Imagine This

Imagine what could happen if we gave God our all.
What would happen if each of us served God with our WHOLE heart?
What if we listened keenly to Him daily and actually obeyed?
What if our love for God overflowed so much that everyone who crossed our path would automatically experience a little bit of that love?
Imagine what this world would be like if our first thought as we woke each morning was “How can I bring You glory today Lord?”
What if all of us just HAD to tell someone about God’s love?
What if we got DESPERATE?
Friends, what if God was all that you needed?
What if we wouldn’t give up on Him when things were not going smoothly?
What if our praise did not depend on our circumstance or our mood?
Imagine what could take place if we committed our lives to serving and obeying God.
What if we longed for holiness more than company?
What if we sought after righteousness instead of acceptance?
What if we desired intimacy with God more than comfort?
What if the day we looked forward to most was the day when we see Christ face to face
And not graduation… or getting that promotion… meeting that special someone or having that first child?
Young people, what if we didn’t care what people thought?
What if we stopped denying Christ with our… silence?
What if we weren’t satisfied with where we are now?
What if we actually did something about that!
What if we wouldn’t limit God?
What if we would search our hearts?
What if we became FANATICS?
Oh Lord, what would happen if we would let go
of all this world has to offer and
just run…
run…
so hard after You.

Because You Asked Me To.

Who would've thought that being a slave could lead to true emancipation? God's Word says that we are no longer slaves of the world but slaves to Christ and somehow by becoming slaves to Christ we gain complete freedom.
And so Lord, I present my life to you - handcuffed- for I am Your slave 'til my last breath.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Although it takes immense discipline, I will meditate on Your Word daily
Because You asked me to.
Though sometimes the hardest thing is to go back & say " I'm sorry", I will Lord...
Because You asked me to.
Though I don't feel like mending that broken bond or that fading relationship; I will Lord...
Because You asked me to.
You know by now Lord, that I'm tired of failing, but I wll persevere...
Because You asked me to.
Whenever my circumstace seems quite unfair, I won't complain...
Because You asked me to.
Though I might feel awkward, I will open my mouth and WITNESS.
Because You asked me to.
Even though I want to know now which course my life will take; I will wait...
Because You asked me to.
Though I often get anxious about the future Lord, I will be still
Because You asked me to.
Though they discourage me and offend me, I will wish them well & bless them...
Because You asked me to.
Though it seems easy to forget that my body is a temple, I will make purity my aim...
Simply because You asked me to.
Although I sometimes want to control my life, plan my future & my career, I will turn them all over to You...
Because You asked me to.
Though the world teaches us to be selfish with time & money, I will give generously...
Just because You asked me to.
Thought it's tempting to question Your promises when things look gray, I will not doubt You...
Because You asked me to.

Because You asked me to, I will stand up for You.
Because You asked me to, I will answer Your call.
Because my life will be naught unless it brings YOU glory,
I WILL do... what You ask me to.

My Cry

"Father I just want to stop for a minute & say I love You. I just want to thank You for being patient with me; for giving me another chance. You've always been there for me."

I would be selfish beyond recovery if I were to sit here in my little Christian corner & enjoy Christ for myself.

I know what it feels like to want more...
I know how it feels to realise that no friend, parent, loved one, gift or amount of money can satisfy the soul 100%. Even as a Christian I've had my days [correction: months] of feeling hopeless. I've questioned God...just like you might have. My friends could tell you that I've made enough mistakes to last... for a while & well, like yourself, I think I've had my fair share of pain. I've been on the road of confusion and loneliness many a times. But at the end of it all, (or maybe I should say "in the midst of it all") GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL. I just want to say that again... GOD IS STILL FAITHFUL no matter what your circumstnces look like or no matter what your emotions tell you. Friends, no one is more faithful than He is. Trust me, no one loves you like He does. All that you've ever wanted lies in His touch. His embrace can heal your heart. His voice can enlighten your darkness. His BLOOD can save you. =)

