根基稳固，坚定不移

31st Dinner 2010

2011-01-08T22:10:00.003+08:00

Who am I

We are the Reason

Thank God for the performances!

Dj Hao™

2010-12-16T01:35:00.001+08:00

- jo

PAID IN FULL BY OUR GOD, OUR SAVIOUR

2010-11-21T20:46:00.004+08:00

PAID IN FULL

After living what I felt was a 'decent' life, my time on earth came to the end.

The first thing I remember is sitting on a bench in the waiting room of what I thought to be a court house.

The doors opened and I was instructed to come in and have a seat by the defense table.

As I looked around I saw the 'prosecutor.'

He was a villainous looking gent who snarled as he stared at me. He definitely was the most evil person I have ever seen.

I sat down and looked to my left and there sat My Attorney, a kind and gentle looking man whose appearance seemed so familiar to me, I felt I knew Him.

The corner door flew open and there appeared the Judge in full flowing robes.

He commanded an awesomepresence as He moved across the room I couldn't take myeyes off of Him.

As He took His seat behind the bench, He said, "Let us begin."

The prosecutor rose and said,
"My name is Satan and I am here to show you why this woman belongs in hell..."

He proceeded to tell of lies that I told, things that I stole, and in the past when I cheated others. Satan told of other horrible perversions that were once in my life and the more he spoke, the further down in my seat I sank.

I was so embarrassed that I couldn't look at anyone, even my own Attorney, as the Devil told of sins that even I had completely forgotten about.

As upset as I was at Satan for telling all these things about me, I was equally upset at My Attorney who sat there silently not offering any form ofdefense at all.

I know I had been guilty of those things, but I had done some good in my life - couldn't that at least equal out part of the harm I'd done?

Satan finished with a fury and said, "This woman belongs in hell, she is guilty of all that I have charged and there is not a person who can prove otherwise."

When it was His turn, My Attorney first asked if He might approach the bench. The Judge allowed this over the strong objection of Satan, and beckoned Him to come forward.

As He got up and started walking, I was able to see Him in His full splendor and majesty.

I realized why He seemed so familiar; this was Jesus representing me, my Lord and my Savior.

He stopped at the bench and softly said to the Judge, "Hi, Dad," and then He turned to address the court.

"Satan was correct in saying that this woman had sinned, I won't deny any of these allegations. And, yes, the wage of sin is death, and this woman deserves to be punished."

Jesus took a deep breath and turned to His Father with outstretched arms and proclaimed, "However, I died on the cross so that this person might have eternal life and she has accepted Me as her Savior, so she is Mine."

My Lord continued with, "Her name is written in the Book of Life, and no one can snatch her from Me."

"Satan still does not understand yet. This woman is not to be given justice, but rather mercy."

As Jesus sat down, He quietly paused, looked at His Father and said, "There is nothing else that needs to be done."

"I've done it all."

The Judge lifted His mighty hand and slammed the gavel down. The following words bellowed from His lips..

"This woman is free."

"The penalty for her has already been paid in full."

"Case dismissed."

As my Lord led me away, I could hear Satan ranting and raving, "I won't give up, I will win the next one." I asked Jesus as He gave me my instructions where to go next, "Have you ever lost a case?"

Christ lovingly smiled and said,
"Everyone that has come to Me and asked Me to represent them has received the same verdict as you."

~"Paid In Full"~

Credits: Email from Joyce :D

God bless,
- JO

Be thankful

2010-07-03T01:22:00.004+08:00

I asked for Strength & God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for Wisdom & God gave me Problems to solve.
I asked for Prosperity & God gave me Brawns and Brains to work.
I asked for Courage & God gave me Dangers to overcome.
I asked for Patience & God placed me in Situations where I was force to wait.
I asked for Love & God gave me Troubled People to help.
I aked for Favours & God gave me Opportunities.
I asked for Everything so I could Enjoy life.
Instead, He gave me Life so I could enjoy Everything.
I received Nothing I Wanted, I received Everything I Needed.

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Dear Brothers and Sisters, remember to give thanks to the Lord for everything that He has given us. Be thankful always !

God bless.
Jo.

SEEK THE LORD, YOUR GOD.

2010-06-24T22:06:00.004+08:00

Seek Him with all your hearts

"But if you shall seek Jehovah your God from there, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul." - (Deu 4:29)

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." - (Heb 11:6)

SEEK THE LORD
To seek the Lord means to endeavor to have a closer relationship with Him.
No husband who loves his wife does not seek to be closer to her.
If this is the case for a romantic relationship, how much more should the relationship be with our Lord and Savior? Seek the Lord with all your heart.
He is your first love.

THE PROMISE OF SUCCESS
First of all, be encouraged.
The very fact that you are seeking the Lord ensures your success.
You have a promise from God Himself.
“For each one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened.” - (Mat 7:8)

So how does one seek the Lord? Below are some pieces of advice:

CHRIST THE ONLY WAY
A question once rose in my mind which was this: “Why at the end of all my prayers do I end with saying ‘In Jesus’ name’.”
First of all, when you seek God remember that JESUS CHRIST IS THE ONLY WAY.
There is no way to the Father but through Him.
This is why we end our prayers with saying ‘In Jesus’ name’.
We are acknowledging that it is by our Lord Jesus that we approach the throne of the Father.
In this way, we seek the God – through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

GET AWAY WITH GOD
Husbands and wives spend alone time together.
They go on vacation or at least get some quiet time.
The church is the bride of Christ and so we must get away with God.
Find a quiet place and spend time alone with Him – just you and Him.

"And it happened in those days that He went out into a mountain to pray, and He was spending the night in prayer to God." - (Luk 6:12)

KEEP THE SABBATH
Remember the Sabbath.
God made this a commandment for a reason, though in these days it has been forgotten.
To remember the Sabbath means to be disciplined to set aside time with God. It doesn’t just have to be on Sunday.
If I say “I’ll spend time with God sometime this week,” the time may never come.
But if I say “I’ll spend time with God before bed tonight on these nights,” I’m much more likely to do it.

PRAYER, SCRIPTURE
During this time obviously prayer, meditation, and reading scripture can be part of it.
But remember that prayer is communication with God.
Do not list out a shopping list of requests for Him to answer, but have a conversation with Him.
Don’t just speak, but listen.
Also remember that reading God’s word is a form of listening to God.
If we listen to what God says in prayer through the Holy Spirit, then we can also listen to what God says by reading His word - for scripture is what God has already said.
Ask the Lord questions, and then pause for awhile and listen for an answer.

MEDITATE ON GOD’S LOVE AND BLESSINGS
Meditate on how much the Lord loves you, what He has done for you and His promises. Thank the Lord for his bountiful provisions and your daily bread.
Meditate on the fact that God has provided others that have blessed your life.
The good that they have done for you is nothing more than God working through them for your good, and vice versa.
Thank the Lord for these people.

PRAISE
Sing to God.
No doubt you know some worship songs.
If you don’t then find some that inspire you to express your heart to the Lord.
Sing them out loud to the Lord.
Think about the words of the song and what they mean, and then open your heart to God in song.
Most secular songs people write are about one thing: romance.
The believer’s song is almost the same except it is aimed toward the Lord, not a girlfriend or a boyfriend.

SERVING
Serve Him.
Serving God is like when a husband buys a wife flowers or a wife cooks a nice dinner for her husband.
Or it’s like when a boy happily mows the lawn and then shows his father.
Serving God is an expression of our love to Him.
Serve the Lord in your church by seeing what you can do to help.
Serve Him outside of the church by becoming a servant to others, for our Lord Himself came not to be served but to serve (Mat 20:28).
Is a servant above his Master?

CAST OFF HINDRANCES
Shun the distractions which serve to draw you away.
If you would run toward a goal, you must cast off all that hinders.
An athlete is going to shed pounds before he or she can be successful in sports. Confess, repent and forsake your sins.
These are the hindrances that keep you from the closest fellowship with God.
Only when one has a clean conscience can one enter into the Holy place.
Be balanced in the time you spend doing your hobbies.
They are relaxing and fun… and altogether a temptation to steal all of our time away.
Just as our money belongs to the Lord, so does our time.

WORK AT IT
You have to put work into it.
“Seek” is a verb, which implies that it is an action.
The sluggard cannot draw near to the Lord because he is lazy.
When the Lord stands at the door and knocks this one is so lazy that he will not even rise to open it!
One too lazy to seek the Lord cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven.

SEE GOD IN TRUE LIGHT
You must see God as He really is.
Aim to have such high and lofty thoughts of the Lord that you would rather do nothing other than seek Him.
The only reason to strive toward a goal is that there is a valuable prize.
If you see the Lord in true light then you will see His beauty and majesty and naturally be drawn to Him.
A pig cares nothing of beautiful scenery.
Does a pig stare at a mountain range in admiration?
It takes a person to realize the beauty of God’s creation.
In the same way the more mature we get, the more we will be awe-struck by the majesty of God and desire to look upon Him and draw near.

DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOU
Don’t be limited to these methods. Do whatever you can think of in order to get closer to Him. God has given us liberty and has promised success to those who diligently seek Him.

"Evil men do not understand judgment; but those who seek Jehovah understand all things." - (Pro 28:5)

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Yeap dear brothers and sisters, let us seek the Lord and continue to grow spiritually together in this family!

Lastly, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JIYAO DAOSHI AND REBECCA! :D

God bless!
Jo.

Why go church?

2010-06-21T00:26:00.004+08:00

Have you ever wonder why Christians should go to church?

For believers, there is no substitute for attending church.
Besides something that pleases God, it is necessary for a believer’s spiritual well-being.
For shut-ins or invalids who aren’t able to go to church, the ministries on radio or TV might be the only kind of fellowship or spiritual nourishment that they get.
God certainly understands the circumstances of these people, and recognizes the sincerity of their hearts.
However, it is a different matter for those who could attend church but are too lazy, or put other things such as entertainment and amusements before God, or who harbor bitterness or indifference toward other believers.

It is important to attend church for the following reasons:

(1) It is an Expression of our Love for God

Going to church is a visible, tangible expression of our love and worship toward God.
It is where we can gather with other believers to publicly bear witness of our faith and trust in God, something that is required of all Christians (Matt. 10:32-33) -- and it is where we can bring Him offerings of praise, thanks, and honor, which are pleasing to Him.
The psalmist wrote, “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will praise You” (Psa. 22:22).
People are often motivated toward church attendance for how it will bless themselves, however we should remember that the primary purpose of the corporate gathering is to bring “service” to the Lord as a blessing to Him (Psa. 134:2).
Indeed, the Lord is deserving of our time and energy to honor Him with our service of devotion. “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created” (Rev. 4:11).

(2) It builds up our Spiritual Strength

Receiving the preaching and teaching of the Word of God increases our faith and builds us up spiritually.
Every believer knows what it is to face spiritual conflicts to their faith, and must realize the importance of being fed spiritually so that they can overcome the challenges.
Paul states that Christians face a wrestling match with the Devil and his evil spiritual forces, and warns that the church must put on spiritual armor for protection, as it will take everything at our disposal to stand (Eph. 6:10-18).
How important that we take every opportunity available to receive ministry and strength from God’s Word.
“So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

(3) It brings a special visitation of the Lord’s Presence

There is the promise of a special visitation of the Lord’s presence whenever two or more gather specifically in the name of Jesus.
By implication, this means whenever “Jesus” is the object of gathered prayer, worship, praise, preaching, etc.
Even though Jesus resides within the heart of every believer, he honors a gathering in his name by coming in the “midst,” with his power, awareness, and anointing.
In such a gathering, Christ is able to do things in hearts that he may not at any other time.
The scripture says that God inhabits the praise of His people (Psa. 22:3), and in such an atmosphere the Holy Spirit will often manifest spiritual gifts that minister to the body of Christ. “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them” (Matt. 18:20).

(4) It provides fellowship with other Christians

Gathering together also has compounded importance to the relationship of the Christian brethren.
The Bible makes it clear that a right relationship with God requires a “vertical” and “horizontal” alignment — that is, we must have a vertical fellowship with God and a horizontal fellowship with other believers.
It is not possible to love God and refuse to love the brethren.
If you have a problem loving other Christians, you have a problem in your relationship with God. Scripture warns us that unforgiveness toward others will void God’s forgiveness of our own sins (Matt. 6:15).
John wrote, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now.
He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him” (1 John 2:9-10).

One of the most important reasons that we go to church is to practice love toward the brethren in the form of fellowship.
The Bible clearly shows that if we have a right relationship with God, we have fellowship with others believers.
“But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7).
Keeping ourselves in love and harmony with other believers keeps us humble before God so that Christ’s blood can continue to cleanse us from our sins.

(5) It is an act of obedience to God

Not to be forgotten, going to church is also a matter of obeying God’s Word.
The writer of the Hebrew epistle tells us not to forsake assembling together, implying that continued absence can lead to willful sin.
“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,” (Heb. 10:24-26). Once again, we are reminded that a great part of the purpose of the gathering is for the consideration of our brethren, coming together to help motivate and encourage one another. This is a responsibility charged to every believer. To reject church attendance, is a rejection of one of the sacred duties of the believer. “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin” (James 4:17).

(6) It provides accountability to spiritual leadership

More strong evidence that proves that we’re to be a part of a church fellowship, is that we’re told to submit to the authority of spiritual leaders (within the boundaries of God’s Word). “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). God designed this system of accountability for the progress and protection of His flock. Obviously, this really isn’t possible unless we are a part of an organized fellowship which has identified elders, pastors, or leaders. It is easy to see that one cannot genuinely be under submission to a TV pastor who has never met you. Nor is it possible to be under submission by visiting a different church each week. The Bible tells us to know them that are over us in the Lord (1 Thes. 5:12). Submission necessitates a commitment and relationship to a local body of believers and to their spiritual leaders.

(7) It combines our spiritual strength in prayer

The Bible indicates that agreement in prayer with other believers has special favor with God. “Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven” (Matt. 18:19). There is multiplied strength in the combined faith of God’s people, and it is clear that greater spiritual gains can be realized through corporate prayer and worship. This agrees with how God has historically blessed the union of His people in battle against their enemies. “Five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; your enemies shall fall by the sword before you” (Lev. 26:8).

(8) It honors the Lord’s Day

The fourth commandment of the law that God gave Moses was to set aside the seventh day of the week, Saturday, as a holy day to the Lord. “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8). This was, and will always remain, the official Sabbath. However, after Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week, Sunday, the early Christians began meeting together on this day as well as with the Jewish community in the synagogues on the Sabbath. History indicates that due to the enmity of the orthodox Jews toward the Christian Jews in their midst, the Jewish Christians were eventually ostracized. And although they were no longer bound to a rigid code of laws (Gal. 3:10-11, Col. 2:16), it is believed that they came to view Sunday as a combined observance of the Sabbath and the resurrection day of Jesus (Acts 20:7, 1 Cor. 16:2). This day of Christian worship came to be called the Lord’s Day (Rev. 1:10), a day to fellowship in celebration of the resurrection, to worship, pray and study the Word together.

Today, the Christian Jew or gentile, is free from the bondage of the old law. The indwelling of God’s spirit has brought a new way for Christians to fulfill the desires of God through His love (Gal. 5:18, Rom. 13:8-10). However, the new covenant does not invalidate the relevance of the ten commandments as they pertained to God’s wishes for His people. As much as it remains God’s desire for man not to kill, steal or commit adultery, God is still very much pleased for believers to honor Him on a day reserved for Him, out of their love for Him and His people.

Source : http://www.victorious.org/whygo.htm

Additional question to ask yourself and additional information:
(1) What is really your main purpose of going to church?
(2) Excuses why people don't go to church (click on link)
-http://christianity.about.com/od/faqhelpdesk/a/whygotochurch.htm
(3) Do you take an effort to draw close to God everyday? Even for 10minutes?
(4) How strong is your relationship with God? What are the steps that you will take today to build a stronger and closer relationship with Him?
(5) Misconceptions about Christian life (click on link)
-http://christianity.about.com/od/newchristians/a/misconceptions.htm

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Hope dear brothers and sisters will take time to read this and ponder on the questions ! (:
Have a blessed dayyyyyy.

HAPPY FATHERS' DAY TO OUR BELOVED DADDY IN HEAVEN!

God bless
Jo.

Broken Heart?

2010-06-04T01:26:00.003+08:00

Comfort for the Broken Heart

It is never easy to endure heartbreak.
Sometimes it may even feel as though half of your life has left you, but there is a Physician who can heal the wounded heart, there is One who loves you infinitely more than anyone on earth could ever love you.

`To every sincere prayer an answer will come. It may not come just as you desire, or at the time you look for it; but it will come in the way and at the time that will best meet your need.’ (MYP250)

Friend, God loves you with a love that is everlasting - it will never change - and He will never forsake you.
His is a love that is so strong that He was willing to bear the pain of seeing His Son dying the death that you and I deserve.

Would the one over whom your heart is now broken have been willing to do that for you?
Would your lost love have been willing to die so that you may live?

Yes, your heart is broken, but Jesus is waiting right now . . . He invites you to place your trembling hand in His.
He has a deep and intense interest in your life and He wants to calm your fears and to ease your sorrows.
No, God never promised that life would be easy, or that life would be free from pain, but He has promised that He will always be there when you need Him.
He longs to cradle your brow to His bosom, He wants you to tell Him just how you feel.

It does not matter how bad you might have been, or for how long you might have ignored Him - go on, right now, and speak to your heavenly Father, tell Him how much it hurts, unburden your sad heart to Him, and you will surely feel His love filling the aching void that has been left in your life.

The time will surely come when you will not feel the pain and the loss as you do now, so look ahead to that time, shift your thoughts from the present to the future - to the moment when you will look back on this day and marvel at how God uses time to heal all wounds.

You might have lost your love, but you are not unloved.
Start today and work on your vertical love relationship with God, then He will surely work out your next horizontal love relationship - without all the pain.

Make God's love the supreme interest of your heart, then you will be able to keep all other relationships in perspective. Give your heavenly Father your supreme affections, and you will never again hurt as you are hurting today.

We invite you to turn in your Bible to Isaiah chapter 53.
This chapter is the central message of Scripture, for it speaks of a love that has no parallel - it speaks of the brokenhearted Jesus . . . Yes, even He was brokenhearted.
This chapter tells how we broke His heart, and how He endured supreme suffering in order to attract us to Him. His love is true love and true love is unconditional, and it cannot change.

Spend time now considering this chapter - it will heal your aching heart.

