Laugh With by Regina Spektor

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests
No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from that party yet

No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake
No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken
No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say, "We've got some bad new, sir"
No one's laughing at God when there's a famine, fire or flood

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious
Ha ha
Ha ha

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war
No one's laughing at God when they've lost all they got and they don't know what for

No one laughs at God on the day they realize that the last sight they'll ever see is a pair of hateful eyes
No one's laughing at God when they're saying their goodbyes

But God can be funny
At a cocktail party while listening to a good God-themed joke or
Or when the crazies say he hates us and they get so red in the head you think that they're about to choke

God can be funny
When told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way
And when presented like a genie
Who does magic like Houdini
Or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus

God can be so hilarious

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one laughs at God in a hospital
No one laughs at God in a war

No one's laughing at God in a hospital
No one's laughing at God in a war

No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor

No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
No one's laughing at God
We're all laughing with God

You Hold Me Now by Hillsong United

On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace

All my fears swept away
In the light of your embrace
When Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence here to hold
Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suff'ring You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sickening
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

In this life fin'lly stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails

When You're name is lifted high
And forever praises last
For the glory of Your Name
I'll be livin' for the day

When the world has finally cease
All creation rest in peace
Let these songs of heaven rise to you alone

No weepingr, no hurt or pain
No suff'ring You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sickening
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your name

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sickening
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sickening
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

No weeping, no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sickening
No hiding You hold me now,
You hold me now

Vitamin C

Every morning I make sure I drink vitamin C. It's almost an instinct that when I get up-- I'd go upstairs and take it. I made sure that there will never be a day without it. Also, I am fascinated by how my body automatically reminds my brain to take my vitamins every single day.

I wonder how a forgetful person like me could not forget a single act like that. But I was able to recall a couple of years ago what was the reason behind all these. I use to suffer from carbuncle or commonly known as skin boils. The pain and agony that I suffered from left me a permanent scar. I consulted a lot of physicians and all of them pointed at the same problem-- my immune system. Mine was so weak making me prone to infection. So they advised me to take vitamin C everyday. If only I was disciplined enough to take it even before I get sick, the problem would not exist at all.

If I was disciplined enough to communicate with the Lord everyday, my body would automatically seek the Lord.

Like my experience, I suffer from spiritual sickness. I have a SIN problem. I have my own spiritual carbuncle/boil that I have to deal with. The seed that is planted in my heart will only be revealed through my actions-- and I have not been glorifying the Lord lately. I have not been taking my spiritual vitamin C. Have I planted the right seed in my heart? As God said:

8"The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature[a]will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." Galatians 6:8

God must be automatic in me. In whatever I do, He must always be my answer. He must always be my vitamin C.

Let God Speak

"...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12: 34

Why do we say the things we say? How do the words we speak come about from out of us? Oftentimes, we ignore these questions. But friends, I tell you now, we need to realize this, more often than we do.

"...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12: 34

Jesus says, "35The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him." (Matthew 12:35). Once we say we are a child of God- when we say vile, evil, manipulative, deceitful, hurtful, blasphemous things- is this the good stored in us by the Lord who chose us? The moment we gossip, curse, scream and shout spiteful, demeaning words when we are angry, upset or frustrated- who are we representing? A seed of grape does not beget an orange- neither does the seed of God beget hate.

"...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12: 34

When people so often proclaim "Let your heart be your guide"- Oh then how we fail to be guided by God during times of reckless emotion. Sometimes even without anger, we are capable of uttering the most corrupt and immoral of words.

When a person becomes a Christian, new life should begin- how then can we move through this life with our Lord when we hinder ourselves even through the simplest of speech. If we have the Lord in our hearts, we are more able to move through our maturity as Christians- and bypass evil thoughts, words and acts. Whosoever reigns supreme in our hearts will reflect upon everything we say or do- let it be God. He will carry us through even the toughest of situations, no matter how hard- His love will shine.Let Him speak.

"...For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." Matthew 12: 34

Yahweh by Hillsong

Our God He lives forever
He reigns in power and love
Let Earth bow down before Him
For He is exalted

We look to Yahweh Yahweh
Forever Yahweh Yahweh

Our hope is God Almighty
His love is greater than all
Lift high the God of Heaven
Give all the honor

We look to Yahweh Yahweh
Our hope is Yahweh Yahweh

And He shall reign forever
He shall reign forever
He shall reign
Forever and ever (Our God)

Laminin

Judging Others

I was window shopping at the mall one day and saw this girl go into the "dollar store" to buy sale items. I thought to myself "How cheap!". That day, I was only window shopping, with less than 10 bucks on my debit.

I was on the bus to work a long time ago and this lady with unkempt hair, outdated clothes, big glasses, pimples all over her face- she was about my age I guess. I thought to myself "Wow, she's ugly." That day, I had just woken up, skipped a shower, pimples all over my face.

I was browsing facebook one day and saw a picture of an old friend. He used to have a lean body but now he had become much.. MUCH bigger. I thought to myself "My he got fat!". That day, another pound must have added to my weight care of that delicious caramel pecan cake- I had about 2 slices.

I could go on and on- but hopefully you get my point. Every single day of our existence, we judge others. We judge based on looks, clothes, money, etc. Yet we fail to see our own imperfections. But we not only judge based on superficial aspects- we also judge other's personality, way of life, beliefs.. and yes, religion.

How is it that we judge by a standard that we ourselves can't even meet? We think we've met them, but surprise surprise, I'm telling you- we're not THAT great.

God says 1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." (Matthew 7:1-2).

