How Do We Love?

Do you love them by buying things for them? Maybe paying for their dinner. Spending time with them. Always saying nice things. Calling them up and sending them text messages. Giving them a hug. All these things are valid points when we want to show our love for another person. However there is something much deeper that goes on before you can truly love a person.

The bible tells us what love is:
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." - 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

But there is still the root of love, which comes from knowing someone. You cannot love a person without first knowing them. The more you know the person, the more you begin to see their character and their personality and the more you can love them for who they are. Likewise when loving God, it all comes down to how much do we know about Him? Are we taking the time to read His word to get to know Him better. Do we pray enough to communicate with God?

Lastly, we need to love for God is love. If we don't love then we don't have God.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." - 1 John 4:7-8

Notice that love is choice and not a feeling, you choose to love someone, you choose to show love for someone. It is not whether you feel like you're in love. When God says we need to love, it means we need to be shining the love of God through our lives.

Thank you Jesus that you showed the ultimate act of love that You came to the earth as a human being and died just so we could be with You. Lord help me to love others and also help me to be wise with the time I have, by spending time with You and taking the time to pray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Pay Attention

Most people like to have things their own way, because they think they know best. We make decisions everyday based on logic, based on what we think makes sense. What do we do when that still small voice inside of us speaks to us? Do we pay attention to it and even listen to it? That is God speaking to you. God knows what is best for you, even though you may not see it, but in the end, God's decision always turns out to be the best for His people.

""For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

We are only mere mortals, what right do we have to argue against the almighty God? There is no limit in what God can do.

Lead me Lord in your ways for your ways is the best for my life. Forgive me Lord for the times that I have ignored you. Teach me Lord to always be obedient to you. In Jesus name. Amen.

No Fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Why do we get scared? Maybe because we think something bad will happen. However as Children of God, there is no reason to fear, there is no reason to be afraid of anything. Jesus has conquered sin and He has even conquered death itself.

"knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him." - Romans 6:9

What then is there to be afraid of? We need to realise that we already have the victory in Jesus Christ. Don't let the devil make you think otherwise, he will try to put doubt and fear into your mind, but it is all a lie. The devil is called the father of all lies. Let us learn to live a life with no fear, but full of the peace of God.

Thank you Jesus that you died and rose again for us, and because of that we can have the same victory over sin and over satan. Lord help me to live life with no fear, but with your power, of love and of a sound mind. In Jesus name. Amen.

Living Sacrifice

Back in the day, in the days of Abraham, Moses, Elijah and all the other prophets. They had it so much harder. If people wanted to pray to God, they had to first go through a high priest, who would have to walk into the "holy of holies" and he needed to be clean (righteous) before God or he would be struck down as soon as he enters the holy place. This holy place was where God made His presence.

Then if the people wanted to repent from their sins they would need to offer a blood sacrifice from a clean animal, e.g. goat or lamb. This sacrifice was so that the punishment for sin could be taken away.

God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to come down to the earth as flesh. Jesus came as our high priest, He was now the way we could reach God. Jesus also became our lamb, who died to take our punishment for the sins we have committed. Now the animals, once sacrificed would stay dead, however when Jesus died He rose again, conquering death and so that is why we call Him the living sacrifice.

When we receive Him into our hearts that same Jesus is living in us, that same power is also in us, we have victory over anything imaginable, even death. For one day we will leave this earth to live eternally with our heavenly Father. There is one thing people cannot avoid, that is death, but you can choose where you will be for eternity.

Perfection

Is it impossible to be perfect? Many people would agree it is. However God calls us to be more like Him, to be righteous, to be perfect. Wait a minute, didn't we just say it is impossible to be perfect? Well you see that is another lie of the devil, the devil says we can't be perfect, but God says we can!

"Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect" - Matthew 5:48

We shall be perfect, through our faith in Jesus Christ. Don't let the devil let you think otherwise.

"But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you." - 1 Peter 5:10

Let's strive to live a life that is perfect and pleasing to God, although we may still make mistakes, we need to repent and turn from our sins.

Lord help me to live a life that is pleasing in your eyes, let me live not by the standards of the world but by your standards which is above the world. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

True Wisdom

Do you desire wisdom and understanding? What kind of things are you doing to attain it? The bible says that wisdom can only come from God, for God is an omniscient God and after all He was the one that created the world and each one of us. God's ways are much higher than us, we just cannot understand it.

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9

So how can we attain wisdom? By revering and fearing God, and obeying His commands.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever." - Psalm 111:10

God is not a stingy God, He will give willingly. He wants to give, but whether you want to receive it is another thing.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

Sharpen One Another

"As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend." - Proverbs 27:17

When I first read about this verse, I first thought it to deal with men to work together, to bond with each other and help each other out. But really what it's saying is that, everyone should be doing it, not just men, for God does not believe in sexism. As Christians we have the responsibility to grow spiritually, but we can do so much more with others than just by ourselves.

As the saying goes '2 heads is better than 1'. When we begin to share our experiences to others, and likewise listen to others, we begin to learn more about God through others and by confessing what we have done, we allow our spirit to be lifted. So lets be people that seek to lift and encourage others, rather than ignoring the chance when it presents itself.

Plan Things Out

"Be diligent to know the state of your flocks,
And attend to your herds;
For riches are not forever,
Nor does a crown endure to all generations." - Proverbs 27:23-24

We need to know the state of the things that we have, so this may include money, time, possessions. We need to be wise to be able to manage our finances, time and other things, so that we don't run into problems. Basically we need to learn to plan things out, rather than just go with the excuse that "God will provide". Sure God will provide, but we need to be doing our part as well and not be lazy.

Planning may include building a budget so that you know what you are spending and what you are receiving, and plan it out so that you don't over spend and you are able to pay your bills on time. By planning for the worst, will allow us to always be ready to attend to whatever problems may arise. It could be that your computer's hard drive suddenly fails and you need to go out to buy a new one. Whatever it is you can rest assured that you are ready.

Although we plan our time and finances, our finances will not last forever. So we cannot make the mistake of depending on our finances more than we depend on God. You cannot assume that if you are well off with finances, that all your generations will be ok. Things happen, according to the will of God, there is no coincidence.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Refined

"Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction. " - Isaiah 48:10

For silver to be made perfect, it needs to go through a refinement process where all the defects are taken out. Likewise our lives were full of defects before we accepted Christ, but as we allow God to work in us. He is continnually refining our lives so that one day we can be like Him. Being refined is not an easy thing, in fact it hurts, to go through problems and affliction. In the end the rewards are far more than worth it.

Lord I know that you are continually refining me each day, even though it may hurt, I only know that it is for the best. Strengthen me and help me not to stray. In Jesus name. Amen.

