Dear God

why do you never laugh?

was it lost in the edit, or do you just leave the rejoicing to us?

Are we to settle for a calm peace of inner joy without the swinging highs of life?

Is it to much for me to let go of the variety of living life for a sedate God?

Its safer, it feels better.

Its supposed to be right.

But who said so?

When Today Is Just Not My Day

What do you do when today isn't my day? I ask this simply because- today is really not my day. If a bad day at work wasn't enough, an irritating kid not enough, a series of disappointments not enough, the first thing I read online about certain individuals and their respective partners is enough to make me pop an artery or two, and I need to pray for patience and calm, for love and joy.

I just shared with Joshua Nair tonight about how we have a misreading of the Bible, and a wrong outlook on Christian life- we take it as something to help us get through the week, through the month, through the season of our life. However, we seem to be sorely mistaken. The Christian life is about three key things- 1.) worshipping God in a love-relationship as we respond to Him 2.) having our hearts beat in line with His mission to reach the lost 3.) bearing the fruit of Christlikeness as we are the branches stemming from He who is the Vine. And yet, in spite of these things, I feel like I'm about to cave right now, and I need God to help me get through the next fifteen minutes. How hypocritical I feel right now for even saying and praying those things less than 2 hours ago.

The Bible says "though the fig tree does not bud, and there be no sheep in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord- I will glory in God my Father." It's extremely hard to adopt that kind of a consistently grateful and worshipful outlook in all situations in life. Sometimes, the tendency really is to grumble and say, "God, my life sucks- face it, I'm lonely, and You're not enough for me." I really need to pray for grace to get me through this, for GOd to change my heart, and give me a heart of worship.

SUre, there'll be up-days, and sure enough- there'll be down-days. Will Jesus be enough for the down-days as He is during the up days? "Lord, will you be enough for me?"

And in my heart, I know his reply, "My son, my son. I love you with all my heart, and I even received you when you squandered your inheritance on pigs. When you left and ran away, I stood here waiting and watching from a distance. And when I saw you coming back in repentance, I ran to you. I slayed the fattened calf and precious offerings to celebrate your return. I love you and always have. Yes, I am more than enough for you."

Jesus, help us to know that you are. Increase our faith, for it is weak.

My Theological Outlook

You scored as Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan. You are an evangelical in the Wesleyan tradition. You believe that God's grace enables you to choose to believe in him, even though you yourself are totally depraved. The gift of the Holy Spirit gives you assurance of your salvation, and he also enables you to live the life of obedience to which God has called us. You are influenced heavly by John Wesley and the Methodists. Evangelical Holiness/Wesleyan 86% Fundamentalist 64% Neo orthodox 54% Reformed Evangelical 54% Emergent/Postmodern 46% Roman Catholic 43% Classical Liberal 36% Charismatic/Pentecostal 32% Modern Liberal 29% What's your theological worldview? created with QuizFarm.com

My House Shall Be Called A House of Prayer

I Timothy 2:1-4

1I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; 2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; 4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

We don't pray enough, you and I. Paul exhorts Timothy, a young pastor in the making and his 'true son in the faith' to first and foremost, pray unceasingly for all things and for all men. Amongst the needs for prayer, he stresses the authority figures in power above us, pointing out that such acts of obedience are pleasing to our God, in whose veins beats the bloods of missions and evangelism. How often do we pray for all men, with a heart of desiring their salvation, that the good news go out into all the world?

If we fail to take the Gospel out ourselves, we have already failed once. If we fail to pray for their souls to be saved, then we fail twice. Jesus is in the work of changing hearts, and we are to be at the frontline with Him doing battle when the souls of Mankind hang in the balance. Overly dramatic? I think not. Why else would Paul stress to his protege the tremendous need for prayer and for spiritual wrestling? It is in authority that he commends his charge to take upon the prayer ministry as The Main Course rather than the side dish of the pastorate. Too often do we, in our churches imagine prayer as the backup and the support ministry. Rather, prayer is the basis for all ministry since it forces us to rely and trust and look to resources BEYOND our own.

I strongly encourage anyone with the time to listen to Jim Cymbala's video-message on "My House Shall Be Called A House of Prayer" here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5015435750261664501&q=jim+cymbala and to 'lift holy hands in prayer' for our world, for all around us.

Building the Lord's Temple II

II Corinthians 5:13-14
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, "For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever!", that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

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In thanksgiving, we want to thank the Lord for being with us even this week as we met to pray and share over John 4. Indeed, the house of the Lord, where His temples were gathered was filled with His presence and His glory.

Bearing in mind the lesson of the 'sowing and the reaping' from John's Gospel- it is the gracious work of the Lord that He set our hearts on fire even to serve those in greater need than we, and for us to turn our hearts away from ourselves and looking to reap the harvest of this generation. May He lead us to be both sowers and reapers as we obey His Great Commission and the work of discipleship- be it through showing His love at Crystallite Methodist Home, or harnessing the combined talents in apologetics, music and performance, the visual arts, sports, and above all things- the frontline war of prayer.





Dearest Lord, even as our hearts "were as one", singing and worshipping you with our lives- we thank you for dwelling amongst us, being Emmanuel- "God with us". How unworthy are we to behold your goodness in our lives, and thank you for all you've done and all you are about to do. We pray that you establish the work of our hands, yes, establish the work of our hands, for "unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain". Bless all that we do, because we want to honour you and bring you glory- living and fulfilling your Great Commandment and Commission- "loving the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind", "loving your neighbour as yourself" as well as "going out into all the world, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey all that you have commanded us". In Jesus' name, Amen.

I was clearing my clothes:

I have about 3 jackets 7tees 2shirts 5pants lots of boxers pairofshoes
i always wear.

Figured I shoould go shopping when the moolah came in.

then Colossians 3:12 states that 'therefore, as Gods chosen people, holy
and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience.'

ok so maybe I don't need to shop.

:D