The Wedding Bell

Just got back to my normal life after helping friends on their wedding day. Now that reminds me of how beautiful a wedding can be.

(Source: www.kpupointer.com)

It's about love and commitment. It's when those two hands met on the aisle. When they walk down the aisle together. When oath being spoken. When rings are being put on each of their finger. And when their hearts joined together.

Only love and commitment to one another are being shown there.

Whenever a couple get married because of their love for one another, it's always a great achievement, worth celebrating about. As friends or relatives, we could always give support they needed.

For this relationship to go through much more in life, it must be build on a simple "trust". It's always easier to fall in love than to trust others. But if there is trust, the love won't fade. Staying committed is another thing. Even in our workplace; our boss, supervisor, colleagues require us to be committed. Moreover in a marriage, it will requires more commitment than any other.

To any couple getting married soon, may your love grows stronger.
To any married couple, may your love continues to be a blessing to others.

God's Way or No Way

(Source: www.hefamily.org)

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts," says the Lord. "And My way are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. - Isaiah 55 : 8 -9

A lot of times in our lives, I believe we would all feel that we are going the right way, doing the right things and everything that we did are what God wanted us to do. But when things go wrong, we blamed God that He isn't doing His job.

Stop for a moment, and rewind our lives. Are we really going the right way that God wants us to? Or is it just what I wants in life?

At this point, I believe we all thinking the same thing: "How am I supposed to know if it's God's way or my way?"

It's simple, my question for you is: "Can you take some hardship?" When we are doing exactly what /  how we want, things will normally run smoothly. Or it seems so. Until the end, you found out that this is not good at all. But when we go with how God wants, almost every time, you need to take some falls. At the end, you will find that it is all worth it.

Of course God wants us to succeed in life. That's why He gave us problems to face, so that we could learn and grow stronger. The key to this success is trust. It always come to a point where we are faced with a situation, trust God or trust myself?

Once you walk the way God prepared, I urge you to have faith. I myself also learning how to trust God more. It's not as easy as it seems. But aren't we made able by God? Therefore we can do it, have faith.

How God Uses Computer

Another great and inspiring short reading from a friend:

When God created you, He never uses COPY-PASTE.

He makes the SETTING of your life beautiful.

He Chooses to MINIMIZE your weaknesses and MAXIMIZE your strength.

Everything good, He INSERT in your life.

DELETE all your mistakes and SAVE your future.

He always brings you to the NEXT, and not BACK to your past.

Even SKIP when accidents almost hit you.

When you need Him, He provided HELP,

so that you may QUIT from your problems.

He always wait for your heart to OPEN and ready for Him to EDIT.

*My notes:
He created everyone differently, unique in its own. It's just amazing how He plans everything for everybody on this world. Well, sometimes we might ask; "If God plans everything good in my life, why am I having problems?" There's only 2 answers for that. It's either us go with our own plans or God wanted us to trust in Him and His power to brings us through. For our God is a faithful God.

It continuously reminds me of how God has shown His mercy in my life for the last 24 years. Even though I may not remember half of it, but if it isn't God, where would I be today? When I flash back on the things that God has done for me, I'm always grateful that He never ever did give up on me.

Shouldn't I repay God faithfulness with my faithfulness? And shouldn't you too?

A Good Soldier

"Endure suffering along with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. Soldiers don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them." - 2 Tim 2 - 3


How to be a good soldier of Christ? Don't get tied up in the affairs of civilian life!

Jesus did say in Luke 9 : 23, that everyone who wants to follow Him must deny themselves. It literally means we who want to follow Jesus, must let go of our old lives, bad old habits, those that are displeasing in God's eyes. Only then we can please God.

What is the prize for being a good soldier?

"This is a trustworthy saying: If we die with Him, we will also live with Him. If we endure hardship, we will reign with Him. If we deny Him, He will deny us. If we are unfaithful, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny who He is." - 2 Tim 2 : 11 - 13

Our God is a faithful God. If we follow His will and do things that please Him, surely He will also show His faithfulness in our lives. If you want the windows of heaven to be opened right above your head, you need to obey the Word of God and stay away from sin.

~ Being a good soldier is tough,

but the prize is definitely worth it. ~

Majority Vs Minority

"Don't be afraid!" Elisha told him. "For there are more on our side than on theirs!" - 2 Kings 6 : 16

What would you do when you wake up and find you are surrounded by a vast army, with all their troops, horses and chariots everywhere?

Well, of course it won't really happen, surrounded by chariots and thousand of troops.

But imagine you're surrounded by problems. The moment you wake up, your phone rang non-stop, problems just pop-up everywhere. In whatever you do, you encounter difficulties.

