OUR fantabulous journey with God (:

2010-06-18T09:59:00.000-07:00

First of all, this sharing has weighed heavily on my leaving for Australia and because of my soon to be departure, I would like to share the many decisions that I have made that did changed my life. In short, I would like to tell you guys about my past mistakes and my regrets. But my today’s sharing is about regrets and what can we do to overcome it.

Now onto the story of my life,

To start things off, this happened when I was only 9 years old. I was kinda large for my age then. I was also quite close to my neighbours, and usually we’ll go out and play at my primary school nearby. Then before that I just found out how to play baseball (not fully. Yadda yadda, but the regret was that up till today, I’ve never been able to say sorry to her, and she has gotten very very pretty. Haha

Losing the fire for Scouts.
Grandmother’s death
Bowling heartache.
A levels.
Girls Girls Girls.

Regrets do and will take part of your life away. All these stories I can relive this any time in my head. I can recount them with vigour and relate them to those who are going through a tough time. However they are regrets and what they are is actually just unfinished business.

Therefore what can we do about regrets? Gen 6:6, 1 Samuel 15:10,35

Closure.
It’s very important to have closure with your regrets, because thats when you absolve yourself from it and never have to worry about it anymore. But its hard. As we know God has also regretted Regrets are sometimes years long, and they are hard to overcome. Some of us likes to cling onto that regret because it does define our life in a certain way. However, making regret the centre of our life displaces God as our first. All of us should know that regret never should be at the centre of our lives.

How do we get closure? God gives us peace and comfort and the knowledge that all our sins are laid bare at His altar. However, the regret will still be there, like a thorn eating in your flesh, unless you do something to take it out. What I do is very simple. First, PRAY. Pray for yourself to God and ask God for help. For my neighbour incident, I occasionally prayed that I will get an opportunity to say sorry to her when I remembered. Yesterday, I did finally get a chance to say sorry! However, not to her, but her mother, which I think it was just as well. God does give us second chances to atone for our mistakes. But we must learn to take that chance.

Romans 8:28

God always has a purpose for the things he do or the things He has planned in our lives. He may have regretted creating man, but he has already factored that in His divine plan.

However, right now, lets take the worship notes, and write down the biggest regret of our lives, then after singing a chorus, let us pray for that regret and for God to rectify that by giving us an opportunity to do so.

Joel

2010-03-20T19:20:00.000-07:00

Faith.
What is faith?

Hebrews 11

This chapter speaks about the many warriors for God.

We’ll prolly never be able to do something like that, but realize that God didn’t put in them a vessel of faith, or like an extra compartment to put more faith it.

How much faith must we have?
There’s actually no limit or like an indicator to know how much faith is needed. God doesn’t work that way. Numbers never mattered much to him.

Matthew 17:20

He may be saying that if you have faith as small as a mustard seed.
Yes a mustard seed is super small. It’s a seed! But, has anybody seen a mustard tree? I didn’t wanna show you a picture because, well its all quite exaggerated, and too tranquil for my liking. But its something like the height of this house, in a garden.

Now what does faith imply to us? Ask.

Faith in essence is something that we must seek in ourselves to believe the unseen, to know that God is in control and has the master plan of our lives.

But that’s hard. Who thinks its easy? How are we going to overcome it? Since we have so many leaders and old Christians around lets go one round.

For me yes, there are a few times in my life when I found having faith was a struggle.
Army
A level results
Going through emotional heartbreak
So on and so forth.

But I’ve also seen God breaking through the barriers for me.
I survived army.
Uni now.
Better than ever.

I found what was very important when you are going through a struggle is when you have friends around you, who are not going through the same thing, and not sympathizing, but rather start to pull you up once you’ve fallen down.

James 2:14-26

What I want to leave with us is that having faith alone doesn’t mean anything. If I sit there and tell you I have faith that my singing will be good enough for American Idol, but you do not see me practicing or go for classes, do you think I can make it?

In the same way, we cannot say we have faith and follow up on it. God does not help lazy people, God helps people who helps themselves. And God is smart. If he gives those who do not help themselves, they would simply take God for granted. If you seek after something and prayed about it, and do something about it, the victory when you accomplished it, or when God comes, the measure of faith within you will rise.

What happens when nothing happens and you’ve been trying and trying so hard and so long? Never lose heart. Easy to say, hard to do. That’s where our faith defines us, our tenacity to continue into seemingly pointless stuff, because god will be waiting at the end. God will never allow us to do something that we cannot do. He work within our means. For me, when the going gets tough, I will always run back to the life of Jesus. He had it bad, and nothing I have encountered so far can compare to that. So I give glory to God even in my situation, and recommit my situation to God, and allow Him to continue his work, in His time, and in His plans.

So remember, always have faith in God, and do something about it. :D

2010-01-15T10:54:00.000-08:00

our cell schedule. it is STILL subject to change. so yeah just take note. i put on every friday because i not sure when are the youth gatherings and leader's meetings, so please adher to this schedule religiously. so like if lets say 5th of Feb is leader's meeting and no cell, God has blessed the 3 of the people scheduled. or if i call for cell outing, all this:) so alright k?

2010-01-15T10:52:00.000-08:00

this year's cell vision is PRAISE! instead of CRAP! okays? no need to say my vision is full of crap any longer! :D and those who check this spot please tell the rest too! :)

PRAISE!

Prayer- 2010 is going to be tough, but let us gear up with prayer every day to strengthen ourselves and the belief that God can see us through!

Relationships - this is so important that it deserves to be in my vision again :D let us remain tighter together as a group and not be distant from each other, never afraid to tell any1 i the cell group your problems and being open whenever we're together. we're not going to have a lot of cell groups this year, because of the gatherings and all, so lets treasure the time we have together ok?

Accentuate - make more noticeable. lets make this year the year where we accentuate whatever we have done for God. not in a prideful way, but in a way where people will know that they are not the audience, but for God.

Individual spiritual life - you know what i mean. many of you have told me last year was not a good year spiritually because of the lack of QT. so this year let's make it a habit to remain in God.

Songs of Praise of Salvation: Isaiah 12 - let us praise God continually with songs of how he set us free, how he gave us hope, and how he will see us through it all. so yeah adonai is a good song. i was thinking why they got no spiritual stuff like God or Lord in the song, till i found out that adonai actually means Lord YHVH.

E- e. :) you'll never know the exact value of e(exponential, or 2nd Function ln on calculator), that should be us. we wont know how much of our potential that god can use us with, so dont limit him and dont limit yourself. we all are special and can do SO MUCH STUFF FOR HIM.

2009-10-25T05:51:00.000-07:00

Hi HG2-T ladies n gentlemen,

ok, i wanna show my appreciation to...

1stly, our wonderful cell leader, MR JOEL QIN. i wanna thank you for organizing this camp tgt w the other ldrs of the zone. though it was a small one, which turn out ltr to b a 2d 1n camp, im thankful that we had it. I think its e small things that will make us grow as a unit closer tgt understanding each other more. Mayb like by playing RISK, we can see who are those who are the 感情用事 ppl..haha..well maybe the skimming ones???haha crap but well we might not realize but i believe it will make us better tgt...lyk joel slps like a small boy, cherie slping posture hnhmm..haha..norman curves like a catapillar etc... I'm also thankful that a cell leader like u is always constantly caring for us. Though there may not b obvious or what but somehow i noe we or rather i can feel ur care and concern. To have you as my cell leader and to have u in our church serving is really a blessing. Im bad w words so i cant really exactly describe everything or things well enough, but i wanna tell u that u r really really appreciated by me from the bottom of my heart. I will not trade my cell leader for anything other than like if u say family den bo bian lo..as in can understand my illustration ryte??? Well, honestly speaking its only tis yr tt i started opening up more to e cell but its all thanks to u. THANK YOU.

the next grp of ppl i wanna thank is the most impt structure that made up the cell and tt's the rest of u guys. in ways or another, i thank u guys for making 2009 a more pleasant one. after i left "youth" i find gng cell a 'burden' as in like dun feel like gng. dragging myself to go whenever i go. but this yr i also realize that i have been looking forward to fridays, to cell meetings, to sundays even though e tym spent tgt on suns are lil... but whenever its e 1st wk of e mth when there's no cell, i go like haiiz...sianz...n stuff..it could be becos im mayb more busy or stressful now compare to last yr so i enjoy whatever is fun or watever reasons it may be, but i believe that u guys did made e change happen and it wasnt jus me alone. now adays, i really look forward to fridays. 1st cos its friday so its party time like TGIF!!no need work n stuff, but 2ndly e more of it one is that i get to meet up w u guys in cell or outings whichever. Even if it means just playing l4d or having small dinner or even messing my place, i really enjoy it. u know my hse is nvr rarely to 'MY guest' and the only 3 grps of friends that has ever visited my place is my youth cell, u guys and 2 of my good frens frm secondary sch and im really grateful u guys did...i do treasure the hrs spent on n off tgt and the most saddening part if i were to ever leave is to part w u guys. so a HUGE ENORMOUS THANK YOU to u guys as well, putting bits n pieces of fun-ness into my life.

THANK YOU HG2-T!

Well im not sure hw many reads it, hw often we logged on to see any updates up on the blog, but i hope u guys manage to read them :)

Cheers,
Pearleen

2009-10-19T20:26:00.000-07:00

okays here is the schedule agaration for zone camp.

Fri
7pm meet for dinner
9pm rach house and start cell group
12am end cell group and then OTOT

Sat
9am WAKE UP/DEVOTION/BREAKFAST
10am dialogue session
12pm start games! (lunch during games)
6pm back to house and bathe/wash up/ dinner
8pm service w ps aaron
11pm OTOT

Sun
10am break camp (dun care what time you wake up, you pack finish and do all your stuffs by 10 can liao)
1030am Mac breakfast at GEC
1130am prayer meeting
1230pm lunch
1315 CET (Dun sleep!)
1445 start service Generations Band (Boomz!)
1700 END

:D alrighty? any questions ask either paula laura or me. :)

2009-08-31T10:18:00.000-07:00

heyy guys, thanks alot for the encouragements!
joel, i just wanted to say, i believe its not by coincidence that you asked us all to write these.

because my spirit is truly lifted up by the short paragraphs from each one of you!
these came in timely and what you guys say has a link to what God has spoken to me on sunday.
things i never knew about myself (though i feel certain parts are overrated hahah!)

i hope the rest of us feel as encouraged as i do! and hopefully we get to know one another better, and speak into one another's lives more often!

encourage one another, and build each other up! upp uppp upppp upppp uppppp upppp okay enough hahahah.
see you awesome people on sunday! :D

in His love and mine,
princessdilys.

2009-08-28T19:42:00.000-07:00

Jonny boy is here to post!

Joel
what to say? You are easily the best cell leader around! you love your members and take care of them like how a sherperd looks after his sheeps. You make sure we are always at our best, emotionally and spiritually. Can't tell you how much i appreciate you as my cell leader. I am really fortunate and thankful for you!

Norman
TWINNNNNIEE!! the man that shares the same birthday as me! every year i have to share limelight with you! but i still love you alot! I am sure God must have his reasons for making such as a special arrangement for a special friend like you! You are like a younger brother to me! always so caring and helpful. You never fail to make us laugh and your presence always brings joy!

Cherie
Little one! Haven really talk to you for a long time since jurassic park years! I still remember last time we used to share secrets! You are one of best dancers around! Your passion for dance inspires me. You can really stretch and your flexibility amazed me! HAHA! I am one of your loyal fan! I am always impressed how you juggle and manage your time between school work and your commitments! No matter how busy or tired you are, you always remain faithful! you are a super nice and friendly girl from my first impression! Everybody loves you!

