hey guys(esp Christians), pls be aware of the recent news and speculation that the end days are coming and false prophets and stuff. Received an email from Su Teck (thanks a lot! it was real helpful) afew days ago. The email warned that a false prophet is coming to town and will be holding a talk at the suntec convention this 2nd of Oct. He claims to be the son of God. gosh, that's bad.... u can check this out at Http://www.kingdomofjesuschrist.org. The email warns us not to go, lest we fall into deception.
i think all this talk abt the end days and false prophets may just be speculation, but it is said in the bible that these days will come. and i would like to encourage u guys to continue to keep up ur walk with God, READ HIS WORD and UNDERSTAND what God really mean in His Word. This is to keep us from falling prey to such lies. The bible also WARNS us about this. Keep on praying.
This is a time where we must really press on and cannot let go of God. This is the time where we should pray even more. This is the time to re-establish our r/s with God if we do not yet have one with God. Keep on praying. Pray that we will not be deceived . Pray for unity among the believers. Pray that we will be able to withstand all that is to come. Pray that God will reveal to us His truth. Pray for ur pre-believers friends and family that they will not be brought over by the devil too. Pray that they will know the real God. Pray that you will have a LIVING relationship with our LIVING God. Pray for a stronger r/s with God. Pray if u haven't been praying. Keep on praying.
if you have been feeling spiritually dry recently, i would like to encourage you to turn back to God once again. Draw near to Him and he will draw near to you. God will never leave you nor forsake you. God has never left nor forsaken you. God desires for you to come back to him, no matter what you have done. Like the prodigal son, turn back.
The father will welcome you back with open arms.
heard this song in church and it speaks so much of God's love for us. May it encourage you today, and for the days to come. God bless you. =)
All for Love
Chorus:
And how many times have i broken your (God's) heart
But still you forgive, if only i ask
And how many times have you (God) heard me pray
Draw near to me
How Deep is the Father’s Love for us
Joy Williams
How deep is the Father’s love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One
Bring many sons to glory
Behold a man upon the cross
My sin upon His shoulder
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no powers, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom.
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.
His wounds have paid my ransom.
As i walked home today, i saw;
a father and son walking in front of me
the father held the son's hand
the son in his twenties or thirties
it seemed he was mentally challenged
i was walking behind till the father saw me
he stopped, smiled, and let me pass
i walked on and i saw
a boy riding a bike
crossing my path
he looked like he was in primary school
riding a bike,
bigger than him
and then as i walked, i saw,
an elderly man walking his dog
he stared at me, i stared at his dog
and as i continued to walk, i saw,
a middle-aged man looking out of the window
and as i walked, i began to think.
What is life to me?
What is the life i saw?
What is the life i see?
i can't explain clearly what is life
but isn't life what i saw?
isn't life what i see?
and then suddenly, i realised
how wonderful it is to see
hear
look
walk
talk
and breathe
and how wonderful life is..
I can tell you how good God is,
But you wont believe me
Unless you've experienced it for yourself
and so, I pray you'll know Him.
I pray you will know God.
People who bear the name of Christ. People who are followers of Christ. People who associate themselves with Jesus. People who go to church on sundays.
What else?
i am a Christian.
so what do i do?
Since becoming a Christian 2 yrs ago, my life was never the same again.
That decision to become a Christian can be considered one of the most important decision i have to make in my life. If i remembered correctly, i took 1 - 2 yrs' time to consider before i finally accepted Christ as my Lord and Saviour. You might wonder why i took so long. The reason why i took that long ( i think not many of you know why) was bcos i thought that being a Christian is very hard.
cannot do this, cannot do that. so xin ku. then it's like got so many rules and regulations to follow. How can i ever commit to such a religion? huh? a religion like this is so difficult to follow. i might as well stick to Taoism and sometimes go to the temple and pray, offer incense and get a good night's rest. Nothing else is expected of me. so ":xin nang" (teochew meaning easy, relaxed). ya...why should i be a Christian and subject myself to so much hassle and trouble? just continue being a taoist like my parents, i dont have to do anything more. I can just follow them.
that was the reason(s) why i took so long.
then i converted 2 yrs ago. and the reason for that was i thought being a Christian is easier.
irony?
Then, the term Christian was still very fuzzy to me. So what am i supposed to do? read the bible then what?
over the course of the 2 yrs and up till now, my life as a Christian has not been easy. Often, i find it more difficult. and just as my initial hesitation was proven right. Living as a Christian is indeed more difficult. It's tough and often contradictory.
