Here's a verse to chew on....if you don't mind share what you got!!! thanks
Hosea 14:9 (NAS)
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things; Whoever is discerning, let him know them.
For the ways of the LORD are right, And the righteous will walk in them, But transgressors (rebellious) will stumble in them."
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Sunday, July 18, 2004
a WHOAH! day
well...how do I even begin...
okay...I guess I'll start when I woke up today...
Its a usual Sunday morning...I wake up and go to the rest room to brush my teeth, but then...I get a 'pop' from my left arm and it begins to hurt...and it hurt bad! If I moved it anywhere away from my body, a sharp pain would shoot through my left arm that makes me not want to make even the slightest move. But, I continued to get ready for church and yes with much tolerance to the pain so I can make it to the 7:30 a.m. morning prayer. On my way to church, I thought...Lord, is my dad's arm hurting?...I pretty much got a "no" on that one...so I asked another question...Is there anyone whose arm is hurting that you want prayed for? Hmmm...I guess I'll find out soon enough....
And what do you know? Earlier that morning at church set-up, the custodian of the school we held our church service at approached Aunty Wilberta and told her that his arm hurt so bad that He couldn't move it. She thought, "We should pray for him."
When we were just about to begin praying, I asked the team to pray for my left arm because the pain was so bad that it felt like a rod was stuck inbetween the two bones and if I moved it even just a little, pain would shoot up my arm. So then Aunty Wilberta said hey...Ernie's (the custodian) arm was hurting too. It was exactly the same arm and the same exact spot hurt. Coincidence....I DON'T THINK SO!...God is up to something!!! So we planned to split the team up to pray for Ernie and to prayer walk the facility. So they began praying for me. While the team were praying, we were led to find Ernie so that we both could be prayed for because after a time of praying for me, the pain was still there in my arm. Half of the team including myself went to look for Ernie and the rest prayed over the facility and for the church service.
4 of us talked to Ernie and asked if we could pray for him. He and his wife was very open for prayer so He sat surrounded by the prayer team. After praying, Ernie was healed from the pain of his arm and from not being able to lift his arm above his head and around. He could move it freely now and without pain. While we were praying, he began to cry and felt a real presence of Jesus during this time. He didn't only get healed physically but his heart was healed too...during that time of prayer...i felt led to ask if he ever received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior? His response was...He prayed to the Lord but it was nothing like he experienced today...so I asked...Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? He said Yes, what do I need to do? Help me?
So, I had the honor and priviledge of sharing with both Ernie and his wife that day. That Jesus Christ created us to have a personal relationship with Him. But our sin (turning away from God to do things our own way) separated our relationship with Him. By this separation, there was nothing that we could do on our own to get back to God, so God by his grace (giving us something we don't deserve) sent Jesus Christ (God in the flesh who committed no sin) to pay the penalty of our sins (death) upon Himself on the cross. And three days later, Jesus rose from the dead conquering death and through Jesus made a way for us to return to God and spend eternity with Him. And all we needed to do was acknowledge that we are sinners and ask for His forgiveness, receive Him in our hearts, surrender our lives to Him so He can lead it and trust that through Jesus we are forgiven and spend eternity with Him...and they prayed along with me to make Jesus as their Lord and Savior of their lives.
If you could have seen and heard Ernie and his hunger to know God more!!! Just think, its only the beginning...He got a real glimpse of how much He is loved by His Creator, how personal He is and cares about their needs.
The coolest thing about it was...it was Ernie's 63rd birthday!!! Jesus' gift to him was eternal life with the God who made him...how AWESOME is that?
Don't worry...God healed me too!!! And that was just a scratch of what God did that morning!
okay...I guess I'll start when I woke up today...
Its a usual Sunday morning...I wake up and go to the rest room to brush my teeth, but then...I get a 'pop' from my left arm and it begins to hurt...and it hurt bad! If I moved it anywhere away from my body, a sharp pain would shoot through my left arm that makes me not want to make even the slightest move. But, I continued to get ready for church and yes with much tolerance to the pain so I can make it to the 7:30 a.m. morning prayer. On my way to church, I thought...Lord, is my dad's arm hurting?...I pretty much got a "no" on that one...so I asked another question...Is there anyone whose arm is hurting that you want prayed for? Hmmm...I guess I'll find out soon enough....
