The Gate, The Fountain, and Faith

Take a look at the photo...
Do you see some stone gates in front of you?
There are many gates in our lives, some we have already passed, one we are entering now, and still others we will come to later. Some gates are quite hard to enter, while others are fairly easy. It often occurred to me that the harder gates I went in, I came out with more ease, while the easier gates I entered, I left with greater difficulty.
As I struggled to get into a hard gate, I would cry out to the Lord for help. I felt that if I were not to totally depend on Him, I would surely be left inside the gate and never get out. But He answered my cry as I surrendered myself to Him, and I soon found my way out of the gate with such ease that my heart was filled of joy and thankfulness.
Therefore, from the hard gates, I learned to trust in the Lord during hard times.
However, I would simply rush into an easy gate with full confidence, thinking that I could do it all by myself and be out of the gate in no time. Who knows how long I stayed inside the gate. At last, depending totally on my own strength, I barely got out of the gate, and with such difficulty that I found myself worn out, full of misery and complaints. I asked God why, and He told me that it was not Him, but me, who made the exiting part so hard. I could have exited as easy as, if not easier than, I entered the gate, if only I had relied on Him wholly.
Therefore, from the easy gates, I learned to trust in the Lord during easy times still.
Now take a look at the photo again...
Do you see a water fountain at the end of the gate?
Beyond the gates, whether hard or easy ones, there is a fountain where one's thirst will be quenched, health be restored, and soul be renewed. God is the Fountain of Life, freely giving the Water of Everlasting Life to our souls. He is waiting for you on the other side of each Gate of your life journey, and all that it takes for you to get to the other side, to Him, is faith.
How you will come out of the Gate has nothing to do with how hard or easy it is to enter the Gate, but it has everything to do with whom you put your faith in the whole time.
Now, my friend, a Gate (hard or easy you need not know) is before you...
Will you depend on yourself, or will you trust in Him, to go through the Gate?

Faith and Security

. . .
Crying is all right in its way while it lasts. But you have to stop sooner or later and then you still have to decide what to do. When Jill stopped, she found she was dreadfully thirsty. She had been lying face downward, and now she sat up . . . She listened carefully and felt almost sure what she heard was the sound of running water.
The woods were so still that it was not difficult to decide where the sound was coming from . . . Sooner than she expected she came to an open glade and saw the stream, bright as glass, running across the turf a stone's throw away from her. But although the sight of the water made her feel ten times thirstier than before, she didn't rush forward and drink. She stood as still as if she had been turned into stone, with her mouth open. And she had a very good reason: just on this side of the stream lay the Lion. . .
"If you're thirsty, you may drink."
. . . For a second she stared here and there, wondering who had spoken. Then the voice said again, "If you are thirsty, come and drink." . . .It was the lion speaking. The voice was not like a man's. It was deeper, wilder and stronger; a sort of heavy, golden voice. It did not make her any less frightened than she had been before, but it made her frightened in rather a different way.
"Are you not thirsty?" said the Lion.
"I'm dying of thirst," said Jill.
"Then drink," said the Lion.
"May I -- could I -- would you mind going away while I do?" said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl. And as Jill gazed at its motionless bulk, she realized that she might as well have asked the whole mountain to move aside for her convenience.
The delicious rippling noise of the stream was driving her nearly frantic.
"Will you promise not to -- do anything to me, if I do come?" said Jill.
"I make no promise," said the Lion.
Jill was so thirsty now that, without noticing it, she had come a step nearer.
"Do you eat girls?" she said.
"I have swallowed up girls and boys, women and men, kings and emperors, cities and realms," said the Lion. It didn't say this as if it were boasting, nor as if it were sorry, nor as if it were angry. It just said it.
"I daren't come and drink," said Jill.
"Then you will die of thirst," said the Lion.
"Oh dear!" said Jill, coming another step nearer. "I suppose I must go and look for another stream then."
"There is no other stream," said the Lion.
It never occurred to Jill to disbelieve the Lion -- no one who had seen his stern face could do that -- and her mind suddenly made itself up. It was the worst thing she had ever had to do, but she went forward to the stream, knelt down, and began scooping up water in her hand. It was the coldest, most refreshing water she had ever tasted. You didn't need to drink much of it, for it quenched your thirst at once . . .
"Come here," said the Lion. And she had to.
. . . (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Silver Chair; by C. S. Lewis)

Like Jill, we want assurance, we want security, we want our life with Christ to be safe and predictable. But if we really want to know God and grow we must step out in the risk of faith. Yes, the Lion is scary, but the other alternative is to die of thirst, for "there is no other stream." In the presence of the most dangerous One, you are indeed the most secured.

