Sharing My Journey With God With You...

A Passion for Thee

2011-11-13T11:39:00.001+08:00

A lovely hymn I came across in church. I hope this song can be a prayer from your heart too.

Set my heart, O dear Father,
On Thee, and Thee only,
Give me a thirst
For Thy presence divine.
Lord, keep my focus
on loving Thee wholly,
Purge me from earth;
Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee; O Lord,
Set a fire in my soul,
And a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer,
Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve,
But to love Thee
With all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit,
And fit me for service,
Let love for Christ
Every motive inspire,
Teach me to follow
In selfless submission,
Be Thou my joy
And my soul's one desire.

A passion for Thee; O Lord,
Set a fire in my soul,
And a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer,
Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve,
But to love Thee
With all of my heart.

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ANNOUNCEMENT

2011-08-27T09:47:00.002+08:00

It's been quite a long time since I last update on my life.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank God for Eu-Jzin. He proposed to me on 19 July 2011 & we're working towards becoming one on 19 January 2013. :)

In the mean time, we'll be busy preparing for the wedding as well as looking for a place to call our own. I pray that God will watch & guide us, grant us patience & wisdom, as we plan for our union.

4 points to bear in mind

2011-06-16T17:31:00.003+08:00

I came across 4 pointers that is very useful to all of us Christians and thought it would be good to share:

There are many things we can do - but not everything is beneficial or constructive (see 1 Cor 10:23);

Evalute of what effect our actions have on others (see 1 Cor 10:24);

Do everything for the glory of God (see 1 Cor 10:31);

Jesus remains the best example to follow, which is why we need to fill our minds with everything we can discover about him (see 1 Cor 11:1).

Points extracted from Cover To Cover Every Day May/Jun 2011, 16 June 2011.

He lives in us

2011-03-21T09:16:00.002+08:00

It's been 3 months since the new year & sadly, this is my very first post in 2011. Nevertheless, I want to thank God for being gracious & merciful, always forgiving us for the sinful steps we take, However, we must bear in mind not to be complacent & not to take God's goodness for granted.

Okay, back to the topic of this post. I watched The Lion King -- Musical last evening & I'm glad that my boyfriend & I found out that the story was influenced by Biblical stories of Moses & Joseph (especially Moses, I'd say), where Simba thought he caused his father's death & was told by his uncle to leave his home & never go back. Simba, like Moses, was caught in guilt & insecurity. At the turning point of the scene, this song captured me as I was reminded that our God, the Faithful One, always, always, lives in us:

He lives in you
He lives in me
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
In your reflection
He lives in you

Yes, our God, so holy, so mighty, that we're so unworthy of Him; this God lives in us & we bear His resemblance as we are created in His own image. He knew us before we are formed (see Jer. 1:5). I pray that all of us will be constantly reminded by how loving our God is to us, & forever be grateful such that our ways & actions will glorify Him. Amen.

Amazing Grace, indeed!

2010-12-30T12:17:00.003+08:00

Despite knowing that some things are good to us, we tend to take it for granted somehow. One such thing is God-given grace. I think all Christians know that God gives grace freely to us all because He, our Creator, loves His creation. But as I was reading today's devotion this morning, I can't help but am really grateful for this sweet reminder of how amazing God's grace for us all is:

1. "God's grace poured out in Christ is bestowed not of His surplus but out of His fullness, and not only on the ungrateful but on His enemies who are in active rebellion and hostility towards Him!"

2. "Grace is the outgoing energy of God that sustains and provides resources for Christians at every turn."

3. "Grace comes as a gift to our poverty, not a triumph of our resources. We come to receive grace with empty hands. God resists those who are self-sufficient, independent and proud, but 'gives grace to the humble' (1 Peter 5:5).

4. God's grace will restore, strengthen & establish us, & makes us firm and steadfast (1 Peter 5:10).

May God be glorified! Amen.

CHRISTmas...

2010-12-24T11:09:00.003+08:00

So royal & holy that love came down at Christmas, stooped to wash dusty feet, & humbled itself to the self-giving of the cross.

An Uncluttered Christmas - Spiritled Woman

2010-12-07T09:21:00.000+08:00

An Uncluttered Christmas - Spiritled Woman

Christmas is about God GIVING us His Son, Jesus, to redeem us eternally. Even as we give this Christmas, remember the origin of GIVING...

Trust in God

2010-10-26T21:39:00.001+08:00

A prayer to God:

Lord, I need Your assurance in things that makes me upset. I need You to help me see things through Your very eyes & understand them like how You do. Guide my ways that I may glorify You in all that I do--including my thoughts--& help me to shine Your glory so that people may see Jesus in me.

Help me, dear Lord. For I know that it is when I'm weak, that Your strength may be seen.

Amen.

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Frustrations

2010-08-15T17:40:00.001+08:00

I don't & think I can ever understand. No matter how I'm trying to reason things out or find alternate reasonings, I'm forever stucked!Lord, please help!

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Deep inside..

2010-07-04T09:56:00.002+08:00

Call me emotional but this is how i think & what I feel: getting the days passed without hoping & planning for the future is as good as trying to get pass an uninterested, mundane life. And I feel I'm part of that life.

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4 "Takes" from Matthew 6:25-34

2010-06-29T20:34:00.002+08:00

This is an extract from my devotional material, Cover To Cover Every Day:

1. Take lessons from the logic of creation (v26-30)
- Spend time with nature. They, i.e. animals & plants, can teach us how to trust.
- Jesus affirms that we, humans, are of more value than God's other creatures.

2. Take note of the lifestyle of pagans (v32)
- How can we be salt & light to them if we are as neurotic as they are about where their daily bread is coming from?

3. Take heart, above all, from the love of the Father (v32)
- Our Daddy God knows our every need before we ask him (v8, 32).

4. Take life in day-sized chunks (v34)
- "To live in the present is to live in the Presence." - Gerald Vann.

The key is to rechannel our energies into a renewed passion for the kingdom of God & its surpassing righteousness (v33).

My food for thought, & action. :)

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A timely reminder from God

2010-06-29T19:33:00.001+08:00

Matthew 6:26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much better than they? 6:30 Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 6:33 But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 6:34 Take therefore no thought for tomorrow: for tomorrow shall take thought of the things for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. (KJ2000 - sent from CadreBible)

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Paul's Letter to American Christians -- Afterthought

2010-05-03T10:34:00.002+08:00

I thank God that Pastor Jason shared this during service yesterday. Yesterday's sermon was about Christian Unity. Pastor Jason gave very good illustrations on how we divide the Christian body based on differences such as denominations & practices (such as how we worshipped). Like what Paul wrote to the Corinthians (in 1 Corinthians 3:4-9), "For when one says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos," are you not mere men? What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building."

Instead of tearing the body of Christ up, we should embrace the difference we have. At the end of the day, whatever practices we do, whatever denominations we are in, our ultimate desire is to seek God & please Him.

This message serves as a real good reminder. I was brought up in a Protestant church, and a really charismatic kind. On the other hand, Eu-Jzin was brought up in a Bible Presbyterian church. The practices of both denominations are different. I missed being liberal--lifting up my hands and clapping to the beat. I feel that the way we worship God should not be limited. It's a way to express my joy & adoration for God. But what I've come to understand from this message is to strike a balance. Ultimately, as I have said, our desire is to worship & praise God; to give God all the glory He deserves. So no matter if it's putting my hands at the side or raising them up, as long as my heart turns to Him, He knows it all.

Credit goes to my Lord God for the revelation. :)

Paul's Letter to American Christians

2010-05-02T11:47:00.002+08:00

Letter written by Martin Luther King. King wrote it in a way how Paul will write if he were to. For the full copy of King's speech, please click on the title above.

I, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to you who are in America, Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For many years I have longed to be able to come to see you. I have heard so much of you and of what you are doing. I have heard of the fascinating and astounding advances that you have made in the scientific realm. I have heard of your dashing subways and flashing airplanes. Through your scientific genius you have been able to dwarf distance and place time in chains. You have been able to carve highways through the stratosphere. So in your world you have made it possible to eat breakfast in New York City and dinner in Paris, France. I have also heard of your skyscraping buildings with their prodigious towers steeping heavenward. I have heard of your great medical advances, which have resulted in the curing of many dread plagues and diseases, and thereby prolonged your lives and made for greater security and physical well-being. All of that is marvelous. You can do so many things in your day that I could not do in the Greco-Roman world of my day. In your age you can travel distances in one day that took me three months to travel. That is wonderful. You have made tremendous strides in the area of scientific and technological development.

But America, as I look at you from afar, I wonder whether your moral and spiritual progress has been commensurate with your scientific progress. It seems to me that your moral progress lags behind your scientific progress. Your poet Thoreau used to talk about "improved means to an unimproved end." How often this is true. You have allowed the material means by which you live to outdistance the spiritual ends for which you live. You have allowed your mentality to outrun your morality. You have allowed your civilization to outdistance your culture. Through your scientific genius you have made of the world a neighborhood, but through your moral and spiritual genius you have failed to make of it a brotherhood. So America, I would urge you to keep your moral advances abreast with your scientific advances.

I am impelled to write you concerning the responsibilities laid upon you to live as Christians in the midst of an unChristian world. That is what I had to do. That is what every Christian has to do. But I understand that there are many Christians in America who give their ultimate allegiance to man-made systems and customs. They are afraid to be different. Their great concern is to be accepted socially. They live by some such principle as this: "everybody is doing it, so it must be alright." For so many of you Morality is merely group consensus. In your modern sociological lingo, the mores are accepted as the right ways. You have unconsciously come to believe that right is discovered by taking a sort of Gallup poll of the majority opinion. How many are giving their ultimate allegiance to this way.

But American Christians, I must say to you as I said to the Roman Christians years ago, "Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." Or, as I said to the Phillipian Christians, "Ye are a colony of heaven." This means that although you live in the colony of time, your ultimate allegiance is to the empire of eternity. You have a dual citizenry. You live both in time and eternity; both in heaven and earth. Therefore, your ultimate allegiance is not to the government, not to the state, not to nation, not to any man-made institution. The Christian owes his ultimate allegiance to God, and if any earthly institution conflicts with God's will it is your Christian duty to take a stand against it. You must never allow the transitory evanescent demands of man-made institutions to take precedence over the eternal demands of the Almighty God.

I understand that you have an economic system in America known as Capitalism. Through this economic system you have been able to do wonders. You have become the richest nation in the world, and you have built up the greatest system of production that history has ever known. All of this is marvelous. But Americans, there is the danger that you will misuse your Capitalism. I still contend that money can be the root of all evil. It can cause one to live a life of gross materialism. I am afraid that many among you are more concerned about making a living than making a life. You are prone to judge the success of your profession by the index of your salary and the size of the wheel base on your automobile, rather than the quality of your service to humanity.

The misuse of Capitalism can also lead to tragic exploitation. This has so often happened in your nation. They tell me that one tenth of one percent of the population controls more than forty percent of the wealth. Oh America, how often have you taken necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. If you are to be a truly Christian nation you must solve this problem. You cannot solve the problem by turning to communism, for communism is based on an ethical relativism and a metaphysical materialism that no Christian can accept. You can work within the framework of democracy to bring about a better distribution of wealth. You can use your powerful economic resources to wipe poverty from the face of the earth. God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty. God intends for all of his children to have the basic necessities of life, and he has left in this universe "enough and to spare" for that purpose. So I call upon you to bridge the gulf between abject poverty and superfluous wealth.

