Let all things be done unto edifying.

Timor Leste

2008-06-30T14:26:00.001+08:00

Pics are up from my trip to Timor.

Check it out

http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/calvinkohmt/EastTimorPhotos?authkey=pwL2eW4C8D4

The Receipt

2008-06-26T13:13:00.002+08:00

George of the jungle vs The Penguin

2008-06-02T12:07:00.011+08:00

Read this very interesting post from this guy call Seth Godin, an author and speaker who writes mainly about business, advertising and marketing. This is his blog - http://sethgodin.typepad.com/.
This comes from his blog:

Thinking about Danny Devito

George Clooney is a movie star. He looks like one. He makes tens of millions of dollars a year, hangs out at Cannes and has starlets falling at his feet.

Danny Devito is exactly five feet tall. He was perfectly cast as the Penguin.

Can you imagine the career advice Danny got? The well-meaning people who explained to him (as if he didn't know) that he didn't really look like George Clooney? That perhaps, maybe, he should consider a job as a personal trainer or short order cook...

The math, however, tells us something different.(number of people resembling George Clooney)/(jobs for people resembling George Clooney) is a much bigger number than the ratio available to Danny. For the math challenged: Because everyone in Hollywood is trying to be George, there are a lot more opportunities for the few Dannys willing to show up.

Invest in Danny. The edges usually pay off.

The reason why I found this post interesting is simply this:

In a world where many aim to be George Clooneys and no one wants to be Danny Devito, God IS looking out for the Dannys. Why? My opinion is that most Dannys are pretty self aware and know they can never be a George Clooney. They are humbled by this fact and are grateful for whatever roles come their way, just as how christians should be grateful for the blessings that we have and be joyful in wherever God places us. ( My job sucks is a pretty common gripe. I stand guilty as charge.)
Humility and gratitude. Two characteristics which are foreign to the modern mind.
To be honest, I wouldn't want to be a Danny Devito too.
Shorter than average, a bit on the heavy side, balding and having looks that only a minority of people would say is "marginally cute, like a baby bear".
But as Seth puts in his post " Invest in Danny. The edges usually pay off."
Im pretty sure God "invests" the most in the Dannys. Im also pretty sure God's heart is for the Dannys.
One final thing that im also sure of...... One day, Dannys will rule the world.
Why? Cause one day, in a world of Georges, God will have an important job that will require you to be a Danny Devito.
When that day comes, what would you say to Him?

So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen. Matthew 20:16

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:3

Greater love hath no man

2006-10-19T00:09:00.000+08:00

" Love them like Jesus" Casting Crowns

The love of her life is drifting away
They’re losing the fight for another day
The life that she’s known is falling apart
A fatherless home, a child’s broken heart

You’re holding her hand, you’re straining for words
You trying to make - sense of it all
She’s desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view
She’s looking to you

Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves her and stay by her side
Love her like Jesus
Love her like Jesus

The gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue
Little blessing from Heaven would be there soon
Hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to gray
As the little one slips away

You’re holding their hand, you’re straining for words
You’re trying to make sense of it all
They’re desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view
They’re looking to you

Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you

So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

Kent Williams

耶稣爱你不需要理由，因为他就是爱.
信任这份爱，发扬这份爱。

I AM

2006-08-10T22:48:00.000+08:00

I was regretting the past
And fearing the future ...
Suddenly my Lord was speaking:
" MY NAME IS I AM ". He paused.
I waited. He continued.

" WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE PAST
WITH ITS MISTAKES AND REGRETS
IT IS HARD. I AM NOT THERE.
MY NAME IS NOT I WAS.

WHEN YOU LIVE IN THE FUTURE
WITH ITS PROBLEMS AND FEARS
IT IS HARD. I AM NOT THERE.
MY NAME IS NOT I WILL BE.

WHEN YOU LIVE IN THIS MOMENT
IT IS NOT HARD
I AM HERE
MY NAME IS I AM. "

Helen Mallicoat

So do not worry about tommorrow ; for tommorrow will care for itself Each day has enough trouble on its own. Matthew 6:34

...but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3: 13-14

And I will restore to you the years that the locast hath eaten....
Joel 2:25

Yes, Salvation is free but we are not home yet.

