WORDS OF LIFE?

A new beginning

2011-06-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Reading through my old post allows me to realize that i have greatly matured. though i still have problems that i faced, i am more able to think in depth. was this why God allow me to be present and to endure this sufferings. thinking back about everything that has happen to me since i was born. What was God plan, why did He chose me? have I do things according to his way?
month of june year 2011
i have started on a fresh start, going to poly afresh
currently helping out titus, hoping to groom people and making titus into a normal cell. Gonna do bible study with three school girls and currently have jac bible studying with me.
Its tough being in my position, to know stuff going in church, yet unable to do anything to help. To see our church lacking the passion for their religion, saddening to see lesser younger people stepping up to serve in the ministry.at the same time, its discouraging to hear of people going to other churches too. what is happening to my church today? am i able to stir up a revival in their hearts? am i able to encourage younger youths to step up? am i able to be an impact in Titus? reflecting on these questions always make me tired. collin will not be in titus for long, rebecca is the only cell leader and wei liang is the helper together with me. I really hope that i can bond with the titus females that should they have any problems they can always look for me or bec... this is tough.

I'm afraid that it will be gone before i reach 20. aching pains plague my ears recently. im scared, fearful, what if its gone? am i able to handle it? would i become despondent? i mean, i like music, im currently serving in music ministry for my church. This fear of mine is like a time bomb waiting to detonate. will i become the "odd" one in school? will i be the "odd" one in church? i really dont know.

I stand before you Lord. Use me how you want me to be used.Im thankful for sending angels to look after me. thankful that im able to chat with the younger youth members.

Lord, i stand here worried for the two sisters you gave me. im worried for another sister and brother of mine. Lord please grant them adequate rest and renewal of strength. im nobody but i hope you hear me Lord. Cleanse me of my sin Lord. i know im unworthy to gather the crumbs of my table, all i ask daily is forguiveness, in my thoughts and actions.

2010-12-05T05:57:00.000-08:00

today, i keep pondering over what my brothers and sisters talk to me. i constantly fight with myself, who am i to judge? i feel so weak. why me? why must i know things that people believed i'm mature enough to handle? i'm trying hard not to judge, simply cause all of us are humans. we are not infallible.All of us have faults and good attributes. this is how we're unique. But i just couldn't really see a person's true nature can I? maybe all i have to do is to just give my whole life to you God. maybe you can guide me and lead me. Use me as a learning tool for others. show me how to really learn from others too and make myself always available to others. let them know that i'm willing to listen.

2010-11-28T06:28:00.000-08:00

yesterday was fun:P
morning to round evening : music ministry retreat
learnt alot of god stuff over there, will prob follow up with nic:)
after that i chiong out to meet jessie for T party
followed by meeting with sharon and QC for Deco meeting
Today
v tiring and exhausting but i tink its quite good.
watch movie with my best Beats, awesome! ok will be updating next time

2010-11-20T04:01:00.001-08:00

Question: "How can I find joy in the midst of trials?"

Answer: James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” This is the very first thing James writes in his letter after his salutation. Why? Because of its import. Many Christians think once they’ve made that decision for Christ that everything will fall into place and life will be that proverbial bowl of cherries. And when trials and tough times come upon them or continue, they begin to question, “why?” Wondering how they could possibly endure horrible circumstances and consider it joy.

Peter also tackles this subject of joy through trials. “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Peter 1:6-9).

In both of these passages, we see the instruction of what we should do. ‘Consider it pure joy…’ ‘In this you greatly rejoice…’ Why? Because trials make us stronger. The James passage clearly states that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. And the Peter passage states that our faith, which is priceless, will be proved genuine and result in praise to God. But how? How can we find joy in the midst of all the junk, hardships, and painful circumstances?

First, we need to understand that joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness comes and goes sometimes as often as waves hitting the shore. Happiness isn’t something you can cling to when you’ve lost a loved one, or are facing bankruptcy. Joy, on the other hand can stay with you for the long haul. The reason? Real joy is from God. For the believer, it is like a bottomless well of water—always an abundant supply. Even in the darkest days, when sadness, grief, and loss may threaten to overwhelm you, God’s joy is there.

Second, we need to understand that God’s joy cannot be taken away. Oh, you might think that it’s gone—that the hands of misfortune have snatched it from you—but it’s not. As believers, we are promised the constant presence of the Holy Spirit. We are promised His joy. Just as our salvation is assured through Jesus’ one-time sacrifice for all. Jesus’ words in John 15:11, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” Other examples, Acts 13:52, “And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 16:34, “The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.”

Third, we need to stop wallowing, whining and complaining and grab onto God’s joy. Just like salvation is a free and perfect gift from Him, we must reach out and accept that gift. Grab onto it. Like a lifeline. Choose joy. Over bitterness, anger, and sorrow. Make a decision to choose joy every day. No matter what. Look at these great examples in Scripture: “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” (2 Corinthians 8:2-3). “You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” (1 Thessalonians 1:6). “Be joyful always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). “You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions” (Hebrews 10:34). And the best illustration of all, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2).

All through Scripture we see the persecution of the church, the trials, and hardships that believers have faced. The challenge then is to truly learn how to consider each trial joy.

This topic is very near and dear to my heart because it is a lesson I’m relearning each and every day. My daughter has a rare nerve disorder, she’s had brain surgery, and we’ve faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles, mountains of medical bills, bankruptcy, and foreclosure. But you know what I have discovered? God’s joy really is there. You can consider each trial joy, you can greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory even when you feel like you are face-first in the mud puddle. You can endure whatever circumstances are making you quake in your boots right now. If you have been saved through faith in Jesus Christ—you have all you need.

Grab onto God’s joy.

2010-11-20T04:00:00.001-08:00

Question: "Is it wrong to feel disappointment with God?"

Answer: Disappointment with God is not necessarily wrong or sinful; rather, it is a part of the human condition. The word "disappointment" means "a feeling of dissatisfaction when one’s hopes, desires, and expectations fail to come to pass." When God somehow fails to satisfy our hopes or doesn’t live up to our expectations, disappointment inevitably follows. If God doesn’t perform in the manner we think He should, we are disillusioned with Him and dissatisfied with His performance. This can lead to wavering faith in God, especially in His sovereignty and His goodness.

When God doesn’t act when we think He should act, it isn’t because He is unable to do so. Rather, He simply chooses not to. While this might seem an arbitrary or capricious act on His part, the exact opposite is true. God chooses to act or not to act according to His perfect and holy will in order to bring about His righteous purposes. Nothing happens that is out of God’s plan. He has control of every molecule that floats around in the universe, and God’s will encompasses every act and decision made by every person throughout the world at all times. He tells us in Isaiah 46:11, “From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.” Even the birds are somehow part of His foreordained plan. Furthermore, there are times when He chooses to let us know His plans (Isaiah 46:10) and times when He does not. Sometimes we understand what He is doing; sometimes we do not (Isaiah 55:9). One thing we do know for sure: if we belong to Him, whatever He does will be to our benefit, whether we understand it or not (Romans 8:28).

The key to avoiding disappointment with God is to align our wills with His and to submit to His will in all things. Doing so will not only keep us from being disappointed with God, but it will also preclude grumbling and complaining about the events that occur in our lives. The Israelites in the desert griped and questioned God on several occasions, despite having seen miraculous displays of His power in the parting of the Red Sea, the provision of manna and quail in the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord that followed them in the form of a pillar of fire (Exodus 15–16; Numbers 14:2-37). Despite God’s continual faithfulness to His people, they grumbled and were disappointed with God because He did not act as they thought He should. Rather than submitting to His will and trusting Him, they were in a constant state of turmoil and confusion.

When we align our wills with God’s will and when we can say, with Jesus, “Not my will but yours be done” (Luke 22:42), then we find the contentment Paul spoke of in 1 Timothy 6:6-10 and Philippians 4:11-12. Paul had learned to be content with whatever God sent his way. He trusted God and submitted to His will, knowing that a holy, righteous, perfect, loving, and merciful God would work all things together for his good because that is what He promised. When we see God in that light, we can’t possibly be disappointed with Him. Rather, we submit willingly to our heavenly Father, knowing that His will is perfect and that everything He brings to pass in our lives will be for our good and for His glory.

2010-11-17T02:02:00.000-08:00

as i stop to ponder over things, i realize how fragile we teens are. When we face trouble and tribulations, we quickly run to God, in hope he can help us with things.What we failed to notice is that we also need to maintain a close walk with God, not only going to him when we need him, but going to him to learn more about him, to love him and to thank him for everything he has done for us. We as humans, failed to see all the things he had done for us , thus not really caring much about him. However, when trouble approaches us, we quickly hide and seek His favour, is this what God really want from us? he wants us to be near him forever:)

2010-11-10T06:50:00.000-08:00

qn:what if God is just like the other 'Gods'? If he sets the rule that no other Gods should be before him then why he dun wan to in the first place not let us create them? Cos because of wad we did, many people decided not to follow God. And end up in hell.And these ppl dun even that there's even a God.And not everyone evangelize.

Ans:In the first place, there's is only one God. And he did set the commandment that no other Gods should be before him,but then again God gave us free will. It is us humans who decided to built idols and worship them. God loves us so much that he gave us free will, however, He is hurting inside when we have idols and place them before him. what can be define as idols? Idols could be ppl that you idolized such as K-POP stars, Justin Bieber etc... they could also be money ...etc... If he did not allow us to create them, does this account to giving us free will?
And Judgement day will only come when everyone on this earth has heard about Jesus.And for this to happen, we christians must pluck the courage to evagelize. It is up to the person to accept Christ, afterall he has free will. We can't force him to do anything we want him to do, he must have the heart to really understand God, to learn about him and to love him.
*this is my personal view, feel free to correct me or anything=)

2010-11-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

Qn: y did God create humans even though he knew we're gonna sin and this would cost him his son?
Ans:this is due to His great love for us and He gave us free will. Would you rather allow the world to be dominated by robots without feelings or rather humans who have feelings and free will to decide? when he first created us, he wanted us to be the rulers over animal in our world.God make us differently from animals,he gave us free will and a soul!
you see, God created adam and eve so perfect, without any flaw. But when they chose to sin,we were separated from God. Thus he had to send Jesus to bring us back to God,this shows the extent he loves us that he was willing to sacrifice his son instead of erasing mankind.if he wipe out mankind, he won't have to experience heartache caused by us.The prevailing theme throughout the bible is God's love.
he knows we will suffer if we make wrong decisions, but He gave us free will right?
ANALOGY(adapted from desmond hoo=D):f i'm a programmer for a robot,i know exactly how the robot works.lets say i made a robot to follow a white line on a black platform.it is to follow the route,ideally, but whether or not the robot follows it according to what i imagined, might be different.there might be light interference in the room that causes the robot to go offtrack etc. but i'm the programmer, i should know!yep, i do know!but the actual course of route might be slightly different and when we say God can foresee the future.does dis interference render God as a useless god?i think it does but if we see God as One who is all-knowing and loving.He knows the interference would distract the robot.but cause of His love, He did not program us to be robots to RIGIDLY follow a set of commands.instead, He allowed us to choose the white line or the distractions and sometimes, being human, we get into trouble coz we chose distractions.but coz again, He's all loving,He doesnt throw us in a shredder and make a new robot.but He fine tunes us (hence, the bible, testimonies, sermons, sunday fellowships)so that we can haf a lifetime to try again.of coz its also up to us to decide whether we want to go back to our Programmer for help.but once we decided to go back, the Programmer will DEFINITELY help us.so in a way, He foresees, but allowing it doesn't mean He don't love us anymore.ike army.my dad would;ve foreseen the pain and dread army can bring me his son, whom he loves)but he still allowed me to go through army, coz he knows its good for me.does he love me for allowing 'pain' in 2yrs of my life?of coz he does?

