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On that day we will sing of the Name more excellent than angels A purified bride A refined heart, speech and mind Where unity and fellowship is perfected in the church Where divine love Rests in the hearts of the inhabitants of the new earth And receive a crown only to cast it down At the feet of the resurrected Jesus In a perfect ceaseless form of worship. Singing Glory! To the liberating King who came not to conquer kingdoms But conquer hearts and restore Men back to what they were intended for And escape from this life marked by anguish A great fountain of love that flows from heaven's gates awaits us You can take this world It's joys, and it's fleeting pleasures But give us Jesus, our future hope and our greatest treasure The fulfillment of our expectation With nothing to separate us Nothing to hinder the saints From the greatest expression of adoration Finally fit with language to describe With the right words to express The richness of eternal possession The blessing of inheritance Where God will be seen through purified eyes Purged from the sin that blinded us from viewing God as glorified Where love will be expressed with the perfect affection Until then, we wait with expectation for all that we will acquire In heaven Lord You did everything required to save us and bring us Into Your presence so to know You and behold You Is our hearts desire There is nothing higher Nothing greater to acquire Holy, Holy, Holy Is the song of the choir Your people sing Your praises Gathered from all the nations We were chosen to be holy and Blameless before the earth's foundation And it's only on the basis of Your glorious grace And we will never grow tired of gazing upon Your face And falling before Your feet Worshipping at Your throne Your appearance is like carnelian and precious gemstones Like nothing we've ever seen Your glory never fades The lamb of God who was slain to wash away sins stain We were ransomed by Your blood Your loss was our gain And You live forevermore Lord Forever You will reign The King of all Kings Name above every Name And everyone who trusts in You will not be put to shame O Jesus, King most wonderful Thou Conqueror renowned Thou Sweetness most ineffable In whom all joys are found! O Jesus, Light of all below Thou Fount of life and fire Surpassing all the joys we know And all we can desire-- May every heart confess Thy name And ever Thee adore And, seeking Thee, itself inflame To seek Thee more and more!

Acquired in Heaven - Beautiful Eulogy

Grant me never to lose sight ofthe exceeding sinfulness of sin,the exceeding righteousness of God,the exceeding glory of Christ,the exceeding beauty of holiness,the exceeding wonder of grace.

The little measure of knowledge I have obtained in the things of God has not been owing to my own wisdom and docility, but to his goodness, nor did I get it all at once: he has been pleased to exercise much patience and long-suffering towards me.”

John Newton

How I Was Moved to Tears

"A few weeks ago a phone call moved me to tears. I had never had one like it in my life. Never. I can hardly believe it even now. It was more gracious than I could have imagined a phone call could be.

A friend of mine called from out of state. He is a pastor and a school administrator. He is busy in multiple ministries and has a family.

He told me that recently he was at a conference and the speaker challenged those present to consider the impact that they might have if they devoted themselves to praying for someone every day.

He said that as he was praying the Lord brought my name to mind. He has given it thought and prayer and he wanted to tell me that from now on until he or I die or Jesus comes he is going to pray for me every day.

Can you believe that? No one but Noël and God has ever made such a commitment to me. Imagine it. That means, if he and I live out our three score and ten years he will pray for me over 8000 times. It means rain or shine he is praying. For better or for worse he is praying. If I succeed or fail he is praying. If I lose my mind and become a vegetable he is praying. If I make shipwreck of the faith and commit apostasy he is praying.

This kind of commitment took my breath away. It brought tears of joy and gratitude. It made me tremble. It was in fact an inexpressible demonstration of God’s covenant love to me. I feel that I have been loved with bands that cannot be broken. I am overwhelmed.

I hung up the phone and prayed: "Thank you, Lord. I need this power and this guidance so much. O that I might be docile in the Lord’s hands. Lord bless _____ in his intercession for me. Strengthen him. Use me for his good in the way you touch me through him. May we be mutually empowered by this commitment."

What an amazingly foreign thing in this unstable culture! Someone who says, not just if it feels good, and not just if I think of it, and not just if you respond well, and not just if I am fulfilled by it … but “John, you can count on it, every day until the Lord returns or until I die, I will pray for you, whether it’s one minute or one hour.”

Please don’t think that this is the only good kind of commitment you can make. There are all kinds. For example, I am committed to pray for our whole staff by name every day as long as I am the pastor of this church.

What prayer commitments might God be nudging you to make?

As a tiny one, consider the All-Church Concert of Prayer Wednesday December 8, from 5:45 to 7:55. O how I need to pray with you about the pressures and possibilities of our ministry together. Please come.

