In Christ Alone

Things so often do not go our way. People often disappoint and more often than not, things don’t quite work out the way we want them to. Invariably, we find ourselves complaining about such things. We are constantly absorbed in our personal issues and lives. Every day we hear of people complaining or ranting about their lives in some way, whether it has something to do with their family, friends, studies, personal issues – the list goes on and on.

Personally, I have become so accustomed to complaining and ranting about my personal issues that it has become absolutely normal. It has become a thing that I do every day. For instance, today itself I complained about my room being really dusty, the terrible traffic jam and the police road block on the way to uni, the lack of parking spaces when I reached uni, the jam on the way back from uni etc. I have become so preoccupied with myself that I have completely forgotten to be thankful for what God has blessed me with. Every day is a blessing and I take all He has given me for granted.

Last Sunday, the speaker spoke about the oppression of the people in Pakistan and how Barnabus fund was helping these people. I realized then how completely shallow I am. I felt more and more ashamed with every picture shown and story told. Here I am whining about my own petty problems when people are dying. Christians there are getting killed every day for what they believe in. They are getting jailed, shot and even burned alive. The speaker even showed us a map of “the United States of Islam”. The Muslims there have a World Islamic Mission in which they plan for the whole world to be Islamized within the 21st century!

The speaker also told us the story of Shahbaz Bhatti, Islamabad's minister for minorities, who was assassinated outside his home. Bhatti was a Christian and he was speaking out for what he believed in. This is a video of him hours before he was assassinated.



The Armor of God

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

10

In Christ alone
I place my trust
And find my glory in the power of the cross
In every victory
Let it be said of me
My source of strength
My source of hope
Is Christ alone

There are so many things happening around us that we sometimes don’t notice because we are too busy with ourselves. So, just a reminder for us to keep persevering.

Let’s run this race and keep our focus on what matters most. God bless!

- Phoebe Lim

Image taken from:
http://bigthink.com/ideas/21246
http://www.menscosmo.com/tips-on-overcoming-a-breakup/

Who comes first?

“The other day when she was talking to that guy, they seem really close to each other. Seems like he stands a higher chance compared to me..”

“Why hasn’t he texted me today?”

“She doesn’t seem to care to ask what’s wrong with me even though I’m down..”

Familiar thoughts?

We all go through this phase one point in our lives and some of us might still be going through it..

Is it something wrong? No, it’s natural.

Do we feel like our feelings are at the mercy of this person’s behavior and you feel desperate to know every single thing this person does in relation to whether this person has feelings towards you? Maybe, but I’m pretty certain we don’t like it, unless except of course it goes “our” way where this person is responding well.

Should we do something about it? Yes, by not encouraging it further!

Because when we spend all our time over thinking or over reacting about this person, it could be dangerously close to idolatry. Eventually, this person may even take over God’s no.1 place in your life.

Exodus 20:3 “You shall have no other gods before me.”

Why? Do you notice yourself texting 24/7 with this person, like seriously, every moment? Regardless whether you’re out with your family, with your friends or even at home doing your homework?

And when it stops, you feel like you can’t go on the day as usual? What happened to your dependency towards God? Could you even focus on listening to God in that state?

How do your friends and family view you? How would you feel every time you ask your friend out and all this person does is texting away without giving a proper amount of attention due to the occasion? (Especially if this person actually needs your help/care & the Holy spirit could be prompting you but your mind is too filled about the other person!)

Ecclesiates 3 : 1 “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven”

But then you cry inside, “I can’t help it!”

The first step you need to take is to pray “I can because God is with me.”

I’m saying this with caution - it takes time. It is indeed good if God delivers you immediately but it often takes time to build your security in God. What sort of security?

The fact that all things are in His plan and all you need to is listen! Sounds easy but it takes a lot of discipline to obey than to obey the rumblings of your heart. You don’t need to know whether this person likes you or not, Why? Because you just allow the Spirit to take control and focus on being friends first. If God has planned to blossom your relationship from friends to something more, be certain that it will surely happen.

Because inquiring of the Lord whether this person is someone He has placed takes time to discern. It is not based by how much and how long you know about this person alone, a lot of relationships were based on that and still failed eventually. Ultimately, it is based more importantly whether God said “Yes, this is the person.”!

