My new year resolution

Many times we wake up with sadness, depression or with no interest in Life. We go around doing our daily tasks as though we are forced to do it. Sounds familiar! Ya, this is how I live most of the days.

But something changed today! I got my new year resolution. Till this date I did not believe in new year resolutions, since I knew I could not keep it. But this one I got to try, with God's grace I can do it.

Let me get to the point here! Psalm 104. You got to read this one. It shows the humblness & humility of all the elements of nature before the glory and majesty. It seem a routine/boring thing for the Sun to rise and set everyday. But it does it in all glory, reflecting the glory of God.

Most importantly, the Psalmist realizing all he/she said in the Psalm comes to a great conclusion of being Happy.

Psalm 104:34 - "I will be glad in the LORD." (KJV) or "as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord." (Amplied Bible)

I like the way Amplified bible uses the phrase "as for me". Here I get the idea that the Psalmist compares himself with nature and says, "The nature does this and that, as for me, I will rejoice in the Lord"

My new year resolution is to be happy always (every day) in the Lord. When I wake up I will sing, "I am happy today" or "Rejoice in the Lord always"

God has given a commandment to us, "Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice." Philippians 4:4. Notice the phrase "again I say"

I really dont know, how this be happy thing works but let me tell it works!! I think it works because it is always "Be happy IN THE LORD", "Rejoice IN THE LORD" or "I will be glad IN THE LORD"

Be happy and make other happy in the Lord.

Some versus I liked in the Psalm 104:

6-8 You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. But at your rebuke the waters fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight; they flowed over the mountains, they went down into the valleys, to the place you assigned for them. (I thought it was gravity and slope and easitest path logic that water used to flow down a mountain, but it the Lord who made this rule and the waters obey this)

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread that sustains his heart. (It brought joy to my heart when I replaced wine with Holy Spirit, Oil with Love of God and Bread is the Cross of Christ or salvation of Christ)

21 The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.(The humbleness & humility of nature)

I am happy today, I am happy today,

In Jesus Christ I am happy today,

He has taken all my sins away

And that’s why I am happy today.

I am singing today, I am singing today,

In Jesus Christ I am singing today,

He has taken all my sins away

And that’s why I am singing today.

I am praising today, I am praising today,

In Jesus Christ I am praising today,

He has taken all my sins away

And that’s why I am praising today.

I am sharing today, I am sharing today,

In Jesus Christ I am sharing today,

He has taken all my sins away

And that’s why I am sharing today.

I am happy today, I am singing today,

In Jesus Christ I am praising today

He has taken all my sins away

And that’s why I am sharing today.

The fear of the Lord

I had a sound sleep yesterday. But I do remember I had a dream, in which I was walking in the fear of defeat - Fear of defeated by the devil: not that I know I would be defeated, but what if I will defeated.

I asked myself why am I afraid of defeat and of the devil. I said to myself, "Libin, Jesus is REAL! The battle is already won. Besides, I have a God - who is called teh God of Host or God of the army or armies. And even more, Jesus is the own with the double-edged sword, standing in all splendor and majesty before you and with me at all time." Praise God!!

The bible does not the fear of the devil, the word of God says fear the Lord. I did not fully understand what it meant. I wanted an example of how Jesus lived in the fear of the Lord.

Isaiah 11:3 - And shall make Him[Jesus] of quick understanding, and His delight shall be in the reverential and obedient fear of the Lord. And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, neither decide by the hearing of His ears;

Because of the fear of God, Jesus will not judge/act/behave or do thing based on what he sees or hears. This means He will not act on His own understand but on the understand of His Father. Look at the next verse - a beautiful verse, which illustrates Jesus' fear of the Lord.

John 5:30 - I[Jesus] am able to do nothing from Myself [independently, of My own accord--but only as I am taught by God and as I get His orders]. Even as I hear, I judge [I decide as I am bidden to decide. As the voice comes to Me, so I give a decision], and My judgment is right (just, righteous), because I do not seek or consult My own will [I have no desire to do what is pleasing to Myself, My own aim, My own purpose] but only the will and pleasure of the Father Who sent Me.

The fear of the Lord is TOTAL submission to the Lord. To act as commanded by God!

In my worship I asked God to manifest Himself - show that He is REAL. Then I was able to see the works of the Lord. I had a sound sleep, I got early, I sat before the Lord in the morning. Can I do this on my own? Impossible! I was not able to do it before. It is God! He is REAL.

The Beautiful Mind

I was reading a little Luke 3 today. I was amazed at the beautiful plan of God. John, who was not yet John the Baptist before Luke 3, was called to proclaim the word of God.

Who told John that one day he will be a preacher or a servant of God? Did God tell him? I don't know! (I am just speculating here) He was told this by his father. It is just like my Dad saying me, "When you grow I want you to be a Doctor." The only thing that comes to my mind is, "Whatever Dad! Whatever!". I don't know what kind of person was John before Luke 3. All I know is he did not drink. Ya, so did I! I drank in my childhood once or twice and I did not know what I was doing. What I am saying is, he could be just another sinner.