2006-08-07T21:56:00.000+08:00

Salvation is a gift, as free as the air we breathe. It is to be obtained, like any other gift, without money and without price; there are no other terms. " To him that worketh not, but believeth." BUT on the other hand, if we are to gain a crown, we must work on it. Let me quote a few verses in 1 Corinthians (3:11 - 15 ): " For other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if any man buildeth on the foundation gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, stubble; each man's work shall be made mainifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire: and the fire itself shall prove each man's work, of what sort it is. If any man's work shall abide, which he built thereon, he shall recieve a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire."
We see clearly from this that we may be saved, yet all our works burned up. I may have a wretched, miserable voyage through life, with no victory, and no reward at the end; saved, yet so as by fire, or as Job puts it, "with the skin of my teeth. " I believe that a great many men will barely get to heaven as Lot got out of Sodom, burned out, nothing left, works and everything else destroyed.
It is like this: when a man enters the army, he is a member of the army the moment he enlists; he is just as much a member as a man who has been in the army ten or twenty years. But enlisting is one thing and participating in a battle another. Young converts are like those just enlisted. It is folly for any man to attempt to fight in his own strength. The world, the flesh, and the devil are too much for any man, But if we are linked to Christ by faith, and He has formed in us the hope of glory, then we shall get the victory over every enemy. It is believers who are the overcomers. "Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to truimph in Christ." Through Him we shall be more than conquerors.

Excerpt from " The Overcoming Life" Dwight L. Moody

We cannot save oursleves nor santify ourselves, God does that; but God will not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk aright. We have to do that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God has worked in.
- Oswald Chambers

Knowing God in experience

2006-08-05T01:23:00.000+08:00

Our fathers have told us and our own hearts confirm how wonderful is this sense of Someone there. It makes religion invulnerable to critical attack. It secures the mind against collapse under the battering of the enemy. They who worship the God who is present may ignore the objections of unbelieving men. Their experience is self-verifying and needs neither defense nor proof. What they see and hear overwhelms their doubts and confirms their assurance beyond the power of argument to destroy.
Whatever else it embraces, true Christian experience must always include a genuine encounter with God. Without this, religion is but a shadow, a reflection of reality, a cheap copy of an original once enjoyed by someone else we have heard. It cannot but be a major tragedy in the life of any man to live in a church from childhood to old age with nothing more real than some synthetic god compounded of theology and logic, but having no eyes to see, no ears to hear and no heart to love.

Excerpt from " The Divine Conquest" by A. W. Tozer

The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God
Romans 8:16

Now we have recieved, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1 Corinthians 2:12

The Nativity Story

2006-08-01T23:21:00.000+08:00

Nativity - the event of being born / the birth of Jesus

Could this be this year's " The Passion of the Christ "? Scheduled for release in December 20o6 no less....Hmmm...I wonder. Since when was the Lord so popular in Hollywood? Or in the eyes of the world for that matter?

Link: http://www.thenativitystory.com/

Musterion I

2006-08-01T22:53:00.000+08:00

" Christanity is full of mystery. All the great doctrines of the faith are, in the last analysis, mysteries. Who can explain creation? ( ' He spoke and it was done ' ) the origin of evil? ( ' By one man sin entered into the world and death by sin.' ) the nature of God? ( ' God is spirit, infinite, eternal, unchangeable...' ) the nature of man? ( ' made in the image of God...and God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.' ) incarnation? ( ' And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us. ') passion? ( ' This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.' ) resurrection? ( ' He is the beginning, the first born from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.') ascension? ( ' A cloud took him out of their sight. ') Theology labels and describes these things. It does not explain them.
Sexuality is a mystery. It represents one of the deepest of spiritual mysteries: the relationship between Christ and the Church. We will get hold of this better if it is enacted. There are two ' theaters' in which this mystery is played out: the Christian home, and the local church. This is the reason, I believe, why such clear and unequivocal instructions are issued regarding how men and women are to conduct themselves in those two places. They are actors in a play in which tremendous heavenly mysteries are being enacted on stage. We have got to stick to the parts assigned and follow the director, and in so doing we will discover, as we could not in any other way, our true nature and our destiny."

