The Reason I Live is Christ

Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. (1 Tim 4:16)

Sunday, September 24
The Word Became Flesh

This is the title of the 2nd New Testament bethel lesson. I didn't go for it because of EBSO kite flying last saturday. I found out Robin's teaching.. He really good at it too.. I mean the way he conducts it.. A real pro teacher.. Anyway, i had time to go through the notes today during THOP (the hang out place) and it really helped me to relook at that point in history that carried the highest hopes for both God and Man...and it was really nice to contemplate and reflect truly how great God is, the significance of it all..

In the fullness of time, not a second early not a second late, God came as Jesus Christ as part of His plan since the fall of creation to save us.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.
Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. (John 1:1-3)

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

After studying the old testament for more than half a year, God has always been the Great One, the creator and judge of all.. Yet, at that moment in history, God came as flesh, a living man and walked with us.. How much more blind can we get? Wow! God had been among us. yet, many at that time couldn't grasp the thought of Jesus as 100% Man and 100% God. But through Bethel, when I studied just how every event happened in history led to that every moment.. to prepare the coming of the Saviour. From how Alexander the great conquered, to the Roman empire building roads which resulted in easy spreading of the gospel, the peace during that period of time, the same language Greek around the whole region...

Looking at Jesus as true man gave us another insight when the lesson mentioned that Jesus is the living example of the fullest potential Man can live - and that is through full obedience and submission to God.

i realised how difficult it is to put my thoughts into words, especially how awed i am at God working throughout history. This is the same God we all personally know.. The one who knows us and been through what we been through.. giving us new life through His death.. This is our God..

-=P3ng=- | 9:31 pm

Friday, September 22
A dumb pigeon or a brave pigeon

The Situation:
While waiting at the bus stop near my house, i saw this pigeon drinking water from the road the bus usually stops at. Then, i was half expecting it to fly away as bus 21 was coming.. the bus brushed past its tail feathers and it didn't even seemed bother and continue to drink water. I was quite stunted and realised i wasn't the only one in the bus stop that saw. I took a photo immediately. Then, bus 12 came and i'm really expecting it to fly away..when the bus came near, 2 ladies were like softly screaming (i dunno how to describe this).. afraid the pigeon will get run over.. the bus driver delibrately avoided the pigeon.. Then as i board the bus, the driver was telling the boarding passengers to move the pigeon away. I actually took picture of it, got amused by it.. but didn't think of helping it move away. heartless? i dunno, maybe i shouldn't have assumed. i dunno..

The dumb Pigeon:
As i was thinking how blind and stubborn the pigeon is, i was wondering how we can relate to it.. Being to sucked into what we want, what we are addicted to, what we desire so much, we end up unaware of the dangers we are in.. By God's grace we might be like the pigeon and have a narrow miss, but are we taking it for granted, thinking that it will never happen to me, or that i can surely get out of it in time?
*blind addiction

The brave Pigeon:
Then, i realised it can be seen from another perspective. It showed persistence, trust, courage. Just as how we constantly seek the water of life, we find it hard to trust in God's control over such dangerous situations. we will be frightened, putting trust in our own ability to get out of the situation rather than trusting God is in control. we might not even risk our lives to seek that water of life. That faithfulness and trust is great till the extent when even when the bus comes, it remained, unshaken, and continuing seeking what is impt..
*trust that comes from understanding God and priority in life.

-for ur info, the pigeon didn't get run over.. =)

-=P3ng=- | 11:38 pm

Wednesday, September 20
We're Breaking Free...

We're soaring, flying
There's not a star in heaven that we can't reach...
If we're trying
So we are breaking free......

I'm suppose to be too old for High School Musical, but as of now i'm enjoying the soundtrack =)

It started when all the young members started talking about it, how it is played in the Disney Channel over and over again, etc. And how nice it is. Having no cable TV, and not much interest i paid little attention until when one day i asked and behold, joyclyn has the dvd. After borrowing, it too me very long to actually find some free time to watch it. (*heh, i always found myself having more impt things to do) I managed to watch it last last monday. It was nice.. the songs made it so.. disney! lol.. anyway, i didn't bother abt it and prepared to book in.. The following night i went out with my frenz to Yishun and i wanted to buy Zhou Jie Lun's new cd.. i stepped into the cd shop and i told myself the song they are playing now is very nice.. then after a while it gets familiar and i looked at the Now Playing rack at the cashier's table. Lol High School Musical Soundtrack.. After that, the songs are stuck in my head so i asked Joyclyn for the songs. Thanks Joyclyn for burning and personalising it for me. didn't expect that.

