God's Will

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will

To summarise this verses, we can infer that Paul is trying to tell us that all life would become ''spiritual worship''..And that our lives, or rather we, must be transformed, not just our external behaviours but also our inner thoughts, the way we feel and think..

Worship, is a part and parcel of our chirstian life, it is the most sincere and desirable way to express our love for God and his worth to us..

True worship - worship in spirit and in truth

John 4:23-24 - 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 in spirit and in truth

What do I mean by worshiping God in spirit and in truth?

''In spirit'' actually means this true worship is carried along with the Holy Spirit and is happening maily as an inward, spiritual event, and not as an outward, bodily event.Worship has to come from our hearts, the most vital part of our body that channels all our feelings and emotions..When the heart is far from God, worship is vain, empty and non-existent. The experience of the heart is the defining, vital, indispensable essence of worship.

Matthew 15:8-9 - These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men

This verse highlights that the true essence of worship lies in our very hearts..

Worship is a form of experience to display our innermost feelings and emotions in direct contact with God and in the right spirit.. It should not be just an outward form of worship practice but a spiritual experience and it does not necessarily hae to take place in church or in some evangelistic events..Worship comes from our hearts, therefore it can take place anywhere and at any time, for as long we pour out all our heart and soul into it..

Romans 1:9 - God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you
Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship
Philippians 3:3 - For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh

In conclusion,

Colossians 3:17

And whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him

Walter Pearson

great message..

Blessed are the poor in spirit..

Matthew 5:3

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven

As I recalled one of the bible study lessons last year on the Gospel of Mark, I came across a familiar chapter - The Beatitudes

Jesus begin the Beatitudes with our inability in the mind, highlighting that acknowledging the fact that we humans are unworthy and spiritually poor is of vital importance in our walk with God..The Beatitudes are a set of, what i would say, 'guidelines' to the way we live as Christians..Those who recognise their spiritual poverty are in the best position to experience God's blessing and enjoy his kingdom..

What does it mean by "poor in spirit"?

It refers to a person with spiritual poverty.

One who realize that he is born with a sinful nature and that he cannot save himself, that he is without an ability to glorify himself..

One who has a keen sense of his own sinfulness and need for God's grace..

One who abandons his pride and self-sufficiency and rely totally and with full confidence on God for support..

In the process, this person will be able to acquire the other Beatitudes-the mournful, meek, hungry, merciful, pure and peaceful dispostion..

Some examples that display this personality and attitude in the Bible

1.Luke 18:13 - And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner

2.Judges 6:15, which shows the attitude of Gideon - But Lord , Gideon asked, how can I save Israel? My clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my family

3.Isaiah 6:5, which demonstrates Isaiah's attitude - Woe to me! I cried. I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty

Christ himself also displayed this attitude on earth

4.John 5:30 - By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me

5.John 14:10 - Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work

What does the other part of the verse means? "For theirs is the kingdom of heaven"

1.The reward for the poor in the spirit..They will possess the qualitites that are essential and crucial for 'membership' in Christ's kingdom, the church..

Matthew 18:3-4 - And he said: I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

It takes an inner attitude of complete spiritual poverty to accept God's plan of salvation..

Ephesians 2:7-9 - in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast

2.These people will also inherit the eternal kingdom as well..

Revelation 1:5 - and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Those who are prideful and self-sufficient could never hope to enjoy the blessings of Heaven. They would never accept that they were sinners in need of a savior, never accept the need to obey God in God's way, and never accept the fact that without God they could do nothing.

In conclusion,

It is only through the humility of spiritual poverty that we can draw close to God and truly enjoy life as He wants us to..

Emptyness..

These past few weeks, I really don't know why, but I feel as if there is something lacking in my life, something in my heart that ought to be filled, a hole that should be covered.. I wonder if any of you have ever felt that way before, or is just me.. Or perhaps it's just, what i deem to call it, life.. This feeling is metaphorically like a jigsaw puzzle that's missing out its last piece and I try so hard to uncover the location of this piece, but somehow to no avail, yet..

Some people see life in a perspective such that it's a continuous, never ending, repeated cycle or process.. For adults, for example, they go to work in the morning, come home for dinner in the evening(some later than that), have a reunion with family, chat and discuss how's each and every of the family member day have been..

