A CHRISTIAN couple who allegedly distributed seditious publications to three Muslims went on trial on Thursday.
Ong Kian Cheong, 49, a technical officer with SingTel, and his wife, Dorothy Chan Hien Leng, 45, an associate director with Swiss bank UBS, are facing four charges each.
They are accused of distributing a comic strip booklet titled The Little Bride to Mr Irwan Ariffin, 32, at Sembawang Drive on Oct 19 last year.
The booklet is said 'to promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between Christians and Muslims in Singapore' according to the charge.
They allegedly distributed the same objectionable booklet to Ms Farharti Ahmad at Woodlands Drive 72 on March 6 last year, which the charge says, could 'cause feelings of enmity, hatred, ill-will or hostility between the two religious groups'.
The couple are said to have distributed another seditious publication, Who is Allah, to Mr Isa Raffee at Segar Road in the first week of last December.
The last charge accuses them of having a total of 439 copies of 11 tracts at their Maplewoods Condominium in Bukit Timah Road on Jan 30.
Mr Irwan, a staff sergeant with the Traffic Police, told the court that he opened his letter box on Oct 19 - the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri - and found the booklet.
After reading it, he felt angry and very offended.
He said the publication was 'somewhat condemning' of his religion.
There were also other offensive references to Prophet Mohammed.
At the start of cross-examination, the couple's lawyer, Mr Selva K. Naidu, offered his clients' apologies for the hurt caused to his feelings and asked if he would accept their apology.
Mr Irwan, who had made a police report that day (Oct 19), said the damage had been done.
'I do not know how many such publications that have been distributed throughout Singapore, and if any apology were to be addressed, it should not be made to me alone,' he said. The trial continues.
Came across this passage this morning and found a very important verse that I want to share with anyone who reads this blog......
God's Love and Ours (1 John 4:7-21)
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son[b] into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for[c] our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. 13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Have we been showing love to others in our lives? To our parents yes...to our best friends, most probably...to our mentors/mentees...mayb....how about to those who trespass against us? The ones whom you cant get along well all this years? You may say that you do not hate the person but just do not feel like talking to him/her...but is there love?? You do not need to be accountable to anyone except God...I myself is guilty of this..not sure about u....I tell myself I do not hate anyone...but when I ponder on it...do I really love? I am trying to love everyone in my life...shall we try together? do not use the excuse of "we r not perfect, cos we are not God"....yes we are not..but we should always strive for perfection and be God-like in everything we say and do....
its been awhile since we had our bible study..I am trying to do my daily QT....will you do it too pls???
Not sure if anyone still reads this blog. But if you are reading this, then yes, someone reads it! Just like to share a good article I just came across on Worship. Originally from here.
Written by Bob Kauflin
WHY DEFINE WORSHIP?
Why spend time defining worship? Is it really that big a deal? Isn’t it more important that we simply do it?
It’s hard for us to know whether or not we’re doing something if we’re not sure what that "something" is. If I define "eating" as simply looking at food, you wouldn’t enjoy coming over to my house to "eat." If "breathing" is something I only do when I get with a group of people on Sunday mornings, then how do I describe what I do the rest of the time?
I heard theologian David Peterson say that defining words is important because not only do we use words, but words use us. That’s true, even if we’re unaware of it. Once we assign meaning to a word, it both reflects and shapes our world view. That’s why conversations about evangelicalism, the emerging church, or even Christianity can be confusing. We have to agree on what those words actually MEAN.
"Worship" is anther one of those words. When someone refers to worship, they can be talking about any number of things: a time of singing, a meeting, a style of music, a certain type of religious liturgy, a mystical experience, something in contrast to "praise," or a type of Christian band. Do any of these comments sound familiar?
"By the third song, I was really worshipping." [Who or what were you worshipping before the third song?]
"Worship gets me to the place where I don’t have to think about anything." [Worshipping God actually requires thinking very clearly about the Word, works, and worthiness of God.]
"Will there be worship at the meeting?" [Definitely. The question is of who or what.]
"With only 20 minutes, we really didn’t have time to worship." [As though we "warm up" to worship God, rather than seek to honor him with our every thought and action.]
"Fred is doing the worship this morning." [Hopefully, everyone else will join in.]
"I really love your worship." [This is a comment I sometimes get after leading God’s praise in song. I usually respond by saying, "I hope you worshipped too!"]
"Susie’s a real worshipper!" [This probably means that Susie is physically expressive when she sings songs of praise to God. Whether that means she’s a worshipper of God or not requires a little more information.]
Please don’t misunderstand these comments. I’m not encouraging anyone to become the "word police." There are few things more obnoxious than someone who misses your main point because they’re adjusting your use of a certain word (and my friends have told me more than once I’m that obnoxious person). However, thinking and speaking of worship more broadly and biblically will both clarify some of our discussions and, more importantly, contribute to consistently passionate and God-honoring actions in all of life.
DEFINING WORSHIP
Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536) once said "Every definition is dangerous." That may explain why when we try to define a word simply and precisely we often end up missing significant aspects of the word we’re defining. Attempts at explaining worship as "love," or "intimacy," or "relationship" say something true, but end up leaving out more than they contribute to our understanding of worship.
In spite of Erasmus’ warning, over the years I’ve come across numerous definitions of "worship" that have caused me think about worship more biblically.
Harold Best, in his book, Music Through the Eyes of Faith, defines worship in the broadest sense as "acknowledging that someone or something else is greater - worth more - and by consequence, to be obeyed, feared, and adored…Worship is the sign that in giving myself completely to someone or something, I want to be mastered by it. (pg. 143)
We want to be mastered the objects of our worship. And indeed we are. We worship whatever rules our time, energy, thoughts, longings, and choices. "Those who make them [idols] become like them; so do all who trust in them." (Psalm 115:8, ESV)
A definition of worship that I appreciate for its simplicity and clarity is by Warren Wiersbe, who writes: "Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are - mind, emotions, will, body - to what God is and says and does." (Warren Wiersbe, Real Worship, p. 26)
I’ve used that definition, or something similar, when I want to accent that worship can’t be half-hearted, and is all about God’s character, words, and acts.
