Immediate Thoughts

Oh wonderful! WONDERFUL!

Caregroup

I always look forward to these gatherings... caregroup, bible study and Sunday services. :) It just struck me again today, that I can have fellowship with Abba any time I wish too.. :D

Anyway, I feel so blessed by today's caregroup sharing. :) Wow, Abba really loves us. You know, the caregroup is like another family. I just feel that the God is readying our church for a massive expansion; yet at the same time, He is setting us in families. For me, I feel that He's getting me to 'settle down' and grow my roots not only wide but deep, to anchor me in - not only in His Word but in the church as well.


Abba's Love

Abba's love. I feel this will be my source of feeding for the next few days - How would the consciousness of Abba's love effect me?

It's not how much of God's love you feel. It's how much you allow your mindset to be changed about God's love.

What do you do that reminds you of His love for you? (praying in tongues, singing, tapes) Do those things. To bathe in His love everyday...


Worship

Worship is about coming into His presence. Not just singing songs. But intimacy. Coming into the Holy of Holies.. just Abba and me; into His presence, worshipping before His throne.

It's You
You who have won my heart
Taken me into Your arms
Comforted me like a friend

Your love
surrounded me from the start
I never want to be apart
From you ever again

Just think about it. Worship. It's Abba and me. Just the two of us..


Tithe

Received a wonderful insight about the tithe today! Not sure whether it's a revelation yet.. got to chew for a few days..

Bring the tithe to His storehouse...

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, "if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows. (Malachi 3:10)

But I forgot that God blessed us from His storehouse..! I mean, why would God need a storehouse right? For us! Wow :D Abba is GOOD! Even whatever we return to Him (He said "bring the tithe", not 'give'), He gives back to us!

The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. (Deuteronomy 28:12)

No wonder Deacon Matthew said, TITHE. It's an acronym for "The Investment That Heaven Endorses." :D


Starry-eyed

How do you see Jesus as bridegroom?

You know, for a young girl, it's that knight on a white horse who comes to sweep her off her feet.

Check this out.

Imagine. This is just before they arrived at Jericho. It's a new generation, a young generation who have not seen war. They were nomads in the wilderness. They have heard how God delivered them from the hands of the Egyptians. Some had doubt in their heart. That was 40 years ago.. Some were excited.. Now is the time!

It's the eve. Have you seen the walls of Jericho?

But it's the time. Finally! One can see Jesus raring to show His might on behalf of His people. Wanting to be amongst them.

He could have stood afar off and commanded angels. But He wanted to be their Hero because He loved them.


Now it came about when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand, and Joshua went to him and said to him, "Are you for us or for our adversaries?"

He said, "No; rather I indeed come now as captain of the host of the LORD." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said to him, "What has my lord to say to his servant?"

The captain of the LORD'S host said to Joshua, "Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy." And Joshua did so. (Joshua 5:13-15)


Jesus cut quite a dashing figure huh? :D I love it! This Captain of the Host of the Lord, atop a white horse (Revelations 19:11) And we, the bride, lift our eyes up to Him... Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith! (Hebrews 12:2)


How do I know Jesus WANTS to be our Hero??

Well, see above.

Secondly, the earthly relationships we have here is an analogy of our relationship with Him. In a romantic relationship, the male is the protector and the provider. The female, well, complements by yearning for a hero to provide and protect her. His 'reward'? Her love and adoration. :)

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Deuteronomy 6:5)

He wants us to love Him as much as He loves us. But we know that even when we can't, He loves us nevertheless. Hence, we realise that because His love asks for no repayment, we uncontrollably fall in love all over again, deeper and deeper each time.

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (1 John 4:10)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)

Hmm.. Do you ever feel like running up to this wonderful, magnificient, lover of your soul and declare to Him, "I'm so madly in love with You baby!" hahaha! I can just see Him grinning and pulling me into His embrace. :D


Sentimentalism

It's a revelation to me.. that the flesh is sentimental!

For the past few weeks, I've been asking myself why I don't feel passion anymore?

But the 'intense feelings' that I used to feel was wrapped up in the flesh. But really, it's sentimentalism.

I know that He is guarding my heart - in all areas. But this 'lack' of emotions was unnatural to me, to my mind. I thought that I have become unfeeling, distant of people and circumstances.

Today, I finally realised it's not that. Passion is not sentimentalism. I know Jesus is PASSION. His death demonstrated His Passion for us. (Eph 3:18)

But what is biblical passion?

Passion is not the worldly emotions that I used to enjoy. So I can no longer define 'passion' from my experience.

I just feel that Christian passion surpasses that; it's much more intense, it's a passion that satisfies. I guess one type of passion is that indescrible feeling that one sometimes get during worship..

His peace guards me so securely that I find it strange when I don't worry, get angry, dream about my 'crush'.. so 'bo chap' that I wonder, 'what's up?! Am I being unfeeling?'

Is this the struggle of spirit and flesh that the bible talks about?

haha :D That's why it's so important to REST. Resting and trusting and having confidence in His love. Who is Him? Not Lord God Almighty, although He is that. But in Abba's love. :D A Father's love. Mmmm...lovely.