Be God's man! Do the right thing!

Last night while working, I really experienced the difference in my work when I'm closer to God. May the Lord grant me strength to work hard in keeping in close fellowship with God. Our God is faithful and true! Also last night i heard of the news about the death of cambodian missionary Ps Wendy, and I had mixed feelings. Initially i felt sad, but slowly as i begin to ponder, I'm actually happy for her. For she has fought the good fight, finished the race, and kept the faith. My prayer goes out to Ps Paul, her husband. May the Lord strengthen him, and may the Lord be with them till they meet again at Jesus feet.

Hebrews 11:24-28 NLT

It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible. It was by faith that Moses commanded the people of Israel to keep the Passover and to sprinkle blood on the doorposts so that the angel of death would not kill their firstborn sons.

TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES.

"Welcome to TV's most popular game show! And now, the host of Truth and Consequences, Tom Foolery!" Wild shouts and applause as the handsome host jogs down the center aisle and leaps onto the stage.

"Thank you! Let's welcome our first contestants, Paul and Susan!"

Two teenagers leap from their seats and jog down the aisle to join Foolery.

"Let's play Truth and Consequences. For our first game, you may choose the prize behind the red door or the one behind the blue door. I'll even tell you what they are."

The sound of a drum roll enters the studio through the loudspeakers.

"Behind the red door are two free tickets to next Saturday's Counting Cannibals concert. You want to go with your friends, but you don't have the money am I right?"

Paul and Susan nod. The audience applauds.

"Behind the blue door is a night with Mom and Dad watching a rerun of Matlock."

"I choose the red door!" Paul and Susan shout their response in unison. Foolery flashes a toothy smile.

"Not so fast. To open the red door, you must agree to 'borrow' sixty dollars from your mother's purse. After all, you didn't think we'd buy the tickets, did you? And, of course, you can always repay the money later. To open the blue door, simply don't 'borrow' the money. What'll it be, the concert with your friends... or Matlock with Mom and Dad?"

Tough choice, huh? Many times, trying to do the right thing is really tough because the wrong thing could be so much fun, while the right choice seems like a drag! Take Moses, for example. He faced a tough choice: turn his back on God and his people to live his life in the lap of luxury, or hang out with a bunch of complainers in the desert. Pretty clear choice, wouldn't you say? But Moses chose the longer lasting rewards of obeying God instead of the immediate gratification of sin.

That's the way it goes. Many wrong choices offer immediate "gain," while right choices often seem to involve short term "pain." To be honest, if we make moral choices simply on the basis of what will bring immediate pain or gain, we will very often make the wrong choice. But if we're willing to choose right, we'll be much better off in the long run. That's the truth.

REFLECT: Note that Hebrews 11:24 says Moses managed to make the right decision by faith. How can someone use faith to make a decision?
Think about the recent choices you've made between right and wrong. Did you base your choice on which way was easiest or on which way was right? How do you know?

PRAY: "God, help me choose right even when it seems easier to choose wrong."

Armor of God.

Hectic week. Work and work and work. Work until blur liao haha. 

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.  In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.  Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere."
Ephesians 6:11-18

FIRST KNIGHT.

Picture two knights sitting on sparkling white horses. They face a gleaming castle surrounded by mammoth stone walls, which in turn are circled by a wide moat. Archers line the battlements, awaiting the signal to launch their deadly arrows at the pair below.

The first knight wears a shining suit of armor. A heavy helmet protects his head. His body is encased in a massive iron suit; his arms and legs are enclosed by hinged pieces of metal. His armor is completed by heavy "boots" and rigid "gloves."

The second knight sits astride his charger like the first knight, but the only metal he's wearing are the braces on his teeth. A backward baseball hat and sunglasses protect his head from the glare of the sun. His shirt bears a picture of Ren and Stimpy. A pair of shorts, socks, and Reebok shoes complete his attire.

The first knight looks at the second. He says, "We shall charge yon castle on my signal and bring honor to our families this fair day." He raises the broadsword he holds in his right hand and points it in the direction of the castle.

"OK, dude," the second knight says as he lifts a baseball bat. "Whatever!"

