SarahCity

Psalm 119:18 "Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your law." "Mom, what New Year's resolutions are you making this year?"my daughter asked at the first of the year. "I don't make New Year's resolutions, I only break them." I said. "You have to make at least one,"Ann said. "Listen to my list." She rambled through about a dozen. Not to be outdone by an eighteen-year old, I promised to make at least one resolution. First thing the next morning, as usual, I grabbed the newspaper and read about fatal accidents, drive-by-shootings, child abuse, and domestic violence. That's when I came up with my resolution. I resolved to change the way I begin each day. Every morning I've decided that the first imprint on my mind will be words that have stood the test of time - the encouraging eternal words of God's Word. Reading God's Word renews your mind and heart, lifting you out of what is, to what God has planned for

I am clearing my emails and found this email dated very long ago. Some advices seem good to follow. Realise that many youngsters do not sleep early and wake up early. They also do not like to take breakfast and seem like this life-style is quite damaging to their health. Thus decided to include this in my blog. However, not sure how true but it is still better to have a healthy lifestyle because many diseases are life-style related. BRAIN DAMAGING HABITS 1. No Breakfast People who do not take breakfast are going to have a lower blood sugar level. This leads to an insufficient supply of nutrients to the brain causing brain degeneration. 2. Overeating It causes hardening of the brain arteries, leading to a decrease in mental power. 3. Smoking It causes multiple brain shrinkage and may lead to Alzheimer disease. 4. High Sugar consumption Too much sugar will interrupt the absorption of proteins and nutrients causing malnutrition and may interfere with bra

Got it from my friend via email. Really funny so I put in the blog and hope you will get a good laugh. ONLY THE ENGLISH COULD HAVE INVENTED THIS LANGUAGE We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes, But the plural of ox becomes oxen, not oxes. One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese, Yet the plural of moose should never be meese. You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice, Yet the plural of house is houses, not hice. If the plural of man is always called men, Then shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen? If I speak of my foot and show you my feet, And I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet? If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth, Why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth? Then one may be that, and three would be those, Yet hat in the plural would never be hose, And the plural of cat is cats, not cose. We speak of a brother and also of brethren, But though we say mother, we never say methren. Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and

The Bible tells us that our faith needs to be tested. James 1:3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. Trouble, trials and tribulations challenge our faith and call it to the witness stand. Sometimes we pass the test and sometimes we fail the test. However, God desires us to pass the test. Abraham also failed many times but ultimately when God wanted him to offer up Isaac, he willingly do so without question asked. The Bible has revealed God's promises, ways and character to us. They are reliable, solid and clearly true. They do not change. However, when trouble come, how do I react? Am I able to cling to His promises:- Hebrews 13 5b For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. 6 So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Romans 8 28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. God has a good purpose for

God desires that we trust Him. However, many things can cause us to worry. I am always encouraged by Philippians 4:6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. Prayer is a way to tell God our needs, our fear, our worry or concern. When we pray, we learn to trust God ie. we acknowledge He is the sovereign one, He knows what we need. He is perfectly capable of supplying everything we need. Isaiah 59:1 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. On the other hand, worry doesn’t accomplish anything. Jesus tells us that we cannot add a single day to our life by worrying or can we make ourselves happier or whatever by worrying. Constant worry means we do not have our priorities straight. Jesus tells us, “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be provided you.” When we pray, we learn to fill our minds wit

Do you know that God is a merciful God? The Bible tells me that He is merciful. Declare His word for his mercy endureth forever. When King David sinned greatly before God, he still chose to fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great than to fall into the hand of man. (2 Samuel 2:14). Although God punishes, he still show mercy when His people repented before Him. Exodus 34:6 The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. Deuteronomy 4:31 For the Lord thy God is a merciful God. 2 Samuel 24:14 Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD; for his mercies are great. 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 106:1, 107:1, 118:1, 136:1; Jeremiah 33:11 O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. Psalm 25:8 Good and upright is the Lord. Psalm 86:5 For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. Psalm 100:5 For the Lord is good, his mercy is everlasting. Psalm 103:

