God loves us, is always with us & we are called to love & bless everyone including our persecuters

When God Seems Far Away
By Os Hillman, May 5, 2009
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Why, O Lord, do You stand far off? Why do You hide Yourself in times of trouble? - Psalm 10:1

One of the great mysteries of God is His ways. Some of His ways almost appear to bring us into the most difficult places, as if He were indifferent to our circumstances. It would appear that He is turning His head from our sorrows. These events in our lives have a particular objective to perform for us. That objective is to bring us to the end of ourselves that we might discover the treasure of darkness. "Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness" (Job 30:26).

When we are taken into these dark periods, we begin to see light that we never knew existed. Our sensitivities become heightened and our ability to see through spiritual eyes is illuminated. Unless we are taken into these times, our souls never develop any depth of character. We do not gain wisdom, only knowledge. Knowledge is gained through understanding; wisdom is gained through the experience of darkness.

After we go through these periods, we discover that God was, in fact, with us throughout the entire time. It does not feel or appear that He is there when we are in the midst of the dark periods. However, He is there walking with us. He has told us countless times that He will never leave us. However, when we are in those dark periods, it does not feel like He is there because He does not rescue us from the circumstances. He does this for our benefit in order that we might become more like Jesus. Jesus learned obedience from the things He suffered (see Heb. 5:8). What does that say about how you and I will learn obedience? Embrace the dark times and gain the wisdom that God intends for you from these times.

Graduate Level Christianity
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Tuesday, May 05 2009

"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matt. 5:44).
There was a man who had become a friend and mentor to me, but a conflict arose between us that we were unable to resolve. I never imagined that this man would go from being one of my best friends to an enemy. I asked God to show me how I should treat this man, and the words of Jesus came to mind, "Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
"Lord," I said, "surely you don't mean I'm to love this man! Not after the way he's hurt me and refused to reconcile!"
As I argued with God, I remembered that Jesus, before He was betrayed, got down on his knees and washed the feet of Judas Iscariot, His enemy. The moment that scene came to my mind, I knew what God was calling me to do. I had to wash the feet of my Judas.
This man who had been my friend and mentor had also been a client of my advertising agency. He was a Christian author and speaker, and I decided to bless this man by continuing to promote his ministry and his books.
Did he ever come back to me and reconcile? Yes, seven years later. But even if he had never reconciled with me, I knew that I did what God called me to do. I washed the feet of my Judas. I passed the test.
God doesn't promise that if we forgive there will be a happy ending. He doesn't promise that the man who refuses to pay a bill will suddenly write a check. He doesn't promise that the one who rejects reconciliation will instantly soften his heart. Jesus forgave his executioners, but that didn't keep them from nailing Him to the cross.
The Graduate Level Test is not about getting the results we want. It's about proving that we trust God enough to forgive our Judases. It's a graduate-level course in Christian obedience. But I believe that every leader whom God uses in a significant way must pass the Judas Test.
God wants to know if we are willing to be imitators of Jesus. How can we say we are followers of Christ if we won't wash the feet of our Judases?

God is so good

There's so much happening around us, around the the world, and yet God has each of us in His heart amidst the chaos and unrest..

He doesn't stop reaching out to the lost and He hears and answers our prayers no matter what we see happening around us..

and His amazing love and salvation is intended for everyone.. including those who are yet in His flock..

11"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Fatherand I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life only to take it up again. 18No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."

Dear God

i want to see You, everyday
i want to go where You go
and wherever You want me to be

i want to be happy and proclaim Your goodness and amazing love
all the more, when it is difficult to do so

Lord give me strength to rejoice in the darkest moments
when i am blinded and broken
so that i can shine for You
no matter what

Father help me to be obedient to only Your voice
give me faith and boldness
to stand up for You
to walk in the way i should go
no matter what

Teacher give me wisdom to speak at the right time with words from Your heart that will bring healing and reconciliation to hearts that need You

i surrender my body, soul and spirit to You
i'm Yours Lord Jesus now and forever Amen

***

Habakkuk 2:2 KJV
And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Habakkuk 2:3 NIV
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.

abide in Him

***
Extract from TGIF

Peace-A Weapon Against Satan
By Os Hillman, March 24, 2009
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Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me. - Psalm 23:4a KJV

