Wednesday, December 31, 2008

08's Lessons for Trialing Years Ahead

2008 is a year of learning for me. A year where I learnt how to resign from my job. A year of flying twenty-four hours to the other side of the globe. A year of learning how to drive on the right side of the road. A year of learning how to take good photographs. A year of learning how to mourn for a friend.

This is a year where I have to learn too many things and also a year where I made real godly friends. This is also a year where I am exposed and immersed in the American culture in entirety. This is also a year where I have gone through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter seasons. This is also a year where I am found sobbing, weeping and crying the most in front of the LORD.

A year where I realize what is the most important thing in life. A year where I have truly learnt the most wonderful gift in life is to be able to establish a relationship with Jesus Christ.

2009 is just around the corner and as the whole world wishes one another “HAPPY NEW YEAR!” on a hourly basis of various time zones; it is indeed time to make new year resolutions once again which according to my Utah Pastor that normally they will not last for more than three days. How true. ~haha~

A new year ahead but my LORD has already made all things NEW as shared by my Utah Pastor during last church prayer meeting. A new goal for myself will be to memorize a verse from each individual book of the bible. Therefore, I hope that when the time comes again for me to reflect on 2009, I can share with all of you the sixty-six verses which I have memorized in the new year.

Have a blessed 2009. God bless you. Amen!

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Monday, December 15, 2008

T.O.W upon my LORD

Early this year when I first stepped into US for my job training in Feb, there was a heavy snowstorm which has not been experienced in Utah at least for the last ten years. The main road SR-92 to my company was closed and many cars were being towed away from the road after the closure. Employees in my company could not go home for that day as the only road was closed. It was quite a chaotic situation but the towing company did earn a cool US$30,000! (Estimated towing fee is US$100 per vehicle and there are probably about three hundred vehicles on SR-92 that day.)

Okay, so much for my introduction for this blog posting. The main idea to get back is TOW. I titled this post, “T.O.W upon my LORD”. T.O.W here has a similar idea to cars being towed as I definitely need the strength of my LORD to tow me through these two years of working in the US. Therefore, this post which is written on this day when I am going to report to my next company will serve as a post which I can look back after my two years here in Utah.

T.O.W upon my LORD. T.O.W in my context here means Trust.Obey.Wait upon my LORD. After all that has happened in this year and many accounts of personal reflection, I realized that ultimately I can only trust upon my LORD, obey upon my LORD and wait upon my LORD. It is true and each of these verbs (action words) cannot do without the presence of the other two. I cannot trust my LORD without obeying and waiting upon my LORD. I cannot obey my LORD without trusting and waiting upon my LORD. I cannot wait upon my LORD without trusting and obeying my LORD.

Very often, I think Christians need to trust upon the LORD based solely on the promises spelt out clearly by Him whom has revealed Himself to us in the person of Jesus Christ in the Bible. One key verse which I can memorize and remind myself daily to trust the LORD is:

And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his promise. - Romans 8:28

A GREAT PROMISE by the LORD! Need to remember, mediate and recite it daily. Amen to this fantastic verse.

Next comes obeying upon the LORD. Jesus Himself said that John 14:15, “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” And again down the passage in verse 21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.”

With trust upon my LORD as my firm foundation, I can obey my LORD. Based solely on His promise in Romans 8:28, I gladly obey His commands and observe John 14:15 and John 14:21. The simple reason is I treasure my relationship with Him and want to further my fellowship with Him to experience His love more each day of my life.

With the trust and obedience to my LORD, it comes in naturally that I will need to wait upon my LORD for all things which I am sure He will gladly grant to me according to His sovereign timing. Psalm 27:14 is one memory verse to rejuvenate my soul as I wait upon my LORD:

Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. – Psalm 27:14

I guess putting these three faith action words under the acronym of T.O.W leave me a good impression of what it is really like to T.O.W upon my LORD. It is like my spiritual vehicle is depending upon the sole strength of my LORD to go through the highs and lows of life. Seriously praying that I will not be distracted for the coming New Year and be always TOWing upon my LORD. Amen.

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

Satan's AGM for 2009 & Beyond

Satan called a worldwide convention of demons. In his opening address he said,

"We can't keep people from going to pray."

"We can't keep them from reading their holy books and knowing the truth."

"We can't even keep them from forming an intimate relationship with their GOD."

"Once they gain that connection with GOD, our power over them is broken."

"So let them go to their prayers; let them have their covered dish dinners, BUT steal their time, so they don't have time to develop a relationship with GOD."

"This is what I want you to do," said the devil: "Distract them from gaining hold of their GOD and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!"

"How shall we do this?" his demons shouted.

"Keep them busy in the non-essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds," he answered.

"Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow."

"Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and the husbands to work 6-7 days each week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their empty lifestyles."

"Keep them from spending time with their children."

"As their families fragment, soon, their homes will offer no escape from the pressures of work!"

"Over-stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear that still, small voice."

"Entice them to play the radio or cassette player whenever they drive."

"To keep the TV, DVDs, CDs and their PCs going constantly in their home and see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly."

"This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ."

"Fill the coffee tables with magazines and newspapers."

"Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day."

"Invade their driving moments with billboards."

"Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, mail order catalogs, sweep stakes, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services and false hopes."

"Keep skinny, beautiful models on the magazines and TV so their husbands will believe that outward beauty is what's important, and they'll become dissatisfied with their wives."

"Keep the wives too tired to love their husbands at night."

"Give them headaches too!"

"If they don't give their husbands the love they need, they will begin to look elsewhere."

"That will fragment their families quickly!"

"Give them distractions to distract them from teaching their children the real meaning of life."

"Even in their recreation, let them be excessive."

"Have them return from their recreation exhausted."

"Keep them too busy to go out in nature and reflect on God's creation. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, plays, concerts, and movies instead."

"Keep them busy, busy, and busy!"

"And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and small talk so that they leave with troubled consciences.

"Crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from GOD."

"Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause." "It will work!" "It will work!"

It was quite a plan! The demons went eagerly to their assignments causing people everywhere to get busier and more rushed, going here and there. Having little time for their God or their families. Having no time to tell others about the power of GOD to change lives. I guess the question is, has the devil been successful in his schemes? You be the judge!!!!! Does "BUSY" mean: B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke?

Please pass this on, if you aren't too BUSY ...

Tuesday, December 02, 2008

Psalm 105

 1 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; 
       make known among the nations what he has done.

 2 Sing to him, sing praise to him; 
       tell of all his wonderful acts.

 3 Glory in his holy name; 
       let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

 4 Look to the LORD and his strength; 
       seek his face always.

 5 Remember the wonders he has done, 
       his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

 6 O descendants of Abraham his servant, 
       O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

 7 He is the LORD our God; 
       his judgments are in all the earth.

 8 He remembers his covenant forever, 
       the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

 9 the covenant he made with Abraham, 
       the oath he swore to Isaac.

 10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, 
       to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

 11 "To you I will give the land of Canaan 
       as the portion you will inherit."

 12 When they were but few in number, 
       few indeed, and strangers in it,

 13 they wandered from nation to nation, 
       from one kingdom to another.

 14 He allowed no one to oppress them; 
       for their sake he rebuked kings:

 15 "Do not touch my anointed ones; 
       do my prophets no harm."

 16 He called down famine on the land 
       and destroyed all their supplies of food;

 17 and he sent a man before them— 
       Joseph, sold as a slave.

 18 They bruised his feet with shackles, 
       his neck was put in irons,

 19 till what he foretold came to pass, 
       till the word of the LORD proved him true.

 20 The king sent and released him, 
       the ruler of peoples set him free.

 21 He made him master of his household, 
       ruler over all he possessed,

 22 to instruct his princes as he pleased 
       and teach his elders wisdom.

 23 Then Israel entered Egypt; 
       Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.

 24 The LORD made his people very fruitful; 
       he made them too numerous for their foes,

 25 whose hearts he turned to hate his people, 
       to conspire against his servants.

 26 He sent Moses his servant, 
       and Aaron, whom he had chosen.

 27 They performed his miraculous signs among them, 
       his wonders in the land of Ham.

 28 He sent darkness and made the land dark— 
       for had they not rebelled against his words?

 29 He turned their waters into blood, 
       causing their fish to die.

 30 Their land teemed with frogs, 
       which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.

 31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, 
       and gnats throughout their country.

 32 He turned their rain into hail, 
       with lightning throughout their land;

 33 he struck down their vines and fig trees 
       and shattered the trees of their country.

 34 He spoke, and the locusts came, 
       grasshoppers without number;

 35 they ate up every green thing in their land, 
       ate up the produce of their soil.

 36 Then he struck down all the firstborn in their land, 
       the firstfruits of all their manhood.

 37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold, 
       and from among their tribes no one faltered.

 38 Egypt was glad when they left, 
       because dread of Israel had fallen on them.

 39 He spread out a cloud as a covering, 
       and a fire to give light at night.

 40 They asked, and he brought them quail 
       and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

 41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; 
       like a river it flowed in the desert.

 42 For he remembered his holy promise 
       given to his servant Abraham.

 43 He brought out his people with rejoicing, 
       his chosen ones with shouts of joy;

 44 he gave them the lands of the nations, 
       and they fell heir to what others had toiled for-

 45 that they might keep his precepts 
       and observe his laws. 
       Praise the LORD.