Why Is The Sky Blue?

Auguste Rodin, says, "In art, to admit only what one understands leads to impotence." It's okey to ask questions and keep going.

Overcoming the Temptation to Sin

One time, while I was in a foreign land, a woman invited me over to her house. I thought there was a group party for she was one of those taking care of guests like me. So, I agreed. And we took a walk together to the house where she led me.

When we arrived and entered the place, I discovered there was no party. Just the two of us alone in an apartment that was so quiet and private. I sat down, while she prepared dinner for the two of us. That tempted me to start imagining things. How could she do this! At that moment, I thought of my love for God and my wife. Upon realizing what's happening, I quickly hurried to the door and said goodbye.

I'm reminded of Joseph and how he overcame the temptation to sin. "And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her. One day, he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. She caught him by his cloak and said, 'Come to bed with me!' But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house." (Genesis 39: 10-12)

Joseph did some practical steps to defeat the temptation to sin. He refused the temptation. He literally ran away from the scene of temptation. He resisted the devil and the flesh, which are sources of the temptation. I'm sure that, because of his passion for and commitment to God, he was able to fight the battle and walk in victory.

I find Genesis 39, in verse 10 interesting, which reads: "And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her." Why did Joseph refuse to "even be with her?" I wonder what was the harm in talking or being with her as long as he did not go to bed or have an affair with her. That was Joseph's secret of victory! He didn't allow openings to play games and for the devil to have opportunity to strike. Joseph overcame sexual temptation by rejecting both the temptation and the object of temptation.

These principles of victory do not apply only to sexual temptation. They also apply to other kinds or categories of temptation, like love for money, selfishness, tendency to compromise or hide truth ... and many others. You refuse. You reject. You run. You resist. God's wisdom does reveal these practical steps for us to guard our hearts and remain pure and faithful before Him.

Integrity, faithfulness, and purity cost Joseph a lot. He lost his job as well as landed in prison (Genesis 39:20). Eventually though, God honored Joseph's faithfulness with much more than what he had. Joseph passed the test. And God's blessings caught up with him.

In this generation, there are modern-day versions of Potiphar's wife. She will attack you and I when we least expect them. She lurks in internet, television, movies, magazines, the businesses we do, and even in flesh and blood. She'll continue to pursue and tempt you. Remember Joseph's example of dealing with Potiphar's wife.

Be careful and lean always to God for victory.

Secrets

Secrets always change the atmosphere of a relationship. Friends or lovers become silent. They lean back or forward in their seats. They turn their heads downward. Some people fiddle with the edges of the table or what they hold at the moment. Secrets are a good place to discover one's true self. It also reveals the health of one's relationship with the other. Mysteries and secrets almost always relate, as a metaphor, to your values. Often, truth is revealed even in the ordinary workings of a day or a moment of time.

Which Verse is the Middle of the Bible?

Psalm 117 is the shortest chapter in the Bible. Psalm 119 is the longest one....
There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118....All in all, the Bible has 1,188 chapters.....So what's the verse at the center of the Bible?
It's Psalm 118:8 which says, "IT IS BETTER TO TAKE REFUGE IN THE LORD THAN TO TRUST IN MAN." Is this just coincidence or God's perfect design for our lives?

Secure or Insecure?

This morning, Victory missionary pastor John Saison during our breakfast cell meeting at McDonalds, remarked that his wife would not feel "insecure" about him. Insecure in the sense that he would be lured by or give in to lust for women, that he'd be unfaithful to her. Even in thoughts, John's wife is so assured.

What is the secret of this sense of deep security in pastor John's wife about him? John revealed it by quoting his wife who said to him, "I'm sure about you, John, because I'm sure about your passion for God. I see you get up every morning and pray to God and commune with Him."

Passion for God. Basis for feeling secure about the other. It does appear that this connection is not uncommon in people's experiences.

If you can be sure of your husband's or wife's passion for God, you can feel secure about his or her faithfulness. You're certain that your spouse will not be easily swayed by men or temptations of the flesh. If you can be sure of your children's passion for God, you as a parent will not become overly anxious about their honesty. Passion for God, feeling secure, trust. That's the order of development.

One feels safe, therefore, when you know that the one you relate to worships and celebrates God. You feel more solid and thus secure about the other because of evidenced steadfastness in the Lord. Passion for God is the starting point.

I came out of that McDonalds meeting stirred and encouraged. There is a supernatural insight. And it's wonderful.

A LOVE POEM

There's a distance between us, my love
And how I wish it is not true.
Each day when I awake,
I yearn to be with you.
And in His presence,
Our love can run deep and true.
Without you, my dreams and memories are lost,
Like leaves blown away by the storm.
Without you, I'd really be heart-broken,
I could not look anymore at each sunset or dawn.
But though it feels we're miles apart,
The Lord promises to keep His lovely spark
in our soul He'll see us through,
As we journey together with Him.
You're always here in my heart, love.
And in the night
Beneath the moon shine and starlight,
I pray for the day we'll never part
For my love for you is forever in my heart.

