02 Dec 09: Memory Verse

1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)
Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

~ Contributor: John

18 Nov 09: Memory Verse

Deuteronomy 6:5 (NIV)
5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

~ Contributor: Elaine

Rayson Tan's and Chew Chor Meng's Testimonies

Found this two testimonies by Rayson Tan and Chew Chor Meng respectively from the links posted by John on Facebook.

Ministering is the word. :)

When you have the time with ears to spare, give them a go.

Testimony 1 of 2: Rayson Tan


Testimony 2 of 2: Chew Chor Meng

A Cleansed Past: The Room

After I read the story, I was crying in my heart and felt loved by Jesus. I hope to share the story with all of you. It may take some time to read.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index-card files.

They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one.

And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. The lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match.

A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their contents. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed."

The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird: "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given", "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled at My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in Anger," "Things I Have Muttered under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards that I expected. Sometimes there were fewer that I hoped.

I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it possible that I had the time in my twenty years to write each of these thousands, possibly millions, of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.

When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed contents. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded.

Suddenly I felt an almost animal rage. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In an insane frenzy I yanked the file out. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took the file at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it.

Defeated and utterly hopeless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.

And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room. I must lock it up and hide the key.

But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him. No, please, not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus.

I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes. Why did He have to read every one?

Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't angered me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands, and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.

Then He got up and walked backed to the walls of files. Starting at one end of the room, He took a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card.

"No!" I shouted, rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No,no," as I pulled the card from Him. His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, so alive. The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood.

He gently took the card back. He smiled a sad smile and continued to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."

I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There were no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is more than a heart-warming story. It's not imaginary. The dream is a picture of what Christ truly accomplished when He died on the cross. He literally took our guilt on Himself. And this meant much more than just having His name on a card. It meant receiving the punishment from God that all those sinful words and actions deserved.

Here is what's important to understand: It is only by repenting of our sins and putting our faith in Christ that this substitution can take place. We each have a "room" containing all our sinful deeds and thoughts. But just because we admit this or feel bad about it doesn't mean we're forgiven. Remorse can't save anyone. Only faith in Christ can. Only trust in His death and resurrection for us.

Adapted from "I Kissed Dating Goodbye" by Joshua Harris

21 Oct 09: Memory Verse

Isaiah 40:30-31 (NIV)
30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

Isaiah 40:30-31 (KJV)
30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

~ Contributor: Stanley

Discipleship

Something that I read today that makes loads of sense.

We do not need the grace of God to withstand crises—human nature and pride are sufficient for us to face the stress and strain magnificently. But it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours of every day as a saint, going through drudgery, and living an ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus.

A little scriptural reference that I thought will explain it better in the "ordinary, unnoticed, and ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus" sense.

Matthew 6:1-4 (NIV)
1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.

2 "So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Is there any assumption that you have that you have to do exceptional things for God? Performing miracles of healing, or maybe evangelising to the lost? The text further explains.

It is ingrained in us that we have to do exceptional things for God—but we do not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things of life, and holy on the ordinary streets, among ordinary people—and this is not learned in five minutes.

As we continued to live our lives, let us always remember to empty our lives and thoughts, that we may be earthen vessels where our Treasure may dwell, that we may be of use to His Kingdom.

Let's discipline our earthly bodies and minds to the glory of our God. Praise the Lord!

Pressing questions singles raise

Questions of the Heart:

-Is there really only one perfect match - one soul mate for each person?
-What's the difference between having standards and being too picky?
-Are all the really great ones already taken?
-What's the best way to meet the person who's right for me?
-Should I take matters into my own hands, or should I wait for God to bring him or her to me?
-How do I know God's will?
-How does one really know he or she is in love?

Whew! Quite a list. But actually, if you look at the questions again, you will find there is one pivotal question. If you answer this one, all the rest will come into focus. The pivotal question is, Can God's will be discovered?

Can God's will be discovered - or Will I Ever Find Mr. or Miss Right for Me?

There is ample evidence from the Bible that God's will can be discovered. The Scriptures use many phrases to assure us of God's leadership, including "He leads me beside quiet waters," "guide me in your truth," "your word is a lamp to my feet," and "seek and you will find." Of this one thing you can be sure: God wants you to know His will even more than you want to receive it! [Comment: God does not necessarily promise a mate when you seek Him. What He does promise is an abundant, meaningful life.]

