Wee Keong responds to "Our Marathon to God."

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.

Hi Jeremy,

Yes I like your sharing and no, I don’t think its too long of an email J

Then again, I like anything on the topic of running :-p May I add my thots?

1) Training
Physical training helps us to overcome the lactic acid buildup. Spiritual training helps us overcome Satan’s tricks to slow us down.
Not only must we train, we should try to train in the right “zone” of our heart rate. If we train too high of a zone, we can’t last. If we train in too low of a zone,
we don’t benefit. Spiritual training consist of pushing ourselves, but not at the cost of no / low “self-care”. We don’t want to be a matyr then end up falling away.

2) Getting accustomed to the stress
Getting used to the lactic acid buildup in our muscles will help us in one thing at LEAST: not succumbing to the “survival” mode when our bodies undergo stress. Think about it; we all go through times of physical exertion when we are panting, breathless & almost feel like dying. That’s the “ah, ah, ah, ah staying alive, staying alive” mode. Then once we are out of that mode, we take our fitness for granted again, only to wait for the next time we have to exert beyond what we can take.
Spiritual training needs to be consistent so we won’t vacillate betw survival mode & complacent mode.

Have a great day, y’all!

Love,
WK

Jeremy speaks: "Our Marathon to God."

Jeremy is our brother, full of joy and inspiration. He brings smiles to everyone's faces and glory to God with his excitement for His word.

Hi Campus, Hope u all have a great day! :) Certainly this is the 2nd week of yr 2008, hope everything is well and good for u all.

Well, i feel like sharing something with all of u, so here i am. :)

It's been 7mths since im baptised!! haha. i can still remember the day i was baptised, 27th may 2007. whenever i look at my watch, i will count the duration of me being a christian. haha. i feel this is indeed something im proud of. Im sure all of us can still remember the day we got baptised right? lolx.

Well, i wanna share something abt this 7 mths of walking with God & i wanna start by sharing a personal experience during run-a-movie.

We started the run later than most participants. Though we started late, but i felt it's ok, cos i wasnt going there to win but to have a good run. Indeed the starting was good! I felt like the wind, weightless and felt like i could run for long distance. it was great to overtake some of the runners too, felt a sense of achievement. Viewing the scenery and feel the wind at my face definitely refreshes me.

but as the time ticks away, i slowly felt the lactic acid building up in my muscles. then breathing rate starts to increase per minute the burden on my leg is increasing and i dont feel that weightless anymore. at the same moment, my body starts to burn, as metabolism increases and i started to perspire and every now and then i have to wipe the sweat away to avoid feeling the irritation when the sweat touches the eye. the bottom line is i felt the weight of running the 8km.

As i turned at the 4km mark, my brain starts to give way. my body starts to tell me to give up and to walk. But luckily i still have my logic. logic tells me to continue running because it is the only way to keep running. once stop, it will be difficult to start again. so i kept on.....

nearing the 6km mark, my logic gave way. my logic together with my body starts to scream at me to stop! to take a breaklogic reasoning with me to stop and walk. telling me reasons like 'i've no committment to keep running' and 'this is not a fitness test, why so hard on myself' and so on. frankly speaking i was very near to submitting to the idea of walking and my stride shorten by half.

at this time, a thought occurred to me. I told myself this. 'if God tells me now that if i am able to finish the run without stopping he will guarantee a place in heaven for me. If i stop, my place will be taken away, will i still wanna stop?' i then kept running, though difficult, but i cont to run/jog but not to walk, not to succumb to the idea of taking the easy way out. At some point after that i heard people cheering me on and offering me drinks, and i went on...

i don even know how long it was when i realised i was nearing the bend to the ending point. i suddenly felt strength and power that had already eluded me flow all over my body. i was able to sprint all the way till the end and finish the race.

Brothers and Sisters, i feel that this account is very similar to our walk with God. initially, after our baptism, we are very fired up and wanna do a lot of things. loving people, reaching out to our dear ones, hoping they will be able to join us in the kingdom. And we may at one point felt that we are at the top of the world, felt like with God we can do everything --> we were in love with God.

i believe everyone of us in some point of our life will have felt that pursuing God is burdensome. so many committments and there'sso many things to do. This walk with God seems endless and that we started to find ways to tell ourselves to relax and take the easy way out. 'Why do QT, aiya i prefer using the time for myself.' etc. at some point of time we may even feel like throwing in the white towel and just don't care abt our spiritual growth (just like the temptation and idea of walking)

Satan is just like the lactic acid, working his way to make us feel tired, make us feel like giving up our love for God. But... everything may fail, but God's love will never fail. He is mighty and He is more powerful than Satan. In my weakest, He's there. All we need to go is to call out to Him. (just like my reasoning to keep myself running)

We arent in this alone, there are pple around us to give us motivation and support us as we run, giving us 'drink' and cheering giving us their support. Our walk with God is like a marathon. Keep it up when we are feeling charged up and fired up. Call out to God when we are weak.

