I was told today to display my passion for God... to infect others, with it...
Display Godly PASSION, excitement, to stir others up! Nanti everyone ter-panic, how?
How shall I do this? Where? Despite my personality? To be a functional "I" personality?
Will take it under advisement and immerse it in prayer...
I'm beginning to appreciate just a little of what Jesus must have been going through when he was in the Garden of Gethsemane. The agony of knowing what is ahead, the dreading, asking God to relieve him of what he had to do for us.
Many a time when I have a difficult thing to do, I gripe to God about it and then gripe some more. If I can procrastinate, I do but most times I can't.
Making a stand on a decision that was not mine alone, I am now in that Garden. Simply bringing up an issue for decision and standing by the decision that was made en bloc makes me feel like I am in my very own Garden. Of course, I can't compare myself with what Jesus went through there, but like I said, I can now have a glimpse from the window of my broken heart of what He must have felt like.
So who's crucifying me? Not those who worked, not those who slaved, they did it for God. It's the onlookers, the watchers, waiting to judge while they predict the next doomsday and say, "I knew it would happen!" Loving that feeling of thinking they are right. "That's why, I never got involved, so I wouldn't get my hopes up too high", while still others, simply stay away, afraid they'd be implicated and lastly, those who fear the wrath of those who watch and judge.
I wonder who I am doing this all for? For a split second, I forget. Then, it's back to Gethsemane for me to do what I must....
Many of us have hard to ask and hard to answer questions which we wish we could settle in our hearts. Here are some places one can go look and find some of the answers, answers which we may or may not like to hear...
1. PC Gamers can get reviews on games
2 Masturbation
3 Pornography
Overall, I have found this site good for all sorts of questions that believers may have and be too embarrassed to ask about. I haven't read every single entry in their free advice columns but the ones I have read are helpful.
Hmmm, what else ah...
4. Eating disorders - bulimia
5. Dating
The state of Hawaii recently mandated bigger holes in the fishing nets used in pacific waters. The law was supposed to help small fish grow into larger ones. This is good news if you're a fish, at least if you are a relatively small fish. Our prayer life can be likened to those fishing nets.
Some of our prayer nets have large holes due to the infrequency of our prayers. They need adjustment and a tightening to the overall pattern. Other people have holes torn by life's difficulties or worse, by sin.
Most of us pray, yet the Bible teaches that we "have not, because we ask not" (James 4:2). A haphazard prayer life is like a loosely woven fishing net. Nets like this let all but the largest fish escape. But worse than this is when we sometimes refuse to pray. Refusal usually follows anger toward God or feelings of guilt over our sin. When we stop praying althogether, it is as if we are working with torn nets, which let all the fish escape.
(Excerpt from Prayer: Dare to Ask by Ralph Moore)
I heard that a certain pastor put down another person's church (rightly or wrongly) and received applause for it...
I heard that he asked believers who weren't happy with their own church to go to his church instead and he received applause for it..
I heard that he told Christian girls that they could wear anything they liked because if they caused someone to stumble, it was because that person was weak.
Some people have to make others look bad in order for them to look good?
Some people need to steal sheep from other churches?
Some people are teaching the Bible incompletely/selectively?
Of course, this is all hearsay....
.... But I wonder why whenever this preacher is in town, there is this certain emotion evoked in some people where they wish they were in his church? Some good fruit eh?
... But I thought it was to build up believers to be united, to refresh those who were serving, to give new ideas insight, to edify the body of Christ?
Seeds of discontentment are like weeds. Unless we pull it out by the roots, they'll keep coming back at you like boomerangs.
I wish no one sowed seeds of discontentment. My wish of course, will not come true.
So, what can we do about this pesky prickly particularly pokey predicament? I sure as heaven don't know. It just makes me discontent with the discontented. After much persuasion, gentleness, firmness, love, attention, affirmation, encouragement I see myself no better than when I first started. It's like a cycle and I really just want to get off the merry-go-round and be on my way to conquer new ground for Christ. This seems like Moses' desert.
Seeds of discontentment are sown when we cannot accept what God says in His Word. We try to find someone somewhere out there to tell us that what God says in His Word just isn't right or should be interpreted this way or that way instead. We want to believe that God REALLY didn't mean this when He said it. It actually meant that instead. When we hear what we WANT to hear, that preacher is the best! We don't bother to filter, consider or even read the bible for ourselves... cos we might just read WRONGLY, interpret WRONGLY what God is saying to us!
We just don't like to be told to do something we don't like to do, not even by God. Hey! God doesn't need to consult us when He put the Bible together! He doesn't need to win no popularity contest! He doesn't need to justify to me or anybody else what He says in His Word.
When a still small voice in you speaks, don't shut Him off! Don't allow the seeds of discontentment any room to grow. Quash them today.
What am I wanting to be saved from? This world? This beautiful worldly world with so much to offer? It comes as a package deal with only one instruction at the bottom of the box.
As a mentor to my loved ones, I sometimes wonder the extent to which I am at liberty to truly share my thoughts, opinions with some.
I am pretty new to this mentoring scene, coming into it feeling a great sense of lack. I was finally put at ease (in a manner of speaking) when I finally read more about "mentoring", that frightening buzz word that seems to be all encompassing in nature...