Proverbs 19:21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. In the past, when you asked me what is my plan in life, I always have a list of things that I am going to do to achieve what I plan for but usually God is not in my plan. However, our God loved shaking things up in our life. He wants us to live a life that pleases Him. He has a very meaningful purpose for us and that is when Christ who is our life appears, we will appear with Him in glory. Col 3:1-4 We are therefore exhorted to seek those things which are above by setting our mind on it, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. When we set our mind on things above, the things of the earth will gradually fade into the background. Isn't it exciting to realise that He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good

Psalm 34:1-3 1. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. 3. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I made a mistake the other day but immediately I followed up with an email to the other party to rectify it. However, the following day, I realised the mistake was not rectified due to the way the things were processed. It was very disappointing. I was so pre-occupied with this for the whole day cos some cost is involved. Later, I realised that even a small matter can rob us of the joy in God. Am I able to be like the psalmist to bless the Lord at all times ... I'm afraid I still can't. This small matter really exposed me. Sometimes we magnify the problem more than God Himself. However, as I turn to him, I am no longer angry with the whole matter but praise God! Let Him be magnified!

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. I looked up the meaning of the word "take delight in" and the definition is to enjoy or revel. But how do I delight in Him? I realised that there is no short-cut, it got to do with spending time knowing him. I started practising on the small things in my life. If I want to know that He is real and living, I have to start to learn to know him, listen to him and hear His voice. The more I learn to dwell in His presence, his words, I realised that the more I take delight in Him and truly worship Him for who He is. I also enjoyed that our desires will be transformed by Him and His desire will also be our desire.

2 Timothy 2:4 "No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier." Sometimes I fill my life with too many little things and soon to realise that I have no time for Christ. However, I discover that if I am willing to allow Christ to have the first place in my heart, then all these things will fit in neatly by His grace. I am always encouraged by this verse Matthew 6:33 "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Reflection : Am I available to God anytime? Can He mess up my plans without me becoming resentful? Am I willing to give up the right to control my schedule and allowing God to interrupt it whenever He needs to? Do I know Him as the "Elohim", that there is nothing going on in my life that God is not aware of? He is sovereign over all things . I must learn to see interruptions as divine appoint

It is very interesting to note that the Bible describes 2 types of wisdom:- James 3: Earthly wisdom 14But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. Heavenly wisdom 3:17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. We have all being trained from young to use the earthly wisdom. Whenever any things happen, the first reaction is to tackle it using what we have learnt. However, I like the example of David, the great king of Israel. While reading Psalms, I realise that he did not seek earthly wisdom to deal with his enemies. Instead, he sought the counsel of God. When he was pursued by Saul, the situation was very pressin

I like this principle given in one our of Bible Study Class. Faith is doing your best and trusting God for the rest. This principle helps me very much. In the past, I always fall into two extremes, either I play the role of God ie. to take control of everything or I totally become discourage and give up when things did not go smoothly. I like the example of Moses. He was a great leader and to lead the Israelites was not an easy task. Each time, he encountered difficulties, he would bring the matters to God. He sought the counsel of God and not from men. Moses was one who knew the ways of God. He did his very best and trusted God for the rest.

I have been having a cold for a few days already and it is quite irritating because of its disturbing symptoms like runny nose, persistent sneezing and overall tiredness. It is very tempting to end the suffering with cold medicines, cough suppressants or antibiotics. Most probably because not only I suffer but my family members also have to put out with all the sneezes. However, I have decided against it most probably because of the many talks I have attended on nutritionally immunology. In the book on "Nutritional Immunology" by Dr Jau-Fei Chen, she advised that sneezing, sniffling and the need to clear the throat are actually the body's way of informing us that it is fighting a virus. Such symptoms allow the body to get rid of the viral invader. Sneezing throws it out of the respiratory tract while mucus of a runny nose and throat phlegm contain many trapped viruses that we easily expel. The pill we take does not stop the cold, it only puts a temporarily stop to th

We sang the above hymn yesterday night and once again I am reminded of a principle I have just learnt: Your attitude in times of prosperity will determine your destiny in times of calamity . The reason why Horatio G. Spafford was able to utter such words though his four daughters died in the shipwreck was his complete trust in His Savior. As a father, his soul must be extremely vexed upon the death of his daughters but he still maintained all is well with his soul. I believe our dear brother has such a close personal relationship with God and he is able to completely trust God who works all things together for good to them that love Him. (Romans 8:28). God's unfailing love enables him to be masters of his circumstances, instead of its victim. This story never fails to touch me and I have included in the blog for your reading. (Taken from www.biblestudycharts.com). Hope it will encourage you to place your complete trust in Him even though you may meet with many trials in your