I know you've heard this before but GOD IS PERFECT. He isn't like us. He doesn't know what it is to mess up & I can't help but find comfort in that. This life isn't perfect and so pain will be inevitable but what if you did not have to endure it on your own? Don't you want to understand the freedom there is when we cast our burdens on Him? If your burden is not light, give it to God. I really mean give Him EVERYTHING and He will give you comfort.
Give God a chance. Please. He's given us many. Break down those walls of doubt, fear, pride and skepticism that prevent you from running to the One who loved you first. Give Him a chance to have your whole life this time. Don't ever think that things are too bad for God to handle. Just tell Him that you need Him and that you are His and have faith that He will take you on a new journey.

If you've never given your life to Christ or if you've only given Him a part of your life, then join me in taking a stance. Choose to dedicate or re-dedicate your life to the only Saviour. If there's a part of you that is not completely fulfilled, if there's a part of you that still desires something more from life, then that means there's a part of you that knows you should draw closer to Christ.

Salvation was not made available to us because Christ randomly felt like leaving His throne to experience the 'thrill' of crucifixion on Earth.
HE DID IT FOR YOU.
He was not forced. He CHOSE to do it for YOU.
God- the king of the world; the creator of Heaven- became flesh [FOR YOU]
He subjected Himself to every kind of pain possible [FOR YOU]
He allowed sinners to ridicule Him and de-crown Him [FOR YOU]
He allowed men to spit on Him and abuse Him [FOR YOU]
He allowed a crown of THORNS to be placed on His royal head and His sides to be pierced [YUP...that would be FOR YOU as well]
He endured the pain and the humiliation [just because HE WANTS YOU]
Yes, it's unbelievable but it's true!
Don't believe me?
I bet you've never wondered then why He did not call it off, why He did not cry "You've taken this too far. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!!" ?
You see, He knew all along that you'd be worth it.
God became like an insect in His OWN company [for OUR SAKE].

He is waiting...God is waiting on you to come to Him, to receive His gift ( and if you've already received it, then to enjoy His gift). He's waiting on you to get closer to Him.

I can picture Him glancing at those nail-pierced hands daily, with no regret in His heart and only love in His eyes, as He whispers to an angel "It was worth it. You see, I'm just waiting on this one to realise that I am MORE THAN ENOUGH."

"And without faith it is impossible to please to God."

Faith...
Up until recently, I had a different and rather incomplete perspective of what faith is. What does it really mean to have/exercise faith?
Well, I thought faith was mainly believing something or finding a way to convince yourself of something, though there isn't necessarily full evidence of it. I also figured that having great faith included something like 'speaking things into being'.
So if I simply say, "I will be successful", is that having faith?
I guess we can agree that simply saying it will not suffice but we must also believe...right?
Okay so how about "Lord, surely I believe that You will allow me to become... or to receive..."
Sounds better right?
But does it stop there? Does faith -in its truest sense- stop at belief?
Am I really exercising faith by solely thinking or saying that "I believe" ?

"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

-When we believe that it is going to rain, we bring an umbrella.
-When we expect a financial crisis in the future, we save more now.
-When we believe that the temperature will decrease significantly,we carry a coat.
There is no guarantee that any of these will happen, but because we are conviced, we take action.
When we believe, expect, or are convinced... WE GET READY; WE ACT.
And so similarly, when God tells us that He is going to do something or we say that we believe, WE SHOULD PREPARE ourselves and then wait expectantly with outstretched palms as opposed to tapping our fingers and aimlessly looking around...

Remember...
"Faith without works is dead."

My favourite example of extreme faith in the Bible is the story of Abraham and Isaac.

" By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, 'It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.' Abraham reasoned that God could raise the dead, and figuratively speaking, he did receive Isaac back from death."