Then, starting tomorrow, try setting aside the best hour in every day, preferably some time before breakfast, to sit quietly with Jesus and allow Him to speak to you out of His word.

No one will ever love you like Jesus does.

source: http://www.friendswhocare.org/heartbroken.htm

Yeap, as what Myrtie Hobson said, "God will mend a broken heart if you give him all the pieces."
-jo

PRAY AND THANK GOD

2010-05-11T16:55:00.004+08:00

Yup, dear brothers and sisters, let's lay our burdens before God.
Thank God for all that you've been through.
Continue praying until something happens.
Most of all, believe and have faith when you pray! (:

God bless,
JO.

2010-04-13T18:03:00.006+08:00

If you're not choosing to spend regular time with God, then you're choosing to die spiritually.

In many cultures, life is centered around food. Very few people in the western world would go for more than 10 or 12 hours without food or drink. Besides the fact that food is built into culture, doing so would make one very hungry.

Many people wouldn't dare going physically hungry; yet they starve themselves spiritually. If you ate food only once a week, you'd certainly die of starvation and malnutrition. Yet countless Christians do exactly that in their spiritual lives.
It is no wonder that Jesus called himself the bread of life (John 6:35). In order to grow spiritually, you must feed on spiritual food -- God's word.

Have the attitude found in Isaiah 26:8: Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts. Make it your desire to know God better.

When you regularly spend time with God -- praying, seeking him, and studying his word -- you will thrive spiritually. Take some advice from the psalmist: Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always (Psalm 105:4).

Make time with God a priority in your live. If you made being well fed spiritually as important as be well fed physically, your relationship with God would thrive.

extract from : http://www.christnotes.org/ww.php?d=2010-04-12

Dear brothers and sisters, let us regard His presence and the relationship with our Lord as the most important thing in our life ! Let us never to doubt it or take it for granted! :)

-jo

Happy Easter Day!

2010-04-03T03:54:00.005+08:00

As Christians, we believe that Jesus resurrected after 3 days from His death.
Through His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus paid the penalty for sin, thus purchasing for all who believe in him, eternal life in Christ Jesus.

YAY! Let's thank God for His Sacrificial Love for us even though we are not worthy and don't deserve it, not even a single bit.

HAPPY EASTER DAY ! :D

-jo

What is Good Friday?

2010-04-03T03:21:00.004+08:00

Good Friday, the Friday before Easter Sunday, is a day when Christians remember Jesus' death on the cross.

For Christians, Good Friday is a time to be with Jesus in his time of suffering and wait with him in hope of God's promise, eternal life to all who believe. The "good" in Good Friday reflects the Christian hope of resurrection and new life in Jesus, foreshadowing Easter Sunday, when Christians believe that God resurrected Jesus from the dead.

Why is Good Friday called Good?
The words good and celebrate don’t seem like the right words to explain this holy day but they are.

Good Friday is celebrated the Friday before Easter Sunday. As with Easter Sunday, Good Friday does not fall on the same date each year. This is because Good Friday is a moveable feast and it is based on a lunar calendar similar to the Hebrew Calendar. Most other American holidays, like the Fourth of July, are based on the regular calendar known as the Gregorian Calendar, which is a solar calendar.

As discussed in Chris Armstrong's article titled "The Goodness of Good Friday," dated August 8, 2008 and found on the Christian History website, there are many explanations for why such a solemn day is called good. The Old English word for holy is good, so that translates to Holy Friday. Another thought is that Good Friday comes from “God’s Friday,” just like “good-bye” is derived from “God be with ye.” The simplest explanation is that the day is truly good because in Christ’s death, God had the last word. His people were redeemed by the death of Jesus Christ.

The Cross and Good Friday
Good Friday is the day that Christians focus especially on the cross and Jesus' sacrifice for the sins of the world. The cross is a central symbol of the Christian faith. Christians believe that Jesus, son of God, died to save all believers from sin, all that separates human beings from God. The cross reminds Christians of Jesus' death and their salvation, how Jesus saved them from death by dying in their place.

Jesus' crucifixion, death on the cross, is the source of eternal life for all who believe according to Christian teaching. Jesus put himself in the place of every believer's sins as he suffered for the whole world by sacrificing his own life.

Atonement, Jesus giving himself for the sins of Christians, saves all Christians from hell and suffering. Good Friday is a time for Christians to remember Jesus' sacrifice and reflect on how the cross has saved them from their sins

extract from:
http://catholic-practices.suite101.com/article.cfm/what_is_good_friday
http://protestantism.suite101.com/article.cfm/good_friday_meaning_and_purpose

Christ's death is celebrated by Christians around the world in many different ways but the signifigance of this holy day is universal; if Jesus had not suffered and died, we would not have been saved by his resurrection, so let's commemorate this day in rememberance of our precious Lord Jesus who died for us(:

-jo

Being Optimistic not Pessimistic!

2010-04-01T22:47:00.007+08:00

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
(Philippians 4:13)

I Can Vs. I Can't

He who THINKS he can, very likely can and will! Likewise, he/she who THINKS they can't is right, and surely will not, because they will follow what they THINK.

Some people fail to begin the Christian life, thinking they can't hold out! Some start and drop out, thinking there are too many difficulties! Many, as Paul, under difficult circumstances finish the course (2 Tim. 4:6-8). With the mind set that they could, they did.

Determination comes from having decided that one CAN and thus they will, because God will enable them to do so! Beloved, let us have the mind set that Paul manifested and therefore, we'll achieve good things on earth and be prepared for the blessing of heaven! Let each of us say with the apostle, "I can do all things through Christian who strengthens me."

Christ is the avenue to real spiritual success.

Strength is provided for me, you and anyone who willingly submits! Paul attributed all his success to the strength given him by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. So, must we all recognize and accept that fact: without Him we can actually do very little or nothing that really counts in the eternal perspective (Jn. 15:4).

Conclusion: Look at Paul, Daniel and others --in difficult situation purposed Not to be defeated; understanding each can succeed!

1. Only in and through Christ!

2. He'll give us strength -- when we are weak enough to depend on Him, we are strongest! Beloved each of us can do all things that REALLY COUNT through Christ who strengthens!

extract from: http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-philippians-4-13.htm

Fellow brothers and sisters, let's learn to lean on God and His Strength always. Remember that there is nothing that you and the Lord can't handle together today (:

-jo (finally signing off with my name)

praying even when you feel spiritually dry

2010-02-20T13:58:00.010+08:00

Why I must pray even when I don’t feel like it

I’m feeling very convicted by what I read in Don Carson’s book, “A Call to Spiritual Reformation“.

Some time ago I developed a very strange way to evaluate my prayer life that actually led me to pray less. Originally this helped to alleviate my feelings of guilt about not being as prayerful as the giants of the faith, and it ironically arose from a deeper grasp of the doctrine of my salvation by grace alone. Where before I had wrongly viewed prayer as an obligation to earn God’s love and acceptance, yet because I now knew it was not by my prayerfulness or any other good works that I am saved and justified, I find myself less motivated to pray. Why should that be?

I say things like “I’m sure God doesn’t want me to pray out of obligation”, and “praying when I don’t feel like it means I am doing it to justify myself and earn brownie points, thus nullifying the Cross, and that’s wrong”. I was thinking that to please the Lord by praying more is to deny the power of the Cross. But what was good and right was that I came to see I didn’t have to pray in order to get grace and love from God. Whenever I was tired or dry, or just don’t feel like praying I’d simply say “It’s okay not to pray.” I sure thought I was avoiding legalism successfully.

Don Carson writes in the chapter on ‘Excuses for Not Praying” that we are in fact ‘casting a terrible slur on the cross when we act as if the usefulness or acceptability of our prayers turns on whether we feel full or dry’ (pg 114). And then he describes a further error I make, which is ‘to assign to my mood or my feelings the right to determine what I ought to do (which is) unbearably self-centered. It is to act as if the Bible never says, “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12:12, emphasis added)’ (pg 115)

Of course it’s catastrophic and heretical to think that my prayerfulness earns my salvation, justifies me before God, and is the basis of his love for me. But, on the basis of the Cross alone, now that I am reconciled to him, it would be more atrocious notto seek him in regular prayer, which is essentially communion witth him.

As one preacher I’ve been learning from often puts it: It’s not that we ought to pray, but we get to pray. To the God of the Universe, who loves me not on the basis of my saintliness or prayerfulness but on the basis of his own faithful love! So I should pray even when I feel spiritually dry. It’s my privilege and also a command which I should love to obey, because it’s for my good that he has commanded it.

source: http://www.victorcandy.com/2009/10/why-i-must-pray-even-when-i-dont-feel-like-it/

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So let's apply what we've learnt and start a prayerful life by taking everything to our God in prayer!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2009-12-09T15:27:00.002+08:00

sorry for the lack of updating.
big thank you to all of you who are still checking out this blog!
i have a few announcements to make.

#1: Anshao camp is in 6 days time!!
Remember to pack your bags and prepare your hearts for the camp!
Also, for those who have not pay up, please pay by this Sunday (13dec) to Esther or Grace.

The shirts have been nicely printed, we will be able to get it on Tuesday (15dec) itself :D

#2: Caroling!
For those who have signed up for caroling or are interested, there will be a short practice on Sunday (13 dec), from 11am - 1130am.

Let me know if you guys want the list of songs, i can email you guys. :D

#3: Last day of the year.
Thanksgiving dinner on 31 Dec will be held at Yan Ge Restaurant, situated in Chinatown.
There will be programmes, other than food, lined up for you!
Those who have not paid, please pass the money to Junyan.
If you face any financial difficulties, feel free to look for any Daoshis or Junyan.

After the dinner, everyone is encouraged to go back to church to attend Watch Night Service.
We'll be sharing our thanksgiving for the church and ourselves, praying and counting down together!

Annual Unofficial Anshao Stayover is not confirmed yet.
More details and information to be released at a later date.

Do check out your Fackbook events and remind your friends to visit this space + fb!

HAVE A BLESSED WEEK AHEAD! :D :D :D

2009-09-06T17:01:00.000+08:00

HAPPY 47th BIRTHDAY ANSHAO!

some rights and wrongs

2009-07-01T22:45:00.004+08:00

Sometimes we wonder if what we do is right or wrong. Here are answers to some questions which you might want to know.

Question: "Should a Christian listen to secular music?"

Answer: The question of whether a Christian should listen to secular music is one that many Christians struggle with. There are many secular musicians who are immensely talented. Secular music can be very entertaining. There are many secular songs that have catchy melodies, thoughtful insights, and positive messages. In determining whether or not a Christian should listen to secular music, there are three primary factors to consider: (1) the purpose of music, (2) the style of music, and (3) the content of the lyrics.

(1) The purpose of music. Is music designed solely for worship, or did God also intend music to be soothing and/or entertaining? The most famous musician in the Bible, King David, primarily used music for the purpose of worshipping God (see Psalm 4:1; 6:1; 54:1; 55:1; 61:1; 67:1; 76:1). However, when King Saul was tormented by evil spirits, he would call on David to play the harp in order to soothe him (1 Samuel 16:14-23). The Israelites also used musical instruments to warn of danger (Nehemiah 4:20) and to surprise their enemies (Judges 7:16-22). In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul instructs Christians to encourage one another with music: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs” (Ephesians 5:19). So, while the primary purpose of music does seem to be worship, the Bible definitely allows music to be used for other purposes.

(2) The style of music. Sadly, the issue of music styles can be very divisive among Christians. There are Christians who adamantly demand that no musical instruments be used. There are Christians who only desire to sing the “old faithful” hymns. There are Christians who want more upbeat and contemporary music. There are Christians who claim to worship best in a “rock concert” type of environment. Instead of recognizing these differences as personal preferences and cultural distinctions, some Christians declare their preferred style of music to be the only “biblical” one, and declare all other forms of music as ungodly at best or at worst, satanic.

The Bible nowhere condemns any particular style of music. The Bible nowhere declares any form of musical instrument to be ungodly. The Bible mentions numerous kinds of string instruments and wind instruments. While the Bible does not specifically mention drums, it does mention other percussion instruments (Psalm 68:25; Ezra 3:10). Nearly all of the forms of modern music are variations and/or combinations of the same types of musical instruments, played at different speeds or with heightened emphasis. There is no biblical basis to declare any particular style of music to be ungodly or outside of God’s will.

(3) The content of the lyrics. Since neither the purpose of music nor the style of music are determinant as to whether a Christian should listen to secular music, the content of the lyrics must be considered. While not specifically speaking of music, Philippians 4:8 is an excellent guide as to what we should listen for in the lyrics of music, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.” If those are the things we should be thinking about, surely also those are the things we should invite into our minds through music and lyrics. Can the lyrics in an entirely secular song be true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy? If the answer is yes, there would be absolutely nothing wrong with a Christian listening to a secular song of that nature.

At the same time, it is abundantly clear that much of secular music does not meet the standard of Philippians 4:8. Secular music often upholds immorality and violence while demeaning or belittling purity and integrity. If a song glorifies what opposes God, a Christian should not purposefully listen to it. However, there are many secular songs that have no mention of God, but still uphold godly values, such as honesty, purity, and integrity. If a love song promotes the sanctity of marriage and/or the purity of true love—but does not mention God or the Bible—such a song can still be listened to and enjoyed.

It is a fact that whatever a person allows to occupy his mind will sooner or later determine his speech and his actions. This is the premise behind Philippians 4:8 and Colossians 3:2,5: establishing wholesome thought patterns. Second Corinthians 10:5 says we should "take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ." These Scriptures give a pretty clear picture of the kind of music we should not listen to.

Obviously, the best kind of music we can listen to is that which praises and glorifies God. There are very talented Christian musicians in nearly every musical genre, ranging from classical, to rock, to rap, to reggae. There is nothing inherently wrong with any particular style of music. It is the lyrics that determine whether a song is “acceptable” for a Christian to listen to. But if a style of secular music, whether in the music itself or in the lyrics, leads you to think about or get involved in something that does not glorify God, it should be avoided.

Question: "Is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse?"

Answer: It is definitely a sin to swear (curse, cuss, etc.). The Bible makes this abundantly clear. Ephesians 4:29 tells us, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." First Peter 3:10 declares, "For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech." James 3:9-12 summarizes the issue: "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water."

James makes it clear that the lives of Christians—the “brothers”—should not be characterized by evil speech. By making the analogy of both salt water and fresh water coming from the same spring (which is uncharacteristic of springs), he makes the point that it is uncharacteristic for a believer to have both praise and cursing come from his/her mouth. Nor is it characteristic for us to praise God on one hand and curse our brothers on the other. This, too, is uncharacteristic of a true believer.

Jesus explained that what comes out of our mouths is that which fills our hearts. Sooner or later, the evil in the heart comes out through the mouth in curses and swearing. But when our hearts are filled with the goodness of God, praise for Him and love for others will pour forth. Our speech will always indicate what is in our hearts. “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45).

Why is it a sin to cuss / swear / curse? Sin is a condition of the heart, the mind, and “the inner man” (Romans 7:22), which is manifested in our thoughts, actions and words. When we swear and curse, we are giving evidence of the polluting sin in our hearts that must be confessed and repented of. Thankfully, our great God is “faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). When this happens, we receive a new nature from God (2 Corinthians 5:17), our hearts are transformed, and our speech reflects the new nature God has created within us.

***

Hope this helps to clear up some doubts.

Lets cont to leave a life that is pleasing and glorifying to God! :) Have a blessed week ahead!

2009-05-29T23:02:00.002+08:00

Samuel dropped me a nice quote today. here it goes.
" How else but through a broken heart may Lord Christ enter in?"

kaiwen.

2009-05-01T21:17:00.002+08:00

Hello all,
since this blog has not been update for quite a while, i shall take the honor to do so.
any way, as majority of us are in the examination period, do remember to take time to pray and praise the Lord, cause He is worthy of our praises. =)
no matter what your results are, praise Him.

No matter what happens, always be thankful, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

kai wen.

2009-02-25T22:33:00.002+08:00

hello,
got one cool announcement to declare:

Roy accepted Christ on sunday!

(22 feb --> his 'spiritual birthday')

=) =) =) =) =) =) =) =) =)

and it's prayer march this sunday, so do pray for good weather =)

becky

Desert Song

2009-02-17T00:36:00.004+08:00

hey all, there are some of us having exams/test season right now, and it's probably high-stress time. just want to share this song which reminds us that in every season, we can praise God and be victorious in all that we do.

the lyrics:

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on it's way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've recieved I will sow

i've also posted this song on the anshao facebook group. listen to it, it has significance for everyone =)

jiayou to the people who are having CAs/common test week/Poly semester exams!

- becky

mini post camp activity I

2009-01-09T23:48:00.005+08:00

just to survey around a little, no offence or anything.
just purely for entertainment (:

have fun reading and guessing!

#1 #2
#3

#4

#5

#6

#7

#8

#9

#10

more coming up soon!

***

anyway, please keep Kaishan in prayer cuz he just went into army TODAY!

pray for:

strength that he is able to tolerate all the physical training
his faith that he'll stay rooted to God no matter what happens
his testimony that he'll be able to good image bearer for Christ

&&&

not forgetting those who are getting back their O's results next Monday (12 Jan)

pray that:

they'll praise God no matter what they score
God'll give them wisdom to select their choice of schools

those people are namely:

Esther
Kaiwen
Nicholas
Zhonghan

oh ya, i've posted the 迎新会 photos on facebook too!
do check it out, HERE!

have a great weekend ahead and God bless! (:

What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?

2009-01-06T14:34:00.009+08:00

The practice of making New Year’s resolutions goes back over 3000 years to the ancient Babylonians. There is just something about the start of a New Year that gives us the feeling of a fresh start and a new beginning. In reality, there is no difference between December 31st and January 1st. Nothing mystical occurs at midnight on December 31st. The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. However, if a Christian determines to make a New Year’s resolution, what kind of resolution should he or she make?

Common New Year’s resolutions are: to quit smoking, to stop drinking, to manage money better, and spend more time with family. By far the most common New Year’s resolution is to lose weight, in conjunction with exercising more and eating healthier. These are all good goals to set. However, 1 Timothy 4:8 instructs us to keep exercise in perspective: “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions, even among Christians, are in relation to physical things. This should not be.

