hider

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Why is adultery & polygamy looked upon with such contempt and thought to be a sin,when Abraham had many wives?

If we all descended from Adam & Eve,and get married,isn't that incest?

The different races,did it come about as a result of GOd's punishment for earlier men who tried to build the babel tower?

So many questions,I need answers..

Lord,please guide the right people to answer these questions..

She was loved. 9:51 PM

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Tattoo..

These few days I have been convinced that I want a tattoo.
A simple cross,with a crown of thorns.

Why do I want one?

Because the process of getting one would be difficult,as with my decision to become a Christian - my family totally objected.

Also,the choice of the image-I am to carry my own cross (as a significance,nothing else),and the crown represents the one who died for me,the one who was ridiculed.I just want to remind myself that even if I get ridiculed for my life,so what?My saviour has gone through it.

Thirdly,the pain of getting a tattoo,it represents my Christian walk;it's not going to be an easy adaptation.I have to change my lifestyle,my habits.

Fourth,the stigma of getting a tattoo is akin,but does not equate to,the one of being a Christian. When one sees another with a tattoo,they almost immediately think that the individual is 'bad', a 'delinquent',etc.Similarly,the society at large seems to be in disagreement with Christianity,they have a preconception that Christians must be like this,they must do that,etc.

Therefore,I want a physical reminder that whatever I do in public,I will be judged for it.Not only for who I am,but also by the things I believe in.I believe that getting one would help change and mould me..

She was loved. 11:38 AM

Monday, May 26, 2008

1. If God is your co-pilot - swap seats.
2. "Pray" is a four-letter word you can say anywhere - except in public schools.
3. Man's way leads to a hopeless end - God's way leads to an endless hope..
4. He who kneels before God can stand before anyone.
5. To be almost saved is to be totally lost.
6. In the sentence of life, the devil may be a comma - but never let him be the period.
7. Don't put a question mark where God puts a period.
8. When praying, don't give God instructions - just report for duty.
9. God doesn't want shares of your life - He wants a controlling interest.
10. We don't change God's message - His message changes us.
11. When God ordains, He sustains.
12. Most people want to serve God, but only in an advisory position.
13. Exercise daily - walk with the Lord.
14. Coincidences happen when God chooses to remain anonymous.
15. Wisdom has two parts - 1) having a lot to say 2) not saying it.
16. Never give the devil a ride - he will always want to drive.
17. He who angers you controls you.
18. Deciding not to choose Jesus is still making a choice.
19. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

Loves, :)

She was loved. 10:54 AM

Monday, May 19, 2008

These were the questions;
Where are the people you call friends,
when you truly need them?
Where do lonely people go,
When they feel oh-so-sad?
Where do the abandoned go,
When they finally can't hold back their tears anymore?

& this is my personalreply;
Even if no one wants me,
I have a special friend.
Though the world may one day forsake me,
He will always be mine.
When I am lonely,
All I need is my quiet time.
When I am sad,
He will be my listening ear.
No matter how many times I disappoint him,
He will be forever faithful,
His name is Jesus.

Was discussing the book of Job with Ps Bertram yesterday,albeit briefly,cause he's a busy man.hahaha.Anyways,from the book of Job,I reckoned that the bottom line is that GOD has faith in His created beings.If you think that is wonderful,check this out:We can also be assured that whatever GOD brings us to,He will bring us through.Isn't that an amazing God we are talking about?

Ok,I'll be intro-ing two songs that I think has relevance to my life so far. (=
1)Serious (Joy Williams)
2)One Man Revival (Bob Carlisle)

Serious
Do you ever get the feelingPeople think you're crazy
Cause you trust what they can't see
Do you ever get the feeling
People think you're shallow
And you will change what you believe
But I'm not here to argue
About what others think and feel
Cause I'm not ashamed to tell anyone
What I know to be real

I'm serious about the stand I'm taking
Serious about the choice I'm making
Serious about the things that I believe
I'm serious about the talk I'm talking
The evidence is in the walk I'm walking
Serious about love and purity
I'm serious as I can be

I'm not the first to meet with laughter
And resistance from a disbelieving crowd
But I got to meet it head on
I'm just gonna keep on
Won't let it get me down
I'm not here to give up
Jesus didn't give up on me
Even when the goin' gets rough
I've promised God that I'll be
Won't change my mindGot to close the door
No time for goin' back
To what I had before
I'm so tired of playin' all these games
Cause the more I see what You mean to me
The more I want to say

