NEMA | AMEN

More Than Conquerors in Christ

2010-02-25T10:15:00.002+08:00

Romans 8:37
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

The three days I talked about having victory in God and this is the concluding part. Indeed, we are more than conquerors in God who loves us. God loves us and He has sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross so that we could go on in life with purpose and meaning once again. More than that, God has given us authority and power over the principalities and powers of darkness. We have victory over every circumstance and trial because of Jesus who has won the battle for us. Like what the Bible says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" My answer is, "No one!" If God is for you, nobody even if it is someone high in political power, cannot defeat you, unless you allow him to defeat you of course. You must first choose to walk close to God and be willing to let God fight for you and depend on Him, then you will have the victory. Our part of the fight is to pray, have faith, and do the best we can while we leave the rest to him. Whatever we can do, we just take a step of faith, and God will take care of what we cannot do.

Take exams for example. You need to trust in God for the ability to handle the knowledge given to you and to be able to understand what you learn in class and pray for God's grace that you will have the peace of God in your souls and to be able to finish the papers easily. However, on our part, we need to study. Whatever we can recap, we just do the best we can and then whatever we have no control over such as the kind of questions set, the difficulty of the paper or understanding harder topics, we leave those things to God to handle. The most important thing is to never give up and never say ,"Impossible." With God, nothing is impossible. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Be a conqueror, be bold to conqueror your fears and doubts and circumstances today and trust in God for the victory and give Him all the glory and praise.

If God is for us...

2010-02-24T13:09:00.002+08:00

Romans 8:31-32
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

If God is for us, who can be against us? Friends, I love this Scripture more and more every time I read it. When God gives a vision or gives us a desire to do something, He will provide the means for us to fulfill our callings because He is for us. And if God calls you to something, no matter who is against you, they will fail to stop you or hinder you. If you have a decision in your heart and you dedicate it to God, God approves and you are not sure if it will come true, this is a good verse to meditate on.

However friends, this verse works only if we have faith to believe it to come to pass. Because you need to learn to trust God to fight for you. Secondly, God has to approve of your decisions or it has to be in alignment to God's will. If God says "NO," then no matter what you do, it is gonna be in vain. Take trials and testings for example. The Bible says that God will not allow us to be tested beyond our abilities. Then whenever the devil attacks you, you know that God is for you and wants you to learn to trust Him to fight for you. And when the devil attacks, you can still overcome because God is for you and will give you the strength to overcome.

In the Book of Acts, one of the elders of the Sanhedrin stood up and told the other Pharisees and Saducees to reconsider about persecuting the Church in Jerusalem. He said to them, "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God." (Acts 5:38-39)

If God is for you, no matter what people plot against you, it will fail. So today you must learn to trust God and commit your whole life into God's hands. However, do not rebellious and proud either. God does not approve of everything we do. If you want to take revenge on someone for a wrong, God definitely will stop you from taking revenge, but He will help to convict the person of his sin. Whatever God approves it will come to pass, whatever God disapproves it will fail. However, today in your life you can trust God to fight for you in your finances, relationships, health, career, education, family, ministry etc.

But then also, if God is NOT for you, then it doesn't matter who IS for you. As long as God is on your side on an issue, you will have the victory. If you don't, and if God is against you, you will surely fall. Listen to God's voice, learn to trust in Him and confess this verse in your life always.

Joint heirs with Christ

2010-02-23T12:59:00.002+08:00

Romans 8:15-17
15 For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
16 The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,
17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

God did free us in order for us to in bondage to fear. He freed us so that we could live by faith and to live victoriously. Jesus says that whatever is born of flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. So when we are born again, we are born of the Holy Spirit, born of God which makes us children of God. We cry out to God, "Abba, Father." So now we not only have an earthly father, but also a heavenly father. I don't know about some of you, but I was born an illegitimate child. I don't know who my real father is. Yet from my birth, I was given a stepfather who loved me with the best he could. When I found out in 2009 that I was an illegitimate son, I was grieved and cried out to God. I was so discouraged, angry and depressed about it. But you know friends, I've learnt that whatever is physical is physical. Whatever is spiritual is spiritual.

In the Old Testament, things were all done through external events and acts and a lot of rituals and spiritual things had to be done in the physical in order to reflect the spiritual. So, illegitimacy was not a good thing in the Old Testament. Illegitimacy was considered imperfection and so illegitimate children could not enter the assembly of God, to enter the tabernacle to worship. Therefore God manifested His love and grace by sending Jesus to die for us so that our sins can be forgiven and that we can be made whole and clean. More than that, now in the New Covenant, God says He will live inside of us instead, and we our bodies will become the temples of the Holy Spirit and we can speak to Him directly now. Friends, physically, I would not be able to enter the assembly. However, because of God's saving grace and salvation, I am now born of the God and I have been given the right to become a child of God so that I come not only into the courtyard to worship, but into the Most Holy Place where I can encounter God.

Friends, we need not live in fear and worry of the physical things anymore because now we have a Heavenly Father to provide for us, just like how God has provided for us our spiritual provisions. The best thing about this new birth in God is what I really want to communicate today. Don't ever live in defeat and condemnation anymore. Fear should not have a foothold in your life anymore. Instead, live by faith and trust in God. The Bible tells us that we are joint heirs with Christ because we are all children of God now and we what Jesus inherits, we are also have a share of the inheritance. Don't let anyone tell you that you are a failure anymore. Instead, rise up and trust in God, step out of your comfort zones and walk forward in faith wherever you go. Prosperity will always follow us because we are joint heirs with Christ. We will inherit whatever He has inherited. If He has inherited victory, then in Him, we also have victory.

NO MORE CONDEMNATION!!!

2010-02-22T11:24:00.002+08:00

Romans 8:1

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Today I want to share about being free in Jesus Christ. Friends, the Bible tells us that we need to live according to the Spirit and not carnally. However, sometimes we tend to make mistakes and fall and we feel guilty. It is good to feel guilty because then you know you still have a sense of righteousness in you, a regret in doing the wrong thing. But friends, we cannot allow this guilt to kill our joy and destroy our relationship with God. You may be struggling with secret sin even, but by condemning yourself, you are just perfecting the devil's work. In fact, condemnation causes us to continue in our sin because when we are condemned we start to feel as though God won't forgive us even if we choose to repent. Then you begin to think that since God is not going to forgive, it doesn't matter whether the sin continues or not. Friends, we need to learn to let guilt be an emotion for contrition and not condemnation. Instead of condemning and trying to be more righteous than God, we need to learn to forgive ourselves and ask God for His forgiveness and for the Blood of Jesus Christ to wash our souls clean once again. Friends, to be in Christ means you need to be free from the sting of condemnation and only the blood of Christ can do that. All you need to do, is to sincerely repent from your sins and sincerely ask God to help you overcome any weakness or struggles in your life. By condemning yourself, you will not overcome your struggles. God died for us on the cross so that we could be forgiven of our sins and that the blood of Christ could cleanse us from our sins and be free from condemnation so that we could live joyfully and with purpose once again.

Because once you're condemned, everything is meaningless and purposeless already. But God redeemed us so that we could live the purpose that He planned for us to live. However, friends, the Bible also says that we should not take this liberty of freedom for granted and to use it as a means to sin again. Like I said, guilt should lead our hearts into contrition - A heart that sincerely wants to change for the better and to overcome the mistake or struggle once and for all and not going back to the old habitual sins and mistakes again. Jesus has set us free from condemnation so if you are struggling right now, you need to confess your sins before God and ask for His forgiveness and ask for His grace and Holy Spirit to help you to overcome that area of weakness in your life. Condemning yourself will only destroy you further. God didn't forgive us so that we could condemn ourselves again. He forgave us so that we would have the hope once again to become a new person and a better person in Jesus Christ.

NEMA ceasing operation

2010-02-21T23:07:00.003+08:00

Dear Friends,

We just want to say thanks to those who have actually been visiting our blog and also sorry for the days when we failed to keep up with our daily devotions. This week will be different because it will be the last week we will be updating this blog. So we just want to let all the faithful readers out there, thank you so much and hope you've been blessed by all our devotional posts.

This week we will definitely be updating everyday because it's our last week on NEMA. The good news is, we will not delete the blog for the sake of those who wants to read our previous posts. I also hope that everyone got a chance to read one of our 7 part message entitled "My First Love." It's about coming back to God and acknowledging God in our lives.

So God bless to you all, and may 2010 be a year of restoration and breakthroughs for you.

Forgiveness restores friendships

2010-02-21T02:49:00.002+08:00

Proverbs 17:9
9 He who covers over an offense promotes love,
but whoever repeats the matter separates close friends.

Today I just want to share about forgiveness between friends. I believe we've all been let down by our own friends before. Even marriage partners and family members are still friends. The verse here today is talking about something very simple, and that is to forgive those who have hurt us especially our friends. So today, I want to focus on how repeating an offence can be an act of unforgiveness or an act of sowing discord.

What does it mean to "repeat a matter?" The New Living Translation makes it simple for us to understand. It says,

Proverbs 17:9 (NLT)
9 Love prospers when a fault is forgiven,
but dwelling on it separates close friends.

The key word is "dwelling." In other words, when your friend says something to hurt or offend you maybe by accident or on purpose, the person apologizes, repents and is willing to change for the better and make restitution. However, suddenly you keep humming and grumbling about it, "If only you didn't do this" or "If only you didn't say that." "If only...if only...if only." The thing is, you are always harping on it and constantly reciting what happened and continuously thinking about the past. All this separates friends. And this verse is not just talking about ordinary friendship, it's talking about CLOSE FRIENDS. The moment you start doing that, your friendship begins to tear and people will start to dislike you.

One time when I was young around Primary 6. I bought this toy called the D-tector. It was a Digimon game which they called a Digivice. I remember I was always playing it and Wei Loong my good friend was interested in getting one too. So we went to Parkway Parade to look for one together and we found another Digimon game that looked like a Digivice but wasn't, I think it was called a D-Gadget or something like that. When he saw it, he liked it too because not only was it good looking but it was also cheaper. So he was contemplating which to get. So I didn't know which one either cause I also liked the D-gadget thingy. So I said, "It's your choice. Maybe the D-gadget might be fun, just try who knows, you might like it. It's cheaper too." After about half an hour, we bought it. Wei Loong was so disappointed when he started playing that useless thing. The next day in school, he came up to me complaining about the game, and I asked why and he showed it to me. Then I realized how bad it was. The irritating part was when he kept on saying, "EH, you say this one is fun, you cheated my money." Initially I could take his sarcasm and mumurring. After a while it got really annoying. Firstly was because I had apologized for not being able to encourage him to buy the Digivice instead because the Digivice was 10 times more fun. Secondly, I was willing to help him get a Digivice but I was only in Primary school with only money to eat in the tuckshop. Where will I get money to buy a digivice for him? Of course, this incident almost tore me apart, but it didn't. But there were times I think I did have fall outs with Wei Loong. Not only Wei Loong, but also my other primary school friends who eventually went through the same secondary school as me in Secondary One. Till today, some of these friends whom i had fall outs with before, are all some of my closest friends.

We managed to become friends again because of forgiveness. Friends, if you want to have strong friendships, you must be willing to forgive one another for all of each other's trespasses. Once in a while, we will always cross each other's boundaries, but we must learn to let go and to forgive and to forget. The moment you harp on things, that's when the friendship starts to separate and that's how hate manifests as well. So I challenge those of you including myself that if there have been misunderstandings or mistakes you've made toward one another, make an effort to apologize and make restitution and to forgive one another. Don't murmur or complain, just let it go and laugh it off and avoid committing the same offense too.

I close with one last example. Jesus Christ our ultimate example, had 12 close friends. He knew they would betray Him, and He knew Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter would deny and betray Him. Yet the Bible says, "He loved them till the end." The 12 of them while with Jesus for 3.5 years, also made countless mistakes, but Jesus never once condemned them or harped on their mistakes, instead, He rebuked them with love and taught them how to become people of greater influence through prayer and many other things. He still showed them signs and miracles for them to see and believer. Even today, as friends of God, we will still let Him down too. However, God is not going to harp on our mistakes. Instead, He will forgive us and cleanse us with the Blood of Jesus and give us the grace and the ability to become people of destiny.

Forgive and you'll be forgiven saith the Lord Jesus. Amen and God Bless!

Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-15T08:59:00.003+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year to all everyone. I hope you've got your prosperous and abundant share of the harvest($$$) hahaha. It is good to be blessed to be financially from the LORD through the people who give to us. However, do not forget to tithe and give your offerings to the LORD. Remember also to set aside some for the poor and don't spend all your money. God blesses us greatly so we can save as well. If you can handle your finances well, God will bless you with more.

Apart from financial blessings, I pray you all have a good time fellowshiping and mingling with your relatives. Today is the second day and I tell you I've had a good chance of talking to a lot of people yesterday, people whom I only see once a year, and I pray for their salvation too. AMEN. So don't just visit people for the ang baos. It's important for you to collect the red packets because actually it is not polite not to receive. However, it is also impolite to ask. So unless someone offers it to you, do not ask. If someone gives to you, just receive it with joy and DON'T FORGET TO BLESS THE PERSON WITH WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENTS AND GOOD WISHES.

As I just said, Chinese New Year is not just about red packets, it's about having a family celebration with one another and to bless one another. So spend more time wanting to know people at the same time as that is an important attitude that God wants us to practice - Quality Time.

That's all I have for you today, wishing everyone once again a very Happy Chinese New Year! God bless you!

Love is not a fight

2010-02-13T01:26:00.002+08:00

Love is commitment to one another. No matter what form relationship it is, romance, friendship or whatever, love is not a fight, but something worth fighting for. The best of marriages and friendships and families, is when people love each other till the end. Love involves lots of prayer support, encouragements, quality time, gifts, serving and hugs and kisses. Love involves us being able to even lay down our lives. God loves us so much, He paid the price for our sins by dying for us. He is our faithful example of steadfast love. Love is relationship where we say to one another, you're important to me. Agape means to carry one another on each other's backs. Cherish every moment with your loved ones. Most importantly, let God run your life and your relationships, and let Him help us through these relationships to change us, and also let Him bless these relationships which we have with one another. When God is in the midst of friendship, family or marriage, the relationship will definitely be a powerful one. There will still be tough times, but God will always help the relationship to become a strong bond of Agape love. Trust in God.

Trust in the LORD

2010-02-06T02:13:00.002+08:00

Today's post is gonna be very short.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.

Trusting in God is a very fundamental principle in the life of every believer. Not just in times of trouble but every single day as you go through life, you need to depend on God to guide you. If you don't trust God, how can you say that you have faith. If you always lean on your own understanding, then it is no different then having a life without God at all. The purpose of salvation is so that we can be reconciled with God and once again discover the purpose and plans He has for us. If we are always so stubborn and faithless, then no matter what God says, you will refuse to listen, disobey and sin, and make greater mistakes and consequences of your own. We need to trust in Him with everything - money, career, studies, relationships etc.

As you acknowledge God in everything you say, think and do, then you are activating faith and then the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth, and show you which directions to take and which paths to go in life. He will help you to find the open doors and prevent you from walking into a closed door. If you ever walked into a wall or a closed door, you would know that it can hurt. Likewise, let the Holy Spirit guide you in the Spirit, and do not walk into a closed door or a spiritual wall which is going to hurt too. Instead, walk trusting God to lead you through the open doors.

God bless you

With All I Am

2010-01-29T16:21:00.001+08:00

Whatever burdens you have in your life, whatever joys you have in your life, commit it all to God.

Truth, Light, Way

2010-01-25T23:51:00.001+08:00

the Truth
the Light
the Way

John 14:6 (New King James Version)

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

The magnificent cross held the 3 truth
pointing up, God holds the Highest Truth
Acts 5:29 (New King James Version)

29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.

He is the Light (across the horizon)
Psalm 119:105 (New King James Version)

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

He is the Way (the beam pointing below)
Following His way, does not ensure life is a bed of roses.
Walking His Way is to carry the Cross

Luke 14:27 (New King James Version)
27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

Carrying a cross is walking with Him, even through the valley of shadow of death, we will fear no evil for He is with us.

4 Yea, 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.

God did not promise days without pain; laughter without sorrow; sun without rain - But He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way."

Ask, Seek, Knock

2010-01-22T12:36:00.002+08:00

Ask, Seek, Knock

Just wanna share a passage from my daily devotion.

⁷"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

⁹"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Continue to seek & you will definitely find, knock and the door will be opened. The bible never says may, might, receive. But "will". God doesn't want you to stop seeking after him one day but everyday seeking after him & He will definitely show you new grounds and blessing.

Let's not get caught up in our own business but always be available to lend a helping hand and do good unto others. You are God's temple. Let's make a difference today.

Signing off

Lord reign in me

2010-01-19T13:55:00.002+08:00

This is one of my favorite songs entitled Lord Reign in Me.

God bless you

We're back!

2010-01-17T23:35:00.003+08:00

Hi friends, we're back to blog our devotional messages on NEMA.

Today's word is taken from Philippians
14 Do everything without complaining or arguing,
15 so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe
16 as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

Today I was at a thanksgiving party with a big group of us from church at Pasir Ris, Aloha Resort. We played many, many, and many games today. I was really exhausted. We played the Amazing Race and there were so many stations. But after the race, we headed to the resort for our short-tele match before our dinner. I was so tired, and then there came a game where balloons were required. For your information, "Dennis detests balloons." So I didn't really want to play the game. I whined and complained and murmured and grumbled in my heart and with my tongue. Then the Holy Spirit said to me, "Stop complaining and just play." I felt that God wanted me to overcome my fear of balloons because it was just hindering me from enjoying the fun. The event was fun, but in the game where the balloons were involved, all I cared about was MYSELF.

So my revelation to me today and tonight was exactly in alignment to what I came across today in the Holy Bible. This relates to us through the example which I shared above, and also through the example of the children of Israel regarding the Promise Land.

Three things you need to know about arguing and complaining:

1. There is power in confession.

The one thing that the children of Israel would ALWAYS say to Moses during their journey to the Promise Land whenever the journey exhausted them was these words, "Why did you lead us out into the wilderness to die? We could have died back in Egypt." Even when they reached the Promise Land, they refused to enter because they thought they were gonna die. Because they always complained about death, they really ended up wandering in the wilderness for 40 years and all 20 years and above died in the wilderness except Joshua and Caleb because God said that the both of them had a different spirit. Joshua and Caleb never complained, the only they spoke when they reached the Promise Land was, "God is with us and we CAN possess the land." After the 40 year wilderness experience, Joshua and Caleb got into the land.

2. Complaining weakens your faith.

The children of Israel always complained and doubted God's anointing upon Moses. At the Promise Land, they still complained and said, "We are grasshoppers in the enemies eyes." They complained and said to Moses, "Why did you bring us here to be killed by our enemies when we could have died back in Egypt?" God said to Moses, "All 20 years and above, except Joshua and Caleb, cannot enter the Promise Land." Reason is simple: They had no faith to believe and they doubted God and they doubted THEMSELVES. So when they complained, fear and doubt came upon them because they were afraid to "DIE." God said through Moses that if the Israelites when in to fight, they would lose. The Israelites couldn't believe the word of God through Moses and changed their minds and went to fight after that but......they LOST! Many Israelites died, and many were chased so far away places. Through fear and doubt, there is defeat.

3. Arguing brings dissension.

The Bible says in Proverbs that one of the things that God hates, is division among people. Arguing will not solve problems, even if it is with yourself. It will only harm yourself and the other person.

4. Complaining brings self-centeredness.
The children of Israel were not exactly interested in God. They just wanted to find a land that they could enjoy in, and not do any hard work. They wanted God to do everything for them. So they started complaining against God in their hearts and with their tongues.

At the end of the day, complaining and arguing does not glorify God. So for me to grumble to myself and to God in one corner, allowing myself to lose in the game just so that I could escape the balloons, I became self-centered for that moment without even realizing until God enlightened me. By complaining and locking my heart up even for one game, it gives people a bad impression of me, and makes me less Christ-like because Jesus would not have done that. Jesus was not afraid of anything. Jesus did what He needed to do, in order that He could be a good testimony. We all ought to do the same.

So let's complaining and arguing, because it is not glorifying to God. And when we breakthrough that, the passage of scripture says that "we will shine like stars!"

God bless you

Happy New Year

2010-01-04T00:37:00.002+08:00

Hi friends, I just wanna apologize if we did not post during the last few days of 2010 December. Today I just wanna share a very short and simple message to start the year, to encourage you. Also, for your information, we won't be having any posts after this, for the next two weeks until 18 January 2010.

Anyway, today I have two pointers that I just wanna highlight:

1. Forget the past.

Isaiah 43:18
18 "Forget the former things;
do not dwell on the past.

Whatever has happened, has already happened. Put aside every negative event behind you and keep moving forward. Start the new year with a fresh goal and fresh resolutions. Let the failures of the past become stepping stones for you to achieve better successes in the future.

If someone has offended you, it's time to forgive and forget. Forgive not only others but also yourself. If you've made s mistake in your past, just avoid it in future and look to Jesus for the grace to not make the same mistake.

2. Start the year with God.

Don't ever start your 2010 without God. At the start of every year, it is important to get in tuned with God, and get right with Him. If you have secret sins in your life, or sickness in your body, or maybe you are going through financial problems. Ask God to forgive you of your sins and to wash your soul clean with the blood of Jesus and ask God to set you free from every bondage that is separating you from Him or hinders you from enjoying His love and blessings. Don't let Satan hold you captive, but let God lead and guide you.

Don't make resolutions without prayer. Seek God and in all your ways acknowledge Him.

