His Name is Jesus

Kathie Walters:
The Greatest Key You Will Ever Have: His Name is Jesus!
This is the Greatest Key to Your Spirit Life You Will Ever Have!
Jesus is altogether lovely; He saves us, and He keeps us by His power from sin and death.
He has given to us His robe of righteousness. He extends His mercy, longsuffering, lovingkindness, tenderness, healing and compassion.
He is our Shield, our Defender, our Rock, and our Hiding Place.
He is our Provider, Counselor, Great Shepherd, our Friend, who is closer than a brother, and He is our Love. He is the Husbandman, the Keeper of the vineyard. He is the Source of all blessing.
He restores, rescues, forgives and redeems.
He is our Victor, the Captain of Hosts, Mighty in battle. He is our Banner, and our Standard, and He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Jesus is crowned with glory and honor; He is our Savior, Sanctifier, Redeemer, and the merciful and faithful High Priest.
He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. He was dead, but now He is ALIVE forevermore, and He is seated at the right hand of God – it is finished!
He destroyed death and He led captivity captive.
He is the Great Apostle of our faith; He is the Supreme Sacrifice; and the spotless and blameless Lamb.
He is our Anchor and our Strong Tower; our Shield and our Defender; and He was the Ancient of Days before the first day began.
He is the Forerunner, the Firstborn among many brethren. He is the surety of a better testament; He comes from the unchangeable priesthood; and He is able to save to the uttermost.
His Presence doesn't cast any shadow because He is the Light that lights the Heavenly City. He is the Light of the world and the Giver of life.
He is the Door, the Way, and the Truth.
He is the Treasure, the Pearl of great price, and more precious than the finest gold.
He was the Rock of Ages before any mountain peaks were formed.
He was the Bread of life before there was any grain. He was the Lily of the Valley before there were any flowers on the earth.
He is the Eternal Intercessor. He is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, higher than the Heavens; He makes His enemies His footstool, and laughs at His adversaries.
He is the Tree of life; He is consecrated forever, and makes us sanctified forever by His precious Blood.
He is the Minister of the Sanctuary, and He is the Mediator of the New covenant.
He is the High Priest of GOOD THINGS to come; He's the Lion of Judah; and the Lamb that was slain. He is the New and Living Way.
He was born contrary to the laws of birth. He lived contrary to the laws of life. He healed contrary to the laws of medicine.
He was tried and condemned contrary to the laws of justice, and He arose contrary to the laws of death and the grave.
He ascended contrary to the laws of gravity, and He is coming back again contrary to the expectation of the world!
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the Great Shepherd of ALL THE SHEEP.
HE IS THE HOLDER OF THE KEYS; HE IS THE AMEN; AND HE IS THE FINAL WORD...
He is qualified to open the Book, and He is the expression of the Heart of the Father.
His love has no limits; His grace has no measure; His power has no boundaries known unto men; out of His infinite riches, He gives and gives and gives again.
He is our nearest Kinsman, and is qualified to redeem us.
He is THE WORD MADE FLESH and the Honey in the rock.
He is high and lifted up; He is the Bright and Morning Star, and the fairest of 10,000.
He is more precious than gold, and He's the glory and lifter of our heads.
He is the righteous Judge; He is a refuge for the oppressed; and He doesn't forget the cry of the humble.
He bore our sorrows and our grief; He was despised and rejected of men; and now He controls the destiny of the nations – the kingdoms of this world are going to become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and forever.
He is our portion and our inheritance; His garments smell of sweet myrrh; and His breath is as sweet apples. He is a very present help in trouble.
He hides us under the shadow His wings and keeps us as the apple of His eye.
He is our High Tower, and He makes the hills shake, the mountains melt, and the Heavens bow.
He pulled back the curtain of eternity and stepped out on the stage of time for one brief moment, and then stepped back again into eternity; but in that one brief moment of time, He sealed the fate of every man and woman and fixed their destiny.
He is the bright Candle in the darkness because He is the Light of life.
He is the Branch, and the Root of Jesse.
HE IS THE GREAT WAVE MAKER FROM GALILEE.
He makes the crooked paths straight and the rough places plain.
He split history and divided the ages.
He is the greatest Teacher the world has ever known, and He is the Baptizer in the Holy Ghost.
He preserves the faithful, and He is the resurrection and the life.
He spoke and framed the world; He makes our way perfect and makes our feet like hinds' feet, and He causes us to walk in high places. He is able to comfort, guide and bless.
He spoke, and the heavens unrolled themselves, and the galaxies were born. He spoke, and the streams and the rivers wound their way across the earth. The rose began to blush, and the violets cast their fragrance, and the birds began to sing. Colors wove themselves into a rainbow. He spoke, and a handful of dust became a living soul.
He turns our mourning into dancing and girds us with gladness.

