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.
God is present in the beauties and oddities of creation,
most of which go undetected by any human observer.
God is present in his son Jesus, who visited the planet and now serves as advocate for those left behind. God is present in the hungry, the homeless, the sick and the imprisoned, as Jesus tells us in Matthew 25, and we serve God when we serve them.
God is present in base communities in Latin America and in house churches that meet surreptitiously in barns in China, as well as in cathedrals and buildings constructed to God's glory.
God is present in the spirit, who groans wordlessly on our behalf and who speaks in a soft voice to all conscience attuned to him. =)
Prayer is a way to respond to God's presence not to establish it.
When we pray, we make God visible. Visible to people who may not know him. Visible to those praying but don't know what they're saying. Visible to those who've lost hope again and again.
When we pray, our response to God's presence inspires others.... =)
Let us pray, to have a conversation with God and while doing so, inspire others to do the same..
Love Sera
Saturday, 28 July 2007
Sera speaks: "God is present in everything"
Thursday, 26 July 2007
Sunday, 22 July 2007
Poernomo speaks: "The Beatitudes"
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. 
I'd like to share something from my quiet time.
Currently I'm reading the book of Matthew and this time I really want to dig more, so I also do some little research on the internet, and I;m excited about it. Though I only read one passage a day (not a chapter), I find out that actually alot of things need to dig up, and insights are just overflow. Ok, today I;d like to share about the Beatitudes.
As we know, the beatitudes is Jesus' first sermon. The word "beatitude" comes from Latin word "beatitudo", means happiness, that is later translated into English as "blessed of happy", and this word actually has the original Greek word "macarios", that literally would mean having an inward contentedness and joy that is not affected by physical circumstances.
I believe Jesus delivered this message as His first sermon to wake the people up from the bankruptcy of the world values that are in contrast with the ones of the Kingdom of Heaven's. And I also imagine of what kind of reaction people would have at that time. It must have been something shocking that make them realize the worldly values they had been believing were actually wrong, and to change one's values it is not easy. How about us today? Is it still a fresh message from God to remind us about how a Kingdom focused person/church should always be? Sometimes I do feel that the power of "The beatitudes" are diminishing, as not only I hear it more and more, but also it has become common and nice things to say.
After reading The Beatitudes for several time, I see that it is the core and the main principles of Christian life. Following this beatitudes, Jesus himself teaches and gives more details about it during His ministry, like what we can find in the four gospels. Let us see go through it one by one.
1. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
The "poor in spirit" as we know refering to the people who are always humbly and faithfully come before God, knowing how insignificant they are without God and it is only God that can suffice and help them. There are many other passages that teach more about this, such as Matt 6:25-33 about do not worry, Matt 7:7-13 about asking and knocking the door, Matt 8:5-13 about the faith of a humble centurion, and Matt 9:18-31 about the humble bleeding woman, a ruler whose daughter was dead, and the mute and the blind that were healed by Jesus.
2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
The word "mourn" here I believer refers to those who are oppresed. Who are they? It's all of us who are living here on earth, just as Paul said that our spirits groan and mourn as this world is so sinful and alot of worldly temptations and challenges that we have to go through. We're supposed to mourn and weep for our sins and wordliness, not enjoying them and getting caught up in it. We are like mourners who are waiting for the liberation day, the day we go to heaven. And for us, God has given us the salvation to comfort and gurantee a ever after happy ending. Some passages related to it are Matt 6:19-24 about treasure in heaven, Matt9:36-38 about Jesus' compassion for the sheep without shepherd, and Matt11:28-30 about rest for the weary.
3. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth.
I looked up in the dictionary what meek is. It is an adjective of being gentle and obedient without having own opinion (total obedience). It is the only thing that God requires us to have despite having our own free-will. If we can conquer ourselves and always strive to obey God without reasoning, we will always be safe, secure, and filled. We do not need to worry about anything as He himsef will provide. No wonder Jesus says that these people will inherit the earth because He is the one who will take care of His people. And the entire bible itself testifies about how true it is. We have great heroes of faith and obedience like Moses, David, the Prophets, and Jesus' disciples. Jesus emphasizes this thing in Matt6:25-33 and Matt 10.
