*Journal*

This page is just starting, I think I will use this page to to highlight Bible verses and Christian teachings that touch my life, but I'm not sure yet, and I think it'll change with time.... So please come back often!

No more updates here. I think I'll put new posts at my Xanga site.

Late December, 2003

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should  not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
-James 1:2-8

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
-James 1:12

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
-James 1:13-15

Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.
-James 4:17

January 5, 2004

Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
-Proverbs 16:18

I will not play tug of war,
I'd rather play hug of war,
Where everyone hugs instead of tugs,
Where everyone kisses and everyone grins,
And everyone cuddle and everyone wins.
-Coors, Adolph, IV. "Changing Your Course." The Transparent Leader. Ed. Dwight Johnson. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2001.

Pride is the only disease that makes everyone sick except the one who has it.
-Coors, Adolph, IV. "Changing Your Course." The Transparent Leader. Ed. Dwight Johnson. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2001.

In that moment, God gave m a panoramic view of the incredible amount of hurt and pain that I had heaped upon this precious child of His. I can't remember a time when I felt so ashed. I repented for my sins and was incredibly grateful when my wife agreed to stay and work things out. she told me later that God whispered to her in a clear but audible voice, "If you will forgive Vince, I promise you there will be a third-day resurrection."
-D'Acchioli, Vince . "Getting Past Superficiality." The Transparent Leader. Ed. Dwight Johnson. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2001.

Six Principles for Effective Prayer:
1. Schedule it.
2. Find a quiet place.
3. Quiet your mind.
4. Seek Him first--not what you want.
5. Ask for His will in all matters.
6. Pray against the forces that are at cross-purposes with God's will.
-D'Acchioli, Vince . "Getting Past Superficiality." The Transparent Leader. Ed. Dwight Johnson. Eugene: Harvest House Publishers, 2001.

January 8, 2004

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
-1 John 4:16b-18.

January 11, 2004

If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
-Hebrews 10:26-27

Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.
-Matthew 5:23-24

"Our joy as we worship right now, gathered under His grace and surrounded
by high praise, is not an escape from reality. With all the power inherent
in His presence, it's still a fact that all of us face tough times, times a
lot different than these moments of celebration. But tough times don't
diminish the reality of His presence. Darkness will fall and clouds do
gather; shadows will come. But our faith and our confidence in Him need
never be shaken. And when we face difficult times and trials, He will be
with us...to make a way."

God Will Make a Way (Don Moen):

God will make a way
Where there seems to be no way
He works in ways we cannot see 
He will make a way for me 
He will be my guide 
Hold me closely to His side 
With love and strength for each new day 
He will make a way He will make a way 

By a roadway in the wilderness
He'll lead me 
And rivers in the desert will I see 
Heaven and earth will fade 
But His word will still remain 
He will do something new today.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
-Colossians 3:16

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on , however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
-Hebrews 12:10-11

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.
-Proverbs 9:10

Q: What is the fear that conquers all fear?
A: The fear of God. The fear of God conquers all fear.
-Unknown

January 12, 2004

About many things we should have prayed
But for some reason we delayed
But to pray it's never too late
For its power is ever so great
-Me

January 13, 2004

Worry does not take away your sorrows of tomorrow
It takes away your strength for today
-Jeremiah, David. "Facing the Giant of Worry." Most Requested Messages of 2003. Turning Point, 2003.

When thinking about how to serve God, think about "SHAPE":
Spiritual gift
Heart
Abilities
Personality
Experiences
-Yuen, Lawrence. Sunday service at Fraser Lands Church. Jan. 11, 2004.

January 17, 2004

Mercy said no
I'm not going to let you go
I'm not going to let you slip away
You don't have to be afraid
Mercy said no
Sin will never take control
Life and death stood face to face
Darkness tried to steal my heart away
Thank You Jesus, Mercy said no
-Chorus from "Mercy Said No" by Cece Winans

January 19, 2004

Suffering and affliction teaches.

7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
-2 Corinthians 12:7-10

5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: 
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, 
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 
6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, 
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
-Hebrews 12:5-11

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He 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. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. 
-John 15:1-3.

