God-download tonight

I can’t sleep. that explains why i’m blogging now.
but also, like the title says.
and I know i haven’t blogged for eons now. but well, here it is.

Before the devil can discourage me with faithless-ness, I am now writing this down so that i can remember.

after today’s sharing at sharon’s place, hearing the many sharings about the 100K, whether or not completing 10, they all have a story to share. and the gist of it, is not just about the numbers or the 100K pamphlets, but 2 takeaways that I got.
- a promise made to the Lord, I should do my ver best to be a man of my word.
- every blessing counts, and the method to bless people is not necessarily must be with the pamphlet, but using words to edify and encourage.

after i got home, laid on the bed to slp. not so easy though, things started streaming into my head. regarding the 100K.
and somehow i really got excited.

some envisioning.
9 Jun’s lesson, just open my mouth to ask, after all, i don’t lose out on anything ma!

10 Jun, haha, this sounds really bold. i just hope i don’t get persecuted for this.
set up this booth-like thingy in the library, that says “free blessing!” and then whoever wants just come.
i don’t know if it will work, but just try.

and the last thing, for the first 2 to happen, i of course got to take extra pamphlets right? 10 where got enough?
so i shall just try. sunday i’m going to the counter to take…50? a step of faith.

somehow for me, this journey will not just be about blessing people.
what i gain, is the experience of a journey of faith.
the faith that David had to defeat Goliath with 1 small stone.
the faith that Jesus said can move mountains.

I’ve got nothing to lose, right?

so God, this I pray, you grant me the boldness and may Your favor be upon me.

G12 Conference

G12 Conference this year was so edifying! after a year of Sabbath, FCBC is now ready to move into reclaiming the multitudes that God has placed before us!
The time has come for us to rise up!

Equipping, restructuring, reorganisation…

So far to this G12 Conference that just ended, Pastor Khong has been preaching on “The Blood of Jesus”.
The Blood of the Crown.
The Blood of the Cross.
The Blood on the Table.
The Spirit and the Blood.
The Blood for the Heart.
The Blood of Healing.

Now i know why Pastor Caesar Castenalleous can preach on the Blood to his church for 2 straight years, because the Blood of Jesus is so fundamental and crucial to living a life of God’s purpose.

What does it mean to carry the cross daily?

This statement is usually seen as carrying the cross, dying to self…sounds very burdensome, very “have to sacrifice everything” kind of feeling isn’t it?

but God did not send Jesus Christ to die on the cross (a cursed tree) for us to have a burden; instead, carrying the cross is not burdens to carry, but BLESSINGS to CLAIM!!!

It is through the cross that all blessings flow from God to Man. that all curses are reversed.

Just as the 1st Adam ate from the tree that brought about death to mankind, the 2nd Adamn died on the tree that brought LIFE to mankind.

To carry the cross daily, is to claim the blessings from the Cross that is made available to us through the death of Jesus Christ.
and also, the crown of thorns that Jesus wore, the Blood of Jesus that trickled down from the brow of His head reversed the curse that the ground received due to the sin of Adam and Eve, where the ground was cursed.

By His death on the cross, with the crown of thorns, Jesus’s crown of Glory was exchanged with Man’s Crown of Thorns, so that we mankind may be redeemed from the cursed ground, and live life victoriously with His Crown of Glory!

Indeed, the cross is not burdens to carry, but blessings to claim!
Put on the Crown of Glory daily, so that God’s glory may be magnified on this Earth!

Glory to God!

Edified!

I thank God for a sister in Christ.
I’ve just been edified unconsciously by one of them.

25Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
- Heb 10:25

Hypocrisy

Matthew 7:5
“You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

Center of my Life

This song is ringing in my head now…

Center of my Life

Let my walk speak loud
And my words be true
Let my life be whole
With my eyes on you
Lord I’m stepping out
From the comfort zone
Letting go of me,
Holding onto You

Freedom comes
When I call You Lord
You are Lord my God

You are the centre of it all,
The universe declares in awe
Your majesty
I surrender all
I make you
The centre of my life
Lord, I respond with all I am
you placed in me the song
Of heavens melody
Your Majesty
I live to sing Your song

I have found Your peace
It replaces any fear
You have done it all
I can trust in you
So I’m stepping out
From the comfort zone
Letting go of me
Holding onto you

This is your song not mine
It is your song that bring healing to this land
This is your song not mine
It is your song that brings feedom
Freedom comes, when I call you Lord
Freedom comes, when I call you Lord
You are Lord, my God
You are the song
You are the majesty
I live to sing your song
Your majesty
I live to sing Your song

The Heart Of Transformation

Am inspired to blog this down. Pas Khong’s sermon today.
Quite abit on the plans for FCBC in the Year 2009, but I personally believe that this is the Lord speaking, not just to the FCBC people, but also to the body of Christ.