I would that I could be with you in person, so that I could say to you face to face what I am forced to say to you in writing. Oh, how I long to share your fellowship.

Let me rush on to say something about the church. Americans, I must remind you, as I have said to so many others, that the church is the Body of Christ. So when the church is true to its nature it knows neither division nor disunity. But I am disturbed about what you are doing to the Body of Christ. They tell me that in America you have within Protestantism more than two hundred and fifty six denominations. The tragedy is not so much that you have such a multiplicity of denominations, but that most of them are warring against each other with a claim to absolute truth. This narrow sectarianism is destroying the unity of the Body of Christ. You must come to see that God is neither a Baptist nor a Methodist; He is neither a Presbyterian nor a Episcopalian. God is bigger than all of our denominations. If you are to be true witnesses for Christ, you must come to see that America.

But I must not stop with a criticism of Protestantism. I am disturbed about Roman Catholicism. This church stands before the world with its pomp and power, insisting that it possesses the only truth. It incorporates an arrogance that becomes a dangerous spiritual arrogance. It stands with its noble Pope who somehow rises to the miraculous heights of infallibility when he speaks ex cathedra. But I am disturbed about a person or an institution that claims infallibility in this world. I am disturbed about any church that refuses to cooperate with other churches under the pretense that it is the only true church. I must emphasize the fact that God is not a Roman Catholic, and that the boundless sweep of his revelation cannot be limited to the Vatican. Roman Catholicism must do a great deal to mend its ways.

There is another thing that disturbs me to no end about the American church. You have a white church and you have a Negro church. You have allowed segregation to creep into the doors of the church. How can such a division exist in the true Body of Christ? You must face the tragic fact that when you stand at 11:00 on Sunday morning to sing "All Hail the Power of Jesus Name" and "Dear Lord and Father of all Mankind," you stand in the most segregated hour of Christian America. They tell me that there is more integration in the entertaining world and other secular agencies than there is in the Christian church. How appalling that is.

I understand that there are Christians among you who try to justify segregation on the basis of the Bible. They argue that the Negro is inferior by nature because of Noah's curse upon the children of Ham. Oh my friends, this is blasphemy. This is against everything that the Christian religion stands for. I must say to you as I have said to so many Christians before, that in Christ "there is neither Jew nor Gentile, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for we are all one in Christ Jesus." Moreover, I must reiterate the words that I uttered on Mars Hill: "God that made the world and all things therein . . . hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth."

So Americans I must urge you to get rid of every aspect of segregation. The broad universalism standing at the center of the gospel makes both the theory and practice of segregation morally unjustifiable. Segregation is a blatant denial of the unity which we all have in Christ. It substitutes an "I-it" relationship for the "I-thou" relationship. The segregator relegates the segregated to the status of a thing rather than elevate him to the status of a person. The underlying philosophy of Christianity is diametrically opposed to the underlying philosophy of segregation, and all the dialectics of the logicians cannot make them lie down together.

I praise your Supreme Court for rendering a great decision just two or three years ago. I am happy to know that so many persons of goodwill have accepted the decision as a great moral victory. But I understand that there are some brothers among you who have risen up in open defiance. I hear that their legislative halls ring loud with such words as "nullification" and "interposition." They have lost the true meaning of democracy and Christianity. So I would urge each of you to plead patiently with your brothers, and tell them that this isn't the way. With understanding goodwill, you are obligated to seek to change their attitudes. Let them know that in standing against integration, they are not only standing against the noble precepts of your democracy, but also against the eternal edicts of God himself. Yes America, there is still the need for an Amos to cry out to the nation: "Let judgement roll down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream."

May I say just a word to those of you who are struggling against this evil. Always be sure that you struggle with Christian methods and Christian weapons. Never succumb to the temptation of becoming bitter. As you press on for justice, be sure to move with dignity and discipline, using only the weapon of love. Let no man pull you so low as to hate him. Always avoid violence. If you succumb to the temptation of using violence in your struggle, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and your chief legacy to the future will be an endless reign of meaningless chaos.

In your struggle for justice, let your oppressor know that you are not attempting to defeat or humiliate him, or even to pay him back for injustices that he has heaped upon you. Let him know that you are merely seeking justice for him as well as yourself. Let him know that the festering sore of segregation debilitates the white man as well as the Negro. With this attitude you will be able to keep your struggle on high Christian standards.

Many persons will realize the urgency of seeking to eradicate the evil of segregation. There will be many Negroes who will devote their lives to the cause of freedom. There will be many white persons of goodwill and strong moral sensitivity who will dare to take a stand for justice. Honesty impels me to admit that such a stand will require willingness to suffer and sacrifice. So don't despair if you are condemned and persecuted for righteousness' sake. Whenever you take a stand for truth and justice, you are liable to scorn. Often you will be called an impractical idealist or a dangerous radical. Sometimes it might mean going to jail. If such is the case you must honorably grace the jail with your presence. It might even mean physical death. But if physical death is the price that some must pay to free their children from a permanent life of psychological death, then nothing could be more Christian. Don't worry about persecution America; you are going to have that if you stand up for a great principle. I can say this with some authority, because my life was a continual round of persecutions. After my conversion I was rejected by the disciples at Jerusalem. Later I was tried for heresy at Jerusalem. I was jailed at Philippi, beaten at Thessalonica, mobbed at Ephesus, and depressed at Athens. And yet I am still going. I came away from each of these experiences more persuaded than ever before that "neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come . . . shall separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I still believe that standing up for the truth of God is the greatest thing in the world. This is the end of life. The end of life is not to be happy. The end of life is not to achieve pleasure and avoid pain. The end of life is to do the will of God, come what may.

I must bring my writing to a close now. Timothy is waiting to deliver this letter, and I must take leave for another church. But just before leaving, I must say to you, as I said to the church at Corinth, that I still believe that love is the most durable power in the world. Over the centuries men have sought to discover the highest good. This has been the chief quest of ethical philosophy. This was one of the big questions of Greek philosophy. The Epicurean and the Stoics sought to answer it; Plato and Aristotle sought to answer it. What is the summon bonum of life? I think I have an answer America. I think I have discovered the highest good. It is love. This principle stands at the center of the cosmos. As John says, "God is love." He who loves is a participant in the being of God. He who hates does not know God.

So American Christians, you may master the intricacies of the English language. You may possess all of the eloquence of articulate speech. But even if you "speak with the tongues of man and angels, and have not love, you are become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal."

That is Christian Love

2010-03-11T10:26:00.002+08:00

The recent talk of the town: Jack Neo's affair. How can I not talk about it too? :D

From my perspective, I see God in this whole situation. From Jack confessing he had an affair to the forgiveness of his wife, I see the love of Christ manifested. It takes a lot of contemplation & courage to tell someone you know, left alone the whole world, that you've sinned; you've been unfaithful, & it takes even great strength & love to say "I forgive what you've done".

I was reading The New Paper this morning & a friend of the couple said, "And what gives anyone the right to crucify him, especially when Irene -- the most aggrieved party -- can forgive him?" EUREKA! Just like us, who have sinned, God choose to forgive our every wrong. Instead of crucifying us, He crucified Jesus such that He took the punishment we deserved simply because HE LOVES US.

Truly, Christian love is so evident in this situation, & I thank God for such demonstration & revelation.

Thank You, Lord, for Your blessings!

2010-02-03T17:47:00.002+08:00

Third day at work & it has been good so far. Thank God I'm enjoying what I'm doing right now & I have nice colleagues around me.

Even so, I remembered I had a sense that I will miss my colleagues at AH during my last day. Ya, it's the ground level staff, the lower level staff who made me feel at home & loved back at AH. And of course not forgetting the beautiful plants, butterflies and birds, as well as the colonial buildings...

But still, thank God for moving me to a new place. I pray that I will shine for Him, brighter and brighter each day. ;)

Be Unto Your Name

2010-01-18T09:43:00.002+08:00

A beautiful song about the Lord, that captures my heart. Click the title of this post to listen the song on YouTube. Be blessed!

We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the Ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on high

Chorus:
Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Highest praises, honor and glory
Be unto Your name, be unto Your name

We are the broken, You are the healer
Jesus, Redeemer, Mighty to save
You are the love song we'll sing forever
Bowing before You, blessing Your name

I feel appreciated

2010-01-09T00:46:00.002+08:00

After telling some colleagues (& some not) I'm leaving, I feel appreciated that people are telling me how they have enjoyed working with me, will miss me, that I'm one of the best colleague they've worked with & even things like I've been working very hard (hard this from vendors I worked with too!). It's really sweet to know people value you somehow & you'll be missed, at least for a short while.

Even as I was chatting with a colleague on how some feedback closures seemed amazing, she asked if I prayed to my God every morning. So, I really thank You, Lord, for the experience You've put me in at AH. :)

A brand new year!

2010-01-03T23:13:00.005+08:00

Something happened to the pictures on my blog & thank God it has been rectified more or less. Praise God & thank you, my dear, for helping me clean them up. :)

Reflection on 2009

2009 has been a great year. I thank God for giving me Eu-Jzin, who has been real great opening my eyes to many things around me.

Work's more or less okay. What was great was I ended 2009 with a new job! I've signed the letter of agreement to work with Carlton Hotel! My official last day at AH will be at the end of January 2010 & I'll join Carlton in February 2010.

I stop attending Charis & has been looking for a church since October/November 2009. Have been attending Gospel Light Christian Church. Love the message (shall blog about it soon!). But don't know if I'd be staying there as their worship's a little too much "I/me", I feel.

I'd say I can improve in many areas of my life, especially spiritually (I'm hungry!) & Eu-Jzin will play a part in all that is coming in 2010. :D

What's up, 2010!

Spiritual - Find a church with Eu-Jzin, where we can belong to as well as grow spiritually individually & together with Eu-Jzin
Work - New job! I want to be more organised and tidy! Pray that I'd be able to negotiate a better pay at the end of my 3-month probation (please pray for me!)
Home - Tidy my things (hopefully before Chinese New Year) & spend more time at home (together with my dear!)
Health - Exercise more (without growing thunder thighs!), eat healthy (more fruits!) & be less than 100% full, as well as fall sick less
Financial - Save at least $300 a month, starting from February & give 15% for tithing
Growth - Read more books, all sorts!

Hmm, I guess that's more or less what I want to do for this year. Everything starts with a vision, an end in mind. So I got to be disciplined & start planning so all these might work.

Lord, into Your hands I lay my hopes & plans. Please take over & be blessed by everything I do. Amen. :)

Getting back on track is the key to a new beginning

2009-10-11T20:31:00.004+08:00

After jogging this evening, I had a good chat with my dear & I was glad we talked about church & Christianity (Thanks, my love!).

Out of the conversation, I told him that I felt people at church are going through the motion for the sake of it (I hope I am wrong!), at least a couple of people I know. Right at this moment, I feel that we should focus on getting people back on track... I feel for some of us, our personal walk with God is, directly or indirectly, hindered by people leaving church. And the rest of those 'left behind' are all worked out and tired. People are not motivated to go the extra mile. In fact, taking a new step can be due to the fact that one feels obliged to do so.

