~~The Hardest Thing by Ed Young~~

Another piece of good article by Ed Young that I really wish to share with you all.

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Forgiving someone who has hurt us is one of the hardest things we can do. We'd rather stay leashed up to the resentment like a dog to a fence. Because in our minds, our unforgiveness is paying them back for the pain they caused. But when you refuse to release the leash of unforgiveness and drag that anger through life, you only end up hurting yourself.

It is natural for us to hold on to our wrath because of our sinful nature. The last thing we want to do is forgive.

But that's just what the Bible tells us to do. We're to forgive others as the Lord has forgiven us. When Christ died on the cross for our sins, he was giving us the ultimate forgiveness. He was saying, "My love for you outweighs any wrong thing you have ever done or ever will do to me."

If we're honest with ourselves, we'll realize that we don't have what it takes to truly forgive someone of the wrong they have done to us. That type of power only comes from God. We must learn to open our hearts and allow God to replace our anger with his love. Let God's love transform your heart. Because it is the only way that we can truly forgive someone.

Amen!!~~

~~Unleash Unforgiveness by Ed young~~

1 of my favorite Pastors - Ed Young. Think this is a good article, hope to share with you all =)

Colossians 3:13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

When someone hurts you, what is your initial response? If you're like most people, your first thought is that of revenge. The last thing you want to do is forgive them. But when we refuse to forgive others, we are really just placing shackles around our own hands and feet, preventing ourselves from receiving God's supernatural power of forgiveness.

Forgiveness starts with grace. And grace is simply giving someone something they don't deserve. The person who hurt you may not deserve your forgiveness, but we are called to show grace and forgive them just as God did for us.

God sent Christ to die on the cross for our sins so that he could unleash his grace in our lives—something none of us deserves. We need to extend that same grace to those around us as well.

When we finally decide to extend grace and forgiveness, we discover something unbelievable! Every area of our lives—emotionally, relationally, and even physically—benefits. But the most important area of all, our spiritual health, improves as well when we unleash our unforgiveness.

Don't restrict your relationship with God by holding on to the shackles of unforgiveness. Look to his example of forgiveness and learn to release those chains and yourself to experience freedom in your relationship with God and others.

Amen!!~~~

~~Sing Unto The Lord~~

Visited an African-American Church with friends. It is very different indeed =D The whole church is trembles with shout of praises and joyful noises. They (young and old) really pour out their hearts to God! Their joyful voices reach up to the sky! What a bold declaration to the world that Jesus Christ is their savior. Well, I guess it does not matter how the service is been conducted what matters most is we are gather to worship and sing praises to the same LORD - JESUS CHRIST.

Psalm 100

1 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
3 Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
5 For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

~~Loving above all else~~

God's unfailing love statement:

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1 John 3:1
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

1 John 3:16-24
16This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.

21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. 23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. 24Those who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.

1 John 4:7-21
God's Love and Ours

7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.

13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.

19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.

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I decided to state this truth of life before I get carried away and most importantly would like to get this registered and imprinted vividly in our minds. Admit it or not, we all have short-term memory and need to be reminded from time to time. (Well, at least this applies to me =D) I figured as long the soil of our hearts is saturated with Father's great love, we will be transformed inside out! It does not matter how unloving you used to be, what matters most is God is love! I would not say I am a super duper loving person but our God is an able God. Hard core people, complicated situation and difficult problem come and go like the wave that hit the shore and embrace the sea once again. It happens now and then even Jesus Christ our perfect sacrifice is not spared of all these predicament. What is more when we are living in this corrupted and imperfect world! I do not know since when the changes occur but one day I just realized it happens! I realized when I was greeted by ugly side of life, my first response should be praying. (**Special thank to my new found prayer warrior, Stormie Omartian. Currently she is my favourite Christian author. Her power of praying ROCKS!!! ^.^ love it love it **Special thank to my praying partner too who sows this seed of love in me. ** God is so good to me indeed!) Little do I know that the little prayer that I whispered to Your ears has the power to subside ferocious storm that roaring in my heart. Your peace transcends all understanding and human wisdom indeed. You flood my heart with overflowing of comfort and compassion which in turn empowers me to pass it on who needs it.

