Teach me, Lord to wait
Down on my knees
Till in your own good time
You will answer my pleas
Teach me not to rely on what others do
But to wait in prayer
For an answer from You
"He has made everything beautiful in His time"-Ecc 3:11
Teach me, Lord to wait
While my heart is all aflame
Let me humble my pride
And call on our name
Keep my faith renewed;
Keep my eyes fixed on You
Let me be on this earth
What You want me to be
"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal."-2 Cor 4:18
Those who wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings like eagles
They shall run and not be weary
They shall walk and not faint
Teach me, Lord to wait
"But He said to me,'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"-2 Cor 12:9
"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:4
-Poernomo-
Sunday 16 December 2007
Teach me Lord, to wait......on my knees
Wednesday 21 November 2007
Sera speaks, "A truly godly person."
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
The truly godly person never forgets that he was at one time an object of God's holy and just wrath. He never forgets that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and he feels along with Paul that he is himself the worst of sinners. But then as he looks to the cross, he sees that Jesus bore his sins in His own body and that the wrath of God -- the wrath that he, a sinner, should have borne -- was expended completely and totally upon the Holy Son of God. And in this view of Calvary, he sees the love of God.
The love of God has no meaning apart from Calvary, and Calvary has no meaning apart from the holy and just wrath of God. Jesus did not die just to give us peace and a purpose in life; He died to save us from the wrath of God. He died to reconcile us to a holy God who was alienated from us because of our sin. He died to ransom us from the penalty of sin -- the punishment of everlasting destruction, shut out from the presence of the Lord. He died that we, the just objects of God's wrath, should become, by His grace, heirs of God and co-heirs with Him.
=)
Tuesday 13 November 2007
Lingpin shares some thoughts
Lingpin works for the Army and is a full-time servant for God. He serves in many areas in church, including playing the drums for the church band and editing videos and taking photographs. He inspires many with his sacrificial heart.
Hi guys, Tuesday 6 November 2007
Wilfred speaks: "He ain't heavy, He's our brother."
During one of the hangouts of our small group, the
Awesome 5 (Lubin, Kelvin, Shawn, David and I), we
found ourselves discussing about our funerals. It may
seem odd for a bunch of young men to be discussing
this but for some reason we did and along the way we
made a pact - that since there's five of us, the first
one to depart would be carried by the remaining 4.
That pact was realized last Monday when a few brothers and I were pallbearers at David's funeral.
The thought of organizing the pall bearing was something that weighed heavily on my mind but I had no time to address it until after the second service on Sunday. I hesitated stepping forward to ask but as Kelvin put it best, there won't be another time.
I was glad that David's Dad was open to my suggestion and quickly gathered a group of brothers for the task- Ling Pin, Anthony, Andrew, Shawn and Kelvin. I really appreciate them for serving especially at such late notice. I knew for certain had Lubin been back in Singapore, he would've been there with us.
As did the Church say to David during the appreciation service, from 1 Thessalonians 5:13, 'We hold you inthe highest regard', so did the pallbearers expressthat by bearing the coffin on our shoulders. It was an honor to be carrying a hero on ourshoulders; one who has had tremendous impact on thepeople around him. As I look back on that last act of service we performed for our dear brother, the lyrics of that 60 shit by The Hollies, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother comes to mind.
The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where
But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he, to bear
We'll get there
For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another
It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on our way to there
Why not share
And the load
Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
The path leading to the hearse did seem long, but it was over too quickly. I knew my prayers for the six of us to be strong and stedfast were answered as we complete that final act of service. And no the load didn't weigh us down at all for He Ain't Heavy, He's Our Brother.
Love Wilfred
Monday 5 November 2007
Sera speaks: "Total Responsibility and Total Dependence."
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too! 
Though the power for Christlike character comes from Christ, the responsibility for developing and displaying that character is ours.
Philipians 2:12-13
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.
It is us who are called to self-activity, to have active pursuit of the will of God, to promote our spiritual life in himself, to realize the virtues of the Christian life, and to personally apply to salvation. =)
If this was all that was asked of us, we'd be left to our own devices, to our own strength of character and our own willpower.
But Paul does not stop with just our responsibility, he says, "For it is God who works in you."
The spiritual power that enables us to apply ourselves to the cultivation of Christian graces is of God. He works in us so that we can will and act upon it.
Dutch reformed pastor George W. Bethune quotes:
"While, therefore, we grow in the Christian life by divine grace, it is our duty to grow in grace. Besides, the quality of grace is such that, though it is strength from God, we must use it. Grace gives no new faculty, but strengthens the faculties which we have... hence the fruits of the spirit are the qualities and actions of the renewed man, not produced without him, but wrought through him... Let us then be ever mindful of our entire dependence upon the spirit of God... [but] let us be ever mindfu of our duty to maintain good works."
The fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5 are commands addressed to our responsibility. We are to have those traits because God has already given us the power to attain them. =)
With Philippians 3:12-14, we learn that there's a need to press on and strain forward. Paul even tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7 to train himself to be godly. =)
With God's power, we're to use it to develop our characters so that we can display them to please God. No wait for His power to work its way into our hearts. =)
Love you guys....
Tuesday 30 October 2007
His name is David
I heard that bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather, the ability to conquer the fear, and turn it into strength and inspiration.
