Bible Boot Camp

Past few days were bible boot camp, however I only went for 2 out of the 4 days cause of work. But nevertheless it was still an amazing experience. T The power of God just swept through the whole place, and as young as the attendees of the camp may be (most of them are secondary school students), the atmosphere is as strong as ever! hese people are really powerful, they woke up early from wherever they stay every day during their holiday for 4 days this week and go all the way to Jurong West just for the camp!

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
1 Timothy 4:12

Even though I'm not exactly a student now, but I'm still a youth! Those people that were at the camp will soon prove this verse right. A young generation of people that are hungry for God's word and His presence, this is the kind of youth that the church wants to raise up, it is also the kind of youth that Jesus wants to raise up. Looking at these people so excited for God's house also encourages me to want to seek God even more too!

The camp was really a blast, I remember on the last day I was there only at the last part of the first session, during the altar call. But the presence of God was so strong, the moment I start praying in tongues and worshipping God, tears started to flow down from my face. And then I feel in the presence of God. Some experienced holy laughter, but I didn't. That's fine. But what really touched me was how almost every single person was so hungry for God in that session. There and then, the holy spirit showed up and touch so many people.

17 'And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams.

I believe that these people's lives are never going to be the same again, they are going to go out into their schools and into the marketplace to make an impact. They are going to be the generation of people that will bring revival once again in their various campuses. They are going to be a generation of people who dare to dream, of things that they cannot even imagine. They are going to be a generation of people who will see visions, every single time they worship, the Holy Spirit will show them something new and fresh.

Out of the sessions that I went to, my favourite was still 'Youth e Leader'. It was preached by Pastor Yah Lan, and she applied the word to the students who are leaders or desiring to be a leader in their school. This word, I feel is for me as I'm going to be a CGL in the future. During the session, Pastor Yah Lang shared about the 7 attitude of a great leader. A leader is someone who goes out to serve people and not waiting for people to serve him/her. If one desires to be a great leader, he/she must first have a FIRM FOUNDATION. So then, what exactly is this 'firm foundation'? It is your attitude! How you respond to things that happen in your life, the good things and especially the bad things.

Your life is 10% of what happens to you, and 90% of how you respond to it!

I was like, wow, this sentence could not be more true. In simple terms, if you change your attitude, your life changes too! Just like Daniel in the bible, he was made a leader because he had a spirit of excellence, an attitude for excellence in everything that he do.

3 Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm
Daniel 6:3

 Daniel became great, because of his attitude! :) So then what 7 attitudes should someone great has? 

1. Willingness

2. Confidence

3. Humility

4. Thankfulness

5. Serving

6. Generosity

7. Obedience

Personally, I cannot say that I've achieved them all, but I'm on the way there. Still climbing the ladder. Of course my goal is to be the best that I can be, bringing more people closer to God. I think that some of these attitudes I need to work on it a little more than the others. This work is not going to be easy, attitude cannot be changed overnight, so I'll try hard to work on these ;) I'm excited for this journey of change, molding and growing! 

I think I'm slowly moving on to the next level in my walk with God. Praise Him for this growth, and I'm glad to be doing what He has placed in my life.

Firstly, let's look at Luke 16..

10 He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much;
12 And if you have not been faithful in what is another man’s, who will give you what is your own?

I have a little sharing to do from this verse. Recently, I personally experience TOO MANY times of what these verse are saying. God gave me little in the beginning, but because I stayed faithful in the little things that He has given me, now He is going to give me much more. And also being faithful to putting others first.

I didn't expect what has been happening the past 1 month plus to happen. The past one month was really a month of breakthrough, especially in terms of relationship with the people in the cell group, even those that are not from my connect group. I thank God for that. People start to open up to me and I am able to sow a seed into their life. Just like what the last line in Desert Song by Hillsongs says 'I know I'm filled to be emptied again. The seed which I receive I will sow'. My past leaders have sown a seed into my life which I am about to do the same, to sow it into the lives of my fellow cg members now that they have opened up their hearts to me. I really really thank God for these breakthroughs. To be able to connect with people beyond my own connect group is something I have never thought I can do, like previously I just kept on thinking 'aiyah my connect group got enough people for me to handle already' but it seems like God gave me MORE! :) I come to realize that I can do many more things, things that are beyond my fixed mindset.

