saltshaker_

2009-10-03T23:52:00.001+08:00

http://www.hannahscupboard.com/nissi.html

Jehovah Nissi: The Lord Is My Banner

The Olympic Games always open with an awe inspiring procession of athletes from all the participating countries of the world marching around the field under their country's banner or flag. The flag is their identification with the sponsoring country and a rallying point for the athletes and fans. Great cheers go up from the citizens of each country as their team goes by with the flag waving back and forth.

We rally 'round the flag each Fourth of July in the United States to celebrate our freedom. We wave flags, bake flag cakes, display flags and sing a song about our flag - the Star Spangled Banner, at the opening of every baseball game.

The most important thing flags or banners do, however, is mark victory. It is well understood that the conquering army in any battle has the right to remove the defeated country's flag and replace it with their own, usually in the highest spot possible for all to see. The country with the conquering flag has won and now they are in control.

THE LORD IS MY BANNER

It was over a great battle in the Old Testament that God revealed himself as Jehovah Nissi, THE LORD IS MY BANNER. It happened at the time when Israel was wandering in the wilderness after miraculously crossing the Red Sea. Amalek was the enemy who came against Israel in Rephidim. In Exodus 17:8-16 Moses called on his young apprentice, Joshua, to lead the Israelites into battle while he stationed himself on top of a hill to pray. He had with him his brother Aaron and his assistant, Hur. As Moses lifted his hands and prayed, the Israelites prevailed in the battle but when he let his hands down, Amalek prevailed. So Aaron and Hur set Moses on a rock and held his hands up for him until the battle was totally won.

At the end of the day there was victory and God told Moses to write down what had happened and read it in Joshua's hearing. God was thinking ahead to the time when Moses would be gone and Joshua would be called upon to take over leadership of God's chosen people. Joshua would be the one to cross the Jordan River into Canaan (the Promised Land) and defeat Jericho. He would have plenty of battles ahead of him and God wanted him to remember back to this one and the victory God had given them.

Instead of raising a flag, Moses built an altar because in those times, an altar was often used as a place of remembering or marking an important event. This is where Moses called God Jehovah Nissi because he understood the revelation that God himself is our banner, our victory. He is the one who wins our battles. He still does that by the way. When Moses wrote that story down for Joshua, he was also writing it down for our benefit so that we will remember it as we go into battle. How do we know that?

There is an interesting thing that God says when he tells Moses to write down the story. God says that he "…will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." (verse 14b) That means that this enemy would not rise again - he was defeated UTTERLY. In verse 16, however, Moses says; "…the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." How is it that God is saying the enemy was completely defeated and yet that there would be future wars with Amalek in future generations?

Amalek in this story represents our enemy, Satan, who is active against God's people in all generations. Even though the literal "Amalek" at that time was completely defeated by Israel's army, other Amaleks would rise up against Israel and on down to you and me in our own generation. When you gather under Jehovah Nissi as your banner, trust him that the outcome of your battle will be the same as it was for Moses and Joshua at Rephidim. God is saying there will always be war; don't be surprised by it. He is also saying he is always the winner.

What is your battle right now?

Drugs? Pornography? Bitterness? Loneliness? Cancer? Dissention? Depression? Hopelessness? Bankruptcy? Injustice? The list goes on and on and if I haven't named your battleground you can just fill in the blank. You know what you are at war with and you know that in the heat of battle it is hard to see the victory at the end. Remember Jehovah Nissi. Call upon Jehovah Nissi. Raise your hands in prayer the way Moses did. Don't give up. Ask others to hold your hands up if you get tired. God is faithful to fulfill his word. When your battle is over you will have the right to replace your enemy's flag with your own. Set it on high for all to see that Jehovah Nissi is your God who has secured your victory.

Now learn about Jehovah-Shalom OR pick any of the NAMES OF GOD of your choice to study next.

lessons on prayer from E.M. Bounds

2009-09-12T09:34:00.002+08:00

Hey peeps,

I've been reading this book on prayer by em bounds, and thought that it's really good- good enough to make me want to switch on my comp and share it with you!

I shall just take out bits and pieces on it from prayer and obedience

Obendience- a virtue deemed 'better than sacrifice, and to harken, betten than the fat of rams'.
Obedience is also faith in action, and is the test of love- "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one that loves me"
Obedience can ask with boldness at the throne of grace, the disobedient ones are timid and hesitent in their supplication.

Hence, if you have a desire to learn how to pray, you must also have an earnest desire to learn desire to learn how to do God's will, to have a comsuming desire to obey him.

Faith is its highest form, is the attitude as well as the act of the soul surrendering to God, in whom his Word and his Spirit dwells.

2009-09-08T10:17:00.010+08:00

Here are some nice quotes about Laying aside busyness: running with rest. It's by Cynthia Heald. =)

Running with Rest:

If we're running, how can we be resting at the same time? Physical rest is very important, but in order to keep running we also need an inner rest - the peace and refreshment that come only from the Lord. Oswald Chambers describes this inner rest: "I will stay you. Not - I will put you to bed and hold your hand and sing you to sleep; but - I will get you out of bed, out of languor and exhaustion, out of the state of being half dead while you're alive; I will imbue you with the spirit of life, and you will be stayed by the perfection of vital activity."

God's rest can be ours. It comes when we abide in Him and stay active in His business, not our busyness.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Don't be unwise enough to think that we are serving God best by constant activity at the cost of headaches and broken rest. I am getting to be of the opinion that we may be doing too much. We want - at least this is my own want - a higher quality of work. Our labor should be to maintain unbroken communion with our blessed Lord; then we shall have entire rest, and God abiding in us; that which we do will not be ours, but His.

- John Kenneth MacKenzie

Romans 13, 14, 15, 16

2009-07-26T21:27:00.002+08:00

I thought i should just finish this off. :) Was long done with Romans.. and guess what? my church is doing it for bible study! I'm learning new things even from chapter 1 again. haas

Chapter 13
Submission to Authority
- All authority on earth is established by God. I think we always tend to miss out the all.
Sometimes, it's really hard to respect certain people who are in charge. Like it seems that 'I think I can do a better job or he can do a better job than him'
But the point is that we can't be selective on our faith and say that "i don't think God put him there"

Pray for those in-charge today. Pray for your own hearts too, that we will not think too highly of ourselves, for us to be humble and learn to submit to our authority.

Then Paul moves on to love. I find it hard to connect Paul and love. But I think now that Paul does really know about love.
What are the things that Paul asks us to do in this portion of the chapter?

Romans 14
The Weak and the Strong
I think it's pretty straighforward:) What is Paul calling us to do? And why? Was Paul really talking about food?
Anyway, the lesson i took from 14 was more on GIVE THANKS! :) from v 6.
Impressive really, that Paul still slips in all these in the midst of teaching us something else.

Romans 15, is a continuation from 14.
How will you apply what you've learnt to the others in saltshakers?
I personally like verse 5 which says
" May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ"

I pray this for all of you! I'm sure that by now, the camp and whatever commitments you've made have faded into distant memory, but continue to press on. The camp was a waterbreak. Like they always say, it's not about starting well, it's about finishing well. :)

Paul ends his letter with a plan and a request for prayer. What are your prayer needs? Dare you open your heart and let others know of how they can pray for you too? Asian culture deems it inappropriate for us to share our struggles. But think of it as encouraging each other, exhorting each other. Time to put down your masks.

Finally,
Romans 16
Personal greetings.
My assignment to you is to find out about all the people listed in chapter 16. And perhaps your devotion will move off from there.

Romans 12

2009-07-14T22:42:00.002+08:00

Romans 12
Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleaseing to God- this is your spiritual act of worship.

1. Therefore- So now comes the action after all the theory.
2. From Chapters 11 and other previous chapters Paul was talking about God's mercy. What do you know if it already?
3. Action:
i) to offer your bodies as living sacrifices {that must be holy and pleasing} - have you been 'holy and pleasing' Dare we offer god anything that is not? I think more often than not, we do. But remember that what is to be offered to God must be holy and pleasing
ii) To not conform to the pattern of this world- what's this world's pattern?
iii) to be tranformed by the renewing of your mind. [ and the subaction is to test and approve God's will]

on LovE: what are the 5 points that Paul brought up? I have 5, you may have more:)

Last qn: Why does Paul say in verse 3 to not think of yourselves more highly than you ought? and why to think of yourself in judgement in accordance with the measure of faith that God has given you?

what do you think?

Romans 9

2009-07-08T03:36:00.002+08:00

God's Sovereignity

Paul loved the people so much so taht he was willing to give up his own salvation so that all men could believe and have that relationship with God. Many people think that Christianity is about following rules, for the record, it's not. It's about a relationship with God.

I think this chapter answers alot of questions. We often cry out unfairness to a sovereign God. which is quite ironical. Throughout Genesis, you can see God choose... He choose Jacob over Esau, He choose Isaac to bless as well. But who are we to cry unfair? Does not the potter have the right to make out the the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use? (v. 21)

Reading Romans, I've come to understand that all of us were in a sense destined to go down down down like Sodom and Gomorrah. We simply dont deserve any kindness at all. But God desired that none should perish and offered his son in replacement.

What's your take on it?

Romans 7 and 8

2009-07-08T03:12:00.002+08:00

For those of you who have been reading Romans consistently and are probably almost done, congrats! Just wanted to continue posting some thoughts that I've had while reading Romans.

Romans 7
I think Paul's illustration from marriage gives us a clear idea of who we are bound to now. I always think of Hosea and Gomer, and Gomer's desire to keep returning back to her old ways. That sounds like me.. but i'm glad to be afforded the opportunity where I'm 'released from the law', and I can 'serve in a new way of the Spirit'

how apt, the part about struggling with sin. I can identify with it everyday. It really is a struggle, and then you add a -ing, because it happens everyday. What are some sins that you've been struggling with? I just watched "Fireproof". (Great movie!) The male lead in the story struggled with selfishness and pride. As with most movies, it's a happy ending, as it is with us too where Paul proclaims " Thanks be to God" because he rescued us.

Romans 8
Don't you like the first verse of this chapter? There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Christ set us free from the bondage of sin, which the law was unable to do for us. He became the sin offering to meet the righteous requirement of the law. I think we always talk about the grace and love of God, but we seldom mention the holiness of God. This is where it comes in. Dont abuse grace. Revere God. I'm learning too.

So ponder
1. What does it mean to live in accordance to the Spirit? and Why must we live in accordance to the Spirit?

2. Heirs. It's a honour to be heirs. Do you know what we inherit?

3. Why is it important that we pray in the Spirit? Ask me if you really want to know.. hahah. I just got my answer from reading AW Tozer's book.

4. I love the last verse of the chapter. What does it mean to you personally? "We are more that conquerors"- what made Paul say that?

2009-07-06T22:31:00.002+08:00

Purity becomes practical when we meet our need for the presence of God. Personal purity in our outward behavior is the result of continually quenching our thirsty desires with God and not by earthly means.

It is a continuous cycle. The more you draw near and quench your thirst with God the more you will experience purity. The more you experience purity the more you will feel the freedom you need to keep on staying in His "holy place" and drinking His presence.

http://www.tasteheavennow.net/freedom_from_shame/purity_and_not_waiting.htm

Romans 5 & 6

2009-06-28T00:37:00.002+08:00

For those of you who are still continuing with Romans:) I've been reading it everyday, but kinda lazy to upload. Apologies!

Romans 5
Paul proves that we are justified through faith in Cha 4.
And hence, ebing justified through faith through Jesus, we have peace with God. It's like Jesus opened a door for us to stand before God, or like how the veil covering the Holy of Holies was being torn.

So, What does Paul call us to have joy in?

Essentially, I think Paul is just making his point clear.. why there's sin, why there's death and how we can get life.

Ponder...
What does it mean "but sin is not taken into account when there is no law?"

Romans 6

What does it mean to be baptized?
Sin makes us powerless. I think we often feel condemned when we keep sinning because we are not in the position to stop it. We are 'slaves to sin' like what Paul says in v6.

POnder...
What does it mean then, to die with Christ?

Shall we continue sinning so that grace might increase or because of grace?
We shouldn't, but why not?

Romans 4

2009-06-23T00:59:00.003+08:00

Abraham justified by faith. I think this is a good one-liner summary of the entire chapter.

1.Why was it that Paul started talking about Abraham?
2. One verse that I liked was verse 21. "being fully persuaded that God had the power to do what he had promised" How does this verse speak to you personally?
3. Have you ever had faith like Abraham? Why or why not?

Take time to pray and thank God for his promises, because He has the power to do what He has promised.

Romans 3

2009-06-22T10:58:00.002+08:00

Sorry for the late post! I was too lazy to switch on the computer yesterday.
Romans 3 talks about God's fatihfulness.
A God that is faithful despite our own unfaithfulness. The passage talks alot of the law, Jews and Gentiles, but don't let the complexity stop you from reading it again and again till you understand it.

Here's my summary of it
The law is like a mirror (sounds familiar?). it does not correct sin but reflects the sinfulness of our life, and so much more our need for grace. God justifies us through faith in Jesus (justification: God declaring us not guilty for our sins)
Christ paid the price of our sinfulness with his blood because a Holy God cannot just simply 'overlook' our sins.

:)
any questions, anything you don't understand feel free to ask. Will try to help answer if I can

and then, Romans may be a difficult book, but it gives a very good overview of the gospel, of the OT- because of Paul's training as a Pharisee earlier.

2009-06-20T17:14:00.002+08:00

Romans 2

Ponder :

1. What are 'good works'? What do they refer to? What do you think they are?

2. What is the heart of the reader?

3. What is God's character (that is shown in this passage)?

I think that the passage is difficult to understand, so remember to read it slowly to digest it, and ask God to help you understand.
Personally, I think I have not been doing good works. It's not just about donating money and all that, but encouraging each other, serving, and glorifying God's name is what it's all about. And, good works should not have motives. I think I do things sometimes because I can gain something out of it. ):
The second thing that I got out of the passage is that inward circumcision is important! We must clean our sanctuary for God to dwell in us (:
So, I hope you understand the passage better and continue to read on and spend time with God!

Romans 1:18-32

2009-06-19T13:01:00.003+08:00

Before you read Romans 1:18-32, read Genesis 6:1-7
Then read Romans 1:18-32

Ponder
1. I actually thought that this passage was pretty scary. We don't usually think of the wrath of God. What caused God's wrath? Besides the fact that man has been perverse, we also have a God that is sovereign and holy. Remember the checklist that MQ and Liru gave, go through it again slowly in your own time and try to pinpoint the incident, rather than just write a yes/no answer.

2. Do we have any excuse as to not believe in God? Why or why not?

3. Yet, I also found comfort in the attributes of God presented in this passage. Find them out and write them down!

Pray and confess sins. Pray and give thanks. Pray and praise God.

Romans, admittedly, is a cheem book to understand. Through doing these set of devotions, it will not make you or me an expert in Romans. Perservere on! I believe that each time you read the bible, no matter how many times you've read that passage, there's always another revelation, if you're willing to listen.

Romans 1:1-17

2009-06-18T01:02:00.004+08:00

Hello! This goes to all those out there who need a kickstart to their quiet time. And if you have any comments, please please let me know!

