Everyone's question: What is God's will for me?
In this week alone I've spoken to no less than 6 people who have shared with me the same question - what is God's will for me?? How will I know what is God's will? What if I don't like His will? Are my desires in line with God's? Or, I have a bf/gf back home, but I might have the choice to stay here, will God's will for my life coincide the two?
I tried my best to share what I've been learning from my devotions, referring us back to Scripture. Today, in church, the pastor blew my mind yet again. The thing is so simple, yet, we time and again fail to grasp it. I really intend to get hold of a copy of this Sunday's sermon. It is really empowering. It is a tad long, but if you have the time, do read it. Alot of truths from the Word of God.
The main gist of it all is - Live a life of "permission" - to live out our purpose, connect with our destiny, to fulfil our potential. All these sound like 'business' talk ie. generalized terms.. but let me break it down for you.
Genesis 2:15-17
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden YOU MAY FREELY eat; 17 "BUT of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
From this passage, we see, God has given us permission, not only to eat in this context, but to also rule the world (re: Genesis 1:26-27 - 26 Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.) Thus, there is a larger principle of permission over life.
3 things:
A life of permission
1. Is based on the Word,
2. Is Broad,
3. And it is before God's restriction.
Based on the Word.
- God has already given us His permission through His command, which is the Word of God. Thus, we have already receive whatever that is in the Word. So, if it is in the Word of God, we are able to do it, cos we have permission to - simple?
- If it is in the Word, you merely need to receive it!
- Many times we want God to re-confirm the blessing when He has already given to us in His Word, and we pray umpteen prayers of "what is God's will for me" that actually only serves to hide the true unbelief in our hearts and causes us to do NOTHING and leave the blessing wanting. And in the whole process of clarifying and Re-clarifying the answer to our question, we go into confusion and allow the devil to take our blessing. This point really hit home for me. Re-read it and let it speak to you profoundly.
- God's pain is to be doubted and God's pleasure is to be believed.
- What is in the Word, according to what you(and I) believe, it will be done to us. Thus, if we do not believe, we don't receive.
It's BROAD.
- God said we can eat ANY TREE!! It's like we can do everything except one thing. However, the world has reversed everything! It says we can only do ONE thing (which is God's will) and not everything else. So we start to have a narrow concept and makes us inactive people. Only sitting down on our hands, waiting and waiting for confirmation after confirmation.
- Remember the devil in the Garden of Eden? he came in a form of a serpent and questioned Eve, "Did God really say you can eat everything???" Trying to twist and confuse us to think in a narrow perspective.
- Then you ask, "what does God want for me?" The answer might not sit well with you - "Whatever YOU WANT!" Bizarre? Well, it's explained like that.
God has already told us what He wants in the Bible. So as long as you want whatever is in the Bible, then God wants whatever you want right? He has already influence you in the thinking to think of His desires.
Philippians 2:13
For God is the one who, for his good purpose, works in you both to desire and to work.
Psalm 37:4-5
4 Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.
So basically, the answer is, if what you are desiring is in the word of God, then it is what God wants for you!
- Life is like a game of chess. Only one person makes a move at a time. So, God has already made His move when He gave us permission in the Bible, so now it's our turn to move. He will not move out of turn, so instead of us waiting on God, God's actually waiting for us to move!.
- If we do not move, how can we be led? But if you begin to move, He's able to lead you by His spirit. You see, cos' it says in the Bible also that ALL things are permissible, but not all are beneficial. And this is when His leading comes, to lead us in the way that will prosper us as that is what His plan is (Jeremial 23:11). You need to walk in the Word and then you will be led by the Spirit!
- God is telling us to use what He has already given us. The blessing is already with us so there's no need to reconfirm whether we have it. Just use it! It's already with you.
Finally, permission comes before God's restriction.
- "For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us."
2 Corinthians 1:20
- We have to stop praying in this way "God, maybe You will say no.. but, if it is Your will....."
It's like we have already made up our mind to be negative! God's way is Yes.. but.. and His restriction is simple - whatever that is NOT in the Word of God - don't do. It's really changing our perspective.
