The Cost

of following Jesus is more than a simple prayer to Him. It's faith and obedience. Or it might as well be an 'Indulgences' letter that u buy..

Worship

an unbridled expression of love to God.

Faith

It is a blessed thing to not have props and buttresses, to have sole reliance upon the Holy Spirit.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.

Superficial Layer Cake

Everything's so layer-cake like. But beneath all those layers, lies an integrated, homogeneous personality that truly describes you. But until then,

I have one superficial personality in front of acquaintances
I have one superficial personality in front of people I find weird
I have one superficial personality in front of lecturers
I have one superficial personality in front of Christians
I have one superficial personality in front of guys
I have one superficial personality in front of girls
I have one superficial personality in front of a girl I have the 'ahem' for
--that's a superficial statement right there because I'm shy to tell the truth :*) --
I have one superficial personality in front of each familiy member

Truth is, I only have one clear cut personality, just like everyone else.
I can't be everyone, I can truly only be me.

And that sort of me is found only in my beloved Jesus.
Oh the beauty of it all.

Surety Himself

Fear not. GOD is near. Rest rejoicing in your Surety.

Deny God or Deny Me?

Make no mistake, we are indeed living in difficult times (2 Tim 2:3-4). This morning's church service and devotions combined to produce a significant warning from the Father; Many Christians profess with their mouths that they know GOD, but deny him by the way they live. And they go on deceiving others while bringing them down along with them.

¹⁰For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group. ¹¹They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain. ¹²Even one of their own prophets has said, "Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons." ¹³This testimony is true. Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith ¹⁴and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth. ¹⁵To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. ¹⁶They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good. ->Titus 1:10-16<-

And I come back to think about the way I live. Too much self-indulgence. Sure, I don't bow down to physical idols, but I sure spend lots of energy to please myself. Entertainment has become an idol, drawing me away from time spent with GOD. A regrettable waste of eternal blesssings comes when I waste my time. Faith without deeds is dead, faith without obedience is dead. Even demons have faith, and believe that God is real. It's just that demons do not obey GOD nor do they give up their lives for Him. The only thing that separates us from these demons is the way we live.

"Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder." ->James 2:18-19<-

Phew. Am I faithful yet disobedient? Am I professing yet contradicting? I pray not. Teach me, dear Holy Spirit, to work out my salvation with fear and trembling, to deny myself in order that I will not deny you. May earthly pleasures seem dull, may perishable treasures be of no worth to me, that I may find only You as my true fulfilment. Let me not disqualify myself from the prize that you have already promised me. Crucify my earthly, mortal, lustful being to Your wondrous cross again and again and again. Sanctify me, purify me, I cannot do so on my own. That You dear Jesus. Sweet Jesus. Amen.

All to Jesus I surrender;
all to him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust him,
in his presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,
all to thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
humbly at his feet I bow,
worldly pleasures all forsaken;
take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus I surrender;
make me, Savior, wholly thine;
fill me with thy love and power;
truly know that thou art mine.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to thee;
fill me with thy love and power;
let thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;
now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to his name!

Alone

In Christianity, the beauty of being lonely is that, we know that we're never truly alone.
In having no friends, family or spouse, we have Jesus. So sweet to believe in you, who are sweet in nature, gentle and faithful.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.

The LORD trieth the righteous

Psalm 11:5
The Lord trieth the righteous.

All events are under the control of Providence; consequently all the trials of our outward life are traceable at once to the great First Cause. Out of the golden gate of God's ordinance the armies of trial march forth in array, clad in their iron armour, and armed with weapons of war. All providences are doors to trial. Even our mercies, like roses, have their thorns. Men may be drowned in seas of prosperity as well as in rivers of affliction. Our mountains are not too high, and our valleys are not too low for temptations: trials lurk on all roads. Everywhere, above and beneath, we are beset and surrounded with dangers. Yet no shower falls unpermitted from the threatening cloud; every drop has its order ere it hastens to the earth. The trials which come from God are sent to prove and strengthen our graces, and so at once to illustrate the power of divine grace, to test the genuineness of our virtues, and to add to their energy. Our Lord in His infinite wisdom and superabundant love, sets so high a value upon His people's faith that He will not screen them from those trials by which faith is strengthened. You would never have possessed the precious faith which now supports you if the trial of your faith had not been like unto fire. You are a tree that never would have rooted so well if the wind had not rocked you to and fro, and made you take firm hold upon the precious truths of the covenant grace. Worldly ease is a great foe to faith; it loosens the joints of holy valour, and snaps the sinews of sacred courage. The balloon never rises until the cords are cut; affliction doth this sharp service for believing souls. While the wheat sleeps comfortably in the husk it is useless to man, it must be threshed out of its resting place before its value can be known. Thus it is well that Jehovah trieth the righteous, for it causeth them to grow rich towards God.

-Charles H. Spurgeon

Waiting to be graceful

We only live 24 hours a day, 168 hours a week, 720 hours a month, and the redundant list goes on. There is only so much that we can do. How fallible we are when it comes to self discipline. Procrastination, laziness (ie, Facebook, Computer Games), that we miss out on so much of His blessings. Alas, disobedience to God in terms of our time forbids so much of his great blessings. Worst of all, doubting that God will never leave us nor forsake us. How terrible it is to doubt his inerrant character, it's like saying He might have made a mistake somewhere. Such faithlessness.. such worry.

Yet, there is a pair of loving arms waiting to be extended to me, in the bosom of my Lord my Saviour. In His embrace, what do I have to worry? It reminds me that He is my portion, it reminds me that nothing else matters in the light of Him. O Sweet Jesus, what are you thinking of now?

LORD, thanks for waiting just to show your graciousness to me. Each moment of life does not go uninspected because of your great love. Teach me to hate faithlessness, to shun doubt, for that is not fitting for Your people. Your tender heart Jesus, waits to hear my grief, let me pour them into Your patient ear. What am I afraid of when You're around?