My FAVORITE subject

 

Isaiah 25:1

King James Version

25 O Lord, thou art my God; 

I will exalt thee, 

I will praise thy name; 

for thou hast done wonderful things; 

thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

If having created 104 blogs is any indication of my LOVE for GOD, then I guess you have it.

PROOF of my adoration.

On the ONE, and ONLY GOD of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

The GOD of Israel.

The GOD of those born again.

The GOD of those who believe in JESUS.

The GOD of my heart.

The ONE I constantly seek.

The ONE I write about, all day long.

Since GOD made me born again over four-and-a-half years ago, He's been my favorite subject.

He knew it would be so.

He knew, once I "found" Him, I won't look elsewhere anymore.

He knew, once I got to know Scripture, that's all I'd write about.

And GOD was right.

Then again, when was He ever wrong?

He reserved the BEST for last.

All worldly research didn't lead to Him.

Only the Bible led to Him, just so you know.

It's continued to nourish my soul each day.

It's the ONLY SOURCE of DEEP knowledge I'll ever touch now.

GOD's WORD is all we need in this world.

You will marvel at GOD's story, once your read the Bible.

You'll know many things about the LORD.

You will laugh, cry, fear, marvel, and worship Him.

GOD continues to love us.

No matter our many betrayals.

Only because He wants EVERYONE saved:

2 Peter 3:9

King James Version

9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, 

as some men count slackness; 

but is longsuffering to us-ward, 

not willing that any should perish, 

but that all should come to repentance.

Speaking of repentance, that was the key.

For GOD to show up.

At least, for me.

The day I was aghast over my sins, swearing never to sin my old sins anymore, was the day heaven surely smiled.

JESUS said so:

Luke 15:7-10

King James Version

7 I say unto you, 

that likewise joy shall be in heaven 

over one sinner that repenteth, 

more than over ninety and nine just persons, 

which need no repentance.

8 Either what woman having ten pieces of silver,

if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, 

and sweep the house, 

and seek diligently till she find it?

9 And when she hath found it, 

she calleth her friends 

and her neighbours together, 

saying, 

Rejoice with me; 

for I have found the piece which I had lost.

10 Likewise, I say unto you, 

there is joy in the presence of the angels of God 

over one sinner that repenteth.

Now that I've been saved (from my own filth, and ignorance), why would I ever want to go back to that old state?

I'm now a student of SPIRIT and a workman for GOD.

Where before, I was a student of universities, now, I'm a student of SPIRIT.

Studying GOD's laws, and prophecy.

Making sure I get it right.

Only SPIRIT can teach us about JESUS.

It's important we understand JESUS.

He taught us how to love GOD.

As only the "beloved Son" could.

Is there anything else that matters, if my favorite subject was GOD?

I must listen to JESUS, so He can teach me what pleases GOD.

And now, I know.

It's all about obedience.

John 14:15

King James Version

15 If ye love me, 

keep my commandments.

How can we not love GOD?

He sent us His Son, that we may be saved.

He has great mercy, longsuffering patience, and utmost love.

He loves both Jew and Gentile, just in case you think He plays favorites.

You can never accuse GOD of injustice.

Can we say the same of our leaders?

Can we say the same of our governments?

Can we say the same of our nations?

Can we say the same of each other?

There's so much to write about GOD, that we just keep writing each day.

I thought we'd stop at 100 blogs, but who's to contain the SPIRIT of GOD in me?

John 3:8

King James Version

8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, 

and thou hearest the sound thereof, 

but canst not tell whence it cometh, 

and whither it goeth: 

so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

I've always liked justice.

I can't bear to see anyone being bullied, manipulated, or oppressed.

And now that GOD's truth, perfection, and holiness are being questioned, that gets me even more vigilant.

How can we challenge our Creator?

That would be insane.

As workman, I'm merely here to bring you back to Scripture.

The WORD of GOD is truth.

And it's all that will remain.

