Flash light...

‎”No trophy, no promotion, no pleasure, no possession will ever hold a candle to the thrill we feel when God uses us to touch another human life for eternity.”

Bill Hybels

This year, God has answered one of my important prayers and that is to use me to bring women back to Him. Last weekend, one of them publicly declared her faith as a follower of Jesus during the Victory Weekend. It was my very first time to facilitate a participant. I couldn't help but to thank Jesus every minute of that event for using me as an instrument in the advancement of His Kingdom.

I attended VW August last year, so sitting beside the one I brought there was refreshing to me. In the afternoon, the leaders and facilitators were asked for a quick meeting about how to do the ministry time. While I was listening to the pastor, God has revealed an open door from my past through the Holy Spirit that needed to be shut on that day. It was weird because I never thought about it! It was a scary revelation from the past! 

And so, after that I prayed really hard and had shut the door. However, I had command from Him that I needed to open it to someone and so I did it. 

Phew! That was heavy and it could pass through my generation. 

Thank You, Father!

Thank You, Jesus!

Thank You, Holy Spirit!

For flash-lighting the stuff hidden from my past that was being used by the enemy to tick me off sometimes. 

Thank You, God! Thank You! <3

Wall-E

I watched Wall-E with my 7 y/o nephew last night for the first time. Thanks to the free movie stream online! :) It was my nephew's second time to watch, so it was like I paid for a hyper storyteller last night. 

I love the movie big time! First, because Wall-E is cute and all the other robots! I'm not a fan of animated films but this one really got me because of some details that caught my attention. I'm not sure what the writer of this film was trying to convey but this movie can be interpreted in so many ways. I don't like writing my own version of summary here since there are tons on google if you look at. So, instead let me just write here the things that really captured my attention.

I find some parts of this film biblical. :) And here they are: 

1. A desire to be in a relationship.

Wall-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) is a lonely robot whose task is compacting all the garbage on earth while all the human have fled in a luxury spaceship in the outer space living with the robots. And yes, it tells the possible disturbing future of this planet. He has been alone (but there's one tiny cockroach following him always) and doing his duty on earth for almost 700 years! His life has been revolving with the massive human waste, compacting garbage all over and over, collecting some odd pieces of thrash and store it to his little home. Though he never grew tired with his task, you can see his loneliness. Until he meets EVE (Extra-Terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) sent from the outer space to report signs of living on earth. 

This reminds me of Adam and Eve. From the beginning of God's creation to the seventh day, He saw everything He created was good except when He created man. God first created Adam and He even let Adam name all the creatures God has made.  HOWEVER,

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

Genesis 2:18

And God created a woman from Adam's rib he had taken out and brought it to him. 

Just like in the movie, a female robot from the outer space was sent to earth to accompany Wall-E. God knows that a man living alone is not good that's why relationship matters to God and He wants us to have a relationship here on earth. That's the reason why Wall-E became really really sad when Eve stopped working. Wall-E has done everything to make his robot friend work because he has found real companionship through Eve. You see, a desire to be in a relationship is God's given desire. Yes, He desires relationship for you and me. :) And the most important relationship that we should have while we are here on earth is an everlasting relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

2. A desire to come back home.

Human have fled in a luxury space ship living their lives in there for almost 700 years! It seriously scared me! Because it is possible to happen to human beings especially when it is obvious that we can't live today without technology! Man become obese and losing the bones of their bodies because they become too lazy. What they do all day is to sit around, sleep, eat, drink and just waiting to be served with all their needs by the fancy robots. This picture looks so terrible! We are being operated by machines instead of us operating them! OH NO! And the captain has found out about the plant from the earth which means they can go back already. The captain has no idea what it's like living on earth since he was born from that luxury space. The robot in the captain's office has shown him the earth and the awesome lifestyle of human beings on that planet. And so, the captain desired to go back home and start living the real life.