If you need resources, such as
Another translation (ESV) http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/search/?q=Romans+1
Or bible commentaries (Anyone knows of a trustworthy site?)
feel free to google. :)

Before you start, it's a good to get all your things, find a nice spot (not on your bed) and quieten down. Then pray and confess distractions in your heart and ask God to lead you in a time of 'chewing on his word'

Take your time to read through the first 2 parts of Romans 1. First is the introduction by Paul, and the second is his longing to visit Rome/ the purpose why he wrote this book. The sentences are quite long, so do read it over and over again until you get what he is trying to say. Don't hurry, and don't be anxious to finish all of Romans in 16 days. (plausible but abit hard for me)

Questions to ponder
1. In Paul's introduction, he gives a one-liner about himself, then shifts the focus to Jesus. How did Paul introduce himself? For a Roman citizen, which Paul was, to choose to be a servant was unthinkable. But Paul choose to be obedient and completely dependent to his beloved Master. What's your attitude towards Jesus? and How did Paul introduce Jesus? If you look at it carefully, it's actually a pretty neat summary of the Gospel. :)

2. Who was Paul writing to and why was he writing to them?

3. What is God saying to you today?

Write down a verse that especially speaks to you and pray:)

Additional Notes:
Paul: Read Acts 7:54 onwards to see the story of Paul unfold.

The foundations of the Christian faith are found in Paul's writings in the book of Romans. He also gives clear, practical guidelines on Christian living- how the gospel can tranform our lives and let God impact every aspect of our lives.

2009-06-10T23:58:00.003+08:00

Just wanna share this devotion~ (: Got it from http://createlevoyage.com/2009/05/devotional-eternal-infancy.html

Devotional : Eternal Infancy
Writer : Tan Wai Jia

Do it again.Do it again.Please, can we do it again.

A child sits on a swing and lunges his body forward rhythmically, exulting in repetitive jubilance. He rejoices in the same pendulous routine of ups and downs, not out of boredom but out of joy, in the excess of life, out of sheer giggle-filled, chuckle-bursting liberation and indulgence.

Children love repetition, but not us adults. Along this long journey we call life, too many of us grow old too fast and lose the steely stuff children are made of. We are drained by the humdrum of everyday life. It is as if we had chosen to get off a rusty swing, a swing in whose heady rush of wind and exhilarating heights we no longer took pleasure in. The irony is our inner child need to be preserved correctly and beautifully if we are to grow up well.

We work and grow cold.

We lose our child-like strength to exult in and triumph over monotony. Every day becomes the same as the last, except perhaps being, only more dead. Our days are flogged to death with sameness and we grow old and cold in our jobs, jobs which were once our star-dusted childhood dreams. We are dead before we die, processing data, typing in numbers and flicking people off, for we wither in the sameness of everyday.

As a third-year medical student, I was in the hospital drawing blood for and taking the medical history of the umpteenth patient when I found myself slumped forward, finally tired from asking the same questions and going through the same motions again. Where is your pain? How is it like, when did it happen, what is its nature, do you have any drug allergies? There were hoards of patients waiting to be seen, so many with the similar complaint of pain, discomfort and agony. Tired and drained, the crowd bothered me. The moment was scary because I learnt that repetition, far from the childhood exultation, had turned into a devastating monotony.

We sin and grow old.

But the impatient crowd soon reminded me of the large crowd which followed Jesus from the towns, even though He had intended to withdraw to a solitary place. "When Jesus heard what had happened, he withdrew by boat privately to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick." (Matthew 14:13-14)

Wasn't he looking for a time of solitude? Wasn't he tired? Did he see them and think, "Oh no, not again"?

All at once, I realized the extent of Jesus' love not merely for the collective human race, but for every hurting, needy individual. Jesus, too, was tired and weary, but when He saw each one's need, he saw us more than as individuals, but as his Father's children. He, like his loving father eager to serve his hurting child, found the strength of steel to minister and care for every one. For a loving father may have many children, but would surely love each one in his own unique way, and seek repeatedly, unfailingly, ungrudgingly to fulfill each oneâ€™s unique needs.

Does a parent love each child any less because he has more of them? The realisation that God's fatherly, protective and intimate love for each patient then hit me hot in the face. Upon opening my eyes, I found new strength again to listen to the same answers, to do the same things, to perform the same procedures, simply because this was a different, unique Person, a child He calls His own - special and precious in His sight.

With God's love, we are enabled to work and answer and love always, without growing old, without growing cold. We are enabled to grow up well, with our inner child still preserved to enjoy the simplicity of celebrating repetition. For all His ancience and age, God's love is strong enough, to inspire newness into old things, the way a parent is inspired to be childlike all over again when he sees his child.

Could it be then with God's strength in us, looking through His eyes, we can find freshness in routine? Is it then that we will see differently every person at the counter, by the corridor, at the office cubicle, not as a digit, a statistic, case or patient or bed number, but as a Person, a child whom God loves so much and who is known so intimately that He would give up the world for him to know so? Because he loves the stranger as much as He loves me.

God the Creator takes great pleasure and delight in his creations day in and out. He draws the silken skies of dawn and dusk like coloured curtains, fingers the lips of chaste lilies and browns them to their graves, brews clouds over our lives for seasons of sunshine, rain and frost, creating the same creations over and over...and then, again. How much more than, that we as the crown of creation, adopted as children, are the delight of God the Father!

Do it again. Do it again. Please, can we do it again.

Our loving father knows how to see the distinctive value in each of us, and we can as well, encountering each one distinctly because the process of meeting, of knowing every individual, is different. Might I be the kind of doctor who sees every patient with the eyes God sees them with? After weekly 36-hour shifts running around meeting demands, can I serve each patient faithfully as if he were my first, with dedicated humility and dignity?

It would require a new understanding of my identity as a child in Christ. God has the infinite capacity for childlikeness, because He is. Jesus' heart is pure like a child's. It is full of faith like a child's. And we, as His children can have the same heart of purity and faith because we are in Christ. We can have hope in knowing that Christ in us will preserve our zest and zeal, our eternal gratitude for every sunrise and dusk, every flower which blooms and dies, every human being which passes our way, as long as we make a daily choice to remember who we are. His beloved children. Children of God the Father.

"Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18: 4

Always Grateful

2009-06-09T11:01:00.001+08:00

Always Grateful

As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

-- LUKE17:12-18

The ten lepers were anxious and impatient to be healed. Jesus showed mercy and healed them, telling them to go show themselves to the priests. One of the lepers ran back to Jesus, overwhelmed with praise to God and heartfelt gratitude to his benefactor. The other nine were more interested in following the religious prescription--to show oneself to the synagogue, reentering society, and regaining acceptance from family and neighbors. It meant a social, religious, and medical “clean bill of health.”

Rather than seek approval and acceptance from the priests and society, one leper chose to rush back to Jesus with happy abandon. He was less interested in “getting on with his life” and more concerned with acknowledging God’s mercy and pouring out gratitude to his Savior.

God is not impressed with religious duty; he is more interested in our spiritual gratitude. The Lord is always looking for the heart that is effusive in expressing thanks for his great mercies. Even Romans 1:21 warns that God gave sinful man over to his own wickedness because “he neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him.” Purpose today to pour out your gratitude to God for every small and great mercy.

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for the countless blessings and innumerable mercies you pour out upon me every day.

A Spirit of Humility

2009-05-28T15:43:00.001+08:00

A Spirit of Humility

When you bow down before the Lord and admit your dependence on him, he will lift you up and give you honor.

-- JAMES 4:10 NLT

Pride always blows our cover. In case you doubt that, hit the concordance key on your computer Bible software, type in the word "pride" or "proud", and watch a zillion verses pop up. All of them detailing how the Lord detests haughty eyes, boastful tongues, and hearts bloated by ego. Never was there a character trait more opposite of God.

In our best moments, we want very much to be like God, to be godly...yet what an invitation to pride! That's why it always requires humility to them and say, "I am so sorry for hurting you. What you have observed about me is true: I am stubborn and very much 'in the wrong.' Please forgive me." Oh, it is never easy! But it is richly rewarded.

And old Puritan wrote: "Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin lies not so much in the nature of sin committed, as in the greatness of the person sinned against." If we’re looking for humility, we don't gaze inward to see how greatly we've missed the mark. We gaze at the Lord Jesus. We drag ourselves to the cross...where our pride is suffocated! "Self" becomes "hid with Christ in God," and humility is the result.

Asking the Holy Spirit to roll up his sleeves and deal with pride in your heart may involve several things (I speak from experience!) it may include opening yourself to the valid criticism of others, openly confessing your faults, or inviting your spouse or close friend to point out your blind spots. Easy? Never! Rewarding? Always.

Lord, as the old hymn says, "When I survey the wondrous cross, / on which the Prince of Glory died, / my riches gain I count but loss, / and pour contempt on all my pride." Keep me on my knees today, until I get a fresh vision of your cross.

Reckless Words

2009-05-24T00:55:00.001+08:00

Reckless Words

Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

-- PROVERBS 12:18

When God created the world, he spoke it into being. When Jesus walked the earth, he spoke and the lame were healed. When Peter preached his first sermon, he spoke and thousands were gathered into the kingdom. Powerful things happen when we speak. Our words can either accomplish great good or inflict terrible damage. God has arranged that words are granted incredible clout. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” Dr. Dan Allender gives us a profound purpose for our speech: “I am to sow words like seeds to bring a harvest of fruit that blesses God.”

Repeatedly in Scripture, we are admonished to choose and use words carefully in healing and holiness. However, our words are not only instruments of health but hurt. Words create division; they can wound or create distance through subtle inflection. James 3:6 warns, “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body.” It’s interesting that the book of James does not give us any advice about stopping our tongues. Instead, God’s Word asks us to develop a sense of horror over the damage our tongue can inflict. The sobering reality of how such a small part of the body can do so much good or harm should wake us up to the power of our words.

Look for ways today you can exalt Christ through your speech. Find opportunities to sincerely encourage and commend your coworkers, family members, neighbours, or pastor and members of your congregation. Have you spoken damaging words? Do you need to make repairs? Remember, the tongue of the wise brings healing.

Lord, today I commit to seriously considering the power of my speech. Show me ways I can speak words of healing and holiness. Most of all, help me to think--and pray for wisdom--before I say anything.

2009-05-17T21:30:00.000+08:00

This is really beautiful. Do read it =)

"Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee." -- Isaiah 41:9

If we have received the grace of God in our hearts, its practicaleffect has been to make us God's servants. We may be unfaithfulservants, we certainly are unprofitable ones, but yet, blessed be hisname, we are his servants, wearing his livery, feeding at his table,and obeying his commands. We were once the servants of sin, but he whomade us free has now taken us into his family and taught us obedienceto his will. We do not serve our Master perfectly, but we would if wecould. As we hear God's voice saying unto us, "Thou art my servant," wecan answer with David, "I am thy servant; thou hast loosed my bonds."But the Lord calls us not only his servants, but his chosen ones-"Ihave chosen thee." We have not chosen him first, but he hath chosen us.If we be God's servants, we were not always so; to sovereign grace thechange must be ascribed. The eye of sovereignty singled us out, and thevoice of unchanging grace declared, "I have loved thee with aneverlasting love." Long ere time began or space was created God hadwritten upon his heart the names of his elect people, had predestinatedthem to be conformed unto the image of his Son, and ordained them heirsof all the fulness of his love, his grace, and his glory. What comfortis here! Has the Lord loved us so long, and will he yet cast us away?He knew how stiffnecked we should be, he understood that our heartswere evil, and yet he made the choice. Ah! our Saviour is no ficklelover. He doth not feel enchanted for awhile with some gleams of beautyfrom his church's eye, and then afterwards cast her off because of herunfaithfulness. Nay, he married her in old eternity; and it is writtenof Jehovah, "He hateth putting away." The eternal choice is a bond uponour gratitude and upon his faithfulness which neither can disown.

2009-05-14T23:14:00.002+08:00

I have heard of slaves who were given freedom by the Emancipation Proclamation who still chose to live in slavery. For them, freedom was a frightening unknown. I think of the Israelites who were freed from their slavery in Egypt, yet longed for the food they received while in captivity. They were willing to become slave again just to satisfy their appetite.

Freedom can be overwhelming, and it may seem that we are really sacrificing the "good life" to be set free by Christ. To truly understand the weight of sin and self is to begin to grasp the preciousness of our freedom in Christ. This understanding is a continuing process for me. I give u my own freedom when I insist on being in control, demanding my own happiness, and building walls of protection. All these behaviours seem right and feel comfortable, but they ultimately become heavy burdens.

God clearly calss us to "give up" this cumbersome, defeating "old self." I think more than anything this means grasping the truth that I have the power to lay aside these encumbrances. I don't have to be a slave to sin, to myself, or to others in order to feel good about who I am. I don't have the world tell me what will make me happy. True freedom is realising that apart from Christ, I am not free. If I really want to experience this ''addictive alivenes'', then I have to throw off everything that hinders me from truly being alive. It is the only way to run.

--Cynthia Heald

2009-05-14T00:23:00.003+08:00

Hey guys, here is the camp brochure number 1! :)
Coming up with more, no worries! :) I didn't include the amount cause it's not really finalized & I can't think of how to put it in. :D

Love,
Lydia

Rejoice Always!

2009-05-13T12:25:00.001+08:00

Rejoice Always!

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

-- PHILIPPIANS 4:4

Living in Christian life is so opposite, so against the grain of our human nature. When today’s verse tells me to rejoice always, my inclination is to be glum-faced, thank you. A little bit of whining, huffing and puffing, scowling and sighing is more to my liking. But common sense warns me it will only make things worse.

Philippians 4:4 is a triple whammy: we are to rejoice in the Lord always, and then again, rejoice with an exclamation mark. Perhaps Paul felt he should underscore the command because circumstances in Philippi were so bad as to make the exhortation utterly unreasonable. But Christians can be commanded to rejoice because their ground for doing so is not in circumstances but “in the Lord.” The command may be contrary to our old nature, but remember it’s not Paul’s command. It’s the command of Jesus Christ. When Paul insisted we rejoice always, he was no doubt thinking of the words of Jesus who said, “Take heart! I have overcome the world,” and “Blessed are you when men hate you. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy for great is your reward in heaven” (John 16:33; Luke 6:22-23). We rejoice not only because Jesus told us to, but because he himself rejoiced. And that’s with an exclamation mark!

How can we rejoice in every circumstance? In chronic pain or cancer? In rejection and bankruptcy? The next verse provides motive, perspective, encouragement, and reason enough: The Lord is near (Philippians 4:5). You can keep a bright outlook in the midst of any hardship; you can have peace of mind and heart when you know that the Lord Jesus is close at hand. Think of a situation you’ve been grumbling about; choose today to rejoice in the Lord in the midst of it all.

Lord, I bring before you the circumstance of ________________. I purpose by your grace to rejoice always, and again I will say, “I rejoice!”

Putting Pleasure on Hold

2009-05-05T21:26:00.000+08:00

Putting Pleasure on Hold

I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God.

-- PSALM 38:15

Have you ever had a cup of the coffee they serve in hotel hallways of lobbies? Early in the morning the people at the front desk put a pot of coffee out on a little table with powdered creamers next to some Styrofoam cups. It’s not the best-tasting stuff--and may have been sitting there for hours. Sometimes when I’m traveling, I’ll spot the coffee, sniff the aroma, and often I’m tempted to scarf down a cup. If I’m in a hurry, I’m thinking less about quality and more about caffeine!

Ah, but if I know there’s a gourmet coffee kiosk at the airport, serving up a fresh ground heavenly brew, then I say, “Hmmm, I think I can wait a half hour.” I know it will pay off. I think of that which is higher quality. It takes a little self-control, and it means putting pleasure on hold, but I do it in anticipation of an even greater pleasure on the horizon.