David Peterson, in his wonderful book, Engaging with God, unpacks what at first blush is a more sterile, but nevertheless insightful, definition: "Worship of the living and true God is essentially an engagement with him on the terms that he proposes and in the way that he alone makes possible." (Engaging with God, pg. 20)
Peterson’s definition highlights God’s initiative, authority, and enabling power in our worship. Dr. Dan Block, who until recently was a Professor of Old Testament at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, defines true worship as "reverential human acts of submission and homage before the divine Sovereign, in response to his gracious revelation of himself, and in accordance with his will." (from Dr. Block’s For the Glory of God. course notes)
This is the first definition that specifically mentions what many of the biblical words for worship imply - submission and homage.
Well, this post is already longer than I anticipated. But, here’s one more from William Temple’s (1881-1944) Readings in St. John’s Gospel.
"Worship is the submission of all our nature to God. It is the quickening of conscience by His holiness; the nourishment of mind with His truth; the purifying of imagination by His Beauty; the opening of the heart to His love; the surrender of will to His purpose - and all of this gathered up in adoration, the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin".
It rained heavily this morning as I made my way to church and later on to the secondary school for morning devotion. For once, I felt a bit more relaxed but yet I still needed my script to refer to. Glad that Debbie was around to help me out with the video and powerpoint.
Sometimes I wonder if God was really making his presence felt both in my life and in the life of the students. Just as a friend shared with me about an eerie dream she had a few days ago, I had my 'eerie' experience this morning.
I was going to share on friendships and relationships and how we are all made to be relational beings. So I thought a good example would be the character in Cast Away played by Tom Hanks. I was trying to explain the point that all of us are relational and we need to relate and there is something in built in us that yearns for relationships. In the movie, Tom found a volleyball and it became his greatest pal on the deserted island. Wilson, his new friend became someone to bounce ideas with, to sleep with, to vent his anger on, etc ...
Where was I? Oh ... I brought a volleyball for maximum effect and introduced him as 'Wilson' to all the students and I lifted 'Wilson' for all to see. And I said, 'Ok Wilson, say hello to everyone!" And there at that preceise moment, a loud thunder roared through the skies ... I was stunned for that split second and then the students roared with laughter at the moment. That moment of humour from God helped me and the students to connect and the rest of the devotion went on very well ... :)
If you are wondering what I shared this morning, here it is ...
Be Blessed in Friendships – God blesses us with friends
In the movie Cast Away, the character played by actor Tom Hanks found himself on a deserted island. He was the only survivor of a plane crash. Some days later, he found a volleyball that was washed ashore. Days turn into weeks and as loneliness got to him, Wilson the volleyball eventually became a friend to Tom Hanks. Wherever Tom went, Wilson the volleyball was his constant companion. He talked frequently to Wilson and even consulted Wilson on certain decisions to be made. One day, Tom decided to build a raft to try to escape from the island together with Wilson. As they travelled in the open sea, his friend Wilson the volleyball fell out of the raft and started drifting away. Tom woke up to see Wilson floating away and immediately jumps into the sea to rescue his friend. This is what happened -
For Tom, Wilson was his closest friend and companion on that island. And as Wilson floated out to sea, Tom felt sorry that he could not save his friend. We may laugh at the emotional scene we just saw. Wilson is after all just a volleyball! Why was Tom feeling so emotional about the loss of a volleyball?
In reality, all of us are actually relational people who have a deep desire in us to want to have friendship and companionship. The Bible teaches us that God made us to be people with a strong desire for relationships because He himself is a relational God who cares and love His people.
Bible Verse: John 15:12-13 12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
We are blessed with many kinds of relationships. We have our families. We have our friends. Imagine living in a world where we don’t have relationships at all where we don’t have family ties or friendships? Look around you this morning and you will see your friends and classmates. Friends can be special people who will share your happiness and your pain. They’re the people who laugh with you, listen to you when you need to talk, encourage you, and support you through tough times.
God knows that all of us need that kind of support in friendships and relationships. And so we were made to be able to relate with others. Besides being blessed by friends around us, we ought to also see ourselves being a blessing to others too!
Let me end this devotion by sharing something that might perhaps bring a smile to your face as you begin the day in school.
Three strangers from different countries, Ah Seng, Lee and Robert, were stranded on a desert island after their boat sank. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months and still there was no sign of any help and since there were only three of them on the island, they became good friends.
One day, Ah Seng was walking along the beach when he finds an old lamp. He rubs it and out comes a genie.
“Thank you, thank you,” says the grateful genie.
“I will grant you a wish – ask anything you want.”
Ah Seng, being unselfish, asked the genie, “Could my friends have a wish too?”
“Sure! the genie answered.” “Each of you can have a wish.”
“Whoa! Steady man! Thanks genie!” And with great excitement, Ah Seng rushes off to tell his two other friends the good news and asked them to make a wish each.
Robert thought about his home in New Zealand with its beautiful mountains and endless green pastures. “How I wish I am back in New Zealand!” Poof! He was gone.
Ah Seng’s other friend, Lee, thought about his family in Taipei, and how much he missed his wife and children. “How I wish I am back home with my family.” Poof! He was gone.
Ah Seng looked around and realized he was the only one left on the island. “Sigh! How I miss my friends. I wish they are here with me.”
I will leave what happened next to your imagination. Let’s pray.
Prayer Dear Lord Jesus, we want to thank you for giving us family and friends in our lives. We thank you for you have made us relational people who can be friends with others around us. We thank you because you showed us what it means to love others. We pray that you will continue to help us to be a blessing to our friends and families.
As we continue the day, we ask for your blessings of wisdom and discipline to be with us.
Received rather disturbing news from my doc yesterday. Found out that I have high cholesterol and fatty liver. Lab tests not very good. Body is deteriorating fast as I age. Never have I felt the urgency to keep fit until now. Last time when I heard that our body is temple of GOD, never think much about it. Now sort of regret never keep my body in good shape. In fact, I have even "abused" it with these months of indulgence in my fave foods such as cheesecakes.
