O ye of little faith

Its nice when I'm proved wrong.

Student welcome planning
- We'll plan for 80 newcomers shall we? Fine.

- rush rush rush. Pray. rush rush rush. Pray. rush rush rush rush rus- Nearly forgot to pray.

- Will people come?

- You know, I don't think people will come.

- What if there are more people on stage than off it?

- We'll continue anyway. Even if one person comes, it's worth it. Really?

- I'm in charge. Have to stay focussed. Have to believe. Not in myself.

- But what if..

Student welcome night

- Last minute rush. Hook up laptops, projector, sound test. Peek out. Awed.

- Thank you God.

- Suddenly everything falls into place. Kind of. Its enough. I stand corrected.

Again.


"Take in with all Christians the extravagant dimensions of Christ's love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test it's length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the lengths! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God."
Eph 3:18-19(Message)

Voice of truth!!!!

Casting crown – Voice of truth

Oh,what I would do
To have the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win, you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win, you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

but the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says “do not be afraid”
And the voice of truth says “this is for my glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)I
will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe the voice of truth
I will listen and believe 'Causes Jesus You are the voice of truth
And I will listen to You.. oh You........


What an amazing song! Was really blessed by the lyrics of the song. In the midst of going through my Neurology block in Austin hospital, I felt overwhelming at times, especially when I am not familiar with this complex part of our body system & having all the consultants constantly bombarding me with thousands upon thousands of information and people around you answering the questions confidently & as for me; remaining at my spot, quiet, confused most of the times, trying my very best to understand their explanations, & crying out to God most of the time for His grace!

It’s not like I have a breakdown or something, or overly stressed or immensely pressurized, but it’s just tough walking through clinical years alone without experiencing His presence uplifting me every moment. But I remembered God assured me one day, telling me that I’ll be alright! That He is always in control of my situation, that I could trust in Him & His plans for me in future is to prosper me!

Exo1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. During the times when the Israelites were oppressed by the Egyptian king, it grew even more. God is telling me to apply this to my condition. The more I feel oppressed, burdened by my studies, the more I will grow, learn more & get better! Was reminded of these verses,

psa4:8 I will lie down & sleep in peace, for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Phil4:6-7Do not be anxious in anything, but in everything by prayer & petition present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your heart & your mind in Christ Jesus.

Psa55:16But I call to God, & the Lord saves me. Evening, morning & noon I cry out in distress, & He hears my voice.
Psa55:22Cast your cares on the Lord & He will sustain you, He will never let the righteous fall.

Psa56:3-4 3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?

I really thank Him for the love & the promises He made with me. This week, although workload continues to increase, His peace remains in me. His confidence assures me that “It’ll be alright”. I should not listen to the voice of my flesh, but focus & substitute it with the voice of truth! The voice that constantly says “Don’t worry”. The words of “Yes” & “Amen”. Like Peter, I should keep my eyes fixed on Jesus. Then my life will be like a journey of “walking above the water”. Filled with miracles & the impossibles! Filled with perfect love!!!

All is well.

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;" Ps 103:11

This came to me for some reason as I was praying for our uni student welcome this friday. It's an amazing promise, though I think the reason I remembered it was cos it was a rather catchy song we used to sing back in youth group in Sitiawan.

As I look at the words, the words 'high', and 'fear' jump out.

'High' in that sentence is a pretty big word. Just as there are no ways to measure the distance btw heaven and earth (and its interesting that heaven can be considered a state rather than a specific destination, while the earth is a specific destination, implying that the distance btw them involves crossing different dimensions), similarly God's love for us is immeasurable. In a time when people try to define things by quantifiable means, this is mind-blowing. No limits, no boundaries, nothing we can do can set us out of reach of his love. (Notice, though, that while we are always within reach of his love, allowing it into our lives is another story, and something that we can choose NOT to do.)

'Fear'. What a weird way to end a perfectly nice sentence. Is God saying that those who love him the most, also fear him? That there can not be perfect love without fear? I believe he is. A brief exposition, if I may: 'Fear' in God's context denotes more than an emotion. I attended a study where fear in this context was explained as follows: 'The fear of the Lord demands our respect, awe, desire to please, and dread of judgement.' God loves such people. And though we may not embody all those 4 principles of fear at all times in our lives, God understands, for the verse continues:

"as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us." Ps 103:12

It gets even better when we remember that the writer of the Psalms was David, also known as the adulterous king. He knew, more than anyone, the love of a God who redeemed and forgave.

desperation

As I read through Matthew in search of a message to share on God's love, I came across the story of the woman who had uncontrollable bleeding for twelve years (I'm guessing Von Willebrands disease or she has endometriosis... haha), and out of her desperation, her belief for a cure, she WAS cured.

