Illustrations

Do you remember the gripping scene in the animated Disney film "Beauty and the Beast" when the Beast was about to confess hi love to Belle? Cogsworth looked on the euphoric anticipation, for if Belle pledged her love to the beast, presto! The spell that hung over the castle like dark, dank cloud of doom would finally be broken.

As she clasped hands with the Beast, Belle asked permission to gaze into the magical mirror in order to see her father. Viewing her father in obvious distress, she dropped the mirror and gasped at his plight. "I've got to go to him," she sobbed.

"Go to him, then," the Beast responded. Those four words spoke volumes.

Cogsworth later walked into the room with an air of triumphant expectancy as he declared to the Beast "I must say that things are going swimmingly,"

All hope vanished into thin air, however, when the Beast uttered the most significant line in the film. "I let her go," he confessed to his enchanted little clock.

As the reality of those words sunk in, Cogsworth shook himself and asked, "You did what?"

Can you imagine the impact of the Beast's admission? to let her go was to plunge his kingdom into another season of a cursed existence. To let her go meant that all hope was lost of ever becoming normally human again. To let her go meant that he forfeited his last, best chance of ever being loved. but he let her go. Why?

"I had to," he said. "I love her." the besat understood that a lover does not hold the object of his love hostage to his possessive grasp.

APPLICATION:

Perhaps a similar scene played itself out in heaven when God let go the beautiful angel Lucifer, who rebelled against God, determined to go his own way. "You did what?" Michael or Gabriel or some other angel might have asked, realizing that this action would bring untold misery and suffering upon God's creation.

What about you and me? though God could force us to love Him, He lets us go. " I love them too much," He says. God loves us and allows us to go our own way, knowing full well that misery and suffering could be the result. Like Beauty, however, we have the option to come back, to change misery and suffering into joy and celebration. Whenever one person come back to our loving heavenly Father, the angels rejoice

Luke 15:10
10Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.

But how can we go and leave on our own way -- when we know very clearly that we can do nothing without Christ... there is this Tagalog song entitled "Babalik kang muli" very true, If we really someone, if we really love God and we did accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, no matter what, in any way -- the end of our Journey will always be with God

Two adventurous teenage boys who were good friends were out spelunking (exploring caves) when they found what appeared to be huge bear tracks deep inside a long, cavernous tunnel. They bravely decided to keep going, but they moved ahead slowly and with extreme caution, keeping their eyes and ears open in case they actually encountered a bear.

Suddenly, from the darkness behind a rock jumped the biggest, meanest-looking grizzly bear they had ever seen. Standing squarely in front of them, the bear beat on his chest and roared like a lion, sending a terrible sound echoing off the walls of the cave. Scared to death, the two boys decided they had better run for their lives. They immediately turned to make a dash for daylight.

Just the, one of the boys dropped to the floor and started untying his hiking boots. He whipped the boots off, jammed on his running shoes, and began trying the laces.

His exaperated friend yelled at him, "Come on, man! Let's get out of here! why in the world are you changing shoes? We don't have much of a chance of outrunning that bear anyway!"

Lunging to his feet and starting to run, the first boy replied, "I don't have to outrun the bear. All I have to do is outrun you."


APPLICATION:

Do you ever feel like your friends treat you like bear bait? When the going gets rough, they bail out on you. They remain friends with you until it costs them something -- then they ditch you.

One of the great things about having Christ as your friend is knowing that He will never leave you nor forsake you

Matthew 28:20
20Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Hebrews 13:5
5Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

He is the friend who is not only willing to lay down His life for you, but He has done exactly that.

John 15:13
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends"

ONLY JESUS CAN BE YOUR TRUE AND FAITHFUL FRIEND - He is the friend whom you can really rely on, Most of the time our friends put us down, forget about us, sometimes they are fair-weather friends, only remembers when they needed you, sometimes they leave you hanged.... Jesus is not the same I hope my dear readers if you haven't experience God's Friendship, you may be able to find Him here..... try JESUS!

AUGUST 2008
TRANSFERED


I just received a phone call from our attorney sending us the good news that my petition was granted!! I have to asked her several times just to confirm that I did'nt heared it wrong!! haha.. I can't believe that it was really approved.. if I would look back on the last 2 years accomplishing my documents and gathering proofs, I really can't believe my hardships was not put to waste! (not to mention the financial expenses!!! haha) and the first thing that I thought about was! Whew! God is really faithful!! He really is! thinking about this "petition thing" was very tiring, and I can say that my faith was also tested during the process, I even doubted God would grant my prayers, so everytime there was a court hearing for the presentation of proofs and testimonies, I would call or text my close friends and church mates to pray for it. They would comfort me and tell me, "God has answered your prayer! so don't worry.." It's very difficult to trust like a child! I would say to myself, yes God will answer my prayers but most of the time I can't stop thinking what if it turned out to be the other way.. but I think that is what God is teaching me, to just trust in Him!! I would like to share this illustration I read from my favorite christian book:

The Cliff
A man named jack was walking along a steep cliff one day when he accidentally got too close to the edge and fell. On the way down he grabbed a branch which temporarily stopped his fall. He looked down and to his horror saw that the canyon fell straight down for more than a thousand feet. He couldn't hang onto the branch forever, and there was no way for him to climb up the steep wall of the cliff.
So Jack began yelling for help, hoping that someone passing by would hear him and lower a rope or something. "HELP! HELP!" Is anyone up there? HELP!" He yelled for hours, but no one heard him. He was about to give up when he heard a voice.
"Jack. Jack . Can you hear me?"
Yes, yes! I can hear you. I'm down here!"
"I can see you, Jack. Are you all right?"
"Yes, but... who are you, and where are you?"
"I am the Lord, Jack. I'm everywhere."
"The Lord? You mean, GOD?"
"That's me."
"God, please help me! I promise - if You'll get me down from here, I'll stop sinning. I'll be a really good person. I'll serve you for the rest of my life."
"Easy on the promises, Jack. Let's just get you down from there; then we can talk. Now, here's what I want you to do. Listen carefully."
'I'll do anything Lord. Just tell me what to do."
"Okay. Let go of the branch."
"What?" "I said, let go of the branch. Just trust me. Let go."
There was a long silence. Finally Jack yelled, "HELP, HELP! IS ANYONE ELSE UP THERE????"

Yes, sometimes my faith is shaken because of what is happening around me, but God remains faithful all the time. Sometimes when we face trials that we know are beyond our capabilities, that is the only time we start to trust in the Lord, I may be guilty on this but God didn't failed me, He still answered my prayers, great is His Faithfulness!! I bring back all the glory to Him!

How about you? are your problems seems letting you down?? Just trust in the Lord.
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. "In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5-6