Many Christians make New Year’s resolutions to pray more, to read the Bible every day, and to attend church more regularly. These are fantastic goals. However, these New Year’s resolutions fail just as often as the non-spiritual resolutions, because there is no power in a New Year’s resolution. Resolving to start or stop doing a certain activity has no value unless you have the proper motivation for stopping or starting that activity. For example, why do you want to read the Bible every day? Is it to honor God and grow spiritually, or is it because you have just heard that it is a good thing to do? Why do you want to lose weight? Is it to honor God with your body, or is it for vanity, to honor yourself?

Philippians 4:13 tells us, “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.” John 15:5 declares, “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.” If God is the center of your New Year’s resolution, it has chance for success, depending on your commitment to it. If it is God’s will for something to be fulfilled, He will enable you to fulfill it. If a resolution is not God-honoring and/or is not in agreement in God’s Word, we will not receive God’s help in fulfilling the resolution. So, what sort of New Year’s resolution should a Christian make?
Here are some suggestions:

(1) Pray to the Lord for wisdom (James 1:5) in regards to what resolutions, if any, He would have you make;

(2) Pray for wisdom as to how to fulfill the goals God gives you;

(3) Rely on God’s strength to help you;

(4) Find an accountability partner who will help you and encourage you;

(5) Don’t become discouraged with occasional failures; instead, allow them to motivate you further;

(6) Don’t become proud or vain, but give God the glory.

Psalm 37:5-6, “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.”

got it from: Gotquestions.org

***

Happy new year everyone, hope that this article will help you in creating your new year resolution! and camp photos are all up on facebook!

look out for the next post for Post-Camp Mini Reflection (:

something to ponder

2008-12-28T19:57:00.004+08:00

some interesting illustrations shared by zhongmin daoshi...cool and they make much sense too!

posted by becky

Packing List

2008-12-13T12:50:00.006+08:00

EZ Link card - at least $2 worth
track shoes - 1 not-smelly pair

meet at Orchard mrt station on monday, 15th december, at 11am.
and then we'll take a public bus to the campsite.
we'll be having an out-of-campsite activity on monday evening, hence the need for EZ-link card & track shoes.

come in excitement, people!

MORE DETAILS ON WAYS TO GET TO THE CAMPSITE:

1. from bus stop behind ORCHARD mrt station (in the direction of traffic heading towards Napier Road, Holland Road etc): take bus 7, 77, 106, 123, 174. Alight at the 3rd stop after Gleneagles Hospital.

2. from bus stop outside COMMONWEALTH mrt station (in the direction of traffic going to Queensway): take bus 105 and alight at the 2nd stop after turning in to Holland Road from Queensway.

31 QUESTIONS TO BEGIN A SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION

2008-11-23T23:33:00.006+08:00

1.Where are you in your spiritual pilgrimage?
2 Who is the most impressive person you have ever met?
3. What single thing would you like to make absolutely certain you do (if at all possible) during your lifetime?
4. How do you think a person can keep from becoming a workaholic?
5 What historical character, from any period of history, can you imagine yourself to be?
6. What are you reading that is not an assignment?
7. How do you know you’ll go to heaven when you die?
8. How are you growing personally?
9. In a conversation with someone who has never heard about God, you say about Him from your experience?
10. In your opinion, how does one become a Christian?
11. How would you describe your father and his impact on your life?
12. Do you have a mentor? Tell me about his or her impact on your life.
13. What do you think would probably surprise most people about you? Why?
14 What is your greatest strength, and what are you doing to develop it’
15. Why do people do what they do? What are the assumptions you make about people?
16. How do you handle pressure? When the pressure is really on, what do you need from your friends?
17. Has anything ever happened to you that was dramatic, personal or spectacular enough to have caused you to be certain
there is a God who is both infinite and personally caring?
18. What do you consider to be two major turning points in your life?
19. What is something you consider to be a great personal success? Why is it so significant?
20. What is your key to maintaining balance in life?
21. What are two or three major truths upon which you have based your decision making?
22 Tell us about two of your life-long friends and why they have or had such an impact on your life. What made you choose
them?
23 Have you dealt with the questions: How much money is enough, and what do I do with the rest?
24. How would you describe your mother and her impact on your life?
25. In your opinion, who was/is Jesus Christ?
26. If you could know God personally, would you be Interested?
27. How would you define materialism, and how do you deal with it in your life?
28. What have you found to be the best way of absorbing disappointment rejection, distress and discouragement?
29. When you get to heaven, what are the first three questions you will ask God?
30.If you were to inherit a million dollars today, and couldn’t spend it in your own enterprise or keep it yourself, what would
you so with it?
31. What do you find most attractive about Christianity/the person of Christ? What do you find least attractive about
Christianity/the person of Christ?

***

okay, this post is definitely shorter than the previous one.

after today, i am sure most of you are equipped and ready to do God's work right?
hope these questions help in a way or another. ((:

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an
answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.
But do this with gentleness and respect,
-1 Peter 3:15

His beloved,

Yvonne.

HOW TO WITNESS IN THE SPIRIT•BILL BRIGHT

2008-11-18T11:50:00.007+08:00

There is no experience in life more exciting and spiritually rewarding than the adventure of sharing Christ with others. All over the world, I have asked two questions of thousands of Christians and the answers are always the same, no matter whom I ask.

The first question is, “What is the most important experience of your life?” “Knowing Christ as my Savior, is the inevitable answer. The second question is: “What is the most important thing that you can do to help another person?” Again, the answer is always the same: “Help him to know Christ.”

I am sure that, if you are a Christian, you would give the same answers to these two questions. Yet, how sad it is that so few Christians are sharing Christ with others. If you are typical of the majority of Christians today, you probably have never introduced anyone to Christ. You would like to do so, however, and you know in your heart that this is what God has called you to do. What is the problem?

It is largely twofold. First, the average Christian does not know how to live a victorious, vital, Spirit-controlled life; and second, the average Christian does not know how to effectively communicate his faith in Christ to others.

SCRIPTURAL FORMULA
I want to share with you a scriptural formula that can change your life. I can assure you that, if you follow this formula, you will experience in abundant life and will be fruitful for God in a way that you have never before known.

First, you must be sure that you are a Christian, that you have invited Jesus Christ to be the Lord and Savior of your life.

Second,be sure that there is no unconfessed sin in your life and third, that you are filled with the Holy Spirit.

Fourth, be prepared to share your faith in Christ. I thank God for the way He is using some of the theological seminaries, Bible schools and other such instructional Christian institutions, but you do not need to take long years of training before God can use you. Not everyone has the gift of evangelism. But every believer is called to “do the work" of the evangelist.

1 All of us have the privilege and responsibility of being witnesses for our wonderful Lord Jesus. Christ’s Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 is for all Christians.

You see, it is our responsibility to abide in Christ--to allow Him to have control of our lives, to walk around in our bodies, to think with our minds, to love with our hearts and to speak with our lips. When we do this, He is the one who changes the lives of men. We are to abide in Him as the branch abides in the vine and He will produce fruit through us. It is our responsibility to follow Christ. It is His responsibility to make us fishers of men.

Here on earth He has no lips but ours, no feet but ours and no hands but ours. God has chosen to use men, not angels, to reach the world for Christ and, if we are obedient, He will use us. We can count on it.

PRAY
Fifth, pray. The Bible tells us that God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

2 In addition, we have the promise that, if we ask anything according to God’s will, He hears us, and if He hears us, He answers us.

3 Now, do you want your loved ones, your friends and neighbors to come to Christ? Then make a prayer list. Begin to claim them for God. God will not contradict Himself. You have the authority and integrity of His Word.

Share your faith in Christ with your loved ones and friends in the power of the Holy Spirit and by faith thank God that He will draw them to Christ.

4 I have prayed for loved ones with whom I used to weep, as I pleaded with them to come to Christ. Then I realized that God was not willing that they should perish-that He loved them more than I did-and so I began to thank God in faith that they would become Christians.

That day has not yet come for some of them. But I no longer weep. I rejoice in the assurance that one day they will come to Christ. God has promised and he does not lie.
I do not suggest that everyone who hears the gospel will become a Christian. It is our responsibility to pray for men to come to Christ and to share Christ with them. God alone by His Spirit can produce faith in the hearts of men and change their lives. It is important to remember that only the spiritual man can expect God to answer his prayer for the salvation of loved
ones and others.

TELL OTHERS
Sixth, go tell others of Christ. Do not wait for men to come to you. Go to them with the good news. One of the greatest problems we all face - one of the great barriers in witnessing-is the problem of getting going. There are all kinds of excuses: “I am too busy,” or “I am waiting for the Holy Spirit to lead me to someone.” We need not wait for the Holy Spirit to “lead us.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ has already commanded us to go tell the good news to all men.

Seventh, talk about Jesus. Paul said, “Everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen.”

5 Do not talk about peripheral matters, such as the weather, sports or business, except where necessary for the purpose of becoming acquainted and establishing rapport. Pray and expect God to enable you to introduce His Son into the conversation.

As you talk to men about the Savior, you will discover that many people are ready to receive Him the very first time you talk to them. Some may need to “ripen” a bit. Be prayerfully sensitive to those with whom you talk.

RIPE FRUIT
As a young lad I used to visit my uncle’s peach orchard. We would always pick the ripe peaches, but leave the green ones. Two days later, we would return to the same trees and pick more ripe peaches. Every two days we would find yet more ripe ones.
So it is in our witness for Christ. We need to be sensitive to people. There are those who are ready to receive Christ, ripe for harvest, and there are those who are not ready-I These represent green fruit.

Do not argue with those who are not ready. Do not badger them, brow- beat them, insult them, nor try to pressure them into “making a decision for Christ.” Give them something appropriate to read, leave them with a prayer, talk to them later--as the Lord gives opportunity-but continue to look for the ripe ones. They are all around you. Thousands, yes millions, of people
whose hearts have already been prepared by the Holy Spirit are waiting to receive Christ

There are many people who express antagonism toward God -they want nothing to do with religion. But when we tell them about Jesus, they are responsive. A taxi driver in Australia said to me, “I gave up all religion in World War II. I want nothing to do with a God who allows people to kill each other.

“Wait a minute,” I said. “You are accusing God for something for which man is responsible. It is the evil in man, his sin, that causes him to hate and steal and kill.” I explained the difference between religion, which is man’s search for God, and Christianity, which is God’s revelation of Himself in Christ to man. As I talked to him about the person of Christ, this man’s
entire attitude changed. Soon he said that he would like to pray with me and receive Christ.

Always encourage those with whom you share to invite the Savior into their lives. We really haven’t “evangelized” until we have given people a chance to respond to the gospel. If possible, use a tool such as the Four Spiritual Laws booklet. It will help make your presentation of the gospel simple and understandable and the one with whom you share can use the booklet to
share with his loved ones and friends also. Thousands of new Christians are leading others to our Savior in this way.

Eighth, when you talk about Jesus, expect men to respond-- not on the basis of positive thinking, but because of your confidence in God, His love, His sovereignty, His power and His promise that He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

There are many Christians who approach others with a negative attitude: “You don’t want to become a Christian, do you?” By their negative attitude they unintentionally inhibit others from expressing their need for Christ. Go with the expectancy that God has already prepared the hearts of multitudes who are eager to receive Christ and you will find that He really has.

I believe that one of the greatest lies of the centuries is the attitude among Christians that men do not want God. The Christian world has been deceived into thinking that men will not be responsive to the gospel of our Savior. After more than 20 years of sharing Christ with thousands of students and laymen, individually and in small and large groups, I can tell you that the Holy Spirit has created a hunger for God in the hearts of multitudes around the world.

However, they must be properly approached if we expect them to acknowledge their need and to receive Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. They do not want religion. Many of them do not want anything to do with the church at this point. They are not interested in peripheral, spiritual things and religious ritual, but they are interested in Christ! If we, in love, confront men
with the person of Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, many will respond to His love and forgiveness.

Having stressed the importance of expectancy in seeking to introduce others to Christ, I would like to share with you a statement which we in Campus Crusade for Christ sincerely believe and strongly emphasize: “Success in witnessing is simply sharing Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leaving the results to God. "

Do you believe that if you follow this scriptural formula you will consistently have the privilege of introducing others to Christ through your witness? I can assure you that following it will enable you and every Christian to be fruitful for God as a way of life. This life on earth offers no other adventure that can compare to that of sharing Christ with others.

Adapted from How to Witness in the Spirit Copyrighted 1971, 1998 by Bill Bright, NewLife Publications, Campus Crusade for Christ.

***

because this month is the mission month, i hope this post will help to equip you guys for the upcoming Street Evangelism.

next week, i'll be posting 31 Questions to Begin a Spiritual Conversation. Stay tuned! (:

Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the
workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers
into his harvest field."

-Matthew 9:37-38

save the lost souls,

Yvonne

2008-11-13T00:17:00.002+08:00

A couple went to the hillside in a bus. Halfway through only the 2 of them got down. After the bus went on without them, a boulder dropped on the bus from nowhere, crashing it into smouldering. There were no survivors.

The couple regretfully said: If only we hadn't got down.

Well most people would say, "Luckily we got off". Why do you think they said the opposite?
Ans: If they hadn't got off, the bus would've passed the accident scene before it happened!
In life, we should try to evaluate situations from a different point,
think positively and help each other.

-contributed by weds

2008-11-11T01:06:00.006+08:00

some reminders...NOT boring and NOT unimportant!

1. no sunday school this coming sunday (12th nov) - we will join the adults for service at 9.30am at the main sanctuary, 2nd floor. thereafter, to 2nd service as usual, at 11.30am in the multi-purpose hall.

how about, for the 9.30am service, let's all sit together, at the last 3 rows on the left column of pews, right in front of the sound system?(the column nearer to all the windows)

2. this saturday evening is our church's annual missions convention, at 7.30pm. it is at the main sanctuary, 2nd level. what it's about: updates on the missionaries that are linked to and are sponsored by our church, and the mission plans for our church in the upcoming year.
(i forgot to make announcement about this event, but all are encouraged to attend!)

3. fill up CAMP consent forms! pass up camp fees too! AND, invite friends! =)

4. who's interested in watching/re-watching end of the spear after 2nd service this coming sunday? 1.15pm - 3.15pm in anshao room. pls pls tag at the tagboard if you wanna. you know you REALLY wanna ;P
if 5 or more people want to, then we'll watch it together this sunday afternoon. if not, then whoever wants to can just take turns bringing the DVD home to watch. (benedict has borrowed for this wk)

5. tag at the tagboard. i doubt that this blog is not read, i believe it is just not tagged. so tag =)

becky

2008-10-22T19:23:00.003+08:00

for this sunday

hey everyone, as you all know, this sunday is GAMES TIME - CAPTAIN'S BALL. so we can all come to church in clothes that will be comfortable for games, like shirts and pants/bermudas. however, as we will be attending 2nd service after that, we will need to bring a change of clothes, cos it's not appropriate to be wearing FBTs/flip-flops/shorts/other sloppy clothes to service.

so...please remember to bring a change of more formal clothes. and bring friends along =)

jiayou to the o- and a- levelers!

becky

Isn't It Funny?

2008-10-13T12:54:00.000+08:00

Isn't It Funny?

Funny how a $20.00 bill looks so big when
you take it to church, but so small when you
take it to the mall.

Funny how big an hour serving God looks and
how small 60 minutes are when spent
watching television, playing sports, sleeping
or taking a lunch break.

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at
church are but how short they are when
watching a good movie.

Funny how we get thrilled when a football
game goes into overtime, but we complain
when a sermon is longer than the regular
time.

Funny how laborious it is to read a chapter in
the Bible and how easy it is to read 200-300
pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how we believe what newspapers say,
but question what the Bible says.

Funny how people scramble to get a front
seat at a concert, but scramble to get a
back seat at the church service.

Funny how we cannot fit a gospel meeting
into our schedule with our yearly planner but
we can schedule for other events at a
moment's notice.

Funny how we look forward to that big date
on Friday night, but complain about getting
up for church on Sunday morning.

Funny how we are rarely late to work/school, but
always late to church.

Funny how we call God our Father and Jesus
our brother, but find it hard to introduce
them to our family.

Funny how small our sins seem, but how big
their sins are.

Funny how we demand justice for others, but
expect mercy from God.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say
when we pray, but don't have any difficulty
thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we are so quick to take directions
from a total stranger when we are lost, but
are hesitant to take God's direction for our
lives.

Funny how so many church goers sing "Standing on the
promises" but all they do is sit on the premises.

Funny how people want God to answer their
prayers, but refuse to listen to His counsel.

Funny how people think they are going to
Heaven but don't think there is a Hell.

Funny how it is okay to blame God for evil
and suffering in the world, but it is not
necessary to thank Him for what is good and
pleasant.

Funny how when something goes wrong, we
cry, "Lord, why me?" but when something
goes right, we think, "Hey, it must be me!"

Or wait...

maybe all this isn't so "funny" after all.

***

something for you guys to ponder about.

got it from yet another email.

sister-in-christ,
Yvonne.

ANSHAO EXAM SEASON PRAYER NEEDS

2008-10-07T11:16:00.000+08:00

ANSHAO EXAM SEASON ’08 PRAYER NEEDS

Hey everyone, these are the people taking major exams in the upcoming weeks, and will be especially needing prayer during this period. In Matthew 18: 19&20 it says: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

If we have been given this promise, then let’s ‘activate’ it and pray for each other, more and more; be it exam time or not, that we can build each other up. For those on this list, don’t forget to pray for your fellow bros and sis too! :)

Xuanli – PSLE
Gerald – N Levels
Esther, Kaiwen, Zhonghan, Nicholas, Sarah – O Levels
Kaishan, Guangyi – A Levels
Julia, Rebecca, Samantha – A Levels (chinese only)

(click to enlarge, right click to save)
*do let Yvonne know if there are any mistakes or any thing that is left out*

When we work, we work. When we pray, God works.

oh, HAPPY BIRTHDAY RACHEL! :D

Love,
Becky

Cell phone vs. Bible

2008-10-03T15:51:00.007+08:00

Cell phone vs. Bible

Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

Do we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

Do we flipped through it several time a day?

Do we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

Do we used it to receive messages from the text?

Do we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

Do we use it when we travel?

Do we use it in case of emergency?

This is something to make you go....
"Where is my Bible?"

Oh, and one more thing.
Unlike our cell phone, we don't have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill.
Stop and think 'How would it be like if we treat our Bibles like our cell phone?'
Don't just think, act on it!

***

Place your mouse on the E below and drag to the U.

E ven though you can't see Him, GOD is there for yo U

When Jesus died on the cross, He was thinking of you!

Trust in the Lord and *ASAP (Always Say A Prayer)

Have a blessed and wonderful week!

