Though we often break covenant with God, He is always faithful, and will never fail to keep His promises.
Below is the sermon which I preached last Sabbath. Please feel free to download it if you'd like.
I pray you'll be blessed. Remember, God is faithful!
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label faith. Show all posts
Thursday, October 16, 2014
Wednesday, September 3, 2014
It is Still My Cry
Written July 4, 2014
Open my eyes. Make me see
the path that You have laid for me
Guide my steps. Place my feet
firm along the way. To be
my light and guide. My all in all
surrendered to You, I cannot fall
And when I cannot hear Your call
I'll trust You, in the silence.
For You are never truly silent
You said You would not hold Your peace
Until my righteousness shines forth
So bright that it will never cease
But all I have are filthy rags
These garments shining bright, not mine--
An undeserved gift of grace
Until I see You face to face
Open my eyes. Make me see
the path that You have laid for me
Guide my steps. Place my feet
firm along the way. To be
my light and guide. My all in all
surrendered to You, I cannot fall
And when I cannot hear Your call
I'll trust You, in the silence.
For You are never truly silent
You said You would not hold Your peace
Until my righteousness shines forth
So bright that it will never cease
But all I have are filthy rags
These garments shining bright, not mine--
An undeserved gift of grace
Until I see You face to face
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
8 Years Old
Yesterday I turned 8 years old.
I think back to that day, 8 years ago. It's a moment to remember -- plunging down into that watery grave, coming up in newness of life. It's not I who live, but Christ who lives in me.
Young and unafraid, I declared to the universe whose soldier I was. My Commander had my heart and my life, and I was willing to enter the thick of battle for Him. It was solemn, yet I was full of joy. With childlike faith I surrendered all to Jesus.
A lot can happen in 8 years. It's only by the grace of God that I am still His. Along with growing up comes the cares of this life -- first teenage temptations and now more “mature” adult stuff. But though it all my God has remained faithful and unchanging.
I want to have the love, faith, and fire of that moment when I took my first breath as a newborn in the family of God. I want to once again be like that child of 8 years ago, trusting simply in my Heavenly Father.
He is calling me, and He is calling you.
Live like a little child.
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Rays of His Love
Standing outside, soaking up the little bit of Scandinavian sun that I can. It's 9:16 am. Crows and other more pleasant twitterpated birds accompany this still moment. The occasional car drives by and disrupts the otherwise serene Skåne countryside (if you can call it serene with scores of crows making their presence all too known).
In a few minutes, I will be in a car, off to church. But I just wanted to share this moment with you.
Remember, the clouds may come and the sky may not always be blue, but the sun is still there.
God never changes. His faithfulness remains. So soak up every ray of His love.
I can assure you, His love is much more abundant than the Scandinavian sun.
In a few minutes, I will be in a car, off to church. But I just wanted to share this moment with you.
Remember, the clouds may come and the sky may not always be blue, but the sun is still there.
God never changes. His faithfulness remains. So soak up every ray of His love.
I can assure you, His love is much more abundant than the Scandinavian sun.
(This beautiful place is not Skåne, but Norway)
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Ramblings of a Nomad
My original intent was to write a note letting you all know that I'm not writing a post yet. Indeed, this still is my aim, to point you to the forthcoming post(s). However, as I write, I'm aware that I have an itch to scratch, on my brain somewhere, and I think writing will help. I'm afraid you are all about to fall prey to the ramblings of a nomad.
This nomad is not the kind who lives in tents and herds sheep somewhere in the Middle East (forgive me if anything I write at this hour is politically incorrect). This nomad is a 19-year-old girl, a Filipino born in Australia, living in Canada, though never at home for more than 3 weeks at a time. I seem to spend most of my life packing suitcases and preparing for the next take-off.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I love to travel. I love seeing new places and meeting new friends. I love fresh experiences, and growing from them, whether good or bad.
(Now, I can easily say most of that in retrospect. A lot of times when I experience something new, I stress and get worried about everything my imagination can conjure up, and bad experiences are never fun while they're happening. Thankfully, God is teaching me through experience that I can trust Him with every single thing.)
I will leave the details of my recent adventures for future posts. For now, on a more serious note...
Sometimes, I get weary of my nomadic life. Sometimes I wish I could just settle down in one place for a decade or so, and skip all the hopping from place to place, living out of two now very familiar suitcases, trying to drag (or decide whether or not to drag) my violin all around the world, and avoid the pressure of keeping up with transportation schedules. Sometimes I wish I could just stay in an English-speaking country and not have to deal with the confusion and frustration of not being able to communicate, or the risk and embarrassment of trying and saying something weird. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to learn how to act and react in a different culture. Sometimes I wish I could just see and pay for everything in Canadian dollars. Sometimes I wish I knew what the next 5 years' plan for my life is, set in stone. Sometimes I wish I could just have a 'normal' life.
Sometimes.
At other times, or most times, I would not trade this life for any other. My life has been full of unexpected turns and hills, of bright moments and dark moments, of times when God threw doors open wide and times when He closed doors in my face, but He has never failed me. He has been constantly present at my side, guiding me, helping me, comforting me, teaching me, loving me. Looking back at my "solo times" with God in the various places where my travels have taken me, I see a special string of unforgettable moments in communion with Him.
They were mountain-top experiences...
...and often quite literally.
I would not trade these for the world. And looking back, every place where God has led me has proved (or surely will prove) to be an invaluable step in my life.
Though tired of hopping, I gain strength from hopping.
I will cling to the lessons I'm learning from the stories of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph. They were nomads too.
Whenever God calls, I will go, even if I don't know where I am going.
I will trust even my very life's blood to the One who never fails to keep His promises.
Though the future is unknown, and past sins and failures are enough to make me weep at the feet of Jesus, I will surely struggle with that Angel and prevail, never relinquishing my desire for the promised blessing.
Even if I found myself thrown into a pit, dragged off as a slave to a foreign land, cast into prison in spite of my innocence...
God is faithful, and I choose to remain faithful
to the end,
knowing that it is His power working in me which actualizes the results of that choice.
If the reason I'm a nomad is because it is fulfilling God's purposes, then I am perfectly content. I can trust Him with my life and with every step.
Because He leadeth me.
This nomad is not the kind who lives in tents and herds sheep somewhere in the Middle East (forgive me if anything I write at this hour is politically incorrect). This nomad is a 19-year-old girl, a Filipino born in Australia, living in Canada, though never at home for more than 3 weeks at a time. I seem to spend most of my life packing suitcases and preparing for the next take-off.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I love to travel. I love seeing new places and meeting new friends. I love fresh experiences, and growing from them, whether good or bad.
(Now, I can easily say most of that in retrospect. A lot of times when I experience something new, I stress and get worried about everything my imagination can conjure up, and bad experiences are never fun while they're happening. Thankfully, God is teaching me through experience that I can trust Him with every single thing.)
I will leave the details of my recent adventures for future posts. For now, on a more serious note...
Sometimes, I get weary of my nomadic life. Sometimes I wish I could just settle down in one place for a decade or so, and skip all the hopping from place to place, living out of two now very familiar suitcases, trying to drag (or decide whether or not to drag) my violin all around the world, and avoid the pressure of keeping up with transportation schedules. Sometimes I wish I could just stay in an English-speaking country and not have to deal with the confusion and frustration of not being able to communicate, or the risk and embarrassment of trying and saying something weird. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to learn how to act and react in a different culture. Sometimes I wish I could just see and pay for everything in Canadian dollars. Sometimes I wish I knew what the next 5 years' plan for my life is, set in stone. Sometimes I wish I could just have a 'normal' life.
Sometimes.
At other times, or most times, I would not trade this life for any other. My life has been full of unexpected turns and hills, of bright moments and dark moments, of times when God threw doors open wide and times when He closed doors in my face, but He has never failed me. He has been constantly present at my side, guiding me, helping me, comforting me, teaching me, loving me. Looking back at my "solo times" with God in the various places where my travels have taken me, I see a special string of unforgettable moments in communion with Him.
They were mountain-top experiences...
...and often quite literally.
I would not trade these for the world. And looking back, every place where God has led me has proved (or surely will prove) to be an invaluable step in my life.
Though tired of hopping, I gain strength from hopping.
I will cling to the lessons I'm learning from the stories of Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph. They were nomads too.
Whenever God calls, I will go, even if I don't know where I am going.
I will trust even my very life's blood to the One who never fails to keep His promises.
Though the future is unknown, and past sins and failures are enough to make me weep at the feet of Jesus, I will surely struggle with that Angel and prevail, never relinquishing my desire for the promised blessing.
Even if I found myself thrown into a pit, dragged off as a slave to a foreign land, cast into prison in spite of my innocence...
God is faithful, and I choose to remain faithful
to the end,
knowing that it is His power working in me which actualizes the results of that choice.
If the reason I'm a nomad is because it is fulfilling God's purposes, then I am perfectly content. I can trust Him with my life and with every step.
Because He leadeth me.
Monday, March 4, 2013
A Soldier's Prayer
+Sean Nebblett recently wrote a blog post (please read it before continuing on; this will make more sense if you do), and it inspired me to share this poem with you. It's an old poem, but the message remains relevant. The prayer stays the same. It always will, until that glorious day...
May we never stop fighting. We will somehow win. Though it seems all the odds are against us, and we have not the strength...
God does.
May we be freed from the enemy within, so that we may focus on the mission...
There are crosses that need to be planted.
January 22, 2011
Lord, I'm tired of it all,
tired of fighting, of taking
a few steps, but then fall;
It's not just the old ones,
but the young soldiers too;
At least this one,
she's one of the few
who to her comrades may appear
to hold nothing in life
'cept Your mission dear.
But it's a lie.
Now don't get me wrong --
To die for that mission,
she enlisted, with strong
resolve to complete.
To go forward
To forsake all for the call
and count all but loss
no matter the cost.
But in the thick of battle
resolve starts to break.
When the mighty foe presses in,
how much more can she take?
I have not the strength
To meet the strength
of the attacks
To return blow for blow
I'm being pushed back
Who is this foe?
Who makes the attack?
from within.
It is me. My self.
And I
hold Your mission dear.
This soldier, her focus clear
at times. But the enemy
Has infiltrated
Has betrayed
Has battled
Has blurred
Made dear to her these things else:
pride, desire, temptation --
The chains of self.
I have not the strength
To shake off these chains.
But I will try again
I will fight again
I will somehow win
And You say:
"Will you stop living a lie?
Yes, you must try again.
Yes, you must fight again.
Yes, you will somehow win.