Exodus 15:13 - 'In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.' Indeed God will guide us to heaven. Let us remember why we fell in love with God. Let us rejoy together after the race and support each other before we get to Him.

Quote from Wee Keong :- "Can i have an Amen to that?" :)

That's all!Phew!

it is a long email, hopefully u enjoy it. happy reading.

With love

Jeremy

Sera speaks: "His yoke is easy and His burden is light."

Sera is a theatre production student from LaSalle, 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!

When a person is born anew and experiences repentance, his attitude about Jesus changes. Jesus himself becomes the central focus and the ultimate value of life. Before the new birth happens and repentance occurs, a hundred other things seem more important and more attractive: health, family, job, friends, sports, music, food, hobbies, retirement. But when God gives the radical change of new birth and repentance, Jesus himself becomes our ultimate treature. =)

Therefore, His demand that we come to him is not burdensome. It means coming to the one who has become everything to us. Jesus did not come into the world mainly to bring a new religion or a new law. He came to offer himself for our eternal enjoyment and to do whatever he had to do, including death, to remove every obstacle to this everlasting joy in him.

"These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full."
John 15:11

When Jesus demands that we do things, like "Come to me", the essence of these demands is that we experience the life that most fully savors and spreads his supreme worth.

As Jesus looks out over the religions of the world, including the Judaism of his day, he sees people who are labouring under heavy loads to earn the favour of whatever deity they belive in. He did not come to replace that God-appeasing load with another one. He came to carry that load and call us to himself for rest.

"Come to me all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

Make no mistake, there is a yoke and a burden when we come to Jesus, but the yoke is easy and the burden is light. =)

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I really want to pray and also dedicate this message to those who aren't doing so well spiritually. I pray that you will understand the plans of God, to prosper us and not to harm us. Jesus called us into the kingdom because He knows how tough the world is out there. And he's given us a yoke that is light because he carries it with us, walking right beside us.

Some of us may think its so tough to follow Jesus and be a disciple and find that we have no strength to go on. Let me encourage you with this.

It says in Matthew 7:14 that the gate is narrow and the way to life is hard. The reason it is hard is not because Jesus is a hard task master. It's hard because the world is a hard place to enjoy Jesus above all. We have a suicidal tendency to enjoy other things more.

Jesus is not the burden. He is the burden lifter, the soul satisfier, and the life giver.

"Jesus stood up and cried out, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."
John 7:37

I pray that we can overcome what we naturally decide for our lives which is to follow our own desires. Let's know that God's desires for us outweighs any other... Amen.. =)

Love you all dearly...

Sera speaks: "A treasure chest of holy joy."

Sera is a theatre production student from LaSalle, 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!

In Jesus' final commission, there was authority and intimacy.

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me."
Matthew 28:18

"Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20

One says, 'I make demands because I have the right.' The other says, 'I make demands because I will help you forever.'

With all that Jesus demands of us, there is still compassion. He's there to guide us as we are imperfect.

What did Jesus demand from the world? From us? He demanded our hearts and mind be changed, because the kind of obedience He demanded moves from the inside, where the value of Jesus is savoured, to the outside, where the value of Jesus is shown.

For our hearts to be changed, Jesus demanded that we be born again, to repent, to go to Him, to believe in Him, to love Him, to listen to Him, and to abide in Him.

When all these demands are seen for what they really are, they turn the absolute authority of Jesus into a treasure of holy joy. =)

When the most glorious person in the universe pays all my debts...

"just as the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as ransom for many." matt 20:28

... and then demands that I come live with Him and enter into His joy...

