The Christmas Blog

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With only a few more weeks to Christmas, what more appropriate ways is there to celebrate this special season by sharing with all my wonderful readers and friends out there, my heart and thoughts on Christmas?

It is my pleasure to bring you today my special Christmas message.

First of all, let me start by asking you this one very simple question - What does Christmas means to you? It is just another public holiday, another festive occasion, another reason for you to go shopping or does Christmas holds a special and significant meaning to you?

With Christmas being so commercialised these days from elaborate lightings on the streets and buildings, to restaurants and shopping centres holding various sales and promotions to attract customers and late night parties everywhere, Christmas has now become just another big festive occasion where the world just comes together to make merry, so much so that people rarely talk about and discuss the true significant behind the celebration. We as Christians must admit that sometimes we get so caught up in the festive occasion with all the rah-rah that we ourselves forget why we are celebrating what we are celebrating.

What about songs like Jingle bells, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is coming to town and Rudolph the red nosed Reindeers? What do they tell you about Christmas? There is nothing much to it really, besides some fictional ice sculpture and flying reindeers. What happened to all the good old Christmas songs like Mary’s Boy Child, Silent Night and Joy to the World? Yes, they are still being played on radios and in the shopping centres, but how many people actually pay careful attention to the lyrics or even listen to what is being played? And what about the meaning behind giving presents, why do we give presents?

What is the reason behind all these? Is Christmas really another festive occasion? Surely not! What than is really Christmas about?

The first Christmas has a very humble beginning with a Baby boy born in a manger in the a little town of Bethlehem and a star guiding the shepherds to where He was asleep and brought all sorts of expensive gifts to worship Him. The Bible records for us the first Christmas in varies accounts starting with Matthew 1: 18 - 2:23 and also in Luke 1:26 - 2:19.  Christmas is truly the celebration of the birth of a Savoir, our Great King. The reason why presents are given is because God first demonstrated it to us and gave us His greatest gift – the birth of His Son and subsequently sending him to the cross to die on our behalf.

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7) This is what really Christmas is about. It’s about hope, joy and salvation for the world, it is ALL about Jesus! Jesus is still and the only reason for the season

Christmas should be the most important event to us Christians, it is as significant if not more important than Good Friday and Easter Sunday, because without which, the other two event will fail to exist. Without Christmas and the first coming of Jesus, there will not be a Good Friday to remember His death and suffering by, there will not be an Easter Sunday to celebrate His resurrection with and surely not a reason to look forward to for His return! 

Without Christmas and the birth of Jesus, most of us, like the rest of the world right now, will still be lost and wondering why we are here on the face of this earth. Life will just be a passing event when we live day to day aimlessly, we will have no purpose and meaning at all. We would be pleased to do anything we like without considering the repercussion and consequences of the future. There will be no hope and healing for the broken, wounded and lost soul, no source of true wisdom, no understanding of true love. Everything is just plain empty and meaningless. Even Solomon in all his riches, splendours and wisdom of the world says this, “Vanity of vanities! All is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 1:1).

God is giver of all gifts, and truly He is the only one who gives the real meaning of life, He is the one only one who can truly satisfy us. God is the one who created the earth and all of its existence including us, surely only Him alone is capable of understanding, meeting and satisfying all our human needs.  Ecclesiastes 3:11 -13 tells us this:  “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet[a] no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.  I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God.”

Knowing and understanding the significant behind Christmas, do we now have a better appreciation for this special event which the rest of the world fails to see and embrace? Christmas is not just another event; it is THE event which brings hope, joy and peace to the broken world! We need Christmas, but more importantly we must always remember and focus on the real meaning behind Christmas, otherwise it will just be another holiday with no significant.

I end this blog by sharing the lyrics of one of my favourite Christmas numbers below

 

Christmas isn't Christmas

Written by Jimmy and Carol Owens.

