Shine Your Light

A.S.K God

2009-02-20T23:35:00.005+08:00

Ask and it will be given to you; Seek and you will find; Knock and the door will be opened to you.'

How many times have we ask and not receive? Seek and not find? Knock and no one opens the door?

Many times, we have tried to find the answers to these questions. I spent the last 2 days questioning God on why didn't I receive what I have asked and I found my answer. 3 main things:

1. God is looking at my response, my attitude towards Him
I have not been myself for the past few days. In fact, I was feeling really messed up and reckless but even through this difficult time, I constantly asked God for the answers and praise Him in every way I could. It wasn't easy, I had many struggles but through it all I found the answers, which leads me to my next point..

2. God says wait, a call to persevere
God's intentions are for good when He presents a test. I know I have been trying so hard to overcome many of His tests and I admit that it has build my faith. I have been put to my limits, almost to the point I question my faith. But like the many times I overcome, broken hearts and all, I always find myself coming back to God. When you don't find your prayers answered, you've got to persevere on for God might just be looking at your hearts and intentions of your mind. Waiting for you to be ready first and foremost, before He is ready to give you your desires.

3. A closed door leads to another open door
Sometimes the door you are knocking on might just not open at that very moment no matter how hard you try. Through a situation I've been through, I've come to realize this: God might just want you to visit another door first before opening the door you have so painstakingly knock at. In short, God wants you to settle other things first before opening the door you have been knocking at. Discouragement will set in at times, but it takes greater faith to persevere. When we do persevere, God will open that door for us at His time, not by our time.

God blesses those who trust Him, those who are willing to do His will. It maybe difficult at times however, God is faithful and He will surely bless those who are obedient to Him.

I have been greatly encouraged by Hebrews 10:35-36,
'do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.'

Have faith when You A.S.K God.

Rising Faith of a Worship Warrior

2009-02-19T07:30:00.004+08:00

How big is my faith?
I really wish
It was as strong as Abraham
So many things
Flashing before my eyes
How long can I endure?
I have had the slightest idea

Praying that God gives me
the strength to overcome
To be strong and to be
filled with His perfect love
For there is no fear in perfect love.
Only God can help me through the storms
To persevere the trials
Laid ahead of me.
Though I knew what was coming,
It was God who kept me strong
Strong in my senses

As hard as it may seem,
I know I'll overcome
With You by my side.
When the dust has cleared
Only You stand by my side
Only You have been faithful
Through it all.
As broken as I may seem
I will still stand in awe of You
Praise You for what I've been through
For I will appreciate the tests
When I look back
At the long winding road I've went through.

Praise be to the God of all ages
For I will set my eyes focus
On God's mission.
One thing I know:
I will hold on to God's promises.

The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart

2009-02-15T23:11:00.004+08:00

Did a bible study on Abraham's test

Here's a brief summary of this story:
God presented a test to Abraham, which was to sacrifice his son, his only son as a burnt offering.
Abraham obeyed the Lord and was ready to slay his son, his only son till the Lord stop him.
And because of Abraham's faith and fear of the Lord, God promised him that he will surely bless him and make his descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky.

I was intrigue by Abraham's story. Maybe it never did spoke that loud to me the last time as i had not experience something similar that Abraham as going through. Can you imagine the thoughts that were running through Abraham's mind?
Nevertheless, Abraham continued to obey the Lord without questioning God's action. He was certain that the Lord will provide.

Abraham's story really hit me in the heart. What if I had the give up certain things that were important in my life? Would I react in the same way as Abraham did? It's really an easy question that is hard to answer. It exposed the weakness in me, I can never do that on my own. I need to have faith, trust God that in whatever circumstance I'm going through He is able to provide.

God is looking at our response, at our hearts...
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For...

The Heart is deceitful
Above All Things
And beyond cure.

Who can understand it?

'I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,
To reward a man according to his conduct,
According to what his deeds deserve.'

The Lord knows best. Persevere on...

Faith. Trust. Transition. Transformation.
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Freedom!

2009-01-25T00:46:00.003+08:00

DANCE TO THE FREEDOM WE KNOW!
PROJECTS ARE DONE AND OVER WITH!
except for the presentation and reflection report but for now...
THE TIME HAS COME FOR RELAXATION!
PRAISE THE LORD,
I AM A SURVIVOR.
WHEEE!

TRUST

2008-12-16T02:33:00.002+08:00

Sometimes I just feel so flustered and tired...

Lost and confused...

Lord I need your help...

Help me to trust in You, I just can't do it on my own...

I surrender my all to You...

Guide me in Your way...

There's nothing better than knowing...

You are always there for me...

I lay my desires before You...

I trust that if it's your will...

It shall be done...

May I seek righteousness first....

In Jesus name, I pray...

Amen

To Be Good Or Not To Be Good?

2008-12-11T02:33:00.008+08:00

To be good or not to be good? That is the question. Life is certainly full of choices and it can be hard to make decisions at times. Being a good person can be tough while being a bad guy seems so much easier and much ‘cooler'.

Some say that nice guys don’t last. Well I chose to be a ‘goodie’ good person for the past 3 years and I’m still standing. I may not know what lies in the future but I had rather be a blessing to the people around me then a walking disaster or a pest. What brings joy to me is the smile on people’s face and I certainly know that it brings joy to my heavenly father too. It sure isn’t easy being a good guy, some people just hate good guys and there’s really nothing you can do about it except pray for them haha.

So have I been a bad guy? Yes definitely, when I was younger. Back then, I was a little haywire and I did a lot of stupid things. It was only when I hit the age of 15 when I finally saw the light! Playing as a bad guy was cool and all but it really didn’t get me anywhere. I did extreme things like throwing frogs into my ‘nemesis house’, picking the locks of doors to rooftops back in my previous condo, going heads on with the security guards. You can never imagine me doing all that if you see me as the person I am now. I probably look like an angel=) yeah right. Anyways that is not the main point. The main point is this: I may have the attention and ‘friends’ but I felt like an empty shell that was lost and alone inside.

Why the sudden change then? I don’t really have a reason why I guess, it just seem so natural that when I’m nice to people, I just feel super good. It’s like an in-built trait in me and I guess maturity plays a part too. Through out the past 3 years, I have seen much more blessings in my life, and I really thank God for all He has done for me. Being a good guy isn’t that all boring, you can be fun to the people around you. I realize that you make more true friends when you are sincere and down-to-earth with them. God blesses the good abundantly and in my case, he has blessed me with GOOD friends that I can trust, as well as a peaceful family. There is certainly more to come but yeah, the blessings will come at God's timing.

I firmly believe that the nice people would last in the long run. Don’t believe me? Then I challenge you to try it out!

It may sound kind of cheesy, but good people makes the world a better place! (So Don, if you ever want to try anything stupid: think twice AGAIN, tell me or don’t even try!)

So who would you be today?
To be good or not to be good…all the time? That is the question…

My testimony, My Life...

2008-12-05T15:21:00.001+08:00

God has done many things in my life. I am really thankful that He has indeed changed my life. Though I was a born a Christian, I never really got to know the Lord intimately until some circumstances in my life helped me to draw near to Him.

I remembered the day that I rededicated my life to the Lord. It was right after my O levels and many thoughts were running through my mind. I was thinking about my future, and I felt unsure of where God would lead me. At that point in time, I wasn’t really close to the Lord. It was like having the belief that there was a God, yet you are not really doing anything about it. I did not know exactly why I decided to trust in the Lord, but it was a certainly a decision that I did not regret. In my heart I was saying like, ‘God, if you are truly a God who cares for me, then change my life at this very moment.' It was like a sudden thought that triggered in me and right after I made that decision, my life was never the same again.

At the beginning of the year 2007, I received a call from my mum and she was telling me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. I did not really know how to react to it. Now for a brief history between my mum and I. I was never really to close to my mum and I did not live with her for a certain period in my life. I stayed with my aunt for the most part of my life. I did not really like her because of the way she showed her love and concern for me. Hence, when I heard that she had cancer, I was rather confused to how I should react to it. However, God reminded me from the bible that I should love my parents and furthermore, love should be patient. I took this step of faith to visit my mum for the very first time since 7 years ago.

She was not in a very good state and though my heart was broken when I saw her, a part of me still felt cold towards her. However, I trusted in God that He will make things for the better. My father and I would try to visit her every time when we were free. I found it very hard to visit her each time because of the way she showed her love and concern for me. I really did not like how she was still treating me like a child but I made the effort to be patient with her. My mother was a Christian but some how along the way, she drifted away from God. Through her last days, I tried my very best to help her to believe in God once again and I succeeded in doing so.

On the very day before she passed away, she said something that really touched my heart. She told me that she knew that her way of loving me may not be something that I like, however she did try her best to change and asked me to forgive her for any hurt that she has brought upon me. Her last words to me were that she really loved me. It felt really different from the previous times that she expressed her love towards me. I had a sudden urge to just tell her that I love her too. There was this sudden breakthrough in me after saying that. I felt that something heavy in my heart has been lifted up. I knew that God was healing my heart at that very moment.

Though she may be gone, I know that she is with God at this very moment. If it wasn’t for God, I would not have forgave my mum and perhaps still carry a sense of hatred to my mother till this very day. A series of blessings, such as reconciliations, close friends as well as good grades, followed after that. Yes, there were other challenges along the way that I had to face, but I knew I wasn’t facing it alone. I know that God has always been with me in the past and He will be with me in the present as well as the future to come. He has been with me through it all and I really thank God for molding me into the person I am today. The person you see standing here today is a much, much stronger person than he was 2 years back.

Through brokenness, there was transformation. If you believe in God today, the very same God that has changed my life will changed yours too and I testify to that.

Aaron
The warrior of light

More than conquerors. A closing chapter leads to the beginning of a new one...

2008-11-30T00:13:00.004+08:00

Whoo! Been through a lot of things lately and I've gotta say that it has been a roller coaster ride for random squad. But thanks be to God, there are many things to thank for all He has done.

Random Squad has a new addition, lets welcome Gen into the group! And don't worry Gen, you do not have to 'cut' off your pinkie as part of the ritual or we would have to let you 'burn' down Don's house! Oh Gen and Edna, please stop HYPERVENTILATING!

I want to thank God for using me to do great things for Him and I am sure looking forward to the challenges that i will face in the future. With Him, all things can be conquered. Haha and I am confident that Random Squad will move full steam ahead with Akon the commander leading the way! GO GO RANDOM SQUAD!=D

The Random Squad

2008-11-20T23:32:00.005+08:00

The random squad, a group of individuals from different backgrounds that were brought together without a clear purpose initially. I've been wondering what God intends to do with this special group that He has form in his way.

Though I'm still not clear but I believe God has reviewed some of His plans for this very unique group. Each one of us have areas that we are strong in and areas that we are weak in.

I believe one clear purpose that God has intended for this group is to build up our faith in Him. Truly as an individual you are great, but in a group you have a certain power. In times where we may feel down, the others will be there to stand by you, to encourage you, to help you to your feet so that you will be steady.

This is one group that has grown close to my heart and i believe that God wants this group to be that vessel to encourage people, to change the spiritual climate and most importantly...to give the people hope, be it in the group or people around us.

For God and for random squad, I must stay strong. I can only do that with God for when I am weak, He makes me strong. I have faith that you will make things right God, I know you always do. For faith to those who don't believe is foolishness.

Let random squad soar like eagles above the raging storm where the bright warm sun shines above it.

Intimacy With God

2008-08-31T11:42:00.006+08:00

It's been quite a while since i blog down my devotions and i hope that this time round I have better time management skills. God has never cease to remind me that I am nothing without Him through this season of exams. I felt that it is now time to get right with God. I have to confess that I have not been doing my QT as usual. Being busy or having no time is a lousy excuse. I have to make time for that QT, I have to set aside that time to have a conversation with my Father.

Yesterday, I made the decision to skip my last guitar lesson to attend Ed Silvoso's seminar on 'Transformation InsideOUT'. It was a worthwhile decision that I made and I believe God wanted me to attend this seminar. There were 3 sessions in all and the first session was on Intimacy with God.

Rev Ed gave 7 (Not Always) easy steps to how we can be intimate with God. For some good reason, I was pretty awake and alert despite the lack of sleep the day before. I was able to grasp the 7 steps at the tip of my fingers and they spoke loudly to me. So what were the 7 steps?

1. God Reads Our Mail
O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Ps 139 v1-6

God knows me personally. He knows me from the insideout, He knows my heart and every thought. He knows my every action, He knows what I'm about to do next and He knows when I will sin. His love for us is something really hard to comprehend; His sacrificial love to an undeserving people. He is faithful to us, even when we are unfaithful.

2.Too Close For Comfort
Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Ps 139 v7-12

We are sinful people; we can never reach the standard that God has set for us. The good news for us is that our sins have been cleansed. Why? For Christ has sacrificed his life to take away the sins of people like us. Not only was our sins forgiven, the grace of God has overflowed like honey in our lives. Christ has brought salvation to those who are waiting for him. Truly, God is full of grace and truth and He does not want anyone of us to perish. If there’s one thing that speak about God’s main character, it would be that God loves us and there is absolutely nothing we can do about it.

3. Understanding God Through An Embryo
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. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Ps 139 v13-16

How wonderful and creative can our God be that He has already seen my unformed substance and predestined my life even before I came into being. We have been fearfully and wonderfully made, and our very soul knows it very well. I have held the belief that we should be happy with who we are, no matter how we look. If we do not love our bodies, we actually limit our capacity to love other people.

4. Now I Get It! And I Like It!
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you. Ps 139 v17-18

As mention earlier, we can never comprehend the love that God has for use. God, someone who is so big, is interested in the small us. He finds each and every one of us precious in His eyes and He yearns to draw close to us. God is right there with us, He has always been there for us and He surely will never forsake us. God not only loves you, He likes you.

5.It's Too Good To Compromise.
If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Ps 139 v19-22

Sin is something that will separate you from God but thankfully by the grace of God, we receive God’s forgiveness when we truly repent with all our hearts. To get intimate with God, we have to know God’s character as well as His dos and don’ts. The devil will always be on the prowl, trying his best to keep you from God and I have learnt this first hand. The real enemy is the devil and not against the people around you.

Besides being on our guard, God wants us to learn how to be holy. What does it mean to be holy? Holiness is when you get angry of anything that stands between you and God.

6. Soul Surgery
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me... Ps 139 v23-24a

We have to constantly ask God to search deep into our hearts and settle any anxiety that we have held deep. I know that I have some anxieties in my heart that I have yet to settle and I pray that God will release these thoughts of mine if I truly want to draw close to God and let Him use me for the furtherance of His Kingdom. Let God be the solution in my life.

7.Divine Aftercare.
…and (You will) lead me in the way everlasting. Ps139 v24b

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We can only have eternal life through him. So what is eternal life? Some may say it’s the after life that we have after we go to heaven. But eternal life is more than that and John 17:3 tells just that.
‘Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’

God is our shepherd, and we are His sheep. Though we may not be perfect in our ways, He is there to guide us and the one simple thing that He desires is that we may draw close to Him to just have a conversation with Him.

The process of knowing God is just amazing. The interesting thing about God is that when you thought that you have known all about God, He surprises you with something new. Quoting from a friend of mine: ‘Big God is interested in small me.’ It’s just simply amazing.

Lifting Our Voices In Victory

2008-08-26T00:51:00.004+08:00

Today was a rather good day to start with. Studied accounting since 11am in the morning, had a great time of jamming, singing as well as just having fun. Accounting paper was fairly ok for me. The feeling of being prepared is certainly way better than having the feeling of panic or being lost. I felt a sense of victory when i sat for my paper today because I knew that God was with me every moment during my test and I praise God for giving me the confidence and calmness to do this paper.

Truly, God has been faithful to us during this period of revision and I really thank Him for the peace, knowledge and strength that He has given me for my exams. Just one more paper to go and it will be over. I do hope that we will be able to lift our voices in victory after this coming paper.

Your Love In My Life

2008-08-21T22:48:00.003+08:00

Your Love is all I ever needed
Gave up Your life just for me
And I found life once again
Because You're the life

All I need is You
You in my life
All I need is You
Your love in my life

Aaron, 21Aug 2008
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A song of His love in my life

Pour Forth Your Spirit

2008-08-17T01:36:00.006+08:00

V1
Lord of all creation
We will seek You
By the Power of Your Spirit
We will run this race
With all our hearts

V2
Sovereign ruler
We will bow down
By the Power of Your Spirit
You rose from death to life
Forever glorified

Pre-chorus
In every season
You were there for me
Gave Your life
You have set me free

Chorus
Pour forth Your Spirit
You're the giver of life
In you, I find my hope
In you I find my strength
Pour forth Your spirit
You’re the river of life
Your love has save my soul
Your love has save us all

Bridge
We have come to worship You
We have come to bring You praise
Let Your name be lifted high
Be lifted high, be lifted high

©16 Aug 2008, Aaron Wu Junhao
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Let Your Spirit pour forth on me, Father, that I may have the courage and boldness to do things in Your name. In you we find hope, use us to save our nation.

Nothing In Exchange

2008-08-17T01:29:00.003+08:00

Truly blessed by Ebenezer band's songs tonight, especially their song, 'nothing in exchange'. It has been a long time since I was on fire for God and I'm glad that tonight has been a fruitful and enjoyable night just chilling out not only with the band, but also with the King of kings.

God I pray that you will make me charged up to worship you everyday of my life. Nothing can exchange the love that you have for me. I need a heart that is on fire for you. By the power of Your spirit I will dream dreams and visions of a story that will be told in my life. My life, your story...

Nothing less is worthy for God.

2008-07-29T00:28:00.003+08:00

It's been quite some time now since I last blogged. Been going through alot lately. Do I know what is true worship? Have I simply just overlooked the true meaning of worshipping God in spirit and in truth?

I recently pulled out from the youthband auditions because my leader thinks it might not be the right time for me to step up the platform just yet. I was disappointed initially but I truly believe that submitting to my leaders is more important than the auditions. It was a heart wrecking experience for me for the first few days and I failed to make any light out of anything my leaders said. I needed some time alone, with God. Have I spent that time with God? Honestly no. I've been so busy lately that I feel like i'm shunning away from God.

God has blessed me with so many good things yet I am guilty of almost failing to recognise this very source of blessings. I have placed my class mates dearly in my hearts I have placed music above all else. I might have even placed worshipping God even more important than God Himself. I need to check my heart badly. God has started something and I know that He is going to do something great for me.

I am on a mission to seek God constantly. It really has been a challenging journey of balancing both sides of my life, the secular and the spiritual. I do not want to be a Christian on certain days. I want to be a man that God will use for the furtherance of His kingdom. I want to rise up and be that warrior of light. I commit my future solely into my Creator’s hands.

Would you believe me if I said that we are the ones who can change the world. Would you believe if I said that all of your dreams in your heart could come true today. Would you believe me if I said that nothing is ever impossible for God…I can only stand in awe, with arms high and heart abandoned… of the God that has been with me through the ages.

Use Me

2008-06-14T12:16:00.008+08:00

Better is one day
In Your courts
Better than anything
I could have
Teach these hands
To serve Your heart
All that I am
belongs to You, Lord

Use me
As I lift my voice to You
Use me,
To glorify Your name
Won’t You Use me
To shine my light for you
Father use me,
To be the light of this world
Oh Jesus,
There’s no one like You

©13 Jun 2008, Aaron Wu Junhao
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In John 4:23-24, Jesus says 'Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in spirit and in truth.'

I want to have the right heart to worship. This song is my prayer to the Lord. This song contains some messianic chord progressions that gives it a rather dreamy feel. The feeling that God is just so close yet far at the same time.

