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(from an awesome cgm yesterday!)
"Guard your heart for it affects everything that you do" how true this is
One thing evident in the past: people had passion & excitement. i dont know how alien the situation might seem, you missing cell group or service and anxiously calling up someone who is there, to ask about what was shared. i guess if God looks down at this sort of passion, He undoubtedly will be moved. we all see God as a person, not as a mass of air or something. every service or cgm its like Him opening His house for us to visit. If we show such excitement to visit a friend, the friend, surely he can then see the place, the status he has in our hearts. If we see God as a person, surely its the same thing- by showing passion, we show Him the place He has in our lives.
yet sometimes (or maybe for some, MOST of the time) we are flooded by stuff -projects, exams, other outings, school, work. if your friend cant meet you up because she has these sort of things on. "sorry so long never meet up but i cant see u later.. got project to complete!" of course you would understand right? the most you probably feel is little disappointed but absolutely no anger involved. The same with God, He doesnt get upset with you and waits for the next meeting!
But if the message you get from the friend instead is "ok i no matter what also later must meet you! so looking forward man, lol last few days i mug like mad so got time to meet you la" wont you feel the importance you have in that friend? Likewise God sees that heart for Him too. it might be a physically tiring period but "The eyes of the Lord search the whole earth in order to STRENGTHEN those whose hearts are fully committed to Him" [2 chronicles 16:9a]
*A revival only take place when there is passion
similarly, the revival dies out when that passion dies.
-something i realised of which is incredibly true too. the concern for the people around, and the excitement & spirit we had exactly last year (june) was overwhelming. its during that period that we dont know why, how, but there a flow of people coming in and staying. i was talking to Aaron and Isabel some time back, and they said that they used to be very skeptical about christianity. and now they are already baptised! :D precious
indeed there was an overall excitement and unity then. though i dont think we were that strong in the spiritual aspect but God was not out of the picture. There were times when some of us met up at my house, hang around, then part the night with a prayer for the cg at the poolside or in my room (or in my car lol). Maybe its in the atmosphere of passion and excitement, that God decided to move. but we all feel the change in excitement and willingness now dont we "similarly, the revival dies out when that passion dies."
so its time to keep the excitement in the air again, i believe e410 can go even further now if we get back that passion, especially in the past year where so many have matured more spiritually through bible study, prayer meetings
O.O ok move on to the first key i think i digressed like crazy
3 keys to Jesus's success in God's kingdom
KEY#1 Correct Motivation
[Heb 10:5-7]"This is why Christ, when he came into the world said...'Look, i have come to do your will, O God-"
you dont have prove to others when people challenge you to do some physical miracle like predict math test questions or leviatate or make them fall under the Holy Spirit like in the videos they see, cos the ultimate goal is to "do your will". its not even to turn into a totally perfect christian, of which is impossible because all of us makes mistakes, in the handling of relationships, character flaws etc
when your core motivation is to please a person or to keep a good reputation in the midst of people, you'll get very frustrated and feel unappreciated easily. true isnt it
i dont know about you, but sometimes my main motivation unconciously change especially when we always visibly see man and not God.
but it is easy to serve Jesus for He is gracious and He sees all the efforts and remembers.
*When you cant see the hand of God, trust the HEART of God.
man may scold/unappreciate/overlook the voluntary effort that you have put in, but know that God is pleased with what you do. :)
[2 cor 5]"it is Your love that sustains me" -apostle Paul
Be motivated by the right source
KEY#2 Jesus knows what is written about Him in the bible.
jc touched on it below, that our walk involves us individually and God. the one guiding you in your walk might be a group of people- your leaders and inspiring figures that you know but most importantly recognise that the ultimate guide-r is God, that even if your mortal guides decides to leave/change direction, you must try to build up a faith that will not crumble in that situation by acknowledging the core leader who is God himself, is STILL and ALWAYS walking with you.
you dont have to worry that you will lose out, and i know this myself but i usually forget and have to convince myself over again. whenever i come to a point that i tell myself, 'its too much, can i skip doing this for You this time?" but yet later went ahead with it, God never fails to show Himself faithful. like take the application period for example, time was a big issue for the portfolio as it was nearing the deadline so dangerously, i wanted to drop everything else and concentrate on it. but yet somehow, despite the stress (i cant draw when i rush), oddly, ideas came in. in the end you all know what happen alr
[mk 10:29]
No one who is going to sacrifice will miss out on getting it back, a hundredfold
Key#3 To do God's will, Jesus sacrificed his own body
that is one of the most ultimate sacrifices isnt it?
it was moving to know how the places where most people died violently for preaching the gospel, are places where major revivals sparked off.
i've heard the story about the mother and her 4 sons quite a few times already, but it never fails to touch me with the extent of faith and loyalty shown.
There was a mother who had four sons. She sent her first son out overseas to preach the gospel and news came back that he was killed.
So she sent her second son out, and news came back that he died out there too.
She sent her third son out to preach, and news came back that he died.
The mother sent her fourth son out, and news came back...
that he was killed too.
All those who knew her mocked and scolded her openly of her 'foolishness' on not protecting her last son.
someone asked her if she had any regrets. of which she replied yes:
"my only regret is not having a fifth son to send out for the work of God."
gogogoe410..
end off with this video that marshall sent: even if you didnt read all the above, this is it:
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Whose Child Is This?
