The greatest GIFT I could ever receive

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Hello friends,

I have been out of action in the past weeks. My apologies for E-MIA (electronically missing in action :p)

If I were to ask you “what is the greatest gift that you have ever received or could ever receive” what would your answer be? Come on, put on your thinking cap and take a moment to ponder about it.

Have you come up with your wish list? Is it a dazzling diamond? Is it striking a windfall or perhaps even winning a condominium or a Lamborghini? How does an all paid around-the-world trip sound to you? It sounds out of the world doesn’t it?

I had been all “wired up” these past weeks due to my book-keeping examination and my son’s examination as well which overlapped at the same time. It contributed to my insomnia nights of late. It was on one such sleepless night, that I asked myself this question. I was desperately trying to get some sleep before dawn knocked on my window, but my body system decided to take on the Owl’s night shift. As I was on the bed, I was thinking about what is the greatest gift I could ever receive. My mind raced through the galaxies and came up with so many material things. The more I thought, the more sleepless I got, so I started to think at even more deeper level!

I thought about the Lord in His Glory and Majesty. I thought about His Sovereignty and Splendor. I thought about His Holiness and then I thought about my own imperfection. I thought how I could ever approach the throne of God as I am without falling dead in the awesome Presence of the Most Holy God. The best of us even in our A1 moments can never ever be in the Lord’s presence without being zapped to death because our righteousness is like unto filthy rags. That’s when my thoughts drifted to the garden of Eden when our primal parent blew their right to be in the Presence of God and as a result we also forfeited that privilege! I thought about how our Heavenly Father in consultation with His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit, wrote the Redemption Plan! The Triune God in His infinite knowledge knew that there is absolutely no way that we can ever gain entrance to His Presence unless He made a way for us. Father God envisioned the Redemption Plan, Jesus Christ executed the grand plan through the cross. And now we can boldly enter the Lord Presence at Christ expense at any time. Now think with me differently for a moment…..how if the Father did not come up with the Redemption Plan? How if Jesus Christ did not shed His Blood to blot our sins? I shudder to think the consequences of that! What a wretched people we would have been!

As the morning dawned, it also dawned on me that the greatest gift I have ever or could ever receive, is the privilege that I have in Christ to approach the Presence of Lord at any time, any day. To me that is the greatest gift that I treasure. How about you?

Letting go your unfulfilled dreams….

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Shalom friends!

We are stepping into yet another new week. A week filled with dreams, hopes and expectations.

Recently, I came across a timeless story titled the “tale of three trees”. I’m sure some of you would have heard this story before, but its worth repeating. So here’s the tale, with a personal twist of mine!

There are 3 main characters to this story, namely the Olive tree, the Oak tree and the Cedar tree. Once upon a mountaintop, these little three trees were sharing their lofty aspirations to one another. Each had a great vision about its future and wanted to become something special and valuable in life. The Olive tree looked above the starry skies and proclaimed “I want to be made into a masterpiece, a treasure chest holding the world’s finest and most sought after treasures.” The Oak tree gazing intently at the great oceans, shared its desire, “I want to be an enormous ship, travelling the mighty waters, carrying dignitaries. I will be the most famous ship in the world.” Finally, the Cedar tree looking around the magnificent view, declared its noble dream, “I don’t want to leave this mountaintop at all! I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me they will lift their head heavenward and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world!” So as years passed by, these three trees grew up.

One fateful day, a woodsman came to the mountaintop. In a split second, with a swoop of his shinning axe, he struck the Olive tree. The Olive tree was so thrilled that its dream was about to be fulfilled. But alas, the woodsman had other plans for it. He used the Olive tree to make a manger to house food for dirty smelly animals. The Olive tree’s dream shattered. He felt demeaned and worthless. Likewise the Oak tree was chopped off and fashioned into a small fishing boat. Too small and too weak to sail an ocean or even a river, he was taken to a little lake. Every day he brought in loads of dead, smelly fish. The Oak tree was in despair. One stormy day, the Cedar tree was struck by a bolt of lightning and came crashing to the ground prematurely and was carried away to the lumberyard.  “What happened?” the once-tall Cedar tree wondered. “All I ever wanted to do was stay on the mountaintop and point to God.”

With their dreams shattered, the three trees felt worthless. As days passed by, they abandoned their lofty aspirations. But God had other plans for their future. In fact, He had envisioned a soaring destiny for them.

One night golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the manager. Suddenly the Olive tree realized it was holding the universe greatest treasure of all time – baby Jesus!