Pray for Monica and Zeida

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

(Acts 1:8)

The Lord willing, our beloved sisters are going to serve the people of China and Africa for about a month. Monica will be teaching English to professors and helping HIV patients in Wulumuqi(city), Xinjiang(province), China. Zeida will be working with an organization reaching out to HIV patients and their families in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and Swaziland. They are leaving in just a few hours and will share part of the journey on the same flight (How cool!). As a Body, let's lift up their journey to the Head, our Lord Jesus, and pray for the Father's will be done through them. May they blossom like flowers, radiating the beauty of Jesus, reflecting the glory of God!

Jesus

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink." (John 7:37)

When I was thirsty, I saw a Stream
flowing quiet waters.
When I am parched, I found a Fountain
gushing living springs.
The waters were unlike any I had drunk,
a drop was able to quench all my thirst.
The springs were unlike any I had tasted,
a sip was enough to satisfy all my crave.
How refreshing!
How renewing!
How lifesaving!
Then I know for certain that
I had drank from

the Stream of Salvation,
the Fountain of Life!

"Lord Jesus, You are that Stream of Salvation, that Fountain of Life. Make me thirsty daily, so that I can be drawn to You again and again. You alone can satisfy me and make me whole! Father, I pray for those who are lost in the "desert," would you pour the Water of Salvation and Life into their parched soul and make them anew. Let anyone who is thirsty come and drink from You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Tuesday Night Meditation: Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit

mike

There is a Light
that never ceases to shine.

From Heaven
to Earth,
It shines.

Across the darkness
and through the storms,
It shines.

Wherever It shines,
there is hope,
there is freedom.

There is a River
that never ceases to flow.

From the mountains
to the valleys,
It flows.

Across the villages
and into the cities,
It flows.

Wherever It flows,
there is cleansing,
there is renewal.

There is a Flame
that never ceases to burn.

From the African desert
to the Amazon plain,
It burns.

In the eyes of the redeemed
and the hearts of the faithful,
It burns.

Wherever It burns,
there is purifying,
there is revival.

Come, Holy Spirit come...

Let The Light of Hope shine
into every eye!

Let The River of Life flow
from every heart!

Let The Flame of Salvation burn
within every soul!

Celebrate Freedom 2005

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.

(2 Corinthians 3:17)

A couple of us went to "Celebrate Freedom 2005(click to view)," an outdoor Christian concert yesterday, and as I was meditating on "freedom," the Lord kept reminding me of this verse. A song called "Freedom Reigns(click to listen)" started to ring in my mind:

Where the spirit of the Lord is

There is freedom (x 2)

If you're tired and thirsty

There is freedom (x 2)

Freedom reigns in this place

Showers of mercy and grace

Falling on every face

There is freedom

...

As we celebrate the independence and freedom of this nation, may we rejoice in the Lord and give thanks to Him who has empowered us with His Spirit to freely worship. I pray Lord that you would encourage and strengthen those who are deprived of bodily freedom for your sake that they are free indeed in the Spirit! Lord for those who are walking in chains and bondages, would you touch them with your Spirit and lead them real FREEDOM--freedom from sin and freedom in Christ Jesus! May we celebrate freedom on this day and embrace FREEDOM everyday! In the One who set us free, Amen.

All About Him

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us,

that your ways may be known on earth,

your salvation among all nations.

(Psalm 67:1-2)

Please continue to lift up Erin and Pamela to Dad as they are spending the last few days in Jordan with their Muslim host family, pray for deeper heart connections and life sharings. Melaney continues her journey from Thailand to Indonesia. Pray for a smooth transition with lots of favors and a valuable time spending with the church-planting team in Indonesia.

Through His people, His will be done in these nations, and He alone gets the glory!