And I have seen someone who trully wrestles, never gives in, and continuously fight, till the end.
He is courageous enough to give thanks to the Almighty, in knowing what he's going through;
He is not afraid to keep smiling, yet facing the another day of uncertainty;
He is no doubt that tomorrow will definitely be better;
He is secured of having the hope of eternity and never let it fading away;
He is concern enough to ask me, "How are you?" despite himself feeling pain;
He is brave enough to see all the injecting needles, without complaining to God;
He dares to dream, for his loved ones and his friends;
He is valiant enough to take another chance of treatment, instead of giving in;
He is courageous enough to stay faithful, until the end.
And his name is David, who turns all his fears and uncertainties into inspirations, that makes a difference in so many lives.
David will rise again
(Something that Huixian has sent me, thanks sister)"Your brother shall rise again."
(John 11:23)
When you told me your loved one passed away, I didn't know what to say.
I asked the Lord,
What do I say to someone who has just experienced such a loss?
Then I remembered what Jesus said, when He saw Mary and Martha crying
after the death of their brother, Lazarus:
"Your brother shall rise again."
That's the verse God led me to right after my own brother's death at age 22.
I knew he was with Jesus, but I still needed something to hold onto,
so I had turned to the Bible: and that verse jumped right off the page.
I wish I could ease your pain.
I know the Lord will sustain you.
He says, "Fear not, for I will strengthen you,
I will uphold you with my strong right hand."
Know that your loved one is in a place of true peace now,
where there is no more pain, neither sorrow, nor crying.
And, as Jesus told Mary and Martha, you shall see him again.
Paul told the Thessalonians they should not grieve
as those who do not have the hope of eternal life,
that those who "fall asleep" in Jesus shall rise again.
We have this hope. Of course, it's normal to sense a loss.
I know Jesus will help you carry that burden, as I know He loves you dearly
and everything that touches you, touches Him.
God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able to endure. This, too, shall pass....
God is supreme and fully in charge of all things.
Nothing takes Him by surprise.
He is personally aware of even the slightest events on earth --
even the fall of a sparrow, Jesus said.
"And you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12)
Our job is to trust the Father's wisdom
He really does have the eternal perspective and oversight on such things
and truly does have our best interests in mind.
"All things work together for good ..." (Romans 8:28)
Take care, little lamb.
Many things about tomorrow we don't understand,
but we know Who holds tomorrow ... and I know He holds your hand
love in christ,
mari
Sera speaks: "David our Warrior."
Warrior
I think you should know, this boy
Gentle joyful loyal
I think you should know, this boy
Friendly unassuming
I think you should know, this boy
Pure-hearted courageous
I think you should know, this boy….
Warrior
Warrior
Compassionate spiritual
Our Warrior
Our Warrior
I think you should know, this boy
Encouraging self-sacrificing
I think you should know, this boy
Unfailing unwavering
I think you should know, this boy
Focused on the path that’s lighted
I think you should know, this boy….
Warrior
Warrior
With his sword and his shield
He’s our Warrior
Warrior
Warrior
God is his stronghold
God is his strength
God is his saviour, he said
God is his teacher and God is his master
Now, God is his faith
Warrior
Warrior
Compassionate spiritual
Our Warrior
Our Warrior
Victoria speaks: "Something for David."
Jun Yan speaks: "In memory of David Liao."
Dear all,
To wax lyrical on most other people would come out pretentious and false, and yet it seems most deserving and fitting when applied to David Liao. It is testament of the impact and influence of a person when he touches the lives of the numerous people he has met, yet even that is far surpassed when the life he has touched is of someone he has never met, spoken to, nor knows how that person looks like.
For the duration of 5-6 months that I have heard about David, I have had a fairly thorough glimpse into his life through his friends at Central Christian Church's Campus Ministry, and it is a picture painted with vibrant colours and bold strokes, yet utterly down-to-earth and unassuming. For through the stories told by his friends, David had an incredibly active life, excelled in practically all endeavours, brought lots of laughter, and yet defined to me the meaning of humility. It is said that excellence takes "blood, sweat and tears", but many would agree that it takes a great man to remain humble, and in my opinion, David deserves to be called a "great man".
A true test of greatness comes when one faces adversity, and David epitomised the spirit of courage and determination when faced with a deadly disease. Drawing on his faith and support of his loved ones, I am in no doubt that he stared back at the cancer with an intense belief and desire to beat the odds. And even though the odds proved too great, he fought till the very end, never giving up as long as there was still a speck of hope... and we were there cheering him on. This spirit of never giving up, of 自不息, is something I will always remember about David.
Benjamin Disraeli, one of Britain's most astute Prime Ministers of all time, once said that "The legacy of heroes is the memory of a great name and the inheritance of a great example." David is certainly a hero of sorts in our hearts, and he has left behind the legacy of a great example of how to be a good Christian, a good human, a good citizen, and a good son. Let us not mourn the passing of a great person, a great friend, a great inspiration, but let us celebrate the fulfilling life he had and the memorable times that he has spent with us. And as for me who has never met him, I am sure that years down the road when my memory is fading and I can't remember his name, I will still remember his story of courage and inspiration.
With love,
Jun Yan
Gwen speaks: "Let us be comforted."
