The Same Old Story
by Michael T. Powers
In the twenty or so years that my wife and I have been doing youth ministry, we have dealt with a lot of teens who have gotten themselves into some dire straits. In fact, I thought there was nothing that could possibly surprise us anymore.
I was wrong.
There is one teenage girl that we know that I had to tell you about. However, before I do, I want you to understand that in our youth ministry, we always strive for confidentiality, to protect both the teen and the teen's family. So it is with great trepidation that I share this with you for I know that some of you will figure out who this girl is. But I am hoping that by the end of these few pages, you will understand why I had to share what I am about to tell you.
But before you rush to judgment, I want you to hang with me here. In fact, more than anything else, I want you to put yourself in this teen's shoes. Try and feel what she must be feeling.
This young girl is about 14 years old and she comes to the stark realization that she is pregnant. Not only does she realize that her life is going to drastically change, but to make matters worse, she is afraid to tell her boyfriend. Normally she can go to her boyfriend with any problem. He is a pretty stable, understanding and dependable guy. But this time it's different. You see, the baby is not his.
She lays awake that first night thinking about all the people she has to face that next day.
Her parents.
She has always been worthy of the trust her parents have put in her. In fact other families have remarked to her parents how they wish their daughters were more like her. But now she has to stand before them and explain how she got pregnant. And if that is not bad enough, she is going to have to explain to them that the father of the baby is not the young man that her parents think she should marry.
Her boyfriend.
She loves her boyfriend more than anyone! Well, almost more than anyone. How is she going to face him? Where is she going to get the courage? It would almost be easier if she could tell him that it was just a big mistake and that she is oh, so sorry for it. But she can't lie to him. She will have to look into his trusting eyes and tell him that she willfully chose the path that led to this little life growing inside of her. She knows deep down inside, that if she had to do it all over again, she would make the same decision, and end up in the same precarious situation. "Please God! Please let him understand and not abandon me. I need him so much right now!"
Her friends.
Right or wrong, they have always put her on a pedestal. Always looked to her for answers. Always modeled their life after hers. But she knows instinctively that they will not understand. In fact she knows that she may never be able to explain to them what made her do what she did.
So she lays there in bed, afraid, overwhelmed, and reaching out to God for strength to face what is ahead of her.
The next day she finally gets up the courage to tell her boyfriend. He reacts just as she feared he would react. He is going to leave her.
She becomes distraught and questions God: "Why God? Why? I know that I am in this situation because of a decision I made, but please don't take my boyfriend away from me! I desperately need him now!"
This unnamed teen goes to bed that night more afraid than ever, feeling every bit the young child that she is.
Her name? Normally I wouldn't give that to you. But in this case she asked that her name be known so that others will understand what she has gone through and be encouraged.
Her name is Mary and she lived 2000 years ago.
Have you ever thought of the Christmas story in this way before?
Think about it! You are a 14-year old girl and an angel appears to you and says, "I'm going to place a baby inside of your womb." Most 14-year old girls I know would say, "I'm sorry, but that doesn't fit in with my plans for my life. I have my whole life ahead of me and I can't be held back by a baby! How am I going to go to prom now!?"
How does Mary tell Joseph? Have you ever thought of that? She has to go to her future husband and say, "I'm pregnant and the baby is not yours.
The conversation may have gone something like this:
Mary: "Joe, before you get angry at me I want you to know that I didn't cheat on you."
Joseph: "Come on Mary! You know full well that we have not known each other in the biblical sense, so the baby can't possibly be mine!"
Mary: "Joseph, you have to believe me. I did not have sex with anyone!"
Joseph: "Please Mary, don't do this to me. You know that I love you and care for you. But I can't listen to this."
Mary: "OK, Joseph, I won't lie to you." (She pauses, searching his eyes for the understanding that she knows is not humanly possible.) "The baby is from God."
Joseph: "Mary! Please! This is not like you! In fact, I am beginning to think I don't even know you any more!"
Mary: "You have to believe me Joseph!"
Joseph: (The wheels already turning in his head as to what he needs to do) "Mary, you know that I love you. But I won't stand for this. I have every right to put you away from me publicly, but I don't have the heart to do that to you. I won't marry you now, but I will allow you to find some dignity and not make a big deal out of this. But go you will."
Mary: "Please Joseph! You've got to believe me! Why would I make something like this up!"
Joseph: "Enough! I don't want to hear another word."
And he walks away, leaving Mary distraught and worrying.
You know the story. An angel appears to Joseph and verifies that what Mary says is truth.
Hopefully by now you are not thinking of the story of Jesus' birth as the same old boring story that we read every Christmas season!
Stop your busyness and ponder with me these next few weeks.
Think of God as a fetus, leaving Heaven and all of its splendor and becoming one of the most fragile things on Earth: a human baby. An animal baby is more able to defend and adapt when they are born than a human is.
As a writer, I would never have written the story this way. If I'm going to write the story of God coming to Earth, He's going to be on a white stallion when He rides out of Heaven. Every hoof-beat will leave lightning-like sparks on the streets of gold and peals of thunder in the air. The stars will line up as letters in every language that will blink: "The King of Kings is Coming!" He's going to burst through the ozone layer in a fiery explosion that will rock the foundation of the earth and send humans and animals to a prone position on the ground. Then He's going to circle the entire earth from east to west and the clouds will trail behind Him like a pure white flowing robe. There'll be the deafening sound of heavenly trumpets and the majestic pureness of millions of angels' voices hitting your ears as if they were right next to you.
That's how I'd write it.
God says, "Nope. He's going to live inside of an unwed teenage girl and He's going to be born in a stable." Which is a really nice word for a cave where smelly animals live. There was manure and urine on the floor, and the stench was almost unbearable. Priceless paintings and works of art did not hang on the walls in this nursery. No, if you were to look on these walls you would see cobwebs.
Psalm 33:6 reads, "By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth." The One who breathed galaxies into existence, now depended on an umbilical cord for His oxygen. Amazing!
In your wildest dreams, can you equate the deity of the King of Kings making his entrance into this world through the human process we call birth.
Instead of noticing a crown of purest gold on his head, you notice the cone-shape of his head as he was forced through the birth canal. Instead of wearing the finest robes money can buy, he is wrapped in rags.
Instead of a finely crafted bed made by the most gifted craftsman in the land, he is laid in a feeding trough. Don't give me this "manger" stuff. Manger sounds too romantic. God was put in a feeding trough where cows put their tongues to lick up food. That's where the King of the universe slept.
He who sustains the entire universe is now being sustained through the milk of a teenage girl.
If Mary could have written a book, it would be on the New York Times' Best-Selling List. The title of the book would have been, "I Changed God's Diapers." Have you ever thought of that? Someone had to change the God of the universe's diapers. This gets a little gross, and I'm used to talking to youth, so forgive me, but, human waste was next to Jesus' skin. Is it hard to imagine Jesus in such a mundane and human way? In fact it is almost irreverent. But the God of the universe loved us so much that he was willing to humble Himself and give us the most precious Christmas present ever given: His Son Jesus.
May we never let ourselves say, "The same old Christmas story," ever again. And, may we never get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season that we don't stop and take the time to reflect about what an amazing God we have.
May this Christmas, and every Christmas from here on out, never lose it's magic or it's meaning.
Michael T. Powers
HeartTouchers@aol.com
© 2006 by Michael T. Powers
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
poem
Dear all,
it's been sometime since i've last posted. Read this on a friend's blog, really helps me put things into perspective, take my eyes off myself, and realize how fortunate i am, and to spur me to pray for other brothers and sisters-in-Christ.
When you have no food to eat,
You feel hard-pressed to provide,
When I have no food to eat because of my faith,
I have faith that God will provide.
When your dreams of owning Treo Phones, diamond rings or cars are crushed,
You look for a job in Burger King, a credit card, or a car loan,
When my dreams of freedom and liberty are crushed,
God gives me dreams and visions for His Kingdom.
You wish you had less home work and no religion,
You look for the best tuition teacher,
I wish I could get an education but I can’t because of my religion,
In all subjects God is my Teacher.
You despair because because you have too much work,
You feel that the church has left you in a lurch,
I despair because my family is hungry, I can’t find work,
I know that God wants me to build His church.
You feel that Bible Study is like doing chores,
You don’t want anymore,
I am so glad for the bibles provided by Open Doors,
God gives me the desire to know Him more.
You feel isolated without your lap-top, I-pod or I-phones,
You live out your characters in a virtual world,
I feel abandoned when imprisoned,
God is the Light of my world.
When you are betrayed by your brother in your church,
You just go to another church as you have more believers than us,
If I am betrayed by my brother in my church,
I have to reconcile with him as there are only two of us.
You live in fear of ridicule and persecution in college,
You live in fear of being imprisoned, you don’t know whether God is real
If I stand up for my faith in college,
People will throw me into prison, I know my God is real.
You deride terrorists and suicide-bombers,
You feel that they are inhuman and justice should be done,
I was a terrorist and I blew up my hopes,
I am human, I felt God’s compassion weighing a tonne.
If you went home and told your Christian parents, “I’m going to be an evangelist!”
Your parents dreams for you may be destroyed,
If I went home and told my parents, “I’m going to be a Christian!”
My parents will be ostracised and I may be killed and destroyed.
You want to keep your life and go your own way,
You proudly pursue pharasaic self-righteousness,
I want to lose my life and go Heaven’s way.
I know I am a sinner, only God can make me righteous.
it's been sometime since i've last posted. Read this on a friend's blog, really helps me put things into perspective, take my eyes off myself, and realize how fortunate i am, and to spur me to pray for other brothers and sisters-in-Christ.
When you have no food to eat,
You feel hard-pressed to provide,
When I have no food to eat because of my faith,
I have faith that God will provide.
When your dreams of owning Treo Phones, diamond rings or cars are crushed,
You look for a job in Burger King, a credit card, or a car loan,
When my dreams of freedom and liberty are crushed,
God gives me dreams and visions for His Kingdom.
You wish you had less home work and no religion,
You look for the best tuition teacher,
I wish I could get an education but I can’t because of my religion,
In all subjects God is my Teacher.
You despair because because you have too much work,
You feel that the church has left you in a lurch,
I despair because my family is hungry, I can’t find work,
I know that God wants me to build His church.
You feel that Bible Study is like doing chores,
You don’t want anymore,
I am so glad for the bibles provided by Open Doors,
God gives me the desire to know Him more.
You feel isolated without your lap-top, I-pod or I-phones,
You live out your characters in a virtual world,
I feel abandoned when imprisoned,
God is the Light of my world.
When you are betrayed by your brother in your church,
You just go to another church as you have more believers than us,
If I am betrayed by my brother in my church,
I have to reconcile with him as there are only two of us.
You live in fear of ridicule and persecution in college,
You live in fear of being imprisoned, you don’t know whether God is real
If I stand up for my faith in college,
People will throw me into prison, I know my God is real.
You deride terrorists and suicide-bombers,
You feel that they are inhuman and justice should be done,
I was a terrorist and I blew up my hopes,
I am human, I felt God’s compassion weighing a tonne.
If you went home and told your Christian parents, “I’m going to be an evangelist!”
Your parents dreams for you may be destroyed,
If I went home and told my parents, “I’m going to be a Christian!”
My parents will be ostracised and I may be killed and destroyed.
You want to keep your life and go your own way,
You proudly pursue pharasaic self-righteousness,
I want to lose my life and go Heaven’s way.
I know I am a sinner, only God can make me righteous.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
true story
Read this on an Operation Mobilization website. Thought i'd share it with you all. Be encouraged :)
Roma, a man raised in the traditions of Ukrainian Orthodoxy but never having a true conversion experience, was also on the trip. Zhenya was excited to have Roma join the team because the two are good friends from playing football together for several years. Although Roma wasn’t a Christian, OM Ukraine gave the OK for Roma to join the team, praying for the Lord to open his eyes to his own need for Christ.
The Lord was at work! Roma shares of one day when the team worked with a community living in a trash dump. He had taken a break from the tours, talking and teaching to rest atop the precipice of building. Behind him lay an entire neighborhood of trash, shacks, broken bottles and the wastes of the world. Before him was a church building built into the rock face of the surrounding cliffs encircling the community. Paintings of Bible scenes and Bible verses decorated the towering rock walls, and in the center was a large picture of Christ holding out open arms. It was in this moment that Roma saw how his physical location was a representation of his own spiritual life -behind him lay the trash of his life, the bad decisions, the selfishness, and the junk of this world. Before him is the decision to run to Christ who waits with open arms.
