One curse, One blessing

Brothers and Sisters,

Shalom and God be with you. Carrying on with what has been said for the past week or so, I think it befitting to supplement what has been said, so as to minimize misconception.

The week encompasses messages that are less “fluffy” and acceptable than before. Frankly put, this is one of the seemingly harsher facets in our Christian faith. Often, the idea of complete submission to God, being nothing in comparison, and having Him to be of paramount importance: these ideas are not mentioned immediately upon evangelization. It is hard to convert someone by walking up to them and suggesting that their material life is meaningless, especially in ACS(I) whereby material desires and blessings are prevalent.

The messages said by Zhanfeng, Karlo and I placed respective emphases not taking God for granted. There exists many times whereby we forget who we are dealing with, who we are worshipping. Do not take God as a dispenser of blessings, as put by Karlo very well. Do not merely seek your will, but accept His will as your goal.

Having said so much, it is definitely not wrong to ask for blessings either. The Bible does mention that God is willing to hear our requests and pleas, and we acknowledge that the Holy Spirit is the Comforter within the Holy Tripartite.

John 16:24 “Until now you have not asked for anything in My name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.” NIV

This is by no means a blank cheque from Heaven, nor an excuse to exhibit our inexorable covetous nature. It is nothing more than God justifying our right to make requests to Him.

We have to expect the right things when we ask God for blessings.

Many times I hear classmates, peers and church-mates praying, week after week, for their A levels, IB or whatever relevant curriculum. Consider our requests. If we pray to God for good results, is it more likely that He magically generates a 45-point diploma? Or is God more likely to show you the right way to get it, helping you progressively until you, in understanding and acceptance, realize that it is you who have achieved it with His will and guidance?

If we pray to God for stronger faith, does He encapsulate us with warm, fuzzy feelings and satiation, or does He open up more doors and avenues of service to show ourselves we are capable of such faith? If we pray for strength, does He fill us with steroidal supplements of a physical and mental nature? Or does He send us MORE chances to push ourselves, to show ourselves that we are strong?

A blessing does not have to look pleasant when it comes, it just has to come. God blesses us regardless if we ask for it, regardless if we expect it, regardless if we want it, regardless if we like it. Before continual prayer in demand, perhaps consider what God has already given.

Sometimes the bane of our existence is a message from God.

Keson

praying for the sick

Hello!

If you look around you, I'm sure many of you will notice that class sizes are diminishing rapidly and that people are falling sick one by one; in fact, a few of our FireAC leaders have been hit with H1N1. Let's take this time to pray in faith for our friends. If your friend discovers suddenly that he/she isn't feeling well, take the opportunity to ask whether you can pray for him/her :)

"Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven." - James 5:14-15.

Let's also take this as a reminder to bring everything humbly to the Lord in prayer, that we will not be anxious about anything (Philippians 4:6). As the song goes:

What a Friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer!
O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear,
All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.

Lastly, don't be discouraged or disheartened if you feel like you aren't praying correctly or don't know what to pray about - Romans 8:26-27 says "And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will." Amen!

A resounding gong or a clanging cymbal?

Hi friends! How has life been treating you? How have you been treating other people? Are you feeling that life’s not fair? Why me? How could I fail? Ahhh. Or, Man! I’m growing up so fast; stuck at crossroads, coursework, responsibility, help! But even as you go through certain phases of life, have you noticed how you’ve been treating others around you? I really doubt so. We humans are egocentric dumdums, so as long as what I get is the ‘fairest’ if not the ‘best’, we’re content. Even if we tread on some people, or tear them down with uncalled for words along the way. What I’m trying to say is, if the day’s going badly for us, we tend to be snappy, irritable and unloving to others, even to the point of doing it on purpose to ensure that his or her day becomes as bad as your own. Selfish-much.

Should we not instead constantly love our neighbours as ourselves? No matter what toils we have to face, we should trust everything to God, and simply be a loving generation.