So I just finished reading this book, "Whose Child Is This?" by Bill Wilson, about a guy who went into America's ghettos to create the most successful bus ministry and children's church program in the entire world; our own children's church was modeled after it. It's a great book, addictive and inspiring, and I thought I'll share some stuff I picked up from it.
"People respond to love and concern. They are tired of promises from people who disappear into the night. They want reality."
We aren't supposed to be there for someone only when something happens, or only for a short time. We are supposed to be there for someone whenever anything happens. All the time.
"Don't count on someone else's Christianity for your salvation. You look to Jesus."
Remember what Veron shared during cell group about what will happen to us when if Pastor Kong backslides or something? Yeah. The strength and dept of our Christian walk shouldn't be based on how strong or how solid someone else's walk is. Yes, we can be inspired by them, but we must never be walking with them.
"We all want a personal visitation from the Lord. So often it comes through personal visitation for the Lord."
Serve Him first.
"Countless well-meaning Christians have lived and died waiting for God to call them to something - and they never did anything while they were waiting. God can certainly speak through a burning bush or a pillar of fire, but we don't need to wait for such a sign...I believe the need is the call."
We can always pray to find our calling, but when there's a hurt to be healed, a need to be met staring right at you, are you going to ignore it and continue praying for a direct word from God for a calling, or pick the challenge up and make it your calling? Remember, ultimately we are called not to be a pastor, a businessman, a leader, or anything. Ultimately, we are all called to serve.
"People respond to love and concern. They are tired of promises from people who disappear into the night. They want reality."
We aren't supposed to be there for someone only when something happens, or only for a short time. We are supposed to be there for someone whenever anything happens. All the time.
"Don't count on someone else's Christianity for your salvation. You look to Jesus."
Remember what Veron shared during cell group about what will happen to us when if Pastor Kong backslides or something? Yeah. The strength and dept of our Christian walk shouldn't be based on how strong or how solid someone else's walk is. Yes, we can be inspired by them, but we must never be walking with them.
"We all want a personal visitation from the Lord. So often it comes through personal visitation for the Lord."
Serve Him first.
"Countless well-meaning Christians have lived and died waiting for God to call them to something - and they never did anything while they were waiting. God can certainly speak through a burning bush or a pillar of fire, but we don't need to wait for such a sign...I believe the need is the call."
We can always pray to find our calling, but when there's a hurt to be healed, a need to be met staring right at you, are you going to ignore it and continue praying for a direct word from God for a calling, or pick the challenge up and make it your calling? Remember, ultimately we are called not to be a pastor, a businessman, a leader, or anything. Ultimately, we are all called to serve.
Friday, May 30, 2008
E-Brake! E-Brake!
I had my final theory test for driving the other day, and I was really apprehensive before the test. This wasnt just a normal test. This was the 2nd time I was taking the same test, having failed the first time round. I had not prepared for it at all except on the day itself, where i spent a while literally flipping through the pages of the textbook. I planned more to go to the driving center and top up my account so i could book the next test, rather than going down to pass the test.
"EHHHHH jc i really think you're going to fail leh!" - Liyun
Yes, even I myself did not expect myself to pass. However, as I anxiously did last-minute cramming, I decided to put my faith in the Lord. So I prayed. Many times. Before the test. During the test (serious!), and right before I submitted my answers. I put my faith, my trust and my future into the hands of the Lord. I didn't really knew what to pray for, since I felt that praying to pass was out of the question.
But then, as I prayed, somehow I gained confidence. I become more sure; there was a feeling that said "You're gonna make it". I started to visualize myself passing. To imagine and to dream of passing, and the things I would do after it. My knowledge might be limited, but I couldnt shake the feeling that this was it.
Our God is a faithful God, I began thanking Him in advance for what he was about to do -
Which he did.
I passed.
The questions were super easy, I knew the answer to everyone. Almost nothing I memorised came out, but nothing I skipped came out. Questions were random, and by the grace of God, I aced the test.
Jehovah Shammah.
God is always with us. Even though we don't always deserve to be blessed, he shows us grace. Grace is free and undeserved, but He gives it to us anyway. Exceedingly and abundantly, above everything. Indeed, He provides, and He redeems. He is faithful, ever-giving, and ever-loving.
Seek first the kingdom of God, and all shall be added onto you.
No matter what situation we are in, if we take the time to pray, to seek God, to ask him for wisdom, for help, for deliverance, he will answer our prayers. To seek him in dire straits is a sacrifice, a sign of unwavering faith, and this does not go unnoticed. Yes, my example and trial might have been a minor one compared to the many others we face in our daily lives, but if God cares and loves us so much as to even bless us in the small things, I fear for our enemies and the bigger problems in life.
I shall show that my driving knowledge is not hopeless by making an analogy. I think seeking God is like braking (Hence the title). When we're travelling the wrong way, too fast, or our vehicle functions oddly or situations become dangerous, we slow down and brake. We brake to change direction, to make a U-turn, or to wait for cars to pass by. We stop to get out to inspect the vehicle, or when traffic lights turn red during our journey. Whenever something happens in our life, we should do likewise - Brake, stop, and seek God. Regardless of whether we're going the wrong way, unsure, going too fast, or in dire circumstances, the basic principle is to brake, or to seek God. Our journey in life will be fraught with many problems, just like the many junctions or opposing roads as we drive along the road. Braking and stopping is a necessity. If not, we will die. Likewise, if we do not seek God, and rely on our own strength instead, chances are that we will fail.