Dear all,
Psalm 34:18
Psalm 23
Psalm 27:4-5
with love,
Gwen =)
Monday 29 October 2007
Andrew speaks: "Wonderful memories of David."
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Dear brothers and sisters,
It's been a long time i've written anything lengthy since the time iSMURFS did our common quiet time and often written our sharing and send to one another. Still remembered that though David was sick he was the one who shared the most. : ) Today i just want to pen down my thoughts about our dear brother who has gone back to Our Father's home and i'll always miss the times i've spent with him.
I remember the first times when i actually got to know David was when he's still in NS and confirmed that he's going into SMU. I think that time Weekeong was asking me to get him involve in the campus activities while he is going to come to campus anyway. Then we ended up in the same small group and the initial first spend time with him i was very very impressed by his convictions and the way he loved his family and the disciples. I still remember asking him what was his weaknesses and he mentioned that he struggled in time management. But trust me, David was juggling his commitments so much better than me but i really appreciate his heart because he really hoped to spend more time with the people he has come to love.
After spending considerable time together i'm convinced that David would be the an awesome campus leader and on my part i really felt relieved because even though i've only get to know him for several months but David has such a pure and sincere, totally devoted to God and people that it was a very clear sign as least to me just like when Samuel was told to anoint King David.
In his first semester in SMU he never stop trying to get the disciples on campus to come together. He was very busy and tied down by his own school work but he would always try to arrange them in such a way so that he can come for church. He would be such a fillial and obedient son, he always want to go back home to have his family dinners and be at home with his parents. ALongside all these, David has so many great friendships with the people and he'll always invite them to church. He has them on his mind all the time. One other amazing quality he has is in singing... i'm still amazed how he sang 'One Night in Beijing' so well...
David, I'm glad you've fought the good fight and you hung on to your faith right till the very end. I'm so proud of all the things you have done and through them many have been impacted by your faith. I'm saddened that today we've lost a very dear brother in Christ and that we couldn't fight hand in hand to save the lost together anymore but i'm very happy for you that you've gone to be with the Lord and we see each other again in heaven.
We always miss you in our hearts
Love
Andrew
Monday 15 October 2007
Weekeong speaks "God and Newton Running"
Weekeong is our awesome pastor and currently leading the East Sector and Campus Ministry of our church with his beautiful wife, Joyce. He has two adorable sons and enjoys running, sports and reading.
Dear Campus,
It feels great to be back in Singapore after the International Leadership Conference in the sunny city of Los Angeles, California! The theme was “For All Generations” & we had an incredible time of fellowship, praying, worshipping God, listening to His Word & rededicating our hearts back to having faith for all generations to come!
In the midst of having appointments with old friends & meeting new ones, I got to share this with you. I had been dying to get my hands (and feet, actually) on a pair of running shoes that is not widely known in the US & unavailable for sale outside of it. So, I had it pre-ordered from the company that makes it in Boulder, Colorado and got it to be delivered to the hotel I was in the night I arrived! Imagine the thrill of seeing my package at the hotel concierge!
I went back to the room & tore everything open & found myself with the lightest, most responsive, forefoot running shoe I have ever seen! The company is known as Newton Running & the shoes are simply called Newtons. Why is it so different?
First of all, if we try to run barefooted, we naturally land on our forefoot. It’s a god-given natural instinct to allow us to absorb the shock of the impact with our entire leg before running shoes were invented. Most shoes we see on the market have a heel to forefoot ratio of about 2:1. Translated? The heel is a lot thicker & heavier than the front of the shoe, making forefoot running difficult & unnatural under the circumstances. Newtons are NOT designed for people who heel-strike. In fact, the heel is not designed to last very long if one lands on it all the time.
Secondly, gel-cushioning is so 80’s. More & more runners are abandoning the gel & looking for something more absorbing & will last longer. However, they are at a crossroad & don’t know where to go. Did I mention that there are hardly any shoes with gel in the forefoot anyway? Newtons have a few strips of cushioning lugs that reduce normal impacts of 20 G’s to about 12 G’s. In other words, we feel less impact & we run more naturally.
Thirdly, most shoes are designed to wear from the inside out. Translated? Your 4-year old Nike’s still look pretty cool on the outside although all the “bounciness” it used to have may have been lost quite a while ago. Newtons are designed to wear from the outside in meaning that the sole of the shoe may look its been to Irag & back, but the protective cushioning will last far longer.
I had the opportunity to run about 25k over 3 days in my Newtons while I was at the conference (on a treadmill in the gym of course) & when I was out in the desert road for a few days after the conference, I ran about 10 k in them. It felt great! The shoes makes contact with the ground a lot faster than my best Asics shoes & feels weightless!
I think about our relationship with God & the few parallels that comes to mind:
1) We are naturally designed to be worshipful. But the world has given us a life that is filled with distractions & false-gods, making worshipping God difficult. Christians are NOT designed to worship anything other than the Almighty. In fact, we won’t last very long if we continue to worship “idols” like worldliness.
2) More & more people are abandoning their old traditional Chinese beliefs & becoming atheist. They are at a crossroad & don’t know where to go. Christianity teaches us how to protect & cushion our hearts against the evil onslaught of Satan, reducing the hurts that come from sin from unbearable to a totally refreshing feeling when we repent!
