Bought At A Price

"All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own."

[Isaiah 53:6]

Every single one of us, men and women alike, old and young.

Have all strayed away and followed our ways to build our own kingdom in this world.

We have all tried tirelessly to build our pride, fame, glory and all this world can offer us.

And we have all forgotten about the perfect sacrifice made for us 2000 years ago.

Men have disembarked their journey of faith and live in guilt, pain, regrets, suffering.

Many raised idols in their heart and worship the things of this very world.

Some continue to live in agonizing defeat, dwelling in past mistakes.

And some, never hear the truth about the perfect sacrifice,
The perfect sacrifice that has already laid its foundation for them.

Many, have embarked on a mission to fulfill their own self desires.

And some, are blinded by the lies of men which binds them from the truth they seek.

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

[Romans 3:23]

"The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken."

[Genesis 3:22-23]

And men, was separated from God.

Our sinful desires has consumed us, and we began to live for our own mortality.

Years and years passed with more and more people living hopelessly.

Their eyes are open, but they never see.

Their hears are attentive, but they never hear.

The world that God originally created for all mankind, crushed at His very own eyes.

Men became evil, men became impure, men became selfish.

And just at the very moment when God was about to wipe out all of mankind,
His tears fell to the earth.

His never ending love, gave us mercy, grace and compassion.

He decides to save us once again, to restore us to Him regardless of how evil we are.

God, sent Christ for us.

The Perfect Sacrifice that laid its foundation for all of mankind.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

[Romans 5:8]

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

[John 3:16]

Why do God loves us so much?

So much that He is willing to sacrifice His Son for all of mankind?

We deserved none of it, and deserved no part in His kingdom.

We were all heading to our destruction, perishing a little by little with every step.

But God's love - Is beyond our comprehension.

He loves us so much, that He will do everything He can in His power to save us.

And with all the darkness, evil, corruptness, and impurity we have in our heart,

Christ made His journey to our world.
He carried the weight of the world on His shoulder.

Tempered with iron nails on the cross, and a crown of thorns on His head,
 God's tears fell onto the earth again as He watched His Son die for us.

And when Christ was raised to life.

It was done.

Everything that was lost, has now been restored.

There was no way, but God made a way.

"But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him."

[Luke 15:20]

It is with great pain and sacrifice, that all these were done for us.

God laid the foundation of salvation for the entire world.

That who now believes in Him, will be saved.

"If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

[Romans 10:9]

Now our mission is to persevere towards the coming home.

That means since God has saved us, we have to live pursuing Him.

For all that He has done, all He asks of us is to come back to Him.

And it is our call of duty to repent, and stop living in our own darkness.

Because if we continue to live in darkness, we will die in our own flesh.

"Because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

[Revelation 3:16]

God sees your heart.

He sees every thing you do behind closed doors and in the open.

He sees the motives you carry out with every schemes you make.

And He is here today, to tell you that He cares for you.

No matter what you've done in the past, He will restore.

No matter how weary your soul is, He will sustain.

But you need to repent, and make that decision to pursue Him.

You may struggle, you may make mistakes, and you may stumble often at times.

But what Christ did on the cross 2000 years ago,

It is enough to save you from all your sins and all the sins you will ever commit.

And all He asks of you is to honor Him with your life and love Him with all your heart.

He has chosen you to be a light to the world for Him.

Lifted out of the ashes, you have been found in the aftermath of His grace and mercy.

Perhaps it's time to step up for God this very moment.

Because you know that He's with you every step of the way.

And His love will light the way for you.

So persevere and wait for the coming home, and do not be caught off guard.

Let us stand in the foundation of Truth and lift one another up.

And let us go beyond religion and the call of duty to live a true, pure and selfless life.

"Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."

[Revelation 16:15]

"You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies."
[1 Corinthians 6:20]

- Lifted out of the ashes, we are found in the aftermath -

God Is Good

- GOD IS GOOD -

When things don't work out,

When there is no rain in the drought,

When your plans falls apart when you never dream they would,

When your life doesn't go the way you thought it should,

When all you can do is breathe and cry,

And when there doesn't seem any hope anymore for you to try,

It's okay.

Sometimes it's because: God is GOOD.

I've learned from all my past disappointments and broken dreams,

That God in all His love and mercy is looking out for me.

The King of kings, the Lord of lords knows what you're going through.