the main point is that everything we have on the earth all belongs to God.being christians, our eyes are opened to see and understand that our lives are beyond what it is on earth.earth is only our 'tent', temporary dwelling place. our home, is heaven and when we're here, its our privilege to know God for who He is.
not what He is.its not His hands we're often looking for, but His face.God is more than we can comprehend. And don't forget, Go's way and thinking are way higher than us humans. How can our finite brain tries to comprehend God's infinite ways???He chose to love us and sent His Son to bridge the gap, we must understand that while God is loving, God is all-holy as well.He and sin don't mix and since we're sinful, we and Him CANNOT mix.but coz of His immense love for us, He sent His only Son to bridge that gap, so that we can be wif Him as 'redeemed' children

Adapted source: MSN with desmond hoo=)

2010-11-03T08:18:00.000-07:00

ok i tried and tried hard enough, i'm prepared for everything! Bring it on!

2010-09-23T06:47:00.000-07:00

i really need counselling soon... ...

2010-09-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

isit really time for me to let him go?is it really time to say goodbye? am i able to compose myself when the day comes? am i prepared?

2010-08-23T07:03:00.000-07:00

I drift, I burn, I fly
When you sing lullabies
I'm helpless, I'm yearning
I'm like the putty in your hands
I laugh, I dream, I cry
When you take me on a roller coaster ride
You see me through and through
You see just who i am
Just take my hand and
Save me from this place
Heaven knows I'm falling
For you, my sweet embrace
Heaven Knows
Heaven knows I've been waiting for you
I had a dream that i
was falling from the sky
At 90 miles an hour
I was bound to crash and die
But out of nowhere you came and rescued me
There must be some grace in the touch of your face
I'm so happy that I've found you
I'm no longer afraid
Oh ' cause you
Save me from this place
Heaven knows i'm falling
For you my sweet embrace
Heaven knows
Heaven knows I've been waiting
Before i met you
Life was slow-mo
So slow-mo
I thought i had it figured out
But you came and turned my whole world upside down
Save me from this place
Heaven knows I'm falling
For you, my sweet embrace
Heaven knows
Heaven knows you've come to
Save me from this place
Heaven knows I'm falling
For you, my sweet embrace
Heaven Knows
Heaven knows I've been waiting for you
Waiting for you

the only person that can save you is God, trust in him and he'll help you through everything.You can do all things through Christ who gives you strength.

2010-08-22T05:19:00.000-07:00

Passage Jeremiah 15:18:
18Why is my pain perpetual, and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? wilt thou be altogether unto me as a liar, and as waters that fail?

Pain is inevitable in our lives, in life, we'll always face things and stuff that causes us to feel sad. these issues ranges from b/g relationship problems to probably friendship or family issues or perhaps health... so what are you going to do? I believe Jesus has experienced every single pain which we're undergoing through now, but he hasn't given up has he? he had a choice not to come down to this world and to undergo the pain and suffering during his time. he could just walk down from heaven and show that he is the chosen one. but being born from a carpenter and to live in our world made him understand the pain of us suffering... so what now? are you just going to wallow in hurt of what you deem is painful? or rather, would you use this pain to learn something from and to grow stronger??? the choice is up to you, you are the one who decides your own future.

2010-08-21T01:06:00.000-07:00

Question: "What should we learn from the life of John the Baptist?"

Answer: Although his name implies that he baptized people (which he did), John’s life on earth was more than just baptizing. John’s adult life was characterized by blind devotion and utter surrender to Jesus Christ and His kingdom. John’s voice was a “lone voice in the wilderness” (John 1:23) as he proclaimed the coming of the Messiah to a people who desperately needed a Savior. He was the precursor for the modern day evangelist as he unashamedly shared the good news of Jesus Christ. He was a man filled with faith and a role model to those of us who wish to share our faith with others.

Most everyone, believer and non-believer alike, has heard of John the Baptist. He is arguably one of the most significant and well-known figures in the Bible. While John was known as “the Baptist,” he was in fact the first prophet called by God since Malachi some 400 years before his own birth. John’s own coming was foretold over 700 years previously by another prophet. In Isaiah 40:3-5 it states: “A voice of one calling: ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’" This passage illustrates God’s master plan in action as God selected John to be His special ambassador to proclaim His own coming.

Little is actually known of John, although we do know that John was a Levite, one of the special tribe set aside by God to take care of all of the work associated with the temple (Numbers 1:50-53). John was the son of Zechariah, a temple priest of the lineage of Abijah, while John’s mother Elizabeth was from the lineage of Aaron (Luke 1:5). John was also related to Jesus as their mothers were cousins (Luke 1:36). John lived a rugged life in the mountainous area of Judea, between the city of Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It is written that he wore clothes made out of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. His diet was a simple one—locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4). John lived a simple life as he focused on the kingdom work set before him.

John’s ministry grew in popularity, as recounted in Matthew 3:5-6: “People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” We also see that he spoke very boldly to the religious leaders of the day, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, calling them a “brood of vipers” and warning them not to rely on their Jewish lineage for salvation, but to repent and “bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:7-10). People of that day simply did not address leaders, religious or otherwise, in this manner for fear of punishment. But John’s faith made him fearless in the face of opposition.

While his ministry was gaining strength, John’s message was gaining popularity. In fact, it became so popular that many people may have thought that he was the Messiah. This assuredly was not his intent as he had a clear vision for what he was called to do. John 3:28 tells us, “You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.'” This verse speaks of John cautioning his disciples that what they had seen and heard from him is just the beginning of the miracle that was to come in the form of Jesus Christ. John was merely a messenger sent by God to proclaim the truth. His message was simple and direct: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matthew 3:2). He knew that once Jesus appeared on the scene, John’s work would be all but finished. He willingly gave up the spotlight to Jesus saying, “He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:30). Perhaps there is no greater example of humility than the one demonstrated by both Jesus and John in Matthew 3:13-15. Jesus came from Galilee to be baptized by John in the river Jordan.

John rightly recognized that the sinless Son of God needed no baptism of repentance and that he was certainly not worthy to baptize his own Savior. But Jesus answered his concern by requesting baptism “to fulfill all righteousness” meaning that He was identifying Himself with sinners for whom He would ultimately sacrifice Himself, thereby securing all righteousness for them (2 Corinthians 5:21). In humility, John obeyed and consented to baptize Jesus.

John’s ministry, as well as his life, came to an abrupt end at the hand of King Herod. In an act of unspeakable and violent vengeance, Herodias, Herod’s wife and the former wife of Herod’s brother Philip, plotted with her daughter to have John killed. So incensed was Herodias at John for claiming her marriage to Herod to be unlawful that she prompted her daughter to ask for the head of John on a platter as a reward for her pleasing Herod with her dancing. John had previously been arrested by Herod in attempt to silence him, and it was a simple thing to send the executioner to the prison and behead John, which is exactly what happened (Mark 6:17-28). This was a sad and ignoble end to the life of the man about whom Jesus said: “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John” (Luke 7:28).

There are several lessons we can learn from the life of John the Baptist. First, whole-heartedly believing in Jesus Christ is possible. John the Baptist could have believed in and worshipped any number of gods available to him before Jesus arrived on the scene. But at some point in his life John knew that the Messiah was coming. He believed this with his whole heart and spent his days “preparing the way” for the Lord’s coming (Matthew 11:10). But the road was not an easy one to prepare. Daily he faced doubters of various influence and popularity who did not share his enthusiasm for the coming Messiah. Under hard questioning from the Pharisees, John shared his belief: “‘I baptize with water,’ John replied, ‘but among you stands one you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie’" (John 1:26-27). John believed in the Christ and his great faith prepared him for hardships, but it kept him steadfast on his course until the time when he could say as he saw Jesus approach, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). As believers, we can all have this steadfast faith.

Second, anyone can be a strong and serious witness for Jesus Christ. John’s life is an example to us of the seriousness with which we are to approach the Christian life and our call to ministry, whatever that may be. We pattern our lives after John’s by first examining ourselves to be sure we are truly in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Second, like John, we are to know and believe that “to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21), so we can be fearless in the face of persecution and death. John lived his life to introduce others to Jesus Christ, and knew the importance of repenting of one’s sins in order to live a holy and righteous life. And as a follower of Jesus Christ, he also was unafraid of calling out people such as Herod and the Pharisees for their sinful behavior.

Third, John shows us how to stand firm in our faith no matter what the circumstances. Paul reminded Timothy that “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12). But for many of us who live in freedom, persecution takes on a very mild form. As he lived in an occupied country, John had to be aware that anything contrary to utter devotion to the king or emperor was asking for trouble. Yet his message was unchanging, bold and strong. It was John’s belief, his message, and his continual rebuke of King Herod that landed him in prison. While it is hard to know for sure what John was feeling as he sat in prison, we can be sure that he might have had some doubts about the Lord who tested his faith. In fact, John gets a message out to Jesus asking, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). As Christians we all will have our faith put to the test, and we will either falter in our faith or, like John, cling to Christ and stand firm in our faith to the end.

2010-08-21T01:05:00.002-07:00

Question: "Should a Christian use social networking tools (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, blogs, etc.)?"

Answer: Hundreds of millions of people are running toward social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter to participate in the relational components of the Internet. Are these networks the next big mission field or an enormous waste of time? Should a Christian participate in social networking? The answer to these questions should be determined by whether we can honestly ask God to bless and use our actions for His own good purposes. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). If we are willing to let God use our participation for His glory, we have freedom to participate.

Christians who choose to participate in social networking should be aware of the negative aspects of social networking. It should be remembered that not everyone on the internet has pure motives, and we should use safety precautions, utilize the privacy settings, and be selective as to who is accepted as a ‘friend’ or ‘fan.’ Parents should regularly interact with their children and be active participants in their child's use of social networking sites. In addition, Christians should be aware of the danger of narcissism (excessive self-love and preoccupation with self) inherent in self-oriented sites. Studies have shown that overuse or wrong motives in social media participation can breed narcissism. When we rely on social media sites primarily to promote ourselves or draw attention to ourselves, it is time to take a step back. It’s wise to utilize accountability, encouraging spouse, family members, and Christian brothers and sisters to view our social networking activity and hold us accountable. Proverbs 27:17 says, "Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens his friend's countenance."