Roma, a man raised in the traditions of Ukrainian Orthodoxy but never having a true conversion experience, was also on the trip. Zhenya was excited to have Roma join the team because the two are good friends from playing football together for several years. Although Roma wasn’t a Christian, OM Ukraine gave the OK for Roma to join the team, praying for the Lord to open his eyes to his own need for Christ.
The Lord was at work! Roma shares of one day when the team worked with a community living in a trash dump. He had taken a break from the tours, talking and teaching to rest atop the precipice of building. Behind him lay an entire neighborhood of trash, shacks, broken bottles and the wastes of the world. Before him was a church building built into the rock face of the surrounding cliffs encircling the community. Paintings of Bible scenes and Bible verses decorated the towering rock walls, and in the center was a large picture of Christ holding out open arms. It was in this moment that Roma saw how his physical location was a representation of his own spiritual life -behind him lay the trash of his life, the bad decisions, the selfishness, and the junk of this world. Before him is the decision to run to Christ who waits with open arms.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Cracked Pots
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a pole, which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For two years this went on daily,
with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to
pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
with the bearer delivering only one and a half pots of water to his master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to the end for which it was made.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you."
"Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot said.
The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its failure.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been able to
pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house."
Each of us has our own unique flaws. We're all cracked pots. But if we will allow it, the Lord will use our flaws to grace His table. In God's great economy, nothing goes to waste.
Friday, November 03, 2006
photo
We went for laserquest tonight. Was quite good fun. I shot my own team member quite a lot of times. heh. Came in 10th overall, out of 33! Nubbad. From the last time when i got a negative score. Heh. Came back to celebrate Rob's 50th Birthday at 'Dunkirk Inn' :)
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Song
Dear all,
Just wanna share a song by Jadon Lavik. It's called 'Today'. Found the lyrics especially meaningful and thought-provoking. May it challenge us to spend the days here on earth wisely.
More things to buy more clothes to wear
The perfect job the perfect wife
A new color for the hair
Take a look around the way we’re livin’
It’s no secret we think that just a little more
Just a little bit further then we’re there
but time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for today
he say the hurts saw the pain and knew our needs
cured the sick healed the lame and made the
blind man see
a life laid down the perfect gift for you and me
loves greatest sacrifice a picture of how
it ought to be , how it ought to be
but time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for today ,(oh today)
so take a look around go find a brother and help him stand
take the risk to love another with an outstretched hand
‘cause time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
so much more,
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for, today
what you’re living for, what you’re living for
Just wanna share a song by Jadon Lavik. It's called 'Today'. Found the lyrics especially meaningful and thought-provoking. May it challenge us to spend the days here on earth wisely.
More things to buy more clothes to wear
The perfect job the perfect wife
A new color for the hair
Take a look around the way we’re livin’
It’s no secret we think that just a little more
Just a little bit further then we’re there
but time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for today
he say the hurts saw the pain and knew our needs
cured the sick healed the lame and made the
blind man see
a life laid down the perfect gift for you and me
loves greatest sacrifice a picture of how
it ought to be , how it ought to be
but time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for today ,(oh today)
so take a look around go find a brother and help him stand
take the risk to love another with an outstretched hand
‘cause time asks no questions it moves on in spite of me
it’s not about my style of life my own prosperity
it’s time we open up our eyes to find there’s so much more
so much more,
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for
and all I’m asking is what you’re living for, today
what you’re living for, what you’re living for
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Story
DON'T LEAVE IT ON THE DESK!
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman but was studying with the intent of going into the seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well-liked and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the Professor's class.
One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good Steve," Dr. Christianson said, "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know. I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of 10 for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it!" said the Professor.
Steve said, "Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.
When class started, the Professor pulled out a big box of doughnuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of doughnuts; they were the extra fancy BIG kind with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these doughnuts?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a doughnut."
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.
Then Steve again sat in the desk. Dr. Christianson then put a doughnut on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a doughnut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a doughnut."
Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a doughnut. And so it went, down the first aisle. Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their doughnut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacked for female companionship.
When the Professor asked, "Scott, do you want a doughnut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No. Steve has to do them"
Then Scott replied, "No, I don't want one then."
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a doughnut he doesn't want."
With perfect obedience, Steve started to do ten push-ups.
Scott said, "Hey! I said I didn't want one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desk and these are my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it."
And he put a doughnut on Scott's desk.
Now, by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now, the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a doughnut?"
Sternly, Jenny said, "NO!"
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve would you do ten more push-ups so that Jenny can have a doughnut she doesn't want." Steve did ten; Jenny got the doughnut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room.
The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten doughnuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each doughnut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push-up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all those uneaten doughnuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the Professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.
Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups.
You're in charge now. You can do them any way you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No. Let him come in."
Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in, you will have to do ten push-ups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a doughnut."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a doughnut?"
Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "Give me a doughnut."
"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a doughnut?"
Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a doughnut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time, sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Linda can have a doughnut that she doesn't want."
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.
Then, Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a doughnut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a doughnut whether they want it or not.
When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade.
Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a doughnut."
As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into Thy hands I commend my spirit.' with the understanding that he had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up his life. And, like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the Professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning to his class, the Professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept his gift to us, the price has been paid.
"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"
--Author Unknown
There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States.
Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major.
Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously
This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman but was studying with the intent of going into the seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well-liked and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the Professor's class.
One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. "How many push-ups can you do?"
Steve said, "I do about 200 every night."
"200? That's pretty good Steve," Dr. Christianson said, "Do you think you could do 300?"
Steve replied, "I don't know. I've never done 300 at a time."
"Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson
"Well, I can try," said Steve.
"Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of 10 for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it!" said the Professor.
Steve said, "Well, I think I can. Yeah, I can do it."
Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."
Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room.
When class started, the Professor pulled out a big box of doughnuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of doughnuts; they were the extra fancy BIG kind with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class.
Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these doughnuts?"
Cynthia said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a doughnut."
"Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten.
Then Steve again sat in the desk. Dr. Christianson then put a doughnut on Cynthia's desk.
Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a doughnut?"
Joe said, "Yes."
Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a doughnut."
Steve did ten push-ups; Joe got a doughnut. And so it went, down the first aisle. Steve did ten push-ups for every person before they got their doughnut.
Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott. Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacked for female companionship.
When the Professor asked, "Scott, do you want a doughnut?"
Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own push-ups?"
Dr. Christianson said, "No. Steve has to do them"
Then Scott replied, "No, I don't want one then."
Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Scott can have a doughnut he doesn't want."
With perfect obedience, Steve started to do ten push-ups.
Scott said, "Hey! I said I didn't want one!"
Dr. Christianson said, "Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desk and these are my doughnuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it."
And he put a doughnut on Scott's desk.
Now, by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now, the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a doughnut?"
Sternly, Jenny said, "NO!"
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve would you do ten more push-ups so that Jenny can have a doughnut she doesn't want." Steve did ten; Jenny got the doughnut.
By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room.
The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten doughnuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these push-ups done for each doughnut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.
Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push-up to make sure he did the full ten push-ups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all those uneaten doughnuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the Professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.
Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next.
Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.
Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?"
Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your push-ups.
You're in charge now. You can do them any way you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.
A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!"
Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No. Let him come in."
Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in, you will have to do ten push-ups for him."
Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a doughnut."
Dr. Christianson said, "Okay Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a doughnut?"
Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "Give me a doughnut."
"Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a doughnut?"
Steve did ten push-ups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a doughnut and sat down.
Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time, sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room.
The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?"
Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you."
Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Linda can have a doughnut that she doesn't want."
Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow push-ups for Linda.
Then, Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a doughnut?"
Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?"
Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone. I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a doughnut whether they want it or not.
When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade.
Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push-ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes."
"Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a doughnut."
As Steve very slowly finished his last push-up, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 push-ups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.
Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said, "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into Thy hands I commend my spirit.' with the understanding that he had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up his life. And, like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk uneaten."
Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the Professor, adding, "Not all sermons are preached in words."
Turning to his class, the Professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept his gift to us, the price has been paid.
"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"
--Author Unknown
Monday, October 09, 2006
Happenings in Solid Rock Notts :)
Dear all,
Just thought i'd update on some happenings in Solid Rock (especially for those of you who are not in Notts anymore, but still have a special place in SR :)) Hope you all are doing well wherever you are.
For those who are new to Solid Rock or Nottingham, i'd like to extend a warm welcome to you :) It's nice of you to drop by and hope you'll return to visit!
Well, it's the 2nd week into term, things are getting busy with lectures and all. University is bubbling with life. And so is the library (i think. heh.) We had the Welcome dinner for international students at Andrew's , Weileong's and my house (26 Highfield Rd). I think we had about 70-80 ple. God provided us warm weather (so we could use the backyard), food and people to eat the food :) Had many gd conversations and have kept in touch with some of them till now. There wasn't as many people in the first SR meeting as last year, but God doesn't look at the numbers but the hearts. Every person matters to him. There were ple from Malaysia, China, Denmark, Indonesia, Hong Kong... as far as i remember. No one from Singapore, sadly. Yet. Huifen and Tracy gave their testimony, which was very very encouraging! They've both grown a lot in Him, and have been a great blessing to many of us in SR.
We had our first meeting in our respective cell groups last Friday, was encouraging to have the freshers come, as well as new people, and of course was great to see the old-timers again :) We all had a gd time of bonding, fun and sharing within our groups. Praise God!
We'll be starting bible studies this Friday. Doing a purpose driven life series on 'growing to be like Christ'.
Yup. Just a quick update. Sorry no juicy gossips whatsoever :P
If you've graduated but still like to receive the SR emails, do let us know so we can include you :) i think some of you are still on it ;)
In Him,
Pam
Just thought i'd update on some happenings in Solid Rock (especially for those of you who are not in Notts anymore, but still have a special place in SR :)) Hope you all are doing well wherever you are.
For those who are new to Solid Rock or Nottingham, i'd like to extend a warm welcome to you :) It's nice of you to drop by and hope you'll return to visit!
Well, it's the 2nd week into term, things are getting busy with lectures and all. University is bubbling with life. And so is the library (i think. heh.) We had the Welcome dinner for international students at Andrew's , Weileong's and my house (26 Highfield Rd). I think we had about 70-80 ple. God provided us warm weather (so we could use the backyard), food and people to eat the food :) Had many gd conversations and have kept in touch with some of them till now. There wasn't as many people in the first SR meeting as last year, but God doesn't look at the numbers but the hearts. Every person matters to him. There were ple from Malaysia, China, Denmark, Indonesia, Hong Kong... as far as i remember. No one from Singapore, sadly. Yet. Huifen and Tracy gave their testimony, which was very very encouraging! They've both grown a lot in Him, and have been a great blessing to many of us in SR.
We had our first meeting in our respective cell groups last Friday, was encouraging to have the freshers come, as well as new people, and of course was great to see the old-timers again :) We all had a gd time of bonding, fun and sharing within our groups. Praise God!
We'll be starting bible studies this Friday. Doing a purpose driven life series on 'growing to be like Christ'.
Yup. Just a quick update. Sorry no juicy gossips whatsoever :P
If you've graduated but still like to receive the SR emails, do let us know so we can include you :) i think some of you are still on it ;)
In Him,
Pam
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Power of a prayer
**my ex-collegemate posted this on the Friendster buletin board, let me share it with you..
A missionary on furlough told this true story while visiting his home church in Michigan.While serving at a small field hospital in Africa,every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys, I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine, and supplies, and then begin my two-day journey back to the field hospital.
Upon arrival in the city, I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident.Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city, I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs.But just as we were about to move into your camp,we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them.It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'
At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened.The missionary told the congregation the date and the man who interrupted told him this story:"On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. Iwas about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong; I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?"The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with who they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw.There were 26.
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in mysterious ways. If you ever hear such prodding, go along with it. Nothing is ever hurt by prayer except the gates of hell. If we all take it to heart, we can turn this world towards God once again. As the above true story clearly illustrates, "With God all things are possible". More importantly, how God hears and answers the prayers of the faithful. After you read this, please pass it on and give God thanks for the beautiful gift of your faith, for the powerful gift of prayer, and for the many miracles He works in your own daily life. Who says God does not work in mysterious ways.His love is always with you, His promises are true and when we give Him our cares you know He will see us through.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Be the CHANGE you want to see
Hello ppl.. here i am to bore you to death with my thoughts AGAIN..haha
"Be the change you want to see" .. what a cliche ! Some of us are so cynical that we are blinded to see the simple truth expressed by many cliches that we use daily. I first came across this phrase when I started receiving occasional e-mails from Valerie (the girl who co-ordinates Encounter Weekends). My first reaction was to 'pooh-pooh' it.. how typical of me to make decisions like that without thinking about it. I had many doubts whether that would actually work in the REAL world, coz we're not living in a perfect world, we live in a world where even if you extend kindness and goodness to others , you can still expect some negative responses. You can never be sure if other ppl will ever "co-operate with you" to spread goodness in this world.