Imagine if God used my personal "points of assessment"- and during my day of judgment God says "I deny you admittance here because you're too cheap, you have pimples on your face, you tried working out and that was good- yet you gained back the pounds and got fat. Sorry". Every judgment I have ever made on anyone would truly backfire at this point.

God also continues to say.. "3Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." (Matthew 7:3-5)

A lot of times- tonnes of reflection and time spent with God helps us to get rid of the "plank" in our eyes. For through and with God, we are purified, cleansed and renewed. Even then we're still not perfect. Our God alone is the ONE who is perfect, in every way. Realizing this, we must acknowledge our reliance upon God to reveal our inner beauty. God made all His children to be who they are- Therefore, we don't have the right to even come close to criticizing His masterpiece.

"It is the Lord who judges me. 5Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts." 1 Corinthians:4-5

Lead Me to the Cross

HE DID ALL THIS FOR YOU- FOR US...

"Lord.. lead me to the cross, where your love poured out.. "

Perfect Love by Hillsong

I wanna see the broken hearts
Finding hope in God above
I wanna know I'm doing all I can
So with this life, with all I am
No matter what the cost may be
I pray to see Your love become our cause

I won't stop believing
You alone are, You alone are God
In You there's freedom

Your love brings me to my knees again
We're gonna bring an anthem of love
We're gonna live for You now

This perfect love, I can't explain
This way of life that has no end
Your mercy satisfies, it's all I need
My purpose found in You alone
To love the lost and bring them home
We were made to glorify our King

I won't stop believing
You alone are, You alone are God
In You there's freedom

Your love brings me to my knees again
We're gonna bring an anthem of love
We're gonna live for You
May Your love become my every thought
I wanna know the sound of Your heart
I wanna live for You now

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Sing You, You bring me life
You bring me hope
You're all I need

Million Dollar Man for more than a Million God

Man that was transformed by God. Who used to be " The Million Dollar Man" is now more than a million richer because of the Lord.

Lex Luger: Transformed by God

God Changes Lives

All I Need is YOU

Left my fear by the side of the road
Hear You speak
Won't let go
Fall to my knees as I lift my hands to pray

Got every reason to be here again
Father's love that draws me in
And all my eyes wanna see is a glimpse of You

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is you Lord

One more day and it's not the same
Your spirit calls my heart to sing
Drawn to the voice of my Saviour once again
Where would my soul be without Your Son
Gave His life to save the earth
Rest in the thought that You're watching over me

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord

You hold the universe
You hold everyone on earth
You hold the universe
You hold
You hold

All I need is You
All I need is You Lord
Is You Lord

Dared to Move

We are in the process of looking for a new house. Sounds exciting? I would say not so much. We've seen more homes than I can count with all my fingers. Not only that, homes in the market costs more than I can count with my all my fingers.. hands and feet combined- over 20,000 times. And if we do find a house within budget that could accommodate us, how tumultuous would it be to pack and move, pack and move, pack and move... Catch my drift?

Eitherway, change has to happen. And why? Because our humble home- has become too cluttered. 9 people plus a dog doesn't necessarily scream too much space. In fact, if I were to entertain your imagination more, its like the home of the seven dwarfs invaded by giants (trust me if you've seen my family, I'm not exaggerating). So with all of us, you can only imagine what our house looks like. It can get REAL messy- REAL fast. I credit my parents for keeping all of us from living in a pig sty.

Point is, this not only happens in our external lives- the mess, the clutter-it exists in our internal lives as well. We find it real hard to change things in our lives- even when we know it is for good. We usually keep past hurts, pain, anger, jealosy, greed, lust- and many other things hidden in us. Much like my mom keeps old typrewriters, paper shredders and junk from garage sales hidden in our house full of people.

²¹"For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, ²²deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. ²³"All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."Mark 7: 21-23

Tell you what though, as long as we let God into our hearts- He will stay long enough to change it. Because if there is another thing God is great at- it is as a decorator of our hearts.

²⁶"Moreover, I will give you a ^A)">new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the ^B)">heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. " Ezekiel 36: 26

Good news is- God can help change these portraits of hurt and anger into a canvass of grace. The stonewall of jealousy and greed will be shaken and restored to be replaced with bricks of love. However, this change, this "re-decoration"- is not always pleasant. But God has high aspirations for each of us- God envisions a complete restoration.

^"6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

How has God been changing your heart lately?

Do you feel cluttered? Is life getting too messy? Then it's time to pack and move, pack and move.

Mighty to Save

Everyone needs compassion,
Love that's never failing;
Let mercy fall on me.

Everyone needs forgiveness,
The kindness of a Savior;
The Hope of nations.

Savior, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.

Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

So take me as You find me,
All my fears and failures,
Fill my life again.

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in,
Now I surrender.

Savior, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Shine your light and let the whole world see,
We're singing for the glory of the risen King...Jesus (x2)

Savior, He can move the mountains,
My God is Mighty to save,
He is Mighty to save.
Forever, Author of salvation,
He rose and conquered the grave,
Jesus conquered the grave.

Savior, you can move the mountains,
You are mighty to save,
You are mighty to save.
Forever, Author of Salvation,
You rose and conquered the grave,
Yes you conquered the grave

Losing Touch

^"18They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more." Ephesians 4:18-19

Have you ever imagined yourself losing your sense of touch, of feeling? Sadly so, millions of people become victims of medical conditions that damage the nerves. This is called peripheral neuropathy. Neuropathy is associated with varying combinations of sensory changes. Oftentimes, a loss of sensitivity. Those who are affected sometimes become insensitive to any type of feeling- sometimes including pain. Without any sense of touch or pain, they develop all sorts of complications including bed sores and sometimes even losing some extremities.

