Praying in co-operation with God

Sunday Mornings duty in camp has always been a time for me to intentionally be alone with God, although I would have definitely prefer to be in church to meet my youths, small grp members and fellow ymers i guess sometimes one need to be put in a situation where you are in Solitude.

God certainly has been teaching me and revealing quite a bit to me in the last couple days, as i started this long weekend since thursday morning (Battalion OFF on thurs & Friday) to start a simple spiritual journal in an old exercise book, And in just 4 days it has reached 14 page long already!

Below is extracted from my devotion today from EVERYDAY WITH JESUS , by Selwyn Hughes which i wrote in my spiritual journal.

"Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. "Mark 11:24 (NIV)

Prayer is co-operation with god. Consider what is meant by this phrase co-operation with God. It is an exercise that links our faculties with our Maker to work out the intentions He had in mind in their creation.

Prayer isn't bending God's will to ours, But bending our will to His. We work out the Purposes which God has worked out for us.

A man sat and listened to an organist playing a beautiful melody. He said that, behind the organ, he could see a man striking upon bells the same notes the organ was playing. So in addition to the tones of the organ were the tones of the chimes, forming a beautiful accompaniment. Prayer is like that- it means we are striking the same notes as God. We thus becomes a part of a universal harmony- the music of the spheres. Our little notes are caught up and universalized.

Prayer puts us in tune with the infinite and then the infinite power works through our finiteness. Milton summed it up when he said, "By small accomplishing Great Things"

It all starts with a Mustard Seed!

Just had an amazing personal bible study on 2 parables from the gospel of Mark. Will be sharing first from the Parable of the Mustard Seed...

Extracted from http://www.ccel.org/contrib/exec_outlines/mark/mk4_30.htm

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

30 Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”Mark 4:30-32 (New International Version, ©2010)

THE MUSTARD SEED

A. THE PLANT ITSELF...

1. The mustard plant is well known for its hot-flavored seeds

2. Among seeds sown in a garden it was generally the smallest

3. As a plant, it reaches ten, sometimes fifteen feet in height

B. PROVERBIAL USES OF THE MUSTARD SEED...

1. The mustard seed was used frequently to describe anything that is small in its beginning

2. Jesus used it on another occasion to describe one's faith - cf.Mt 17:20

II. THE MEANING OF THE PARABLE

A. THE KINGDOM OF GOD WOULD HAVE A SMALL BEGINNING...

1. Old Testament prophecy foretold this:

a. Concerning the Messiah - cf. Isa 11:1; 53:2-3

b. Concerning the kingdom - cf. Dan 2:35,44 (starting out as a stone, becoming a great mountain)

2. Consider this description of the beginning: "The Son of Man grew up in a despised province; he did not appear in public until his thirtieth year; then taught for two or three years in neighboring villages, and occasionally at Jerusalem; made a few converts, chiefly among the poor and unlearned; and then falling into the hands of his enemies, died the shameful death of the cross; such, and so slight, was the commencement of the universal kingdom of God."

B. ITS TREMENDOUS GROWTH WOULD BELIE ITS HUMBLE BEGINNINGS...

1. Just as the "small stone" of Dan 2:35 "became a great mountain and filled the whole earth"

2. The growth of the church in the 1st A.D. certainly confirmed the truth of Jesus' parable

a. The 120 disciples grew to over 3000 just in one day - Ac 2:41-42

b. It was soon about 5000 - Ac 4:4

c. The number of the disciples continued to "multiply"

1) In Jerusalem - Ac 6:7

2) Throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria - Ac 9:31

3. Today, we see the growth and influence of the kingdom in lives of believers worldwide!

III. THE GROWTH OF THE KINGDOM TODAY

A. THERE IS THE MATHEMATICAL POSSIBILITY...

1. Beginning with just twenty disciples, each converting just one person a year, and their converts doing the same...

2. ...the growth would be like a mustard seed!

a. End of year 1 - 40

b. End of year 5 - 640

c. End of year 10 - 20,480

d. End of year 15 - 655,360

e. End of year 20 - 20,971,520

f. End of year 25 - 1,342,177,280

-- All it takes is for each person to bring one soul to Christ each and every year!

B. THERE IS CERTAINLY THE SPIRITUAL POSSIBILITY...

1. We have the same seed of the kingdom, the Word of God!

a. Which is incorruptible, that lives and abides forever - 1Peter 1:23-25

b. Capable of producing what God intends - cf. Isa 55:10-11

2. While the parable of "The Four Soils" reminds us that not all will accept the Word of God, this parable declares that the kingdom will grow!

-- Do we believe in the power of the Word of God?

C. WHAT IS NEEDED IS PEOPLE...

1. People with vision

a. Who have the vision of Christ, as expressed in His parables

b. Who look not at an apple and count the seeds, but looks at a seed and counts the apples (with their many seeds)!

c. Who look at converting and developing disciples in the same

way

2. People willing to put the kingdom first in their lives

a. The seed of the gospel will produce fruit, but only if it falls on good soil

b. If we allow...

