In This Race We Run

I'm back! So after this long break I shall try to give CPR to this blog once again. Everytime I blog, I fear being theologically unsound or typing something superficial. Then I dread Annie/Marc calling me to scold me for not paying attention during Bible study or sermons. I also pray that what I type won't be responsible for backsliding and loss of faith. But most importantly, I hope that this thing actually makes sense. Without further ado, I shall blog about a topic I spent a little time discussing about not too far back! Already this post is starting to sound unsound >.< style="font-weight: bold;">will be similarly tested in other areas of our lives, I'm sure we've all felt taken for granted on previous occasions. As I write this, a thought came to me: Maybe we should NOT appreciate others in order to help strengthen and help them grow without dependence on friends! Then I remembered V likes to thank people in her blog (if you can find it) , and that she's always right, so I shall follow her and either be correct or drag her down >.< ord ="D" style="font-weight: bold;">Annie - For leading the cell group! You scold a lot, but we all know that deep down you really care for us! For helping us grow spiritually and character-wise, Thanks!

Venis - For all the support and encouragement, for helping the old e410 so much and helping to bond us together, Thanks!

Glenda - For being a great connect group leader, encouraging and organising and msging us to help check logistics, and for delicious cheesecake, Thanks!

Liyun - For also helping out with planning and stuff, for the baking and birthday cakes, and for bringing joy to the cell group, both figuratively and literally (unfortunately), Thanks!

Shiying - For all the encouragement and QT inspirations! Tabernacle Prayer woo! Your constant fire for God is infectious and inspiring, Thanks! For being eeyore-fan, you get another Thanks!

Serene - For being the artistic genius and brining creativity to a bunch of deadpan guys - Your Christmas notebook is super nice! Until now i still can't bear to use it yet, Thanks! (Jia You for guitar k! Down Down Up, Up Down Up!)

Wendy - The youngest girl in the cg, but not the most immature! =p You bring life, fun and laughter to the cell, but please stop learning from liyun! Thanks!

Lileng - We were worried about the new members, but you and Linn have really fitted in nicely! Thanks for taking the initiative to organise stuff like dinners and meeting-ups, and for the encouragement and gogogos! Thanks!

Linn - New connect group leader! Read first half of Lileng's comment, I'm lazy to retype =/ For the herbal tea and concern and stuff, Thanks!

*Breathes* For the guys:

Aaron - Feels weird calling you that. Anyway thanks for the concern and stuff, in true BEST FRIEND fashion I shall just say "You know what I thank you for," Thanks!

Junwei - Fellow Jun! Haha thanks for the long convos over msn when I was spiritually down, and the encouragement and common sense you seem to throw at people as you display your maturity and beard. Beard was last time, the rest still sticks. Thanks!

Kelvin - King! Thanks for opening up my eyes to the world of investment, money making and stuff haha. Until now I still remember the OPM and OPT thingy, among others! Thanks!

Raymond - Thanks for helping out and doing stuff for the cg with your sister! Especially the camp stuff! You show that age isnt a factor, Thanks!

GS - Thanks for all the army banter and stories with zs and jw, really passes the time and it's fun. Also thanks for ORDing after me and being stay in so I appreciate my vocation more =x Thanks!

Renxuan - Thanks for letting me kill you in DOTA and get farmed! Thanks for the bold breakdancing during camp to salvage our performance! For being cool and stuff, and not like your sister, you get Thanks!

Sean - Thanks for teaching me how to hammer-on for my guitar! For all the technical help and stuff, for the concern when I was sick that time, Thanks!

Matthew - Thanks for being super funny! Haha you have the funniest comments along with the presentation. Thanks!

Ok I shall stop now, record-length post! And my regular still refuses to go home. But that's the end of this post, I wanna go Youtube.