Proverbs 3:6
6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

From all of us at NEMA, we wish you a happy new year. Have a great year ahead and God bless.

Joy To The World

2009-12-19T06:00:00.001+08:00

The First Noel

2009-12-17T08:42:00.001+08:00

Christmas is in a few days friends! So NEMA is gonna be uploading christmas carols. Today's Christmas Carol is The First Noel.

The First Noel

2009-12-17T08:42:00.000+08:00

Christmas is in a few days friends! So NEMA is gonna be uploading christmas carols. Today's Christmas Carol is The First Noel.

Breakthrough

2009-12-10T22:12:00.000+08:00

Its coming to the end of 2009
Have you experience breakthrough this year?
B R E A K T H R O U G H with Him!
Walk with God, Be Broken for Him,

Psalm 34:18 The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,And saves such as have a contrite spirit.

Psalm 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

If we are hard to God, God is hard to work in us. Come to Him with a broken spirit and experience this breakthough once again!

City Harvest Church - First

2009-12-10T04:39:00.001+08:00

My First Love - Part 7/7

2009-12-06T23:12:00.002+08:00

Just to let you know, this might be the longest post among all the 7 parts, but i promise you that you will be blessed reading this.

Revelation 3:14-18
14 “And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write,
‘These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God:
15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot.
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.
17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-
18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

This is the last of the 7 churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. To quickly get a brief understanding about the Laodicean churches, what does Jesus mean by you are either hot nor cold. Well to be hot means that you are very spiritual and very alive for God, and you serve faithfully and you love prayer and you are very obedient to God. To be cold basically means you are almost backsliding, or have backslided, and you don't love God anymore. So to Jesus doesn't mind having people backslide? Not exactly. Read carefully, He says, I rather you be HOT OR COLD because you are LUKEWARM. To be lukewarm here metaphorically means you are in self-deception. You are sort of spiritually dead but think you are still alive. Lukewarm Christians try to please God with their offerings more than their obedience. The church in Laodicea was in fact a very rich and wealthy church. How do we know?

Revelation 3:17
17 Because you say, ‘I am RICH, have become WEALTHY, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked-

More than that, lukewarm Christians are Christians who treat God like a vending machine. If they need something, then they go to God. Most of the time, they think they have everything already and don't need anything so going to church or prayer is not important anymore. They are semi-cold and semi-hot. They still believe in God and still fulfill some of their religious duties, but they are actually cold inside. Hot outward, cold inward. In other words, God is no longer their first love, rather wealth has taken over God's throne in their hearts. This is not the right way Christians should live. Jesus really hates these kinds of attitudes as well. As much as Jesus abhors idolatry and sexual immorality, Jesus dislikes hypocrites in the kingdom. Basically, the lukewarm believers are half-hearted and self-centered people and, they think that because they are prosperous already, they have excuse not to go to church or to pray or to fast. They'll come up with excuses like: "Hey God, you know I need to work. Otherwise I have no money to put into the offerings. If I don't earn enough, I cannot help the poor. God you must understand, I don't really have a lot of time. Time is as important as money, I need it to feed my family." They give so many excuses and lies in order to live their ways and not God's ways.

So Jesus says that He will vomit these people out of His mouth. As the Bible says that the church is also the body of Christ. If the believers remain like this, the church will not grow and the church will become spiritually sick. This means that Jesus will become sick in spirit and will vomit these people out. In short, they will not enter the Kingdom of God, meaning that they will lose their salvation.

The problem with lukewarm Christians is that they think they are still saved, but their hypocrisy deceives them into thinking that they can buy eternal salvation through their works without having to put God first. However, we all know that it is "grace through faith." We do these things not to have a fire escape, but really because we believe God and love Him.

What then does Jesus want us to do. Three things Jesus wants us to do everyday and night, in order to keep that lukewarmness out of the way:

1. Let God mold our character.

Revelation 3:18
18 I counsel you to buy from Me GOLD REFINED BY FIRE, that you may be rich...

That means Jesus not only wants us to be physically rich, but spiritually as well. Both are important. In this context, gold basically means the righteousness and conduct of life. Jesus wants our character to be molded and refined. He wants us to become mature believers and people of God. Be rich in mercy, love, faith, purity of heart, truth and goodness. God wants our character and conduct to be righteous to the max.

However, to become a mature Christian in righteousness and conduct, we need to be tested and tried. Another problem with the lukewarm believers is that they want instantaneous blessings. They are afraid to go through suffering. In this context, fire represents trial and testing. In order for our character to be refined, we need to be molded through the trials. No pain, no gain. Friends, I honestly tell you, suffering may be a tough thing but consider it a privilege to suffer with Christ so that you can molded and conformed into the image of our LORD Jesus Christ and to become perfect just He is perfect.

1 Peter 4:13
13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

Romans 8:37
37 Yet in all these things we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS through Him who loved us.

How can we be called conquerors if there is nothing to conquer. Yet if there is anything God wants us to conquer, we need to shape our spiritual man first. You can't go to war without first being fit and mentally prepared for battle. Likewise, God wants our inner man to be bigger than our outward self, and not to be ready for spiritual attacks that come our way, and to be prepared for the challenges in life and stand firm.

2. Let God clothe us with righteousness.

Reve;ation 3:18
18...and WHITE GARMENTS, that you may be clothed, that the SHAME OF YOUR NAKEDNESS may not be revealed...

"Shame of your nakedness" reminds us of Genesis when Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to make clothes for themselves after they disobeyed God. White garments here speak of clean and pure robes of the spirit, which metaphorically speak of robes of righteousness. The shame of your nakedness basically means the shame and condemnation caused by sin. Your nakedness is a result of your sins.

Let's go back to Genesis for a moment.
Genesis 3:7-11
7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.
9 Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?”

So after they had seen their nakedness, Adam and Eve sewed fig leaves to cover their nakedness and shame. Furthermore, they tried to hide from God because they were afraid of God. Friends, another problem with the Laodicean church was that they only had a religion, but there was no relationship with God. They were afraid of God just like Adam and Eve. They did not repent, but tried their own ways of covering up their own nakedness, meaning their own sins. They tried ways to cover up their shame, meaning they tried to cover up for their own guilt using self-righteous ways. Sometimes we always think that God will not forgive us and then we begin to try to win God's favor by doing things ourselves. However the truth is, salvation and righteousness can only come from God through the Messiah. So instead of trying to sew your own fig leaves, get proper clean clothing from God. Even the fig leaves that Adam and Eve used to sew make their clothing was see-through, in other words, you could still see some parts of their nakedness. The point is, no matter how much you try to clothe yourself with your own righteousness, you can't because firstly, true and complete righteousness can only come from God. And secondly, people will still be able to see your shame, meaning the shame of your own sins.

Jesus wants us to buy the true garments of righteousness from Him.

3. Revelation.

Revelation 3:18
18...and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

The problem with lukewarm believers in relation to their nakedness and poor character, is that they can't see it. The point is, they think they know but they really don't because they can't see spiritually their own nakedness and poverty in the spirit. So Jesus wants us to open our eyes to the spirit to recognize the conditions of our spiritual life, to see how we look like in the spirit more than how we look like in the physical.

Eye salve is like an ointment for the eyes that helps us to see clearer and better. I believe that this eye salve that Jesus is talking about is the revelations of God. We need the Holy Spirit to come and illuminate our eyes in the spirit and to see the things of the Spirit. These revelations can only be received from God Himself through His Holy Spirit, through the baptism of the Spirit.

John 14:16-17
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 15:26
26 “But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me.

So to wrap up the last part of this 7 part message. I want to close by sharing with you how to buy from Jesus and why to buy from Jesus, and these two points are linked. With what, and how, do we buy from Jesus. The answer is faith. You can only buy these things if you believe. "Prove it!" I'll prove that in my answer to the next point, "why buy from Jesus?" Because only through Jesus, we can receive the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the one who will strengthen us and anoint us to go through the trials and become a better person and the one who opens our eyes to see the things of the Spirit.

John 16:13
13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth.

And with regards to the righteousness, our righteousness is a gift from God which can only be received through salvation, which means you need to believe in Jesus Christ first and confess your sins before God and ask for His blood to wash your sins and to CLOTHE YOU in HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS. The Bible says it very clearly, it is righteousness by grace through faith. And to receive the Holy Spirit, who will guide you into all truth, you can only receive Him through salvation. But for God to mold you even greater and to give you a greater anointing, you need be filled with the Holy Spirit. In other words, You need to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit which can only be received through Jesus.

John 1:32-34
32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him.
3 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

The baptism of the Holy Spirit is very important because will anoint us with spiritual gifts and spiritual impartations and by His spirit, we can receive greater revelations and greater strength to become a mature believer in God and to love God first all the time. When you receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and salvation through Christ, and you build on your relationship with God more than anything else and with anyone else, your love for God will grow hotter and not colder, neither will you remain lukewarm.

This is all I have to say for this 7 part devotion. I hope you were blessed. Do write in your comments if you like. You can comment on the post through the tagboard. Thank you so much for those of you who read and are blessed. God bless you.

My First Love - Part 6/7

2009-12-06T05:36:00.002+08:00

Revelation 3:7-8, 10
7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write,
‘These things says He who is holy, He who is true, “He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens”:
8 “I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.
10 Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.

In the book of Revelation, there are only two churches that Jesus did not scold - The Church in Smyrna and the Church in Philadelphia.
Jesus commended them without having anything against them because they were faithful in all their works. Even though the church in Smyrna was heavily persecuted, yet she remained faithful even till death. Jesus encouraged them to do so. Likewise for the church in Philadelphia, Jesus encourages them to remain faithful. So what is the message friends? The message is, to love God means to be faithful at all cost. No matter what, nothing and nobody should come between us and God. To faithful not only in some areas, but in everything be faithful to God.

That means, we should not be complacent and compromising. We should not be doubtful about God, instead we should always trust God even in times of trouble. Whatever God has put in your hands, be faithful and produce fruit with them. Do not be afraid of being called a Christian. Do not lose faith if people reject you for it. Stay strong in God. Always seek God faithfully in fasting and prayer. Give thanks always even in the hours of darkness. Mix your prayers with thanksgiving and praises to God. Be faithful in tithes and offerings. Be faithful in studying His Word. Be faithful in serving and evangelizing. Be faithful and do not let yourself become spiritually dead.

When you remain faithful to God, God will open new doors for you, and bring you to the blessings and breakthroughs He has for you. Let your faith in God and love for God be kept strong that all may go well.

So in conclusion to today's message, I just want to say to you guys, be faithful to God just as He is faithful to us. And remember to be faithful to God, is also about letting God remain first place in your life all the time. God bless you and have a great day!

My First Love - Part 5/7

2009-12-05T07:13:00.002+08:00

How has your relationship with God been so far? Are you still spiritually strong and alive, or are you spiritually dead?

Revelation 3:1-2
1 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write,
‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.
2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.

How is your walk with God? Are you close to God or far away from Him? Are you still alive or dead?

Jesus says in this passage of scripture, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are ALIVE, but you are DEAD." What does it mean? Well, you it can be understood if you take note of what Jesus says at the end of verse 2, "for I have not found works PERFECT before God." Well, first understand that Jesus is aware that we as humans, we are not perfect. What Jesus is saying is that, we may have been serving, or doing our religious duties, and we can even prophesy and have crusades and evangelize so well, but however, they don't please God because it may not be done through the spirit but by our own flesh. Jesus says, "Be WATCHFUL, and STRENGTHEN the things which remain, that are READY TO DIE." I caps the key words so you can see clearly what Jesus is saying.

Let's make this message simpler and easier to understand:

Jesus says, "you have a NAME that you are ALIVE, but you are DEAD." Jesus is simply saying, you have done so much, but in what way have you done them. Are our works for show? Is our service to God for others to see and praise us? All the spiritual things we've done, are they really spiritually pleasing to God? The truth is, that are even some church services today that run by human methods and not by the anointing of God. Basically, the services run are planned by human strength and knowledge, and the leaders may not even pray before planning. In short, God is not involved at any point during the service. The pastor goes up the pulpit, finishes preaching, the people sing a few songs, and done. Some services are also very exciting and very contemporary services, and everyone is excited, but the service may not be God led, but only based on human talents and knowledge.

How about worship? Is our worship to God really worship? I want to be open in this post for believers who read this post to understand, especially the youths, that we can end up worshiping the worship but yet not worshiping God. Take Hillsong concerts for example. I love Hillsong so much. I love their songs, no doubt. However, I noticed one thing from people I've observed even in my campus. So many of them say they love God and that they believe in Jesus. However, so many of them are not interested in sermons or even old hymns. I hear some saying things like the hymns are so boring, contemporary modern day Christian songs are better. Funny thing is, when Hillsong comes to Singapore for a concert, they can't wait to go for the concert. However during chapel time in our school, when we get people to lead worship and sing the same Hillsong songs we sing in our home churches, not only the Christians in the crowd, but even the people on stage leading worship can't even smile when they lead worship. They worship as though someone just passed away. Furthermore, some of the people leading, are those who are excited for Hillsong. That's what Jesus means. Is God really our first love?

Serving God can also become very routine, such that after a long period of serving in the same ministry, we get used to the way we serve until we don't even bother seeking God for anointing and strength. Sometimes we end up serving using our own strengths and our own ways instead of relying on God. Jesus wants us to repent in this area.

At the end of the day, sometimes we get so used to the life of a Christian, we practice our spiritual habits and we say our daily prayers. Maybe we do not commit sexual immorality, or have any form of secret sin. We have been doing all the spiritual works that Jesus have commanded us. But Jesus says that though we are alive and have a name, yet are dead. He means that all we've been doing is just for show or just as a chore. Nothing is done with God in our hearts and in our minds. We have never included God in any of these things. You may argue and say, "Yes I have." My question is, have you taken time to seek God to know His will and not for what you need and want? Have you taken the time to pray for God to strengthen you everyday? Have you ever considered God when you planned out your events and programs in church, or even when you worship God? Do you sing to God during worship because of the genre of the song? Do you worship God because of who is on stage? Or do you worship God for who He really is? Every time you serve God, have you ever taken even 5 minutes to seek God before you start serving.

Jesus says to repent if you haven't. 3 things which I'm just going to briefly mention. These three things are which we need to repent in:

1. Be watchful (Revelation 3:2)

Keep your prayer life strong, and daily meditate on God's word. Recharge yourself in God every single day and night. If you don't, you will wear out eventually and you won't even feel like serving God or coming to church anymore.

2. Strengthen the things that remain (Revelation 3:2)

What are the things that remain?
- Our hunger for God's word.
- Our thirst for God's Spirit.
- Our desire for God's anointing and God's presence in our lives.
- Our faith in God that He can do all things and that He is our God.
- Our accountability and responsibility.
- Our love for God and for people.
- Our prayer life.
- Our spiritual disciplines - fasting, prayer, reading the word, tithes and offerings etc.

Do not worship God because of who is the worship leader or what song is being sung. Do not serve God or run a Christian event without the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do not forgo your prayer life and do not let your hunger for God disappear. Physically, if you are hungry you know you are hungry because your stomach will begin to growl. Even a person with a poor appetite can feel the hunger in his stomach. Only a person can't feel anything because he is dead. Physically, you will get thirsty naturally. And even after drinking water, you will have some natural sense of thirst left. But only a dead person can't feel a thing. Likewise in the spirit, when your hunger and thirst for God is gone, that means you are spiritually DEAD. So you may be alive physically, and alive in your works, but that doesn't mean that you are spiritually alive.

The last 5 posts (including today's) seem to all link back to what I shared in the first post about the loveless church. Love God with ALL your HEART, with ALL your SOUL, with ALL your STRENGTH, and with ALL your MIND. God bless you, and have a great day!

God and me

2009-12-05T00:57:00.002+08:00

Our Success
All my best, not by power, not by might, by His Spirit.
Give thanks

My First Love - Part 4/7

2009-12-04T03:50:00.004+08:00

Today we're on to part 4, and today's post is gonna be really short and simple because the message is quite straight forward.

Revelation 2:18-20
18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write,
‘These things says the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass:
19 “I know your works, love, service, faith, and your patience; and as for your works, the last are more than the first.
20 Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.

The message today is simple. Sometimes, we fall into sin again, especially if it is an old habit that we may have lived with before becoming Christian. It could be a struggle in sexual immorality, the occult, idolatry, witchcraft. Very often, it may just be sexual immorality. Jesus says here in this passage of Scripture that though we may still be serving God, have faith, believe in His words, love people. You have done more than what you have done for God when you first became a believer. However because of something like sexual immorality, idolatry or moving away from that, some form of addiction in your life, you are in bondage to sin again and you have not repented. It is time to repent. Jesus is saying that you can be serving God faithfully, or evangelizing or doing so much for God because of your love for Him, but if you still let yourself go down the path of sin, then your love for God is not matured yet, neither is God truly your first love.

Some of you may say, will forgive my sin? Yes He will if you truly mean it in your heart and if you are determined to change. Some of you may be like me, struggle for so long. You've repented again and again, and you really don't want to do it again but you just keep falling into temptations of maybe pornography or whatever. You feel like even after repenting you still disappoint God by giving in again. So you've determined to be judged and condemn by God instead of letting Him down again and again. My friend it may be hard, but you just need to repent and come to a point of letting God control your life.

I was in bondage to sexual lust since I was young. In my early 2 years as a Christian, I struggled and struggled. There was a season I stopped, but after a while I got hooked again. I kept praying to God for forgiveness, but after one or two days, I get back to my old habits again. I was so determined to let God condemn me forever in eternity because I said to God, "If I'm going to sin again, I might as well. Pointless for me to repent again and again without action." Because of this, I stopped praying for about almost a month, and stopped reading the word of God. I still went to church, still served. Finally, one day the LORD visited me in my room, and I finally came back into prayer. I was so broken inside and condemned, I cried before God and said, "I don't deserve Your love, and You should not use me for whatever thing You want me to do, because I have broken my word again and again." Then two melodies of two different songs was released in the spirit, and I heard it. The songs were, "First" and "Although Thousand Collapse."

I heard the chorus of both songs and started singing and worshiping God:
First - My first love, forever You will be.....
Although Thousand Collapse - Even when the mountains tremble and a thousand fall, I will stand with You, my Jesus take my all....

And then God spoke, "Dennis, come back to me. I know you've been trying hard to change and I know your struggles, but giving up won't help. Let me help you. Let me come back into your life and restore you. Let the Blood of Jesus wash your soul clean." I said, "I don't deserve Your forgiveness God, I'm going sin again. I've broken my word about changing. again and again, I'd rather You condemn me than to let You down again. I've lived on my own strength and not Yours." God kept persuading me for half an hour. Finally, I poured out spirit and cried out to God for forgiveness and for the blood of Jesus to wash my sins clean. From that day on, I was determined to let Jesus take control once and for all. As I repented and rededicated my life to God, I was filled with the Holy Spirit again. From that day on, my struggle with sexual lust was no longer a hindrance to me anymore. I had been set free in the name of Jesus and by God's grace. Hallelujah!

So if you have been committing some form of sin that has corrupted your soul, it is time to repent and give your life back to God. Don't let Satan hold you back anymore, and don't give him the foothold in your life anymore, let God take control once and for all. Don't let condemnation or these carnal desires live with you anymore, be free in Jesus name!

My first love is God, and therefore, I will abide in His word and His word abide me. If God is my first love, even if I do fall again, I need to repent immediately and get up on my feet again. Not for anyone else, but for Him. Don't let your relationship with God be hindered anymore.

If you are struggling, seek someone you can trust who can help you and pray with you and to counsel you in such an area, and to help you get back into your walk with God. Don't wait any longer, do it now.

My First Love - Part 3/7

2009-12-02T22:31:00.002+08:00

Hello! Today I'm sharing part 3/7, My First Love. I believe you have an idea of what I'm sharing this week. This week's theme is about our relationship with God. However, that's not the only thing that the 7 churches of Revelation talk about. There are other themes that actually play side-by-side with the theme of having God as our first love. We can also learn about love toward our fellow brethren in Christ. We can learn about other spiritual disciplines, and what to expect in different churches etc.

However, this week I just felt led to share more about God as our first love.

Part One, is about doing the works we first did which is to love God and to love people, and to come back to God who is our first love. You can be serving God so much, but yet not love Him. It's like I can be working as PA to a CEO of a big company, but that doesn't mean I ever loved him or her as a friend. I could just be working for the income, for the blessings.

Part Two is about being strong in God in times of persecution. If people reject us, mock us, beat us or even kill us because of our faith, we need to stand firm and continue to be faithful to God even till death.

Tonight, I'm gonna be sharing about compromising to the world.

Revelation 2:12, 14
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write,
‘These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword:
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.

Who is this Balaam and Balak? After Israel was punished by God to wander around in the wilderness for 40 years, not long after, Israel stayed somewhere in the plains of Moab on the east of the Jordan. Then a king by the name of Balak, the king of Moab, saw the Israelites and was afraid of Israel. So Balak wanted Balaam to curse Israel. Balaam believed in God, but he was very compromising. You can read all this in Numbers 22-25. I'll summarize the background for you. Balaam eventually gave into the bribe of Balak to curse Israel.

The firs time messengers were sent to Balaam, Balaam rejected the invitation because God had spoken to him not to do it. The second time, Balak sent princes, people of higher honor and more numerous, to persuade Balaam to go to Moab to curse Israel. On behalf of Balak, they said to Balaam:
Numbers 22:17
17 for I will certainly honor you greatly, and I will do whatever you say to me. Therefore please come, curse this people for me.’”

After this, Balaam hung onto his faith and still refused to go. He said, "I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God." Balaam was faithful the second time, and rejected the invitation. However, Balaam was half-hearted in his rejection.