I like this principle I just learnt : The Lord cannot become your life until the Word of God becomes your life. In order for me to really know God, I need to spend time on His Word before Him. I have recently attended a seminar on "Quiet Time" and I found it very helpful. In the past, after reading a portion of the Word, I will just pray to God over my needs and then that is. It is always one way traffic and not much interaction between me and God. There is also not much reflection and meditation. However, in this seminar, I learn to come to God to ask Him what is this passage about. There is always a reason that a passage is included in the Bible. Our God is a God of purpose. It is for us to know Him better and sometimes, it serves as a warning, a command for us to follow or even a promise for us to claim. I also learn to ask myself what is the lesson or principle that I can apply from this passage. How about the attributes or character of God? The Bible declares G

Today, the topic for our children's meeting is "others can count on me to serve them". This meeting is to help the children learn the importance of serving others. There is no need to teach them to think of themselves first because it comes naturally. The sister started the meeting by asking the children a question: Are we willing to serve others or we prefer to take care of our own needs? Most children answered sometimes serving others and sometimes more on their own needs. Similary, we were also asked the same questions. My answer is the same as most of the children. But while I was still pondering over the answer, I realised that I serve others at my convenience. I remember about the story of how Jesus fed the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44 30The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. 31Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat , he said to them, "Come with me by yo

Yesterday, a sister asked the above question. Deep within me, I was thinking, eternal life is to live forever and ever. However, in John 17:3 we see a different perspective of eternal life. "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." In another word, eternal life is to know God. This made me recalled Hosea 4:6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. This knowledge of God as He is revealed unto us in Jesus Christ from the Holy Scriptures is not just an intellectual or a speculative knowledge; it is not just a theoretical knowledge of doctrines. But a knowledge that will change our life continually. The more we know God, there is a longing for holiness. He can declare as in Hebrews 11, that he is a stranger and a pilgrim upon this earth and he d

Last few days, I have been thinking about a sermon I heard on a Friday from 2 Timothy 2:20-21 2:20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 2:21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. I was wondering what is this good work that God has prepared me for? Yesterday I heard a brother shared that we are equipped to do the good works. He asked the questions : "What is this good work that God has prepared for you?". He said he also doesn't know but beseeched us to seek from the Lord personally. He will reveal to you. Ephesians 2:10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. John 14:12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater wo

Today I attended a wedding love feast and one of the song we sang is as follows:- In His time, in His time, He makes all things beautiful, in His time, Lord, please show me everyday, As You're teaching me Your way, That You do just what You say, in Your time The highlight of the event began with the bride's testimony of how the couple got together. The story started with the bride's mother who strongly believed that her daughter and the groom-to-be would be an item in the future. Seemed to me like God has already planned everything. The groom also shared his story and specifically mentioned the 3 phases of their relationship. The first phase started with the couple trying to know one another. This is the most enjoyable phase as they tried to please one another and enjoy most activities together. The second phase began as they learn to open up to one another, and they soon discovered they were so different in term of personality and many other things. They start

Yesterday a sister told me that she was impressed by her new friend who has a very good knowledge of the Bible and can quote verses to handle life issues but yet the person does not believe the work of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is so easy to treat the Bible as another book for reading but it can be quite dangerous if we missed "HIM". John 5:39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life, and these testify about me. John 5:40 Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 2 Cor 3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life. Paul spent his life on earth to achieve only one thing ie. to gain Christ. Phil 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,

I believe that this verse is as much a divine command as "You shall not steal". But what does it mean to fret? One person once defined it as that which makes a person rough on the surface, causing him to rub and wear himself and others away. Isn't it true that an irritable, irrational, and critical person not only wears himself out but is also very draining and tiring to others? When we worry and fret, we are a constant annoyance. This psalm not only says. "Do not fret because of evil men" but leaves no room for fretting whatsoever. It is very harmful, and God does not want us to hurt ourselves or others. Any physician can tell you that a fit of anger is more harmful to your system than a fever and that a disposition of continual fretting is not conducive to a healthy body. The next step down from fretting is being quick-tempered, and that amounts to anger. May we set it aside once and for all and simply be obedient to the command "Do not fret"

