STAR DREAM (ISAIAH 40:26)

Hi dear readers,

It's been a while since I last blogged here. I remember one of the first blogs I put up is my holiday trip to Tioman Island. I can still remember the many beautiful stars in the night sky.

But I just wonder when I will have the opportunity to see such a spectacular view again. One just can't see this type of nightsky here in Singapore. The very most I can see is 20 stars! So I just told Papa God how much I missed the great scenery.

Our heavenly Father is just so good to all His children. That very night I dreamt of all those beautiful stars in my dream. God is good all the time!

LAMENTATIONS 3:28

There are a great many people in this world - hundreds of millions! Yet in a sense each one of us is the only one. Each individual life has relations of its own in which it must stand alone, and into which no other life can come. Companionships may be close, and they may give much comfort and inspiration, but in all the inner meaning of life each individual lives apart and alone. No one can live your life for you. No one but yourself can answer your questions, meet your responsibilities, make your decisions and choices. Your relations with God no one but yourself can fulfil. No one can believe for you. A thousand friends may encircle you and pray for your soul, but until you lift up your own heart in prayer no communication is established between you and God. No one can get your sins forgiven but yourself. No one can obey God for you. No other one can do your work for Christ, or render your account at the judgment-seat.

Luke 10:2-9

Dear Readers,

Today in church, we invited a speaker from a remote part of the world. He shares with us about going out to the harvest field to bring in the harvest!

He said that in verse 2,.... the word 'send out' has been very mildly interpreted. He suggests the word should be: push out, kick out! Indeed, when we really think about it, it's true. We are too timid, too complacent in our well-protected homes. We must be push and kick out of our place of comfort out into the field to bring in the harvest!

Start today! Share the gospel with some one! Pray for someone! JUST TAKE THAT STEP AND STEP OUT!

MINUTE MEDITATION FOR TODAY

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Comfort one another and edify one another, as indeed you are doing.

Reflection:It is the Christian's duty to help others to attain the Kingdom of God. This concerns the help that we must give to each other by prayer, an encouraging word, or a helping hand. Do I do this, or am I an obstacle to anyone?

Prayer:Heavenly Father, may Your Reign be realized always more and more in me and also in all human beings-who are Your children. Amen

Action Plan:1. Call up a friend (someone whom I not talked to for quite a while).
2. Send a card or e-mail to someone.
3. Give an encouragement to someone.
4. Give someone a pat on the shoulder.
5. Give somebody a bear hug.
6. Invite somebody to church.
7. Do a kind deed. (Holding the door, give a smile, carrying a heavy load, give up your seat, offering to get something for someone less mobile etc).
8. Praise someone today!
9. Treat someone to Hi-T (HDB tai-tai style).
10. Share the Good News with someone.

MINUTE MEDITATIONS FOR EACH DAY

Psalm 1:2

His delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he mediate day and night.

A man who loves the Word of God - a man who dwells upon what it says - a man who keeps a little text in his mind to think about as he is walking on his way, and that mediates upon it day and night - "whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. If you can find a man who carries out this direction and doesn't prosper, you can doubt the inspiration of the first Psalm; but find the man first.

I have a book called Minute Meditations for Each Day for me to reflect and pray every day. I like to share with you dear readers some of the meditations:

Enter by the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13)
Reflection:Narrow is the gate that leads from this world into heaven. Only through sorrow, repentance, and victory over self will those who are haughty attain union with God. Is not this end worthy of any sacrifice?
Prayer:God, You are my highest Good. No road will be too long if it leads me to You, no sacrifice too hard. Bless and strengthen my good will!

Let the dead bury their own dead (Luke 9:60)
Reflection:When we are called by God to follow Him, there is only one thing to be done; obey Him immediately. Every other consideration must yield because it is an impediment to this obedience. It must be set aside at any cost, even if the price is our own life. Do I consider the following of Christ all-important in my life?
Prayer:Lord, let me be prompt in accomplishing Your will totally and joyously, without hesitation of any kind.

It is through many trials that we are to enter the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22)
Reflection:Our eternal destination is to enter the Kingdom of heaven. However, we must undergo many trials and tribulations to reach our goal, where we will have eternal happiness. Are not all the sufferings that must be faced on the way worth our patient endurance in order to reach that destination-even if they include death?
Prayer:My Saviour, strengthen me so that I may follow You. Let the cross of this world be one day my key to heaven.

SEE THE DIFFERENCE?