This is at least some of what it means to “wait on the Lord.” Waiting on God does not mean passive indifference--hanging, around and doing nothing. It has more to do with saying no to impulsive, spur-of-the-moment actions or decisions, and by so doing, saying yes to something you know will satisfy much better on down the line. Those who have not yet learned how to wait on the Lord may tend to indulge in something immediate that only half satisfies. But Christians who have fostered a degree of self-control--Christians who know God better--don't mind putting pleasure on hold. They know something better is brewing down the line.

God is always worth waiting for. Take time to be still before him, seeking his mind and his desire for your today ... and all your tomorrows.

Lord, I praise you for what Peter called your “precious and magnificent promises.” I wait on you today, believing what you have planned for me is so much better than what I could ever grab for myself.

Take Heed

2009-04-25T22:40:00.001+08:00

Take Heed

So if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!

-- 1 CORINTHIANS 10:12

How many times have you watched someone dive headlong into immorality and thought, Nope, not me; I’d never be caught doing that. Beware. People who view themselves as standing firm are the most susceptible to the most gross type of sin. Upright and obedient. Noah stood alone against a carousing, lustful world that drank itself silly. Who would have thought Noah, of all people, would end up drunk? Look at Abraham. He was ready to push obedience to the point of sacrificing his own son. Who would imagine he would be the one to lie straight-faced to government officials? And to do it twice! Lot closed his door against the sexual sin in the streets of Sodom, but hardly does he get delivered from the city’s destruction than he falls into incest with his own daughters.

Bold and courageous David was brave enough to go up against Goliath, but later on, he made believe he was a madman because he feared his enemies. Then there’s Elijah. We take him to be a rather brave man as he wielded the sword of God’s vengeance against tens of thousands. But the threat of one woman sent him plummeting into suicidal despair. Finally there’s Peter. He was part of the Lord’s inner circle, following the footsteps of Jesus closer than anyone. Yet he ended up cursing and denying his Saviour.

First Corinthians 10:6-11 cautions us further about the human side of Noah, Lot, David, Elijah, “These things [are] examples...and were written down as warnings for us.” Just when you think you are doing pretty well, you stumble into sin that seems so out of character. But it’s not. The character of our body is of sin and death (Romans 7:13). Remember, you won’t fall as long as you’re leaning on Jesus.

Lord Jesus, today I stand only in your strength and grace. Keep me from falling into sin as I keep my eye on you.

The Real Me

2009-04-21T16:17:00.002+08:00

The Real Me

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

-- HEBREWS 21:23

The other week during a long flight home, I could not get comfortable in the airline seat. My corset was digging into me and no matter what Ken did, my blood pressure continued to spike and my forehead kept sweating (signs that I am in pain). Normally, it would have been enough to drive me to pray. But not this time. I was fed up with my disability (a nice way of saying I was fed up with God’s control of the situation.) My thoughts were sour, and I was not about to pull my Bible out of my backpack. Instead, I tried to get my mind off my pain by watching the in-flight movie. Halfway through, I thought, This is the stupidest film. Why am I watching it?!

That night after the pain subsided, my first thought was, That wasn’t like me. I’m normally not like that. But the whisper of the Holy Spirit replied, “That is you. You are like that.” Suffering always tests us, examining and sifting and asking, “Who are you really?” Normally, we are not faced all the time with how self-focused we are, or how sour or peevish our attitude can be. We think we’re doing pretty well. But suffering strips off that veneer and shows us our true colors.

Affliction does not teach you about yourself from a textbook; it teaches you from experience. It will always show that you love--either the God of all comfort or the comfort that can become your god. Think back on the last time you got “fed up” with your circumstances. What did this reveal about yourself? Talk to God about that today.

Lord Jesus, I may not like affliction in my life, but I am keenly aware that it constantly shows me who I really am. Thank you for covering every sin with your precious blood!

forgiveness

2009-04-06T23:34:00.001+08:00

This is gonna be pretty long. but it's a good read.. esp for easter:)
Read on!

Elisabeth Elliot: "You are loved with an everlasting love." That's what the Bible says, "and underneath are the everlasting arms." This is your friend Elisabeth Elliot, talking with you today about one of the primary evidences of that everlasting love--"Forgiveness."
Forgiveness. We read in the Scriptures that God did not send His Son, Jesus, into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved (John 3:17). That was why God sent Jesus. Have you thought about it, in that light? God wants to forgive you. He is not a frightening Patriarch up there in the sky, scrutinizing you to find out where you're sinning.
He knows--of course. Nothing is hidden from God; He knows where we're sinning. But His object is to bring us to repentance in order that He may forgive us. And all it takes is repentance, on our part. It took a great deal more than that on God's part. It took His life, His blood, His death on the cross.
So the central symbol of our faith, that cross, is a great crossroads. It's there that sinners are forgiven. It's there that the sacrifice for sin was made once for all.
Most of you know what Protestants call "The Lord's Prayer" and what Catholics would call the "Our Father." And what are the words in there? Forgive us our trespasses or our debts, as we forgive our, as we forgive our debtors or as we forgive those who trespass against us (Matt. 6:12).
Forgiveness is a grace that has to be offered to sinners--to people who trespass against us, to those who really have offended and hurt us, to those who have abused us. If God forgave us the way we forgive those who trespass against us, sometimes, we'd all be in big trouble, wouldn't we? Because we don't necessarily forgive those people completely, freely and forever. Sometimes we don't forgive them at all. Is that the way you expect God to forgive you? "Forgive us, as we forgive those."
Have you been abused in some way, as a child, as a wife, as an employee? "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have abused us." Have you been lied about? "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who have lied about us." Misrepresented, have you been misrepresented? "As we forgive those." Has someone destroyed your reputation in an irreparable way? What is your responsibility to that person? Well, if you want God to forgive you, He will forgive you as you forgive him who destroyed your reputation.
"As we forgive those who have cheated us. As we forgive those who have betrayed us." Has Jesus been through that? We know that He has. "As we forgive those who have turned against us." What was Jesus' prayer on the cross? "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).
Now in order to forgive others, you and I must know that we have been forgiven, that we have received grace, that we have had our sins canceled on the cross. How can we forgive someone else if we have not received the grace of God that forgives us? But the deeper our recognition of our own need of that grace--the worse our sins appear to us to be, the more we marvel at the amazing grace of God and the more humbly we accept the grace that He gives to us--the more ready we will be to offer to someone else the grace of forgiveness, someone who has abused or cheated or betrayed or lied about us. We must receive God's grace for ourselves first.
And He's ready to offer it. He stands with arms wide open, ready to receive us.
I've had several letters just in the past couple of weeks from very distressed people who said that they thought they were saved, they had received Jesus as their Savior as a child, but they're not really sure whether He has ever forgiven them. And I wrote back to say, "I really don't think that a person who is not a Christian would really be worried very much about it. But if there's any doubt in your mind, just come to the Lord and say, 'Lord, I don't know whether it was real back then, but right now I want to make sure that I open my heart to You. So Lord, here I am, all of me for You forever. Take me.'" God hears that prayer. He forgives you.
"What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. Nothing but the blood of Jesus."
A psychiatrist friend of mine said that modern psychiatry--secular psychiatry--spends a lot of time dealing with guilt feelings. But he said, "We Christians know that guilt feelings are usually related to real guilt, and there's only one remedy for that--the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus, the blood of Jesus."
Now, your refusal to forgive that one who has offended you may be due to your refusal to believe that God has forgiven you. Maybe you don't even believe that God can forgive you. Maybe you're like the woman who came to my house who felt that she had committed an unpardonable sin, because since she became a Christian she has had an abortion. She was demolished by the sense of guilt that lay upon her.
God forgives the sins that we confess to Him. "He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). The Bible says, Romans 8:1 says, "there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."
Do you really believe that His blood can cover it all? It may be that recollections of the past are hindering you, but you must reject them; worries are tormenting you, put them away. Your sins, your faults, just sometimes rise up like ghosts and specters and build a barrier. But no past faults can separate a loving heart from God.
St. Francis de Sales said, "Do not scrutinize so closely whether you are doing much or little, ill or well, so long as what you do is not sinful, and that you are heartily seeking to do everything for God. Try as far as you can to do everything well, but when it is done, do not think about it; try rather to think of what is to be done next. Go on simply in the Lord's way, and do not torment yourself. We ought to hate our faults, but with a quiet, calm hatred, not pettishly and anxiously."
That gave me pause when I came across that in St. Francis de Sales. I had never thought of hating anything quietly and calmly. But, I do think it's possible before God to hate our faults, but with a quiet, calm hatred, not pettishly and anxiously, and not with pride that says, "Imagine me doing a thing like that!" I know that I'm capable of any sin in the book. It's only the grace of God that keeps me from any of them.
To go on with St. Francis de Sales' quotation, "We must learn to look patiently at them [our faults], and win through them the grace of self-abnegation and humility. Be constant and courageous, and rejoice that He has given you the will to be wholly His."
The full price has been paid, dear friends. If there's anybody listening to me today who wonders whether or not that decision made years ago was genuine, then I would say, "Don't waste another minute. Just come to God in the simplicity of your faith and tell Him that He is all your hope and peace. He is all your righteousness. You don't have anything else."
And in all sincerity and honesty before Him, give Him your life. Give Him your sins. And He casts those sins--the Bible tells us--into the depths of the sea, and they are never remembered again.
That's the way God forgives you and His grace is great enough to enable you to forgive your enemy that way, too--not just to forgive him, but to love him. Jesus goes much further than just forgiveness. He says, "You must love your enemies" (Matt. 5:44). And if we actually do this, then we Christians will be a living mystery--people whose lives make no sense apart from God.
Who in his right mind would love an enemy--nobody, but the person with God's love in his heart.

Lisa Barry: Someone once said that forgiveness doesn't mean that we've forgotten the event that caused us the pain, but that we've given up the right to get even with that person. The twang of pain may still hit from time to time. We can't control that. But we can control what we do or don't do about it.

devotion

2009-04-04T23:07:00.002+08:00

devotion...

about the following devotions, please read from the 2nd up before the 1st.
they are too beautiful to not be shared. haha..

love skunky..

What the Son Endured

2009-04-04T23:06:00.000+08:00

What the Son Endured

Anyone who is hung on a tree is under God’s curse.

-- DEUTERONOMY 21:23

The pain and humility Jesus physically suffered leading up to his death was a mere warm-up to the real dread he faced. As he hung on the cross, he began to feel a foreign sensation. Somewhere during those hours that his body was impaled, and earthly, foul odour must have wafted, not around his nose, but in his heart. He felt dirty. Human wickedness began to crawl upon his spotless being--the living excrement from our souls. The apple of the Father’s eye began to turn brown with the rot of our sin.

From heaven, the Father roused himself like a lion disturbed, shook his mane, and must have roared against the shrivelling remnant of a man hanging on a cross. Never has the Son seen the Father look at him so, never felt even the least of his hot breath. It was the wrath of God being poured out like hot oil on the wounded heart of the Son of Man. And the Father watched as his heart’s treasure, the mirror-image of himself sank drowning into raw, liquid sin. Jehovah’s stored rage against humankind exploded in a single direction. The Trinity had planned it. The Son endured it. The Spirit enabled him. The Father rejected the Son whom he loved; the God-man from Nazareth, perished.

This is who asks you to trust him when he calls you to suffer. This is the One who asks you to obey him when it’s hard, when your flesh is itching to have a little worldly candy. This is the One who asks you to honour him when you face tough choices. Jesus Christ bore the wrath of hell so that you might enjoy a home in heaven with him, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Celebrate this marvellous gift as you reflect on Easter Sunday.

Father, thank you for giving me the gift of your Son. May my life be to the praise of your glory.

The Passion of the Christ

2009-04-04T22:38:00.003+08:00

The Passion of the Christ

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

-- COLOSSIANS 1:17

When I saw the movie The Passion of the Christ, I was struck by the brute cruelty with which the soldiers treated Jesus. Like a bunch of poorly paid drunken legionnaires, they couldn't wait to take out all their frustrations on who they thought was a stupid, luckless Jew. They beat and abused him mercilessly.

The face that Moses had begged to see--was forbidden to see--was slapped bloody (Exodus 33:19-20). The thorns that God had sent to curse the earth's rebellion now twisted around his brow. The back of Jesus' legs felt the whip--soon the body of the Saviour would look like a ploughed Judean field. By the time the spitting is through, more saliva is on Jesus than in him. When the soldiers raised the mallet to sink the spikes into Jesus' hands, it occurred to me that the Son of God whom they were crucifying was the very One sustaining their lives! Someone must sustain their lives minute by minute, for no man has this power on his own. Who supplies breath to his lungs? Who gives energy to his cells? Who holds a man's molecules together? Only by the Son do "all things hold together" (Colossians 1:17). How amazing, how incomprehensible that the Son, the victim, is granting breath and being to his own executioners!

Close your eyes and think deeply on the things you just read. Consider so great a Saviour who would submit himself to such a torture...for your salvation. Think of the cost and sacrifice involved in Jesus' crucifixion. Then, commit afresh and anew to live on a higher, more sanctified level as you trust and obey him with new resolve. Praise your Saviour for granting you breath and being as well as life eternal.

Dear Saviour, I am awestruck that you did not turn away from the cross, but travelled the road to Calvary for me. May my life today reflect my love and devotion to you.

it's time to partyyy!

2009-04-02T11:19:00.000+08:00

Passover Lamb

2009-03-27T11:05:00.003+08:00

Passover Lamb

Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one for each household....The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect, and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.

-- Exodus 12:3, 5-6

When I was on the farm growing up, I once helped take care of a little lamb. Cute, warm, and fuzzy, he captured and melted my heart. I loved to hug him and feel his soft white fleece. This precious lamb was the picture of innocent. You can imagine my horror on the day he was taken to the slaughter house!

For passover preparations, God wanted a family to choose a lamb, bring it to their house, and take care of it for four whole days before killing it. How awful! They were required to slaughter the little lamb they had grown to love. This heart-wrenching sacrifice demonstrated the exacting demands of God's justice, as well as how destructive and awful sin really is. It was the perfect background to "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world" (John 1:29). God wants our hearts to sincerely break over the sacrifice of his perfect Lamb. We were the ones who put Jesus Christ to death. Our sin led him to the slaughter. It leads us to grief and repentance.

A Passover lamb was the picture of innocence, but the Lamb of God is the perfect picture of righteousness. Isaiah 53:7 says "He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth." Meditate on how a lamb is a biblical "type" of the life of Christ. Remember, Jesus went to his cross as your sacrificial lamb.

Jesus, thank you for being the Lamb who bore my sins!

Good Enough?

2009-03-20T11:40:00.003+08:00

Good Enough?

There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.

-- Romans 3:10-12

Suppose a man works as a cook and a doctor on a pirate ship. He has never picked up a sword a day in his life. He just stays on the ship and cooks nourishing meals for the other men when they come back from a hard day's pillaging and looting. He is there to heal their cuts and put salve on their scrapes. What could be more innocent?! But if the British Crown captures the pirate ship, the doctor-cook will swing from a rope just like his shipmates. Why? Because he was doing good things in a wicked cause.

This is the way God looks at model citizens who ignore the Saviour. Good people may work hard, drive their kids to soccer, keep their lawns spruced, and wave cheerily to the neighbours. But God says the first and the greatest commandment is to love him with all our heart, soul, and strength. That is, to do everything out of a motive of pleasing him. For the nonbeliever, good acts in his life amount to nothing if he disregards God. Two factors can make an act sinful--a wrong action or a wrong motive. Often people's actions are good, but their motives are a universe away from the righteousness God underscores in Romans 3. Only Jesus is our righteousness!