 

Chorus

 

Christmas isn't Christmas till it happens in your heart

Somewhere deep inside you is where Christmas really starts.
So give your heart to Jesus, you'll discover when you do.
That it's Christmas, really Christmas for you

 

Verse

 

Jesus brings warmth like a winter fire light like a candle's glow           

He's waiting now to come inside as He did so long ago
Jesus brings gifts of truth and life and makes them bloom and grow
So welcome Him with a song of joy and when He comes you'll know

Below are the links to some of my favourite Christmas songs on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=UMurK0o2NGs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=cMhajmOBr0c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-80H8y6DBs&feature=player_detailpage

 

Here’s wishing all my friends out there a meaningful and joyful Christmas!

Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter the Most High King

Dear Me

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Dear Me,

Why are you so sad?
And why have you lost hope?
Why is your faith so small?  
And to where did your confidence in God go?

Remember the miracles He did and remember all the answered prayers

Remember God’s love for you, through the people who cares
Remember all His promises and remember His grace
Remember how you were brought back when you have lost your way

You know that God loves you and you know how much He does
You know that God sees it all, so get rid of that mask
You know He understands your weaknesses, so stop trying to be strong
Stop condemning yourself anymore because you know that, that is wrong

Remember how much you are loved

And remember how much you’ve been blessed
Rejoice in all the gifts that you’ve been given
Because God only gives you the best

Remember to give thanks and remember to praise
Remember that there is still tomorrow for you to start all over again
Remember that hope is not all lost because Jesus is for you
But most importantly, remember you are God’s precious child, and all that He has promised you, stays true

Dreams

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Scratched by the broken pieces of my dreams that have fallen apart

As each fragment, pierce through my little wounded heart
The more I tried to sweep them, the more I feel the pain
As I get disillusioned, as though as they have been swept out by the rain

 

Bit by bit, I tried to fix them back

But the harder I tried, the worst it gets
The attempt to restore them, comes to nothing but a nought
In the end I had to decide to put my dreams to a halt

Staring at my dreams, they stared back at me

Wondering which ones are mine, and which are not meant to be
Years passed me by, the question remains
I'm still in search of the dream that has my name

Perhaps someday, my dreams will come back to me

I can do nothing, except by faith to wait and see
That the Lord will eventually put back the dream in me
But until that day comes, I will still continue to dream my dreams

The Prayer of My Lost Soul

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Losing every ounce of strength in me

I’m sinking to my knees
Finding courage yet to stand again
Despite all the hurts and pains

Let love take away, the guilt I feel inside

Let it erase every fear that has blinded my sight
I’ve lost my step and I fell again
And every night I live in shame

I’ve lost my sight and I’ve lost my way

I won’t deny that I’ve gone astray
To You O Lord, I confess my sins
Less my bones dry up and suffer in pain

Return thy sight to my failing eyes

Let me see Your light once more
Lead me back to where I belong
Where I will dwell with You forever more  

Do not deny me O Lord as I say this prayer today

Have mercy on me this lost sinner seeking forgiveness I pray
Reject me not oh Lord as Your face again I seek
For this soul that is returning home is lost and weak

Treasures in the darkness

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My mind is cluttered with questions

My heart is gripped with fear
My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow
My eyes are filled with tears

Darkness overwhelms me

And lies are all I hear
I cried to out my redeemer
Oh my Lord please draw near

Shine thy light on my path O Lord
And enable me to see
There is still a glimpse hope
In the midst of all of these

You taught me through my pain

You walked me through the rain
You helped me see the light
That you’ll give me victory in my fight

For every battle fought there is a lesson learn

God’s grace is there to meet me at every turn
Through the darkness of life, God’s love shines
Bringing back hope to this broken heart of mine

Your word brings sweet comfort to this broken heart
To my wounded soul, it is a healing hug
To restore me to the way I was meant to be
May God’s grace and mercy be upon me

Treasures in the darkness I will find

God’s word sheds the light to this darkened soul of mine

It's a matter of faith

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What is faith? Faith as defined in the bible in Hebrews 11:1 says, “Now faith is the assurance of the

things hope for, the conviction of things not seen”…  The entire 11^th chapter of Hebrew up till chapter 12 and verse 3 gives us very detailed examples of faith in action.