Still stunned by the gift of commitment,

Pastor John"

Complacency

My greatest fear is to be complacent in my everyday life. To see the unique opportunities in life as repetitive nonsense. To lose sight of what is to come and be satisfied with what had already happened. To be clouded by my sins and be oblivious to His holiness. My greatest fear is the day when I no longer fear Him. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world yet to lose his soul?

Oh, my forgetful self.

Sing a Little Louder

“I lived in Germany during the Nazi holocaust. I considered myself a Christian. I attended church since I was a small boy. We had heard the stories of what was happening to the Jews, but like most people today in this country, we tried to distance ourselves from the reality of what was really taking place. What could anyone do to stop it?

A railroad track ran behind our small church, and each Sunday morning we would hear the whistle from a distance and then the clacking of the wheels moving over the track. We became disturbed when one Sunday we noticed cries coming from the train as it passed by. We grimly realized that the train was carrying Jews. They were like cattle in those cars!

Week after week that train whistle would blow. We would dread to hear the sound of those old wheels because we knew that the Jews would begin to cry out to us as they passed our church. It was so terribly disturbing! We could do nothing to help these poor miserable people, yet their screams tormented us. We knew exactly at what time that whistle would blow, and we decided the only way to keep from being so disturbed by the cries was to start singing our hymns. By the time that train came rumbling past the church yard, we were singing at the top of our voices. If some of the screams reached our ears, we’d just sing a little louder until we could hear them no more. Years have passed and no one talks about it much anymore, but I still hear that train whistle in my sleep. I can still hear them crying out for help. God forgive all of us who called ourselves Christians, yet did nothing to intervene.

Their screams tormented us . . . If some of their screams reached our ears we’d just sing a little louder.”

James 5:7-12

7 Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. 8 You also, be patient.Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. 9 Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. 10 As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.11 Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

12 But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

One of the greatest evidences of God's love to those that love Him is, to send them afflictions, with grace to bear them.

John Wesley

A Troubled Soul

"Have you ever dread the coming of next day? Have you ever asked yourself 'Does God truly exist'? I have, and sadly I don't believe He does. Why? Because life... sucks. I lost my husband 10 years ago; I had to raise my three children on my own; my very own parents are thousands of miles away from me... struggling and suffering; my lovely children are all grown up now... busy and I'm always home by myself; work is stressful and tiring; now, there is a court case approaching because of some idiot refusing to be responsible; life simply goes on... So 'God', what is it that I have done in my life for me to deserve all of this? I am not a believer, because You are too good to be true. We live in a cruel cruel world, so how can You be good? The very meaning of hope and trust in this world has diminished. Christians are suppose to help the poor and the widows? They stole from the little that I have and stripped me of my dignity. Slanders and betrayals, are these the marks of a Christian? There is no one I can depend on but myself. My only love has betrayed my trust and left me a baggage. Every morning, I dread the rising of the sun. Every night, I dread the closing of my eyes, for tomorrow the cycle repeats. What is life but a torturous hell? Oh... don't mind me, no one ever seems to care or ask how I'm doing. I am but one person out of billions of nobody. However, this is no time to complain, I still have a family to raise. Hopefully, they will call home tonight. Will they? How are my little children doing? Oh, silly me, they are grown men now. They have business of their own; I shouldn't bother them. At last, the night finally approaches, where was I?" -Thoughts of a troubled soul

I don't know.

I don't understand many things in life. I most certainly know very little about God and His Words. And what I do know is simply made possible by His grace through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Oh what a beautiful delight, I know the very simple truth: God loves me. Indeed, love is enough. I know after all. Debtor to the World, BLOH

Quietness

So many things happen around us every single day. So many things our bodies experience every single second. Sometimes, life simply becomes a little too overwhelming. We desire rest, yet find no resting place. So many responsibilities to fulfill, so many expectations to meet, so many people to care for, and life is no longer enjoyable. Every so often, we all need a little time-out for ourselves: a time to reflect and a time to rest. Tonight, I had the privilege to just sit down and read. Me, myself, and I, alone, reading the Word to myself and for myself. I don't remember for how long was I sitting, reading, and pondering, but I do remember that it felt great. He read His Word to me and I listened.

Tonight, time paused, life stopped, and everything was quiet. No... tonight, I paused, I stopped, and I was quiet. Maybe this is what quiet times are supposed to be like. It took me so long to figure it out, but I am glad that I did tonight. His words are so sweet, His commandments are so light, and His yoke is so light.

Father, thank you for peace and comfort. Lately, life has been tough. Truth is, I simply don't live up to the expectations of a lot of people. Though they don't show it, people are disappointed in me from what they see. I don't blame them, and neither am I trying to brush things off; it's true, I have been a mess lately, because everyone wants a "better me", rather than just "me". Yet in the end, the stone cold fact is I am still a sinner. A sinner incapable of perfection. In fact, above everyone's disappointment, I am disappointed in myself the most. Tonight, grace is sweet again. The gospel is good again. At last, my soul finds rest.

