Awesome God Our God is an awesome God, He reigns from heaven above, With wisdom power and love, Our God is an awesome God!
Our God is an Awesome God Just finished devotion this morning and want to share a little testimony. Through this morning's devotion, I have come to see how God is in control and how He is real, speaks, affirms and ministers. The last time I experienced this so strongly was at a missions trip in China and it was real exhilarating and exciting to see how God works; how nothing is impossible for Him as He brings together people and circumstances to work according to His will and to also minister to people; it's just awesome, amazing and exciting to see God work!
Do We Set Aside or Do We Find Time for God? Our Tuesday devotions at work has not been very regular recently and sessions have been canceled simply because people were "too busy". Frankly, I get really affected and disappointed each time the devotion is canceled because it is just painful to see us forgoing time with God simply because we are too busy. But then reflecting back, this spiritual warfare is real and even I myself also struggle with trying to "squeeze out" time to be with the Lord.
God Uses Ministers through all Sharing Anyway, today, there was to be devotion and looking at how everyone is busy, I was really not confident devotion will go on. But then, I decided to assume it will go on as usual and I contemplated whether I should lead since the last session (which was supposed to be led by me) was canceled and the next person who is to lead today might not even know she is leading today. I decided to lead but then somehow later at work, I just felt led to ask the person whether she is ready to lead devotion today, considering that I have no voice left. To my surprise, she agreed and within 5 minutes, she put together something to share. By the end of the devotion, it became very clear how God had worked through today's devotion; it's amazing how:
... devotion was not canceled and my colleague agreed to lead devotion despite the short notice
... everyone joined in for devotion today
... God ministered through her sharing of her testimony about how God had guided her in a recent decision about her flat. In short, she made a decision about her flat but did not feel at peace with the decision. She sought the Lord's will through prayer and through many incidents, affirmation by others, she felt led to change her decision. Eventually, she decided to change her decision but then a contract had been signed with HDB. But God opened a way for her to retract her decision with HDB and now she is at peace with the decision. From this, she shared about how sometimes we think we know best and insists on our plans when God knows His plans for us and will provide for us; how stubborn we can sometimes be and end up not wanting to choose the path God has for us.
... God used the sharing to also minister to another colleague who later shared that he was facing some issues with regards to his flat too and how the sharing affirmed him
... I initially felt bad about asking my colleague to lead the devotion at the last minute because I was not feeling very well but later was so glad that God has used the session to teach and minister
... how God had led me to read from Matthew 6:25-34 in the morning on my way to work, which seems to be a timely reminder about how God knows what we need and will provide.I was thinking of reading from another devotional but then realised that I have left the devotional material in office and so, read this devotion instead, not knowing that it was a timely reminder that was shared at the closing of the devotion.
After devotion, I was reflecting on how I can align myself to God's will for my lives and came to the following conclusion. We need to
believe that God has His plans for us and
we need to stay connected to God e.g. through quiet time, prayers, reading His word and supplementing it with devotional materials and
be open and willing to listen to Him when He does lead.
believe that God can work through you and use you to spiritually impact others
Matthew 6:26- Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?
Matthew 6:30- If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
Matthew 6:31-33- 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Think...
On a scale of 1-10, where do you rate your belief that God, as Jeremiah 29:11 states, has His plans for you; plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future?
In this world of connectivity through handphones, internet, email, instant messengers, how is your connectivity to God? How can you connect better with God?
How open and willing are you in hearing from God? What is your definition of hearing from God? How have God spoken to you in the past? How can you be more God-aware?
Do you believe that God can work through you and use you to spiritually impact others and to draw them close to Him?
Yesterday, we had the ONELife Zonal Meeting where we met together as a zone and hear form our Zone Overseer, Chye Aik, share the vision for ONElife for 2008.
Here are some notes I have taken:
Objectives & Who We Are:
ONELife is a group of young adults who are just starting off on their careers, singles or going into relationship
ONELife believes that we have just ONE life; one life to live and give
This is also the time when we are in our prime and able to give of our time and energy to the work of extending God's kingdom
A time of building our lives on God's blueprint; growing in righteousness and living a God-honouring lifestyle
A time of reaching people, retaining, raising and releasing them to further the work of extending God's kingdom
Vision 2008
Aligned with church's vision for 2008: Strengthening the core
Strengthening at cell-level; meeting the needs of members e.g. through special cell nites
Strengthening at leadership level e.g. L-cell and mentoring
What about YOU?
Chye Aik shared with us MAPS on how we can be strengthened and grow spiritually too:
Mutuality: Connecting, sharing and edifying one another; e.g. not just receiving encouragement but also giving encouragement
Accountability: Helping one another to live God-honouring lifestyles
Priority: Understanding that spiritual growth and relationship with God takes commitment, amidst busy schedules and spiritual attacks
Service: Serving to build the body of Christ in various ways, with our God-given gift(s)
Our Cell Discussion:
What would you feel is the core in our cell? Some felt it is:
Accountability to God; our lifestyle
Relationships within the cell; edifying and encouraging one another
Direction our cell is heading; are we heading the same direction?