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount on wings like the eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint" - Isaiah 40:31

Today I didn't have a good day with my body, felt really sick all over. Feels like I've got a fever or something. My body is sore, I've got a headache and my stomach feels yucky. The only thing I can be happy about is the fact that God has promised He will renew my strength if I wait upon Him. The devil can do what he likes, but he has already lost! Hallelujah!

What are you waiting for?

Do you know where you will be going after leaving this world? Everyone has sinned and fall short of God's standard, but He is so gracious that He gave His son to die for us on the cross. So that through Jesus' death we may receive salvation.

The world has it's own standard, and alot of people even though they have not received Jesus live a very comfortable life. Some might even say, better than Christians, however what constitutes a better life? If they don't have Jesus they still have an emptiness in their hearts, they still lack looking forward to one day living eternally with the Father. Instead they will have eternal death.

"Deliver those who are drawn toward death, And hold back those stumbling to the slaughter." - Proverbs 24:11

Imgine seeing your relatives and friends being taken to the slaughter, if we had a heart for them we would not want to see them go to such a place. Alot of the times the only chance that people will get to know Jesus is through you. So what are you waiting for?

My Focus

What is your focus in life? Is it to get the best job possible, so you can earn lots of money? Or is it to be famous and admired by others? Or maybe you don't have a focus at all. It is important to have a focus and a goal, without a focus, we would just be swayed to and fro with what the world throws at us. My focus is to do the will of the father, this includes spending time with God, making sure I fulfill my duties that have been given to me by the church, to always encourage others, to pray, and list goes on.

I have to admit that sometimes I do slack off, I'm not perfect, but whatever happens, I need to continually come back to the right track. How do we know when we are on the right track? Only through God can we be sure that we are on the right track.

"A man's heart plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps." - Psalm 16:9

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope." - Jeremiah 29:11

Only in God can we have a future and hope. Only in God can we find true purpose and meaning in life. Money is of no use when you die, similarly fame and power. If you're not living for God, then what/who are you living for?

Power To Bless

God has blessed us with many things, among those is the power and authority we have in Jesus. This power and authority God has given us, was intended to be used so that we could help others who are weak and to bless those who need to be blessed. God doesn't want His people to keep hoarding the blessings He has given to them, but rather to be a channel of blessing to the people around us.

"Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." - Luke 6:38

When we give to others, it allows God to bless us with even more things. Think of it like a cup, God can easily fill up your cup to the full, but if you just keep it to yourself any blessing God wants to give you, will be missed because the cup will not contain it. However when you start giving the contents of the cup to others, God will no doubt fill it right back up again. The size of your cup depends on your faith in God.

"For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." - Romans 12:3

How much do you love me?

That is the question Jesus asks. We know how much God loves you, He loved you so much that He sacrificed Himself to die for you. He didn't get someone else to do it, but He made it a personal thing. How much you love someone can be determined by how much you are willing to give up for that person. God gave up everything.

"knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ut with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." - 1 Peter 1:18-19

So the question is, how much are you willing to give up for God?

Limited World

The world has its limits. Scientists have predicted that the end of the world will come, planet Earth is not going to last forever. So it is important what we put our faith into, do we put it into the world or God. By putting your faith in the world it means to let things like money, career, property and other things rule your life. Essentially you live life tso that you can have all these things, because it is what our human nature wants.

"Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world." - Galatians 4:3

However our human nature is selfish, it only seeks to please one self. Before becoming a Christian that was my behaviour, I would always do things for myself. By receiving God, He has broken the bondage that came from ruling my own life. Now I have Jesus to rule my life, and I cannot think of a better person to do it.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." - 2 Corinthians 5:17

New Life

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

The old life was a life that was controlled by the flesh and sin, by receiving Jesus we allow Him to take control of our lives and to get us back on track. This new life we have in Him is eternal (or everlasting), it does not end. Not only is this new life eternal, it is also of the highest quality of life. When you believe you are no longer a sinner, but you are now a child of God, free from all sin. Believing doesn't make you perfect, but it starts you on the right track to becoming perfect.

Lead The Way

Lord I need you to always lead the way for me, because only you can show me the right way and the best way. When we pray we allow God to go before us, Jesus is the only way to God. As we walk in His ways, we will eventually reap the blessings that God has for us. The reason why we might not be blessed is because we keep insisting to go our own ways.

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

Let God lead you to His glorious riches, we always have hope as Christians, even though we may not receive what we have asked for on earth, we will receive it in heaven.

"Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." - Romans 5:5

Unconditional Love

That is the kind of love God has for us, so as God loves us in this way. We ought to love others in the same way. I need to especially show the love for the people whom I live with - my family. Sometimes it's hard when they dissappoint you, but that's why they call it unconditional love, it is love with no conditions. No matter how many times people stuff up, we need to love them. Similarly no matter times you or I stuff up, God still loves us to the point that He would die for us.

"Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another." - 1 John 4:11

Father help me to show uncondtional love to my family and friends. Also I pray that whatever I do, let your love shine through my life. In Jesus name. Amen.

World Peace

Peace is something we all desire, even right now I desire to have peace in my own household. People talk about world peace, but talking is not enough, and no matter what we do we cannot have true peace without God. The only way we can have eternal peace is through Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" - Romans 5:1

Father I pray that you would fill our household with your peace, I pray Lord for those who still have not accepted you as Lord and Saviour that you would touch them and turn their hearts. So that through Jesus Christ they may have peace in their lives. In Jesus name I pray.

"Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen." - Romans 15:33

Consequences

When you see the word consequence it usually relates to something bad, but consequences can also be a good thing. For every action you do, there is a consequence. One example would be depending on how much sleep you get the night before, you would feel either tired or not so tired. I didn't get enough sleep and now I feel so sleepy.

"Everything is permissible" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible" - but not everything is constructive." - 1 Corinthians 10:23

The lesson: sleep earlier tonight (hopefully). The bible doesn't specifically say that it's wrong to not sleep early, but it does encourage us to be wise in our actions.

Early Start

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28

I was up at 5.45am this morning so I could get to Baulkham Hills by 7am. There is a Reed Exhibition this week of which we are doing the support of our system.

Thank you God that we can find rest in You.

Footprints

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed
he was walking along the beach with the LORD.

Across the sky flashed scenes from his life.
For each scene he noticed two sets of
footprints in the sand: one belonging
to him, and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him,
he looked back at the footprints in the sand.

He noticed that many times along the path of
his life there was only one set of footprints.

He also noticed that it happened at the very
lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him and he
questioned the LORD about it:

"LORD, you said that once I decided to follow
you, you'd walk with me all the way.
But I have noticed that during the most
troublesome times in my life,
there is only one set of footprints.
I don't understand why when
I needed you most you would leave me."