A more important question would be, are you even prepared for a relationship? Most of us take it lightly by thinking “We can always experiment first and then talk about the results later”. Can we take the cost of hearts in exchange of our selfish desires? If there is any price to pay for, hearts are the most costly ones. When it is broken, you can never reverse the scars.

“But it could be mutual! We will control and we will promise not to step too deep.”

Heard that too often and too often see that being a total huge lie. If you ever noticed, the best liars are most often not others but yourself. We love to lie to ourselves so that we could get our conscience to shut up and end up getting a huge deep cut on either yourself or others.

Always remember your ultimate and only security comes from God first and everything else will fall into its respective place. Whenever I struggle with this problem, I always tell myself this, “Can’t God provide my partner?” and even if He doesn’t eventually, I still know it is for the best!

Psalms 62:7 “My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge.”

Recently, God has been helping me “re-learn” these old ways (Before I came to know Christ) and coming to know His way.

John 14:6 “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

And it took me 3 hearts (Or more maybe) broken before I repent and truly learn what it means to respect one’s feelings and doing my utmost best to not mislead and just focus on being friends first. Trust me, I regret every heart that was broken due to my foolishness and I can pray that no one else have to go through what I did just to learn what is God’s way in BGRs. (Boy-Girl Relationship).

Guys, don’t obsessively text and call the girl you like everyday unless you are certain God has led you to. Even then, do it with great caution and move in step by step.

Girls, don’t just blame the guys because they “led” you into it. It takes two to clap. You can always tell the guy that you don’t think it is too healthy for two friends to be spending this much time texting and calling each other. Again, respond only if God has prompt you to and also, don’t rush it!

If you have problem listening to God about this certain person, then by all means, take your sweetest time to go about it. Remember, it’s not worth a heart broken just to find out and it is definitely not God’s way.

John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.”

Matthew 22:39 “ And the second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself"

- Gary Heng

Images taken from:
http://leileileileilei.blogspot.com/
http://butwhatnow.com/why-are-we-so-dissatisfied/
http://thankgoditsanday.tumblr.com/post/5508742909
http://brownblog.wordpress.com/2007/02/27/god-talks-to-me/

The Joy

The joy of knowing that no matter how I feel, think and sometimes doubt - I'm never alone.

The joy of knowing that no matter how many mistakes, transgressions and hurtful doings I've done - He always forgives as long as I truly repent.

The joy of knowing that even though everything seems to be crumbling down and that as if "life sucks" - God only gives the best to me as His child and it was me who asked for trouble in the first place by disobeying.

The joy of knowing that my actions and deeds are not done for man's praises - just simply a way of telling others how much God loves me.

The joy of knowing that I never need to be hurt again by empty promises and happiness that doesn't last - I have found a deep joy that literally last forever and nothing can separate it away from me.

The joy of knowing that there are others who identify in Christ with me - despite of their race, age or gender. An universal love for all who fall short the glory of God.

The joy of knowing that my sisters and brothers in the same faith would had lay down their lives for me - to listen, to share and to pray for me.

The joy of knowing that I can fully explore my capabilities and true self through God - and not subscribe to the lies of the media about "Being Yourself" and end up being a burden on the expense of others.

The joy of knowing that it's in the personal choice of faith I have come to know Him as my Father in Heaven - not by human knowledge which impairs my judgment of His reality.

The joy of knowing why I'm here - and to share with others that He is the Way, the Truth and the Life!

- daryl 's u n d a e' heng

Images taken from:
http://arkay-b.blogspot.com/2011/04/beautiful-sunrise.html

A Call to Serve

Hallo there everyone. Today I will like to share with you a few things about my life experience when I was first called to serve God.

To begin with, I want to share with you this one word - Availability. So often, we feel we must have this and that, we must be good looking or skillful to serve. Take the music ministry for instance, we always feel, oh, I must have this before I can do this. But friends, let me share with you what did the LORD says in the Bible.

1 Samuel 16 v 7. 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.

God wants you to make the space in your heart, to do things for Him, and not find a million excuses out when He calls us.

Why is God asking us to serve today?

1) God is asking us to serve today, because, He wants to train us and equip us gradually to be effective witness and servants.

