Psalms 73

Hurray-ness. We have completed the first 2 books of Psalms and we're going on to the III book today.

"Whom have i in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever"

I simply love this verse. Partly also when i read it there is a hillsong tune that comes to my mind. I'm sure you know it too. But i think this psalm is a prayer that i want to pray every single day for the rest of my life. That my flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Earth has nothing i desire but you. I pray that God will help me to mean that because we all know that by the things we do and the things we spend our time in, we jolly know that we don't desire GOD!
we probably desire good grades in our studies. the new iphone. a new mac book. a girlfriend la. this and that. there are so many of our desires. not saying that its sin to want those, i'm sure God's desire is to bless us! but the good test is if we don't get what we want, do we get impatient or frustrated?

May we be able to make that our prayer today boys!

the drought

dry season. in our little hometown we have been facing the dry season. army boys are happy. they dont need to have foot rot. recently it has been starting to rain again. i love rain. i like that gloomy feeling that makes me feel 'emo'. that makes me in a thinking frame of mind that causes me to think of what i am living for.
think ive been really down and out this season. running away from God. as in this season where everyone is fasting and praying i took myself on a guilt trip because i cant do it. just goes to show my love that has gone cold in every sense.
narash msged me just now and say: "pls put in your inputs in our blog... keep it alive"
and i didnt know what to write. my walk with God has simply been monotonous. think it boils down to my lack of discipline.
pray with me that the rain will come again. and rain down hard on me. wake up.

Dear Lord send your rain. Realign my heart will you?

Charles

fishing buddies

today i went fishing with george again. it was a good time of exercise as well as spending time to seek the Lord. i was just singing and projecting my voice from one end of the shore to the other. i experienced some peace that was very much needed after a day doing relief teaching. ive learnt much these two days doing teaching. Thank God that my arm is well enough to carry out most tasks. pray that God will lead me to spending my time wisely before i enter uni. im feeling quite like a bum. dont want to be sitting around and doing nothing! haha.

Fast Fast

Thank you daniel for posting =p

As for me i am fasting from TV/Movies and my lunch.

Today is the first day. i think the hard part is not the forgoing of these but to really pray for 1 hr. and so i am trying to stick closely to it.

=p

3 2 1 GO!

THIS IS THE 400th POST!

.AS WELL AS THE START OF OUR 40DAY FAST.

THIS BLOG HAS BEEN SLEEPING IN FOR AWHILE... TAKING ITS SABBATH.

HOWEVER, I THINK ITS TIME FOR A REVIVAL TO TAKE PLACE AND IT STARTS HERE.

IT REALLY DOESNT TAKE LONG TO POST SOMETHING.
MAYBE 10MINS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO WRITE AN ESSAY OR ANYTHING. MAYBE IT COULD JUST BE A PICTURE THAT GOD SPOKE TO YOU THROUGH.

LETS DO THIS TOGETHER. IF YOU HAVE ANY REAL DIFFICULTIES PLEASE CONTACT OUR BOSS.

IF NOT EVERYONE IS IN.

i think this is just an avenue for us to share what God is teaching us and also to make sure that we are spending time with God. dont do it for the sake of doing it. may the Lord speak to us.

have a good fast.

your brother,

CharlieBird

Full Assurance

Want to share a devotion book i was reading. Its a very old moody press book. Compiling readings from Christian Giants such as D.L Moody, Charles Spurgeon, George Mueller, F.B Meyer and the list goes on. This was written by Henry Ironside.

The Unhappy Backslider

Peter speaks of some who through waywardness have gotten so far out of fellowship with God that they have forgotten that they were purged from their old sins. This is a sad state to be in. It is what is commonly called in the old testament "backsliding". "The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways" (Proverbs 14:14). An old preacher I knew as a boy used to say, "Backsliding always begins in the knee." And this is very true indeed. Neglect of prayer will soon dull the keen edge of one's spiritual sensibilities and make is easy for a believer to drift into worldliness and carnalities, as a result of which his soul's eyesight will become dimmed and he will lose the heavenly vision.

Lord i pray that you will draw me close to you each and everyday so that i will not fall into the traps of the world and sour our relationship. Help me always to remember you in everything i do and may my actions and speech be pleasing in your sight.
Amen!

Oooosh!

I've been going thru a change in my ns life due to my injury. was asking God why did he allow something like that to happen. while i was having cell group last week with zhi hao and george, i was sharing with them abit of my life story and how God changed my life and allowed circumstances to direct me into specific places at different times of my life.
Then i remember Proverbs 16:4

The Lord has made everything for its own purpose, even the wicked for the day of evil

As i was expounding upon it. i felt the Lord speak to me. God has made everything for its own purpose. The oceans, trees, animals, insects, cockroaches?.... so i was sharing with them. who do you think God loves more... You or the monkey? its rhetoric.