Numbers 22:18-22a
18 Then Balaam answered and said to the servants of Balak, “Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the LORD my God, to do less or more.
19 Now therefore, please, you also stay here tonight, that I may know what more the LORD will say to me.”
20 And God came to Balaam at night and said to him, “If the men come to call you, rise and go with them; but only the word which I speak to you—that you shall do.”
21 So Balaam rose in the morning, saddled his donkey, and went with the princes of Moab.
Balaam, the Donkey, and the Angel
22 Then God’s anger was aroused because he went,

He didn't completely reject the people. Balaam wanted them to say because he was hoping that somehow, God may suddenly change plans and send him to go to Moab to curse Israel. Balaam was being hoping he could go because...

1. The people inviting him were great in numbers.

The numbers were so big, he was afraid of being mocked, rejected and looked down upon. Plus, he was probably afraid of dying too. If a king sends an army to invite you to prophesy death over his enemies and you refuse, you could end up getting killed for not supporting that king. Balaam was being pressurized.

2. Balaam was prideful and greedy.

If you read verse 17, the message to Balaam was that he would be greatly honored. That means he would get fame, glory, praise and lots of money.

He didn't actually reject them. If he did, he would have asked them to go back home instead of asking them to stay around him.

So while the princes stayed at Balaam's house, that night Balaam went to pray and seek God. God told Balaam not go unless He had commanded him to go. God said to Balaam to do only as He commanded. So unless God said to go, Balaam was not allowed to go. However, this is proof that Balaam was half-hearted. The next day, he went!!!

God didn't say to go, and Balaam woke up early in the morning to prepare his donkey to travel to Moab. That upset God. Along the way, Balaam couldn't figure out why the donkey kept turning around and disobeying him. Finally, God had to open the donkey's mouth to speak to Balaam because all that was in Balaam's mind was, "Nevermind, just this once. I could use the money to do something for God. If I don't go, the Balak might have me killed or this multitude will hate me." Balaam made use of spiritual things to cover up for his mistake of giving in to peer pressure.

Long story short, Balaam tried to prophesy a curse over Israel 4 times, but every time he tried to curse, God put prophecies of blessings into Balaam's mouth instead. How did Balaam teach Balak to curse Israel?

Numbers 23:1
1 Then Balaam said to Balak, “Build seven altars for me here, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams.”

Balaam was thinking that if they tried to use spiritual means to please God, the curse would work. So he taught Balak how to use these spiritual practices of offerings to make God go against Israel. But four times, they failed. So what happened was that, in Numbers 25, Israel began to worship other gods and started committing sexual immorality.
Numbers 25:1
1 Now Israel remained in Acacia Grove, and the people began to commit harlotry with the women of Moab.

The third church in Revelation speaks of compromising to the world. It is almost similar to the second church but somewhat differently. Maybe today, someone asks you to go drinking with maybe your whole cohort, but you know that your tolerance level is very low (meaning you get drunk easily), but if you don't go, people might laugh at you. The Bible never says you can't drink, but it does say you are not supposed to get drunk. Will you still go? If you are at the party, and you have low tolerance level, but drinking seems to be the last resort of getting into the good books of everyone. Will you still drink?

Recently, I went out to two different "parties." I didn't go there for any purpose except to talk to some of my friends and get one or two drops. I made a promise to God that if I really must drink, I would not drink more than one. In that place, I kept my promise. People asked me, "Why are you sober?" My heart was, "Why should I not be? Why do you have to be so HIGH?" So I said to my friend, it is 3am in the morning, I haven't slept for almost 24 hours (which was true), how can I not be tired. The people wanted me to lose control of myself in whatever they did, but I chose to hang on to my faith and onto God. I chose not to sleep with any girl, not to get drunk, not to smoke and not to do anything that was disobedient to God. For the two parties, I prayed short prayers in my heart before I even went. I knew that peer pressure was high and that temptations would be VERY HIGH, and it was really, really high in there. Thank God for His Holy Spirit, to keep me away from whatever would destroy me.

I chose not to give in because I believed that if I love God, I would not do these things. If I love God, I will not over drink either, because too much will kill my body. The body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

There was once when I was on the bus on my way to the city to meet my friends for a movie. Some of my classmates were on the same bus as me. These people love to criticize people's kindness and people's wickedness. Some of them would think it is stupid to give away money. We happened to be going to the same place too, and were going stop at the same stop. When I got off the bus with them, there were students carrying their donation cans around to collect donations for charity. At that moment, I felt Holy Spirit prompt me to give. So I took out my wallet, but the amount God wanted me to give was not what I expected. I took out a few coins to donate, but the Holy Spirit told me to take out the note instead, and it wasn't S$2. It was S$10. I only had about S$14 dollars left in my wallet. I refused to give the note because it was for my ticket. God said to me, "You have all the time you want to watch, the poor can't." But then God said that because he knew that the reason I didn't want to give the note was not because I wanted to save it for the movie ticket, but because I was afraid to be laughed at for giving away S$10. To give to charity is fine, but to give S$10, to these guys who were with me on the bus, it was madness and a joke. Yet I gave, because I wanted to obey God and not compromise because of what others say or think about me. The temptation here was to keep my pride and to not give anything.

There are a few times this year when I noticed people watching pornographic stuff. Obviously, I didn't stick around and watch. Seriously, I didn't. But to see so many of my peers and my friends watching, seems to be a lot of fun. But I chose to yield to the Holy Spirit, and not to my flesh or to people. I walked away immediately and did my own stuff in elsewhere.

Will you choose peer pressure over God's will and word? Will you still obey God when people tempt you to do things which it seems that everyone is enjoying so much? Will you yield to your carnality because of pride or lust or pressure from the temptations?

My answer is short and simple. I would choose to crucify my flesh and walk God's ways. The temptations may be high and very pleasurable, but there is no joy in those things because if there is, then I don't need to be hooked on those things. There is joy in God, because everyday I can seek Him and be filled with goodness and strength.

In conclusion, if God is my first love, then yielding to Him should be my first act when temptation arises. Yielding to God, rather than yielding to men.

To those of you who are easily tempted by peer pressure, I encourage you with these words which I believe many of you may have read before:
Whatever is popular may not always be right. Whatever is right may not always be popular.

Even if the God's ways may not be very popular, I know His ways are always right. Don't let circumstances or some popularity contest or some form of desire to hinder you in your walk with God. Yield to God, and not to the world. God bless!

My First Love - Part 2/7

2009-12-02T01:30:00.008+08:00

Forgive me readers if I wasn't clear in my introduction in the previous post. I'm not exactly going into much detail of the 7 churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. Rather, I'm gonna be sharing about a common message which Jesus is trying to deliver through the prophecy of the 7 churches in the Book of Revelation. For more background on the 7 churches, you can go read up more and do more self-study. But I think you can already figure out some from what I am sharing this week.

The common message which Jesus is speaking to the Church through the Apostle John is what I entitle, "My First Love." This will the be the title of my 7 part devotional message this week.

In the previous post, we talked about having God as first place in our lives at all times even when we are serving Him. We can be serving God so much and still end up losing our love for Him. Before we realize it, we end up getting worn out and then people begin to backslide. Jesus wants us to have a secure relationship with God first, before anything else. No point serving God if you have no empowering experiences and love for Him.

Today's post will be about faithfulness toward God, even in times of persecution and darkness and we're gonna look at the 2nd church mentioned in Revelation 2, The Church of Smyrna, The Persecuted Church.

Revelation 2:8, 10
8 "To the angel of the church in Smyrna write:
These are the words of him who is the First and the Last, who died and came to life again.
10 Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

Persecution is one of the forms of suffering we have to go through in life. I shared before in this blog, the purpose of God allowing us to go through suffering. Suffering is basically allowed by God as a tool to test and try every person. The word "trial" in Greek is the word "DOKIME" which means "to experience." The purpose of tests, is to confirm. We go through tests in school for one reason - to show how much we've really learned and gained from all that we've been given. Likewise, God allows to be tested so that we can see how much we have grown in our Christian life. The only way, is through personal experience with life itself. Therefore, we need to be tried every once in a while, so that our maturity can be tested, and the level of our maturity can be revealed.

But why is persecution required, even to the point of death? You may not accept this, but truthfully, persecution should not be something we should fear. "Are you insane Dennis? People are getting killed. What's wrong with you?" Like most people I have been afraid of the guillotine, being burnt to death, having a nail pierced through my hands like Simon Peter, or even having a sword go through me belly, or even stoned to death with my guts flying all over.
However, the apostles did not allow these negative emotions to affect their faith. Because at the end of the day, our physical is going to decay and die, and if I'm gonna die, I'd die for the gospel. But you say, "But so many of these martyrs are so young. How can God be so cruel to let them die like that?"
Please understand that to be persecuted doesn't mean you must necessarily be martyred and die in the hands of unbelievers, God is not a sadist. Persecution can be in the form mockery and insults (light persecution) or in the point being beaten up (normal) or even to the point of death, martyrdom (extreme persecution). At the end of the day, it is all for one purpose, for God to do something through you that could impact many people's lives.
You must first understand that God is not a sadist and, secondly, He always keeps His word. He says He will prosper and protect His people, He means it. But many people forget, that God is Sovereign. God is still in control. That means that in allowing His people to go through persecution, death or no death, is for a purpose.

1. God wants to use someone to do mighty things.

Your patience and kindness, your willingness to be mocked, beaten or even die for the gospel can actually cause many to be saved. The Waodoni tribe is a tribe in Ecuador that was still in her pre-historic, kill each other age, during the 1950s. They kept on killing and fighting with other tribes in the Amazon Basin. 5 missionaries gave their lives in order to preach the gospel to this unethical, wild and untamed, ready to kill anyone on-sight, tribe. Today the tribe is on fire for God. And the leader of the tribe is sharing his testimony around the world today. After the tribe became a Christian tribe, the killings stop and the numbers in the Amazon Basin have grown from a population of about 200 people to over 2000 today.

Jesus gave His life for the world that God can be reconciled to the world and save it from sin.

2. God wants to perfect us.

In verse 10, Jesus says we will be persecuted TEN days. Ten in the Bible figuratively speaks of perfection. It means to perfect something or someone. So God allows us to go through trials for the purpose that we may perfect our maturity.

3. God allows trials that people may witness His goodness even in times of darkness.

Romans 8:28
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Psalm 23:4a, 5
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.

And the last point is my main point for this whole post:

4. God allows persecution to test our love and faithfulness, and to perfect it.

Simon Peter said, "Lord, I will follow wherever you go, even to prison and to death." However, Peter ended up denying Jesus 3 times.

So many of us we say, "God I love You to the end. I lay down my life as a living sacrifice on the altar." "O God, I'm willing to lay my life down for You. I'm willing to do anything for You, just use me for Your glory." "O God, I will never deny You!"

But when people make fun of you, when people say things like, "I thought Christians cannot do this, cannot do that." What would your response be. I know people who name themselves as Christians, who join in with other non-believers to persecute believers. Would still be willing to follow Christ if all your non-Christian friends ditched you because of your faith? Would you still love God even to the point of death? Even if the mountains tremble and a thousand fall away from God, will you still love Him to the end and be faithful? even if you are the last person on earth who believes Jesus Christ, will you still love Him?

I end off with a verse and what is in my heart right now, in simple and short words. I used to be afraid, and sometimes I still am. Just thinking about how much pain I would have to go through in order for the gospel to reach out to people. I've thought of how it would be like being burned or stoned or beheaded to death. But one day, God showed me a verse in Matthew.

Matthew 24:10-13
10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other,
11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,
13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Are you willing to stand firm and be faithful to God? I leave you with something to ponder and a word of encouragement. Were you ever close to losing your life just to save something or someone precious to you? Do you have anything or anyone in your life right that you can say, "I will protect him or her with my life." or "I will do anything for his or her sake, even to death."? Have you ever even thought of risking your life to save a stranger from an accident? Have these thoughts ever come across your mind when it comes to God's will or the people who will lose their souls in eternity?

My answer is this and I end off. Today, the thought is still frightening to me. However, if I must die, so be it. Because at the end of the day, sometimes someone has to make the big sacrifice in order for something big to come to pass. Eventually, someone has to die. However, moving away from death, even a persecution such as losing friends or being rejected for the gospel sake, or being mocked, I will stand for Jesus Christ. I will stand firm for God because He is my first love. If I can life down for other things or people but not for God, how can I say that God is my first love. God loved me so much that He gave His life for me. I am willing to do the same. Easy to say, but hard to do. As for now, I will continue to live faithfully for God. I have lost "friends" because of my faith, but I don't care, because it only shows what kind of "friends" they truly are to me. So I encourage you to stay strong for God. DO not be afraid if people reject you or mistreat you because of your faith. Instead pray for them and forgive them just as Jesus forgave and prayed for us all. God bless you!

My First Love - Part 1/7

2009-11-30T22:55:00.005+08:00

Revelation 2:1, 3-4
1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the seven golden lampstands:
3 You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love.

Jesus gives John a revelation of the 7 churches mentioned in the Book of Revelation. This week I'm gonna be sharing about these 7 churches, in short words.

Have you forsaken your first love? Who is your first love? What is your first love? Where is your first love? Why is he or she your first love?

Is it your money? Is it your house? Is it your car? Is it your job?

Is it your husband or boyfriend? Is it your wife or girlfriend? Is it your parents or children? Is it you yourself?

These are questions we must ask ourselves. Have we ever considered God to be our first love? We say yes so easily, but has that answer been the first answer to cross our minds? When we get busy and frantic about life, do we ever consider God to be the first person to seek? The test of love begins here.

To me, I'll always say "I'll put God first in my life. Even if I get married and have kids, they won't take God's place in my heart. I won't let my circumstances pull me away from God." I'm so quick to say these things, but very often, when situations like financial difficulty arises or when something big happens to me, I'm also quick to shout to God, "Why did you let this happen?!!!" Although I have not done that anymore, but who knows, I may do it again. Let's say that if I lost something really precious, maybe it's a momento of someone I love very much, or if I had just finished an important project, and suddenly I lose all the data and the deadline is on the next day, how will I respond? How have I responded?

One time, I had an important assignment due the next day, and I had no backup. Suddenly, my laptop crashed and all my data was gone. This assignment was going to be included in the grade for my overall two years of the IB programme. Basically, without it, I could fail my whole History exam at the end of two years. I began to panic. I began screaming and shouting at God, "Why?" and started trembling like it was the end of the world. After that, I started to call up my mentor to talk to her and she prayed for me. After that prayer, I managed to calm down and began crying out to God. By God's grace, my teachers gave a day's grace, and I took the day off searching for ways to get back into the OS of my laptop to recover the file. By the grace of God, I did.

What has all this got to do with our first love? When we say that something or someone is our first love, the truth is that we will always end consulting that thing or that person. It's like, if you are poor and you've just got retrenched during the economic recession. In addition to that, your family member just got cancer or is admitted to hospital. You have to pay your bills in 3 days time. The common response is, I need money!!! My family member is going to die, what to do? I need to find a friend or someone to help me!!! So you start searching, but to no avail. NO ONE is willing to help you. You feel life is hopeless and you want to kill yourself. You are so desperate for money or for some sort of relief to help solve your problem. You need money to pay for the medical bills, your household bills, food and drink. You need money so bad, you could end up stealing.

When you consider someone or something your first love, that means you always put them first in your life. When you want to do something, you always consult this thing or person first. When you want to solve a problem, you always go to that thing or person as well. The point of this long list of questions is, have you considered God as your first love? If you have not, then you need to come back to God. If you have, then have you ever made sure that everything you do, say and think is part of His will. Have you ever consulted God first before you do anything? In times of desperation or in times of triumph, is it God the first person you will seek? Is God your first love?

Today I've learned that before I even buy something expensive, I'll learn to count to the cost, and then I'll ask God whether it is worth it. Then I ask my two brothers, Wei Loong and Bing Xun. Even if I like a girl, I always seek God first. When I have financial difficulties, I seek God first. If I need a job, I seek God first. Because God is my first love. When I finished my exams, the first thing I did, was praise God. I went home and started thanking God and seeking His presence. I have to learnt to seek God even when I don't need or don't want anything. Every morning, the first person I seek after I shower, is God. I always shower first so that I'm fresh awake. haha. Before I go to bed, the first person I seek is God. Even if I don't need or don't want anything, He will still be the first person I'd seek. Every day and night, I will always come back to my first love, God!

Last but not least I also want to bring in the part when Jesus praises the Church of Ephesus for her deeds. However friends, the message in the letter to Ephesus is that you can fulfill all your religious duties for God. You can be going to church, praying, fasting, tithing, reading your Bible, or even be a famous preacher, or even be someone who always ready to reach out to lost souls. However, Jesus says, what is the point of doing so much when you have forgotten whom you are worshiping and serving. We serve God and worship Him for no other reason except because we love Him. But if we serve Him but not seek Him, then everything is just pointless.

I end off this long devotion with a verse:

Psalm 27:4
4 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.

Make God your first love, and return to Him every morning and every night. In whatever you do, say and think, put God first. God bless you!

Hide Me Now

2009-11-27T02:20:00.001+08:00

This is one of my favorite worship songs, Hide Me Now:

Promise land?

2009-11-12T01:32:00.002+08:00

Exodus 33:2-4 (New King James Version)
2 And I will send My Angel before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 3 Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.”

Are we too focus on your promised land like the Israelite wanted to go Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey.

To simplify. are we like the stiff-necked people whom placed the land in their number one priority than God?

Exodus 20:3
3 “You shall have no other gods before Me.

God is a the creator of heaven and earth, holds the reign to all and can give us anything that is asked in the name of His Son, Jesus, if we seek Him first in the Kingdom of God.
As we seek him, we come with a rightful attitude, all He seeks is a true worshipper.

John 4:23 (New King James Version)
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.

Philippians 4:6-7 (New King James Version)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Sometimes we can ask God again and again for the one thing you have been waiting for, and God is putting on the red light, you tried to make things the way you want it to be.
On the other hand, it is similar that one day God can tell us that since we like the promised land so much and there is no other need we want, forsaking even the commandments that was laid down, i will give it to you, cleared the way for you, go on the path, but I will not be with you!

Isaiah 54:17 (New King James Version)
17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the LORD.

conversely...

If the Lord is not for me, all can be against me!

Christianity is a relationship with God, and what is a walk with God without God with us?
Are we covered by the things world and forgot to place him as our core and one.
God is favoured to give us the promised land and walk with us as we abide and do His will that will be for eternal sake.
The temporal things that was self seeked by men will perish one day.

The Tale of the Three Trees

2009-11-01T13:14:00.002+08:00

This is the tale of the three trees. I pray you be blessed by the videos.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

In His Hands

2009-10-30T16:32:00.004+08:00

A basketball in my hands is worth about $19. A basketball in Michael Jordan's hands is worth about $33 million. It depends whose hands it's in.

A baseball in my hands is worth about $6. A baseball in Mark McGuire's hands is worth $19 million. It depends on whose hands it’s in.

A tennis racket is useless in my hands. A tennis racket in Venus Williams' hands is a championship winning. It depends whose hands it's in.

A rod in my hands will keep away a wild animal. A rod in Moses' hands will part the mighty sea. It depends whose hands it's in.

A sling shot in my hands is a kid's toy A sling shot in David's hand is a mighty weapon. It depends whose hands it's in.

Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in my hands is a couple of fish sandwiches. Two fish and 5 loaves of bread in God's hands will feed thousands. It depends whose hands it's in.

Nails in my hands might produce a birdhouse. Nails in Jesus Christ's hands will produce salvation for the entire world. It depends whose hands it's in.

As you see now it depends whose hands it's in. So put your concerns, your worries, your fears, your hopes, your dreams, your families and your relationships in God's hands because... It depends whose hands it's in.

The Parable of the Two Sons

2009-10-28T01:02:00.003+08:00

Today, I'm gonna talk about the parable of the two sons:

Jesus was questioned by the Pharisees. They asked Jesus where He got His authority to do what He was doing. They couldn't answer Jesus' question so Jesus did not give them an answer. Instead, He told them three Parables. This is the second parable: The Parable of the Two Sons.

Matthew 21:28-32

28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’
29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went.
30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

What does this parable mean? Jesus has already explained it in verse 31-32. Which of the two sons did the will of the father? In saying "the first," they were right. What does this parable mean? Very simple.

There are those who think they are righteous because they say "yes" to God the Heavenly Father, but they do not do His will. Likewise, there are those who say "yes" to God today, but do not do His will. In other words, there is no act of obedience. I can say "yes" to God and say, "Yes Lord, I believe in Jesus Christ, I am saved. I am a Christian now." But do we really do the will of God. Sometimes we must take time to pray and seek God for a while and ask God what His will is for us at different stages of our lives. What we feel is right may not always be God's will.

To end of the meaning of the parable, I'll explain what the first son did to fulfill His father's will. He repented and did as He was told. So many times, God gives us revelations, spiritual gifts and natural abilities to do many things. At different times He calls us to use these to do his work on earth. We say "yes" to God, but we do not do His bidding. We don't follow His ways. We bow before the Word of God, but do not obey it. We bow before Him, but as believers sometimes we just get lazy and prefer to do our thing. The Pharisees thought that as long as they don't talk, live and touch sinners, they were clean and were doing God's will. But Jesus was telling them that it wasn't God's will. God's will is for people to repent and enter into a relationship with Him again. God's will is for the righteous to lead the sinners into repentance. But all the Pharisees did was condemn the people. More than that, all they did was idle around and committed their wicked sins. They were proud and arrogant, boastful and suck-ups to people in authority. They judged using their own standards and not God's.

