Hebrews 10:35-39 (New Living Translation)
35 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! 36 Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.
37 “For in just a little while,
the Coming One will come and not delay.
38 And my righteous ones will live by faith.[a]
But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away.”[b]
39 But we are not like those who turn away from God to their own destruction. We are the faithful ones, whose souls will be saved.
This passage tells us to continue pressing forward, aiming for a single-minded goal of eventually being with the One who is to come, our Lord Jesus Christ. It will take great patience since we may faced a lot of challenges while we tread this path - challenges brought about by a lot of things including ridicule from our friends and families, temptations to live a worldly life, etc.
But if we hold on to our faith and to the promise that we will be saved once we profess our whole life in reverence of Christ and his sufferings, then we will be rewarded with being with him in the hereon after.
Going for and taking a different path will not be taken lightly by God and such a person, especially those who chooses the wrong path with full understanding of what he is doing, will suffer eternal destruction. God is both a loving and just God.
At this time, I thank the Lord because he continues to shower my path with people who are close to and are on the same mindset and mindframe as I have relative to my faith. I pray that the Lord continue to provide me with the courage and strength to face each and every challenge I will face. I will aim to pursue the goal of being with Him in eternity. I pray that he will grant me this great longing and hunger of being with him eventually.
I also pray that my whole family will be saved and will be with each other, forever in the afterlife.
Amen!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Joy in the midst of challenges
Hebrews 10:32-34 (New Living Translation)
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[a] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
The early christians suffered a lot because they were considered outcasts. They were thrown into dungeons, they were thrown into arenas where they were fed to lions, skinned and/or burned alive. They suffered deeply, horribly.
But in the midst of these suffering, they still kept their faith strong. They did not waver in their belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One who was sent by God the Father to redeem us.
I remember the time when I was new in the walk, 9 years ago. I knew back then that I still have doubts about my faith.
Then I saw a christian brother suffer. He went through such hardships that he is not able to sleep properly for weeks. He went to the doctor for check ups and he was given strong medicine to make him go to sleep at night.
But during those times of suffering, his faith never waned. You can still feel and see the joy in his heart because he knows that the situation he was in was only temporary. He held on to his faith that the Lord our God will deliver him to a place where there is peace and plenty.
His situation lasted for several years. But his faith stayed intact.
That was the time that I told myself that I want to be in the place he is in. That even in the midst of suffering I will still be filled with joy and contentment knowing that a better place out ther is waiting for me.
Dear God, I pray that you give me the courage to face all the challenges that life will bring. I pray that you will give me protection so that I can weather all the hardships that I will encounter. But most of all, I pray that you will give a strong faith to which I can hold on to in times when nothing seems to work at all. You are a faithful and a loving God who will deliver all those who believe in you and put their trust in you to a place of peace and plenty where I will enjoy my days forever with my brothers in faith.
Thank you dear God. In the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen!
32 Think back on those early days when you first learned about Christ.[a] Remember how you remained faithful even though it meant terrible suffering. 33 Sometimes you were exposed to public ridicule and were beaten, and sometimes you helped others who were suffering the same things. 34 You suffered along with those who were thrown into jail, and when all you owned was taken from you, you accepted it with joy. You knew there were better things waiting for you that will last forever.
The early christians suffered a lot because they were considered outcasts. They were thrown into dungeons, they were thrown into arenas where they were fed to lions, skinned and/or burned alive. They suffered deeply, horribly.
But in the midst of these suffering, they still kept their faith strong. They did not waver in their belief that the Lord Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the One who was sent by God the Father to redeem us.
I remember the time when I was new in the walk, 9 years ago. I knew back then that I still have doubts about my faith.
Then I saw a christian brother suffer. He went through such hardships that he is not able to sleep properly for weeks. He went to the doctor for check ups and he was given strong medicine to make him go to sleep at night.
But during those times of suffering, his faith never waned. You can still feel and see the joy in his heart because he knows that the situation he was in was only temporary. He held on to his faith that the Lord our God will deliver him to a place where there is peace and plenty.
His situation lasted for several years. But his faith stayed intact.
That was the time that I told myself that I want to be in the place he is in. That even in the midst of suffering I will still be filled with joy and contentment knowing that a better place out ther is waiting for me.
Dear God, I pray that you give me the courage to face all the challenges that life will bring. I pray that you will give me protection so that I can weather all the hardships that I will encounter. But most of all, I pray that you will give a strong faith to which I can hold on to in times when nothing seems to work at all. You are a faithful and a loving God who will deliver all those who believe in you and put their trust in you to a place of peace and plenty where I will enjoy my days forever with my brothers in faith.
Thank you dear God. In the mighty name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Amen!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Bikin Film - a refreshing take on life
I just watched this movie 'Bikin Film' at Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) located in the heart of Central Jakarta.
