Hi everyone. Been a few weeks since I have accessed my blog. Been enjoying the generosity and friends. Has a good 3 days break in Kuching, Sarawak. Spent 2 nights in the mountain retreat center of Mount Singai. Fresh air and back to basic. Spend most of time, meditation, Qigong and relaxing. Thanks Fr. Edward. Fr. Richard Ng was generous to bring us to the best Sarawak Laksa and Kolo Mee and driving us around.
Been trying out the bio-resonance seat at Nancy and Stephen's place. They have been so generous and accommodating. Both Jo and I feel good after each session and get a very sound sleep.
Jo and I were talking over breakfast, then I read today's Gospel and Reflection, the same subject came up. Matt 8:29 “What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?” In general we observe that people tend to put their faith into a compartments and open it when they go to church or when they attend a church meeting/gathering. We believe in God but our actions and thinking many times do not reflect our faith. We tend to be individualistic and do things that does not reflect our faith. We believe that we can put off many things we should do till later because the end of time is not near. Similar to the Gospel, we sometimes behave like the 2 demons in today's Gospel, doing what we like and the way we want things as if there is no tomorrow and that we will only worry about making a change closer to the end time/appointed time. (Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?)
Let us try to be constantly reminded to see and act through the eyes of Jesus to our partner, family and others we meet. Let us not compartmentalize our faith but try to make it who we are in the things we do, the way to thing and behave. Let this faith cover us and not be like the demoniac at the tombs. Are we living in our tombs closed-in, sealed-off areas of our hearts where life in the Spirit of God has died because we haven't let Jesus minister to us through others and Himself?
I Thank God for his love, the family and friends that he has surrounded me to heal and keep me from closing-in and sealing off but to enjoy His love. Thank You Father for the people You have put in my life.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
The faith of Elijah
reproduced from GNM ;
Is your faith wavering because God has not answered some of your prayers? Maybe your faith is still strong but you're getting frustrated. Well, maybe he's trying to get your attention so that he can assure you that his goodness is just over the horizon, just beyond your vision.
In 1 Kgs 18:41-46, God spoke to Ahab through the prophet Elijah. And he's speaking to you, too. If what we ask for is good, if it's part of the good life he wants us to have, if it will help us move forward on our journey of holiness, he's saying: "Your prayer has been answered!" But we don't see the answer, so he says, "Look again!" And still we don't see the answer. Elijah's servant had to "go and look" seven times before the tiniest hints of the drought's end became visible on the far horizon.
How many times do we have to look again? In scripture "seven" means "the full amount." In the fullness of time, the answer to your holy prayers will be manifested before your eyes. Until then, it's developing beyond your view, where you can't see anything but drought.
God has told you to ask for his help, and he loves you (and those for whom you are praying) more than you can imagine. So of course he's already working on the answer to your prayers, but he's doing it in the way that's best for you AND for all those who are affected by the situation.
But I don't want to wait very long, do you? I want to see God's plan working now and in a way that makes sense to me in my limited ability to understand. You too?
Notice what Elijah said to Ahab before the first cloud appeared: "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." What rain? Where? Such powerful faith! He knew God's will and thus could envision it happening. We need to ask Saint Elijah to share with us his ability to envision the future. We need to put our confidence in God like he did.
It's easy to figure out what is God's will: Find a scripture that applies to your situation – not pulling a verse out of context but understanding it within the truth of the entire New Testament – and you will see his will. Absolutely. But to have the faith that Elijah had, we have to keep our eyes on the rain that God promised, not on the drought that we see.
There is a very good reason – in fact, many good reasons – why the rain does not come immediately. If we could see what God sees, we wouldn't want the drought-ending process to be shortened. The full process will benefit us and it will benefit others. Perhaps the wait is benefiting others more than it helps us, but that's okay, isn't it? We care about them, too, don't we?
God is responding to every holy prayer request. Although it's absurd to put on a raincoat when there's not a cloud in the sky, this is a good picture of Christian living. Let's continue our prayers while carrying the umbrella of expectation.
Is your faith wavering because God has not answered some of your prayers? Maybe your faith is still strong but you're getting frustrated. Well, maybe he's trying to get your attention so that he can assure you that his goodness is just over the horizon, just beyond your vision.
In 1 Kgs 18:41-46, God spoke to Ahab through the prophet Elijah. And he's speaking to you, too. If what we ask for is good, if it's part of the good life he wants us to have, if it will help us move forward on our journey of holiness, he's saying: "Your prayer has been answered!" But we don't see the answer, so he says, "Look again!" And still we don't see the answer. Elijah's servant had to "go and look" seven times before the tiniest hints of the drought's end became visible on the far horizon.
How many times do we have to look again? In scripture "seven" means "the full amount." In the fullness of time, the answer to your holy prayers will be manifested before your eyes. Until then, it's developing beyond your view, where you can't see anything but drought.
God has told you to ask for his help, and he loves you (and those for whom you are praying) more than you can imagine. So of course he's already working on the answer to your prayers, but he's doing it in the way that's best for you AND for all those who are affected by the situation.
But I don't want to wait very long, do you? I want to see God's plan working now and in a way that makes sense to me in my limited ability to understand. You too?
Notice what Elijah said to Ahab before the first cloud appeared: "Go up, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." What rain? Where? Such powerful faith! He knew God's will and thus could envision it happening. We need to ask Saint Elijah to share with us his ability to envision the future. We need to put our confidence in God like he did.
It's easy to figure out what is God's will: Find a scripture that applies to your situation – not pulling a verse out of context but understanding it within the truth of the entire New Testament – and you will see his will. Absolutely. But to have the faith that Elijah had, we have to keep our eyes on the rain that God promised, not on the drought that we see.
There is a very good reason – in fact, many good reasons – why the rain does not come immediately. If we could see what God sees, we wouldn't want the drought-ending process to be shortened. The full process will benefit us and it will benefit others. Perhaps the wait is benefiting others more than it helps us, but that's okay, isn't it? We care about them, too, don't we?
God is responding to every holy prayer request. Although it's absurd to put on a raincoat when there's not a cloud in the sky, this is a good picture of Christian living. Let's continue our prayers while carrying the umbrella of expectation.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
8 June 2010
Lord, let your face shine on us.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence.
Lord, let your face shine on us.
Know that the LORD does wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD will hear me when I call upon him.
Tremble, and sin not;
reflect, upon your beds, in silence.
Lord, let your face shine on us.
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