Let me start.

 

What is the most important command (out of the hundreds and thousands of commands, as recorded in the Book of Deut and Lev), you may ask.
and you may think, “well, it definitely would say that to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and strength.”

However, Jesus said (and as recorded by Paul in the book of Galatians 5:14)
The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

Isn’t it intersting?

For the upcoming year of 2009, the S.O.P of Loving your neighbour is this (SOP-standard operating procedure)

S – Sacrifice & Service
O – Ownership & Obedience
P – Place & People

 

Sacrifice and Service
-  John 15:13: Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. Sacrificing: to give up my rights to meet another’s need.
- Matt 20:28: just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - to have a servant heart

Ownership and Obedience
-John 15:16: You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
- I’m the chosen one by God. God chose me, I did not choose Him.
- Luke 14:27: And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. -obey Him
- 1 Cor 15:58: 58Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. – Don’t be discouraged, continue to trust in Him, and be obedient.

Place and People
- Matt 6:10: your kingdom come,
   your will be done
      on earth as it is in heaven.
- Gen 1:28: God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” - G12 vision is right: the spirit of multiplication
- Acts 17:26-27: From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. -blessing for you comes at the place where God has placed you,since your birth. Migration? If God wanted you elsewhere, why would He bother to place[in your job,place of birth etc] you in wherever you are? (unless you’re called to the mission field. so train first then Go.)
-Gen 12:2-3: “I will make you into a great nation
       and I will bless you;
       I will make your name great,
       and you will be a blessing.

 3 I will bless those who bless you,
       and whoever curses you I will curse;
       and all peoples on earth
       will be blessed through you.”

 

Lots of Word of God, but this was so timely.
At a time where I was starting to doubt the G12 vision, about making Disciples…(things have been going back to square one every year)
and this is an encouragement, that this is just the beginning.
providing an SOP.

to see transformation in the nations, there must be transformation in our hearts.
for transformation to occur, the G12 vision has to succeed -numbers are needed in transforming nations.

I’m excited to see the Lord moving in the next 7 years in Singapore.
Just feel that something is going to happen. but i don’t know what.
And I sure hope that I can be a vessel for His higher purposes.

Something that sebas said during worship today, even as I was on the platform in choir…how timely.
“no matter how badly this year has been for you, there’s always something that you can thank the Lord for.”

And it’s true!
i feel that out of my 17 years, this year has been the worst for me.
but i can still thank the Lord for not one, but many things that has happened this year.
Praise the Lord!

All glory to Him!

Money

“Money can buy a house, but not a home.
Money can buy a bed, but not sleep.
Money can buy a wedding ring, but not love.
Money can buy a clock, but not time.
Money can buy an education, but not wisdom.
Money can buy jewelry, but not beauty.
Money can buy insurance, but not safety.
Money can buy a religion, but not salvation.”
- Dr Billy Graham

Candy Cane’s story

Legend has it that in the 18th Century somewhere in Europe any public display of Christianity was forbidden. No crosses or Bibles were allowed and the Christians were greatly oppressed.

One old man, a candy maker by profession, was particularly distressed by this. He loved the Lord with all of his heart and couldn’t stand to not share that love with the world. His heart especially went out to the children when Christmas drew near and no one was allowed to have a nativity scene (or crèche`) on display in their homes. He prayed for God to show him some way to make Christmas gifts for the children which would teach them the story of Christ.

