Devo #4 - say what? where have i been?
Hallelujah! hahahahhaha i've never heard that word mentioned so many times within one weekend, but by the end of this one, i can't help it but join in and PRAISE HIM! HALLELUJAH!!!
We're taking a break from talking about wisdom so that i can share to you what happened this weekend of jan 13-15.
HCCF Winter Retreat
I don't know how to describe this particular retreat. Most of the time, namely with Christian retreats, i go in prepared to find God for myself, and most of the time come out DESPERATELY TRYING only to hold on to what had happened at the retreat. This weekend, i went in knowing i'll be deprived a bit of the quiet time i want with God becuz i was handling most of the food for the entire retreat (and that's what happened, i didn't get to go to any discussions, and i only had saturday morning to do some devo). And at the end of the retreat, i got this unique sense that i've gained something, but it's not something i have to hold on to.
...no that's not entirely right....
....a sense that i got something unlike anything i had gotten from previous retreats, and i must continue to receive it, but it'll be easier than before.
...no that doesn't sound right.....
....it is something i must continue to receive from Him, and it won't be easier, but the hope of that HOLY LIFE He promised for His children gave me the courage to ask Him for His refinement in me.
the last one sounds the most accurate in regards to what i experienced this weekend. I didn't want to erase the previous statements because i think it helped guide my (and hopefully yours as well) understand of what happened.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
This verse now MEANS something to me. I still don't understand completely what the apostle Paul was trying to say, and you're now wondering why and how this passage can mean something to me if i'm still confused about it. But i tell you that i will be putting a lot of thought and research into what it all means to DIE and LIVE.
not LIVE and DIE.
Roger, our speaker that weekend, spoke sharp words which i belief were blessed and approved by God.
Here's, in point form, what stuck in my head, and i daresay, is the main point of his message.
- We're sick of ourselves; Satan is NOT the only enemy. Our own nature, our sinful nature, tortures us.
- We do NOT become Christians, we are NOT saved, when we receive Christ into our hearts. The salvation Christ brought with Him was not only from sin, but from ourselves. Therefore this salvation is continuous, daily, and it is the salvation from ourselves.
- We can't live TWO lives at the same time. Most of the time we live compartmentalised lives, half for God, half for the world. God will not accept that. Therefore one of these lives must die.
- We, on our own, do not have the authority to put to death the life that God hates....soooo...
- THE SON BECAME FLESH, AND DID IT FOR US! ON THAT CROSS, THAT LIFE OF SIN WE OFTEN HOLD ON TO, DIED WITH HIM, SO THAT WE CAN, BY FAITH, LIVE THAT HOLY LIFE WE ALL YEARN FOR.
that last statement really redefined what death and dying meant for me. For my whole live, everytime i go to a conference and am moved, i hear the same message, or similar messages, on the fact that we need to DIE, that we need to put to death our old lives...BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN EMPHASIZED TO ME THAT IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE!! I've always felt like this is something that I, ME, PAUL,'s got to do before i can live that awesome life for God. And the truth is that i've failed everytime. Covenant after covenant, oath after oath, promise after promise, i make and i break. I say it and then go back to the old life like it's because i have no choice and i might as well. I always come of retreats or conferences CONVINCED that i have to die, that i have to put to death my old life.
funny, all i had really to do was have faith that my old life was already dead, instead of having my confidence shot from countless failures of something we all know we can't do ourselves.
so is that what that passage means by "he died for all, therefore all died"?
sigh....
hahahahahahhahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahaAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAHAHHAHAAHAHHAHA
SIGH...
i'm SO ready to move on. SO ready to be refined by fire. SO ready do His will!!
We're taking a break from talking about wisdom so that i can share to you what happened this weekend of jan 13-15.
HCCF Winter Retreat
I don't know how to describe this particular retreat. Most of the time, namely with Christian retreats, i go in prepared to find God for myself, and most of the time come out DESPERATELY TRYING only to hold on to what had happened at the retreat. This weekend, i went in knowing i'll be deprived a bit of the quiet time i want with God becuz i was handling most of the food for the entire retreat (and that's what happened, i didn't get to go to any discussions, and i only had saturday morning to do some devo). And at the end of the retreat, i got this unique sense that i've gained something, but it's not something i have to hold on to.
...no that's not entirely right....
....a sense that i got something unlike anything i had gotten from previous retreats, and i must continue to receive it, but it'll be easier than before.
...no that doesn't sound right.....
....it is something i must continue to receive from Him, and it won't be easier, but the hope of that HOLY LIFE He promised for His children gave me the courage to ask Him for His refinement in me.
the last one sounds the most accurate in regards to what i experienced this weekend. I didn't want to erase the previous statements because i think it helped guide my (and hopefully yours as well) understand of what happened.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." - 2 Corinthians 5:14-15
This verse now MEANS something to me. I still don't understand completely what the apostle Paul was trying to say, and you're now wondering why and how this passage can mean something to me if i'm still confused about it. But i tell you that i will be putting a lot of thought and research into what it all means to DIE and LIVE.
not LIVE and DIE.
Roger, our speaker that weekend, spoke sharp words which i belief were blessed and approved by God.
Here's, in point form, what stuck in my head, and i daresay, is the main point of his message.
- We're sick of ourselves; Satan is NOT the only enemy. Our own nature, our sinful nature, tortures us.
- We do NOT become Christians, we are NOT saved, when we receive Christ into our hearts. The salvation Christ brought with Him was not only from sin, but from ourselves. Therefore this salvation is continuous, daily, and it is the salvation from ourselves.
- We can't live TWO lives at the same time. Most of the time we live compartmentalised lives, half for God, half for the world. God will not accept that. Therefore one of these lives must die.
- We, on our own, do not have the authority to put to death the life that God hates....soooo...
- THE SON BECAME FLESH, AND DID IT FOR US! ON THAT CROSS, THAT LIFE OF SIN WE OFTEN HOLD ON TO, DIED WITH HIM, SO THAT WE CAN, BY FAITH, LIVE THAT HOLY LIFE WE ALL YEARN FOR.
that last statement really redefined what death and dying meant for me. For my whole live, everytime i go to a conference and am moved, i hear the same message, or similar messages, on the fact that we need to DIE, that we need to put to death our old lives...BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN EMPHASIZED TO ME THAT IT'S ALREADY BEEN DONE!! I've always felt like this is something that I, ME, PAUL,'s got to do before i can live that awesome life for God. And the truth is that i've failed everytime. Covenant after covenant, oath after oath, promise after promise, i make and i break. I say it and then go back to the old life like it's because i have no choice and i might as well. I always come of retreats or conferences CONVINCED that i have to die, that i have to put to death my old life.
funny, all i had really to do was have faith that my old life was already dead, instead of having my confidence shot from countless failures of something we all know we can't do ourselves.
so is that what that passage means by "he died for all, therefore all died"?
sigh....
hahahahahahhahahahahahahahhaahahahahhahaAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAHAHHAHAAHAHHAHA
SIGH...
i'm SO ready to move on. SO ready to be refined by fire. SO ready do His will!!