Jesus was saying to the Pharisees that just because they were religious leaders, just because they never ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, just because they fast, give large sums to the offering and made offerings to God, that doesn't make them righteous. Jesus was telling the Pharisees that it is through true repentance and faith in God that pleases God, and that to obey God is better than sacrifices.

Likewise today, Jesus wants us to know that just because we go to church, give our tithes and offerings, listen to the sermon, call ourselves Christians by name, believe in Jesus Christ, we are righteous. The Bible says it very clearly that it is by grace that we are made righteous and righteousness through sincere repentance and faith. So what is doing God's will apart from these two:

1. Winning the Lost.

God sent Jesus to pay for the sins of mankind and redeem mankind. God wants people to return to Him that He may give them eternal life and have an everlasting relationship with them in His kingdom. God wants us as believers to not just sit around and enjoy His blessings, but to also let others see and taste His awesomeness.

2. Living pure.

Living a pure life does not necessarily mean we cannot do it if we are still imperfect. It just means we got to do our best to live as holy as possible. To stay away from sexual immorality, stealing, idolatry, murder, gossip and lying etc. Things that stumble you and others. God wants us to live as clean as possible. And if we have fallen, all we need to do is acknowledge it, confess it, sincerely repent by never doing it again and ask God to sanctify you.

3. To take care of the poor and needy.

God expects us to use our wealth not only for ourselves, but for others in need. I'm not talking about letting other people you know who are doing fine to take advantage of you. But in particular, people who are really struggling, God really expects us to help them.

4. Tithing.

Malachi 3 tells us that if we do not tithe, we are robbing God.

5. Study the Word of God and Pray and Share the Word.

Just because I carry a bible, that does not make me a Christian. We need to feed on the Word everyday and to come into prayer everyday to be recharged in the Spirit, and to fellowship with God. Seek God for His word, and His will. What does He want from you today? And don't just study the word, live it out the best you can and ask God to give you the grace to, because you can't do it on your own. And share the Word with people as often as you can.

6. Love our neighbors as ourselves.

Leviticus 19:10-18 tells us how God expects us to treat our neighbors.
Matthew 7:12 is the Golden Rule of how we want others to treat us, and to likewise do the same to them.

7. To trust in God even in the darkest moments.

My pastor told us this quote once: If you do not see God's hand, just trust His heart. God allows us to go through trials because He wants us to grow stronger and mature and learn to be free. If we are always so dependent on God to do all the work, then He ends up the slave and the master together. He works for us as a babysitter and we end up becoming lazy and loser-like as people without any goals and motivations in life. God wants us to work together and live through good and bad moments together. And we need to learn to live His way and not ours, and to trust in Him even if we do not see any miracles.

8. Fruitfulness

Apart from faithfulness, God wants us to be fruitful in everything we do. Whatever abilities, gifts or revelations, God expects to use them to do something with them and to bear fruit. In our character and personality, we also need to bear fruit. In our Christian life, we need to be fruitful too.

I've listed 8 good pointers to observe. There's more, but I just want to highlight the important things in this message. Other things like your calling, what is His will for your life, and all is really dependent on your love for God and faith in God. But three things you must do like what Jesus said in the parable: Faith, Repentance and Obedience.

God bless you

One and only God

2009-10-26T21:10:00.004+08:00

Sometimes we wonder why there are so many "gods" in the world. We wonder why we need a cat in our shops in order to have good fortune or why we need a god hung on our rear view mirror in the car for safety purposes. God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient isn't He? If he is so, then all these wouldn't be necessary
I find similar truth in what Gibson is trying to imply. If a thing is good, one is enough, it can covers all our needs. When we talk about God, who is the one and almighty Abba Father that can bless and guide us more than we can imagine.

When God is placed above us, we should be the one serving God and not god serving us. Idols that are created to shortcut our needs, placing them right in our house, or beside the bed, when we wake up can see it. I just feel it defeats all the purpose.

Furthermore, by having the idols meet our needs met at our timing and our own beck-and-call, doesn't that make us the god over the idol instead of the idol being our god. We end up having a graven image serving us. An image that can't talk, move or speak. To end off with a positive note, I wanna say something that I learned in church. If one is able to meet all my needs, then God is all I need and want. God can talk, move and speak. Let's all learn to put our faith in Him and walk patiently and closely alongside Him.

Heart of Worship

2009-10-26T01:11:00.001+08:00

Endure!

2009-10-20T20:46:00.003+08:00

Philippians 4:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:
12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

This message is for all those who are suffering like me in our exams. HAHA. Anyway, like the Apostle Paul says, “I have learned to abase and I have learned to abound.” What is more important is that the Apostle Paul says, “I have learned to be content.”

Like those who sit for their Os, Ns, As and IB, I too am in a way being tested. Our academic exams is just one of the tools God uses to train chasten us, to train us to be disciplined and patient. It is really hard for a person like me to sit down for half an hour to study and get anything done unless I am revising on my Mathematics because I love Math. I am in the IB program and it is really challenging for people like me who loses the will to fight after losing many times. I have been failing every single time in at least 2 subjects each time. I am really scared and not even sure if I can get my diploma. I paid thousands of dollars to come to this school, and there’s no way I’m gonna let it go to waste because of my own distractions and follies.

I am really nervous for the exams, I feel like re-sitting for the May paper and give up on November paper. However, I am reminded by my friends of God’s word and reminded me of what I have been encouraging other people to do – to keep moving forward. The thing is, we don’t know how well we are gonna do for the exams, but the thing is, no faith to believe is already half a battle lost. Giving up just completes the whole thing. I am reminded of this verse when my Pastor was sharing of sufferings during service. I believe, as the Scripture says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The more I fear, the worse I will do. The more I trust God for the results and work my hardest, I know I can get something good. I may not even be the top of the class, but that’s not important. The important thing is I aim for the best score that I can achieve and not how I can beat the system or other people. I’ve learnt that exams are not about competing with people or feeling lousy about yourself because you did worse than others, but it is about beating your failures and working your best to your success. I am gonna pray and work hard in the next 4 weeks until the last paper, and believe the best. And whatever we get, let's all be content.

So trust God and let His peace rest inside your heart and in your mind, and don’t let the devil steal your joy or let him crush your faith. You can do all things if you believe. Most importantly, let your character be molded in this time. God bless you!

God will make a way

2009-10-12T23:33:00.000+08:00

Parable of the Prodigal Son

2009-10-12T02:03:00.002+08:00

L.O.V.E

2009-10-09T03:53:00.004+08:00

Check out this new single by Jaeson Ma. No matter how many times I listen, it never fails to move me. Enjoy!

Hope it available for downloads in itunes too. Hope it has blessed you like it has did to me.

Thinking with Excellence - Part 2

2009-10-04T01:25:00.004+08:00

Hey guys sorry for the late posting, quite caught up with somethings these few days, hereby i shall continue...

3) Excellence is to transcend your job description

Matthew 5:41 (New King James Version)
41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.

Are you doing what is required of you? Out of love.

Romans 13:8 (New King James Version)
Love Your Neighbor
8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

4) Excellence is to outdo yourself each time

Ephesians 6:5-6 (New King James Version)
Bondservants and Masters
5 Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ; 6 not with eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart,

eyeservice - work when someone is watching

Thinking with Excellence

Galatians 5:13 (New King James Version)
13 For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

Liberty, and not Laws

Matthew 20:25 (New King James Version)
25 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them.

Service, and not System

Zechariah 4:6 (New King James Version)
6 So he answered and said to me: “ This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: ‘ Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the LORD of hosts.

Spirit-Centered, and not Self-Centered

2 Corinthians 12:19 (New King James Version)
19 Again, do you think[a] that we excuse ourselves to you? We speak before God in Christ. But we do all things, beloved, for your edification.

Love, and not Legalism

2 Timothy 1:7 (New King James Version)
7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Faith, and not Fear

Exodus 17:12 (New King James Version)
12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

Care/Concern, and not Control
Devotion, and not Duty

2 Corinthians 9:6 (New King James Version)
The Cheerful Giver
6 But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

Giving, and not Getting

John 13:13-15 (New King James Version)
13 You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. 14 If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

Example, and not Explanation

Applying these Bible principles into our life, we will definitely have a excellence thinking that ensure

BREAKTHROUGHS and not Bondages

Thinking with Excellence - Part 1

2009-09-30T23:00:00.004+08:00

In our everyday life, our actions and decisions, we are to THINK, bringing glory to God.
Romans 15:6 (New King James Version)
6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Right Thinking = Right Behavior -> Right Methods -> Success
Virture in (gr) meaning Excellence

"Excellence" means to Exceed a given standard that is ordinary.

1) Excellence is to be superior in quality
-Do not compromise longer in the things we think as...
Mediocracy is the enemy of Excellence
Giving in to details - Details determine our destiny.

Song of Solomon 2:15 (New King James Version)
HER Brothers
15 Catch us the foxes, The little foxes that spoil the vines, For our vines have tender grapes.

2) Excellence is to bear good fruits.

John 15:16 (New King James Version)
16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Psalm 126:5-6 (New King James Version)
5 Those who sow in tears
Shall reap in joy.
6 He who continually goes forth weeping,
Bearing seed for sowing,
Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
Bringing his sheaves with him.

To willing to pay the price for success
Overcomers think in excellence
Disappoiontments & failures are part of life, so don't worry

Once upon a time, there is a donkey who is trapped in a well. The people did not want to save him up instead they wanted to bury him alive. Every scoop of dirt that were thrown to him in the well, he shaked them off, everything. Stepping each pile of sand that is beneath his feet and finally he overcame all the obstacles and came out of the well.

There are 3 areas in our life to focus on
1. Demand in our heart
Proverbs 3:4 (New King James Version)
4 And so find favor and high esteem
In the sight of God and man.

2. Demand in our time - Are we time conscious?

3. Demand in our money
Luke 16:11 (New King James Version)
11 Therefore if you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

Wei Loong

The Spirit of Excellence - Part 2

2009-09-29T15:30:00.002+08:00

Daniel 6:3 NKJV

3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.

Once again, we read and see that Daniel had an excellent spirit. That means that he had a heart of excellence and a mind of excellence. It doesn't mean he's perfect, but he just wanted to make the best out of what he had in his hands. God had given him a position in the government to oversee about at least 40 satraps (ministers in the office of the government). Daniel also had in his hands, the task of doing well for the king, making sure the king suffered no losses. Daniel knew that it was not by his own strength that he was given such authority in a foreign land, but by God's grace, for him to be a court official, an overseer of many others.

Why then did the king promote him to become second in the whole kingdom?

1. Daniel was faithful to God in his secular and spiritual calling.

Daniel 6:16 NKJV
16 the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”

Like all of us, we are called by God to serve Him both in His house and in the world. In the world, we are given each a task. Some of us may be students or teachers. Some of us may be business owners or someone working under somebody else. Some of us may be celebrities or in the entertainment industry. Some of us may be in the government. Wherever we are, God has called us there for a reason - to glorify Him in those jobs using our natural strengths and abilities and to impact society with His love and through our fruitfulness. We need to be fruitful in our secular jobs as well in order to glorify God. Like Daniel, he worked hard for it, and the king saw his fruitfulness and promoted him. and we are to help others find God.

2. Daniel submitted to his authorities.

Daniel submitted to the king. Even though the king was not a believer, Daniel knew that God had put him under the king's authority. All Daniel had to do was submit to his authorities and did the will of God. He learned that it was more important to be humble than trying to preach about God and being so arrogant about his faith. God wants us to build relationship with authorities by learning to submit them. That doesn't mean we must do something that is against the commandments of God, but rather when whatever we are in charge of, we use godly standards to be fruitful and to make the best out of it. Daniel just had to make sure that king did not suffer losses and that was his main focus in submitting to the king.

Now, does that mean we don't submit to God anymore, who is our true King? Certainly not!

Daniel 6:13, 16-19

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men:

16 Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh.
19 For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God.

It doesn't matter who it is, the moment we are officially and legally put under the authority of others, it is God's will for us to be patient with them and to submit to them even if they are harsh, we need to love them to end like Jesus. But that doesn't mean we do not serve God anymore, but rather, we also serve the king as unto the Lord, as a command given us by God.

3. Daniel was faithful in prayer.

Daniel was so faithful to God that even if it meant allowing himself to be thrown into the lion's den, he still served the Lord in prayer. He still prayed for the king, he prayed for the nation that oppressed him and his people. He prayed for the people who were about to get him killed.

Daniel 6:10 NKJV
10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.

He was so faithful to God, even before king Darius came into power. When he served the other kings, he was still faithful to God in prayer.

So at the end of the day, what is it you need in order to have an excellent spirit:
1. Be faithful to God.
2. Be prayerful.
3. Submit to your authorities.
4. Love.
5. Make a decision to say, "I may not have a lot, but whatever God has given into my hands, I will the best out of it."

Hope this message has blessed you.

-Dennis-

The Spirit of Excellence - Part 1

2009-09-27T01:44:00.003+08:00

What is so important about having a spirit of excellence? Friends, excellence and perfection are two different things. Though we may not be perfect, we can still be excellent to the best of our abilities.

In this part of my message, I want to share how we important it is for us to have influence in society. I'm looking at Daniel 6 today. This is a passage which friend had encouraged me to read a few days ago and I just want to share what it has taught me.

Daniel 6 is the chapter of Daniel and the Lions Den. Just a quick background. Daniel has just found favor with the king because of Daniel's spirit of excellence and influence and the king chooses to make Daniel second in the kingdom. All the wise men and court officials get jealous and plotted against Daniel.

Daniel 6:4-5
4 At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent.

5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God."

The wise men could not find any sign of corruption in Daniel because of his upright nature. So, they used Daniel's faith in God against him.

Daniel 6:6-7
6 So the administrators and the satraps went as a group to the king and said: "O King Darius, live forever!

7 The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or man during the next thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be thrown into the lions' den.

The king unaware about the plot, agrees to the decree, and is passed. Though Daniel received the decree, like the king, he knew nothing of the plot, but went home to continue praying and giving thanks to God. The administrators saw this and ordered for Daniel to be arrested and brought before King Darius.

But guess what? Daniel's influence in the life of King Darius was so strong, King Darius was reluctant to throw Daniel into the den to be eaten by lions. In fact, I believe King Darius was afraid of God. By the way, King Darius already knew that Daniel was a believer of God.

Think about this for a moment: the king knew about Daniel's reverence and fear for God, long before the decree was passed out. Why is it then did he allow the decree to be passed out? Which verse says that Darius knew of Daniel's faith?

Daniel 6:16
16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!"

The king already accepted Daniel's lifestyle of worship long ago. The king struggled in thought of ways to release Daniel from danger. I believe it was at this point that the king realized that it was plot against Daniel.

So in part one today, I just want to say that, a spirit of excellence is really important. It is your word that anticipates others to hear of your faith, but it is through action that your word is fulfilled and cause others to believe. Daniel didn't just talk about his faith, he worked hard and prayed faithfully for God to use him mightily. His words and action proved his faith truthful and it gave him favor with the king. Because of that, after the whole event, King Darius believed in God and even passed a decree to all his people to reverence and fear God.

Daniel 6:25-26
25 Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language throughout the land:
"May you prosper greatly!

26 "I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel.
"For he is the living God
and he endures forever;
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
his dominion will never end.

Excellence is not about being perfect, but with what you have, make the best out of it through perseverance, faith, love and wisdom.

I'll continue part two tomorrow, and God bless.

-Dennis-

Part 2: Saul & David

2009-09-26T05:14:00.003+08:00

There were many obstacles and invulnerable positions that David experienced. But yet, He is a 'lid lifter', despite his circumstances, he was able to overcome all odds. Let us take a look at the life of David and see how he lifted those lids.

His Family
David's limitation started at home. When his father Jesse, was asked to gather all his sons so that Samuel could select the next king of Israel, David was not invited to attend. His father overlooked and under-appreciate him.

The same was true for his brothers. When he went ti the battlefield to visit them, their contempt for him was clear. When David spoke out against Goliath's blasphemous challenges, his brothers insulted him and told him to go home.

His Leader
Saul repeatedly tried to inhibit David's Leadership & effectiveness. He told David that he was not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him(1 Samuel 17:33) and then put his heavy amour upon the young David. Later, Saul declared David his enemy and attempted to kill him many times.

His Background
Saul came from a good & powerful family. His father is describes as "Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power" (1 Sam 9:1). He was undoubtedly a landowner, a leader in his tribe, and military commander during times of war. David, on the other hand, was from a family of poor sheperds. He is described as the son of "Jesse the Bethlehemite," a man without lofty linerage or powerful position. And David was not the eldest son. He was the eighth and youngest in his family.

His Youthfulness & Inexperience
When David was anoited vy Samuel, he was merely a boy, and he had no experience leading anyone or anything but sheep. When he stepped forward to fight Goliath, he was considered "only a youth" and he had never fought a battle. Time and time againm people underestimated and never put him in their eyes.

Ultimtely, David became a great leader, yet it was not because he had no limitations in his life. He achieved much because he was a "lid lifter"( he did not let his circumstance, situation or what people think about him determines his destiny). He is a fighter, a true fighter that is against all odds. It is through those situations that he became stronger, bolder and ultimately a great King over Israel!

Do not give in to your situations. Keep fighting like David: ) You are a David!

Signing off,
Bing Xun

Part 1: Saul & David

2009-09-25T13:53:00.004+08:00

Let us take a look at the difference between Saul & David that results in the destiny of their life and ultimately over the whole of Israel. (Part of what I'm sharing today is from the book, The 21 most powerful minutes in a leader's day by John C. Maxwell)

When God made Saul King of Israel , he removed all external lids from the new ruler's life. Saul received God's anointing , took the position of the king and had great potential to become a great leader. But even though he had no external lids in his leadership, there still remained internal lids in Saul. There were many:

Fear: He began his reign by hiding among the equipment, and he was afraid to face Goliath

Impatience: He refused to wait for Samuel and presumed upon God by taking matters into his own hands when he offered the sacrifice to be presented by a priest.

Denial: After Samuel told Saul that he had been rejected as King, Saul continued as though all was well.

Impulsiveness: He was reckless and rashly made an oath that almost cost him the life of his son, Jonathan.

Deceit: He used his daughter Michal as a bribe by offering her in marriage to David if he would fight the Philistines. (But Saul's real hope is that David would die in battle)

Jealousy: He became enraged when people compared him to David. From then, he kept a jealous eyes on the man he considered his enemy.

Anger: More than once he attempted to kill David with a spear as David played the harp for him.

Many may see these( anger, impulsiveness, jealousy, fear, impatience etc.) as something small. But it is because of these flaws in the Character that took Saul away from his destiny. Some of us may start off, well-to-be, talented, popular & famous. God does not sees these but He sees the matters of our hearts. It is these things that God sees. The world sees people on the outside but God sees the deepest of our hearts. Don't be like Saul, a seeker of his fame & appearance,(he is more concerned of how others think of him than God) . 1 samuel 15: 30" I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel". Make a decision to remove these lids in our lives, for God has a greater plan for you & I! : ).

Tomorrow we will look at the example on David.

Signing off,
Bing Xun

Mourning into Dancing

2009-09-22T01:38:00.004+08:00

Psalms 30:11-12 Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

God turns mourning into dancing!
He takes our sadness and replace with gladness
He takes our sorrows into joy and relief!
He takes our desolation into comfort!
He takes your failure and creates success!

IT IS A PROMISE OF GOD :)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28)

Let's seek him when we are down, give him sacrifice of praise no matter when may comes before us. Our refuge and secret place.

Wei Loong

Gone Through Brokenness

2009-09-17T15:14:00.002+08:00

Hi I'm Dennis, I'm one of the three users of this blog. Just want to let you readers know that we've received a testimony from someone. This is the first time has written in to us. This person went through a period of brokenness and a period where she lacked friends in her life. However, because of her faith and courage to believe and trust God's promises, God brought her through. I hope that as you read her testimony, you'll be blessed. And may all of you continue to write in testimonies if you have any, so we can put it up on the blog.

This testimony will be here for the next three days, after which, we'll continue with our daily devotional messages. Anyway, this is the sender's testimony, whose name does not wish to be revealed:

--Start of Testimony--

Its already been 9 months through of 2009, and each time a big adventure hits my way, or something big comes up, i tend to look back upon how God brought me through other bigger challenges and difficult situations a year ago. Thinking about it my stand is still the same, 2008 was simply painful. Back then, i would in my heart wonder why God would ever let me go through those things. I would ask "where is God when it hurts?" knowing the answer to that question, only wondering if it really was true that the answer was that He was right there.
But then as time passed by i began to reflect and look back upon it, and i've come to realize one thing : that painful situations are one way through which God could be breaking us and moulding us, because God uses broken people to reach out to those in need, to the lost and not just to reach out to non christians but to reach in, into the christian community.

I had friendship misunderstandings half way through sec three which carried into sec four (2008), so for the whole year i'd have no friends to hang out with at break, no friends who i could be happy with and sad with, no friends to make my school life enjoyable. Well, not no friends but more like really little friends. The friends who were still there after so much understanding were little, and the closest of those category of friends transferred school when i was feeling the utmost lonely and alone in school. This was about may/june 2008.

And things didn't get any better as time passed by, because my granduncle passed away in September. That was a really tough situation for me- i found it hard to smile, laugh, and also, praise God. I was never close to my granduncle all my life. But i met him just days before he passed away, and he looked strong. I guess, i just didn't think that he'd go since he looked strong. It was at that point i learnt some things about my granduncle and realized how we always lose things at the moment when we want to treasure them the most. (and these things can be anything, even loved ones).

I questioned if God was really there when it did hurt. Going through so much, i just wanted to know if that was true or something i read in a book and something my cell leader preached about in cell group.