God looks at us beyond our fixed mindset. He knows what we can do, even things that we say we can't.

As for verse 12, I think it really applies to me too. So here's the thing. After stopping for a few weeks, I'm starting to give bible study to one of my connect group member again. I told myself that I have to be faithful in helping her walk with God, I have to commit myself to give her bible study each week. Just yesterday, she told me that her mom asked me if I could give her tuition. It doesn't seem like much but the fact that her mom actually thought about me giving her tuition it meant something already. Also, i think this is how joy comes about. Like what I always learn in Usher Ministry, JOY comes when you put Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last. :) Because when you are faithful in putting Jesus and others first, Jesus will also be faithful in giving you what you need in your life.

:)

What Would Jesus Do?

As I go through every other event in my daily life, I realized I slowly formed this habit of being conscious about everything I do. Slowly, I would always ask myself "What will Jesus think if I do this?", "If Jesus were in my shoes, what would He do?". I feel like it is something I want to thank God for, it really showed me that I stepped into a new phase in my walk with God.

Recently I got to make this decision for something that I didn't expect. At least not so soon. I was asked to pray and think about it and then make a decision. This was on Saturday before service. Then throughout the entire service, I felt like the entire sermon was written specially for me. Pastor Kong preached about putting things aside and living your life 100% for God, giving the example of Mary and the expensive oil that she poured at Jesus' feet.

At the end of the whole service I felt God spoke to me, He told me "Just do it!". If He has given me something great, it means that I am going into another level in my walk with Him too, which is what I want. Just like what I learnt in this week's Coffee With Kong, if God has called you to do something great, He will also provide you with the grace and faith for you to do it! Thinking back, God has always been telling me little bit of what is about to come, only ONCE (which was quite some time ago) that He said specifically this would happen. Back then, I was thinking 'this is impossible....' but as time passes, God always told me "you will be used for something greater" that I have something else more important to do. Never in my mind I thought this would be the 'great things' or 'something greater'.

I guess this is it? (Probably, who know!)

But right now, it's something pretty big for me. It sounds so scary and yet exciting! I can't wait to see what God has planned for me in the days to come.

29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
(Romans 11:29) 

Be Thankful.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 

 In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Everything in our life happens for a reason, good things and bad. God planned it all whether we may like it or not. Sometimes it is not the easiest thing to give thanks for whatever that is happening to us right now. But we cannot enter into the holies of holies unless we give thanks. Like what is written in Psalm 100:4 "Enter His gates with Thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise..." Like what most of us have learnt in bible study, you know that the first thing you have to do is to give thanks to God.

But for what?

Well, for everything that could possible be worse in your life. You have a home? Give thanks for it. Have food on the table? Give thanks for it. You have someone that cares about you? Give thanks for him/her.

The list is endless. Start each new day with thanksgiving, you will be amazed at how much of a difference it will make. Personally I sometimes 'forget' to do it, because I'm rushing out for something or things like that. But as much as I can, I will try to do it. Most of the time it is just in my heart I say it. Also, I've recently been trying to be thankful for THIS MOMENT. Meaning that as things are happening, I thank God for it. I've come to realize that though it is not the easiest thing to do, it is that one thing that will really make you happy, to really appreciate how blessed I am as a child of God. 

Today, I thank God for a smooth first day at practicum. Thank God for the good school and friendly teachers. I thank God for the good afternoon rest. I thank God that He put me in a place I am reminded of His grace every day. I thank God for the food.. Thank God for even this quiet time to type this whole post out and (probably) blessing someone as they read this.