Let Me Tell You About His Voice
His voice is powerful upon the waters, full of majesty, like thunder, it breaks the cedars, divides the flames, shakes the wilderness, makes the hinds to calve, discovers the forests, and sets the mountains in their place.
His voice stilled the seas and shook the earth and melted the hills.
His voice is as the sound of many waters; He spoke and calmed the storm; He spoke and gave life to the dead, brought healing to the sick, strength to the weak, and forgiveness to the sinner.
Herod could not kill Him. The Pharisees could not confound Him, and satan could not trick Him. Sickness could not withstand Him; devils could not stay near Him; and the waves could not drown Him.
The rabble could not disturb Him; death could not corrupt Him; Hell could not keep Him; and the grave could not contain Him!
Gravitation could not restrain Him, and God has highly exalted Him and given Him a Name above every name, and at His Name every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that He is Lord of all.
He led captivity captive and gave gifts to men; He brought a stream out of a rock, and fed the people in the wilderness; He fed 5,000 with two loaves and a few fishes.
He is Savior to the lost, healing to the sick; He is hearing to the deaf and sight to the blind. He is cleansing to the leper and strength to the weak. He is comfort to the oppressed, hope to the hopeless, and help to the helpless. He is a brother to the friendless, and a friend to the brotherless, and He is LIFE to the dead.
He is infinite, eternal, glorious and full of majesty.
One day in His courts is better than a thousand; wouldn't you rather be a doorkeeper in His house than dwell in the tents of the world?
He is the Covenant Keeper – keeping covenant with covenant breakers.
He is sweeter than all the flowers; He is the Lover of our Soul; and the Keeper of our hearts.
He is music to the poet, and a song to the worshiper. His Name has been whispered by thousands upon thousands of dying soldiers on the battlefields of the ages.
His Name has been the battle cry of those who fought for righteousness and truth.
HE IS THE KING OF ALL KINGS AND EVERY NATION WILL BOW TO HIM....
HIS NAME IS JESUS.

06:08am

A Rainbow for me over the Hanoi sky

( the very 1st one that I've seen so far in Vietnam , lol! )-

My bday message written in the sky by a loving Father..

# His Faithfulness and Everlasting Covenant is ever upon me... #

What a great n loving Daddy I have... :o) .

Way Down Memory Lane- 30 years ago

I couldn't believe it! but it is true..

I've got some friends who looked me up via FB recently and these are seriousy precious people from my 'wonder years ' back then... back almost 30 years..

Those were such good times, when we were all so 'sold- out' serving the Lord so fervently during the ISCA era- where we sang, danced, share or preached our heart out- not witholding anything.. so much young energy and so much zeal during those secondary school years before we went on our separate ways and imagine after 30 years we are reconnected .. how awesome!! (despite of some apparent changes to our physical outlooks - we all grew up and matured graciously but somehow I still feel such warmth and closeness to those whom I am privileged to be in contact again...)

Wow!! Amazing and totally overwhelming- and someone actually have some pixz from that era!! I hope to have my " way down memory lane " file ie my personal musuem archive soon..lol

God will fulfill all His promises

but He is not obligated to fulfill all our potentials

*********

Trials are not enemies of faith but are opportunities

to prove God's faithfulness.