(the above is abstracted from an email)

In His Love,
Yvonne

confirmed campsite 2008

2008-09-26T00:47:00.001+08:00

after receeing a few place, i guess this is the confirmed campsite.

yup, beside the highway at a catholic retreat place.

can see the cross on the wall?

this is a building beside the above bungalow.
i dunno what is it called.
the place is really nice.
we even have a field to ourselve.
table and stools under the shade.there's even a pond!
got fish!okay, lets go in.
2nd level, there's a mini function room, fully equipped.
a bigger on the other end (more expensive of course).
and the neccessity, the ladies.
basin.
cubicle.
toilet bowl =.=
and the gents.
yes, very small i know.
but dont worry, continue to explore.
3rd level, guy's bunk.
30 beds.
this is your shower toilet.
much bigger.
level 4, girl's bunk with nice girly curtain.heh heh, i know this i what you people are wanting and waiting for!
2 somemore.
(at the end of the room, beside the cross)
showering toilet for the girls.
there're lockers beside the bunk.
found these inside.
back to ground level.
there's a unisex toilet, 4 cubicles with HEATER!
i think we can take turns (:

pretty shower head.
at the back of the bungalow, a little vila.
good for quiet time or some personal time.
and the most exciting thing, CANTEEN!
like since when we had proper tables and chairs for meals.
yupyup, bondings over meal.
too bad, no one is allowed to cook.

beside the kitchen and the field will be big sheltered open space.
good for wet weather programme.BBQ PIT!
byebye, that's it for now.
for more, come for anshao camp and see for yourself! :D
now, what you can do is THANK GOD for the wonderful campsite!
i believe most of you who have been to past anshao camps will agree with me that this will be the best campsite ever, with everything we need.
(at least it looks like it for now)

the best thing is its isolate, all to ourselves.
so thank God cuz He've answered all our prayers!

plus pray:
>for the committee to have wisdom to make good use of the place and also to plan the programmes.
>that we will all go back to the first love (this year's theme), where we were so close to God.
>that there will be new comers and they'll open their hearts to Christ.

can't wait for this year's camp! ((:

God bless,
Yvonne

anshao campsite!

2008-09-15T00:52:00.004+08:00

hello anshao.

this is some pictures of the proposed campsite for Anshao camp 2008. (it's beside SAJC)

it's quite an awesome place i would say,

and the toilets are super clean, i can assure you.

but there would be some limitations to what we can do over there; the noise level.

i don't want to take so much of your time, especially for the muggers.

but may i take a little bit of your time to keep the campsite in your prayers.

thanks,

darrell.

So Not Fair

2008-08-23T02:04:00.003+08:00

So Not Fair

Imagine: you work your whole life to compete in the Olympics, only to blow it, not just for yourself but for your entire team. Sure, most people (aside from a few mean-spirited bloggers and critical sports reporters) say it wasn’t completely your fault. Other girls on the team messed up too. But you know that you made the most glaring errors. It’s your routine that they keep replaying from every angle in slow motion, inserting the usual gasps and “That’s it. Wow. She really needs to get it together now. How DO you come back from that?”

A few days later you get a chance for redemption. The whole country is rooting for you. Although you make a couple of small mistakes you do not disappoint. When one competitor steps out of bounds and another falls those watching assume that a medal is yours. So do you. Then the unthinkable happens. Despite their blunders those girls score higher than you, sending you to the cruel 4th place position. How could this have happened? Everyone keeps repeating the phrase “higher difficulty level.” Shouldn’t that go out the window when one steps out of bounds and/or falls? Did any judges give you a high-difficulty-level break when you fell off the beam?

At least this time reporters and bloggers are all on your side, saying you’ve been robbed instead of “She single-handedly blew the gold medal for the U.S.” But how can that make up for the unfairness of it all? Sure, Google practically crashed due to the mass searches for your name. You’ve gained a few fan sites from the whole mess, and a country full of moms who wanted to hop the next plane to China so they could give you a hug. A large percentage of guys apparently think you’re hot. Still, you’ll always be remembered as that poor girl who fell off the beam, who followed it up with a tumble in her floor routine, who got cheated out of medal on vault. Snap shots of your career will always include a close-up of your feet losing contact with the beam, you biting your lip as you wait for those dreaded scores, and your tear-filled eyes as you see your goals dashed, not once but twice.

What do you do?

Comfort yourself with the idea that at least your family’s livelihood doesn’t depend on you bringing home the gold. At least your team didn't arrive at the games weighed down by the pressure that less than a certain number of golds would equal failure. At least you didn’t spend your entire childhood in a training center far from your parents. That might help for say, five minutes.

Adopt the attitude of all the non-Olympians who pat you on the shoulder and remind you that you’ve gone further than many can ever hope to—that at the end of the day you are an Olympic gymnast with a silver medal to prove it. Maybe when you’re a mom comforting your own daughter through a disappointment this will stick. For now it’s one of those truths that sounds great but doesn’t take the sting away.

Challenge the judge’s ruling and get a little trash talk going about the girls who beat you out for medals on vault in hopes that at least one will be disqualified, giving you the bronze? Not only would it be a waste of time but it wouldn’t help your reputation. All those moms out there might want to give you a swat instead of a hug.

At some point you’d have to choose to move on, hold onto the goals that you accomplished instead of dwelling on those that didn’t happen and somehow take some good from the experience, even if only “this is what I’ll do next time.” At some point you'd have to thank God for getting you as far as you got.

Watching Alicia Sacramone and so many other athletes get to the Olympics only to make a costly mistake, have to drop out due to injury, or have some strange circumstance remove all hope of gold reminds us that disappointments can come at the worst possible time, including when we’ve sacrificed and worked our hardest. The question isn’t why such crushing blows come but how we respond to them. You and I may not have to worry about losing our shot at a gold medal or making the mistake of our lives on international television, but we all have days when our best attempts fall apart, our plans fizzle for no apparent reason, or we are shoved aside thanks to sheer unfairness.

No matter what anyone says, it can hurt and just doesn’t seem right. As God’s children at least we have the hope that He still loves us, that He can use it all - including the ugly snapshot reminders - for His good.

straight from the Word:

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

1 Peter 2:12 - Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.

adapted from: http://www.girlsgodgoodlife.blogspot.com/

2008-08-04T23:56:00.004+08:00

ANNOUNCEMENT!

this coming saturday (National Day) there will be a seminar about WORSHIP, and its a seminar for youths. here are the details!

event: 青少年与敬拜座谈会 (Youth Seminar on Worship)
theme: 传统敬拜与现代敬拜 (traditional worship vs contemporary worship)

workshop #1: 如何在教会掌握敬拜风格 - 在传统和现代音乐之间 (bridging the gap between traditional and contemporary music for effective worship)
workshop #2: 敬拜与灵命成长的关系 (the link between praise&worship and spiritual growth)
workshop #3: 现代流行音乐风格可以在教会扮演什么角色 (how modern/pop music trends can have a place in church)

date: 9 August 2008
time: 9.30am - 3pm
venue: 新加坡神学院 - 多用途室. 第一座，第三楼 (Singapore Bible College, Multi-Purpose Hall. Level 3 of the 1st Block)
registration fee: $5 (includes lunch)

*CAN JUST REGISTER AND GO FOR IT ON THAT DAY! 可以当场报名参加*

to contact the people-in-charge: y.care.fellowship@gmail.com or 91080937

here is the link to the site:
http://ortvsingapore.com/main/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=99999999&extmode=view&extid=151

so sorry for not making this announcement on sunday! anyway, if anyone is free on that day (and does not feel patriotic, haha) this would be quite a good seminar to go for. it will be completely in CHINESE though (english translations above done by me ^^)

oh yes, lunsiong is very interested to go, he would like some company!

becky

Festival Of Praise 2008!

2008-07-25T00:13:00.006+08:00

HELLO everyone!
its the annual Festival Of Praise!
*so excited*
although this year, there isnt any singers or band that i know of, but i still want to urge you guys to attend.

Reasons:
1) Its once a year.
2) We will be worshiping God together with
other christians with other churches, other denominations.
3) It will be
great to learn new songs together.
4) Last but not least, we get to bond and
interact as we go for this and worship God together!

so why not come for this? (:

those who are interested, please ask your parents for permission as this event might end late like around 10.
we wouldnt want your parents to come after us!

we will most probably be going for the friday session.
those who are going, please inform me asap so that we can make necessary arrangements.

God bless,
Yvonne :D

presenting...

2008-07-13T07:49:00.007+08:00

our very own youth choir...
天路客！

hope you've enjoyed it! :D

super sorry for the lack of updates.
i'll upload and share the pics soon because sharing is caring! (:

THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER... another restaurant story =)

2008-06-02T16:20:00.006+08:00

THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER... (another restaurant story)

I shook my head in disbelief. This couldn’t be the right place.

After all, I couldn’t possibly be welcome here. I had been given an invitation several times, by several different people, and I had finally decided to see what this place was all about. But, this just couldn’t be the right place.

Quickly, I glanced down at the invitation that I clutched in my hand. I scanned past the words, “Come as you are. No jacket required” and found the location. Yes, I was at the right place. I peered through the window again and saw a room of people whose faces seemed to glow with joy.

All were neatly dressed, adorned in fine garments and appeared strangely clean as they dined at this exquisite restaurant. Ashamed, I looked down at my own tattered and torn clothing, covered in stains. I was dirty, in fact, filthy. A foul smell seemed to consume me and I couldn’t shake the grime that clung to my body.

As I turned around to leave, the words from the invitation seemed to leap out at me…”Come as you are. No jacket required.” I decided to give it a shot. Mustering up every bit of courage I could find, I opened the door to this restaurant and walked up to a man standing behind a podium. “Your name, sir?” he asked me with a smile. “Jimmy D. Brown,” I mumbled without looking up. I thrust my hands deep into my pockets, hoping to conceal their stains. He didn’t seem to notice the filth that I was covered in and he continued, “Very good, sir.

A table is reserved in your name. Would you like to be seated?” I couldn’t believe what I heard! A grin broke out on my face and I said, “Yes, of course!” He led me to a table, and sure enough, there was a place-card with my name written on it in a deep, dark red.

As I browsed over a menu, I saw many delightful items listed. There were things like, “peace,” “joy,” “blessings,” “confidence,” “assurance,” “hope,” “love,” “faith,” and “mercy.” I realized that this was no ordinary restaurant! I flipped the menu back to the front in order to see where I was at…”God’s Grace,” was the name of this place.

The man returned and said, “I recommend the ‘Special of the Day’. With it you are entitled to heaping portions of everything on this menu.” You’ve got to be kidding! I thought to myself. You mean, I can have ALL of this?! “What is the ‘Special of the Day’?” I asked with excitement ringing in my voice. “Salvation,” was his reply. “I’ll take it,” I practically cried out. Then, as quickly as I made that statement, the joy left my body.

A sick painful ache jerked through my stomach and tears filled my eyes. Between my sobs I said…”Mister, look at me. I’m dirty and nasty. I am unclean and unworthy of such things. I’d love to have all of this, but, but, I just can’t afford it.” Undaunted, the man smiled again. “Sir, your check has already been taken care of by that Gentleman over there,” he said as he pointed to the front of the room. “His name is Jesus.”

Turning, I saw a man whose very presence seemed to light the room. He was almost too much to look at. I found myself walking towards Him and in a shaking voice I whispered, “Sir, I’ll wash the dishes or sweep the floors or take out the trash. I’ll do anything I can do to repay You for all this.” He opened His arms and said with a smile, “Son, all of this is yours if you just come unto me. Ask me to clean you up and I will. Ask me to allow you to feast at my table and you will eat. Remember, the table is reserved in your name. All you must do is accept this gift that I offer you.”

Astonished, I fell at his feet and said, “Please, Jesus. Please clean up my life. Please change me and sit me at your table and give me this new life.” Immediately, I heard the words, “It is finished.” I looked down and white robes adorned my body. Something strange and wonderful had happened.

I felt new, like a weight had been lifted and I found myself seated at His table. “The ‘Special of the Day’ has been served,” the Lord said to me. “Salvation is yours.” We sat and talked for a great while and I so enjoyed the time that I spent with Him. He told me, me of all people, that He would like for me to come back as often as I liked for another helping from God’s Grace. He made it clear that He wanted me to spend as much time with Him as possible. As it drew near time for me to go back outside into the “real world,” He whispered to me softly, “And Lo, I am with you always.”

And then, He said something to me that I will never forget. He said…”My child, do you see these empty tables?” “Yes, Lord. I see them. What do they mean?” I replied. “These are reserved tables…but the individuals whose names are on each place-card have not accepted their invitation yet.

Would you be so kind as to hand out these invitations to those who have not joined us as yet?” Jesus asked. “Of course,” I said with excitement as I picked up the invitations. “Go ye therefore into all nations.” He said as I turned to leave. I walked into God’s Grace dirty and hungry. Stained in sin. My righteousness as filthy rags.

And Jesus cleaned me up. I walked out a brand new man…robed in white, His righteousness. And so, I’ll keep my promise to my Lord. I’ll go. I’ll spread the Word. I’ll share the Gospel… I’ll hand out the invitations.

And I’ll start with you. Have you been to God’s Grace? There’s a table reserved in your name, and here’s your invitation…

“Come as you are. No jacket required.” —— “For by grace are you saved through faith: and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” - Ephesians 2: 8

2008-05-14T23:09:00.003+08:00

video recommended by LJDS (: hope you all find it touching

alternatively, click this link if it loads too slowly:
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=8cf08faca5dd9ea45513

table for two.

2008-05-05T21:13:00.001+08:00

He sits by himself at a table for two.
The uniformed waiter returns to his side and ask.
"Would you like to go ahead and order, sir?"
The man has, after all been waiting since seven o'clock -- almost half an hour.
"No, thank you," the man smiles. "I'll wait for her a while longer. How about some more coffee?"
"Certainly, sir."

The man sits, his clear blue eyes gazing straight through the flowered centrepiece. He fingers his napkin, allowing the sound of light chatter, tingling silverware, and mellow music to fill his mind. He dressed in sports coat and tie. His brown hair is neatly combed, but one stray lock insists on dropping to his forehead. The scent of his cologne adds to his clean cut image. He is dressed up enough to make a companion feel important, respected, loved. yet he is not so formal as to make one uncomfortable. It seems that he has taken every precaution to make others feel at ease with him.

Still, he sits alone.
The waiter return to fill the man's coffee cup.
"Is there anything else I can get for you, sir?"
"No, thank you."
The waiter remains standing at the table. Something tugs at his curiosity.
"I don't mean to pry, but ..." His voice trail off. This line of conversation could jeopardize his tip.
"Go ahead," the man encourages. His strong yet sensitive, inviting conversation.
"Why do you bother waiting for her?" the waiter finally blurts out. This man has been at the restaurant other evenings, always patiently alone.
Says the man quietly, "Because she needs me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Well, sir, no offense, but assuming that she needs you, she sure isnt acting much like it. She stood you up three times this week."
The man winces, and looks down at the table, "Yes, I know."
"Then why do you still come here and wait?"
"Cassie said that she would be here."
"She said that before," the waiter protests. "I wouldn't put up with it. Why do you?"
Now the man looks up, smiles at the waiter, and says simply, "Because I love her."

The waiter walks away, wondering how one could love a girl who stand him up three times a week. The man must be crazy, he decides. Across the room, he turns to look at the man again. The man slowly pours cream into his coffee. He twirls his spoon between his finger a few times before stirring sweetner into his cup. After staring for a moment into the liquid, the man brings the cup to his mouth and sips, silently watching those around him. He doesn't look crazy, the waiter admits. Maybe the girl has qualities that I don't know about. Or maybe the man's love is stronger than most. The waiter shakes himself out of his musing to take order from a party of five.

The man watches the waiter, wonders if he's ever been stood up. The man has, many times. But he still can't get used to it. Each time, it hurts. He'e looked forward to this evening all day. He has many things, exciting things, to tell Cassie. But, more importantly, he wants to hear Cassie's voice. He wants her to tell him all about her day, her triumphs, her defeats ... anything, really. He'd just like to know that she cares for him, too. He sips sporadically at the coffee, and loses himself in thought, knowing that Cassie is late, but still hoping that she will arrive.

The clock says nine-thirty when the waiter returns to the man's table.

"Is there anything I can get for you?"
The still empty chairs stabs at the man.
"No, I think that will be all for tonight. May I have the check please?"
"Yes, sir."

When the waiter leaves, the man picks up the check. He pulls out his wallet and signs. He has enough money to have given Cassie a feast. But he takes out only enough to pay for his five cups of coffee and the tip. Why do you do this Cassie, his mind cries as he gets up from the table.

"Good-bye," the waiter says, as the man walks towards the door.
"Good night. Thank you for your service."
"You're welcome, sir," says the waiter softly, for he sees the hurt in the man's eyes that his smile doesn't hide.
The man passes a laughing young couple on his way out, and his eyes glisten as he thinks of the good time he and Cassie could have had. He stops at the front and makes reservations for tomorrow. Maybe Cassie will be able to make it, he thinks.

"Seven o'clock tomorrow for party of two?" the hostess confirms.
"That's right," the man replies.
"Do you think she'll come?" asks the hostess. She doesnt mean to be rude. but she has watched the man many times alone at his table for two.
"Someday, yes. And I will wait for her." The man buttons his overcoat and walks out of the restaurant, alone. His shoulder are hunched, but through the windows the hostess can only guess whether they are hunched the wind or against the man's hurt.

As the man turns towards home, Cassie turns into bed. She is tired after an evening out with her friends. As she reaches towards her night stand to set the alarm, she sees the note that she scribbled to herself last night. '7:00,' it says.

'Spend some time in prayer.' Darn, she thinks. She forgot again. She feels a twinge of guilt, but quickly pushes it aside. She needed that time with her friends. And now she needs her sleep. She can pray tomorrow night. Jesus will forgive her. And she's sure HE doesn't mind.

- Kristen Burgees

**I apologise for being lazy and not updating. xP
so, to compensate, i typed this article by myself, got it from my cell group.
i posted this in my blog too!
hope that you guys will be encouraged by this short story and yearn to meet up with God everyday.
don't make Him wait anymore! :D
-Yvonne**

2008-03-25T11:35:00.001+08:00

March 24, 2008
Just Jewelry?

ODB RADIO: Listen Now Download
READ: Matthew 27:22-26

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. —Galatians 6:14
Some Christians make it a habit to wear a cross. It may be on a necklace or a lapel pin. It may be worn thoughtlessly as a decoration or prayerfully to let people know of the wearer’s personal faith.