What to Do After Reading This:
1) Think and be inspired
2) Comment
3) Comment again if step 2 less than 50 words long

I realised the most sian (uninteresting) thing about this is that most of the comments probably won't be read by the person mentioned. But then, what is done in secret, the Father will reward me. So I'm covered. Woo!

alrye! my first post in e410 blog. =D

junwei, as promised!, u'll breathe! X)

Pastor Kong is back! yay-ness! (:
he's super funny la!
e410! we must be ZAI!




the guys were trying to prove that they're men by letting us sit. LOL!
know why??
'cause annie was saying that the guys are not man enough. X)X)

went nihon for lunch.,
and glenda! i found something we have in common - salmon!! X)X)X)

alrye folks! that all for today.
junwei!, see, it's short and sweet. =D


take a closer look at annie's expression. =X

My FIRST and probably my LAST for this 2 years

ok i noe i shld be actively updating the blog wif jc, bt it seems pretty good so far tt many members are taking up the role to contribute their thoughts and stuff into this lil blog of ours. Either ways, here i am to contribute my first, yet i tink is too my last post for this 2 years to come.

First of all. I will like to express gratitude to everybody for the great stuff that you guys came up for me, the time that u all took to accompany me to my enlistment date. Well, yes i was frightful of wat is to come. Yet i noe it's a compulsary path that everybody has to take, n i noe im in someone's mighty hands ya? The frightful period, to emo to depression to crazy, now is really the final countdown as i type this post on the 2nd June 3.44am. Now, i really feel peaceful, and has already accepted come what may. Much thanks to you guys that has been there for me comforting and encouraging me all this while, like the army boys and the gals. I really thought, i would have never got out of it wifout you guys taking every step with me.

I used to think i was one of the pillars of the cg, but i truly know im not. It's people like Annie, Venis and Glenda that held it together for us. I noe i have not express my appreciation, bt it is always deeply felt and i do respect each and every one of you for handling all these things even wif your tight schedule of sch and work. Thanks for always trying to pull me back up after i haf left you gals dwn time and time again. Thanks for not giving up on me. YOU GALS KEPT THE CG TGT. So give urself a pat on da back.

Moreover, in E410, things just got to be different. I will like to express my appreciation to each and every one of the members here. the guys, the gals and the lil ray. Pillars can only hold up if the supporting beams are strong. You guys are truly why they could stay on strong. Cos of ur conviction, your passion, and your love for God and His people that kept these people going on strong, that they could have an added bonus and commitments of doing all they can to make it worth our while. In short,

You guys are our pillars!

i know that all of us are still young in our walk, and there's many things in our life that we cannot comprehend yet. Disappointments that we have went through, that burdens our heart and waiver on wat we stand. I will just want to say, from my own experience. It's definitely not easy at all. I tried many things to lift the burden of my heart. and i really mean MANY. Yet time and time again, It's God that lifts up the burden from me, even though i had to do it so very often. He is faithful, even when we are not. So laid ur hope and trust in Him, and carry his yokel and lift ur burden up to Him. For His yokel is light and will not suffocate you.

Indeed like sy has mentioned on her blog, sumtimes we do not understand how can people give up so easily on God whenever they hit a trial or tribulation, even when they saw how God has shown them miracles time and time again. Why won't people pray for an hour when Jesus was cruxified to the cross for our sins. Indeed, we are unworthy of such mighty love. Yet God is still so willing to offer us His eternal love. Well, dun be disappointed in people. Always remember, there are many followers but few are the chosen ones. I would not say that this people are a forsaken bunch, but i believe when u pray and seek His face diligently enough and fully equip yourself, you will be able to make a difference in these people's lives. God's love is for all, so do continue to pray and fast, miracles does happen. We prayed for healing, it WORKED. so dun let such minor stuff stumble our walk but stay on strong yourself so u can be fully equiped to help others too. HAVE FAITH.

I will like to end by repeating one thing that i mention before way back. Be a vessel that God can use, in whatever talents and abilities that you haf. So can thru you, people can see Christ for themselves. But whatever that you poured out or taken in(sorrows, disappointments), always give it back to God for a fresh renewing of the vessel. That's how u can truly be someone that can SHINE in the mkt place.

Trust God that whatever that He makes you go through so you can be a blessing to others in the future with the new found experience that you have. Have faith frens, and one last time.

GOGOGO MY E410.

Passion in serving God

(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:

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.

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)

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:)