This morning, I woke up from a dream that made me think about something. In my dream I was supposed to go up in front of THOUSANDS of people to speak. So a guy came up to me before I went up and asked, "So what verse are you going to tell these people?" I was like, "Verse? I'm supposed to say a verse?" He says, "Yeah, isn't that what you're here for? So what is it then? If you had to pick one verse to tell people (some believers and non-believers) what would it be?" I never answered him because I kept thinking about what to say. So many thoughts and verses ran through my head. I didn't know what to say. Then I woke up. When I awoke, the verse suddenly popped into my head. It's a verse that everyone knows, but in my eyes is THE most powerful in the Bible. It clearly shows God's love and sums up the gospel in one small verse. John 3:16.
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
The devil even uses Scripture to overlook things. A while ago, one of my leaders and accountability partners asked me this question. "If you had one verse to preach the gospel, what would it be?" I flipped and I flipped. And after a good 5 minutes of searching, I was lost. He then gave me a hint because my mind was literally blank. He said, "Everyone knows this one." It was then I remembered John 3:16. We can memorize and practice so much Scripture, but the basis for the gospel and God's presence unto man can be overlooked because it's a verse in the back of your head that you don't often think about because of other things going on in your life that you attribute other verses to. I admit that I do this a lot, but this dream really awoke me to a new mindset and new beginnings. Life life the way God intended it to be: Telling people about the gospel and THE ONLY way to get into heaven.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" [John 14:6]
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
The One - Phat Chance.
My buddy Simon sent me the lyrics to this song and I was moved by it. I haven't seen the subject of purity in relationships expressed in music before. Purity is something that is dear to my heart because I've had to deal with instances in a past relationship where I wasn't pure at all and I was just dragging the both of us down in our relationship with God. I can't stress enough how important it is to not only have a pure relationship with someone, but also in the way that we think.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. [Philippians 4:8]
Unfortunately I don't have a copy of this song, but from the little snippet I heard, it sounded pretty good. Here goes:
I know I've never met you, but I know
Someday you'll be by my side
And we will share what the Lord's prepared,
And we'll have nothing to hide
I will never give myself away
I'll be right here waiting
Holding on for you
Wherever you are, under these stars
You know tonight I'm praying
For a love that's pure, you can be sure
That love is worth the waiting
You'll be the one sent from above
'Till then I'll be waiting, praying
Knowing that you are the one
I know I've never met you, but I know
You're a promise I can hold on to
We belong, so please be strong
I'm waiting for you, too
-----
Backstory on the band: http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Phat_Chance_Bryan_Nance_talks_about_purity_in_pop/33019/p1/
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. [Philippians 4:8]
Unfortunately I don't have a copy of this song, but from the little snippet I heard, it sounded pretty good. Here goes:
I know I've never met you, but I know
Someday you'll be by my side
And we will share what the Lord's prepared,
And we'll have nothing to hide
I will never give myself away
I'll be right here waiting
Holding on for you
Wherever you are, under these stars
You know tonight I'm praying
For a love that's pure, you can be sure
That love is worth the waiting
You'll be the one sent from above
'Till then I'll be waiting, praying
Knowing that you are the one
I know I've never met you, but I know
You're a promise I can hold on to
We belong, so please be strong
I'm waiting for you, too
-----
Backstory on the band: http://www.crossrhythms.co.uk/articles/music/Phat_Chance_Bryan_Nance_talks_about_purity_in_pop/33019/p1/
Friday, September 18, 2009
Waiting.
Playing the waiting game is a hard thing to do. There are many times in life when you have to wait. For example: waiting in line at Costco (so long), waiting for a call back from a job, or waiting for God to speak to you or show you something in your life. I find that impatience is in common with all of these, but very harmful with the latter. Being patient with God is a good thing and is very beneficial.
Let's take a look into a couple of verses:
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. [Lamentations 3:25 ESV]
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. [Psalm 40:1]
Be still, and know that I am God... [Psalm 46:10]
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. [Psalm 27:14]
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. [Micah 7:7]
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up on wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. [Isaiah 40:31 NASB]
God is sovereign. He knows all: past, present, and future. He knows what your career will be, who you are going to marry, how many kids you will have, and when you will die. Be still. Be patient. Let God work in your life and don't do everything on your own.
