Chris Yang released this during worship:
Heb 12:3
Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,
"So I declared on oath in my anger,
'They shall never enter my rest.' " And yet his work has been finished since the creation of the world.
Qns:
Do we find rest in God?
Do we keep our Sabbath? -> what is our definition of work? [Lk 13:14]
Word:
2Cor 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.
Matt 5:8
Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they will see God.
Qns:
How do we see God?
What happens when we do not see God in our lives? -> 2Cor 4:18, 2Kings 6:15-17, Matt 14:28-32
Matt 14:28-32
Why did Peter sink? -> Heb 12:1-2
What can we commend Peter on? -> How can the answer to this question link to the body of Christ? [1Cor 12:14-20]
love,
kev
Monday, November 10, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
The Well
Dear cell,
This is the prophetic drawing which I shared about. I felt led to draw when I was going to have quiet time with Daddy some time ago. The interpretation I got is that God's Word and promises are more than enough for me. It's like an endless well. The "roof" on top of the well signifies that there is no need to replenish the well by means by rain and also that the water inside the well is being kept pure by not allowing any contaminants in.
This led me to realize that I need to "dig deeper" into the Bible. It is simple logic. If I let down my pail into the well 3m deep and fetch no water, I have to let it down further. For me, it's basically to put in more time and effort to find out more about the context of Scriptures and re-enact the scene to help me understand the things of the Bible which are beyond the surface. This drawing led me to John 4 [Samaritan woman at the well] and subsequently to verse 24 "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth." That's all for now =)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Pearl's testimony!! =)
The Faith to be Healed
On 22nd September 2008, I felt desperate for God to heal me supernaturally from the growth in the left underarm.This was because I did not want to be hospitalised again as it will affect my daily activities. I recall the experience of being hospitalised in September last year because of a growth in the right underarm and missing 2-3 weeks of school. So I dreaded repeating the incident. I was also desperate because it was also painful and it restricted the movement of my arms.
So I turned to the back of the Bible which gives us verses to flip to for insight. One of the verses for "if you are sick or in pain" was in James 5:13-16. It says, " Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well, the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."
After reading this, I decided to take action.
I interpreted the elders of the church to be the pastors of the church. I also thought that there was no time to lose, I was not able to wait till Saturday's service to ask the Pastors to pray for me. For if I didn't recover before Saturday, I would need to be hospitalised. So I decided to drop Pastor Charissa an SMS to tell her about my problem and ask if she could pray for me. She said Yes! She also told me to go get a good night's rest and not worry anymore. And so, I decided, okay God, I believe in you and I believe that the Holy Bible is true. If what James said was in the Bible, that what James said is true. I believe God, you can heal me. I also asked God to forgive me if my attitude towards healing or anything else in the past has been bad.
That night, I slept as soundly as a baby, and woke up in the morning, to feel a very much lighter left arm. I was excited, and I checked my t-shirt and was actually pleased to find blood stains on the left sleeve. I knew immediately that a miracle had taken place! There was a breakthrough. On Wednesday, I shared with my Doctor that I think the reason for the 90% improvement was because of God. I also shared with my Grandma, a pre-believer, that it was through prayer and doing what the Bible said to do that my condition improved tremendously.
Saturday arrived, and instead of being hospitalised, I was able to come to COOS and attend the Youth Service! Today, I want to testify that I am completely 100% healed by Doctor Jesus!
Agape,
Pearl
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Priceless
Chanced upon this when I was searching for something else :P Those who joined us after cell yesterday will know why this is funny...hehehe
---
One day I started one of my seminars by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, I asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. I said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." I proceeded to crumple the bill up. I then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," I replied, "what if I do this?" And I dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. I picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your true value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
---
---
One day I started one of my seminars by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, I asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. I said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." I proceeded to crumple the bill up. I then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air. "Well," I replied, "what if I do this?" And I dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. I picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20. Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your true value.
Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to Him.
---
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
bus testimony
Hello dear cell! A short testimony to share of Dad's faithfulness =)
I was on the bus to my tuition kid's place yesterday. I forgot to press the bell to alight at the stop! but then the bell was pressed and i quickly rushed off the bus. When i looked back, no one else got off the bus. I believe Daddy sent an angel to help me press the bell so tat i wun miss my stop!
I was occupied with calculating my tithes when i forgot to press the bell. This month i'm [some of u also] are getting the GST credits and my tuition fees so i had to prepare my calculations in case i missed out some tithes.
As much as i believe Dad's grace is given regardless of wad we do, i believe Dad also chooses to honour us for our efforts to honour Him [no matter how small it may seem]. Like how He pressed the bell for me when i was calculating my tithes =)
love,
kev
I was on the bus to my tuition kid's place yesterday. I forgot to press the bell to alight at the stop! but then the bell was pressed and i quickly rushed off the bus. When i looked back, no one else got off the bus. I believe Daddy sent an angel to help me press the bell so tat i wun miss my stop!
I was occupied with calculating my tithes when i forgot to press the bell. This month i'm [some of u also] are getting the GST credits and my tuition fees so i had to prepare my calculations in case i missed out some tithes.
As much as i believe Dad's grace is given regardless of wad we do, i believe Dad also chooses to honour us for our efforts to honour Him [no matter how small it may seem]. Like how He pressed the bell for me when i was calculating my tithes =)
love,
kev
Sunday, September 21, 2008
chris kwan bday pics! - 19 sept
icebreakers - 19 sept cell meeting
hey cell, here are our lovely drawings for our win-lose-or-draw icebreakers lol! for those who weren't there, try and guess! =D answers at the bottom of the post!
guess a food place!
guess an occupation!
guess a location!
guess a food!
guess a Bible phrase
guess an animal!
food place - kfc [someone guessed i drew a duck (-.-')]
occupation - surgeon
location - sentosa beach
food - chocolate cake
Bible phrase - Noah's Ark
animal - cheetah
guess a food place!
guess an occupation!
guess a location!
guess a food!
guess a Bible phrase
guess an animal!
food place - kfc [someone guessed i drew a duck (-.-')]
occupation - surgeon
location - sentosa beach
food - chocolate cake
Bible phrase - Noah's Ark
animal - cheetah
Prophetic painting! - 12 sept cell
dear cell, for those who weren't able to make it for 12 sept cell, we had prophetic painting for worship! we drew as we soaked in the Lord's Presence using instrumental songs from a "soaking" cd.
below is the drawing kaijie drew for me:
he prophesied tat i will be a teacher of the ways of the Lord. the blackboard and table is the symbol for a teacher. thanks kaijie!! =)
Pr 3:1-4
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
below is the drawing kaijie drew for me:
he prophesied tat i will be a teacher of the ways of the Lord. the blackboard and table is the symbol for a teacher. thanks kaijie!! =)
Pr 3:1-4
1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
All we like sheep
From last week's cell sharing (19 Sept 2008), here's somemore interesting insights into Psalms 23 :)
Source: http://smilingattomorrow.blogspot.com/2008/08/jehovah-raah-lord-is-my-shepherd.html
"(Most of this information came from Kay Arthur’s book, Lord I Want to Know You. Page numbers refer to this book.)
What are sheep like? They are timid, helpless, dumb, feeble, weak, and require constant supervision and care. “The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd.” (p 141) The shepherd’s chief end is to care for his sheep so completely that they are not in want.
Consider Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In order for sheep to thrive, there are four needs that must be met. The sheep must be free from hunger, free from fear, free from friction, and free from pests.
Free from hunger (v 2) I’ve always been confused as to why a sheep would lie down in a green pasture. Shouldn’t they be up eating? Wouldn’t you have to force them to lie down in such a place? In the Hebrew, the word “makes” does not imply force. Instead, it implies that the shepherd lets the sheep lie down, or made the circumstance such that the sheep can lie down. The sheep are so full and satisfied that they can lie down in the middle of a smorgasbord! As Christians, how can we be free from hunger, to the point of, in human terms, lying down at an all-you- can-eat buffet on Sunday after church? Feast on the Word of God! It is pure milk (1 Pet 2:2), solid food (Heb 5:13-14), the basis for growth (2 Tim 3:16-17), and bread (Deut 8:3; Jn 6:35).
Free from fear (v 4) The rod and staff of a Shepherd are a comfort to His flock, not a burden. They are used to direct the sheep, to keep them safe, to defend them, and to save them from danger if needed. Also, sheep are not driven from behind, like cattle. Instead, they are led from the front and they follow their shepherd.The boundaries set by scripture function as our rod and staff. They are there for our benefit, to keep us safe and out of trouble (Ecc 12:13; Ps 119:105), and to provide direction (Is 30:21). Jesus will lead us, but He will not force us. In the same way that He called His disciples, He calls us: “Come, follow me” (Matt 4:19). Because we are following a Good Shepherd, we do not have to be afraid (1 Jn 4:16,18; 2 Tim 1:7; Ps 56:3-4).
Free from friction (v 2-3) Did you know that sheep will not drink from fast-moving water? It scares them. When sheep are afraid, they are paralyzed by that fear. Shepherds sometimes dam up the stream so that the sheep can drink from “quieted” water. Bear in mind though that the shepherd will not lead them to stagnant water for that would be bad for their health. Instead, he lovingly accommodates his sheep. And whenever there is a ruckus in the flock, all of the sheep are up and moving. Not one of them continues to rest. The shepherd must step in to quiet the flock.God intends for His church to be unified (Jn 17:11) and functioning as one body (1 Cor 12; Col 3:15). He does not intend for us to be causing a ruckus among the believers (1 Thes 4:11-12). So then, how are we unified? So many scriptures apply here (Matt 6:12,14-15; Matt 5:23-24; Matt 5:44-45,48; Phil 2:3-8) with the most obvious one being “love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14-15).
Free from pests (v 5) Sheep have one pest that drives them crazy: the nose fly.“Sheep can suffer greatly because of the nose fly. This is a fly that seeks to deposit its eggs on the mucus membrane of the sheep’s nose. There the eggs hatch into small wormlike larvae that eventually work their way up the nose into the sheep’s head. As these larvae burrow into the sheep’s flesh, they cause a tremendous irritation, which in turn causes the sheep to thrash and beat its head against anything it can find. A sheep can become so driven to distraction by the irritation that it will actually kill itself in a desperate attempt to get rid of the source of aggravation…Just as there is an oil the shepherd can prepare to protect the sheep from nose flies and their destructive work, so our Shepherd has a way to keep His sheep from such torment.” (p 150)People are no different! We have an enemy, one who seeks to destroy us physically, mentally, and spiritually (Jn 10:10a; 1 Pet 5:8). As God’s children, we have a shepherd who is able to defend against the attacks of the devil (Eph 6:16). By donning the armor of God (Eph 6), we will be ready for battle. Through His Word we can control our thought lives (2 Cor 10:3-5; Phil 4:6-7; Phil 4:8-9; Is 26:3).
My largest battlefield is that of my mind. One of the ways I was able to gain victory over post-partum depression was through a visual picture that the Lord gave me. I imagined each one of my thoughts written on a leaf with the wind blowing them through my mind. I had to chase that leaf down, scratch out the disobedient thought, and re-write the thought such that it was obedient to Christ (2Cor 10:3-5). Once the thought was obedient, I could release it into the wind again. Sometimes it takes that sort of attention to detail for us to live without the pests of our thought life.