I have seen this happen all too many times working in the medical field. The sad condition people go through who have this type of illness. But what I didn't know and have only realized until recently, I suffer from it as well.

I suffer from spiritual insensitivity. I become impervious to guilt everytime I commit a sin. Every time I made excuses for my own behaviour, the more I separate myself from God- I turn my heart to stone. Trapped in sin, I only crave for more, making excuses along the way.

In the verse above, Paul was urging the people to "no longer live as Gentiles do"(Ephesians 4:17). Now I am no Bible expert but from my understanding, Gentiles were associated with pagan cultures at that time. Paul continues on saying that the Gentiles have separated their life from God and in ignorance due to the hardening of their hearts, they have indulged themselves in impurity.

As I read the beginning of this passage in Ephesians, I realize, in a way, that I have lived as the Gentiles did- hardening my heart to God. I have lost my sensitivity to sin.

But as I read on, Paul says that:

" ²⁰You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus." Ephesians 4:20-21

Yes, I do know Christ. And at one important point of my life, I did accept His grace, His love. So what is keeping me from living a life worthy of His grace? You all know this: SIN

If we have heard the good news of Jesus Christ, then according to Paul, we are called to:

"..put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

We should break free from the bondage of our old selves- from sin. We could start by opening our hearts to God in confession. For with God, forgiveness is always available.

"⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9

Friends, physical insensitivity can sometimes ultimately lead to losing an arm, feet or both- Albeit no pain but at the expense of your life. Spiritual and moral insensitivity enables one to live a life of guiltless indulgences- but at the expense of your soul.

Be Still

 ¹O God, do not remain quiet;
         Do not be silent and, O God, do not be still.

Psalms 83:1

The author, Asaph, was pleading to the Lord for help. He was pleading in desperation because other nations were conspiring against Israel and they intend to destroy God and His people. Asaph was distressed with the problem and was begging the Lord for His saving hand but the Lord was silent.

Have you ever experienced times wherein we are in desperate need of help, we cling to the Lord tightly and it feels like nothing's happening? I did. He may be silent but the Lord is   always at work. His timing is perfect whether He answers or not. Looking at the entire chapter of this verse, Asaph remained in the Lord even though he did not get an answer. Instead of complaining, he continued to pray and trust in the Lord. At the last part he said (Psalms 83:18),

18That they may know that You alone, whose name is the LORD,
         Are the Most High over all the earth.

Sometimes we might feel that God is absent. God is not within us with our troubles, pain and suffering. We can never understand how God works but it is certain that He works for the good of His people. When the Lord is quiet, He is working. He is making a perfect entrance in our experience so that we may stop and ponder that He is our Savior. David said in one of his Psalms (28:7),  ⁷The LORD is my strength and my shield; My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart exults, And with my song I shall thank Him.

When the Lord is silent, He wants to see how we will trust Him. When the Lord is silent, He wants to see how much we will depend on Him. When the Lord is silent, He is still faithful. When God is quiet, will we turn away from Him or have faith like Asaph?

¹I waited patiently for the LORD;
         And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
    ²He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
         And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm. Psalms 40:1-2

A Plea

It is by faith and through great contemplation that I write this now. I had to battle my own pride in order to say what I am about to. Forgive me if anything that I say can be a bit too discouraging. I am human and I am much like any other sinner out there. So this one will be unlike any other piece I have written. This is a plea for help.

I have fallen. I am at a point where I have consistently ignored God's presence in my life. Over and over I say to myself: "I am allowed to feel this way, God will always be there." I have taken for granted His word, His blessings. I believe that if God really wanted me back- He would have done something to me by now. Maybe I am waiting for His rebuke. And on that account, I have allowed myself to sin. That maybe when I do, I would feel guilty enough to go back to God and ask for forgiveness. Sadly, that just made me go even further into darkness.

I would love to say to you now that all of this has passed. It hasn't. And that's where I hope and pray that you come along to help me. I desperately need your support and prayers. I am stepping out of my own weakness to try and reach out. I firmly believe that people are God's instruments. We are all part of God's master plan- and that He speaks through others. As my brothers and sisters in Christ- I reach out to all of you. A word of advice would be nice or even a short prayer. If I get no response here, I am assuming we are going through the exact same thing. Thus, I say to you, I completely understand and you will be in my prayers.

"⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." 1 John 1:5-7

My soul faints for Your salvation

My soul faints for Your salvation; I hope in Your Word. Psalm 119:81

When was the last time you yearned for the Lord's salvation? I know we are already saved the moment we put our faith in Christ. What I am referring to is the completion of our salvation--that day when we will stand in the golden streets of heaven and finally see God face to face. When was the last time you really longed to be with God in heaven?

I have to admit, I have been very comfortable with this life and this world that I have not been thinking about going to heaven much. The world has a way of making me forget that I am a citizen of heaven and not of this world. I have been pre-occupied with planning for my future here, building a house, having a successful career, a wife, my own family… But nothing more after that. I'm not even sure if I'm going to live long enough to have all those. What is definitely sure is that I'm going to die one day and be with God in heaven and yet that's the very thing I don’t often mind.

Why am I not excited about going to heaven anymore? It could be for the following reasons:

• I'm too busy trying to gain as much as I can out of this world
• My love for Lord is dying out, thus, I don’t long to see Him
• I'm too comfortable and don’t experience any form of difficulties because I'm not serving the Lord at all
• I don't believe God has better things to show me there

Out of all these, I think the first is my number one reason for not longing for the Lord's salvation. I thank God for reminding me of this verse, "For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36) God's word is just filled with promises of a new life and new hope--not here on earth but in heaven with Him.