Tonight a sister shared on a typhoon tragedy which she saw in a television, how a teary grandfather saw all his family members died in this tragedy (about 10 of them). His grandson had barely learn to call him yet. It was a really sad event. Sometimes we take things for granted. We ought to learn to thank God that we are living so peaceably in Singapore. This reminded me of Hebrews 4: 7 Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today, when a long time later he spoke through David, as was said before: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts. We do not know what will happen to us and thus we need to take every opportunity to live our life to the fullest, to trust and obey God and not harden our heart. Let's encourage one another while it is still called "Today".

This is a topic that I need to share with the children in the next few weeks. I ask myself this question : Can God count on me to do my best? Many times, the answer is "NO". In the past, I adopt a "passable" attitude ie. just put in abit of effort and that it. However, God is not pleased with this kind of attitude. God is very concerned that we use our heart in everything we do. Whether it is our work, looking after our family or worship, God demands our very best. I review my attitude in worship. At times, I realise that I might be singing praises to God but at the same time, my mind is somewhere else. Matthew 15:8 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. I need to repent of this kind of attitude. May we all learn to do our very best in everything we do. To God be the glory!!

When I think of Paul, I tend to think of a sturdy rock. He was a man who is neither swayed nor deterred from the course at hand. I see him needing no one other than Christ Himself. Or so it seems. The truth is Paul needed the encouragement of other believers. He longed for the words of fellow Christians to cheer him on while spreading the gospel. Ponder those words he penned to the Corinthian church in 2 Corinthians 7:5-7. What was Paul feeling at this time? Conflicts on the outside and fears on the inside. Yes, that mighty man of God who said."I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13) also struggled with fear, discouragement, and inner turmoil. Paul was a strong man and yet he still needed the words of fellow believers to encourage him to press on. Here are some words a friend would love to hear : You bring out the best in me. You are an inspiration to me. I love to hear how God is working in your life. I'd like your opinion and pr

Yahweh / Jehovah: to exist, be (Exodus 3:14-15) YHVH comes from the Hebrew verb "to be" and is the special name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. Therefore, YHVH declares God's absolute being - the source of everything, without beginning and without end. God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations. § Yahweh Jireh: The Lord will provide (Genesis 22:14) o Abraham named the place Yahweh-Yireh (which means “the Lord will provide”). To this day, people still use that name as a proverb: “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” § Yahweh Nissi: He is your Victory (Exodus 17:15) o Moses built an altar there and named it Yahweh-nissi (which means “the Lord is my

Apostle Paul desired to gain Christ and he devoted his life just doing that:- Philippians 3:8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ. Philippians 1:21a For to me, to live is Christ Tonight we sang a hymn and I like stanza 2 which goes this way:- Life is full of opportunities Ordered by our Father's hand; we see Everything's the best that it could be, So let's gain Christ! Christ our content and reality To shine out from us unceasingly He must have a way in you and me, He must have a way Life can be quite challenging the moment we got serious to follow Christ. On one hand we know that the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one but on the other hand, God is sovereign and all things that happen to us have to be permitted by Him. 1 Cor 10:13b God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what

One of the subject that I was supposed to share with the children last week is concerning "worship". There is no story line in the children materials on this topic and not much materials available for me to read up. I ask myself what is true worship? In the past, I thought worship is only in the meeting where we sing and praise God. Worship stopped when I come out of the meeting. As year passed by, I began to realise that worship is a lifestyle. Worship encompasses every part of our lives. I began to search the web for more writeup on worship. I read from somewhere that true worship is initiated by God. Unless God reveals Himself, there is no true worship. We can only declare God's worth when He shows more of Himself to us. Lately I encountered some problems at home. I tried to use my own method to solve the problem but the problem grew bigger and became worse and affected every member of my family. I soon realised that I am not warring against flesh and blood bu

