Surprise!

Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” (John 13:7)

How many times have you told God “God, I don’t understand what you’re doing!”?

I find myself being impatient from time to time asking God, what. is. happening! But Jesus said, later we will understand. There is only one who can see the big picture, everything from the beginning and the end, and that is God. He knows everything, and therefore he knows what’s best for us, and what’s not.

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Not only does he know everything, but he also has a plan for us. Plans to give us hope and a bright future. But contrary to what the scripture say, we often say “Why GOD! Why!” We blame God and we question his goodness.

“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? (Matthew 7:9)

Will God give us a stone instead? Absolutely not. He is our good father 🙂

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. (Matthew 7:11)

My husband’s birthday is coming up and I’ve been racking my brain day and night to think of the most perfect gift. And because we live together and our packages get delivered to the same spot, I was afraid that he might pick it up and find out what it is before his actual birthday. And I had to do some prep work and wrapping the gift without him knowing or seeing! So I told him if he can just go somewhere for half a day LOL! He asked me “What’s wrong? why?” I said “I need some space!” Hahahahahah (and I never say this kind of stuff) and he was puzzled and also seemed sad/disappointed. But I know that he will be more surprised that way!

I wonder God does that with us sometimes, he only reveals so much to us at a time, but save the best for the last.

Once we enter through the gate of heaven, he’ll be standing there with his arms wide open welcoming us back with the most radiant smile and say

“Surprise!”

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Do what makes you happy?

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:2)

All my life I was told to just do what makes me happy.

It was all about ME. Focus on my feelings, focus on what brings me pleasure. Live for me and myself only. But this left me so empty and unfulfilled.

It was when I experienced the love of Christ, that flipped my world upside down. I feel like there was a hole in my heart that nothing else could fill. But only Jesus could fill that gaping hole. When Jesus embraced me, and encountered me through holy spirit, I truly felt what it is like to be loved by my creator. We are created in his image. We are created to worship him. But the world will tell you otherwise.

For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen. (Romans 11:36)

Apart from God, there is no meaning, no life, no purpose.

All the advertisement we see on social media / TV, tells you a certain type of message. Once you buy this car, you’ll be happy. If you wear this kind of clothes, people will love you. If you live in a place like this, you will feel fulfilled. When you go on certain type of vacation, it will bring you all the joy and purpose in life. But did it?

I believed in the lies that owning certain things, or filling my life with certain experiences will bring me the ultimate fulfillment, but it never did. You just end up feeling like you are chasing after an illusion.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

Don’t let the world get to you, but turn to the truth. I pray that I don’t conform to the pattern of this world, but by the power of Holy Spirit, I’ll be transforming the culture from the heavenly perspective.

Powerful Scripture Verses : Sin & Freedom

Here are collection of verses that I think could really help us to experience FULL freedom in Christ 🙂

• No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

• Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7)

• Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

• “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything. (1 Corinthians 6:12)

• and call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me. (Psalms 50:15)

• Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:3-5)

• It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, (Titus 2:12)

• Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. (James 1:2-3)

• I can do all this through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)

• You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

• “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41)

• For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (John 3:16-17)

• Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

• For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. (2 Corinthians 10:3-4)

All I have is very little…

 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’ ” (1 King 17:12-14)

She didn’t have any bread,

only a handful of flour and little oilve oil. That’s all she had, so she was going to eat that with her son as the last meal and die.

But Elijah, instead of giving her food or the help she needs, first, tells her to not be afraid. If there was a woman in dire need and is starving, my first instinct would be to just simply feed her and her son some food. But Elijah was different. He heard from God the instruction and told the woman to use that LAST little bit of flour and oil to make a small loaf of bread and give it to him.

Instead of using that last bit for herself, the woman used that to serve the Lord and his servant. That act of faithful sacrifice has resulted in the flour and oil never running out in the household. It was not by Elijah, that she was fed, but it was by God’s supernatural provision.

There are times in our lives, where we feel like we have nothing left. No money, no energy, no love, nothing. Drained/ burnt out and ready to just give up and die. But what would happen, if in a situation like this, we decide to give that last bit of ourselves to the Lord? Lord just take everything, even this ounce of energy I have left, I just give it all to you. If I die, then I die, but I sacrifice everything I have left to you.

That’s when the true miracle happens.

 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?” (John 6:9)

The boy’s meal, it wasn’t much, but he gave it up to the Lord with faith. If he held on to his meal, then we would’ve never witnessed the miracle! I need to think about what I’m holding on to, and not letting go to the Lord. If we try to feed ourselves with what we have, then we are missing out on the true provision from God.

Our God is a good God who wants to bless us, and he has ALL the resources to do that. But we have to let him. How can God bless us when we are SO self-sufficient? Lord, please help me to fully sacrifice every last bit of myself to you. Amen.