The Voice of the Shepherd
When we were in Israel, we saw a number of shepherds with their flocks. However, there was only one to whom I was close enough to hear him interact with his sheep. The only sound he made was a little click. With that click, the entire herd looked up and followed instantly. Truly the sheep know the voice of the shepherd (Jn 10:4-5). How do we get to know the voice of our Shepherd? We do it by spending time with Him, by spending time in His Word, by listening to His under-shepherds (1Pet 5:2-4), by spending time in fellowship with other believers (Heb 10:24-25), and by spending time in prayer (1 Thes 5:17). Learn the voice of the Shepherd! This is the result:“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)
An aside"The LORD" is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
"I shall not want" — Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Gen 22:14)
"still waters" — Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace" (Judg 6:24)
"restores my soul" — Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals" (Ex 15:26)
"paths of righteousness" — Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 33:16)
"you are with me" — Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezek 48:35)
"presence of my enemies" — "Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Ex 17:15)
"anoint my head" — Jehovah-Mekoddishkem, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Lev 20:8)
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)"
Source: http://smilingattomorrow.blogspot.com/2008/08/jehovah-raah-lord-is-my-shepherd.html
"(Most of this information came from Kay Arthur’s book, Lord I Want to Know You. Page numbers refer to this book.)
What are sheep like? They are timid, helpless, dumb, feeble, weak, and require constant supervision and care. “The welfare of sheep depends solely upon the care they get from their shepherd.” (p 141) The shepherd’s chief end is to care for his sheep so completely that they are not in want.
Consider Psalm 23:1-6
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. 3 He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
In order for sheep to thrive, there are four needs that must be met. The sheep must be free from hunger, free from fear, free from friction, and free from pests.
Free from hunger (v 2) I’ve always been confused as to why a sheep would lie down in a green pasture. Shouldn’t they be up eating? Wouldn’t you have to force them to lie down in such a place? In the Hebrew, the word “makes” does not imply force. Instead, it implies that the shepherd lets the sheep lie down, or made the circumstance such that the sheep can lie down. The sheep are so full and satisfied that they can lie down in the middle of a smorgasbord! As Christians, how can we be free from hunger, to the point of, in human terms, lying down at an all-you- can-eat buffet on Sunday after church? Feast on the Word of God! It is pure milk (1 Pet 2:2), solid food (Heb 5:13-14), the basis for growth (2 Tim 3:16-17), and bread (Deut 8:3; Jn 6:35).
Free from fear (v 4) The rod and staff of a Shepherd are a comfort to His flock, not a burden. They are used to direct the sheep, to keep them safe, to defend them, and to save them from danger if needed. Also, sheep are not driven from behind, like cattle. Instead, they are led from the front and they follow their shepherd.The boundaries set by scripture function as our rod and staff. They are there for our benefit, to keep us safe and out of trouble (Ecc 12:13; Ps 119:105), and to provide direction (Is 30:21). Jesus will lead us, but He will not force us. In the same way that He called His disciples, He calls us: “Come, follow me” (Matt 4:19). Because we are following a Good Shepherd, we do not have to be afraid (1 Jn 4:16,18; 2 Tim 1:7; Ps 56:3-4).
Free from friction (v 2-3) Did you know that sheep will not drink from fast-moving water? It scares them. When sheep are afraid, they are paralyzed by that fear. Shepherds sometimes dam up the stream so that the sheep can drink from “quieted” water. Bear in mind though that the shepherd will not lead them to stagnant water for that would be bad for their health. Instead, he lovingly accommodates his sheep. And whenever there is a ruckus in the flock, all of the sheep are up and moving. Not one of them continues to rest. The shepherd must step in to quiet the flock.God intends for His church to be unified (Jn 17:11) and functioning as one body (1 Cor 12; Col 3:15). He does not intend for us to be causing a ruckus among the believers (1 Thes 4:11-12). So then, how are we unified? So many scriptures apply here (Matt 6:12,14-15; Matt 5:23-24; Matt 5:44-45,48; Phil 2:3-8) with the most obvious one being “love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14-15).
Free from pests (v 5) Sheep have one pest that drives them crazy: the nose fly.“Sheep can suffer greatly because of the nose fly. This is a fly that seeks to deposit its eggs on the mucus membrane of the sheep’s nose. There the eggs hatch into small wormlike larvae that eventually work their way up the nose into the sheep’s head. As these larvae burrow into the sheep’s flesh, they cause a tremendous irritation, which in turn causes the sheep to thrash and beat its head against anything it can find. A sheep can become so driven to distraction by the irritation that it will actually kill itself in a desperate attempt to get rid of the source of aggravation…Just as there is an oil the shepherd can prepare to protect the sheep from nose flies and their destructive work, so our Shepherd has a way to keep His sheep from such torment.” (p 150)People are no different! We have an enemy, one who seeks to destroy us physically, mentally, and spiritually (Jn 10:10a; 1 Pet 5:8). As God’s children, we have a shepherd who is able to defend against the attacks of the devil (Eph 6:16). By donning the armor of God (Eph 6), we will be ready for battle. Through His Word we can control our thought lives (2 Cor 10:3-5; Phil 4:6-7; Phil 4:8-9; Is 26:3).
My largest battlefield is that of my mind. One of the ways I was able to gain victory over post-partum depression was through a visual picture that the Lord gave me. I imagined each one of my thoughts written on a leaf with the wind blowing them through my mind. I had to chase that leaf down, scratch out the disobedient thought, and re-write the thought such that it was obedient to Christ (2Cor 10:3-5). Once the thought was obedient, I could release it into the wind again. Sometimes it takes that sort of attention to detail for us to live without the pests of our thought life.
The Voice of the Shepherd
When we were in Israel, we saw a number of shepherds with their flocks. However, there was only one to whom I was close enough to hear him interact with his sheep. The only sound he made was a little click. With that click, the entire herd looked up and followed instantly. Truly the sheep know the voice of the shepherd (Jn 10:4-5). How do we get to know the voice of our Shepherd? We do it by spending time with Him, by spending time in His Word, by listening to His under-shepherds (1Pet 5:2-4), by spending time in fellowship with other believers (Heb 10:24-25), and by spending time in prayer (1 Thes 5:17). Learn the voice of the Shepherd! This is the result:“Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Ps 23:6)
An aside"The LORD" is Jehovah God, the covenant making God of Israel. The compound names of Jehovah in the Old Testament reflect the contents of this psalm.
"I shall not want" — Jehovah-Jireh, the Lord will provide" (Gen 22:14)
"still waters" — Jehovah-Shalom, "the Lord our peace" (Judg 6:24)
"restores my soul" — Jehovah-Rapha, "the Lord who heals" (Ex 15:26)
"paths of righteousness" — Jehovah-Tsidkenu, "the Lord our righteousness" (Jer 33:16)
"you are with me" — Jehovah-Shammah, "the Lord is there" (Ezek 48:35)
"presence of my enemies" — "Jehovah-Nissi, "the Lord our banner" (Ex 17:15)
"anoint my head" — Jehovah-Mekoddishkem, "the Lord who sanctifies" (Lev 20:8)
(from The Bible Exposition Commentary: Old Testament © 2001-2004 by Warren W. Wiersbe. All rights reserved.)"
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Poem =)
May the wings of faith uphold you
When your cross is hard to bear,
As temptations surround you,
And no one seems to care.
May the wings of faith surround you
And shield you from the pain
When sorrows overcome you
And teardrops fall like rain.
May you know that God is with you
In times of deep despair.
May the spirit, who's within you,
Confirm that He is there!
May the valley of the shadow
Provide angels unaware...
May the wings of faith uphold you
When your cross is hard to bear.
Poet, Clay Harrison
When your cross is hard to bear,
As temptations surround you,
And no one seems to care.
May the wings of faith surround you
And shield you from the pain
When sorrows overcome you
And teardrops fall like rain.
May you know that God is with you
In times of deep despair.
May the spirit, who's within you,
Confirm that He is there!
May the valley of the shadow
Provide angels unaware...
May the wings of faith uphold you
When your cross is hard to bear.
Poet, Clay Harrison
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Borders discount!
If you love to read, you would love to know this ... 25% discount on books/ magazines at Borders this weekend!! Hurry and grab one now!!
For books:
http://e.bordersstores.com/a/tBIrh3BAdlBzFB7SbMi$Onb7jL3/coupon01sg
For Mag:
http://e.bordersstores.com/a/tBIrh3BAdlBzFB7SbMi$Onb7jL3/coupon02sg
Sunday, August 24, 2008
prayer warfare
dear cell, let's pray against this!
taken from:
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080823/tap-singapore-disease-c3bb44c.html
The paper said 553 people were afflicted with the virus last week, up from 415 the week before. Last week's figure was just 12 fewer than the Health Ministry's official "epidemic level".
Hand, foot and mouth disease, which is treatable, usually affects children and causes fever and rashes on the hands, feet and buttocks. A three-year child died earlier this month in the city-state.
The disease has this year killed 44 people in China, 10 in Taiwan and 11 in Vietnam.
Friday, August 22, 2008
A.A.A.D.D.
THIS IS A STORY OF THE COMING OF AGE ... SO PLEASE READ AND DO NOT LAUGH ... HAHAHA.
A.A.A.D.D.
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....PLEASE READ!
Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.
As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back
on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think,
since I'm going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
The Pepsi is getting warm,
and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter
catches my eye--they need water.
I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
but first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers,
but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to
remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,
and I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem,
and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail....
-----
*LOL* Funny right? Anyway, I honestly pray that we all would not be hit with this disease :P...
(serious mode now) One verse that strucked me though while reading this was Philippians 3:13-14 "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Are there any past issues and things that we should forget? And what is the one thing that we should all strive towards?
A.A.A.D.D.
KNOW THE SYMPTOMS.....PLEASE READ!
Thank goodness there's a name for this disorder.
Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. -
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway,
I look over at my car and decide it needs washing.
As I start toward the garage,
I notice mail on the porch table that
I brought up from the mail box earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys on the table,
put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table,
and notice that the can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back
on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think,
since I'm going to be near the mailbox
when I take out the garbage anyway,
I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my check book off the table,
and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study,
so I go inside the house to my desk where
I find the can of Pepsi I'd been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks,
but first I need to push the Pepsi aside
so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
The Pepsi is getting warm,
and I decide to put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi,
a vase of flowers on the counter
catches my eye--they need water.
I put the Pepsi on the counter and
discover my reading glasses that
I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk,
but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter,
fill a container with water and suddenly spot the TV remote.
Someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV,
I'll be looking for the remote,
but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table,
so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs,
but first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers,
but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back on the table,
get some towels and wipe up the spill.
Then, I head down the hall trying to
remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
the car isn't washed
the bills aren't paid
there is a warm can of Pepsi sitting on the counter
the flowers don't have enough water,
there is still only 1 check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
and I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then, when I try to figure out why nothing got done today,
I'm really baffled because I know I was busy all day,
and I'm really tired.
