GIVE THANKS WITH A GRATEFUL HEART

theTWENTYFIFTHofmaytwoohohseven

this was the morning our dear friend XQ moved on.
and my devotion that morning was too intriguing not to blog about it.
for Narash had the same passage for his devotion as well.

from the oft-quoted passage about love,

" It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. " - 1 Corinthians 13:7

we are supposed to be vessels of love, demonstrating the love of Christ everywhere.
but are we? do we?

sometimes we need to ponder again, about what true love really means.

true love always protects.
do we protect each other?
or do we criticise our brothers?
protecting means not running others down.

true love always trusts.
do we trust one another?
do we even trust God?
trusting means not worrying.

true love always hopes.
do we have hope?
for the pre-believers around us?
or even in ourselves? do we think we are hopeless?
hope means not getting discouraged.

true love always perseveres.
are we persevering? in our prayers? in our struggles?
perseverance means not giving up.

i think we need to re-learn over and over again what it is to love.
we need new revelations of God's love to keep us in focus. to remind us time and again that,
we can only love because God first loved us.

Sin is Shiok?

I'm staying over at Joshua Chong's place for the night
and I just came out from the shower...

Minutes ago when i was splashing myself with water,
I was reflecting on the journey GOD is leading me through
and I felt his prompting on sharing with you about the issue of SIN over the
next few days.

Sin is pleasurable - Day 01
The consequence of Sin- Day 02
We have a way out- Day 03

Somehow, SIN seems pleasurable ain't it?
Remember the thrill and excitment you got when you shoplifted/ stole something when
you were younger?

Playing truant and climbing out that school gate was fun wasn't it?!???

What about the release of 'High' when you hooked up that babe at the bar counter?

Or is it the temporal satisfaction you got back in the toilet?

Yes, SIN is pleasurable.
It was even recorded in the bible!
'She saw that the tree was beautiful and its fruit looked delicious...'- Gen3:6

I say again, SIN is pleasurable.
And because they are pleasurable, you fight it, struggle with it and find
it hard to surrender and give up on it, because you feel that you can't help it.

But know that there are consequences to these sinful pleasures!

Learning point: Sin is pleasurable, and we can fall into them without us knowing
or we even deceieve ourselves that its ok since it feels good!
Watch out that we're not acquainted with these pleasurable activities
that pains the heart of God!

Learning journey

I had the privilege to follow Joshua to minister to the family of Xiao Qiang. I saw how Daniel tried his best to communicate and even pray using Chinese. He took initative to speak comforting words to the father. And that was a beautiful sight. I was praying silently for God's comfort to come and that He would use Daniel and Joshua. Spoken words and gentle hug was a great way of displaying God's love. And even met the brother. We were just to be a blessing with no string attached. Not expecting a response so that we would feel good about it. But rather just being there for the family (support).

I thank God for Xiao qiang. He has been a blessing to me even untill now. He helped me see LOVE in a deeper perspective.

Goodbye My friend

Xiao Qiang passed away on the 25th May. It was a shocking news for me because it was just too sudden. I went to view his friendster account today and saw some of the photos we took together, the ones at Thai Pan at Joshua’s place. The fact that he posted so many photos on ‘that day’ shows that he treasures the fellowship, he treasures the memories, and he treasures you Joshua. I thank God that he has brought you into his life. From the photos he posted, I believe he is very thankful and look up to you a lot Joshua, because you’re someone who is different, someone who is interested in his life, and more than that, someone who believes in him, and through you, he found Jesus.

I could still remember him sending me the whole of Psalms 23 one of the days while I was chatting with him on Msn. And I thank god that he is with the shepherd now, and he shall not be in want.

One of Joshua’s task for me is to pray a prayer of blessing for Xiao qiang’s father (In Chinese) at the wake. Being surrounded by many Buddhist monks as well as on-going chanting and weird stares by some of the relatives, I felt quite intimidated. But I had my family with me, Charles, George, Ivan, Angela, Rachel, Joshua’s Dad and Mum and because of that, I fear no longer because the family is with me. Joshua’s mum (Super mum) is really superb, she went to pray for Xiao qiang’s mother whom she has not met before. She is more ‘garang’ then this little mouse typing this post. That ‘attitude’ and ‘heart’ of just wanting to be a blessing, wanting to be a comfort, the wanting to reflect Jesus just blew me off the chair. I wanna be bold and courageous for Jesus.

Of Races

1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.

As all of you know, I love running, especially in long, gruesome races such as AHM and Standard Chartered. Running such races requires lots and lots of preparation. I have gone thru tough training programmes during my preparation for my races. Not training well enough can result in a poor race or even injures on race day.

Christians also run a race. We are running towards the day we meet Jesus and the heavenly rewards. The training comes from our prayer, going deep into the Word, and worship. And these are the very training programme that we need to adhere to ensure we run the race well.

My main motivation when I run are the flashback moments of me crossing the finish line, with the crowd cheering and seeing a new personal best timing on the clock.

The same goes in our spiritual run. Keep the God and his heavenly inheritance for you in mind and perservere on in the training!

this location...

As many of you know. my shoulder dislocated.
i thank God i am able to move my arm as if it is normal now. pray for a full recovery alrite? dun want it to come out now and then.

I was really asking God why did he allow this to take place. All i wanted in Army was not to get injured and finish all my training together with my buddies. but no. God has another plan for me. so thus im sitting out training for the next 6 weeks which includes 3 outfield exercises. maybe its time for me to rest.

Today preacher landa cope spoke about God's call in our lives. although she had no 3 point sermon but in the midst of her sharing i think she reaffirms that God designed each and every one of us specifically with different skill sets, talents and gifting. I feel very encouraged listening there and somewhat excited about how God can use us just as we are. I'm praying that God will give us the faith to believe and dream big for him. For ourselves, for our people.

'B' stands for Best

I remember I shared in G-12 meeting
that I'm trusting the Lord for all A's in my previous examination.

Well! Here it is!

Name : SHAM CHEUK YIU ANGUS
Matric No : U061608M

2006/2007 Sem 2 Examination for ARTS AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 1
Module Code Module Title Grade
GE2218 Leisure, Recreation and Tourism B
GE2220 Terrestrial and Coastal Environments B+
LSM1303 Animal Behaviour B-
SC1101E Making Sense of Society B+
SSA2202 Changing Landscapes of Singapore B+

CAP: 3.72

God did not give me all A's but all Bs because 'B' stands for BEST!!! haha
Well, nevertheless I still want to Thank GOd for blessing me with these results
given my slackness in the term.
I'll work hard for all A's and stand to give thanks one day!