It’s also important to understand the impact our status, photo, comments, or blog posts may have in the future. It should be remembered that social networking sites involve publishing to the entire Internet, including family members, current and future employers, college admissions personnel, etc. The ramifications of any statements, both now and in the future, should be considered. It should be assumed that everything written is permanent and viewable by everyone. Furthermore, while maintaining relationships is important and healthy, addiction is not. Limiting the amount of time we devote to these social networking sites is both healthy and wise.

On the other hand, there are definitely positive aspects of social networking. For the Christian, social media sites can be an enormously productive mission field. Reconnecting with old friends and increasing our sphere of influence can lead to evangelistic opportunities unavailable elsewhere. Social media allows us to reenter the daily lives of people we may have lost contact with and open up new avenues for sharing Christ. As such, we can influence the views of others by what we post, bringing encouragement and spiritual guidance to others and using friends lists or Facebook status updates to pray regularly for friends and their needs. "Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Finally, social networking sites can engage spiritual seekers on the Internet, meeting those seekers where they are. Just like face-to-face evangelism, we can establish credibility and authenticity in the seeker’s natural and comfortable environment, and then build on that foundation and share the love of Christ with new online friends.

2010-08-21T01:05:00.001-07:00

Question: "What does it mean that we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14)?"

Answer: Psalm 139:14 declares, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” The context of this verse is the incredible nature of our physical bodies. The human body is the most complex and unique organism in the world, and that complexity and uniqueness speaks volumes about the mind of its Creator. Every aspect of the body, down to the tiniest microscopic cell, reveals that it is fearfully and wonderfully made.

Engineers understand how to design strong yet light beams by putting the strong material toward the outside edges of a cross-section and filling the inside with lighter, weaker material. This is done because the greatest amounts of stress occur on the surfaces of a structure when handling common bending or stresses. A cross section of a human bone reveals that the strong material is on the outside and the inside is used as a factory for blood cells of various kinds. When you examine a sophisticated camera with its ability to let in more or less light as needed and its ability to focus automatically over a vast range of field, you find repeated imitations of the operation of the human eye. And yet, having two eyeballs, we also have depth perception which gives us the ability to judge how far away an object is.

The human brain is also an amazing organ, fearfully and wonderfully made. It has the ability to learn, reason, and control so many automatic functions of the body such as heart rate, blood pressure, and breathing, and to maintain balance to walk, run, stand, and sit, all while concentrating on something else. Computers can outdo the human brain in raw calculating power but are primitive when it comes to performing most reasoning tasks. The brain also has an amazing ability to adapt. In an experiment, when people put on glasses that made the world seem upside down, their brains quickly reinterpreted the information they were being given to perceive the world as “right-side-up.” When others were blindfolded for long periods of time, the “vision center” of the brain soon began to be used for other functions. When people move to a house near a railroad, soon the sound of the trains is filtered out by their brains, and they lose conscious thought of the noise.

When it comes to miniaturization, the human body is also a marvel fearfully and wonderfully made. For instance, information needed for the replication of an entire human body, with every detail covered, is stored in the double-helix DNA strand found in the nucleus of each of the billions of cells in the human body. And the system of information and control represented by our nervous system is amazingly compact in comparison to man’s clumsy inventions of wires and optical cables. Each cell, once called a “simple” cell, is a tiny factory not yet fully understood by man. As microscopes become more and more powerful, the incredible vistas of the human cell begin to come into focus.

Consider the single fertilized cell of a newly conceived human life. From that one cell within the womb develop all the different kinds of tissues, organs, and systems, all working together at just the right time in an amazingly coordinated process. An example is the hole in the septum between the two ventricles in the heart of the newborn infant. This hole closes up at exactly the right time during the birth process to allow for the oxygenation of the blood from the lungs, which does not occur while the baby is in the womb and is receiving oxygen through the umbilical cord.

Further, the body’s immune system is able to fight off so many enemies and restore itself from the smallest repair (even repairing bad portions of DNA) to the largest (mending bones and recovering from major accidents). Yes, there are diseases that will eventually overcome the body as we age, but we have no idea how many times through a lifetime that our immune systems have saved us from certain death.

The functions of the human body are also incredible. The ability to handle large, heavy objects and to also carefully manipulate a delicate object without breaking it is also amazing. We can shoot a bow with the arrow repeatedly hitting a distant target, peck away quickly at a computer keyboard without thinking about the keys, crawl, walk, run, twirl around, climb, swim, do somersaults and flips, and perform “simple” tasks such as unscrewing a light bulb, brushing our teeth, and lacing up our shoes—again without thinking. Indeed, these are “simple” things, but man has yet to design and program a robot that is able to perform such a vast range of tasks and motions.

The function of the digestive tract and the related organs, the longevity of the heart, the formation and function of nerves and of blood vessels, the cleansing of the blood through the kidneys, the complexity of the inner and middle ear, the sense of taste and smell, and so many other things we barely understand—each one is a marvel and beyond man’s ability to duplicate. Truly, we are fearfully and wonderfully made. How grateful we are to know the Creator—through His Son, Jesus Christ—and to marvel not only at His knowledge but also at His love (Psalm 139:17-24).

2010-08-01T03:32:00.002-07:00

Question: "Is God male or female?"

Answer: In examining Scripture, two facts become clear. First, God is a Spirit and does not possess human characteristics or limitations. Second, all the evidence contained in Scripture agrees that God revealed Himself to mankind in a male form. To begin, God’s true nature needs to be understood. God is a Person, obviously, because God exhibits all the characteristics of personhood: God has a mind, a will, an intellect, and emotions. God communicates and He has relationships, and God’s personal actions are evidenced throughout Scripture.

As John 4:24 states, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” Since God is a spiritual being, He does not possess physical human characteristics. However, sometimes figurative language used in Scripture assigns human characteristics to God in order to make it possible for man to understand God. This assignment of human characteristics to describe God is called “anthropomorphism.” Anthropomorphism is simply a means for God (a spiritual being) to communicate truth about His nature to humanity, physical beings. Since humanity is physical, we are limited in our understanding of those things beyond the physical realm; therefore, anthropomorphism in Scripture helps us to understand who God is.

Some of the difficulty comes in examining the fact that humanity is created in God’s image. Genesis 1:26-27 says, “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.’ So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Both man and woman are created in the image of God, in that they are greater than all the other creations as they, like God, have a mind, will, intellect, emotions, and moral capacity. Animals do not possess a moral capacity and do not possess an immaterial component like humanity does. The image of God is the spiritual component that humanity alone possesses. God created humanity to have a relationship with Him. Humanity is the only creation designed for that purpose.

That said, man and woman are only patterned after the image of God—they are not tiny “copies” of God. The fact that there are men and women does not require God to have male and female features. Remember, being made in the image of God has nothing to do with physical characteristics.

We know that God is a spiritual being and does not possess physical characteristics. This does not limit, however, how God may choose to reveal Himself to humanity. Scripture contains all the revelation God gave to humanity about Himself, and so it is the only objective source of information about God. In looking at what Scripture tells us, there are several observations of evidence about the form in which God revealed Himself to humanity.

Scripture contains approximately 170 references to God as the “Father.” By necessity, one cannot be a father unless one is male. If God had chosen to be revealed to man in a female form, then the word “mother” would have occurred in these places, not “father.” In the Old and New Testaments, masculine pronouns are used over and over again in reference to God.

Jesus Christ referred to God as the Father several times and in other cases used masculine pronouns in reference to God. In the Gospels alone, Christ uses the term “Father” in direct reference to God nearly 160 times. Of particular interest is Christ’s statement in John 10:30: “I and the Father are one.” Obviously, Jesus Christ came in the form of a human man to die on the cross as payment for the sins of the world. Like God the Father, Jesus was revealed to humanity in a male form. Scripture records numerous other instances where Christ utilized masculine nouns and pronouns in reference to God.

The New Testament Epistles (from Acts to Revelation) also contain nearly 900 verses where the word theos—a masculine noun in the Greek—is used in direct reference to God. In countless references to God in Scripture, there is clearly a consistent pattern of His being referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns. While God is not a man, He chose a masculine form in order to reveal Himself to humanity. Likewise, Jesus Christ, who is constantly referred to with masculine titles, nouns, and pronouns, took a male form while He walked on the earth. The prophets of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament refer to both God and Jesus Christ with masculine names and titles. God chose to be revealed in this form in order for man to more easily grasp who He is. While God makes allowances in order to help us understand Him, it is important to not try to “force God into a box,” so to speak, by placing limitations on Him that are not appropriate to His nature.

2010-08-01T03:32:00.001-07:00

yes you did it again... what you want to do sia...

2010-07-31T05:39:00.003-07:00

Question: "What are the dangers of postmodernism?"

Answer: Simply put, Postmodernism is a philosophy that affirms no objective or absolute truth, especially in matters of religion and spirituality. When confronted with a truth claim regarding the reality of God and religious practice, Postmodernism’s viewpoint is exemplified in the statement “that may be true for you, but not for me.” While such a response may be completely appropriate when discussing favorite foods or preferences toward art, such a mindset is dangerous when it is applied to reality because it confuses matters of taste and opinion with truth.

The term “Postmodernism” literally means “after Modernism” and is used to philosophically describe the current era which came after the age of Modernism. Postmodernism is a reaction (or perhaps more appropriately, a disillusioned response) to Modernism’s failed promise of using human reason alone to better mankind and make the world a better place. Because one of Modernism’s beliefs was that absolutes did indeed exist, Postmodernism seeks to “correct” things by first eliminating absolute truth and making everything (including the empirical sciences and religion) relative to an individual’s beliefs and desires.

The dangers of Postmodernism can be viewed as a downward spiral that begin with the rejection of absolute truth, which then leads to a loss of distinctions in matters of religion and faith, and finally culminates in a philosophy of religious pluralism that says no faith or religion is objectively true and therefore no one can claim his or her religion is true and another is false.

Dangers of Postmodernism - #1 – Relative Truth

Postmodernism’s stance of relative truth is the outworking of many generations of philosophical thought. From Augustine to the Reformation, the intellectual aspects of Western civilization and the concept of truth were dominated by theologians. But, beginning with the Renaissance periods of the 14th – 17th centuries, thinkers began to elevate humankind to the center of reality. If one were to look at human periods of history like a family tree, the Renaissance would be Modernism’s grandmother and the Enlightenment would be its mother. Renee Descartes’ “I think, therefore I am” personified the beginning of this era. God was not the center of truth any longer – man now was.

