Rejoice in the Lord Always

Rejoice in the Lord

Rejoice In The Lord - The St. Johns Childrens Cho

Haven't had the opportunity to update the blog with something that the Lord had ministered in to heart these couple of weeks. For me, I make it a point to share whenever I am being blessed by the Lord and learnt something from Him, both to remind myself and also hoping that as I pen it down, it would be a blessing to many others.

The Inevitable Trials in Life
Recently, I have been thinking about circumstances that we face and how we respond. It makes me wonder if being a Christian indeed would rid us of all trials and inevitably, the answer is no, but I have come to realise that the difference is that, being a Christian, we are assured that God is in our lives and He knows and have His plans for us, that to me is peace and hope.

I am reminded in the book of James how it was mentioned that we consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of many kinds and its role in helping us in maturity. The word used here is "whenever" and not "if", pointing to how trials are inevitable even in the lives of Christians. So anyone who thinks that Christians are "exempted" from the trials of life, then think again. But, like I have learnt through the big and small trials of my life, the difference is God and knowing that He sees and everything is in His hands.

Remembering We Are Significant
At Thursday devotion last week at work, we saw a presentation on the size of the planet earth as compared to the sun and eventually, the galaxy. We saw that, as compared to the galaxy, we and the planet earth are minute in scale. But yet, God cares for us so much that He did his work on the cross.

Someone has ever said, the next time we face a trial, instead of calling out "Oh God, we have a big problem!", call out "Problem, we have a big GOD!".

Remembering God is the Almighty and Sovereign God
Indeed, everything is in God's hands and nothing is too difficult for God as the bible reminds us in Luke 1:37 "For nothing is impossible with God."

However, God is still a sovereign God and has His sovereign will. In His love for us as the heavenly Father, He knows what's best and sometimes says "Yes", "Not Yet" or "No" to us. Perhaps, God has His plans for all His people and is not a genie who grants everyone's wishes. He is the sovereign God with His sovereign will for everyone.

Choosing to Rejoice & Receiving The Peace of God
Instead, Paul reminds us in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

At our Tuesday devotion last week, as everyone shared, I felt spoken to and prompted to share from Philippians 4:4-7 ⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God shows us that He is a big God and having God in our lives, we can have the peace to say that God knows every single struggle and challenges we are facing and we can rejoice in the fact that He is in your life and we can pray to Him and submit to Him areas which we need His touch.

At the devotion session that just past on Thursday, I heard of a testimony of a person with a tough life; someone who was almost aborted, someone who was born to divorcee, someone whose mum is an alcoholic and threatened to kill her every night, someone who was bullied by her peers, someone who lost her mother subsequently and who had to work hard to put herself through studies, failing many years. But today, we hear the testimony of this person who gave testimony to how God had helped her to pull through it all, the peace of God which transcend all understanding and watched over her as she believes that God has His plans for her.

Maybe, to many of us, we may not have as dramatic a life story or we may even have. But all in all, we are reminded that God is always in control. To many of us, this may sound like something cliche and something easy to preach but I speak from experience after have seen God at work in my life that He is real and He does have His plans for us... sometimes, we may not understand it all but years later when we look back, we see how things worked out.

When I was in a down moment about 2 years back in ministry, facing all kinds of perceived rejection. I lamented to God. But God ministered to me through Don Moen and his song, "I Will Sing". Today, I will still sometimes lament, but after seeing how God had delivered me time and again (though sometimes not immediate), I choose to rejoice and sing unto Him.

To be a Blessing
While we may not be in the best of best of situations, but we can be thankful each day for what we are blessed in big and small ways and we can in turn bless others as God has blessed us.

In the words of Gary Haugen at the Global Leadership Summit last year, he challenged and ask Christian leaders, "Why have we been given so much when there are so much suffering in other parts of the world?" The answer, God loves the world and we can be the answer to others suffering, through blessing others with the love of God through prayer, donations or even just showing care and concern.

Thank God for blessings in our lives but don't stop there. Be a blessing so others can be impacted and also praise God for the blessing they received:

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

We have the choice

A Spirit-Filled Life

Last week's cell discussion was great and I really thank each and everyone of you for sharing the work of the Holy Spirit in your lives.

Personally, I have enjoyed preparing for the discussion as I sat down myself and reflected upon what the Holy Spirit has done in my life and that evening, hearing how the Holy Spirit is so real in your lives has further encouraged me and even helped me to know the Holy Spirit better.

The "Mystical" Topic of the Holy Spirit
For a long time, I have heard about the Holy Spirit and know about it but then because it is somewhat "intangible" and to me it was a rather abstract idea. However, last week's cell discussion has helped me to know the Holy Spirit better and also to see it at work in my life. As much as I had been blessed by the session, I hope you too. And I thank God for this blessing.

Wisdom & the Holy Spirit
In fact, it was a prayer answered. Even though I approached the cell discussion having thought through the topic and reflected on my spiritual walk with the Lord, I was still rather lost (as usual) as to how I should approach cell facilitation. I prayed to God and had asked for guidance. That evening, I had prepared a few questions but in the morning, I suddenly received a sms from a colleague friend on 1 Corinthians 2 about how the Spirit reveals to us wisdom from God. I do not know why but then that set me thinking about the work of the Holy Spirit in my own life and prompted me to change one of the discussion questions. And looking back, I was glad I heard the prompting and how the question eventually surfaced a rich discussion on the Holy Spirit in your lives, which ultimately also blessed me.

What is the Basic of Church?
Reading from Acts 2:36-47, we read of Peter's address to the crowd after Jesus died and the instructions given to the early church. For many of us, this might be a "back-to-basics" reminder about what the church is supposed to be:

1. Repentence and baptism for the forgiveness of our sin (v38)
2. Receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit (v38)
3. Devotion to apostle's teaching (v42)
4. Devotion to fellowship with one another (v42)
5. Devotion to breaking of bread (v42)
6. Devotion to prayer (v42)
7. Works - selling their possessions and goods and gave to anyone as he had need (v45)
8. Unity (v44, 46)
   

While these is how the early church is and it might be tempting to note it as a "to-do" for the church, Elder Freddy kept reminding that there is a critical part of the church and that is the Holy Spirit... without the Holy Spirit, a church is not a church! So in v38, we see how the early followers received the Holy Spirit and as a result of their faith and all they have done with the presence of the Holy Spirit, there were:

1. Salvation - Three thousand were added to their numbers that day (v41)
2. People were filled with awe (v43)
3. Many wonders and miraculous signs (v43)
4. Praises as people praised God and enjoyed the favour of all the people (v47)
5. More salvation - The Lord added to their numbers daily those who were being saved (v47)

The Promise of the Holy Spirit for Us
For me, I was reminded that God gave us His Holy Spirit to help us in our lives. In John 14:15-27, Jesus spoke of the Holy Spirit ...