All Out of Love

Want to learn a particular lesson? Fasten your seat belt, sit tight and get ready for the experience that God is about to bring you through. Every time we set our minds to want to let God mould our character, or to learn certain truths about him, he holds you to your word and brings you through a journey to learn that about him or about yourself. I thank God for an interesting journey that he had brought me through the past 2 days.

I was asking myself this question, ‘Can I really say that I can serve God to the ends of the earth without excuses, and when something is upon his heart, I’ll go without questions asked when he calls.’

I had the opportunity to serve as a mentor at a Service Learning course at Telok Kurau Secondary school the past 2 days. That being the last week of school, I did not expect any schools to be calling me up for relief teaching. Somehow, God arranged teachers to be ‘Chao-kenging’ or falling sick on those 2 days and ONLY for those 2 days while I was serving as a mentor did schools call me up. That was truly a test! And a very painful one! That means a goodbye to $65 x 2 = $130!!! Which I needed quite badly!

After I reluctantly rejected the school, I told God, ‘Boss you best, it hurts. But I put that $130 on the altar, may this attitude of mine be worship unto you.’ Ouch! It does hurt. But the joy of serving God by responding to his call further compensates for that $130. It brings me joy by being a blessing to his people, even though some of these students can’t wait for the end of the day to come.

My friends, It doesn’t matter whether your fruits of labor are tangible or your rates of return exceed rates of investment. God is looking for someone who will answer his call when he calls, serving him whole-heartedly. Not caring about results, but only focused on the father’s heart.

‘For the eyes of the father range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.’2Chronicles 16:9

Don’t be a half-committed Christian, give it all, because he has given you all.

TATAFORNOW

theTWENTYSECONDofmaytwoohohseven

" When you cry out for help, let your collection of idols save you! The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away. But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain. " - Isaiah 57:13

the Bible has its brand of sarcasm.

refuge: a place of shelter, protection, safety or escape from danger

DO we turn to God first when we face trouble?
OR do we turn to worldly things to source for a way out first, and then try God when all else fails?

it only shows how much faith we really put in him, versus the things of the world.


let's make God our first recourse and not our last resort.

God of the SO MUCH MORE!

theTWENTYFIRSTofmaytwoohohseven

You think GOD is good? Yes he is! But he is better than you can ever imagine! I really saw the goodness of GOD during this encounter. During some of the sessions, it is so clear to me that GOD is a GOD that desires to bless us with so so much more than you can ever imagine!

But due to our own human ‘intelligence’ ‘rationality’ ‘lack of faith’ and SIN , we have robbed ourselves from his blessing vertically and horizontally in 3 dimensions.
1. Relationship with the father
2. Relationship with one another
3. Relationship with the market place (Material possessions)

During the session on the ministry of the cross, I was so delighted and moved to see GOD touching hearts, healing wounds and transforming lives. As I stood there amazed, I sense GOD speak to me, ‘Angus you think I’m good? I tell you I’m far far far better than all you can ever imagine.’

Yes, our GOD is a God of the so much so much so much so much x10000000000000000000 x infinity so much more! But because we are finite human beings, thus it is impossible for us to understand the extent of the goodness of the infinite GOD. I pray that you will seek and desire to receive his goodness. God has meant for us to be blessed, to be richly blessed. I speak the blessing of GOD into your life as you read this post, claim it proudly as a child of God, because its your inheritance!

SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING GOOD

theTWENTYFIRSTofmaytwoohohseven

" "The seed will grow well, the vine will yield its fruit, the ground will produce its crops, and the heavens will drop their dew. I will give all these things as an inheritance to the remnant of this people. " - Zechariah 8:12

yesterday's sermon seemed to me a landmark sermon.
"Brokenness - the key to spiritual blessing and greatness"
i sensed in the Spirit that something had changed; it was the birth of something new.
i sensed breakthrough.

as i sat there in service, i don't know why, but my eyes started tearing.
i sensed a change in the spiritual climate - the Lord was doing something new.
and i was excited.
i sensed the Lord promising us the blessing of fruitfulness.

again, the key word was Brokenness; Humility.
may we all be humble enough to be used by God.

amen.

Of 언어

Today during service, we sat around some Korean visitors. It was quite fun. I always enjoyed worhshipping among people of all nations, be it Americans, Africans, fellow Asians, etc... The last time I experienced this was probably during the G12 conference.

Our God is a God of many language. In fact his love trancends the language barrier. And everytime when I worship among them, there is a sense of joy within me. This is a sneak peek at how is it like to see ALL NATIONS, people of all tribe and tongue worshipping the same good God. Its an awesome feeling.

Let this be an encouragement to those going to Shenyang, especially those who might felt that language is a barrer. Let the language of love flow! The day for China will come!

신은 너를 강복한다 (God Bless You)

HULLABALLOOLOOLOO

theTWENTIETHofmaytwoohohseven

" There was no end to all the people who were before them. But those who came later were not pleased with the successor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. " - Ecclesiastes 4:16

better a poor but wise youth than an old but foolish king who no longer knows how to take warning.

wisdom is supreme.
wisdom is moving in the Spirit.
wisdom is being humble to take warning.
wisdom is less of me; and Spirit: take over.
wisdom is empowering.
wisdom is enriching.
wisdom is valuable.
wisdom is priceless.
but
wisdom starts with brokenness.
wisdom starts with humility.
wisdom starts with us realising we are nothing apart from God.
wisdom starts with us willing to be used by God for his purpose.
wisdom starts with "Father it is not i, so please increase in me."

success is meaningless.
it is an endless cycle.
a chasing after the wind.

through it all,
our humility was the key element God was seeking for.


WAS i too proud to take warnings?

maybe i was.
i should have gone to the doctor. ;)
is it too late, now?

Of The Best-est Guide Ever

ORD loh! (Sorry Luke and Charlie bird!)

The day I've been waiting for 2 years is finally less than 20 days away. Super happy about it. But with it comes a question: What next?

This topic has been floating around in my camp (and most probably in the minds of most "ord personnel", and sometimes we really don't know what to do next. Thank God that he has given me a place in NTU, and even a good job before I starts school.

But what if all that didn't happen? What should we do? Pray. God is our best compass. God is all knowing. God planned for us. So when we are lost, seek him! He's our best-est guide.

Since you are my rock and my fortress,
for the sake of your name lead and guide me - Psalm 31:3

For this God is our God for ever and ever;
he will be our guide even to the end. - Psalm 48:14

Are we lost for directions? Seek the Lord and trust that whatever direction given will be good.

Send forth your light and your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell. - Psalm 43:3

In Luke, Zechariah prophesied that Jesus has come...

