Sandy from West speaks: "Being Grateful"

I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel Was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled With angels.

My angel guide stopped in front of The first section and said, "This is the Receiving Section. Here, All petitions to God said in prayer are received." I looked around in this area, and it was Terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until We reached the second section.

The angel then said to me, "This Is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them." I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.

Finally at the farthest end of the Long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," My angel friend quietly admitted to me. He Seemed embarrassed "How is it that? There's no work going on here?" I asked.

"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people Receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments. "How does one acknowledge God's Blessings?" I asked. "Simple," the angel answered. "Just say, "Thank you, God."

"What blessings should they acknowledge? " I asked.

"If you have food in the refrigerator, Clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer Than 75% of this world. "If you have money in The bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.

"And if you get this on your Own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity. "
Also .....
"If you woke up this morning With more health than illness .... You are more blessed than the many who Will not even survive this day. "If you have never experienced The fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, Or the pangs of starvation .. You are ahead Of 700 million people in the world. "If you can attend a prayer meeting Without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.

"If your parents are still alive And still married... You are very rare. If you can hold your head up and smile, You are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair."

Ok, what now? How can I start?

If you can read this message, you Just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as Very special and you are more blessed than Over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.

Have a good day, count your blessings, And if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.

Sera responds.

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 Lingpin and the rest... =)

I personally feel very convicted that this was shared so bluntly. What's the point of sugar coating it right? Anyway, yea in the area of mission you all know I'm like not the best in... wooooo faaarrr from it. But it really made me think about my priorities. Once my productions start, meaning tmr, what am I going to do to keep to the right priorities? Am I going to bury myself in productions and tell myself it's too difficult to balance? Am I going to run away from doing what is right? If I had a choice, I would bury myself in school and not come to church. But I don't have a choice do I? I am a christian... And I declare it LOUD and PROUD!

I've come to terms with my schedule and the things I die die have to do in school. I've come to terms with the fact that I may not see you guys as much as when I was on holiday. And I've also come to terms that I can take time off to pray to God and hang out with Him when i cant see you guys. I can squeeze in dinner with those who want to have dinner... I can squeeze in lunch with those who want to have lunch. Come to think about it, I have all the time in the world right now while Im still a student. Yes I complain my schedule is tough. But you have breaks inbetween don't you? The world ain't that evil when you know God first created it. =)

I'm gonna try to live up to what I've said here. Which are what God commands of us. If we all just do this together.... The journey through this life won't be that difficult.

Do what's right k? Put God first. As students it's tough because there are things in school we do that tempts us to compromise.... But put God first... Maybe not in your actions, but in your hearts. Maybe not in your hearts, but in your thoughts. God sees us inside out. Not how the world sees us. which > do you treasure more? =)

Hope we start our weeks off with this as a boost in our urgency and our faith... =)

Thanks lingpin for sharing your thoughts and your heart with us. I saw it as a 'something encouraging about balance' rather than not so encouraging. =)

Love you all so much... Although Im busy. my phone's 24/7..... call alright?

Sera

Lingpin speaks: "Something not so encouraging about balance"

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,

I just wanted to share about the midweek lesson that Wee Keong did for the East, with a campus twist. Its campaign month as you know and everyone is getting ready to reach out and help others to know God. What can some of our reactions be? What should be our attitude during this time of out reach? What is applicable to our daily life as campus students?

First , Make Every Effort.

in 2 Peter 1:3 - 10 it reads;

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is near sightedand blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins. Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

What's this all about? it's about encouraging one another to go forward, and making every effort to increase our knowledge, increase our love, increase our focus on God and all things necessary to grow spiritually. It's about making every effort. Like panting, sweating, painful, you-can-do-it, uncomfortable effort. That kind.

How many times in our daily life have we made decisions that simply do not reflect this? How many times have we devoted out time and money into things that dont really matter in the long run (eternity)? Sometimes, it could be hostel activities, sometimes it's work, some times its insecurity in wanting to shine in school... sometimes it's selfish ambition.

Brothers and sisters, i want to strongly encourage you to make spiritual choices in the way you spend your time and effort, dont dig the wrong wells. Make every effort in the correct things, in the things which really matter. Be bold and courageous to tear yourself away from the worldy things you love most because it will be your downfall. Spend your effort in the things that matter for eternity. No, your degree doesnt count for anything in heaven. Or in hell for that matter.