No more cheesecakes, egg mcmuffin and even the "Lor" egg from my school canteen =(
Now planning to increase my exercise routine as much as possible...thru the fun way! Bought a WII Fit game yesterday. It comes with a foot mat which can detect exercise movement. The game comes with exercises like yoga, jogging, dancing and even walk on a tight rope! Tried the game yesterday and think it helps abit (never have I sweat so much by playing a game). The mat even detect weight and put my BMI at 29 (overweight).
Really hope can exercise more. Am buying less fatty food from supermarket like full-grain bread and fruits, but dunno how long I can resist the temptation of say, KFC...
Anybody can help me lose some fats? Lack the motivation to keep fit. Perhaps I must be forced to exercise more...
These few weeks have been some very prayerful ones for me ... not that I don't pray frequently but I guess I have been driven to my knees for the task that is ahead of me.
Since taking on the BB/GB chaplaincy role, some of the teachers and officers have been getting in touch with me trying to arrange for meetings to discuss the CE programs for the next half a year. I have been busy and on some days, I really don't want to do anything else besides just resting.
And now that I have volunteered to stand in the gap ( I guess I am the only 'bridge' that is heavy enough in office) to be the temporary chaplain till a new one one comes along ... and thats if we intend to find a new one; I am facing daunting days ahead. Am really fearful of what lies ahead of me - not knowing what to expect, not knowing whether there are unseen and unspoken expectations of me. I just want to serve in whatever small ways I can and just be as faithful as I can be.
I am not the visionary sort of person - I am ... well a team kind of person. Without a team, I guess I may not be able to work well. And because of this, I am afraid ...
The Lord has spoken to me the last few days. First, he used his servant Rev Brooks to remind me with the words "don't give up and Don't give in" and for that I am thankful.
Secondly, I found encouragement in this passage in Our Journey (May 4 2008) which was on 2 Chronicles 2:5-6. 5 "The temple I am going to build will be great, because our God is greater than all other gods. 6 But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?"
Here is an excerpt of what the writer Crawford W. Loritts shared.
"One of the things I've noticed about truly great Christian leaders is that they never seem to get over the sense of amazement that God would use them and that he would trust them with His assignments. I saw this aspect in Bill Bright, the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Also Bill McCartney, the founder of Promise Keepers. I saw it in John Perkins, reputed to be the father of Christian Community Development. When God gives us an assignment, it should fill us with a sense of humility. This is divine paradox. God trusts us most when we are most aware of our inadequacies. We do need to nurture our abilities and give them all to God. But God trusts us most when we're aware of how inadequate we are. All of us are not really qualified for what God has called us to do. Think about that. God has an amazing sense of humour. I look at my own life. I am totally unqualified for anything that I have ever done for the Lord, and that's not false humility. When I consider my background, my inadequacies, and all of my imperfections, it's amazing to think that God woould use me as public speaker. Yet He does - and that he will do the same for you. He gives us this priviledge sp that we might honour and glorify Him. Solomon was feeling some of this in 2Chronicles 2:5-6 when he poured out his heart to God and thanked Him for this enormous priviledge, for which he felt inadequate: "Who am I to do this?" What do we learn from Solomon's prayer?"
For me, I sense the inadequacy in me as well - the inadequacy of serving the Lord in LP and the schools and the BB/GB companies. I feel so unworthy at times knowing that there are probably others who can do a better job than me? Sometimes doubts fill my mind as to whether I can do anything at all for Him? It's a mammoth task ahead for me I feel.
And yet, the Lord seems to be preparing me for what is ahead. I need to trust in the Lord. I need to look at those who have gone before me - like Solomon, the apostle Paul, his protege Timothy and even YK - to know that the Lord was with them in their different trails in life (TRAIL -The Real Adventure In Life).
Doing Poject Timothy with the Young Adults have opened up my eyes and heart to Paul's message of encouragment to his protege, Timothy. I see myself as a Paul entrusting the gospel to the young Timothys (the young adults) in LP and entrusting them to do the same wherever they are in their ministry. Yet at the same time, I see myself like a young Timothy myself entrusted with that same responsibility to share the gospel with the schools and Young adults of LP and feeling the very same fears that Timothy felt when Paul entrusted the churches to him.
Paul sensed Timothy's feelings of inadequacy and lack of confidence. He was also timid and shy. Timothy also had a recurring stomach problem which Paul encouraged him to have some wine to help (which I have been doing quite often I must say).
I had the opportunity to attend the Graduation Service of both Trinity Theological College and Singapore Bible College two weeks ago and the interesting thing was that both school Principals used the same charge Paul gave to Timothy to all the graduating students.
2 Timothy 4:1-5 1In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry."
this was another ancouragement to me because those were the very same words that I heard at my own graduation in May 2007 (how time flies ...).
And today as I read the scriptures again, the following verse came through in Psalm 147:10-11.
[10] His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; [11] but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
It's another reminder from the Lord that serving him is not about having the abilties and strengths of a horse or how fast I can get things done. But what the Lord desires is really we his servants fearing Him and putting our hope in His steadfast love no matter what happens.
Just like the question that Solomon posed: "But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? Who then am I to build a temple for him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before him?"
Just like Solomon, I ask myself who am I to serve the Lord as his servant. The Lord who can move mountains and feed the many sparrows can also choose others to do his work. Yet he has given me this opportunity to serve Him. I can only serve him with much fear and trembling but I do know he whom he has chosen He will also prepare and uphold.
I often tell the young adults that all I will want to do in LP is to be faithful in the small things. I do not have big objectives or high aims in ministry. All I will want to do is "for the Lord to use me in whatever small ways I can".
In the words of Crawford W. Loritts who shared in the earlier devotion above, she said in closing, "We do not deserve to be used of God. We're just humble instruments and channels of his love and blessing to others. We are unworthy servants serving an all-worthy God."
Something for us to think about: How do I respond when God calls me to do something for which I feel totally inadequate?
On another note, Boon designed yet another award winning tshirt for the BB camp. I must say that this friend of mine is a genius when it comes to design. Seriously, he should consider quitting his present job and work from home and just design tshirts. His design probably was meant as another encouragement from the Lord in my fears and struggles in ministry.