The Enlightenment was in a way the complete imposition of the scientific model of rationality upon all aspects of truth and claimed that only scientific data could be objectively understood, defined, and defended. Truth as it pertained to religion was left out and discarded. The philosopher who straddled this epoch’s and Modernism’s contribution to relative truth was the Prussian Immanuel Kant and his work The Critique of Pure Reason, which appeared in 1781. Among other things, Kant argued that true knowledge about God was impossible so he created a divide of knowledge between “facts” and “faith.” According to Kant, “Facts have nothing to do with religion.” The end result was that spiritual matters were assigned to be matters of the heart and just opinion, and only the empirical sciences were allowed to speak of truth. And while Modernism believed in absolutes at least in the area of science, God’s special revelation (the Bible) was evicted from the realm of truth and certainty.

From Modernism came Postmodernism and, whereas Kant marked the philosophical transition from the Enlightenment to Modernism, Frederick Nietzsche may symbolize the shift from Modernism to Postmodernism. As the patron saint of postmodernist philosophy, Nietzsche held to “perspectivism,” which says that all knowledge (including science) is a matter of perspective and interpretation. Many other philosophers have built upon Nietzsche’s work (e.g. Foucault, Rorty, and Lyotard) and have shared his rejection of God and religion in general. They also rejected any hint of absolute truth, or as Lyotard put it, a rejection of a metanarrative (a truth that transcends all peoples and cultures).

This philosophical march through history against objective truth has resulted in Postmodernism having a complete aversion to any claim to absolutes, with such a mindset naturally painting a huge bull’s-eye on something that declares to be inerrant truth, such as the Bible.

Dangers of Postmodernism - #2 – Loss of Discernment

The great theologian Thomas Aquinas said, “It is the task of the philosopher to make distinctions.” What Aquinas meant is that truth is dependent upon the ability to discern – the capability to distinguish “this” from “that” in the realm of knowledge. However, if objective and absolute truth does not exist, then everything becomes a matter of personal interpretation. To the postmodern individual, the author of a book does not possess the correct interpretation of their work; it is the reader who actually determines what the book really means – a process called deconstruction. And given that there are multiple readers (vs. one author), there are naturally multiple interpretations, with the end result being no universally valid interpretation.

Such a chaotic situation makes it impossible to make meaningful or lasting distinctions between interpretations because there is no standard or benchmark that can be used. This especially applies to matters of faith and religion because the philosophers of the Enlightenment and Modernism had already deposed religion to the compartment of opinion. Such being the case, it naturally follows that attempting to make proper and meaningful distinctions in the area of religion (ones that dare suggest that one belief is right and another invalid) carries no more weight than one person arguing that chocolate tastes better than vanilla. In such situations, it becomes impossible to objectively adjudicate between competing truth claims.

Dangers of Postmodernism - #3 – Pluralism

If absolute truth does not exist, and if there is no way to make meaningful, right/wrong distinctions between different faiths and religions, then the natural conclusion is that all beliefs must be given equal weight and considered valid. The proper term for this practical outworking in Postmodernism is “philosophical pluralism.” With pluralism, no religion has the right to pronounce itself right or true and the other competing faiths false, or even relatively inferior. For those who espouse a philosophical religious pluralism, there is no longer any heresy, except perhaps the view that there are heresies. D. A. Carson underscores conservative evangelical’s concerns about what they see as the dangerous element of pluralism when he says, “In my most somber moods I sometimes wonder if the ugly face of what I refer to as philosophical pluralism is the most dangerous threat to the gospel since the rise of the Gnostic heresy in the second century.”

These progressive dangers of Postmodernism – relative truth, a loss of discernment, and philosophical pluralism – represent real and imposing threats to Christianity because they collectively relegate God’s Word to something that has no real authority over mankind and no ability to show itself as true in a world of competing religious voices. What is Christianity’s response to these challenges?

Response to the Dangers of Postmodernism

It should first be stated that Christianity claims to be absolutely true, claims that meaningful distinctions in matters of right/wrong (as well as spiritual truth and falsehood) exist, and claims to be correct in its claims about God with any contrary claims from competing religions being incorrect. Such a stance provokes cries of “arrogance” and “intolerance” from Postmodernism. However, truth is not a matter of attitude or preference, and when closely examined, the foundations and philosophies of Postmodernism quickly crumble and reveal Christianity’s claims to be both plausible and compelling.

First, Christianity claims that absolute truth exists. In fact, Jesus specifically says that He was sent and born to do one thing: “to testify to the truth” (John 18:37). Postmodernism says that no truth should be affirmed, yet its position is one that is self-defeating – it affirms at least one absolute truth: that no truth should be affirmed. This means that Postmodernism does believe in absolute truth, and such a fact is exemplified by its philosophers who write books stating things they expect their readers to embrace and believe as truth. Putting it simply, one professor has said, “When someone says there is no such thing as truth, they are asking you not to believe them. So don’t.”

Second, Christianity claims that meaningful distinctions exist between the Christian faith and all other beliefs. However, it should be understood that those claiming that meaningful distinctions do not exist between religions are actually making a distinction. They are attempting to showcase a difference in what they believe to be true and the Christian’s truth claims. Postmodernist authors expect their readers to come to the right conclusions about what they have written and will correct those who interpret their work differently than they have intended. Again, their position and philosophy proves itself to be self-defeating because they eagerly make distinctions between what they believe to be correct and what they see as being false.

Finally, Christianity claims to be universally true in what it says regarding man’s lostness before God, the sacrifice of Christ on behalf of fallen mankind, and the separation between God and anyone who chooses not to accept what God says about sin and the need for repentance. When Paul addressed the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers on Mars Hill, he said, “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30, emphasis added). Paul’s declaration was not a “this is true for me, but may not be true for you” statement, but rather an exclusive and universal command (i.e. a metanarrative) from God to everyone. Any postmodernist who says this is false is committing an error against his own pluralistic philosophy that says no faith or religion is incorrect because, once again, he violates his own mandate of saying every religion is equally true.

In the same way that it is not arrogant for a math teacher to insist that 2+2=4 or for a locksmith to insist that only one key will fit a locked door, it is not arrogant for the Christian to stand against Postmodernist thinking and insist that Christianity is true and anything opposed to it is false. Absolute truth does exist, consequences do exist for being wrong, and while pluralism may be desirable in matters of food preferences, it is not so in matters of truth. The Christian is to present God’s truth in love and simply ask any postmodernist who is angered by the exclusive claims of Christianity, “So have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16).

2010-07-31T05:39:00.001-07:00

Question: "Is the Bible relevant for today?"

Answer: Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” While the Bible was completed approximately 1900 years ago, its accuracy and relevance for today remain unchanged. The Bible is the sole objective source of all the revelation God has given us about Himself and His plan for humanity.

The Bible contains a great deal of information about the natural world that has been confirmed by scientific observations and research. Some of these passages include Leviticus 17:11; Ecclesiastes 1:6-7; Job 36:27-29; Psalm 102:25-27 and Colossians 1:16-17. As the Bible’s story of God’s redemptive plan for humanity unfolds, many different characters are vividly described. In those descriptions, the Bible provides a great deal of information about human behavior and tendencies. Our own day-to-day experience shows us that this information is more accurate and descriptive of the human condition than any psychology textbook. Many historical facts recorded in the Bible have been confirmed by extra-biblical sources. Historical research often shows a great deal of agreement between biblical accounts and extra-biblical accounts of the same events.

However, the Bible is not a history book, a psychology text, or a scientific journal. The Bible is the description God gave us about who He is, and His desires and plans for humanity. The most significant component of this revelation is the story of our separation from God by sin and God’s provision for restoration of fellowship through the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross. Our need for redemption does not change. Neither does God’s desire to reconcile us to Himself.

The Bible contains a great deal of accurate and relevant information. The Bible’s most important message—redemption—is universally and perpetually applicable to humanity. God’s Word will never be outdated, superseded, or improved upon. Cultures change, laws change, generations come and go, but the Word of God is as relevant today as it was when it was first written. Not all of Scripture necessarily applies explicitly to us today, but all Scriptures contain truth that we can, and should, apply to our lives today.

2010-07-29T06:20:00.000-07:00

went for healing encounter on tues, at that point of my life, i decided to give Him everything. i'll not suffer and wallow in self denial and self pity. God please help me.

2010-07-23T06:04:00.001-07:00

Question: "Who created God? Where did God come from?"

Answer: A common argument from atheists and skeptics is that if all things need a cause, then God must also need a cause. The conclusion is that if God needed a cause, then God is not God (and if God is not God, then of course there is no God). This is a slightly more sophisticated form of the basic question “Who made God?” Everyone knows that something does not come from nothing. So, if God is a “something,” then He must have a cause, right?

The question is tricky because it sneaks in the false assumption that God came from somewhere and then asks where that might be. The answer is that the question does not even make sense. It is like asking, “What does blue smell like?” Blue is not in the category of things that have a smell, so the question itself is flawed. In the same way, God is not in the category of things that are created or caused. God is uncaused and uncreated—He simply exists.

How do we know this? We know that from nothing, nothing comes. So, if there were ever a time when there was absolutely nothing in existence, then nothing would have ever come into existence. But things do exist. Therefore, since there could never have been absolutely nothing, something had to have always been in existence. That ever-existing thing is what we call God. God is the uncaused Being that caused everything else to come into existence. God is the uncreated Creator who created the universe and everything in it.

once again

2010-07-09T07:40:00.000-07:00

so i decided to tell my cell leaders about it.. did i make the correct decision??? or rather was it dumb of me to hide the truth from them? well i cant blame myself right? i mean.. its only human to think in that way right? who would want to be treated in a different way? and i know blaming God for everything thats happening to me is stupid cause God planned this for a reason... oh well who are we to blame God??? people in this society should realized how fortunate they are... especially teenagers..this generation is the strawberry generation.they are emotionally and physically weak... a little bit of trouble they encounter will lead them to be suicidal... what is the world coming to? don't you people realized how lucky you are to be in this world when there are so many still born in the world? lucky to be in perfect health when there are people around you that might be physically or mentally handicapped? yet you are willing to give up your life after facing some minor setback? if so, i would be the first to die...

LIFE?????

2010-07-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

i hate myself for everything, for being born in this world, for being who i am today... but i think its time to face up to reality... sometimes life really sucks to the core but i guess all i can do is to take things in stride..... the girl who always cries herself to sleep will now grow up and become void of feelings... she is trying to forget the unhappiness which is causing a stir in her heart.. will i succeed? i mean... if i become void of feelings .. will i lose my personality like what he said?
and yet today i realize how fragile life can be...

