Happy Birthday Jesus!
Posted by: alphachristina on: December 26, 2009
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CHRISTmas is about CHRIST being born.
Even my 3rd grader knows that really well. I was so surprised by the answer he gave me when I asked him what does CHRISTmas means to him. He said, “CHRISTmas is all about CHRIST being born. To give us peace. To save us.”
I celebrated the day that YOU were born to die so I can one day pray for You to save my life. -Michael Calvento
I hope we all found the true meaning and significance of CHRISTmas.
As John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Happy Birthday Jesus!
Thank you for saving us.
A heavenly invitation
Posted by: alphachristina on: December 19, 2009
Dear All,
As you well know, we are getting closer to my birthday. Every year there is a celebration in my honor and I think that this year the celebration will be repeated.
During this time there are many people shopping for gifts, there are many radio announcements, TV commercials, and in every part of the world everyone is talking that my birthday is getting closer and closer.
It is really very nice to know, that at least once a year, some people think of me.
As you know, the celebration of my birthday began many years ago.
At first people seemed to understand and be thankful of all that I did for them, but in these times, no one seems to know the reason for the celebration.
Family and friends get together and have a lot of fun, but they don’t know the meaning of the celebration. I remember that last
year there was a great feast in my honor. The dinner table was full of delicious foods, pastries, fruits, assorted nuts and
chocolates. The decorations were exquisite and there were many, many beautifully wrapped gifts.
But, do you want to know something? I wasn’t invited.
I was the guest of honor and they didn’t remember to send me an invitation.
The party was for me, but when that great day came, I was left outside, they closed the door in my face and I wanted to be
with them and share their table.
In truth, that didn’t surprise me because in the last few years all close their doors to me. Since I wasn’t invited, I decided to
enter the party without making any noise. I went in and stood in a corner.
They were all drinking; there were some who were drunk and telling jokes and laughing at everything. They were having a grand time.
To top it all, this big fat man all dressed in red wearing a long white beard entered the room yelling Ho-Ho-Ho! He seemed drunk. He sat on the sofa and all the children ran to him, saying: ”Santa Claus, Santa Claus” as if the party were in his honor!
At midnight all the people began to hug each other; I extended my arms waiting for someone to hug me and do you know no-one hugged me.
Suddenly they all began to share gifts. They opened them one by one with great expectation. When all had been opened, I looked to see if, maybe, there was one for me. What would you feel if on your birthday everybody shared gifts and you did not get one?
I then understood that I was unwanted at that party and quietly left.
Every year it gets worse. People only remember the gifts, the parties, to eat and drink, and nobody remembers me.
I would like this Christmas that you allow me to enter into your life.
I would like that you recognize the fact that almost two thousand years ago I came to this world to give my life for you, on the
cross, to save you.
Today, I only want that you believe this with all your heart.
I want to share something with you. As many didn’t invite me to their party, I will have my own celebration, a grandiose party
that no one has ever imagined, a spectacular party. I’m still making the final arrangements.
Today I am sending out many invitations and there is an invitation for you. I want to know if you wish to attend and I will make a reservation for you and write your name with golden letters in my great guest book.
Only those on the guest list will be invited to the party.
Those who don’t answer the invite, will be left outside. Be prepared because when all is ready you will be part of my great
party.
See you soon.
Love,
Jesus Christ
Disclaimer:
The above writing is not written by me. It is from unknown source.
Ultimate Study Tool
Posted by: Nicole Marie on: December 14, 2009
Old post from last year around this time of the year & is still relevant:
Please keep me in ur daily thoughts, prayers, prayer trees, prayer groups, prayer journals, prayer lists, haha u get the point..
Because HE loved me
Posted by: alphachristina on: December 7, 2009
Let me take this time to reflect on GOD’s marvelous love to mankind.
He doesn’t have to create us.
But He did.
He should have not created us.
But he never regretted it.
What does He get from putting us into this amazing planet?
Sarcasm, blasphemy, hatred, opposition, criticism, idolatry.
Way to go people.
Like how scientist wants to put it, “we came from the big bang”.
Wow,an explosion and poof there were the universe,the galaxy.
There is no GOD. I don’t believe in God.
Who created us then?
Who design the intricate details of our being?
Sometimes I picture myself being in HIS shoes.
I can’t help but be in a fury of anger.
It’s like giving everything you have for the one you love and that person never even said thank you or recognize what you were doing. Instead, neglected you, took you for granted, stepped all over you and cater to someone undeserving of it.
What would you feel?
What if GOD thinks the way we do?
We will all be long gone.
But no,HE doesn’t.
His ways are not the same with our ways.
He towers above all us.
He is sovereign.
HE has never left us despite of all the hateful things we have thrown on HIM.He has remained faithful.
