He Collects My Tears

8 You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book? (Psalms 56:8)

I found out about this verse when i read "The Shack" (a very good Christian book, if you're not a legalist ;p). It tells that a spritely young Asian woman dances around Mack, collecting his tears with a brush and introduces herself as Sarayu, personification of the Holy Spirit. Mack's life was almost destroyed when he lost his youngest daughter, Missy who was murdered by a stranger.

Truthfully, even though the book was fictional, i found many of its ideas are biblical resonates deeply with my own spiritual journey. So when i read about this Sarayu collects tears, i rushed to my bible to find the verse and found it in Psalms 56.

Just like Mack in The Shack, i too lost a daughter, and spent many times crying almost each time i remembered her. But this is the first time i realize that God really hears me crying. He even collects all my tears.

I imagine, someday, one cool day in heaven, Papa would show me a barn of which my name is written on its door. Inside, i will find many bottles with water. Perhaps i'll tell Him,

"Nice hobby, Papa"

And He would answer, "Yes of course. These are my precious collection. Your tears".

"Why would you do that?" I ask Him.

Papa replied, "Because those tears are precious to me. Each tear that i collect from your face, reminds me of the restoration I planned for you".

"I thought those were my loneliest time."

"I was always there with you", said Papa.

"With your bottles?"

"Yes with my bottles".

I looked around the barn and found the walls are covered with numbers.

"What are they?" I asked.

"What? Those numbers?", said Jesus.

"Yup"

"Oh, those are my other hobbies. Numbered your hair. I do it everyday, since each day your hair's number is changing" (Matthew 10)

For everyone who didn't read The Shack, i strongly recomend to purchase the book. You'll meet Mack, Papa, Sarayu, Jesus and the closeness between them described in this book is transforming.

Seek First

Sometimes i feel down. Sometimes i feel confused. Some other time, i questioned all that i believe right now, whether it's true or not. But i had made decision, that whatever my feeling right now, whatever my circumstances are, i would never forget to seek first:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:33)

This Rest is Wonderful

This couple of days i really believe that Holy Spirit is renewing my mind more about rest. It has been more than a year since our encounter with this whole gospel of grace thing and lately i was just almost having a breakdown because i haven't seen the manifestations of God's promises that we've been hoping for. I remember a couple of days ago i asked my husband whether 'it works'. Whatever it is, is it working or not? Do we make progresses along the year or we are just walking at the same spot and everything else was just a halucination?

God is always a present help.

He reveiled more of the meaning of "rest". Rest is enjoying the now moment. It is enjoyable because you are drowning in the love of Jesus. Being in the state of rest, you would not worry whether the promises has been manifesting or not. You are happy knowing that you already have it because of Jesus.

God also gave me a picture of someone taking a treadmill. He's running and running with nowhere to go. We could give him the most delicious meals but he wouldn't taste anything at its best since he is busy running. It's like me before i knew gospel of grace. I was like always running without knowing where to go. I always feeling tired and lacking of something. I missed all the goods and precious things God has given me, just because i didn't have the one thing i wanted.

Now?

Life is like sun bathing on the beach. There's always time to enjoy little things. I stopped comparing my life with others. And my soul keep giving thanks to Jesus.

Joseph Prince Counters Doctrinal Accusations

This article was taken recently from http://sg.christianpost.com/dbase.php?cat=ministries&id=1341. The reason i put this article is not merely to prove that Prince is right. But i was so touched by the explanation he gave to counter his accusers. Grace is always like that. Soft and sweet, even to people who against it.


Joseph Prince Counters Doctrinal Accusations

Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010 Posted: 4:40:50PM HKT

A screen shot from a video introduction by Joseph Prince of his latest book, 'Unmerited Favor'.
A Charismatic preacher who has been accused of encouraging people to sin has defended himself in his new book."The gospel of grace is not the license to sin," Pastor Prince said of his doctrine that there is no longer any condemnation or judgment because Jesus Christ has paid the price for the sin of the world by His death on a cross.His critics object that such a message undermines commitment to God. In reply Prince says that only God’s grace can help people overcome sin in their lives. Explaining his teaching, he related the story of one of his church leaders who for a time stopped attending church services because of marital and drinking problems, hoping to resume church attendance after he resolved his difficulties.

But, just as people take a bath to clean themselves rather than clean themselves up before taking a bath, so people with problems go to Jesus Christ to resolve them rather than attempting to solve their problems first, the pastor told his member.Today, he said, that member is a happily married, has a beautiful family and is one of his trusted, key leaders.Prince said: “There are many people today who are like this brother. They want to get their lives together by themselves before they come to Jesus.