Some say, "But I know some very good people. If you only knew the woman down the street. She may not claim to be a Christian, but she's the most Christian person I know." If this woman ignores Christ's claims on her, God places her in the class of Romans 3.

Lord Jesus, help me to share the gospel of your grace with people I meet today. Give me grace so that I do every good deed with a pure motive--to please you!

on prayer

2009-03-08T00:25:00.001+08:00

A poem to ponder upon regarding our attitudes towards prayer.

First forgive the silence
That answers the prayer
Then forgive the prayer
That stains the silence

Excuse the absence
That feels like presence
Then excuse the feeling
That insists on presence

Pardon the delay
of revelation,
Then ask pardon for revealing
your impatience

Forgive God
For being only a word,
Then ask God to forgive
The betrayal of language

Mark Jarman: “Five Psalms”

Wonder

2009-03-07T12:50:00.006+08:00

Wonder

As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

-- Mark 9:15

The first time I saw the Grand Canyon, I stood in silent wonder. When I felt the spray of Niagara Falls against my face, I did the same. I will never forget that crystal clear night in the Sierras when the stars looked like powdered sugar. I was breathless with wonder. Today's verse describes wonder well--it's a powerful emotional response, which lliterally overwhelms us with amazement and delight.

It's a fine line between wonder at God and worship of God. That he would bless us with eternal pleasures when he could easily char us like burnt toast is a wonderful thing. His grace and goodness make us stand breathless. It's why Isaiah 9:6 calls him "wonderful".

Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. Feeling the presence of the mighty God in the gift of His dear Son, you will put off your shoes from your feet, because the place whereon you stand is holy ground. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything, when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left after one has seen the Saviour?"

It is the desire of the Holy Spirit to show you how full of wonder Jesus truly is. In preparation for Sunday worship this week, as the Spirit to reveal fresh, new insights into the gracious character of Christ. Ask Him to overwhelm you with a sense of wonder so that your adoration of God overflows with amazement and delight.

Jesus, you are the Wonderful Counselor, the Prince of Peace. I love you!

2009-03-07T12:37:00.002+08:00

I saw the woman in the chair; she was in church again today
Someone said they've sold their house; they're going to move away.

No! I cried, they cannot go; they cannot move away.
I didn't get to know her; there's something I need to say:

Please tell me your secret; I want to sit at your feet,
I need to know how you handle the pain that is your daily meat.

How do you keep on smiling when each day your health grows worse?
How do you keep depending on God when you're living you're living with a curse?

Every time I see her, her smile comes from deep within.
I know her fellowship with God isn't scarred by the chair she's in.

She admits her health is failing; she knows she's fading away.
How can she remain so calm when I'd be running away?

My friend, can you tell me how you can trust the Lord?
How can you stay so gentle and sweet when He seems to wield a sword?

You are to me a promise that even in the midst of pain
God is near and faithful if I will turn to Him again.

- Liz Hupp

2009-01-06T23:07:00.002+08:00

"Christ never preached the annihilation of affection. He taught the redirection of affection. Human affection first directed to God and filtered through His hands returns to us far healthier and fit for others. Love that goes through Him first is filtered."

-Beth Moore Jesus the One and Only

2009-01-06T21:55:00.000+08:00

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." -- 1 Peter 5:7

It is a happy way of soothing sorrow when we can feel-"HE careth forme." Christian! do not dishonour religion by always wearing a brow ofcare; come, cast your burden upon your Lord. You are staggering beneatha weight which your Father would not feel. What seems to you a crushingburden, would be to him but as the small dust of the balance. Nothingis so sweet as to

"Lie passive in God's hands,And know no will but his."

O child of suffering, be thou patient; God has not passed thee over inhis providence. He who is the feeder of sparrows, will also furnish youwith what you need. Sit not down in despair; hope on, hope ever. Takeup the arms of faith against a sea of trouble, and your oppositionshall yet end your distresses. There is One who careth for you. His eyeis fixed on you, his heart beats with pity for your woe, and his handomnipotent shall yet bring you the needed help. The darkest cloud shallscatter itself in showers of mercy. The blackest gloom shall give placeto the morning. He, if thou art one of his family, will bind up thywounds, and heal thy broken heart. Doubt not his grace because of thytribulation, but believe that he loveth thee as much in seasons oftrouble as in times of happiness. What a serene and quiet life mightyou lead if you would leave providing to the God of providence! With alittle oil in the cruse, and a handful of meal in the barrel, Elijahoutlived the famine, and you will do the same. If God cares for you,why need you care too? Can you trust him for your soul, and not foryour body? He has never refused to bear your burdens, he has neverfainted under their weight. Come, then, soul! have done with fretfulcare, and leave all thy concerns in the hand of a gracious God.

-Charles Spurgeon

Courage to love

2009-01-01T14:07:00.003+08:00

Taken from Elizabeth Elliot's 'A Lamp unto my feet'

God's love holds us to the highest. This was the kind of love Amy Carmicheal of india prayed for and taught to the children in Dohnavur- this love, the kind wherewith God loved us. " Hold one another to the highest," she told them. God's purpose was to life us out of ourselves, out the the miry clay, and set our feet on a rock. We are not saviours, but we can help others towards faith. THis means no only loving them while they're still in the mire but also loving them out of it. We must love them as they are and ove them enough to draw them higher.

Jesus said, " For their sakes, I sanctify myself" (John 17: 19) His holy obedience to the Father saved us. OUr holy obedience to the Father makes a differece to those we love.

My take on it: i thought this was a lovely devotion to do on New years day. Well, it would be a lovely devotion to do on any day. To remind ourselves that people measure us as Christians by how much we demonstrate God's love. I read a story on how this single mother came to know Christ, despite the verment objections of her friend. When she was down and out, the church people came and helped her look after her baby so that she could go find a job. She said in reply to her friends who objected " they carried my baby"

Holy- to be set apart. It goes beyond the extent of being good. Being good is a moral obligation, an obligation set by the world. Being holy is a obligation set by God, a calling to be 'set apart'. To what has he called us to be obedient to then? To love God with all our heart, soul strength and mind and to love others as yourself

christmas funnies

2008-12-25T14:37:00.000+08:00

2008-12-25T14:16:00.003+08:00

From Beth Moore's Jesus, the One and Only:

In Matthew 3:16 we're told, "At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and a lightning on him." Try to picture that with me. What in the world does heaven look like open? I mean somebody just explain that to me. Back in Genesis 1 God created the heavens and the earth, and He separated the expanse from the aters, and He called that expanse the sky. I can't help but think, He called it into being. He put it in its place. He can open it if He wants to! He opened up the sky like a window, and showed Christ the vision through it.

This event also makes me think of Stephen, the very first martyr, because heaven was opened to him and he saw Jesus Christ standing at the right hand of God on his behalf. What I want you to understand is that heaven is right there. We look up at that sky and the expanse of the stars. He is literally just an open window from us, sitting on His throne , and His presence is in us and on us. God upon His throne is near. We just cannot see it.

The imitation of Christ

2008-10-27T01:03:00.002+08:00

" Jesus today has many who love his heavenly kingdom but few who carry his cross; many who yearn for comfort, few who long for distress. Plenty of people he finds to share in his banquet, few to share his fast. Everyone desires to take part in his rejoicing, but few are willing to suffer anything for his sake. There are many that follow Jesus as far as the breaking of his bread, few as far as drinking to cup of suffering; many that revere his miracles, few that follow him in the indignity if his cross"
- Thomas a 'Kempis', The Imitation of Christ

thought it was so true, and that i belong to the vast majority who seek the good stuff but try to escape dealing with the bad. (While i was uploading this the connection actually failed on me, spiritual warfare at work)
I pray that this will touch your heart.
Perhaps consider what 100% looks like. Consider why is it that we have knowledge but not the heart to acknowledge, the heart to believe.

2008-08-31T23:31:00.006+08:00

at vivocity... aft our walk n lunch =) beautiful sky!

2008-08-31T23:08:00.014+08:00

erin was still chewing on her food haha.

on the escalators gg to fullerton hotel. =)

We walked at mt faber ytd =)very cooling cos the winds kept blowing at our heights.

I felt sleepy towards the end- that's how comfy the weather was despite the sun coming out and heating us. heh. had a nice time there. =))

henderson bridge was beautiful. but the scenery there was even better. haha

how come the picscame above the words. im getting lazy to wait for this to load. havent even uploaded much pics at mt faber yet.. the bottom pics were taken during our cell girls' dinner at Soup Spoon. =) next time we'll hold one

w the guys too =)

2008-06-18T12:56:00.002+08:00

If the road seems too long and you worry of being weary and falling out,
remember to look to Jesus and not yourself.
It was by His grace we were saved in the first place, and by
His grace and strength which we will walk this arduous journey
til we meet Him.
But wherever He brings us,
He will provide sufficiently.
Let us look to Him who is able to keep us from stumbling and who will eventually
present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy (Jude 24). =)

badminton

2008-05-28T22:12:00.001+08:00

7th june sat badminton @ tp 11am

interested parties can contact bryan!

Do reply asap

2008-05-24T08:14:00.002+08:00

Clinging Faith

Sometimes faith is little more than a simple clinging to Christ- a sense of dependence and a willingness to depend. When you are down at the seashore, you will see impets sticking to the rocks. You can walk softly up to the rock, strike a mollusk a quick blow with a stick, and off he comes. Yet try the next limpet in that way. You have given him warning; he heard the blow with which you strick his neighbour, and he clings with all his might. You will never get him off! Strike and strike again, but you might as well break the rock. The limpet does not know much, but he clings. He is not aquainted with the geological formation of the rock, but he clings. He can cling and has found something to cling to; this is all his tock of knowledge, and he uses it for his security and salvation. It is the limpet's life to cling to the rock, and it is the sinner's life to cling to Jesus. Thousands of God's peaople have no more faith than this. They know enough to cling to Jesus with all their heart and soul, and this suffices for present peace and eternal safety. Jesus Christ is to them a strong and mighty Saviour, a Rock immovable and immutable. They cling to Him for dear life, and this clinging saves them. Can you not cling? Do so at once.

-Charles Spurgeon, All of Grace

2008-04-06T17:21:00.003+08:00

OH OH. 110th post. whoots~
anyways, just wanna say...
tat since no one has told me when they wanna
pray during church time,
so i shall just leave it as it is.
i'll try to see if i can change it to
some other timing so that we have time to eat.
but of course, if you all would just gather faster,
then we can have a longer talkie with God.
yah, so next week i think i might be starting it again
so like please dont rush off.
i might feel kinda nervous so it'll be nice if you all would
just smile instead of looking all grumpy and scary.
(honey if you love me would you please just smile?)

Beloved

2008-02-12T16:41:00.001+08:00

my beloved saltshakers, it warms my heart to see how you sharing and encouraging each other on this blog - and I'm glad it's alive! I'm so sorry that I haven't had time to see or catch up with most of you - apologies especially to Jerusha and Isaac - that i didn't get to meet up with you during your time here! Really glad, Isaac, to see you pray online, encouraging the rest at the same time. Actually, i'm amazed at all of you and will always have you in my heart - that God will always watch over you and be the centre of your lives.

Please remember that you can always contact me ANYTIME - via the phone or email or facebook or msn. (That's if you don't mind my nagging hee.) I wish i went night cycling with you guys - how come no one called me?!!! ;-p

all of my love,
Vonjie

Msn: yvonne_rebekah@hotmail.com (recently back on msn)
Email: yvonnerebekah@gmail.com
Ok i'm not going to post my mobile number online but most of you have it anyway and it hasn't changed in 7 years.

Prayer 1

2008-02-10T17:46:00.000+08:00

If most of you are like me, you'll be instantaneously inspired to pray straight after reading Erin's post. But the sudden adrenaline will die down twice as quickly, and prayer will be but a moment contemplated but never conceived. So i'm going to pray just now:

Dear God,

Thank you for being such a powerful and almighty God, yet you love us so much so as to bear the temptation of hunger in the desert, the pain on the cross, and to humble yourself so much so as to wash the dust off our feet. Lord, I pray that you'd make us humble too. And convict us that we may be fully dependent upon you.

I thank you for the faith that you have manifested in Erin. Thank you that she has such a passionate heart for prayer and a fervent faith in you to go along with it; for she knows that without You, we can't do anything. With that, i want to thank you for the opportunity that you have so graciously given the Saltshakers to go on a mission trip. I pray that you'd let us cherish this trip dearly in our hearts. I pray that you'd provide for our every need in preparing for this trip for we commit it into your hands. Lord, i pray for a breakthrough during this mission trip; that you'd reveal yourself to each of us in a very personal way. So that we may experience you for ourselves, that our faiths may grow in You, and that we may learn to have complete trust in you. Make us dependent on you. As we humble ourselves before you, would you lift us up just as your Word has promised.

Thank you for all the blessings that you have showered upon us through Lydia. Thank you for the opportunity that you've given us to bless her. As you returns home, i pray that you'd continue to bless her and that you'd use her in an even more powerful and influential way to witness to those that are still lost in her community. Lord, grant her a strong faith that will not waver through the schemes and traps that the devil might throw along her path to stumble her. Give her new strength each day to be a shining light for you, that many many more may come to know of your wondrous love for them.

Thank you for hearing my prayer.

In Jesus' Name i humbly commit all these things at the foot of the cross. Amen!

I pray that many more prayers may be posted. That our love and faith in God may be shown through deeds, and not by words alone!

God Bless!

2008-02-10T15:15:00.000+08:00

hellos. haven't posted for a LONG time. anws, here are some things to pray for~
1. Liru-she's down with fever and sore throat.
2.Mission trip-the planning and stuff still needs God's guidance.
3.Lydia C.-she's leaving for home, pray for her safe journey there.
4.Easter party-pray that we'll be able to trust God for the planning and there's really not much time..
that's all i can remember for now...
anws, i have some questions...
1. Prayer wheel- to continue or not to continue?
2. the Prayer we have after sermon- do you all want it just before yf starts??
yeps. that's all..for now...
BYEE.

Romans 5:8

2007-12-30T23:41:00.000+08:00

hellos!

i got bored even though i barely typed one line of my report. Just wanted to share a one liner I learnt from camp

"what you do does not determine who you are. What Christ has done for you determines who you are. You are not defined by your sin." which translates from 'Sarah the meanie' to 'Sarah, child of God who has a problem in being nice.'

it struck me finally, what this verse means "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8
- God loved us while we were still sinners.
- Christ died for all our sins. Sins of yesterday, today and tomorrow.

maybe you knew that already. I thought i did, but it obviously didn't sink in.

2007-12-29T12:37:00.000+08:00

hey everybody!!

looks like the blog is rather dead, excpt for occasional postings by erin! thanks erin for keeping this blog active :) haha the previous post is quite interesting by the way =D

currently sha and tab are studying at my house and i am pretty bored so i decided to post something to encourage u guys!

