Strong AND Loving

Rich Stevenson in his book “Secrets of the Spiritual Life” discussed Psalms 62:11-12 in his chapter about ‘Trust’

“One thing God has spoken,
Two things have I heard: that You, o God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving”

The combination of these two attributes ‘strong’ and ‘loving’ makes this verse an essential description of our Father.
If our God is only strong, we will worship Him in fear! Isn’t this that other gods of the world demand from its worshippers? To obey out of fear otherwise life disaster come.
But thank God for He is also loving!
God is love! Have we grown so accustomed to those words that they no longer have meaning?
Have you known God as His true image, not the image that you create in your own mind?

Nowadays it’s difficult to trust someone.
Trust has become an endangered species. Sometimes I had someone approached me at the street while I was walking, and without hearing their intention, I’ve already taken some precaution steps. Most of them asking for money, but some only asked for street direction. Not only to strangers, nowadays people even can’t trust their own friends, their own wives/husbands!

This has made many people feels difficult to trust God. They have created a humanly image of God in their own mind, thinking that God is the same with sinful human.. We imagine that God is a stern judge, have trouble forgiving, only do what’s good if there’s a catch behind it, but He’s not like us!

How have we missed that the very essence of God is love and that His steadfast love endures forever?

Why did God want David to know that He is strong and loving?
Why would He want you to know this?
If we believe that God is strong and loving, then what is produced in us is exactly what God deeply desires from us: TRUST!

If God were only strong, as I said before, we will worship Him out of fear only, we come to Him cowardly.
If God were just love, we might want to be with Him, but we would not depend on Him when a mountain needed to be moved or an enemy needed to be defeated. If God were only a kind grandfatherly being, we might want to sit on His lap, but we certainly wouldn’t sleep well at night knowing that the whole universe was under His control.

But God is not either/or… He’s BOTH! He is strong AND loving!

Our Father spoke the word and there was light.
He breathed into clay and there was man.
He gave an aged couple a good laugh and then a promised son eventhough they ‘as good as dead’.
He plagued a pharaoh and rescued a race where Jesus came from.
He caused a fish to catch a man and a man to catch a boatload of fish.
He took down a gianz with a boy and a sling and fed a gigantic crowd with a boy and his lunch.
He stopped the sun from setting and caused the Son to rise.
Our God is absolutely strong!
Yet He is so loving and His mercy endures forever…

We will trust God more when we know more of how much He loves us..
The problem is with us, not Him.
He is all perfect, just, and righteous!

What differentiates my God than others?
Others may be succeed in causing people to worship and respect them out of fear.
Yet only Jesus offers love out of His almighty power.
He was made sin to replace our position at the cross.
He was made poor so that we become rich in His eternal glory.
LOVE is what makes the difference…

Five years ago that is what He showed to me..
His perfect, unconditional love that able to fill my vacuum shaped heart,
The kind of love that nobody else never and will never be able to offer to me the same way as He did, even not from parents, partner, friends…

Everyday, yes everyday, there will always be challenge and temptations from the world and from my ownself (flesh) trying to replace that Perfect Love with immediate satisfaction and pleasures, trying to replace His highest position in my heart (called as temptations of idols)..
Many times I lose. Yet for that countless many times as well He forgives me, His love for me never be less because I ‘lose’ or more just because I ‘win’.
Just perfect!

The kind of love that no others gods of this world can offer!

Both strong AND loving
- that is Jesus Christ

Have a blessed Wednesday everyone

“Top 50 Questions in Life”

While I’m trying to arrange my sermon for the mission trip (NEXT WEEK!!! OMGGGGG!), “isenk2″ I googled and found this interesting article submitted in a threat on July 2009 “Top 50 Questions”:

1. What is the meaning of life?

2. Is there a God, a Creator of the world?

3. If there is a God, does He care for and govern the world or has He left it to fend for itself?

4. What is truth?

5. Are their absolutes, good and evil, right and wrong?

6. If there is truth, where is it?  The Bible, evolution, the Koran?

7. Are the resources of our world, food, oil, electricity meant for our use or is our use of them an invasion of the natural order?

