Where is our respect due to God?

It’s been a while on my mind and sometimes I’m very disappointed in myself, because I always miss out the true joy of worshiping God on a Sunday morning.

Why is Sunday morning’s worship so important?

Because it is the pinnacle of an overt worship to the Lord our God. It is the time to truly reflect of His grace, His love and His mercy throughout the week. It is the time where we gather to break bread and drink the cup as often as we can. To be reminded over and over every week, because He died for us whilst we’re still sinners that we may live and enjoy the wonderful and depthless joy of Eternal life!

Romans 5 : 8
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

I know sometimes we think, we worship God through our entire life, so why is a Sunday morning that different anyway? As long as I’ve been glorifying Him, is it that bad to be not giving the appropriate attention and love due on a Sunday morning to our Lord?

How? Well, maybe sleeping late on a Saturday night watching football or playing games. Or maybe something more responsible like doing homework/assignment and studying for exams. But honestly, is the Saturday night the only time slot possible to do all of that instead of every other time throughout the week?

I confess I am still struggling with it. I always aim to sleep at 10p.m but often than not, it always almost reaches 12am. I’m not saying that we all must strictly sleep at 10p.m, but you know yourself, get the proper amount of rest so that you can wake up early with a great state of mind and a heart ready to worship the Lord!

What about during the worship itself?

I sometimes catch myself off guard chatting away with the others before worship.

I find that strange because we sometimes justify that we should fellowship and maybe even talk to a stranger so that we can reach out but isn’t there a more appropriate time to do all of that (or should I say abundant time to do so). Shouldn’t we be trying to reach the inner quiet sanctuary of our hearts to be in prayer, to be fully conscious that the Lord is in the midst of us and that we bow in worship?

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,”

How about during the singing and prayer?

I like to picture our worship to the Lord like this.

Imagine a King, a Glorious, wonderful, Almighty King is sitting on a splendorous throne. With one lift of his finger, he could demand your life to be taken away for any misconduct. You can try to shout or try to scare him with your social status and wealth, but nothing can stop him doing so. And in this time that you’re facing him, you’re told to worship him.

And here we go everyone in the huge room singing their lungs out in reverence for the king. And then suddenly, you can see a few persons yawning, some walking off to the toilet and some of them talking to one another.

If you watch those drama series that are based on the medieval times or even during the emperor days in China, you can already see the outcome of that sort of conduct.

Thankfully, and I must stress it again, with all my heart thankfully, The Lord is SO patient, SO loving and SO merciful that He doesn’t choose to do so.

But instead of us learning to be better and strive harder, we take it for granted thinking that whatever we’re doing is normal traditional ritual week after week. I won’t take that stand any longer and I plan to continue striving the best I can, I hope whoever you are that is reading this, would follow my lead as well.

While some people want to argue that it is the heart of worship that counts the most during the Sunday morning, then I must question, how is it then while it is so much harder to obtain a heart that worship God, you can’t even express it outwardly? Is making sure that your body is in a best of state to worship God that hard to do?

Wouldn’t you do so if you’re going to meet the president of a country? What is a man then compared to God?

The irony above it all is, even our neighbor religion could do so. With their body prostrate and none of them randomly walking away to the toilet, handphones ringing and some even chatting amongst themselves. What a shame! And we’re even told to reach out to them and yet they see us treating our God in such a manner compared to them.

So the question I would like to end with this article is, Where is our respect due to God on a Sunday worship?

Do think and reflect on it!

I Chron 16:27-29

“Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place. Ascribe to the LORD, O families of nations, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength, ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name. Bring an offering and come before him; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.”

-Gary Heng

Images are taken from :

http://www.itsablackthang.com/Ted-Ellis-art-work.htm
http://www.newziononline.org/index.html?menu_id=40
http://equilibrios.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/ate-o-wc-educa/
http://www.declarepeace.org.uk/captain/murder_inc/site/masons.html

Sharing Christ’s Love & Shining for Him

Are you excited about God today? Is there anything that hinders you to be excited about God and tell the good news? Was it the fear of rejection / don’t know what to say / don’t have adequate knowledge about Christianity hinder all that?

