Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
May 30, 2009 - Lamentations 3:25
The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him.
Lamentations 3:25
What do I want? I want what my better off friends have. Their lives don't seem as hard as mind and it sure looks like I am suffering a lot more than they are. When are you going to give me what I want and need? When is it my turn? How much longer do I wait until I get something good?
Personally, I ask these questions a lot. I see other people who are so much better off than I am and start questioning the Lord, why am I this way? But who knows how God works. He made us as beings to worship Him. So hopefully I see that I am that vessel for Him; my purpose in life is the glorify Him and enjoy it both as single actions. I pray that I can see what good things that God wants me to have and not the things that I personally want. And overall have Him on top of my list.
Amen.
Lamentations 3:25
What do I want? I want what my better off friends have. Their lives don't seem as hard as mind and it sure looks like I am suffering a lot more than they are. When are you going to give me what I want and need? When is it my turn? How much longer do I wait until I get something good?
Personally, I ask these questions a lot. I see other people who are so much better off than I am and start questioning the Lord, why am I this way? But who knows how God works. He made us as beings to worship Him. So hopefully I see that I am that vessel for Him; my purpose in life is the glorify Him and enjoy it both as single actions. I pray that I can see what good things that God wants me to have and not the things that I personally want. And overall have Him on top of my list.
Amen.
Friday, May 29, 2009
May 29, 2009 - AMBA - Hebrews 11:13-16
If you read the entire chapter, you will see that the entire chapter is filled with a short description of how these Bible characters lived faithfully for God.. EXCEPT! for verses 13 to 16. Odd isn't it.
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Today's speaker at Ambassadors.. I forgot his name.. talked about living by faith by using this passage. He first made us list our personal top three things that we currently want in life ie. being successful, making a lot of money, finding that special someone, getting good grades, finding a job, etc. The point of this was to "surprisingly" find out that loving God was not listed at number one or even number two or three!
Why was it so hard to live by faith? The biggest reasons that hit me was that persecution and pain. When we live by faith, we are persecuted why? In this day and age, everything needs a definite answer and therefore, to live by faith is to give up all intellectual thinking, in this case, to be stupid in the eyes of our non-believer loved ones. Also, I would assume that you all would agree that persevering through faith in troubling times is terribly difficult. We question God's love, His presence, as well as His Promise.
Overall, it was hard understanding him since he keep repeating vague points, but I think his main point was that: if you want to live by faith, you have to really want God!
If I really wanted God like I wanted a girlfriend, money, A+'s, then there would be no problem living by faith. As a matter of fact, if God was number one on our lists, I highly doubt that there will be a number two or number three!
NO NO NO
THAT IS NOT THE CASE! We should be living lives with all of that "stuff"! BUT with God as number one! There is no problem "living with the things promised" (Verse13), but if it hinders your relationship with God, then something has to be done. But we have to realize that we are aliens and strangers of this earth. We, as believers, do not belong here. Verse13, we do not receive the things promised doesn't mean that we don't get them, it means we don't love them in our lives as much as we should.
And if we go on to verses 15 and 16, we are continuously looking for a place; usually a place without pain, without grief, without suffering, where we can spend our times with our loved ones, etc. Without knowing, we are actually unconsciously looking for... Heaven :D
And in the end, it comes down to us wanting Heaven sooo bad! In that case, living by faith is a sound answer.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Another thing: (2nd Part of Verse 16)Do you live lives that God Himself is not ashamed to call Himself your God? Hopefully so! Personally, I have to re-evaluate myself and reset all my priorities and move God to His rightful first place in my life. Hopefully, God is not ashamed to call Aaron Lam his God :D and build me a nice city up in Heaven ^^
Amen!
13All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.
14People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own.
15If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.
16Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.
Today's speaker at Ambassadors.. I forgot his name.. talked about living by faith by using this passage. He first made us list our personal top three things that we currently want in life ie. being successful, making a lot of money, finding that special someone, getting good grades, finding a job, etc. The point of this was to "surprisingly" find out that loving God was not listed at number one or even number two or three!
Why was it so hard to live by faith? The biggest reasons that hit me was that persecution and pain. When we live by faith, we are persecuted why? In this day and age, everything needs a definite answer and therefore, to live by faith is to give up all intellectual thinking, in this case, to be stupid in the eyes of our non-believer loved ones. Also, I would assume that you all would agree that persevering through faith in troubling times is terribly difficult. We question God's love, His presence, as well as His Promise.
