catching God's Spirit
woosh I just talked to someone really really seh. And honestly, after what she said, I just thought that WOW. That's what I really want to do right now!
Catching God's Spirit. Well there's a difference between doing something for God out of obligation, responsibility and doing something for God out of love for Him. Honestly, but a few months back, I've difficulty doing things because I love God. This really caused much problems with me, such as being unnatural, can't get motivated etc etc. Eventually, truth be told I can't do much for God. Though I've not really caught God's Spirit yet, I feel like I'm eventually starting to sniff it! xD
What she said was true la! Some people, me included, tend to read the bible with the focus of praying for a verse with themselves. And sometimes these people complain of not being able to hear God during QT, or getting verses that are totally irrelevant to their problems/day. But I think that the focus of this is wrong somewhat, because the Bible is God's Word. From it, much as we can find verses that apply to us on that particular day, the point of it is that from it we can learn of the God who loved us so. We can know so much more about Him, likes, dislikes, character, etc. And only when we know Him more, can we honestly love Him with all our heart, all our soul, all our mind and all our strength. And only then can we see the world through God's eyes and have our hearts broken by the things that break His.And only then can we catch His Spirit, can we honestly do things out of love for God, love for people.
I wanna be passionate for God, regardless of my situation. I wanna do His work enthusiastically anywhere, anywhen, anyone. I wanna catch Your Sipirit, Oh Lord. And I wanna thank You for blessing me in this, I shall use the word troublesome, times. I will definitely continue to trust and grow in You!
giving our best
Sean here! been sometime since I last posted. Well anyway, during yesterday's LG I very clearly rmb what tze said about Abel and Cain, whereby in Gen 3:3 - 5 it said that God looked upon Abel's offering with favour but not on Cain's, because Abel gave the best of his firstborn flock to God, whereas Cain didn't. Few days back I was just reading in Leveticus about how offerings of animals can't be with defect etc. That got me thinking why is it that God forbid defects to be sacrificed to Him as an offering, and after a little while the answer came to me.
Because if He allowed that, I think that a lot of people would just give all their defected flocks and animals to be sacrificed. In a way,God becomes like secondary, a convenient dumping ground for their defected flocks. THAT would then be sinning, not giving our bvest for God. So when God forbade defected flocks from being sacrificed, He's actually trying to stop us from sinning. I think that was so cool. Wow, He honestly really had our best interest in mind lah.
In the same way, I just thought that in my life, did I give God the most valuable stuffs I have? Did I give Him my 100% or even more, or was it just a half-hearted effort on my part? A lot of time, I realise that I'm not honestly giving Him my 100%, I'm not exactly giving Him my EVERYTHING. More often than not, I feel like I'm compromising a lot on serving God and etc. I think that's something we have to work on la, to always be conscious that we aren't YET giving our 100% for God, and always aim to put in more effort. I honestly honestly believe that there's no such thing as giving too much, or even giving enough to or for God. But I'm gonna work on it so that I can give as much as I can consciously give, and I hope that all of you are trying to too! Probably God is frowning at me cutting corners in doing His work and etc, but hey, at least maybe if I keep trying, He'll frown less! xD
sat's sermon, Nehemiah 5:14-19
Purpose before privilege,
Others before self,
And seek God's affirmation.
Somehow, I've just suddenly realise that, I think for everyone of us, we're given a certain amount of privileges, abilities, resources, etc. Some more than others, but I feel that the more one get, the harder it is to step away from our original calling, which is to serve God. And these 3 points are so interlinked, I don't know why I have never thought of it before.
With our gifts, that comes with certain benefits, we can enjoy the benefits as a bonus, but ultimately, a bonus is something that can be done without. And this is the attitude which we should have to serve others and remember what is our purpose in being given these gifts. These gifts is then put to use, to put others before ourselves, such that in the end, when we see God, He'll praise us for all we've done to serve others and be like Him.
Should each of us always think of others before ourselves, we'll then naturally have all our needs met. Mutual support, mutual growth, and grow we will!
all-accepting love
Though this is a point that we all very familiar with, I still really wanna share/remind you guys about it. Since love for God is one of the fundamental in our walk with God, it cannot be more emphasized that God truly loved us, way beyond any human can love another.
Romans 5:7-8
"Very rarely will anyone died for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
You've read it, but do you truly, deeply understand how much God loves us? Not to say anything to anyone, but how many of us will without hesitation willingly sacrifice not ourselves, but our most beloved persons, to save people in the wrong? To be honest, I think I can never do that. To put it in an analogy, it's like when your kids fell into the ocean, and you can only save either your son or the terrorist that bombed the ship. Yet God made the choice, and he sacrificed His son to save us, a bunch of sinners. Can anyone in this world, ever make such a decision? I definitely can't.
Now you're reminded, our lives and chances are bought. It isn't free thus it's only right that we do our part to thank the One who sent His son, and Jesus, for giving his life. We can do this by living righteous lives and seeking God with all our heart.
I'm sharing this because I've realised that I've sinned a whole lot in my life and today as well, so much that I'm also quite sickened with myself, much less other people. But God doesn't shun me because I'm a sickening piece of crap. He doesn't love me less because I don't fulfil his expecations. And not just me, but also people who may be in a worse situation than myself. And when I think of how He has always loved each and everyone of us all, and there's no way I can truly be like Him in this aspect, that's when I realise how great and wonderful He is, and aim to be like Him.
stay true, stay on track
Had a wonderful teaching today! Really impacted me great. I'm gonna stay true to You, Lord. To You and Your purpose alone. That's my core.
I'm messed up. Bad. Fix those pieces of my heart, O Lord, and make it in Your image.
Let's build our house together.
promos, the middle
Had 3 papers for Promos already. My mind and body feel wasted completely. Lord, I can't wait to be rejunevated in Your presence tomorrow at service. The papers haven't been all that wonderful, and You know, I'm worried about Jateka, Believer and my mom.
I really wanna be a salt and light, to glorify Your name and tell people that You are so good. Hey, about JW, I really pray that she'll be fine, that she won't be so pressured by her God-given abilities. She'll perform, and when she doesn't, then it's all in Your plan for us.
And Lord, my shepherd wanted me to think of areas of improvement, to have a aim and vision of myself further down the read. I really wanna learn to love God's people, and that's what I said. "Care," God once told me. I'm gonna put my all, to have the heart of burden and to be able to understand when my friends feel burdened.
Lord, I'll be a clean vessel for Your work to be done through me.
the normal state
Yesterday's cg was really mind-blowing. It's about our state of mind, the state of mind which will allow us to hear from God. Usually, we tend to be in an ABnormal state of mind, be in the exams, in our daily lives, all the time! Our heads tend to be filled with worry, fear, anxiety, nervousness, stupid thoughts.
My head is filled with crap, and thus I realise that recently, my relationship with God is getting affected. Lord, I wanna hear from You again. I wanna listen to Your words again and again and gain Your vision for my cg. Lord, I know I've failed You a million times, and even more than that, yet Your love accepts all my faults, Your grace transcends all my sins.
What more do I ask for, but to jump at You with love and faith.
