Light Up the Sky - The Afters - Worship Video with lyrics

He speaks

     I have never seen God, nor I have ever heard him with my own ears. I have not felt his touch. How many times I wished God just sat with me down, when I needed Him, when I needed to make a really important decision. How many times I said "He doesn't hear me when I need Him..."I always believed in God, but I was not sure if I heard His voice., or if He heard mine. I saw people praying with their eyes closed, their faces so deeply engaged, they seemed so much involved, but when I prayed I did not feel that, and I did not know why. I tried closing my eyes, covering up my face, and feeling "something" holly, but nothing ever came.

     I did not know how is that He speaks until now. I have finally figured that out. He speaks to me through music. I know it might sound a bit loony, but I just discovered that when I play my iPod Christian songs, or when I hear a nice tune of a hymn in church, I get this feeling all over my body I can't explain what it is. My heart starts pounding faster, my mind is so focused, my eyes see things we do not normally notice, and inside of me, in the middle of this emotional confusion, a feeling is created. A feeling no one can ever understand.

I played the iPod today with the song from Natalie Grant "The Real Me" while I was driving, and suddenly I felt the touch of Holy Spirit on my heart, I looked up and the sky seemed to be unusually beautiful, the winter skyline so pure, the tree tops, the snow hills and thousands of flickering street lights in the Valley Forge, just like scattered diamonds all over the place at the foot hills of Appalachian Mountains...I also realized I was thinking in English. As a second language learner, it has happened. I catch myself actually using my second language when I pray, and I've finally got it...He does speak...

     God talks to us. He finds the way to do that, and if we open up and listen, we are able to hear. Not the way humans do, the way that involves your heart. That is how I know He speaks. It pierces through you in most wonderful way. Your mind is not even able to pick up all these words, and emotions that are gathering inside of you...so all I was able to do was just letting the tears of joy stream down my face, thinking how much I love Him. I always wondered why I was gifted in Music. I played the piano professionally, I was very successful, I was so good that every song I listened to on the radio, every tune I heard, I was able to reproduce without notes on the piano. I had the perfect pitch. Yet, I did not know that this gift came from God. I was using it all these years, but the knowledge was not fully appreciated. God given talent. Selfishly nurtured within my own pride.

    As my advice, if you are still not sure if He listens, all I can say is open up to Him, let it all go through you. Let it all fill you up, let him unveil you, and you loosen up the grip, you will see, feel, hear, smell or taste the way you have never did. He does speak...

Why we should believe the bible...

I have never read the bible until this past year. I did not know how to read the bible. I used to listen to the Gospel at church, but in a catholic church you only hear certain verses, repeatedly through out the year, then it repeats. I used to watch the Jesus movie thinking I knew the bible, but actually I did not. And I still do not know the bible...I am still learning. But since I started going to a baptist church, I started actually reading the bible. Under a proper guidance. 

As an amateur, such as myself, you cannot start reading the bible on your own hoping to understand it along the way. I started with the book of Job, but I got so lost it in, without understanding the context that I gave up. I started attending the Sunday School, and voila :) it went so much easier...it is much better for you, if you study under a guidance of a pastor in the beginning...but anyway, what I want to write about is a summary of what our last session was...Why we should believe the bible...

1.

Isaiah 40:8 (KJV)

 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

It is written in the bible, and the bible is the Word of God in a written form. There are so many references, and cross references, there are so many verses. I do not need any extra evidence that this book is the truth. But there are many skeptics who do not believe, and who need the proof. Well in that case....

  2. Presenting the facts and the numbers:

•  Bible was translated to many languages, there is no other book translated to as many languages as the bible.

Bible translations, worldwide

Number	Statistic
6,900	Approximate number of languages spoken in the world today
1,300	Number of translations to new languages currently in progress
1,185	Number of languages the New Testament has been translated to
451	Number of languages the Bible (Protestant Canon) has been translated to

The source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bible

• There are more than 24,000 partial and complete manuscript copies of the New Testament.
  These manuscript copies are very ancient and they are available for inspection now.
  There are also some 86,000 quotations from the early church fathers and several thousand Lectionaries (church-service books containing Scripture quotations used in the early centuries of Christianity).
  Bottom line: the New Testament has an overwhelming amount of evidence supporting its reliability. 
• No other book is even a close second to the Bible on either the number or early dating of the copies. The average secular work from antiquity survives on only a handful of manuscripts; the New Testament boasts thousands.
• Most of the manuscript variations concern matters of spelling, word order, tenses, and the like; no single doctrine is affected by them in any way.
• By comparing the manuscript support for the Bible with manuscript support for other ancient documents and books, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that no other ancient piece of literature can stand up to the Bible. Manuscript support for the Bible is unparalleled!
• No other book is even a close second to the Bible on either the number or early dating of the copies. The average secular work from antiquity survives on only a handful of manuscripts; the New Testament boasts thousands.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls prove the accuracy of the transmission of the Bible.In fact, in these scrolls discovered at Qumran in 1947, we have Old Testament manuscripts that date about a thousand years earlier (150 B.C.) than the other Old Testament manuscripts then in our possession (which dated to A.D. 900).The significant thing is that when one compares the two sets of manuscripts, it is clear that they are essentially the same, with very few changes.The fact that manuscripts separated by a thousand years are essentially the same indicates the incredible accuracy of the Old Testament's manuscript transmission.
• From manuscript discoveries like the Dead Sea Scrolls, Christians have undeniable evidence that today's Old Testament Scripture, for all practical purposes, is exactly the same as it was when originally inspired by God and recorded in the Bible.
• Combine this with the massive amount of manuscript evidence we have for the New Testament, and it is clear that the Christian Bible is a trustworthy and reliable book. 
• The Dead Sea Scrolls prove that the copyists of biblical manuscripts took great care in going about their work.These copyists knew they were duplicating God's Word, so they went to incredible lengths to prevent error from creeping into their work.The scribes carefully counted every line, word, syllable, and letter to ensure accuracy. 

