Monday, March 24, 2008
24 March 2008
As I read Acts 24 today, I felt God is telling me something. I was confined for falling in late. I was troubled and asked God to help me, at least to allow me to attend church on Saturday. Yet when I read on, the last phrase caught me: "left Paul bound." Am I planned to get confined? After reading that and somehow God comforted me, telling me that I can share the Gospel during my extra duty. Perhaps there is a plan, I shall not doubt but trust in God if that is really the case. Lord, the timing is Yours but I still want to pray for Saturday. Lord I know You have a word for me. Lord, I want to hear it, please allow me to come. But Lord, let Your will be done on Your own timing. In Jesus' most precious name, Amen.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Freed from Deception
Yesterday's sermon was part II for the previous week, telling us that satan uses deception to deceive us, then dominate us before destroying us. Part II showed me clearly on how satan deceive us: that is through psychological effect like that of a chained elephant.
FYI: When a young elephant is chained with metal chain by their tamers, and being unable to break the chain, she felt weak against it and eventually giving up breaking the chain. The chain is then replaced by a rope when the elephants grow up. However, with the mighty strength they now possess, they will never break the rope, thinking that they are still as well as the past. Now that they have been "set free" from the metal chain, they remain "chained" until they realize they are freed.
Satan uses this method to chain us up, causing us to be his slave of sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross for us, we have been set free from then on. Likewise to the elephants' case, we thought that we are still chained and not freed, we failed to walk out of it and continue becoming slaves to sin and death.
As I was searching for the verseThen you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." on www.bible.com, God showed me 2more verses.
First verse was Romans 6:22
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. "
and second verse was Romans 8:2
"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
Now I have the confidence, the truth and authority(Luke 10:19), I will be able to detect the deception of the evil and walk in light with God. Hallelujah!
FYI: When a young elephant is chained with metal chain by their tamers, and being unable to break the chain, she felt weak against it and eventually giving up breaking the chain. The chain is then replaced by a rope when the elephants grow up. However, with the mighty strength they now possess, they will never break the rope, thinking that they are still as well as the past. Now that they have been "set free" from the metal chain, they remain "chained" until they realize they are freed.
Satan uses this method to chain us up, causing us to be his slave of sin and death. When Jesus died on the cross for us, we have been set free from then on. Likewise to the elephants' case, we thought that we are still chained and not freed, we failed to walk out of it and continue becoming slaves to sin and death.
As I was searching for the verseThen you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." on www.bible.com, God showed me 2more verses.
First verse was Romans 6:22
"But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. "
and second verse was Romans 8:2
"because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
Now I have the confidence, the truth and authority(Luke 10:19), I will be able to detect the deception of the evil and walk in light with God. Hallelujah!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Satan defeated, Glory be to God
Glory be to God again! On Wednesday and Thursday, I was troubled by 2issues and the battle in the spiritual realm was so real that I could feel it.
First, it was my duty on Friday morning till Saturday morning. I was told by the duty forecast in charge that I have to forward my duty due to my new course coming up and he scheduled me on Friday when I already have one on Wednesday. I was worried that it will be very tiring for me on Saturday and I may lose concentration during sermon. I prayed to God for strength and energy during sermon. But God showed His mercy and grace, when I randomly asked the initial duty personnel whose duty I am taking over, he said he would be glad to do on Friday. That means I will not be exhausted and feel tired, lest be distract from hearing God's words. How great and wonderfully God worked!
Second issue was my duty on Saturday Commissioning Parade. I was activated for duty on Saturday, right after my duty. Somehow I felt that something is wrong in the spiritual realm, and satan is pulling me away from God. I fasted, prayed and placed my faith in God, believing that when we try to reach out for Him, He will not reject us and will help us to be with Him.
This is something scary: on Thursday night, when I was on my way back home, I was so desperate because I really wanted to go church and as you know, it is hard for me to excuse from duty, I decided to get GO to pray for me. Just before I type the message and send, satan taunted me. "why are you so weak? why do you need people to pray for you? you can pray on your own too?" 3times he taunted me, I chose to walk off and sent the message. As I walk, I thought to myself: "yes, so what I am weak, I am never strong. I am weak but I was made strong through God, it is God who made me strong." I was also being reminded by Holy Spirit of "The true vine". "I am the vine, you are the branches. ... For without Me you can do nothing." Upon thinking of that, I felt that the victory trumpet has been blown. Yet I do not know the result whether can I be excused from duty on Saturday.
On Friday itself, I approached my superior to tell him I have church and I cannot go for the commissioning parade. My colleague was beside me and satan worked through him, adding words that may prevent me from coming to God. Then my superior told me to find the guy who passed the duty to me. I was kind of irritated when I approach him, believing that he dump his duty to me because he want to spend time with his girlfriend.
Here is where my pride came in, I thought to myself that I am spending time with God, doing better things than you who spend time with a girl. But I realized my mistake a while later and I chose to humble myself down, telling myself that he may have other agenda and I should not be so judgmental. So we approached our superior together and tell him we both can not make it on Saturday. My superior ask me to check with the other duty personnel and see if he can manage with only 2people. I believe till this point the battle is going on between God and satan. While satan is trying to pull me away from God, God worked in every detail to pull me to Him. I received a reply from my friend and he said he is fine with only 2people for the duty.