Eventually, i came to realize that many people would leave us, but God wouldn't. Its a fact thats been christian head knowledge but something that sunk into my heart deeply at that point of time. I came to see i may lose the people i loved the most, and friendships i thought would last forever the most would fail me, but God would never leave and that He would always be there, and friendship with God would never be one that fails you. It may be one that is trying, because God sometimes allows you to go through situations which would stretch you. But at the end of the day you'll see for yourself that you have grown through it all (:

God is always there when it hurts the most. Like my cell leader once said, its just that i remembered when it felt like He wasnt there and didnt think about the times when i really felt Him there.

Looking back now, this might be a way of God breaking me. And i only have to say one thing :

God breaks people because He uses broken people too. Now this doesn't mean God can't use unbroken people! God can use anyone who avails him/herself as a willing vessel to Him.

But i truly think that it's broken people who can say to those who feel guilty about their sins "i know how you feel", to the hurting " i know how you're hurting", to the ashamed "i know how you feel".

And,

God has been awesome and always will be.

--End of Testimony--

Faithfulness, where to find?

2009-09-16T03:51:00.002+08:00

Proverbs 20:6

6 Many a man claims to have unfailing love, but a faithful man who can find?

Any Tom, Dick and Harry can I say, "I love you," but how many truly love? I can say that I love my friends, but am I willing to stick through with them during the hard times? Will I abandon them when they are poor or will I go through that season of trial with them? If I say I love my parents, will I be willing to look after them in their old age as long as they live? Will I continue to obey honor my parents faithfully when I'm young as a boy or a girl? If I have a spouse, and I say I love him or her, am I around in times of need? Am I willing to sacrifice time for him or her? If she's sick, or if my in-laws are in need, can I stand in the gap for him or her? Am I loyal to her in the marriage?

It is easy to make claims, but when we do, it's hard to keep our words. If you love your neighbor, you must be faithful. That means, who've got to learn to trust them, and give them reasons to trust you by showing how much you care for them. If you abandon them, then trust and loyalty is abandon, and your faithfulness toward them is broken.

Jesus even though He knew He would be abandoned by His friends, He chose to remain faithful to them and die for them. Love is not about expecting a reward for something good you do for others. True, unconditional love is about staying through till the end even when the circumstances are tough. Jesus loved even Judas Iscariot till the end. Jesus never said, "Judas, you're gonna betray me. Get out, I don't ever wanna see you again!" No, but Jesus loved Him just as much as He loved the other disciples.

Be faithful to people, and also be faithful to God. Love God with your all. It's easy to give up on people because of their wrongs, but for God, there should be no reason why we should give up on Him. He has never given up on us at all. God is good all the time. He is faithful and true. Continue to love God and have faith in Him.

-Dennis-

A Piece of Cake

2009-09-15T03:52:00.004+08:00

I came upon this article in a site and here how it explains the trails and testing we are through

Sometimes, we wonder "What did I do to deserve this", or Why did God have to do this to me". Here is a God sent explanation!!!

A little boy is telling his Grandma how everything is going wrong. School, family problems, severe health problems, etc.

Meanwhile, Grandma is baking a cake. She asks her grandson if he would like a snack, which, of course, he does.

"Here, have some cooking oil." "

"Yuck" says the boy.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"

"Gross, Grandma!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"

"Grandma, those are all yucky!"

To which Grandma replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake!

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows
that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is thinking about you day and night. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

In my opinion, our heart is feels bitter every tough moment we gone through,like being heated by fire like a furnace, it is getting stronger as we are moulded for the withstanding of hardship of the future.

2 Corinthians 4:8-13 (New King James Version)
8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— 10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. 11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So then death is working in us, but life in you.

God is the same yesterday today and forevermore, he will never leave us or forsake us.

Wei Loong

Love your neighbor as yourself

2009-09-14T21:37:00.000+08:00

Leviticus 19:18

18 "love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD.

God says in His word that we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. This commandment works in two ways which both must be applied.

Firstly, the Golden Rule: Do unto others, what you have others do to you. In other words, if you don't want people to misjudge you, then don't misjudge people. If you don't want people to betray you, don't betray others. If you don't want people to cheat you, don't cheat others. Always put yourself in other people's shoes first before doing or saying something to them that will hurt them. Always understand people's situations first before judging others. See their needs, take care of them. Be a friend. Be sincere. Be caring. Be observant. Be forgiving and humble. Be merciful just as God is merciful. So the same way you want others to love you, do the same.

THose who waters others, will be watered back.

Secondly, you cannot love people if you don't love yourself. Never condemn yourself or criticize yourself because you were made in the image and likeness of GOd. Never be mean to yourself. If you're unforgiving to yourself, how can you forgive others. If you can't reward yourself with good things, how will know how to bless others with good things. You must love them as yourself. If you don't know how to love yourself, you cannot love others as you love yourself. when you're down, go and have fun and enjoy life. God wants us to love ourselves too. Not that we become egoistic, but that we must know that when we must know how to take care of ourselves first before others. If you stingy toward yourself, you become stingy to others. Love yourself first and love others the same way.

-Dennis-

Because You Loved Me

2009-09-09T22:56:00.000+08:00

This is another music video made by someone.

The song is very meaningful and I am so blessed by it. The song is called "Because You Loved Me," sung by Celine Dion. I pray you will be blessed.

We were the reason

2009-09-08T23:38:00.000+08:00

We were the reason Jesus gave His life.

Here is a song entitled We Were The Reason sung by can't remember who.

anyway hope you'll be blessed by it.

El Shaddai

2009-09-06T20:15:00.000+08:00

This is one of my favorite songs:

-Dennis, JACK OF ALL TRADES, MASTER OF NONE -

Elevation

2009-09-04T23:36:00.000+08:00

I'll now conclude my three part message.

So after being betrayed, and falsely accused, Joseph has been humbled to his lowest point. So what happened after being in prison?

God gave Joseph favor and led Joseph to two prisoners who each had a dream that was repeated over and over again. At that moment, God gave Joseph a moment to use the talent that He had given Joseph - the ability to dream the future and interpret dreams. Joseph did so, and eventually, he was summoned to the palace by Pharaoh, king of Egypt to interpret the Pharaoh's dream. After this, because only Joseph could interpret the dream, he was promoted by the Pharaoh to become Prime Minister over Egypt.

Sometimes, God allows us to go through the hard ships so that we can learn that it is through humility that we can be elevated. God kept Joseph in Egypt so that He could through Joseph, show His might and His love. God used Joseph to save not only Egypt, but also his own family who came to buy food during the famine. At the end of the story, Joseph was united with his family, and forgave his brothers, and his life was never the same again.

The message here today is short and simple - Through humility, we can see God at work, and also allow God to use us and promote us. And we will be tested again and again. However, do not fear, because at the end of the day, your life will be changed by what God has allowed you to go through, so that you'll be more and more like Him. Amen?

God bless you

-dennis-

Re-tested

2009-09-03T02:13:00.001+08:00

This is part two of my previous message.

NOw what happened after Joseph's promotion in Egypt in the house of Potiphar? Potiphar's wife tried to seduce Joseph to sleep with her. Joseph strongly refused to do so, and because of that, Potiphar's wife framed him and said that he violated her and he was thrown into prison.

Once again, Joseph is being tested for something that he never asked for. He rose up so high in the house of Potiphar because Potiphar favored Joseph for his wisdom and knowledge and hardwork. Innocently, because of one false accusation against him, Joseph was sent to prison for something he did not do wrong.

However, guess what happened? God never abandoned Joseph. He still gave Joseph favor even in the prison.

Genesis 39:19-23

19... But while Joseph was there in the prison,
21 the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favor in the eyes of the prison warden.
22 So the warden put Joseph in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there.
23 The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph's care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did.

The same message applies in this episode of Joseph's life. God had a plan for him. But then why did God allow Joseph to be accused of something He did not do, to be tested again?

1. To allow Joseph to be humble.
2. To allow Joseph to be able to face false accusations and stand firm in God.
3. To allow Joseph to see God's compassion, mercy, kindness and authority.

God will not allow us to go through trials and tests we cannot handle. In fact, God always makes sure that these trials that He allows us to go through, are trials where we can gain wisdom, and to be able to witness His presence and power even in the midst of darkness. It is to show that no darkness can overcome God, but when darkness comes, God will be there to rescue and save the day some how.

God did not leave Joseph in prison. He was given charge over all the prisoners in the prison. More than that, God gave Joseph the opportunity to witness His power and glory once more which I'll talk about in part three on Friday.

In addition to part one, I want to say that. No matter what trials you go through, God allows them for a reason. And if you enter a trial, or into a time of darkness in your life, fear not, because God is there with you, just as He was with Joseph. God will give you favor wherever you are, so you can shine for Him and live with a purpose and a hope.

Tune in to part three.

-Dennis-

Stripped, isolated, sold

2009-08-31T00:23:00.004+08:00

Genesis 37 is a story of Joseph being sold by his brothers to slavery.

Joseph had the gift of seeing dreams and furthermore, he was highly favored by his father Jacob amongst all his other brothers. The brothers grew jealous and sought to get rid of him, so they sold him into slavery.

Genesis 37:17-18,23-28
17 So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
18 But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him.
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing-
24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.
26 Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?
27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.
28 So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt.

Many of us are like Joseph, with dreams and maybe at times highly favored by people. Others can get jealous and betray us. They either try to kill us or do something to cause us to fall into our own pits and wait till we get picked up some slave merchants to be sold into slavery. This merchant's name is the devil. He is waiting for an opportunity to buy us from those who try to do us in.

God allows Joseph to go through the cistern (a deep deep pit), stripped of his ornamented (very classy looking) robe, and sold into slavery. Like Joseph, we go through a three stage process of trial and tribulation.

Stage 1: Stripped of ornamented robe

First, the devil tries to use people to plot against us, to steal our joy, kill our self-esteem, and destroy our lives which GOd has planned out for us. He begins by using people to strip us, through acts of humiliation. It could be a literal stripping. Or it could be someone stripping you of your authority and post in your Activity Club, or position as a student councilor, or someone at work could have plotted to strip you of your leadership post and got it. You are dressed so well, and clothed with favor from others and like Joseph, gifted with something from God. Other people who are jealous of you or dislike you, strip you of whatever is precious to you. Like Joseph, that robe was a precious gift from his mother and father, and people can do the same to us. By taking away what means so much to us.

Stage 2: The pit (cistern)

Then after you are stripped and humiliated, the devil pushes you into a deep pit where you are isolated and left alone to be mocked and uncared for. You begin to sulk and sink into depression. You may lose your job, and financially, you begin to struggle. In health, someone in your family may fall sick. It could also be relationship problems, academics etc. Whatever gets you isolated and thrown into a state of depression, the devil will just push you into that kind of pit.

Stage 3: Sold

The devil keeps you there until the time for you to be sold is come. The devil wants to sell people to sin and death. He wants to destroy by using other people to sell our souls to him. We end up being bound to a life of financial struggles, sicknesses, failure at work and in studies, relationship problems etc. WE begin to see ourselves as people who cannot succeed. You begin to wonder, "What is the point of having favor and special gifts and talents from God if I can't succeed?" Like Joseph, he was wondering why he had to be sold into slavery for something he never did wrong. He never attacked his brothers, all he wanted to do was to help his brother look after sheep and gather the harvest, and hang around them. Sometimes, all we want to do is be around people and to use what we have to help them, never realizing that they would turn around to do us in. So, you end up being enslaved to the struggles in your life which you never wished for.

Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people.

1. To humble us.

God does not want us to become proud with our gifts, but to remind us that what we have, is given by Him for a purpose, and we should not become too proud about it. Instead, we need to use it wisely, and not boastfully.

2. To use us.

Sometimes, the only way for God to use us is when we are humble and able to show our sincere nature to others. God wants to use us to lead or to do mighty things. However, he wants us to able to handle the hardest of hits before he can give us greater things to handle. Like Joseph once he was humbled, God elevated his position in Potiphar's household, when he served Potiphar.

3. To promote us.

In order to be promoted, we must tough and matured to handle situations and setbacks, and furthermore, be able to serve others. Joseph learned that he was no longer a young boy who needed pampering, but it was time for him to accept where God had placed him and just do what he had to do - serve Potiphar - doing it humbly and willingly, not grudgingly and rebelliously. Once we learn to submit to authority like Joseph, God will raise us to a point where we find favor with our authorities. You be thrown into a new job. After months of hard work, you find favor with your boss and you get promoted. In school, you work hard and get good grades, and you find favor with your teachers and they probably promote you to become a student leader.

I believe that GOd has a plan for us, and He allows us to go through testing and trials for 3 reasons:

1. Humility
2. TO grow stronger
3. To show His faithfulness to us, that He will be there no matter what.

GOd will not allow you to go through trials that you cannot handle. IF there is something you cannot handle, that is where His grace comes in to help you.

I'll continue the second part tomorrow.

-Dennis-

Breakthrough

2009-08-30T05:31:00.002+08:00

Luke 5:1-7(NLT),
"1 One day as Jesus was preaching on the shore of the Sea of Galilee,[a] great crowds pressed in on him to listen to the word of God. 2 He noticed two empty boats at the water’s edge, for the fishermen had left them and were washing their nets. 3 Stepping into one of the boats, Jesus asked Simon,[b] its owner, to push it out into the water. So he sat in the boat and taught the crowds from there.

4 When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Now go out where it is deeper, and let down your nets to catch some fish.”

5 “Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.” 6 And this time their nets were so full of fish they began to tear! 7 A shout for help brought their partners in the other boat, and soon both boats were filled with fish and on the verge of sinking."

We all know the story, about the first disciple of Christ- Simon Peter & how he is called to be fishers of man. However today, I'm not talking about this but another aspect of the story, & thus the title of my message is, Breakthrough.

We can see here in the story that the fishermen were out doing the norm- to harvest for fish. And they had come back empty & discouraged, after a whole night out there, washing their nets & ready to keep them and to call it a day. But when Jesus appeared, the whole story took for a turn ( Wherever Jesus goes, there is always an atmosphere of positivity, productivity & increase!)
And when Jesus asked Simon to lower down the nets, Simon was reasoning in the flesh the impossibility of catching any fish as he had "..worked hard all last night" and caught nothing! But deep down in the spirit, I believe, he felt something different and therefore went as Jesus had said. And we all know the story that the harvest was so great that

a) the nets began to tear (verse 6)
b) they had to call their partners in other boat to help (verse 7)
c) both boats were so filled to the brim that it is on the verge of sinking (verse 7)

Many times, when we faced discouragements and setbacks, we just let our feelings rule us & overwhelm us, little did we know that the breakthrough is just ahead of us. Sometimes when we don't feel like doing something, this is when the more we must do.(I'm referring to the spiritual aspect). When we faced a problem, or had a heavy, bad day, the more we must pray when we don't feel like. Friends, no matter how things turned up to be, it may be a financial breakthrough, a very sick person that may be dying that is dear to you, a habit or sin that you have been struggling so hard with these years, or a relationship heartache and pain, come to Him and plug in to him even when our flesh is not willing, for we know, just like the story, that the breakthrough[that is so great] is just ahead waiting for us. So do not be weary, do not give up!

I always tell myself to wake up and pray no matter how tired am I, and God never failed to turn up and show me his ways. And no matter how discouraging some things turned up, I will push myself and lift them up to him, and He never fail to give me his peace that comforts all that. And when I'm lost and all tired after trying all that I could, I made myself plug in to Him(not that I feel like, but it was a effort & decision). Yes, sometimes we fail, but we can get back and God is always there no matter what. I hope this message will bless you in your life: )

bx

Comments for blog

2009-08-27T23:30:00.000+08:00

Hi readers,the month of September is coming. It is almost 3 years since we started this blog. We will be editing the skin again and everything. To help us make this blog more efficient, we need your feedback and comments about it and how you think we can improve it. From three of us, we'd like to thank all of you readers who have been visiting this blog everyday to read our daily devotions. Even though some days we forget or don't have the chance to post, you still drop by to be encouraged by the messages. We hope that we've helped you through these devotional messages on this blog, and also hope that it will continue to do so in future. Today instead of the daily devotional message, we'd like to give you readers a few days to comment about the blog and let us know whether it has helped you or not, and how we can improve it to make it better. Do tag please once you've read this post.

Thank you and God bless!

-Dennis, Wei Loong, Bing Xun-

A Pure Heart

2009-08-25T02:37:00.003+08:00

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

A worship song by Rusty Nelson

A PURE HEART, THAT'S WHAT I LONG FOR
A HEART THAT FOLLOWS HARD AFTER THEE

A HEART THAT HIDES YOUR WORD
SO THAT SIN WILL NOT COME IN
A HEART THAT'S UNDIVIDED
BUT ONE YOU RULE AND REIGN
A HEART THAT BEATS COMPASSION
THAT PLEASES YOU MY LORD
A SWEET AROMA OF WORSHIP
THAT RISES TO YOUR THRONE

We all need a little renewing today. Let us ask the Lord to create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. There is so much work to be done!

Even if anyone that is bounded by bondages or anything that grips hold of your life,
seek earnestly for Him as we hold forth the Word in our heart.
Our heart will be constantly renewed and guarded by the truth that holds forever.

WL

Walk in Wisdom

2009-08-23T18:04:00.001+08:00

I'm here to post the last part of my three part message this week. I promise to make it short and simple again.

Ephesians 5:15-21
15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise,
16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit,
19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord,
20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,
21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

We need to walk in love and light, and we also need wisdom to direct our paths. We need the wisdom of God. Verse 15 says to walk circumspectly, which means to walk carefully and well aware of your situations. That means not to act rashly, but carefully with well planned observations and movements. Live wisely and not foolishly.

To redeem the time, means to cherish every moment of your life, making full use of everything given to you in time and including time itself. That means to make use of every opportunity given to you. When opportunity is not in your vision, start looking for it. Don't waste a moment of your life doing things that will cause you to be fruitless and unfaithful.

Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand the will of the Lord. The thing is, we can never fully comprehend or understand 100% God's will because His mind is too huge for us to grasp. The message that Paul is saying in this verse is to continue to seek God for wisdom and rely of His guidance. We can never 100% grasp it, but whatever God reveals to us, understand and apply. God's word is recorded in written form so that we can read and remember again and again, and gain new revelations each time. Also, you gotta pray everyday and ask God for revelation and wisdom to live your life.

Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord your God, and do not lean on your own understanding."
James 1:5 (NIV) says, "If anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

Wisdom is meant to be guide you, but we can't rely on our own understanding. We need God's because the Bible says that His ways are always greater and His plans surpasses all our plans. If you need God to give you wisdom to make certain decisions and to do certain things, all you need to do is to ask. God is not going to find fault and say, "HAHA! Stupid. Give you also you can't figure it out. I'm like mega-infinity times wiser and brighter than you. Don't waste my wisdom! Get lost!" God is not going to say that to you. He is generous and He will teach you step by step how to make the right choices and to overcome your situations in life.

Do not be drunk with dissipation. That means reckless living. Have you seen drunkards stumble on the road, screaming at the top of their voices, grumbling and staggering and running to sign posts? I have. Both physically and spiritually, God wants us to walk straight and alert, well dressed, civilized and certain of where we are going. A drunkard doesn't know what he is doing, or where he is going. Likewise, a spiritual drunkard will also not know where he is going, and what he is doing. The revelation for you readers today is this, "The physical is a natural response of the spiritual, and it works both ways." If you walk around in a drunken stupor, you will end up doing things you'll regret for the rest of your life.

So be filled with the Holy Spirit who brings revelation and light to your soul, and guides you in life into all truth and understanding. He leads you and you may not know where you are heading, but when you are filled with the Spirit, you definitely know that you are going in the right direction.

Speak to one another in psalms and songs. Edify one another. Strengthen and encourage each other in God. Help one another to climb up the ladder of success and help each other to grow stronger in God. Build your relationship with God and with each other. Live in love and in light. When you are walking in love and in light, you are walking in wisdom. Don't keep complaining, give glory to GOd instead, and give thanks for all the good He has done. God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.

Submit to one another. That means to be patient with one another. Accepting toward one another. Caring for each other. Enduring with each other through difficult times. Listen to each other. Share with each other. Live in harmony with each other. Honor those above you, and take extra care of those under your authority. To submit means to stay under. Stay under each other and protect each other. That is wisdom as well.

I hope this three part short and sweet message enlightened you in some ways. God bless!

-Dennis-

Building Better Relationships

2009-08-22T02:27:00.008+08:00

Today i am going on something short yet relevent to our daily dealings with the people around us.
Building better relationships

How can i relate to people in a wise manner?
James 3:18
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Wisdom is a everyday lifestyle
Wisdom is practical knowledge-> where actions counts more than thoughts.

Let us not take the relationship (esp friends) for granted with the mindset that they ought to help us, worse, not even saying thank you.

Wisdom Check!

1. If I'm wise, I won't take advantage of you
-Purity of heart,
The fear of God gives us wisdom
(Relationship should be build on Trust!)

2. If I'm wise, I won't provoke you to anger
-Maintaining Harmony

Prov 20:3
3 It is honorable for a man to stop striving,
Since any fool can start a quarrel.

Some small stuff that can cause spark off
a)Comparing
b)Condemning
c)Interupted

Prov 14:29
29 He who is slow to wrath has great understanding,
But he who is impulsive[a] exalts folly.
[a] Literally short of spirit

Anger gets us into troubles

3. If I'm wise, I would be teachable
-Wisdom is submissive

James 3:17
17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

Submissive -> Easy to be entreated (open to reason)

Prov 12:15
15 The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,
But he who heeds counsel is wise.

