love

Love, often misconstrued, misrepresented, misinterpreted, misunderstood and misused. Love is misconstrued with strong physical attraction, lust, commonness, or the attraction to an individual’s characteristics, and appealing or non-appealing qualities. The word 'love' is just thrown around everywhere to everyone, without really knowing the meaning behind it, without sincerity when saying it. Is 'love' really just as simple as that?

A pastor who came to my recent youth camp said, "It is only really 'love' if, you can replace 'love' and 'it' with your name and, be able to read the passage out loud without laughing or thinking 'yea right' "

⁴Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸Love never fails.

Are you able to do so? Thinking about what you've just read out loud after reading them makes you wonder if you really 'love'. Love, is not just a feeling at that moment. Its not just some words for people to throw around just because it sounds nice. But instead, love is a commitment. It is a promise.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear ... 1 John 4:18

blessings

City on our Knees

If you gotta start somewhere why not here

If you gotta start sometime why not now

If we gotta start somewhere I say here

If we gotta start sometime I say now

Through the fog there is hope in the distance

From cathedrals to third world missions

Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave

Tonight’s the night

For the sinners and the saints

Two worlds collide in a beautiful display

It’s all up tonight

When we step across the line

We can sail across the sea

To a city with one king

A city on our knees

A city on our knees

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh

If you gotta start somewhere why not here

If you gotta start sometime why not now

If we gotta start somewhere I say here

If we gotta start sometime I say now

Through the fog there is hope in the distance

From cathedrals to third world missions

Love will fall to the earth like a crashing wave

Tonight’s the night

For the sinners and the saints

Two worlds collide in a beautiful display

It’s all love tonight

When we step across the line

We can sail across the sea

To a city with one king

A city on our knees

A city on our knees

Oh-oh-oh

Tonight could last forever

We are one choice from together

Tonight could last forever

Ooh

Tonight could last forever

We are one choice from together

As family

We’re family

Oh Tonight could last forever

We are one choice from together

You and me

Ya, you and me

Tonight’s the night

For the sinners and the saints

Two worlds collide

In a glorious display

Cuz its all love tonight

When we step across the line

We can sail across the sea

To a city with one king

A city on our knees

A city on our knees

Oh oh oh

A city on our knees

A city on our knees

Oh oh oh

If we gotta start somewhere why not here

If we gotta start sometime why not now

I was going to write about counting one's blessing when this song started playing on Joy FM, and when I heard the first few lines, I thought, 'Hey, thats true. If you're gonna start counting your blessings, why not start now? why not start here?' At times, we just see past our blessings and criticize and complain for whatever that seems to be even a little flawed in our sight. Instead of looking at the dirt on the window plane, why not start looking at the meadow and field outside the window? I just need to be reminded from time to time, that each and everything comes from Him. Even little little blessings that often, doesn't seems to make any difference, without. Life just keeps going on and sometimes we just get so caught up in the busy-ness of things and miss out on the simple things that bring joy in life. Yes, indeed, time and tide waits for no man. But once the time has gone, we don't have a UNO deck to pull the 'reverse' card out, for there is, no reverse here. So, let us all slow down, and not trailing the pace of others. Move at your own pace that you may not miss out on counting the blessings that has been bestowed upon you by Him who deeply loves you.

He prunes

Pruning does hurt eh? But I guess that's just part of our life. Him, trying to make us more and more fruitful, more and more like Him. Most of the time, it ain't easy. It hurts a lot, bringing out our worst side, bringing out the worst in us. But at the end of the day, after all the molding and making, cutting and mending, we would grow. Grow to be more fruitful, grow to be more and more like Him so that we might be able to glorify Him and honour Him in everything that He does. I guess this time, He's just and still, trying to implant more and more patience in me. I can't deny that I don't have much patience at times, which is I guess, most of the time. But referring to what He has said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:1-2, I guess I'll just have to pass the test, or not it'll not move on =) for there is no 'fail' here.

I still remember our D-Teams had a discussion once, something to do with pruning and things like that. One of the things that I clearly remember is that, even though pruning hurts, but its for our good. Its for us to be more and more like Him =)

'Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's fault because of your love.' - Ephesians 4:2

chutzpah

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Matthew 15:21-28

"Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed (v.28).

When I was growing up, my father kept one can of WD-40 in the house and another in the his car. It seemed it was the be-all and end-all for almost every mechanical problem. But what is WD-40? It literally stands for Water Displacement 40th attempt.

In 1853, chemist Norm Larsen was attempting to concoct a formula a prevent corrosion - a task which is accomplished by displacing water. Larsen's unyielding tenacity and persistence paid off when he perfected the formula on his 40th try.

Matthew introduces us to a Gentile woman who had this same kind of persistence. Her daughter was violently and cruelly demon-possessed (15:21). She had no hope of ever seeing her daughter normal again, until she heard that Jesus was in town. She had heard about Jesus' power and the miracles He had worked in the lives of others, and she believed He could help her too. So she approached Jesus boldly and persevered with unyielding tenacity, even when everything and everybody seemed to be against her. Her race, religious background, gender, the disciples, Satan, and even Jesus seemed to be against her (v.24).

