Leading worship in NUH

The most meaningful time of praise and worship I led this year was last Sunday
In a hospital ward visiting Pui Yi
with Jan, Becky, Candice, Reg, Cindy

that 15 minutes of singing to the Lord reminded me one simple truth to our existence
we were made to worship

As we sang, time seemed to come to a stand still as the other patients and their family members looked in our direction


we sing, not just to remind ourselves of who God is
but because of the reason God has given us to sing
it's the salvation of Jesus that God wants us to sing of
to share with those who have yet to hear of him

there's nothing we can do, or have done, that can earn the grace poured out freely to us

You give and take away
my heart will choose to say
Blessed be Your Name

God or I in control?

 The beginning of wisdom is that I have absolutely no say in how God should run the world, and I am peaceful with that.
- John Piper

This is the day you have made
I will rejoice and be glad in it


This is the day you have made
This is my choice
I'll be glad in it

are you glad in the days given to you?

The thoughts that runs through our minds

It's easy to want to demand that people understand how you feel
"put yourself in my shoes"
a little more empathy
questioning your self worth

My personal take on this
to get out of this rut
is to simply give
start to care for others
look at others through Jesus' eyes
pray for others
act upon it

when we focus too much on our own needs
the human selfish emotions tend to overwhelm us and gives us every reason not to move forward
or if ever we do, we are moving foward in an exclusive manner
neglecting those who care for us
our loved ones may be hurt by our exclusivity

1 Cor 13:13
But now faith, hope, love, abide these three;
but the greatest of these is love

being constantly reminded that God is coming for me really soon
may very well shape me
and my life


I've spent too much time focusing on the trivial matters

the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

God, you be my wisdom
let me live each day conscious that you may just take me home anytime

God, help and teach me to be a bold and courageous man
to live a life that is not ashamed of you and your works

DIrection for 2010

Availability first, not abilities
Obedience first, not talents

Availability and Obedience

love expresses itself in obedience. "If you love me, keep my commandments", said Jesus in John 14: 15. Vocal claims of love for God and His Son are empty sounds unless they come from the hearts of faith, finding expression in willing, loving obedience to God's will. Faithful obedience to God shows we love God. 

Influence or influenced

Have you realized that most of your unhappiness in life is due to the fact that you are listening to yourself instead of talking to yourself?
- David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

The little things

My principal is retiring this year end and the children prepared some small cards to show their appreciation to her

Most of them wrote stuff like

- You are the best principal

- wish you good health

- why do you want to leave us?

- we miss you

and stuff along that line

As I was collecting them in class,

this particular one caught my eye

it was from one of the children in my class who is under the financial assistance scheme

they are given food coupons each week

while we are all trying to find nice big words to express our appreciation

this 9 year old expressed it by the simplest notion

giving thanks for the simplest of things

things that probably many of us take for granted for

things that we thought were rightfully ours

Are you faithful to the call of God?

We do not have to be heretics to be unfaithful; we can be too lazy to swim against the tide. - Horton

The Meek and Lowly One

We can learn nothing, even of Christ himself, while we hold our heads up with pride, or exalt ourselves with self-confidence. We must be meek and lowly in heart, otherwise we are totally unfit to be taught by Christ. Empty vessels may be filled; but vessels that are full already can receive no more. The man who knows his own emptiness can receive abundance of knowledge, and wisdom, and grace, from Christ; but he who glories in himself is not in a fit condition to receive anything from God.

From a sermon entitled "The Meek And Lowly One," delivered July 31, 1859.

Psalm 15
1 LORD, who may abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?
2 He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
3 He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he take up a reproach against his friend;
4 In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the LORD;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

True worshippers
1) Values what is right - truthfulness and integrity
Inter-connected
Who can dwell in your holy hill?
Who can be called to be part of that family of God
One who lives righteously (v2) - God sets the standards
Personal thoughts - parable of talents, recognising the giver

2) does what is right - behaviour towards others
Knows God's truth and clings to it, and orders his life around it - being conscientious towards His commands

3) do not take advantage of the poor an needy
4) honest to his own heart


What happens when we worship?
It reveals who God is to us
It exposes who we are
We can't worship and not be changed

Despises what God rejects (v4)
vile - something that is spoilt and thrown away, rejected by God
one who has hardened his heart and living in a lawless manner - we ought to be careful of our close associations with such people

We ought to align ourselves with God's values
spending more time in the presence of God
worshipping in Spirit and in truth, not worshipping the "air" or emotional high as an end, but transformation as a result of spending time in communion with God

Personal thoughts - one very clear thing that God rejects - is sin. Personal reminder:
Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,

God requires of us
because He loves us
He sets the standards so that no one can boast of his own righteousness (living by faith through grace)

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

"Serve in the strength that God supplies that God may be glorified through Jesus" (1 Peter 4:11)

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV)

something that Pastor Raymond shared with me via email

The greatest battle of our lives comes when Satan specifically asks God for us by name, just like Job, just like Peter, like Paul. Not many are overcomers. Make it your aim for Satan to know your name. Dare to take up the challenge? Cost is great, ROI immeasurable!