What are we thinking?

Who is our focus?

What should we do now to get back on track? Not for me to decide, but I guess at least I have blogged about it & it will start to make people think. :)

Taste & see that the Lord is good

2009-10-08T23:40:00.005+08:00

Yesterday was a real terrible day & I was thinking of giving up aleady... I was crying & asking God why. Today, I really see the goodnes, grace & mercy of God. And I wanna thank God for His love for me. :)

Just wanna thank God

2009-08-27T22:47:00.000+08:00

Haven't been blogging for long and so I'd like to take this opportunity to thank God for His goodness.

Today was a real horrible day. So many booboos and I was really feeling down. But, as I've said over & over again, God never fails to listen to my prayers & bring me comfort. I stayed in office until quite late. He sent both buses so quickly and 'sent' Gracie on Bus 156 so I won't be lonely. He gives me understanding & nice bosses. He gives me an understanding & caring boyfriend. He gives me a loving family. :)

Just wanna thank You, Lord. :)

Back home at Charis

2009-07-27T23:52:00.002+08:00

It was 2 weeks since I didn't attend service at Charis. So finally, I was back at Charis yesterday Enjoyed the service so much! Thanks God for the great praise & worship. The Word was so apt that it started me thinking (I pray I will still pray about it & will not forget). And I can sense the presence of God. Awesome! Thank God for His faithfulness & graciousness even though we (I) failed Him time & time again. :)

God's letter

2009-06-28T17:56:00.004+08:00

Today's message spoke to me & I really thank God for it. Hope I can put them into practise.

There are 3 main points to today's message:

1. We are the letter...

2 Cor 3:1-3
We are open letters, to be read & not to be concealed; living testimony.
And there's something written in our hearts. In order for this thing to be written, it means it must be carved. And carving is a painful process.

2. ... with a message...

2 Cor 5:17-20
Reconciliation (the message) only takes place through action.
With self & with God.

3. ... with a method of delivery.

2 Cor 6:3-10
These verses mentioned the different types of method of delivering a message--physical distress, mental anguish, abiding commitment, in, 'in Christ' conduct and with failures.
But at the end of the day, we have to bear in mind that we are to be a witness for God.

My mini retreat with God

2009-06-19T16:57:00.003+08:00

I'm on a retreat today! Supposed to spend my 2 to 6 pm with God but my attention span only lasted about 2 hours. But God has been gracious to me. Did praise & worship, prayers, followed by reading part of a reading material.

Some pointers from the reading material that keeps me thinking:

"Extra cargo" are "things we hang on to until a storm exposes how they are sinking us."
"To survive a storm you get busy with the things that really matter--and those "things" are usually people! With all the pressures to achieve and accomplish, the people we love can slowly get pushed to the corners of our lives."
"It usually takes a storm to restore our values."
"If the storm blows you back to them [people], you have all you really need. You can always find another ship [thing]."

Keeps me thinking... Hmm... Pray that I'll get my answers real soon. :)

Some of the similarities we have freak me out.. :)

2009-06-14T00:11:00.010+08:00

I can't explain or understand this but I have quite a few similarities with this 'new guy' I've met. These are what I can remember at this point of time:

Christian
Love singing
Love music
Impatient
Read in the loo
Have some Peranakan lineage
Have the Teochew-Hokkien crisis (LOL!)
Don't eat squids
Like durians
Love pickles
Dislike soy milk
Like white onions (I didn't tell you 'cos it was freaky!)
Hate almost all kinds of mushrooms except button mushrooms (I freaked out, really)

Okay, I cannot recall already... I's just freaky, especially the last two!

Can 'like' be reasoned?

2009-06-04T00:44:00.006+08:00

I think somehow it can, and here is why. It's always my prayer to have someone:

older
who always points me back to God
I can talk about anything & everything
who have similar interests

Okay, these are a few that come across my mind at this point of time... You asked me if I was on a rebound, I'm 70% sure I'm not. I don't know about that 30%. I don't know what you're thinking & I'm afraid to know. I don't dare to say it, so I'm just blogging about it. Even blogging this is not so that you'll see it, but I just need to air it out. I know you'll see it someday. One thing I can assure you that no matter what, you'll still have this friend.

Super upset!

2009-06-02T23:45:00.002+08:00

I'm extremely upset with myself!

Feel so inefficient & unproductive
Feel that I'm trap & can't move to where I want
Feel irritated because of the above
Feel like dumping everything & shut off for a day... which is so impossible (my emails will still flood)

:( :( :( :'( :''( :'''''''(

27 May 2009, 6.14am

2009-05-27T06:35:00.003+08:00

Despite all my phobias, I verbally vomitted... Despite asking God for signs, I took my own step. I don't expect much, just a reply...

The reason for the reminder

2009-05-26T00:31:00.003+08:00

Sunday was a significant day, I'd say.

Firstly, the message preached was about Abraham being a father a faith. It was never easy for Abraham but because of his encounter with God--God providing Isaac at his old age--that he really believe 'My God can do all things'. Like us, Abraham struggled; he doubted. But he pressed on & chose to believe.

Next, I went for a foot reflexology treatment after church. Interestingly, God planted this lady who did the treatment for me a topic to talk about. She spoke about Christianity. She is a Buddhist. From our conversation, she really respects Christians. I shared with her a little on how God is a God of grace and how real God can be. But my Mandarin is limited; I hope she understood what I meant.

From these 2 incidents, I believe God is teaching me to look back & remember His goodness. Life's journey is never smooth & right now, I'm seriously thinking why do I toil so much when I (still) have no idea why God put me there for. But one thing's for sure, & He wants me to remember: that He was there to bring me through & He will do the same. Well, I know it's easier said than done, it will be another thing to press on & choose to believe.

Lord, I know You never fail to hear the cry of my heart. Help me, Lord. Help me to press on & believe that You will see me through, that You will send help when I'm sinking. Help my little faith & bring me to the next level You want me to be. Help me to drown in You. In Jesus' name. Amen.

The aftermath

2009-05-21T12:01:00.003+08:00

After the more-than-a-month silence, I've decided to blog something about him. Not on what happen, but on me realising the impact it has on me. Let me state the ground first: I'm not blogging for self-pity; I'm blogging more to reflect & hopefully, receive advice from you who is reading. I mean, after all, we can still be friends. :)

The last time we (kind of) spoke was during my birthday. I asked a question & that was it. Well, I'm quite pleased with myself for finally being able to let go & I'm really thankful to God & to my friends, who has been by my side, to pull me through thus far.

Then I started realising there are a lot of things which I would do in the past but no longer dare to do now. Not really dare but more of afraid. I realise I am more passive now. I think I will not tell a guy I like him again (unless he literally makes me fall head over heels :D), I will not blog about me liking someone again especially if he knows my blog (I advertise it everywhere... So who will not know?). I think this change is too drastic, which I never expect it to happen. I know this is unhealthy but I guess God will pull me out of it, some time some how. :)

Okay, enough of my boring entry!

The parable of the reason for running

2009-05-18T12:49:00.006+08:00

A friend asked me some time ago why I run. My answer: "Just run lor." Haha, honestly I run for the sake of running; I run because I join the marathons & hence I have to train for them.

But that was not the original intention. Somehow I recalled the reason for running is because I want to build up my lung capacity for the sake of singing. I have to confess that I'm not a good singer. I want to improve & it has to start somewhere. So in order to learn to hold my breath longer, I decided to run. Yup, run. :D

Okay, so what is the parable? Thank God for teaching. Well, many times we are so used to doing what we have to do that we lose track the original intention. It has become routine, maybe even boring, that we just want to achieve the results & that's it. This is really sad.

Have we forgotten the dreams God planted in our hearts? Are we still running after it or have we lose it along the way? These are some of the questions I have to answer myself. But no worries, God would be glad we (I) finally understand & He will be most glad to inspire us again & fire up the passion inside of us. Keep it burning! ;)

Let go and let God

2009-05-16T10:59:00.002+08:00

I had lunch with a colleague this Thursday & she was sharing with us how her then-boyfriend was not a Christian, how both of them let go & how she let God take control. Now her husband, he was converted when he 'met God' during an overseas trip.

Isn't that awesome? Yes but I think the root problem is, are we willing to let go & let God? I don't mean relationship alone, but every other areas such as family, work & church. Sometimes we confess with our lips but our action & thoughts are otherwise; we know what to do but we just didn't manage to convince ourselves to do so. Is this what we call 'little faith'?

Just a few days' ago, as I was doing my devotion, I'm thankful God spoke at the time when I needed Him most: "Everything that God did in your life was designed to draw you up to your full height spiritually," mentioned by Selwyn Hughes' Every Day with Jesus May-June issue.

I'm thankful that God always reaches out His hands whenever I cry out to Him. Although His words said, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything," it is "by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.", that we draw ourselves close to God (Phil. 4:6).

I guess in order to 'direct' ourselves back to God; to depend & be sensitive to Him in all that we do, we have to realign our focus. Easier said than done, I know. But if we don't step out of the boat, we will never know if we can walk on water. :) That is faith.

Lord, You see all our needs, all our worries, all our desires and all our dreams. We want to lay them all down at Your feet. We want to let go & let You take over. This is not going to be easy but, Lord, we know that You are constantly with us to guide us through. Draw our hearts closer to You & teach us to turn to You in all that we do. In Jesus' name, Amen.

A self-reminder

2009-05-10T16:30:00.002+08:00

To realign my focus onto God
To do His agenda
To be filled with God's joy always
To be thankful for what God has provided and will provide
To draw myself closer to God

I'm glad

2009-04-24T22:56:00.001+08:00

Thank You, Lord. I'm glad I've more or less gotten over him. :)

Do they see Jesus in me?

2009-04-19T21:40:00.007+08:00

Today's sermon reminded us to question ourselves if people around us see the Jesus in us. I would have to say 'no' to my answer. But I want to work towards that, Although someone today asked me 'Are you a Christian?' after meeting her twice (& I felt really honoured that she saw Jesus in me at that time), I need to remind myself to work towards the time when my dad and my relatives tell me they see Jesus in me. I guess it's the most difficult when someone knows you for so long already. But nothing to God is impossible. So let's press on & work towards this goal together! ;)

Do They See Jesus in Me -- Joy Williams

Is the face that I see in the mirror

The one I want others to see

Do I show in the way that I walk in my life

The love that You've given to me

My heart's desire is to be like You

In all that I do, all I am

Do they see Jesus In Me

Do they recognize Your face

Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace

Do I reflect who You are

In the way I choose to be

Do they see Jesus In Me

It's amazing that you'd ever use me

But use me the way You will

Help me to hold out a heart of compassionate grace

A heart that Your Spirit fills

May I show forgiveness and mercy

The same way You've shown it to me

Do they see Jesus In Me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace
Do I reflect who You are
In the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus In Me

Now I want to show all the world who You are

The reason I live and breathe

So You'll be the One that they see

When they see me

Do they see Jesus In Me
Do they recognize Your face
Do I communicate Your love, and Your grace
Do I reflect who You are
In the way I choose to be
Do they see Jesus In Me

Makes me think...