The LORD replied:

"My son, my precious child,
I love you and I would never leave you.
During your times of trial and suffering,
when you see only one set of footprints,
it was then that I carried you."

written by Mary Stevenson

Thank you Jesus, that although I may not see you or feel that you are around, I know that you're always there.

"Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." - Deuteronomy 31:6

Riding The Waves

In life problems come and when we put our faith in Jesus, He is not there so that we would be problem free. On the contrary, when we have Jesus, He carries us through the problem, as long we have faith in Him. The difficulties we face is used by God to strengthen our faith and character. There was a saying I had read: "you cannot avoid the waves, but you can learn to ride them".

Likewise we cannot avoid problems to happen, the devil loves to give people problems, especially when we are against him. As Christians we should be expecting problems to come our way.

"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

We need not be afraid, because Jesus has overcome the world. That same Jesus is in each one of us, if we have received Him into our lives. Let's not avoid the waves in life, because when we do, we only end up going in the wrong direction, rather ride the waves with the power of Christ so that we will reach the goal set before us.

Memory

How good is your memory? If you're still in school or university, your memory must be pretty good still. If you're a retiree your memory might not be so good. In any case no matter how good our memory is, we can get distracted and forget things. God on the other hand does not forget anything at all.

"Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you." - Ezekiel 16:60

God does not forget His promises, whatever He says will come to pass.

"So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55:11

If there is anything you can count on, it is God's word. When we live our lives based on earthly successes, it is all very unpredictable. Just like when we build a house on sand, our lives become unstable. We need to build our lives on the solid foundation that is found in Christ Jesus.

"For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 3:11

Faith and Fear

Faith and fear cannot be together, when you have faith you won't fear the situation or problem you're going through. I myself am going through my own problems, in the midst of looking into other job opportunities and also decisions have to be made for my future.

Jesus says: "Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?" (Matthew 8:26)

We need to remember that God is always with us and he can overcome any problem or obstacle. No matter how big or how tough it may be, we have a big and tough God.

God Loves YOU

Did you know that God loves you, no matter what you've done in the past?
Did you know that God loves you, as much as He loved Jesus?

"I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me." - John 17:23

This is Jesus talking, He recognises that God loved the people, just as much as He loved Jesus. That is a HUGE thing. Jesus is perfect and we are far from perfect, yet God still loves us the same.

Thank you God for your wonderful love and grace toward us, while were sinners you sent Jesus to die for us.

Live To Serve

I have been brought up in a pretty strict household, I guess you could say we are the typical asians. I would have to do the vaccuming at least once a week. Other things I had to do was the laundry and other general things that needed to be done around the home. One thing I found myself doing whenever we had guests over was being a "runner". Similar to the runners at the TV/Movie studios, but instead this was at home. I didn't like it whenever I would be told to get something, by the time I get back, they forgot to tell me to get another thing, so I would have to keep going out to the shops. Normally a few times before they finally get it right.

Over the years I have learnt that when I do these things, I'm not doing it for my family, but for God.

"And the King will answer and say to them, "Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'" - Matthew 25:40

As Christians we are called to be servants of God. When we are a servant of God, we are not being controlled and manipulated like some earthly masters, but God is a loving God. He gives us free will, and not only that He also gives us advice on the direction we should take.

"knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ." - Colossians 3:24

I'm glad I'm serving God and not people.

Precious Life

A friend of mine has an aunty that is on the brink of death. She is in hospital in Hong Kong and the worst part is that she is not a Christian. So we can imagine what that means. Life is so precious sometimes we forget to think about it. Friends and family you see one day could be gone the next. Even though life on earth is great, what's more important is our life eternally. Do you know where you will go when you leave this earth?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

There is only one way to heaven which is eternal life, the only other option you have is eternal death or suffering which is hell.

If you are a Christian I'd also like to ask you a favour and support my friend in prayer for her aunty, who as far as we know will be going to hell (in the next day) unless she receives Christ.

God bless.

Our Personal Jesus

"clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart." - 2 Corinthians 3:3

Before Jesus came God had Moses to write the laws on tablets of Stone. Now that Jesus has come to bring a new covenant, we no longer live by those laws alone. The laws are no longer written on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh. There are 2 things I would like to point out here:

1) Flesh - symbolises life. When the law was written on stone, it could have been any old tablet of stone. Now that the laws are written on tablets of flesh, in comparison to stone, the flesh has life. Instead of having heart of stone, we need to have a heart of flesh that is receptive to the word of God. The word of God is not dead, but is living, which means it is very much relevant and will be tomorrow and forever.

2) Everyone has a heart and so God wants everyone to receive this blessing. In other words God wants to know each and every one of you personally. No longer is the law written on the stone so that people would have to go to the place where it is kept to read what it says, but it is now right inside your heart.

God wants to know you personally, but will you let Him?

Old vs New

The Old Covenant:
"Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine."- Exodus 19:5

The old way was for the people to keep the law of God, in this way the people were ruled under the law. They had to obey everything the Lord had commanded or else they would be punished, to atone for their sins a sacrifice was to be made to God.

The New Covenant:
"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith." - Galatians 3:22-25

When Christ came, the new covenant began, which meant that we are now living in the grace of God. Jesus came to become the ultimate sacrifice that whatever sins we have done (whether big or small) is forgiven.

God knew that it would come to this, that man would not obey His words, that His law would be rejected. This was all planned out that God even after His own people rebelled, He still loved them and cared so much about us that He went to the extent of sending His own son to set us free.

God no longer looks at your sins, whatever things you've done in the past. When you accept Jesus, the only thing God sees is the blood of Jesus that covers you. God is not a God of the past, He is a God of the present and the future.

Mind of Christ

I've been living with my sister's family ever since I came to Australia and God has been telling me to move on. At the moment the job that I have has average (or below average pay) and plus I've been helping my sister to pay off her debt, it's not helping me to save much money at all. Our God is not an average Go, but an above average and supernatural God. Nothing is impossible for Him. I don't know how God is going to provide for me, the only thing I know is that He will somehow provide for my needs.

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. " - 1 Corinthians 15:57

God has the victory, we can only do so much, but in the end it is the Lord who works through all things to cause them to be for the good of His people. Our human minds are limited, but God's way of thinking is higher than ours. By being in Jesus Christ we also have access to the mind of Christ. No matter what the devil tries to make you think, we have victory over the evil one.

"For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ. "" - 1 Corinthians 2:16

Contentious Person

A contentious person is someone who will not let go of a situation until they get their way. Here's a short film made by Luminous Media (winner of Best Animation at the 2006 Ignite Festival).



Likewise in relationships, rather than focused on trying to get what we want, we should be focused on what we can give. The former comes from a selfish attitude, while the latter is of love and selflessness.