Frankly speaking, I too have a certain kind of fear when there’s an opportunity to share about Christ. However, as I take the courage to share even a testimony of how God works in my life, I find that God really gave me the right words to speak, just like how God enable Peter to speak in front of the Sanhedrin in Acts 4:1-10, New King James Version (NKJV).

Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.

Just naming a recent incident that God used me to make known the Gospel and the person has started to go to Church and read the Bible. Some, if not most of you would know that I just changed my job recently. Prior to applying to this new job, I was diligently seeking God’s will for the next job that He places me in as I do not want to simply pick another job because the current working conditions were unbearable for me.

One of the key prayer items I made then was that I could be a light that lead others to God. Me of little faith really did not think that God will answer my prayer so speedily.

After just about 2 months working at my new company, God has opened a doorway for me to reach out to my colleague after she shares her personal struggle with me. In this short span of time, she actually trusted me and Christians as a whole and open enough to read the Christian tracts by the 4th month I work there.

To my amazement, she even mentioned “because of your God, I am so patient with you”. For your information, my colleague has never taught any of her “new colleagues” work-related and interpersonal skill and I am rather weak at these aspects. Yet, again and again, she taught me those tactics or good practice at work which usually she does not (It is a common practice that people at work are reluctant to share their expertise or soft skill as they might feel threatened to do so).

I am grateful to the Lord who allows me – an in-eloquent and somehow “blur” person to share Christ’s love & message of the cross to my colleague, someone who is one the top employee. It is indeed real when comes to this verse:- Matthew 5:16, New King James Version (NKJV)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

I strongly urge you to be bold enough to take the challenge to shine forth Christ’s light to those who are perishing spiritually and have a willing heart to allow Christ to work through you for there’s nothing to lose.

Beside reading His word and serving, our spiritual responsibilities are also to pray, share the Gospel and leave the rest to God as He will take care of it. We just have to be God’s ambassador to show the way and reflect His light in everything we do.

If your problem gotta do with “I don’t know the Bible well to tell the gospel”, then I suggest that you spend time studying His word more so you will be ready in season and out of season to preach the word (rephrased from 2 Timothy 4:2, New King James Version (NKJV)).

Are you willing to be used by Him? You and I need to get out of our comfort zone if we indeed have known Him as our personal Savior and Lord. How can one be so selfish to keep his / her faith by himself / herself? Let’s not be ignorant of this and fall prey to Satan.

In closing, I wish to use these verses:-
Matthew 28:19-20
New King James Version (NKJV)

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

-Yit Mun

Images taken from:
http://jesuszonejohndy.wordpress.com/
http://www.gatewaytoeternity.com/gpage.html
http://mblordi.com/2011/02/22/god-hears-your-prayers/
http://www.oneyearbibleblog.com/2005/07/july_28th_readi.html

A reflection of Song Fest

Hearing the title of this event - Song Fest, sure does bring back memories. Well you see, many years back at my younger days (sure makes me sound old right?) when I was 15 or 14, we had a Song Fest too. And after much persuasion from my group leader then, I finally gather up all my courage and thought, "okay lah, let's just give it a try and see what happens."

Forget not, at that point of time, I had not personally encountered the Lord in my life yet and singing these songs is merely like singing any other secular songs out there to me. I was paired with my good ol' buddy - Jason Ang Kah Wai. The song we sang? Jesus, lover of my soul.

We practised and tried to harmonize but with our very limited singing skills (sorry for speaking on your behalf yeah Jason but I'm sure you'd agree too :P) we could only come up with a really decent or "okay-okay" tune to present to our audience. And due to that, it made the both of us even more nervous and obviously, that'll affect our performance. But soon after our performance, I felt totally crushed by the other group's performance, a duet so great that I can remember every detail of how it went until today. Oh boy, can you imagine would I ever want to participate in the event like this ever again?

BACK TO PRESENT

After journeying with the Lord this far, watching all the bands that performed for the night sure did moved my heart. If only I knew and understood the real meaning of why Song Fest was organized in the first place only then would I knew how much joy would I have gotten then. God sure did put His mighty hands at that night and I believed that the event went up to His ears as an awesome sweet tune.

It wasn't a night about competing who can sing or play better.

It was a night where God is first and foremost praised above all Heavens and Earth , a night where bonds were made and miracles were shown of how one soul can lift up his voice and sang - Amazing Grace that saved a wretched soul like me.

