Our times are in Thy hand

Yesterday morning i had news that my Mum had to be hospitalised and be placed under observation due to her chest pains which have become more severe over the past few months. The doctors are suspecting that she is suffering from symptoms of an impending heart attack. Am thankful to God for holding my Mum's life so safe in His Hands..she will be discharged once her test results give her the all-clear. Praying that all will be well and that she will be able to come home soon. Thank God for these precious promises which came to mind:

But I trusted in thee, O LORD: I said, Thou art my God.
My times are in thy hand..
Psalm 31:14,15

Was reminded by all that has happened during the past few days how short and fragile life is..how the length and the minute workings of our life are beyond human control..how God has His Hand on every iota and moment of our existence here on this earth. Nothing that has occurred in our lives has escaped God's infinite wisdom and divine purpose. Everything that we go through has been orchestrated by His wise and loving Hand..simply everything. This incident has placed a deep conviction in my heart to appreciate and treasure my family more..my Dad, my Mum and my Bro, Amos..each of which God has graciously blessed me with to enjoy and go through life with. Realise that it is most often during tough, unpredicatable times when we are awakened by the fact that the lives of the people we hold so dear to our hearts may be taken by God at any one time..how sad that moment will be if it were a time when we have not yet said 'I love you', 'Sorry', or 'I treasure you', or 'You mean so much to me, more than words can say.' to that person. How needful it is for us to seize the opportunity to show true love to our loved ones lest it is too late. We ought not wait any further in doing things right for the Lord from this day forth..especially if it is to love our family utterly, reconcile with that one whom we have wronged, encourage that person who is in need and lead him to a strong hope in the Lord, lead to the Lord that wandering soul who has lost his/her way in the midst of sin or deep struggles in this life, as well as treasure the lives of the many who have played an important role in our lives or touched our hearts in special ways. We simply do not know that which may happen tomorrow..it is so important for us to pray and ask God to help us as we live each day for Him with no regrets. Carpe diem for the Lord, we must.

Our times are in Your Hand, blessed Lord. Thank you that beneath our weak and fragile lives are Your everlasting arms. Keep us trusting and hoping in You with our all though difficult it may be. Help us never to question Your divine ways and wondrous purposes for our lives..because ultimately, You alone know all things from the beginning to the end of time. Thank you so much for being the Blessed Controller of our existence, our lives..thank you we can always look back and praise Your holy name for accomplishing all things well for Your eternal glory.
In Jesus' most precious and wondrous name,
Amen.

God is present by love alone.
By love alone He is great and glorious.
By love alone He liveth and feeleth in other persons.
By love alone He enjoyeth all the creatures, by love alone He is pleasing to Himself, by love alone He is rich and blessed.
O, why dost not thou by love alone seek to achieve all these, by love alone attain another self, by love alone live in others, by love attain thy glory?
The same is shriveled up and buried in a grave that does not love.
But that which does love wisely and truly is the joy and end of all the world, the King of Heaven and the friend of God, the shining light and temple of eternity, the brother of Jesus Christ, and one spirit with the Holy Ghost.

~ Thomas Traherne

.H.e.a.v.e.n.

Where is there a country without sin, crime, lawlessness, bloodshed, disease, death, sorrow and heartache?

Heaven is a country in which there is the absence of all that is common to any land, for in God's country there are no barriers, no walls or curtains to divide; no race barrier; no soldiers because there are no wars; no policemen because there is no crime or sin; no undertakers because there are no graves; no physicians because germs, fevers, pestilences, diseases are unknown; no thieves because there is no darkness.

Who would not yearn for this better and more desirable country in which there are no separations, no broken homes, no drunkards, no prisons, no hospitals, no beggars, no persons who are blind, deaf, dumb or destitute? What a country! Are you not homesick for Heaven?

~H. Lockyer

Like A River Glorious~*

Like a river glorious, is God's perfect peace,
Over all victorious, in its bright increase;
Perfect, yet it floweth, fuller every day,
Perfect, yet it groweth, deeper all the way.

Refrain
Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest
Finding, as He promised, perfect peace and rest.

Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.

Every joy or trial falleth from above,
Traced upon our dial by the Sun of Love;
We may trust Him fully all for us to do.
They who trust Him wholly find Him wholly true.

And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.
~ Isaiah 58:11

A smile costs nothing, but gives much.
It enriches those who give it.
It takes but a moment,
but the memory of it sometimes lasts forever.
None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it,
and none is so poor that he cannot be made richer by it.
A smile creates happiness in the home,
promotes good will in business,
and is the cornerstone of friendship.
It can perk up the weary,
bring cheer to the discouraged,
sunshine to the sad,
and is nature's best antidote for trouble.
Yet it cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen,
for it is something that is of no value to anyone until it is given away.
When people are too tired to give you a smile, give them one of yours.
No one needs a smile so much as he who has none to give.

~ Author Unknown

..the joy of the LORD is your strength..~ Nehemiah 8:10b

*WaRM BRiGhT SmiLeS specially to ah'Cat, Joanenene and Wen* love you sisters~* :D

Colossians 1:9-14

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

How are we to handle this sword of 'It is written'?
First, with deepest reverence. Let every word that God has spoken be law and gospel to you.
Never trifle with it; never try to evade its force or change its meaning.
God speaks to you in this book as much as if He came to the top of Sinai and lifted up his voice with thunder.

