Let go and let God?
Posted by piyo at 09:31 PM on July 2, 2009 in Bless.
'The Christian's motto should not be "Let go and let God" but "Trust God and get going!" ... Passivity is never the way.' - J.I. Packer
piyo's pilgrimage
My Gentle Reminder:
We are not of this world...
Let's not get too comfortable in here ;)
My Content Pages:
- "Is parachurch still relevant?"
- $20
- A bit of logic
- A-Z
- Berkemauan Baja, Berhati Kaca
- Brain Teasers ;)
- Damiano Tommasi - tribute
- Diego Pablo Simeone - tribute
- Does God exist? (thx to LR)
- Drop the Pink Elephant (Summary)
- Dynastic Tim Duncan
- Engineering vs Science students
- Esteban Cambiasso
- Fleming's Story
- Gianfranco Zola - tribute
- God is crazy about you!
- How To Be A Better Couple
- Ifs...
- Keep it simple
- Luca Toni
- Men's Rules for the Fairer Sex
- On Fasting
- On Love (by Ev. Billy Kristanto)
- Retarded?
- Sharing Mission Trip Mei 2003
- Sharing ttg Pelayanan
- The Best Striker of The World
- The Final Analysis
- There Is A Reason For Everything
My Links:
July 2nd, 2009
May 7th, 2009
Paul's advice on marriage
Posted by piyo at 03:23 PM on May 7, 2009.
"But those who marry will face many troubles in this life..." 1 Cor 7:28
28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.
29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs—how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world—how he can please his wife— 34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world—how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord.
March 25th, 2009
Entertaining angels
Posted by piyo at 02:00 PM on March 25, 2009 in Bless.
Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (Hebrews 13:2)
March 23rd, 2009
A prayer (from ORPC service)
Posted by piyo at 05:23 PM on March 23, 2009 in Bless.
Lord Jesus, help us to see you clearly, love you dearly, and follow you nearly.
March 6th, 2009
A simple life
Posted by piyo at 06:13 PM on March 6, 2009 in Bless.
"A simple life in the fear-of-God is better than a rich life with a ton of headaches" (Proverbs 15:16 MSG)
Don't settle for achieving "the good life," because the good life is not good enough. Ultimately, it doesn't satisfy. You can have a lot to live on, and still have nothing to live for. Aim instead for "the better life" - serving God in a way that expresses your heart.
Figure out what you love to do - that which God gave you a heart for - and then do it for his glory!
(PDL Devotional, Rick Warren)
IF (by Rudyard Kipling) - thx to Ci LDA
Posted by piyo at 01:36 PM on March 6, 2009 in Bless.
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!
December 29th, 2008
Loving your enemy
Posted by piyo at 05:03 PM on December 29, 2008 in Bless.
You have heard that it was said, "Love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matt 5:43-46)
On Christmas Day, 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. delivered a sermon at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama. It was based on this passage and the sermon title was, 'Loving Your Enemy.' Through the course of his sermon, Dr. King suggested three ways by which we can do just that.
First, we must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. Such forgiveness doesn't mean that we ignore the wrong committed against us. Rather it means that we will no longer allow the wrong to be a barrier to the relationship. Forgiveness, according to King, 'is a catalyst creating the atmosphere necessary for a fresh start and a new beginning.'
Second, we must recognize that the wrong we've suffered doesn't entirely represent the other person's identity. We need to acknowledge that our opponent, like each one of us, possesses both bad and good qualities. We must choose to find the good and focus on it.
Third, we must not seek to defeat or humiliate our opponent, but to win his or her friendship and understanding. Such an attitude flows not from ourselves, but from God as his unconditional love works through us. As followers of Christ who seek to lead as He led, we must remember that the more freely we forgive, the more clearly we reveal the nature of our Heavenly Father."
(Francois de Fenelon 100 Days in the Secret Place, Destiny Image Publishers, Shippensburg, PA p. 117 2001 -as quoted in TGIF 29 Dec 2008)
ORPC Minister's Message (29 Dec 2008)
Posted by piyo at 04:44 PM on December 29, 2008 in Bless.
(by Rev David Burke)
2008 has not been much of a year for humanity.
Governments and key international bodies again largely failed to restrain evil and seemed to have missed their chance on climate change. Greed and fear gripped the financial markets and spilled over into major economic difficulties. Violence remained in the usual trouble spots and had a final splurge in the Mumbai attacks and their aftermath. Our sense of truth and moral right continues to languish as each decides for themselves what is right and true. We continue to turn our backs on each other and to give way to individualism and short-term experiences.
In all this we reap what we sow (Gal 6:7-8).
Having abandoned God as our reference point for truth, values and meaning we are left to 'enjoy' the fruits of godlessness. As God said: "... every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood.' (Gen 8:21).
2008 demonstrates how little real progress we have made. Technical advances have made us but 'clever devils' as Samuel Johnson said so long ago. We abound in information, but seem less wise about the great issues of life.
To summarise: 2008 seems one extended illustration of Jer 17:9: 'The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure'.
Our great need in 2009 is the gospel of Jesus that renews and rebuilds the heart and all else about us. As Christ dwells in the heart, we are renewed in God's love and filled with the measure of the fullness of God (Eph 3:17-19).
That has personal and church implications.
Many of us plan for our physical and financial health in the New Year. This is good and responsible. Let's also plan, monitor and act for our spiritual health by giving priority time to growth in godliness. Let's all make it a goal that we are in better spiritual health this time next year.
As a church, let's be sure that we offer Jesus to the world. We are at God's best and our best when we focus on making Jesus known, calling people to repentance and faith and helping them to stay Christian and to grow as Christians. That's the key to a better 2009.
November 24th, 2008
We love because God loved us
Posted by piyo at 07:05 PM on November 24, 2008 in Bless.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19 (NIV)
We need to reach a day when we finally, fully understand how God loves us completely and unconditionally. We need to become secure in the truth that we cannot make God stop loving us.
Once we’re secure inside God’s unconditional love, we’ll start cutting people a lot of slack. We won’t be as angry as we’ve been. We’ll be more patient. We’ll be more forgiving. We’ll be more merciful. We’ll give others grace.
But you cannot give to others what you have not received yourself, and so my hope is that, as you learn how much God loves you, you’ll also let him heal your heart so that his love can flow freely through you. It’s impossible to love others until you really feel loved yourself.
(Rick Warren, PDL Daily Devotional 24 Nov 2008)