The pastor gave a simple illustration of his daughter, who comes up to him "daddy, perhaps you will say no, but can I do this?" He said, the first thing she's already done is to put it in a negative light and secondly made him more inclined to say No. It really needs a change in our perspective and our prayer.
In conclusion, it's this - don't keep sitting on your hands and bums and keep pondering "what's God's will for me". Start checking your desires with His word (God searches our intent as I wrote about 2 days ago) and if it is in accordance with His word, act on it and as you move, God will lead you in the best way possible that will be beneficial for Your life. He has our best interests at heart and all desires that can be found in the Word of God is from Him because He has already placed it there, before you had even thought about it in the first place. (re: above verses).
-Laurachang-
Monday, March 27, 2006
A Song that touched me
I have a Father,
He calls me His own,
He'll never leave me,
No matter where I go.
He knows my name,
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
He hears me when I call
This is the lyrics to the song that really touched my heart. Many times , we go to church with all our burdens and worries. When we enter into God's sanctuary , we must really lay down our burdens at His feet and let our hearts worship Him without any distractions. This song brought tears to my eyes because it's just so incredible that God knows every thought in our minds and He sees each tear that falls . I'm sure that there have been times when we cry alone silently, trying to hide our tears because we don't wish for our housemates/friends to worry about us. At times like this I'm comforted only by the knowledge that God sees my tears and He knows precisely why my tears fall... sadness is one of the emotions that's really hard to express by words ..I don't know how to tell others when I'm sad, there's nothing much they can do about it anyway because what I really need is someone who understands and feels the sorrow with me. Only God can understand the anguish of my soul and He shares my pain .....
Okie, sorry for such a sorrowful post. i'll post a happier one next time. Stay tuned , came channel , same time slot.. muahahha..
-SL
He calls me His own,
He'll never leave me,
No matter where I go.
He knows my name,
He knows my every thought
He sees each tear that falls
He hears me when I call
This is the lyrics to the song that really touched my heart. Many times , we go to church with all our burdens and worries. When we enter into God's sanctuary , we must really lay down our burdens at His feet and let our hearts worship Him without any distractions. This song brought tears to my eyes because it's just so incredible that God knows every thought in our minds and He sees each tear that falls . I'm sure that there have been times when we cry alone silently, trying to hide our tears because we don't wish for our housemates/friends to worry about us. At times like this I'm comforted only by the knowledge that God sees my tears and He knows precisely why my tears fall... sadness is one of the emotions that's really hard to express by words ..I don't know how to tell others when I'm sad, there's nothing much they can do about it anyway because what I really need is someone who understands and feels the sorrow with me. Only God can understand the anguish of my soul and He shares my pain .....
Okie, sorry for such a sorrowful post. i'll post a happier one next time. Stay tuned , came channel , same time slot.. muahahha..
-SL
Happy Holidays! ;)
It's the end of another term for those who study in Nottingham Uni. Time flies huh.
Before we know it, we'll be having our exams soon, then summer, and then we'll all go our separate ways again, for the next 3-4 months at least.
Feels quite surreal, quite unreal.
Thrown out of our usual busy and routine schedule, can make us feel quite disorientated and lost... i speak for myself.
But whatever we are doing this Easter holidays, let us involve and acknowledge God in everything we do - in our leisure time, studies or work. Let us not be complacent with our walks with God, God doesn't ever go on 'holiday' and we shouldn't take a 'break' from God as well! Sometimes it takes self-discipline and a conscious effort to spend time with God, to read His word and pray. But these disciplines are really necessary to keep us walking with our Father.
Even as the prospect of the exams in May, i understand some of us may be feeling anxious and worried about it, especially if we haven't been as conscientious as we should have been during term and have lots to catch up on.
Well, don't panic k! Worry won't help either... draw up a plan, get started and do what you can! Above all, commit your studies and plans to the LORD. Ask Him for what you need, and then do what you have to do believing He provides for His children and watches over us. Ultimately, we want to be good stewards of our studies and to bring Him glory in the way we study!
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Before we know it, we'll be having our exams soon, then summer, and then we'll all go our separate ways again, for the next 3-4 months at least.
Feels quite surreal, quite unreal.
Thrown out of our usual busy and routine schedule, can make us feel quite disorientated and lost... i speak for myself.