In fact, HE is just waiting for us to come invite HIM in our life.
Why do you think HE sent HIS only son to die for our sins?
Because HE LOVED US.
And the most painful thing we could possibly do to our LORD GOD is to not realize that…on how much HE LOVED US. Need I say more?
But because HE is GOD, HE can endure everything.
What a beautiful kind of love.
And that love is what keeps me going everyday.
What makes me thankful of every waking day.
What makes me happy during the hard times.
What gives me hope during darkness.
What inspires me to share HIS love to others.
What makes me who I am.
What matters most to me.
HE deserve all the praise and glory.
Let us be thankful for HE LOVED US.
into HIS likeness
Posted by: alphachristina on: December 3, 2009
HE is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in HIM. -John Piper
It is without a doubt that GOD has been really faithful in my life. HE is the only thing that is constant in my whole twenty one years of life and actually,even before I was born.
Unchanging,ever loving and all knowing GOD of this universe.
But it is also without a doubt that I can’t measure up to HIS goodness. But that is not the point. And that won’t stop me also from being mold into HIS likeness.
I want to be able to love just like HE does,to forgive when it is hard to do so, to be selfless and CHRIST centered, to sacrifice something as great as HIS one and only son and to be faithful to HIM all the days of my life. I want to master the art of faithfulness so that I can love HIM better.
I need to learn to bring HIM praise in all areas of my life. Whether it as simple as doing the dishes or studying for my exams, I want HIM to be the center of all those things. To do everything for HIS glory. That through HIS vast greatness, I can find my peace and contentment.
Through HIS love for me, I can find the joy of my heart and treasure HIM even after this lifetime.
My Lord, help me to be faithful to you.
For YOUR joy,is my happiness.
Bring me back to You
Posted by: Nicole Marie on: December 2, 2009
Draw me close to You
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear You say that I’m Your friend
You are my desire
No one else will do
‘Cause nothing else could take Your place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace
Help me find the way
Bring me back to You
You’re all I want
You’re all I’ve ever needed
You’re all I want
Help me know You are near
Amazing Grace
Posted by: Nicole Marie on: November 25, 2009
It’s been awhile and I find it funny how Alpha decides to post something at the same time as I was. Although posts haven’t been made here lately, it by no means shows that God has stopped working in my life. When it comes to ministry, sometimes there comes a time when things become very routine and task-oriented and the passion is forgotten. I think there’s always a needed break to step back because eventually you become a servant running on an empty tank. Maintaining a relationship with the Lord isn’t always going to have its highs on a 24/7 basis. What matters is how we deal with the lows.
I believe that God is pleased by what we do here with this blog but I also know that this isn’t what our salvation is based on. It’s not determined by how many posts we make or how many viewers we get a week because again, we are only used as His vessels.
Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.”
I am reminded by this verse that all the things we do in ministry, such as singing in the worship team, being a youth leader, sunday school teacher, ushering..whatever it may be, will not solely get us our spot into heaven. We could spend so many hours dedicating ourselves to ministry but if our hearts aren’t right with God, then we might as well not do any of it rather than being lukewarm. We start to do these things for ourselves or out of obligation to others rather than God.
& recently that’s where I’ve found myself, feeling dry and burnt out. I’ve been feeling the pressures of all the responsibilities in all parts of my life. It’s a dangerous road to be on. I’ve struggled and have felt the lows, but I’ve also felt God’s love so strongly. I can try to live my life the way I want or try to hide, but eventually my soul becomes thirsty to be in communion with Him. I am undeserving of God’s patience with me, He is still actively molding me & building up my character every day. It’s a battle that can be won. & this is why I can really be thankful and come back to the purpose of my existence. I can try & try so hard to please Him by my own abilities but in the end I’ll always fall short. But through the grace and mercies that God offers, I can remember to find peace & rest in what He did for me so i may find my worth through Him and not my own doings.
That’s why this Thanksgiving, I’m just really coming back to the cross in acceptance of my short comings and brokenness. There’s nothing I can do to earn His love and i’ll always fail, but His love never fails. I’m not perfect or not even close to the woman that He desires me to be. But I am caught by his overwhelming love for me through all my imperfections. The fact that the God of the universe would sacrifice his Holy & blameless Son for a sinner like me so that I could stand clean and forgiven before Him is enough to make me fall to my knees in humility. I stand ashamed but filled with an assurance of knowing that through His blood I can be called His child. Because of what He did at the cross, I can be in His presence. . Because of what He did, I can be forgiven…Because of what He did, I can live.
I love You more than life, thank you Father for being my Amazing Grace.
Lamentations 3:22-23“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
Out of Love
Posted by: alphachristina on: November 24, 2009
Follow up with the previous blog(Our responsibility) I post.
