Pressing On

"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 3:13-14)

Our pastor Jamey have been giving a series of sermons from the letter Philippians, and this is one of the passage that we read and stood out to me. There are times that we like to look back to our past and dwell on it. If the Enemy fails to tempt us to move backwards, he will do anything to stop us from moving forward. Along with our past, full of successes and failures, come our selfish pride and self-accusation. The next thing you know, you have fallen into the Enemy's trap. You see, he is more than happy to allow us to freely think of ourselves, being self-centered. As a result, we either stop moving foward or, what's worse, start going backwards. I like what Keith Wheeler wrote in his website(http://www.keithwheeler.com/devotional.htm): "Ultimately, devotion looks like the object of it's devotion". As we focus our attention on ourselves, we become more like ourselves, dwelling in "the house of sin"; but as we look to Jesus, we began to look more like Him, reflecting His nature and character. Paul has called us to leave our past behind and press on toward our heavenly goal in Christ Jesus because all our past fades away in face of eternity. My prayer is that God reveals to all of us the implications of this scripture pertaining to our own personal lives. I believe that He will break the bondages of our past and give us the faith to press on toward what He has in store for us in the future. Remember, "our citizenship is in heaven." (Philippians 3:20) Blessings,

mike

Monday Night Reflection: I was...I am...

I was...I am...

mike

When I was surrounded by the Sea of Darkness,
I saw a Light shone from the Lighthouse.

The Air was so overwhelmingly dark,
overshadowing all that is around me;
The Waves were furiously roaring,
overthrowing me, drowning me.
Yet I saw a Light shone from the Lighthouse
seated on the Shore afar.

So brilliant, so sharp,
the Light penetrates through all that it passes,
through the Air, through the Waves,
it reached to me,
a lost soul struggling to live.

Still overwhelming, the dark Air.
Still furious, the roaring Waves.
Yet the Light embraced me,
bringing Strength to my body,
Courage to my heart,
Peace to my soul.
I couldn't help but swim upward, forward,
toward the Light.

More overwhelming, the dark Air.
More furious, the roaring Waves.
Yet as I kept on swimming,
the Light became brighter,
dwarfing the Sea of Darkness and everything within.
Misery turned into Joy.
Desperation turned into Hope.

Then I heard the sound of a siren,
loud and clear,
like that coming from a ship.
All the sudden
the Light shifted away from me,
yet with increasing brightness,
It pointed toward a new direction.
With all Its energy,
the Light focused on a Grand Object.
What I saw
I could not believe.
The largest fishing ship I have ever seen.
So large, so incredibly large,
it makes me wonder
whether everybody in the world
can fit in.

Then I saw, on the Fishing Ship,
multitudes of joyful faces
watching, cheering, calling my name.
The glory of the Light
radiates from every single face.
"Come up, son!"
A distinct voice stood out
from within the crowd.
I looked to the front deck and saw
Him, the Captain,
pulling out a Ladder shaped like a Cross,
along the side of the Ship.
I could not believe
the Captain is saving me Himself!

Something amazing happened
as I was climbing up the Ladder.
The Sea Water on my body
dripped down like rain!
I was all dry and clean
when I got up to the deck,
like I've never been in the Sea before.
But my eyes weren't dry
as tears of joy burst out.

There He is, before the Multitudes,
the Captain, my Saviour,
smiling at me, with a Face
shining like the sun.
I couldn't help but ran toward Him,
into His open arms.
He embraced me before I could hug Him,
and with His arms thrown around me,
He kissed me.
My eyes were again
filled with tears of thankfulness.

All the sudden
a beam of the Light shifted unto my body,
and shone into my soul.
Then I heard, within me,
the voice of the Light spoke out,
loud and clear:

"For this son of mine was dead
and now is alive again;
he was lost and is found."

"Come, follow me,"
looking into my eyes,
the Captain said,
"and I will make you
fishers of men."
At once I nodded,
full of Faith.

I am now
a Fisherman among the Multitudes,
part of the Fishing Ship,
following my Captain,
leading by the Light,
saving lost souls from the Sea of Darkness,
longing to reach the Shore someday,
my ultimate and everlasting Home,
but most of all,
to meet our DAD face to face in His majestic Lighthouse.

