GOD & SUFFERING

-some self inflicted.. sin

-some are from others.. unfairness, bully

-natural disaster

-there are times we do heal without scars and times there are deep scars

-when we are in pain, we seek God for reason why are we sufferings, how to love in the midst of all the pain

-what is meant for evil God turn it to good for us

   -what is done evil is still evil

-when we are created, God gives us free will... we are not created as robot

   -giving us freewill will result in evil...

-God decided to come and join us in the suffering to be our redeemer

though we are created in the same image, but we are not alike yet..

-God allow Satan to remove the protection

-Satan gave Job all the suffering

   -lost all his wealth and children

Job continues to worship God even he lose everything he has

Satan strike Job with incurable disease from sole of the feet to crown of his head

Job still trust in God.. trust God for who He is and not His blessings

-Job is struggling, but never once give up His faith

   -it's ok to tell God that we are suffering

-God have a redeemable purpose for every suffering

-God has a purpose when He allow us to suffer hardship

this is the level of faith and trust we should have

-we will be glorious cos we are so changed that we will look like Jesus

-nothing shall separate us from the love of Christ

Jesus is always with us when we are in our sufferings

-in the midst of all the hardship, God wants to align us 

-to be like Jesus, is to be victorious in our sufferings

THE TRIUNE GOD OF LOVE

-God pulled back the curtains and show us a glimpse

-Father loves the son and the Holy Spirit filled Jesus

-Jesus in return loves the Father and the Holy Spirit is the bond between them loving them and being loved by them

-God wants to share this love with us.. totally unselfish, unconditional

-we are the bride of Christ.. we are saved cos of love and not cos we are needed

-Jesus love in action

-the moment we stop loving, we grief the Holy Spirit, shutting Him out

giving us freewill will result in darkness, grieve in His heart, but God still created us

-the moment God created human being, He knew He has to sacrifice His son

   -God still goes ahead to create cos our life worth so much to God

-love is the main thing about God.. if we don't have love in our hearts, we lose everything

nothing we can do can make God love us more.. no matter how far we have went astray can make Him shut the door as long as we repent

God's love has no limit

God is thinking, loving, listening to us non stop

God is touched by our feelings

-Jesus wept together with the people, although He knew that Lazarus will be raised from the dead

   -Jesus wants to be apart of the people heartaches

to have God is to have love cos God is love

MY SHEPHERD LEADS ME

-David paints the pic of God as a shepherd and host in the palace

-David paints himself as a sheep and a guest in the palace

   -how did he move from a Shepard to the king.. God brought him there

-God is just like a shepherd bring the sheep to the green pastures

   -if the sheep knew where the Shepard is bring them to, they will not stray away...

-whatever comes after "I am ...", God is

   -a covenant with the people that He will be what we need Him will be

"My" ... There is ownership

-David had a personal relationship with God

a shepherd's job is to provide direction

-we have the personal guide living in us... The Holy Spirit is our guide!

-all the sheep needs to know is to follow the shepherd

1. hear His voice

-sheep are not one of the smartest animal

-sheep follow each other blindly

who is our shepherd? who are we following

2. give up control

-give up control over our life

-giving up control is difficult but necessary

-David declaring his dependence on God

-we can contribute, cannot determine outcome

-only God's shoulder is broad enough to carry the burden

   -if we try to carry the burdens, it will crush us

-we are responsible for the action, and God is responsible for the outcome

3. trust His leading

-we may not always understand what God is doing... Cos what we see is different from what God is

-we see mountain, but God sees beyond the mountain

-we see the corner, but God sees round the corner

-we see today, but God sees tomorrow

-God does something intentionally.. when God does nothing, God is seeing something

if we are not content with what we have now, we will not be in the future too

-one event lead to another, brought David as a Shepard in the field to the being a king in the palace

   -it doesn't make sense to David till now

-the Lord is my shepherd and I shall not want

   -only Lord, the others I do not want

at the back of the embroidery, it's messy with nodes... but the flip side, it's a beautiful crown