I like to open the Bible and pray, 'Lord God, let the words leap off the page into my soul; make them vivid, powerful, and fresh to my heart.'

Our Lord Himself felt the power of the Word.
It was not so much the devil who felt the power of 'It is written" as Christ Himself.
The manhood of Christ felt an awe of the Word of God, and so the Word became a power to Christ.
To trifle with Scripture is to deprive yourself of its aid.
Reverence it, and look up to God with devout gratitude for having given it to you..

~ Charles Spurgeon

. Deny Yourself . Take Up Your Cross . Follow Him .

And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
~ Mark 8:34-38

There was a day when I died; died to self, my opinions, preferences, tastes and will; died to the world, its approval or censure; died to the approval or blame even of my brethren or friends; and since then I have studied only to show myself approved unto God..

~ George Muller

O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him~*

I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?
Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.
The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones: not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The LORD redeemeth the soul of his servants: and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
~ Psalm 34

Here am I, send me; send me to the ends of the earth; send me to the rough, the savage pagans of the wilderness; send me from all that is called comfort on earth; send me even to death itself, if it be but in Thy service, and to promote Thy kingdom..
~ David Brainerd

This is strength; this is peace; to feel, in entering on every day, that all its duties and trials have been committed to the Lord Jesus Christ — that come what may, He will use us for His own glory and our real good!

Nothing so clears the vision and lifts up the life, as a decision to move forward in what you know to be entirely the will of the Lord.

~ John Paton

Men will never be great in theology until they are great in suffering.

When the pangs shoot through our body, and ghastly death appears in view, people see the patience of the dying Christian. Our infirmities become the black velvet on which the diamond of God's love glitters all the more brightly. Thank God I can suffer! Thank God I can be made the object of shame and contempt, for in this way God shall be glorified.
~ Charles Spurgeon

God is more concerned with conforming me to the likeness of His Son than leaving me in my comfort zones. God is more interested in inward qualities than outward circumstances -- things like refining my faith, humbling my heart, cleaning up my thought life and strengthening my character.

If you had never known physical pain in your life, how could you appreciate the nail-scarred hands with which Jesus Christ will meet you?
~ Joni Eareckson Tada

God wants us to lay our burdens on Him and rest in His love. It is His responsibility to work out the purpose and plan in our hardships. Only our refusal to trust Him..can hinder His purposes in our lives.

God uses suffering to purge sin from our lives, strengthen our commitment to Him, force us to depend on grace, bind us together with other believers, produce discernment, foster sensitivity, discipline our minds, spend our time wisely, stretch our hope, cause us to know Christ better, make us long for truth, lead us to repentance of sin, teach us to give thanks in time of sorrow, increase faith, and strengthen character.

Because of my sufferings, I will appreciate the scars of Christ and also the scars of other believers on that glorious day. In heaven, I will see men and women that in the world were cut in pieces, burnt in flames, tortured and persecuted, eaten by beasts, and drowned in the seas -- all for the love they had for the Lord. What a privilege it will be to stand in their ranks! But what a shame it would be if, in conversing with them, we could only shrug our shoulders and prattle: 'Me? Suffer?' Perhaps we would bite our complaining tongues more often if we stopped to picture this scene in heaven. The examples of other suffering saints are meant to inspire us upward on our heavenly journey home.

~ Joni Eareckson Tada

The Vessel of Clay

The Master was searching for a vessel to use,
Before Him were many, which one would He choose?

"Take me," cried the gold one,
"I'm shiny and bright.
I am of great value, and I do things just right
My beauty and luster will outshine the rest
And for someone like You,
Master, gold would be best!"

The Master passed on with no word at all,
He looked at a silver urn, narrow and tall,
"I'll serve you dear Master,
I'll pour out your wine,
I'll be on your table, whenever You dine
My lines are so graceful, my carvings so true
And silver will certainly compliment you."

Unheeding, the Master passed on to the vessel of brass,
Wide-mouthed and shallow and polished like glass,
"Here, here!" cried the vessel,
"I know I will do,
Place me on your table for all men to view.. "

"Look at me," called the goblet of crystal so clear
Though fragile I am, I will serve you with fear,
My transparency show my contents so dear,
Though fragile I am, I will serve you with pride,
And I’m sure I’ll be happy in your home to abide.”

The Master came next to the vessel of wood
Polished and carved, it solidly stood
"You may use me, dear Master," the wooden bowl said,
"But I'd rather you use me for fruit, not for bread!"

Then the Master looked down on a vessel of clay,
Empty and broken it helplessly lay,
No hope had the vessel that the Master might choose
To cleanse and make whole, to fill and to use.

"Ah, this is the vessel I've been hoping to find,
I'll mend it and use it and make it all mine,
I need not the vessel with the pride of itself,
Nor one that is narrow, to sit on the shelf,

Nor one that is big-mouthed and shallow and loud,
Nor one that displays its contents so proud.
Not the one who thinks it can do all things just right,
But this plain earthen vessel filled with My power and might."