In April 2006, a Methodist church in the city of Dudley, England, found out that it would have to pay a fee to put a cross on its new building. Yes, a fee was required because under British law the cross is an advertisement. It proclaims to the world, whether on a person or a building, that the blood-stained cross of Calvary is our only hope of forgiveness and salvation.

Our Bible reading today tells us of the cross—the instrument of execution used on our Savior (Matt. 27:22-26). The crowd in anger shouted, “Let Him be crucified!” The cross is a sign of His death, and must not be taken lightly. This should cause us to examine what the cross means to us. Is it a witness to our eternal hope in the saving death of Jesus on Calvary?

While wearing the cross may be a challenging mark of discipleship, far more challenging is our Lord’s command that we “take up [our] cross daily” and learn what it means to follow in His footsteps (Luke 9:23). And that includes a willingness to practice costly discipleship. — Vernon C. Grounds

“Take up thy cross and follow Me,”I hear the blessed Savior call;How can I make a lesser sacrifice When Jesus gave His all? —Ackley

Because Jesus bore the cross for us, we should be willing to take it up for Him.

http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml

yeah, so now we know that we shoudn't thoughtlessly wear the cross but prayerfully to let others know our faith (:

hope you all like the article too.

love,
jen

2008-03-22T19:37:00.004+08:00

HAHAHAHA, sorry becca and yvonne dears!
go ma fan you two for the user and pass.haha xD

anyway, these are some pics i took during the sheng ri zhou.
abit pathetic, but at least better than nothing.
x)

the cake with candles lighted with a blurred yvonne hahaha :D
grace and...? and yvonne with the cake
zann! yvonne taking pic of cake
somewhat blurred image...
you ocan recognise zan by her tee hahahaha (:
go find ppl!
i think that this pic is VERY NICE cos its ironic, go figure hte ARTISTIC meaning behind it haha xD
aloha! light! from God's love...

smile leh ppl! ;O
comparing shirts...LOL

woots smile le ((:
cheers!
the loong roll of ppl!
pose and be glam!
gahh!

useful BGR advice recommended by lijuan daoshi (:

2008-02-23T21:26:00.003+08:00

useful BGR advice recommended by lijuan daoshi (:

taken from this link: http://everystudent.com/sg/features/wolves.html

There's a saying that goes, "The best plan is to profit by the folly of others." That's what this article is about. I want to share with you a few things I've learnt -- the hard way -- concerning girls and relationships. Specifically, I've jotted down ten reasons why I'm now waiting until marriage to have sex.

Dating Advice #1:I now know that sex isn't all it's cracked up to be.

When I was in university, I remember having an experience that I referred to as a "love hangover." After being with a girl, the next morning I always felt an emptiness. That's something you won't see on TV or in films, but it happens a lot. There was emptiness, even regret, afterwards.
The "love hangover" was a strange occurrence for me. Mainly because when I was in university, sex was my "god." As a male, it's what I thought about morning, noon and night. So you would imagine that having sex would have been completely fulfilling-- the crowning achievement in the worship of my "god." And yet, there was often a lack of fulfilment afterwards.
Has that been your experience, too? Have you ever had a "love hangover"? If you have, you should stop and consider, "Why is that? Why is it that sex, if it's so important to me, leaves me with an empty feeling?"
I remember being confused by this emptiness. I then concluded: "I just need more [sex], that's all." (We often think this way about stuff we hope will fulfil us, then doesn't. For example, we get the car we've always wanted, but then it's just "okay" after awhile. Instead of realizing that a car can't really satisfy us, we usually make the error of thinking, "Well, I guess that wasn't the right car. A different one will give me lasting fulfilment.")
But the emptiness continued. So, finally, I came to the conclusion that premarital sex wasn't all it's cracked up to be. It gets too much hype. It's not what films make it out to be. If it were, it would be completely fulfiling. There wouldn't be any "emptiness."

Dating Advice #2:I now want to be more honourable toward women.

I've found that girls often don't fully understand what's going on when it comes to sex. That is, their perspective on the whole thing is very different from a guy's. Often a girl will justify sex by saying, "But I love him," even if she doesn't really want to go through with it. Why does that happen? It's been said that, "Girls use sex to get love; guys use love to get sex."
This is how it works: the girl is picturing marrying the guy some day; the guy is picturing everything he wants to do with the girl before he goes back to tell his buddies about it. And while something inside her is telling her it's the right thing to do, something inside the guy is telling him just the opposite, yet he proceeds. Why? For the physical pleasure no doubt, but also, I think, for another reason: it makes him feel like a man. But there is a great irony in that, for what is manly about deceiving a woman?
Something I've discovered is that, when you honour a woman, you are honouring yourself. Why? Because someday you will have regret, and the regret will last much longer than the pleasure. In the film Rob Roy, the main character says, "Honour is a gift a man gives himself." When you honour a woman by doing what you know to be right in your heart (that is, what's in her best interest), you honour yourself and insure that you will have no long-lasting regrets to live with.

Dating Advice #3:That's somebody else's wife.

Here's what I mean: most of the girls I've been with are now married to other men. When I put myself in the shoes of those men, I wish that I hadn't done what I've done. In fact, I might even like to punch myself in the nose for it.
And so it goes without saying that when I get married, I'm not going to like the idea that someone else has had his way with my wife. What about you? Do you like the idea of someone else being with your wife? If you have a girlfriend now and feel that way, think of how much stronger that feeling will be with your wife someday.
You can even take it a step further. That girl is someone's daughter. What if she were my daughter? Or what if she were my sister? Would I want some guy like me taking advantage of her? I now see girls from a different perspective. They're someone else's future wife, someone else's daughter, sister, etc.

Dating Advice #4:Sex has killed my best relationships.

For example, I had a university sweetheart, the girl of my dreams. With her, there was never a dull moment. We totally "clicked." We waited for awhile, then, through my initiation, we started having sex.
Sex soon became the focus of our relationship. I stopped wanting to get to know her on any other level. And so, instead of growing closer together, we actually started drifting apart. That's what I mean by "sex killed my best relationships." People can relate on many different levels -- emotionally, mentally, physically, spiritually. But when my girlfriend and I started relating mostly physically, it short-circuited the other parts of our relationship. As a result, the relationship as a whole started to go south. We might still be together today if we (I) had waited.
I've seen this happen with countless relationships, not just others of my own, but those of many other people. And I think there's a reason for this, which I'll explain next.

Dating Advice #5:Sex before marriage ruins the other parts of the relationship.

For me, two things happened once I had sex with a girl. As I look back on it, I can say that they happened literally every time, although I was unaware of these dynamics at the time. The two things were this: 1) I lost respect for the girl (even though I didn't want to); and 2) she began to mistrust me (even though she didn't want to).
I don't know why this happened, I just know that it did. Maybe it's just built into "the system." But one thing's for sure: I'm not alone. I've seen it happen over and over again. I know many people having marital problems because they engaged in premarital sex. They go into the marriage with lack of respect and lack of trust, two absolute necessities for the health of any marriage.
I know a newlywed couple who have sex less than once a month because of this--he doesn't respect her, she knows it, and she doesn't trust him, so she doesn't want to give herself to him. It's very sad, and more common than you might think. But nobody talks about this kind of thing in public. And the film and TV portrayals of couples having sex before marriage never present it either. It's like no one wants to acknowledge that it's happening, even though it is.

Dating Advice #6:Waiting to have sex with my wife will mean better sex in my marriage.

Why? Because we'll go into the marriage with me having more respect for her and her having more trust in me. One thing I've learnt: if a girl doesn't trust a guy, she doesn't want to give herself wholly to him. Deep down, she doesn't really enjoy being with him.
This is how it works. Since "girls use sex to get love, and guys use love to get sex," a couple will have sex before marriage. The girl does this to hold on to the relationship. The guy does it because he wants it even more than the relationship itself. Then, after the marriage, the woman has what she wants: a commitment from the man. So she doesn't need to use sex to get him anymore. And, because she may be harboring resentment because he had sex with her before they were married, she is now not interested in sex. And the guy -- who doesn't treasure his wife because of the sex before marriage -- still wants sex but not as a total bonding experience with his wife. It's just sex, which she figures out. So, there is a lousy sex life in the marriage.
I'm not making this stuff up. Now that I'm out of university and many people around me are getting married, I'm seeing it happen all the time. The antidote: waiting for marriage to have sex will give the man a greater respect for his wife and the woman a greater respect for her husband. And consequently they'll have better and more frequent sex because they respect each other more and love each other more deeply.

Dating Advice #7:Not having sex with other women will mean better sex in my marriage.

Sex is a mysterious thing that causes a deep bond between people, even if we call it "casual." The problem is this: the more I bond with other girls, the less I'll be able to bond with my future wife. It's like a piece of scotch tape -- the more you use it on different surfaces, the less it sticks to things. After awhile, it won't stick to anything.
If I bond with other girls before I get married, I won't be able to bond as well with my wife someday. I won't cherish her as much as I could have, and consequently I won't love her as much as I could have. Each day that passes that I've remained faithful to my future wife means that my relationship with her will be better.
It's a funny thing: our culture decries adultery, yet it freely condones premarital sex, even with multiple partners. That's ironic. Because, if you take the element of time out of the equation, premarital sex is adultery. We can imagine how adultery would greatly injure a marriage relationship, maybe premarital sex actually has nearly the same result. It injures the potential bond between a man and a woman.

Dating Advice #8:I don't have to sleep with a woman to know if we're "sexually compatible."

Sex is meant to compliment a relationship, not be the most important aspect of it. That's what I've found out. It's supposed to be the icing on the cake when all the other aspects of your relationship are working well. I've come to understand that the sex will be good if the rest of the relationship is good. That's why I know I don't have to sleep with my wife to find out if we're sexually compatible. If we get along in every other area, the sex will be fine.
Something else needs to be said here. Another thing I think I've "discovered" is this: when you place sex as the determining factor of the relationship, it will probably result in poor sex. Think about it. If you put your sexual relationship under a microscope, always judging it and judging the relationship by it, it's doomed to fail. It's like being in prison. You're locked in to something that is supposed to be freeing, not incapacitating.
But, when you focus on the other parts of the relationship, and the sex isn't the focus, then you're freed up to have a more enjoyable sex life, with no pressure of having to make it always spectacular. (Because it won't be.) And yet, I don't think that as a university-age adult I was capable of not focusing on sex, that is, unless it wasn't present at all. That's why I think it's best to wait altogether.

Dating Advice #9:I have found something more satisfying than sex.

I know what you're thinking: "Yeh, right." But it's true. And in fact, in a way sex helped me to discover the something that outdoes it. And that something is not really a something, it's a someone. It's God.
Just hear me out on this one, I know it sounds far-fetched, but the whole thing makes sense. God has created us in such a way that we can't be ultimately satisfied by anything except Him. He built that into the human system, and into each one of our individual systems. As one man put it, "Inside every person is a God-shaped vacuum that only God can fill."
That's why we see people change careers, mates, fashions, and more -- because in our search for ultimate fulfilment, we get frustrated with the things (and people) that have not achieved it for us. So we discard them and move on to something (or someone) else, hoping that in them we will find the kind of fulfilment we are all really looking for. But the problem is, we never find it unless we come to God for it, because only He can provide it.
God loves us too much to see us truly satisfied by anything other than Himself. He wants the best for us, and that means Himself. Nothing or no one is more important than God. I know that's true because I found it out for myself. The emptiness I had -- after buying this and buying that, after sexual escapades, after all my efforts to be fulfiled in life -- the emptiness came to an end when I asked God into my life. More specifically, when I asked Jesus Christ into my life. Jesus Christ said, "He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty" (John 6:35). Those words came true in my life. When I entered into a relationship with God, the God-shaped vacuum inside me was finally filled. I didn't feel empty anymore. Consequently, knowing God has given me a deeper satisfaction than sex ever did.

Dating Advice #10:God has given me the strength to wait.

It's been years since I've had sex. I wish I could say that I totally waited for marriage, but I can't. I do have regrets (and, as I said before, they have lasted much longer than any momentary pleasures). I have regrets about the way I've treated girls. I have concerns about the stability of my future marriage (if and when I get married). But God has helped me to deal with my past acts and with my concerns for the future. He is in the process of changing me, and has changed me a lot already.
Also, God has given me the ability to wait for marriage to have sex again. Sure, it's been a struggle at times, but God has been big enough to get me through it. All things are possible with Him. And each day, week, year that goes by, I know I'll have a better and stronger marriage someday because I've waited. Too, I have a stronger relationship with God, today, as a result of depending on Him in this vital area of my life as a man.

Where to Start

If you want to be successful in relationships someday -- as a husband and a father -- the best place to start is with yourself. The trick is not in finding the right wife, or having the right children. The key is to start with you. And the most important relationship you can have -- one that will make you a better husband and father -- is a relationship with God.
God is the author of sex, love and relationships in general. He created these things for us to enjoy. And we can enjoy them fully if we follow His design for them. I've come to discover that God is not a "moralizer." He doesn't say, "Do this" or "Don't do this" for no reason. When He says, "Don't do this" (for example, wait for marriage to have sex), He's not saying that to show me who's boss, He's saying it because it's in my best interest. He's saying it because He knows how He's built me as a man, what is best for me, and what will bring me the most fulfilment.

Knowing God Personally
The Bible says that Jesus Christ was God who became man -- "The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us." He was "the exact representation of His [God's] being." In short, Jesus Christ revealed exactly what God is like. So how do we begin a relationship with Him?
God has a genuine love for us and wants us to know Him...but there is a problem. Currently, what stands in the way of us connecting with God is our sin (our failure to love God and others perfectly).
So Jesus Christ ("God in the flesh") took all of our sin on His shoulders while He willingly died on a cross. He did this so we could be completely forgiven, completely acceptable to Him. He made the great sacrifice of being beaten, humiliated, whipped and crucified on our behalf. Then, after three days, He rose from the dead. He now asks us to respond to His sacrifice by inviting Him into our lives.
Jesus Christ was the most masculine man who ever lived. People don't often give Him much credit for that, but it's true. So, when you ask Him to come into your life, you are asking the one Person who knows more about being a man than any other man. He will help you to become a real man -- not the Hollywood version -- but someone far more fulfiled in life and far more valuable to the lives of others.
What does that real man look like? He doesn't look like a wolf (someone who looks out only for himself). Instead, he looks more like a shepherd -- someone who looks out for the well-being of others. As you grow in your relationship with Christ, you will discover more and more what it means to be a real man. And Christ will change the way you think about women and consequently the way you treat them.
You can begin a relationship with Christ that lasts forever. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that those who believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Belief means trust. When you trust or rely on Christ's sacrifice on your behalf, you can receive eternal life -- a relationship with God that begins now, that you maintain for the rest of your life. If this is now the desire of your heart, the following is a guideline for the kinds of things you might want to say to God in sincerity:

Dear God, I confess that I have sinned against You. Thank You for taking all of my sin upon Yourself on the cross. I want to receive Your forgiveness. I want to enter into a relationship with You. I ask You to come into my life as my Saviour and Lord. Please make me into the man You want me to be.

To gain helpful dating advice and to grow in your knowledge of God, read the sections Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the Bible.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

2008-02-14T23:32:00.007+08:00

valentine's day special! <3

hello i hope everyone had a nice v-day! this is quite unromantic but im gonna recommend 2 books to everyone! why?? obviously cos its about BGR. and of course from a Christian perspective. haha.

(DISCLAIMER: i'm also very inexperienced abt BGR stuff)

1. i kissed dating goodbye by joshua harris

i know the title is weird and maybe you're thinking, ‘huh? how to get a bf/gf i don't date’. but in american context, "dating" is sort of like flirting -- like going out with ppl/becoming intimate with ppl that you're not committed to being in a relationship with. So this guy Joshua harris, who used to be a big flirt, decided when he was 18 that he was gonna stop dating/flirting, until he was sure that he was ready to commit (ie. having marriage as the end goal of his relationship, and not just dating for fun or the excitement). This book is mostly about singlehood – what it means, why you should not date if you're not ready to commit, and how to prepare yourself to be a godly boyfriend/girlfriend, or husband/wife. Because actually, as a single, we have A LOT to prepare for. It also talks about relevant stuff like crushes, and non-romantic friendships with the opposite gender. sometimes the BGR talks we listen to don’t really deal indepth regarding these stuffs. Anyway I’m sure that for MOST of us, since it’ll be probably be at least a couple more years before we enter a r’ship (i think..), so this book will prepare us well for it, and also teach us how to be the kind of bro-in-Christ and sis-in-Christ that we should be to one another.

2. boy meets girl: say hello to courtship (also by Joshua harris)

The guy wrote this book after getting married, so this book is mostly about relationship stuffs – like, what a couple should/shouldn’t do in a r’ship. he shares a lot about his own love story and his struggles with lust. While he makes a lot of recommendations on what to do as a couple (i.e. he and his wife didn’t kiss til their wedding day), his focus is on how grow your r’ship in a godly way, what are the important things to be praying about, how to communicate well to each other etc. This book is more exciting ‘cos there are more love stories (haha) but personally, I think the first book is more important.

(this guy is now a pastor and has 3 kids. he's got a website, www.joshharris.com)

I have both books so feel free to borrow from me :) but seems like got ‘waiting list’ forming already..lol.

have a LOVE-ly day ahead and dont forget to study for bible quiz!

beck

welcome partayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!

2008-01-23T02:06:00.000+08:00

1st programme of the year - Welcome party!
[6Jan]

IntroductionWHACKO!
Da Jie Da
Egg game!

> Guangyi to Lunsiong: "Shiok a not?"
Lunsiong: *shakes head like crazy*
"Nice, i like ((:"
Hengyue and Zhonghan: "What the, not fully cooked. Yuck"
the rest just stare at those who are in agony.

while waiting for the next game..Yeechuan: "I am tall enough not to hold the ceiling unlike those around me" *smile*
"can your head touch the ceiling?" "well, mine can!"
Human alphabet. dun ask me! i dunno where is C-E.
agape <3<3>

longest group name (:

thank you Game Ics.
Welcome to our Big Family, Sec 1s!
our new Daoshi - Kathryn!
and thank you ALL the Daoshis for being with us and supporting us throughout these years!
*big round of applause!*
first speech by Kathryn Daoshi to end off the day.

