Striving for a meaningful life

New thoughts

2011-04-05T00:00:00.003+08:00

So sorry for not blogging for such a long time... I guess for the longest time ever I've been so caught up in my own life... Honestly I dunno what has gotten into me or what has changed me but I guess when I try to focus on God, God is never not there waiting for me...

I guess the 1st turning point is:

1. The Blind Side (A movie)

This movie seriously touched me. It reminded me again that there is more to life than chasing for that perfect job, those perfect grades... I've really been engulfed by the world... by SMU... I need time off... more time to think about my life... how to give my best in school for God, and not for myself, and not for the world.

Well, to backtrack a little to the movie, in case some of you have not watched it. I shall not say too much as well, in case I say too much and spoil the experience of those who are still intending to catch this movie for the first time.

Well basically the part that touched me most was the fact that this Christian family stuck to their principles, lived with the mockery that was given to them, and challenged social stigma. All this trust for a stranger, who had a bad record of leaving his foster families. Also, this family is one that I can relate to. Their children couldn't care less about their comfort, and they took many things for granted. However, somehow, when this family, in particular the mom, decided to take the stranger in, both parties benefited. Their children grew in maturity, and their parents learned to stand up for their Christian principles. More importantly, this family showed how they used their blessings to bless others. It's so unfair that people like us have the right/option to take things for granted whilst there are people out there who have nothing to take granted for, except maybe their own lives. Sigh, I promise to God and I pray and I hope that I will use all the blessings He has given me to bless those around me, and not to benefit myself.

2. Sermons

I need to prepare for Singspiration this Sunday. I thank God for giving me the courage to continue to try to place Him first despite having an inaugural 5 exams this sem. I pray that I will use time wisely and finish my exams. At the same time, I have a good break from the routine of school lessons and have more time to do my QT as well. :)

From John Piper's website,

(http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/the-word-of-god-living-active-sharp)

The Deceiving Power of Sin

Notice three things here.

In verse 12 the danger day in and day out is that an evil, unbelieving heart would lead us away from God. Unbelief is the issue. The issue is failure to trust God's promises.
Then (in verse 13) notice that something like small groups is essential: "Encourage one another day after day." So you get your small group involved. You need their help. Why?
That's the third thing: the way our hearts become unbelieving (verse 12) is by being "hardened by the deceitfulness of sin" (verse 13). We need help to keep from being deceived by sin. How are we going to be rescued from the deceiving power of sin? How can small groups help? How can we help?
That's what today's text in Hebrews 4:12 is meant to answer. The Word of God is living and active and penetrates to the bottom of our lives and rips the pleasant mask off the ugly face of sin. The only reason anybody sins is because at some level they are (culpably) deceived. They start believing the lies of sin instead of the promises of God.

Sin whispers through the desires of the flesh and the rationalizations of the mind, your only hope of future happiness is to have an abortion. It whispers that you will not have a chance in the future if you don't cheat on this test. It says that you won't be noticed and liked if you don't dress provocatively. It says you will lose the one person who seems to care for you if you don't compromise your sexual standards. It says you won't have job security if you speak up about the dishonest practices at work. It says your life will be wasted in this relationship if you don't get a divorce. It says that only a fool would go on looking weak instead of getting some kind of revenge.

Every one of those statements is a lie. It's what Hebrews 3:13 calls "the deceitfulness of sin." Now those lies sometimes lodge themselves very deep in the heart as thoughts and intentions that seem unshakably true because of the hardness of deception that encloses them like a dark, sealed casket. In that condition unbelief has the upper hand. We are not believing in the promises of God, we are trusting in the promises of sin. And we are in mortal danger of becoming so hard that repentance will become impossible (Hebrews 6:6), and heaven will have been thrown away for the sake of a few fleeting pleasures, like an inheritance sold for a bowl of stew (Hebrews 12:16).

How Will We Escape the Deceit of Sin?

What is our only hope? Our only hope is that there is something sharp enough and powerful enough to penetrate through all the deception and shed light on my thoughts and intentions. And that's what our text is about in Hebrews 4:12. The Word of God is our only hope. The good news of God's promises and the warnings of his judgment are sharp enough and living enough and active enough to penetrate to the bottom of my heart and show me that the lies of sin are indeed lies.

Abortion will not create a wonderful future for me. Neither will cheating, or dressing provocatively, or throwing away my sexual purity, or keeping quiet about dishonesty at work, or divorce, or vengeance. And what rescues me from this deception is the Word of God. The Word of God's promise is like throwing open a great window of bright morning sun on the shiny-back roaches of sin masquerading as satisfying pleasures in our hearts.

In other words, I see Hebrews 4:12 as a tremendous encouragement coming after verse 11. Be diligent to enter God's rest by fighting off the disobedience of unbelief. Why? Because (verse 12) God has given you his good news (verse 2), his promises, his Word to protect you from the deep deceptions of sin that try to harden the heart and lure it away from God and lead it to destruction. Be of good cheer in your battle to believe. Because the Word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and it will penetrate deeper than any deception of sin has ever gone and reveal what is truly valuable and what is truly worth trusting.

And so we end this message at a point of crisis. You have heard the Word of God. Much has been exposed to your own conscience this morning. And now as verse 13 says, "no one is hidden from God's sight; but all things are open and laid bare before his eyes." His gaze is upon you. What will you do with what he has exposed, and what he now is watching?

I hope the answer is: turn from the deceptive promises of sin, and trust in the all-satisfying promises of God.

I need to turn from the deceptiveness of sin. My heart has been hardened to sin. I've been so numbed to it then I don't even realize the predicament I'm in. Lord, please help me to stay focused on you. And I pray that I can do this with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

3. On Politics

Somehow, I've become more interested in politics. I guess one is Pei En's influence, which led me to taking a module called Economics of Politics. After finishing the course, I learn to appreciate the complexity in politics a little more, and tonight I actually caught a political forum on TV. I was eagerly anticipating to watch it actually after seeing it on an advertisement. Well, the oppositions parties sort of disappointed but I was really quite impressed by the abilities of our Finance Minister, in particular his clarity of thought and sharpness of delivery.

My friend then pasted me a link on someone's view of the PAP and some of the issues that might be less well-known. If you want to you can read it at this website: http://yaevlejunce.wordpress.com/2009/12/12/my-vote-counts-10-reasons-why-i-cannot-vote-for-the-pap-in-the-next-election/ Somehow, this website led me to think about the bigger issues in life.

It has reminded me that life is not that simple. That we should never be complacent about the things happening around us. We are shallow beings. Our knowledge and experiences are limited to 5 senses. We are unable to appreciate the complexities and difficulties going on around us when we do not actually experience them. Typing in front of my laptop and focusing on my blog makes me forget about the unrest in Middle East, the pains in Japan, the problems of Social Security systems in US, the large fiscal debts in Europe, and so on. My exams make me forget about everything else. Lord, please forgive me for my inactions and my sins.

I am really convinced that God wants to use me for something meaningful. I need to stop doing things that are menial, and prepare and hone myself for bigger things to be used by God.

That's all for now... hopefully I can start blogging more :)

2010-07-26T17:45:00.002+08:00

Been very long since I last uploaded a post.

Finally managed to find this very good christian website thanks to Ying Qian and Dao Yi.

Haha. okay here it is! http://illbehonest.com/

And watched 2 videos today... hope to encourage all who's in this walk with God, especially the brethrens... and those who have yet to commit their lives to Him... do so today (:

Cheers.

2010-05-26T11:28:00.002+08:00

Been so long since I last blogged. Well... taking some time off work to just quickly post something that I read on the net.

Been thinking about quite a few issues recently, and I'm having like some concerns for like $$ in the future to meet family needs and all that... been thinking about investing, but haven't found a good reason to start... decided it's about time to get some good information and start pondering... (partially cos the markets are dropping now (my friend sms-ed me to ask me about some stock and if he should start) and it might be a gd time to start seriously considering)

"Location: Investing

Why invest?
by Crown Financial Ministries

God is the perfect partner in any investment program. It is He who supplies all the seed to be planted. We plant it; He multiplies it. So, any investment program ought to be based around multiplying assets that God supplies and returning the bulk of the crop, as pointed out in the parable of the stewards in Luke 19:12-24. The seeds that we retain then bring in a greater harvest the next time. As we show our faithfulness, He will give us even more. Our responsibility is to return it to His work.

Reasons for investing
God's number one prerequisite for investing is always centered on our attitudes. Money can be used for the comfort and convenience of our families. It can be used to provide the needs of others. It can be used to spread the Gospel. Or it can be used for destructive purposes. Money, if misused, as in the case of the rich young ruler recorded in Matthew 19:16-30, can be an object of devotion and idolatry. Love of money has separated families and shattered friendships. Countless marriages have split up over the love of, or the misuse of money. Christians, therefore, must assess why they want to invest and how the surplus from the investments will be used, in the light of God's principles. God is not against prosperity, but He hates evil attitudes that often accompany prosperity. These attitudes include greed, covetousness, and pride. So, since ultimately attitude will determine how an investment surplus is used, it is vital to discover what attitudes God wants us to have.