Then gently He lifted the vessel of clay,
Mended and cleansed it and filled it that day,
Spoke kindly to it,
"There's work you must do,
Just pour out to others, as I pour into you.."

The Pencil Parable

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting it into the box.

There are five things you need to know, he told the pencil, before I send you out into the world.

Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.

[1] You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in Someone's hand.
[2] You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but you'll need it to become a better pencil.
[3] You have the ability to correct any mistakes you might make.
[4] The most important part of you will always be what's inside.
[5] On every surface you are used on, no matter what the condition, you must continue to write. You must always leave a clear, legible mark no matter how difficult the situation.

The pencil understood and promised to remember, and went into the box, fully understanding its Maker's purpose.

Now replacing the place of the pencil with you; always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best person you can be.

[1] You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow yourself to be held in God's hand. And allow other human beings to access you for the many gifts you possess.
[2] You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, by going through various problems, but you'll need it to become a stronger person.
[3] You will be able to correct mistakes you might make or grow through them.
[4] The most important part of you will always be what's on the inside.
[5] On every surface you walk, you must leave your mark. No matter what the situation, you must continue to serve God in everything.

Everyone is like a pencil..created by the Maker for a very unique and special purpose.

May we live life with zest having meaningful purpose due to a vibrant relationship with the Lord :D!

How incomprehensible is the love of God! His ways are indeed past finding out. How many of His providences are like the cloud between the Israelites and the Egyptians - if looked on by unbelievers, or without faith, it is a cloud of darkness; but if viewed according to the privilege of the Lord's people, it is no longer darkness, but light and safety. May this be your experience; may you feel that the Hand which inflicts the wound supplies the balm, and that He who has emptied your heart has filled the void with Himself.

I cannot tell how I am buffeted sometimes by temptation. I never knew how bad a heart I have. Yet I do know that I love God and love His work, and desire to serve him only and in all things. And I value above all else that precious Saviour in whom alone I can be accepted.

Envied by some, despised by many, hated by others, often blamed for things I never heard of or had nothing to do with...often sick in body as well as perplexed in mind and embarrassed by circumstances -- had not the Lord been specially gracious to me, had not my mind been sustained by the conviction that the work is His and that He is with me in what it is no empty figure to call "The thick of the conflict," I must have fainted or broken down. But the battle is the Lord's, and He will conquer. We may fail -- do fail continually -- but He never fails.

How often do we attempt work for God to the limit of our incompetency rather than to the limit of God's omnipotency.

God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supplies.

I have found that there are three stages in every great work of God:
first, it is impossible,
then it is difficult,
then it is done..

~ James Hudson Taylor

Romans 8:28

There is nothing -- No circumstance, No trouble, No testing that can ever touch me until, first of all, it has gone past God and past Christ. Right through to me if it has come that far. It has come with great purpose, which I may not understand at the moment - but as I refuse to panic, as I lift my eyes up to Him and accept it as come from His throne for some great blessing of purpose of blessing to my heart. No sorrow will disturb me, no trial will ever disarm me, no circumstance will cause me to fret, for I shall rest in the Joy of what my Lord is - that is the rest of Victory.

But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Corinthians 15:57

There are 2 ways Satan assaults the glory of God in the lives of Christians: pleasure and pain..he uses pain to make us feel that God is powerless and hostile and he uses pleasure to make us feel that God is unnecessary (from the parable of the sower of the seed: "the pleasures of the world choke the word of God") Do you have pleasure or pain in your life today? Satan is after you and God is after you: God's purpose for pleasure is gratitude, and God's purpose for pain is trusting in Him in spite of it so that He shines and is more valuable to you than what you lost. God's and Satan's design in pain and pleasure is the total opposite! Life is like war, when things are going well and when things are going badly..which is the harder war? when things are bad - it is harder physically..when things are going well - it is harder in terms of spiritual vitality.

Christ's priorities of what he wants for you are so different from your own priorities, that if you do not begin to get your mind saturated with Jesus' way of thinking, then you will not be able to make sense out of the pain in your life. You tend to get angrier and angrier - because your priorities are, "if He loved me then..." and you will provide a list of all your demands and it is not His list, it is not the way Jesus thinks, because what He values are hearts that are so enamoured with Him that shines more clearly when everything we were leaning on is gone.

This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering - more contentment in God and less satisfaction with self.

~ Quotes by John Piper

Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consquences as they come, without any complaint, in spite of what God sends your way. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you.

When God gets us alone through suffering, heartbreak, temptation, disappointment, or sickness - when He gets us absolutely alone, and we are totally speechless, unable to ask even one question, then He begins to teach us.

It is not just a question of being saved from hell, but of being saved so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our body. And it is adversity that makes us exhibit His life in our mortal flesh. The only thing that will enable me to enjoy adversity is the acute sense of eagerness of allowing the life of the Son of God to evidence itself in me. No matter how difficult something may be, I must say "Lord, I am delighted to obey you in this." Instantly, the Son of God will move to the forefront of my life, and will manifest in my body that which glorifies Him. You must not debate. The moment you obey the light of God, His Son shines through you in that very adversity; but if you debate with God, you grieve His Spirit. You must keep yourself in the proper condition to allow the life of the Son of God to be manifested in you, and you cannot keep yourself fit if you give way to self pity. It is one thing to choose adversity, and quite another to enter into adversity through the orchestrating of our circumstances by God's sovereignty. And if God puts you into adversity, He is adequately sufficient to "supply all your needs" (Philippians 4:19).

