Autumn love.

Y Monday, October 20, 2008Y

7:48 am

This wk's sermon was really inspiring. Didn't know that water crystals could be affected by the words we say and even the thoughts we have! I was inspired to think bigger thoughts for my future after hearing how circumstances change after their thoughts change. Example: Bigger quantity of seats for our new location being proposed after Pastor Kong enlarged his vision, Dayan (Pastor Kong's son) being offered a place in a school after his parents thought, believed, speaked of him being in that school after initially being told there were no more vacancies. It also ties in with the short cell-group meeting message, that the spiritual atmosphere will change once we speak blessings and pray over our circumstances.

I think this is considered as forthtelling, prophesizing into the future. I remebered that in the Old Testament, prophesizing is foretelling, while in the New Testament, prophesizing is forthtelling, speaking into our circumstances. Well, I'm believing that Australia will be a fun and exciting place, especially in the two days R&R (Rest and relaxation). I feel that every overseas trip always seem to stretch me further, pushing me beyong my comfort zones. I remembered in Thailand, every Saturday night i will think of the cell group meetings, always wishing that i can show more care and concern to my friends. I will also think of the Expo church service, missing all the excitement of the masses of the people there, missing the wonderful praise and worship and the sermon. I'll be back on 5 Nov, then looking forward to ORD! hehe.

7:40 am

You must not give sin a vote.
Romans 6:12 TM
When it comes to dealing with sin in our lives, the Bible doesn't mince words: "Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life - no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in His life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, He took sin down with Him, but alive He brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God… That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time - remember, you've been raised from the dead! - into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God" (Romans 6:6-14 TM).

Sin is like weeds. To love roses you must hate weeds, declare war on them and uproot them before they spring up. Why? Because left unchecked, they'll take over your garden and destroy every good thing that grows. So, the word for you today is - be a weed-killer!

7:30 am

Y Saturday, October 18, 2008Y

12:42 am

Going to Australia frm 20th Oct to 5th Nov. What a great time to go, especially after the fall in Aussie dollars! Hope that it will be a fun-filled, exciting and eye-opening trip! =)

12:41 am

He who abides in Me... bears much fruit.
John 15:5 NAS
Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me… bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing." As branches we bear fruit, but the life-giving substance required to do it flows to us from the vine. Any time we try to produce our own fruit it's going to be plastic fruit. When someone says, "I don't love my wife or my husband," that's not the issue. The issue is, can Christ love your wife or husband through you? The answer is yes, because love is a fruit that's produced in you by the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). So, the question is, are you willing to allow Christ's love to flow through you?

Abiding in Christ is just another name for intimacy with Christ. He wants to express His life through you, which comes through your attachment to Him. If your prayer life is just a matter of shooting up an occasional SOS as emergencies arise, you're missing this intimacy. If you just have your devotions in the morning so you can "get them out of the way and get on with your day", you don't understand abiding.

After years of smoking, one lady decided to kick the habit. She tried every stop-smoking product on the market but nothing worked. Finally, she decided that instead of focusing on all the things she was doing to quit, she would just focus on being in God's presence and coming to really know Him. Within 30 days she had quit smoking - because of the power of the vine. So, the word for you today is 'abide'.

Y Thursday, October 16, 2008Y

10:12 pm

Words and music by KC Gan, 2008

When the stage is bare tonight
There's no one else
Just You and me
When the curtains close behind
There's no pretense
I'm on my knees

I will lay down my all
For there's no greater cause
Than You my Lord
It's all because of You
It's all because of You

The God I know
Glorious and holy
The God I know
Is faithful and true
The God I know
A tower of refuge
Hearts are healed
Christ revealed

The God I know
Light of this city
The God I know
Strengthens the weak
The God I know
Is strong and mighty
As He is, so are we

Holy Holy
Is our God
Is our God

The church He knows
Glorious and holy
The church He knows
Is faithful and true
The church He knows
A tower of refuge
Hearts are healed
Christ revealed

The church He knows
Light of this city
The church He knows
Strengthens the weak
The church He knows
Is strong and mighty
As He is, so are we

Y Tuesday, October 14, 2008Y

4:46 pm

Conies
The conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks.
Proverbs 30:26 AMP
A coney looks like a rabbit but he can't run like one. He resembles a mole but he can't dig deep like one. So he moves to higher ground and positions himself in rocks, in a place of strength.