"His master replied, well done good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!" matt 25:21

... there can be no more desirable demand imaginable. =)

When we choose to obey the authority of Jesus, we find ourselves in that treasure chest of holy joy. =)

Amen

Love you guys lots. =)

Teach me Lord, to wait......on my knees

Teach me, Lord to wait
Down on my knees
Till in your own good time
You will answer my pleas
Teach me not to rely on what others do
But to wait in prayer
For an answer from You

"He has made everything beautiful in His time"-Ecc 3:11

Teach me, Lord to wait
While my heart is all aflame
Let me humble my pride
And call on our name
Keep my faith renewed;
Keep my eyes fixed on You
Let me be on this earth
What You want me to be

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary but what is unseen is eternal."-2 Cor 4:18

Those who wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength
They shall mount up with wings like eagles
They shall run and not be weary
They shall walk and not faint
Teach me, Lord to wait

"But He said to me,'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'"-2 Cor 12:9

"Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." -James 1:4

-Poernomo-

Sera speaks, "A truly godly person."

Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!

The truly godly person never forgets that he was at one time an object of God's holy and just wrath. He never forgets that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and he feels along with Paul that he is himself the worst of sinners. But then as he looks to the cross, he sees that Jesus bore his sins in His own body and that the wrath of God -- the wrath that he, a sinner, should have borne -- was expended completely and totally upon the Holy Son of God. And in this view of Calvary, he sees the love of God.

The love of God has no meaning apart from Calvary, and Calvary has no meaning apart from the holy and just wrath of God. Jesus did not die just to give us peace and a purpose in life; He died to save us from the wrath of God. He died to reconcile us to a holy God who was alienated from us because of our sin. He died to ransom us from the penalty of sin -- the punishment of everlasting destruction, shut out from the presence of the Lord. He died that we, the just objects of God's wrath, should become, by His grace, heirs of God and co-heirs with Him.

=)

Lingpin shares some thoughts

Lingpin works for the Army and is a full-time servant for God. He serves in many areas in church, including playing the drums for the church band and editing videos and taking photographs. He inspires many with his sacrificial heart.

Hi guys,

It's been a while since I posted anything.. I guess work has a way of catching up on you when you least expect it or want it.

I think in recent months it's been quite the rollercoaster ride for all of us. Of course the event that hit us most was the loss of our dear friend David. Now that the dust has settled, I felt that it's time to wipe of the dust and sweat and blood and let the emotions come out. It's time to sort out the emotion thing, so bear with me.

I certainly have felt the loss and the exasperation and frustration of not being able to physically do anything for David. Among the brothers we secretly felt the helplessness of getting front seats to the greatest tragedy playing out before our eyes. Oh yes I have felt helpless and felt the pain. But we bravely decided we had to carry on. The campus guys are a great bunch.

At some point in time i decided that i just had to numb the pain and go on doing the right thing, even ifit meant distancing myself from this whole thing. I felt that I had to take care of everyone else before sorting myself out, just to keep everything stable. Once the dust had settled it would be safe for me to come out of my protective shell again.

The best I could do was to make sure the special service went great, made sure the video was encouraging, make sure the songs would do justice to his favourite kingdom songs, make sure the flow of the service went well and that he could see what went on. Then when it happened I just had to grit my teeth and make sure the whole service was done with the greatest care and respect to the family. I made sure we organised the pall bearers and made sure that if I couldnt say anything to him then I should at least carry him and send him off. And to top it off I had the task of reliving every single moment when I edited the wake video for David's family. Oh I made sure that everything went just fine.

Now I just have to make sure that everything is fine with... me. Maybe shed a tear or two just to make sure.

I thought about my motivation to do all this. Is it glory that i want? Praise from Man? "Oh ling pin you have done so much and you should let people know!" Is it affirmation? I thought long and hard before I plunged into this difficult task of serving the family with all my heart. I promised myself that I shall love as Jesus loved, serve as Jesus served, and live as Jesus lived.

And really that was what I needed to weather the storm. How would i deal with personal tragedy and live to tell the tale? How would I find the stomach to grit my teeth and bear with the pain and still decide to do the right thing? How would I find the will to push my emotions aside and serve with all my heart?

I had no choice.

I just had to rely on Jesus for strength and courage... and love. In a time when everyone is in need of love, who will give it? In a time when I also need love, who will give me love? Who will be my friend? I had no choice but to rely on God more and more each day. That is the valuable gift that this whole thing has given to me and God has strange and mysterious ways to tell people things.

I will lament the passing of David, but I will cherish his memory, and the final gift that he gave to me. Am I ok? I guess I will be fine after a while. Now if only I would unclench my fist from the shovel and stopworking for a while and let God take more control of my life...

But you know what, melancholic-cholerics are all like that....:)

love you lots,

Ling Pin.