"Blessed are those who persevere under trial, because when they have stood the test, they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" James 1:12

i really pray that as we near the end of the year, and reflect on what has happened in 2007, the Lord will really open our eyes to see His handprints and footprints all over our lives. i know this year has been a really difficult year for many of us, but as God has promised in James, that those who have stood the the test, of walking this narrow road, great is our reward in Heaven. and we have already received the greatest gift- the privilege of knowing Christ and having life to its fullest. and i hope that no matter how difficult it is to walk this narrow road, you will not give up. dont, dont ever give up.

remember that you are not in this alone, because the Lord will walk down every step of the road WITH you. with you. with you. He has given each of us a measure of faith and will bring his good work to completion in each of u.

love u guys

- joce

2007-12-27T13:28:00.001+08:00

HELLOs:) i decided to post a very lovely poem:

Jesus is better than Santa

Santa lives at the North Pole; Jesus is everywhere.

Santa rides in a sleigh; Jesus rides on the wind and walks on the water.

Santa comes but once a year; Jesus is an ever present help.

Santa comes down your chimney uninvited; Jesus stands at your door and knocks.

Santa makes you stand in line to see him; Jesus is as close as the mention of His name.

Santa lets you sit on his lap; Jesus lets you rest in His arms.

Santa asks," Little boy, little girl, what is your name?"; Jesus knew our names even before we did.

Santa has a belly full of jelly; Jesus has a heart full of love.

Santa offers "Ho, ho, ho"; Jesus offers health, help and hope.

Santa says," You better not cry,"; Jesus says," Cast all your cares for me for i care for you."

Santa's little helpers make toys; Jesus makes new lives, mend hearts, repairs broken homes.

Santa may make you chuckle; Jesus gives you joy.

Santa puts gifts under you tree; Jesus became OUR gift and died on the tree.

There's really no comparison, Jesus is the reason for the season.

Updates for Carolling. =)

2007-12-21T17:52:00.000+08:00

Updates for Carolling. =)

Venue:
East coast park. Meeting place at Marine Parade CC & Community Library at 8:00 pm.
We will be walking to Macs at ECP to begin our carolling.
Those who would like to go to Macs on their own can go there by 8:15 pm.

Things to bring:
Umbrella for yourself (foldable)
Water
Your own scores
AND Torchlight!

What to wear:
white and/or red tops

2007-12-12T22:58:00.000+08:00

hey hey baybehs, there is a prob. sha, jocelyn and small nat wants to do the 2nd page and the others havent told me what parts they want to do. :/ small nat wants to do the interesting facts part. so how leh? my sis says you could scissors paper stone on the blog, how i dunno either, ask Sarah Lo and yups. so yeah. okay?

CHRISTMAS BULLETIN :D

2007-12-09T16:02:00.001+08:00

hellos. i'm here to post the "jobs" for the Christmas bulletin. Please choose the jobs that you want. Some are already booked so yeah..reply on the taggie hor by Monday night latest..okay here goes:

PAGE ONE: Cover page-design new one or modify the advertisement ( booked for Lydia Liao)

PAGE TWO: Note from the Pastor-get Pastor to write a note, arrange the layout. ( 1 slot available) And... find interesting facts for Christmas. ( 1 slot available)

PAGE THREE: Christmas Story re-written, adapted, comics?? with jokes and verses. (booked for Lydia Liao and Tabitha)

PAGE FOUR & FIVE: For message notes + (Bible Passage). (1 slot available)

PAGE SIX: Testimonies-what you think about Christmas, what it means to you. ( booked for everyone, 2 longer testimonies to be written, one done by Sarah and the other still available)

LAST PAGE: Contact person(who to contact blah blah) "Sinner's prayer" and if you wish to know more...(booked for Lydia C. and Erin Lo:)

Overall layout: (1 slot available)
Printing-( 1 slot available)
Editing-Sarah

the due date for the bulletin is the Friday we are back from camp so hurry choose the parts you want to help in and tell Sarah by leaving tags on the tagboard. thanks!!

Go Light Your World

2007-11-17T23:48:00.000+08:00

There is a candle in every soul
Some brightly burning, some dark and cold
There is a Spirit who brings fire
Ignites a candle and makes His home

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the hopeless, confused and torn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

Frustrated brother, see how he's tried to
Light his own candle some other way
See now your sister, she's been robbed and lied to
Still holds a candle without a flame

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the lonely, the tired and worn
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world
Take your candle, and go light your world

We are a family whose hearts are blazing
So let's raise our candles and light up the sky
Praying to our Father, in the name of Jesus
Make us a beacon in darkest times

Carry your candle, run to the darkness
Seek out the helpless, deceived and poor
Hold out your candle for all to see it
Take your candle, and go light your world

By Kathey Troccoli

2007-11-17T15:47:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, we're gonna pray for Christmas! yes, and please do not run off to the canteen unless you are ravenous or smth. we'll gather at the corner of the hall on the floor to pray, ok? OK! anws, here are the prayer requests for Christmas...

1. Bulletin

-pray that we will know how to organize it

-what to put in it

-Pastor & his theme for X'mas

-who?( write Testimonies & comic page)

-Lydia Liao(designing AD & cover page)

2. Caroling

-Planning to go smoothly:

#where to carol?

#what songs to sing?

#when to practice?

#songsheets?

-Liru & Meiqing

#God will guide them...

yeps. so as you can see, there are MANY things to pray for and i made the prayer thingys already but they're a bit messy cos it's handwritten and i don't wanna waste paper by redoing so pls bear with me okay?besides, you can read it here... so yepps! rmb to gather together and pray tmr after the sermon...:D BYEE!

2007-09-21T21:35:00.000+08:00

prayer wheel^.^

something to prove your friends wrong!

2007-09-16T17:17:00.000+08:00

Perhaps the biggest reason that so many theories within the overall theory of evolution collapse is because they contain terrible logic requiring great leaps in faith to believe. Here is one example of a “debunked” theory: “Many evolutionists have tried to argue that humans are 99% similar chemically to apes and blood precipitation tests do indicate that the chimpanzee is people’s closest relative. Yet regarding this we must observe the following: ‘Milk chemistry indicates that the donkey is man’s closest relative.’ ‘Cholesterol level tests indicate that the garter snake is man’s closest relative.’ ‘Tear enzyme chemistry indicates that the chicken is man’s closest relative.’ ‘On the basis of another type of blood chemistry test, the butter bean is man’s closest relative’” (Morris, Henry M., The Twilight of Evolution, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967).

(=

love,
tab

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger

2007-09-11T22:31:00.000+08:00

Reflections
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger
Quotations to stir heart and mind.
Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

BLESSED are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Matthew 5:6

IF THIS VERSE is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian; if it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.
David Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Studies in the Sermon on the Mount

IT IS THE DESIRE for God which is the most fundamental appetite of all, and it is an appetite we can never eliminate. We may seek to disown it, but it will not go away. If we deny that it is there, we shall in fact only divert it to some other object or range of objects. And that will mean that we invest some creature or creatures with the full burden of our need for God, a burden which no creature can carry.
Simon Tugwell, The Beatitudes

THIS BEATITUDE prompts a look at our heart's desire. What hungers and desires operate within us? Which of them commands our utmost loyalty?
John W. Miller, The Christian Way

IT IS NOT the one who has attained righteousness but the one who hungers for it whom the Beatitudes assert God blesses.
Bonnie B. Thurston, Religious Vows, the Sermon on the Mount, and Christian Living

THUS, because it is commonly thought that the rich are made wealthy through their own greed, Jesus says in effect: "No, it is just the opposite. For it is righteousness that produces true wealth. Thus, so long as you act righteously, you do not fear poverty or tremble at hunger. Rather, those who extort are those who lose all, while one who is in love with righteousness possesses all other goods in safety."
Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Saint Matthew

BIBLICAL is more than a private and personal affair; it includes social righteousness as well. …

Thus Christians are committed to hunger for righteousness in the whole human community as something pleasing to a righteous God.
John R. W. Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount

THE HUNGER for righteousness is the one appetite that Christ blesses—not to covet possessions or achievement or recognition, but to live, through every action and perception, the kingdom of God.
Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes

ONE MIGHT EAT and eat of the superficial, cotton-candy righteousness vended by the professional religious hucksters and never have his hunger assuaged. Or he might drink and drink of their holy water and never have his thirst quenched. But the kingdom righteousness is meat indeed and drink indeed—rich, nourishing, satisfying.
Clarence Jordan, Sermon on the Mount

2007-08-28T21:17:00.000+08:00

mushi mushi..okay this sunday have study group at public mansion again. it's going to be weekly thing(if possible) so remember to bring your books!!! thank euus:)

Connect conference

2007-08-27T21:08:00.000+08:00

Heys, here are the details for the connect conference. You simply must sign up by the 30th. So there's about 3 days left. It's on the 21st and 22nd of sept. Online registration is at www.navigators.org.sg/connect.html

2007-08-22T18:07:00.000+08:00

check this out!!!

http://www.bluefishtv.com/ProductDetails.aspx?cid=1005&id=1784

there's a girl reciting psalm 23..from memory. cool huh?
and umm i didnt post the video cos the html cannot be accepted:(

devotional

2007-08-21T00:13:00.000+08:00

Peacemakers

"Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called sons of God."
MATTHEW 5:9 NIV

This is the seventh of the beatitudes, and seven was the number of perfection among the Hebrews. It may be that the Saviour placed the peacemaker seventh on the list because He most nearly approaches the perfect man in Christ Jesus. He who would have perfect blessedness, as far as it can be enjoyed on earth, must be a peacemaker. The verse which precedes it speaks of the blessedness of "the pure in heart, for they shall see God." It is well to understand that we are to be "first pure, then peaceable." Our peaceableness is never to be a compact with sin or toleration of evil. We must set our faces against everything which is contrary to God and His holiness: Purity being in our souls a settled matter, we can go on to peaceableness. The verse that follows seems to have been put there on purpose. However peaceable we may be in this world, yet we shall be misrepresented and misunderstood; and no marvel, for even the Prince of Peace, by His very peacefulness, brought fire upon the earth. He Himself, though He loved mankind and did no ill, was "despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." Lest, therefore, the peaceable in heart should be surprised when they meet with enemies, it is added in the following verse, "Blessed are they who are presecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." This the peacemakers are not only pronounced to be blessed but they are compassed about with blessings.

2007-08-19T22:10:00.000+08:00

mushis. umm, invitation from Gavin to study next Sunday at Public Mansion after lunch. :D so pls go if you wanna/needa study!

erin:]

pH4.6

2007-08-15T00:26:00.000+08:00

hey my fellow salty people!

gotta apologise for forgetting to remind you guys to pray on thursday night 10pm.. my bad. But anyway, it's never too late to pick it up again.. yes! so let's pray for our youth group. remember every single saltshaker in your prayers. =) as for what exactly, i'll leave it for the Holy Spirit to convict you.

lots of love,
rah

Reflections

2007-08-12T13:05:00.000+08:00

Reflections
Blessed Are the Meek
Quotations to stir heart and mind.
Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

BLESSED are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Matthew 5:5

THE MEEK are those who are gentle, humble, and unassuming, simple in faith and patient in the face of every affront. Imbued with the precepts of the gospel, they imitate the meekness of the Lord, who says, "Learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart."
Chromatius, Tractate on Matthew

TO SEE what meekness is, you must look not at meekness but at Christ. Saying meekness is this or that sends you to concepts which are pale copies of reality. Saying "Jesus is meek" sends you to the living reality of it.
Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue

IF IT IS the meek, the helpless, the disabled, who will inherit the earth, this is perhaps because the earth, God's earth, the real earth, can be had on no other terms. It is a gift. Or, in the words of the beatitude, it is an inheritance.
Simon Tugwell, The Beatitudes

THE LAND is always inherited; it is not taken. It is not ours to take, but God's to give. Thus we have no absolute right to it. Our "inheritance" of any land ultimately demands fidelity to God's vision for the household, how we are to live in the land.
Michael H. Crosby, Spirituality of the Beatitudes

THE RENEWAL of the earth begins at Golgotha, where the meek One died, and from thence it will spread. When the kingdom finally comes, the meek shall possess the earth.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

THERE IS radiant meekness in Mary's response to the archangel Gabriel: "Here I am, the servant of the Lord. Let it be with me just as you have said" (Luke 1:38). … In all its meekness, no other act in human history has had such significance. Through Mary, our Creator became one with us in the flesh.
Jim Forest, The Ladder of the Beatitudes

GENTLENESS, to be sure, is a fruit of meekness. But the main point about the meek is not their gentleness but their quiet faith and trust in God.
The meek turn again and again to God for help, for direction, and for the sheer joy of it.
John W. Miller, The Christian Way

THE SCRIPTURES make much of meekness … and so it is the more appalling that meekness does not characterize more of us who claim to be Christians. Both at the personal level, where we are too often concerned with justifying ourselves rather than with edifying our brother, and at the corporate level, where we are more successful at organizing rallies, institutions, and pressure groups than at extending the kingdom of God, meekness has not been the mark of most Christians for a long time.
D. A. Carson, The Sermon on the Mount

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn

2007-07-27T17:15:00.000+08:00

Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
Quotations to stir heart and mind.
Compiled by Richard A. Kauffman

BLESSED are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

"BLESSED are those who mourn" is, paradoxically, a more necessary message than "Rejoice in the Lord always," because there can be no true rejoicing until we have stopped running away from mourning.
Simon Tugwell, The Beatitudes

[W]E WILL NEVER experience the angel of comfort until we can enter into the mourning. … The admission of what is deepest within us can be done only with an angel of comfort. This angel comes to us in the appearance of a total stranger or an absolute friend.
Michael H. Crosby, Spirituality of the Beatitudes

[MOURNING] cannot be limited exclusively to expressing sorrow for one's sin … or grief surrounding death. … Rather, "those who mourn" has the more comprehensive sense of Isaiah 61:2-3, an inclusive grief that refers to the disenfranchised, contrite, and bereaved. It is an expression of the intense sense of loss, helplessness, and despair.
Robert A. Guelich, The Sermon on the Mount

THE DISCIPLES bear the suffering laid on them only by the power of him who bears all suffering on the Cross. As bearers of suffering, they stand in communion with the crucified. They stand as strangers in the power of him who was so alien to the world that it crucified him. This is their comfort, or rather, he is their comfort, their comforter. … This alien community is comforted by the Cross.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Discipleship

IN THIS BEATITUDE, Jesus praises … those who can enter into solidarity with the pain of the world and not try to extract themselves from it.
Richard Rohr with John Bookser Feister, Jesus' Plan for a New World

HE CALLS BLESSED even those who mourn. Their sorrow is of a special kind. He did not designate them simply as sad but as intensely grieving. Therefore, he did not say "they that sorrow" but "they that mourn."
John Chrysostom, "Homily 15.3"

IT IS NOT ENOUGH for us … within the arena of the world's pain merely to know of a God who sympathizes. It is not even enough to know of a God who heals. We need to know of and be connected with a God who experiences with us, for us, each grief, each wound. We need to be bonded with a God who has had nails in the hands and a spear in the heart!
Flora Slosson Wuellner, Weavings

EVERY SUFFERING can be blessed because it hollows out a place in us for God and his comfort, which is infinite joy.
Peter Kreeft, Back to Virtue

IT IS impossible for one to live without tears who considers things exactly as they are.
Gregory of Nyssa, De Beatitudine

devotional

2007-07-22T15:40:00.000+08:00

JULY 22

Perfect in Jesus

"The LORD our Righteousness…"
JEREMIAH 23:6 NIV

It will always give a Christian the greatest calm, quiet, ease, and peace to think of the perfect righteousness of Christ. How often are the saints of God downcast and sad! I do not think they would be if they could always see their perfection in Christ. There are some who are always talking about corruption and the depravity of the heart and the innate evil of the soul. This is quite true, but why not go a little further and remember that we are "perfect in Christ Jesus." It is no wonder that those who are dwelling upon their own corruption should wear such downcast looks; but surely if we call to mind that "Christ is made unto us righteousness." We shall be of good cheer. Though distresses afflict me, though Satan assault me, though Satan assault me, though there may be many things to be experienced before I get to heaven, those are done for me in the covenant of divine grace; there is nothing wanting in my Lord. Christ has done it all. On the cross He said, "It is finished!" and if it is finished, then I am complete in Him and can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. You will not find on this side of heaven a holier people than those who receive into their hearts the doctrine of Christ’s righteousness.

armour of God

2007-07-21T01:04:00.001+08:00

Time for me to reveal the answer.. 7 pieces of armour that each of us should possess.