In the battles of the workplace, your peace is actually a weapon. The workplace creates many opportunities to rob us of our peace. Cash flow concerns, deadlines, relationships - all create stress on us. Your confidence in the God of peace declares that you are not falling for the lies of the devil. You see the first step toward having spiritual authority over the adversary is having peace in spite of our circumstances. When Jesus confronted the devil, he did not confront satan with His emotions or in fear. Knowing that the devil was a liar, He simply refused to be influenced by any voice other than God's. His peace overwhelmed satan; His authority then shattered the lie, which sent demons fleeing.

There is a place of walking with God where you simply fear no evil. David faced a lion, a bear, and a giant. In this Psalm he stood in the "shadow of death" itself, yet he "feared no evil." David's trust was in the Lord. He said, "...for Thou art with me." Because God is with you, every adversity you face will unfold in victory as you maintain your faith in God! David continued, "You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Ps. 23:5a). The battle you are in will soon become a meal for you, an experience that will nourish and build you up spiritually. Only God's peace will quell your fleshly reactions in battle. The source of God's peace is God Himself. If fear has been knocking at your door, begin to face that fear with God's peace. It is God's secret weapon to destroy fear

so awed..

wow..

God is so good. no matter wat. He is awesome as always.

He is in control, and has the best for us, no matter wat is happening, no matter wat we see or feel.

***
been feeling low for quite a while, somehow felt far from Him, couldn't sense Him like before, not because He's gone away, He is always near, it's my heart that's gone in hiding.. retreated back to its old shell, and doesn't quite know how to come out again.. fear & confusion crept in & i retreated to nowhere..

i ought to be wailing:"where am i.." coz God is always faithful and omnipresent, but i juz dunno how to meet Him..

extract from my journal written on 7 Feb ..click to view
after these thoughts were penned, i took out my guitar to twang, and it turned into spontaneous worship, and God blessed me with a new song!!
..click to listen

***
testimony from last nite's school of supernatural living at coos, church of our Saviour - 13 Feb

had a wonderful time worshipping, and enjoying God's presence, had imageries of Him cradling me as His baby, hand-holding me as His child, walking through pastures, looking at pretty flowers, dancing round & round holding hands, stopping by the water to see the fish, playing together in the water, Him pushing me on the swing, flying the kite together.. and me just lying on His lap and Him stroking my hair!

pastor derek was especially humorous last nite, and i especially loved all the verses and messages shared.

as the session was abt to end, the kind sister sitting beside me said she found it nice to beside me because.. can't remember what she said exactly (probably still dazed from the imageries & not wanting to come back to earth haha), but she said it was nice to sit with me..

later i found that it was me who was really blessed to be sitting beside her!
it started with me praying for her coz pastor asked us to pray for those who raised their hands, i barely finished praying when she also spontaneously prayed for me.. to receive the gift of knowledge, she also told me that God hears my prayers for salvation for many many people!! my heart was silently screaming in praise & awe.. maybe some did came out as audible sounds.. i'm not sure, but i'm sure my face must have been quite a funny sight, see.. i can't control my expressions very well..

for indeed i have been praying for salvation for people i know, and i was also praying the same last nite, i felt peace as i prayed.. and knew that God has it covered..

i was so bowled over when this dear sister, whom i just met, told me what has been on my heart! that He hears my prayer (even though i already know God hears us from the bible, it's juz different when someone else comes and tell u audibly..!!)
i couldn't stop smiling all the way home, remember still having that blissful smile on my face when i fell asleep..

yippee God!! thank You thank You thank You thank You thank You can't thank You enuf!!

sulian was just telling me last tues that when i don't hear God well enuf, He'll send someone along to tell me audibly..

and 3 days later.. He sends this sister to tell me He hears my prayers!! aaaahhhh..[silent screams in my heart again]

texted sulian in excitement & she says:"Praise the Lord! God is always faithful, n honors u, n loves whom u love!"

wow..

***
God made it easy for me to do things that i had been wanting to do but haven't been able to do for my family last nite & this morn! Father, i choose to put my heart in You for safekeeping forever and ever and ever.. i can't get by if it's anywhere else. i can go anywhere physically, but my heart has to be in Yours.. help me..