*********

Only those whose souls have struck the deepest notes of penitence

can reach the highest notes of praise.

-- Richard DeHaan

***********

Many times disillusionment comes simply because

our circumstances don't fit our concept of

who God is and how He works.

-- Mark Wiley

WHO do you belong to...

know that...

He is the first and the last, the beginning and the end
He's the Keeper of creation, the Creator of all
He's the Architect of the universe and the Manager of all time

He always was, always is, always will be;
unmoved, unchanged, undefeated and never undone
He was bruised but brought healing
He was pierced but ease pains
He was persecuted but brought freedom
He was dead but brings life
He is risen and brings power and raised to bring peace

The world cannot understand Him, the armies cannot defeat Him
The school cannot explain Him, the leaders, they can't ignore Him
Herod couldn't kill Him, Nero couldn't crush Him
New Age cannot replace Him and Oprah cannot explain Him away

remind yourself that

He is the Light, He is Love, He is Longevity and He is the Lord
He is goodness and kindness and faithfulness and He is God
He is Holy, Righteous, Powerful and Pure..
His Ways are right, His Word eternal
His will unchanging and His Mind is on us
He's our Saviour, our Guide, our Peace, our Joy
our Comfort, our Lord and He rules our lives

I serve Him because

His bond is Love, His yoke is easy
His burdens are light, His goal for us is Abundant Life

I follow Him because

He is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful
the Ancient of Days, the Ruler of rulers, the Leader of leaders
His Goal is a Relationship with me
He will never leave you, never forsake you
never mislead you, never forget you
He'll never overlook you and never cancel your appointment in His appointment book

When you fall He'll lift you up, when you fail He'll forgive you
When you are weak He is Strong, when you are lost He is your Way
When you are afraid He is your Courage, when you stumble He will steady you
When you are hurt He's gonna heal you, when you are broken He will mend you
When you are blind He will lead you, when you are hungry He will feed you
When you face trials He will is with you, when you face persecution He shields you
When you face problems He will comfort you, when you face loss He will provide for you
and when we face death He will carry us all home to meet Him

He is everything to everybody, everywhere, every time and in every way
He is GOD and that's WHOSE you are...

-Priscilla Shirer-

Assurance in Jesus

May Jesus assure you that as you follow Him

you will never meet a fear He cannot conquer,
you will never face an enemy He cannot defeat,
you will never enter a battle He cannot win,
you will never have a need He cannot meet,
you will never face a temptation He cannot overcome,
you will never have a burden He cannot lift,
you will never face a problem He cannot solve,
you will never have a bondage He cannot break,
you will never have a moment when He does not care,
you will never have a time when He is not there.

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency]. Philippians 4:13 AMP

Devotional by Roy Lessin,

Psalm 23

There are 10 redemptive names of God in Psalm 23.

Verse 1: The Lord is my Shepherd (Jehovah-Rohi – the Lord, my Shepherd). I shall not lack (Jehovah Jireh – God who provides).

Verse 2: He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters (Jehovah-Shalom – God of Peace).

Verse 3: He refreshes and restores my soul (Jehovah-Rapha – God that Heals). He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Jehovah Tsidkenu – God of Righteousness).

Verse 4: Yes, though I walk through the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil (Jehovah-Makkah – God who Smites) for You are with me; Your rod and staff, they comfort me (Jehovah-Gmolah – God of Recompense).

Verse 5: You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Jehovah-Shammah – God of Presence). You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over (Jehovah-M'Kaddesh – God who Sanctifies).

Verse 6: Surely goodness, mercy and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life (Jehovah-Sabaoth – God of Hosts), and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.



The Lord is my Shepherd = That's Relationship!
I shall not want = That's Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures = That's Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters = That's Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul = That's Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness = That's Guidance!
For His name sake = That's Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of t he shadow of death = That's Testing
I will fear no evil = That's Protection!
For Thou art with me = That's Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me = That's Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies = That's Hope!
Thou annointest my head with oil = That's Consecration!
My cup runneth over = That's Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life = That's Blessing !
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord = That's Security!
Forever = That's Eternity!