I thank the Lord for always being there for me. This is my song to Him and I will continue to 'Sing a new song to Him, play skillfully and shout for joy' for He is the only God I worship. Use me to shine my light for You, for great is the Lamb of God. Thank you Lord, for all you've done for me. For there is no one like You. May I continue to find joy in worshiping You in spirit and in truth.

Humility

2008-06-12T00:53:00.002+08:00

John 3 contains a verse that is very familiar to us. It is a verse that represents the Gospel in a nutshell. This verse is John 3:16, which says ‘for God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Indeed, this verse shows the extent of God’s unfailing love for us.

Though we were undeserving of this love, He still chose to send his one and only son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. He came to save us, to wash away our sins and shame with his blood so that we may come before God blameless. Jesus made it possible for us to live for righteousness. His death made possible a future when all that is wrong on earth will be set right.

There is no doubt that God’s love for us is everlasting, however there are times where we upset him by certain wrong attitudes and actions that we do. I felt that God was speaking to me on the issue of men’s pride. This was something that could hinder us from drawing close to God.

God does not find delight in one’s boasting of his strength, riches or knowledge. If one loves the praise of men more than the praise of God, he would find it hard to listen to God and align his heart to that of God. God wants us to imitate Christ’s humility as stated in Philippians 2 and not have our eyes blinded and our hearts hardened to our very own pride.

I believe that God would have to break this very pride of ours to mold us and transform us into the person that he has designed us to be. Truly, we ought to humble ourselves to be like a servant and acknowledge that God is above all things. We have to work towards Christ-likeness, as seen in John 3:30-31.

God so loved us that He gave His son, the very least we could do is to do our very best to love the people around us no matter how unlovable they might be. I pray that God would teach me how to live a life of humility, even if it means the breaking of my very pride.

Be humble. Be a child of God and a servant to Man.

There Can Be Miracles...When You Believe!

2008-06-09T23:42:00.005+08:00

In John 2:1-11, the story of Jesus changing water into wine is told. This was the first miracle that was recorded in the book of John. The setting takes place at a wedding at Cana in Galilee. "Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding."

At a point of time, the wine ran out, wine that was probably for the people attending the wedding. In verse 3-5, Jesus mother then told him, "They have no wine." And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."

After reading v3-5, one may find it a bit confusing as to Mary’s statement in v5, after listening to Jesus’ seemingly unconcerned reply. From what I gather, I drew out 2 assumptions.

1.Mary knew Jesus was a special child. As Jesus’ mother, she probably saw the miracles that he did through out his growing stages. Hence, she believes that Jesus was able to help her with this matter. True enough, Jesus told the servants to fill six stone water jars with water and draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. The water was not only turned into wine but I believe it was turned into the best wine for that day. (V 10)

2.Mary knew the very nature of God, that if she ask for something and believes that it will be given to her, it will be done. As mentioned earlier, Mary knew Jesus was a special child. More importantly, she knew that Jesus was God. I believe Mary knew Jesus would indeed be her solution to the small issue she was facing.

The main point for these 2 assumptions was that she believed in Jesus for the miracle that He was about to do and God was testing her on this trust that she had. I felt that God has tested me on this very same trust for the miracle and solution that I needed regarding a situation I faced today.

My aunt and I went to Malaysia to do some shopping and some other stuff. While we were on our way back from JB to SG, we somehow followed the wrong crowd into the wrong queue and ended up back in SG without an exit permit chop from the custom officer. As we were not sure of the procedures, we assumed that these could be some of the new changes that were implemented. And so we went onboard our bus and started heading home. A quarter-way through the trip, we felt very uneasy about what had happened and I decided that we had better get back and clarify with the officers.

At that point of time, I was reminded of the story of how Elijah told his servant to go back and look toward the sea. Somehow, this urged me in my decision to ask my aunt to turn back and make the clarifications. We went back and found ourselves in a rather tight situation. However, I reminded myself that God is my protector and in Him I find my strength. I solely trusted in God for His help and the miracles and solutions started falling in place.

1.The ICA officer told us that she had problems deleting our entry in Singapore
- Praise be to God, the ICA officer’s supervisor said that the entry can be cleared by doing some special procedures
2.We were told that we might need to see the high comm. in Malaysia but as it was already evening and the office is probably closed.
-Praise be to God, we did not need to see the high comm.
3.We could have been detained in Malaysia for further investigation
-Praise be to God, the custom officers in M’sia was rather helpful. We were not detained and even if we were going to be detained, the ICA officer’s supervisor said that we could call the police for help.
4.We could have problems entering M’sia in the future if we had delayed any further.
-Praise be to God, there were no complications. We cleared everything smoothly.

Indeed the lesson that God has reminded through this was
A) Always trust in Him no matter what happens
B) Seek Him first in everything
C) Never make assumptions

Praise be to God for His miracles!

The Journey Begins..

2008-06-08T20:14:00.003+08:00

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:1-3

God was here in the beginning and He created the heavens and the earth as seen in Genesis 1:1. He spoke once and all creation sprang to life. He was called the Word and as seen in John 1, the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. He came and spoke in the only way that we could truly understand, by becoming one of us.

The book of John spells out the basis of our faith so clearly. In fact, its purpose is shown in John 20:31, which says
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

In one of the three points in Pastor Khong’s message, ‘Starting Points’, it states that Jesus Christ is the eternal God who lived among us. Jesus is the very same God who created the universe as seen in John1: 3, Colossians 1:16-17.

I have to constantly ask myself whether I believe that Jesus is the Lord God Almighty. If I truly believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, I should be living a life that God finds pleasing. If Jesus is the Lord of my life, I will give my all to him. Whatever God says, I will do it in obedience even if it means giving up on things that may mean a lot to me.

God is not a silent God, He reveals Himself to us in everyway. He wants to have a living relationship with us. It is through His grace that I have received so many blessings in my life. He was the strong tower and refuge that I could seek during times when I was down. I do believe in Jesus and that He loves me. The times that I felt his presence during worship were real and not a fig of an imagination.

How then shall I live my life? Reading through the book of John again has open up my eyes to make me realize that the Word is God. I admit there were times where I read through the bible like it was a story, often missing the essence of what God was trying to speak to me. From that moment on, I believe that my quiet time with God will always be an exciting one of knowing more of God and what He has installed for me regarding my life.

Embarking on a journey with Jesus

2008-06-07T01:03:00.004+08:00

Pastor Seng Lee visited our cell group today and I thank God for the lessons that we learnt from Pastor's short sharing. Before the cell group ended, pastor asked each one of us to think of 1 application which we could do for the next 1 week. I thought about it for quite a while and I felt led to do my daily devotions on the book of John and do a reflection on each chapter a day.

It's a blessing to have pastor here in our cell group though Timothy was not here with us. I remember Pastor Seng Lee reminding us that we should not only just do a reflection and leave it just as it is, but in every way ask ourselves 'how then shall we live?' and how we can apply this teaching in our lives. Indeed, I pray that I will have the desire to live out a life that is pleasing to God and be transformed by Him.

'In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.' I'm looking forward for the next 1 week as I embark on a journey with Jesus and spend time with Him going through the book of John.

PSALMthing We Can All Do...

2008-05-28T00:10:00.003+08:00

We are coming to the end of the book of psalms and 1 common thing that we can pick out from the last few psalms is this: PRAISE THE LORD.

The last few chapters of the book of psalms have strongly encouraged me to praise the Lord in everything. It can be simple things like getting a cab to go to school (thank God that I have found the discipline to cut own on that), receiving some help from your friends or lecturers, or even for a wonderful day.

I feel good when ever I praise the Lord, it some how lifts my spirits up and gets me set on preparing for a seemingly tough day. Even when things don’t seem to go right, I know I can trust God for the solutions that I need. God has given me numerous reasons to praise Him throughout the period of reading through the psalms. 3 main reasons why I praise God is because

1. He is good
God is good all the time and I will always praise Him in whatever situation I’m in (Even when it comes to writing an 800 word CHINESE Essay). The world may be unfair but God is good. It is through certain situations that I learn lessons (such as unity, patience etc.)

2. His love never fails
God is always there for us. He is our rock, shield, strong tower, shelter, refuge. He is a faithful God whom I can put my trust in (making decisions, organizing my time etc.). His love for us reaches to the heavens and each one of us is special and dear to Him. I like what the psalms say: For the Lord takes delight in hi people; he crowns the humble with salvation. Let the saints rejoice in this honour and sing for joy on their beds. (Ps 149:4-5)

3. He refreshes my spirit
Over the past few weeks, I have been super tired from all the work that I had in school. God was the pillar that supported me through this period. The time spent with Him, praying, worshipping and reading His word has given me the strength to do seemingly impossible things.

Truly, it is a joy to praise the Lord. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

God's Dream Team, The Calling to be a Levite...

2008-05-18T23:35:00.004+08:00

We are part of God's dream team. We might have come as individuals, but let us be one in heart to serve the Lord and to serve others.Thanks be to God, who reminded me that He will be the one brings about unity in our family, both physical and spiritual, friends and those around us. And out of this unity will come forth the abundance of God's blessing. I pray that God will bless our relationships within our cell as well as the leaders who have went for the Youthnet 144 retreat.

Besides unity, The Lord has recently prompted my heart to seek and learn more on what it means to worship Him. Indeed, worship determines our destiny and the way we worship the Lord shows how much we enthrone Him. I pray that I will have the willingness to be taught as I embark on this journey of seeking the Lord to learn more on the aspect of worship. I thank God for the sudden realization of how important His word is to me. May the Lord teach me how to be teachable, how to hunger more of His word.

Our Foundation, Our Destiny

2008-05-11T20:12:00.002+08:00

I was pleasantly surprised by this video that was found in youtube. It is a short video showing part of a message titled "How great is our God!" by Louie Giglio. In one section of the video, he talks about Laminin, an amazing molecule in the human body. Through this video, I was reminded clearly that God is the foundation in our lives.

In Colossians 1:15-17, it says ‘He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.’ Truly, our God will always hold us together no matter what situation we are in. There are times in our life that we face hardships in our market place. You might not find favor with people because of whom you are and where you are coming from.

In today’s youth service, we had the privilege of listening to Pastor Tommy Tenney’s message, ‘One Night with the King’ which was based mainly from the story of Esther. The leading character in the story was noticeably Esther, a beautiful Jewish girl whom King Xerxes of Persia chose to be his queen. Throughout his message, Pastor Tenney talked a lot about how favour was the keyword in the book of Esther and how we could gain God’s favour.

I gathered some learning points from pastor’s message:
-You don’t need everyone to like you. Like I mentioned earlier, you might not find favor with people because of what you maybe doing for the Lord. Even Jesus, who is perfect by nature, did not find favor with some of the people that he met. Know that God honors those who do things for Him. One nod from God is definitely far better than the disapproval of men.

-There are some things that you can do to gain God’s favor. For instance, you can use your special talents that God has given you to please Him. It really does help to know what our King likes and what He doesn’t as seen from the story of Esther. Truly, the best way to know what God likes is to read the bible. So would you read your bible today?

- Never underestimate the potential of one encounter. Esther chose to obey God to approach the king of Xerxes even if it means going against the protocol and sacrificing herself for her people. She could have been killed in that one encounter if the king had not raise his golden scepter but nevertheless, her attitude of saying ‘if I perish, I perish’ has showed her approach in obeying the Lord and God honors those who obey Him.

- God has a destiny for me and my destiny is determined by my worship to the Lord. We were created to worship the Lord How I worship the Lord is how I enthroned Him. Worshipping the Lord does not just mean singing songs of praise and worship only. It also includes how we are living our lives, be it spending time with Him or living out a prayerful life, and how we are serving the people in our market place. Do we worship the Lord in everything we do? Do we put God first in all areas of our lives? Do we give our best in doing things for God? Pastor Tommy Tenney reminded us that passion towards God as well as compassion towards humanity are both necessary in our lives. Let us be a ‘Mary’ and a ‘Martha’, to be a God chaser and at the same time serve men. Worship the Lord in everyday of our lives for it pleases Him.

There is no doubt that we serve a wonderful God, may we be the person that God has called us to be…

Psalmone Who Approves My Everything

2008-05-06T21:06:00.004+08:00

I was reading psalm 127 today and basically God reminded me 2 things:

1) Read His Word with the right attitude, with the right hard.
-Even in the midst of being busy, I should not rush through reading God's word nor succumb to my laziness and end up not reading His word. I have rather been too hasty in reading God's word and often find myself missing out things that He might have wanted to tell me.

2) God is my approver in all things that I do.

In verse 1-2 of psalm 127, it says ‘Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat— for he grants sleep to those he loves.'

Unless the Lord approves of the things you are doing, all your efforts will be in vain. I can be staying up late, working hard on my projects, but I must remember that God is the one who sustains and provide me with the results I desire, if not all my efforts will only be in vain.

This means keeping the fear of the Lord in my mind always and yes, there are times where I do forget to put God first in some things in my life. There are times where I do forget to spend time with God instead occupying myself with television programmes or even computer games. However occupied I may be, God has His unique way of reminding me through His word that without Him, everything that I do is in vain. But God is a great God, for even though we are nothing but dust, God is willing to invest His time in us and even has a special plan for us all.

Do I think about my future? Definitely, but I remember that my future is ultimately decided by God and I do not need to worry about it. Be it my career, my relationships or even the ministry I will be in, I want to trust God that He will give me what He thinks is best for me.

Live a life pleasing to God. Praise be to God for He is a God who cares for us…

On a side note, praise be to God for healing me from my bad flu. Though I’m not fully recovered, I want to thank God that I was even able to make it to school today. All the glory to Him for my steady recovery..

As I'm Reaching For You...Once Again

2008-05-04T20:04:00.004+08:00

It's been a long while since I last blog and I confess that laziness has been a major factor that contribute to me been M.I.A. I have been going through a lot of big changes like being in a new class and moving on to the main comm. in my IG. Being busy might be the worst standard excuse that I have for not giving my time to God and I truly want to change my attitude. However, while I was in the midst of being busy, God never fail to remind me of drawing close to Him through Pastor Khong's sermon.

Indeed I was convicted today by pastor's sermon on 'The Word And I'. It's time that I get right with God once again. I have to be a doer rather than only be a hearer of God’s word as said in James 1:22-25. I ask myself from time to time whether do I fear the Lord and I have to admit that I wasn’t as ‘holy’ as people thought I was. I had my own problems which I chose to solve it on my own then to rely on God at times. The truth is I did not put God first in whatever I did. Words without action were just not good enough. I did not really understand how to fear the Lord.

Thanks be to God, for He ministered to me in a big way for the past few weeks. I have learnt what the real meaning of fearing the Lord was and why we should fear Him through Pastor Khong’s message last week. But that wasn’t just enough; I still had the mentality that I was too busy to spend time with God. And so, He spoke to me through today’s message of taking His word seriously. It was like a long anticipated wake up call that I had been waiting all this while.

I found myself recalling what God wanted me to do in my life. I realize that without aligning my heart to God’s heart, I will never be able to grow in those areas that God has shown me. I have come to realize that no matter how hard I work, in the case my studies, my future has already been decided by God. God is reminding me that as long as I put in my effort, He will do His part in giving me His best. The same goes for my skills in guitar playing. I can always practice the guitar but the improvement will only come from God. Over time, I found out that I improve most when I really do worship the Lord.

As I was recalling about the things that God wanted me to do in my life, I noticed that I have missed out one crucial thing from the vision I had from God. It has always been about me and not God, everything I did was for myself. I had not spent my time with God, the time which He held dear. Through my busyness, I have neglect God. I did not put in the effort to really know God because I thought I knew Him already. I really thank God for this wake up call.

It is through this wake up call that I remember the purpose for setting up this blog. To be a light, a light that will shine God’s goodness in my life and to let people know that the God who blesses me abundantly is also willing to bless them. From this day on, I want to be honest in my blogging. I want to make the decision of living out a life of being obedient to God..Thank you Lord, for all you’ve done for me. I know my future is secured in Your hands and my trust is in you.

Psalm84:12

Aaron

The Precious Time That PSALM-One Treasures...

2008-03-04T16:33:00.002+08:00

I love what psalm 63:1-3 says
‘O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.’ His love is better than life. I have seen His goodness in my life and indeed my mouth will praise Him.

I was reminded of the essence of this season of fasting and praying that we are doing. I was so caught up with the dos and don’ts of this fast that it has become a legalistic kind of thing. I have totally overlooked the true meaning behind this fasting. It’s not all about fasting and praying on the stipulated things that we were asked to fast but it’s really for us to focus on spending time with God and praying.

To spend time with God is to give up on things that distract you from spending time with God. It could be fasting from going on MSN if you spend most of your time on it everyday or it could even be fasting from going out with your friends for these 40 days (shopping, watching movies or jamming). Just keep in mind that the main focus is really about spending time with our heavenly Father. Thank God for Joshua who reminded me that God is looking at our hearts and not what we do.

The same goes for prayer. We were asked to pray on 6 items for an hour each day as a way of spending time with God. Pastor said that there maybe times where you may not know what to pray, but he reminded us that God treasure every single second that you spend with Him. So should we pray? Yes definitely, but more than that we are really dedicating that time to God. I believe that God will be the one who would lead you in your prayers as you make the effort to draw close to Him.

Indeed God looks at our hearts and not what we do, we ought to follow the attitude of psalmist in psalm 63. That is to seek Him earnestly even in days that may not be our best because God’s love is better than life, it is the sanctuary that refreshes our soul. Pray and ask God to show you how to live, to teach you how to pray. I pray that we will find delight in spending time with the Lord today.

God Is Both Willing And Able To Save PSALM-one...

2008-03-03T17:15:00.004+08:00

Pastor preached on Psalm 62 during yesterday’s service. He was focusing on how a man could find rest in God even in the midst of resistance. He gave us 3 points on how we could rest in the midst of resistance:

1. Quiet Acceptance of His Covering
In order to rest in the midst of resistance, we first have to learn the discipline on the quiet acceptance of God’s covering. In psalm 62:1 of the NASB version, it says “My soul waits in silence for God only”. One thing that was interesting about this psalm was that the word ‘only’, appeared 6 times in the NASB version of psalm 62 giving it the nickname ‘the only psalm’.

So what did the psalmist meant when he said ‘my soul waits in silence for God only’?
Well, I felt that his intention was to say that he would only focus and find rest in God even in the midst of resistance. Resting in God is really just spending time and keeping Him company. No matter how big a problem you might be facing in your life right now, no problem is ever too big for God. Even in problems that you are facing with people, know that men are only breath and they are nothing in the light of who God is, for God is the only rock and salvation in our lives.

2. Aggressive Assertion of His Control
In v5-6, it says ‘Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken.’ This may seem similar to v1, however note that the mood use different. V5-6 actually shows that the psalmist is making a stand and making a reminder that God is his rest alone. Indeed it is really having the attitude of saying to yourself that ‘in God alone, I find my rest.’

I like what v8 says, ‘trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.’ God doesn’t find our troubles bothersome to Him. Like I said earlier, no problem is ever too big for God so would you trust in him at all times for the solution of your problems. God is the solution.

3. Unwavering Acknowledgement of His Character
In v11-12, it says ‘one thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done.’

In these 2 verses, we see that God is a strong and loving God making Him worthy of our rock and salvation. This not only shows that God is able, but He is also willing. These characteristics are essential in making God worthy of our rock and salvation and they must go hand in hand with each other. Now why must they go hand in hand with each other then?

One maybe able (he can be rich or capable), on the other hand he may not be willing to help someone (who is in need). One maybe willing to help but he may not be able to do so (due to the lack of resources of ability).

What makes God worthy of being our rock and salvation is that He is both able and willing to save us. He is our refuge in whom we can find rest in even in the midst of resistance. Would you trust in Him and find your rest in Him today?

PSALM Simple Song...

2008-03-02T01:43:00.001+08:00

A simple song of worship was placed in my heart when I read psalm 61.

