Monday, May 20, 2013
Personal Reflection for the day
Today I had a meeting with my supervisor to really evaluate towards my end of my Project Serve soon. I guess I have been too task oriented through my time. I saw the problem but I really hope that God will help me to truly love people because it is God's desire for each and everyone to reach one more for His kingdom and to really allow people to know that God desires to have a relationship with us (: I hope that whoever comes my way, I will sincerely wanna pray that God will widen my heart to love both christians and non-christians. I just wanna note down and not forget (: NIGHTS!
Monday, May 6, 2013
6th May
Hello blog (: I'm back from a pretty long day. Today was a pretty long and tiring day but fruitful for me (: Actually this morning I thought I would struggle through the Alan Catchpoole teaching on 1 John. I thank God that he was going through the paragraph in his notes than to teach without referencing much to his notes. It means that I have to personally read it and sometimes I can find it pretty confusing and too long... RAH! haha (:
Today we studied on the topic of righteousness. I can't really type everything out now as my brain is currently shutting down mode already but I will summarize his whole message of 1 John with 3 points.
1) Righteousness
2) Love
3) Knowledge
Without this 3 components working together, it is not equal in our walk with God. This 3 will make us a distinctive christian! (: I will elaborate more when I personally study more clearly! (: The Word of God is not something I want to mess with and not anyhow be interpreted (: Praise be to God! (: At least for today my learning point is that we need to love have a personal relationship with God then it will be easier for us to love the unloved (: Something left deeply into my heart, soul and mind today! (:
OH YES! going to head to bed soon! (: I shall not type too long if not my brain would start to astray to weird typings in my blog haha (:
What I did today?
1) In bus read on the book called Live like Jesus - Genuine love comes for God's holiness and God's love! (:
2) Staff Meeting with Alan Catchpoole
3) Music Recording for the event
4) Combine Rehearsal (:
good nights!
Today we studied on the topic of righteousness. I can't really type everything out now as my brain is currently shutting down mode already but I will summarize his whole message of 1 John with 3 points.
1) Righteousness
2) Love
3) Knowledge
Without this 3 components working together, it is not equal in our walk with God. This 3 will make us a distinctive christian! (: I will elaborate more when I personally study more clearly! (: The Word of God is not something I want to mess with and not anyhow be interpreted (: Praise be to God! (: At least for today my learning point is that we need to love have a personal relationship with God then it will be easier for us to love the unloved (: Something left deeply into my heart, soul and mind today! (:
OH YES! going to head to bed soon! (: I shall not type too long if not my brain would start to astray to weird typings in my blog haha (:
What I did today?
1) In bus read on the book called Live like Jesus - Genuine love comes for God's holiness and God's love! (:
2) Staff Meeting with Alan Catchpoole
3) Music Recording for the event
4) Combine Rehearsal (:
good nights!
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Reflection for a Sunday (:
Heyo blog! (: So fast the week just passes by. I guess my journey has been really fast both in church and Singapore Youth For Christ. I'm thankful that many good things God has given me over this year! (: Today I had a pretty fun day with my ushers and the worship ministry (:
Today was our lovely Pamela and Huiting(belated) birthday. We bought an oreo cake for them to celebrate! (: I really hope that they are happy and knowing that superlife usher ministry will always be a home for them (: Happy Birthday to both Pamela and Huiting again! (:
I guess today as I served God in worship ministry. I recognize that wherever we serve, we should never just serve with because I want to serve but because to point people to Jesus through the songs that we sang today. Especially serving in the children ministry, I would struggle with pride I admit because perhaps I want a better connection with some kids? But thankfully by God's mercy, I always learnt that serving is because we love Him and serving with no other purpose. I pray that as I continue to serve the God who created me, I will love Him by loving the kids in doing what is pleasing to Him! (: Praise be to God for giving me so much good things I never expected from!
Today had to talk to some youths and realizing that sometimes we may hear and learn alot from the Word of God but we don't do it. I remember Rick Warren says that as we knows the Word but not do-er of the word will lead to down a dangerous path. I sincerely pray that this youths I helping in church, will constantly learn and constantly live it out (: I admit I struggle in but I pray that I will not give up and for me to continue helping younger ones love Christ! (:
In the evening, read the book Prodigal God! (: It was really cool subject to read on and it explains how the Gospel is like too (: yup! (: I will type more once I finish reading and also share my thoughts! (:
That is it for my day! (: Tomorrow is a brand new week in office again! (: I know it would be stressful but it is for that one purpose that God has called me to do for this season. I must do my best to please my Lord! (: Good night!