And for those who are single, unmarried, will also do the same thing, perhaps, with their parents, or siblings..Then, work again after a good night's sleep(for some, for others..)

Secondly, for students as myself, we go to school early in the morning, stare at the whiteboard or at the teacher's face for a few hours and then we go home, bathe, do homework, play computer, or some will probably get some rest.. Afterwhich comes dinner with family, exhanging conversation, watching tv, then school again, after the night's rest..

In mathematics, there are formulas for every type of questions, solutions for any question or analysis that can always be calculated, and obtained.. In life, I believe that our every problem and question can be solved by a single formula, or rather two, but in one, similar kind.. That is, through prayer and the Word..

But even if we know the theory of the formula but have no knowledge of its application and practical usage, what good use would it be then? I've been pouring my soul into the bible to 'extract' answers to my questions.. Though i have not managed to find an answer but i believe that regardless of the time required to do so, God will, unmistakably, provide with one, in due course.. For as long as you believe that you will receive and have faith in His might and sovereignty, He will definitely answer you prayers.. with an open heart and subjective attitude..

I pray that I will find an answer to my last missing jigsaw puzzle..For i know that my purpose, my sole purpose on Earth is you, Jesus..Amen.

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blamish or defect.

Another poem..

You are so flawless in every way,
We are guiltier everyday.
You are worthy of this world's Praise,
But this world doesn't see it that
way for they are too busy looking for
treasures that will one day bring
them down to their knees in shame
before your Presence.
Yet it amazes how much dedication
and love you have for this world,
With a beautiful moon and sun, gigantic mountains,
and a precious ocean that can
be seen all over the universe
it's so sad that many people cannot see
that you are a real God.
But I this poor soul am thankful for your great Love and Mercy,
Please remember me in your paradise Jesus Christ.

Love and Friendship

Love is like the wild rose-briar,
Friendship like the holly-tree—
The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms
But which will bloom most constantly?

The wild-rose briar is sweet in the spring,
Its summer blossoms scent the air;
Yet wait till winter comes again
And who will call the wild-briar fair?

Then scorn the silly rose-wreath now
And deck thee with the holly's sheen,
That, when December blights thy brow,
He may still leave thy garland green.

1 Corinthians 13:3

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing

Deuteronomy 6:5 - Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

Matthew 22:39 - Love your neighbor as yourself

Then in the next verse, the Lord says..

Matthew 22:40 - On these two commandments hang all the law and prophets

Therefore, the teachings of the Old Testament summarises to this point where we, as Christians, should fervently love our neighbour and God, with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.

What then, does love have anything to do with spiritual gifts?

Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness

Hence, should we have spiritual gifts, but on the other hand, no love, the gifts are, yet sadly, useless.. Love, as in Galations 5:22, is a fruit of the Spirit.. It is love that unifies the church, strenghtens and nourishes our friendship with friends, it is a vital and essential ingredient that bonds us together with our family and most important of all, love seals our ties and relationship with God.. And the gifts of the Spirit are like tools that accomplish the purpose of love - building up teh body. Love controls the use of gifts - they are not to divide the church, nor are they to be used for personal recognition.. With love, the gifts are of genuine service to the church..

In conclusion, Isaiah 49:15 states :

"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!"

Fridayzz..

Friday, at last, has arrived.. morning assembly.. principal announced O lvl results, said that average L1R5 has improved from 14.1 points to 13.1 points.. And he was like.. boasting so much crap abt it.. Didnt rly take much notice of it.. and the best result was from a PRC scholar-china students.. 9 A1s... And i was even more -_-" .. what is happening to sg ppl? getting thrashed by china guys.. haiz.. Then came our story-telling teacher.. He said that marists were ''warriors''.. adding on to our many self-acclaimed titles(by that teacher) like.. "angels in disguise", "champions", "heroes", "extraordinary people", bla bla bla.. Stoned.. Anyways.. Weekends.. enjoy the pleasure of sleeping till noon..-and not the usual 5am... Gd nighty..

What is a believer?

A believer is one who believes, that is, one who has faith in something or someone. James 2:20-22 states that faith can be legitimate (faith in what is true), illegitimate (faith in what is not true), or feigned (pretended faith). However, there is something we need to understand as a fundamental axiom -"a true principle". Believing is not a choice nor is it something a person can, or does, choose to do. Faith is something a person either has or does not have. It may be received through education or experience.. It may also develop over time as a result of the accumulation of evidence, or be received in a testimony as evidence congeals in the consciousness, or, as we shall see, be given by God.. We experience many things, many beliefs in life. Some knowledge, some belief is universal, some cultural, some religious.. But the most crucial and essential field of faith is the kind that we experience in our walk with God -a spiritual, saving faith..