After a while, as I became more frustrated with life, I decided to give it a shot. If I wished other people would be less calculative with me, I began to be less calculative with them. It doesn't matter if others dirty the kitchen, I can still clean it up ...though it's not my responsibility and i had to sacrifice some of my personal time, i feel it's really worth it..to do something that will bring a change to my surrounding.
Most of the time, we know that this principle works but we're still unwilling to do it because it requires us to take the initiative, to give in first, to sacrifice time , or money or effort; though we don't need to. Many of us like to lament about the pathetic condition of the world, so many uncaring people walking around, each minding their own business, inconsiderate people , injustice etc. Come on, stop asking and waiting for the world to change....Start with the man/woman in the mirror. Yeah, it's YOU that I'm talking about!
Recently, i realised something.. the person who coined this phrase might have been a Christian. Because Jesus became the change He wanted to see. God was saddened and angry to see His beloved creation going astray.. forsaking the love of God and commiting so many sins. Being a just God, He had every right to punish us, to give us what we deserved but Jesus wanted to see love restored in this world. So, He chose to humble Himself, came in the name of love, and died on the cross for us. Did He deserve death? He had done nothing wrong, in fact, He is God! I'm always amazed at the way God came down to our level, and suffered to bring us back to Him. He came , not for the justice He deserved, but for the ones that He loved. Jesus brought the solution by loving us first, no matter what our response to Him would be.
What do you want in all problematic situations? A solution or justice for yourself? If the solution requires you to humble yourself and identify with the one who did wrong, would you still choose to resolve the problem? Many of us, out of pride and the desire to see justice done, have forsaken the path to reconciliation.
In fact, many of us live with unforgiveness and unresolved conflict because we hold on so tightly to the right to be right (pardon the pun!). You have every right to refuse to forgive someone when they do you wrong, but if by letting go of your right to be angry, you can reconcile with that person, would you humble yourself? Do you desire reconciliation more than anything else? Don't lie to yourself and say that you desire peace in life if you cannot forgive someone else. Above all things, strive to reconcile and be at peace and unity with each other.
Alright, it's difficult to achieve that by our own strength but remember, we have one perfect example to follow. Jesus Christ came as a man to show us what it means to live in the perfect will of God. He's da MAN(~borrowing Pam's quote) to follow!
"Be the change you want to see" .. what a cliche ! Some of us are so cynical that we are blinded to see the simple truth expressed by many cliches that we use daily. I first came across this phrase when I started receiving occasional e-mails from Valerie (the girl who co-ordinates Encounter Weekends). My first reaction was to 'pooh-pooh' it.. how typical of me to make decisions like that without thinking about it. I had many doubts whether that would actually work in the REAL world, coz we're not living in a perfect world, we live in a world where even if you extend kindness and goodness to others , you can still expect some negative responses. You can never be sure if other ppl will ever "co-operate with you" to spread goodness in this world.
After a while, as I became more frustrated with life, I decided to give it a shot. If I wished other people would be less calculative with me, I began to be less calculative with them. It doesn't matter if others dirty the kitchen, I can still clean it up ...though it's not my responsibility and i had to sacrifice some of my personal time, i feel it's really worth it..to do something that will bring a change to my surrounding.
Most of the time, we know that this principle works but we're still unwilling to do it because it requires us to take the initiative, to give in first, to sacrifice time , or money or effort; though we don't need to. Many of us like to lament about the pathetic condition of the world, so many uncaring people walking around, each minding their own business, inconsiderate people , injustice etc. Come on, stop asking and waiting for the world to change....Start with the man/woman in the mirror. Yeah, it's YOU that I'm talking about!
Recently, i realised something.. the person who coined this phrase might have been a Christian. Because Jesus became the change He wanted to see. God was saddened and angry to see His beloved creation going astray.. forsaking the love of God and commiting so many sins. Being a just God, He had every right to punish us, to give us what we deserved but Jesus wanted to see love restored in this world. So, He chose to humble Himself, came in the name of love, and died on the cross for us. Did He deserve death? He had done nothing wrong, in fact, He is God! I'm always amazed at the way God came down to our level, and suffered to bring us back to Him. He came , not for the justice He deserved, but for the ones that He loved. Jesus brought the solution by loving us first, no matter what our response to Him would be.
What do you want in all problematic situations? A solution or justice for yourself? If the solution requires you to humble yourself and identify with the one who did wrong, would you still choose to resolve the problem? Many of us, out of pride and the desire to see justice done, have forsaken the path to reconciliation.
In fact, many of us live with unforgiveness and unresolved conflict because we hold on so tightly to the right to be right (pardon the pun!). You have every right to refuse to forgive someone when they do you wrong, but if by letting go of your right to be angry, you can reconcile with that person, would you humble yourself? Do you desire reconciliation more than anything else? Don't lie to yourself and say that you desire peace in life if you cannot forgive someone else. Above all things, strive to reconcile and be at peace and unity with each other.
Alright, it's difficult to achieve that by our own strength but remember, we have one perfect example to follow. Jesus Christ came as a man to show us what it means to live in the perfect will of God. He's da MAN(~borrowing Pam's quote) to follow!
Monday, September 25, 2006
Loving the "Unlovable"
This topic has been on my mind for the past few weeks so i thought i'd just share some of my thoughts. Over the summer, i worked in a small independent pharmacy about 10minutes from town. Due to the nature of my work, i'd be encountering drug addicts on a daily basis. Initially, my heart was full of compassion and love for them and I wanted to show love for them. However, several unpleasant incidents (mostly related to shoplifting) happened where I was verbally abused by some customers though I had done nothing wrong. This caused me to recoil... I was pretty shaken that I started to view each customer with suspicion. The entire week i felt horrible , because my trust in them has been betrayed and I felt i could not trust any of them anymore. I felt horrible also because love has been replaced by distrust.
After that week, i realised that i could not longer live this life not trusting anyone, building a wall to keep out others and preventing them from hurting me. I decided to choose to love and trust again. This does not mean that I trust them blindly, I try to be more vigilant but not paranoid. This has been a difficult lesson to learn .. how do you love people who are hostile to you? How do you love people who hurt and betray you? In a nutshell, how do you love someone who simply do not deserve our love and forgiveness?
If given a choice, many of us would choose to love , forgive and show kindness to people whom we deem deserving of our goodwill. People who repay evil for good, people who don't show their appreciation/take us for granted or people who did horrible things are considered less deserving of our love, grace and understanding. By doing so, we are giving out conditional love. This type of love demands a reciprocal act. The world knows how to give out conditional love. In fact, sometimes, they are better than Christians in showing love for their friends and loved ones. What the world needs is unconditional love. The type of love that demands no benefit in return, that are given out of a willing heart for those who do not deserve it.
Matthew 5:46-48 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The world cannot give this kind of love (Agape) because it is not aware of God's love for them. But if we, as disciples of Christ are able to demonstrate this type of love to those that the society deem "unlovable" , I believe that the world will "see" Christ through us! For no man can love like this in his own strength, only one who has can truly comprehend the extend of God's love for us can show this unconditional love to another human.
I was on the Rainbow 5 the other day when i overheard a guy trying to convince his girlfriend that God doesn't exist, the world isn't created by God and if there is a God, it need not necessarily be Jesus. Apparently, someone must have tried to explain to them that even if they dont believe in His existence, He still exists , because there are people who knows God. If i'm not mistaken it should be the same analogy that Kenny Gan used: I have a friend name James, even if you don't know him, never seen him before, he exists because I know him.
The guy's argument was, he's never seen God..and many ppl can't claimed to have seen God with their eyes or provide photographic proft of His existence. At that moment, I totally agree with him. Yes, man may not be able to "see" God , but they are able to see the body of Christ on earth. Where is the body of Christ when it's most needed? The answer is simple: we're the body of Christ! we're His hands to do good work, show acts of kindness and love, we're His feet that bring the gospel, we're His mouth that speaks His words. Guess what I did? it's quite comical actually... i plucked up my courage, dished out a booklet containing the gospel according to Mark and gave him one. haha.. i bet it shocked him . I'm not trying to mock him, or trying to get back at him for mocking God, my desire is to send him one little message: the body of Christ is alive! and it's doing the will of Christ (head of the body).
May this little incident be an encouragement to all... wherever you are, you are the body of Christ ! Don't lose your saltiness, continue to reflect His glory! Amen
Challenge: Are there people around you that are difficult to love? Do you avoid them?
What about people who are considered "weird" or "difficult" or "troublemaker" by society? Do you shun them? Do you actively seek to befriend and understand them; and not judge them based on how the society stereotype them?
If we care to spend more time knowing people in depth before we judge them, we'll find that there's no one who's "unlovable". Each man and woman is precious in God's eyes. He sent His only Son to die, not just for the righteous , but for the unrighteous too!
*Jesus said, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick."
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Ewok's Story: The Devil's Foothold
Let me tell ya a story. Once upon a time, there was a man who owns a house. And this house was not a good or bad house, it was an average looking house in an average looking city. So one day, this man decided to sell this house, but no one wanted to buy this house. So he decided he will sell this house for $2000. A few weeks later, a poor man (by poor I mean very very poor man) wanted to buy the house, but he could only afford to pay $1000. So this man tried there and again to negotiate the price of this house with the house owner, but failed. After a week or so, the house owner took pity on the poor man and said to him:
"I will sell you the house at $1000 on one condition. I will hang a nail above the door. The whole house is yours but the area where the nail is, is mine and you cannot touch or disturb the nail."
The poor man agreed to it and thus the house was exchanged between them. After a few years, the poor man wanted to sell the house. The house owner told him that the part where the nail is, belongs to him and woul buy the house at $1000, at the price the poor man bought the house earlier with. The poor man refused and the house owner got very upset. After several quarrels and they were getting nowhere, the house owner took a carcass of a dog and hung it on the nail, which was above the door. The carcass stank of rotting flesh, fleas and it wasnt a very nice smell. The poor man couldnt find a buyer due to the stench given by this carcass and in the end had no choice but to sell the house back to the house owner at $1000.
The point which I am trying to say is: The house represents your life, your body, and the poor man is you. The house owner represents the devil. The money represents temptations/nice things/indulgence in life.
Once you give the devil a small foothold in your life (which comes from the nail part of the story), he will take control of your entire life and it will be extremely hard to wrench it away from him. Don't let the devil lure you away with tempting gifts, pray to overcome this.
"I will sell you the house at $1000 on one condition. I will hang a nail above the door. The whole house is yours but the area where the nail is, is mine and you cannot touch or disturb the nail."
The poor man agreed to it and thus the house was exchanged between them. After a few years, the poor man wanted to sell the house. The house owner told him that the part where the nail is, belongs to him and woul buy the house at $1000, at the price the poor man bought the house earlier with. The poor man refused and the house owner got very upset. After several quarrels and they were getting nowhere, the house owner took a carcass of a dog and hung it on the nail, which was above the door. The carcass stank of rotting flesh, fleas and it wasnt a very nice smell. The poor man couldnt find a buyer due to the stench given by this carcass and in the end had no choice but to sell the house back to the house owner at $1000.
The point which I am trying to say is: The house represents your life, your body, and the poor man is you. The house owner represents the devil. The money represents temptations/nice things/indulgence in life.
Once you give the devil a small foothold in your life (which comes from the nail part of the story), he will take control of your entire life and it will be extremely hard to wrench it away from him. Don't let the devil lure you away with tempting gifts, pray to overcome this.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Dancing with God
When I meditated on the word GUIDANCE,
I was drawn to"dance" at the end of the word.
I reflected upon how doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes this and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE.
When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i."
"God, "u" and "i" dance." !
God, you, and I dance.
This statement is what guidance means to me.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you and your family
on this day and everyday.
May you abide in Him as He abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting Him to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
I Hope You Dance !!!!!!!!!!!!
I was drawn to"dance" at the end of the word.
I reflected upon how doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes this and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word GUIDANCE.
When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i."
"God, "u" and "i" dance." !
God, you, and I dance.
This statement is what guidance means to me.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you and your family
on this day and everyday.
May you abide in Him as He abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting Him to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
I Hope You Dance !!!!!!!!!!!!
Life is Precious - "Give God Thanks For It"
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Thoughts?
These are the words of King Solomon, one of the wisest kings in the world...