What's the message of the coney? Reposition yourself! How? (1) By realising who you are in Christ. When you accepted Jesus as your Saviour, your status in God's eyes changed completely. You're no longer an outsider but a fully accepted member of God's redeemed family, with direct access to your Heavenly Father and all the rights and privileges that go with it. Knowing that allows you to operate from a place of strength and not weakness, faith and not fear. When that happens you begin to pray for more, believe God for more, and enjoy more of His blessings. (2) By recognising that your limitations don't limit God. Who does God use? "Feeble folk" (v.26 AMP). How? By putting them in positions of strength. Sometimes that means putting extra support around them. When you have a bad leg, you don't put the brace on your good leg, you put it on the feeble one. And if He has to, God will put braces on you and get you there ahead of the people who sit around complacent and complaining.

"Feeble folk" praise God differently! Others praise Him because they have a feeling of entitlement, but not conies; they remember where they were when God found them and what He brought them through, and they say, "If it had not been the Lord who was on our side" (Psalm 124:1).

Y Saturday, October 11, 2008Y

10:47 am

They had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She poured the perfume on his feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.
- JOHN 12:2–3

Every church needs a Martha. Change that. Every church needs a hundred Marthas. Sleeves rolled and ready, they keep the pace for the church. Because of Marthas, the church budget gets balanced, the church babies get bounced, and the church building gets built. You don’t appreciate Marthas until a Martha is missing, and then all the Marys and Lazaruses are scrambling around looking for the keys and the thermostats and the overhead projectors.

Marthas are the Energizer bunnies of the church. They keep going and going and going. They store strength like a camel stores water. Since they don’t seek the spotlight, they don’t live off the applause. That’s not to say they don’t need it. They just aren’t addicted to it.

Marthas have a mission. In fact, if Marthas have a weakness, it is their tendency to elevate the mission over the Master. Remember when Martha did that? A younger Martha invites a younger Jesus to come for dinner. Jesus accepts and brings his disciples.

The scene Luke describes has Mary seated and Martha fuming. Martha is angry because Mary is, horror of horrors, sitting at the feet of Jesus. How impractical! How irrelevant! How unnecessary! I mean, who has time to sit and listen when there is bread to be baked, tables to be set, and souls to be saved? So Martha complained, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me alone to do all the work? Tell her to help me” (Luke 10:40).

All of a sudden Martha has gone from serving Jesus to making demands of Jesus. The room falls silent. The disciples duck their eyes. Mary flushes red. And Jesus speaks.

“Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41–42).

Apparently Martha got the point, for later we find her serving again.

“Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume” (John 12:2–3 NIV).

Is Mary in the kitchen? No she is worshiping, for that is what she loves to do. But this time Martha doesn’t object. She has learned that there is a place for praise and worship, and that is what Mary is doing. And what is Mary’s part in the dinner? She brings a pint of very expensive perfume and pours it on Jesus’ feet, then wipes his feet with her hair. The smell of the perfume fills the house, just like the sound of praise can fill a church.

An earlier Martha would have objected. Such an act was too lavish, too extravagant, too generous. But this mature Martha has learned that just as there is a place in the kingdom of God for sacrificial service, there is also a place for extravagant praise.