But not with those chains on.
It is My mission or those,
what will you choose?
"The choice is yours
But you have not the strength."
This soldier has not the strength to battle at all
She takes a few steps, but then falls.
She holds dear the chains
She holds dear Your mission
She fights with confusion.
She cannot see
But she will go forward
Forsake all for the call
Count all but loss
No matter the cost.
I have not the strength
But You are my Strength
Break the chains
Return the blows
Push self back
Press the attack
I will somehow win.
May we never stop fighting. We will somehow win. Though it seems all the odds are against us, and we have not the strength...
God does.
May we be freed from the enemy within, so that we may focus on the mission...
There are crosses that need to be planted.
___________________________________________
Lord, I'm tired of it all,
tired of fighting, of taking
a few steps, but then fall;
It's not just the old ones,
but the young soldiers too;
At least this one,
she's one of the few
who to her comrades may appear
to hold nothing in life
'cept Your mission dear.
But it's a lie.
Now don't get me wrong --
To die for that mission,
she enlisted, with strong
resolve to complete.
To go forward
To forsake all for the call
and count all but loss
no matter the cost.
But in the thick of battle
resolve starts to break.
When the mighty foe presses in,
how much more can she take?
I have not the strength
To meet the strength
of the attacks
To return blow for blow
I'm being pushed back
Who is this foe?
Who makes the attack?
from within.
It is me. My self.
And I
hold Your mission dear.
This soldier, her focus clear
at times. But the enemy
Has infiltrated
Has betrayed
Has battled
Has blurred
Made dear to her these things else:
pride, desire, temptation --
The chains of self.
I have not the strength
To shake off these chains.
But I will try again
I will fight again
I will somehow win
And You say:
"Will you stop living a lie?
Yes, you must try again.
Yes, you must fight again.
Yes, you will somehow win.
But not with those chains on.
It is My mission or those,
what will you choose?
"The choice is yours
But you have not the strength."
This soldier has not the strength to battle at all
She takes a few steps, but then falls.
She holds dear the chains
She holds dear Your mission
She fights with confusion.
She cannot see
But she will go forward
Forsake all for the call
Count all but loss
No matter the cost.
I have not the strength
But You are my Strength
Break the chains
Return the blows
Push self back
Press the attack
I will somehow win.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
It Doesn't Seem Quite Right to Say Goodbye: Part 1
Feb 17, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 11
8:13 am - Driving down this bumpy mountain once more. God-willing, this won't be the last time.
It's hard to describe what it feels like (not the bumpiness). Perhaps it's because it is a familiar yet new feeling at the same time.
I'm getting used to this business of saying, "I'll see you in heaven" -- it's more meaningful and less painful than, "Goodbye." Ever since I graduated (which was the first time I really had to bid a tearful farewell to close, life-long brothers and sisters in Christ), the time I've been able to spend with people has gotten progressively shorter: one year as a dean, 3.75 months at ARISE, and now 9 days at Concepcion Adventist Academy. Yet each time, I've found my heart inevitably bound up with the hearts of the people I've been with.
I think it's only God's love that can bind hearts in so short a time.
(By the way, it is now 9:02. We are down the mountain in one of the towns now. A group of students with CAA's singing group, "Angel Force," is accompanying us on a Jeepney as far as Candon. They have a singing appointment later. It has been much fun to see them on the road in the mountains and wave and take pictures of them.)
Even though this poignant experience is familiar in the sense of bidding farewell, something about this one sets it apart. This week, I believe I discovered, in a deeper way, this great truth: when seeking to be a blessing, you receive a double blessing. Ministering through music and preaching was a blessing in itself, but when you pair that with beautiful people who reach out to you in friendship and love and gratitude -- nothing else compares.
I wish I could have spent more time with them. I wish that we never had to say, "I'll see you later." But praise the Lord that "later" means Heaven, if not sooner.
When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!
9:32 am - Arrived in Candon (I think that's where we are). We are going to say a last farewell to the kids now.
10:25 am - Finally on the road again. I will miss them so much -- especially Ate Marlin, the principal and music director, and Judy-Ann, because I got to spend a bit more time with her as my roommate for a few of the nights. It's a wonder how a friendship can be built on mostly smiles. She also was kind of my "assistant" and proud of it. She and Raichel would always carry my violin and other things for me, and they loved to do it. They were all such a blessing to me, and to us. I only pray that the legacy we've left would glorify God and would be a lasting blessing. I pray they have seen Jesus. I feel like I was an imperfect vessel (still am), and that I could have done so many things better, but God is good and faithful and we have all been blessed. I have left this place a better person.
On a more technical note, I'm facing a small quandary. I deactivated my Facebook account months ago because I decided it took too much of my attention and time. But now it seems like it is the ONLY way to stay in touch with some people, namely, the students at CAA. Including Judy-Ann. They don't even use email. I wonder if I can sneak back on and not attract too much attention... I'll still have to decide on that one.
I think I'll post in two parts today. I still need to update on yesterday's happenings (it was a VERY full day, and a wonderful Sabbath). For now, I think I am going to rest because I got less than 5 hours of sleep last night.
8:13 am - Driving down this bumpy mountain once more. God-willing, this won't be the last time.
It's hard to describe what it feels like (not the bumpiness). Perhaps it's because it is a familiar yet new feeling at the same time.
I'm getting used to this business of saying, "I'll see you in heaven" -- it's more meaningful and less painful than, "Goodbye." Ever since I graduated (which was the first time I really had to bid a tearful farewell to close, life-long brothers and sisters in Christ), the time I've been able to spend with people has gotten progressively shorter: one year as a dean, 3.75 months at ARISE, and now 9 days at Concepcion Adventist Academy. Yet each time, I've found my heart inevitably bound up with the hearts of the people I've been with.
I think it's only God's love that can bind hearts in so short a time.
(By the way, it is now 9:02. We are down the mountain in one of the towns now. A group of students with CAA's singing group, "Angel Force," is accompanying us on a Jeepney as far as Candon. They have a singing appointment later. It has been much fun to see them on the road in the mountains and wave and take pictures of them.)
Even though this poignant experience is familiar in the sense of bidding farewell, something about this one sets it apart. This week, I believe I discovered, in a deeper way, this great truth: when seeking to be a blessing, you receive a double blessing. Ministering through music and preaching was a blessing in itself, but when you pair that with beautiful people who reach out to you in friendship and love and gratitude -- nothing else compares.
I wish I could have spent more time with them. I wish that we never had to say, "I'll see you later." But praise the Lord that "later" means Heaven, if not sooner.
When we all see Jesus, we'll sing and shout the victory!
9:32 am - Arrived in Candon (I think that's where we are). We are going to say a last farewell to the kids now.
10:25 am - Finally on the road again. I will miss them so much -- especially Ate Marlin, the principal and music director, and Judy-Ann, because I got to spend a bit more time with her as my roommate for a few of the nights. It's a wonder how a friendship can be built on mostly smiles. She also was kind of my "assistant" and proud of it. She and Raichel would always carry my violin and other things for me, and they loved to do it. They were all such a blessing to me, and to us. I only pray that the legacy we've left would glorify God and would be a lasting blessing. I pray they have seen Jesus. I feel like I was an imperfect vessel (still am), and that I could have done so many things better, but God is good and faithful and we have all been blessed. I have left this place a better person.
On a more technical note, I'm facing a small quandary. I deactivated my Facebook account months ago because I decided it took too much of my attention and time. But now it seems like it is the ONLY way to stay in touch with some people, namely, the students at CAA. Including Judy-Ann. They don't even use email. I wonder if I can sneak back on and not attract too much attention... I'll still have to decide on that one.
I think I'll post in two parts today. I still need to update on yesterday's happenings (it was a VERY full day, and a wonderful Sabbath). For now, I think I am going to rest because I got less than 5 hours of sleep last night.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Last Sermon
Feb 15, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 9
4:27 pm - Just finished taking pictures with the students in front of the main school building. Can't believe the week is nearly over.
Before the pictures I preached my last sermon. I can only praise God for it because I truly was not ready. I had gone to bed a bit late last night looking at pictures with my roommate and helping her put some on her iPhone (she wanted some as memories). It was really good to spend time with her, I believe, but this whole busy week caught up with me today and I was so tired. On top of that, the morning was full with a special program they put on with the gymnastic team and marching band. Then, they moved the start time for the afternoon meeting 45 minutes earlier (for Sabbath prep's sake)!
So I was not very prepared. I had some (sort of confusing) notes and a powerpoint, and the message in my heart, but I knew I could only trust God to give it. I didn't feel worthy; I was totally in a bad state of mind. I had learned in Homiletics class at ARISE that the first important thing when preaching is to be true to God. This means that you need to be assured of your spiritual right to preach because you are standing in Christ's righteousness alone. When you kneel before God, you can stand before anyone. As the song service started, I still did not feel I was in this position. But I reached out and clung to God's mercy and promises, as we learned yesterday through my testimony and Jacob wrestling with the Angel. I prayed and I prayed, and I gave it to God. I prayed that He would make the message what He knew it needed to be. Whether it was perfect or imperfect in my opinion, I trusted He knew exactly how the message needed to be in order to reach those who needed to hear it.
Just before it was my turn to speak, He reminded me of two promises:
" 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me" (2 Cor 12:9).
"Be anxious for nothing..."
Right then, it was my turn. But God had given me peace, and throughout the sermon I found myself praying for the words more consciously than at other times. It was far from perfect, but God still spoke to the students through my faltering lips, and a number of the girls responded to the altar call to give their lives to God, small as they may seem, realizing that He needs them in order to finish the Story. Because we want to go home. And we can't until the world hears about God who is Love, as we learned this week.
I had been thinking about sharing the song "Heaven" on Help in Daily Living, and was trying to get it to work in the PowerPoint during the song service. It didn't work. I prayed about it, and concluded that God didn't want me to use it. I wasn't sure how to end the sermon with an appeal, but I trusted God would help me. Instead, I inserted the song, "I Want to Go to Heaven" by Ethan McGrath on piano as appeal music. And I praise Jesus for the girls who responded. Then we broke into groups to pray, as they normally do each afternoon, before the closing prayer. The song kept playing during our prayer, and I began to feel impressed to do something I never thought I would do. The kids have been saying that they want to hear me sing, so at first I didn't want the idea to be a people-pleasing thing. But I believed that the words as well as the music were powerful, and emphasized the message, and God inspired me to sing the song for them! I thought I was crazy, but I sang it with all my heart, faltering lyrics and all.