It amazes me still! The willingness of Abraham lines up with his faith. He must have been confused for a moment. "...but God I thought You said..."
WoW.
-God is really the only one with the last say. [Amen]
-God's promises always come true. [Thank God!]
-God is not a God of confusion. [Praise God]
Abraham was so sure that God wasn't trying to punish him. He was so sure that some way, somehow God's promises would still stand.
He was man of GREAT faith.

~* Lord,if I can be like Abraham, then that is my desire. I know it will require enduring difficult tests and trials that result in confusion, but I pray dear God that the journey I am currently on, will lead me to a place where my faith will be increased tremendously. For I now understand that without faith, it is impossible to please You. *~

Simply, truly...Love

Love.
Teach me to love.

"And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." [1Corinthians 13:13]

Love...
Teach me how to love in spite of.
For if I know how to love sincerely...
then I can say that I sincerely know You.

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." [1John4:8]

I fail to love when I unwillingly give or assist.
I fail to love when I stereotype in a judgemental way.
I fail to love when I put myself first.
I fail to love when I fail to serve.

"This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." [1John3:24]

Sacrifice.
Is that then the greatest manifestation of love?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His ONLY..." [John3:16]

Over and over again mention is made of Christ's death as God's greatest sign of love.
What can we then give to You Oh Lord? How can we profess our love to a holy & perfect God?

1. Obedience
" If you love me, you will obey my commands."
"This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world." [1John5:3-4]

WoW. I've said that I love You on many occasions, but have I really been obeying You?
Teach me obedience Lord, for it speaks louder than words.

2. Love one another
" If anyone says, 'I love God' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." [1John4:20]

"Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. All men will know that you are my disciples if you love one another." [John13:34,35]

So I've been gathering over the past few days that in order to truly love God, I must first learn to love sincerely, from a pure heart. My actions, words and even thoughts must be saturated with love.
If the love of God is in me, I MUST love EVERYONE...EVERYDAY.

Getting to know me

So this isn't my regular type of post...but I decided to do it anyway.

1. I have to humble myself before God everyday…it’s the only way that I can be anything near Christ-like.

2. I’m spoilt with love. I ‘m used to be treated well. I’m not spoilt in the sense that I always get what I want though.

3. I like painting for two reasons: it gives me a sense of accomplishment and it presents an opportunity to replicate something that’s beautiful in its own way.

4. I think I shortchange myself.

5. Ok so I definitely shortchange myself :|

6. I really like the idea of being healthy and fit but actualizing that desire requires so much work and discipline.

7. I don’t like when I’m disliked. I know we shouldn’t really care in situations like those, especially if it is for no good reason or no reason at all, but it isn’t a good feeling. Don’t worry, I would not compromise anything in situations like that though.

8. I’d rather hang with guys than girls because they are more laid-back and I somewhat feel more accepted around them. Most of my close friends are girls though and I cherish them dearly.

9.Adventure interests me. Anything with heights excites me. (Ziplining for example). I’ve also always wanted to ride a motorbike (just to see what it’s like.)

10. Sometimes I find it hard to open up to people. To me, it is like giving someone something to carry and not being sure if they even want to carry it. So I guess I feel like people aren’t obliged to listen furthermore be interested.

11. I like listening to people. I’m not really the type to “just make conversation” so when I ask you if you would do something or about what you want to do in the future or what you learnt today, it’s because I’m actually interested.

12. I’m not really a phone person.

13. I enjoy my own company. I like being alone at times but there are also times when I hate it.

14. One day I hope to repeat Kirk Franklin’s words “ My entire life is a miracle.” One point of reference he made was that “I have a large choir but I’m not a singer. All I do is talk.”

15. I believe in happiness; but I also believe it comes and goes rather easily. Joy and peace however, can withstand storms.

16. I enjoy admiring nature. It’s definitely a source of peace for me.

17. I’m pretty reserved.

18. My mission is to love like Christ did. And though I won’t always succeed, I won’t ever stop trying. I love you.

Seek ye first

If God is not enough, what can possibly be?

