Keep Going Forward

To one of my dear friends I hold close to my heart~

SandSandSanddddy <3

Dedicating this post to you because I know that you are having a totally new experience at internship. Whatever it is, know that you are not alone! People say that good friends don't have to talk everyday to stay good friends~

And I wanted to say.. Yes, you are more sensitive than others, and easily affected by things, but that doesn't define who you are. Don't let that be an excuse for you to continue in that mindset Sandy! Hope you know that I care~

All the best! Keep pressing on!

Leaders' Night!

Tonight at Leaders' Night, Joel used verses from Joshua, "Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:6-9 NLT) to teach something powerful!

That is never to stray from the command to be strong and courageous! And that success in everything we do comes from obeying the instructions given by Moses. This instruction book is the bible and the Word of God is what keeps us strong and courageous and successful!

Then when I got home, I read Nehemiah 2-3~ I can't believe it, it's like a follow up!

It's like a promise to claim from God! That if we obey his commands and live it out, returning to Him, He will gather back the scattered to bring us back to the promised land!!!

Before asking the question, Nehemiah first shot up a prayer for the situation and conversation before replying to it. God is first on his mind!

The king here is like a picture of the Heavenly King, the Father! We asked for only this much, but He would go out of His way to give us not only what we asked but more than enough, overflowing results! And the army and officers are a reminder of God's grace. He sent His angel army to protect us, wherever we go!

They verbalised their agreement and conclusion~ and they put that into action!

Harmony is the most powerful thing that we need to possess in order for a ministry to grow!

Timely Word from the Lord through Dajie Amy🙌🏻

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"Be Where I Tell You to Be...You Will Begin to See!"

by Chuck Pierce

www.facebook.com/chuckdpierce

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Prophetic Word:

"Be where I assign you, when I assign you. There are new connections coming into your path this week. You will begin to experience life in a way that you've not known in the past. So be where you are to be, when you are to be there, and watch Me work on your behalf. 

"Put procrastination under your feet. Put laziness under your feet, and be where I tell you to be. Put shame under one foot and put disgust and lagging behind under the other foot. Be where I tell you to be! It's at that place you will begin to see."

Mark 1

Jesus said to them, “Come with me. I’ll make a new kind of fisherman out of you. I’ll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass.” They didn’t ask questions. They dropped their nets and followed. (Mark 1:16-18 MSG)

They were in the boat, mending their fishnets. Right off, he made the same offer. Immediately, they left their father Zebedee, the boat, and the hired hands, and followed. (Mark 1:19-20 MSG)

Mark depicts Jesus as a servant of God.

CHURCH IS ~

The third week of the series, Church Is ~

Meeting from house to house

Romans 16:9 -- "... church that meets in your house"

1 Corinthians 15:19 -- "... church that meets in the house"

Colossians 4:15 -- "... church that meets in the house"

Philemon 1:1-3 -- "... church that means in your home"

Being real and authentic in the setting of a house!

Every time there is a movement to reach souls there is a movement to steal souls.

Every time there is a movement to save souls there is a movement to destroy souls.

When the DNA, the core values of a church/ house is taken away, it will destroy the church.

** Church is REAL! **

It's a place that we can open up (be yourself, don't have to find means and ways to fit in)

1 John 5:20 -- "And we know that the Son of God has come, and he has given us understanding so that we can know the true God. And now we live in fellowship with the true God because we live in fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ. He is the only true God, and he is eternal life."

God is the REAL stuff! Satan wants to make church is all about programmes and planning, etc. but God wants us to know that the church is about substance, NOT form~

Church is real! REAL people, REAL stories, REAL struggles, REAL challenges, and REAL success and REAL power!

* Aunty Annie sharing her testimony *

I don't think that it is something I could share 100% with you here, but there is a short message to Aunty Annie I am encouraged to write after hearing her story. And Lord, thank You, thank You for the powerful message You used Pastor Ian to share about Your reality and the authenticity that because of You, we can come just as we are before You. Abba, Father, I thank You also for the story that made Aunty Annie's life. Thank You that it is this process of years to build up such a woman, rooted and strong in the Lord. Willing to be vulnerable, willing to devote all things to You because she sees the work that You are doing and have done in her life. Lord, You are wonderful in so many ways that we cannot explain or comprehend. Abba, thank You for the story that she shared with tears streaming down her face. It is this precious real sharing that is the real treasure and gem that develops us. Pastor Ian put it in a wonderful quote, he said, "We are the stories we listen and we tell!" Abba, I pray for this to be a quote that we will live with! I pray and thank You in Jesus Name I love and pray, amen!

Luke 14: Parable of the Great Feast

01 Oct 2015

Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, “What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!” Jesus replied with this story: “A man prepared a great feast and sent out many invitations. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servant to tell the guests, ‘Come, the banquet is ready.’ But they all began making excuses. One said, ‘I have just bought a field and must inspect it. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I want to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Another said, ‘I now have a wife, so I can’t come.’ “The servant returned and told his master what they had said. His master was furious and said, ‘Go quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and invite the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ After the servant had done this, he reported, ‘There is still room for more.’ So his master said, ‘Go out into the country lanes and behind the hedges and urge anyone you find to come, so that the house will be full. For none of those I first invited will get even the smallest taste of my banquet.’ (Luke 14:15-24 NLT)

Parable of the Great Feast:

In comparison to the Feast in Heaven, the feast refers to the inherited eternal life, God is the master and we are His servants.

So here the God has prepared the way through Jesus (prepared the banquet) for us to go to Heaven. And the He has asked us to invite the men and women in the world to come into His courts for the sumptuous meal. So off we go witnessing and sharing Jesus (inviting his guests to the banquet) but they reject us, these are the people closest to us, our Jerusalem) And so God asks us to keep going, go to those who need healing and recovery and need to be cared for physically and invite them! (These sick people receive Jesus much easily) Then there is still room for people, and God wants the room to be completely filled to the fullest. And so He sends us out to nations to spread the news of His banquet! (our ends of the earth)

Sense that God has been speaking to us about witnessing and spreading Word of Him recently. Makes me wonder how much time we have left to the last second of the last day, when Jesus will return.. He's hastening us to go and don't be afraid any longer!