...to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to GUIDE our feet into the path of PEACE. - Luke 1:79



Yeah. ORD loh! in 19 days.

patience is very the good!

patience oh patience. a journey that i'm taking now to discover. this week i've been reading "Chasing the Dragon" and its been a wonderful blessing. It warms my semi-cold heart to know that there is a lady out there whos heart really goes out to the poor.
An underlying truth that i noticed was consistent in all the testimonies was that she had patience. Patience to wait and pray until something radically changes - not giving up. Some addicts took 5 yrs to accept Christ. many others took months but she persevered to share the gospel with these God-loved people.
I was reading Proverbs over again this week and one day i flipped to proverbs 16. and in verse 32 it says this:

"Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes a city"

So i was meditating on it in my mind. wow its just awes me to know that God values patience so much more than i think! imagine. a patient man better than a warrior!

many a times i want things my way. i dun want to wait. i think my mind has been tuned to the pace of the world - one that has does not like to wait. its time i did it God's pace.

are some of you also like me? its time to sign up for the patience virtuecard then. =)

BROUHAHAHAHA

theNINETEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. " - Jude 1:19

all of man's carnal instincts are not of the Spirit.
if left to our instinct, we would be mere beasts.

which is why it is so important
that we live in the Spirit.
that we pray in the Spirit.
that we listen to the Spirit's guidance.
that we heed the Spirit's prompting.

which is why i like to pray in tongues every morning when i awake,
and fill myself with the Spirit, to drown out the old man in me - the carnal instincts.

the Spirit is contrary to the carnal.

carnal desires like pride. like lust. like greed. like indulgence. like boastfulness. like destruction. like jealousy. like slander.
it starts small, seemingly innocent - a simple desire, an innocent crush.
but if we let it grow, it will well destroy us in its maturity.

therefore, be ON GUARD against the devil's schemes.
what might feel so right may turn out to be so wrong.

and be ON GUARD for those that divide us.
for they operate in the carnal flesh rather than in the Spirit.

ALWAYS check: is it me, or is it the Holy Spirit?
if we follow the Holy Spirit, we can't go very wrong.


MY APPLICATION: to pray in the Spirit every morning.

Lost the Love?

It has been very emotional for me the past few days. Just yesterday, I had the privilege and opportunity to do relief teaching back in my Secondary school. I thank GOD for it because it is one of the places I aim to search for my 12. Got in touch with the arts club teacher who is a Christian and told me ‘I’m looking for someone to come into arts club to start something with me.’ I shared with her a bit about what we could do to work together and we’ll be arranging a meeting with her together with Charles and Tianyu hopefully next Saturday.

On the other hand, I had a very bad experience doing relief. It was totally different from 3 years back when I enjoyed myself so very much taking the upper secondary normal academic classes. By the end of the day, I was totally drained out. The students are very ‘attitude’, very rebellious, don’t care about my existence and could just walk out of the class in groups of 6-7 to ‘tour’ around the school. I thought to myself, ‘The students conduct is degrading down the generation.’ To put them more strongly in my own words, they are more cocked up then ever before. I felt so so difficult to love them although that’s exactly what God has called us to do. ‘Love God, love people.’

Just today, I was on the bus, and there were 2 guys about age 16-17, with dyed hair, ah beng style dressing. They were playing mp3 with their phone at maximum volume. Some songs even contain a string of vulgarities. I was totally disgusted by their techno clubbing hits and there goes my mind, ‘La sup kias’ I struggled so so much to love this people, I do not know why suddenly my heart has gone cold and felt so so difficult to love anymore. The fact that I can label them as ‘La Sup kia’ reveals my pride of ‘looking down’ on them and thinking that I am ‘one cut above’ them. ‘God please forgive me for judging and labeling others.’ If I could think and feel others are ‘disgusting,’ what makes me feel that the sinful me is not ‘disgusting’ to the standards of our Holy God?

I’m very worried for myself because I’m going for encounter tomorrow. I pray that I’ll receive the father’s love, and that the Lord will create in me the Love to love others. (My post was supposed to end here… but network error occurred…)

I went on to delete some of my files in my computer. All of a sudden, I came across this audio file, and I played it. I suddenly encountered the supernatural presence of GOD, and this brings me to end this post with a victorious ending.

Lost the Love? Don’t know how to love? Afraid of loving again? ‘There is no problem too big, God cannot solve it, there is no mountain too tall, he cannot move it, if he carried the weight of the world upon his shoulders, I know my brother that HE will carry you. Let God carry you in this song.

AND SO IT IS

theEIGHTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. " - 2 Timothy 16

out of the heart the mouth speaks.
DO we glorify God with our words?

words have power.
be careful, thus, what we say.

words should be used to build each other up,
not pull them down.
words should be used to encourage,
not discourage.
words should proclaim the gospel,
not promote ungodliness.

may we be Christ-like in our words.


just had a small row with my brother, and am kind of regretting it. what good had it done except to strain our relationship? yes, he was in the wrong, but i should have spoken in love. sigh.

MY APPLICATION: to patch things up today.

^ broken before You

Psalm 18: 1 I love you, O LORD, my strength. 2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. 3 I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies.

A psalm written by David when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul.
He had a heart of submission.

I have a closer understanding how he may have felt.
Is my world ending! No... And now I call on You.

My world is with God. I am weak. I am not asking why. But how can i shine for you? I am not able. I have failed. I am weak. I struggle. Emotions are overwhelming me. I know my purpose. I know my position. This is my race. I have bloody knees. God Help me. I must go on. I will do my best. I must be consistent. I have to press on.

31 For who is God besides the LORD ? And who is the Rock except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.
34 He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great.
36 You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.

Lord, i dunno how. But I'll follow you.

Narash (Lion of God)

THE GIFT OF MEMORIES OR THE CURSE OF IT

theSEVENTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" Do your best to come to me quickly, for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. " - 2 Timothy 4:9-10

following Jesus and loving the world do not mix.
one cannot love Jesus and the world at the same time.

here we see Paul had his fair share of deserters.
but he went on undeterred.
because he was focused on the Lord's work, not his own.
he was relying on the Lord, not on himself.

" The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.. "


MY APPLICATION: to trust in the Lord for my disciples. not by my might but by the Spirit of God. may they arise to be called men of God. i shall commit them in prayer today.

BUMP CLICK WHIZ BANG GLURP

theSIXTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. " - James 4:17

wow, doesn't that make us mighty sinners, then?
preeeciselaye.

we ought not to boast. "..i have donated $1 million to the poor!"
nor feel self-righteous. "..i pray 10 times a day!"
yes, they are noble deeds, but
it is not by these works that we have earned our salvation.

instead, we should recognise that we were all sinners once doomed for eternity.
it was only by grace that we were saved,
not that we may boast, but that we may recognise God's compassion for us.
humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

IF there is GOOD that ought to be done, do it.
for such was Jesus' attitude. such was God's grace.

may we not come to the point where we think we are 'holy enough' and hence neglect the need to do 'petty good deeds'.
holiness is not self-earned, it was purchased with a life and then given unto us, and in gratitude we can only hope to mirror it - via good deeds.

this is not a call to slavery.
it is a call for OBEDIENCE. to God's good work.

it only takes humility to say, "yes, Lord. here am i, use me."


