I Ask For My Nation

You said, "ask and you will receive whatever you need."
You said, "pray and I'll hear from heaven,
And I'll heal your land."

You said Your glory will fill the earth
Like water the sea.
You said, "lift up your eyes;
The harvest is here, the kingdom is near."

You said, "ask and I'll give the nations to you."
Oh Lord, that's the cry of my heart.
Distant shores and the islands will see

RMorgan,

Sobering Thoughts on Brokenness

The teaching of brokenness over sin is not a very popular message in the world today, and even well-meaning Christians avoid sounding forth the call to repent lest people get "turned off". Many people want a god who is only loving and forgiving, but that is not the God of the Bible. People may want to forget that God is a God of wrath and that there are consequences for sin. They want to see Jesus as a "good man" but not see Him as a bloodied and crushed sacrifice. They want their sins washed away, but they forget that their sins were laid upon the Lamb and it was His Blood that carried them away.

For those who have repented and are turning from their sins and saying "Though temptations still assail my flesh at times, I have turned from them and by God’s grace will never turn back," we rejoice! The Bible tells us that there is a time for mourning, but that there is also a time for rejoicing over the precious coin that has been found, and the angels are doing that in heaven right now because of your brokenness!

--> from Day 6, Setting Captives Free

Paradoxes in the Bible

As I grow into Christian maturity by reading the Bible, I have realized that there are certain truths that go against each other. Until you experience them, they look non-sense but when you found it's profound meaning, you will be amazed on how God works that way. Certain truths that go against each others are called "paradoxes". According to Wikipedia encyclopedia, paradox means,

"A paradox is an apparently true statement or group of statements that leads to a contradiction or a situation which defies intuition. Typically, either the statements in question do not really imply the contradiction, the puzzling result is not really a contradiction, or the premises themselves are not all really true or cannot all be true together. The word paradox is often used interchangeably with contradiction.

The Bible contains lots and lots of paradoxical truths from Genesis to Revelation but I have listed below some of my favorites and held much value in my life today.

1) Jesus is 100% human, yet 100% divine.

2) One who tries to save his life will lose it, one who gives his life will find it. (Goosebumps now growing in me)

3) The first will be last and the last will be first.

4) Faith is useless without Action.

5) To live is Christ and to die is gain.

6) For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. (1 Cor 1:21)

7) In my Father's kingdom... the wisest is the fool.

8) The lowly will be lifted up, the proud humbled.

And lastly my favorite, "God who rules the universe with his great might and power is also the same God who lives inside my heart, speaking in a still small voice."

It's OK to be Down at Times

In our fun-loving culture nowadays, it's a no-no to be lonely. When friends ask me how I was and I tell them I'm just feeling lonely, they would advise me immediately that I need a girl friend or something or watch a movie. And I guess it's not just us, Filipinos but most people in general. Quoting Drew Barrymore playing her role in the movie "Lucky You", she says to Eric Bana that "People are trying not to be lonely" and I guess this is true.

Edna Turnbald - No to Dieting!

Loneliness, hated and avoided but it comes and it's real! It sucks the life out of us and it really sucks! Right? Personally, I'm quite lonely. Mainly I guess, I've moved quite far from most of my friends lived. During these Saturday evening we would just hang out in the Community House, talking serious about life and struggle or just trash talking or watch a movie or sing in a videoke. I missed those times but I just felt I have to move on from those things at these moments of my life because I just have to - to answer destiny's call or the call from God himself. Secondly, I feel lonely because I can't eat too much and I can't eat the food that I really like. I love eating and subjecting myself into this torturous routine is indeed a crime to my mouth, tongue and stomach. I'm on a diet see because I'm so hefty and heavy like John Travolta in Hairspray! Just joking, well I'm nearly obese so I have to lose weight for health's sake. So, not eating that much makes me lonely.

We all love on a high and we felt something spiritual about it when on a high. Drug dependents are always looking for a high through drugs because living in their reality, life sucks! But it makes me wonder and am always led to think where would it take me. Would God want to meet me here? We always think of God as someone who would lead us to the highest mountains but we don't want to think that He would take us to the valley far down below. What will I find here? Things to ask, things to think about.

Sunday Moonshell

In daily times I've walked in this world
Breezing through the rush of life
I long for a place where You and I meet
Where I can break down and cry

Lord, you know my heart
And the many times it failed You
By Your blood I am set free
But why does it feel like I'm still bound in chains

Sometimes I feel like I've never changed
And Your power not dwelling in my life
How can I go to the ends of the earth for You
When I myself can't escape from the sin that binds me

How can I tell others that You've loved them
When I myself don't feel Your love in my brokenness
The shame still holds my heart

Only by Your grace Lord that I can tell others
Despite of myself, Your strength comes in my weakness
You are still at work in me God and I am hopeful
Till I gave my last breath, then I'll be whole

- Then I'll see beyond my Calvary, one day and I will be will complete in You - "Complete", lyrics by Wayne Huirua, Parachute Band