Wilfred speaks: "He ain't heavy, He's our brother."

During one of the hangouts of our small group, the
Awesome 5 (Lubin, Kelvin, Shawn, David and I), we
found ourselves discussing about our funerals. It may
seem odd for a bunch of young men to be discussing
this but for some reason we did and along the way we
made a pact - that since there's five of us, the first
one to depart would be carried by the remaining 4.

That pact was realized last Monday when a few brothers and I were pallbearers at David's funeral.

The thought of organizing the pall bearing was something that weighed heavily on my mind but I had no time to address it until after the second service on Sunday. I hesitated stepping forward to ask but as Kelvin put it best, there won't be another time.

I was glad that David's Dad was open to my suggestion and quickly gathered a group of brothers for the task- Ling Pin, Anthony, Andrew, Shawn and Kelvin. I really appreciate them for serving especially at such late notice. I knew for certain had Lubin been back in Singapore, he would've been there with us.

As did the Church say to David during the appreciation service, from 1 Thessalonians 5:13, 'We hold you inthe highest regard', so did the pallbearers expressthat by bearing the coffin on our shoulders. It was an honor to be carrying a hero on ourshoulders; one who has had tremendous impact on thepeople around him. As I look back on that last act of service we performed for our dear brother, the lyrics of that 60 shit by The Hollies, He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother comes to mind.

The road is long
With many a winding turn
That leads us to who knows where
Who knows where

But I'm strong
Strong enough to carry him
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

So on we go
His welfare is of my concern
No burden is he, to bear
We'll get there

For I know
He would not encumber me
He ain't heavy, he's my brother

If I'm laden at all
I'm laden with sadness
That everyone's heart
Isn't filled with the gladness
Of love for one another

It's a long, long road
From which there is no return
While we're on our way to there
Why not share
And the load

Doesn't weigh me down at all
He ain't heavy, he's my brother
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.

The path leading to the hearse did seem long, but it was over too quickly. I knew my prayers for the six of us to be strong and stedfast were answered as we complete that final act of service. And no the load didn't weigh us down at all for He Ain't Heavy, He's Our Brother.

Love Wilfred

Sera speaks: "Total Responsibility and Total Dependence."

Sera is a theatre production student from La'Salle, she never fails to inspire others around her with her deep convictions and carefree expression of God's love. She's blessed with a beautiful singing voice too!

Though the power for Christlike character comes from Christ, the responsibility for developing and displaying that character is ours.

Philipians 2:12-13

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose.

It is us who are called to self-activity, to have active pursuit of the will of God, to promote our spiritual life in himself, to realize the virtues of the Christian life, and to personally apply to salvation. =)

If this was all that was asked of us, we'd be left to our own devices, to our own strength of character and our own willpower.

But Paul does not stop with just our responsibility, he says, "For it is God who works in you."

The spiritual power that enables us to apply ourselves to the cultivation of Christian graces is of God. He works in us so that we can will and act upon it.

Dutch reformed pastor George W. Bethune quotes:

"While, therefore, we grow in the Christian life by divine grace, it is our duty to grow in grace. Besides, the quality of grace is such that, though it is strength from God, we must use it. Grace gives no new faculty, but strengthens the faculties which we have... hence the fruits of the spirit are the qualities and actions of the renewed man, not produced without him, but wrought through him... Let us then be ever mindful of our entire dependence upon the spirit of God... [but] let us be ever mindfu of our duty to maintain good works."

The fruits of the spirit in Galatians 5 are commands addressed to our responsibility. We are to have those traits because God has already given us the power to attain them. =)

With Philippians 3:12-14, we learn that there's a need to press on and strain forward. Paul even tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:7 to train himself to be godly. =)

With God's power, we're to use it to develop our characters so that we can display them to please God. No wait for His power to work its way into our hearts. =)

Love you guys....

His name is David

I heard that bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather, the ability to conquer the fear, and turn it into strength and inspiration.
And I have seen someone who trully wrestles, never gives in, and continuously fight, till the end.
He is courageous enough to give thanks to the Almighty, in knowing what he's going through;
He is not afraid to keep smiling, yet facing the another day of uncertainty;
He is no doubt that tomorrow will definitely be better;
He is secured of having the hope of eternity and never let it fading away;
He is concern enough to ask me, "How are you?" despite himself feeling pain;
He is brave enough to see all the injecting needles, without complaining to God;
He dares to dream, for his loved ones and his friends;
He is valiant enough to take another chance of treatment, instead of giving in;
He is courageous enough to stay faithful, until the end.
And his name is David, who turns all his fears and uncertainties into inspirations, that makes a difference in so many lives.