All in all, God is faithful. This has been quite the experience, and I have a lot (emphasis on A LOT) to learn still, but it has been a tremendous blessing. Thank You, Lord, for Your faithful love!
4:27 pm - Just finished taking pictures with the students in front of the main school building. Can't believe the week is nearly over.
Before the pictures I preached my last sermon. I can only praise God for it because I truly was not ready. I had gone to bed a bit late last night looking at pictures with my roommate and helping her put some on her iPhone (she wanted some as memories). It was really good to spend time with her, I believe, but this whole busy week caught up with me today and I was so tired. On top of that, the morning was full with a special program they put on with the gymnastic team and marching band. Then, they moved the start time for the afternoon meeting 45 minutes earlier (for Sabbath prep's sake)!
So I was not very prepared. I had some (sort of confusing) notes and a powerpoint, and the message in my heart, but I knew I could only trust God to give it. I didn't feel worthy; I was totally in a bad state of mind. I had learned in Homiletics class at ARISE that the first important thing when preaching is to be true to God. This means that you need to be assured of your spiritual right to preach because you are standing in Christ's righteousness alone. When you kneel before God, you can stand before anyone. As the song service started, I still did not feel I was in this position. But I reached out and clung to God's mercy and promises, as we learned yesterday through my testimony and Jacob wrestling with the Angel. I prayed and I prayed, and I gave it to God. I prayed that He would make the message what He knew it needed to be. Whether it was perfect or imperfect in my opinion, I trusted He knew exactly how the message needed to be in order to reach those who needed to hear it.
Just before it was my turn to speak, He reminded me of two promises:
" 'My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest on me" (2 Cor 12:9).
"Be anxious for nothing..."
Right then, it was my turn. But God had given me peace, and throughout the sermon I found myself praying for the words more consciously than at other times. It was far from perfect, but God still spoke to the students through my faltering lips, and a number of the girls responded to the altar call to give their lives to God, small as they may seem, realizing that He needs them in order to finish the Story. Because we want to go home. And we can't until the world hears about God who is Love, as we learned this week.
I had been thinking about sharing the song "Heaven" on Help in Daily Living, and was trying to get it to work in the PowerPoint during the song service. It didn't work. I prayed about it, and concluded that God didn't want me to use it. I wasn't sure how to end the sermon with an appeal, but I trusted God would help me. Instead, I inserted the song, "I Want to Go to Heaven" by Ethan McGrath on piano as appeal music. And I praise Jesus for the girls who responded. Then we broke into groups to pray, as they normally do each afternoon, before the closing prayer. The song kept playing during our prayer, and I began to feel impressed to do something I never thought I would do. The kids have been saying that they want to hear me sing, so at first I didn't want the idea to be a people-pleasing thing. But I believed that the words as well as the music were powerful, and emphasized the message, and God inspired me to sing the song for them! I thought I was crazy, but I sang it with all my heart, faltering lyrics and all.
All in all, God is faithful. This has been quite the experience, and I have a lot (emphasis on A LOT) to learn still, but it has been a tremendous blessing. Thank You, Lord, for Your faithful love!
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Midweek Reflections
Feb 13, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 7
9:36 pm - Really been neglecting my play by play. Most of my days are spent preparing sermons and eating, at least before the afternoon meeting. Afterwards I've been just hanging out, until supper, and then the crusade is at night. Quite a busy time!
Today was a good day. God really blessed the message today...I totally did not feel ready.
(Note: All last week I was praying over and wrestling with the message. It was also a struggle because I hadn't been in the practice of studying something for the purpose of sharing it in a sermon. It was easy to get distracted, especially as I was in a different environment than I'm used to. But God had to bring me through a certain trial before He could give me the message. I had to experience it first. So when Thursday came (departure day) I only had an outline for the week, most of the first sermon prepared, a bunch of random notes from studying, and no power points made. It was a faith-building experience, that's for sure, and it still is, as I've been having to prepare a sermon and powerpoint during the day and then preach it right away.)
Yesterday I had felt much more ready for the meeting (it was a close call though!) and God truly blessed. If you read my last post then you know how utterly I felt my I capability to do this, and the prayer in the post was what helped me hold on to faith in God, and He proved Himself faithful.
Today He also blessed. Like I said, I really felt so unprepared. I think the power point was literally made in the last 20 mins before the meeting. I laid it before God and pleaded with Him to in mercy intervene and supply my need as He promised. I didn't know if there was time I had spent doing other things that should have been devoted to the message, but what was past was past, and I knew God had put the message in my heart. He gave me peace that He would give the message.
And He did! Praise God. I didn't have as many illustrations ready as I wanted to or even an appeal, but God brought things to mind at just the right time. He is also making me more bold, preaching with some spice, as David Asscherick calls it. (See "Broken" post about ARISE preaching practicum) Thank You, Lord!
I am so thankful for this experience. It has really made me realize my incapabilities and weaknesses. Even now, as I look back on the past three sermons and the past three days, I see so many things that desperately need improvement. One thing that is really bothering me is that I didn't use any personal element in the past three sermons. I don't know how I could have forgotten that personal context is half the life of the sermon. It makes it tangible and real. Perhaps I didn't think about it because I was planning on telling my testimony tomorrow and Friday, so I was in a way "saving up." But I realize that my sermons lacked that personal power. And there definitely could have been a personal element in those topics: God's promises, temptation, and the cross, in the backdrop of the Story. Why, Lord? Why did I forget? Ugh. I still praise You for using this imperfect vessel. I know I won't always have all my ducks in a row all at once.
I wish I had told the students more about myself at the beginning is the week. Now they are going to get it all at once tomorrow, and the week is already more than half over. Sigh. I know that You are still blessing, as well as teaching me so much.
And now, tomorrow. The students want me to visit their classes, but I haven't had time because of sermon prep. I really would like to. But I still haven't laid out tomorrow's message yet. Whenever I give my testimony You always bring something new out of it. And I'm still not exactly sure how it plays out yet. I know it has to do with Jacob wrestling with the Angel; I believe that is what You have given me so far. Other than that, I'm not sure yet.
Please, Lord, over and over again I've realized that I have nothing of my own to give, except that which You give me to give, so I plead with You to please show me what to do with Your message, and how to share the experiences and lessons You have brought me through.
I need to be vulnerable, Lord.
I need to be unashamed to tell who I was and who I am, which really is wrapped up in who You are. Please open me up. Perhaps there has been a sort of personal barrier between me and the people that has prevented me from using personal stories so far. I don't know what it is exactly. I just know that this week has been like an intensive in preaching and learning from mistakes -- like ARISE Preaching Practicum: the Sequel. Not to mention an intensive in praying and preparing and power-pointing. And in utter dependence on Jesus, my only Sufficiency.
Well, it's getting late and I've learned that I really need sufficient rest in order to have a clear mind to commune with God and prepare the message. This has turned into quite the interesting post. I'm still waiting for my roommate. Maybe she's not coming tonight. That's a bit sad. She is really nice and I was looking forward to spending time with her...
Thank you to those who have been praying for me, I believe that God is blessing the students and giving me the experiences I need, even if they are not always pleasant. The place and the people are beautiful, and even more so because I know God wants me here.
9:36 pm - Really been neglecting my play by play. Most of my days are spent preparing sermons and eating, at least before the afternoon meeting. Afterwards I've been just hanging out, until supper, and then the crusade is at night. Quite a busy time!
Today was a good day. God really blessed the message today...I totally did not feel ready.
(Note: All last week I was praying over and wrestling with the message. It was also a struggle because I hadn't been in the practice of studying something for the purpose of sharing it in a sermon. It was easy to get distracted, especially as I was in a different environment than I'm used to. But God had to bring me through a certain trial before He could give me the message. I had to experience it first. So when Thursday came (departure day) I only had an outline for the week, most of the first sermon prepared, a bunch of random notes from studying, and no power points made. It was a faith-building experience, that's for sure, and it still is, as I've been having to prepare a sermon and powerpoint during the day and then preach it right away.)
Yesterday I had felt much more ready for the meeting (it was a close call though!) and God truly blessed. If you read my last post then you know how utterly I felt my I capability to do this, and the prayer in the post was what helped me hold on to faith in God, and He proved Himself faithful.
Today He also blessed. Like I said, I really felt so unprepared. I think the power point was literally made in the last 20 mins before the meeting. I laid it before God and pleaded with Him to in mercy intervene and supply my need as He promised. I didn't know if there was time I had spent doing other things that should have been devoted to the message, but what was past was past, and I knew God had put the message in my heart. He gave me peace that He would give the message.
And He did! Praise God. I didn't have as many illustrations ready as I wanted to or even an appeal, but God brought things to mind at just the right time. He is also making me more bold, preaching with some spice, as David Asscherick calls it. (See "Broken" post about ARISE preaching practicum) Thank You, Lord!
I am so thankful for this experience. It has really made me realize my incapabilities and weaknesses. Even now, as I look back on the past three sermons and the past three days, I see so many things that desperately need improvement. One thing that is really bothering me is that I didn't use any personal element in the past three sermons. I don't know how I could have forgotten that personal context is half the life of the sermon. It makes it tangible and real. Perhaps I didn't think about it because I was planning on telling my testimony tomorrow and Friday, so I was in a way "saving up." But I realize that my sermons lacked that personal power. And there definitely could have been a personal element in those topics: God's promises, temptation, and the cross, in the backdrop of the Story. Why, Lord? Why did I forget? Ugh. I still praise You for using this imperfect vessel. I know I won't always have all my ducks in a row all at once.
I wish I had told the students more about myself at the beginning is the week. Now they are going to get it all at once tomorrow, and the week is already more than half over. Sigh. I know that You are still blessing, as well as teaching me so much.
And now, tomorrow. The students want me to visit their classes, but I haven't had time because of sermon prep. I really would like to. But I still haven't laid out tomorrow's message yet. Whenever I give my testimony You always bring something new out of it. And I'm still not exactly sure how it plays out yet. I know it has to do with Jacob wrestling with the Angel; I believe that is what You have given me so far. Other than that, I'm not sure yet.
Please, Lord, over and over again I've realized that I have nothing of my own to give, except that which You give me to give, so I plead with You to please show me what to do with Your message, and how to share the experiences and lessons You have brought me through.
I need to be vulnerable, Lord.
I need to be unashamed to tell who I was and who I am, which really is wrapped up in who You are. Please open me up. Perhaps there has been a sort of personal barrier between me and the people that has prevented me from using personal stories so far. I don't know what it is exactly. I just know that this week has been like an intensive in preaching and learning from mistakes -- like ARISE Preaching Practicum: the Sequel. Not to mention an intensive in praying and preparing and power-pointing. And in utter dependence on Jesus, my only Sufficiency.