"and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him because it neither sees him nor knowns him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you... you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me and I am in you... But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom I the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."

Jesus went on to talk about the vine and the branches and how we can bear fruit as long as we remain in Him and Him in us; bearing fruits (v2, 4, 5), glorifying God (v8) and being filled with joy (v11). It is like a reminder on the consequences of having God in our lives; with the Holy Spirit in our lives. We received the Holy Spirit into our lives when we accept Christ as Lord and Saviour and invite Him into our lives.

A Spirit Filled Life that We Can Strive Towards
And, for the first time, it started to make sense to me what the fruit of the Spirit means. Maybe I am slow but then God spoke into my heart how it is His will that we be filled with the Spirit and bear the fruit of the Spirit as we live Spirit-filled lives. That as we continue to strive towards a Spirit-filled life, it is God's will that we have love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

The Work of the Holy Spirit
So, it really led me to think about what the Holy Spirit has done in my own life. I mean, as I reflected on myself, I have come to realise how my life has tremendously changed in the last 4 years after having come back to the Lord. Yes, it hasn't been easy and I had cried out to the Lord on several times but then I see how I am indeed filled with more peace and joy and God has also brought restoration in relationships in my life, including doing the seemingly impossible and reconciling me to people who I hated and who caused me to go into downtime 4 years back. I am a much confident person now and can see God at work everyday of my life, even to the extent of prompting me in ministry to others with words to share. Even my mum, whom I had thought will never come back to the Lord, is now back walking and coming to church every week. To many things changed and to me, it is definitely more than coincidence.

And, just as we had shared with one another through our various experiences, we have learnt and saw how the Holy Spirit have, in different one of our lives:

1. Granted us peace and hope even in the midst of trials and everything seemed bleak
2. Restores broken relationships
   
3. Instructs us in life on walking righteously with the Lord, prompting us in spirit when we are not
4. Protects us from attempts of the enemy to take us away from walking with the Lord
5. Prompts us in ministry to each other including the sharing of His word that speaks Rhema word into others' lives
6. Moulds us and our person
7. Speaks into our lives in different seasons of our lives
8. Helps us

Well, I believe that if we had more time, we would have gone on and on and the fact is that the Holy Spirit plays an important role in the lives of Christ followers as it helps, guides, equips, protects etc. I have shared at the closing of cell last week how I am quite a klutz and can be very blur. But it is amazing how God has led me through, including even blessing me in my work ministry and even moulding my personality to be more confident. For me, I would say it is the life transforming work of the Holy Spirit in my life.

Sons and Heirs
As I was doing my quiet time today, I was reminded from Galatians 4 that we were once children and even though we were heirs, we were likened to slaves, being subjected to trustees and guardians until a time set by the father; slaves of the principles of the world. But with the work of Christ, we have become children and God "sent the spirit of his son into our hearts, so we no longer are slaves but sons and heirs.

Do You Desire the Holy Spirit?
God have His Holy Spirit to help us and the church. And I can say that God, the Father, wants the best for us, a life that is spirit-filled and filled with the fruit of the spirit. How much do you desire the Holy Spirit in your life? Continue to ask for the Holy Spirit to fill your life and work in your life... Are you tired of living life and steering yourself when God is also all along around?

As we approach the time for prayer meeting tomorrow to pray for revival for Riverlife Church, let's pray for revival in our lives and also for the Church.

Living Life with Confidence

How do you live life after being a Christ-follower? Have anything changed?

As I saw this clip and when reflecting upon, it became clear to me that as compared to the past, I have come to become relatively more confident in life, knowing that I am not alone and that God is always with me, watching over me and guiding me.

For me, seeing God at work in my life, both in big ways and small ways, both in blessing me to achieve things I know I would not be able to alone and in helping me to overcome trials, have just helped me to become more and more confident in living life with God's presence.

One thing I have learnt is that being a Christ-follower does not necessarily means life will be easier but life becomes more bearable, peaceful, more powerful and hopeful knowing that God is with us.

After all, did not God in His word promise us that:

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future"
(Jeremiah 29:11, NIV)

and "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
(Hebrews 13:5b-6, NIV).

Our God is an omniscient (knowing everything), omnipotent (all powerful) and omnipresent (being present everywhere) God.Have you allowed Him to change your life?

Lessons from Naomi & Ruth

It's funny how I am ministered to by the book of Ruth again this morning at department devotion (see Our Daily Bread article below). But then again, the word of God does have power to speak to us and minister to us. And I continue to thank God for each and every one of my colleagues and the opportunity to come together week after week, even if it is for a few minutes, to share time together in devotion and coming before God to be ministered to and to minister. I am always ministered to by the sharing as it shows how real God is in each and everyone of our lives. I always believe that where God is, lives are touched and changed.

The Book of Ruth & Ministry
Earlier, I shared how the book of Ruth has a part to play in my ministry, when God spoke to me in church during the Peter Tsukahira seminar, moments before I communicated my decision to step down from ministry to our AO. God stirred my heart and assured me how He will never leave me and asked if I would leave His calling for me. As I look back, I can say that it hasn't been easy but then I can feel God walking with me every step of the way and it is really wonderful seeing Him so real in every aspect of my life, not just in ministry.

The Book of Ruth Speaks Again
Today, the book of Ruth spoke to me yet again, more than 1.5 years later; kind of like a reminder.

Lesson #1 - It showed me how despite the bitterness and how Naomi had cried out in her human spirit about the bitterness, she has never forsaken God. Similarly, sometimes in the midst of difficulty, it may be difficult seeing and understanding from God's perspective of things e.g. death of someone close, loss of things we hold dear to, difficulty, brokenness etc but we can know "that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). We cannot explain trials because God can do so many things through it... it can be that God is refining us, it can be that God has other plans in place, it can be that we are receiving attack from the enemy and/or it can just be us paying the consequences of our sin, but we know that God is always there and will never forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). God has given us Immanuel (God with us) (Matthew 1:23) that we may have life and have it in abundance as we draw near to Him (John 10:10). A reminder how God has used the book of Ruth to minister to me about ministry and His calling. But I am glad to have stayed on in His calling and seeing that He has not forsaken me.

