The Gideon I Didn't Know

Meet Gideon. 

Warrior.
Fearless.
Fierce.
300 men.
Ahu! Ahu! Ahu!


Just when I thought I do really knew Gideon, guess what? I really don't.

Read Judges 6-8

The wide-eyed little child in me was awakened as I read and learned about Gideon on our quiet time coupled with three exposition sessions. Have I not learned it in our staff training, I think I won't be able to hear such rich expositions elsewhere.

Just when I thought Gideon was a fearless man, guess what? He wasn't.

 Gideon behind the scenes was not out in the battlefield. He was somewhere. He was in a winepress. 

I am together with Gideon in his winepress moments. I have built for myself a winepress where I think would be my source of refuge in trying times. I have my fair share in life where I have been in circumstances too fearful to face, too powerful to overcome and too overwhelming to deal with. I have been there. I have done that. I sulk. I hide—way too many times. 

It is by God's grace and purposes life doesn't end at the winepress. God has been patient. It was His initiative to call out to Gideon and encouraged his fearful soul when he said, "The LORD is with you, mighty warrior."

No situation too fearful when the assurance that Someone who is bigger than myself is with me. No knees too feeble knowing that I can go in the strength of the LORD. No mind too restless when the LORD of peace is there.


Just when I thought that Peace is a place, guess what? It isn't.

"So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD is Peace." (Judges 6:24a)

The LORD is Peace. How I wanted to melt. While it is true that certain places can be associated with peace, the more it has occurred to me that peace is not more of a place but more of a Person.

The place where Gideon built an altar was not where everything was quiet and soothing to the soul. It was in the place where the winepress was. It was in the place where he was fearful and overwhelmed. It was in the place where he was unsure of almost everything. 

To this I see that peace can come even at the worst of places and circumstances. The altar was not a reminder of a place in itself but a reminder of a Person who is Peace Himself.

More can be said how the LORD dealt with Gideon. But nothing was of greater weight to me today than his journey out from the winepress, out to the battlefield, into the victory side—in the assurance, in the peace and in the strength of the LORD.

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Image credits
1 https://alchetron.com/Gideon-2649393-W
2 http://www.biblestudyresources.org/valley-experiences-of-gideon.html
3 J.J. Tissot, "The Angel Puts Fire on the Altar of Gideon" (1896-1900), watercolor. 

7-Day Scripture Challenge

This 7-day scripture challenge was originally posted on my Facebook timeline which, I thought is not a bad thing (at all) to carry over in my blog. If in any case I want to revisit, it will all be confined in a single post. 

What made it personal was that instead of just uploading a 'scripture ready' image from Google or Pinterest, I had written it myself. A tiny twist, little effort, written with much love.

Rule: When challenged by a Facebook friend, post a scripture for the next 7 days and tag 2 friends and see if they can keep the chain going. 

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Day 1
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. ~ 1 Peter 4:8 (NIV)

Day 2
"... God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?..." ~ Numbers 23:19 (NIV)

Day 3
Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? . . . And he said to the human race, “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.” ~ Job 28:20,28 (NIV)

Day 4

... But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (NIV)

Day 5
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. ~ Isaiah 40:28-29 (NIV)

Day 6
The LORD is compassionate & gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.


~ Psalm 103:8-12 (NIV)

Day 7
As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.


~ Isaiah 55:10-11 (NIV)

Honestly, I enjoyed that week-long challenge. More than writing and posting it on my page, it served as a way of creatively meditating and bringing to remembrance bible verses each and everyday.

Want to give it a try? :)

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Just a side history, if you're a bit familiar to some of the images, it had appeared on one of my previous posts, What's on my Mind? and the story was brought about by Something that Joined the Green Side. ;)

From This Book

Nevertheless We Must Run Aground

Have you ever put heart and soul into something, prayed over it, worked at it with a good heart because you believed it to be what God wanted, and finally seen it "run aground"?

The story of Paul's voyage as a prisoner across the Adriatic Sea tells how an angel stood beside him and told him not to be afraid (in spite of winds of hurricane force), for God would spare his life and the lives of all with him on board ship. Paul cheered his guards and fellow passengers with that word, but added, "Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island" (Acts 27:26, NIV).

It would seem that the God who promises to spare all hands might have "done the job right," saved the ship as well, and spared them from the ignominy of having to make it to land on the flotsam and jetsam that was left. The fact is He did not, nor does He always spare us.

Heaven is not here, it's There. If we were given all we wanted here, our hearts would settle for this world rather than the next. God is forever luring us up and away from this one, wooing us to Himself and His still invisible Kingdom, where we will certainly find what we so keenly long for.

"Running aground," then, is not the end of the world. But it helps us to make the world a bit less appealing. It may be even God's answer to "Lead us not into temptation" – the temptation complacently to settle for visible things.