8. If food is not meant for consumption, why is it so perfect for this purpose?

9. Is death the penalty for sin or the natural end of life?

10. Is there life after death?

11. Is there a Heaven and Hell?

12. If there is a Heaven and Hell how do we gain one and avoid the other?

13. Is there one way to Heaven or many?

14. Will we get to Heaven by good deeds or God’s grace?

15. What is the world’s greatest problem?

16. How can we solve that problem?

17. What is the place of Human Beings in our cosmos?

18. Do we have significance in the Universe?

19. Are we more important than animals?

20. If we are not more important than animals, is eating human flesh, say killed in an auto crash, permissible?

21. Is human life sacred because created in God’s image or do we have a utility of life ethic, so that those who do not produce become expendable?

22. Is a farmer more important than a professional athlete?

23. Is an actress more important than a soldier?

24. Is there ever a just war?

25. What is the purpose of Government?

26. Is civil government supposed to provide for all our needs and desires or just protection so we may provide and seek our own dreams?

27. Is Obama really a Messiah?

28. Are there other kinds of government that should be encouraged, for example: self government, family government, church government or are all these wrong? 

29. Will the Cubs ever win another World Series?

30. Will the Vikings or Bills win a Super Bowl?

31. What is your favorite food?

32. How are you?

33. Do you love me?

34. Will you marry me?

35. Does any basketball player match Jordan?

36. Tiger or Jack?

37. Is manmade global warming real or a lie?

38. Are more and more taxes and bigger government good for our country or only for politicians?

39. Cats, dogs or fish?

40. Hamburger or hot dog?

41. Money, fame, power, sex or Heaven, what drives you?

42. Children or no children, many or few?

43. If you were an animal which would you be?

44. Yes or no?

45. To be or not to be?

46. What must I do to be SAVED?

47. Mac or PC?

48. Favorite movie?

49. Favorite quote?

50. How’s the weather?

From these 50 questions mostly asked by people in this world, interestingly almost half of it related with God, life, and truth. Have you found the answer to all these questions? If you don’t, what will you do about it? If you do, do you have the need to share it to those who don’t know yet?

I haven’t got plenty of time to discuss about this further cos I still need to continue my meditation hahaha… So this is just a quick post, just giving points for you to ponder , catch you all later Before I leave, I remember this one song (I wish I had time to record my voice singing this song, maybe next time :P):

“Jesus is the answer, for the world today

Above Him there’s no other

Jesus is The Way

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind
And traces of discouragement and peace you can not find
Reflection of the old past, They seem to face you every day
There’s one thing I know for sure that Jesus is the way

I know you got mountains that you think you can not climb
I know that your skies have been dark, You think the sun won’t shine
In case you don’t know, I’m here to tell you that the World of God is true yeah
And everything that He’s promised, I tell you he would do it for you
Let me tell you that”

Words & Music by Andare Crouch and Sandra Crouch

“The Love of My Lord”

The love of my Lord

Able to change my whole life

With just His single touch into the deepest of my heart

My life has changed, it has never been the same again

 

The love of my Lord

Able to soften the hardest of human heart

If He’s willing, nothing’s impossible for Him

Hearts will cry out, knees will bow down, lips will sing praise of His glory and honor

Everyone will shout out in joy for His goodness

 

The love of my Lord

Can’t be fathomed

Deeper than the deepest sea, wider than the whole universe and its galaxy, greater than history any human can create

He is the history Himself

 

The love of my Lord

Words can’t describe the beauty of it

Being loved by my Lord,

is the most wonderful thing ever happen in my life

is the greatest miracle in the world,

is the source of miracles themselves

 

Jesus, You are the only One

The King of kings, ruler of the earth and heaven

I can’t wait for the time to come

For I be able to see You face to face

How I miss You, the owner of my life

 

The love of my Lord

is available for you and me

Spend lifetime to enjoy it

Spend eternity to live with it

 

I love You my Lord

But most of all I give thanks for You have loved me first

“Open Recruitment-Looking for Loyal & Responsible Males/Females!!”