For all you people out there who are looking for a significant other need to remember that you should wait for the Lord. It's not about finding the right person. It's about BEING the right person. You shouldn't rush into a relationship to only end quickly and find out that it's self-centered instead of Christ-centered. WAIT because God wants to use your singleness to build others (and yourself) up. BEING the right person doesn't happen overnight and it may take time. (I put this in bold because it applies to me)
The moral here kids...wait for the Lord because He is going to do great things in your life. Don't go out and try to figure out the world on your own because you are going to be unsuccessful at it. Pray and seek him with all your heart.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [Matthew 6:33]
Let's take a look into a couple of verses:
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. [Lamentations 3:25 ESV]
I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. [Psalm 40:1]
Be still, and know that I am God... [Psalm 46:10]
Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. [Psalm 27:14]
But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. [Micah 7:7]
Yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up on wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired; they will walk and not become weary. [Isaiah 40:31 NASB]
God is sovereign. He knows all: past, present, and future. He knows what your career will be, who you are going to marry, how many kids you will have, and when you will die. Be still. Be patient. Let God work in your life and don't do everything on your own.
For all you people out there who are looking for a significant other need to remember that you should wait for the Lord. It's not about finding the right person. It's about BEING the right person. You shouldn't rush into a relationship to only end quickly and find out that it's self-centered instead of Christ-centered. WAIT because God wants to use your singleness to build others (and yourself) up. BEING the right person doesn't happen overnight and it may take time. (I put this in bold because it applies to me)
The moral here kids...wait for the Lord because He is going to do great things in your life. Don't go out and try to figure out the world on your own because you are going to be unsuccessful at it. Pray and seek him with all your heart.
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. [Matthew 6:33]
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
A Journal Entry. (6.18.09) - Tithing
For some odd reason I was thinking about tithing today. Why? I have no idea, but it reminded me of a journal entry and a real-life story that happened to my sister over the summer. It definitely changed the way I approached tithing.
Journal entry dated 6.18.09:
...Ate (Tagalog for "older sister") just called me. She had an awesome story to tell. Here goes: On behalf of her and Graham, she tithes 10% of their net income every Sunday at Church. One day, they both went to visit Elizabeth (Graham's [brother-in-law] sister) at a safehouse (that is run by a Christian organization). As part of her duty as a Christian to tithe, she donated $375 to the safehouse. So today she had told me that she had gotten a medical bill earlier this morning. Ava (my niece who was 2 months at the time of this entry) had to be admitted into the hospital for jaundice. They were tight with money and Ate didn't know how they were going to come up with enough to pay for it. The hospital bill came up to $700. She then called the hospital to ask if it was covered by insurance. The lady told her that it was already taken care of. Insurance DID pay for it, well most of it at least. The remaining bill was a whopping sum of $16!!! Hope and prayer came a long way. They also gave back to the Lord and they did it from the heart. God is gracious and he gave back to them. That family is very blessed. God works amazingly!
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6:38]
Journal entry dated 6.18.09:
...Ate (Tagalog for "older sister") just called me. She had an awesome story to tell. Here goes: On behalf of her and Graham, she tithes 10% of their net income every Sunday at Church. One day, they both went to visit Elizabeth (Graham's [brother-in-law] sister) at a safehouse (that is run by a Christian organization). As part of her duty as a Christian to tithe, she donated $375 to the safehouse. So today she had told me that she had gotten a medical bill earlier this morning. Ava (my niece who was 2 months at the time of this entry) had to be admitted into the hospital for jaundice. They were tight with money and Ate didn't know how they were going to come up with enough to pay for it. The hospital bill came up to $700. She then called the hospital to ask if it was covered by insurance. The lady told her that it was already taken care of. Insurance DID pay for it, well most of it at least. The remaining bill was a whopping sum of $16!!! Hope and prayer came a long way. They also gave back to the Lord and they did it from the heart. God is gracious and he gave back to them. That family is very blessed. God works amazingly!
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. [Luke 6:38]
Friday, September 11, 2009
Heaven Is The Face - Steven Curtis Chapman.
A truly beautiful song.
Lyrics:
Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smiles.
Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “Daddy please come play with me for awhile.”
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive.
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see
Heaven in the face of my little girl,
Heaven in the face of my little girl.
Lyrics:
Heaven is the face of a little girl
With dark brown eyes
That disappear when she smiles.
Heaven is the place
Where she calls my name
Says, “Daddy please come play with me for awhile.”
God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m aching for.
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.
So right now…
Heaven is the sound of her breathing deep,
Lying on my chest, falling fast asleep while I sing.
And Heaven is the weight of her in my arms,
Being there to keep her safe from harm while she dreams
And God, I know, it’s all of this and so much more,
But God, You know, that this is what I’m longing for
God, you know, I just can’t see beyond the door.
But in my mind’s eye I can see a place
Where Your glory fills every empty space.
