Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Week 52


I am proud of my humility. I want to shout to everyone that I am humble and that there must be some credit given to me, because I am able to concede I am so.

My pride has swelled and returned to getting in the way. I did put it to death, but now I have resurrected the old nature and given it a small steady diet to live on. My pride magnifies me and steals glory from God's grace. That all the good things received were hard-fought and taken by my own person instead of given out of lovingkindness from Him.

Sometimes when we give thanks for a meal, especially one we make ourselves, we may think: why are we thanking Him when we have made it? But we need to go back and think, Who managed the conditions for the crops to grow? Who permitted the farmer's industry to reap produce? Who caused the seeds and the creatures to grow?

Everything on this good earth reflect God's sovereignty and His providence. If we do not acknowledge Him or give thanks, we are ungrateful.

I am borrowing words from Leonard Ravenhill:  Isn't it amazing that God gives breath to a man who is going to blaspheme (curse) Him all day?

We are ungrateful most times. When we thank Him, it seems that those times are aberrations- exceptions.

*

I have not written because I have not had concrete reflections, or the time to represent them here. I have given a lot of time, mind and heart to my new relationship, which I do not regret in the least, but I have displaced my First Love with my new sweetheart in many ways and times. My relationship with my Father cannot be overtaken by any other, though it is easier/ convenient to relate someone who is corporeal and very near.

At work and all through life, a challenge is this: to be honourable men even when nobody sees.
With minimal supervision, we must still strive to be blameless and upright.


This world has so much stimulus! It recommends, and inflames us with lustful desires, envy, and unclean appetites. The world environment, culture is hostile. It does not permit holiness. TV, advertisements arouse our lust and whet our appetites for violence and other dark things.

What is my defense against sin, trials, temptations? Only the powerful Word of God.

In self-reflection, I am surprised at how I can hate a man in a matter of minutes! It is so easy and so natural to hate and to harm. Not even with weapons, but with harsh words. We need to put our hearts right and ask for Him to shed His love abroad in our hearts by His Holy Spirit. 

May we relate to the world with clean hands, and to God with pure hearts. 


*

I am not persistent in prayer. I presume that having addressed it once or twice, it has been taken up for action by Him and that I can ease off. It is recommended to pray without ceasing and I have not been able to keep at this.

I am pessimistic about people and the quality of their profession of faith, and the activities of Church communities. But I am so hopeful that those who belong to Christ and are assured in Christ will be secure in His love and grace. That their endeavours are sanctioned and helped by Him, and not vain human efforts to move people.

I hold on to this,


Titus 2

New International Version (NIV)


11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

-What His grace offers and how it transforms us, and what we are all waiting expectantly for.


Next post will be a close, to record, what I have learnt, how I have been blessed, and who have helped me in all ways of my living this year in 2011.

Ravenhill said this: Are you wiser in God (now) than you were last year this time? Peter says we are to grow in the grace and  knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Where may I say that, yes I have!

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