Excerpt from " The Mark Of A Man" by Elisabeth Elliot

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge...
Proverbs 1:7

God created man in His own image, in THE IMAGE OF GOD He created him; male and female He created them.........God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.
Genesis 1:27, 31

I know now why cats need 9 lives...

2006-07-30T01:14:00.000+08:00

Click to enlarge

I'm actually really hoping for a situation where I can use that line...... ( evil laughter optional )

The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. Psalm 145:8

Click to enlarge

No great spiritual lesson here....just thinking that if someone analyses my DNA..it will have some traces of Bucky.

Hiding place

2006-07-30T00:49:00.000+08:00

Click to enlarge

Think everyone wishes they have a secret hiding place when trouble, pain or sorrow comes....or maybe even when life/work gets too tough or seemingly hopeless.
( Erm, no. The office toilet is where you to escape to when you want to catch some shut eye...not the best place to go to escape from your problems-unless of course when they are of the bowel movement sort )

Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble, thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7

Sing to the Lord, sons

2006-07-27T21:02:00.000+08:00

Stumbled on this song " Fearless " by a christian band, Building 429. Why 429? Apparently, they got this name from Ephesians 4:29.

Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.

I'm guessing the word "Building" means that they are constantly working on this verse in their lives. Building a life that epitomizes a life that ministers to others through their songs, through what comes out of their voices and lifestyles.
Anyway, when I first heard this song I wasn't too impress. ( like it matters )
I was more impress by their music video which is pretty well thought out, directed and produced. But, as always with many songs, this one just keeps playing in my head right now. The lyrics are pretty straight forward, about "being fearless before a crowd and speak God's truth. "

The two missionaries featured in the video, is actually a team that documents a "reality show" about their mission trips. Here is a brief description of what they actually do from their website:

" Travel the Road, the groundbreaking reality television series that documents the adventurous lives of young missionaries Tim Scott and Will Decker over 18-months, through 25 countries, across 40,000 miles is a unique look into the world of frontline mission work.

The journey is filled with danger, excitement, adventure and epic triumph as Tim and Will undertake unbelievable expeditions into the most remote areas of the world to bring the gospel. From the deserts of Ethiopia to the island villages of Papua New Guinea they travel from country to country with one backpack, a change of clothes, and a message of hope that pushes them deeper into the unknown.

The journey is a landmark television debut of reality programming with a purpose."

" Fearless " Building 429

No I don’t understand
And I can’t comprehend
This power that draws me to you
But I know for the cross
I’ll consider it all lost
In an effort to tell of the truth

That the world may know
That the world may know
You have been heaven sent to us

(Chorus)
I’ll be fearless for You
I’ll be fearless for You
Take me I’m Yours
I’ll be fearless for You

All the times that I’ve failed
When my doubt has prevailed
These are the moments I’m giving to you
Cause I can’t be ashamed
No I can’t fear the pain
When it comes time to be living proof

So the world may see
That the captives are free
‘Cause you have been heaven sent to us

(Chorus)

Unwilling to bend
Unwilling to break
And Headstrong I’ll stand
No matter what it takes

A sample of the music video of the song "Fearless" can be seen here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kY1Vs9uP1IY&search=building%20429

Link to Travel The Road:
http://www.traveltheroad.com

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For those who are uncomfortable with a "christian reality show" and the fact that it seems to glamorize an important and sacred work ( missions actually starts with wherever we are right now anyway).
Just have this to say for whatever its worth: Don't mistake the form for substance. Anything done to honour God will always be honoured back by the Lord. Its the disposition of heart that is always always the most important.

"...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart." Samuel 15:7

Sing to the Lord, daughters

2006-07-26T00:33:00.000+08:00

Think women often write and relate to God from a very different perspective than men.
Poetic, deep and very often vulnerable....

At first, I thought that this song "Held",though musically pleasing to the ears, is very fluffy. But after having a look at the lyrics, I change my mind totally. It is really a very deep and beautiful song that speaks about pain in a fallen & sinful world.
The idea that God inflicts pain on us sometimes cause He loves us, is humanly difficult to understand at times, even to us His children. But we learn. We trust.
Cause He, the lover of our souls and the bearer of our sorrows, promised that He will never leave nor forsake us.