Ecclesiastes 2
Pleasures Are Meaningless
1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I've been thinking on the issue of enjoyment lately. Perhaps cos i'm not working now so i'm free to think about such stuff again. It's hard for me to reconcile christianity and pleasure. Don't get me wrong, i don't believe that God doesn't approve of us enjoying ourselves, or doing things we like so long as it's not immorally incorrect. I believe God created many things on earth for us to enjoy. I still take time to relax and do things i enjoy once in a while. Who doesnt want to have fun? I'm not exception... If i had the money and time, i'd love to do so many things... But my conscience pricks me at times, am i focusing on enjoyment and pleasures so much that i neglect what's truly important in life? Why should I spend money on making myself happy when there are so many other poor people in the world who worry about what to eat next? Or as in saw in china, how the kids use mud slopes as slides to entertain themselves. And here i am thinking of spending money on expensive entertainment... I could use the time and money to invest in more lasting and meaningful things. It just troubles and disturbs me. Some people may think i'm too extreme, or legalistic perhaps. I guess it's one of those grey areas, and not for me to judge others, but to let the holy spirit teach me, how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, but not to crave after pleasure.I'd like to think how you guys view this? I'm open to discussion and comments :)
Ecclesiastes 2
Pleasures Are Meaningless
1 I thought in my heart, "Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good." But that also proved to be meaningless. 2 "Laughter," I said, "is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?" 3 I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly—my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired men and women singers, and a harem as well—the delights of the heart of man. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.10 I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor.11 Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I've been thinking on the issue of enjoyment lately. Perhaps cos i'm not working now so i'm free to think about such stuff again. It's hard for me to reconcile christianity and pleasure. Don't get me wrong, i don't believe that God doesn't approve of us enjoying ourselves, or doing things we like so long as it's not immorally incorrect. I believe God created many things on earth for us to enjoy. I still take time to relax and do things i enjoy once in a while. Who doesnt want to have fun? I'm not exception... If i had the money and time, i'd love to do so many things... But my conscience pricks me at times, am i focusing on enjoyment and pleasures so much that i neglect what's truly important in life? Why should I spend money on making myself happy when there are so many other poor people in the world who worry about what to eat next? Or as in saw in china, how the kids use mud slopes as slides to entertain themselves. And here i am thinking of spending money on expensive entertainment... I could use the time and money to invest in more lasting and meaningful things. It just troubles and disturbs me. Some people may think i'm too extreme, or legalistic perhaps. I guess it's one of those grey areas, and not for me to judge others, but to let the holy spirit teach me, how to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, but not to crave after pleasure.I'd like to think how you guys view this? I'm open to discussion and comments :)
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
Call to Prayer
Dear solidrockers, past and present :)
As we're approaching a new academic year (for those who are still studying in notts...), i'm sure there'll be mixed feelings of apprehension and excitement. Well, i'm speaking for myself at least... But let's not forget to set aside time to wait upon the Lord and ask Him what He wants us to do in the new academic year...
For those who are furthering your studies elsewhere, i pray you'll settle down into your new environment and find a new community of believers there :) For the fresh grads, CONGRATS! heh. If youve already found yourself a job PRAISE GOD! God has placed you where you are for a PURPOSE. After experiencing a taste of work life, i've realized it's not a bed of roses, and often it's easy to fall away if there isn't a strong support of believers in your workplace or if you're not in a cell group. I've realized spending time with God consistently is very important if i wanna be a light in the marketplace! For those who have yet to find a job... dont kan chiong too much hor, it takes a lot of patience and trust, but trust that God knows the plans He has for you. I pray He'll continue to guide you and open doors for you.
For those who don't know, Lena, Andrew, Jason and myself will be serving in the SR committee in the coming year. We're in the midst of the praying and planning, honestly, things are still very hazy. But there have been many things God has put in our hearts. I'm urging all of you to keep us in prayer as we plan... that we would seek God FIRST, and that we'll hear from Him clearly what He wants us to do. Pray for UNITY within SR... amongst the committee and of course amongst all of us. We'd really love to everyone having a part to play in SR, and if there's anything God has placed in your heart for SR, or if there's anything you'd like to see in SR in the coming year, please feel free to voice them... Can email me at pphor@yahoo.com.sg or solidrock.notts@gmail.com Thanks!
"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Psalm 127:1
As we're approaching a new academic year (for those who are still studying in notts...), i'm sure there'll be mixed feelings of apprehension and excitement. Well, i'm speaking for myself at least... But let's not forget to set aside time to wait upon the Lord and ask Him what He wants us to do in the new academic year...
For those who are furthering your studies elsewhere, i pray you'll settle down into your new environment and find a new community of believers there :) For the fresh grads, CONGRATS! heh. If youve already found yourself a job PRAISE GOD! God has placed you where you are for a PURPOSE. After experiencing a taste of work life, i've realized it's not a bed of roses, and often it's easy to fall away if there isn't a strong support of believers in your workplace or if you're not in a cell group. I've realized spending time with God consistently is very important if i wanna be a light in the marketplace! For those who have yet to find a job... dont kan chiong too much hor, it takes a lot of patience and trust, but trust that God knows the plans He has for you. I pray He'll continue to guide you and open doors for you.
For those who don't know, Lena, Andrew, Jason and myself will be serving in the SR committee in the coming year. We're in the midst of the praying and planning, honestly, things are still very hazy. But there have been many things God has put in our hearts. I'm urging all of you to keep us in prayer as we plan... that we would seek God FIRST, and that we'll hear from Him clearly what He wants us to do. Pray for UNITY within SR... amongst the committee and of course amongst all of us. We'd really love to everyone having a part to play in SR, and if there's anything God has placed in your heart for SR, or if there's anything you'd like to see in SR in the coming year, please feel free to voice them... Can email me at pphor@yahoo.com.sg or solidrock.notts@gmail.com Thanks!
"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain." Psalm 127:1
Friday, August 18, 2006
ThePastor and his son
Every Sunday afternoon, after the morning service at the church, the
Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand
out Gospel Tracts.
This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his
son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as
well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest
clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."
His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"
"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."
Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people
still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"
Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."
Despondently, the boy asks, ?Dad, can I go? Please?"
His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are
the tracts, be careful son."
"Thanks Dad!"
And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old
boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing
everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.
After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet
and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for
someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then
he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to
the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but
nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered.
He waited but still no answer.
Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something
stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked
loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there
on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.
Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly
asked, "What can I do for you, son?"
With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy
said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you
that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last
Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."
With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called
to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"
Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the
pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or
want to say anything?"
Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her
feet.
As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face,
"No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see,
before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time
ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a
particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I
came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to
live.
So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of
my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then
stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my
neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to
leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs
startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go
away."
I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and
more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking
loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody
ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck
and
started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and
louder.
When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for
there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I
had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to
you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long
been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice,
"Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU."
Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.
As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I
closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I
went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them
any more. You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the
address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come
here to
personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick
of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."
There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor
to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad
descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was
seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this
universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor
for his son... Except for One. This Father also allowed His Son to go
out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy
unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King,
the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality
and power and every name that is named.
Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't let this message
die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people!
Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone
close to you. Do not be too shy to share that wonderful message.
Pastor and his eleven year old son would go out into their town and hand
out Gospel Tracts.
This particular Sunday afternoon, as it came time for the Pastor and his
son to go to the streets with their tracts, it was very cold outside, as
well as pouring down rain. The boy bundled up in his warmest and driest
clothes and said, "OK, dad, I'm ready."
His Pastor dad asked, "Ready for what?"
"Dad, it's time we gather our tracts together and go out."
Dad responds, "Son, it's very cold outside and it's pouring down rain."
The boy gives his dad a surprised look, asking, "But Dad, aren't people
still going to Hell, even though it's raining?"
Dad answers, "Son, I am not going out in this weather."
Despondently, the boy asks, ?Dad, can I go? Please?"
His father hesitated for a moment then said, "Son, you can go. Here are
the tracts, be careful son."
"Thanks Dad!"
And with that, he was off and out into the rain. This eleven year old
boy walked the streets of the town going door to door and handing
everybody he met in the street a Gospel Tract.
After two hours of walking in the rain, he was soaking, bone-chilled wet
and down to his VERY LAST TRACT. He stopped on a corner and looked for
someone to hand a tract to, but the streets were totally deserted. Then
he turned toward the first home he saw and started up the sidewalk to
the front door and rang the door bell. He rang the bell, but
nobody answered. He rang it again and again, but still no one answered.
He waited but still no answer.
Finally, this eleven year old trooper turned to leave, but something
stopped him. Again, he turned to the door and rang the bell and knocked
loudly on the door with his fist. He waited, something holding him there
on the front porch. He rang again and this time the door slowly opened.
Standing in the doorway was a very sad-looking elderly lady. She softly
asked, "What can I do for you, son?"
With radiant eyes and a smile that lit up her world, this little boy
said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry if I disturbed you, but I just want to tell you
that *JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU* and I came to give you my very last
Gospel Tract which will tell you all about JESUS and His great LOVE."
With that, he handed her his last tract and turned to leave. She called
to him as he departed. "Thank you, son! And God Bless You!"
Well, the following Sunday morning in church Pastor Dad was in the
pulpit. As the service began, he asked, "Does anybody have testimony or
want to say anything?"
Slowly, in the back row of the church, an elderly lady stood to her
feet.
As she began to speak, a look of glorious radiance came from her face,
"No one in this church knows me. I've never been here before. You see,
before last Sunday I was not a Christian. My husband passed on some time
ago, leaving me totally alone in this world. Last Sunday, being a
particularly cold and rainy day, it was even more so in my heart that I
came to the end of the line where I no longer had any hope or will to
live.
So I took a rope and a chair and ascended the stairway into the attic of
my home. I fastened the rope securely to a rafter in the roof, then
stood on the chair and fastened the other end of the rope around my
neck. Standing on that chair, so lonely and brokenhearted I was about to
leap off, when suddenly the loud ringing of my doorbell downstairs
startled me. I thought, "I'll wait a minute, and whoever it is will go
away."
I waited and waited, but the ringing doorbell seemed to get louder and
more insistent, and then the person ringing also started knocking
loudly. I thought to myself again, "Who on earth could this be? Nobody
ever rings my bell or comes to see me." I loosened the rope from my neck
and
started for the front door, all the while the bell rang louder and
louder.
When I opened the door and looked I could hardly believe my eyes, for
there on my front porch was the most radiant and angelic little boy I
had ever seen in my life. His SMILE, oh, I could never describe it to
you! The words that came from his mouth caused my heart that had long
been dead, TO LEAP TO LIFE as he exclaimed with a cherub-like voice,
"Ma'am, I just came to tell you that JESUS REALLY DOES LOVE YOU."
Then he gave me this Gospel Tract that I now hold in my hand.
As the little angel disappeared back out into the cold and rain, I
closed my door and read slowly every word of this Gospel Tract. Then I
went up to my attic to get my rope and chair. I wouldn't be needing them
any more. You see---I am now a Happy Child of the KING. Since the
address of your church was on the back of this Gospel Tract, I have come
here to
personally say THANK YOU to God's little angel who came just in the nick
of time and by so doing, spared my soul from an eternity in hell."
There was not a dry eye in the church. And as shouts of praise and honor
to THE KING resounded off the very rafters of the building, Pastor Dad
descended from the pulpit to the front pew where the little angel was
seated. He took his son in his arms and sobbed uncontrollably.
Probably no church has had a more glorious moment, and probably this
universe has never seen a Papa that was more filled with love & honor
for his son... Except for One. This Father also allowed His Son to go
out into a cold and dark world. He received His Son back with joy
unspeakable, and as all of heaven shouted praises and honor to The King,
the Father sat His beloved Son on a throne far above all principality
and power and every name that is named.
Blessed are your eyes for reading this message. Don't let this message
die, read it again and pass it to others. Heaven is for His people!
Remember, God's message CAN make the difference in the life of someone
close to you. Do not be too shy to share that wonderful message.
Thursday, August 17, 2006
Needing God in our lives TODAY
I need you, Lord, I really do
Every day I need you Lord
But this day especially,
I need some extra strength
To face what ever is to be.
This day more than any day
I need to feel you near,
To fortify my courage
And to overcome my fear.
By myself, I cannot meet
The challenge of the hour,
There are times when humans help,
But we need a higher power
To assist us bear what must be borne,
and so dear Lord, I pray -
Hold on to my trembling hand
And be near me today.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Thank You for Giving to the Lord
Navigation: R \ Ray Boltz \ Thank You
I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running
And he was smiling as he came.
And he said, "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
Then another man stood before you
And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.
And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you.
Great is your reward."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
I dreamed I went to heaven
And you were there with me;
We walked upon the streets of gold
Beside the crystal sea.