Related material:

On LOVING GOD

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics

TOP image by author

Purple flower image: Clipart Library

The WRITING continues

 

Hebrews 11:6

King James Version

6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: 

for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, 

and that he is a rewarder of them 

that diligently seek him.

Laptop finally conked out.

For good.

After 54 months of non-stop writing, it heaved its last sigh.

Two days before it did, I heard a strange sound coming from it.

Whoops...

But laptop kept faithfully on.

Somehow, I was always able to troubleshoot it.

Somehow, it always responded to periodic reformatting.

Up until the 13th, it worked just fine.

Thinking I'd be able to sell it for something, I was wrong.

No one wanted to take it, except for one who gave a tiny token.

But that's not enough to buy a decent used one.

Of course, I can't go off course.

SPIRIT gave me 17 articles to work on.

At the internet shop, I could only muster one article.

"Something" was giving me an especially hard time at the shop.

It was painstaking working from the desktop.

What with loose keys from all the gamers who used it.

And something "heavy" was bearing down upon me.

As if something was hindering all my efforts.

I got a neck ache, and headache, from trying to work.

By the time I got home, I felt literally sick, and depleted.

But we got one article out.

Only to find I had a lot of typos, and jumbled thoughts.

We were able to fix that article.

And today, this is the first real article I'm writing again.

All because help came from heaven.

As my laptop heaved its last sigh, I didn't know if I'd have another laptop.

I didn't have the funds for a replacement.

But GOD gave me what I needed, asap.

My pastor-friend said GOD "urged" him to help me "right away".

So he made it happen this morning.

This morning, I got that laptop I was eyeing yesterday.

And boy, did it work real fast!

GOD gave me the "upgrade" I needed.

All those articles on my heart "dancing", must have pleased the LORD.

He knew I was on to something.

He gave me faster stuff to work with.

I'm still in awe at how fast everything transpired.

My friend also knows how important my work is.

He knows of my travails.

He also reads my posts regularly.

He's very Berean in his approach.

If my work pleases him, then I must be doing something right.

We both are sticklers for accuracy in handling GOD's WORD.

All I learned early on, I learned from my pastor-friend.

Interestingly, that old laptop was also a gift in 2019.

I had been working from internet shops.

But one day, I got into a "dead" zone.

Nothing worked that day.

Turned out, GOD had a surprise for me.

My mom's friends, a kind couple, gifted me with their old gamers laptop.

As you can imagine, it had TONS of memory, and was pretty fast.

That's how GOD works -- through people who care.

That laptop served me for 54 months.

SPIRIT and I got to create over 100 blogs, and 24 ebooks from it.

And now, I was gifted with funds to buy another used one.

My work for GOD continues.

GOD always makes things possible.

And all I did was just leave everything up to GOD.

I merely surrendered to His will.

Apparently, His will was for me to have upgraded tools.

That's why He retired the old laptop.

He knows I'm grateful for anything that comes from Him.

And I sure know when things come from the LORD.

My constant prayer is that I remain aligned with GOD's WLL.

As born again, I don't know any other way but that.

Related material:

BELOW 1 GIG

The WORKMAN's mission

MINISTRY of CONSISTENCY

Image: Clipart Library

CUSP of something

 

Habakkuk 2:3

King James Version

3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time, 

but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: 

though it tarry, wait for it; 

because it will surely come, 

it will not tarry.

You know that saying, "being in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing"?

Well, in my case, I seem to be in the right place, listening to the right thing, from the right person, about the right event, and then something happens.

Let me explain, through SEVEN separate instances:

I was just about to graduate from Architecture in 1984.

The university was just getting into computers.

I left, wondering why it skipped our batch.

Then the Internet age happened.

I was technical designer at an export processing zone in 1985.

Somehow, I was happier being in the assembly line.

I left, because I wasn't allowed to.

Five years after, a devastating 1990 earthquake hit my city*.

I was managing editor for the American chamber in 1989.

One tech manager excitedly spoke of "fiber optics".

How it would revolutionize communications.