Characters
The Sea of Darkness: what Satan, the Enemy, offers to people in this world
The Air and Waves: the Evil Forces of the Enemy
The Light: God the Holy Spirit
The Lighthouse: the Throne of God
The Fishing Ship, The Multitudes: the Church, the Body of Christ
The Captain: Jesus, God the Son, the Saviour
The Ladder: The Cross
The Sea Water: Sin
Fisherman: a follower of Jesus
The Shore: Heaven, Home
DAD: God the Father

Bible Verses
"For this son of mine was dead and now is alive again; he was lost and is found."

(Luke 15:24)
"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."

(Matthew 4:19)

Special Thanks
To the best Producer, DAD; the perfect Director, The Captain, and the most wonderful Counselor, The Light: without Your inspiration and guidance I could not have written the above. Thank you so much for all that You've contributed to my life! I give all the credit to You!
Love, mike

Seek & Find

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart."

(Jeremiah 29:13)

Please pray that Erin and Pamela would find peace and joy in Him at all times, as they are travelling back to Jordan. Pray that the their LOVE toward the Muslim family they are staying with and friends they are visiting would transcend all barriers of language, culture, and religion, and that JESUS be exalted in simplicity and power!

Jesus and Me

Jesus and Me

Keith Wheeler

(http://keithwheeler.com/roadside_reflections_jesusandme.htm)
Jesus came...
to serve and not be served;
to seek and save the lost;
to destroy the works of the evil one;
to do the will of His Father.
Have I?

Jesus was...
gentle;
humble;
full of grace and truth;
loving;
peaceful;
kind;
a "friend of sinners and taxgatherers".
Am I?

Jesus cared for the...
lonely;
hungry;
outcasts;
homeless;
poor;
sick;
prisoners;
children;
hurting;
lost.
Do I?

Jesus...
preached the Gospel;
prayed through the night;
forgave those who offended Him;
wept over the lost.
Will I?

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

(Matthew 22:14)

My prayer:

"Lord, I want to respond to your invitation, and I desire to be chosen to join you in your work, wherever and whenever you call me. Oh Jesus, would you mold me to be more like you in your character, thought, speech, and action. May all that is within me and comes out of me be pleasing to your heart and you alone get the credit! In your precious name, Jesus, I pray, Amen."

The Gardener

"He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful."

(John 15:2)

Please continue to lift up our sisters Erin and Pamela as they are leaving Jordan for Lebanon as well as Melaney who is leaving China for Thailand. Pray that they will have absolute peace and confidence in the Lord regardless of any unexpected circumstance that might occur. Pray that Jesus will shield them from any scheme of the Enemy and that they will be victorious in Him all the way!

His Grace Is Sufficient

..."My grace is sufficient for you, ..." (2 Corinthians 12:9)

May this be an encouragement from the Lord for those who are going through trials, hardships, or sickness. Also, this is my prayer for those who are on mission trips to other nations during this summer, that God's sufficient grace be with them wherever they go. Please remember our dear sisters Erin and Pamela in Jordan, Bethany in Bahamas, and Melaney in China in your prayers. You love for them is deeply appreciated!

Prayer Request

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here I am. Send me!" (Isaiah 6: 8)

"As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20: 21)

"... and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1: 8)

Our beloved sister Melaney left yesterday for a 5-week mission trip to China, Indonesia, and Thailand. Would you pray for her safety, connections with believers, divine appointments with non-believers, and, most of all, to lift up Jesus in love, humility, and service. Salvation come upon these nations!

Only A God Like You

Only A God Like You
mike

Your Justice is beyond laws;
Your Excellence is beyond virtues;
Your Sovereignty is beyond authorities;
Your Understanding is beyond comprehension;
Your Sacrifice is beyond purchase.
You are the Alpha and Omega,
the Beginning and the End;
You are the Lion and the Lamb,
the Creator and the Savior;
You are the King of kings and Lord of lords,
the Holy and Righteous One;

You are the First and Last,
the One and Only;

You are the same yesterday, today, and forever,
the One who was, is, and is to come!

Creation

"You are worthy, our Lord and God,

to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

and by your will they were created and have their being."

(Revelation 4:11)