"But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men."
Lamentations 3:32-33

".....for He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Hebrews 13:5

" Held " Natalie Grant

Two months is too little.
They let him go.
They had no sudden healing.
To think that providence would
Take a child from his mother while she prays
Is appalling.

Who told us we'd be rescued?
What has changed and why should we be saved from nightmares?
We're asking why this happens
To us who have died to live?
It's unfair.

Chorus:
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

This hand is bitterness.
We want to taste it, let the hatred know our sorrow.
The wise hands opens slowly to lilies of the valley and tomorrow.

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

Bridge:
If hope is born of suffering.
If this is only the beginning.
Can we not wait for one hour watching for our Savior?

(Chorus)
This is what it means to be held.
How it feels when the sacred is torn from your life
And you survive.
This is what it is to be loved.
And to know that the promise was
When everything fell we'd be held.

A sample of the song "Held" can be heard here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m8qVfClv6Q&search=natalie%20grant

( "Held" is orignally written by a woman call Christa Wells, who wrote the song in a response to the loss of two loved ones. )

" Forgiven" by Thomas Blackshear II

Songs are an expression of the heart

2005-07-28T12:12:00.000+08:00

"Surrender" Marc James

I'm giving you my heart
All that is within
Lay it all down
For the sake of you my king

I'm giving you my dreams
Laying down my rights
I'm giving up my pride
For the promise of new life

And I surrender
All to you
All to you

I'm singing you this song
Waiting at the cross
And all the world holds dear
Count it all as loss

The sake of knowing you
Glory of your name
Know the lasting joy
Even sharing in your pain

And I surrender
All to you

"Knowing You (All I Once Held Dear)"

All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres and wars to own;
All I once thought gain I have counted loss,
Spent and worthless now compared to this.

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You Lord.

Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You and know as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn
All surpassing gift of righteousness

Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings;
To become like You in Your death, my Lord,
So with You to live and never die.

AW Tozer Gems

2005-06-28T23:41:00.000+08:00

"How desperately the church at this moment needs men of courage is too well known to need repetition. Fear broods over the church like some ancient curse. Fear for our living, fear of our jobs. fear of losing popularity, fear of each other: these are the ghosts that haunt the men who stand today in church leadership. Many of them, however, win a reputation for courage by repeating safe and daring things with comical daring. Yet self-concious courage is not the cure. To cultivate the habit of "calling a spade a spade" may merely result in our making a nuisance of ourselves and doing a lot of damage in the process. The ideal seems to be a quiet courage that is not aware of its own presence. It draws its strength each moment from the indwelling Spirit and is hardly aware of self at all. Such a courage will be patient also and well-balanced and safe from extremes. May God send a baptism of such courage upon us."

"When God's sheep are in danger, the shephard must not gaze at the stars and meditate on "inspirational" themes. He is morally obliged to grab his weapon and run to their defense. When the circumstances call for it, love can use the sword, though by her nature she would rather bind up the broken heart and minister to the wounded. It is time for the prophet and the seer to make themselves heard and felt again. For the last three decades timidity disguised as humility has crouched in her corner while the spiritual quality of evangelical Christainity has become progressively worse year by year. How long, O Lord, how long?"

King Jesus

2005-06-23T23:20:00.000+08:00

I'm a sucker for songs that talks about Jesus as King. About His Kingdom. About His Majesty. About His coming in full glory.
Do not know why... ( except for maybe the songs are always musically pleasing to my ears or just that maybe deep inside me is a kid wanting to be a knight ..and a knight in God's kingdom isn't such a bad deal )

Fight the good fight of faith.... 2 Tim 6:12

" Here is our King" David Crowder Band

Here is our king
Here is our love
Here is our God whos come to bring us back to him
He is the one He is Jesus
He is our King
He is our love
He is our God whos come to bring us back to him
He is the one He is Jesus, Jesus

From wherever spring arrived to heal the ground
From wherever searching comes the look itself
a trace of what we're looking for so be quiet now and wait

The ocean is growing
The tide is coming in here it is

Here is our king
Here is our love
Here is our God whos come to bring us back to him
He is the one He is Jesus
He is our King
He is our love
He is our God whos come to bring us back to Him
He is the one He is Jesus, Jesus

And What was said to the rose to make it unfold
was said to me here in my heart so be quiet and rest
so be quiet and rest