But whatever we are doing this Easter holidays, let us involve and acknowledge God in everything we do - in our leisure time, studies or work. Let us not be complacent with our walks with God, God doesn't ever go on 'holiday' and we shouldn't take a 'break' from God as well! Sometimes it takes self-discipline and a conscious effort to spend time with God, to read His word and pray. But these disciplines are really necessary to keep us walking with our Father.
Even as the prospect of the exams in May, i understand some of us may be feeling anxious and worried about it, especially if we haven't been as conscientious as we should have been during term and have lots to catch up on.
Well, don't panic k! Worry won't help either... draw up a plan, get started and do what you can! Above all, commit your studies and plans to the LORD. Ask Him for what you need, and then do what you have to do believing He provides for His children and watches over us. Ultimately, we want to be good stewards of our studies and to bring Him glory in the way we study!
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
thoughts....
dear all,
This is not a short post, but i hope you'll have the patience to take some time to read. It's something on my heart i'd like to share. For the past month or so, some people have shared with me, and i sense that sometimes we try to 'hide' our weaknesses, failings and sins from one another, because we feel that as christians, we should all appear to be 'good' and 'holy'... It seems like we all like to compare ourselves with one another, even amongst christians, we compare who is more 'spiritual' than the other, and we feel inferior and guilty if we fall short of that 'standard'. Guess that's why perhaps we distant ourselves from God, and avoid other seemingly more spiritual christians.
It saddens me when people feel that way. Cos i felt exactly that same way before too. In fact, i still do sometimes. But over the years, God has changed my perspective of things. Yes, there are people amongst and around us who are more godly and spiritual than we seem to be, i think i've got a whole looonnngg list ahead of me if you wish to 'rank' it this way. But i believe we are all equal in a sense, that godly or not, we were all sinners saved through faith by God's grace. We must remember God came to seek and save sinners and not the righteous.
I believe we cannot and should not compare spiritualities.
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4
Nevertheless, i believe we should and can all work to godliness, to being transformed into Christ's image. We may feel like the worst christian on earth, a hypocrite, a pharisee, etc. but Jesus did not come to condemn us! We may not be the person He wants us to be, but as we remain in Him and grow in our faith, and as we allow Him, He will mould us and form us like a potter forms his clay. He gives beauty for ashes, joy for morning. God specializes in changing crappy people in godly ones! But we can't do it ourselves!
Yes of course, above all, we need GOD. But i believe we also need one another. That's what the body of Christ (i.e. christians) is for! To encourage, to spur on, to learn from other another, to be accountable, to rebuke and correct in love.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:1-3
Yup. That is all.
Remember i'm no spiritual giant over anyone of you. Like a friend puts it:
'I am an average youth. With normal youth tendencies and attitudes. I laugh when i am happy. I cry when i get hurt. At times i feel like i am nobody, while at others I feel like I'm better than everyone else. I am a youth. I am just like everone else. And yet i am different. I have Jesus. Whenever you see me, Jesus is right beside me holding my hand. He watches over me. My life is safe and secure in Him. I commit everything to Him. But more importantly, there is nothing i can do that can stop my Jesus from loving me. If there was he would not have died for me. I am an average youth. With an invinsible Jesus.'
yours for Jesus and the unreached,
Pam
This is not a short post, but i hope you'll have the patience to take some time to read. It's something on my heart i'd like to share. For the past month or so, some people have shared with me, and i sense that sometimes we try to 'hide' our weaknesses, failings and sins from one another, because we feel that as christians, we should all appear to be 'good' and 'holy'... It seems like we all like to compare ourselves with one another, even amongst christians, we compare who is more 'spiritual' than the other, and we feel inferior and guilty if we fall short of that 'standard'. Guess that's why perhaps we distant ourselves from God, and avoid other seemingly more spiritual christians.
It saddens me when people feel that way. Cos i felt exactly that same way before too. In fact, i still do sometimes. But over the years, God has changed my perspective of things. Yes, there are people amongst and around us who are more godly and spiritual than we seem to be, i think i've got a whole looonnngg list ahead of me if you wish to 'rank' it this way. But i believe we are all equal in a sense, that godly or not, we were all sinners saved through faith by God's grace. We must remember God came to seek and save sinners and not the righteous.