4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.
I just remember Wee Keong's lesson on Midweek service yesterday 18 Jul, about insisting on righteousness. Always doing the right thing no matter what circustances, being honest, and keeping our integrity is what God wants, for these actions will show how we desires righteousness in our daily lives. And we do it out of gratitude of our salvation. And God says that we will be filled with joy, freedom of guilt, and our life will be meaningful. In Matt 15:1-20 and Matt 23 Jesus deals seriously with issue of unrighteousness as He rebuked the Pharisees for being hypocrite.
5. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.
Being gracious, merciful and forgiving others are very important to God for He is alone is love. We can only show true love to someone else if we forgive others when we are badly hurt. In the gospels alone there are many passages speak seriously about it, like Matt5:43-48 about loving our enemies, Matt 7:1-6 about judgjing others, and Matt 18:21-35 about unmerciful servant.
6. Blessed are the pure in God for they will see God.
1Ptr1;16 says "Be holy as I am holy". Because God is holy, so the only way to relate to Him is to be holy and pure. Matt 19:13-15 and Luke 18:15-17 talks about how Jesus expects us to be like little children, genuine and pure, clean of manipulative heart. And anyone who doesn't receive the Kingdom of God like little child will not enter it.
Err... I think I should stop here first as it's already quite late and I still need to do other thing. Hope to write again soon.
Love you all
Saturday, 21 July 2007
Tuesday, 17 July 2007
Anthony speaks: "You'll never walk alone"
Anthony, a brother who is beginning his university life at SMU Business school, is a shining example for many with his firm convictions and his passion to do what's right for God.
Morning boys and girls, men and women of God,
How's everybody today?
I recently rediscovered my liking for music, and have been digging up CDs that I had bought when I was a little younger, back in my secondary school days. That includes Robbie Williams, Savage Garden, Westlife, and some which I'm not very proud to share about, for e.g. N'Sync, A1, Britney Speares, Christina Aguilera. (Don't judge me, I'm sure you were once young and reckless too!)
Anyway, after becoming a disciple for a year plus, I realised that listening to the same songs with a different perspective does yield some insights for my spiritual life. As the recent Kingdom-Focused Church series had taught us to view our lives and everything in it with a new Kingdom perspective, I would like to share some insights that I gained from the lyrics of Liverpool FC's adopted anthem, "You'll never walk alone".
When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high
-As we walk through the storms in our own lives, may it be troubles at our workplace, or stressful exam periods in school, it is easy for our judgment to be impaired in times of despair and desperation. Let us not be like Peter who in a storm saw 'invisible' problems and lost faith( Matt 14), but to continue to hold our heads high, fixing our eyes on Jesus who has set an example for us in facing adversities and obstacles in His life, through his endurance and perseverance.
And don't be afraid of the dark.
-We don't have to be in the dark anymore, now that we have with us the word of God, the Bible that we can easily access to. For it is written in Psalms 119:105 that, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path." If we use the word of God correctly and accurately, it can be like a map for our life journeys, showing us the directions we should take, teaching us the ways to get past obstacles that stand in our paths, and ultimately lead us to our destination, the land that God has promised to us - Heaven.
At the end of the storm there's a golden sky
-It is written in James 1:12 that, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ", and in Rev 21:18, Apostle John described heaven as a 'city of pure gold'. After we all have faithfully endured and persevered through all the trials and obstacles God has placed in our lives on this earth, God will reward us in full, He will give us the crown of life and bring us home to heaven, the great golden city in the sky. Though sometimes it is difficult for us to put our faith in things unseen, let us be continuing to remind ourselves that what is unseen is eternal ( 2 Cor 4:18b), and blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (John 20:29b).
And the sweet, silver song of a lark.
-At the banquet table which God has prepared for us in the great golden city, I always picture that while the brothers and sisters are feasting on foods unseen and unheard of on this earth, there will be choirs of angels singing, "Holy, Holy, Holy", for eternity. What a majestic atmosphere!
Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain,
Though your dreams be tossed and blown.
Walk on, walk on with hope in your heart,
--No doubt that life is never a bed of roses, lives can be turned upside down in the shortest time, and the most unexpected things may happen to anyone of us. However, we can truly walk on with hope in our hearts, because deep down we know that God knows best, that He has planned out the best possible paths for us to take. As we continue to have faith in the plans that God has for us, trusting in His promises, we can persevere through wind, rain, and everything that life throws at us, for if God is for us, who can be against us? ( Romans 8:31b) With confidence that God is on our side, we can brave through anything, for we can trust that God will be there to shelter and protect us for the rest of our lives.
And you'll never walk alone.You'll never walk alone.
-We truly will never walk alone, because God will never allow for that. God did not intend for us to be independent when He rescued us. He placed us together in a body for us to be able to depend on one another, to walk together in our life journeys. We, human beings, are designed for many things, but loneliness isn't one of them. Life is a journey much better traveled with companions by our sides. But eventually we'll realise that even as we walk together, ultimately, it is God who is carrying us through all this time, good times and especially the bad, just like the footprints story that we are so familiar with.
We will never walk alone.
Amen.
Not-so-violent monkey-ly hugs,
Anthony
Friday, 13 July 2007
Corrine speaks: "According to God's desire"
Corrine is another wonderful sister from the KL campus ministry, her deep convictions in God's word and steadfast faith has helped her to overcome many personal struggles and encourage those around her.
Well, just want to share a personal good news that happened in my life. During one of the core group meet up, Steven and Fyon were preaching about building our character by focusing on these four areas:
1) Self-discipline – when you do something right even though you don’t feel like doing it.
2) Core values – principles that you hold on to which enable you to make a moral stand.
3) Sense of identity – a healthy realistic self-image that is based on who God created you to be.
4) Emotional security – a healthy emotional that is stable and consistent.
Right after that, we focused on self-discipline and core value every week, such as in which area we want to improve our discipline and in which area that we want to stand firm to. We rated it like how many days we did not make it in the things we want to be discipline and we talked about it in the core group meeting in order to keep each other accountable.
After I read 1 Thessalonians, I felt convicted when Paul asked the Thessalonians to live their lives pleasing in God’s eyes. I started to evaluate my life and found out that most of the time, I am living life according to my own desire rather than according to God’s desire. I decided to put this in building my self-discipline and core value. I record down each day the things that I do according to God’s desire and the things that I do according to my own desire and asked Sim to keep me accountable.
I just started for less than one week, and there are so many things that I have discovered in me! Just few days back, when I was heading to my university, a lot of worries hit me. I sat down in one of the café, and started to write down my prayer, listing out the things that I am worried about. It was out of my expectation that I have so many things to worry about. As I shared to Sim about this, and also things that had been happening these few days, Sim reminded me of how prideful I can be that my pride actually affect my relationship with God and also with others. I knew that I am prideful, but I never really think deep about it as in how much it will affect me.
After the short spending time with Sim, I was grateful because God had put people in my life to keep me accountable, and also to remind me that how much my relationship with God and with others had deteriorated due to the pride in me. I started to realize that how I can always take things in my own hands and do things using my own strength rather than relying on God, and also how I tend to expect people to be like me in certain areas. I feel grateful because God had shown me the areas that I need to watch out to and change.
I find it really helpful by recording down everyday of my life and evaluate how much I have lived according to God’s will and according to my own will, and definitely I want to continue to do so because through this, I can be able to be more aware about my sins and be able to change before I become numb to those sins and eventually die spiritually.
Amen!
Gabrielle speaks: "God is Wiping Away the Tears"
Gabrielle is an awesome sister from the KL campus ministry, her pure-heartedness for God and her constant love for people is an example for us to follow.
