Interests:Playing guitars (accoustic, electric, bass), singing songs, writing songs, experimenting with songs, playing sports, getting multiple concussions, Testifying the living God who loves us and gave His life for us. Learning humility and living in grace! Expertise:Knowing that I am completely lost without Him Industry:Sharing Jesus and His love
Nothing new this time, but something i wrote February of 2004, which i got to read and encouraged me greatly
God has placed someone special in my heart...
He promised me that... this person will love me forever this person will be faithful this person will make me happy this person will continuously bring smile to my face this person will help me in my needs this person will know exactly what I am going through this person will comfort me when I am sad this person will ease my pain and sorrow this person will bring me closer to God
And wouldn't you know it? This special person is God Himself
"Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart." -Psalm 37:4
When I delight myself in the Lord, He becomes the desire of my heart...
for I pray now that I will delight myself in the Lord today and for Him to become the desire of my heart...
As I watch this video, I was able to make some observation and principles about our God. The little angel ran to the other side of the gate of heaven to get something that he thought was of great importance. And once the gate closed behind him, he was worried and scared as he saw the clouds and darkness starting to fill the other side of paradise. The angel tried as hard as he can to fly on over, to get over, to enter paradise on his own. With his little wings, he couldn't. He was afraid and sorrow and terror struck his heart. But he did not give up! He tried and tried and flapped those little wings of his.
But what got him above and over was not the power of his wings, but by the gracious hand of God. In the video, you will observe that God was not on the paradise side of the gate, but He was on the darker side that is filled with clouds and thunder, which brought fear and sorrow in the life of the angel.
Aren't we like that? We run after the things that seem so important to us for that moment to find that we left paradise behind and when we run so far away, we try to run back and think that the gate to paradise has been closed and life can never be the way we imagined it to be. And we try so hard to enter paradise but we end up with feelings of fear, anger, and sorrow. And we continue to push and push, but it is ultimately God who gets us over. Not by our will or by our works, but it was by Him! And isn't God like that? He does not stay on the light side of the gate just watching us. But He is even in the darker side of the gate - our personal hell even. God does not abandon us no matter where we are! He will be with us in our times of paradise and even in our times of hell. THIS IS OUR GOD! And the only reason why we are able to experience this is because He sent His Son, Jesus Christ and through Him the fullness of God's grace has been revealed! Through Him, we see life as it was really intended to be and it becomes greater than what we had imagined life to be.
Whether you're a Christian or not, you will experience hell. That's just the way this life is. But for those who know and believe in the One who has been sent by God, our Lord Jesus Christ has the fullness of His promise and His grace! And in that, we have hope that does not disappoint!!!
An observation from the people of old (people in the Bible, particularly those in the Old Testament) is that when God inflicts, they turn to Him because they know that He is sovereign. But in our time, when God inflicts, we try to run away from Him. A broken heart should lead us to the only One who is able to heal...
In my brokenness, I turn to You cause, really, that is all I can do. No other option.
Did I mention I love my new position...CRUCIALLY being humbled. Painful but delightful
"Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very
clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath. God
did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible
for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us
may be greatly encouraged. We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." -Hebrews 6:17-20
What are our desires in life? The things we long for and things we hope for? In this world we live in, especially in the culture of the US of A, we seek for so many happiness and joys in things that we cannot take with us when we fade away. Jesus spoke on this matter; how the treasures we store up should be ones we store up in heaven, not the ones where moths can destroy and thieves can steal. For what He has promised, we WILL receive. And what we receive from Him shall be for our good as it brings glory to the Father. No gifts, though at times may not be pleasant, are for one's benefit only. We have been assured that His gifts will be good for us, because He is good. We have already received much from the Lord and we continue receive. Sometimes even to the point of asking why He is so gracious and patient with us. Why though we are deserving such death and wrath that He should pour His mercy and love upon us. Why even at times when life doesn't make any sense, He seeks and pursues us. It boggles my mind when my life doesn't make sense and it's ok. I see my desires and hopes in life. Thoughts of what it might look like and what i might have (and don't have). My dreams and seeking to see them come true. But what He has promised, I shall receive. I trust in that..I believe and I do not doubt. What has not been promised to me is not a guarantee that I will receive, though I may. But because certain things are not a promise to God for me to have, I wait as God speaks words of hope to me that greater things are yet to come. So though they may be my desires and hopes, I trust that if they are not guarantee to come, I wait for something greater from my provider.
But my longing and my desires are not on gifts but I am so eager and yearning to see my Father in Heaven. For this life of mine does not make sense at times, but it's ok. Cause everything I question about, everything I hunger for, my God satisfies and I long to be with Him. Whether I receive everything or nothing, I have already gained what has been promised. And I shall go forth and speak of this good news that Jesus is alive and He has made the way to the Father so that we, as Christ Jesus has received, may experience His unconditional, unfathomable love! I understand the anguish and the longing of Asaph as he wrote in Psalm 73, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth."
The staff team left the Bay Area and the students are currently taking charge of the project. It is unfortunate that I'll miss what they'll accomplish in Jesus' name. We are currently in Los Angeles (or the area of LA), CA debriefing about our experience during the project and processing through them by means of conversing through our highs and even lows. After every mission trip, it is crucial to debrief and process through them to help one another better understand where we come from and what we are taking as we are going. After this week is over, I'll once again be heading back home to VA to minister to the young of God's Word and Truth. When one thinks of home, he may think of resting, peace, stillness. But to me, as I think of home, I think of wrestling with God and others (inwardly, not physically), fighting to find rest, constantly moving. But I realize that's what I'll be facing until the mission has been completed. And to me, that's a lifetime. For my mission is to speak the truth from Scripture, which I believe it to be the very words of God and to proclaim the news and the year of the Lord's favor - Jesus Christ came down to this world to save us from our sins and bring restoration to His creation, to this world. He prayed that His body (followers of Christ) to be united so that the world may know that Jesus was sent by God Himself and so that we may experience the very love of God that Jesus has received from God the Father.
Trials and struggles await for me. But the Lord is my strength and my shield. In Him, I shall not fear. No fear of men, struggles of the flesh, or even the love of another person compares to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord.
I'm letting go of what I thought was mine And giving all that I am to the One who holds me dear. My life, I cannot see beyond my feet But His Word is the light Even in the midst of the darkest nights. I will soar and I will run I will beat this body of mine until the day comes I give my all and I live for One So that the world may know that He has come And will come once again.
Glory to the Lord most high forever and ever. Amen
