Trials Makeover

Trials in life come and go and some stay longer than another. How long would you allow a trial to stay in you depends in you. 

 

1) Set a cut off date

This is to help you to know when to stop entertaining the thoughts. What you sow is what you will reap (Galatians 4:7-10), if you allow the seed of disappointment, discouragement, sadness, rage or anger to grow, what you reap could be disastrous as you allow yourself to seep into it and when it grows, it consumed you and you lose grasp of yourself.

 

2) Know you are God's child

God is faithful and just (Psalm 111:7). Stay fervent in prayers and seek God in these time. When you seek Him in prayers, be firm and know what God can do in your life, it can progressively shift your focus and perspective that helps you to move forward than moving back pondering on the issue - the issue that you think is bad enough would not turn to be better or to even make you think something good will come out of it - not yet.

 

Stay positive and not self inflict more negative elements to that issue.

 

I've learnt never try to make a 'wrong' right-leave it to God cause we will never ever get it right. 

 

Know God already has a plan; He already knows the future (Jeremiah 29:11), and He will bring about justice! Before eternity is through, He will right the wrongs that have been done unto you. But, you have to release the situation into His Hands first.

 

3) Forgive (Matthew 6:12) and forget

This is the difficult part I think, where many would think they could have actually forgiven that someone, but they have not; do a deep search and if you find anger and disappointment or even sadness persisting then you have not forgive.

 

I agree this is not an exceptionally easy thing to do..so don't be cruel to yourself, let yourself have some time in this, diluting and eventually wiping out the hurts and scars that cuts deeply. Seek God and ask God to bring this to pass.

 

Forgiving is releasing negative emotions, feelings and thoughts out of you which could prevent you from receiving the abundance of God blessings and withholding God's grace in your life. When forgiving is achieve forgetting comes easy.

 

Dear Lord Father, I commit my brothers and sisters and also myself into Your Hands, God as trials and tribulations befall us in this world we are living in, God help us to know that You are a God who is faithful and just and You are always with us in this trying period; and, God I know that You'll not allow anything that's too difficult for us to handle, so God, please help us to overcome and rise up above these. Help us to know making the wrongs right which we certainly can't do because it is beyond us but not beyond You . God, I pray and ask for Your unceasing grace to release forgiveness to ourselves and to others that have caused the hurt  and to know that You are God that is sovereign in our life and will make everything goes well for us. I thank You God for the good and bad things that have happened and is happening to us that make us realize that You are so real and also be able to experience Your wonderful love in our life. Thank You God, in Jesus name I pray, Amen =)

have a blessed day =)

CAPTIVE-ated

"This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' "They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water." Isaiah 49:8-10 NIV

Captive

1. One, such as a prisoner of war, who is forcibly confined, subjugated, or enslaved.

2. One held in the grip of a strong emotion or passion.

adj.

1. Taken and held prisoner.

2. Held in bondage; enslaved.

3. Kept under restraint or control; confined.

4. Restrained by circumstances that prevent free choice.

We are often too deprived of God's love and wonderful blessings, often suffocated in our tiny self; unable to break free and falling too often into the traps of temptations of the world. We are held captive by the world - too often lied and deceived on what we can really do and to achieve the freedom and blessings from our wonderful God.

Little did we know, we are actually unaware or perhaps in denial that we are the culprit of our own captivity. In fact, our fears and uncertainties and our relentless effort of blocking off reality of the Truth have kept us in captivity for the longest time. And, these have deprived and have locked us in from receiving what God has prepared for us – His love, joy and blessings. God would not want to withhold all these blessings from but, to give it to us freely when we ask from Him. 

"This is what the LORD says, he who made the earth, the LORD who formed it and established it—the LORD is his name: 3 'Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:2-3

Come before Him this day and let Him show you. Ask God to help you to take the step of faith to walk out of this captivity to experience His wonderful blessings and freedom.