2) He has actually a lot of gifts He wants to give to us. Let me share with you something, when I was just 12 years old, I was never able to speak in public. I was talkative no doubt but it was all channeled to poor use (gossip / tell crude jokes etc.) But when God has called me to serve in Ushering in Christian Fellowship, only did I realized I can use this gift for the Glory of God as He wants me to use this gift to speak words of encouragement and even to make people happy and smile. Afterwards, when I begin tapping into music, I started playing the guitar. Few years later, it was so clear to me as well I can use music as a tool to sing about God, to the people around me, and to point out as well that music for God is a fun thing and an honorable thing to do.

Everyone, I would like to share with You today, how is God asking us to serve.

1) When I was in Form 1, I was called to serve the LORD. I could remember, The LORD only called me to come to church / CF, He wants me to first serve Him by my attendance. Let’s face it, how can one possibly serve the LORD, when He / She does not come to church / YTM? How can one possibly serve the country, if let say he / she is not the citizen of the country?

2) God instructed us to LOVE Him. It is to follow Him, it is to deny ourselves, take up our cross daily and follow Him. To simplify this, we can only be God’s servants and children, when we choose to obey Him. Now, is there something today God is asking you to do?

3) When God calls us to serve, He actually wants us to engage with other people. You see, when we serve in everything we do in Church / Christian Fellowship / YTM, it’s all about people and caring for them - fellowship and doing things out of LOVE. Part of loving God is to love people, think about it for a moment, if we say we love God and just stay at home - does nothing. Is that true LOVE? When God ask us to LOVE, the simple things we can at least start by doing is to learn to obey and respect our parents, give thanks to God, care and be nice to our friends and the list goes on. But friends, until and unless we know how to do these, we will not be effective in serving God in another level.

4) God wants you to serve by volunteering. When there is a particular ministry in church that needs help and you are moved by the Spirit, will you do it? When you have the skills to serve in ministry, will you volunteer to be a servant and serve? Servant might sound like a degrading word but certainly not when it refers to the LORD we trust in and LOVE - who is in fact, our servant King.

As far we are concerned, God wants us to serve and He is more concern with the input rather than the output, for the output is never our job but the work of God. Will you trust God today as You make a decision to serve the LORD? The call to be a Christian is the call to be a servant, will you heed this call today?

- Johnson Khor

Image taken from:
http://adetelur.blogdetik.com/2010/07/21/82/
http://www.fteleaders.org/pages/prospective-students
http://caravanofdreams.wordpress.com/2011/04/08/whisperings-of-the-heart-by-stewart-bitkoff/

Change

It has been a long and memorable week for Malaysians. As you all know, the BERSIH rally was held last Saturday. Pictures, videos and testimonies are all over the media. One thing that has been made known through this, is the rakyat’s desire for justice and ultimately change in this country.

We all want change. The question is what are we doing about it? From most of my conversations with friends, they all want a more just and fair Malaysia but no one is willing to do anything about it. Most of them are hoping somehow that a miracle happens overnight and somehow the situation changes.These conversations usually end with “I can’t wait to leave this country”.

Change never comes easy. For something to change, it has to leave the old and become something new. There is always a cost associated with change. A trade-off in other words. Change, especially in a country, never just happens on its own. Someone has to make a move. If you want to see the change, you have to be the change first. In Matthew chapter 5, Jesus STATES that we ARE the light of the world, to change this dark world with our light.

It all starts with us. We are to spur others to change by being the difference. Jesus touched the lives of many through his difference. One way in which we can contribute to this country is to come back and work here. How many do we know who have studied overseas and left us. Malaysia really needs people who are willing to bring the change. People who are conscious of the problem and are willing to stand up for what is right, though it may mean a lower paying job, or longer hours, or unfair treatment.

Waiting for change is just not going to cut it. We have to make a move. Lets not wait for BERSIH 3.0 to act but act NOW. So what can you do today to be a change? Start with small, practical, achievable steps. PEACE!!

-Alex 'cophy' Tan

Images taken from:
http://fabm.wordpress.com/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tin2ann/

Copa Iba Review

Yet another year at Copa Iba has come and passed. Overall, it was a good day of fellowship and fun. Most of us may have felt extremely tired after the games but I think we all walked away from this day with fond memories. It was of course exciting that our Junior Captainball team came out as champions and our Junior Futsal team came in third. The best part about taking part in Copa Iba this year is that friendships have been built and seeds have been sewn to many of our friends that came along with us.