The question is not, Can I find God's will? but rather, How can I find God's will?

First, if you want God's blessings, then live a life He can bless. Having a mate is just one kind of blessing. Proverbs 18:22 says, "He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord." However, check out what the apostle Paul recommends in 1 Corinthians 7:6-9:

I say this as a concession, not as a command. I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has the gift, another has that. Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

God says singleness can be a gift! Okay, so how do we know we're not choosing someone else present?

To discern God's will, start with the known. In the Bible, God provides several verses that explicitly say, "This is God's will for you."

Adapted from "Single Men Are Like Waffles, Single Women Are like Spaghetti" by Bill and Pam Farrel.

20091002 BBQ-cum-Yann Ling's Birthday!

Praise be to God for the recent gathering at Elaine's house! It was amazing for the abundant grace we've received, from the fine weather, to the enthusiasm and safety of everyone, to the food that we enjoyed, let's all thank God for them! :)

First and foremost, thanks Elaine for the opening up the venue, looking through the menu of what to order, and the constant emails to finalise everything.

Thanks to our top chefs, Adriel, Stanley, Troven, Min Shiung, any one else whom I may have missed out.

For Adriel and Stanley who reached there earlier to help set up the stuff and fire.

For Gabriel who brought the ultimate fan, without which might have to start the fire over and over again. loL~ I think part of the reason why the food was good was because we had a good fan. What do you guys think? :D Also for leading the way for Fiona, John and myself to Elaine's house.

For Min Shiung and Yiyi, our leaders, for bringing the disposables, else we would have ran out of supplies, and also for that bottle of red wine!

For Harry too, for that bottle of sparkling wine. yuMz~!

For Siew Hor, who probably had the biggest role of evangelising to the aunties. You left a deep impression in their lives, and a great example for the rest of us to follow as well. :)

For Andrew, for the surprise visit!

For Fiona, who is our debt collector! loL~ If you haven't paid, please make her life easier hor. :P

And essentially, everyone! The outing was only possible with the participation of all of us. Indeed, to God be all the glory that we as members dwell together as one body of Christ.

Here are some of the photos taken that night.

Our chefs!

Look how busy the hands were! :D

Cute Gab!

The marshmallow girl!

The birthday girl!

Finale Photo!

The rest of that night's exciting photos are available for viewing here. All glory and praise to God for this cell! :D

07 Oct 09: Memory Verse

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (KJV)
(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

~ Contributor: Priscilla

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (NIV)
The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I've included two versions, which is unlike what I usually do, which is just posting from the NIV.

Making a comparison, here's the summation of both.

The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power through God to demolish strongholds.

We cast down imaginations, demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

I think in verse 4 the important thing is to recognise that this divine power that we wield is provided through God, and not of our own. In verse 5, I would also think "casting down imaginations" should be included from KJV, as it aptly describes men and his willful imaginations. Putting together with NIV, we see a clearer picture, as one might be pretentious and act humble, when in his imagination he thinks he's higher than others.

Of course, choose one to memorise will do. :D

Does God exist?

24 Sep 09: News Bulletin

Hi guys, some important news.

Finish up APQ Book 5
At cell yesterday, we've covered the first 3 questions to the book "If God Is Just, Then Why Doesn't He Punish The Bad People Right Away?" Please finish up the rest of the 3 questions on your own. Should you have any questions about this topic, feel free to share it during our next cell meeting.

Read APQ Book 6
With the above, we'll be doing the next book for our next cell discussion on October 7. It'll be APQ Book 6 "If God Is Merciful, Then Why Did He Create Hell?" As again, please read this prior for a more meaningful discussion. :)

Next week is Fellowship Week!
Please don't forget that next week is our cell's fellowship week, meaning that there'll be no cell on Wednesday. The date will be October 2, so mark it in your calendar if you've yet to do that. I'll arrange with Elaine on what time is best to begin and what time will be good to meet at Yishun MRT.

For those who have yet to confirm your attendance, please send me an sms on whether you are coming or not so that I can update Elaine. Many thanks! :)

Blessings,
Lionel

23 Sep 09: Memory Verse

Matthew 6:33-34 (NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

~ Contributor: Daniel

16 Sep 09: Memory Verse

Psalm 91:2 (NIV)
I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

~ Contributor: Yiyi

Noah's Ark

I love this cartoon because the creator is imaginative and brilliant. The characters are also adorable.