Fiber-optic communication technology boomed, as I left.

I resigned from the chamber in 1990.

My replacement was excited about using computers for editing.

When I left, she did just that, for she was adept.

The whole office succumbed to the Internet age, as I left.

My friends and I were in Thailand in 1997.

Saw lots of new condominiums by the highway.

Units were vacant, and I wondered why.

The Asian financial crisis hit in 1997.

I had been out of sorts in the big city from 1998 until 2001.

I struggled to stay on, despite personal crisis, dwindling work, and disturbing dreams.

On to my last penny, I was forced to go back to my smaller city.

A family health issue hit in 2002, showing I was badly needed at home.

I was in the U.S. in 2008.

Again, lots of new condos and townhouses.

Mostly vacant, and again, I wondered why.

The Global Financial Crisis (GFC) occurred between 2007 to 2008.

Now, those couldn't just be coincidences.

A pattern has been set.

Wherein, just as I was about to leave, something important was about to happen.

Or something was already in the works.

But not immediately apparent, UNTIL I left.

Then, what was being contained, or restrained, gave out.

But GOD "plucked" me out, on time.

I can say that now, as I review those events.

For, like I said, there seemed to be a pattern.

Did I miss out on those?

You know, like leaving, when it's just about to happen?

Hardly.

I was "plucked" at just the right time.

Even as I wasn't born again then, some things seemed clear --

GOD definitely doesn't want me going ga-ga over tech.

Neither does He want me caught up in the things of the world.

You know, stuff like trends, materialism, greed, pride, vanity.

Understandably so:

Matthew 6:24

King James Version

24 No man can serve two masters: 

for either he will hate the one, and love the other; 

or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. 

Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Luke 16:15

King James Version

15 And he said unto them, 

Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; 

but God knoweth your hearts: 

for that which is highly esteemed among men 

is abomination in the sight of God.

1 John 2:16

King James Version

16 For all that is in the world, 

the lust of the flesh, 

and the lust of the eyes, 

and the pride of life, 

is not of the Father, 

but is of the world.

Look, I don't plant myself anywhere.

I just do what I need to do normally, leisurely, or work-wise.

And things happen.

GOD makes me notice, then He plucks me out -- right at that point.

JUST when everything was on the CUSP of "something".

"Cusp" simply means:

a point of transition 

(as from one historical period to the next) : 

TURNING POINT

also : EDGE, VERGE

   -- Merriam-Webster

A synonym for cusp could also be "inflection point":

a moment when significant change occurs or may occur : TURNING POINT

mathematics : a point on a curve that separates an arc concave upward from one concave downward and vice versa

   -- Merriam-Webster

GOD's plans were clear.

He wanted me to write.

He wanted my testimony.

That's why He made me a curious cat.

A tenacious researcher.

A voracious reader.

A perpetual note-taker.

He knew I'd file away all my observations, and experiences.

He knew I would piece it all together, one day.

Well, that's what GOD created me for.

As He created you, for a specific purpose.

Do you know that purpose yet?

I've always said I don't want to miss out on a thing.

Especially things that matter.

I'd grieve if I was asleep at the wheel.

And something important happened.

So I kept awake, aware, alert.

All this paying attention seemed to please the LORD.

The more I listened, the more He gave me stuff to listen to.

The more I observed, the more He gave me stuff to observe.

The more I studied, the more He gave me stuff to study.

The more I hungered for truth, the more He gave me clues.

The more I asked questions, the more He gave me answers.

The more I prayed, the more He gave answers to my prayers.

The more I wrote, the more He gave me stuff to write.

Isn't our GOD, a MAGNIFICENT GOD?

I guess I was just hungry for truth.

All that listening, studying, and observing paid off.

GOD likes people who pay attention.

GOD likes those who keep track of things.

Especially those who literally take down notes.

And try to make sense of things.

Turning things over in their heart.

And praying for His will.

For He does give us TONS of clues.

Through SPIRIT, and Scripture, I'm now able to piece them all together.