1Cor13:1
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not LOVE, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

Hence, if our lives are devoid of love, our words, would also not be pleasant but instead be something cacophonous, disrupting the harmony of a loving relationship. Once we have the love in us, speaking the right words are the right time will come naturally, and God would guide or tongue such that no matter how unfair life seems to be, you would still love, be happy for each other. And the words that you speak, will be like sweet music that lifts people up.

In His Love
Zaccy

Matthew 7

The Narrow and Wide Gates

¹³"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ¹⁶By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

²¹"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. ²²Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' ²³Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The Wise and Foolish Builders

²⁴"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. ²⁵The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. ²⁶But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

²⁸When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, ²⁹because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.

Elderly woman witnesses to man trying to rob her

Hello all, just a two-minute video which will hopefully encourage us to witness to ALL of those around us - not just those we are comfortable with, or those whom we are sure of getting positive responses from. Enjoy :)

What kind of soil is your heart?

Matthew 13:18-23

"Hear ye the parable of the sower.

When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.

But he that received the seed in stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh fruitful.

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

What condition is the soil of your heart today?

Is it like the hard soil of the Palestinian dirt-paths, a heart that hears but does not truly understand; a heart trampled by the cynicism of the world? "Break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the Lord." (Hosea 10:12)

Or is it shallow like the thin soil over hard rock? The believer experiences an emotional response; The seed grows but its roots never go deep enough, and just as the sun can help the plant to draw water and nourishment from the soil, it can also test the believer's faith with the scorching heat of persecution. How strong is your faith lately?

Or perhaps it is a soil crowded with weeds, distractions and material desires? Some of the people in Jesus' time were too busy thinking about food, taxes, etc. What have you been allowing to crowd God out of your life today?

Or is it like the fertile soil, the heart that understands the Word (unlike the hard heart), receives the Word (unlike the shallow heart) and holds fast to it (unlike the crowded heart)?

The woman at the well; at first her heart was hard, for she felt that "the Jews have no dealings with Samaritans". Then her hard heart became a shallow heart, Christ offered her living water, but she replied, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw" (John 4:15). It was an emotional response with no depth. Some of us might have then seized the opportunity to then pray with her and share about the real Living water. But Jesus was patient, and he knew her heart was still crowded with other things, and immediately began to pull the weeds out, "Go, call thy husband!" Finally, the good seed planted years ago began to grow, "I know that Messiah is coming... when that One comes, He will declare all things to us" (John 4:25). Jesus then revealed who He was, she believed, and immediately began to bear fruit.

What condition is the soil of your heart today?

What fruit has come from your life recently?

Are you sowing the Word patiently, with discernment and wisdom?

Are you helping others bear fruit?

=)

Bibliography:

Wiersbe, Warren. Meet Yourself in the Parables. SP Publications, 1979.

Let's continue to be certain our soil is plowed up, free from weeds, and ready to receive God's Word =)

On another note, here's an interesting video...

What if Starbucks Marketed Like A Church? A Parable.

An interesting, and perhaps rather insightful warning. Tell me what you guys think ^^

Have a blessed week ahead,

Pet

exams

Dear friends,

As you all know, for the past week and in the next few days to come, we shall be faced with the unnerving ordeal of receiving our results and getting back our common test papers. Whatever the verdict may be, let's strive to honour and give thanks to our Father in heaven in every circumstance! It may seem a tall order, especially if you're being weighed down by tiresome emotions like disappointment, frustration, anxiety or even envy. But let us lift up all of this to the Lord :) Here are some verses of encouragement:

Psalm 107:1:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Job 2:10:

He replied, "You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

Psalm 73:

25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Habakkuk 3:

17 Though the fig tree does not bud
and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails
and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen
and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD,
I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,
he enables me to go on the heights.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

In love, Rachel miao.

The Grace of God in our lives.

Dear brothers and sisters,

I want to thank everyone of you who continually read and mantain this blog for the glorification of our Father in heaven. Thank you for the time you spend writing, reading and I sincerely hope that you would be blessed indeed.

The GRACE of GOD.

So what is the Grace of God?