Arminianism or Calvinism?

Do you believe God predestined you for salvation?

Two schools of thoughts - Arminianism and Calvinism



What's your belief?

On faith.

Pastor Colin preached that we should not take our faith for granted. He said that it is possible for a believer who has regularly been attending church for the past 20 years to drift away from God. He or she may one day decide to be openly defiant and stop attending church.

He added that the person describe above can be a spiritual leader or even pastor. In his previous church, there was this sister who was leading the youth group. She had great enthusiasm for the Lord and in-depth knowledge of the bible that all the youths would always sit up and listen to her. Suddenly, she refused to attend church. Pastor Colin and a few brothers were puzzled and went over to her house to find out why. When asked, she said that church goers are hypocrites and it is best she worship at home. The brothers tried to persuade her by quoting verses from the bible. However, she rebuked by throwing many verses back at them. The brothers were stunned by how well she knows the bible and were almost won over by her.

One question that I bothered me was, "Is attending church an essential element to increase your faith?"

I once believe that one can still walk with God by reading His Word and worshiping Him at home. Thus, going to church is not necessary. My thinking gave a 180 degrees turn after I experienced the power of spiritually-filled individuals/groups. They can help propel your faith much more than when you do it alone. With this, I remember a quote, "If you want to go faster, go alone. If you want to go further, go together."

Pastor Colin ended off by saying, "Let us not to take for granted that our fellow brothers and sisters will be in cell or in church this weekend (or from this day onwards)." Hence, we should pray for our continual faith in the Lord, including that of our brothers' and sisters'. At the same time, it is crucial to note that it is our own responsibility to take care of our faith and make sure it is renewed and strengthened on a regular basis.

Prayer for perseverance in faith

"Lord, I thank You for suffering and dying on the cross for me, and for rising again to defeat death and hell. I believe my enemy is defeated because of what You have done. I am thankful that you have given me all authority over him. I have faith that by the power of Your Holy Spirit I can successfully resist the devil and he must flee from me.

Show me when I am not moving in faith. Teach me to use that authority You have given me to see the enemy defeated in every area of my life. In Jesus' name I pray."

9 gifts of the Holy Spirit

1. Word of Wisdom
God's supernatural perspective on how to achieve God's will. God's knowledge rightly applied to specific situations. (1Cor 12:8)



2. Word of Knowledge
"Facts" given by God that are unknowable without revelation. (1 Cor 12:8)




3. The Gift of Faith
The supernatural ability to believe God without doubt. Essential to the Gift of Healing and Miracles. (1 Cor 12:9)



4. The Gift of Healing
Supernatural healing through special anointing of the Holy Spirit. (1 Cor 12:9, 12:28)



5. The Working of Miracles
A supernatural display of power that goes beyond the natural to counteract earthly and evil forces. (1 Cor 12:10, 12:28)



6. Discerning of Spirits
Spiritual insight into differences between the Holy Spirit, the Human Spirit, and evil Spirits at work in the earth. It is not the discerning of character faults. (1 Cor 12:10)



7. The Gift of Prophecy
The forth telling of God's utterance. It is not of the intellect but of the Spirit. It is divinely inspired and anointed words spoken by a believer. (1 Cor 12:10, 1 Cor 12:28, Rom 12:6, Eph 4:11)



8. Different Kinds of Tongues
This is not to be confused with the use of tongues in private prayer or worship. This refers to the ministry of tongues to others. An utterance from a believer to another in a language unknown
to the speaker (Is. 28:11, Mk. 16 :17, Acts 2:4; 10:44-48; 19:1-7,
1 Cor. 12:10; 13:1-3; 14:2; 14:4-22; 14:26-31; 28:31)



9. Interpretation of Tongues
Supernatural power to reveal the meaning of tongues. Not a translation, but an interpretation. Tongues and Interpretation working together can be the equivalent of prophecy. (1 Cor 12:10)



Adapted from: Baptism in the Holy Spirit and Wikipedia

New Game For Cell!

And so the memory verse game evolves~ :D

This is how it's going to work from henceforth.