*Note: I am not speaking against growth or challenges, but sometimes you can't help but to feel overwhelmed and need to be restored. Go and encourage a fellow brother and sister in desperation." Debtor to the World, BLOH

The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: 'If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?' But...the good Samaritan reversed the question: 'If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?

Martin Luther King Jr.

I just wanted to say that the last question wasn't asked by me. I'm sorry for causing this whole thing on your tumblr. I was just curious and wanted to ask. You don't know me, I'm sure of it. And I have never met you to ask you in person, so please just ignore all of it. You don't have to reply to this either. Sorry again.

My most sincere apologies. Please forgive me for wrongly assuming things. If at all possible, I’m greatly interested to chat with you. My email address is [email protected], by all means please send me an email. In addition, I am not at all offended by any of your questions. Please also forgive me if I have miscommunicated any of my thoughts. Bruce

I am so sorry for being so insensitive and ask that of you. I stumbled across the post you wrote for your dad and it was really inspiring to me. I think it is really amazing that you have such a strong devotion and passion to become a pastor some day. It is a shame that so much of our world is caught in this cycle of labor, that we often forget what the purpose of living is. On that note, I hope the people you love will support you.

Thank you

Would you ever date someone who is not Christian?

Apologies, I personally believe that this issue entails much discussion and explanation and I do not see it fitting to be answered on tumblr. I do not desire my tumblr to become a place of heated debates. Please feel free to ask me in person or through any private messaging.

In addition, before answering “would I date anyone that’s not a Christian?” I would consider a deeper and more personal question: “why would God allow this man/woman to be part of this emotional trial?”

A New Pen Rises

Memories detached from emotions simply become insignificant. An insignificant memory will eventually fade into the general past. You, my dear-ed friend, have indeed become a past. Now I can write once more with love, with hope, and with joy. You, however, will be remembered no more. Farewell.

Debtor to the World, BLOH

Forgiveness – A Heart’s Matter

Matthew 18:21-22

“Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times? Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times.”

Forgiving others has always been a difficult topic for me to learn. Why? Because the very idea of forgiveness contradicts human nature – a sinful nature. We naturally desire revenge and justice! However, as redeemed believers by His grace, we ought to remind and challenge ourselves to forgive those who have wronged us. We must remember that as created fallen beings, we have no right to seek revenge, but only the perfect creator God himself who has this authority. For it is written in Romans 12:19 “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD.’” The day will come when people see God face to face and be judged according to how they lived their life, so let us put off our selfish desires for vengeance and witness to those around us the love of God. So what is forgiveness?

1) Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is obedience.

When others ask for forgiveness, it is not something we wait to do because we’re still “not feeling ready”. Notice that in Mark 11:25, Jesus uses an imperative (a command) to exhort the people to forgive whenever they pray. So as believers who have experienced God’s love, grace, and forgiveness, we should naturally desire to obey His commandments and forgive those who have sinned against us. Yes, uneasiness within the heart will oftentimes remain, but know that “not feeling ready” is not an excuse to not to forgive, rather it is a sin issue inside our hearts that must be repented of and confessed to our Heavenly Father, asking for His forgiveness.

2) Forgiveness is not the same as forgetting.

Forgiving is NOT forgetting. Forgetting implies a lack of ability to remember, but know that our God is omniscient and He does not forget our sins when He chooses to forgive. Forgiving one’s sins is to actively choose not to dwell on the person’s faults, rather than an involuntary action of the mind like forgetting (Jeremiah 31:34, Psalm 103:12). When we choose to forgive someone, we have made a commitment and a promise to not to dwell on the person’s sin whenever the offense enters into our memory and count it against him/her in the future.

3) Forgiveness does not remove the consequences of sin and does not minimize the wrong that has been done.

Truth of the matter is when a dear friend sins against you, a certain degree of trust is broken in this relationship. It will require time to reconcile and heal the broken relationship and sometimes the relationship may not continue depending on the severity of the offense. A cheating husband will very likely face divorce if the wife chooses to do so despite her willingness to forgive his unfaithfulness. Never mistake the act of forgiving is the same as the act of erasing one’s sins. The consequences will remain and the pain will not be forgotten.

Forgiveness is truly a wonderful thing. Though extremely difficult at times, it is still well worth the effort and the commitment. Brothers and sisters, I encourage all of us to live a life marked by love and forgiveness. Allow our lives to be transformed and used by God as instruments to further His kingdom. We can forgive because He continues to do so. May He receive all glory, honor, and praise. Amen.

Debtor to the World,

BLOH

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