Dilys
BESTIEEEE! one of my childhood friend! you are always smiling! Everybody dotes you like a princess! you are always so encouraging and you always put yourself before others! You are a friend i can count on and i know you are always there for me! please take good care of yourself! Don't keep falling sick ok? Drink more water and have enough rest!
p.s. I enjoy teasing you. :P

Uriah
My gym kaki! God put you in my life to always remind me to exercise and not slack! HAHA! you eat alot but you train even harder! You are someone that always look at things positively and your encouragement always lift me up! Continue to win more medals and glorify God! :)

Pearleen
Our cell guitarist! I just want to tell you that you have been doing a wonderful job in serving the cell with your pro guitar skills! You are always encouraging people! You are very hardworking thats why your Gpa so high! haha! Jia you in everything you do! I wish you all the best! :D

Wai keat
Your presence is always felt and you are doing a great job in serving our nation! Continue to shine for God in the army! Join us more often! we really miss you!

Chang Xiang
You are a super funny guy! You always brightens up our day with you jokes! You never fails to make us laugh! It is always great to see you around! :D Brother in Christ forever!

I love my cell group <3

2009-08-28T09:19:00.000-07:00

YOZZER :D

of course i wouldnt think that i really know each of you well enough to write something entirely relevant, but nevertheless i hope that with whatever little bits and pieces of memories i have of the interactions i had with you guys, this post will be encouraging and perhaps, meaningful.

okay hmm so here goes my part of it.
in no order of preference (i actually dont really like joel ya!)

JOEL
im really moved by your willingness to go the extra mile, always. that phrase sounds quite overused, but truly i think your heart and acts of service capture every sense of the "go the extra mile" spirit. sometimes its like as though i can feel how tired you must be after the long day, yet you never stopped giving your best in loving the ppl around you with your actions :) you love and care for others not just by talking or listening, instead you choose to translate it into actions, into practical help, into being there physically and not just morally or emotionally. in fact, the toughest part is nvr the talking or listening, but what youve been doing :) your langauge of love requires much sacrifice and i for one really appreciate you for blessing my life even though its just been a mere 8months.

PEARLEEN
thankyou for always showing concern towards me :) apart from the possibility that i may be an adaptable person, your friendliness and care as an older member in the cellgroup are definitely crucial factors that have contributed to my easy integrating into HGT :) thru cell and working with you in bcm, i really feel very well taken care of. you always come up with suggestions favourable to me and try your best to accommodate my schedule & preferences. and i think the cooler thing is that even though sometimes youre like a bobo, i can feel that youre maturing in both your thoughts and walk with God. jiayou, we'll keep growing together :) youre almost like a big sister.

CHANGXIANG
guess what, i had the most fun time with you this evening :) like i said, im intimidated by you! haha nah, but your sharp wit and contagious laughter really make cell-group conversations exciting. one really awesome thing about you is that, youre just you, you dont try to be anything. so transparent, so open and honest. looking at you is like looking into an opened glass box, theres no unexpected side of you, like what you see is what you get; and theres always that willingness to be frank and youre just unassuming. i have a gut feeling one day i might discover the chemistry we share!

NORMAN
youre not normal at all haha. sometimes i find it difficult to fully uds what youre talking about, and i concluded that each of these circumstances will fall into either of these 2 categories- too profound for me to comprehend, or too low-order. but my guess is that youre a real thinker, about many things in life. my impresion of you is one who seeks to find meaning in the things around you and in the things you do. i think its good, because youre clear of what you stand for. youre sensitive and you care. :) thankyou for caring too. & i think beneath that boyish face of yours actually lies a tender and compassionate heart, so let God fill you more so His anointing can flow thru you strongly. His anointing can also be your strength :)

DILYS
its like my brain automatically matches the word "dilys" to "encourage" haha. i believe that its not just me, but manymany ppl who have come into contact with you in one way or another have been encouraged by you. besides that, i think i see in you a heart that longs for a change in the lives of ppl. its not the transformational change in individuals im referring to; what i mean is that there seems to be a burden in you to see breakthroughs in communities and lives. & i believe that to every person that you speak to with regards to these visions, you make a difference in that very life. put all your qns of yourself and of God away, be confident, and let God use you to impact lives :D

URIAH
uriah as i first know of is a buff dragonboat guy who cannot differentiate green from red. haha :P but youre definitely more that just that now. your soft-spoken and pleasant nature makes hanging around/ talking to you comfortable, not the least bit awkward or distant or detached. its like as though we're easily a family. so im sure God can use your personality to bless your friends. sometimes even 19-yr-old guys need a nice and understanding guy-friend, and i believe you can be that person to your buddies. seeing you during cell groups make me feel like the cell is complete :) my mind seems to have subconsiously conceived a mental-marker that says the cell is incomplete without you(riah).

JONYUAN
big one! haha. thankyou for always being nice and brotherly to the little oneee. you are one person who doesnt antagonize situations, you seldom disagree violently or make strong objections. i think your willingness to cooperate and accommodate others' preferences, on top of your easy-going nature, make you a good team member :) youre supportive and encouraging both as a cell member and friend, really appreciatezxz! the perseverance and diligence you put into academics and drums i believe will be honored by God even as you continue place Him as top-priority:) jiayou and i'll see your life shout His fame.

WAIKEAT
really hope that i can get to talk to you abit more! i read about your testimony on dilys' post and its really interesting. and i pray that the presence and reality of God will be even more personal and anchored even as you spend your days and months and year in NS. Let God lead you wherever you are: you avail yourself, God uses you :)

alrightyyy :)
tonights cell outing was great! cell group L4D!

GOODNIGHT omg so late le.
;CHERIE

2009-08-25T11:33:00.001-07:00

Homework? I thought I was done with school and homework and tests and all that kind of thing for these two years. Now to get on with it.

Joel
You play hard and work hard, caring as a leader as much as you care for others as a friend- while some may find your methods controversial at worst and effectively different at best: I find your initiative and daring visionary. God has made your life a platform that can reach out and connect with others on different levels, lame or otherwise. We cannot help but love your approachability and willingness to walk the extra mile. Keep up the good fight brave and fearless leader!

Norman
You above all others have grown, exponentially in my eyes be it in rangers or in church- the biggest hook here is that you actually really care. A lot. For a great many things and people, and it shows up as compassion, persistence and resilience. Seriously, the things you undertake at times- all at once is testament to God’s hand upon your ministry.

Cherie
For the newest member to the team you walk the talk like an old hand on the block. God has been gifted with many talents and your addition has definitely made the cell a whole lot livelier and dynamic. You’re a great combination of being revolutionary, full of spunk and having this bubbly passion for life and the things you do. You r o c k.

Jonathan
Through our numerous but brief encounters I can see a few clear things, one being that you are hardworking; which is a result of you being rather busy all the time. I can admire that spirit within you. Also, you have a unique flair that allows you to click with people, maybe you have not realised it but its there, your presence is felt and your absence is distinct. Draw strength from the Lord in all your endeavours.

Dilys
Like w o w. How to start- your life and ministry is saturated. The anointing flows out from you and your family, trickling down to every life you meet and inevitably touch. You are utterly amazing, don’t let anyone, or any circumstance even begin to convince you to think otherwise. You have a way with both the young and the old and an impeccable sense of duty, honour and justice. Continue to uphold what you know is God’s will and let Him handle the rest. One word: unshakable.

Uriah
You-riah! I know life can get really hectic and all that jazz but its great seeing you make an effort to be around whenever you can even if it means enduring physical fatigue or a heavy week. You have come a long way, so keep running the good race and fighting the good fight putting the Lord first in all you do and He will guide your paths and cover your back in all other areas.

Pearleen
Hello dudette! You know, even though you look like you always have your plate full I’m glad you never fail to continually serve faithfully in both bcm and cell. I want you to know, your family while seemingly a pain at times really are the few people you can count on and it is worth your while to invest an effort in building a strong relationship with them. You are a sporting, no-nonsense woman with God’s interests at heart, I have no doubt that you will go the distance in life.

Wai Keat
Yes la, change vocation already still so tied up- never mind that your new pes status has exempted you from a whole lot of stuff. Try your best to continue to come and fellowship with God and other believers. Heb 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. Continue to seek God’s purpose in your life and press on towards what is truly important. Hope to see you soon.

Signing out,
Chang Xiang

2009-08-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

ok thankful im not e slowest to receive information...at least e 4th one..haaha..lol1stly u guys all have been great except gng for a cell outing w/o me!!!haha..

ok so heres it...prepare for a naggy Pearleen Tan..

joel- hmm...i'll come back here..

norman- thks for always volunteering urself to many of our cell activities like playing...well..way to go!!!jus prac more often...haha..n ya..u hav also been a great ice breaker not meaning ur ice breaker games are fun but i mean breaking e ice during different times of cell meetings...n also grateful that u are always present for meetings esp during meetings w 3 - 4 members only...well.. ya we don really communicate tt much we shall chat more over msn..haha prob me!!haha..im a small liar whereby busy might not be my real status!!haha..im free for l4d too now!!haha..best wishes to ur rr n media n of cos ur everything!

dilys- yea pretty thks for e compliments..u're pretty too n i think u're great too though u always fall sick on FRIDAYS....but u nvr fail to cheer me up so timely with words..lol..jus like cecelia...she doesnt noe when im in trouble n stuff but her msges always come so timely lyk urs...urs usually sun n fri though..n some msn..wahhaha..k..stop wondering when....haaha..u wldnt noe..i hid it well..haha..ya..ur encouragement did pull me thru certain decisions n situations..so thank you...though we arent close lyk superglue..but i always noe u're a fren i can count on in all times..thks too for putting so much efforts in youth anni to make it such a successful one...

cherie- ok well honestly speaking i din lyk coming fer cell when i first join...i even gave pretty lame n stupid excuses to skip meetings..think tt was my most rebellious period towards cell meetings..haha..so i thot u really did pretty well in merging w us lyk those mention below..haha..i think u r one w lotsa charisma n tts ur strength..ur smile in ur dance lyk dilys mention could really cheer ppl up..tt smile of urs is a gift..ok i was laughing to myself during ur dance...haha..but do rmb it mus be one w joy n sincerity that comes forth from ur heart...haha..its nice knowing u too even though speaking to u makes me feel less intelligent..haha..but its ok for ur sake..ha..wld oso lyk to thank u for covering my duties on weeks tt i cldnt make it..(more to come though) haha..ya n unlike me u have always been a great helper w/o complaints..u r a gifted talent so dun let those passion in u die down..together we combine n become compassion!haha..i oso admire ur strong relationship w God one tt far exceeds mine...jia you in sch fer exams dance n ministry!we shall get to know each other more when u have e time..haha..

jon- lol okay i dun see u tt less cos we always meet along e corridors in sch...though u're a quiet guy u have lotsa of things in u..as in empty vessels makes e most noise..so jus e opposite..ya lyk dilys mention ur sudden msn msges do stun me..but it keeps me gng becos i noe im not alone esp during exams..haha..we shall exchange projs fer next sem ya..haha...den we can reduce both our workload...though its a form of cheating..haha..well...wanna pick up guitar...okay sure...tell mi when u free i go teach u ok...over e past wks pretty busy so cldnt much commit...but dun worry i'll teach u alright..u'll become e best guitarist..haha..limited to venue only..haha..get it?dun get it?forget it..wahhaah..go more gym w uriah k den can grow fit fit..den jam more too k den u can b drums pro-ist!haha..all e best for exams results!

waikeat- lol kk i dun see u tt often but im oso surprise to see u at e carnival..well..shall see u more in cell alrights!!n lets organize more outings so tt u can come join us too!!n yea u're lyka repica of cx..furthermore u guys usually appear when one does..haha..but well..do hope to know u more!!

cx- another missing one too..LOL..hope alls well for u in army..do u love army tt much or u dun really have a choice?haha..lol dun laugh k i noe ppl who love army so much..haha..but yea..hope to see u more often too ya..