Would God say at the end of the day "Im proud of you because you spent your whole university life chasing good results. But you only gave token effort in your mission, in your evangelism. Its ok. I understand youhave no time for Me. I wont blame you." Indeed it saysin verse 9, " You are nearsighted and blind"! Dont just remember the good things, also remember that God promises to spit us out if we are lukewarm.

Go through your priority lists and your timetable and ask yourself the hard questions about where you stand before God. The priorities of a disciple are as follows:

1. God.

2. Church.

3. Family.

4. Yourself.

5. Friends. (and what they think)

Are you making every effort? Be sober about yourself and think carefully, maybe rethink some of your convictions. That said, please continue to study hard and shine in school. Just get your priorities straight. You dont want to have a rude shock at then arrow door. (Luke 13:22-28) "No, it couldnt be me!" You might want to think twice before you say that.

Secondly, Business Is Not Godliness.

in Luke 10:38-41 it reads,

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he cameto a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord,don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I guess i dont have to explain this verse too much.

What are you busy with busy little bee? Where is God in your life and efforts? Are you joyful in your burdens?

Sera shared about having a balance in life.. indeed itcan be a precarious juggling act. Seek advice if you're not sure how to juggle it. Dont let Satan trick you into thinking that "I can handle it". Be open, behumble, seek advice from wee keong and joyce, seek advice from graduates, and seek advice from your other disciple peers. Really listen, because we can do it together, with numbers as our strength. We were never made to live in isolation, where savage wolves prowl.

Satan (and even wicked people) has always been described as a wolf or a lion. Satan can even lure you out with the things which seem harmless, or even misdirect you so that you lose your way with the "good to do" things, before he rips your spiritual life apart. Things like courses, seminars, programs, activities, even serving in the church! Be wise with your use of time. Dont focus on the acts of worship like merely coming to church and all that. Focus instead on worship itself. Do you know God? Or is He astranger?

Brothers and sisters, listen carefully to these words of warning. Pay heed to what the bible says and hold it close to your heart, for it will save you.

Our motto is "where young lives are changed and spiritual leaders are born".

So go and change your life. And conform no longer with the patterns of this world.

Love you always (enough to say all this),

Ling pin.

Tong Wei speaks: "Another side of Mother Teresa"

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.

Hi guys!

I came across a really interesting article that talks about a side of Mother Teresa whom the world does not know, a Teresa who was spiritually dry and struggling.

"On Dec. 11, 1979, Mother Teresa, the "Saint of the Gutters," went to Oslo. Dressed in her signature blue-bordered sari and shod in sandals despite below-zero temperatures, the former Agnes Bojaxhiu received that ultimate worldly accolade, the Nobel Peace Prize. In her acceptance lecture, Teresa, whose Missionaries of Charity had grown from a one-woman folly in Calcutta in 1948 into a global beacon of self-abnegating care, delivered the kind of message the world had come to expect from her. "It is not enough for us to say, 'I love God, but I do not love my neighbor,'" she said, since in dying on the Cross, God had "[made] himself the hungry one — the naked one — the homeless one." Jesus' hunger, she said, is what "you and I must find" and alleviate. She condemned abortion and bemoaned youthful drug addiction in the West. Finally, she suggested that the upcoming Christmas holiday should remind the world "that radiating joy is real" because Christ is everywhere — "Christ in our hearts, Christ in the poor we meet, Christ in the smile we give and in the smile that we receive."

Yet less than three months earlier, in a letter to a spiritual confidant, the Rev. Michael van der Peet, that is only now being made public, she wrote with weary familiarity of a different Christ, an absent one. "Jesus has a very special love for you," she assured Van der Peet. "[But] as for me, the silence and the emptiness is so great, that I look and do not see, — Listen and do not hear — the tongue moves [in prayer] but does not speak ... I want you to pray for me — that I let Him have [a] free hand."

The two statements, 11 weeks apart, are extravagantly dissonant. The first is typical of the woman the world thought it knew. The second sounds as though it had wandered in from some 1950s existentialist drama. Together they suggest a startling portrait in self-contradiction — that one of the great human icons of the past 100 years, whose remarkable deeds seemed inextricably connected to her closeness to God and who was routinely observed in silent and seemingly peaceful prayer by her associates as well as the television camera, was living out a very different spiritual reality privately, an arid landscape from which the deity had disappeared."

(You can read the full article at http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1655415,00.html Copyright, Time Magazine)

Is this beginning to sound discouraging? Yeah, that's what I thought at first as well...But reading on, it's clear that Mother Teresa had the ability to do what she did because of God. To have such a heart for the poor and suffering and the to carry out her love with physical sacrifices - this is the divine at work.