We heard the angels singing
Then someone called your name.
We turned and saw a young man running
And he was smiling as he came.
And he said, "Friend you may not know me now."
And then he said, "But wait,
You used to teach my Sunday School
When I was only eight.
And every week you would say a prayer
Before the class would start.
And one day when you said that prayer,
I asked Jesus in my heart."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
Then another man stood before you
And said, "Remember the time
A missionary came to your church
And his pictures made you cry.
You didn't have much money,
But you gave it anyway.
Jesus took the gift you gave
And that's why I'm here today."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
One by one they came
Far as the eye could see.
Each life somehow touched
By your generosity.
Little things that you had done,
Sacrifices made,
Unnoticed on the earth
In heaven, now proclaimed.
And I know up in heaven
You're not supposed to cry
But I am almost sure
There were tears in your eyes.
As Jesus took your hand
And you stood before the Lord.
He said, "My child, look around you.
Great is your reward."
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am a life that was changed.
Thank you for giving to the Lord.
I am so glad you gave.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Testimony
Dear all,
this is an amazing testimony of how God miraculously changed this girl's life. She recently came to Singapore to speak. Can download some of her sermons at http://www.coos.org.sg/
May it encourage you... He can change your life too, if you allow Him to...
Until I was 15 years old, I was convinced I was evil incarnate and nicknamed myself, "Lucifer." I hated Jesus and Christianity because I thought God condemned and rejected me. Instead, out of desperation for acceptance and attention, I turned to a life of homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, gang-banging, devil-worshipping, Buddhism, and violence. My Chinese parents, being disappointed about having a miscarriage of a boy, prayed to buddha for another boy. A year later came me, a girl named Allis. But in a way their prayers were answered. My first words were, "I'm a boy." As far as I can remember, I lived in fear, loneliness, hurt and torment from the rejection of believing I was a boy. By fifth grade, everyone knew me as the "freak" and I became a loner. I could never relate to the innocence the other kids had. Dark and sinister thoughts constantly ran through my head. I felt like I was going insane. By seventh grade, I met some devil worshippers who were also loners like me. I started hanging out with them. I felt like they understood me. Pretty soon, I started putting curses on the Christians on campus. I would purposely go out of my to persecute them and make them cry. I was so angry at God for playing such a "cruel joke" as making me what I believed to be, "a guy trapped in a girl's body." The Christians were so bothered they prayed for me. Most gave up by the ninth grade when I started an Asian gang at my school. But one girl named Janice remained hopeful and faithful in prayer. Ever since I was young, I found myself attracted to women. I believe it's mainly due to the lack of a relationship with my mother as well as the curse that was put on me in the womb. In sixth grade, I met this girl that I became obsessed with for the next four years. In the ninth grade, we started a sexual relationship that lasted for nine stormy months. She became my god, my mother, my world, my everything. Then my life came crumbling down in October, 1992. She broke up with me because her mom found out about us. So we ended it and I was OK. Then I found out she lied in order to get out of our relationship to be with a guy. I felt so worthless. I lost my reason for living. I became suicidal and tried to slit my wrists in front of her at school. During that week, I kept on trying to kill myself but something always stopped me. My gang didn't understand or let alone care. But Janice talked to me and told me that I need Jesus. In desperation, I asked Jesus to come into my life. I didn't feel much better so I went back to my room with the knife in my hand ready to kill myself. Then I thought, "Jesus, I'll give You one last chance." So I cried out, "Jesus, if You're real, show me and I'll give you my life." After I said it, I just wept and dropped the knife. I felt as if He was holding me. The three months following that moment were incredibly difficult and confusing. I felt pressured to become more feminine so I could fit in. I got a boyfriend and tried to be like the other Christian girls at my high school. But inside, I felt so lost, "Does God not love me just as I am?" Just like everyone else, He wanted me to be "normal." But God proved to me He is unlike any other. One night in January 1993, I was in my room listening to a Christian song, "Give Me A New Heart." Suddenly, I saw a bright light in the shape of a person appear out of nowhere. I was paralyzed in fear... I knew it was God. I started having flashbacks of all the bad things I did in my life. I was positive He came to personally reject me and escort me to hell where I belonged. He moved towards me slowly. I started weeping. Then He came close and opened His arms. I thought, "This is it, He's grabbing me to take me to hell." But instead of punishing me like I deserved, He embraced me. He whispered in my ear, "I love you, I love you, I love you." I felt love and acceptance overwhelm me. It was the first time I cried tears of joy. He then reached into my chest and told me, "I am giving you My heart, for yours is tired, wounded, hard, and empty." I went into a deep sleep in total peace. When I awoke an hour later, the whole world looked so bright! For the first time in my life, I felt peace and joy! His love and mercy transformed me. I quickly called my gang and told them I wanted out. They threatened me but I wasn't scared. I knew if they killed me, I'd go straight to heaven. I knew now that Jesus is real and I had proof. For the next two years, I struggled to break free from my past with women and gang life in Los Angeles. I kept praying for a way out. Then, students from Cal came to my high school to recruit. I thought this could be it, but my SAT score and GPA were barely eligible for consideration. I applied anyway and prayed. I first got rejection letters from UCLA and UCSD. This basically meant rejection from UC Berkeley. But God surprised me again. At the end of April 1996, I received a big package from Cal. He wanted me there. My first hours at college seemed promising. I met other Christians on my floor and we hung out together. Then, at night, some people from my floor asked me to go to a frat party. I went. It was a tragic mistake. I got drunk and went right back into my old ways. I met a girl and we ended up getting into another relationship. I still held resentment towards God for not making me a man. I didn't believe I could change cause I saw no other alternative. I gave up on Him and myself. But He never gave up on me. After a year of the relationship, we got engaged. I was so proud about achieving my dream without God. I strived so hard to prove God wrong about making me a woman. I told God that if I'm wrong, He would have to prove it and show me another way. He heard. On October 1st, 1997, the fifth night following our engagement, she didn't come home. It was the worst night of my life. She left me for a guy. All I knew in life came to a screeching halt. It was time for God to take over. After that night, I couldn't eat or sleep for two days straight. I just wept. I didn't know what to do. This was my dead end. Then I saw God standing in my room. Once again, He held His arms open. But this time, He gave me the choice of whether I wanted to enter them. He made it clear to me that I would have to let go of all that I knew, all my ways, and everything worth anything to me including homosexuality. After three days of wrestling with fear and mistrust, I finally said OK and turned to Him. Soon after, God surrounded me with new friends that really supported and loved me. I continually wanted to go back to my old life but I knew my ways only led to misery in the end. So I trusted Him. A year later, a friend from San Diego invited me down to her church. Her pastor prayed for me and God showed me how my mom prayed for a boy. I shared about the vision with the pastor and he prayed for that curse to be broken. When He finished, I felt different. When I finally opened my eyes, everything looked so bright and new... as if I just came out of the womb! I then went into the bathroom to wash my face. I walked by the mirror and thought to myself, "Who's that other girl in here?" When I looked again, it was me. For the first time in my life, I realized that I was a woman! I was shocked! My face and demeanor changed dramatically. It was a miracle! As the pastor prayed for me the next morning, God told him that I was to be renamed Sarah. At first, I was skeptical. I asked God for a sign. Two weeks later, a woman who only knew me as Allis came up to me and said, "I don't know why, but every time I look at you, I hear the name 'Sarah.'" That was about four years ago and life hasn't been without difficulty or struggles. But it's been undoubtedly the best years of my life. I am now totally comfortable and happy that God has made me a woman. I love what He's done with my life! Come to meet me this week and you'll see for yourself how He's transformed me. I know my life is a miracle and there's only one reason I'm alive right now, because there is a real God who loves me and He proves it again and again. His name is Jesus Christ and He is good.
- Sarah Allis Yang
this is an amazing testimony of how God miraculously changed this girl's life. She recently came to Singapore to speak. Can download some of her sermons at http://www.coos.org.sg/
May it encourage you... He can change your life too, if you allow Him to...
Until I was 15 years old, I was convinced I was evil incarnate and nicknamed myself, "Lucifer." I hated Jesus and Christianity because I thought God condemned and rejected me. Instead, out of desperation for acceptance and attention, I turned to a life of homosexuality, drugs, alcohol, gang-banging, devil-worshipping, Buddhism, and violence. My Chinese parents, being disappointed about having a miscarriage of a boy, prayed to buddha for another boy. A year later came me, a girl named Allis. But in a way their prayers were answered. My first words were, "I'm a boy." As far as I can remember, I lived in fear, loneliness, hurt and torment from the rejection of believing I was a boy. By fifth grade, everyone knew me as the "freak" and I became a loner. I could never relate to the innocence the other kids had. Dark and sinister thoughts constantly ran through my head. I felt like I was going insane. By seventh grade, I met some devil worshippers who were also loners like me. I started hanging out with them. I felt like they understood me. Pretty soon, I started putting curses on the Christians on campus. I would purposely go out of my to persecute them and make them cry. I was so angry at God for playing such a "cruel joke" as making me what I believed to be, "a guy trapped in a girl's body." The Christians were so bothered they prayed for me. Most gave up by the ninth grade when I started an Asian gang at my school. But one girl named Janice remained hopeful and faithful in prayer. Ever since I was young, I found myself attracted to women. I believe it's mainly due to the lack of a relationship with my mother as well as the curse that was put on me in the womb. In sixth grade, I met this girl that I became obsessed with for the next four years. In the ninth grade, we started a sexual relationship that lasted for nine stormy months. She became my god, my mother, my world, my everything. Then my life came crumbling down in October, 1992. She broke up with me because her mom found out about us. So we ended it and I was OK. Then I found out she lied in order to get out of our relationship to be with a guy. I felt so worthless. I lost my reason for living. I became suicidal and tried to slit my wrists in front of her at school. During that week, I kept on trying to kill myself but something always stopped me. My gang didn't understand or let alone care. But Janice talked to me and told me that I need Jesus. In desperation, I asked Jesus to come into my life. I didn't feel much better so I went back to my room with the knife in my hand ready to kill myself. Then I thought, "Jesus, I'll give You one last chance." So I cried out, "Jesus, if You're real, show me and I'll give you my life." After I said it, I just wept and dropped the knife. I felt as if He was holding me. The three months following that moment were incredibly difficult and confusing. I felt pressured to become more feminine so I could fit in. I got a boyfriend and tried to be like the other Christian girls at my high school. But inside, I felt so lost, "Does God not love me just as I am?" Just like everyone else, He wanted me to be "normal." But God proved to me He is unlike any other. One night in January 1993, I was in my room listening to a Christian song, "Give Me A New Heart." Suddenly, I saw a bright light in the shape of a person appear out of nowhere. I was paralyzed in fear... I knew it was God. I started having flashbacks of all the bad things I did in my life. I was positive He came to personally reject me and escort me to hell where I belonged. He moved towards me slowly. I started weeping. Then He came close and opened His arms. I thought, "This is it, He's grabbing me to take me to hell." But instead of punishing me like I deserved, He embraced me. He whispered in my ear, "I love you, I love you, I love you." I felt love and acceptance overwhelm me. It was the first time I cried tears of joy. He then reached into my chest and told me, "I am giving you My heart, for yours is tired, wounded, hard, and empty." I went into a deep sleep in total peace. When I awoke an hour later, the whole world looked so bright! For the first time in my life, I felt peace and joy! His love and mercy transformed me. I quickly called my gang and told them I wanted out. They threatened me but I wasn't scared. I knew if they killed me, I'd go straight to heaven. I knew now that Jesus is real and I had proof. For the next two years, I struggled to break free from my past with women and gang life in Los Angeles. I kept praying for a way out. Then, students from Cal came to my high school to recruit. I thought this could be it, but my SAT score and GPA were barely eligible for consideration. I applied anyway and prayed. I first got rejection letters from UCLA and UCSD. This basically meant rejection from UC Berkeley. But God surprised me again. At the end of April 1996, I received a big package from Cal. He wanted me there. My first hours at college seemed promising. I met other Christians on my floor and we hung out together. Then, at night, some people from my floor asked me to go to a frat party. I went. It was a tragic mistake. I got drunk and went right back into my old ways. I met a girl and we ended up getting into another relationship. I still held resentment towards God for not making me a man. I didn't believe I could change cause I saw no other alternative. I gave up on Him and myself. But He never gave up on me. After a year of the relationship, we got engaged. I was so proud about achieving my dream without God. I strived so hard to prove God wrong about making me a woman. I told God that if I'm wrong, He would have to prove it and show me another way. He heard. On October 1st, 1997, the fifth night following our engagement, she didn't come home. It was the worst night of my life. She left me for a guy. All I knew in life came to a screeching halt. It was time for God to take over. After that night, I couldn't eat or sleep for two days straight. I just wept. I didn't know what to do. This was my dead end. Then I saw God standing in my room. Once again, He held His arms open. But this time, He gave me the choice of whether I wanted to enter them. He made it clear to me that I would have to let go of all that I knew, all my ways, and everything worth anything to me including homosexuality. After three days of wrestling with fear and mistrust, I finally said OK and turned to Him. Soon after, God surrounded me with new friends that really supported and loved me. I continually wanted to go back to my old life but I knew my ways only led to misery in the end. So I trusted Him. A year later, a friend from San Diego invited me down to her church. Her pastor prayed for me and God showed me how my mom prayed for a boy. I shared about the vision with the pastor and he prayed for that curse to be broken. When He finished, I felt different. When I finally opened my eyes, everything looked so bright and new... as if I just came out of the womb! I then went into the bathroom to wash my face. I walked by the mirror and thought to myself, "Who's that other girl in here?" When I looked again, it was me. For the first time in my life, I realized that I was a woman! I was shocked! My face and demeanor changed dramatically. It was a miracle! As the pastor prayed for me the next morning, God told him that I was to be renamed Sarah. At first, I was skeptical. I asked God for a sign. Two weeks later, a woman who only knew me as Allis came up to me and said, "I don't know why, but every time I look at you, I hear the name 'Sarah.'" That was about four years ago and life hasn't been without difficulty or struggles. But it's been undoubtedly the best years of my life. I am now totally comfortable and happy that God has made me a woman. I love what He's done with my life! Come to meet me this week and you'll see for yourself how He's transformed me. I know my life is a miracle and there's only one reason I'm alive right now, because there is a real God who loves me and He proves it again and again. His name is Jesus Christ and He is good.