***
just read this article "Peace, Be Still! Do Not Let the Enemy Move You From the Rock of Your Peace" by Kathi Pelton
with the same message about God's steadfastness, and walking assuredly in His victory no matter what happens

read the full article here >>
www.elijahlist.com

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in Me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent Me. I have given them the glory that you gave Me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and You in Me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that You sent Me and have loved them even as You have loved Me..." John 17:20-23

"These things I have spoken to you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
." John 16:33 AKJV

dwelling

been receiving prophetic paintings of a "house"

the first one was received during teachers advance last dec, drawn by a little girl; the 2nd was drawn by a little boy who partnered me during sunday school when we asked God for pictures for each other in pairs; and the 3rd was drawn by a sister i'd recently met at a prophetic painting session abt 2 weeks ago

i had been looking for a house before, but had stopped looking altogether as the prices weren't good then.. hmmmm and it doesn't really matter where i stay right now, because God provides me with all i need

"One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock."
Psalm 27:4-5



"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am."
John 14:2-3

"By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beatuiful treasures."
Proverbs 24:3-4

i was re-reading John 15 and this verse on the same page caught my eye..
John 14:23
"If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him."

then i came upon this interesting interpretation of John 15..
"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you."
"I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done—kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love."


the first i received
***

went to the beach recently with my niece and got her to soak as i sang worship songs
she lay still as she soaked and later described what she saw excitedly.. eagles.. sun.. house.. clouds.. trees.. people.. angels.. Jesus!!
when she got up, she sang "Glory" with actions.. she remembers the actions! :)
she drew them on paper when we got home..



she started with the house and then the girl in the house..
i asked:"who's that in the house..?"
she said:"xiaogu" :)
i fell alseep beside her as i watched her paint :P and when i woke.. rather, she happily woke me up when she was done and showed me her beautiful painting..

God is so good :)

***

my mom was sick during the chinese new year, one night i woke up to find her coughing and vomiting and she was so weak she couldn't talk or stand properly.. tin was also awakened by her coughing and stood by.. i asked my mom if she wanted to see the doctor, and she shook her head.. then i asked her if i could pray for her and she didn't say anything.. i took it as a yes..

the next morning when i woke, she was already up and about, being her normal self again.. i asked her how she felt and she said she was ok!

i shared this with tin and tin said.. "praise God!!"

Hallelujah!!

i was led to these verses this morning.. and it's about wat was shared last evening!

Matthew 24:23-31
Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
—Matthew 24:23-31

Matthew 24:36-44
“But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.
—Matthew 24:36-44

Matthew 25:1-13
“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
—Matthew 25:1-13

Matthew 25:31-46
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
—Matthew 25:31-46

Mark 13:32-37
“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”
—Mark 13:32-37

Acts 1:10-11
And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”
—Acts 1:10-11

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.
—1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

2 Thessalonians 2:1-8
Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.
—2 Thessalonians 2:1-8

1 John 3:2
Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
—1 John 3:2

Source: www.scripturemenu.com

seeking directions

so many things on my mind, desperately need directions from God.. ministry.. equipping.. work.. family.. His plans for me!!

on one hand am thrilled and excited at the promptings in my heart, yet hesitant that i might be acting out of my own will and not following His timing and plans

was walking along margaret drive last evening and asking God for help, and clear signs.. and along came a sweet sister (just as i was praying.. i haven't even said amen)

we first met during pastor michael's book of james class, where i was so blessed i teared from beginning to end of class.. we met each other briefly only a few times since then, it's always nice talking with her..

in the few minutes that we met last evening, she shared how God has led her to leave her job and do the things that He wanted her to do, and that she is enjoying herself very much now, doing what He wants her to do (could really sense the peace in her, and such sweetness). God has since healed her from faintings spells from last Sep.. every word she spoke was such an encouragement to me.. that was exactly what i want to do!!

