*P.S : This is my 100th post. I would love to thank all my followers and anyone who has liked or commented on my blog =) May the Lord bless you all and keep you guys safe ! Gong Hei Fatt Choi (Blessed Chinese New Year)
Something really amazing happened to me today. Mom, Rebekah, BOTH grandmothers and I went to Subang Parade and Grandma (Dad’s side) told me to pick a present. I was looking for any cd that would jump out and excite me.
A song SPARK used during last week’s King’s Kidz Concert -
Song : “You Are Good” by Hillsong Kids =)
Nope.. it’s not its not the end of my blog lah =) I thought of discussing/reviewing the MASSIVE movie “2012”. Oh well, I do not have to go all on to how awesome the movie is. Rather discussing the implications of it, I would love.
What if…. our lives are simply filled with questions of trying to predict and guess the future. And yea, as Christians we are rest assured that everything is in the hands of our Father. However, what if..
Jesus comes back on 21 December, 2012 - we would never know. How prepared are we. Preparation not just in dying but also in facing our Father, who is love and judge. How do we live our lives.
You know, I really “pantang” (a Malay word that denotes disgust or harsh disapproval) when Christian parents and adults tell me things like, “Joel, don’t worry - church will always be there, study first.” or the most classic of all, “Joe, study is more important than church. Now study first.. church later !”.
I don’t know what goes through the head of these adults. I not as confused as I am sad for these poor ones. My personal conviction is that we each LIVE OUR LIVES AS THOUGH there’s no tomorrow. If Jesus comes, what are we going to answer Him (what would I answer Him if I had followed these pitiful people ?) ? - “Sorry Lord, my studies were more important” or “I was waiting to graduate/get a degree first”.
Na ah.. putting it that way - it sounds almost stupid to do something like that. I’m not discouraging anyone from studying. I personally like studying certain subjects and get really get engrossed if the subject is “me”. All I’m saying is that as we see the signs that the time is nigh - PRIORITIZE eternal from non-eternal !!!
19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
-Matthew 6
With a lotta luv
-jO-
The title above was the topic for sermon, given by Damien, a deacon in our church, last Sunday.
The message was based on Psalm 15 :
1 LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
2 Those whose walk is blameless,
who do what is righteous,
who speak the truth from their hearts;
3 who have no slander on their tongues,
who do their neighbors no wrong,
who cast no slur on others;
4 who despise those whose ways are vile
but honor whoever fears the LORD;
who keep their oaths even when it hurts;
5 who lend money to the poor without interest
and do not accept bribes against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.
Growing up, the word “integrity” is most often used when we sit for exams or tests in my context =) However, Damien’s message really changed my definition of “integrity”. In fact, he put two words together - RESPONSIBLE INTEGRITY !! Integrity is much more than just being honest, integrity is how we are accountable to God for every little action.
There are only a handful (ok, maybe two handfuls) of songs that have really really jolted me at some particular point of my life. The song in my previous post was one of those songs that really challenge a person, as a human being, more importantly as a Christian.
“Will you be the one to answer to His call ?”
“Will you stand when those around you fall ?”
These words are far from mild. They should really hit a child of God. These words show the severity of our responsibility as people “in the light”. Thus the following line of the chorus goes :
“Will you be the one to take this light into a darkened world ?”
Last Sunday, at Bethany Chapel David Lian spoke about Evangelism and how we view or should view evangelism today. The week before that the Elders of Bethany Chapel stressed the need of church growth, and two weeks ago The Star Newspaper’s Assistant Chief Editor, Mr Soo Ewe Jin spoke about passive evangelism. There is clearly a trend occurring. Although at Bethany Chapel, the speakers are given a topic to speak on, these topics were overlapping even though they were in different areas of evangelism.
As David Lian was speaking, this song came into my mind. Just our actions - that is so powerful. He was saying about taking a stand on moral and spiritual matters. These things really stand out. He referred to the Gospel of Matthew, where we are called light of the world - a beacon.
He noted out that a beacon DOES NOT move !!! As a lighthouse does not move and ships get the signal and move towards it, so as it with a Christian : We live our lives that others may see and that our lives will be our ultimate testimony.
At King’s Kidz (Bethany Chapel’s Sunday School), SPARK(The small group that does the praise and worship) is currently getting the children to memorize Matthew 5:16 which says,”Let your light shine before men that they may see your good deed and praise your Father in heaven”. So powerful - what we can achieve is beyond what we can comprehend but NOT beyond what God can do.
With luv,
-jO-