uriah- ok well..i usually see u only on dinners or outings mayb some meetings...come join us more often alright..ur presence do light up e atmosphere..for instance ur drawing..wahahaha..really do hope to see u more often...n well, do take lotsa of care when training..stop injuring urself alright... :)

ok lastly joel qin..i've been typing for half an hr n im tired..i jus came back from training n i havent done my ultimate homework jus becos joel qin ask me to do this FIRST..haha..can i skip ur portion?haha..kidding..ya..thks for servicing us around n meeting our needs..well..u're a v devoted cell ldr..thks for being one..though sometimes we have difference in views but i think u really made lotsa of effort to put e cell tgt n i think it wasnt an easy task..well..u can oso get me to l4d more often now too since im holidays putting aside e fact tt im working too..haha..but i can arrange time for u jus lyk hw u always manage to arrange time for us...n well...taking all our jokes n handling us jokers...u did really good..so keep it up..but can we go ice skating for cell outing e next tym round..wahahahaha...i think though teasing u n disturbing u is pretty a common task..but ya..it isnt meant to bring u down..its a good form of communication u see..haha..but i think this is wht brought all of us closer..so thanks lots for e contributions..i do believe that it cant all b mention here but it'll always be kept in my heart..

thks all for the compliments n feedback..okay i shall grumble lesser..haha..love u guys too..

with lots of love..
Pearleen Tan..muacks! :)

2009-08-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

oh wow! i havent touched blogger in a long long while and this looks so unfamiliar hahah!
look joel, im doing the homework! cant believe i was the one who gave you the idea for this homework hahah!

joel! ive said what i wanted to on my blog leh. haha. mmm i really appreciate your thoughtfulness, and your openness to me as a leader and friend. touched that you trust me enough to share personal stuff with me! i see it as a privilege and i wont abuse it! (: your dedication to your ministries set a really good example to the rest of us. even though we always tease you, you know we do it because we love you! those words arent to tear you down! hahah. im sure you understand because you do the same to me! thanks for being a great leader. i must say you have earned my respect :D

norman! what to say about chiuuuuu? youre my best guy friend and i practically talk to you about every single detail of my life. i dont think you need me to write this paragraph, right? hahah! thanks for being willing to listen to my whines and silly speculations and whatnots. your willingness to go the extra mile and take on responsibilities spur me to give my all in my service to God and people. it's been a great joy serving alongside you in DR and other aspects. youre the best! :D

pearleen! youre pretty!! i love how youre so hospitable and go all out to make sure no one feels left out. esp when i told you about the hospitality thing for youth, you were so passionate about it (: i am truly encouraged! i respect you also for your determination; youre the sort who never says die! indeed, let God be your strength so you can continue to run and not be weary! rmb to wear dresses/skirts more often okay! i will go wee-uu-weet! :D

jonnie! yo bestie! like the two before me have said, please show your face more often okay! hahah! you know we miss your presence alot! some more now you have to work ): but y'knw what? i really appreciate how you take time out to care for me, simply by just asking how i am on msn. because when you ask, i can sense the sincerity that you arent asking for the sake of it, but you really listen to me talk! rmb always to lean on Gods strength when youre tired k, cos youre never alone (: and i am amused by both our mothers! :D

cherie! i think i said it to you on saturday, that i really like to watch you dance because of your smile! i love that you smile throughout the performance like you truly enjoy it! your moves have the oomph in it, and that what makes you stand out as a dancer. continue to use your talent as a tool for God to touch people! but rmb also to get enough rest okay! i know how crazy your practices can be. let the joy of the Lord be your strength!

changxiang! lets seeeeee. where have you been!?!?! hahah army is stealing you away from rangers! and cell! and church! but dont let it steal you away from God okay! you are always in our prayers (: thanks for always being so willing to help in situations. and also for caring. like when there are issues, you always try your best to make sure things turn out okay. i appreciate that, buddy! ohwait, i meant, lieutanant commander! hahah! appear soon okay! ER is def different without you! :D

waikeat! i am really amazed by how God moved in your life, srsly. i rmb the first time i saw you, we were doing street evangelism outside hougang mall. i saw you and i was like, whoa, replica of cx hahah. no la, but what hit me was that you said, oh im an atheist. so imagine my shock when i heard about you accepting Christ! your life is a testimony man! am encouraged by your dedication, really. army takes up so much of your time, but you make an effort to turn up whenever you can, even if it's just a short short while. continue to shine for christ, friend! :D

uriah! hello how have you been man! y'knw i really miss the times back in palmgrove when we were super close friends! hahah that is soooo long ago! but i still rmb the times we would go for dinner together after rangers and stuff like that. many things have changed since then, but i am so glad to see you back in cell! youre definitely in my prayers friend! do show up more often, whenever you can okay! your presence is missed! and rmb to look to God for directions as and when :D

okay i am done! hg2-tians, i love you! :D these words are definitely not enough to describe my love for you! hahah! let's show appreciation to one another okay! you never know when you will brighten someone's day. whenever i feel down, i can visit this blog for encouragements to lift my spirit up! (:

in His love and mine,
princessdilys.

2009-08-24T23:43:00.001-07:00

Joel - really enjoy your company, whether is it in cell, media, videos, l4d, guitar heroes, mousehunt or supper, you never fail to be ons anytime. hahaha. heart for service, never lose that passion to serve God in whatever capacity you have. and continue to lead hg2t well even though we may tease you a lot but you know we still love you :D

Dilys - although you may be quite slow sometimes and make me exasperated but you're still a valuable member of the cell with your encouraging and cheerful nature! continue having that love for people and making it a joy to serve along with you!

Pearleen - pearleen! always hear you complaining about something or another. hahaha but i know that you still do things with a committed spirit and always see things through to the end such that it gets done properly. although i don't talk to you very much, i appreciate the feedback you give to me regarding my guitar playing! encourage one another, and build each other up! up up up up up up up up up up!

Jonyuan - you always disappear oneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. but nevermind i still love you haha. you're always there to lift up the atmosphere when it gets too heavy. dont forsake the assembly of the saints ah! hope to see you more often twinnie!

Cherie - you're quite creative, and always have a lot of ideas to bring up to the cell, this makes things a lot more interesting! hahaha. and you didn't have a problem integrating into the cell, i thought that was really cool :D continue to be a fresh inspiration in whatever you do!

Chang Xiang - hey hey you you i don't like your army hahahah. sometimes i miss your wise-guy-cracks. but sometimes i dont. HAHAH KIDDING. yeah your wittiness brings laughter to me sometimes, and i really appreciate your presence when you do appear. haha! continue to be faithful in the lord okay!

Wai Keat - hey man, don't really see you much sometimes but really glad you made an effort to come down for youth anni even though you had to go off early! your actions show to everyone that you're indeed committed, and hope to see you a lot more after army is done, and waiting to see you join a ministry! :D

Uriah - oh man, you're so fit, can do all the logistics for youth anni next time. we sure need your biceps. HAHAHA. so anyway hope dragonboat wont take you too far away, but really hope that you'll continue/double your efforts to come to church to be enriched by us! and sometimes you're so blur its funny hahahah. brothers in christ forever! literally. :D

-norman

2009-08-23T09:45:00.001-07:00

hey guys lets try something new to this blog! lets write something about each and every member of HG2-T ok? in thsi way we can edify others and also build each other up, as wonderful HG2-Tians! ok lets get everybody to write and comment! its gonna be fun! :D i'll start! please indicate your who you are ok? if you forgot the password please tell me, i'll give it to you! and please do not talk about yourself k? and the order is not by merit, i love you guys all the same! :D

Joel - ME

Dilys - Since she was the one who gave me this idea, i'll start with her! ok dilys is a bubbly person that never fails to bring people their smiles! many a time i have to bring her down to earth once in a while. a creature that brings forth much mirth because of her innate ability to do stupid things and not even knowing, even though how much she claims to have "improved". :D but most of all she is a very helpful person that always tried to reduce my workload and most of all always ready to avail herself to others who need her. so kudos to dilys for her heart and hard work to the cell group! :D:D:D

Norman - is a very impressive piece of work! his heart for serving knows no boundaries, and even though he could reject almost half the shit that comes his way, still he chose to do it with a smiling face and a committed spirit! sometimes i think he learned from me all this and then he made it his own haha! but still i cannot fault him because it takes much diligence to pull it off and since he's my cell member and what i want to see in my members is that they outshine me! so continue to shine for God! :D:D:D:D

Pearleen - is a real person, in every sense of the word. If you scratch her back, she'll purr and scratch yours until you shiok.. hahaha.. but still she is a nice and amiable person who takes the time out to make others feel welcome when they feel like an outsider, and i'm not talking about the newcomers. anyone! i've heard good stories from BCM people telling how she can commit for one month to do whatever at a go, albeit complaining. she is the kind of person that will give you 5 solutions to a problem and help out immensely! so good job and keep it up! :D:D:D:D:D

Jon Yuan - jon yuan the very nice person! although you kept pangsehing me a lot of things, you still tried your best to try to come and help and bring joy into the cell group, and always bring out something new to surprise us! continue to keep your faith in God and have fun in your job and give me discount! :D:D:D

Cherie - Chua! you are a little unpredictable ball of fire, and i can say that you synced well with the rest of the cell quite seamlessly! as i gotten to know you more i can see that you are very obedient even though you may not want to do whatever that i asked you to do. :D its a good thing! continue to remain steadfast with God and always remain obedient to Him! and also remain obedient to His ordained shepherd for you (me). :D:D:D:D

Chang Xiang - my very MIA assistant! remember i told you i'm going to allow you to throw in your ideas for the cell, or something to taht degree! but the army has taken so much of your time (of course without your permission) but i can still see the fire for God burning in you! so keep that fire going and i'll be waiting for you to come back proper! 4 more months! jia you! :D:D:D

Wai Keat - is a very helpful person! he is also very thoughtful and always tries his best in everything that he does! even stuffing marshmallows into his mouth! you are certainly a very "on" person and i know that you can go far with this attitude! keep your faith with God and always remain in His grace! :D:D:D

Uriah - my fit zai! when you come for cell group it always promises to bring up the cell in more ways than one! and i can see your dedication to come for services even though i know you have your damn siong cca training on sundays! but fret not! the training will end but the church will never end! so jia you and keep your faith with God! :D:D:D:D

there you go! now start the ball rolling!!!! :D:D:D:D

2009-07-28T07:40:00.003-07:00

Are we all in a ministry?
Good.
Now we have to understand the difference of being in a ministry and serving God.

But ultimately, we must link the two together.

God has given us various talents for us to use and serve in His ministry. Some of us are good in singing, good in computers, good in managing kids, good in admin, good in logistics, and so many more. However, having a talent does not constitute serving in a ministry, or that is your calling. A ministry is a place that we can serve in, according to our talents. That’s why we should be in a ministry where we can better utilize our talents.

1 Cor 12:5, 7

God wants us to build up His spiritual household, His church. We are the vessels He uses to do that. That’s why we should and must commit to the church whatever our duties are.

Why must we serve?

Because we are created for it.
Eph 2:10

Because we’re saved to do so.
2 Tim 1:9

Because we have been called.
2 Tim 1:9

Because we have been authorized for service.
2 Cor 5:20

We are commanded to serve.
Matthew 20:28

You see God gave us the ability, the time, the strength, the tools necessary to serve in a ministry, all in the effort that we shall praise Him and reciprocate our talents for the betterment of His kingdom and cause!

Therefore, I encourage you to either take up a ministry, or even better yourself. But the most important part of this whole sharing is simple. Never treat your ministry as something to hold you back, or something that you find that there are better things to do. And there can never be a time when you find that you have done everything there is to do in your ministry. Therefore treat this sharing as an encouragement that you are doing something that God looks fondly upon, so do it with gusto and pride!

2009-07-28T07:40:00.001-07:00

Sharing 170709

Are we forever His?

Write your deepest darkest secret, that nobody ever knew regarding you, that you’ve been trying to hide for the past years.

