Devotion #3

"Feelings arent important." "Emotions get in the way." "Don't trust your feelings." "Don't feel sad." "Real men don't cry." "Just trust God."

Have you ever heard such advice before? I suspect you have because many believers have a serious misunderstanding about the Christian life. They think Christians should livestoic lives and never express strong emotions. Yet, the Bible describes more than 20 different emotions that emotions that Jesus felt. If Christ is our model of perfect spiritual and emotional maturity, then we should take a look at a few of Jesus' emotions:
(1)Compassion: Jesus fed the multitude because they hadn't eaten for 3 days and He had "compassion on these people" (Matt 15:32). He also healed 2 blind men by the roadside out of compassion (20:34). As a compassionate person, Jesus was profoundly moved by the sufferings and troubles of those He encountered.
(2) Love: If compassion characterises Jesus' feeling towards the multitudes, then love epitomizes His relationships with those closest to Him. When Lazarus laid dying. Martha and Mary sent this word to Jesus:"Lord, he whom you love is sick." Then John records, "Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus" (John3:3-5). Jesus didn't try to be less than human by shielding Himself from love and affection.
(3) Joy: One time, following Jesus' prediction of HIs betrayal, He siad, "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full" (15:22).
(4) Grief and sorrow: John 11:35 is the shortest verse in the Bible. It reveals a Saviour who could feel pain for those He loved. Jesus didn't try, as we sometimes do in times of sorrow, to be outwardly "strong" and hide or deny His feelings. Through His Jesus showed He had the strength to care enough to weep.
(5) Anger: Perhaps the best-known expression of His anger was whne He drove the moneychangers out of the temple. To those who sold doves, Jesus rebuked, "take thse things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!" (2:16). Like Christ, mature Christians will experience angry feelings. But those feelings must be stimulated by a love and concern forothers and for righteousness, rather than by the frustration of our own desires.
(6) Peace: As Jesus prepared to leave His disciples in daeth, He told them, "indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. These things I hvae spoken to you, that in ME you may have peace. In the worlf you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (16:32-33)

Jesus displayed Spirit-controlled emotions freely. Take responsibility for your feelings. No one makes you feel any particular emotion-- positive or negative. You choose to feel they way you feel. So, express those feelings constructively so that in every emotion, God is glorified.

Oh Happy Day~

So after skipping 2 sunday services, I'm finally back in church! Woohoo.. Bet I was greatly missed (at least Bethesda & Shih said so..). :p It's a pleasure to be back. Though I've some reserves in me about what I feel, I'm not gonna base church just upon emotions. After all, it's a holy place filled with God's presence- that's all that matters. Through this one day, God spoke to my heart about various issues. Just really appreciate the time I have, though little, to cry in His loving arms, humbly before His throne. Then suddenly all things aren't that bad, problems ain't that big- coz I've a bigger God. *winkZ*
Guess recently God has been showing me much about prayer. About being a prayerful woman of God and the results and miracles that prayer can do. As a person involved in this stressful season of SYF(Singapore Youth Festival a.k.a Sends You Frustration), I see my girls falling sick, undergoing too much stress that doctor say they can't play, 1 even had a diagnosed illness that puts that at the fence of life if they keep playing. Nevertheless, they're not giving up,and neither should I. I see myself as a source of strength and support. It's good to see my juniors praying about this whole thing, placing it all in God's hands. Just for that simple faith they have, I know I have to press on together with them. Pray for them- that's 70% of what I can do for them. Encourage them with God's word, be it they're saved or not. Talks for the leaders, prayers for the sick, letters for the discouraged, SMS for the conductor, chocolates for all. What I can do, I do. ILook, I'm not praising myself here, but I truly think I've done beyond my limits.
You know what's the greatest joy of all these? That you become a living testimony for God. That others start to see that compassion and love you have that's from God. And through that, I've changed lives, touched souls and sow seeds in many. In fact, a JC friend of mine who used to be quite a "Anti Christ" person, got saved. Seeing, a bible & Rick Warren's "A Purpose Driven Life" on her table, during a gathering yesterday; I tell you, call I can say is "Thank you Lord for answering my prayers!". So each day now, I challenge myself to pray for others. Like what Adrain said during rally committee meeting, "Every short quick prayer counts.". Thus, people of God, I challenge you too, to care more for others; placing them above & before yourself. Pray for the unsaved, the sick, the poor, the lost, the needy- everyone. You can never run out of things to pray for. If ever you do, just pray for me. :) Plant seeds in peoples lives. Though you may not be the one who reaps it. A plant won't bear fruits if no one bothered to plant it in the first place right? Thus it is more important that we sow!

"Prayers generate Power": You don't know how much power you've generated in someone until that person becomes just like you- a light unto the world.

Godspeed,
sHuZ

Link to atcross.com added. Please patronize it! :)

new begining

umm will be starting working tml 9am.. really gonna be a new life style, new envt, new begining for me and the close pple around me.. really asking God , lord pls help me to not waver in this period of transition.. haiz but neverthless God is good, He has brought me thus far n i know he 'll con to lead n guide me. well i muz say i'm feeling kinda fearful n worried inside of me, dunno wat top expect, afraid that i won't meet up my boss's expectations..realy need the favour of God.. oki'l stop here will update more.lov mingzhu