 Faith in Action

 Hebrews 11

1 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for.

3 By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

 4 By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.

5 By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”[a] For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

7 By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 9 By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 10 For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. 11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she[b] considered him faithful who had made the promise. 12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.

 13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

17 By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, 18 even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[c] 19 Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

20 By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future. 21 By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

22 By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.

 23 By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. 28 By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. 29 By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.

30 By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.

31 By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.[d]

32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,

40 since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Chapter 12

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

 So than, where does faith comes from? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” Romans 10:17

If we take a closer look at all above verses we have just read, faith is a by-product of consistently walking closely with God. It will be tested and tested but it can only get stronger and stronger after each test. Most importantly, it is the object in which we place our trust in... We serve a BIG God, he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

Faith can be increased; it has to take a certain discipline in us to be faithful in reading our word. Faith also has to be accompanied with works.

Faith and Deeds

James 2: 14-26

14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? 15 Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. 16 If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? 17 In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

18 But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.”

Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. 19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

20 You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless[a]? 21 Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. 23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,”[b] and he was called God’s friend. 24 You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

25 In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? 26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Faith is only possible until you know that the object you put your faith in is reliable, therefore you will realise throughout this blog I keep on emphasizing on the greatness of our God. Like I’ve mentioned earlier too, faith is a by-product of consistently walking closely with God. It will be tested and tested but it can only get stronger and stronger after each test.  A faith that cannot be tested is not really faith. We might fail, but our God is faithful and He will not fail us no matter how many times we fall or fail or don’t have faith.

At the end of the day, it is not the size of our faith that matters but the object in which we place our faith in. The bible tells us that if we have the faith as small as a mustard seed, we can tell the mountains to move from here to there and it will be done. Nothing is impossible for us. (Matt 17:20b - 21a)  We serve a BIG God, he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us (Ephesians 3:20).

Our God is big. Our God is powerful. Our God is faithful. Our God is GOOD!!!!


Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Greatness of God's Love

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The Greatness of God’s Love

I can’t sing and I don’t have the looks, I don’t have the courage or all it takes to be a star

Thus I can only watch while I see others fulfil my dreams from a far
I am only a poet who expresses my feelings through written words
No, I am nothing; I’m just a speck of dust in this great big world

Yet, You hold me with such great value, that You would sacrifice Your only Son

You called me special and You treat me like I’m Your only one
I looked down on myself with things I could not see eye to eye
Yet I failed to realise it was for my sin and failures that You have chosen to die

You said You love me despite all my faults

With such great love, my broken heart You have caught
I am beautiful and precious in Your sight
Watching me grow is Your greatest delight

Many times I fall but You’re always there to pick me up
Many times my faith falter, but You’re always there to clear my doubts
You come to me at my weakest point, You never let me go
There are many things I may not understand, but there’s one thing for sure I know

You have loved me with an everlasting love
Forsaking the riches of heaven, You came down to earth from up above
On the cross, You have died for me
And all my guilt was paid for by Your blood in Calvary

Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle –
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Faithfulness of God

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The Faithfulness of God

Are there many questions in life you have no answers to

Are the things of the world creating a burden on you
Life may be tough, oh that is so true
But the love of God will see us through

When the dark clouds of doubts are surrounding you

And your heart is so full of fear
The Lord will be a light to guide us through
And He will make our paths clear

The Lord is our Savior; He will hear us when we call
The Lord is our lifter; He will pick us up when we fall
His saving grace will sustain us, He will pull us through
He will never fail us, for the Lord our God is faithful

The Lord is faithful, there is no doubt

His goodness I will declare, sing and shout
For my Lord will save me, He will not let me down
My Lord will keep me safe and sound

Voice of Hope

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Where do I belong? Not finding a place to fit
In search of everywhere the affirmation that I need
I can’t find it here, I can’t find it there
I can’t find it anywhere

I look to the left, I look to the right

Everywhere I look, I find myself in a fight
Day in day out, I battle with my doubts
So many questions, which answers I keep trying to figure out