But all these things that I once thought very worthwhile – now I’ve thrown them all away so that I can put my trust and hope in Christ alone. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have put aside all else, counting it worth less than nothing, in order that I can have Christ, and become one with Him, no longer counting on being saved by being good enough or by obeying God’s laws, but by trusting Christ to save me; for God’s way of making us right with Himself depends on faith – counting on Christ alone.
Now I have given up everything else – I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ and to experience the mighty power that brought him back to life again, and to find out what it means to suffer and to die with Him. So, whatever it takes, I will be the one who lives in the fresh newness of life of those who are alive from the dead. I don’t mean to say that I’m perfect. I haven’t learned all I should even yet, but I keep working toward the day when I will finally be all that Christ saved me for and wants me to be. Philippians 3:7-12

1. This verse talks to us regarding the sacrifices of Paul when he gave it all for Christ, and its very powerful, it’s a declaration to serve Him in everything we do.

- Can someone tell me some of Paul’s sacrifices?
i. Money
ii. Popularity
iii. Freedom
iv. Pride
v. And so many more..

But why did he do it? As verse 7 says, all the things that I once thought worthwhile, now I throw them all away. That’s the price we have to pay to serve our Lord. What he means is this: God can give us everything we ever wished for, he can! But what if one day he decides to take it back? God can bless, God can also take away. The problem is, will you relinquish that thing?

Are you willing to let go?

One issue that we MUST let go no matter what is our pride. Our pride is very important to many of us, but we have to learn how to let that go and offer it to God, because without pride, we can worship the Lord our God with no boundaries. You see in the church nowadays, people worship in their comfort zones, with their friends, nice lights, good music, so they just snuggled up and prevent God from entering in. Therefore what we see are half hearted worship which, as a member of MM, bothers me a fair bit. How can we worship God to the fullest extent when we do not give Him our best? Not to hurt anyone’s feelings or anything, but sometimes I cannot believe those people who said that they were touched by God but do not show any measure of like being touched, like crying, or weak, sometimes even pale faces, you can be really silent too. To me, to be touched by God is like a bolt of lightning. Very fast very strong, and you cannot control.

To witness the full power of God in our lives, we must let go of our pride. As what Paul says in verse 9, Now I have given up everything else – I have found it to be the only way to really know Christ.

2. verse 12, we must fulfill whatever God has called us to do.
- To do this, we must continually seek God to teach us in our calling.
- Ask around, what is their calling, not ministry, but calling. Evangelism, Mentoring, Counselling, Service, Pastoring, Worship
- Once we know each others, we must help each other and unite to bring everyone up together.
- Pray for each and everyone

2009-07-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

hey guys! the 2nd half of the year is upon us, and we have to think about what are we going to do regarding the youth anniv!

currently we are scheduled to do guitar hero, but if that one takes a bigger stage, and maybe we'll be doing polaroid photos! so it all depends. :D

i'll leave you all with ps aaron's WWN for this week. This was from Stretch camp when he shared this to many of the young ones, and i think it holds much truths for us too. Please tell me whether you want parts 2 and 3 too, cause i think not many online traffic coming here.. haha

FROM DIAKONOS TO DOULOS (Part 1 of 3)

For the next three weeks, I would like to share with us about servant-hood using three broad points. They are:

* Your decision to serve will position you before your destiny.
* Your serving will launch you into your destiny.
* Your attitude in serving will keep you walking in your destiny.

I hope you will be blessed as you read them.

MAIN TEXT: Matt 20:26-28

1. YOU DECISION TO SERVE WILL POSITION YOU BEFORE YOUR DESTINY

“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ…”

Eph 4:11, 12 (NKJV)

In v12: Jesus wants His followers to be trained in skilled servant work. Jesus wants every Christian to be a minister. What is “ministry”? It comes from the Greek word diakonos which is “to serve.” Therefore, “ministry” is simply “serving.” Ministry is using whatever God has given me to serve Him and the needs of others.

God has put in us talents and gifts so that we can use them to serve.

“Each of you has been blessed with one of God's many wonderful gifts to be used in the service of others. So use your gift well.”

1. Pe 4:10 (CEV)

So, there is no excuse for us not serving. God has put something in our life for us to use to serve and He has prepared a place for us to serve. Therefore, we must make a decision to want to start serving!

2. YOUR SERVING WILL LAUNCH YOU INTO YOUR DESTINY

In Gen 24, we have the story of Rebekah and Abraham’s servant Eliezer. Abraham was sending out his chief servant Eliezer (Gen 15:2) to look for a bride for his son Isaac. Eliezer did not go around looking for a successful lady in the society, or someone who is well educated and intelligent. Eliezer simply prayed to God to give him a girl who could serve (v14).

After he has journeyed for a whole day, he was thirsty. He came to a well and many women were there and there was one girl that stood out and her name was Rebekah. Rebekah really works hard! She serves not only Eliezer, a total stranger, she went the extra mile to serve and feed his camels!

As Rebekah serves Eliezer, she qualifies herself to be Isaac’s wife (v14) and she became part of the lineage that 42 generations later brought forth Jesus Christ. Her one act of serving brought her into her destiny.

Serving in the New Testament is many times a verb. It is action. And it is not a passive type of serving but an active type of serving. It must be continuous.

Our act of serving will launch us into our destiny! If you want to discover the purpose God has for you, start serving. Start getting involved in a ministry. If we want to walk in the destiny that God has prepare for us, then serving must be part of our lifestyle.

In fact, it was Jesus who said this…that if you want to be great, then you must serve. Turn with me to Matt 20:26.

“Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to be become great among you must be your servant…”

Matt 20:26 (NIV)

2009-04-21T11:19:00.000-07:00

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2009-04-17T23:06:00.000-07:00

yozzer!

Sharing for HG2-T, 17th April 2009

Title: The S-Factor!
Key Points: Satisfaction, Success and Security
Context: Examining these three areas in a Christian context, rather than from a layman’s perspective

• SATISFACTION (in the Kingdom of God)
-Are we okay with not being constantly filled by the spirit of God and having His presence in our daily lives?
-Does the satisfaction we gain when serving God replace our desire to be satisfied by God himself?

Revelation 2: 3-5
It is possible to look like a saint on the outside, but a dry and barren soul in the inside. The greatest competitor of devotion to Jesus is service to Him.

Busyness entraps us and it is a fact that we are constantly being distracted by the things around us. These things in themselves are not wrong, but we need to prioritize.
We should recognize the need for us to be satisfied by Jesus, this is the kind of satisfaction we should have in our lives. We were made to be close to God.
Encourage everyone to draw closer to God in devotion, prayer and worship. To allow the constant infilling of the Holy Spirit empower our lives and anoint our service, where we will begin to see how lives can be touched.

• SUCCESS (in the Kingdom of God)
-What is the world’s definition of Success?
Success in the Christian walk is sowing into eternity, sowing into the eternal things.

Luke 22:49-51
Peter was doing things he did not need to do, He did not see God’s greater plans.

-Are we too caught up with doing the things we want to achieve and the results we want to product that we neglect God’s purpose for us? [God’s purpose builds on eternity.]
-Sometimes we try to move things God doesn’t want moved, or start things He doesn’t want started.
-We do only what His will is.

When we obey God in sowing into the eternal, we know that
• We are in the right standing with God.
• It is his fight as well as ours.

-We don’t need to come up with big and loud ideas for God; we should learn to be faithful in the small things.
-Success is not just about doing things that are right/politically correct, but to be in sync with God and obeying His will and His plan.

• SECURITY
-What gives you security today?
-Does you security comes from Christ alone?

Share Personal Experience
-Trying to be in control and ensure that things fall in place and are going well.
-Finally when I grow tired, acknowledge God and want to lay things before the Lord then I realize how hard I’ve been trying to make myself feel secured, and not trust God to take care of me.

Isaiah 40:31
Waiting on God
- Waiting is not a passive position, but an active focus. (Waiting on someone is like serving someone, ensuring that needs are met etc)
- “Wait” in Hebrews draw reference to the process of making rope- STRENGTH.
-God’s promise in the verse.

cherie:)

2009-04-01T03:29:00.000-07:00

This is a rally call from Ps. Aaron. please put this either one of the pictures on your msn dp/facebook/friendster/twitter to help promote Easter Service! put as a cell can? :) make this like a movement or something.

2009-03-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

This week's sharing was actually a discussion regarding exposure towards the world.

We know that we are not of the world, but God did put us here for a reason. Many of my fellow Christians have either backslidden or walked away from God because they do not know enough about the world that we have been intended to live with. As such, since they do not understand and the church doesnt teach them, they turned to the world's views about the world, and then we would have lost them. In an effort to prevent this from happenng under my watch i have done up a few discussion questions that were pertaining to the issue of sex, films, politics, violence and youths, and the discussion was hotly debated but reached no real conclusion except to be aware but not to fall.

So please, if you have any questions relating to the world or its effects, please come to me and i'll try to give you the best answer that i know of, before going to search the world for answers, alright?

love you guys/girls,
joel :)

2009-03-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

Praise God!

Often times we say “Praise the Lord” or “Hallejuah” without remembering what it actually means. It is easy to say things that you don’t mean. According to the dictionary, the praise someone means to express admiration. And to sing someone’s praises is to praise someone publicly and enthusiastically.

I’ll talk about 2 things.

Firstly, why do we praise the Lord? There’s always a reason to.
There was a little old lady who would come out every morning on the steps of her front porch, raise her arms to the sky, and shout, "Praise the Lord!"
Well, one day an atheist moved into the house next door. Over time, he became irritated at the little old lady. So every morning he would step out onto his front porch and yell after her, "There is no Lord!"
Time passed with the two of them carrying on this way every day. Then one morning in the middle jof winter, the little old lady stepped onto her front porch and shouted, "Praise the Lord! Lord, I have no food and I am starving. Please provide for me, oh Lord!"
The next morning, She stepped onto her porch and there were two huge bags of groceries sitting there. "Praise the Lord!" she cried out. "He has provded groceries for me!"
The atheist jumped out of the hedges and shouted, "There is no Lord. I bought those groceries!" The little old lady threw her arms into the air and shouted, "Praise the Lord! He has provided me with groceries, and He made the devil pay for them!
There is a chief reason why we praise God. It is because He is worthy. He is the creator of the universe. He created you and me, and just like how the pot is a testament to the potter, we should praise Him. Every service is a celebration, to celebrate what God has done, is doing, and will be doing. Is there quiet celebration? No. we have to open our mouths and celebrate. James 3:9-12
9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
God gave us a mouth, and with this mouth we can praise God or we can curse men. God obviously does not want us to curse men, therefore we can only say that God gave us mouths to give him praise.

Now we move on to the second point, how do we praise God? The bible in Psalms 35:28
My tongue will sing of your righteousness and of your praises all day long
says we should give him praise all day long. Praise should be rightfully given despite our circumstances. In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas were thrown into jail, yet they were praising God.
There’re a few ways to praise God, first of all by singing. the whole of psalms and songs of Solomon are songs unto God.
Secondly by dancing (Psalms 149:3)
Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp.
Thirdly by sharing testimonies and being a testimony. (psalms 22:22) (matthew 5:16)
I will declare your name to my brothers; in the congregation I will praise you.
In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven.

If we do not praise god, Luke 19:40 says the rocks will. In a way the rocks are shaming us. Trees wave their branches and birds chirp, but if we who have mouths to speak don’t praise god, we will be shamed.

norman.

2009-03-15T23:17:00.000-07:00

JUST ONE OF THOSE DAYS - 33MILES

Woke up to the pouring rain
Stumbled out of bed with half a brain
Twenty minutes late for work again
But it's alright, it's alright

No time for coffee, gotta hit the door
Grab a shirt from off the floor
Never noticed it was stained before
But it's alright, it's alright

Oh, but nothing's gonna bring me down
No, not now

It's just one of those days
When everything's right
God is in his heaven and I'm walking in the light
So hallelujah anyway
It's just one of those days
You look at the sky
Throw your hands up and you laugh at life
So hallelujah, Lord be praised
It's just one of those days

The boss calls... yeah, I know I'm late
I had a flat on the interstate
Tell the man that he can wait
Don't get uptight, it's alright

Hold on... there's another call for me
No, I didn't buy a diamond ring
Somebody stole my identity
Hey it's alright, it's alright

Oh, but nothing's gonna lay me low
'Cause I know...

