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O the joy - being brought back to Christ

A Monday in Kenya. Upon preparing my viva for Wednesday, the Lord uses a sweet way to encourage me to love Him deeply.  Humanly, this is a strange feeling. I've worked so very hard for many years (in many ways, not just academically) and finally have come to the final stage of my PhD. I am preparing to defend them, yet feel a bit not sure what else needs to be prepared. I have revised some potential viva questions, and I have read through the thesis once after submission. And now, I seem to just need to enjoy Christ to fill me with all the reality.  1) Being brought back to Christ and not be distracted by many things  When we visited the church in Nairobi, they were on this morning revival concerning "labouring on Christ as the good land". As I was listening to their sharing, I realised so many things can distract me from Christ. When the children of Israel entered into the good land, their manna ceased and they had to labour on the goodland. However, we later came across...
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for this matter is of Me - streams in desert

 "for this matter is of Me" (1 Kings 12:24, RCV)  My child, I have a message for you today; let me whisper it in your ear, that it may gild with glory any storm clouds which may arise, and smooth the rough places upon which you may have to tread. It is short, only five words, but let them sink into your inmost soul; use them as a pillow upon which to rest your weary head. This thing is from Me. Have you ever thought of it, that all that concerns you concerns Me too? For, “he that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of mine eye” (Zech. 2:8). You are very precious in My sight. (Isa. 43:4) Therefore, it is My special delight to educate you. I would have you learn when temptations assail you, and the “enemy comes in like a flood,” that this thing is from Me, that your weakness needs My might, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you. Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, who never consult your taste, who put you in the background...
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I’m going forth to meet You, my Bridegroom so dear

I was enjoying some hymns and this one "virgins we must be wise and pure" stood out to me.  In stanza two:  Not only my lamp, Lord, but my vessel too, Redeeming the time to be filled up with You. I’m going forth to meet You, my Bridegroom so dear. I know then at midnight You’ll soon, Lord, appear. (Chorus) Lord, I love You above all, Watching hourly lest I fall. We would buy the oil today. Lord, prepare us, oh, get us ready! I think one thing I realised more and more in the marriage is that, no matter what you do and try to improve, your spouse has a way to disappoint you. Even when you adjust your expectations again and again, this still happens. This evening I got really exhausted and disappointed again. I didn't want to feel like a victim or being trapped in my feeling so I came forward to Him. I hid my face in my palms to pray. Pray to Him concerning all discouragement and bitterness to Him. When I felt released, I went to cook a proper meal for myself and at the...
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he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin

So prior to getting sick, I was bothered by some comments that my supervisors gave me. I was quite disappointed, and yet on that evening, a truth conference was taken place right away. I had to be serving at the reception desk. Fast forward, I finally finished all sorts of services and the conference ended. The messages were lovely - it's all about loving God and loving one another. I feel it's a practical way for the church to go on. It also applies to my personal married life, and I'm glad my husband who's been so busy could be refreshed by the messages again as well.  Despite all these, I do remember that during the conferences, the comments of supervisors bothered me a lot. I didn't know what to do. All my thinking was "should I delay my thesis submission or not?", and at the same time, I felt a sense of disorientation. I didn't know where to seek the Lord's feelings. On the one hand, my faith seemed to say to me "trust the Lord, you can m...
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Boasting in God

Rm 5 :11  And not only so, but also boasting in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. The season for election is near in Taiwan. I've been following up on the news concerning some candidates. Recently, there are scandals about a candidate in Hsinchu exploiting money from the public. Of course, I am like many others who feel upset about the unrighteous deeds that she had done and tried to get away from these via lies.  However, this morning when I read the verse in Romans 5:11, I realised that I am also not qualified to judge people. In judging these people, I'm putting myself in a position where I am morally higher or better than this candidate in Hsinchu. This is to exalt me and I am not willing to do this. If there is anything that I should boast about, I boast in God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Through this wonderful One, I have reconciled to God. Through this wonderful One, I have received a divine life that can live a...
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You are the Beginning; You have the first place in all things

Col. 1:18 And He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning , the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things .  In my Christian walk, I realised and acknowledged the Lord is the beginning of many decisions and things that I encounter. Let it be the decision to believe in Him, to go to the UK, to start the PhD, and to marry my husband.  However, despite such acknowledgement, it still happens to me a lot - I do not necessarily take the Lord as the first place in all things. Dear Lord, I repent. I confess that I do not take you as the first place in all things. When many things come to me, I still exercise my own capability and understanding to respond to these things and forget that "Jesus is Lord".  Jesus is Lord, He is the Lord over all things, and He has the first place in all things. May I also be the positive factor to let You be the first place in all things! 
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Another new beginning - the end of Octorber

Paul, a slave of Christ Jesus, a called apostle, separated unto the gospel of God. (Rom 1:1) Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward. (Phil. 3:13-14 ) ---- I had a couple of nightmares in the past two weeks. This is not normal, and I guess the reason is probably that my enjoyment of the Lord has been distracted by a lot of things I'm handling with. At the same time, I didn't work as productive as I would like to in the past two weeks. Therefore, I was kinda in a panic state subconsciously. I repented to the Lord, and ask for more enjoyment of Him.  I am a vessel just to be filled with the Lord Therefore this morning, I re-picked up an old reading schedule that was temporarily postponed due to one sister delivering a newborn and another in an intensive work projec...
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