What can truly be more satisfying than the Creator and the Saviour himself?
What can soothe the soul that always yearns for more?
If not Love himself,
then who?
If not Hope itself,
then what?
*sigh*

Is there something else in life worth seeking after 100%?
The things which I chase after last, but only for a while.
All that my hands reach for and all that my eyes envy will fail at some point.
But Him?
He never dies. His love never fades and His glory always shines.
Oh when will we realise that the joys of this life can be deceiving?!
Its alluring nature must never find us thinking that we can't find something sweeter than the taste of earthly pleasures.

-Seek ye first the Kingdom of God -

Mmmm. That's it! That is indeed God's desire for me.
"Seek me first", He whispers " and all that is mine; all that is good, will be yours."

Seek ye first the Kingdom of God - for it is the foundation on which immortal pleasures are built.

Does Paradise Entice You?

OhMaGosh, if heaven started tomorrow, would you be satisfied?
Think of all the things that are great in your life, all the things you want to experience, all the things that bring you joy. If tomorrow those things were instantly replaced for something greater (God in His purest form), would you be excited?
Honestly.
If starting tomorrow, as Christians, all we had was God himself and all we did was praise Him & be in awe & bond with Him, WOULD THAT BE ENOUGH??

Does heaven truly excite us?
Think about it. I can just hear some of the answers that you subconsciously whisper in your minds.
- " Heaven? Of course! I mean after all, isn't that our goal?"
- " Yup, that's why we got saved isn't it?"
- " Yes it sounds like a nice place because it's perfect!"
I remember my answer to that question. It was " I'd be excited about going to heaven, yeah, sometime in the future when Jesus comes & all that stuff happens." But then God asked me, "What about now? Would you be excited to go now?"
"What God? Why would I need to think about going now?"
He gave me time to search my heart but tonight He came back for an answer. What I found prior to His visit scared me.

If God came & whispered to you, "Hey, Come on. Heaven starts tomorrow" would your heart race with excitement or would you be like "um ok cool"? Would you happily let go of your present joys? Would you secretly be just a tad bit disappointed because you were just two years away from the perfect job? Or because 2010 was supposed to be your year to shine? Would you ask God for a bit more time here because you hoped to be married in a few years or maybe so that you could experience the miracle of childbirth first? If God said "Heaven tomorrow", would he be interrupting our lives?

After searching and seeking, the truth saddened my heart for I realised just how wrong this sounded if as Christians, heaven did not truly excite us NOW. I realised that if God ALONE is not really & truly ENOUGH for us right now, then it is impossible for the idea of Heaven to genuinely excite us NOW.
That thought scared me.

Is God only enticing when He shows up with the accessories of life? Does God only appeal to you because he has promised you something great in the future or because your life is currently an excellent reflection of his abundant blessings?
Don't think for a second that we accepted Christ because we were truly desirious of Him. We didn't even know Him, remember? We accepted because we realised that we need Him. We accepted him because HE CHOSE US... & it's great that He did & it's great that we then chose to seek Him that we may be blessed and whole. But if Christ called you to live with him, without the things, dreams & relationships we have here and just glorify Him with complete contentment, would - you - be - thrilled?
We do realise that that's what Heaven is like right? Have we realised that Heaven is so perfect because all that exists is God, his angels, his children, perpetual praise and a satisfaction & joy that is immortal?

So I found my answer just in time.
" Yes Lord, the thought of Heaven right now would delight me."
I have learned that extreme pain will be experienced at some point because this is the flawed version of life, but thankfully God is greater than all pain. I have also learned that the joys of this life are exquisite but they are merely a sample of The Real Thing.