God will never shield you from the requirements of being His son or daughter. 1 Peter 4:12 says, "Beloved, do not think it is strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing has happened to you.." Rise to the occasion -- do what the trial demands of you. It does not matter how much it hurts as long as it gives God the opportunity to manifest the life of Jesus in your body. May God not find complaints in us anymore, but spiritual vitality -- a readiness to face anything He sends our way. The only proper gola of life is that we manifest the Son of God; and when this occurs, all of our dictating of our demands to God disappears. Our Lord never dictated demands to His Father; and neither are we to make demands on God. We are here to submit to His will so that He may work through us what He wants. Once we realize this, He will make us broken bread and poured out wine with which to feed and nourish others.

God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn't ask, "Do you want to go through the loss of a loved one, this difficulty or this defeat? No, he allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault finding and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy.

~ Quotes by Oswald Chambers

God cannot use mightily the man whom he has not wounded deeply.

~ A.W. Tozer

In times of trouble say, First: He brought me here ; it is by His will I am in this strait place: In that I will rest. Next: He will keep me here in His love, and give me grace in this trial to behave as His child. Then: He will make the trial a blessing, teaching me the lessons He intends me to learn, and working in me the grace He means to bestow. Last: In His good time He can bring me out again - how and when He knows. Say: I am here: (1) by God's appointment (2) in His keeping (3) under His training (4) for His time.

~ Andrew Murray

I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work and my God.

~ Helen Keller

O LORD, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.
Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.
He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.
And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.
~ Isaiah 25:1,4,5,8,9

Read Isaiah 25 yesterday evening..the Lord is a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm..what moving words from the loving heart of our Father to our very souls. We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us..He will swallow up death in victory and there will be no more tears, sorrow or sadness in the times to come. We can be glad and rejoice in his salvation..let's wait upon Him today and always..=)

God's healing, cleansing, glorifying and fulfilling light is available to every child of His. God is light and He reveals truth, He measures life, He separates the false from what is true. He fulfils, He glorifies, He energizes, He vitalizes the faith of every true believer. He is faithful and will accomplish this in those who have surrendered and dedicated their hearts and lives to Him.

Our dearest Heavenly Father, we ask humbly that You grant to us the ability to walk in the light, in Your light. May Your power continue to shine upon our darkened lives, that You might break through the darkness and teach us how to become the men and women You intended us to be. Help us to respond to Your light like plants seeking the sun, growing, opening, unfolding and bearing fruit for Your name's sake.
In Jesus' name,
Amen.

A Tender Heart~*

Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.
~ 2 Chronicles 34:27

Take me now, Lord Jesus, take me;
I would give my heart to Thee.
Thy devoted servant make me,
Only Thine to be.

Use me now, Lord Jesus, use me,
As I tell of Calvary.
May Thy Spirit move within me,
Bringing souls to Thee.

Send me now, Lord Jesus, send me,
Lead me in Thy perfect way.
Thy command shall always guide me;
Gladly I obey.

Chorus:
Saviour, while my heart is tender,
I would give Thee every part.
All my talents I surrender;
I am Thine Lord, here's my heart..

The Terrible 3-letter Word

Have been taking the time to read a book pertaining to the theme of holiness in a Christian's life entitled 'Go and Sin No More - A Call To Holiness' by Michael L. Brown. It is truly an awesome, dynamic life-changing book..I thank God for moving me to purchase it from Crest Christian Bookstore at Far East Plaza a few weeks ago. As I read its pages together with God's Word, the Lord spoke to me in deep ways. I prayed through many things as His Word penetrated my heart through the reading of this book.

Every sin we commit grieves the heart of God and prevents us from getting close to Him. This book teaches us how to overcome temptation and live a passionate life of holiness that will fill God's heart with joy. Filled with practical steps and biblical guidance that will give strength to boldly and aggressively banish sin from our lives, we can by God's power begin to live a life that is pleasing in God's eyes and experience a deeper level of spiritual strength, hunger and effectiveness.

Sin is the dare of God's justice, the rape of His mercy, the jeer of His patience, the slight of His power, and the contempt of His love.
~ John Bunyan

- Twenty Reasons Not to Sin -

1. Sin does not satisfy.
[John 6:35, Jeremiah 2:13]

2. Sin leads to more sin.
[Proverbs 5:22; 27:20, Ecclesiastes 5:10, James 4:7]
Sin always drags the human character - and the human will - down. Sin NEVER lifts us up.

3. Sin leads to worse sins.
[Proverbs 14:12; 16:25, Proverbs 16:2]
Sin leads to worse sins - uglier, harder, more destructive, more despicable, more disgusting, more deadly. Make an about-face right now and slam the door shut in sin's face. Turn toward holiness and away from hardness. Grow in purity and not perversion. Walk in the direction today that you want to walk in forever.