Please have a read of this short story I wrote

——–

The boss handed down two manual books, one for Alice, another for Belinda, while saying,
“The CEO has passed these on to me. Being employees in this company you must follow all guidelines written here. Should you not understand something, please ask me straightforward, I’d be more than happy to help”

“How about if I made any mistakes?” asked Alice.

“Oh, don’t worry. If you do your best yet at some points you fail at first, I’d be more than happy to cover it up”

“From who?” asked Belinda.

“From the CEO, of course. He’s very perfectionist. He cannot stand any mistakes”

Fiuhhhh…. sounds so hard already huh?!

“But don’t worry. You will enjoy a wonderful journey working with us. In our company even the employers treat the employees with respect. We view our employees as our partner, not as servants” explained the boss who was still standing in front of Alice and Belinda.

“Any questions?” he continued before they begun their first day.

“So… if any of us made any mistakes, you will cover it up eventhough it isn’t your mistake?” asked Alice hesitantly to clarify.

“Yes”
“Why???” asked Alice and Belinda both at the same time.

“Well, I know you’ll never be as perfect as to my boss’ standard. I understand that so I will just help you out here”

“THANKS!!!!” both of them once again expressed their gratitude with big grins, ready to start a brand new day.

———

Several months passed…..

“Belinda! Why did you make that mistake in your report? Did you do it intentionally?” asked Alice when she saw the latest report Belinda did.

“Errr… Yeahhh…. It was a mistake… I know I shouldn’t do it, but I just didn’t have enough time, I have dinner appointment with my friends so I kinda finished it in a rush, I forgot to look at the manual”

“How could you do that? Now our boss has to be responsible for your mistakes in front of the CEO as this is a very important report! Don’t you remember what he said to us the first day we worked here?”

“Hmmm… sort of….”

“He’ll be the one who covers all our mistakes in front of our so perfectionist CEO! How could you misuse his very kind attitude to us? Afterall, we’ve been working in this company for quite some time, I thought you supposed to know him better including what he expects from us!”

“What does he expect from us?”

“Working together as partners! Full dedication! And he knows we couldn’t do it all right at all time yet he’s willing to help! Surely he expects the same gratitude we gave to him at the first day we worked here, Belinda!”

Belinda was stunned.

“Forgive me Alice, I just realize I don’t really know him then…”

———-

Ok… I use this short story as a simple allegory to describe the truth in 1 John 2, written by apostle John between A.D 85-95 to all early churches and every follower of Jesus at that time.

v.1 “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One“

Can you tell that “the boss” in my story here is actually Jesus? and “the CEO” is God the Father?

I describe the CEO as a perfectionist, one who cannot stand any mistakes. The same goes with God the Father. He is the Most Holy One. He cannot stand any sin, even what you may think the ‘smallest’ one (Hebrews 12:14 “Without holiness no one will see the Lord”).
Yet the boss is willing to stand up for his employees, US, covering our mistakes so God will not release His wrath over us. That’s the purpose of Jesus being crucified, He died not because of His sin, but OUR sins.

v.2 “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world”

And what Belinda has done here? She claimed herself to know her boss, at least she’s been working at the company for quite some time, she thought she should know her boss. Yet she doesn’t.

v.3-4 “We know we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him”, but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him”

v.5-6 “… This is how we know we are in Him:
Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did“

Do you choose to be “Alice”? or “Belinda”?
Your call.
The boss knows his employees cannot be perfect at all times, yet he being a good and understanding boss, will definitely appreciate his employees’ efforts.
At the end of the performance review, he will know who has been responsible and loyal, who hasn’t. Who deserves a payrise, who doesn’t.

At the end of judgment day, each of us will stand for our own account.