What many non-Christians can do, we can also do. What many Christians do, non-Christians aren't always able to do.
We can do all things through Christ who strengths us.
Seeking God is a necessity. It is important. And it works. So put your faith in the Lord and start visuallizing the miracles he can do for you. Start imagining how He will impact your life and others, and how He will lead us to victory. And start thanking him in advance for the things He is about to do. For He doesn't disappoint.
Do all things for God, with God, and through God .
Thanks for reading!
(Special thanks to Liyun for encouraging and supporting me during the last minute cramming session and after that, thanks a lot =D)
"EHHHHH jc i really think you're going to fail leh!" - Liyun
Yes, even I myself did not expect myself to pass. However, as I anxiously did last-minute cramming, I decided to put my faith in the Lord. So I prayed. Many times. Before the test. During the test (serious!), and right before I submitted my answers. I put my faith, my trust and my future into the hands of the Lord. I didn't really knew what to pray for, since I felt that praying to pass was out of the question.
But then, as I prayed, somehow I gained confidence. I become more sure; there was a feeling that said "You're gonna make it". I started to visualize myself passing. To imagine and to dream of passing, and the things I would do after it. My knowledge might be limited, but I couldnt shake the feeling that this was it.
Our God is a faithful God, I began thanking Him in advance for what he was about to do -
Which he did.
I passed.
The questions were super easy, I knew the answer to everyone. Almost nothing I memorised came out, but nothing I skipped came out. Questions were random, and by the grace of God, I aced the test.
Jehovah Shammah.
God is always with us. Even though we don't always deserve to be blessed, he shows us grace. Grace is free and undeserved, but He gives it to us anyway. Exceedingly and abundantly, above everything. Indeed, He provides, and He redeems. He is faithful, ever-giving, and ever-loving.
Seek first the kingdom of God, and all shall be added onto you.
No matter what situation we are in, if we take the time to pray, to seek God, to ask him for wisdom, for help, for deliverance, he will answer our prayers. To seek him in dire straits is a sacrifice, a sign of unwavering faith, and this does not go unnoticed. Yes, my example and trial might have been a minor one compared to the many others we face in our daily lives, but if God cares and loves us so much as to even bless us in the small things, I fear for our enemies and the bigger problems in life.
I shall show that my driving knowledge is not hopeless by making an analogy. I think seeking God is like braking (Hence the title). When we're travelling the wrong way, too fast, or our vehicle functions oddly or situations become dangerous, we slow down and brake. We brake to change direction, to make a U-turn, or to wait for cars to pass by. We stop to get out to inspect the vehicle, or when traffic lights turn red during our journey. Whenever something happens in our life, we should do likewise - Brake, stop, and seek God. Regardless of whether we're going the wrong way, unsure, going too fast, or in dire circumstances, the basic principle is to brake, or to seek God. Our journey in life will be fraught with many problems, just like the many junctions or opposing roads as we drive along the road. Braking and stopping is a necessity. If not, we will die. Likewise, if we do not seek God, and rely on our own strength instead, chances are that we will fail.
What many non-Christians can do, we can also do. What many Christians do, non-Christians aren't always able to do.
We can do all things through Christ who strengths us.
Seeking God is a necessity. It is important. And it works. So put your faith in the Lord and start visuallizing the miracles he can do for you. Start imagining how He will impact your life and others, and how He will lead us to victory. And start thanking him in advance for the things He is about to do. For He doesn't disappoint.
Do all things for God, with God, and through God .
Thanks for reading!
(Special thanks to Liyun for encouraging and supporting me during the last minute cramming session and after that, thanks a lot =D)
Saturday, May 17, 2008
visit to All Saints Home
hello hello!
greetings!!
haha :)
just to let you all know, we are going down to All Saints Home at Hougang on the 21st of June, there will be no cell group meeting during that week. The time is tentatively set at 4pm so please make yourself free, preferably for WHOLE DAY so in case there are time changes you can still go down!
we REALLY need people, around 30 - 40 approx. So please confirm your attendance at this blog/ just leave me a msg asap k, and try to get as many people (especially those who know Teochew/Hokkien/those who really love old people that kind) to go for this visit. It won't take up much of their time, just around 2 hours or so.
I need to confirm attendance by 30th May :)
There will be a registration fee of $2, cos we are gonna give them a hamper at the end of the day to thank them.
I need people in charge of : Event Coordination, Logistics, Photography, Collecting $$ i.e. Treasurer, Art & Craft (we are providing personal handicrafts such as origami cranes etc as gifts for them, nothing too expensive) so if you feel you belong in any group do let me know k!
Proposed Events are:
Singing session (where we sing all the hokkien songs+Teochew songs)
BINGO!
Pass-the-ball-game (get them to intro themselves etc)
Magic Show (we need a magician!) so far I found 1 haha
interacting with the residents there, they need a listening ear!
We also need a guitarist & someone who can sing hokkien songs LOL so plsss avail yourself!
events are not finalized yet so feel free to give suggestions.
confirm your attendance ASAP k? Thanks a million!