3) The world teaches us to wear from the inside out; the first to go are our hearts, our moral principals, our integrity & our beliefs. Everything else on the outside can be plastered & maintained through cosmetics & plastic surgery. The Bible teaches us the “though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day”. (2 Corinthians 4:16)
God wants the last thing that goes out to be our hearts! Isn’t it what it’s all about? We don’t have to worry about the outside wearing out. Adam probably looked the way he was from age 60 till he dies at 930 years old. Or do we seriously think we can look like we’re in our twenties ALL the time?
I look forward to continually training & enjoy running. But I look forward more to serving God with a pure heart till the day I die. I am going to have many more pairs of running shoes (provided my body holds out) but in this life, I have only ONE heart. I have no intention of letting it wear out soon. What about you?
Look forward to your thoughts!
Love,
Wee Keong
Tuesday 9 October 2007
Alfred speaks: "Soaring like eagles."
Alfred is our very cheerful, zealous and fired up brother. He loves children and is always inspiring others with his soft heart towards the word of God.
Hi bro and sis,
Let’s us turn to Acts 2:42-47
Acts 2:42
They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
I believe everyone is familiar with this passage. I want everyone not to focus on their action but focus on their heart. What do they have that we can learn from?
Gratitude! Are u grateful of what God has bless u?
From this passage, you don’t get a hint of them dragging themselves for meeting. They just love the fellowship. They enjoy the fellowship! They come together and praise God. Praise about the almighty Lord. Through this passage, I see that brothers and sisters are very grateful and they want to meet every day to praise God.
When are our meetings?
-Mid week won’t be in our own individual campus anymore. Our mid week will be on wed in church. The meetings that we have is wed, fri and sun! All meetings are compulsory! I want to see all the brothers and sisters in all meetings. They are compulsory.
If u have good reasons for not coming pls let me know. Don’t just let LP know. I need to know too. When I sms everyone about the detail of the meeting and I don’t get any reply from you, I assume you will be there. I will appreciate if u can just sms me that you are not coming for some good reason.
Why do you need to come for all the meetings? The reason is because all of us need spiritual food. We need spiritual food from the lesson, encouragement from the fellowship, input of how we can do better from our d – group. All these meetings are important! They give us spiritual food.
What stop us from going to meetings?
Ungratefulness and tiredness.
Now, I will teach you how to get strength from the Lord.
SOARING LIKE EAGLES
Have you ever wondered why Isaiah 40:31 is written the way it is?
:30 Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
ISA 40:31 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.
Question: Why is the Eagle mentioned specifically?
Question: What is so special about Eagles that they have a place in the bible?
Question: What is the linkage between waiting upon the Lord and renewal of strength?
Question: Why is it that when you mount up with wings like eagles, you do not get tired?
The eagle is a creation of God. It is the most majestic of all birds and is mentioned many times in the bible. In fact, the eagle is mentioned 38 times, much more than the dove or other birds. An eagle is around 90 cm tall and reaches over 2 m between the wings. She builds her nest on the cliff or in a high tree. The nest is so large that a human can sleep in it. It can weigh 700 kg and is also comfortable.
With the basis of God's word, we shall see what the king of birds can show us concerning truths about God, and also about Christians.
________________________________________
Lesson 1: All Baby Eagles Must Learn To Fly
High in the mountains, a baby eagle is born. Like all other babies, there are two things that baby eagles love to do:eat and sleep. The baby eagle would spend its initial life in the comfort of the nest. Everyday, mama eagle would find food and drop it directly into the open mouths of the hungry eaglet. With a satisfied stomach, the eaglet then goes to sleep and the cycle continues when it becomes hungry again.
This goes on for a few weeks, until one day, mama eagle would just hover over the nest. This time, there is no food. After hovering a few rounds, mama eagle would make a dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. She then takes one of her babies in her mouth and starts rounds, mama eagle would make a dive into the nest and begins to shake it violently. She then takes one of her babies in her mouth and starts soaring into the skies. The baby eaglet begins to tremble, "Mama is mad! Mama is mad!" Suddenly, she drops the baby eaglet who starts to struggle.
Just before the eaglet smashes against the rocks, mama eagle would sweep down and pick it up. This goes on for about five to eight times. The eaglet starts to wonder why mama is doing this. Everytime it is being dropped from the sky, the eaglet would struggle by flapping its wings. "Mama can fly. I want to fly like her too!", the eaglet says to itself. What beautiful picture! Mama is teaching her young to fly. At about the fourteenth to fifteenth try, the eaglet begins to fly.
Relevance
Christians are like baby eagles, comfortable in the nest. They come to church once a week for food. They would wait for pastor to drop "spiritual" food into their mouths. When service is over, they would go home, "sleep" for a few days and the cycle continues, until one day, something happens and they struggle. The nest gets shaken and they don't know what to do. "It's the devil! It's the devil!" they exclaim. No, it's not! It's just our loving Father who allows our nest to be shaken because He wants us to grow into maturity, so that we can fly. It's no point being an eagle that cannot fly.
The Word of God says in Exodus 19:4 that God bare the children of Israel on eagles' wings. Here we see the eagle symbolise God. The way mama eagle treats her young shows us how God treats His children. In the world, they push people upward when they are going up. But God lets us fall down to get us up.