Lesson #2 and #3 - The other thing I have learned is how God is always in control. We see how Naomi, though having not done anything of epic proportions, has been used by God and became a spiritual impact for Ruth (Ruth subsequently became part of the genealogy of Christ, see Matthew 1). That is God's big picture of things. Recently, a friend and I was able to see how God was in control every step of the way despite difficult circumstances. I had prayed for wisdom to help in the situation and was amazed how things fell into place and how God had used me and led me through with words and verses. God is always in control and He will make a way. But even more than that, it also shows how in obedience, we also become a spiritual impact for others, no matter in big or small ways, God can work through us, as He works through Naomi and Ruth, despite Ruth being a Moabitess and not an Israelite.

Our Daily Bread
February 24, 2009
Managing The Mess
READ: Ruth 1:15-22
Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me? —Ruth 1:21

When we meet Naomi in the Scriptures, her life is a mess. She and her husband had gone to Moab searching for food during a famine. While in that land, their two sons married Moabite women, and life was good—until her husband and sons died and she was stuck, widowed in a foreign land.

Though honest about her pain, Naomi obviously had a sense of who was in control: “The Lord has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me” (Ruth 1:21).

The Hebrew word for “Almighty” (Shaddai) indicates God’s sufficiency for any situation. The word “Lord” (Yahweh) refers to His faithfulness as the loving covenant-keeping God. I love how Naomi put these two names together. In the midst of her complaint, she never lost sight of the fact that her God was a capable and faithful God. And, sure enough, He proved His capability to deliver her and His faithfulness to care for her to the very end.

If there seems to be no way out of your despair, remember that Naomi’s God is your God as well. And He specializes in managing our messes to good and glorious outcomes. Thankfully, He is both capable and faithful. So, when your life is a mess, remember who your God is! — Joe Stowell

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last. —von Schlegel

Stand back and watch the Lord manage your mess into a glorious outcome.

Related Post: CG Discussion: Lessons from Naomi

What On Earth Am I Here For?

Today, we had department devotion and as we were going through Our Daily Bread today, it was interesting how the article sparked off quite a bit of reflection within me; I had thought that as Christians and having accepted the Lord, we should know who we are and where we are going. But the truth is that, we seem to need constant reminders and reflections:

Our Daily Bread
16 February 2009
Link: http://www.rbc.org/devotionals/our-daily-bread/2009/02/16/devotion.aspx
1 John 3:1-9

The Answer

The story is told that the philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was sauntering through Berlin’s famous Tiergarden one day, mentally probing the questions of origin and destiny that had been constantly perplexing him: Who am I? Where am I going?

A park-keeper, closely observing the shabbily dressed philosopher as he walked slowly with head bowed, suspected that Schopenhauer was a tramp. So he walked up to the philosopher and demanded, “Who are you? Where are you going?” With a pained expression, Schopenhauer replied, “I don’t know. I wish somebody could tell me.”

Are you ever perplexed by those same questions? Who am I? Where am I going? What a comfort it is to have God’s authoritative answers in the Bible. Who are we? In 1 John 3, John calls his readers “children of God” (v.2). We become His children by receiving Jesus as our Savior from sin (John 1:12). And where are we going? John 14:1-6 tells us that one day He will receive us into a home He is preparing in heaven.

Our Maker is not only the Author of science and history, but He writes the story of every member of Adam’s family—yours and mine. We can trust His answers. — Vernon C. Grounds

Open my ears, that I may hear
Voices of truth Thou sendest clear;
And while the wave-notes fall on my ear,
Everything false will disappear. —Scott

When you know Jesus, you know who you are and where you’re going.

It was a refreshing touch and reminder as I pondered about purpose of life once again. I have again come to realise, through all the discussion and even the sermon at the Chinese service last week, how God's heart is for relationship with us and to see us transformed and restored, not about robots or religion. He longs for everyone to come back to Him with a contrite, convicted and convinced heart, rather than it all being about just conversion.

So, as some will put it, God has placed eternity in our hearts; a God-shaped vaccuum that many of us tries to fill with things e.g. wealth, sex, glory, work, religiosity etc. Yet sometimes, it takes crises to help us see how these things are not eternal and things will change, but yet God's love will never change. For me, it has been work and achievements in the past which had fed the vaccum. Though it worked for many many years, I soon found myself all shocked and lost when these things started to fail me...

So, if you have yet to pondered about the purpose of life or needs a nudge, here's something which my colleague has found on the net and hope it will ministers:

What On Earth Am I Here For?

Suggested use: Answer the questions first for yourself, and then read and enjoy John Fischer’s comments.

Have you ever wondered about, or felt confused about, the purpose of your life?

Being confused about your purpose in life is not a bad thing. It is actually something that can awaken a desire to seek the truth about who we are and why we’re here.

One of the wisest men in history, King Solomon, who ruled the nation of Israel after his father, David, was confused about his purpose in life. He once wrote, “I, the Teacher, was king of Israel and I lived in Jerusalem. I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything being done in the world. I soon discovered that God has dealt a tragic existence to the human race. Everything under the sun is meaningless, like chasing the wind” (Ecclesiastes 1:12-15 NLT).

A lot of people are surprised to find out that such statements are in the Bible, and that God himself would be blamed as being responsible for our meaningless lives. But the key to Solomon’s observation is where he places the seat of this wisdom as being “under the sun.” Solomon is saying that if he looks at our human existence trapped on this planet and tries to explain it using human reason and accomplishments “under the sun,” that he can’t come to any better conclusion than life is meaningless.

It is hard—almost impossible—to explain the meaning of life without God, and that’s why everything starts here. God brings design and purpose to our existence. God has a plan that stretches beyond our history. God wants a relationship with us. That in itself gives us meaning. For whatever reason, Solomon wasn’t willing to go beyond what he could physically prove to look for answers to his questions

Every human being who has ever lived has had questions about his or her existence. It makes a big difference where you look for answers. You can’t really know much about meaning in life without being willing to admit that “beyond the sun”—or outside our human experience—is a Being with a design and a reason for all that we see and experience “under the sun.” You’ll need to at least be open to the possibility to move on in this study.