Well, it's getting late and I've learned that I really need sufficient rest in order to have a clear mind to commune with God and prepare the message. This has turned into quite the interesting post. I'm still waiting for my roommate. Maybe she's not coming tonight. That's a bit sad. She is really nice and I was looking forward to spending time with her...
Thank you to those who have been praying for me, I believe that God is blessing the students and giving me the experiences I need, even if they are not always pleasant. The place and the people are beautiful, and even more so because I know God wants me here.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Sincere Prayer
Feb 10, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 4
8:12 am - Eating breakfast. Pastor Jorge enjoys singing his feelings in opera style at random moments. Haha. "I like this mango..."
5:02 pm - Mostly been at the basketball court all day, where there is a more reliable signal for Internet. Preparing sermons and talking with my parents has kept me busy. Now the boys are all playing, and it seems some have some sort of crush on me or something. Kuya Lyndon, one of the guys who came with us, just told me (since he is paying attention to the game and I am not) that one of the guys said, "I love you Valerie" before taking a shot. Sigh.
6:58 pm - Another bumpy jeepney ride. This time the meetings are at the proper venue. Now I am sitting listening to one of the students lead the children's program. She sounds like quite a good speaker. Of course, I don't know about the content, since it is all Tagalog. The kids are paying pretty close attention. Now they are repeating a verse with her. Tonight I think I'm playing two songs.
Feb 11, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 5
(I had something written for this day, mostly an apology for not writing much, but it seems like Simplenote has lost it somewhere in the cloud. So much for secure files.)
Feb 12, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 6
10:25 am - Morning meeting over. Some of the girls just brought me a snack: noodle soup and buko (coconut) juice. It is so nice of them, but unfortunately I am still so full from breakfast. I think I can make it through the juice (it's really good!) but as for the noodles...
Praying for the message today. After yesterday's message I realized my complete inability to be a "good" preacher. I know it comes with practice, and it is not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit. I just don't want anything of "self" to get in the way -- whether self-dependence, self-pity, self-sufficiency, or pride (even the spiritual kind). I cannot rely on anything of my own for this. I simply don't have anything to give, except what God gives me to give.
I must go beyond self-depreciation and look to Christ.
Jesus, help me. You who won every victory for me...for us...You who promised to supply all our need -- I need so much right now. I need You. I lack faith, Lord, but You are teaching me to simply trust in Jesus' faithfulness. Please, unlock my mind to see Your beauty. This is the only way I can communicate the message to others. Sometimes I wonder why You would choose me for this when I am so incapable. But You Yourself said that Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made is made perfect in weakness. That makes me speechless, Lord.
Lord, please give me strength, physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually. Cleanse me from my secret faults. And my known ones too. I give myself to You -- or rather, I ask that You would "take my heart, for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul" (COL159).
Lord, thank You. I don't know what else to say. But I want to exercise faith. I believe; help my unbelief. Bring me to the cross, and break me again. Crush my pride. Then renew me in Your Spirit, not my own. Jesus won the victory for us over sin, and He will give us that victory moment by moment if we simply trust that fact. Cleanse my heart and mind, and fill me. This is my earnest plea. You have reminded me of so many promises; now it is time to claim them and move forward.
I have just this for a specific request: please fill me with Jesus' love for these people, and help me balance sermon preparation time with spending time with people, like Jesus did.
Thank You, Father.
I love You, because You first loved me.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6,7
8:12 am - Eating breakfast. Pastor Jorge enjoys singing his feelings in opera style at random moments. Haha. "I like this mango..."
5:02 pm - Mostly been at the basketball court all day, where there is a more reliable signal for Internet. Preparing sermons and talking with my parents has kept me busy. Now the boys are all playing, and it seems some have some sort of crush on me or something. Kuya Lyndon, one of the guys who came with us, just told me (since he is paying attention to the game and I am not) that one of the guys said, "I love you Valerie" before taking a shot. Sigh.
6:58 pm - Another bumpy jeepney ride. This time the meetings are at the proper venue. Now I am sitting listening to one of the students lead the children's program. She sounds like quite a good speaker. Of course, I don't know about the content, since it is all Tagalog. The kids are paying pretty close attention. Now they are repeating a verse with her. Tonight I think I'm playing two songs.
Feb 11, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 5
(I had something written for this day, mostly an apology for not writing much, but it seems like Simplenote has lost it somewhere in the cloud. So much for secure files.)
Feb 12, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 6
10:25 am - Morning meeting over. Some of the girls just brought me a snack: noodle soup and buko (coconut) juice. It is so nice of them, but unfortunately I am still so full from breakfast. I think I can make it through the juice (it's really good!) but as for the noodles...
Praying for the message today. After yesterday's message I realized my complete inability to be a "good" preacher. I know it comes with practice, and it is not by might, nor by power, but by God's Spirit. I just don't want anything of "self" to get in the way -- whether self-dependence, self-pity, self-sufficiency, or pride (even the spiritual kind). I cannot rely on anything of my own for this. I simply don't have anything to give, except what God gives me to give.
I must go beyond self-depreciation and look to Christ.
Jesus, help me. You who won every victory for me...for us...You who promised to supply all our need -- I need so much right now. I need You. I lack faith, Lord, but You are teaching me to simply trust in Jesus' faithfulness. Please, unlock my mind to see Your beauty. This is the only way I can communicate the message to others. Sometimes I wonder why You would choose me for this when I am so incapable. But You Yourself said that Your grace is sufficient for me, for Your strength is made is made perfect in weakness. That makes me speechless, Lord.
Lord, please give me strength, physically, mentally, and most importantly, spiritually. Cleanse me from my secret faults. And my known ones too. I give myself to You -- or rather, I ask that You would "take my heart, for I cannot give it. It is Thy property. Keep it pure, for I cannot keep it for Thee. Save me in spite of myself, my weak, unchristlike self. Mold me, fashion me, raise me into a pure and holy atmosphere, where the rich current of Thy love can flow through my soul" (COL159).
Lord, thank You. I don't know what else to say. But I want to exercise faith. I believe; help my unbelief. Bring me to the cross, and break me again. Crush my pride. Then renew me in Your Spirit, not my own. Jesus won the victory for us over sin, and He will give us that victory moment by moment if we simply trust that fact. Cleanse my heart and mind, and fill me. This is my earnest plea. You have reminded me of so many promises; now it is time to claim them and move forward.
I have just this for a specific request: please fill me with Jesus' love for these people, and help me balance sermon preparation time with spending time with people, like Jesus did.
Thank You, Father.
I love You, because You first loved me.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. - Philippians 4:6,7
Friday, February 8, 2013
A Running Play-By-Play
I have decided to try something I tried when we went to Hawaii with Fountainview. At random moments throughout the day, I will write a short update of what is currently happening, and when it is compiled I will post it for you all to see! It is like a running journal, a play-by-play of my trip here, each day. I will try to leave it as unedited as possible so you can get a feel for the moment as it was, unless there is anything too sensitive or personal to share in public.
I've tried in vain to upload pictures, so they will either have to wait, or you can check out: instagram.com/vjac47 I think to see pictures. For some reason that works sometimes for me, depending where I am.
Enjoy! And praise the Lord for this experience....
Feb 8, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 2
9:46 am - Driving in the second van of our trip on our way to Concepcion Adventist Academy. After we picked up Pastor Imai in Manila last night at midnight, we drove another 4 hours. We stayed for the night (4 am-9:15 am) at Northern Luzon Adventist College.
2:02 pm - Just finished lunch at Chow King. Now we have switched vehicles into a rather dusty, rickety van. The door doesn't close, and we are going up on a treacherous road in the mountains with a deep ravine. "It's roller coaster time," says Pastor Jorge. Now we are getting ice cream.
2:34 pm - We are now on the bumpy road. It comes in patches though. Back on the pavement. I wish I had worn shorts.
And now on the bumpy again.
3:05 pm - We've crossed the river 4 times now...back and forth. Now for the final up I think. Soooo bumpy I feel like my vertebrae are going to fall out of my spine...
4:33 pm - We arrived probably almost an hour ago. Luckily I was taking a video of the super steep driveway, because when we reached the top a glockenspiel/drum band was playing on either side of the road! (Just what Val needs to be happy). They were really good. The principal, Ate Marlin, said there are more than 40, and one day this week we will see them play in uniform. After they finished and we took pictures, we put our stuff in our rooms. I am staying in the dorm and two girls will stay with me to keep me company. Then we went to the place where the pastors and other two guys who came are staying, and were welcomed with yet another musical group -- the "Angel Four" I think. They have a lot of musical groups here. We drank coconut water from the coconut, an ate star apples.
Afterwards Ate Marlin showed me her cottage and around the dorm (I think it's not the only building for the girls, because it is quite small). Soon we will have supper, and then later will be vespers, presented by Pastor Jorge.
Now I am resting on my bed with all my dead gadgets charging, thinking about the coming week. It is really exciting to be here. I didn't realize it would be such an adventure too! More in the wilderness than I expected. But more than that, it has been good to meet the people here, even though only briefly so far. I believe it will help me more now as I further prepare for the week of prayer. It's given me a feel for the kids, their life, their worldview, and an ever growing desire to share with them what I have learned and experienced. Along with that comes a familiar feeling of inadequacy (not to mention how blessed I am), accompanied with peace, knowing that God still uses broken vessels, and He is my Sufficiency. The harvest is great, the laborers few, but I say, "Here I am, Lord, send Me."
And He has.
And He is with me.
I've tried in vain to upload pictures, so they will either have to wait, or you can check out: instagram.com/vjac47 I think to see pictures. For some reason that works sometimes for me, depending where I am.
Enjoy! And praise the Lord for this experience....
Feb 8, 2013 - Iloco Sur Trip: Day 2
9:46 am - Driving in the second van of our trip on our way to Concepcion Adventist Academy. After we picked up Pastor Imai in Manila last night at midnight, we drove another 4 hours. We stayed for the night (4 am-9:15 am) at Northern Luzon Adventist College.
2:02 pm - Just finished lunch at Chow King. Now we have switched vehicles into a rather dusty, rickety van. The door doesn't close, and we are going up on a treacherous road in the mountains with a deep ravine. "It's roller coaster time," says Pastor Jorge. Now we are getting ice cream.