I am equally impressed with his explanation of his design. "The design concept - 1. The Fist represents TO PERSEVERANCE (I gather he meant 'To Persevere') 2. The Cross represents GOD as our strength and HE is the main focus of our faith in time of trials. 3. The Circle means Complete, it is full with no starting and ending, not lacking of anything."
Boon, kudos to you for your inspiring design. May you continue to stick close to God always and may He always watch over you and Fern.
I pray that my simple and humble sharing may encourage some of you reading this. To God be all Glory, Honour and Praise.
I got The Reformation Study Bible from a book sale last year from Shalom Christian Media (SCM). I think it's a really good deal for what the Bible has to offer. There's going to be a sale by SCM in 11 June. Might be a good time to pick up some good books at good prices. :)
The PLA (People Liberation Army) has moved into the affected areas for rescue operations. Heard from news that death toll has reached 15,000. It was reported that in Wen Chuan Province, which has a population of 100,000, 60,000 vanished overnight. The mild-mannered Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was reported to have slammed the phone on officials as rescue operations were not going fast enough because of bad weather / destruction of roads due to earthquake
My bro showed me the picture below and asked me why "gods allow children to suffer". Rescuers were seen pulling out dead bodies of young children. I thought he was upset and thus I never answer him. What would you guys answer if your friends or family members ask u the same question?
This was abstracted from Our Daily Bread in November 2007.
A baby gift came to a young couple who were new parents. They were grateful for the present, so the mom picked up a thank-you card, wrote a nice note, and got it ready to send. Somehow it got buried in an avalanche of paperwork and was never mailed—and the thank-you was forgotten. The gift-givers waited, but no acknowledgment came.
A rift developed as one family thought the thank-you had been given, while the other thought the lack of a thank-you was a snub. This inadvertent failure to send a card left the gift-giver feeling slighted, unappreciated, and neglected.
Among the most important words we can speak are the two words, “Thank you.” And while it is vital to be grateful, there’s another side of thank you. If we bestow a gift on another, we should do so out of a motive that doesn’t expect anything, even a thank-you, in return. True love gives with no expectations.
Love, as described in 1 Corinthians 13:4, “suffers long and is kind” and is never self-seeking. Love keeps no record of wrongs—even if someone forgets to thank us for a kindness. The other side of thank you is a pure heart that reflects God’s perfect love for us. —Dave Branon
yes i agree that when true love given we should not expect to get anything back. God loved us so much that He gave His one and only son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins. But He never expected anything in return. God carried us through our trials but did not asked for anything in return and yet sometimes we even blamed God for forsaking us. But think about the things He has done for you in the past?
Think of His grace, mercies and blessings that He had shown to us. Do not focus on your present trial but think back of His goodness and you will feel renewed knowing that God is always there for you.
Another disaster struck again, this time in China.
Heard from the news that 5000 were killed in the quake in Sichuan Province. 10,000 were injured. People as far as Japan, Taiwan and Bangkok could feel the quake.
Just heard from the news that the Cyclone which hit Myanmar a few days ago may have claimed the lives of 100,000 persons. Many relief groups are still stuck in Bangkok because they have not been issued visas by the Myanmar Government.
Pray that the people of Myanmar will get their relief soon.
Read a John Piper's Article here today. I found it rather refreshing as we consider the Gospel and it's implications. The text of the article is copied below.
The gospel is not just a sequence of steps (say, the "Four Laws"of Campus Crusade or the "Six Biblical Truths" of Quest for Joy ).Those are essential. But what makes the gospel "good news" is thatit connects a person with the "unsearchable riches of Christ."
There is nothing in itself that makes "forgiveness of sins" goodnews. Whether being forgiven is good news depends on what it leads to. You could walk out of a courtroom innocent of a crime and get killed on the street. Forgiveness may or may not lead to joy. Even escaping hell is not in itself the good news we long for - not ifwe find heaven to be massively boring.
Nor is justification in itself good news. Where does it lead? That is the question. Whether justification will be good news, depends on the award we receive because of our imputed righteousness. What do we receive because we are counted righteous in Christ? The answer is fellowship with Jesus.
Forgiveness of sins and justification are good news because they remove obstacles to the only lasting, all-satisfying source of joy:Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is not merely the means of our rescue from damnation; he is the goal of our salvation. If he is not satisfying to be with, there is no salvation. He is not merely the rope that pulls us from the threatening waves; he is the solid beach under our feet, and the air in our lungs, and the beat of our heart, and the warm sun on our skin, and the song in our ears, and the arms of our beloved.
This is why the New Testament often defines the gospel as,simply, Christ. The gospel is the "gospel of Christ" (Romans 15:19;1 Corinthians 9:12; 2 Corinthians 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Galatians 1:7;Philippians 1:27; etc.). Or, more specifically, the gospel is "the gospel of the glory of Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:4). And even more wonderfully, perhaps, Paul says that the preaching of the gospel is the preaching of "the unsearchable riches of Christ" (Ephesians3:8).
Therefore to believe the gospel is not only to accept theawesome truths that 1) God is holy, 2) we are hopeless sinners, 3)Christ died and rose again for sinners, and 4) this great salvationis enjoyed by faith in Christ-but believing the gospel is also to treasure Jesus Christ as your unsearchable riches. What makes thegospel Gospel is that it brings a person into the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of Jesus Christ.
The words Jesus will speak when we come to heaven are: "Enter into the joy of your Master" (Matthew 25:21). The prayer he prayed for us ended on this note: "Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory"(John 17:24). The glory he wants us to see is the "unsearchableriches of Christ." It is "the immeasurable riches of [God's] grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2:7).
The superlatives "unsearchable" and "immeasurable" mean that there will be no end to our discovery and enjoyment. There will be no boredom. Every day will bring forth new and stunning things about Christ which will cause yesterday's wonder to be seen in newlight, so that not only will there be new sights of glory everyday, but the accumulated glory will become more glorious with every new revelation.
The gospel is the good news that the everlasting and ever-increasing joy of the never-boring, ever-satisfying Christ is ours freely and eternally by faith in the sin-forgiving death and hope-giving resurrection of Jesus Christ.
May God give you "strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians3:18-19).
