Living "TODAY" today

Yes, it is always good to have something to look forward to, but may we not live to look forward for the future nor linger in the past. Not to be anxious for tomorrow for today is sufficient of its own evil. We need to live in the present and appreciate the Lord's presence in the present! May we be one with the Lord TODAY!

Lord, make us people who care for Your dispensing into us. Make us see that in situations good or bad, it is Your dispensing that will last till eternity. May no moment go by without us gaining You as our rich life supply. Your riches are vast and unsearchable.

Job 15:31
Let him not trust in vanity, deceiving himself; for vanity will be his recompence.

1 Tim 6:17
Charge those who are rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches but on God, who affords us all things richly for our enjoyment.

Just see how uncertain money is. With global financial crisis, the value of money just plunged overnight. People who trusted in money and held onto money took their own lives because they hoped in money. Without money, their hope vanished.
O saints, but Christ in us is our hope of glory. May we live Christ. May the Lord have mercy on us that we will learn to give to the Lord financially and not be deceived and hypnotised by money.

May the Lord have mercy on us, that we may see through the lies of Satan and all that he has to offer is vanity.

Lord we love You. Not because we initiated this love, but because of Your strong, constraining tide of love.

Lord, we give ourselves to love You for there is no other way that is so safe, so sweet, everlasting and prevailing.

1. Give yourself to love the Lord.
   No other way is so prevailing
   And no other way, no other way is so safe.
   
   
2. Give yourself to love the Lord.
   No other way is so rich,
   And so full, oh so full, of enjoyment.
   
   
   • Each morning we must rise up and say to Him,
     "Lord Jesus, I love You."
     
     
3. Give yourself to love the Lord.
   Do not care for anything else;
   Just love Him! Do not care!
   Give yourself to love the Lord!
   
   
   • We are not our own, Lord;
     All we have we give to You.
     Lord Jesus! Lord Jesus!
     Lord Jesus, we love You!
     
     
   http://www.hymnal.net/
   

Happy New Year

It's a new year. It's a new start. It's the last year of university. It's probably my last year in the sisters' house. It's probably my last year of student life...
It's 2009!

So many things are for the last time... but may our love for the Lord be always first. May He be our first and fresh love. Just find that we need to be renewed day by day because we get old so fast. Our consecration gets old so fast, and we dry out so fast. That's why our consecration needs to be renewed. Not only yearly, but daily. Not even just daily, but hourly. O how we need to pray to fellowship with Jesus. To seek His face constantly.

Today in the young people's meeting, we sang a hymn which was my favourite when I was in high school. Though it was a familiar song and I could sing it almost by heart, it was a new song to me. New in experience and enjoyment of the hymn.

It is a hymn and reminder we all need from day to day. May our consecration to the Lord never grow old but always stay fresh.

One way is by calling on the Lord. The Lord is ever new. We need to absorb His newness moment by moment. The Lord is RICH to those who CALL.

Another way is by being WITH THOSE, encouraging one another POSITIVELY with the Word and share each other's experience of the Lord. We can apprehend His breadth and length and height and depth when we are with the saints (Eph 3:18). His RICHES, His inheritance is in the saints (Eph 1:18b). I was talking to a sister through the phone. Her encouragement and our prayer together was very encouraging and energizing. Praise the Lord!

Much more, His RICHES are in His Word. "Your words were found and I ate them, And Your word became to me The gladness and joy of my heart, For I am called by Your name, O Jehovah, God of hosts", Jeremiah 15:16. We need to pray-read His Word!

Lord, we consecrate ourselves to You afresh. May our love for You be forever fresh, always burning, never dwindling; always shining bright for You.

May this year be a year we offer ourselves as a burnt offering to the Lord, a sweet smelling savour for God's satisfaction.

1. Lord, keep my heart always true to You,
   Never backsliding, always viewing You,
   A heart that is pure that sees only You,
   A heart that loves You and treasures only You.
   
   
• Your love constrains me to give my all to You.
  Lord, I can't help it; my heart is drawn to You.
  Oh what a privilege! I give myself to You!
  I love You, Lord, dearest Lord.
  I love You! I just love You!
  
  
2. Lord, keep my love burning brightly for You,
   A love never dwindling always hot for You,
   A love, shining brighter all the way for You,
   A love, so fresh like the day I first touched You.
   
   
3. Lord, take my life, I present it to You!
   If I had a thousand, I'd pour all on You!
   Nothing withholding, my all is for You.
   My life and my future, dear Lord, is all for You.

by Bro. Howard Higashi
Music and lyrics can be obtained from www.hymnal.net