When God writes your love story

Hi everyone, my name is Joey and I am a prayer manager at the prayer center. I will love to share my love story to you all today :)

Last Wednesday, the last day of 3 years together with my boyfriend, Alvin, he got down on one knee, under the Brooklyn Bridge, overlook the beautiful sunset of NYC, and he asked me the most beautiful question of all time, "Will you marry me?"

I was in tears, couldn't even say a word, just nodding my head, lol! There were so many things running through my head at that time, all I can think of is, Jesus, You are good, all the time.

To be frank, I went through a lot of broken hearts before I met Alvin. I would spent time feeling sad about my loneliness, cried myself to sleep over boys who do not love me back. Sometime I feel like he was the right person but it was just at the wrong time. I did not understand why God will allow me to be so lonely and broken, yet He promised that He has the best plan for me. However, I did not know that all the while, Jesus wanted me to know that right thing in the wrong time is still a wrong thing.

There's one night when I was crying and praying in the balcony of my dorm in the heart of the city of Malaysia, God gave me a peace to trust in Him. I committed myself to Him, let go completely the pen of my love story to allow Jesus to write one for me. I still remember doubting Him that He will take away my feelings toward a particular someone at that time completely but I promised to keep on trusting.

I committed myself in doing morning devotion early in the morning at the balcony, praying while the sun was rising. I volunteered to help out a missionary from the states who were serving in Malaysia at that time. My heart was occupied by Jesus every day. I was very busy but I was full of joy. I found love and joy that I will never find in an earthly relationship. Little did I realized, I had completely let go of thinking about boy friends or liking someone who will not like me back.

I heard of people saying, "when you stop thinking about dating, that guy will appear". I guess, love is waiting till you are ready, till is right. And I met Alvin. I did not have any feelings towards him at first, we were just friends. I love being with him. He never lead me on emotionally, instead he protected me like how a brother of Christ should protect their sisters in Christ. We are both crazy about Jesus and as times passed by, I started to have strong feeling towards him.

However, the feelings I have is different. There is no scary moment or sadness, it was just pure joy and peace. Even though we knew at that time that we like each other, we decided to wait and pray since he would be going to school in New York while I was in Virginia. Jesus makes things beautiful in its time. This is true! Despite of long distance, my feelings towards Alvin grow stronger each day and finally he asked me to be his girl friend after talking to my parents. As an engineer who loves logic, Alvin is not boring at all. He is so romantic and he makes me fall in love more and more each day. Most importantly, with his leadership in the relationship, we fall in love more and more to our first love, Jesus Christ.

I am thankful for all the blessings from my beloved families and friends. And I am amazed and beyond grateful to my sweet Jesus.

I love this quote from Brooke Fraser, my favorite singer:

I could write a million songs about the way you say my name
I could live a lifetime with you and then do it all again
and like I can't force the sun to rise or hasten summer's start,
neither should I rush my way into your heart

I am glad that I waited for the Lord, and when God writes your love story, He will blow your mind away ;)

Love,

Joey

"When God Calls"

Imagine you get a personal phone call from Chancellor Jerry Falwell Jr. asking you for a favor. Let’s say he asks you to come to his office right away so that he can talk to you about something very important. He tells you not to worry about your class schedule; he can have his secretary take care of that for the rest of the day. He is adamant about needing you there immediately because the window of opportunity is small. Do you drop everything and go? Are you excited about the possibility of sitting in his office and visiting with him about how you can help him? Or do you share with him that you are busy and do not have any free time until tomorrow afternoon? What about simply not showing up at his office and ignoring his request? What if he called you personally every day for a week…would you go meet with him?

Ken Davis brought us a challenge on Monday during Convocation (watch it online if you missed it! Ken Davis). If God clearly and miraculously revealed Himself to you and called on you to do something for Him…how long would it take you obey? We were reminded that God speaks to us every day. When God comes near and speaks to us we are standing on holy ground. God promises to build His Kingdom but He chooses to use our lives to do the work. Moses was a less than capable ordinary guy empowered by an extraordinary God. For every excuse Moses gave as to why he could not do the job, God reminded him that it wasn’t about his abilities…it was all about God’s abilities! “God will never ask you to do anything He hasn’t first prepared you to do.”