Grace used in the context of the bible means undeserved favour. How is this different from mercy? It seems that some do use it interchangebly but well, it all boils down to this, mercy refers to undeserved pardon, and grace, an extension of that, undeserved favour. Undeserved favour that God has promised to carry us through life, so that "[Man] may see your good deeds and praise your father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16)

Favour that God will give to you not only in his sight but in man's just as Jesus "grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and Man." (Luke 2:52)

Let us not cease to remember the great amount of favour that God pours into our lives. Be it the teacher that favours you over others though you do nothing out of the ordinary. (I personally have had many of those encounters, even when I admittedly may not like the teacher at all). Moreover, let us claim this favour that God has bestowed upon us because we are now sons (and daughters) of God and as Christ in us is the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27), the birthright to God's favour in our lives is opened to us.

With this birthright, the Grace of God in our lives, we have the promise that God will meet all our needs according to His glorious riches in glory. (Phillippians 4:19). Well some may twist and turn this to being the only reason for being a Christian, (some call it the prosperity gospel). Let us remember that this 'prosperity gospel' is also an important part of being a Christian (though not everything). As John ends with an exhortation saying "Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." (3 John 2) do and believe likewise.

Think of it this way, as a Father to child, spoiling and discipling him when the time is right, to make him more into his image each day. To allow his child to show the world how different he/she is, that God has made a difference in his/her life, that God has changed him/her, that God has brought him through all the trials and tribulations. This is the Grace of God.

Grace also happens to mean elegance in the beauty of movement and a sense of propreity and consideration for others. How apt, I feel, that Grace as an outward expression in our lives is just that. For people to see the beauty of our movement guided by Christ our Lord and our care for the people around us.

So let me encourage all of us not cease to remember the Grace of God in our lives, acknowledging His presence in every activity, every action and every little favour that people around us show us. Knowing well that through this, we are being transformed into his likeness more and more. People are always watching. Let your change by the Grace of God be a testimony to them and allow them to seek and find the ABSOLUTE TRUTH of all time, Jesus Christ.

Yours In Christ,

-Caleb

Who are you?

"Are you a student who happens to be a Christian, or a Christian who happens to be a student?" This question was posed to me a couple of years ago, and on the spot I could only blink in response.

Our education system makes it difficult for school not to partially, if not totally, engulf our lives. The role of the school is no longer restricted to serving merely as an educational institution; everything from the development of our character to the pursuit of hobbies and extracurricular activities now also comes labelled in boxes within our timetables. 12-hour days are not uncommon, Saturdays in school are a regularity and spending the entire school holidays away from school is practically unheard of. My point: a very grand proportion of our time is spent in school or doing schoolwork, and I'm sure you will agree.

What tends to follow from this, unfortunately, is that we may start to think of ourselves as primarily students, then Christians. Attending FireAC becomes part of our routine as a student. Worship in chapel and morning devotions are part of our timetables. It often doesn't help that we feel continuously pressured to perform and to meet the expectations held of us as students. Consciously or (more often) not, our identity as a student whose primary aim is to secure our marks can easily override our identity as sons and daughters of Christ who strive to glorify God in even eating and drinking (1 Corinthians 10:31). We don't necessarily have to obliterate God from our lives for this to happen - instead, we might find ourselves treating God as a peripheral priority, slotting Him into what we mistake to be the grander scheme of things. Clearly, though, this is wrong - we are commanded to love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our strength (Deuteronomy 6:5) and not "whatever is left after I'm done studying".

But what else am I supposed to do? You might ask. By no means am I suggesting that it would be correct to ignore our homework so that we may spend more time in worship. No, today I challenge us not to give God a little bit more of our time, but to offer Him all of our time. Let us aim to achieve what was commanded in 1 Thessalonians 5:17: Pray continually! And to acknowledge the Lord in every situation of our lives, to see every circumstance through a Christian perspective. To be Christians who happen to be students.

Hebrews 12:11, "No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it."

The Lord's correction and discipline is given to everyone He loves, accepts, and cherishes in His heart. According to Ephesians 1:5, through Jesus Christ we are adopted as sons of God. Therefore, as His children we are entitled to His great love and His loving hand of discipline.