2:34 pm - We are now on the bumpy road. It comes in patches though. Back on the pavement. I wish I had worn shorts.
And now on the bumpy again.
3:05 pm - We've crossed the river 4 times now...back and forth. Now for the final up I think. Soooo bumpy I feel like my vertebrae are going to fall out of my spine...
4:33 pm - We arrived probably almost an hour ago. Luckily I was taking a video of the super steep driveway, because when we reached the top a glockenspiel/drum band was playing on either side of the road! (Just what Val needs to be happy). They were really good. The principal, Ate Marlin, said there are more than 40, and one day this week we will see them play in uniform. After they finished and we took pictures, we put our stuff in our rooms. I am staying in the dorm and two girls will stay with me to keep me company. Then we went to the place where the pastors and other two guys who came are staying, and were welcomed with yet another musical group -- the "Angel Four" I think. They have a lot of musical groups here. We drank coconut water from the coconut, an ate star apples.
Afterwards Ate Marlin showed me her cottage and around the dorm (I think it's not the only building for the girls, because it is quite small). Soon we will have supper, and then later will be vespers, presented by Pastor Jorge.
Now I am resting on my bed with all my dead gadgets charging, thinking about the coming week. It is really exciting to be here. I didn't realize it would be such an adventure too! More in the wilderness than I expected. But more than that, it has been good to meet the people here, even though only briefly so far. I believe it will help me more now as I further prepare for the week of prayer. It's given me a feel for the kids, their life, their worldview, and an ever growing desire to share with them what I have learned and experienced. Along with that comes a familiar feeling of inadequacy (not to mention how blessed I am), accompanied with peace, knowing that God still uses broken vessels, and He is my Sufficiency. The harvest is great, the laborers few, but I say, "Here I am, Lord, send Me."
And He has.
And He is with me.
Monday, January 28, 2013
"I'M SLIPPING! I'M FA—"
If I say, "My foot slips," Your mercy, O LORD, will hold me up. ~ Psalm 94:18
I heard a powerful sermon on this text once. I had never paid attention to it before, but the speaker made it unforgettable. He told a story of when he was climbing up a very steep hill of pebbles. One wrong step and you could slide pretty dangerously, further and faster than you'd like. To top it off, he was afraid of heights.
I can't remember the whole sermon, so I actually might make part of this up. But it is true, nonetheless! It is what I personally have learned, and today, through a slip of my own, I realized there is even more to the promise.
We've heard the the text that says "The righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again." I claim this often as a precious promise when I fall or make mistakes in my spiritual walk. Probably many others do as well.
But this text is different. The "righteous person" here (who would be one that trusts in the righteousness and grace of Jesus Christ) is not shown to be getting up after falling. He is calling out while he is falling. And he doesn't even have the chance to formulate it into a plea for help.
Put yourself in the speaker's story.
Someone is climbing with you. Because of your fear of heights you are much more unbalanced than he is, and your foot slips. Soon you will find yourself in an unhappy (understatement) heap at the bottom of the steep hill, unless someone catches you and holds you up. In that split second you cry out, "Dear friend who climbs with me, Thank you so much for being with me. You see that I am slipping and about to fall. Please, hold me up before I fall to my death. Thank you so much."
You're kidding.
Of course you wouldn't say that! Or a least I wouldn't (I hope you wouldn't either). No, the words that would come out of your mouth would sound something like this:
"I'M SLIPPING! I'M FA—"
A strong arm grabs you and holds you up.
The friend wouldn't wait for you to technically ask for help. A friend is a friend, and they would hold you if it was in their power to keep you from falling.
God has the power to keep us from falling. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy..." (Jude 24).
When I left the sermon that day, I had learned a great lesson that would soon make itself real in everyday life. I would always remember that when we are slipping and falling, yes, even as our foot slips (and most likely our own choice made it slip); if we cry out to God -- or just cry out! -- He is near, and in His mercy He will hold us up. What a deep, simple, beautiful promise!
From then on I took "hold you up" as meaning "you will regain your footing and not fall." Yet it doesn't say that! It says that God's mercy will hold you up. It means that, even if BOTH feet slip, God will still hold us up if we cry out as we fall. He will catch us and carry us, while our unsteady feet dangle over the pit, already wet from the edges of the swamp of temptation. He is near, ready in an instant to show us mercy in our failings, and carry us when we cry out for help.
This doesn't mean that God will save us from every mistake. He can't save us if we dive headlong down the hill at breakneck speed. But He can hold us when we fall. And sometimes temptation is too slick for a lengthy request for help.
So next time you find yourself crying out,
"I'M SLIPPING! I'M FA—"
His mercy will hold you up.
I heard a powerful sermon on this text once. I had never paid attention to it before, but the speaker made it unforgettable. He told a story of when he was climbing up a very steep hill of pebbles. One wrong step and you could slide pretty dangerously, further and faster than you'd like. To top it off, he was afraid of heights.
I can't remember the whole sermon, so I actually might make part of this up. But it is true, nonetheless! It is what I personally have learned, and today, through a slip of my own, I realized there is even more to the promise.
We've heard the the text that says "The righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again." I claim this often as a precious promise when I fall or make mistakes in my spiritual walk. Probably many others do as well.
But this text is different. The "righteous person" here (who would be one that trusts in the righteousness and grace of Jesus Christ) is not shown to be getting up after falling. He is calling out while he is falling. And he doesn't even have the chance to formulate it into a plea for help.
Put yourself in the speaker's story.
Someone is climbing with you. Because of your fear of heights you are much more unbalanced than he is, and your foot slips. Soon you will find yourself in an unhappy (understatement) heap at the bottom of the steep hill, unless someone catches you and holds you up. In that split second you cry out, "Dear friend who climbs with me, Thank you so much for being with me. You see that I am slipping and about to fall. Please, hold me up before I fall to my death. Thank you so much."
You're kidding.
Of course you wouldn't say that! Or a least I wouldn't (I hope you wouldn't either). No, the words that would come out of your mouth would sound something like this:
"I'M SLIPPING! I'M FA—"
A strong arm grabs you and holds you up.
The friend wouldn't wait for you to technically ask for help. A friend is a friend, and they would hold you if it was in their power to keep you from falling.
God has the power to keep us from falling. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy..." (Jude 24).
When I left the sermon that day, I had learned a great lesson that would soon make itself real in everyday life. I would always remember that when we are slipping and falling, yes, even as our foot slips (and most likely our own choice made it slip); if we cry out to God -- or just cry out! -- He is near, and in His mercy He will hold us up. What a deep, simple, beautiful promise!
From then on I took "hold you up" as meaning "you will regain your footing and not fall." Yet it doesn't say that! It says that God's mercy will hold you up. It means that, even if BOTH feet slip, God will still hold us up if we cry out as we fall. He will catch us and carry us, while our unsteady feet dangle over the pit, already wet from the edges of the swamp of temptation. He is near, ready in an instant to show us mercy in our failings, and carry us when we cry out for help.
This doesn't mean that God will save us from every mistake. He can't save us if we dive headlong down the hill at breakneck speed. But He can hold us when we fall. And sometimes temptation is too slick for a lengthy request for help.
So next time you find yourself crying out,
"I'M SLIPPING! I'M FA—"
His mercy will hold you up.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
The Next 22.5 Weeks: Part 2
"How is the Philippines?"
"Good."
"..."
Well, here is the post you have all been waiting for. Everyone has been asking, and I've been saying "good" for too long now. Here is my real answer; are you ready for this?
*deep breath*
Hot, humid, green, busy, pollution, traffic, jeepnies, flip-flops, Tagalog, family, sunshine, poor, rich, cement houses, food, Catholic, tricycles, canteens (little cafeteria shops), ethnic, Asian, billboards and signs all over (with everyone and their grandma's picture on everything they can get it on), dirty, palm-trees, mountains, loud, music (getting so tired of "Gangnam Style" wherever I go), cellphones, food (did I say that already?), sweet food, salty food, snacks, cheap spas, cheap massages, cheap everything, fruit (sorry, that's food too), mangoes, lack of toilet paper, dirty bathrooms, dogs in cages, "ma'am/sir" echoing from all sides, mangoes.
Yes, I like mangoes.
Especially the Philippine mango, fresh and cheap, every. single. day.
Oh, and rice. Better not forget that.
Can't, really.
But you know what? Some of the above may seem a bit foreign and annoying (no doubt it is) but that almost comprehensive, descriptive list is more than just a list. It's more than just my experience so far, and it's more than what life is for the next 22 weeks.
What makes that list is carving itself into my heart.
What makes that list?
People
in a beautiful place
called the Philippines.
Yes, it is beautiful. In spite of the run down tricycles, the lack of garbage cans (that should have been in the list), the crowded streets and malls and everywhere, the poor houses (shacks), the messy everything...
It's beautiful. Not those things in and of themselves. But those things represent real people and real lives and real souls.
Even I am not sure how the Philippines could be growing in my heart in spite of the foreignness (I didn't know that was a word) and inconvenience of being a North American SDA young woman who looks like and is a Filipina but can't speak Filipino in the Philippines.
But it is. Why?
God wants me here.
Anywhere is beautiful if it's where God wants you to be.
I pray that...
whenever I feel like I don't want to be here,
.........I will remember that God wants me to be here.
whenever I feel small and inexperienced,
.........I will remember that God is big and infinitely experienced (understatement).
whenever I feel tired,
.........I will remember that God "never slumbers."
whenever I make a mistake,
.........I will remember that all things work together for good, for them who love God...
...and who are the called according to His purpose.
So then, what is His purpose for me? That, my friends, is answered on a moment by moment basis (other than the grand, overarching purpose of reconciling the world to God, who is Love, by lifting up the cross).
But, what it looks like might be His purpose for me is something like this. If you'd like more details, don't hesitate to ask.
All in all, I am just waiting to see how God leads each day, so that He can use me to be a blessing in whatever I do. I've been getting over a cold for about a week now, so since my parents left last week, not too much has happened yet. But now, life is about to get rolling...
"Good."
"..."
Well, here is the post you have all been waiting for. Everyone has been asking, and I've been saying "good" for too long now. Here is my real answer; are you ready for this?
*deep breath*
Hot, humid, green, busy, pollution, traffic, jeepnies, flip-flops, Tagalog, family, sunshine, poor, rich, cement houses, food, Catholic, tricycles, canteens (little cafeteria shops), ethnic, Asian, billboards and signs all over (with everyone and their grandma's picture on everything they can get it on), dirty, palm-trees, mountains, loud, music (getting so tired of "Gangnam Style" wherever I go), cellphones, food (did I say that already?), sweet food, salty food, snacks, cheap spas, cheap massages, cheap everything, fruit (sorry, that's food too), mangoes, lack of toilet paper, dirty bathrooms, dogs in cages, "ma'am/sir" echoing from all sides, mangoes.