Bible Study/ Coffee Talk @ Pastor's place (Tues)

29 Sep 2015

We were having coffee talk in place of bible study this morning with Joshua, Jan, Pastor, Joel, Mavis and I. Joel asked Pastor, what does he as the lead pastor pray for? Pastor shared 3 things Jesus prayed for when He prays to the Father~

3 parts in the Jesus' prayer to the Father:

“After saying all these things, Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son so he can give glory back to you. For you have given him authority over everyone. He gives eternal life to each one you have given him. And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. Now, Father, bring me into the glory we shared before the world began.” (John‬ ‭17:1-5‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

1) Jesus always starts by praying for himself!

“I have revealed you to the ones you gave me from this world. They were always yours. You gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything I have is a gift from you, for I have passed on to them the message you gave me. They accepted it and know that I came from you, and they believe you sent me. “My prayer is not for the world, but for those you have given me, because they belong to you. All who are mine belong to you, and you have given them to me, so they bring me glory. Now I am departing from the world; they are staying in this world, but I am coming to you. Holy Father, you have given me your name; now protect them by the power of your name so that they will be united just as we are. During my time here, I protected them by the power of the name you gave me. I guarded them so that not one was lost, except the one headed for destruction, as the Scriptures foretold. “Now I am coming to you. I told them many things while I was with them in this world so they would be filled with my joy. I have given them your word. And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I’m not asking you to take them out of the world, but to keep them safe from the evil one. They do not belong to this world any more than I do. Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world. And I give myself as a holy sacrifice for them so they can be made holy by your truth.” ‭‭(John‬ ‭17:6-19‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

2) Jesus prays for his inner circle (12 disciples)
- the people in your core (ministry wise)
- the people in your family/ close friends

“I am praying not only for these disciples but also for all who will ever believe in me through their message. I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you. And may they be in us so that the world will believe you sent me. “I have given them the glory you gave me, so they may be one as we are one. I am in them and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me. Father, I want these whom you have given me to be with me where I am. Then they can see all the glory you gave me because you loved me even before the world began!” (John‬ ‭17:20-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

3) Jesus prays for all the believers and those who are going to believe (includes us)

As I look at the 3 points pastor shared this morning, I realised that it was very similar to what the back portion of Acts 1:8 says about reaching Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth. But only Jesus was referring not to unbelievers this time, He prays for us! You and me! It encourages me so much to know that! And we can to do that too!:) not by obligation or following blindly but because we get to do itSmiling face with smiling eyes

My takeaway:
Praying for ourselves is super important, if we don't we lose sight of God in our own lives. Would we be able to then pray for others? Yes of course, but they will be obligatory. Not out of a believing, faith-filled heart! To fill, you need to be filled. To bless, you need to be blessed. And to give, you need to receive! All these can only happen when you who know yourself best (apart from God) pray for yourself! No one will know your heart better than yourself! So never ever despise the prayer that you pray for yourself! It is important, Jesus showed us that in John 17!

Let All That I Am Praise The Lord!

30 Sep 2015

Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord; may I never forget the good things he does for me. (Psalm 103:1-2 NLT)

In everything that I do, let it be done with my whole heart and for His Name's sake. I never want to forget the good things You have done for me Lord!

Jesus we love You
Oh how we love You
You are the One our
Our hearts adore

Jesus we love You
Oh how we love You
You are the One our
Our hearts adore

Cos Jesus I love You
Oh how I love You
You are the One my
My heart adores
My heart adores
My heart adores

My affections
My devotions
Poured out on the feet of Jesus
My affections
My devotions
Poured out on the feet of Jesus
My affections
My devotions
Poured out on the feet of Jesus
My affections
My devotions
Poured out on the feet of~

Jesus I love You
Oh how I love You
You are the One my
My heart adores

Jesus I love You
Oh how I love You
You are the One my
My heart adores

Lord I sing You this song as a prayer tonight! May it be a sweet sweet song to Your ears~ Abba, I pray with all that I am for Your love to be evident in my life! I pray for the overflow of love to touch the lives of everyone I come into contact with! Jesus, may my affection and devotion be poured out at Your feet daily as I sit there and look up at Your face. Jesus I love You~ I'm in love with You~ I pray this song be the song that I yearn to sing to You everyday God! In Jesus Name~ Amen!

Prayer for my aunt's wedding

Dear Abba God, thank You for the beautiful morning to be able to witness a beautiful marriage! I pray for my aunt's wedding day to be such a sweet reminder of Your love for the church, Your bride! And the bride's love for You! In Jesus Name, bless this marriage with You at the centre of it all! In Jesus Name, amen~

2015-09-16 (You are important)

Link the devotional with the sharing if you can~ cause I can't haha!

Devotional I read today

All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT, second edition)

You need to be connected to a church family so you can fulfill your calling to serve other believers in practical ways. The Bible says, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it” (1 Corinthians 12:27 NLT, second edition).

Your service is desperately needed in the Body of Christ — just ask any local church! Each of us has a role to play, and every role is important. There is no small service to God; it all matters.

Likewise, there are no insignificant ministries in the church. Some are visible and some are behind the scenes, but all are valuable. Small or hidden ministries often make the biggest difference.

In my home, the most important light is not the large chandelier in our dining room but the little night-light that keeps me from stubbing my toe when I get up at night. In the same way, there is no correlation between size and significance when it comes to service in the Body of Christ. Every ministry matters because we are all dependent on each other to function.

What happens when one part of your body fails to function? You get sick. The rest of your body suffers. Imagine if your liver decided to start living for itself: “I’m tired! I don’t want to serve the body anymore! I want a year off just to be fed. I’ve got to do what’s best for me! Let some other part take over.”

What would happen? Your body would die. Today thousands of local churches are dying because of Christians who are unwilling to serve. They sit on the sidelines as spectators, and the body suffers.

God calls you to a service far beyond anything you could ever imagine. He created you for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for you to do (Ephesians 2:10). Whenever you serve others in any way, you are actually serving God.

Reflection/ Sharing

Been reflecting on the little things that matter in God's eyes recently. Last night, at War Room, God placed 2 "small" words that make a great impact in life, upon my heart~ He said, "Humble Beginnings". I was sitting in Pastor Ian's place with a little question mark floating above my head.

Then as I sat quietly and pondered on what God meant to say~ He brought these various occasions to mind:

• When Pastor moved out of GLCC, we gathered in his house (we started out in a humble home)

• When Youth Ministry started out in 3:16, the leaders gathered at Zhen Yuan's house (started in a home again)

• When YA started, they gathered at Pastor Norman's house (started in a home too)

• When Sisterhood had it's first session, we has it at Dawn's house (started at a home once more)

• When Youth Ministry was going into transition, we again gathered at Pastor Ian's house (starting anew and afresh here, in the same home)

• And when we were to have our baptism service last Sunday, due to the haze, we relocated to Dawn's house (again in a humble home)

I just felt God saying, "My children, don't forget where you all started! Yes, I will expand this church and ministry and movement! But don't forget your humble beginning! It is here that the breakthroughs out there begin, it is here that the building up takes place. And it is here that I want each of you to stay! Not physically, but in your posture to Me." What does that mean?