I was really impacted by the article, because it just shows the enormous amount of faith Mother Teresa had. To continue with her work in the order even though she wasn't "feeling inspired", or "seeing God in her life". That, to me, is the ultimate testament of faith - clinging on to God even when it seems infinitely bleak.

Let's question ourselves, are we disciples only when life is rosy? Basing our faith on volatile feelings about God. For Mother Teresa, the cross was real, and was never discounted by the fact that she faced devastating agony every single day for 50 years. I can imagine myself in her shoes, feeling bitter that God didn't show Himself to me or make my path smoother (Hello!? I'm working for you, I've devoted my life to your cause , where are youuuuu?!?!), but Mother Teresa humbly and faithfully stuck close to God.

We can all take a leaf out her book.

Love,

Tong Wei

Victoria speaks: "Preparing my heart"

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!

Ezekiel 14

Idolaters Condemned

1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3 "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet, I the LORD will answer him myself in keeping with his great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.'

6 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

7 " 'When any Israelite or any alien living in Israel separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to a prophet to inquire of me, I the LORD will answer him myself. 8 I will set my face against that man and make him an example and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

9 " 'And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the LORD have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign LORD.' "

Judgment Inescapable

12 The word of the LORD came to me: 13 "Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its men and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel [ a] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.

Dear brudders and sisters,

I just wish to share something I learnt today from the Bible. It's what Sandy shared during the mini-dgrp after the West midweek on Tuesday to prepare our hearts for the campaign month. As I was reflected on this this morning, I was asking the question why God wanted to keep scolding the Israelites again and again AND punish them again and again. I was thinking why? Won't the Israelites be even more rebellious? And today, when I was teaching English in my Normal Technical class, something dawned on me. I was having a especially hard time today with them as they were consistently noisy and disruptive throughout the lesson. I was feeling very tired and was a bit grounchy so noise was not a good addition to my negative state already. After different bouts of shouting, promising them treats as the lesson I planned involved them eating something in class, etc, I was feeling rather defeated when most of the class continued to make their noise and refused to listen to my instructions.

I sat down at the teacher's table and felt my tears threatening to come out. As my HUGE ego continued their hardest to suppress the tears, I looked at them and suddenly stood up. I shouted... or rather ROARED at them and suddenly they were very quiet. I then spoke in a rather quiet tone about how I am very close of giving up on them. How I could bloody well (yes I used the word 'bloody') just throw them worksheets and did not care whether they learnt or not. How I could just heck care whether they hand in their work or do their work with their heart. They could fail their English and it would not affect badly on me AT ALL cos they ARE expected to FAIL any way (NT students get promoted hether they pass or not). Then I told them that if a teacher refuses to even shout and scold them, they should not be happy. Cos it means the teacher has given up on them and is no longer caring whether they learn anything or not. The students kept quiet for about 10minutes and they continued their noise-making albeit at a softer volume later. Most of them did finished the work I planned but I hope they got the message which I seriously doubt. :P

When I went back to the office, I remembered the questions I asked. God punished and shouted at us because He cared enough to keep scolding us. He loves us so much that despite of the heartache and headaches and sore throats He might have, He continued to scold and warn the Isarelites of the consequences. God punished severely in the hope that others would learn. He sacrificed His son for us so that we no longer need to pay a price. Let's remember that as we reach out to the lost and try our best to love them. Our friends may refuse to listen and be rebellious but let's not lose heart. God will be scolding them in LOVE consistently and He will not give up.

Hope my sharing is not too confusing.

Love, Vic

Sera speaks: "Balance."

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 there,

Was reading something about balance and it really encouraged me.

Luke 5:16 NLT

"But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer."

Jesus modelled a life balanced by involvement and withdrawal, action and reflection, mission and meditation, effort and then time for spiritual energizing. This pace allowed Him to remain open to God's direction instead of human pressures.

What encouraged me was the first balance. "Involvement and Withdrawal" Ha! I never thought of withdrawal like that before. Retreating to the wilderness to pray to God. In times of hecticness, we need to take time to retreat and go to God in prayer and just be calm and still for a> moment. This encouraged me because God gives us time to be involve in doing His work and also time to withdraw from it to look into ourselves to take time for rejuvination. Like batteries. Need charging right? Well, we need charging too. The other 3 are very similar. It's a balance between doing doing and thinking thinking and feeling feeling and relaxing relaxing. =)

I'm glad I can see that and take this time to retreat for a little while to just read the bible and pray to God. To get back my calm and my centre and my focus. (Yoga hee hee) But seriously, yea. =)

Hope it's not just me who draws an insight from this. =)

When it gets too tough.... Be still and be quiet. Pray. =)

Love you guys so much! =)

Sera

Victoria speaks: "A conversation with 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!