In addition, there are scripturally sound reasons for investing, and there are unscriptural reasons for investing. If you are investing for the wrong reasons it's like having your ladder leaning against the wrong building. No matter how high you climb, you still end up on the wrong building.

So, first we will evaluate why people invest and accumulate money, and then we'll look at the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing.

Why do people invest?

Others advise it. Many people invest simply because someone else advised them to. They don't have any clear personal plans or goals with regard to their investments. According to God's Word, we are to seek good counsel, but we must weigh all counsel received against His Word. Listen, but seek God's direction before taking action.

Envy of others. Many people want to invest and accumulate wealth simply because they envy other people and their successes.

It is a game to them. Many people invest because they consider it to be a competitive game. As such, they often get so wrapped up in the contest that they sacrifice family, friends, or health in order to win the game. They have no particular attachment to the money; it's winning that's important to them.

Self-esteem and ego. Many want to accumulate wealth so that others will envy them. Those who are victims of this motive use their money in an attempt to buy esteem and bolster their pride and ego. “A man's pride will bring him low, but a humble spirit will obtain honor” (Proverbs 29:23).

The love of money. Those who love money will not part with it for any reason. Their lives are characterized by hoarding and abasement. This is a type of idol worship, which separates us from God. First Timothy 6:10, Hebrews 13:5, and Luke 9:25 caution against the love of money.

Protection. Many people accumulate money for protection. This attitude places money as the object of trust and security rather than God.

Slothfulness. Often people don't plan well during the earlier years of their lives and, consequently, when faced with expenses in their middle or later years, they panic and try to generate in five years what they should have saved over the previous 20 years. A regular habit of spending less than you make and saving the difference is the proper investment plan.

A spiritual gift. There is only one reason why God would supply a surplus of wealth to a Christian: so the needs of others can be met. If Christians want God to entrust greater riches to them, they must be found faithful in the smaller amount first (Luke 16:10-11). God promises His blessings to all who freely give and promises His curse on those who hoard, steal, covet, or idolize.
What are the scripturally sound and unsound reasons for investing? There are three scripturally sound reasons for investing.

Multiply to give more. The parable of the talents recorded in Luke 19:12-26 tells us that God entrusts wealth to some of His stewards so that it will be available to Him at a later date. The management of the wealth requires that it be invested or multiplied.

Meet future family needs. The indication throughout God's Word is that the heads of families should provide for their own (1 Timothy 5:8). Good planning requires laying aside some of the surplus for future needs.

Further the Gospel and fund special needs. This type of giving is necessary to maintain and promote the Gospel. If the church is ever to break out of the borrowing habit, Christians who invest must maintain some surpluses and be willing to give to legitimate needs.
There are four unsound reasons for investing.

Greed. Greed is the desire continually to have more and demand only the best (1 Timothy 6:9).

Envy. Envy is the desire to achieve based on other people's successes (Psalm 73:3).

Pride. Pride is the desire to be elevated because of material achievements (1 Timothy 6:17).

Ignorance. Ignorance is following the counsel of other misguided people because of lack of discernment (Proverbs 14:7).
Once a Christian has accepted the purpose of investing—to serve God better—the crucial decision is how much to invest. This decision must be made after much prayer. In addition, a plan for the use and the distribution of the potential surplus must be made before the money becomes available. Set goals and pray about each goal before attempting to do any investing. If motives are anything but biblical, it would be better to give the money away rather than to risk losing something far more important than money—a relationship with the Lord.

Conclusion
Being rich or being poor is a matter of providence in God's will, and He will give us only what we are capable of handling. The Christian's responsibility is awesome and sobering. God, in His eternal plan, has decided to use us to supply and to fund His work. One day we must all stand before God and give an account of what we have done with His resources. Why does God provide an accumulation of wealth from investing? So His people can exercise giving in order to meet the needs of those who cannot provide for themselves."

Source:http://www.crown.org/LIBRARY/ViewArticle.aspx?ArticleId=598

This article pretty much sums up quite a few key points, though I'm not too sure if the parable of the talents was literally referring to investing in wealth, or just generally talking about using our gifts from God to reap fruits for His purposes.
got to check it out.

but yeah, i have some good guidelines to think about this investing now! definitely have some good intentions, but can't deny that the temptation to value $$ is there, and the competition and pride thing probably is as well... soooo... yeah... will pray about it more!

2010-03-25T00:28:00.000+08:00

On this day, this time, I might live to painfully remember what Isaac always say, "Words are powerful..."

2010-02-02T10:45:00.001+08:00

Biblical Dating: Just Friends - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001475.cfm

Biblical Dating: Are You Ready to Date? - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001449.cfm

Brother, You're Like a Six - http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001371.cfm

BA: Stuck in the "Just Friends" Zone - http://www.boundless.org/2005/answers/a0001464.cfm

Sermon - Cultivating Healthy Marriage - http://sermons2.redeemer.com/sermons/cultivating-healthy-marriage

articles that a christian brother in SMU shared to me... it has been very helpful for me, and I hope it will be for you too...

God is good... all the time...

2010-01-31T23:06:00.002+08:00

AF video... (:

2010-01-20T10:06:00.003+08:00

I am in class now, just marking class participation, so I'm rather free to surf the net...

I was looking at my past posts, and I realize that I haven't been posting many of new spiritual insights that I have... guess I'm getting a bit too busy...

Yes, I finally see that I'm living in the expectations of others... not God... Am I living my life as though God is watching, or as though man around me are watching...

I realize that our life is and always will be subjected to scrutiny or observation from others. Our friends, our superiors, our mentors, our brothers, our sisters...

I believe our testimony is very important, and many around me think so too, that is why this "being a salt & light for God" thing is commonly heard in our church. I believe if we try our best to fix our eyes on God, and allow Him to mould our lives slowly, crawl out from our residual comfort zones, we will 'survive the scrutiny'.

" Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly."

Romans 5: 1-6

2010-01-08T13:31:00.003+08:00

My friend asked me yesterday, "What do you mean when you say that everything happens for a reason?"

Another asked, "If God has a plan for your life, doesn't it mean that we are just robots, executing his plan?"

I believe 2 rules of thumb can help address these queries:

1. God is 100% sovereign
2. Man are 100% free and responsible

As counter-intuitive as it sounds, both occur at the same time. Much like how Light has both wave-like properties as well as particle properties, some things are difficult to comprehend, but if you want to assume light ONLY has wave-like properties, then your theory cannot explain its particle-like properties.

I believe Man are still 100% responsible of each choice they make, but God, in His infinite wisdom and power, is sovereign over all that occurs.

Everything happens and happened for a reason... and sometimes we just need time to appreciate God's guidance through the things that have happened...

Not interpreting things just from our limited view, but seeing things from God's perspective.

2009-12-31T01:37:00.002+08:00

God's grace is over-whelming...

It is humbling to see how God is so willing to bless and give to us, and especially meaningful when we try our best to walk in the will of God and live out His love and principles...

I've tried hard to Seek first His Kingdom... and God has given me many things in which I am certain He has great plans for in the future. This has been the best birthday gift for me, and I really appreciate and thank God for His unfailing love and incomprehensible blessings...

2009 has been a tough year, especially the past 6 months... but I've really grown a lot in many facets, and pray that I'll continue to be able to do so...

Thank God for the Myanmar trip! It was very fruitful, and albeit the many challenges faced, overall it was a fun and meaningful trip. Many things left to resolve, and I just pray that God will give me strength to do so in the right time (:

2009-11-28T13:11:00.000+08:00

"Taming the Tongue
1Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check.

3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt[a] water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
Two Kinds of Wisdom
13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." ~ James 3

What a nice passage! Rid me of my selfish ambitions Lord! And teach me to control my tongue...