Admittedly, it took me some time to willingly submit to the correction and discipline of the Lord. At times, the process was painful and difficult, asking me to give up things I took pleasure in. When I obeyed though, I always saw a positive result. Two truths came to life: discipline is good, and discipline is necessary to help me become like Christ.

I felt His great love as God would tell me that i needed to put Him before facebook. Before, i always did my QT after my facebooking time. Sometimes, after going online, i get so tired, i decide to put off doing qt. But now, I have learnt, that my quiet time with God must always come before facebook. He taught me how things like that, would be in your best interest to break away from it." When I submitted to the discipline, I could see that He really loved me and wanted what was best for me.

The next time you need to accept discipline, remember the love of the Father who uses correction to shape you into the person He has designed you to be.

My parents have said this to me before. "scolding you and disciplining you hurts us so much more than it hurts you". I am sure many of you have heard this from your parents. I could never understand this as a child, after all, i was the one suffering and in pain. So many times, i asked God "why why why can't they just be lenient for once" and i realised one day that i would have turned out a really terrible person if my parents never scolded me, yelled at me when i was tiny. i would have all the wrong values incorporated in me and not knowing what was wrong/right. God speaks to us through our parents, disciplines us using our parents and thus, we should be eternally grateful to them for all the many scoldings that we've gotten because it would eventually mould us to become better people, shining for the glory of God.

Proverbs 10:17, "He who heeds discipline shows the way to life, but whoever ignores correction leads others astray."

So, take a chance today, to thank your parents as well as your heavenly Father for all the punishments they have meted out to you!

In the quiet

How often do you listen to silence? Think of yourself walking to the bus stop: you are plugged into your iPod. Even if you're not, the sound of traffic is a constant, the chatter of your classmates, incessent. Think of yourself eating dinner: the television is on in the background, the clatter of your cutlery against the plate. Think of yourself right now: music blasting from the speakers, MSN 'badadums' (alert sounds) every 2 seconds, your fingers dancing across the keyboard, going TAK TAK TAK TAK. Every single day we are surrounded by all this noise. How do we expect to hear God's voice?

I always hear people asking the Lord for some sort of sign, praying that the Lord tell them what to do when the encounter a problem. My question would then be: are you listening?

If you are perpetually engulfed by all this background noise: traffic, chatter, television, music, how do you expect to be able to hear God? Even if he yells, His gentle voice be overwhelmed by your rocking music. It was only in the quiet when Abraham heard God calling out to him, and it will only be in the quiet when you will truly hear His voice.

So just be quiet for a while. I challenge you. Take a step back and listen to His voice.
Turn off the music playing in the background. Turn off the fan whirring behind you. Close the doors and bask in the silence.

1 KINGS 19:11-12, told of a time when the prophet Elijiah was told to "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by. A great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper" And there the Lord was.

It is not in the huge, dramatic, overbearing things that the Lord resides, but in the stillness and quietness. Be silent and listen to God's calling. Because He IS talking to you and has been ever since you were born. Say, "Speak Lord for your servant is listening" and truly be LISTENING.

Be open to whatever God may suggest and remember that we are all His servants and we should go wherever He calls, but for us to hear His call, we must be in the quiet.


-Sandra

I promise

Ok I promise to keep this short.

Lord I promised to pray
To do whatever you say
To read the bible everyday

Lord I promised to care
To tell my friends about you
To be an example for others to follow

Lord I promised to be the best Christian the world has ever seen
To never let you down
To do whatever necessary to enter the pearly gates

BUT
Lord I forgot.
I forgot You.

I forgot your taste,
your smell, your touch,
your love

I forgot how it was like to talk to you,
to hear your voice, to
laugh and find
peace
in you

I cannot remember
but I cannot forget

It eats me, bugs me, harasses me
but is that not the beauty of love?

That you will never leave me nor forsake me?


Its not what we do, but who we chase. Its not why because worship needs no reason. Its not when because worship needs no time.

Remember the song "with Christ in the vessel we can smile at the storm?"

Let us be a child once more.

refiner's fire

Just a short story I suddenly remembered having read two years ago :) Enjoy!

--

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver."

This verse puzzled some women in Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.