God: Hello. You called me.

I, Me, Myself: Called you? No, who is this?

God: This is God. I heard your prayers . So I thought I will chat with you.

IMM: Sure, I pray. Just makes me feel good. Actually, I am busy now. In the midst of something, you know.

God: What are you busy with? Ants are busy, too.

IMM: Don't know. But I can't find free time. Life has become hectic. It's rush hour all the time.

God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.

IMM: But I still can't figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.

God: Well, I wanted to help you resolve your fight for time by giving you some clarity. I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

IMM: Tell me, why has life become so complicated?

God: Stop analysing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.

IMM: Why are we then constantly unhappy?

God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because the act of worrying has become a habit. That's why you are not happy.

IMM: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?

God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.

IMM: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.

God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.

IMM: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God: Diamonds cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials. With that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.

IMM: You mean to say such experience is useful?

God: Yes. Experience is a hard teacher, though. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.

IMM: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can't we be free from problems?

God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.

IMM: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don't know where we are heading.

God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight

I Me Myself: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here? I don't know the answers.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.

IMM: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction.

God: Success is relative, quantified by others. Satisfaction is absolute, quantified by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead.

IMM: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here? I don't know the answers.

God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.

IMM: How can I get the best out of life?

God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.

IMM: Sometimes my prayers are not answered.

God: There are no unanswered prayers . At times the answer is NO.

IMM: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I'll try to be less fearful.

God: Keep the faith and drop the fear. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Life is wonderful if you know how to live .

Sera speaks: "Ambition"

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

Hello hello to all !!

For most of us here, we've started school and there's definately tonnes to do. For those who are working there are probably other issues as well... =)

Want to share about ambition. =) As students we can get really sucked into our work, wanting to do well. Not that it's wrong, but when does ambition become destructive?? =)

Genesis 11:1-4 NLT

"Let's build a great city with a tower that reaches to the skies -- a monument to OUR greatness!"

(When the purpose is to glorify ourselves.)

Matthew 4:8-10 NLT

"I will give it all to you," said the devil, "if you will only kneel down and worship me."

(When it lures you away from God.)

Mark 10:35-45 NLT

"Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came over and spoke to Jesus... "In your glorious kingdom WE WANT TO SIT IN PLACES OF HONOUR next to you..." "

(When it twists friendships and discipleship into petty spirituality competitiveness.)

So when is ambition good for us?

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 NLT

"This should be your ambition: to live a quiet life, minding your own business and working with your hands, just as we commanded you before."

When ambition is directed not at the size of an accomplishment but at the quality of our character! =)

Let's be looking at our hearts and see how ambition has affected and moulded it. =)

Let's glorify God!

Love you,

Sera

Lingpin speaks: "Give logic and reason a chance"

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.

My baptism was a purely intellectual decision.

The baptism for the forgiveness of my sins would never have happened, if i hadnt found it true and reasonable that God exists, that God loves me, and that God wants to have a relationship with me. i had zero interest in the emotional aspect of understanding God, of feeling loved and all that. while that may sound a little upsetting for a few, that was certainly my experience.

As a hardcore atheist who went out of my way to make fun of christians, i was made to eat my words when i studied the bible. it seems that everyone seems to know exactly how the world works until youre in it. everyone may think they know exactly what being a christian is all about until they become one themselves.

people like me had no understanding of love because our world is filled with hate and bitterness. when i studied the cross i didnt cry or feel much. i merely acknolowedged intellectually that it was a painful experience that Jesus went through. i had to think hardto accept that my purpose in life is to follow God and fulfill the great commission, because up till then, my life purpose was to make money and be successful, maybe a rock star....

what if im not a christian and i am a total alien to all this bible stuff? the nice lovey dovey stuff? how will i be convinced to follow jesus? i cant relate to any of it. so if we as christians start to throw things at them like our convictions and things that only we understand and experience, we alienate the non-christian.

the only way is to appeal to their logic and reason that perhaps God might exist. it must be seen as trueand reasonable that God exists.

that was my only starting point and thats how my relationship with God grew. maybe others were more open and they were more receptive to the truth like maybe yourself, but we all come from different starting points. give them a chance. after all they can become great examples in the church when they live a changed life.

