Thoughts on Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love…
What is it? What is it to love someone unconditionally? Well… Let’s break it up…
Condition: Depending on other factors; not certain.
Un- : prefix- not; contrary to; opposite of;
-al : suffix- of; related to; connected with, functional, sectional, tonal
Let’s joing them all now: Un ( contrary to, opposite of) condition (depending on other factors) al (related to)…. meaning: related to the opposite of depending on other factors…. Not depending on other factors… Not concerned with who or why or what or if…. it just is because it is..
Now tell me if that is humanly possible without God’s help..? I don’t think so. No human can love unconditionally…. that is without God’s help. He’s the only true unconditional lover of our souls, and we can only learn to love like He does if we let Him live through us….
it’s not easy…. true… but then nothing in this life is easy… trusting God should be easier considering He knows everything and cares. And despite everything that we do He still loves us and cares for us! It should be a heck of a lot easier trusting Him if we understand unconditional love…. maybe we should first try to understand and experience this unconditional love before we fully trust God because until we don’t understand, we won’t trust God completely… I’m guilty, but God is teaching me everyday…

maybe you should seek and learn what it is….

“No matter what or why or who or where… I will still love you,” says God

“And always will….. No matter what,” Says God

Because that is what Love is… and should be….

Unconditional

Thoughts on Home

Yeah, I know I haven’t wrote for a while. Been really busy, or really tired lately. Still am tired. But it’s oaky. Only about 5 more weeks before I go home…. Home… it’s been a while since I used that word the way I am now. I don’t know how it’ll be…. Probably won’t take any time at all to get used to it. That’s what Home is.

Home is where your heart is. That is true… very true… and right now, my heart is in Toronto with my family. A lot has happened and it has made me think a lot. Why did I do what I did? What did I accomplish? Was God honored? Did something good come out of this?

Why I did what I did?- To be honest, at first it was because of a girl. A wonderful young lady who has now long left me… but that’s not the focus…. that soon changed to finding answers in this life… What is my purpose? Why am I going through this? What is right and what is wrong? What is life?

What did I accomplish? Nothing I thought at first…. I thought, how could God use me after hurting so many people. Granted it wasn’t intentional, but I still hurt them… What did I accomplish? I don’t like to brag, but God used me to help bring someone back to Christ. People see me differently. They see I’m not like them.. That I got “religion” but there’s something different. I’ve tried to live a life that shows other’s who God is. I hope I did what He wanted…. after that’s why I’m going back home.. cause I believe my purpose here is accomplished….

Was God Honored? I would be a liar if I said “Yes”… at least while I was first staring out on my own…. I messed everything up! Everything!!! My relationships with my family, friends, and then in the end with my girlfriend. Because I did something I thought was God’s will but really wasn’t- it was my selfishness…. But look how amazing God is: He used my failures to bring good out of it…..

Did something good come out if it? Of course!!! Good always comes out of everything that we go through because there are lessons that God teaches us through them if we’re willing to learn. I learned what it is to trust and depend on God for EVERYTHING literally. I learned how important it is to have and continue the relationship with my Savior. I learned how to Cook … these are just a few of the things I learned….

What else can I say? I just pray that no one has to go through what I did….. it isn’t the most fun experiences… but I hope that you will learn from my mistakes and trust me when I say to trust God with Everything… because I have seen and experienced and tasted of His mercy and grace and love.

Keep your eyes on Him

 

No matter what…. There is no place like Home

No place….

Thoughts on Persecutions

Okay, so it’s 2:12 am and I’m awake. Can’t sleep so I thought I’d see if any of my friends are online. Hah! not really

I just finished  watching Death Race, and I don’t know why but Daniel came to my head. Daniel? Daniel who?? Then it struck me. Daniel from the Bible. I don’t know why Joseph didn’t pop up because he would have fit the scenario that Jason Statham faced. But Daniel came to my mind. Speaking about Daniel, I’m reminded of when I was yet in Youth Group and when we did a series on the life and on the book of Daniel. That was a really good study. He was captured and tried and tested and with God’s help he triumphed for God’s glory through His strength. Then I started thinking about why I’m thinking about Daniel and then the three young men, Shadrak, Mishak and Abednego came to my mind. They stood for what was right and man tried to conform them to their own standards and when they wouldn’t they tried to kill God’s men. And even that didn’t work because Jesus saved them. Then, my mind ventured to Daniel in the lions’ den. Wow! Imagine that! Being captured because you pray to the one true God and being thrown in a den full of hungry lions! That’s not fun; I’m pretty sure they lions weren’t friendly and that you wouldn’t think they’re cute and would let you touch their maine if you try to be nice. But miraculously, nothing happened to Daniel because God protected him. Now, Joseph comes to my mind. How he was sold into slavery by his brothers, and how because of his faithfulness to God that he became a great man in Egypt. And that even after running away from Pharaoh’s wife who tried to seduce him, he got put in prison for something he didn’t do. And how God brought him out of there and made him second in command in Egypt because of his faithfulness to God.