2009-04-10T22:53:00.004+08:00

"We seem to have developed a consumer attitude to relationships. The attitude is: get rid of that pastor and bring a better one; change congregations--the next one might be more rewarding to work with; say goodbye to that troublesome wife or husband and look for another one. Jesus stayed with bungling instruments, and transformed those instruments so that they, in turn, went out and changed the world. And He can give us the grace He drew upon to do the same. It might help us to remember that Christ is patient with us, so we also should be patient with others."

I want to thank God for...

2009-04-09T23:27:00.002+08:00

giving me a job & a group of wonderful colleagues
giving me a wonderful family
giving me good friends whom I can share my joy & woes with
protecting me from any physical, emotional and mental harm
being my joy
His love for me
the journey He has brought me through thus far
the journey He is bringing me on
the promises He made
everything in life

My first resolution... as far as I can remember

2009-04-03T18:02:00.002+08:00

My first resolution in my life (I hate making resolution) is to 选择放弃、放手、忘记。It's going against my emotions but if I don't do it, it will continue haunting me & I will be super unhappy all the time. Yup. :)

I'm calling it quits

2009-03-21T13:46:00.002+08:00

With the so many things on my plate, I'm going to get indigestion if I continue allowing more stuff. Life hasn't been a pleasant once ever since I started working. I'm still clueless what God me there for. More work to do now as my colleague is leaving. 3/4 of her work will be (has already been) handed to me. I want to stop burdening myself. I've kind of decided to stop my TCA education. This semester is a pleasant one. I enjoyed my classes but I cannot cope with my assignments. With the work I got to focus on, I really can't continue studying at TCA as a part-time student. I may take some modules on credit but I doubt I'm continuing my pursue for the certificate. I just want to rest when I'm not working--not doing anything but just slack. I'm exhausted. And I'll seriously die if I don't do something about it. I'm a lost sheep now. God, show me You are my Shepherd, & I shall not be in want.

I've called it quits

2009-03-17T20:02:00.001+08:00

Yup, I've decided to move on alone. I told him via Facebook. God, please sustain me & help me move on, enjoying myself in your presence. Amen!

Looking back & giving praise

2009-03-16T18:10:00.002+08:00

A friend of mine asked about God & Christianity when I was about to leave the office. Then I shared with her my blog entry on my turning moment with God--when my GCE 'A' Levels results were released. Even as I scanned through my entry, my heart was overwhelmed with God's grace & goodness. I know these few days has been frustrating for me, but when I scanned through the entry, God's love just enveloped me... :)

This morning, my colleague said God brought me to his mind when he was at church yesterday. This was what God gave him to encourage me:

God is in control all the time+God loves us & wants the best for us hence NO WORRIES
God has the LAST and FINAL say! Not kings nor presidents nor any man can change that (Dan 2:47) e.g. Though it was the King's command, Dan & his 3 amigos went thru the fiery furnace but turned out fine due to God's control over the whole situation
Sometimes what we want may not be wat God wants EVEN if our intentions are noble
-- Moses wanted to go promised land but God did not allow moses to enter.
-- David wanted to build the temple but God said, no, not now.
-- Paul wanted thorn to be removed -
-- ' And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness . Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. ' - 2 Cor 12:9

What more can I say? God loves me more than I know... Thank You, Lord. Help me to press on. :)

The time bomb just exploded

2009-03-15T17:30:00.003+08:00

I'm on the emotion ride game again. This time, I'm on the down side. Today's sermon reminded me on how I should trust God... because, like the verse God gave me for this season,--Psalm 23--God is my Sheperd, & I shall have no lack.

I really feel terrible because I just have no idea what I am clinging onto. I like him a lot, but there's a line to be drawn. It's not that I don't like that line, but I don't like to be kept hanging. I know there's a season for everything & I do agree it's not they season for us to be together, at least at this point of time. But I'm really getting tired. Perhaps I caused my own tiredness by thinking too much. But I hate the fact, & I hate myself, for responding to him whenever he messages or calls. Why must I do so? Because no matter how hard I prayed, I can't get him out of my thoughts. I know God must have a reason for doing so but I don't know what it is.

I've decided to bring this here because I don't know how much more to bear it all in my heart, & on my secret blog. Yup, I keep a secret blog to rant about my thoughts & feelings for him because he reads this blog occasionally. And he will respond to what I write here. All I ask now, is God's clear direction for me. I know it's God when both sides have the same response to this weird relationship.

Why?

2009-03-14T16:56:00.002+08:00

Why? That's what I want to ask when I saw so many elderly giving out flyers or selling tissue to make a living. Why? Why can't they live blissfully in their old age? Why must they come out & work for that meagre amount of money? Why? Why didn't their children support them?

It's really upsetting to see that. With Singapore's ageing population, I believe I'll see more of that happening... If I were to be a parent one day, I will not want to burden my children too. I guess I'll save for my old life. Whether or not married, that's what I think I'll have to plan to do.

The snowball effect--boiling sour face

2009-03-12T10:20:00.002+08:00

When 1 issue causes another issue, they lump up into a huge issue. I am having a huge issue now & I have a boiling sour face. Lord, why??!! Argh.. I'm so annoyed.

Still yet to discover my purpose

2009-03-12T00:01:00.003+08:00

After working for almost 10 months, I have still yet discover my purpose... With a colleague leaving, I was tasked to do the portfolio of 2 persons, including my own. How am I going to cope? I seriously don't know. Find it a little ridiculously unfair. I think I'll be more ineffective. I'm already ineffective enough. Ask the people I worked with--how late I'll get back to them.

Lord, please.... since this afternoon, my face has been sour. Do something & pour joy into me. I know when I cry to You, You will answer. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

I'm thankful

2009-03-08T20:50:00.002+08:00

I'm thankful for:

God's grace over my life
God's inspiration whenever I need it
God's love especially when I cry out to Him
what everything God has given & taken away in my life
my family, friends & him

Rock of Ages

2009-03-05T18:59:00.001+08:00

Giving God the honour due

2009-03-02T02:16:00.002+08:00

I want to thank God that His presence was felt during today's Praise and Worship. I thank God for His unfailing love, & you who believe in Him, press on! Though your prayers may not seem to be answered, don't stop praying! God is closer than you could ever ask or imagine. Cry out to Him, He hears it all. :)

Crying out to my Saviour!

2009-02-12T22:11:00.002+08:00

Lord, You are my Saviour, my Healer. Help me to depend on You for everything. You, and only You, know what I'm going through & I need You to lead me on; I don't want to stay put anymore because I feel the hurt when I sense something amiss. Lord, only You can deliver me. I know You will, my faithful God.

Grace by Laura Story

2009-01-29T20:22:00.003+08:00

A beautiful song I would love to share with everyone. God bless! :)

My heart is so proud
My mind is so unfocused
I see the things You do through me as great things I have done
And now You gently break me, then lovingly You take me
And hold me as my father and mold me as my maker

I ask You: "How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abound?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

At times I may grow weak and feel a bit discouraged
Knowing that someone, somewhere could do a better job
For who am I to serve You? I know I don't deserve You
And that's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on

I ask You: "How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abounds?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

You are so patient with me, Lord

As I walk with You, I'm learning what Your grace really means
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary
So, instead of trying to repay You, I'm learning to simply obey You
By giving up my life to you For all that You've given to me

I ask You: "How many times will You pick me up, when I keep on letting You down?
And each time I will fall short of Your glory, how far will forgiveness abounds?"
And You answer: " My child, I love you.
And as long as you're seeking My face, You'll walk in the pow'r of My daily sufficient grace."

Food for thought: 5 Kinds of Christians

2009-01-27T19:02:00.005+08:00

An article from Christianitytoday.com.

5 Kinds of Christians
Understanding the disparity of those who call themselves Christian in America.
A new national survey co-sponsored by Leadership. Reported by Helen Lee posted 10/01/2007

Jennifer Hua identifies herself as a Christian. A 35-year-old former attorney studying Christian counseling at the Wheaton College Graduate School (Illinois), she has gone to church all her life and is a lay leader in her suburban Chicago congregation. She furthers her spiritual development by daily Bible reading, prayer, listening to and singing worship songs, and interacting with other Christians. And every few months, she carves out time for a silent retreat. "I do all of these things because I know from past experience I need to recalibrate my mind and my heart to be in tune with God," she says.

James Smith also identifies himself as a Christian. He attended church as a child, but his attendance was minimal as a young adult. He believes in God, occasionally attends Redeemer Presbyterian in Manhattan when his time-consuming job in the finance district allows, but he does not often participate in other activities to further his spiritual life. He has a Bible but rarely opens it; what leisure time he has he spends with friends, most of whom are of different faiths, and he does not necessarily believe that his God is any different from the one his Muslim friend worships.

"I don't think that God would be a God who would shut others out of heaven because they don't use the word 'Christian' to describe themselves," he says.

The United States is described in mainstream media as largely Christian (between 70 and 80 percent, depending on the study, identify themselves as "Christian"), and compared to the rest of the world, this is certainly the case. However, not all within this vast group of Christians are alike.

To understand the range and differences among American Christians, Christianity Today International (publisher of Leadership) recently partnered with Zondervan Publishers to commission Knowledge Networks to conduct attitudinal and behavioral research of U.S. Christians. In September 2006, more than 1,000 self-identified Christians 18 years of age and older were surveyed on their religious beliefs and practices. The results reveal a number of significant differences, illustrated by the examples of Hua and Smith. In fact, portraits of five distinct segments emerged from the study. We have named them Active, Professing, Liturgical, Private, and Cultural Christians.

Each group represents about one-fifth of those identifying themselves as Christian, with Active Christians (such as Hua) most likely to have a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that affects their beliefs and inspires an active church life; Cultural Christians (such as Smith) are least likely to align their beliefs or practices with biblical teachings, or attend church. Between the two is a range of beliefs, commitment levels, and public practice of the faith.

Leadership discussed the survey results with leading pastors and religious experts to ascertain the ramifications for church leaders. Three critical issues emerged:

1. The local church is no longer considered the only outlet for spiritual growth.
2. Churches must develop relational- and community-oriented outreach.
3. Lay people have to be better equipped to be God's ambassadors.

Faith Yes, Church Maybe

The survey shows that for nearly half of Christians, involvement in a local church body is a minimal part of their daily lives.

"Faith is relevant for many people, but church is not," says Bryan Wilkerson, senior pastor of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. "People want to attend to the spiritual side of their lives, they are interested in God, but their experience of church has not been relevant. They say, 'Why do I have to sit through boring sermons and old music that don't speak to my real needs and problems?'"

"A growing element of the Christian population is disappointed with or frustrated by the local church," says D. Michael Lindsay, assistant professor of sociology at Rice University and former consultant with the Gallup Institute. In part, this trend can be attributed to factors within local church bodies themselves, such as lack of strong leadership or teaching.

Given that 60 percent of all Christians worship in churches with fewer than 300 people, most Christians are in congregations that continually struggle with resource issues. Previous generations were accustomed to that, and today's worshipers have higher expectations.

"These days, people can get good teaching, wonderful music, and excellent writing, whether through iPods, TV, or online," says Wilkerson. "They learn to shop around and pick and choose. Then they expect the same high quality in their local church. A generation ago, the average person learned to accept his home pastor and was faithful to his local church. But now, people's appetites for excellence have been heightened."