We are called to ignite this world with God's love. But real love, authentic and bold love, starts with a humble, willing heart. It starts in a place that we can call home, a place with a family that will not judge who we are. A place that people love with the love of Christ! And think God wants us to posture ourselves to receive of His love in this way. To be in a humble home filled with authentic lovers of God and people. And that will set the stage for the powerful and life changing work of the Holy Spirit through us~

God always uses the people whom He sees come to Hime with a humble and willing heart. A broken and contrite spirit to be filled by His own power of the Holy Spirit!

Prayer

Abba Father, thank You for the word You gave to me yesterday at War Room! Thank You for the reminder for us to stay humble and teacheable, to have a heart that is willing to serve You, before You can use us. Lord I wanna thank You that You don't choose the proud or the rich of this world, but You choose the humbel and the poor in spirit. The very people the world despises, You love and will use to impact lives! God thank You that You give us whose hearts are broken and contrite strength. You cover us with Your wings and allow us to soar high on wings like eagles! And Father, thank You for giving and providing all that we need before we sometimes realise it and open our mouths to ask of You. Teach us Lord to walk steadily in Your path! To choose the narrow path that leads to life and not the wide path that leads to destruction. In Jesus Name I love and pray, Amen!

Day to remember ^^

2015-09-13

Finally, the day that Angela is baptised is here!

Dear God, You are so so good and so so faithful to us! Your ways are always higher than our ways and You always have in mind for us the best plan. Thank You for how You orchestrated the conversation between Angela and her mum for her permission to be water baptised today. You are so good to her! Father, thank You also for the baptism that we could hold today at Dawn's house. Despite the bad haze in the morning that we had to relocate from ECP to Dawn's place, You have been good to allow all of us to be here to witness the testimonies and life change in so many of our friends and of course our eternal brother and sisters! Keep them in Your love and covered under Your wings O God! In Jesus Name I pray, Amen! ^^

First of all~ Angela! CONGRATS! xD Thanks for sharing on how weird and annoying Cat and I are (respectively) today ah xP Super proud of you sis! Your testimony is so powerful! Keep your head up and eyes fixed on the eternal treasures that are in Heaven! Love you! ❤

And because I love you, I can do this:

https://youtu.be/zeFYXRiZzdo

Baptised in the Name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit! (By Cat and Amy)

Going into the water...

Head don't wanna go down...

Finally! Hahaha! xP

And all of the baptism candidates for today! Congrats!

1st Row: Auntie Ah Mui (Amy's grandma), little Amy

2nd Row: Angela, Amanda, Chris, Isabelle, Meghan

* Order is left to right *

Know that this is the one day and moment you will never forget! Neither will I sis! Thank God for you!

#dedicatedpost #moonfaced #acqy 

Devotional: A Heart For The Globe ~

"You were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation." (Revelation 5:9)

"Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be all over the earth." (Psalm 108:5)

The more I read this devotional book, the more I think that it's written for our day and age. Like it's as if this book was as prophetic as the bible itself! Who am I kidding? The Lord can use anyone anytime to write His Word in a prophetic way~ it's been so in line thus far and today is no different. As I read today's devotional, I'm thinking, "Whoa~ The Lord is near. He's reminding us to pray for one another, brothers and sisters, who are in other countries." I remember there was a session during War Room I believe, that Kah Wai said that Jesus will come back only when the world of Christian brothers and sisters are united as ONE. Unity has always been upon God's heart for humanity. And He doesn't leave us hangin'. In the devotional, it says, "As My children, learn to praise Me, revival sill sweep the nations." I look at it this way, revival comes flooding throughout the world and nations when we learn to praise Jesus in our lives! Praising God is not smth that you do only in a church setting and among believers only! NO NO NO! What's the point then? You praise Jesus even with non-Christian, non-believing friends around! Why are we ashamed? In the last hour of the last days, we are still thinking about how we won't fit into the world's "cool kidz" if we are public about our faith?! Really?! God says that as we exalt Him, He will enlarge our hearts to embrace what He is doing globally! God's desire is for all to come to repentance. He teaches us to worship Him as the answer to the world's problems!

Today, praise Jesus that we have been gifted by the Lord, uniquely! To join Him in speaking His message of grace to the world!!! C'mon!

Jesus! Thank You for the blood that You have shed for us! Blood that covers the sin of the world, not just one nation! Every nation, we will praise You and worship Your Holy name! For You are gracious, You are merciful and Your wish is that no one will perish but come to repentance. I pray for hearts to turn to You this last day! I pray that You ignite in the world, starting from our little church in 3:16, the Love of God! Let us impact the world with a movement of Love Lord! in Jesus Name we pray, amen!!!

Simple but important things to thank God for ~

Heavenly Father, You are a good good Daddy, always there and always encouraging me. Lord, really, apart from You, I cannot do anything. Apart from You, I am nothing. Apart from You, I cannot love people with the love You have shown me and poured out in my life! Abba, there are not enough 'Thank You's in this world to show You how much I am grateful for the little things in life that You have encouraged me with. People, Verses, Revelation, Visions, Prophetic Pictures. Thank You that Lord, when we don't limit You or box You up, we can see the love of God through many ways that we sometimes have never expected to hear from. I thank You Lord for the people that You have placed in my life to sharpen me and mature me Lord. I lift them up to You and pray that You bless each of them double portion. Lord, strengthen me this week for the encounters with You and with the people that You will bring into my day. In Jesus Name I love and I pray, amen! ^^

Some people to thank God for:

Sandy, my dear and precious friend and classmate in NIM ^^

Thank You for being an encouragement to me ~

Malini, my dear sister and sheep haha^^

Thank You Lord for growing me through this journey with her!

Left to right, Xavier, Bernice, Brenda and Yi En, from 3:16 ^^

Thank God for a little brother in Xavier that would look for me every week after service ~

Bernice who accepted Jesus and is willing for me to journey with her ^^ Thank you for your willing heart dear girl and dear sister. My privilege to get this opportunity to walk with you ^^

Brenda, thank you for being a sheep that God has used to sharpen me as a leader. Praise God that You have integrated well into 3:16 Church and for getting a job! Truly thank and praise the Lord, sis!