And then… then my mind goes to Jesus… My Lord, my God, my Savior, my Friend… The one who died for my sins… He did NOTHING wrong!!! and yet, they crucified Him… he let them crucify Him so that I could live!!! Me! an ungrateful, sinful man can live because of Him taking my place and punishment. 

All of these men had one thing in common: they did nothing wrong. Everything they did pleased God, I’m sure, but yet they were persecuted. Makes you wonder why sometimes… why would God allow that. Why do we let our kids certain mistakes, so that when we fail we learn from it… and we learn by the consequences of that mistake. I’m sure these men were not doing anything wrong, but God wanted to show his glory to them and to everyone around them. He wanted to show them the truth. He wanted them to learn from the lives of others. He wanted them to see that He is God and He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) I love that verse because its saying that everything that you go through or that anyone goes through is not new; someone or the other has been through it before. So, God won’t allow you to go through something that you can’t handle with His strength. He also says in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me”. Therefore, if we can do all things through Christ, and if He won’t let us go through something we can’t handle, we can handle anything as long as it’s by His strength. And once we do, and once we overcome that situation, we will see and learn that He is able and that He is real and that He cares…. And not only us, but others will see, too, that He is God!

So don’t complain when you’re persecuted; don’t whine because you’re having a rough time.

 

 .”

 

 

 

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 

Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you

Will you be willing to endure… for His glory and His sake…

Will you be willing to trust Him and let Him be victorious over your persecution….

Will you take the final stand…. for Him

Sorry folks…

I’m sorry everyone, I just don’t have anything to write about right now. I mean, I bet there are a lot of things I could write about, but if I try I’ll be over-clocking my body and mind. But hopefully, God will give me the strength to be up and running again

Thoughts on Others

Wow, It’s been quite a weekend. It’s been really busy cooking at the restaurant- especially it being the valentine’s weekend and the restaurant just opening up from a two week holiday. And on top of that, I just got news that another family member just passed away- thats 5 deaths in the past 3-4 months. It’s saddening. Sometimes you don’t even know what to say or think anymore. Even more saddening is that most of them weren’t believers (at least we didnt know for sure) and I wouldn’t like to think of where they are right now.

Funny that at church we were talking about meeting the needs of others. Pastor Bill talked about the Good Samaritan and a lot of other things as well. The main theme was about helping and meeting the needs of the oppressed and the needy. There are millions of people with a genuine need in this world. A majority of the people in North America are ignorant to the fact that every 5 seconds a lot of babies die of starvations and malnutrition. I wish I remembered the statistics, but it was way too much. The worse part is that some, if not most, of these people don’t know Christ and will face eternity without Him. Why? Because we didn’t chose to love them and care for them like we are commanded to. We are too comfortable in our private lives. We build fences around our lives, and make sure that we don’t cross it otherwise it becomes too much of an inconvenience to us. I mean, we’d rather get that boat, or that tv, or the video game that we so want, but we will neglect the needs of others as they are dying. Why is the world so? I’m preaching to myself too. I’m guilty of this as well. But, what am I going to do about it now that I realize what I need to do? What are you going to do knowing that there are millions dying while you lie comfortably in your bedroom with your luxuries all around you. We feed our wants by denying others their needs.

Don’t tell yourself, “Well, they’re not doing anything to help themselves out. They’re not trying to get a job or work or make things better for themselves”! How many of these people would be able to get a “real” job?!!! How many of these people do you think will be give the opportunity like you and I?!!! They live in already food stricken and poor lands! Hunger is not just a one or two day thing for them- it’s a lifestyle! That’s sad! They can’t help it! Imagine if it was your son, or daughter, or father, or mother, or girlfriend, or boyfriend, or someone that you cared about? I bet you would go out of your way to do anything for them. They why not these people? Can’t you see the needy faces of those precious little children?! Aren’t you moved with compassion??!!! Are our hearts so cold?!!

