The Great Life

(Oswald Chambers Utmost for His Highest)

"Peace I Leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled..." (John 14:27)

Whenever we experience something difficult in our personal life, we are tempted to blame God. But we are the ones in the wrong, not God. Blaming God is evidence that we are refusing to let go of some disobedience somewhere in our lives. But as soon as we let go, everything becomes as clear as daylight to us. As long as we try to serve two masters, ourselves and God, there will be difficulties combined with doubt and confusion. Our attitude must be one of complete reliance on God.

Once we get to that point, there is nothing easier than living the life of a saint. We encounter difficulties when we try to usurp the authority of the Holy Spirit for our own purposes.God's mark of approval, whenever you obey Him, is peace. He sends an immeasurable, deep peace; not a natural peace, "as the world gives," but the peace of Jesus. Whenever peace does not come, wait until it does, or seek to find out why it is not coming. If you are acting on your own impulse, or out of a sense of the heroic, to be seen by others, the peace of Jesus will not exhibit itself. This shows no unity with God or confidence in Him. The spirit of simplicity, clarity, and unity is born through the Holy Spirit, not through your decisions. God counters our self-willed decisions with an appeal for simplicity and unity.My questions arise whenever I cease to obey.

When I do obey God, problems come, not between me and God, but as a means to keep my mind examining with amazement the revealed truth of God. But any problem that comes between God and myself is the result of disobedience. Any problem that comes while I obey God (and there will be many), increases my overjoyed delight, bcause I know that my FATHER KNOWS and cares, and I can watch and anticipate how HE WILL UNRAVEL MY PROBLEMS.

-Quote from Derek Dieu (my 10XXXX old friend)

*Jesus, teach me to Abide in YOU!*

Never really been hungry?

Our problem is that we have never really been hungry.
We have allowed the things of this realm to satisfy our lives and satiate our hunger.
We have come to God week after week, year after year, just to have him fill in the little empty spaces.
I tell you, that GOd is tired of being "second place" to everything else in our lives.
He is even tired of being second to the church program and church life.
Everything good, including the things that the church does, from feeding the poor, to counselling, to teaching kids in Sunday school classes- should flow from the presence of God.
Our primary motivating factor should be," We do it becos of Him and becos it is His heart." But if we're not careful, we can get so caught up in doing things for Him that we forget about HIM.

Good things have become the enemy of best things.
He must be your first and greatest hunger.
"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: For they will be filled" (matt 5:6)

You can get so caught up in being "religious" that u never become spiritual. i don't care how much you know about the bible, or what you noe about Him. I'm asking you, 'do you know HIM?" Have we stifled our hunger for His presence by doing things for Him?
Too often we live on a lower plane than what God intended for us, so when He unexpectedly shows up in HIs power, we are shocked. Most of us are simply not prepared to see "His train fill the temple."

Let's allow Him to fan that flickering flame.
Lord we just want your presence. We are so hungry.


Excerpt taken from...."The God Chasers"- by Tommy Tenney

"My soul follows hard after thee" -King David

"Talitha, Koum!" (translated: young girl, i tell u to stand up!)

Mark 5:21-24, 35-43
was reading these passages for QT, felt like i cldn't continue doing my report... too listless, not tired cos of nikki's wonderful coffee... but just cldn't concentrate.

There are times in life when everything u have to offer is nothing compared to wad u are asking to receive. obviously we don't get someone coming to tell us "Your daughter is dead. There is no need to bother Jesus anymore." (v 35) ... maybe the things in our lives are not that serious....

but, i suppose many times we tell ourselves, it's over... the end.. nothing can be done about the situation, or maybe in our own lives.. we're just too tired of facing the same issues, and we convince ourselves that God isn't able, so we might as well not ask.
BUT, Jesus in this passage, convinces Jairus (whose daughter is dead), not to be afraid... but just to BELIEVE!! (v 36)

Ignore and block out claims that it's too late to start over.
Disregard those who say u'll never amount to anything.
Turn a deaf ear toward those who say that u aren't smart enough, fast enough, tall enough, big enough- ignore them.
Faith sometimes begins by stuffing ur ears with cotton.
Jesus is asking us to see the unseen! trust Him, just TRUST!

"We set our eyes not on wad we see, but on wad we cannot see. What we see will only last a short time, but wad we cannot see will last forever." 2 cor 4:18

Jesus is asking us to see the unseen. to make a choice. Either to live by the facts, or to walk by faith. When tragedy strikes we too, are left to choose what we see. We can either see the hurt or the HEALER.
THe choice is ours.
We see the child as dead... gone... but Jesus says "Why are u crying?.. The child is not dead, only asleeep." (v39)

Mark it down: God knows you and i are blind. He knows that living by faith doesn't come naturally. That's why it's only when we believe, we will SEE. and believing is seeing. not vice versa.