Lord i pray for total obedience. pl help me to follow Your timing for the things You have planned for me

***

adapted the following from article by Bradley Stuart and TGIF daily devotional by Os Hillman this morning..
much blessed, just what i need right now
thank You Lord for knowing me and loving me unfailingly

Confirming a Word from God
1) Write down what you've sensed you've received from the Lord.
Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said: "Write down the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it."
2) Wait for confirmation. 2Corinthians 13:1 This is the third time I am coming to you. “By the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall be established.”
3) Understand God's timetable and the timing of the fulfillment of the word.
Habakkuk 2:2 "For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
4) Check for any conditions involved.
my heart needs healing before God can give me what He has shown me and it takes time, for God knows how much i can take at a time, but it will happen for sure and the healing will be complete.
This ties in with today's devotional from TGIF..
God knows the stubborn human heart. He knows that if He is to accomplish His deepest work, He must take us into the desert in order to give us the privilege to be used in His Kingdom.
For Paul, it was Arabia for three years; for Moses, it was 40 years in the desert; for Joseph, it was 13 years in Egypt; for David, it was many years of fleeing from King Saul.
In the desert God changes us and removes things that hinder us. He forces us to draw deep upon His grace. The desert is only a season in our life. When He has accomplished what He wants in our lives in the desert, He will bring us out. He has given us a mission to fulfill that can only be fulfilled after we have spent adequate time in preparation in the desert. Fear not the desert, for it is here you will hear God's voice like never before. It is here you become His bride. It is here you will have the idols of your life removed. It is here you begin to experience the reality of a living God like never before. Someone once said, "God uses enlarged trials to produce enlarged saints so He can put them in enlarged places!"
Hosea 2:14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her."
2 Samuel 22:20 "He brought me out into a spacious place; He rescued me because He delighted in me."
God i want to go in the desert with You, i do not know what i'm asking for, or what i'll face but i want to go through all that it takes to be tuned in to Your heart and be in total submission
5) Faithful obedience with meditation on God's word.
Psalm 1 Blessed is the man.. whose :2 "..delight is in the law of the Lord and in His law he meditates day and night."
1 Samuel 12:21 "and do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing."
1 Samuel 12:24 "Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you."
When we don't understand how we need to really work with the word, it will often cause us to go into partial obedience and partial obedience is the same as disobedience, which can often hinder the word's fulfillment. In 1 Samuel 9:17 Saul had received a very clear word to be king, but when he partially obeyed the word of the Lord and never fully obeyed His instructions, he lost his kingship. 1 Samuel 13:13-14.



I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints? (Eph 1:18-19).

"There is a distinction between a later, special calling and our original, ordinary calling. Selfishness prefers the first, but stewardship respects both. A special calling refers those tasks and missions laid on individuals through a direct, specific, supernatural communication from God. Ordinary calling, on the other hand, is the believer's sense of life-purpose and life-task in response to God's primary call, 'follow me,' even when there is no direct, specific, supernatural communication from God about a secondary calling..In this sense no follower of Christ is without a calling, for we all have an original calling even if we do not all have a later, special calling.." yet..

*Os Guinness, The Call, Word Books, Nasvhille, TN p. 4, 48 1998 in TGIF 07 Jan 09

activated spirit

it's too much of a coincidence to be coincidental..
my thoughts and the messages i've been getting are falling into place so nicely
..my resolution for the new year
..pastor michaels's sermon last sunday
..altar call prayers
..conversations about activated spirit
..pictures and prophesies of God's word and standing firm and being rooted to His word which will be my strength in the face of tsunami waves and storms

and i just found the following article while i was looking for the verse that God spoke to me 2 years ago.. yay.. i'm almost 2 years old :) but hey..God really doesn't belittle the weak, for we are mighty when He is in us and He cares enough to send encouragement when i felt unrightly small and inadequate :) He hears our thoughts and is waiting to give us what we need, as soon as we turn our hearts to Him

i know it's not a coincidence for i've searched for the verse before but have never noticed this site, and today the search results didn't retrieve the usual sites that carries the verses even though the search terms i used are similar.. there were many links in the search results but this was the 1st site i clicked on..

the message also reinforces last sunday's sermon about connecting with God's spirit
which resonates with my new year resolution..

extract from activated ministries

Activated Magazine: 2005 Activated Issues > July 2005
“Abide In Me, And I In You” (John 15:4).
In the beautiful 15th chapter of John, Jesus says, “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:5–6). If ever you, as a branch, don’t abide in the Vine, Christ—if you don’t abide in His love and His Word—then you will become unfruitful and withered, and you will be pruned from the tree as a dead branch. You won’t lose your salvation, but you will be cast aside as being no longer useful to God and His kingdom.