As pastor of a large church himself, Wilkerson acknowledges "we probably end up perpetuating that kind of appetite by trying to be as high-quality as what we find out there. The temptation of larger churches is to compete and to be as good as the others are."

Even for those Private and Cultural Christians who do not typically consume Christian media, access to it can still play a significant role in their spiritual development in ways that may not be reflected in the survey.

"Private and Cultural Christians might not use traditional Christian media, but I would bet they disproportionately watch [Lakewood Church pastor] Joel Osteen on cable," says Lindsay. Cultural Christians are the group that spends the most time watching TV and using the Internet.

Spiritual growth, then, may be occurring for many of today's Christians in non-traditional ways. Instead of attending church on Sunday mornings, many opt for personal, individual ways to stretch themselves spiritually.

"Emerging generations may not see themselves as churched, but neither do they see themselves as any less committed," says Joel Hunter, senior pastor of Northland Church in Longwood, Florida. "The traditional programming that churches do is becoming less essential to work out faith for many people."

Personal or Media Relationships?

The danger, however, is that the multimedia availability of religious content helps people become spiritual do-it-yourselfers. As a result, they lack an important aspect of faith development: interaction with other Christians in community. This privatizing of Christian faith fits with the American spirit of individualism, but it may not produce Christians with enduring and long-term spiritual vitality.

"It's fine to use religious media as an addition if you are part of a local Christian community," says Lindsay. "It becomes problematic if you have no binding commitment to a local community and you become a Lone Ranger Christian. Before long your faith becomes something you put on and off like a jacket."

Instead of trying to win underchurched people back to a traditional church context, leaders say the approach to bringing Private, Cultural, and non-Christians into the church is relational and outward-looking rather than programmatic and inward-focused. Lindsay notes many Christians who are not involved in traditional churches are "much, much more interested in personal connection. The ways in which they nourish their faith are through home churches or one-on-one Bible study or non-church related small groups."

In fact, house churches have recently become a noteworthy trend in the United States. Time magazine in March 2007 quoted pollster George Barna as saying that house churches were evidence of a "seminal transition that may be akin to a third spiritual awakening in the U.S." and that in two decades, "only about one-third of the population" will attend traditional churches.

"The old paradigm of evangelism was a transactional sharing of the gospel," says Ken Fong, senior pastor of Evergreen Baptist Church of Los Angeles. "I would try to get people to intellectually agree with me. But the new paradigm is different, an approach in which I invite you to walk alongside me, examine my life, and see evidence of the truth, and hopefully there will be something compelling that you see. It's a no-strings-attached invitation to enter my life as I follow Jesus."

Another necessary shift is recognizing that the old metrics of success may no longer apply. Wilkerson says, "We need to spend the next ten years investing in the life of our surrounding community and finding ways to regain a hearing for the gospel. Instead of going to the nursing home and holding a church service, we're just going to go and love and serve people for years and years, until the staff and residents ask, 'Why do they care so much?' This won't result in 150 decisions for Christ in a year. You might not see results for five or ten years."

Churches that do engage their local communities may discover that what they gain surpasses what they give. At Evergreen Baptist Church-LA, the demographics of the city of Rosemead, where the church is located—Asian, Hispanic, and lower-income—differ from the congregation itself—predominantly Asian and largely middle- and upper-middle class. Fong strives to encourage the right attitude as his church engages the surrounding community.

"As we reach out to kids in the neighborhood, we tell our congregation that we don't just do this to be good Christians. We tell them that maybe these poor kids know something more than we do about knowing God, more so than us middle-class snobs," he says. "It's not enough to reach out because we think it's the right thing to do. That is paternalistic. We need to see that there is something that different people with different perspectives can show us that we're missing."

Active Christians 19%

1. Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
2. Committed churchgoers
3. Bible readers
4. Accept leadership positions
5. Invest in personal faith development through the church
6. Feel obligated to share faith; 79% do so.

Professing Christians 20%

1. Believe salvation comes through Jesus Christ
2. Focus on personal relationship with God and Jesus
3. Similar beliefs to Active Christians, different actions
4. Less involved in church, both attending and serving
5. Less commitment to Bible reading or sharing faith

Liturgical Christians 16%

1. Predominantly Catholic and Lutheran
3. Regular churchgoers
3. High level of spiritual activity, mostly expressed by serving in church and/or community
4. Recognize authority of the church

Private Christians 24%

1. Largest and youngest segment
2. Believe in God and doing good things
3. Own a Bible, but don't read it
4. Spiritual interest, but not within church context
5. Only about a third attend church at all
6. Almost none are church leaders

Cultural Christians 21%

1. Little outward religious behavior or attitudes
2. God aware, but little personal involvement with God
3. Do not view Jesus as essential to salvation
4. Affirm many ways to God
5. Favor universality theology

Hunter believes the way the church responds to the forces affecting today's Christians and non-Christians will have significant ramifications. "As the traditional church has a rougher and rougher time, our challenge will become a motivational factor: either we build relationships with people in our communities, or we will die."

New Need for Apologetics
The survey indicated that self-identified Christians hold a wide range of theological and doctrinal beliefs. For many, Private and Cultural Christians in particular, Bible-reading is minimally important. Thus, as churches encourage their congregants to engage with the surrounding communities and build relational bridges with people, they must simultaneously equip these Christians to handle the questions and attitudes they may encounter, both with non-Christians as well as with other Christians who hold different beliefs.

But the current level of biblical and theological teaching in the church may not be meeting the challenge of preparing people in the pews to explain the power and significance of the Scriptures to those who rarely read them. "I do think there is decline and unbelievable degrees of biblical illiteracy that we haven't seen in previous generations, among all five of these categories of Christians," says Lindsay. "People used to know their Bible, but now they can go week-in and week-out and not even know the order of the books. Many churches feed their congregants a steady diet of messages that do not require intellectual engagement or an understanding of the biblical narrative. And that is a huge problem."

Hunter says, "We need to preach with apologetics in mind, with a rational explanation and defense of the Christian faith in mind, so that the people who are in the church really know how to phrase that to people who aren't in the church. We should say, 'You need to be able to tell other people what I'm telling you.'"

During one recent Easter Sunday, Grace Chapel focused on the disciple Thomas and his doubts about Jesus after the resurrection. Wilkerson told his own story of spiritual darkness and doubt, then planned a service the following Sunday entitled "Doubters Anonymous."

Wilkerson asked people to e-mail their questions to the church, and he had three pastors up front to handle the questions. Those who attended were also able to text message questions or turn them in on a card.

"There had to be an authenticity about it that demonstrated this was real, not canned, that these were genuine questions and answers, and that it was okay to ask these questions," says Wilkerson. "It also gave the Christians in the audience more confidence, that they now had some tools to answer the hard questions about Christianity."

Ultimately, though, Northland's Hunter feels that the way to counter biblical illiteracy is to equip Active Christians as teachers, ambassadors, and apologists. "We have to go out and be with those who do not know or understand. People will always default to what they know, and if they believe general statements such as 'We're all God's children' or 'Jesus was just a representative of God,' then that is all they will know. Unless they have a relationship with someone who can explain theological doctrines of atonement or of original sin, they will always just believe their own general concepts."

What About Jesus?

In addition to these findings about the church, we found a most defining dichotomy over the Jesus question: Active and Professing Christians said "accepting Christ as Savior and Lord" is the key to being a Christian (almost 9 in 10), while Liturgical, Private, and Cultural Christians favored more generally "believing in God" as the main element in being a Christian. So, for a vast number of people who consider themselves Christian, Christ is not the central figure of their faith.

Leith Anderson, senior pastor of Wooddale Church in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, believes that the high value placed on tolerance in this country is partly to blame. "'God' as a term is transferable amongst different religious sects, but 'Christ' is not. It seems intolerant. What we need to do is reintroduce people to Jesus, his story, his life and his teachings. Not by forcing people to agree with us, but by giving them adequate examples and reasons to believe in Christ."

Hunter agrees that trying to provide intellectual arguments for the Christian faith will only go so far. "Christianity is about Christ, and it is about that personal relationship. We have to not focus on explaining Pauline theology, but on the person and ministry of Christ. We have to be people who live out the life of Christ. People aren't generally interested in theological teaching. But everyone has a heart for the one who had a heart for us."

Now, this is what I call making a stand for God

2009-01-23T08:37:00.001+08:00

Christian Refuses to Drive Bus Sporting Atheist Ad
A Christian bus driver from southern England refused to ferry passengers on a bus prominently displaying the ad: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.

Story available here.

荣美的救主 (Beautiful Saviour)

2009-01-16T23:42:00.002+08:00

耶稣
荣美的救主
复活全能真神
荣耀君王

神羔羊
圣洁和公义
尊荣的拯救者
明亮晨星

天使高声齐颂扬
万物都屈膝来敬拜你

何等奇妙何等荣耀
超乎万名之上
配得尊崇

何等奇妙何等荣耀
耶稣我主
超乎万名之上耶稣

我要永远敬拜
耶稣我爱你
耶稣我爱你

我要永远敬拜
耶稣我爱你
耶稣我爱你

我要永远敬拜
耶稣我爱你
耶稣我爱你

我要永远敬拜
耶稣我爱你
耶稣我爱你

何等奇妙何等荣耀
超乎万名之上
配得尊崇

耶稣荣美的救主
耶稣荣美的救主
耶稣荣美的救主
耶稣荣美的救主

Avoiding Mr. Wrong (And what to do if you didn't) by Stephen Arterburn & Dr. Meg Rinck

2009-01-13T20:59:00.005+08:00

I came across this book & decided to search for some notes on it. This is what I found:

What smart women do...

Below are the things smart women do to make sure they're moving forward with the right man in the right way. Here are the 10 most valuable things you can do to insure you don't end up with Mr. Wrong:

1. Go slow. No, really--go even slower than you think you need to go. Did you know that romance and attraction don't rub off for about two years? If you marry before those two years are up, you won't know if you really love him or he loves you, or if you just love the feelings you create in each other. Go slow. Date at least a year and then be engaged for at least a year. Yes, the clock is ticking, but it is not ticking that fast. You have plenty of time for a great relationship. What you do not have it is time for a bad one that either drags into a lifetime of chronic pain or ends in acute pain and traumatic divorce.

2. Explore your attraction. Why is he attractive to you? Is it his great body or is it his great faith? Is it his money or his mind? Look at the things that make you feel good about him. Do they remind you of anyone? Is he similar to someone who caused problems for you? Like your father, an ex-husband, or an old boyfriend? Search for the real reasons you like this man. Some will be good and positive reasons. Others may not be. If you find that you are attracted to him for some very unbalanced reasons, get the help you need so you can break free of this trap.