*it's not wad we take up, but wad we give up... that makes us rich.*

.........the game of soccer saved?

i'll try my best to be detached in this post... but i think biased elements wld creep in so bear with me all those man utd supporters.

okay, number one... wads with mike riley? did he forget that he had yellow and red cards in his pocket? i tot he was really lenient in the first half.... very unsure of giving cards... and making dubious decisions. okay, that foul on Rooney by Campbell was.... sorta understandable.... but wad about the one by Ferdinand on Ljungberg, or ruud's stamp on ashley cole, or the consistent fouls on Reyes. mm... but okay being objective, Viera was a pain in the neck... always by rileys' side... think i wld have smacked him in the face if i was the ref.

Besides, rooney himself claimed that he wasn't touched by campbell. how controversial. but Wenger has a really bulliish, snobbish attitude... i'm sure SOME arsenal fans and ALL man utd fans will agree with me. Ferdinand held his ground after the first goal... think if not for him, there wld be an equaliser... Brothers gary n phil getting booked. so many fouls. Roy carroll made fantastic saves...

yes yes, the better team won.... but the more consistent team will truimph.

I will never be the same, now that i have seen the cross.
How u took upon Yourself, the fullness of the wrath of God
I may never understand, just wad You suffered in my place.
Jesus, You who knew no sin... how You were made sin for us.
ANd how fierce the Father's anger
and tho u were pierced, all the pain cld not compare
so dark was the hour, when all heaven turned its face away from You

How sweet... is Your mercy.
As it finds its way to me....

do i care?

Personally i don't really care whether China democratizes or not. But that's wad the question is asking for... and i'll answer it.

i think Mao zedong created an abnormal society. But at least he was smart enough to surround his regime with high and strong walls so it could survive indefinately on the inside. His successors have attempted to create a more modern nation. But they have not changed the Maoist system, whr the Party dictates and the people are supposed to follow. Yet at the same time, they have opened the country... all the forces that apply elsewhere wiill apply in China- economic, social, political. At some point, this centrally directed system has to fail. It's as if Mao tried to abolish the law of gravity by decree in his republic. As CHina opens, gravity will have to be applied.

i suppose the issue now is not whether the Chinese govt is doing the right or wrong thing. the issue here is TIME. China WILL face many challenges, unprecedented ones. China runs large budget deficits and yet has to cope with increasing corruption within the state. We shld not be surprised uh? On the surface the problems of the PRC appear to be economic. Yet CHina has all the resources it needs. THe underlying problem is the political system, but will change occur? Let's not delude ourselves about the People's republic. it may look modern, but it isn't.

To think that the world actually bothers to pretend to agree to their stupid one china policy... when in fact Taiwan is 10 times more democratic den the collective leadership in China. no one dares to stand up to China and get into their "bad books"... not even the US. wads this about the weapons agreement with taiwan... see? China's getting all fumed up over a couple of anti-missile systems, planes and diesel-electric submarines (wad the?)... i tell u, it's going to start a darn arms race in the East thats wad. And wads this about them trying to throw their weight around in the UN, scorning Japan's bid for a UN security council seat. Empty vessels make the most noise i say...

So we shld see China the way it actually is, not the way we want or hope for it to be. Realistically, there's no exit strategy. from politics to economics, the Communist party has no options left. Half a decade ago the leaders had real choices, today they do not. they have no exit. THey have run out of time.

but...... why does anyone bother... for that matter, my tutor shldn't... but unfortunately he does.... and why do i care? cos it's my darn essay and grades...... that's why.

*wake up mishi!!!!!!*

Obviously the stuff written here, i can't hand in.... and i really hope that no secret agent spy from the Peoples' Rep doesn't kidnap me in my sleep. *grrr*

Getting married

You noe, thr’s this hype about getting married at our age (not that I’m old or anything, right dex? *sniggers *)….. I’m sure it’s because of all the people who are engaged *hint hint * and all those people who are getting attached *bigger hint * … today I witnessed 19 baptisms…. 19 people telling God that they wanna give their all for him, and truly walk in His paths… it really was an encouragement for me, and my own walk with God…. Esp for the 4 girls (bijia, mavis, Dorcas and Yingzii)…. I’m so touched and so blessed by every single one of you.