I realize this is a serious problem,
and I'll try to get some help for it,
but first I'll check my e-mail....
-----
*LOL* Funny right? Anyway, I honestly pray that we all would not be hit with this disease :P...
(serious mode now) One verse that strucked me though while reading this was Philippians 3:13-14 "But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Are there any past issues and things that we should forget? And what is the one thing that we should all strive towards?
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
sat service 16aug
hey cell, did u feel an extra strong presence of God during the last youth service? not tat God is not present during previous ones but His presence seemed very strong last week. i was very ministered.
i asked God wad He wanna speak to us abt and He told me Ps 114. i tink the whole Psalm can be summarized in verse 7:
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
the next thing i know, Chris led "here in Your Presence" which has the words "tremble" and "presence". still trying to find out wad is God speakin to me abt. anyone has any experiences to share abt tremblin in God's presence? =)
sermon talked abt 17 year old David used by God to change a nation's destiny. the power of God is evident in the fact tat a stone can't really break the bronze helmet of Goliath. David's worship onto God translated to obedience, then servanthood, and lastly to taking a position which no one wanted to take [no one wanted to fight Goliath]. the question to bring away with is "what is my Phillistine giant?".
my giant is tat i lack courage at times to take a position which no one wants to take. but i'm actively learning to lean on Dad and be rooted in His Word. this will allow me to focus on following His heart and not to be intimidated by wad other people may think.
what is your giant? =)
love,
kev
i asked God wad He wanna speak to us abt and He told me Ps 114. i tink the whole Psalm can be summarized in verse 7:
Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
the next thing i know, Chris led
sermon talked abt 17 year old David used by God to change a nation's destiny. the power of God is evident in the fact tat a stone can't really break the bronze helmet of Goliath. David's worship onto God translated to obedience, then servanthood, and lastly to taking a position which no one wanted to take [no one wanted to fight Goliath]. the question to bring away with is "what is my Phillistine giant?".
my giant is tat i lack courage at times to take a position which no one wants to take. but i'm actively learning to lean on Dad and be rooted in His Word. this will allow me to focus on following His heart and not to be intimidated by wad other people may think.
what is your giant? =)
love,
kev
Monday, August 11, 2008
Harvest Haven
A little promo on this Christian holiday place that my parents told me about :) A good place for camps or just to have fun!
-----
- A new Christian holiday conference centre located on 6.8 acres of land in Gopeng, Perak state of Malaysia. It is in the Ipoh Country Park next to the Perak Matriculation College on the way to Kota Bahru. The building was completed in April 2007 and dedicated on May 27, 2007 by The Founder of Torchbearers International, Major W. Ian Thomas himself.
-ConferencesConferences, camps, seminars, trainings, will be available throughout the school holidays. These will be posted at our website. Churches are welcomed to check on available dates for their own camps on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Accommodation Types and RatesAll rates include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two tea / coffee breaks. Facilities include accommodation for about 80 persons. All rooms come with air conditioner, fan, and water heater.
Type of Room No. of Rooms Rate / person / day
Double 6 RM 60.00
Quad 8 RM 52.00
Dormitory
for 5 people 2 RM 45.00
Dormitory
for 6 people 1 RM 45.00
Dormitory
for 8 people 2 RM 45.00
Children above 4-9 @ RM 35.00 / person / day
Children below 3 FOC (with separate children mattress)
Extra for Buffet @ RM 10.00 / person (min. 20 persons)
Extra for Barbeque and Steamboat @ RM10.00 / person (max. 40 persons)
Facilities
Swimming pool
Broadband with wireless
Basketball, Volleyball and Futsal CourtField for outdoor games
Jogging track
Table tennis
Library
Dining Hall
Meeting Hall
Lounges
Places of interest and things to do in the vicinity
Gua TempurungKellie’s CastlePangkor IslandCameron Highlands Golfing at the Clearwater Sanctuary Golf ResortGetting wet in the Lost World of TambunOrang Asli villageWhite water rafting and canoeing in Kampar River
DirectionsComing from the North-South Highway, exit at the Gopeng Toll; turn right at the traffic light after the toll, then turn left at the next traffic light to Lawan Kuda. Go along the road for about 5 km and you will see the Perak Matriculation College on the hill. Go another 1 km and turn right at the main entrance of the Ipoh Country Park. You will see the signs to Harvest Haven from then on.
For Information and EnquiryHarvest Haven
Capernwray (Malaysia) Sdn BhdPT 4035, Ipoh Country Park,Jalan Kota Bahru, Mukim Teja,
31600 Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel. & Fax. (+605-3593255) Mobile (+6012-4884708) Email: office@capernwray.my
Source: http://www.capernwray.com.my/Ministries.html
-----
- A new Christian holiday conference centre located on 6.8 acres of land in Gopeng, Perak state of Malaysia. It is in the Ipoh Country Park next to the Perak Matriculation College on the way to Kota Bahru. The building was completed in April 2007 and dedicated on May 27, 2007 by The Founder of Torchbearers International, Major W. Ian Thomas himself.
-ConferencesConferences, camps, seminars, trainings, will be available throughout the school holidays. These will be posted at our website. Churches are welcomed to check on available dates for their own camps on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Accommodation Types and RatesAll rates include breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two tea / coffee breaks. Facilities include accommodation for about 80 persons. All rooms come with air conditioner, fan, and water heater.
Type of Room No. of Rooms Rate / person / day
Double 6 RM 60.00
Quad 8 RM 52.00
Dormitory
for 5 people 2 RM 45.00
Dormitory
for 6 people 1 RM 45.00
Dormitory
for 8 people 2 RM 45.00
Children above 4-9 @ RM 35.00 / person / day
Children below 3 FOC (with separate children mattress)
Extra for Buffet @ RM 10.00 / person (min. 20 persons)
Extra for Barbeque and Steamboat @ RM10.00 / person (max. 40 persons)
Facilities
Swimming pool
Broadband with wireless
Basketball, Volleyball and Futsal CourtField for outdoor games
Jogging track
Table tennis
Library
Dining Hall
Meeting Hall
Lounges
Places of interest and things to do in the vicinity
Gua TempurungKellie’s CastlePangkor IslandCameron Highlands Golfing at the Clearwater Sanctuary Golf ResortGetting wet in the Lost World of TambunOrang Asli villageWhite water rafting and canoeing in Kampar River
DirectionsComing from the North-South Highway, exit at the Gopeng Toll; turn right at the traffic light after the toll, then turn left at the next traffic light to Lawan Kuda. Go along the road for about 5 km and you will see the Perak Matriculation College on the hill. Go another 1 km and turn right at the main entrance of the Ipoh Country Park. You will see the signs to Harvest Haven from then on.
For Information and EnquiryHarvest Haven
Capernwray (Malaysia) Sdn BhdPT 4035, Ipoh Country Park,Jalan Kota Bahru, Mukim Teja,
31600 Gopeng, Perak, Malaysia.
Tel. & Fax. (+605-3593255) Mobile (+6012-4884708) Email: office@capernwray.my
Source: http://www.capernwray.com.my/Ministries.html
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Day of His Power!
DOHP was very inspiring.
we had a great time of worship. then prayed for repentance and reconciliation with foreign workers in our land.
Representatives from China, Indonesia, Phillipines, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka had their feet washed on stage after Singaporean pastors confessed mistreatment of their foreign counterparts and asked for forgiveness on behalf of our nation.
i realised i've taken foreign workers for granted. Singapore is so indebted to her foreign workers. They do a lot of dirty jobs which most of us would shun. Without them, our society and economy probably wouldn't work so efficiently.
i felt very humbled during the repentance part for the foreign workers. now i believe i'll be able to see them thru the loving eyes of Jesus more and more. if u also take them for granted, do repent and ask God for a heart to love them too =)
we also prayed for blessings upon our government. Ps Lawrence then shared wad God has spoken to him. the gist is abt Singapore entering into a 7year period leading up to Jubilee [Lev 25] on her 50th bday. whether the Jubilee year is one tat enables Singapore to bless her neighbours or a year of frustration is up to God's people.
will u commit to be a part of God's plan to bless other nations? i want to. Lord, show me how. i can do all things thru You who gives me strength!
we had a great time of worship. then prayed for repentance and reconciliation with foreign workers in our land.
Representatives from China, Indonesia, Phillipines, Myanmar, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Sri Lanka had their feet washed on stage after Singaporean pastors confessed mistreatment of their foreign counterparts and asked for forgiveness on behalf of our nation.
i realised i've taken foreign workers for granted. Singapore is so indebted to her foreign workers. They do a lot of dirty jobs which most of us would shun. Without them, our society and economy probably wouldn't work so efficiently.
i felt very humbled during the repentance part for the foreign workers. now i believe i'll be able to see them thru the loving eyes of Jesus more and more. if u also take them for granted, do repent and ask God for a heart to love them too =)
we also prayed for blessings upon our government. Ps Lawrence then shared wad God has spoken to him. the gist is abt Singapore entering into a 7year period leading up to Jubilee [Lev 25] on her 50th bday. whether the Jubilee year is one tat enables Singapore to bless her neighbours or a year of frustration is up to God's people.
will u commit to be a part of God's plan to bless other nations? i want to. Lord, show me how. i can do all things thru You who gives me strength!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
For such a time as this (part 1)
Hey dearly beloveds...just want to share what I have reflected on today :)
Was talking to God about Pray & Bless (by the way, what is your faith target?) and also thinking about Day of His Power...Well, honestly although I am contented with staying here in SG, my thoughts on all these started to wander to 'hey, i'm Malaysian lahhh..why need to be so bothered about Singapore?'. Sigh, even writing this grieves me now but that actually ran through my mind!
God started to speak to me in the midst of falling asleep (and now, I can't sleep) and reminded me of Esther's story. He said that we are all placed where we are for a purpose. The verse in Esther 4:14 says:
"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 royal position for such a time as this?"
and i paraphrase:
"...And who knows but that you are placed in your university/ workplace/ neighbourhood for such a time as this?"
Let us use the opportunities that we have, wherever we are placed, to pray like never before, and bless like there's no tomorrow.
Was talking to God about Pray & Bless (by the way, what is your faith target?) and also thinking about Day of His Power...Well, honestly although I am contented with staying here in SG, my thoughts on all these started to wander to 'hey, i'm Malaysian lahhh..why need to be so bothered about Singapore?'. Sigh, even writing this grieves me now but that actually ran through my mind!
God started to speak to me in the midst of falling asleep (and now, I can't sleep) and reminded me of Esther's story. He said that we are all placed where we are for a purpose. The verse in Esther 4:14 says:
"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 royal position for such a time as this?"
and i paraphrase:
"...And who knows but that you are placed in your university/ workplace/ neighbourhood for such a time as this?"
Let us use the opportunities that we have, wherever we are placed, to pray like never before, and bless like there's no tomorrow.
Sunday, August 3, 2008
40day booklet 3aug
Matt 20 [NIV]
20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
The passage for today in the 40 day booklet talks abt our fiercely competitive world. The following sentences struck me and it would be very exciting if they came to pass!