When trials come no longer fear For in the pain our God draws near To fire a faith worth more than gold And there His faithfulness is told And there His faithfulness is told
Within the night I know Your peace The breath of God brings strength to me And new each morning mercy flows As treasures of the darkness grow As treasures of the darkness grow
I turn to Wisdom not my own For every battle You have known My confidence will rest in You Your love endures Your ways are good Your love endures Your ways are good
When I am weary with the cost I see the triumph of the cross So in it's shadow I shall run 'Till He completes the work begun 'Till He completes the work begun
One day all things will be made new I'll see the hope You called me to And in your kingdom paved with gold I'll praise your faithfulness of old I'll praise your faithfulness of old
EUNOS FLAT TRAGEDY HUSBAND SHOUTED: 'I'M GOING TO KILL YOU ALL' By Celine Lim May 03, 2008
HE would get drunk and abuse his wife whenever he lost money gambling. Click to see larger image
Chen Xiang Li even embezzled more than $20,000 from his company to pay off his gambling debt last year, said a church pastor who tried to help him.
His wife had taken the gas cylinder deliveryman, 41, to the One Hope Centre in Joo Chiat to seek help last November.
However, it was not enough to keep Chen from going off the deep end.
He tried to kill his family at 5am on Tuesday before leaping to his death from their 17th-storey Eunos Crescent flat.
A more accurate account of what took place that morning has emerged after The New Paper spoke to his wife's pastor.
Mrs Chen, a hairdresser in her 30s, had told him what happened.
Details of the China-born Chen and his problematic life have also emerged.
Reverend Louis Chai, 47, Mrs Chen's pastor and a counsellor with One Hope Centre, said Chen had not been serious about dealing with his gambling problems. Click to see larger image
'He was not very forthcoming with us. We don't know if he had any other debts,' he said.
'He went for counselling as he wanted his wife to return to him.'
Mrs Chen had taken out a Personal Protection Order (PPO) against her husband three years ago.
She had also previously left home with their daughter, 7, to 'avoid danger' from his abuse.
Rev Chai said: 'Chen showed up for counselling with One Hope less than five times. He stopped coming after he realised he couldn't win his wife back.
'Previously, he had gone for family counselling, but he didn't always show up for sessions. I don't know if he had sought any psychiatric help before.
'Mrs Chen said her husband continued to be unpredictable and violent even after we helped him deal with his debt (to the company).'
The company was unaware of his latest embezzlement until Rev Chai and another counsellor had gone with Chen to see his boss. Click to see larger image
They worked out a repayment plan together, where about $1,000 would be deducted from his salary each month until the debt was paid off.
Chen had confessed to keeping the money he collected from his deliveries, said Rev Chai.
'He told us he issued false receipts for payments, using old receipt books he had kept.
'We later found out that he had prior embezzlement problems, but since he had cleared his previous debts, the company kept him on.'
Rev Chai said Chen had indulged in 'various kinds of gambling'.
Early this year, Mrs Chen was granted a domestic exclusion order by the Family Court, which took effect a month ago.
Rev Chai explained: 'The order meant that Chen had to vacate the family home to avoid causing physical danger to his wife and daughter.
'But even after he left, he kept calling the home. He threatened to kill them, threatened suicide and even said he would hire assassins to kill them.' Click to see larger image TNP Illustration: CEL, CHNG
Even after Chen's death, his wife is afraid to return to their flat because of the last threat, said Rev Chai.
He said they were concerned that an assassination attempt might be in the offing.
'We can't be sure that Chen was making an empty threat. His wife and daughter are in hiding now.'
He said the daughter is 'very traumatised and angry' at what her father did. News of his death has been kept from her.
After persuasion by the counsellors, Mrs Chen agreed to reveal what she had been through as her husband's family did not know about his history of violence.
Rev Chai said: 'Chen has been making himself look like the victim. He told his family in China that his wife has been trying to dump him.
'Mrs Chen thought of filing for divorce before, but held back because their daughter is still young and because of the pressure from his family.
'But she had recently sought legal advice for a divorce as she was worried for her daughter's safety.'
The couple had met in Chen's hometown in Fujian province, China, in 2000.
Mrs Chen moved to Singapore soon after they got married. She became a Singapore citizen a year ago.
Rev Chai said: 'The domestic violence started soon after they were married. Chen had slapped, shoved, and pulled his wife's hair in the past.
'She confided in church members and there were many attempts to get him to change. In 2005, he even took out an advertisement in the Chinese newspapers to apologise to his wife.
'This is Chen's second marriage. His first wife had also been a victim of domestic violence.'
It is not clear at present if a wake will be held for Chen. Mrs Chen wants to keep his funeral low-profile, but Chen's first wife wants a more elaborate arrangement.
Rev Chai said Chen's family would arrive here in a few days, and the decision would be made then.
He said: 'Mrs Chen is traumatised, but trying to control her emotions. She has broken down many times in private since the incident.
'Her story is to warn people that gambling can destroy families,' he added.
Helpline: 65471011 (9am to 6pm)
E-mail: help@onehopecentre.org
Could the pastor at the counselling centre done more abt the matter? A man's life has been lost and the family is now at loggerheads whether they should cremate the husband's body immediately or have a wake for him.
It is interesting to note that the man won $350,000 at the lottery after his divorce to his first wife. Think he squandered everything away through gambling. He was not reported to the police by his employers when he embezzled 20,000 from his company.
Mark 4:35-41 (New Living Translation) Jesus Calms the Storm 35 As evening came, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let’s cross to the other side of the lake.” 36 So they took Jesus in the boat and started out, leaving the crowds behind (although other boats followed). 37 But soon a fierce storm came up. High waves were breaking into the boat, and it began to fill with water. 38 Jesus was sleeping at the back of the boat with his head on a cushion. The disciples woke him up, shouting, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?”
39 When Jesus woke up, he rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Silence! Be still!” Suddenly the wind stopped, and there was a great calm. 40 Then he asked them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
41 The disciples were absolutely terrified. “Who is this man?” they asked each other. “Even the wind and waves obey him!”