2010-04-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

have you ever wondered whether God is real? Or is it some story cooked up for humanity because we all need something to believe in and so we decided to create a supernatural thing named "GOD?" Do you really believed in everything the Book(BIBLE) says??? Or do you also doubt what they are conveying to us? Who is GOD actually??? Is he someone who loves us so much to allow us to have our own free will in our decisions which sometimes will also hurt him? Are we(Christians) the best person to preach? When sometimes Christians are not even acting the way they are suppose to act? Jealousy? Gossiping? Lying? Murder(anger)? I admit i'm also guilty of these acts, but i'm trying hard to not commit these crimes anymore.However,there are numerous Christians that commit these crimes even though they know what they're doing is wrong! I know i'm in no position to judge according to Matthew 7:1. You talk about the head of church acting in a wrong way, what evidence do you have to substantiate? I have personally talk to him, have you? Or have you judge him because you hear from your mother certain incidents about him? Like how he went out to make someone somebody. You do know what i'm talking about don't you?You know i'm talking to him the next day and you told me about that incident? I don't believe that you don't know how trusting and gullible i am. Why do people always take advantage of me? Why do people also make fun of me too? Am i really that easy to take advantage of? It's damn tiring to always say yes you do know right? Why are people taking advantage of my good-nature?You do believe that undergoing pain will make you stronger??? what if it has a contradictory effect on us lei? What IF we became even weaker because of this painful situation we had to undergo which supposedly make us "stronger"? I really don't know la, as you have said, i'm exhausted, physically,mentally,emotionally and spiritually.... sometimes i look for alternatives to release the pain of everything, but can I really do it?I give up la!

2010-03-26T09:16:00.000-07:00

its over for him, i seriously have no idea as to how to help him!He won't listen to advice whatsoever. God, i pray that you'll help me as well as him to grow more mature in our walk with you go. Guide us how to proceed from our 'ever seem hopeless' situation. Teach us not to harm our body for it is the temple of You Lord. Let your word speak to us as we go through difficult times in our lives, be it friendship, academic, spiritually, mentally or whatsoever. Allow us to learn when you placed us in certain circumstances, show us the way as to how to approach the crux of the problem. God, i entrust his and my lives into your hands. May you use us as tools for your work as we believe in you whole-heartedly. Use us fruitfully as we want to serve you Lord. In Jesus' name, AMEN! =) i hope that someday he'll wake up and stop this nonsense.

2010-03-19T22:00:00.001-07:00

Question: "What does the Bible say about spiritual warfare?"

Answer: There are two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare—over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and every problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm and the fact that the Bible tells us our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people and sometimes healed people with no mention of the demonic. The apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6) and to wage war against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Ephesians 6:10-12 declares, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” This text teaches some crucial truths: we can only be strong in the Lord’s power, it is God’s armor that protects us, and our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.

A powerful example of someone strong in the Lord’s power is Michael, the archangel, in Jude 9. Michael, likely the most powerful of all of God’s angels, did not rebuke Satan in his own power, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Revelation 12:7-8 records that in the end times Michael will defeat Satan. Still, when it came to his conflict with Satan, Michael rebuked Satan in God’s name and authority, not his own. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that Christians have any authority over Satan and his demons. It is only in His Name that our rebuke has any power.

Ephesians 6:13-18 gives a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit, and by praying in the Spirit. What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent in spiritual warfare? We are to speak the truth against Satan’s lies. We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the gospel no matter how much resistance we receive. We are not to waver in our faith, no matter how strongly we are attacked. Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have of our salvation, an assurance that no spiritual force can take away. Our offensive weapon is the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. We are to follow Jesus’ example in recognizing that some spiritual victories are only possible through prayer.

Jesus is our ultimate example for spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan when He was tempted by him in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11). Each temptation was answered the same way—with the words “It is written.” Jesus knew the Word of the living God is the most powerful weapon against the temptations of the devil. If Jesus Himself used the Word to counter the devil, do we dare to use anything less?

The ultimate example of how not to engage in spiritual warfare is the seven sons of Sceva. “Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?’ Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding” (Acts 19:13-16). The seven sons of Sceva were using Jesus’ name. That is not enough. The seven sons of Sceva did not have a relationship with Jesus; therefore, their words were void of any power or authority. The seven sons of Sceva were relying on a methodology. They were not relying on Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and they were not employing the Word of God in their spiritual warfare. As a result, they received a humiliating beating. May we learn from their bad example and conduct spiritual warfare as the Bible instructs.

In summary, what are the keys to success in spiritual warfare? First, we rely on God’s power, not our own. Second, we rebuke in Jesus’ Name, not our own. Third, we protect ourselves with the full armor of God. Fourth, we wage warfare with the sword of the Spirit—the Word of God. Finally, we remember that while we wage spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons, not every sin or problem is a demon that needs to be rebuked.

2010-03-13T05:23:00.000-08:00

Question: "Why is "You shall not covet" in the Ten Commandments?"

Answer: The key to understanding this commandment is in the definition of the word “covet.” Two different Hebrew words are used in the passages condemning coveting (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:12), and both mean to lust after or to long for with great desire. Since the commandments are given as “you shall not’s,” the desire in this case is for something that is not the property of the desirer and not rightfully his to long after. In this commandment, the Israelites are told not to lust after his neighbor’s possessions—his house, land, ox or donkey, or the people in his life—his wife or servants, both male and female. The Israelites were not to desire, long for, or set their hearts on anything that belonged to anyone else.

Whereas several of the commandments prohibit certain actions, such as murder and theft, this is one of the commandments that addresses the inner person, his heart and mind. As James 1:15 tells us, the inner person is where sin originates and in this case, covetousness is the forerunner of all manner of sin, among them theft, burglary, and embezzlement. At its root, coveting is the result of envy, a sin which, once it takes root in the heart, leads to worse sins. Jesus reiterated this very thought in the Sermon on the Mount when He said that lust in the heart is every bit as sinful as committing adultery (Matthew 5:28). Envy goes beyond casting a longing glance at the neighbor’s new car. Once dwelled upon, envy of the neighbor’s possessions can turn to feelings of resentment and hatred for the neighbor himself. That can turn into resentment against God and questioning Him: “Why can’t I have what he has, Lord? Don’t you love me enough to give me what I want?”

God’s reasons for condemning covetousness are good ones. At its very core, envy is love of self. Envious, selfish citizens are unhappy and discontented citizens. A society built of such people is a weak one because envious malcontents, as stated before, will be more likely to commit crimes against one another, further weakening the societal structure. Furthermore, the New Testament identifies covetousness as a form of idolatry, a sin which God detests (Colossians 3:5). In the end, envy and covetousness are Satan’s tools to distract us from pursuing the only thing that will ever make us happy and content—God Himself. God’s Word tells us that “godliness with contentment is great gain” and that we should be content with the basic necessities of life (1 Timothy 6:6-8), because true happiness is not attained by things, but by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. By this alone do we gain that which is worthy, true, solid, satisfying, and durable—the unsearchable riches of God’s grace.

"Christian fasting - what does the Bible say?"

2010-03-05T20:28:00.001-08:00

Question: "Christian fasting - what does the Bible say?"

Answer: Scripture does not command Christians to fast. God does not require or demand it of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and beneficial. The book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:4; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world to focus completely on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to ourselves, that we are serious about our relationship with Him. Fasting helps us gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.

Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything given up temporarily in order to focus all our attention on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when fasting from food. Extended periods of time without eating can be harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish the flesh, but to redirect attention to God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. The purpose of a biblical fast is not to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Anyone can fast, but some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics, for example). Everyone can temporarily give up something in order to draw closer to God.

By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can more successfully turn our attention to Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

could David be considered a man after God's own heart?

2010-03-05T19:43:00.000-08:00

Question: "How could David be considered a man after God's own heart?"

Answer: To understand why David was a man after God’s own heart, we need to see what characteristics he had to qualify for such an exalted description. In the book of Acts the Apostle Paul is speaking before the men of Israel and he tells them of God’s feelings about King David. Speaking first of King Saul the apostle Paul states: “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do'” (Acts 13:22). It would be tempting to ask the obvious question, how could God call David “a man after His heart” when he was such a terrible a sinner, having committed adultery and murder? Much has been written regarding the meaning of the verse and its applicable value today. Much has also been written about David, especially in the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles and 1 and 2 Kings. However, we find much of his character in the book of Psalms as he opened up his life for all to examine. David’s life was a portrait of success and failure, and it highlighted the fact that he was far from perfect. But what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart, even in his most sinful moments, was pointed towards God. So what does it take to be a man after God’s own heart? Let’s look at some key characteristics of David’s life to find out.

First, David had absolute faith in God. Nowhere in Scripture is this point better illustrated than in 1 Samuel 17 where a young shepherd boy named David fearlessly slew the Philistine, Goliath. Shortly before the duel we see direct evidence of David’s faith in verse 37 where David said, "’The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.’" And Saul said to David, ‘Go, and the LORD be with you!’" David was fully aware that God was in control of his life, and he had faith that God would deliver him from impending danger. How else would one venture into a potential life-ending situation with such calm and confidence? David knew early on in life that God was to be trusted and obeyed. As we see in Scripture, David’s faith pleased God and he is rewarded for it by the Lord.

Second, David absolutely loved God’s law. Of the 150 psalms written, David is credited for writing over half of them. Written at various and often troubling times in his life, David repeatedly mentioned how much he loved God’s perfect Word. We find a beautiful example of this in Psalm 119:47-48: “for I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.” It is not hard to see his complete adoration for God’s Word. But also notice how he mentions that he “meditates” on God’s statutes. God granted David understanding and wisdom through daily meditation. We would do well to not only read God’s Word but also think about it throughout the day for God loves when we think about Him. “Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart. They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways” (Psalm 119:2-3).

Third, David was truly thankful. “I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O LORD, proclaiming aloud your praise and telling of all your wonderful deeds” (Psalm 26:6-7). David’s life was marked by seasons of great peace and prosperity as well as times of fear and despair. But throughout all of the seasons in his life he never forgot to thank the Lord for everything that he had. It is truly one of his finest characteristics. "Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name!" (Psalm 100:4, ESV). As followers of Jesus Christ we would do well to follow David’s lead of offering praise through thanksgiving to our Lord on a daily basis.

David was truly repentant. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." 2 Samuel 11:2-5 The mighty fall hard and David’s fall included adultery, lying and murder. He had sinned against God and he had admitted as much in 2 Samuel 12:13; David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. But admitting your sin and asking for forgiveness is only half of the equation. The other half is repentance and David did what we should all do and that is to repent of our sins. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of repentance to God. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!" (Psalm 51:1-2)

In conclusion David demonstrated his faith seemingly on a daily basis which pleased the Lord. Throughout his life his faith would be tested on a grand scale and in the final analysis he passed most of the tests. David also loved God’s law and he sought to follow it as best he could. He spent many days meditating on it and trying to apply it to his own life. He knew that God’s law had the power to change lives if it was followed to the letter. Another important character trait that David exhibited was that he had the attitude of gratitude and was very thankful for his life. During his life he had all sorts of trouble. From adultery and murder to running for his life, David thanked God every day no matter the circumstances. And finally, David was truly repentant. Let us not forget that he was a man just like us who sinned on a regular basis. But despite his continual sin he always loved God and sought to repent of those sins. He is a role model for all of us sinners who need to repent earnestly. David was indeed a man after God’s own heart.

love your enemies???

2010-03-05T19:41:00.001-08:00

Question: "What did Jesus mean when He instructed us to love our enemies?"