I'm serious about the stand I'm taking
Serious about the choice I'm making
Serious about the things that I believe
I'm serious about the talk I'm talking
The evidence is in the walk I'm walking
Serious about love and purity
I'm serious as I can be

This is what I have been wanting to say for quite awhile,just that I didn't really know how to put it.I've taken longer than many others,to come where I am now.I was in lots of crossroads before I became a christian,and yet when I thought it'd be easier once I am Christian,where I once met crossroads,I now meet roadblocks.People are just so skeptical about faith.But only because they don't know the real meaning of faith.Faith,is not blind belief.Faith is,the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures.With faith comes salvation,and it is a personal choice that only we can make for ourselves.

One Man Revival
No greater love, no lesser grace
No greater distance than the one that I have made
You crave my heart and miss our quiet time alone
Have I become as hard as stone?

I need a one-man revival
A renewing of my heart
To capture me before I stray too far
It's the one thing I cry for
And the only way I know
Is a one-man revival in my soul (heart)

I know I've turned away it seems
But You pursue me while I'm busy chasing dreams
My dreams aren't worth the sacrifice of my first love
What I should be dreaming of...

I need a one-man revival
A renewing of my heart
To capture me before I stray too far
It's the one thing I cry for
And the only way I know
Is a one-man revival in my soul (heart)

I'm disappointed at how my perfect world should be
But if I'm gonna see a change (really gonna see a change)
There's got to be a change in me

I need a one-man revival
A renewing of my heart
To capture me before I stray too far
It's the one thing I cry for
And the only way I know
Is a one-man revival in my soul (heart)

No matter how we try to run away from God,he will never forsake us..He is gentle in His guidance,and patient in the wait for our return.Because he has faith in us.Isn't it strange?How fast the human heart changes..During my time in SERVE,I set aside two months for Him,doing daily quiet time & such.Yet after that two months,when school started,I had excuses to not do quiet time;I forgot,I was busy,I was tired,..& the list can go on & on.

But as I mentioned,they remain excuses,and are not reasons.Yet though I had changed,he did not falter in 'chasing' after me..Gently I felt the tugging of conscience in my heart;why have I neglected the most important person in my life?Haven't I realized,that without His sacrifice,I wouldn't have been able to do the things I am now?That I wouldn't even be alive?Why is it that I have enough energy to go out with friends on weekends,but cannot muster it to flip through the pages of the Bible?That I can finish reading Harry Potter in less than a day,but not the Bible in two months?And why is it that I can manage to work out time to go out with friends,but not the time to do quiet time,to communicate with Him?Should I be ashamed of myself?Indeed I am.

And the last stanza really stands out,because I was really tired of people that keep mocking my stand,people that doubt.However,as it says;
'But if I'm gonna see a change
There's got to be a change in me'
I think it reminds us that we should be the change that we want to see (in the world). We can whine and grumble about the things that don't go our way,but will it help?Not in the least bit.Therefore,we have to change our mindset.Change ourselves,so that when people look at us, They'll know we are Christians.

Matthew 5:13-15
13"You are the salt of the earth,but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.
15Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

She was loved. 3:22 PM

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Psalm 128:3-4

3Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.

What that means is that whoever that fears the Lord,and does good in His name,you will be blessed.Isn't it amazing that when God loves & showers his blessings upon you,He does the same for the generations after you.

So do the right thing,and you & the rest will be blessed. (=

I pray today;
-That I'll have the patience to be able to wait to the the right things in His time.
-That more people will come to Christ with a personal conviction.
=> & not cause they're just following someone (parents/friends/'other half').
-That I'll have the courage to move on,the determination to let whatever happen in the past remain in the past.
-That I can do things in His name that'd build a solid reputation for Christianity.

I want to make my father in Heaven proud.
He is the one who sees me as I am.
He is the one to takes me as I am.
Results don't matter,I am His child & that's all he cares about.
If I can attain results,that would be a bonus.

She was loved. 10:13 AM

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Discipleship; and what it entails.
According to Amandaz's brain. (:
(Pardon my lack of memory in relation to the verses of the story quoted.)

I think,that the very first lesson,and the most impertant aspect,in discipleship is obedience.Just like how the fishermen had to put down their nets,to follow Christ.Amazing,isn't it?That they'd put down their livelihood,to follow a man they barely knew?It is the spirit of these men that we need.