Without the flow of God’s Spirit there is no life. You must be firmly attached to the Vine where you’re receiving the spiritual sap and life and nourishment that you need directly from the Lord Himself. A lot of how you grow is up to you and how much nourishment you receive, so don’t cut yourself off from the Vine.

Jesus said, “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). But if you are dwelling in the Vine, as one of the branches, then you can produce beautiful leaves and beautiful fruit so that He and the Father may be glorified and have much fruit (John 15:8).

The Lord is my shepherd

Like a Shepherd
TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman
Friday, December 26 2008

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart (Isa 40:11a).
Sometimes we can see Christ modeled in the most unusual ways.

Gerry, our neighbor, is a shepherd to the neighborhood dogs. Once Buddy, the roving black lab of the neighborhood discovered that Gerry was a wellspring of treats by simply pushing open his broken front door, he began bringing other dogs on his visits. They made themselves welcome in his front foyer.

One of them was an older cocker spaniel named Joe Cocker. But unlike Buddy, Joe didn't leave after thirty minutes. He ended up staying for two days! Finally Gerry called the name listed on his dog tag and found out that his owner lived up the road. As Gerry started to walk him home Joe stopped as soon as he reached the hill because he was too weak to climb it. So Gerry picked him up and carried him home. It was not a short walk and Joe was not a small dog.

Day after day this routine continued and I was amazed at how much Gerry grew to love that dog. He'd let him stay at his house for days at a time and Joe was content to just hang out with him and loved to sleep on top of his dirty laundry. Then one day Gerry got a call from Joe's owner to let him know that Joe had died. When Angie called Gerry to see how he was, he choked back the tears as he talked about him.

Jesus is often referred to as the good shepherd in the scriptures and his followers are referred to as His sheep He carries close to His heart. There are times in our lives when Jesus knows that we cannot make it up our own hill in life. It may be because we are facing financial ruin, debilitating health or insurmountable grief. But no matter what the reason, we can trust that Jesus is there to carry us.

Allow Him to pick you up so you can find rest in His arms and comfort in hearing His heartbeat as he carries you close to his heart.

"A church with one heart and one mind will make for a won world."

“He who loves God must love his brother also. —1 John 4:21”

READ: 1 John 4:7-21

Extract from ODB

"Did you ever notice that some Christians act decidedly un-Christian while trying to prove how godly they are?

One example is a man who angrily shuts his hymnbook and pouts through the rest of the service if the song leader does not sing every verse of a song.

Another example is the church where members argue against adding a new service geared toward youth, because they dislike the music.

Then there is the church in which the middle aisle is a demarcation line between two social classes of people who refuse to mix.

As Christians, we must stand for truth as spelled out in the Bible. Though truth was not violated in any of these situations, these professing followers of Christ acted in decidedly unloving ways. They chose to protect personal preferences rather than demonstrate the love of Jesus to a watching world.

As we read 1 John 4:7-21, we see that God’s love seeks to transform our behavior. In His love, we don’t react disdainfully toward others simply because we don’t agree.

Jesus said, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Do others see the love of Jesus in you? — Dave Branon

May all I am and do and say
Give glory to my Lord alway,
And may no act of mine cause shame
Nor bring reproach upon His name. —Anon."

birthday blessings

woke up on my birthday to this wonderful surprise from tin, our live-in homemaker from myanmar.. she's been with us for just a few months.. she calls me sister :) it superwarmed my heart when i found the bright and jolly card thoughtfully hidden underneath the usual breakfast sandwich that she prepares for me daily:)

that started my day wth such warmth and joy, thank you Jesus!

later that morn, mom shared that my pre-school niece had been wondering aloud as to what she shld get for my bday, well, knowing that she had actually thought about getting me a gift, has already blessed my heart so.. as we were on the way to lunch, she decided that it'd be the beautiful painting that she had painted at an art competition..


