Agnus Dei: Lamb of God
Maranatha: Our Lord Cometh
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Day by Day
Day By Day
Verse 1
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Verse 2
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Verse 3
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,
So to trust Your promises, O Lord;
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Verse 1
Day by day and with each passing moment,
Strength I find to meet my trials here;
Trusting in my Father's wise bestowment,
I've no cause for worry or for fear.
He whose heart is kind beyond all measure,
Give unto each day what He deems best;
Lovingly, its part of pain and pleasure,
Mingling toil with peace and rest.
Verse 2
Ev'ry day the Lord Himself is near me
With a special mercy for each hour;
All my cares He fain would bear and cheer me,
He whose name is Counselor and Pow'r.
The protection of His child and treasure,
Is a charge that on Himself He laid;
"As your days, your strength shall be in measure,"
This the pledge to me He made.
Verse 3
Help me then in ev'ry tribulation,
So to trust Your promises, O Lord;
That I lose not faith's sweet consolation,
Offered me within Your holy Word.
Help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting,
E'er to take, as from a Father's hand,
One by one, the days, the moments fleeting,
Till I reach the promised land.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Wait
For king saul, his impatience was one of the reason of his downfall. We must learn to wait especially when the pressure mounts for us to act.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Dating vs Courtship
© Copyright 1997-2009, Nathan Bailey, All Rights Reserved. Permission is granted to print these articles for personal use, in whole or in part, provided the extract references the original URL, http://polynate.net/books/courtship/, so that people can find the latest version.
As Christians, our primary purpose in life is to seek and serve God, and fulfill our destiny in Him.
Recreational dating is about self-gratification -- you date to satisfy your own needs.
Courtship is about open and honest exploration of each others lives and families leading up to engagement and marriage.
Courtship is about marriage -- you court in order to see if there is any reason why you shouldn't get married. There is no romantic interaction until after the commitment to marriage.
The primary purpose of marriage is not to please you, but to serve God. (Another way to say this is 'Our pleasure is not God's number one priority!' :) God wants us to be happy, but "happy" is subject to so many variances in circumstances that it is a very poor standard with which to judge life. Genesis says that God created Eve as a helpmeet -- to help Adam perform his duty, working the garden and taking dominion over the earth.
That is God's purpose for marriage -- a team, fulfilling His call together -- pleased with each other, certainly, but primarily focused on Him, not their own pleasure.
Pastor Hill says that love is "choosing what is best for the other person". That's NOT the same as choosing what the other person wants. It's always having the other person's BEST interests in mind. Sometimes, this may mean disciplining them, correcting them, or exhorting them to change. Other times it may be to quash a selfish desire in your heart in favour of their desires. Basically, it means taking the focus off yourself and looking at what you can invest in the other person.
In our contract-happy society, we think of legal contracts -- as soon as one party fails to fulfil their obligations, the other party is free from the commitments of the contract. In covenant, the commitment holds regardless of the performance of the other party.
As Christians, our primary purpose in life is to seek and serve God, and fulfill our destiny in Him.
Recreational dating is about self-gratification -- you date to satisfy your own needs.
Courtship is about open and honest exploration of each others lives and families leading up to engagement and marriage.
Courtship is about marriage -- you court in order to see if there is any reason why you shouldn't get married. There is no romantic interaction until after the commitment to marriage.
The primary purpose of marriage is not to please you, but to serve God. (Another way to say this is 'Our pleasure is not God's number one priority!' :) God wants us to be happy, but "happy" is subject to so many variances in circumstances that it is a very poor standard with which to judge life. Genesis says that God created Eve as a helpmeet -- to help Adam perform his duty, working the garden and taking dominion over the earth.
That is God's purpose for marriage -- a team, fulfilling His call together -- pleased with each other, certainly, but primarily focused on Him, not their own pleasure.
Pastor Hill says that love is "choosing what is best for the other person". That's NOT the same as choosing what the other person wants. It's always having the other person's BEST interests in mind. Sometimes, this may mean disciplining them, correcting them, or exhorting them to change. Other times it may be to quash a selfish desire in your heart in favour of their desires. Basically, it means taking the focus off yourself and looking at what you can invest in the other person.
In our contract-happy society, we think of legal contracts -- as soon as one party fails to fulfil their obligations, the other party is free from the commitments of the contract. In covenant, the commitment holds regardless of the performance of the other party.
Monday, June 14, 2010
As I look through Scripture, I’m struck by the fact that the tests God brings into our lives are always “open-book.” We don’t need to cram or study for them, we simply need to open God’s Book and apply it to each situation. The prophet Micah says it plainly: “He has showed you, O man, what is good” (Micah 6:8). God’s instructions for our lives are clearly and lovingly outlined in His Word, and each test is an opportunity to put our faith and allegiance into action.