David will rise again

(Something that Huixian has sent me, thanks sister)

"Your brother shall rise again."
(John 11:23)

When you told me your loved one passed away, I didn't know what to say.
I asked the Lord,
What do I say to someone who has just experienced such a loss?
Then I remembered what Jesus said, when He saw Mary and Martha crying
after the death of their brother, Lazarus:
"Your brother shall rise again."

That's the verse God led me to right after my own brother's death at age 22.
I knew he was with Jesus, but I still needed something to hold onto,
so I had turned to the Bible: and that verse jumped right off the page.

I wish I could ease your pain.
I know the Lord will sustain you.
He says, "Fear not, for I will strengthen you,
I will uphold you with my strong right hand."

Know that your loved one is in a place of true peace now,
where there is no more pain, neither sorrow, nor crying.
And, as Jesus told Mary and Martha, you shall see him again.

Paul told the Thessalonians they should not grieve
as those who do not have the hope of eternal life,
that those who "fall asleep" in Jesus shall rise again.
We have this hope. Of course, it's normal to sense a loss.

I know Jesus will help you carry that burden, as I know He loves you dearly
and everything that touches you, touches Him.
God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted
beyond what you are able to endure. This, too, shall pass....

God is supreme and fully in charge of all things.
Nothing takes Him by surprise.
He is personally aware of even the slightest events on earth --
even the fall of a sparrow, Jesus said.
"And you are of more value than many sparrows." (Luke 12)

Our job is to trust the Father's wisdom
He really does have the eternal perspective and oversight on such things
and truly does have our best interests in mind.
"All things work together for good ..." (Romans 8:28)

Take care, little lamb.
Many things about tomorrow we don't understand,
but we know Who holds tomorrow ... and I know He holds your hand


love in christ,
mari

Sera speaks: "David our Warrior."

Warrior

I think you should know, this boy
Gentle joyful loyal
I think you should know, this boy
Friendly unassuming
I think you should know, this boy
Pure-hearted courageous
I think you should know, this boy….

Warrior
Warrior
Compassionate spiritual
Our Warrior
Our Warrior

I think you should know, this boy
Encouraging self-sacrificing
I think you should know, this boy
Unfailing unwavering
I think you should know, this boy
Focused on the path that’s lighted
I think you should know, this boy….

Warrior
Warrior
With his sword and his shield
He’s our Warrior

Warrior
Warrior

God is his stronghold
God is his strength
God is his saviour, he said
God is his teacher and God is his master
Now, God is his faith

Warrior
Warrior
Compassionate spiritual
Our Warrior
Our Warrior

Victoria speaks: "Something for David."

When we first met

He said his name was David

Little did I know that it would be

A name that impact many lives

Many a times we travelled

Together we laughed

We talked and shared

About our dreams and struggles

His age was young

Yet his words were wise

Smaller in size yet his heart

Was the biggest I ever known

Always smiling brightly

Always ready to give

A hug or a kind word

To anyone he meets

His achievements are many

But he never boasts

His listening ear was ever-ready

His advice always sensitively given

Never wavering in his faith

He might have cried out

But he always held on to God's hand

And gave comfort to many

Staring the Goliaths in the eyes

He conquered them one by one

Not out of sheer strength or size

But through pure faith and love for God

He's a friend I will miss

And think about often

When I sing a particular song

I will dedicate it to you

Tears are overflowing

Yet let these tears wash away

The pains and sorrows

To face another new day

I love you, David. You have fought the good fight and inspired to live my life likewise.

Love, Vic

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,

As we grieved for our dearest brother David, let us turn to God for comfort. I believe that David is in heaven rejoicing and enjoying the world biggest feast (PS: even better than all the banana prata and dou jiang you tiao in the world).

I love you dear david.

Here are some verses we can meditate on:

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you asthe world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Isaiah 25:8

He will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.

Psalm 71:20-21

Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.

Psalm 30:5

Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Psalm 34:18

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit

Psalm 23

The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not be in want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

He restores my soul.

He guides me in paths of righteousnessfor his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me.

You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.Surely goodness and love will follow meall the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 27:4-5

One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.

with love,
Gwen =)

Andrew speaks: "Wonderful memories of David."

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

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

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

Homesick - Mercy Me