2009-11-28T00:17:00.000+08:00

I remember what you wore on the first day
You came into my life and I thought
"Hey, you know, this could be something"
'Cause everything you do and words you say
You know that it all takes my breath away
And now I'm left with nothing

'Cause maybe it's true
That I can't live without you
Maybe two is better than one
There's so much time
To figure out the rest of my life
And you thought that it got me coming undone
And I'm thinking two is better than one

I remember every look upon your face
The way you roll your eyes
The way you taste
You make it hard for breathing
'Cause when I close my eyes and drift away
I think of you and everything's okay
I'm finally now believing

That maybe it's true
That I can't live without you
Maybe two is better than one
[ Boys Like Girls Lyrics are found on www.songlyrics.com ]
There's so much time
To figure out the rest of my life
And you thought that it got me coming undone
And I'm thinking two is better than one
Yeah, yeah

I remember what you wore on the first day
You came into my life and I thought, "Hey,"

Maybe it's true
That I can't live without you
Maybe two is better than one
There's so much time
To figure out the rest of my life
And you thought that it got me coming undone
And I'm thinking
I can't live without you
'Cause, baby, two is better than one
There's so much time
To figure out the rest of my life
But I'll figure it out
When it's all said and done
Two is better than one
Two is better than one

Beholding is a way of becoming

2009-11-23T11:35:00.003+08:00

2 Corinthians 3:18 " We all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed into his likeness from one degree of glory to another."

"The worth and excellency of a soul is to be measured by the object of his love" ~ Henry Scougal

"Beholding as a way of becoming" ~John Piper

The more we focus, behold the glory of God and his pleasures and love, the more we can be transformed to his likeness.

The beauty of an invisible heart is not assessed by what it thinks, as thought is beautiful in light of its affections, and not by what it wills, as there is half-hearted or whole hearted willing.

"You don't judge a soul by what it wills to do with lukewarm interest, or with mere teeth-gritting determination"

"the soul is measure by its flights,
some low and others high,
The heart is know by its delights,
And pleasures never lie"

I guess my love hasn't been well placed. Oh Lord, help me place my love and pleasures in you! Matthew 22:37 "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart"

Marriage

2009-11-05T20:46:00.004+08:00

Okay... it's time to blog about... Marriage...

Nope... it's not that I am getting married soon, but I just went for a sermon regarding Marriage, and it broke some misconceptions I had of it. I am writing this to share some of my thoughts...

The pastor approached in from a myth busting angle... much like the Mythbusters show you see on discovery. He went through 3 myths, and debunked each one of them. I shall try to elaborate on all three...

Myth1: Marriage(Or relationships) is because of lust

God's Mythbuster: Sex is for Marriage

1 Cor 7:1-2 "1Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry.[a] 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband."

Song of Songs 8:4-7

" Daughters of Jerusalem, I charge you:
Do not arouse or awaken love
until it so desires.
Friends
5 Who is this coming up from the desert
leaning on her lover?

Beloved
Under the apple tree I roused you;
there your mother conceived you,
there she who was in labor gave you birth.

6 Place me like a seal over your heart,
like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
its jealousy [a] unyielding as the grave. [b]
It burns like blazing fire,
like a mighty flame. [c]

7 Many waters cannot quench love;
rivers cannot wash it away.
If one were to give
all the wealth of his house for love,
it [d] would be utterly scorned."

Love if very powerful... and we should not awaken love before the time... God's creation of sex and everything is beautiful... (Note: Sex includes the whole package... kissing, caressing, and everything else associated) but if we do it out of the context of marriage, then we are distorting His plans. He gave two quotes:

"Casual dating, where sexual exploration thrives, is God-angering"
"Serious courtship that strives for purity is God-glorifying"

Some may ask..."Is God a kill joy?" "Why postpone sex to marriage?" I guess the fact is that sex is meant to be enjoyed within a relationship of complete commitment to each other. For the power of the union of sex contradicts the notion of casualness and shortage of commitment in pre-marital sex. It's difficult to explain the fundamental notion of why was it created this way... but I guess this is something unique and special that God wants set aside for the gift of marriage...

Conclusion: Lust will not be satisfied if you pursue it outside of marriage, and marriage is not a cure for it. It should be dealt with even before marriage... seeking the help from God to overcome temptations and being strong in it...

Myth 2: Because of Loneliness

God's Mythbuster 2: Marriage is for God's Kingdom

A very HUGE erroneous thinking is the interpretation that Marriage is to cure loneliness because Genesis says so... the famous quote:

"The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Genesis 2:18

Many interpret this as Man and Woman marrying because God thinks it's not good for man to be lonely. However, the context is in Genesis 1: 26-28 "26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

27 So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

The context for the creation of a helper is this: So that Man can rule over all the earth, and the method to do this is being fruitful and increasing in number....

Note in Malachi 2:15 " Has not the LORD made them one? In flesh and spirit they are his. And why one? Because he was seeking godly offspring. [a] So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth."

He was seeking godly offspring... not PHYSICAL CHILDREN... but SPIRITUAL children... as such... for singles or married couples... the mission and the focus is the same... to grow the kingdom of God... This is John Piper's stand as well... in his book on Marriage...

Conclusion: Marriage is for Man and woman working together for the kingdom of God... to make disciples of all nations... to come together for that purpose... for the need of His kingdom's purposes... and not for our own loneliness...

He mentioned something that struck me deep and hard... LONELINESS is not solved through marriage... it is solved through a personal relationship with God... and relationship with Christian Community...

If you enter marriage with the hope of alleviating your loneliness... the relationship will be very INWARD LOOKING... because you only rely on each other for support... it leads to idolizing even... It is important to remember that the relationship is meant to be outward looking... not just how you can satisfy each other's needs alone....

Of cos, this doesn't mean that if your relationship cures some aspect of your loneliness then you've sinned. But this motivation should not be the fundamental of a marriage.

Lastly...

Myth 3: Because of LOVE

God's Mythbuster: Marriage is for Gospel Proclamation

As most of us are familiar... Marriage is the representation of the relationship between Christ and the Church...

Ephesians 5:31-32 "31"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."[a] 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

Marriage is but a pointer of things to come... Of the relationship between Christ and the Church. For we know that in Heaven... there is no longer marriage... Matthew 22:29-30 "Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven"

It is important to understand the relationship between Christ and the Church... because that is exactly what your marriage should reflect... Marriage is an opportunity for the gospel to be preached...

When people see the sacrificial love of the husband for his wife, they see and understand the sacrificial love that Christ had for the church. When people see the complete submission of the wife to the husband, they see the complete submission of the church to Christ...

Hope that this sharing on marriage has helped you in one way or another...

In today's culture, it is too easy to want to pursue marriage recklessly, carelessly, and fully based on emotions. Emotions change, and marriage has its unique purpose in God's kingdom. If we don't understand all this, then we shouldn't be entering into a relationship... that could tarnish both parties if not handled wisely...

Let's pursue courtship (dating with an intent of marriage) with godly discernment and godly love...

2009-11-02T00:46:00.001+08:00

Lord it's hard... but please help me remove what you want removed...

2009-10-27T11:12:00.002+08:00

"Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful." Colossians 3:15

It seems that as Christians we often have a hard time living in the peace of Christ. Like the rest of the world we love to worry. We worry that we’ll lose our jobs, that we’ll lose someone we love, or we worry that there won’t be enough money to pay the mortgage this month. If we want to, we can find things to worry about each and every day of the week.

Instead of living with the angst and worry of day to day life, we need to be thankful for what we’ve been given, and allow Christ to influence our thoughts and behaviors, and live for Him. Today I want to live for Christ, and let His peace rule in my heart.

Adapted from biblemoneymatters.com

2009-10-27T11:07:00.001+08:00

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

Sir Winston Churchill

2009-10-25T18:59:00.000+08:00

The Beauty of Creation

2009-10-21T22:05:00.010+08:00

As much sin there is in the world, there is much beauty created by God...

The beauty of the deep blue ocean...

the beauty of the bright blue skies...

the beauty of the towering trees, scented flowers, green pastures...

the beauty of art...

the beauty of music...

the beauty of dance...

the beauty of photography...

the beauty of sports...

the beauty of emotions...

the beauty of logic...

the beauty of man...

All these were created for the glory of God... Praise God for what He has done... There is so much more...

2009-10-20T13:23:00.000+08:00

the grace of God is stronger than the sin of man.

2009-10-15T10:35:00.002+08:00

What future are you aiming for...?

Where does your security lie...?

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. " Matt 6 : 19-21

Where your treasure is... your heart is also... what you treasure is going to be what motivates you, what disappoints you.

Grades, wealth, prestige, comfort... some of the things that I crave for... No wonder I have all these disappointments... I pray for peace of heart, good relations, and the spreading of His Kingdom...

Fight...

2009-10-12T10:18:00.001+08:00

“Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:” Proverbs 30:8.

2009-09-14T11:25:00.001+08:00

"Impatience is a form of unbelief"

Future grace, John Piper

2009-08-31T16:57:00.000+08:00

I guess the best way is to start from zero?

Back to fundamentals... learn the basics...

Just as the height of a tree is proportional to the depth of its roots, so does this principle manifest in so many other issues...

2009-08-30T21:31:00.002+08:00

6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

7Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work. 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.

