His Last Week

This week, we will be reminded of Jesus' last week before He was crucified.
Five days before the day Passover, Jesus entered Jerusalem.
He was welcomed with palm trees, and red carpet rolled out for Him to walk on.
The red carpet symbolized the honor and respect that Jesus received from the crowds.
The people shouted in what we see in John 12:13
"Hosanna!"
   "Blessed is he who comes in
the name of the Lord!"
   "Blessed is the King of
Israel!"
Jesus is our King.
Jesus is our Lord.
Jesus is our Savior.
He is the Messiah.
Jesus predicted that He would be betrayed and killed.
That is how it was.
It worried the disciples and upset them.
Jesus predicted that Peter would deny Him three times.
Therefore, He had to go alone.
Psalm 24:10 "Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty— he is the King of glory."

Jehovah's Witness

As I was devouring my congee and Chinese donuts, two elders knocked on my house door.
My mom opened it and they were talking about Jesus in front of her.
She didn't understand anything, so she told me to come up because I was "interested" in these things.
Okay, fine, I was interested in the spiritual conversations.
It seems they "knew" what they were talking about.
Anyhow, I didn't argue back.
I wasn't even ready to give good arguments since I was eating breakfast and focusing on what to do for today.
I especially didn't want to argue with them in front of my mom.
They said a lot of things that misinterpret the Scripture.
Animals have souls?????
Where in the world does it say that?
In their Bible (New World Translation), it talks about it but their Bible is mistranslated.
Not in my Bible.
They said a lot of things that gave me interesting in studying.
First of all, the difference between Soul and Spirit.
Second, Soul Sleep (Sleeping Beauty Entries in the past).
Third, their interpretation of Jesus, God, and the Holy Spirit.
Anyhow, time to be ready for their next visit.
Jesus said, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and your will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." ~ Acts 1:8

Think (Psalm 62:1-2; 5-8)

Ponder.
Ponder...
Ponder......
A lot can go on in my head in just one day.
I cannot define it.
But there are quite a lot things that I can think about.
What gives?
If I am not willing to commit, then why does my heart want to commit?
I am having a dilemma.
I've been missing out on fellowship these days.
How I long to spend time with my bro and sis at church.
How I long to study the Bible with PJ.
O'Lord......
Whom have I in heaven but you?
Does it honor You if I go and meet up with my team as a way to show my appreciation by doing it for Your glory than to commit myself in studying the Bible with PJ?
Jesus, what would You do if You were on my shoes?
Lord, You know my inmost heart.
You know it.
My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will no be shaken.
My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.
TRUST IN HIM AT ALL TIMES, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Calibrating Distress (Psalm 18:32; 55:22)

Just when I thought I have enough of insanity, I might be going overboard.
Can school work very drive me this way?
Perhaps it is not the stress.
Actually, there is more to it than ever.
If you could understand where I am coming from, then you won't be surprise of this situation that I am going through.
Never mind, you will probably not understanding anyhow.
When I go to school, my heart aches.
What are some of the causes that make my heart aches so much.
Hopefully I don't have cancer or illness.
It is troublesome.
Why am I so worried?
Or am I worried?
Am I trusting God to take me through?
I do believe and trust in His salvation.
Who can imagine that I could ever go through this distress?
The pain and longing to understand and know the truth.
The truth never changes - it will always remain the same in reality.
If it is not the truth, then why am I being dragged along in this game?
"Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar." Isaiah 33:17
However, I do look forward to seeing the king.
I do look forward to seeing the truth.
I can already ponder on that moment when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Jesus had already went through that moment.
"He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply DISTRESSED and TROUBLED." Mark 14:33
I wonder if it is even possible for me to sweat in blood.
I believe this is the moment where I must yield to His will.
I must face before Him and the fact that this is what He wants me.
He wants me to experience this.
It doesn't mean He'll leave me here alone, but He is with me.
Can I trust Him?
Yes.

Psalm 18:32" IT IS God who arms me with strength,
         And makes my way
perfect."

Psalm 55:22 "Cast your burden on the LORD,
         And He shall sustain you;
         He
shall never permit the righteous to be moved."

Cheer up, Tommy =)

Do not invite Jesus into your heart (Proverbs 22:17-19)

Yup. That's not a typo. MASAO really said it.
Do
not invite Jesus into your heart. But rather, give your heart (and
your mind, your body, your future, your all) to Jesus.

The
phrase, "invite Jesus into your heart" is NEVER found in the Bible (This
phrase was invented by people in modern times to appeal to an
emotion-oriented and self-centered generation).

What we see in
the Bible are people giving themselves to Jesus to follow him. We see
Peter dropping his nets to follow Jesus. We see Paul ditching his
popular Pharisee crowd to follow Jesus.

The Bible speaks of
"receiving" Jesus (John 1:12, Revelation 3:20), but these verses do not
refer to inviting Jesus into our "hearts." These verses speak of
receiving Jesus as Lord, Saviour, and Friend.

The problem with
"inviting Jesus into our hearts" is that it reinforces a small, cuddly,
self-centered, action-less view of Jesus.

When you love and
honour a person, do you invite him into your heart? No, that's silly.
You give him your heart. You trust him with your heart. You persevere
to understand him. You wait patiently when he is silent. You smile
just to know that he is thinking of you. You let him plan your future.

Jesus
is not a "feeling" or an "idea." He is a person. He cannot fit in our
puny little hearts. He is God taking on human form. Sure, he is not
in front of us right now. But he will return, or we may go to him
before that. But he has left his words. He has given his Spirit so
that we may experience his presence.

Just as a friend or a family
member remains REAL no matter how far he is from us at the present
moment, Jesus is real. And we have faith in him not by inviting him
into our hearts, but by getting to know him and following him.

I was reading over my youth facebook group discussions or devotions that Masao Morinaga has kindly and lovingly posted. I have been challenged by a lot of this topics. This topic can struck a lot of people I think.