Which knight would you rather be? The first knight is rather confined, of course it gets stuffy and sweaty inside his unwieldy suit, and it's hard to scratch your back or wipe your nose. The second knight is totally free of such restrictive dress. He's got it made, right? Wrong! The first knight may feel restricted by his armor, but he wears it for his own good. The second knight may be more comfortable, more "free," but he's unprotected.

God's commands work like a suit of armor. They're designed to protect you from the "fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan" (Ephesians 6:16). His command not to steal, for example, protects you from the guilt and fear of punishment and the shame, embarrassment, and real punishment that would result if you got caught! His command not to lie protects you from being trapped by a web of your own lies, spun from having to invent new lies to cover up the old ones. It also keeps you from losing the trust of your friends and family. His command to forgive those who have hurt you protects you from becoming a bitter, resentful person.

God's commands are not designed to cramp your style or spoil your fun; they're intended like a suit of armor to protect you from harm.

REFLECT: Do you ever feel cramped by God's commands? Do you ever feel like they limit your freedom? How can you become more aware of the ways in which God's commands protect you from the Devil? Remember that he "prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

PRAY: "God, thank you for your love and for the way you protect me by demanding my obedience to your commandments. Please help me with the weakest part of my armor right now, which is..."

Man shall not live by facebook alone.

Today I had service, it was good. Led the kid's worship and listened to sermon regarding the rich man who earned the world and God says tonight I will take your soul, what good be it to you. Indeed, our life is not for us to collect-them-all, or anything like that. But rather, we were created to seek for happiness. Since our heart is insatiable infinitely, the only thing or person that satisfies our heart fully is God Himself, because He is infinitely wonderful. We were made to enjoy God. When we are most satisfied in God, He is most glorified. That is our fundamental purpose for living. Anyway, saw this interesting post at www.desiringGod.org, by John Piper. It truly addresses the problems of people nowadays. Do take some time to read it. :)

Are apps a threat to God-focus? Yes. But it works both ways. Fight fire with fire.
If you are reading your Bible on your computer or your smartphone or your iPad, the presence of the email app and the news apps and the Facebook app threaten every moment to drag your attention away from the word of God.
True. Fight that. If your finger offends you, cut it off. Or use any other virtuous violence that sets you free to rivet your soul on God.

"From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence, and violent people have been raiding it." Matthew 11:12

But don’t take mainly a defensive posture. Fight fire with fire.
Why should we think of the Facebook app threatening the Bible app? Why not the Bible app threatening the Facebook app, and the email app, and the RSS feeder, and the news?
Resolve that today you will press the Bible app three times during the day. No five times. Ten times! Maybe you will lose control and become addicted to Bible! Again and again get a two-minute dose of life-giving Food. Man shall not live by Facebook alone.I’m serious. Never has God’s voice been so easily accessible. The ESV Bible is free. The Olive tree bible reader is free. And so are lots of others. Let the Bible threaten your focus. Or better: Let the Bible bring you back to reality over and over during the day.

Temptations.

"The serpent was the shrewdest of all the wild animals the Lord God had made. One day he asked the woman, “Did God really say you must not eat the fruit from any of the trees in the garden?”" Genesis 3:1

The First Temptation

Let's talk about temptation. Go back to the big one, the first one--the Devil tempting Eve in the Garden of Eden. Have you ever read the passage in Genesis 3? Note what he does.

1. He raises questions about the trustworthiness of God's Word.

2. The seeds of doubt are planted in Eve's mind.

3. When Eve says she's not to eat of the fruit or she'll die, the Devil replies cunningly, "You surely shall not die."

The ultimate liar accuses God of lying. He makes his word seem true and God's Word seem unbelievable.

Think about temptation in your own life. It usually means believing your way is better than God's way. For Eve and for all of us, when we begin to doubt the Bible is reliable for living life the best way, we begin to give into temptation--we buy into the lies and half-truths of the world.

For Eve and for all of us, it leads to spiritual death. Decide to believe God's Word--it is the best way. Ask God to give you strength to live it and resist temptation.