Good morning to those faraway
Good morning to those whom i love & care
Good morning to those sick & needed encouragement
Good morning to those who loves me dearly
Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away"
I was SO stunned when i read the chapter's title of my book... "God is Wiping Away the Tears"
God's way of responding really makes my jaw drop. today, He responded to my yesterday cry through the first sentence of my quite time book. He's telling me, "yes girl, i heard you, and i'm gonna wipe them off, because i listened and i care!"
This morning i woke up, deciding, "today should be my outward-focusing day." as this evening, the PJ Campus are on our 2nd week of Campaign Month. i need to dail the numbers, do the talking, smile the brightest... basically get the most out of myself.
Looking deep into my heart, i knew i am a selfish one. because at times, i don't go after people who walked pass me, i pick & choose my fishes, i am reserved in sharing. and as i always encourage & push myself: "let Him be the reason." for the self-denial, for the time, for the people out there... let God be my reason to breathe and do whatever He wanted me to do.
For those who are meeting me tonight, keep me in account. knock me on my head when i seem less effective. i wanna shine & not hold back, & humbly i knew i can't do that without the help from you.
The other reason for this morning's decision, is because yesterday i started my day with an inward-focused attitude. the night before going to church, i made a friend of mine cry as i share about some experience & joy i had, then i slept really late... then as i drive to church, i was crying & crying as i pray, i didn't know what contibutes to such sentiment. but i knew i wanted this for the longest period of time... and i thanked God for softening my heart throughout the days. so i could just breakfree and cry in His arms.
From Mark's *The Prayer of the Righteous*:
"Because God gives men freedom to choose, there is suffering on earth. then when we suffer & felt overwhelmed... we can either drop to our knees in prayer, or we can choose to run away. if we choose the former, it gives us a unique chance to draw so much closer to God. He will wipe every tear of our eyes (v4)."
Am i more apt to run to God or to be away? yesterday & today, i chose to be in His comfort. and i hope you who are reading this, will too, choose to be comforted.
Yesterday's worship service was a blast. after church i spent some time with a young Christian... Pui Woon told me again & again, "i am so thankful to God for this & that reason." yes dear, me too. Thank you for reminding me. Thank you, Kok Meng for the mango. Thank you, David for the so-called gift.
Okay, let me stop here as i'm feeling a lil light headed, i need to grab some food :)
Thank you all, for reading & loving me.
Sera speaks: "Prayer"
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.
Just bought a book... Prayer by Philip Yancey.
Im gonna go buy all his books!
It's not just inspiring, it's convicting and it really makes you think about who you are, who you're becoming and who you need to be. =)
Here's a quote.
"Prayer is to the sceptic a delusion, a waste of time. To the believer, it represents perhaps the most important use of time."
What's the more important part of our life? I think we really need to make a decision..
"Prosperity may dilute prayer. Christians in developing countries spend less time pondering the effectiveness of prayer and more time actually praying. The 'wealthy' rely on talent and resources to solve immediate problems, and insurance policies and retirement plans to secure the future. We can hardly pray with sincerity, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' when the pantry is stocked with a month's supply of provisions."
It's a lot like what Wee Keong preached on wednesday about not really knowing what we're praying about.
Has our prayer become diluted?? Have we added to much water to what is really meant to be said?
"We have the constant sensation of not enough. Not enough time, not enough rest, not enough exercise, not enough leisure. Where does God fit into a life that already seems behind schedule."
Do we really have time to think about what we lack in this world? In our lives we are behind schedule in doing God's work... =) Let this harvest period be awesome and let us plant the seeds that God has given us and let us then pray for those seeds to grow and not rely on our ownselves... =)
Love you lots,Sera
Poernomo speaks: "Just like a morning sun."
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,
How has today been? I just got a bit bored and listening to a peace of song from a CD =) Actually it is an indonesian song, and below is the translation. Just meditate on the lyrics and remember all things God has done for me when I was about to choose my path, how He always guides me faithfully, like a morning sun.
Ref:"Just like a morning sun, that always rises at its time,
I'd like to believe, O God, that your help will always comes at the right time,
Although I haven't seen anything today, I want to keep believing, believe in your promises."