That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver." She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

The source of our strength

Greetings to you, my dear friends!

i would like to share 2 verses with you:

Isaiah 26:3-4
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
Trust in the LORD forever,
For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength.

Yes, our God is the source of everlasting strength and perfect peace.
He is worthy of our fixed attention and abiding trust.

During this examination period, it is tempting and easy to compromise and neglect our quality time with God, but let us constantly remind ourselves to fix our minds on Him, to place our trust in Him, even as we focus on our studies, because only He can give us true peace and strength to overcome life's challenges.

* * * * * * * * * *

(: Don't these verses also remind you of the famous phrase, "the joy of the Lord is your strength", which subsequently reminds you of the secret of true joy: Jesus. Others. You?

Indeed we do not only study hard and excel in exams for our own sake, not merely for personal glory or brighter job prospects. We would like to do well for God's glory; to multiply the talents and resources He has generously bestowed upon us. We would also like to do well for others, such as loved ones who hope for the best in us, and also for the underprivileged ones in the world. There are millions of people who do not have access to proper education and are living in poverty while we enjoy high standard of living and world-class education. Hence, we must not waste our resources and talents, but must make full use of them and serve the underprivileged ones in the near future, just like what Jesus did.

May we find joy during this examination period as we elevate and expand our minds to stay on Christ and others.

May we also bring Heaven to Earth even as we try to get many people to Heaven from Earth.

Happy Youth Day! and Good Morning God =)

Hey guys, well, good morning to ya! =)

Thank God for a wonderful new day yeah? And of course, new opportunities to spread His love where ever we go, in our homes, along the street, on the bus... =)

So just thought I'd share this song with you guys, perhaps it might be familiar to some... but nevertheless inspirational on how we can truly be God's angels amidst this earthly world =)

Angel In Disguise

I woke up this morning feeling kind of blue
and I stumbled out of bed
and dragged my feet across the room
Right outside my front door was a rose
and a note that said 'Somebody Loves You'

But out on the street it starts to pour
and before I get soaking wet,
A total stranger runs to give me
the jacket off his back
I turn around to thank him
But he waves me with a smile
I can hardly believe my eyes
He puts on a halo and starts to fly

Take a look at the ordinary
Don't need to look at Paradise
You could be next to
an angel in disguise

I met a good friend for lunch
and we had a delicious meal
But I forgot to bring my wallet
I felt like an imbecile
But she was sweet, she gave me a treat and
Bought me a chicken sandwich
To take home for tea

But out on the street with nothing to eat
A man and his shopping cart go
Travelling to places,
Collecting social graces
I give him my sandwich
and we chatter for a while
I see a rainbow wash over his eyes
He gives me his halo and
I start to fly

Take a look at the ordinary
Don't need to look for Paradise
You could be next to an angel in disguise

Don't try to hide away from me
I know you're by my side

Take a look at the ordinary
Don't need to look for Paradise
You could be next to
an angel in disguise
Everyday can be legendary
Every minute, an endless surprise
You could be the next angel in disguise

I woke up this morning
Feeling kind of new

Copyright, Corrinne May

God bless you all. Much <3,>

What Do We Sow?

Hihi Friendlies!

Been busy? What a curse to be 21st century dwellers huh? Secondary dudes with all the coursework, catching up with school and much much other stuffs. IB fools trying to survive the Common Tests, IOP, IBDP exam revisions. EETOKIA! ahh.

But with our oh-so-hectic schedules, and absolutely no 'social-distancing', what have we but a multitude of opportunities and choices? Choices to do our best, or to be apathetic. Choices as to whom to do our best for.

Our generation has only two ways of living: Fast and Faster.
Honestly, when we zoom and whizz around our daily haunts, how often do we think about Christ? How often do we think about our purpose in life? Do we really remember that in everything we do, we should work at it with all our heart, as working for the Lord and not for man? Or do we just get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of task after task, only looking ahead far enough to see what is in front of us, only looking back far enough to see there is no backlog. Really what is the meaning of YOUR Life?

So, TWO things; What is your attitude to life? and Whom are you living for?