What's on my Desk?

Literally, there has been so many days the time I open my eyes to begin the day, I read. And before I close my eyes to end the day, I read. More so, I do a lot of reading in between. Poor eyes.

My room desk has a lot of forbearance, too. It is such an active participant to my day-to-day and occasional activities. Utilized to the max, but loved so much! :)

What's on my desk?

I am currently preparing for a talk next month. So, I pulled out my tools from my shelves, put them on my desk for easy access. Even with resources now available online, paperbacks still work for me --- perfectly well. These books are my choicest and have personal imprints. I am no Bible scholar, nor a theologian. I am but a simple student of the Word. Me, being given an opportunity to share and teach the Word never ceases my status as a student of the same. 


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I've got a handful of devotion guides/companion on my shelf. Sometimes, I don't know which one to use. But one day, as I was tidying up the room, this book came up. I almost forgot I have this. The title came so striking and so relevant that I felt the need to put this on my desk. This is the one.

A quiet heart on quiet times.

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How about you, what's on your desk?

It's a Love Thing

This I admit: At times, I can really be a worry wart. I don't know but biologically, I learned that a woman's wiring or chemistry in the brain has something to do with it. Whatever the reason(s) are, I know I've been plagued by it lately ~ a lot.

Prolonged wakefulness and a heavy heart ~ that's what worry gives me. I am aware of it. That's why it has been a conscious effort for me to exercise and practice God's presence day in and day out. His grace has been enormous and sufficient, more than sufficient in my dealings with worry. Sometimes, the message is just simple: Sleep. Don't over think. Spare your sanity.

True enough, at each waking moment, His mercies are new. Great is His faithfulness indeed! (Feels like I am going to sing a song here).

More than the sleep thing, I am greatly comforted by God's love. His Love is far greater than all my worries and fears. So, there was this morning, Psalm 136 just came resounding in my senses. It just came like 911. It's a rhema, living word, impacted and ministered to me like never before. For me to have at least an outlet of a message that's about to burst, I posted it on my social media page:

With LOVE emphasized, I wished I had the message come across to those who viewed it. Not just to those who 'liked' it on Facebook, but also to those who might be in need to know of a Love that endures forever ~ the Lord's... whatever situation each one is in.

To some who have been reading my blogs, the picture may seem familiar. Oh, yes, this had appeared on What's on My Mind? and This I Choose. I had written this last year, which I just pull out when brought back to remembrance. God's Word is timeless. It ministers and speaks when it so desires. We just need to feed our souls with His Word and have our hearts ready like a bank. It worked for me. I know it will work for you, too.

Now you know what rolled my worries away. It's a LOVE thing. And... this just now made me understand this better and feel this more:

That's why, that's why! Perfect love drives out fear.
Now I'm singing a tune again: I know I am loved by the King and it makes my heart want to sing.

Blessings everyone! :)

List (5) : Life Verses

* Blog Project, 2014 : List of 'not the least'

I do not know exactly how many life verse(s) this challenge originally requires. As I don't want to be limited to just one verse, I have included a few more.

I totally agree on the account penned on John 6:63-68 (emphasis & italics mine):

It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life . . .

Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”

In response, I am sharing spirit and life on this page, on this space. Come, read along.

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Philippians 3:7-9
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ, and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

II Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

II Samuel 24:24b
I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.

II Corinthians 4:16-18
Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

II Timothy 1:12
That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.

I Samuel 16:7b
The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

II Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Habakkuk 3:17-18
Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the field produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattles in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

Numbers 23:19
God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?

I Corinthians 10:13b
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Psalm 27:13
I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

John 16:33
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

Zephaniah 3:17
The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.

Psalm 138:8
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever — forsake not the works of Your own hands.

I Corinthians 16:14
Do everything in love.

Psalm 145:13b
The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

Philippians 2:13
. . . for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Lamentations 3:22-23
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Habakkuk 2:3
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.

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I have noted and marked these right at the time each verse gripped me. Some of which were written on my journals, directly highlighted on my Bible, posted as a status message on my social network page, and elsewhere, elsewhere, elsewhere. They're everywhere! So, I am really thankful that I have this space on my blog that from this time on, if any verse becomes a life verse, I will just keep on adding to this post. At least now, they are all here. Just here. Readily available in one reading. :)

From Windows to Glory

It was nothing grand, at least for me as I had this conversation with my friend yesterday. We were plainly and simply talking about my ~ window. Haha. See, it was nothing grand or glorious. I was just telling my friend how happy I was to have my green blinds finally up! Little, happy me! It just so happens that my blinds was a bit smaller than the room windows. But I think I'm okay, I can live with that. Then my friend asked me,

Why don't you add curtains? It would at least fill the gaps on the sides.