Even though you can't see Him, God is there for you!

Do not ask the Lord to Guide your Footsteps if you are not willing to move your Feet...

What is most valuable is not what we have in our lives,but WHO we have in our lives...

Weak vs Meek

How would you react when some one walked up to your face and asked you to shut up!??
WHAT ???!!! yeah , this will probably be at the top of my joke book of the year ...

Time and place- May 6th while commuting in a public bus around 3pm in Hanoi ...

Persons involved- me and my friend who happened to be a doctor ...

The act -
we were sitting together talking quietly ( being foreigners in a bus full of Vietnamese, we are always discreet and try not to draw any unnecessary attentions...) . Suddenly, the driver stopped the bus and came up to us and shouted something that the whole bus could understand except us..We were apparently stunned and didn't know how to react.. then he put his fingers to his lips -only then do we understand that he had told us to SHUT UP...

What caused this? - no idea at all... my assumption is that the driver doesn't like foreigners taking public buses bec foreigners should take taxis!! but again if I were a loud blond American , he wouldn't dare to open his mouth.. but then again you know what assumptions could mean too right? lol..

My reactions-
the 1st thing I did was I prayed "God help me not to get angry... (those who know me know that I turn green and into the HULK thing with my mouth...) then I reminded myself not to react , sit tight and don't let it get into my system... as I've learnt well in Hanoi-don't allow the external to defile my soul... so there we sat- the thoughts have occurred to me that I should just get off the bus but then again why should I? I still needed to get home... or to shout and make a scene which I know I am very good at..- but then my Vietnamese language can't make it at all- shouting and screaming in English will also be like a joke bec no one, certainly not to expect the culprit, to understand a word..
I did say in my heart.. Lord I forgive.. I did feel that I had just endured injustice and that I have been shamed and embarassed, publicly humiliated.. I mean never in my life have someone walked up to my face and asked me to shut up... and this in a public bus...??? never...

( I know I know.. my sympathisers are all on their feet now telling me that I should tell him off , I should not keep quiet bec it is so weak but frankly to exercise constraint and be meek is so much harder and 'stronger' than to react... )


The morale of the story: Guard my testimony
-each time I make a stand to act or in this case not to react according to my flesh, I defeat the enemy
-each time I resist and choose to stand on my testimony, I defeat the enemy
-each time I testify, he is defeated

I looked back at the whole incident and I marvel at myself... you see I was on my way home from a bible study that day on the book of Revelation 12.. and I think I have learnt and applied the lessons taught... the enemy is defeated and no matter what crown he may have on his head- he is nothing but a clown bec he will never wear Victory on his head... Only Jesus wears the Victor's crown... I have come a long long way in the Lord and I still have a long long way but as much and as soon as I allow Him to transform me from the inside out- the more this broken vessel can reflect His light and His glory in the litle things that I do or say... yes Lord, more of You and less of me...

correction: I heard from my American friend that they too have been asked to shut up while riding on a bus- goodness... !! it is really difficult for one to understand how the society works bec they seem not to view 'customer service' as we do ??

Faith vs Presumption

"Faith is trusting God to achieve His purposes through us,

presumption is deciding what we want to accomplish
and trying to get God to do it for us."

In Christ Alone - Brian Littrell

In Christ Alone will I glory
Though I could Pride myself in battles won
For I've been blessed without measure
And by His strength alone I overcome
Oh, I could stop and count successes
like diamonds in my hands
But those trophies could not equal
to the grace by which I stand

In Christ Alone, I place my trust
and find my glory in the Power of the Cross
In every victory let it be said of me
My Source od Strengh
My Source of Hope
Is Christ Alone

In Christ Alone will I glory
For only by His Grace, I am redeemed
And only His tender Mercy
Could reach beyond my weakness to my yield
And now I seek no greater honour
Than just to KNOW Him more
And I count my days with losses
To the Glory of my Lord

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7m5MU5qx7U

LOVE OF GOD in its essence is..