I’m confused, I’m lost and I don’t understand

The how, the why, the when and the what in your sovereign plan
Fear has blinded me and has caused me to fall
Yet in the midst of these, I hear a still small voice that call

Be still and know that I am the Lord your God

I will be here with you for always, so fear not
I am your very present help in times of need
I will be there to strengthen you when you are weak

Therefore look up, lift up and cast all your cares on me
Have faith and don’t worry about what the future will be
For I know the plans I have for you
And whatever that I do, will only be for your good


Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Voice of Discernment

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Voice of Discernment Part of me says yes, another part says no One voice says stop, another one says go How shall I discern the many voices that I hear To follow and choose the wrong one is my greatest fear Speak to me Lord that I may hear Your words to me so very clear Clear my mind of all my doubts Silent my enemy and shut him up This is my prayer today that I will hear and follow You Your way and Your will and what I will choose Guard and protect me, lead me all the way And draw me closer to you each passing day Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Coping with life's problem

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Coping with life's problem

Have you ever found yourself in situations, you find it all hopeless? Do you find life miserable, everything seems to going wrong and nothing is going right? You want to give up, you want to run away, you just want to escape and have nothing to do with it?

Well, life does attempts to tear us apart in different directions especially, in the face of an adverse situation. There are often different kinds of reaction we can have towards these situations in life. We can either choose to run away and forever not learn how to cope with them, or we can trust in God's grace and His supernatural strength to enable us to walk through it.

Whenever we come face to face with such situation that is too difficult, too fearful or maybe even too troublesome to cope with, our natural reaction is usually to run away from them. More often than not, running away from the problem doesn't solve anything at all; in fact it often carries heavy implications in the future. The unsolved or unresolved problems in the past will snowball into the future posting an even larger one than before. And most people often will have to deal with the present issues, plus and on top of those that have been steadily accumulated over the past years, while at the same time, learn to tackle the problems that will come inevitably in the future.

As far as life is concerned, problems are inevitable part of us. It doesn't matter how old, how young, how strong, or how weak you are. It doesn't matter how rich, how poor, how smart or how lowly educated you are, problems will come to you someday, someway and somehow. No matter how hard we try to avoid them, we just can't, it's simply impossible. Coming back to the topic, how then shall we learn to cope with our problems? If we are consistently running away from them, then there will be no end in hiding, because it will eventually come back to us. However, if we should choose to face our problems with faith, confidence and determination, we can be a better person. When we learn to put our perspective right, our views change, our attitudes change even though the problem may still persist.

One of the things we can do as Christians is to pray. Prayer does have a major impact on our problem, though it doesn't make our problem disappear, it does however, gives us the peace that God is with us and He will give us the wisdom, His grace and His strength to help us through. Many times, when we are facing problems whether at home, at work or at church, we have the tendency to pray, "God, please help me get out of this situation." While God is more than able to do that, He often has other plans for us. All of us would love to have God coming to our rescue to save us out of our situation, but God prefers to help us through them. We often do not see how it works, but learning to cope with our problems, and walking and working through them, actually helps our character to grow. We learn through perseverance and patience. Romans 5: 3 – 5, tells us this, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” Learning to lean upon God's help and strength, and waiting upon Him to fulfil His promises towards us in His time, requires both perseverance and patience. There are also two other very important aliments, which we often tend to neglect and they are the aliments of faith and obedient.