“imagine Singapore as the number one nation for philanthropy and volunteerism.”
“”
Then a thought came into my mind. I could work as a teacher to gain educational skills. Then when God’s timing come, i can go to poor nations with my lovely teacher gf/wife terri and start schools! Education will help the poor nations to break out of their poverty cycles! With this long term goal in mind now, i have something to work towards to!
anyone have anything to share? =)
20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a favor of him.
21"What is it you want?" he asked.
She said, "Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left in your kingdom."
22"You don't know what you are asking," Jesus said to them. "Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?"
"We can," they answered.
23Jesus said to them, "You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."
24When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. 26Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
The passage for today in the 40 day booklet talks abt our fiercely competitive world. The following sentences struck me and it would be very exciting if they came to pass!
“imagine Singapore as the number one nation for philanthropy and volunteerism.”
“
Then a thought came into my mind. I could work as a teacher to gain educational skills. Then when God’s timing come, i can go to poor nations with my lovely teacher gf/wife terri and start schools! Education will help the poor nations to break out of their poverty cycles! With this long term goal in mind now, i have something to work towards to!
anyone have anything to share? =)
Luke 8:15-21 sermon 2Aug
As i reflected on the verses, i looked at the word “persevering” in verse 15.
v15
[NIV] But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Greek word for persevering is "hupomone" meaning cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
[MSG] But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.
[ESV] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
I find it hard to persevere as compared to retaining the Word. I’m not a very patient person so the implication of patience in “persevere” really stands like a giant in front of me. But i’m determined to face this giant and make it fall coz giants are meant to be defeated. Dad, i pray that U help me to accomplish wad i set to achieve in my personal mission statement and to really hang on to Ya promise of “bearing fruit with patience”.
v18
[NIV] "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
Verse 18’s meaning was imparted to me by the minister during my SOZO session. Since then, i have held on to this verse to motivate myself during “valley times”. I tell myself tat if i dun exercise the gifts which Holy Spirit has given me, i will lose them. Even if i exercise them during my “mountain times”, the situation will not be improved as i’ll lose them during my “valley times”.
Wad did Dad speak to u guys thru the sermon? =)
v15
[NIV] But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Greek word for persevering is "hupomone" meaning cheerful (or hopeful) endurance, constancy: - enduring, patience, patient continuance (waiting).
[MSG] But the seed in the good earth—these are the good-hearts who seize the Word and hold on no matter what, sticking with it until there's a harvest.
[ESV] As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.
I find it hard to persevere as compared to retaining the Word. I’m not a very patient person so the implication of patience in “persevere” really stands like a giant in front of me. But i’m determined to face this giant and make it fall coz giants are meant to be defeated. Dad, i pray that U help me to accomplish wad i set to achieve in my personal mission statement and to really hang on to Ya promise of “bearing fruit with patience”.
v18
[NIV] "Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him."
Verse 18’s meaning was imparted to me by the minister during my SOZO session. Since then, i have held on to this verse to motivate myself during “valley times”. I tell myself tat if i dun exercise the gifts which Holy Spirit has given me, i will lose them. Even if i exercise them during my “mountain times”, the situation will not be improved as i’ll lose them during my “valley times”.
Wad did Dad speak to u guys thru the sermon? =)
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Inside matters
As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messyand that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actuallytake delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making boldX's and then putting a big 'F' at the top of his papers.
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to revieweach child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However,when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with aready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around. .'
His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, wellliked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'
His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but h is father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed ofherself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmaspresents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except forTeddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paperthat he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it inthe middle of the other presents. Some of the children started tolaugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.
By the end of the year,Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and,despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and shewas still the best teacher he ever had in life.Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that whilethings had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours.He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favouriteteacher he had ever had in his whole life.Then four more years passed and yet another letter cam e. This time heexplained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go alittle further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer...The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letterthat spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to bemarried. He explained that his father had died a couple of years agoand he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at thewedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of thegroom. Of cou rse, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his motherwearing on their last Christmas together.They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said,'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'
(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodistin Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to revieweach child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However,when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with aready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around. .'
His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, wellliked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'
His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but h is father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken.'
Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed ofherself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmaspresents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except forTeddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paperthat he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it inthe middle of the other presents. Some of the children started tolaugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded.
By the end of the year,Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and,despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and shewas still the best teacher he ever had in life.Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that whilethings had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honours.He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favouriteteacher he had ever had in his whole life.Then four more years passed and yet another letter cam e. This time heexplained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go alittle further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favourite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer...The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letterthat spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to bemarried. He explained that his father had died a couple of years agoand he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at thewedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of thegroom. Of cou rse, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his motherwearing on their last Christmas together.They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said,'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'
(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Dr. at Iowa Methodistin Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
YES pre-service prayer!
YES 5 – “Yes and Amen”!
More than an event...
More than a service...
More than a programme...
YES is an expression of our agreement with heaven, that none shall perish but all to have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
YES is an outworking of our faith that Jesus is the Saviour of all, and we can’t keep the good news to ourselves!
Most of all, YES is a response of love – from God, through us, to the world!
So pray and encourage each other to bring your friends who need to hear and experience the love of Jesus.
This Saturday,
Party starts at 5pm @ The Plaza
Service starts at 6pm in the Auditorium.
Worship, Music, Drama, Food and Games...
With Guest Speaker – Pastor Gary Koh
Pre-service prayer at Blk 40A Room 1. Let’s come and PRAY!
More than an event...
More than a service...
More than a programme...
YES is an expression of our agreement with heaven, that none shall perish but all to have eternal life through Jesus Christ.
YES is an outworking of our faith that Jesus is the Saviour of all, and we can’t keep the good news to ourselves!
Most of all, YES is a response of love – from God, through us, to the world!
So pray and encourage each other to bring your friends who need to hear and experience the love of Jesus.
This Saturday,
Party starts at 5pm @ The Plaza
Service starts at 6pm in the Auditorium.
Worship, Music, Drama, Food and Games...
With Guest Speaker – Pastor Gary Koh
Pre-service prayer at Blk 40A Room 1. Let’s come and PRAY!
Monday, July 21, 2008
cell debrief 180708
hey cell,
we talked about Holy Spirit being a Person. Holy Spirit being a person, means that we can communicate and grow in intimacy with Him. And the more we are intimate with Him, the more we are abe to tap on our spiritual gifts which He has given to us!
hope everyone enjoy the Worship and ministry time! remember to journal down what Dad has told you and continue to process it =)
love,
kev
we talked about Holy Spirit being a Person. Holy Spirit being a person, means that we can communicate and grow in intimacy with Him. And the more we are intimate with Him, the more we are abe to tap on our spiritual gifts which He has given to us!
hope everyone enjoy the Worship and ministry time! remember to journal down what Dad has told you and continue to process it =)
love,
kev
marathon anyone?
anyone interested in standard chartered marathon?
for more info:
http://www.singaporemarathon.com/en/faqs/?sec=199&ssec=808
kev =)
for more info:
http://www.singaporemarathon.com/en/faqs/?sec=199&ssec=808
kev =)
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Yet another reason to YADAH!
After youth service yesterday, I started thinking about our Father's definition of beauty and whether I would define it the same way as Him. Just want to share with whoever that is reading this- my conversation with Him...it may seem silly, but it is really something from my heart..:P
me: God, what do You consider as beautiful? Could You show me a verse that shows what we must have or do to be beautiful?
G: My love for you is sufficient and it is more than enough to cover the whole universe.
me: Wow..I just can't imagine how someone can love each and everyone of us this much..ehh..my question is still not answered?
G: Aurelia, you do not have to do anything at all...for Me to consider you as beautiful! See Psalms 139
me: :) ok...(then I read Psalms 139:13 and although I have read this verse countless of times, a new revelation dawned upon me - that it is not enough to stop complaining about how ugly I feel, but that I should praise God instead for how He has created me to be!)
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I PRAISE you, because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
I realized that He has already made us to be beautiful, and that we should not only stop comparing and complaining (secretly or not) and start PRAISING Him!
Checked out http://scripturetext.com/psalms/139-14.htm and the root word of 'praise' in this verse is YADAH.
YADAH - يدا Definition: Yadah is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand.
Thank You God, for this is yet another reason to YADAH, for Your wonderful works in each of our lives!
Sunday, July 13, 2008
interesting quotes
dear cell, these are some interesting quotes i've gotten from my email devotional =)
1. Be Fishers of Men.... You catch 'em, He'll Clean 'em.
2. A family altar can alter a family.
3. A lot of kneeling will keep you in good standing.
4. Don't put a question mark where God put a full stop.
5. Don't wait for 6 strong men to take you to church.
6. Exercise daily... Walk with the Lord!
7. Forbidden fruits create many jams.
8. Give God what's right, not what's left!
9. Give satan an inch and he'll be a ruler.
10. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.
11. God grades on the cross, not the curve.
12. God loves everyone, but probably prefers "fruits of the spirit"
over "religious nuts"!
13. God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.
14. Having truth decay? Brush up on your Bible!
15. He who angers you, controls you!
16. He who is good at making excuses, is seldom good for
anything else.
17. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone!
18. Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.
19. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory capacity.
20. Never give the devil a ride! He will always want to drive!
21. Nothing ruins the truth like stretching it.
22. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark.
23. "Pray" is a four-letter word that you can say anywhere.
24. Prayer - Don't give God instructions - just report for duty!
25. The Will of God will never take you to where the Grace of
God will not protect you.
26. This Church is "Prayer Conditioned"!
27. To be almost saved is to be totally lost.
28. WARNING: Exposure to the Son may prevent burning!
29. Watch your step carefully! Everyone else does!
30. We don't change the message, the message changes us.
31. Wisdom has two parts: 1) Having a lot to say. 2) Not saying it.
32. Worry is the darkroom in which "negatives" are developed
33. The work will wait while you look at the rainbow, but the
rainbow won't wait while you do the work.
Friday, July 11, 2008
Your Pizza IS Coming!
Here's something I came across today while surfing the net. The actual article can be found here . Read, have a good laugh and be encouraged!
Pizza My Heart
Written by: Bill Johnson
I often go down to the local pizza parlor and order pizza. The pizzas in this particular place are so expensive that I can"t afford them. Thankfully, a very wealthy man gave me his credit card to use whenever I want. He simply said, "Just use my card; you can have any pizza you want at any time."
On this particular day, I walk up to the counter and order a pizza. I am given a little plastic sign that has a number on it.
Then I am told as usual, "Go put this on your table. Your order is number fifty-nine. It means that when pizza number 59 is ready, it's your pizza." They always give me number 59; nowadays it almost feels like I own it myself!
After I've been given the number, they give me a receipt; I sign my benefactor"s name on it and start walking back to my table. I am hungry enough I could eat the sign, but I know my pizza is coming soon. You see, the little number is "the substance of things hoped for." 1
As I"m still walking, I hear a man snicker and say, "You're not really getting a pizza." I look straight at the tall, lanky man. His eyes are flitting back and forth nervously. Then I say confidently, "Look at this number, number 59. It represents my pizza. When it"s delivered, it's coming to my table."