So come on rain, lightning strike
Just you try to shake my life
You got no power, you got no hold
'Cause it is well with my soul
So hallelujah, Lord be praised
It's just one of those days

2009-03-13T07:30:00.000-07:00

cherie: pray for strength and wisdom and help and understanding

pearleen:pray that work is smoother

jonyuan: pray for good results, strength

changxiang: pray for blessings

dilys: pray for Rangers Junior Leader Training Academy Junior Training Trail Camp

norman: pray that i'll have a fun, enriching, smooth, nice time at attachment. :DDDDDDDD

joel: pray for correct acceptance of march's news video

2009-03-04T07:53:00.000-08:00

We serve a great and mighty God, but we must first grasp hold of the fact that He is alive, before we can be sure of our faith. Christians worship a God who is alive, and that makes us different. Isaiah 40:18-20 To whom, then, will you compare God? What image will you compare him to? As for an idol, a craftsman casts it, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and fashions silver chains for it. A man too poor to present such an offering selects wood that will not rot. He looks for a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple. Our faith is made certain because we serve a God who is alive.

1. God the Father in the Old Testament
- In the Old Testament, God had an intimate relationship with Man.
- God communicated with Adam. Even though Adam couldn’t see God in the form of a person, Adam heard God loud and clear. It is just like when we talk over the phone. We do not see the person we are talking to, but we can hear the person and know that person is real and alive.
- God also knew the needs of His creation. He saw a need for Adam to have a helper, and thus He created Eve out of Adam.
- God evidently shown Himself as a God who is alive. He could fellowship with man and He could meet man’s needs. Adam knew for sure this God he served is a God who is alive.
- After Man sinned, God was disappointed. But He never turned His back on His creations. He continued to love us and show us that He is alive!
- God made the impossible possible. Parting of the seas was clearly impossible in the naked eyes of man, but God made it possible.
- It is something no human beings can do, and very obvious it was done by God. A God who is dead would not have the power to perform miracles, so it is straight-in-the-face that our God who performed this miracle is alive!

2. God the Son who in the New Testament
- Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
- God knows the struggles we have as humans. we are all humans and being the scientific beings we are, we seek for proof before we choose to believe. .
- By sending Jesus to earth, God showed himself in the very form of a human. Though he was 100% God, he was also 100%.
- He lived among His creations, fellowshipped just a friend would.
- No one can perform such miracles, except for God. All the miracles Christ performed showed that He was 100% God. The fact that He lived on earth showed that He was indeed alive. And when you put these two facts together, you get a God who is indeed alive!
- NT was also a very privileged and special period where God came in the form of a human. It is always easier to believe when we see it!

3. God the Holy Spirit in today’s context
- Jesus promised His spirit when he leaves. I used the word ‘leave’ because even though He died on the cross, He rose again 3 days later. He’s not dead, but he’s alive!
- And because God has promised never to leave nor forsake us, He sent His spirit to dwell within us.
- People began speaking in unknown tongues, and it must be God who made this possible. This again shows that He is alive and lives amongst us.
- We have power when we have the Holy Spirit inside of us. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do works for God, and these works point towards God and glorifies His name.
- The very works God performs thru us as willing vessels are proof and evidence that God is still alive today.
- Even though we do not see hear God audibly like in the OT, see God physically like in the NT, we feel God in our hearts, and SEE the wonders that He still performs today!

Conclusion:
We can see something common throughout the three different stages. In the old testament, we saw that Moses availed himself to be used by God, and God performed a miracle by parting the red sea. In the new testament, it was a small boy who sacrificed his lunch such that God could use his lunch to perform yet another miracle. In today’s context, it’s also about the availability of oneself. The Holy Spirit dwells in us only if we open up our hearts and allow Him to. He doesn’t force Himself into our hearts. We must be the ones who are willing to invite Him in. God is a gentleman. So today, if we want to see evidently for ourselves that the God we serve is a God who is alive, who is able to perform wonders and miracles, we must avail ourselves and allow Him to reside in our hearts.

2009-02-15T08:01:00.000-08:00

ok guys this is the rundown.
Know your basic doctrines - Norman, Wai Keat
Book of Zechariah- Joel, CX
We cannot but tell- Cherie, Jon Yuan, Dilys, Pearleen

:D

cheers,
joel

2009-02-02T06:18:00.000-08:00

CELLIES LISTEN UP!

Things that are happening this week/month:

1. WEEK. SERVICE IS BACK AT 245PM! that means that is also prayer meeting on sunday. all members are encouraged to attend the prayer meeting!

2. WEEK. There is NO cell this week due to cell leader's training.

3. WEEK. Those who are involved in the mentoring training, kindly note that this saturday there is TRAINING from 530pm to 730pm.

4. MONTH. 13th of feb cell group is in church for a Unforgettable Vday special! please tell me whether you are going via anything. as long i as i get the message. :) BY 8th FEB. also we each have to pay $5.00 for the event as well, which payment is due ALSO ON 8th FEB. and the last thing, DRESS CODE IS PROM NIGHT. that is to say, wear like you will wear if you're going for your prom night. i know for some of you quite hard, as you may be coming direct from school. just try your best, cause i think its going to be quite fun. :) and don't tell me you'll be going to prom night in slippers and shorts i will slap you silly. :)

5. MONTH. there will be a combined cell gathering on the 20th feb in church. its starts at 8. so we'll be having dinner at 7 then. i say liao dun come pangseh.. lol..

ok thats about it. anymore i'll add in. :)

You're dismissed! (just to complete the army feeling.. hehe.. )

2009-01-27T07:35:00.000-08:00

dudes and dudettes, quick poll.

for 30/1/09,

1) CELL?
2) VISITATION?
3) CELL OUTING (DINNER PROVIDED)

faster tell in tagboard or direct to me! :)

2009-01-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

here's the CRAP vision we're talking about! :)

Commitment in your ministries
Relationships
Active initiative/ Accountability
Pro-worship

C- doing more than what you are doing in your ministries. If you cant take one more ministry, just do everything you can with that one. e.g. if you're playing in BCM, learn more, at your own initiative. if you're in RR, find some way to bless your fellow RRs, like giving cards to the ERs, making cookies for the commanders. expect to see good commitment, not because of studies then take a break from everything stay home and mug. your priorities must be balanced out.

R- meeting up with the new couple at least once
full disclosure with whoever you're dating. the less i know the more you're in trouble. :)

A- initiative to break the monotony of cell group, e.g. members leading word.
having icebreaker in playground, having a cell group outing to the NKF dialysis clinic and so on.. all ideas will be welcome, and scrutinised properly. Always be sure to be accountable in everything that you do.. :)

P- equal emphasis with the word, but learn to make worship the lifestyle to have. everything do with the notion of "thats what Jesus would do!" learn the meaning of what God wants you to do and not what I think God wants me to do. give your bodies, souls, minds as an offering to Christ regularly.

Alsooooo...,

23rd Jan- Joel
30th Jan- CNY visitation
13th Feb- V-day!
20th Feb- Chang Xiang/ Jonathan Yuan
27th Feb- Dilys
13th Mar - Norman
20th Mar- Joel
27th Mar - Pearleen
10th Apr- Joel
17th Apr- Uriah
24th Apr- Chang Xiang/ Jonathan Yuan/ Cherie

1. if its your turn of the week, DO send me the template in which you want to share on for my perusal, then i can either add or do a separate one. :)

2. as part our "A" vision, let us take the initiative that if you cant make it for that week, find one week where you can and change with that person. i only want to know who changes with you, not to help you find, alright?

3. have fun! :)

cheers,
joel

2008-01-14T02:44:00.001-08:00

hope you are blessed by this video! affected me greatly..
have a great day!

2008-01-14T02:44:00.000-08:00

hope you are blessed by this video! affected me greatly..
have a great day!

2008-01-01T17:45:00.000-08:00

Hi people!

This is random.

Bored on the first day of school.

-qianxiang

2007-10-15T23:29:00.000-07:00

HELLO hg2t!

joel would like to know,
how many of us have not watched Facing Your Giants?

please tag!

have a great week ahead!

PRINCESS. (:

2007-09-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

the second picture very funny.. haha.. jovin first time got unglam picture.. haha.. ya we start a poll la.. which earring will paula wear to church next sunday?

happy birthday paula!

joel

2007-08-17T09:21:00.000-07:00

2007-07-10T06:42:00.000-07:00

this was a comment from friendster that yourong sent me, cause on sunday he say he wanna act in youth anniv, then he keep showing me his acting skills, then i just now sent him a friendster comment about how "good" were his acting skills. then the thing which i copy on was the friendster comment.

MSN CONVERSATION:

PRINCESSjoella. says:
LAME LAME LAME

PRINCESSjoella. says:
(this is the friendster comment from yourong.)
hello.
what is acting???i dont act, i live what i act,so when i act,i live and when i live,i act.
hi act.

YouRong says:
hi

argh the lameness i have to put up with everyday.. haha.. i share with you all cause i think its too funny liao.. lol

cheers,
joel

2007-07-01T06:36:00.001-07:00

2007-06-30T18:29:00.000-07:00

hey all, its joel here! haha we're still fresh from DIAFY(just woke up from 1743 yesterday) so yea writing my thoughts down about what i felt during the trip there(you can too :).

when i first started preparing for the DIAFY, i was really apprehensive, i mean NKF!! such a big organisation and we are such a minuscule group, how to let us go there!! then i was really debating whether we shld get thong teck home instead, but as i was debating i heard this song come up in my ipod, "hear the trees' joyful cry, praising you and so will I, a new song i'll sing, Lord i will glorify and bless your holy name" i was set thinking by the Lord no less, could this be the new song we'll be singing? could this be the step of faith God has set for me? i was challenged by the words that the song had said, so i went ahead with the plan, believing God will make a way.

and yes the testi from the aftermath of DIAFY followed plus the one in cell for those who werent there.(eh thats everyone..)

then if you didnt know, the stars thing and the bottle werent like decided on last monday or something, it was thurs night.. haha.. so i was severely daunted by the mammoth task that laid ahead of us. i was also thinking of going immediately into PW instead of games, but God intervened and told me," let the cell continue, let God win the battle for you." i obeyed obviously, but being the MAN i am, i also wondered how God could help.

after a wonderful cell session, we started on the thing proper, which was already 2232hrs. and we are all usually high and eating stuff so we actually started on 2300 plus minus. i was like uh oh.. but we already started so far, we had to see it through. so we started doing the indomitable amount of stars.

to tell you the truth, in case you don know(dont think i told anyone), i just cycled 13 km before cell, so i had a big tad of tiredness coursing through me, if God wasnt there i would have been the first to KO. then when all KO at around 0430, i was super demoralised and even contemplated following them, but the ipod(yeah i love my ipod), played one of my favourite songs, when it went,"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, In awe of the one who gave it all, I'll stand my soul Lord to you surrender, All I am is yours." i was so touched and i just wanted to worship God right there and then, but God impressed upon me that what i'm doing is glorifying God's name, so get on with it! so yea i now realised God won the battle of the Z monster for me! haha praise God!

then we were obviously late for DIAFY, that the slotted time was fast running out on us. Thank God for the two beautiful taxis that turned out for us(ours was blue) that we were able to get there faster.

during the DIAFY, i was really blessed myself as i gave our 12 hours of work to the patients, although my side didnt really wanna talk so much. and i thank God for vicky that she was able to give us time to understand more about dialysis and the huge risk in our diet that puts the strain on kidneys, and yes the evidence in her case was QUITE convincing.. haha.. yeah and after that, thank God the taxi driver nv bring me round and round wasting my money, cause i had KOed in the taxi.

i want to thank God for everything, that it is not my strength but His that brought me through. i was only his servant and when jon yuan told me he respected me, i didnt really wanna divulge my personal moment with God, so i kept quiet and smiled knowingly(sorry jon yuan!). so all in all i just wanna thank all of you! thank you thank you thank you!!