Today was our lovely Pamela and Huiting(belated) birthday. We bought an oreo cake for them to celebrate! (: I really hope that they are happy and knowing that superlife usher ministry will always be a home for them (: Happy Birthday to both Pamela and Huiting again! (:
I guess today as I served God in worship ministry. I recognize that wherever we serve, we should never just serve with because I want to serve but because to point people to Jesus through the songs that we sang today. Especially serving in the children ministry, I would struggle with pride I admit because perhaps I want a better connection with some kids? But thankfully by God's mercy, I always learnt that serving is because we love Him and serving with no other purpose. I pray that as I continue to serve the God who created me, I will love Him by loving the kids in doing what is pleasing to Him! (: Praise be to God for giving me so much good things I never expected from!
Today had to talk to some youths and realizing that sometimes we may hear and learn alot from the Word of God but we don't do it. I remember Rick Warren says that as we knows the Word but not do-er of the word will lead to down a dangerous path. I sincerely pray that this youths I helping in church, will constantly learn and constantly live it out (: I admit I struggle in but I pray that I will not give up and for me to continue helping younger ones love Christ! (:
In the evening, read the book Prodigal God! (: It was really cool subject to read on and it explains how the Gospel is like too (: yup! (: I will type more once I finish reading and also share my thoughts! (:
That is it for my day! (: Tomorrow is a brand new week in office again! (: I know it would be stressful but it is for that one purpose that God has called me to do for this season. I must do my best to please my Lord! (: Good night!
Monday, April 15, 2013
Philippians 2:5-8 self reflection (:
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
(Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)
As I was studying this passage from the book of Philippians, it shows me that Jesus came to really understand how humans lived our life and knowing what we go through. "by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Philippians 2:7 ESV), I can't imagine how much struggle I would have went through trying to live a life that not trying to be angry at people whom I'm not patient with, or holding back some sins I would struggle so much. I can't imagine how much Jesus got to struggle but it is by the power of God that He overcome all the sins daily by praying and coming to God for strength (: Truly a pattern that I should learn from Jesus! I hope that even as I will learn to come to God in prayer as I live my life daily in my small and big decision, and including my actions.
"And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:8 ESV). I imagined how tough it is for Jesus to actually humble himself from the position of a God to die for my sins. Whenever I think back of my sinful self, I just realize how sinful I am and not worthy of Him to die for me. I truly thank God for His grace and mercy He has shown unto me. He actually died for me although it was so tough for Jesus. He learnt to submit to God's will and plan.
Truly I'm thankful for all the wonderful works Jesus has did for me! (: I need to learn to reflect upon God's goodness in my life daily (:
Future Grace - pondering the power we need for obedience
Hi all, I have decided to share with you a chapter I read from the book called A GODWARD LIFE by John Piper (: interesting passage for me to share and review (:
Gratitude is a joyful emotion for worship but a dangerous motive for obedience. We are commanded in no uncertain terms to be thankful "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.... And be thankful (Colossians 3:15 RSV). "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) How can we not be thankful when we owe everything to God?
But when it comes to obedience, gratitude is a dangerous motive. It tends to get expressed in debtors' terms - or what I sometimes call the debtor's ethic. For example, "Look how much God has done for you. Shouldn't you, out of gratitude do much for him?" Or, "You owe God everything that you are and have. What have you done for him in return?"
I have at least three problems with this kind of motivation. First, it is impossible to pay God back for all the grace he has given us. We can't even begin to pay him back, because Romans 11:35-36 says, "Who has given a gift to him [God] that he might be repaid? [Answer: nobody] For from him and through him are all things. To him be the glory for ever." We can't pay him back because he already owns all we have to give him.
Second, even if we succeeded in paying him back for all his grace to us, we would only succeed in turing grace into business transaction. If we can pay him back, it was not grace. "To the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as grace, but as what is due" (Romans 4:4 author's translation). If you try to do wage negotiations with God, you nullify grace. If friends try to show you a special favor of love by having you over for dinner, and you end the evening by saying that you will pay them back by having them over next week, you nullify their grace and turn it into a trade. God does not like to have his grace nullifed. He likes to have it glorified (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14)
Third, focusing on gratitude as an empowerment for obedience tends to overlook the crucial importance of future grace. Gratitude looks back to grace received in the past and feels thankful. Faith looks forward to grace promised in the future and feels hopeful. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1, RSV).