God wants us to experience live to its fullest. Full life is directly connected to our level of obedience when God calls. We cannot do our own thing, ignore God’s call, and assume we should enjoy the blessings of being fully alive. How often do we believe we should be given more blessings than we already have? Is God loving when He tells us “NO”? Is it right for God to withhold from me when I refuse to obey His call? Which excuse am I using to ignore God’s call to me? “Who am I?; How should I explain who You are God?; What if they don’t believe me?; What if they won’t listen?; What if they doubt me?; What if…?” God tells us “You can’t…but I can!” Will you trust Him?

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” John 14:21 NLT

Thoughts on Prayer

We all realize that as Christians, we are supposed to pray. We know that somehow prayer moves God to action. Many of us have heard that we are to P.U.S.H. when we pray (pray until something happens). I do not always know how hard or how long I should keep pushing. One of the challenges I experience is having the proper perspective when I pray. At times for me there is a gap between knowing that I should pray and how I should go about praying for people's needs and for God's will. Are we supposed to say, "If it is your will Lord..." or does that cancel our request made in faith? Are we supposed to pray for 5 minutes or 3 hours? Should we read the Bible first and then pray or is it the other way around? Do we have to follow the acronym A.C.T.S. (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, intercession) as a proper outline for prayer or can we speak randomly? Are we to speak in King James English or can we use something that sounds more like "The Message"? Should we close our eyes, sit or stand, speak out loud, repeat the entire request again after it has been shared, remind God who the person is that we are praying for and all the details of their need, repeat the name God or Jesus over and over...?

I do not know about you, but I truly enjoy having conversations with people when we simply allow the conversation to move as subjects come up. I enjoy the visit more when the other person is relaxed and comfortable, when they appear able to share what is on their heart freely, when time does not appear to be an issue, when we talk about things that matter, when we trust one another completely, and when our conversations are shared with others who are able to learn something from them. I find that I enjoy "texting" a short thought without needing a lengthy communication at the time, making a quick phone call to inform someone I am thinking about them at the moment, or leaving a note that someone may find find later in the day. 

Could it be that prayer might be used more often if we did not over-think it so much? Let's simply understand it to be conversation with our Daddy in heaven who loves to hear about how our day is going, whose needs we are thinking about, fears or concerns we may have, the joys we experience, or that we might be feeling overwhelmed. Every-time we pray from our heart to an all-powerful loving God, we are changed for the better! Keep praying.

Philippians 4:6
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

El Shaddai--The All Sufficient God

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by problems so huge, you no longer know what to do? Set your eyes upon the Lord and seek His face! During King Jehoshaphat's reign in Judah, a great multitude of army came against Him. Below is an account of what happened (please refer to 2 Chronicles 20 for a full reference):

"After this the Moabites and Ammonites, and with them some of the Meunites,[a] came against Jehoshaphat for battle. 2 Some men came and told Jehoshaphat, “A great multitude is coming against you from Edom,[b] from beyond the sea...3 Then Jehoshaphat was afraid and set his face to seek the Lord, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah...5 And Jehoshaphat stood in the assembly... 6 and said, “O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not God in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. In your hand are power and might, so that none is able to withstand you....13 Meanwhile all Judah stood before the Lord, with their little ones, their wives, and their children. 14 And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel... 15 And he said, “Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, ‘Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's...17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Stand firm, hold your position, and see the salvation of the Lord on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, and the Lord will be with you.”
18 Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord. 19 And the Levites, of the Kohathites and the Korahites, stood up to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud voice.

20 And they rose early in the morning and went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. And when they went out, Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be established; believe his prophets, and you will succeed.” 21 And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to the Lord and praise him in holy attire, as they went before the army, and say,

“Give thanks to the Lord,
for his steadfast love endures forever.”

22 And when they began to sing and praise, the Lord set an ambush against the men of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah, so that they were routed. 23 For the men of Ammon and Moab rose against the inhabitants of Mount Seir, devoting them to destruction, and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, they all helped to destroy one another."