Lets brighten up their lives! :))
If any queries, contact either me/v/junchen yup:)
greetings!!
haha :)
just to let you all know, we are going down to All Saints Home at Hougang on the 21st of June, there will be no cell group meeting during that week. The time is tentatively set at 4pm so please make yourself free, preferably for WHOLE DAY so in case there are time changes you can still go down!
we REALLY need people, around 30 - 40 approx. So please confirm your attendance at this blog/ just leave me a msg asap k, and try to get as many people (especially those who know Teochew/Hokkien/those who really love old people that kind) to go for this visit. It won't take up much of their time, just around 2 hours or so.
I need to confirm attendance by 30th May :)
There will be a registration fee of $2, cos we are gonna give them a hamper at the end of the day to thank them.
I need people in charge of : Event Coordination, Logistics, Photography, Collecting $$ i.e. Treasurer, Art & Craft (we are providing personal handicrafts such as origami cranes etc as gifts for them, nothing too expensive) so if you feel you belong in any group do let me know k!
Proposed Events are:
Singing session (where we sing all the hokkien songs+Teochew songs)
BINGO!
Pass-the-ball-game (get them to intro themselves etc)
Magic Show (we need a magician!) so far I found 1 haha
interacting with the residents there, they need a listening ear!
We also need a guitarist & someone who can sing hokkien songs LOL so plsss avail yourself!
events are not finalized yet so feel free to give suggestions.
confirm your attendance ASAP k? Thanks a million!
Lets brighten up their lives! :))
If any queries, contact either me/v/junchen yup:)
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Encouragement
Hi! I found this online, and found it to be a rather interesting and helpful read. Hope it encourages you to encourage others!
19 Ways To Encourage People
Encouragement goes straight to the heart. In fact, the word itself comes from a combination of the prefix "en" which means "to put into" and the Latin word "cor" which means heart.
Knowing what a big difference encouragement makes in your own life, what can you do to help others "to take heart" when the going gets tough and way feels long?
Become aware of what encourages you, and do those same things for others.
Learn individuals' "love language"-the special way in which they feel most valued. In his book, The Five Languages of Love, Gary Chapman explains that not everyone's emotional needs are met in the same way, and that it's important to learn to speak others' love language. The five love languages are: words of affirmation, spending quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch.
If an encouraging thought comes to mind, share it! It may not have the same effect if you wait. Don't let shyness hold you back. Instead, form a new habit: "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today…" (Hebrews 3:13).
When you introduce someone, add a few words of praise for the person's abilities, accomplishments, about how they've helped you or about the nature of your relationship. It's encouraging to be praised in front of others.*
When someone is discouraged or hurting, offer specific, practical help. If you ask, "How can I help?" the person might be at a loss to answer. It's better to ask, "Would it help if I…(specific action) or say, "I would like to…(specific action)?*
Remind fellow Christians of the specific promises of God and characteristics of God. We may know something with our mind, but need to be reminded in our heart. The Apostle Peter wrote, "I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have" (2 Peter 1:12).
Write someone a note to tell them that you're praying for them. Tell them what you're praying. You can pray specific Scriptures for individuals such as Romans 15:13, "[I pray that] the God of hope [will] fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Make celebration a more regular part of your relationships. Celebrate others' victories, large and small-with a note, with coffee together, with a special meal, a congratulatory phone call or just a high-five!
Be specific when you offer words of praise; it makes your encouragement more credible and concrete "You did a great job at…" "I really appreciate that you…" "I was really impressed that you…"
Encourage other believers with a reminder of Christ's coming. It redirects our thinking to an eternal perspective and ultimate deliverance from the sin and death. "We who are still alive and are left will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 5:17b-18).
Realize the power of presence. Just being there is encouraging! When you're with others, you're telling them that they're important. The Apostle Paul closed his letter to the church at Colosse promising to send his friend Tychius "that he may encourage your hearts" (Colossians 4:8b).
If you're part of a church, Bible study or fellowship, be committed to showing up. Your simple presence encourages others that they are part of a community of faith and that they are not alone. That's why the writer of Hebrews says, "Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as we see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
If someone you know is working on a large project, send her/him a single flower/gift to encourage her/him at the beginning of the project, and a full bouquet when it's done.*
Use encouragement as an outreach. If anyone should be known for being an encourager, it should be the Christian. Write a letter of appreciation to people at work, your apartment manager, your child's teacher or your doctor. Often when we interact with these people, we are asking for their services. Take time just to say thank you!*
If you really want to encourage someone who gives you excellent service, write a letter of commendation to the person's boss.*
We could learn something from the way team athletes freely pat, touch and high-five each other in competition. Touch is a powerful encouragement. Be sure to be sensitive in this area, though. Ask someone if you can hug her/him first. And be careful to be above reproach with persons of the opposite sex.
When you see someone making positive changes in their lives, affirm them. "You seem to have a really great attitude about…" "It may be that I'm just starting to take notice, but I see that you're…" "Do you think that you are becoming more…?"
Tell people how they've encouraged you!
Walk daily in the power of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to give you what you need to encourage others. Just as it is impossible to live the Christian life in one's own strength, it's also impossible to freely, unselfishly pour out encouragement without the help of the Holy Spirit who is our Encourager.
(Stolen From http://guitar4christ.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=86, credit to wui_ping dude)
19 Ways To Encourage People
Encouragement goes straight to the heart. In fact, the word itself comes from a combination of the prefix "en" which means "to put into" and the Latin word "cor" which means heart.
