Create in me a clean heart , O God

<sup>Psalm 52

10</sup> Create in me a pure heart, O God,
   and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
   or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

- David's prayer

Hunger

Sometimes, our hunger for human love and affection can be greater than our hunger for a slice of bread.

ONLY ONE LIFE

This is a song I used to sing when God first came real to me. I don't know the writer but it established in my heart a single unshakeable truth. I live this life for a Person: not a reason, not a goal or a purpose, not for people and certainly never for myself. The path I took a few years ago, led me down a different road and temporarily obscured this truth. I am so glad to have it found it again.

It matters so little
How much you may own,
The places you've been
And the people you've known,
For it all comes to nothing
When placed at His feet,
It means nothing to Jesus
Just memories to keep.

You can have all the treasures
From far away lands
You can have all the wealth,
You can hold in your hands
You can have all the pleasures,
Money can buy
But what will you have
When it's your turn to die?

Refrain:
Only one life
Soon it will pass
Only what's done for Christ will last
Only one chance to do His will
So give to Jesus all your days
It's the only life that pays
When you recall
You have but one life

The days pass so swiftly
The months come and go
The years melt away
As new fallen snow
Spring turns to summer
Summer to fall
Autumn brings winter
And death comes to all

Easter

It was nice to get this text on Easter Sunday.

He had no servant, but they called Him Master
No degree, but they called Him Teacher
No medicines but they called Him Healer
No army, but kings feared Him.
He won no military battles, but He conquered the world
He committed no crime, but they crucified Him
He was buried in a tomb, but is alive today
He is humble but will always be exalted

His name is JESUS.
HE is our HOPE and GUIDE

Breath of Heaven

This song kinda gives me goosebumps (in a good way!) when I listen to it. I can relate to how Mary must have felt as I too am carrying a revelation of the Christ that has inexorably made me an outcast of institutional christianity.

How does a young guileless virgin explain that her pregnancy came about after an encounter with an angel who told her she would give birth to the Messiah?

"Does she really expect us to believe that she conceived a child without sleeping with a man?

"Does she think we were born yesterday?"

"We know what you really did!"

Young Mary may not have realised the seriousness of the task but she was sincere when she told the angel, (Luke 1:38) "I am the Lord's servant, May it be to me as you have said."

The inception of the baby within her began with this humble confession. The cost would be great. Joseph wanted to divorce her immediately. (In Jewish times, a betrothal was as good as the marriage vow) He certainly did not want another man's baby. But God was watching over Mary. And he gave Joseph a dream that convinced him that God was behind all this.

Mary must have felt the accusing stares of neighbours and friends. Wasn't it every young woman's dream to marry a nice man and raise a family? Mary was no different. But she didn't anticipate that it would come in the manner that it did. She couldn't even be sure of Joseph's feelings for her. No family and relatives to fuss over her and treat her like a princess because the elaborate wedding preparations had to be hurriedly scrapped to avoid any unpleasant gossip. And if that was not enough she had to endure the arduous journey to Bethlehem in an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Perhaps this was the song, Mary sang to herself as she pondered over the path God had carved out for her. Fearful and vulnerable she was when she placed her life and the future of her infant in God's hands. But still trusting in the awesome Hand that guided her own.

Perhaps this is the song that you sing to the One who has led you down this lonely path. You feel fearful and vulnerable as Mary did 2 thousand years ago. But don't give up! Trust Him. The Hands that hung the stars in the heavens are fully capable of guiding you to your destiny which is His holy purpose of revealing Christ the Son.

BREATH OF HEAVEN
I have traveled many moonless nights,
Cold and weary with a babe inside,
And I wonder what I've done.
Holy Father you have come,
And chosen me now to carry your son.

I am waiting in a silent prayer.
I am frightened by the load I bear.
In a world as cold as stone,
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now.
Be with me now.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.

Do you wonder as you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place,
But I offer all I am
For the mercy of your plan.
Help me be strong.
Help me be.
Help me.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven.


Song 'Breath of Heaven' by Chris Eaton and Amy Grant

Aku minta kepada TUHAN

Aku minta kepada TUHAN
Setangkai bunga segar
DIA beri aku kaktus yang berduri
Aku minta kupu-kupu
DiberiNYA ulat

Aku kecewa dan sedih
Tapi tetap bersabar

Namun, tak lama kemudian kaktus itu berbunga indah sekali
Dan ulat itu menjadi kupu-kupu yang cantik.

