The last which is first

This will be my last post in 2009 :) Looking back, I realized I did not post many in 2009, but I do pray, as God's grace directed me, I will be able to do better in 2010 ;-)

This morning, as I wake up, I started to worship Him, I prayed: confessing my sins, expressing my gratefulness, and pleading that HE will speak to me, the last message this year that will become the first thing for next year.

I was brought to John 15:1-27.

Due to various changes in my life in 2009, i have entangled myself in the snare of anxiety and restlessness. But the hands of GOD is gracious towards me. His wonderful love once again bring me on my knees, and I confessed how wonderful the working of HIS grace and love in my life. I am grateful for all the things He brings to past in 2009. The worst things, He saw me through. The best things, He blessed me with.

Now, at the end of this year, the loving message I got is to ABIDE in Him.

I was wondering, how am I able to ABIDE in Him?

1. Verse 7 told us that we can let HIS words abide in us. When this things happened, we can ask what we desire and it shall be done for us. All is for the glory of the Father, when we bear much fruit. When we do, we are His disciples.

2. The next thing is to ABIDE in HIS love. How to ABIDE in HIS love? I learn something new today. All this time I thought, to abide in HIS love is to obey His commandments. It's true, but it's not yet complete. Verse 12 showed what is His commandments: that we love one another as He has loved us. Now, given the context of this conversation, it was during the last supper, the last time Jesus spent time together with His disciples. There He was giving His wonderful commandments. Verse 9 stated it beautifully: As the Father loved me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. Continued with verse 12, we abide in His love when we love one another as He has loved us. Something dawned on me suddenly. Jesus was talking to His disciples, minus Judas Iscariot. Quickly I searched the passages before. There I found the opening of these messages. In John 13:34-35 Jesus mentioned about this new commandments to His disciples. For them to loved one another as He has loved them and by that all will know that they are His disciples. Further He explained His love for them in verse 13: Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

Looking back in history, we learned that all of the disciples presented in the last supper were laying down their lives for the cause of the gospel. But it dawned on me that they obeyed the commandment of Jesus, and thus showed that they are true disciples of Jesus. They laid down their lives for others, as Jesus has laid down His lives for them.

Thus the implication of joy mentioned in verse 11 becomes clear. His joy remain in them and their joy become full because now, instead of only Jesus the one who loves them to that degree, they love one another to that degree as well. And Jesus continued to compared to the hatred from the world. In other words, you will face hatred from the world, but you have been loved by God and will be loved by other disciples, to the degree of laying one's life.

This whole conversation is JUST before the crucifixion. There, Jesus showed His love to His disciples, by laying down His life for them, even though they are all running away from Him, out of fear. Later in their lives, after the resurrection and the Pentecost, they laid down theirs, no longer having fear, but having love. For they have come to understand His perfect love for them. Perfect love which casts out fear.

So, given those two wonderful lessons, this is my prayer for upcoming year of 2010:

Father God, thank You for showing Your love through Lord Jesus. Lord Jesus, in this upcoming year, help me to abide in YOU. Abide in Your Words and in Your love. Holy Spirit, empower me to love other disciples the way the Lord wants us to. In Jesus loving name and power I pray, amen.

Maxim of the day #11

The extent that we can show God's love to other is as much as the extent we realize God's love to us. ~ Viola Deo

The falls that lead to salvations

After the continuous changes, big and small, huge and tiny, it seemed to me I come to a hiatus.

No, I am not forgetting about this little blog :)

I just run through too many things lately, changing of status and living place seemed taken toll on my time and energy. When I finished all my duty, I have lack of energy to simply sit down, think, and write. Write!

Anyway, there's lots of lesson I got lately. One particular I want to share is the one I got when with my (newlywed) husband, we (finally, after scheduling it for sometime) manage to visit a church friend. Her mother was fell just several weeks before our big day and injured badly.

Actually, I had not much expectation, except to encourage and pray when we plan to go there. My husband pointed out that this is the first visit we ever made to a local family so far. It's a beautiful furnished place. Very homey and very comfy, with the bright white colour as the main theme.

Surprise surprise (yes, God still got lots of surprises these days), instead of encouraging, we're encouraged instead, well, at least for me.

At first glance, my friend's mom didn't look different from other moms that I know. However, after chit chat for a while, I learned a wonderful lesson from the LORD.

She had a bad fall previously. The first time she fell, years ago, she lost her eye sight. Her right eyes remained blind due to the broken retina, and her left eyes, after several surgeries, could only see dimly. I tried to imagine how she figured our face when she shared about her eye sight. I didn't think I can, even though I also had astigmatism myself. One thing is really struck me is that she was a nurse. Imagine a nurse which such eye sight kept on working to feed her family. She shared that not long, due to her illness and her family problem, she became depressed. Really depressed. However, she gave thanks, because out of that dark moments, she came to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. Call that miracle number one.

Then, a couple of weeks before our wedding, she fell again. This time, she broke her arm and leg, made her confined to bed in hospital (and then, her house) for some time. This time, she shared, God had another plan. As the worst patient in her ward (0f 6 elders), somehow, she is the source of help and encouragement for other patients. Her joyful attitude attracted other patients, which were amazed that despite her worse condition compared to them, she was far more joyful than them. She shared with them that because she had Jesus, even though she had through such pain, she still had the joy in her heart. Due to her living testimony, several came to know the Lord. Later, when she had to go to physiotherapy hospital for regular exercise, she also became a testimony that helped other elders. Well, there goes miracle number two.

One thing that really encourages me is that she is so enthusiastic sharing about her life events, testifying how God has intention, despite her falls. I was reminded with this verse right away:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.- Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

It is so comforting to know, that the LORD is able to work even through such devastating falls to become a way to salvation for so many people.

Which made me wonder...

When we go through difficulties, either in our body, or in our situation, instead of looking for remedy right away, have we first and foremost, look for God's plan in the first place? God is certainly not planning for our falls or calamities, but He certainly has a good plan even in the midst of such unfortunate events.