Glory

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us...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. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 8:17, 28-30

No pain

No saint

Another presentation later.

De-ci-de

Where proof is possible, faith is impossible

John Ortberg

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Decision made.

Cause everytime I close my eyes

I thank The Lord that, I've got you

And you got me too

And everytime I think of it

I pinch myself 'cos I don't believe it's true

That someone like you loves me too

Everytime I close my eyes

Babyface

Day 14

"I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out - plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for. When you call on Me, when you come and pray to Me, I'll listen. When you come looking for Me, you'll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding Me and want it more than anything else, I'll make sure you won't be disappointed."

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (The Message)

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Day 14 (14/10/09): Time to make a decision.

He thought of me...

God thought of you, do you think about Him?

Crucified, laid behind a stone

He lived to die, rejected and alone

Like a rose, trampled on the ground

He took the fall, and thought of me

Above all

Acceptance vs. Approval

¹But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ²At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. ³The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group ⁴and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. ⁵In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" ⁶They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. ⁷When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." ⁸Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. ¹⁰Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

¹¹"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

John 8: 1-11 (NIV)

Acceptance. Approval. Where do we draw the line?

How do we accept someone yet disapprove his actions? Receive the person but reject his deeds? Not condemning and yet not condoning? Love the person but not his wrongdoings? How? Well, if Jesus can do it, and if Jesus asked us to do it, we need to, don't we? Thanks, that's helpful. Sorry for being sarcastic but that's the fact of the matter. Easier said than done. We know it's never easy. It's never easy. Never.

If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.

We've been in those shoes, don't we? Just like the Pharisees (though not with the intention to trap Jesus). We caught someone in sin. We were disgusted. We questioned. We judged. We condemned. We were hurt. And most importantly, we stoned. Though not literally, but back in our minds, the person was stoned to death. We gave up mercy. Yes, she deserved to be stoned, but don't we too? We gave up hope. It's too much for me to take it, but is it not for God too? We gave up love. It's so hard for me to love her as it was before, but didn't God continue to love us? We gave up. We cast the first stone.

Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin.

But what if she's not repentant? Or what if she felt sorry, but changed not? What if she tried to but failed? What if she goes back to her adulterous life? And what if, she really did? And I wonder what would Jesus do if He caught her again. Hm. Will Jesus this time cast the first stone? What would Jesus say to her?

Go now and leave your life of sin.

And if she sins again?

Go now and leave your life of sin.

And again, again, again, again and again?

Go now and leave your life of sin.

No way. No way. NO WAY. Yes, even I don't think so. Doesn't this show that God is condoning her actions? Doesn't this show God approve her wrongdoings? Doesn't this show God allow sins to continue to rule her life? No. God didn't say:

Go now.

Full stop. Period. Case closed. Nope, but God said:

Go now, and leave your life of sin.

Leave your life of sin.

God still, yes, God still waits for the repentance. God wants the repentance. And even if you don't the first time, He'll ask for it the second time. And third. Fourth. Fifth. And you get my drift. But doesn't God's forgiveness has its limit? When's the point of no return? When will God stop offering His forgiveness? When will God 'cast the first stone'?

I don't know. Seriously, I don't know. I really don't know. But what I do know is, God has yet to cast the first stone at me. So how can I? How can we?

And for those who are in the shoes of the woman, repent. Repent now. No, His forgiveness does not give you the license to continue sinning. Yes, God doesn't condemn, but neither did He condone. That's why we need to leave our lives of sin. And that's what He ask us to do. How on earth, I said it again, HOW ON EARTH can you go on sinning after you experience His love and forgiveness? So how can you? How can we?

Acceptance, but not approval.

And that is what we are called to do.

Words

My mind tells me I'll never understand God.

My heart tells me I'm not meant to.

Faith is something I've yet to received.

Angels & Demons

Sometimes life comes up with a better idea.

Marley & Me

Human lives are defined by their weaknesses.

The Reaper

Harder...

It's even harder when people start questioning you and what you do.

Friend's blog

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Day 4 (04/10/09): And yes, I emphatize with you.

Troubled

Do not let your heart be troubled. Trust in God...

John 14:1

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Day 5 (05/10/09): Thank You Lord for the reminder