MY APPLICATION: to not turn a blind eye or deaf ear to good deeds. yes, i cannot save the world, but at least i can be a kind soul for a few in need. may apathy be gone. in humility, i will be a blessing to those around me. i will be a blessing to at least 1 person today.

^ God converts hearts

1 Corinthians 2:4 My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit's power, 5so that your faith might not rest on men's wisdom, but on God's power.

Sharing the gospel cant be done by winning the mind. Its not a mind game! But by what the mind cant comprehend. God does what men cannot do. That is why God is God. We do not want to build people based on what we say. But rather based on the power of God.

Demonstration of Spirit's power: Can be done only if I choose to live a life relying of God's power.
Only the Holy spirit can make heart conversion not by the powerful persuasiveness of men. So why do we give up- if its not about us! Because we think we have failed. Because we think that the person is impossible. Because we forget God is in charge.

Applications
Today, I quarrelled with someone at work. Lost my temper. I need more of the Power of Holy spirit. I want my faith to be build on God's power and not resting on men's wisdom. And to renew my mind daily on this matter. And to practise Sanctified imagination before approaching heated up matters. Always 'PAUSE' for the Holy spirit to work within. And not continue with the argument.

And in cell, we prayed for those who havent received the gift of tongues to receive. And it was wonderful as both of them received. Casey and Jeremy! and brandon and dennis prayed for and along with them. oH how Beautiful it was... It was by the power of God alone, possible. So that they would live by the Power of God not by my wisdom...

Narash (Lion of God)

DID YOU EXPECT IT ALL TO STOP AT THE WAVE OF YOUR HAND

theFIFTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. " - Ephesians 6:12

i am reminded again of the need to pray.
for we are fighting unseen spiritual forces of evil.

i just sensed the urgency to commit the whole Shenyang team in prayer.
for the battle is won in the spirit realm.

for those of us who are sick, wounded, defeated, let us never be ceasing in prayer.
and let those who are well never cease in praying for them as well.

WILL you pray for someone today?


"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." - Alfred Lord Tennyson

I'M WIDE AWAKE IT'S MORNING

theFOURTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. " - Philippians 2:20

when we serve others, are we genuinely interested in their welfare?

as inspired from Jackie Pullinger,
genuine interest has to be more than just touch and go.

ARE we willing to go the extra mile? to serve. for God.

for it will cost us.

Awake Prophets of Ah Teo Clan!

Deuteronomy 18:17

The Lord said to me, ‘What they say is good. I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him…’

I really appreciate Dr Jackie Pullinger’s encouragement for us to practise the gifts of prophesy. From the short 1 day conference as well as during our service, many times she called upon her disciples to release words of prophesy. We can thus see the emphasis she placed on words of prophesy which will definitely edify the body of Christ. I myself have been edified and encouraged by Daniel and TY during our short ‘Satu, Duar, Tiga’ practice at the end of the conference.

Like the verse above states, God will raise up for us a prophet among our brothers. Lets receive it, practice it, and use it for his glory both in edifying each other as well pursuing the dreams and goals he has revealed to our sub-tribe.

Scared to say the wrong thing? My friends, let me bless you with another verse.

John17:3 ‘But when HE, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth….’

Don’t be scared, its time to learn to hear the voice of God, and tell the world what he has said.

DIU DIU DIU

theTHIRTEENTHofmaytwoohohseven

skipped devotion on the twelfth because in my befuddled state of fever i sort of forgot to write down which Scripture i was reading. now it escapes memory thus exemplifying the importance of recording down one's devotions.

i only remember my prayer was for God to burn away my impurities just as my fever was 'burning' my body.

anyway
onthemorningoftheTHIRTEENTH,

" "Go at once," the king commanded Haman. "Get the robe and the horse and do just as you have suggested for Mordecai the Jew, who sits at the king's gate. Do not neglect anything you have recommended." - Esther 6:10

the Bible certainly has its brand of humour. as is reflected in this chapter of Esther.

less of selfish inward intentions.
more of selfless outpouring of blessing unto others.

God will save the righteous.
and the wicked will have to be dealt with.

we may say "..but since when was i ever wicked?"

ah, how quick our self-righteousness.
ARE we ready, then, to surrender what we long for the most.. to the needy?

Haman longed for the king to honour him in public.
but Mordecai was the apt one to be honoured.
and Haman was made to honour Mordecai, much against his will.

Haman was proud, u see. he always cared for himself. self-seeking. me-ism.
thus he was deeply offended and grieved when his greatest desire went to someone else.
(worse still - via his own administration.)
he couldn't take the humility. o, the shame..!

this ties in very timely with Jackie Pullinger's message that
the needy are all around us. we just need to learn to see them.
we just need to think about ourselves less, and think for others more.

as from the lesson in Esther 6,
the inward-looking me-ism sickness is fuelled by PRIDE.
our selfish pride and interests come in the way of God's heart for the needy.

CAN we be a blessing today?


MY APPLICATION: yay. to get my Mum a mother's day gift. and bless my Dad, too.

ONE TWO FIVE FOUR THREE GO

theELEVENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" It has frustrated all efforts; its heavy deposit has not been removed, not even by fire. " - Ezekiel 24:12

this day (fri) was the 'start' of my illness - flu.
noserunninglikeanopentap, sneezeuncontrollablyeverynowandthen kind of flu.

at first i thought God was punishing me. for frustrating all his efforts in trying to cleanse me.
my impurity still remained as a heavy deposit.
oh no so now the Lord is trying to teach me a lesson..?

on second thought i thought but hey, Jesus has died for us, now there isn't a need to punish us, cuz he's already punished Jesus..!

hmm but that can't be totally right, too. we can't just keep living in sin without nothing happening to us, can we..?

so then i realised that
sin is an open door which Satan uses to gain a stronghold and attack us.

ho ho.
God wasn't punishing me with sickness, it was just that satan's lies had deceived me into thinking so. God's wrath was poured out on Jesus, and by his stripes we are healed. but by living in sin we hand our bodies over to satan to infect us with terrible diseases.

it is an interesting notion to ponder that phsycial illness is related to spiritual health.


Lord, i repent. for living in my sin. i no longer want to tolerate it anymore, because i know you can't. help me break free into a victorious life.

amen.

Its about HIM

Here is a summary of my series of message… hahah, posts I mean.