I am not talking about putting down your studies,or jobs.I am talking about following the commandments in the bible,and trying our utmost to do things to glorify His name.
I am talking about,lifting your joy & your burdens to Him above. I am talking about absolute trust in a being you can't see,but know is there.

Do you dare to take the leap of faith?
Because if you do,you can be sure that He'll hold you,and make sure that you won't fall. & even if you do fall,you can be sure that He'll be the first to catch you. Sometimes,he uses your temporal fall to bring to your attention issues you've been trying to avoid.Because,avoidance is not the way to solve any problems.

What,is a leap of faith?
It is the instance when you let Christ be your stronghold,when you let him take complete control of your life.When you give your all to His cause.Why is it a leap of faith?Because it requires you to place your emotions,trust,everything to an untangible being you can't see,but can feel.It is letting Christ take the driver seat in our lives,it is the letting go of selfish desires and intentions.
It is the dying to oneself,and the awakening to His cause.

She was loved. 11:03 AM

Monday, May 5, 2008

If GOD is really three in one,
how can it be possible that he prays to himself before he dies?
How can he manifest Himself,to himself? (In the garden,can't remember vs.)
How is it possible that he can be everywhere,anytime?

If GOD loves us,why does he let us suffer?
Why aren't babies born guiltless?
Why are we made to pay the sins of our ancestors,from the time we're in our mother's womb?
I mean,how can we be fearfully and wonderfully made,yet at the same time be faced with babies with deformities?

What is beauty?
Is is a 'look'?
Or is it a characteristic we posssess?

Are we conventionally beautiful?
With just the right shade of make-up,the cool clothes,material possessions,and the 'right' body shape & proportions?

Or are we beautiful because we see the good in others?
Because we help others realize their potential?
Because we live our lives with morals?

Are the handicapped more beautiful?
Because they appreciate every moment in their lives,because they learn the meaning of llife in a different aspect?

Chew on that.
By the way,I need answers.
._________.

She was loved. 10:16 PM

Fellowship.

Romans 1:12
That we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Romans 12:5
So we,though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

James 5:16
Therefore,confess your sins to one another and pray for one another,that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working

What is fellowship?
Fellowship is a congregation of like minded people
who spur each other on to do good. That's only my opinion.

I think that a fellowship should serve to bring us closer to Him,and stands as a basis of a group of
trusted and supportive people that we know we can count on in times of tribulations.

& why do we need a support group?
Because at times when we're at our weakest,times we think nobody cares,that's the time we need others most!We cannot give into satan's lies,that we don't need anyone.

It is said,"cast all ye burdens on me,and I will give you rest."
~~Sorry,can't remember exact phrase & verse~~
But the main point is,yes.Jesus said that.But while we need to have faith and trust in Him,we also need someone in our lives whom we can trust & confide in.Thus,we need our fellow brothers and sisters in christ,not just to keep us to Christ,but also to keep us sane.

After saying all these,I'd end with this;
Humans may try to seek out their 'other half' to fill their emotional needs. But there is no one else who can fulfil our innermost needs,other than Christ Himself.
Because there is a God-shaped hole in us that can never be filled by anyone but Him.

She was loved. 10:01 PM

Sunday, May 4, 2008

Hmmmmm.Lately I find that I jump into conclusions too soon.
I remembered my biological family,but forgot the christian community.
& it is that,that I so needed,that I craved.
A company of like minded people...

Rabindranath Tagore
"Let this be my last word, but I trust in thy love
Men are cruel, but Man is kind.
A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it."

The first line is what I'd want to be able to say when I'm at my deathbed.
Simply put,I'd want that to be my last declaration of my trust in Him who never fails those that seek His presence.

"men are cruel,BUT man is kind."
*note:man here refers to mankind.
I think that the result of this sentence is that when men gather in a group, they want acceptance.Therefore,they'll do anything to be part of a group. And when they're part of a group,they'll tend to want to be the creme of the crop. & thus become ruthless.
Yet when they are alone,there's nothing to fight for,to prove their 'worthiness', and therefore all pretence is dropped,and they are nice & harmonious.
So yes,I think that ruthlessness is a pretence for one to use to get another off their back.

Credibility is intellectual;
Trust is visceral.

What that means is that credibility is based on logical thinking,
whereas trust is based on instincts. (:
Linking back to the last line of the first quote,
it is therefore apparent that logic is not all that there is.
Because when we only have room for logic and nothing else,
we tend to shut out other important things like communications and emotions, which will lead to our eventual downfall.

