Get it not by your own works... Simply ask!
haha, I read a verse in Acts and found it to be really interesting...
Acts 7:41 (NKJV)And they made a calf in those days, offered sacrifices to the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.I think it's really interesting that the phrase saying they "rejoiced in the works of their own hands" were mentioned in line with the calf they made. The idol here = the works of their own hands.
How often do we rejoice/ glory in the purity of our hands or actions? How often do we glory in our own commitments or even our attendance in church? ;)
I totally agree that grace enables and empowers us to labor more abundantly but may we never forget the first Love - the Grace who first enabled and empowered.... :)
Rejoicing in the works of their (our) own hands in comparison to the one work of Jesus...
1 Corinthians 1:30-3130
But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption- 31
that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."=================
Was really blessed by the session with Pastor Keith on Thursday! I love the part being shared - with the little we have, God can use. Just show up and Jesus would be there. The best place to sharpen and hone our gift is in the house of God - as we start using what we have, the gifting and calling in our lives would become evident.
Don't wait till the day YOU THINK the gift or basically a simple skill you have to be perfect then start using it in the house of God; just start using and it would be sharpen... :)
Anyway, on Friday I was listening to the sermon titled - What do you have in the house? by Pastor Prince on 28 Nov 04. And the one thing that caught me then was the part that Pastor said he is going to share the cycle of grace - where many of us come to church and keep receiving but we need an outlet!! haha.
Do you know what is the difference between the sea of Galilee and the dead sea?
The sea of Galilee has inlet and outlet but the dead sea only has inlet and no outlet. If you are being filled constantly but no place to output the grace that has been bestowed upon you, you would be frustrated on the inside! haha.
Pastor mentioned that in the relation with Daddy God, it is more blessed to receive than to give... Come to Him and TAKE! Whereas in relation to men, it is more blessed to give than to receive. Therefore, come to God to take and give to men - that's the equation I got. Then a question popped up - WHAT ABOUT MEEEE???!!
haha. And the immediate response was the reminder of the
feeding of the five thousand men not counting women and children - there would be 12 baskets full leftover... :) Many times we feel that if I were to serve or give, I would be depleted - I would have no more! But it's really not true because when you show up, Jesus is there to multiply.
The people had as much as THEY wanted but still, there were 12 baskets leftover!
John 6:11-13 (NKJV)
11
And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12
So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 13
Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten.Oh yah! I also like the part about not being satisfied with just enough for yourself! Ask Daddy God for more! More than enough so that you can be a blessing to others too! May the day come for us all that we need not "worry" about the little we have but about the abundance we have and where to give!? haha...
We are blessed to be a blessing - it is always in relations to someone else. In order for you to be a blessing, someone has to be blessed... Even the gifting we have, it is for the glory of Jesus and for the good of HIS Church - made up of people.
Be daring to ask for more! :)
MORE LORD! All that You wanna give Your children but they don't want - too busy earning it by their own works, give me! heh heh.
Trusting the Father's heart...
Had a good dinner with my Braveheart... Love the evening! All the stoning and slow walking from office to interchange. haha!
Tonight is one of the nights where I have nothing on and I'm really glad because I get to come home early - though I knocked off much later than usual. :( - and just spend time at home, with mum, practise piano (if I have time) before lesson tomorrow.... :)
Anyway, I was eating with my Braveheart at interchange then I saw this uncle on a really cool... I don't know what is that man! It's like a mini scooter that you can use on pavement? hahaha. Anyway, I saw him struggling to read what's written on the different sign boards. I observed him for quite some time and looking at the wonders of the world before I decided to walk up to him. But as I move forward, he moved forward too >.< that to say, he went out of sight as well...
So I doubled my steps to see where he was, and *tah tah!* he's now at the hawker center! Looking at all the different sign boards again....
I went up to him and asked, "Uncle, you want to eat?" and he said, "No." and my immediate respond was, "Ok" and I walked off without even looking back.
This is the second time I got rejected when I offered to help - at the same vicinity as well! And for both times my response were exactly the same! And I was just talking to Braveheart and wondering how come I have such response? The distaste of rejection? haha.
Then the below came to mind...
Last Friday as I was at the dental...
Dentist: You are quite a giggly girl. You must be popular...
Me: *with mouth wide open* -= no comments =- like as if I had the chance to say anything... haha!
And I talked to my Braveheart about this popularity thingy and I said, "I don't think I'll bother to be popular." "I think I would only want to be loved."... And the following unfold (not in sequence though. Many things seemed to be touched on in the short walk with Him)....