Unconditional Love

There's a part of me that has always craved love.
A love that would fill the gap when parental love just could not suffice.
A love that'd make me feel like a Queen
who, in her finest gown spins on the dance floor
& the world watches - amazed at her grace and glory.
I've longed for a love that would occur naturally;
a love that would not dare let me go.
A whisper so sweet, it calms me.
A touch so enchanted, it revives me.

But when oh Lord, did I get here?
When did You become more than enough??
I need not search for You professed your Love a long time ago.
It was I who was on your mind when you hung from that cross!
Oh... what love so Divine.

How Great is your desire for me that you should
woo me & serenade me,
comfort me & heal me,
fight for me & even... die for me.

As I reach for your face my Lord,
I ask that you fill my cup.
For once I have your love,
I will thirst no more.

The love of others wanes in comparison to yours.
The touch of man dwindles and fades when compared with yours.
For ONLY you can truly satisfy.

You never left, even when I lost faith.
You complained not once
when I indecisively ran to and from you...
Your comfort is incomparable to any I've known.
Your embrace... stills my soul.

Withold from me no portion of your love dear God!
For I am yours...
&
You
are
mine. :-)

Be Bold. Stand Up for what you Believe in.

"Stand up for what you believe in." Hmm, this becomes a little difficult when we're not fully sure of what we believe in doesn't it? If we have nothing that we will adamantly stand by then we have nothing to stand up for. And "if we stand for nothing..." well you know how the rest of that saying goes.
But are you comfortable with falling for anything? Is that why you question everything? I notice that we've become a very "safe" people. You see it's safer to stay in the middle; to stand on the fence...or so we think.

We were all made with an innate desire to worship; to give praise to someone or something outside of ourselves. Most people can admit that but we seem to want to play it safe because having 100% faith in God seems confusing and maybe even impractical; but just because we don't fully understand something or cannot fully explain it, doesn't mean that it's not true. That just usually means that it's simply beyond our comprehension...that's all. So go ahead, dare yourself to believe...To have Faith.He is a God of Faith. That's what He requires- faith.

What reward should we get for believing in only what we can see or understand? What should be granted unto us for simply believing only that which we can explain? What's so superior about that?
How much would we/ could we credit God if He were so simplistic & visible & tangible & audible that we had absolutely no questions? If how He did what He did and continues to do, was easily explainable and comprehensible by all, would that not lower His standards or bring us closer to His level? But maybe that's what we want right? Is that why we continue to question? Are we looking for a means to console our badly bruised egos or our bitter hearts because we realise that WE fall short?? That we infact are inferior?

We try to ignore our spiritual side but we fail to recognise that we are spiritual beings & that aside from the world that we can see and feel, there is also a spiritual world. We all belong to someone. God's arms are wide open, ready to accept those who will surrender. Why should we have to make a decision to do so, you ask? If He made us shouldn't we automatically be His? Well... we are all His creations but not all His children. Seeing that Lucifer rebelled, we now all fall short and now must choose to be His child through accepting Christ (the bridge between man & God, who is ALSO God). Sounds a tad bit confusing right? And so that's how we now have people questioning Christ and the Trinity, because according to one, "It makes almost no sense." But umm excuse me... did God saying "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water." and it being so, make sense to you? Did Jesus' miracles make sense to you or Jonah's survival in the belly of a large fish? I'm sorry but when exactly did we come to the concensus that it all HAD to make sense?

That is the beauty of our God! He does what is beyond our imagination, intellect and ability YET made us superior to His other creations. And as His creations, it is our duty to submit to the Creator and to seek Him for ourselves. I can't spell, describe or draw God for you. Each man must embark on his own journey to seek the Lord. As Jeremiah 29:13 says "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."Sure I still have a few unanswered questions about what's really important and what to believe but I'm holding very dear to me His words : "Call to me & I will answer you & tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." - Jer 33:3.

I've mentioned before that I am on a mission and I mean it. I believe that there is only ONE TRUTH and as bold of a statement as that is, I will stand by it.

What are you choosing to stand by?