The vine dresser is never nearer the branches than when he is pruning them...
-Jeremiah, David. "A Bend in the Road." Most Requested Messages of 2003. Turning Point, 2003.

Disruptive moments:
1. Disruptive moments are often divine moments. ("This thing is from me.")
2. Progress without pain is not possible.
3. The promise of God is the provision of his grace.
4. Disruptive moments produce dynamic growth: more power, more holiness, more fruit
5. What we receive depends on how we respond. (You can never be the same again.)

Sometimes we come to life's crossroads
And we view what we think is the end
But God has a much wider vision
And he knows it's only a bend

The road will go on and get smoother
And after we've stopped for a rest
The path that lies hidden beyond us
Is often the path that is best

So rest and relax and grow stronger
Let go and let God share your road
Have faith in a brighter tomorrow
You've just come to a bend in the road.

12 "Do not call conspiracy 
everything that these people call conspiracy; 
do not fear what they fear, 
and do not dread it. 
13 The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, 
he is the one you are to fear, 
he is the one you are to dread...
-Isaiah 8:12-13

February 5, 2004

Peace and Joy
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[1] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we[2] rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. 
-Romans 5:1-5

14The farmer sows the word. 15Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. 20Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop--thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown."
-Mark 4:14-20

February 8, 2004

⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:5-7

February 14, 2004

⁶ Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil.
-Proverbs 16:6

²⁰ Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning."
-Exodus 20:20

February 15, 2004

¹³And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
¹⁴If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed. ¹⁵Yet do not regard him as an enemy, but warn him as a brother.
-2 Thessalonians 3:14

¹⁵"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. ¹⁶But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' ¹⁷If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
-Matthew 18:15-17.

¹Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.
-Galatians 6:1

¹"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ²For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ³"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
-Matthew 7:1-5

February 21, 2004

No longer must God punish (repay) our sin. Our punishment was fully taken by Christ (Colossians 2:13-14). Now the Father seeks only to do us good. Now when we go astray, He seeks to teach and discipline us in love so that we grow in maturity. Because of Christ's payment for our sin, we can know that the disciplining afflictions of the redeemed are designed only to do His child good and to glorify Him. God is a loving and faithful  parent who allows hardship only when He must help His child turn from the way of darkness and/or be conformed to His likeness. The fact that our punishment has been paid does not mean that God condones sin. It is clear that His true sons will not rebelliously continue in sinful patterns (1 John 2:3-6). We are commanded to walk in obedience. If our faith is genuine we will sincerely desire to please Him. Even though a true son is forgiven through Christ, God still abhors any sin in his life and is very grieved by it. This fact is especially true since Christ suffered and gave His life that we might turn from sin and glorify Him instead (2  Corinthians 5:15). When a person is saved, God does not change His view of sin. The difference is that He now deals with the believer's sin as the sin of a beloved son, rather than the sin of an enemy.
-Scott, Stuart. The Exemplary Husband. Bemidji: Focus Publishing, 1995.

If one does not see God rightly, he cannot see himself rightly either.
-Scott, Stuart. The Exemplary Husband. Bemidji: Focus Publishing, 1995.

February 22, 2004

¹So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the secret things of God. ²Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful. ³I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself. ⁴My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me. ⁵Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
-1 Corinthians 4:1-5.

February 29, 2004

¹⁰By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. ¹¹For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹²If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, ¹³his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. ¹⁴If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. ¹⁵If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
-1 Corinthians 3:10-15

March 8, 2004

¹⁴For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. ¹⁵But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
-Matthew 6:14-15

March 13, 2004

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?
-James 4:12

⁷Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. ⁸You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. ⁹Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!
¹⁰Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. ¹¹As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
-James 5:7-11

¹ Blessed are all who fear the LORD ,
who walk in his ways.
² You will eat the fruit of your labor;
blessings and prosperity will be yours.
³ Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your sons will be like olive shoots
around your table.
⁴ Thus is the man blessed
who fears the LORD .
-Psalm 128:1-4