1 John 3: 6-10

1 John 1:8: “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.” We! We born-again Christians.
In other words, don’t let the deception of these false teachers
work its way into your own self-deception. There are no sinless
Christians

1 John 2:1: “My little children, I am writing these
things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” In
other words, John does not assume that if you sin, you are not
born again. He assumes that if you sin, you have an Advocate.
And only those who are born again have this Advocate.

1 John 5:16-17: “If anyone sees his brother committing
a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will
give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to
death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one
should pray for that. All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin
that does not lead to death.”
Notice that last clause: “There is sin that does not lead to death.”
This is why you can see your brother committing sin. He is your
brother. He is born again. And he is sinning. How can this be?
Because there is sin that does not lead to death. I don’t think
John has particular kinds of sins in view, but rather degrees of
rootedness and habitual persistence. There is a point of confirmed
sinning which may take you over the line of no return and you
will be like Esau who sought repentance with tears and could
not find it (Heb. 12:16–17). He could not repent. If he could have,
there would have been forgiveness. But the heart can become so
hardened by sin that even its desires to repent are counterfeit

Adapted from "Finally Alive" by John Piper

2009-08-30T20:46:00.000+08:00

Ride of Life

The wheels of life are turnin’
I feel like I’m rollin’ down this track
And I know down deep inside my heart
I can’t look back

And though it’s hard discerning all of the fiction from the fact
You led me to this truth and we have made a pact

So as we go through highs and lows
And all those in between
It’s good to know I’m not alone
On this big scream machine...

'Cause it’s a rollercoaster ride of life
Lifts you up and lets you down
It’s a rollercoaster ride of life
Spins you ’round and ’round and ’round
Heaven knows wherever you go,
I’ll be right by your side,
On this rollercoaster, rollercoaster ride of life
Rollercoaster ride of life

So when I hear you callin’
’Cause you have hit your all-time low,
I will hold you to my side and I won’t let you go
And when it seems you’ve fallen
’Cause life has got you on a road
I will take the wheel and hit the brakes,

We’ll take it slow
And as we go through highs and lows
And all though in between
The Lord alone is in control
Of this big scream machine

The Lord is faithful,
He’ll be right by your side on this...
Rollercoaster ride

2009-08-30T20:41:00.000+08:00

I guess some things are inexplicable... where there are ups there must be downs?

What a roller-coaster ride... The ride of life...

2009-08-29T16:01:00.000+08:00

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. [b] I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." Jeremiah 29:11-14

2009-08-29T14:54:00.000+08:00

17 The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."

18 "The sorrows for the appointed feasts
I will remove from you;
they are a burden and a reproach to you. [a]

19 At that time I will deal
with all who oppressed you;
I will rescue the lame
and gather those who have been scattered.
I will give them praise and honor
in every land where they were put to shame.

Zephaniah 3:17-19

2009-08-29T14:52:00.001+08:00

There is no sin too great,
God cannot forgive it.
There is no loss,
He cannot restore.
There is no scar,
He cannot heal.

There is no distance you can go,
His grace cannot reach.
There is nothing—absolutely nothing—
to stop His love and mercy for you.
If there is breath in your being,
there is hope.
There is hope.

2009-08-20T13:18:00.000+08:00

Lord... help me with the things that I don't know I don't know....

The Great Error That Must Be Exploded (John Piper, 1988)

The great error that I am trying to explode in these messages is the error that says, faith in God is one thing and the fight for holiness is another thing. Faith gets you to heaven and holiness gets you rewards. You get your justification by faith, and you get your sanctification by works. You start the Christian life in the power of the Spirit, you press on in the efforts of the flesh. This is the great evangelical error of our day. The battle for obedience is optional, they say, because only faith is necessary for salvation.

Our response: the battle for obedience is absolutely necessary for salvation because it IS the fight of faith.

adapted from desiringgod.org

Back from Cambodia...

2009-08-10T11:46:00.001+08:00

Wow... amazing how time flies at Cambodia...

I am still quite tired even after a good night's rest, thus I shall not elaborate too much on my OCIP trip to Cambodia.

In general, I have had many good memories in Cambodia, and forged a few good friends over there. I miss the children, and I will definitely be back to UNACAS, the orphanage, to visit the children. I realised I was not very prepared, and I will bring some gifts that can meet the needs of the children when I go back.

UNACAS is a christian orphanage, and I have gained some spiritual lessons as well. They are a very hospitable bunch, very friendly, and make complete strangers feel very welcomed in a matter of minutes. And their passion in singing songs of praise to God, as well as their desire to learn more Christian songs is inspiring. Through them I got to know this song by Casting Crowns - Who am I. I would like to share this song to many others, as I feel the lyrics are really beautiful and meanginful.

Who am I

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wondering heart.

Not because of who I am.
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done.
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord you catch me when I'm falling,
And you told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again
Who am I?
That the voice that calm the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am.
But because what of youve done.
Not because of what I've done.
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord you catch me when I'm falling,
And you told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am.
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done.
But because of who you are.

Chorus:
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow.
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord you catch me when I'm falling,
You told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
'Cuz I am yours.
I am yours.

I shall blog about the rest of my trip another day, I hope. And I will try to post some photos as well...

Well, school's starting... and I don't think I'm ready for it yet... shall take the next few days to prepare my mood for school...

2009-06-27T23:42:00.001+08:00

I never even expected it to be so tough... and it's only the beginning...

Quote from Sir Winston Churchill:

"Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.

2009-06-27T18:18:00.003+08:00

God has his time and place for everything...

I'm seeing His timing and His plan.. through the books, through the sermons, through people, through His Word, through prayers, through everything... God is in all...

Philippians 4: 6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

Thank you Lord for giving me this peace of heart... I'll await your timing... and the person... whatever pleases you God...

2009-06-27T08:01:00.002+08:00

when the music fades
all is stripped away
and i simply come
longing just to bring
something that's of worth
that will bless your heart

i'll bring you more than a song
for a song in itself
is not what you have required
you search much deeper within
through the way things appear
you're looking into my heart

chorus
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
and it's all about you
It's all about you, Jesus
I'm sorry Lord for the things i've made it
when it's all about you
it's all about you, Jesus

King of endless worth
no one could express
how much you deserve
though i'm weak and poor
all i have is yours
every single breath

I particularly love the 1st 2 sentences... "when the music fades, all is stripped away" After the emotions have died down, what is the thing that keeps us going on? We must be clear of why we serve God. It is not about our skills, not about the timing of our youth, but it is the attitude to want to follow Him all our life, and this attitude should keep us going.

2009-06-25T17:03:00.003+08:00

Dear Lord... thank God for your work in our fellowship...

I've seen your hand working in each individual... to prepare their hearts for the challenge of commitment to you...

I'm really thankful for the whole fellowship, for the whole committee, and for your work in me as well...

Learnt a lot of lessons... to be serious about my sins... and to let God be the sole command and control in my life...

Also, in seeking God's will, I need to have a close relationship with God... not only that... to spend time listening to Him... Praying.. seeking through His words...

There are just too many things that God has showed that He is working throughout the whole camp... God is real... I believe each and every disciple in CYYAM have experienced and continue to believe it.

As Uncle James duly reminds... when we are serious about our faith... Satan will be worried and will start attacking us spiritually... let's be ready for the super tough battle ahead... but we're not alone... we have support, and we need to continue to carry our cross.. and follow God...

A Workman Approved by God
"14Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some. 19Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are his,"[a] and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."
20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

22Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels. 24And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25Those who oppose him he must gently instruct, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth, 26and that they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the devil, who has taken them captive to do his will." 2 Timothy 2 : 14-26

God's words has always been heavy... I must flee from the evil desires of youth!!! and pursue more important things... just had a struggle to play games... but I must remember my covenant with God...

Also... in verse 20 it talks about that there is gold and silver, wood and clay... do we store up treasures in heaven? Do we give our best to God??? to receive the reward and receive His praises when we see Him again...?

Let's press on everybody!

2009-06-16T20:04:00.000+08:00

All My Life
I Prayed For Someone Like You
And I Thank God
That I ..That I Finally Found You
All My Life
I Prayed For Someone Like You
Yes, I Pray That You Do Love Me Too

2009-06-07T18:03:00.000+08:00

don't overcommit

don't expect too much

2009-06-07T00:00:00.004+08:00

I'm undeserving... but you gave me all, God...

tired... but still going on... hoping that I am able to finish what I need to do...

2009-05-31T19:42:00.001+08:00

2009-05-28T16:23:00.001+08:00

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. James 1: 19-21

Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires...

When you feel angry, something is probably wrong and actions have to be taken...

Huge lesson.

2009-05-23T09:04:00.002+08:00

It's not too late to realize...

Life is war ...

2009-05-09T18:11:00.000+08:00

No one else can understand... but God does...

Be cautious alright?

2009-05-05T22:01:00.003+08:00

We all need time to mature.