And what do you know? Earlier that morning at church set-up, the custodian of the school we held our church service at approached Aunty Wilberta and told her that his arm hurt so bad that He couldn't move it. She thought, "We should pray for him."
When we were just about to begin praying, I asked the team to pray for my left arm because the pain was so bad that it felt like a rod was stuck inbetween the two bones and if I moved it even just a little, pain would shoot up my arm. So then Aunty Wilberta said hey...Ernie's (the custodian) arm was hurting too. It was exactly the same arm and the same exact spot hurt. Coincidence....I DON'T THINK SO!...God is up to something!!! So we planned to split the team up to pray for Ernie and to prayer walk the facility. So they began praying for me. While the team were praying, we were led to find Ernie so that we both could be prayed for because after a time of praying for me, the pain was still there in my arm. Half of the team including myself went to look for Ernie and the rest prayed over the facility and for the church service.
4 of us talked to Ernie and asked if we could pray for him. He and his wife was very open for prayer so He sat surrounded by the prayer team. After praying, Ernie was healed from the pain of his arm and from not being able to lift his arm above his head and around. He could move it freely now and without pain. While we were praying, he began to cry and felt a real presence of Jesus during this time. He didn't only get healed physically but his heart was healed too...during that time of prayer...i felt led to ask if he ever received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior? His response was...He prayed to the Lord but it was nothing like he experienced today...so I asked...Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? He said Yes, what do I need to do? Help me?
So, I had the honor and priviledge of sharing with both Ernie and his wife that day. That Jesus Christ created us to have a personal relationship with Him. But our sin (turning away from God to do things our own way) separated our relationship with Him. By this separation, there was nothing that we could do on our own to get back to God, so God by his grace (giving us something we don't deserve) sent Jesus Christ (God in the flesh who committed no sin) to pay the penalty of our sins (death) upon Himself on the cross. And three days later, Jesus rose from the dead conquering death and through Jesus made a way for us to return to God and spend eternity with Him. And all we needed to do was acknowledge that we are sinners and ask for His forgiveness, receive Him in our hearts, surrender our lives to Him so He can lead it and trust that through Jesus we are forgiven and spend eternity with Him...and they prayed along with me to make Jesus as their Lord and Savior of their lives.
If you could have seen and heard Ernie and his hunger to know God more!!! Just think, its only the beginning...He got a real glimpse of how much He is loved by His Creator, how personal He is and cares about their needs.
The coolest thing about it was...it was Ernie's 63rd birthday!!! Jesus' gift to him was eternal life with the God who made him...how AWESOME is that?
Don't worry...God healed me too!!! And that was just a scratch of what God did that morning!
Saturday, July 17, 2004
Come Away
so many times I have been drawn to come away...come away to the One who knows me the best. Knows my thoughts and feelings without saying a word. Often times, I long for a secret place of my own with my Jesus. A place I can go to often without interruptions, unhindered to freely express the struggle inside. When I am at my weakest, I am at the point of tears...actually...balling (WAAHHHHHH) where there is no words that can explain nor express the things stirring inside...but somehow the tears and groaning and cries says all that my lips could not to Him who sees and understand...My shelter and my comfort is hiding under His wings!
"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 Stop moving...Stop talking...just stop....be still...and Listen to that still small voice...that want nothing more than make His truth alive in me. Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding is found in Jesus...He is truth!!! and it helps to have a Helper guide into all truth...one very specific one that is becoming more and more real to me and I am coming to understand more and more is...
Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
"Wait for the Lord" not an easy thing for someone that tends to be task oriented...sometimes find myself feeling guilty for not doing anything...somthing God is growing me out of.... Jesus..Lord....the Way, the Truth and the Life..."Wait for the Lord" His presence...His voice...His leading...that's where everything stands!!! The love to be able to love comes from Him...the strength, serving in response to His love instead of duty or obligation, to ability to endure, to give, to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) and so much more....He is my source..."to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" Eph 4:2. I have only scratched the surface...I want to know Him intimately...but it will take waiting for the Lord...
"Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10 Stop moving...Stop talking...just stop....be still...and Listen to that still small voice...that want nothing more than make His truth alive in me. Knowledge, Wisdom and Understanding is found in Jesus...He is truth!!! and it helps to have a Helper guide into all truth...one very specific one that is becoming more and more real to me and I am coming to understand more and more is...
Isaiah 40:31
Yet those who wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
"Wait for the Lord" not an easy thing for someone that tends to be task oriented...sometimes find myself feeling guilty for not doing anything...somthing God is growing me out of.... Jesus..Lord....the Way, the Truth and the Life..."Wait for the Lord" His presence...His voice...His leading...that's where everything stands!!! The love to be able to love comes from Him...the strength, serving in response to His love instead of duty or obligation, to ability to endure, to give, to rejoice always (Philippians 4:4) and so much more....He is my source..."to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called" Eph 4:2. I have only scratched the surface...I want to know Him intimately...but it will take waiting for the Lord...
Wednesday, July 14, 2004
An awesome way to end a day.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts (Col 3:15a)
It's difficult to have peace and receive God's peace carrying a burden that isn't yours to carry or yours to fix. Easy to say...not so hard to do. But then, you come at a place where its too heavy a load that it distracts or overwhelmes. That's how its been with me with family stuffs. Raw stuffs on the heart. All it took was taking time aside to be real (honest) with God, and lay it at His feet...And His peace comes. Wonderful! It truly is beyond my comprehension. The words I had don't do it justice. Without a doubt, I felt lighter than when I first began to pray. More than that...Lighter than when I first opened my eyes to start this day. Praise God!!!
Philippians 4:6-7 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
one more thing...He answers and shows up even in what we think is the smallest request... I found the house keys i thought I lost. The weirdest thing about it is...I found it at a place where I had looked carefully several times before. A God thing? Maybe...=)
It's difficult to have peace and receive God's peace carrying a burden that isn't yours to carry or yours to fix. Easy to say...not so hard to do. But then, you come at a place where its too heavy a load that it distracts or overwhelmes. That's how its been with me with family stuffs. Raw stuffs on the heart. All it took was taking time aside to be real (honest) with God, and lay it at His feet...And His peace comes. Wonderful! It truly is beyond my comprehension. The words I had don't do it justice. Without a doubt, I felt lighter than when I first began to pray. More than that...Lighter than when I first opened my eyes to start this day. Praise God!!!
Philippians 4:6-7 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 comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
one more thing...He answers and shows up even in what we think is the smallest request... I found the house keys i thought I lost. The weirdest thing about it is...I found it at a place where I had looked carefully several times before. A God thing? Maybe...=)
Monday, July 12, 2004
in the fire...
The following was an e-mail I received from a friend July 22, 2003.
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse that says: He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."
As I was recently cleaning out my inbox, I came upon the above e-mail and it brought understanding at the most perfect time for me. It helped me to press through the hard times...when it was hard to love, hard to serve, hard to choose to see with Jesus' eyes instead of my own. This picture pretty much described about the past two and a half years of my life with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Holoholo Ministries (H2M). I was given two choices. Indeed, YWAM H2M was for me the path I chose that was the road less traveled by. I know without a doubt Jesus walked through it all with me. But like the author best expressed it- "and that made all the difference!" Hard? Yes...but without a doubt good! Because of Jesus, my life has changed and I thank Him for the joy and love He brings when on my own I fall short.
My friend also sent a really good advice...more than that a reminder that I'm sure she wouldn't mind me sharing with you. So here goes...
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."
This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot. Then she thought again about the verse that says: He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."
As I was recently cleaning out my inbox, I came upon the above e-mail and it brought understanding at the most perfect time for me. It helped me to press through the hard times...when it was hard to love, hard to serve, hard to choose to see with Jesus' eyes instead of my own. This picture pretty much described about the past two and a half years of my life with Youth With a Mission (YWAM) Holoholo Ministries (H2M). I was given two choices. Indeed, YWAM H2M was for me the path I chose that was the road less traveled by. I know without a doubt Jesus walked through it all with me. But like the author best expressed it- "and that made all the difference!" Hard? Yes...but without a doubt good! Because of Jesus, my life has changed and I thank Him for the joy and love He brings when on my own I fall short.
My friend also sent a really good advice...more than that a reminder that I'm sure she wouldn't mind me sharing with you. So here goes...
If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.
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