1. Belt of truth: Why do you need a belt? so that your pants can "hang" on it, and they won't drop.
Qn: Are we in-line with God's word so that everything can "hang" on it?

2. Breastplate of righteousness: A breastplate protects your heart. Are there any sins/ changes that need to be made to live righteously?

3. Feet fitted with readiness: Are you ready to share the gospel as GOd leads? Do you have what it takes to share the gospel?

4. Shield of faith: The darts that come our way are the lies, the accusations, the temptations that Satan deviously throws at us. Now, the qn is, Do you live by faith in God every moment?

5. Helmet of salvation: Do you know for sure that you have FULL salvation in Jesus Christ?

6. Sword of the spirit: This is our only offensive weapons. Quoting scripture to fight. This was what Jesus did when he stood his ground with Satan. Do you know His word well enough to quote scripture against sin and temptation?

7. Prayer: (Eph 6v18) How we receive our commands, and alertness. Are you praying about everything and giving God the issues in our prayer?

will you put on your amour everyday before you fight the evils of this world? or are you fine with going out without your armour.. leaving plenty of surface area for Satan to throw fiery darts at?

For me, it isn't easy, cause i've never thought about it. Be encouraged.. let's all stand and press on=)

devotional

2007-07-17T11:50:00.000+08:00

JULY 17

Our Marvelous God

All they that heard it wondered at those things.
LUKE 2:18 KJV

We must not cease to wonder at the great marvels of our God. It would be very difficult to draw a line between holy wonder and real worship; for when the soul is overwhelmed with the majesty of God’s glory, though it may not express itself in song or even utter its voice with bowed head in humble prayer, yet it silently adores. Our incarnate God is to be worshipped as “the Wonderful”. That God should consider His man’s Redeemer and to pay his ransom price is indeed marvelous! But to each believer, redemption is most marvelous as he views it in relation to himself. It is a miracle of grace indeed that Jesus should forsake the thrones and royalties above to suffer shamefully below for you. Let your soul lose itself in wonder, for wonder is in this way a very practical emotion. Holy wonder will lead you to grateful worship and heartfelt thanksgiving. It will cause within you godly watchfulness; you will be afraid to sin against such a love as this. You will be moved at the same time to glorious hope. If Jesus has done such marvelous things on your behalf, you will feel that heaven itself is not too great for your expectation. Who can be astonished at anything when he has once been astonished at the manger and the cross? What is there wonderful left after one has seen the Saviour?

Spiritual Warfare

2007-07-16T23:22:00.000+08:00

Hey peeps,

I just wanted to share with you what i learnt for dg today. I thought you should know too.
So take your notebook and pen and jot down whatever thoughts you have.

The bible teaches very clearly that the Christian life is not only a walk, but also a warfare. I'm sure you all will agree with me that there are minions waiting for opportunities to strike at every chance they have.

knowing that you're in war, do you put on the armour of God?

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

Putting on the armour of God actually helps you to take your stand against the devils' evil schemes. (v10,11)

Can you name the 7 pieces of armour that God provides and expects you to wear? How do you think each piece helps you to fight the battle?

To find out, stay tuned to the next post by me.. haha. Analyse it first hor..

That's all for now. tata

devotion

2007-07-11T14:16:00.000+08:00

JULY 10

God’s Promises

“Do as You have said.”
2 SAMUEL 7:25 NKJV

God’s promises were never meant to be thrown aside as waste paper; He intended that they should be used. Nothing pleases our Lord better than to see His promises put in circulation; He loves to see His children bring them up to Him and say, “Lord, do as You have said.” We glorify God when we plead His promises. Faith lays hold upon the promise of pardon and it does not delay, saying, “This is a precious promise; I wonder if it be true?” but it goes straight to the throne with it and pleads, “Lord, here is the promise—do as You have said.”
Our Lord replies, “Let it be done even as you will.” When a Christian grasps a promise, if he does not take it to God, he dishonours Him; but when he hastens to the throne of grace and cries, “Lord, I have nothing to recommend me but this: You have said it,” then his desire will be granted. Our heavenly Banker delights to cash His own notes. Never let the promise rust. Draw the word of promise out of its cover, and use it with holy violence. Do not think that God will be troubled by your importunately reminding Him of His promises. He loves to hear the loud outcries of needy souls. It is His delight to bestow favours. He is more ready to hear than you are to ask. It is God’s nature to keep His promises; therefore go at once to the throne with “Do as You have said.”

overnight cycling

2007-07-02T16:47:00.000+08:00

a sneak preview of more pictures to come!
haha, the four of us went east coast after lan with the others,
& we cycled for like 5 hours!
it was pretty fun (=

gavin shall update more.

ohwells, i was inspired to blog.
im glad this blog is still kinda alive.
continue blogging ppl!

yupp,
remember to do your QT guys,
cos that's the only way we can mature as Christians!

=D

take care!

Changes

2007-06-30T09:48:00.000+08:00

HELLO dear saltshakers (:
I haven't posted for a really long time.. hehe. About time I do.

Just want to give you guys and girls some encouragement from the story of Esther.

Well.. many of you know the story, but some don't.. so I shall briefly describe what this dramatic, romantic and intriguing true story is about. Well..

There once was a beautiful woman called Hadassah, also known as Esther.. and she became queen of Persia due to a series of events (you can read to find out). But she was a Jew. During that time, one of the King's officials had a strong hatred against the Jews, so he deceived the King into ordering that all Jews be killed in order to maintain peace in the country.

Esther had a cousin called Mordecai who heard of this order.. so he urged Esther to plead with the King in order to save her own life and the lives of her people- the Jews. The catch was that.. anyone who entered the King's presence without a summon was death.

In the end, Esther placed her life in the hands of God and took the step of faith. God used her to save the Jews.

The verse I want to encourage all of you is what Mordecai said to Esther when he was persuading her to approach the King.

"Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?"

(Esther 4: 13-14)

God gives us certain talents or gifts.. or allows certain things happen to us so that when 'such a time as this' comes, we are able to serve him. Sometimes God's calling us to do awesome and great things for him, but we our fears constantly silence us. Such that we fail to hear God's voice and follow in obedience. It could be our own hesitations preventing us from growing, instead of God choice to keep silent. Maybe some of us need to start praying and asking God how he wants to use us to serve him.

With a lot of LOVE,
SHA

2007-06-27T20:02:00.000+08:00

Hello people, for the night cycling this Sunday to Monday, please bring:
#1: Water bottle
#2: Wallet
#3: Raincoat
#4: Torchlight
Please bring a haversack or something. (:

The distance is 60km.
Pasir Ris to Bedok to Esplanade, & back.

love, Lydia.

2007-06-26T17:25:00.000+08:00

The cross before me the world behind
No turning back, raise the banner high
It's not for me, it's all for You

Let the heavens shake and split the sky
Let the people clap their hands and cry
It's not for us, it's all for You

Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory
Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory

Our hearts unfold before Your throne
The only place for those who know
It's not for us, It's all for You

Send Your holy fire on this offering
Let our worship burn for the world to see
Not to us, but to Your Name be the glory

I Will Praise You
More and More

But I will hope continually,
And will yet praise thee more and more.
PSALM 71:14 KJV

When sin conquered the realm of manhood, it slew all the minstrels except those of the race of Hope. For humanity, amid all its sorrows and sins, hope sings on. To believers in Jesus, there remains a royal race of bards, for we have hope of glory, a lively hope, a hope eternal and divine. Because our hope abides, our praise continues: “I will hope continually and will yet praise thee.” Because our hopes grow brighter and are every day nearer and nearer to their fulfillment, therefore the volume of our praise increases. “I will hope continually and praise you more and more.” A dying hope would bring forth declining songs; as the expectations grew more dim, so would the music become more faint. But a hope immortal and eternal, flaming for the each day with more intense brightness, brings forth a song of praise which. As it shall always continue to arise, so shall it always gather new force.

- Written by Charles Spurgeon

Let us reflect upon the purpose on which we go to church and have fellowship each week. Let us remember our worship and also, our presence belongs not to our friends, family, but to God. When we lift up our voices to sing, it is only between you and Him. To sing, to stand, to clap, to dance... it's all up to you; It's how you would want to give to God personally. Imagine Him sitting on the throne before you. What would you do? Remember His love for you and His goodness. Perhaps worship would then mean a whole lot more than sitting in a row and singing, or maybe sadly, even not.

2007-06-24T20:31:00.000+08:00

Hey people, it's been some time since we've been praying (pH4:6) for our church and also for saltshakers! Remember, prayer is an important spiritual tool God gave us! And we are truly blessed to be able to speak to the One true living God!
Some possible prayer pointers:
-unity of Saltshakers in God as we have fellowship each week. =)
-a growth of passion for God's presence and knowing Him in our lives
-a close and sweet walk with Daddy God each day
-a heart desiring to read and respond to His Word
-for joy and diligence for you guys since the school term is just starting again
-good rest for yourselves
-peace in God

Some of them may overlap, but I guess each of us are at different stages of our walk and maturation in God, so yeah =). You of course pray for things that you are burdened for. Feel free to blog here about them.

Just want to share something I've learnt recently.
From Luke 8:4-21
The gist of it is about growing as a follower and child of God.
Reading His word with a "good and noble heart", and "keep(ing) it" will give rise to us bearing fruits with patience.. (v15).
Then it goes on to say that we should not hide God's word, for it benefits the people around it. And it is paralled with light.
How we respond to His word is important. If we do respond to Him in a humble manner, with a heart of learning, and a desire to be moulded by God, more will be given to us. But the one who does not respond to His word, even what he thinks he has, he will lose. I can't exactly pinpoint out what is the thing we will lose and be given, cos' it can vary in many circumstances? But all in all, be sure that God will guide us with His word in our every path when we acknowledge Him. (Prov3:5) In His love you will abide.

My experience durin de youth retreat

2007-06-20T00:07:00.000+08:00

halo ppl...

My 1st time bloggin on de ss blog...so pardon me...

haha...i tink tt de youth retreat(YR) was quite fun...not expectin it 2 be tt fun since it was onli a 2 day thingy...but it turn out alrite...especially worship n solitude...de "sermon" led by derrick was also great...haha...

Time 2 say thxs 2 all tis every! :

sarah: ty 4 doin 4 leadin de camp so well, althought de ppl who attend it was little...but u plan everything well...ty 4 tt...n lookin after us...worryin 4 us if we wld be caught in de rain, get in2 trouble or gettin injured...n becuz of tt...u slpt quite little...a big THXS!!!

joce: althought u didn't come 4 de YR physcially cuz u were super busy...u n sarah were de 1 plannin 4 de camp...ty a lot....n de shi zi lu kou was fun...hope 2 see u plannin 4 it again....

bra: thxs 4 listenin 2 wat i got 2 say n all...n helpin in settin up de tents...helpful boy(or shld i say man)!!! haha...n 1 more thing...u came althought u jus ended a wk of tirin trainin...n 4 playin all de games tt we played...sporty!!!

tab: thxs 4 playin de guitar n lookin out 4 all of us n being so sporty...n offerrin 2 "loan" ur hs as a escape route...haha...seen tab growin from a kid who bullies me 2 a person who looks out 4 others... :)

dia: thxs 4 leadin worship n de talk on spiritual gifts...n helpin 2 lookin out 4 de younger 1s...dun be scared...leed more of worships n talks...u can do it...!!!

uncle hong aka hong qigong: thxs 4 keepin de camp in order...n cyclin around 4 our breakfast, drinks n lendin clothes n towels 2 all of us...

charlene: thxs 4 bringin our dinner n breakfast...u came even though it was lyk 12am? ty...

ian: ty 4 plannin de games although i grumble...

meiqing: ty 4 showin concern 2 every1 around u...n helpin out when needed...n 4 leadin worship...

liru: ty 4 bein so sporty...participating in all de games tt we played...helpin 2 look after de younger youths...

erin: ty 4 bein de worship IC n arrangin 2 ppl 2 help u 2 do worship...

nicole: ty 4 bein de laughin "cow"...realli lift 4 de atmosphere...

sean: ty 4 comin 2 de camp even thought u change church...n bein so sporty....

hope i covered every1...

gavin... :P

Youth retreat

2007-06-17T22:41:00.000+08:00

Hey dudes!

Hope you guys enjoyed the youth retreat and more importantly is to feel refreshed! Thank you all for coming and taking part so enthusiatically even though i make you do silly things sometimes. heh. and of course, special mention to charlene, who came all the way back to deliver breakfast at 12 plus in the morning. and to joce who was praying for us even though she couldn't be there.

But i think most most importantly is to thank God for keeping us dry even though it looked as if it was going to rain most of the time.. We even managed to escape the heavy downpour on saturday afternoon even though it looked as if the rain clouds were chasing after us. .

and then (i'm naggy, so now you know=P) hope you had time to talk to each other, bond and see the people*ahem* that you haven't seen in a long time.

yar. sarah shan't say much more. I'll leave it to EVERYONE to share their feelings on this blog(keep it alive ma). tata.

rah

Youth retreat

2007-06-12T22:35:00.000+08:00

Hey people!!!

Hope you get to read this in time. Yups.

Friday we'll meet at Toa Payoh MRT station at 9.30 am. Don't be late!

As for the rest of the activities on that day, we''ll tell you when we meet.

For night time, we'll be camping at Pasir Ris park. We'll be there all the way till saturday, 8 pm. Then it's home sweet home to rest for church on sunday and in the afternoon, we'll be playing some food game. Do invite your friends to come and play too.

As for what to bring,

Bible

Notebook

Pen

Sleeping bag

toothbrush and facial wash, clothes if you need to keep clean and hygenic

Pass this message around once you see it kays.. Will message everyone on wednesday. Yup.

See you peeps. Thank Tabby, Lydia, Gavin and lifen for cleaning the tent!

love, rah

2007-06-12T15:43:00.000+08:00

Thus says the Lord, "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, nor the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me; That I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight," says the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:23

For God is a wonderful God worthy to be praised; His love is so great, nothing can separate us from His love, not our weakness and brokenness, our stained sins, our inadequacies... That He drew us to Him in the first place, is a great joy! Let's not miss out on knowing our Daddy on earth, who sought us out with His all. May we grow in our love for Him and seek to hear His voice in our lives. =)

2007-05-08T00:52:00.000+08:00

Thought this might be an interesting read. Yep.

http://www.worship.com/steve_camp_107_theses.htm

http://www.jesusfreakhideout.com/news/cometogetherandworshiptour.asp
The link's article is pasted below.
The first link is a longer elaboration on his take on the issue of worship and how it has evolved today, kind of steering away from the true meaning of worship.