The film is centered on a group of 3 Indonesian students, who also happen to be be roommates and are studying and creating lives on their own in Melbourne, Australia.
Diet, the female protagonist, is a film student whose final requirement to graduate from university is to produce a film. If she cannot produce the film, she will not be able to graduate from university.
So, together with her two roommates, Nyok, a design/advertising student who does freelancing on the side, and Bayu, a graduating business student, they decided to create the film. Nyok is the producer/financier of the film, Diet is the director/scripwriter, while Bayu is the cameraman (he's also prepared the board for the film).
The conflict arises when their individual lives collide with their schedule to finish the film. This puts Diet into a bad situation. An argument among them ensues with each one lambasting at the other for not being able to contribute to the production of the film.
In the process, they started to know more about the opportunities for them to improve themselves because each one highlighted the weakness of the other.
They eventually made up when they found out that each one was actually working on their own part in the production of the film. They finished the production of the film which was a success when it was shown publicly (or at least in the school where Diet was studying).
This is an indie film produced 100% in Melbourne towards the end of 2007.
For a starting film producers, who I suppose are close friends, Bikin Film proved to be an enjoyable take on the lives of three different young people living a foreign land.
Acting by all three protagonists were good, especially the one who portrayed Bayu.
His take on a son of a businessmen in Indonesia who is torn between making a life on his own or being a good son who will return to Indonesia to help run the family business is very natural.
The girl who portrayed Diet, the film student, also gave a good showing as an actress. She registers on screen very well portraying a student who is agonizing about the film she has to produce to graduate from university. The scene I like her a lot in was when she met with Miranda, the girlfriend of Bayu whom she ridiculed for not being able to speak at all (Miranda is mute and she communicates only using her pen and notebook). You can feel the embarassment of Diet coming through the screen. It made me feel Diet's humility in accepting her fault.
Nyok is portrayed realistically as a young man who is confused as to what he wanted to do in his life. He ends up overstretching himself by taking in too many a task in his search of what his real calling is. In the end, he is able to deliver on all of his tasks but not without stress.
One thing I would like to highlight is that the one who protrayed Miranda is a revelation. She is a natural actress who will make you believe that she is really mute. Her message to Bayu to do the thing that he really wanted to do, when she thought that Bayu will propose to her, is simply heartbreaking.
Overall, the film is a refreshing take about life in a foreign land. It is good start for these young film makers.
I wish that the government and the public will support the efforts of such group of people so that new blood and fresh ideas. We need a lot of these during this period of time.
The film is centered on a group of 3 Indonesian students, who also happen to be be roommates and are studying and creating lives on their own in Melbourne, Australia.
Diet, the female protagonist, is a film student whose final requirement to graduate from university is to produce a film. If she cannot produce the film, she will not be able to graduate from university.
So, together with her two roommates, Nyok, a design/advertising student who does freelancing on the side, and Bayu, a graduating business student, they decided to create the film. Nyok is the producer/financier of the film, Diet is the director/scripwriter, while Bayu is the cameraman (he's also prepared the board for the film).
The conflict arises when their individual lives collide with their schedule to finish the film. This puts Diet into a bad situation. An argument among them ensues with each one lambasting at the other for not being able to contribute to the production of the film.
In the process, they started to know more about the opportunities for them to improve themselves because each one highlighted the weakness of the other.
They eventually made up when they found out that each one was actually working on their own part in the production of the film. They finished the production of the film which was a success when it was shown publicly (or at least in the school where Diet was studying).
This is an indie film produced 100% in Melbourne towards the end of 2007.
For a starting film producers, who I suppose are close friends, Bikin Film proved to be an enjoyable take on the lives of three different young people living a foreign land.
Acting by all three protagonists were good, especially the one who portrayed Bayu.
His take on a son of a businessmen in Indonesia who is torn between making a life on his own or being a good son who will return to Indonesia to help run the family business is very natural.
The girl who portrayed Diet, the film student, also gave a good showing as an actress. She registers on screen very well portraying a student who is agonizing about the film she has to produce to graduate from university. The scene I like her a lot in was when she met with Miranda, the girlfriend of Bayu whom she ridiculed for not being able to speak at all (Miranda is mute and she communicates only using her pen and notebook). You can feel the embarassment of Diet coming through the screen. It made me feel Diet's humility in accepting her fault.
Nyok is portrayed realistically as a young man who is confused as to what he wanted to do in his life. He ends up overstretching himself by taking in too many a task in his search of what his real calling is. In the end, he is able to deliver on all of his tasks but not without stress.
One thing I would like to highlight is that the one who protrayed Miranda is a revelation. She is a natural actress who will make you believe that she is really mute. Her message to Bayu to do the thing that he really wanted to do, when she thought that Bayu will propose to her, is simply heartbreaking.
