Deep Joy in Christ

        Communion experience. I experience deep joy in the Lord. This is a joy that wells up from within the innermost of the heart and touches the soul, making you aware that the Lord indeed dwells in your heart. It seems that he keeps me alive just so I might taste this joy.

Finding or Not Finding God

        I often like to depict a spiritual situation with a picture. In life, you will come to a Y intersection sooner or later. One road will take you to God, the Truth, while the other one will lead you to explore on your own. Since God is not there, you will invariably hit a dead end. I know, because it's either finding God or becoming lost.

**How to Possess All of God

        If you want all of God for yourself, give all of yourself to him. Make your humble move first.

*A Bright Spot in Old Age

        What can get better and better as we age? Certainly not our physical condition, as the joints get stiffer and even getting out of bed in the morning becomes a challenge. Likewise our mental condition, as we forget things more easily. I used to be able to learn playing a piano piece in a few weeks, now I practice for months or longer and still keep hitting the wrong keys. Poorer eyesight doesn't help. But there is a bright spot and it's our spiritual condition which can improve as long as we are alive! By remaining close to Christ, we can become more acute and wiser spiritually, and grow holier with no limit whatsoever. This is definitely something we should not overlook, but to rejoice about.  

**God Is Calling You*

        Today's Communion antiphon, Revelation 20.3: Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me. You can easily picture this scene. The knocking may be faint to you right now, but if you stop and listen carefully, you will hear his voice and you know it. Whether you will open the door to let him enter is another matter. The Lord is insistent because he wants to save you. He is gentle because he want your faith to be genuine. He is ever so polite and patient that I almost feel sorry for him, but I think I ought to feel a lot more sorry for those who do not wish to hear his voice or hear but do not open the door to let him in. Anyway, reading this verse makes me respect and love my God even more. Ignoring his voice is ignoring your own eternal future.

God Removes All Fears

       If you don't know God, experiencing fear is common. This is generated by not knowing what is happening or might happen. For example, people fear abandoning themselves to God. In the Gospels, we read that people saw Jesus perform some mighty, wondrous deed, were amazed, and started to fear. Now, if you know Jesus well, you have a different story. Know that God loves you dearly, you are at ease with him. And you are no longer concerned about Satan, since God now protects you. In conclusion, knowing God removes all fears.

What God Is to Me

        Communion experience. God is my life, my soul, and my existence. I don't mean them literally. My life because he is as dear to me as my life; my soul because he is as close to me as my soul; and my existence because I owe my whole existence to him. God is also my most beloved. This I mean literally.

*Christmas Present for the Lord

        Give your heart to God as your Christmas present for him. The heart still remains within you; giving it to him simply permits him to transform it to his heart's content. We and God become one when our hearts become one. It's a sheer win-win joy! 

**God to Be Praised!*

        We petition and thank God, but often neglect to praise him. While petitioning and thanksgiving center upon what we'd like to receive and what we have received, respectively, from God, praising is centered upon God alone, most likely most popular in heaven. In the Charismatic Renewal Movement of the Church, praising God has been the first order of business, and wondrous things happen as a result. Of course, the vocabulary for praising God is rather limited and this explains why your hear God being praised in tongues. You see, speaking in tongues is not something mysterious, but simply the natural outflow from us with an intense desire to praise God. Praise the Lord as often as you can to receive great blessings from him. 

*Rallying Cry*

        Today's entrance antiphon from Psalm 24: O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors. Let him enter, the king of glory! As 2017 is coming to a close, we are also getting closer to Jesus' 2nd Coming. Here is my rallying cry to all who can hear: Let the God of Christ enter! Open your heart! If you shut him out, you will be shut out by him. Would you rather end up to be all alone than go over to his side to join him to be taken care by him forever? . . . . .