1 Corinthians 15:1 speaks of how we are saved through our belief and faith in the gospel.. And in Romans 1:16 states "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for Jew, then for Gentile" This good news is the touchstone of saving faith. Like all faith, it is not chosen. But unlike all other species of faith, this faith, faith in the evangel, saving faith, is not arrived at by education, or instruction. It doesn’t develop over time through study of the Scriptures nor is it arrived at by induction or deduction. Saving faith is given by God, gratuitously..Ephisians 2:8 states "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God"

What happens then, to those people who are ignorant to the Gospel?
Well, we cannot confirm what will happen to such nor can we judge their fates.. However, some people suggest that God will not hold people accountable for something they are ignorant or have no knowledge of.. And here's where we Christians play a part -to spread the gospel to non-believers..Nevertheless, one thing to be sure of is that Christ is the only way to salvation and the issue for which everyone will stand before God relates primarily to our sin, which causes us to be in conflict with God's holiness.. God knows each individual's heart and will judge fairly and accordingly and in a manner consistent with both holiness and love..

In conclusion,

Ephesians 4:1-6

I am entreating you, then, I, the prisoner in the Lord, to walk worthily of the calling with which you were called, with all humility and meekness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit with the tie of peace: one body and one spirit, according as you were called also with one expectation of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.

Troubles and sufferings in life..

In life, everbody -every living soul that walks on Earth- will face troubles, sufferings and calamities in life, physically and emotionally, although we wish that we will never face such problems, to live a peaceful and trouble-free life.. Yet sadly, hate to break the news but this is an inconvenient and inevitable truth..

But being Christians, we believe in God, the Comforter, that He will never leave us alone, but walk us through all our problems in life and that belief alone, will indeed and unmistakably see us through any obstacle and setback in life.. And I wish to share with you a few things in life..

1.God certainly DID not cause our sufferings.
We, as humans, have troubles in life beacause of humanity's sinful nature and nothing can be done to turn back time and reverse what's done through the disobedience of Adam and Eve when sin came into the world and stained our relationship with God, and is still, however, in our very blood till the end of the days.. However, troubles need not necessarily come from the rewards of our misdeeds but also possible, from those who sin against us..-not always beacause we have committed a particular sin.

2.Jesus Christ loves us and KNOWS our sufferings.
You are not alone. Christ proved his love for us on the cross and on the cross He proved the depths of earthly, human sufferings, therefore He himself suffered and understands your pain. Hence, whenever we ask for comfort, belief that He who heals us comprehends the full measure of human pain.

3.Christ wants to love and comfort us.
Christ's purpose is to comfort and heal us as He is our friend, the bringer of peace, our spiritual 'doctor'..God NEVER wants us to suffer, please bear that in mind.. He hates it when we hurt but the fact that we hurt is part of our legacy as humans..God could, of course, instantly stop all human suffering, but doing so would involve interfering with our free will, which he loves us too much to do so..

4.Through suffering we can grow in our identification with Christ.
Being Christians, we want nothing more than to as fully as possible identify and commune with Christ and also build an intimate relationship with God.. Christ purposefully died on the cross for us and therefor our sufferings is nothing compared to Christ's, of what He had gone through, and that truly reflects the depth and reality of that sacrifice..

5.Suffering clears a way to God.
Suffering enables us to channel our innermost thoughts and desire towards God during those painful and sorrowful moments of yuor life and hence you will tend to rely more on God's comfort and guidance..

If you're suffering, here are a few tips on how you can get better.

1.Pray.
First and foremost, pray about it..Ask for God's peace and He will, I assure you with full confidence, provide comfort and shelter.. Don't ever pause for a moment or even hesitate to feel shy about asking for it for He knows everything and He can bring you what you cannot deliver yourself as God can do what some people might consider as 'impossible'.. eg. 2+2=5.. P.S This may be lame but.. You know what i mean.. Calming stormy waters is what God does. Ask, and you shall receive. Trust me, or rather, belief in God's grace..