Dear Lord Father, let us come before you and pray, God, we surrender ourselves once again to you. As we live in this world and could have been blinded by materiality and worth of the world; once again, God, keep us safe and away from these temptations of the world. Search our heart God and shows us Your Magnanimous will for us so that we can boldly take this step that You have already planned and prepared for us. Guide us and set us free from the captivities and barriers that our minds have created, so that we can boldly walk this path that is set forth before us. Open our spiritual eyes to see and ears to hear what You have called and yet to call us to do and also, to see and listen to the call of the needy, lost, troubled and weary. Bridged this gap so that God, so they too will be able to experience Your Wonderful and Marvelous Love and Blessings. Dear God, I commit this prayer unto You, thank You Lord, in Jesus name I pray, Amen. =)  

have a blessed day =)

yechow

Aftermath of Disasters and Calamities

Many things have been happening that got me to sit down and think. Day in and day out we have been hearing about earthquakes, tsunami, the unstable nuclear plant and the unrest in Libya and the rests of the Middle East. No one have predicted n foresee these calamities n disaster.

 

It doesn't matter if you are a millionaire or a farmer today, you have just lost everything overnight - and they are of equal status overnight and maybe they are spending day n night in the same place hoping for aid and food brought in to feed their 3 meals or maybe just 2.

 

What is of the world is so temporal n it just take a disaster to wipe it all away from us. We are at ground zero, owning nothing at all and where do we go and what are we going to do then?

 

God is a 'constant' in our life. Knowing who God is and knowing what He can do for us is can serve a great comfort in whatever situation we are in. He said in the bible in Romans, "If He is for us, who can be against us." (Romans 8:31) and He's our comfort in time we need Him (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

 

These verses alone sent us great comfort and there are the very promises of God for us. Nothing else or no one else have any hold on us when we have God who is CONSTANTLY with us.

 

Spend some time to think about how the people in places hit by calamities; think about the millionaire and the farmer who totally loss everything overnight.

 

Seek God fervently and really get to really know Him (if you do not know Him as yet) because He's the One who can bring about changes to situations and help us to look at the situation in an entirely different perspective. He has never change yesterday today and in days to come.

 

Please pray for people who are grieving n suffering in calamities and unrest around the world. Pray that God will sent them comfort to the lost and those in grief. And, may God presence be so eminent in these days for them, so they may come to know who this true and living God is. 

thanks for your prayers and have a blessed day.

yechow

Living Mary in Martha's World

Luke 10:38-42 (NIV)

At the Home of Martha and Mary

³⁸ As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. ³⁹ She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

⁴¹ "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, ⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I am sure that most of us would have come across this context of Mary and Martha uncountable times. But, we are so consumed into the world system that often times we forgot we ought to take on Mary's role and come before God – take time out from the world and to quieten down our hearts and just listen to HIM.

Martha who was seen to be hospitable and characterised in this context as she was too often distracted doing many things, often upset and worried. Sometimes, I felt it is like most of us – too busy with our work, ministries, wearing too many hats that kept us distracted often enough where we were only meant to run or do only one or two tasks (v 41-42). Is this what GOD has put into our hearts or called us to do? God has planned and managed our time for us, making sure the load (i.e. our job, family, ministries, position held) was enough for us to take and giving us time to rest and time to spend with HIM; but, did we do our part in managing this part of life well and well for GOD?

GOD yearns for us to come to HIM, to listen to us and for us to listen to HIM; like what Mary had done; this context of scripture would not be in the bible if it is not of any significant or of any importance. GOD foreseen that to happen to HIS children for them to fall in the trap of 'works of the world' – and, GOD was then forsaken of HIS time with us due to the many things that we do.

When you spend time with God, many things will be revealed in due of HIS time- the purpose that has been planned for you in the world. And, it is this task that you have to work on it and put other things on secondary.  

GOD have been calling to us time after time but, have we yet responded to this call of HIS, the call of a FATHER yearning to spend a little time with HIS precious child?

The World 'FIRST'

Matthew 19:30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.

If we want to be the first, what could we be chasing? Chasing is defined as 'to rush or hasten', could we miss out on GOD and HIS blessings in this hasten and rapid move we are making? If we rush and hasten our walk, our focus will also be quickened and our focus is narrowed.

Many of us in the world walks and talks too quickly, what follows after could be destructive. In the world, as to the relevance of what I perceived so far; relationships are the far most essential element in survival (even in times of Adam and Eve). Like it or not, humans living in the world need some kind of human contact. What if there is a disruption in this link? A person may just be alone, depress and maybe eventually self destruct.

Although running and rushing may get you to the first place. But, let us put things in perspective: when you are running and rushing, did you manage to run your thoughts and ask GOD the best way to do it, did you manage to look out for danger signs that GOD had been wanting to show you, and did you manage fill the needs of people that GOD wants you to fill along the path.