Yi En, known you for about 2 months or so, and am so excited to see God working in your life. In the creative aspect, God has gifted you in that area and He will call you into it, get ready my dear sister!

Angela, the uniform I was eager to see you in ^^

Thank God for you being a really big support as a fellow co-leader in the Youth Ministry! Jiayou at work my dear sister! God has given you the harvest field for the next 15-16 months ^^

Meow Meow, thank you for being a wonderful elder sister and mentor since we entered 3:16 Church till now. Wish you the best in your next season! Excited and praying for you Meow Jie! ^^

Raine, thank God for you. Though far away physically, yet Spiritually, we are connected by the blood of Christ and by His Spirit within us. Thank You for keeping my family ever in prayer sis! So encouraging to know there's someone there for me and covering me in prayer ^^

One more person who is not in the photos:

To my dear dajie, Amy, thank you for being a listening ear and giving me practical and spiritual advice on various things, like tonight ^^ Thank God for you ^^ Love you in Christ's love dajie ^^

2015-08-28 (Friday)

Abba Father, I was thinking just how I can be accountable to pray for a sister and tonight, You surfaced my blog as the way to go. I'm not sure how it's gonna work out, but if it keeps me accountable, I'm gonna follow You and do it. Lord, I know that this period is not gonna be easy and in fact, it's gonna be really tough for her, but I'm humbly asking that Lord, Your goodness continue to pour out in her life even if she chose not to see Your face now. Lord, You reveal Yourself daily in her life and remind her who the sovereign One is! Keep her safe Lord, in Jesus Name, amen~

2015-08-27 (Thursday)

Heavenly Father, You know the plans You have for our dear sister. And I pray that she will turn her eyes back to Your face. The best I know how, I will pray and lift her up unto You! Cover over her in Jesus Name, amen~

#dedicatedpost 

2 Peter 1

"And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires." (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:4 ‭NLT‬‬)

Why did God promise us certain things? I believe that God's promises give us hope. Hope that is to be anchored upon our soul and create in us a longing for His return. But more than that, the hope God wants us to anchor by His promises was to guarantee His return and His love for us. Love always hopes, the Scriptures say in 1 Corinthians. Love never gives up and never loses hope. When we lose hope, we lose God's promises in our lives. We start to waver and fall back into our old self and begin again the vicious cycle of life on our own and in our own way. Promises that give us hope need to be anchored upon our soul, so that we can stand firm in times of hardship or trial, knowing that this is not the end, the end is when Jesus returns and we can celebrate with Him in heaven! Promises are to share in God's divine nature through the Spirit of God in our lives! Pastor said today that our being there at today's service was God's divine appointment. We were chosen to be there to hear Him speak into our hearts. It is not by chance or by our choice, it was divinely hand-picked by our Father. Wow! Only God has that divine power and ability to pre-plan everything for us and wait for us to be apart of His plans.

"The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:8 ‭NLT‬‬)

In verses 5-7, Peter tells us how we ought to respond to God's promises by faith, with generous provisions from moral excellence to knowledge to self-control to patient endurance to godliness to brotherly affection and then love for everyone. Why does Peter say that? When we respond to God and strive for moral excellence, we are telling God, "God, I want to be right with You and not do things I know is clearly wrong." And when we verbalise that commitment, we need knowledge of God's Word about moral excellence. To know according to God, what pleases Him and what doesn't. Scripture shows us what's righteous and what's sinful. Then we need self-control to stay away from the sinful desires of our hearts, the things we are tempted to do. We need to tell ourselves of God's promises and His standards of righteousness. Then comes patient endurance, to persevere through the temptations and remain righteous by God's grace. Godliness is not to be "holy and divine" but it means to be like-God or Christ-like. Christ was a righteous man when He walked the earth. He is God and man. He did bot succumb to the fleshly desires but remained in the promises of the Father to deliver Him on the third day. And God wants us to show brotherly affection and love to everyone by one anothering and serving one another. How? To walk alongside and build each other up and to encourage one another. Why is there a church? Because God created us to be relational beings and people who love to be in a community. Why do we constantly dislike being alone? Why do we sometimes wish we had people to share things with? Have we thought of that? Because we weren't created to be a lone ranger. We were created by the Heavenly Community to be a community🙌🏻 and Peter encourages us through the verse above in verse 8, that if we grow in this manner, it is how we can be productive and use our knowledge of God to impact lives!

"Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts." (‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:19‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Peter explains before this verse of how the Father spoke to them of how Jesus is His joy. And hearing the Father's voice, Peter, James and John had great confidence in the message by prophets in the past about Jesus! Prophesy is a lamp shining in darkness and desolation. When there is despair and depression, prophesy is the light that shines in that dark and gloomy place! Prophesy is like the light, but only until the true Light returns to the world. Why did Scripture say that prophesy is used to edify the church? I believe that Paul said that because when we prophesy, we are foretelling what God reveals to us that has not happened, so that we can again, place our hope in the coming of this prophesy! And it takes faith to prophesy what we see. We can only do that by the Spirit that prompts us to.

1 Peter 5

2015-08-01 (Saturday)
"Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly—not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God. Don’t lord it over the people assigned to your care, but lead them by your own good example." (1 Peter‬ ‭5:2-3‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

The first part of this passage is written to elders and leaders of the church. But I believe it is for everyone who is a leader with people under their care as well. I'm talking about myself and the youth ministry. Verse 2 tells us that God entrusted the flocks to us. Entrusted means it's a big responsibility. We need to know that despite our inequities, God had chosen to place the lives of His sheep in our hands to feed and to care for each of them. And He hopes for us to do that willingly out of our affection towards Him, not because of anything else. He used grudgingly here. I thought of the way sometimes our teachers or ppl placed in our authority may have treated us~ but God is saying, "Hey, don't go doing to your sheep what those people did wrong to you just cos it's payback time. Who would learn to do good and bless others who do bad to them then? If you aren't teaching them that."

Don't take care of your sheep because you wanna claim credit for it too~ or for example, I'm only doing this cos that person can give me the glory I deserve. So i can brag to my mentors or peers, "hey look, my sheep is growing fat, why yours all so skinny?" But we do it cause we are excited to serve God seeing how they grow and learn~ and how you learn from God using you in their growth stage! I've been super blessed by Malini and Brenda's growth and I know that none of it was done by Angela or myself, it was purely God and God alone~ Yes, He used us to teach but who taught us? Isn't it also from Him? Humbling but so inspiring^^

We don't take care of our sheep just so that we can boss them around. "Hey, buy me water, I'm your leader leh, not you pay then I pay ah?" If we want to be respected, we gotta learn how to respect others first. You can't receive what you're unwilling to give to others too. If we wanna build a culture, we gotta start from changing our own ways, because we cannot change others but ourselves. People react to change, so when we change, they will change as well. Leading by example is the best way to show what the characteristics of Jesus is like to our sheep.