Eh, if you want to know who Steve Camp is, I pasted his short info from wikipedia, hopefully reliable. ->Steve Camp (born April 13, 1955 in Wheaton, Illinois) is a contemporary Christian music artist with an adult contemporary pop sound. He was very popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s, however to date his popularity now continues mostly in his Christian writing addressing current trends and matters of Reformed Theology. He started Audience One Ministries, and his blog covering Christian music, biblical study, reformation, and revival.
He is well-known for his strong views that Christian musicians are called to make direct, uncompromising music that confronts the world with the message of the Scriptures. Following Martin Luther's 95 theses, on Reformation Day (October 31), 1998 he sent out the 107 theses calling for a reformation in contemporary Christian music.
http://stevenjcamp.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html < This is his blog add... if you're free you can read it. It's really long, but I think it won't be a waste of time. Heh. There's this sermon by Charles Spurgeon in it.

Article of second link:
Steve Camp takes issue with Come Together & Worship Tour as 'inconsistent with Scripture'
In what he's calling an "open letter to the church," Christian Music legend Steve Camp has spoken out in strong opposition to the mixing of Christian and secular practices on the currently-running Come Together & Worship Tour featuring Michael W. Smith and Third Day, which is being sponsored by Chevrolet. The following is the complete letter, untouched:

November 1, 2002

Dear Friends in the Christian Music Industry:

I am involved as a contributor on a radio forum, through email, that discusses and addresses important issues facing us as Christians in music, media, the church, and the culture. Last Friday, the key issue on the forum was concerning the "Chevrolet Presents: Come Together and Worship" tour-a very important topic worthy of our discussion. I posted a response to that issue. I thought this forum was a closed forum for those invited to contribute and candidly converse about any issue presented. It has come to my attention, that unbeknownst to me, that post of mine pertaining to this Chevrolet Worship Tour was distributed this week, by someone whom I do not know and without my permission, throughout the CCM industry and select media outlets. I have received numerous emails and phone calls about my thoughts on this matter as represented in that post and therefore, I wanted to address you directly so that I am not taken out of context or misrepresented by the editorial comments of others.

This is also difficult, for it involves two artists and a pastor that I have come to admire and thank the Lord for in their respective callings. At the outset, I want to affirm my love and prayers for Michael W. Smith, Third Day, and Max Lucado. They have ministered to my family and me through their work and I appreciate what they do as individuals for Christ and His glory. The arduous thing is, though this issue is not about them specifically, they do share culpability for their willingness to associate themselves and financially profit from a Worship Tour that at its foundation has serious biblical concerns.

It is my desire in the following letter to try to summarize those concerns as to why this event does not function according to, nor is in practice consistent with the Scriptures; and, therefore, cannot be honoring or glorifying to the Lord Jesus Christ. My one, true, singular objective is and has always been to ask-what does the Lord say, as revealed in His Word, about all that we do for His names sake? What does the Lord give as guidelines as to how we do what we do in the arts for His glory, for the good of His people, and in the evangelization of those without Christ?

I am concerned that there exists in CCM today a pervasive growing attitude of unteachableness, unaccountability, and a lack of submissiveness to the Word of God and the authority of the local church. It seems today that anyone who challenges the CCM industry as to its current practices and alliances according to the standard of God's Word is labeled as divisive, condemning, and unloving. While those that are constantly operating outside of the purview of God's Word are labeled as innovative, visionary, and kind? Tolerance is not a spiritual gift; it is the distinguishing mark of postmodernism; and sadly, it has permeated the very fiber of Christianity. Why is it that those who have no biblical convictions or theology to govern and direct their actions are tolerated and the standard or truth of God's Word rightly divided and applied is dismissed as extreme opinion or legalism?

None of us have arrived at our sanctification; none of us get it right all the time, do we? That is why we need each other and the dialogue that ensues; even if it's uncomfortable and makes us squirm a bit from the status quo of our everyday lives. This Worship Tour with Chevrolet affords us that opportunity to dialogue together again about important issues facing CCM. And for each of us to take inventory of our spiritual lives and examine with careful scrutiny all our ways and practices as how we function in Christian music and in the general marketplace as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. The ends don't justify the means-it is the truth of God's Word that determines that. My prayer is that none of us will miss this divine occasion to appraise our lives, our business practice, and alliances in light God's glory and His divine truth. I am not coming to you with a hammer, but with an open hand desiring your fellowship and honest discussion. In light of the above, this letter will serve two distinct purposes:

To list the biblical concerns for this Worship Tour that GM/Chevrolet is hosting (You may obtain a full-length version of this letter in MS Word format at www.stevecamp.org).

To ask you four key questions for your Scriptural consideration on this issue.

THE CONCERNS
1. CHARGING PEOPLE MONEY TO COME AND WORSHIP THE LORD AND HEAR HIS GOSPEL
The fact that this is an "evening of worship and evangelism" -- their language, not mine -means that we have now actually digressed to charging people money to worship the Lord. Jesus said, "Freely you received; freely you must give" (Matthew 10:8). The Lord knew the temptation for money that the disciples would face. He had just given them divine power to have "authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness" (Matthew 10:1). With that kind power, if the disciples wanted to charge money for their services, they could have been independently wealthy in a very short time. That is precisely why the Lord told them, "Do not acquire gold, or silver, or copper for your money belts, or a bag for your journey, or even two tunics, or sandals, or a staff; for the worker is worthy of his support" (Matthew 10:9). In other words the Lord will supply our needs when we are about His work (Cf, 2 Cor. 2:17, 1 Timothy 6:5-10; Acts 20:32-35; Revelation 22:17).

2. PARTNERING WITH UNBELIEVERS IN THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY
2 Corinthians 6:14-16a - "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What harmony has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols?"

Undiscerning believers think it a profound ministry strategy to join forces with unregenerate people in forwarding the gospel. Unwittingly, they harness Jesus Christ, the Worthy One, with Belial or Satan, the worthless one, in an unholy alliance-the very essence of being unequally yoked (2 Corinthians 6:15). We are not, however, called to isolationism. We are called to be salt and light in the world. We are to be faithful witnesses of God's mercy, love and grace to the lost and dying. We are to cultivate personal relationships with unbelievers, love our neighbor and our enemy, serve them and share our faith with them. (Matthew 5:13-16; 40-44) We are to be in the world.but not of it-and this is our greatest challenge. Separation is not being divorced from contact with the world, but from complicity with and conformity to it. (1 John 2:15-17)

3. INVITING AND CONDONING SECULAR CORPORATIONS TO DO THEIR BUSINESS AND TRADE IN THE MIDST OF THE WORSHIP OF GOD
This is an obvious by-product of being unequally yoked with non-believers in the ministry of the gospel. Allowing the world to sponsor and partner in the work of the ministry is foreign to any biblical writer. But this Worship Event is unparalleled, even when comparing this in light of church history. I don't' know of any other singular event that has allowed the world to conduct its business or trade where the worship of the Lord is to be given and the gospel proclaimed. Though the highest and greatest context of worship is that which occurs within the local church with proper ecclesiastical authority (1 Timothy); I do recognize that whenever the people of God are gathered together and they are offering songs of praise to the Lord from a pure heart; where the Word of God is clearly preached and expounded and His gospel proclaimed, worship does occur. But it is not the place for the world to conduct their business-"to sell cars" as the Chevy Rep has stated. Has the church traded the great theme of "Holy, Holy, Holy" and adopted as their new song of praise, "Like a rock?" (Cf, Matthew 21:12-13; Leviticus 10:1-3)

4. PURPOSELY SOLICITING FROM NON-BELIEVERS TO FINANCE THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY
3 John v.5-8 - "Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, 6 who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God. 7 For they have gone out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. 8 Therefore we ought to support people like these, that we may be fellow workers for the truth." This texts establishes a foundational principal for how we are to function in ministry in relation to financial integrity and non-believers. That is, we cannot ask for, solicit funds from, or proactively seek financial support from "the Gentiles"-nonbelievers in Christ. Why? The only thing that a nonbeliever must be approached with from any Christ-centered ministry or Christian is with the glorious good news of the gospel of grace found in Christ Jesus our Lord for the salvation of their souls. Even the Apostle Paul says to the church at Ephesus, "And now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one's silver or gold or clothes" (Acts 20:32-33). (Cf, Hebrews 10:29; John 3:36; Luke 12:47-48). Question: Has the worship due our Lord been turned into entertainment; the gospel of grace turned into trade; the gathering of God's people turned into a place of worldly business; and ministry, turned into only money? This is sin beloved...there is no other word for it.

Can Christian music ever be fully embraced by this world and find acceptance in the general market place or corporate sponsorship arena if it is being true to the gospel and person of Jesus Christ? You know the answer--no way. The simple fact that Chevrolet senses no incongruity or disparity from the believers who orchestrated this tour is proof enough that the message that will be or has been presented, poses no offense to them. "Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who disbelieve, 'the stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,' and [Christ is] 'A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense'" (1 Peter 2:7-8). If the gospel they hear and the worship they see, will not confront them to the severity of their sin, the holiness of God, or their eternal perdition, and that salvation is by grace alone, through Christ alone. We cannot serve both God and mammon. We cannot preach repentance from sin and salvation by grace alone on one hand to an unbeliever, and then turn right around and ask for an exorbitant amount of money to fund that same ministry.

Paul says, "By the terror of the Lord we persuade men..." (2 Cor. 5:11a). Have we forgotten that? "Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God... 5 For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake." (2 Cor. 4:1-2,5). Do we really believe that? "To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work" (Titus 1:15-16). Are we aware of that?

I understand the tension that this discussion can foster in each of us. I am not saying these things, beloved, because I've done it right all these years in CCM (25 years next February); far from it. I was on the same road as much of the industry is on today, and because of some strong words of exhortation from my family and close friends, I began the painful, yet, necessary process in my life to examine everything in light of Scripture. As Paul says, "test all things, hold fast to what is good; abstain from all forms of evil" (1 Thess. 5:21-22). This began a wonderful journey of Bible study and the veracious reading of commentaries and books to look hard and honest at what the Word of God teaches about Christian Music Ministry (CMM). In this process of discovery, I came to a critical crossroads: would I abandon my current practice and view of things in light of what the Word of God teaches, or would I continue to justify my own agendas and moorings irrespective of Scripture? For a season, I hardened my heart against the Lord and His truth and He broke me in my sinfulness. I repented and His grace has sustained me in this journey ever since. Maybe you can relate to this too? With that in mind, here are some questions that I would humbly ask you to consider in this ongoing dialogue about the future, purpose, function, and commerce of CCM.

FOUR ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
(Note: when I ask you to define your answers biblically, I don't mean proof-texting-taking a verse out of context and then making it mean whatever you want it to mean. Careful, systematic exegesis that represents the continuity of Scripture, as to why you do what you do in Christian music, according to the instruction God's Word).

Could you define biblically where the Lord instructs, permits, condones, commands partnership with the world for the ministry, worship, and the proclamation of His gospel? And then, giving the ability to conduct their business or trade in the midst of that ministry?

Scripture says, ""For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing"; but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles"; "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you"; "So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe." Question: Why is Chevrolet not offended? Why do they feel "at home" in the worship of God and in the hearing of the gospel? Why do they feel an affinity in partnering with believers at a Worship Event so that they can sell more cars? Why is there no tension of conscience, consternation of objectives, and disparity of goals?

Can you demonstrate biblically where you have the right to seek out funding, financial sponsorships, and partnerships from unbelievers in the advancement of the gospel and the worship of the Lord? And lastly, how do you define worship biblically? And what are the scriptural guidelines that we should use to measure our actions by if we are truly honoring the Lord with genuine worship? How is the Lord approached as holy, by Chevrolet's presence; how is He glorified before all the people by this partnership? (Leviticus 10:3).

Thank you for taking the time to listen and for allowing me the privilege of sharing these thoughts with you. I pray that we will not approach the world anymore to profit by them, but that we unashamedly will share the blessed hope of the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to them. May we stop playing marbles with diamonds in Christian Music and honor the Lord with genuine ministry for His glory again. Remember, hell is burning while the church sleeps.

His Unworthy Servant in His Unfailing Love,
Steve Camp
Colossians 1:9-14

How To Save A Life

2007-04-29T10:11:00.000+08:00

Hey guys, i just posted a mini-testimony about this boy who was SAVED last night!

Have a read at my blog: http://www.toolatwork.blogspot.com

It was my first time "leading" someone to God, and that experience is just MAGNIFICIENT!

Praise the Lord!!!!

Just wanna add a word of encouragement not to hold back, don't be ashamed of God, cuz he works in ways that are just so extraordinary.

If you life's ordinary, if you find yourself doing the some old routine every day of your life. If you often find yourself bored, and if you think life's boring, you're not seeking the Lord enough.

I'm feeling so enthusiastic and passionate about God right now.

I hope you guys are doing well back in Singapore.

Keep building one another up in love and in purity! :)

Regards from down-under!
isaac.

2007-04-19T12:22:00.003+08:00

compassion: a strong feeling of sympathy for someone who is suffering; a desire to help them

faigue: a very great tiredness

compassion fatigue: very tired of showing sympahty and a lack of desire to help

“Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.“
1 Peter 3:8

Come find out more, this sunday, 22nd April 2007

love, joce

2007-04-02T21:10:00.000+08:00

easter games!! :)
8th April 2007

release the eggcitement from its shell :)

eggciting games coming up!
cant imagine the fun?
think out of the egg (credits: sha)

love, joce

2007-04-01T20:44:00.000+08:00

hey guys :)

i hope u all enjoyed today's bonding session and the not-so-good quality video. as u know, i'm not very good at the IT stuff, so couldnt do much to improve the video. nevertheless, the video is my little present for all of you; to thank you guys for making my life different.

i spent about 5 hrs in total getting the video done (thank you sarah for uploading and sending me the pictures!) and honestly, i was quite sian of doing it as first cos i wanted to get some work done too. but last night, at about 4am, after i finally finished it, i just sat there quietly to watch the whole 11 mins long video, and i was somehow v.moved and touched. i feel like we've come a long way despite all the obstacles in the past and even now, as we face many difficulties not only as individuals, but also as a whole group. but i feel like, we've really come far since we started as saltshakers. maybe the younger youths dont see it the same way, but for us (me, charlene, kor, sarah etc), we really see how the grp 'evolved'. it was a nice time for me as i looked at all the photos, and remember how each of u are important.. sorry if i've neglected any of you and havent been able to show enough care for any of u.. even for some of you who are no longer in the church.. i wish i could have shown you more concern. anyway, i trust that God is working in each of our lives! and i hope that it will be our desire as a group to mature in Christ, come what may.

just want to take this chance to say thank you for all the support you've given to sarah and i. i know that i have failed in many ways, and i thank you all for yet still accepting me and not rejecting me, especially for those who have supported us through the hard times. it is God's gift of grace that i can 'lead' you all because He has really taught me alot alot about my own faith, and it forces me to take a good look at my own faith, and because of that, it gives me room to struggle and grow through my failures. and it's a gift because serving God is a reminder for me to keep looking at my own heart, and to rediscover it if i have lost the "heart" somewhere down the road. and it is also a process where i can learn to love you all, and learn to face my own sins and weaknesses.

oh no, i didnt mean to be so emo! sorry..! but i do hope that what i shared today will be of encouragement to you all in some way, especially when u are facing your own difficulties. we're all struggling, and never alone. but even as we are struggling, i really hope that we'll learn to open up to one another and learn to encourage one another through prayer or just some simple words of encouragement, or just to let one another know that there is support, and there is love. and i'm sure, that is the way God intended His family to be, not to just laugh and crap around, but to really learn to love one another through the difficulties, to be there for one another, and to grow together towards Christ. i know that it may somtimes seem difficult, because the age gap (and gender differences) is quite huge, and everyone else seems to be either busy or silent, but i assure you that if you take a good look around, you'll find someone who cares. what i've also learnt is that, you dont have to be perfect when you are in God's family, because no one is perfect anyway. we dont come as the Perfect Man/Woman of Faith, but as Jocelyn, as Lydia, as Nat, as Alston, as Gavin etc, and that.. we'll love one another for who we are.

we love because He first loved us. and because we are learning to become family.

eh next time when we sing "welcome to the family', let's try to sing it with more.. love and meaning? :) :) :)

alright, that ends my long long post :) have a blessed week!

love, jocelyn

2007-03-29T09:10:00.000+08:00

dear people, this sunday is BOND SUNDAY!

for yf this week, we shall remember our Creator and the days of our youth!

firstly, let's hear from unc hong aik and other special guests about his ^#%&$*#^ years in serving in SALTSHAKERS!

let's come together and thank God for bringing us through the past few few years and the first three months of 2007 :)

we're going to remember one other this Sunday too! come prepared with encouragements (and more encouragements) for one another.

show the spirit of unity in Christ, as we come together to pray for one another.

lastly, have a fun time playing team-building games :)

HOPE TO SEE YOU ON SUNDAY!!!

