tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-349427912023-06-21T13:06:29.514+08:00Writer's TongueThis blog is for writings that seek to edify, build, and be totally wholesome to your mind. This is built with content that can hopefully encourage you as you go through life. And may you find the One who gave me Life in all its fullness, the Lord Jesus Christ.RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-5293627228260747472012-09-06T01:25:00.001+08:002012-09-06T01:25:28.260+08:00KairosYesterday's goods, spoiled and rotten.<br />
I choose today.<br />
A while ago is soon forgotten,<br />
I choose today.<br />
Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, a lot of thoughts on my head,<br />
but I choose today.<br />
<br />
Today I am given, a gift it can be proven,<br />
Tomorrow's not here yet, can I plan ahead?<br />
I'm here to stay...<br />
Enjoying the moment,<br />
Seize opportunity,<br />
Redeem the time.<br />
These are the days, my friend, that you don't want to waste.<br />
It's here, right now, Grab hold!<br />
<br />
You're given one chance,<br />
You're given one shot,<br />
This is the day, This is the day<br />
<br />
The storms ahead may come, but now is what counts.<br />
Can't you see what's standing right in front of you is a gift,<br />
It's called the PRESENT.<br />
<br />
Moment by moment, Strength to strength<br />
Keep the faith. Now is the time.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-84209661042693342162010-06-14T23:30:00.000+08:002010-06-14T23:31:21.379+08:00Wedding Story<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">That wedding dinner, everything seemed to go well until I arrived – I realized I wasn't on the guest list. Memory gap. I'm a friend of the bride, and I hadn't recalled that she asked me to choose whether I would attend the morning wedding rites and reception, or the dinner programme. It was too late since I didn't show up in the morning, and I had to think fast. Being overseas, I felt the stress. It happened that the wedding coordinator tried to arrange a seat for me. Despite our pleas he placed me at a table – away from my friends. I sat there, made friends with the guy next to me, and even begged the waiter standing there to try to transfer me with my friends – the answer was <i>SORRY, NO</i>. After about 10 minutes the coordinator came to me again and said, “<i>You are being transferred.</i>” I was moved to the table with my friends, and enjoyed the rest of the evening. Then I remembered God's grace. It's not because of our efforts – we've been invited and adopted into His family because He chose to do it. And one day, <span style="">we will be at His wedding</span>.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><br /></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" align="center"><i><b>"Therefore, as [the] elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering;" - Colossians 3:12</b></i></p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;" align="center"><br /></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-23100962440279175552008-05-13T08:43:00.001+08:002008-05-13T12:44:59.596+08:00Good Leg, Bad Leg<p>During my last trip to Guimaras, I was privileged to meet a man who had been the patient of my friend who was with me. My friend is a former physical therapist, and he had been rehabilitating the man's left leg that broke. I listened as they talked to each other about how the cane should not be used on the left part of the body where the bad leg was, with the left hand holding it. Instead, the cane should be held on the right side of the body where the good leg was, with the right hand holding it. People wonder why the cane should not just support the bad leg by being used on the same side. But the logic is simple: <i>Strengthen the good leg, and it will have enough strength to carry the bad leg</i>.</p> <p>Instantly, God spoke to my spirit as I had that insight. And my heart's desire as a servant of this church is to strengthen the good leg. God has not called me to be an evangelist, but to be an encourager and an exhorter for the body of Christ. And as God strengthens the local assembly, it will be more equipped to the work of reaching out to others(“bad leg”) for Christ. May you strengthen a good leg today.<br /></p> <p><br /></p> <p align="center">“<i><b>...speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ--from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” - Ephesians 4:15-16</b></i></p> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost"></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-91585391500601046372008-02-05T18:36:00.000+08:002008-02-05T23:38:58.567+08:00Hearing AidAs I was buying medicine, I asked for the price of a gentian violet. I thought I heard the pharmacist say “<i><b>forty</b></i>” (and then some) so I was calculating in my mind the total price I was going to pay since I was also buying vitamins. It was pretty high. When I was given my change, to my relief, she actually said “<i><b>fourteen</b></i><b>.</b>” <p>Sometimes our hearing can be the root of our problems. We don’t listen very well, and we miss out on things. Even when we try to listen to God, maybe we only hear half of what He’s saying or not hear Him right at all. May the Lord unplug our ears from any clutter and may we be still and know that He is God (<i>Psalm 46:10</i>). That way we can hear what He is saying by His Spirit (<i>Revelation 2:7</i>).