There is power in thanksgiving.

Building your house on a ROCK.

24 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:" (Matthew 7:24-26) 

Yesterday I was at JOL meeting and Jo shared an amazing word, I wish that I could type it out here, but I decided not to because this blog is for my own revelation and word that I God spoke to me. So throughout yesterday's meeting, God spoke to me 2 things. Of which, 1 requires GREAT SACRIFICE and FAITH.

Firstly, Jo shared about how we should be a DOer of the Word and not just listen and listen. She said that "you have heard enough, now it is time to apply what you have done!" This kind of reminds me of what I've learn in school. It is a learning cycle. (How a person learns) And I feel that it applies to our walk with Christ also. Everything should be in a cycle so that it doesn't stop. Once it stop, we will feel dry.. We will stumble and fall out.

1) Awareness
When we first come to church, we become aware of a God, of His grace and everything.

2) Exploration (Experience)
Then, we start to explore & experience God through the different encounter during cell group, service and various camps and meetings.

3) Acquisition
Through all the experience, we acquire a brand new revelation and knowledge about God. Bad sadly, most people stop at this stage. We should move on to the next stage which is...

4) Application
This is the part where we put all that we have heard, all that we have learnt into actions. To serve others, to share the gospel, etc. Just like what the verse above said, whoever that hears the Lord and DOES what He says, he is a wise man. So if you hear the word of God and you don't do it, you're like a foolish man that built his house on the sand.

This cycle should not stop, I mean it is a CYCLE. If we stop at a certain stage we will feel dry like "oh, okay lor.. I know there's a God. Yes, God loves me." and that's all you know, then you don't have a real relationship with God, you don't know Him on a personal level. Let's say if you hear God speaking to you "Go into campus ministry!" which is somewhere along the 3rd step but you keep giving excuses that you have no time and everything, then it is stopping you from going to the 4th step of application! And I believe that most of the time, it is when you reach APPLICATION that the breakthrough will come. You will have a brand new awareness, experience.... so on and so fourth.

Also, Jo shared that we cannot experience God and hear from Him unless we stay still and listen to Him. A few days ago, I started this bible reading plan. I wanted to read the bible but I have no idea where to start from so I randomly picked out 2 plans and I started reading them. The first one is called 'She Reads Truth' and the second one is just 'Dating'. They're really quick to read as it is only a few verses each day, that's how I end up doing 2 plans instead of only 1.

So I was saying, yesterday God spoke to me something that requires great sacrifice.. He told me to go to Children's home and bless the children there. By using the talents I have. Singing songs with them and everything. I want to do it, but I don't know how to start. Now I really need to pray that God will guide me to do what He has called me to do.

Victor's Crown // Blessings

Hello, I know I haven't been posting much on this blog so I shall do it now. This time, I'm going to share two song that really touched me.

Song #1: Blessings by Laura Story



I'm extremely touched by the chorus. I still remember Merilyn was the one who introduced it to me while we were on the bus back home. I hear the chorus I almost cried.. And this is how the chorus goes:

So what if your blessings comes through raindrops?
What if your healing comes through tears?
What is a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near?
What if the trials of this life are Your blessings in disguise?

I just felt that this song really is like the reality of life and our walk with Christ. Like sometimes it is those trials that we faced that brings us closer to God. Sometimes it is those trials that we realized we cannot use our own human strength and that we need to rely on Him. There are also instances that I feel trials are really blessings in disguise.

Journey with Christ isn't the easiest thing to do. But I believe that even if you have little on earth, as long as you keep doing what God has called you to do, you will be rich in heaven! The blessing and prize is waiting for you.

Song #2: Victor's Crown - Darlene Zschech



Whenever I sing this song, whether it is in cell group, or service, it just gives me this assurance. It is like I find comfort in this song because I know that Jesus has the victor's crown and that He is above anything in this world. My favourite part in this song would definitely be the bridge..