We are imperfect people and we all have fallen short(Romans 3:23) but that doesn’t give us an excuse to neglect our responsibility and sole purpose. We are to die for ourselves and live for Him(Galatians 2:20). To die is gain and to live is Christ(Philippians 1:21).
Nicole and I go through this cycle all the time and I bet most other Christians. We struggle on our relationship and walk on the Lord because we lack the discipline to build our life around Him. We are trying to build Him around our life when He is supposed to be the center of our very being, our essence.
Nicole texted me this awhile back after not being able to meet for at least 3 weeks: We fail at life
And I responded with: Yes, we are failing so bad
Indeed we are because no amount of success and pleasure can measure to being one with God. Being contented in Him. Everything that is good comes from Him. Savoring things without His presence and recognition can only feel good at the surface,it doesn’t last. We can’t experience good without Him because all that is good is created by Him.
Apart from Him we are nothing.
Only a life that is live for Him counts, the rest fades away into comparison.
“We are to live for Christ. We are to pursue Him in every areas of it“. I have to remind myself of that every time.
He should be the end to my every need and desire. He should be enough.
It should be a complete surrender of my life, take up my Cross and follow Him(Mark 8:34).
We do it all for Him not out of obligation but out of love.We love Him because He first loved us(1 John 4:19).
Our responsibility
Posted by: alphachristina on: November 23, 2009
Where have we been? The last post by me was made last October 12(not counting the worship song I posted yesterday), exactly 43 days where I am incognito and the last post by Nicole was last October 18, exactly 37 days of complete silence. Whatever happened to us writing here every week? We totally let our responsibility slip. Our excuse, you’ve heard this over and over again, “We are so busy we got no time to write something for our Lord and spend some time on our ministry. But guess what? We have time to watch random youtube videos, waste time on FB, study for our tests, hang out with our friends and a lot more. We have a lot of time to spend on other things but we can’t even put aside, even 15 to 30 mins of our time in writing out how our Great God is sustaining us every day.
And consider the following questions and thoughts:
Isn’t it strange how a 100 dollar bill seems like such a large amount when
you donate it to church, but such a small amount when you go shopping?
Isn’t it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you’re at church, and how short they seem when you’re watching a good movie?
Isn’t it strange that you can’t find a word to say when you’re praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to talk about with a friend?
Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel or the TWILIGHT series?
Isn’t it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in Church?
Isn’t it strange how we need to know about an event for Church 2-3 weeks before the day so we can include it in our agenda, but we can adjust it for other events at the last minute?
Isn’t it strange how difficult it is to learn a fact about God to share it with others, but how easy it is to learn, understand, extend and repeat gossip?
Isn’t it strange how we believe everything that magazines and newspapers say, but we question the words in the Bible?
Isn’t it strange how everyone wants a place in heaven, but they don’t want to believe, do, or say anything to get there?
Isn’t it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world’s going to hell.
Isn’t it funny how someone can say “I believe in God” but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also “believes” in God).
Isn’t it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Isn’t it funny how I can be more worried about what other people think of me than what God thinks of me.
Why are we so sleepy in church but right when the sermon is over we suddenly wake up?
Why are the churches getting smaller but yet the bars and dance clubs are getting larger?
We try to keep God in church on Sunday morning, maybe Sunday night and, the unlikely event of a midweek service. We do like to have Him around during sickness and, of course, at funerals.
However, we don’t have time or room for Him during work or play. Because that’s the part of our lives we think we can and should handle on our own.
May God forgive us for ever thinking that there is a time or place where HE is not to be FIRST in our life. We should always have time to remember all HE has done for us.
[Not my own writing, unknown source]
As I reflect upon this, I feel ashamed yet grateful of how God has been very patient and forgiving of my short comings.
Think about it…Look at your life. Who or what is the center of it?
Be strong in the LORD
Posted by: alphachristina on: November 22, 2009
- In: God| God's Love| Life| Passion| bible verses| christianity| praise| songs
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SIDEWALK PROPHETS
The Words I Would Say
Three in the morning,
And I’m still awake,
So I picked up a pen and a page,
And I started writing,
Just what I’d say,
If we were face to face,
I’d tell you just what you mean to me,
I’d tell you these simple truths,
Be strong in the Lord and,
Never give up hope,
You’re going to do great things,
I already know,
God’s got His hand on you so,
Don’t live life in fear,
Forgive and forget,
But don’t forget why you’re here,
Take your time and pray,
These are the words I would say,
Last time we spoke,
You said you were hurting,
And I felt your pain in my heart,
I want to tell you,
That I keep on praying,
Love will find you where you are,
I know cause I’ve already been there,
So please hear these simple truths,
From one simple life to another,
I will say,
Come find peace in the Father
Thank God for each day
His love will find a way
Nicole Marie
alphachristina
Ben (Guest Blogger)