Many times we mistake popularity as the measure of being loved. We mistake given attention to as being loved. We equate being given time to as being loved. Yes, these are by-products of love but it is not the core of love...
In all our hearts, we want love, we want to be loved - just as we are.
I really love when Pastor Prince shared Matthew 15:21-28, about why Jesus initially did not respond when the Syro-Phoenician woman pretended to be a Jew - because if He were to do so, she would not have experienced Grace; she would not have known that she is loved as she is...
Case in point - if I were to pretend to be someone else and I am loved, I would never know/ feel that I am truly loved and I would always be afraid to reveal my true self. But when I am loved despite and inspite of myself, I AM LOVED!
Yah, and as I was still talking to Braveheart, I was reminded again that God is Love.
And as I was waiting for bus, I thought, "Hmm... I would rather be truly loved by a few than just being popular." And I realised that sometimes for the sake of popularity or basically being liked by many, we compromise.
And I was reminded how Jesus was being rejected again and again. So, how did He bear all these?? Is there something that we are missing out in the midst of all these popularity contest in our own hearts?
I believe that the Father's love must have been really real in His heart. The first words that were spoken to Him when He came out of River Jordan - ...“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)
I believe that because He knew really well that He is so accepted by Daddy God, it didn't really matter that He was rejected. Not that He was not hurt - He wept when Israel rejected Him. He knew mankind would reject Him, still He took the cross - yes, for a purpose greater than Himself, He went ahead but what propelled it all? Could it be that Love personified is telling us that, "rejection can't pin Me down because I feed upon the unending and everlasting LOVE of the Father?"
And you know what? In line with how we compromise at times to be liked by many, I was reminded of the all popular verse (at least popular to me. haha!)...
Proverbs 29:25 (NKJV)
The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.
Opposite of verse 25a, the love of man sets one free... And we have the love of the one MAN, the true Man!
1 John 4:9-10
9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.... And I was reminded again of the chinese word of trust/ believe - 信, which is made up of 2 words - 人 (man) and 言 (word)...
Which reminded me of Romans 10:14 - How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?
We believe because of the man who preach the Word of God...
Pastor Prince, thanks for showing us always, the heart of Daddy God! :)
Keep sharing the love of Jesus.... Unconditional and unearned... :)
Sorry, just have to slot the below verse in... Saw it as I was searching for Matthew 3:17 on biblegateway. heh... Another verse that mentioned both Jesus being beloved and us not being afraid...
Matthew 17:5-7 (NKJV)
5 ... and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”
Truly, YOUR Love has set me on higher grounds.... :)
Having loads of fun! ;)
Daddy showing His heart to me....
Friday afternoon and evening fellowship...Time spent with princess and something that caught me... "Jesus is our first Love.... the past doesn't matter because Jesus dictates our love life..." Truly it is Grace who came down... :)
In the midst of discussion.... "
DadGod is really funny, many times I wonder if He asked the right person to do the things I'm given the chance to. But I've learnt, it's not me and I just gotta lean... Life is very simple actually...."
Walk away thought from Friday discussion & fellowship... "Do you see God as a strict trainer or do you see Him as a loving Father?"
My after thought... "Daddy, I think I often see you as a strict trainer... reveal Your heart to me, help me to see You as a loving Daddy."
Saturday outing....Question posted by
lao da... "Why do you think people burn out from serving?"
Answers that caught me.... "They have forgotten their first Love... spend time with you first Love... :)" "They have forgotten their identity as sons & daughters of God and have gotten into the slave mentality, thinking that they are servants. We are in the Father's house and the house belongs to us too! If people come to your house and use crayon to draw on your walls, wouldn't you scold/stop the person? ;)"
I especially love the second answer, reminding me again that this is truly my Father's house and my Father's house is mine too! :)
Saturday after thought... "Wow, Daddy, it's so cool! I hope that Pastor would preach about the Father's love on Sunday.
Hmm, but what verses would it be? Luke 15 again?! That's the only one I know that talks about the Father's love man!"
Sunday morning in church....Pastor shared the testimony of the guy who was reconciled to his dad after reading the D2R daily
devo and I was really touched. The gospel - Grace - really saves, in every aspect.
Then Pastor Prince went on to share about the ways of Grace and my heart was just melted by the love of Daddy God. How it is not dependent on what I do. Where sins abound, Grace truly super abound. I don't have to try, no, not at all... For every area of lack, Daddy's super abounding supply is there. Come boldly to Daddy, it doesn't matter how I am, how I look, what I did/do....
And as I was sitting there in service, I was so awed by Daddy, how He truly answers with style and showed me His heart once again...
Lover of my soul, romance me again.......... :)