Knowing what a big difference encouragement makes in your own life, what can you do to help others "to take heart" when the going gets tough and way feels long?
Become aware of what encourages you, and do those same things for others.
Learn individuals' "love language"-the special way in which they feel most valued. In his book, The Five Languages of Love, Gary Chapman explains that not everyone's emotional needs are met in the same way, and that it's important to learn to speak others' love language. The five love languages are: words of affirmation, spending quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service and physical touch.
If an encouraging thought comes to mind, share it! It may not have the same effect if you wait. Don't let shyness hold you back. Instead, form a new habit: "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today…" (Hebrews 3:13).
When you introduce someone, add a few words of praise for the person's abilities, accomplishments, about how they've helped you or about the nature of your relationship. It's encouraging to be praised in front of others.*
When someone is discouraged or hurting, offer specific, practical help. If you ask, "How can I help?" the person might be at a loss to answer. It's better to ask, "Would it help if I…(specific action) or say, "I would like to…(specific action)?*
Remind fellow Christians of the specific promises of God and characteristics of God. We may know something with our mind, but need to be reminded in our heart. The Apostle Peter wrote, "I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have" (2 Peter 1:12).
Write someone a note to tell them that you're praying for them. Tell them what you're praying. You can pray specific Scriptures for individuals such as Romans 15:13, "[I pray that] the God of hope [will] fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Make celebration a more regular part of your relationships. Celebrate others' victories, large and small-with a note, with coffee together, with a special meal, a congratulatory phone call or just a high-five!
Be specific when you offer words of praise; it makes your encouragement more credible and concrete "You did a great job at…" "I really appreciate that you…" "I was really impressed that you…"
Encourage other believers with a reminder of Christ's coming. It redirects our thinking to an eternal perspective and ultimate deliverance from the sin and death. "We who are still alive and are left will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words." (1 Thessalonians 5:17b-18).
Realize the power of presence. Just being there is encouraging! When you're with others, you're telling them that they're important. The Apostle Paul closed his letter to the church at Colosse promising to send his friend Tychius "that he may encourage your hearts" (Colossians 4:8b).
If you're part of a church, Bible study or fellowship, be committed to showing up. Your simple presence encourages others that they are part of a community of faith and that they are not alone. That's why the writer of Hebrews says, "Let us not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as we see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25).
If someone you know is working on a large project, send her/him a single flower/gift to encourage her/him at the beginning of the project, and a full bouquet when it's done.*
Use encouragement as an outreach. If anyone should be known for being an encourager, it should be the Christian. Write a letter of appreciation to people at work, your apartment manager, your child's teacher or your doctor. Often when we interact with these people, we are asking for their services. Take time just to say thank you!*
If you really want to encourage someone who gives you excellent service, write a letter of commendation to the person's boss.*
We could learn something from the way team athletes freely pat, touch and high-five each other in competition. Touch is a powerful encouragement. Be sure to be sensitive in this area, though. Ask someone if you can hug her/him first. And be careful to be above reproach with persons of the opposite sex.
When you see someone making positive changes in their lives, affirm them. "You seem to have a really great attitude about…" "It may be that I'm just starting to take notice, but I see that you're…" "Do you think that you are becoming more…?"
Tell people how they've encouraged you!
Walk daily in the power of the Holy Spirit, asking Him to give you what you need to encourage others. Just as it is impossible to live the Christian life in one's own strength, it's also impossible to freely, unselfishly pour out encouragement without the help of the Holy Spirit who is our Encourager.
(Stolen From http://guitar4christ.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=86, credit to wui_ping dude)
Sunday, May 4, 2008
HAPPY 21ST BIRTHDAY SEAN!
have a very happy birthday sean! sorry took this photo from your facebook!
hopefully there's no copyright or anything haha! thank you for being part of us, part of e410!
without you, e410 will never be complete!
let's continue to shine for God and run this race together as one!
Take care and God Bless!
with alot alot alot alot of love,
e410
more photos! taken by jc!
hmm yea see the hole? nobody ate the cake beforehand haha!it just sort of dropped. no idea where it dropped to also lol!
Why Should We Pray?
Friday's cell group touched upon the issue of "Why We Should Pray". "Because we are Christians" is the wrong answer. Remember, Christianity is a relationship, not a religion. It is about desire, not duty.
3 key reasons why we should pray would be:
1) We pray because God wants to meet us.
Prayer is not about just asking God for things; we've all heard all the preaching about God not being a vending machine, someone we arm twist to get what we want. Prayer is about fellowship with God, talking to God. We fellowship with each other by talking to one another, engaging in activities, etc. Similarly, we engage and fellowship with God by talking to him via prayer. We do activities with Him through quiet time, prayer meetings, etc. God wants to meet us.
Luke 10:42 - Mary really sat down and fellowshipped with God. That is what He wants, for us to talk to Him, to fellowship with him, to build a relationship with him.
2) We pray to maintain the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
We all know how God resisted temptation from Satan. Samson didn't have the most healthy prayer life, and we all know what happened to him. Praying keeps the Holy Spirit in you, speaking in tongues attracts the Holy Spirit to you.
Mark 14:37-38 - Praying gives us the power to resist temptation. If you don't pray, resisting temptation is harder.
We are sent to go forth into culture and shine there. We are commissioned to shine in the marketplace, in the world out there. We live in a broken-down world, how do we rise about it? How do we rise above petty issues, overcome hurdles, breakthrough and inspire in ways that others are unable to? By resisting temptation, by getting strength from God and the Holy Spirit, by praying.