Both our faith and our obedience to God play a very essential role in terms of our spiritual walk with our Heavenly Father. While in the process of waiting on God and upon His answers to come, we often have problems worrying about what the future may bring us, or whether or not God will do what He says He will do. We have far too many concerns in our lives that we are unable to trust God or wait patiently and obediently for Him. Yet, that is what is mostly required of us, and the bible says it very clearly, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards them who earnestly seek Him (Hebrew 11:6). And faith as explained to us in God's word is, - "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

The aliment of faith is made up of two parts - being sure of what we hope for and part 2 – being certain of what we do not see. The first part of faith deals with hope, having great expectation that whatever we are being hopeful to receive, we are sure to get it. The second part of faith, deals with being certain, or being confident. Being confident and believing positively about what we cannot see of the future. Put the two parts together, and faith is made up of – being hopeful and being confident. Our confidence is place in Jesus, the author and the perfecter of our faith (Hebrew 12:2). We can totally trust in Jesus in any circumstance, because Jesus is known to be faithful in all His ways and He is known to be steadfast and unchanging because "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." (Hebrew 13:8)

We tend not to have the faith when things go wrong, and then we tend to be disobedient to God when we don't feel like doing what God's wants from us. Especially, when we do know that it requires a lot of changes in our lifestyles. It's natural that people don't like changes, but change is inevitable and is permanent. We can only be obedient towards God and have faith in Him, if we understand God and we truly trust Him. That trust and that faith comes from spending time in His word and worshipping Him and it starts with a relationship and as with every relationships, effort is required to maintain it. It requires discipline, which most people (including myself) lack greatly. "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17).

The very fact we lack faith is the fact we lack discipline to read and to pray and spend quality time with Him. Having suffered from depression before, I felt that that is one of the most valuable lessons that God is teaching me. The fact that I do not pray and spend time reading His word as I should, I have given space and allowance to the devil to play with my mind, together with it, comes the lies and all sorts of negative and destructive thoughts. What the Lord has been teaching me is that worship is important. The more we don't feel like praying and worshipping, the more we SHOULD pray and worship. It takes a very deliberate effort and we must die to our flesh, and to our unwillingness to do the uncomfortable. The word of God teaches us, "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty things raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

Another important weapon is – Praise & Worship. Worship changes our focus from ourselves and our problems to God. The worse we can do is to run away from the very place we ought to be in - in the place of worship of the saints and in God's presence. Our prayer has power; it is our communication towards God. Our worship has power; it is an expression and confession of our love, our faith and the acknowledgment of our Lord and Savior. Satan is allergic to our praise and our worship to God, and in the place where praise is offered to God, the devil has to flee. You still think you can't pray and you don't want to sing because you think it's hard and no one understands you? Well think again…"For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but one who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, than we may receive mercy and may find grace to help in times of needs" (Hebrews 4:15-16). And we are also taught that, "No temptation has overtaken you, but such as is common to man; and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you able, but with every temptation, will provide a way of escape also that you may be able to endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13).

Let's just face the fact. The problems will not go away, and the only thing we can do about it is to be positive. Know, for a fact that God is in control and He is guiding us through it and helping us to overcome them and in the process, we grow to be more Christ-like. It is tough, but if we ever want to get better and grow, stay on and trust God! Our only source hope is truly found in Christ. Psalms 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, our ever present help in times of need".  So, run to Jesus and not away from him.

Winners never quit and quitters never win. You want to be a winner? Stay in the race, do not give up or lose hope! And finally, "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to His purposes." (Romans 8:28) Still thinking of quitting? Think again! If I decided to quit, this book might not have able to be completed and published.  One lesson that failure has taught me is this - I am not a failure just because I have failed once, but I keep trying and trying and I never give up on myself. The only time when I become a failure is when I decide not to try again and just remain at my fallen state.  As long as you have not stopped trying and believing and trusting God, you still can and have hope that things will eventually turn around and become better. Remember that life is not a bed of roses, if life was that easy, we wouldn’t be in need of God and we will take everything for granted. At the point of my writing, I’m still dealing with health issues and other personal matters. God is still teaching me how to learn to have faith and be strong in Him. Proverbs 3: 5-6 teaches us this truth, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path”. At the end of the day, it is still about trusting God and He will lead you to the path of victory and success. It will happen, in His time, not ours. No matter how hard life is, life still has to go on.


Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter the Most High King

Father's Day Reflection

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This Sunday, 15 June, is a very special Sunday because it is Father’s Day. And as the world celebrates fatherhood tomorrow, let’s spend a few moments reflecting on what a father is like.