I believe we cannot and should not compare spiritualities.
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?"
He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."
Matthew 18:1-4
Nevertheless, i believe we should and can all work to godliness, to being transformed into Christ's image. We may feel like the worst christian on earth, a hypocrite, a pharisee, etc. but Jesus did not come to condemn us! We may not be the person He wants us to be, but as we remain in Him and grow in our faith, and as we allow Him, He will mould us and form us like a potter forms his clay. He gives beauty for ashes, joy for morning. God specializes in changing crappy people in godly ones! But we can't do it ourselves!
Yes of course, above all, we need GOD. But i believe we also need one another. That's what the body of Christ (i.e. christians) is for! To encourage, to spur on, to learn from other another, to be accountable, to rebuke and correct in love.
"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16
"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load." Galatians 6:1-3
Yup. That is all.
Remember i'm no spiritual giant over anyone of you. Like a friend puts it:
'I am an average youth. With normal youth tendencies and attitudes. I laugh when i am happy. I cry when i get hurt. At times i feel like i am nobody, while at others I feel like I'm better than everyone else. I am a youth. I am just like everone else. And yet i am different. I have Jesus. Whenever you see me, Jesus is right beside me holding my hand. He watches over me. My life is safe and secure in Him. I commit everything to Him. But more importantly, there is nothing i can do that can stop my Jesus from loving me. If there was he would not have died for me. I am an average youth. With an invinsible Jesus.'
yours for Jesus and the unreached,
Pam
Wednesday, March 22, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
From another time: Part 2
Hi :)
Firstly, if anyone's wondering 'Who's Ken Mi and Marcus? Never seen them at Solid Rock before..' you'll be right. You've never seen them - unless you're 25 years old like me.
Secondly, if anyone's wondering 'Who are you and why are you posting in our blog??' you'll be entirely justified as well. My name's Mei Fern. I was a student at Notts from 2000-2003 and am now working in KL. I had accidentally sent an email to SR's old email address one day while I was clearing out my inbox. Much to my surprise, Ee Ling answered. Then Pam answered. Then Pam invited me to share on this blog. Which is what I'm doing.
Thirdly, if anyone's wondering 'So how does the entry below end? Tell me or I'll die of suspense!' well, the truth is, I don't remember. The entry below is the accidental mail I was talking about above. It was a testimony I started writing for the SR newsletter (yes it was printed!) during those turbulent few months as a first year student.
I'm in a unique position. All at once, I see the past, the present and everything that has happened in between - the laughter, the tears, the marathon essay-writing sessions, the friends, the graduation, the job interview, the sink-or-swim realities of work, the learning, the stress, the 'adult' responsibilities, the church life, the struggle with God, the grace received, the life partner.
It's simply amazing. It's not an Oprah-worthy story, I know, but with this special insight I am blown away by what I see in my life: the hand of my Lord and Saviour, guiding me and protecting me along the pathway, which He choses to reveal a little at a time if I would just walk closely with Him.
I don't have a magnificent life-changing story to tell. Just one of an underserving sinner and an Almighty Creator who chooses to be faithful. Life is really nothing to shout about but when you think about how a God could love one literally to (His) death, then nothing is ordinary about this journey that we're on.
-Mei Fern-
p/s: I hope I have not intruded!
Firstly, if anyone's wondering 'Who's Ken Mi and Marcus? Never seen them at Solid Rock before..' you'll be right. You've never seen them - unless you're 25 years old like me.
Secondly, if anyone's wondering 'Who are you and why are you posting in our blog??' you'll be entirely justified as well. My name's Mei Fern. I was a student at Notts from 2000-2003 and am now working in KL. I had accidentally sent an email to SR's old email address one day while I was clearing out my inbox. Much to my surprise, Ee Ling answered. Then Pam answered. Then Pam invited me to share on this blog. Which is what I'm doing.
Thirdly, if anyone's wondering 'So how does the entry below end? Tell me or I'll die of suspense!' well, the truth is, I don't remember. The entry below is the accidental mail I was talking about above. It was a testimony I started writing for the SR newsletter (yes it was printed!) during those turbulent few months as a first year student.