3. Examine all that you have in common. Opposites attract; they also tend to attack. Just because opposites attract does not mean that they make good marriage partners. The more you have in common the better. If you are out going and love sports and entertainment and being with people, don't rationalize that marrying a quiet man who has no friends and stays at home will be a good balance. Marry someone with whom you can enjoy as many activities as possible. Most important, if you do not share a common faith, you are asking for trouble. What should be the center of your life will merely remain on the fringe. It may even become one of those areas you do not discussed or an area that produces many arguments. Have a lot in common, and be sure faith is one of those things you share. While looking at what you have in common, be sure to take special note of what you do not share. What is different about each of you, and are those differences likely to produce huge struggles? If you want children and he does not, how sad that you would move ahead and expect him to come around. He probably won't. If you like to have your own money to spend but he thinks the man must dole out every cent to his wife, you are headed for huge problems. If you like the city and he likes the country, realize that you may end up living in a place you hate. Differences can make life interesting or they can destroy a marriage, depending on what those differences are.

4. Research his life. You not only need to meet his family, you need to know his family. See him with them in different settings. Look at how he treats his mother. It is a big clue to how he feels about women and how he will treat you. Look at how he treats his father. That will tell you a lot about how he feels about himself. Spend time with his friends. Find out what he likes about them and what is likable about them. If you do not enjoy them, expect to spend many lonely nights at home. Ask them what they think of him. Ask his friends what they think about his marrying you. Listen carefully and you may discover new information. If they are all telling you it will never work or they revealed an unhealthy pattern, listen to them. If he was married before, talk to the ex-wife if possible. It will help you judge him and his truthfulness, and it will prepare you for some challenges ahead. If he was not married and you could talk to some ex-girlfriends, it would be very helpful.

5. Listen to the people who know you. Those friends who really love you can help you see what you do not see. Ask them to be truthful and listen to them. Do they think it is a good idea? Or do they see problems that worry them and will lead to trouble for you? Your parents can be very valuable in assessing the potential and the pitfalls of the relationship. The more help you get, the more opinions you are willing to listen to, the more likely you will be to make a good decision. Plus, when he sees and hears all that you are doing to make the right decision, it will either run him off or he will feel great about himself and the relationship when you move forward.

6. Study him. It is best to keep a diary of your relationship with him. Write down what he says about himself and others. This will reveal patterns and inconsistencies. Most people fudge a bit on the truth, but if he is a liar, your diary will document it. You won't have to wonder. You will be able to go back to what he has told you about his job, family, and other important facts. In your study of him, you need to know his goals, trains, and ambitions. When he tells them to you, write them down and be sure they are consistent with the way you want to live your life. You also want to find out about his fears, and securities, pains, and hurts. It may be hard for him to just come out and tell you those, but if he can't at all, you have not dated long enough and should extend the engagement. As your study continues, find out how he handles stress. Does it lead to some negative habits? How does he use them to grow and develop? Remember that in dating, the best foot is always forward. If you don't like some things about him, that is very normal. Everyone has something not to like. Beware that if you hate something now, you will surely hate them more after you are married. A final piece of research you may want to consider is testing. Many people find in very helpful. There are some insightful tests and survey such as Meyers-Briggs or the Taylor-Johnson temperament analysis test.

7. Find your motive for marriage. Are you marrying him because he loves you and you love him, or because you hate something else? Do you hate being lonely so much that you would married just about anyone who asked? Do you hate living at home so much you are just looking for a way out? Do you feel so bad about your self that you need someone else to save you, to make your life complete? Be sure your motives are pure. Be sure you are not trying to trap someone into meeting your own needs, which may be less than admirable.

8. Don't have sex before marriage. Sounds old-fashioned because it is. In fact, it is as old-fashioned as some other guidelines which still work, such as " don't lie" and "don't steal." When you have sex with someone, you are proving that you are caught up in romance, infatuation, and the hormones of it all. If you cannot delay gratification now, if he cannot delay gratification now, what makes you think either of you will be able to after you are married? There will be trips and illnesses and times of separation that will require matured delayed gratification on both of your parts. Prove it to each other now. Prove it to God now. Make him and your future more important than your urges. Animals have to act on reflex and urge. You do not. You will not go crazy, and you will not get sick if you delay gratification. I lived a promiscuous single life. I regret that I did not know then what I know now. I regret that I did not know God as I know him now. When I met Sandy, she dazzled me. I knew there was a potential between us, and I respected her from the beginning. We made a commitment not to have sex before we got married. We stuck to it, and it was not easy to do so. But I am glad we did. Now, this typically jealous and possessive guy never worries about her and her the faithfulness to me. It is such a relief to know she can be with men friends at her work or in her hobbies and I can feel confident in her commitment. When you sexualize your relationship, you are sinking large, sharp hooks into each other. To get away from those hooks will rip your soul and tear your heart. Don't do it. Even if it means not being alone together, do whatever it takes to stay true to your self so the development of the relationship does not center on sex. Many people on their way to a health relationship stopped growing when they entered the world of pre-marital sex. Everyone is not doing it, and you don't have to either-- if you are with a man who really loves you.

9. Obtain pre-marital counseling. There is nothing better that you can do to help discern whether or not you are a good match then to attend a strong pre-marital counseling program. One of the best things that could happen, even though it doesn't seem like it at the time, is for a pre-marital counselor to warn you that some of the things in the relationship do not look so good. Or, on the other hand, you may discover unknown strengths in each other that give you even more confidence in the relationship. Meet with someone who has advised hundreds of couples and knows the best materials for you to study. Go to someone who gives homework assignments and exercises that night caused the two of you to talk about the uncomfortable things like money, children, money, sex, faith, money, and money. No one has regretted getting too much pre-metal counseling. Many sure wish they had had more.

10. Agree on full financial disclosure before marriage. You have a right to know everything about how he has handled his finances. His debts become your debts. If he is up to his ears in credit card debt, that irresponsibility is going to carryover into other areas. If he is reluctant to show you his bills and checkbook, stop. Do not go any further with this man. Financial secrets are a sign of deeper secrets. Whether he has a lot of money or a little, he should be willing to share the truth with you. Being in debt does not mean you should not marry him. Unwillingness to tell you about his debt and the details of his financial affairs would be a good enough reason to find another man.

The most profound thing about all of these steps is that you are taking action rather than just trying, hoping, or blindly trusting. You are not allowing your self to be a victim. You are asserting yourself because you feel important enough to have a lifelong relationship full of love and intimate companionship. You are worth it. God really does want to meet your needs. He wants you to have a great life. Do not rob your self of a man who you can love deeply and a man who can love you more than you think possible.

I guess this is what I need. :D

Sylvia's song

2009-01-08T23:41:00.002+08:00

A song Sylvia wrote, on what she saw when she looked into the eyes of a mother.

I looked into her eyes
I saw the tears being locked up
In front of the crowd
The brokenness inside, those sleepless night
The pain that stays forever

As a mother of a child, she loved deeply like every other else
And now he's gone
All we can give is say remain faithful and be strong

Oh, don't be afraid
Just follow the way and obey what He planned in your life
He can heal those pain and reassure His love for you

Give, give all to Jesus
Surrender all that you have in your life
He will guide you in every step you take
So give, give your hand to Him and He'll take the lead
Allow your faith to reach beyond what you understand

Back to school & enjoying it!

2009-01-08T23:19:00.002+08:00

New term at TCA started yesterday. I enjoyed my first lesson. I thank God for speaking through the lecturer. :)

Let me share some with you:

Creative arts is as simple as using creativity to do things, such as garnishing a dish or arranging chairs for an event
Many times, we are too heavenly-minded that we're of no earthly use.

My lecturer also shared how we can have a goal in mind, but our plans toward the goal are so disorientated.

Well well, I pray that whatever I learnt will be put into good use... for His kingdom & His glory. ;)

If tomorrow never comes...

2009-01-04T22:40:00.002+08:00

I received a shocking news this morning. My cousin, 26 years, went home with the Lord due to an asthmatic attack. It was too sudden; hardly anyone can accept the fact. But I was so glad to hear that, although he doesn't go to church, he read the bible everyday.

This incident caused me to want to live each day as my last. And I asked myself, if tomorrow never comes, what do I want to leave behind? What do I want my family, relatives & friends to do for me? How do I want them to feel?

If tomorrow never comes:

I want the most recent verse to be on my obituary, i.e. Psalm 23
I want my wake to be a party, & not a wake. I want praise & worship music, lots of food & drinks, & lots of fun!
I want my ashes to be poured into some ground/grass patch
I want each 20% of my inheritance to go to my daddy, mummy, church, & 10% each to go to my 3 sisters & my party
I want my loved ones to be happy

Hmm, I think that's about it... Will update once I thought of some new items.

But seriously, life is really short. I'll learn to cherish all I have.

Another official announcement

2008-12-24T10:43:00.000+08:00

Yup, it's confirmed. I texted him this 2 days' ago:

"hey, welcome back. sorry to text u instead of calling cos i wun be able to say it out if I were to do it. just wana say tt e withdrawal's obvious, so I get e msg. but no worries cos no commitment or watsoever. enjoy ur christmas & new yr! ;)"

I sounded so understanding & calm right? But I'm still learning to get over. It's not easy as it's been so long. The emotional attachment's there. Even right now, I'll still check if he's online. Sigh... I pray that God will deliver me & sow joy in my life! Amen!

Feel so blessed to bless

2008-12-19T22:12:00.003+08:00

Today is THE day! Went to Khalsa Crescent Prison to bless the people. I truly believe they were all blessed. The team was so happy with what had taken place & I believe all of us were blessed more than what we've blessed them with. Praise the Lord for the wonderful experience!

I need a hand, Lord

2008-12-15T22:44:00.002+08:00

Lord, I see Your great plans for me but please help me to have faith & walk in Your ways. Help me to surrender my all to You. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Psalm 23: Part 2

2008-12-06T23:20:00.004+08:00

I was doing my QT when the material opened my eyes to see God's all-encompassing love & care for me when He gave me this chapter for this season:

1 The LORD is my shepherd (Jehovah Rohe--the Lord, the Good Shepherd), I shall not be in want (Jehovah Jireh--the Lord who provides).
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters (Jehovah Shalom--the Lord, who is peace),
3 he restores my soul (Jehovah Rophe--the Lord who heals). He guides me in paths of righteousness (Jehovah Tsidkenu--the Lord, our Righteousness) for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me (Jehovah Shammah--the Lord who is always there); your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies (Jehovah Nissi--the Lord, our Banner). You anoint my head with oil (Jehovah Qadesh--the Lord who santifies); my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Father I want to remember Your all-encompassing goodness. Things may seem out of my control but they are definitely in Your control. You are the Lord, in whom, I can trust. I love You, Daddy God!

Dwelling in God's presence

2008-11-30T16:31:00.004+08:00

It's always refreshing & blessed to be in the presence of God. Okay, I have to confess: I'm still learning to merge God & work together. Not easy. I mean, the time I spent at work was so much that the amount of time reading God's words & talking to Him don't seem to be sufficient. So every Sunday, I just feel so blessed.

Especially today when we were rehearsing for our Prison Carolling, I can just sense God's heartbeat for the prisoners we'll be ministering, & God specifically reminded me that like for Paul & Silas, the prison gates will be opened. And this gate is not the physical gate, but the spiritual gates -- their hearts will be opened to welcome Jesus into their lives & they will no longer be bounded by heartaches, let-downs, & those seeking an answer will find it. Praise the Lord! I'm so excited for what God is going to do!