1. My Body is about him (He owns the body, not I. Since he is the owner, we had
better use it in such a way that makes him happy!)
2. My struggles are about him (Your struggles and obstacles serve as tests,
assignments and exercises that make you stronger, tougher and more mature. Don’t
question and grumble! How can you reflect him in the midst of the struggles?)
3. My Success is about him (Remember the source of the success rather than the
success itself! Your success is meant for you to glorify his name, not meant for
you to put as a trophy to ‘Hao Lian’ at home!)

I ran into an event that led me to apply what I had posted. On Thursday night, something happened that made me feel very frustrated, sad, angsty and it further led me to feel useless, lousy, not good enough. It came to a point I told God, ‘God I just feel like giving up the dreams that you had for me.’ He replied ‘Remember what you posted about your body is about me?’ Yes, my body is about him, even if I feel discouraged, defeated, God if your dream for me is this, tough as it may be, I’ll use my body to walk on in this direction that you want me to. My struggles on my emotions are about him too. How can I grow out of it to become stronger and more mature? I reflected upon the whole issue back at home and this was the conclusion:

‘God, I’m imperfect, and in many ways, I feel small, not as good as others, but Lord what I can give you, is a willing heart, ready to be used by you. Will you change me (something normal), into something beautiful.’
I was reminded of a song by jars of clay that goes like this

‘Close my eyes and hold my heart
Cover me and make me something
Change this something normal
Into something beautiful

And I'm still fighting for the word to break these chains
And I still pray when I look in your eyes
You'd stare right back down
Into something beautiful’

Enjoy the song!

THE SUN CAME UP WITH NO CONCLUSIONS

theTENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" " - Mark 1:15

that was all Jesus said.
he didn't need to debate over theologies and doctrines.
he didn't force dogma on others.
he simply proclaimed the good news of God.

he taught as one who had authority.
he moved in the anointing of the Holy Spirit.
i think the key idea is that
the warfare is spiritual.

physically, Jesus was normal. he did normal ordinary actions.
but which produced powerful outcomes.
the difference was that he had the giftings of the Holy Spirit.
the same Holy Spirit that now dwells in us.

HAVE u ever engaged in religious debate and wound up nowhere?
HAVE u ever tried to save someone using logic?
maybe we should ask for the anointing of the Holy Spirit.

for when the anointed speaketh, simple as the wordings may be,
the words go forth in power, bringing salvation to those who hear.
we should learn to tap more into the ever available power of the Holy Spirit.

because the warfare is in the spirit realm.
SALVATION is wrought about not physcially, not mentally, not emotionally, but spiritually.


MY APPLICATION: to pray at least once every week for my unsaved friends.
prayer moves the hand of God.

Show me your way

I had high hopes today. it was great weather. a good timing. the easiest test route. The tester came, i greeted him, walked into the car. Drove off confidently. Completed my circuit with 0 points. it was perfect.

Just outside the gate. all it took was a inconsiderate motorcyclist that came too close. followed by a van that overshot the waiting box while turning right. both of which i was faulted for going too close to them although i was like going at snail speed. after that, a car stopped 30m in front of me so i kept to the right BUT i was given 6points for road hogging. so i filtered left to wait behind the car. the tester told me to overtake. i waited, got a chance to move out while a van was turning right therefore blocking the right lane behind me... BUT he pulled my handbrake and conveniently ticked the nice little circle on the test sheet. the best part is after he pulled my handbrake the road continued to be clear of any traffic because they were held up by that van.


its just not the time to pass. period. but i just wanted to air my grievances. enough of that uneasy feeling. that sickening feeling was felt at various points in my life. the last i recall was during my bmt posting.


ive been going thru a time of disappointments. in myself. in some others. i guess God wants me to know what is truly important in my life. i take unique paths as far as i realised.

as i move into a time of solitude. i pray that indeed God will show me the way.

Of ......

I'm crying again.




Psalm 42:5-6
Why are you downcast, O my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.
My soul is downcast within me;
therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.


Psalm 28:7
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.

My Success is about HIM

That’s right- even your success is intended to reflect God. Listen to the reminder Moses gave the children of Israel: ‘Always remember that it is the LORD your God who give you power to become rich, and he does it to fulfill the covenant he made with your ancestors’ (Deuteronomy 8:18)

And why does he give it? For his reputation. ‘To fulfill the covenant made with your ancestors.’ God blessed Israel in order to billboard his faithfulness. When foreigners saw the fruitful farms of the Promised Land, God did not want them to think about the farmer but the farmer’s maker. Their success advertised God.

Nothing has changed. God lets you excel so you can make him known. And you can be sure of one thing: God will make you good at something. This is the principle: ‘True humility and fear of the LORD lead to riches, honor, and long life’ (Proverbs 22:4) BUT!!! With the success comes a problem.

Just ask Nahab, Elah and Omri. These are men we should know. They were kings of Israel. They ascended the throne, but something about the throne brought them down. Their legacies are stained with blood spilling and idol worship. They failed at success. They forgot the source and purpose of their success. King Nadab symbolized them all: ‘He did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin which he made Israel sin’ (1 kings, 15:26)

You won’t be offered a throne, but you might be offered best architect, best worship leader, platoon best, best soldier, best salesperson. You will, to one degree or another, succeed. And when you do, you might be tempted to forget who helped you do so. Success sabotages the memories of the successful.

When the family struggled to make ends meet, they leaned on God for daily bread. Now that there is an extra car and many notes in the pocket, they haven’t spoken to him in a while. In the early of the church, the founding member spent hours in prayer. Today the church is large, well attended, well funded. Who needs to pray?

A frog had a real problem. His home pond was drying up. IF he didn’t find water soon, it’ll die. But then he had an idea. Convincing 2 birds to carry either end of a stick, he bit the centre and held on as they flew. As they winged towards the new water, his jaws clamped tightly. It was a magnificent sight! A cow saw and wondered aloud, “Who was the smart alec who came up with that idea?” The frog couldn’t resist a reply, ‘I ddiiiiiiiiii….!!!!!’

My friends, don’t make the same mistake. ‘Pride goes before destruction, and haughtiness before a fall’ (Proverbs 16:18). Why are you good at what you do? For your comfort? For your retirement? For you to feel shiok? Feel good about yourself? No. Deem these as bonuses, not as the reason. Why are you good at what you do? For God’s sake. Your success is not about you, its about him!

Of Frets and Worries

Psalm 37:8-9
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.




I am good at imagining things. But this strong sense and ability gave me a problem: it made me think too much, and worrying too much. For those who know me well enough should be aware of this. It can get out of hand sometimes.

Why am I worrying so much? Doing so will only makes me more anxious, makes me unstable.

Instead of focusing on my worries, I should focus on God, his goodness, and his mighty control over all things great and small. That would give me peace in times of troubles and uncertainty.

God is in control. He has been, and always in control.

Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.


Application: Focus on God when worries and paranoia kicks in. God is in control.