At this moment, would you still say "I'm not afraid"? Elisha did, and he also said "there are more on our sides". I believed his servant at that time must have been scared out of his wits, thinking Elisha has gone berserk. But immediately his eyes are open, and he saw more chariots than those of the Arameans, and those are chariots of fire. Why? Because Elisha believed & trusted in God that he won against the vast army of Arameans

There is a song that goes like this:
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with you, above the storm
Father You are King over the flood
I will be still and know You are God
("Still" by: Hillsong)

If only we be still and believed in Him, nothing is impossible with God no matter what problems we are facing. We'll get through the problems, and that's God's promises for us. Someone once told me this; you might be the minority now, but when God is on your side you are the majority.

~ God + me = Majority ~

Increase Faith ~ by Ps. Stephen E Goh

I came across this short article by Ps. Stephen E Goh in Facebook. Well, I though such a good article should be shared. So, here goes.

The apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith!" - Luke 17:5

The apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. And, as followers of Christ, this is something we should also be seeking. So let me share a little faith-building acrostic with you.

Just imagine yourself in a giant arena running the great race of life. You're surrounded by a great crowd of witnesses who are cheering for your success! And the way you increase your faith is to T-R-U-S-T!

T — Take away anything in your life that might slow you down or cause you to stumble. You mustn't let distractions get you off track or let sins trip you up. You're running to win!

R—Read and meditate upon Scripture. Scripture is a faith-building book, and the more of God's Word you have in your mind, the more strength you'll have in your heart and soul.

U—Use the faith you have. Faith is like a muscle; it needs to be exercised every day. You can't just show up at church now and then and expect to have great faith. Exercise your faith daily.

S—Strengthen your faith with prayer and fellowship. We weren't created to go it alone, but to have fellowship with other believers.

T—Turn your eyes upon Jesus. If you want to increase your faith, give Jesus your full attention. Jesus knows what it takes to run to win, and he is the author and the finisher of our faith!

THE WAY TO INCREASE YOUR FAITH IS TO T-R-U-S-T!

Facing Goliath!

Lessons to learn from 1 Samuel 17
 As usual, every morning I'll read my Bible according to my Bible reading plan. As I read, there is this chapter that I red, truly challenged my mind. It's the story about David, in his youth defeated the giant Goliath that no one in Israel even dare to face. It's a story that almost everyone of us have heard, but how many of us have really learned the meaning behind this story. How many of us really believe we could slay the giant? How can a young man like David, who never had any experience in war dare to face the giant? The answer is simple. Follow me!

V 1-3 Israel and Philistine are gathering, ready to battle each other out.

V 4-7 Goliath showed himself to Israel, with his armor and weapon, to show how big & tough he is.

V 8-11 Goliath comes out and taunt Israel, to make them scared.

V 16 For forty days, Goliath has been coming out to taunt Israel, yet there's none that dare to step out and fight.

V 24 And whenever he comes out, everyone will fled in great fear and despair.

V 25 Saul even willing to give out such reward to anyone who can kills Goliath, yet still none of them dare.

V 26 So one day, David saw how Goliath taunt Israel, he got angry and asked, 
“What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”

V 28 David's own brother discouraged his heart for God.

V 32-34 But David still believes in his heart, even though Saul try to talk him out of it.

³² David said to Saul, “Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.” ³³ Saul replied, “You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a young man, and he has been a warrior from his youth.” ³⁴ But David said to Saul, “Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, ³⁵ I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. ³⁶ Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. ³⁷ The LORD who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.” Saul said to David, “Go, and the LORD be with you.”

V 38-40 Saul tried to give David his armor, his sword. But it was all to heavy for him and he took them off. He ends up taking his own staff, a slingshot and 5 smooth stones "from the stream".

V 41-44 Goliath walks closer to David and despised him, looking at his weapon.

V 45-47 But David kept his faith, and stand still. It is not important what weapon that he brings to the battle "... I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel ... , for the battle is the Lord's ..."
V 48 David ran towards the giant! Even I can't believe it.
"As the Philistine moved closer to attack him, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him."

V 49-51 When David successfully bring down Goliath, he didn't just wait. He ran towards Goliath, used Goliath own sword to kill him.