Lead me to God who is my rock
Oh, lead me to God who is my refuge
Lead me to God who is my strong tower
For I will sing praises to Him all my days

For He answered my call
And He heard my vows
Oh Lord, I follow You
Day after Day
For Your love and faithfulness
Is everlasting

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Indeed God is my rock, my refuge and my strong tower and I would sing praises to His name and fulfil my vows day after day. Regardless of where they are, He will protect those who call upon His name, with His love and faithfulness

Let us even have an attitude of praising God even in the midst of trouble.
For His love is higher than the heavens and His faithfulness is higher than the skies. Great is His love and faithfulness!

PSALM Fruitful Branches...

2008-03-01T15:46:00.002+08:00

I wasn’t really sure of the background of psalm 60 but with the help of the psalm’s guide, I was able to have a better understanding and clarity of what this psalm is all about. Here’s a little background of psalm 60 from what I have found from the psalm’s guide:

A national prayer for God’s help after suffering a severe blow by a foreign nation, presumably Edom (v9). The prayer leader may have been a king. God has promised to be with His people; but in his own wisdom, He seems to have abandoned them. God’s people live a meaningless existence without His presence. They take defeat seriously because divine abandonment is the most miserable condition. The experience of divine rejection brings out a renewed faith and confidence in the Lord.

It is seen in psalm 60 that God had seemingly abandoned His people. But why would God reject His people? Well He was angry with them. The verse to this reason was found in v3, ‘you have shown your people desperate times; you have given us wine that makes us stagger.’
What is this wine that made them stagger? It was the cup of the Lord’s wrath and this wrath was mentioned in both Isa 51 and Jer 25:15.

God may have been angry with His people but know that He is a compassionate and just God. In psalm 60, the psalmist was quick in repenting his sins and responded to this divine rejection by praying as their first recourse. He humbles his heart and believes that it is only through God that they will gain the victory as seen in v12. We should recognise the fact that we are nothing without God. It is only by His spirit that we can do all things but do you put your confidence in Him? Do you trust that God can see you through tough times and vindicate you? If you do, would you seek prayer as your first recourse and not the last resort?

God honours those who seek Him with an attitude of brokenness. Always remember the story of the Vine and Branches in John 15.
For Jesus said, "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

We can do nothing without God…

An Original Purpose Forgotten by PSALM...

2008-03-01T01:43:00.004+08:00

Psalm 59 highlights God as our strength, our fortress, our loving God. God never fails to let us know that He is our deliverer, our refuge in times of trouble and truly, we are nothing without Him. Yet there are times that we think that we can be someone who is successful and forget about God altogether. We tend to go on our own way when we rely on ourselves.

I was reminded that God created us to love Him and that is our purpose. We are God’s project, His creation and we are called to worship Him. Imagine that you invented something for a specific purpose and for that sole purpose only, how you would feel if someone uses it for an incorrect purpose. The sole specific purpose of the iron is used for ironing clothes but what if someone uses it to cook satay instead? Would you, as the inventor feel a sense of disappointment for the misuse of the iron? This is the same kind of reaction that God is feeling.

As I said, we were called to worship Him and to love Him for this is our sole purpose. We should not be going our own way or forging out or carving out our own lives the way we want it to be.

It is said in Deuteronomy 5:9 that God is a jealous God. Jealous not in the ‘human’ way but rather the expression of letting us know that we must put God first in our hearts. He does not want you to place the wrong priorities in your lives, we are His creation and we are made to love Him. I hope you caught the essence of God’s primary and foremost intention for you.

Do you have a heart of worshipping the Lord God Almighty? If you do, He is more than willing to be our strength, our fortress, our deliverer, our refuge in times of trouble and our loving God. Truly, we are nothing without Him.

PSALM Justice Will Be Done - Not By PSALMone But By The God Of Justice...

2008-02-29T00:32:00.003+08:00

The first time I read through psalm 58 I was like ‘wah, these are sure some pretty rough words that the psalmist have used.’ If you read fromv6-9, you might agree to the statement that I have made.

V6-9
Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;
tear out, O LORD, the fangs of the lions!
Let them vanish like water that flows away;
when they draw the bow, let their arrows be blunted.
Like a slug melting away as it moves along,
like a stillborn child, may they not see the sun.
Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns—whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.

One might ask: What is the psalmist doing? Why is he bent on punishing the wicked?

Well keep in mind that the psalmist is not planning on how he would punish the wicked but rather asking God for justice. It is also highlighted that this is one of the psalms that is arranged to the tune of “Do Not Destroy”. This shows that the purpose of this psalm is really not to seek out our own judgment on how to punish other people but rather love them. If there was any judgment to be done, God would do it according to His righteousness as it is mentioned that man only devise injustice in his heart, his hands mete out violence on earth.

Be encouraged if you are facing trouble with some politics in your marketplace, for surely the righteous still are rewarded; surely there is a God who judges the earth.

PSALM Beliefs, Attitudes And Intentions...

2008-02-29T00:06:00.001+08:00

Well, I have some catching up to do. I have been busy studying these few days and it has taken a toll on my body. I actually fell severely ill, a really bad flu if you put it. Thank God for the healing that is taking place, I feel much better now. I am very encouraged lately to even want to make my every effort to spend time with God.

Indeed these few days have not been easy for me, as much as I want to write my devotions, my body just can’t take the immense pressure that it was going through. But one thing is still for certain as psalm 57:7: my heart is still steadfast for God. Even when I was sort of bedridden for the past day or so, my heart was calling to God. I needed the Lord to sustain me, to heal me. In him, I will seek refuge until the disaster (virus) has passed.

There is a process called the B-A-I that I have learnt from marketing. It stands for Beliefs – Attitudes – Intention and is actually part of a customer’s buying process. I feel that I can apply this to the situation I’m in now.

Belief
What are my beliefs? I am certain that God will help me to overcome this sickness for He is ever faithful in His love for us. I believe that God is my healer and I can find my rest in Him.

Attitude
What is the attitude that I have? For I know that God will heal me and I can find my rest in Him, hence I will place my trust in Him. My heart will be steadfast for Him and I will trust in His love and faithfulness.

Intention
What will be my intention then? I will exalt Him for who He is, for the Lord is true to His word. I will praise Him and sing of His great love!

‘For great is Your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.’- Ps57:10.

PSALM Darkness Never Too Dark For God...

2008-02-25T15:07:00.002+08:00

‘In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?’ That was the repeated idea of psalms 56. Just like the many psalms we read, psalm 56 emphasized on trusting God even in the darkest moments in your life.

It is seen in psalm 56 that David has been captured by the Philistines. Even when he was held captive, he never fails to put his trust in God.

When he was afraid, he trusted in God. When he calls for help, it is not man that he calls but God, for he knows that God will save him and is the only one who can save him.

What can a mortal man do? A man’s strength is limited but God’s strength is infinite.
A man maybe king over his kingdom but God is king of the universe, the king of kings. When God stands, the tall trees and mountains bow…when He speaks, the fiercest of oceans is still.

David recognizes the sheer power of God. More importantly, he recognizes God’s willingness to help him, to deliver him from his troubles. That’s the reason why he said, ‘In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?’

Do we recognize this same God that David recognizes? Have you had problems that you have been running away from? Today, God wants you to trust in Him that He will deliver you from your problems and be the light that will guide you through the darkness in your life.

PSALMone Whom We Can Put Our Trust In...

2008-02-24T09:25:00.004+08:00

‘Cast all your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.’ Psalm55:22

Psalm 55 shows the psalmist feeling distraught not only because the ‘voice of the enemy’ and ‘the stares of the wicked’ have brought down suffering upon him, but also because he has been betrayed by someone close. A companion, a close friend of the psalmist.

As seen from v12-14, ‘If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it; if a foe were raising himself against me, I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God.’

It is hard enough for the psalmist to deal with enemies and it is even harder to face the fact of a betrayal by a close friend. Can you imagine the shock, the hurt and anger that he was going through? As seen in v4-5, ‘My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.’

I believe that the psalmist’s close friend was also a man who serve God just like the psalmist, however his behaviour changed as seen in psalm 55.The change in the behaviour of the companion of the psalmist is seen from v20-21: ‘My companion attacks his friends; he violates his covenant. His speech is smooth as butter, yet war is in his heart; his words are more soothing than oil, they are drawn swords.’

What does this show? It shows that everyone has the potential to turn their backs to God. That is the reason why we have to pray for ourselves, to be a brother’s keeper to our fellow spiritual brothers. The devil never fails to prowl in the shadows. He can give you the idea that serving God is nothing more than a religion. Know that serving God is more than just a religion; it’s having a RELATIONSHIP with God, our heavenly Father.

Though the psalmist felt distraught and troubled, he knew that he could trust no one else besides God, for he knows that God will never betray him. V16-19 shows the psalmist calling out to God and more importantly, it shows the psalmist trust that he has in the Lord.

Even in the midst of my exams, I know that I can trust in the Lord for the wisdom, the rest and the knowledge that He would provide me with in preparation for the exams.

So who would you trust in today? I like what the psalmist say at the end of psalm 55.

But as for me, I trust in you… I trust in God.

PSALM Blessed Present From God!

2008-02-23T10:18:00.002+08:00

Psalm 54 is a very simple and short psalm to understand. I consider it the one of the most significant birthday gift from God to me.

I like the simplicity of this psalm. In fact, I can form 3 Ps from v2, 4 and 6, the even numbers of the verses.

1) Pray
V2: ‘Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.’
How blessed is someone who prays to God. When you believe and trust that God will answer your prayer, it will be answered. Just like how Jesus heals the 2 blind men in Matt 9:27-29.
Jesus asked the 2 men whether they believe that he can heal them from their blindness, and they believed and were healed. For Jesus says, ‘according to your faith will it be done to you.’

2) Proclaim
V4: ‘Surely God is my help; The Lord is the one who sustains me.’
How blessed is someone who has God as his helper in times of need. Recognize and even declare in your heart that the Lord is your sole helper in times of
i) Needs
ii) Uncertainties
iii) Troubles
I find that these 3 moments are the more prominent moments that the psalms have mentioned so far and it applies to all of us. There are indeed times where we experience troubles, uncertainties and even times where we need something. Acknowledge that He is the provider, the helper, the decision-maker of your lives.

3) Praise
V6: ‘I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you; I will praise your name, O LORD, for it is good. ‘
How blessed is someone who praises the name of the Lord. Praising the Lord is good, praise the Lord for all the things He has done in your life. In fact, live a life that is pleasing to God, so that the people would see your good works and praise the Lord. Praising God also means of showing your adoration to Him, so would you praise God today?

Blessed am I to receive this psalm today for it assures me that the Lord hears my prayers, He is my helper and I would praise Him for His goodness in my life.

PSALM Familiar Reminder...PSALM 'Good Thing' To Do...

2008-02-22T22:44:00.001+08:00

Psalm 53 is a unique psalm because it is actually identical to psalm 14 in terms of meaning. Since psalm 53 was a replica of psalm 14, I decided to read up psalm14 again. Other than a few different usages of words, I derive that the meaning of both psalms were the same.

In my mind, I thought ‘Psalm 53 wasn’t there by mistake; God arranged it to be there for a reason.’ So what was the message that I got out of psalm 53 then? A consistent and familiar reminder: The need for us to have total reliance on God. The message was brought out clear in both psalm 14 and 53 that God has not found any man who does good, any who understand, any who truly seek Him.

Now why did I say it was a reminder for all of us to fully rely on God then? Know that by our nature, we can never be the person that God wants us to be. We can be seeking God, doing our quiet time today and even be holy for that day yet we can also become a different person another day, doing sinful things and just as the bible says, doing nothing good.

Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. We can only be the person that God desires us to be through Jesus. I feel that salvation doesn’t end at the point where you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. In fact, I feel that it is the beginning of a journey, of following what Jesus would do and indeed by doing so, we are not only saved, but we also save others in the process. I sense that this is the good thing that God is referring to me in psalm 53 today.

It all leads back to the Father’s heart…that none should perish. Indeed I pray that we will do the ‘good thing’ God wants us to do and that everyday, God’s people would say ‘salvation is here!’

God PSALMs Up My Life...

2008-02-21T20:39:00.004+08:00

God spoke to me in a very interesting way today in the midst of busy studying my modules. As I was taking down my exam particulars from my school account, the life mission statement that I wrote about a year ago just sort of pop out of no where.

It has indeed been a long while since I last read my LMS and I was wondering why my LMS just suddenly popped out when I did not even make any attempt to even open it. Well God was reminding me of something that I wrote, the requests that I made. So without further ado, here is my LONG LMS.

To live a life of purpose, meaning and enduring joy, I will be the leader of my own life; making my dreams come true by realizing my chosen Vision, guided by universally admirable Values, driven by an enduring Purpose and fired by undying Passions.

VALUES: Values that guide my conducts in life shall be the same admirable values that I have found in the person that I respect,such as beingLoving, Obedient, Forgiving, Compassionate, Resilient, Honest

VISION: Envisioning myself becoming a person who:Jesus thinks is Loving, Forgiving, Obedient.My father thinks is Responsible, Honest, Courageous.Timothy thinks is Compassionate, Responsible, Honest.

PURPOSE: My Meaning and Purpose in Life can be derived from the following statements:
In 5, 20 and 80 years from now, I hope to be surrounded by the most important people in my life. This is who they are and what I plan to be doing:

5 years:
I will be in serving my NS. I will meet new people in my camp and I will make it a point to bond to them. I will be praying for those who did not receive salvation. When a chance arises, I will share with them my faith and the God that I put first in my life.

20 years:
I will be serving my church as one of the leaders and be living my passion in ministering to the poor if I’m appointed to go for missionary trips. If God bless me with the `helper` whose heart is after God and we share similar goals, I would be married with at least 2 kids and I will teach them about leading a Christian life as well as seeing through their early years in education.

80 years:
If God blesses me with a long life, I will be enjoying most of my time with God and my family. I will also see my sons and daughters serving the Lord. I will see my children getting married and having grandchildren. More than ever, my main focus will always be to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness in my life till the day the Lord takes me away with Him.

I will be willing to die for:
my faith as a Christian, if it means being persecuted by the nations because I believe that God love us so much that He send His One and Only Son to die for us. He has created many miracles in my life and He was always there for me even when I was at the lowest point in my life and I am willing to lay down my life for the Saviour I believe in.

If I have all the money and time in the world, to do anything I wanted (e.g. I’ve just won 10 millions Singapore dollars in a lucky draw), I would like to do following things:
If I have all the time and money in the world, I will use it to serve God in anyway, be it ministering to the poor. Donate 10% of my money as tithes to God, and always give whatever I have to the poor as I know God will always provide and not short-change me..Spend part of the money and my time on my family to travel around the world and make sure that they live a comfortable and happy life..Spend part of my money and time on the hobbies I like and experiencing life to the fullest.

If I have only 100 days left to live, I would like to do the following things:
Doing meaningful things like helping the poor and needy, spending more time with God and believing that He will save me.,Spending more time with my family, spiritual family and friends. Treasuring them each and everyday and talk to them about the happy memories I had with them in the past, do all the things I always wanted to do..

If I could spend one day with any person who ever lived, this is who it would be, and what I would ask:
My father, because I have not been able to spend quality time with him since my mother passed away. I would ask him what I could ever do as a son for him.

This is what I feel represents me, and why:
Angelfish, I care more about the welfare of others and always encourage peace.

Well it may not be long for some people but it certainly looks lengthy enough for me. Though it wasn’t really a perfect LMS for me, there were certainly many things that I wrote which had something to do with God. Indeed, God was reminding me whether I was putting Him first in my life, do I trust in Him for the things that I ask for. Will I carry out the things that I had listed down in my LMS?

As we grow older, it’s a process that the way we think changes and indeed I realise that want my life to be more fulfilling. There are many things that I want in my life. Though my thinking back then when I was doing this LMS was different from the way I think now, I still know 1 thing for certain as said in psalm 52:9 ‘I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints.’ And that will never change.

Indeed when I look back at my life, I have seen the goodness of the Lord in my life. For the Lord is my sufficiency and he would bless me with the desires of my heart. Blessed is the Lord for all He has done in my life. I believe that He would be more than willing to bless you today if you decide to put your trust in Him.

PSALM Prayer of Confession

2008-02-20T21:13:00.000+08:00

Today’s psalm emphasizes on confession. In psalm 51, we see David confessing his sin to God, a sin that he thought nothing of until the prophet Nathan accused him to his face of the sin that he had committed.

David, the greatest king of Israel’s history could have had Nathan killed for his daring public confrontation or he could have thrown him to prison and denied the accusation. However, David knew that Nathan spoke for God and instead confesses his sin openly to the Lord, indeed showing that he is a man after God’s heart. He recognizes that God was the true king of Israel and he humbled himself instead of letting the pride of a king get the better of him.

I admire David’s humble heart and character. How many of us can be like David? Do we recognize God as the King of kings and the Lord of lords? Do we know our place before God? Do we even recognize the fact that we are sinful in nature? David does, he recognizes that he has been sinful since the time his mother conceived him. He also asks the Lord to cleanse him from his sins and to wash away his iniquity.

Psalm51 has indeed been a reminder for me to confess any sin that I have yet to confess to the Lord. It says in 1 John 1:9 that ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’ I think that this psalm is very suitable as a prayer of confession for many of us and since pastor encourages us to pray through the psalms, would you use this as your prayer today?

I like what v10-12 says:
‘Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.’ Indeed, I would make it my prayer today.

The Lord Is Looking For PSALM Who Honor Him...

2008-02-19T23:09:00.004+08:00

I have been studying intensively for the past few days or so for my final semester exams. I thank God for the strength that He has given me and even the time to do my daily devotions.

Psalm 50 is a psalm that shows us that God does not need our gifts. Some people think that by doing more good deeds, they can bargain with God what they want and what they want God to do. Well, God wants to let His people know today that He is not a manipulative God.

Ultimately, when the people of the past sacrifice thank offerings to God, it is really a way of showing that they honour the Lord. The Lord really has no need of any sacrifices or burnt offerings. For the Lord is rich beyond our imagination as seen from His response in v9-13. The world and all that is in it is His…

There really isn’t anything much that we can bring before the Lord except our thanksgivings, worship and praises and the way we live our lives. It’s all about honouring Him. What matters most to Him is the attitude that we take towards Him. Even for my studies, I know that I study not only because I want to have good grades, but also because I want to use my grades to honour the Lord. To use my education as a form of worship to Him.

However busy I may be, be it studying for my exams or doing some co-curricular activities, I make it a point to draw close to the Lord. Know this, God honours those who draw close to Him. No matter how back-to-back my activities are, I will make my very effort to set aside time to spend with my heavenly Father.

Truly, God does not see the physical self but rather the heart of a worshipper. As said in 1 Samuel16:7b, 'The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'Indeed God will judge and see the intentions of our hearts. Let he who bring God a sacrifice of praise prepare the way of the Lord so that He may show him the salvation of God.

Money Can’t Buy PSALMone’s Life

2008-02-18T22:01:00.001+08:00

Indeed money can’t buy someone’s life. That was the theme for psalms 49. Money can do many things but the one thing that it cannot do is that it can’t be an escape mechanism from the grave. For in psalm 49:7-9, it says ‘No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him- the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough- that he should live on forever not see decay.’

V7-9 gives us a clear picture that those who treasure their wealth will never be able to bring it into the kingdom of God. As said in v17, for he will take nothing with him when he dies, his splendor will not descend with him. Not only that, it also tells us that the tombs of those who treasure their wealth will remain their houses forever and their forms will decay in the grave, far from their princely mansions.

The bible says that the ransom for a life is costly and that no payment is ever enough. So what is the only way of redemption then?
In v15, ‘But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself.’