I listened to my friend so as not to seem uninterested. I like the idea very much as I like simple, domestic, interior designing. I was just thinking, would that really be necessary? I just have a simple, humble, little abode. Having those curtains for that purpose would be too much (of a bother). But it is not a bad idea after all, though.

So, I took simple peeks:

Goodness! How about that? Now I want to faint. Heehee. Nice, nice, nice!

Still yet this echoes: Would that really be necessary?

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This morning, I was reading my quiet time companion/guide, Charles R. Swindoll's Come Before Winter. I flipped the page where my bookmark was: A Touch of Class. It got me by the title. Reading along:

• Being financially responsible is one thing. Being ridiculously frugal is quite another.
• Why have we embraced the idea that elegance and class have no place on the spectrum of spirituality?
• Who ever said that humility and beauty cannot co-exist?
• ... Artistic frames for the windows... Why not? God's reputation was at stake. God's name was on display.

Boom. I was silenced. 
Isn't this the one I was discussing with my friend last night? How would this get so timely? 

Now I know this would be necessary.

It doesn't appear shallow and unnecessary to me now. It occurred to me that there's a message beyond the windows. So now, why just the windows? Ahm, why not the entire house as well? Then this verse was brought to remembrance:

'The glory of this present house will be greater 

than the glory of the former house,' says the LORD Almighty. 

'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares  the LORD Almighty."

Haggai 2:9 (NIV)

Now I want to do something bigger. By God's grace, and provision, and trusting His timing, I know it can be done.

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As I wrapped my reading for the day, I flipped my desk calendar to today's date. And whoa! This can't just be:

The way you keep your house, 
the way you organize your time, 

the care you take in your personal appearance, 

the things you spend your money on 

all speak loudly about what you believe. 

"The beauty of Thy peace" shines forth in an ordered life. 

A disordered life speaks loudly of disorder in the soul.
~ Elisabeth Elliot, A Heart for God desk calendar

From windows to glory. It means so much to me now. If you think you missed the point and didn't get what I meant, it's okay. I know this post would be more challenging to express than the rest. This is just me, sharing.  

But, I will show you the windows when it's done. :)

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image credits:

Aliexpress.com

skroutzondeck.com

What's That You Have in Your Hand?

* This has been a draft since January 29th, 

briefly posted then on my social network page, 

made available on this blog just today. :)

“WHAT’S THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR HAND?” has been a resounding question, from the songs I hear, blogs I read and different accounts from the Bible brought to remembrance.

en.paperblog.com

What’s that you have in your hand,

MOSES? A staff (Exodus 4:2)

SHAMGAR? An oxgoad (Judges 3:31)

SAMSON? A fresh jawbone of a donkey (Judges 15:16)

WIDOW at ZAREPATH? A handful of flour & a little oil (1 Kings 17:12)

LITTLE BOY? 5 small barley loaves & 2 small fish (John 6:3)

These little things in their hands were used to do the impossible, perform the miracles, do the wonders, etc. ~ ALL on God's account:

Staff

That very same staff that Moses had had changed all the water of Nile into blood. And the same staff parted the Red Sea.

Oxgoad

Shamgar, with an oxgoad, struck down six hundred Philistines.

Jawbone

Samson, finding and grabbing a fresh jawbone of a donkey, struck down a thousand men.

Flour & Oil

The widow at Zarepath’s a handful of flour and a little oil in a jug did not run dry.

5 Loaves & 2 Fish

The loaves and the fish were able to feed about five thousand men (beside women and children). More so, at the end, twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over were gathered(!)

On these accounts we see, as an application, God, to fulfill His purposes doesn’t ask for what we do not have. But, He asks for what we (already) do have. Once we know, once we make it available at His disposal, then we witness the miracle of the moment. Isn’t it a grand thing to see the least at its greatest on the very time it was set? J

I've still got so many things on my head but as a reflection in a nutshell, the question remains the same,

“What’s that you have in your hand?”

The Movie, The Woman & The Painting

The Movie

The Stoning of Soraya M.

I just had it on my Jim Caviezel’s To Watch list. Many times I had skipped my eyes on it and clicked others instead. Way too many times.

“The title doesn’t get my interest that much”, to myself I said.

Stoning?
What I read is what I will get to watch.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.

Then I’ve got nothing left to click, nothing left to watch. “I will give this a try”, to myself I finally said.

Goodness! It gripped me beyond belief! I felt my heart had stopped beating. I had literally given myself time to stop and stare. Deep, long sighs. The weight it had put on me kept me awake for extended hours. Too many tears that’s too many to shed. Too many reflections that’s too valuable to ignore. It was for that reason, that very same night, in an instant(!) I was led to...

The Woman

Could it be? Could it be?

Could it be that these WOMEN whom Jesus spoke these words to are one and the same?