Yes, I like mangoes.
Especially the Philippine mango, fresh and cheap, every. single. day.
Oh, and rice. Better not forget that.
Can't, really.
What makes that list is carving itself into my heart.
What makes that list?
People
in a beautiful place
called the Philippines.
Yes, it is beautiful. In spite of the run down tricycles, the lack of garbage cans (that should have been in the list), the crowded streets and malls and everywhere, the poor houses (shacks), the messy everything...
It's beautiful. Not those things in and of themselves. But those things represent real people and real lives and real souls.
Even I am not sure how the Philippines could be growing in my heart in spite of the foreignness (I didn't know that was a word) and inconvenience of being a North American SDA young woman who looks like and is a Filipina but can't speak Filipino in the Philippines.
But it is. Why?
God wants me here.
Anywhere is beautiful if it's where God wants you to be.
I pray that...
whenever I feel like I don't want to be here,
.........I will remember that God wants me to be here.
whenever I feel small and inexperienced,
.........I will remember that God is big and infinitely experienced (understatement).
whenever I feel tired,
.........I will remember that God "never slumbers."
whenever I make a mistake,
.........I will remember that all things work together for good, for them who love God...
...and who are the called according to His purpose.
So then, what is His purpose for me? That, my friends, is answered on a moment by moment basis (other than the grand, overarching purpose of reconciling the world to God, who is Love, by lifting up the cross).
But, what it looks like might be His purpose for me is something like this. If you'd like more details, don't hesitate to ask.
- Be a positive influence, encouragement, and help in my family, in many ways. (My lola [great-grandma] lives with us, and my grandma is battling cancer).
- Be involved at my grandparents' school teaching violin etc.
- Be involved with an Adventist family whose kids play violin, in their music and health evangelism ministries.
- Orchestrate music part time for Fountainview Academy.
- Go on a mission trip with my home church (from Canada) to the mountains of the Philippines.
- Be involved with the local church and boarding school.
- Continue reading and studying and memorizing and utilizing what I learned at ARISE.
All in all, I am just waiting to see how God leads each day, so that He can use me to be a blessing in whatever I do. I've been getting over a cold for about a week now, so since my parents left last week, not too much has happened yet. But now, life is about to get rolling...
Dear Father in Heaven,
Help me to remember that these people in this place called the Philippines are beautiful. They are beautiful to You; let them never cease to be beautiful to me. Help me help them. Reveal to them greater and deeper pictures of Your character and love through me. I am a weak and small vessel, but You are strong and great. The vessel is right-side up: please fill me, for You promised. Fill me with Your Spirit and with Your love. Let the next 22 weeks (and beyond) be fully and entirely Yours.
In Jesus' precious name,
Amen.
Friday, November 16, 2012
More than Conquerors
I just wanted to share with you today's Revival and Reformation devotional, because it really blessed me today.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Christ came to our world as the surety for humanity, preparing the way for all to gain the victory by giving them moral power. It is not His will that any shall be placed at a disadvantage. He would not have those who are striving to overcome intimidated and discouraged by the crafty assaults of the serpent. "Be of good cheer," He says, "I have overcome the world."
With such a General to lead us on to victory, we may indeed have joy and courage. He came as our champion. He takes cognizance of the battle that all who are at enmity with Satan must fight. He lays before His followers a plan of the battle, pointing out its peculiarities and severity, and warning them not to join His army without first counting the cost. He tells them that the vast confederacy of evil is arrayed against them, and shows them that they are fighting for an invisible world, and that His army is not composed merely of human agencies. His soldiers are coworkers with heavenly intelligences, and One higher than angels is in the ranks; for the Holy Spirit, Christ's representative, is there.
Then Christ summons every decided follower, every true soldier, to fight for Him, assuring them that there is deliverance for all who will obey His orders. If Christ's soldiers look faithfully to their Captain for their orders, success will attend their warfare against the enemy. No matter how they may be beset, in the end they will be triumphant.
Their infirmities may be many, their sins great, their ignorance seemingly insurmountable; but if they realize their weakness, and look to Christ for aid, He will be their efficiency. He is ever ready to enlighten their dullness and overcome their sinfulness. If they avail themselves of His power, their characters will be transformed; they will be surrounded with an atmosphere of light and holiness. Through His merits and imparted power they will be "more than conquerors." Supernatural help will be given them, enabling them in their weakness to do the deeds of omnipotence.
Those who fight for Christ are fighting in the sight of the heavenly universe, and they should be soldiers, not cowards.... By faith they are to look calmly upon every foe, exclaiming: "We fight the good fight of faith, under the command of an omnipotent Power. Because He lives, we shall live also."--The Signs of the Times, May 27, 1897.
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Giving Appeals in Class
This is for Amaris' sake :) (I did post that poem, too, Amie)
The following is a pretty straight transcription of the appeal I gave in Gaining Decisions class today. Our assignment was to give a 3 minute appeal to the class, stating our topic (on which we would have preached a sermon in all of our imaginations), and then using an appeal text, story, and making an appeal or call.
I really want to praise God for this, because last night I wrestled with the assignment all evening and seemed to come up with nothing (or too many things). So I went to bed with nothing written down and a thousand thoughts flying through my head. In the morning, during my devotions, I prayed about it, and still couldn't stop thinking about what I should do. I was praying about two specific stories to use, and two different angles to approach the topic of salvation from (it had also taken forever to know which topic to do). I tried telling the two stories that morning, and there was no way that I could tell one of them, the personal one, in 1.5 minutes. I felt that it was the kind of story that needed time to sink in by describing the nuances of what was going on. The other story was simple and straight to the point.
Finally, at lunch, I sat down, prayed, and asked God to lead me. I only had about an hour (we have a nice 2-hour lunch break, so we don't fall asleep in class -- yes, they did even told us that), and I just gave it to Him. This is what came together. Because I have never really given an appeal before, and had just learned how to do it in class the past two days, I wrote out the appeal/call section at the end. (For those of you who know me, I have taken to not really writing out much of what I share up front any more. Just notes in point form, and if there are a few exact phrases that need to be said, I'll write those too.)
Class time came, and we all went upstairs to the area where we always have worship. This is because there is a piano there, and one of our fellow classmates who is awesome at the piano was volunteered to give background music for the appeals. We learned in class that you should always have music (only if you have a good pianist) for appeals, because it helps reach into the heart. It helped us all too, to be in that "appeal mode." It would have been hard otherwise, having not heard the entire sermon beforehand.
As time went on, I began to wonder if I really should have used the other story, because it was more personal. It bothered me more and more, and I prayed about it as I listened to the others give their appeals (we drew names out of a hat). My turn came, and I got up, still praying and wondering, and as I set up my computer I told the class "Sorry, I'm having second thoughts about the one I chose. I was going to do a different one."
While they laughed, I continued to pray. I had come to realize by now that every time I share up front, somehow, God brings me to the place where I feel unprepared -- and I have to trust completely and unequivocally in Him. In times past, He has changed the message less than an hour before, or a day before. Once, He added part (not all) of the punchline during Sabbath School before I shared for the church service. Often, I never have an ending written out -- I have to trust that the message is in my heart and that God will speak His word through me. The last time, I felt totally unprepared and only had a skeleton of notes. Each time, God has taught me to trust more and more in Him and less and less in myself when I speak up front. And for those of you who have heard my testimony or read my identity paper, you'll know this lesson is essential.
So I kept praying, "Lord, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to do the other story, even though I have nothing written out for it at all?" I knew that it could be a possibility. I gave it completely to God.
But He finally said, "Just go for it. Use what you have, and trust Me."
(All of that took about 3 seconds, by the way. Don't you just love our hotline to heaven?)
And so I did. Afterwards, when I thought about it, I could see that God had once again brought me to the place of trusting Him and not myself -- not by feeling unprepared, but by completely giving what I had prepared to Him. I knew that He had helped me prepare it, but I also knew that He could completely change the message on the spot, too. So I let Him choose.
I'm finally starting to understand more fully what God meant in Jeremiah 1:17: "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you" (NKJV, emphasis supplied). I knew it somehow described a balance between preparation under God's guidance and speaking God's words, including preparation of the heart, but now it means so much more to me. Now I really have experienced this verse. Praise God! I'm so thankful.
So, here it is. I transcribed it from my recording of our class today. Generally, a new line indicates when there was a considerable space in my flow of speech. The appeal, though it was written out, was not always word for word with my notes. Jay Rosario, our teacher, gave tips once in a while between appeals, which slightly changed my delivery. I pray you'll be blessed, and all the glory goes to God.
The following is a pretty straight transcription of the appeal I gave in Gaining Decisions class today. Our assignment was to give a 3 minute appeal to the class, stating our topic (on which we would have preached a sermon in all of our imaginations), and then using an appeal text, story, and making an appeal or call.
I really want to praise God for this, because last night I wrestled with the assignment all evening and seemed to come up with nothing (or too many things). So I went to bed with nothing written down and a thousand thoughts flying through my head. In the morning, during my devotions, I prayed about it, and still couldn't stop thinking about what I should do. I was praying about two specific stories to use, and two different angles to approach the topic of salvation from (it had also taken forever to know which topic to do). I tried telling the two stories that morning, and there was no way that I could tell one of them, the personal one, in 1.5 minutes. I felt that it was the kind of story that needed time to sink in by describing the nuances of what was going on. The other story was simple and straight to the point.
Finally, at lunch, I sat down, prayed, and asked God to lead me. I only had about an hour (we have a nice 2-hour lunch break, so we don't fall asleep in class -- yes, they did even told us that), and I just gave it to Him. This is what came together. Because I have never really given an appeal before, and had just learned how to do it in class the past two days, I wrote out the appeal/call section at the end. (For those of you who know me, I have taken to not really writing out much of what I share up front any more. Just notes in point form, and if there are a few exact phrases that need to be said, I'll write those too.)
Class time came, and we all went upstairs to the area where we always have worship. This is because there is a piano there, and one of our fellow classmates who is awesome at the piano was volunteered to give background music for the appeals. We learned in class that you should always have music (only if you have a good pianist) for appeals, because it helps reach into the heart. It helped us all too, to be in that "appeal mode." It would have been hard otherwise, having not heard the entire sermon beforehand.