The ocean is growing
The tide is coming in here it is

Here is our King
Here is our Love
Here is our God whos come to bring us back to him
He is the one He is Jesus
He is our King
He is our Love
He is our God whos come to bring us back to him
He is the one He is Jesus, Jesus

Majesty
Finally(Here)

Soverign and Holy is our Lord

2005-06-17T00:58:00.000+08:00

" You are still Holy " Rita Springer

Holy, You are still holy
Even when the darkness surrounds my life
Sovereign, You are still sovereign
Even when confusion has blinded my eyes
Lord, I don’t deserve Your kind affection
When my belief has kept me from Your touch
I want my life to be a pure reflection
Of Your love ...

So I come into Your chambers
And I dance at Your feet, Lord
You are my Saviour
And I’m at Your mercy
All that has been in my life up to now
Belongs to You
For You are still holy

Necessary preparation for heaven

2005-06-17T00:27:00.000+08:00

" The story of greatness is not the story of a man or woman or family who runs and never stumbles or falls; rather, it is the story of those who DARE to run and stumble and fall, and who by the grace of God pick themselves up again and again and again. The story of a victory is not one without pain or sacrifice or disappointments, but one of holding on, of standing fast on the promises of God's Word, of knowing that while we may never understand the "whys" someday we shall see Him face to face, and it will be worth it all! "
Marilee Pierce Dunker, daughter of Bob Pierce ( Founder of World Vision International )

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
James 1:2-3

Amen

2005-06-17T00:22:00.000+08:00

" Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake."
Psalm 115:1

" Not to us " Chris Tomlin

The cross before me the world behind
no turning back
raise the banner high
it's not for me
it's all for YOU
let the heavens shake and split the sky
let the people clap their hands and cry
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
CHORUS:
not to us
but to YOUR name be the glory
not to us
but to YOUR name be the glory
our hearts unfold before YOUR throne
the only place for those who know
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
send YOUR holy fire on this offering
let our worship burn for the world to see
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
for YOU
CHORUS
the earth is shaking
the mountains shouting
it's all for YOU
the waves are crashing
the sun is raging
it's all for YOU
the universe is spinning and singing
it's all for YOU
YOUR children dancing
dancing
dancing
it's all for YOU
it's all for YOU
my all for YOU
my all for YOU
CHORUS

Knowing God and His Word

2005-05-24T23:05:00.000+08:00

Just got a King James Commentary for my KJV and lo and behold, that very night, Our Heavenly Father spoke to me through this particular chapter in Thomas Kempis " Of The Imitation of Chirst". A real timely reminder. Learning to know God's word well is good and should be practiced, but it can never replace a holy living. I would think one will know God better through simple obedience and faith in our lives rather than searching the scriptures and knowing it from end to end but does not obey.
Have we err when we put knowledge above obedience?
Have we confuse knowing the word of God as knowing the God of the word?

"Humble Conceit of Ourselves"

Every man naturally desires to know (Eccles 1:13) but what does knowledge avail without the fear of God? Better surely, is a humble laborer who serves God than a proud philosopher who, neglecting himself, studies the course of the heavens. Whoso knows himself well grows mean in his own conceit, and delights not in the praises of men. If I understood all things in the world and had not love ( 1 Cor 13:2), what would that help me in the sight of God, who will judge me according to my deeds?
Cease from an inordinate desire of knowing, for therein is found much distraction and deceit. The learned are well pleased to seem so to others, and to be accounted wise. There be many things. which to know does little or nothing to the soul. And he is very unwise, who is intent upon any things except those which avail for his salvation. Many words do not satisfy the soul; but a good life comforts the mind, and a pure conscience gives great confidence toward God.
How much the more and the better you know, so much the more rigourously shall you therefore be judged, unless your life has been the holier. Be not therfore lifted up for any art or science, but rather fear for the knowledge that is given you.
If you think that you know many things and understand them well, know also that there are far more things which you know not. " Mind not high things" (Rom 12:16), but rather acknowledge your own ignorance. Why will you prefer yourself before another since there are many more learned, and more skillful in the law than you? If you will know or learn anything profitably, desire to be unknown and to be esteemed as nothing.
The deepest and the most profitable lesson is this, the true knowledge and contempt of ourselves, and to think always well and highly of others. If you should see another openly sin, or commit some heinous offense, you ought not to esteem yourself the better; for you know not how long you shall be able to remain in good standing. All of us are frail, but you ought not to think anyone more frail than yourself.