Who Am I? (part 2)

"Who Am I, that the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love and watch me rise again
Who Am I, that the voice that calmed the sea
Would call out through the rain
And calm the storm in me" (1)

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished" - Romans 3:23-25

Thank you Jesus that you care about me.
Thank you Jesus that you came for me.
Thank you Jesus that you sufferered for me.
Thank you Jesus that you died for me.

Thank you Jesus that I am made whole.
Thank you Jesus that I am made new.
Thank you Jesus that I am no longer a sinner.
Thank you Jesus that I can be called your child.

Jesus loves you, but will you accept His love?

(1) Who Am I By Casting Crowns

Who Am I?

"Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name
Would care to feel my hurt
Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star
Would choose to light the way
For my ever wandering heart"(1)

"But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine." - Isaiah 43:1

"Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, "I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life."" - John 8:12

(1) Who Am I By Casting Crowns.

God's Choice

The story of Moses is quite interesting. God spoke to Moses personally and He chose Moses to be the leader for the israelites to be freed from the Egyptians. God showed Moses many signs and wonders to prove that He was God. However Moses was not confident in himself.

"Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."" - Exodus 4:10

Moses was not the best spokesperson, in fact if it was up to me to choose, he would probably be the last person I would choose. Moses was slow and his speech was stuttered, hardly the kind of leader you would want. The main thing to note here is that God chose Moses. It's not like as if God had no idea of his speech impediment, but God specifically chose Moses. Moses tried to reason with God to choose his brother (Aaron) instead.

Throughout the Bible God chooses some of the most unlikeliest of characters to accomplish His will. This is because through your weakness, God's glory may prevail. Through our weakness, the Lord is made strong in our lives. I'm pretty shy myself and I am nowhere near being called an eloquent speaker. However God has called me to lead and I believe He will strengthen me and give me the wisdom and things I need to lead His people.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:13

Through Christ, you can do anything!

Courage Under Fire

We live in a world where moral value is not always something people thrive on. We live in an immoral society, with things like piracy, homosexuality, breaking the law and many other things. As Christians we have been called to shine the light of Jesus to the world. We have been called to send the message to people to turn from their ways. That's not an easy thing, especially when you're the only one (at work, school or anythings else) against everyone else.

We need to be bold and to stand firm in our faith. We won't be doing it alone either, if we ask the Holy Spirit to empower us, wherever we go. Thank God that I was able to stand up for my beliefs at work where we had a discussion on software and music piracy. By doing that I was able to influence my work place, even though they may still be doing it, they have started to stop using pirated software. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to speak out.

"The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion." - Proverbs 28:1

Yoked

A yoke is like a wooden plank that goes around the neck of an ox. Yokes come in pair, so that 2 oxen can be yoked together. Why? Well apart from having some company, the work becomes much lighter when both are working at the same time.

As Christians we need to be yoked with Jesus.

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." - Matthew 11:29-30

When we are yoked with Jesus, our walk becomes so much easier, we lift up our burdens to Jesus and He will carry us through. However this is a team effort, Jesus has done his part by taking away our burdens, we also need to do our part. If one of the yoked oxens decided to do nothing, I don't think the other ox would appreciate it very much. Similarly as we are yoked with Jesus, we need to do our part.

"And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." - Luke 14:27

Finally by being yoked with Jesus it becomes a relationship, you no longer carry your burdens on your own, but you have someone to share it with. As we walk with God, we spend time with Him. We don't just learn about Him, but we learn from Him.

Bribery

Once upon a time there was a man named Paul. He was a great man, with character, integrity and values. One day he was caught to be put on prison, claiming that he was stirring up crowds. The truth was that he did no such thing. Even though Paul was innocent, he still submitted to the governing rule. Felix the Roman official, was a corrupt man, he knew of Paul's innocence, so he tried a number of times to get Paul to give him a bribe.

"Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him." - Acts 24:26

We all know corruption is a sin, but sometimes it takes time to realise it. Corruption does not only take form in bribery, but many other ways too. When we fill our minds with ungodly things, that is corruption, eg. watching a graphic movie. Corruption is a degenerative process, it won't hit you straight away. It is an on going process, but the end result can be devastating.

Once we can see that something is corrupt in our lives, we need to fix it as soon as possible. If you have sinned God will forgive you.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Off The Hook

Have you ever done something bad, but someone else let you off the hook? That is grace in action. The bible says that everyone has sinned:

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," - Romans 3:23

We have all made mistakes in our lives, but God loved us so much, Jesus came so that we can be saved from it.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." - John 3:16

There is nothing we can do to earn God's grace, no matter how much of a goody goody we are, we will never be good enough for God's grace. The only thing we need to do to receive God's grace is to accept it. The bible says that God's grace is freely given as a gift to you:

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." - Ephesians 2:8-9

Just like you don't have to work for your birthday presents, you don't need to work for the gift from God. All He wants in return is for you to cherish that gift, thank Him and love Him.

GRACE = God's Riches At Christ's Expense

God enabled us to receive His inheritance at the expense of His Son's life.

Newton's Third Law

Newton's third law states: "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction"

This is true in our spiritual lives, as we do more of the will of God, Satan will have to try harder to bring us down. As soon as we stop doing the will of God, we give Satan a chance to take a break. We need to be continually studying the word and doing God's will so that we would be like the seeds sowed on the path.

"Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan comes and takes away the word that was sown in them." - Mark 4:15

When we don't take the word of God deep into our hearts, we give Satan a "free shot" as such. We can never let our guard down, because the devil is always there ready to pounce on you.

"Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings." - 1 Peter 5:8-9

Resist him. When we resist Him we don't need to fight against him directly, but instead build yourself up in the Lord. By doing that Satan will not get a foothold of your life.

Mistakes

We all make them. If you think you don't make mistakes, then think again. In this world nobody is perfect, and we all deserve to be punished for our wrong doing.

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," - Romans 3:23

There is only one man who lived without making a mistake. His name is Jesus, he lived a righteous life. Even though He did nothing wrong, the government still condemned Him to death. Now that doesn't really make sense, why would a completely innocent guy be condemned to death.

The reason for His death is because of all of us. He died so that we would not have to face the same punishment. He took the blame for all of us. It's like when a friend sticks up for you when you do something wrong. Jesus is the best friend you could ever have. No matter what you've done, whether it's telling a little lie, or even murder. God will forgive you, we just need to come to Him, ask for forgiveness and to turn from our ways.

‘Cuz we lost it all
Nothing lasts forever
I’m sorry
I can’t be Perfect
Now it’s just too late
And we can’t go back
I’m sorry
I can’t be Perfect
- Perfect by Simple Plan

In this world we can never be perfect on our own, no matter how hard we try. The song describes how impossible it is to please our parents when we make mistakes all the time. Sometimes we say sorry to the people we have wronged, but we don't necessarily get the forgiveness we need.