4. Sin enslaves.
Sin hath the devil for its father, shame for its companion, and death for its wages.
~ Thomas Watson

5. Sin degrades and humiliates.
[Ecclesiastes 10:1, Proverbs 6:32,33]
Jesus upgrades, not degrades our lives. He loves to shower us with honour and glory. He not only redeems our lives from the pit, but He crowns us with love and compassion [Psalm 103:4]. He washes us with His blood, frees us from our sins, and makes us a kingdom of priests to serve Him and the Father forever [Revelations 1:5,6]. He takes us into His family, and He is not ashamed to call us His brethren [Hebrews 2:11]. The next time, you are tempted to sin, think of the Saviour instead. As you resist the enemy of your soul, Your Friend will be there to fortify you and help you stand.

6. Sin steals joy.
[Nehemiah 8:8a, Psalm 16:11, Proverbs 17:22; 18:14]

7. Sin steals our confidence before God.
[1 John 2:28; 3:21,22; 4:17; 5:14,15; Hebrews 4:14-16; 10:19-22]

8. The wages of sin is death.
[Galatians 6:7,8, Psalm 37]

9. God will punish sinners - in this world and the world to come.
[Leviticus 26:14-33, Revelations 2:5,16,21-23; 3:3, 15, 16, Psalm 90:11,12]

10. Sin hurts the Lord.
[Ezekiel 16:9-14; 16:15-23, Luke 22:61,62]

11. Sin hurts the sinner.
Sin will haunt you and hunt you until it hurts you.

12. Sin hurts the sinner's family and friends.
'Ah, how doth the father's sin infect the child, the husband's infect the wife, the master's the servant! The sin that is in one man's heart is able to infect a whole world, it is of such a spreading and infectious nature.'
~ Thomas Brooks

13. Sin brings reproach - to the sinner, to the church, to the name of the Lord.
[Proverbs 14:34, 1 Corinthians 12:26,27; 5:6,7]
Jesus shed His blood for this world, but we can make it more difficult for sinners to come to Him by discrediting His holy name. Jesus lived a sin-free life on this earth, but we can sully His perfect reputation by our misdeeds. A stupid, petty, unrewarding sin can taint the very image of Jesus. Our godlessness can bring God reproach.

So put the sin down and lift up Jesus instead. And rather than burdening Him with your disobedience, surrender yourself wholly to Him with a consecrated heart. He certainly deserves nothing less.

14. Sin makes light of the blood of Jesus.
[1 Peter 1:17-19, Romans 5:6-10, Ephesians 1:7-8; 2:13, Hebrews 9:13,14]

15. Sin puts the sinner on the side of the devil, demons, and the world.
[John 15:19, 2 Corinthians 4:4, James 4:4]

16. Sin sets the sinner against God, the church, holiness, life, blessing, and victory.
[Matthew 12:30, Psalm 51:4]
We are one body in Christ. When you sin, you work against your brothers and sisters in Christ.

17. Sin saps the anointing.
[Luke 4 :14-21, Acts 10:38]

18. Sin steals time.

19. Sin has eternal consequences.
[1 Corinthians 8:11, Romans 14:15,20]

20. Your sin will always find you out.
[Numbers 32:23, 1 Timothy 5:24, 25, Luke 12:3, Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 5:29,30]

With these 20 reasons not to sin, it simply makes no sense to sin against our Lord God Almighty in any way. May the Lord strengthen and empower us to live victoriously for Him alone..May we depend wholly upon the power of the Holy Spirit to lead a life of holiness and purity for the glory and honour of our everlasting God..

Dearest Lord, help us. We need You to preserve and protect us from the devil's wiles and his horrible tactics of enslaving us in the evil bondages of sin. Please guide us into living consecrated and holy lives. Help us make a difference in this generation, in this dying world. Lord God, we no longer want to be controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit..help us live Spirit-filled, Spirit-led, Spirit empowered lives for You alone. Lead and guide us into a wondrous life of tasting Your amazing goodness amidst the gloriousness of triumphant victory over sin and the flesh.

In Jesus' name,
The name above all names,
Amen.

Forsake me not, O LORD: O my God, be not far from me.
Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation.
~ Psalm 38:21,22

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
~ Isaiah 41:10

The true longing of my heart is to be more like You, Lord..to have unwavering faith in You and to obey You faithfully with my life. Help me, Lord. I really need You so much.

Thank you dearest Lord for I believe that You ever hold my hand and walk me through the journey ahead and that You will never ever leave me or forsake me come what may. Thank you so much for loving me unconditionally with a great and mighty love that no one can ever comprehend.

Lord Jesus,
May Your mind live in me always
May Your Word dwell richly in my heart daily
May Your peace rule my life in everything
May Your love fill me to everlasting
May Your strength help me run Your race
May the fragrance of Your beauty rest upon me for as long as I live..

May the Mind of Christ, my Saviour

If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
Fulfil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.
Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.
Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus..
~ Philippians 2:1-5

May the mind of Christ, my Saviour,
Live in me from day to day,
By His love and power controlling
All I do and all I say.