Wad has this gotta do with getting married?! Yes, I feel that a baptism is very much like a marriage… hey, how many times in the bible does God say that we’re his bride? The answer is… lotsa times!! Jeremiah 3:14, Isaiah 54:5… Our marriage to God is the first priority ever, to become one with Him, to fall in love with Him. Like how excited brides prepare for their wedding day, lets all prepare ourselves for the King of kings!

I asked God, how do I become excited for u? How do I yearn to love u more n more? How can I keep this fire burning? And that two words that sprung to my mind, was HUNGER n THIRST. If someone is hungry, they’ll eat…. When u’re thirsty, u’ll drink. Likewise, God wants us to hunger and thirst after him, to wanna be intimate with Him… to live like u can’t live without Him.

God: Listen, my child… I want to affect the way you act and react. I want the things that make me cry to bring tears to your eyes. I want you to know wad breaks my heart, to feel my heartbeat. Recognise the putrid scent of sin I smell. Hear the weeping of broken hearts. Learn the sight of hopelessness. Be able to mend broken dreams. Your marriage to me will be the strongest foundation u can ever imagine for your earthly marriage. Your husband will always take second place to Me. I love you my child, I have only the best in store for you.

*how i long for you, O lord*

My Favourite Psalm (excerpts)

O Lord, You have searched me and You know me
You noe when i sit and when i rise;
You perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
You are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
You noe it completely, O Lord

You hem me in- behind and before;
You have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty to attain.

Where can i go from your spirit?
Where can i flee from your presence?
If i go up to the heavens, You are there;
If i make my bed in the depths, You are there.
If i rise on the wings of the dawn,
If i settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there your hand will guide me,
Your right hand will hold me fast.

For You created my inmost being;
You knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise You becos i am fearfully and wonderfully made;
You works are wonderful, I know that full well.

Search me, O god and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.

*Lord, more of You*

Surrender

i think.. there are times when God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him.

To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to be concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. "... but perfect love casts out fear..." once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18)." We should quit asking ourselves, "Am I of any use?" and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is NEVER of being of use, but of being of VALUE to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.

It used to be darkness, without You
I lived my life in blindness, but now i'm found.
Found in me weakness, broken.
You came to me in kindness, and now i live.
And i'll sing, sing.
Becos the world can't take away Your love.
I'll give my life for You
Lord, for all You've done.

*Sing (Your love) Reuben Morgan Hillsongs*

Could we with ink the ocean fill
And were the skies of parchment made
Were every stalk on earth a quill
And every man a scribe by trade
To write the love of God above
Would drain the ocean dry
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky
O love of God how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure.

THe love of GOd- Mercy Me

My dearest little brother,

i want u to noe that u mean so much to mom, dad, josh and me.
i say this becos i noe that maybe at this point of time u feel that no one understands and no one cares. but jesus does, and he loves u with every ounce of his being.
Sometimes things do not make sense at this point of time, sometimes u feel that u're being forced in every direction to do unpleasant things which do not add up.
i've realised that so many times in my own life, without mommy n daddy's wisdom i would not be who i am today, i wld not have gotten so far and been so blessed.
my dear, ur loving parents commit u in their prayers EVERY single night... they love u so much, that they wld let go to allow God to take over.

I noe that there's no shortcut to success, there're no formula's to living life.
But, one thing my bro... honour ur parents.. obey them, u may not see it now or understand everything... but God has a marvellous plan for u! far beyond the popularity that ur frens can give u, the cheers on the sidelines that u get when u do a brilliant 3-pointer. God's plan supercedes all these... He only has the best in store for u.

i thank god for u, always leaving that last piece of fruit for someone else- always being generous, giving of urself- getting me that cup of water, the remote control, washing the dishes. i love u for who u are, and so does kor kor (altho he doesn't noe how to show it sometimes) and mommy and daddy. u're so so precious and special to us, don't ever let urself think that u mean any less.

"be strong n courageous" jon, that's wad god has in store for u. that even tho things may seem tough, noe that u've always got God fighting for u "if he is for u, who can be against u?" and u've got FAMILY-- yes, all of us. we're always standing behind u, supporting u.

i love u so much jon.
With all my heart,
SIS

History is not a record of all the facts: that were impossible.
it is a record of some of the facts, selected for their significance, and set forth in such order and combination, with such a touch of realizing imagination, with such colour and life as shall cause them, if possible, to make the same impression on us as they must have made on those who were actors in the midst of them.

- Woodrow Wilson

gee, now i noe why History is my favourite subject. :)