Matthew 9:12-13

12On hearing this, Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13But go and learn what this means: 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice.' For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

I can only bend my knee and bow my head in adoration. (Father, thank you for being so gracious and mercy to me even though I am so imperfect. Thank you for gowning me with tender, passionate affection and equipping me with the garment of love. Thank you for empowering me to look beyond the circumstances and bring me back to the heart of worship. Thank you for not allowing me to wallow in and overwhelm by difficult situations which we totally have no control in. Thank you for humbling me down to lay bare all my shortcomings under your feet. Thank you for reminding me that you are still in full control of every situation. Thank you for reigning in my life. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for enabling me to forgive and overlook others' imperfection. Thank you for open up the eyes of my heart.

Above all, I really thanked and praised God for directing me to take up another wonderful course at Global University - the book of Corinthians. Thank you for breathing in deeper and greater meaning and appreciation of Your word. Thank you for revealing Your truth and way to me. Thank you for sending Paul to us! Thank you for holding me tight and leading me through the darkest hours! Thank you for showing me what love is all about. Because of love, Jesus bended down to wash the feet even of Judas who betrayed Him!)

The more we allow God's word to dwell in our minds and thoughts, the more our hearts become tender and soft of His great love. (Father, I pray that I can continue walk closely with You and become more and more like You with each passing day. Transform me Oh Lord to be the loving servant of one another.) Sooner or later you will realize that those behavioral matters we think are important are really matters of indifference to God - they do not affect our standing with God.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23

19Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. 22To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 23I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

Though I can never fully understand how Paul face his each challenging and dilemma day, one thing for sure is he chose to live up to God's calling in his life to the fullest. His single passion - gospel to all people (irregardless of whether they are good or bad in our wordly point of view). Such a righteous act is destined to cause one to be misunderstood. Paul was given the label of compromiser and hypocrite. Who can fathom his deepest longing to save as many as possible? Who can grasp how much he had endure in order to advance the gospel? Who can comprehend how heart wrenching he is to see people walk away from God? Who are we there to judge God's servant? I am grateful to learn that our faithful Father not only spares Paul from lots of persecution, He also frees him from concern over all the misunderstandings he faced. Amen!

Many times we are pretty much like those critics. We judge, we evaluate, we assess and eventually we criticize without knowing the whole truth. (Father, I pray that You will set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the door of my lips. Help me to quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. No man can tame the tongue which is restless evil, full of deadly poison. Father, I pray that you will season and filter every single word that coming out of my mouth. May they only do good for the listeners. I surrender my tongue fully to You Oh Lord)

My little whispering to Abba, Father:

The more I read Your word, the more I realized I does not yet knows as I ought to know. Teach how height and width Your love is to the world! Coach me how to love and be loved oh Lord. Thank you for saying "the man who loves God is known by God". How great is such promise and how heartening to know that even though the world does not understand our intention, You fully understand. Thank you for once again remind me that it is of no use to win the whole world but to lose our souls for You. Help me to run the race with full confident to win the crown of salvation that will last forever. Amen!

1 Corinthians 13:1-8

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away

~~Spiritual Growth~~

I took this picture yesterday at Washington park (1 of the recreational parks at my neighborhood where annual Tulips festival takes place around May each year). It is baby tulips that sprout out of the soil after the long-awaited winter ice melted away. Finally winter is officially ended (though the weather is still pretty cool and most of the times still below zero degree).

Simply love this picture because it somehow signifies hope and anticipation towards life that lies ahead. I finds it encouraging, motivating and inspiring simply by looking at this picture. Against all odds (harsh winter environment, lack of sunlight, etc), these baby tulips not only made it to the surface but also held their "heads" up high =D It reminds me of the following verses:

John 15:4
4 Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

1 Corinthians 3 : 6-7
6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7 So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.

Do you ever wonder how these baby tulips are going to look like in 2 months time? I took the picture below last year at the same venue. The end result is simply breathtaking isn't?

My little whispering to Abba, Father:

Father, I long for greater spiritual growth with each passing days. Teach me how to grow deeper in you and may you provides more helpers along the way to lead me, guide me and teach me how to be more like you. I long to radiant and glow in your glory. Father, may you continue to reveal to me how you want me to build up your ministry of righteousness. Fill my house with Your overflowing and ever lasting of love, joy, happiness and peace. I invite You to dwell and make Your present in my house. Till I think of a suitable name for your dwelling place I shall called this sacred place house of love. Though it is going to be a long journey, with You, everything is possible in due time.