We can do all things through Christ, but only if we maintain a constant prayer life.
3) We can win the lost through prayer.
Prayer is the best way to aid evangelism! Remember, we are winning souls. We fight a spiritual battle! Evangelism is ultimately winning souls in the spiritual realm, and prayer is the most effective way to do this. As explained in Shiying's post, winning the lost requires aspects like spiritual fruitfulness, adoption and empowerment, all of which are possible only via a strong prayer lifestyle.
That's the importance of prayer. But how do we pray?
1) Be clear about what you want, no point beating around the bush or being vague. If you can see it, you can have it. If you don't be specific, how does God know exactly how to help you? If you aren't clear about what you want, then pray that you'll gain the wisdom to know what you want. Then pray for it.
2) Pray with your heart. If it doesn't touch your heart, it won't touch God's. God wants a sincere heart. If you're praying for it for the sake of praying, then forget it and don't waste your breath.
3) Present your burdens to the Lord. Tell him your problems! Don't forget, he is our rock, our fortress, our provider, our redeemer, our Father. He wants to help, so give him a chance to.
4) Pray with understanding in the Spirit. Speak in tongues - You won't see immediate effect in the physical realm, but things are moving in the Spiritual realm.
5) Be persistant! P-U-S-H! Pray until stuff happens! Pray till you sense a breakthrough. Praying is continuous and consistent. You don't just pray for something once, then forget about it and hope it will be answered in the near future. You ask and ask and ask.
So that's the basics of the cell group preaching.
Praying is ultimately about fellowship with God. You speak to Him, talk to Him, communicate with Him. You thank Him, you ask for things, you share your problems and feelings with Him. He is always there, always around, always listening to what we have to say to Him. Now you know the importance of prayer, and some ideas on how to pray. But i'm going to touch on something else about prayer.
Giving thanks.
Are you giving thanks when you pray? Giving thanks to God should be the first thing you do when you pray. We learnt how to ask for things effectively - be clear, concise, sincere, persistent, etc. But are you giving thanks? Remember, God is not your vending machine.
Amidst our daily lives, we encounter a multitude of problems. We have no problems thanking God for blessings and miracles, and no problems thanking him when things go fine. But when things go awry, are we still giving thanks? On a great day, we have no problem spending a long part of our prayer on giving thanks. On a bad day, how much thanks is given?
Ultimately, we believe in God's plan. He will lead us, he will carry us through, we will rise above the storm. He will not leave us high and dry, he will not abandon us, we will never be truly alone. We have to put our faith in Him and thank him still, before praying for stuff.
No matter how bad a day is, ultimately, we are still safe, we are still able to do quiet time, we are still able to pray. Let's give thanks for that. Everything that has happened has led our lives to this point, every trial, every blessing, every circumstance has enabled us to become what we are today. The people we meet, the people who inspired us, everything was engineered and planned by God. Our rebirth was aided by God. No matter how bad one's day was, at the end of it, we have God to rely on. Even when things turn bad, we will always have Him to fall back on and Him to look upon our situation and change it. Lets give thanks for that. We have the supportive people he has put into our lives to depend on. Lets thank Him for that. We are put through an ardous trial, tough situations, devastating problems. God tests us only with what we can handle, and we can handle anything through Christ who strengthens us. Lets thank Him for that, for having deep faith in our abilities, and for giving us strength. Maybe there's a day we feel abandoned by God. No matter how much we cry out for him, he doesn't respond. Or does he? He has given us friends and family who love us, who we can share our problems with, who can help us. Lets give thanks for that. We have a God who is ever present, ever loving, ever faithful. Lets give thanks for that.
In the end, there's always something to give thanks for. It's easy to love friends, but hard to love enemies. Similarly, it's easy to thank God in good circumstances, and hard to continue thanking and trusting in hard times. But no matter what happens, giving thanks is stil important. Let's not just learn how to pray for things effectively, but also to pray with appreciation for God.
P.S THANK YOU Venis, Junwei and Joachim who helped me with this. =D
3 key reasons why we should pray would be:
1) We pray because God wants to meet us.
Prayer is not about just asking God for things; we've all heard all the preaching about God not being a vending machine, someone we arm twist to get what we want. Prayer is about fellowship with God, talking to God. We fellowship with each other by talking to one another, engaging in activities, etc. Similarly, we engage and fellowship with God by talking to him via prayer. We do activities with Him through quiet time, prayer meetings, etc. God wants to meet us.
Luke 10:42 - Mary really sat down and fellowshipped with God. That is what He wants, for us to talk to Him, to fellowship with him, to build a relationship with him.
2) We pray to maintain the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
We all know how God resisted temptation from Satan. Samson didn't have the most healthy prayer life, and we all know what happened to him. Praying keeps the Holy Spirit in you, speaking in tongues attracts the Holy Spirit to you.
Mark 14:37-38 - Praying gives us the power to resist temptation. If you don't pray, resisting temptation is harder.
We are sent to go forth into culture and shine there. We are commissioned to shine in the marketplace, in the world out there. We live in a broken-down world, how do we rise about it? How do we rise above petty issues, overcome hurdles, breakthrough and inspire in ways that others are unable to? By resisting temptation, by getting strength from God and the Holy Spirit, by praying.