When you are ready, your time will come, God is going to shake your nest, wanting you to leave your comfort zone.
God carries us supernaturally through all our trials, even if we don't feel it. God teaches us to Believe His word and use our Faith.
________________________________________
Lesson 2: Eagles Are Made For The High Places
Unlike other birds that fly in the lowlands, eagles are created to fly in the high places, out of sight of the naked human eye and out of range of the hunter's rifle. - Relevance God made us to fly in the high places, free from the world's control. A tourist to the Jurong Bird Park once commented that the eagles there looked very clean. In reply, the bird-keeper said: "When eagles are in freedom, they are the cleanest birds. But when they are in captivity, they are the dirtiest."
God made us pure and holy to conform to the image of His Son. If Christians are in captivity, that is subjected to the ways of the world, we can be the "dirtiest" of all creatures.
What are the things that you are subjected to his world that makes us dirty? Greed. Ambition so on… For student, what are the examples of greed? Putting their study above God. I am a teacher and I am a believer in education. As a Christian, we should glorify God in our studies. However, if we study and don’t prioritize our time well and not come to church meetings that is not right.
Don’t let Greed captives you. Don’t let ambition captives you. Let us "fly" in the high places, out of the world's control.
________________________________________
Lesson 3: Eagles Do Not Fly, They Soar
Eagles do not fly like other birds, flapping their wings profusely and using their own strength. Instead, eagles SOAR majestically, making use of the wind currents to gain height. What makes the eagle so special is that she sits on the rock and reads the wind and when the time is perfect she takes off and soars upward with her great wings.
There is a special up going wind where the eagle rides the wind and circle higher and higher toward the sky, without effort. She just spreads her wings.
The wind is referred many times in the bible as the Holy Spirit. We can learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit and let Him lift us closer to Jesus. The eagle in this case is the Christian who is being lifted by the Holy Spirit up and closer to Jesus.
Like eagles, we should learn to ride on the current of the Holy Spirit, instead of relying on our own strength. Only then can we "gain height" to "fly" in the high places. Isaiah 40:31 talks about growing in Christ, that happens when we have fellowship with Him in the Spirit.
"We are a family whose hearts are blazing"
Just wanna share a few songs from a lovely Christian singer, Kathy Troccoli. Make My Life A Prayer is really beautiful. Enjoy.
Btw, David is currently in Room 30 at Dover Park Hospice (Near National Skin Centre and TTSH). You guys can drop by anytime, except after 8pm.
http://www.myspace.com/KathyTroccoliMusic
Pick Yourself Up
Nothing is impossible I have found
For when my chin is on the ground
I pick myself up, dust myself off, start all over again
Don't lose your confidence if you slip
Be grateful for a pleasant trip
And pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again
Work like a soul inspired till the battle of the day is won
You may be sick and tired but you'll be a man my son
Don't you remember the famous man who had to fall to rise again?
They picked themselves up, dust themselves off and started all over again
***
Make My Life A Prayer To You
Make my life a prayer to You
I want to do what You want me to
No empty words and no white lies, no token prayers, no compromise.
I want to shine the Light You gave
Through Your Son You sent to save us from ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know You’re really there.
And I want to thank You now for being patient with me
Oh, it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me
Guess I have to trust and just believe what You say
You’re coming again.
Coming to take me away.
I want to die and let You give Your life to me
So I might live and share the Hope You gave to me
The Love that set me free.
I wanna tell the world out there
You’re not some fable, a fairy-tale that I made up inside my head
You’re God - the Son You’ve risen from the dead!
I want to die and let You give Your life to me
So I might live and share the Hope You gave to me
I wanna share the Love that set me free.
Go Light Your World
There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame
Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world
We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times
love in christ :)
mari
Monday 8 October 2007
Friday 5 October 2007
Wee Keong responds: "It is who they are living for"
Weekeong is our awesome pastor and currently leading the East Sector and Campus Ministry of our church with his beautiful wife, Joyce. He has two adorable sons and enjoys running, sports and reading.Good question, Vic. My answer to that unfortunately cannot be any one answer; it is ALL those answers, and more.
I think if we can narrowly define godliness as a constant sense & awareness of who we are and who God is, what we do & what He expects us to do, how we are responsible to others, how we react to others, how we express our thoughts & feelings in an appropriate manner that will not stumble others, how we make sacrifices & walk away from doing things we like to do as opposed to doing what we need to do etc…then the best comparison I can think of is that of being a mother.
Moms are motivated at times, hopeful at times, responsible, sad, happy and joyful. They make sacrifices for the better of others, decides to forgo what they would like to do otherwise. They are grateful, loving, guilty etc all rolled into one… I guess what I am saying is there isn’t one single reason that drives them; rather it is who they are living for - their loved ones. They continually make adjustments & corrections to their thinking. There is no single thought (hopefully) that dominates what they do. And they trudge along year after year after year.
I think the same goes for us. We live for Christ. When we fall short (and we’ll have plenty of practice doing that), we constantly make changes & corrections & repent. We don’t want a single motivation to dominate us because we can’t feel guilty all the time, or have a sense of responsibility all the time etc…we need to keep filtering & purifying our motives…because He lives, I can face tomorrow, because He lives, all fear is gone…(Choi’s soprano voice) Just kidding….but you get the point.