LOVING GOD IS IN ITS ESSENCE is

DESIRING GOD HIMSELF beyond His Gifts
TREASURING GOD beyond His Gifts
DELIGHTING IN GOD beyond His Gifts
BEING SATISFIED WITH GOD beyond His Gifts
CHERISHING GOD beyond His Gifts
SAVOURING GOD beyond His Gifts
VALUING GOD beyond His Gifts
PRICING GOD beyond His Gifts
REVERING GOD beyond is Gifts
ADMIRING GOD beyond His Gifts

BEHOLD THE LION AND THE LAMB OF GOD... IN HIS POWER AND MAJESTY..
JESUS = LOVE


....the essence of the love of God is not the fruit of the love of God....
love of God is the heart esteem and the delight for Him before it produces anything..
it is not in Its essence a deliberate choice nor a deed..
it is a reflect of a newborn heart - the called heart to the beauty of God in Christ..
it is life that produces the love of God...

John Piper

Places and our Faces :o)

The Hanoi International Fellowship (HIF) in the InterContinental Hotel at the West Lake

Christmas Eve at Hilton Kach San lobby

Quan An Ngon Restaurant near Hanoi Tower- nice place to sample local food and delicacies and I love the 'ice-kacang"- yumsx2

Ho Tay- the West Lake.. there are many lakes in Hanoi and this is one of the biggest here

Tam Coc which means three Caves- serene and tranquil is how one feels during the boat ride through the 3 lime-stone caves through the river

Tam Coc- the boat ride maybe a bit long so you should try to sit comfortably for the slow boat journey which takes maybe 2 hours to and fro...we had 'cool weather'-PTL!!

Hoa Lu- the ancient city and first capital of Vietnam

Welcome to Hanoi

Hoan Kiem

Hoan Kiem- at the Hoan Lake , the place where it all happens in Hanoi. The traffic is really 'happening too' - like, motorbikes and cars come from all directions and all Hanoi-an drivers seem to have a homogeneous hobby! They honk 24/7 ... while you are walking, or standing, or just breathing to stay alive, tourists beware of the on-coming vehicles at all times! I warned you. This is a Code Red Alert!!

Bikers comprise the young and ruthless... (actually, perhaps not.)- equally the young, the old, the males, the females are all highly skilled in the way the maneuver their killing machines (of course by this I mean their bikes). In fact, the killer females are sometimes dressed for the occasion! Complete in their stylish leather jackets, high boots, mini skirts and sharp high heels, they ride with such ease as it is so much a part of their lives for crying out loud.

But we, the new kids on the block, walk about timidly like one waiting to be arrested by a cardiac attack. Please do not try to look for the walking 'green man', bec the bikers will still charge on, oblivious to the traffic lights, and come to you- so beware...
On a more cheerful note, I am quite sure I will graduate and join the group as an elite 'jay-walker' very soon... or so I hope.

Hoan Kiem -the place for shopping. And shopping. And yes, more shopping :o)
There are so many streets here with their own 'signature' items-streets for bags, jackets, shoes, accessories etc -you name it, you can probably find it here... Prada, Gucci, Nike, Plada, Kucci and Bikeys, they're all ready made and for grabs.

Also, they have whole streets dedicated to even more exotic and specialized stuff. Take the streets selling "lou poh peang" (wifey biscuits), incense sticks, obituary plaques, buttons, for example.

But let the buyers beware- what you get at this shop for xx USD, you can probably get at half the price in the next... (as we have so unfortunately found out by experience).

Yeah...sad but true. We are in the habit of being ripped-off real bad ...I'm pretty much bleeding from the neck (seng geng huet. You know?)

So anyway, the trick is haggle n exercise your bargaining skills to the MAX, using the very important tool , your calculator, especially if you are bargaining in Vietdong... (but they eagerly accept USD too.) Do carry millions (and I DO mean millions) of dong whenever you go out- big stacks! Don't worry though, you will utilize that big stack of money in the shortest time since the value is smaller...