I had an insteresting MSN convo with a friend from another church and we were talking about the storms we face in our lives. And during our convo, something I said somehow became the talking point of our convo.
friend: (11:48:12 AM) hmm Lord of the STorm?
frind: (11:48:15 AM) what a nice title for a new song
friend: (11:48:16 AM) haha
stan says: (11:48:26 AM) ya it means he is the lord of everything my friend
stan says: (11:48:45 AM) so if he puts u through a storm, he will get u out of it too
stan says: (11:53:35 AM) when ur in a boat in a storm, where can u run to?
stan says: (11:53:44 AM) u will still be in the boat right
stan says: (11:54:15 AM) but when u know who the lord of the storm is, it doesnt matter anymore
stan says: (11:54:19 AM) storm or no storm
frind says: (11:54:33 AM) hmm good point.
stan says: (11:55:02 AM) so u can run, but the lord of the storm still wants u to know its not about the storm anymore
stan says: (11:55:06 AM) its about who the lord is
stan says: (11:55:47 AM) so till u stop running and just give up trying to run, you won't be able to know the lord of storm
stan says: (11:56:18 AM) i bet this must be one of those rare insightful poetic moments i have
This is a familiar passage for many of us - the so called 'stormy' passage. Really, I am beginning to wonder if Jesus wanted to teach them something about himself and also how this stormy passage that he is bringing his disciples through will reveal the very thing that will probably stick in their minds for life.
And so their rough passage began with Jesus asking them to 'go across to the other side'. So the disciples took Jesus in their boat and they proceeded in their journey.
And then all hell broke loose - a storm came up and waves were breaking into the boat and water was everywhere in the boat and boat was fast filling up with water.
Picture a sinking boat ... The disciples were all panicking helter skelter wondering what to do and fearing for their very lives. And there was Jesus enjoying the comfort of a pillow sleeping at the back of the boat. On one end of the boat, it was panic stations, alert red for all hands on deck. While on the other end, Jesus was catching his cat nap.
I am glad that in the midst of all the confusion and panic the disciples must have felt, they were clearheaded enough to run to Jesus for help.
And Jesus awoke and rebuked the storm with these words, "Peace! Be Still!" And the storm ceased and there was great calm after that. And he saved his words to his disciples for last, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?
And the disciples were filled with great fear and asked one another, "Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?"
In my convo with my friend, I mentioned to her "The Lord of the Storm". Do you know who the Lord of the storm is? When storms happens in our lives, do we trust our own instincts or do we trust in the Lord to pull us through?
Honestly, if we are out on a boat in a storm with Jesus in it, there is no escape. We can run around in the boat but where can we run to. There is no where else for us to run to in the boat except to jump off the boat. By making our own decision to jump off the boat or abandon ship, will it help us?
How does knowing that Jesus is the Lord of the storm help us understand the storms that happens in our lives? Will it is be possible that the Lord of the Storm is actually leading us into the storm so that our faith in Him can be strengthened?
Ultimately, when we know who the Lord of the Storm is, the storms don't matter ... The Lord wants us to know it's not about the storms anymore - it's about knowing who the Lord of Storm is in YOUR LIFE!
Only when we know who the Lord of the Storm is, we know for sure He will not only lead us through it but He allows us to go through it that we might finally know who He is - the one who says, "Peace! Be Still!"
I was reading Our Journey this morning and I thought today's reading can bring encouragement to those of us struggling in our journey.
2 Peter 2:5-9 (Contemporary English Version)
5And during Noah's time, God did not have pity on the ungodly people of the world. He destroyed them with a flood, though he did save eight people, including Noah, who preached the truth.
6God punished the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah [a] by burning them to ashes, and this is a warning to anyone else who wants to sin. 7-8Lot lived right and was greatly troubled by the terrible way those wicked people were living. He was a good man, and day after day he suffered because of the evil things he saw and heard. So the Lord rescued him. 9This shows that the Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their sufferings and to punish evil people while they wait for the day of judgment.
When we do things God's way and wait on HIs timing, we get a chance to see how He works.
David knew he was next in line to be king of Israel. Rather than staging a dramatic take-over, he faithfully served in the army and played his harp in the palace to soothe King Saul's stress. Things were going great until Saul developed an insane jeoulousy that drove him to try to kill David. When David was being hunted by Saul, he found himself in a cold cave crying out to God, "How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long ...? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?" (Psalm 13:1-2 NASB)
Like David, when we feel that God has forgotten us, we are prone to plan our own escape. We say, "I know what I'll do. I'll ... no that won't work. Here's what i'll do ... no, I don't think that will work either." It's a total despair of seeming to be locked in with no apparent way out.
Take courage! God already knows how He will deliver you. He is in the business of making ways of escape. Peter assures us, "the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials" (2 Peter 2:9). So you can count on it: When you are faithful and patient through trouble, God will, IN HIS TIME, exercise options of deliverance that are far beyond what you ever dreamed!
Your response: When was the last time I was in a tight spot with no righteous options at my disposal? What was my response? Read Psalm 13. How did David resolve his despair?
- Joe Stowell from Our Journey
My friends, sometimes we panic whenever we face trials of many kinds. We start making and charting our own escape plans. Persevere on even when things don't make sense. God will provide a way out and come to our rescue.
"I need You Jesus To come to my rescue Where else can I go There's no other name By which I am saved Capture me with grace I will follow You"
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the site contains short animation flash videos regarding christianity. do go and have a look. some of the videos are quite touching. remember to turn on your speaker because there will be BGM.
the original site is in korean but at the bottom of the home page there are 2 links to let you set the language to either english or chinese. after you enter click on the 'flash' link to watch the videos. enjoy the flash movies. they last less than 5min at the most.
Indeed! God Will Carry You
Until today, i finally had the chance to sit down and really look through our very special own blog that belongs to YAM! yeah!! (certainly not referring to Yam Kai Chow) haha.. kidding.