When I face the reality of this life;
I do not know which path I should choose;
I know I am not able, I can't do it alone;
You are my only answer;
I do know that I am never alone;
As You are God who carries me along;
Your hands caress me, Your love satisfies me;
You lift me up high.....
Your promise is like a morning sun that is never late to shine;
Your love is like a flowing river, and I know how deep your love is (x3)
Love, poer
Monday, 9 July 2007
A new campus tradition
Let's give a round of applause to Poernomo and Jeanette who did such an inspiring morning devotional on bearing fruits in all seasons of our life!
And of cos to our young chefs - awesome brothers who prepared breakfast for us so early in the morning before Sunday service!
Jeremy: Fried mee
Alfred: Fried eggs
Anthony: Luncheon meat
Lubin: Soya bean milk
Thank you so much and we love you! :)
Love,
the grateful sisters
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Victoria speaks: "Be thankful. Laugh. Sing. Praise God."
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 brothers and sisters!
Finally found some time to sit down and type a slightly longer email. This week has been pretty interesting for me. I am now a Form Teacher (sorry to those who had heard me repeat) and I am now calling parents every day and writing different reports for students. It's interesting how previously I always looked for the form teachers to complain abt their students but now teachers are looking for me regularly to update me abt my students. I am also now in charge of a CCA - ELDDS. Strange to think abt it... I had never been in ELDDS even though I am such an animated person. lol. I think I have enough drama in my life (*wink at the sisters*).
Okay before I ramble further... I just wish to share some thoughts about what I have been reading this week. Ever since school started, I told myself that I wanted to face this semester with a new attitude. I wanted to really glorify God in my teaching and not be so caught up in negativity when students fail to respond in my class. It's tough to teach when I feel like I am a zookeeper constantly. So! In order to have a change from negative thinking, I read this book called "Mind Change" by Thomas A. Jones that Vanessa gave me. Every page has a short quote and bible verses to meditate on.
Today I read this: "Be thankful. Laugh. Sing. Praise God." When I read this, I was reminded of Teck Ming's Sunday sermon when he said, "When we win, we praise God. When we lose, we praise God." This quote was illustrated powerfully in the movie " Facing the Giants". (I am going to find a way to show this movie to all my classes... to motivate them to be personally responsible.)
In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." (Message)
Wow... to thank God no matter what happens... To just say thanks to a bad situation is tough enough... but to be grateful to God for a bad situation is ... ____________ (Please fill in the blank yourself). I have to be thankful to God for my students? To be thankful to God for the last-min responsibilities entrusted to me? I have to be thankful to God for unsupportive parents? I have to be thankful to God for all the extra extra workload given to me?
When all these questions flooded my mind, I caught myself going "Eh... no la... how to be thankful?" The only positive thing I could think of was that I was more prepared to be a teacher. Yet... I miss out a most important detail. In all these new situations, have I been thinking how much I want to glorify God? how much I can show others that as a Christian, God has given me the strength and joy to sustain myself in the most difficult times? Have I impacted others with my joy or with my cynicism?
Then as I was praying... I remembered one of my long term goals: To be a disciple who is known not for her fashion sense but known to be dressed in strength and dignity and how I can laugh at the days to come. (Proverbs 31:25) I have printed out these verses and pasted them on my table... (Yeah... no more 'idols' on my table la... :P). As I prayed, I also remember how David is currently fighting with so much vigour in his battle with cancer. I remembered reading how Thomas Jones fought his multiple sclerosis. I remember how Paul kept his spirit up despite of him being imprisoned. They all shine so brightly because of their constant gratitude towards God.
Thus, I am also going to strive to be a teacher and colleague who glorifies God in everything I do. Let's all do that together k?
Sera speaks: "Faith and Obedience"
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.
Hey!!!!! Miss you guys tonnes! I'm sure you could feel it when I came back... haha... I think I will just share about my trip here once and for all... I can't exactly say I had the best time of my life because it wasn't spend with you guys... =( But I would say it was a test for me. The temptations that lie there, the potential to feel angry at people... actually person...