Well, I've been noticing over time that there haven't been too many people in this restaurant ordering pizza. I don"t know why. It's my favorite place and has an atmosphere like none other! There"s something so majestic in this place that I can't help going back.
Finally, some of my friends have been starting to come in, but mostly to rescue me from the illusion that I was actually going to be eating a pizza. The first one came a few years ago. He sat down, his glasses and countenance clearly distinguishing his high level of theological education. He and his family thought I just hadn't been educated enough on the subject of "ordering pizzas" (as if it were really complicated).
"Bill," he said, "there aren't any pizzas anymore. They weren"t made anymore after the last apostle in the Bible died. It"s really vain for you to think you could actually have a pizza! So, my family and I have come because of our burden for you and your well-being. We don't want you to live with the illusion that you could actually eat a pizza."
I said, "It's too late! My family's been ordering pizzas for years. I've come from a long line of pizza-eaters! I mean, my grandfather sat in the same pizza parlor as Wigglesworth, one of the greatest pizza-eaters in history! I haven't had too many pizzas myself, but I"ve ordered and I know they are real. I"ve tasted some of the most exquisite kinds and I can't go back."
He became so upset that he said matter-of-factly, "Well, those are counterfeit pizzas. There's no such thing as true pizzas today! So if you think you've eaten pizzas, they are counterfeit pizzas!" At that point, he wouldn't even listen to me, so he and his family left.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been the only one who's wanted to pay me an unfriendly visit when I've been at the pizza parlor. In fact, after quite a few had come, something strange started to happen. The more I listened to people, even though I didn't believe what they were saying, the number 59 just started to disappear! Once I thought I had completely lost it behind the salt-shaker. I couldn"t even see it anymore. I had to come to my senses, find it, and put it in front of me again because I had almost lost my own number!
Sometimes I would just get confused after hearing so many negative words. Then I would sit there and stare at number 59 and remind myself, "This is the substance of things hoped for. The pizza is coming!"
"Why" I'd think to myself, "because I've got number 59." I'd bring out my receipts and start looking at them. Genesis through Revelation"it"s just filled with receipts! I'd go over all the different types, simply trying to meditate on them in order to encourage my faith.
One man who troubled me the most, barely knew me, but he definitely wanted to have his say. He seemed to carry a pompous and angry attitude when he came in.
He asked bluntly, "Who do you think you are ordering pizza? You can't afford these pizzas!"
I calmly brought out the receipt and said, "I didn't use my card. Somebody else bought this for me. Look. It says "Bill Gates" there. He's offered to buy them. It's his resources, not mine. It isn't based on who I am; it's based on that little name there "Bill Gates. He bought this pizza."
Frustrated, he asked, "Who do you think you are just using his name"?
"Well, he told me I could. He said I could do that," I responded innocently. Thankfully he walked out, but he was huffing and puffing the whole way. It really shook me up for a while. I started to wonder, "Well goodness, who do I think I am"? Then I realized I'm a buddy of Bill. I've got the same name!
Another memory that stands out at the parlor was with a well-meaning person. When I looked into his eyes, I knew he was trying to be gentle and thoughtful for my benefit. He had always been a caring friend.
"Now, Bill . . . ," he said. "We just don't want you to get your hopes up. We know that you've ordered pepperoni, but the Chef knows best and he just might give you anchovies. This restaurant should be called "Russian Roulette." You never know. You may get it, or you may not."
I thought to myself, "I don't know about you, but anchovies don"t belong on a pizza. If you like it that way, then I'm sure He'll get it to you that way." I was so disturbed for a moment that I lost sight of my number again and then started to wander on the road of disbelief thinking, "Maybe my friend is right . . . ."
It finally began to dawn on me why there weren't many people in this restaurant. I hadn't known it was such an ordeal to order a pizza! The war that was surrounding me was dramatic. And it was for simply an order! Then I started to remember, "If you abide in Me and I abide in you, you may ask for whatever pizza you desire and it will be given to you." 2 It wasn't until that receipt came to mind that I began to have the presence of mind to make it through the battle that was going on inside.
I kept on meditating on number 59 and look over other receipts, "By His stripes you are healed." 3 "Oh, that's good!" I thought. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the pizza that you desire." 4 "Oh, what a receipt!" "Taste and see!"5 "Wow! The Chef really knows what He"s talking about!" I began to bring these particular receipts to memory, became tremendously encouraged, and was somehow able to silence the unbelieving thoughts. As often as I would quote receipts in my mind, the number on the table became clearer, and people"s negative voices were not quite as loud.
Finally, I was calm enough again so that I began to anticipate and then drool as I waited for my pizza.
More recently a narrow-minded person came in and said, "Did you know that pizzas weren"t meant for this country? This particular restaurant is a chain and they sell well in Brazil and in Africa. But pizzas really weren"t meant for an educated culture. Pizzas are necessary for third-world countries where they don"t have as high an education as we do."
I laughed and thought, "Man, where do I trade in my education? I want pizza. If education equipped me not to get a pizza, what am I going to do with it"?
Just this last year, I struggled with helping a good friend understand why I was there at the parlor again, ordering pizza.
He had told me, "Bill, I don"t want to discourage you." (That is always a sign that what someone is going to say is going to be discouraging!)
"I don"t want to discourage you, but just two weeks ago my aunt ordered a pizza and she never got it. Our whole family was here together when she ordered it. We watched the order go through. We just became so hurt that we left the restaurant, threw the number in the trash and then left the building entirely."
I didn"t know how to tell him that just because his pizza didn"t come through, he shouldn"t have given up ordering. I had tasted this one-of-a-kind, delicious pizza and I knew I would again. Discouragement wouldn"t make me give up!
Back to this particular day, I"ve become so excited because the restaurant is getting packed!
I ask the people in the next booth, "Hey, what number are you"?
"I"m sixty-one."
"Oh yeah? Yours is coming up!"
"Who signed your receipt"? some ask me.
"The same one as yours," I always say. I encourage them and say, "Cool. You should have that one in no time."
As I go back now, every day, I notice that there are actually more pizzas than there are numbers on the table, and not an anchovy to be seen (except for those who like them)! There used to be football fields between tables; now people are sitting right next to each other. It"s so fun to look around the restaurant and see people not just waiting for pizza, but also see all the people who have already gotten them! Sometimes I sit there without my pizza, but somebody next to me always offers me some of theirs.
I look across the aisle and think, "Oh! I can hardly wait ?¥til mine comes. Look at that thing! There"s more cheese and pepperoni on that than should be legal! I"m about to have an amazing experience!" I get encouraged by listening to the stories of how they got their pizzas, and I treasure those moments because they are a testimony that prophesies what I"m waiting for.
I think again, "Man. It"s going to be sweet when mine comes!"
One of the greatest privileges of my life was to sit and wait for pizza alone, when the culture around me had reason to do otherwise. I will never trade my experiences at the pizza parlor, but let me tell you, it"s getting even better! Faith is material; it is concrete. We cannot bypass it if we want the kingdom of heaven here on earth. It is the only way to open the floodgates of heaven and create a descending and ascending portal that allows Jesus" nature to become our own. If I get to stand in faith with another"it is an honor; if I have to stand by myself"still, it is an honor. Faith is a privilege I dare not live without.
Let us join in the opportunity to eat all that we can in the pizza parlor of His goodness!
*****************************************************************
Pizza My Heart
Written by: Bill Johnson
I often go down to the local pizza parlor and order pizza. The pizzas in this particular place are so expensive that I can"t afford them. Thankfully, a very wealthy man gave me his credit card to use whenever I want. He simply said, "Just use my card; you can have any pizza you want at any time."
On this particular day, I walk up to the counter and order a pizza. I am given a little plastic sign that has a number on it.
Then I am told as usual, "Go put this on your table. Your order is number fifty-nine. It means that when pizza number 59 is ready, it's your pizza." They always give me number 59; nowadays it almost feels like I own it myself!
After I've been given the number, they give me a receipt; I sign my benefactor"s name on it and start walking back to my table. I am hungry enough I could eat the sign, but I know my pizza is coming soon. You see, the little number is "the substance of things hoped for." 1
As I"m still walking, I hear a man snicker and say, "You're not really getting a pizza." I look straight at the tall, lanky man. His eyes are flitting back and forth nervously. Then I say confidently, "Look at this number, number 59. It represents my pizza. When it"s delivered, it's coming to my table."
Well, I've been noticing over time that there haven't been too many people in this restaurant ordering pizza. I don"t know why. It's my favorite place and has an atmosphere like none other! There"s something so majestic in this place that I can't help going back.
Finally, some of my friends have been starting to come in, but mostly to rescue me from the illusion that I was actually going to be eating a pizza. The first one came a few years ago. He sat down, his glasses and countenance clearly distinguishing his high level of theological education. He and his family thought I just hadn't been educated enough on the subject of "ordering pizzas" (as if it were really complicated).
"Bill," he said, "there aren't any pizzas anymore. They weren"t made anymore after the last apostle in the Bible died. It"s really vain for you to think you could actually have a pizza! So, my family and I have come because of our burden for you and your well-being. We don't want you to live with the illusion that you could actually eat a pizza."
I said, "It's too late! My family's been ordering pizzas for years. I've come from a long line of pizza-eaters! I mean, my grandfather sat in the same pizza parlor as Wigglesworth, one of the greatest pizza-eaters in history! I haven't had too many pizzas myself, but I"ve ordered and I know they are real. I"ve tasted some of the most exquisite kinds and I can't go back."
He became so upset that he said matter-of-factly, "Well, those are counterfeit pizzas. There's no such thing as true pizzas today! So if you think you've eaten pizzas, they are counterfeit pizzas!" At that point, he wouldn't even listen to me, so he and his family left.
Unfortunately, he hasn't been the only one who's wanted to pay me an unfriendly visit when I've been at the pizza parlor. In fact, after quite a few had come, something strange started to happen. The more I listened to people, even though I didn't believe what they were saying, the number 59 just started to disappear! Once I thought I had completely lost it behind the salt-shaker. I couldn"t even see it anymore. I had to come to my senses, find it, and put it in front of me again because I had almost lost my own number!
Sometimes I would just get confused after hearing so many negative words. Then I would sit there and stare at number 59 and remind myself, "This is the substance of things hoped for. The pizza is coming!"
"Why" I'd think to myself, "because I've got number 59." I'd bring out my receipts and start looking at them. Genesis through Revelation"it"s just filled with receipts! I'd go over all the different types, simply trying to meditate on them in order to encourage my faith.
One man who troubled me the most, barely knew me, but he definitely wanted to have his say. He seemed to carry a pompous and angry attitude when he came in.
He asked bluntly, "Who do you think you are ordering pizza? You can't afford these pizzas!"
I calmly brought out the receipt and said, "I didn't use my card. Somebody else bought this for me. Look. It says "Bill Gates" there. He's offered to buy them. It's his resources, not mine. It isn't based on who I am; it's based on that little name there "Bill Gates. He bought this pizza."
Frustrated, he asked, "Who do you think you are just using his name"?