Overall, it was hard understanding him since he keep repeating vague points, but I think his main point was that: if you want to live by faith, you have to really want God!
If I really wanted God like I wanted a girlfriend, money, A+'s, then there would be no problem living by faith. As a matter of fact, if God was number one on our lists, I highly doubt that there will be a number two or number three!
NO NO NO
THAT IS NOT THE CASE! We should be living lives with all of that "stuff"! BUT with God as number one! There is no problem "living with the things promised" (Verse13), but if it hinders your relationship with God, then something has to be done. But we have to realize that we are aliens and strangers of this earth. We, as believers, do not belong here. Verse13, we do not receive the things promised doesn't mean that we don't get them, it means we don't love them in our lives as much as we should.
And if we go on to verses 15 and 16, we are continuously looking for a place; usually a place without pain, without grief, without suffering, where we can spend our times with our loved ones, etc. Without knowing, we are actually unconsciously looking for... Heaven :D
And in the end, it comes down to us wanting Heaven sooo bad! In that case, living by faith is a sound answer.
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Another thing: (2nd Part of Verse 16)Do you live lives that God Himself is not ashamed to call Himself your God? Hopefully so! Personally, I have to re-evaluate myself and reset all my priorities and move God to His rightful first place in my life. Hopefully, God is not ashamed to call Aaron Lam his God :D and build me a nice city up in Heaven ^^
Amen!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
May 28, 2009 - Habakkuk
Habakkuk is one of those Old Testament books that are rarely mentioned. During the retreat, the 3 short chapters of Habakkuk were our daily devotionals.
I found Habakkuk to be very interesting. It is basically a conversation between God and Habakkuk in written format. From chapter 1 to chapter 2, Habakkuk gives two complaints, which are both followed with a response from the Lord. Chapter 3 closes the book with a personal prayer from Habakkuk.
As you read Habakkuk's story, you can't help but to feel his agony. His home, Judah, was being invaded by the Babylonians, yet, knowing that God sees the entirety of this happening, does not do a single thing. Living life, hearing things from other people and experiencing them yourself, you can't help but to know what Habakkuk is going through. We know that God is all powerful and the overseer of all things, yet he will allow these bad things to happen, in this case, allowing the Babylonians to pillage Judah.
What we learn from this book ie. Habakkuk's experience is that we have no idea what God is capable of. Our minds, although seemingly high in intelligence, cannot at all comprehend the greatness that is of God.
In chapter 1 verse 5, the Lord declares:
5 "Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.
So there must be a reason, usually one that we cannot comprehend, that God is raising up these blood thirsty Babylonians. But why do it in such a cruel manner? Isn't God a God of peace and Love?
Very often, we question God's promise. The promise of salvation; eternal life to us was so easy to come by right? All we had to do was accept Jesus' sacrifice for us on the Cross.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.
In this verse, God reminds us that His promise will most definitely come. Even though it lingers (I take this as having a hard time in life), wait for it and it will certainly come. In other words, our faith is being tested. Tested, not in the sense of cruelty, but in hope that we can pull through.
Another thing that Habakukk questions is the presense of God. Is He here or not? If He is why doesn't He do anything to stop this?
20 But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him."
The Lord is always here with us. As kids, we probably have had our time of bad mouthing the teacher when he or she was absent, but the Lord is in his holy temple, always.
Something that I need to learn from Habakukk is the entire chapter 3. Even though he is going through bad times, he realizes that there is just no one like our God. In chapter 3, he gives the Lord endless praise. Verses 17-18 :D
All praise and glory to Him!
Amen.
I found Habakkuk to be very interesting. It is basically a conversation between God and Habakkuk in written format. From chapter 1 to chapter 2, Habakkuk gives two complaints, which are both followed with a response from the Lord. Chapter 3 closes the book with a personal prayer from Habakkuk.
As you read Habakkuk's story, you can't help but to feel his agony. His home, Judah, was being invaded by the Babylonians, yet, knowing that God sees the entirety of this happening, does not do a single thing. Living life, hearing things from other people and experiencing them yourself, you can't help but to know what Habakkuk is going through. We know that God is all powerful and the overseer of all things, yet he will allow these bad things to happen, in this case, allowing the Babylonians to pillage Judah.