Lord, please help me fall in love with you again. Help me to have a deep longing for you and your salvation. Do not let me be content with what I am now, where I am now and what I have now. I know everything here on earth will pass away and will never completely satisfy. Make me yearn for You and your heaven. Amen.

Do We Need Forgivness?

Have you ever commited something in the past that you regret and until now is still haunting you? Have you done something wrong in your life that you could almost say "it's unforgivable"? I did.

 

There are so many mistakes I have done that really affected my view of forgiveness. So many errors I would like to change if only I could turn back time. I regret a lot of things in the past that I wish never happened. I used to think that God will never forgive me because I am so sinful, I'm just plain too dirty.

 

I can remember one moment I would imagine, what if my life was like a computer game. You commit a game-changing error- you won't be able to finish the mission because of that which leads to only one solution, RESET. Hit that button so you could do things all over again. How I wish things could be like that. You could modify a life-changing mistake by just hitting a button.

 

How important is forgiveness? I can clearly recall one friend of mine. He was always fuming and most of the time out-of-control. He was always the problem child and often would be called the "black sheep" of the family. Until now, he is still struggling finding his worth in this world. But I found out that the reason behind such is that he never felt true love. He was a product of a broken home and nobody guided him, nobody cared for him as he grew because people could only see his failure--his mistakes.  This made me realize that great true love can be experienced through forgiveness. Loving a person no matter who/what he is is one thing, but forgiving that person for committing something against you and your will is another. Imagine if this person experienced forgiveness, things would've been different.

 

But good thing the Lord knew we needed this. We need forgiveness. We have all sinned (Romans 3:23), we have all committed life-changing mistakes, we have all fall short from our family's expectation, we have all failed one point in our lives--we are all sinners and we need forgiveness.

 

In Psalms 130:3-5 says,

 

 ³ If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
       O Lord, who could stand?

 ⁴ But with you there is forgiveness;
       therefore you are feared.

 ⁵ I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
       and in his word I put my hope.

He is does not keep a record of our sins . He loves us that much! He said in 1 Corinthians 13:5 that love does not keep record of wrongs. He loves us so much that He is willing to cleanse us, to forgive us and forget whatever mistakes we have done for if He remembered--no one will stand. He is offering us the RESET button. I have to admit that I need it badly. I need to hit that button by saying, "Lord forgive me".

 

We could only experience forgiveness if we humble ourselves and ask for it. God is willing to forgive us only if we ask it deep in our hearts.

 

We need this RESET button badly, but are we willing to surrender to the Lord and ask?

Feelings or Faith

Do you feel God's presence with you and in you- every single time?

Because in all honesty, I don't. And I find that because I don't feel Him around me, I start to refuse to seek Him. I become lazy and disheartened. I, sometimes (ok I'll be honest again) I, often times, don't feel inspired. I don't feel that burning flame and desire to know Him and spend time with Him. Why? It's because I remember that feeling when I first started to seek the Lord- those gratifying emotions that had kept me going as a young Christian. But then, I had lost it.

But tell you what? The many times that flame for the Lord have dwindled- that's how many times I have been reminded of this fact: God is present, He is real- no matter how I feel.

"..Never will I leave you;
never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Words aren't enough to describe God's unchanging nature- He is indescribable. Yet we measure His presence merely on our feelings, our emotions. Surely, God is more than an experience. Yet, that is what we usually seek- we seek that excitement, that wonder, that overwhelming emotion- then after all is lost- God is gone.

So what then do we do? Do we just wait until we get the feelings back? Do we just keep still and let God make Himself known?

How about we keep our faith? Let us not measure God's power and presence in our lives merely on how we feel. Because if it were my feelings alone, without faith, I would think I'd be lost right about now. I'd be back to old habits, old vices- be of earth than UNearthed (see the reference there? ;p ) Faith placed in God keeps us going, not feelings.

"..because it is by faith that you stand firm." 2 Corinthians 1:24

Another thing we could do if we are stuck is to tell God exactly how we feel- or lack thereof. If there is anyone we can really be honest with- it is with God. Admitting this lost feeling towards Him is also a sign of faith. It is by faith that we know that God will listen and still love us otherwise.

So, if we find ourselves losing that desire.. that feeling- let us then remind ourselves of God's nature, His promises and what He has already done for us. He died and saved us- that alone is worthy of all our praise and thanks.

"O LORD, you are my God;
I will exalt you and praise your name,
for in perfect faithfulness
you have done marvelous things,
things planned long ago. " Isaiah 25:1

Build and Repair

I have a passion for sports and fitness. As I learned more about our bodies,  I noticed one important thing, strength and conditioning is vital to a person who is building and strengthening  themselves. Realizing this, I started to workout- long and hard. As I engaged in certain exercises I realized nothing was happening. I was sweating it out at the gym but I can't see results. Biceps were still fluffy, I still have my flab and everything that I had in mind just wasn't there.

However from what I have learned, our bodies undergo so much stress- our muscle tissues tear after a heavy workout. It takes time to see results- but as we follow our routines, the harder it gets the better- because once our bodies have had enough time to rest and repair- we will see the results of all our hard work. From fluffy and flabs to buffy and abs!!!

Same with our lives, whenever we encounter difficulties we tend to give up. We go through the same problems over and over again but we fail to see what is happening inside, that God is working. In that problem, God is breaking down our muscle tissue so that He could form another set of larger and stronger muscles. Deep inside us, He is working for us to be strong and ready to play at the highest level.

²⁹ "He gives strength to the weary
       and increases the power of the weak.

 ³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
       and young men stumble and fall;

 ³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint."