"Well, he told me I could. He said I could do that," I responded innocently. Thankfully he walked out, but he was huffing and puffing the whole way. It really shook me up for a while. I started to wonder, "Well goodness, who do I think I am"? Then I realized I'm a buddy of Bill. I've got the same name!
Another memory that stands out at the parlor was with a well-meaning person. When I looked into his eyes, I knew he was trying to be gentle and thoughtful for my benefit. He had always been a caring friend.
"Now, Bill . . . ," he said. "We just don't want you to get your hopes up. We know that you've ordered pepperoni, but the Chef knows best and he just might give you anchovies. This restaurant should be called "Russian Roulette." You never know. You may get it, or you may not."
I thought to myself, "I don't know about you, but anchovies don"t belong on a pizza. If you like it that way, then I'm sure He'll get it to you that way." I was so disturbed for a moment that I lost sight of my number again and then started to wander on the road of disbelief thinking, "Maybe my friend is right . . . ."
It finally began to dawn on me why there weren't many people in this restaurant. I hadn't known it was such an ordeal to order a pizza! The war that was surrounding me was dramatic. And it was for simply an order! Then I started to remember, "If you abide in Me and I abide in you, you may ask for whatever pizza you desire and it will be given to you." 2 It wasn't until that receipt came to mind that I began to have the presence of mind to make it through the battle that was going on inside.
I kept on meditating on number 59 and look over other receipts, "By His stripes you are healed." 3 "Oh, that's good!" I thought. "Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the pizza that you desire." 4 "Oh, what a receipt!" "Taste and see!"5 "Wow! The Chef really knows what He"s talking about!" I began to bring these particular receipts to memory, became tremendously encouraged, and was somehow able to silence the unbelieving thoughts. As often as I would quote receipts in my mind, the number on the table became clearer, and people"s negative voices were not quite as loud.
Finally, I was calm enough again so that I began to anticipate and then drool as I waited for my pizza.
More recently a narrow-minded person came in and said, "Did you know that pizzas weren"t meant for this country? This particular restaurant is a chain and they sell well in Brazil and in Africa. But pizzas really weren"t meant for an educated culture. Pizzas are necessary for third-world countries where they don"t have as high an education as we do."
I laughed and thought, "Man, where do I trade in my education? I want pizza. If education equipped me not to get a pizza, what am I going to do with it"?
Just this last year, I struggled with helping a good friend understand why I was there at the parlor again, ordering pizza.
He had told me, "Bill, I don"t want to discourage you." (That is always a sign that what someone is going to say is going to be discouraging!)
"I don"t want to discourage you, but just two weeks ago my aunt ordered a pizza and she never got it. Our whole family was here together when she ordered it. We watched the order go through. We just became so hurt that we left the restaurant, threw the number in the trash and then left the building entirely."
I didn"t know how to tell him that just because his pizza didn"t come through, he shouldn"t have given up ordering. I had tasted this one-of-a-kind, delicious pizza and I knew I would again. Discouragement wouldn"t make me give up!
Back to this particular day, I"ve become so excited because the restaurant is getting packed!
I ask the people in the next booth, "Hey, what number are you"?
"I"m sixty-one."
"Oh yeah? Yours is coming up!"
"Who signed your receipt"? some ask me.
"The same one as yours," I always say. I encourage them and say, "Cool. You should have that one in no time."
As I go back now, every day, I notice that there are actually more pizzas than there are numbers on the table, and not an anchovy to be seen (except for those who like them)! There used to be football fields between tables; now people are sitting right next to each other. It"s so fun to look around the restaurant and see people not just waiting for pizza, but also see all the people who have already gotten them! Sometimes I sit there without my pizza, but somebody next to me always offers me some of theirs.
I look across the aisle and think, "Oh! I can hardly wait ?¥til mine comes. Look at that thing! There"s more cheese and pepperoni on that than should be legal! I"m about to have an amazing experience!" I get encouraged by listening to the stories of how they got their pizzas, and I treasure those moments because they are a testimony that prophesies what I"m waiting for.
I think again, "Man. It"s going to be sweet when mine comes!"
One of the greatest privileges of my life was to sit and wait for pizza alone, when the culture around me had reason to do otherwise. I will never trade my experiences at the pizza parlor, but let me tell you, it"s getting even better! Faith is material; it is concrete. We cannot bypass it if we want the kingdom of heaven here on earth. It is the only way to open the floodgates of heaven and create a descending and ascending portal that allows Jesus" nature to become our own. If I get to stand in faith with another"it is an honor; if I have to stand by myself"still, it is an honor. Faith is a privilege I dare not live without.
Let us join in the opportunity to eat all that we can in the pizza parlor of His goodness!
*****************************************************************
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
EXPLANATION of God by an 8 yr old
It was written by an 8-year-old named Danny Dutton, who lives in
Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment,
to 'explain God.'
I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
[ ... and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone
published it, I guess miracles do happen ! . ]
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace
the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of
things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies I think
because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have
to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can
just leave that to mothers and fathers.'
'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful
lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things,
pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the
radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must
be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a
way to turn it o ff.'
'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which
keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going
over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you
couldn't have.'
'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there
are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our
church.'
'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who
didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him
preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind,
like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what
they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.'
'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his
hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the
road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps h
is dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are
important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of
himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more
important.'
'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'
'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy,
and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like
going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come
out at the beach until noon anyway.'
'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be
very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like
to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're
scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into
real deep water by big kids.'
'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I
figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.'
Chula Vista , CA . He wrote it for his third grade homework assignment,
to 'explain God.'
I wonder if any of us could have done as well?
[ ... and he had such an assignment, in California , and someone
published it, I guess miracles do happen ! . ]
EXPLANATION OF GOD:
'One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace
the ones that die, so there will be enough people to take care of
things on earth. He doesn't make grownups, just babies I think
because they are smaller and easier to make. That way he doesn't have
to take up his valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can
just leave that to mothers and fathers.'
'God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful
lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things,
pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the
radio or TV because of this. Because he hears everything, there must
be a terrible lot of noise in his ears, unless he has thought of a
way to turn it o ff.'
'God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere which
keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting his time by going
over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you
couldn't have.'
'Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don't think there
are any in Chula Vista . At least there aren't any who come to our
church.'
'Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work, like walking on
water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who
didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of him
preaching to them and they crucified him But he was good and kind,
like his father, and he told his father that they didn't know what
they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK.'
'His dad (God) appreciated everything that he had done and all his
hard work on earth so he told him he didn't have to go out on the
road anymore. He could stay in heaven. So he did. And now he helps h
is dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are
important for God to take care of and which ones he can take care of
himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary, only more
important.'
'You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to help you because
they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the time.'
'You should always go to church on Sunday because it makes God happy,
and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God!
Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like
going to the beach. This is wrong. And besides the sun doesn't come
out at the beach until noon anyway.'
'If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be
very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like
to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're
scared, in the dark or when you can't swim and you get thrown into
real deep water by big kids.'
'But...you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I
figure God put me here and he can take me back anytime he pleases.
And...that's why I believe in God.'
Friday, July 4, 2008
hi guys!
us is fantastic so far. been doing a lot of traveling and working when i'm not so been pretty busy. havent really got a time to update and post photos or anything.. so here's a few. waiting for my stuff to cook so got a bit of time. haha..
place where i do qt once a week. we'll sit on the rocks overlooking the river. quite cool.
another shot. buildings are downtown Richmond, the capital of virginia
the ride where i work. called the tornado. basically u sit in a raft of 4 and u slide down the mega funnel and go up and down. many times. super fun.
i'll be back soon. a few more weeks. take care and god bless guys! hope you're enjoying your hols.
us is fantastic so far. been doing a lot of traveling and working when i'm not so been pretty busy. havent really got a time to update and post photos or anything.. so here's a few. waiting for my stuff to cook so got a bit of time. haha..
place where i do qt once a week. we'll sit on the rocks overlooking the river. quite cool.
another shot. buildings are downtown Richmond, the capital of virginia
the ride where i work. called the tornado. basically u sit in a raft of 4 and u slide down the mega funnel and go up and down. many times. super fun.
i'll be back soon. a few more weeks. take care and god bless guys! hope you're enjoying your hols.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
funny story!
Pecans in the Cemetery
On the outskirts of a small town, there was a big, old pecan tree
just inside the cemetery fence. One day, two boys filled up a
bucketful of nuts and sat down by the tree, out of sight, and began
dividing the nuts. "One for you, one for me. One for you, one for
me," said one boy. Several dropped and rolled down toward the
fence.
Another boy came riding along the road on his bicycle. As he
passed, he thought he heard voices from inside the cemetery. He
slowed down to investigate. Sure enough, he heard, "One for you,
one for me. One for you, one for me." He just knew what it was,
so he jumped back on his bike and rode off.
Now just around the bend he met an old man with a cane,
hobbling along. "Come here quick," said the boy, "you won't believe
what I heard! Satan and the Lord are down at the cemetery dividing
up the souls."
The man said, "Beat it kid, can't you see it's hard for me to
walk." When the boy insisted though, the man hobbled to the
cemetery. Standing by the fence they heard, "One for you, one for
me. One for you, one for me..." The old man whispered, "Boy,
you've been tellin' the truth. Let's see if we can see the Lord."
Shaking with fear, they peered through the fence yet were still
unable to see anything.
The old man and the boy gripped the wrought iron bars of the
fence tighter and tighter as they tried to get a glimpse of the
Lord.
At last they heard, "One for you, one for me. That's all. Now let's
go get those nuts by the fence and we'll be done."
They say the old man made it back to town a full 5 minutes
ahead of the boy on the bike!
Author Unknown
In HIS Love & Service,
Pastor Allen
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Saturday, June 14, 2008
Some Chill-Out Pics :)
Introducing Kevinstone!7-8 June: Arty Weekend Getaway
@ Timbre Substation - Listening to local bands Lunarin and Giants Must Fall (Jean Low, Gabriel and Gerald Kang, and ...!)
Pearl jumped at the premises of OldSchool... hehe ... we had a great time together watching a local film - Singapore Dreaming and looking at pics from the photoart gallery!btw, there's a 'ShowOff' card that you can sign up for to watch free movies on Mondays at Sinema OldSchool!!
More pics from http://www.flickr.com/photos/ohreallyah/
060608 cell meeting debrief
Dear cell,
This is the debrief for 6june 2008!
anchor verse: Jn 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
=> We want to bear fruit which lasts.
objectives:
Set 2 goals for cell for the rest of 2008, apart from stated campus segment goals.
Responding to the campus segment goals, our cell will facilitate praying in tongues, prophesy and praying for healing during cell session and have a faith target of 40 salvations.
To reach out, our goal is to meet at least 1 prebelieving friend for a meal/other activity once every 2 weeks.
We keep them in prayer, initiate spiritual conversations/share testimonies and love them sincerely.
To reach in, our goal is to meet at least 1 cell mate for a meal/other activity once every 2 weeks.
