Journeying together

Just wanted to write this quickie to thank you SO MUCH for your prayers since my last blog because God has answered them and I found my Galois Theory notebook this morning. I walked into a classroom not in the Mathematics department that I hadn't been in over a month and noticed a black notebook on the lecturer's desk. "That looks a lot like... hmm... I wonder... Oh my goodness it is!". By God's grace, someone must've found it and put it there and again by God's grace, no one else moved it! As I was an hour early for class, as is my strange practice, you can bet that I had a wonderful time of praise and worship in that classroom as the sun shone in from the open windows! It may be a small thing to find a notebook but it is not insignificant that God answers prayer. The more I think about it, the more I realise that my having lost my book in the first place and to find it like this was really the best booster I could have asked for to triumph over this dreary week of revision! Truly ALL things work for GOOD (Romans 8:28) not because we asked for it in prayer but because God is GOOD and His ways are higher than ours! (Psalms 84:11, Isaiah 55:9)

I hope that you too will be encouraged through this, my little lost notebook adventure!

Who would have guessed? First day back from Easter Break and I've already given myself unnecessary "strain". I was running a little late this morning looking for my Galois notebook and still can't find it but thankfully I have a textbook to replace it temporarily.I still managed to catch the early train anyway and, of course, made it about an hour early before my non-compulsory Probability and Statistics 2 class started, only to find out 5 minutes before that all his classes have been moved to next week! *sigh* Not to worry, I brought a ton of stuff to do and now I only need to wait 6 hours till my next class. I sincerely hope my Galois Theory lecturer decides to carry on an extra hour to make my journey here worth while though my fellow classmates may not have the same motivation. :P

 

Anywhoo, I realise it has been quite some time since my last update and I've been informed that even my dad has been more diligent in blogging than me! It's no surprise though when you consider I've been desperately trying to keep all this math theory in my brain and trying to plug all the leaks with no as much success as I would have hoped. Thank you again for your prayers, I am convinced that God has sustained me thus far because you prayed.

 

 I just finished reading 'Release of the Spirit' by Watchman Nee (in between revision in order to keep me sane-ish) and this morning started on 'The Master Plan of Discipleship' by Robert E. Coleman. Part of the introduction looks as if it could be taken out of my dad's last blog entry in talking about ministry as a lifestyle and not simply an occupation. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20- He is Your life!) Thinking about this, I was reminded of two sermons I heard last week by Stephen Olford and (my favourite) Leonard Ravenhill (www.sermonindex.net). The first was about the seriousness and sin of partial disobedience, under analysis is total disobedience (James 4:17,2:10 ,1 Samuel 22-23, Matthew 5:19-30) and the latter was an amazing description and definition of true worship (John 4:23-24, Exodus 34:8, Joshua 5:14-15, 1 John 4:18, Luke 7:37-47). To be aware of just how filthy we are before God it is no wonder that all we can do in His presence is fall on our faces in silent awe!

 

I confess that in the midst of battling with revision doubts and sheer laziness, it is so easy to miss out on experiencing such fullness of joy, power, grace and love that is only possible when we learn to truly worship God for who He is. Praise Him indeed that He is Love, that He is God of Mercy and that He is mighty to save!

 

Coming up to Good Friday and Easter, it is excitingly appropriate that my Bible reading has taken me through the "famous" chapters of Isaiah. I sometimes wonder if the educational system planned for our exams to come just after this time and if they did, I must say I am most appreciative. Haha! Of course, we're talking about a different sort of salvation but the idea that our God is mighty to save is pretty uplifting in whatever case. Not only that He is ABLE but that He IS the God of mercy who HAS saved us and loves us still! Some weeks ago, I read Isaiah 49: 6, "It is TOO SMALL a thing that You should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth." Can you imagine? I think of the words of Jeremiah, "Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. [is anything] too hard for You [?]" (Jeremiah 32:17) Surely it is no small thing for us to consider such incredible power and grace!

On Palm Sunday, would you believe the passage given was Philippians 4? If you read my previous posts, you might be rolling your eyes but I'm sure you'd have to agree that when God is confirming His Word in your life (even if He has to repeat chapters to get it through my clogged ears), it's pretty hair-raisingly thrilling. The speaker was talking about learning to be content in ALL circumstances, not that we can do anything we want but that we can endure EVERYTHING that life throws at us because of who Jesus IS in our lives. The phrase emphasised during the service was "for this, I have Jesus". The challenge then is, IS Jesus my EVERYTHING so that in everything I can give thanks knowing that ALL things work for good? (1 Thessalonions 5:18, Romans 8:28) If we are so confident that Christ is risen in our lives and that He has called us to where we are, then surely we will also be able to say with confidence that "my God shall supply ALL [my] needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19).

Indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my lord, whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 4:8-11)

for I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

 this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him... His Son to be the propitiation for our sins... and we have known and believed in the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in Him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgement; because He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out all fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us...  (1 John 4:9-19, 3:1)

[so] Rejoice in the Lord in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Because He lives.