All the cancer is gone,
Every mouth is fed,
And there’s no one left in the orphans’ bed.
Every lonely heart finds their one true love,
And there’s no more goodbye,
And no more not enough,
And there’s no more enemy (no more).
Heaven is a sweet, maple syrup kiss
And a thousand other little things I miss with her gone.
Heaven is the place where she takes my hand
And leads me to You,
And we both run into Your arms.
It’s far beyond anything I can conceive.
So God, You know, I’m trusting You until I see
Heaven in the face of my little girl,
Heaven in the face of my little girl.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Let It Go - Tenth Avenue North.
This song has been tugging at the heartstrings for a while and has been in my head for about a week. I'll let the lyrics speak for itself:
I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles they've gone white
From fighting for who I want to be
I'm just trying to find security
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
Well it's hard enough to hear
Harder still to move beyond this fear
We know there's nothing I can bring
So tell me what do you want from me?
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
What do I love what do I hate
What will I lose what will I gain
How do I save my soul?
What if I bend what if I break
What will it cost what will it take
For you to save my soul
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
Behind the Song (ala jesusfreakhideout.com):
“The Bible says some really strange things and one of those things is when Jesus basically appeals to the people and he says, ‘You don’t want to lose your life, do you? Well lose it and then you’ll find it.’ It’s a very strange sort of argument that Jesus makes, but ‘Let It Go’ is a song about struggling to let go of being the captain of my own ship, of my own faith, which I think we all struggle with. A line in the chorus says, ‘Life is waiting for the ones who lose control.’ It’s a call to say, ‘Man, if only I would really trust God, I would have far fewer aneurisms and stress than I put on myself.’” - Mike Donehey (Tenth Avenue North)
Read Matthew 8:18-22 and see if these words are similar. In my MacArthur Study Bible (NASB), the commentary for verse 22 states, "Let the world (spiritually dead) take care of mundane things." Powerful stuff in my eyes
I've been holding on so tight
Look at these knuckles they've gone white
From fighting for who I want to be
I'm just trying to find security
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
Well it's hard enough to hear
Harder still to move beyond this fear
We know there's nothing I can bring
So tell me what do you want from me?
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
What do I love what do I hate
What will I lose what will I gain
How do I save my soul?
What if I bend what if I break
What will it cost what will it take
For you to save my soul
You say let it go
You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one's who lose control
You say you will be everything I need
You say if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go
Behind the Song (ala jesusfreakhideout.com):
“The Bible says some really strange things and one of those things is when Jesus basically appeals to the people and he says, ‘You don’t want to lose your life, do you? Well lose it and then you’ll find it.’ It’s a very strange sort of argument that Jesus makes, but ‘Let It Go’ is a song about struggling to let go of being the captain of my own ship, of my own faith, which I think we all struggle with. A line in the chorus says, ‘Life is waiting for the ones who lose control.’ It’s a call to say, ‘Man, if only I would really trust God, I would have far fewer aneurisms and stress than I put on myself.’” - Mike Donehey (Tenth Avenue North)
Read Matthew 8:18-22 and see if these words are similar. In my MacArthur Study Bible (NASB), the commentary for verse 22 states, "Let the world (spiritually dead) take care of mundane things." Powerful stuff in my eyes
Monday, September 7, 2009
Goodbyes and Apologies.
Yesterday was my last day at home. I'm back in Toronto now. For the most part, settled in. Only one problem, I forgot my MacBook charger at home...FAIL!!! So I'm gonna have to ask a couple of peeps to see if I can use their charger. Good thing I know a couple of people.
I said goodbyes to most of the people I wanted to, although some weren't proper. I finally got the chance to meet up with some of the kids I was hanging out with at Junior High summer camp. It was alot of fun. I even said hello to people that I thought disliked me. I guess not.
To the people I didn't say goodbye to, my apologies. I probably didn't even tell you I was leaving or we didn't have time to meet up. I'm sorry.
I also am writing this to apologize to those I did wrong to or hurt over the course of the summer. You probably won't be reading this anyways, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a jerk and I'm sorry for speaking up when I wasn't supposed to. I did acts selfishly instead of selflessly.
This summer, I ended relationships, but also started some new ones. I even rekindled some friendships that were slipping away.
It's all in the Lord's time. Trust Him. Completely. You won't be disappointed.
Goodbyes are hard. Especially when you have to say it to someone you love.
I said goodbyes to most of the people I wanted to, although some weren't proper. I finally got the chance to meet up with some of the kids I was hanging out with at Junior High summer camp. It was alot of fun. I even said hello to people that I thought disliked me. I guess not.