Here’s something to think about: Do you think it’s possible that God created us hungry for the very thing He wants to give us? He created us to seek Him? If so, wondering about your purpose could very well be the most important thing you could do. If this is true, then wondering about your purpose is the first step in finding it.

What ways have you tried to discover your life’s purpose that haven’t worked?

Have you ever wondered if a good deal of advertising appeals to the need we all have for purpose and meaning in life? Buy this car, drink this beer, go to this school, wear this make-up, purchase this insurance and you will have meaning in life. (…and for everything else, there’s MasterCard.)

The real truth about human nature never changes. Almost 400 years ago, Blaise Pascal, a brilliant French scientist and philosopher explained the dilemma of human existence as a God-shaped vacuum in the center of the human heart—a need for God that He placed there that won’t be satisfied by anything other than God Himself. In Pascal’s own words:

What else does this craving, and this helplessness, proclaim but that there was once in man a true happiness, of which all that now remains is the empty print and trace? This he tries in vain to fill with everything around him, seeking in things that are not there the help he cannot find in those that are, though none can help, since this infinite abyss can be filled only with an infinite and immutable object—in other words, by God Himself.

Think of the things our culture lures us into using for our purpose: power, prestige, glory, sex, and wealth. The problem with these things is that there never seems to be enough. Even the people who have “arrived” aren’t happy the way we imagine them being. Meaninglessness is like a black hole at the center of human existence that sucks up whatever we throw at it, leaving it as empty as it was before. Even things that are supposed to be good seem to disappear in this deep cavern.

What have you thrown into the black hole of your existence that hasn’t filled it up? I think we all receive temporary satisfaction from some things, but what will really hold up over time?

Why do you think people try to discover their life’s purpose without turning to God, their creator?

Let’s think about some answers on this one:

- If I turned to God I might lose control of my life.

- God might take away all my fun.

- If there is a God, He’s definitely bigger than me and probably has some demands on my life.

- We always want to do things ourselves. Theme song: “I Did It My Way.”

- We want to be in control of our own destiny.

- We are afraid of God, we don’t know God, or we find God too mysterious.

- We think God’s idea of purpose is probably pretty religious and definitely boring.

- We like religion about as much as we like politics; we don’t want to get into a discussion about either one.

- We don’t believe in creation. We’ll have to find a purpose apart from a designed existence because that’s what we learned to believe.

But what if God were a kind, loving creator who made us like Himself because He wanted a relationship with us, and gave us the ability to choose Him or not because He didn’t want robots? What if He actually has our best interests in mind? Wouldn’t you want to check it out?

For Further Study

• Ephesians 1:3-14 God’s eternal plan for us.
• Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 Even Solomon made some difficult conclusions about God ’s place in our search for meaning.

Source: http://www.purposedrivenlife.com/en-US/AboutUs/AboutTheBook/sampleChapters/chapter1.htm

Discussion: Abiding in the Presence of God

Open the Eyes of My Heart

Lover of My Heart

Lover of My Heart - Paradise Community Church

I Just Want to be Where You Are

God Always With Us
Elder Andrew Goh spoke on the presence of God recently. One of the thing about what I have learnt thus far in my walk with God is that God is ever present, even through the good times and bad times. Even though when things seems to be falling apart or not going well, and it feels horrible, God has never forsaken us because aren't Christ called "Immanuel" (Matthew 1:23), which means "God with us"? Similarly through the Old and New Testament, we have been reminded that as we seek the Lord, he will not forsake us:

Old Testament - Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

New Testament - Hebrew 13:5
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

Feeling God Has Forsaken Us
Do you believe in that? I do, because I have seen how God has brought me through many personal, family and ministry struggles in my life so much so it becomes more than coincidences. But this do set me thinking why does it sometimes feel as though the Lord has forsaken me? I am reminded at devotion this week at work that these feelings are common, even to David who sought after God's heart, when in Psalm 22 he started "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" but he goes on to proclaim that he believe God will lead him out in victory. David has never took his eyes off God and proclaimed to him in verse 19 "But you, O Lord, be not far off; O my strength, come quickly to help me..." He believed in the power and will of God in his life. In Isaiah 49:14, the people of Israel felt that God had forsaken them but Isaiah puts forth his argument that God would never forget them as a loving mother would not forget her little child.

Isaiah 49:14-15
14 But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me."15 "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!"

Feeling Forsaken: God's Deliverance Through Trials
Why then do we feel "forsaken" by the Lord sometimes? Personally, I cannot answer that... but I do believe that God has His will in everyone's life... firstly to receive everyone into a relationship with Him and then to work with the person... I am reminded of how I came back to Christ when a sister-in-christ asked me "God has not forsaken you, have you forsaken him?" I was in a low period at that time and was going through horrible struggles but looking back, I can see how God has His plans for me as he reminded me when I first came back with Jeremiah 29:11. God has brought me through different phases and seasons and have made life better. I am reminded of a saying during one of my devotions that sometimes God does not deliver us FROM trials but delivers us THROUGH trials.... perhaps that's the reason why James has mentioned in James 1:2-4

2. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3. because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Feeling Forsaken: God's Pruning Through Trials
As I reflect back, God has used trials to prune me, removing undesirable parts of my life

John 15:2
He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

Feeling Forsaken: God Revealing Himself
And through trials, He showed me how he is real... So sometimes we feel "forsaken" because we need to be delivered just as the struggles came to bring me back to Him and then for Him to do His work on me.

Feeling Forsaken: Us Withdrawing from God
Perhaps we feel forsaken because we had to take responsibility for our actions and we withdraw away from God, just as Adam and Eve withdrew away from God when they ate from the Tree they were told not to eat from (Genesis 3). God loves them still and had wanted the best for them, to be in a relationship with Him. But they have fallen away and withdrew from God as they hid among the trees and as God called out "where are you?" In a recent devotion, I have read how sometimes, in our sinfulness, we make deliberate choices to withdraw from Him because we are uncomfortable having Him near. So it became clear to me that it is not God who has forsaken us but sometimes we withdraw from Him. But the good news is that "He allows us to stay in our dark places for a time, but he doesn't leave us alone. He patiently watches over us, waiting for any indication that we desire to emerge" (from "A Devoted Heart" in New Men's Devotional Bible). So where are we now?

Where Are You?
Where are you with regards to the presence of God? Through Matthew 14:22-33, Elder Andrew God brought us through lessons we can draw lessons on our journey of abiding in God's presence. Where are you now?