Can we really pray all the time? Let's hear what this servant girl has to say. "When I first open my eyes in the morning I pray, Lord, open the eyes of my understanding; and while I am dressing I pray that I may be clothed with the robe of righteousness; when I wash I ask for the washing of regeneration; as I work I pray that I may have strength equal to my day, when I begin to kindle the fire I pray that God's work may revive my soul; as I sweep out the house I pray that my heart may be cleansed from all its impurities; while preparing and partaking of breakfast I pray to be fed with the hidden manna and sincere milk of the Word; as I am busy with the little children I look up to God as my Father and pray for the spirit of adoption, that I may be His obedient child - and so on all day. Everything I do furnishes me with a thought of prayer" Watch ye and pray always (Luke 21:36)

Recently, there are some problems in my home. I realised that unforgiveness can do much hurt to a person. Unknowingly the person was locked in his/her own anger, bitterness, resentment that would imprisoned him/her. Forgiveness does not come easy especially when we are hurt by our loved ones. However, the Bible instructs us to forgive as the Lord forgave us. In Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. We forgive by faith out of obedience based on the word of God i.e. trusting God to do the work in us that needs to be done so that forgiveness will be complete. God honours our commitment to obey Him and our desire to please him when we choose to forgive. The following verse is always an encouragement. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for

I decided to keep a separate account, a personal written record of my spiritual experiences, observations on a regular basis after reading the book by Elizabeth Alves. In the past, I received some impressions while doing certain tasks or while praying but during that moments, these impressions do not make sense or I cannot fully understand what the Lord is saying. As I do not commit them in writing, I forgot about them and only a fragment of it remains. Elizabeth Alves mentioned that journaling is one of the most important disciplines of a Christian's life. Journaling always begin with the date of entry. As times goes by, you may forget when certain events happened. But your journal will help you to trace patterns that have occurred around different circumstances in your life. Whenever God gives you something, write it down, record impressions, words or Scriptures you receive during your prayer time. We should also record not only what we have seen and heard, but also our own

Proverbs 4:12 A father and his son were camped in a wooded area a little way from the nearest village. The father had a letter which needed mailing and asked his son to take it to the post office in the village. The father took his son to the edge of camp and showed him the trail which led to the village. "But Father," said the little boy,"I don't see how that path will ever reach town." The father took his hand in his and pointed explaining,"See down the trail to that big tree where the trail seems to come to an end?" "Oh, yes, sir, I see that the path goes that far, but the village is not there!" "Well, when you get to that big tree, you will see further on around the bend and down the trail. Just go to the tree and then follow the trail until you come to the next corner, then look ahead follow it some more until you see some houses. When you come to the houses, you will see the post office. There you can mail my letter!" T

In the book "Becoming a prayer warrior" By Elizabeth Alves, I began to see that God is seeking for people, intercessors to plead for His perfect will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. (Isa 43:26). God is sovereign but He chose to work through people and not around them. No wonder, He says, "Truly I say to you, whatever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Matt 18:18. He has limited some of his activities on the earth and will respond only to the prayers of His children. If we want things to happen, we must align ourselves with the purpose and power of God. I understand that the best way is to spend time in His Word, praying over it through faith. God's word reflect God's heart, mind and our prayer will then become God's own Word alive in our mouth. Praying God's Word brings results and answers because God Himself said that His Word will not return to Him empty without acc

Relax! God is in control. How do I know that? Because the Bible tells me so. "The Lord is a mighty God, a mighty king over all the gods, He rules over the whole earth, from the deepest caves to the highest hills. He rules over the sea, which he made; the land also, which he himself formed." Psalm 95 This means that in the end God will get his way. God is often able to bring good out of even the most painful events, and that ultimately his goodness will be victorious over evil.

One does not have to live long before encountering troubles. 'Troubles' may have to do with bodily afflictions, failure or disappointments, or sorrow brought about by death or separation. Some folks seem to think that the best way to deal with trouble is simply to laugh it off. This inadequate advice is so shallow, for the decisive question is not what happens to us, but what happens in us. Self pity and resentment is all wrong and un-Christian. The Christian way is to transform our troubles into triumph. Just as the oyster must put up with the irritable grain of sand and suffer the long process of spinning a gummy substance around the trouble spot to produce a pearl, our suffering can be transformed into a blessing too.