And found THREE important things to pay attention to.

Especially right this moment:

The REDEEMER.

Matthew 17:5

King James Version

5 While he yet spake, 

behold, 

a bright cloud overshadowed them: 

and behold a voice out of the cloud, 

which said, 

This is my beloved Son, 

in whom I am well pleased; 

hear ye him.

John 14:6

King James Version

6 Jesus saith unto him, 

I am the way, the truth, and the life: 

no man cometh unto the Father, 

but by me.

The RAPTURE.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

King James Version

16 For the Lord himself 

shall descend from heaven 

with a shout, 

with the voice of the archangel, 

and with the trump of God: 

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain 

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 

to meet the Lord in the air: 

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

And REPENTANCE.

Mark 1:15

King James Version

15 And saying, 

The time is fulfilled, 

and the kingdom of God is at hand: 

repent ye, 

and believe the gospel.

Remember all three:

The REDEEMER.

The RAPTURE.

REPENTANCE.

Lastly, for sometime now, I've noticed the wickedness of the world.

I've taken down notes, 97 blogs, to be sure.

Giving warnings, and all.

Will I be "plucked" out, and things will happen?

Am I on the "verge" of something, again?

I did say a pattern has been set in my life.

Well, I sure am paying attention.

More than ever.

JESUS did say:

Mark 13:32

King James Version

32 But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, 

no, not the angels which are in heaven, 

neither the Son, but the Father.

Mark 13:33-34

King James Version

33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: 

for ye know not when the time is.

34 For the Son of Man 

is as a man taking a far journey, 

who left his house, 

and gave authority to his servants, 

and to every man his work, 

and commanded the porter to watch.

Mark 13:35-37

King James Version

35 Watch ye therefore: 

for ye know not 

when the master of the house cometh, 

at even, or at midnight, 

or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:

36 Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.

37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, 

Watch.

JESUS always has the LAST WORD.

Amen.

*Note: While it took another five years, in 1990, for the terrible earthquake to occur, the building I used to work in at the processing zone was flattened like a rectangular cake, as with the rest in the area.

One of the owners, the wife, perished.

Related material:

The DAY I KNEW

I Used To Wear Many Hats Once

URGENT event to LOOK OUT FOR

The RAPTURE

END times

REPENTANCE

HOLINESS

Image: Clipart Library

52-month review

 

B-52 in flight

It is a habit with me.

To stop, and review, before a birthday.

To stop, and review, as we face a new year.

Well it's 2024.

Time for a review.

Of self, work, and direction.

Not on accomplishments, for it's not about that.

Scripture humbles me.

At how little I know.

Save for SPIRIT, I'd be lost.

He does all the leading, guidance, and direction.

That this writer may be pure, perfect, and precise.

The ideal, of which I have a long way to go.

Nevertheless, I'm on track.

What have I learned these past 52 months as born again?

All that, you can find from over 90 blogs.

I can't produce that much, unless SPIRIT guided me.

As it is, we have burgeoning blogs.

Not that I'm burping, for there's still tons to learn.

Some days, I feel like we're just warming up.

And maybe, we are.

The WORD of GOD is magnificent.

It's rich with GOD's story.

Rich with man's fallible ways.

Rich with GOD's mercy.

Rich with His promises.

Rich with His TRUTH.

That was what I was searching for anyway.

Right from the start -- only ABSOLUTE truth.

For the world presented me with half-truths.

Diluted truths, corrupted truths, manipulated truths.

Would that be truth at all?

So, I kept searching.

And this I must say.

If you really want truth, there's something you need to do.

LEAVE the old self behind.

DROP all previous knowledge.

That old self has been programmed.

HUMBLE yourself, and accept you're lost.

That you know nothing.

That you're sick of sin.

That you want real change.

Those are the things GOD wants to see, hear, and witness.

No pride, no vanity, no sense of self-importance, no baggage.

I went through that 57 months ago.

And I lived to tell the most wonderful tale.

But it starts with one thing:

GOD wants to HEAR your declaration to self.