He knows exactly what you're feeling every second of the day,

He knows what your heart is weighed and concerned about,

Every single circumstances, situations and struggles that you are facing,

God is still with you and He is always watching over you.

The promises He has spoken to you,

He will be faithful in keeping His promises.

Instead of putting God's timing into your own timing,

How about giving God your steering wheel and trust Him?

Sometimes waiting upon God to fulfill His promise,

Is like waiting for a train at a bus station.

Sure, there will be times where you'll be desperate,

There will be times where you'll feel broken,

Or even at times you won't have the strength to stand and wait anymore.

But remember: When you cannot stand, you can fall on Him.

For He will never leave you nor forsake you.

God is always with you.

His ways are higher than all our ways.

When we ask God for things,

He always gives us what is best instead of merely what is better.

And God wants you to commit every single plans and agendas you have to Him.

That even when things seems to be falling apart,

Or when all the facts and figures are against you,

When God is on your side, you are still the majority.

When all else fails, God doesn't.

Because God is GOOD and He is always GOOD.

Don't let today's disappointments cast a shadow on tomorrow's dreams!

Because that disappointment might just be a blessing in disguise!

God has something great stored up for you!

Therefore: Keep pressing on!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

People always ask why do bad things happen to good people.

But have you tried asking why do people do bad things to a GOOD God?

And yet God still loves us regardless of how messed up we are.

That's real love, because God is GOOD.

Proverbs 16:9 says, "Cause in the heart of a man he makes his plan, but the Lord directs his steps."

- God is GOOD, all the time -

LOVE

- LOVE -

There are 7.5 billion people in this world.

And everybody has their own struggles in life.

There are so many people who are brokenhearted, depressed, down, and so many other things.

They are looking for someone to hear them out and love them for who they are.

Perhaps it's time to live in true, pure, selfless LOVE.

Will you go beyond religion and the call of duty to show true, pure, selfless LOVE to the people around you?

Jesus is all about LOVE.

In the entire Bible, everything Jesus did was out of LOVE.

It didn't matter whether they were a pagan, witch, sinner or whatever.

It didn't matter what they did in the past, who they were and where they've came from.

Jesus showed them LOVE.

He opened the eyes of the blind, He healed the sick, He made the lame walk.

Remember, we are all sinners. Everyone has sin in their life, and nobody is perfect.

That means we didn't deserve salvation, we didn't deserve someone perfect to die for us.

And yet, Jesus Christ came to die for us.

He came to earth to seek and save the lost.

He came to earth to die for us while we were still enemies of Christ and sinners.

He gave up His life, that we may have life.

And most importantly, He showed us LOVE, that we may show others LOVE.

That's why this LOVE that Jesus Christ has shown us;

It is our call of duty to show that same LOVE to this world that we live in.

To not judge people, but to show them LOVE.

For it is by the LOVE of Christ that we can show LOVE to other people.

People who you think don't deserve LOVE, they are the one that deserves the most LOVE.

But why should I keep showing LOVE to the people that takes me for granted?

If God were to ask that question about you, then Jesus wouldn't have saved us.

But because God LOVES us unconditionally, He has asked us to do the same.

And the LOVE of Christ will sustain you to keep on showing LOVE to other people!

Will you go beyond religion and the call of duty to show true, pure, selfless LOVE to the people around you?

How do we know that God LOVES us?

John 3:16 says, "For God so LOVED the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

Romans 5:8 says, "But God shows his LOVE for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

And Jesus said:

Matthew 5:43-48 says, "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall LOVE your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, LOVE your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you LOVE those who LOVE you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

John 14:21-24 says, "Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, it is he who LOVES me. And he who LOVES me will be LOVED by my Father, and I will LOVE him and manifest myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to him, “Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered him, “If anyone LOVES me, he will keep my word, and my Father will LOVE him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not LOVE me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me."

John 15:9-17 says, "As the Father has LOVED me, so have I LOVED you. Abide in my LOVE. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my LOVE, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his LOVE. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you LOVE one another as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will LOVE one another."

Luke 10:27 says, "LOVE the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind. And LOVE your neighbor as yourself."

- Hate the sin, but LOVE the sinner -

- LOVE your God, and LOVE your neighbour -

1 Corinthians 13:13 says, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and LOVE. But the greatest of these is LOVE."

The Peace Of God

To sum up how much God loves us:
I asked for a flower. God gave me a bouquet.
I asked for a minute, God gave me a day.
I asked for love, God gave me His Son.

Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

God sees your heart, whatever situations and circumstances you are going through right now. He sees your hands raised, and how much weight you have on your heart. But hey, go to Him - For He will give you strength, comfort and hope to survive this world.

God loves you so much, that other than arranging the cosmic stars and putting galaxies in place - He would ride on heavens and reach down from his clouds of majesty just to listen to you. Every tear that you have shed, God has stored it and prepared a smile for every tear! You are like a pearl in God's hands: Rare, unique and wonderful! You can trust Him, for He will give you peace unlike the world gives.

Psalms 23:4 says, "I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won't be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd's rod makes me feel safe."

John 14:27 says, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Philippians 4:7 says, "And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

- When you cannot stand anymore, you can fall on Him -

Our God Is Greater, Stronger, And Healer!

This verse has been resonating in my heart for the entire week! And I have now come to understand just what it means to trust God entirely! That even though the facts and figures, situations and circumstances just aren't going well - When you have God you are still the majority! When all odds are against you, you are still the majority! You know why? Because God is on your side, and all you have to do is trust Him and rely on Him! All the way He leads us!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight."

No matter what you're going through, God is still with you! He didn't promise to be with you for half of your journey in life, or for a portion of journey in your life. Instead, He promised to be with you until the end of your life! That means we have the assurance that God will be with us and give us the strength to get through this life with Him! So what more should we trust Him!? Remember, when the world is crushing you and everything is falling apart - God is carrying you saying, "Don't worry, I'm with you."

I went church today, and there in front of my eyes I see:
(a) So many people's physical body problems gets healed!
(b) So many people with asthma got healed!
(c) So many people with eczema got healed!
(d) Testimonies of so many people sharing about their cancer being healed when everything was against them!
(e) Women's pregnancies where the babies were supposed to be deformed in a certain way, possibilities of down syndrome, according to the facts given by the doctor - All these was healed and turned around completely!

And for the past month, I have seen hundreds and hundreds of people getting healed in front of my own eyes! People standing up from their wheelchairs after being unable to walk for years! I have seen almost thousand of people getting saved in front of my eyes! It is truly ground-shaking, faith-breaking and mountain-moving to witness it!

My God who has healed so many people, from their depression, anxieties, and emotions can do the same for you too! All you have to do is come to Him, and trust Him with all your heart. And if you don't know who He is, I would love to tell you all about Him! Our God is greater! Our God is stronger! God He is higher than other! Our God is Healer! Awesome in power - That's my God (:

- Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your on understanding -
- In all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight -

- JESUS IS THE WAY -

Struggling With Sin - Repent: Forgiven

2 Samuel 12:13 says, "Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' Nathan replied, 'The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."

Now, what sin did David make against the Lord? Here's what actually happened: King David was supposed to join his army in battle but he decided to rest at home. Therefore instead of leading his people in the battle as a king, he sent out his next in command to take his place. And guess where this leads? It leads to the [Wrong Place At The Wrong Time]

One evening as he got to the roof of his palace he saw this beautiful woman named Bathsheba. He saw her bathing and at this point he had a choice to walk away from temptation, but he still chose to commit a sin in God's eyes by forcing her to sleep with him. After finding out that she is married to Uriah, David wanted to keep his secret therefore he told the general to put Uriah in the front lines of the battlefield and let him die there. And there his scheme killed not only the husband, but many men from David's army fell that day.

And then that's where his guy named Nathan came to David and told him that God will punish him. The consequence of that sin led to the death of his son.

David confessed that he has sinned against God and he knew how wrong he was. And the amazing thing to learn from here is that no matter how terribly we mess up, we can share our pain and sadness with God and ask for forgiveness like David did. You're not a world-class sinner that God can't forgive! Nothing you could ever do is bigger than what Jesus has already done for you on the cross! All you have to is ask for forgiveness, and get back up again and walk right in God's eyes.

Remember, God forgave:
(a) Peter, who denied he ever knew Jesus.
(b) David, who slept with another man's wife and then had the guy killed.
(c) Paul, whose first career was persecuting Christians.

God loves you. Period. No strings attached, no matter what, He'll forgive you, if you just ask him to.

But other than the amazing love, grace and mercy about God - Every sin has its consequences. And if you deal with that sin before it gets started, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble in the long run! Trying to hide your sin will always get you in more trouble than just admitting it and dealing with it!

