Fear of Pain

Pain -> Purity of Heart

2Co 7:9 Now I'm glad--not that you were upset, but that you were jarred into turning things around. You let the distress bring you to God, not drive you from him. The result was all gain, no loss.

2Co 7:10 Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a deathbed of regrets.

2Co 7:11 And now, isn't it wonderful all the ways in which this distress has goaded you closer to God? You're more alive, more concerned, more sensitive, more reverent, more human, more passionate, more responsible. Looked at from any angle, you've come out of this with purity of heart.
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2Co 7:16 And I couldn't be more pleased--I'm so confident and proud of you. :-)

If Paul was typing this letter in an email to the Church of Corinth, I'm pretty darn sure he would've tagged a smiley at the end of 7:16.

Things that We Can't See...

There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever.....so saith Paul.

My 25 short years on earth, I've been taught to give weight to things that are seemingly more important, things which presence are more jarringly realistic. Do what feels good now and worry bout the rest later. Emotionalism and Carnality are my greatest enemies. Uncontrolled, they blur and paralyse the mind.

My life might be going downhill but I am being spiritually enriched. Things come a-tumbling down at an unstoppable speed and I keep my feet on the ground, not be swerved or hurled by the momentum, but to remain still. Jesus is my rock, my shelter. Chaos howl and scratches me, but I still want to close my eyes to the storm.

I guess I can say I've come into this promised Joy and Peace that surpasses all understanding. Christ's Joy is not about mad laughter or hysterical humour, and Christ's Peace is not about happily having all things go our way and living in smug contentment. They are not. And I bless His name for this, for only through Him, I may seek and find what the World can never give.

Power verses: 2Co 6:4-10

Our work as God's servants gets validated--or not--in the details. People are watching us as we stay at our post, alertly, unswervingly . . . in hard times, tough times, bad times; when we're beaten up, jailed, and mobbed; working hard, working late, working without eating; with pure heart, clear head, steady hand; in gentleness, holiness, and honest love; when we're telling the truth, and when God's showing his power; when we're doing our best setting things right; when we're praised, and when we're blamed; slandered, and honored; true to our word, though distrusted; ignored by the world, but recognized by God; terrifically alive, though rumored to be dead; beaten within an inch of our lives, but refusing to die; immersed in tears, yet always filled with deep joy; living on handouts, yet enriching many; having nothing, having it all.

I deserve it

Just got royally screwed by my aunt SF for dragging my ass around passing some important message to her. My oldest aunt has pancreas cancer and has recently accepted Lord Jesus as her personal savior. She suffers in pain daily desperately awaiting for His hand everynight. So it is that my brother got a word while waiting on the Lord last Friday, regarding this issue. And I managed to only get these verses to aunt SF this morning (after about 3-4 days later). I think it's my fault.

I don't know. I seem to be desensitized to family crisis nowadays. RIght now not only my oldest aunt's having pancreas cancer, my younger cousin is also admitted to the hospital due to some heart and brain problems caused by the car crash he was involved in last year. Doesn't look good. Young people going off before old people. But it's not like that... the Lord's a mighty cleansing wind. He blows through my family, bringing and breaking forth light into every dark corner there is.

Meanwhile, I just gotta go spend some time on my knees and see what's wrong with me.

Unequally Yoked

Extracted by various sources, peppered with my own thoughts.

"...Ultimately, choosing to wait is really a matter of faith. Of not settling. Of trusting God to sustain you, husband or no husband. And of sharing God's vision for marriage."

I can't go into a unequal partnership again. Regardless how I like this guy, he is not for me if it means to end up in an unequal yoke. Willfully doing this even when I know it's wrong is a sin. God wants His children to be set apart from the world.

A husband and wife are one, as Christ and the Spirit are one. Thus, to be at peace with our spouse, we should simply be at peace. Over and over the Scriptures tell us, "Be at peace with each other … Don't quarrel … Get rid of anger." "He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it."

Our God is a relational God, which is why he created Adam and Eve. The image of God is not in the man alone but in a relationship. Only through loving, harmonious relationships can God be known, for he himself exists in such a relationship through the Trinity.

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:

"I will live with them and walk among them,
and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
"Therefore come out from them
and be separate, says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you."
"I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

At the end of the day, I just want to say it like Paul, 2Co 1:12 Now that the worst is over, we're pleased we can report that we've come out of this with conscience and faith intact, and can face the world--and even more importantly, face you with our heads held high. But it wasn't by any fancy footwork on our part. It was God who kept us focused on him, uncompromised.