We can pray for each other, chill out together, write each other encouragement cards and call up absentees from the previous cell meeting to let them know that they are not forgotten. =)
Let us achieve the goals consistently and then review them to make our efforts more effective, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us =) Do feel free to comment.
love,
kev
This is the debrief for 6june 2008!
anchor verse: Jn 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
=> We want to bear fruit which lasts.
objectives:
Set 2 goals for cell for the rest of 2008, apart from stated campus segment goals.
Responding to the campus segment goals, our cell will facilitate praying in tongues, prophesy and praying for healing during cell session and have a faith target of 40 salvations.
To reach out, our goal is to meet at least 1 prebelieving friend for a meal/other activity once every 2 weeks.
We keep them in prayer, initiate spiritual conversations/share testimonies and love them sincerely.
To reach in, our goal is to meet at least 1 cell mate for a meal/other activity once every 2 weeks.
We can pray for each other, chill out together, write each other encouragement cards and call up absentees from the previous cell meeting to let them know that they are not forgotten. =)
Let us achieve the goals consistently and then review them to make our efforts more effective, allowing the Holy Spirit to work through us =) Do feel free to comment.
love,
kev
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
The Everglow
Hi everyone!
This is the final call to all to sign up for The Everglow - a post-secondary advance, for those in the the JC, Poly, ITE, Campus, and NS segments. This camp is going to be chock full of power-packed teaching sessions as well as fun and exciting activities. Most importantly, we believe that God has something very important to impart to us at this camp, and we want everyone to be a part of it!
We are going to learn how our lives can be part of God's redemption plan just by following simple principles that Jesus has left us through His teaching and example.
So, we've decided to extend the closing date to 15 June, so you still have one last chance to sign up at this weekend's Youth Service or Sunday services. If you're still considering, don't think anymore, just hurry and sign up!
Details of THE EVERGLOW are:
When? - 16 to 20 June
Where? - NUS, Prince George's Park Residences, 27 Prince George Parl (off South Buona Vista Road)
How much? $80
How do I sign up?
1. Complete the registration form (comment on this post if you need one and we will email it to you).
2. Have a copy of my student ID if you are currently a student. If you do not have an ID, you will still pay $80.
3. Bring your registration form, student ID and camp fees to the admin counter.
What if I cannot make it to church on Saturday or Sunday?
If you are unable to make it down to church this weekend, submit your registration through your respective Cell Leader, Supervisor or Pastor.
I hope to see you there!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Charissa
Church of our Saviour
Tel: +65.6885.0700
Fax: +65.6278.0130
Website: www.coos.org.sg
Office: Blk 203 (Wing B) #07-09 Henderson Road, Singapore 159546
Church: 130 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149300
This is the final call to all to sign up for The Everglow - a post-secondary advance, for those in the the JC, Poly, ITE, Campus, and NS segments. This camp is going to be chock full of power-packed teaching sessions as well as fun and exciting activities. Most importantly, we believe that God has something very important to impart to us at this camp, and we want everyone to be a part of it!
We are going to learn how our lives can be part of God's redemption plan just by following simple principles that Jesus has left us through His teaching and example.
So, we've decided to extend the closing date to 15 June, so you still have one last chance to sign up at this weekend's Youth Service or Sunday services. If you're still considering, don't think anymore, just hurry and sign up!
Details of THE EVERGLOW are:
When? - 16 to 20 June
Where? - NUS, Prince George's Park Residences, 27 Prince George Parl (off South Buona Vista Road)
How much? $80
How do I sign up?
1. Complete the registration form (comment on this post if you need one and we will email it to you).
2. Have a copy of my student ID if you are currently a student. If you do not have an ID, you will still pay $80.
3. Bring your registration form, student ID and camp fees to the admin counter.
What if I cannot make it to church on Saturday or Sunday?
If you are unable to make it down to church this weekend, submit your registration through your respective Cell Leader, Supervisor or Pastor.
I hope to see you there!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Charissa
Church of our Saviour
Tel: +65.6885.0700
Fax: +65.6278.0130
Website: www.coos.org.sg
Office: Blk 203 (Wing B) #07-09 Henderson Road, Singapore 159546
Church: 130 Margaret Drive, Singapore 149300
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
spiritual significance of numbers
The Name's and Numbers used in the Scriptures have
spiritual significance. Thus knowing what they mean can
help one study the Word with a deeper understanding!
So Today Kevin, we will take a look at some
instances of numbers used representatively, and thus
probably by Divine design.
ONE: Denotes unity, and commencement. Such as the
first day (GEN 1:5)
TWO: Denotes opposition, enmity, and division. It can
also mean 'difference," for it is written that if two people both
agree in testimony it is conclusive.
(DEUT 17.,6 & DEUT 19:15)
THREE: Denotes Divine perfection and completeness.
Such as The Father, Son & Holy Spirit, often called the
"Holy Trinity."
FOUR: Denotes things of the Earth. Such as The Four
Winds (DAN 7:2); the Four corners of the Earth. (ISA II: 1 2)
the Four rivers that flowed out of the Garden of Eden.
(GEN 2:10-14) and of course the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse. (REV 6:1-8)
The most significant multiple of four is Forty, which means
"Probation." Such as rain flood the Earth for Forty days
(GEN 7:12) The children wondered the wilderness for Forty
years.( EX 16:35), and Jesus withstood satan's temptations
for Forty days. (MARK 1: 1 3).
FIVE: Denotes "Divine Grace."
SIX: Denotes the human number. It is the hallmark
of mankind, God created man on the Sixth day (GEN 1-27-31);
man works six days a week. The hours of our day are a
multiple of the number Six. Also the great men in the Bible
that stood out against God (Goliath, Nebuchadnezzar, and the
satan ) are all emphatically marked with the number Six.
(REV 13:18)
SEVEN: Denotes spiritual perfection. It is the hallmark of
the Holy Spirit at work. Also the number Seven is the number
which regulates every period of Incubation and Gestation,
in insects, birds, animals, and mankind.
EIGHT: Denotes a new beginning.
NINE Denotes finality or judgment. The number Nine
is seen in all cases when judgment is the subject.
TEN: Denotes Ordinal Perfection. Such as the Ten
Commandments ( EX 20:2-17) It is another new first after
the Ninth digit, when numeration commences anew.
ELEVEN: Denotes disorder, and disorganization. (2 KINGS 25:2)
and (JER 52:5)
TWELVE: Denotes Governmental perfection. It is the number or
factor of things that have to do with government in the Heavens
and on Earth. Such as The Twelve Tribes of Israel, ( GEN 49:28)
and Twelve Apostles. (MARK 3:14) etc.
THIRTEEN: Denotes rebellion. It is written: "In the thirteenth year
they rebelled' (GEN 14:4)
Now, I hope that will help you find a deeper level of
understanding when you read the Bible. Have a Wonderful Week,
and know that you and your family are in my prayers! Amen.
In HIS Love & Service,
Pastor Allen
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(c) copyright 2008 by Apostle Paul Ministries. All Rights Reserved
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Testimony Of Healing To My Womb
I always had this problem of heavy bleeding during my monthly period (It was so bad till I had to visit the toilet every one and a half hour). This is because I have a bulky womb with thick wall lining. Besides this, my womb is tilted and it’s resting on the spinal bone and hence, about 1 week prior to and during my period, I would experience aches around my lower back and at my lower right waist. The pain at the lower right waist would stretch to my right knee and I would experience difficulty in walking. This would be my most terrible time of the month. I’m like a walking zombie performing my daily tasks. The bleeding would worsen if I carried a heavy object and I often had to rush to the toilet immediately.
I also had to abstain from all fruits, cold foods and cold drinks at all times as these would add on to the heavy bleeding. It was very torturous, especially when ice cream is one of my favourite foods. I’ve always envied those who were enjoying their fruit juices during lunch time.
There was a time when my bleeding was not so heavy. But, just recently, I suffered a relapse again. This was the second time my condition took a turn for the worse. There is no medical cure for this illness, unless, I remove my womb or go for womb cleansing. These were not practical options. Nevertheless, there were times when I did have thoughts of removing my womb as I could not endure all the pre-menstrual symptoms and heavy bleeding. It was affecting my daily activities.
I shared with Aurelia about this problem. She prayed for me on one Saturday after service. Whilst she was praying, I felt this warmness around my head and I believe it was God’s anointing on me and I was going to be healed by Him. My period for this month delayed and this was a good sign.
Then again, I still had a heavy flow on the first day of my period and every single thing irritated me.
I attended the special healing service on 9 May 2008 and this happened to be my first day of my period. After the message, Prophet Kobus asked us to stand as he prayed. The moment I got up from my seat, the bleeding was so heavy that it was like a running tap water. During this prayer, I had this feeling of wanting to fall back but I controlled as I did not want to be the first one to slain. The moment he prayed for healing to those with a tilted womb, this heavy bleeding stopped immediately and I also experienced the same warmness when Aurelia prayed for me earlier on.
Aurelia then accompanied me to the altar for prayer as I did not have the courage to go up alone. Prophet Kobus’ wife prayed for me. I finally slained and during that time, I had this peaceful feeling and I experienced the same warmness earlier on while at my seat. That night, my bleeding lessened.
Yesterday (my second day of period), the bleeding lessened tremendously, compared to the previous months. Also, my womb has shrunk. Previously, my abdominal area looks as if I was three months pregnant. Now, the abdominal area has reduced in size!
From this, I conclude that GOD HAS COMPLETELY HEALED ME of this illness which I was suffering from for many years.
I thank God for this miraculous work that he has done for me! I also would like to thank Aurelia and all those who had prayed with me.
Praise be to God!!!
I also had to abstain from all fruits, cold foods and cold drinks at all times as these would add on to the heavy bleeding. It was very torturous, especially when ice cream is one of my favourite foods. I’ve always envied those who were enjoying their fruit juices during lunch time.
There was a time when my bleeding was not so heavy. But, just recently, I suffered a relapse again. This was the second time my condition took a turn for the worse. There is no medical cure for this illness, unless, I remove my womb or go for womb cleansing. These were not practical options. Nevertheless, there were times when I did have thoughts of removing my womb as I could not endure all the pre-menstrual symptoms and heavy bleeding. It was affecting my daily activities.
I shared with Aurelia about this problem. She prayed for me on one Saturday after service. Whilst she was praying, I felt this warmness around my head and I believe it was God’s anointing on me and I was going to be healed by Him. My period for this month delayed and this was a good sign.
Then again, I still had a heavy flow on the first day of my period and every single thing irritated me.
I attended the special healing service on 9 May 2008 and this happened to be my first day of my period. After the message, Prophet Kobus asked us to stand as he prayed. The moment I got up from my seat, the bleeding was so heavy that it was like a running tap water. During this prayer, I had this feeling of wanting to fall back but I controlled as I did not want to be the first one to slain. The moment he prayed for healing to those with a tilted womb, this heavy bleeding stopped immediately and I also experienced the same warmness when Aurelia prayed for me earlier on.
Aurelia then accompanied me to the altar for prayer as I did not have the courage to go up alone. Prophet Kobus’ wife prayed for me. I finally slained and during that time, I had this peaceful feeling and I experienced the same warmness earlier on while at my seat. That night, my bleeding lessened.