Every high thing must come down
Every stronghold shall be broken
For You wear the victor's crown
You've overcome, You've overcome

I could sing this over and over again.

Friend.

So yesterday just before I slept (I was having trouble sleeping) I was asking God is He will just give me a word. Whether it applies to my life right now or not, it doesn't matter. I want to hear from Him again. So God gave me this word about FRIEND.

Everyone have friends, at least ONE. And the thing about friends is this: you always talk to them, they influence you, and you sometimes just wanna be just like them. People that you hang around with will affect you, in a good way or a bad way. And if you say that Jesus is your friend, then likewise He will influence us too. When we take Jesus as our friend, we will become more like Him. You will like what your friend likes, you will behave like how your friends behave. If Jesus has a lifestyle of prayer and fasting, then we too should also learn to have a lifestyle of prayer and fasting.

A friend is someone you can confide in, someone you can seek refuge under, someone that means something to you. I'm not perfect but I'm still learning to try to talk to Jesus in my heart every moment of the day. As you spend more time with Him, you will naturally also become more Christ-like. It is synonymous.

Will you befriend Jesus today?
I am a friend of God, He calls me friend.

BURNT.

Sometimes as we go on with life, we might get burnt out. Or simply get hurt by people's word, actions, or our own failures. Being hurt creates this hole, this scar in our heart. Probably it adds fear into our heart, fear that the same thing might repeat itself again. But today, God told me to not worry. Know that God is our healer, He is Jehova Rapha, God our healer. But it is not use if we just KNOW, we need to claim it! 

How do we claim this gift?
We need to confess it out! Claim it! There is power in confession.

The promises of God are there, all we need to do is to claim them.

Bible.
(Or what is known as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.)

I was talking to Merilyn after our work and she told me that she hadn't gone to bible school. But to me she's like knowledgeable and wise about the things of God. Then I wonder why. Before I could ask the question Merilyn replied "I read the word of God!". It almost came like a lightbulb moment to me. This book. THIS ONE BOOK. It contains so much things that is important to us. It is the weapon that we use when we are faced with trials.

Going to every church service and every cell group meeting not necessary make you more knowledgeable and wise, it is about the relationship with God. To me, the bible is like what God wants to say to you, the lessons that we can learn, His promises. It is the one book that is always filled with endless revelations, will cause you to have new encounter with Jesus, a rhema word in season, and probably that one confirmation you need before you make a big decision in your life. The possibilities are endless.

One Bible.
Two Testament.
66 Books.

1 June 2013

"Use me.."

Many times, in church we always learn to ask God to use us. To let us be the salt and light in the marketplace and school. More often than never, people forget what happens BEFORE God can use you. Just like how we pick the ripe fruits at the supermarket, God also chooses us. And God only choose us when we are ready or ripe.

In the context of the potter and the clay.

We all start out as a block of clay, without form. Or probably just one random slab of clay.. Then we call out to God "use me.. to be the salt of the earth and light of the world" but how can God use us when we are just a slab of unformed clay? This is when God need to mold us.. into a cup/vase/etc so that we can be 'used by Him'. Many people give up when God is molding us because it is painful and the final product is nowhere to be seen. This is the time when you must hang on even closer to the potter! 

A cup/vase/etc can only be hard and utilized properly when it has gone through molding and the fiery furnace. If we want God to use us, we similarly have to go through the painful process of molding and the furnace that seem like hell. We have to keep our eyes locked on the final 'prize'.

Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The process might not be quick, but if we really want God to use us, it will be worth it.

25 May 2013

Obedience.

Pastor Phil preached about obedience last week and I went down for the altar call. Then right there and then, God showed me something about obedience. Note how the word OBEDIENCE is spelled?

O-B-E-D-I-E-N-C-E

Right in the middle of the word 'obedience' there is the word 'die'. God just reminded me that when you want to obey Him, when you want to follow Him and do His will. Something on the inside has to die, and will die. It also means that when you want to do what God has called you to do, you have to leave something behind.

