random stuff.
Hello.
Rita's back in Indo now =) She sms-ed me to say that she was watching Meteor Garden II with her brother! Hahahaha... *grin* I tried to find the Part 1 but I can't =(
Anyway, Tida how was Phuket? Enjoyed yourself? =)
Hmm, next week there's going to be a Vacation Bible School for kids at my church and I ended up as assistant teacher for Primary Ones (SO CUTE... Looking forward to it hehe) so please pray for us k... Um, pray for wisdom to handle them, and pray that I'll like my partner too... Heh... That's quite important I think... Cos if I don't like someone it's quite hard to do a good job. But I digress... Oh, and pray for salvation of the kids... Yeah that's most important hehe... And for the testimony of all the teachers and helpers =)
Well I hope you guys are having a good time =) Take care... Update me on your happening stuff yeah!
Matthew 5
14. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
You Are So Faithful
Like the sun that rises everyday
You are so faithful
Lord You are faithful
Like the rain that You send
And every breath that I breathe
You are so faithful, Lord
Like a rose that comes alive every Spring
You are so faithful
Lord You are faithful
Like the life that You give
To every beat of my heart
You are so faithful, Lord
I see a cross and the price You had to pay
I see the cross that washed my sins away
And in the midst of the storm
Through the wind and the waves
You'll still be faithful
Y ou'll still be faithful
And when the stars refuse to shine
And time is no more
You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful, Lord
© 1989 Duolos Publishing
Words and Music by Lenny LeBlanc & Greg Gulley
1 Corinthians 1:9 God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.
on spiritual poverty
An article I think is quite good.
John Stott on Spiritual Poverty
From Mr. Standfast.
miscellaneous
Hi Tida! You've *finally* posted =P Glad to hear good news from you. =)
Just some updates on the blog itself - I've added a "Prayer Requests" section on the left. You can msn me your requests or blog it and I'll add it in =) Umm, I realised that we should have a "Thanksgiving" section too... Hey Bert, since you're so web-design-savvy, you can help me out with the template right? *tragic look* pleeeease
Rita, I found a very good article... I've also put a link up on the left.
How to Know God's Will
Anyways, looking forward to tomorrow =)
See you guys and till then, take care.
++ .love.was.when. ++
Love was when
God became a man
Locked in time and space
Without rank or place.
Love was God
Born of Jewish kin;
Just a carpenter
With some fishermen.
Love was when Jesus
Walked in history.
Lovingly he brought
A new life that's free.
Love was God
Nailed to bleed and die
To reach and love one such as I.
Love was when
God became a man.
Down where I could see
Love that reached to me.
Love was God
Dying for my sin.
And so trapped was I,
My whole world caved in.
Love was when
Jesus rose to walk with me.
Lovingly He brought
A new life that's free.
Love was God
Only He would try
To reach and love one such as I.
- J. E. Walvoord, music by D. Wyrtzen
Get the midi here.
1 Timothy 1:15,16
This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.
The deep love of Jesus
O the deep deep love of Jesus:
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free.
Rolling as a mighty ocean
In its fullness over me.
Underneath me, all around me
Is the current of Thy love.
Leading onward, leading homeward
To Thy glorious rest above.
O the deep deep love of Jesus:
Spread His praise from shore to shore.
How He loveth - ever loveth,
Changeth never, nevermore.
How He watches o'er His loved ones;
Died to call them all His own.
How for them He intercedeth;
Watcheth o'er them from the throne.
O the deep deep love of Jesus:
Love of every love the best.
Tis an ocean vast of blessing;
Tis a haven sweet of rest.
O the deep deep love of Jesus:
Tis a heaven of heavens to me
And it lifts me up to glory,
For it lifts me up to Thee.
O the deep deep love of Jesus:
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free.
- Samuel T. Francis, 1875
You can download this song here.
Hi I just came back from dinner with my MG friends =) We ate at Marche at Heeren. Can you believe a sausage costs $8.20?! *sayang* 心痛 ah... =P
I've been shopping and shopping =P I have alot of new clothes now... Rita I bought new skirts! I shall show you next time we go out... Can we please go out soon? Albert you're very free nowadays, right? Wednesday, ok? Silence means consent. *grin*
Hmm, Rita asked, What is life?
Paul said in Philippians 1:21, For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
I've also been blog-surfing some Christian-themed blogs. On one of these I read that the will of God falls into two basic categories.
One is the Divine Will which is basically His preordained plan for each of our lives.
The other is the Moral Will which is his commandments as set out in the bible.
You can read more about it here.
You might find these useful as well:
Are There Two Wills in God by John Piper
Finding God's Will God's Way from In-Depth Studies
Another post from the same author, Rebecca.