A farmer chooses what to sow. New grain or grain from the past harvests. He also chooses how to sow it, and the effort put in shows ultimately. We should learn from how a farmer puts his whole being into his work, sincerely giving his best.
When faced with a task, say a mega-huge physics project, how do we go about doing it? Grudgingly? To the best of your ability? "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." -Galatians 6:7.

Farmers farm crops, but who do these crops go to? To feed themselves and sate their gluttony? Or to some more noble cause, which glorifies God?
More importantly, whom are you living for? It's quite obvious is it not? Really? "The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life." - Galatians 6:8. Exam-wise, we usually pray, 'Father Lord, grant us ... ... clarity of mind ... ... perseverence ... ... as we complete this exam not for our glory but for Your glorification. Amen.' Do we really mean it? Or are these becoming cliches, simply uttered for personal comfort? When we study, when we sit for the tests, how easy is it for us to look short-term, towards ourselves.

'Oh dear, I absolutely must do super well to top the class and look uber pro! but then I'd better pray, tell God that it's for Him. Maybe He wouldn't know.' God cannot be deceived.

So, we constantly have to check what we are sowing. Are we living today for ourselves? Are we being cheerful in everything, giving our all or are we simply lazy, slothful and apathetic to our responsibilities. Are we proud and boastful, doing our best for ourselves? Or are we humble, giving all glory to God and living completely for Him.

Plunging back into to hecticity of the 21st century, leaping from the solaceful springboard of this blog, we should always make the most of this life we have been given, giving our very best to our Father. What other purpose do we have in life except to glorify and live for that which is eternal? Let us also encourage each other, and hope in the Lord, letting Him be our strength, such that we can live for our God.

In His Love
Zaccy

we, the citizens of hypocricy

I really hope that it has been a good evening for everybody, and yes, I am talking to you, whoever you are. I sincerely pray and hope that by God's words that I am typing out right now, He might touch your hearts.

So, this morning, I opened my Bible and for some supernatural reason, when I started reading the passage, I felt that I really wanted to share this. So, it was Romans 10:1-23. But I'm focusing on Romans 10:1-17. [If you would like to refer to the passage without opening the Bible, I've the passage at the bottom of this sharing]

We claim that we are fireAC and we serve as a group of young people, passionate for Christ. And we carry "this little light of mine" in this school, to set this school ablaze. But it all boils down to whether this is really our "heart's desire" [v.1]. As it was Paul's heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites that they maybe saved, shouldn't our hearts be filled for compassion for the unsaved around us. I want you to question yourself, just how many of your friends don't know God as their personal saviour? Maybe you, who stumbled upon this blog don't know Christ or God either.
As the Year fives sit down to settle what we see in fireAC, I would like to put this deep burning passion in the hearts of everyone, not just those who come for our morning sessions. Someone once told me that if you go out to share the gospel but you have no compassion for the unsaved, you'll be dragging your feet and afraid to share. Why are we so afraid?

Verse 9 says that if we confess with our mouth that "Jesus is Lord" and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you are saved. If we sincerely believe this, then why aren't we joyfully proclaiming the Gospel everywhere we go. If we have this joy in our heart, this belief, this hope and compassion, then take this moment to turn to your friend, and share the love. Or even better, turn your enemy and show the opposite of what he/she has been showing to you.

For EVERYONE who calls on the name of the Lord WILL be saved.

Have you ever questioned about what you don't know? Or have faith in something you have never heard of? Then how do you expect the remaining 68% [and growing] to suddenly wake up one day and proclaim Jesus as their saviour. Despite coming from a Mission school where we have chapel every week, devotion every morning and a large proportion of us going to church, I am positively sure that some people haven't actually let the gospel enter their system. Then why don't you take this time to turn to your friend, anyone, and spend just five minutes sharing why you believe in God.

For "faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ".

On a side note, even though Christianity is probably the "largest" religion in the world with 32% of the about 6 billion people being Christians, it is definite that these numbers are dropping. Various reasons can include the fact that non-Christians see Christians as a bunch of hypocrites. Romans 1:32 says something along the lines of knowing what is right to do, yet doing the wrong thing. Personally, I feel that this is a very important problem in the lives of Young Christians. Because we read the Bible, or our youth leader tells us, we know what is wrong to do. We know that there is no such thing as grey area, but black or white. Yet we follow the ways of the world, giving in to swearing and cursing, cheating during examinations, lying, piracy and the list goes on.