Love,
Wee Keong
Victoria speaks: "What is Godly living?"
Victoria, a fresh psychology grad from NUS, is a full-time teacher in a secondary school. She enjoys cooking and that makes many of us in Campus very happy indeed!
HI all,Thursday 4 October 2007
Poernomo speaks: "A conversation between Satan and Jesus."
Poernomo, a PHD student in chemical engineering from NTU, is a delightful person who inspires all of us with his awe and amazement for God's creations.
Dear all,Just got a message from my friend and I think it's great to share with you guys. Reflect on it.
One day Satan was on the chat with Jesus and he still had great bad attitude to God for expelling him from the Garden of Eden.
Satan said to Jesus,
"You know, I was just looking at the earth. I'm setting many traps and tempting them. And I'm sure they will not be able to reject it. I will get them all."
Then Jesus asked him,
"Then what will you do to them?"
Satan answered,
"Oh, I will teach them how to lust, marry and divorce, to be selfish and hate each other, to get drunk, to smoke, to curse. And I will also teach them how to kill one another and to create war. I will definitely enjoy every single moment playing them around."
Jesus asked him again,
"And what will you do after you get all those pleasures?"
Satan simply replied,
"Oh, I will kill them."
Jesus asked him,
"How much is the cost to redeem them?"
And satant stunningly answered,
"What's your intention? You definitely will not want them, will you? They are not worthy at all. Look, what they will do to you. They will hate you, spit on you, curse you, and eventually kill you. You will not want them."
Jesus insisted asking him,
"How much is it?"
Satan looked at Him and said,
"Well, as you wish, it is as much as your blood, your tears, and you life." And he laughed.
Jesus answered him undoubtedly, "Deal!!" Then He went down to earth and paid the price.- Isn't it funny how humans easily put God away and ask why this world is like hell?
- And isn't it funny how one says that he believes in Jesus and still follow satan's path? - And isn't it funny how I'm more worried with people's opinion than God's on me?
Love,
Poernomo
Friday 28 September 2007
Sera speaks: "How can defeat encourage you."
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
Wednesday 26 September 2007
Sera speaks: "Do we remember each other?"
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
How much more should we love each other in the ministry, or our small groups even. =)
It is very difficult to constantly love each other when we're so close because we tend to assume everyone is ok. We can't wait around for a problem before we, then, share our love. It has to be a constant thing. How much of the ministry is really in our hearts? =)
Paul had a prayer for the Philippi church and it is a prayer for us to.
Alex from the East speaks: "Mockers or Weepers."
A big guy with an even bigger heart, Alex is a brother who is very contented and happy. He finds joy in the little encouragements God places in his life.
“Is it worth it?” This phrase/question has been used several times in many ways of our society, especially when we want to purchase something. For example, a car, a house, or even daily necessities.
But has anyone ever asked “Is it worth it for Jesus to have died on the cross for me?”
I came across this over a few months ago when my group was doing a study on Jesus. We had freedom of just reading any passages in the Bible related to Jesus. So I was going through all the miracles he performed and then I noticed something. There were 2 distinct groups of people witnessing his death. The MOCKERS and the WEEPERS.
Definition:
“Mocker” (Thanks to dictionary.com)
– Noun
-someone who jeers or mocks or treats something with contempt or calls out in derision
“Weeper” (Thanks to dictionary .com)
- Noun
-a person who weeps.
I’m sure somewhere along our life we have been a mocker and a weeper. But as disciples of God, where do we stand in our spiritual life?
In the bible, there were several accounts of Jesus being mocked at by different people.
Matthew 26:57-67 [Mocked by the Sanhedrin]
Matthew 27:20-26, Mark 15:1-15, Luke 23:1-23 [Mocked by the crowds in front of Pilate]
Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, Luke 23:36 [Mocked by the soldiers]
Luke 23:39 [Mocked and insulted by the criminal next to him]
I know that there is a lot to read but all these contributed to Jesus still wanting to die for us. How does he do it? All I can is the ultimate example of LOVE! Loving us enough to die for us no matter what.
Now for the passages that mentioned the weepers:
Like 23:26-31 [Followers who mourned and wailed for him]
Yes! I kid you not, there was only 1 verse mentioning some followers who were weeping for him en route to the crucifixion! Notice the contrast of the ratio to the previously mentioned mockers!
Now imagine this scenario. Jesus from the beginning was preaching the good word of God to thousands and they responded. Then within a matter of hours, you see a drastic change of attitude! The same people who responded ended up mocking him and calling him names and telling of crimes he was innocent of! How do you think Jesus felt if you were in his shoes? So was it worth it?
I personally think that it was worth it! He spread the word far and wide! Amongst all those discouraging moments, there was that one short moment of seeing that group of weepers! In today’s context, it is almost equivalent to finding a Sugar Cane Drink stall in the middle of the Gobi desert! The moment of happiness and satisfaction that all those things were worth it!
So how do I apply to my life now? Well the fact is, as disciples we are both a mocker and a weeper! At times of sin, we mock while at times of repentance, we weep! The whole beauty of it is that when we are broken about those moments of pride and sin that is when God truly weeps for joy!