The answer was the candy cane. The candy cane was in the shape of a shepherd”s staff to show them Jesus is our Shepherd and we are His flock. A sheep follows his own shepherd, knows his voice, and trusts him and knows that he is totally safe with him. The sheep will follow no other shepherd but their own. This is how we are to be with Jesus if we truly follow Him ( John 10:11; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:11)

Upside down the candy cane was a “J”, the first letter of Jesus’ name. ( Luke 1:31) It was made of hard candy to remind us that Christ is the rock of our salvation. The wide red stripes on the candy cane were to represent the blood He shed on the cross for each one of us so that we can have eternal life through Him. He redeems us and cleanses us with His shed blood – the only thing that can wash away our sin. ( Luke 22:20) . The white stripes on a candy cane represented the virgin birth, sinless life and purity of our Lord. He is the only human being who ever lived on this earth who never committed a single sin. Even though He was tempted just as we are, He never sinned. ( 1 Peter 22) The three narrow red stripes on candy canes symbolized that by His stripes, or wounds, we are healed and the Trinity – the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. Before the crucifixion Jesus was beaten; the crown of thorns was placed on His head; His back was raw from the whip. We are healed by those wounds. He bore our sorrows and by His stripes we are healed. ( Isaiah 53:3) The flavoring in the candy cane was peppermint, which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is of the mint family and was used in Old Testament times for purification and sacrifice just as Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. ( John 19:29; Psalm 51:7)

The old candy maker told them that when we break our candy cane it reminds us that Jesus’ body was broken for us. When we have communion it is a reminder of what He did for us. ( 1 Cor. 11:24) If we share our candy cane and give some to someone else in love because we want to, it represents that same love of Jesus because He is to be shared with one another in love. ( 1 John 4:7,8) God gave Himself to us when He sent Jesus. He loved us so much He wants us to spend eternal life with Him… which we can do if we accept Jesus in our hearts as Savior and Lord. ( John 1:12; John 3:3,16) Some people believe this story of the candy cane is just a legend. Others believe it really happened. We do not know for sure exactly how the candy cane was invented, but there is one thing for certain… it is an excellent picture of Christ and His love for you.

Source: http://www.reasonfortheseason.com/candycanestory.html

Knowing My Position in Christ

Through this band camp that has just past, I believe the Lord brought about many things, which of course troubled my heart.
But out of all these, as I lay in the darkness of the band room alone that sunday evening, the Lord was speaking to me so clearly.

At the time where I could finally stop, and not do anything.
The Lord was testing me, and letting me be aware if I knew my position in Christ.
After all the words that were said by others (whom I didn’t know), after all the things that others did (which I pretended not to know)…

One thing was sure, and would never change for eternity: I am a child of God.

The heavenly Father, creater of heaven and earth, the Almighty God, the one who died on the cross for me….

This is the God whom I worship.
This is the God whom I believe in.
This is the God whom I’ve entrusted my life to.
This is the God whom I know, is always there for me.

And right there and then, I was so comforted, so rested in His presence.
I just fell asleep. was such a refreshing half an hour of sleep (for those who know me, short sleeps make me really unrefreshed and grouchy. so far only power naps work..and that’s rare)

All the anger, the feelings of confusion, mistrust, disrespect, at that point of time that I felt…
It all just dissapated.

And I felt really good.
Best of all, I know someone understands.
and that someone experienced it in the worst of all situations: on the cross -He suffered the worst humilitation, the worst kind of disrespect, the worst kind of disdain from others, the worst words anyone could have spoken about Him.

How comforted I was to know that my Father understands all that I go through, no matter big or small.

Indeed, my comforter and strength.

Thank You Daddy God.

And going into the toilet after 9 guys were afraid cos they saw a handprint on the window at 3am…
That was not by my own bravery, but because I know, the Lord God is with me.
and if God is for me, who can be against me?
That Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Even the devil knows Jesus Christ; and they shudder.

So nothing to be afraid, just walk in and laugh.
cos i saw a mop with a glove on the handle.
(:

A testing of faith.
and my mum reminded me about faith as small as a mustard seed -it can move mountains.
with a bookmark from Israel about faith as small as a mustard seed…a mustard seed is REALLY SMALL!!!
even smaller than I ever imagined!
show you when I have the chance.

Indeed, all glory and praise to the Lord!

Not the right heart

Discouraged, or lost the passion?

Or is it just plainly too tired?

I’m losing touch with the community, that’s how i feel. Back to July 2008?
I fear not.

but highly possible.
sigh.

What’s my heart man?