2.Share your troubles.
Suffering disables us, rendering us 'immobilized' and hence we tend to isolate ourselves with our anguish and close our hearts from others. Resist that impulse and, which only serves to coddle and bottle up all our emotions and pain into a 'big ball' that you ALONE cannot bear. Instead, share your troubles with your spouse, your friends, and your family. Be honest and open with them, free yourself to be as vulnerable as you feel. Receive their input, their sympathy, and their care. Let God's power and might reach and overwhelm you through His creation, His people..

To be justified..

Romans 5
To be justified means to be made right. What was the main question that Paul had been highlighting in this chapter? That is ''How can a sinful man be made right with God, a holy and sinless God?'' In our christian walk with God, even we live our lives in a christ-like way -following the law and the commandments and live a perfect life- we would not still be right with God.. Adam's sin involved the rest of humanity in condemnation and death.. In other words, we begin it with a sinful nature (genesis 7:21 says " every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood" and psalms 51:5 says "Surely I was sinful at birth")

This may sound like...oh my gosh! "Then what should i do to repair my relationship with God?" Some people may ask.. Well, this is where Jesus comes into the picture.. God created us for a relationship with him. So he took the INITIATIVE to make the relationship right. In Jesus Christ he does for us what we human could never do for ourselves -That is, Jesus lived a wholly righteous life, a perfect life in line with the law, the commandments, and in total relationship with God.. Furthermore, in Jesus God took upon himself all the punishments our disobedience deserves (Romans 3:24). He took all our sins to the cross and fulfilled God's will and righteousness.. His life was sacrificed in exchange for ours, therefore his blood paid the price for our justification.. In other words, we, our lives, are bought with the precious blood of Jesus.. Because of sin we were standing in conflict with our relationship with God. Jesus paid our sin debt so that we can again have the fellowship with God that sin destroyed (Genesis 3) And that's my answer to my previous question..

And in conclusion, in light of God's finished work for us, all that he ask of us is our faith and belief in Him and his works and that we live a life in total reliance in Him..

Faith

Hebrews 11

Faith means believing and obeying God, which requires relying on which we cannot see -God's promises, provisions and concern for us. An inner attitude alone does not define faith, though. For faith to be present, action is also required.. Faith proves itself by obedience to the Lord..

The writer of Hebrews expressed faith in two directions : faith towards future things (what we hope for) and faiths toward invisible things (what we do not see). When we are certain God is in control in these areas and we live having the mindset that He is in control, then that's faith.

The two sides of faith -assurance and expectation- can be seen in the lives of those listed in this chapter. They had strong convictions about unseen present realities. They also had a strong assurance that God's promises would be fulfilled -even in the face of evidence that seemed to suggest otherwise (eg. v 11).

*v 11 - Although Abraham was at a very old age and Sarah herself was barren, he was, by his faith in God who made a covenant with him, enabled to become a father

Ultimately, the way we see God will determine the shape of our faith. If we see a big, faithful, all-powerful God, then our faith will rise to those levels. If, on the other hand, we see a smaller God, a distant or 'less active' God, then our faith will waver to those levels.

Therefore in conclusion, I just want to state a realistic fact, regardless of how you deem it ridiculous or just empty words, or rather you may find me simplistic but - the truth is, that's the reality and goodness of God - If we have faith that God sent his Son to die for us, to redeem us and grant us an access to eternal life then we are, I assure you, welcomed to the kingdom of God.

Saturday...

phew..mum and sis's back to singapore.. wont hav much time to blog but will try to squeeze time out to.. anyways.. im yet again.. without a CCA!! haiz.. hmm lets see my cca journey.. 1st year bdminton journey but then.. mum say will affect my studies coz of high expectations and heavy trainings... then i quit the team.. 2nd year.. join cross country but then.. i slack ar.. then end of year my name striked off the list... now come the 3rd year.. i think im joing chess sia.. its the most slack.. i guess my cca points is screwed up sia.. amen ar..

Love

John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Matthew 5:43-45
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heavn: for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 22:37-40
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Matthew 22:37-40

John 13:34, 35
34A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another. 35By this shall all men (people) know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

John 15:12
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Romans 5:8
But God commandeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 8:38, 39
38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Galatians 5:22, 23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

1 John 4:8-11
8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Who then, can say that God doesnt love him or was never there for him?

When satan comes knocking..