I was talking to my friends about it. The response from my same age friends were like, what is it? or hey the songs sound like barney or high 5.. (sars) But the response from young members in S&P was like SOOO NICEEE.

Honestly, i was captured by the movie for quite a while. The story seemed to be the perfect life every teen wants to go through. A perfect fairytale, a dream partner in a magical fated meeting, not forgetting everyone being genuine, winning every competition, getting the attention, supporting friends, doing everything and being good in everything.. The movie left me with the If only my life was a fairytale too...

I guess the ideas in the movie did confused what i know about a wonderful life and perfection. Then i realised.. My life is a fairytale in the making.. And i already know my ending is going to be happily ever after. In the ugliness of the world, the people in it and around me, the ugliness within myself, such fairytale thinking is being accused of being naive and childish. How can one see goodness in the horrible state of life. This is what the adults called Reality, the society, the working life, the REAL WORLD OUT THERE. that's why fairytales and good themed movies seemed to belong to those of a younger age, or those whom they called deluded from the truth in life.

But in the midst of all this, the One who is good, the One whom all good origins, the One who shows us what good really means is with us. My fairytale began even before i knew Him, and everyday i can have this fairytale because He is with me against all that is bad. He teaches me, cares for me, refrains me from doing what will harm me. The movie encouraged the main characters to pursue and do what they wanted. I, on the other hand, am fallen and if i do what i wanted and pursue what i liked, i might not end up where i want. But the One who guides me, He knows what's best for me. Even more, He enables me to do tasks which i never imagined. He granted me strength to change my life to pursue what is good. He even gave me friends to encourage me. And He gave me a glimpse of what my ending is like. My worries changed to trust, my horrid habits changed to loving obedience.

That's the life I'm living.. The life God meant it to be.. .. Now why am I so downcast..? Cheers... because I'm free to live out my fairytale.

-=P3ng=- | 8:22 pm

Sunday, September 17
Some updates for now

Sorry, whole weekend had been super busy.. Weekly post not possible for now.. Now this weekend is totally packed! my frenz are wondering what i'm so busy with.. well many things!

Fri night after book out went for prayer meeting at night
Sat morn met with Amy and Daryl for next year plans, end up wanting to try out this THOP plan this year. Wonderful lunch with them haha.. thanks Romans for the You Tiao and dou hua drink.. nice!
Next is going to MARINA SOUTH! Picture are at bottom left =) Kite Flying.. really surprised how many people never flew a kite before.. we had fun even though it was pulling the string attach of a paper which according to my bro was pointless -_-'' he found it fun after that! haha.. then was a delicious meal of steamboat! really wonderful.. Kenneth can really eat and eat..
Sun.. sun school, service... then it was EBSO evaluation, a short meeting with the leaders... then go bedok interchange with daryl ivy kenneth go eat at bedok interchange.. then follow parents to jurong to change our new but faulty dvd recorder.. yay no more caskette tapes (can't spell).. then went to orchard to meet my OAC frenz.. had dinner at pasta cafe.. they bought a cool shirt from TOPMAN as a present and force me to change it immediately.. hehe

It has really been a blessed weekend.. at a point i really find it hard to understand why i accept such a hectic life, kept worrying that i might burn out.. then i remembered pastor Thomas Low's lesson on the rhythm of the Christian life...i'll explain more another post..

***

The Christian life is not one confined and binded to law and legislation. That's not life! We have been freed to live! our lives are now an expression of our gratitude to God for saving us, doing what God wants because we love Him..

-=P3ng=- | 10:39 pm

Sunday, September 10
My Bday Presents

Who in the right mind will reject a birthday present...? especially if it was from the person one loved most...

But that what i did whenever i grumbled about why live firing was on my birthday. Worse still, even after i come to realise it was God's gift, i still grumble FOR FUN when people ask me about the live firing...

Imagine you have found a great present for a friend, but he do not happily receive it, then even after he understood how great the present really is, he goes around telling others how horrid it is.. waste of his time...and don't even acknowledge that you gave that to him..

But that was exactly what i did.. I did not tell others of how God planned it be so. I honoured bad luck, honoured the army for the wonderful present.. but not the true giver - God Himself. If i'm given this chance to make things right, i want to seek God's forgiveness, i want to thank God properly for such an honour to receive this experience. Above all, i want to praise God that despite my horrible character, He did not love me any less.