1. Everyone will prepare their own memory verse.
2. During cell, the person who was asked to share his/her memory verse during the last cell group meeting will ask a random person to share.
3. This new sharer will share the memory verse of the week, and everyone is encouraged to commit it to memory.
4. Rinse, lather, and wash from step 1. loL~

The whole objective of this game is that everyone will constantly meditate upon God's Word, knowing that His Word is Truth and Life. In times of despair and darkness, His Word will shine forth!

Psalms 119:105 (KJV)
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

And we're fully confident that His Light will cast out the darkness, for the Word says,

John 1:5 (ESV)
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

We need to constantly labour and build on the foundation on which our Lord Jesus Christ has laid, so that our faith may not be in vain.

1 Corinthians 3:11-13 (ESV)
For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one's work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done.

Let's encourage one another with these beautiful verses that our God has given to us. :)

Philippians 4:8 (KJV)
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Quoting from our last memory verse to end off this post, ;)

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

02 Sep 2009: Memory Verses

Proverbs 16:12-27 (NIV)
12 Kings detest wrongdoing,
for a throne is established through righteousness.
13 Kings take pleasure in honest lips;
they value a man who speaks the truth.
14 A king's wrath is a messenger of death,
but a wise man will appease it.
15 When a king's face brightens, it means life;
his favor is like a rain cloud in spring.
16 How much better to get wisdom than gold,
to choose understanding rather than silver!
17 The highway of the upright avoids evil;
he who guards his way guards his life.
18 Pride goes before destruction,
a haughty spirit before a fall.
19 Better to be lowly in spirit and among the oppressed
than to share plunder with the proud.
20 Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers,
and blessed is he who trusts in the LORD.
21 The wise in heart are called discerning,
and pleasant words promote instruction.
22 Understanding is a fountain of life to those who have it,
but folly brings punishment to fools.
23 A wise man's heart guides his mouth,
and his lips promote instruction.
24 Pleasant words are a honeycomb,
sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
25 There is a way that seems right to a man,
but in the end it leads to death.
26 The laborer's appetite works for him;
his hunger drives him on.
27 A scoundrel plots evil,
and his speech is like a scorching fire.

~ Contributor: Adriel

This week's memory verses are longgg! haha.. But it's assigned by Adriel, so here's to list down which is who's. :)

• 12-13: Adriel
• 14-15: Stanley
• 16-17: Siew Hor
• 18-19: Min Shiung
• 20-21: Yiyi
• 22-23: Gabriel
• 24-25: Elaine
• 26-27: Lionel

Cheers peeps! Let's do our best for Christ! :D

The Lord's Prayer

A continuation from brother Gabriel & brother Lionel's post.

Translations of The Lord's Prayer

Thanks be to Gab for last week's memory verse!

Here are two different translations for The Lord's Prayer, King James Version first, followed by the Chinese version.

Enjoy! :)

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)
After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil:
For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

马太福音 6：9－13
“所以你们要这样祈祷：

“ ‘我们在天上的父，
愿你的名被尊为圣，
愿你的国降临，
愿你的旨意成就在地上，
如同在天上一样。
我们每天所需的食物，求你今天赐给我们；
赦免我们的罪，
好像我们饶恕了得罪我们的人；
不要让我们陷入试探，
救我们脱离那恶者。
因为国度，权柄，荣耀，全是你的，直到永远。阿们

Are you thirsty for God?

I didn't buy the Rock Foundation book written by Pastor Rony, but I'm blessed in the way that I do get portion of the book from the teaching materials. I found this part particularly interesting and hope to share with any new believers like myself:

Have you ever been thirsty? I mean really thirsty. So thirsty that your whole body seemed to be crying out for a drink;



so thirsty that your throat felt like it had dry dirt balls in it; so thirsty that you would give anything for a drink.





Ahhhh! That was good. I sure like the nice cool water.





Now, Jesus wasn’t talking about being thirsty for H20 – water. He was talking about being thirsty for God.



He said that if we were thirsty, we would have to do the drinking. And He wants us to be so full of Him that rivers will flow out of us.



When we drink, we satisfy our own thirst, but when the rivers of water flow out of us, the people around us will benefit. We won’t have anything for the world unless we are filled with God – His love and power.




That sounds easy, but how do we drink of God? Well, every time we respond to the Holy Spirit, we take a drink of Him.