Yesterday (my second day of period), the bleeding lessened tremendously, compared to the previous months. Also, my womb has shrunk. Previously, my abdominal area looks as if I was three months pregnant. Now, the abdominal area has reduced in size!
From this, I conclude that GOD HAS COMPLETELY HEALED ME of this illness which I was suffering from for many years.
I thank God for this miraculous work that he has done for me! I also would like to thank Aurelia and all those who had prayed with me.
Praise be to God!!!
Thursday, May 8, 2008
myanmar cyclone
hey guys if u haven't heard abt the mynamar cyclone, can read abt it here
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/346201/1/.html
if u wish to donate money here are the details which can be found in the webpage:
To help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, please send donations to the Singapore Red Cross at 15 Penang Lane, or call 6334 9152/53 for more information.
The public can also call Mercy Relief at 1900 112 1010 for a S$10 donation, or 1900 112 1050 for a S$50 donation. Crossed cheques made out to "Mercy Relief Limited" can be sent to 172 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118558.
Mercy Relief also accepts transfers via ATM or through internet banking. Its DBS account number is 054-900493-6.
World Vision is also collecting donations for the victims in Myanmar. Besides ATM funds transfer to its DBS Autosave Account (001-030600-6) or its Standard Chartered Bank Fusion Account (130-830-6900), the public can also send cash or cheques made out to "World Vision International" to its office at 10 Anson Road, #13-08, International Plaza, Singapore 079903.
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/346201/1/.html
if u wish to donate money here are the details which can be found in the webpage:
To help the victims of Cyclone Nargis, please send donations to the Singapore Red Cross at 15 Penang Lane, or call 6334 9152/53 for more information.
The public can also call Mercy Relief at 1900 112 1010 for a S$10 donation, or 1900 112 1050 for a S$50 donation. Crossed cheques made out to "Mercy Relief Limited" can be sent to 172 Pasir Panjang Road, Singapore 118558.
Mercy Relief also accepts transfers via ATM or through internet banking. Its DBS account number is 054-900493-6.
World Vision is also collecting donations for the victims in Myanmar. Besides ATM funds transfer to its DBS Autosave Account (001-030600-6) or its Standard Chartered Bank Fusion Account (130-830-6900), the public can also send cash or cheques made out to "World Vision International" to its office at 10 Anson Road, #13-08, International Plaza, Singapore 079903.
Saturday, May 3, 2008
gardening
THE LORD WILL GUIDE YOU ALWAYS; HE WILL SATISFY YOUR
NEEDS IN A SUN-SCORCHED LAND AND WILL STRENGTHEN
YOUR FRAME. YOU WILL BECOME LIKE A WELL-WATERED
( GARDEN, ) LIKE A SPRING WHOSE WATERS NEVER FAIL.
( ISAIAH 58:11 *NIV )
Dear Kevin,
Now that it is May it is time to start thinking about planting
a garden. So today I will share with you something that I
received this week. It is the type of garden that we may plant
anywhere or anytime of year. So I hope you will enjoy this
special garden so much that you will start planting one today!
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS - FOR THE GARDEN OF
YOUR DAILY LIVING
1. PEACE OF MIND
2. PEACE OF HEART
3. PEACE OF SOUL
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
Now NO GARDEN SHOULD BE WITHOUT TURNIPS - SO
PLANT 3 ROWS OF TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
FINALLY, YOUR GARDEN MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
4. Thyme for prayer
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE & CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE SHOULD BE MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN, AFTER
ALL "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW." Therefore happy gardening
Kevin. Amen.
In HIS Love & Service,
Pastor Allen
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NEEDS IN A SUN-SCORCHED LAND AND WILL STRENGTHEN
YOUR FRAME. YOU WILL BECOME LIKE A WELL-WATERED
( GARDEN, ) LIKE A SPRING WHOSE WATERS NEVER FAIL.
( ISAIAH 58:11 *NIV )
Dear Kevin,
Now that it is May it is time to start thinking about planting
a garden. So today I will share with you something that I
received this week. It is the type of garden that we may plant
anywhere or anytime of year. So I hope you will enjoy this
special garden so much that you will start planting one today!
PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS - FOR THE GARDEN OF
YOUR DAILY LIVING
1. PEACE OF MIND
2. PEACE OF HEART
3. PEACE OF SOUL
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness
PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another
Now NO GARDEN SHOULD BE WITHOUT TURNIPS - SO
PLANT 3 ROWS OF TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one another
FINALLY, YOUR GARDEN MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends
4. Thyme for prayer
WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE & CULTIVATE WITH LOVE.
THERE SHOULD BE MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN, AFTER
ALL "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW." Therefore happy gardening
Kevin. Amen.
In HIS Love & Service,
Pastor Allen
***This Email was sent to you by God's Minute***
To Ensure Delivery to your Inbox (not Bulk or Junk Folders),
please add devotions@godsminute.org to your address book.
[ Prayer Requests---Contact Us---Bible Study---*Donations* ]
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at: http://www.godsminute.com
Monday, April 28, 2008
choice of story
let's start off with
Jer 33:8
I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
Heb 8:12
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
first, God not only forgives our sins, He forgets them. and He cleanses us, not leave us to rot with the sin after forgivin us. next, let's talk about an example: Abraham.
Rom 4:18
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Abraham and Sarah were growing old, and childless. "against all hope", Abraham believed God will give him an offspring. but let's take a look at
Gen 16:2
[amplified] ... “Abram listened to and heeded what Sarai said.”
[NLT] ... “And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.”
[Today's NIV] ... “Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”
Abraham, to certain extent, thought about Sarah's suggestion of having a baby with Hagar and agreed to do so. why? he probably thought that would be a shortcut to having a baby. after all, God promised him "a son coming from your own body" [Gen 15:4] but didn't specify the mum. he probably chose to "conveniently forget" the importance God placed on being husband and wife after his experience with the Pharoah in Gen 12:10-20.
so what's my point? Abraham made a mistake by having a child with Hagar. but how did Dad write about him? "against all hope, Abraham in hope believed". in this case, Abraham's righteousness [Gen 15:6] was the key to God rewriting his story. for us, the righteousness comes from the blood of Jesus. the Blood changes our story!
we face discouragement, struggles and failures. let's leave them at the foot of the Cross, covered by the Blood. have positive self talk.
Joel 3:10
... let the weakling say, "I am strong!"
a study shows an average person hears 1200 words a min [self talk and self thoughts]. 1100 are negative. dun partner religious/terrorist spirits which condemn us. we will be discouraged and afraid. we have been born anew! [Gal 2:20]. we don't wanna kill ourselves over and over again. the old has gone [2Cor 5:17]. the new man/woman needs to be nourished. talk strength into ourselves.
hand to Dad our lives and let Him tell our stories. it will be different from how we tell them. do not let our past determine our future. refuse to live in regret, "forgetting what is behind and and straining toward what is ahead" [Phil 3:13]. sounds easier said than done? bear in mind who said that. Apostle Paul, who was Saul, who persecuted Christians.
This message is for all of us, myself included [notice "we", "us", "our"]. hope this message blesses you all. adapted from a bethel sermon which is no longer available on their website. u can get it from here http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~teoweich/%5bheard%5d%20Living_Powerfully_10_45am_48kbps.mp3
love,
kev
Jer 33:8
I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me.
Heb 8:12
For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.
first, God not only forgives our sins, He forgets them. and He cleanses us, not leave us to rot with the sin after forgivin us. next, let's talk about an example: Abraham.
Rom 4:18
Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."
Abraham and Sarah were growing old, and childless. "against all hope", Abraham believed God will give him an offspring. but let's take a look at
Gen 16:2
[amplified] ... “Abram listened to and heeded what Sarai said.”
[NLT] ... “And Abram agreed with Sarai’s proposal.”
[Today's NIV] ... “Abram agreed to what Sarai said.”
Abraham, to certain extent, thought about Sarah's suggestion of having a baby with Hagar and agreed to do so. why? he probably thought that would be a shortcut to having a baby. after all, God promised him "a son coming from your own body" [Gen 15:4] but didn't specify the mum. he probably chose to "conveniently forget" the importance God placed on being husband and wife after his experience with the Pharoah in Gen 12:10-20.
so what's my point? Abraham made a mistake by having a child with Hagar. but how did Dad write about him? "against all hope, Abraham in hope believed". in this case, Abraham's righteousness [Gen 15:6] was the key to God rewriting his story. for us, the righteousness comes from the blood of Jesus. the Blood changes our story!
we face discouragement, struggles and failures. let's leave them at the foot of the Cross, covered by the Blood. have positive self talk.
Joel 3:10
... let the weakling say, "I am strong!"
a study shows an average person hears 1200 words a min [self talk and self thoughts]. 1100 are negative. dun partner religious/terrorist spirits which condemn us. we will be discouraged and afraid. we have been born anew! [Gal 2:20]. we don't wanna kill ourselves over and over again. the old has gone [2Cor 5:17]. the new man/woman needs to be nourished. talk strength into ourselves.
hand to Dad our lives and let Him tell our stories. it will be different from how we tell them. do not let our past determine our future. refuse to live in regret, "forgetting what is behind and and straining toward what is ahead" [Phil 3:13]. sounds easier said than done? bear in mind who said that. Apostle Paul, who was Saul, who persecuted Christians.
This message is for all of us, myself included [notice "we", "us", "our"]. hope this message blesses you all. adapted from a bethel sermon which is no longer available on their website. u can get it from here http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~teoweich/%5bheard%5d%20Living_Powerfully_10_45am_48kbps.mp3
love,
kev
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Just some thoughts
Here I am writing a blog post 13 hours before my exam :) . I just received notice this week that I've failed to get a place in the summer internship I was trying for. While it does make me feel somewhat disappointed, I'm quite amazed at the things I believe God is reminding me I can now do since the 2 months overseas isn't there anymore.
I now have more time for guitar class, the opportunity to take part in any camps etc during the holidays, more time to meet up with friends coming back from overseas, free time to start learning to drive (after putting it off for years despite my father and sister's nagging), and more. As I think about it more, I believe that not being able to go might just be the better deal! I'm still contemplating and praying over what to do with my 3 months break (work maybe... suggestions?), but I think I should give thanks to God here for closing the door this time. I believe He really knows best!
I now have more time for guitar class, the opportunity to take part in any camps etc during the holidays, more time to meet up with friends coming back from overseas, free time to start learning to drive (after putting it off for years despite my father and sister's nagging), and more. As I think about it more, I believe that not being able to go might just be the better deal! I'm still contemplating and praying over what to do with my 3 months break (work maybe... suggestions?), but I think I should give thanks to God here for closing the door this time. I believe He really knows best!
Friday, April 25, 2008
God's love
If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it.
If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it.
He sends you flowers every spring.
He sends you a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He listens.
He can live anywhere in the Universe, but He chose your heart.
Now God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without
sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the
day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.
So face it, He is crazy about you!
Therefore let us; GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE
IS GOOD; HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER! Amen.
( 1 CHRONICLES 16:34 )
In HIS Love & Service,
Pastor Allen
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