Even at this point of time, learning to dwell in God's presence will mean I have to sacrifice. I'm learning to sacrifice what I want for what God wants me to do. I can foresee that I will feel the aches & have the tears but in order to get God's blessings for what I want, I need to sacrifice it & walk God's way. Sigh... A real pain in my heart. God, please help!

7 habits & the Bible

2008-11-23T23:06:00.002+08:00

Habit 1: Be proactive -- But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine... (Lk 10:33-35)

Habit 2: Begin with the end in mind -- "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Lk 4:18-19)

Habit 3: Put first things first -- Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." (Mk 1:38)

Habit 4: Think win-win --"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Rom 12:2)

Habit 5: Seek first to understand, then to be understood -- Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Lk 23:34a)

Habit 6: Synergise -- The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. (1 Cor 12:12)

Habit 7: Sharpen the saw -- "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" (Matt 25:21)

Official announcement

2008-11-06T23:22:00.002+08:00

Well, not really an official announcement but want to make it know to all my dear friends reading my blog.

I'm seeing him. The 'him' I mentioned many entries before. And what I mean by 'seeing' is more like dating but not in a (boy-girl) relationship? I know this sounds real complicated. That is the decision of both parties. For me, I thank God this relationship. Before coming to this stage, I've prayed, many times, for God to help me 'forget' him but it didn't happen. I'm not sure though, what God is doing in this relationship but I somehow see His hands & I'm really thankful. I'm still praying about this relationship. In fact, I hope God will bless it & in return, He will be blessed.

It's weird because we're not really together but yet we address each other like we are? Ya, it's complicated but I like this complication. Some friends said it is good to be in such a status.. no commitments. But I don't really agree? I'd love to see it progress. So I'm hoping & praying. :)

God is soooooooooo awesome!

2008-11-02T18:58:00.002+08:00

Silly me. It took me a week to actually see that God has answered my prayer! During service last week, I stood in proxy for a friend when there was altar call. And I kind of actually forgot about what I prayed for. On last Sunday night, the prayer was answered. Praise God for that. I was not feeling happy yesterday somehow.. related to my friend. It was today, during service, that I got the wake-up call from God. I felt so silly but I'm so grateful for what God has done! I felt so much better after that & am going to be contented for what it is now, for I have a faithful God. :)

HAPPY!!!

2008-10-19T21:19:00.002+08:00

I feel so happy because the great burden is kind of over!!! I'm just over the moon & I really thank God for the joy. I thank God for letting me realise that when we are in our downs, it means that the ups are coming soon. So just anticipate it! :D

Lord, please heal

2008-10-12T20:56:00.003+08:00

Been unwell 'every weekend'. It really feels horrible. Lord, I pray for Your healing. I've so much to do but feeling unwell just stops me. In the name of Jesus, I break the curse of weekend sicknesses, that by the blood of the Lamb, I will be healed through & through. And this blood is going to protect me from the devil's plot. This blood is going to be my shield. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen!

The beginning of the End

2008-10-06T13:34:00.001+08:00

If you read today's The Straits Times, you will come across "EU 'unites' to tackle financial crisis" on page A7. This is just the beginning to the End... The End Times. The US economy will continue to tumble, the EU will rise, the Anti-Christ appears & tries to unite the world...

I wonder how long more will this be? 10 years? It's so near, yet so far.

Lord, it seems like we have to speed up what we're doing for Your Kingdom.

Wake up call for all Christians? Let's discuss.

I saw the golden sanctuary

2008-09-21T18:09:00.002+08:00

It was during praise & worship when I saw a golden sanctuary in a vision. I don't know if it was all gold or was that the glory of God which flowed from His throne.. More like the glory of God, I believe, as I remembered how shinny it was.

I walked into the golden sanctuary... okay, more like the floor moved me closer in. And as I moved in, I can't help but teared because I know when that day comes, I will really get to see my Daddy God face to face, & I'll be able to embrace Him like I've always wanted. It was an awesome moment.. feeling the awe. Then the verse in Revelation, where the angels cried, "Holy, Holy is the Lord God Almighty" came to my thoughts. I realised that kind of awe I was in even when I saw that vision & I really understand how speechless I'd become. I'd be like the angels saying "Holy, Holy". At that point of time, all I could say was "worthy worthy". It was just so awesome.. awesome. :)

More of You, Lord... Amen!

Does pride really matters?

2008-09-21T00:50:00.002+08:00

I handled a very simple-made-complicated feedback this evening... 8pm to 12am. Perhaps I was the one complicating it. But the gist is, just apologise. I don't understand why pride was held so hard. Well, it was said due to 'rights' but when it comes to being at work, professionalism needs to be displayed, am I right? In the service industry, being humble is too important to reject (my opinion).

See what the Bible (NIV) says about pride:
Prov. 11:2 - "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom."
Prov. 13:10 - "Pride only breeds quarrels, but wisdom is found in those who take advice."
Prov. 16:18 - "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."
Prov. 29:23 - "A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor."

These are just a handful. Sigh.. I'm just so tired (& dirty.. went jogging just now & haven't get a chance to shower!) now.

God I pray Your principles will prevail above all else. I pray that the matter will be solved by tomorrow morning. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Deciphering Psalm 23 part 1

2008-09-13T22:26:00.002+08:00

I thank God that during prayer meeting last night, we were asked to jot down our needs, focus & prayers in 4 areas of our lives & attaching to these 4 areas is what is God saying & doing.

What came to me when I seeked God that this is a season where I'm seeking direction, & my answer is in Psalm 23. I read this chapter verse by verse, & what came to me was this:

God is my Guide, who provides my every need
He calms, encourages & strengthens me
He never leaves; He is faithful
His is full of loving grace & kindness
He will pour His blessings & it will overflow
This will follow me wherever I go; I'll be God's living testimony

Thank God for the revelation. It will be my everyday strength.

This is the first part as I intend to look into the Bible to find out more. May God just reveal His awesome assurance.

Praise God!

Verse of the season: Psalm 23

2008-09-05T21:39:00.001+08:00

1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.

2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,

3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.

Now I know...

2008-08-23T20:23:00.000+08:00

... why I heard God telling me 'I love you' during YAM retreat. He was preparing me for the tough road ahead. Now, with this assurance, I can move on strongly. :)

Dear Daddy God...

2008-08-22T22:51:00.002+08:00

... I'm feeling exhausted... physically, emotionally & mentally. Please give me rest in these areas. Restore me & make me whole. Allow me to rest in Your presence. In Jesus' name. Amen.

In You

2008-08-19T20:10:00.003+08:00

Thanks Shawn, for sharing this song. It is a song of faith for me during this season.

Abba Father, shines through night
Lead me in Your perfect light
Take my every step in hand
Guide me through Your master plan

Though my heart may fail within me
Tossed when waves and breakers roar
Still I know You go before each rise and fall

In You, I will rest in hope
Knowing You are in control
My soul will its boast
Knowing in You, I am home
Lord, where You lead I'll go
In You, I can stand secured
'Cause I am held in You
Forevermore

What's up the past weeks

2008-08-17T16:52:00.002+08:00

I haven't blog for a relatively long time. Been so, so, so, so busy at work, that I halted my Love Singapore prayers. I feel bad actually, for 'forsaking' God & take things routinely. But thank God for being faithful & gracious. He's been so good to me. When I failed to hear Him during my own devotion moments, He made sure He used the Sunday sermons to talk to me. And He never fail to make me cry every week, including today-- not that I was upset, but how unworthy I felt because of the love I experienced Him showering over me.

Lord, all I ask is that You guide me to surrender my all to You. Lord, You know what's been tying me down, & only You can help me. I've been struggling; it's really not easy & it's the worse I've experienced thus far. I know You'll do something. You will never forsake me. I know. Thank You, Lord. Amen.

Lord, please be patient with me

2008-08-03T18:20:00.002+08:00

These few weeks have been a heart-tugging one. The sermon for the past two weeks have been, what I'd say, 'Jesus knocking at the door of your heart' kind. Today's, for example, talked about how we can accept one another although we may not approve what one another did. That is the kind of love God wants us to share with those around us.

The question popped: "Lord, what if we accept the person because we really liked the person, but don't approve what they do?" Answer seems quite straightforward, but I don't have an answer for myself because I'm in such a situation. Seems like I'm self-deceiving, but I'm hoping God is telling me otherwise. I mean, at least He's keeping silence now. Well, the time will come for God to reveal what He wants me to know. Waiting for this time to come is really scary.

I kind of regretted what I did actually. In fact, I think a 'friendship' like that had gone too much out. Well, my fault, I'd say. So I'm being real watchful with my actions now, not that my liking for him reduced, but friendship should be maintained with its beauty... nothing more & nothing less.

Lord, I know that so many times, I cried out to you & asked you countless 'why'. Please bear with me & be patient with me. I really have no idea what to do but I want to depend on You to guide me. Help me surrender myself to You so that things will turn out beautiful in Your appointed time. Amen.

Days 21 to 27

2008-07-27T19:33:00.003+08:00

Day 21: Walk of Faith
Do not be discouraged by our lack of resources to help. God will provide if He destine you to help a particular person or organisation.

Day 22: A Chance to Die
Amy Carmichael is really inspirational. I pray for a heart that is like that, that of Jesus. Everybody deserves a range of rights such as: to financial security, marriage, comfort, decent accommodation, be with family, be received, be understood, life. When they lack any of these, we, who have it, play a part to help them attain them.

Day 23: War on Poverty
Poverty is everywhere. What about Singapore? I believe there are people, or even families, in Singapore trying to make ends meet. Feeling helpless for not knowing where I can get these people... I believe not all of them are supported or known by voluntary welfare organisations.

Day 24: Chasing Spiritual Highs
From this passage, it is really important to know where Godwants you to be at a particular season. For me, this season, I'm really sure I belong to the marketplace & to serve my company for God's glory. Even if it is against our will, ask for a yielding spirit so that we will no go in circles.

Day 25: Loving Adam
2 Lessons: It is only through dying (to ourselves and/or the people we are living for; to flesh) that we can live an abundant life; God uses the foolish to confound the wise.

Day 26: Small Things Great Love
It is better to do small things with great love than to do great things but with small love. Sounds so easy but so difficult to put into practise.

Day 27: Power to Bless
With regards to all the bad things that is happening around the world, it is not that God is powerless or not sovereign. God "wants to change the world through His people. He wants to work together with us. " What a privilege, but are we ready & willing to work with God?

Days 18-20

2008-07-20T22:58:00.002+08:00

Have no time to blog so I shall blog for the past 3 days' entries.

Day 18: Man of No Reputation
I agreed with the author that we are experiencing the curse pf respectability. We seek after people's respect for us. Not that it's not good, but this 'respectable self image has become our god.'

Jesus was different. He did not bother how others perceive of Him as His focus was on saving people for eternity, not for self-glory.

As children of God, let's seek to put Him first & let Him be our one & only God.

Day 19:Road Less Travelled
Another curse we're experiencing is the curse of conformity. We're seeking for approval & acceptance of others.

Then again, it is often the road of suffering that will lead us to eternal joy. We're free to choose our paths, but the consequence at the end of the road has been fixed, with the path we chose. So choose wisely.

Day 20: The Good Fight
I was singing 'Fight of Faith' while waiting for bus this morning. Then when I flipped to today's passage, I was surprised to see 'The Good Fight' as the title. It talked about the Amazing Grace guy, William Wilberforce--how he was transformed from a self-focused to an other-focused person. It was because of his determination that the British slave trade was abolished.