This is a real story. Last Thursday, a few of us paid a visit to one of our friend's mother. She is a 98 years old lady. Although she had a fall, she is still very cheerful. She is a Christian who loves God. I decided to ask this friend more of her mother. How does she become a christian, I wondered? My friend told me that her mother was saved in year 2002. Before she becomes a christian, my friend always make an effort to tell her mum whenever she goes to a church meeting or attend any christian seminar. Initially her mum tells her not to go. But she continues to tell her where she goes and what she enjoys. She did it faithfully, day after day. Soon miracle happens. Her mum became interested to know more about this God the christian believes. Bit by bit her faith increases. Thus do not belittle whenever we share with our friends, relatives and family members. Faith comes from hearing, ie. hearing the word of God. When we are willing to share the gospel with others, mi

A little mother, leading a baby girl about four years of age boarded a street car.... She sat down and took her daughter upon her lap. Beside her sat a woman who held a lovely bouquet of roses; and attracted by the sweet face of the child with the big blue eyes, the woman took one flower from the bouquet and offered it to the little tot. "Here is a rose for you, darling," she said. The child looked strangely at her and then drew back. Puzzled, the woman repeated her offer, and this time touched the child's hand with the petals of the rose. The child seemed frightened, for in confusion she quickly reached up and touched her mother's face to attract her attention. The mother turned to the kindly woman beside her and spoke just four words. Upon her careworn face there was a sweetly sad little smile that told an eloquently tragic tale of a mother heart. "My darling is blind." Blind! Oh yes, physical blindness arouses the emotion of pity in the hearts of all

If not, consider the following verses:- Mark 11:22-26 22And Jesus answering saith unto them, Have faith in God. 23For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. 24Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses. I enjoy that there are 7 keys to answered prayer as revealed in the above portion:- 1) Faith in God 2) Hearing from Jesus 3) Exercising faith 4) Do not doubt 5) Believe in what you say will come to pass 6) Expect to receive 7) Remove hindrances I need to

Hebrews 12:1-3 1. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Today, our brother shared that all christians are put into a race. This is not a competitive race but a race of endurance. We need to run with perseverance. We need to fix our eyes on Jesus so that we will not grow weary and lose heart. Sometimes, if we look at our conditions, our situation, it is easy to lose heart. However, when we focus on Jesus, we are uplifted. Another thing we must learn is to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so ea

Consider these verses:- Ephesian 1: 19 and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power 20 which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. 22 And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. To us who believe, the power that flows through us is the same resurrection power that raised Jesus from the dead.

It is not so hard to give as it is to have to receive. To be obliged to take a gift makes us agree with the words of the Lord Jesus when He said."It is more blessed to give than to receive." Then we see that it is harder to take gracefully the kindness of our friends. But when we must receive, then that is the will of God for us, and just then more beneficial to us than giving. We must be willing, not only to serve, but to be served; not only to bear others' burdens, but to let others bear ours; not only to minister to the sick, but to be simply and thankfully ministered unto; not only give, but to receive. It is sometimes the will of God that we should let others do the will of God, and ourselves be the occasions instead of the authors of kindness. How can there be any giving, any serving, if there be no receiving? Someone must receive if another is to give. We give joy to the giver when we become the grateful receiver. Thus, as paradoxical as it may seem, in receiv

Do you know that you are made in the image of God? In another word, you resemble God! Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all[b] the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” You are formed by God out of the dust of the ground and God breathed into you the breath of life. Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. We are God's wonderful masterpiece. Psalm 139:14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well

I love the story on five loaves and two fish very much: And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food." But Jesus said to them, "They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat." And they said to Him, "We have here only five loaves and two fish ." He said, "Bring them here to Me." Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides wo

Revelations 15:3 Sometimes people wonder why prayers are not answered promptly, or why the reply is not what they expected. The following story will help them to understand. Three large trees in a forest prayed that they might choose what they would be converted into when they were felled. One prayed to be made into a beautiful palace; the second, to be a large ship to sail the seven seas; the third to stay in the forest and always point toward God. One day the woodman came and chopped down the first tree, but instead of a palace, it was made into a common stable, wherein was born the fairest Babe in all creation. The second tree was made into a small ship that was launched on the Sea of Galilee, on the deck of which stood a tall young man who told the multitudes:"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it abundantly." The third tree was made into a cross, and to it men nailed that young man, the loveliest personality that ever walked the earth. Ever s

