Breaking the Fast, Movie Time and Fellowship

Last thursday (Jan. 12), I broke the fast that lasted for 1 week. It was an experience I will never forget... an act that I'll be doing regularly in my walk with God :)

Well, what a way to start the year... facing trials and tests during the moment when I'm at my weakest (physically) - people often think that people fast because of a "prize" or a prayer that we want God to answer... but if that will be the case then... is fasting a way to "twist" God's arm? Just for us to get our prayers answered? Is fasting a way to "make" God into a genie who answers all our wishes? I think fasting for centuries has been viewed in the wrong way... if you read the Bible... fasting is an integral part of being a Christian... people often think that it is a way for God to "hear" us... but rather... the real heart of fasting is for us to hear God... to know God... to have a deeper relationship with Him... that He is the source of everything we have and we are. God Himself is the prize... A relationship with Him is the very reason why we fast... every blessing that comes after that is simply a bonus :) The whole point of fasting is re-aligning to God and dedicating your life to strive to get to know Jesus better. I'm looking forward to all His plans and purpose for me this 2006 and my life...

FYI... my fasting was - 3 days [water only] and 4 days [1 meal a day]. In the future, I'll do 1 week water only but I'll be preparing my body for that hehehe :)

I'm so thankful to God - sustaining me and my fiancé during the fasting period... He also strengthen us as we go through the trials and testing during our engagement. I know that when God places things in our lives it is for the better. Me and my fiancé believe that these tests will strengthen our relationship... but importantly... it'll strengthen our relationship and faith in the Lord :) We might not understand the tests... but we know the heart of the test giver... and as is written in the Bible... God's will is good,pleasing, perfect (Romans 12:1-2). Thank you Lord! :)

Me and my fiancé watched "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe", we were with our spiritual brother and sister... Taki and Meng Cuevas. I can remember that Taki and Meng's relationship was one of the "seeds" that lead me to this journey of mine... knowing and surrendering - Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Me and my fiancé enjoyed the fellowship and the movie. Hearing how God worked in Taki and Meng's life is a testimony of how powerful and loving God is. You can read Taki's blog through my blog links at the side panel.

With regards to the movie... man! It was great! Probably one of the best movies I've ever seen. C.S. Lewis was able to portray the very heart of what Christianity is all about. The battle over man... what sin will do... the "wages" of sin... the ultimate sacrifice (what Jesus has done for us)... what we can do as Christians... talk about tons and tons of symbols of how we are as a Christian! I can say that the movie strengthened my faith in God :) I talked to my fiancé already about investing in an original DVD... Weeee! :)

I'm Engaged! Day 4 of 7 day Fasting

God is great! :) Yep the title of this blog posting is correct... I'm engaged to a very loving, caring, beautiful woman of God. It's really different when God is the one who wrote your love story. Talk about miracles and plans unfold under His Lordship. As stated in

Matthew 6:33
"Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you aswell."

It's a promise by God himself that if we just choose to focus on Him, to make Him number one in our lives, to really have faith in Him and surrendering everything to His Lordship He'll be blessing us... and this blessing is beyond our wildest dreams. I like to tell everyone that God is not a bystander... He's not an uncaring God who will just watch you do things... but He's an active and loving God who would like to bless you... He's a God who would like to be involved in your life, not some spectator that most religion says He is.

I created a new blog for my fiancé, check it out --> My 100 Reasons

Hmm, I expect lots of "bumps" on the road but... We'll be moving by faith... We strongly believe that God called us to do this... and amidst opposition, we'll move forward... For God said so. I know one day everything will be great because God is a gracious God. :)

Deuteronomy 15:4-6
4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

We'll I'm in my 4th day of fasting and c'mon! God continues to nourish me through this fasting season... :D I love Jesus so much! :) Weee!

Gone Fasting Whoa! Weee!

Been awhile since my last post hehehe... well, happy new year to everyone... man! I believe this will be a year of breakthroughs, blessings and experiencing new and more exciting things / events under the Lordship of Jesus Christ! Weee! :)

Well, our church (Victory Christian Fellowship) - is doing it's annual 7 day fasting. I'm excited to undergo this... the longest fast I did was a 3 day water fast and man it was amazing! :) I'm excited to forego of solid food and juices for the next 7 days and focus on the Lord (only taking in water).

I'm in my 2nd day of fasting and very funny... sardines now seems to be as enticing as eating a big chuck of steak! The smell of food is increadibly tempting... but just like what Jesus said in the bible...

Matthew 4:1-4
¹Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. ²After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. ³The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread." ⁴Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'"

For those wondering why fast? Click on this link :) I believe that prayer and fasting is a vital part of being a Christian... some view fasting as mere tradition or obligatory... but I belive fasting is relational - a relationship with you and the Lord Jesus Christ. C'mon! Weee!

Philosophy is Flawed

Do you believe everything can be explained? Science and Philosophy tries to explain and measure who God is... his existence... but can you honestly say to yourself that with our limited brain... our limited capacity... our limited knowledge... can man really explain the unexplainable? Measure (something that has beginning and end) the immeasurable?

I got the story below from an e-mail :) I hope and pray that you enjoy and ponder on the entertaining story below :)

The Story of the Atheist Professor and the Christian Student

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty.

He asks one of his new Christian students to stand and.....

Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son?
Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So you believe in God?
Student : Absolutely, sir.

Professor : Is God good?
Student : Sure.

Professor : Is God all-powerful?
Student : Yes.

Professor : My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?

(Student is silent.)

Professor : You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?
Student : Yes.

Professor : Is Satan good?
Student : No.

Professor : Where does Satan come from?
Student : From...God...

Professor : That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student : Yes.

Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student : Yes.

Professor : So who created evil?

(Student does not answer.)

Professor : Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student : Yes, sir.

Professor : So, who created them?

(Student has no answer.)

Professor : Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student : No, sir.

Professor : Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student : No , sir.

Professor : Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God? Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.

Professor : Yet you still believe in Him?
Student : Yes.

Professor : According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student : Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor : Yes. Faith. And that is the problem science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor : Yes.
Student : And is there such a thing as cold?

Professor : Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.

(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)

Student : Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)

Student : What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Professor : Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?

Student : You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light....But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it's called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?

Professor : So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student : Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.

Professor : Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student : Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor : If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument is going.)

Student : Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavour, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class is in uproar.)

Student : Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?

(The class breaks out into laughter.)

Student : Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it?..... No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)

Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student : That is it sir.. The link between man & God is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive.

Psalm 18:30
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.