Commitment; priority given to God and spiritual growth
Personal responsibility for spiritual growth. I have shared that we all need to take up responsibility for spiritual growth and not only rely on others to nourish us. We need to grow to see how God is at work in our lives, how real He is. Only then will we live God-honouring lifestyles, share edifying and encouraging relationships, head in the same direction as God leads and of course commit and give priority to growth with God
Which aspect(s) of MAPS would be critical in helping you to grow spiritually? Priortise them.
Hi everyone, I was preparing for devotion for office and would just like to share with you the devotion and my reflections:
Divine Exchange
My heart is captivated Lord, by You alone Captured by the awesomeness of You alone melted by the grace and mercy You have shown I stand in wonder
I reach to you the one who make the blind can see who break the chains of sickness with authority restoring of what was broken so we may fly again
I live to worship you I breathe to worship to you all of my days, your face I'll seek
For as I worship you You lead me to that place To that place of divine exchange
Our Daily Bread February 11, 2008 The Wounds Of A Friend READ: 2 Samuel 12:1-13
Faithful are the wounds of a friend. —Proverbs 27:6
Not everyone appreciates correction, but David did. He felt indebted to those who corrected him and realized how much he owed them. “Let the righteous strike me; it shall be a kindness. Let him rebuke me; it shall be as excellent oil; let my head not refuse it” (Ps. 141:5).
Correction is a kindness, David insists, a word that suggests an act of loyalty. Loyal friends will correct one another, even when it’s painful and disruptive to relationships to do so. It’s one of the ways we show love and help one another to grow stronger. As Proverbs 27:6 states: “Faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
It takes grace to give godly correction; it takes greater grace to receive it. Unlike David, who accepted Nathan’s correction (2 Sam. 12:13), we’re inclined to refuse it. We resent the interference; we do not want to be found out. But if we accept the reproof, we will find that it does indeed become “excellent oil” on our heads, an anointing that makes our lives a sweet aroma wherever we go.
Growth in grace sometimes comes through the kind but unpleasant correction of a loyal friend. Do not refuse it, for “he who receives correction is prudent” (Prov. 15:5) and “wise” (9:8-9). —David H. Roper
When others give us compliments, They are so easy to believe; And though it’s wise to take rebukes, We find them harder to receive. —Sper
Correction from a loyal friend can help us change for the better.
Some questions to ponder over?
What points can you pick out and learn from the article?
What is Christianity to you?
What is Christian living?
How is God speaking to you through this article?
Nathan Rebukes David The story of Nathan rebuking King David (2 Samuel 12-1-13) after he sinned against the Lord by killing Uriah the Hittite and took his wife to be his own. Up till that point, David had been doing well but has fallen when he made the choice to sin against God. But nonetheless, God sent Nathan to teach him an object lesson of how a rich man took from a poor all he had to entertain his traveller guest. This got David angry and he reacted with disgust to how the rich man had done what he did. Then, the tables were turned and Nathan brought illumination to how David was likened to the man, not only taking the life of a loyal servant but also taking his wife. David, instead of defending himself, knew in his heart that he has sinned against the Lord and confessed and repented.
How Do You Respond to the call? We are sometimes like David and we can also have our spiritual blind spots, sinning and turning away from God. And sometimes, it takes God to send another to show us where we have gone wrong, so we can be directed back to the path of righteouness and of life. But yet, at other times, God gives us the ministry of Nathan, to help bring someone back to the path of righteousness and of life. So how do you respond to both calls; call to walk back and call to bring someone back?
What is Christianity?
God Wants a Relationship with You I have always pondered about what Christianity is all about? What is Christianity per se? How is Christianity different from other religions? Just this week, the sermon has set me thinking about it again. Looking back and reflecting upon my walk, I have come to recognise, with more conviction, that Christianity is NOT a religion NOR a ritual BUT a relationship with God. It is about the recovery, reconciliation, redemption and restoration of man and their relationship with God. It goes beyond following rituals or just following the Commandments but God, who created us, knows us intimately, or every thoughts, struggles, feelings etc. In 1Samuel 16:7b, it reminds us that "The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'
Here is something I have come to realise and chart out these few days:
Click to see a larger version
God has plans for man and also a wonderful relationship. But Satan always attempts to ruin and prevent relationship with God. Ultimately, God sent His son to die on the cross for our sins so we can once again not be slaves to sin but children of God: Galatians 4:3-7 - '3. So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4. But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5. to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father." 7. So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.'
God Wants a Relationship with Everyone But the story does not end there because God reminds us of the Great Commandments to help us continue to walk in righteousness. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus reminds all that '"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ' but presents the principles behind the commandments:
Matthew 22:37-40 - 37. Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
And yet the story does not end there. We are reminded of God's love for all: 2 Peter 3:9 - The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
He wants all to be saved and on the path of righteousness and therefore, we are also charged with the Great Commission: Matthew 28:18-20 - 18. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20. and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Christian Living: Making disciples does not mean coverting because there is no use converting someone without repentance. We should continue to, in our ways and as God leads, bring people into Christian living; knowing God, knowing our position in Christ, living in repentance, living out the Great Commandment and Great Commission. All other times, we are just reminding one another of this:
Galatians 6:1-2 - 1. Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 2. Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
Hebrews 10:24 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
Hebrews 3:12-14 - 12. See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. 14. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
How is God speaking to you about your walk? Is God using you to edify another in their walk or to bring someone back to Him?