i know that there are many people in the campuses that just find being a christian not appealing and even false and pretentious. i have been scouring my mind to find out what will help them understand God and christianity better. if raphael and the nus disciples had not appealed to my logic, i would not be a christian today.

i just want to encourage everyone to give logic and reason a chance. it may be the only that someone canbe saved. my intent with this line of questioning is not to test christians. it is to help christians be able to relate to a mind that has not seen the glory of God and his angels and his love, and thus be able to answer them with love and caring, while convincing them that there can be no other truth than that of the bible.

love you always, ling pin

Huixian speaks: "Even God takes risks"

Huixian is a very lovely sister who is currently finishing her degree at NTU in computer engineering. She's the silent server who glorifies God in her own little ways and never fails to encourage her sisters in christ.


Hi All,

"Why would a God who is omnipresent, omnipotent and all loving create people, when He knows such a very small percent will choose to follow Him and the rest will be sent to hell?''

As powerful as God is, I can only say He love us so much that He is willing to take the risk to create us. Before creating us, i'm sure He would have counted the cost, weighed the pros & cons knowing that many will go astray.
He demonstrated His Faith in us by being a risk-taker Himself. God is Love & Love is so amazing that it can go the distance, bearing all the pains & hurts.

In the same way that we are called to love, would we be willing to love someone without expecting the> person to love us back?
In broader terms, would we stop giving humanitarian aid to the aids victims in Africa knowing that a small percentage will benefit from it?

Will we stop protecting the environment knowing> that the nature is almost beyond cure?
Will we stop eating seafood, knowing that it is high in cholesterol & definitely bad for our health? (haha doesn't really apply here :)

Love is beyond reason & difficult to comprehend. It pains Him to know that the bulk of His creation will go to hell. Yet, even for that small percentage of people, God will not stop to take the risk to love us.

The question now is how much risk are we willing to take to love Him?

Lovingly yours,
Huixian

Lingpin speaks: "Why did God create us?"

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.

hey guys,

i have ordered a stack of material and books online to fuel a growing thirst for all knowledge and wisdom regarding Christianity and God. i hope to share this with you in the coming days, but as a start, i hope we can start to post any questions we have online so that we can start our own training to be christian apologetics...

remember the article i sent you regarding "the marksof a spiritual leader"?.... well, a deep interest in the word and theology is important if we are to be able to answer the questions that the world has to throw at us. I hope it will stimulate our minds no end and strengthen our own convictions, especially if youp ut them to the test....:)

but let me start the ball rolling....hahaha...

QUESTION 1.

"Why would a God who is omnipresent, omnipotent and all loving create people, when He knows such a very small percent will choose to follow Him and the rest will be sent to hell?''

i look forward to your responses....:)

love, ling pin.

Vanessa speaks: "Who will win this war?"

Vanessa, an Economic and Management graduate from SIM, is a very well balanced woman of God who knows when to have great fun and also deep spiritual times. She's loved and respected by all her brothers and sisters for her down to earth nature.

"Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved." Matthew 24:12-13

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasures rather than lovers of God – having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." 2 Timothy 3:1-5

Paul wrote these words and warned Timothy of a time where there will be terrible times of sins, ungodliness and corruption of the souls of many. Been reading the Screwtape letters by C. S. Lewis and it really strike me that satan is really working around the clock to invade our souls and corrupt them. He brings our attention to ourselves rather than God. In our worship, he makes us focus on our act of worship rather than God Himself. He feeds our ego, makes us think we are ok; we are great Christians who have prayed enough and loved enough. At the end of the day, it's not the only Almighty God whom we are serving and loving but an imaginary god whom we have created in our minute minds. The works of satan is indeed powerful and it doesn't take him much to defeat us and lure us into his trap.

A day gone by without prayer and bible reading doesn't seem to have much impact but it is a start of the deterioration of our conviction, of our ability to fight this spiritual warfare. Complacency kills our desire for spiritual growth, it makes us proud and lazy, it kills our souls slowly. It irks me to see the deterioration of this world, it leaves me helpless and in despair, I can't comprehend the stupidity of this world and their no lack of ignorance. Perhaps, this is what satan wants us all to feel, we start focusing on what we cannot change (meaning the world) and start moping around. In reality, God wants us to start from looking into our own hearts first, to see what we can change in and help those around us to turn to Him.

"Continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose." Philippians 2:12b-13

We need to keep working, to keep our hearts burning, to keep our minds sobered, to keep our love flowing, to keep our faith and gratitude to the Lord close to our hearts. Indeed the love of the world will grow cold but we will stand firm till the end.