Whenever we think of our Fathers, what is one common thing that we usually think of? Maybe the word – discipline & authority comes to mind. But how often do we think of a father as someone who is a figure of love and gentleness? Most of us would naturally feel that the loving and gentleness part is played by the role of the mothers; rarely would we associate dads with tenderness and understanding. The father is usually identified as the breadwinner and the one who plays the role of a discipline master. The mother is usually identified as the gentle parent who takes care of the family with love and patience.

I am not sure what kind of dad you may have in your lives. Some may have very protective and caring fathers, one who is gentle with them in words and in actions. Some may have abusive fathers, who are harsh and merciless in their speech and violent in their ways. Some may not even have a father.

Whatever kind of family background we may have come from, whether a not we have a good or bad father, one thing is quite certain. We all do need a father and a mother figure in the household in order for the children to grow up in a complete family environment. We need the fathers to provide the bread and to protect and teach the children how to live a life of integrity and honesty. We also need the gentleness and the patients of mothers to take care of us when we are ill. Though we admit that we all have imperfect parents, it is essential that we learn to recognize and honour the roles of both the fathers and the mothers and give thanks to God for them.

God gave us our parents, both the mothers and fathers. They are God’s authority over us and we as children must learn to recognize that. Even though many times we complain about their imperfection, we fail to realize that we ourselves are imperfect too. Speaking as a child of my own mother, I admit that there are many times in our growing up lives when we often do not see eye to eye with them for many reasons. Some children have constant squabble with their parents. We often hear of children grumbling about their parents for not being loving or caring enough. We blame them for not spending enough family time with us and we complain that they do not give us freedom to go out…. We grumble and complain about them for so many reasons, but we know that in general, most of us come from very normal and healthy families where our parents take good care of us. They make sure that we are well fed, well clothe and they ensure that all our daily necessity is well taken care of. For that, we all should learn to thank God for our parents, no matter how unhappy or unsatisfied we may be with them.

The truth is that our parents love us; they just do not know how to express them vocally. I used to complain and grumble about my parents and accuse them of treating me unfairly from my younger brother. My younger brother (10 years my junior) seemed to get everything he wants and has all the love and attention from my parents while I on the other hand, have to work for the things I want and I never seem to be able to please my parents no matter how hard I tried. I have lived with this emotional imbalance for many years but the fact is that my parents do love me. I just failed to see it because I was focussing on the things I didn’t get from them. I only see what they didn’t give me or what they didn’t do for me, but not realising and appreciating the things they do for me every day.

Actions do show that they are concern for us, – When we are sick they show concern by taking us to the doctor, reminding us to take our medication. When we were still schooling, they will remind us to study for our exams and do our homework. My dad drives me to school every morning while I was still in high school. Even till now as an adult, my dad still drives me to my examination hall when I’m taking private exams, to endure that I will be early for my papers. My dad will also endure I have a proper meal before I go for my papers, so when possible he will either take me out to have breakfast with him or buy lunch for me on his way back from work than pick me up from home to send me to my examination venue. I can no longer still complain that my dad doesn’t love me… He does love me and a lot… I was just too bitter and jealous over the love and attention my brother got more than me to see that.

Even as we look to celebrating Father’s Day in a weeks’ time, I want us to take this time to remember and honour the Heavenly Father. Many of God’s children today, have a hard time accepting and receiving the Father’s love, because many of us have a false or distorted image of a father in our own lives. God modelled for us what and how a father should be like. Throughout scriptures we read of the many attributes of God the father being gentle, forgiving, loving, merciful, and patient.
One of the best loved story and perhaps one of the most popular of all the Parables told by Jesus are the Parable of the Lost Sheep, Lost Coin and The Prodigal Son.


The Parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15)

15 Now the tax collectors and sinners were all gathering around to hear Jesus. 2 But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3 Then Jesus told them this parable: 4 “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Doesn’t he leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5 And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6 and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.’ 7 I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

The Parable of the Lost Coin

8 “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins[a] and loses one. Doesn’t she light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbours together and says, ‘Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.’ 10 In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

The Parable of the Lost Son

11 Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 12 The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them.
13 “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14 After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15 So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16 He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17 “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18 I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’ 20 So he got up and went to his father. “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. 21 “The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ 22 “But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ So they began to celebrate. 25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ 28 “The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!’ 31 “‘My son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32 But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Jesus through His Parables, shows us the Father’s heart and love for His children. He is always seeking out for the lost.

The greatest demonstration of the Father’s love is the death and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ – God’s only beloved Son. This is the ultimate love – unconditional and self-sacrificial, all for the sake of His precious children. “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). God loved us and died for us while we were still sinning, He did not wait for us to get better before He does anything good for us. He has been loving us since the day we were born. “Listen to Me, O house of Jacob and all the remnant of the house of Israel, you were have been borne by My from birth, and have been carried from the womb; even to you old age, I shall be the same, and even to your greying years I shall bear you! I have done it, and I shall carry you; and I shall bear you and I shall deliver you.” (Isaiah 46:3-4)

This is the kind of God we serve, and this is the kind of Father that we as God’s children have and so we can rejoice. Imperfect as our earthly fathers may be, they all desire that their children grow up in a safe and loving environment. No parent will allow their children to suffer in life; they all have good intention for us just that, most parents don’t really know how to express it. The Bible says in Matt 7:7-11, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him.”

What gifts did God gave us –

He gave us life through the death of His Son Jesus, “The wages of sins is death, but the free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ” (Romans 6:23).

He gave us the Holy Spirit -  “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7)

He gave us healing in exchange of his wounds. “But He was wounded for our transgression, he was bruised of our iniquities, the chastening of our peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5).

So we may not have a perfect earthly father that we can all look up too, but Christians can rejoice in the fact that we have a perfect Heavenly Father that loves us beyond our own biological parents. Hallelujah to that!!!

To close, I just want to wish all fathers a very “HAPPY & BLESSED FATHER’S DAY”.

And to all of God’s Children, let us celebrate and rejoice in the love of our Heavenly Father!
May the love of the Heavenly Father, flow through you, so that you will learn and experience the truth and the warmth of the Father’s love.


Serving with you in His Kingdom with love;
Princess Michelle -
Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Perfect Father

http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com  A little child, lost and no where to go Wondering around helpless, hungry and cold A stranger met him one fine day And to the little boy, this is what he said Come along my dear child, come along with me Let me take you to a place, where there is something to eat So to his home, the man led the little boy And to his surprise, the man gave him a toy A bowl of hot soup in a tray was being served And that left the boy crying, for he has never felt so loved The boy looked at the man, with tears in his eyes The man look back at him, smiled and asked why The boy told a sad story that broke the man’s heart He shared; my parents abandoned me when their marriage fell apart Now I have no one to love me, no place to call my home I feel like I’m left behind here to die and suffer all alone The man replied with great compassion in his heart You can stay here with me and then gave him a great big hug I have no child of my own, and would be happy if you can stay Then by the hands he took the child and led him to the fire place On his lap he placed the boy, then turn to him and say My child, I have chosen to love and care for you today My home and my heart is always opened for you to stay Just like the father and the boy whom in this poem you just read Our Father in heaven loves us just like that With great compassion and no string attached He loved and died for us, without any regrets It’s difficult to imagine a love like this, but it is true God’s love is readily available for me and for you While we do not deserve from Him all we have received It is by His loving grace that He has chosen to give This is the Perfect Father, of whom all God’s creation belong And in His presence and love, all our fears and sorrows are gone This is the Perfect Father, of whom we are privileged to have Praise God for this Fatherly figure, for in Him we are truly blessed Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