After the 3rd day, i spent about 6 full days there, I was already feeling very lonely.. =( Had no way to contact you guys, can't get internet connection... It was the worstest feeling ever in my entire life!!!!!!! And on top of that I was having a lot of evil thoughts towards one of the people who went with me on the trip... Was very frustrated... So I told my lecturer I needed a day off to just stay in my room and reflect and pray. And I think at that moment of time God came down and swooped me into His arms, my lec said, "Alright, you go and pray and get whatever help you need to get back on your feet alright??" =) I was so grateful for that. =) So I took that 4th day to just pray and to write it all down in my journal..
Everything I was feeling and just pouring out anything I could think of that was not pleasing to God and how I needed so much help to not feel those things. I prayed and I asked myself tonnes of questions till they couldn't answer themselves anymore, just to get to the root of the problem. After like half a day went by just praying and reading and praying again and reading... I felt so free... I gotta tell you this...
One thing about God that I am so sure of is, when you show the slightest sign of relying on Him, He takes that opportunity to shower you with assurance and love. He just wanted me to rely on Him and to have that faith to obey Him. I'm so glad I did. =) Right after that I recieved a message from my mom telling me that my phone actually has roaming and I was jumping for joy.. I called her immediately and I started crying because I finally had someone I could outlet to. And the other great thing was, it was my mom. =) She just listened to me and after she told me to just hang in there and when I go to the canyons, just pray a long prayer. It was so unexpected of her to say that but I was so grateful.
After I hung up I sent a message to a few of you guys saying my phone works and im feeling things and I need prayer... When the messages came coming back I was so overjoyed!!!! It was the feeling of liberation, that I could share my burdens with my brothers and sisters and that they were willing to take them on. I'm so grateful for you guys! I can't say how much I love you because it's so big.... =)
Right after that I turned on the TV.... You will not be able to guess what came on the TV... "You can't be discouraged! We're called to love ourselves because made us and loves us!" I was like....... You gotta be kidding me.... The encouragements from God kept pouring in left right centre back and every which a way... I was so overwhelmed with the Love that God was literally lavishing on me. The TV programme was about this womens conference that was on going and I was watching the sermon preached by Joyce Meyers on the second day of the conference. She spoke about not wollowing in your sorrows and being able to channel your emotions correctly and not letting people not of the faith get to me.... And Im like... woah............................. I sat there for the next 3 hours hearing her preach. I was so encouraged.
All God wants us to have is faith and obedience. He does the rest. Then on the last day I went to the grand canyons. It was amazing. I sat at the edge overlooking the canyons and below me was 4000 feet of shear height... hahahaha.... freaky! But amazing. That's about 1300 metres roughly. Translation: I could die if I fall... I sat there and I prayed. Peace. Just so peaceful. In a way, I came home a better person than when I left. That will probably be my new resolution for the rest of my life. Going out a better person than when I came in. =) In every situation. =)
And just this morning I was at starbucks before I headed down to SMU. Was doing my QT on Abraham. Are we willing to make God's commands the priority of our day? - Abraham on the day he had to sacrifice Isaac, got up and made God's command his priority of the day. He with conviction, obeyed God fully and he believed in God's plan even to the point of death being in the picture. He was a man of great faith. But Im sure as his feet were walking obediently up the mountain, his heart ached for reassurance.
In Genesis 22 : 5. Its the account where Abraham tells his servants to wait for him and his son to come back. "We will worship and then WE will come back to you." How did Abraham know both he and Isaac were going to return? Was is wishful thinking? Was he trying to protect his servant from the terrifying truth? OR Did he trust that if God allowed the dream to die, he could ressurect it? (The dream of Abraham finally having a son.)
Are we willing to give our dreams to God? And make His command the priority of our day? Genesis 22 : 14-18 Only God can give such a dream, and only God can bring it to pass. "...On this mountain of the Lord, it will be provided." We're called to simply walk in faith. Each one of you has a very special place in my heart and I love you all deeply. =)
Tongwei speaks: "A prayer for David"
Tongwei is a business student in NUS, she works hard to glorify God through her studies by always giving her best and no matter how busy she may be, she makes time to serve and love disciples.