In here, I see the luxury spaceship(temporary home) as the EARTH and earth(home) as the HEAVEN. As a children of God, we are long for a home where we can be with our true family. Life here on earth is just a big dress rehearsal and the real show is in eternity with out Heavenly Father. As a follower of Christ, we know that there's more to life than here and now and so we look forward to something greater.

..He has planted eternity in the human heart..

Ecclesiastes 3:11

PS. Thank you Yngwie for helping me out with this! Such a smart little nephew I have here! :)

An afternoon discipline..

One afternoon I found myself being so annoyed and it's not because of the irritating heat of the sun but with some people around me. The enemy was doing a great job in digging the offensive encounters I had with those people. And my mind was filled with painful remarks I should have told them to hurt them and to at least feel better and to please myself.  I was even imagining using God's Word to strike those people. I thought it was like hitting two birds in one stone where I got to make them realize the truth and for me to feel pleased and great at the same time. I was rehearsing the scenarios over and over and got finally tired.

SO, I opened my Bible and started reading..

I was in Romans 15..

While I was reading, I couldn't help but to shout OUCH!

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.” For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

Romans 15:1-4 

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15:7

Real father disciplines.. Yes, it's painful because it brings out the rottenness of our hearts! It exposes our sinful desires but in the same way, it shows how loving and caring our Father is that He makes ways to remind us that we are new creatures through Jesus Christ, our Lord! He loves us!

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline, and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.

Proverbs 3:11-12

Alienation

I suddenly remember my college years.. specifically, the time where my eyes got opened into the things of this world. Things seemed so peculiar back then and I remember myself dazed and exhausted of finding ways to decipher the things of this world and trying to sync myself in its pattern.

I WAS BUSY DOING A LOT OF THINGS.
However, that busyness was never a distraction in my quiet introspection.
I was driven by my emotions and although my time was consumed with disturbing thoughts! My emotions and thoughts were in the battlefield and of course, the winner had always been my emotions. I had this heavy feeling of discomfiture. I really didn't know why I was doing things but at the same time, I knew that there was something inside of me.

Something that I couldn't help but to wonder why I'd been seeing and noticing those things. I believe it was not a simple judgment, the things my eyes had seen aren't something to ignore about.

I SEE PEOPLE
blown away like chaff in the wind because they stay in an attitude of complacency
doing things to impress strangers
trying to create their identities on social media sites
stealing just to get what they want
inventing stories about themselves just to fit in
pathologically lying just to keep their constructed realities about themselves
spending too much time and money on themselves to look and feel good
playing with other people's emotions to get significance
ruining their bodies just to look cool
AND the list goes on....

That made me ask the big WHY.

However, the worst part was, I knew about those things mentioned above and still, there were times I found myself being those kind of people.

Later on, I realized I was doing those things to conform from the pattern of this world to be loved and liked. But still, I felt weird of knowing those stuff! There was inside of me telling me not to conform and so I tried not to but I was ended up being coined as someone who has a brain disorder. Yea, right! A friend said that to me because she said I'm not typical and the things that I like are weird!

How offensive and painful but that also made me thought that she could be right.. I may have some boo-boo in my brain that needs to be taken out that's why I notice and spend time thinking and analyzing things from this world! It freaked me out so bad!

BUT THINGS ARE PRETTY DIFFERENT TODAY AND THE ANSWERS ARE NOW RIGHT IN FRONT OF MY EYES :)

It's a thing called ALIENATION.
I've been feeling alienated in this world because I AM NOT FROM THIS WORLD!
I am just a passer by and that there are more to life than here and now!

..He has planted eternity in the human heart..
Ecclesiastes 3:11

You know why I am so amazed and rejoicing right now? BECAUSE God has already planted eternity in my heart during my teenage years despite of me not knowing Him at all! Though I haven't understood this whole idea of being alienated but I appreciate the fact that He is in control of EVERYTHING!