Despite these seeming obstacles, she did not give up, but pushed her way through the dark corridors of her desperate need. She had chutzpah (khoot-spuh), a Jewish/Hebrew word for headstrong persistence, unyielding tenacity, bold determination, and raw nerve. Jesus complimented her chutzpah and rewarded her faith by healing her daughter (v.28).

Sometimes we pray, and if we don't get an answer the first time, we give up. That's not chutzpah! Chutzpah is having the raw belief, the deep trust, and the confident hope to be persistent with God, believing that He is good, just, and loving, and that He desires what's best for us. -Marvin Williams

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Matthew 7:7-11

Luke 18:1-8

1 Thessalonians 5:17

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How have you demonstrated your faith through chutzpah in prayer lately? What prayers have you seen answered as you've persisted in calling on God?

This really spoke to me yesterday as I was doing my devotion. I had decided to stop praying about something that's on my mind just because He said 'no' for the first time. It didn't occur to me that the answer 'no', might be a 'yes' at another time, when the time is right. For in Ecclesiastes 3:1 states that 'For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.' I didn't think that He might have it in His plan, in the near future. I thought of it as a clear-cut no. A definite answer that would never ever change at all. Not even move a slightest bit. I guess it's just His way of talking to us, letting us know what's on His mind. Now that He has made it clear, I shall continue to pray about it until things change, or not. But at the end of the day, I know that He wants the best for me, and if that's not the best in His time, then I guess, it just means that I'll have to learn to accept the facts =)

The Wicker Basket

The story is told of an old man who lived on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with his young grandson. Each morning, Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading from his old worn-out Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, 'Papa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?' The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, 'Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.'

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, 'You will have to move a little faster nest time,' and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he return home. Out of breathe, he told his grandfather that it was 'impossible to carry water in a basket,' and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, 'I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You're just not trying hard enough,' and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scoop the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather, the basket was again, empty. Out of breathe, he said, 'See Papa, it's useless!'

'So you think it is useless?' The old man said, 'Look at the basket.'

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time, he realised that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

'Son, that's what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.'

Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God's word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don't retain a word.

It is a great encouragement that keeps us reading the Bible, a reason for us to be doing so each and every single day. Even though we might not understand what we read, slowly and unconsciously, we are transforming to be what we input into ourselves. I really like this sory becasuse I most probably might not remember and understand everything that I read, but its comforting to know that God isn't looking for my brains, and instead, He's more concerned about my heart.....

I Can Only Imagine

I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk by Your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When Your face is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus,
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes
And I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I will do
Is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory,
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus,
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine, yeah, yeah, yeah

Surrounded by Your glory,
What will my heart feel?
Will I dance for You Jesus,
Or in awe of You be still?
Will I stand in Your presence,
Or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing Halelluja,
Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine, yeah

I can only imagine, yeah, yeah
I can only imagine, yeah
I can only imagine
I can only imagine, ohh yeah
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when all I will do
is forever, forever worship You
I can only imagine

The Beauty Of Grace

Tell me why'd you run?

You say you're so ashamed
Bruised and broken
Thought if I figured out the mess you made
Then I'd leave

But anywhere you are
Is never too far away
There's freedom from your scars
The mistakes that you've made
Forgiven
The memories erased
Baby, that's the beauty of grace

La de da, la de da da

Tell me what is love?
I'll never hold you to
The things you may have done
You say you want new life
In My arms there's mercy

Anywhere you are
Is never too far away
There's freedom from your scars
The mistakes that you've made
Forgiven
The memories erased
Baby, that's the beauty of grace

La de da, la de da da

So blow a kiss goodbye
To all the pain you hide

Anywhere you are
Never too far away
There's freedom from your scars
The memories erased
Baby, that's the beauty of grace

Anywhere you are
Is never too far away
There's freedom from your scars
The mistakes that you've made
Forgiven
The memories erased
Baby, that's the beauty of grace

La de da, la de da da

yeaaah

La de da, la de da da

That's the beauty of , that's the beauty of grace

La de da, la de da da (...)

Walk on the Water

You look around and staring back at you

Another wave of doubt
Will it pull you under
You wonder
What if i'm overtaken
What if i never make it
What if no one's there
Will you hear my prayer?
When you take that first step
Into the unknown
You know that He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

So get out and let your fear fall to the ground
No time to waste, don't wait
And don't you turn around, and miss out on
Everything you were made for
Gotta be, I know you're not sure, more
So you play it safe, you try to run away
If you take that first step
Into the unknown
He won't let you go

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water too

Step out, even when it's storming
Step out, even when you're broken
Step out, even when your heart is telling you,
Telling you to give up
Step out, when your hope is stolen
Step out, you can't see where you're going
You don't have to be afraid
So what are waiting, what are you waiting for

So what are you waiting for
What do you have to lose
Your insecurities
They try to hold to you
But you know you're made for more
So don't be afraid to move
Your faith is all it takes
And you can walk on the water,
Walk on the water too