When we consider our allegiance to the Lord, let me suggest a few questions that might appear on His open-book exam for our lives:
1. Would you still love and serve God, even if He hadn’t made promises to bless and reward you?
In other words, is your love and loyalty to Him based on what He does for you, or is it based on your love for Him whether He ever does anything for you or not? If you open the Book, you’ll see that Job passed the test because he knew that his God was worthy of his worship regardless. As he so boldly announced, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). Reading about the absolute worthiness of our God in the open Book will help you pass the test.
2. If God required your prized possessions, would you place them on the altar for Him?
Think about it. What’s more important to you, the gifts that God has given you, or the Giver of the gifts? I can’t consider this question without my mind racing to the “open-book” picture of Abraham on top of a mountain with his son, Isaac, ready to offer up what was most precious to him—his son—a gut-wrenching demonstration of God’s absolute supremacy in his life (Hebrews 11:17-19).
3. If He required what brings you pleasure, would you give it up for Him?
I’m not speaking here of illicit pleasures that are outside the boundaries of God’s righteous rules. I mean legitimate pleasures like peace, affluence, and significant friendships. Can you open the Book and say with Paul that you count the best things in your life as rubbish compared to the joy of Jesus in your life?
The apostle Paul seemed to have a good handle on this. For him, walking with Jesus wasn’t about scoring points toward receiving heavenly promises. Life was not about the accumulation of possessions or the pursuit of pleasure. It was about Jesus, and Him alone. Writing to the Philippians, he gave an open-book assessment of his life—a long list of worldly accolades and successes followed by the right answer: “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
Now it’s our turn. Regardless of the test you face, open the Book and let Jesus help you ace it!
YOUR JOURNEY…
What has motivated your obedience to Jesus?
Has it been the character of Christ and gratitude for His grace, or has it been a desire to receive the blessings He has promised?
Have any possessions (whether you own them or simply long for them) begun to hinder your pursuit of Jesus as your first priority? How can you put those possessions in their rightful place?
How much of your life is spent in pursuing pleasure?
What would it look like if you truly considered “everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus”?
When we consider our allegiance to the Lord, let me suggest a few questions that might appear on His open-book exam for our lives:
1. Would you still love and serve God, even if He hadn’t made promises to bless and reward you?
In other words, is your love and loyalty to Him based on what He does for you, or is it based on your love for Him whether He ever does anything for you or not? If you open the Book, you’ll see that Job passed the test because he knew that his God was worthy of his worship regardless. As he so boldly announced, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15). Reading about the absolute worthiness of our God in the open Book will help you pass the test.
2. If God required your prized possessions, would you place them on the altar for Him?
Think about it. What’s more important to you, the gifts that God has given you, or the Giver of the gifts? I can’t consider this question without my mind racing to the “open-book” picture of Abraham on top of a mountain with his son, Isaac, ready to offer up what was most precious to him—his son—a gut-wrenching demonstration of God’s absolute supremacy in his life (Hebrews 11:17-19).
3. If He required what brings you pleasure, would you give it up for Him?
I’m not speaking here of illicit pleasures that are outside the boundaries of God’s righteous rules. I mean legitimate pleasures like peace, affluence, and significant friendships. Can you open the Book and say with Paul that you count the best things in your life as rubbish compared to the joy of Jesus in your life?
The apostle Paul seemed to have a good handle on this. For him, walking with Jesus wasn’t about scoring points toward receiving heavenly promises. Life was not about the accumulation of possessions or the pursuit of pleasure. It was about Jesus, and Him alone. Writing to the Philippians, he gave an open-book assessment of his life—a long list of worldly accolades and successes followed by the right answer: “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Philippians 3:8).
Now it’s our turn. Regardless of the test you face, open the Book and let Jesus help you ace it!
YOUR JOURNEY…
What has motivated your obedience to Jesus?
Has it been the character of Christ and gratitude for His grace, or has it been a desire to receive the blessings He has promised?
Have any possessions (whether you own them or simply long for them) begun to hinder your pursuit of Jesus as your first priority? How can you put those possessions in their rightful place?
How much of your life is spent in pursuing pleasure?
What would it look like if you truly considered “everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus”?
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Cain’s offering was the effort of dead religion, while Abel’s offering was made in faith, in a desire to worship God in spirit and in truth.
Learning Points from Cain
1) God does not accept dead religion. He wants our best
2) Do not let pride overtake you. If you are in the wrong, go and repent
3) Anger can quickly lead to sin. It is crouching the door
4) You cannot lie to God
5) God always points the way out: to conquer sin, to repent
6) Unbelief, jealousy, empty religion, murderous anger, persecution of the godly
7) built his own "kingdom"
Sin of Korah
1) Rose up with many leaders to oppose moses.