I am glad that everyone took initiative to get to know one another better. We also have to thank God for answering our prayers because no one got seriously injured and we were able to bond with one another very well. The highlight for me on that day was observing the way all of us carried ourselves. We really did not loose sight of the purpose of the day that is to fellowship and reach out to our non-believing friends through sports. We practiced restraint and were not overly competitive that it affected our testimony.

For it says in 1 John 2:10: Anyone who loves their brother and sister lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. (NIV)

Besides that, we also made TTDIGC history by being on time for Copa Iba in a very long while. I know it was a stretch to make everyone wake up before the break of dawn but I am proud that everyone did their best to make it on time. Besides the sports, it is also important that we are able to be there on time to listen to the sermon because we are there with a purpose.

I know that at some points during the games some of us became a little frustrated but I think we did a good job encouraging one another and we still had a great time. I think all of us are also proud of our Junior Captainball team. I think it was a good testimony and show of good sportsmanship when our junior team restraint from scoring too many points to avoid discouraging their competitors. Good job guys!! :)

After an overall good experience at Copa Iba, I think we all have to put in effort to continue building the relationships we made through Copa Iba. To kick things off, we’ll be having a Copa Iba Reunion so that we can fellowship with one another again and relive the memories we created at Copa Iba. So be sure to come for the reunion!

-Xin-Yi

Images taken from:
http://www.behance.net/jasonlwe/frame/1392555
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/encouraging-sayings.html

Stolen Thoughts

My friends and I visit a special-needs centre almost every week. It is part of our group assignment for our university course. Today, we met a volunteer who was about my age. He was extremely friendly and confident. He was also completely open about his life and seemed to be a very positive and happy person. After talking to him for a bit, we found out that he scored very well in his STPM examination, plays the piano and finished grade 8, plays the guitar, has appeared in the newspaper numerous times because of his academic achievements and is currently a top student in his interior design course in USM.

These achievements might seem normal for most people but for him it is different because he is deaf.

I was reminded of my struggles a few weeks back. There was an upcoming exam that I was nowhere near prepared for and I had already done horribly on the previous exam. In my course, if you do not pass a certain score at the end of the year, you have to repeat the ENTIRE year. The amount of money and effort and time that would be wasted is just not worth it and it would be really embarrassing. The people who failed the previous years are actually quite hardworking and smart which made me even more scared because that shows how difficult it is to pass. I was really really stressed out but I couldn’t focus because I kept thinking that this was not what I wanted to do as a career. I had no motivation whatsoever to push myself and I just caved in. I wanted out. It just did not seem worth it.

I talked to various people ranging from my uni counselor to my parents to my friends. But the fear in me, I had to handle myself. God didn’t seem to be listening either and people didn’t seem to understand. I felt like giving up. Then a few days before my exam, I was doing my quiet time using a devotional book and it was based on this verse:

Psalm 13[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. How long, LORD? Will you forget me forever? 
 How long will you hide your face from me? 
 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts 
 and day after day have sorrow in my heart? 
 How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, LORD my God. 
 Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, 
 and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” 
 and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; 
 my heart rejoices in your salvation. 
 I will sing the LORD’s praise, 
 for he has been good to me.

The devotional said:

Sometimes, in the emotion of the moment, our minds play tricks on us. We think our loss is worse than it is. We may feel like the songwriter David who, in the confusion of the moment, thought God had forgotten him.

When David later recalled what he knew rather than what he feared, his sense of loss turned into a song of praise (Ps. 13:5-6). His renewed joy foreshadowed what is now ours to recall: Nothing can rob us of what is most important if our life is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3).

Rest your assurance on God’s love in your heart—
not on the fear in your mind.

It spoke straight to where I was at that moment and I was reminded of God’s amazing love. Why should I fear when my life is hidden with Christ in God? I realized then that it was fear that was binding me and that was just ridiculous because that would mean that I didn’t trust God.

Today after meeting that volunteer – a complete and total stranger, I was suddenly reminded of that incident when fear bound me.

Colossians 3

Living as Those Made Alive in Christ Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your[a] life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

So, just an encouragement to set your heart on things above. Trust God, He has a plan and He loves you ;)

-Phoebe Lim

http://eu.fotolia.com/id/12376834
http://combemartin.blogspot.com/2008/11/light.html
http://realmofgod-parable.blogspot.com/2007/06/god-longing-for-you-gods-amazing-love.html