Answer: When Jesus said we are to love our enemies, He was creating a new standard for relationships. He proclaimed to the crowds listening to His Sermon on the Mount that they knew they were to love their neighbor because the command to love our neighbor was a law of God (Leviticus 19:18). That we must therefore hate our enemy was an inference incorrectly drawn from it by the Jews. While no Bible verse explicitly says “hate your enemy,” the Pharisees may have somewhat misapplied some of the Old Testament passages about hatred for God’s enemies (Psalm 139:19-22, 140:9-11). But Jesus replaced this idea with an even higher standard: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:44-45). Jesus goes on to explain that loving those who love us is easy and even unbelievers can do that. Then He commands us to “be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:43-48).

Jesus explained to His followers that they should adhere to the real meaning of God’s law by loving their enemies as well as their neighbors. A Pharisee once asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:29). Jesus then told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Here Jesus taught that His followers must demonstrate love to all kinds of people—no matter what faith, nationality, or personality—enemies included. If you love your enemies and “pray for those who persecute you,” you then truly reveal that He is Lord of your life.

By using an analogy of the sun rising and the rain falling on both the good and the evil, Jesus shows God’s undiscriminating love to all people. His disciples then must reflect His character and exhibit this same undiscriminating love for both friends and enemies. Jesus is teaching us that we must live by a higher standard than what the world expects—a standard that is impossible for us to attain by our own efforts. It’s only through the power of God’s Spirit that His people can truly love and pray for those who intend to do them harm (Romans 12:14-21).

Finally, after giving us the admonition to love our enemies, Jesus then gives us this command: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). As sons of our Father (Matthew 5:45), we are to be perfect, even as He is perfect. Such perfection means absolute perfection, which is utterly impossible for sinful man to achieve. This unattainable standard is exactly what the Law itself demanded (James 2:10). So how can Jesus demand the impossible? He later tells us, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26). That which God demands, only He can accomplish, even the demand to love our enemies. What is impossible for man becomes possible for those who give their lives to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit who lives in our hearts.

2010-02-03T04:43:00.000-08:00

Lord, i'm trying really hard to sustain my walk with you , but y do i still feel lost??? for a moment i was closer to you, next thing i realize, i'm still drifting away from you. i'm ready to offer my life to you, what more do you want??? i hope you use my life to bless others, to reach out to non-chrisitans, to help other people. Why do you seem so far away whenever i need help god?

2010-02-01T05:19:00.001-08:00

WLAU..... WAD HAVE I DONE WRONG AGAIN??? GIMME A BREAK LA.... ONE MOMENT HAPPY ANOTHER MOMENT MOODY.... DAMN YOU LA!!!

2010-01-16T11:44:00.000-08:00

life is really funny... ... at one point of time when you were that close in giving up,you stop and pondered whether people will cry for you when you die? and god somehow sent a person into your life to teach you and guide you through all the problems when you faced...then you understood for a moment what your life was made to be, living up to everyone's expectations of you and trying to be what you are.once again, you think through what was your life made up for? for your friends, parents or relatives to see what they want of you? or what you deep down really want to be... then you start wallowing in self-pity for you have to work very hard to meet their expectations of you and then you slowly loses sight of why god made you for... ... then you start to give up on christianity, believing that it was of no use now... ... and somehow or rather god showed you for the past two years of enduring certain problems has actually reap something... so you start to wonder,"god, you did answered my prayer." yet you do not really regain your trust in god and expect god to do something to change your perceptions. there is a reason why god placed you in this mess and also sending you people to talk to you, guide you through this mess... ... then you start to have wild thoughts like, " god, why did you placed me in this situation? is it really for me to learn how to be stronger or were you some sadistic bastard who wants us to proclaim you are the god almighty before you release us from our suffering?"... ... you talk to two person pertaining to this question... one said that god is just wanting to make you stronger, the other reply with a question, " do you really believe in god? deep down in your heart, is he there?" and then you become stumped, as you really do not know the answer to the second person's question... ... (TO BE CONTINUED)

2010-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:00

haha!!! damn happy today, mere told me that she does not mind being frens with donna again?!?!?! awesome!!! hahaha.... hmmm still straightening out my thoughts.... about everything that has being going through in my life... first day of school pretty suck lor... mrs wong kf ALWAYS ask me to do everything!!!! come on... i'm human ...give me a break?? and seriously... wen cong??? vice chair?? wlau... haiz...

council=sucks

choir=conducting sucks

class chairperson= sucks ....

AWESOME!!!MEREDITH WEE SHAO QI AGREED TO GO TO MY CHURCH!!! hahah dunno y i'm happy.... guess i'm just crazy??? hahaha ok.....tts bout it la.... how screwed up my life is..!!!=)

2010-01-04T05:04:00.001-08:00

SIAN I'M SICK!!!! AND TMR CONDUCTIN WLAU !!!

2009-12-27T19:35:00.000-08:00

sometimes life is just a strain and stressful.....is life really tat hard???? full of problems??? haiz.....sometimes i really feel like givin my life up ....... sian la

PRAYER OF ENDURANCE

2009-11-24T19:40:00.000-08:00

Lord, you are my strength,my sanity,my security and my salvation. your hand upholds me,your grace sustains me, your power supports me. keep my feet moving forward, my faith looking upward, hope pointing towards homeward. make a roadway through every rugged mountain, pathway through every stormy sea, highway through every dark valley. I do not put in my faith in my own timetable but in your perfect plan. Lord, however long it takes, i'll trust you. I recieve your grace to endure all things with pleasantness of spirit, calmness of soul and thankfulness of heart.

HEBREWS 10:36

nothingness

2009-11-19T19:54:00.000-08:00

yo, i'm currently blogging from KL and i'm bored. I MISSED ..............................................................................................................................SPAMMING ANGEL AND HUANG LAOPO..... sian.... i wonder how's ting ying copin in malacca??? i missed her toooo=( haiz wa siannnn, once i come back tmr, i must go for band 1 rehearsal cause my bro teaching me how to do sound system.... hopefully i wont drink too much tonight....hmmmm....

TO DO LIST ONCE I'M BACK IN SINGAPORE:
1)PERSUADE CLARA NG YULING TO COME FOR CHURCH CAMP!!!(COOLLLL!!!)
2)LEARN SOUND SYSTEM FROM KORKOR!!!!!!!!!(SIANESS)
3)SPAM HUANG LAOPO AND ANGEL MAMA!!!! (LIKE DUH--)
4)EMAIL LOGISITCS!!!
5)PRACTICE PIANO!!!!(SIAN)
6) SLEEPPPPP ON MY COMFY BED!!!(SHIOK)
7) PLAY WITH BOBBYYYY!!!(OH YEAH MAN!!!)
8)EVERYDAY EMAIL SMALLIE!!!(WHOO HOO)
9)GET DRAFTS ASAP FROM WORSHIP LEADER AND FIND ONE MORE WORSHIP LEADER!!!
10)EVERYDAY SEND LOVEBIRD AND HUANG LAOPO A DEVOTIONAL SMS!!!!!!!!!!(MY RESPONSIBILITY)
11)ERMMMM.....MAKE SOMEONE SMILE EVERYDAY???(TOUGH BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE)
12)SPAM MEREDITH LIKE MAD BEFORE SHE LEAVES!!!(HAHA)
13)I THINK THATS ABOUT IT!!!

2009-10-26T06:44:00.000-07:00

I will be here whenever you need me.

My shoulders are free to lend you whenever you need something to lean on , or to cry.

Whenever you need a friend to talk to , i am just a message away.
Feel free to message/spam me.

Be it in times of sadness, trouble or even joy!!!

talkin to des= more wisdom

2009-10-18T23:42:00.000-07:00

desHOO. says:

yeah.

so how've you been?

Dru says:

pretty much the same....

just matures abit

desHOO. says:

HAHHAHAA

maturity is you ownself determine one ar?

Dru says:

lol

ya...

one yr older lei....

desHOO. says:

...

i don't think maturity is directly proportionate to age man!

Dru says:

haha

but i'm always mature =)

i tink my spiritual walk with GOD is pretty much stable

desHOO. says:

hahhaah

hmm, okay.. if you say so!

is your qt regular?

Dru says:

yep

got one qt material from angel

haha

desHOO. says:

oh?

what's the title?

Dru says:

hm.....

desHOO. says:

you don't know the title?!

Dru says:

something to do with walkin the path with god

haha.... i just started on the book like ytd

desHOO. says:

go see the title!

Dru says:

haha

brb

his footsteps, my pathway

desHOO. says:

oh, okay..

Dru says:

it's more like a devotion boook la

haha

desHOO. says:

good good.

Dru says:

haha

desHOO. says:

one minute devotion?

Dru says:

yup sort of

desHOO. says:

hahahha

okay..

Dru says:

y? haha

desHOO. says:

if there's anything you don't understand or haf conflicts within yourself. don't hesitate to ask k?

its v impt to clarify.

Dru says:

haha sure sure

desHOO. says:

you can ask, jac, qc, or even me or angel..

but most imptly, ask.

Dru says:

will do

desHOO. says:

there're surely some stuff you won't understand or you simply can't agree.

must talk it out..

Dru says:

haha....

desHOO. says:

no, really! i'm not kidding.

Dru says:

y did god planted the tree of knowledge in the garden of eden since he alr knew that adam is going to eat the fruit

desHOO. says:

wah, so fast ar..

hahahah

Dru says:

haha

of cos....

i ask tt ytd

desHOO. says:

ask who?

Dru says:

angel ahah

desHOO. says:

den what she say?

Dru says:

lol, she said she can't gimme all the ans and it's something i have to seek god. understand thru the holy spirit's teaching and grow in my rs with god

desHOO. says:

hmm okay..

you want me to tell you?

Dru says:

yeah =)

desHOO. says:

it is for the sake of choice.

if you haf a bf.

would you prefer your bf to love you coz he chose to, or coz he didn't haf a choice?

Dru says:

hmmmm he chose to

desHOO. says:

yeah.

Dru says:

hm....

desHOO. says:

and also, allow me to emphasise.

it wasn't really any magical powers that the fruit has to open the eyes of adam and eve.

it is more likely that the disobedient act that adam and even CHOSE to take, that open their eyes to sin.

and to tell you the truth, you know how much it hurts God to see His beloved disobey Him?

Dru says:

hmmmmm.....

desHOO. says:

even as human beings, we'll be disappointed if our loved ones cheated on us, won't we?

Dru says:

yes

desHOO. says:

but notice how God reacted?

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

did He sieve adam and eve out and say "DIE! YOU INCORRGIBLES.."

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

does He know where were adam and even hiding?

and why did He even bother to ask "where are you adam>"

coz He is patient, He is kind.

and He even listens to how they explained themselves although He knew everything.

Dru says:

but y must we carry the sins of our forefathers?>

desHOO. says:

because that's how God intended for humankind to be..

you're asking that coz you're erring on the bad side.

why are we bearing the sins of our forefathers.

Dru says:

yaaaa

hm...'

desHOO. says:

but why didn't you ask why are we bearing our father's property and wealth?

if your parents gave birth to you and throw you on the streets, and say "you're on your own now."