The only way of redemption is through God. God has indeed redeem us through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. For it says in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

Know this, God is the author of life and death and psalm 49 sums it up with v20, saying that ‘man who has riches without understanding is like the beasts that perish.’

Would you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ today?

PSALMone Who Will Guide Me Through My Uncertainties...

2008-02-17T22:40:00.002+08:00

‘Great is the Lord, and most worthy of praise, in the city of our God, his holy mountain.’ ‘For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.’

I didn’t felt too good today, especially after service. Something in me is making my heart impatient and it affected the attitude of mine during my reunion dinner with my distant relatives. In my quietness I wrote down what was bothering me and I prayed that God will change this heart of mine. Indeed, He is faithful for my attitude change after the dinner and I was even able to play and joke around with my younger cousins.

God, I know that you know what is bothering me and I pray that I will indeed surrender this issue fully into your hands. A thousand times I may have tried yet I fail but I know that only through you am I able to live this life of surrender. I recognize that you are my solution and my guide to this matter in my heart.

For you are my God and I will sing to you praises and play to you songs of worship. I pray that I will put Your kingdom first and let Your heart’s desire be my desire. I want to do everything to please You and I know that when I look to You with a heart that truly seeks You, You would show me Your lovingkindness. I believe that when I ask with faith, You will surely answer me. God no matter what happens, I am committed in serving you with all my heart and I believe that you will be my guide even to the end. Amen...

PSALMthing The Father Desires...

2008-02-16T21:16:00.001+08:00

I went to the last cluster prayer meeting today and felt that it has indeed been a fruitful time of spending time with not only my spiritual family, but more importantly spending time worshipping our Father and singing to Him praises. So what does the prayer meeting have to do with psalm 47 then?

Well, I was reading psalm 47 this morning and I thought that it was a pretty normal psalm. It mentions a lot about praising God by singing or by shouts of joy, something we do often. However, by the end of today’s prayer meeting, psalm 47 spoke out to me in a new way. At a deeper level, it actually talks about God’s people gathering together to praise Him.

Now what about God’s people then? Know that the Israelites often thought of themselves as exclusively God’s people, however in this psalm it mentions that the nations will gather not only as an assembly to praise God but as the people of the God of Abraham. This means that each and every one of us are actually insiders included in God’s covenant with the Israelites.

I was reminded of the heart of the Father in today’s cluster meeting. Know that the God’s desire is that he doesn’t want anyone to perish. Do we have the same desire as God’s heart? If we do, we ought to follow what Jesus is doing now at the right hand of God. Just as He is interceding for us all, we should be praying for our friends who have not been saved. No matter what they have done to you, whether good or bad, know that God loves them and He wants them to be save. God loves the sinners but hates the sin.

Pastor Jo also mention that if should we have an enemy, that would be the devil. The devil will indeed be prowling like a lion in the shadows, stopping us from doing what God intended us to do. No matter what the devil does, he is never bigger and more powerful than God. Know that when we submit ourselves to God, the devil will flee.

The devil may deceive you, saying that you are not worthy to come before God to worship Him because you are sinner. However, I was reminded of Jude 24-25 which says ‘Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, to the only God our Saviour, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.’ It is not the devil who would decide whether you are able to come before God but God Himself and Jesus says come as you are.

God’s heart indeed goes out to His people. He does not want anyone to perish and He wants His people to gather as one assembly to worship Him, to sing praises to Him. Will you align the desires of His heart with yours today? Will you live a life of surrender to Him today? If you do, know that you will indeed be greatly bless by Him.

PSALM Will Witness And Be Still...

2008-02-15T22:03:00.001+08:00

Psalm 46 reminded me of the song ‘Still’ by Hillsongs. Indeed I will be still even when the earth gives way and know that God is my fortress. I am always encouraged to know that God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

This semester has been tough for me but I am glad that even through this stormy season, God has always been there to help me, to make sure that I do not stumble. In the stillness of my heart, I know that there is no one like Him.

How great is our God? You have to witness the works of God to know how great He is. As said in v8, ‘come and see the works of the LORD’.
For ‘He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.’
When nations are in uproar and when kingdoms fall, He only needs to lift His voice and the earth will melt.

Would you put your trust in God today? For if He can make the earth melt just by lifting His voice, wouldn’t it be even much easier for Him to help you with the troubles you are facing with?
For the key idea of psalm 46 is found in v7 and11, that ‘the Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.’ Just like 7 Eleven, God is always watching over us 24/7 and know that He never slumbers. In Him we will find our sense of security, in Him we find our strength. When you put your hope in God, He will never let you go…through it all.

Be still, and know that He is God…

Spending Valentine's Day With PSALMone Special...

2008-02-15T00:01:00.000+08:00

Psalm 45 is a unique psalm compare to all the other previous psalms. It is a wedding song that shows the excellence of the king as he prepares to take a bride. It seems pretty weird at first that this wedding song of such noble theme is found in the book of heartfelt prayers.

We might ask ourselves, ‘why is this poem in psalms and not in another book such as in songs of songs.’ It was even more interesting and timely to discover that this psalm falls on Valentine’s Day.

I felt that God was trying to send a message to all of us. Valentine’s Day for some, may be a day to do something special for your love ones or even just to spend time with them. Similarly, God wants to spend time with you because He loves you and today He wants to remind all of us about the time where Christ will receive the bride.

This psalm may seem like it is only referring to a king’s marriage, but more than that, it really is about God’s marriage to humanity.

V6-7 made sense only when ‘the Anointed’ came in Jesus and it is through verse 6 that we know that the king turns out to be God. A clever and successful king would assure his people of prosperity as well as stable leadership for years to come. Jesus was the king that was referred in psalm 45. His welfare represented the welfare of his people. Hence, v6 says that God’s throne will always last and He will rule His kingdom with justice.

Indeed God saw in His heart from the beginning of time that we were going to shine as His bride even as He offered up His life. Just as the same way someone would do something special for their love ones, God has also did something special for us, something which would perpetuate our memories through all the generations.

Indeed God is really preparing us for the coming of His kingdom, for the wedding that is fitting for a King. Let us as a church, shine as His bride and be anointed with the oil of joy.

PSALMone Whose Love Never Fails...

2008-02-14T02:06:00.000+08:00

After reading Psalm 44, it was clear to me that God’s love never fails.

To be a Christian, suffering for God’s sake would be something that we should expect. But why must we suffer?

In psalm 44:1-8, the psalmists recall of the things that God has done for them in the past, praising His name all day long for His goodness. However, a huge contrast can be seen from v9 onwards. The psalmists felt that God was not with them. They suffered persecutions after persecutions though they have not forgotten God nor have they been false to God’s covenant. They also acknowledged that God knows the secrets of their heart and would have long discovered whether they have sin against Him. They were confident that their hearts were faithful towards God. However, they had to face death all day long for God’s sake. Why must they suffer?

There maybe times where we may not feel God’s presence in times of troubles though we may have been doing what is right in God’s eyes. There may even be times where our prayers and faith in God have not produced any result. So why do we have to go through all these sufferings?

As seen in Romans 37-39, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. We need to know that nothing would be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God allows us to face death all day long because He has something good in store for us. We have to die more to ourselves and be more alive in Christ. It is said in the bible that the truth will set you free, since Jesus Christ is the truth; it means that in Him we will be set free. Set us free from what then? Free from the laws of sin and of death.

We have to act on what Gal2:20, which says ‘I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.’
If there is one thing that makes us different from the psalmists, it would be that we were made known to the good news of what Jesus did for us. The psalmists did not know about the good things that were in stored for them.

In psalm 44:26, the psalmists ask God to rise up to help them, to redeem them. Know that when Christ died for us, we were redeemed by the blood of the lamb. Why did God sent His One and Only Son to die for us? For God so love the world, His love never fails. I am sure that though the psalmists faced death all day long, they knew that God would indeed redeem them because of His unfailing love.

Maybe you might have some unanswered prayers today that God has not given you the desires of your heart, but would you trust that God would answer it in His own time, in His own pace. For God’s love never fails and He wants to bless you with only the best.

PSALM Secret Prayer Made Before You...

2008-02-13T00:01:00.000+08:00

‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.’ Psalm 43:5

Psalm 43 is a short psalm and as mentioned in my previous post, it is a continuation of psalm 42. I held a prayer meeting in my school today and felt compelled to read today’s psalm as a cell. It may have been a little last minute holding such a prayer meeting without preparing a prayer list; however I knew that if there is one thing I wanted them to do, it would be to search deep down their soul and check the condition of their hearts.

What is more important in their lives? The troubles they are facing or the delight in the Lord? The desires of their heart or the desires of the Father’s heart? Where does God stand in their lives?

During the prayer meeting, I prayed in my quiet ways that God would indeed touch their hearts, giving them a new delight in the Lord. My desire for them is that they would put their trust in the Lord (whether it’s the posting of their schools as well as the choice of their courses), trusting Him that their future is indeed secured in Him.

For it says in psalms 43:3-4, Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell. Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight. I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.’ I pray that God will be their lamp that will lead them in the right path, for He is the way, the truth and the life. Let their hope, joy and delight be in the Lord.

I will say to my soul as of today, ‘Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.’ For He is the Lord of my life and the Shepherd that guides me in the light of His truth and my lips will praise Him for His goodness.

PSALM Souls Will Be Set Free ...

2008-02-11T20:26:00.000+08:00

Psalm 42, the first psalm in book II of the book of Psalms. I have finally caught up with the devotions on psalms.

I thought that this psalm was pretty interesting as it gave an idea of doing some soul searching. Not only that, it is interesting to know that psalms 42 and 43 constitutes one psalm. I shall look into psalm 43 tomorrow. Let’s look at psalms 42.

It can be seen that there is a repetition in v5 and v 11:
‘Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Saviour and my God.

This repetition really prompts you to do some soul searching and check whether that you are putting your hope in God, whether you will continue to praise Him despite the times where your soul just feels so downcast.

We can see in v 1-2 that the psalmist’s desire was to meet God. For he says, ‘As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?’
Great was the desire of the psalmist for he was eager to meet God. I was reminded of one of the verses of psalms that I have previously memorised.

‘God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips will praise You.’ Psalms 63:1-3(NASB)

We will praise Him because His lovingkindness is better than life. How many of us are actually eager to meet God? Some may say that they are too ashamed to even see God, let alone meet Him. But know that Jesus says come as you are, for the Father is eager to meet His children and he will forgive those who truly choose to repent.

I am not ashamed of the gospel and my lips would praise Him for His power and His love has saved my soul. My soul indeed thirsts for Him, just like a deer that pants for streams of water. He is a necessity in my life and He will always be here in my life.

PSALMone Who Regards For The Weak...

2008-02-11T19:47:00.000+08:00

‘Blessed is he who has regard for the weak; the LORD delivers him in times of trouble. The LORD will protect him and preserve his life; he will bless him in the land and not surrender him to the desire of his foes.’ Ps 41:1-2

In psalm 41, we see that the Lord blesses someone who has regard for the weak. I thought that the blessing for psalm 41 can be summed up in verse 12, ‘In my integrity you uphold me and set me in your presence forever.’

The one who has regard for the weak can be sure that God’s presence is forever with him. The Lord is indeed pleased with someone who has regard for the weak. He will watch over those with a heart for the poor, the needy and the weak. He assures them that He will be with them to the end of the ages.

Great is the love of God and he honours those who aligns their heart with His. For God is an everlasting God, the God of ages.

I pray that God would indeed give us a heart that goes out for the weak, for the world is getting colder each day. If we aren’t concern with the weak, who would?

God’s heart goes out to the weak and if you ask Him for the things He delights in, He will surely answer you. Do you delight in God? If you do, then you would do things which please the Father’s heart.

Would you ask God for a new heart today?

PSALM Will Ask For A Pure Heart...

2008-02-11T03:02:00.000+08:00

Psalm 40 shows a rather positive and polite tone in the psalmist compared to some of the previous psalms like psalm 39. Through out psalms 40, it can be seen that the psalmist is praising the Lord of His goodness, acknowledging that God is his help and deliverer.

He is not shy in proclaiming of the Lord’s greatness and he tries to show the Lord’s unfailing love and how His love has helped him through the storms in each and every. A few questions struck me as I was reading psalm 40…can we be like the psalmist? Can we praise God in anything that we do? Can we praise God when we are in an unfavorable situation too? The answer is definitely yes but we have to put in our effort.

We have to acknowledge the fact that by our own human nature, we will tend to complain whenever things don’t go according to our way. That is why we have to die to ourselves and be more alive in Christ and that takes effort. By effort, I mean praying and asking God for a pure heart, to be right before His eyes. I believe that when we truly seek the Lord, we will delight in Him and praising Him will be something natural for us all.

Humble yourself today and ask God for a pure heart today…

Each Man’s Life Is But PSALM Breath...

2008-02-09T23:21:00.001+08:00

Each man’s life is but a breath. Psalm 39 somewhat shows the idea of the psalmist wrestling with God. In a way, they try to make sense out of their suffering, however when they ask God for help, they receive none. This shows that there may be times where God will allow us to experience struggles. Know that He allows this because He wants to discipline us to rely on Him, to seek Him earnestly.

Psalm 39 also gives the repeated idea that each man’s life is but a breath as seen in v5 and v11. It just goes to show that we are nothing without God. As said from v4-6, ‘Show me, O LORD, my life's end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man's life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: He bustles about, but only in vain; he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it.’

God’s grace goes beyond what men can ever possibly think. It’s purely grace that we are even called to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. There may be times where you may complain to God about the sufferings you are going through. But think about it, God allows things to happen because He wants you to learn something out of it.

So psalm 39 really shows that wrestling with God has value even when you fail to find answers. Be patient and God will indeed hear your cry and answer your prayer.

The Purpose Of PSALM Testings..

2008-02-09T14:06:00.000+08:00

‘O LORD, do not forsake me; be not far from me, O my God. Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Saviour.’ A psalm of David. A petition.

I felt that this psalm really showed the lowest point of David’s life. V17-18 stood out for me. It mentions that David was on the verge of falling and that his pain is ever with him. I felt that the cause of his pain was because he was still troubled by his sin.
As I reflect on what I could learn from psalm 38, 2 things came to my mind.
1) Am I still troubled by my sins?
Am I still clinging on to pass hurts or holding any thoughts of anguish in my heart. For God is able to judge the intentions and thoughts of our heart.
2) Do I trust God?
Do I really trust in God? I realize that the reason why God put me in this unfavourable position was because He wanted to see whether I would trust Him in delivering me out of this situation.

Numerous are his enemies who hated him without reason, he has become a man who does not hear, whose mouth does can offer no reply. I have this sudden thought that I could relate to how David was feeling. I can never talk as freely as I could in class, I can never hear ‘happy’ things but only slanders. In fact, I was reminded of the situation I faced back when I was secondary 3. I was in the top class and everything, but did I felt happy? The class was cold towards me at the point of time and even some of the teachers did not have a good impression of me. So what did I do? I did in what was probably the dumbest decision I ever made, I gave up. I decided to retain for a year, hoping for the better. And things did get better, I was top of the class and I was in a class where I got the respect that my heart desired. I even did well in my O levels. Little did I realize that God made such things to happen, each decision that I made was already predetermined by God.

As I was reminded of this past experience, I had a new revelation of what God was trying to teach me. He was putting me in a similar yet tougher situation because He wanted to remind me that He was always there for me. He was testing me to see whether I would trust Him for the miracle to happen.

Thank you God for this reminder and test that You have given me. I am reminded not to take You for granted and I will continue to trust in You for the miracles in my life. Make our lives many miracles…

Life May Be PSALMwhat Unfair, BUT God isn’t!!!

2008-02-09T01:24:00.000+08:00

Is life unfair? Well Psalms 37 gives us a basic answer: the success of the wicked will not last, while the long run people who do right will flourish. Psalms 37 is somewhat an encouragement for us to continue to trust in the Lord that He will be the one who will bring you through the storms, through the seasons.

For it says in v3-4, ‘Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.’
It goes on to say in v5-6, ‘Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

Trust in the Lord and He will indeed prosper you, however the blessings can only come if you be still before Him and wait patiently for Him. Do what is right in the Lord’s eyes in all the things you do and you can be certain that the Lord will uphold you with His hand. For the Lord loves the just and does not forsake his faithful ones.

I was encouraged by what the psalmist said in v25-26. Throughout the psalmist life, of troubles and anxieties, he has yet to see the righteous abandoned by God and unable to provide the needs of their children. In fact, they are generous and they lend freely and because of their act of generosity, their children will be blessed.

Life may be unfair at times, BUT God isn’t. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. I hope you will make this your prayer today.

PSALMthing Invisible Yet Beautiful...

2008-02-08T10:29:00.000+08:00

How great is our God? How great is His love? Psalm 36 tells us that the Lord’s love is forever unfailing. In Him we find refuge, in Him we find life.

His love reaches to the heavens, His faithfulness reaches to the skies, and His righteousness is like the mighty mountains, His justice like the great deep. The Lord preserves His creation and He gives them drink from His river of delights. For with Him is the fountain of life and we find life in Him.

In v9, it says that in His light we see light. What does David mean when he says ‘we see light’? By nature itself, light is invisible yet everything is invisible till light strikes it. We need light to see and so it is with God. Though we can’t see Him, but in His light we see and understand His love in all that surrounds us. Look at God’s beautiful creation all around you. Each explicit detail was already decided before everything began. Indeed God is a great artist with a great sense of creativity. Under his loving influence, we come to appreciate the things around us.

Not so the wicked. We see in v1-4 that God’s generosity stands in complete contrast to the vain plotting of the wicked. They have no fear of God in their eyes. They flatter themselves and find neither fault nor sin in them. Their words are wicked and deceitful and it is said that they have ceased to be wise or to do good. They even commit sinful course on their beds and do not reject what is wrong. They do not see God’s light at all, His goodness and unfailing love has been veiled by their sinful acts.

Great is our God. Great is His love. There may be times where you may feel that you nobody loves you. Know that it is just a deception from the evil one, for God will always be there for you. To stand by you, to shower you with His unfailing love. Rejoice for the God’s love reaches to the heavens.

Psalm ExPSALMples to follow...

2008-02-07T16:19:00.000+08:00

Why are the psalms so unique? Well it was written at a time where David was running away from Saul and David was possibly experiencing the lowest point in his life. Pastor Eugene preached on psalm 34 last Sunday and I thought he preached it pretty clear and simple. I like the way he makes his sermon simple and straightforward, it’s fairly easy to understand. Anyways, he gave us some characteristics of a man whose heart is after God. Without a further ado, let me present you the points:

A R E A L man of God…
1. R EFLECTS the presence of God.
Psalm 34:5 ‘Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.’
Do you look to Him? Do you have the desire to draw close to Him?
Psalm 34:1 ‘I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.’
Do you praise the Lord at all time? Do you have the desire to live a lifestyle of praising God?
Psalm 34:2 ‘My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.’
David boasts of the Lord even in times of affliction. How big is your God? How great is your God? Will you boast of the Lord even in times of affliction?
These are some points which will reflect whether you have the presence of God.
Would you come closer to God?

2. E XPERIENCES the provision of God.
Psalm 34:6-7 ‘This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.’
David was referring to himself. He calls to the LORD in times of trouble and the Lord hears him. Do you call to the Lord in times of trouble? Do you trust that the Lord will answer you?
Psalm 34:8 ‘Taste and see that the LORD is good’
Taste is really taking your time and think through what God has done is your life.
Do you have a story to tell of the goodness of God? Do you take God at His word?
Psalm 34:9 ‘Fear the LORD’
What happens when the fear of the Lord comes to you? There are two things that can happen:
a. You will trust in God
b. You will be obedient to His word
Would you come and taste of His goodness?