I am always amazed by the cloud and the fire that guided the Israelites on their journey to the promised land. Numbers 9:15-23 15. On the day the tabernacle, the Tent of the Testimony, was set up, the cloud covered it. From evening till morning the cloud above the tabernacle looked like fire. 16. That is how it continued to be; the cloud covered it, and at night it looked like fire. 17. Whenever the cloud lifted from above the Tent, the Israelites set out; wherever the cloud settled, the Israelites encamped. 18. At the LORD's command the Israelites set out, and at his command they encamped. As long as the cloud stayed over the tabernacle, they remained in camp. 19. When the cloud remained over the tabernacle a long time, the Israelites obeyed the LORD's order and did not set out. 20. Sometimes the cloud was over the tabernacle only a few days; at the LORD's command they would encamp, and then at his command they would set out. 21. Sometimes the cloud stayed only from evenin

If a man has religion, he must give it away. It is to be shared. Have you ever wondered what would happen to the Gospel of Christ if one generation failed to pass it on? Someone once told this story of Jesus: When He had finished His work here on earth, He was met by the angel Gabriel. Gabriel asked, "Have you seen to it that you left an organized group down on earth to carry on your work? Are you sure that there are some who will be diligent and faithful?" Jesus answered Gabriel, "I have left word with Peter, James and John, and Mary and Martha. They are dependable. They will tell others and make my Word known to men. The work will go on." Gabriel, though an angel, knew the frailties of human nature. He pursued the issue further, "What if they forget? You should have made other plans?" Jesus quietly replied , with a look of confidence on His face, "I made no plans. I am counting on them."

I was considering the prayers made by the Pharisee and another one made by a tax collector. Prayer by a Pharisee 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. Prayer by a tax collector Luke 18:13 "But the tax collector stood at a distance and dared not even lift his eyes to heaven as he prayed. Instead, he beat his chest in sorrow, saying, 'O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner.' What did Jesus said of the prayer made by these two men? Luke 18:14"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Reflection : It is only when we become aware of God in His holiness, then will we become aware of our personal sin like the tax collector.

Sometimes, in life, you find that there is only one way that leads to a particular destination. Taking a wrong way will not lead you there. There are times when you encounter a kind soul that direct you back to the right path and finally you reach your destination. However, sometimes, we may not have a second chance. In the past, when people preach the gospel to me, I always told them that religion teaches people to do good. As long as I do good, I don’t need to believe in a God. But thank God, I still receive a second chance. Many people know that God is love but not many know that God is holy and righteous. Being a holy God, he cannot tolerates sin and being righteous, the wages of sin is death. The soul that sinned, he must die. But God is love. How to satisfy His righteousness and holiness? His holiness and righteousness cannot allow him to close one eye and ignore our sins. The Bible states clearly that without shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. (Hebrews 9:

John 6:37 "I will never drive away anyone who comes to Me." Reflections:These words should inspire faith and hope. Our Lord asks for nothing extraordinary - only that I go to Him. This means that I must choose Him above all else - that I must with a sincere and honest intention take the road which leads to Him. Then, in His grace, He will welcome me - even if I should come to Him as a sinner, like the prodigal son. Prayer : My Saviour, how good You are! Do not be far from me, but grant that some day I may reach the happiness of my supernatural destiny and hear You say "Well done, good and faithful servant. Amen

Just read a book on the Bible Cure for Heart Disease by Don Colbert, M.D. and would like to share how you can improve your heart condition by making changes to your diet. First, you can make an effort to decrease or avoid fried foods, red meats, hot dogs and other cured meats. Also reduce the intake of eggs, high fat diary products, butter, cream, lard and other saturated fats. Finally, cut back and then eliminate high-sugar foods, including ice-cream, pies, cakes, cookies, candies, white bread, processed foods, refined cereals, chips and other chip-like snack foods, salty foods and soft drinks. Sometimes, we begin to ask, then what do I eat? There are all kinds of wonderful things to add to your diet in the process! Eat primarily fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Also enjoy lean meats such as chicken breast, turkey breast and fish (but remember to peel the skins off the chicken and turkey). Using extra-virgin olive oil or canola oil instead of other vegetable oils also benefits