"And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
James 5:15-16 (NIV)
"And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well. And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results."
James 5:15-16 (NLT)
Dear Lord,
You know David so much better than anyone does. You know his sickness and his need. You are wiser than the doctors. You love him more than humanly possible. We have witnessed his great example, but You see his heart. Lord, I ask you to be with David now, and to work in his life. Let Your will be done in his life. Lord, I pray for my friend because Your Word says I should pray for his healing. I believe You hear this earnest prayer from my heart and that it is powerful because of Your unbreakable promise. I have faith in You to heal David, but I also trust in the plan you have for his life.
I pray that my heart will be surrendered to you, and to trust that you will somehow take care of your child. Lord, I don't always understand Your ways, and why David has to suffer and be in pain, but I trust You now. I pray for the peace of his family members, for Angela to be strong and steadfast in the face of uncertainty and fear. I pray for his parents to learn to rely on you, and for their whole family to be bonded in your love, Father. I pray for Campus to be united and loving during this trying time, and to constantly remember your grace.
May You be glorified in David's life and also in mine. I love you, in Jesus' name, Amen.
Thursday, 5 July 2007
Father, we're on our knees
Dear Campus,
Our dear brother, David Liao, is undergoing an important operation tomorrow. As i think about him fighting his cancer so hard for the past 6 months and still holding on so closely to God, believing in His promises, i think about King Hezekiah.
In those days in the Old Testament, when someone was struck with an illness, it was considered a message or a punishment from God. So it came as an especially painful blow to King Hezekiah when the prophet of the Lord told him that he was going to die. "Remember, O Lord," he prayed, "how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes." And he wept bitterly.
Perhaps if Hezekiah had reacted differently to his illness, God would have allowed him to die. If he had become angry and railed at God or had quietly resigned himself to his fate, perhaps the first message of the prophet would have come true, and his illness would have proved fatal. But Hezekiah was not only a righteous king; he was a tenacious one. Even in the face of death, he was willing to bring his plight to God in prayer, pleading his case, but still with the humble recognition that it was God's will, not his own, that would prevail. And God not only healed him eventually, but added 15 years to his life! Amen!
God heard his prayers, and saw his tears. And though God's will does not change, the change that took place in Hezekiah through his prayer and his tears made it possible for God to express his true will, which is always for our healing and for our good.
I really believe God does want us to be physically healthy and live vigorously while we are here on earth. The divine ideal is to have a sound mind in a sound body. And yet, if we had to choose between our physical health and our spiritual health, it would be foolish to throw away what is eternal in exchange for temporary comfort in this world. This, I believe, is why God allows illness at all: because sometimes it is the only way we will learn to fully trust in God, gaining the lessons of patience and compassion for one another. Sickness and death are difficult teachers, but their lessons run deep.
There is only one true Physician, and that is our Lord.
While Jesus lived on earth, even the physical healing that he did was intended primarily to draw people upwards to spiritual health and to salvation. He did not simply heal people's bodies; through his healing he strengthened their faith, gave them deeper hope, and drew them toward himself towards the presence of God on earth.
I know we all love David so, so much. Let's be praying and fasting tomorrow with a humble and truly faithful heart, united in spirit and in God's love for him and his family.
Isaiah 38:10-20 (New International Version)
A writing of Hezekiah king of Judah after his illness and recovery:
10 I said, "In the prime of my life
must I go through the gates of death
and be robbed of the rest of my years?"
11 I said, "I will not again see the LORD,
the LORD, in the land of the living;
no longer will I look on mankind,
or be with those who now dwell in this world.
12 Like a shepherd's tent my house
has been pulled down and taken from me.
Like a weaver I have rolled up my life,
and he has cut me off from the loom;
day and night you made an end of me.
13 I waited patiently till dawn,
but like a lion he broke all my bones;
day and night you made an end of me.