Overall, the film is a refreshing take about life in a foreign land. It is good start for these young film makers.
I wish that the government and the public will support the efforts of such group of people so that new blood and fresh ideas. We need a lot of these during this period of time.
Being Single Minded
Hebrews 10:26-31 (The Message)
26-31If we give up and turn our backs on all we've learned, all we've been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ's sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he'll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: "Vengeance is mine, and I won't overlook a thing" and "God will judge his people." Nobody's getting by with anything, believe me.
This is such a strong warning coming directly from God. He has given us another chance to be with him through the supreme sacrifice of giving up His Son to die so that all of us may live. We should consciously make that decision and avail of this promise of eternal life by professing our faith to the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We should constantly and single mindedly follow his commands of leaving our worldly lives, take up our cross and follow Him.
It is such a simple command but it's hard to keep up.
I have a hard time even getting through the day without breaking the commandments of God. Once we are with our fellowmen, we always fall into the habit of doing worldly deeds.
"I am only human" is the excuse we often use.
But from these verses we learn that there is no excuse at all. It's either we follow the commands of the Lord our God or suffer the judgment. Vengeance is the Lord. He's done his part, we should do ours.
Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us your son so that we may live with you forever. It such a humbling situation to be in knowing that you, our God, gave me the opportunity to be with you even though I am sinful. I pray that you give me the strength and the will to put to heart your sacrifice and be singleminded in following your commands. I will, through your support and encouragement, persevere to follow your word and commands. Thank you dear God.
Amen!
26-31If we give up and turn our backs on all we've learned, all we've been given, all the truth we now know, we repudiate Christ's sacrifice and are left on our own to face the Judgment—and a mighty fierce judgment it will be! If the penalty for breaking the law of Moses is physical death, what do you think will happen if you turn on God's Son, spit on the sacrifice that made you whole, and insult this most gracious Spirit? This is no light matter. God has warned us that he'll hold us to account and make us pay. He was quite explicit: "Vengeance is mine, and I won't overlook a thing" and "God will judge his people." Nobody's getting by with anything, believe me.
This is such a strong warning coming directly from God. He has given us another chance to be with him through the supreme sacrifice of giving up His Son to die so that all of us may live. We should consciously make that decision and avail of this promise of eternal life by professing our faith to the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour. We should constantly and single mindedly follow his commands of leaving our worldly lives, take up our cross and follow Him.
It is such a simple command but it's hard to keep up.
I have a hard time even getting through the day without breaking the commandments of God. Once we are with our fellowmen, we always fall into the habit of doing worldly deeds.
"I am only human" is the excuse we often use.
But from these verses we learn that there is no excuse at all. It's either we follow the commands of the Lord our God or suffer the judgment. Vengeance is the Lord. He's done his part, we should do ours.
Dear Lord, Thank you for giving us your son so that we may live with you forever. It such a humbling situation to be in knowing that you, our God, gave me the opportunity to be with you even though I am sinful. I pray that you give me the strength and the will to put to heart your sacrifice and be singleminded in following your commands. I will, through your support and encouragement, persevere to follow your word and commands. Thank you dear God.
Amen!
A Call to Persevere
Hebrews 10:19-25 (New Living Translation)
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death,[b] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Promises are made to be broken...or so the saying goes. This usually is the case at the start of a new year. We list down everything and all that we want to achieve that year as part of our New Year's resolution. We keep these resolutions to heart during the first week and the second week...and maybe through the third week of January. Right at the tail end of the third week of January, we slowly forget what our resolutions are and we end up where we started.
God's promise of salvation is totally different. He has given up His one and only Son to come down from heaven, give up his life so that the gates of heaven shall be opened again for us who profess our faith and hope in him. Such promise has been and will always be open to those who believe in Him and to continue to do what He has commanded us to do.
We should persevere then to abide by and look towards the salvation of our souls by strictly and continuously following his commands. We should not lose our focus in making our lives holy and worthy so that ultimate sacrifice of our Lord will have a meaning in our lives.
Beyond this, we should encourage each other to follow such commands through regular meetings and fellowship.
Our Lord has opened up the gates of heaven for all of us so that we can be with Him for eternity! Do we want to be with him?
I do!
Amen!
19 And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. 20 By his death,[b] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. 21 And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, 22 let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. 24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.
Promises are made to be broken...or so the saying goes. This usually is the case at the start of a new year. We list down everything and all that we want to achieve that year as part of our New Year's resolution. We keep these resolutions to heart during the first week and the second week...and maybe through the third week of January. Right at the tail end of the third week of January, we slowly forget what our resolutions are and we end up where we started.
