians 13:1-3 that we might understand how we can always act as Christ would have us too

I know many of our Muslim friends who have been shocked and outraged at these people who have hijacked the headlines and perverted the image of their religion, have also struggled with the reputation that has been thrust upon them.

We can only hope the the more well balanced and rational majority will prevail against these minority.

For our part we will continue to pray and perservere in the knowledge our God is an Almighty and Loving God and his plans our beyond our comprehension. How these events play out in the bigger picture, only time will tell.

God works in mysterious ways !

'God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform'. These are the first two lines of the Hymn by William Cowper (1731-1800)

This is truely a wonderous statement and if you take a moment to reflect, you can see this happening every day in your life. Look not for big miracles but observe the small treads that lead you to where you are. It happens without you even realizing it is happening.

For example yesterday I decided to pop out during my lunch hour to pick up lunch and some grocerries. Now with the green initiative, business are charging for plastic bags. So while picking up lunch for myself and my colleague, I brought along my re-usable bag. Normally I would have only brought 1 reusable for the grocerries.

When I reach back to the office, we were informed that the room that we were using had to be vacated and we needed to move to a new room. Fortunately I had the extra bag which was used for carrying the lunch to use to move my things. Everything was moved in 1 go. Sure this is just a small item in my life but looking a the treads that bind, you can't help but wonder...

If he takes care of the small things in your life...should you worry of the bigger things ?

John 3:16 For God so loved the world...

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Can you imagine what a powerful phrase this is. No other religion in the world promises so much with so much sacrifice. A truly two way relationship with the ultimate sacrifice been given and we have so much to catch up in terms of what we need to sacrifice in this relationship. But the best part of it is that no amount is expected, but we only need to believe. If we truly believe then we will gladly give up those things that make our Father unhappy. He knows we are human and will not be able to be 100% able to fulfill all that is holy. But for our part we have to try our best and with God's guidance we hope to be able to worthy of such a sacrifice.

1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love

1 John 4:18 (New International Version, ©2010)


18 There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

A most beautiful passage.

A lot of times we read about domestic abuse and other so called acts of love. It is so beyond our powers of understanding that there is a love so overwhelming that it over comes all fears. Fear of abuse, pain, loss, rejection, persecution...

Who else to teach us love but God...through his wondrous works you can learn the true meaning of love...never through fear.