You know, something really true that Pastor Bill said today is that you can look at helping people two ways : proclaiming the Word of God, and acting to help the needy. Which is the right answer? Well, both are. You need a balance. Sometimes, you just help. Just like the good Samaritan. He just helped the guy on the road. He didn’t preach to him. And then there are times when you proclaim His word.

Life isn’t about you. This seems to be coming up a lot in my blogs. Life is about others. Always about others. It’s more meaningful and fulfilling when you live life for someone else and know that with God’s help you’ve made a difference. Why don’t we, then?

Don’t live in ignorance while someone else is out there….

Dying….

Because no one cared…

it’s a choice we have to make… If we really want something, we’ll find a way to do it or achieve it.

you have to want to do this…

you have to want to care…

Thoughts on Valentine’s and Love

Wow! There’s so much to talk about on this topic… Unfortunately I don’t have the gift of words that could explain everything that I feel and think about this topic… But I’ll try in a short amount since work is going to be really busy tomorrow (technically today) and I should be getting some rest.

Love is not so complicated as people make it seem. It’s really quite simple to understand. But, to understand it, you must first know the author of love- the Beginning of love.

1. Jesus, the one who loved us so much that He was willing to give up everything for you. That’s sacrifice- one definition of love.

2. He chose to love us even while we were dead in our  sins… even while we were filthy and kept doing wrong things that hurt Him. That’s unconditional love; the fact that He would love us no matter what and that He would bring us back no matter how far we’d go. That’s another aspect of love.

3. He chooses to forgive us and give us a second, and a third, and a fourth…. and a millionth….. chance. That’s because He loves us and understands our weaknesses as humans. Forgiveness-  that’s another characteristic of love. Forgiving no matter what because we understand that we are humans and we are going to fail. 

4. He chooses to bless us and give us things that we definitely don’t deserve. That’s His Grace- another of love’s characteristics. Grace- an unmerited gift. A gift that we don’t deserve. 

There are so many other things that I could say, but if we just practice a few of these things and know the one who authored Love then our relationships and lives would be a whole lot better and wholesome- wouldn’t you agree? If we choose to love – yes, love isn’t a feeling, it’s a choice… a choice to love someone despite of themselves- and practice what love is, imagine how much pain could be avoided.

Let’s remember this valentine’s day what love really is all about. Let’s keep other’s in mind and learn to love how He loved us.

The grace of love is a gift…

The forgiveness of love is a treasure…

The unconditionality of love is a decision…

but all of these are a choice….

So… Love is a Choice

Thoughts on Caring

God has blessed me immensely! First of all with a wonderful family that loves and cares for me despite myself. I’ve hurt them a lot, but they would still want me to come back home; I don’t deserve that, and I am truly grateful for that. They have raised me up and trained me in the way of the Lord that when I grow older I won’t depart from them. They have loved me and provided for me- what more can I ask?

Apart from my immediate family, God h as blessed me with an amazing group of family in the body of Christ. Everywhere I go, His body of believers have always cared for me and loved me and encouraged me. They don’t look at my faults and weaknesses but at the individual. Just tonight I talked to one of my aunties in Christ. The love that her family has showed me and the genuine care and concern for me just amazes me.

All this to say- why can’t we learn to care like some of these people? Why can’t we show the love of Christ to everyone around us? How will people know that we are Christians and that we are different from the world? By our love… the love that God implants and gives us. We can’t show love on our own.. because it’s humanly love… a love that can not love unconditionally because we, as humans, are selfish. But God changes our hearts when He transforms our hearts and minds on acceptance of His amazing gift. He helps us love how we should. 

Life’s not about you. I’ve said that earlier, and I will say it again! Life is never about you… It’s always about someone else. Always!! So when will we get out of our comfort zones and start caring for others around  us? When will we see the needs of widows, and orphans, and the sick, and the poor, and the oppressed, and the needy? When will we care? “If we are the Body, why aren’t His arms reaching? Why aren’t His hands healing? Why aren’t His Words teaching? If we are the Body, why aren’t His feet going? Why is His love not showing them there is a way….. Jesus is the way” (If We are the Body, Casting Crowns)

Will you forget about your life’s problems and care enough to listen to someone else’s

Will you leave what you’re doing to help someone else in need?