Begitulah cara TUHAN mengasihi kita
Selalu indah pada waktunya

Dying to Live

One by one. I've had to lay down my lofty ideals even the ones I thought were godly and worthy of my love and life. My most precious friendships, my most selfless ambitions, even my childlike innocence; Nothing was spared but each one was taken from me and systematically dismantled and destroyed beyond recognition.

Against my will.
Despite my strong protests.
My pleas disregarded.
My tears unnoticed.

Till I am standing stripped of every thing I treasured and worshipped.
My hands empty.
Till I am bleeding; torn without remedy.
My heart irreparably broken.
Till I despaired of ever being restored.
Drunk blind with disillusionment.

Is there hope for one such as I?

Can God put me together again?

Yes He can. He did not bring me this far to abandon me. His love for me is unfailing and eternal. He will restore this weary soul.

I WILL BE GOOD AGAIN. I KNOW IT.

But not the way I was before.

Minus my selfish pride,
Minus my smug self-righteous ways,
Minus my suffocating self-pity,
Minus my self-reliance,
Minus my need to vindicate self.


You see, Self is the only real enemy.

How will He accomplish this? It's not for me to know.

I only know God ordered this path for me. It was He who escorted me to Golgotha's hill. It was His hands that nailed mine to that cross. It was His spear that pierced my side. And finally it was He that left me there to die.

But I did not die alone. We died together. We suffered humiliating shame and crushing defeat, together. We felt the sting of betrayal and the pain of rejection, together. Together we drank from the cup of suffering and together we swallowed the last bitter drop.

But it was needful. Just as it was needful for Jesus to die on the cross so He could buy your freedom and mine.

In order to heal, I had to hurt.
In order to live, I needed to die.
To greet the dawn, I must endure the night.

I'm waiting for the 3rd day. When the tomb will be opened. And the dead will come alive again. Resurrected by the power of God. Filled with the Spirit of God. Complete and whole again.

But you won't recognize me.

Instead you will behold the Christ. HIS righteousness. HIS Faith. HIS Truth. HIS love. HIS Compassion.

A new creation. Conformed to the image of Christ - God's beloved Son.

All of Him and none of me.
He must Increase but I must Decrease.

God, don't let me interfere with the process. Don' let me tell you what to do. Don't rescue me; don't release me until I am well and truly dead to the carnal fleshly me.

So that I may know what it is to truly Live.

Galatians 2:20-21
20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!"

Matthew 10: 38, 39
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Proverbs to live by

Did you know?

You can get by ...
without a fixed income but you cannot live without His provision.

You can sacrifice ...
the comforts of home but how can one give up the comfort of His presence?

You can listen ...
to the harshest critic but you cannot learn without His correction.

You can cope ...
by medicating your pain but you cannot be whole without His healing.

You can confess ...
your deepest fear but to conquer it you need His unfailing love.

You can bear ...
the greatest sorrow but you couldn’t endure without His promise.

You can answer ...
the hardest question and still be unable to explain His wisdom.

You can buy ...
the most expensive gift but you could never afford His peace.

You can neglect ...
the company of man but do not shun His friendship.

You can dismiss ...
the opinions of others but you cannot deny His truth.

You can go hungry ...
without eating but you will starve without His life-giving word.

You can please ...
all the people in the world and never win His approval.

Prescription for fruitfulness

1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.

4 Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.

6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

The Bible, Psalm 1 (New International version)

EVERYTHING - Tim Hughes

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me
the hope of glory
You are everything

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me
the hope of glory
Be my everything

Praying with Paul (Colossians 1:9-12)

God, fill me with the knowledge of your will

empty me of self-absorbed ambitions so that the full knowledge of your purpose fills me up to the brim. I do not want to be ignorant or dispassionate of your will for my life.

through all spiritual wisdom and understanding

help me discern what is your will, not by using human intellect but by discovering it through the revelation of your spirit. I don't want to guess or presume that I know what it is. How can the finite mind understand the intricate workings of your infinite wisdom? I don't want hints or suspicions. You are the God who speaks clearly, "this is the path, walk in it". Show me in Your Word. Explain it to my mind. Clarify it through others.