What we learn from this book ie. Habakkuk's experience is that we have no idea what God is capable of. Our minds, although seemingly high in intelligence, cannot at all comprehend the greatness that is of God.
In chapter 1 verse 5, the Lord declares:
5 "Look at the nations and watch—
and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
that you would not believe,
even if you were told.
So there must be a reason, usually one that we cannot comprehend, that God is raising up these blood thirsty Babylonians. But why do it in such a cruel manner? Isn't God a God of peace and Love?
Very often, we question God's promise. The promise of salvation; eternal life to us was so easy to come by right? All we had to do was accept Jesus' sacrifice for us on the Cross.
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it will certainly come and will not delay.
In this verse, God reminds us that His promise will most definitely come. Even though it lingers (I take this as having a hard time in life), wait for it and it will certainly come. In other words, our faith is being tested. Tested, not in the sense of cruelty, but in hope that we can pull through.
Another thing that Habakukk questions is the presense of God. Is He here or not? If He is why doesn't He do anything to stop this?
20 But the LORD is in his holy temple;
let all the earth be silent before him."
The Lord is always here with us. As kids, we probably have had our time of bad mouthing the teacher when he or she was absent, but the Lord is in his holy temple, always.
Something that I need to learn from Habakukk is the entire chapter 3. Even though he is going through bad times, he realizes that there is just no one like our God. In chapter 3, he gives the Lord endless praise. Verses 17-18 :D
All praise and glory to Him!
Amen.
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 15, 2009 - Amba(5/15/09) - Isaiah 6:8-13
This is a good passage to go over if you have time, but I am just going to comment a little on these six verses. If you need a guide to the rest of this chapter, just go to (http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/2306.htm).
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying,
"Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?"
And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"
9 He said, "Go and tell this people:
" 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.'
10 Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes. a]" style="font-size: 0.75em; line-height: 0.5em; ">[a]
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed."
11 Then I said, "For how long, O Lord?"
And he answered:
"Until the cities lie ruined
and without inhabitant,
until the houses are left deserted
and the fields ruined and ravaged,
12 until the LORD has sent everyone far away
and the land is utterly forsaken.
13 And though a tenth remains in the land,
it will again be laid waste.
But as the terebinth and oak
leave stumps when they are cut down,
so the holy seed will be the stump in the land."
Isaiah 6:8-13
Here Isaiah displays a heart that is true. In verse 8, we see the Trinity asking, "Whom shall I send... who will go for Us..." God does not really need to ask any questions. He knows all and whomever will stand up, will stand up. This verse begs a difference between two types of servants: one that will say "Here I am, I will go!" and one that will say "Here I am, send me!" The "I will go" servant is a servant who determines that they themselves are ready to serve God, not when God calls him/her. The "send me" servant is a servant whose readiness is determined by God.
I consider myself the "Here I am, I will go!" servant mainly because I believed that I was ready to be a leader figure for the church, when I really wasn't. I did not wait on God's timing, but my own. Despite the fact that Cornerstone offered an amazing opportunity for me to grow, my mindset going into it was not the right one. Unlike Isaiah who was asking the Lord to send him, I told the Lord that I would go. See the difference?
The rest will come tmrw ^^
Amen!
Monday, May 11, 2009
May 11, 2009 - Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
I've heard this verse a million times, but I have yet to truly apply it into my life. It is not because I do not want to trust in God, it is because I don't know how much I should trust in Him. When there are downfalls in life, we usually ask the question why? Why this and why that. We look for answers to all of our problems because we want to know what justification was there for any of this, usually bad, things to happen. I look up to the sky, ever so often, in disbelief that God would have allowed some things that have happened to happen.
The thing is, we try to understand every little thing that God has set for us that we end up confusing ourselves and ultimately pinning all the blame onto Him. I need to learn how to trust in Him with ALL my heart. I am such a prideful person that I cannot stand help. I need to allow God to work in me and not selfishly pursue the life that I believe would be the best for me, but a life that is best for me for God.