<br /><br /></p> <p>“<i><b>For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.”</b></i></p> <p><i><b> - Romans 8:14</b></i></p> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost"></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-70651093350892767222008-01-23T07:50:00.000+08:002008-01-23T12:58:27.459+08:00Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow<i>Hair today, gone tomorrow</i>. Yesterday I had my hair shortened after more than two years of wearing it long. It takes a while to get used to. Such is the characteristic of seasons in our lives. Things constantly change, and what was once the present is now the past. As Christians, we have to move on. We cannot stay in the exact same situation we were in last year, or even in yesterday. Each day is a gift from God, and He desires that our path shine brighter as we walk with Him.<br /><br />Seek the Lord's will for your life today. Let Him put His desires for your life into your heart as you soak in His presence. God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. Hats off to the past, coats off to the future!<br /><br />“<i><b>...'It is a good land which the LORD our God is giving us.'” - Deuteronomy 1:25</b></i><p></p> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost"></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-48093821523740767512007-10-27T06:45:00.000+08:002007-10-27T11:13:11.162+08:00Baggages<p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">During our recent trip to Cebu for the pastors and workers' conference, going back to Iloilo was a learning experience for me. As we went to the pier to get aboard the ship going to Iloilo, security had to inspect all our things for deadly weapons. As I was passing through the metal detector, it kept beeping on me! The guard won't let me pass through until there was no more beep. So I had to remove my cellphone...then my coins and keys...lastly, my belt that had a metal buckle. Finally, the detector went silent after I removed all the metal objects attached to me. The lesson: <i>Don't carry too much metal on my next trip.</i></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0cm;"><i><br /></i></p> <p>Sometimes in our walk with the Lord we carry too much extra baggage. This can come in different forms like bad habits, bitterness, or anxiety. But it can also come in good packaging such as activities that don't really help us stay focused on God's call upon our lives. Sometimes <i>good things</i> become the enemies of the <i>best things</i> that God has for us. Let's seek the Lord for His perfect will for our lives and lay down anything that can hinder us from running our race. - <i>RJ Alobba</i></p> <p><br /></p> <p>“<span><b>Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” - Hebrews 12:1</b></span></p> <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class="multiply:no_crosspost"></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-53383216167094502112007-10-13T10:43:00.000+08:002007-10-13T14:43:06.449+08:00UseLESs rUsH<font style="font-style: italic;">"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,</font><sup style="font-style: italic;"> </sup><font style="font-style: italic;"> redeeming the time, because the days are evil." - Ephesians 5:15-16</font><br><br><br>Recently, I had to rush some errands for my office and I didn't have a lot of time in my hands since I decided to do it on my lunch break. I had to go to the mall to buy lunch, get a staple gun, swing to the other office to drop some supplies, pick up the laptop the company issued me, and go back to my office. All this has to happen in one hour.<br><br>12:00:01...12:00:02...12:00:03...12:00:04...<br><br><font face="arial">The following occurs between 12:00 P.M. and 1:00 P.M.</font><br><br>Preparing to rush out the door, I picked up the plastic bag that I thought were the supplies I needed to deliver. I got to the mall parking lot and I took a good look at the bag -- it was the wrong one, since I picked up the plastic bag containing the trash instead! I then had to go to plan B.<br><br>12:59:57...12:59:58...12:59:59...01:00:00<br><br>In the world we live in today, things are rushing. Even on this remote island in the Philippines were I live in, things are already starting to be fast-paced. Life just keeps demanding, doesn't it? Still, we are called to be wise people. We Christians live by a higher standard and we live by faith. No matter what happens, let's take time to wait on the Lord, to pray over things, and to make decisions based on a Biblical world view, and not the view the world tries to plunge down our throats.<br><br>RJ<br>Iloilo City, Philippines <!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-76328304248795862512007-07-11T17:06:00.001+08:002007-07-11T17:17:57.306+08:00The JugglerI've read somewhere about how jugglers maintain their juggling. A juggler can juggle items, say balls, and probably as many as seven will keep flying over and over as he juggles them with his hand. He doesn't drop them. The secret? The juggler doesn't focus on just one of the balls. He focuses on the highest point. As high as a ball can reach, that's where he fixes his eyes on. And that's why he doesn't drop the balls.