The fool thinks he needs noadvice, but the wise man listen to others.

In all situation, maintain an open & objective ATTITUDE

Asking our self: Are we teachable and available?
Are we willing?

As we are unwilling,the easiest things becomes the hardest!

4. If I'm wise, I won't emphasize your mistakes
Love forgets your mistake

Prov 17:9
9 He who covers a transgression seeks love,
But he who repeats a matter separates friends.

Practicing Mercy
Mercy is giving people what they need, not what they deserve.

Having Good Fruits, more than just talking, out of the heart we have kind actions.

Last but not least,
He who win soul is WISE.

Exo 3:11
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

Living a life to reach out to people around us, sharing the burden of the Lord, giving them salvation, a citizen to heaven and of course a right to be a better man.
Ain't that sweet to see our loved ones or people around us transformed and every social order being restored.

WL

Undivided Love

2009-08-20T16:55:00.003+08:00

One of the best adresses about "Revival" & "Church complacency" I've come across. Hope it will bless you like how it did to me!

The title of my short message today is Undivided Love
God is searching here & forth for a generation of people whose heart is undivided, unmixed & purely seeking after Him, after His own heart. Indeed, the trues riches is in Him. Yes, many times we seek the LORD with a mixed heart, of our needs & wants. But Ultimately, God desires a heart that is sincere, wholly after him. He is yearning after you and me to be in total communion with Him. Many times, when we become so blessed, we neglect the one who blesses us or in another case, because of disappointments & suffering that we turn our hearts from Him.

In Revelations 3: 20, Jesus says "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me." Today, He is knocking in the doors of our hearts, He wants to come in and do a work in our lives, to change us from inside out & transform us in the image of His son Jesus Christ. My question is, "Are we neglecting the Holy spirit's knock in our heart?" So today, even in the midst of problems, despite our circumstance, my challenge for all is to come to the Holy of Holies to seek Him with undivided heart of Love, & ultimately be transform the way we live reflecting the glory of our Most High God. Let our heart beats in sync with The One who loves us! God bless!

Walk in Light

2009-08-19T00:54:00.002+08:00

Ephesians 5:8-14

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),
10 finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.
11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light, for whatever makes manifest is light.
14 Therefore He says:

“ Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”

In the last post, I talked about walking in love. Today I'm just gonna post a very short message about walking in light.

We who were once in darkness, now that we are saved in the Lord, we need to be in the light and walk in it. That means, we need to be filled with light and be inside the light. If you walk in a dark place, you cannot really see what's around you unless a little glow of light is shone. However, if there is no light, you can fall or get hurt, because in darkness, there is no light, and where there is no light, you cannot see and therefore, you do things that hurt yourself or cause you to feel fearful, and very messy. If you tried doing your homework in the dark, you're gonna damage your vision overtime. Likewise in the spirit, we need to be in the light and walk in it. God did not give us life in darkness but in light, we are born into the light and not into the darkness, so we need to live as children of light.

Develop the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) in you, which is developed in goodness, righteousness and truth. We can never have the fruit of the Spirit fully developed if we are always lying and cheating, proud and haughty,and committing immorality. So find out what is pleasing and acceptable to God, and live by that. I believe that one of the things that pleases God, is obeying every single word in His Holy Scripture, given to us.

Be fruitful and not unfruitful. In darkness, you can never accomplish your tasks, and the things done in darkness are in secrets that bring forth no fruit at all. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of the darkness, that means don't even talk about it or have a connection with darkness.

Let light reveal truth and understanding. Let light release potential in your life and in others. Let the light of God clear away the proud nature in our hearts.

Sleep no longer in darkness, but arise in the light and live in the light where you can live with a purpose and with much potential. In darkness, things become chaotic. In the light, there is true peace and gentleness, full of grace and love.

I'll continue on Friday.

Walking in Love

2009-08-17T00:14:00.002+08:00

Sorry readers, it's been a while since the last post.

The next few days, I'll be sharing on a short three part message. It is called Walking in Love, Light and Wisdom.

Part one is about walking in love.

Ephesians 1-7
1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children.
2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
3 But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
4 neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.
5 For this you know,that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
7 Therefore do not be partakers with them.

The word of God says to be imitators of God, that means to copy God exactly as He does. In the beginning God made man in His image and likeness because God wants us to look and be like Him. How do we do that? It begins with walking in love because God is love and God loves.

Firstly, we got to be self-giving just like Jesus. As Christ has loved us and given Himself for us, we must do the same for God and also for others. Instead of being a taker, be a giver. Instead of being resentful, seek reconciliation and be quick to forgive. It is our self-giving and self-humbling attitude that touches God's heart as well.

Secondly, keep away from immorality. Every form of immorality not only causes us to rebel against God, but it can also affect the lives of our neighbors. Sexual Desires, Covetousness, Greed, Coarse Jesting, Malice, only makes a person more of a taker and not a giver. You only do these things to please your own fleshly desires and not to help others. Sexual Lust only brings comfort to the person who seeks it to fulfill his carnal desire. People who do these things only want to please themselves and not to truly help and build others up. They are like leeches that suck the life out of others in order to make themselves feel good.

Thirdly, do not become sons of disobedience. The word "sons" in Greek basically mean matured sons. Do not become matured sons of disobedience, but rather be sons of obedience. Be quick to obey those in authority,whom God has put charge over you. In rebelling against authority, we rebel against the one who has set them in place.

So to walk in love basically means to be obedient, humble and self-giving. Be a giver and not a taker. Be humble and not proud. Be obedient not rebellious. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Love God with all your being and love your neighbors as yourself.

God bless you

Radiate

2009-08-10T23:42:00.001+08:00

This is a praise song by City Harvest Church, it's called Radiate:

Peace in God begins with prayer and thanksgiving

2009-08-09T22:55:00.000+08:00

Philippians 4:6 - 7

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

The title of this message is a long one, "Peace in God with prayer and thanksgiving." However, the message is gonna be short and simple.

I believe everyone has a burden in his or her life, and we all just can't wait to get it off our shoulders. Sometimes we just wish someone would just come along and take over for a moment or at least give us an extra shoulder to carry the burden.

Well, it is much like what this verse is saying. You may have a burden in your heart and it weighs you down so much to the point of worry and anxiety. It is time to break out of anxiety and worry, because Jesus also told us not to worry. I believe worrying can only make matters worse and not solve anything at all. Then again, you may ask me, "Dennis, what about the solution? How do I solve this problem or how can I not worry. I don't know what is going to come!"

Well, the answer lies in this passage of scripture, in Philippians 4:6-7. Why do I say that? The reason is simple. Have you ever had a burden or some problem, and you went along and sought someone for help or someone who'd be willing to listen and maybe to even help? Sometimes, just by letting others know what the burden is in your heart, you feel better and lighter. It's like, if I need help in Physics, I go to my teacher for help and I feel much better, because now I feel more secure having someone around to guide me. However, when I'm unable to find the support and security I need, I get uneasy and frustrated. The same is with God. When you have a problem in your life or a burden, and you just cannot be at peace, the first thing you should do is go to God and cast ALL of your cares upon Him. Every time I feel heavy, I would pray and seek God and suddenly, I feel a lot better because I know I've really cast all my cares upon Him, and I know for sure that God has heard my prayers. As soon as I put my faith in God, I'm able to find security and support in God, knowing that He will take care of me all the way to the end, and because of that, I'm at peace and not so frantic and unstable anymore, and I can calm my mind and focus on what I need to focus on.

So today, if you want to have true peace and security, go to God in prayer, and the Bible says that His peace will guard your heart. However, prayer alone is not all. The word says to mix our prayers with thanksgiving as well. Prayer and thanksgiving must go together and should never be separate.

I hope you were edified. God bless you and have a great week ahead. Happy Birthday Singapore!

Because of You

2009-08-05T02:34:00.002+08:00

Today, I just felt like sharing this song with you which I have taken from Youtube. It's a song my church has been singing. It's called Because of You. It is a wonderful song, I'm just so drawn away singing it. Enjoy:

Overcoming covetousness

2009-08-04T00:22:00.002+08:00

In the Ten Commandments, the tenth commandment says, "You shall not covet after...anything that is your neighbor's?" Covetousness is one of the sins that lead us to becoming selfish and proud.

Covetousness opens doors for us to break the other commandments too. We became so engrossed in our needs and wants that we forget about other people, because coveting only gives room for us to think of what we can have and what should have. It is not wrong to want to be rich and live nice homes like others, neither is it wrong to want to have something that others have. I like Samsung phones, especially the new Omnia 2, I really want that phone. When I look at other people holding one, I get jealous. It is ok to be jealous because jealousy is after all a feeling, but when you allow jealousy to rule your heart, that's when you become envious of what others have and that's it means to be covetous. So when I become overly jealous and engross when I see a Samsung Omnia 2, I become covetous for it, because the priority of my life is no longer in God but in the phone. My focus is not in more important things anymore except something that I keep thinking of.

Apart from losing focus with God, covetousness drags us further to immoral ways such as murder, adultery, theft and lying. For example, I love the Samsung phone so much that one fine day, I see one left on the table long after school hours and no one is looking. The temptation arises for me to one to take it. In other words, I am not thinking about whose phone it belongs to, I just want it. Murder and adultery can result in the same way, take for example 2 men and a woman. Man A is in love with the woman and Man B is also in love with this woman. Man A marries the woman and Man B is envious of Man A, and decides to kill Man A in order to marry the woman. In another scenario, Man B could become envious and commit an affair with the woman. Covetousness is being envious of what others have and desiring to take it even if at the expense of other people.

So how do we tackle such a problem. Here are just 2 simple suggestions:

1. Pray and Read God's word. Ask God to teach you to be content about what you have and be good stewards. Read verses that relate to such a thing.

2. Become a giver and not a taker. Instead of wanting to meet your own wants and needs, try looking around to meet the needs and wants of others. When you meet other people's needs, they will do likewise to you. When you learn to give, you learn to become self-giving and humble.

So pull yourself away from covetousness, and be content with what you have. The devil always tells us that what we have or what we are, is not good enough, and we never be content. Whatever you have, just be content. The key to overcoming covetousness, is simply contentment and humility.

Peace Treaties

2009-08-03T00:48:00.002+08:00

I've been having a cold war with my mother for quite a long time now. The first one begin in 2004 when I first rebelled against my mother because I hated her and our whole family. My mother did hurt me very deeply when I was a kid twice in Primary 4 and I also had doubts about how my relatives treated me. I felt despised and looked down upon. VIolence and hatred festered in me for years, and in 2004, I let it all go on my mother. When the Lord came into my life in December 2005, that became a turning point for my life. By 18 March 2007, things turned around for the battle and the war ended.

However, things turned around to war again in 2008, except this time the origin of the war is really quite unknown but, it just happened so suddenly. My mother and I ended up quarelling again and arguing over pretty lot of things. My patience is tried once more till this day. The last few days, it's been more peaceful but with little disagreements still. I'm still not liking how she responds to things and how she does things and vice-versa.

During the Festival of Praise, the Lord spoke to me saying, "Dennis, you and your mother have been fighting for a very long time now, when are you going to let go of your pride?"

I was like, "God, she started it, not my fault. I really want to end it God, but unless there is a peace treaty signed, I will give in. We need to exchange terms first."

God replied with a question, "Is it really necessary? When I sent Jesus to die on the Cross, did I ask for any conditions? Did you have to do anything in order that I may send My Son to die for you?"

"No, Lord...But..." I replied.

God replied after I finished saying, "Dennis, you know my words and I know of your zeal to serve Me. However, if you don't forgive your mother her trespasses, how can you love Me, for My Word commands that you shall honor your father and mother. Whoever loves Me, keeps my commandments. Dennis, the greatest part about a peace treaty, is not about the terms and conditions, but it is the ability to be patient and recognizing other people's weaknesses, and being able to forgive them their trespasses. Even if you do have conditions listed out, are you sure that even you can be perfect at meeting the requirements of the conditions made by your mother?"

I was so moved by that word that God spoke to me that tonight I've decided not to think about my mother's weaknesses anymore, but helping to meet her needs and relying on God for a solution to help her to become better in life, for change comes only by God's grace and not by human wisdom. Only God can really change the character of a person, it's my part to help my mother think positively and put her trust in the Lord to change her life.

This is a testimony and message on what I'm sharing today which i entitle: peace treaty.

At the end of the day, Peace Treaties are really just a list of conditions. What really brings true peace is the love of God. God did not ask for anything when He chose to send Jesus to die for us, for as the Scripture says that we are saved by grace through faith and not by works. God gives us peace by giving us love. Likewise, the best way to be at peace with others, is through genuine and forgiving love, and this love can only come from God. I'm not gonna be asking for terms and conditions from my mother anymore, I'm just gonna cherish each moment I have with her from now on and I'm so sorry for hurting my mother in the past and even today. I pray that everyone will also have good relationships with not just their parents but with everyone.

Who are you at war today? My message only brings to one points: If you want to restore a broken relationship, just forget the terms and conditions and just go and meet the needs of the person and love and forgive the person just as God has done so for us all. God bless you and have a great week

Love is not a fight

2009-08-02T01:20:00.003+08:00

Sorry readers, we've been busy and realized we haven't posted for days already.

I've been busy this week with school and also this weekend is Festival of Praise at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. Tonight I've something to share. It's a song from the movie Fireproof, and it is a very motivating song by Warren Barfield. The title of this song is: Love is not a Fight. I learned something from this song, I pray it will encourage you too. Enjoy it:

Together we are strong

2009-07-23T22:51:00.002+08:00

A kingdom or a house, divided against itself will not stand. That's what Jesus said in the Word of God.

I remember watching Red Cliff, the Chinese war movie of the legends of the Three Kingdom. I remember one scene when Liu Bei was encouraging all his allies and comrades before they planned for their next battle. He took up one stalk of fresh straw, and pulled it apart, and he said, "One straw alone, is fragile and easily broken." Then he picked up another bunch of fresh straw, grabbed the two ends of that bunch of straw and pulled them, but they did not snap, and he said, "However, when there is a lot of straw together in a bunch, it is not broken easily."

Then he continued saying, "If we all stick together like this bunch of fresh straw, we will not be broken easily."

That is so true. There is one part I can't remember if he mentioned, but I'd like to add in to the part about the one straw. Everyone in this world is like a stalk of fresh straw, fragile and weak in some way, despite strong appearances, and if people are always alone, it is very easy to destroy. If you are always fighting alone, trying to solve your own problems without help or trying to be a superhero all the time, you will break and snap like the straw. However, if you stay together with people, you will remain strong alonegside with them, because others can encourage you, cheer you up, share your burdens, fight with you, help you in all times, so that you will not be destroyed easily. whoever you are grouped with in life, it is God's gift to us. God knows each of us have our weaknesses, but He also knows that we have our strengths. This is so that we will not become proud and haughty, but so that we learn to love one another and rely on each other's shoulders for support. God wants us to have friends and that is why God is so special, because He is our friend too.

Likewise today, in church, in school, at work, in the family, amongst friends, in BGRs. When you start to handle things on your own, you will wither away. The church must be united, it is unity that allows the church to be strong in love, and strong enough to fight the enemy. Cherish your classmates, be around people and be united with those close to you, so you can help each other in studies or CCAs. In work, is the same, have unity with colleagues. In the family, is the best. The devil loves to create chaos in families. So be united with your parents and siblings and then everyone in your household can be strong together to fight circumstances. Maybe, if financial crisis hits, you all stay united, and work out a solution to solve the problem together. Friendships and Chemistry, all the same, it is unity that allows us to face challenges in life. We get support from being together with one another and understanding one another. So love one another as Christ has loved us. Be united in the love and in the grace of God. Together, we are strong.

20-26 July 2009

2009-07-19T22:05:00.002+08:00

Hi guys! hope you all enjoyed the message this week by pastor Kong. I enjoyed the preaching very much and was so filled and also very reminded that it is really not about how loud your pray, sing, shout or clap, but it's really about the atmosphere. I think we can pray for that to happen in Cell group every week too.

This week, bible study is as usual. Please let Jac know about your Bible study status and if you need bible study, sign up quickly.

Cell Group on Friday as usual but new house or old, yet to confirm. Also, there will be a prayer meeting before that at 6.15pm. So if you can come by that time please do come as soon as possible to pray. However don't feel guilty and take cab if you think you gonna be late. Just try to come as soon as possible. We'll start at 6.15pm. Come with expectancy because there may not be prayer list. That means it is time for us to be more active in moving with the Holy Spirit.

Service is as per normal on Saturday. I'll be queuing up. Hopefully people can queue up with me too.

Cell group funds give to Lex if you can. If you are financially unable to do so, please let Yieping know.

by the way, this week is Nevin and Sera's birthday. Remember to wish them.
that's all i have this week bye.

Relationship grows in love

2009-07-19T21:59:00.000+08:00

This is the last part of my devotional message on influence and relationship. Three things remain the Bible says:

1 Corinthians 13:13

“And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love.”

The title of the last part of this series is called, “Relationship grows with love.” I said in the first part that influence begins with relationship. Then I broke it up into two parts: Relationship is built on common ground and Relationship starts and grows with love.

Relationship needs to be built on solid ground, definitely, and a good common ground would be solid ground, which is faith. However, to get your foundations laid, you need something or somewhere to begin with – Love. I want to take the word relationship away from acquaintance for now and focus on strong relationships like friendship, family and romance. All relationships start on common ground, but are strengthened because of love. Without love, there is no life in relationship or in anything, because God created and saved our lives out of His everlasting love and gracious mercy. Without love, there would be no life in this world. Without love, Jesus would not have died to restore our lives.

Relationship is like a person that needs life in order to survive, and that life comes from love. Love is the greatest. The Bible says that love covers all sins. To cover all sins means to pardon all sins or is gracious to overlook past wrongdoings. That means, love is able to forgive, restore and start a fresh. Love always starts afresh, that is why God’s mercy is new every day. God does new things everyday because He loves.

Really, without love, there can never be Positive Relationship. What we want is positive and not negative. Love is one of the things we must choose to do in order to have good relationship with friends, family and our partners.

God’s love is the reason why Jesus was able to die for us and reconcile Man back to God. God’s love is the reason why He even created us and gave us life.

However, faith and hope also play important parts in this. Love, Faith and Hope are like triplets that should never be separated.

Faith is stepping into the realm of the impossible and doing what is spoken to be impossible in order to make it possible. One of the reasons I need for relationship is because I need to have faith to love people that are hard to love too. I need faith to believe that as God shares His love, with me, I too can do the same for others. It is easy to love and accept people who are close to you or are easier to hang around with. However, it is very hard to accept people who are aggressive, crude, rude, violent, perverted etc. It is hard to love people who commit evil or have done great amounts of evil. It is also sometimes hard to love disabled people. Some people in this world, as we have seen with our own eyes, treat disabled people, whether physically or mentally, with great disrespect and mockery.

It is hard to be around so many people, primarily those in the gangs or those who have committed prostitution, murder, stealing, SORCERY and many more. Still, I pray that God will help me to understand these people and to love them till the end no matter what. The Holy Spirit will always remind of two scriptures when have judgmental thoughts of these people.

Romans 3:23

“For all have sinned, and fallen short the glory of God.”

Romans 5:8

“While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I am just like everyone else, big sin or small sin, ALL have sinned and all are equally guilty and deserving of death, but it’s God’s saving grace that has redeemed us. So God teaches me to let go of the past and accept others and try to understand others instead of always being judgmental for their wrong actions. However, all this still requires me to have faith to believe, not only in God, but also in others. I need to have faith in others that though they may be imperfect and may even betray me like how Judas betrayed Jesus, we can all still be together again and trust each other for help and encouragement and support and forgiveness and unity. To me, God will always be the top of my friends list. Next to God, I have two friends of equal position second place in my friends’ list. These are the two whom I share my secrets, my past, my plans, my pains, burdens and everything with. I do not know whether they might betray me one day. Still I believe, and have courage to believe that we can be united in Christ for eternity and that our brotherhood will never be broken. It takes faith for me to believe such a thing.

Lastly – hope. The Bible says that we are to be prisoners of Hope, not prisoners of hopelessness. Faith is not optimism. Faith is in the heart to believe that no matter what the circumstances, you remain faithful and strong to what you are determined to do. Hope is optimism. Hope means to think positively, still waiting for a better outcome. Today, I fall out with someone, maybe a friend. My hope is that we can be friends again and become even better friends than before. Hope is what supports your faith. Maybe something didn’t turn out the way you wanted it to be, but your hope says, “I’ll just try again, HOPEfully, it will be better.” Hope is like a vision that stirs us up.

Jeremiah 29:11

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans not to destroy you nor to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."

Hopes are visions and encouragements to boost your faith and your love for a better future. Hope is just as important as faith and love.

So in closing, remember, Influence begins with relationship. Relationship is built on common ground, and relationship grows in love and love is supported with faith and hope. Always have faith in others too and always trust them. Always have hope for others and pray for people that God will carry them through trials and help them to become triumphant in life. Pray for your friends and family members who have yet to know Jesus. God bless you.

Relationship is built on Common Ground

2009-07-15T15:03:00.007+08:00

The last time I shared that influence begins with relationship. By the way, I apologize for not posting the last two days as I am having my exams now and have been studying. Also, this will not be the concluding post for what I'm sharing. I want to share an additional topic which is part 2 of the whole thing which I am sharing this week. I will conclude with the three things that abide on Friday. However, I think you already have an idea of what the three things are.

Today's topic is also very important when it comes to influence. In the previous post, I said that influence begins with relationship. I have observed that one of the reason some employees get frustrated at work is because they feel used and unappreciated by their employers and superiors. This happens because there is no relationship with the staff and the boss or whatsoever. Even with other co-workers, a person can become negative because there is no relationship, and people tend to misinterpret each other as a result.