Presence of Christ Lost
Presence of Christ Dreaded (v26)
Presence of Christ Revealed (v27)
Presence of Christ Desired (v28)
Presence of Christ Trust (v29)
Presence of Christ Forgotten (v30)
Presence of Christ Restored (v31-32)

Do you desire a touch of Him or to abide in His presence daily?

Why is Abiding in His Presence Important?
Last week, I was reading my devotion on Acts 16:16-40, I began to see how God not only walked on in journey with Paul and his companions, watching over them but also how God cared for everyone, including the slave girl who was kept following Paul and Silas proclaiming how Paul and companions are servant of the most High God and have come to tell people the way to be saved (v17). But what struck me the most is how Paul and Silas could ever by praying and singing hymns while in prison (v25). To me, I thought to myself, it must be the presence of God comforting them...

But as we discussed last week, that if God is omni present and dwells within us, why do we still need to strive to abide in His presence and seek for something that is already all around and within us?

Reasons to Abide - A Relationship to be Developed
Many of you shared how it is because Christianity is a relationship with God and how like in any relationship, it is important to spend time with the person in developing the relationship. In the same way, just as Senior Pastor was sharing in sermon last week on spiritual disciplines, it takes time and effort; it is not automatic, does not happen instantaneously and it is not a mystical experience meant for super saints. I remember sharing with someone that just as in relationship, no one else can ever help you to "pak tor" (go dating) and you yourself will have to put in the time and effort in developing your relationship with God. So abiding in God's presence helps you build a relationship with God.

Reasons to Abide - Remembering God in Your Life
Some of you shared how abiding in His presence help you to remember God amidst all the distractions in life; work, temptation etc. So abiding in God's presence help some of you to remember God in your life.

Reasons to Abide - Knowing God More
Yet for some of you, you have shared how abiding in His presence help you to know Him more. I like the way that Jason had put it... you can read Lee Kuan Yew's autobiography but still not know him. In the same way, are we putting in effort to know God... Having a relationship with God is more than just reading the bible and not allowing to shape your life. So abiding in His presence helps some of you to know God better.

Reasons to Abide - Experiencing His Power
I have shared how for me, personally, learning to abide in His presence helps me experience His power and glory. Sometimes it just makes me want to see God's glory and power more and more in my life. I have shared how over the span of a week, God had worked miracle in my family and how things feel into place, including my dad's hospitalisation, and my mum began coming to church again after many years of prayer and feeling that it will never happen. I shared how it was amazing seeing during the Chinese New Year week how God had worked; how while visiting our relatives, they had one after another asked if my mother is going to church, how my father's sudden cramp attack during CNY day 3 early morning and hospitalisation seemed to have an impact on my mum, how God had brought Min Qin to my house to invite her to the CNY service in church, how as if God knew that I needed time to work on my devotion on Thursday had granted me leave on Wednesday to rest after sending my dad to A&E and also work on my devotional sharing in Thursday. Every step of the way, it was amazing seeing how God worked and this has been a constant thing in my walk to see how God works and it just amazes me. And, I have also seen how God has worked in my life and by His grace, I continue to do relatively well in my job which He had called me to when I returned to Him. And even though I had no prior experience doing volunteer management, He continued to guide me through and I give thanks everyday at work as I see how things work out and how I am sometimes being asked to share with other organisations on volunteer management. All these over a span of 3 years. On my own, I would not have been able to do it so I can only attribute it to God. This is similarly so for cell ministry as I looked back how He continue to guide me and teach me things in ministry. So abiding in the presence of God helps me to do things that I will not be able to do myself and helps me see Him at work.

Reasons to Abide - Experiencing His Comfort
I have also shared how this time round, when I sent my dad to A&E, I have come to realise that though I was still anxious, I was relatively less anxious as compared to the time when I rushed him to A&E a few years back when he had a heart attack. I remembered crying in A&E and feeling all lost and not knowing what to do as I faced the uncertainty and the thought of losing my dad. But this time round, I felt relatively more comforted and prayed and committed my dad into God's hands, trusting in Him after having seen how He is so real in my life. So abiding in the presence of God helps me to feel not alone and comforted in times of crisis.

Whatever the reason, I do pray for you to be able to experience God in your life as you continue to walk with Him.

How do you abide in His presence?
Again, I don't think there is a secret formula but as some of you have shared...

• for some it is daily bible reading and reflection
• for some it is daily devotion using devotional materials e.g. Our Daily Bread
• for some it is being still and in solitude with self and God
• for some it is listening to praise and worship songs and reflecting on the lyrics
• for some it is singing aloud while with yourself
• for some it is writing, blogging and journalling in helping you to be more God-aware
• for some it is strumming away on the guitar and singing to the Lord

Whatever it is, find your way of relating to the Lord and you can start today in experiencing God in your life...

Jeremiah 31-2-3
² This is what the LORD says:
"The people who survive the sword
will find favor in the desert;
I will come to give rest to Israel."

³ The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying:
"I have loved you with an everlasting love;
I have drawn you with loving-kindness.

Have Been Thinking: One True God

I had recently led in devotion at my workplace and God had showed me how life can sometimes be like being at the airport... there are so many airlines but which will in fact bring you to where you need to be? Similarly, in life, we are surrounded by "religions", worldviews, new age beliefs and how do we know that we are worshipping the one true God? Maybe I will reserve sharing the devotion for another time.

While reading my devotion this week, I was brought to Acts 17:16-34. There, Paul was waiting in Athens and observes how the people were worshipping idols (Acts 17:16) and instead of condemning them, his passion for Christ compelled him to reason with the people to draw them to God (Acts 17:17) even though it meant ridiculed sometimes or not being understood (Acts 17:18). Paul had wanted to proclaim the one true God to them (Acts 17:22-23). He made his case:

The One True God is not limited by temples and only live in it (Acts 17:24)
Think about it. If God is all so mighty, why is He only limited to buildings? Psalm 139:7-8 reminds us that "Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there."

The One True God does not need sacrifices to be appeased (Acts 17:25)
The verse says it all... God does not need to be served by human hands as if He needed anything. After all, does He not own the whole world and gives man life and breath? Hebrews 10 reminds us that "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made)" (Heb 10:8). It goes on to explain how "those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins" (Heb 10:3-4). The bible describes man as very forgetful, often forgetting who God is and how He had delivered them...

The One True God is not fashioned as an image or idol made by man (Acts 17:29)
God in the bible has commanded that He is to be revered and that man are not to bow down to any idols. Who has seen God and who can do justice to fashion Him with our thoughts of His image.