Obedience is a sacrifice!

It is not easy to always obey and follow what God has planned for me. But I believe that there will be this one day I will be able to do what God has called me to.

30 April 2013

Jonah.

He tried to flee from the presence of God. Just like us sometimes we just don't want to go to church, or do something the God asks us to do. But God always has a way of bringing us back. Sometimes, God's method is through a trial.

Trials that bring you closer back to God. But note — Jonah was still in the belly of the whale UNTIL he prayed and sincerely want to do what God has told him to do. Hence, trials aren't necessarily bad. Be it big trials, or small trials, when something happens, just look to the Lord in prayer.

I have never shared this with anyone before, not even my cell group members know about this, so whoever that reads this will be the first to know. I invited Jesus into my heart when I was Primary 3. I didn't know what that meant when I was like 9, but I made that prayer anyway. Throughout my primary school years, I'm on and off believing and then doubting christianity. I didn't go church because my family isn't a christian family. So sometimes I will secretly say a prayer and just hope that the man up there (if he actually existed) will answer my prayer. I never forgot the day I made that prayer.. and then I lived my life as if I didn't say such a prayer. But guess what? God brought me back! Just like Jonah. Though I didn't purposely slide away or anything, but I just didn't know how.

Anyway, I thank God I'm back in His house now. I believe that once God has called you to something, you cannot run away from it.

23 May 2013

Sometimes, walking in darkness might not be the worst thing of all. I believe that God brings us to the dark valleys and pits to remind us that He is the light. Because only in the dark, you can see the light and you can tell when God is there. It does not mean that God isn't there when we are in the light, some of us forgets that God is constantly blessing us. For every single breathe, for every single day that we wake up to.

:)

Praise

What is praise?
• It is like a compliment
•In dictionary.com, it says that praise is 'the act of expressing approval or admiration; commendation'
• 'The offering of grateful homage in words or song, as an act of worship'
•Psalms 100

Through the season of easter, let us remember again WHY we praise God. And the reason is simple — because He gave His only son to die for our sins! And just like what 1 Chronicles 16:25 says "for the Lord is great, and greatly to be praised"

So WHEN do we praise God?
• Anytime!
• "to stand every morning to thank and praise the Lord, and likewise at evening"(I Chronicles 23:30)

When we praise God, we praise Him wholeheartedly. And this means to leave everything behind.
So now, I want you to write all your worries on a piece of paper, whatever you are stressed about, whether is it your exams, or relationship or friendship issues, or work, or anything, just write it down. Pray about it. At the end of the prayer, tear the paper up. As you tear the paper, think of God removing the trouble for you.

This whole sharing came about when I was eating my dinner and I hear a cell group going on upstairs. They are definitely not english cell group. Probably indonesian or Philippino cell group. I realized that when they praise, they really sound very happy. They laugh, they even do actions (I can tell because of the irregular clapping). Then it made me think, if other people's cg can be like that, why cant we? I'm not trying to compare who is louder or anything, but the heart that you praise God with.

Questions to ponder about:
1. What is the trouble that you are facing right now that is stopping you from praising God?
2. What can you do about it?

Welcome!

Hello. You most probably know who I am so I'll just skip that part. Anyway, Pastor Kong preached about Revelations today and since my cell group leader also talked about it during debrief, I decided to take this step and start this blog. This would be more of like a journal to me.

The reason I want to start this is simple - to remember. Someday I want to scroll back to the first blog post and to thank God for all the goodness and the revelations that I had. My cell group leader also talked about him keeping his revelations in a journal. I'm not the sort of person that love to write a lot of words with pen and paper. So why not make a blog simply for it? I also hope that by using a blog instead of a private journal, I will be able to bless other people when they go through the same situations as me or when they simply want to read short little revelations. :)

I really hope that these posts will be able to bless you like how I was being blessed when God first spoke to me. God bless!