It is like in school. When I first join a new class or a new year, there is always new students and new teachers. People whom I used to criticize eventually became my casual or close friends. Even as acquaintances, I don't find them bad anymore. Do you ever realize this? There are two reasons for this. So today's message is just one of the reasons for this.

Not just students even teachers too. I used to have a vice-principal in my current school whose name I won't mention. He is not in this school anymore but he was a good man. When he first joined, I didn't really like him because I thought he would be a proud Singaporean like most Singaporean vice-principals. The one in my primary school was really proud because her words were always so judgmental toward the students which really irritated me. This principal, as soon as I had begun chit chatting with him, we became acquaintances and I thought he really wasn't as bad as I thought him to be. He is really a good Christian too, from my personal perspective.

What are acquaintances? Acquaintances are people whom you meet and just talk a few words because and go. They are people whom you never say anything to except this word: HI!
For example, I have a schoolmate not of the same cohort who goes to the same tuition center and all I say when I see him is, "Hi" and "Bye".
I also have a classmate who goes to the same church, and now we are still considered acquaintances/casual friends. We hardly talk and all we say to each other in church is Hi and Bye. In school, I hardly talk to this person.

Casual friends are friends who talk to you often but not very close to you.
Close friends are those you not only talk with but hang around often with.
Personal best friends to me are those who not only hang and talk with you, but shares and keeps secrets with you. They tell you their plans and you accept. You tell them your heart, they will also respect and accept.

How do people even become Acquaintances, or casual friends or close friends or even best friends? One of the reasons is because of common ground.

1 Corinthians 9:20-22

²⁰ When I was with the Jews, I lived like a Jew to bring the Jews to Christ. When I was with those who follow the Jewish law, I too lived under that law. Even though I am not subject to the law, I did this so I could bring to Christ those who are under the law.

²¹ When I am with the Gentiles who do not follow the Jewish law, I too live apart from that law so I can bring them to Christ. But I do not ignore the law of God; I obey the law of Christ.

²² When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

As read in the three verses above, Apostle Paul himself, fellowships with people in a way whereby he can build relationship with them, and share common interests.

When I was 15 I had begun to love anime, but it was only the beginning. I was in sec 3 then. At 16 I began to take an interest in Cosplay, so when I went to Tokyo in 2007 with my family, I bought my first Cosplay there. It was a costume from Dragonball Z, it was Goku's clothes. I wore it in the hotel at that time in Japan and my family had a good laugh. Then the first time I wore it in open public, was in 2008 during our school's Chinese New Year celebration. I was still afraid to actually wear it in public actually but I just thought I wore it to become a public joke for a moment. After that I never wore it again because I was afraid someone might laugh at me. In March 2008 I went again to Japan, except it was with the school, and I bought another costume. I got the Shinsengumi costume from the anime Gintama. Really cool costume. You can see it on my blog profile picture or my facebook. However, I still never found the chance to wear it.

Recently, my bible study teacher taught me that if you like it, just do it, and do it for the glory of God. If it allows you to find common ground with people and reach out to people, then do it. I thought about it one night and spoke to God, "LORD, I'm so silly. I wasted money buying those cosplays which I've never used. I think it is about time to step out in faith and put them to good use." So just last week, I started hunting for the cosplay club in Singapore. I've decided to join cosplay.

However, why must it be cosplay? Why can't it be something else like music or sports or something else. My answer is this:
1. If cosplay can be normal in Japan, I don't see why it cannot be normal here in Singapore.
2. I love cosplay, I might as well use not only my abilities but also my interests and hobbies, to relate other people.
3. I want to be an influence in this area and to help others both in the church and outside the church to dissolve the ideas of Cosplayers being weird and for some people whom even though they don't like cosplay, to accept cosplayers as who they are.
4. Partially because of the third reason I tied it in to this reason: 1 Corinthians 9:22

I quote that scripture one more time in this post:

1 Corinthians 9:22
²² When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some.

Which phrase in this verse inspire me to join cosplay? If you haven't realized it, let me quote that phrase: "...doing everything I can to save some."

I may not be the most talented or the most colorful or the most creative person in anywhere, but like what Apostle Paul says in this scripture: doing everything I CAN to save SOME.

My purpose of joining cosplay is not to be a flaky weird Christian and target unbelievers. My purpose and goal in joining cosplay to do what I really want to do and do well in it. I believe even cosplaying can be a profession because I think that cosplaying is more than dressing up as a character and there are some lessons I can learn from others about life that is biblical but yet never seen from a Christian's perspective. Thirdly, I want to make new friends in Singapore especially in a group where I can really share much interests with. Fourthly, it is to show that even cosplayers are normal people and are not weird people. Cosplayers are unique too and not any less interesting than the rest of anybody else, because to God, they are interesting people too. Most importantly, is to be able to hear the cries of people in the cosplay group and the needs in their lives, so that I can have the opportunity to be a vessel for God to use to minister to them and to help them know God's everlasting, agape love.

You may ask me, "How much influence can you have there? How many people can you save?" My answer is:
1. Influence depends on my relationship skills.
2. Influence also depends on favor with both men and with God. If men look down on me, God will know how to give me favor with people.
3. Like the apostle says in 1 Corinthians 9:22, "...to save SOME."

I don't have to save all, I don't have to save a lot. Some can mean a lot or a few, but if I just try my very best and do everything I can to help others find God, I know God will be pleased, because I not only say yes to God, but I have also taken the initiative and given my best to do His will, and to to do what He has blessed me to accomplish. The ultimate purpose really, is to be a testimony and witness for the Lord.

To wrap up today's very long message, I just want to conclude with this:
Relationship is always built on common ground. You will always need to find a common ground for you to build relationship with people. Be it in an ethnic culture, or a modern culture, or a profession or a little amateur skill you may have, or some common interests and activities, common ground can be found very easily if you just bother to look around you.

Relationship is always built on common ground, and the best common ground I believe is the Kingdom of God, where God's people grow and prosper and become victorious people in life.

However, what does relationship start with? That's what I'll share in the next post.

This is the longest post ever sorry, but I hope you enjoyed it. God bless you!

Influence begins with relationship

2009-07-12T00:33:00.002+08:00

We who believe in God, need to know we follow a very creative and relational God. God wants us to use our abilities to engage society and to glorify Him in every area. Another important factor as Christians, we forget about how we have been of influence to other people in society. How have we made a difference in our campuses and work places? We need to learn how to engage culture and become an influence in society. We need to know how to use culture to help people find this very colorful and very creative God.

It's not about being preachy and super spiritual that helps people to want to experience God, but it is through our personal testimonies every single day that people witness and then choose to seek after God. Business people use business to impact society by being honest, by having the best profits, being able to overcome economic circumstance and also using business for more honorable things like helping the poor. Influence in the government help to make the nation a better place and that is when nations start having revival, because of the leaders of the nations who have been influenced and impacted by Christians who obey God and love people. Education allows us to have upward mobility. We can impact our friends with our academic grades and the degrees that God has helped us to achieve because of our faith in Him and also because of His love and plans for us. Education gives knowledge and power in effect which help people to learn not only to use their emotions and will, but very importantly, their brains. A lot Christians love to leave their brains at home when coming to church. Arts and Entertainment, allows us to influence others by being colorful, artistic and entertainment. Entertainment can include sports and movies and performances etc..It allows culture of all sorts - Folk, Pop and High - to be explored in a greater variety of ways. Through this, people get a chance to explore their areas of talents which God have given to help them be creative and attractive. It allows people to know that God is a creative God. The Mass Media can be used in papers and in the news to help shape the mood and atmosphere in people's hearts. Because of one word the news caster uses, it can change the attitudes of people in homes in response to what is happening around. Mass Media also allows people to spread the word of God through the influence of whoever is seen on papers and television.

Many areas where we can influence people. However, before we can influence people and win people to God, we must learn the most basic thing in God's kingdom, and that is Relationship. Without relationship, there is no one or anything to relate to. There is no one whom you can personally get to know and influence. Influence always begins with one individual at a time. It's your influence with someone else. Then from that one person whom you make a difference to, that person will share what you shared and it slowly spreads out one by one. Influence is always personal. It becomes massive only when a multitude of personS have been influenced.

Take for example, my friends in my school. I can preach on the stage in school but if I do not have personal relationship with them, they'll just think I'm just another preacher who just talks crap. If I do not have a personal relationship with them, I can never know their needs and I can never help them to meet their needs and I can never show them the love of God. That's why testimonies are always known as PERSONAL testimonies, because they are PERSONAL, One-to-one. When I begin to have relationship, I can slowly learn about their needs and their wants. From there, I am able to understand what they go through, and help them. At the same time, they learn that God is not another doctrine of another religion, but that God is a personal God, and that God always sends people to help each other out like how God uses me to meet the needs of my friends. People will know that God is a personal and relational God.

Relationship is always an important foundation for any project or for any kind of impact you want to make. Even if I am famous, but have no relationship with others, I am still just a lonely person whom nobody really knows and understands, and in turn, I don't really know or understand anyone. Even if I am rich but have no relationship with others, I am just a spendthrift who is self-centered and only can buy gifts for myself because there is no one to really share it with, and in turn, when I fall, it is hard for me to seek financial support. Even if I have power, I am just a slave master who drives people with my authority, and in turn, I become a very controlling monster to the point of robbing my own joy. Relationship is the door for you to influence other people.

Tomorrow I'll continue this message by concluding with the three things that abide so you'll have the full meaning of this message so stay tuned. God bless you :)

Sorry for the Inconvenience

2009-07-09T23:36:00.002+08:00

Sorry people for the sudden cut off. Apparently, This 12 part has to stop here for now because we are being cut off from viewing. Youtube has removed so we can't watch it. However, I'll continue searching for other users who may have uploaded the video. At that time I'll upload again for you to continue watching. I apologize for the inconvenience caused. In the meantime, NEMA will continue with daily devotions to help to strengthen and encourage you. God bless

Flywheel part 3 of 12

2009-07-08T18:54:00.001+08:00

Part 3 of 12:

Flywheel part 2 of 12

2009-07-06T23:27:00.001+08:00

This the movie part 2 of 12:

Flywheel part 1 of 12

2009-07-06T01:35:00.001+08:00

I promised to upload the movie Flywheel. This is part 1 of 12. Enjoy!

Flywheel

2009-06-30T15:39:00.002+08:00

Hey readers, I know some of you have not watched Flywheel before. Someone has uploaded the movie on Youtube. So for 12 days from this Friday, I'll be uploading one part per day. It's gonna be the whole movie and it is cut up into 12 parts so to keep you excited, tomorrow I'm gonna be posting the trailer on this blog. If you are curious to know what it is about now, you can click on the Youtube link on this blog, and search for Flywheel the movie. It will help you a lot, so stay tuned to www.jesussavesnema.blogspot.com to catch the movie, Flywheel. BYE!

quick to rise but quick to fall

2009-06-30T06:27:00.003+08:00

As a Christian for the past 3.5 years, I have met Christians who have come and gone. It is really heart breaking. One of the things I want to talk about today is Christians who have risen up, but backslid not long after.

One of my previous cell group members, quickly was rising up very fast, and almost a team leader in the Usher Ministry, but he backslid a few months later. Some of these people whom I have seen fall away are like my most favorite members because they are the ones who helped me up when I was still an immature Christian. One of the reasons I believe they left was probably lack of prayer and encouragement. One of the things that I actually hold myself guilty for, is not being more caring and encouraging enough toward them. However, all these have changed. I'm learning to be more pro-active toward people I know in church and be more alert about their needs. Friendship and Love are two important attributes that I believe every leader needs to be assured and encouraged. God puts people around us to encourage us and support us, especially when burdens become too heavy. So even today, writing a card to your leaders and praying for them and with them makes a lot of difference.

Secondly, I believe people rise quickly and fall quickly is also because like what pastor Kong said in Song of Solomon, that they have forgotten their first love. Promotion comes from God. Every promotion will have greater challenge and especially in the leadership position. You are pressed hard on every side. The burden is heavier each time and if we are not rooted in God, we'll fall away very quickly. These people who have fallen away are people who have not sown their seeds in good soil, but in rocky ground. They have forgotten their first love. We serve so much until we wear ourselves out and then we backslide from ministry and even from church. The key here which I believe is that if you want to be promoted higher, your prayer life has got to go higher as well. If we do not root ourselves in prayer and in the word of God, we'll lose everything because of our pride and impatience. We'll lose the capacity to hold on.

Thirdly, people rise and fall quickly because of lack of spiritual capacity. Similar to the second point is that they've lost their first love. Because of pressure and lots of scolding and discipleship, when Christians do not have the spiritual capacity for it, they die out. That's why as rise up higher in church, we must rise up higher in our spiritual capacity as well. That's why Prayer and reading the word of God is important. However, there is one more spiritual habit that really helps to boost a believer's dependency on God and one's spiritual capacity, and that is through fasting. I first for 30 days every single year since my first year as a Christian. To learn to humble myself and seek God for all His goodness and righteousness. When I am rooted in God's word and in His truth, if I stay connected to Him, no matter what happens I am able to overcome and stand firm.

So today, if you want to rise up, aim for it. We all need to, because as the church progresses, there will always be a need to raise up a new generation of leaders who can continue to lead the church in the Truth of God and take us to where God wants to lead us. Just remember, the higher up you go, the deeper you relationship with God and people need to be.

God bless you, have a great day!

Lead your heart, not just follow

2009-06-28T15:56:00.004+08:00

Joyce Meyer once said, "Self-deceived is worse than Satan-deceived."

I found this to be quite true. It is very easy to fall into temptations and into sin, into the tricks of the devil, if you can't discern the right voices. As humans, we enjoy listening to our own voice of pride. We don't like to listen to others because we just want it our way. It is easy to know some of Satan's deceptions. However, I learn that one of the ways he deceives us, is by first putting a thought around us to lure us, and then let us wander aimlessly into our minds and our hearts, which eventually causes us to do things that is not in the will of God.

You have heard people say before, "Just follow your heart.". However, I tell you today you must learn how to LEAD your heart. I watched this movie called Fireproof, and I remember in one of the scenes, one of the actors spoke saying, "You can't just follow your heart, you gotta learn to lead it because your heart can be deceived." One self-deceiving thought is like what I said in my previous post about seeing doctors. I was like this once. I thought by seeing a doctor, it means I lost faith in God. This is not exactly Satan's voice, but an evil conscience that speaks to you. It is your own voice. Jesus even said once that it is the sick who need a doctor. A parallel example would be when you're sick, and you deny you're sick because you think that if you admit you're sick, you are cursing yourself and you have no faith.

So when does it become Satan deceive? When the doctrine of faith and sickness mixes up in your mind, it's obvious it's Satan's. He attacks us with wild ideas like a cold flu virus, and slowly within, it corrupts the body. Likewise, these ideas corrupt your mind and your heart, and thereafter, you begin to wander. One example is hate. When someone like a parent abuses his or her child, the child will grow up hurt and vengeful. Even when he becomes a Christian, he can't really forgive yet. Why? Because Satan will run along and say, "Don't forget what your parent did to you. Can you actually allow them to go free for all the scars they gave to you? Didn't God say that vengeance was His? Why isn't He taking vengeance for you now?" From there, your emotions and your thoughts are attacked and if you can't handle it, you begin to slip away thinking, "Maybe I need to teach them a lesson. God will be with me because He is my Vindicator." So you begin to prejudge God and misquote His scriptures and end up doing the wrong things. I've been this way before. Even now, I may have forgiven my mother, but suddenly, those memories of how I was hurt by her as a child, come back to me and I struggle to break free.

What is the reason for this?

1. No personal relationship with God.

People struggle like this because they don't know God personally, be it a Christian or non-Christian. Even some Christians who say the sinners prayer, don't have a personal encounter or a divine revelation of who God is. They just live by their feelings and prejudge God from how they think and feel and not what God's word says.

2. Pride.

We love to listen to ourselves only. However, God wants us to learn to lead our hearts by learning to discern our thoughts and emotions. What are the real emotions behind these ideas? Sometimes, our emotions are like a jack-in-the-box. We just keep going on following the motion, and suddenly, it jumps out and we finally see the truth. The truth is hindered because of how WE want to FEEL and how WE want to THINK, and how WE want to REACT. Pride is an attitude that allows these emotions to fester and grow. Pride hinders us from understanding God's word. For example, you know it is better to forgive, but because you are so prideful, you allow your anger to stay and grow and eventually making stupid and foolish mistakes like murdering or beating people up.

The solution:

1. Pray
2. Read God's word

When you pray and read God's word, then you'll be strong enough to fight thoughts like these. If you only read God's word and don't pray, you have no divine revelation of God, and you only know how to use head knowledge to know God. This is how people become disobedient to God and misjudge God.

When you only pray but don't read the Bible, you will become proud like the Pharisees. You will become super spiritual in prayer, but you ignore the words of God in the Bible which also help to contribute to your everyday living and character.

So because a lot Christians do not have these two, they end up only knowing how to follow blindly but not learning to be discerning and sensitive to the voice of God and the voice of faith. You must learn to have dominion over your emotions and thoughts too. I have no specific method to this because everyone has their own revelations from God about how to overcome, so you just have to pray and depend on God.

God bless you! BYE!

I'm Waiting for God's help!!!

2009-06-25T11:55:00.002+08:00

Once there was a flood and a man began to cry out to God for help.

A neighbor who happened to be running for his life, passed by and called out to the man to leave together. "NO! I'm waiting for God's help!" the man replied.

The water kept rising.

Then a person on a camel came by and said, "Jump On!" The man replied saying, "I'm waiting for God's help!"

The water level rose to his roof.

A man in a boat came by and he said, "Come on, jump on!" The man replied, 'NO! I'm waiting for God's help!" The man drowned.

He was very angry when he came face to face with God, "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE ME?!"

God said, "I sent you the neighbor, I sent you the camel, and I sent you the boat. What more did you want?"

A very interesting story. A man in danger cries out to God for help and God sends all that the man needs to help him. The man thinking that God will do a super huge miracle, blindly rejects the help which God had sent, eventually drowned and died.

What is the moral of this story? Very often we become very flaky and expect God's miracles to always be something super big like the parting of the Red Sea or some super divine intervention in the physical, until we miss the little things that God brings along to help us. In other words, every little thing in life is important. Do not despise or neglect the little things that come your way because sometimes they eventually become answers to your prayers and messages which God wants to tell you.

When I was young I always thought that when God speaks to us, it is through some audible voice and through a burning bush kind of experience where like Moses, he could speak with God face to face. I was enthusiastic about such wonders that I never realized God could speak to us just by prompting us or even through messages that a pastor is preaching or even out of the Bible itself. God speaks to us and answers us in different ways and that is what makes Him special and creative. We are always interested in the big things and we always miss out the little things.

So the message is simple. Learn to be sensitive to God. Learn to discern and understand even the smallest signs that God sends. They always carry a message. On last example...If you are sick with maybe with flu or something that is quite strong, first thing is to do is to pray and believe for healing, correct no mistake about that. The next thing I would do is obviously to take medicine or go to the doctor to get checked up. Some people very good at deceiving themselves. When they are coughing so badly and someone comes along and asks, "Are you ok?" The person start saying, "No, no. I'm ok. I have faith, no need take medicine." What a liar! Sick still say not sick. Faith is not denying your problems. Faith is acknowledging your problem and trusting God to overcome it. So if you need to see doctor, just see one. If you need just a little cough syrup for coughs then go to the pharmacy and buy one. Even God knows that doctors need to earn a living. If you don't get healed instantly it could just mean that God wants you to see a doctor.

Why? because one of the smallest methods whihc God uses is to allow other people to have a chance to be used by God to meet needs. So be wise and not flaky. Faith is not about flaky and denying a problem. It's acknowledging that you need God to overcome your problems. AND DON'T LEAVE YOUR BRAINS AT HOME WHEN YOU GO TO CHURCH!

God is a good God

2009-06-22T01:03:00.006+08:00

God is a very fair God. He is not biased or self-centered. He loves us all the same and has unique but different plans for each and everyone of us. I was studying the Book of Numbers from 15 June to 20 June. I learnt something in the week by which during the Song of Solomon and during our church's Fathers' Day service. It is about God's fairness in all things. To be more specific, in this post I want to talk about inheritance and divine appointments.

Inheritance is something that captures the hearts of every human being for whatever reason. Inheritance is a transferring of ownership of items from one person to another. God out of His abundant love, has left us much inheritance as well. One is obviously our Savior and LORD Jesus who died for our sins and through Him, we have eternal life, which is another inheritance. There are physical and spiritual inheritance which we can all inherit. Eternity is an inheritance God has reserved for us too. The bible says that we are co-heirs with Christ. Jesus is the Son of God and we are co-heirs. In other words, the blessings and rewards Jesus has, He wants to share them with us. There is a lot God wants to give to us, but we can always choose to reject or to accept them. God is very fair. If you are faithful and you have worked hard for something, God will reward you. If you are disobedient and always complaining, you will lose it. That's what happened to the Israelites.

They wanted the land, but when God told to go in and conquer it, they rejected the offer and even confessed that they prefer to die in Egypt than to die in the wilderness or die trying to fight for land. Their disobedience and lack of faith, caused them to lose their rewards. God was simply telling them that since they didn't want it, He'll give it to those who need it and take it away from those who rejected it. Since they had no faith to take the land, then it would be pointless to give it to them because they would really perish 100% all the way if they fight. The Israelites tried to beg God for the land back but God replied saying, "Only the second generation under the age of twenty can go in and only two of the first generation, Joshua and Caleb, can go in. The rest shall be forbidden to go in and punished to wander in the wilderness." You say, "but that's not fair!"