^ What time is it? 10:24

1Peter 4: 7The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 9Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

Heb10: 24And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.


"A word for others". Today, I felt the Lord wanting me to bless/spur my brothers.

Consider how we may spur one another - What things can I do to spur? I can message my brothers verses from the bible. Or even think of ways which can bless them...
on toward love and good deeds- I like the way the message version puts it: Let's see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out.

And what i could think in the morning was to pray and bless each a verse by text messaging them. In this way, i reveal what God is speaking to them and thus in the hope that they would become a blessing to others.

Why must we do this? Interestingly, in both of the passages above, it speaks in the light of the End Days coming. This gives me another dimension of why i must think of inventive ways to spur other on toward love, good deeds and administering God's grace unto others.

Angus- James2:12-13

Charles- Proverbs 3:3-7, 3:11-12

Daniel lee- Roman5:6-12

Ivan- 2Cor1:3-5

Jon tay- Exdous28:29

KengSan- Psalms 127

Luke- Phil4:4-9

TY- Psalms 37:3-9

Narash (Lion of God)

A MEANINGLESS MOVEMENT, A MOVIE SCRIPT ENDING

theNINTHofmaytwoohohseven

" For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. " - Romans 5:19

we were sinners. unrighteous.
but we were made righteous.

all by the result of one man.

thank you, God, for that one man.
thank you, God, for his obedience.

OBEDIENCE carries out the will of God, while
DISOBEDIENCE messes it up.

HAVE we heard the call of God?
HAVE we been disobedient?

obedience calls for a heart of HUMILITY.
that we place God's purposes over our own.

DO we struggle with obeying God?
=> search our hearts for PRIDE.

o, that we may never interfere with God's plans.


Lord, use me as a vessel to bring about your good work. not my will but yours be done.
amen.

MY APPLICATION: resist! the temptation! yes, Lord, i hear your Word! (thanks, Narash!)

My struggles are about HIM

Apostle Biography Brief Death
1 Peter
Crucified up-side-down at his request because he did consider himself worthy to be crucified like Jesus.

2 Andrew
Crucified at Patræ, Achaia [southern Greece].
Hung alive on the cross two days, exhorting spectators all the while.

3 James ‡
Killed 10 years after the first martyr, Stephen.
His accuser was converted by James courage and the two were beheaded together.

4 John ‡

•The only apostle who did not meet a martyrs death.

5 Phillip
• Crucified about 54AD

6 Bartholomew [Nathaniel]
Crucified by the idolaters of India.

7 Thomas
Thrust through with spear in India

8 Matthew
Killed with a sword about 60AD.

9 James

Stoned by Jews at his age 90, and ended up with his brains bashed out with a fuller’s club

10 Jude ‡
Crucified 72AD at city of Edessa [Turkey].

11 Simon
Crucified in Britain in 74AD.

12 Judas Iscariot
Suicide And Judas cast down the 30 pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went out and hanged himself. Matthew 27:5


Is this how GOD honors his chosen? How can we explain such a tragedy? Why are innocent girls walking in the United States being raped in the alleys daily and why is there civil war and bloodshed in South Africa? Ain’t he suppose to be sovereign?

Maybe God messed up. Cancer cells crept into your DNA when he wasn’t looking. He was so occupied with the tornado in Kansas that he forgot the famine in Uganda. Perhaps he is mad. Have we so exhausted the mercy of God’s bank account that every prayer bounces like a bad cheque? Did humanity cross the line millenniums ago, and now we’re getting what we deserve? Such an argument carries a dash of merit. God does leave us to the consequences of our stupid decisions. Think Egyptian soldiers in Red sea, Hebrews in Babylon, Peter weeping with the sound of a crowing rooster in his ears. Bang your head against the wall and expect a headache. God let us endure the fruit of sin. But to label him peeved and impatient?

‘God is sheer mercy and grace: not easily angered, he’s rich in love. He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever. He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs. As high as the heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him. (Psalm 103:8-11 MSG)

Don’t blame suffering in the world on the anger of GOD. He’s not mad, he did not mess up. Follow our troubles to their headwaters and you won’t find an angry or befuddled God. But you will find a sovereign God. Your pain has a purpose. Your problems, struggles, heartaches, and hassles cooperate toward one end- the glory of God. ‘Trust me in your times of trouble and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory’ (Psalm 50:15)

As the disciples walk passed the blind man with Jesus, they questioned, why is the man blind? Is it because of his parents? His own sins? Jesus answered ‘It was neither that this man sinned, not his parents, but it was so that the works of GOD might be displayed in him’ (John 9:1-3)

Don’t search the family tree. Don’t request a copy of the man’s rap sheet. Blame his blindness on a call from God. Why was the man sightless? So ‘the works of God might be displayed in him.’

A season of suffering is a small assignment when compared to the reward. My friends, rather than begrudge your problem, explore it. Ponder it. And most of all, use it. Use it to the glory of GOD together.

Narash, perhaps you might ask ‘Why did God choose to put you in a position under unreasonable bosses?- use it for the glory of God man!’ He’ll rescue you and you’ll reflect his glory!

^ Do valiantly (with God)

Psalms 108

Simple devotion with great truths.

This song of David has showcases much Confidence in the Lord
and Thanksgiving unto the Lord.

What does this tell me about God?
- God is faithful to keep His covenants and promises.
- It is not I but God that recieves all Glory.

What can I do about it?
To share this with one person by sunday.
To awake praising His name
To pray with confidence and claim His promises today!


Narash (Lion of God)

MAMEMOO

theEIGHTHofmaytwoohohseven

" And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." " - Hebrews 12:5-6

the Lord teaches us valuable lessons.
and sometimes these lessons hurt.

our Father in heaven does not intend to punish us,
but instead we may have viewed it as such. and then run away, hurt.
we ought to view it as the Lord correcting us toward righteousness.
because that is his true desire.

it was our selfish PRIDE that got in the way.

we so happily and readily acknowledge that we are sons of God.
but have not fully fathomed what it really means.
we had love and acceptance in mind, albeit in limited understanding.
we did not comprehend that true sonship also brings about loving DISCIPLINE.
we warmly embrace the notion of comfortable love, but are unprepared for the rude jolt of TOUGH LOVE.

if our mental image of God is one of constant tender loving care,
boy, are we in for a surprise.
it only goes to show our limited understanding of God.

while God never hesitates to take delight in us,
he is also prepared to tutor us toward Christ-likeness,
and if our minds are offended in the process, then obviously we had the wrong notions in mind.

it is our selfish PRIDE that gets in the way.