God is different, even though He has much more power over our parents, He shows grace and mercy to His people. By the grace of God and Jesus who lives in me, I know that God has made me perfect in His sight. The blood that Jesus shed on the cross, has and will cleanse the sins in my life.

Receive the forgiveness Jesus has given you, even in his tremendous pain and agony, He still remembers you.

"Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." - Luke 23:34

Praise Who?

At uni and school, there would always be competition as to who would get the best marks, who played better in sport, etc. What does it all come down to? In most cases it all comes down to, being able to receive the praise from your fellow peers and receiving that recognition that you are "the one". We all love to hear it, "wow, you're so good" or "you're so smart". When I was in school, I'd love it when people would come up to me after I had aced an exam or played really well in the basketball game. The end result is that we are doing it for our own pride.

"And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown." - 1 Corinthians 9:25

It is human nature to want to feel good about yourself. The fact of the matter is that, you could not have done anything without the body and life given to you by God. The fact that I am alive today is because God had created me. The fact that I have the skills that I have, is because God has strengthened me to do so. The praise to yourself will only last a while, but when we give praise to God, we give honour to Him, and God will also honour us. While we may not see the reward here on earth, the reward is waiting for us in heaven.

I still have the competitiveness in me, but I've been learning to give the praise back to who it should be directed at, God. I am but a humble instrument, all praise should go back to God.

Praise God!

Salty

"Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one." - Colossians 4:6

As Christians we are called to be a good example to the world. We are the salt of the earth, we all know what salt does. It enhances flavour and it is also a preservative. When we speak, our speech should show the love of Christ. This may include, encouragement, praises, consoling, etc.

We also need to be ready to give an answer to whatever is asked of us. I may not know everything, but God does, and God gives me the wisdom to give an answer. I guess personally, I need to continue learning to be an effective communicator. To be able to express my ideas and thoughts more clearly through speech.

When we speak it is important that we say the right things, or alot of problems can occur. These days there are so many ways to communicate, and yet people still have trouble communicating. Maybe it is because of all the technology that people get lazy, and everything is also fast paced.

Celebrate Life

Each day should be a celebration of Easter and Christmas, because when Jesus died He did not die just to be remembered on that one day of the year and likewise when Jesus was born. Our lives are only worth living because of our redeemer Jesus Christ. So don't forget to remember Him today and what He has done for you.

If you haven't received Jesus, I can definitely say that it is the most important decision I have made in my life, of which I will never regret.

Stop and Look Around

Life can get pretty hectic at times, but we were not meant to live a dull or boring life. We were created to live a full and rich life. Sometimes we get so caught up with work or uni that we forget to take some time to look around and enjoy what God has given in your life.

"Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy." - 1 Timothy 6:17

Living life to the full does not mean you spend your time working so you can get money. Depending on earthly riches will not do you any good. They are uncertain, earthly riches could easily be taken away from you, we've seen companies become rich and also become bankrupt. When we have Jesus, we have the ultimate riches in heaven, that is something NOBODY can take away from you. Live life to its fullest by seeking true riches, enjoy life!

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." - John 10:10

How to Pray

The question of 'how do we pray?' is asked numerous times among Christians. Praying is normally depicted (in movies and other media) as some sort of ritual. However when we pray to God, it can be as simple as having a normal conversation with Him. Of course there are times, where we need to also revere God as our heavenly father.

Ultimately God wants to hear your heart, He wants to know your feelings and your thoughts, He wants to have a relationship with you. Praying is a form of communication with God. When we pray we don't need to be so ritualistic as to what we say, there are no rules to what you have to say. The only rule is that prayer must come from your heart.

You don't need to be good with words, when we pray as a group, we don't need to use big words so that others will think we are so spiritual. God doesn't want to hear anything else apart from your heart. If you don't know what to say, the bible says the Holy Spirit will intercede for you. The Holy Spirit is there to help you.

"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered." - Romans 8:26

Options

Yesterday I finally got a haircut after over 2 months of not getting a haircut. The first option I had was to choose between the different hairdressers around the area. After I had chosen to go to the one in Burwood. I had to decide what kind of haircut I wanted. Ever since I was little I've never actually gotten a proper styled cut, usually my haircut would just be blend in on the sides and back and then spiked a little at the top. Basically I just get my hair cut pretty short.

This time because the lady couldn't really understand what I was saying, she had me choose from a book, what style I wanted. So I choose one and that was that. In the end, my hair turned out quite alright, but it's not as short as it usually is. So it's probably gonna grow out pretty quickly.

I've learnt that throughout life, you can make your own plans, but ultimately whatever God has planned WILL come to pass.

"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps." - Proverbs 16:9

The Future in His Hands

Throughout our lives we face many decisions and choices. Some are big some are small, whatever you choose we need to realise that God has a bigger plan for your life. Not only does He have a plan for you but He has the best plan for your life.

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

God's direction is there for the taking, but again although God is willing to give it to us, we need to ask for it and receive it. The most important decision I made in my life is to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and personal saviour. For without Him, I would not be where I am today. He transformed my thinking and outlook on life. Without God, I would have just been stumbling along in this game of life. With God, I now have direction and wisdom that He has given me.

I encourage all of you to think about this one choice you have, that God has given you:
"Where will you spend eternity?"

Youthful wisdom

When talking about wisdom, we tend to think about old people, they are old and wise. However young people can be wise too. Mind you I'm only 22 and God has shown me so much of His wisdom. How do we obtain wisdom from God? That's the easy part, we ask for it. God has already promised that He will give it to us. All we need to do is ask for it.

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." - James 1:5

The nest step is to receive it. This is not as easy as it sounds. For example if God tells you that you should listen and learn to others, especially if they are elders and leaders then we need to obey that. If we don't we fail to receive the wisdom that comes from it.

"A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel," - Proverbs 1:5

There are many other verses in the bible which talks about godly wisdom, and it's never too late or too early to learn from them.

When you fall

Don't you know
That He loves you too much to
Ever let you go
And the storm is there to
Only help you grow
He loves you so
When you fall

- Kirk Franklin

Everyone faces problems, even I have problems I face everyday. What you do with your problem determines the outcome. If our attitude is to just ignore the problem then nothing will come out of it, but if we actively seek to resolve the problem, you can learn so much from it. Problems are there to help us, as a Christian we are expected to face problems and persecutions.

"Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." - 2 Timothy 3:12

I had a hard time with my family all my life, I was restricted to what I could do. They'd even stop me from going to Youth or even Church sometimes. I still hung on, even though it was hard for me. My social life was not even worth mentioning, all I did revolved around my uni life.