<br /><br />The Bible commands us Christians, <span style="font-style: italic;">"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." (Hebrews 12:2, New International Version)</span> What's higher than Jesus? Nothing. Let's keep our eyes on Him, and just when you think you're falling, He catches you.RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-31709438804618840942007-06-24T18:40:00.001+08:002007-06-24T18:56:13.196+08:00The Sandy Highway<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Editor's note: I originally </span><span style="font-size:100%;">wrote this for a friend. Now I'm posting it publicly.</span><br /><br /></span><h4 style="font-style: italic;">“For who has despised the day of small things?” – Zechariah 4:10</h4> <span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="">The desert is a place where the path is not so clearly defined. It’s a place only God can take you through, for he made pathways where there is none.</span></span><br /><br /><br /><h5 style="line-height: 150%;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Contents</span></h5> <ul><li><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style=""></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">How to know you’re in the desert</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">What to do in the desert</span></span><!--[endif]--></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style=""></span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Don’t stay in the desert</span></span><!--[if !supportLists]--></li><li><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:Wingdings;"><span style=""> </span></span><span style="font-family:Arial;">Time to go, take the Promised Land!</span></span></li></ul><br /><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <h3><span style="font-size:13;">How to know you’re in the desert<o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p><br /> The Israelites came out of Egypt going towards the Promised Land via the desert highway, which is invisible. They wandered around for 40 years in the wilderness, since they were disobedient and complaining (Ps. 95:10). The primary characteristic of the desert is the <i>dryness</i> of the environment. The secondary characteristic is the <i>absence of borders and landmarks</i>. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Dryness is the ultimate test of faith. Faith comes by hearing the Word of God… man shall not live by bread alone, but by every Word of God. The food and thirst drive will always test the faith of the one from whom food is absent. The Israelites were provided for miraculously by manna. Water came out of the rock miraculously. When our faith is tested in the area of provision, this is one indication that we are indeed in a dry desert.<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Liberty is one thing that we as Christians possess as joint heirs with Christ. All things are lawful, though not everything is good (1 Cor. 6:12). I won’t elaborate on this, but simply make this point: In the dry desert is <i>freedom.</i> Yes, there is a balance to all the dryness out there. No walls, no ceiling, no floor. Just open space. But of course, you can always build your tent. Each day has a miracle of provision in the desert life. Planting and harvesting are not suitable. This you learn to do in the Promised Land.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></p> <h3><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></h3> <h3><span style="font-size:13;">What to do in the desert<o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><br />The desert is definitely not the place to shop. The purpose of the desert is training. <span style="font-family:Arial;">“Temporary</span>” is written all over the desert, if it has signposts. The desert is not the place to stay. It is the place to grow, the place to learn, and the place to be purified.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""></span> The Israelites had to learn a hard lesson in faith and trust. They also had to learn to leave the ways of Egypt behind. And the tests they went through separated those who will inherit the Promised Land and those who won’t. In one generation, only two passed the test – Joshua and Caleb. All the rest were from the second generation, the ones born in the desert.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>Biblical examples of people prepared by God in the desert, or in a wilderness setting include Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah, and David.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The desert is God’s season of preparation. Passing through it will increase faith, mature the spirit, and produce iron-core patience.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The desert is the place to live by faith. Trusting God for your daily needs may be the hardest and most constant test of all. Living on the edge never has been easy, and this is the place to trust God in extreme circumstances. Know that God is always present, even in our lapses of faith, or acts of foolishness. Faith and foolishness are next door neighbors, and we at times find ourselves falling over the fence into the neighbor’s backyard.