More information here.

And  more useful links if you are still in doubts, but be prepared to read...you cannot just say I do not believe the bible if you did not read enough to prove otherwise:

http://www.debate.org.uk/topics/history/bib-qur/bibmanu.htm

http://agards-bible-timeline.com/q10_bible-facts.html

http://www.preachingpoints.com/2010/04/can-we-trust-the-bible/

http://www.amazingbible.org/Documents/Bible_Desk/bible_statistics.htm

It's remarkable how many critics refer to their "list" of contradictions when they reject the Bible, but have never read the Bible itself. Of course, if the Bible does contain inaccuracies, it would show that those parts of scripture could not have come from a Divine source. However, it's very convenient to accuse the Bible of errors and contradictions, but it's a different matter to prove it.

It is important we understand that times surely were different back couple thousands ago, and it is very hard to understand the ways people lived that long ago. We cannot assume that without any proper study of History we will understand everything easily. Some historians still try to study and understand the life of long ago, and yet they are still not certain about many things. 

The Old Testament reflects life prior to Christ coming to earth to teach us more, clarify and extend the knowledge. Our brain capacity is not even capable of understanding the way God thinks, but Jesus, though he spoke in parables, taught many great lessons, and He indeed had many listeners and followers. Why do you think people loved listening to Him? He knew how to explain things, he knew how to make people understand the words of God, He was the Master Teacher.

It is just like the children at school are learning first simple additions, then they learn subtractions, multiplication and division...later on in high school they come to algebra and many more step-ups, complex math problems involving deeper thinking.

So was the New Testament. A step up from the Old Testament. Confirmation and understanding of the Truth.

Some examples of this and how to approach it:

http://www.greatcom.org/resources/toughquestions/tq6/tq6d.htm

http://healing.about.com/library/uc_terror_0109.htmhttp://www.allabouttruth.org/bible-contradictions.htm

3. 

Bible conservation....God protects the bible. Over all these years the bible has not changed, has not been destroyed, has not been altered. 

more here.

4.

The ultimate comfort....I don't know about you, but I know the bible has an answer to my every question, to my every doubt. It provides great words of wisdom, comfort and even entertainment. There are wonderful verses that apply to every situation in our daily life. There is no other book that can do that. 

 Just a few examples:

• when in love read:  

Genesis 29:20
So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days. (NLT)

Proverbs 5:19
A loving doe, a graceful deer—may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love. (NIV)

Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs. (NIV)

Proverbs 13:24
Those who love their children care enough to discipline them. (NLT)

Proverbs 15:17
A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate. (NLT)

Proverbs 17:9
Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. (NLT)

Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. (NIV)

• when you are sad, lonely and heartbroken read:

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. (NLT)

Isaiah 43:2
When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. (NLT)

Isaiah 49:13
Sing for joy, O heavens! Rejoice, O earth! Burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted his people and will have compassion on them in their suffering. (NLT)

Lamentations 3:22-26; 31-32
For the Lord does not abandon anyone forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion according to the greatness of his unfailing love." (NLT)

 

• When you loose a loved one read:

Psalm 10:17 

 LORD, you know the hopes of the helpless. Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them. (NLT) 

Psalm 18:28
You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness. (NLT) 

Psalm 34:18
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. (NLT)Psalm 23:4
Even when I walk through the darkest valley, I will not be afraid, for you are close beside me. Your rod and your staff protect and comfort me. (NLT) 

Bible is there for every situation.

There are many links on web, here is one I also like to use:

http://encouragingbiblequotes.com/versesprgenerala.html

In conclusion, the bible truly is the Book of books. As far as me, I believe. As a dear friend of mine states: "10 out of 10 people die, and everyone has an expiration date." I want to be in heaven. I want to live for ever. It should be the reason enough to believe...rather than to think that there is "nothing" after we pass.

Think~exist!

Learning to digest the spiritual food

I am not a person of New Year's resolutions. I have done this, but I have failed this. So I am contemplating on past, living present and looking out for future on a short term basis. I did decide to do one thing though. It is not that the New Year 2011 should be the starting point, it is just because I opened the Daily Bread booklet with today's date, that made me think of it.

The article is called "Eat fast, pay less" and the analogy was that sometimes we tend to fast-read through the bible passage since we already know it. Instead, we should stop, read slowly and "digest the spiritual food". Reading the bible without reflecting is like eating without chewing. 

Ponder on it, contemplate on it!...I know, I am the right case here. I want to know and read the bible, but it gets so overwhelming sometimes, I don't know where to start, I don't know how to interpret. I wish I had some guidance in it.

So, I decided to read less, and digest more. Maybe it is all about slowing down. It is about the quality more than about the quantity. One can read dozen of scriptures, but if none reaches the heart, the whole concept was missed, while one simple verse can open your mind, touch your heart, and you can live off of it for a long time.
Here it is then...Psalm 119:15 "I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways."

"Spending time in mediation,

Hiding Scripture in our heart,

Works in us a transformation

So from sin we can depart." - Sper