From
Cast of Characters
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) Max Lucado

Y Sunday, October 05, 2008Y

8:59 pm

They had a dinner for Jesus. Martha served the food, and Lazarus was one of the people eating with Jesus. Mary brought in a pint of very expensive perfume made from pure nard. She poured the perfume on his feet, and then she wiped his feet with her hair. And the sweet smell from the perfume filled the whole house.
- JOHN 12:2–3

Two of my teenage years were spent carrying a tuba in my high school marching band. My mom wanted me to learn to read music, and the choir was full while the band was a tuba-tooter short, so I signed up. Not necessarily what you would describe as a call from God, but it wasn’t a wasted experience either.
I had a date with a twirler.

I learned to paint white shoe polish on school buses.

And I learned some facts about harmony that I’ll pass on to you.

I marched next to the bass-drum player. What a great sound. Boom. Boom. Boom. Deep, cavernous, thundering.

And at the end of my flank marched the flute section. Oh, how their music soared. Whispering, lifting, rising into the clouds.

Ahead of me, at the front of my line, was our first-chair trumpet. He could raise the spirit. He could raise the flag. He could have raised the roof on the stadium if we’d had one.

The soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet
needs
the steady drum
needs
the soft flute
needs
the brash trumpet.

Get the idea? The operative word is need. They need each other.

By themselves they make music. But together, they make magic.

Now, what I saw two decades ago in the band, I see today in the church. We need each other. Not all of us play the same instrument. Some believers are lofty, and others are solid. Some keep the pace while others lead the band. Not all of us make the same sound. Some are soft, and others are loud. And not all of us have the same ability. But each of us has a place.

Some play the drums (like Martha).

Some play the flute (like Mary).

And others sound the trumpet (like Lazarus).

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were like family to Jesus. After the Lord raised Lazarus from the dead, they decided to give a dinner for Jesus. They decided to honor him by having a party on his behalf (see John 12:2).

They didn’t argue over the best seat. They didn’t resent each other’s abilities. They didn’t try to outdo each other. All three worked together with one purpose. But each one fulfilled that purpose in his or her unique manner. Martha served; she always kept everyone in step. Mary worshiped; she anointed her Lord with an extravagant gift, and its aroma filled the air. Lazarus had a story to tell, and he was ready to tell it.

Three people, each one with a different skill, a different ability. But each one of equal value.

From
Cast of Characters
© (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2008) Max Lucado

Y Friday, October 03, 2008Y

11:41 am

Don't let the world... squeeze you into its own mould.
Romans 12:2 PHP
Do you feel like you no longer control your own life? Like life's running you instead of you running it? That's because you're in the passenger seat, conforming to people, events and circumstances. They're in the driver seat, not you. No wonder your frustration level is high and your contentment level is low. "Don't let the world… squeeze you into its own mould." If you're feeling 'squeezed', you've two options:

(a) Remain a conformer, or become a transformer. Either choose to stay in the passenger seat, or get behind the wheel. The Bible says, "Do not be conformed to this world" (Romans 12:2). Instead be transformed into the proactive, faith-driven person God meant you to be. (b) Take charge of your life by "renewing your mind". Instead of struggling to change the people and circumstances around you, change how you think and what you tell yourself. The Greek word for renewing means 'to align your thoughts with God's'. Abandon those self-defeating thoughts that tell you "you're not, you can't, and you'll never be able to". God says: "You are, you can, and you certainly will be able to," because of His indwelling power! John writes, "This is the victory that conquers the world - our faith" (1 John 5:4 NCV).

Go to God's Word! Discover what He says about the things that intimidate and control you, then pull the plug on them. The Word for you today is: "Don't be afraid… I am your God. I will make you strong… I will support you" (Isaiah 41:10 NCV). Align your thoughts with God's thoughts. Get into the driver seat and take charge of your life!

Y Thursday, October 02, 2008Y

11:29 pm

Live Every Day As Though You Have Something Good To Give.

"Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."
2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)
Yesterday we talked about promotion, and how the priest Mattathias began the Feast of Hanukkah, which is still celebrated in Jewish homes today. But do you know the story behind the "Menorah," the nine-candled stand that sits in many Jewish homes during this celebratory time? While the Jews celebrated the return of their temple, they encountered a lamp with only a one-day supply of oil. Miraculously, God gave enough illumination to the candelabrum, allowing it to burn for eight extra days and nights.

During Hanukkah, one candle is lit each day to remember this miracle that God so wondrously gave. The Scriptures promise us that God gives seed to the person who desires to sow. Some may say that they have nothing to give, but that is never the case as far as God is concerned. Take a look around and think:

1. What do I have that can become a blessing for another?

2. Do I have something material like money, clothes, books, cookware, etc.?

3. What about intangible things like a great attitude, a thankful heart, or a helping hand?

You always have something you can sow. God would be a liar if you truly had nothing. Change your mind about how you see your life. Rather than looking for people to solve your problems, find out what you can do to solve theirs. As always, God is faithful to His Word, giving illumination, providing seed as you "enlarge the harvest of your righteousness."

Daily Confession:
Father, I thank You for providing me with seed to sow and for making me a blessing wherever I go.

11:19 pm

'DON'T GET WORKED UP ABOUT...TOMORROW.' MATTHEW 6:34 TM

Max Lucado says, 'Worry is to joy, what a vacuum cleaner is to dirt; you might as well attach your heart to a happiness-sucker and flip the switch.' Jesus said, 'Don't get worked up about...tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.' When it looks like things are falling apart, Paul reminds us, 'Every detail in our lives... is worked into something good' (Romans 8:28 TM). When it seems like the world's gone mad, don't forget God 'existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together' (Colossians 1:17 NLT). When worry whispers, 'God doesn't know what you need,' remember God promised to 'take care of everything you need' (Philippians 4:19 TM).

Jesus taught us to pray, 'Give us this day our daily bread.' You won't get the wisdom or resources to handle tomorrow's problems until you need them. When we 'go confidently to the throne... [We’ll] find kindness, which will help us at the right time' (Hebrews 4:16 GWT).

Over a century ago Charles Spurgeon said: 'Enough for today is all we can enjoy. We cannot eat, drink, or wear more than today's supply of food and clothing. The surplus gives us the care of storing it and the anxiety that someone might steal it. One staff aids a traveller; a bunch of staves is a heavy burden. Enough is as good as a feast, and more than gluttony can enjoy. Enough is all we should expect; a craving for more is ungratefulness. When our Father doesn't give you more, be content with your daily allowance

Bob Gass

Y Wednesday, October 01, 2008Y

8:13 pm

Self-control Begins By Exposing Every Thought To The Light Of God's Word.

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."
1 John 1:7 (NKJV)

It was through self-control that Jesus endured death upon a cross, a death which ultimately led to resurrection and manifestation of the light. Self-control begins when we decide to expose our thoughts and feelings to the Word of God before we ever put them in front of others.

If we walk in the light as God is in the light, we will have fellowship with Him. But that means we must continually expose our thoughts and feelings to the light of the Word of God. Once God's Word reveals the true nature of our thoughts and emotions, we have to decide whether or not we want to unload them on people. It becomes so much easier to exert self-control after spending time in the light. Therefore:

1.When we are full of the Word, why would we want to put our brothers and sisters in the Lord on red alert just so we can spend a few hours, days, or weeks in the flesh?

2.Why wouldn't we expose our bad attitudes to the Word of God and let the Word correct them before we ever unload those bad attitudes on other people?

It is important for us to be changed in God's presence. We must allow God to continually transform us by His Word, each and every day!

