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Earworm Wednesday: Personal Jesus ~ Johnny Cash


Johnny Cash takes Depeche Mode’s classic and makes it his own. Enjoy.

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Faith’s Checkbook


Seekers, Finders
“If thou seek Him, He will be found of thee” (1 Chronicles 28:9).

We need our God; He is to be had for the seeking, and He will not deny Himself to any one of us if we personally seek His face. It is not if thou deserve Him, or purchase His favor, but merely if thou “seek” Him. Those who already know the LORD must go on seeking His face by prayer, by diligent service, and by holy gratitude: to such He will not refuse His favor and fellowship. Those who, as yet, have not known Him to their souls’ rest should at once commence seeking and never cease till they find Him as their Savior, their Friend, their Father, and their God. What strong assurance this promise gives to the seeker! “He that seeketh findeth.” You, yes you, if you seek your God shall find Him. When you find Him you have found life, pardon, sanctification, preservation, and glory. Will you not seek, and seek on, since you shall not seek in vain’ Dear friend, seek the LORD at once. Here is the place, and now is the time. Bend that stiff knee; yes, bend that stiffer neck, and cry out for God, for the living God. In the name of Jesus, seek cleansing and justification. You shall not be refused. Here is David’s testimony to his son Solomon, and it is the writer’s personal witness to the reader. Believe it and act upon it, for Christ’s sake.

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Movie Review: Ramen Shop (Ramen Teh)


Producer:Fong Cheng Tan, Junxiang Huang, Yutaka Tachibana
Director: Eric Khoo
Writers: Fong Cheng Tan, Kim Hoh Wong
Cast: Takumi Saito, Jeanette Aw, Seiko Matsuda, Mark Lee, Tsuyoshi Ihara, Tetsuya Bessho, Beatrice Chien

Every once in a while Netflix brings in a hidden gem and this movie is one of those gems.

Ramen Shop is a story about searching for roots, trying to deal with the past, redemption, love, and cooking. The cast does an excellent acting job and if you’ve never seen Singapore before you will get a glimpse of how it looks.

I am giving this movie 3.5 stars.

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Faith’s Checkbook


Waiting, Not Running
“Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation” (Psalm 62:1).

Blessed posture! Waiting truly and only upon the LORD. Be this our condition all this day and every day. Waiting His leisure, waiting in His service, waiting in joyful expectation, waiting in prayer, and content. When the very soul thus waits, it is in the best and truest condition of a creature before his Creator, a servant before his Master, a child before his Father. We allow no dictation to God, nor complaining of Him; we will permit no petulance and no distrust. At the same time, we practice no running before the cloud and no seeking to others for aid: neither of these would be waiting upon God. God, and God alone, is the expectation of our hearts. Blessed assurance! From Him salvation is coming; it is on the road. It will come from Him and from no one else. He shall have all the glory of it, for He alone can and will perform it. And He will perform it most surely in His own time and manner. He will save from doubt, and suffering, and slander, and distress. Though we see no sign of it as yet, we are satisfied to bide the LORD’s will, for we have no suspicion of His love and faithfulness. He will make sure work of it before long, and we will praise Him at once for the coming mercy.

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Classic Movie Review: Scaramouche


Director: George Sidney
Producer: Carey Wilson
Writer: Ronald Millar and George Froeschel
Original Book: Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini
Cast: Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Janet Leigh, Mel Ferrer

If you think Scaramouche is just a line in a song you’re in for a surprise. The 1952 film starting Stewart Granger, Eleanor Parker, Mel Ferrer, and Janet Leigh has the honor to have one of the longest most complicated sword fights ever filmed. The artistry involved in the fight choreography makes it the highlight of the movie.

Scaramouche takes place just before the French Revolution. The aristocrats have taken to dueling their counterparts in the French parliament killing their merchant class opponents.

Enter Andre Moreau, Stewart Granger, the illegitimate son of a French nobleman. When he sees his friend, a pamphleteer, murdered in a duel by the Marquis de Maynes, Mel Ferrer, he attacks the marquis, only to find himself out dueled. In a quick moment he escapes from the marquis vowing revenge.

Andre hides with a traveling comedy troupe (commedia dell’arte) adopting the guise of the Scaramouche (follow the link to find out what a Scaramouche is) he improves his swordmanship by going to the teacher of the Marquis de Maynes. And then to Paris to study under the master of that teacher.

There of course is a love triangle between Granger, Parker, and Leigh. Granger in love with Leigh but cannot court her for reasons I won’t reveal. Why spoil the story?

Of course there is much more than this to the story, and the costumes and music that much more enjoyable. If you want to have some fun with a costume drama that is a lot of fun check out this movie.

I give Scaramouche five stars out of five.

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Faith’s Checkbook


He Blesses and Keeps

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. (Numbers 6:24)

This first clause of the high priest’s benediction is substantially a promise. That blessing which our great High Priest pronounces upon us is sure to come, for He speaks the mind of God.

What a joy to abide under the divine blessing! This puts a gracious flavor into all things. If we are blessed, then all our possessions and enjoyments are blessed; yea, our losses and crosses and even our disappointments are blessed. God’s blessing is deep, emphatic, effectual. A man’s blessing may begin and end in words, but the blessing of the Lord makes rich and sanctifies. The best wish we can have for our dearest friend is not “may prosperity attend thee,” but “the Lord bless thee.”

It is equally a delightful thing to be kept of God; kept by Him, kept near Him, kept in Him. They are kept indeed whom God keeps; they are preserved from evil; they are reserved unto boundless happiness. God’s keeping goes with His blessing, to establish it and cause it to endure.

The author of this little book desires that the rich blessing and sure keeping here pronounced may come upon every reader who may at this moment be looking at these lines. Please breathe the text to God as a prayer for His servants.

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Faith’s Checkbook


Bow Down; Be Lifted Up
“Humble yourselves therefore order the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:6).

This is tantamount to a promise: if we will bow down, the LORD will lift us up. Humility leads to honor; submission is the way to exaltation. That same hand of God which presses us down is waiting to raise us up when we are prepared to bear the blessing. We stoop to conquer. Many cringe before men and yet miss the patronage they crave; but he that humbles himself under the hand of God shall not fail to be enriched, uplifted, sustained, and comforted by the ever-gracious One. It is a habit of Jehovah to cast down the proud and lift up the lowly.

Yet there is a time for the LORD’s working. We ought now to humble ourselves, even at this present moment; and we are bound to keep on doing so whether the LORD lays His afflicting hand upon us or not. When the LORD smites, it is our special duty to accept the chastisement with profound submission. But as for the LORD’s exaltation of us, that can only come “in due time,” and God is the best judge of that day and hour. Do we cry out impatiently for the blessing? Would we wish for untimely honor? What are we at? Surely we are not truly humbled, or we should wait with quiet submission. So let us do.