We can do all things through Christ, but only if we maintain a constant prayer life.
3) We can win the lost through prayer.
Prayer is the best way to aid evangelism! Remember, we are winning souls. We fight a spiritual battle! Evangelism is ultimately winning souls in the spiritual realm, and prayer is the most effective way to do this. As explained in Shiying's post, winning the lost requires aspects like spiritual fruitfulness, adoption and empowerment, all of which are possible only via a strong prayer lifestyle.
That's the importance of prayer. But how do we pray?
1) Be clear about what you want, no point beating around the bush or being vague. If you can see it, you can have it. If you don't be specific, how does God know exactly how to help you? If you aren't clear about what you want, then pray that you'll gain the wisdom to know what you want. Then pray for it.
2) Pray with your heart. If it doesn't touch your heart, it won't touch God's. God wants a sincere heart. If you're praying for it for the sake of praying, then forget it and don't waste your breath.
3) Present your burdens to the Lord. Tell him your problems! Don't forget, he is our rock, our fortress, our provider, our redeemer, our Father. He wants to help, so give him a chance to.
4) Pray with understanding in the Spirit. Speak in tongues - You won't see immediate effect in the physical realm, but things are moving in the Spiritual realm.
5) Be persistant! P-U-S-H! Pray until stuff happens! Pray till you sense a breakthrough. Praying is continuous and consistent. You don't just pray for something once, then forget about it and hope it will be answered in the near future. You ask and ask and ask.
So that's the basics of the cell group preaching.
Praying is ultimately about fellowship with God. You speak to Him, talk to Him, communicate with Him. You thank Him, you ask for things, you share your problems and feelings with Him. He is always there, always around, always listening to what we have to say to Him. Now you know the importance of prayer, and some ideas on how to pray. But i'm going to touch on something else about prayer.
Giving thanks.
Are you giving thanks when you pray? Giving thanks to God should be the first thing you do when you pray. We learnt how to ask for things effectively - be clear, concise, sincere, persistent, etc. But are you giving thanks? Remember, God is not your vending machine.
Amidst our daily lives, we encounter a multitude of problems. We have no problems thanking God for blessings and miracles, and no problems thanking him when things go fine. But when things go awry, are we still giving thanks? On a great day, we have no problem spending a long part of our prayer on giving thanks. On a bad day, how much thanks is given?
Ultimately, we believe in God's plan. He will lead us, he will carry us through, we will rise above the storm. He will not leave us high and dry, he will not abandon us, we will never be truly alone. We have to put our faith in Him and thank him still, before praying for stuff.
No matter how bad a day is, ultimately, we are still safe, we are still able to do quiet time, we are still able to pray. Let's give thanks for that. Everything that has happened has led our lives to this point, every trial, every blessing, every circumstance has enabled us to become what we are today. The people we meet, the people who inspired us, everything was engineered and planned by God. Our rebirth was aided by God. No matter how bad one's day was, at the end of it, we have God to rely on. Even when things turn bad, we will always have Him to fall back on and Him to look upon our situation and change it. Lets give thanks for that. We have the supportive people he has put into our lives to depend on. Lets thank Him for that. We are put through an ardous trial, tough situations, devastating problems. God tests us only with what we can handle, and we can handle anything through Christ who strengthens us. Lets thank Him for that, for having deep faith in our abilities, and for giving us strength. Maybe there's a day we feel abandoned by God. No matter how much we cry out for him, he doesn't respond. Or does he? He has given us friends and family who love us, who we can share our problems with, who can help us. Lets give thanks for that. We have a God who is ever present, ever loving, ever faithful. Lets give thanks for that.
In the end, there's always something to give thanks for. It's easy to love friends, but hard to love enemies. Similarly, it's easy to thank God in good circumstances, and hard to continue thanking and trusting in hard times. But no matter what happens, giving thanks is stil important. Let's not just learn how to pray for things effectively, but also to pray with appreciation for God.
P.S THANK YOU Venis, Junwei and Joachim who helped me with this. =D
Praying the lost into the kingdom of God
hello all :)
I believe we all sat through a power-packed sermon today and I hope it tugged at your heart as it did mine. I will try my best to summarize the key points here for the benefit of those who couldn't make it/didn't manage to copy down everything (i didn't manage too either haha) but will try to do as much justice to Pastor Tan's sermon as possible!
Pastor Tan began by asking the question, something along the likes of: "if we did away with big events and outreaches, can you still reach out to the lost?" This was definitely food for thought since big events and outreaches forms a huge bulk of the evangelizing effort.
something that he mentioned as well struck a cord in me when he asked "do you have the burden?" at that point i felt that all this while, i have been selfish in my christian walk. Yes I do pray for the lost, but does it move my heart when I pray for them? To what extent will I go to see them saved? What doesn't move your heart will not move God's. How true indeed.
Here are some guidelines Pastor Tan mentioned in order to win the lost w/o outreaches etc.
1. Spritual fruitfulness
John 15:2-6
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit
We are all called to bear fruit because God himself was fruitful. From the soil came man, from Adam came Eve, from a woman (Mary) birthed man (Jesus), from God and flesh (Jesus) came eternal life.
2. Spiritual Adoption (praying in the spirit)
Be a spiritual parent for the lost.