Dru says:

true treu

desHOO. says:

would you haf survived?

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

so likewise.

don't just look at the bad side of things and whine abt it.

and we've to acknowledge that its a package..

Dru says:

okk

desHOO. says:

He is still HOLY, and He is so holy that He cannot tolertate sin.

and even because of that, He still chose to be patient wif us coz He loves us.

instead, He sent His perfect and only Son to atone for us ingrates.

and here we are, asking "if God is good, why is He allowing bad things to happen."

are we even asking from the right persepective?

is it God who allowed good things or us?

don't forget, we belong to our forefathers.

Dru says:

god

desHOO. says:

and our forefathers chose to sin.

who can we blame?

Dru says:

no one

desHOO. says:

can we blame God for being heartless?

of coz not!

in fact, we should be thanking Him for being so merciful to us!

for sending His son to die for us so that we can go to heaven and spend eternity wif Him!

Dru says:

hmmm

desHOO. says:

you think He enjoyed it when we chose to sin and that He has to send Jesus down?

no father would be happy to sacrifice their own son for a bunch of 'outsiders;'

i'm not saying we're outsiders.

i'm saying Jesus was blameless and seated at the right hand of God.

but He had to give us His beloved son, so that we might have a chace to spend eternity wif Him!

how gracious is He!

you know how much He loves you?

now you know why pple say we're not worthy to even pick up the crumbs under His table?

Dru says:

yes

desHOO. says:

coz our bloodline is tainted by adam's folly.

don't even talk abt adam.

are we not foolish at times in our own ways/

Dru says:

we are

desHOO. says:

doing things our parents say no to?

doing things that we know would hurt God?

Dru says:

but we fall into temptatios too

desHOO. says:

so likewise, we've got nobody else to blame, coz firstly, we're not self-righteous.

true..

that's why God had to send His son to die for us, coz He knows we cannot live up to His standard!

that's a fact.

but He loved us so much that He couldn't bear to see us perish in hell.

He gave us a lifetime of chances.

Dru says:

then y is there hell?

desHOO. says:

when we're dead, we've no more choices or chances.

coz there're bound to be pple who choose to rebel against His grace.

like lucifer, or commonly known as satan.

Dru says:

hmm...

desHOO. says:

as much as He wants the WHOLE WORLD to be wif Him, He knows that true love isn't manipulative.

so if there are one or 2 black sheep, hell is created to house them who cannot enter heaven.

coz rmb, God is holy!

that fact doesn't change!

Dru says:

yeah

desHOO. says:

He is gracious, but He is not weak

must always rmb that.

we tend to ask defiant qns coz we think that IF GOD IS GOOD, WHY BAD THINGS HAPPEN.

coz we THINK we DESERVE salvation.

when in actual fact, its a gift.

Dru says:

hmmm

desHOO. says:

its like asking your parents who gave you a car for your bday.

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

and you ask, if you're so good and you really love me, why didn't you give me a house..

so sometimes, its really not abt finding ans, but finding grace.

i too was like you, super alot of qns.

Dru says:

haha

desHOO. says:

but the more i seek, and find more ans, i find that i'm really under grace.

Dru says:

then y are there diff religion

desHOO. says:

and how dare me to ask some blatant qns! when in the first place, God is sovereign.

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

like i said, men chose to worship other gods.

as far as human is concerned, there's bound to be limitations

we humans tend to believe only what we can SEE.

so idols, are made to SHOW us that a god is THERE!

we jsut cannot BELIEVE that God is omnipresent.

Dru says:

but they teaches us to obey our parents all this

desHOO. says:

will your parents still be your parents in heaven?

or are they brothers and sisters?

don't get me wrong, i'm not saying you can disrespect them.

Dru says:

brothers

desHOO. says:

in the bible it states too, that we should honour our parents.

Dru says:

as in they teach simnilar morals

desHOO. says:

but the first and most impt command, LOVE GOD!

Dru says:

ya...

desHOO. says:

other religions may teach the same morals.

but let me ask you.

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

does other religion say their god is God?

nope.

Dru says:

nno

desHOO. says:

it is often from man, to god.

but in the bible, our God says He is Who He is.

so that's the difference!

Dru says:

hmmm

desHOO. says:

religions are generally good moral standrards to follow.

Dru says:

true true

desHOO. says:

but christianity look beyond that.

it looks beyond death.

in fact, death is sweet!

Dru says:

becos of eternal life?

desHOO. says:

it is only the beginning of eternity where we spend wif God.

for other religions, death is the end.

some believe in reincarnations.

it all doesn't make sense.

coz it only teaches you the values of life on earth.

and after you die, you're gonna learn the same thing over again.

what's the point of reincarnation then?

Dru says:

yea

desHOO. says:

what's the point of trying to stay alive then?

might as well just die, den can restart..

Dru says:

hmmmm

desHOO. says:

that's why suicide is so easy in other religion.

they didn't believe in the start, likewise they're blinded abt the end.

and you realise..

that scholars try to prove other religions right.

but they're trying all their might to prove christianity wrong.

does't that say anything?

Dru says:

but wad if there's a certain grp who wanted to be christians but did'nt had enuf time?

desHOO. says:

no such thing.

Dru says:

hmmm

desHOO. says:

are you saying that aborigines are less loved by God/

Dru says:

nope

desHOO. says:

do you know that knowledge and education doesn't enable our salvation?

it is our heart.

Dru says:

hmmm.... ...

desHOO. says:

even in the aborigines heart, its amazing to find out how much they believe that there must be a GOD who made all the jungles and universe.

even in their own native traditions.

they pray.

they may not know english, but they pray, believing that there is a big God out there listening.

Dru says:

hmmm

desHOO. says:

in fact i can tell you, i think aborigines are more faithful than 'educated' pple.

and you're gonna ask me 'den why still need missionaries' right?

Dru says:

haha

yup

desHOO. says:

it works both ways.

one is to 'confirm' that there indeed is a big God out there.

and to teach them how to read the bible which God had given to men.

so that's to reaffirm their 'belief'

secondly, it projects the faith of missionaries.

not eveerybody has the courage to put down everything and go live in the jungles man.

and through such decisions, it reflects their love for God.

God didn't need missionaries.

God won't die without missionaries.

Dru says:

but we need

desHOO. says:

liekwise, God didn't need abraham to kill isaac.

but God called abraham to kill isaac to test his faith.

Dru says:

yeah..

desHOO. says:

maybe mission trips are tests for faith as well?

i don't know, but to me.

i know it takes alot of courage for pple to go into missions.

i'm talking abt full time missions.

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

there's actually a website that i often refer to when i haf taboo qns abt the bible.

Dru says:

whr?

desHOO. says:

http://www.gotquestions.org.

oops

http://www.gotquestions.org

Dru says:

desHOO. says:

and type anything you wanna ask abt the bible in the search bar.

can?

Dru says:

okok

desHOO. says:

but most imptly, its abt your conviction wif God.

you can ask all you want, but ask yourself why are you asking.

Dru says:

to clear my doubts?

desHOO. says:

is it coz you'r trying to prove the bible wrong, or does it really affirm your faith..

yep!

i know pple who ask for the sake of asking.

so, must be clear k?

Dru says:

okok

desHOO. says:

irts your walk wif God that matters at the end of the day.

and you'll be amazed how God answers your doubts too!

Dru says:

ya got it =)

desHOO. says:

only if you're sensitive enough to listen!

i hope i've clarified your doubts.

Dru says:

hahah

yup tyty

desHOO. says:

no worries..

anything, can ask again!

hahahah

Dru says:

lol

sure

be prepared=)

desHOO. says:

hahah

err.

ASK ANGEL!

hahahhaha

Dru says:

lol

i tok to her alot man haha

desHOO. says:

that's good that's good.

Dru says:

haha

desHOO. says:

comforting to hear that you're comfortable wif hre.

Dru says:

haha

yup

dunno y comfortable with her

desHOO. says:

good good.

Dru says:

haha

after talkin to des.. most of my questions have been answers.... THXS!!!! i'm sure we'll all go through a phrase of time when we are uncertain or have doubts about god... but just remember that god loves us unconditionally no matter what... i hope the questions i ask des could help you too....

2009-10-08T04:26:00.000-07:00

Why am i sleepless these few days??? Wad's troubling my heart??? Why do i feel a sense of burden??? SOMEBODY PLEASE ENLIGHTEN ME!!! haizzz

2009-10-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

WE WANT TO SEE JESUS LIFTED HIGH!!!
Intro: G-D-Em-C
Verse: G-D-Em-C
We want to see Jseus lifted high
A banner that flies acroos this land
That all men might see the truth and know
He is the way to heaven
Chorus: 
G               D  
We wan'na see, We wan'na see
 Em              C       D  
We wan'na see Jesus lifted high 
(Repeat intro)
(repeat Verse)
(repeat Chorus)
Bridge: Em-D
Step by step were moving forward
Little by little were taking this land
Every prayer is a powerful weapon 
Strong hold's come tumbling down and down and down,
Adlib: G-D-Em-C (4x)
Chorus
Coda: G-D-Em-C 
ROCK OF AGES
A           A4
There is no rock  A           A4       A      A4 A A4 
There is no god like our God  
D        D4  No other name  
D         D4      A    A4  A A4  Worthy of all our praise    
E       E4            E       E4  The Rock of salvation that cannot be moved  
F#m                  D  He?s proven Himself to be faithful and true  
B4  There is no rock 

A           A4  There is no rock  
A           A4       A      A4 A A4   There is no god like our God  
D        D4  No other name  
D         D4      A    A4  A A4  Worthy of all our praise    
E       E4            E       E4  The Rock of salvation that cannot be moved  
F#m                  D  He?s proven Himself to be faithful and true  
B4  There is no rock

2009-10-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

This morning went to study with helen and xiao xiong nu at primary sch to study. both of them study geog and i was the idiot who study sci=(. then jessie and qing came around 930? or 10??? did'nt notice the time hahah! around 10 plus, Jessie ask to talk to me for a while. She talk to me about becoming the leader of the pack. If the rest of the cell keep teasing Jac and QC,i should tell them to reduce the teasing cause afterall they are older then us and there must be a line drawn. She talk to me bout love and other stuff for a while before i went back to study. Donna came followed by Hui Min then Falice... ... QC later chase me and Helen for cell... ....

Jessie came by to Beatitudes to talk about love.... After the devotion,i was overwhelmed with different emotions. hmmmm wad Jessie said was quite true that love was not a feeling,feelings come and go but love always remains.Its always easy to love someone whom you have a relationship with, however,its hard to love a stranger, even harder to love an enemy.We talk about sacrificial love. One must take the initiative to love another. A couple of verses here you might want to read => Matthew 26:36-43 , 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 and Luke 23:13-39. Jessie taught us how JESUS showed his human side by asking not to have this cup of suffering i f possible in Matt 26.GOD sent JESUS to sacrifice himself to cleanse us of all our sins.Instead of thanking HIM for dying on the cross,we hath humiliated him,criticize and challenged HIM as shown in Luke.If HE is GOD, why doesn't HE save HIMSELF???