Broken But Alive

I'm in a heavy spiritual and emotional battle today. I felt deeply wounded and betrayed. It was really a simple choice. God and His Word told me to forgive and be free. I could obey or not. While wrestling with God, one of our church pastors, John Saison, encouraged me with Proverbs 3: 5, 6 -- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Timely reminder. This brokenness I'm experiencing right now is like a good laboratory for discovering what Christ had endured when He Himself was betrayed. It feels painful. But if I commit my way to the Lord and trust in Him, I'll be rescued, healed. If I would be ever mindful of God and obey Him faithfully, my paths will turn out right. In Him, I can feel safe. Yes, I'm broken but alive, because of Him.

When Life's Difficulties Come

I came across some words today to live by when life's difficulties come. The Bible teaches that trials or struggles can break or solidify a person. I determine they would solidify me. I wouldn't bear things; I would use them.

Take a look at this poem by Ken Walsh as an affirmation of the Bible's encouragement during difficult times.

"Hello trouble, (you --)
I've met with you before -
So now you're here again,
Bigger than ever, larger than life,
Ready to cause more and more strife
And break me if you can.
My hands are tied behind my back
My legs they are in chains,
My health is not what it used to be
I do have aches and pains,
My responsibilities loom large
And there are those who on me depend
Whom I wouldn't see hurt for the world -
So buzz off trouble. But if you're going to stay:
My brow you may crease, my shoulders you may bow,
My mind you may scar, my nerves you may break,
Mark you I said MAY;
But mark also if you stay
I shall surely grow and grow,
And my spirit, my soul, you cannot touch,
For they belong to God and me -
And no matter what you do or say
They always will be free. "
(Ken Walsh, Sometimes I Weep, London: SCM Press Ltd, 1973, p. 112)

Anorexia

I'm noticing that some women today are dangerously sick with anorexia. A medical dictionary and encyclopedia described it this way:

"People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as being overly heavy even though they are dangerously thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating these in small quantities, or carefully portioning food. Anorexia generally effects women, and is classified as a common eating disorder." (one source of information you can find here)

Is it coincidence that Paul also mentioned on food in connection with his sober warning that "in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons" (1 Timothy 4:1) ?. He said that one of the evidences of the last days will be those who "advocate abstaining from foods" (v. 3) which are intended to nourish the physical body.

Anorexia is an eating disorder, according to the doctors. But I don't think it has to do with food or desire to remain healthy or have a good body shape. The issue is deception. Some things are confused by Satan or the secularized world inside our minds. We live in the natural world, but we are also involved in spiritual war.

Lust of the Flesh. Lust of the Eyes. Pride of Life.

The Bible says there are only 3 channels through which Satan will draw you away from God. They are found in apostle John's passage in 1 John 2: 15-17:

"Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever."

LUST OF THE FLESH. Our physical, animal appetites, cravings, passions.

"the woman saw that the tree was good for food" (Genesis 3:6)

LUST OF THE EYES. Self-interest. Selfishness.

"and that it was a delight to the eyes" (Genesis 3:6)

PRIDE OF LIFE. Self promotion. Self exaltation.

"and that the tree was desirable to make one wise" (Genesis 3:6)

These 3 channels of TEMPTATION are Satan's hooks to guarantee that what we think we want and need outside of God's will can satisfy us.

A primary issue is deception. Once Satan gets you hooked with his deception, he'll leave you destroyed. You can never satisfy the carnal desires of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life. The more you feed them, the more they grow.


Only in Christ can you be truly satisfied. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6). By living by the power of the Holy Spirit, you and I will be satisfied.

Staring Tourist

In the city, it's easy to spot tourists. They stare. They often smile, make eye contact. If you observe them, you'll see that they tend to see things and people around them more intently. Their eyes are bigger and wider! Several weeks ago, I too was a staring tourist in a foreign land. As a tourist, I was in a different environment and time zone. So, when I looked around, my aim was not to find my way but to let the way of a place touch me.

Absence as Presence

Love may begin with a sense of absence. A void. A sense of something hidden. What you don't see for a while, literally and figuratively, can be missed. When you really love or care for a person, it is eye-opening to explore absence as presence.

Why Writing is Prayer

Writing is a form of prayer. It is a practice of words. And so, when I write words that give offering, adoration, supplication, complaint, worship, and thanksgiving to God, am I not praying and talking to God? In this web journal, I regularly compose prayers. I'm glad I found this form of prayer. My writing blog thus is not a pastime but a priesthood.

Longing to Trust

At my most difficult moments, I've experienced the longing to trust. And honestly, I'm terrified to be betrayed. By nature, fallible human beings can cross you. Only God is worthy of absolute trust. I'm not a born giver of trust. It takes my "second birth" to make me aware of the need to persevere. Not to shrink back when others fail me. The passion to always see the good in people is there. It may need to be stirred once in a while, but there is always a flame. Truth and the Spirit empower me to trust.

God's New Things, Outside the Box

It's sort of a milestone for me. In past years, my mind would have remained inside the box and how I might survive. But now I feel stirred by a higher vision. God is leading me to think "outside the box" to fulfill His new calling. After 3 or 4 false starts, I've finally learned to let go of the old that I may catch the new God is showing me. Perhaps only a few can readily understand this. In fact, even my loved ones or closest friends would need time to comprehend it fully. I don't actually mind. As long as I have the audience of One, I'm safe and going great! My sure direction in Him matters more than tradition or the popular ways. His will and goal must be higher. I want to be in the stream of God's purposes and new things He's starting.