--1 Chronicles 20:1-23 (ESV)

In the midst of battle, the people of God chose to worship Him and praise Him! Can you imagine a war that was led by worshipers?

As you face hardship, remember how the Lord has delivered and saved those who trust Him. Continue to trust Him and seek His face!

Panic or Pray

Today as I was waiting for my friend to be done with her medical check up, I was reading 2 Chronicles and this verse was very encouraging.

Help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. 2 Chronicles 14:11

No doubt, there will be time when we will face giants in our life. And that will be the time we either panic, or we pray. I thank God that He allows me to find peace through prayers. And not only I found peace, I also know that He will listen to me and get me through the giants of my life.

God is faithful today. And I hope He does great things in your life too!

Joey
Prayer Manager
Prayer Center @ Dorm 13

God Our Provider

I would really like to encourage with somethig that God has taught me over and over again during my stay here at Liberty. I don't know if you are facing any kind of financial struggles, I can assure you that God is our Provider.

In Matthew 6:31-32 He says, "So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them."

God is a promise keeper and faithful God. He has been really faithful to me regarding all my needs and I am sure that He will do the same for you.

--Payel

Enduring Faith

The devotion that I did today comes from Hebrews 12. The book of Hebrews does not have a known author. The author wrote this book for the purpose to present the sufficiency and superiority of Christ to Hebrew Christians. This was written more specifically for Hebrew Christians who were considering a return to Judaism. These people were probably exploring the possibility of converting their faith, due to the lack of understanding Biblical truth.
The twelfth chapter of Hebrews focuses on the importance of endurance in our faith. This chapter elaborates on the perseverance we need to overcome endangering sins and trials. How we choose to persevere through these things is seen as a tester of one’s faith. If we fall into these sins and transgressions there will be Godly consequences. Godly consequences may seem harsh to some ears, but this only shows God, the Father, loves us. Hebrews 12:6 says this, “because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” It is for our own protection that we face his consequences. The Father loves us and does not want us to put ourselves in danger. If we do not receive consequences then we will not break those chains; which will put us in harm’s way. He knows what is best for us, and he has promised to bring us through anything if we hand our trust over to him. Only through this can we be healed with his power within us.

Even if He Doesn't

Daniel 3:14-18

"Nebuchadnezzar said to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.'"

About 2600 years ago, three brave men made their decision to worship God. Although these three men have faith that their God is able to save them, they were resolved to worship Him even if it means death by the fiery furnace. They were not willing to give their worship to anyone else! What an incredible amount of faith!

However, these three men were not the only ones who had such resolution to worship God. Abraham resolved to worship God and was willing to sacrifice his one and only son, Issac; Moses resolved to worship God and was willing suffer with his people although he could have enjoyed the richness of the Egyptian Kingdom; David chose to worship God and placed his faith in Him when David faced Goliath despite the possibility of losing his life as a young lad. The disciples of Jesus were resolved to worship God even in the midst of persecution. The people of God worshiped Him despite the circumstances that surround them!

Often times when we read about these stories, we feel inspired to live a life to worship God. We feel the passion stirring within us to worship Him. Yet, in reality our passion just fades away too soon. What kind of experience did these people have which allowed them to live such radical lives? How did they become such persevering worshipers? Namely this: "...Though overwhelmed by many troubles, [a persevering worshiper] is overwhelmed even more by the beauty of God."-Matt Redman, The Unquenchable Worshipper
Though suffering, these people were able to worship God because they have experienced God Himself. They were able to withstand trials and suffering because they were overwhelmed even more by the beauty and worthiness of God Himself! They chose to worship God because God is worthy and bigger than all that they are facing!

In our society today, we all face a similar situation that those persevering worshipers face, namely our decision to worship God. "Situations change for better and for worse, but God's worth never changes." We must choose for ourselves whom we want to worship today! Yet, just like those who have gone before us, our worship must be fueled by the revelation of God Himself. Therefore, don't give up in seeking God in your quiet time and devotions! Be prayerful always!

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." -- Hebrews 12:1-2