Your thoughts and focus is narrowed – your ultimate goal is the finish line. Imagine this, if you looked back from the finish line, what have you achieved or left behind – unfinished business and unsettled or destructive relationships. What about our relationship with GOD? Did the chasing, rushing and running make you a glorious champion of getting the FIRST place with much fulfilment and satisfaction?

Take the backseat, start thinking and reflecting, what if you have pace or slow down your steps, you could have obtain a broader horizon – widen your scope to what you can do or how you can go about doing it (by putting in more effort and thoughts); this will eventually give you a better position in life – physically and spiritually.

If you could have taken a step slower, spoke after running through your thoughts, react and attempt after much consideration and in prayers; would not all these put you in a better position when you see the ultimate outcome and wouldn't that calls you to be in the FIRST in the goals (races) of your life as you have gain more and save yourself from destruction, making someone's life more meaningful and happy because of what you have done and developing a closer relationship with our CREATOR? 

have a blessed day.

yechow

Rascal Flatts - My Wish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vyjq5SCbjQk&feature=related

We Love 'Suffering'

A friend asked me one day, "Why Christian have to go through suffering?"

What is suffering in a Christian life? Did they not go through suffering when they are not yet Christians?

Suffering; I felt is like a word that is widely misused; when something does not go right in the things that you do or meeting unfavourable situation or facing the difficulties in some junctures in life.

Being a Christian and living it means more than just living life day to day. We have to be constantly aware and put your mindset into the correct and right perspectives.

Some people say they are Christians but, took no notice of what it meant (it can also be another label put in life maybe most of your family are). Being a Christian happens when you have an encounter with GOD and this is also where transformation begins.

For some people, it takes a journey to take and a phase in life before they encounter GOD. And, this lapse of time is where some characters, personalities, attitudes and behaviours develope. Some people have not been a Christian in earlier days and some may have found GOD later part in their Christian life eventhough they have been Christian for a long time.

Moving from a life that has no idea who GOD is or has no GOD in it; to a life you want GOD to be in your life, need some adjustments. This may be a so-called 'suffering' for some people who try to make these changes in their life. This is because they have been in their comfort zone for a long while but now, tries to take the step out of – which can be quite a challenge to make this shift.

For others, 'suffering' to them may be; how to share the gospel, how to change people's perspective of GOD, or how to fulfil the calling GOD has for them or for some of us, standing at the crossroad of making a decision that could lead to an unfavourable extent in our Christian faith.

End of the day, we have to decide, 'if we are really suffering?' and we must weigh the worth of our suffering because all that we do is done unto GOD and sometimes the things that we do are actually fulfilling our calling from GOD.  

So, when you think you are suffering, think again; because this 'suffering' brings more good than bad in our life.

be blessed =)

yechow

Battling with Strings

What can the world offer?

Many of us are like puppets in the world. We are tied by the 'world-strings' of wealth, status and comforts of the world.

Little that we know, there are another set of strings. Some of us are tied by invisible strings. Strings that hold you with GOD, strings that we do not see but yet, EXIST.

The strings of the world will leave you crippled once it snaps. You began to feel that the world is like a huge maze – lost, desperate and eventually despair – because the only things you know of the world are just wealth, status and comforts. And, it has been a part of you for as long as you start to look unto these material things.

The strings of the lives of some of us as Christians are tied to God hands. Strings that are woven so strongly that will never snap in many of our circumstances and trying times. And, in these very Hands of GOD, HE guides every strings to the right paths (Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 139:9-10), He made us unique (Psalm 139:13-14) and gives each one of us roles (Ephesians 2:10) to work on in the world with constant teaching and guidance and holding on to the each one of us so that we would not trip and fall (Jeremiah 29:11), with much of HIS patience and love; before we reach our eventual destination.

He takes a great deal of effort to make our lives in the world worth living; manifesting Himself constantly to give us the comfort and assurance. And, telling us that HE is always there and that HE will never let go on the strings we are holding on.

In trouble and trying times, HE will hold on to us more tightly.

Most times we do not feel secure is because we cannot see what lies ahead. Hence, we tend to cling on to the strings of the world; strings that we thought will give securities and fulfilments in lives.

Grab on the right strings, today.

Have faith and be secured because we are tied by the strings of God (Psalm 136) - although we do not see it, but it is there tied on to us tightly.

HE never fails because HE is the GOD!