If God has made everything and we are part of that everything then SURELY, it is God's faithful promise to us.


So. what is your purpose?

sobering truth

I was reflecting upon Second Timothy 3. Verse 5 stands out tall.

...holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power.

Have i denied the power of God? denied the power of H.S. ? undermined the importance of prayer?

On monday. my platoon had to go down to this place near my house for a wake. a army fren's mom died from cancer.
it was very interesting as when the family asked for people to attend the service, a few of my non-christian frens joined in. and before the service started, while waiting for the pews to be filled up, the pastor gave out tracts. one of which was entitled. "THE END TIMES"
as i read it. i am absolutely reminded that indeed the end times are coming.

I ask myself what am i doing with my life?

The ministry team training indirectly gave me the answers on how i should be living my life as a Christian even in times like this.

Finally its our WALK that matters most to God.

How is our walk brothers? Let the light pierce through the darkness of our soul and out into the world.

Who is God looking at?

Psalms 34: 18-19

"But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine"

Indeed. God is looking out specially for people who fear him and who do not put their hope in the things of the world. but puts their hope in his unfailing love.

I ask myself after reading these verses. Do i really fear God? in what way am i showing that? and what do i put my hope in? do i rely on my own strength?

Pray that the word of God will take root and go deep in my heart and well as yours dear brothers!

CHiong ah!!

Jesus Loves Me This I Know

I was just thinking about during the week while on the rooftop in camp just worshiping along with my guitar. and this song came to my mind. so i was stun when we sang it for cell group.

And Psalms 139 is a passage of scripture that always reaffirms that.

How it talks about us not being able to run away from His presence. And how he formed us right before we knew we existed. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. as i thought about it. we always recite that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. but wad exactly does it mean that we are fearfully made? hmm. mum mum for thought.

I end with the last part of the Psalm which is a prayer:

Search me O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there are any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

We are all a chunk of clay that needs to be shaped into something beautiful. and without the potter we are just spinning lump going round and round.
May he search all our hearts today!

Amen.

exercise

during my exercise last week i managed to have time to take out the gideon bible from my sbo and read for a little while!
so while in prone position i read psalms 66.

it declares:

"Shout with joy to God, all the earth!...

verse 9. he has preserved our lives and kept our feet from slipping. For you O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance."

I really thank the Lord for that word he impressed upon my heart. i felt this was the best exercise so far. the weather was really really miraculous and i testify to God's graciousness towards me throughout this exercise.
indeed He is our fortress and refuge and tho he brings us into hardships but He in his awesome might will show us the way. and we emerge STRONGER!


Amen.

TaKeAwaYs

this is the verse that i would like to share with everyone.

a passage from the bible that i have been reading over. Let us turn now to 1Peter chapter 5.

verse 5-9:
"Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you clothe yourself with humility toward one another, because,

"God opposes the proud but give grace to the humble"

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you
Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings."

this is one of my favourite verses. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Think with me. God cares for us. He is a personal God. There is absolutely no other religion in the world that claims that a God would care for us. unconditional. You are blessed.

be self controlled and alert. watch out for those pit holes we tend to fall into. lets all not be the someone that the devil devours.

Charles

100 000

The 100k i believe has caused a positive change in the lives of many. I for one testify to that. When Pastor Ed Silvoso shared about the 4 levels of christians in the marketplace i knew i would have fallen into the 1 - 2 maybe 1/2 level category. 100k has caused us to rise the levels to be one that is involved in the transformation of the marketplace.
Another wonderful thing it has done is that it subtly molds us to know what it means to be a salt and light of the world full of darkness. When we take effort to go to our colleagues/classmates/army mates to bless them we inevitably become conscious of our behavior and the way we portray ourselves as marketplace ministers. So it changes us for the better even in our character to an extent.

Today i completed blessing my entire platoon in army with the 100k. Though it may sound easy but to me i never ever tot i'll be able to do that. i thank God.
I thank God for the times i went out in search of people to bless and got rejected countless times and how at the end of the day when we do our count we still meet our targets..

I realized that when we go in the name of Jesus, He will never fail us. Somehow. As one of my favorite verses clearly expresses in Isaiah 55:5 that His ways are always higher than ours. We just have to step out on the water and WALK.