Tell me, whose side are you fighting on?

And tell me…who will win this war?

With much love,
Vanessa

Poernomo speaks: "Do not worry, your treasures are in heaven."

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.

Today I'd like to share something Iearnt from Matthew 6, two passages about "Treasures in Heaven" and "Do not worry". Initially I didn't expect to gain more insight from these two passage, but as I read it slowly and tried to relate it to my own condition and the world now, I can;t help but feel in awe on how God's words are really alive.

Matthew 6:19 starts with a warning not to focus on storing up treasures on earth as they are not eternal. As I read this, I was thinking of what treasures that I pursue here on earth? For myself, recognition, reputation, ambitions, obsessions, and glory are all what I tend to pursue here on earth. And all these sourced out of my pride, which is my biggest weakness. Can it help me to keep my salvation? No! Most likely when I focus on them, I;ll put God aside and it definitely ruins my relationship with Him. This is the reason why Jesus continues asking us to eagerly store up heavenly treasures that are eternal. Absolutely if we're pursuing humility, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, joy, we will focus on God alone.

Regarding this, Jesus wants to remind us to guard our eye. Why? Because it is the lamp of our body. Means what we see everyday through our eyes, absolutely affects us alot. If we see things in the worldly way, such as when we see someone is doing so much better than us, and we become envious, Jesus says our whole body will be full of darkness. How true it is as we will not be able to think about anything else but ourselves critisizing him/her and end up being plunged more in our worldly desire. This example is really true for me as I'm facing this challenge in my workplace everyday.

And the last part of this passage when Jesus says that we can;t serve two masters, it makes me think about pursuing a balanced life. Is there such thing of having a "balanced life"? What is a "balanced life"? Is it having a great secular life with all its wealth and succes and at the same time having a great spiritual life and serving God? I don;t think there is such thing. Motivation will always be the big issue! Nowadays many people are blinded with prosperity doctrine, saying that if you are trully a Christian, you are surely be blessed materially. Is it true? For many times I heard people saying something like "God blessed me with a new car when I was about to pledge this amount of money, so and so." Once again, God says,"No one can serve two masters, You cannot serve both God and money." This verse really convicts me alot, as it make me think again about my motivation in doing this PhD course. Is it because I want the fame, wealth, and reputation or because I want to be a changed person, to learn more, to prepare me to play my role as what God has set for me as a PhD.

So the conclusion from this passage: Why are we doing what we are doing now? What treasure are we storing up? And what can we do in order to serve one mater only, which is God?
Quoting from Rick Warren,"We are here on earth to prepare for eternity". How does this fact affect us? That God created us as "human being", NOT either "human having" or "human doing". God expect us to merely become a true human, with all limitations and strength, to treasure life here together with Him, not worrying about food, drinks, clothes and other materials (nowadays these basic necesities have become a "want", no longer a "need").

All right, love you guys.

Love, poer

"Father, we surrender this to you."

Dearest Father God,

You are the father of every nation. The father of every kind of people. The father of every creature, every living thing and everything that happens. God you are the creator and we can't question how you rule.

God we open up our hands to you, surrendering all anger and bitterness towards what's happening in the world right now. God help us to pray deeply for the South Korean disciples. Help us let go all of our anger and bitterness.

I pray God, that the christians turn to you right now for comfort and assurance of your presence. God you are right there right now. Comforting them. Comforting their confused hearts to why this is happening. But help their relationship with you to be strong and to be calm and at peace in their hearts that they are saved.

I know God you have plans that we don't and may never understand. We are only a very small part of this world and the world a very small part of the universe. And the universe a very small part of your hand. God comfort them and comfort us. God we're deeply in mourning for those who have already been killed, help us to surrender to your plan. Help us surrender to your control.

God be with the christian's family and the congregation they belong to. Be with them so that they know you're in control. Help them to pray. Just help them to pray.

Deep in our hearts we all want the captives to be freed. God that will be a blessing. To be freed from fear, freed from the world's corruption, freed from selfishness and freed from greed. God forgive those who've let this affect their christian life. Help them to understand we are only human and all we can do it give it up to you to decide. Help us not to be take control of the situation. Help us to surrender.

Father, help us to surrender.

In Jesus name,

Amen.

Sera speaks: "God is present in everything"

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

August 2007 Schedule

Please click to enlarge. (Thanks Anthony!)

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

SEA Conference 2007!!

So Awesome!!!

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

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!