Fall

The picture above was taken on the way to the canoeing trip a couple of weeks ago. I thought the picture was beautiful when I first viewed it but it was not until tonight that I realized its spiritual implications. I think it's cool that, so many times, the Lord speaks to me through the pictures I take. He opens my spiritual eyes through my physical eyes. My prayer is that God would open our spiritual eyes to see the purposes and plans that He has for us as individuals and together as his Church.
May you be richly blessed today as you seek His face and dwell in His presence!

Fall

mike

The field is ripe,
preparing for the harvest.
The harvest is plenty,
waiting for the workers.

Though many are called,
few will be chosen.
Though few are chosen,
many shall be saved.

Look---those walking
towards the field.
Behold---those dancing
among the wheat.

Where they walk, grace
fills along the path.
Where they dance, joy
flows over the land.

Gold and bright---did you see
The color of harvest?
Loud and clear---did you hear
The sound of salvation?

Dive in Faith

Backgroud Knowledge: A sestina is a poem of six six-line stanza and one three-line envoi, in which the ending words on each line are repeated according to a pre-determined pattern. A six-line stanza is a "sestet." A three-line stnaza is a "tercet." The format of a sestina is as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6 --- end words of lines in 1st sestet.
6 1 5 2 4 3 --- end words of lines in 2^nd sestet.
3 6 4 1 2 5 --- end words of lines in 3rd sestet.
5 3 2 6 1 4 --- end words of lines in 4th sestet.
4 5 1 3 6 2 --- end words of lines in 5th sestet.
2 4 6 5 3 1 --- end words of lines in 6th sestet.

6 2 --- middle and end words of lines in 1^st tercet.
1 4 --- middle and end words of lines in 2nd tercet.
5 3 --- middle and end words of lines in 3rd tercet

Today's Verse:

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16: 33)

Today's Prayer:

Lord, thank you for giving us peace in times of trouble, and faith in times of uncertainty. I pray for those who are undergoing hardships and trials, that they may stand firm in faith, trusting for your power of healing and restoration, the power to make things right. You have overcome the world, and therefore when we rely on you, there's no worldly trouble we cannot overcome. Lord Jesus, would you cast out our worries and fears, and guide us to take that step of faith in believing you, when things are not going well. Thank for comforting and strengthening us when we are down. In your precious and mighty name, Jesus, I pray, Amen.

Sestina: Dive in Faith

mike

It all seems peaceful until things are altered--
The storms strike, the winds blow,
Even the moon goes hiding in the clouds.
O how I wish I could be a fish and dive
Into the deepest ocean to escape
From the wrath of this sudden fury.

But what good is there to escape from such fury
If a predestined life can never be altered?
Even if I could become a fish and escape
Into the sea, the mighty winds would still blow,
Pushing the waves against me as I dive.
And surely, no good hiding in the clouds

Like the moon, if the winds scatter the clouds
And expose everything within to the fury.
Yet a choice must be made: to hide or to dive?
Knowing my destiny may not be altered
If I dive nor may the winds end their blow
If I hide, I cry out: "where's my escape?"

Desperately I seek to find such an escape
From reality. In my dream I gaze through the clouds
Into the Other Side, where breezes of love blow,
Where showers of mercy fall, where storms of fury
Disappear, and where my life shall be forever altered
As, into the seas of grace, I make a deep dive.

I come back to reality--- the choice to hide or to dive.
The glimpse of the Other Side makes me want to escape
No more--- even my destiny cannot be altered
In this world, it shall be, in the World beyond the clouds.
Now even mighty storms in their greatest fury
And powerful winds in their strongest blow

Cannot make me tremble, for I hear the trumpets blow
On the Other Side, calling me to make a dive---
Without fear--- a deep dive into the ocean of fury.
I choose neither to hide nor to escape
but to embrace, for I can see the sun breaking the clouds,
and in a little while all darkness will be altered.

I no longer see the fury storms or hear the winds blow.
My life is altered because of faith--- the faith to dive.
I shall escape no more, for now I trust beyond the clouds.

Reflection

This picture was taken during canoeing with a group of international students last Saturday. I took the picture because I loved the reflections from the water and, more importantly, the Lord reminded me of who I am in Him and the purpose of my life --- to be a reflection of His beauty and glory to the lost. As each believer reflects the Jesus in him/her, together a fuller picture of Jesus is displayed. The whole world is watching us. Living a life of who we are in Christ is a great testimony to the lost world. "Can they see the reflection of Jesus in me?" This is a good question to ask ourselves daily.

Reflection

From the secret, the quiet place
In my soul, a River flows in steady pace.
The River of Life, the River of Grace
Unceasingly flows, reflecting the beauty
Of the land and the sky --- the majesty
Of nature --- displaying the matchless glory
Of the Creator, whose Spirit dwells in
My soul, making the River flow --- flowing
With unceasing joy, my soul rejoices, alone in Him!

The Choir and The Church

The picture above was taken at the Fall Concert presented by the TCU choir tonight. For me, it was, in addition to listening, a wonderful worship experience in God's presence. The choir sang so beautifully that a moment I thought I was in Heaven, listening to the Choir of Angels. But --- the truth is, they are absolutely incomparable! What went on here tonight is merely the shadow of the miro-glimpse of what the Grand Choir in Heaven is like. As much as I wish you had come and listened to the TCU choir tonight, how much more do I hope and long for the day when you and I, along with countless multitudes, will be joining the Grand Choir of Heaven. Of course, my friend, it all starts with joining the Grand Choir rehearsals that take place here on earth, at this very moment. Get ready, and get excited, brothers and sisters --- just a few more rehearsals here and we shall give the real performance there!