"In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation." (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

We can put our hope on the eternal! God promised to put us on a firm foundation after we have suffered a while on earth! We always have smth we can learn when we are suffering smth. If we don't think we've learnt or that we have anything to learn, then we have just closed our heart to what God can do in tough times~ Love always hopes. Hope means we know that something better is coming and it's not the end now cos there is hope. Hope always spurs people to be positive! And positivity allows us to keep hanging on to what we know is gonna come after this suffering~

1 Peter 1-4 (^^)

Started reading 1 Peter on Tuesday. Haven't posted devotions much up here but I guess it'll be good to post it once daily? But so far missed 4 days of 1 Peter already. So just gonna do it all at once. From  bottom up! ^^ Hope it blesses your heart as much as He blessed mine! ^^

2015-07-31 (Friday)
"The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins." (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:7-8‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

What are the two most important commandments in the bible? When faced with this question to trip Jesus, Jesus answered "to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength" and to "love your neighbour as yourself". Here, Peter stresses that "most important of all..", "show deep love for each other, for love covers over a multitude of sins". Capital 'L' makes it clearer. Love covers over a multitude of sins. God is Love. Only God can cover over a multitude of sins and Jesus did. When we love someone, we love them in spite of their faults and ugly sides, we love them not because we can gain smth or take smth from them. We just love them. Jerm said once that what it means is "no love lost". Even though someone may have said smth that caused us to feel hurt, insecure, frustrated or fearful, our love for the person covers it over. So no love is lost, but we want to clear up misunderstandings.

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:10 NLT‬‬)

What is my spiritual gift that is given to me to serve others? Looking back, it seems like shepherding is a big word~ but what does it concern? It means to take care of the sheep that is placed under my care. Am i doing that? Am i serving them with what i've been given with this gift? Praying and speaking life into them. Taking their problems as my own. Loving them despite things that may hurt me. Do i have the right to say i am their shepherd like Jesus says He is ours? I thank God that i don't have to take the weight of expectations around me. I thank God that He was and still is my shepherd that guides and teaches me as i grow, how to be more like Him.

"Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world." (‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭4:12-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

I read in a book recently about Heaven. The author mentioned that we won't understand the trials that we have now but one day when we have the full glorified body and are living with God in heaven, we will see the areas that God and Angels sent by God that intervened during those trials of ours. It's so exciting therefore, don't you think, that Peter and Paul who are chosen by God to be preachers to the Jews and Gentiles, to say "be glad" or "rejoice" in our trials so that we will experience and see JOY in the day that will come that we look forward to Christ's return!

2015-07-30 (Thursday)
"Don't be concerned about the outward beauty of fancy hairstyles, expensive jewelry, or beautiful clothes. You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God." (1 Peter 3:3-4 NLT)

Although in this passage, it was a message for wives. But I believe Peter wanted all ladies in the world to know how much Christ loves us that He doesn't look at our outward appearance and define our beauty but by the beauty within us. We always hear the world say that a slim figure or high nose or wavy long hair or long "shiny" legs is the beauty of today~ but really? Will all that matter at the end of the day when Jesus returns? No!! So it's a reminder to work on what's within us than what's external and only pleasing to the eyes temporarily~

"Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing." ‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

This particularly reminds me of a story that Pastor Rick Warren shared over a sermon I heard. He shared that a young boy in his teens competed in a baseball game in school. Their team lost terribly to the opposing team and the score was totally unbeatable. The pitcher from the opponent team came to the boy after the game and said, "you guys suck". The boy at that time replied, "you pitched a really good game!" And the opponent walked away wishing he hadn't made such a comment.. That boy did exactly what Peter described in this verse. To return a blessing despite the hurtful words of his opponent. Isn't that what the Christian life can be? Because we are new beings and we can choose not to say hurtful words with our tongues.

"Turn away from evil and do good. Search for peace, and work to maintain it." ‭‭(1 Peter‬ ‭3:11‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

Why did Peter use "search for peace" instead of like have peace or smth? I believe that Jesus sought after the peace of God by the Spirit as He was on earth as well. To unplug Himself from the world and plug-in to God's channel. Sometimes we need to do that to hear the still voice in all the noise. And we gotta "work to maintain it". Everything needs momentum. Once we lose that, we lose it all. Remember when we said we'd do devotions on Ephesians? If we had stopped 1 or 2 days like we did with Matthew, would we have finished it? Maybe yes, cause it was short. But would you have finished John if you stopped short of doing it? Momentum builds what we want to achieve.

"Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it." ‭(1 Peter‬ ‭3:15‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

This is like the story of my classmate asking me about church. And how my lecturer asked about my belief. Jesus is as real to them as He is to us. All these little things that we try to silence at times, cause us to miss opportunities to witness in Jesus' name! I missed tonnes of these opportunities in SP, but by God's grace, I pray that I will speak up and be ready to answer in His wisdom given to me, each time He is put into the hot seat or should i say "spotlight"! ^^

"Those who disobeyed God long ago when God waited patiently while Noah was building his boat. Only eight people were saved from drowning in that terrible flood. And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter‬ ‭3:20-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬)

I remember that day after your graduation when we headed to ECP for cycling, we spoke about baptism. Here, Peter explains that the flood in Genesis, was a picture of baptism. Baptism isn't a ritual that cleanses your impurities within you. It is a symbol of your response to God's calling/prompting coming to Him from a clean conscience. It's not physical cleansing, but Spiritual. We are reconciled with God. He now sent His Holy Spirit to stay in our "naos" (like in your sharing). We no longer only have 1 choice, sin, but we can choose Love now.

2015-07-29 (Wednesday)
"It is God's will that your honourable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you." (1 Peter 2:15 NLT)

I shared a testimony about how God can use us even though it may seem as though the world puts us in a position to be mocked and silenced by them. But when we stay quiet and shy away from the truth, we are agreeing with them that, yeah, what you say is true. But when we speak and stand up for the things that actually matter to us, God shines through for us, leaps and bounds above what we can expect. That was what happened to me the day before in class. Sensed God giving me a confirmation in that sharing.