Pastor Tan drew the analogy of the birth of a child. It follows that there is a stage of CONCEPTION, then GESTATION and finally birth. Just like how a mother has to P.U.S.H for the child to come out, the same goes for the spiritual birth of a lost soul.
P ray
U ntil
S omething
H appens !
The Great Commission can be broken apart and read as CO-MISSION. We are definitely not alone, we have our fellow workers and the Holy Spirit.
John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner"
Even Jesus did not rely on Himself, eventhough he was the King of kings and Lord of lords. He relied on God's strength and wisdom, how much more must we rely on the Holy Spirit? :)
3. Spiritual Empowerment (walking with the Holy Spirit)
I Corinthians 2:10-11
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
All of us occupy a place in God's spirit. He who dwells in the secret PLACE of the most high abides in the shadow of the Almighty (psalm 91:1) How can we abide in His spirit and be empowered? PRAY! i think most of us need to pump up our prayer life huh :p
So how can the Holy Spirit help us?
1. To come up with an effective name list
2. Helps us to have faith, to have visions and dreams.
and sry guys I missed out on the 3rd one if anyone knows please supplement :)
this summary is not even half as good as listening to the real sermon so I suggest those who missed it or want to listen to the sermon on www.chc.org.sg when it comes out!
There is one verse that really spoke to me throughout the whole sermon, it goes "the harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few" (can't remember where it's found) I just felt today that i'm too comfortable as a Christian, and it's not that we shouldn't be happy people and do the things we like or enjoy but we owe our life to the one who gave His all for us. The fact that we can be happy people with hope and faith is because of Jesus' sacrifice.
Thing is, He also gave His life for the friends and family members we have arnd us who have yet to be saved.
I feel God tugging at me, saying, What are you waiting for? The veil is torn, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The time to harvest is NOW!
I believe we all sat through a power-packed sermon today and I hope it tugged at your heart as it did mine. I will try my best to summarize the key points here for the benefit of those who couldn't make it/didn't manage to copy down everything (i didn't manage too either haha) but will try to do as much justice to Pastor Tan's sermon as possible!
Pastor Tan began by asking the question, something along the likes of: "if we did away with big events and outreaches, can you still reach out to the lost?" This was definitely food for thought since big events and outreaches forms a huge bulk of the evangelizing effort.
something that he mentioned as well struck a cord in me when he asked "do you have the burden?" at that point i felt that all this while, i have been selfish in my christian walk. Yes I do pray for the lost, but does it move my heart when I pray for them? To what extent will I go to see them saved? What doesn't move your heart will not move God's. How true indeed.
Here are some guidelines Pastor Tan mentioned in order to win the lost w/o outreaches etc.
1. Spritual fruitfulness
John 15:2-6
Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit
We are all called to bear fruit because God himself was fruitful. From the soil came man, from Adam came Eve, from a woman (Mary) birthed man (Jesus), from God and flesh (Jesus) came eternal life.
2. Spiritual Adoption (praying in the spirit)
Be a spiritual parent for the lost.
Pastor Tan drew the analogy of the birth of a child. It follows that there is a stage of CONCEPTION, then GESTATION and finally birth. Just like how a mother has to P.U.S.H for the child to come out, the same goes for the spiritual birth of a lost soul.
P ray
U ntil
S omething
H appens !
The Great Commission can be broken apart and read as CO-MISSION. We are definitely not alone, we have our fellow workers and the Holy Spirit.
John 5:19
Then Jesus answered and said to them, "Most assuredly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner"
Even Jesus did not rely on Himself, eventhough he was the King of kings and Lord of lords. He relied on God's strength and wisdom, how much more must we rely on the Holy Spirit? :)
3. Spiritual Empowerment (walking with the Holy Spirit)
I Corinthians 2:10-11
But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God.
All of us occupy a place in God's spirit. He who dwells in the secret PLACE of the most high abides in the shadow of the Almighty (psalm 91:1) How can we abide in His spirit and be empowered? PRAY! i think most of us need to pump up our prayer life huh :p
So how can the Holy Spirit help us?
1. To come up with an effective name list
2. Helps us to have faith, to have visions and dreams.
and sry guys I missed out on the 3rd one if anyone knows please supplement :)
this summary is not even half as good as listening to the real sermon so I suggest those who missed it or want to listen to the sermon on www.chc.org.sg when it comes out!
There is one verse that really spoke to me throughout the whole sermon, it goes "the harvest is plenty, but the labourers are few" (can't remember where it's found) I just felt today that i'm too comfortable as a Christian, and it's not that we shouldn't be happy people and do the things we like or enjoy but we owe our life to the one who gave His all for us. The fact that we can be happy people with hope and faith is because of Jesus' sacrifice.
Thing is, He also gave His life for the friends and family members we have arnd us who have yet to be saved.
I feel God tugging at me, saying, What are you waiting for? The veil is torn, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. The time to harvest is NOW!
Saturday, May 3, 2008
a friend forwarded this to me!
if:
if:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 1 22 23 24 25 26
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
&
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
H-A-R-D-W-O-R-K
8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%
&
K-N-O-W-L-E-D-G-E
11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+5 = 96%
BUT
A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E
1+20+20+9+20+21+4+5 = 100%
but, let's see how far God's love can take you:
L-O-V-E-O-F-G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+6+7+15+4 = 101%
Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!
so study hard and work hard hee!
have a wonderful everyday my dear friends!
God Bless!
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