Is naivety really that good? Honesty always the best policy? Ignorance is bliss? Complications always bad?

2009-05-05T21:48:00.001+08:00

2009-04-15T00:09:00.004+08:00

haven't been feeling too good...

exams are okay so far...

other things have been hitting me left and right... and perhaps the largest blow is dealt by myself...

Do I deserve love? Probably not... perhaps that's why God's love is so great... that it's unconditional... even on the basis of my sinfulness... God still loves us... theoretically sound... but I can't feel it anymore...

Many things have happened. I'm the main cause of all these happenings, either in mistakes committed, or in feelings towards people in certain ways, or in analyzing people too much, or in putting myself down too much, or having too much pride, or being too rebellious to change, or being too pissed with many things happening, or being ashamed at my naive and prideful self, and so on and so forth.

Again, I find myself in this mess. My life is in a mess. Priorities haywire. Handle issues haywire. Thoughts haywire. Temptations all over the place. Wanting more and more to give in to temptations... Wanting more and more to rebel... more and more to a life of apathy... a life that is probably even worse than where I am now...

Straddled between two sides, neither can I let go
One to life and one to death, and yet I stumble
The road to life is arduous, the other also laborious
One a life of hope, the other a life of achievement

Wars are not fought to determine who is right, but to determine who is left...
Will I be Left or Will I be Right...?

Ambivalence

2009-04-12T22:43:00.002+08:00

am⋅biv⋅a⋅lence

–noun
1. uncertainty or fluctuation, esp. when caused by inability to make a choice or by a simultaneous desire to say or do two opposite or conflicting things.

2. Psychology. the coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions.

This is my first blog post since a fairly long time ago. Well, exams are coming up, and things have not been exactly going too well for me recently.

I like it when Ailing laughs at me and consequently mentions softly... "You are so naive"

I used to think I know alot, or my method is most likely right because I have thought through certain things... but I realize that I am wrong in many instances

Applications vs theories ... how to reach a good balance for this tension. We need theories to apply, but if we focus too much on theories, we can't apply.

I understand more and more why certain things occured in certain ways in the past, and being a critique of the way things were led last time, I tried to change this methodology, but alas I am not that right either.

Love fulfills the law. Interesting phrase in the bible. Let no debt remain outstanding except the debt to love one another. Theories are but empty talk, application is tough... very tough...

Oh well... just something I've been pondering about... and will probably try to improve on in the future.

and yeah... the Lord constantly shows me all my flaws... and there are many many many... it's tough... life has been so tough... and it's getting even tougher...

Many thoughts running through my head... but yeah... holidays are coming... so... yup... guess things will improve once I take time off to think through all these issues... God will be busy when I start asking questions... =D (He plays cheat! already written the answers in the bible... haha... okay yes... there are still other ways that He will reveal...)

2009-03-18T13:09:00.002+08:00

"18Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise.

19For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: "He catches the wise in their craftiness"[a]; 20and again, "The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile."[b]

21So then, no more boasting about men! All things are yours, 22whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas[c] or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, 23and you are of Christ, and Christ is of God." 1 Corinthians 3 : 18-23

I've been foolish.. I thought I was wise...The wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. The only thing to boast is Christ Himself...

Time to live in God's way, and not mine...

2009-03-17T13:04:00.001+08:00

Lord... I know my limitations... and humbled by so many things that have happened in school... I'm worried for my results... not results for results sake... but for my future...

Oh well... I guess... as long as I put in my effort... that God will pave the way for me. No one's perfect, not everyone can be excellent... We all have our ways in which we can give back to God and in which God has blessed us with.

I'll continue to press on, and not worry bout the future. (:

2009-03-12T23:15:00.001+08:00

Lord... I'm only human...

Pray for strength from you to sustain me through these difficult times.

The best is yet to be... let's hope tomorrow will be a better day.

2009-03-08T21:08:00.002+08:00

An excerpt from Martin Luther:

" A Christian is at once a sinner and a saint; he is wicked and pious at the same time. For so far as our persons are concerned, we are in sins and are sinners in our own name. But Christ brings us another name, in which there is the forgiveness of sins, that for His sake sins are remitted and pardoned.

So both statements are true: There are sins, for the old Adam is not entirely dead as yet; yet the sins are not there. The reason is this: For Christ's sake God does not want to see them. I have my eyes on them. I feel and see them well enough. But there is Christ , commanding that I be told I should repent, that is, confess myself a sinner and believe the forgiveness of sins in His name.

For repentance, remorse, and knowledge of sin, though necessary, is not enough; faith in the forgiveness of sins in the name of Christ must be added. But where there is such a faith, God no longer sees any sins; for then you stand before God, not in your name but in Christ's name.

He adorns you with grace and righteousness, although in your own eyes and personally you are a poor sinner, full of weakness and unbelief."

2009-03-06T00:41:00.000+08:00

Don't ask me why... but i just like this song. (:

2009-03-03T14:20:00.003+08:00

Our Lord will pave the way...

Been getting busy these few weeks... but still holding on...

As surely as the Lord preserved the Israelites, He will continue to see us through our life.

2009-02-17T18:59:00.001+08:00

wow. 3rd post.

"For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good." Titus 2:11-14

2009-02-17T15:06:00.003+08:00

Haha. 2 posts in a day. Rare. =X

I was reading the book by John Piper titled " When the darkness will not lift"

He answered this question that I think some of us struggle to contend with at times.

The question is, "Will you be a hypocrite if you obey without joy?"

His reply is as follows.

"No, you will not be a hypocrite, if you know that joy is your duty, and repent that you don't have it, and ask God earnestly to restore the joy even as you do the deed. That is not the way a hypocrite thinks. That is the way a true Christian thinks in the fight for joy."

Courage

2009-02-17T14:18:00.002+08:00

In First Chronicles 28:20 we read:

David said to Solomon, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it; and don't fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God - my God - will be with you. And He will not leave you or forsake you, until you have finished all the work for the service of the house of the Lord."

I can go everywhere He tells me to go. Do anything He tells me to do. Weather any storm. Remain standing after any battle. Whatever He asks me to do, I can do it. Why? Because it's Christ in me Who gives me that strength.

Once that truth really sinks in, you approach even the most uncertain or volatile of circumstances with an attitude that says: "Hey Lord, if You want me to do this, I'm Yours. I'm all in. In fact, there's nothing else I'd rather do."

Why? Because such a believer has only one valid fear—the fear of not being in the center of His will. For the Christian, that's the safest place on earth. If God has called you into a war zone, the truly dangerous place to be is on your couch watching Seinfeld reruns!

Courage! We need it in this hour. More than at any other time, a lost and deceived world needs us to rise up boldly and say, "God, in Your strength, I'll say what You ask me to say, do what You ask me to do, and be what You've called me to be."
Excerpts from Pastor Bob, http://theactiveword.org

Courage and faith in God's plans and strength and covenant to pull us through.

2009-02-15T21:39:00.000+08:00

I can't believe some people haven't seen this before. Haha. Enjoy guys.

2009-01-30T14:14:00.001+08:00

9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

2009-01-29T00:09:00.001+08:00

Another Chance

How often we wish for another chance
to make a fresh beginning.
A chance to blot out our mistakes
And change failure into winning.
It does not take a new day
To make a brand new start,
It only takes a deep desire
To try with all our heart.
To live a little better
And to always be forgiving
And to add a little sunshine
To the world in which we're living.
So never give up in despair
And think that you are through,
For there's always a tomorrow
And the hope of starting new.

Helen Steiner Rice

Refreshed

2009-01-25T20:47:00.004+08:00

Thank God for the past 2 weeks sermons... when i hear the sermon topic... I sorta knew it was going to be very useful for me already...

First sermon on Job... when I heard of the book... I immediately laughed to myself... Job led a tough life... and it was amazing how he managed to overcome his trial...

Second sermon today on removing the old and replacing with the new...

And I also heard a sermon on evangelism during the mid-week...

All 3 have been great encouragements and reminders and even scoldings...

From Job... like Vinc mentioned... through tough times... it is a test of our true relationship with God... and I can't help but think that... whether the relationship is true or not...

Also... it actually taught us to live life without explanations at times... because sometimes... knowing the reasons doesn't change the situation or circumstance we live in...

Tough times teach us that there is more to life than 'hearing' from God... we need to see him too... not literally... but rather not just stop the spiritual life at the early stage... but to mature and to see his works and truth more and more...

From the mid-week sermon... the preacher talked about Luke chapter 12... the parable of the rich fool...

18"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '

20"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'

21"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God."

Here the rich man thought wise that he has already planned out his future... taking life easy... to eat, drink and be merry... However, God said to him "you fool" ... for who on earth can predict when he's going to die?