"He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly." (1 Peter 2:23 NLT)

Abba Father, teach me (and us) today not to retaliate. Retaliation is not the best way to deal with a situation. It only expresses your anger at someone. Lord we ask for calmness of mind to confess our manager to You. Not to express, suppress or repress it. In Jesus name I pray, amen!

2015-07-28 (Tuesday)
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God." (1 Peter 1:23 NIV)

Jesus we thank You that we stand renewed by Your death and resurrection! All glory to You and our Father in Heaven for giving us new life and putting away our old lives. Today, we stand in the knowledge that we are imperishable seed in the name of the Lord Jesus by His Word that has been given to us. All honour and praise be to God, in Jesus name. Amen! ( \\ ^ ~ ^ // )

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend ❤

Wanna tell you a story today ^^

Have you ever had a conversation with a brother/sister in Christ or actually just any friend, that through your conversation, you just sense the presence of God so strong that it's as if you can just sense Him standing by your side? (via text message btw!) I believe some of you know what I'm talking about.

Not too long ago, I had such an encounter. And I must say that that was one of the moments that I will remember for a long time..

The texts started with some updates from that friend about something that happened the night before. Previously, this friend did a devotion and mentioned what others see from his actions. Do they see him as he is or do they see Christ through these actions. So that day, as he updated me of the situation, I saw the love of Jesus through him via the (to him) little actions that he took to show that he cares for another younger friend.

The action, although seemingly small to us, was big in God's eyes. And right at that moment, it brought me to a passage in the Bible that we all know "so well".. John 15:13. The verse read, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends." Wow, this was the first thought that came to mind when I read the text on the things this friend did for the other. The time that he stayed up to make sure that everything was fine with our friend. The sacrifice of his sleep. How he made the trip down to fetch that friend because he didn't have money to go home. If I were permitted to rephrase that verse.. in this case it would have read, "Greater love has no one than this: to sacrifice one's time/sleep/activities for one's friend." I was moved from the acts of love of this brother. And his reply was, humbly, "By going to the cross and paying for our sins, Jesus did much more for us! What's this little sacrifice compared to what Jesus went through!" Indeed, you know a man is humble when he admits that he isn't all that humble inside.

To this brother in Christ, I wanna say, you have truly been a blessing to our friend and his family. Your kindness and love portrayed Jesus, and His grace is richly upon you because of your humility. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. As you are gracious to our friend, so will God be gracious, beyond measure, to you. Daddy God, bless him and his family with your grace and mercy. In Jesus' name, amen ~

#filledwithHislove #crazylove #czyk

Give Thanks To The Lord!

Give thanks to the Lord our God and King

His love endures forever

For He is good, He is above all things

His love endures forever

Sing praise

Sing praise

With a mighty hand and outstretched arm

His love endures forever

For the life that's been reborn

His love endures forever

Sing praise

Sing praise

Sing praise

Sing praise

Forever God is faithful

Forever God is strong

Forever God is with us

Forever

Forever You are faithful

Forever You are strong

Forever You are with us

Forever

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah Hallelujah

Hallelujah ~

Thank You Abba Father for the time we had last night as You called us deeper into the understanding of Your love for man and Your heart for people. The compassion that we feel towards others is just a glimpse of what You feel towards us. And Daddy God, I am thankful for the beginning of this work You have prepared before our Cell Group. Father I pray for a deeper connection with the heavenly resources that we can tap on as we go out in faith in Jesus name. Lord I saw how You have been moving in Brenda and Malini's heart all this time last night. The Bible said in James, that faith without works is dead. And last night, I saw O God, faith and works together and in a body that You gathered to minister to Joash's family. God You are moving us to a new season together as a Cell. And You have paved the way for us. Now we just have to do according to Your summoning and calling, as and when You call us to step out. Grow our roots deeper into Love and Your Word. Fill us with the fullness of Your Spirit to minister and give us wisdom in handling situations with the peace that is from You. I praise You and thank You for what You have done and are doing in our Cell Group. In Jesus' name we love and pray, Amen! 

How You spoke to me tonight \\(^ ~ ^)//

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for speaking to me personally tonight.

Lord, I thank You with the joy You have given me.

I praise You with singing and dancing tonight.

Truly God, You are the only One who knows my heart.

The things bottled up and the way to untie the knots upon my heart.

Thank You Holy Spirit for reinforcing the conviction God placed.

In Jesus Name I love and pray, Amen!

Because before the world began, I was on Your mind

Because every tear I cry, is precious in Your eyes

Because of Your great love, You gave Your only Son

And everything You've done, was so I would come~

Come to the Father, though my gift is small

The broken hearts and broken lives, You have taken them all

So by the power of Your Word, and the power of Jesus' blood

Everything You've done, was so i would come~

(So You Would Come by Hillsong)

Lord I come to You, let my heart be changed and renewed

Flowing from the grace that I've found in You

And Lord I've come to know the weaknesses I see in me

They will be stripped away by the power of Your love~

Hold me close and let Your love surround me

You bring me near and draw me to Your side

And as I wait, I'll rise up like the eagle

And I will soar with You, Your Sprit leads me on

By the power of Your love~

And I will soar with You, Your Spirit leads me on

By the power of Your love~

(Power Of Your Love by Hillsong)

My Takeaway from "Daily Hope by Pastor Rick Warren"

Been listening to Daily Hope by Pastor Rick Warren recently. Wow, I've discovered so many things through his teaching on the areas of Healing and Love. The first few sessions of Daily Hope was on the topic, "Life's Healing Choices". There were sermons on the different choices in the healing process of a person, be it yourself or others.

One specific session I recall was the one on Luke 5. It explained how healing takes place in a small group and the 3 characteristics of the people in the small group that is important for the healing process to take place.

So to give us a little background of Luke 5:17-26, "Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralysed Man". In this story, a group of men, carrying their paralysed friend on a mat, came into the midst of Jesus as He was teaching at Galilee. They had wanted to lay their friend before Jesus. However, because there was a huge crowd of people before them, they could not go near to Jesus. So, this group of friends brought the mat with their paralysed friend onto the roof of the house Jesus was teaching in. They removed the tiles and made a hole in the roof and lowered their friend into the room, in the middle of the crowd, right in front of Jesus. And Luke 5:20 says that " When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” "

So, the first of the 3 characteristics is 'Compassion'. In Romans 15:1-2, Paul reminded us that "We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves." and that "Each of us should please our neighbors for their good, to build them up." Why does God need compassionate people? --> When you have compassion for others and are not constantly inward looking, you are able to be sensitive to the needs of those around you. Your friends, siblings, family, etc. And unless you are not preoccupied by your own needs and the "Me, Myself and I" mentality, God can use you in the healing process of the people around you.