Philippians 1:6

6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Oh Lord Father, may you grant me the same or even greater strength that You provides for the baby tulips to grow victoriously especially in face of adversities. Help me to take root and establish in Your great love. Help me to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that You may fill me to the measure of all the fullness of God. Mold me and use me for the expansion of Your kingdom Oh Lord. Help me to build my house of love on Your solid rock. Transform this little hut to great mansion that can withstand all kind of life storms and tumoils in Your perfect timing. Help me to continue to fix my eyes on You alone. May Your will be my will. Amen.

~~All boiled down to LOVE~~

God has many different ways of speaking to His beloved sons and daughters. Sometimes through things that happen, sometimes via people that we meet, sometimes we just happened to listen to or come across certain messages over and over again. Ever since I came to know Him (or to be exact He found me ^.^ thanks and praise Him for that!!! ), I find it hard to believe when people equate such incidents as mere coincident. If it happens once in a blue moon, it is still alright to say so but if it happened over and over again, don’t you agree with me that there must be a perfect author behind that links all these beautiful unions? In other words, it is divine connection instead of mere coincident.

God’s grace and mercy, lately I have been reminded how blessed I am and have a deeper appreciation of what it means by being blessed. (Oh Lord Father, thank you for revealing to me the depth and breadth of blessing You have in stored for everyone who loves You. Father, pardon me (with or without knowing; pure ignorance or do it on purpose) for holding back or gripping too hard on the blessing that You have for me. Father, forgive me for being selfish and self-centered in seeking my own blessing all the times. Thank you for helping me look beyond the surface of seeking for my own interest. Thank you for assisting me to have a better and deeper grasp the real meaning of blessing. Whether I feel it or not (Proverbs 3:5-6 5Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. ), Your promise of my blessing in my life never ceases flowing. In fact, sometimes it tends to overflow! =D I am reminded how we are blessed to be a blessing to others. Apart from seeking for personal blessing, I realized that it is not so much about how much blessing we received. It is more to whether we fulfill God’s purpose in our lives. Do you ever wonder what His ultimate purpose for your life is? Jesus’s death has far deeper meaning. He chose to sacrifice Himself so that we are made righteous in front of God and ultimately we find life. It all boiled down to Love, His perfect love to the world.

2 Samuel 7:28-29 28O Sovereign Lord, you are God! Your words are trustworthy, and you have promised these good things to your servant. 29 Now be pleased to bless the house of your servant, that it may continue forever in your sight; for you, O Sovereign Lord, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.

My little whispering to Abba, Father:

I have been imagined to have my own publication one day. Not too sure what kind of book it is going to be, most probably humorous book which will bring joy to the readers and give those heavy hearts a lift. Most importantly, it serves as a mean to introduce You to the world for without You I cannot be who I am today. You deserved all the credits, honor and glory forever. What should I pen down on the preface? Usually I do not pay attention to it but recently I realized how important the preface is. It tells readers how the idea being conceived, the process of carrying it through, when it is in its full-grown, it gives birth to the book. It sounds very much like having a baby isn’t? Even though I have not gone through that phrase of life, I am sure it is a beautiful journey that worth taking. There is so much excitement, anticipation and expectation awaits! Preface also reflects the inner most feeling of the authors. It does not take big words to impress the readers, I think what matters most is the sincerity and honesty of the authors. More often than not, it is those sincere words that sink deeper and reside in the hearts. Father, no matter how high or low I may be in future, may You continue to give me a humble heart to serve You and glorify You. Deep in my heart, I know that You are the ultimate author. It is Your Word that pierces through the inner most of hearts, it is Your light that shine forth in the darkness, it is Your Truth that set the captive free. I look forward to embark on such a beautiful and intimate journey with You. Father, You deserve all the praises, honor and glory. It is Your manifestation and inspiration of Holy Spirit that breath life to the book and man purely pen it down. If You are willing, I am more than happy to be one of Your instrument in the expansion of Your kingdom. Father, I pray that you will season and flavor every single word in the book, may they leave a lasting impact in every receptive hearts. You are my greatest gift in life and I wish to present You as my greatest gift to those still searching and wondering in the wilderness. Father, I place my full trust in You. I know that in due time, this little dream of mine will surely come to pass. Heaven and earth may fall apart, Your promise stand still. Amen