ARE we too proud to be tutored?
DO we expect God to be pleasing us?
ARE we serving God, or do we expect God to be serving us?

this is a lesson i have been through myself,
after failing the driving test again, i know how much it hurts, yes indeed i do.
emotionally and economically, it hurts.
but God was teaching me something.
thank God i didn't go to the extreme of running away and dissing God.
thank God i learnt humility. and realised my hidden folly.

pride affects everyone, and is one of the hardest things to overcome.
because a proud person will never admit that he is proud.

HAS pride hindered our teachability?


thank you, Lord, for your discipline. may I not take your tough love for granted.
amen.

MY APPLICATION: to share this with a someone.

My Body is about him

Ever employed a house sitter to take care of your house? Not wanting to leave your house vacant, you asked someone to stay in your home until you return. Let me describe 2 of your nightmares.

1. The house sitter redecorates your house. White paint is changed to pink. A ugly brown antique wooden chair sits in place of your cozy love seat. The justification of the house sitter?- ‘The house didn’t express me accurately. I needed a house that communicates who I am.’ Your response? – ‘Its not your house! My residence does not exist to reflect you! I asked you to take care of the house, not take over the house!’ Would you want a sitter like this?


2. House-sitter 2. She didn’t redecorate the house, she neglected. Never washed a dish, made a bed, or took out the trash. ‘My time here was temporary anyway, so for what sia?’

Both house-sitters made the same mistake. They acted as if the dwelling was theirs. How could they? Or, better asked, how could we? When it comes to our bodies, the Bible declares that we don’t own them. ‘You are no longer your own. God paid a great price for you. So use your body to honor God’ (1 Corinthians19-20)

Use your body to indulge your passions? To grab attention? To express your opinions? No. Use your body to honor God. ‘Use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God’ (Romans 6:13) Your body is God’s instrument, intended for his work and for his glory.

Perhaps some of us fell into the trap of the Corinthian Christians. When it comes to our bodies, we insist ‘We can do anything we want to.’ We conveniently separate flesh from spirit. Have fun with the flesh. Honor God with the spirit. Wild Saturdays. Worshipful Sundays. My friends, worship is a every moment lifestyle. Lets take care of God’s temple. We don’t own it, he does.

My own dreams? – They don’t matter anymore coz I’m not the owner.

Rfn: Its not about me- Max Lucado

^ What's so Good?

A familiar verse- Romans 8:28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

The Message version put it simply in this manner: 26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.


1. Do you (I) Love Him?
"In all things" - in my suffering, in my victories, in my disappointments, in my happiness, in my perseverance, in commitments, in my failures, in my struggles, in all things God work for the good of those who love Him.

Why would things will turn out to be GOOD?
A. Because Holy spirit is helping us.
B. Only because you and I Love God.

I need to have a renewed mindset that God will turn all things around for the good. Not to MY good (not what i think its good) but for the good of you and me... Such peace comes over when I reflect upon this. God will put in all the little pieces into our lives and transform it into a grand design.

2. What is God purpose for you (me)?
Grand design. Those who love Him are those who have been called according to His purpose... And yes definitely God will work for the good so that i can accomplise His will for me. Because He called us.
Do you hear God's calling in your life... I always felt God has called me to be a pastor (somehow). But right now, He has called me to the BB ministry. Therefore in there I'll fulfil what God wants me to accomplise.

Tdy's I ended my work at changi at 1pm plus and "accidentally" came across Clarence. Thank God as we finally got to work out our flight arrangements to Australia and what we gonna do there. Divine? hmmm A simple thing like that - Yes i believe it is a Divine appt..

Application: To change our filghts to be earlier. So that we can be involved in the 100K challenge. Because I believe this an Impt Chapter in our history that God will unfold something. And I want to be here in Spore to be with my guys to walk this through with them. I would like to identify and highlight that God is working in and through our lives. And yes I need to be here in spore.

Narash (Lion of God)

THE SQUEAKING OF OUR SKIN AGAINST THE STEEL HAS GOTTEN WORSE

theSEVENTHofmaytwoohohseven

" Wisdom makes one wise man more powerful than ten rulers in a city. " - Ecclesiastes 7:19

gosh, these certainly are weighty words.


WHAT is wisdom?
it is the gifting to do the right things at the right time.


HOW does one attain wisdom?
as you might have guessed, any normal, fleshly person cannot be considered as wise, simply because everyone makes mistakes.
a wise person is Spirit-led.

ONLY by living by the Spirit can one discern what ought to be done and how or whatnot.
wisdom is God-given.


knowledge and wisdom should NOT be confused.
when presented with the two, choose wisdom. Godly wisdom.
for God uses the simple to confound the wise.

therefore, seek to attain wisdom instead of acquiring knowlege.


MY APPLICATION: Lord, grant me wisdom. to be able to do your will. may i be called wise instead of knowledgeable.

OUTSIDE THE WINDOW LIFE TICKS ON LIKE CLOCKWORK

theFIFTHofmaytwoohohseven

" To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not seperate from her husband. " - 1 Corinthians 7:10

the Lord has commanded that wives never seperate from their husbands.
WHAT does this tell me about the Lord?

it shows how he intended marriages to be like - important. revered. sacred.
a contrast to how marriages are treated as today.

huh, i'm not even married.
God WHAT are you trying to tell me?

the Bible often describes the relationship between God and the Church as bride coming for his groom.
and the wife (the Church) must not seperate from her husband (God). we are to be inseperable.
=> do not have second wives, or mistresses.
God is a jealous God.

DO we have mistresses in our lives?
ARE we seeking God or chasing other things?
DO we treat God with reverance?


MY APPLICATION: to be a God-chaser. worldy things will not be a mistress in my spiritual life. lust will not be a vice. a wife wakes up with her husband by her side. i want to wake up with God - i shall pray in the Spirit and worship God every morning when i open my eyes.

Get in shape!

2days ago, I had to sent my Toyota Camry for servicing. I changed into my PT training attire hoping to run back from the servicing centre to keep fit. It has been a long time since I last ran and I feel fat and bulky. I clocked on my car odometer and it read 5.4km. I was like ‘Chey 5.4, no sweat for a specialist like me.’ But it turned out to be one of the worst disaster run of my life. I almost died on the way and was closed to foaming when I reach home.

These are some of the thoughts that ran through my mind while I was running.

1. ‘God please bless me with a red light so that I could stop and catch my breath!’
2. ‘Shall I take a short cut through the small roads which cuts short the distance?’

3. ‘10 click run to me used to be eating rice, what happen to me?’

4. ‘ Man I should cut down on fatty food and get in shape.’