Ephesians 6:14
When Satan comes against your mind with wrong thoughts, you don’t have to concede defeat. Use these practical actions to confront loose thoughts by securing them with the belt of truth.

In every story book that you'll find, there will always be -according to the contextual storyline- a 'good' person and a 'bad' person.. In the eyes of the law, there is right and wrong.. And thats why law exists in the first place-to set apart right from wrong..And so it's the same as in life.. and more focusing on our christian walk.. There are two roads in which we can choose to follow.. But why not just one? Because God wants us to choose which path to take in life and thats just proves His sovereignty and grace.. He didnt created us to become puppets who has no choice but to follow his master's bidding but God.. He created mankind with a choice over our faith.. But even so.. There is someone who exists in our lives, and he is the 'bad person'-Satan.. He is the cause behind what's keeping us apart from God..And the only solution to resist his temptations and prevent our relationship with God from being affected is through prayer..

What then is Satan's aims and strategies? -adapted from christianity.com-
1.He is the Father of lies-John 8:44
~He speaks the truth-in a different perspective-in order to deceive us and tempt us into doing sin. (an example is the story of Adam and Eve in the garden)
2.Hence, his greatest enemy is truth-which is God's Word - he opposes God's word. Gen 3:1-5
3.He casts doubt on God's goodness. Genesis 3:1-5
~He destroys the obedience of faith.He opposes the truth reaching and converting people.
4.He hinders missions strategy. 1 Thess. 2:18
5.He distorts and prevents effective Gospel message. Acts 13:8-9
6.He avoids inner need by removing external trouble. 1 John 3:12
7.He uses the fear of death to hold men in bondage. Hebrews 2:15
8.It doesn't lead them to God because it leads them to get as many kicks here as possible.
9.He causes people to stumble over bad Christian attitudes. 2 Tim. 2:24-26
10.He blinds the minds of unbelievers. 2 Cor. 4:4
11.He exploits a lack of understanding. Mt. 13:19
12.He suggests ways that don't involve suffering. Mt. 16:23; Mt. 4:1-11
13.He imitates religious roles. 2 Cor. 11:14-15; Mt.13:28,30; Rev. 2:9
14.He misuses Scripture. Mt. 4:6
15.He imitates signs and wonders. 2 Thess. 2:9; Mk. 13:22
16.He offers exotic occult alternatives. Rev. 2:19-24

He attacks faith to destroy believers:
1.attacks faith. 1 Thess. 3:5; 2 Cor. 11:3
2.brings persecution. Rev. 2:9; 1 Pt. 5:8; Lk. 22:31
3.brings sickness. Job 1:11; 2:5; Lk. 13:16.
4.dissension over doctrine and causes rifts. Rom. 16:17-20
5.sexual allurements. 1 Cor. 7:5; 1 Tim. 5:15
6.unresolved anger. 2 Cor. 2:11; Eph. 4:27
7.pride. 1 Tim. 3:6

School..

Phew..today was quite xianz at schul lor.. broke a lab apparatus during chem lesson... then coudn do work on time.. but during assembly the schul invited some1 to perform.. she's a 12-year old girl who is blind and she played the piano while singing a song for us.. her performance was rly superb.. and was rly an encouragement for all of us.. despite her physical handicap.. she then shared wif us how God came into her life and the wonders that He had done.. and she said of how God can use different ppl to show His glory... and though she was blind, she possesses an ability that most ppl dun hav-the voice that can touch others' hearts.. therefore, to have a mindset like hers.. we have much to learn from a 12-year old like her.. her courage and way of thinking..

In our journey with God, there will be many obstacles along the way and there's no road that is clear..and we can always, at any moment of our lives, depend on God te see us through our problems.. if a physical handicap cannot make a mere 12-year old girl fall, cause her to lose confidence in herself, then truly we have to be as strong as her, and believe that we're never facing our problems alone for God is always with us just as He has promised never to forsake us, nvr to leave us alone..

Prayer

What exactly is prayer? Prayer,in my opinion, is a form of communication between ourselves and God, which actually creates a strong bond between us and thus strenghtening our relationship with God.. Why do we need to pray then? Because there is nothing else in this world that matters more than prayer in helping us to grow spiritually in faith and also, at the same time, creates a sense of dependence, assurance and reliance when we pray to God or ask for requests. Therefore, prayer is one important aspect in our spiritual walk with God.

