Whether we like it or not, Christ and Him crucified has become the center of the universe. Redemption in Him is the only Absolute. A resolute anchor to hold onto. A refuge from any situation. And sometimes, you just have to return to Christ.
These are such days. Sigh.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
Renovation
Okay, maybe Rei isn't the one for me after all. But there are some things that must be settled straight in me.
The LORD's infinite wisdom does not allow itself to be boxed in with human restraints--it goes beyond. That there is a multiplicity of His Will scattered all throughout our choices, that His view of things, since He already knows all things from their beginning to end and the courses these things take in their journey towards completion--this means that God honors our freedom to the very point of protecting it from the limits of our reason.
That I have the power to choose if Hannah Rachel will be the one or not. I can make her to be the one, and I can also choose not to make her.
God wanted this principle to be alive in me for the reason that He wants me to take full responsibility for my actions. That the very mistakes I've committed weren't all mistakes--most were just good choices with relatively bad consequences. But my childish way of treating the bad consequences blinded me to the good, unseen, eternal consequences that were entwined with the
good ones.
And this time, He would not be put in a box any more. New chapter, new paradigms, new ways of handling life--with its highly eccentric seasons.
And this time, it will still be about what Christ can do, not what Caleb can do. So this time, I will just hold on to what I still have, let go if I must, endure until perseverance finishes its work and let God be God. Amen.
Renovations.
The LORD's infinite wisdom does not allow itself to be boxed in with human restraints--it goes beyond. That there is a multiplicity of His Will scattered all throughout our choices, that His view of things, since He already knows all things from their beginning to end and the courses these things take in their journey towards completion--this means that God honors our freedom to the very point of protecting it from the limits of our reason.
That I have the power to choose if Hannah Rachel will be the one or not. I can make her to be the one, and I can also choose not to make her.
God wanted this principle to be alive in me for the reason that He wants me to take full responsibility for my actions. That the very mistakes I've committed weren't all mistakes--most were just good choices with relatively bad consequences. But my childish way of treating the bad consequences blinded me to the good, unseen, eternal consequences that were entwined with the
good ones.
And this time, He would not be put in a box any more. New chapter, new paradigms, new ways of handling life--with its highly eccentric seasons.
And this time, it will still be about what Christ can do, not what Caleb can do. So this time, I will just hold on to what I still have, let go if I must, endure until perseverance finishes its work and let God be God. Amen.
Renovations.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
"Up" days and "Down" days
"While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease." Genesis 8:22
As long as we live in this planet, these four laws apply, always, even within the Kingdom of God.
What we sow we reap--seedtime and harvest. Sometimes we grow cold in ministry, sometimes we're on fire--cold and heat. Some days people are warm to us, but sometimes cold enough to hate us to death--summer and winter. There are moments when everything we do are so right, and moments when everything we do seems to fail, darkest moments of our lives--day and night.
But the wonder of wonders is that a constant remains, an unchanging absolute where we can all cling to.
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever." Isa. 40:8
We cling to the Word--the Scriptures, His very great and precious and unchanging promises. We cling to Christ--the Word incarnate, His very great and precious and unchanging character.
We cling. Whether it be seedtime or harvest, cold or heat, summer or winter, day or night, in God's Word, within the shadow of His wings, in the shelter of His promises we are safe.
As long as we live in this planet, these four laws apply, always, even within the Kingdom of God.
What we sow we reap--seedtime and harvest. Sometimes we grow cold in ministry, sometimes we're on fire--cold and heat. Some days people are warm to us, but sometimes cold enough to hate us to death--summer and winter. There are moments when everything we do are so right, and moments when everything we do seems to fail, darkest moments of our lives--day and night.
But the wonder of wonders is that a constant remains, an unchanging absolute where we can all cling to.
"The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the Word of our God shall stand forever." Isa. 40:8
We cling to the Word--the Scriptures, His very great and precious and unchanging promises. We cling to Christ--the Word incarnate, His very great and precious and unchanging character.
We cling. Whether it be seedtime or harvest, cold or heat, summer or winter, day or night, in God's Word, within the shadow of His wings, in the shelter of His promises we are safe.
Ways of God
"Trust in Him at all times: ye people, pour out your heart before Him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." Psalm 62:8
Just recently God restored a a wounded friendship of mine. And it was such a beautiful thing, so beautiful I had a hard time swallowing the truth that was happpening right before my eyes. But before that, the crisis.
You see, I vividly remember the few steps I embarked entering her church. I loved another woman whom I deeply believe is the "one" for me, but she was a friend of mine. A friend deserves to hear the truth. This was my conviction, and it led me to draw lines between me and my friend because of my love for my "one." It made terrible repercussions and it really hurt the both of us.
Somehow, my integrity was on the line. And shame was a word I kept hearing in my head. But then, this verse kept me strong. I didn't hear it verbatim, but its soul, its heart, its message glowed within me like the surface of the moon when faced into the sun.
"God is a refuge for us." That was the essence. That this really is a new chapter, about what God, not Caleb, can do for me.
Wisdom, Jesus said, is proven right by her actions. The wisdom was found scattered all throughout the psalms.
"In God I have put my trust: I will not be afrain what man can do unto me." Ps.56:11
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver them from death, and to keep them alive in famine." Ps.33:17,18
And my eyes testify these words are very much true. They reflect the new chapter, and God is establishing the foundations of this new chapter in my life.
Just recently God restored a a wounded friendship of mine. And it was such a beautiful thing, so beautiful I had a hard time swallowing the truth that was happpening right before my eyes. But before that, the crisis.