A few years later, a tired traveller and his friends needed a boat to cross over the lake. They boarded into a small boat. Soon a thrashing storm arose. The little boat shuddered. He knew he did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and rain. Then the traveller stood up, stretched out his hand, and said, “Peace.” The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the Oak tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth!

One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when it was yanked from the forgotten woodpile. It flinched as it was carried through an angry, jeering crowd. It shuddered when soldiers nailed a man’s hands to it. It was on this Cedar tree that Jesus was crucified! The Cedar tree was used by God as an eternal emblem pointing people to God’s love and compassion to this day! This is better than being the tallest tree in the whole world.

Like the three trees, you may have disappointments and dreams that did not come to pass. Jesus said that “unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it sprouts and reproduces itself many times over”. To borrow a fellow blogger’s quote “nothing significant happens in kingdom unless death occurs”.

Just like I used to be, you may be robbed of God’s future for you because you are still trapped in those unfulfilled dreams and expectations. Dwelling long in that place of disappointment, all it will bring is only gloom and darkness. It will hinder your growth and get in the way to realize your God-given destiny.

Dear friends, I urge you, let today be the day when you let go of your unfulfilled dreams. God cannot usher in His perfect plan and purposes for your life until you loose grip of what holds you captive. Bring those broken dreams to the feet of the Father instead and entrust them into the loving hands of Jesus. Then, step back and watch new beginnings unfold in your life!

Be amazingly blessed,

Suzan

Tale of Three Trees adapted from – http://filsg.com/smf/index.php?topic=1526.0

The Power House Within You!

If the Spirit of Him Who raised up Jesus from the dead, dwells on the inside of me, then He Who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead, will also restore to life my mortal body through His Spirit Who dwells in me ~ Romans 8:11

Naturally speaking, wouldn’t you agree that death is the ultimate problem one could encounter? I mean, how can one get to a point in which they’re “deader than dead?” Now, wouldn’t you agree if there is a Force that could conquer and reverse death, than that Force is greater than the ultimate problem one can face in this life?

Allow me to transport you back to the Resurrection morning some 2,000 years ago when Christ was raised from death. What raised Jesus from death? It is the Spirit of life that proceeded from the Father God. That Force with the Zoe life of God zapped Christ Jesus and raised Him up alive! That Force conquered the ultimate problem!

Isn’t that a great news? But wait a second, it gets even better… That Force with the Zoe life of God now resides on the inside of YOU! You possess this precious treasure in your earthly body! That Force within you will unleash super abounding, wonder working power that will restore life to your body.

I can attest to it. From early school days, I used to suffer from frequent and acute migraine attacks. If you are a victim of migraine, you’ll be able to relate to the excruciating pain I’m talking about. It paralyses you and disrupts your day. So at the slightest hint of an impending migraine attack, I’ll reach out to the “heavy-weight” pain killers (yes, Panadol Extra has no effect on me!). That has been the norm for the longest time I can remember. Then one day the powerful truth of Roman 8:11 dawned on my Spirit. As it began to take root in my spirit, I began to wield my new found ammunition against subsequent migraine attacks. Whenever sign of migraine surfaces, I say to myself “I have the Spirit of Him Who raised Christ Jesus from the dead dwelling on the inside of me and that same Resurrection Spirit conquers this migraine pain”. Guess what, before long, the pain dissipates! Now, this is the new norm and I intend to keep it that way!

You are an extraordinary being in whom the Spirit of God dwells. You have the life and nature of God in you. So, wouldn’t you agree that the ultimate power house is within you to restore HEALTH to the ailing body, restore PEACE & JOY to the hurting emotions, restore WHOLENESS to any area of your LIFE? 

What’s one way God has shown His power in your life lately? I’d love to hear from you.

Stay blessed,

Suzan

You’re a Child of God!

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God…..but I have received the Spirit of adoption in which I cry Abba Father! The Spirit Himself bears witness with my own spirit, assuring me that I am a child of God ~ Romans 8: 14-16

 You are a child of God and God has imparted His glory and power in you. Just linger on this powerful truth “You [insert your name], are a Child of the Most High God and He has imparted His glory and power in you”.

You’re not an accident or mishap. You’re not someone’s mistake. You’re not a person without identity on this planet earth. For the Lord formed and created your being in your mother’s womb. He has called you by your name, He has surnamed you.

You [insert your name] are a child of God. That’s your heritage. When you walk in the knowledge of who you truly are, get ready for the Lord’s unconditional love to greet you each morning, His divine favor to embrace you each day, His goodness and mercy to overtake you and crown you with success……you, child of God!