The thing is, I had no formal mentor so I kinda understand and don't understand it when people tell me that they see a lack in their own walk with God as they too have no mentor.
My mentors were authors of various books, my family members, older men and women who passed on their wisdom and insight, pastors, speakers and Godly people who I am blessed enough to have touched my life. I had no one specific although once, a particular Godly man offered to be one to my hubby and I. We were unable at that time to commit to it, sadly.
What does one do when we can't find a mentor, a time slot, someone to trust and look up to? The key to me are our response to these 2 questions.
How hungry are we for God?
Do we even expect to receive anything?
We prioritise our lives on things that matter most to us, not what we think we ought to. That's a fact.
For example, I could see if a person is earnestly looking for God and expecting to receive, through their everyday actions or lack of it. If they come to me and want help, to walk alongside them, they'd definitely receive something at the end of each session. If they come to me and do not receive much, if anything at all, i would ask myself if they were looking at all... I am not being arrogant here. You see, i am but His vessel and only if you draw from me, can you receive.
I drew from the pastors, older men and women and even books that i read. I went expectantly, knowing, praying that God would speak to me somehow, and He did. I was and still am desperate to know Him more.. He wouldn't sell us short if we desire good things and desire Him. He's just that kind of a generous God.
In turn, I can now move albeit slowly but surely, confidently presenting myself as His vessel. I simply invite anyone to draw from me..
So, the question isn't if one needs a mentor, but ...
How hungry am I for God?
Do I even expect to receive anything?
This is what I think is faithfulness and love...
1. An elder preaching despite being ill.
2. Pastors remembering their sheep's birthday.
3. Pastors speaking appreciation and also words of caution when needed.
4. A whole congregation who come to church every single Sunday.
5. Sunday school teachers who love the children TONS! (Don't know how they do it!)
6. Ladies who come alongside one another in time of need.
7. Men who are available at any time to be that handy man or Mr. Fix-it in church.
8. People of all ages who willingly and happily pray for one another, the first chance they get.
9. People of all ages who serve in spite their busy schedules, to fix drinks, to prepare communion, to open the doors in church for us, to tape sermons, to bring in the toilet paper, to fetch drinks for the speaker, the drinking water, to give us a variety of food week in and week out, ushers who do not hesitate to use the umbrella on rainy days to ferry members from their cars to the church, without so much as a complaint.
10. The young ones showing respect to those who are older by appreciating and serving them by shutting their mouths at the right time.
Sometimes, we take some things for granted. For instance, we have a tendency to take other believers for granted, especially those in our own church. We take our pastors, our leaders, our friends, for granted. We think that they OUGHT to know us, OUGHT to understand us and OUGHT to do their "jobs" BETTER...
We forget to love them back, to care for them back. Worse still, we begin to compare them to some other church and their congregation. How the other church has some better program or speaker or idea or building or whatever... We just don't see the whole picture with our very limited perspective. We can only see things from our point of view and forget that it isn't the ONLY perspective.. I don't doubt that other churches have good programs, speakers, ideas or buildings, or whatever... Simply that, the other church wouldn't love us the way this church does. They wouldn't know us the way this church does. They wouldn't understand us the way this church does.... not at this very moment.
It's like looking at another person's marriage and seeing their marriage from your perspective. They SEEM happier, more fullfilled, more communicative, more loving, more everything...
Let's look at ourselves. Are we putting into the marriage, the same amount of energy, the same amount of love, the same amount of attention, or commitment, or whatever? Building relationships require our effort, albeit the effort the size of a mustard seed but still.... effort. God cannot multiply what isn't there...
We ARE in the business of building relationships in our church. That's what God placed us here at such a time as this for... So, let's start building it, instead of tearing it down with our words, our minds and our hearts. It borders infidelity and coveteousness to me sometimes... Instead, let's look at our church from a fresh perspective and see all that is good within us, just as God sees us and continue building it without further delay!
Lord, I pray that we'll see ourselves from your eyes and your perspective, and behold only that which is good, and do away with what isn't, by your strength and wisdom. Amen.
This is what I see from my very limited perspective...
I store up a smile, an understanding look into my memory,
I deposit a kind word, a song, a beautiful scene
be it one of nature or one between mother and child into my heart,
I reserve poems, hand-made cards, a gesture, a favour or even an opinion
given truthfully up within my consciousness,
All may be forgotten over time but would have already done
it's delicate and needed work to build my heart..
Last night, I received great treasures of more warmth, love,
hugs and encouragement than I could almost hold,
From those whom I love dearly and those I have yet to know well,
Given to me till overflowing, 'twas my cup of blessings
And as it runneth over, it keepeth my heart, oh so tender
and all the more convinced,
That my family, my real church is in the heart of those
who love through Christ (who made it a reality)
And that we do not labour in vain for Him and His purposes
as long as we stand together in His name!
In thankfulness and with great humility I receive your love,
oh Lord in the manner that you delivered it!
I am overcome by this treasure! You continue to surprise me.
Your love is truly inspiring!
.... and yes, it was anything but a quiet birthday!