May the Word of God dwell richly
In my heart from hour to hour,
So that all may see I triumph
Only through God’s love and power.

May the peace of God my Father
Rule my life in everything,
That I may be calm to comfort
The sick and sorrowing.

May the love of Jesus fill me
As the waters fill the sea;
Christ exalting, self abasing,
For this is victory.

May I run the race before me,
Strong and brave to face the foe,
Looking only unto Jesus
As I onward go.

May His beauty rest upon me,
As I seek the lost to win,
And may they forget the channel,
Seeing only Him.

~ More like You, Lord - [Soundforth Singers & Orchestra]

The Fruit of the Spirit

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
~ Galatians 5:22-25

LOVE is THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT and it is manifested in:

JOY ~ Joy is love's strength

PEACE ~ Peace is love's security

LONGSUFFERING ~ Long-suffering is love's patience

GENTLENESS ~ Gentleness is love's conduct

GOODNESS ~ Goodness is love's character

FAITH ~ Faith is love's confidence

MEEKNESS ~ Meekness is love's humility

TEMPERANCE ~ Temperance is love's victory

Only as we live in love can we fulfill the Will of God in our lives.
Only with the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT, can we live this life victoriously for the glory and honour of our gracious Lord.

A Time of Testing

And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries: but the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.
And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days.
Now when they shall fall, they shall be holpen with a little help: but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.
And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.
~ Daniel 11:32-35

God's children are tested by:

~ afflictions and sufferings
There is a divine purpose and divine protection amidst the fiery trials of our faith. God's ways are not our ways.

~ delayed answers to prayers
God seeks after a praying people and will answer in His time and divine Will if we faint not in seeking after Him.

~ our falls and failings
God always delivers us if we humbly turn to Him. He will always give a second chance. There is always hope in Him for He loves us with an eternal love and desires to heal and restore us back to Himself.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.
~ 1 Peter 1:6-9

The Lord carried me through :)

Woweee..God has been so gracious to me during my gum graft operation..it went so smoothly! Thanks so much for keeping me in your prayers, everyone..appreciate it very much from the bottom of my heart. Just to share, i hid the following verses in my heart before entering the operation room:

'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.'
~Psalm 56:3,4

Was given local anaesthetic injections on the insides of my mouth in the upper and lower jaw gum areas before the operation..the Lord really guided the surgeon's hands so amazingly..these injections were painless! And I had 9 of such injections to my gums throughout the course of the operation to numb me to any pain..the thought of so many jabs to my gums simply alarms me.. :O

After the operation anaesthetic preparations, I was brought into utter darkness when the surgeon and her nurses made me lie flat on the adjustable chair, wrapped my whole body up and covered my eyes with sterile cloth..I was to be blindfolded but conscious throughout the course of the whole operation. My whole mouth was so numb from the anaesthetic injections that when the surgeon started the procedure by drilling off large pieces of gum and bone tissue from my upper and lower jaw..I felt absolutely no pain. Was praying to the Lord throughout the operation as my surgeon worked on me. Imagine this, you hear loud drilling sounds and dental instruments moving around the insides of your mouth..you are completely aware that bizarre things are happening to your gums and jaw bone..you can see bright laser lights through the thin blindfold you are wearing around your eyes..and you have no sensation of pain whatsoever..and through it all, you feel a quiet peace and confidence that only the Lord can give. No matter what was happening around me during the operation..one thing is for sure: the Lord was keeping me and carrying me through each and every moment of it all! I can imagine the huge amount of blood I had lost because the nurses were stuffing so much gauze into my mouth to soak up the blood. i could taste alot of blood too as it trickled down my throat. The gum graft op took two and a half hours, much longer than usual because my surgeon had to redo two stitches on the upper roof of my mouth. She told me that the gum recession that i had was very serious and that she had to stitch and secure the gum graft and any existing gum tissue together with extra tissue inside the lip of my lower jaw. It was complicated..but all in all, it was a good operation..Praise God! :D

Cannot open my mouth at all, cannot speak, cannot yawn and sneeze for now due to the many stitches to secure the gum graft onto my lower jaw..am going to be a very 'silent' child of God this week! Thank God for answered prayers..His power is so real, there is absolutely nothing to fear =) Praying that the Lord will speak to my heart in special ways regarding His divine Will for my life during this time of rest and healing as I continue to seek Him in prayer and His Word. May all of you enjoy your week walking joyously with the Lord as He gives you a song of praise in your heart! :)

P.S: take good care of your gums, everyone! :p

Why a gum graft operation?

When the gums are thin and weak due to a lack of tough attached tissues, recession can occur. When recession occurs the gum and bone are lost and the root becomes exposed. The root is soft and if it remains exposed for long can begin to abrade (wear out) and disappear. This can lead to sensitivity, decay or damage to the nerve. If enough root structure is lost, the tooth will weaken and in severe cases, the tooth can break. When gum recession is noted, gum reconstruction using grafting techniques should be undertaken.