2 years ago, the time finally came that I am now free to do things my way. My family have begun to respect the decisions that I make and they no longer see me as a little kid anymore. I guess this is common to many Asian families, but through the hardship, God allowed me to learn patience. These days it's very hard for me to get angry at anyone because of my patience, of course I am still not perfect.

Let God refine us through the trials. Like the song says, "the storm is only there to help you grow". If there was no storms, life would be so boring. True faith is more precious that gold, let God mould you and refine you so that your imperfections may be made perfect in His image.

"that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ," - 1 Peter 1:7

Nothing but the truth

I love to learn languages, in the past I've been learning Japanese and a little bit of Cantonese from my friends. God created different languages, in a way the languages act as a barrier between different people. However there is one language that is universal. That is the love of Christ.

The people out there need to hear the truth and nothing but the truth because,

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." - John 8:32

God bless

Intelligent Bible

What is your view on:
- Abortion?
- Homosexuality?
- etc.

We all have our own views on certain things, but the most important question is, what foundation are your views built upon? What makes us think the way we think? Do we base it on what other people say? Personally my views are based upon the word of God - the Bible. Only the Bible contains truth.

You might think, well there are many other "truths" out there too. No, that's not true. Everything in this world changes, even science cannot be a truth because they keep changing things. One minute a scientist discovers something and the next another discovers that he/she was wrong. Theories change all the time, but the word of God will always remain.

"Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. " - John 14:6

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away." - Matthew 24:35

One Master, One Way

"You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both." - Matthew 6:24 (MSG)

We can only worship one master, because there is only one way. In today's world we face many conflict and decisions we have to make. The decisions that we make depend on where our focus is set. If our focus is set on Christ then we will surely put Him above everything else, otherwise we may start to worship idols of this world.

When talking about worshipping idols, it's not just having statues that you bow down and pray to, but anything that is placed before then one true God is an idol. Things like money, your car or even family can be your idols.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." - Colossians 3:2

There's no doubt about it, being Christian is not easy, the bible even says that we WILL face trials. No matter what you are going through, set your focus on God and all the problems will just fade in the background. Like in the movies when they use "depth of field", the character that they are focused on stands out from the rest.

As we focus on God, He will stand out in our life and what happens around us will not matter. Know that God is in control, He knows what's best for you.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."- Romans 8:28

What it means to lose...

There is a difference between losing a game and being beaten in a game. To lose basically means that the team did not perform to their best ability. On paper the stats could be all for that team, but if they did not execute the game then they have lost. Teams lose because of what they have done, not what the other team did. To be beaten is when you've the team has played their best and there was nothing more they could do to win.

Life is like a HUGE game for all of us, we can either win or lose in life. If you know Jesus, then you should know that we already have the victory, as long as we stick to the game plan and do our best, we cannot be beaten.

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 15:57

On the other hand if we don't do our best, we could possibly lose. Tell yourself each day that you have the victory in Jesus and do your best to execute the game plan. Only Jesus can give you the victory, no one else can. If you want to know more about this Jesus guy, visit Hope Mission Centre or Youthopea or leave a message.

Keeping Balanced

Looking at what I do in a typical week:
# Mon: Work (9-5pm), Prayer meeting (7.30-9.30pm)
# Tues: Work (9-5pm)
# Wed: Work (9-5pm), HomeCell (8-10pm)
# Thur: Work (9-5pm)
# Fri: Work (9-5pm)
# Sat: Hope Within Reach Centre duty (10-2pm)
# Sun: Church (10-12pm), Youth (4-6pm)

If I calculate how many hours I spend for each:
# Work: 40 hours
# Activities: 10 hours

The problem that I find is that, I begin to find less and less time to spend with my family. Ideally my family could come to the activities that I attend, but unfortunately they don't. I'm going to continue praying for that though. The point I want to make is that we need to live a balanced life.

God designed us to be balanced in body, mind and spirit. I need to make sure that I keep my life balanced in terms of where I spend my time. Not being able to spend time with family as much, affects my personal relationships.

Sometimes when we have too much to do, we need to be able to learn to delegate to someone. Moses was a workaholic until Jethro (his father-in-law) opened his eyes to what he was doing.

"Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself." - Exodus 18:18

When we keep our spiritual life balanced, everything else will fall into place. Only when we live our lives in Jesus can our lives be fruitful.

"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me." - John 15:4

On Guard

It's ok to speed as long as there are no speed cameras or police around. I'm sure many of us do this or have done it at least once in our life. We think that it's ok to do the wrong thing as long as nobody finds out. When it comes to obeying God, we need to be extra careful that we keep watch and stay faithful for we do not know when He will come back. Sure God will forgive you of your sins, but once Jesus comes back to this earth, the time of grace will be over.

We are living in a time where we are under the grace of God, which means God is able to forgive us. However it won't stay like this forever, one day Jesus will be back. Nobody knows when it will be, except for the Father in heaven.

"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." - Matthew 24:36

We need to be alert of the things that we do, be on guard of where we are going. Abide by the Holy Spirit, allow the spirit to lead you. When someone asks you to go to a questionable place, your warning lights should be flashing madly. Let the spirit convict you of the sins that you've committed so that you may not do them again.

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to come to the end of the road and hear the voice of the Lord saying to you:

"Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord." - Matthew 25:23

No Satisfaction

As people it's natural to want more things, more money, better cars, better computers, bigger houses. When I say it is natural it does not mean that it's ok, because we are supposed to be IN the world but not OF the world. That is, we are not to abide by our fleshly or worldly desires. We need to begin to realise why do we want more things or better things. What is our motive behind it? Is it greed? Is it love of money or possessions? And realise that when we do it out of our love for money and possessions, we begin to put God second in our lives.

Not only do we put God second in our lives, but because we are relying more on material things, our lives will never be complete. Only God can fill the need in our lives. There was a saying I got from an email: "The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have."

An example would be getting a Ferrari - why get a really fast car when you're not going to end up using its full potential. Make the most of what you have, in the end we will have all our desires in heaven when it will last forever. What you have now is only temporary.

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." - 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Revenge with gentleness

Gentleness is what we do because of the grace of God. Gentleness is being able to control your actions so as not to harm others. In life often we are mistreated, but how do we react to them? Most people would try to take things into their own hands to make things better. We think that God is not going to do anything about it. We need to realise that God is a God that loves justice.

"For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His saints; They are preserved forever, But the descendants of the wicked shall be cut off." - Psalm 37:28

The world will tell us that revenge is sweet. However God's way is different, let God deal with the person or situation, He knows best. Don't fight fire with fire, instead put out those flames. God will fight for you.