I'm in a unique position. All at once, I see the past, the present and everything that has happened in between - the laughter, the tears, the marathon essay-writing sessions, the friends, the graduation, the job interview, the sink-or-swim realities of work, the learning, the stress, the 'adult' responsibilities, the church life, the struggle with God, the grace received, the life partner.
It's simply amazing. It's not an Oprah-worthy story, I know, but with this special insight I am blown away by what I see in my life: the hand of my Lord and Saviour, guiding me and protecting me along the pathway, which He choses to reveal a little at a time if I would just walk closely with Him.
I don't have a magnificent life-changing story to tell. Just one of an underserving sinner and an Almighty Creator who chooses to be faithful. Life is really nothing to shout about but when you think about how a God could love one literally to (His) death, then nothing is ordinary about this journey that we're on.
-Mei Fern-
p/s: I hope I have not intruded!
From another time
I stood, alone in the open mental space between my closed eyelids and my conscious self, in solitary communion with my Creator. I stood, oblivious to Ai Wen on my right, to Ken Mi on my left, Marcus behind and Eddie in front, aware only of the presence of the One who had put me where I am now. I stood and felt only the immense gratitude rising from my innermost being, felt only the deepest debt towards my Saviour, felt only the strongest need rising from the weakest spirit. I stood and cried.
All my worries, anxieties, burdens, heartaches, heartwrenches, soulsearches, questions, pleas, calls poured out that day as I cried at Solid Rock. My mind, body and soul purged itselves of the emotional and mental slush that had accumulated since I stepped onto British soil. The tears reached into the recesses of my private being, tore out the thoughts I stupidly kept from God and laid them bare before Him. All I could say was "Have them all, Lord, please".
I had been having problems adjusting to my new environment. Being a first-year student away from home was a very scary experience and no amount of warnings and advice would have prepared me for the actual difficulty I had which jaggernauted its way through my peace of mind. If my mental state could be measured on an ECG graph, the time period of the last 5 weeks would be an electric line of total chaos. That's the only way I can describe it: chaos. Chaos. Total, upside-down-inside-out, gut-wrenching chaos. I never had a moments peace from the inner voice which mocked at my distance away from everything I knew, loved, cherished and had taken for granted. It teased me with dreams of home, dangled false threads of hope in front of my eyes, pretended to be my friend and then cruelly dismissed me in public.
I was at a lost, desperate for release. All prayers seems unanswered, cries to heaven only echoed emptily around me. It was in this state that I attended Solid Rock for the first time in the Portland Building. It was also the first time I cried at a church service.
Standing there, singing words which describe exactly how I was feeling, then hearing God's voice through the words of comfort which followed, just broke something down in me. I cried and the leaden weight in my soul was just lifted and was replaced by His gentle Spirit taking its place in my life. I cannot tell what it is that was gone, I cannot even begin to say ---
All my worries, anxieties, burdens, heartaches, heartwrenches, soulsearches, questions, pleas, calls poured out that day as I cried at Solid Rock. My mind, body and soul purged itselves of the emotional and mental slush that had accumulated since I stepped onto British soil. The tears reached into the recesses of my private being, tore out the thoughts I stupidly kept from God and laid them bare before Him. All I could say was "Have them all, Lord, please".
I had been having problems adjusting to my new environment. Being a first-year student away from home was a very scary experience and no amount of warnings and advice would have prepared me for the actual difficulty I had which jaggernauted its way through my peace of mind. If my mental state could be measured on an ECG graph, the time period of the last 5 weeks would be an electric line of total chaos. That's the only way I can describe it: chaos. Chaos. Total, upside-down-inside-out, gut-wrenching chaos. I never had a moments peace from the inner voice which mocked at my distance away from everything I knew, loved, cherished and had taken for granted. It teased me with dreams of home, dangled false threads of hope in front of my eyes, pretended to be my friend and then cruelly dismissed me in public.
I was at a lost, desperate for release. All prayers seems unanswered, cries to heaven only echoed emptily around me. It was in this state that I attended Solid Rock for the first time in the Portland Building. It was also the first time I cried at a church service.