You see, I vividly remember the few steps I embarked entering her church. I loved another woman whom I deeply believe is the "one" for me, but she was a friend of mine. A friend deserves to hear the truth. This was my conviction, and it led me to draw lines between me and my friend because of my love for my "one." It made terrible repercussions and it really hurt the both of us.
Somehow, my integrity was on the line. And shame was a word I kept hearing in my head. But then, this verse kept me strong. I didn't hear it verbatim, but its soul, its heart, its message glowed within me like the surface of the moon when faced into the sun.
"God is a refuge for us." That was the essence. That this really is a new chapter, about what God, not Caleb, can do for me.
Wisdom, Jesus said, is proven right by her actions. The wisdom was found scattered all throughout the psalms.
"In God I have put my trust: I will not be afrain what man can do unto me." Ps.56:11
"Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in his mercy; To deliver them from death, and to keep them alive in famine." Ps.33:17,18
And my eyes testify these words are very much true. They reflect the new chapter, and God is establishing the foundations of this new chapter in my life.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Courage
One word that defines a hero. Fear is probably the greatest enemy a Chrisitan faces in this life. We live by faith therefore the opposite of faith would be tantamount to dying, right? Fear.
Recently, God gave me a test. He gave me two beautiful women, in my hands. With the power to do anything to them at will, God wanted to see what I would do. I had three options: one, wait and just let it flow, getting close to both yet totally unsure of both their feelings; two, press on one and grab, rejecting the other; three, lie to one so as to accept the feelings of one whilst in the heart rejected the other.
I chose door number two. I picked one based on who reminds me of God the most, then drew an irrevirsible line in between me and the other. It would seem that I did pick the right one, but the one I rejected hated me badly. I opened up freshly healed wounds and made the gashes deeper than ever. I knew they were there but the pressing need of making a decision was too great a temptation to pass.
I feared, I trembled. And I made a wrong decision. Now, I still fear and tremble and I do not know what to do.
The moment has come, again. The lesson must be learned. Then I remembered what God promised me concering this new chapter "It's not what you can do anymore, it's whay I can do and will be doing from now on."
I believed. And there I knew exactly what courage is about.
Courage is the evidence of personal victory over fear. That means courage must be fought for and we win it by the guns of grace, by the Spirit, by the blood of Jesus.
The girl I picked reminded me of the verse:
"So do not fear, I am with you."
Courage. The new chapter.
Recently, God gave me a test. He gave me two beautiful women, in my hands. With the power to do anything to them at will, God wanted to see what I would do. I had three options: one, wait and just let it flow, getting close to both yet totally unsure of both their feelings; two, press on one and grab, rejecting the other; three, lie to one so as to accept the feelings of one whilst in the heart rejected the other.
I chose door number two. I picked one based on who reminds me of God the most, then drew an irrevirsible line in between me and the other. It would seem that I did pick the right one, but the one I rejected hated me badly. I opened up freshly healed wounds and made the gashes deeper than ever. I knew they were there but the pressing need of making a decision was too great a temptation to pass.
I feared, I trembled. And I made a wrong decision. Now, I still fear and tremble and I do not know what to do.
The moment has come, again. The lesson must be learned. Then I remembered what God promised me concering this new chapter "It's not what you can do anymore, it's whay I can do and will be doing from now on."
I believed. And there I knew exactly what courage is about.
Courage is the evidence of personal victory over fear. That means courage must be fought for and we win it by the guns of grace, by the Spirit, by the blood of Jesus.
The girl I picked reminded me of the verse:
"So do not fear, I am with you."
Courage. The new chapter.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Fullness of Time
When God finally fulfills His promises after so long, it's so different from what you expect it to be. He's gonna do it to the last detail of what He said it would be, but completely different from what you'd expect it to be. The Hebrews expected God's salvation from the grip of Pharaoh's hands but never through what happened in Exodus. They never thought the Promised land involved wilderness journeys and armies of giants. The Jews expected a Messiah in the order of David, Warrior-King. They got a carpenter's son, born in a manger, died a criminal, with absolutely zero income. The world wanted proof of God's existence in signs and wonders--God sent His invisible Holy Spirit, who never shouts but only whispers, who never strikes but only touches.
And a young man born in the 21st Century wanted a wife for his own, a girl he'd really like, a girl who really is in love with him, with a Levite lineage, and someone who sees through his heart. God granted his requests finally, but it didn't happen with fanfare and trumpets, neither did it happen in some romantic evening.
It happened with a mistake, a decision for a lifetime.
He pushed both women away--only one came back.
And her name was Hannah Rachel Mia.
Right then and there, God sealed the new chapter with what He told the boy earlier 2009:
"This time, it will not be about what you can do for the LORD. This will be what the LORD has done, is doing and will be doing for you, in you, through you."
The first twenty one years of my life had been about Andrew Caleb. The next years would be about the LORD Jesus Christ, and the fulfillment of His Promises.
And a young man born in the 21st Century wanted a wife for his own, a girl he'd really like, a girl who really is in love with him, with a Levite lineage, and someone who sees through his heart. God granted his requests finally, but it didn't happen with fanfare and trumpets, neither did it happen in some romantic evening.
It happened with a mistake, a decision for a lifetime.
He pushed both women away--only one came back.
And her name was Hannah Rachel Mia.
Right then and there, God sealed the new chapter with what He told the boy earlier 2009:
"This time, it will not be about what you can do for the LORD. This will be what the LORD has done, is doing and will be doing for you, in you, through you."
The first twenty one years of my life had been about Andrew Caleb. The next years would be about the LORD Jesus Christ, and the fulfillment of His Promises.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)