But God predestined John to be John the Baptist. Doesn't this remind you of another familiar verse - Eph 1:5. God predestined us to be his son, to be a mirror image of His Son. I was not told this by my Mom or Dad, but by God Himself through His Holy word. This is my destiny! This is also your destiny! Let us reach forward to our destiny as God say, "I predestined you to be adopted as my sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with my pleasure and will"

I am writing this because faith comes by hearing and hearing the word of God - Hearing what is REAL.

The devil is not real - I mean he is not what I used see. I used to see a devil as a mighty king, waging war with God. He is powerful and can subdue many easily. I struggle with a lot of sins. I see my defeat even before my fight. So I don't fight, I give up and I am easily subdued. The reason being, I am weak! I am human! I am flesh! I even recall talking to the devil more than to God. Many times I even prayed & begged before the devil.

But I realized he is not true! He is not a mighty king! He is headless chicken! JESUS CHRIST CRUSHED THE DEVILS HEAD AT CALVARY. Now that is true! He is trying to squawk something which was in head or system which was there in his head before it was taken. He is just running around squawking. It so happens that he used run around the whole earth in the ancient days that his running pattern is programmed into his system. This is how he can reach each one us. LOL!!

I have not seen a headless chicken, but I have seen a headless snake. Once there was this snakes that came to our neighbourhood. My Dad managed to crush the head. But it was not dead, it was running around. There was not sense of direction. I more scared now than earlier. I thought it could still bite. But the truth is it can't bite. It can do you no harm. It is headless - it is not as mighty as it used to be. The devil is a damn liar. A bloody liar!

On the other hand God is true! His power is true! Jesus is true! The Holy Spirit is true! His grace is true! The fact that Christ died for you and me is true! The fact that the all powerful God is with you is true! And above all this, His love is true! Let us look at the truth and ignore the lies.

God spoke to me through a movie - The Beautiful Mind. It is a movie which talks of what is real and what is not. It is about a person, who is hallucinating and can see people who do not exist. If our mind can play around with the physical, imagine spiritual which is invisible. Are we hallucinating? I was and God is healing me. We hallucinate in the spiritual. We see a mighty devil and ignore the loving God.

Let me tell you, Libin and to those who are reading this - God is real! The devil is just a headless chicken! CALVARY CRUSHED THE DEVILS HEAD.

Serve the Lord oh my soul, forget not His mercies

A sinner like my most regularly forgets the Lord and above all His mercies. All I want to say today is - "Lord, I don't understand myself. I don't know why I can't be true to You". All I ask is, "Save my for Your Name sake."

Psalm 54
1 O God, save me by your name, and defend me with your might.
4 Behold, God is mine helper....
7 You have rescued me from all my troubles, and I have seen my enemies defeated.

To You be the glory forever

The Lord that heals thee!

I woke up today, not feeling the presence of God. Remember the plague of darkness that could felt. It was similar, I could feel only darkness around - insecurity of tomorrow, over my weak body.

But praise God He is a God that heals. It was Psalm 51 for todays meditation. Yesterday, I could say, "I have finished the race for the day". I was proud, haughty - do you know why? Some how, I got the feel I could do it.

I forgot, it is not I that doeth, but He that doeth for me.

God does not want a proud and haughty spirit, but ...

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you;

Yes, a broken heart - It is not possible by me Lord. I acknowledge again, it is not possible by me. Only you Lord, You reign in me.

A whole burnt offering!! Lord, You are not the Lord of my struggles with sin, or career alone. You are God of all that I am - The whole wretched me. Here I bring my wretched self to the alter. Reign whole on me, and I ( The wretchedness, the body of sin) will be burnt. Then in newness of life that was promised, I shall rise as the sweet smelling aroma to the nostril of the living God.

Praise God!

Sacrifice thank offerings to God

Praise God, His love endures forever!

Thank God, it was a beautiful day. I prayed today morning when I listened to a sermon, that just as Paul said, "I have finished the race" even I want to say the same. This was a statement made by Paul at the prime of his life, it reflects about is whole life for every day. I just prayed, "Lord, I want to say I finished the race for today. Tomorrow, I will ask for grace even more and want to say the same again tomorrow."

And I can say in gratitude, that "I have finished the race for today, not by me but the grace of God alone."

There were many thing I prayed for, and it was answered. Great is the Lord my God, who said, "Sin shall no longer have dominion over you". Many struggles, I gave to God, and now by His dominion I am changed.

For today night's meditation, it was a message appropriate for the moment. Psalm 50

13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?
14 Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High,
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.

The message was give thanks to God.

22 "Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue:
23 He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

He want the sacrifice of praise and thanks giving. Check out verse 22. He is coming folks to judge.

3 Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages.
4 He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:

If God is speaking to you today, do not rebel. For today is the day of salvation.

16 But to the wicked, God says: ....
17 You hate my instruction (correction) and cast my words behind you.

There were many days, even I did not consider the correction of God. I pray that let not your heart rebel. God will keep trying - How can he give up on you?

Hosea 11
8 "How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? ... My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused.
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger, nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath.

Praise God, His love endures forever!