That you're sick of self.

Sick of sin.

Sick of your old ways.

Then, He waits for you around the corner.

(He showed up five months after my April 2019 declaration.)

As you reach that corner, these things occur:

He doesn't laugh at you.

Okay, maybe He hugs you tight.

Smiling at His funny, lost child, rumpling your hair.

He doesn't blame you.

He knows you kept trying.

Even as you listen to anyone BUT Him.

He doesn't say, "I told you so."

He knows you'll come around, at His own perfect time.

When you've lost everything.

He doesn't show you a displeased frown.

Your abject self is enough.

He knows you got the message.

He doesn't make you feel bad, period.

How can a WONDERFUL FATHER ever do that?

He just hugs His long-lost prodigal child.

First thing He does is give you a sense of peace.

And then you become frantic, wanting to take hold of a Bible.

Which you devour, hungry as a starved child.

And you really begin to understand His WORD.

Marveling at the simplicity of it all.

His SPIRIT makes sure you do.

That's the process.

That's how it works.

Consider the tone, and conversation:

First, pride: "I can do it. Leave me alone!"

Second, humility: "I can't seem to do it. What am I doing wrong?"

Third, delight: "You mean, You've been there all along, and I didn't know it?"

(And then, you silently kick yourself.)

Now you see why there's laughter in the end.

Both you and GOD laugh at your foolishness.

Relieved, that all is well.

The mark of a true convert?

You laugh at yourself, the hardest.

You remember your foolish ways, and laugh.

You remember your foolish ways, and cringe.

You remember your foolish ways, and cry.

But you smile, too.

You smile at others, knowing they'll come around, too.

At GOD's own perfect time.

Like GOD, you don't laugh at them.

The true born again has lost all cruelty.

You just do your best to be a witness for the LORD.

Yes, there are tons of pain, too.

You grieve at how you've hurt others.

You grieve at how you've hurt yourself.

You grieve at how you've displeased GOD.

You grieve at how ignorant you were.

Sure, you didn't know Him then.

But once you know Him, you can't have enough of your GOD.

You want Him to teach you, night and day.

You never want to stray again.

You stay close by His side.

You hang on His EVERY word.

You watch His face, all the time.

And you're relieved to be saved, on time.

Lastly?

You can't wait to share His WORD.

That's what I've been doing.

All 52 months of it.

Four years, and four months.

Non-stop writing, and sharing.

Sure, I had a five-month waiting period.

After the declaration, a period of waiting.

That waiting period was necessary.

GOD wants to make sure your heart is right.

That you have firm resolve.

That you want REAL change.

That you're ready to hear about His Son, JESUS.

And if you are, and you do, boy, get ready!

GOD knows it, too.

And He's on it.

Proverbs 13:10

King James Version

10 Only by pride cometh contention: 

but with the well advised is wisdom.

P.S.

In looking for an image for this post, first thing that comes to mind is the word B-52. 

Of course, I knew what it was.

But I didn't know it was also called the "Stratofortress".

Yup, that's the humongous bomber. 

Curiously, it also had all the "52s" in it. 

The design number, and first tested on 15 April 1952.

Had to be it.

Related material:

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN articles

BORN AGAIN classics

Image: processocreativo on Pxhere

WRITING about government

 

1 Corinthians 3:18

King James Version

18 Let no man deceive himself. 

If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, 

let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

Strange how one blog led to another.

And another.

It took 93 blogs to finally create the 94th:

"On GOVERNMENTS"

That's quite a journey, but well worth it.

I guess you could say SPIRIT made me study real hard.

Each blog explored a theme.

Each article expounded on that theme.

Until finally, we got to the government blog.

To my great surprise, of course.

Considering I knew nothing about governments.

And had no desire to know its complexities.

Still, when SPIRIT gives me an idea, I go exploring.

Every time we create a new blog, it's like self-study for me.

I teach myself first.

I have no right to give you half-baked goods.

First, I must understand it.