Sacrificial love: how to show love? It's damn hard for those who had tried.showing love is not for man to see but more for GOD.

Upon hearing all these talk about love, i deeply reflected upon myself. i know i have hurt someone unknowingly and till today i still do not know how to apologize and i really do not have the courage too... haiz... i guess everything is predestined.

songs

Verse 1:
F C Dm
Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
C Bb
Would care to know my name
Bb
Would care to feel my hurt
Verse 2:
F C Dm

who am I, that the bright and morning stars

C Bb
Would choose to light the way
Bb
For my ever wandering heart
Bb C
Not because of who I am
Dm C
But because of what You've done
Dm C
Not because of what I've done
Bb C
But because of who You are
Chorus:
F C Dm
I am a flower quickly fading
C Bb
Here today and gone tomorrow
C Bb
A wave tossed in the ocean
C F
A vapor in the wind
C Dm
Still You hear me when I'm calling
C Bb
Lord, You catch me when I'm falling
C Bb
And you've told me who I am
F
I am Yours

2009-10-03T06:33:00.000-07:00

hahaahaha, hi. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALVAN!!!!!

bye!!! XD

MY DAY

2009-10-01T07:49:00.000-07:00

happy childrens day people.

today had eng paper 1 &2, aft tat went to collect notes from mrs cheong be4 proceeding to tamp 1 for lunch with mere and crystal.

aft lunch had to go for maths and eng tuition all the way to 825 at marine parade, was exhausted seriously.

WENT BACK TO BAND 2 LE, =) WOOHOO

haha i am going back to study le... hope to blog asap soon.....

waaaaa i envy angel, tmr is her last day of prelims =(

nvm, all the best ppl for al your subjects!!!!!!!!

oh ya, i have a new sister le but i won't disclose her identity-> many ppl would be honored to have her as a sister!!!!! =)

You Are Holy (Prince of Peace)

2009-10-01T07:35:00.000-07:00

 G
You are holy (you are holy)
           C
You are mighty (you are mighty)
           Am
You are worthy (you are worthy)
            D               
worthy of praise (worthy of praise)

       G
 
I will follow (i will follow) 

     C
I will listen (i will listen)
       Am
I will love You (i will love you)
D   D   G  G     D   D G   G
All of my days (all of my days)

       C               D
 
  I will sing to, and worship 

    Em          Bm
the king who is worthy.
        C          D
I will love and adore Him,
        Em         Bm
i will bow down before Him.
        C               D
I will sing to, and worship
      Em          Bm
the king who is worthy.
        C          D
I will love and adore Him,
        Em         Bm
i will bow down before Him.

         C                  D                       G     
 your my Prince of Peace, and i will live my life for you.

perfect love by hillsong

2009-10-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

perfect love by hillsong
I wanna see the broken hearts

finding hope in God above

I wanna know I’m doing all I can

So with this life, with all I am

No matter what the cost may be

I pray to see your love become our cause


I won’t stop believing

You alone are, You alone are God

In You there's freedom
 
Your love brings me to my knees again

We're gonna bring an anthem of love

We're gonna live for you now

May your love become my every thought

I wanna know the sound of your heart

I wanna live for you now
  is perfect love, I can't explain



This way of life that has no end

Your mercy satisfies, it's all I need

My purpose found in You alone

to love the lost and bring them home

We were made to glorify our king
  
Singing You, you bring me life

You bring me hope

You're all I need

2009-08-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

today is the day

2009-08-24T07:31:00.000-07:00

yo's i'm sort of back..... see that alotof ppl are complaining bout this dead blog but ya...... i hate bloggin if u guys havent notice... -.-" wad i did ytd......

church-play guitar for youth
ate with jessie and isabel + cell mates...
went with cell mate to cs to buy ring for smallie.... :) <>
saw ANGEL, gorden, reb + one more whom i forgot
cabbed to eng tuition... got free coffee:P i super shuang!!! was smsin jac, smallie and honey XD
walk over to katong mall for my piano lessons.... my piano cher super random, first entered the room she asked wad is my top 10 chipc. i stunned lor...
dad fetched me home (boring)
told mum bout my results and she was not tat pls.... buay song come crapped about me not having time management?!?!?! wad the.. ...

mon- choir
tues-jammin
wed-chinese tuition
thurs-choir
fri-olvl music
sat-a/e math tuition
sun- church,eng tuition and piano

reflected at nite bout my spiritual walk with god, found tat it was faltering so i told des tat i want opt out of band for a while until my spiritual walk with god is stable...( he allowed :P)after tat nic and ANGEL sms me which me and ANGEL spam msg each other... ( would not really call spam la... msg filled with wisdom XD) sorry ANGEL, sort of doze off while smsing her.... guess she noes me quite well by now :P

today

sian... coucil meetin at 715!!!! damn tired cause i only had 5 hours of sleep. meeting was bout cher's day -.-" wake me up juz 4 tat... wanted to fall asleep during chem and emaths... too boring le ( no offence mrs lim and errrr ms nur.... sian) during recess, honey complain bout stomach pains so she went back home lor.... had to collect chinese stuff for her... :( siannn

brought mere to find van tan to ask whether she can join choir... went mac to eat b4 coming back to sch to organize the choir at performing arts studio while clarissa went to fetch mrs taylor (swift)=) for once the choir was quiet, miracle :P

was smsing ANGEL from english to choir. went backed home around 645, got a lift from shawn.y. parents... met her dog which licked my face -.-"'

now going to wait for ANGEL to finish studying then i'll spam her :) i'm her only source of entertainment right ANGEL =)

2009-04-15T07:50:00.000-07:00

hi, how's life?? i know that this blog has been dead for a long time and i intended tokeep it tat way, however idiots are pestering me to update so i am doing it for fun :D (idiots: meredith . jervina and a couple a more) today was the most boring day, haiz... life went on as per normal except it was EXTREMELY COLD TODAY!!!
had to stay back cause of cca, ms teo siew lan teach us posture and how to walk. (NOT BAD SIA) MS TEO LEI!!!! surprised arent u? she specially wear a dress juz 4 us, damn fit sia she. got scolded by mum for no sense of urgency, i mean what the fuc*??? wad's wrong wif her sia la?? ah nvm... hope tmr will be more eventful though i not going for nafa.
p.s grounded for a week so don bother asking me out though i got 7 GFs, 1 ex fiancee, 1 babe, lots of sisters, only one bro ( which is my real kor.)and ya.....

2008-09-14T03:10:00.000-07:00

today was sorta one of the best sundays i ever had.... me and a couple of frens like jac, qc, donna, hui min and so on went to e hub to play arcade... we play the parapara( which i completely sux) and daytona ( which i unfortunately came in last :( ) ya , basically had fun wif the cell la... tis is sort of one of the best outings i ever had( wait, i hardly go out because of my piano) todays youth service was also quite meaningful and i just attended my first confirmation class.... sian, now am studying..

2008-09-02T01:46:00.000-07:00

wad do ppl dowhen they are sick??? it is worse than a prisoner or perhaps similar to a prisoner's sentence.being cooped in ur own house.. technically speakin, u r a prisoner of ur own home? isnt this absurd or ridiculous??? oh ya, sorry to those whom i may hurt bout the post ytd. i m not prejudiced against parents but yar.... maybe i shouldnt be that harsh. sorry to those who took offence to it. i wonder whether my parents will let me go 4 the camp?? today is the first day and being one of the person in charge and not able to go..... wa lau la....parents always say tt i got freedom. like real only, i made my decision and they forbid me to go?? where is justice?? nvm, i wont harp on it anymore. gtg see ya

nothing...

2008-09-01T01:36:00.000-07:00

YO, God!! i hav not updated my blog 4 a looooooooooong time. hm.... basically, i am stress up in studyin and i got a fuc*in fever..sian.. but nvm. just wanna get cure of this fever so that i wont burn my brain :) HELP ME!!!! sian... i m supposed to go 4 camp tmr but i dunno whether my parents allow??? when did things get so bad? Wad m i suppose to do? am i suppose to pretend that nothing is happening and be ignorant? as they usually say, ' ignorant is bliss' but i seriously beg to differ...study study study... when did life become so mundane? that parents force their kids to study and do well in life just becos they nvr had e chance to make it in life. y corces ur will on ur child?? do u even spare a tot 4 them?? how they feel or anythin? NO! everything to u is always right... being brought up in ur way,we dun even hav e guts to oppose them nor rebuke them? furthermore, we also dun wanna upset or anger u so we just listen and do accordin to ur wishes...is life only fill with studyin?? is studyin tt impt to u parents? they claim they hav alr been through wad we'r going through now. is it true?? 4 ur info , nowadays technology is so advance , at least better then in the 90s or 80s nor 70s. true?? so they cant really say they hav alr experience it. these generation, ppl r more easily distracted them others. y cant u let nature takes it course? sorry ppl, i guess i m too harsh wif my words here but it is the fact.. i guess that is enuf 4 today. see ya soon...:)

2008-05-01T23:24:00.000-07:00

God i hate todae..... my maths paper was like omg so tough... i tink i just flunked it or worse fail with dull colours... nothin seems to be able to cheer me up....i just too tired . Release me from this agony that i face...i have had enuf, i hate this life sooooo much GOD HELP ME WILL U???

TUESDAYS....

2008-04-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

tuesday rocks for me as there are many lessons to waste such as MUSIC, D&T and ENGLISH!!!!!
ok, nothin much has happen today .... just some casual and usual stuff.. yeah :(
oh yar... mere and a couple of ppl stay in class durin recess... yeah anw it is gettin late now so.... gotta sign off here

Yeah!!! it's friday again...

2008-04-25T01:23:00.000-07:00

i love friday cause i can go home early like 12.45. yeah.....
we did nothing much in sch..
tests and a couple of relief teachers yar...... ok i gotta go now see ya

2008-04-24T01:16:00.000-07:00

sigh..... am back home now..... feelin xian, nothin can cheer me up.... and i hate to STUDY!!! oh ya... today did nothin much. just sch curriculum time and heard a devothion which concerns bout parents.... aft sch end, went back with cheryl and mere.... LOL mere wanted to shove the umbrella up my ass.... thx god i manage to pacify her...
PHEW!!!!! I DID NOT GET INJURED... YEAH NOTHIN MUCH HAS BEEN HAPPENING

2008-04-23T05:58:00.000-07:00

how's life ppl? today, nothin much had happened. just accompany mere 4 her test till 3 before going back home with cheryl. yah..... life's just normal..... how bout u guys out there??
can u cope with pressure or anythin....
i can always be ur confidante, u can confide in me .

dyin soon

2008-04-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

my life is horrible..... fraught with troubles and worries. A little of myself, basically, i play musical instruments such as piano and guitar. sometimes i compose my own song. yeah, thats about it... oh ya.... those who read my blog who is in my class, do u feel that ms shahira seem to be like...--- motherly figure??