3. A DVANCES the purposes of God
Psalm 34:11 ‘Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.’
The fear of the Lord can be learnt, it can come upon you. But how do we learn it? The answer is found in Psalm 34:13-14.
i) Keep your tongue from evil ii) Your lips from speaking lies
iii) Turn from evil
iv) Do good
v) Seek peace
vi) Pursue it

God wants to engage the next generation with compassion and love. God wants to empower the next generation for transformation.
As said by Peter Tsukahira, “For transformation to occur, we must first impact the Root of Culture.” For the Root of Culture today is found in the next generation.
Would you come and listen to Him?

4. L IVES-OUT the promises of God
Psalm 34:19 ‘A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all’
Many are the afflictions of the righteous, BUT the Lord delivers him from them all.
Psalm 34:22 ‘The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him.’
We are encouraged to live in the promises of God. When God gives us a promise, He is giving us a picture which we may be part of. So would you come and rest in the Lord?

So what does the real man whose heart is after God do? He:
- Comes closer to God
- Comes and taste His goodness
- Comes listen to His word
- Comes and rest in the Lord.

Would you be a REAL man of God today? I know I do…

PSALM May Sing, PSALM May Play And All Will Shout For Joy!

2008-02-07T04:26:00.000+08:00

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy’ Psalm 33:3

Psalm 33:3, one of my favorite verses in the bible. Talks about singing a new song to the Lord, playing an instrument skillfully and shouting for joy for the Lord deserves all our praise and worship.

It is also a very personal verse for me as it was the verse that spurred me to be a Levite for God and to offer my worship to the Lord at a whole new level. I remembered making a promise to myself about a year ago that if there is one thing that I would like to do with my guitar skills, it would be to make the best music that I could produce to God.

God deserves all our praises…It is a joy to worship the Lord. I remembered feeling really sick during one of the days for choir rehearsal. Instead of deciding to stay at home and rest, I chose to come and serve the Lord, and bear in mind that I actually had an oral assessment on marketing the next day. So why did I made the decision to come for the rehearsal then? I believed that when I worship the Lord, He will restore my soul. So I came as I am, sick and all… and truly, God is a faithful God. Not only was I feeling better by the end of the night, I also got the assurance from God that He honors those who draw close to Him. Indeed God keeps His promises, as I was not only completely healed the next day, but I was also told by my tutor that I have done well for the assessment. These are just one of the many testimonies that I can share and I share this because I want you to know that God’s goodness in my life can be in yours too.

‘Sing to him a new song’
Reading the psalms has indeed been a blessing for me. The psalms were indeed songs that were meant to be sung. Though we do not know exactly the tune of it, there is actually no right or wrong way to how you declare the psalms. I believe that Jesus would say to you, just come as you are and sing to him a new song. When I write songs, the lyrics that are written are for my Living God. It is the attitude of saying it is all from God Let a new song arise from your lips…

‘Play Skillfully’
Why should we play skillfully? Is it because we want men to adore us or because we want to make the best music for our creator? I know that I desire to improve my guitar skills for I want to give my best to God.

‘Shout for Joy’
Do we shout for joy when we sing praises to God? If we truly delight in Him and want to give our best to Him, we would shout for joy because the King is living among us. When people know God, they come to life with a jubilant song on their lips

Let us lift our voices and sing of his unfailing love today for we put all our hopes and dreams in him.

PSALM Special Prayer To Make

2008-02-06T01:21:00.000+08:00

‘Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.’

Remember what psalm 31 mentions about how the Lord preserves the faithful? Well psalms 32 goes on to elaborate on the benefits of faith. For the Lord’s unfailing love surround the man who trust in him and he will rejoice in the Lord and be glad.

So how can we be faithful then? Well we must learn how to be righteous as God will credit righteousness on the basis of faith. In v6, it says ‘therefore let everyone who is godly pray to you’. Not only that, we have to learn how to live a prayerful life too. Now then, what is prayer?

A prayer is:
1) A conversation with God
2) Praise and Worship
3) Confession
4) Petition
5) Asking for forgiveness
6) Spiritual warfare

One thing to note, there are certain conditions for a prayer to be effective. I will highlight 2 conditions:

a) You do not hold anything against anyone else
It says in Matthew 6:14-15, ‘for if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.’

Keep in mind that psalm 32:1 says that ‘blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.’
As seen from Matt6:14-15, it can be said that blessed is he who forgive others for their transgressions.

b) You do not harbour unconfess sin in your heart
For it says in psalm 66:18 that the Lord will not hear those who regard wickedness in their heart. So what should you do then?
Acknowledge your sin and confess your transgressions to the Lord as said in psalm 32:5 and the Lord will forgive you.

The reason why I highlighted this 2 points is because they are essential in leading a prayerful and righteous life. As said in James 5:16, ‘the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much’. Know that by being prayerful and righteous, we can then be faithful and God preserves the faithful.

So help me to live a prayerful and righteous life God, teach me how to be faithful to you.

PSALM wonderful God Is Our God..

2008-02-05T22:55:00.000+08:00

For most of us, reading psalm 31 might seem like a repetition of some of the other psalms we have read. So what do you think God is teaching us here?

To remember all the things that the Lord has done for you. To rely on His great love for He has not handed you over to the enemy but have set your feet in a spacious space. It is not the attitude of saying that this is just another psalm, but an attitude of saying that ‘God without You, I will never even be able to stand here today.’

God has been faithful to me for the past few weeks. I was reminded of the situation I was in when I read v11-18 and how God has always been my refuge all this while (V20). God has always been there for me and He wants me to know it.

Know that the God that has always been with me will also be with you. He is always waiting, waiting for you to draw close to Him. For the Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud he pays back in full. No matter what kind of situation you are facing today, be strong and take heart, for the Lord will be your hope.

How great is God’s goodness, how great is our God. Today, its just a simple reminder: Would you shine your light today?

Who Needs PSALM Security? I Know I Do...

2008-02-04T22:43:00.000+08:00

Psalm 30 was a psalm that acknowledges the tough times that come as living as God’s child and how we would feel secure when we call upon His name. It is actually a very assuring psalm too.

It can be seen from v1-3 that these verses complement with each other.
V1- I will exalt you, O Lord,
For you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me.
V2 – I called to you for help
And you healed me.
V3 – O Lord, you brought me up from the grave;
You spared me from going down into the pit.
V4 - Sing to the LORD, you saints of his;
Praise his holy name.

These 4 verses alone have showed that the Lord will save us when we call upon His name…Would you sing to the Lord and praise his holy name today?

V5 shows a contrast
For his anger lasts only a moment,
But his favour lasts a lifetime;
Weeping may remain for a night,
But rejoicing comes in the morning.

This verse actually shows a very simple conclusion; Difficulties don’t last, God’s care does.

V6-7 are actually verses that talks about the sense of security we find in God.
V8-10 are verses that help us think why we call upon the Lord.
V11-12 shows the promises of God when we call upon His name.

In all, this psalm really focus on one thing: Be thankful for God is our refuge in times of uncertainty.

PSALM Lesson I Will Never Forget...

2008-02-04T12:47:00.000+08:00

Today, I will be skipping psalm 30 and blog about psalm 35 instead as it has ministered to me in a very personal way.

Psalm 35 is a psalm that David wrote and it shows how David calls to the Lord for help in perhaps the time where he felt that he was in his lowest point in life.

In v1-3, David starts the psalm by declaring that the Lord will be his salvation. The Lord will be the shield and buckler, the spear and javelin against his enemies.
In v4-9, David prays to the Lord that he will indeed be saved from the plots of his enemies. He will then rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.
In v10, David exclaims that there is no one like the Lord, for the Lord will rescue His people from the afflictions that they are facing.
In v11-16, David continues to ask the Lord to rescue Him from the chains of troubles that his enemies have been giving him.
In v18, David will thank and praise the Lord in the great assembly for the Lord’s refuge has been sufficient for him.
In v19-25, David ask that the Lord be not silent and let his enemies think that they have been victorious in their schemes.
There is a contrast in v26 and 27. While David says in v26 that those who gloat over his distress and exalt themselves be put to shame and disgrace, David goes on to say in v27 that may those who delight in his vindication shout for joy and gladness and always exalt the Lord.
In v28, David ends the psalm by saying that his tongue will speak of the Lord’s righteousness and of His praises all day long.

Now how does this psalm relate to me then? Well, some may know that I have been going through one of the toughest times I ever faced in my life. My classmates have been cold towards me for the past 5 months or so due to reasons that I myself cannot really clarify. I felt that I was in the same situation that David was facing.

For the past few weeks, I have been praying for the Lord’s protection and strength. It has not been easy for me but I knew that when I look to Him, I will indeed rejoice and be glad for He will indeed rescue me from the afflictions that I was facing with. I will always call upon the name of the Lord just as how David persistently asks the Lord to rescue Him from his troubles.

I have often given thanks to the Lord and praise Him for his provision but not in a bigger setting such as during cluster meetings. I do not really like standing in front of a big crowd of people though as my mind often go blank but I pray that God will indeed give me the courage and strength as well as teach me in this area just as how David would do it.

Even though they may think that they have murdered me, I will continue to trust in the Lord that He will indeed turn this situation around. My heart is not to condemn them of their foolishness but to really bless them and hope that they come to know the Lord. Though there are times that I have not been able to tame my tongue and just lash it all out for someone to listen to my troubles, God has always reminded me that I have to always look to Him for it is only through Him that my troubles are released, my chains are broken.
I ask for the Lord to forgive me for the moments where I had not been able to hold my tongue. My heart desires to serve Him and I pray that God will indeed help me tame my tongue so that I will indeed speak of His righteousness and praises all day long.

Know that in every situation that God puts you in; be sure that God is actually teaching you something valuable. For my case, it would be to look to Him always in times of trouble.

So what is God teaching you today?

We Need PSALM Fine Tuning...

2008-02-03T21:02:00.001+08:00

Psalm 29 mostly focuses on the voice of the Lord. As seen in psalm 29, v3-9 describes the voice of the Lord.
3The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert; the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"

Just from these 7 verses, it can be gathered that the Lord’s voice is powerful and majestic. Not only that, the Lord’s voice can be heard everywhere and the effect of the Lord’s voice will indeed be resounded to the ends of the earth. This means that everyone is actually able to hear His voice.

I was reminded of 2 things after reading psalm 29.
1. The Lord will always hear our cry when we call out to Him
2. We may fail to recognize the voice of the Lord.

There maybe times where the Lord’s voice maybe still yet distinct while at other times it can be as loud as thunder. Though the Lord’s voice maybe loud at times, we are actually capable of shutting Him out and dismissing His voice as just another sound that we hear in our lives. We really need to put in the effort to tune in to God’s voice as we are often preoccupied with the distractions of this world. It takes time to recognize the voice of the Lord and we can only train ourselves in hearing His voice by spending time with Him.

I believe that God of psalm 29 is reminding us that the Lord is enthroned as King forever and that He is our source of strength, the God who wants to bless us with peace. I am glad to know that when I tune in to His still voice, the many blessings that the Lord wants to bless me with will indeed overflow like honey.

God has many things to say and many things that he wants to bless you with. So would you settle your heart today to listen to what God has to say to you? Let us be tuned in to the GOD FM today.

I Need PSALM Special Solution...

2008-02-03T01:58:00.000+08:00

‘The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.’

It is 1:45 am in the late hour now; I am feeling slightly groggy from all the activities that I went through today. It has been so evident to me that the Lord has indeed seen me through this period of struggling and that He has lifted me from these distractions. For the Lord has heard my cry and answered my call. I had sociology test today and this test, with a weightage of 30%, would determine whether I will pass or fail this module. Despite only being able to study for around 4 hours the day before the test, I trusted in the Lord that the Lord will indeed be with me and will indeed give me the wisdom and knowledge I needed for this test.

True enough, when I put my trust in the Lord, I will definitely be helped by Him. The questions for the test were rather straight forward with some tricky elements; however, I was pretty sure that I was able to do the paper. This may not be the first time that I had very little time to revise for the test that I was sitting for, but what I wanted to point out is that when you trust in the Lord, you will indeed be helped.

That was not all, I had to oversea the Olympics event which was an event organized by myself and 3 other I/Cs. It was a little messy at the start but it did pretty well despite all the last minute stuff. God was there to assure me that no matter what problems I face, like broken trophies or unorganized schedules, He would provide me with a solution. By the end of the day, though I was all tired and worn out, my heart still leapt for joy because the Lord has been my strength and I will give thanks to him in song. Thanks be to God who is always our solution in times of uncertainty.

One Thing That PSALMS Up My Desire...

2008-02-01T01:13:00.000+08:00

‘One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.’

What is one thing I desire? What is one thing I seek? It’s to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple. For the name of the Lord is higher than the heavens, higher than hope, higher than my dreams.

In the days of my troubles, He kept me safe in his dwelling. He did not turn me over to the desires of my foes. Even when false witnesses rise up against me, slandering me with words that are as sharp as a two-edged sword, I am still confident of this, I will see the goodness of the Lord and I will be strong and wait upon the Lord.

For I know that the word of God is active, living and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the divisions of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrows, and able to judge the thoughts and the intentions of the heart.

His grace has overwhelm my brokenness and if there is one thing my heart desires, is that I may dwell in his house all the days of my life.

Do You Have PSALM Story To Tell?

2008-01-31T01:39:00.000+08:00

‘Test me, O Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth.’

This few days have been difficult for me as I have been going through some of the harshest persecutions I have ever faced in my life. But I know that Jesus has gone through all the persecutions that the world could ever offer, that is the reason why my heart felt so liberated today. For His love has always been before me, and I will release all my trouble to Him and walk continually in His truth.

Truly, I want to claim verse 6-7 as my prayer this day. ‘I wash my hands in innocence, and go about your altar, O Lord, proclaiming aloud your praise, and telling of all your wonderful deeds.’
I will proclaim aloud His praise and tell of all His wonderful deeds, for God has provided me with a story to tell. Let us live our lives looking for the wonders of God. Though we may live in integrity, we still have to rely on Him for He is the God who judges a man who has integrity and one who doesn’t.

Let us dare believe in God for the supernatural, let us ask Him for the supernatural. Trust the Lord that He will indeed take away any fear that is robbing you from trusting Him. Indeed let us walk in a life trusting God ALL DAY.

So do you have a STORY to tell today?

I Pray All Day That PSALM Would Be Saved..

2008-01-31T01:36:00.000+08:00

‘Show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are my God my savior, and my hope is in you all day long’.

This was the prayer that I made in my heart as I was reading psalms 25 in school today. My hope is in the Lord, He is the reason why I am persevering through my persecutions. I know that when I fix my eyes on the Lord, He will release me fro my troubles.

V16-21 ministered to me in a big way. It really expressed what my heart has been feeling all this while. Going to school facing people that have something against me. For ‘the troubles of my heat have multiplied’ and only God can ‘free me from my anguish’. The Lord has seen ‘how my enemies have increased and how fiercely they hate me.’ But my comfort is that the Lord will confide those who fear Him and I will seek refuge in Him for He will guard my life and rescue me.

I was reminded of the song All Day, and truly

‘I don't care what they say about me,
I don't care they think about me.
It's alright, they'll get it one day.
I don't care what it costs anymore
Cos' you gave it all and I'm following you
I don't care what it takes anymore
No matter what happens I'm going your way
I love you, I'll follow you
You are my, my life
I will read my bible and pray
I will follow you all day
Anyone around can see
Just how good you've been to me
For all my friends that don't know you
I pray that you would save them too ’.

I am so very encourage by these words and indeed I know that my heart really says No matter what they say about me, what they think about me, I don’t care anymore because I will follow Him all day and pray that He would save my friends too.
Thanks be to God for He releases all of our troubles. May integrity and uprightness protect me because my hope is in the Lord.

Psalm 24 Welcomes The King Of Glory In...

2008-01-28T22:37:00.000+08:00

“Lift up your heads, O you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in.” Indeed, I have learnt more of psalm 24 from Pastor Eugene’s preaching during service.

So what can we learn from psalm24 then?
-In the beginning, psalm 24 shows that everything in the world, including us, belongs to God

-It reminds us that this is indeed a time to draw near to God by resting in His sufficiency. God knows everything yet He is concern with how we are going to draw near Him. He wants to see how interested we are in drawing close to Him.

-It reminds us that this is also a time to get right with Him by returning to His saving grace. Indeed God is our sufficiency, for nobody can really stand in His holy presence, only He can allow us to come to His presence by His conditions. Know that we are living in the era of grace and this grace comes from Jesus Christ. Therefore, in order for us to get right with God, God commands us to get right with one another. God will indeed judge on how we are treating one another.

-It is a time to stand up for God by recognizing His sovereignty. God wants to give us a mark, a sign that we are His people. The reason why we are celebrating the Sabbath is because we recognizing that He is the Lord God Almighty. Know that as we make every effort to enter the Sabbath, we will come to realize that His presence will indeed be with us.

I believe that by going about the way God wants you to, you will definitely have the presence of God with you. It is really about having the Sabbath spirit in acknowledging that God is ALL SUFFICIENT.

So let us welcome the King of glory. Who is this King of glory you may ask? The Lord almighty – He is the King of glory…

The Lord of Psalm 23 is my shepherd...

2008-01-28T22:36:00.000+08:00

Psalm 23, a simple yet familiar psalm close to my heart. It was my mum’s favourite psalm and I was recently ministered by the words of this psalm.

I remembered staying up really late to do some URL referencing for my project on Saturday night and I almost knock out from the lack of sleep during my SOL class the following day. But thanks be to God, for He is a God who restores my soul. During this few weeks of reading the psalms, I have found myself delighting in the word of God and even though I may have felt physically tired during SOL class as well as service, I was able to catch the message that God was telling me. For God was there to restore my soul, reading His word has indeed refresh my spirit man.

Psalm 23 also reminded me that the Lord will guide me in His righteousness. Even as I face the many trials and persecutions in my life, I will stand firm for I trust in the Lord and He is always with me. For I know that the testing of my faith produces endurance and I will let endurance have its perfect result so that I make be perfect and complete in Him, lacking in nothing. I have never failed to experience His goodness and love and I know that if there is one thing I would ask of the Lord, it would be to dwell in his place, spend time with my heavenly Father.

For the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want…

To Trust Or Not To Trust...Now That Is PSALM Question...

2008-01-27T03:25:00.000+08:00

I’m going to try PSALMthing new today; we shall look at the NASB version of psalm 22. Normally I would do my devotions using the NIV bible, however, the NASB version pointed out something clear for me from the start of Psalm 22. This psalm was going to be ‘A Cry of Anguish and a Song of Praise.’

Without further ado, let’s look at the various verses of Psalm 22
1)
V1-2
The psalmist feels as if God has forsaken him. He feels restless as well as discouraged.
V3-5
Though he feels discouraged, the psalmist never fails to proclaim that God is Holy.
As seen in v3-5
‘Yet You are holy, O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel. In You our fathers trusted; They trusted and You delivered them. You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.’
2)
V6-8
Again, the psalmist feels greatly discouraged by the persecutions he is facing.
V9-11
The psalmist acknowledges God as his creator whom he trusts, the only ‘someone’ who can help Him through these difficult times.
3)
V12-18
The strength of the psalmist begins to falter..
V19-22The psalmist knows that the Lord is not far from him. In the midst of the assembly, the congregation, he will praise God.
4)
V23-31
These are verses that encourage not only the psalmist, but us to praise the Lord always.

It can be seen clearly that the psalmist starts his conversation with God by letting out his cry of anguish and always ending with a song of praise. It shows the intimate relationship the psalmist has with God. In fact, this psalm actually encourages us to praise the Lord despite the challenges and persecutions we might be facing.

This psalm also encourages us to live a supernatural life of trusting in God. Though there maybe times where you face great discouragements or setbacks, know that God will always be there to help you. Praise be to God, for the kingdom is the LORD'S and He rules over the nations.