2 Timothy 4:2
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction.

Revelation 3:19-22
As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. 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. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”

“A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, “I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory,” defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for “it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts.” They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their gay banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace.”

“Those who serve God must serve Him in His own way, and in His strength, or He will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth He casteth away; He will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before He will put His own into thee; He will first clean out thy granaries before He will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in His battles but the strength which He Himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.” – Charles Spurgeon

Fruit of trusting God's providence: thanks when things go well, patience in adversity, no worries about the future. - Calvin

One of Matt Redman's best written songs
this is a rather old song
not particularly nice tune
but lyrics spoke so much of what's needed of our generation

Mission's flame



Verse 1
Let worship be the fuel for mission's flame
We're going with a passion for Your name
We're going for we care about Your praise
Send us out

Verse 2
Let worship be the heart of mission's aim
To see the nations recognize Your fame
'Til every tribe and tongue voices Your praise
Send us out

Chorus
You should be the praise of every tongue, Jesus
You should be the joy of every heart
But until the fullness of Your kingdom comes
Until the final revelation dawns
Send us out

Bridge
Every tribe, every tongue
Every creature in the heavens and the earth
Every heart, every soul
Will sing Your praise, will sing Your praise
Every note, every strain
Every melody will be for You alone
Every harmony that flows from every tongue
We'll sing Your praise, we'll sing Your praise
We'll sing Your praise, we'll sing Your praise

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

written by Carolyn Joyce Carty


---

You know
the gripping feeling of loneliness
times where you ask, "What in the world am I doing?"
Most of the time it seems worthless

Questioning God yet knowing the promises and the answers

it's easy to point the finger
but I guess I am learning to point the finger at myself
what is faith?
where's my faith?

remember my NS days
when your buddy taps you on your shoulders to "go"
you don't hesitate
no questions asked
a second of hesitation may result in the bullet piercing your skull or your buddy's
you entrust your life in your buddy or your platoon commander's hands

God gives the command
No questions asked
just do it

I am learning

been working for the past 12 hours
the only breaks were meals, 1 minute walks around the house and staring out my window to say a short prayer

I can't remember working so hard
nah, not even my practicum

"Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails." Proverbs 19:21


this verse jumped at me this morning during devotion
good reminder on a monday morning

looking at my parents' worn out faces
my heart hurts so much

if only I could do more

Listen to your lady

Matthew 10:28,32,33
And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

Therefore, whoever confesses Me before me, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven


believe and fear of the Lord can never be separated
if there's no fear, there's no authentic faith

James 2:19
You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

“When one sees eternity in things that pass away and infinity in finite things, then one has pure knowledge.” Bhagavad Gita

Psalm 4:7
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.

Do I seriously find greater joy in God than
"grain and new wine"
aka "my job or things that make me happy"?

after much procrastination,
I've finally lugged my laptop down to harvey norman for them to send it in for repairs
Toshiba's last servicing quality left a bitter taste in my mouth
This time round, I hand typed a letter stating the issues I faced and the steps I've taken to troubleshoot.
Hopefully, it will come back in one piece, prim and proper

I lugged the laptop to the Jurong Point Harvey norman and not surprisingly, was directed to the Bukit Panjang Branch. -___-" the first saleslady I approach was the most "helpful" - she just asked me to call the extended warranty "hotline"
Oh well, let's see how efficient/responsible their extended warranty scheme is!
I'll post an update soon

meanwhile, whee!
A sabbatical perhaps!

I was really blessed by elder Jeffrey Goh's sharing today in NIE
he was not ashamed of the gospel
even though it was just a motivational speech for teachers, his faith is very evident and even though he spoke on issues which other religions may find touchy, he was not ashamed to speak the truth

and not just the truth, he spoke with love
I was just so blessed!