Luke 1:18

Zacharias and Elizabeth have been praying for a child. Both of them are old. One day, the angel Gabriel appeared to him and said that Elizabeth will bear a son.

Note what Zacharias answered.

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this for certain? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years."

Note what the angel said in verse 20.

"And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which shall be fulfulled in their proper time."

Luke 1:34

One day an angel appeared to a virgin called Mary and foretold that she will bear a child.

Note what Mary said.

And Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?'

Note what the angel said in v 37

"For nothing will be impossible with God."

Note the similar words of Zacharias and Mary.
Note the different response from the angel.

See the difference?

HEAVEN & EARTH SHALL PASS AWAY, BUT MY WORDS SHALL NOT PASS AWAY

Matthew 24:25
Generations follow generations - yet it lives.
Nations rise and fall - yet it lives.
Kings, dictators, presidents come and go - yet it lives.
Torn, condemned, burned - yet it lives.
Hated, despised, cursed - yet it lives.
Doubted, suspected, criticised - yet it lives.
Damned by atheists - yet it lives.
Exaggerated by fanatics - yet it lives.
Misconstrued and mistated - yet it lives.
Ranted and raved about - yet it lives.
Its inspiration denied - yet it lives.
Yet it lives - as a lamp to our feet.
Yet it lives - as a light to our paths.
Yet it lives - as a standard for childhood.
Yet it lives - as a guide for youth.
Yet it lives - as an inspiration for the matured.
Yet it lives - as a comfort for the aged.
Yet it lives - as food for the hungry.
Yet it lives - as water for the thirsty.
Yet it lives - as rest for the weary.
Yet it lives - as light for the heathen.
Yet it lives - as salvation for the sinner.
Yet it lives - as grace for the Christian.
To know it is to love it.
To love it is to accept it.
To accept it means Life eternal.

JESUS FEEDS THE FIVE THOUSAND

Hi dear reader, I love to read about Jesus feeding the multitudes. As I read the story I am very curious how the multitudes of a few thousand people managed to hear what Jesus says. Just imagine yourself speaking to just five hundred people. Without the modern microphone and loud speakers, do you wonder how the crowd hear what you say?

Jesus is very meek and gently. I believe He does not shout at the top of His voice to be heard! So how does everyone hear what Jesus
says? Well, I choose to believe that as Jesus teaches, those who want to learn will receive the Word! We must not limit God's supernatural power by own human thinking and ability. God is able to meet our needs where we are! Didn't He later feed all of them with just a few loaves of bread and some fishes? Luke 9:12-17

A SABBATH REST

Entering into a sabbath rest is an attitude of rest that refreshes us. (Hebrews 4:9-11). It is a kind of rest where we cease from our own efforts and rely entirely on God. If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour and are depending on Him alone for salvation, then you have rested from your own work. You are trusting in His finished work and you are experiencing the Sabbath rest that God wants you to have. You can live every day in the freedom and blessings of Christ's finished work as you tune in to His voice. In resting, we can hear His voice so much more clearly, God created the earth and all of its inhabitants in six days, then rested on the seventh day. During times of rest the Lord can clearly speak to us because we are unencumbered with all the details of life.

Let's enter into and remain in His rest. When we cease from our own efforts and depend on the work of Jesus, we rest.When we cease from dependence on our own activity and rest in dependence upon the activity of Jesus who dwells within, we rest. That is our Sabbath rest. It may not always be easy to find a place of refuge, a place away from the telephone, fax machine, computer, radio or television. But we can always find a Sabbath rest by being in the presence of God and responding to His presence in us as we endevour to hear His voice.

FASTING

Fasting is not optional for Christians who are serious about their walk with God. (Matthew 6:16) Maintaining a life of prayer and fasting is paramount to hearing from God.

What is fasting and why should we deny ourselves by practicing this spiritual discipline? We 'starve' our body in order to feed our spirit. The essence of a fast is self-denial in order to turn our thoughts to God.

We can hear God's voice more clearly when we fast, because we find in Him sustenance beyond food. As we deny ourselves and focus on God, our faith deepens and becomes more powerful. When prayer and fasting is combined, powerful things happen.

Many people ask about the "correct" way to fast. Apart from having the right heart attitude, there really isn't a perfect formula. You can skip a meal, have only liquids for days, give up sweets (chocolates, cakes etc), give up anything to do with media (staying in touch with humans) like phone, TV, newspapers, internet. The point is that the absence of food and things that we think we cannot do without makes us constantly more dependent on God and more open to His Spirit. We just want to focus on God and nothing else.

