It Is Two Thousand and Nine!!!

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Written 23 March 2003
Anyway, the worship on Sunday was wonderful... I prepared myself before the service started. I knelt down at the drums and prayed to ask God to keep my mind free from distractions. I told Him that I wanted to play for Him and not to impress anyone else. I wanted it to be a worship to Him. I wanted the worship help the congregation to experience God's presence. And guess what? His presence was undeniable. I don't claim to be the reason why God's presence was so strong but I believe that factors like how right the worship leader and the musicians are with God play a huge part in ushering in the presence of God.

These are exciting times. I think God is calling certain people to be on fire for Him. Then others will want to catch this fire too! God is great!!! Something great and miraculous is going to happen and I want to be part of it when it does.

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Almost 6 years ago, it seemed like there was going to be a breakthrough. Father, its time for another. I haven't had time to reflect on 2008. Have I done all that He has planned for me? Have I impacted people's lives? I certainly hope so.

I've been praying for 2009. What will this year bring? I've heard some say that it will be a year of greater things. I've heard some say it will be a year of breakthrough. Luke 4 says it is the year of the Lord's Favour. All I heard God say is Look Out!

Look out because you haven't seen anything yet. Look out because greater things are coming. Look out because its a year of break through. But most importantly, look out because it is time to stop being so darn selfish. Look out because it is time to stop neglecting the Justice and Love of God.

I Will Not Be Quiet

Isaiah 61:10 – 62:3
Salvation is like clothes that can be put on. Righteousness is like a jacket. Isaiah compares salvation and righteousness to stylish clothes and precious jewellery. Like clothes, what we wear can influence the way we behave. Put on an G-Star jacket and watch how the wearer starts to walk differently.

Take any beggar off the streets and clothe him with the latest fashion and the trendiest accessories and he is no longer seen and treated as a beggar. The same way it is with the believer. When God rescued us from the depths of hell, he clothed us with salvation and righteousness. And He no longer sees us as what we used to be. Isaiah says it is like a Bridegroom dressing like PRIEST with a beautiful headdress. A BRIDE with her jewels. When we are dressed by God, our identity is also changed. He no longer treats us like beggars, sinners or scum. But we are now seen BY GOD as pure, clean, like royalty.

A garment is no good if we keep it in the cupboard. Garments are meant to be put on. We cannot be ashamed of God’s righteousness and salvation. We cannot be afraid to put it on. Many of us have been brought up in a meritocratic society and we have been taught to put our best effort into what we do. And we have tried to bring it into our relationship with God. The truth is that we cannot handle the fact that we’re getting something for nothing. That our value is suddenly not based on what we do but what we’ve received. Many of us still try to put on our own righteousness and we try to do things to justify ourselves.

The bible says that our righteousness is like filthy rags. All our efforts to please Him cannot compare to the genuine, authentic forgiveness, the free gift of righteousness that He has provided.
Isaiah 64:6 => All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

See the comparison? Our efforts? Filthy rags
His Free Gift of Jesus? Cool clothes and jewellery!
Its not a difficult decision.

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I Like Christmas Sermons.

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God Says "If You Love Me, You'll Obey Me"

Flyleaf's World Vision Trip To Rwanda

My Life Is Like A Drawn Out Season Of Heroes

I am really into season 3 of Heroes. (Click here to read up about it on IMDB.com) The thing I love the most is how the story unravels, the confusion is cleared and things start to make sense when all the characters come together.

I think there's a similarity to real life situations. Many times, at any one given point of time, we don't know all there is to know. We don't know the reason why we're in certain situations until much later when we start to see the results of it. It could be in the form of difficult choices, packed schedules, or difficult people to work with. I just love it when God gives me a glimpse of the future. As if He's saying, "Cheer up! You need to learn how to handle this so that you can do more in the future I have for you."

Wild International
I actually got the name from a song that Zack De La Rocha's new band wrote. That name really sparked my imagination. It brought back the dreams of travelling again. This week, I met a Japanese girl, born in Brazil, who lives in Canada. She needed directions to the MRT and I said I'd walk with her. Had a nice time chatting with her on the MRT. A nurse by profession, in a home for the elderly, she was supposed to be on a solo mission trip to Thailand. She had to redirected to Singapore because of the demonstrations there. She said, "I thank God for letting me meet you."

On Tuesday, after the megapraise meeting at Gerald's place, we met an exchange student from China. He was struggling with 2 luggage bags so we offered to help him carry it up to the train platform. Turns out he's an exchange student going back to China. Samuel was chatting with him in Mandarin and talking to him about church and God. But after Thomson and him got down at Aljunied, I spoke to him about my experience with God.
His reply, really humbled me. "Hearing what you've shared with me, I really want to go back and find out more."

What I had thought were my limitations. What I had thought was my lack of ability to speak other languages, my lack of time and finances to travel. What I had thought were obstacles to me achieving God's purpose were vapourised when God's Grace took over.

God says, "For now, I'll bring the nations to you."