Standing there, singing words which describe exactly how I was feeling, then hearing God's voice through the words of comfort which followed, just broke something down in me. I cried and the leaden weight in my soul was just lifted and was replaced by His gentle Spirit taking its place in my life. I cannot tell what it is that was gone, I cannot even begin to say ---
Sunday, March 19, 2006
on prayer
Hi all,
For those who couldn't make it for SR last friday night, we had a guest speaker from AIM to speak to us on the topic of prayer.
He likened prayer to picking up our mobile phone to call God. Just like we use our mobiles to contact people, prayer is our vital contact point and means of communication with God! It is our LIFELINE!
Jesus commanded us to pray, Jesus spent much time in prayer Himself (we may think... Jesus was God, why did he even have to pray?!!! Yet, it shows how important prayer is, and set an example for us to follow...), He also taught his disciples to pray, and in the new testament, Paul and other writers exhorts us to be persistant and continual in prayer! So the question of 'Should we pray?' is therefore obvious... Now, the next question is, 'So, how should we pray then?' This is harder to answer. There is no formula to prayer, though Jesus did give us a simple prayer formula (in Luke 11:2-4), He goes beyond that (if you read Luke 11), and teaches us about the principles of prayer. To learn to pray, i believe, we first need to learn the person whom we pray to. If we do not know our God and Father in heaven, it goes without saying that it will seem difficult to pray (and many times not knowing what to say...) Just like a conversation between 2 people who don't know each other, it would first start off superficially. But as they talk and get to know each other better, their conversations would get deeper and more personal. It is the same with our relationship with our Father in heaven. That's why reading God's word and prayer goes hand in hand. It is both by knowing God through His word, and prayer that we know Him better, and thus learn how to pray! (i hope i'm not talking in circles, but it IS really a circle! If we know God, we learn how to pray and by praying, we know God more!)
Edmund Chan, a singaporean pastor, said "There is no better way to learn about prayer than to pray. Prayer is not merely what we say to God but what the Holy Spirit inspires in our hearts to life up before the throne of God. That is why I often begin my prayers wirh, 'Lord, lay upon my heart the things that are upon yours'." I found this really simple, yet profound. Just like we can't learn to ride a bike unless we first ride it, we can't learn to pray unless we pray! Simple as it sounds...
I'm definitely not there in terms of prayer, and i've got lots more to learn. But just wanna encourage us to make a conscious effort to speak to God through the day as we go about our daily activities, as well as to set aside period of time in the day to quieten our heart to pray.
Learning with you all,
Pam :)
For those who couldn't make it for SR last friday night, we had a guest speaker from AIM to speak to us on the topic of prayer.
He likened prayer to picking up our mobile phone to call God. Just like we use our mobiles to contact people, prayer is our vital contact point and means of communication with God! It is our LIFELINE!
Jesus commanded us to pray, Jesus spent much time in prayer Himself (we may think... Jesus was God, why did he even have to pray?!!! Yet, it shows how important prayer is, and set an example for us to follow...), He also taught his disciples to pray, and in the new testament, Paul and other writers exhorts us to be persistant and continual in prayer! So the question of 'Should we pray?' is therefore obvious... Now, the next question is, 'So, how should we pray then?' This is harder to answer. There is no formula to prayer, though Jesus did give us a simple prayer formula (in Luke 11:2-4), He goes beyond that (if you read Luke 11), and teaches us about the principles of prayer. To learn to pray, i believe, we first need to learn the person whom we pray to. If we do not know our God and Father in heaven, it goes without saying that it will seem difficult to pray (and many times not knowing what to say...) Just like a conversation between 2 people who don't know each other, it would first start off superficially. But as they talk and get to know each other better, their conversations would get deeper and more personal. It is the same with our relationship with our Father in heaven. That's why reading God's word and prayer goes hand in hand. It is both by knowing God through His word, and prayer that we know Him better, and thus learn how to pray! (i hope i'm not talking in circles, but it IS really a circle! If we know God, we learn how to pray and by praying, we know God more!)
Edmund Chan, a singaporean pastor, said "There is no better way to learn about prayer than to pray. Prayer is not merely what we say to God but what the Holy Spirit inspires in our hearts to life up before the throne of God. That is why I often begin my prayers wirh, 'Lord, lay upon my heart the things that are upon yours'." I found this really simple, yet profound. Just like we can't learn to ride a bike unless we first ride it, we can't learn to pray unless we pray! Simple as it sounds...