14 I cried like a swift or thrush,
I moaned like a mourning dove.
My eyes grew weak as I looked to the heavens.
I am troubled; O Lord, come to my aid!"
15 But what can I say?
He has spoken to me, and he himself has done this.
I will walk humbly all my years
because of this anguish of my soul.
16 Lord, by such things men live;
and my spirit finds life in them too.
You restored me to health
and let me live.
17 Surely it was for my benefit
that I suffered such anguish.
In your love you kept me
from the pit of destruction;
you have put all my sins
behind your back.
18 For the grave [c] cannot praise you,
death cannot sing your praise;
those who go down to the pit
cannot hope for your faithfulness.
19 The living, the living—they praise you,
as I am doing today;
fathers tell their children
about your faithfulness.
20 The LORD will save me,
and we will sing with stringed instruments
all the days of our lives
in the temple of the LORD.
Love,
Mari
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Gwen speaks: "We are still fired up!"
Gwen is a business student in NTU, majoring in Marketing. Her trust in the Lord and never-give-up attitude inspires many and she always strive to imitate Jesus no matter where she is.
Dear awesome campus brothers and sisters, it has been such an encouraging month of June for me. Really appreciate the various activities and lessons that helped me to grow so much spiritually.
Thanks for the combined Campus + Teens fun time at Pulau Ubin whereby we learnt that whatever we do in life, we need to constantly praise GOD! We Win, We praise God!
We Lose, We praise God!
For this, although my group was 4th place.. ahhaha.. meaning the last la.. but we are still Fired-Up!
Thanks God for the SEA conference. For brothers and sisters that i gotten the opportunity to know and fellowship. Felt very encouraged by ALL the lessons, especially the sisters' lesson that really spur us to make Jesus our cornerstone in our life. This encourages me to take my relationship with God even higher and also to rely on Him in all ways possible. I love u guys KL campus!
Thanks God for the wonderful retreat at NTU a.k.a. My Home. Hahaha. It was a time for spiritual growth and deep bonding and fellowship.Really learnt so much with all the planning and the quality time we shared with one another. We are in the academy of God. Constantly ready to fight the battle against THE OTHERS! Let's maximise our talent to shine for GOD! Appreciate all who are there to make the retreat a great success.
Thanks God for the wonderful prayer night with Teens and awesome Song-leading by awesome Brothers and Sisters like Jeremy and Tong Wei. It was a convicting and fruitful time for me to be back with the teens and getting encouraged to see how big they have grown.
Thanks God for the HOPE for Seniors Day! It was indeed an encouraging time that we can have to really spread our love for people - lost and needy - Campus really Rock the House! Bringing smiles to the old folk, line-dancing, bingo-ing and awesome song-singing.
Really appreciate all the brothers and sisters. I am so encouraged and feeling so fired up! At times, we can get too caught up with the busy schedules andactivities but God always encourages our heart when things turn out the way God plan for it. I am very convicted with today's sermon about empowering lay disciples. Indeed, we gonna always live a life worthy of God and always be prepared to face the giants in our life at different point of time.
Colossians 1: 10 - 12 And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of theLord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
This verses really encouraged me alot, motivating me as I am being empowered by God. Constantly to rely on Him and thank him for the life He blessed me. The best gift I can return to Him would be honoring him with my life.
Let's continue to work hand and hand to glorify God in the upcoming Harvest Month and be empowered disciples for God.
I love Campus!
Sunday, 1 July 2007
Sunday Sermon's Movie Therapy: Empowered Disciples
The Narrow Way
Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Hope For Seniors Day
We are very inspired by how sporting and enthusiastic the senior citizens were. This goes to show that while vigour can fade with age, the heart and spirit can remain youthful along the years.
Thanks to Hope Singapore for giving us a chance to honour Jesus through serving and loving the community!
"God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them." -Hebrews 6:10
Much thanks to Lingpin for taking these awesome photos!
While we were busy laughing, our dear Campus leader was busy posing! lol
We are so highhhhh...