***IMPORTANT***
PLEASE pray for those people who are getting back their O levels result this Thursday, 24Jan.
Pray that they'll remember that God is always with them in the midst of their fear or excitement.
Pray that they will be able to get into an insitute of their choice.

They have worked hard and done their best so let God do the rest!
No matter what the results are, PRAISE THE LORD because this is what He has given you.
and always remember, God Loves You & We Love You Too! :D

love you too,
Yvonne

watch this.

2008-01-18T23:09:00.000+08:00

i saw this clip on my friend's blog and i would like to share it with all of you.

"Jesus Christ died for a purpose.

God is always there for you, just run to Him.

He understands, He will always understands.

Even when you think that you are dirt, He will still use you."

[Meet Logan, The Sky Angel Cowboy]

God loves you, so do Von! <3

carolinggggggggg~!

2008-01-15T12:56:00.000+08:00

CAROLING at PENINSULA HOTEL [23dec]
intensive preparation in church before leaving.

our guitarists

our going-to-vomit-blood instructor
(sorry weien, this is the only pic i hav of you :P)

performing at the hotel with 'a lot' of audience.

lead singers for "Have A Merry Little Christmas"

"Feliz Navidad~! (clap clap, clap clap clap)"
dinner time!!
pizzzzzzzzzzzzzzza
beeeeeeeeeeehoon
CHEERS!
its Tiger Beer! (as if)
17 self volunteered carollers and our dao shi!
CANDID!
click for more exciting pics! (:
anyone wants to join choir~?!

your always lovely,
Yvonne

ANSHAO TEEEEEEEEE!!

2008-01-11T17:39:00.000+08:00

YIPEE!
finally the person has sent me the visuals!
double click to enlarge and make your choice below!

Sheng Ri Zhou [Oct to Dec]

2008-01-11T12:36:00.000+08:00

hello ello eh eh eh!
sorry to all.
i might not be able to post as frequent cuz my school has already reopen.
but no worries, i will still post the pics but i'll take a longer time.

[Sheng Ri Zhou, Oct- Dec]

the president of the day - guangyi.

the male sheng ri zhes preparing for the first game
this game is specially for the potatoes!

all the potatoes hiding behind the chinese pro.

and jin got caught

yvonne too!

"dont laaaaa.."

oh my!
so vigourous!

jin again

this is how a typical potato play cheat!
the regular customer.
now you know who looks ard before moving!
haha lloyd.
i still think this looks like "sha-ke hano"

open your mouth and you are dead, lloyd.
wooo~! wonderful punishment.
zombie!
* yum yum*
smack her!

her fave word!
faster get rid of the zombiessssssss!!
collabrating to frame each another.
cheeseeeeeeeee! and get ready to be punished!!
this is the lamest "thing-on-the-head" ever.
tell me who doesnt look at where he/she is pointing?

SMACK THAT!
getting ready,
in your postition,
and CHEESEEEEEEEEE!
the polaroid pic that all sheng ri zhe got.

and they are:
Timothy
Yvonne
Rachel
Lucy
Meiting

Qianning
Lloyd
Weien Dao Shi
Gerald
Zhong Han

Jinster Noob (Nub Cake)
Zhiyang (Stoner)
Guangyi (its his big day!)
he's suppose to wear the flower thingy through out the whole day.
the president goes around hand shaking."come on everyone,"
"wish me happy birthday!"
eating time!!
sharing is caring!

once again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to all the above Sheng Ri Zhes!

up next, Caroling~!

your all-time lovely sister-in-christ,
Yvonne ((:

THEY LOOK COOL ON YOUTUBE!

2008-01-03T04:27:00.000+08:00

hot stuff up on Youtube for you this very new year!

My Life Is In You, Lord (Rock Version)

Canon In D (Rock Version)

before anything else, i would like to share these 2 videos with all of you.
i hope this is a great way to start your 2008! (:
(very sorry for the incomplete video, i will try to take a full one in future!)
*comments by the tagboard!! :D*

pictures of Sheng Ri Zhou and Caroling up soon! ((:

Have A Great Blessed And Fufilling 2008 Ahead!

in His love,
yummyYVONNE (:

Question and Answer

2007-12-31T00:19:00.000+08:00

Question: "Is it good to have close friendships with unbelievers?"

Answer: Christians have to constantly face temptations and the attacks of the world around us. Everything we see, read, do, put in our bodies, etc. affects us somehow. That's why to maintain a close relationship with God, we have to put aside our old ways of doing things; the things we watch on TV, old bad habits (excessive drinking, smoking, etc.), the activities we participate in, and the people we spend our time with. People are divided really only two ways; belonging to the world (Satan), or belonging to God (Acts 26:18).

The book of Proverbs has a few wise verses on believers befriending non-believers: "The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray" (v12:26). We should stay away from foolish people (vs. 13:20, 14:7) and people who lose their temper easily (22:24), and keep away from the rebellious (24:21). All these things represent those who have not been saved. "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness" (2 Corinthians 6:14)? 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us that bad company corrupts good character. Unbelievers are slaves to sin (John 8:34), and Christians are slaves to God (1 Corinthians 7:22). If we become deeply involved (either by friendship or a romantic relationship) as Christians with non-Christians, we are setting ourselves up for turmoil. It can (and does often) cause the Christian to stumble in their walk, fall back into a sinful life, and also turn others away from God (by misrepresenting God and Christianity).

Although these close relationships are not recommended, it does not mean we turn our noses up and ignore unbelievers either. 2 Timothy 2:24-26 tells us that as servants of the Lord, we are to be kind to and not quarrel with anyone. We should gently teach those who oppose the truth, and be patient with difficult people. Matthew 5:16 tells us “...let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly father.” We should serve unbelievers so that they may see God through us and turn to Him in praise. James 5:16 says that there is great power in the prayer of a righteous person, so bring your concerns for unbelievers before God and He will listen.

Many people have been saved because of the prayers and service of Christians, so don't turn your back on unbelievers. Having any kind of intimate relationship with an unbeliever can quickly and easily turn into something that is a hindrance to your walk with Christ. We are called to evangelize the lost, not be intimate with them. There is nothing wrong with building quality friendships with unbelievers – but the primary focus of such a relationship should be to win them to Christ, by sharing the Gospel with them and demonstrating salvation in your life.

Question: "How can I evangelize my friends and family without pushing them away?"

Answer: Every Christian has either a family member, a friend, co-worker, or an acquaintance who is not a Christian. Sharing the Gospel with others is always difficult. Sharing the Gospel becomes even more difficult when it involves someone with whom you are close. The Bible tells us that some people will be offended at the Gospel (Luke 12:51-53). It is especially troubling to risk offending someone with whom you have frequent contact. However, we are commanded to share the Gospel – there are no excuses for not doing so (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15).

So, how can we evangelize our family members, friends, co-workers, and/or acquaintances? The most important thing you can be doing is praying for them. Pray that God would change their hearts and open their eyes (2 Corinthians 4:4) to the truth of the Gospel. Pray that God would convince them of His love for them and their need for salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16). Pray for wisdom in how you can minister to them (James 1:5). In addition to praying, you also need to be living a godly Christian life in front of them, so they can see the change God has made in your own life (1 Peter 3:1-2). As Saint Francis of Assisi once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.”

After all of this, you must be willing and bold in your actual sharing of the Gospel. Proclaim the message of salvation through Jesus Christ to your friends and family (Romans 10:9-10). Always be prepared to speak of your faith (1 Peter 3:15), doing so with gentleness and respect. Ultimately, we must leave the salvation of our loved ones up to God. It is God's power and grace that saves people, not our efforts. The best and most we can do is pray for them, witness to them, and live the Christian life in front of them!

Question: "What does the Bible say about spiritual warfare?"

Answer: There are two primary errors when it comes to spiritual warfare: over-emphasis and under-emphasis. Some blame every sin, every conflict, and ever problem on demons that need to be cast out. Others completely ignore the spiritual realm, and the fact that the Bible instructs us that our battle is against spiritual powers. The key to successful spiritual warfare is finding the Biblical balance. Jesus sometimes cast demons out of people, and sometimes healed people with no mention of the demonic. The Apostle Paul instructs Christians to wage war against the sin in themselves (Romans 6), and to wage war against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18).

Ephesians 6:10-12 declares, “A final word: Be strong with the Lord’s mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies and tricks of the Devil. For we are not fighting against people made of flesh and blood, but against the evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against those mighty powers of darkness who rule this world, and against wicked spirits in the heavenly realms." This text teaches us some crucial truths: (1) We can only be strong in the Lord’s power, (2) It is God’s armor that protects us, (3) Our battle is against spiritual forces of evil in the world.

(1) A powerful example of this is Michael the archangel in Jude verse 9. Michael, likely the most powerful of all of God’s angels, did not rebuke Satan in his own power, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Revelation 12:7-8 records the in the end times, Michael will defeat Satan. Still, when it came to his conflict with Satan, Michael rebuked Satan in God’s name and authority, not his own. It is only through our relationship with Jesus Christ that we, as Christians, have any authority over Satan and his demons. It is only in His Name that our rebuke has any power.

(2) Ephesians 6:13-18 give us a description of the spiritual armor God gives us. We are to stand firm with (a) the belt of truth, (b) the breastplate of righteousness, (c) the gospel of peace, (d) the shield of faith, (e) the helmet of salvation, (f) the sword of the Spirit, and (g) by praying in the Spirit. What do these pieces of spiritual armor represent for us in our spiritual warfare? We are to speak the truth against Satan’s lies. We are to rest in the fact that we are declared righteous because of Christ’s sacrifice for us. We are to proclaim the Gospel no matter how much resistance we receive. We are not to waver in our faith, no matter how strongly we are attacked. Our ultimate defense is the assurance we have of our salvation, and the fact that spiritual forces cannot take that away. Our offensive weapon is to be the Word of God, not our own opinions and feelings. We are to follow Jesus’ example in recognizing that some spiritual victories are only possible through prayer.

Jesus is our ultimate example for spiritual warfare. Observe how Jesus handled direct attacks from Satan: "Then Jesus was led out into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit to be tempted there by the Devil. For forty days and forty nights he ate nothing and became very hungry. Then the Devil came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, change these stones into loaves of bread.' But Jesus told him, 'No! The Scriptures say, ‘People need more than bread for their life; they must feed on every word of God. Then the Devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He orders his angels to protect you. And they will hold you with their hands to keep you from striking your foot on a stone.' Jesus responded, 'The Scriptures also say, ‘Do not test the Lord your God. Next the Devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him the nations of the world and all their glory. 'I will give it all to you,' he said, 'if you will only kneel down and worship me.' 'Get out of here, Satan,' Jesus told him. 'For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only him.'’ Then the Devil went away, and angels came and cared for Jesus" (Matthew 4;1-11). The best way to combat Satan is the way Jesus showed us and that was to quote Scripture because the devil cannot handle the sword of the Spirit, the Word of the Living God.

The ultimate example of how not to engage in spiritual warfare was the seven sons of Sceva? "A team of Jews who were traveling from town to town casting out evil spirits tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus. The incantation they used was this: “I command you by Jesus, whom Paul preaches, to come out!” Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. But when they tried it on a man possessed by an evil spirit, the spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul. But who are you?” And he leaped on them and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and badly injured." (Acts 19:13-16). What was the problem? The seven sons of Sceva were using Jesus’ Name. That is not enough. The seven sons of Sceva did not have a relationship with Jesus, therefore their words were void of any power or authority. The seven sons of Sceva were relying on a methodology. They were not relying on Jesus, and were not employing the Word of God in their spiritual warfare. As a result, they received a humiliating beating. May we learn from their bad example, and conduct spiritual warfare as the Bible describes.

In summary, what are the keys to success in spiritual warfare? First, we rely on God’s power, not our own. Second, we rebuke in Jesus’ Name, not our own. Third, we protect ourselves with the full armor of God. Fourth, we wage warfare with the sword of the Spirit – the Word of God. Lastly, we remember that while we wage spiritual warfare against Satan and his demons, not every sin or problem is a demon that needs to be rebuked. “In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

Question: "How can I see the hand of God moving in my life?"

Answer: Several Scriptures describe the hand of God moving and guiding people (1 Samuel 5:11; 2 Chronicles 30:12; Job 19:21; 27:11; Ecclesiastes 2:24; 9:1). These passages do not mean that God literally has a hand. The Bible declares that God is spirit (John 4:24), that He does not, in His essence, have a physical form. However, this does not mean that God is incapable of taking on a physical form; numerous times in Scripture God does take a physical form. The hand of God is not speaking of a literal body part. Rather, just as a father lovingly guides and patiently disciplines a child with his hand, so are we guided by the hand of God.

The moving of the hand of God seems to be one area in which the saying “hindsight is 20/20” is particularly true. Often when we are going through a difficult or confusing time, we are unaware of how God is guiding us. Years later it becomes very clear why God brought us through that experience the way He did. Looking back, the hand of God can be clearly seen moving, guiding, protecting, etc. A time of trial is rarely enjoyable. At the same time, there are many instances where a trial or struggle is looked upon as the most meaningful spiritual time in a person’s life. This is why James exhorts us to “consider it pure joy” (James 1:2) when we encounter various trials, because they are immensely valuable to our spiritual lives.

How can we better recognize the hand of God moving in our lives? First, we must familiarize ourselves with God’s Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17) which tells us about who God is and what He does. Similar to how an instruction manual helps us to understand a particular device, so reading God’s Word helps us to understand how God works and how we should respond to Him. Second, we must communicate with God through prayer. We can ask God for wisdom (James 1:5). We can ask God to help us recognize, and submit to, His hand. We can thank Him for how His hand has guided us. We can ask Him to help us learn His lesson, in His time, for whatever event His hand is bringing us through.

Third, we must trust God. Just as a son often rebels against the guidance of his father, not trusting his judgment or not accepting his discipline; so do we often fight against the hand of God. Why did you allow this? Why must I do that? Is there not another way? While it is not wrong to ask these questions in a spirit of humility, it is wrong to doubt God’s goodness or the quality of His plan. Many times in our lives, we make an ordeal worse by not trusting and obeying God and by not quickly learning the intended lesson.

The hand of God is a symbol of God’s guidance, instruction, and discipline. The more we recognize the hand of God, the better we will be able to follow His lead. Through the study of God’s Word, a strong prayer life, and an abiding trust in God – we can learn to recognize, trust, and enjoy the hand of God moving in our lives.

Question: "How can we recognize the voice of God?"

Answer: This question has been asked by countless people throughout the ages. Samuel heard the voice of God, but didn't recognize it until he was instructed by Eli (1 Samuel 3:1-10). Gideon had a physical revelation from God and he still doubted what he had heard, to the point of asking for a sign, not once, but three times (Judges chapter 6, esp.vs.17-22, 36-40)! When we are listening for God's voice, how can we know that He is the one speaking? First of all, we have something that Gideon and Samuel did not. We have the complete Bible, the inspired word of God, to read, study and meditate on. "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Do you have a question about a certain topic or decision in your life? See what the Bible has to say about it. God will never lead you or direct you contrary to what He has taught or promised in His Word (Titus 1:2).

Secondly, to hear God's voice we must recognize it. Jesus said, "My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me" (John 10:27). I can personally relate to this verse, except the animals involved are cattle. My father-in-law owns a small ranch. Whenever we go out to visit, I can count on, at least once a day, driving out with him to check on the herd. My father-in-law can step out of the truck, call a few gentle words, and soon the pickup is surrounded by cows, eagerly awaiting a mouthful of hay. But if I so much as open the door on my side of the truck, there will be cattle scattered from one end of the pasture to the other. So what's the difference? The cattle are with my father-in-law at least once, and sometimes two or three times, a day. Because of their daily encounter with the one that feeds and cares for them, the cows are comfortable with him, and they can immediately recognize a stranger among them. If we are to know God's voice, we must spend time with Him daily.

Be sure that you are spending quality time daily in prayer, Bible study, and quiet contemplation of His Word. The more time you spend intimately with God and His Word the easier it will be to recognize His voice and His leading in your life. Employees at a bank are trained to recognize counterfeits by studying genuine money so closely, that it is easy to spot a fake. We are to be so familiar with God’s Word, which He has spoken, that when God does speak to us or lead us, it is clear that it is God. God speaks to us so that we may understand truth. While God can and does speak audibly to people, He speaks primarily through His Word; but sometimes also through the Holy Spirit to our consciences, through circumstances, and through other people. By applying what we hear to the truth of Scripture, we can learn to recognize His voice.

Question: "Christian fasting - what does the Bible say?"

Answer: Scripture does not command Christians to fast. It is not something that God requires or demands of Christians. At the same time, the Bible presents fasting as something that is good, profitable, and expected. The Book of Acts records believers fasting before they made important decisions (Acts 13:4; 14:23). Fasting and prayer are often linked together (Luke 2:37; 5:33). Too often, the focus of fasting is on the lack of food. Instead, the purpose of fasting should be to take your eyes off the things of this world, and instead focus on God. Fasting is a way to demonstrate to God, and to yourself, that you are serious about your relationship with Him. Fasting helps you to gain a new perspective and a renewed reliance upon God.

Although fasting in Scripture is almost always a fasting from food, there are other ways to fast. Anything you can temporarily give up in order to better focus on God can be considered a fast (1 Corinthians 7:1-5). Fasting should be limited to a set time, especially when the fasting is from food. Extended periods of time without eating are harmful to the body. Fasting is not intended to punish your flesh, but to focus on God. Fasting should not be considered a “dieting method” either. Do not fast to lose weight, but rather to gain deeper fellowship with God. Yes, anyone can fast. Some may not be able to fast from food (diabetics for example), but everyone can temporarily give up something in order to focus on God.

By taking our eyes off the things of this world, we can focus better on Christ. Fasting is not a way to get God to do what we want. Fasting changes us, not God. Fasting is not a way to appear more spiritual than others. Fasting is to be done in a spirit of humility and a joyful attitude. Matthew 6:16-18 declares, “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show men they are fasting. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to men that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

these are some some questions i feel that you ppl will be interested in. if you have more questions, you can click HERE!

sister-in-christ,
Yvonne ((:

back from Anshao Camp

2007-12-21T13:30:00.000+08:00

hello dear brothers and sisters,
sorry for the disappointment whenever you visit here and its not updated.

i think this is the first few blog where you'll see updates abt the camp.

and its the FIRST blog with almost all the photos up.

you can also check out what other campers hav to say in their blog.