Isaiah 40:29-31

Only Grace

There is no guilt here
There is no shame
No pointing fingers
There is no blame
What happened yesterday…has disappeared
The dirt has washed away
And now it's clear

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace

You're starting over now
Under the sun
You're stepping forward now
A new life has begun
Your new life has begun

An’ there's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me…it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only grace…

And if you should fall again
Get back up, get back up
Reach out and take my hand
Get back up, get back up
Get back up again
Ohh…get…back…up…again…


There's only grace…
There's only love…
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough…it’s enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There's only…there’s only…grace…

There's only mercy and believe me it's enough…it’s enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
And there's nothing left now
There’s only…grace……
So get back up…get back up again…
Get back up again.

“Only Grace” by Matthew West
From the album “History”

Refining Patience

Patience is a virtue. That is what you hear most times when things don't usually go our way. A car cuts you off in traffic... patience; Light turns red and you are already running late... patience; elevator closes as you try to catch it.. patience; you run up a flight of stairs to the 14th floor... patience; the receptionist tells you your appointment is tomorrow....... &*^%^*@!!!!!!

When life throws you an unending slew of problems- it gets harder and harder to be patient. But the Bible considers patience as one of the fruits of the spirit.

" ²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control" Galatians 5:22-23

Therefore, patience is expected in each and every one of us...

"¹²We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised." Hebrews 6:12

Being patient proves our faith in God's timing and His love. However, as mentioned above, it does not come easy. We go through about a hundred or more trials a day- from waking up so early for work to sleeping without getting any homework done. We face our own struggles every single day. But, James 1:2-3 reveals that trials are God's way of refining our patience:

" ²Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

But we know that we can't be patient for so long. There will always be something that will cause us to stumble. No worries though, God expects us to fall as well. He knows us better than we know ourselves. He has included every bump we encounter in His overall plan to bless us.

^"28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28

Yes, everything works for good- even when we fail to be patient. Because in the long run...or climb- looking at it from God's view- even if your appointment was tomorrow- God has given you the chance to strengthen your legs- you will realize then, that you've endured.

Excellence of Love

 ²If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.

1 Corinthians 13:2

Love is the fuel to keep us going in our walk with the Lord. Surely we can do a lot of things but as the Paul said in this verse, without love we are nothing.

Just imagine a person whom you really love. Would you do anything to please that person? Would you do something that could hurt him/her? Of course not. Out of that love, we can do things out of our borders. Out of love I can make coffee for my fiancee. Out of love a mother can give her newborn kid whatever it needs any time at any given day.

Same thing with God. If we really love Him and put Him first in our lives, we would strive hard to obey what He commands us. We would not sin because we don't want to hurt Him. All out of love we can do anything for the Lord.

 '...YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.' ³⁸"This is the great and foremost commandment.

Matthew 22:37-38

Whatever we think, whatever we say and whatever we do should all come out of our love for the Lord.

What's The Point of Eternal Life?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 NIV

I used to think that accepting Jesus Christ in your life is a bit self serving. Why wouldn't you want to receive Christ in your life knowing that doing so would mean getting eternal life? Who in his right mind would refuse to that good deal?

It was just recently that I realized that eternal life is not the point of Christianity. Receiving eternal life is not really the message of Jesus when He came here to earth.

The message of Jesus Christ was simple: He wants to be with us FOREVER. And that cannot happen if there was no such thing as eternal life. God gives us eternal life so that He can have an unlimited, never-ending fellowship with us in heaven.

______________________

Here's one of my favorite songs where God is the one singing to me. A post-valentine's day treat for everyone, here's a love song from our Savior.

Just To Be With You by Third Day. Enjoy!

I've heard a tale that a man would climb a mountain

Just to be with the one he loves.

How many times has he broken that promise?

It has never been done

Well I never climbed the highest mountain,

but I walked the hill of calvary

And just to be with you I'll do anything,

there's no price I would not pay, no

Just to be with you I will give everything.

I would give my life away.

I've heard it said that a man would swim an ocean

Just to be with the one he loves.

But all of those dreams are an empty emotion

It can never be done.

Well I never swam the deepest ocean

But I walked upon the raging sea

And just to be with you I'll do anything,

there's no price I would not pay, no

and just to be with you I would give everything.

I would give my life away.

And I know that you don't understand the fullness of my love

How I died upon the Cross for your sin

And I know that you don't realize how much that I give you

And I promise I would do it all again

Just to be with you I've done everything

There's no price I did not pay, no

Just to be with you I gave everything

Yes I gave my life away.

Just to be with you

Oh, just to be with you

How about a date with God?

It's almost valentines. You see paper hearts and cupids all streamed across mall stores. So what's all the hype about? LOVE. And who better to go on a date with but the One who is LOVE.

^"16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

But to define God as love- is simply hard to fathom. So we have created our own definitions of love. Among those are: an intense affection for another; passionate attachment towards another person based on personal ties; sexual passion or desire.

Love can also attributed from an image of a heart, a cupid with a bow, a box of chocolates, flowers and candy- holding hands, hugging, kissing.. making love. These are what comes to mind when we think of the word love. But where is God in this picture? Have we become so immersed in our worldly ideals, that we have forgotten to put the Lord in this equation?

Lots of people have asked me what I am going to do this valentines. A lot of them assume that me and my partner will be going somewhere special on a date. Well for one, we're both broke. And two, I believe that valentines have become so much about everything I have mentioned above but never about God. A box of chocolates is nice, or even a romantic dinner- believe me, I've fallen for this gesture many times. But I realize now, that people put so much effort on what they'll do for their significant other- that they forget what's really significant. Looking at it from a different angle, those who don't have anyone- put so much effort complaining and sulking about being alone. Do they even realize that they aren't?