2) Believed in their purity and how they are of equal chosen status as Moses
3) Jealousy of Moses, ignoring God's divine appointment
4) They are Levites and are suppose to do right, but they rebelled.
5) Want more power, dissatisfaction with their divine appointment
6) Treated God with contempt
Sins of Balaam
1) His path is reckless
2) Attracted by riches, greed
3) Sorcery
4) Tried to tempt the Israelites into sinning by practicing immorality and idolatry
Learning Points from Cain
1) God does not accept dead religion. He wants our best
2) Do not let pride overtake you. If you are in the wrong, go and repent
3) Anger can quickly lead to sin. It is crouching the door
4) You cannot lie to God
5) God always points the way out: to conquer sin, to repent
6) Unbelief, jealousy, empty religion, murderous anger, persecution of the godly
7) built his own "kingdom"
Sin of Korah
1) Rose up with many leaders to oppose moses.
2) Believed in their purity and how they are of equal chosen status as Moses
3) Jealousy of Moses, ignoring God's divine appointment
4) They are Levites and are suppose to do right, but they rebelled.
5) Want more power, dissatisfaction with their divine appointment
6) Treated God with contempt
Sins of Balaam
1) His path is reckless
2) Attracted by riches, greed
3) Sorcery
4) Tried to tempt the Israelites into sinning by practicing immorality and idolatry
THings I've done :)
The hols have been amazingly productive so far!
As of now...
Things I want to do during the Holidays
1) Learn Tagalog .... a little ha
2) Do linocuts... not yet
3) Send letters and art to people... Yep!
4) Explore Clark Quay ...YEP!
5) Do a performance art ... having second thoughts now
6) Draw like crazy.... more or less :)
7) Paint a family portrait... not done
8) Cycle in Sentosa..... no yet... good idea
9) Do stupid stuff like only eat fruits for a day or walk backwards for a day .... coming soon
10) Sew something... too boliao
11) Go to a cafe to draw... something to consider
12) Make a new friend... in the philippines!
13) Bake something I've never baked before Go to the Library cookbook section and randomly pick out a book and set out to make recipe number 33 no matter what it is. (Okay if it's something repulsive pick #35)14) Watch all the old movies and cry while watching
15) Climb Bukit Timah hill.... not done
16) Go swimming.... erm.. does playing in the water count?
17) Go for free concerts and have a picnic... not yet :P
18) Stargazing... nope
19) Spring Clean... YEP!
20) Visit Ahmah ... :P
21) Visit a museum.... not yet
22) Fly kite and make kite in Marina Barrage
23) Act like a tourist and take photos like crazy
24) Photos a stop motion thingy/ letters
25) Do a magic show for my family
26) Make 107 postcards
27) Sing in the SHower
28) Do a paper cut
29) End every sentence with a moo
30) Wake up people in the morning and say good morning sunshine at 4am
31) Pluck someone's hair and yell DNA!
32) Look at old photos
As of now...
Things I want to do during the Holidays
1) Learn Tagalog .... a little ha
2) Do linocuts... not yet
3) Send letters and art to people... Yep!
4) Explore Clark Quay ...YEP!
5) Do a performance art ... having second thoughts now
6) Draw like crazy.... more or less :)
7) Paint a family portrait... not done
8) Cycle in Sentosa..... no yet... good idea
9) Do stupid stuff like only eat fruits for a day or walk backwards for a day .... coming soon
10) Sew something... too boliao
11) Go to a cafe to draw... something to consider
12) Make a new friend... in the philippines!
13) Bake something I've never baked before Go to the Library cookbook section and randomly pick out a book and set out to make recipe number 33 no matter what it is. (Okay if it's something repulsive pick #35)14) Watch all the old movies and cry while watching
15) Climb Bukit Timah hill.... not done
16) Go swimming.... erm.. does playing in the water count?
17) Go for free concerts and have a picnic... not yet :P
18) Stargazing... nope
19) Spring Clean... YEP!
20) Visit Ahmah ... :P
21) Visit a museum.... not yet
22) Fly kite and make kite in Marina Barrage
23) Act like a tourist and take photos like crazy
24) Photos a stop motion thingy/ letters
25) Do a magic show for my family
26) Make 107 postcards
27) Sing in the SHower
28) Do a paper cut
29) End every sentence with a moo
30) Wake up people in the morning and say good morning sunshine at 4am
31) Pluck someone's hair and yell DNA!
32) Look at old photos
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