May God send more of His people into such system to 'set the captives free' & make sound decision.

Thank God for the tinny winny increment!

2008-07-18T22:43:00.002+08:00

My confirmation in AH will only be in December this year & despite this fact, I thank God that I've just got myself an annual increment & inflation bonus! What more can I say but really thank God? Someone so unworthy, yet He loves me so much. Lord, I really thank You for this job as I enjoyed what I'm doing so far, although I'm really busy. Praise You, Lord!

Day 17: Where Compassion Leads

2008-07-17T23:52:00.005+08:00

Father I pray for a heart of compassion to flow in Your children. I pray that we would be able to leave all things down & follow where You want us to be. Lead us, Lord, where compassion leads.

"Pour Your Spirit over me

Let Your love rain down

Would You take these hands of mine

And use me

Pour Your Spirit over me

Let Your lovr rain down

Would You take these feet of mine

And lead me"

- Chorus of 'From Ashes To Beauty' by The Vine Band

Day 16: Far More Important

2008-07-16T23:50:00.002+08:00

First of all, I want to praise God because I found where I can donate some money to. But of course I'll continue to pray about it--whether I should give the full amount instead of halving it.

Let's pray for a heart of compassion. Pray that nothing will rob this compassion away, & that nothing will make us compromise on compassion.

Day 15: To Be Like Him

2008-07-15T23:32:00.002+08:00

It's not too late to start praying to God for the revelation of where our ministry is. When I said 'ministry,' I'm referring to the ministry to the poor. To where & who, specifically, & God will plant the desires into your heart.

Day 14: The Least of These

2008-07-14T23:30:00.004+08:00

I almost forgot to blog about it! Work was crazy, that was why.

Anyway, what really gripped me about today's passage was the part when it said, " Whatever we do to another human being, we do to God."

There's no use evangelising & preaching to people who don't know God when there are no actions to prove God to them, especially God's love. James 2 14-17 says it all:

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? 17In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

Let's shine for God's glory.

Day 13: Like One of Us

2008-07-13T17:45:00.002+08:00

Like one of us... that was Jesus.

Jesus extended His love by experiencing what us as humans would experience the worse. Can we love the poorest of the poor with a love like Jesus'?

Let's humble ourselves today. Not only to God, but to those who need our help. Let us not put a barrier between us & the people in need. Yes, we may be more educated, but would we be able to put this difference down & serve the one in desperate need? To speak like them & mingle with them? We can, by God's grace. Amen!

Dear Daddy God...

2008-07-13T17:19:00.003+08:00

Dear Daddy God,

I just want to thank You for Your love--the love that never fails; the love that is always here with me & responded to me when I cried out desperately. I know what I'm going through now cannot be compared to what Jesus had went through. But I thank You that You never abandon me. In fact, You spoke to me about it & I believe You're telling me to surrender it all to You. I have decided to do so, but God, I need You... I need Your help to pull me through this difficult time. I need Your help to forget about the sweet moments. You did it so many times & I believer You will do it for me again. I don't want to hold on & linger anymore. I need You to pull off this string that is tugging my heart. Take it, Lord, & do with it as You will... I surrender. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen...

Day 12: True Honour

2008-07-12T21:31:00.001+08:00

Helping the needy = honouring God

Oppressing the poor = as good as spitting on God's face

Make a stand today

Day 11: Gleaning The Truth

2008-07-11T21:33:00.002+08:00

The passage today is simple & straightforward: glean. Ask God for a heart of compassion. Lord I need that. Open doors please. Amen.

God's grace over 'it'

2008-07-10T20:12:00.004+08:00

I want to thank God that He's watching over the 'friendship,' or at least, watching over me. Every time I cry out to God about the 'friendship,' He answered instantly. Although I still have no answer how it should be in the future, I'm grateful for God's grace thus far. There has been so much grace, sometimes I'm confused by God. Hee! Well, there're ups & downs in everything but I know, ultimately, God's plan will prevail.

Thank You, Lord, for everything. :) So sweet of You, Daddy God...

Day 10: My IOU To The Poor

2008-07-10T12:42:00.002+08:00

I didn't capture my attention when I read the Bible a couple of times on this part where it says (in the Exodus times), people were to tithe the increase of the third year to a special group of people. Like what today's passage mentioned, we clearly have no idea about this as it has not been a practice for us. By giving, it not only shows we care & love these groups of people (extending God's love), but also showing that we love one another: it is God's love & our love. Not easy, but all things are possible for God's people.

Then again, before we proceed to give, pray that God will guide us as to who to give. I believe He has a specific group He wants us to give for each individual.

Day 9: Be A Busybody

2008-07-09T23:32:00.002+08:00

Somehow God seems to be telling me not to shun away when I see such things happen. I mean, as I read, I somehow had some flash backs of me 'minding my own business.' Most of us treat these foreign workers as lower class people. But who are we to treat them like this? They, just like us, are dearly-loved by God.

Father I'd like to repent if I have ever mistreat one of these foreign workers. Teach me to love them just as You love them. Teach me to love them as You teach me to love myself. In Jesus' name. Amen.

This is for You, Lord

2008-07-09T22:58:00.003+08:00

I've officially graduated. All glory to God! If not for Him, I won't walk thus far. Praise God!

Day 8: The Great Alienation

2008-07-08T22:52:00.002+08:00

Today's passage talks about foreign workers. What stirs up in my thoughts is the fact that these foreign workers, like us, are equally loved by God. We should not treat them differently, but treat them like how we would treat our family & friends. Little things we do, like saying 'thank you,' can brighten their day. Try it out if you have a helper at home; try it to the foreign cleaners you met. You can make their day by appreciating them.

Even when I was reading today's passage, I was reminded of our church's potential move to Golden Mile Complex--how we would be able to reach out to the Thais & meeting their spiritual needs, perhaps even other needs.

Father I pray for sensitivity for Your people, that we will obey & follow what You want us to do. Let us be Your agents, which Your love will spread through us to touch lives for You. Have Your way, Lord. Amen.

Day 7: The Social Mandate

2008-07-07T12:35:00.005+08:00

We do have a responsibility to eliminate poverty: this was the gist of today's passage. God desires us, His children, to take the imitative to get rid of poverty. Are we sitting on the fence still? Does it hurts you, in the first place, when you see homeless people in the streets, people begging for money?

Of course we have to offer our help with discernment from God as some are out there to con. Pray for a sensitive spirit; that God will prompt us who genuinely needs help. Pray that we will willingly stretch out a helping hand for those who really have a need. Pray for a heart that beats like Jesus'.

Proverbs 3:27-28 (The Message)

Never walk away from someone who deserves help;

your hand is God's hand for that person.

Don't tell your neighbor "Maybe some other time"

or "Try me tomorrow"

when the money's right there in your pocket.

Don't figure ways of taking advantage of your neighbor

when he's sitting there trusting and unsuspecting.

1 John 3:17-18 (NIV)

If anyone has material possessions

and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him,

how can the love of God be in him?

Dear children, let us not love with words

or tongue but with actions and in truth.

Day 6: The Greater Good

2008-07-06T20:26:00.004+08:00

After reading today's passage, I can't help but started looking for ways I can help. I cannot delay any longer.

Not all are so blessed like us. It hurts God to see people in poverty. That was why He implemented the cancellation of debts after 7 years in the olden times. Sad to say, today, people are so concern with money, that what you lent out, you want it to be returned, & with interest!

I believe in a lending theory which goes like this: if you've decided to lend someone money, don't expect any returns. If you can't do so, don't lend.

There are many people who need a helping hand from us. But before you look abroad, look at Singapore alone. Many people are in need of help, just that we didn't know it. One that aches my heart is to see old people living alone, with no help. Thank God there are organisations with volunteers to help in delivering meals, cleaning up their houses, etc. We can play out part by volunteering (give some love), or giving financially (if we don't have the luxury of time). If there's a will, there's always a way.

Lord, would You please reveal how I can help, especially financially. I pray that out of this, You will be glorified. In Jesus' name. Amen.

A reminder... Thank God

2008-07-06T20:14:00.001+08:00

Psalm 9:1-2

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust."

Day 5: The Great Promise

2008-07-05T22:15:00.002+08:00

How to be God's holy people in an unholy land?

Remove the yoke from among you.
Stop pointing the finger & speak evil.
Feel the hungry, satisfy the afflicted.

Easier said than done, you may think. I agree. That is why we need to ask the Holy Spirit to be our guide, such that when such things were to happen, the Holy Spirit will remind us & prompt us what to do at that moment.

Father I pray that You guide us as we spend our daily lives. I pray You lead us to where there are needs so that we can bless the people in need, so Your name will be glorified. I pray for eyes to discern felt needs, I pray for hearts to be sensitive to Your moves. Lead us, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen!

Day 4: The Great Reality

2008-07-04T12:28:00.003+08:00

Take some time to read & reflect on what these sentences from today's passage mean:

"True ‘fasting,’ therefore, is abstaining from things that divide the Church and destroy community — spiritual pride, self conceit, disunity, infighting, oppression, injustice, exploitation, intimidation."

"True ‘fasting’ is doing those things that build community, and helping those who cannot help themselves — feed the hungry, house the homeless, clothe the naked, don’t sidestep those who are hoping for your help, especially your kin."

"...true worship and social justice are two sides of the same coin. It’s about right relationship with God, and right action toward others."

"John Kirvan in God Hunger says: Solitude and silence may be the meat and potatoes of our prayer lives, but they are empty of nourishment when separated from service of our brothers and sisters."

We do not live is solitude. In fact, we spent 99.99999.......% of our times with people around us. Why not do something special for the people around us, simply but putting them in your thoughts & see what you can do for them? This is especially so for those in need. Pray for God to show, in a tangible manner, who we can help.

God, grant us discernment. Amen.

Day 3: The Great Farce

2008-07-03T23:19:00.002+08:00

"Martin Luther said: God uses lust to impel man to marriage, ambition to office, greed to earning, and fear to faith."

"Self-interest dies hard. Even in the midst of leading worship, preaching sermons, teaching the Bible, leading prayer, mentoring others, or going on missions, we can be promoting and pleasing ourselves rather than God. Fasting pleases God, only when it is accompanied by heart change, character transformation."

How true can this be, although it may seem very subtle. I remembered a pastor was saying, I think it's Pastor Andrew Khoo, that when you look nice in a photograph, it means it's a nice picture. In other words, we look at & am concern with ourselves than with others. What we choose to do connotes some kind of, self-interest. We do it for the profit of ourselves. How selfish. I was, just, reminded of how I could messages him, in hopes that he will reply, to satisfy my misses for him. You get the picture I painted? Little things & we are doing it FOR OURSELVES.

Pray: "LORD JESUS, I confess that I have been absorbed with myself and my wants. I have made You into my personal god of favour and fortune, with little(or no) concern for others. I am deeply sorry. Let Your Word pierce my heart.Help me to live a life that truly pleases You. In Your Name, amen."

God convicted me once again. In fact, I thank God for it. Father I pray I'd be reminded of what You said. I will put what I learnt into actions. In Jesus' name. Amen!