Would you live a supernatural life of trusting in God today?

PSALM Testimonies, PSALM Breakthroughs..

2008-01-26T01:15:00.000+08:00

Psalm 21 was a psalm that I found joy reading as it has made me glad with joy in God’s presence.
God is truly a God who answers you when you are in distress. I found the breakthrough that I was looking forward to in psalm 21. Just one day after calling out to Him, He is quick in giving us the victory that we are looking for.

I have recently took my oral assessment for marketing as well as presented my group project marketing plan and I was please to find out that I have did well in doing both of it despite the short amount of time I had as well as being terribly sick the day before.

God knows my desire to do well in my studies and indeed He has blessed me with the desired results that I wanted, just as it is said in Ps 21:2 ‘You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.’

I was also really encouraged by v11-12, ‘Though they plot evil against you and devise wicked schemes, they cannot succeed; for you will make them turn their backs when you aim at them with drawn bow’. No matter what kind of trials and persecution I go through, I know that God will be there to help me. Just like what Deuteronomy 31:8 say, ‘The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

It seemed to me that reading psalm 21 seemed to be like an aftermath of what I read in psalm 20.

In psalm 20, we see what God is willing to do for us.
V4-5
‘May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the LORD grant all your requests.’

In psalm 21, we see that God has done what He has promised in psalm 20.
V1-2
‘O LORD, the king rejoices in your strength. How great is his joy in the victories you give! You have granted him the desire of his heart and have not withheld the request of his lips.’

He is indeed the God who keeps His promise and I know that He has made me glad with the joy of His presence.

Be exalted, O LORD, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might – Ps21:13

Not Just PSALM King, But Our Savior King...

2008-01-25T00:13:00.000+08:00

Psalm 20 is the psalm that encourages me to call to God during my distress.

V1-‘May the LORD answer you when you are in distress; may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.’
Indeed, may the Lord answer me when I’m in distress.
I’m feeling very physically sick and tired of all the things I’m currently going through. But I am encouraged to know that He will answer me in my distress.

V2-‘May he send you help from the sanctuary and grant you support from Zion.’
For the Lord knows what I am going through, He will grant me the support I need.

V3-‘May he remember all your sacrifices and accept your burnt offerings.’
I wouldn’t judge how much I sacrifice for the Lord, but I know that the Lord remembers the sacrifices that I went through for His cause.

V4-‘May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.’
V5-‘…May the LORD grant all your requests.’
God will give you the desires of your heart and make all your plans succeed. It all takes the first step of asking Him, calling out to Him.

V7- ‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.’
This was the difference maker for me. Some may trust in other things but I trust in the name of the Lord because I know that when I call out to Him, He will surely answer me.

God help me pull through these difficult times and let me see the breakthrough that I am looking forward to. Though I am feeling terribly sick, down with a bad flu and headache, I know that the Lord will heal me when I call out to Him. For He is not just some king but our Savior King.

Make My Life A Miracle PSALM 19!!

2008-01-24T00:40:00.000+08:00

I remembered learning from pastor during the cluster prayer meeting last week that Psalm 19 can be broken down into 3 constituents which shows how God reveals Himself to us.

V1-6 Through His creation
V7-10 Through the diversity and perfection of scripture, His word
V11-14 Through Us

As for v1-6, we see creation showing the majesty of God. So majestic that we can feel His glory all over the earth. We can indeed receive the ‘effect’ of God’s revelation not just one place but EVERYWHERE.

When I read v7-10, I began to feel a sense of delight in my spirit. The reason is simple, the word of God has restored my soul, rejoice my heart, enlighten my eyes. I feel refresh whenever I meditate on His word. I pray that His word will indeed be more precious than gold, sweeter than honey to me.

V12, forgive my HIDDEN faults. Yes, truly there are times when we do not even realize that we have sin unintentionally. It is only by God’s grace that we are forgiven; only God can discern our errors and show it to us.
So v11-14 really encourage us to live out His word, for only then will we be able to stand in His glory blameless with great joy.

The verse which stood out for me the most was v14, ‘May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.’

Yes, I want the word of my mouth and the meditation of my heart to be pleasing in His sight. I have been constantly reminded, what am I meditating His word for?
Am I reading His word to please my pastor or my leaders? That is certainly not my intention. I want to please God; I want to preoccupy myself with His word because that is the way to preoccupy myself with God. It is through His word that I find myself being transformed. I want my life to be so transform that I maybe acceptable in His sight.

The God of psalm 19 is without a doubt the God who wants to reveal Himself to us. God, make my life a miracle. Show me how to live, teach me how to pray!

Psalm 18 Has Made Me Glad...

2008-01-22T23:27:00.001+08:00

When I first read psalm18, I was really impressed by what David said to the Lord in his song.

V20-24
‘The LORD has dealt with me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he has rewarded me. For I have kept the ways of the LORD; I have not done evil by turning from my God. All his laws are before me; I have not turned away from his decrees. I have been blameless before him and have kept myself from sin. The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.’

Wow, how many of us can actually say that to the Lord? It is only by God’s grace that we are able to stand before His glory blameless with great joy as said in Jude v24.

V25-29
‘To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall.’

Would you want to be faithful, blameless and pure before God? Well, I know I do for He will turn my darkness to light and save me from my enemies. With Him, I know that I can scale any wall.

V30-36
‘As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You give me your shield of victory, and your right hand sustains me; you stoop down to make me great. You broaden the path beneath me, so that my ankles do not turn.’

I will bless the Lord forever and I will trust him at all times.
For He has delivered me from all fear and has set my feet upon a rock.
I will not be moved and I'll say of the Lord that He is my shield, my strength, my portion, my deliverer, my shelter, my strong tower and my very present help in time of need. He has indeed made me glad.

Does this look familiar? Well these words are actually part of the lyrics of the song ‘Made Me Glad’, a song that came to my mind after reading v30-36. I thought that it really shows the attitude that we should encompass as a believer. Indeed, He is our very present help in times of our needs, the God who will bring us through the storms, through the seasons…

Psalm Careless Mistakes...

2008-01-22T01:21:00.001+08:00

I regretted doing something which was foolish today. In the heart of a conversation with a group of friends, I had unknowingly spoke words of arrogance. Though I never really did meant what I said, I know that I should be more careful with the words that come out of my mouth. It really showed that how we as human beings are prone to sin, even during a time where you least expect it.

So when I read psalm 17, I was ministered by what it said. It was a reminder for me to make this psalm my prayer.
V1-8
1Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it does not rise from deceitful lips.
2 May my vindication come from you; may your eyes see what is right.
3 Though you probe my heart and examine me at night, though you test me, you will find nothing; I have resolved that my mouth will not sin.
4 As for the deeds of men—by the word of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call on you, O God, for you will answer me; give ear to me and hear my prayer.
7 Show the wonder of your great love, you who save by your right hand who take refuge in you from their foes.
8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings

The Lord has reminded me yet again that we have the potential to do what the wicked does, in my case, speak words of arrogance. Just as it is said in v10, ‘…their mouths speak with arrogance.’
Lord, I know that I have not been able to tame tongue but I pray for Your forgiveness.

I did not feel good for the rest of the day. I never did have the intentions to hurt someone with some careless words. But I thank God that He lifted my soul when I was on my way back home. I just started to sing to Him because I know that when I sing to Him, my cares will be released. Indeed, in His still voice He said, ‘my son, I love you and I forgive you.’ And as I read psalm 17 later on, I realised that v7 stood out for me. He has showed me the wonder of His great love and I can rest in Him.

The most amazing thing about reading the psalms thus far is that it never fails to speak to me. Lord, I know that I have not been able to tame tongue but I pray for Your forgiveness. For Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You.

Setting Psalm Time Aside For God...

2008-01-20T23:50:00.001+08:00

Today is the start of my rush hour fever again. Projects are due by the end of this week and I am going to be very busy again. My entries might be shorter as I’m doing my very best to set aside time to spend my time with God. But I know that however busy I may be, I will make the choice to set the Lord before me and psalm 16 is the psalm which reaffirms me of my decision.

V1 Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
- I am affirmed that I can always seek God as my refuge during this time

V7 I will praise the LORD, who counsels me
- Not only is God my refuge, but He is also my counsellor whom I can seek help from.

V8 I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
- God has affirmed me that when I put Him first in my life, He will be by my side to make sure that I would not fall.

V9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will rest secure
- By making the choice of always setting the Lord before me, my heart will be glad, my tongue would rejoice. I will find the rest that I have been looking for.

V11 You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.
- The Lord has made known to me the path of life that I have in Him when I put Him first in my life. Indeed I would be joyful in His presence.

By always setting Him before me, I would grow in knowing Him better and it has been said that knowing God is eternal life.
As said in John 17:3, ‘now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.’

In v2, it says ‘"You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing."
May we say to the Lord that indeed, He is our Lord; apart from Him we have no good thing. Therefore, we shall put Him first in our lives.

Would you make this your prayer today?

Psalm Guidelines To Follow..

2008-01-20T02:46:00.000+08:00

Who may dwell in God’s sanctuary? Who may live on His holy hill? Well, psalm 15 gives us a guide on how one qualifies for it.

So who is the qualified person in God’s eyes then?
As said in v2, ‘He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous’.
Only a person who lives a righteous life is seen acceptable in God’s eyes and only then, would he be able to enter into God’s presence.

That’s not all as there are some requirements and guidelines to follow if you want to live a righteous life.
V2-5
‘…who speaks the truth from his heart has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbour no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honours those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath even when it hurts, who lends his money without usury and does not accept a bribe against the innocent’

As you can see, there are quite a lot of requirements to carry out in order to live a life that pleases God. In order to be a righteous man, you should:
1. Speak the truth from your heart
2. Neither slander nor gossip
3. Not harm your neighbour
4. Not insult your fellowman
5. Despise the wicked and honour those who fear the Lord (I find this contrasting)
6. Keep your oath even when it hurts (Have you been keeping your covenants with God?)
7. Lend your money without charging at illegally high rates!
8. Not accept bribes against the innocent

Now that is some pretty heavy stuff to follow isn’t it? Know that all these requirements are not easy to follow as it really takes a lot of discipline and reliance on God to do what is right.

So what is the Lord’s promise to you if you follow this set of guidelines then?
It is said in v5, ‘He who does these things will never be shaken.’
You will NEVER be shaken. You will dwell in the sanctuary of the Lord and live on His holy hill.

Will You Be That Psalm-one

2008-01-19T01:02:00.001+08:00

There are few things interesting things that are mentioned in psalm 14. Based from what I have learnt from the psalms guide that Joshua posted, I gathered a few learning points

In v1, it mainly talks about the wicked believing that there is no God and that they lead a corrupt life.

In v2, the Lord looks for someone who understands someone who seeks Him but He finds none. As said in v3, He declares that there is no one who does good, not even one. Interestingly, even David, who was known as a man after God’s heart, was not considered good in God’s eyes. If David was not even considered good, what about us then?

Truly, no one can escape the judgment of the Lord. We can never be good in God’s eyes by relying on our own capabilities. As I said before, we have the capability of doing what the wicked would do, in this case, leading a corrupt life. It is by God’s grace and strength that we are able to stand firm. We need God to transform us from the inside out, to help us lead a righteous life. God is ever present in the company of the righteous, and He constantly reminds us that He can and will be our refuge.

God has become part of my everyday life and I just can’t imagine my life without Him. It’s been incredible how He has led me back to Him all these years. Some might think, I’m not worthy of His love for I have sin against Him time and time again. Yes, there maybe times where we might have hurt Him but He is always ready to forgive us, if only we ask. God is a gracious God and nothing pleases Him more than spending time with Him. God is finding someone who is seeking Him right this moment.

Will you be that someone?

And I will Sing Psalm Songs.

2008-01-18T21:19:00.000+08:00

Psalm 13, a psalm that encourages us to sing to the Lord despite the troubles we are facing. I remembered reading this psalm during choir rehearsal a week back and it really spoke a lot to me as I was facing some stress with my projects.

Worshipping the Lord by singing is something I hold close to my heart. I realize that when I sing to the Lord, I tend to forget all my troubles because I know I can trust in His unfailing love and my heart will rejoice in His salvation. Knowing that He is there to pick me up when I fall, knowing that He has been my side through it all. That’s the reason why I always sing to the Lord with an open heart, giving it all to Him.

I really thank God that He gave us the freedom to sing. It doesn’t really matter whether you are able to sing because the most important thing is what you are giving to the Lord through singing. Do you sing because you want people to notice you or do you sing freely with your heart, offering your devotion to God and being thankful for the freedom He has given us? Whenever I sing to the Lord with all my heart, I feel a great sense of freedom and I just find myself drawing closer to Him. By singing to Him, I’m actually telling of His wonderful acts and my heart rejoices. In fact, I have actually made Ps 27:6 and Ps33:3 my personal commitment to God:

Ps27:6
‘I will sing and make music to the LORD.’
Ps 33:3
‘Sing to him a new song; play skilfully, and shout for joy.’

-I will sing to Him a new song, I will write songs not from me but from God.
-I will play skilfully and make music to the Lord, not for the adoration of others but as my act of worship to Him.
-I will shout for joy, sing freely with all my heart and more importantly, mean every word that I sing to the Lord.

I like the chorus of ‘Through It All’ where it says ‘I will sing to the Lord a hymn of love for Your faithfulness to me, I’m carried in everlasting arms, You never let me go through it all…’
It expresses why I sing to the Lord even in times of difficulties. For I know I’m carried in His everlasting arms, never letting me go through it all.

Indeed, singing to the Lord is a form of expression on how we feel towards Him and the Lord is please when we sing to Him with a joyful heart, proclaiming His goodness.

So would you sing PSALM songs today?

Psalm Intentional Taming To Do...

2008-01-17T23:43:00.000+08:00

While I was resting in my school library, I decided to meditate on psalm 12. As I was meditating on this psalm, God spoke strongly about watching our tongues.

In v2-5
‘Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips—who is our master?" "Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them."

In v2, it mentions that EVERYONE lies to his neighbor, speaking words of deception to the people around them. Even as believers, we are capable of lying to the people around us. Just from v3-5, we can conclude 3 things:
The Lord is a God of justice;
He detests those with flattering lips and boastful tongues.
He will arise to protect the weak and needy from those who malign them.

Even as I was meditating on this psalm, the Lord reminded me of James 3, which talks about taming the tongue. Consider the following

James 3:5
‘The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts.’
James 3:6
‘The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.’
James 3:8
‘No man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.’
James3:9
‘With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.’

James 3 was very clear in showing what our tongue was capable of doing. It has the power of giving life or bringing death to a person.

So what do we do with our tongues then? We certainly can’t cut it off. God has His purpose for giving us a tongue. So what was God’s original intention for giving us a tongue then?

I believe that He gave us a tongue to bring words of healing, encouragement, words that build people up.

The book of Proverbs talks a lot about our tongues and it gives us an idea of what our tongue is suppose to do. As shown in the following verses:

Proverbs 11:12
A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
Proverbs 12:18-19
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Proverbs 15:2
The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouth of the fool gushes folly.
Proverbs 15:4
The tongue that brings healing is a tree of life, but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.
Proverbs 21:23
He who guards his mouth and his tongue keeps himself from calamity
Proverbs 28:23
He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue.

God gave us a tongue to bring words of healing, encouragement, words that build people up. So how can we do that then?
Clearly, we can’t do this by our own might for we are sinful in nature. That is the reason why we have to rely on God because just as it is said in Ps12:6, the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times…

That Was Psalm Great Reminder!

2008-01-16T21:42:00.000+08:00

As I was reading through psalm 11, I just began to feel quite lost, reason being that it seems so similar to the other psalms that I have been reading. In my quietness, I began asking God, ‘God, what are you teaching me in this psalm? It just feels all the same.’

As I continued meditating on this psalm, I began to realize that God was sending me a reminder. A reminder that those who are upright seek the Lord and finds delight meditating in His word. It suddenly seem so clear that God wanted me to find delight meditating His word instead of having the attitude that this is just another psalm that I am blogging.

And so I was drawn to v4-5,
‘He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them. The LORD examines the righteous, but the wicked and those who love violence his soul hates.’
The Lord was observing my heart. I can blog my devotions on all the psalms but was I doing it with the right heart. I was drawn to Jeremiah 17:9-10, ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? "I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Indeed the heart is deceitful and I can only thank God that He reminded me to reflect on what I have been reading for the past few days. I have since found the delight in reading in His word once again for God brought me back to psalm 1:2,
‘But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.’

Thank God for He is a God who reminds us! In fact, He has also reminded that in the midst of being busy, I have forgotten to memorize my SLTC memory scriptures. Know that when you spend quality time with God, truly seeking Him with the right heart, He will indeed remind you of things that you should be doing. So once again, God is reminding you to examine your own heart…

Do you find delight in Him?

Psalm Big Sacrifices...

2008-01-15T21:39:00.000+08:00

Psalm 10 has been a great reminder for me to stand firm in the Lord even in times when I feel as though He is not near me. The only thing that will keep me away from Him is sin and if I am not careful, I may indulge and even find myself liking what the world indulge in. I need God to constantly remind me to keep my focus on Him and to remind me that He is my helper in times of trouble.

V1-13 showed how the wicked seem to prosper while the good felt as if God was not there to protect them from their sufferings.
Know this, ‘everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted’ (2 Tim 3:12)
I have learnt that though life may seem unfair at times, God is always fair. Indeed, there are times where you may feel really demoralize by what’s happening around you. Things like people committing crimes and getting away, people who backstab you going away scot-free with it or you working so hard to get the opportunity you have been waiting for, just to see that opportunity given to someone who has put in the least amount of effort.

Be sure that the devil will take hold of these circumstances to tempt you with deceptions like, ‘You can be just like them, prosperous’, ‘your God is an unjust God’, ‘God is not with you’ or ‘come on, if they can get away with it, I’m sure you will be able too. Besides, you can always ask God for forgiveness’. I can say all this because the evil one has tempted me with all this things. Oh and by the way, temptation is not a sin for Jesus was also tempted in the desert.

In Ephesians 2:3, it says ‘All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.’
In Colossians 3:7
‘You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.’

I really thank God that by His grace, I am able to stand firm in my faith and not fall back to my sinful nature. For the only way to do that is to be more alive in Christ and to die more to ourselves. As said in Philippians 1:21 ‘For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.’

So after reading v1-13, you might ask yourself ‘where is God when they needed help?’ Well, here comes the encouragement:

V14-18
‘14But you, O God, do see trouble and grief; you consider it to take it in hand. The victim commits himself to you; you are the helper of the fatherless. 15Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out. 16 The LORD is King for ever and ever; the nations will perish from his land. 17 You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry, 18 defending the fatherless and the oppressed, in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.’

God do see the trouble and grief we are experiencing and He WILL LISTEN to your cry and ENCOURAGE us. Know that God is a God of justice and the protector of the righteous and the world will never stand against the Lord nor will the world take Him away from us. So let us continue to live a life of righteousness and do remember that we can only do so by faith.
Just as it is said in Romans1:17
"The righteous will live by faith."

Psalm checking to do...

2008-01-14T21:28:00.000+08:00

On first glance, Psalm 9 seems to be a pretty long psalm and it also gives the impression that it is similar to the other psalms that I have read. But there was mainly 2 parts that stood out for me in the entire psalm:

-V1-2, ‘I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the wonders. I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.’
-V10, ‘Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.’

I felt that these verses helped me to reflect on the condition of my heart. Have I been praising God with all my heart? Have I glorified God or steal His glory with my thanksgivings? Do I sing praise songs because of the wonderful music or because I really want to worship God? Do I rejoice in the Lord, whether it is spending time with Him or reading the word of the Lord? Do I truly seek the Lord with my heart and not because I want something from Him only?