WOMAN # 1
“... Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life sin.”
(Jesus to a WOMAN caught in adultery, who’s about to be stoned, too!) 
John 8: 1-11

WOMAN #2
“... She has done a beautiful thing to me... I tell you the truth, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.” 
(The WOMAN who wet Jesus’ feet with her tears, wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured an alabaster jar of perfume on them.)
Matthew 26: 6-12, Mark 14: 1-9, Luke 7:36-50 and on John 12: 1-3

I read, read and read the passage. I flipped, flipped and flipped the pages. The days, weeks and months passed, still I am hooked. With all the studies, blogs, and reviews I’ve read about the account of these Women, nothing ever made me kind of settled and satisfied. It is because I know, very deep inside, I had this fixed, unshakable mindset,

 “I hope they are just one and the same Woman.”

What is that to me? What is that to me if they are just one or different? You may wonder.

It is for understanding that it matters to me. It is for the full revelation of that simple act that really got me.

If they are just one and the same Woman:

No wonder why she wept that much.
No second thoughts on why she wiped Jesus’ feet with her hair.
No question why she would work, save and spend that much for a perfume just to be poured on Jesus’ feet.
No malice on why she never stopped kissing Jesus’ feet.

No wonder why  S H E   L O V E D   T H A T   M U C H.

She understood the weight of her sin. The cost of it occurred to her. It dawned to her that she was spared from a grave, ruthless, merciless kind of death. The movie helped me picture that BIG, BIG TIME.

She was spared from the stones.
She was spared from the dripping and squirting blood.
She was spared from dying that very same hour.

Reading and taking from John Chapter 8, Jesus is the only One qualified and rightful to throw stones at her, for He is without sin. But even then, He did not do it. Why?

He will be on His way to bleed for her.

It won’t be long enough that He will die on the cross for her.

*Oh, my, I am in tears now.* 

She understood and experienced God’s grace firsthand, right at her fingertips. Nothing can come close to that. Nothing could ever compare in the knowing you are not condemned, you are forgiven and a simple and sincere act of yours will never, ever be forgotten. 

True to His words, indeed what the Woman did lives on. Her story is found in ALL four gospels. More so, it was preached before, it is still being preached today and it will be preached more on the days to come. And look, I am writing about it now, and you are reading this blog post!

I still vividly so remember and feel that night. That very same night I had an encounter with the Movie and the Woman. And now...

The Painting

Taking every thought captive, I had needed something to remind me of it. Searching from thousands upon thousands of results, this one stood out:

http://www.dianafit.com/alabaster-jars-the-beauty-of-brokenness/

Now it’s everywhere I go:

It’s more than a painting.

It’s more than a wallpaper.
It's more than a background.

It’s definitely M O R E   T H A N   J U S T   T H A T.

Now you know.

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PS You might want to do the same. Watch the movie, read about the woman, and look for a painting that would fit. 

If you did, I'd be interested to know. :)

A Thing on Healing

This topic has never ceased to be a very relevant issue of every day, day to day and definitely still on the coming days (name it!)... yet still very difficult to write about. Seems like each one, from VIPs to common man can come across this one:

H E A L I N G 

As I refuse to make an exhaustive discourse, I am at least allowing myself to make a very brief post. Come, take a peek. :) 

Jesus' account on healing:

Two Blind Men

“DO YOU BELIEVE that I am able to do this?”

“Yes, Lord.”

“According to your FAITH will it be done to you.”

(Matthew 9:28)

Bartimaeus

“WHAT DO YOU WANT me to do for you?”

“Rabbi, I want to see.”

“Go, your FAITH has healed you.”

(Mark 10:51, Luke 18:41)

Invalid Man of 38 years 

“DO YOU WANT to get well?”

“Sir, I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred... ”

“Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.

(John 5:6)

* * * * * * * * * *

Faith pleases God.

Jesus saw the faith of the two blind men and Bartimaeus. 

He healed them right away, all the way.

He didn't see the same to the invalid man. 

Still, He healed him anyway.

You might be led to ask, why?

Faith, as it pleases God, the presence or the absence of it doesn't change God's attribute and person. God's power to heal is not dependent on man's faith. It is dependent on the Object of faith. 

Had it been on man's faith, man gets the credit. Had it been on the Object of faith, guess who rightly deserves the credit?

Healing is very much about on WHO GOD IS, His Identity. He is the Healer. More so, He is Healing Himself. On the other side of the coin, the result whether healing takes place or not, instant or not is still not for us to take. It is under God's sovereignty. He sees the bigger picture of our “Why's?” and “Why not's?”

As a wrap up, this is healing in a nutshell:

His Name, His say, His way.

:)

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Image credits:

vijayrebello.blogspot.com/2012/07/the-miracles-of-jesus-christ.html

commons.wikimedia.org