"One of the biggest problems seen in worship today is the church's love of a show. There is a large push for smoke, lights and attention for the worship leader and pastor. This isn't found anywhere in Scripture. There are churches that have put away Truth and embraced emotion. As a result, there is a lack of love for deep and sound doctrine. The Bride needs a fear of God and an understanding of the weightiness of what we are caught up in, not an idol or an emotional buzz."
-Michael Bleecker

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of God's unchanging love

been attending wakes over these couple of weeks
yesterday morning, my cousin died of cancer
without family by his side, without God

every wake I attend reminds me of who God is
and a wake up call for myself

Biblical worship is focused on God
it is fuelled by faith
and it is fulfilled in life

I was looking for children song animation on youtube and wanted to use this particular youtube video for my p3 music class



to my horror, as I closely observed the video clip
I realised...

...
..
.

The sheep is SMOKING a pipe!

thank God I didn't use this in my classroom!

I was extremely blessed by the service I attended today
by that, I am referring to the memorial service of one of my dear distant relative
he passed on few days back on Good Friday
last year, at this time, it was my grandma who passed away

God always uses such services to speak volumes into my life

every single time, it's a direct yell in my face
"what in the world are you doing with your life?"

I was extremely exhausted yesterday

having slept only 3 hours the previous night as I was finishing up my lesson plan
Been up since 5am for school
had a formal observation, plus a couple more periods of normal teaching
then down to CCK stadium for sports heats from 2 to 5

as I was leaving the school,
my mind was clogging up with excuses to not head down to prayer meeting
city hall? tired?

made a phone call back home and told ivy that I won't be home for dinner
I'm glad I did

one thing that bishop Henry shared which stuck with me is the story of the 5 loaves and 2 fishes
called to serve God and serve His people
God doesn't short change us
and an abundant blessing awaits those who choose to obey


-Morning devotion-

John 8:31-34
Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

many a time, we are like the Jews who believed Jesus
it's as though we say "We are christians, and have been nice and done nothing extremely hideous and go to church regularly. Jesus, are you saying we are 'not to the mark'?"

Jesus' answered, in dealing with sin
in dealing with the people's perception and testimony of what they have done,
rather than what God has done

God, teach me to abide in Your word
abide in the love that You have for me

thought for the day...

isn't it scary the rate that we allow fury and resentment to completely veil our eyes from seeing God in such instances?

being indifferent does not equate to being at peace with matters, or the way things are/were
some people sees it as a positive trait of unwavering "character"
but in fact, it may actually be pride clogging up your belief system

on closer look, one would realise that being indifferent may actually be the opposite: we find ourselves being at war with people, and not at all at peace with God, and waging an enormous emotional battle

and many a times, we end up defeated, and alienated
and we point the finger in the direction of that hurt
without realising how big a role we have played that resulted in the outcome



our response when dealing with criticism/back stabbers is probably one of the best indicators of how at peace we stand with God



Matthew 24:12
And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.


reflection of the day:
if I don't see God's plan, then I'd find it to come to terms with life itself
the question would be am I living by what I see or in faith and by faith?


Hebrews 11:1
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen

Quite alot of hype about earth hour 60

Here's my take:
Earth hour raises awareness - that's about it
make a difference? it goes beyond that hour

Article: Will Earth Hour make a difference?

My name is Pride

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
I cheat you of your God-given destiny...
because you demand your own way.
I cheat you of contentment...
because you "deserve better than this."
I cheat you of knowledge...
because you already know it all.
I cheat you of healing...
because you're too full of me to forgive.
I cheat you of holiness...
because you refuse to admit when you're wrong.
I cheat you of genuine friendship...
because nobody's going to know the real you.
I cheat you of love...because real romance
demands sacrifice.
I cheat you of greatness in heaven...
because you refuse to wash another's feet on earth.
I cheat you of God's glory...
because I convince you to seek your own.

My name is Pride. I am a cheater.
You like me because you think
I'm always looking out for you.
Untrue.
I'm looking to make a fool of you.
God has so much for you,
I admit, but don't worry...
if you stick with me
You’ll never know.

Written by Beth Moore

The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation
Henry David Thoreau

The Story behind It: American philosopher and naturalist Thoreau isolated himself at Walden Pond in Massachusetts from 1845 to 1847. His experiences during that time were published in Walden (1854), which Thornton Wilder called "a manual of self-reliance." In a well-known passage, Thoreau stated his purpose: "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practice resignation..." In the first essay, "Economy," Thoreau comments that most men are slaves to their work and enslaved to those for whom they work. He concludes: "The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation. What is called resignation is confirmed desperation...."

"The Faithful Worship Leader magnifies the Greatness of God, In Jesus Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, skillfully combining God’s word with music, thereby motivating the gathered church to proclaim the Gospel, to cherish God’s presence and to Live for God’s glory." -Bob Kauflin

True worship does two things
# It brings delight and satisfaction to the heart of God.
# It transforms us into the likeness of the Lord.