As time went on, I began to wonder if I really should have used the other story, because it was more personal. It bothered me more and more, and I prayed about it as I listened to the others give their appeals (we drew names out of a hat). My turn came, and I got up, still praying and wondering, and as I set up my computer I told the class "Sorry, I'm having second thoughts about the one I chose. I was going to do a different one."
While they laughed, I continued to pray. I had come to realize by now that every time I share up front, somehow, God brings me to the place where I feel unprepared -- and I have to trust completely and unequivocally in Him. In times past, He has changed the message less than an hour before, or a day before. Once, He added part (not all) of the punchline during Sabbath School before I shared for the church service. Often, I never have an ending written out -- I have to trust that the message is in my heart and that God will speak His word through me. The last time, I felt totally unprepared and only had a skeleton of notes. Each time, God has taught me to trust more and more in Him and less and less in myself when I speak up front. And for those of you who have heard my testimony or read my identity paper, you'll know this lesson is essential.
So I kept praying, "Lord, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to do the other story, even though I have nothing written out for it at all?" I knew that it could be a possibility. I gave it completely to God.
But He finally said, "Just go for it. Use what you have, and trust Me."
(All of that took about 3 seconds, by the way. Don't you just love our hotline to heaven?)
And so I did. Afterwards, when I thought about it, I could see that God had once again brought me to the place of trusting Him and not myself -- not by feeling unprepared, but by completely giving what I had prepared to Him. I knew that He had helped me prepare it, but I also knew that He could completely change the message on the spot, too. So I let Him choose.
I'm finally starting to understand more fully what God meant in Jeremiah 1:17: "Therefore prepare yourself and arise, and speak to them all that I command you" (NKJV, emphasis supplied). I knew it somehow described a balance between preparation under God's guidance and speaking God's words, including preparation of the heart, but now it means so much more to me. Now I really have experienced this verse. Praise God! I'm so thankful.
So, here it is. I transcribed it from my recording of our class today. Generally, a new line indicates when there was a considerable space in my flow of speech. The appeal, though it was written out, was not always word for word with my notes. Jay Rosario, our teacher, gave tips once in a while between appeals, which slightly changed my delivery. I pray you'll be blessed, and all the glory goes to God.
____________________________________________
My topic is Salvation [remember to imagine that the sermon has already been preached]
[piano starts playing]
Our last verse tonight will be Romans 6:23:
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
I had a friend, who lives in Iceland, and I heard a story
once. He was a little boy, and his friend invited him over for a birthday
party. And he was really excited. So, he went to the store, and he bought him the
perfect gift: it was a toy car. And he was very excited, and he wrapped up the
gift, and he put it on the table in his house, and it was just, it was just
sitting there, waiting for the day. Then the day came for the party, so he took
the gift and he walked to his friend’s house, and he was excited because he saw
other people also going to this party, and he was excited to spend time with
his friend, celebrating his birthday.
And he got to the door
and he knocked.
And, the mother opened the door, and she said, “Oh, you
brought a gift for my son. I’ll take that. Thank you, but we never invited you
to the party.” And with that, she slammed the door in his face.
And he stood there, speechless.
He was sad
and disappointed,
and his hope of spending time with his friend was dashed,
and he turned around and walked away.
Jesus is standing at your door, holding the gift of eternal
life and forgiveness for your sin.
For those of us here who have already accepted this gift of
salvation, I have a question to ask you.
How many of us have taken the gift, but slammed the door in
Jesus’ face?
Too often we want to be saved so we can have eternal life,
but Jesus in my heart? In my life? Sure, Jesus, I’ll accept your
gift so I can live and go to heaven, but you’re not coming in—I never invited
you.
And we slam the door in His face.
But He is our Friend. He wants to come in and spend time
with us. He doesn’t just want to give us the gift. He wants to celebrate the
joys of life; He wants to be with us in trial, for He went through the greatest
trial so we could have that privilege.
Friends, will you slam the door in Jesus’ face today? Or
will you let Him come in—bringing not only the gift, but Himself? What would
keep you from fully inviting Him into your life?
Maybe you’re afraid of what changes might happen.
Maybe,
maybe this love is just,
it’s, it’s too hard to grapple with, but it’s simple:
How could you shut out the one who gave up His own life for
you? Will you slam the door in His face?
Even if you have never accepted this gift before, or, or if
you have,
and you want to respond to God’s infinite sacrifice of love
for you again today,
and accept not only the gift, but also the Giver,
into your heart, and into your life today,
would you please stand with me.
Let’s pray.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Change
Well, it' been a while since I actually wrote a post. Time has been flying by like a hurricane, and I can't seem to grab hold of enough of it. Just two days ago, I said goodbye to my beloved Fountainview. It always seemed like it was far ahead in the future, but then all of a sudden...I was gone. And I've been too busy to think much about it. After three years at Fountainview, I'm charging full speed ahead for ARISE. It feels like I'm on one of those moving walkways at the airport...and I'm running as if I'm about to miss my flight. It is exciting...but it's with mixed emotions that I contemplate this speedy change.
Change is what makes up life. It's unfortunate, because I dislike change, though I usually can adjust quite easily once it happens. There's just that one moment of gazing out at a familiar landscape...before you leap off the cliff and fly to destinations undiscovered, and the clouds blur the scene behind you.
But I've learned that discovery is not as unpleasant as I once thought. It is the gathering up of more experiences to store away in Memory's Hall. And no one can ever take those away. The memories are always there, even if you are no longer in the place where you gained them, or with the people you made them with.
Every bit of nostalgia and longing for these etchings upon the heart is but an echo of our inherent desire for Home.
Heaven will be cheap enough.
Change is what makes up life. It's unfortunate, because I dislike change, though I usually can adjust quite easily once it happens. There's just that one moment of gazing out at a familiar landscape...before you leap off the cliff and fly to destinations undiscovered, and the clouds blur the scene behind you.
But I've learned that discovery is not as unpleasant as I once thought. It is the gathering up of more experiences to store away in Memory's Hall. And no one can ever take those away. The memories are always there, even if you are no longer in the place where you gained them, or with the people you made them with.
Every bit of nostalgia and longing for these etchings upon the heart is but an echo of our inherent desire for Home.
Heaven will be cheap enough.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
David: Fear, Faith, and Failure
He is one of my favourite Bible characters. The call of God on his life, the trials he endured, the patience that was necessary, the faith that sometimes failed, the struggles with self, the forgiveness he experienced, the heart who still loved God, and the desire to glorify the true Sovereign of Israel—I feel like I can relate.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).
I've been reading through the book Patriarchs and Prophets for the first time. I've learned so much, especially from the life of David. It is jam packed with lessons and insights on the Christian life and experience.
One thing struck me. So often we look at David’s affair with Bathsheba as the “only” failure of David’s life, including the sad and terrible consequences that
followed. But as I was reading, I realized that David actually failed many times
throughout his life.
For example,
his “first error,” as the author of the book calls it, occurred when he first fled from
Saul and went to the tabernacle at Nob, where the high priest was.
"Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met David, and said to him, 'Why are you alone, and no one is with you?' So David said to Ahimelech the priest, 'The king has ordered me on some business, and said to me, "Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or what I have commanded you." And I have directedmy young men to such and such a place. Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or whatever can be found' " (1 Samuel 21:1-3 NKJV).What did David just do here? He lied. He was afraid of being caught, and he distrusted God to the point of lying to the priest, who could have helped him had he told the truth. David lost hold of his faith, and out of fear he resorted to deception.
Right after
leaving Nob, David fled to Gath, a Philistine city.
"Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said to him, 'Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
"Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands"?'
Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath" (1 Samuel 21:10-12).
We’re
starting to see a pattern here. How does David handle his fear this time?
"So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, 'Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?' David therefore departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam" (1 Samuel 21:13-22:1).
Patriarchs and Prophets says that “his second mistake was his deception before Achish” (PP 656). Again, because of fear he used deception to escape his situation. Instead of trusting
God to save him out of his predicament (that he got himself into) he trusted in himself.
As I read
this, I started to wonder how I could relate to David’s experience. Just a couple of paragraphs later, I found the answer:
“Every failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith. When shadows encompass the soul, when we want light and guidance, we must look up: there is light beyond the darkness. David ought not to have distrusted God for one moment. He had cause for trusting in Him: he was the Lord’s anointed, and in the midst of danger he had been protected by the angels of God; he had been armed with courage to do wonderful things; and if he had but removed his mind from the distressing situation in which he was placed, and had thought of God’s power and majesty, he would have been at peace even in the midst of the shadows of death; he could with confidence have repeated the promise of the Lord, ‘The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed.’ Isaiah 54:10” (PP 657).
Sometimes, at the end of a day, I look back and I see how much I failed, maybe
even in little things. Have you ever felt that way? I don’t know what it is for
you; it could be anything from neglecting your devotions to letting your tongue
get the better of you. Maybe you look back and you see how selfish you were, or
how little you seemed to accomplish. You fill in the blank.
But whenever you
fail or make mistakes, remember that “Every
failure on the part of the children of God is due to their lack of faith.” That sentence nearly blew me away when I first read it. The first words conjured up all my recent failures, and I saw truth in it's piercing light. Every time I failed, it was because I lacked faith. It was just that simple.
I once read this passage for my devotions in the summer, and I had an idea. It says that David “had cause
for trusting in Him” and then went on to list why. So, I decided to
prayerfully write down my cause for trusting in God.
I encourage
you to try it. Sit down with a pen and paper, and ask God to remind you specifically how He has proved Himself to you in the past. I guarantee that you will gain a huge blessing, and you will discover that there is no reason to distrust God "for one moment."
Maybe you
are facing personal battles today. Instead of being afraid, taking things
into your own hands, and turning fear into failure and a lack of faith, remember God’s faithfulness. He will work all things out
for good, and if you go to Him in faith, He will give you more faith and fill you with courage
to do what is right. He will be able to save you from failure, if you
constantly trust in Him.
One more thing. David did fail many times, including committing the gross crimes of adultery and murder, but in the end... Well, I'll save all of that for the next post :)
Stay tuned!
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
I Can't, but You Can
Date: April 15, 2011
Title: Remember
(Edited for sharing purposes)
Remember to come when I call. Remember that you are not your own. You are Mine, both by right, and by your surrender. My will is still binding on you, even when it seems that I don't always ask you to fulfill it in the same way. For My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. I am calling you higher; remember, even the unpleasant, ugly, uncomfortable steps are necessary. To go higher, you must first learn to go lower. So in that sense, I am still calling you lower. You must let go of your pride.