Using the version from Mark 5:24-34

24 ...A large crowd followed and pressed around him. 25And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. 26She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. 27When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28because she thought, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be healed." 29Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.

30At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

31"You see the people crowding against you," his disciples answered, "and yet you can ask, 'Who touched me?' "

32But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering."

I could only imagine that she was weakened from all the bleeding, probably too frail and tired to walk upright, and probably had to crawl to where Jesus was. The desperation was enough that she did what she did, just to touch Jesus' cloak.

Just a touch. Not even to ask if she would be healed. She didn't even know if she would be healed. Like us, we all hear stories about certain things, and yet we still don't believe! I am amazed with this woman, who pursued something that could be nothing, but with the little strength she could muster, she pull herself towards Jesus.

Have we forgotten what it is to be in desperation for God and His touch? Do we merely wait in hopelessness, and forget to chase after His healing? Are we no longer in faith, knowing what Christ has done before in our own lives, but each time, fearful that He may no longer want to hear the requests we present to Him?

Even so, even if we have forgotten how it all works, I believe even if we are desperate enough to cry out for His love, His healing, it will come. But please, separate this from the "I don't know if He will hear me, or I'm uncertain if it will happen," but just come in desperation, and not in doubt, for it says in Luke 11:5-12

5Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

7"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness^[e] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

9"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

11"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

ASK! BELIEVE!

u are forgiven.

In regards to Bern's post the previous, here's my other response as I was thinking about some other things today:

This passage talks about a woman who was caught in adultery, and well,.... I'll just let you guys read.

John 8:1-11
1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3-6The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.

6-8Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.

9-10Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"

11"No one, Master."

"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

You know, many of times, we really can't be convinced that we are forgiven.
Many of times, we can't come to God because we feel that we are far from God, and we can't come to Him unless we've done maybe a dozen good deeds. Or we've stopped sinning for a good 2 weeks. I'm sure you all understand where I'm coming from.

I am encouraged to know, that God really is not a judge on a high chair, looking down at you, at your every mistake and writing it down. I believe He sits at the edge of the chair, worrying that we might do something wrong, and that it will subsequently hurt us.

"Neither do I," said Jesus.
"Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."

Wavering

hey um,

is anyone having problem believing this? God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did... And (Abraham) not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah's womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. Rom 4

blatantly phrased: i sometimes look at my own body and past, and find it hard to believe that God has the power to restore my weakness and lack. what makes it harder is that i am unsure if He has promised anything personal and specific to me a.k.a. what's ze promise?

trust

Originally, a post from my blog:

The recurring theme this time round as I prepare for my exams (this Thurs), is really the issue of trust. Just looking at my preparation up to this point, I feel is inadequate, for whatever reason, I am uncertain. It's been really hard for my to sit and face God, as I feel that I have not done sufficiently in what I'm supposed to do.

But since when has it been about what I do anyway?

On Saturday, we sang the song that basically to me, talks about trusting God's name. There is no other name.

The week prior, I read Luke 11, it talks about asking, and Jesus gave the example of asking from a friend in the middle of the night, and how it would be given to the person not out of friendship but out of his tenacity.

Today, as I read Isaiah 30, there were a few key reminders as to who I'm supposed to trust.
Observe closely. ;)

From verse 15 onwards:
15 This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says:
"In repentance and rest is you salvation, in quietness and trust is you strength, but you would have none of it.
16 You said, ' No, we will flee on horses.'
Therefore you will flee!
You said, 'We will ride off on swift horses.'
Therefore your pursuers will be swift.
...
18 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!

19 People of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help! As soon as he hears, he will answer you.

So, who is it that I trust? It's easy to prepare oneself to go into battle, having the best horses to ride you in battle, with the best weapons and best armor, the biggest number between the two sides, but does that necessarily equate victory?

Also, read psalms 20:7 and Luke 11:5-13.