Acts 17:31
“For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed.
He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead”

Oh, and the “manual books” the boss gave during the first day, that is the BIBLE. Everything’s written there, all guidelines about “the company, the CEO and boss’ characters” etc etc… It’s so complete and rich, all employees will surely need it for the rest of their working days in the company! ^^

Now pick your side carefully.
If you’ve been joining this company, please continue your good work and don’t forget to really know your boss! Oh, and read the manual everyday carefully, there might be hidden secret tips or some others that you haven’t applied in order to produce an excellent report for your performance review!

If you haven’t, the recruitment still opens, plenty seats available especially during global crisis!

Ps: maaf yah utk yg namanya ‘Alice’ dan “Belinda’ dipinjam hihihihi….

For All Women Out There ;)

Who said becoming women is easy or easier than men?

I’ve just read this article by John Piper, one of my fave authors, and these are the challenges that women of God have to face (girls, embrace yourself! ):

1. That all of your life—in whatever calling—be devoted to the glory of God

2. That the promises of Christ be trusted so fully that peace and joy and strength fill your soul to overflowing

3. That this fullness of God overflow in daily acts of love so that people might see your good deeds and give glory to your Father in heaven

4. That you be women of the Book, who love and study and obey the Bible in every area of its teaching. That meditation on Biblical truth be the source of hope and faith

5. That you be women of prayer, so that the Word of God would open to you; and the power of faith and holiness would descend upon you; and your spiritual influence would increase at home and at church and in the world

6. That you be women who have a deep grasp of the sovereign grace of God, that you be deep thinkers about the doctrines of grace, and even deeper lovers and believers of these things

7. That you be totally committed to ministry, whatever your specific role, that you not fritter your time away on soaps or ladies magazines or aimless hobbies. That you redeem the time for Christ and his Kingdom

8. That, if you are single, you exploit your singleness to the full in devotion to Christ and not be paralyzed by the desire to be married

9. That, if you are married, you creatively and intelligently and sincerely support the leadership of your husband as deeply as obedience to Christ will allow; that you encourage him in his God-appointed role as head; that you influence him spiritually primarily through your fearless tranquility and holiness and prayer

10. That, if you have children, you accept responsibility with your husband (or alone if necessary) to raise up children who hope in the triumph of God, sharing with him the teaching and discipline of the children, and giving to the children that special nurturing touch and care that you are uniquely fitted to give

11. That you not assume that secular employment is a greater challenge or a better use of your life than the countless opportunities of service and witness in the home the neighborhood, the community, the church, and the world.

That you ask: Which would be greater for the Kingdom— to be in the employ of someone telling you what to do to make his business prosper, or to be God’s free agent dreaming your own dream about how your time and your home and your creativity could make God’s business prosper? And that in all this you make your choices not on the basis of secular trends or yuppie lifestyle expectations, but on the basis of what will strengthen the family and advance the cause of Christ.

12. That you step back and (with your husband, if you are married) plan the various forms of your life’s ministry in chapters. Chapters are divided by various things (very important!)—age, strength, singleness, marriage, employment choices, children at home, children in college, grandchildren, retirement, etc. No chapter has all the joys. Finding God’s will, and living for the glory of Christ to the full in every chapter is what makes it a success.

13. That you never forget that life is short, that billions of people hang in the balance of heaven and hell every day, that the love of money is spiritual suicide, that the goals of upward mobility (nicer clothes, cars, houses, vacations, food, hobbies) are a poor and dangerous substitute for the goals of living for Christ with all your might.

14. That in all your relationships with men you seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit in applying the Biblical vision of manhood and womanhood. To understand your unique role as what I call “gracious leadership”, a leadership which involves elements of protection and care and initiative.

15. That you see Biblical guidelines for what is appropriate and inappropriate for men and women in relation to each other.

Spend some time to think about those challenges and roles that God has offered for us. Surely women are unique. If God has loved us so much, surely even much more we deserve from men, but don’t chase after their approval! It is your right, to be loved. Women are not beggars hihihi… We are indeed valuable human being, beautifully created, fearfully and wonderfully made by our mighty God

God bless all my girlfriends