The One True God is not far from us and accepts us as His children (Acts 17:27-28)
God accepts us as His children, to bless and watch over... John 1:12-13 "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God." And man are being called children of God way in the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 14:1) and several times in the New Testament e.g. 1 John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" This is perhaps a very bold preposition.

The One True God is a loving God (Acts 17:30-31)
God is a loving God and Father and allows man to repent as 2 Peter 3:9 reminds "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."And He gives us choice to choose Him and gave us His son as an indication of His sacrifice Hebrews 10:10 "And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all." And God calls out to all to be reconciled to Him. 2 Corinthians 5:17-21:

"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20 We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

The One True God is in control (Acts 17:26)
God is always in control as He reminds in Isaiah 44:24 "This is what the LORD says—your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, who has made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself..." and Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..." But we are given a choice in life, just as Adam and Eve was given a choice and ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God gives us the choice to choose to love Him or be apart from Him. He draws people to Him through those who are called by Him and who are willing to be a part of the ministry of reconciliation. But precisely how all these work together, I have no answer because Romans 11:33-34 reminds us "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" A similar case is being put forth in Job 38-41.

And as a result of God's children going about with the "ministry of reconciliation", some come to become followers of Christ, while some has yet to (Acts 17:32-34).

Again, I thank God for giving me the wisdom to pen this down within this short hour... I pray He will bless your hearts with it.

贺喜恭喜新年

贺新年/恭喜呀恭喜/恭喜恭喜/小拜年 - 普天同庆迎新年福音贺岁


新年到/迎春花/新年赞美主/一起去拜年 - 普天同庆迎新年福音贺岁


恭喜大家过新年/天上人间/春风吻上我的脸 - 普天同庆迎新年福音贺岁


祝福你/主恩宠/幸福年/太平年 - 普天同庆迎新年福音贺岁


赐福满满 - Chinese New Year 农历新年


大家恭喜 - Chinese New Year 农历新年


唯上帝 - Chinese New Year 农历新年


迎春花 - Chinese New Year 农历新年


新年好 - Chinese New Year 农历新年


岁岁安好 - Chinese New Year 农历新年

Jacelyn Tay: Having It All is not Enough

Hi all,

Believe Jacelyn Tay's tesimony has been going around. Here's an excerpt from Impact Magazine :D

Jacelyn Tay entered the 4th bi-annual Star Search Competition organised by MediaCorp while in her freshman year at the National University of Singapore in 1995, and won the female category of the competition and the top prize of an acting contract. Her big break came when she played He Xiangu in the Singapore TV series “Legends of the Eight Immortals” in 1998. Thereafter she acted in various roles ranging from a girl-next-door, to a member of a hotel staff to a psychiatrist. Tay’s screen performances in period dramas were so well-received that she won the coveted award of Taiwan’s Most Popular MediaCorp Female Artiste in Star Awards 1999. She also performed theme songs and intermediary songs for several drama serials and released a compilation album with Mediacorp Music.

When it seemed that her success had no bounds, a twist of fate took away almost all that she had worked for. She was forced to declare bankruptcy after owing $300,000 to a stockbroking firm. This event tarnished her image and made many sponsors shy away from her. Instead of letting this get the better of her, she worked hard to put her finances back in order. She then went on to produce a magazine show, write 2 books and hosted a health and beauty show entitled A New You in 2005.

In 2006, she became the founder & current chief executive of The Health Club, a medical spa that holds the vision of restoring the body’s natural ability to heal itself and bringing health to greater heights. She is presently studying to become a nutritionist.


You were rising in your career when you became a Christian. What led you to consider Jesus Christ?

Before I knew God, I only believed in myself. I believed that all gods were the same. Handling pressure was basically part and parcel of life.

I am a very strong person. I thought I didn’t need God and I could survive very well. A lot of people think that somebody becomes a Christian because he is weak or has problems. In my case I found God when everything was going well. My career was fine. My relationships were fine, but there was still an emptiness in my heart which I didn’t understand. I was actually pretty lost when I had everything.

At that time I was actually a staunch Buddhist. I had my Fai Ming (a Dharma name acquired during a Buddhist refuge ceremony, traditionally given by a high- ranking Buddhist monk.) and the black and yellow-coloured robes. I was ‘baptised’ into Buddhism. I even prayed in the Japanese temple. I also believed in Feng Shui.

You would think I had no need for all that since I was doing well. But as a celebrity, you depend on so-called luck. When you have fame, you have money, but you are also afraid of losing what fame you have. How do you get fame? Hard work alone is not enough. It’s by luck. You are dependent on luck, so you pray to all the gods, in the hope of becoming popular and famous.

In January 2006, I was injured during a Renci Charity show. I took that opport unity to speak up for the performers. We should not have to do dangerous stunts to get the funds or donations. There are better ways to raise funds.

As I was recovering at home I received a letter from a lady, who wrote that she had a dream of me. She said she was not a fan, but on her 57th birthday, she dreamt of me. In her dream, her husband tapped her on the shoulder during the altar call in church and asked her to pray for the person in front of her. Since she didn’t know who that person was, she was a bit shy. After that she woke up. It was about 3 am. She felt very guilty that she hadn’t prayed, so she asked God to reveal who the person was and what to pray for. When she went back to sleep she saw my face! She began praying for me, and continued to do so until the day that she wrote the letter. But to me, she sounded like another preacher and I threw the letter away.

After that, I kept meeting people telling me about God. The first one was my friend Ricky. I asked him, “So, you are a Christian? But why? Why do you believe that there is only one Almighty God?” He explained to me and somehow I could understand it; I could accept it as logical. From then on, God brought many people to me. Everyday I would meet people telling me about God.

It also happened that the father of the chiropractor who treated me was a retired Bishop worshipping at Kampong Kapor Methodist Church, which is my church now. I wanted to go there to challenge him. I wrote a long list of questions and told my chiropractor,”1 am going to ask your father questions and see whether he can answer me.” I went to church not looking for God. I am quite stubborn. When everybody was standing up, I refused to stand up, and instead, remained seated and disrespectful. I took the Bible from the pew and it opened to Revelation chapter 12 about the woman and the dragon. I suddenly realized I had dreamt about that before, even though I had never read the Bible. How could it be?

