euu typedd*:
blog
(Wednesday, April 22, 2015-)
+11:17 PM]*
# testimony and trial ratio-
testimony 1:
i have been praying for this brother to come back to church and God for quite some time. then one day, i just suddenly bumped into him on the way to BSF. i had dinner with him and caught up with him, also to realize that he had changed his number, which explains the unreplied messages on whatsapp.
he came back to church and i made it a point to join him for our sunday services. i thank God for that season where at least he was receiving spiritual input through the church.
that is, until he went overseas to study.
and i was back at square 1. i kept him in prayer because i didn't want him to lose touch with his faith and relationship with God. coincidentally, he bumped into local Hope people in his university during their outreach.
i asked him to join them for church and life group but he said he was too busy studying.
this went on for about 2 months, and i remember i just kept praying for him regularly.
yesterday, he got his mid-term results back. and he failed.
he was devastated as he had put in so much effort studying. i reached out to him after seeing his post on facebook and he just poured out his disappointment.
what really amazed me though, was that he said he would start fasting and praying for his studies, and take more time to pray before his school. he said he would join service too.
whether he's doing it just for his studies sake or not, i am certain, confident in fact, that God is going to move in his life. God is drawing him nearer and i am so, so glad.
i'm glad i prayed. i'm glad God is moving. i'm glad that i get to see God doing His work and that i was involved in it along the way.
Trial 1:
i bumped into shirls during dinner before the VN conference prayermeet.
and she broke to me the news that one of my ex-mentees had decided to leave the church.
i already had a sense something was up the week before. i had msged him but he did not reply either.
and i was deeeeeeeeeeply burdened. sooooo burdened for this brother.
he's someone i treasure a lot. but i know he has been struggling with quite some stuff. his busyness in school recently also did not allow me to catch up with him.
during the prayermeet, this was largely on my mind.
and i knew if i didn't let it go, it was going to be a trust issue with God.
it is ultimately His responsibility and not mine, i merely partake in His work. the problem is when i take it upon myself to solve things, when it is clearly not mine to solve.
Testimony 2:
i dropped my laptop on my right foot 2 days ago. owwwwwwwwwww.
during the VN prayer meet, a sister came forward and mentioned that she felt a pain in her right foot. that is to say she felt led to pray for healing for that person with a pain in the right foot.
i was playing keyboard at that moment, and i knew straight away that i was that person. i responded right away.
the sister came forward and laid hands on the exact same spot of where my foot hurt. everyone else laid hands on me and prayed.
i received healing! and i was in shock!
wow. Praise God! as i'm typing this, the pain is about 90% gone!
back to trial 1:
with this 2 testimonies in mind, this trial seeemed suddenly smaller than i make it out to be.
God heard my prayer for my friend.
God healed my foot.
surely. surely. He is in control.
He will certainly move in my ex-mentee's life. and i will keep him in prayer.
i imagine my testimonies to be like balloons that lift me up and my trials to be like weights and burdens that put me down. as i give thanks to God, my burdens suddenly don't seem as heavy and i get continually lifted up higher and higher by bigger testimonies.
the story ends like this;
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(Sunday, April 19, 2015-)
+10:49 PM]*
# the relentless pursuit of holiness-
As the title says, but what does it really mean?
i've come to question the meta details in these things.
"what exactly happens when i ask God for grace?"
"will temptation seem smaller?"
"what am i really asking when i say More of Him and less of me?"
"if that is the case, is it really my will acting out or His will enforced on me?"
i've rather been pretty relentless in asking these questions.
maybe i lack understanding, but as with all skills when developed, i want precision.
back to the titular premise: pursuing holiness.
what does it mean?
First, the definition:
What is holiness?
God is holy. and throughout the bible, God uses holiness as a form of separation.
this first occurred in the setting aside of the Sabbath, a day that is holy unto the Lord.
next, we see it in places, set aside for the Lord. such as in Moses' burning bush encounter.
to be holy, is essentially to be set apart for the purposes of God.
with that in mind, pursuing holiness can be equated to the pursuit of being set apart for God.
1. Pursuing God's standard
we know that God is holy. And He commands us to be holy.
As such, when we say we want to pursue holiness, we want to pursue God's standard and not that of the world.
if the world says it is alright to have casual sex before marriage, we disregard them.
if the world says it is ok to lie to save yourself, we disregard them.
for God's standards are way above our own and that of the world.
2. Holiness must be expressed out
we are made holy because of Jesus's death on the cross and His blood covering us, making us righteous in God's eyes.
Holiness is more than just a state of being. It must be seen.
one of the logical fruits of holiness is this: Righteousness.
when we live by God's standards and express these out in our lives, our actions will bear righteousness, blamelessness, above reproach.
3. Holiness cannot be encapsulated
Holiness cannot be compartmentalized into just a few areas of our lives. Holiness must affect the whole being of a person, else it is incomplete.
How could a person be set apart for God when only parts of that person's life are dedicated?
it must overflow into all areas of a person's life!
this will certainly take a lifetime to accomplish.
4. Holiness is initiated by God
Holiness is determined and defined by God.
It has to be initiated by God.
we cannot attain holiness on our strength alone.
we must depend on His guidance to lead us in His ways.
and importantly, we must heed His voice and obey Him.
in essence, it is simply all about pursuing God.
the story ends like this;
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