When the Holy Spirit begins to move in a service, move with Him. Instead of saying, “I’m not going to do anything unless God makes me”, just jump in!



People respond to the moving of the Holy Spirit in different ways; they laugh, shout, jump around, run, dance, etc. By responding to His move, we are taking a drink. And every time we take a drink, we get more and more filled with God.



It is just like every time I take a drink of this water, I get more filled up with it. Every time I move with the Holy Spirit, I get more of God in me.

John 7:38 (NKJV)
He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

In courtesy of Pastor Rony, Rock Foundation Series.

26 Aug 2009: Memory Verse - The Lord's Prayer

Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
"This, then, is how you should pray:

" 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' "

Many a time have I heard of incidents whereby people modify this verse in context and assume that this is how we should pray. It would go something like "....And lead me not into sickness, but deliver me from the [insert ailment here]."

If one is doing this with the right heart and is truely sincere, I believe that it will be a nice prayer that will be received. However, if one does this with the assumption that it will work, and does it out of ignorance or insincerity, well, perhaps it may not be the most effective of prayers.

I would believe that it was not intended for us to use this prayer as a contextual template to pray effectively. Rather, it is Jesus's teaching of the proper way to pray, not constraining us to the words, but rather showing us a good direction of our prayers.

Before I start explaining, do look at the verses that came before this prayer, especially the part on not doing hypocritical acts of righteousness as well as praying like a hypocrite among the masses, as I find that there is great meaning in those passages as well.

From what I have learnt from this prayer, it is one of servitude and reverence unto God, with the knowledge that God knows our desires and needs.

1. "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
   This portion recognises God's reverence, the coming of His kingdom onto this world, as well as acknowledging God's will in all things.


2. "Give us this day our daily bread."
   This part refers to the seeking of God's providence for our needs, which in this case a symbol of our most basic need for sustenance. I tend to see it as representation of all needs, whether physical or spiritual.


3. "Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors."
   Debts in this case refers to sin, as Jews referred sin as debts in those days. Easily, this verse tells of asking for forgiveness from God, as well as letting God know that just as He has forgiven us, so shall we remember to forgive others that have done us wrong. One good reason for this can be seen in verse Matthew 6:14.


4. "And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
   The final part asks God not to allow us to fall into temptation, and to deliver us from the schemes of the devil.

So lets summarise:

1. Recognise God's reverence and will in our lives


2. Seek God's providence for our needs


3. Seek forgiveness in our sins, as well as acknowledging our forgiving of others


4. Asking for God to help in our resisting of temptations, and if we do fall into temptation, to deliver us from the devil's scheme

Finally let me conclude with my after-thoughts. Flowery language and complexities do not really add value in prayer. Make it simple, sincere, and always in love, be it love for God or in the love for others. Seek the right motives in prayer, and watch as God's faithfulness blossoms in your life :)

A blessed weekend ahead, till next we meet.

In His service,
Gab

Anointing & Baptism

Samuel 16:13 reads,

“Samuel took the olive oil and anointed David in front of his brothers.



Immediately the Spirit of the Lord took control of David and was with him from that day on.”



While He was praying, Heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit came down upon Him as a dove.



And a voice called from Heaven, ‘You are my dear Son, I am pleased with You.’”



Luke 3:21-22 read,

“After all the people had been baptized, Jesus also was baptized.



After Jesus had gone back to Heaven, His friends waited together for the Holy Spirit to come to them.



But they didn’t know exactly what would happen.

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Suddenly a rushing wind filled the house.



Tiny flames of fire rested on each person, but no one was hurt. Instead they all began to speak in strange tongues.”

Joy vs Happiness

Nehemiah said, "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." -Nehemiah 8:10-

When I read that the joy of the Lord is my strength, I was contemplating the difference between joy and happiness. A check in the dictionary shows the results below:

- HAPPINESS is an emotion usually directly related to circumstances that are currently happening.

- JOY is attitude of the heart. It is not necessarily based on something positive happening.


Difference?

Happiness is an emotion and temporary; joy is an attitude of the heart.

I may feel happy because I won $10 million through lottery. However, the excitement of gaining the wealth wears off after I spent it. Even if I were to invest the money instead of spending it, I will be happy again only if I profit in the market.