What are the lessons? What is the secret?
1. Problems / Obstacles will always be there waiting for us. Unless we  make a move and go through it, we are stuck! Problem will always seems tough, but we must always stand firm and be tougher. Don't we all believe that God is bigger than anything in the world.
2. When nobody is willing, doesn't mean we should also be unwilling. Every obstacles are chances for us to grow, for promotion.
3. When we are doing thing for God's cause, God will see us through. That's Yes and Amen! And that's why David is called a man after God's own heart. This story show us how true that is. He can't stand Goliath humiliation on Israel, as it would be the same as  humiliating God.
4. We need to choose what other tells us wisely. Every once in a while, we will face discouragement from people around us. And it doesn't matter how close they are, how senior they are. That's why we need to always keep a clear and positive mind.
5. Remind ourselves of the past, when God saves us. Always remember how God saves us, not how we become successful because of our own power. Don't let it become a stumbling blocks for us, don't let it make us prideful. Remember this: Our past experiences are training for the next obstacles!
6. Prepare well, prepare the best. Notice that David choose five smooth stones from the stream. Why must he go all the way down to the stream to collect the 5 smooth stones, while at that area, stones are said to be everywhere. David choose the smooth stones because it flies faster. Those are the best to use with a sling. But why 5, when with God even 1 is enough? Because we will never know God's plan. That's why we need to prepare only the best!
7. Give our best shot. See how David run towards Goliath. When we have prepared well, all we need to do is go forward and face the obstacle.
8. Don't leave room for complacency. When David bring down Goliath, he didn't just stand there. He run forward, take Goliath sword and kill him. Don't be too smug because we have conquered half of the problems. Keep on pushing forward!
9. Trusts in God fully. None of this would happen if David didn't trusts in God. If we trusts God, do it with all our heart, our soul and our mind. Even though sometimes God's way can be uncomprehending, but remember that it always bring the best result.

~ Problems Defy, People Discourage, but God Saves ~

Light At The End of The Tunnel

Have ever been in a tunnel? Now we believed that, no matter how long that tunnel is, we ought to see the light at the end of it inevitably.

But in our life, when we are in those long tunnel, we became scared. We constantly asked ourselves, "When is it going to end?", "Is there no end to it?", "When will I see the light?"

Thus we became discouraged, afraid, unsure. Then we will go back the way we came from. This is pathetic. At this rate, we will never make it through that tunnel, never go pass it. We'll just end up in front of the tunnel, looking at it yet doing nothing.

So, I found this verse encouraging for those of you going through a series of tough time, that God doesn't seems to be there for you. Which in fact, He's still there for you.

Proverbs 3: 5 - 6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight."

Note that we should trust in God with our heart. Our own understanding can be misleading most of the time. If we consider everything based on our logic and our timing, then we will be greatly distressed. We'll only end up disappointed.

It seems that trusting God is not all to it. We must also submit to Him. How is it done? Be obedient! Yes, that conclude all. Not sure how that goes? If something is causing you to feel guilty, stop it! If something is pulling you away from God, stop it! If something is taking away your time with God, stop it! Read the Word of God, pray more, love Him, be genuine to people around you, and love them.

And God will make your paths straight. That's the two keys, follow it and you will soon see the lights at the end of the tunnel.

Remember this:
~ The end of the tunnel will always be there. ~

Guarding!

Last night I though about this. Where will the devil strike first? Our heart or our mind?
Then I thought about this verse, Philippians 4 : 7
"And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

In our mind, we store information. These information could vary, depending on what we put inside. We must beware of what we see and what we hear! Wrong information could end up badly for you. You might misunderstand someone else, or even God. If you keep taking information that pull you further from God, then you will soon feel God is so far away from you. It is actually us who have gone further from God unknowingly. So, choosing the right information is crucial! Remember this, "Love is about trusting." Trusting is the start of a relationship, and the way to keep it. Try to keep a clear mind from information that might be hurting your family and friends. Keep your distances from all the negative comments and information.

Philippians 4 : 6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
Don't let our worries attack our mind. Because when they do, and you will believe it. Then next, it will attack your heart.
In our heart... It is where out faith come into play. Do not lose faith!
Proverbs 4 : 23 - 24 "Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free from perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips." When we talk, think twice. There got to be a reason why we only have one mouth with a pair of lips. Keep it tight! If you keep a clean heart, everything that you do or you say will build others up. Don't bring others down by the word you said.

~ Guard your heart and your mind ~

Faith...

How great is our God... That's the worship we bring before The Lord today. And how true is that. Without Him, my world will be torn apart long time ago. Yet He is keeping all parts of my life together.

This week we learned about faith. Here is something to share:
Faith = key to winning, promotion and multiplication.
Indeed without faith it is impossible to please God `~ Heb 11:6. Everything that God plans for us need our faith to worked out well. Every blessings of God are released when we have faith.
But faith without work is dead ~ Jam 2:17. So what must we do? We must act out our faith. For faith draws us closer to God. Therefore closer to the plans that He had already thought long before us. That is the plan to prosper, for us to be successful in every aspect of our life.

Psalm 37 : 3 - 5
 ³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
   dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
⁴ Take delight in the LORD,
   and He will give you the desires of your heart.
 ⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
   trust in Him and He will do this: 

Faith that works...