Therefore, life isn't just about the big plans we have... for our plans... might be foolish ones if we are not careful... It's not about being vexed about not having a girl... or being vexed about not having riches... or worrying about how to earn loads of money... or gain the praises of the world...

Life ... is more than that... It is important to find the right focus... things that have eternal value instead of temporial value... To me... now is about giving my best to God in school, in church, and to my family and friends... for life is a worship to God... and worship is to honour and glory God through offering our whole life for His usage...

And today's sermon... is really apt. I finally confirmed my hypothesis... That I actually enjoy this feeling of sianness... of emotional lows... and of complaints... A pessimistic attitude... one that does not allow for God's grace to be reflected through us because of our attitudes... just like pouring new wine into old wineskins... the wineskins will burst... and the new wine (symbolic of God's grace) will not be held within... We'll just continue to complain...

Throw away the sinful methods of solving problems... Pray for more optimism and blessings...

Forgo the old mindsets.... embrace the new... It's not downwards looking... but upwards... don't always feel down... dun wallow in the enjoyment of the negative emotions... but seek ways to go up... through God who gives us strength... learn from Paul's example...

and... to the most exciting point... forgetting the old grudges... I guess the emotional low... has been due to 2 factors : A lack of emotional support and the inability to overcome grudges built with other people...

Wallowing in these emotions of not being understood... and of unhappiness with life... seems like the concoction that led to this current state that I'm in... Life is more... Life is more than these...

It's time to be magnanimous... to let go these past hatred... dissent... unhappiness... to let go of pride... to learn to forgive... to learn to embrace... to learn to accept... to learn to love...

And as Paul mentioned in Colossians... to set our minds on heavenly things... to use His methods to solve problems...

Life is unfair ( I AGREE!) haha... thus we pray for more grace and mercy to embrace the unjust in life...

Continue meditating on God's words... today's sermon used the verse that I quoted the other time... Lamentations 3:23... His mercies are new every morning (: Every day is a new day... as in Romans 12... that we should transform ourselves by the renewing of our minds... (:

Continue to meditate on His words... We have been given a new life... and we have to strive for a new thinking... a new paradigm...

Anyway... there was this part that talked about Man's tendency towards covetousness, greed, lusts... The pastor said to be wary of not building on your greed... we've been taught to fight for what we think is good... but there is nothing good outside of God...

I nearly teared when I heard this statement again... Yeah... I've been fighting too hard... It's time to trust God... not to lean on my own understanding... to learn not to covet after another's heart... (:

Life goes on... (in a good way now)... Thank God...

And I'd like to take this time to thank everyone who has been there for me these weeks... who've shown their concern and love and care... be it directly or indirectly... and I thank God for His reminders through all these...

"Dont' give up"

I haven't... (:

2009-01-19T01:09:00.003+08:00

I guess nothing's ever easy...

The challenges are tough... but not insurmountable...

Life is too short for certain things...

Life goes on...

We need to do things that are important...

Lord... continue to seek you to overcome this pain... this emptiness... this...emotion...

2009-01-19T00:19:00.001+08:00

...

2009-01-12T21:34:00.002+08:00

In life... there are 2 types of people...

One that complains about whatever they don't have control over... and does nothing about what they have control of....

And the other... who actually doesn't just sit around blaming circumstances... awaiting opportunities... but rather seek self-improvement... and be diligent in fulfilling his half of the equation...

I used to be the former in some issues... I hope to be more like the latter in time to come...

Oh Lord help me...

2009-01-12T20:37:00.003+08:00

It's funny how things can change so quickly... well... like the saying goes... the only constant is change...

Sometimes it's just kinda tough to comprehend the things that have unravelled are the best for me... Do we really have to look in retrospect before we can appreciate the goodness of things? Or is there some way we can appreciate the goodness whilst living through the apparent state of things...?

It seems tougher now... and somehow I feel the dangerous feeling again... that there isn't someone who really understands me... I guess it's a two-way street... is it? I don't know... maybe I'm just creating all these barriers that people don't really understand me anymore... Or am I so disillusioned with the the opinion that people are complicated that I've subconsciously indulged in creating a complicated being in myself?

I'm desperately tempted to use my favourite catch phrase, " Life goes on... " but I guess if I'm always so pessimistic and so passive about improving the status quo... then I'll just continue down this slippery slope... and will never get a release from what's troubling me...

I still haven't completely identified the factors that have led to this emotional low... I only know that I need to try to get out of it...

Seeking God for answers... I hope I don't depend on myself alone for answers cos I can't seem to find any anyway...

2009-01-03T21:26:00.001+08:00

People are complicated...

are you?

2009-01-03T02:12:00.001+08:00

In this meaningless life of mine I have seen both of these:
a righteous man perishing in his righteousness,
and a wicked man living long in his wickedness.

16 Do not be overrighteous,
neither be overwise—
why destroy yourself?

17 Do not be overwicked,
and do not be a fool—
why die before your time?

18 It is good to grasp the one
and not let go of the other.
The man who fears God will avoid all extremes .

Ecclesiastes 7 : 15-18

2008-12-29T22:32:00.002+08:00

just read an e-mail... another reminder to be constantly thankful for our circumstances...

Living in Singapore itself is a blessing...

We complain about the books we have to study... but others don't even have a chance to read... others crave for this chance to equip themselves with this knowledge so as to improve their living standards...

We complain about the things we have... but others don't even have many things...

Rah...

I feel so selfish...

Lord... break me down from my selfish wants... and allow me to pursue your Kingdom's needs...

2008-12-22T00:41:00.001+08:00

2008-12-16T20:51:00.003+08:00

I recommend every christian to watch the show Facing the Giants...

I've never cried for so long... it's a really touching show... or maybe it's just because the state I'm at right now...

So many times we say we can't... but God can... we serve a big God... and He is there for us...

I'm really touched when I see the wife... who continues to have faith in God... who continues to love God... even when God din seem to answer her prayers to have children... even when the odds were against her... she still said "I will still love you..."

It's an amazing show.... amazing... and we have an amazing God...

"What's impossible with God? Nothing..."

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

2008-12-16T20:12:00.000+08:00

The steadfast love of The LORD never ceases
His mercies never come to an end
They are new every morning

Lamentations 3 : 22-23

The Lord continues to encourage me... and to touch me in His ways... it's amazing... and it's powerful...

Lord I lift your name on High...

2008-12-16T02:06:00.001+08:00

It's tough... it's tough...

Time heals all wounds... does it?

Life goes on

2008-12-15T23:33:00.000+08:00

Life goes on

Contemplation

2008-12-15T22:29:00.003+08:00

I just met Ailing today... and she was like telling me about being sensitive to God's signals... or his signs... like why did this thing happen at this time... what's the significance... and what is the thing to be inferred...

She was talking about another issue... but interestingly enough... after she mentioned this concept of sensitivity... I realized that I was placed with an issue at hand... and it seems as though... the events that have unraveled... points me to one direction...

I do not want to be the one to hurt someone else...again... I want to be a man that stands up to what he says... for he has felt the downside of it himself... A man that does not want others to experience what he has so painfully experienced himself...

I guess it's time... for the love of another... and for reasons greater than myself... to make the decision... and be firm with it... (:

Lord... I hope this is what you want... and I hope I can do it....

2008-12-06T21:53:00.002+08:00

It's been very long since I've last posted...

I no longer know what to write anymore...

Yeah... I just had a terrific trip to Perth... but it seems like... there are so many questions left unanswered in my head...

And sometimes... when you bask in the serene suburbs... plenty of thoughts fill your mind... It's almost intimidating... It's almost... wistful...

Yeah... been exposed to a new community recently... PUA...an acronym they coin themselves ... it is short for Pick-up Artists... how i got this exposure? through non other than the international bestseller titled "THE GAME", written by Neil Strauss.

Well... it was the book that kept me preoccupied during empty moments of the trip... for example... on the coach, late at night, on the plane, and so on... it was quite interesting... the way he picked up this form of 'art'... and how he made it of his own... i couldn't really take the way they worked their artform... and thus skipped all the way to the back... because I heard of people saying that there's some sort of a disappointing twist in the end...

but to me... it wasn't disappointing... I got to see that he actually ended up with a girl that he developed feelings for... that it wasn't just all about picking up women for the sake of it... or worse still... just for the joy of physical intimacy... Thankfully for the ending... I'm willing to read through the whole book... to further understand the kind of impact that it had on his life... that this man was willing to give up... the kind of authority over most women he met... that he could have nearly whoever he wanted... (One of the PUAs even picked up Paris Hilton) and yet he gave it all up for the love of one woman...

Okay... just some thoughts from reading that book... I hope I can finish that book by tomorrow... but I highly doubt it... anyway... this leads me perfectly into listing out the goals I have for my holidays... well... I've decided to finish up 3 fiction books... "The Game" (even though they say it's non-fiction) , "To kill a Mocking Bird", and "Tuesdays with Morrie"... I also want to finish 3 non-fiction books... still undecided on the books though...