Joy, on the other hand, brings peace in the middle of a storm. We may go through hard times, disappointments and times of testing, but God works through all these to bring us joy. God is always there to help us with our problems, and through the process we find joy. We can rejoice through these testings because the joy of the Lord makes us strong.

Initially, I find it confusing. The phrase says "the joy of the Lord gives me strength". Does it mean that the Lord is joyful and hence, it gives me strength? How can His joy contribute to my strength? Then I found out that I can view it in another perspective. If I were to seek him in times of my trials, He will be joyful and help me through my difficult times. This is where I gain my strength. (God is good and hence, he will be joyful to help us. It is similar to the positive feeling we get when we help the needy. The needy draws strength from us and we feel contented from helping them.)

Satan tries everything in his power to steal your joy by tempting you with things that will temporarily give you happiness but at the same time drift you away from God.

So... Hold on tight to your joy!

05 Aug 09: Memory Verse

Philippians 4:13 (NIV)
I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

~ Contributor: Lionel

Karaoke Images Uploaded!

Whoohoo! Finally able to upload! My goodness! :D

The cell's inaugural karaoke-cum-buffet!

Stanley and Gabriel bringing in more food!

My attempt to capture everyone in the shot.

Parting shot!

Announcement Widget

It's a bit amazing that I can spend 3 hours just to get this small widget up. But well it's definitely worth it; looks nicer and more integrated than when it once was. :D

If you still have no idea what I'm talking about, do check the top bit, right below our blog header. It's the coloured rectangle with the name "Announcement." Thought it will be a good-to-have so whenever we come to this page, we will know immediately what, when, and where is the next upcoming event.

As such, I've also decided to remove the "Next Cell" widget, which originally resided in the right column. Did not find the need in having two widgets which serve the same purpose. ;)

Thoughts and feedback are most welcome. :)

20090807 Karaoke-cum-Buffet!

I think blogger is screwed up again and refuses to have that normal text editing bar which allows me to upload photos. :S

Shall post up some photos from our outing when it is up again.

In the meanwhile, do check out the photos that I had taken that night. Enjoy! :)

Holy Spirit and baptism

Praise the Lord! The accident passed with little hoo-ha. Eddie's parents did not make a big fuss and my principal have not yet called me to drink 'kopi' with her. Eddie was vomitting and on tube feeding while he was hospitalized. Thank God he is discharged from the hospital and can be fed via the mouth.



In the subsequent weeks, I will be teaching on the topic of Holy Spirit. To tell you the truth, I have zero knowledge. I believe some children will know the topic better than I do (>o<)! Nevertheless, I must fight the battle and equip myself with the knowledge.



Do let me share the little knowledge that I've gathered. I bet most of you know better than me. Let's begin: v(^o^)v (Say 'yay!')

There are 3 distinct types of baptism:

1. Salvation in 1 Corinthians 12:13 is called the baptism by the Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ. This is what happens when a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, also called the New Birth.



2. Water Baptism in Acts 22:16 is by a pastor (or other church leader) and is a public testimony of how much the Christian wants to obey and follow Jesus Christ. This baptism is by immersion in water and signifies that the person being baptized understands the need for repentance from sin.



3. Holy Spirit Baptism in Acts 1:8 describes when the Christian allows Jesus to immerse him or her in the Holy Spirit's fullness. This type of baptism is also referred to in the Bible as the Spirit "falling upon", "coming upon", or being "poured out upon" the Christian.

Baptism with the Holy Spirit is the second most important gift a Christian will receive. A pre-believer cannot receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Once we know the person is a Christian, it is important to explain that God wants all Christians to experience a deeper work of the Holy Spirit. The fullness of the Holy Spirit brings more spiritual power for intensified Christian service (see Acts 1:4,5; 1 Corinthians 6:19).

To sidetrack a little, I came across a medical study that proves Holy Spirit praying:



God bless and may you have a victorious week!

Courage is fear turned into prayer

Yesterday, I was holding on to three children and one ran away. One of the children I was still holding on to was mouthing a blunt metal hook tied to a door using a piece of string. In a hurry to get the runaway child back, I said in a stern voice, "Eddie, don't mouth the hook." Then, I pulled his hand towards the direction of the runaway child. The next thing that happened was that I heard a loud shrill. When I looked at Eddie, I was shocked that the hook pierced through his cheek from inside his mouth. I was screaming in my heart, "No!!! God... Tell me what to do..." I was so afraid that he might pull the hook and tear the side of his mouth that I removed it immediately. As I brought him to the first aid room, I was deeply apologetic for causing pain to him.