The Bible tells us many different stories to emphasize God's love for His people. He shows them in many ways- by blessing them, healing them, showing them mercy and forgiveness- even by rebuking them. The ultimate act of love of God for His people was through the sacrifice of Christ.

"⁸But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

He also asks that we learn to love Him back. Not just that but to love His people as well.

^"37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Matthew 22: 37-38

And how do we show our love for God and others? Well, the Bible will tell us. But among many are by listening to His teachings, obeying Him, trusting Him, knowing Him, spending time with Him- showing compassion for others.. letting go and asking for forgiveness. But at times, people revert back to sinning- loving themselves and others over God because they think that loving God is just so difficult to comprehend. It is much easier to love on our terms than to love on God's terms.

But see, although it is difficult, God allows us chances. He does not give up on us. My own life is a testimony that God did not give up on me and still haven't. You see if God gave up on us, I would not be writing this right now nor would you be reading it. If we fall and break our fellowship with the Lord, all we have to do is admit we've sinned- He will gladly take us back. That is one of the many ways our Lord loves us.

So, this coming valentines day, you may have a date or not- you may give or receive flowers.. you may just be by yourself or it may just be an ordinary day- God is asking you to have a date with Him. This year, valentines is on a Sunday. He already reserved a place for you to be with Him... all you have to do is go. It can be a wonderful start or a great renewal to your relationship with Him.

Will you be God's valentine?

Religion without Heart

"… He looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts…" Mark 3:5a

Jesus was angry???

It's not the usual picture we have of Jesus, right? We normally picture Jesus being the gentle and friendly man feeding the hungry and healing the sick. But in Mark 3:1-6, we see Jesus in a different light. He was angry. But what was His anger all about?

He was angered by the religious men who wouldn't approve of His healing sick people on a Sabbath—thinking that it is more righteous to honor the Sabbath (by not working) than to help a person in need (i.e. healing of a man with a withered hand). Their religion has become a bunch of rules, laws and guidelines without heart.

James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world."

Clearly, true religiosity is having a heart of compassion for the needy and keeping oneself holy.

It's very easy to seem religious in the eyes of men. But it's not men we are to please but God. I ask myself, does God see what men see in me? Am I spiritual on the outside only? Is my heart hardened by my spiritual pride and/or sin that I am no longer sensitive to the needs of others? Do I only give God lip service? Does my 'religious acts' have heart?

Personally, I am against the idea of "religion"; but only if it is defined only as a system of moral rules, regulations and laws with no heart. True Christianity is not supposed to be a bunch of dos and don'ts. We do because we love; and we don't because we love. The Lord's greatest commandments sum it all up: Love God and love your neighbor. Everything in between should fulfill that command whether it's a do or a don't. The point is, it should all boil down to LOVE. That's true religion—a religion with a heart.

This, then, leads us to ask ourselves this question: Are my religious beliefs, habits and activities grounded in and motivated by love—the kind that God commands us to do and empowers us to impart?

Change Me, Teach Me, Lead Me

⁴`` Make me know Your ways, O LORD;
Teach me Your paths.
<sup>5</sup>Lead me in Your truth and teach me..``

Psalms 25:4-5

"Make me know Your ways, O LORD..."

We say ` Make me ` if we want something to happen to us or if we want to experience something. God wants to teach us how He works through us, but the desire to change needs to start in us. David wanted the Lord to interfere in His life that is why he asked the Lord `Make me know Your ways `. Truly I understand why David wanted to experience the Lord for the Lord never disappoints people who wait and seek the Lord. As the Lord said in Psalms 22:5:

⁵To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed

"...Teach me Your paths."

Once we are changed we will have the desire to learn. He teaches us His ways because He wants us to learn who He really is and that in turn we might experience victory in Him.

⁴ For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory." Deuteronomy 20:4

Although sometimes God allows trials to refine us so that we would not remain in our old self and that we may be better persons. What kind of Father does not want the best for His child? Daniel 11:35 says,

5 Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

"Lead me in Your truth..."

Knowing who God is in our lives will make us want to be guided. We would want Him to lead us for He knows everything. As they say, "The truth will set you free" and in life only God will set us free- Set us free from our struggles, our frustrations, anything that is displeasing in our lives.

⁶Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6

Active Trust

¹⁴Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world."

John 6:14

This was the time that Jesus made a miraculous act of feeding the five thousand out of five loaves and two fish. The people that have gathered were amazed and once again Jesus proved to them that He was the Son that was sent to shed His blood on the Cross to save us.

But before the miracle and the glory of God let us see what happened. Before the miracle, 2 things happened. First, Jesus tried to see how His men will depend upon Him. In John 6:5-6, ⁵Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?" ⁶This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do. This happens almost all the time in our lives. We tend to self-destruct every time the Lord allows trials to occur but we never realize that God knows what He is doing and we just ought to trust in Him. He is in CONTROL.

Last,  Philip and Andrew gave everything they have to the Lord. ⁷Philip answered Him, "Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, for everyone to receive a little." ⁸One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said to Him,⁹"There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?" They offered what they could, did everything they can, but in the end it was the Lord who performed the miracle. They never waited in vain but they were actively trusting in the Lord and they gave Him everything they had.

We should have the attitude of working as if everything depended on us WHILE praying to the Lord as if everything depended on Him.

The miracle didn't happen at once. They were tried, they believed and they did everything they can while they trust. Sometimes God allows such things to happen so that we may realize who He is in our lives..Who He REALLY is inside our heart.

Does our actions show that we are actively trusting ourselves? or in the Lord?