I suppose that as godly people; godly Christians would try to live by God's precepts and guidelines for a holy life; in this context I think they would be doing His will.
Psalms 42:1 says, As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.
If we want to please God, we would naturally follow after His character (remember the song To Be Like Jesus ?)
In relation to God's divine will - I don't think we could ever foresee or guess what He has planned for us.
Isaiah 55:8,9
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Even if we wished to know, could we handle it? Reminds me of a line from some movie - Can you handle the truth? Haha. =P
Psalms 139:6
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
God knows everything.
And verses 7-10 of the same psalm:
Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
And yes, we did not choose to love God. Firstly, before you can love something or someone, he or she must be existent. Therefore, you have to believe, before you can give your heart. Am I right? And all of us are elected to His kingdom according to God's plan.
Referring to verses 13-16 of Psalms 139:
For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
and 1 John 4:19
We love him, because he first loved us.
Everyone has their doubts, there is no question about that. No one is perfect.
And it's normal. Read Mark 9.
Mark 9:23,24
Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Sometimes you don't feel like God's in control. Even though you know in your head that He is; He must be, or all you have lived for is a lie, sometimes everything around you seems so chaotic and you think, Where is God in all this?
Or Rita, when you doubt your own walk and relationship with God - I know the fears and guilt that you feel sometimes when you see someone so strong in Christ, so in love with God.
Remember when Peter tried to walk on water in Matthew 14:25-33?
Matthew 14:30,31
But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
It is infinitely easier if you could see the road ahead - or is it even harder? Knowing the trials and temptations that await us further on?
The uncertainty of life only serves to remind me about the matchless grace of God. For it is only by His grace that I am not buried in the rubble of a collapsed highway or building. By His grace we live another day longer.
All you need to do is to put your hand in His hand, and let Him take care of the rest for you. =) He will never cause you any harm.
1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
and Jeremiah 33:3 - a well-loved verse I believe =)
Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
James 4:8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
Let us ask for mercy and grace to have faith and trust in Him. =)
redeeming love
Moving account of how this hymn was written.
There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins.
And sinners plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.
We welcome Albert to our blog! Yay. =)
Sorry I totally forgot about sms-ing you! Anyway we finished dinner at about 930. Only 10 of us turned up. Let's see... Who went? Rita, Cal, Eliza, Grace (Mary-Ann was supposed to come but she decided to be with her boyfriend =P), Roy, Jon Ng, Joshua came late, Jeremy came later, Aaron came the latest. Haha. Oh yeah, not forgetting, me. =P
How was your cell group?
And thanks for praying... It went better than I expected.
God is good all the time.
Philippians 4:6-7
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Just to let you know, here are some pics from a recent class lunch.
True wisdom.
I miss you guys so muchhhhh... Tida! What have you been doing... Haven't seen you online for so long.
Yay now everybody is here :)
But how come nobody's posting stuff yet?
Ok ok I'll start the ball rolling.
James 3:13-18
13. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
Answer: the person who remembers his moral responsibilities (good conversation).
14. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
bitter envying --> strife
glory not - don't be arrogant (about your spiritual life or otherwise). You think you are wise but you are not, because... (verse 15)
lie not - to boast of your wisdom is virtually a lying against the truth (the gospel), while your lives belie your glorying (verse 15). Romans 2:17,23, speaks similarly of the same contentious Jewish Christians.
15. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
earthly - as opposed to heavenly.
sensual - literally, "animal-like". The wisdom of the natural (the same word in Greek) man, not born again of God; not having the Spirit (Jude 1:19).
16. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
therefore, envy --> strife --> confusion (both amongst the children of God as well as in your own individual mind) & every evil work (opportunity for the devil to use you to hinder God's work)
17. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
Characteristics of true wisdom - not a coincidence that they are also characteristics of God Himself; wisdom is from God.
* pure: first pure - sanctified from all that is earthly, sensual (animal), devilish (verse 15) and (first) a prerequisite.
* peaceable: then peaceable - because there is an unholy peace with the world which makes no distinction between clean and unclean (you can have peace and yet be earthly/devilish). Purity or sanctity is put first because it has respect both to God and to ourselves. Our first concern is to have in ourselves sanctity; our second, to be at peace with men.
* gentle: gentle - making allowances for others; lenient towards neighbuors. In our interactions with others.
* forgiving: easy to be intreated - compliant, open to reason. (peaceable --> easy to be intreated)
* merciful: full of mercy and good fruit of the Spirit (as opposed to every evil work in verse 16)
* fair: without partiality
* sincere: without hypocrisy (verse 14 lie not against the truth - truth=Spirit)
18. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Why peace?
James 1:20 For the wrath of men worketh not the righteousness of God.