We can learn from Peter, he too was a mocker when he denied Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed. But after that he wept and did repent. BUT don’t get me wrong! I’m not saying that gives us license to start sinning! It all starts from you attitude! Hope this sharing does help!
Cheers to all!
Stefanie speaks: "Reformation."
Stefanie, our dear sister from Indonesia, is currently doing her Masters in Civil Engineering at NUS. She's full of life and also full of child-like wisdom!
just wanna share my QT from II Chronicles 29-30, now that I have the time to write a proper email to u. Since the passage is quite long to attach here, I'll go
straight to what I got.
I read about Hezekiah and how he purified the Temple and planned to have a Passover which hadn't been done for centuries, since the time Solomon died. In this passage there're some characters who responded differently to the reformation Hezekiah did.
1. Hezekiah himself
I appreciate his heart. He did what was right as soon as he knew the truth, not wasting time. It takes courage to do something that hadn't been done for a long time, and insisted to have the Passover though they couldn't make it on the designated time. He even invited people from Israel to join the celebration, because he knew despite of the separation that happened, Israel was still their brother. He prepared everything he could, divided responsibilities to his leaders and people, and his key of success was said in ch 31.
II Chr 31:21 In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered.
2. The Priests
Priests supposed to have more honored position than the Levites, they're in charge of everything in the temple and that honor had not been kept by themselves. They were unprepared during the time Hezekiah purified the temple because they're not wholehearted. They supposed to lead and give examples but they failed to do that.
29:34 The priests, however, were too few to skin all the burnt offerings; so their kinsmen the Levites helped them until the task was finished and until other priests had been consecrated, for the Levites had been more conscientious in consecrating themselves than the priests had been.
One of the reason why the Passover was postponed was also because of the unreadiness of the priests.
30:3 They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem.
But then when they saw how the people of Judah and Israel were moved by God and the celebration, they were ashamed and change.
30: 15 They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the LORD.Maybe they half believe that the people would believe in God anymore, after forsook him for so long. They didn't even have the faith to keep themselves pure for God. But there is always time to change,and God will still accept it.
3. The wholehearted Levites
Their job is to maintain the temple, helping the priests, but they were more conscientious (in NKJV: more diligent) than the priests. We may not have a big role or have a great position in a reformation, but it makes a difference when we work hard for it, even more than others. Though their priests didn't set a good example, they still did it for God.
4. The unprepared Israelites
They might be unprepared by the normal standard God set, but at least they had the heart to come, and Hezekiah tried the best to made everyone eligible for the celebration, either by giving offering and the most powerful one was his prayer. God knew their hearts, so they didn't die when they ate the Passover meal.
30:17 Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs to the LORD. 18 Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "May the LORD, who is good, pardon everyone 19 who sets his heart on seeking God—the LORD, the God of his fathers—even if he is not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary." 20 And the LORD heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
5. The people who mocked them
A lot of Israelites mocked that idea, I think the messenger to Israel must have felt very discouraged. They ran through the whole country and found a lot of rejection.
30:6 At the king's command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:
"People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 Do not be like your fathers and brothers, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their fathers, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. 8 Do not be stiff-necked, as your fathers were; submit to the LORD. Come to the sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. 9 If you return to the LORD, then your brothers and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will come back to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him." 10
The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them.
They were the one who missed all the celebration, the joy, and the relationship with God.
Well, reformation can start from one person, inspires the others and God will bless it if the goal is to glorify Him. Obstacles and rejection is a part of it, but not to let us give up.
Whatever you want to change, have faith in it.
Luv y'all
Stefanie C.
Tuesday 25 September 2007
Sera speaks: "I am fearfully and wonderfully made."
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
Psalms 139:13-16
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
God created my inmost being. My heart, the way I think, the way I feel. It's special and unique. There's only one of me and only one of you. =)
My mother carried me like a basket. A basket of God's creation. He knitted me into who I am today. With every twist and turn I was woven into a beautiful girl. A masterpiece who is of His refelction. Because I was made by God and in His image, I dare not say that I am worthless. I dare not say that I am not capable.
I can be secure in my God. Because He made me to be like Him. He made me to have His love, His righteousness and His wisdom. In a secret place I was made. Just like a doll maker makes his dolls in secret and only reveals them when they are just perfect.
God revealed me the day I was conceived. I was a perfect little being in His eyes. He even loved me when He was planning for me. He loved me when I was growing in that secret place. He loved me enough to see me grow and be revealed to the world. A perfect little being.
God saw my unformed body and had a plan for me. He made me because He believed in me.
My life was written out in a little book in your left pocket. You constantly take it out to re-adjust my life. You write in that book with a pen because what you have written is final. Before I came to be, you knew how I was going to go back to you. Before I came to be, you knew who my friends would be. Before I came to be, you knew you would love me. =)
I can't run away from my God. No matter where I run I will still end up in His heart, where He placed me safely in the beginning. =)
Thursday 20 September 2007
Vivian from the west speaks: "Seeing Differently."
Seeing Differently
A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat.
A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words.
Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy. That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
What he had written was: "Today is a beautiful day & I cannot see it."
Do you think the first sign & the second sign were saying the same thing? Of course both signs told people the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?
Moral of the Story:
Be thankful for what you have.
Be creative. Be innovative. Think differently and positively.
Invite the people towards good with wisdom.