With much effort, we can maybe feed a few hundred. But only in and with the Lord- is it possible to feed thousands...

Facebook VS God's Book

Facebook has become the most popular social networking site in the web today. People can regularly update their status, catch up with friends, find long lost relatives- farmvile and poker- you name it, it's there. Even the older generation has gotten in on the hype. It even got to a point when one of my grandmas told me "Put those photos up on facebook, ha?" Yes friends, even my grandma has facebook.

So, I am writing this now on the realization that- I, unfortunately, spend more time looking at updates of people I barely even know than spending more time with the ONE who knows me inside out. I spend more time reading countless rants, boasts, funny quips and quotes from facebook than I do reading God's word.

Therefore, when do we find time to read our Bibles? Do we spend more time occupying ourselves with menial tasks than getting to know the Lord?

Ok, say God asks you to be His friend on facebook. You accept and He is now part of your 300 or so friend list. Then you come home and open facebook. Picture the following status updates:

Anita Goodman there are no good men around anymore! Guys are jerks!!!

GOD "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the LORD, in your presence" (Exodus 33:19)

OR

Dick Tator hates it when people don't do what I say!!!!! Idiots!

GOD blesses (Proverbs 16:20) and saves (Psalms 7:10) those who obey Him.

OR

Hugh Jass' workout is payin' off!! I see those cuts coming! Watch out!!

GOD "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

OR

Moe Lester loves me some hot chicks!

GOD "For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world." (1 John 2:16)

OR

Dee Prest I hate this!!!! FML!!!!!

GOD "I am the way and the truth and the LIFE. (John 14:6) It has now been revealed through the appearing of Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. (2 Timothy 1:10).

SO... I hope you get my point. Between the people of this world and God, whom do you think is LOVE? Whom do you believe saves? Whom do you believe gives LIFE?

God's word has the power to change us.... save us. Every circumstance in our life is written in His book... fear, disappointment,hope, purpose, love... That is why it is called the Living Bible. Open it, read it and meditate.

The satisfaction for facebook can only last us until we're sick of it or there's another new website that comes along... but the grace and fulfillment from God's living book- can last us until all eternity...

There are things in life that people cannot tell you- nor they even care to understand- but God is making it known to us... All we have to do is accept His request...

"I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the one who sent me." John 13:20

Walk or Sink

"...You of little faith," he said, "why did you doubt?"

Matthew 14:31

²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. It was heavily raining, storm caused thunderous waves and the boat where Peter and the gang was is almost sinking. Imagine the situation they were into and suddenly they'd see Jesus quietly walking on water. Wait, what? He was walking on the sea? As surprise as we are, Peter and the other disciples were surprised. In fact they were terrified to see him and even called Jesus "a ghost" ( ²⁶"When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear.").

If I were in their place, I would probably feel the same way and would've said the words they said. I just couldn't imagine how powerful God is that He would be able to walk on the sea along with all the disaster surrounding Him.

So Jesus being the merciful Lord that He is, immediately took away all of their fear. In Matthew 14:27 it says, 'But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid." ' Knowing that all of them were so terrified, He immediately calmed them down with so much compassion. He was so merciful that He comforted them told them not to be afraid, at the right place and at the right time. Being the Lord that He is, He is always compassionate to His people. He understands how we feel and He is always ready to bring comfort at the right place and at the right time. He is often early, but is never too late.

Going back, in Matthew 14:28 it says '²⁸Peter said to Him, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water." ' Peter needs His assurance. People like us are like Peter. We need the assurance of the Lord, we need His comfort and we need His guidance. Knowing that we need His assurance, the story goes on in Matthew 14:29 where Jesus answered them:  ²⁹'.'And He said, "Come!" And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus.' God gave Peter His assurance and after the assurance that God gave Him, he came to follow Him and history was made. He was the first human being ever to walk on water.

But after that in Matthew 14:30-31 says,  ^30'But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" ³¹Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him...' Peter saw his surrounding and he focused on it and he started to sink. When He cried to the Lord He came to answer.

I was reminded of one of the greatest stories ever written in history wherein one man was able to walk on water. One story I will never ever forget, one story that changed my life. God allowed this story to be written for us to know that we need Him. Often times we would just see ourselves crossing paths with the Lord. Just as the disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea. He wants to show us that He is always present, knocking on our door hoping that one day we will decide to let Him in.

This story is like ours. We have a sinking boat in our lives that we want to hold on to and we are so afraid to let go because we have a lot of thunderstorm surrounding us. We fear that we might sink. But Jesus assures us that He will never leave us. He is just there to show us the real way. The real way is towards Him but only if we are willing to get our feet wet and walk on water with Him. Only if we decide to follow Him can we see His glory. Only if we decide to come with Him could we experience how it feels to be pulled out of the water if we sink. Only through Jesus can we really be saved.

Either we stay on the boat that we know will eventually sink or follow Jesus and get our feet wet. It takes a leap of faith to walk on water, but only through Jesus can we experience the true meaning of life.

"Do we truly understand the depth of our sinful nature and who we are without Christ?" -Jeremy Camp

Be UNEARTHED. Found and Redeemed.

The 2012 phenomenon. If you haven't heard of this- you might have been living under a rock someplace. Countless documentaries- even a movie- has been based upon this event. From ancient Mayan predictions to 21st century scholars, they all argue that by December of 2012- all of humanity- will be wiped out for good. Although how it'll happen still remains a point of debate- a solar explosion? meteorite collision? However way one predicts it, only one point remains the same- our life....here on earth as we know it, will eventually come to an END.