God's promise of salvation is totally different. He has given up His one and only Son to come down from heaven, give up his life so that the gates of heaven shall be opened again for us who profess our faith and hope in him. Such promise has been and will always be open to those who believe in Him and to continue to do what He has commanded us to do.
We should persevere then to abide by and look towards the salvation of our souls by strictly and continuously following his commands. We should not lose our focus in making our lives holy and worthy so that ultimate sacrifice of our Lord will have a meaning in our lives.
Beyond this, we should encourage each other to follow such commands through regular meetings and fellowship.
Our Lord has opened up the gates of heaven for all of us so that we can be with Him for eternity! Do we want to be with him?
I do!
Amen!
Monday, February 02, 2009
The true meaning of forgiveness
Hebrews 10:15-18 (The Message)
11-18Every priest goes to work at the altar each day, offers the same old sacrifices year in, year out, and never makes a dent in the sin problem. As a priest, Christ made a single sacrifice for sins, and that was it! Then he sat down right beside God and waited for his enemies to cave in. It was a perfect sacrifice by a perfect person to perfect some very imperfect people. By that single offering, he did everything that needed to be done for everyone who takes part in the purifying process. The Holy Spirit confirms this:
This new plan I'm making with Israel
isn't going to be written on paper,
isn't going to be chiseled in stone;
This time "I'm writing out the plan in them,
carving it on the lining of their hearts."
He concludes,
I'll forever wipe the slate clean of their sins.
Once sins are taken care of for good, there's no longer any need to offer sacrifices for them.
I remember those days when I was young. When my playmate takes my toys, I get angry and tell on him to his parents. His parents will tell them to return our toys to me and ask for sorry. And I forgive him, but only for sometime. When he makes another mistake that hurts me, I oftentimes make him remember what he did to me previously.
I do not really forgive my friend if and when I bring up the previous mistakes he committed.
Similarly, as young christians, we often become historical. We bring up previous mistakes of our friends and make them remember that they hurt us before.
As we mature in our christian walk, we should look to our Lord Jesus Christ in finding the true meaning of forgiveness. When he sends out his forgiving love to one of us who asks sorry for our sins, he makes us clean again...whole again. All our past mistakes are erased and we are given the chance to start anew.
Such is the loving mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. He does not look back to past mistakes. He takes us back under His wings and comfort us, just like a shepherd who comforts a lost sheep found.
God is looking at us to exercise the supreme act of humility...that of forgiving those who have caused us pain. It is through the forgiveness of other people's mistakes against us that we show our true color as the sons and daughters of th Lord.
Today, I thank the Lord for being so much of a Father to me that he is willing to forgive my sins and trespasses as long as I acknowledge that I have been a sinful person and I would like to change. I pray, that the Lord grant me the gift of humility. That with such gift, I will be able to ask forgiveness for all my sins and errors and, also, be able to forgive others who have caused me suffering and pain.
Amen!
Sunday, February 01, 2009
by the grace of the Lord
Hebrews 10:11-14 (New International Version)
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
This passage in the bible speaks to me about the grace of our God and that of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus offered his life as the supreme sacrifice to open the gates of heaven for all of us who believe in Him. It is through this one action of a Man-God so humble that we are reunited with God.
Nothing that we do, even if we do it every second of our waking and sleeping hours will be able to guarantee our entry into the kingdom of the Father.
I will quote from Ephesians 2: 8,9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from youselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do " (Eph. 2:8,9).
I feel so blessed that, inspite of my imperfections and my sins, the Lord constantly talks to my heart and tells me that he can make me whole again. All I need to do is to profess my faith in Him as my Lord and my Savior. He will take care of me and my needs and he will lead me to the right path where the waters are calm and I would not be wanting of anything. He will provide everything I need.
I pray that the Lord will constantly work in my life; that he will continue to be my guide in all the days of my existence here on earth.
Amen
11Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God. 13Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, 14because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.
This passage in the bible speaks to me about the grace of our God and that of our Lord, Jesus Christ. Jesus offered his life as the supreme sacrifice to open the gates of heaven for all of us who believe in Him. It is through this one action of a Man-God so humble that we are reunited with God.
Nothing that we do, even if we do it every second of our waking and sleeping hours will be able to guarantee our entry into the kingdom of the Father.
I will quote from Ephesians 2: 8,9: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from youselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do " (Eph. 2:8,9).
I feel so blessed that, inspite of my imperfections and my sins, the Lord constantly talks to my heart and tells me that he can make me whole again. All I need to do is to profess my faith in Him as my Lord and my Savior. He will take care of me and my needs and he will lead me to the right path where the waters are calm and I would not be wanting of anything. He will provide everything I need.
I pray that the Lord will constantly work in my life; that he will continue to be my guide in all the days of my existence here on earth.
Amen
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