True Identity

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee I looked into the mirror one day But didn't like what I saw So I looked up to heaven and told God " I don't like myself anymore" God looked at me puzzled then He seemed to say "Why Child, I can't find anything in you that's wrong. You were exactly how I created you to be, Even before you were born." Then I stared at God and slowly began to cry "But Father, I said How could this possibly be, How could you love an awful looking sinner like me?" God smiled and took my hands, then wiped my tears and said "Child I made you and I love you And you mean the world to Me And in my eyes, you're the most beautiful person as far as I can see, So it doesn't really matter what you do or where in life you'll eventually go You are My precious Child and nothing else matters most You will always be my beloved no matter what others may say Don't be afraid of who you are, take My hands, My precious child, and I will lead the way." So I looked back into the mirror once more Pondering upon the words He said Then I started to tell myself "I'm not too bad after all." I therefore started looking into my heart Suddenly I realized and saw That a well that was once dried up within me Has now become a waterfall The love of God has came down And touched my broken heart And because of Christ love for me I've finally learned to accept my true identity Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

The Fight

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee The fight is on as the battle begins To tear down the works of Satan until victory is seen Children of God, prepare your weapon and take your place To defend the power of darkness with the power of prayer and praise When the praises of God’s saints arises, the power of darkness fall For great is the power of God, when upon the name of Jesus we call In God’s victory and strength, we fight the fight Not by our own wisdom, power or might Christ is glorified in each and every battle won And it is in fighting these battles that we learn to be strong In every battle is a lesson from which we can learn And God’s grace is there to meet us at every single turn This battle I have fought, I will do so till the end For even though I’m weak, in God’s strength I will stand Never will I give up, until the enemy is struck down And God will lead me until I claim the victor’s crown Written By Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Love Letter from God

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee Precious, precious Child of mine, created in my own sight How painful it is for Me to see, you my dear child in this plight Early in the morning at 6 you arise and off to work at 7 you go You rushed through the morning hour and left without saying hello I called you but you ignored and even refused to answer when I knocked on your door For you, patiently I waited and silently I cared But you acted and behaved as if I wasn’t there I was ready to catch you anytime you might fall I was waiting patiently, hoping that my Name you’ll eventually call Sadly, you wouldn’t look up, you wouldn’t even pray You were far too busy to spend time with me today I know that you’re hurting and that you’re in pain But it hurts My heart even more to see this is how you choose to remain Still I will love you and still I will care Still I will be waiting and still I will be there Patiently I will wait until, My precious you come back And until that day comes, know that I’m still your loving Dad I’m your Father from up above, always looking down and ready to love No matter how far you may try to run Child, you can never escape My loving arms Please come back My precious, here I will wait for you Come back to your Abba Father, I will make all things brand new The things of old shall no longer be, A new beginning in Me you shall see Trust and see if My promise to you I shall not keep So be bold, be strong, take My hands and get back up again on your feet! Unmistakably, I feel God is speaking to me…. I was so awakened by the words, I thought I had to share it… It might not just be for me, but it is God’s heart and it could be anyone out there, who needs to hear God gently and lovingly calling them from wherever they are!

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King

Unity

http://www.reflectionsbymichelleyee.wordpress.com http://forums.familyfriendpoems.com/michelleyee UNTIY United we stand Divided we fall Discord is the reason and The root cause of it all The Devil knows our every weaknesses So an attack on our minds, he'll scheme To develop a strife among us And a deep tension from within We'll end up losing our focus On the Lord's goodness and grace Coz all we'll ever think about, Is how to avoid each other's face So now we know how division may be caused We should guard ourselves, our minds and all Always be on the alert, and never go to sleep Lest we're caught off guard, and fall into the Devil's Scheme Our safety gear, is the armor of God Which we should always at all times put on Just as a soldier prepares for war We as God's warriors be ready for the battle call With Jesus as our commander We are bound to win As long as we obey His instructions And stay close to Him This is the final word The most important thing to note Something I must mention before This poem comes to close We are all God's children Mighty warriors are we Capable of accomplishing mighty deeds And destroying the Devil's scheme. So united, we have to stand Through thick and through thin Together we shall persevere Together as one we shall win Written by Michelle Yee

Serving with you in His kingdom with love; Princess Michelle- Beloved Daughter of the Most High King