In my dream, Revelation chapter 12 was actually in three parts. I dreamt of the first part on one night, and two weeks later the second part, then three weeks later the third part. That is not normal! In my dream I was chased by a dragon. As I read Revelation 12,1 realised the scenario was similar to my dream. It was impossible. There must be a God. How could I have dreamt of something in the Bible that I had never read before? That was 19 February 2006.

That night the retired Bishop led a prayer, saying,”If you decide to receive the Holy Spirit and accept Jesus Christ, then you should say these words.”

In my heart I said, “Okay, I don’t want to decide now:’ But after I went back home, I thought about it and was convinced there must be a God. So I said the sinner’s prayer.


What is the biggest change in your life since you became a Christian?

The biggest change is that God is above everything. So, in my life, God is the most important. God is more important than my mother, and even my future husband or anybody else, anything on earth. God is number one. This is my choice. I choose to commit and be faithful to God because He is really faithful to me. He has been really good to me. Good as in,

I have gone through rough patches, but it always turns out to be good. Those rough patches are for me to learn. When something bad happens I know it is another test. It is to sharpen my character. So I don’t see bad things as bad things anymore. Before I knew God, I was actually very lost. You don’t know why you are here. You do everything and everything is meaningless. But since I came to know God, I know why I am here and I know everything is meaningful. Even when I just bump into somebody, I know it is not by coincidence. It must be God’s arrangement So, I am always looking forward to each new day.


How did you overcome the objections you have to face over your conversion?

My mum is now a Christian. But when I wanted to get baptised in April, which was two months after I received Christ, she objected. Everyday she would call me, cry and threaten me, saying that I was not filial, that I was deserting her, since I was not going to pray to her after she died. She didn’t want me to get baptised, and forced me to speak to a monk, saying,”You must speak to Shifu (Master). If you want to be a Christian, that’s fine, but you cannot be baptised.”

I replied, “If you want me to speak to Shifu, I shall. But if he cannot answer some of my questions, then I’ll go ahead and get baptised.”

The monk called me and said, “Christianity is actually something lower than Buddhism.” He believes in the wheel of reincarnation. The six levels of the wheel of reincarnation are: hell, all the lost souls, the animals, human, deity and the Buddha. You have to work hard for millions of years. For instance, if you are a pig, then in the next life you become a human, and then in the next life you become something else.

I replied, “Okay, as a Buddhist, I have to work very hard. I have to do good so that I can earn the points in my report card, hoping that my next life I may be able to become a Buddha. And then as a Buddha, I have to work some more because I want to go to the world of ‘nothingness’ - Nirvana. If that is the case, who decides what I have done so wrong to fall into this wheel of reincarnation. What have I done wrong? Who decides my first life? What did I do to come into this world? Where do I come from?”

He answered, “From the world of nothing¬ness.” But if I come from nothing, which is the ideal state, what wrong did I do to fall into this wheel of reincarnation? He could not answer me. So, everything is meaningless. I came from nothingness and I have to work so hard to go back to the world of nothingness. Because he couldn’t answer me, he told my mum to let me become a Christian.

The night before I got baptised, my mum was still crying and threatening me. Although the monk had said “Let her go”, I think she was controlled by some satanic force. She was like two totally different persons. My mum has never been an aggressive person but during that period she was so aggressive that it seemed she was not being herself. It’s a little strange. My sister who has been a Christian for the past 20 years advised, “Don’t listen to the devil, just go ahead. It will be fine.” So I went ahead. After I was baptised, she became normal again.


How did undergoing the early financial troubles strengthen you as a person? What helps you face the inevitable ups and downs of being an entrepreneur?

I have gone from ‘plus’ to ‘zero’ to ‘minus’. When I was a ‘plus’, I experienced the life of a ‘plus% I was 19 and had more than 100 thousand dollars. Suddenly I was popular. And then after that, I became a ‘minus’. I owed people money. And I realised I could still survive as a ‘minus’. So, what else was there that I couldn’t do? What actually strengthened me was that I didn’t think that there was anything that was impossible, as long as you are positive.

But that philosophy was before I became a Christian. That is why I told you I didn’t believe in anybody else but myself, my own strength. Now when I think about it, I thank God. By my own strength, I actually climbed from ‘minus’ to ‘plus’ but I was still lost. Everything was still meaningless without God. I used to say,”If you have money, if you don’t have money, it’s still the same. You don’t know why you are here and where you are going.”

Remain in me, and I will remain in you

Hello everyone!

Thanks for all your sharing yesterday and for blessing me. Personally, it has been really wonderful seeing God at work throughout the whole week even at cell. And it was also great singing and worshipping the Lord in both English and Mandarin :D

有一位神


一切歌颂赞美


Spirit Touch Your Church


I thank God for showing an object lesson on John 15 as I went about the past week. Sometime during midweek, I had just suddenly felt so tired and weary with ministry that I wanted to give up. I had been holding on and trusting in the Lord for working in everyone and every aspect of cell. And I can see Him work. Frankly, I can see the purpose God has for this cell taking shape but then I was really getting all weary; I asked if I am indeed bearing fruit or if someone else would do a better job. I got so tired I told God I had wanted to call it quits (one more time).

But God sent me people and verses to encourage and also circumstance to make me reflect upon it. He sent me Min Qin to remind me with Jeremiah 29:11 which appeared when I was called back to the Lord after years of backsliding. Do I believe in God's plans for me? Yes! Then, God brought Psalm 1 on Wednesday evening about the tree planted by streams of water and even on Thursday during corporate devotion, reminding me about being staying with the streams of water to be nourished. It seems that I was reminded that, just as trees have seasons, so will my life, but whatever happens, the streams of water is still there to not only sustain me but also nourish me. When I think back, God had been faithful in my ministry and has helped me through.

Then a volunteer came to meet me and we started talking about our spiritual walk. I thank God for bringing a volunteer to come to visit on Thursday and how we talked about our spiritual walk. I thank God for using me to encourage this volunteer and for also using him to show me about remaining in God's word. It was really evident that God used the session because I can tell He is present whenever conversations just flowed and I become amazed at the things I say; things that in the end also blessed me. Though I had not been prepared for the talk, God had helped me share about my own walk and how I had come to see God's word as powerful and also ministering, always at the right time. This young volunteer had shared how he is not part of any church (though he is looking) and how he is inspired by praise and worship music but finds reading the bible rather a chore. He was taught by someone that as long he prays, it will be OK. But I felt a prompting to share with him how I too had struggle to read the bible but over the past 3 years, God had spoken through His word far too many times and soon it became cool to read His word because I had wanted to know what He had to say about certain things in my life and also to get to know Him better. And as I shared, stories of several people like Horatio Spafford, John Newton and Eric Liddell (as portrayed in the movie "Chariots of Fire") came to mind. I personally did not know how blessed he was but I personally was blessed through the words that God had gave me and spoken through my mouth.