I came to the post on 21st april by stan about God will carry us through and listened to the song he uploaded. It was assuring and at the same time touching. It caused me to think of the many times our wonderful Saviour had carried us through our tough times as well as our good times. Many a times, as humans, we tend to forget God when we are enjoying and soaking ourselves in His blessings. But when things start to go wrong, we look to God, we pray and we hope. How long can our human hope last us? Wad if our prayers are not answered, 6mths down the road? can we still manage to hold on to our hope? I guess not. At least not for all fellow christians. So what can we do? I came to the understanding that as we pray, we need to ask God to provide us with perseverance and more faith as time goes by. For this is indeed one of the 'short hurdles' we face in our long race to the Glory of God.
times are tough for me now. but i thank God for the constant reminder to have more faith in Him. God is so wonderful. He uses people and things that we come in touch with everyday to remind us. Passed were the times of the Old Testaments where we expect God to show us signs or visions.
The speaker Steve Bryant mentioned today in his introduction which set me thinking about the amount of faith i had in Jesus. The speaker mentioned about his desire to do mission work. But when his wife and him approached WEC, they were told to go to Africa for missionary work. Then the speaker mentioned these. "Worried than being Faithful?" and "Job Security?"
The answer I got from him was: God is Faithful. Go and trust! God will watch over us and provide for us. Surrender your life to Jesus!
No doubt I agreed with his answer and once again I tell myself Have Faith! God will provide!! may all my fellow brothers and sisters continue to put your Faith in our Father and trust that He will surely provide. Its just a matter of the right time.
Stressed workers often reach for calorie-rich foods, skip the gym after a taxing day or forego meals because of heavy workloads. Or they indulge in other bad-for-you behavior like smoking, drinking or staying out late.
As the credit and housing crises rattle Wall Street, pressures over bigger workloads, job security and shrinking nest eggs are upending diets and fueling unhealthy habits across the country.
Breakfast is diet Pepsi and two packets of M&M's. For lunch, macaroons and white chocolates filled with marzipan from the farmer's market near Wall Street.
After learning her job would be cut this summer, Kelly Daly started reaching more frequently for the soothing effects of sugar.
"It's a stress reliever. Especially now that a bunch of us are going to be laid off," said the 49-year-old Daly, whose job reviewing medical insurance records in Manhattan's financial district is being cut after 11 years.
I find myself reaching more for the soothing effects of sugar (cheesecake) too.
How do we combat stress using the word of God (instead of cheesecake :p)?
Firstly, I will like to apologise to Charles as I had to make a decision to put his post on the prosperity gospel offline for awhile as I feel that it might just confuse some of the younger readers we have who have been faithfully following our blog.
I do not have anything personal with my brother in Christ and as I have explained and apologised to him that I took it offline for a few reasons. But not to worry, we have made up over coffee and cheesecake. Not saying that food helps but I believe that our God is a God of reconcilation and He will love to see His children loving one another with His love that He so graciously gave to us. Thank you Charles for forgiving me. :)
Charles has good intentions to inform our readers of what's happening in our Christian world nowadays. Some of you may have heard this term 'prosperity and wealth' gospel but not sure what it is about. So for the benefit of those who are not in the know, this is my humble response.
Back to this issue about prosperity gospel. I think you will see in the video about a pastor preaching strongly against this gospel that is prevalent in our world nowadays. Allow me to share some light on this issue. I will be sharing from various part of Paul's letter to his protege Timothy.
Half truths’ in our contemporary world In our contemporary world, we should be aware that just like what the church in Ephesus had to struggle with, we in this present age are not spared either. In recent years, we begin to see and hear a new gospel – a gospel that promises health and wealth to Christians. This new gospel introduces making faith statements like “Name it and Claim it”, ‘Positive Confessions’, and teaches things that encourage people to give what they have not for the expansion of God’s Kingdom but so that God will bless them even more through health and wealth.
This new gospel is far from the one which teaches that God gave his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins… From a gospel which sees God taking the initiative to save us from our sins, we see another which says God wants to bless us abundantly with health and prosperity if only we take the initiative to know how to get him to do it.
In Chapter 6 verse 5 (1 Tim 6:5), Paul highlights to Timothy a group of men “who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.” Paul goes on to add in verses 9 and 10 which says, “People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Do we see a similarity of the struggles in Paul’s time and now? When we begin to view our relationship with God as one where we offer our money so that we can expect God to bless us even more, then we are no different from those who worship pagan gods. In human religions, pagan gods were worshipped so that they can serve man. In the prosperity and health gospel, Christian truth has been twisted to become a system where God can be coerced, controlled, manipulated and exploited by Christians. Through the work of the devil, false teachers aim firstly to Confuse, then Captivate and finally Condemn our unwary souls to hell.
From a God whom we respond to in love and gratitude to what He has done for us in Jesus Christ to a God who is made to respond to our every beck and calling instead, this has been something those false teachers seek to make us believe. The deceptions become obvious when there is a need to devise human means towards our salvation.
What then should we do? And it is here we return again to Paul’s letter to Timothy.
Standing Firm in God’s Truth (1Timothy 4:6-7) “If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed. Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.”
The truth of the matter - Godly truths and good teachings Paul continues his letter in giving his affirmation to Timothy that he will be a good minister of Christ if he warns and educate his flock on these things about false doctrines. In his upbringing, Timothy had strong spiritual foundations that were laid down in his Christian life by teachings from his grandmother, Lois and mother Eunice, and also from his many journeys with Paul. Here, Paul reminded Timothy to teach his church members with the foundation of God’s truth and good teachings which he has learned and followed.
As we can see, Paul’s way of dealing with the false teachings was not to concentrate on those errors or how we are to deal with them. Instead he focused on how we can build ourselves up through God’s Word. Building our spiritual lives on God’s Word will mean that we can withstand any kind of error when it comes and that includes godless myths and old wives tales.
In these verses, we also learn the importance of teaching Godly truths both in our church and at home. In order to do that, Christian parents have a responsibility to know God’s word well so that they can teach their children what is right and wrong, what is true and what is false.
In the church, all of us being in this community of God, have a common responsibility to learn God’s word, not to boast our knowledge but to serve one another. As Paul mentioned in his 2Timothy 3:16-17 which says, “All scripture is God breathed and us useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that every man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” As each of us grow in God’s Word, we learn to also pass on what is true to the next generation of believers in the church.