Saying "NO"

All my life it has been hard for me to say "NO" to people. Paul while on missions to the Corinth faced some very tough decisions. The church had wanted him to stay, but he knew that if he stayed he would only be fulfilling a fleshly desire. We need to think about why we can't say "NO" to things. Is it because of pride? Is it because of a desire to be liked or loved? Or any other reason. Of course we shouldn't say "NO" all the time, there are times that we need to be saying "YES". Think about how you respond to things, are you responding in a way that pleases yourself or does it please God?

I've always liked to say "maybe this", "maybe that" or "I might". God is really teaching me to be decisive and answer with a "YES" or a "NO". As Yoda says: "Do or do not do. There is no try."

"But let your "Yes' be "Yes,' and your "No,' "No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one." - Matthew 5:37

The real stuff

Alot of people out there use "stuff" to fill their life. Their lives are so empty that they become obsessed with "stuff" - TV, movies, anime, drugs, sex, alcohol, etc. People just want to be able to fill that emptiness. No matter how much "stuff" you use to fill that void, nothing will be able to satisfy. Many famous people in the world fill their life with "stuff" to only end in committing suicide.

Jesus came to this world to be the "stuff" that we need. Jesus came to satisfy the need that's in our hearts. We were created with a void in our hearts and only Jesus can fill it. Jesus says:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

We need to let Jesus fill that emptiness, that desire and need in your life today. He is all you need.

"And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." - John 6:35

It's about time!

Well it's been a while but I'm back from my trip to Melbourne. The trip wasn't too bad, but I did miss church, youth, homecell and prayer very much. I didn't think the trip was very exciting at all, because it was mainly work, work and more work (and also eating big dinners).

As usual we had issues with our flights - normally it's just that we were early so we go to a cafe and in the end we get on board just in time - our names must have been called almost on every flight. We left Sydney at 6.30am on Qantas. I liked the Qantas plane as it is much more comfortable than Virgin Blue, plus you get food and drinks and other things as well. On Virgin Blue nothing is free.

When we arrived in Melbourne we waited almost 15 mins for my luggage to appear, in the end it turned out my luggage didn't make it on our flight, so we had to wait for my luggage to come in from the next flight.

On the way back we were rushing to get to the airport at 8pm to make the 8.30pm flight, but we got to the airport at 8.15 and so we couldn't check in and had to take the next flight out which was at 9pm.

I'm glad that God knows best and that His timing is always perfect, God is never late nor ever early. He knows the right time for everything. We as humans think we know best, but we don't. God created us and so He is the one that knows us best. How can the created know better than the creator. God created time, not us. God was never bound by time, there is no such thing as time in heaven. Time was created for us on earth.

"To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: " - Ecclesiastes 3:1

Hearing from Hebrews

The start of my devotional study of Hebrews leads into the topic of hearing the voice of God. Not just to hear the voice but to be listening and taking it in. This means to actively react to what has been said.

What if we can't hear God very well? God has spoken to us through His Son and God is the Word. So if we continue to read the bible, we are hearing from God himself, because the Word is God. There is no excuse to say that God is not speaking to you, because He always speaks to you through His word. We just need to take time to read the Word and listen to His Word.

Sin is Sin

Have you ever had someone wrong you? Have you ever had someone say something bad about you? They could have hurt you, but can you forgive them? I know it's not easy. If you think about it, the hurt that you feel is exactly how God feels everytime you disobey Him. Yet God is gracious that He forgives you no matter how many times you have hurt Him in the past.

If God who is the almighty powerful God, who has control of everything, who doesn't even need us (it is we who need Him), yet chooses to forgive us. Who are we to refuse forgiveness of one another? When we start doing that, we are basically saying that we are better than God.

"Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, "Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?" She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more."" - John 8:9-11

Jesus came not to condemn the world but to convict the world of its sin so that the people may turn from their ways and turn to God. Jesus came so that people could be forgiven of their sins, no matter how big a sin, whether it is telling a lie or committing adultery, sin is still sin to God. Yet whatever it is that we have done God is faithful and just to forgive.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

Let us forgive one another as Christ has forgiven you. Forgiveness not only benefits the offending party but also benefits you. As you forgive you let go of that bitterness, harbouring that bitterness will only cause yourself to be hurt even more. Eventually bitterness leads to death.

"Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." - Ephesians 4:31-32

Differences

Jesus is the perfect example of someone who is anti-racism. Jesus treated everyone equally, Jesus loves you just as much as He loves the next person. Back in the day, the Samaritans and Jews were not the best of friends. The Jews discriminated Samaritans, and so no Jew would even speak to a Samaritan.

One day as Jesus was on His way to Galilee, He CHOSE to go through Samaria - even though it would have taken Him longer. Jesus being a Jew spoke to a Samaritan woman, not only did He defy convention by speaking to a Samaritan, He spoke to a WOMAN - which was even less common.

Jesus knew the importance of setting our differences aside, we cannot discriminate people just because they are from a different race, or maybe they are a different colour. You and I are no better than anyone else in this world, we were all created from dust and we will go back as dust.

You will never know how much of an impact you can make by reaching out to someone. Jesus knew He had to go there, and I'm sure the Samaritans had longed for someone to speak to them. They were probably feeling a little left out.

"And at this point His disciples came, and they marveled that He talked with a woman; yet no one said, "What do You seek?" or, "Why are You talking with her?"" - John 4:27

The bible says, not one person complained about Jesus talking to the woman. The Samaritans would have been more happy than angry that a Jew actually crossed the boundary and came up to speak to one of them. In the end the people loved Jesus so much that they asked Him to stay with them for two days - which He did.

So let's take the example of Jesus and set aside our differences. God wants you to reach out everyone, He wants us to go out into the world, that includes all countries, not just Asian countries or Europeans countries, but the WHOLE world.

Greatness

The world sees greatness as something that is all powerful, to be great you must be on top of everything, to be great means to be in control at all times, to be great you cannot afford to show weakness.

The Bible talks about greatness, but in gentleness. To be great means, being able to suffer without having the spirit of revenge, to have a humble and meek spirit, not demanding rights. When we continue to humble ourselves, God will exalt you.

Jesus showed us what it means to be great. Jesus had done nothing wrong, He committed no crime and yet when He was sentenced to be crucified, He said nothing. Jesus had the power to escape from it if He wanted to, but He chose to submit to the authority. From that obedience and His gentle spirit God exalted Him to the highest place.

"You have also given me the shield of Your salvation; Your gentleness has made me great." - 2 Samuel 22:36

Now don't think that being humble means letting others step over the top of you. Being humble means to think of others before yourself and gentleness is a gift of the spirit, so we must always be guided by the Holy Spirit.