Do we have to wait for 2012 to realize that our life here is slowly fleeting away? That we all have an endpoint here. We see death happen. And at some point, we will see ours too.. Therefore, there can only be two truths: life on earth is temporary and what's after this life- ETERNITY- is what matters most.

The Bible offers us hints as to how quick our life here is- a breath, a wisp of smoke, merely a shadow...

" For we were born but yesterday, our days here on earth are but a shadow" Job 8:9

Our residence here on earth is brief. Everyone know this, yet we become so blinded by false hopes, false security, false truths and ideologies. Everyone knows that life is ending, yet we still work so hard to achieve things of earthly value. If life on earth is so quick- then are we merely on a pointless pursuit?

Think of it as being on a vacation- you feel so at home and relaxed at this foreign island, you never want to leave. You become so immersed in being one with its people- you think having fruit baskets as hats and straw skirts as clothes is normal. Do you then go home looking like a fruit stand? Don't you think its just ridiculous? So is our pursuit for worldy things. Going home dressed like a hula girl on crack is the same as dying a sinner, without Christ. You have packed and worn the wrong things for your journey home.

"Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." 1 Peter 2:11

For we are but aliens, visitors of this earth. Our citizenship is with God our Father in heaven- for all of eternity. If you are unsure of this, then friends- we urge you to come forth and know this truth:

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

It is through Jesus, that we come to know what lies ahead- after we've breathed our last here on earth. This earth, our lives here- is merely just a passing phase. Let us not indulge ourselves with fading things; let us not get carried away by earthly ideals- let us not be lost in a world that is not meant to be our home.

2012 can come tomorrow- who knows? If your end finally comes, do you leave home or do you go home? We urge you to dig deep into your hearts and pray you find your answer in Christ.

Our Father is only waiting to find us- for through Jesus Christ we are found. Disengage from the bondages of this world- let go of your straw skirts and hats. Believe in Christ- Be SAVED, BE FOUND.... BE UNEARTHED.

Are you on autopilot?

Do you ever stop and think why you do the things you do? Sometimes I get so used to my habits and daily rituals that I forget why I'm doing them in the first place.

It's like driving. When I first learned it, I was very cautious and alert. But when I got used to it already, I feel that driving is just like walking. I can even eat, talk, laugh, text and sing while driving. And when I'm in my usual route to the mall or back home, I don't even have to think about my way anymore. It's very automatic. I feel like I'm on auto-pilot.

But sometimes, being on auto-pilot is not a good thing--especially in my spiritual life. Sometimes I get so used to my spiritual disciplines and habits that I forgot why I'm doing all these.

Why do I go to worship every Sunday? Why do I sing? Why do I read my Bible everyday?

This morning, I thank God for having me read this very meaningful and much loved verse in the Bible:

We love Him because He first loved us. ~1 John 4:19 NKJV

That's it. I need to be reminded of this fact. I worship Jesus because I love Him. I sing to Him because I love Him. I spend time with Him and His word everyday because I love Him.

And I love Him because He loved me first.

Reflection/Application:

• How can I remind myself of God's love for me today?
• What can I do differently to rekindle my love for the Lord?

New Self

¹"Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

Colossians 3:1

We usually use the word therefore if there is a result or a conclusion to a problem. Paul used the word therefore for us to know that even the solution to sin has been provided by God Himself sending His only Son to die on the Cross to save our sins. Mark 10:45 says, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

I am always amazed of how great the Father's love has for us. I still cannot comprehend that God, knowing what mess I have done in my life and what shame I have brought upon His name, will sacrifice His one and only Son just to save us.

We have been saved for something important, something special. When we try to save something, it only indicates the vitality of that thing in our lives. We don't want to lose that thing because there's a value in it, a purpose. I do believe that God saved us because we are special to Him and He has something in store for us. Christ said that we are to seat at the right hand of God, a prize I never deserved but only through God's grace I have been given. We have a purpose because we have been saved.

We have been SAVED to be CLEANSED. Paul says we should set our mind on things of the Lord because we are dead to sin, alive to God. Paul wrote in Colossians 3:2-3, ²"Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.³For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God."
In Romans 6:2 it tells us "...We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?" We have died in sin and we are ought not to live in it any longer for sin destroys the fellowship that we have in Jesus Christ.

We are SAVED to please the Lord. Colossians 3:5-7 says, "⁵Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. ⁷You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived."
Jesus Christ loves the sinner but not the sin. A complex love that only the Father can give, He cannot stand sin but He loves us. So knowing that we cannot handle sin and it is our nature to sin, Jesus saved us so that we may be able to please Him by putting to death what makes Him angry. His kind of love reminds me of a healthy relationship. When you love someone you want the best for them. You will never allow anything that you know would hurt that person in any kind or form, same as the Fathers love for us. He knows sin will destroy us, will kill us but since He loves us so much He will never allow this to happen. So pleasing the Lord also gives us a healthy life in Him alone.

We are SAVED to be RENEWED. Colossians 3:9-11 says, ^9"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,¹⁰and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him--¹¹a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all."
We have been saved to be renewed by the Lord and He also commanded us to get rid of our old self and put on the new self that is being renewed according to God Himself whom created us. He saved us because we had a purpose in life. He renewed our inner self because we needed it badly, we need a change and it only comes from the Lord. No matter what, God will always give us the power to change and Only through Him can one person be really changed inside and out.

Every time the Lord will remind me of His grace, it always reminds me of this one line from a popular song.. " I wonder have I done my best for Jesus, while He has done so much for me."

-Have I put on the New Self, that He himself provided so that once and for all we may live the life God wants us to live
-Have I done my best for Jesus?

^17"Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
Colossians 3:17