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <h3><span style="font-size:13;">Don’t stay in the desert<o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><br />The desert is not the place of permanence. One dangerous thing about the desert is not that it’s hard, but when one gets used to it, it can become a comfort zone. Personally I was comfortable in my desert. Things were going so well, it seems. But it was time to leave. I didn’t want to leave. I liked the desert. The desert was my home (<i>Beware of that thought!</i>) It was time to move on, and God had to make me realize that over time. Looking back, I can see what could have been – but it’s just too late. Now that I’m out of the desert, it’s time to move on.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>One battle that one must fight is the battle against Amalek. Amalek is a type of the flesh. Our flesh likes comfort. But giving in to it would be destructive. Israel had to deal with Amalek years later, in the story of Esther. The whole nation was almost wiped out by one Amalekite named Haman.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></p> <h3><span style="font-size:13;">Time to go, take the Promised Land!<o:p></o:p></span></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span><br />Battles have been fought. The flesh has been crucified. It’s time to take the Promised Land. The doors fling wide open into a new season in your life. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>A few things to remember. The Promised Land doesn’t have manna raining everyday. The manna ceased on the day after Israel had eaten the produce of the land; and the children of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate the food of the land of Canaan (Joshua 5:12). It is the place to plant and harvest. It’s the place to work hard for your daily needs. But it is the place that one can have abundance that he never had in the desert. Another thing to remember is that the Promised Land has landmarks and borders. It is time to live in society as it really is. You’ll realize that not everyone can be trusted, and every major decision has to be thought through. There’s a certain level of responsibility in this. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style=""> </span>The Promised Land is a land of hills, valleys, battles, and walls of Jericho that need to be brought down flat. Never neglect prayer, especially in major decisions as Joshua did in Ai (Joshua 7).<span style=""> </span>But the Promised Land is also a place of victory. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p><br /> May you walk victoriously, walking in the Spirit as you take your Promised Land!</p>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-75619299428556583622007-06-06T16:05:00.000+08:002007-06-22T13:55:41.062+08:00Slapping WaterWhen I was taking my Inductive Bible Study class, I once heard a pastor tell a story of a man who wanted to be a Shaolin fighting monk.<br /><br />He went to Tibet to train with the masters of Shaolin. The first thing they did was to give him a bucket filled to the brim with water and told him, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Slap the water with your right and left hands, one hand at a time, alternating the right and the left, until the bucket is emptied of water. And when the bucket is empty, fill it again with water up to the brim and do the same thing. You are to do this all day long.</span>" And so he did. The next day, they gave him the same task.<br /><br />A week had passed. Same task.<br /><br />A month had passed. Same task.<br /><br />A year had passed. Same task. Within this time frame he was able to ask, "<span style="font-style: italic;">When do I get to learn to do the awesome moves? The flying and all?</span>" The Shaolin master patiently said, just keep slapping water.<br /><br />Two years had passed. Same task. Now he can take a vacation and be with his family for a while.<br /><br />Frustrated. Angry. Disappointed. He felt deceived.<br /><br />As he went home, his family and friends prepared a banquet for him. They were celebrating his coming home for a visit. As they were feasting, somebody asked him, "<span style="font-style: italic;">So, how was your Shaolin training?</span>" When he heard that, he could no longer hold his anger and frustration. He got up and said angrily, "<span style="font-style: italic;">I learned nothing! All they did was make me slap water everyday. That's all I did!</span>" He was still boiling with anger and in his rage he slapped the food table where all his family and friends were seated -- a table about a foot thick. Suddenly, the table split in two. Someone exclaimed, "<span style="font-style: italic;">The stories are true!</span>"<br /><br />And that's how it is with us sometimes. God gives us daily tasks. We get tired of them. Bored with morning Bible devotions? Bored with school? With work? Don't be discouraged. You'll be breaking tables soon with one hand. =)RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-88069263026136185582007-02-20T12:48:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:09:03.097+08:00In the Promised LandThere are differences between living in the desert and the promised land. No, I'm not talking about water. I'm talking about borders. Boundaries. Landmarks. Yes, even fences. The difference between the desert and the promised land is in the visibility of perimeters. These things keep us in check and keep us on the right track. Though there are boundaries in the desert, the promised land seems to be the place where they are most emphasized. This is part of keeping a good witness for Christ to the world. So what are boundaries? Here are some examples:<br /><br />1. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Skin</span> - yes, boundaries start with your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. You are not your own if you're a Christian. Let there not even be a hint of sexual immorality. Don't let your body be abused either by you or others.<br /><br />2. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Words</span> - learn when to say "yes" and when to say "no". And let your yes be yes, and your no, no.<br />3. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Time</span> - manage your time effectively. You'll only have one chance in this. The past is something you can never get back to.<br />4. <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Space</span> - physically separate yourself from harmful situations and relationships when necessary.<br /><br />Yes, the wilderness is over. You're in the promised land now. Keep your boundaries well.RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1170911182104381922007-02-08T12:54:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:09:50.006+08:00In the Desert<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8138/2597/1600/977970/desert.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/8138/2597/320/39744/desert.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a> The desert is a place of dryness and weariness. But it is also the place where we can develop our full potential in Christ. In the Bible, the desert is a picture of God's seasons of preparation. Moses was prepared to lead Israel out of Egyptian slavery by becoming a man of the desert. John the Baptist grew up in the desert before preparing the way of the Lord Jesus. Paul the apostle stayed in Arabia after he received the revelation of God's Son.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There are key things to remember when you're in a Christian desert experience:<br /><br />1. God is with you.<br />2. God is using the desert to prepare your character for greater service for Christ.<br />3. The desert won't always "feel" right.<br />4. Don't stay there forever. When God leads the way out, go for it.RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1161008481446195682006-10-16T22:16:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:10:44.176+08:00ShadyWill I ever be yours<br />Will you ever be mine<br />The Lord knows His plans<br />Even when we don't - they're divine.<br /><br />He gives us the journey<br />A step at a time<br />The journey of a thousand miles<br />Begins with foot prints and rhyme.<br /><br />That's why I write this poem,<br />You're on my mind.<br />Will our paths cross to the south<br />Or will I stay behind?<br /><br />May you find God's will for you<br />As you have trusted Him in the past<br />I have trusted Him, too<br />And this test I will pass.<br /><br />For our afflictions are but for a moment<br />Our endurance, for a lifetime<br />Happy are those who know their journey<br />That everything becomes beautiful in His time.<br /><br />Yes, He makes all things beautiful<br />And it's great to see<br />A glimpse of it<br />For you and for me.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Recommended reading:</span><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wriston-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1576737098&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1161008136988637772006-10-16T22:00:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:11:38.076+08:00Carrying a CorpseAs Christians, we live and walk in two natures: the <em>flesh </em>and the <em>Spirit</em>. The flesh is the old nature that is sinful and that won't go away until we meet the Lord face to face. The Spirit is God's nature that works itself out as we mature in Christ. The conflict goes on as long as we are here on earth.<br /><br />During Roman times, if you murdered somebody, there is a very unusual penalty for you. You would be tied to the corpse of the person you killed, and you had to walk around carrying that corpse. The corpse starts to rot and smell bad, but you still had to carry it. This is what the Apostle Paul talks about when he said in the book of Romans, "<em>O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.</em>"<br /><br />This situation is spiritualized in our present day walk with the Lord Jesus Christ. We are born again and alive in the <em>Spirit</em> and at the same time, we carry around this old corpse called the <em>flesh</em>. That's why it's usually hard to make important decisions when the two are opposing each other. But the situation is not hopeless. God does the work to enable us to obey the <em>Spirit</em> as Paul said, "through Jesus Christ our Lord!"<br /><br />Our responsibility is to stay close to Jesus Christ our Lord. Read the <strong>Bible</strong>. <strong>Pray</strong>. <strong>Fellowship</strong> with fellow Christians. Obey God. You'll strengthen the Spirit's nature in you and starve the flesh. And the strong will dominate.