Lubin speaks: "Sacrifice for Jesus"

Lubin is going to study Engineering in University of Michigan this year; he is humble and humorous and has proven himself to be faithful to God in all situations.

Dear Bros and Siss,

I remember Shawn Wooten shared about how when he was still studying the bible, one of the things he had to sacrifice in order to be committed to Sunday services was his job coaching weekend (Sat & Sun) tennis in an affluent district where he was making big bucks. And he needed the money to pay for his sch. But he told his boss he was ready to give up the job.

When i think about how i have sacrificed for Jesus in the past few months, i realised that i have not sacrificed anything.

I have only been giving token effort; i have not sacrificed anything that i really liked or that i held very strongly to. With my time, what i've been doing is fitting my time for God into my schedule. Bible studies, evangelsim, spending time..they are thrown into the empty slots on my schedule. if it clashes with some other activity, the most i hv done is postpone the activity. It's been a long while since i've sacrificed my time and missed out totally on certain activities so that i can hv time for God.

I remember a time, when i was totally caught up with myself and even willing to miss church, was when i was taking my O level chinese. i was very kanchiong, in my mind, there was no other way of getting results apart from me pushing myself harder. i did miss sun service and midwk in e end, and as i look back, i realise that my convictions had drifted so far from the standards when i was studying the bible.

I was challenged (obviously), and 1 thing that helped me was Raphael sharing w me how he balanced his exam periods w church. Fortunately, by e time i reached A levels, i was able to implement that kind of discipline in my time management. Here's how it goes:

1. During the times when i'm supposed to be studying, be totally focused so that time won't be wasted n i won't feel like i need the time spent at church to catch up.

2. Attend all midweek n Sun services. This was e standard when i was studying the bible n it shoudn't change juz 'coz i'm going thru a busy period. Attending services reminded me that God's power is working for me, there are other disciples going thru even worse patches in their lives, there is so much more to life n heaven than juz exams.

3. After service head straight back to the books. Don't dilly-dally.

When i tink of someone who really gives God top priority of his time, i tink of Shawn Seet. Last year when his mum passed away, he had so many things to see to, funeral, bank accounts, etc...plus emotional baggage definitely. Yet he did not miss a single service. To me, that really showed the 'real man' in him.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." - Eph 3:20-21

Even in the Bible, there are so many examples of people who gave to God only to get back more in return. Off hand i can tink of Abraham, who was willing to sacrifice his son, yet in the end he got back his son as well as God's blessings for his descendants. Jesus, who sacrificed his life, in the end got his life back, washed away our sins, and inspired the world. Paul, who sacrificed his own physical well-being, in the end managed to plant so many churches and thru that save the souls of even more people.

The point here is not to give and expect more in return. the point is that the very nature of our God, is to love us and give us so much! how much more then..should we be willing to give to him.