I am very encouraged also to know how God really remembers our faithfulness in the small things we do. Maybe some of us ponder at times if 100k is making any changes in the lives of those we blessed.
Its too early to tell. Lets be patient and see how God turn the tides for us.

Meanwhile we just have to...

"Hi have you heard of the hundred K k k challenge? *wink wink*"


Proud of you guys! Kudos!

back back back

want to share a passage that i've been meditating over:

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted in prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality."

Romans 12:9-12

indeed winners are people who live in community. some of us maybe doing well. some others may be going through a trying time. others a time of stress and anxiety.
the bible says be devoted to one another in brotherly love.

not lagging in DILIGENCE (quiet time? on the word.)
fervent in SPIRIT
serve the LORD (in our cell groups? 100k blessing?)

application: Be praying for you guys.

can we all pray together? that none of us will lack in diligence or lose steam even though we may not be going thru the best of times. persevere and see God come thru for all of us.

cheers!

CharlieBird's journey

I want to share today how God use me to share His love with a platoon mate of mine and end of with a bit of reflections of today's marketplace transformation conference.
On wed night i was feeling kinda drained out after a long day in camp. i was feeling a spiritual dry. disappointed that i let myself showcase my weaknesses by getting angry and frustrated over silly things that goes around in army. well so i was reclining against the wall in the staircase landing, and a friend of mine came to sit behind me while chatting on the phone with his girlfriend.

Basically, he was going thru some problems outside of camp with some other ah bengs. after the finished i asked if things were alright with him. so he sat down beside me at that staircase and we started to chat. somehow or rather i shared with him about my God. that whenever i have problems He will answer my prayers and gave him some instances where God broke through for me in army.
i plucked up my courage told him that God loves him. and i think for him, and his religious background it was hard to understand that.
So he replied: "are you sure?"
and i turned to john 3:16 and shared with him about the love of God and how Jesus came down to die for him.
I ended off by boldly asking him whether i could pray for him. and he gladly accepted.

Two days later while booking out of camp, down that staircase, he thanked me for praying for him and he said that, that night he slept very well! I really thank God for that because i know he has alot of strongholds and tends to "see" things around.

Thank God for that breakthru in the marketplace. Indeed like Rev Ed Silvoso mentioned - memories are the enemy of faith! our past failures, the things we struggle with (not that we dont do drastic measures to counter them), what people think of us, the personal comfort we have to forgo...
and we just need to let go and let God take control.

there is alot of takeaways for me today at the conference. i really sense the Lord speaking to me about certain things and also affirming issues that i've been thinking about and i felt it was divinely timely.
during the altar call i stood directly in front of him and for a substantial amount of time i was just looking up and staring into the eyes of Rev Ed. as i did that i felt in my spirit that "this man really knows the heartbeat of God for the nations" that fire and passion and sharpness for the things of God resides in him.
i saw a vision. as he was praying for singapore, i saw a picture of the singapore city view lighting up from darkness with a giant cross in the centre of the landscape. then i remember my blog posting a few hours ago that had a banner. yes something like that!
may we take up the challenge and be that warrior for God!

A Pure Heart

"Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. I will praise you, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave." (Ps 86:11-13)

This is my personal verse that im thinking about. Indeed i pray that the Lord will teach me his way.

Cheers.

The Race

As i get ready to head back to camp. I go back knowing that I am different. I no longer want to conform to the patterns of the world but i want to be transformed by the renewal of my mind. Thank God for the word today.
Its really heartening to know that each of us have a race marked out for us. Special race. just for us. A race planned divinely. I have to run mine well. No matter what it costs. Maybe its some low profile task i have to do, maybe otherwise but what does it matter.
See all you soon!

Walking through Matthew

i was taking time to read thru matthew. and i think i havent read thru in one reading for a very long time. its interesting how things and new insights that will unfold if you do that!
its like revisiting your old textbook, now that we have grown up more both spiritually and intellectually. it does make that difference.
new questions popped into my mind. like why Jesus always talked in parables. he explained why one of the verses too. reading and reminding myself of the journey that He took, the miracles that he did, the way he challenged the Pharisees in such wit and power!

one of the chapters i am thinking about is in chapter 18 where Jesus met the canaanite woman (woman of great faith)
i felt it was quite controversial at first. how He said he was "sent only to the lost sheeps of ISRAEL" and all. maybe someone could discuss that with me. i have some theological conclusions but i think its interesting to talk about these stuff and then finally conclude that our God is a God of wonder and love and ....


point is. revisit your bible. read it like you would to a nice storybook once in a while. you'll definitely see new things!


cheers bros

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.

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. =)