P.S. pls pray for the patients and nurses, their job not so good.. and imagine the needles!! and their hearts to be converted to God.

cheers and =),
joel

2007-06-13T18:52:00.000-07:00

hey hey! we're back from church camp! it was a awesome camp with ps rachel sharing about faith and how to go beyond! God was with us the whole time, when rainclouds were looming nearby we had the faith to continue the games, and it didnt rain! i myself paid no heed to the clouds and continue acting out the things to had on a lady's bag. and yeah peace has won! and i realised that most of us that went for the church camp was either from peace or patience.. haha.. so anyway friday prepare for all our testimonies and small talk about the camp.. oh and i recreated the whole peace cheer here.. as i remembered.. haha.. POW WOW can use till happy.. haha..

dalahad sabatat mutabad la heaaa
s h shalom
dala chun na juji datba heaaa
i o lets go
chuli chuli ango li say PIA karengay!
chuki puki puti pateh PIA karengaay!
roti prata! oo-oo!
nasi goreng! oo-oo!
goreng pisang! oo-oo!
shalom shalom shalom...
BILA BILA shalom! ta tak kut ta tak kut!
BILA BILA shalom! ta tak kut ta tak kut!
bila bila siao bu da la kal la! shalom!
bila bila siao bu da la kal la! shalom!
kat ti so lei! shalom!
kat ti so lei! shalom!
aran tak aran! oei!
koyan tak koyan! oei!
shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalom my friend shalom my friend
shalom!!! shalom!!!
may God be with you may God be with you
shalom!!!!!! shalom!!!!!
*applause and cheering*

haha.. but yeah peace won second..

2007-06-05T22:36:00.000-07:00

hey guys!! church camp is just around the corner! and yes to provide you with updates of what is going to happen..

1. friday cell carries on hor..
2. please DO NOT wear your green YA shirt on sunday
wear it instead on MONDAY.. MONDAY MONDAY!!
3. i and chang xiang are leaders for the upcoming church camp, so if you are in our either family pls support us!
4. go and enjoy yourself at church camp! i know i will! haha..

2007-05-02T05:51:00.000-07:00

hey guys.. i'll be organising an outing on sunday after service since the one on labour day wasnt successful.. so pls give me suggestions abt wad you wanna do on the tagboard.. i have a few given to me by some from the cell..

1. iceskating
2. shopping
3. spiderman 3
4. pool(the cue kind)
5. mahjong(no pls)

feel free to post any suggestions too.. haha.. and someone tell jovin, shari-ann, xk, and those who don read this blog abt it..

cheerios,
joel

2007-04-29T06:06:00.000-07:00

weeweee
weee
weeee.

2007-04-25T06:25:00.000-07:00

haha.. this is the first time i am saying this, lets hope it'll be the last..

i did a dilys today. (250407)

unthinkable!!! but since i love my cell and wish they have a good laugh in spite of myself, i will share the story..

i already quite seh, then i asked my friend for a friend's number, then he gave me.. then i look at him like he am chio already, but i see then i call lor.. then i nv hear the first few words of the opposite guy talking, i only heard "speaking", then i immediately asked," is that bala?"

there was silence..............

then the guy said again, " this is 995 emergency speaking."

I STUNNED......... i was like," JIA LAT!?!?!?!" then my friend behind started laughing....

well you better not know how i "took care" of him, army style, but still!!! i never fall for that old and simple to see trick!! now i fell paiseh nv say sorry to the emergency guy!!!

there you have it, my weird weird day..

oh P.S. the number was 99544346.

2007-04-24T05:50:00.000-07:00

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RESURRECTION

We know that our Lord Jesus died and He rose from the dead three days later, just as He said. Hallelujah! What is the significance of the Resurrection? Let’s use this week’s WWN to look at them…

1. IT PROVES THAT JESUS IS GOD’S SON

Jesus stated that He had authority to lay down His life and to take it up again.

“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life – only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”

John 10:17, 18

2. IT VERIFIES THE TRUTH OF SCRIPTURE

Both in the Old Testament and in the teaching of Jesus, His resurrection is clearly taught (see Ps 16:10, 110:1). If Jesus had not come out of the tomb, then these Scriptures would not be true.

3. IT ASSURES OUR OWN FUTURE RESURRECTION

Because Jesus died and rose again, we shall one day be raised like Him (1 The 4:13-18). In fact, the entire structure of Christian faith rests upon the foundation of the Resurrection. If we do away with His resurrection, we have no hope.

4. IT IS PROOF OF A FUTURE JUDGMENT

“For He (God) has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him (Jesus) from the dead.”

Acts 17:31

5. IT IS THE BASIS FOR CHRIST’S HEAVENLY PRIESTHOOD

Because He lives by the power of an endless life, He is able to save us “to the uttermost” (Heb 7:23-28). He lives to intercede for us.

6. IT GIVES POWER OFR CHRISTIAN LIVING

We cannot live for God by our own strength. It is only as His resurrection power works in and through us that we can do His will and glorify His name.

7. IT ASSURES OUR FUTURE INHERITANCE

Because we have a living hope, we can experience hopeful living. A dead hope grows weaker and weaker before it eventually dies. But because Jesus Christ is alive, we have a glorious future.

Friends, we must never underestimate the importance of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The world believes that Jesus died, bit the world does not believe that He arose from the dead. If anything proves the kingship of Jesus Christ, it will be His resurrection from the dead!

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”

Matt 28:6

(From “be Loyal” New Testament Study – Matthew by Warren W. Wiersbe)

cheers,

joel

2007-04-24T00:54:00.000-07:00

This blog is dying... slowly dying.... the people are leaving.. leaving...

what are we to do except lie here and wait for....

3

--qianxiang, ad requiem.

2007-03-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

yooo!! haha..

norman i nv hear wad ps aaron shared, but glad to know you got smth out of it..

just to come here and write testimonies for myself..

remember i asked you all to pray abt my bowling competition last week? well i got 2nd position! haha.. praise to God! haha next time show you the trophy hah..

i not getting baked in the sun liao.. turning into ba kua soon.. have to the the parade to change the chief of defence and chief of army, so maybe can see me on TV.. wahha..

update you more on fri and sun..
hope you all got miss me during sunday.. haha.. dilys quite fun for you right? haha..

okok signing out,

cheers,
joel

2007-03-11T11:28:00.000-07:00

norman here. uh was just thinking about ps aaron's message, about unforgiveness. and i realised unforgiveness can come in many forms, not just in the usual, you hurt me, i dont forgive you kind. but it can also come in a form of bitterness, as in i see that guy's face i dont like him, that in a way is unforgiveness too. unforgiveness can also come in such a mild form you dont even realise its there, but its there. and its probably hindering us from delving further into the presence of God.

for me, my unforgiveness is aimed at my baby brother. noel, as it turns out, might be slightly autistic. a lot of signs have appeared to be showing that. and my mum has sat down and chatted with my older brother and i, talking to us about the future and all that. and it seemed i bore some sort of bitterness at noel, even though i did NOT know it. because when i thought of the things i'd have to go through, a touch of self-centredness here, then i guess i sort of 'blamed' him for it, even though he has nothing to do with it and no one should be blamed.

i think God worked in my life during the altar call, and i think this unforgiving nature should be dissipating, but i guess i could still use some prayer.

on another note, i think that when we pray for people's hearts to be softened, we should not go about it in such a way where we fault them. its not their fault to have believed in the 'wrong' thing, but rather we should respect them for having such strong faith in what they believe in. we should learn from them, from their faith in their belief, and win their hearts for christ through love.

hmm i hope i got the right thing across.. if anything seems wrong here please notify me haha. they're just my thoughts, i never counter-checked them with anyone.

2007-03-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

hello guys :)
haven't posted for so long! :) how has everyone been doing, from the looks of it almost everyone got into your first choices for posting right? thank God :) just wanted to encourage you that prayer really works, and that if you include God in your planning, the peace from the knowledge that you are where He wants you to be is immeasurable :) remember to keep including Him in the planning of your life!

about street e, am really proud of all of you for contributing and coming down, and meeting and sharing with people even when you all were initially shy :) really makes me very proud to see all of you daring to step out of your comfort zone! don't be too discouraged if people don't want to accept, the important (and i think most joyful thing) on saturday was that almost 140 people heard the gospel! which means they heard (in many forms) about Jesus' love for them and God's great plan for their lives :) so for that we must be thankful :) remember sometimes all it takes is that one step out of our comfort zone, its' obedience that God is looking for, people who are willing to stand up and step out for Him.
I pray this street e will not just be a one-off experience, but it will fire in us a passion that will keep going, that we will keep refining and keep learning how to share the gospel with other people :) remember the best testimony still is not words, the most powerful testimony is through your actions, your speech. people are looking :)

found this while i was surfing the internet, just thought i'd share it with you. scary thoughts, but oh how true:

"The Devil's Beattitudes"

If the devil were to write his beatitudes, they would probably go something like this:

1. Blessed are those who are too tired, too busy, too distracted to spend an hour once a week with their fellow Christians - they save me the effort of trying to keep them from God's blessings.

2. Blessed are those Christians who wait to be asked and expect to be thanked - its pretty easy to keep them from working for God.

3. Blessed are the touchy who stop going to church - they are my missionaries.

4. Blessed are the trouble makers - they shall be called my children.

5. Blessed are the complainers - I'm all ears for them.

6. Blessed are those who are bored with the minister's mannerisms and mistakes - for they get nothing out of his sermons.

7. Blessed is the church member who expects to be invited to his own church - for he is a part of the problem instead of the solution.

8. Blessed are those who gossip - for they shall cause strife and division - that pleases me.

9. Blessed are those who are easily offended - for they will soon get angry and quit.

10. Blessed are those who do not give their offering to carry on God's work - for they are my helpers.

11. Blessed is he who professes to love God but hates his brother and sister - for they shall be with me forever.

which beatitudes are all of you living with today? remember to check your lives always, lest you fall into the Devil's trap..
see you all on friday k! :)
meanwhile take care and be good :)

in His love and mine,
paula :)

2007-03-07T03:29:00.000-08:00

hey hey everybody!
praise God!
our "fresh from secondary" cell-ies have got their results! and it is good to know that most of them are happy with their results and many got their first choice! here are their results everyone..

1. dilys - srjc
2. stephanie - business IT @ TP
3. Xiang Kuan - business IT @ TP
4. jonathan - accountancy @ NYP
5. norman - audio visual technology @ NP
6. pearleen - marketing @ NYP

once again congratulations!

cheers,
joel

2007-03-05T03:47:00.000-08:00

street e exaltation.. haha

cheers,
joel

WHY FISHERMEN? (Part 1 of 2)

““Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.””

Matt 4:19

Jesus had four and possibly seven men in the band of disciples who were professional fishermen (Jhn 21:1-3). Why would Jesus call so many fishermen to His side? There are 5 traits of fishermen that we can learn from:

1. FISHERMEN ARE BUSY PEOPLE

They are usually busy with something. Professional fisherman did not sit around doing nothing. They were either

* Sorting their catch
* Preparing for a catch or
* Mending their equipment.

The Lord needs busy people who are not afraid to work, to be the salt and light of the earth, to make a difference and to reach out consistently. The opposite of ‘busyness’ is ‘idleness’ or ‘laziness’. Laziness is a fatal virus able to incapacitate the best of men. In our politically correct school system it’s called “energetically declined.”

Laziness is failing to take advantage of your God-given opportunities and abilities procrastinating what you know you should and must do until you are forced to do it and then taking the least path of resistance to see it happen.