Risk factors for the progression of gum recession when tissues are thin include:
- Tooth brush abrasion due to vigorous brushing
- Biting overload. This can occur from grinding or clenching your teeth
- Increased functional load, i.e. supporting teeth for bridges or partial dentures with thin tissues.
- Orthodontic therapy
- Sensitive exposed roots
- Root exposure with high smile line
- Ill-fitting restorations under the gum line or those which are too deep violating gum attachments ("biologic width").

When there is only minor recession, some healthy gingiva (gum tissue) often remains and protects the tooth, so that no treatment other than modifying preventive plaque control practices is necessary. However, when recession and root abrasion reach the mucosa (loose, moveable tissue), the first line of defense against bacterial penetration and the tougher gingiva (gum tissue) is lost.

In addition, gum recession often results in root sensitivity to hot and cold foods as well as a "long in the tooth" appearance to the smile. Again, gum recession, when significant, can predispose the area to root gouging and decay, as the root surface is softer than enamel.

A gum graft is designed to solve these problems. A thin piece of tissue is taken from another site in the mouth, or gently moved over from adjacent areas, to provide a stable band of attached tissue around the tooth. The graft may be placed in such a way as to cover the exposed portion of the root.

The gum graft procedure is highly predictable and results in a stable healthy band of attached tissue around the tooth.

Press on~*

Toward the hope of our high calling,
Toward the promise we've received,
With the strength that we've been given,
Pressing on to victory!
And toward the One who's run before us,
As we lay each weight aside.
'Til the race is run,
'til the prize is won,
'til we reach the finish line..
~ Press On! ~

The Christian Life..

Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great tests. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials.

You must every day make higher ground. You must deny yourself to make progress with God. You must refuse everything that is not pure and holy. God wants you pure in heart. He wants you to have an intense desire after holiness.

I cannot understand how God can give to any of His children glory and virtue, but it nevertheless is true that He does.... There is something about believing in God, that makes God willing to pass over a million people just to anoint you. I believe God will always turn out to meet you on a special line if you dare to believe Him.

~ Quotes by Smith Wigglesworth

The very first s2.U.R.f2 Tribal lunch is taking place today..Can't wait :D!

Praise God for a most blessed and wonderful Teenz Camp..Thank God for dear dear brothers and sisters who could make it for camp and who made the camp possible! So thankful for the wondrous time of meditating upon God's Word through the Secrets of the Vine Course with dear teens and fellow adults. The Lord has revealed many things from His precious Word to me in very personal ways throughout the entire course and my heart just overflows with praise for His amazing goodness..so many various things regarding God's guidance and purpose in my life, I now understand fully and comprehend so clearly. God had His sovereign Hand upon the postponing of my gum graft operation so that I can make it for this Teenz Camp..from my heart, I thank Him thoroughly for His ways are so perfect! So grateful to Him for the time of spiritual refreshment and for the Holy Spirit's moving and conviction in my heart regarding fruit-bearing for us believers, being the branches of the true Vine which is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Praise God for everything..for the great, mighty and deep heart work He has done and will continue to do in every single one at camp--may Priority, Purpose, Passion for our true and living God be our perpetual focus..now and forever! :D

Evangelise!

Give us a watch word for the hour,
A thrilling word, a word of power,
A battle cry, a flaming breath,
A call to conquer or to death,
A word to arouse the church from rest,
To heed the Master's high behest,
The call is given, you hosts arise,
The watch word is EVANGELISE,
To fallen men, a dying race,
Make known the gift of gospel grace.
The word that now in darkness lies,
O Church of Christ, EVANGELISE!

Only a Branch

I am the vine, ye are the branches.
~ John 15:5

Tis only a little Branch,
A thing so fragile and weak,
But that little Branch hath a message true
To give, could it only speak.

I’m only a little Branch,
I live by a life not mine,
For the sap that flows through my tendrils small
Is the life-blood of the Vine.

No power indeed have I
The fruit of myself to bear,
But since I’m part of the living Vine,
Its fruitfulness I share.

Dost thou ask how I abide?
How this life I can maintain?
I am bound to the Vine by life’s strong band,
And I only need remain.

Where first my life was given,
In the spot where I am set,
Upborne and upheld as the days go by,
By the stem which bears me yet.

I fear not the days to come,
I dwell not upon the past,
As moment by moment I draw a life,
Which for evermore shall last.

I bask in the sun’s bright beams,
Which with sweetness fills my fruit,
Yet I own not the clusters hanging there,
For they all come from the root.

A life which is not my own,
But another’s life in me:
This, this is the message the Branch would speak,
A message to thee and me.

Oh, struggle not to "abide,"
Nor labour to "bring forth fruit,"
But let Jesus unite thee to Himself,
As the Vine Branch to the root.

So simple, so deep, so strong
That union with Him shall be:
His life shall forever replace thine own,
And His love shall flow through thee.

For His Spirit’s fruit is love,
And love shall thy life become,
And for evermore on His heart of love
Thy spirit shall have her home.

-- Chains --

A Christian prisoner in Cuba was asked to sign a statement containing charges against fellow Christians that would lead to their arrest.

He said: "The chains keep me from signing this."

The communist officer protested, "But you are not in chains!"

"I am." said the Christian.

"I am bound by the chain of witnesses who throughout the centuries gave their lives for Jesus Christ.