Psalm 100:2
Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Shout out to the many leaders and members who put their hearts into this. I really do hope and pray that this event also help sharpen and set the perspective of worship on a much deeper and serious level.

Ian Fan shared with me about his story back at RBS where when they were deciding which members should go up to be the musicians for worship and when the camp committee realized that many talented followers did not offer to play as they wanted to give opportunities for other to perform - they were given a lecture about how they should ought to give their best and talents to worship God! And I would agree that indeed, worship is no light matter at all.

May this further prompt all of us as well, at every session of worship, should we not give all our hearts, minds and souls into praising our Lord? He's very real and trust me, He's watching and listening. Don't you think it'll be really offensive and disrespectful when your whole family is singing a birthday song to your grandfather and you totally ignore and make a commotion in the midst of the singing? What more of our God?

I'll be looking forward to the next Song Fest and I believe too, it's the same for many of us!

If you want to watch the videos recorded for the night, kindly head over to our youtube channel at this link: - http://www.youtube.com/my_playlists?p=DC0159D040F93E14

Soli deo gloria,
daryl 's u n d a e' heng

Images taken from:
http://casadediospc.webs.com/apps/calendar/showEvent?calID=4122238&eventID=62932272

Forgiveness

Forgiveness. The Oxford dictionary describes forgiveness as the action or process of forgiving or being forgiven. I am sure all of us know that this is easier said than done. The Bible is very clear about the fact that we must always forgive others but often times it is so difficult for us to forgive others that bitterness starts to grow in us.

Matthew 6:14-15 says: For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. (NIV)

A few years back, I had a very close friend that I would always hang out with every week but as the years went by our friendship started to go sour. Our friendship had deteriorated to the point that we totally stopped speaking to one another because I was so angry at that person. I was so angry at that friend to the point that I did not wish my friend well and did not want good things to happen to him/her.

I was so angry and unwilling to forgive my friend that bitterness started to fester in my heart. The worst thing about having bitterness in you heart is that the bitterness will start to affect your life and eat you up inside. Of course, my walk with God was also affected because how could I go before God and ask Him for forgiveness when I am so unwilling to forgive someone who has wronged me.

Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. (NIV)

When I moved to Singapore, I was still very angry at that friend. By this time, I have already been angry at this friend for two years. Somehow in my heart I knew that I have to forgive this friend but as I said I was so stubborn and egoistic that I felt that I had every right to be angry at this friend. I truly struggled to forgive my friend.

The turning point for me was when I came back for a short break and had to attend the funeral of a friend’s mum. This friend of mine did not have a good relationship with his/her mum but just before his/her mum passed away they were able to reconcile and forgive one another. When I heard about that during the memorial service it suddenly hit me that whatever my other friend did to me was such a small thing that it was quite ridiculous that I held a grudge against him/her for such a long time.

Colossians 3:13 says: Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV)

So when I went back to Singapore and read God’s word and journaled about my thoughts. I prayed and asked God to help me forgive the friend which I had held a grudge against. While I was praying I felt God’s prompting me to reach out to that friend and ask for his/her forgiveness for what I have done that contributed to the breakdown of our friendship.

If you told me two years ago that I would ask this friend for forgiveness, I would have thought that you were crazy because I did not think that I did anything wrong. I was so self righteous that I felt that my friend should be the one asking me for my forgiveness. The moment I decided to release my anger and forgive this friend, I reached out to him/her to ask for forgiveness. My friend replied and told me that he/she has forgiven me and apologized to me as well. Now, we are on good terms and have spoken to each other a few times.

God truly gave me the strength to do what I did. The thing I learned through this experience is that forgiveness is for yourself as much as it is for the other person. Letting your anger and bitterness about another person fester in your heart is a huge disfavor you are doing to yourself. As believers, we are called to forgive one another and there is no two ways about it.

Are you angry and holding a grudge against a person today? Present this struggle to the Lord and He will guide you.

- Xin-Yi

Images taken from:
http://dandelion6oclock.wordpress.com/2010/12/27/forgiveness-is-our-only-hope/
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view_glossary.php?book=30370&word=20467
http://saturnslady.blogspot.com/2011/03/true-forgiveness.html