Our worship initiates a transformation process- we are conformed to the likeness of the Lord.
If worship doesn’t change us, it has not been worship.
To stand before the Holy One of eternity is to change.
Worship begins in holy expectancy, it ends in holy obedience.

as I was washing the toilet just now
God spoke to me:

The problem with many of us, bible believing Christians, is not that we choose not to seek God for solutions
in fact, we do that very often, looking to God for solutions
the issue, more often than not, is that we refuse when God's desire is for us to be the solution

Ezekiel 37:14
I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD.’"

we sit and wait
the perceived "hope" turns to disappointment
disappointment to disillusion
disillusion to indifference
indifference to religion


Now hope does not disappoint
because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts
by the Holy Spirit which is given to us
Romans 5:5

HEAVEN'S KING
Who created everything
Is there something I could bring
To You?

A thousand songs
Could they ever be enough
To thank you for your Father's love
For me?

Here I am
Here I am

I bring my heart my hands my feet
To share your love with those in need
Let it be my song of love for You
Use my voice to tell your story
Use my arms to hold the lonely
Let that be my song of love for You

Heaven's King
Who created everything
Is there something I could bring
To You?

Saviour
You desire truth within
A broken and a willing heart
For You

Father here I am
Here I am

Noel Richards & Kees Kraayenoord
Copyright © 2006 Thankyou Music/Just in K's Music/Small Stone Media

it has been tiring, I must admit
I remembered the times I prayed but wondered if it actually made a difference
the times where I switched my phone to sms in chinese and take an average 15 to 30 min per sms
spend time on the phone with my parents and talking face to face

praise God!
my dad finally took that first step into wanting to know God
he accompanied my mum to her church last Sunday

this is a first step, not an end
must continue to pray and support in action

Evangelism costs
but the reward is priceless


The way to life - to God, is vigorous
and require total attention
Matthew 7:13-14 (The Message)



meanwhile,
it's the beginning of week 2 and I can feel the strain already
lesson plans & more lesson plans
got to stay focused on God and the responsibilities he has blessed me with!

what an interesting coincidence this morning

that Pastor Raymond gave examples quite similar to what I blogged

valentine's day

flowers, chocolates, presents etc
it's everywhere around campus these 2 days
it's really lovely seeing how much people look forward to bringing that smile on their loved ones faces

a thought came to me:

we spend so much time, money and effort in our relationships with people
so if we say that God is our first love and the greatest love ever

why is it that?
- we walk into church with our grim faces
- striding in late sometimes
- mumbling through some songs,
- being reminded through a sermon
- and maybe, stirred to a response
- thinking "well, that feels good"
- and then end of service,
- "thank you God, that was great. I will do better next time"

often I have to ask myself,
has my love towards God dwindled that much that it pales in comparison to my relationships with people?

how much more, or less, is our adoration and affection towards him?

I remember reading it somewhere
"If you do not enjoy spending time and worshipping God while on this earth, what makes you think that you will enjoy doing so for eternity?"

I pray that this valentine's day
we will all be reminded of our perfect Groom - who's very much alive and showering us with love beyond measure

His name is Jesus

Revelation 3:20
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.

saw this on a forum on someone's siggy

"The only necessary thing for evil to triumph is when good men do nothing"

Today's thought:

One of Satan's key strategies to cripple the church of Jesus Christ is to confine the people's worship within the walls of the church

Matthew 7:13-14 (The Message)
Being and Doing

Don't look for shortcuts to God.
The market is flooded with surefire, easygoing formulas for a successful life that can be practiced in your spare time.
Don't fall for that stuff, even though crowds of people do.
The way to life—to God!—is vigorous and requires total attention.

Practicing the Wrong Presence

Ask most charismatic church-goers what the focus of their worship service is and they will invariably say something about the presence of God.

"We just want God to show up."

"We want to make room for God to move."

"It's all about experiencing the presence of God."

It sounds so good, so spiritual, so other-wordly that we don't easily recognize how misguided it is.

Think about it: is there any doubt that God will be present?

First, we know from Psalm 139 that God is omnipresent. But secondly, through the promise Jesus gave in Matthew 18:20, we know that whenever believers gather-- whenever, not just when they sing-- God will be there in a special, more manifest way.

The focus of the Baal-worshippers at Carmel was to get Baal to do something, to act on their behalf. The Baal worshippers danced, chanted, cut themselves, cried out in loud voices, all to coax their god to make his presence felt. The scary thing is, if you take away the whole cutting bit, it sounds like a good revival service!