There are many things to see and do here- so brace yourself, work on your stamina and be prepared to go round and round... for me it also means 'getting lost' n doing some extra miles, lol

Highlands Coffee in Hoan Kiem

There's lots of nice food to eat here too.. I will personally vouch for the "Bun Cha" at the Old Quarters- tres delicieux and the portion is so big that my husband had his fill for lunch and dinner unknowingly the first time we went. They have good coffee at their famous Highlands Coffee- the Vietnamese equivalent of our StarBucks, I suppose...

We are still exploring this amazing place. Will take some time, I am sure :o) Bring the adventure ON!:o)

First month in Hanoi

Can't really believe it! We are here for the past one month already...

This new place is likened to a new adventure for me- trying to get adjusted has taken a bit longer than anticipated. To think that as a seasoned traveller, and bec I had called so many different places and countries 'home', I was a bit over optimistic about Vietnam.

The very first few days led to weeks of constant headaches whenever I go out of the sanctuary of my 'hiding place'-the continuous blasting of horns from cars, trucks and especially motorbikes irritated me beyond words- I could hear the honking even in my sleep initially. There's literally no traffic laws -cars and motorbikes alike move in every direction at any time. Crossing the road has proven to be life-threatening and a good avenue for the 'spirit of fear' to enter, lol bec you will never know where a car or a motorbike will appear inches beside you and honk at you- no exaggerations , they come from everywhere and move in all directions... so driving is out of the question atm. We rely on taking taxis and buses to commute.

Unfortunately, taking taxis would mean being taken for joy-rides, I mean they will take you and drive in circles eventho it is to a well known nearby spot. Not knowing the language means you can't give them a piece of your mind.. all you can do is raise your voice a little and say 'you know where you are going? etc and the driver will look back at you and utter something in Vietnamese... so you would say "stop!, stop!" but they would say "ok,ok.." and continue on his journey.

The best way to travel is by bus bec the routes are fixed and the bus fare is really cheap but again danger looms bec some bus drivers have the habit of not stopping the bus fully- imagine, you have to jump-on or hop-off skillfully onto or off a moving bus. For some reason, they also do not like to stop exactly where the bus should stop but would like you to do a bit of chasing- I mean, imagine a whole crowd of people dashing and pushing to try to get on board- just like school days when we had to ride on the 'mini-bus' to school back in KL thousands of years ago... and then oops! you realise your wallet is missing from your pocket- again you can't shout or explain that somebody in the bus is a pick- pocket bec nobody understands you.. so you stand there and feel 'sad' till you reached home to complain to someone who can understand you- ie your family members overseas who will sympathise with you and warn you to be careful next time.

To add on to the 'adventure', you'll have a man dressed in a police uniform, ringing your door bell and asking to look at your passports in the night..?? I mean how on earth does a police- or so he claims = know there are foreigners in this particular unit out of the millions of homes in Hanoi is really beyond me and btw isn't the immigration in charge of visas and passports ?? and goodness?? why at night?? ..

Marketing proves to be another story bec for the same item you buy this week at this price and suddenly next week the price has increased - talk about instant inflation ... hahaha!! yeah , live with that !!

The most recent story is that we were walking pass a government-looking building where there were soldiers guarding the entrance.. well, saw men in soldiers' uniform throwing stones at on-coming cars on the road- I made the biggest mistake by glaring hard at them bec I thought 'how unbecoming and ill-disciplined these soldiers are'- and guess what, I felt a stone land on the back of my shoulder- I mean they have the guts to throw a stone at a civilian who is passing-by.. I turned my head and glared at them( not sure if there was hatred or fire reflected in my eyes lol) but they shrugged their shoulders and laughed- so live with that too hahaha !!

Yeah.. it is very challenging in this piece of foreign land atm...I am much better adjusted as compared to 30 days ago and I am sure I will be able to like my stay here more as time goes by too.. so yeah- let's be optimistic...

Truly thank God for His hands of protection and we are all fine and well.. I am sure He sends many angels to encamp around us here...