in order that I may live a life worthy of my Lord

I want to be a credible witness for you. I don't want to practice a different gospel from the one you preached. Consciously and consistently following in the Master's footsteps.

pleasing you in every way

to concentrate on making you proud of me without fear or favour of man. Even if nobody sees, let me always choose to walk in integrity before you. Even if I mess up, teach me to be responsible so you don't have to be ashamed of me.

bearing fruit in every good work

to succeed in every good work you've ordered me to do. 'Success' simply defined as doing your work your way. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Help me remember that I'm not doing this for monetary reward or man's applause but at the end of the day to hear you say, "Well done good and faithful servant".

growing in the knowledge of God

I want first-hand knowledge of you, personally tutored by your spirit. Like Mary who chose to spend her time sitting at your feet.

strengthen me with all power according to your glorious might

I can't dictate what you can or cannot do in and through me. All things are possible with you. My weakness? Simply an opportunity for you to show me how strong you are.

so that I may have great endurance and patience

the real goal of my faith is the cultivation of character. It's not what I can gain in terms of power, position or popularity. It is always about becoming more and more like you.

and joyfully give thanks to the Father, who has qualified me to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light

bathe my heart with gratitude. Never let me forget what you have done for me eternally. You are my father. I am your heir. I have an incredible destiny in you. I am indeed blessed!

This is Jesus!

This is Jesus
In His glory
King of Heaven dying for me,
It is finished,
He has done it
Death is beaten
Heaven beckons me.

Such love, such love

is this for me.

(I want us to just imagine that we're part of the curious crowd of people who followed Jesus around…)

We are impressed with his teaching and expert exposition of Holy Scriptures - such authority! Amazed at how he cleverly answers difficult questions thrown at him. We cheer when demons are expelled at his command and applaud when the lame walk and the blind see. Nothing is impossible for him! Why, he brings even the dead back to life! Do you remember how he raised Lazarus from the dead though he'd been lying in the grave for 4 days?

We're thrilled that he can feed multitudes with a few loaves of bread and still have leftovers in abundance. It warms our hearts to see lepers healed and restored to the community by a single touch. We nod approvingly as he takes little children into his arms to bless them. We marvel that he abandons protocol to mingle with tax-collectors and sinners - people considered misfits of conventional society.

We’re delighted at how he outwits the Pharisees who try to trick Him. We feel vindicated when he exposes the hypocrisy of religious leaders. We tremble at the way he clears the temple of greedy money-changers and dove sellers. What righteous indignation! A daring display of holy anger! Did you hear how he calmed the raging sea? How he walked on water? The people adore this Teacher, this Prophet, one of a kind Healer, Miracle-worker and Master over nature! Why, the crowd went wild, strewing their coats and palm branches before him as he rode into Jerusalem city. This god-man deserves to be King.

(But wait! This isn’t any run of the mill story with a Hollywood ending. This ‘John Wayne’ didn’t ride into the sunset.) We continue our journey.

 What about when he was betrayed by one he called friend? When he was unlawfully arrested and suffered the sham of a court trial? When he was falsely accused yet said nothing in his own defense? When he was sentenced to death without just cause? When he surrendered his body to his torturers to be beaten and spat on? When he offered no resistance and made no last minute appeal? When he looked sadly into the faces of the bloodthirsty crowd that had forgotten all the good he’d ever done? When he silently endured the taunts and insults of brutish unrepentant men? When the soldiers nailed him to the wooden beam where he had to remain till he drew his final breath?

What did you feel?
Disbelief? Disappointment and disillusionment perhaps? A sense of hopelessness? Grief for the way his life was abruptly ended? Anger at the injustice he had to suffer? Maybe disgust because he could not save himself?

As he hangs there, dying, we hear him speak the words that release his murderers from their guilt, 'Father, forgive them! They don’t know what they are doing'.

Our feelings give way to revelation.
Shame. Humility. Awe. Praise. Gratitude. and finally Surrender.

It is there, at the foot of the cross, looking up at his broken and bleeding body that you and I must bow our head, bend our knee and call him … Saviour and Lord.

Because at that moment, we receive an epiphany. All of a sudden, we understand the meaning of grace. And unconditional love. 

John3:16

 ¹⁶ “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

This is Jesus in his glory…. his limelight moment.

Words fail me Jesus.

You are my true hero.
You have shown us the way. Now teach us to follow you.