They are under the impression that they need to make themselves holy before they can step into God’s holy presence. They feel like they are being hypocrites if they don’t sort out their lives first before coming to church.”However it is impossible for that to happen, he said, because nobody will ever be able to qualify for God’s blessings nor will they actually be able to solve the problem of sin on their own.The pastor said: “You are made holy, righteous and clean by the blood of Jesus Christ, and it is His righteous standing that qualifies you – nothing more and nothing less. So stop trying to clean yourself before you go to the Lord. Come to Jesus with all your mess, all your addictions, all your weaknesses and all your failures. God loves you just as you are. However, He also loves you too much to let you stay the same.

My friend, when you come to Jesus, He becomes your ‘bath.’ He will wash you clean, whiter than snow! Jump into the bath today and allow Jesus to make you perfect, righteous and holy in God’s eyes!”At the same time some people, he noted, would continue to sin whether or not they received a message of grace. Prince says his church, which has over 19,000 members, enforces discipline over those who practice a lifestyle of sinning. He wrote: “My leaders have no qualms about confronting people who attend our church but insist on living in sin. They do not back down from the gospel of grace even if these people argue that they have the right to continue living as they please because they are ‘under grace.’ In fact, my leaders would tell them outright that they are not under grace, because according to Romans 6:14, if they are under grace, then sin shall not have dominion over them!”

In another chapter of his book, which is due to be released worldwide next month, the pastor urged teenagers to avoid sexual temptations and their parents to teach them not to trust their restraining ability. “His (God’s) destiny for you is to enjoy a blessed marriage with someone you can give yourself totally to, and with whom you can have a blessed family with beautiful children in due season,” he said.In 2007 Prince published his first hardcover book, 'Destined to Reign', which he described as a summary of his teaching over the years.


Edmond Chuaedmond@christianpost.com

My God

Psalm 103:2-5

Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagles.

Amen!

It's interesting to notice that this passage describe the sequence of what the Lord did to us through redemption by Jesus. First, He forgives all our sins by letting Jesus become our substitute on the cross. Then, because we no longer under the curse of sin, and Jesus bore all our diseases and curses on the cross, we are healed. He then leads us through our daily life, show us the right decision to make, the right way to take, thus deliver us from making mistakes in life. God also shows us how to love, by loving us first. His love enable us to love one another, a fruit that comes from the knowing of His kindness and mercies. Then He bless us in every area He makes us prosperous.

That's my God!

Let's Confess!

Found these in this blog http://underthewaterfallofgrace.blogspot.com/, thought it would be nice to read and confess it everyday.

Today....I am in the presence of God today.
I expect good things to happen because of the New Covenant.
There is no condemnation on me today!I am the righteousness of God in Christ today!
God approves of me 100%!
God is on my side and has taken my position to defend me.
I am free from fear of judgment because judgment has passed.
Not because of me but because of Christ on my behalf.
I am safe forever with my King!I expect good today!

The New Covenant makes me bold in the Spirit of freedom.
I walk though this world free from wrath!
The Father loves me and cares about me.
The Father doesn't remember what I've done wrong.
The Father took an oath never to remember my sin but to bless!
The Son became poor so I am rich today.
The Son became sin so I am righteous today.
The blood declares I am righteous forever!
The Spirit is telling me my sins are gone and I'm perfect forever!
I have received fullness in Christ.
I am a princess and royal priest in the house of God!

(quotes and ideas - Rob Rufus)

Precious in His Heart, Perfect in His Sight

How many times do you attend church and go home with a feeling of you're just... not good enough for God. Not enough fasting, not enough praying, not enough serving, not enough of everything.

Well, that's not what i felt when i walked out of the door of New Creation Church in Singapore. The two hours the preacher had (ps. Lian), she used to convince me how much God's love me. How willingly He accept me for what i am. The verses used that day was from Rome 8, started with one of my favorite verse with ,

"Now there is, therefore no condemnation for whoever in Christ Jesus".

Ps Lian then explain verse by verse about the importance of knowing that God do not ever condemn us with our sin. The it went to another verse which is also my favorite,

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. 31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?

Isn't it beautiful? God is for me.

Ps Lian also said that whenever we found ourselves condemning other people, then we should ask ourselves whether we already knew exactly, by heart, that God accepts us for who we are. He doesn't care about our shortcomings, our dark pasts, our failures. If we already aware of his unconditional acceptance, surely it wouldn't be hard to accept others just as they are.

During the church anouncements, i read something written in one of the church's event.

Precious in His heart, perfect in His sight.

The sentence touches my heart deeply. It's true that i'm precious. So precious that He let His beloved Son to come to earth and died for me. It also true that i'm perfect in His sight. Because of Jesus blood, now i have the privilegde to be the righteousness of God. Therefor, He sees me perfect.

I walked out the church with a spirit of joy and thanksgiving. My heart was so fulfilled of God's love that i had a yearned to go to some stage, grab the mike and tell people about my Jesus.

Yes. That radical. Of course i didn't do it, but i wanted to.

The preacher mention nothing about evangelism, nor how we ought to serve God that kind of thing. I only her hear tell me about God's love, and that made me, and i'm sure everyone who heard the sermon went out having the urge to evangelize.