i love it.. thank you God for this gift you've given to her, i pray that You let her use it to bless many many more people in her life

***

me and my nephew shares the same bday!
he's gotten an electric guitar for his bday!!
God bless him and teach him new songs and worship that pleases God's heart
love to watch and hear him twang :)


we had a lovely bday lunch together rite after his bday celebration at kindergarten
and here's my nieces singing me d bday song! how beautiful!!


that evening was ministry cell and each one was to find 5 other people to do prophesy with. was deeply touched and much blessed by God's words..
.. first person who paired up with me received a picture of my feet in mud and dirt with the words "beautiful are the feet of those who share the gospel", and also had a vision of me dancing and worshipping!! both me and my first partner needed tissues when we were done.. :)
.. the following 4 messages were also spot on and had me deeply moved

was amazed how my bday blessings spilled over to the next day.. at guitar class, the teacher blessed me with a guitar strap that had Psalms 40:1-2 engraved on it!

he just decided to bring it along, thinking of giving it to whoever testified that morn, and it just happened to be me, who for the first time in guitar class who had daringly volunteered to testify God's goodness with a song that God had blessed me with.

the verse spoke to me and i couldn't help but burst into tears as he read it to the class, and i was awed and speechless when he turned and handed it to me after he finished reading the verse.. thank you Lord!! i'm so blessed. and i only realized that he had it especially engraved, a long time ago, when i had went up to thank him later, and share how i'm blessed by the verse.. which God had just told me the night before.. through the other prophecies i'd received..

God keeps affirming that He's my Savior, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Rock, my All, my Everything!! that i am saved and safe in His arms for always. i love You Lord!!

faithfulness

received this word twice from God - once during soaking at transformational worship arts when i asked God what he liked abt me, and once during prophetic circle at cell group.. a brother said God is pleased with my faithfulness to Him. didn’t know what “faithfulness” meant exactly then, but was just happy that God liked something abt me, and that faithfulness is something approved by God.

well last tuesday, i learnt what faithfulness is! from attending bible study with pastor michael on the epistle of James 4&5 titled Faith and the world

faithfulness that God is pleased with would be faithfulness to Him and not to the world. For those who are married to Christ cannot be a friend to the world, that would make one a enemy of Christ..

and the world in this sense doesn’t refer to physical things like money, niteclubs, cinemas or ktv, but it is the invisible spirit of the world, where satan seeks to destroy faith, hope and love. it is a system and invisible environment which is opposed to God. we must use God’s word and truth to guard against the spirit of the world. 1John 4 do not believe every spirit. we must test the spirit by asking whether they confess that Jesus has come in the flesh to deliver us form sin and give us eternal life. James 4:1-2 murder is not physical, but refers to resorting to anything to get what you want, stemming from selfish desires. it could be hurting others through oppression, and killing them spiritually. Galatians 5:19-21 teaches abt fruits of the flesh - fornication, adultery, jealousy, outbursts of anger, sorcery, and fruits of the Holy Spirit, when we abide in God and He in us.

we were dead but have come alive because of Jesus. our old selves have been crucified with Jesus and we have risen up with Jesus and brought into the light from the darkness, and we should shine for Him and set ourselves apart from the world, we must be different, and not be afraid to be different, no matter what people may think, die to ourselves and do whatever God wants us to do. this is not something that i find easy to do, nor do well at, (i struggle quite often in trying to do things that God wants me to do, out of fear of what people might think or feel) but i just keep trying, and God is so encouraging, that He sees my little efforts as pleasing to Him.. :~>

being faithful to Christ, means everything else doesn’t matter, only God matters, and what God wants matters, not what we want. For God is good, and knows best and whatever He gives us would be the best for us, for He has our best interest at heart, so do not complain on our hearts when we see “lack” in things that we have or do not have, for we have no lack! we have all we need in God, all we need is God, and we have the best when we receive whatever God gives us

that means i shouldn’t think about wanting anything because God knows my needs better than me, i should be just happy that i have what suits me best right now, that is focus in loving God!! thank you Lord :)

faithfulness is to present ourselves as an instrument for righteousness. be dead to sin and be alive in Christ. give ourselves to God. who we present ourselves as slave to - to sin which leads to death or obedience which leads to righteousness? die daily and present ourselves to God daily. do not conform to the world, do not let the world squeeze ourselves into its mold, its system and its thoughts but be transformed by our mind when we abide in God and Him in us. the world here refers to ungodly thought patterns, which is emnity to God. it doesn’t refer to the things we do (watching movies, singing ktv), but the spirit abt it.

i think when God says “abide in My love” - it is more than being loved by God, soaking in His love,enjoying His love, but knowing the things God love, knowing His heart and acting on it, and doing His will!