The second characteristic is 'Faith'. Remember that in the story, specifically in verse 20, before Jesus' comment, when He saw the mat being lowered until it was right in front of Him. It described what Jesus saw in the 4 friends who lowered the mat. It said "When Jesus saw their faith..." Whoa! This is something I missed because I always thought that the healing itself was important! But Jesus sees not just the paralysed man, He saw the 4 friends and He knew it was their faith that this friend could be healed. --> You need to have faith to believe that your friend can be healed! Say your friend is down and needs to hear the Word of God, but does not want to do that. Is the faith in your small group big enough to overcome even the little to no faith of your friend? Your faith CAN heal your friend!

And finally, the third characteristic, 'Intervention'. Intervention is prayer. But not just prayer, intervention is the action that comes with prayer. Yes, I pray, but if I pray and do not put into action, my faith is dead! James 2:17 says "...faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." In the story, will the paralyse man be able to be healed on that day if his friends had not been the one to take action and move him from his house to where Jesus was? NO, he wouldn't have been healed that day! But because his friends had faith and put it into action, they could witness their friend's healing right in front of their eyes that day!

What actually happens for the friends? Do they get anything out of it? -->
1) They learn how to be sensitive to the need of their friend.
2) Their faith is increased when they witness the miracle healing of their friend, which was by their faith.
3) They are compelled to keep on doing what they are doing!

#Beavoicenotanecho

At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭26-29‬ NIV)

Dear Father,
Thank You for every person that had confirmed their attendance for camp. Lord, we are so excited and we rejoice on behalf of the non-Christians who will be coming and experiencing You in a whole new environment. Camp Alive was awesome last year but Lord, we are asking for more this year! We are asking for the redemtion of our generation in ROAR15 starting later today! Father, we welcome Your presence even right now as I pray for Camp and every camper and helper who will be attending! Let Your love cover over us for You are our great Shepherd! Lord I pray for Kelly's friend and brother to come for camp in Jesus Name. I pray for Gillian's fever to leave her in Jesus Name. I pray for Fannie's situation to be resolved in Jesus Name. I pray for evryone who is going later to be protected and covered under this prayer in Jesus Name. Lord, I ask for a boldness for each of us, the leaders in each group to be bold and take heart that You are with us. This camp, I pray that we will shift our perspective and speak our peace as we shut up the noice from the liar of this world. Turn our hearts and minds to You God! Give us a powerful 4 day camp and heal every person from what has held us back in the past, in Jesus Name! Amen!

God, You and Your Kingdom cannot be shaken! And we claim that promise and we declare that You have given this generation a voice to speak our peace! To be a VOICE and not an echo! To be BOLD and not shy! To bring thie generation to You in Jesus Name! I declare this over our camp later today in Jesus Name! Amen!

Ask~ Seek~ and Knock~

Have you ever wondered about why the Jesus, in the verses in Matthew 7 and Luke 11, mentions 3 ways to prayer? I've always wondered, why "ask", "seek" and "knock"? Why not other words? Why does it have to be these 3? And what is the difference between these 3 words anyway? Is it significant in the difference of these 3 words?

This morning, I was reading a devotional and there, the verse about asking, seeking and knocking was surfaced. And it got me thinking deeper this time.. What difference does these 3 ways of reaching God have in prayer?

Ask: to say something with hopes to obtain or be given something (to know the answers)

Is there a difference in definition of these 3 words? Of course! The devotional mentions something I didn't think of. The author said that the sequence in which Jesus mentioned these 3 words was going from a mere desire for something to happen, to a sure confidence that that which we hope to happen, to come through and happen! Meaning, confidence in that what we ask for will be fulfilled.

The 3 verses in the bible that were used in this devotional are in:1. Matthew 7:7-8 (NIV)2. James 1:6 (NIV)3. Ephesians 3:20 (NIV)


Seek: to find something so as to obtain it (to look for them)

Knock: to strike a surface noisily to attract attention (especially when waiting to be let in through a door)

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...

Looking at these verses, I thought, yeah, it is going from a desire to sure confidence of obtaining what was at first only disirable. That lead me to another verse in Luke 11. That was the passage in which Jesus taught His disciples about prayer, starting with how they should pray.

Luke 11:5-8 (NIV) says:Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

Jesus was saying to His disciples and us here that asking and desiring something isn't quite enough. It is when we desire it enough that we are desperate to seek for an answer and willing to be shamelessly bold and continuously consistent in knocking at the door of prayer that we see something come through for us. It may be a need, a want or a trial that seems like there's no way out of. When we audaciously (boldly, that may be surprising or shocking) knock at the door of prayer that things happen!



Abba, our Father in heaven,

Let the audacious faith rise in me that I may not only desire but search for and knock continuously consistently at the door of prayer for my family's salvation. Not just my family but my friends around me. The precious people You have placed in my life to be a light to, for Your glory. Lord, I know that a city on a hill cannot be hidden and neither will a lamp be lit and placed under a bowl but on a lampstand that will shine it's light in a dark room and illuminate it. So that the darkness will be exposed and light can consume the darkness!

Lord, I pray for Roar15 happening in 2 weeks time. God, I am excited to meet with You in camp and I pray that not just meet but have an awesome, eye opening encounter with You for every non-believer that will be joining us. Lord, let the viel that covers their face be torn and the scales upon their eyelids fall off, in the Name of Jesus! I pray specifically for those friends who have been coming for camp a number of times yet have not responded to You that this camp, faith will rise and fearlessness will be what fills this camp. Each person will give You a chance to work in their hearts and a chance to show them the power of God. I pray for the leaders meeting today that each leader will come equipped with the Word of God and with prayer. I pray for each leader that will be coming today to have a boldness and shamelessness like that of Peter, of John and Paul in the midst of our friends at camp. May there be a revivalist spirit in each leader to share the love of God with every camper who'll be there! In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Devotional (Finding Comfort in Pain, Day 3)

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, Paul describes a thorn in his flesh. Have you ever grabbed a rose thinking the thorns had been removed? The result is a pins-and-needles poke followed by a bone-throbbing reminder of your mistake. Yet, he doesn’t describe his pain as a thorn-puncture. Paul describes a thorn that remains in his flesh. Ouch.