In spite of that, i have never regretted that decision to become a Christian.
in fact, i think it is the best decision i have ever made in my life.
irony?
------------------------------------
Christians.what does it mean to you?
Yes. I know a lot of non-Christians n people who used to be Christians n some Christians(yes..) are skeptical of Christians. They say Christians say one thing yet does another.They despise and criticise Christians. Not bcos they do not believe in Jesus (most of them have heard of Jesus), but more so, bcos they think that Christians are pretentious.
Common Non-Christians'/ People who used to be Christians'/ Some Christians' view of Christians:They are not Godly people, not holy.
So why preach to others Christianity when Christians themselves are not that good afterall. There are Christians who smoke, steal, worship idols, lie, drink, embezzle church funds and are found to be guilty of crimes. so why preach at all, to the world out there?
Why act as if Christians are more superior than people of other religions? why pretend to be so holy?
why pretend to be so nice in church and then, mean to others outside church?
Why listen to Christians? they are not even good people themselves and still want people to be like them and believe in Jesus?
why should Christians care if i should go to heaven or not? That's my own business. And when i die, does it matter where i go?
and what is so good about Jesus? can He let me strike lottery? can He end my misery?
Why bother telling me about Christianity and asking me to accept God? All Gods are the same, they want you to do good. So it doesn't matter which God i believe in.
Why tell me that i am a sinner? Why am i a sinner? huh? i am bad? so bad meh? Your God so good meh?
Why tell me to change? why can't you accept me the way i am?
Why want me to become Christian? I like the way i live. I dont need God.
just read Esther's blog. and how i identify with what she wrote.
recently, i feel that i am lacking something in my life but i dunno what. and bcos of that, i have been thinking...
what is it, that i lack?
Money? well, yes.
Friends? not really.
Love of family? perhaps, but i know they care.
Intellect? hmmm...i'd rather be dumb at times.
Clothes? SHoes? Bags? hmmm...wont hurt to have more. =)
A boyfriend? that would be what my friends say....
and I have been thinking...
and I think what I really lack is what this world lacks.
I lack what man lacks.
I lack what man cannot give.
and that's God's love.
Yet, i also know, what i lack, someone may not recognise.--------------------------------
I think i lack God's love, not bcos i think that God does not love me.
but bcos i felt that God's love is lacking in my life.
and bcos of that, i find it hard to love others.
i want to shut off from so many people. not that i hate/ dislike them.
but simply cos, i find it hard to love them.
and they say, love is an act of will.
i feel that love, other than God's, would be hard to satisfy me.
yes, i am getting cynical, critical of man.
i'm making things hard for myself.
quite sick of all that i am getting, of all i am feeling, of all i am supposed to be.
not that i dont want to trust, but who can i trust?can i trust you? for how long?
It has been a hard two weeks for me ever since my last entry, as hard as it seems for me, God helped me realised quite a number of things. (call them revelation or whatever for all I care.)In the past few years, I have been through alot. I have experienced what issit like to feel God's blessing and what issit like to be in perpetual dryness of inspiration. I have known what issit like to be feeling good and what issit like to be suicidal. I have understood the meaning of being forgiven and the pleasure of communion. I have tasted what it feels like to be at the top and I have also experienced what it is like to be a nobody and being pushed around by everybody.Someone need to tell everyone that there is nothing at the top. Really. We try so hard to get what we thought was everything but when we got there we still find the same emptiness. It is at that point of meaninglessness that we are forced to acknowledge (or even assume the concept of) a God. For without the acknowledgement (or assumption) of the infinite, its impossible for Man to have an infinite purpose thus worthy and fulfilling. Someone need to tell everyone that there is nothing unfair and wrong for being at the bottom. Being at the bottom is not the end. It is when we are in a pit hole where there seem to be no way out of, that we will be forced also to acknowledge (or even assume the concept of) a God. I wonder why we always try so hard to stay on top and shun the bottom and we blame ourselves if we fail to stay on top. We forget that it is only natural and that it is the will of God. And now I tell you this that there is nothing special in either of them. In fact, I feel that its better to be at the bottom most of the time. It is when I'm cornered in a situation that I grow the most. It is at the bottom that my knowledge of God is being perpetually challenged. The only special experience that one can get from being at at either point is the opportunity to acknowledge (or even assume the concept of) a God. That no matter where or who you are born to and what situation anybody is in, we are all given the same opportunity to acknowledge God. So the question that everybody should is asking should not be "God, where are you?" but rather "God, who are You?".It is when we ask the right questions that we realize that the answers has all along been staring at us in the face. It is when we ask the correct questions that our blindfolds are removed and that we will begin to discover the bigger picture and gain wisdom. That God is indeed the faithful one and that He is faithful because He loves. That He is indeed what He said Himself to be and worshiping Him would be the pleasure that surpasses all emotion.