Actually it is because they refused the gift. They complained and complained and complained and rejected God over and over again, and were lazy people. They themselves confessed saying that they'd rather die. Is God being unfair? Then the people try to act smart by trying to win the back the land thinking it will impress God. Rashful attitudes will not impress God. If God gives you something, just accept it. If you don't want it, it doesn't matter because others can have it.
Somethings, God can give to you again upon repentance. For example, Salvation. You can reject or accept Jesus. If you reject Him, you may still have a chance to accept Him again as long as Jesus hasn't returned yet. However, there are certain things God can give but if you reject, you cannot get it back. This is what I believe is called a Divine Appointment. The Israelites had one, but they rejected it and they rejected the Giver, God. They missed the chance. Only those who had faith to accept, got it. I hope you're getting this. It's like when you've been visioning for a prosperous moment to save your business and you've been praying to God to give it to you. Finally, the time of appointment comes and God says to take a step of faith in doing something, but you refuse because you are scared that you might lose more money or the idea may fail. Before you know it, you lose the chance and your business fails and you suddenly see others who did what you didn't do, and they succeed, and you wished you obeyed God. It's too late.

The Israelites were like that. They wanted the land. THey wanted the inheritance, but they didn't get it because they had no faith and plus, they blame God and Moses and say they'd rather die. So God is very fair. So the message is, "some visions are yet for an appointed time, but when it comes, don't be afraid to step out in faith. Obey God and have faith, and you can have it." There is much in the kingdom of God for everyone of us. If we miss the chance, we might not get another one. Somethings have second chances, but not forever. AND God is a fair God. If you don't want it, He'll simply give it to someone else. A lot here and there today but I think you've caught a bit.

Happy Fathers' Day

2009-06-21T13:32:00.002+08:00

Happy Fathers' Day to all fathers! Happy Fathers' Day to Father God as well. Today we from NEMA just wanna wish all the fathers happy fathers' day and we pray you continue to persevere in loving your children to the end just as God loves us all to the end. Children continue to love and honor your fathers too as you honor the LORD, for this is the first commandment with a promise, a promise of long earthly life. God bless you!

A Father's Compassion

2009-06-17T01:44:00.002+08:00

Psalm 103:13
“As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;”

Do not be troubled by the word "fear". That word basically means to have reverence for God and to honor Him.

In the same way we show respect and reverence for our earthly fathers, we ought to love God the same way.

Jesus did the same when He was on earth. He honored His earthly father and also Father God by spending time in prayer with God, doing the things God told Him to do, ministering to people in need. Jesus pleased His Father, even to the point of going to the Cross.

As for compassion, as you draw near to your earthly fathers and fear them, they know they've earned your respect. Honor is one key that links the hearts of people together. Honor is an attitude and an action of love. Through love, children are able to have compassion for their fathers and vice-versa. Love is a two-way street. Love is about giving and receiving.

Likewise for our Heavenly Father, we can do the same. He is compassionate and not some unreasonable God who blames you for every mistake you make. Instead, He will help you to overcome your weaknesses and help you to seek correction. The LORD disciplines whom He loves as a father who loves his son. The LORD is compassionate to His children as a father is compassionate toward his children. God's loves you very, very much.

2009-06-14T03:10:00.002+08:00

Midnight, while i was worshipping the Lord.
This songs really shows my cry to Him
Take me deeper

Trials can be useful

2009-06-11T22:43:00.003+08:00

^{James 1:2-7

2} My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

When I was younger as a Christian, I never understood anything about trials. I always thought it is only out to harm us. Then one day I learnt the meaning of trials. Trials are not problems. Trials are tools, tools used by God to strengthen us. God does not tempt us to sin, but leads us out of temptation. Trials and tribulations are circumstances and situations allowed by God to happen in our lives. Some of us are born with a permanent circumstance.

You may be someone who never knew a mother's love or a father's love since you were young because maybe they passed away when you were born, or for some other reason you never knew your parent or parents. You may be someone who is born without limbs like Nick Vujicic. You may be someone born with mental disabilities or physical disabilites. You may be someone born not very rich. You may be born with something missing in your life that you wish you could be like those who have what you don't have. This is an area of trial.

Another trial is a temporary circumstance such as debt, sickness, relationship problems, stress, loneliness and even the lost of someone or something important to you.

It don't matter what the circumstance, temporary or permanent, God has allowed it in our lives. It hurts I know, because I got my permanent scar when I was in Primary 3 (9 years old). I always blamed God for allowing trials, especially when they hurt a lot. However, I learnt that it was for a good cause. God has not allowed trials to destroy us, but to break us and to mould us and to strengthen us. In order for us to become perfect, better, anointed, stronger, and useful, we need to be molded not just outwardly, but inwardly as well.

Last night I learnt one more lesson about trials, especially the permanent ones. Trials also allow us to be stronger and triumphant so that we can learn to lean God much more and be close to God and be victorious. As we are being strengthen and shaped by God, we can in turn go and strengthen others with similar trials and defeats.

My new call in life today is to reach out to people who are "fatherless". More specifically, people who never knew their real fathers, children whose parents divorced and thus never got a chance to see their fathers again, or even those who have known their fathers but lost them through death or some other reason. I understand this pain because my parents "divorced" when I was primary 3. My story is people in my family are making me doubt that the man who once lived with me was my real father anyway. It really hurts not to have a father around. Even if he wasn't my real father, he sure did love me the way a good father would love his son. Though imperfect, he showed the good qualitites of a good father. I miss him so much. I do not have a complete family and I empathize those like me. I've cried more than once to God about having a full family. I do not ever want my children to be fatherless like me. So I'm gonna be a good father to them as well. My prayer is that God will give me a full and complete family and for my children as well.

I pray those who are actually reading this post and are like me, I encourage you to put your faith in God. Even if I do not have an earthly father around the house to offer me a father's love, I have a Heavenly Father who is around me and with me everywhere I go, every single moment of the day. He has shown me the perfect love of a perfect father. It is He who has given me the strength to go on.

From my big trials and small trials, I am now able to be called a conqueror in Christ because through Christ, I have conquered all the trials that I needed to conqeur and now I am proud to say, I really thank God for those trials and for allowing me to be stronger that I may give a leg-up to others like me. You can do the same. Just remember that when you face a trial, just give thanks to God, pray, and trust in Him to strengthen and help you, so that you can become the victorious person He has planned for you to be. God bless you.

Casting the old man away

2009-06-10T02:09:00.004+08:00

Hi, today i am going to share with you just a short message on our human nature.
Is our "old" self have the tendancies to fall into sin over and over again after The Fall?

After Christ is crucified, we are all new creation and has been set free.
So therefore cast the old man away - Carnal, fleshly and tempted to sin
and put on the New man and be renewed by the Power of the Holy Spirit each day.

The new man though is vulnerable to fall, but the new man is one who is willing to crucify his flesh and live the Christ-like nature, there is Grace to strengthen him.

I strongly believe, there is no such things as i will only sin this last time and there shall be no more. There is no end to temptation.

Friends I will encourage you to draw your strength from God and quickly repents and seeks to be changed by the LORD.

Be Set free once again !

Shalom

Moses Humbled

2009-06-08T00:39:00.002+08:00

In the previous post, we learned about Moses' spiritual hunger as Moses spent time in the presence of God. Today's devotion is a short and simple one about change. I mentioned in the previous post that Moses had a nasty temper. However, what was it that caused him to change in his personality and lifestyle. What led him to become hungry for God and led him to become, as the bible writes, the most humble man over the face of the earth?

The first was his attitude. His submission and obedience to God allowed to understand that life was not just about himself, but rather about someone greater. He learned that this God is a powerful God and that He is much greater, stronger and mightier. When Moses first met God, he didn't know yet how powerful this God was. However, deep down in his heart he knew that this is indeed the God of the Hebrews. Moses had not yet submit to God fully because he was still doubting in his own heart, whether or not to God. He could obey God but yet his heart is not submitted to God's will. When Moses decided to obey God, he also had the attitude in his heart that if this is indeed the God of the Hebrews, then He will be with me. Slowly as the God showed up in Egypt with the Ten Plagues and at the Red Sea and until God gave the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai, Moses then was assured, surely, this is God Almighty, the One True God. He understood that God is LORD and Moses decided that he would obey and follow God whom he also learnt was the only God. As he submitted to God's word and will, he understood the true meaning of leadership and servanthood. A leader is just someone who leads with commands and a servant doesn't just serve based on what is spoken. A leader must learn to serve and a servant must learn to set examples. This is the first level of humility he learnt from God.

Secondly, Moses changed because of prayer. This is also part of submission. He submitted to God in faith by obeying God and by praying. He didn't just talk with God in the mountain because if that were so, how would Moses talk to God in Egypt. Moses learnt that God is omnipresent and every night he would pray and speak to God. As he learned more about God in prayer, and as he spent more time with God in prayer, slowly, the burdens in his life began to be lifted off his shoulders and he could find rest in God. It's always pressure that causes a person to be easily tempted to sin. Moses in spending time with God, found rest in the Presence of God, and from there, he began to cast all his cares on God.

Today, you may have a temper problem in your life like Moses. However, you can learn from Moses about submission to God. As you humble yourself before God and say, "God, I want to change. I submit to Your ways God. Teach me and help me," slowly but surely, you will learn to be more patient and self-controlled. Self-control means controlling yourself and choosing to be patient and calm. However, you need God's strength to help you, and don't keep trying your methods to change yourself. All you need to do is trust God, pray, read the word of God and when temptation arises, just pray to God to help you stay focused and calm. Worship the Lord if you want, it helps. The best solution I believe, is still prayer and spending quality quiet time in God's presence.

send in your testimonies

2009-06-07T17:08:00.002+08:00

If you have a testimony you would like to share to edify other people about God, you can now email us your testimonies at nematestifies@live.com

Write in to us and we'll post in on this blog. If you have something good to share, don't be afraid to share.

Be Hungry for God

2009-06-07T00:10:00.004+08:00

Moses was a Hebrew whose life was saved for a purpose. He became a Prince of Egypt and grew up different from all the other Hebrew slaves. Moses grew up bad tempered and angry. He was good in heart but easily angered. One day, he saw one Egyptian taskmaster abusing a Hebrew slave and Moses trying to save the man's life, killed the Egyptian in anger. When He came to Midian after escaping from Egypt, he met Zipporah, who became his wife, and saw her and her other sisters in trouble. Moses ran up to the attackers who were attacking Zipporah, and attacked them. Moses had anger problems all the way through until the day he met God.

I read the whole book of Exodus this week and I've learnt something. Moses, from a nasty tempered person, slowly gets transformed to be humble as he spends time with God in God's presence till it came to a point when I was so touched by what he said to God. This is so amazing:

Exodus 33:13

¹³ Now therefore, I pray, if I have found grace in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight...

Suddenly Exodus reveals one of Moses' speeches with God and, what Moses said to God about journeying to the Promise Land. Moses speaks up and says that he wanted to "know" God and to know His way. Moses didn't just want to know about God, he wanted to know and understand God's divine nature and character. He wanted a revelation of God personally and more powerful way. Moses furthermore said he wanted to find grace in God's sight. He was desperately hungry for God.

Exodus 33:15

¹⁵ Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here...

From here, we see Moses pressing in deeper, crying to God to be with them and close to them. He knew that he needed God in every situation. He wanted to be close with God. He says that by saying, "do not bring us up from here." In other words, Moses was saying, "God, don't bother bringing us to the Promise Land if Your Presence does not go with us." Moses' hunger and thirst for God was so desperate that he couldn't let God go. He knew that God was the most important person in his life and in the lives of the Israelites. Without God, he or the Israelites could do nothing.

Exodus 33:18

¹⁸ And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.”

Here is Moses third cry out to God. He cried out to God to see God's face. God could not show His face because sin was still present in the life of Moses. God's glory is so holy, if it touches any area with sin, the object or person will die or explode. So whenever Moses spoke to God, God said to Moses that He could only show His back to Moses and not his face. Yet, God's glory and Presence was so strong and bright until Moses' face shone like the sun. Coming back to the verse, Moses didn't know this until God told him in Exodus 33:19-20. So Moses didn't just want to know God, he didn't just want to touch or feel God. He wanted to meet face to face, eye ball to eye ball with God.

Moses in these three verses shows how God transformed a nasty tempered person, into a humble person and also a God-seeking person. I'll talk about Moses' humility in the next post. So anyway, Moses had spent so much time with God till he realized how much God meant to him. He wanted the fullness of God. He knew God could get angry at times. He knew that God's anger was much stronger and hotter than his own. He knew God was a Holy God who punishes sin. However, he also knew God as a merciful and gracious God who loves His people.

What is the message here? It doesn't matter who you are, today our attitudes can be transformed to be like Moses'. From one who does not know God to someone who was hungry and passionate for God. The key to this is prayer and quality quiet time with God. The more you spend time with God, the more you'll get to enjoy His company and His grace. God loves us so much. One thing I believe is that though Moses could not see in his time until he went to heaven was the glory of God, today, God has made it possible for us to His glory, and that is through Jesus Christ who is ultimate manifesto of God. When we see Jesus, we see God.

So what Moses' has prayed, let it be your prayer too and start crying out to God for His fullness of love, grace and mercy and to be able to see His glory. Amen

What is impossible with God?

2009-06-02T22:34:00.002+08:00

Luke 18:27
²⁷Jesus replied, "What is impossible with men is possible with God."

Things seem impossible, but if you have faith in God, nothing is impossible. All you need to do is give God your best in the things you do like studying, working, looking after your kids, competitions etc., and leave the results to God. That is faith. By doing this, you will have your chance to see miracles in your life. So remember, when you face a trial and a difficult situation or feel like you it's impossible for you to accomplish, all you need at that moment is to have faith to believe that the results are God's and you just need to do your best.

God is who He is

2009-06-02T01:01:00.002+08:00

Exodus 3:14-15

¹⁴God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
¹⁵God also said to Moses, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.

This is a simple devotion for today. Just remember God is eternal and His name is eternal. He is who He is. When you walk through trouble, He is with you. He doesn't say, "I was with you." He always says, "I will be with you" or "I AM with you" or "I AM always with you." When you go through difficult situations, just remember that God is with you and He is. He is the LORD, all you need to do is have faith in Him. God has always been with us and will always be because He is eternal. This is His name throughout all generations, "I AM WHO I AM." This name also tells me one more thing. That God is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. God is the same yesterday, today and forever ever more. Amen. Just trust in God, and He will deliver you.

Love your enemies

2009-06-01T00:17:00.002+08:00

^{Luke 6:27
27}"But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,

It's easy to love those who are close to you and are pleasing in your eyes. What about those who you find difficult in your life. To you, they maybe people who have hurt you, used you, mocked you, shamed you, humiliated you and even persecuted you. It is hurtful and hard to forgive. Even sometimes, the crisis you're in may be caused by someone else and you find it hard to accept, so you choose to pray against them and vengeful thoughts come to your mind.

Jesus says that instead of hating our enemies, we need to learn to love them. One of the important key factors in forgiveness and humility. People can go on to do what want to do, for they will answer for their own actions. However, if you retaliate by using evil to conquer evil, you too will be judged for your evil done. Therefore Jesus, says, hate nobody but love them. For hate is character assassination and Jesus says it is murder in the heart. Satan tempts us by creating a situation for people to hate each other. Do not be fooled, but let God's nature manifest in your life. For greater is He who is in you, than he that's in the world. Love your neighbors as yourself. What happens if you were your enemy today? You are just someone who doesn't understand love that's why you turn nasty. Sometimes our enemies don't know what's going on in their own lives and many of them end up doing a lot of foolish things that even we as Christians condemn.

Jesus says, "Condemn not and you'll not be condemned. Forgive and you'll be forgiven." Bless those who curse you and pray for those who have mistreated you. Even your government or leader in a church or in a social body could have offended you. Maybe the leadership in your organization is fallen. The one you should do is pray. Prayer always helps. It is the best cure for any situation. If your leader is corrupted, just pray that God will take control and pray for righteous leadership. Don't pray saying, "God, this leader is horrible, take him down!" or "God, change that man if not, take him down, he is evil!" Judge not either for you will also be judged for your judgments. Pray righteously as the LORD would pray. Pray in faith, but also pray in love. Just say, "GOd, I know You're in control. LORD I ask that there will be righteous leadership. Whether you want this man down or not, it's Your will. I just trust that God, You'll take care of things. In Jesus name I commit to you the leadership of so and so, amen." As simple as that.

Even for those who hurt you, don't say, "God, today he kicked me. In Jesus name I curse him to get run over by a car, struck by lightning and shot dead! Hallelujah!" NO!NO!NO! Do not pray this, it is wicked thoughts from Satan himself. Instead, pray saying this, "God, today I was hurt by ___________. LORD I forgive this person in Jesus' name, help me to forget and forgive this incident. God forgive me of my sins as I also forgive my neighbor for the sin he has done against me. in Jesus name I pray, amen." So simple.

So love your enemies. Bless those you curse you and pray for those who mistreat you. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Do to others you want them to do to you. Discern and know what is evil in heart and what is good. Discern and know the voice of hate and the voice of love. Discern and know truth from deception.

GOd bless you.

Prepare for Rain!!!

2009-05-31T00:54:00.002+08:00

God has placed open doors for us to reach out to our community and to be an influence in society. God has opened doors for us to enter through. God has made passages for each and everyone of us. Whatever God has opened, no one is able to shut it. Whatever God closes, it stays closed. God opens doors for us which we need to walk through today. If we don't know the right door, ask God to show you which way. Don't stay paralyzed not knowing what to do or where to go, start moving in the Spirit. When God has shown you the open door, don't just stand there, go through it.

God has indeed prepared a mighty rain for a good harvest. However, if we don't have faith to believe and act on what we believe, then the rain will never come. Ecclesiastes 11 says that "he who waits for perfect weather will never harvest." The perfect weather farmers look for are good rainy seasons. If the rain don't come, then they will earn nothing. Likewise, we need to move in faith. Don't keep worrying and being anxious. Start seeking God. Believe in Him and prepare for the harvest.

How do I prepare? Just be faithful to the call God has for you at the moment. Until God tells you to move, you stay where He has planted you in, and blossom there. Don't whine to God, "I want that promotion! Why did he get it and I didn't?" God will know when it is right for you to be promoted for promotion comes from the LORD. Be faithful and glorify in whatever you do, and then He will send the rain that you need and then when you are faithful in the little areas and remain humble and faithful to God, He will use you to do much greater and mightier things in life. Amen.

We are the reason

2009-05-29T17:33:00.000+08:00

Email to us your prayers

2009-05-28T22:41:00.001+08:00

You can now send in your prayer requests to nemaprays@live.com

Celebration and Lamentation

2009-05-28T12:42:00.002+08:00

Romans 12:15
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

This passage of scripture is referenced to the topic of brotherly love toward those who are easy to love and to those who are hard to love. The Bible says do not curse others but bless them. Do not repay evil with evil but evil with good. This passage of scripture in Romans 12:15 means to empathize with others. The verse before this says to bless and not curse (Romans 12:14). When people rejoice, rejoice with them but not in evil. Rejoice in the good of others. When people score good grades, congratulate them. When people get a promotion, celebrate with them. Even if it is someone who is hard to love, learn to live in harmony and in one accord with that person. Weep when the person weeps. Do not laugh when a person is in a humbled position. If a person's family member has passed away, be there for the person and pray for the person. Weep with him with the sincerity of your love. When a person has lost something or someone really important like a career or a family member, weep with the person. Do not mock or condemn him saying, "HAHA! You deserved it for your sins!"

Even if a person has done evil. Sometimes when mishap hits a person, he will often begin to humble himself and see areas where he need strengthening and change. So in rejoicing, encourage others by being in their presence and celebrate with them. Don't be a wet blanket. Even if someone scores higher grades than you and gets a better job or position, do not be a grouch and become envious or others for it is sin. Instead, rejoice and be merry. Love and be merry. Rejoice and be merry. Live and let live.

In weeping, empathize with others and encourage them by praying for them and being a friend to them in lamentation. Don't be an ignorant person or a mocker. Neither do you go and rub salt into the person's wound lest he turn against you and become enemies. Be a friend and a brother, and pray with the person and tell the person that whatever he or she needs, you will help him or her out. In times of lamentation be a listener and a comforter. Mourn with those who mourn.

God bless!

Never give up the call

2009-05-27T17:32:00.003+08:00

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Life has full of challenges. Even doing the tasks that God has called us for, it can be quite a challenge. You get tired and feel defeated. However, remember that with God nothing is impossible. Whatever you've been called to do. If you are a secondary school student, work hard and finish your O levels. If you are in college, work hard to complete your diploma. We are called for different purposes at different times, and it may be difficult after a while, but if you press on like the guy in the video, you will be able to finish your task. Don't treat the task or challenge as a chore but let it be something GOd can use to strengthen you and help you to mature into a strong believer for Jesus Christ. Don't give up, keep running, finish the race, and complete the task Jesus has given you.

One of the tasks that is also very important is mentioned in this verse (Acts 20:24) - Testifying. Never be afraid to testify for God. Continue to be a good testimony for Jesus Christ and tell people of that God has done in your life. Share the gospel with people and pray for their salvation. With love, lead them to the Lord, help your family and friends to find the truth. Never give up on winning souls. Keep pressing on and keep reaching out. Keep shining for Christ and keep testifying. Never quit and never give up!

If you quit, your task of testifying is an automatic fail. If you persevere, your testimony will reach into someone's hearts and that person may turn his heart to the LORD. AMen!

God bless you :D