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.
Tuesday 30 October 2007
His name is David
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