And be true to Scripture.

Never mind that I'm not a tech guy.

Or a scientist, an economist, a CEO, or in government.

As if that even mattered to GOD.

All GOD cares about is if we seek His truth.

Psalm 14:2

King James Version

2 The Lord looked down from heaven 

upon the children of men, 

to see if there were any that did understand, 

and seek God.

He must have seen me jumping wildly.

Trying to catch His eye.

Calling His attention.

Joyfully volunteering.

He must have been pleased.

If He wasn't, He wouldn't have given me 96 blogs to create.

Just so you know, a 97th seems to be hovering.

GOD also wants to know if we care.

Well, I do care.

I care what happens to you.

I care to know absolute truth.

I care to know from the BEST teacher.

The Triune GOD surely saw my curious, cheerful, childlike heart.

With the indefatigable spirit He gave me.

I was teachable.

I was not government material.

I found I was actually enjoying writing about governments.

Not about the government of men, but the government of GOD.

It's the principles of GOD that matter.

We need GOD-centered governments.

That's the only way we can all live, thrive, and survive.

That's the only way we can have justice on earth.

That's the only way we can have real truth.

What would a good government be like?

That's explored in the 94th blog.

Related material:

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics

Paradoxes

Image: Clipart Library

WORKING for GOD

 

2 Timothy 2:15

King James Version

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, 

a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, 

rightly dividing the word of truth.

There can be no nonsense when you work for GOD.

Neither laziness.

Nor doubt.

You're literally on call 24/7.

Won't that make you exhausted?

Not if the HOLY SPIRIT guides you.

Not all born again reflect such guidance.

A true born again working for GOD is devoted to Him.

Your heart, mind, body, and spirit are perfectly attuned to Him.

There is no thinking for self; only for GOD.

What does He want you to do?

How can you serve Him best?

What does He want you to do for others?

What is His will?

How can you be of value to others?

How does He want you to be?

Such questions occur daily.

In prayers, and as you live and work.

I must tell you of one instance wherein I slacked a bit.

And I'm mighty ashamed of it.

Thinking I had written enough, I wondered if I should keep writing as I did.

Such presumptuousness!

Soon after, our phone line got cut.

Naturally, my wifi conked out.

I was out of GOD's loop.

Took me a tedious two to three days to get it all sorted out.

It seems the contractors across us installed power for their clients.

In the process, our phone line was accidentally cut.

When I pointed it out to them, there was not much help forthcoming.

I had to get to a neighbor's house to report the issue.

It was a lengthy process with the phone company.

Fortunately, my neighbor was kind.

They allowed me to use their landline.

Mercifully, for as long as needed.

You know how you're put on hold.

And transferred here and there.

Quite a chore.

But I literally had to get back "on line".

At least, with GOD's line.

All because I thought better than GOD.

I got ahead of Him.

I got slack.

That must have been in late 2020.

Lesson learned.

Very humbling, indeed.

Never again was I to get ahead of GOD.

I was to do the work GOD set out for me to do.

At His own time, at His own pace, through His own will.

I was to keep going, for there was TONS of work to do.

Now, I merely pray for His will.

What does He want me to get done?

Also, as of this writing, we now have 89 blogs.

Nothing like being taught a hard lesson for a slacker.

Only by GOD's LOVE and GRACE am I able to write at all.

And to understand Scripture clearly, as if to a child.

I would never want to fall from grace again.

Whooo, I tremble at the thought!

I must truly let SPIRIT guard my throughts.

Come to the LORD JESUS now.

And know what it means to work for Him.

One thing for sure, it will be a 180-degree turn.

You will never be your old self again.

Your work will be marvelous.

Your work will serve GOD.

And others.

What could be more fun than that?

Related material:

The WORKMAN's mission

MINISTRY of CONSISTENCY

WHAT it means to WORK for the LORD

WORK made NOBLE

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN articles

BORN AGAIN classics

The HOLY SPIRIT

On LOVING GOD

Image: Clipart Library