Sometimes we think it is us who has chosen to follow Him but the truth is, it's always been Him who initiates the first move for us to have faith. It's always been Him who pursues us!

And the confusion, depression and discomfort I felt before in search of the truths in this world were not just a product of chemical reaction but I WAS DESIGNED TO FEEL THAT WAY BECAUSE I AM MADE TO LAST FOREVER. :)

For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Hebrews 13:14 NLT

Too connected?

My Christian life has been pretty amazing! I am currently enjoying a wonderful fellowship with other believers in our church. God has been using each one of us to grow spiritually and encourage one another. In short, I am so connected with them. All of my activities are more on church stuff with church friends. Which is good. 

HOWEVER, I feel like I'm being too connected that I sometimes have a hard time to squeeze in God's Word in my schedule. :( Seriously, yes. Like sometimes even if I'm craving for His Word, I can't just read because I'm too tired and I need to sleep because I gotta work the next day. You get what I mean? I'm always physically tired because of too much fellowship.

And honestly, I'm getting too overwhelmed that I'm being friends with different kinds of people and stuff like that! And sooooo, I'm losing my focus! Don't get me wrong, fellowship is a wonderful thing, of course! God provides three things for our character development and they are His Word, circumstances and GODLY PEOPLE. But we need to be balanced! We can be part of His family but not inside of His house. We need spiritual discipline! God first before anything else...

I miss having quiet time FOR REAL!

I miss staying in a coffee shop to reflect on His Word.

I miss dating with Him!

I miss studying His Word alone and cutting post its and paste it to verses for reference in my Bible.

Oh well! Too much of anything is bad! That's why we always need to double check the things that we are in to. Make sure to prioritize God and His Word! :)

SABBATH

Happy 1st day of May 2012! :)

My life has been very busy these days! Not so busy at work but with fellow-shipping with other Christian believers, Bible studying and helping in the advancement of God's Kingdom. After I graduated from Training for Victory, I got a chance to attend Bible Interpretation class in three consecutive weeks. I've really learned a lot and I'm just really blessed to be one of the students in that class. I've learned a lot of insights that I didn't even know and some of my questions in mind were answered.

One of the things that I've learned was the true meaning of Sabbath. I seriously didn't know about this before.

He said to them, "This is what the LORD commanded: 'Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'" 
Exodus 16:23

Sabbath from the Old Testament was basically a day of rest, yes, that means not doing anything as it was a holy Sabbath to the Lord. I like when our lecturer said that even a small act of doing something was prohibited that time during Sabbath. However, as a Christian today, we now have a new definition of Sabbath through Jesus Christ.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Matthew 11:29

Our Sabbath day is JESUS, Himself! :) 

Sabbath is us laying down all our burdens, fears and worries to Christ and He, Himself as well is the only One who will give us rest! :) 

Lay it down to Jesus! 

That's what I've been doing in times of hardship and when I feel like giving up. I lay it down to God and just worship Him and I trust Him coz He knows what He's doing. Hello, He is God and I'm not! :D

I remember last year when I decided to give my life to Him and lay down everything to Him, I've also given Him the authority to take over my life. I've surrendered everything to Him especially my dreams! Though other people have questioned that it's not good surrendering your dreams to God because it's like wasting the talents that He has given you. However, I knew that moment that it was my dreams that I needed to surrender.

Why? Because that time my dreams were the most dear to me! My dreams were even more important than my physical family. And you know God wants us to offer Him the most dear to us! It could be desire, people, material things, status, etc. I was tired of getting my dreams come through that time and so I laid them down to God and started to trust and believe on His plans for me.

And at present, God has been doing things perfectly. While continuously seeking Him, projects are coming one by one. He is actually the one making way for me to nurture the talents He has given me. He's been using me to bless other people with my passion and talents. And I know that this is coming from Him. 

That's my God! He knows my heart very well and He gives its desire in the right time...

And God can give it to you as well BUT you have to SEEK HIM FIRST :)

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4