But Lord, I'm trying! I don't even really know how. How can I give up something about myself that I don't even understand?
I can give you the wisdom.
I know, Lord, but even if I did know how, I know I couldn't.
I can give you the strength.
I know all this, Lord. I guess it's just hard. This battle is hard.
I came not to bring peace, but a sword [Matthew 10:34]. Remember what you read this morning. Who are you that you should be afraid of self, who will die? [Isaiah 51:12]. What can self do to you? When you cry out to Me, Your enemies will turn back. This you know, because I am for you. I will keep your feet from falling [Psalm 56:4, 8, 9, 13].
Forgive me, Lord, for asking this, but then why do I fall?
You only fall when you let go of Me. I'm not going to hold you up if you refuse My hand. And if you accept My hand, you must accept all from My hand. Remember, you are not your own.
Lord, I can't do this. Part of me wants to continue that full surrender, but self is holding me back. You are asking a lot. No, You're asking for all. And it's almost too hard. I never really thought it was this hard, long ago, but then I didn't understand it as fully. Now I am starting to see more just how entire this must be. I want to, Lord. I want to surrender. I want to be humble. I want to let go of my pride. But...
You can do nothing of yourself. You can't even surrender your all yourself. Only ask me to take your all, and then I will enable you to be wholly surrendered to me. Please, I long for you to let Me.
Then Lord, take me. Take my all. Do what you will with my life. I can't battle self. I know I can do nothing. I come to you with nothing of my own to offer; no power of my own, no wisdom of my own, no righteousness of my own. Please, Lord, utterly crush my pride. I don't want to seek my own. Make me always remember that I am nothing. Please, Lord, I can't, but You can.
Title: Remember
(Edited for sharing purposes)
Remember to come when I call. Remember that you are not your own. You are Mine, both by right, and by your surrender. My will is still binding on you, even when it seems that I don't always ask you to fulfill it in the same way. For My ways are higher than your ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. I am calling you higher; remember, even the unpleasant, ugly, uncomfortable steps are necessary. To go higher, you must first learn to go lower. So in that sense, I am still calling you lower. You must let go of your pride.
But Lord, I'm trying! I don't even really know how. How can I give up something about myself that I don't even understand?
I can give you the wisdom.
I know, Lord, but even if I did know how, I know I couldn't.
I can give you the strength.
I know all this, Lord. I guess it's just hard. This battle is hard.
I came not to bring peace, but a sword [Matthew 10:34]. Remember what you read this morning. Who are you that you should be afraid of self, who will die? [Isaiah 51:12]. What can self do to you? When you cry out to Me, Your enemies will turn back. This you know, because I am for you. I will keep your feet from falling [Psalm 56:4, 8, 9, 13].
Forgive me, Lord, for asking this, but then why do I fall?
You only fall when you let go of Me. I'm not going to hold you up if you refuse My hand. And if you accept My hand, you must accept all from My hand. Remember, you are not your own.
Lord, I can't do this. Part of me wants to continue that full surrender, but self is holding me back. You are asking a lot. No, You're asking for all. And it's almost too hard. I never really thought it was this hard, long ago, but then I didn't understand it as fully. Now I am starting to see more just how entire this must be. I want to, Lord. I want to surrender. I want to be humble. I want to let go of my pride. But...
You can do nothing of yourself. You can't even surrender your all yourself. Only ask me to take your all, and then I will enable you to be wholly surrendered to me. Please, I long for you to let Me.
Then Lord, take me. Take my all. Do what you will with my life. I can't battle self. I know I can do nothing. I come to you with nothing of my own to offer; no power of my own, no wisdom of my own, no righteousness of my own. Please, Lord, utterly crush my pride. I don't want to seek my own. Make me always remember that I am nothing. Please, Lord, I can't, but You can.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Sometimes He Calms the Storm
All who sail the sea of faith
Find out before too long
How quickly blue skies can grow dark
And gentle winds grow strong
Suddenly fear is like white water
Pounding on the soul
Still we sail on knowing
That our Lord is in control
Sometimes He calms the storm
With a whispered peace be still
He can settle any sea
But it doesn't mean He will
Sometimes He holds us close
And lets the wind and waves go wild
Sometimes He calms the storm
And other times He calms His child
He has a reason for each trial
That we pass through in life
And though we're shaken
We cannot be pulled apart from Christ
No matter how the driving rain beats down
On those who hold to faith
A heart of trust will always
Be a quiet peaceful place
~ Scott Krippayne
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Letter No. 2
Dear Fountainview Class of 2012,
Wow! Can you believe that there are 91 days till grad? That's 13 weeks, or about 3 months.
Before you read any further, I want you to temporarily forget that I'm an assistant dean—and still keep in mind that I have been with you all for the past 7 months of your senior year. Can we work with that? Yea? I'm an alumnus, a graduate of the class of 2011. I've been to school with y'all, laughed with y'all, played music with y'all, and picked up y'all's different ways of saying things. I've worked with most, prayed with some, cried with a few, and had meaningful conversations with many.
So then, let's get to the meaningful stuff.
The children of Israel were travelling in the Wilderness, on their journey to the Promised Land. A great pillar of cloud guided them by day, and a pillar of fire gave them light and protection by night. They could trust the pillar, because they knew the presence of God was in it. Wherever the pillar guided them, they went. Whenever it remained at camp, they stayed. And sometimes, the staying was more like waiting.
You and I are on a journey. God leads us like the pillar of cloud led the Israelites, through gorges and over rocky mountain passes, in deserts and by sweet waters. In any and every trial, God has provided for us, and brought us safely through. He has directed our paths where we should go, when we should go. I know each of you can look back and see how this is true in your own life. Too often we forget.
You know, I find this interesting: many times it is easy to follow God where He leads, but sometimes much harder to wait for Him to lead. I'm sure the Israelites wondered how much longer they had to stay at Mount Sinai after they had waited for almost a year. They wanted to get on to the Promised Land. But even after that necessary time of preparation and learning, when push came to shove, they weren't ready. Oh, how God longed to bring them speedily into the Promised Land! After waiting for so long at Sinai, however, they still complained about the difficulty of the way. Their perpetual stubbornness and distrust of God delayed them even longer, and at the end of 40 more years, they still did not trust God fully.
It is God's will for you to be here at Fountainview. If you don't believe this, then you better pack your bags and leave. God's cloud for you is resting here; this is where He has led you. I know, because I've experienced this myself, that if you look back at what He has done in your life since coming here, you will see threads woven into the tapestry of your life, and glimpses of a beautiful picture. You will see that even the dark threads have their part. You will also see that the picture is far from complete. He has taught you much; He is still teaching you. You have had many trials; I guarantee you there will be more. Last but not least, the many joyful experiences of the past 1, 2, 3, or 4 years are not over yet, either.
And so I appeal to you: Remember where you are.
Remember whose you are.
God has led you here, and you will never, ever find a place like Fountainview again. There may be similarities in other places, but Fountainview is unique.
The experiences you have here you will never have again.
The years you have lived here you will never live again.
(Keep in mind that this is true of any place God leads you.)
God is doing everything He can to make you ready for the next step, and ultimately, ready for the Promised Land. Right now—right here.
Live.
Laugh.
Learn.
Savour it while you can.
Don't let there be any reason for regret.
And when the cloud finally leads you on, trust God. He may stop at the most inconvenient times, or go through the most uncomfortable places, but you can trust and wait patiently for the God who has led you faithfully in the past, and who will continue to do so in the future.
Because He loves you.
Sincerely,
Val
Wow! Can you believe that there are 91 days till grad? That's 13 weeks, or about 3 months.
Before you read any further, I want you to temporarily forget that I'm an assistant dean—and still keep in mind that I have been with you all for the past 7 months of your senior year. Can we work with that? Yea? I'm an alumnus, a graduate of the class of 2011. I've been to school with y'all, laughed with y'all, played music with y'all, and picked up y'all's different ways of saying things. I've worked with most, prayed with some, cried with a few, and had meaningful conversations with many.
So then, let's get to the meaningful stuff.
The children of Israel were travelling in the Wilderness, on their journey to the Promised Land. A great pillar of cloud guided them by day, and a pillar of fire gave them light and protection by night. They could trust the pillar, because they knew the presence of God was in it. Wherever the pillar guided them, they went. Whenever it remained at camp, they stayed. And sometimes, the staying was more like waiting.
You and I are on a journey. God leads us like the pillar of cloud led the Israelites, through gorges and over rocky mountain passes, in deserts and by sweet waters. In any and every trial, God has provided for us, and brought us safely through. He has directed our paths where we should go, when we should go. I know each of you can look back and see how this is true in your own life. Too often we forget.
You know, I find this interesting: many times it is easy to follow God where He leads, but sometimes much harder to wait for Him to lead. I'm sure the Israelites wondered how much longer they had to stay at Mount Sinai after they had waited for almost a year. They wanted to get on to the Promised Land. But even after that necessary time of preparation and learning, when push came to shove, they weren't ready. Oh, how God longed to bring them speedily into the Promised Land! After waiting for so long at Sinai, however, they still complained about the difficulty of the way. Their perpetual stubbornness and distrust of God delayed them even longer, and at the end of 40 more years, they still did not trust God fully.
It is God's will for you to be here at Fountainview. If you don't believe this, then you better pack your bags and leave. God's cloud for you is resting here; this is where He has led you. I know, because I've experienced this myself, that if you look back at what He has done in your life since coming here, you will see threads woven into the tapestry of your life, and glimpses of a beautiful picture. You will see that even the dark threads have their part. You will also see that the picture is far from complete. He has taught you much; He is still teaching you. You have had many trials; I guarantee you there will be more. Last but not least, the many joyful experiences of the past 1, 2, 3, or 4 years are not over yet, either.
And so I appeal to you: Remember where you are.
Remember whose you are.
God has led you here, and you will never, ever find a place like Fountainview again. There may be similarities in other places, but Fountainview is unique.
The experiences you have here you will never have again.
The years you have lived here you will never live again.
(Keep in mind that this is true of any place God leads you.)
God is doing everything He can to make you ready for the next step, and ultimately, ready for the Promised Land. Right now—right here.
Live.
Laugh.
Learn.
Savour it while you can.
Don't let there be any reason for regret.
And when the cloud finally leads you on, trust God. He may stop at the most inconvenient times, or go through the most uncomfortable places, but you can trust and wait patiently for the God who has led you faithfully in the past, and who will continue to do so in the future.
Because He loves you.
Sincerely,
Val
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