This faith future grace is the power for obedience that preserves the gracious quality of human obedience. Obedience does not consist in paying God back and thus turning grace into a trade. Obedience comes from trusting in God for more grace - future grace - and thus magnifying the infinite resources of God's love and power. "I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10, RSV) The grace that enabled Paul to work in a life of obedience was the daily arrival of fresh supplies of grace. This is what faith trusts in - the continuing arrivals of grace. Faith looks to the promises like, I will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9), and in that confidence faith ventures, in obedience, to take the land.
The biblical role of past grace - especially the cross - is to guarantee the certainty of future grace: "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all [past grace], will he not also freely give us all things with him [future grace]?" (Romans 8:32 RSV). Trusting in future grace is the enabling strength of our obedience. The more we trust in future grace, the more we give God the opportunity in our lives to show the glory of his inexhaustible grace. So take a promise of future grace and do some radical act of obedience on it. God will be mightily honored.
Gratitude is a joyful emotion for worship but a dangerous motive for obedience. We are commanded in no uncertain terms to be thankful "And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts.... And be thankful (Colossians 3:15 RSV). "In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:18) How can we not be thankful when we owe everything to God?
But when it comes to obedience, gratitude is a dangerous motive. It tends to get expressed in debtors' terms - or what I sometimes call the debtor's ethic. For example, "Look how much God has done for you. Shouldn't you, out of gratitude do much for him?" Or, "You owe God everything that you are and have. What have you done for him in return?"
I have at least three problems with this kind of motivation. First, it is impossible to pay God back for all the grace he has given us. We can't even begin to pay him back, because Romans 11:35-36 says, "Who has given a gift to him [God] that he might be repaid? [Answer: nobody] For from him and through him are all things. To him be the glory for ever." We can't pay him back because he already owns all we have to give him.
Second, even if we succeeded in paying him back for all his grace to us, we would only succeed in turing grace into business transaction. If we can pay him back, it was not grace. "To the one who works, his wage is not reckoned as grace, but as what is due" (Romans 4:4 author's translation). If you try to do wage negotiations with God, you nullify grace. If friends try to show you a special favor of love by having you over for dinner, and you end the evening by saying that you will pay them back by having them over next week, you nullify their grace and turn it into a trade. God does not like to have his grace nullifed. He likes to have it glorified (Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14)
Third, focusing on gratitude as an empowerment for obedience tends to overlook the crucial importance of future grace. Gratitude looks back to grace received in the past and feels thankful. Faith looks forward to grace promised in the future and feels hopeful. "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1, RSV).
This faith future grace is the power for obedience that preserves the gracious quality of human obedience. Obedience does not consist in paying God back and thus turning grace into a trade. Obedience comes from trusting in God for more grace - future grace - and thus magnifying the infinite resources of God's love and power. "I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God which is with me" (1 Corinthians 15:10, RSV) The grace that enabled Paul to work in a life of obedience was the daily arrival of fresh supplies of grace. This is what faith trusts in - the continuing arrivals of grace. Faith looks to the promises like, I will be with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9), and in that confidence faith ventures, in obedience, to take the land.
The biblical role of past grace - especially the cross - is to guarantee the certainty of future grace: "He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all [past grace], will he not also freely give us all things with him [future grace]?" (Romans 8:32 RSV). Trusting in future grace is the enabling strength of our obedience. The more we trust in future grace, the more we give God the opportunity in our lives to show the glory of his inexhaustible grace. So take a promise of future grace and do some radical act of obedience on it. God will be mightily honored.
Why not use it for greater purpose?
Hello blog viewers,
Since I have created this blog, I shall decide to use this as my own reflection in what I study in the WOG (: I hope that this would be something I can share with people! (: Hope that this can be an good opportunity for me to use it properly in my blogging (:
Cheers,
B.Lee
Since I have created this blog, I shall decide to use this as my own reflection in what I study in the WOG (: I hope that this would be something I can share with people! (: Hope that this can be an good opportunity for me to use it properly in my blogging (:
Cheers,
B.Lee
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