She was loved. 5:11 PM

Saturday, May 3, 2008

Today's topic is on acceptance.
Why?
Because I am trying to find acceptance.
To find a place where I truly belong.
A place where I am judged on the same scales
people use on themselves and all others.

Proverbs 14:8-10
8The wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way,
but the folly of fools is deceiving.
9 Fools mock at the guilt offering,
but the upright enjoy acceptance.
10The heart knows its own bitterness,
and no stranger shares its joy.

I think that what the passage is saying is that a wise person will seek to plan his ways whereas a foolish man will try to lie/cheat their way through.

And when the righteous man does something wrong,he would try to rectify and salvage the situation,whereas the foolish man will scorn at any such actions,and refuse to do likewise,for fear of being mocked by others.

I interpret the last verse to be saying that only we know our own feelings,
and no one else can ever second the thoughts in our mind.

The other day in class,I made a rash decision to rank my friends above my family.
This,I rationalized within myself,is because I am an only child.
Therefore,friends within my generation can understand me better,and help me cope.

Today,I think,HOW STUPID I WAS.
Because I realized,that family ties are more important.
A friend can be counted upon to share the happy moments.
But what about tribulations?
When things happen that we think is the end of 'our internal world',
who can we go to? Family.
Because the bond we share transcends all generation gaps.
Sure.
You hate your parents' naggings.
They hate the way you blast your radio.
But what if,there comes a day you can't hear their naggings anymore?
Do you think they'll care that your radio is too loud,if one day you ran away from home?
In both instances,I think both parties would prefer the noise,
and most importantly,the presence of each other.

Am I not right?

She was loved. 11:16 PM

Friday, May 2, 2008

Today,due to some issues,I shall be sharing on forgiveness.
I mean,I don't know how people usually do their quiet time,but I am a person guided primarily by emotions.So I do quiet time to seek a solution for my probing mind. (:
'Nuff said,all the verses used are in ESV. :D

Matthew 18:21-22
21Then Peter came up and said to him, "Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?As many as seven times?"
22Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

John 20:23
23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven ; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld."

Basically,the issue that bugs me time & again is that;
If the person keeps sinning against me in the same way,
Should I forgive?And how many times must I forgive?
Do I only forgive Christians?Or non-Christians as well?
It may seem like such a trivial & duhhhhh question,but it is A LOT to ponder about,to me.

So my answer is derived from the first verse.
Which means,I have to forgive them REGARDLESS.
That is,if they are sincere.I think?
can someone please clarify with me?
Anyways,as to why we should forgive?
It's cause Christ first forgave us.
And like what the second verse says;
It's external if you forgive,and internal if you don't.
What I gathered from that is that,if we forgive,both parties are happy.
[& He will be happy as well.]
But if we choose not to forgive,we end up hurting ourselves.
Cause the person may not know you're angry,and you will keep revisiting the issue within your own mind,and remind yourself of unecessary hurts.

The thing is,what if,it was your parents that you're angry with?
Well,if that's the case,all the more you should try to forgive them.
Because that is no longer a choice for you.
It's a must to do so.
Because forgiving your parents is part of honoring & respecting them,as what the 5th commandment tells us to do.

The key to forgiving someone is;
1)Understand what is causing you pain.
2)Acknowledge your part in the problem.
3)Try to see things from the other party's perspective.
4)Recognize who's going to be hurt by your choice when you don't forgive.
5)Talk things out.

Will elaborate more on the keys of forgiving when the time comes,and when I have more time.

She was loved. 4:08 PM

Thursday, May 1, 2008

Didn't go for DG.
Was like slacking and pondering for a moment.
Then decided not to go.
Oh wells.
Maybe I'll arrange something with Yvonne someday.

I don't know.
I guess I am breaking away.
I want to find reasons to regain my conviction.
Is there such a term?
I don't know.

Rather confused.
You can say I am upset,but I know nothing will make Him love me less.
Yet.What did I do to deserve His love?
Why did he die so others are saved?
He has taken Himself out of the gates of heaven to die for the unworthy.
I wonder how many of us can do the same?
Like,get persecuted & remain strong in the faith?
Sacrifice ourselves for an 'unworthy' sinner (albiet in our eyes)?
I wonder if I myself can take that step,when the time comes...

What is unconditional love?
What is grace & mercy?
What is forgiveness?
What is the purpose of mankind's existence?

She was loved. 2:41 PM