moving out

I have to admit that I am totally in love with the slick themes in wordpress

and a little bit bored with blogger

and yes, i'm moving out

http://uponmyknees.wordpress.com

this post is just in case, if anyone is following this blog, if not, oh well it's totally okay :p

Random Verses

I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live. That everyone may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all his toil--this is the gift of God. I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him. Ecclesiastes 3:10-14

How Deep the Father's Love for Us

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son to make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life - I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything, no gifts no power no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward; I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart; His wounds have paid my ransom

Again, a very familiar hymn, very nice tune, very easy to sing, if we don't pay close attention to the words.

To really look at the words and to sing is another thing, another very difficult thing to do.
To sing and know that we, the wretch, are made treasures, children of God
To sing about the Father turning His face away from His beloved son, because of us
To sing and realize about how it was our mocking voices among the scoffers when Jesus was at the cross.
To sing about how He held on our sins until it was accomplished, He endured it, the separation from the Father He loved.
And how His death brought me life.

Yet, what kind of life are we living?

Again, we realize how unworthy we are.
Nothing to boast except in Him.

I love the last two lines :
Why should I gain from His reward? I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart, His wounds have paid my ransom.

Father, God who gives me endurance and hope, help me endure like Jesus did, help my unbelief.

His Eyes is on the sparrow

Early in the spring of 1905, my hus­band and I were so­journ­ing in El­mi­ra, New York. We con­tract­ed a deep friend­ship for a cou­ple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doo­lit­tle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle had been bed­rid­den for nigh twen­ty years. Her hus­band was an in­cur­a­ble crip­ple who had to pro­pel him­self to and from his bus­i­ness in a wheel chair. De­spite their af­flict­ions, they lived hap­py Christ­ian lives, bring­ing in­spir­a­tion and com­fort to all who knew them. One day while we were vi­sit­ing with the Doo­lit­tles, my hus­band com­ment­ed on their bright hope­ful­ness and asked them for the se­cret of it. Mrs. Doo­lit­tle’s re­ply was sim­ple: “His eye is on the spar­row, and I know He watch­es me.” The beau­ty of this sim­ple ex­press­ion of bound­less faith gripped the hearts and fired the imag­in­a­tion of Dr. Mar­tin and me. The hymn “His Eye Is on the Spar­row” was the out­come of that ex­per­i­ence.

Civilla Martin

I've known the contemporary version of this hymn by Lauryn Hill through the movie Sister Act. It has nice tune, but what I didn't know that time was the words are even more exceptional.

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Sometimes I ask myself that, why should I feel discouraged? even though times are difficult, why do I let the shadows defeat me? Don't I have Jesus, the shining armor, a constant Friend of mine.

And most of the times, those written in the 3rd stanza are very true. When we are tempted, when clouds of affliction come, our songs, our praises turn to sighing, complaining, and it seems as if we have lost hope. Be thankful for through these trying times, we draw closer to Him, set free from our afflictions and most importantly we are reminded and assured that He is our only hope.

As christians, sometimes we forget that from our so many experiences, we felt and we knew God's guidance, God's leading our paths, God's constant care for us. But many times, we just forget and worry again. Help our unbelief, O God. Let us be assured always that Your Eyes is on the sparrow and You are watching over us.

And not forgetting the Refrain though. I like it very much. Very simple, very easy to sing, but can we at all times do that? I pray that God strengthens me so that I can. The more experience, the more struggle, in Him I can then sing :

I sing because I’m happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.

O Master, let me walk with Thee

O Master, let me walk with Thee,
In lowly paths of service free;
Tell me Thy secret; help me bear
The strain of toil, the fret of care.

Help me the slow of heart to move
By some clear, winning word of love;
Teach me the wayward feet to stay,
And guide them in the homeward way.

Teach me Thy patience; still with Thee
In closer, dearer, company,
In work that keeps faith sweet and strong,
In trust that triumphs over wrong.

In hope that sends a shining ray
Far down the future’s broadening way,
In peace that only Thou canst give,
With Thee, O Master, let me live.

O God, let your humble servant walk with Thee, without Your guidance, Your company, there are no reason to keep on living. Help my unbelief, guide my wayward feet, guide them to be patient and follow Your ways. Keep me closer, dearer to You, nourish me with faith, smeared by the sweet and strong smell of Jesus' blood. Grant me assurance of Your might, teach me to be joyful in hope, holding on to Your promise and linger near my God of Peace, my Master, for good.

Strategic Role of Mind in Sanctification

Romans 12:16 (NIV)
Do not be conceited

Proverbs 3:7 (KJV)
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

How we think determines how we live?

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God!

I was listening to Selah's rendition of this hymn, the music sounded contemporary, and I wanted to find the original music of this hymn. Subsequently while searching, I chanced upon the words of the hymns, which were surprisingly relevant to what I have been through these few days near the exams period.

The second stanza contains a very important and powerful message. A point which most of us might have taken for granted, or even ignored and well again that is the genius satan working. I have been feeling guilty these few days for not being able to study effectively, and to an extent not being able to give my best. The guilty feeling kinda slowed me down even more, and there the vicious cycle continues.

The hymn told me "When Satan tempts me to despair, And tells me of the guilt within". I was reminded that while I thought it was normal to feel guilty, it is definitely not from God. Why would God make us feel guilty for something which He has already pardoned us for. Worse still, this guilty in a way blurs my focus on God, making me focus on using my own effort more rather than walking with God.

So how? what should we do?
Look up, look at Him, our Just God, the Perfect One, is satisfied with what we are because He was looking at us through Jesus who had paid for all those guilt we have done.

I think the rest of the hymn is very beautiful as well, I just wish I have enough free time to write up more on what I think the hymn means and how beautiful it is. Well, there's a time for everything. For now, this should be all :)

Lastly, I pray that God opened the heart of more and more people to appreciate hymns more. I myself found singing hymns not only reassuring my faith but also helping me learn facts that I usually take for granted. I find hymns as one of the great blessings as a Christian that I think no one should take it for granted.

PS : There's actually no original composed music for this hymn, I think, it uses tunes from Sweet Hour of Prayer and And Can It Be.