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Showing posts from February, 2012

God as Your Stronghold

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Origin "My Life's Stronghold is God." -Ps.27 We read about it several times in the bible that God is a stronghold. Do we know what "stronghold" means? Often, we associate "stronghold" with the devil, like "the devil's stronghold." So, what do we mean by God is my  stronghold ? How does God become a  stronghold?  If you don't know what it means to have God as stronghold, that's a stronghold. Devil as Stronghold When a person has strong propensities to sin and evil, we say that it's due to a stronghold . And we mean that the devil's hold on that person is really strong. No matter how much that person wants to change and start going to church, he just can't. When presented with a situation that makes him choose between good and evil, he is likely to choose evil even if in his mind he wants good. If he chooses good, it'll just be for a moment---probably 5 seconds---and then back to evil again

Foolish Programs

Recently the Lord gave me something. It was like a question--how come people make formal programs when they meet for prayer, but pray differently when face to face with real danger? For instance, in a district prayer meeting. Churches gather together and follow a formal program. There is an opening remark, an opening prayer, a welcome remark, a message, and then they pray. The same thing happens in local church prayer meetings. When the danger is just imagined or merely possible, they can afford to be formal like that. But when the danger strikes, I wonder if they can be as formal and orderly? When the Tsunami in Japan was happening last year, I'm sure they didn't have formal programs when they prayed. I can imagine they were praying where they were and just crying out to God. Even after that, I bet they didn't bother with programs. They just assembled together and prayed. They didn't look for any program or ceremony. But I'm pretty sure, too, that after

An Idol is Crafted

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"An idol is crafted...with gold and silver" [Isaiah 40.19] An idol is crafted. That's a big revelation. Idols are never just made carelessly--the best human effort and talent are applied to casting it. "Crafting" means the best and sophisticated artistry. When we get careless and blinded by worldly exposure and succumb to it, we start giving things we deem important our best. Like, in our jobs, businesses, homes, families, ideals, studies, careers, friendships, and even churches. Church leaders do not just want to read the bible--they enroll  in seminaries for titles and degrees. And yet the Word is not seen in them powerfully. Remember this one thing: beware when you give your best to something and devote so much time to perfecting it. It may have become an idol in your heart. Giving your best to anything you do so that God is glorified is good. But we should beware not to overdo it. There's always the danger of making idols out of them. Do your

People are Grass

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"I'm sure, the people are grass" [Isa. 40] God wanted Isaiah to shout the truth that men are like grass. Because they kept forgetting. And they treated God like grass instead. They relied totally on their ways and trashed God's--just like what most churches today do. They rely on worldly ways and systems and junk God's supernatural and spiritual ways. For instance, they do not choose leaders through the Spirit's leading anymore. They rely on titles and degrees and votations, which God never used.  Anyway, the nations were in fact but a drop in a bucket in God's eyes, mere dust when weighed out by God. All of them were less than nothing, worthless. God was fed up. The nations were often insulting God's chosen people because of their seeming weakness. The pagan nations worshiped their strength. But to God, all their "strengths" were zero. He could easily dethrone their princes, bring them to naught. Exactly like grass--people are gr

Thorn on The Side

"Solomon transferred Pharaoh's daughter (his wife) from David's City to her palace...because the city was holy.." [2 Chron.8] The magnificent temple in Jerusalem had just been dedicated with lavish garb. In fact, it was built to the letter of God's Word handed down from David to Solomon. And the Lord even appeared to Solomon, telling him, "I've heard all your prayers." Everything seemed perfect. But the problem was, right at the outset, Solomon had married Pharaoh's daughter, and now he was hiding her from God. He had a thorn on the side, a skeleton in his spiritual closet. So many church people and ministers want to do great things for God, build him great temples or offer him lavish worship programs or concerts. They do everything according to the Word of God. They even have signs and wonders, the Lord himself making an appearance during the meetings. And indeed, everything's genuine. The Lord is really there. But the problem