- Sarah Allis Yang
Monday, July 31, 2006
heart of worship
As I type this, I am enjoying a song from a CD - Songs from around the world (Track 1). A thought came to mind. Many times we question too much about our Lord Jesus but what we neglect that's more important, that is to worship our Saviour for who he is and not what he can do for us. I hope you can take a few moments to quieten your hearts to join me and enjoy this time of worship for our Lord Jesus Christ. Lets sing with a thankful and joyous heart for he has chosen us to be his children and given us the best gift of eternal life.
My Jesus, My Savior
Lord there is none like you
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My Comfort, My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship you
Shout to the Lord, all the earth
Let us sing. Power and majesty, praise to the king.
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of your name
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in
Nothing Compares to the promise I have In
YOU!
=====
When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the things I've made it
When it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
King of endless worth, no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is Yours
Every single breath
Continue to trust!
My Jesus, My Savior
Lord there is none like you
All of my days, I want to praise
The wonders of your mighty love
My Comfort, My Shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath, all that I am
Never cease to worship you
Shout to the Lord, all the earth
Let us sing. Power and majesty, praise to the king.
Mountains bow down and the seas will roar
At the sound of your name
I sing for joy at the work of your hands
Forever I'll love you, forever I'll stand
Nothing compares to the promise I have in
Nothing Compares to the promise I have In
YOU!
=====
When the music fades and all is stripped away
And I simply come
Longing just to bring something that's of worth
That will bless Your heart
I'll bring You more than a song
For a song in itself
Is not what You have required
You search much deeper within
Through the way things appear
You're looking into my heart
I'm coming back to the heart of worship
And it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
I'm sorry, Lord, for the things I've made it
When it's all about You
All about You, Jesus
King of endless worth, no one could express
How much You deserve
Though I'm weak and poor, all I have is Yours
Every single breath
Continue to trust!
Saturday, July 29, 2006
An Answer to a Tough Question
Isn't it a sign of deficient faith when a sick Christian isn't healed or a Christian isn't delivered from danger?
It would be a serious mistake to imply that deficient faith accounts for all instances in which a person does not receive healing or deliverance.
It's true that Scripture tells of people who were healed or delivered from danger because of their faith. Some examples are Gideon ( Judges 7:15-23 ); Naaman the Syrian ( 2 Kings 5:14-15 ); Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego ( Daniel 3:19-29 ); the centurion's servant ( Matthew 8:13 ); the woman with an issue of blood ( Matthew 9:20-22 ); the man with a withered hand ( Matthew 12:9-13 ); and Peter's deliverance from prison ( Acts 12:5-12 ). Even this partial list is impressive.
Clearly, faith in God may result in healing and deliverance. However, the Scriptures also show us just as clearly that there are times when a believer's suffering or sickness has nothing to do with a lack of faith.
When Job lost his family, wealth, and physical health, his friends "comforted" him with the message that his loss and suffering were due to his own moral failure (his lack of faith). But Job was confident in his integrity before God. God Himself had declared him perfect and upright ( Job 1:8 ). Later, God Himself denied the explanation that Job's "counselors" gave for his suffering ( Job 13:1-15 ). Even more importantly, God Himself denounced their words ( Job 42:7-8 ).
Job's faith wasn't the problem. In fact, Job's faith in God was so strong that he, without cursing or disrespect, defended his integrity to God and questioned Him about the injustice of his suffering. Yet, in the midst of his agony, he continued to trust:
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him (Job 13:15-16).
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27).
Job's faith was eventually rewarded and vindicated. But he wasn't spared the terrible suffering that allowed his faith to be tested and proven.
Even at a time when miracles often occurred, God allowed Stephen to be stoned ( Acts 7:59-60 ) and James to be beheaded. Although Acts 12 tells of Peter's supernatural deliverance from captivity in prison, Jesus had already prophesied that he would eventually die a martyr's death ( John 21:17-19 ), as (according to tradition) did all of the other disciples except John.
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 Paul eloquently described the suffering and trials from which he hadn't been delivered. He also suffered from a particular "thorn in the flesh" ( 2 Corinthians 12:7, 10 ) for which God had not provided a remedy. When Timothy suffered from a stomach ailment, Paul didn't exhort him to have greater faith. Instead he told him to take some wine as medicine ( 1 Timothy 5:23 ). There isn't the slightest hint in these passages that Paul's trials and Timothy's sickness were the product of unconfessed sin or deficient faith. In fact, rather than proclaiming that our faith in Christ should deliver us from the suffering and trials of this world, Paul extols the spiritual benefits of suffering.
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance [produces] character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us (Romans 5:3-5).
James also made it clear that strong faith is no insurance against suffering:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).
On the basis of Scripture, we can say that faith is always relevant to suffering. Our reaction to suffering -- whether in faith or in despair -- determines whether it will produce spiritual growth or despair. But because spiritual healing is more important to us than our physical circumstances, faith is not a barrier against suffering.
Whenever we are inclined to presume that the illness or suffering of another person is the result of that person's sin, we should recall the foolishness of Job's "counselors" in attempting to explain the mystery of God's will. Although faith won't always deliver us from tribulation, it will keep us conscious of God's promises and of the assurance that He will work everything out to good of His children ( Romans 8:28 ).
It would be a serious mistake to imply that deficient faith accounts for all instances in which a person does not receive healing or deliverance.
It's true that Scripture tells of people who were healed or delivered from danger because of their faith. Some examples are Gideon ( Judges 7:15-23 ); Naaman the Syrian ( 2 Kings 5:14-15 ); Shadrach, Meschach, and Abednego ( Daniel 3:19-29 ); the centurion's servant ( Matthew 8:13 ); the woman with an issue of blood ( Matthew 9:20-22 ); the man with a withered hand ( Matthew 12:9-13 ); and Peter's deliverance from prison ( Acts 12:5-12 ). Even this partial list is impressive.
Clearly, faith in God may result in healing and deliverance. However, the Scriptures also show us just as clearly that there are times when a believer's suffering or sickness has nothing to do with a lack of faith.
When Job lost his family, wealth, and physical health, his friends "comforted" him with the message that his loss and suffering were due to his own moral failure (his lack of faith). But Job was confident in his integrity before God. God Himself had declared him perfect and upright ( Job 1:8 ). Later, God Himself denied the explanation that Job's "counselors" gave for his suffering ( Job 13:1-15 ). Even more importantly, God Himself denounced their words ( Job 42:7-8 ).
Job's faith wasn't the problem. In fact, Job's faith in God was so strong that he, without cursing or disrespect, defended his integrity to God and questioned Him about the injustice of his suffering. Yet, in the midst of his agony, he continued to trust:
Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him. Even so, I will defend my own ways before Him. He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite could not come before Him (Job 13:15-16).
For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth; and after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25-27).
Job's faith was eventually rewarded and vindicated. But he wasn't spared the terrible suffering that allowed his faith to be tested and proven.
Even at a time when miracles often occurred, God allowed Stephen to be stoned ( Acts 7:59-60 ) and James to be beheaded. Although Acts 12 tells of Peter's supernatural deliverance from captivity in prison, Jesus had already prophesied that he would eventually die a martyr's death ( John 21:17-19 ), as (according to tradition) did all of the other disciples except John.
In 2 Corinthians 11:23-30 Paul eloquently described the suffering and trials from which he hadn't been delivered. He also suffered from a particular "thorn in the flesh" ( 2 Corinthians 12:7, 10 ) for which God had not provided a remedy. When Timothy suffered from a stomach ailment, Paul didn't exhort him to have greater faith. Instead he told him to take some wine as medicine ( 1 Timothy 5:23 ). There isn't the slightest hint in these passages that Paul's trials and Timothy's sickness were the product of unconfessed sin or deficient faith. In fact, rather than proclaiming that our faith in Christ should deliver us from the suffering and trials of this world, Paul extols the spiritual benefits of suffering.
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance [produces] character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us (Romans 5:3-5).
James also made it clear that strong faith is no insurance against suffering:
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1:2-4).
On the basis of Scripture, we can say that faith is always relevant to suffering. Our reaction to suffering -- whether in faith or in despair -- determines whether it will produce spiritual growth or despair. But because spiritual healing is more important to us than our physical circumstances, faith is not a barrier against suffering.
Whenever we are inclined to presume that the illness or suffering of another person is the result of that person's sin, we should recall the foolishness of Job's "counselors" in attempting to explain the mystery of God's will. Although faith won't always deliver us from tribulation, it will keep us conscious of God's promises and of the assurance that He will work everything out to good of His children ( Romans 8:28 ).
Thursday, July 20, 2006
A story to share - The Crucible
Growing up, future United States President Harry Truman never thought of himself as a leader - nor did anyone else. With "eyeglasses thick as the bottom of a Coke bottle," historian David McCullough writes that Truman couldn't try out for school sports and mostly stayed home, working the farm, reading, or playing the piano.
But the course of his life changed forever when, as a young man, he signed up for the Army to fight in World War I. He was shipped off to France as the head of an artillery battery, and for the first time in his life he was forced to lead men through moments of mortal danger. His initial test came on a rainy night in the mountains. The Germans had dropped an artillery barrage close by, and his troops panicked and broke ranks. In the frenzy, Truman's horse fell over on him, and he was nearly crushed. McCullough writes: "Out from under (the horse), seeing the others running, he just stood there, locked in place. He called them back, screaming as loudly as he could¡Kshaming his men back to do what they were supposed to do." The men regrouped, got through the night, and many of them returned home safely. Throughout the rest of their lives, those men were loyal to Harry Truman, their leader, who refused to back down in the face of his own fear.
According to McCullough, Truman discovered two vitally important things about himself that night. First, that he had plain physical courage; and second, that he was good at leading people. He learned that if the leader shows courage, it's contagious.In his conclusion on Truman's life, McCullough writes: "And war was the crucible."
A crucible is an opportunity, test, or emergency that summons the very best from a person and reveals their finest inner qualities. Once a potential leader experiences a crucible, they are transformed forever. The crucible is a challenge or crisis that proves the leadership capacity lying within a person and becomes a defining moment in their leadership journey.
Qualities of the Crucible
They Happen To Every Emerging Leader.
Leadership has to be tested and proven; and the only way this happens is through the crucible. First of all, the crucible is a necessary test for leaders to find courage. Secondly, the crucible shows the leader's followers whether or not they can place their trust in the leader. Under heavy artillery fire, it was necessary for Harry Truman to find out he had enough courage to hold his ground. While important for him, the crucible was equally important for the soldiers in his platoon, because, after that moment, they knew they could respect him as their leader.
They Reveal The Hidden Potential Inside a Person.
Crucibles are like tea in hot water. They bring out the true colors inside. Crucibles don't make the man or woman; they simply reveal the character within. What a person does in the crucible will make or break their future as a leader. The crucible will either show their hidden potential or their hidden problems. Either way, the crucible never leaves us the same.