Sera speaks: "Embrace Suffering"
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
1 Peter 1:6-7
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed."
Was feeling a lot the past few weeks about school and knowing that I needed to persevere through these last 2 years. Thinking about it worries me alot and also frustrates me.
Deep down in my heart I know it's God's plan when I'm put into situations. But the other side of me just doesn't want God's plan in my life. It's too difficult! The part which is battling in me is that I KNOW God is real and I KNOW that my life is a journey that will always be facing struggles and suffering in many forms. And I also know that in the end.... after I persevere through it.... I reap a beautiful harvest for God. My growth. =)
Tonight, I spoke with Marilyn and Vanessa about the things I've been going through and how I wanted to just get out of this rut that I've been in for too long.
I was told, I needed to come to a point where I realised life is difficult. And it will always be. There will always be challenges and my heart needed to be prepared for the worst.
I needed to embrace that fact that I will always suffer in any situation. It's when I expect it, that's when I'll be ready for it. And somehow it wouldn't seem so tough. =)
Peter was told by Jesus that he was "Satan" for telling Jesus not to go on with what was willed by God to be crucified. He was afraid of suffering and always shunned from it. But if you read in the whole of 1 Peter, it talks about suffering - Suffering for doing Good, Suffering for being a Christian.
Peter didn't like to be in situations where he'd struggle and suffer. But later he embraced it and rejoiced over his own suffering. =)
Here's something Mari told me that really moved me to tears. =)
"Nobody trips over mountains
it is the pebbles that cause us to stumble.
Cross all the pebbles in your path
and you'll realise you've crossed over that mountain."
I guess if I don't embrace it, I'll never know how to deal with it. =)
Amen
Love you all...
Wednesday 19 September 2007
Victoria speaks: "Where do you aim your faith?"
Victoria, a psychology grad from NUS, is a full-time teacher in a secondary school. She enjoys cooking and that makes many of us in Campus very happy indeed!
Hi dear sisters and brothers,
just wanna share a short one as I dug out my old quiet times.
Jeremiah 26:8-15 Questions to ask ourselves: Where do we aim our faith? Do we aim our faith at Jesus or something else? Let's think about this when we are in shooting practice. During shooting practice, it takes some practice to aim and make sure our scope is aimed at the target before we shoot. Generally, with some practice, it's not too hard to shoot the target. Yet, when we are out on the REAL battlefield, aiming for the target is much harder. There will be many distractions ie, bombings, other machine guns' sounds, your friends getting hurt, etc. You might also be pushed around you might be lying or sitting in an awkward position. How is our aim then? It's the same for our faith. In reality the scope of our faith is daily being batted about, so that we constantly need to take the time to sit down and recalibrate our sights. If God's people and religious leaders can be distracted during Jeremiah's time, let's take Jeremiah's advice and always stay focused on God. Once we lose sight, it's easy to be led astray... :)
I know right now, everyone is very busy with projects la, assignments la, term papers la, coming exams la... remember to stay focused on the Lord as well k?
Love, Vic da Queen
Mari speaks: "Art of Evangelism"
Marilyn is a full-time business student in SIM; she loves making new friends and sharing her life and walk with God with them.
Jiayou Campus for the harvest month! Let's take it higher :)
Guy Kawasaki, a former evangelist for Apple computers, talks about the art of evangelism. In a nutshell, what used to be a religious term has been borrowed by business.
In a quirky step farther, let's take evangelism back to the church and reapply Kawasaki's art of evangelism on churches. Obviously we're a couple steps removed from the original concept of evangelism so not everything fits, but it's an interesting exercise.
1.) Create a cause.
Thankfully for the church, we already have a cause. No need to sweat this one.
2.) Love the cause.
Kawasaki says 'evangelist' isn't a job title, it's a way of life. Sound familiar? He also says, "No matter how great the person, if he doesn't love the cause, he cannot be a good evangelist for it," which might be a useful point in the debate over Christian/non-Christian marketers.
3.) Look for agnostics.
Basically it's more productive to go for those who are more likely to buy in. That makes sense for business, and is a worthy reminder for the church, BUT we're also called to go after those least likely to buy in, whether it's productive or not.
4.) Localize the pain.
Christianese and revolutionary language aren't helpful--how is faith practical? Our faith may also be revolutionary, but that may not be the best way in.
5.) Let people test drive the cause.
It's hard to imagine test-driving a faith and in some ways it's very contrary to the way Christians think, but letting someone tag along and "try out" church without making a commitment can be huge. Does your church leave room for people to test drive Christianity.
6.) Learn to give a demo.
is one where many Christians, myself included, flounder. Can I explain my faith in a way that makes people excited? Can my church explain it in a way that gets people interested?
7.) Provide a safe first step.
Goes back to the idea of a demo. Is the "safe" first step an alter call in front of a thousand people? Are there too many expectations on a new Christian?
8.) Ignore pedigrees.
The church so easily panders to those with power. But Jesus wanted the masses.
9.) Never tell a lie.
This should be a no-brainer for the church, but sadly many of us are hypocrites, and that never helps the cause.
10.) Remember your friends.
New convert begats new convert. That's how the church started.
Tuesday 11 September 2007
Take a moment
"Take a momentSera speaks: "Pride blinds you."
Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!