What it is like during the real performance, I cannot imagine, but undoubtfully it's going to be --- indescribably beautiful and glorious!!!

The Choir and The Church

mike

The choir is a beautiful collection of singers with
Different voices of various qualities.
Yet when the singers take the place of the conductor,
Who is the director of the choir,
It is no more than random, disorganized notes-
Not song, but noise, is heard.

The church is a beautiful collection of believers with
Different gifts of various abilities.
Yet when the believers take the place of God,
Who is the head of the church,
It is no more than an unhealthy, dysfunctional body ---
Not life, but destruction, is seen.

Only when the singers are under the leadership of the conductor
can an organized, harmonious chorus be performed.

Only when the believers are under the headship of God
can a united, functional church exist.

Let us join the Grand Choir of Our Lord Jesus Christ,
Who directs us into the most beautiful and glorious performance ---
The Song of Salvation, the Chorus of Life --- forever and ever!

A Gift of God

In our poetry class, we were asked to write an ode on an object that is of value to us. Here's what I came up with-

A Gift of God
-to Brent, my beloved brother and mentor in Christ

Memories unfold as the pages turn,
My thoughts run towards the moment
When he handed me the book with
Such joy and expectation on his face.
So many times were the pages turned,
It is no doubt a treasure of his heart.

Small and light is the book yet I could sense
The heaviness and depth of its content.
As the pages turned, I found myself walking
From the valley of darkness to the field of light.
Not knowing what it was, I could sense something
New and wonderful emerging in my soul.

Once again, the turning pages bring back memories-
I see him, standing beside me with his
Smiling face and encouraging eyes.
I hear the echoes of my heart, saying:
"I was once lost but now am found."
Surely, it's not simply a book, but a gift of God.

Monday Night Meditation: God and His Children

God and His Children

A song of love, the Father sings.
A march of peace, the Son leads.
A dance of hope, the Spirit reveals.

Singing in adoration, we sing to the Father!
Marching in jubilation, we march with the Son!
Dancing in liberation, we dance in the Spirit!

40 Days of Community Kickoff

Starting this Sunday, Christ Fellowship church will participate in 40 Days of Community Campaign. For the next 40 days, we will be reading Better Together daily and meeting together weekly as small groups in different parts of the city. Better Together focuses on the question: "What on earth are we here for?" Our prayer and hope is that throughout the course of the campaign, we will better understand God's purpose for us as His Church. Our group will meet on Sunday evenings, and we pray that God would use this opportunity to incorporate the lost into this loving, Christ-exalting, and life-giving community we are living in. Please join us in prayers, if you will, as we spend the next 40 days and beyond worshipping, fellowshipping, growing, serving, and reaching out, together. God created us for Him and His family. In a family, we belong to and are in need of each other. As a family, we are better together!

10 GUIDELINES FROM GOD

10 GUIDELINES FROM GOD

Effective immediately, please be aware that there are changes YOU need to make in YOUR life. These changes need to be completed in order that I may fulfill My promises to you to grant you peace, joy and happiness in this life. I apologize for any inconvenience, but after all that I am doing, this seems very little to ask of you. Please, follow these 10 guidelines.

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry. Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me. And although My to-do list is long, I am after all...God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

3. TRUST ME

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back. Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list. I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

4. LEAVE IT ALONE

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them. I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

5. TALK TO ME

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy. Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life. I want to hear you talk about your friends and family. Prayer is simply you having a conversation with Me. I want to be your dearest friend.

6. HAVE FAITH

I see a lot of things that you can't see from where you are. Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me. Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

7. SHARE

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement. Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

8. BE PATIENT

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much. How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake. I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

10. LOVE YOURSELF

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself. It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me. Don't ever forget.

--Author Unknown

Aslan

Wrong will be right
when Aslan comes in sight.
At the sound of his roar
sorrows will be no more.
When he bares his teeth
winter meets its death,
and when he shakes his mane,
spring shall come again.

--- C. S. Lewis

Eyes and Love

There is a saying that goes like this: "the eyes are the windows to the heart." I think it is quite true sometimes. There are times when one can look straight into another's eyes and, without any verbal communication, know what lies deep inside his/her heart. The picture above was taken by my friend Erin during her recent mission trip to the Middle East. What caught my eyes first were the eyes of these five children. Their eyes looked different, yet to me, they were telling the same story, revealing the same heart...

Eyes

Time stands still at the contact of eyes---
A moment of silence, an unforgettable sight.

A simple gaze of the eye talks
About what lies deep inside the heart.

Desperation? Anger? Fear? Hope?
I ponder, wishing that I can fully know.

For a minute I think a better life
Is what I see through these little eyes.

Another moment I wonder if they are ever told
What children's life is like in another part of the world.

Then I come to realize it doesn't matter
If they know or want a life that's better.

What matters is that, like the other children lived afar,
And so does every grown-up, they desire to be loved.

Their hearts' longing for love cannot hide,
For I know children's eyes seldom lie.

No matter how old we are, we are still like little children in one way or another. At least, we want to be loved. Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." (Matthew 19:14) If you do not know that you are loved, I want to tell you that you are indeed loved. Jesus stretched his arms wide on the cross, telling you and me: "This much I love you."
God is embracing you with His love, but will you, in response to His love, embrace Him? Remember, the Father's love is the best gift a child like you and I can ever get.