As I was feeling sorrowful last night, I chanced upon this passage:

We often think that to have courage means to be unafraid, but the opposite seems to be true: courage is the ability to take action despite our fear. When faced with a seemingly insuperable task or situation, a courageous person realizes the limits of her resources; however, she cannot avoid or escape the overpowering situation. The supremacy of that which she must face forces her to her knees, and although the task seems impossible, something within her senses that it is not. As she tackles the impossible, she falls back on another seeming impossibility: God. Because the task at hand exceeds the limits of her abilities, she must resort to something beyond these limits, and here we have the origin of prayer. Prayer is a courageous stand in the face of an overpowering task. The courageous person prays because she is afraid. Hence, courage is a quality of being humble and understanding the limits of our resources.

After reading that, I fell on my knees and waited upon the Lord. I believe things will soon be fine because God said that all things work together for good to those who love him and have been called according to his purpose.

Moses

Problem? No problem.

I am down with a cold and a slight fever these few days. Would like to praise God for all the caring friends who sent me get well wishes (you know who you are) and a message below (Adapted from "How to be your best when you feel the worst" by Casey Treat) :

The apostle Paul had more than his share of challenges. In 2 Corinthians 12:10, he wrote, “Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” Think for a moment about the kinds of challenges he mentioned in this passage. None of them sounds fun.

“Infirmities” literally means sicknesses, diseases, feebleness, or weakness. We rebuke illness. We pray against it. We believe God to be healed from it. But when we get sick anyway and are forced to deal with our physical infirmity, we may find our greatest strength. We may find our grandest faith. We may find our deepest character. We may find a phenomenal relationship with God that we never knew we could have.



“Reproaches” means insults and injuries. It's no fun when people don't like us – and yet that kind of rejection may cause us to examine what we truly believe in and what we stand for. Does it really matter what someone thinks about us? Are we trying to please people, or please God? Are we here to make people like us, or are we here to obey our Father in heaven? You may find more strength if you quit being a people-pleaser and instead see reproaches for what they are: opportunities to grow stronger.

What did Paul mean by “needs” (or necessities) and “distresses”? Remember, this is the apostle Paul, who had been to the third heaven, to Paradise. This believer had been in the very throne room of God and there saw things he couldn't even tell us about – and yet here he is, back on earth, with needs and distresses.

Just because Paul had needs, however, didn't mean he was outside of God's will. His needs simply gave him an opportunity to get stronger. In the same way, your own needs can help you to find greater strength and a richer relationship with God. Allow your needs to drive you to God, not away from Him. Remember that Jesus told us, “your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (Matthew 6:8, NIV). He knows your need. He does not despise you for it. And yet it's still true that “you do not have, because you do not ask God” (James 4:2, NIV). Let your needs help you to find greater strength in God and a deeper relationship with your Father.

Paul also mentioned “persecutions.” Remember that Jesus said we'd receive a hundredfold when we give to the kingdom – but that it would come with persecution (Mark 10:30). We like the hundredfold increase, but not so much the persecution! We want to be filled with the Spirit, but we don't like it when people talk about us because we pray with the Spirit. We want to be a part of something that changes the spiritual landscape of our land, but then we get nervous when people persecute us because of what we believe.



But in the persecution, Paul tells you, you'll find a greater relationship with God. If they hated his Lord, they're going to take a few shots at you – but before you die, you can take a few to heaven with you. You have a decision to make: are you a Christian because it's nice, or because you love God?

The last word Paul mentions here is “distresses”. Paul said that he found his greatest strength in distress and in the pressures of life. Who of us learns much through our victories? We just celebrate, have fun, and think we're cool. But in our hard times? In our losses and in our difficulties? That's where we learn more, we change more, and we become better people. When everything is going well, we don't think much about praying and seeking God and changing. But when things go bad, sometimes we get really spiritual. Let's walk with God all the time – in the good times and the bad.

When you're weak, you'll find your greatest strength. When you're down, you'll find your highest high. When you face your worst battle (and they're never fun), that's when you'll find your greatest victory.