How do we pray then? Well.. When i pray, I see it as talking casually to a very close and intimate friend, who really has direct access to our hearts, for He knows our every thought and feeling, but of course in a humble and respectful status..We, as human beings, sinful and unworthy as we are, ought to present ourselves in a humble and ignorant manner when praying to God for he is someone so holy, so divine, and no words can describe His might and His will.. Because God works in wonderful and mysterious ways in our lives that none of us can predict His will and His plans for us.. And I believe that what He has granted for me and every door, every road and every avenue that He has opened for me in my life is the best that I can ever hope for in the world for He, my Creator, King of Kings, is in total control of my life and I know that I can place my full trust and reliance in Him.

What do we pray for and what are the important factors in praying? There is no determination in what people really pray for as different circumstances affect what we pray for.. Say.. A man living a normal life, without any worries might pray for a healthy life, peace or a stable income.. Whereas a man who has contracted a fatal disease or illness might pray for a miracle to happen and that he would recover fully.. God is all-powerfull and He knows our every trouble, our ever problem that's occuring in our lives but you see.. Just as he has given us the freedom to choose whether or not to believe in Him, He wants to listen personally to our problems from our very mouths.. And that, truly is why He had granted us this liberty to pray, despite of our sinful nature and broken relationship with God, that we may, through prayer, grow spiritually in Him.. As a student, there are two major factors of which I am concerned about in my life.. That is, first and foremost, my walk with God and secondly my education.. Well.. My walk with God, I assure you, has been a smooth and pleasant jouney, an undescribable feeling of a living God present in my life is truly a wonderful thing, something which any man would hope for in his life.. Truly, I have been blessed and I believe that God has shown me His wonders in my life.. Nonetheless, our walk with God never ends, my brothers and sisters, even to the brink of death, there is still, an eternal life with God in which our relationship with God continues.. Hence, our journey never ends and there is still much more to discover, many things, many wonders of God to unravel..And as for my studies.. Well.. You know, it's somewhere around there..

Have you ever wondered then.. Why doesn't God answer your prayer immediately?In my opinion, prayer is a process rather than just a 5 minutes conference with God.. There is a process of growth in prayer.. Sometimes we come before God and ask him, '' God, please do this for me.'' But there is probably something He wants us to first. Then, we come back before God and ask Him, ''God, why haven't you answered my prayer?'' And the Holy Spirit tells you that there is sin in your life. No human can explain on why individuals do not get their prayers answered unless you're God.. But the Bible tells us that in the process of prayer, there are a few reasons of why you do not get your prayers answered.. Firstly, you have sinned against God in the process of prayer. Secondly, the Word of God teaches us in Matt 21:21-22 that if you have faith and do not doubt that you will not receive when you pray, you will receive whatever you have asked for in your prayers. Thirdly, God has other plans for you that He will reveal to you in due time but He hopes that in the process, you will be strenghtened in faith. Romans 8:26 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”
If God were to answer our prayers just automatically, then there would be no growth. But if we never had to pray, there would be no dependence. The wisest thing we can do is to learn how to pray. Prayer is God’s way of bonding us to Him.

Whatever we ask for, whatever we pray for, we ask through God and only He has the the power to make the final judgement. Therefore, regardless of the outcome, we still have to glorify Him, to honour Him. For example, John prays for good results in his O level examinations so that he will do his parents proud and he prays so hard night and day but in the end he still did not get satisfactory results.. And his parents were disappointed and he was sad and lost faith in God.. Many of us tend to fall in such situations, be it in studies, career or even the things that we want so much in life but God does not grant them..

In life, we must see things in different perspectives.. Yes, it hurts if your dreams, your ambitions are dashed when God doesn't grant your prayers and thus you lose faith in Him.. But have you ever thought why things turned out that way?.. In the story of the two farmers, where both farmers prayed for rain but only one went out to prepare the fields.. Which one do you think will God send the rain to? It is evidently the farmer who believed that God will send the rain and he hurriedly went to prepare the fields.. Hence, when we ask for something, not only must we believe that we will receive but also put in the effort..As i have explained earlier, if God answer sour prayers automatically, then there would not be growth or spiritual learning.. But even if God did not send the rain to that farmer, would he lose faith in God and clear up the fields? No, of course! Never let your faith waver, my brothers and sisters.. We must always wait for His answers for he may have a bigger plan for us..