I'm definitely not there in terms of prayer, and i've got lots more to learn. But just wanna encourage us to make a conscious effort to speak to God through the day as we go about our daily activities, as well as to set aside period of time in the day to quieten our heart to pray.
Learning with you all,
Pam :)
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
From an oldie.. :)
It's great that SR has started this blogpost.
Just wanna say a few words, from and oldie to all the aspiring grads..
Change is the only constant in our lives. It's inevitable. I've lived and studied in about 5 different countries in the past 8 years. Sounds crazy but true. Moving schools all throughout was hard as friendships made needed to be very strong in the short term to last a lifetime. Nonetheless, in all these, God has been faithful.
Even as I am ending yet another short chapter of my life here in Nottingham, I look back for the 4 years I have been here and see God's hand upon every single thing. When the bad happens, don't ask why, ask "what for". I've been through tough times, made lots of mistakes, fallen into temptation, but when God intervenes, He changes your whole life around. I am still a work in progress, but He has sent many good friends and godly mentors and He never fails to hold you in His hand.
Just a bizarre story to tell you.. why bad things can happen but it can work out for the good of those who are called by Him! Well, you see, just last Thursday I tripped over the vacuum cleaner wire in my accomodation's corridor. It was carelessly left by the cleaner and honestly, I saw it and tried to step over it but somehow I still tripped and grazed my knees on the carpet floor. I told the accom manageress and she was very kind and said she informed the cleaner not to put it out already cos' another girl who saw me fall had made an earlier complaint. The next day, I lost my keycard to enter my flat and the reception had already close for after hours. I was frantic cos I needed to get into my room and to do so I would usually need to pay 45pds just to get the security to come. To cut the story short, the accom manageress was surprisingly the one who received my distress call and she told me, "don't worry, we're going to give you a free card and the guy is going to open for you free too!" Guessss why????? I saw her this Mon and she told me, this was the least she could do for me after seeing me hurt the day before! The lil grazing of knees was worth 45pds of savings on my pocket!! How great is that??
Anyway, I really wish you all the best in everything you do. Trust in God for every step. Do not worry too much about the long term future. He gives us enough for the day. If He could bring the Israelites out of Egypt and provide for them for many many years, bringing them to foreign land after foreign land, what more will He do for you and I?!
Love,
Laura.
Just wanna say a few words, from and oldie to all the aspiring grads..
Change is the only constant in our lives. It's inevitable. I've lived and studied in about 5 different countries in the past 8 years. Sounds crazy but true. Moving schools all throughout was hard as friendships made needed to be very strong in the short term to last a lifetime. Nonetheless, in all these, God has been faithful.
Even as I am ending yet another short chapter of my life here in Nottingham, I look back for the 4 years I have been here and see God's hand upon every single thing. When the bad happens, don't ask why, ask "what for". I've been through tough times, made lots of mistakes, fallen into temptation, but when God intervenes, He changes your whole life around. I am still a work in progress, but He has sent many good friends and godly mentors and He never fails to hold you in His hand.
Just a bizarre story to tell you.. why bad things can happen but it can work out for the good of those who are called by Him! Well, you see, just last Thursday I tripped over the vacuum cleaner wire in my accomodation's corridor. It was carelessly left by the cleaner and honestly, I saw it and tried to step over it but somehow I still tripped and grazed my knees on the carpet floor. I told the accom manageress and she was very kind and said she informed the cleaner not to put it out already cos' another girl who saw me fall had made an earlier complaint. The next day, I lost my keycard to enter my flat and the reception had already close for after hours. I was frantic cos I needed to get into my room and to do so I would usually need to pay 45pds just to get the security to come. To cut the story short, the accom manageress was surprisingly the one who received my distress call and she told me, "don't worry, we're going to give you a free card and the guy is going to open for you free too!" Guessss why????? I saw her this Mon and she told me, this was the least she could do for me after seeing me hurt the day before! The lil grazing of knees was worth 45pds of savings on my pocket!! How great is that??