Daily Confession

Father, I walk in the light as You are in the light. I fellowship with my Lord and Savior, and with those who love You. I am cleansed and washed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

8:13 pm

'BEAUTY, THE...KIND...GOD DELIGHTS IN.' 1 PETER 3:4 TM

A lady was applying face cream when her little girl asked, 'What's that you're putting on, Mum?' 'Moisturiser,' she replied. 'The saleslady said it would make me beautiful.' With an honesty only children have, she replied, 'Mum, I don't think it's working.' There's nothing wrong with looking good but there's much more to you than your clothes and your hairstyle. Plus, you can go broke fixing up the outside because, 'What Mother Nature giveth, Father Time taketh away!' Ralph Waldo Emerson said, 'To find beauty we must carry it with us.'

It's a big mistake to focus on the outside and fail to appreciate the inner qualities God's given you. Solomon said, 'Beauty is...[not lasting]' (Proverbs 31:30 AMP). When God made you He didn't just decorate the outside, He gave you 'inner beauty, the gentle, gracious kind...God delights in.' However, because Peter also talked about 'fancy hair, gold jewellery...fine clothes' (NCV), a few well-intentioned people have used that to create a legalistic standard by which to measure and judge others. Does the Bible teach us to dress appropriately? Absolutely. Paul writes: 'I...want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety...appropriate for women who profess to worship God' (1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV). But when you focus on the wrong area you get the wrong results. 'Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart' (1 Samuel 16:7 NIV). Don't allow what you see on TV or in the mirror to define your worth. Work instead to develop the kind of inner beauty God commends.

Bob Gass

8:03 pm

'IF A MAN IS OVERTAKEN IN ANY TRESPASS...RESTORE SUCH A ONE IN A SPIRIT OF GENTLENESS.' GALATIANS 6:1 NKJV

When somebody messes up, God says; 'Restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.' But what if they've disgraced themselves and provided fodder for the sceptics who already think all Christians are hypocrites? Why bother with somebody like that?

Firstly: Because the Bible says, 'If a man is overtaken [caught by surprise]... [consider] yourself lest you also be tempted.' If it happened to you you'd want somebody to help you, right? And if you're thinking you would never embezzle money, have an affair or slap a child in anger, think again. When you're under financial pressure, sleep deprived, lonely and depressed, or your marriage is on shaky ground, you might be surprised what you'd do. Paul says, 'We are just as capable of messing it up as they were. Don't be so...self-confident...You could fall flat on your face as easily as anyone else' (1 Corinthians 10:12 TM).

Secondly: Because Jesus is your example. While He had no time for Pharisees who hid their sins under a religious façade, not once did He condemn anybody who was 'overtaken' by temptation and failure. When they repented He forgave and restored them. Theologian Victor Shepherd writes: 'When we're face-to-face with someone who's been surprised because trespass overtook them, do we deflect their shame back into their face, or do we own it as ours? Do we rub their nose in it, or do we absorb it, put an arm around them and affirm our solidarity-in-sinnership? Do we regard ourselves as superior, or do we say, "Take my hand...I know the way to the cross?"'

Bob Gass

6:12 pm

Did you know that every mineral in the world possesses certain hardness? Friedrich Mohs, a German geologist, invented a scale using ten minerals—the first or softest, talc, and the tenth or hardest, diamonds. Just one well-cut diamond is worth vastly more than a whole container of talc!

Eli was a man who refused to accept the responsibility God assigned to his life. He refused to stand for what was right, because that meant he would have to face off with his sons. God expects us to love our family, but love never means we tolerate evil.

Love often means we fight for what is true in the lives of others. Ignoring wrong when we know it is happening is not love—it's irresponsibility. Notice that God did not judge Eli for the things he did not know, but rather for the things he did know. Once we have knowledge of the truth, there is no excuse to not fulfill our responsibility.

Eli was just one among many who shirked his responsibility. David, Moses, Samson, Peter, and others all had moments when they overlooked their God-given responsibility and ended with regrets. God's grace is available to help us fulfill our responsibility—never to excuse us from it. Although it requires enormous pressure, wouldn't you rather accept responsibility and have a rare, glittering diamond on your finger than a hand full of loose, dusty talc?

From Daily Success Key, September 30, 2008