Believing in the Lord Jesus is a personal relationship. It is not a religion. Day by day I am learning to experience this great relationship. When I invite Him into my daily lives, I experience His peace and have a growing understanding of how to live according to His plan. Jeremiah 29 :11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Through His death and resurrection, He has become the indwelling Spirit and by obeying Him, we are transformed by Him into people who manifest love and care. You can invite Him into every place you go - your shop, business, school and ask Him to be a part of every encounter and relationship. When I walk with Him everyday, I also find that my life become more organized. He will teach me how to tackle a problem and also bring people to help me accomplish what He has asked me to do.

Hi dear friends, to hear God's voice, we must always be humble and always be ready to hear from Him in whatever way He chooses to speak. In his book "Speak Lord, I'm listening" by Larry Kreider, he listed at least 50 ways! Learning to discern God's voice takes effort on our part. The Lord wants us to take the time to listen as we open our hearts to hear. He wants us to become increasingly familiar with His voice as our relationship deepens with Him. The more often we meet with God in prayer and talk to Him, the clearer His voice becomes. The Bible instructs us to make a concerted effort to meet with the Lord, thereby placing ourselves in a position to hear from Him. (Jeremiah 29:12-13). God wants us to acknowledge Him in our life. If we acknowledge a friend, we talk to Him, express our appreciation for Him and recognise His presence in our life. Imagine your friends not acknowledging your presence when you are together. You try to talk to them, but they comp

Last Friday, there were some questions raised in our home meeting. Do we need to confess our sins before God since God has already forgiven all our sins: our past sins, present sins and future sins? In 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." We still need to confess our sins when the Holy Spirit convicts us so that our fellowship with God is being restored. A brother gave a illustration on the above on a Sunday’s meeting. There was a small girl who stole some foods from the kitchen’s table while her mother was not at home. She carefully wiped her mouth and also the table. She was very confident that her mum would not find out about it. “Hello, sweet heart, mum is back” cried out mummy. The small girl did not feel the same as before. Usually she would run to the mum and gave her a big hug. She was guilty because she knew she had done something wrong. She decided to confess the

Hi dear friends, I have read this story many times. Each time I am still touched and amazed by it. Thus I would love to share it with you. A frail black woman about seventy years old stands in the courtroom and listens to the confessions offered by Mr. Van der Broek, the white policeman who had brutally murdered her husband and son. The judge asks her,"How do you want justice be done to this man who has destroyed your family?" "I want three things," begins the old woman. "First, I want to give my family a decent burial." She paused, then continued,"My husband and son were my only family. I want secondly, therefore, for Mr Van der Broek to become my son. I would like for him to come twice a month to the ghetto and spend a day with me so that I can pour out on him whatever love I still have remaining in me." She also stated that she wanted a third thing. "This is also the wish of my husband. And so, I would kindly ask someone to come to

Just learnt something from this book by Don Colbert, M.D. I think I better switch to whole wheat bread esp. after considering points 4 to 6. 1. The processing of whole grains of wheat to white flour takes approximately 20 steps. 2. During this process, both the bran and the germ have been removed, along with approximately 80% of the wheat's nutrients. 3. Refined white flour is pure endosperm or starch. The endosperm has far lower B vitamin and mineral content than the germ and bran and also significantly less fiber. 4. Furthermore the milling process involves such high temperatures that the remaining grain is damaged by oxidation. 5. At the end of the refining process, the flour has a grayish appearance from the oxidation. To solve this, a chemical agent such as chorine dioxide, acetone peroxide or benzoyl peroxide is used to bleach the flour to make it white. This bleaching process destroys even more of the few vitamins that remain. 6. In addition, the bleaches can re

I enjoy the Book on "Coffee Break with God." Sometimes I got carried away trying to clear all the "to-do" list. At the end of the day, I felt that I am not only physically drained up but spiritually dead. I need to remind myself that unless I pay careful attention, my perception can be distorted and even my responses to others can become negative. I need constant restoration and a good practice to take a short break now and then during the day. One of my church brother always practise praising and singing to God even while working. By doing so, it always keep him refresh before God and kind and gentle towards people