I am a link in this chain.

I will not break it..."

An immortal soul is beyond all price.
There is no trouble too great,
No humiliation too deep,
No suffering too severe,
No love too strong
No labour too hard
No expense too large,
But that it is worth it,
If it is done in the effort to win a soul..

Come Holy Spirit, enkindle the Fire of Your Love.
Transform all that is fearful into boldness of heart.
Inspire Your servant with Wonder and Awe at the Mystery of Your Presence.
Confirm Your friend in Compassion and Forgiveness.
Whisper Discernment in the midst of confusion;
Be Wisdom in time of trouble;
Reverence in the face of Diversity;
Patience with the unfolding of life
And forever anoint Your messenger with Joy.
Amen.

Secrets of the Vine~*

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

~ John 15:1-11, 16

To be willing to accept crucifixion with Christ; to leave all yourself, your plans and your longings, your abilities and your possessions, all of them at the cross so that you only trust and love and live for Christ, hurts a great deal. It requires an absolute venture of faith; but beyond it, God says, "much fruit." And the way to it is 'into the ground and die'--it is the only way.
~ L.F.E. Wilkinson

A saint's life is in the hands of God as a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see; he stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says, "I cannot stand any more." But God does not heed; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. We are here for God's designs, not for our own.
~ Oswald Chambers

If we study the lives of great men and women carefully and unemotionally, we find that, inevitably, greatness was developed, tested, and revealed through the darker periods of their lives. One of the largest tributaries of the River of Greatness is always the Stream of Adversity.
~ Cavett Roberts

The world has yet to see what God will do with a woman who is fully and wholly consecrated to the Holy Spirit.
~ Henry Varley

Live close to Me, and I will minister to you in secret and do a deep inner work veiled to the eye of man. Others may view the results, but the process will be secret.
~ Oswald Chambers

dearest Joanenene, Ryl and Wen, these 5 precious quotes found in our Secrets of the Vine Workbook are dedicated specially to the 3 of you. Thank you so much Father..we can trust You regarding every single thing in our lives! Praying for a blessed journey towards much mega fruit for all of you dear sisters..praise God for every precious Secret of the Vine which we now know & for the heart-to-heart too..*hugs & wink* ;)

And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth.
And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud:
And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.
And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

~ Genesis 9:12-16

Teenz Together!

Praise the Lord for an extremely blessed Teenz Worship yesterday evening! Thank God for using Jon Muk, our worship leader and Anne, our pianist in a truly marvellous way..what a wonderful time of praising God together as His people :). The first song of the night was 'Be Unto Your Name'...

We are a moment,
You are forever
Lord of the Ages,
God before time
We are a vapor,
You are eternal
Love everlasting,
Reigning on high

We are the broken,
You are the healer
Jesus, Redeemer,
Mighty to save
You are the love song
We'll sing forever
Bowing before You,
Blessing Your name

Holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Who was slain
Highest praises,
Honour and glory
Be unto Your name,
Be unto Your name...

The lyrics of this praise song always never fail to touch my heart..they remind me of how temporal and fragile our lives are as human beings living on this earth. Our 1 transient life is like as a vapour, lasting for but a mere moment..passing so quickly every single day yet kept ever so safe by the gracious Hands of our loving, everlasting and eternal Heavenly Father. His divine nature and love for us is far greater than we can imagine, His sovereign Will and ways for each of our lives are supreme and perfect, His immense power is more infinite that anything in the entire universe..

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
~ Psalm 147:3-5

May unspeakable awe, humility and reverence towards our unfailing God be our heart expression as we live for Him day by day..:D

Thank God for our fun half-time Proverbs quiz (Bernice is our Walking Bible! Praise God :D!) and the message on Proverbs 15 by our Bro Ian. am particularly touched and encouraged by the last verse of Proverbs 15..

The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom; and before honour is humility. (v 33)

Thank God that we all can be people of wisdom by fearing the Lord and honouring Him with our whole heart..with love and humility being our heart's sole basis. Was very convicted and broken during closing prayer..the sound preaching of God's Word yesterday really pierced into my heart and soul greatly. Have been losing my way and my focus on the Lord..deep in my heart, i really want to do His Will but often self and flesh takes over. am very thankful that the Lord hears our every heart cry to Him..He has heard my heart cries for victory and breakthroughs for the present situation of my life and i believe that He will definitely answer them without a doubt and without fail.

So supremo glad to have our precious Tribe meet up for an encouraging time of sharing and prayer too! Praise the Lord for Eric our Tribe leader and for such a solid, sold-out-for-Jesus, supa dupa wonderful group of Tribe members..

Our Bold Tribal Bros : Leb, Carsmon, Changshuo, Whee Kok, Josh, Kevin, Marcus~*

Our Beautiful Tribal Sisters : Anne, Steph, Jean, Li Shaan, Bern, Chrispy, Ryl, Wen~*

Praying, praying for you dear Bros and Sisters..continue to keep shining so bright in this dark dying world with faith, courage and love..God goes before us each step of the way and graciously gives us Sonshine for the journey ahead..ever walking with you, ever rooting for each of you =)! Shine on~*!