Love that is motivated by anything other than love is not love.
Love is patient,
Love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
It keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres.
Love never fails.
For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
the afflicted who have no one to help.
He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death.
He will rescue them from oppression and violence,
for precious is their blood in his sight.
Psa 72: 12-14
i just want a simple life. not live simply.
cell is moving into campus.
yesterday was the 1st meeting.
that's so exciting.
but for me, there's anxiety.
What am i supposed to do?
Can i rise up to the call?
(a previous entry that i posted in Feb...thought of posting it again...so here...)
You wonder at the above statement.
Irony?
Listened to a cd on ANTINOMIANISM by Rev Kong Hee (CHC)just now and it made me think about what is the basis of a Christian's faith? Who's really a Christian? Is a Christian living as a Christian?
ANTINOMIANISM REFERS TO THE BELIEF THAT GOD'S GRACE HAS FREED CHRISTIANS FROM OBEYING THE LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS OF GOD, ESPECIALLY THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. People who have this belief fall into the trap of legalism- they follow what the law says but don't understand the spirit of the law. They obey the rules without the right attitude of heart.
e.g. When you forgive, do you know why you have to?
e.g. When you love your neighbour as yourself, do you know why you are told to do so?
the bible said so? your pastor said so?
How about the Pharisees? They followed the laws, they observed Sabbath's day, they are the leaders in synagogues, they lead God's people and they give one-tenth of thier income to the church. Why then are we told not to follow the way of the Pharisees?
"These people come near to me with their mouthand honour me with their lips,but their hearts are far from me.Their worship of me is made up of rules taught by men." -Isa 29:13
"i hate, i despise your religious feasts;I cannot stand your assemblies.Even though you bring me burnt offering and grain offerings,I will not accept them.Though you bring choice fellowship offering,I will have no regard for them.Away with the noise of your songs!i will not listen to the music of your harps.But let justice roll on like a river,righteousness like a never-failing stream!"- Amos 5:21-24
are we merely following law? are we the Pharisees?rem Gal?
"...so we, too, have put our faith in Jesus Christ that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not be observing the law, because by observing the law no one will be justified." -2:16
i remember an incident when my manager told me to work during Christmas eve, that the co is offering $10 an hr for the day. I declined the offer, saying that i'm attending service in church. She retorted, "I'm sure your God wants you to earn money as well." For a while i was stumped. "ya.. its money you know. God wants us to prosper right, surely work can earn more money' i thought to myself. it was so tempting then to work.
Till my friend reminded me that "...cannot serve both money and God."-matt 6:24
How timely! cos i was almost bought into my manager's suggestion that i contemplated working, till i was refered to what the bible really says about money. what my manager said sounded very logical and right, it falls in with the idea that God's good, his grace's sufficient. But we also need to remember
what he really said in his word.A lotta times, the world's thinking makes so much sense. How often have u heard people saying, "dont worry lah, your God will bless you. Dont have to do anything, trust him to provide." "dont go church for one sun is okay lah, can always go the next time."
Unless we know His word, what it really means, we can stray easily to what the world says and offers.why are you following the ten commandments? why are you following the law? are you putting your faith in the ten commandments and waiting to claim your reward as promised in the bible when you meet God?
or are you puuting your faith in Christ?
What is the basis of your Christian faith?
What do you base your faith on?
may i leave you with this:
"Not everyone who says to me,'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."-matt 7:21
how would you feel if God is your everything and someone denies you of Him?
yes.
it's all too easy to get flattered when there's praise
it's all too easy to be happy when all the love's in the head
it's all too easy to say nothing's impossible when you do get what you what
it's all too easy to get envious when you see what others have
it's all too easy to think you've got it all going when you have people's attention
it's all too easy to laugh when you are not experiencing the dumps
it's all too easy to say it's easy when all you've tried were not difficult ones
it's all too easy to think that you deserve it when you have a good break, a promotion or a new gift
it's all too easy to not give thanks when you have not lost anything
it's all too easy to forget about God when everything's easy.