A.W. Tozer quotes:

" The Scriptures, to be understood, must be read with the same spirit that originally inspired them. "

" The devil is a better theologian than any of us and is a devil still"

Another 2 good songs

2005-05-24T22:48:00.000+08:00

Meaningful Lyrics, great sounding.

" O Praise Him" David Crowder Band

Turn your ear
To Heaven and hear
The noise inside
The sound of angels awe
The sound of angels songs
And all this for a King
We could join and sing
'All for Christ our King!'

How constant
How divine
This song of ours will rise
Oh, how constant
How divine
This love of ours will rise
Will rise...

CHORUS:
Ohh praise Him!
Ohh praise Him!
He is Holy!
He is Holy!

Turn your gaze
To Heaven and raise
A joyous noise
The sound of salvation come
The sound of rescued ones
And all this for a king
Angels join to sing
'All for Christ our King!'

CHORUS {2}

Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la... laaa laa laa laaa!

CHORUS

How infinite and sweet
This love so rescuing
Oh how infinitely sweet
This great love that has redeemed
As one, we sing...

Hallelujah,
Hallelujah
He is Holy,
He is Holy (x2)

CHORUS

Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la... laaa laa laa laaa!

Hallelujah
Hallelujah,
He is Holy
He is Holy

CHORUS

Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la la..
Oh la la la la la... laaa laa laa laaa laa!

" All The Earth" Parachute Band

Father
Into Your courts I will enter
Maker of heaven and earth
I tremble
In Your holy presence

Glory
Glory in Your sanctuary
Splendor and majesty Lord
Before You
All life adores You

All the earth
Will declare
That Your love is everywhere
The fields will exalt
Seas resound

Hear the trees’
Joyful cry
Praising You and so will I
A new song I’ll sing
Lord I will

Glorify and bless Your holy name

Glorify Your name

Glorify and bless Your name

Good song

2005-05-20T00:53:00.000+08:00

This is a beautiful song. It paints a picture that I know I will see one day. My hope. The world's hope. Come, Lord Jesus. Come.
"Kings will surrender the crowns....... and worship Jesus."

" We all bow down " Kara

Princes and Paupers
Sons and Daughters
Kneel at the Throne of Grace
Losers and Winners
Saints and Sinners
One day will see His face

chorus
And we'll all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
and worship Jesus
He is the Love of God
yeah

Summer and Winter
The mountains and the rivers
Whisper the Savior's name
Awesome and Holy
A friend to the lonely
Forever His love will reign

And we'll all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
For He is the love, unfailing love
He is the Love of God

He's the Light of the world
and Lord of the cross

And we'll all bow down
Kings will surrender their crowns
And worship Jesus
And worship Jesus
And worship Jesus
For He is the love, unfailing Love
He is the Love of God
Oh, He is the Love of God
yeah
Oh, we'll all bow down
yeah

Just a job?

2005-05-19T23:17:00.000+08:00

Every day, I go to work. That pretty much make up like 11 hours of my day. I sleep like maybe 6 hours. So that gives me like 7 hours for anything else on a work day. Now, with this amount of hours spend at work, one might think that there's a payoff somewhere. That you sacrifice money for time. Interestingly, not the case. I earn minimum wage. Literally. I dare say I earn the least in the whole of my company and yet clock about the same or more hours. Even the receptionist (fact) earns more. Hell, after everything else, I get about the same when I was serving my national service and at least they provide lodgings and food. I may have gotten the same pay at my previous jobs but my payoff was that I had more time. This job gives me no cash and no time. It can get to you when your mind wanders and think " After ALL the hard work, I can barely make ends meet....." Thats the first issue of my job. Then, there's the unfavourable working conditions. Deadlines are impossible at times. Just this week, my efforts for a certain project over a few days (including a sat) are rendered almost useless just cause of bad judgment/management and through no fault of my own, still got to finish the project and meet the deadline. Boss can even call you in on a sat (though to be fair, they pay on sat) nonchalently, like I'm obliged to do it.( yes, the boss does not not come in on sat) Normal, you may say. Thats life. Well, I would say true, but it does not nullify the fact that one will and can get frustrated, agitated and discourage in these circumstance, no matter how "normal" it is.
Question you may ask: Is there a point to all these whining, complains and "bitching"? Yes. This is my point ......