2007-02-18T07:46:00.000+08:00

No one else fits your shape. No one else has your blend of gifts, talents, and natural abilities – making you very important in the whole scheme of things.

"God made our bodies with many parts," wrote Paul, "and he has put each part just where he wants it." (1 Corinthians 12:18)

But this uniqueness goes beyond giftedness; it reaches as well into the depth of each of our experiences in life. No one else has your life. No one else has your pain, your hardship, your joys and sorrows. Everything in life shapes us and we are shaped by everything for a reason – so that we can touch others in a unique way based upon who we are and what we've been through. God doesn't waste anything in our lives.

Every piece of our lives and experiences can be used of Christ to touch someone else. We were made for each other; we live for each other; we even die for each other. We die with hope so that others who live might see the reality of Christ in even the darkest of hours. God uses everything.

-John Fischer, The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional

Just for laughs..

WHY YOU DON'T MESS WITH KIDS..

A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale.
Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah."
The teacher asked, " What if Jonah went to hell?"
The little girl replied, "Then you ask him."

A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was.
The girl replied, "I'm drawing God."
The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like."
Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing,
the girl replied, "They will in a minute."

A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?"
Immediately one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill."

One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?"

The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out,"And there's the teacher, She's dead."

A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face.."; "Yes," the class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?"
A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty."

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want - God is watching the apples.”

SO cute :)

2007-02-15T10:09:00.000+08:00

dear everybody, hot demand for this writing so i posted it on saltshakers blog! btw, it was given to me by jiejie elizabeth very long ago. hope u all like it! anw happy valentine's day dear people! :) hope u all had a very lovely V-day with ur beloved pple!! :)

God's Ideal
Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone
to have a deep soul relationship with another,
to be loved thoroughly and exclusively.

But God, to a Christian says,
"No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content
with being loved by Me alone,
with giving yourself totally and unreservedly to Me,
with having an intensely personal and
unique relationship with Me alone,
discovering that only in Me
is your satisfaction to be found,
will you be capable of the perfect human relationship
that I have planned for you.
You will never be able to unite with another
until you are united with Me.
exclusive of anyone or anything else,
exclusive of any other desires or longing.

I want you to stop planning
stop wishing
and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing,
one that you cannot imagine.
I want you to have the very best.
Please allow Me to bring it to you.
You just keep watching Me,
expecting the greatest things,
keep experiencing the satisfaction that I AM,
keep listening and learning the things I tell you.
You just wait, that's all.

Don't worry,
dont be anxious.
Dont look around at the things others have gotten
or that I've given them.
Dont look at the things you think you want.
Just keep looking at Me,
or you'll miss what I want to show you.

And then, when you're ready
I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful
than any would dream of.
You see, until you are ready, and
until the one I have for you is ready
(I am working even at this moment
to have you both ready at the same time),
until you are both satisfied exclusively with Me,
and the life I have prepared for you,
you wont be able to experience the love
that exemplifies your relationship with Me,
and this is perfect love.

And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love.
I want you to see in the flesh
a picture of your relationship with me;
and to enjoy materially and concretely,
the everlasting union of beauty, perfection and love.
Know I love you utterly,
I AM GOD.

believe, and be satisfied!

Ruth Cha 1

2007-02-02T23:21:00.000+08:00

During the girls' cell, the lesson was on Ruth. Even though I wasnt very prepared for it, I'm still glad God blessed today's cell and I've learnt quite alot.

In Ruth chapter 1, it talks about how this family, Naomi and her husband and two sons choose to run away from the punishment Israel was facing and go to Moab. At that point in time, God was punishing Israel with famine because of Isael's disobedience. Levitcus 26: 18-20 'If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over. 19 I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze. 20 Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit. '

Israel at that time was in the period of the Judges.

However, it wasnt before long that Naomi's husband died. Her sons married Moabite women, but passed away soon after. So Naomi decided go back to her homeland in Bethlehem, Judah. Her two daughter-in-laws decided to follow her back to her homeland. But after much persuasion from Naomi, who felt that her daughter-in-laws deserved a second chance at marriage and happiness, Orpah decided to go home to Moab. Ruth however, clung to Naomi

16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.

And when Naomi went back, the city was excited for them.

Even when Naomi and her family ran away, God still choose to make her part of His plan. Despite punishing her by taking away her husband and sons, God's loved Naomi. In this chapter,
we see how devoted Ruth was to Naomi, it also must have meant that Naomi was a good mother-in-law. Naomi was a powerful witness to the reality of God., drawing Ruth to her and God.
So, we should be encouraged to be good witnesses for God, because it will draw people to want to know more about the God that you serve.

Old, old, VERY OLD memories

2007-02-01T16:40:00.000+08:00

I was slacking on my chair when I stumbled upon a very, very old photo album my parents compiled. I decided to post some very interesting photos. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LAUGH AT ANYTIME YOU WANT :) (note how cute tab was before she had her dao face)

BEFORE - the 3 cuzzies

AFTER 11 years

LONG TIME AGO IN BALESTIER..

some of us NOW..

TAB YOU SO CUTE!!! :) what happened?

AND FINALLY.. to finish off..

ISAAC IN A SKIRT... MUAHAHAHAHA.

Somethings HAVE changed haven't they? :)

God Bless,

SHA

29 January Monday^^

2007-01-29T21:33:00.000+08:00

hihi..feel kinda funny blogging since it's my first time.anws, i just wanna say about this morning's devotion in school..found it very meaningful.
extracted from Matt 17:20 Jesus said," I tell you the truth. If your faith is as big as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,"Move from here to there." And the mountain will move. All things will be possible for you."
you could be thinking," But a mustard seed is only about a size of 1mm. What is Jesus trying to say?" but HEY!! a mustard seed has more potential than you think. It can grow into a huge tree you know? so what Jesus is trying to say is that you(or your faith), like a mustard seed has a lot of potential and as long as you're willing, your faith would grow to be a big, big tree..so ppl, you should start growing your faith le..haha.
hohoho...=) am i right? i hope i'm not wrong..did i forget anything else from devotion? hopefully not.
anws, erin posted at 9:45 p.m. XP :) =)

2007-01-20T20:35:00.000+08:00

hi all, haha.. i guess this is my 1st post in this blog.. oh well's..

i've thought of setting up a youth band.. anybody interested? we've tried setting 1 up b4.. but it didn;t really turn out well.. but we keep on trying when we fail right? and when we get up, we'll be stronger.. just like the way i fell.. in 2006..i might not have gotten stronger.. but @ least i'll try..

i'll explain why i wish to set up a youth band..

1) with more youths, Der and Liru leading worship, i think the adults are in a sense giving us experience.. so we may lead better next time.we've done concert's before.. to me, it turned out well..by setting up the youth band, we can be more prepared for worship.. in a sense eg. new songs, new style.. or anything.

2)we've got better equipments now.. ok actually only a better drum set.. which doesn't make jamming a bore.. the old drum set was too -.-'

3)and whenever we meet for prac, we can spend some time understanding each other's strength and weakness.. it's a good time for fellowship,and it's a good time to train our individual primary skills. and for some of us, our secondary skills.. we can also use the time to teach the other youths who are interested in certain instruments.. it'll be nice if more people could serve in worship. personally i find it the best way for me.. cos worship does wonders for me.. it's a totally different feeling when u put your heart to playing for GOD.. u dun care if it sounds ok, or wrong.. u just play..

yupp.. i guess that's all for now.. i can't think of anymore reasons.. those interested please tell me.. and i'll see what i can do.. take care!! cya guys tml haha..

MOSES the coward; the 'us'

2007-01-16T21:08:00.000+08:00

Hello my dear saltshakers (: How has bringing flavour to the earth been? (sorry that's my favourite part of the mission statement of SS.)

Neways, Australia has been fine and dandy for me.. EXCEPT THAT IT'S SOOOOOOOOO HOT NOW!!! I'm dying.. it feels more humid and hot than singapore.. which i never thought possible. Now i think singapore's weather is better Xp

I just wanna encourage those who think they're not talented or worthy enough to serve in God's ministry with the story of Moses.

God had called Moses to Egypt to tell the Pharaoh to let the Israelites go..
HOWEVER, Moses was afraid and was worried that he wasn't good enough. Even after God appeared to Moses in a burning bush and told him that He would be with him.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exodus 4: 1-3

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?"

"A staff," He replied.

The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

God wants whatever we have in our hands. Everything we have, whether we think is useful or not, offer it to God. He will give us strength in our weaknesses.. He will use whatever we have to glorify His name :) Lay everything down before God and you will see God do things you can never imagine would happen.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Exodus 4: 10-11

Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

The Lord said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

haha.. some of you may be surprised.. but even after the Lord said that, Moses was still reluctant.. so God, full of anger, appointed Aaron to be his spokesman.

I don't know about you.. but Moses sounds a lot like me.. haha. I always feel as if I'm not holy enough or close to God enough to give Him anything. But God just wants us to give Him whatever we've got and to trust in Him to provide the strength we need to do His work.

Deuteronomy 34: 10-12

"Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face, who did all those miraculous signs and wonders the Lord sent him to do in Egypt- to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel."

Just take the step of faith and you'll open the door for God to do unsearchable wonders and miracles. Nothing is impossible for God. Don't underestimate God by limiting Him.

2007-01-15T01:27:00.000+08:00

wah it's nice to see all of ur funny tags and all the funniest photos. so unglam. the many faces of the three clowns. the three stupids (if u rem yest's sermon.. hahaha!) haha kk kidding. :)

anyway i am encouraged to see some of u blog and some of u tagging. at least it's alive! :)

anw, just to share what i learnt during sermon today:
Even in periods of punishment, God is more gracious than we often see; and that He is in control and has not left us to just suffer in punishment. But He gave them a hope and encouragement of what is to come, and blessed the people with courageous men like Daniel, and God's name was still glorified at the end when even the king of Babylonia submitted to God. it's amazing how God still works in times when we think He is punishing us and when we think He has abandoned us. amazing, such a gracious God. gave me a new perspective of who God is!

hope this is of encouragement to you, as it is to me! yes, as liru said, fall in love with Daniel.. and the Word of God! :)

let's also respond to Him by making a commitment to set our hearts apart for Him and not to be defiled by the pagan world; to be commited to obey God at whatever the costs.

kkz, that's all from me. good night mates!

note from fish, qns from skunk

2007-01-14T23:59:00.000+08:00

Hey peeps,
It's 4:40am, and my internet connection is down, so Liru (yepz! =P) is posting on my behalf. :)
So sorry I forgot to remind you guys to pray (and I only remembered to pray at 11:45, which sorta defeats the purpose). I've written it in my planner, so hopefully it won't happen again. This Thursday, I was thinking that we all shall pray for Uncle Tan. Thanks Bra, for reminding me. As a youth group we often concentrate on our own problems and forget the fact that we belong to a church which consists of the adults and children.
Anyway, I decided to name this Thursday timeslot or prayer as "pH4.6".
Simple reason being Philippians 4:6 says, "Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING by PRAYER and PETITION, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God."

Yup yup, so my dear salty people, keep praying!
And pass the message around. :)

Love, Rah.

Skunkie here btw asking one big qns to Joce.. What is the common account and password for our blog? Cause you didnt mention it anywhere, online or off (if you did mention in offline, it'll probably be during today's first section of yf during which I was busy setting up the lappy and didnt get to listen). So yea.. Will be happy to know. =D

Hope you peeps enjoyed today's Singspiration.. =P I didn't expect it to turn out this fine, cause was worried that you're not used to a cappella singing.. =) Wanted to switch the lights off de but nvm.. Haha..

Btw, I somehow knew that Daniel was a handsome and smart fellow deep down.. Lol! I seriously did not read that book till only today and my my.. What a pleasant surprise.. =P Obsession with Daniel.. Hee..

Let's continue to strive towards loving God and serving Him!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
- John 3:16

God loves us more than life. Do you return Him a love more than life?

More Than Life
Hillsong United

Stand by everything You said
Stand by the promises we made
Let go of everything I've done
I'll run into Your open arms
And all I know

’s that I love You more than life
Oh I love You more than life

Fall back on everything You've done
Fall back on everlasting arms
When all the world is swept away
You are all the things I need
You're the air I breathe

And I love You more than life
Oh I love You more than life

And I love You more than life
Oh I love You more than life

How can it be
You were the One on the cross
Lifted for all our shame?
How can it be
The scars in Your hands are for me?
You are the King of all

And I love You more than life
Oh I love You more than life

Oh I love You more than life
Oh I love You more than life

Just For Laughs

2007-01-13T00:11:00.000+08:00

SMILE ALWAYS :)

2007-01-12T19:13:00.000+08:00

dear everybody :)

i have created an account so that everyone can log in with the same account. but the bad thing is that whenever u blog, u have to sign off on the entry itself. :) but it's not a bad thing la. hahaha.

anyway, keep praying for the saltshakers and for yourselves!

and this is the program for jan:

14/1- DG
21/1- Prayer Week
28/10 DG

and rem we are supposed to have a synchronised prayer time at 10pm every thursday!

sorry i forgot abt it myself. anw i am really encouraged cos at least 1 person remembered- roy! :) so thanks roy for the reminder. sorry i forgot guys, i'll really try to remember next time!

how has everyone's week been? hope sch has been fine for you all. for those taking important exams, rem to pace yourselves and dont be so stressed up! rem to commit everything to God! and seek Him first and all these things will be given to u as well (matt 6:33)

i've been rather busy this week, spending my last few days with isaac and jerusha before they leave, as well as trying to attend my lectures, and also doing some crusade work and also trying to do some yf stuff. so please pray for me! that i will put Him first above everything else.

this afternoon, i came home, feeling worried cos i had to prepare for cell, type some yf stuff and do up a newsletter for campus crusade for Christ, and i hadnt done my QT. there was this temptation to do everything else and do QT last, but i knew God wouldnt be pleased if i wanted to "serve" Him yet neglect Him.. so i decided to do QT first and prayed that everything else i had to do will fall into place. and God has been faithful; i finished all the above work that i needed to do and now i even have time to blog. haha :) yes so remember to put God first before everything else:)

and jerusha, i (we) still miss u a lot a lot. thanks for your encouraging blog post!
we love u! esp me me me

love, joce