It was said that a lazy man can be so lazy that he can put popcorn in his pancakes so that they might turn themselves over (W.C. Fields). He let others do the job rather than he himself does it. In the Bible laziness is seen as a serious problem with damaging consequences that should be avoided at all cost. Let us not be lazy in everything we do!

3. FISHERMEN ARE SKILLFULL PEOPLE

They must have skill. They must learn from others where to find the fish and how to catch them. You don’t use the method that catches crab to catch a fish!

Serving the Lord demands skills too. So, keep improving yourself with necessary skills to make you effective in your ministry. Do not be afraid to invest (Remember the parable of the talents in Matt 25).

2. FISHERMEN ARE COURAGEOUS AND PATIENT PEOPLE

Think about the type of weather fishermen have to meet when they are on sea. In our service unto the Lord, some of us encountered ‘smooth weather’ and some of us experienced ‘The perfect storm’.

Serving the Lord are not all days bright and sunny. There are just times when we meet these ‘storms’ and we have to be courageous in facing them and not fleeing them. These storms should not discourage or deter us from fulfilling the life assignment given us by God. Rather, know that they can grow us and make us stronger, wiser and effective in our future service.

If you have ever gone fishing before, you know that to wait for a fish to be baited, you have to wait. How true it is for some of us that when we failed the first time, we give up. Patience is one of the characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Jesus himself did not give up reaching Peter, who denied him 3 times. Let us learn to be like our Saviour!

Have a great week!

AaronL

2007-03-04T05:05:00.000-08:00

OKAY!

i'm here to keep the blog alive.

PRAISE JESUS FOR WAI KEAT'S SALVATION!!!!!!!

i just heard this statement on tv,

"advertising" for the ren ci charity.
not only do we have love, we wanna share the love to others as well.

for non-christians to say that,

how much more should christians do!

the love they share is imperfect,

but yet we can share God's perfect love!

fulfilling the commission doesn't just stop at yesterday's street e.

[though sadly, i wasn't able to do much yesterday. boohoo:( ]

it's about adding God into our conversations with non-christian friends.

it's about displaying His love in our lives.

not for the sake of doing it,

but with a genuine heart!

and i'm learning as well (:

it's the same with our fellowship with fellow siblings in Christ!

a fellowship isn't a fellowship unless God is the center of our attention,

in the session of fellowship.

and i'm so glad all of us are doing these things!

cos we have our leaders being our role models.

THANK YOU PAULA AND JOEL!

we greatly and deeply appreciate all that you are doing!

and lastly,

i just wanna say i love you guys so so much!

and continue blogging!

share what you feel and learnt!

even if you're sad and you need someone to listen,

blog about it here!

or if you're happy, share the joy here!

and esp when God has taught you something,

share the good stuff here!

HAHA!

signing off,

PRINCESSdilys.

EVERYBODY,

HAVE A GREEEEAAAAT WEEK AHEAD!

remember to tap on God's blessings!

2007-02-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

hey all happy cny! i dunno how much you took but yeah, happy takings! haha.. this is gd time to reach out to your relatives who are unsaved and we can make the world go round with Jesus! haha.. prayer request from me..

1. xk- tp doing BIT.
2. jon- NP doing accountancy
3. dilys - SRJC
4. norman - NP doing audio visual technology
5. chelmin - NP doing mass com
6. stephanie - SP doing BIT
7. pearleen - NYP doing marketing(sounds like groceries haha)

haha.. pray fr their choices that they'll get it in their first choice, but God's will be done first.. okies? blessed cny again everybody!!

cheerios.
joel

2007-01-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

hello guys, dilys here.
remember on Friday i asked you to pray for me regarding making the right decision?
haha, thanks the your prayers, and yup, i've made my decision.
read it on my blog.
www.best-creation-of-god.blogspot.com
besides that, i have something else to share.
you know what people always say,
an idle mind is the devil's workshop.
it's true.
the devil has been reminding me of my past hurts, and i've been running away from it, instead of doing that right thing -- surrendering all to God once again.
i kept dwelling on it, and gradually i found myself getting angry with God.
but last night, i couldn't get to sleep.
and God prompted me to listen to the song by Avalon "We are the reason", and the chinese song, "Ni Ai Yong Bu Bian".
He really spoke a lot to me, and i could feel His tangible spirit right there in my room.
and He reminded me of something He has taught me in 2005, which is what i'm here to share with you guys.
surrendering to God is never a one-time thing.
you may have laid it all down at God's feet, but there will be times when the devil will use it against you.
that's when you have to surrender everything to God once again, so that your mind will not be manipulated by God.
it's never easy to surrender, but when we do it, we find ourselves in total freedom.
which is the same as forgiving others.
people always say "forgive and forget".
i personally don't think that it is possible to forget what one has done to you.
but true forgiveness, is when you think about that person, and you think about what he has done, you don't feel resentment, but rather you are able to love him.
and that is freedom too.
yup. i don't know why i shared all that, but i really felt led to do it.
so i hope God will speak to whoever's the one who needs it.
have a great week ahead, and keep honouring God in whatever we do (:

2007-01-01T07:53:00.000-08:00

hey guys..

its a new year!! as i write this during the closing moments of the 1st day of 2007, i would like to say a few things..

things of 2006 has passed.. anything we've done wrong or mishandled over the last year we can now forget.. as we proceed towards the new year let us not forget the lessons people or God has taught us over the last year.. now is a new year.. there are people going through As, some enjoying their honeymoon JC1 period.. some having to do their final semesters, their dissertations.. we must learn to Grow in our spirit and our service to the Church and God.. we cannot lose sight of our direction because of the fog of the world..

our cell is moving on a whole new direction ahead of whats coming this year.. its a big move and change for all of us.. however the cell is changing, we have to respect our leaders and trust that they can lead us to greater heights with God..

cheers,
joel

P.S. seems like my posts are usually solemn sounding.. haha.. lalala~~

2006-12-21T08:17:00.000-08:00

hey guys :)

mm i think let's have an agreement, that we should not modify each other's posts in any other way k? except maybe to change the font colour if somehow it is very difficult to read. i think the basic idea that joel was trying to bring across was that of respect. that we should respect whoever is talking, not just the cell leader, but maybe the icebreaker leader or perhaps someone giving a testimony. it's not very difficult i think, but let's try together k? :) i personally think it's alright to talk a little during such sessions, if everyone were quiet when i shared i'd be quite freaked. as long as you all listen, take note and understand what the sharer is talking about, it's not always necessary to keep silent always :) just remember to focus ya? :) like joel said, let's work on it together, we'll do okay :)

mm like i promised, these are my long-awaited and way-past-deadline sharings from a long time ago :p

on how to live a life of TRUST:

Take one day at a time
Matthew 6:34
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Remember, all things work together for good.
Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Under no circumstances should you worry
Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Start everyday with prayer and thanksgiving
1 Thess 5:16-18
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

The Lord will never leave you or forsake you, never forget that!
Hebrews 13:5
Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

on how to react to difficult situations/trials in our lives - 5 questions:

WHO can i touch with this experience?
Your REACTION
Who are the people affected by your situation? the way you react to things, the things you say when things happen, they really affect the people around you. sometimes we all need to learn to stop being so self-centred and wonder what other people see in us. Many people watch us when we tell them we are Christians, so shine your light :)

WHAT can i thank God for?
WHAT can i learn from this situation?
These 2 questions together: Your PERSPECTIVE
What are the silver linings you can find on the dark clouds in your life? Remember one of the keys to trusting God is finding something to thank Him for in every situation. It's not finding excuses for God, it's knowing that God has everything in control, and everything that happens in your life is happening for a reason. so take heart :)

WHERE is God leading me in this situation?
Your SENSITIVITY
Sometimes a series of trials happen to you. in such situations, be sensitive in the spirit, sometimes God is trying to lead you somewhere in life, to lead you to perhaps a place where He will lift you higher. Many times God has to break us down, past our barriers and the walls we build around our hearts before He can truly begin to work in us and change us. He sometimes does this through trials and difficult situations.

HOW do i want to remember this situation in my life?
Your DESTINY
When you look back on this time in your life, how do you want to remember it? How would you like to recall this situation? Not as in the physical recording down in your diary or blog about the situation, but how it will stay in your mind. Is this going to be remembered as the lowest point in your life, where you failed? or will this be remembered as the time when you stood up and fought? Look at the big picture. the question that struck me as i was preparing this: Is this going to be the lowest point in your life, or the turning point in your life? you can decide :)

Yupyup this is all i have for now, i actually have alot more in my heart that i want to tell all of you, but i think this post is long enough. you all are probably bored :) haha see you all friday! remember your presents and your testimonies :) God has been good to us this year. 2006 has whizzed by so fast, let's take some time from our busy schedule and normal cell group to really think thru and thank Him for what He has done :)

in His love,
paula :)

2006-12-19T08:14:00.000-08:00

A SURRENDERED LIFE (Part 2 of 3)

Last week, we look at one aspect of a surrendered life – to submit to God’s ruler-ship. This week, we will look at another aspect of a surrendered life.

2. A SURRENDERED LIFE SEEKS GOD’S RIGHTEOUSNESS

A surrendered life seeks God’s righteousness. What is God’s righteousness?

The righteousness of God is an aspect of God’s nature which expresses his unique moral perfection and his readiness to save sinners. It is made known especially through the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God’s nature is righteous (Ps 119:137). His actions are righteous (Dan 9:14) and His law shows his righteousness (Ps 19:8-9). God’s righteousness is a pattern for human living. When we learn to live according to God’s righteousness, we start to live a righteous life.

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the spirit.”

2 Cor 3:18

We want to be more and more like Christ everyday and all of us know that it can be difficult and very challenging in this sin-filled world. But the Bible is full of story of people who lived a life of righteousness in their days. Noah, Job and Daniel are three men in the Scripture credited with extraordinary righteousness.

“…even if these three men - Noah, Daniel and Job - were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign LORD.”

Eze 14:14

Noah (Ge 6:5, 8-9)

He was ridiculed and laughed at on trying to build a boat for nothing. Yet, Noah was not influenced by the wickedness in his generation.

Job (Job 1:1, 3B, 4, 5, 8)

Job was tested on his love for God through his possessions, his physical health and his peers and yet Job trusted and believed in the God he serves.

Daniel

All throughout the book of Daniel, we read of how Daniel was tested again and again, but he remained righteous and holy—faithful to his God.

He was a man of the Word (Dan 9:2)
He was a man of prayer and fasting (Dan9:3)
He was a man of the Holy Spirit (Dan 5:11)

Daniel lived a life of no compromise to the standard of God. He kept his heart pure.

In this sin-filled generation, will we go all our way to pursue the righteousness of God? Will we be like Noah, Job and Daniel who, though they are in the world, but know that they are not of the world?

He who pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honour.”

Pro 21:21

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Matt 5:6

aaron

2006-12-16T07:23:00.000-08:00

guys joel here..

can we pls be more attentive and less talkative during the sharing during cell? people want to learn smth from the cell and smth to bring back home and ponder over.. its not going to help matters if we constantly interrupt those who are talking and it is only fair to the speaking party if we are listening to him/her.. this cell was a good example.. its only a 15 mintue sharing by paula max, but it dragged on to half an hour and paula constantly lost her train of thought because of various interruptions like passing of notes, doing stupid things, fidgeting, bursting out with the same comments again and again.. i think we are all matured already. there's a time to make jokes and a time to be serious and learn the word of God. cell is something i think most of us look forward to(myself included) and seek and enjoy it as much as we can. let us give respect to the sharer and in the same way let us enjoy the cell with God's presence. i might not be so forgiving next time. let us work on it together. =)

prayer requests:
pray for the Klang mission trip and the indonesia mission trip
CCIS
yining's family(yining's grandfather had passed away on thurs)

cheers,
joel

2006-12-10T21:06:00.000-08:00

hey guys qianxiang here.

This is copied from my LJ, which i copied from my Blogger blog, so if you have seen this material before, excuse me.