Hmmm... yeah... there are still many things on my mind... and it's bugging me... owell... got to overcome them slowly i guess... rah... will blog about it next time... have a happy holidays everyone...

2008-11-19T10:18:00.000+08:00

In Christ Alone...

2008-11-10T11:44:00.000+08:00

Deny Yourself

For anothers cause, today I choose to die
I leave behind those things which exemplify
the me that I used to be
And now I choose to sacrifice myself,
not for my good
But for the good of someone else
This flesh that was given to me, I give it back
for truly it is not my own
And the things which it desires, the
fulfillment which it seeks, is wrong
So I die
Not today, not tomorrow, but
daily, I die daily that I might live
And in death I give up those things
which truly, have the potential to kill
I deny myself all the sick satisfactions
that elate my flesh
And I choose not what is good
but what is best
Ola Kelly

Copyright ©2008 Ola Kelly

2008-11-10T11:33:00.002+08:00

Okay... I realise that I haven't posted anything for quite some time...

Perhaps I've lost the flair of writing... I dunno... There were instances when I wanted to write a simple post... but ended up deleting everything instead...

Ah well... Exams are coming!!! Holidays are next!!! woo... seems kinda surreal... the term is ending so soon!

Anyway... i wish best of luck to everyone who's having exams out there now... and that we do not neglect our other responsibilities and priorities! :)

Take Care all....

2008-10-16T01:35:00.003+08:00

Patience is imperative...

Rushing things that can't be rushed is really futile...

:)

Urgh... I can't seem to get proper rest recently... and I keep having this bored feeling! I really dunno why ! =(

2008-10-10T02:35:00.001+08:00

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12

Learning to try to let go of things that aren't pleasing to Him...

That there is nothing good outside of God...

Not being a slave to any other things except being a servant for Him...

Learning to control my tongue and speech and actions and thoughts...

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

2008-10-04T23:59:00.002+08:00

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God

You're Indescribable Lord... This is the song that I wanted to post for very long... but somehow kept forgetting... I really like the lyrics for the song... Enjoy guys :)

2008-10-02T23:19:00.004+08:00

Limited resources?

Do we use it as an excuse not to serve?

Do we rely on God's strength to overcome our weaknesses?

Do we serve in God's way? or our own way?

Do we believe that God can accomplish more through us as long as we offer our bodies to Him?

In the book of Judges... we see Gideon... leading 300 men to victory over the Israelite's enemies... Not only the Midianites... but more...

Gideon rounded up 22,000 troups... but God cut it to only 300 men... Gideon could've said then... hey... we don't have enough resources God... and doubt the fact that they will win eventually... But he did not... He trusted in God... He had faith ... even if every human logical and rational sense told him against winning... He believed...

There were so many instances that showed God leading His people out of their enemies...

If today we were doing God's work... and we know that this is our calling... do you think God will not help us?

Are we over-rationalising things? If God gave us $1... we can only return $1? back in tack...? in its orginial pristine form? Does God gain glory through that?

It is because we are weak... and that's when we are strong... when God manifests His greatness through us... we may have $1... but we know that we can give back $2 if we entrust ourselves to God... and maybe even more... But are we even putting in that effort to work past that $1 ?

I'm terribly disappointed at many happenings yesterday... but the verse in Matthew 7:1 constantly comes back to haunt me...

All i wanna do is to continue to pray to God... that we'll have a united body in Christ...

I might be rash... but I hope I'm rash for God... I really believe that we can do much more... Oh Lord help us...

To God be the glory... The best is yet to be... we'll work hard for you !

edit

was just thinking about this issue again... Again thought of King David...

With 5 stones at hand, he managed to defeat Goliath the giant...

With his background... who would've thought he could've won? Even his brothers did not believe in him...

But God gave him the strength to defeat the Philistine...

A man who tended the flock became a warrior who defeated one of Israel's greatest threats then...

Did it seem like he had the relevant skills for the job? Didn't seem like it... Because it was so... people knew that the God of Israel was with him... and he attested God's glory through his actions...

I'm sure there are countless of other examples...

But the lesson here is that we don't always use our human logic in doing God's work... If we only do the work that we are able to do ourselves, that our 'skill set' enable us to do... then we are not doing God's work... but our own work...

2008-09-28T22:19:00.003+08:00

Really thank God for a very good week... He has indeed blessed me with many good things for the past week... and I really thank Him for His help...

The sermons these weeks have been very encouraging... and I thank God for the sermon application times... I can see that God is starting to answer our prayers and He is working in His time and in His people...

I can see quite a few people picking up... and I continue to pray for our fellowship that we will grow together and please God more.

"Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that(BU) we may present everyone(BV) mature in Christ." Colossians 1:28

Today's sermon again reminded us not to treat fellowship as a social gathering... It is a distinction from the social clubs of this world... And that distinction is God and the spiritual aspect of it...

Let us continue to teach, admonish, rebuke, and encourage one another with the motivation of love and with the intent of presenting everyone mature in Christ.

Let's continue to strive for the more important things in life... on our relationships with people and not merely focusing on our career, our studies, and etc. albeit its relative importance in this world.

Although the revival camp might be postponed... I hope that God will continue to answer our prayers for many individual revivals throughout our fellowship... :)

Have a great week ahead everyone... Let us strive to get that balance of spending time with God and with brothers and sisters in Christ. see you all on wednesday

2008-09-25T14:02:00.002+08:00

"Like a lawyer, the human brain wants victory, not truth; and, like a lawyer, it is sometimes more admirable for skill than virtue." - Robert Wright, author and journalist

hmmm... i dunno what to make of this... comments anyone? hahs.. it sounds like a very sad statement to me...

"32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

2008-09-18T01:00:00.003+08:00

Thank you Lord for the short talk with Wei En...

My life is screwed up... Satan totally used my school work to get the better of me...

Alas, I haven't found the right balance still...

Going to go back to God...

Once again I strayed away from you Lord...

Please forgive me for such disobedience...

Pray for a more focused heart....

2008-09-18T01:00:00.002+08:00

I am increasingly finding it difficult to understand myself.

I am currently involved in planning a Community Service Project in which we want to actually impart certain inter-personal skills. One of which is to let the beneficiaries know more about themselves.

How do you define knowing yourself? How much can you ever know? What defines you ? The things you do? The principles you have? Your looks? Your character? Your learning style? Your thinking style?

What? What constitutes you knowing yourself? Can we ever be fully known by ourselves? Do we know how we will react when certain situations arise?

I am getting more and more confused... and I do not have the luxury of time to ponder about it deeper...

Help me Lord...

2008-09-18T01:00:00.000+08:00

It's time to move on... and I really want to... I do...

2008-09-15T01:23:00.002+08:00

Recently had been feeling quite down at school... sometimes feel quite dumb... very humbled... and feel very powerless... and useless... don't feel the kinda confidence that I had back in JC period...

This quote was quite a good encouragement... Ailing printed it for me... it was mentioned in the movie " Aquilla and the Bee"

"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually... who are you not to be?
We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us.
And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to
do the same. " Quoted from Marianne Williamson

2008-09-09T13:09:00.003+08:00

I hope that I am able to blog about my QT at least twice per week...(gone down from thrice) haha...

"Spiritual Myopia" Myopia is not that we cannot see at all, it's just that we are able to receive information through our eyes, but unable to find the right focus.

Similarly, we tend to lose focus easily... especially when we focus on our problems and issues and so on... It's easy to identify issues in your personal walk, in your relationships, in your fellowship, in your family and so on... but it's not easy to maintain the focus that God provides and He is the God Almighty, El Shaddai.

"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered. "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." 2 Kings 6:16

Elisha reminded his servant to be able to have the right focus... His servant could only focus on the enemies... (6:15) but Elisha prayed to God to open his eyes to the horses and chariots of fire who were sent by God to protect them...

What is within us, is greater than what is outside of us...

We do not say, "God, I have a big problem," but rather we say, "Problem, I have a big God." That's quite a cliche saying, but it's a timely reminder for me.

Yes, there are many issues in life, but God will provide and He will guide. His plans for us are the best, and I pray to Him to continue to give us this focus to go back to Him...

Take care, my brothers and sisters...

2008-09-02T14:38:00.000+08:00

在你手中

我願意將我全心交在你手中
毫無保留毫無保留
我願意將我全心交在你手中
毫無保留毫無保留
生命中一切全是你所賜給我
賞賜在你收取在於你
也許曾渴望擁有
但你要我慢慢學習放手在每一分鐘
現在我已經不同
生命屬你不屬於我
甘願成為你手中美好的工作

Rationality

2008-08-31T23:48:00.004+08:00

Rationality... sometimes putting things into perspective is just that important... As sinners... our vision is so limited... peripheral... Peripheral has two meanings... interestingly... the overlap of vision of our two eyes is called peripheral vision... Peripheral can also mean focusing on relatively minor and irrelevant issues... Such a pun... It is indeed accurate to term man for having peripheral vision...