"But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." - Psalm 37:7-11

The Mind

Our mind is powerful tool and yet it is one of the most vulnerable parts of our body. Before we do anything, we must first think about it. Before you decide to go browsing on the Internet, you would have first thought about doing it or the thought must be present somewhere on your mind.

Satan can use this vulnerability to his advantage. When he attacks the mind, and if he is successful, he will cause you to do things you would not normally do. By being able to control our mind, Satan has control over us. This is very dangerous, we must not let Satan take a hold of our mind. The only way we can avoid this is to keep our mind set on God.

Think of it like a bag, when we fill up the bag with stuff, it becomes full and nothing else will be able to get in because it is so full. Likewise if we fill our minds with Godly things then there will be no room for Satan to fill it with worldly (sinful) things.

"Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth." - Colossians 3:2

Alot of the times when people try to resist temptation, they try to think about NOT doing it. In their head they might be continually thinking: "I won't do it, I won't do it...". This is where we need to realise that if you keep thinking about it, then you are still filling your mind with the temptation. The best way to go about it, is not to think about the temptation at all and only set your mind on what you need to do. That way you won't even have time to think about resisting that temptation.

Religion

Most of the time people see Christianity as a religion. This is probably because people associate religion as being connected to some kind of God. However real Christianity is far from just a religious practice. What is religion? Yes, religion does involve believing in some God, but what makes Christianity different is that, all the other religions is about DO, DO, DO.

All religions focus on what man must DO in order to gain something. You need to follow certain rules and you must DO certain things in order to be good enough. Christianity on the other hand teaches:

"But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away." - Isaiah 64:6

"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," - Romans 3:23

Whatever we DO, will never be good enough for God. WOW, you might think, God is a pretty tough guy to please isn't He? The Bible says that all good things we do, no matter how great are like filthy rags to Him. We have ALL sinned and fall short of mark set by God, not one person on this Earth - no matter how good they are - has made the mark.

But I've got some good news. God loves us so much that He gave us a way to get to Him - Jesus. Jesus is the one that will DO the things required by God so that we may be able to have access to God. When Jesus came down to Earth, He came to DO the work and in the end, Jesus acknowledges that:

"...It is finished!..." - John 19:30

He DID it on the cross and the work was DONE. So as Christians we no longer have to DO anything, we just need to accept what God has DONE and let Jesus DO the things that He needs to do in our life. We are not bound by things that we need to do, but instead we need to build a relationship with Jesus. When we do that we will automatically want to DO the things that God wants us to DO.

The Greatest Miracle

"Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die." - Ezekiel 18:4

We belong to God, whether we like it or not that is the TRUTH. We are God's creation and everything on this earth belongs to Him. However God is a loving God and He doesn't treat us like objects, instead He gives us the freedom to choose.


"The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself." - Ezekiel 18:20

If we choose to live a sinful life then we must bear the consequences. Choosing to live in a sinful life is choosing to live in condemnation. We are responsible for our own actions, just because your parents are righteous does not automatically make you "ok". Everyone must make their own decision, Jesus says "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16. Notice how Jesus basically says that "anyone" can believe and not perish, it's not any "families" or any "relatives". We are accountable for our own actions, there is nobody else to blame for our own actions but ourself.


"Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?" says the Lord GOD, "and not that he should turn from his ways and live?" - Ezekiel 18:23

God doesn't like to see His creation suffer. He doesn't take pleasure when He sees you struggling on your own. God wants everyone to come to Him and turn from our wicked ways. The will of God is so that the people of this earth may receive salvation.

What are you doing with your life today? Are you living in God or out of God? Is your life controlled by the flesh (humanly desires) or is it controlled by the spirit of God?

Living for God is definitely not the easiest thing to do, in fact it is the hardest, but in the end it is all worthwhile, because you can be assured that Jesus is the only way, the only truth and the only life worth living.

Set Free!

Today I am longer bound by the strains and bondage that has plagued me over the past one and a half years - my braces. My teeth are now free, and boy does it feel gooood. Praise God! I don't have to worry about getting food stuck in my braces. The only thing left is that I have to wear a retainer for a while, which isn't so bad I guess.

Work has been so hectic the last week or so. A few clients are having problems putting orders into their accounting system. Plus we got a Melbourne trade fair coming up as well, so there's alot of preparation yet to be done for that one. Melbourne is the BIG one, there will be over 1000 companies attending that fair. It's so big, they had to take out the entire exhibition, a tent outside, plus another building not too far away from the exhibition centre.

The fair is going to run for 5 days, I can't wait to see it, but at the same time because it's going to go over the weekend, I'm not too keen on missin church again...

Brisbane

I'm in Brisbane now and I'm loving the weather up here, not too hot and not too cold... it's just right! It's a shame I'm stuck indoors doing work stuff.

Today is the end of Day 1 of the 2006 Brisbane Trade Fair. For us it went quite well, in that there weren't too many problems with our system. We have 18 clients here in this fair using our scanXpress system - mobile ordering system, 6 of them had no problems whatsoever, which was great.

Afterwards we had a nice dinner, I had some barramundi with chips and salad. Tried some apple beer, which wasn't too bad. Tasted abit like apple cider. For desert I had a blueberry and white chocolate cheesecake and that was fabulously delicious.

Lost motivation...

For some reason, I've have lost the motivation to write in my blog now, well this may only be a phase I'm going through. Anyhow, I finally applied for a credit card, so I should be getting it soon I hope.

Benny Hinn Miracle Crusade was totally awesome! The power of God was amazing! Well when you got over 10,000 people worshipping God, that's what you get. When we get to heaven, there'll be millions worshipping God, how much better would that be!
So many people got healed on that weekend at the crusade, Jesus is a healing Jesus.

I'm going to Melbourne this Thursday for a conference being held by one of our clients. Then I've got a Brisbane trip coming up the following week. Work is already getting quite hectic, so much to do, yet so little time.

Jerseys are here!

Youthopea designed some jerseys for us to wear when we have Youth Cup Games. We waited and waited... and waited... and they have finally arrived (2 days ago). They looked great and as an added bonus we can share the gospel with our jersey.

The jersey has 4 colours: black, red, gold and white.

Black: signifies the sin of mankind
Red: represents the blood of Jesus
Gold: because of Jesus' death we can be made righteous as pure gold
White: through righteousness we are made holy

Let it snow..

With the snow season around the corner our youth group is going to have our unofficial annual snow trip. This is going to be the first time I've gone with them, previously I had uni and other reasons so I couldn't go. This year I am definitely going. I've already bought snow pants, snow jacket and gloves. Winter sports is pretty expensive.

It's so cold this year, I think there's going to be plenty of snow!

Hope Within Reach will be having their first training session tomorrow. The session is called "Online" and it is (very) basic IT training. I spent this evening setting up the computers, hopefully they'll be ok for tomorrow.