Back from the.... CAMP!

I HAVE JUST RETURNED FROM CAMP! Wahahaha! What a great time of fellowship and learning through the 3 days in camp!


Although the sleeping and bathing facilities are not of top notch grade, but God's presence was certainly there! Who ever says that circumstances and conditions will affect God's love for us? Haha.


This camp is the 1st Camp that i have gone to ever since i come to know Christ, and to me its really an eye opener! 3 intensive days of teaching as well as praise and worship in a ulu area with funny orangey skies in the night have isolated us from the rest of the world. But i believe its beneficial for us, as we are able to focus and concentrate on the Word of God much better without distractions.



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Talking about it being the 1st camp, i find my schedule in the camp quite packed! Got mamashop, and i have to stand-in as UA. But thank God i managed to do a little bit here and there, and its really because of the blessing of God that makes it happen! God provided me a miracle of a very complete and confirmed list of people in my unit that reduces my workload as UA by a lot a lot! Really wanna thank God, and also the whole SP unit CLs, members and the original UA for being responsible to our own attendance! Its a joy serving as the unit admin in the camp! Amen!


The same goes to the operation of the mamashop! I wan to take the opportunity here to thank and affirm Ace, Kirby, Victor and the rest of the DI people who helped us to facilitate the mamashop operation (sorry i can't remember all the names)! It is your input of support that helps us to do well during the camp! Really thank you for helping us out although its not part of your camp roles. :) There are still people to affirm, but i wan to 'tou lan' again ah... Wahahaha.... :P

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This is taken on Saturday, right after the workshop regarding tattooing and fashion ended...

Its a big big RAINBOW! Ok la rainbows are not uncommon stuffs, but for one to appear at that timing during such a camp really meant something to me...

(Genesis 9:12-15) (NIV)

And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

As brothers and sisters marvelled at the phenomenon that appears across the sky, we are reminded of God's love and His covenant with us that will NEVER be broken by ANYTHING else! I praise You for Your incredible love for us, Lord!

It is not by chance
or pure coincidence
That Your defining symbol of covenant with us
appear at such a right time
at the right place
at the right conditions

God is worthy of our praises!

17 MArcH 2009

Wahahaha back to blog liao.... Last few weeks veri busy so no time to blog.... Anyway i learnt quite a few things in the past weeks....

Expectations

(Luke 17:7-10)
"Suppose one of you had a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Would he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, 'Come along now and sit down to eat'? Would he not rather say, 'Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink'? Would he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, 'We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.' "

We whom are believers of Christ should not expect or anticipate blessings to come to us as if its a guranteed deal of "bless-as-you-serve" package. Certain times even when we are serving, difficult circumstances may come our way. Therefore, we shouldn't harbour a narrow mindset of a guranteed smooth sailing journey as we serve God with our all. However, let us also have a heart of faith that acknowledges God's authority and control in difficult times as we serve.

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Secular V Sacred

This is something i learnt through the Christian Ethics class. The idea of categorising 'secular' and 'sacred' comes from the ancient philosopher called.... i cant remember the name! Hahaha... But its important that we shouldnt prioritise too highly on 'sacred' things (e.g. going to church, caregroup) that we totally sacrifice the 'secular' things (work, whatever you need to do that isn't directly related to church). That is because, for everything that we do, as long as it is done for God and in His name, it is also honoring God as well.

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I see visions again! Hahaha... its been a long time since i last saw one.... And this time one is kind of disturbing..... I see people crying and in despair, some complaining in my face about how bad their lives is.... Hmmmm......

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Ahhh CAMP is coming!! And i have been quite busy with the mamashop! Wahaha.... i just wanna pray that the whole campaign will be a success, and may the people be blessed through the shop!

Yes speaking of camp, i wanna affirm a few people here who contributed to the shop!

First i wan to affirm Shi hui! Inspite of your busy schedule with 2 camps to go to in the next few weeks, you helped us with your creativity for the posters! Really thank you lots for your efforts and the time spent on designing the posters!

Next, its Vincent! Thank you for your designs for the posters too! Although you don't really specialise in drawing, but you used your com skills to help us create decent posters! Thank you!

Following that is AhBe (i hope never spell wrong ah)! Yeah wanna thank you for helping us to design and paint the banners with your scary drawing skills! And also helping us to create the gift boxes! Appreciate it lots!

And also Barnabas Soh Yi Heng and Jeremy Kiu for helping (or disrupting?) the set up of the booth at Nexus recep area! Hahaha!

And there are some more people to affirm! But i think i would leave it until the end of the camp den say bah... Lets 'tou lan' a bit first.... Wahahaha!

May God bless the camp!! :)

28 /2/ 09

Wad is the use of advices when it falls to deaf ears
why do we keep feeding it when it is not eating?
How many words must i say
so that they will understand its importance?