Why does Paul risk his reputation to put his personal struggle in permanent ink? Because the thorn causes him to rely on God, and he hopes Corinth will rely on God, too. We tend to gladly accept this part of the passage. God’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. We envision that God carries us when we’re too weak to walk, and He probably does.

However, it’s the notion of verses, 7, 8, and 10, that promise the most unnerving revelation for our modern minds. These passages indicate that Paul’s thorn—which he also describes as a messenger of Satan—was not a seldom occurrence of weakness but rather a steady companion of pain. Harder still, Paul explains this thorn was given to him as a strategy to poke a hole in his ego. Pain so that God’s work could not be claimed as Paul’s work. In essence, Paul calls his perpetual pain a gift that reveals God’s true comfort for man. In other words, pain reveals God’s “together-strength” that transforms our failure into His perfection.

Who else received thorns as a strategy to unveil God’s good way for humanity? No wonder Paul and James refer to trials as joy and delight. They know they have company in their pain with their Saviour. [End of devotional...]


Reflections:

Honestly, I never saw the verses in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 the way the author of this devotional shared it before. I always saw it as when we admit that we are weak man, God can then use us and give us strength to accomplish what He has called us to do. However, the fact that Paul in this letter spoke of how he was constantly reminded that he was weak, was the antidote to God being able to use him in the long run for His glory. Because Paul had a constant reminder that "I am weak, but He is strong and He will go with me where I am lead by Him to, so that everyone will see His glory and strength because it couldn't have been me who'd have been able to do all these things by my weakness."

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. ” (‭Matthew‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬ NIV)

Father, i pray that You place in Malini tonight a faith that's like a mustard seed. It's not enormous, but it is that kind of faith in You that she can say to the mountain, "pick yourself up and throw yourself into the sea!" I pray for a faith that Malini will say to all obstacles before her to "get up and get out of my way, in Jesus Name!" That nothing hinder her from coming into Your presence and the presence of God's people again. In Jesus Name i pray, amen~

Being as authentic as I can be...

A heart at peace gives life to

the body, but envy rots the bones.

(Proverbs 14:30 NIV)

It is not enough for the believer to begin to pray, nor to pray correctly;

nor is it enough to continue for a time to pray. We must patiently,

believingly continue in prayer until we obtain an answer. Further,

we have not only to continue in prayer until the end, but we have

also to believe that God does hear us and will answer our prayers.

George Muller

Just a moment ago, I was pondering...

Lord, how long must I wait for my sheep to hear my voice and come back to the path that leads to the right place? I was disheartened by the fact that despite prayers lifted up, there seemed as if there is no response. Be it from my sheep or from my friends whom I've invited time and time again. Yesterday, at the leadership conference, pastor shared that no one likes to be rejected. Jesus didn't reject Peter when Peter denied Him 3 times in the presence of Jesus. Instead, Jesus lovingly restored Peter to his calling. Jesus lead with love. Genuine love and concern for His sheep. He asked Peter 3 times if Peter loved Him. 2 times, Peter said "yes" and Jesus asked Peter to feed His sheep. But the 3rd time Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, Peter said that he can only love Jesus as a friend and not unconditionally, like Jesus Himself could love us. This time, at Peter's humble response, Jesus said to Peter, "then feed My lamb". Because Peter went through the restoration process with Jesus, Peter could now restore others. He could now care for even the most delicate and younger lambs. Perhaps, that is why God used Peter to preach to the Jews despite Peter being a Gentile? Because the Jews are from the beginning a chosen nation by God and through Peter's ministry, God was showing His chosen people that "I want to restore this nation to Myself, just like I restored Peter to Myself, to serve Me for this purpose. So that when you see Peter, you see God's grace and mercy and God's heart of restoration of you to Himself."

O God, restore my heart to the calling that You have given me. Lord, I pray for a renewing of the Spirit in me today. Help me Lord to trust You in every area of my life and every thought of unbelief that the devil has so easily creeped in and placed in my mind to GET OUT in Jesus Name. Lord, help me because I am a weak person.. help me to be rooted in Your Word that holds the promises of God. Teach me how to use the Word of God, when I have been firmly rooted in it. Not just experiences, but knowledge of You in the Word, is necessary for leadership. I pray that Your Word will be the foundation that I stand on and build upon. Strengthen my heart and help me not to depend on my feelings but on the TRUTH and KNOWLEDGE of God. I pray that I will serve Your people from resting in You. That the unlimited resources of Heaven will be where I draw strength and faith in my prayers and requests. That I will lead with the humility of a servant's heart but serve with the heart of a King. A royal priesthood in Jesus Name. Amen~

Life's Lessons

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

(Micah 6:8 NIV)

Two weeks ago, my youth pastor told me that my assignment was to memorise this verse. At that time, I thought~ "How does this verse apply to me now?" So I went back that day, not thinking much about this verse. I read the MSG version which translates this verse as:

But he’s already made it plain how to live, what to do,

what God is looking for in men and women.

It’s quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbour,

be compassionate and loyal in your love,

and don’t take yourself too seriously—

take God seriously.

(Micah 6:8 MSG)

1. To act justly --> to do what is fair and just

2. To love mercy --> to be compassionate and loyal in my love

3. To walk humbly with my God --> to walk with and not before God, acknowledging that I need Him because I am weak but He is strong

The last point was a huge question mark to me.. Why did Jerm have to repeat "to walk humbly with my God, not before Him" three times? To walk with means to have God accompany me and walk alongside me. That when I face a problem, a difficult time or an issue, He is the first person I speak to for help because He's right beside me. However, to walk before means to walk on my own first and come across a stumbling block on my own and try to resolve it with my own strength first. And until I realise I cannot do it on my own, then I go to God for help.

Sometimes in life, we tend to get too caught up with ourselves and allow everything to revolve around me, myself and I. But Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds." Unless we die to ourselves and our selfish desires, our life will forever revolve around ourselves. But if we allow that part of us to die, it will produce much fruit because the seeds are able to be scattered. I remember Pastor Jeremy Seaward once said that unless we die to ourselves, we cannot bear fruits because we are looking only at our own needs and we focus on ourselves instead of the needs of others. But a revivalist is someone who looks out for the needs of others first. Who's willing to spend time in discipleship.

I remember the assignments given to me by Jerm when we met up 2 weeks ago.. To memorise Micah 6:8 NIV, to write a letter to God and burn it symbolically, to share the part of me God is working at to restore and expose to the light so that what is dark will also become light. And for our cell to look into expanding, look into reading Ephesians together. I pray that this will all be done in God's time and speed. In Jesus Name, amen.