God yearns for us to be faithful to Him and His heart breaks when we sin. Humble ourselves and let God rule. it shouldn’t matter that people hate you, it only matters what God thinks.

knowing now what faithfulness means, i’m just wowed that God that He is pleased with my efforts in learning and trying to be faithful.. WOW GOD thank You for this faithfulness from You to be faithful to You and only You!!

Lord, please help me t be an obedient child, who will be sensitive to your softest sigh and quick to follow Your way and do Your will. Amen

Holy Spirit Baptism

Have you received the Holy Spirit?
When the apostle Paul met the twelve believers in Ephesus (Acts 19:2) he asked them a question - "Have you received the Holy Spirit?" They answered "No, they hadn't even heard about receiving the Holy Spirit". Paul prayed together with them and "the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied". The same thing happened to the 120 people waiting on God's promise of His Holy Spirit in Jerusalem on the day we now call Pentecost. They also spoke with tongues and prophesied (Acts 1 & 2 ).

What is the baptism in the Holy Spirit for?
Jesus said that we would "receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you" in Acts 1:8. Power to live holy lives, power to witness, power to pray, to understand scripture, to minister, and to lay our lives down (Acts 9:17-20; John 16:14; Luke 24:24; Rom . 8:26). The Holy Spirit is to be received by all believers so that they can receive, with the power, certain "gifts" from God. Gifts of healing, power wisdom, power faith, power knowledge, power miracle and power to speak the truth of God. In other words , the Holy Spirit is to be received to receive power to be the active "body of Christ" ministering in the earth today. The Apostle Paul said for us to "earnestly desire spiritual gifts" (1 Cor. 12:31, 14:1)

How can I receive the Holy Spirit?
With other Spirit filled Christians or privately, raise your hands up to God in thankfulness and praise. You might close your eyes or leave them open. The important thing is to "ask" - believing God's promise is for you - and then to "receive" of your own free will the blessing of God, called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Start to praise God with your voice, tongue and lips. He will not force you to speak in tongues but you may if you wish. As the "Truth" of God's promised blessing fills you, let it set you free. Step out in faith. Try to say something in a language that only God could understand speaking mysteries to God (1 Cor. 14:2). Maybe you will only be bold enough to speak a few syllables but as you boldly repeat them God will bless you with more . Like a child, your new language of prayer to God will grow. Don't be afraid. This language is not for the benefit of other people it is between you and your Lord and Savior. You will probably not even understand what you are saying, but be assured that God says that as you use this prayer language you will be built up and become stronger in faith (Jude 20). Your private worship of God will be blessed. You do not pray in tongues with your mind but with your spirit (1 Cor. 14:14-15) you are praying with y our spirit to God who is a spirit (John 4:24).

Even if you do not have the faith to speak in tongues at this time, its important that you desire to (1 Cor. 14:1,5). One day you may just find yourself doing so. Nevertheless because you invited the Holy Spirit to come into the "house" of your life He ha s (Rev. 3:20). You will therefore find a new intimacy with Him as you worship and study God's ways. A new "fire" will burn in your life. A new fervency for God will be experienced and a new level of faith will be your. From time to time you may find the a rdor of your fellowship at a lower level. No need for alarm - just repent of your distraction and ask the Holy Spirit to fill you anew. There will always be only one "Baptism of the Holy Spirit" but there can be many fillings of the Holy Spirit of God (Ep h. 3:14) God wants you to either be hot or cold - never ever be satisfied with a lukewarm Christian life (Rev 3:14-22). As you walk in the Spirit you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-25).

Extracted from Holy Spirit Baptism