(links by the left side)

17 dec Monday

[First Day]

at the interchange

boarding the bus
and we occupied the entire bus
crosby and bella
yeechuan, kaishan and kai sheng.
making our way into the campsite!
here comes our Games ICs
everyone have yet to settle down
while waiting...
the 营长(camp leader), Sarah and 副营长( assistant camp leader), Lloyd briefing and going thru the camp booklet before the camp starts
introducing the 4 group leaders.
isabella, yeechuan, crosby, benjamin and their groups
小笼包，莲蓉包，扣肉包和豆沙包 respectively
and the game begins!
'animal concentration'
forfeitees for 'stand up memory'

Jin
Peiying
Zaneta
Samuel
Yeechuanpowered faces
Nicholas
our male model, cheese!
go go go, run for your life!

Isabella
up next,
SPLAT!

sermon for the night: 敬畏神I
speaker: 郑文传道

* no pics for night walk
will post it if i ever get them *

evaluation for commitee members
18 dec Tuesday
[Second Day]

first workshop to start off the day
workshop: 世界那么大

speaker: 吴士宗牧师
preparing for Praise and Worship
2nd workshop of the day: Love and Sex
speaker: Jessie传道
games time!

all in our teams
all readytime for Budget Hockey!
violent Guangyi in action
"Where is the ball?"

smack that!
sermon: 敬畏神II
speaker: 郑文传道

skit abt Joseph for 郑文传道's sermon

扣肉包
小笼包

豆沙包

莲蓉包

after much discussion from the judges...

winner of the skit goes to... *drumrolls*

莲蓉包！

最佳男配角：智扬
Best Supporting Actor: Joshua
最佳女配角：丽婷

Best Supporting Actress: Samantha

最佳女主角：伊雯

Best Actress: Yvonne

最佳男主角：景豪

Best Actor: Darrell

our cute little photographer, Chen Hongevaluation time, again
20th Dec Wednesday
[Third Day]

rise and shine!
its breakfast time!

QT at the park
with God
and His beautiful creations
workshop II: Homosexuality

speaker: 凯丽传道

people who got her disc for answering her questions
(borrow the disc from them!!)

Shaun

Guangyi
Zaneta
lunch time!
*tsktsk, where are all the gentlemen?*
last meal together (exlcuding BBQ)
angel and mortal

reveal my angel please!
whose is this?
own up!
free time = bonding time
the girls are chatting
the guys are playing basketball
last sermon by 郑文传道 with the agitated actions.

and there, finally a group photo!

* no pics taken during Street Evangelism but 1 soul saved! *

long awaited, BBQ!!
yeah, thanks BBQ guys!!
come on, sharing is caring

remember the video, Choices, flashed by Jessie for 'Love and Sex'?

this is one of the main character look-alike

LUNSIONG!!
*rolling on the floor, laugh like a lunatic*

the guys are doing push up for i-dunno-what reason
Zhong Min Dao Shi in action

audience for special preview of special song and lyrics for 2 special people by the guys
*giggles*first and last telematch at the last night
the game has started
wonder where/what is the ball?

its this, FISH HEAD!!!
credits to Magdelene and Rachel's mum for Mars Ice Cream
yeechuan joined the 'Mars Girls'
peace talk before the war starts
our weapons!

result of our talk, a bucket of water bomb! :DD

*no pics of the war cuz i was having too much fun! :) *

20 dec Thursday
[Last Day ):]

prize presentation before the breaking of camp

presenting the 4th group - 扣肉包 led by Crosby

3rd group - 莲蓉包 led by Yeechuan
2nd group - 小笼包 led by Isabella
1st group goes to... 豆沙包!! led by Benjamin!

and these marks the end of our Anshao Youth Camp 2007! ):

a picture to end this camp, Sunrise!

4 days 3 nights have come to an end unknowingly.
the days and nights spent, the consecutive Praise and Worship, Sermons, Games, bathings, singings, whinnings, shoutings, cheering, praying, helpings, eating, unofficial bonding sessions, the expressions, the moments, the joy and agony are definately priceless and worth it.
thou there maybe unhappiness or complains here and there, but i'm sure everything can be strike off with the love from your Father right?
because Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no records of wrongs. (:

if you didnt realise, there is a huge number of first timers in these camp.
namely, Serene, Kaishan, Alvin, Zhihan, Kaiwen, Samuel, Xuanli, Benedict, Kokkien, Gerald, Olivia, Fay, Nicholas, Zhikai, Grace, Crystal, Lloyd and Peiying.
this is the first time in the years where i've attended Anshao camp where there are SO many new comers.
its probably the most in the Anshao history too.

thank God for that and everything that He have allowed to happen in the camp.
thank God for the people He have arranged to turn up.
thank God for the weather.
thank God for those adults who are willing to help out.
thank God for the daoshis.
thank God for the commitee members
and thank everyone who has made this camp a successful one.

hope that everyone has learn something and has enjoyed themselves as much as i do!

if given a chance to choose again, Will You Choose To Attend This Camp?

* for those who has got the photos or wants to share about their experience at the camp, can email me at broomzstar@hotmail.com*

In His Love,
Yvonne <3

much misses!

2007-12-21T13:29:00.000+08:00

hello lovelies,

thousands of apologies.

i was suppose to get the shirt done by camp.
but there was miscommunications.
Sorry!

know what?

you people are missed already!!

anyway, the good news is that, we'll be meeting again VERY SOON!

there will a christmas event held in church this Saturday, tomorrow.
there will be performance and sermon by Pastor Chong.

all are invited, bring your friends along for this meaningful event!!

see you people tmr!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
*yeah!*

Love Anshao Like Madness,
Yvonne :))

photos of campsite

2007-11-14T00:16:00.000+08:00

i know you guys are excited to look at the campsite for this year's camp!!

these are the pics...

the outside of the whole campsite

the kitchen
guys dorm : 20 beds (fully air-coned)the toilet which is beside the kitchen
girls dorm : 20 beds

locker in the girl's dorm
girl's toilet

the huge hall

the basketball court
opposite the campsite.

anshao camp 2003 was held in this holiday flat opposite.

the big field beside it
another big field

rmb to submit the form and the fees asap.

most imptly, invite your friends!! :D

WOO~!

i'm excited, are you? (:

Usher meeting

2007-11-13T17:56:00.000+08:00

Dear ushers,
there will be a meeting on the 18 November 2007, this sunday. Attendance is compulsory. It will be after da tang. please meet outside meeting room 3. Thank you.

God bless,
jen.

hello!

2007-11-09T10:07:00.001+08:00

WELCOME TO THE BRAND NEW ANSHAO BLOG!

hello people,
please come more often to look at the updates of anshao so that we can fully utilised this blog alright? there will be people maintaining it. so please feel free to feedback. thank you!

God bless,
jen

ohh ya, please tagg, please tagg!

Anshao 45th Year Anniversary

2007-10-30T11:43:00.000+08:00

sorry for the superrrrrrrr long delay
here are the pics for anniversary!

new additional member - Xin De *below, beside junyan*

right click it and save it to your com! :D

pray prAY PRAY!!

2007-10-03T10:19:00.000+08:00

Dear all,

(1) Please be praying for jen's grandfather as he is going for another scope today (3rd Oct) due to the decreasing of his blood pressure. If the doctor cannot find the reason then he would have to go for op which carries the risk of having stroke and heart failure.

(2) also for all those people who are having their End-Of-Year exam and N levels

(3) and those sec 4s who're preparing for their upcoming O's in 2 weeks time.

LOVE,
Yvonne <3

P.U.S.H
Pray.Until.Something.Happens

What You've Missed!

2007-09-08T19:35:00.000+08:00

[Since we always hav articles abt every other things, this is an article that i've written for our very own retreat! :)]

As all of you know that we had retreat on Thursday. It was a pity for those of you who couldnt make it. But dun worry, we can always organise another retreat. (:

For those who have went, abt 16 of us, of which, 10 are guys. [Sidetrack]: Remember for the past few years, we've been praying for the increase of guys? This is the result that Gos has shown us. (: Praise the Lord.

I'm sure we have learnt a lot about more about QT and worship. We had a great time singing praises to the Lord together. I seriously mean together. Its like how many donkey years since i last heard the guys singing praises as whole. And i'm not ashamed to say that i was actually so touched that i teared when i heard them sing.

As for the BBQ, the dao shis and seniors shared abt what they thought of each and everyone of us. There were good points and things that we can improve on. Needless to say. The food was YUMMY! (:

Alright, down to the pics that I've taken. If you guys haven taken any pics, can send it to me (broomzstar@hotmail.com) and i'll post it up. Enjoy!

This is Zhong Min Dao Shi's laptop wall paper. It sure looks cute!

*Sorry. Not pics were taken during the workshop. I was concentrating. xD Straight to BBQ*

The guys went straight to the food when there was a mini break.

This was all i could get of the people who went for the BBQ.
Jo hiding her face, Jen and Ming Hui

Rachel's hand, Esther and Kathryn

Yeechuan got stunned while Hua Jie and Ben posted for the pic (:

The opposite. Hua Jie and Ben turned away.

Not a surprising scene, the greedy hungry guys.

Ah Neh caught in action.

BenjaminS! But ur BBQ chief of the day... Junyan!

3 hungry guys waiting for food.

AHEM! I caught you, Guangyi. What're you doing? *zoom in to his finger*

[from left] Hengyue, Crosby, Lloyd (looks a little boy), Guangyi and Zhiyang

Weien Dao Shi is scolding the guys

and they became SOOOOOO attentive!

that's all. hope this article will encourage you guys to come for the the next retreat!

Love,
Yvonne :)

RETREAT IS BACK!! (:

2007-08-26T22:47:00.000+08:00

yo yo,

the announcement girl here to bring you guys great news!

what? WORSHIP CUM QT RETREAT
where? OUR CHURCH! (Church Of Christ Of Malaya)
when? 6TH SEPT, THURSDAY OF THE SEPT SCHOL HOLIDAY
who? COMMITTEE MEMBERS, NEW BELIEVERS, SEC 3 AND BELOW ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED. ALL ARE WELCOME! (:
time? FROM NOON TO NIGHT (to be confirmed. lastest will be 9pm )

activities?
* ZHONG MING DAO SHI WILL BE LEADING THE QT PART. HE'LL BE TEACHING HOW TO DO QT EFFECTIVELY.
* ZI XU DAO SHI WILL BE LEADING THE WORSHIP PART ABOTU HOW TO BE A WORSHIP LEADER.
* DINNER WILL BE SERVED - BBQ!!

fee? FREE OF CHARGED! WOO~!

things to bring? A HEART THAT WANTS TO DRAW CLOSER TO GOD AND TO SERVE HIM.

========================================================

* This time round, there will not be stayover for retreat ):

*Please inform me if you're interested to go and tell me if the date is suitable for you. We will try to go with the majority.

*The purpose of this retreat is to help the younger ones in Christ to know the meaning of QT and to teach them how to do QT to hear the voice of the Lord. The worship part is to train us to be future worship leadership to be able to lead the crowd to sing praises to His name.

*Please help to pass this message around because this retreat will really benefit you. (:

========================================================

*A gentle reminder, next week will be the first week of the month. Lunch will be provided at the back of 2nd Sevice hall after service. The food will be much nicer and cheaper from AHEM! *coughcough* So, DO stay behind and have lunch with fellow brothers and sisters! :)

Sister-in-Christ,
Yvonne

ANNOUNCEMENTS

2007-08-17T15:45:00.000+08:00

hello people,

really sorry. cuz i really dunno what to blog or post about. so here i am, bringing you guys the NEWS..

1) Sunday school as usual for Pastor Kelly's class. Same time, same place! (:

2) There will be 迎新 and usher meeting this coming sunday (19th aug), 1pm at meeting room 2. After this meeting, the next following meeting will be in 2 to 3 months time. For those who're not able to attend, please inform your respective leaders.

3) This year's annual Anshao camp will be held at Pasir Ris Holiday Point Camp. The facilities will be the same as the Punggol Camp site but I'm sure we'll have different kind of fun. It will be a great time to bond with fellow brothers and sister and to bring new comers. (:

The camp leader will be Sarah and it'll be on the 3rd week of Dec, 4days 3 night. From 17 to 21 Dec (exact date not confirm). Make yourself available! :)

4) Please be praying for the O'level students. Namely, Benjamin, Hengyue, Lihao, Yeechuan, Crosby, Samantha, Rebecca, Julia, Jenalyn, Darrell and Zhiyang. (tell me if i missed out any one)

- They have gotten back their O's Mt results and they have done well. Thank God for that. But some of them are hesitating to retake. Pray that they'll be able to make the right decision with the help of the Lord.

- Most of them are preparing for their upcoming prelims. Pray that they'll have the motivation to study hard and do well.

- And not forgetting the 3Ds towards God - Desire, Determination and Drive. When they are preparing for their exams, let them not forget about the Lord. Have the Desire to want to talk to God, Determination to do QT and the Drive to yearn for the Lord.

[Keep them in your prayer list, they really need it.]

5) Something to keep you guys excited and going - THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING REEEEEEEAAALL SOON!! (: and and, after O's Darrell will be coming back, Fiona and Doreen will be joining us!!

What is wrong is wrong even if no one is doing it. What is right is right even if not one is doing it! :)

love,

Yvonne

Is it right for a Christian to pray that God avenge him and give his enemies what they deserve?

2007-08-10T23:29:00.000+08:00

Jesus brought a deeper spiritual principle to bear upon the attitude of people towards revenge and retribution. In Matthew 5:38-42, He made three radical statements. First, He said that a person should turn the other cheek when someone strikes him. Second, He declared that His followers should give those who sue them more than they are asking. Third, He said that a person who is conscripted by a Roman officer to carry a load for one mile should offer to go two.

Does this mean that we cannot resist when somebody attacks us? Should we let everyone take advantage of us? This can’t be what Jesus meant. After all, Jesus denounced the Pharisees who attacked Him (Matthew 23) and objected when He was struck by one of the officers of the high priest (John 18:22). Further, He advised His disciples to take measures to defend themselves (Matthew 10:16), and He declared that they shouldn’t “meditate beforehand on what you will answer” to an enemy’s charges because He “will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist” (Luke 21:14-15 NKJV). Similarly, the apostle Paul aggressively defended himself against his enemies on occasion (Acts 23:1-3), asserting his rights as a Roman citizen and making it clear to his attackers that there could be consequences if he were unlawfully harmed (Acts 25:14-27).

What Jesus asks of His followers is not passivity but surrender of the right to personal revenge. His three radical examples make His point about the attitude we should have toward those who wrong us. Rather than getting even, we should be willing to go to the opposite extreme. We need to be ready to humble ourselves for the kingdom of God. We need to understand that vengeance isn’t ours, but the Lord’s (Romans 12:19).

The natural human tendency has been to seek the emotional satisfaction of revenge for perceived injury (Genesis 4:8). Our instinctive response to any kind of injury is hatred and desire for vengeance. This is why Jesus made it so clear in His Sermon on the Mount that not only outward murder, but also inward hatred is subject to God’s judgment (Matthew 5:22-23). Consequently, the Old Testament Law placed limitations on vengeance (Exodus 21:23-25). Although the “eye for an eye” provision of the Mosaic Law has often been misunderstood as requiring vengeance, its actual purpose was to place limitations upon it. The law wouldn’t permit murder out of revenge for an insult or a minor injury. If an eye were put out, only an eye could be taken; if a tooth, only a tooth.

Jesus went much farther than the law, making it clear that He wasn’t merely calling for more limitations on vengeance. In Matthew 5:38-39, He implies that we must give up personal vengeance altogether. But as illustrated above by Jesus and Paul’s examples, there is a difference between confronting evil and seeking personal revenge. It is possible to confront evil with a desire for the redemption of its perpetrator. We can love a sinner while confronting his sin, but when we seek vengeance we are (always) motivated by hatred.

If Matthew 5:38-42 were taken literally at all times, we would have to let everyone take advantage of us. Turning the other cheek would become an encouragement for evil. This isn’t what Jesus had in mind. His vivid examples illustrate His disciples’ need to give up any sense of entitlement to personal revenge, to be purged of the motivation of personal vengeance. By asking them to “turn the other cheek,” Jesus meant that His disciples should be motivated by love and a desire for the redemption and forgiveness of offenders—even when opposing their actions.

Dan Vander Lugt, RBC ministries.

extract from www.rbc.org

i'm sure i'm not the only one who thinks we have a right to lash out at people sometimes, but God clearly doesn't think so. hope this helps. click on the quoted bible verses to see them in full. comment at the tagboard too!

-beck

What Do You Believe?

2007-08-04T12:18:00.000+08:00

What Do You Believe?
READ: Isaiah 50:4-10
The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. —Isaiah 50:4

Francis Collins earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry at Yale University and then entered medical school. During his training at a North Carolina hospital, a dying woman often talked to him about her faith in Christ. He rejected the existence of God, but he couldn’t ignore the woman’s serenity. One day she asked, “What do you believe?” Caught off guard, Collins’ face turned red as he stammered, “I’m not really sure.” A few days later the woman died.
Curious and uneasy, the young doctor realized that he had rejected God without adequately examining the evidence. He began to read the Bible and the writings of C. S. Lewis. A year later he fell to his knees and gave his life to Jesus Christ. The catalyst? A sincere question from an elderly woman whose physical heart was failing but whose concern for others was strong.
In a prophetic picture of the Messiah, Isaiah 50:4 says, “The Lord GOD has given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary.”
May we be ready with a timely word or a caring question to point others toward our Savior who offers life and peace to all. —David C. McCasland—David C. McCasland-->
Lord, let me be a shining lightIn all I say and do,That Your great love displayed in meMay lead someone to You. —Sper

The next person you meet may need to meet Christ.

love,
jen

SHE LOVES ME . . . LOVES ME NOT

2007-08-01T18:25:00.000+08:00

SHE LOVES ME . . . LOVES ME NOT
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” 1 John 2:15

Did you ever try to figure out whether or not someone you loved, loved you in return? Who knows when, but a long time ago some romantic had the idea that you could solve the dilemma by pulling petals off of a daisy. Remember how it works? “She loves me, she loves me not . . .” When you got to the last petal, you’d have it figured out. And, the beauty of it was, if you didn’t like the outcome, you could grab another flower and start over!

Sometimes I wonder if that’s how God feels about our love for Him. We know from Scripture that God’s love toward us is faithful, undaunted, and unchanging (Lamentations 3:22-23). But, quite frankly, our love for Him is often fickle and erratic. One day it’s “we love Him,” and a couple of days later it looks like “we love him not.” And while we would never say it that way, sometimes that’s really what it is! One day we resonate with intimacy toward God, and the next, we feel distant and disconnected.