Perhaps some of us are very tired and wished that sometimes in our Christian walk, in our ministry, we could take the short cut, take a break. That our cell group will turn out well and good without the need to put in too much hard work. That our strongholds will go without having to struggle. But really I feel that GOD is calling us to press on and persevere and to give ourselves no short cut. But keep our eyes focus on him the author and finisher of our faith so that when perseverance finishes it work, you are mature and complete, not lacking in anything- James1

Physically fit because--> discipline in training-->Siong training, Long distance----
---> No problem


Physically unfit--> Out of shape--> ill-discipline--> Inability to cope with siong training

Spiritually stagnant--> ill-discipline in time spent with maker--> losing the reality of GOD in our lives--> Faith degradation--> Inability to stand firm in trials

All it takes is for us to slack off in our relationship with GOD and it may cause us to be insensitive to his voice, lose the reality of GOD in our lives and eventually break away when storms come. Just like my running, all it takes is for me to be caught up in other things and slack off my discipline in training and over time, I become physically out of shape, and unable to cope with the distance run. So watch out!

The last one is interesting.
To cut down on fatty food and get in shape

1. Stop KFC- (Avoid worldly pleasures that makes you out of shape.)
2. Cut down on Carbo intake- Man shall not live by bread (wheat= carbo) alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of GOD. (Read his word!)

Of Significance

"You are significant."
Amen.



Jeremiah 1:5a
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
Amen.



At the altar today,
Charles and Daniel prayed for me.
God spoke.
Cried my heart out.

I remembered that God knew me long before I was born.

I was feeling discouraged.
I was feeling unwanted.
I was feeling inadequate.
I was feeling embarrassed.
I wished I could disappear.

But I remembered that God knew me long before I was born. He thought of me as valuable.
I am insignificant not.



Brothers, pray along with me as I fight this.

^ Children

Luke 18:15People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. 16But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

The disciples didnt see the value in bringing the babies to Jesus. It may been thought to be a waste of time, unimportant, of no value. But Jesus is speaking of a eternal truth. Disciple saw near. But Jesus looked far. Jesus saw eternity.

When i make decisions, is it based on short term basis..? And do i take eternity into context in doing things?

- God wants to bless ALL who come to Him.

Narash (Lion of God)

^ Miss you

Psalm 116: 15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

This is a psalms of Thanksgiving for what the Lord has done.
What does this show to us about God?

He answers prayers..

I went for a wake this afternoon.. And saw this verse! And I was pondering over it.

I thought it was very significant.. Just imagine, you bought a good handphone. It was precious in your sight. New and it did what you wanted. After sometime, it started to give problems after problems. And broke down alot. Then oneday expectedly it dies on you. Will it be still precious? Many of us would have been thinking " Whats the next good handphone in the market?". I would have! But the death of those are faithful to God is precious in His sight. I felt God's love.

What then will be my response to His Love for me?
I want a stable relationship whereby I dedicate an hr for Him... I feel I have neglated this aspect of my walk. I feel not good about it at all. But God's love remains, it hasnt changed. I guess the words 'Miss you' resounds in my head... Do i miss Him as much as He misses me.. Oh no. I have to change my ways. I need to prayer. Without Him, I'm nothing...


Narash (Lion of God)

A DREAM FOR US

theFOURTHofmaytwoohohseven

today my tuition kid decided not to have tuition.
becuase he didn't care and he didn't want to.

" The Lord also said to Moses, "This is the offering Aaron and his sons are to bring to the Lord on the day he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular grain offering, half of it in the morning and half in the evening. " - Leviticus 6:19-20

the principle of tithing.
a tenth of everything.

if we SERIOUSLY mean it when we sing "all we are is yours", and
if we SINCERELY believe that God is our provider,
then tithing a tenth of our wages seems rather small.
our actions measure the extent of our belief.

offerings to the Lord always had to be the finest. the cream. the best. of the best.
are our offerings substandard?
are our offerings self-seeking? giving so that we might receive?
give our best to the Lord, for he is DESERVING.
true offering is costly. it hurts.

ouch. it hurts to hear that, too.


MY APPLICATION: to give my best in service to the Lord - quality ballons on Sunday!

I'LL BE YOUR WINTER COAT BUTTONED AND ZIPPED STRAIGHT TO THE THROAT WITH THE COLLAR UP SO YOU WON'T CATCH A COLD

theTHIRDofmaytwoohohseven

" My dove in the clefts of the rock, in the hiding places on the mountainside, show me your face, let me hear your voice; for your voice is sweet, and your face is lovely. " - Song of Songs 2:14

sometimes i wonder why this chapter is in the Bible.

if we desire so for a partner of the opposite sex,
how much more should we desire God?

are we preoccupied with worldy things?
or are we truly interested in God?

how will my future partner be like?
how does God intend my love life to be like?

God intends for relationships to be enjoyed, in a Godly light, of course.

true love can only be found in God.
surrender our relationships to God.

SNAP CRACKLE POP

theSECONDofmaytwohohseven

" Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. " - Ecclesiastes 7:6

laugh like u've just learned how to.
without restraint. or self-consciousness.
hide nothing.

meaningless.
consumerism
materialism
elitism
whateveritism
meaningless.

what isn't?

fearing God.
finding him.
for yourself.

is that ALL ur smile's got?

STAR WARTS

FIRSTmaytwoohohseven

mayday mayday bravo-twoseven is going dowwwnnnnnnnn...

" Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I, too am working." " - John 5:17

funny how the Holy Spirit spoke this Scripture to me on a public holiday.

God doesn't have holidays.
God works everyday. to this very day.
Jesus, too.
DO we live as if we believe it?

ARE we still believing God for healing, miracles, blessings?
OR have we lost hope? saying "maybe God is busy answering too many phone calls.."?

ridiculous.

God is interested in us too much to take a break.
he watches over our coming in and going out.
he never slumbers.
how GREAT is our God.
how GREAT is his love.

but,
are we tapping into the POWER of our great God?
are we believing in his incredible MIGHT? his unfathomable ABILITY?
or have we lost HOPE?

it's time we found it again.


a new hope.

MY APPLICATION: i think it is still my tuition kid, Shalom. and the lives of my pre-believing JC friends. hope..! pray for them!

This is the day the Lord has made

And I will rejoice and be glad.

Why do I rejoice?

Because the Lord made this day.

Another 24 hours has been given to me by God's grace.

Another day to sing of his mercies.

Another day to tell of his wonderful works in my life.

Another chance to share with the world about the goodness of my God.

Every second is precious, for it is a gift to me by God.

Lord, help me to treasure the time you have given to me, to spend it investing into building up your Kingdom.

^ Worthy living

Ephesians 4
1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.

Why does he put in 'As a prisoner for the Lord'? It tell us the position he is in. And then, he goes on to urging us to live a life worthy of the calling... It goes to say, despite his situation, he is still encouraging us to life a life worthy of call. And thus it also implies that it is for the work of God, he is in as a prisoner.

Have I received any calling from the Lord?
May I seek it during the season. For, I need a confirmation on what I heard from you, Lord...

Narash (Lion of God)