Presents I've received:

1)120mm Towed Mortar Live Firing - I had 6 mortar barrels firing over 100 bombs to celebrate my bday. Not to mention 15 beautiful illum bombs that lit the night skies wonderfully. And i got this honour twice in a row for both my bdays while I'm in the army. That's more than concidence, it's divine planning. Simply - God's present. And i'm the only one in the whole world who is so privileged! (if you sense any sarcasm, it's not. It's sincere thanksgiving due to understanding that comes from God)
*no photos.. illegal to do so.. and i did not purposely take for the sake of showing off..

2)Fujifilm Finepix Z3 - I bought this camera as a present for myself! Memory upgrade to 1GB, it costed 498 with GST. I got this camera about 3 weeks earlier, immediately after it went to the shelves... Can't wait to start taking pictures of my life! Kind of regret not buying at a later date.. i love this metallic blue colour! too bad mine's silver.. oh well =)

3) New Spectacles! - Went to get new specs on thurs, part of the ORD civilian transformation package! Heh, enough for the black specs.. Finally something cool..
*will be photo once i get the specs.. process of making now.. My short-sightedness decreased by abt 50 degrees.. i actually see better with a lower degree spec than my current one.. cool praise God!

4) Wonderful Birthday Msgs from all my friends - I enjoyed reading them while i was at the live firing.. Ranald, Jon and Kenneth even got a chance to hear the mortar bomb went off when i picked up the call.. heh!

5) Unspeakable present from Porter and gang - Needless to say, it's unspeakable!

6) Vouchers from Singtel which I'm not intending to use.. -_-

7) A beautiful card from my wonderful 'godsisters'

8) A cool shirt from Romans and Ivy.. really thanks for the shirt =)

9) This very cool looking pocket watch! Haha, so he knows i don't like to wear accessories.. this is really cool..

10) Becky still haven't give me.. =p Ok i didn't want to accept it on fri night cos that means i need to bring it into camp.. which is horrible!

-=P3ng=- | 10:07 pm

Thursday, September 7
-Convicted-

lately i felt so disappointed at the way i live my life.. being accountable to God, it felt horrible looking at how lightly i've taken God and His standards.. i've not watched my own ways, my own tongue, my desires, my heart have gone astray at times.. and whenever i come before God, i felt bad but nothing really change after that. and i went around with this thinking I'm ok.. esp since i do know God, i have the desire, and honestly, being involved in serving God can give a person a false impression that because u are serving, you are not that bad/ ok/ better than others. It does, if i'm not careful enough, it seeps in.

But because God is so great, whenever i come before Him, there's nothing to hide, the condition of the relationship is obvious whether it was close or i had ignored Him. Perhaps it's true that the closer we come to God's light, the longer our shadow become, the more obvious the contrast between His perfection and my fallen state. But then that difference should spark a desire to be Christ-like, not to become indifferent or assume that because God is loving, He is ok with it.

I'm sure u have heard this a few times before. I have too. Yet i always assumed it won't happen to me. Don't let it happen to u too. Treasure your relationship with God! Make sure His standards matters to you.

-=P3ng=- | 10:49 pm

Wednesday, September 6
祷告

祷告因为我渺小
祷告因为我知道我需要
你明了你心里对我重要

祷告你假装不了
祷告因为你的爱我需要
你关怀我走过的你都明白

有些事我只想要对你说
因你比任何人都爱我
痛苦从眼中流下
我知道你为我擦

在早晨我也要来对你说
主耶稣今天我为你活
所需要的力量你天天赐给我
你恩典够我有

this song perfectly captured the essence and attitude behind prayer. It's simply a dialogue between you and God. and it fits the my blog's picture wonderfully...lHoping to find a website that hosts mp3s then can put the song in my blog.. For now, if u want this song, just ask from me =)

-=P3ng=- | 11:53 am

New Blogskin

At last, after months of struggling, I finally managed to shed my old skin. I decided to finda simple skin.. Then after some editing to squeeze and make full use of the whole screen, i'm done! This is best viewed on 1024 x 768.

This skin gives me more flexibility.. i can change the main photo from time to time.. that way i do have to redo the whole skin! haha =) i've cool pictures to change to.. but currently i love this original one.. it goes especially well with the song Romans copied for me =)

comments comments! all are welcomed!

-=P3ng=- | 11:46 am