I suspect that part of the problem is our understanding of the word love. We use the same English word to speak about so many things. I could say, “I love the Chicago Cubs; I love deep-dish pizza; I love the family dog; and I love my wife” using the same word for all, but meaning dramatically different things. Then we take that same word and say, “I love God.” No wonder the meaning gets lost!

That’s why I’m thankful for the writings of the apostle John. He moves the discussion about our love for God from the realm of our fickle feelings to tangible, practical ways that we can express our love to God regardless of how we feel. John tells us that God feels loved by us when we surrender to Him and obey (1 John 5:3). He also tells us that loving God is expressed to Him by loving our brothers and sisters in Christ (1 John 4:21). And in today’s verse we see that our love for God is also proven when we choose to love God more than the world! “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:15).

So, thankfully, our love for God doesn’t need to rise and fall on how we feel on a given day. Loving Him is about our choice to put Him first and care about the things He cares about! And that is something we can do on a regular basis regardless.

If you’ve been caught in a “petal-pulling” love relationship with Jesus, set yourself free by choosing to express your love to Him in concrete ways every day. You’ll be surprised at how quickly the good feelings follow your good choices!

YOUR JOURNEY…

-Take some time to evaluate your love for God. Is it based on your feelings or on the facts you know to be true about Him? In what ways do you express your love for Him?
-How are you doing in terms of not loving the world? What are some things in the world that attract your attention, distracting you from your relationship with God?
-According to 1 John 2:17, what will happen to the world? Can you be described as a person “who does the will of God”? Take some time to prayerfully ask the Lord to anchor your heart with this desire.

this is a cool article. haha.

love,
jen

zhu ri xue zhu ri

2007-07-30T19:10:00.000+08:00

dear all,
what happened? no one came to visit? please try to keep this blog alive, otherwise there's no meaning to reviving it already. thanks,
these are the videos for the zhu ri xue zhu ri.

this is the sharing by junyan, julia, bella and lloyd. and the skit by the er tong below.

God bless,
jen

FOP

2007-07-25T16:58:00.000+08:00

hey, next week's already FOP. We should be going on friday since saturday de next day's sunday (gotta wake up early) and sunday the next day got school.

MEET @:

Kallang MRT station 6 pm 3 AUGUST 2007

pls tell us earlier if ure going so we noe who we're suppose to wait for.
Thanks.

hope to see you all,
jen

“What’s in your wallet?”

2007-07-25T16:50:00.000+08:00

“What’s in your wallet?”

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. Ephesians 1:3

An advertising blitz for a growing credit card company features two humorous television commercials. One features Vikings who are defeated by that credit card’s low interest rates. The other series of ads pokes fun at the apparent difficulty of cashing in on the “other company’s” frequent flier miles. Every one of the commercials ends with the same catchy tagline: “What’s in your wallet?”
It’s an interesting question. The stuff in our wallet represents financial security, purchase power, and prosperity. The question “What’s in your wallet?” is a clever way of planting doubt in our minds about whether or not we have the right stuff to get all the satisfaction we are looking for in life. It prompts us to wonder if we are getting all that we think we deserve. Is there more out there that we don’t yet have? Do we have what it takes to be successful? Of course, the intent of the ad campaign is to make us think that only this particular card will make us satisfied, secure, and significant. And if we don’t feel secure about having the right things in our wallet, perhaps we need to reevaluate its contents. But those who have traveled life’s road for a while will tell you that it’s not really the stuff in your wallet that finally brings the happiness you’re looking for.
Thankfully, God has an announcement of His own about where to find satisfaction, security, and significance! In Ephesians 1:3-14, the apostle Paul can hardly contain himself as he lists the incredible resources that our Father has placed at the disposal of His children. When we turn to Christ by faith, we’re given forgiveness—the joy of a clean conscience before God. We’re entrusted with His wisdom—inside information on how to live life without the downside of our ongoing dead-end experiments. We’re given access to his mercy and grace to find help in the time of need, worship to lift our spirits above the din of ordinary living, and prayer to put us in touch with the One who cares for us and loves us without condition. We find all of this and more in our spiritual wallet!
What are you trusting to bring you joy and satisfaction? What do you depend on to give you a sense of security and safety? Where do you turn for significance? Are you focused on a wallet that’s growing with the “right” credit cards, a thick stack of cash, and the right business cards? Ironically, a full wallet can be carried on a body with an empty heart.
Live for the incredible spiritual wealth and riches offered to you by our loving heavenly Father, who, according to James, delights in giving good gifts to His children. Your physical wallet may be almost empty, but, if your heart is full of all that Jesus offers, you’ve got all the right stuff to defeat the Vikings that plague your life and to experience true joy and satisfaction.
YOUR JOURNEY…

Think through the way you’ve spent your time this week. How does your time spent with God, accessing the riches of your heavenly Father, stack up against time spent focused on material possessions and earthly wealth?

Take a few minutes to make your own list of some of the spiritual riches that you have received in Christ. If you need some ideas, read all of Ephesians 1 and the first part of Ephesians 2.

How would your priorities and plans for the week change if your attention to spiritual riches grew and your focus on material possessions diminished?

love,
jen

photos (:

2007-07-23T13:59:00.001+08:00

BIRTHDAY PARTY [ Jan - Mar ]
* I'll be posting the Apr - Jun's birthday party pics soon :)

GIVING OUT OF REBORN CERT

the perfect prayer

2007-07-21T22:07:00.000+08:00

hey all, gotta keep this newly-revived blog moving so i shall post (:

Passage – Luke 18: 35 – 43

As He drew near to Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. And hearing a crowd go by, He inquired what this meant. They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” And he cried out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Verses 35 – 38)

Years ago, I wrote lyrics to a song about the Lord’s prayer. The title was “The Perfect Prayer”, because Jesus Himself spoke it. But there is at least one other perfect prayer in the gospels. It is extremely short, containing just five words: “Son of David, have mercy.”

Once again, you must see the story with a first-century perspective. Everyone believed that the man was blind because he had sinned, and sinners do not deserve anything. When you understand this, you begin to see that the disciples were justified in trying to shut the man up. Jesus should not have had time for such people.

The blind man’s stubborn persistence in crying out to Jesus is what makes me love this man so much. I believe it’s why Jesus also seems to have been delighted with him. He sits there forsaken, in his own dark world, crying out for a gift he knows he doesn’t deserve. He cries out for mercy, for hesed. His cry is the perfect prayer, because it is the simplest request for what is most critical. It is a plaintive cry for a piece of God’s own heart.

Look at the end of Luke’s gospel. Jesus goes to Jerusalem. The cross is awaiting him there. Only one chapter before (17:11 – 19), we read the story of the 10 lepers. Their cry, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us,” was almost identical to the blind man’s cry. Jesus had told the 10 to go and show themselves to the priests. While they were running back, they discovered they were healed. Only one, a Samaritan, turned and ran back to Jesus, “praising God”. Jesus told the lone leper exactly what he told the blind man, “Your faith has made you well” – the faith to ask for something he knew he did not deserve, believing in the nature of the One from whom he was asking.

Jesus is about to enter Jerusalem and the Passion. There on the cross He will perfectly demonstrate what the hesed of God looks like: that God so much longs to lavish his mercy on us that He will sacrifice His only Son, an unimaginable alternative.

To those of us who have a right to expect nothing, Jesus offers everything. The doorway to an infinite store of mercy can be opened by five simple words, “Son of David, have mercy.”

Responding - How have I experienced hesed this day?

Following - God longs to show you mercy if you call on Him.

- Michael Card, RBC Ministries

see you all tmr,
rebecca

need your opinions

2007-07-17T10:33:00.000+08:00

hello people,

i was thinking since we have been collecting money from most of the people in Anshao for buying of presents for those birthday people, do you mind if we have like a monthly fund where we collect $2 from EVERYONE?? do comment at the tagboard. :)

gentle announcement:

(1) There will be NO SUNDAY SCHOOL for Pastor Kelly's class this coming week (22nd July). But there will be 'remedial' for those who did not attend last week (8th July).
Please turn up PUNCTUALLY at 8:30.

(2) There will be a meeting for ushers and 迎新 commitees at 1pm by Pastor Kelly. We will be evaluting on our performance for the past month. Please pass the msg down and inform me if you cannot attend.

lots of love,
yvonne

prayer request

2007-07-15T23:02:00.000+08:00

dear anshao members,

please pray for crosby who is ill. he vomitted blood today. thank God that he has stopped vomitting, but he still feels giddy and unwell. do keep him in your prayers.
thank you.

agape,
rebecca & esther

Cool Prayer

2007-07-15T16:25:00.000+08:00

i saw this cool prayer online and decided to share it:

LORD,

Our days are long
and schedules are full.
You said when we are weary
We can come to you
and you will give us rest
So we come to you now
and ask you to...
Renew our spirits.
Restore strengths.
Refresh our hearts.
Thank you for being the source
of all we need to do everything
You have called us to do.
wherever we go and whatever you
ask us to do today,
May we live in your presence
because this is the place we can truly be rejuvenated.

Amen.

www.dayspring.com

Love,
jen

SOMEBODY CARES

2007-07-15T01:57:00.000+08:00

SOMEBODY CARES

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” Hebrews 4:16

When I was a little boy growing up in Hackensack, New Jersey, I would often fall asleep listening to my little radio. One of my favorite shows was “Big Joe’s Happiness Exchange,” beamed to my bedside from the heart of nearby New York City. The program always began with a deep, mellow voice saying, “Have no fear, Big Joe is here,” and then to the best of my memory he would sing something like . . .
Somebody cares about you and worries till the sun comes shining through!Somebody cares if you sleep well at night If your days go all wrong or if your day has gone right.
Then the song would conclude . . .

Please believe me it’s so,
but in case you didn’t know it,
Somebody cares.
Then people from all over the city would call in to talk to Big Joe. With an understanding and quieting spirit he would listen and encourage those who were hurting and lonely. If they had material needs, other people would call in to offer help. It was love, grace, and mercy in action. And there was something really comforting about it, even to my little soul as I fell asleep.
I’ve always been glad that Jesus offers us comfort and help like that.
Even more caring than Big Joe and much more capable to meet our needs, Jesus desires to be personally involved in our lives, to grant peace to our anxious souls, and to supply all our needs. Not limited to a one-hour call-in program, our God is “an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). And, when our troubles are so complex and overwhelming that we don’t even know what to ask for, we are assured that “the Spirit helps us in our weakness,” praying for us “with groans that words cannot express” (Romans 8:26). He promises that God will meet all of our needs “according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and that He “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20)! And just when you think you are down for the count, He assures you that you are not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:9) and that nothing can separate you from His love (Romans 8:31-39)!
Knowing that He is there “24/7” is great news!
I loved Big Joe as a kid. As an adult, I love Jesus even more! What comfort and strength to know that He is ready and waiting to supply mercy and grace in our time of need.
Have no fear—Jesus is here!

YOUR JOURNEY…
· Have you cultivated the habit of taking your trouble to Jesus, or do you tend to “go it alone” when you’re in need?
· What struggles are troubling your soul today? Take some time now to “call in” to Jesus with those needs.Claim some of the promises above as you come to Him for help.
· Who do you know that is hurting? How can you bring the comfort and love of Jesus to that person today?

ushering on sunday 15JULY2007

2007-07-14T11:29:00.000+08:00

since lihao wont be able to make it for ushering this week, he will do ushering together with me (jen) and benjamin the week after, replacing shaun who will be replacing lihao for this week.

cheers,
jen

FOP

2007-07-14T11:22:00.000+08:00

21st Festival of Praise 2007

August 3-5, 2007
7:30pm
Singapore indoor stadium

Don Moen and Delirious? coming.

haha. lets go together! :D

love,
jen

Bible Conference

2007-07-13T12:09:00.000+08:00

hey, there's this Bible Conference next week. This Bible Conference is in keeping with our mission to make the life-changing wisdom of the Bible understandable and accessible to all. At the same time, it gives us another opportunity to feed on God’s Word.

Details of RBC Bible Conference July 2007
Theme: Making Choice Choices (God-honoring Decision-Making in Our Daily Lives)
Speaker: Dr. Alice Mathews- Teacher on the RBC Ministries’ Daily Radio Program Discover the Word and Distinguished Professor of Educational Ministries and Women’s Ministries at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.
Date: 19 & 20 July 2007 (Thursday & Friday)
Time: 7.30 pm - 10.00 pm
Venue: St Andrew’s Cathedral New Sanctuary

For more information and a map of the Conference venue, please visit our web page at: <. If you have any queries, please contact us at 6858-0900 or e-mail us atbc-sg-2007-jul@rbcintl.org>. We cordially invite you and your loved ones to come hear God’s Word taught.As this is a public meeting, admission is without charge and is on a first-come-first-served basis.
Proclaiming the Word of God RBC Ministries Singapore

In Christ,
jen

Unloading The Baggage

2007-07-12T11:54:00.000+08:00

We hope to be able to post a new article for you all to read everyday, so please visit and tag. I found this while surfing the rbc website. : http://www.rbc.org/
and i tot it was quite meaningful so decided to post it here:

I've highlighted some of the points which i tot was quite good. This articles looks long, but once you read it, you wont find it that long. Happy reading! ((:

UNLOADING THE BAGGAGE
"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Isaiah 40:29

I boarded the plane in Chicago with too much baggage. Not the kind of baggage that you stow in the overhead compartment or squash under the seat in front of you. Not even the kind that you check in at the airline desk. This was the kind of baggage that weighs your heart down and that, if carried around, leaves you emotionally and spiritually exhausted. An unexpected attack from a trusted friend had left me deeply upset and really confused about how to respond.
As the flight attendants went through their preflight checklist, I was lost in thought thinking through all my options. Feeling betrayed and unjustly wronged, I had a long list of possibilities—the kind of responses that seemed very natural to my fallen heart—but they were the types of choices that were wrapped in the old revenge, self-protection, and “I don’t get mad, I just get even” kind of stuff.
As we taxied out to the runway, I knew I needed a second opinion. So I simply prayed, “God, I need you to talk to me. I desperately need your wisdom. You brought this into my life for a purpose, but I don’t know what to do next.”
As the plane climbed, I began to feel closer to God. Not physically closer (although praying above the clouds at 35,000 feet does lend a different perspective), but spiritually closer as He began to share His wisdom with me. My natural thoughts and desires to fight back and demand my rights were replaced with Jesus’ instruction to “turn the other cheek,” to “go the extra mile,” to “bless those who curse me.”
Of course, my human nature continued to argue for a while. “But, God, I’ll feel so weak. I’ll feel like a pushover, a weakling. I need to fight for myself.” The reality is, my pride wanted to keep the baggage. My ego wanted to hang on to the situation and to try to deal with it through human, natural, flawed means. Trusting the Lord’s wisdom would mean that I no longer had control of the situation.
But God in His grace reminded me of the surrender of Christ on the cross. He drew me to the fact that for Jesus the path to glory was the path of surrender and letting go. The one who is the Lion of Judah is also the Lamb that was slain. And God drew me to that point of decision once again. Was I going to manage this situation to my advantage or was I going to release it, in trust and obedience, to Him?
I am thankful to say that when the plane landed in New York, I left some baggage on it. I walked through the terminal without the heaviness of heart that comes from fighting for my own rights. I headed for my hotel free of the weight of bitterness that the enemy was trying to stir up in my soul. God had renewed my strength and the weariness was gone.
Let me invite you to the privilege of waiting on the Lord. As Isaiah reminds us, He never grows weary. His wisdom never runs out. His power, His might, and His truth are available and accessible to His children. You don’t need to walk another step with that load of fear, guilt, anger, bitterness, or confusion.
Check your carry-on baggage. Surrender it to Him and then seek His wisdom to strengthen and direct you.
It makes the journey so much more enjoyable!
YOUR JOURNEY…
-Make a list of some of the problems and conflicts that have surfaced in your life. How much of your time and energy is spent in dealing with these issues?
-How has your emotional and spiritual health been affected by the weight of these issues? Has it affected your physical health?
-What fears surface when you think about giving up control of these situations? Why is it tempting to hang on to them?
-Take a few minutes in prayer to release these situations, one by one, to God’s control. Then humbly ask the Lord to fill you with His truth and wisdom.
-As you move through the rest of your day, wait on the Lord. Instead of rushing ahead to your own solutions for each situation, practice the skill of waiting for His direction.

God bless,
jen

Which shirt do you want for Anshao tee 2007/08?
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根基稳固，坚定不移

31st Dinner 2010

PAID IN FULL BY OUR GOD, OUR SAVIOUR

Be thankful

SEEK THE LORD, YOUR GOD.

Why go church?

Broken Heart?

PRAY AND THANK GOD

Happy Easter Day!

What is Good Friday?

Being Optimistic not Pessimistic!

praying even when you feel spiritually dry

ANNOUNCEMENTS

some rights and wrongs

Desert Song

mini post camp activity I

What sort of New Year’s Resolution should a Christian make?

something to ponder

Packing List

31 QUESTIONS TO BEGIN A SPIRITUAL CONVERSATION

HOW TO WITNESS IN THE SPIRIT•BILL BRIGHT

Isn't It Funny?

ANSHAO EXAM SEASON PRAYER NEEDS

Cell phone vs. Bible

confirmed campsite 2008

anshao campsite!

So Not Fair

Festival Of Praise 2008!

presenting...

THE BEST RESTAURANT EVER... another restaurant story =)

table for two.

useful BGR advice recommended by lijuan daoshi (:

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

welcome partayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyye!

watch this.

carolinggggggggg~!

ANSHAO TEEEEEEEEE!!

Sheng Ri Zhou [Oct to Dec]

MORE VIDEOS!

THEY LOOK COOL ON YOUTUBE!

Question and Answer

back from Anshao Camp

much misses!

photos of campsite

Usher meeting

hello!

Anshao 45th Year Anniversary

pray prAY PRAY!!

What You've Missed!

RETREAT IS BACK!! (:

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Is it right for a Christian to pray that God avenge him and give his enemies what they deserve?

What Do You Believe?

SHE LOVES ME . . . LOVES ME NOT

zhu ri xue zhu ri

FOP

“What’s in your wallet?”

photos (:

the perfect prayer

need your opinions

prayer request

Cool Prayer

SOMEBODY CARES

ushering on sunday 15JULY2007

FOP

Bible Conference

Unloading The Baggage