They Bring Great Difficulties and Stress.
Crucibles are often accompanied by suffering, at least temporarily. For some leaders the crucible experience has been imprisonment, war, or sickness. For others, it was being overlooked for a promotion, losing a client, or being laid off.Maturity and experience with crucibles will not lessen the difficulty, but they will lessen the stress. When we have experience, we understand what is happening, and we can take confidence in having persevered in the past.
They Purify Motives and Shape Ambitions.
Crucibles are cleansing and purifying because they help a leader sort through priorities. Ambitions are brought to light, as the crucible helps leaders get past the trivial and the mundane. J. R. Morgan said it best, "A man always has two reasons for doing anything¡Xa good reason and the real reason." The crucible has a way of pressing out the real reason.
They Teach Lessons That Help Leaders Transcend Themselves.
Crucibles push us to go places we normally wouldn't venture. I vividly remember a conversation with my friend, Dr. John Bright Cage, a heart surgeon. In his concern for my fitness, he scolded me for not leading a healthy life. I recall arguing with him over and over that my health was fine while ignoring his warnings about being overweight. I kept arguing, denying, and justifying until the day I finally had a heart attack. Talk about a crucible experience! It had a wonderful way of awakening me to examine my lifestyle.
They Either Become an Obstacle or an Opportunity to Fulfill One's Purpose.
Crucibles make us or break us. They help us or hurt us. They're an asset or a liability. Crucibles almost always leave a memory we look back on as a defining moment. They propel us on a trajectory, either good or bad, towards our leadership destination. Many of us realize our "life purpose" through the crucible experience.Winston Churchill, the great British leader said: "There comes a special moment in everyone's life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission - a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment he finds greatness. It is his finest hour." Winston Churchill was exactly right; and that moment almost always comes through the crucible.
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When my crucible comes, i pray i'll be able to withstand the time of testing, for the waves to come and for my house to stand firm cos i've built my house on the rock. That when the flames die off, that there'll be a shining stone, tried and tested to be true.How bout you?
But the course of his life changed forever when, as a young man, he signed up for the Army to fight in World War I. He was shipped off to France as the head of an artillery battery, and for the first time in his life he was forced to lead men through moments of mortal danger. His initial test came on a rainy night in the mountains. The Germans had dropped an artillery barrage close by, and his troops panicked and broke ranks. In the frenzy, Truman's horse fell over on him, and he was nearly crushed. McCullough writes: "Out from under (the horse), seeing the others running, he just stood there, locked in place. He called them back, screaming as loudly as he could¡Kshaming his men back to do what they were supposed to do." The men regrouped, got through the night, and many of them returned home safely. Throughout the rest of their lives, those men were loyal to Harry Truman, their leader, who refused to back down in the face of his own fear.
According to McCullough, Truman discovered two vitally important things about himself that night. First, that he had plain physical courage; and second, that he was good at leading people. He learned that if the leader shows courage, it's contagious.In his conclusion on Truman's life, McCullough writes: "And war was the crucible."
A crucible is an opportunity, test, or emergency that summons the very best from a person and reveals their finest inner qualities. Once a potential leader experiences a crucible, they are transformed forever. The crucible is a challenge or crisis that proves the leadership capacity lying within a person and becomes a defining moment in their leadership journey.
Qualities of the Crucible
They Happen To Every Emerging Leader.
Leadership has to be tested and proven; and the only way this happens is through the crucible. First of all, the crucible is a necessary test for leaders to find courage. Secondly, the crucible shows the leader's followers whether or not they can place their trust in the leader. Under heavy artillery fire, it was necessary for Harry Truman to find out he had enough courage to hold his ground. While important for him, the crucible was equally important for the soldiers in his platoon, because, after that moment, they knew they could respect him as their leader.
They Reveal The Hidden Potential Inside a Person.
Crucibles are like tea in hot water. They bring out the true colors inside. Crucibles don't make the man or woman; they simply reveal the character within. What a person does in the crucible will make or break their future as a leader. The crucible will either show their hidden potential or their hidden problems. Either way, the crucible never leaves us the same.
They Bring Great Difficulties and Stress.
Crucibles are often accompanied by suffering, at least temporarily. For some leaders the crucible experience has been imprisonment, war, or sickness. For others, it was being overlooked for a promotion, losing a client, or being laid off.Maturity and experience with crucibles will not lessen the difficulty, but they will lessen the stress. When we have experience, we understand what is happening, and we can take confidence in having persevered in the past.
They Purify Motives and Shape Ambitions.
Crucibles are cleansing and purifying because they help a leader sort through priorities. Ambitions are brought to light, as the crucible helps leaders get past the trivial and the mundane. J. R. Morgan said it best, "A man always has two reasons for doing anything¡Xa good reason and the real reason." The crucible has a way of pressing out the real reason.
They Teach Lessons That Help Leaders Transcend Themselves.
Crucibles push us to go places we normally wouldn't venture. I vividly remember a conversation with my friend, Dr. John Bright Cage, a heart surgeon. In his concern for my fitness, he scolded me for not leading a healthy life. I recall arguing with him over and over that my health was fine while ignoring his warnings about being overweight. I kept arguing, denying, and justifying until the day I finally had a heart attack. Talk about a crucible experience! It had a wonderful way of awakening me to examine my lifestyle.
They Either Become an Obstacle or an Opportunity to Fulfill One's Purpose.
Crucibles make us or break us. They help us or hurt us. They're an asset or a liability. Crucibles almost always leave a memory we look back on as a defining moment. They propel us on a trajectory, either good or bad, towards our leadership destination. Many of us realize our "life purpose" through the crucible experience.Winston Churchill, the great British leader said: "There comes a special moment in everyone's life, a moment for which that person was born. That special opportunity, when he seizes it, will fulfill his mission - a mission for which he is uniquely qualified. In that moment he finds greatness. It is his finest hour." Winston Churchill was exactly right; and that moment almost always comes through the crucible.
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When my crucible comes, i pray i'll be able to withstand the time of testing, for the waves to come and for my house to stand firm cos i've built my house on the rock. That when the flames die off, that there'll be a shining stone, tried and tested to be true.How bout you?
Saturday, July 15, 2006
Dating a non-Christian...Hmmm..Is that okay?
Dear all,
“And what I say each and every time is: ‘You’re facing a choice. If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must choose Jesus and you must turn your back on that guy. In fact, if you have a desire for him to see the reality of Jesus Christ, the most loving thing that you can do is show him that you are more committed to Jesus than you are to him. If you want to show that guy that God is real, then obey the God who is real and choose Him over this relationship –with a person that doesn’t know Him, doesn’t follow Him, doesn’t obey Him. Those are hard words, but those are the words of Jesus."
Some of you who saw the title must be wondering.. hmmm.. is Sinli contemplating a relationship with a non-Christian? well, fortunately the answer is 'no' (for today and hopefully forever). This post was taken from Joshua Harris' sermon on 'What it costs to follow Christ' ...this article caught my eye because one of my close friends has recently started a relationship with a non-believer and it really grieves my heart to know that there is a possibility that she will fall away from God because of this new relationship. Technically, a relationship with a non-believer is not the starting point for backsliding.. backsliding starts when we begin to feel that having God does not make us 'complete'...and we need something/someone to make us feel complete/valued. Therefore, we seek for someone to fulfill our needs.
If we cannot learn to be contented in Christ when we're single, we will never be contented even when we're attached because our hopes will be in our spouse/bf/gf to fulfill our needs. One thing which we really need to remember is that if we rely on humans to fulfill all our needs, we'll be disappointed because humans can fail us but if we put our trust in the Lord and learn to be content in God, we will not be disappointed because He is faithful.
“Is my relationship with this non-Christian guy OK?” --Joshua Harris' answer
Because of the topics that I’ve taught on in the past and the books that I’ve written, there have been so many occasions when I have encountered young men and women who are in a relationship with a person that is not a believer in Jesus Christ. And this seems to be in particular young women who will come, and they’ll talk about their desire to live for Jesus and to give their life to Him. But there’s this guy in the picture. And there is a relationship that has been formed, and there are affections, and there is a growing love for this person. But this person is going in the opposite direction from their Savior. And they’re often confused, and they’re often distraught and they often don’t know what to do. And when you quote the passage about not being ‘unequally yoked’--this kind of picture from agriculture and cows and stuff, just really isn’t doing anything for them. ‘Yoke. Cows. What? He’s so cute--what does that have to do with a cow, you know?’ And they’ll often have a desire to try to care for this guy. They don’t want to hurt his feelings. They think they can reach him with the gospel, and they’ll just stay in this relationship.”
“And what I say each and every time is: ‘You’re facing a choice. If you are truly a follower of Jesus Christ, then you must choose Jesus and you must turn your back on that guy. In fact, if you have a desire for him to see the reality of Jesus Christ, the most loving thing that you can do is show him that you are more committed to Jesus than you are to him. If you want to show that guy that God is real, then obey the God who is real and choose Him over this relationship –with a person that doesn’t know Him, doesn’t follow Him, doesn’t obey Him. Those are hard words, but those are the words of Jesus."
***hopefully this post can shed some light on some very practical issues in our lives. In this blog, we do not only discuss super serious stuffs like praying, daily devotional time, sacrificing for Christ...etc but we would also be open to discuss issues that Christians may face everyday..Let Christ be in every decision that we make, every step that we take and every breathe inhaled !
~feel free to disagree with me coz my view may be biased as I'm pretty much influenced by Joshua Harris' writing. I'm not against relationships but I only believe in investing in a relationship that brings glory to God.. If you're wondering why i'm writing such a weird post, it's because i've just attended a Nigerian wedding this morning .. i've not been bitten by some random love bug :P
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Everyday Evangelism...Why do we need to do it?
hullo ppl.. been ages since my last post. Found something that I'd like to share with all of you.
Judgement Day
You stand before God with sweaty palms and a racing heart. He's asking you only one question: "Do you know and have you accepted my Son?"
You reply confidently, "Yes."
Finally, He has granted you entry into heaven.
As you are about to enter the golden gates, your friend at school - whom you've known for quite some time - quickly yells something at you. You know that person isn't a Christian and a deep sorry sweeps over you as you remember how you tried to just get enough courage to speak to him/her about Christ.
But now it's too late. You look into the eyes of this friend you have known and cannot help to feel some pity for him/her. You know what is going to happen. You try to ignore the feelings of guilt and sadness. Besides, you are going to heaven, why dwell on the past? You strain your ears to hear what he/she is trying to say. Finally you understand. Your friend is asking you a simple question:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
~Author unknown
Judgement Day
You stand before God with sweaty palms and a racing heart. He's asking you only one question: "Do you know and have you accepted my Son?"
You reply confidently, "Yes."
Finally, He has granted you entry into heaven.
As you are about to enter the golden gates, your friend at school - whom you've known for quite some time - quickly yells something at you. You know that person isn't a Christian and a deep sorry sweeps over you as you remember how you tried to just get enough courage to speak to him/her about Christ.
But now it's too late. You look into the eyes of this friend you have known and cannot help to feel some pity for him/her. You know what is going to happen. You try to ignore the feelings of guilt and sadness. Besides, you are going to heaven, why dwell on the past? You strain your ears to hear what he/she is trying to say. Finally you understand. Your friend is asking you a simple question:
"Why didn't you tell me?"
~Author unknown
Thursday, June 29, 2006
Prayer
Dear all,
it's been quite quiet here. It's been some time since i posted. Just felt God wanting to tell you all He loves you to bits! :) Here's a modified prayer from Colossians 1 for you...
I ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your loves, and i ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, i pray you will learn to know God better and better.
I also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power soi that you will have the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with JOY, always THANKING the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.
For He has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with His blood and has forgiven all our sins.
it's been quite quiet here. It's been some time since i posted. Just felt God wanting to tell you all He loves you to bits! :) Here's a modified prayer from Colossians 1 for you...
I ask God to give you a complete understanding of what He wants to do in your loves, and i ask Him to make you wise with spiritual wisdom. Then the way you live will always honour and please the Lord, and you will continually do good, kind things for others. All the while, i pray you will learn to know God better and better.
I also pray that you will be strengthened with his glorious power soi that you will have the patience and endurance you need. May you be filled with JOY, always THANKING the Father, who has enabled you to share the inheritance that belongs to God's holy people, who live in the light.
For He has rescued us from the one who rules in the kingdom of darkness, and He has brought us into the Kingdom of His dear Son. God has purchased our freedom with His blood and has forgiven all our sins.