These are some of the questions that came to my mind when I reflected upon these verses.

How can we be sure whether we are praising God with all our heart? It is only when we are really sure that we have abandoned ourselves and focused in giving our all to God. In the fast praise song, Take It All, we sing at the end of the chorus ‘our praise and all we are today, take, take, take it all’. Do we really mean what we sing? Often we are caught in the fast rhythm of the song that we forget what the lyrics really meant to us and to God as well. Declaring ‘take it all’ really means that we are giving our all to Jesus. Take It All has always been my favorite praise song of all time but I am always careful to check my heart while singing this praise song as I fear that I would be singing this praise song just as a song and not as form worship that God truly deserves. When we understand what it means to worship the Lord, we will be able to seek God with all our hearts.

Moving on to v10, it says that the Lord never forsakes those who seek Him. It also says that those who know your name will trust in you. I feel that the people who know God’s name know Him at a very personal level. The only way to know God at a very personal level is to spend time and seek Him. It has been written that God never forsakes those who seek Him and because those who had sought Him know this fact, they trust in Him. I trust in the Lord because I have experienced His great love in every situation I had in my life. In fact, one of my friends has experienced this same tangible love during his stay in London.

During his stay in London, he decided to move out of his comfort zone by opting to shift out of his wonderful, not forgetting, comfortable home stay, trusting that the Lord will indeed look after Him. To keep the long story short, God made it possible to let him meet up with another friend who was from the same church and tribe that he was in. This was truly mind blowing for all of us, and it really showed God’s humorous side and how He watches over us. Visit angusgoestolondon.blogspot.com to see the amazing things God has been doing in his life while he is at London and be encouraged by his testimonies.

So let us check our heart to see whether we have worship the Lord in spirit and in truth as well as trusting Him. For we know that the Lord never forsakes us when we truly seek Him…

Not Just Psalm God… But Our Awesome God!

2008-01-14T00:09:00.001+08:00

Argghh… I feel extremely sick after the BIG feast I had with Jeremiah and 2 of my friends for dinner. Ice Lemon Tea is a no-no for me next time. Anyways, that’s beside the point and I believe that even as I blog this entry, it would be something that I have learnt from God and not something which I do for the sake of doing it...

So what have I gathered in psalm 8?

1. The majestic name of the Lord is lifted high in psalm 8.
2. Our awesome God silences his enemies through children.
3. He made the son of man ruler over the works of His hand.

This was the 3 immediate things that stood out for me from psalm 8.

As I was doing my best in meditating through His word, I was reminded of Saturday’s cluster prayer meeting. During the thanks giving session, I was hesitant in giving my thanks giving not because I did not want to but because I was not comfortable and ready to sharing in front of a large group of people. But God prompted my heart, I was convicted into stepping out of my comfort zone because this was something that I wanted to glorify God’ majestic name with. I just thank God for Timothy ‘encouraging’ me to go up to share my testimony…haha seriously thank God for his support.

So here’s my short sharing on thanks giving. Never short change God of His glory but in everyway proclaim of His greatness. I want to even thank God for the choir duty I was in today. Though we did a lot of mistakes but hey, I felt that we were one in spirit worshipping our awesome God!

Ok...My stomach flu is definitely getting the better of me but I believe that God is a God who heals and I claim His healing. I thank God for even able to find the strength to blog, for He is strong in our weaknesses and I gain my strength from Him. So let us praise God in every situation we are in and be like obedient children to our heavenly Father…

Psalm bold statements...

2008-01-13T02:00:00.000+08:00

If you have read psalms on a daily basis, you would by now know that it often mentions our God as a righteous God.

Psalm 7 a shiggaion by David. I was amazed that the word ‘shiggaion’ means a lyrical poem composed under strong mental emotion. This psalm seemed like a very emotional psalm to me. Anyways, it starts off with David saying that the Lord is his refuge who saves and delivers him from his enemies (v1-2). I noticed that the word refuge has been mentioned 5 times so far in the 12 psalms which I have read.

Ps2:12 ‘Blessed are all who take refuge in him.’
Ps5:11 ‘But let all who take refuge in you be glad’
Ps7:1 ‘O LORD my God, I take refuge in you’
Ps 9:9 ‘The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.’

In v 3-5, David declares to God that if he had done the things which the wicked has made, then he would be punished consequently.
Personally, I find David to be bold in making such a statement. Only a righteous and upright man would be able to say that. Does that mean I won’t be able to say that? With my own might definitely no, but with God, anything is possible.

V6-9 talks about God’s judgment over the people, basically ending the violence of the wicked and securing the righteous. Again, we in our sinful human nature can never be truly righteous unless we depend on God. In v8, David tells the Lord not only to judge the people but to judge him as well. David was confident that he was righteous and upright because he depended on God.

V10-13 further shows that the Lord is a righteous judge who saves the upright in heart and this is one of the many things that David believed in.

V14-16 gives the consequences that God will bring upon the wicked and of the evil.

V 17 is a verse that ends with praises to God for He is righteous.

So what were the things which I gathered after reading psalm 7 again?

Firstly, I thank God that I can always seek refuge in Him especially during times of trouble. I know better than ever that to be righteous in God’s eyes, we really have to depend a lot on him because, as said in Zechariah 4:6 ‘'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit'. Only by His spirit we are able to do all things, things that help glorify His name. For God is a righteous God and He deserve all our praises…

Psalmthing To Reflect About...

2008-01-12T22:51:00.000+08:00

The year 2007 has indeed been a year of victory for me; however, I had my ups and downs for that year too. The most prominent thing that really tested my faith for that year was my relationship with my classmates. As I was reading psalm 6, the Lord brought me back to all the incidents that I had with my classmates.

My class was filled with a bunch of highly enthusiastic people and that was a good thing. For the first half of my year in school, I had my share of joy and laughter with them. In fact, I really thought that God has blessed me with a group of really nice people. I even had the chance to bless half of the class during the 100k blessing back some months ago. But the evil one will always try to take all the good things that God has given us in life.

I had an unpleasant experience while working with two of my project groups back in semester one. In my RHT group, one of my group members was, in the sense a “free-rider” and this caused the group to have some pretty high tensions. There were frequent disputes to who has to do whose work. As I was pretty fired up in doing all my church activities at that point of time, I failed to strike a balance in being 100% committed in my work. Being a 3-man strong group meant that we had quite a lot of work to cover for each other as one of our group members was not committed in the group’s success. This also meant that there was no room for error. Eventually this group member, a classmate of ours, dropped out from school. We did not get a very good grade for that subject even though we passed. I know I was partly responsible for the grade that the group has gotten and they partly shifted the blame to me. This misunderstanding carried on in semester 2 as I was unable to find a project group.

In my communication skills project group, everything was pretty much fine, just that nobody bothered to take the initiative to do any work. As the subject’s submission drew closer, everyone began to panic. Eventually one of them decided to just delegate the work without first seeking my permission even though I was the leader. I realized that a single remark that is not conveyed face-to-face could cause a major dispute to start. Out of compulsion, I said to one of them online ‘why didn’t anyone bothered to delegate the work in a meeting instead of delegating it at the last minute’. This caused the group to have the impression that I was blaming them when that was not my actual intentions. Thus, there were unwanted tensions between us. I ended up doing half of the work that the whole group was supposed to do.

So often I found myself asking God, ‘Why am I in this situation.’ I did not know what to do. I admit that my faith was push to the limit as I almost decided to stop going to church, something which I really did not want to give up. I remembered crying out to God as I was at my wits end, asking Him to deliver me from the situation I was in. Indeed, God was faithful and I saw the breakthrough I had been looking for.

I was glad that my relationship with my communication skills group was restored and the misunderstandings we had were cleared up. Thank God for the B+ we got for that project and that most of the teachers I had were Christians, hence I was able to relate to them about my problems. Though the relationship between part of the class and I were still hostile, I thank God that He is slowly restoring it.

As I was thinking of all that had happen during that period of time, I realized that God was indeed building me up by letting me face this situations. If God has never put me in those situations, I might have never known how to deal with those situations. I have since known how to strike a balance in my priorities and to be a stronger leader that I am today.

So friends, be encouraged for God will always listen to our cries. Think of what God is teaching you in every situation which you may be facing.

This will be PSALMthing I leave you to reflect about…

Psalm Fine Day With God...

2008-01-12T01:44:00.000+08:00

It was interesting to know in last week’s cluster meeting that psalm 5 is a ‘morning’ psalm and that psalm 4 is a ‘night’ psalm. The book of psalm just get more and more interesting, especially the later parts.

As I was reading through psalm 5, I realize I could break up this psalm into 2 categories:
V1-3: Men to God
The psalmist starts off by sighing, crying to God for help. He lays his requests before God and waits in expectation.
V4-12: God’s treatment to the wicked and the righteous
The verses which start from v4 onwards showed God being a righteous God.

Of all the verses I read from psalm 5, verse 1-3 spoke out to me the most as I could relate myself to it. Often will I complain to God when I’m feeling down during the start of the day, saying ‘God, why must things happen this way?’ and it seems like the rest of the day seem ruin. But after reflecting on what happen, I realize that circumstances changes when you first change your attitude. The decision to make a change in your attitude is a choice, and right after you decide on the right attitude, you think of what you are going to do about it. Over the past few months, I have learnt how to pray to God whenever I face situations like this and I find that this was a healthy and effective way in releasing your problems and burdens to Him. Know that God allows things to happen, whether good or not favorable because He wants to build you up.

As v3 says, ‘In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.’ This verse really affirms me that God listens to our voice. No matter how many times you complain to Him, He still bothers to listen to you because he cares about you. I like the part where it says ‘I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.’ Basically, I start off my day by praising and worshipping the Lord and if there is one thing which I ask God of, it would be that He will make my day special and use me to do His work. In fact, I would like to spend my time with God in the morning whenever possible because I believe that we should give God our best even in terms of our time with Him. I feel that doing it in the night time might not be the best of time as I would feel worn out by the day’s work. It is during the morning that I feel refresh and able to engage with God meaningfully.

Simple things like praying for a cab when you are late for school (not that I want to be late, but late nights can kill) or praying for the opportunity to just bless someone can be some of our requests that we can ask from God. So let us wait in great expectation for the things that we have ask from God and believe that by His time and will, He would bless us with it.

So would you spend PSALM time with God today?

Psalm 4 Us To Be Encouraged...

2008-01-11T02:00:00.000+08:00

It is interesting to know that God’s word will speak to you when you least expect it to happen and at the same time where you really need it. Such was the case after I have read through psalm 4.

Basically, at this very moment, I am rushing through my ‘beloved’ marketing project which has cause me to go insane for the past few days. I did not know how I decided to go for choir rehearsal despite the fact that my marketing project was due the next day. Maybe I needed a break to relieve my stress but, deep down I felt compelled to go for it. I knew that I needed to worship God even more during this time and to draw near Him.

In psalm 4:1-2, it says ‘Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.’
This verse spoke out to me as I really needed God to take away my weariness, to encourage me, to answer my prayers.
In v3, ‘the LORD will hear when I call to him.’
I was encouraged when I was affirmed that He will answer me.

So what did I pray to God during my time in worship?
Well, I prayed that I will draw closer to Him during times where I feel even busier and that whatever I am doing, I’m doing not for man to see but as a form of worship to God. I know that by my own strength I will not be able to accomplish that, but with God all things are possible.Worship has been something I really thank God for. Whenever I worship the Lord, my cares are release and it’s just that great feeling of offering my devotion to Him.

In v4, it mentions that ‘In your anger do not sin; when you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent.’
Is anger a sin? No, but it has the potential to lead us into sinning.
This was a great reminder for me as it helps me to develop my character of being patient, understanding, careful and most of all, reflective. I thank God that He has given me the characteristic of being reflective in my actions and not being impulsive most of the time.

Choices are decisions we have to make every now and then. I made the decision to draw near to God in times of uncertainty and I know that He honour those who call upon Him.

Would you call upon His name and invite Him into your life?

Psalm say You are a good man, but I say You are God...

2008-01-09T23:04:00.001+08:00

As I re-read through psalm3 today, I was reminded that the book of psalms is a very encouraging book in the bible. In psalm 3, it really shows how God is my deliverer, my shepherd, a God that I can cast all my worries on for there is no problem ever too big for Him.

The psalm starts off by showing the many persecutions that David faced when he fled from his son Absalom. Even when many said to him that God will not deliver him, he continues to persevere on. He declares that God is his shield who will answer him whenever he cries out, the Lord who sustains him. Because the Lord is by his side, he will not fear the tens of thousands drawn up against him on every side.

I was really encouraged by this psalm as it reminded me of the persecutions I faced as a Christian a couple of weeks back and how God not only delivered me but also turn that situation into a complete blessing for me. He is a God who answers to our cry, a God who we can fully rely on. I stand firm in my faith because I know that God is always by my side, for He will never forsake me. Even as the submission of my project is due on Friday, I have faith that God will see me through this time of completing my project as He has always done.

For blessed are those who take refuge in Him, and He honours those who draw close to Him. Be blessed by God…

God Showered Me With His Love, Would You Like Psalm 2?

2008-01-08T20:44:00.000+08:00

I have been convicted lately to pen down what I have learnt from the things I have learnt from reading psalms. I’m currently reading psalms 7 and it would take me psalm time to blog about the 6 other psalms as I’m currently rushing my projects. Though I’m in the midst of being really busy, I have made it a point to spend time even more time with God. I was really encourage that by spending more time with God, I felt good as well as being more energetic than before and I was able to be on task in whatever I was doing.

Moving on to psalm 2, this psalm was probably referring to Jesus. As I was reading this psalm from the student bible, it was mentioned that the Anointed One in v2b most probably meant “king”. The Hebrew word for it is masiah, which became Messiah and it is translated in Greek as Christos or Christ. Wow, I thought that was quite a couple of remarkable translations for that word.

But on a personal level, psalm 2 reminded me of God being my heavenly Father. In v7, God said,” You are my Son; today I have become your Father. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” The reason why I have all that I have now (Shelter, food, clothes, friends etc.) is because God was willing to bless me with it for He loves me. God wants to have a relationship with us, and he showed his ultimate love for us by giving us His Son, Jesus Christ. For we are His children and that is the reason why we can ask Him for things. This psalm is also an encouragement to us that if we continue to believe in Him, the nation would be given to us. It just takes the first step of acknowledging God as our heavenly Father to see a miracle happen around us.

I’m thankful that even though I’m currently rushing through my marketing project as of this moment, I have the freedom of seeking refuge in Him whenever I’m worn out. Living by faith is not easy as seen by the psalmists; however, if we push on and continue to draw close to Him, we would see the breakthrough we have been waiting for.

Our heavenly Father loves us so much however, many of us fail to understand or experience his loving kindness. The word ‘love’ has been so often misused as of today’s context. It is hard to experience God’ love because of how the word ‘love’ has been portrayed by the world. God is really crazy in love over you and He really wants to spend His time with you. Every single moment with you is precious to Him.

So would you draw near Him as of today?

Blessed Is Psalm One

2008-01-07T19:53:00.000+08:00

In day 1 of the year of Sabbath, we started off with the very first psalm. Personally, this very psalm was really encouraging to me and I thought that it was an interesting psalm to begin with.
In summary, Psalm 1 talks about how God would bless the way of the righteous and what are some of His definitions of righteousness.

In v1, it says ‘Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers.’
Many of us have different revelations as well as interpretations even though reading through the same content. In fact, we may even receive different revelations whenever we re-visit the verse that we might have been so familiar with. The first time I encountered this verse at the beginning of my SLTC, I thought that it meant blessed are those who do not mix around with the evil-doers of this world. However, after meditating through it again, I felt that the Holy Spirit was telling me that:
1) Blessed are those who stand firm in their faith,
2) Blessed are those who do not prevent the sinners from coming to know the Lord,
3) Blessed are those who do not conform to the ways of the world.

Ps 1:2, ‘But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.’
This verse was an encouragement for me to read and meditate on God’s word. After reading this verse, I made the decision to start off my day meditating His word and ending my day by meditating what I have meditated in the morning. I was amazed to find that by doing so, I was reminded that God has indeed spoke to me through the psalm that I was reading on that day. Truly, I find my delight by spending time with God and meditating on His word for I get to know God at a deeper level each time. I realized that the first 6 psalms which I have read so far, all pointed out that God is a God of righteousness.

In v3, it says ‘He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.’
Basically, this verse spoke out to me that he who meditates on the law of the Lord will prosper. By breaking down the elements, I gathered 3 points:
- ‘He is like a tree planted by streams of water’ referred to someone who puts his faith in the word of God
- The yielding of its fruit referred to his success
- ‘The leaf that does not wither’ meant that he does not fail
Hence, this verse gave me an understanding that he who meditates on the word of the Lord and acts on it will prosper.

In v4, it implies that the wicked are like chaff. I found out from the student bible that chaff was something which was utterly useless even for a fire and it disappears in the wind. It goes on to say in v5 that the wicked will not stand in the judgment. From what I understood after reading v4-5, I realize that God’s judgment day is what makes the wicked seem like chaff.

Finally in v6, it states that God watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish. It clearly shows that our God is a righteous God.

I felt really blessed after reading this psalm as it really ministered to me. A few weeks ago, I made the decision to seek God more often even though my exams were like packed closely with each other. I really thank God that He honors one who draws near to Him for I did really well for my exams. Praise God for that! Just as God is always willing to bless me, I believe that he wants to bless you to.

Would you be that Psalm 1?

A Season Of Doing Psalm Things

2008-01-07T01:01:00.000+08:00

It's the year of 2008 and we have just entered into the year of Sabbath. 2007 was indeed a great year for me and God has been faithful in leading me in His victory. I must admit that I experienced many ups and downs but thanks be to God who always lead me in triumphal procession in Christ.

Friendships were broken but are now in the process of being mended, I was encouraged by God by my good academic results even though I went through a really hectic schedule. Thank God that He is a God who answers our prayers by His time, by His will and I really appreciate that God did not miss out any of my prayers throughout the year. Every single prayer that I prayed to Him was answered and truly He is a God who will bring me through the seasons.

Focusing on the New Year, I thank God that He has rekindled the fire within me. I'm truly glad that this is the year of growing deep with God as worshipping the Lord has always been something I truly enjoy and love. What better way to start of the year by reading a Psalm a day and sing Psalm songs. My covenant to God is that I will read my Psalms daily and I pray that through reading each Psalm, I will indeed be drawn closer to Him.

A Season of Thanks Giving

2007-12-10T11:49:00.000+08:00

Yeah! This period is really a season of many thanks giving for me. So expect many thanks giving in ths post. Firstly, I would like to thank God for standing by me and for His amazing grace. Thank God that we have the victory in Christ and for making us overcomers.

I finally completed my MST without the fear and anxiety I had the week before. God was always there beside me, even when I was doing my microeconomics paper and OB paper. God's peace just filled my heart and I gave all that I had for the 2 papers.

Spiritual Family

I would like to thank God for all the people who prayed for me. Many thanks, i appreciate your prayers. My long-awaited SHORT break has finally come, though this is a time to catch up with my work, I am glad that I have overcome this harsh period that I had experienced. Thank God for the guitar skills that Angus has so patiently taught me. Thank God for my cell, my pastor as well as my spiritual family! Appreciate this group of people that God has put in my life.

Friends

I would like to thank God for the amazing friends that I have. Right after our last paper, I went out with Jo, Weirong, Ruhui, Jes, Jiayi, Kok,MX and Brenda to Orchard. I had a great time just being with them to chat as well as catching a movie. Thank God for this small moments of letting me know more about them. They are such a great blessing to me and I hope that the class will do well for their MST.

God is good all the time and I really appreciate Him for all the blessings that he has bless me with.