Hallelujah, satan failed again. A loser fighting against a big Champ, without the power of God he can do nothing too. Besides, God will never help him with evil for our God is Holy and Just! haha. Thank You, Father in Heaven. I am able to come on Saturday!!
First, it was my duty on Friday morning till Saturday morning. I was told by the duty forecast in charge that I have to forward my duty due to my new course coming up and he scheduled me on Friday when I already have one on Wednesday. I was worried that it will be very tiring for me on Saturday and I may lose concentration during sermon. I prayed to God for strength and energy during sermon. But God showed His mercy and grace, when I randomly asked the initial duty personnel whose duty I am taking over, he said he would be glad to do on Friday. That means I will not be exhausted and feel tired, lest be distract from hearing God's words. How great and wonderfully God worked!
Second issue was my duty on Saturday Commissioning Parade. I was activated for duty on Saturday, right after my duty. Somehow I felt that something is wrong in the spiritual realm, and satan is pulling me away from God. I fasted, prayed and placed my faith in God, believing that when we try to reach out for Him, He will not reject us and will help us to be with Him.
This is something scary: on Thursday night, when I was on my way back home, I was so desperate because I really wanted to go church and as you know, it is hard for me to excuse from duty, I decided to get GO to pray for me. Just before I type the message and send, satan taunted me. "why are you so weak? why do you need people to pray for you? you can pray on your own too?" 3times he taunted me, I chose to walk off and sent the message. As I walk, I thought to myself: "yes, so what I am weak, I am never strong. I am weak but I was made strong through God, it is God who made me strong." I was also being reminded by Holy Spirit of "The true vine". "I am the vine, you are the branches. ... For without Me you can do nothing." Upon thinking of that, I felt that the victory trumpet has been blown. Yet I do not know the result whether can I be excused from duty on Saturday.
On Friday itself, I approached my superior to tell him I have church and I cannot go for the commissioning parade. My colleague was beside me and satan worked through him, adding words that may prevent me from coming to God. Then my superior told me to find the guy who passed the duty to me. I was kind of irritated when I approach him, believing that he dump his duty to me because he want to spend time with his girlfriend.
Here is where my pride came in, I thought to myself that I am spending time with God, doing better things than you who spend time with a girl. But I realized my mistake a while later and I chose to humble myself down, telling myself that he may have other agenda and I should not be so judgmental. So we approached our superior together and tell him we both can not make it on Saturday. My superior ask me to check with the other duty personnel and see if he can manage with only 2people. I believe till this point the battle is going on between God and satan. While satan is trying to pull me away from God, God worked in every detail to pull me to Him. I received a reply from my friend and he said he is fine with only 2people for the duty.
Hallelujah, satan failed again. A loser fighting against a big Champ, without the power of God he can do nothing too. Besides, God will never help him with evil for our God is Holy and Just! haha. Thank You, Father in Heaven. I am able to come on Saturday!!
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Glory be to God
Here to glorify God, to share how much God have worked in my life. Since the last post in December, there have been many changes in my life. For people who knew the alternate side of me; I was an alcoholic, getting myself drunk in alcohol. I was into clubbing, falling into lust and self denial, escaping from the reality for the night. Yes, that was me after a downfall in my life when someone whom I treasured dearly left me. I picked myself up and fell, which was explained in my previous post. Now, here I am to tell you, that through God's grace I picked myself up, getting rid of the addiction and away from the temptation of lust. Though many times I crave to drink, but through God's power I rejected many offers to club and drinking.
Also, recently I found myself walking with God more closely, a prayer answered. I desire more of this, I want to be with God, even if the road down is tough and I may fail many times. I place my faith in Him believing He has a greater plan in my life for me. I have seen through many things, things in my life that does not need much attention for they are things that will pass when the time comes. I have found better matter to focus, that is the work of God, salvation throughout the world and spreading His words to all nations. My days on earth ain't long, I don't have eternity to do them, I have my life to follow God's command, "GO, and make disciples of all nations". I am spending this time to learn instead of wasting it on unfruitful relationships, addictions and other side focus. I am too young to talk about relationship, I am leaving it to God.
I will depend on God in everything I do, I will not give up till the last breath. Even if everything is bad for me, I have CONFIDENCE in God that He will OVERCOME with me. Lord, please guide me yo!! (:
Also, recently I found myself walking with God more closely, a prayer answered. I desire more of this, I want to be with God, even if the road down is tough and I may fail many times. I place my faith in Him believing He has a greater plan in my life for me. I have seen through many things, things in my life that does not need much attention for they are things that will pass when the time comes. I have found better matter to focus, that is the work of God, salvation throughout the world and spreading His words to all nations. My days on earth ain't long, I don't have eternity to do them, I have my life to follow God's command, "GO, and make disciples of all nations". I am spending this time to learn instead of wasting it on unfruitful relationships, addictions and other side focus. I am too young to talk about relationship, I am leaving it to God.
I will depend on God in everything I do, I will not give up till the last breath. Even if everything is bad for me, I have CONFIDENCE in God that He will OVERCOME with me. Lord, please guide me yo!! (:
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