Hey peeps! Sorry I missed my day! Elijah was supposed to be due YESTERDAY! urm since it's midnight now, the day before yesterday. (:

Anyway! ELIJAH!



As everyone knows, Elijah is one of the most renowned prophet in the bible! You can find him in 1 Kings, and he did many miracles, and the most exciting thing is, God took him up into heaven in a whirlwind! Isn't that cool!? I think from the life of Elijah, we can learn so much! But I think the entire of Elijah's life is centered on one thing, Faith.

In 1 Kings, chapter 17, Elijah prophesied drought in Israel to King Ahab, and right after that he had to go into hiding and he was fed by the ravens which were sent by God. Hmm. Let us ponder on this point. I believe many of us have received a personal word from God before, and they can be tasks that require us to step out of our comfort zone. i.e. evax-ing to this random person that looks mean and unreceptive? Sometimes we take that step of faith and believe that little voice in our heart, yet sometimes, we waver and give it up. Hmm. Elijah went to the king, to prophesy bad news. We have trouble telling our friends about the good news that Jesus is real! But nothing stopped Elijah. And he clearly shared God's heart beat.

Afterwards, when the brook (which God told him he can drink from) had dried up because of the drought, he obeyed God's word to search for this widow whom God said will give Elijah food. Okay, so the widow was poor and had no food. She told Elijah she wanted to have a last meal with her son. After that they'd probably commit suicide and die. If I were in that situation, I'd probably be so disappointed. I risked my life for God, and He's giving me more problems instead of helping me. But not Elijah. Elijah had so much faith that God's word will carry him through despite the circumstances. He made use of the opportunity to perform a miracle.
"Don't be afraid. Go home and do as you have said." He comforted the widow, (I don't think anyone of us would be able to comfort someone if we're hungry and thirsty, and at the same time are running away from the most powerful man in the country.) and told her, "The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry" .. till the end of the drought. Woah! Such great faith, such great love. You think that's cool!? There is more! After sometime, when the son of the widow died, she blamed Elijah. But he was not discouraged, neither did he felt that God was shortchanging him. Instead, he prayed for the boy and resurrected him. And through this, changed the widow's heart. His faith was so huge, and his heart so aligned with God's that he knew that he can make the best out of the worst situations, as God would. We have all heard about these miracles, but have we ever stopped and ponder over how we'd have reacted in the same situation?

It is easy to believe God when everything looks good. It is not hard to go to church when we have nothing better to do. However, if we are facing the same circumstances as Elijah, will we hold on to God, and trust that He will transform all our fears and inhibitions into testimonies? Will we trust that God is capable of turning the worst for the best? I take myself as an example. It was very hard for me to give up OAC for church, and though I no longer have to be too bothered by it since my term has ended, but I know deep down that if OAC has a chalet, and there's caregroup/unit meeting/membership class -.- or what not, it'd still be a great struggle for me. (though it probably will not happen since yuhui's my aci, and liping's my cl) But yeah, I know that even for these little things in my life, I still hold on so tightly to them. But, let us learn this together. We can receive so much more, and do so much more, if we really put all of our wants and desires at God's feet and let him navigate our life. Elijah passed God's test. Can we too?

There are many instances when Elijah performed other miracles, such as when he brought fire from the sky and shamed 450 prophets of Baal and 400 prophets of Asherah. Weren't these possible because he was faithful, and courageous as well? Well, let us move on and inspect this part when Elijah became depressed after the miracle did little to change the hearts of the people. He was emotionally pained because of his love for God's people. Yet despite his feelings, he continued to give his all in doing God's work. He did not give up and stop believing in God's power because of the single incident (though it was a pretty BIG one). He continued to be God's messenger and hung onto God's every single word. He did not shut himself into his little tiny world simply because he was sad, and because things did not work out as he hoped and expected. Elijah has burnt out at this point. "I have had enough, LORD, Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors," and under that broom tree, he prayed that he might die. Yet when God sent his angel down to comfort him, he allowed himself to be refreshed by God's presence, (which came in a whisper) and after that, continued to carry out God's work.

I think this is a great learning point. Elijah was just another ordinary person, like you and me. He was very human, and he gets tired and discouraged too. But he did not dwell in it, rather he allowed himself to be refreshed by God. And this is not just some O.T's fairytale. This is VERY real! You know it's happening in your very own life as well! Don't all of us get tired and worn out when we're serving God too? But because Jesus died on the cross for us, today we can enter God's presence as and when to refresh ourselves anytime! So don't we have it so much easier than Elijah? Shouldn't we be doing so much more miracles than he did? Yes? What made the difference? Why did God used him? Why not us too!? I believe when you reach this part of the entry, you'd already have an idea why. (:

Please continue to read up more about this wonderful prophet, for there is so much you can learn from him! (: I hope this entry isn't too lengthy for you guys. (: I don't know what you think, but I'm so humbled after typing this post. Haha! (:

Let us build up on our faith so God can use us!