Anyway, I really wish you all the best in everything you do. Trust in God for every step. Do not worry too much about the long term future. He gives us enough for the day. If He could bring the Israelites out of Egypt and provide for them for many many years, bringing them to foreign land after foreign land, what more will He do for you and I?!
Love,
Laura.
Sunday, March 12, 2006
Recovered post ...
Being a NEWBIE in my church
I've just joined my current church(God's Vineyard Church) for a month and they've put me in the New Believers' class. My first lesson was about how we become a new creation when we believe in Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Saviour. When I attended the first class , part of me was filled with pride .. I felt that I wanted to let the pastor know that I had been a Christian for a long time and I've known all the basic stuffs about Christianity but I did not do so , because that would certainly make me look like someone with an ego the size of Jupiter (the largest planet in our solar system!) ..another part of me felt that God wanted me to be humble . Eventhough we may have been Christians for many years , it does not mean that we can no longer learn anything new about God.
Right now i'm attending the New believers' class every week and i found that I've not only learnt more about Jesus and His word but I also have the priviledge of understanding how newcomers feel when they first join a new congregation/church or a new fellowship. They must have felt so overwhelmed! It's quite scary to be among faces that you're not familiar with. Building friendships requires time and effort. I've also realised the importance of making newcomers feel welcome . It's not what we preach that ultimately stays in their hearts.. but with their limited vocab of Christian lingo and knowledge about our God , the easiest way to introduce Jesus to them is to demonstrate our love and warmth , to show them that we really appreciate their presence.
Let me share something i've learnt this morning. It's about meditating on God's word. Psalm 1:2 tells us of a man whose delight is in the law of the Lord , and on His law he(the man) meditates day and night. My BS group members , Xinyi, Crysteen and Belinda were discussing about meditating on God's word last friday. We didn't quite know what it meant to meditate on God's word . The images of someone doing Yoga (legs crossed and hands rested on knees) immediately came to our minds .. meditation , huh? I've yet to discover the full meaning of meditating on God's word but a part of it must involve reading the passage carefully , examining it (with a magnifying glass , ya?) and asking ourselves questions regarding the passage. Some of the common questions that we can ask are , who is the author? to whom was it addressed ? what is the context of the verse in the passage ? (rest of questions covered in bible study handouts) .
We would see the results when we take the effort to meditate on God's word. When we read the bible, we must begin to respond to it . If we read it like a novel, without examining each sentence carefully, then the bible will just be another lifeless book to us. In Hebrews 4:12, it states that the Word of God is living and active , sharper than any double-edged sword ... God's word must bring forth transformation of the mind/attitude change and also our actions.
My beginners' class leader said something that stunned me . I don't know why his words surprised me because what he said was something that i've known all this while .Maybe i had not believe it enough. He said that we would be transformed by what we read if we allow the words to come off the pages of the book and live in our hearts. He used a simple illustration and many would agree that this illustration will strike a chord in the hearts of all students.
Before we all started our course , we thought and acted like A-level students... when we started our courses, we were assigned books in our reading lists. Some of these books seem impossible to understand . I thought my pharmacology book was written for aliens from Mars .. who would understand all those jargons strewn around ? But as i went through my course , as I spent more time with my pharmacology book .. I was (pleasantly) surprised to find that I'm begining to understand what the author is saying . I had gradually acquire the vocab to read all the medical junk in my reading list (Hooray!) . After 2 and a half years , I discovered that I'm begining to think and act like a pharmacist. My housemate (who's also my coursemate) has now developed a paranoid attitude towards overdose of Panadol . hehe...
Now, this is what I call responding to what we read. For those who do law (like Xinyi, Allister, Laura and Kwan Wei).. I'm sure that they can tell you that they are very much affected by what they read in their super-thick law textbooks and what they learnt in their lectures ! Sometimes conversations about law just creep into their conversations ...
If the Word of God is transforming us, we should be able to see ourselves thinking more like Christ, talking more about him and also becoming more concern about God's kingdom ! Have you been transformed by God's word ? Do you talk about our saviour more than ever before ? these are little things that indicates how much we're affected by the Bible . If our minds are still very much influenced by the pattern of the world , then we should evaluate ourselves and check if we're taking God's word seriously enough .
Have a blessed Sunday!
-SL
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)