Friday, June 16, 2006
A beautiful song for our wonderful saviour
Jesus Christ, I think upon Your sacrifice
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
-- "Once Again" by Matt Redman
You became nothing, poured out to death
Many times I've wondered at Your gift of life
And I'm in that place once again
And once again I look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again I thank You
Once again I pour out my life
Now You are exalted to the highest place
King of the heavens, where one day I'll bow
But for now I marvel at Your saving grace
And I'm full of praise once again
-- "Once Again" by Matt Redman
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Soul Retreat
Dear friends,
We should all strive to be a blessing to others without expecting anything back because we have already been blessed abundantly by our Father-in-heaven. One important lesson I learn from my weekend retreat is to learn to put others before myself and make love the aim of my life without expectations. To love, not just nice people but also, to love unlovable people or people who are difficult to be with and not to give up on them because if I'd give up on them, I'd be giving up on God . We should all learn to ask God to change our attitude towards them and not to change them. I cannot change them but God is going to change them. I am only God's channel of change. There is always hope for anybody. No matter how fierce the battle is in-Crist, we will come out victorious because we are more than conquerors in Christ. Faith is the ultamate weapon and victory that overcomes fear, battle or death. As christians, we should follow Pauls attitude. Echo Pauls words: 'For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.'
Another thing I took back from the retreat is looking into the issue of prayer. As children of God, we dont talk to God only when we have issues. In fact, we should talk to our Father-in-heaven, even when there is no issue and this is a test of faith. God wants to know that when He is quiet, will you still look to him and is he still the Lord of your life when He is silent. God is just sitting at a distant looking at you and keeping quiet. He is watching you to see how you react. We should take this time of silence to find rest in the Lord and just enjoy his presence because God is still God even when he is silent. Take time to read His words becasue this is the time He is sowing his seeds in our hearts so that, when we face trials and suffering, we will be equipped and ready for the battle using His armour and words. The devil knows the bible even better than us. Remember when satan tempted Jesus in the desert. Beware of that! so we have to know the scripture on top of our heads and quickly use them during trials and tempataions so we can outdo the devil and be smarter than them quickly. There is no time to turn to your bible already, we need to know Gods words on top of our head.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehead. Deu 11:18
We should all strive to be a blessing to others without expecting anything back because we have already been blessed abundantly by our Father-in-heaven. One important lesson I learn from my weekend retreat is to learn to put others before myself and make love the aim of my life without expectations. To love, not just nice people but also, to love unlovable people or people who are difficult to be with and not to give up on them because if I'd give up on them, I'd be giving up on God . We should all learn to ask God to change our attitude towards them and not to change them. I cannot change them but God is going to change them. I am only God's channel of change. There is always hope for anybody. No matter how fierce the battle is in-Crist, we will come out victorious because we are more than conquerors in Christ. Faith is the ultamate weapon and victory that overcomes fear, battle or death. As christians, we should follow Pauls attitude. Echo Pauls words: 'For me to live is Christ, to die is gain.'
Another thing I took back from the retreat is looking into the issue of prayer. As children of God, we dont talk to God only when we have issues. In fact, we should talk to our Father-in-heaven, even when there is no issue and this is a test of faith. God wants to know that when He is quiet, will you still look to him and is he still the Lord of your life when He is silent. God is just sitting at a distant looking at you and keeping quiet. He is watching you to see how you react. We should take this time of silence to find rest in the Lord and just enjoy his presence because God is still God even when he is silent. Take time to read His words becasue this is the time He is sowing his seeds in our hearts so that, when we face trials and suffering, we will be equipped and ready for the battle using His armour and words. The devil knows the bible even better than us. Remember when satan tempted Jesus in the desert. Beware of that! so we have to know the scripture on top of our heads and quickly use them during trials and tempataions so we can outdo the devil and be smarter than them quickly. There is no time to turn to your bible already, we need to know Gods words on top of our head.
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehead. Deu 11:18
Monday, June 05, 2006
Inspired by Laksa!
In Dublin now, at my bro's place. I was inspired this morning after having a bowl of laksa..hehe..
God spoke to me clearly yesterday through a book I was reading - Searching Issues on tackling seven common objections to the Christian faith namely suffering, other religions, sex before marriage, the new age, homosexuality, science and christianity and trinity. I'm only now on my first chapter on suffering and I'm slowly taking it in bit by bit, indulging in it =P
God reminded me to once again put my trust in Him and not to worry during difficult times. Especially times when we know that human understanding and ability is limited and we have only God to turn to and trust faithfully that he has great plans for us. For God often uses suffering to bring about his good purpose. Paul tells us that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28)
I am just going to share a quick extract from the book which hit me personally.
Suffering, we see an example of this in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). He suffered from rejection by his close family, was separated from those he loved and forcibly removed to Egypt, away from his father whom he did not see again for twenty years. In Egypt, he was unjustly imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. For thriteen years he faced trials, temptations and testing until at the age of thirty he was made ruler over Egypt and was put in a position to save the lives of not only his family, but also of all God's people. Towards the end of his life he was able to speak of his suffering to his brothers, saying, 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accompolish what is now being done, the saving of many lives' (Genesis 50:20)
I personally believe that whatever suffering or confusion I have at this time or that I may not always see at this time what God is doing or just like Joseph, who whould not have been able to see it so cearly God's wonderful plan for him, I am convinced God has good plans for me. Often we cannot work out what is going on or why we are suffering in the way we are, but....remember
God says, for I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29 :11
Another short testimony fronm a little boy in the book...
Gavin Reid, the Bishop of Maidstone, interviewed a boy who shattered his back falling down the stairs at the age of one and who had consequently been in and out of hospital. When Gavin interviewed him in church the boy remarked that 'GOD IS FAIR.'
Gavin stopped him and asked, ' How old are you?'
The boy replied, 'Seventeen'
'How many years have you spent in hospital?'
The boy answered, 'Thirteen years.'
He was asked,'Do you think this is fair?'
He replied, 'God's got ALL of eternity to make it up to me.'
God has indeed all eternity to make it up to us. Thank you Jesus for pardoning my sins and comforting my heart. Because you first love me and because of you, I'm free. Amen.
God spoke to me clearly yesterday through a book I was reading - Searching Issues on tackling seven common objections to the Christian faith namely suffering, other religions, sex before marriage, the new age, homosexuality, science and christianity and trinity. I'm only now on my first chapter on suffering and I'm slowly taking it in bit by bit, indulging in it =P
God reminded me to once again put my trust in Him and not to worry during difficult times. Especially times when we know that human understanding and ability is limited and we have only God to turn to and trust faithfully that he has great plans for us. For God often uses suffering to bring about his good purpose. Paul tells us that 'in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose' (Romans 8:28)
I am just going to share a quick extract from the book which hit me personally.
Suffering, we see an example of this in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). He suffered from rejection by his close family, was separated from those he loved and forcibly removed to Egypt, away from his father whom he did not see again for twenty years. In Egypt, he was unjustly imprisoned for a crime that he did not commit. For thriteen years he faced trials, temptations and testing until at the age of thirty he was made ruler over Egypt and was put in a position to save the lives of not only his family, but also of all God's people. Towards the end of his life he was able to speak of his suffering to his brothers, saying, 'You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accompolish what is now being done, the saving of many lives' (Genesis 50:20)
I personally believe that whatever suffering or confusion I have at this time or that I may not always see at this time what God is doing or just like Joseph, who whould not have been able to see it so cearly God's wonderful plan for him, I am convinced God has good plans for me. Often we cannot work out what is going on or why we are suffering in the way we are, but....remember
God says, for I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29 :11
Another short testimony fronm a little boy in the book...
Gavin Reid, the Bishop of Maidstone, interviewed a boy who shattered his back falling down the stairs at the age of one and who had consequently been in and out of hospital. When Gavin interviewed him in church the boy remarked that 'GOD IS FAIR.'
Gavin stopped him and asked, ' How old are you?'
The boy replied, 'Seventeen'
'How many years have you spent in hospital?'
The boy answered, 'Thirteen years.'
He was asked,'Do you think this is fair?'
He replied, 'God's got ALL of eternity to make it up to me.'
God has indeed all eternity to make it up to us. Thank you Jesus for pardoning my sins and comforting my heart. Because you first love me and because of you, I'm free. Amen.
Thursday, June 01, 2006
My wonderful day!
Actually, I never knew that I'd be crying last night. Cried so hard to God like a big baby! I remembered during exams I asked God to make me cry cause I was feeling so stressed out that I need to release my feelings but God didn't want me to cry becaue I already have Him and salvation.
The reason I cried last night was because I missed home. I missed being taken care of by my mom. I guess it's because after I came back from MEC I have extra special caring concern for all my friends and last night it just struck me that I'm tired and I want sometone to take care of me instead. I told God that I know he is taking care of me and he loves me but I am only human and I also want someone physically helping me. I thought about how I am taking care of my mom and giving her advice on how to be strong and not let other people bully her. Then about how I have to now take care of myself and mom cannot be with me all the time. I cried out to God so badly about how hard it is to be growing up. But God comforted me as always.
I woke up this morning praising God for the good relationships my brothers and I share, together with mom as well. God had patched up the holes between us. Wow, it's so wonderful! I am eager to experience and see what else God has install for my family. May His will be done. Amen!
Landlord came today and we had a big argument, discussion and finally, an agreement. As I reflect on it, I would have cried during these kind of situation. But God kept me calm and organised my explanations to the landlord. I could felt God's holy spirit in me, telling me what to say and keeping me cool and calm without crying. Finally, it was all good. We managed to achieve mutual understanding. God is Good ALL THE TIME!
Bible discussion about TRINITY was really interesting and good. God has blessed Thorsten with a good teaching ability gift. I always enjoyed meetings with Thorsten because I always learn something new and interesting about the bible or about Jesus. Yeah, my mom ususally ask me if I'm ok. I always tell her that, Yeah, with God, everything is always good and ok.
I am off to Dublin to see my brother tomorrow and sushin will be coming with me too~! I am really excited and looking forward to meeting my brother again. I pray God will be the centre of our time together. Yay, can do some shopping toooo!!!
Pam, Ykit and Iwere to meet up after bible study for a walk by the lakeside. YKit came walking towards us with his stick. When he met us, he kept his stick by folding it into a shorter stick and put it behind his pocket.
Pam: What was that? Is that your drumstick?
(I think ykit heard wrongly and just replied with a quick yeah)
Pam: Oh U play the drum!
YKit: YEah, I do..sometimes
HOW DID A WALKING STICK BECOME A DRUMSTICK!!!!????? Anyway, see you guys soon! Have a blessed day and enjoy ur relationship with the Lord!
The reason I cried last night was because I missed home. I missed being taken care of by my mom. I guess it's because after I came back from MEC I have extra special caring concern for all my friends and last night it just struck me that I'm tired and I want sometone to take care of me instead. I told God that I know he is taking care of me and he loves me but I am only human and I also want someone physically helping me. I thought about how I am taking care of my mom and giving her advice on how to be strong and not let other people bully her. Then about how I have to now take care of myself and mom cannot be with me all the time. I cried out to God so badly about how hard it is to be growing up. But God comforted me as always.
I woke up this morning praising God for the good relationships my brothers and I share, together with mom as well. God had patched up the holes between us. Wow, it's so wonderful! I am eager to experience and see what else God has install for my family. May His will be done. Amen!
Landlord came today and we had a big argument, discussion and finally, an agreement. As I reflect on it, I would have cried during these kind of situation. But God kept me calm and organised my explanations to the landlord. I could felt God's holy spirit in me, telling me what to say and keeping me cool and calm without crying. Finally, it was all good. We managed to achieve mutual understanding. God is Good ALL THE TIME!
Bible discussion about TRINITY was really interesting and good. God has blessed Thorsten with a good teaching ability gift. I always enjoyed meetings with Thorsten because I always learn something new and interesting about the bible or about Jesus. Yeah, my mom ususally ask me if I'm ok. I always tell her that, Yeah, with God, everything is always good and ok.
I am off to Dublin to see my brother tomorrow and sushin will be coming with me too~! I am really excited and looking forward to meeting my brother again. I pray God will be the centre of our time together. Yay, can do some shopping toooo!!!
Pam, Ykit and Iwere to meet up after bible study for a walk by the lakeside. YKit came walking towards us with his stick. When he met us, he kept his stick by folding it into a shorter stick and put it behind his pocket.
Pam: What was that? Is that your drumstick?
(I think ykit heard wrongly and just replied with a quick yeah)
Pam: Oh U play the drum!
YKit: YEah, I do..sometimes
HOW DID A WALKING STICK BECOME A DRUMSTICK!!!!????? Anyway, see you guys soon! Have a blessed day and enjoy ur relationship with the Lord!
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