In such situations, I believe that these are periods of test that God have in our lives where God wants to see where our faith lies and He hopes that through these periods of struggles and distress, we may rely on Him and our faith in Him will strengthen and that we will come closer to Him.. God, unlike Satan, test us rather than tempt us, which is what God has allowed Satan to do in our lives.. However, do not be misled.. The fact that i stated that God allows Satan to tempt us did not mean that God wants us to fall into Satan's snares but rather, to test us to see where our faith lies.. Of couse, through these periods of temptations, God will shield us and protect us when we ask Him.. Therefore, I say again, prayer is evidently, essential..

Sunday...

Haiz.. Sunday's over..Or rather, weekends.. School's back again.. Well, im not gonna be xianz anymore in schul, must try to be more refreshed, dunno if tmr can wake up at 5 sia, always fall asleep in class de..And i still havent do chinese newspaper cut-out.. 10% of CA marks but.. damn tired sia.. its just that chinese is a torture to read..anyways.. enough about school.. and homework.. since im gonna face those tmr..

Alpha Course!!

CHURCH

Hi guys.. Today my church organised an Alpha Course, which is an evanelistic event, or rather a tool used to bring non-believers closer to God and share them the Gospel through means of fellowship and entertainments..yeah..And there was a guy who briefed us all about Alpha Course and how it's been a success throughout the world as an evangelistic tool..Today I really learnt a whole lot of things about evangelism and how to um.. bring my non-believer friends closer to God and to relate to them intellectually, emotionally and also spiritually..Hence, i'm pretty confident when the day arrives..I just pray that all of us will be able to, through God's deliverance and will, share the Word of God to all the non-believers who'll come for the course, be it close friends or even those whom we do not know, in hope that these their hearts will be touched by God's grace. But of course, the ultimate decision is made by God and regardless of the outcome, we ought to respect His will.. Nevertheless, we still can pray that they may be filled with the Holy Spirit, that they will experience a living God in their lives that they've never felt before..

Introduction to my life...

Heys.. Im Edward... This is my first time blogging... Well, the main reason i had the thought of starting a blog is because i want to express my feelings and share about my life through a different way other than communicating.. Besides, a blog is open to public, therefore, unlike communication, which majorly involves 2 people, I need not share from person to person, which evidently is troublesome.. Another way is to make a speech, but a person in the right mind woudnt do that right? I mean.. Who in this world will stand before all his friends, family of even outsiders and share about his life? -Unless you're giving a message or have a moral philosophy to share, then... You're not an exception- So I hope that u'll not mind my ignorance in blogging... Im currently studying in Maris Stella High School and im in sec 3 level.. And i'm a Christian and am proud to be one... My church is at BA, which stands for Bukit Arang and im from the youth cell too..(BAY)

SCHOOL

Yeah.. Hm.. Almost 2 weeks have drifted by since school reopened, but yet at an unpredictable speed.. School's totally boring coz i;ve just entered a new atmosphere and environment in which my old friends who've gone through 2 years of friendship -some may be more- with me have been seperated from me and splitted into different classes... Haiz.. Though we still meet up during recess or.. hang out after school but.. i still feel quite xianz in class that i sleep most often-only at unimportant parts of the lesson,though..Well , why do i feel that way?.. Coz my new class is like.. Most of the students are either strangers to me or china scholars.. And these china scholars are damn zai in their studies, super hardworking and their level of chinese language fluency is like..I dont mean to exaggerate but they're like.. living human dictionary themselves..Hence, as u may have already infered... My class has transformed into a library - pin-drop silence at all times...No life at all.. No enthusiasm, no excitement, not a single factor that suits the kind of school environment we, teenagers of this era, should be studying in coz it's totally... unusual and eemo... And thats why i'd prefer to sleep... damn lonely... I guess i was wrong that i'd be more lively and refreshed when i re-enter school after the 2 months of holiday, which passed by so swiftly as though a breeze of wind sweept past me and never returning..Instead.. I'm experiencing a period of boredom and tiredness... Anyways... I'll pray that i'll not dwell myself deeper into that kind of situation.. P.S for some unknown reason.. all my teachers are fat...