Focusing On The Focus

2007-11-29T23:07:00.000+08:00

Wow, its been weeks since I last blogged. Have to admit that my projects has got the better of me. The sian-zation is really hitting me, imagine the loads of work I have up for next week and you will know how I am feeling right now.

Let me see, I have a OB online quiz test to be done by end of this week, a BCS test, Sociology Test, 2 Microeconomics article analysis to submit, Japanese presentation, Communication Skills Job stimulation interview, Marketing Case study to submit,BCS excel spreadsheet to hand-in and my MST to follow the week after and projects to do during the hols.Arggghhh, I'm like dying inside. Sleepless nights is killing me and the stress is really reaching its peak. Thank God for Joshua, he is always there when I needed someone to pray.

Sometimes I just question myself, have I lost my focus while trying hard to do God's work. I don't mean that SLTC or whatever church activities adds to my stress or anything. I just want to make sure that my heart's condition is right when I am serving God. I might have made some minor careless mistakes in the past which had made me distracted for quite sometime, distracted enough to be lost in whatever I was doing.

However, the one big thing that I want to ask big for this season is that whatever work I'm doing, it will be a form of worship to God. The reason why I want to have good grades, why I am sacrificing my sleep is because I want to bring glory to God. I'm looking forward for my holidays for that is the time where I can really grow deeper with God. So many songs in my mind yet so little time to pen it down. I have not learn how to discipline myself in that area but I know that God would teach me how to in His time.

The one thing I pray for is for God to make my life a miracle, help me to shine my light in this dark world and welcome back the lost. Proverbs 3:5-6 is a verse that really speaks out to me. Thank you Lord for all you've done.

My Strength In Him

2007-11-02T19:42:00.000+08:00

The start of school hasn't really been a smooth one for me, history of animosity brew up when it seemed settled and at times I just feel very discouraged by the things going around me. But one thing that I can praise the Lord for is my strength in Him.

Just like the story of David who was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the LORD his God.

I realise that the bible always remind me to be strong and courageous and not be afraid or discouraged. So just as it is written in 2 Corinthians 12:10,"for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Each time I'm persecuted, I rejoice for I find my strength in the Lord. It may not be easy at the beginning, but i feel greatly encouraged whenever I rely in God as He will always make my path straight. In 1John2:14, "because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one."

I will study hard for my education for God. Not because I want to show off or prove anything to men but for the glory of the Most High. Indeed, I will make sure I won't end this year in defeat, but in victory and truly make this year the Year of Victory!

So be encouraged people, there may be times when you feel that things might not be going your way. But take courage, for God has overcome the world. God says that there is only One way to follow, that is to follow Jesus for He is the way, the truth and the life!

Standing Firm To The End

2007-10-19T21:35:00.000+08:00

What word do you see in the picture? For most of us; we would see the word 'GOOD' in the picture at first glance. However after some time, you would notice that there is also the word 'evil'. What I'm trying to point out is that many of us always judge someone by our first impression. It takes time to understand and know the intentions of the heart of a person.

I was never a real 'christian' even though I was born in a Christian family. I was once caught in whirlwind of confusion by the influence of friends I once hanged out with, that church was boring and stuff like that when I was young. Thus, I developed this perception that church was indeed boring and my spiritual eyes and ears were covered whenever I went to church. There was a time when I decided not to go to church altogether, often feigning illnesses or saying that I'm busy. I was 13 at that time and I guess I was really stubborn in my actions.

But thanks be to God, for He was always reaching out for me, waiting for me patiently to draw back to Him and indeed he brought me back in a rather unique and amusing way I would never forget, His way. Coming from a rather humble family background, my grades were often compared to my younger cousins and I was often pressurised in a competition I did not want to be in. When I was in my secondary 3 class, I became proud as I took things for granted that I have gotten into the top class in the faculty. In fact, I did not like my teachers nor the friends I had in the class due to bad memories and so I totally shut off. I just became a sleeping lion through out the year and had no intentions of graduating with the class I had. I got back my results saying that I will be retaining for that year as well as dropping to the last class.

Initially I did not feel anything, but I realized that I have broken the hearts of my family who love me, whose intentions was for me to be successful and walking right with the Lord. I began to work hard again, humbling myself even when I was the top student in my class as well as getting good grades for my O's. It was this time that I decided to walk this life of mine with God once again, for I realise that God has planned all this to happen with His intentions in breaking and moulding me into a person that he wanted me to be.

Thus, I was brought me back to Him. I'm really touched by how God has always been there for me through times of encouragements as well as times of discouragements. Through those times, I was reminded of standing firm to the faith I have in Him. Each time when I feel burnt out, God is always there to refresh me with His love, and my fire to seek His kingdom first continues to burn for Him . However, standing firm with God to the end is not an easy thing to do. It is really not by our own might nor by our power but by His spirit that we are able to do. I was going through the scripture about the end times and indeed, I have been reminded about the events which are happening around the world. It has come to a time of holding on to our faith in God with perseverance and hope to the race which we have been running with God.

In 2Timothy 3:2-5 about Godlessness in the last days, it has been said that 'People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.' From the scripture, the 'people' whom are referred here are actually the christians. It just goes to show that each one of us have the potential to be a lover of pleasure rather than lovers of God during the last days. If we do not cling on to God's word, we would very well be deceived by the very things this world has to offer.

In fact in Matthew 24:4-14, 'Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumours of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.'

The first sign of the end of the age is deception. Not only that, it is also written that we will be persecuted because of our faith.
In 2Timothy 3:12, it is written 'In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.' The scripture does not say that we "may" be persecuted, rather we "will" be persecuted.

It will definitely not be easy living a christian life, there might be things that we can never do and we will be persecuted by the people around us. But I choose to stand firm to my faith in God for I do not set my eyes on earthly riches but rather the heavenly riches that God will provide me with. Be glory to the Father in heaven as I will run this race He has marked out with perseverance and faith in Him.

I pray that we will stand strong in God, for He is strong in our weaknesses. For God is good all the time. Amen...There is only this one simple important thing for us to stand firm in Him that is to read our bible consistently, the word that is inspired by the almighty God our Saviour. Discerning what is true and false, what are the right and wrong things and what are the good things that please our Father in heaven.

Would you read your bible as of today?

F-O-C

2007-10-18T09:43:00.000+08:00

So what's this post of F-O-C all about? One might think it means free-of-charge. Huh?free-of-charge, why is he blogging about F-O-C? Well actually the real acronym for it is Faith-Obedience-Commitment. It relates to the day of Sabbath. How does it relate to it then?

1.Faith
In Hebrews4:1, 'Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
The Sabbath is really a time of worship. It is a time where we enter into God's rest, a time where we draw near to Him and He will then draw near to us. It is a time of asking in faith,the faith of asking big.
In Hebrews 4:2, it says 'For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.'
Without faith, we cannot enter into God's rest. Without faith, we can never ask big. Therefore, let us have the faith to ask big even before we enter into the year of Sabbath.

2.Obedience
When we enter into the spirit of the Sabbath, we have to have the obedience to be faithful to what God called us to do.
Hebrews 4:6,'It still remains that some will enter that rest, and those who formerly had the gospel preached to them did not go in, because of their disobedience.
Some were unable to enter into God's rest simply because they were disobedient in listening to God's word. It really means this, by disobeying God' word we are actually sinning against God. Hence, let us open the eyes of our hearts to listen to God's message for us as we enter into the year of Sabbath in faith.

3.Commitment
We must be committed to make every effort to enter God's rest. Faith and obedience depend on commitment. If we truly honour God, we will have that faith to believe as well as obey Him.
In Hebrews 4:11, 'Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
By making every effort to enter God's rest, we can be sure that we will not fall short from our disobedience

Let us prepare ourselves before we enter into the year of Sabbath, be free for God and indeed you will see the marvelous plans that God has intended for us to do.

Growing Deep...Deeper

2007-10-13T22:47:00.000+08:00

Its been days since I last blogged,in fact I haven't been writing songs or sharing my devotions. I was pretty occupied with other things.
I have 2 major school events to plan for and they are approachng nearer and nearer each day. It has really taken a toll on my health and I feel rather burn out from the lack of sleep. I really do need God's inner peace as well as His healing during this period of time. Thankfully, I'm glad that I still spend most of my time with the Lord. I have been growing deep in God's word recently as well as really improving in my guitar skills. Besides that, I have been involved in the SLTC to further build myself as a leader.

Though it has been slightly dull for the past few days, I know that God is there for me and I will definitely grow deeper with God and continue to write my songs and devotions as soon as possible. After all, its in His freedom we are living and I want to offer my devotion to Him.

Purpose Of The Ten Commandments

2007-10-06T20:20:00.001+08:00

Tcube today was just great today as our mini tribe come together for a time of growing deep in the Lord as well as bonding closer to each other. I thank God for my spiritual family; they have brought me much joy since knowing them.

I was one of the I.Cs for ice breaker and i thought it would be good just to break the 'ice' by getting them warm up in the game of musical chairs. I'm glad that they had fun through out the game. Anyways, what I was really looking forward to was listening to God's word. I learnt the importance of being free for God from Pastor Tim's short sermon. Haha, he have to get used to that name. Let us first look at the Ten Commandments.

Below is the summarised list of the Ten Commandments.
1. No other gods before the Lord ^
2. No idols
3. No misusing the name of the Lord ^
4. Observe the Sabbath
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5. Honor dad and mum
6. No murder
7. No adultery
8. No stealing <----------------->
9. No false testimony
10. No coveting

What is interesting about the Ten Commandments is actually how you can divide it into categories.
Basically the first 4 commandments is related between man and God, it is represented by the arrows pointing vertically upwards.
The last 6 commandments is related between man to man, hence horizontal arrows are represented.
If we were to separate the Ten Commandments further, we can observe that it is related to worship.
1)The commandments in red represents 'who' we worship
2)The commandments in blue represents 'when' to worship
3)The commandments in green represents 'how' to worship

If we were to cross-refer bet the NIV and KJV, it is notable that the word worship and serve is used interchangeably. Hence, worshipping God also means that we are serving Him. I will talk about the Sabbath later on in my next post as it is relates to worship.

However, who we worship, when we worship and how we worship must ultimately lead us to love. It is stated in 3 instances in the bible:
1) Mark 12:30-31
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'There is no commandment greater than these."
2) Gal 5:14
"The entire law is summed up in a single command: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
3) Romans 13:9-10
"The commandments, 'Do not commit adultery,' 'Do not murder,' 'Do not steal,' 'Do not covet,'and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself."Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."
Though the Ten Commandments does not give us salvation, it is really a guide on how we should live our lives. Therefore, let us love one another regardless the differences we might have.

A Life Story

2007-10-02T12:12:00.000+08:00

How many of us have a story to tell about our lives? Those who have lived till a ripe age certainly has one to tell. I was talking to my grandfather this morning and I just sense a prompting that I should ask him about his life. Indeed my grandfather has gone through a lot of sufferings in the past and he just shared one of his many stories to me.

Through his stories, I took the effort to be engaged in the conversation though my chinese wasn't that superb and I found out that we youngsters or so to speak are very blessed and fortunate as of today. You might have never thought much of the transport or the living conditions we have today. In the early years of my grandpa, there wasn't any of these transport and certainly there wasn't any high-rise flats or condominiums.

I thank God for teaching me to appreciate the things I have in my life through my grandpa's stories. In fact, I have asked my grandpa to write down his many interesting life stories in a book and to get it published next time so that his grandchildren would be able to know his very own life story. That way, we can be sure that his story would be passed down to the generations after us.

In all, God is really teaching all of us the meaning of being grateful in our lives. Indeed, God is really creative and each of our life stories has been written by Him before we even came to this world. I give him all the praise for all He has done for me. God has reminded me of my very own life story and I just want to leave a question for us all to ponder about: ‘Do you have a life story to tell?’

A Heart For The Poor

2007-10-01T21:35:00.000+08:00

Recently, God just showed me quite a few things about the poor. More importantly, God was asking me what was my heart like for the poor. Was it one that is full of compassion or was it one that makes me shun away from them. I know for myself that I have a heart for the poor,

I was just heading back home in my aunt's car from Funan IT mall. By the way, I have many aunts so the aunt that I'm referring to might not be the same aunt that I mentioned in my posts. Anyways, when we passing by upper serangoon road, there was this old man who was standing at the roadside. His appearance was quite shaggy, he wore tattered clothes and he was holding a garbage bag.

As cars passed by, he tried to signal them to stop as if he wanted a ride or something from them. When my aunt passed by, he repeatedly wave for us to stop but we just moved on. At that point of time, something just struck my heart and the next moment I was just tearing. I was thinking of the life of this man, if nobody helps this man, he is surely going to die.

While i was on my way back, I just kept thinking what I could do for him at that moment. I had thoughts of giving him all the money that I had with me at that moment so that he could make do it for the moment but God just started to speak to me. The money wasn't the main thing that mattered at that moment, it was the heart's condition that mattered. What was my heart for the poor? Was it just to give them the money and just walk off thinking that we have truly help them?

I was reminded of two songs in my heart and I just started worshipping the Lord in my heart. The first song was 'Here I am to worship'
-I remembered the lyrics in verse 2 where it says ' humbly you came to the earth you created, all for love's sake became poor'. Indeed, humbly He came for us. He left the circle of comfort He had in heaven for us. He became poor because He loves us so much. I was reminded again of how then shall I live this life of mine.
The second song was 'Saviour King'
-This song is a very powerful song with powerful lyrics and in one of the verses it says ' And now the poor, stand and confess that my portion is Him and I'm more than blessed'. The poor may seem poor with our physical eyes, but if their portion was in the Lord God Almighty, our spiritual eyes would be opened to see that indeed they are rich in the Lord.

So God reminded me of how then shall I live. My response to Him would be that I will always the poor in my daily prayer, those that I have come across as well as those that I have not. Pray about what then? That they may know the Lord and that their portion is Him, that truly they will be more than bless in the Lord. Through doing deeds like donating or giving them money or doing acts of service, God truly reminds us what is our heart for the poor.

Ask yourself today, 'what is my heart for the poor?'

Family Harmony

2007-09-30T22:18:00.000+08:00

Family Harmony, one of the blessings which many people seek in their family. I will never forget this night when I actually talk to my dad about family harmony. I was led by the Holy Spirit to just talk to my dad about changing the atmosphere of the family and it wasn't easy at the start because I don't usually talk to my father this stuff. I guess God wanted us to change the way we were living.

I talked to him about lots of things and I told him personally that I wanted to honour him and be obedient to him. I was glad that I could talk to my father about what was God's plan for me as well as the issues in my life. I thank God that my relationship with my dad has been drawn closer and we both agreed that we to do something to save our relatives who has not come to know the Lord yet. I believe God is going to change the lives of my family as well as the people around us.

Anyways, I learnt much about family harmony from Pastor Richard today. I guess he did put in a great effort in connecting with the youths through his message. There are 3 points that we must look into to achieve family harmony.

1. Wives & Husbands
- What must they do to receive the blessing of family harmony?They must switch on their mind to submit & love.
For the wives, it is said in Col 3:18 'wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.'
Indeed, submission is something that comes from the God and you just have to trust in God for this. For it is really not by your might nor by your power, but by His spirit there you are able to do it.
For the husbands, it is said in Col 3:19 'Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them.'
It is hard for you to love your wife without experiencing the love of God. We need to have sacrificial love towards them. So let us love our wives just as Christ love the church.

Pastor said there were 3 basic reasons why men fail to love
a)Our Passivity at Home
-The family look upon the husband as the decision maker as well as the head of the family. Hence it is the husband's role to listen to the family, make decisions and make sure that it is done.
b)Our Private Caves
- Sometimes in the heat of a quarrel, men might just retreat into their so-called 'private caves' as they just can't be bothered with the problem or they want to feign ignorance. That shouldn't be the case, for ignorance is not a bliss.
c)Our Insensitivity
-It's quite straight forward, husbands can be insensitive to their wives sometimes. It can be insensitivity towards problems or towards communication in their love languages.
I believe that there is much to learn from this so that when that day comes, by faith I will know how to love my future partner. Besides that, I know that the Holy Spirit will always be there to guide me even through my marriage.

2.Children & Parents
- Many of us might be able to relate to this point better. Parents and children must turn on their emotions to obey and encourage.
As children, we have to discipline ourselves for in Col 3:20 it says ' Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord'. Hence, let us obey our parents in everything except for things which involve sins and things which displeases the Lord. For we cannot bring hope to the generations to come if we are disobedient to our parents. We are accountable to our parents for they are the guardians of the house.
As for parents, the bible specifically focuses on the fathers. In the following verse in Col 3:21, it is written 'Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discourage.'
Do not embitter your children, in other words it means do provoke your children to anger.
There are 4 things which will provoke children to anger.
A. Living in the past
-Parents should not keep using the past as an example or their children will get irritated by them.
B. Over-controlling
-Parents do need to use the rod at times, but we should not over-do it.
C. Under-controlling
-Parents should not be too easy on their children or they will lack discipline. In other words, they become 'spoilt brats'.
D. Living an inconsistent life
-Parents should ask themselves what are they showing to their children through their actions, for their children will pick up everything they learn. This means that their children will pick up their characteristics as well as personality. So do bear in mind that you reap what you sow.

3. Families & God
God will indeed act on His will to remember and to restore. For God is committed to bless your family with harmony by turning the hearts of the
A. Families to God, the Father
B. Fathers to the children
C. Children to the Fathers.

From this 3 main points, it is easy to conclude that for us to receive the blessing of family harmony, it is essential for us to have God in our lives, in our families. Now then, would you invite God into your family and your life as of today?

Leadership

2007-09-28T21:36:00.000+08:00

God spoke to me about leadership through Timothy today. In fact, God has been speaking to me about being a leader on several occasions. I was actually really tired today as I did not have enough sleep the day before. However, God gave me the energy I needed to listen to what He has to say to me. This are the 3 points that God showed me in today's cell time:

1. We are called to be a leader.
- God constantly reminds us that we are called to be leaders. In Matthew 28:18 -20, Jesus says
"...All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."

Jesus is very precise in his words. Every christian is called to be leaders. As leaders for God, our role is to lead the people and train them to be disciple makers so that the people will be able to take our roles and lead others and the generations to come.

God also reminded me that we cannot be a leader for Him without His spirit. The fruit of the spirit as mentioned in Gal 5:22-23, is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Therefore, let us teach our disciples the word of God by the spirit. Live by the spirit!

2. Everyone can be a leader
- Yes, everyone can be a leader. Regardless of your background, God can make you a leader. In fact, he wants us to be leaders as mentioned in Matthew 28:18-20. If we take a close look in Matthew 28:17, it says 'When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.'

Some doubted in Jesus, but what did Jesus do? He did not condemn them by saying ‘You of little faith, why do you doubt me?’ Instead he sends them to disciple the nations. It just shows how much Jesus loves and trusts his disciples even though they doubted him. How much more will God love and trust us to be His leader. Hence, let us be leaders for God by faith.

On a side note, if we were to read further on in the book of Acts, you would see a remarkable change in the behaviour of the 12 disciples. They stood out as bold, confident figures instead of the dull personality they once had. You would be surprise to see that the incredible advance of the early church was led by the 2 disciples with the thickest heads of all, John and Peter. Jesus’ patience in them has indeed been worthwhile.

3. Be prepared as a leader- God reminded me to be prepared in all circumstances, be it being a leader. Today, I was given an opportunity to lead worship but I came unprepared physically as well as mentally. In the midst of leading, I just got lost in the song and I did not grasp hold of the powerful lyrics. I was simply tired but God taught me the meaning of being prepared. There will lots of challenges that I will face in being a leader. God reminded me to be alert always and to come prepared.

Ultimately, sticking to God's WEB requires perseverance, faith and discipline. Would you stick to God's WEB all your life?