If you have this compassion in your heart, I'm sure that with the help of the Holy Spirit, we can change and allow Christ to shine through us. For who knows where this rays of light might fall upon.

God Bless you. :D

Romans 10

¹Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. ²For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. ³Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. ⁴Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

⁵Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them."^a]">[a] ⁶But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'^b]">[b]" (that is, to bring Christ down) ⁷"or 'Who will descend into the deep?'^c]">[c]" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). ⁸But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"^d]">[d] that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: ⁹That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."^e]">[e] ¹²For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."^f]">[f]

¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"^g]">[g]

¹⁶But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"^h]">[h] ¹⁷Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.

In the Faith of Jesus Christ,
Eunice Wong

Of Lies, Tries and the Many Cries

Howdy all my brothers & sisters out there!

You might actually wonder why I titled this post to be "Of Lies, Tries and the Many Cries", or even think that this might be something new to what you have been reading. Well, I hope that after you read this post, you will stop to think and reflect for a moment or two. :)

It is a little more than half a year in school - time really past quickly eh! Soon, before you know it, you will be sitting for your year-end examinations, the O-Levels, the much-talked-about IB exams or even getting confirmation that you have been accepted into IP/IB via DSA and such. Yes, academics are part and parcel of our lives and important to certain extent.

Before we move on to the adulthood or working lives, let us consider our post-primary school and pre-20-years-old years. Many a times, it is during this 6 to 8-year window period where teenagers nowadays face the most difficult and trying times of their lives. Hurt, grief, emo-ness (definitely in this new generation) and all sorts of other internal and external conflicts - you name it, others will most probably hear about it.

Sometimes, have we stopped to ask our friends how they are doing? Are they coping well with their studies? Or do we really tend to forget some friends at times, especially when we're doing well and just neglect all the good times that we shared in the past? Self-delusion and lies are sometimes the blanket excuses that we use for such situations, and then we move ahead and never look back.

In times like this, during this phase of economic downturn and flu pandemic, it is not unusual to see people having tendencies to be more careful about everything, from buying new things, right down to talking on the phone; taking extra effort not t0 cross the limit. Whilst these are good practices, it seems like we pay attention to things that are more superficial. God placed others above Himself, giving others a chance like how He saved the prostitute who was about to be stoned and said;

"Let he who is without sin cast the first stone" John 8:7

He hears the many cries of our hearts and seeks to understand our problems, so, we too can do little things that change people's negative perspective of the world. Because, just imagine this - many small little good deeds we do in our entire life will add up to quite a bit and similarly, many small little bad things we do will also add up to a significant amount. So, should we let the wrongs outweigh the rights, or the weighing scale tip to the opposite direction? You decide.

With less than half the year left, or looking from a broader view, many years ahead of you, remember to make good decisions and not regret in the near future. Take some moments to ponder over this post; think it through over a cuppa coffee or whichever makes you comfortable. :)

With that, I would like to wish you all a wonderful week ahead and for our IB brothers and sisters, not to stress out over this examination period, but look to the Lord when in doubt. Finally, I would also like to end off with a portion of an inspirational song;

"Jesus take the wheel
Take it from my hands
Cause I can't do this on my own
I'm letting go
So give me one more chance
To save me from this road I'm on
Jesus take the wheel"

Jesus, Take The Wheel
by Carrie Underwood
from "Some Hearts" (2005)

GOD BLESS YOU!

In His name,
Michael Ong

God is faithful!

Hello brothers and sisters :) Just one verse I thought I'd share:

1 Corinthians 10:13
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

A dear friend of mine wrote this verse out for me quite a while ago and it blessed me greatly as a timely reminder of God's sovereignty, faithfulness and love. If you've been feeling weary lately, or have been struggling with what appears to be an endless battle against temptation, I hope you will be uplifted by God's promise here :) Truly, His love endures forever (Psalm 136)!

In love, Rachel miao