Amen.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
May 10, 2009 - Mom's the Word
Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
Proverbs 9:9-10, NIV
Fear is the origin of all understanding. According to this verse, the fear of the Lord will bring to anyone wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. But we must realize that this is not a relationship based of off apprehension, but a fear based off of love. What is this kind of fear is this you ask? It is the love shown through a sacrifice on the cross, but if you want a more literal example, you can look at your mother.
Yes it is mother's day. This is the day we celebrate our mothers for these many hard years of labor just so that we may have a plate full of food and a roof over our heads. When we think about benefitting from fear, moms usually take the cake. Having a general sense of momliness, I am sure that all of you have had a good arguement, beating, scolding, and whatever else that has caused you to run with your tail between your legs back into your room sobbing. Thats what moms do; its their job.
I've remember thinking to myself why my mom was such a queen bee. But looking back at those days of feather duster whippings, it was all for my own good; my mom was teaching me.
But God wants the best for us! The instructions that have been given to us over the past years in my life have not always been the most pleasing to ourselves or to our own benefit, but they have been imparted on us for a reason: growth! Although my mother was not and still not a Christian, she pushed onto me morals and ethics that I would not have learned at school. And by the grace of God, she had a little help from my neighbor who was a church counslor at that time who ultimately brought me to church. From that point on, she allowed me to go to church knowing that there could be some benefit from it. She wanted the best for me just as our Father in Heaven does. Honor thy mother today and thank the Lord for giving you such an amazing woman into your life! So let these seeds that are continuously being planted, be freakin' planted so that our good will ultimately result in God's good!
Amen!
Monday, May 4, 2009
May 4, 2009 - My Conversation With a Hedge
He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.
The fear of the LORD is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.
Ever take a good look at your friends and realize how great everything is going for them compared to you? I feel this crap all the time. When I was younger, my parents never stopped comparing me to my cousin who was the same grade as me. Skillwise, gradewise, everything. He was considered the 'perfect child that every parent wants' and I was apparently lacking what he had. Now at that time, my parents were the ones giving me instructions and telling me to read more and play less games. What I've failed to realize was the love that that embedded behind those harsh words.
So often I have questioned God's plans in my life. "Why me? Why this? Why not him or her? Am I the only one to suffer?" It seems like God is treating me unfairly compared to others or that others are not challenged as hard as I am. But let it stand that God is a God of mystery and grace. We cannot see all the perspectives of what He has planned for us nor what He has planned for everyone else. All we do know is that God loves us enough to discipline us into stronger and better people. Praise the Lord forever and ever.
Amen.
Friday, May 1, 2009
May 1, 2009 - That Skip Over Verse
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
If I recall correctly, this was Gloria's favorite verse(s) that she shared with us one Wednesday evening.
The commands:
1) Be joyful always
2) Pray Continuously
3) Give thanks in all circumstances
You must be kidding me! Unless your life is complete happy, everyone loves you, and nothing but blessings are being poured out to you, it will be pretty difficult to be joyful always. to pray continuously, and give thanks in every situation no matter good or bad.
This verse, according to the author of today's devotional Laura MacCorkle, is the skip over verse simply because this is near impossible to do. It is easily stated and used as solutions to problems, but if we truly put forth an effort to apply this to our lives, we will most certainly come empty handed.
How can I be joyful when I study my butt off to get that failing grade when a slacker gets through with a passing grade? How can I be joyful when I go to every meeting and work hard only to come out short? How can I be thankful when a bus sees you there and drives through the puddle of water next to you anyways? How can I be joyful when a friend does not want to speak to you anymore? How can I pray when it seems like nothing is going the way that it should be?
These 3 instructions were from Paul's first letter to the Thessalonians. Paul was reminding the church of Thessalonica how God's people should live and that our attitudes should not be influenced by circumstances.
As Christians, we have accepted that our lives are for the greater glory of God for He has given us a second chance. So how do we carry out Paul's seeming "impossible" instructions?
I can do everything through him who gives me strength (Phil. 4:13).
Anything is possible if we believe and have faith in our Father. It was through His grace and mercy that we were allowed to even breathe another breath of air. Christ died on the cross and took the wrath of mankind onto Himself so that we may live. And it is ONLY through Jesus Christ that helps us live this way. And this is the kind of living that God wants for His children just as Christ has lived.
Allow God to pick you up and smile ^^
Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