A small miracle happened to me last Saturday. i got what you would call a divine revelation. It's a kind of threshold crossing. During the sermon in the BCM camp on saturday i was so unsettled that i went up to pray. Honestly, i very rarely pray outside my devotion time-- those prayers just before exams that have so many 'me's in them don't count. And i got a verse. Isaiah 57: 16-19, i believe. Now, it's about sin. It's only 11am in the morning. i'm quite sure i haven't killed, stolen, or destroyed. So i pissedly ask God "NOW what is it about?", and i actually get a mobile number. Which i have never, ever seen before. That's the pinch-- send something to a number i've never ever seen before. What the hammer? What the chain? What the anvil? and all that. But i just trusted, and i smsed that verse to that number. And guess who it was? It was someone from youth . Other than my own irritation at not knowing yet another person's handphone number (data collection phail), i realized it was a miracle. she was going through something tough and that verse just came in time. i'm really happy that such a thing happened, for her (of course), and also for myself, because i learnt about faith and trust and so many other things.

feel free to correct me if i'm wrong anywhere.

by the way, songs for this friday's cell are
1) King of Majesty [Hillsong United]
2) Majesty [Planetshakers]
3) Majesty (Here I Am) [Delirious?]
4) Majesty, King of Eternity [Hymn]

just kidding.

2006-12-08T21:11:00.000-08:00

hey guys joel here

thanks for the celebration yesterday.. haha.. means a lot to me.. we had a lot of fun and i would like to say that i love my cell group very much.. hee.. throwing burgers and robots had never been so much fun..

couple of things..

those who went church camp pls post anything that the speaker has impressed on you during the church camp and that you would like all of the cell to be edified by it..

watch your language and how you say things to people.. you may mean it one way but the other person may not.. and stop using vulgarities.. it is not of us to use them to condescend other people, even to a computer.. cool in the world, but not cool with God.

"I love you with a love everlasting."God through Ps Jack Theva's wife(dunno wads her name)

Christmas is coming! get your friends to come to our Christmas service!! haha..

2006-12-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

norman here.

i've got sort of a confession to make. last tuesday, 28th of nov, i got myself a girlfriend. or rather, my girlfriend got herself a boyfriend. okay, so i know it was wrong, but i went ahead with it anyway. i talked to dilys and she gave me some advice, but it went unheeded anyway.

we've broken up now though, after we've talked on the phone and decided that carrying on would go nowhere since her heart's not truly mine. its a clean break, we're still friends, and to me, the experience is most important (sorry if i'm looking at it from the wrong point of view). i'm not sad, i'm quite happy the way things turned out really. ya. she's a non-christian btw. well, not really, she says she's kind of paganistic. she believes that God to her is different from the way WE look at it. i've tried getting her to church before and during the (brief) relationship, and i'm still going to continue trying. can help pray that God will soften her heart? i do want to see my dear friends get saved.. so yep, help pray, and expect that one day i'll bring her to church.

moving on to another friend, she's willing to come but she has to ask her dad, who i'm afraid happens to be rather strict. so, pray that God will soften her dad's heart and make them both receptive to the word. ya? oh and for reference sake, the first girl is chelmin, the second is luo er. thanks.

thanks in advance for the prayers. and paula you can send me for counselling if you want to. i dont know. you can decide what you want to do with me.

p.s. kind of a sad post isn't it? in the middle of the night, right before the church camp. luckily you guys wont be reading it before the camp, cux its like 1.45am. so yeah. thanks again for the prayers.

2006-12-02T00:45:00.001-08:00

church camp is tml!! gear up and move forth with God! haha couple of things..

1. its paula's exam today! say a prayer for her as she takes the exam..

2. thank God for dilys being able to complete her BMA sooner rather than later.. left you norman..

3. jovin thanks for leading the cell on fri.. haha.. i had..difficulties.. haha.. hope you find the refreshments to your liking.. haha..

4. for me thank God my roomate thing is over.. tell you all.. if i had not been able to get another roomate i would have to room with jonavan's dad.. haha.. so well.. $80 is a small price to pay not to have a curfew in m'sia.. if ya know wad i mean.. haha.. so HG2-T boys going to church camp are going to share the same room!! haha.. and well jonavan's family can now go cept for jonavan.. haha..

5. norman chang xiang qian xiang jovin jonathan xiangkuan reuben can also blog about your happenings with God and the world here.. testimonies and how you feel you are so privileged to be in God's embrace when the world is not treating you right.. we can make this an 11++++++++++ people's blog.. :)

cheers,
joel

2006-11-30T23:42:00.000-08:00

hello everybody!!
dilys here.
i've got something to share too.
i've been nusy all week because of mission trip meetings and wrapping up my bma.
my bma is almost done. just left with one interview to complete.
that's when i realised i lost one worksheet.
i was super worried cos if i had to redo that, it'd take me at least 2 months.
but thank God, the commanders said it's alright.
i just needa print a new one and let them sign off, and draw up a new budget sheet.
so hopefully, hg2t will have another bma holder!!!
that aside, i wanna thank God for speaking to me.
i decided to go on this mission trip because i miss the kinds in klang.
but at the same time i felt a little weird cos i dont really know the people in the team.
so when God spoke to me regarding certain issues, i hesitated before speaking up.
but then i remembered that we're going for this trip as a team.
and God wants to use us as a team.
i thank God for really bonding the team together and speaking through individuals.
He's been a really great pillar of strength.
and what paula shared really spoke to me too.
cos when i tell friends about what God can do, i have doubts at times.
and unbelief hinders our prayers.
if we ourselves don't fully believe, how can we expect non-christians to believe?
=)
yay,looking forward to cell though it's like, acapella again.
hahaha.

2006-11-30T17:55:00.000-08:00

hello everyone :) i'm back again. haha
just did my devotion for today, and i was quite touched by what was said in the verse today, about faith :)

21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"
"From childhood," he answered.
22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."
23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for one who believes."
24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

Mark 9 :)

so i was thinking, so often we pray or we well people about God then we add a disclaimer behind like 'uh maybe, hopefully, if' all these things, just in case things don't happen. but the thing is, God wants us to trust Him wholeheartedly. that's faith isn't it :)

1Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Hebrews 11

so yes :) let's all try to build up our faith, and like the man in the readings today, ask God for more faith to believe in the impossible :)

take care everybody

paula :)

2006-11-30T03:36:00.000-08:00

hello guys :)
paula here. so this will be my first post. haha anyway we can post like photos of our cell too i suppose :) this can be a place where we can do what we do in cell group, ie. worship God, learn about God and still have fun :D ya?

anyway i have a prayer request:
my exams are coming. and boy i've never studied so hard in my life. haha uni life is quite xiong, but no worries, i'm stressed but God is with me :) haha. anyway i have a paper this saturday, and a paper next friday after church camp. so pray for me can? :)
and remember to pray for jean too!
and reuben he seems to be sick again :S
and for everyone that we will all grow closer to God every single day :)

and i have a testimony to share haha
these past few days have been really stressful. last night i was reading a textbook about my topic and for some reason i just couldn't understand the whole thing at all. then cos it was so close to my exams i got really really stressed. and i decided to change topic and go for a shower. as i was going to the shower i was just praying and praying that God would help me to understand and stuff like that, and suddenly this song came to my heart:

God is good

All the time

He put this song of praise

in this heart of mine

God is good

All the time

He put this song of praise

in this heart of mine

God is good

All the time

If you're walking thru the valley

and there're shadows all around

do not fear

He will guide you

He will keep you safe and sound

He has promised

to never leave you

nor forsake you

and His word is true!

-Don Moen :)

Ah and it was such a timely timely song and as i was singing i could just feel all the stress lift from me and it was just wonderful to know that God was with me thru my stressful periods :) haha anyway :)

Hope you all have been doing your devotions this week (now i sound naggy) feel free to post whatever you all have learnt thru the devotions k? :)

Take care everyone. remember:
He will never leave you or forsake you
and HIS WORD IS TRUE :)

in His love and mine,
Paula :)

2006-11-27T16:16:00.000-08:00

hey guys joel here.. i'll be the first to blog.. haha ps aaron sends the leaders and the worship team these notes every week.. some i find that speaks to me i will blog to you all about it.. haha like for this example.. having a surrendered life.. are we living a surrendered life? if so are we living it fully surrendered? chew on this morsel as you read on.. haha.. and as you can see got three parts, when i have time i shall upload the rest to you.. haha cheers.. church camp is coming!! although i got no more roommate i know i will still have a good time.. haha.. okie cya fri or sat or sunday.. hee.. =)

A SURRENDERED LIFE (Part 1 of 3)

Surrender isn’t a popular word in our vocabulary, likely because it implies losses and defeats to those who surrender. But Christians are called to surrender their life to God. This is the essence of beginning the Christian life and becomes the central act of worship we engage in each day.

We understand that such sacrifice and surrender involves a lot of will and desire, as well as a lot of giving up. As Christian, when we live a total surrendered life to God, it gives us gains and victories!

Definition of Surrender:

* To yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand
* To give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favour of another
* To give (oneself) up into the power of another especially as a prisoner, to give (oneself) over to something (as an influence)

What is a surrendered life?

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Matt 6:33

1. A SURRENDERED LIFE SUBMITS TO GOD’S RULERSHIP

The Bible says to seek God’s kingdom first.

Our lack of willingness to absolutely surrender to God will hinder what God can accomplish in our lives. God wants to empower us, mould us and shape us into the man or women that He has created us to be…He wants us to have a great future!

But we must be willing to give God everything, every area…

I believe you have heard me say this that there is a difference between allowing God to reign in you and allowing God to rule in you. The Queen of England reign the kingdom but it is the Prime Minister who rules the country. He will made decision and lead the country.

Is Christ reigning and ruling in your life? Is he just a resident or president in your live? Is God sitting on the throne of your life? If Christ is not Lord of our all, He is not Lord at all in our lives.

A surrendered life submits to God’s ruler-ship in

* Their feelings (or emotions)

In the Bible, there are Scriptures that portray both human beings and God as having emotions. In this journey, we experience joy, love, sorrows and pains, fear etc. We need to understand that these emotions and sentiments are of importance to the life of faith.

Human feelings can be positive or negative and they are subjected to change and misinterpretation and we need to control our feelings and we can do so by learning to submit them to the ruler-ship of God.

* Their thoughts

Thought is the human ability to reason and reflect. We are called to reflect upon the Word (Ps 1:1-2) and works of God (Ps 77:12) as they are made known through Scripture and to avoid speculation based purely upon human reasoning.

* Their actions

This speaks of our life, our behaviour. Do we honour God in everything we do? Always considering Him in our actions, our decision making?

God does not want just a committed life. He wants a surrendered life from us. A surrendered life is one who will submit to God’s ruler-ship. Will you be one today?

2006-11-24T21:27:00.000-08:00

hi hg2t! so,this is the blog.haha.i can't really find nice skins,so i hope this will be fine until i see nice ones.
anyway,for those who do not know how to use, instructions below.i'll sms the username and password to you.

okay, firstly, the important thing to note is this:
this blog is under the same account as my own blog,
meaning that the username and password is the same.
PLEASE do not do anything to my blog okay? haha.
just get access to this.

1. go to www.blogger.com
2.click on sign in to blogger. (NOT THE ONE USING GOOGLE ACCOUNT.)
3.click on "new post" (THE ONE NEXT TO 'OUR FANTABULOUS JOURNEY WITH GOD.NOT THE CLASSIC.that's my own blog.)
4.type in whatever you wanna say
5.publish post

it's THAT simple! (:
and again i repeat, please do not make any changes to my blog.
you may view it,but please please do not change anything alright?
i trust you guys enough to use my own account ah.
hahaha.
okay,i know everyone here can be trusted (:

another thing to note:
please type your name after you write something, before publishing.
that way,we'll know who's the person edifying us.haha.

alright,that's all.
username and passwords will be on your phones soon!

2006-11-24T21:22:00.000-08:00

testing.....