This is my life. It can be a drag at times. But in the end, for whom and for what am I living for?
Answer: For the Lord Jesus Christ. For His glory. For my Father's will to be done in my life. No matter the circumstances in my life ( if I be honest, my troubles if i can call it that, are really nothing compared to many) I must learn to live for God's glory and for His glory alone. God put me in this job. He provided. I do not know the full reason why and I do not need to know. I'm at my present job cause God wants me there. In the end, its all a matter of obedience, a surrendering of my will to God and to say " Let your will be done". My heart might have a burden to do something else altogether, but it is not the Lord's time for me to do that yet. So I will learn to wait. To cultivate patience. It will be foolish and rebellious of me to do and be anywhere else. To be in my Father's perfect will, thats what I hope and pray at all times.
I believe that one of the reasons God wants me at my job is to learn how to raise above my circumstances with the help of the Holy Spirit . To learn to focus on Him even when the stresses and pressures of modern urban life sets in. To empathise and pray for those who walk the same path .To rest perfectly in His providence, to trust fully in His promises and to know that He loves me more than I will ever fully know. I need not strive. I need not fret. I need not worry. I need not fear and dread the circimstances in my life. I need not live a joyless life. I just need to obey. To know the source of my very being, is the Almighty Himself. The one who created the heavens and the earth, and nothing ever happens with out His soverign permission. Yes, He is more than enough. And I can give thanks and sing praises to the God who is faithful always.
I give thanks for the job I have. For the money, time and talent which God has bless me with. For my needs and more being met every single day. For the Lord giving me an increasing hunger for His word, for prayer, intercession for others. For His very presence in my life. For the privilage to be call a child of the Most High God.
When my flesh cries out "Injustice! Unfair! My job should be more than this" then will the Holy Spirit whisper " Remember your brothers,sisters and many others all over the world who has so much lesser? You are bless more than you imagine. Do not rant and strive any more. Rest in me and obey my will."
" Yes Lord. I will learn. I will be moulded by you, use by you for your glory and your glory alone. I surrender all. Give me your heart for I know how little of love, compassion, mercy and grace I have for the peple in my life. For the little perserverance, courage and faith I show in my life. I am a weak man. A great sinner. In your grace I live daily .I will eternally be grateful for all that you have done for me. For your kingdom. For your will. For your glory. Always. Amen."

The First Useless Rumblings

2005-04-21T22:33:00.004+08:00

Humility. Brokeness. Faith. Obedience.
Characteristics the world spits on but which are worth more than gold in God's Kingdom.
He's everything. I'm nothing. I have to learn to give Him everything. Nothing is mine. Absolutely nothing.
Even when I do sin, how ready is the Lord in recieving me back again......I am ashamed and astounded.
Before Him I am clean again. Holy. Pure. Before Him I am always His child, His son, His servant, HIs soldier....not because of anything I do or will ever do.....just because of what My Lord Jesus Christ has done on the cross two thousand years ago. I know Him. He knows me. I betray Him like Judas. He still loves me with an everlasting love. Grace. that wonderful word again. Teach me Lord to walk in your ways. To live for your glory and yours only. To see Your will done at any costs. Use me. The me that is sinful, wretched, rotten, dirty and utterly useless. You see fit to use me...and I will always be amaze by the knowledge that the Almighty uses me. Uses me for His glory alone. How truely wonderful is that?