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Recommended reading:</span><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wriston-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=084234571X&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1160304139490386582006-10-08T18:24:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:12:01.212+08:00Early SunriseWhen you walked up those stairs,<br />I thought my life would never be the same.<br />I felt you were the one He gave,<br />And I tried to get to know your name.<br /><br />We had fun times together with our friends,<br />Times I won't forget.<br />I should've introduced you to my Dad, but that's all past<br />-- I haven't done that yet.<br />You're on the island to my east,<br />We're separated by the sea, like a foggy mist.<br />If there were someone to marry,<br />I feel like I know who it will be.<br /><br />But the heart is deceitful, and feelings lie.<br />I'm anchored deep in Christ,<br />On Him I rely<br />And He will suffice.<br /><br />He is the Alpha and Omega,<br />The beginning and the end.<br />He knows the way I take,<br />And guides me with His hand.<br /><br />I know He's in control<br />The Sovereign Lord of all<br />He has plans for you and plans for me<br />Let's just answer His call<br />To be all He wants us to be.<br /><br />His grace sustains, not our own strength,<br />We try and try, but He says<br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Trust in Me, I'll carry you through.</span>"<br />Though the road has great length<br />We can make it, too.<br /><br />It may not be you and me but definitely,<br />Christ in you and Christ in me,<br />We'll be together for all eternity.<br />In that grand day when the race is won<br />To hear Him say,<br />"<span style="font-style: italic;">Well done, good and faithful one.</span>"<br /><br />We rejoice within that great multitude,<br />The Bride of Christ -- spotless, cleansed, and full of gratitude.<br />The Bridegroom cometh, hearken to His voice,<br />In that great union the creation will rejoice.<br /><br />For what is our life on earth in comparison<br />To that great wedding day with the Son?<br />So don't despair, live on for Jesus<br />Single one, put on your running shoes.<br />The race is vast, the laborers few,<br />So let's serve our God with every breath and sinew.<br />Rest content, find refuge in Him.<br />You're in the best season, for the gold, swim!<br /><br />This may never come again,<br />This hour is your finest,<br />So move on, give your best!<br /><br />-RadX<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Recommended reading:</span><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wriston-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=1590521358&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&amp;lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1159453065134486042006-09-28T22:10:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:12:29.499+08:00Our JourneyAs Christians, we are sojourners in this world where we temporarily reside. Unless we see life as a journey and not a destination we will never truly enjoy it in in its proper perspective.<br /><br />I heard of a story of an American missionary to Africa who just came back to the U.S.A. He had been serving in Africa for 20 years. On board the ship where he was riding back to the U.S.A., a politician was also there. When the ship docked in the U.S.A., a band and a big welcome party welcomed the politician home. As for the missionary, there was nobody to meet him there at the dock. He was so sad that he complained to God saying, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Lord, I served you in Africa for 20 years. And You never even sent someone to meet me here just to welcome me back to my country.</span>"<br />The Lord replied, "<span style="font-style: italic;">Son, you're <span style="font-weight: bold;">not home</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;">yet</span>."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></span>Enjoy the journey. This is the worst it can get. The best is yet to come.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span>RadX<br /></span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Recommended reading:</span><br /><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=wriston-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0842355820&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width: 120px; height: 240px;" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0" scrolling="no"></iframe>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34942791.post-1159099566651147342006-09-24T19:55:00.000+08:002007-02-26T18:13:11.796+08:00The Writer's Tongue<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8138/2597/1600/IMG_2045.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px 0px 10px 10px; float: right;" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/8138/2597/400/IMG_2045.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This blog is for writings that seek to edify, build, and be totally wholesome to your mind. This is built with content that can hopefully encourage you as you go through life. And may you find the One who gave me Life in all its fullness, the Lord Jesus Christ.<br /><br />RadX<br /><br /><br /><br /><small>This is a picture of a stream in Dumaguete City,<br /> Philippines.</small>RadXhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01424053151456883940noreply@blogger.com0