Rationality distinguishes from emotions... Sometimes... you're just so emotionally attached... that you no longer wanna hear the rational side of yourself... And you delve and sink into emotions... and that's where you lose yourself... where negative thinking sets in... where you don't think straight... That little bit of rationality... is so important...

When we are too engrossed at what we have at hand... we tend to forget about the little things in life that can make us happy... In fact... it takes very little to make one happy... isn't it? Rationality puts things into perspective... not drawing focus away from what we need to be focused on...

I pray for the fine balance of rationality vs emotions... something i've been struggling all this while... to be in control of emotions... and to not be void of emotions at times...

Have a blessed week ahead everyone ; )

2008-08-26T14:28:00.002+08:00

Inextricably... Such a beautiful word...

An inextricable web of deceit and lies that we live in...

Hope for an inexorable truth...

Brought by an immaculate death on the cross...

2008-08-25T10:49:00.005+08:00

'Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow him; but if Baal is God, follow him."
But the people said nothing.' 1 Kings 18 : 21

Sometimes when I read the old testament, I don't see the direct link between the happenings and my life.

I still remember Ailing posting me this question, "Either you choose to belong to God or you choose to belong to the world."

In comparison, the many things that we might place priority over God now are all Baal.
A continual process of evaluation is required, to ensure that we do not neglect God as the center of our lives.

'The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by."

Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind.

After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. 12 After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire.

And after the fire came a gentle whisper. ' 1 Kings 19 : 11-12

The still small voice that speaks to us amidst all the busyness of life... Are we still sensitive to it...?

2008-08-24T02:44:00.002+08:00

Food, we just can't live without it. Consumption for survival is stating the obvious, but somehow, food satisfies other needs as well. It acts as a stress relief, an enjoyment and some would say it's an art form.

It is so essential, and can be so satisfying. In fact, many of us look forward to our lunch breaks, where we can take our minds off work for a moment, to enjoy the simplicity of putting chunks of delicious food into our mouths.

That's how most of us would take a look at food...

You may ask... how else can we define it???

Jesus says, "My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish His work" John 4:33-35

Doing His will. An essential of life. An enjoyment. A necessity. An every day thing.

Are we doing it?

2008-08-20T23:01:00.002+08:00

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ... Matthew 11:28

I can't believe that a sinner can neglect even such a simple message brought forth by Jesus...

It's such comforting words to me now... Thank you Lord for providing with such an encouragement...

2008-08-20T12:01:00.002+08:00

Forgive me Lord... For not having faith in you...

Even with the prayers for the modules... I'm still so flustered and worried...

Results coming out soon !

2008-08-05T10:54:00.002+08:00

"And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as son."

Endure hardship as discipline;God is treating you as sons.For what son is not disciplined by his father?

If you are not disciplined ( and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!

Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.

No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

Hebrews 12 : 5-11

God will discipline those He loves... and thus I am grateful for the many ways that many people have been giving me feedback for me to continue to mindful of my speech and my actions and to continue to allow Him to mould me into His likeness.

2008-08-02T20:22:00.003+08:00

Had been very tired for the past few days... The Freshmen TeamBuilding Camp (FTB) was really tiring... Initially it was still okay... but the sun... the physical and mental activities... the lack of sleep... the mosquitoes disturbing my sleep... the rocky ground we slept on... made me feel super tired at the end of it all... and i didn't feel tired till the end of it.. thankfully...

And I guess I didn't get enough rest after that... Went to a CIP thing on thursday, and then spent the whole Friday with my church friends... and alas, I caught a slight fever...

Rested at home for the whole day already... Feel much better... should be able to recover by tomorrow...

Hmmm... A new environment... the university... SMU... many temptations, distractions surfaced since matriculation. I thank God for the revival camp committee... that as we discussed about certain issues.. it presented a reminder to me as well... that my life was slowly shifting to the world again... and from Friday morning's QT sharing... that sometimes we lose sight of why we uphold certain principles... and that we too often assert our supposed 'rights' too strongly... I ask myself... since others are doing it, what's so wrong about me doing it ? Or worse still, since other 'christians' are doing it, what's wrong about it? I guess this resulted in not spending enough time with God...

I remember Wei En's sharing... Satan spends 168hours trying to distract us from God... and we only spend so little time with God... A lesson learnt and currently trying to apply is to talk to my God more... Too many times I try to reason out things in my own way... not talking to God about it... Again I go back to Wei En's sharing bout continually conversing with God throughout the day... short prayers, is a good help to keep focus throughout the day...

There are many things out there that can discourage us... Christians who don't be have like christians... arguments that arise... etc. but ultimately, we're not here to judge. And God has already given me the hope of salvation... the faith and love that He has given to me... The strength and everything to continue to walk with God... He is our all in all... He is the Lord Almighty... The Most High... The King of Kings... Just heard the song from ziling's blog... it's really a gd reminder... a simple yet powerful song... :

"Did you ever talk to God above?
Tell Him that you need a friend to love
Pray in Jesus' name believing that
God answers prayers

Have you told Him all your cares and woes
Every tiny little fear He knows
You can know He'll always hear
And He will answer prayers

You can whisper in a crowd to Him
You can cry when you're alone to Him
You don't have to pray out loud to Him
He knows your thoughts

On a lofty mountain peak He's there
In the meadow by a stream He's there
Everywhere on earth you go
He's been there from the start

Find the answer in His word it's true
You'll be strong because He walks with you
By His faithfulness He'll change you too
God answers prayers "

I like the part about every tiny fear, telling Him everything, and that He knows our thoughts, and to continue learning bout His word and walking with God as He walks with us...

Let us continue to walk in Christ, being focused on God alone, viewing other things as rubbish just like Paul did... and have the courage to let go the things we need to let go... ; )

"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Pressing on Toward the Goal
12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 3: 7 -14

2008-07-27T23:08:00.003+08:00

Alas, the fellowship has undergone the restructuring.

I really believe that this is a plan given to us by God as we can see the many reasons that we really need to have two ministries now - YA and YF.

In every system, there is imperfection. In every change, there is resentment. Things happen for a reason. Life goes on. We need to continue to press on for God.

The reality of the issue hasn't really set in me yet, but I am sure that once things do, I will really miss my two brothers who have crossed over to the YF ministry to serve. It is projected to be a 5 year long period where they will help train up new Disciple Makers and the future leaders of the YF ministry. I will continue to keep them in prayers.

Through the restructuring, I am now given the opportunity from God to serve as a group leader as well as being a disciple maker. Today the preacher mentioned a very interesting thing that happened to him. He said that someone said that he was very happy of his service because he was the least qualified, which makes him depend on God more for strength and wisdom in his service. I think that it was a good point being made. Sometimes, we rely too much on our own strength. I thank God for humbling me, and I know that I am very limited as a person, but I can do all things through Him who gives me strength. On top of that, He has given me a good leader who continues to help me and good co-workers who provide support for me. I pray that God will continue to use me to help my brothers and sisters, to present everyone mature in Christ.

Well, life is tough. A cliche saying goes like this, "When the going gets tough, the tough gets going". It's time to get going. I believe in God's providence. He is the Jehovah Jireh, and He will provide with the necessary strength and wisdom to pull me through the valleys - the challenges ahead. I praise the Lord for He has continually shown faithfulness to His people, that He will send His angels before us in war, that we are not in this battle alone, that He has provided us with such a great fellowship, great leadership, and great brothers and sisters.

Let's continue to run this race, like one who runs for the prize, being focused on Him and not be distracted by the worldly attractions. Let's press on for Him! ; )

"24Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." 1 Cor 9:24

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. " Colossians 2 : 6-7

2008-07-26T19:15:00.001+08:00

Thank you for the cross, Lord
Thank you for the price You paid
Bearing all my sin and shame
In love You came
And gave amazing grace

Thank you for this love, Lord
Thank you for the nail pierced hands
Washed me in Your cleansing flow
Now all I know
Your forgiveness and embrace

Worthy is the Lamb
Seated on the throne
Crown You now with many crowns
You reign victorious

High and lifted up
Jesus Son of God
The Darling of Heaven crucified
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb

2008-07-26T09:11:00.001+08:00

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?

27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[b]?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'

32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.

33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-34

One of the verses that encourages me alot...

2008-07-24T23:33:00.001+08:00

"19My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. 21Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. " James 1:19-21

"18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." Romans 7:18

Oh Lord help me please.