Just like a 4x 100m race where a baton is passed on from the first runner to the last one, this baton of God’s truth needs to be faithfully and carefully handed to each runner so that when the final runner completes the race, the whole team wins. It will be a tragic loss if along the race, someone in the team switches the baton to a carrot, resulting in the team losing the race. It is important to start well in a race but it is also equally important for us to finish well by passing down spiritual truths that we have learnt.
The way to defeat false doctrines is not only by denouncing and refuting it, but also by positively teaching and living God’s truth. In the next verse, Paul explains why physical training is good but training in Godliness is better!
Physical Training is good! Training in Godliness is better! (1Timothy 4:8) Text: “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.”
I like this verse, in fact I love this verse as it makes a perfect excuse not to exercise when Ian, Hsien Kwang or Joseph persuades me to go running with them. Not to mention my wife who keeps reminding me to go lose weight.
In both the Roman and Greek cultures, competitive sports and activities were the order of the day. And thus we see Paul frequently using illustrations about athletes in his letters always making comparisons between physical training and training in godliness.
And here again we see Paul reminding Timothy that he is to train himself in godliness with all the discipline that a sportsman does to get himself in top physical condition. It was to be Timothy’s constant pursuit. Godliness can be explained as having a right attitude and response towards our Creator God and a heart that seeks after Him. Godliness is the heart and soul of Christian character and the aim of Christian living.
The key to godly living is spiritual self-discipline. We often hear our parents, Sunday School teachers and pastors reminding us of the importance of reading God’s Word, spending time with God in prayer, etc. All these things require us to be disciplined to set aside time to study God’s Word and in prayer so that God can nourish us with His truth and promises. Although physical training has good values in our present life, training in godliness holds promise for both now and the life to come.
This statement has so much truth in it that Paul calls it a trustworthy statement and persuades Timothy to keep labouring and striving towards godliness in verse 9 and 10.
Do not compromise your faith (1Timothy 4:9-10) Text: “This is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance (and for this we labor and strive), that we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.”
In his second letter to Timothy, Paul warns Timothy of the things to come. In Chapter 3:1-5, Paul says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.”
And in 2Timothy 4:2-5, Paul gave Timothy this charge: “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”
Paul’s pastoral letter to his protégé has a lot for us to learn today in our context as well. In the world we live in, where the attitude of people especially the youths, is slowly changing to one of ‘whatever’ and ‘anything’. We must learn to discipline ourselves to build up our Christian faith on God’s word. We must not lose our faith by letting false doctrines get to us. We must avoid embracing ‘whatever’ and ‘anything’ that comes our way. When it comes to God’s truth and promises, there is no compromise; there is no ‘whatever’ or ‘anything’ because God’s truth is everything.
We must keep our head in all situations and endure hardship. This will be our constant struggle and we can’t do it by our own strength. And so, all the more we must put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.
I may not be so extreme as to shout and scream as I preach but I hope my simple and humble sharing from God's Word can encourage all of us to study His Word each day faithfully and apply it to our lives. Amen.
As you watch the videos, may you have a better light of why some pastors are so against 'prosperity' and 'wealth' gospels!
Donnie Swaggart's sermons
Part I
Part II: "It is amazing......they said 'give give give' and Jesus said 'gave'......you dun get it? They are telling you to give, and Jesus already gave. The modern day greed gospel is nothing more than a ponzi scheme......"
Sometimes people ask for signs, so that they will do exactly what to do. Funny how sometimes we don't do it when it's obvious.
Hebrews 1:1Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. (ESV)
Oh, for those on Macs. You may like to check out this free bible software MacSword with an updated version. ESV is free too.
For those of us who are hurting or facing a painful situation in our lives, this song goes out to all of you.
may the Lord fill your lives with His Love and Peace and Joy always ...
The God of All Comfort
2 Corinthians 1:3-11
3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 5For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort. 8We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. 9Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. 10He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, 11as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
May the Lord comfort you and lead you through the storm.
He Will Carry You
There is no problem too big, God cannot solve it. There is no mountain too tall, He cannot move it. There is no storm too dark, God cannot calm it. There is no sorrow too deep, He cannot soothe it.
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, I know my brother that He will carry you. If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, I know my sister that He will carry you.
He said, 'Come unto me all who are weary, and I will give you rest."
There is no problem too big, God cannot solve it. There is no mountain too tall, He cannot move it. There is no storm too dark, God cannot calm it. There is no sorrow too deep, He cannot soothe it.
If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, I know my brother that He will carry you. If He carried the weight of the world upon His shoulders, I know my sister that He will carry you.
The father appeared and said he did not abandon the kids. He said he is not a good person, but he will visit the kids at the guardian's place and give them some allowances every month. Let's hope he will keep to his word.
As I have suspected, the father is a problem "child" also. The grandfather mentioned in the previous post is his stepfather. No wonder the grandfather did not care much about the kids and want them to be given up for adoption.
I thought it was quite amusing when I read today's Straits Times cover page. If I did not read the small caption underneath the picture, I would think the man is crying because "Oil, rice and Sing$ at record highs". Did ST editor purposely make a boo boo :p ......and to think that the photo is actually to showcase Singapore's Happiest man......
For me, happiness is.......
......when your wife come back early to specially cook dinner for you, even though she dunno how to cook and have a lot of other work to do.
There's this Together for the Gospel conference that just happened, featuring some speakers like John MacArthur, John Piper & R.C. Sproul. It would have been interesting to be there. But here's the next best thing I suppose!
Session ILigon Duncan - Sound Doctrine – Essential to Faithful Pastoral Ministry | Play Now | Download Session IIThabiti Anyabwile - Bearing the Image: Identity, the Work of Christ, and the Church | Play Now | Download Session III John MacArthur - The Sinner Neither Able Nor Willing: The Doctrine of Absolute Inability | Play Now | Download Session IVMark Dever - Improving the Gospel: Exercises in Unbiblical Theology | Play Now | Download Session V RC Sproul - The Curse Motif of the Atonement | Play Now | Download Session VI Albert Mohler - Why Do They Hate It So? The Doctrine of Substitution | Play Now | Download Session VII John Piper - How the Supremacy of Christ Creates Radical Christian Sacrifice | Play Now | Download Session VIIICJ Mahaney - Sustaining a Pastor's Soul | Play Now | Download