YAY! its my turn to blog for our pre-camp devotions :) so next up in the HALL OF FAME... is none other than: DANIEL

yup. we know that Daniel is this cool guy who got sent into the lion's den for worshiping God and lions did not eat him :) thats in chapter 6!

we are going to look at chapter 1 instd! and you can really see the same resolve, determination and faith displayed in the lion's den right in the palace's dining room in chapter 1. :)

pls read: [Daniel 1:1-17]

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%201:1-17&version=31

during that time (605 BC) , the people of Judah, including Jehoiakim the king had been sinning against God through idol worship, adultry etc. God gave Judah to the Babylonians as a punishment, judgement for the people.

Daniel then was only about 14-15 years old! (o.o younger than us!). He was a smart and talented guy.. Nebuchadnezzar wanted to brainwash and 'babylonize' people like him. He wanted conformity. He gave Daniel and his friends new names after Babylonian gods, exposed then to new culture, language lit, religion, food.

and yet, one word to describe Daniel's life? he lived BY GOD's STANDARD.

"but Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine"

imagine the temptation with all the comfort food in front of them, yet Daniel knew that by eating these, He would be sinning cos these food are probably used as offering to the babylonian gods and is considered unclean. in other words, Daniel CHOSE not to comform. and by faith he even took action to ask the official if he could change their diets. .

THATS BIG COURAGE! in the lion's den, Daniel was in a bobian, no choice situation- just sit there and trust God. but in this case, He had to go up to the official and request for the change in the risk of making the king angry rather than just sit there, do nothing. it was a voluntary stand up for the sake of his faith and he did it tactfully:) and in the end, the chief official was won over, because he saw how God had made the 4 young men much healthier even with veg

-a short story from trinitycrc.org -

I'm reminded of the story of a young man who spent a year in a logging camp — a rough place with a lot of cursing, drinking, gambling and womanizing. When he came back home his minister expressed sympathy for the tough time he must have had in standing up for his faith. "It wasn't hard at all," said the young man. "They never found out I was a Christian."

stuff to ponder:

-What areas in my life will i resolve to stick to God's standards rather then follow the world? (this qn seems esp crucial for the NS guys to be. hahaha)

-Is God prompting me to do sth that would require me to take a step by faith? ( choosing to do would open doors for God to move and intervene, just as he did for daniel :) )

lets learn loads in upcoming 17 more days tgt! :D see ya guys at Peter truong's mtg!

-calean.

YES! just 18 more days to HEROS camp!=D & as spiritual, hungry, excited, passionate, committed, devoted, chao ji super zai people of God, we gotta prepare ourselves well for camp yeah!=P so starting from today, pls rmb to tune in to this website daily for a dosage of wisdom & understanding of the characters in the Bible! there's just so many heros in the Bible, yet the camp is only covering 5 of them.. so let's self-study! AHA. focus will be on how these people lived their life that their names are worthy enough to be imprinted on the most POWERFUL book in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD! their attitudes, actions.. so much to learn mannz!=D=D=D so first up, we'll learn about HOSEA!!!

EH.. yall better dont be lazy ah! read till the end! later if i feel evil then i give yall pop quiz during CG then yall die!=P AHA. jkjk. but just read it la!(:

Hosea was a prophet in Israel in the 8th century BC. A prophet refers to a person chosen to speak for God and to guide the people of Israel (God’s people). The most significant thing we can learn from Hosea is about SACRIFICE.

What comes to your mind when you think of sacrificing for God? Missing outings & hangouts with friends? Forsaking time that could be used for studying for caregroups & services when a major exams is coming up? From Hosea’s life, we can learn what it means to totally surrender to God, to willingly & obediently offer his life & lifestyle for God’s cause.

[Hosea 1:2] When the Lord began to speak though Hosea, the Lord said to him, “Go, take to yourself an adulterous wife and children of unfaithfulness, because the land is guilty of the vilest adultery in departing from the Lord.”

So basically the context is that.. Israel had been backsliding away from God & turning to idolatry instead. & God has called Hosea to prophesy & warn the people of God’s commands. However, it’s not just by verbally telling the people about God’s word, but Hosea was called to prophesy through his life. Hosea’s marital experience reflected the “adulterous” relationship which Israel had built with polytheistic gods. PAUSE. Let’s think about the significance of this! Hosea was a prophet, who probably lived his life in purity & upheld moral standards. Yet God was commanding him to marry a prostitute! What a shameful & disgraceful thing for Hosea to do! Its like asking him to “dai lu mao” straightaway.=S Let’s look at how Hosea responded..

[Hosea 1:3] So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

WOW. The Bible said it so matter-of-factly! LOl. “So he..” Did Hosea even protest? Maybe. Did Hosea had to struggle to give up his personal rights & obey God? Perhaps. But the important thing is ultimately, he obeyed & sacrificed! He allowed God to use him to fulfill His plans & make decisions about his life. Furthermore, God didnt even promise him any rewards or privileges! For instance, when God commanded Abraham, God promised him descendents as plentiful as the sand on the seashore.. when God called Moses, He promised Moses that He’ll bring Israel to the promised land.. Yet even though nothing explicit (not territory, not descendents, not anything) was promised to Hosea, Hosea just simply & faithfully obeyed God.