Remember: You can fool men, but you can't fool God. God sees everything and he knows your heart. So ask him this day to search your heart, and to guide you to walk right in His eyes! Yes, God will forgive you the moment you ask Him for forgiveness. But don't go taking his grace for granted, because it has its consequences sooner or later.

Luke 23:34 says, "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.' And they divided up his clothes by casting lots."
Luke 13:3 says, "I tell you... But unless you repent, you too will all perish."
Colossians 2:13-14 says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross."

- Ask Him for forgiveness, then repent -

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Psalm 23:1-4 says, "You, Lord, are my shepherd. I will never be in need. You let me rest in fields of green grass. You lead me to streams of peaceful water, and you refresh my life. You are true to your name, and you lead me along the right paths. I may walk through valleys as dark as death, but I won’t be afraid. You are with me, and your shepherd’s rod makes me feel safe."

In spite of everything you have experienced and are still experiencing, God is still faithful and He is still God. That means He will still be with you through the darkest moments of your life. The fact that you're still alive right now means that God has given you the chance to overcome the things of this world together with Him. Whatever situations and circumstances you are facing, God is faithful and He will see you through it regardless of how long it may take. How can there be a rainbow without any rain!? And you know what's more awesome? It's that He has greater things installed for you in the future!

1 Corinthians 2:9-12 says, "But it is just as the Scriptures say, 'What God has planned for people who love him is more than eyes have seen or ears have heard. It has never even entered our minds!' God’s Spirit has shown you everything. His Spirit finds out everything, even what is deep in the mind of God. You are the only one who knows what is in your own mind, and God’s Spirit is the only one who knows what is in God’s mind. But God has given us his Spirit. That’s why we don’t think the same way that the people of this world think. That’s also why we can recognize the blessings that God has given us."

And the best and only way to be prepared for what's ahead is to stick close to God! To continually praying, committing everything in your life to God and walk faithfully in this journey with Him! God can be trusted, and His love, grace and faithfulness lasts from generations to generations. Whatever weight you have on your heart, whatever you're going through right now - Commit it to the Lord and wait upon Him, for strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord! He will restore you! Press on (:

- The Lord Is My Shepherd -

His Ways Are Higher Than Our Ways

[Why?} - The question that is never far away. Most of the times we ask God why!? Why do certain things happen to us!? Why are things so unfair in life!? Why this and why that!?

We are not called to understand every of God's ways. But we are called to trust Him even as we plunge into the unknown. And that's where faith comes in, because without faith it is impossible to please God.

Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."

God calls the church His bride, and we are His church. And He promises to keep us, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do us apart, and nothing can separate you from His love.

Our God is a mighty deliverer, a stronghold in times of sufferings. He is our stand and hope, and He will see you through this life. When we finally do meet Him, there will be no weeping, no hurt or pain, no suffering, no darkness, no sick or lame, no hiding - Because He will hold us close to Him even as He already is now :)

Remember God is God regardless of your situation, and He loves you very much. Though what you go through just seems unfair and it feels like the world is crushing on you - Hey, my God is not too small that He cannot help you with your problems. God will never fail. Trust Him.

- For His ways are higher than our way -

- Remember, the church is His bride: And we are the church -

- Trust Him, because He is God: Have faith in Christ -

The Promises Of God

Has God promised you something? Has He spoken to you and you're waiting for His promise? Have you been waiting long? I want you to know that if it is God's promise, it shall come to pass. However long it may take, God's timing is perfect. And He always fulfill His promises.

Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?"
Joshua 21:45 says, "Not one of all the LORD's good promises to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
Psalm 145:13-14 says, "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made. The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down."

Keep waiting upon the Lord, for He will give you the strength to do so. Do not fear, nor be intimidated by the world - Because the Lord your God is on your side!

Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."
Matthew 11:28-29 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."
Isaiah 40:29-31 says, "He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint."

Press on hey :)

- God always fulfill His promises, wait upon the Lord -

- Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord -

Our Refuge And Strength

Deuteronomy 33:26-27 says, "There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!' "

Do you ever think of God as your refuge, a place to go when you feel like the whole world is against you? Try Him. He can shield you from the messed-up things going on in your life and give you the strength you need to face them and overcome them.

Seek the Lord with all your heart - There you will find Him. Don't let the struggles of your circumstances and situations in life draw you away from God. But in all things: Pray. You don't have to be intimidated by the things of this world, for the Lord your God will ride on heaven to help you on his clouds of majesty. Press on: In Him :)

- He will be your Refuge and Strength -