(play Prince of Persia for ps3 to understand why I put up this Picture)

 

Would you go out of your way for someone else…

Even if it mean facing danger or hard times yourself?

(again…play Prince of Persia for ps3 to understand why I put up this Picture)

Thoughts on Obedience

I think this applies to everyone… I’m pretty sure it does. Obeying….

Yup, obeying God…. not always easy now is it… Well, what do we obey? I mean how do we know what God’s will is? Well first of all we wont know anything unless we read His word. How are you supposed to hear God and what He has to say to you if you don’t read what He wants to say to you? People say, “well, you know, I can just feel His will in my life; He talks to me you know….” 

Um… just so you guys know…. Christianity is not about FEELINGS….. that’s how people make mistakes… Now I can’t say that you can’t feel God’s direction… because there are many times that God gives us a certain peace about the way which we should go; a certain leaning to a path we should take… BUT, that doesn’t mean that we rely mainly on that as our basis on finding God’s will. We need to pray first and ask God to show us what He wants us to see; to guide us where to go. And, after praying, we need to open His Word, and let it speak to us and direct us and guide us. He will show you if you really want to do His will, and if you really seek for His will. He will show you signs. He says in His Word, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13) Seek Him, and seek His will, and you will find it.

Then once you know His will, obey it. Once he guides you in a direction, follow it. The best and the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will. Even though it may look difficult at first, it always will be for your best and you will appreciate it and thank God later. 

I have disobeyed God a lot of times; I am not proud of saying that at all, but for most people they appreciate it more when someone talks out of experience.

I disobeyed God by first of all leaving the college He placed me in, and then dishonoring my parents by coming to Wisconsin. Needless to say, God taught me lesson. He allowed my life to be turned upside-down till I came back to Him. And only when I came back to Him did things fall into place for me. I still can’t say that I live my life 100% correct, but I have seen that only when you obey Him and follow His will for your life that life has meaning and fruitfulness. Only then that your life has purpose…

I believe that it’s time for me to go back to Canada; that my purpose here in Wisconsin is accomplished. It’s amazing that even through your wrong-doings God finds a way to use you. And now that He has used me how He wanted, I believe after much prayer and reading, that He’s calling me back to Canada. 

The purpose of saying this is so that you see how important prayer and reading His word is. That is the only way to know how to obey God and know His will. You have to do this continually, and not just do it, but you must want to do it.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God

And then only can you know His will for you, and only then can you obey

Worship Service..

It was amazing to be on Christ The Rock Community Church’s worship team. I’ve been going to CTR for  about 9 and a half months I believe and I absolutely love it. I used to be in the worship team at my home church located in Toronto, Grace Baptist Church… and I miss it a lot!

But, in the time that I was attending CTR I eventually got around to getting on This weekend’s worship team which was amazing. Just being able to play my flute and violin for the Lord and help lead a good probably thousand people in worship was just amazing; not to say nerve-wrecking the first few moments, but then it was all easy and fun from there. Everyone on the team was so nice to the “new kid” (me) and it was just an awesome time to worship God together.

I believe worship is the most important thing in our walk with the Lord, because Worship means anything that please God… so with that definition, everything that God commands us to do and we do is worship; missions work is worship; loving is worship; praying is worship;  therefore, everything we do that please God is worship, making worship the most important part of our walk with Christ.

Remember that song “Heart of Worship”… if not, here’s a link to it with the lyrics…. listen to it. It’s a beautiful song. One of, if not, my favorite songs:

Let’s get back to the heart of worship and remember what worship is all about… it’s about Him

He is Amazing

Wow! it’s time to pay rent, and I was waiting for my paycheck to arrive so I could pay my rent. I wast certain whether my paycheck would be sufficient though. But I prayed that it would atleast be enough together with the money in my bank.

Amazingly, I got more money in my paycheck than would cover my rent. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m so thankful to God for his grace and his protection.

No one can tell me that God doesn’t exist or that He doesn’t care because He does. Time and again He has shown my His grace, and His love, and His faithfulness..

Nothing can take away my trust from Him

There is power in prayer- The God of all creation hears you and listens when you believe