"Majesty (Here I Am)" Delirious

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty

Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire

Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

A Truth We Christians Need To Relearn

2005-04-21T22:33:00.003+08:00

" Feebleness of living reflects its weakness in the praying hours. We simply cannot talk strongly, intimately, and confidently to God unless we are living for Him, faithfully and truely. The prayer closet cannot become sanctified to God when the life is alien to His laws and purpose. We must learn this lesson well. Righteous character and Christlike conduct gives us a peculiar and preferential standing in prayer before God. The Word gives gives special emphasis to the part conduct has in imparting value to our praying." ( Taken from " The necessity of prayer " by E.M. Bounds )

Praying

2005-04-02T00:14:00.001+08:00

God has brought to my attention of late, that He values and honours SINCERITY in our praying,..and IT IS important to Him. Often, in my praying, I realise that I don't mean what I pray at times. For example, in a prayer meeting, if the prayer agenda is for some unreach people group, I would pray for them and later realise, in all honesty, I don't seriously care what happens to them. Does God answer such prayers where my heart is not in resonance with what I say? In my reflections, I believe that in His grace, He might answer. But at the same time He might not, for I am clearly going through the motions in my prayer. Worse thing is....when it does not bother me whether or not He answers! Such is my wretched state. ( Thanks be to God that He promise He will never leave me in this state )
Insincere praying...does it offend God? Does He answer them? I don't think I have the all the answers but this much is true....we must examine ourselves and our intents when we pray, to ask the Holy Spirit to know our heart and try us [ Psalm 139:23 ], so that we will know our real intent, and pray prayers in the Holy Spirit that will move moutains, not just words or speeches that disappear into thin air, affecting nothing but the noise level.
I guess this in turn will lead back to the same question I was asking myself.."What to do with my insincerity? How do I pray for people whom I don't really have love or compassion for? For things that I just simple don't care about as much as the things that are affecting my life?"..... I think God showed me the solution is to also to PRAY. Pray to God, and tell him honestly, that you don't have enough love and compassion to pray sincerely for people, to ask Him to provide you with His love and His empathy. Tell God that you don't care about the things you are praying for but you WANT to care, that He grants you power over your apathy, that He gives you a heart full of compassion. I think ( I could be wrong ) that this is a little bit of what our Lord meant when He said " Watch ye and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK" [ Mark 14:38 ] Let us all start to pray sincere prayers.To be honest with our dealings with the Almighty and with our fellow men. God never played games with us......let us learn not to play games with Him.

Our Lord's command

2005-04-01T17:20:00.000+08:00

This week, I made a trip to batam with a friend to visit an orphanage and a few island villages. It was a big eye opener for me. God, in His grace and wisdom, taught me alot of things through the people and environment. I was greatly blessed and ministered to just by meeting the people running the orphanage and the village school where I stayed for one night. Their faith and their commitment to the children and the villagers just puts me to shame of how I can complicate and drag my faith through mud at times. Unfruitful debates of theology ,"holier than thou" judgements of other christians, complains and rantings about what I have not etc. God can be so displeased with me and yet how patient He is with me......
Did not Jesus command us to serve, to love thy neighbour as we love ourselves, to make disciples of all men? This brothers and sisters in Christ, were willing to let go of their comfortable life, all of them city folks, to serve and to reach total strangers, to love them enough, to be use by God for His kingdom and His glory. Such simple but powerful faith! There were 2 women who are from the village school/church, one a teacher and the other a pastor,who related how difficult it was for them the first few weeks they were there. Overcome with lonliness, both related how they cry themselves to sleep those nights...but here they are, still serving the Lord, loving the people and children who they come into contact daily. Simple awe inspiring.
I have always thought that it takes a special kind of christian with a certain kind of character and personality to do foriegn mission work. Well, through this trip, I have learnt that Im only half right. Yes, it does take a "special" kind of christian to live, work, play, evangelise and minister on foreign soil as it is often a difficult way of life ( I think ), BUT God brought to my mind, of how He can and will, transform any of us (yes, that means you and me) to have that special kind of character and personality ( Christlikeness ) to be a bringer of good news, speaker of truth to all the nations.....
On God's part, a promise to transform and equip us through the power of the Holy Spirit [ Acts 1:8 ] , on our part, a sincere seeking of His will for our lifes( of course, NOT ALL of us are called to foriegn lands ), a surrendered life and an obedient & faithful heart. Thing is, are we ready to go for all the way with God? Do we really want His will to be done at whatever costs? Truth is, there was a time I could not care less about the great comission [ Mark16:15 ] and I did not want God's will to be done in my life. Yet, at this point in time, I cannot escape from this fact: Gods heart and will is really for ALL the nations of the earth to come to a saving knowledge of His good news of forgiveness of sin and eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Do we, as His children, have the same heartbeat?