Its all worthless
a waste of time
Its just like talking to a person
that agrees with whatever you say
and yet do nothing with what it learnt

Time is an invaluable resouce
and it is spent on useless things
Efforts that was put in has no use
much less speaking of any results
Therefore why should i speak
why should i correct
and why should i encourage
when either pride hardens the heart
or when the mind is absent in place

Its all meaningless
And it only serves to discourage and disappoint
so why should i be put down by men,
and lamenting each unhearing ear?
For in the end it results in no loss for me
And i shouldn't bother about them

This is the paradox:
God has willed men
to support and encourage one another
yet men discourages men
to the point of turning away

i shall not speak
or correct anyone
from whom have i got the authority
and for whom do i speak for?
i am only a sinner
less talk, less conflict
and let it remain that way

24 feB '09

My God is liketh a fireplace of warmth,
He keeps me comfortable from freezing colds
The Lord is my refuge,
Which i reside to avoid a storm
My Father is liketh a shield
Protecting me from any invaders
No matter how strong the winds might blow
how heavy the rain pours upon me
God provides a sanctuary to keep me safe
Oh! Look at how those arrows fall
Ceasing in strength and drops in vain
when they impacted themselves
on the impregnable shield of the Lord

15 FEB 2009

There is so much to thank God for...

I see joy in people's eyes when they travel around different parts of Singapore to share the message of God's love for people on Valentine's day, even under the hot sun in this heaty weather..

And it is simply amazing to see someone next to you who pulled out a book titled " Our Faithful God" and let you peek its teachings when u are in your dry period...

And i have finally found my passport! Its wedged behind some old cupboard that i wont be bothered to find... but God reminded me to search every single place for it....

Praise God for His Faithfulness and Love!

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A man deemed to have past his prime should be used more, or less?
Should he, nearing the end of his life, leave the things to the younger and move on?
If so, when should he leave?

8 Feb 09

In the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), it is observed that there are Jews that opposed and refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Christ, or Messiah.

Firstly, Jesus is born in a lower-to-middle class family (A carpenter). Therefore, people couldn't accept that their anticipated Messiah is someone who is from a low social class.

Secondly, the Jews believed that their coming Messiah is someone who is powerful, who will deliver them from the oppression and rule of the Roman Empire. The Jews have been under the control of various rulers and kingdoms ever since the Kingdom of Judah fell to Babylon.

• The Kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar, as seen in 2 Kings.
  
• The Babylonian Empire fell later to the Persian Empire, under Cyrus who allowed the Jews to return to their homeland to rebuild the Temple of God. (Book of Ezra, Nehemiah)
  
• The Persian Empire, in turn, fell to Alexander the Great. When Alexander died, the land he conquered was divided into mainly 2 parts. The Seleucid Empire ruled Israel from then on until the Roman Empire came into power.

With continuous conquests of the Jewish people in Israel by different kingdoms, the Jews longed for their Messiah to rescue and deliver them from the Roman Empire. Therefore, they had conjured an impression among themselves that their Messiah would be a warrior-king, someone who would overthrow the Roman Empire and bring them under no foreign authority, when by then they could rule their own land with their own people.

This impression caused them to be "blinded" when Jesus came into this world, and offered salvation to all people by dying for our sins on the cross. He is the sacrifice that redeemed us from the ransom of sin. However, the people were too obsessed with their own image of their Messiah that they missed out on the One when He was already there. They were too focused on their own physical slavery that they failed to see their spiritual starvation.

Therefore, it is important to know God as who God really is, not knowing the god whom we conjured up in our own mind and understanding; lest we are blinded just like the ancient people, and miss the chance to recognise our Saviour.

6/2/09

Wah i am finally back to blog....
The last few weeks didnt come to blog cos i was having some problems... but Thank God for His Grace that helped me to pull through all troubles and worries! Haha these few days God has helped me so so so much in my life! Really want to take this time to praise You oh Lord!

This past few weeks i walked through a few valleys of the shadow of death, and it wasnt really pleasant to be stuck inside. But God, who is my faithful shepherd, guided me through the valleys and up to the mountains. He is my Deliverer!

First is my fyp... its finally over! Haha! And i got my exam schedule and sit numbers today morning! Quite relived and grateful for that! Thank you God!

Our troubles are temporary, but the glory of God is forever.

(2 Corinthians 4:17)
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

For those who are experiencing troubles and problems in your life now, remember that God is with you. Yes, sometimes you might feel that He is away, not there, but take heart! A tunnel will always lead to an opening of light. Problems is there to also strengthen your faith in Him.

Which one is more treasured, an untested faith, or a faith that stays strong despite having constant troubles? It is like courage. A person who has courage yet never encountered fear is nothing, but a person who remains courageous in the face of fear... Now that's something.