To the people I didn't say goodbye to, my apologies. I probably didn't even tell you I was leaving or we didn't have time to meet up. I'm sorry.
I also am writing this to apologize to those I did wrong to or hurt over the course of the summer. You probably won't be reading this anyways, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry for being a jerk and I'm sorry for speaking up when I wasn't supposed to. I did acts selfishly instead of selflessly.
This summer, I ended relationships, but also started some new ones. I even rekindled some friendships that were slipping away.
It's all in the Lord's time. Trust Him. Completely. You won't be disappointed.
Goodbyes are hard. Especially when you have to say it to someone you love.
Friday, September 4, 2009
A Journal Entry. (9.2.09) - Direction
Taken from my spiritual journal:
One thing that I've been asking God for this summer is direction. Direction to where I want God wants me to go in life. This summer raised questions and uncertainties in my life like school, relationships, and work. I feel today the Lord reassured me that he has a plan for me and that everything is under His control. Not mine. Three different passages from three different sources were shown to me today:
The first was shown to me by my friend Simon. Matthew 6:25-34.The passage sums up to say, "Do not worry. You mean SO MUCH to God. He WILL provide for you." I looked at it thinking okay, God will provide me with finances, a loving wife (Hey I'm only 19, but yeah I think about it), and food and shelter.
The next verse was sent to me through a Twitter text message (follow @ DailyVerseTweet for Bible verses on your Twitter). The verse of the day was Numbers 23:19. I put that verse into my own words: God doesn't lie. Sure, God may delay a promise, but He will still keep it to the very end. God reveals truth through His Word. Does it not say in the Bible that He WILL provide? I don't know when, how much, or what, but I do know it will happen. I have yet to see or hear of a broken promise from God.
The last verse was BibleGateway's Verse of the Day for September 3rd (I wrote my journal past midnight which is why I got the September 3rd verse). It was Isaiah 48:17. The Lord will lead me to where He wants me to go. He will lead me to a job, a woman fit for my standards, and He will give me the necessities needed for daily living.
How do I know that? It says so in the Bible. The Bible is His Word and His Word is the truth. As our Father, God cares for us so much. He WILL provide in ways more than you think. Maybe you're just oblivious to it. Maybe my future wife is already a friend of mine. I don't know, but God does.
Where does it say in the Bible that God cares for us? Many places, but here are a few that stand out: John 3:16, 1 Peter 5:7, Luke 12:6-7.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Spiritual Conversations.
I have found that sharing your faith with another person, believer or non-believer feels really good. I had a talk with a good friend just a couple minutes ago and we both were expressing our faith through music played on the guitar, through scripture verses that came up in our heads, and even the things that the Lord has been showing us this summer. I love to talk about something that I love and I think my friend might actually get in trouble because he stayed out past what he told his parents he would :/. Anyways...God is awesome and (as David Crowder*Band says) "We'll shout it out loud from the rooftops. We won't be quiet. We've fallen for You hard and we can't stop. We won't deny it."
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[Ephesians 5:19-20]
Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
[Ephesians 5:19-20]
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Desire to Sin or Sinful Desires?
a quote I saw at church a while ago...
"People sin because they want something, and they're afraid that being good won't get it for them." - Barbara Brown Taylor
...reminded me of a bible verse:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
[James 4:1-3]
"People sin because they want something, and they're afraid that being good won't get it for them." - Barbara Brown Taylor
...reminded me of a bible verse:
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.
[James 4:1-3]
You Are Everything - Phil Wickham.
I was up til 4AM listening to worship music again. I stumbled across such a beautiful song by Phil Wickham entitled "You Are Everything." Basically the title speaks for itself. Phil Wickham is an awesome singer and his love for Christ speaks through this song.
Jesus, You're my everything
My heart beats for You
Filled with power and mystery
Lord, I thirst for You
You are everything
You are everything
Lord, You are beautiful
Awesome and wonderful
I give You all of my life
Lord, You're the song I sing
Perfect in everything
I give You all of my life
For You are everything
You're the stone I rest upon
I find peace in You
I love You Lord with all my heart
I place my hope in You
For You are everything
You are everything
Jesus, You're my everything
My heart beats for You
Filled with power and mystery
Lord, I thirst for You
You are everything
You are everything
Lord, You are beautiful
Awesome and wonderful
I give You all of my life
Lord, You're the song I sing
Perfect in everything
I give You all of my life
For You are everything
You're the stone I rest upon
I find peace in You
I love You Lord with all my heart
I place my hope in You
For You are everything
You are everything
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