CHURCH

Phew..Blogging really aint that simple.. Well, i can only use one word to describe my church.. but more focusing on the youth cell... and that is '' AWESOME''... Yeah.. The leaders are truly inspiring and possess that kind of willingness to not only lead but also to serve.. That is, in spite of the aspects of life that they're facing - work, studies,etc - they still fork out of their packed, busy schedule...time to plan, organise BAY or other events, or even have the thought and concern of how to help the youths in our walk with God.. And that really is like squeezing blood out of stone... Of course that isnt possible but literally i meant that these leaders really have this kind of mindset to nurture us, bring us closer to God in any way possible, regardless of their own busy life.. That, truly, is something worth raising our two thumbs up for and learning from... BAY, Alpha Course, BAY camps, BBQs... These may sound easy to organise but in reality, it's really time-consuming and requires a lot of effort to be put in to perfect these events so that we'll be able to, through these events, grow more spiritually and in faith..So the bond, the relationship that we, BAYers, have is due to the fact that we've come closer and to know more about to each other and egin to develop care and love for one another through these events, which I believe, was a success through God's grace and deliverance..Henceforth, i just wanna thank all the leaders for demonstarting the true values of being a leader and I pray that God will always be by their side, be it in the planning, organising of BAY events of even in their own personal lives.. And i wish to extend my best wishes to all BAYers too...

MY WALK WITH GOD

Throughout my Christian walk with God, there are many rough patches and periods of uncertainty and doubts which, I confess, occured..I do admit that i've grown spiritually through the BAY camp which certainly acted as a stepping stone and will always be remembered as a milestone in my relationship with God.. God is really great..No words can describe the wonders and might which he possess.. Truly, he is indescribable.. Last year, i prayed that i'd be able to enter a satisfactory class and though i did not study seriously, i did manage, in the end, to score above the required criteria and streamed into a triple science class...Well, that rly explains a lot of why my class is a bunch of nerds.. Anyways...that really changed everything... my thoughts about god... Initially, i've got to admit, i went to church just for the sake of it... just to take care and keep my sister company.. Oh,by the way.. my family's gone bk to jkt till 17th jan.. so that just adds to my boredom... But after awhile.. my mindset slowly changed.. I've come to realise that.. we humans have no right to live a life denying the existence of God or pushing Him aside, not giving a toss (care) about our spiritual life.. simply because this life that we're living is given by God and bought with the blood of His precious Son Jesus Christ... And thats why God truly is the centre of our lives, someone whom we cannot live without because He is love.. And a person without love is no different than a person without a soul in him... No goal, no reason to live..Ignorant of the real reason of our existence, which is really to worship, glorify and honour God and develop an intimate relationship with Him.That, my brothers and sister, truly is the main objective of our lives as Christians.

GOD, OUR CREATOR

God works in mysterious ways in which we humans will never be able to comprehend nor understand because He is an all-powerful and everlasting God. For example, He put different people in different situations to help each other.. Because He knows everything.. He knows our every action, our every thought, He knows us from head to toe, our heart's inner-most feelings or thoughts even before the day we were born. He also knows that Adam and Eve were going to disobey Him and brought Sin into the world, thus resulting in a broken relationship with God, which we, Christians, must fix. On this alone, knowing He's such a wise, powerful, indescribable God, we can rely on Him. Simply put, we truly can pour out our lives onto His mighty hands and surrender to His will and sovereignty and rely on Him. Our every action, every move, every decision in our lives, we can carry out through Him. God comes knocking at the door of our hearts, waiting for our answer, our respond. But the question is, do you have the faith to receive Him as your Lord and let Him come into your life and be in total control? Will you open that door to embrace Him in open arms? That, my brothers and sisters, requires faith. And how can we believe, trust and rely on a God whom we cannot see, whom is unseen? In turn, I'll ask you a question. Did you really opened your eyes wide, or open your hearts to look, to see Him and feel His glory in your lives? We sometimes think that it would be far easier to follow God if we could only just see Him once. But the truth is that He is all around us. We just fail to recognize the evidence. And God is making Himself known, and the proof is all around us. Have we really sought to see the proof, which is swirling all around us?

The shadow that we see proves the existence of sunshine.
The echo that we hear proves the sound.
The watermark proves the flood.
The rustling of leaves proves the wind.
The creation proves the creator.
The heavens prove His glory.
The Son proves the Father.
The cross proves His love.

And lastly, what proves the existence of God? His Word - The Bible