MENTORS & SPIRITUAL PARENTS

Below is a very touching and heart-warming example of a spiritual parenting relationship.

Betty, in her fifties, started to mentor Holly during a time of deep need in Holly's life. Holly was a 27-year old mother, yet she was a child crying out from within a woman's body. During their mentoring relationship, Betty visited Holly every week and called her several times a week. They read helpful books together and Betty taught Holly how to cook, something she had never learned growing up. Holly recalled,"Betty practiced what she preached. She helped me to hear from God by her example. God spoke through Betty as she faithfully mentored me. Trust is a very important part of spiritual parenting. I had trust issues in my life, and she never betrayed my trust or gossiped. If she make a mistake, she humbled herself and admitted it. A spiritual parent does not have to be perfect, just real and honest." 1 Corinthians 4:15-17


Although Betty and Holly came from very different upbringings, and didn't agree on things, the love of Jesus brought them together. Holly's life was forever impacted by this spiritual parental relationship that helped her get to know God and hear His voice.

OVERCOMING UNFORGIVENESS

4 STEPS TO VICTORY!

Joyce Meyer shares in one of her books that even though we may choose to forgive, yet we still find our feelings toward the person who hurt us are still quite unforgiving. Forgiveness is a choice we must make and we must earnestly work towards that goal - not half heartily.

Firstly, understand that it may take time and that's okay. If we do what we can do, God will do what we cannot do. We cannot make wrong feelings go away any more than we can make right ones come. But God can and will. We must do what Scripture instructs us to do, and we will be able to work through the process of forgiveness.

The second thing is to pray for them as God has told us to do. Prayer is a powerful tool, tap into its power - in the name of Jesus, all things are possible.

The third thing God tells us to do is to bless our enemies. To bless someone means to speak well of them and want good things for them. Refuse to talk unkindly about them. Don't keep talking about what or how your enemy hurt you. It only keeps the pain stirring in you. Instead, bless your enemy in practical ways like weeding his garden, bake him a cake etc.

The fourth thing to do is wait. "And let us not be weary in well doing:for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not" (Galatians 6:9) Don't give up. Keep doing what is right, and wait on God to change your feelings. (not your enemy's feelings)

DO WHAT YOU CAN

After a storm in our lives, we hope life will go back to normal. Do you remember we always think in our hearts, "When things get back to normal, I'll start exercising. Then I will work out every day, eat right and be the healthiest person around." Suddenly we realised that we'd been thinking these thoughts but nothing had ever changed. Our unrealistic expectations were keeping us from making any progress.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13 says, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." But it does not say, "I have to do it all right now." We need to take one step at a time and give ourselves a pat on the back for every bit of progress. If I had time for five minutes of walking, that's great. If I had time for ten sit-ups, that's what I'd do. If I remember to take the stairs instead of the lift, that's fine. It's okay just to do what we can each day.

This is especially true when we are in a storm and just trying to survive. If all I have the energy for is whispering a one-sentence prayer to God, then go for it. If it takes everything within me just to have a coffee-break with God, then that's success. If I make it through an hour without feeling grumpy or down, then celebrate. Our hearts can only handle so much at a time, but if we continue to partner with God to do what we can each day, we'll discover those little gains add up to a big difference in our lives. Extracted from RAIN ON ME BY Holley Gerth

GIVE THANKS IN EVERYTHING

I once saw a man draw some black dots on a piece of paper. I saw nothing but an irregular arrangements of dots. Then he drew a few lines, put in a few rests, and added a treble clef at the beginning. Suddenly I realised that the dots were musical notes and the song revealed itself:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him all creatures here below.

Each of us has many black dots or spots in our life, and we cannot understand why they are there or why God permitted them. But when we allow Him into our life to adjust the dots in the proper way, to draw the lines He desires, and to put rests at the proper places to separate us from certain things, then from the black dots and spots He will compose a glorious harmony. By:CHP

Sing.... to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything. (Ephesians 5:19-20)

WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS

What is a friend?

The athlete said,"A friend is a balancing pole that enables us to walk the tight-rope of life without falling."

The physician said,"A friend may be likened to a soft bandage and a soothing ointment for the cuts and bruises of life."

A botanist said,"A friend is a vine that clings to us and hides the discrepancies and rough places of life."