Then I shared that earlier on in the week, I was affected when I saw a leader of the Lord, a pastor, reacting in an ungracious manner. I had really been very disappointed by the whole incident. Though I do not know this pastor or work with him, I was frankly affected and decided to write him an email on Monday. I prayed to God that I would type the email with the focus to edify than to vent my anger. I thank God things worked out well and for helping me as I penned the email. Frankly, I had not expected the pastor to respond but he did and emailed to apologise. At the end, I was glad things turned out well and was resolved but most importantly, my disappointment went away because the pastor had humbly acknowledged his mistake. I myself can sometimes be ungracious and this seems to be a reminder that I needed to also remain in God's ways; asking "What Would Jesus Do?" more often to keep myself in check.

I thank God for showing me, before cell started, that what has happened throughout the week, has showed me what it means to "remain in Him" (John 15:4) i.e. to remain in His WILL for me and my ministry and his WORK of reaching out to people, to remain in His WAY from my reflection on the disappointment with the pastor, to remain in His WORD from my reflection on my talk with the young volunteer, to remain in His WORSHIP even through the darkest of moments, remembering His faithfulness, grace, love, hope and promise.

As Jesus said in John 15:4 "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.", I thank Joyce for sharing the analogy of the Velcro... that one its own, it proves to be useless but when stuck onto another piece, it can hold things together.

Yes another analogy is that of the "cut-flower Christian" as mentioned in Our Daily Bread:

Cut-Flower Christians

I enjoy buying or receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. After admiring and smelling them, I waste no time getting them into water. Even though fresh and beautiful when I get them, their days are numbered. Because they've been severed from their life-source, they will soon wither and die. I know that one day I will have to throw them away.

Author Lloyd Ogilvie sees in this a picture of the Christian whose spiritual vitality has faded and shriveled. Such a person has become a "cut-flower Christian." Jesus used a similar illustration about a vine and its branches to describe our relationship to Him. Just as a branch can't bear fruit by itself, He explained, we can't bear spiritual fruit unless we abide in Him, the true vine (John 15:4).

If a branch could speak, it wouldn't apologize for its need to depend on the vine for bearing fruit. It would say instead, "For this I was made!" Jesus knew we were made for dependence on Him, our life-source—no apology needed! In fact, such dependence is the only way to avoid becoming a "cut-flower Christian."

Let's embrace His declaration, "Without Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). As we depend on Him, we will bear much fruit—and for this we were made. —Joanie Yoder — Joanie Yoder
Closer yet I'd cling, dear Savior,
You're the all-sufficient Vine;
You alone can make me fruitful,
Blessed source of strength divine. —Bosch
Fellowship with Christ is the secret of fruitfulness.

Are you a Velcro on your own? Are you a cut-flower Christian? Are you separated from your life-source? The great thing about God is that it is never too late to turn back... remain in His will, His WORK of reaching out to people, His WAY in our daily living, His WORD to guide us in living and living righteously (Ps 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path), His WORSHIP even through the darkest of moments, remembering His faithfulness, grace, love, hope and promise.

Look Up, Within and Ahead!

Recently, I have been sensing a strong prompting to pray for one another in cell and I know that different ones of us may be facing challenges, big or small, family, career, finances etc... frankly, though I may not know what some of you are going through but then I am praying to God to show me how I can encourage you all...

For 2 days, I did my morning devotional and also randomly opened my bible devotional earlier on... both are from the book of Job.

The first day, I read about Job's response to the trials and accusations he was facing. Here is someone who lived a righteous life and didn't deserve the troubles that came his way. And he cried out to God in Job 31:5 onwards that "If I have walked in falsehood or my foot has hurried after deceit-let God weigh me in honest scales and he will know that I am blameless".

But Job claimed God's loving sovereignty and looked UP and claiming God's right to rule over his life

"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." Job 1:21

The, he looked AHEAD and counting on the Lord's promise of resurrection:

" I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!" Job 19:25-26

If you ever gets weary and find it hard to believe, remember the times when God delivered you as He delivered Israel:

'You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself" Exodus 19:4

Those times are testimony to how He had been real in your life and how He had drawn you to Himself.

Lastly, Job looked WITHIN and confessed his own lack of understanding:

"I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?' Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know." Job 42:2-3

Today, I prayed and asked God to speak to me so I can encourage and randomly flipped my bible to a devotional on, yup you guessed it, Job again. The first few lines mentioned:

"God doesn't always deliver us from our troubles; sometimes He delivers us through them. That's a hard truth to accept but it represents a very real dynamic in God's economy.... but as with Job, sometimes God has a greater purpose-to teach us, to draw closer to himself, or for some other reasons we struggle to understand..." things that are too wonderful for me to know.

I have to agree that Job is always a tough book because it speaks of hanging on in times of trials. But personally, even as I go through some struggles myself even now, I cannot deny how God had been real and had blessed me and even brought me through past struggles... so I do look within and admit I can never fully comprehend God and His ways, I look up ahead holding on to the promises He had previously given me through His word especially Jeremiah 29:11) and I look up and accept his sovereignty in my life.

And so I will still sing...

"many things about tomorrow, i don;t seem to understand, but i know who holds tomorrow and I know who holds my hands..."

I Know Who Holds Tomorrow - Alison Krauss and The Cox Family


Perhaps, like Senior Pastor has reminded... who is your pilot? in times of turbulence, it is not the time to jump out of the plane but to trust the pilot, return to your seats and fasten your seat belts. Times of abundance and blessings bring praises to the Lord but what about times of trials and tribulations, draw closer to Him.

I hope we will just keep praying for one another, for our church leaders as they go for their leaders' night tomorrow, for our church and for all who are hurting... be a blessing to them.

Isa 40:13 says "Who has understood the mind of the LORD, or instructed him as his counselor? But
Isa 40:31 says "but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

When we know of nowhere to turn, fall on your knees and pray.
As someone sends me an sms, it says "in times of troubles, do not say 'God we have a big problem' but 'Problem, we have a big God!'"

I hope I have been able to bless your hearts.