Contrast that scene to the one that follows with Elijah, the prophet of Yahweh. He simply speaks the word of God. God responds at Carmel with fire. But later, when Elijah is hiding in the cave, God speaks not in dramatic fashion, but with a still, small voice. God is present in both scenes but in very different ways. When we make the focus of our singing and dancing and worship the attempt to "experience God's presence", we fall in the trap of thinking God is present only when we "feel Him". But He is already there.

So, why do we sing and dance? Not to coax God into acting. Not to make ourselves feel His presence. We sing and dance-- and all the other physical activities-- to make ourselves more present to God, to engage God with our whole being. In a sense, the focus of the worship is not on whether God is present, but whether we are.

Are we really present to God? Our minds, our thoughts, our plans, our desires, our fears-- are all those things hidden and withheld from Him, or laid bare before Him? Are we presenting our whole lives to God? In Romans 12:1, Paul writes, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship."

The word Paul chose here for "worship" is latreia. In the Greek translation of the Old Testament, that is the word chosen to describe the priestly functions of worship...and it's the word Paul used earlier in his letter describing Jewish Temple worship. Paul is saying that for New Testament believers, our worship is the presenting of our selves before God.

So, the next time you're in a worship service, stop worrying about whether God will show up or not. He will. God is present whether we feel Him or not. The only question that remains is whether we will be present to Him.

Source:http://glennpackiam.typepad.com/

I wrote a note to jon today

"When the tough gets going, remember, God is tougher"

This is a reminder for myself too

《耶稣给你平安》

这世界虽有苦难
主耶稣是避风港湾
他要给你他要给你平安
源源涌流不断
耶稣耶稣给你平安
耶稣给你真正平安
深深在你心里
源源涌流不断
哦 耶稣给你平安

Philippians 4:4-7
Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!
Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand.
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If there's no desire to please God, you can't please God
no matter how much moral obligations you fulfil as a religious person
instead, one may most likely incur the wrath of God

I read this article which puts it this way
Our readiness or our reluctancy to meditate upon the wrath of God becomes a sure test of how our hearts’ really stand affected toward Him. If we do not truly rejoice in God, for what He is in Himself, and that because of all the perfections which are eternally resident in Him, then how dwelleth the love of God in us? Each of us needs to be most prayerfully on his guard against devising an image of God in our thoughts which is patterned after our own evil inclinations.

The answer
Shane Barnard

I've tried more of me
and I've come up dry
trading You for things
things that go away

my happiness is found in less
of me and more of You
my happiness is found in less
of me and more of You

i have found the answer is
to love You and be loved by You alone
alright! alright! alright!

You crucify me and the world to me
and i will only boast in You
alright! alright! alright!

I'm so satisfied
at the thought of You
growing up in me
covering everything

my happiness is found in less
of me and more of You
my happiness is found in less
of me and more of You

You are, You are (loved by me)
You are, You are (You're loved by me)
You are, You are (You're loved by me)
You are, You are, You are

has Jesus become an accessory?

a name that appears alongside your family and friends
when you give thanks in good times
a name that you remember in troubled times

but a name that has no place in your life in between

like an expensive piece of jewellery
that only sees light during a special function or in your Sunday best
and then sits in the cupboard for the rest of the year

has God become an uncle agony?
that when after friends fail to meet that need
or added pain to what you seek

and then you turn to God
like a toilet bowl for relief

and flush down your anxiety
doesn't matter where it will end up to be

it's not your problem
it's the toilet bowl's

right?

has God become an accessory?

to God
are people your accessories?

like a lost ear ring
that you won't bother to look for it?
cause you can make another better one?

when it has a chip
you eagerly seek to mend it

no matter how many times it has pricked your finger tips
you won't go "damn ear ring"

no matter how ugly it looks compared to your glory
you love it

you defended and redeemed an insignificant me
with your life

yes, you love me
that you breathed life into me
that I am not some stupid ear ring
but in your glorious image

that doesn't make me an accessory
it goes to show how precious and dear I mean to you

and yet,
time and again
we treat you ike a lifeless God
like an accessory

I wonder how long your patience will last
when your wrath will fall

so God, teach me each day
how to live as you have intended me to be
not to worship you as something I've made believe

but God, reveal yourself clearly and accurately to me
so that I may live

Mao, are you adding your alias into your i.c.?

Will you sign your marriage cert like this? ;-)

The most important thing is not that you know Jesus
but that Jesus knows you

Matthew 7:21
"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter.

concerned about our attitudes towards God than the fear of men

the person who loves you most is the one who tells you the most truths