A jeweler said,:A friend is a golden link in the chain of life."

A woman in mourning said,: A friend is one who comes in when the whole world goes out."

"The best friend of all," said a white-haired man of eighty, "is Jesus, who laid down His life for his friends."

A friend loveth at all times (Proverbs 17:17)

THE LORD'S PRAYER Galatians 2:20

I cannot say 'our' if I live in a water-tight spiritual compartment.
I cannot say "Father' if I do not demonstrate the relationship in daily life.
I cannot say 'which art in heaven' if I am so occupied with the earth that I am laying up no treasure there.
I cannot say 'hallowed by Thy name' if I, who am called by His name, am not holy.
I cannot say 'Thy kingdom come' if I am not doing all in my power to hasten its coming.
I cannot say 'Thy will be done' if I am questioning, resentful of, or disobedient to His will for me.
I cannot say 'in earth, as it is in heaven' if I am not prepared to devote my life to His service.
I cannot say 'give us this day our daily bread' if I am living on past experience or if I am an under-the-counter shopper.
I cannot say 'forgive us our trepasses, as we forgive those who trepass against us' if I harbour a grudge against anyone.
I cannot say 'lead us not into temptation' if I deliberately place myself in a position to be tempted.
I cannot say 'deliver us from evil' if I am not prepared to fight it in the spiritual realm with the weapon of prayer.
I cannot say 'thine is the kingdom' if I do not accord the King the disciplined obedience of a loyal subject.
I cannot say 'thine is the power' if I fear what men may do or what my neighbours may thnk.
I cannot say 'thine is the glory' if I am seeking glory for myself.
I cannot say 'for ever' if my horizon is bounded by the things of time. The Christian Messenger

The Spice of Life

Most of us hate routine and doing the same things over and over again. Sometimes, while trying to clear the "to-do" list, we can end up physically and spiritually drained. It is good to pause and be still. Lately, I enjoy a book on Coffee Break with God.

In the midst of our work, God can still bring something new, unusual and different when we change our attitude. Instead of emphazing the "same old", we should remember what the Bible says: "if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17).

I find it very true especially when I turn to him while still doing the routine chores. There is something changing inside of us. We may even enjoy the chores with singing and psalming and is a totally new experience. God is continually stirring new life within us, giving us new dreams and goals and molding us to be more like Jesus!

HOW GREAT THOU ART!

Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty (Revelations 15:3)

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth His handywork
(Psalms 19:1)

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14)

God is great in great things, but very great in little things. A party stood on the mountains admiring the beauty of the scene, when a gentleman produced a pocket microscope, and having caught a fly, placed it under the glass. He reminded everyone that the legs of the household fly is naked. Then he called attention to the legs of this little fly (mountain fly) which were thickly covered with hair, thus showing that the same God who had made the lofty Swiss mountains had also attended to the comfort of His tiniest creatures, even producing socks and mittens for the little fly whose home is in the cold mountains!

APOSTLES ARE MADE FROM COMMON MEN

There is a legend of an artist who long sought for a piece of sandal-wood, out of which to carve a Madonna. At last he was about to give up in despair, leaving the vision of his life unrealized, when in a dream he was bidden to shape the figure from a block of oakwood which was destined for the fire. Obeying the command, he produced from the log of common fire-wood a masterpiece.

In like manner many people wait for great and brilliant opportunities for doing the good things, the beautiful things, of which they dream, while through all the plain, common days, the very opportunities they require for such deeds lie close to them in the simplest and most familiar passing events, and in the homeliest circumstances. They wait to find sandal-wood out of which to carve Madonnas, while far more lovely Madonnas than they dream of are hidden in the common logs of oak they spurn with their feet in the wood-yard. (By J.R. Miller) Philippians 3:21

AND LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATIONS

When tempted:

Forget the slander you have heard,
Forget the hasty, unkind word;
Forget the quarrel and the cause,
Forget the whole affair, because,
Forgetting is the only way.

Forget the storm of yesterday,
Forget the chap whose sour face
Forgets to smile in any place.
Forget that you're not a millionaire,
Forget the gray streaks in your hair.

Forget the coffee when it's cold
Forget to kick, forget to scold.
Forget the plumber's awful charge,
Forget the doctor's bill is large;
Forget the repair man and his ways,
Forget the winter's blustery days,
Forget the neighbour's wagging tongue.

BUT DON'T FORGET GOD WHEN THE DAY IS DONE. (Matthew 6:13)