God continued to use Hosea’s life to urge Israel towards repentance. As how Hosea’s wife had left him to go with other men, Israel had left God to go with other gods. As God commanded Hosea to search for his wife, forgive her & brought her back, God was conveying the message that He also would not abandon Israel and would bring them back even though they had forsaken Him.

From Hosea’s life, we therefore saw how he underwent bitter personal martial experiences to allow God to work through him & his readiness & willingness to follow God’s will. As we learn about Hosea today, let’s think about..

1. Is God challenging me to give up anything for Him today?
E.g. a secure normal lifestyle, personal enjoyment, privacy, status & privileges, personal decision-making..

2. What kind of attitude do I have towards giving up things for God?

okay great! you've persevered & read till here. do think about the above 2 qns carefully yeah! & come back for more stuff tmr!(:

with love,

lips.

YOU ARE SO FAITHFUL

Verse 1:

Like the sun, that rises every day

You are so faithful, dear Lord You are faithful

Like the rain that You bring and every breath that i breathe

You are so faithful, Lord

Verse 2:

Like a rose that comes alive every spring

You are so faithful, dear Lord You are faithful

Like the life that You give to every beat of my heart

You are so faithful, Lord

Bridge:

I see the cross and the price You had to pay

I see the blood that washed my sins away

Chorus:

And in the midst of the storm through the wind and the waves

You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful

And when the stars refuse to shine and time is no more

You'll still be faithful, You'll still be faithful, Lord

a song that touched my heart lots.(: the slideshow abit qiguai la. just listen to the music & read the lyrics then!(: our God is so faithful. lets be faithful to Him too!

some ANNOUNCEMENTS!:D

1. WFL gonna start this wed 261108!
Study on Numbers : 1-6pm, auditorium
ClC1 & 2: 3-6pm
shall we have lunch tgt first? 12 at cuppage?:P

2. Harvesters meeting w Peter Truong
When? Thurs 271108, 2-5pm
Where? America Room
What? Teaching & practicals on everyday evangelism
Who? Those committed to being disciples of Jesus & wants to play a part to fulfil the GC!

3. HEROES CAMP.. shirt!
Camp's in just TWENTY days time! *feels the anticipation in the air!*
anybody wants to buy the camp shirt but havent ordered? pls tag or sms me by MON 11am!
it wont be sold in the camp so must pre-order! state your size also! girl/guy.. S/M/L/XL(:

4. CG this week!
when can yall NOT make it ah? tell me kayys! xie xie ni!

YEAH! lots of happenings! let's spend this holidays fruitfully & grow, grOW, GROW in Christ!:D

love, lips.(:

my FIRST time posting here. (: thankyou thankyou for your support.
((: PEOPLE HANG ON!!
Show you a nice picture I found from jiexun's blog. :D

I found it INSPIRING!

Because it works the other way round too! O.O WOW! (:

If you're AS SMART AS ME! :D:D:D You'd realised that, WE CAN BE THE VERY FLAME TO SPREAD THE FIRE OF DESIRE FOR JESUS!

((:

The best time, is right now! :D

eileen! ((:

'Five Loaves And Two Fishes’ - By Corrinne May

A little boy of thirteen was on his way to school
He heard a crowd of people laughing and he went to take a look
Thousands were listening to the stories of one man
He spoke with such wisdom, even the kids could understand

The hours passed so quickly, the day turned to night
Everyone was hungry but there was no food in sight
The boy looked in his lunchbox at the little that he had
He wasn't sure what good it'd do, there were thousands to be fed

But he saw the twinkling eyes of Jesus
The kindness in His smile
And the boy cried out
With the trust of a child
he said:

"Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all to feed them all"

I often think about that boy when I'm feeling small
And I worry that the work I do means nothing at all

But every single tear I cry is a diamond in His hands
And every door that slams in my face, I will offer up in prayer

So I'll give you every breath that I have
Oh Lord, you can work miracles
All that you need is my "Amen"

So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
I hope it's not too small

I trust in you
I trust in you

So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
No gift is too small

:)



[Psalm 20:7]
Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

[Psalm 125:1]
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever.

[Ephesians 3:20]
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

[Philippians 4:6-7]
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your minds and heart in Christ Jesus.

[Colossians 3:23]
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.

[James 1:2]
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

[Hebrews 12:1-2a]
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith.

[1 Peter 4:11]
If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anoyone serves, he should do it with the very strength that God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen

[Joshua 1:9]
Have i not commanded you, be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified. Do not be discouraged. For the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.


Let's let God's Word have the highest say and authority in our life! :)
jiayou jiayou jiayou!