1) The cares of this world

2) The deceitfulness of riches

3) The pleasures of life

...to "choke" us, we cannot bear good fruit

c. Therefore we need to put the kingdom of God first - cf. Mt 6:33

3. People willing to abide in Christ

a. For apart from Christ they can do nothing - Jn 15:4-5

b. For only they are able to bear "much fruit" - Jn 15:5

c. And only they will be able to glorify God and be His true

disciples - Jn 15:8

Are we willing to be such people?

CONCLUSION

1. The potential for the kingdom's amazing growth rests in the Person

who reigns as its King...

Graduation from 81st CTC!

After 5 weeks of intensive map planning,leaders challenges and the many tests that we went thru including this 7hr loooong test! I can say that i have certainly enjoyed this 81st Company Tactics Course(CTC), and ready to take on an OC appointment when im back as an NS men.

I want to say a special thanks to all my syndicate 4 mates from 81st CTC,
Wenyao Huang (You have seriously been an awesomely nice Leader whose always so jovial =) ,
Andrew Crowman (Hahha! You sure are The "Auntie killer")
Lim Hao Wen (awesome buddy! Will definitely miss the chats with you in our room!)
Daniel Sim(Your definitely our "Super Smart NSF")
Teck Kian(And your the "Super ONs NSF")
Darren Tan (Thanks for the awesome welfare you gave all of us! =D will MISS the UNION times! )
Joachim Chen (Thanks for sending me home a couple of times! =) )
Jason Tan (I will always remember the "godfather" we had)
Guo Xiaohui (Our very own Basketball star!!!)
Rashik (Our "war-hero", will miss all your jokes man! You definitely liven the mood of our syndicate! )

You guys really made this course so enjoyable! Will miss you guys man! Lastly, all the best for the rest at AIOC! =)

Of course if the fun times with my other bunk neighbours at Blk 64, to the other NSFs for the many dinner & movie outings we had at JP, and of course to the others i got to meet in this course! =)


(My course certificate and the nice 81st CTC photo!)

Imagine if we have the mindset of the early church

Just started the BOOK of ACTS with my Sec 3 youths, and is still pretty amazed at how they use to have this strong FELLOWSHIP among the believers, where they were of "ONE HEART & ONE MIND" and were "GOD-CENTERED". Imagine if wad happen in the early church Is happening now? Won't we turn the world upside down too?

Extract from an article… (http://www.thy-way.org/Sermons/Being_Kingdom_Minded.html)

Jesus gave His disciples a commission (Matthew 28), and that commission is for us as well. Our purpose should be sharing the gospel with those around us, live a godly life before others (Matthew 5:16) says “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”; remember we are told to be salt and light. We are to work for the kingdom of God and for the betterment of mankind. Leading people to the God adds to the kingdom and causes men to be saved. The early church had this mind set, and they turned their world upside down.

⁸ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The Journey ahead for 2011!

The day i found out that i was going to be this year YM camp commandant, the more it hit me to intentionally deepened my personal relationship with God. I guess its a responsibility where I personally believe your spiritual walk with the Lord would definitely make an impact to the committee and how the camp would actually turn out. And this was when God reminded me to really surrender everything to Him again and to really consciously make the effort to pursue that Holy life for Him each and everyday.

God reminded me to re-look into the vision that He has impressed on my heart so strongly once in my initial seeking of my Calling in life, dated back on 7 October 2008 at a Campus Crusade World wide day of prayer meeting. This was what was He impressed on my heart on that very day, “To reach out to the world, by starting with equipping the people in the church to prepare them for outreach to the World.”

The more i thought about it, the more I believed of the vision which I caught from the Great Commission during my campus crusade days. Being involved in a para church for those 4 years has definitely widen my perspective in how we should lead our Christian life. Somehow all this convictions has been deepening, and crystallized even more in recent days when i talk to people about the vision that God has place in my heart for this year camp.

Looking back at just the past week, I'm really thankful that God has led me to a like-minded assistant camp commandant of which the providential events that God has created has somehow made everything fall into place so nicely! And we are just so excited to take the next step into finalizing our camp comm and find the right speaker that has the same convictions as us!

Below is an extract from an article which I came across which i really believe in...

Jesus gave His disciples a commission (Matthew 28), and that commission is for us as well. Our purpose should be sharing the gospel with those around us, live a godly life before others (Matthew 5:16) says “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”; remember we are told to be salt and light. We are to work for the kingdom of God and for the betterment of mankind. Leading people to the God adds to the kingdom and causes men to be saved. The early church had this mind set, and they turned their world upside down.

Colossians 1:13 tells us that “God has delivered us from the power of darkness,and has translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son”. Jesus is the King of kings, and we are the king that He is king of. He is our King.

"THINK GLOBALLY, BUT ACT LOCALLY."... i believe that's what being "Kingdom Minded" is...

Fellowship Sunday & week 3-4 of CTC!

The last 2 weeks sure was pretty intense as usual in my current course... Although had a nice couple of good breaks at night to catch GREEN HORNET with most of the NSFs on thurs and caught SHAOLIN after our last written test last night!

Besides the looong hrs we spend doing our assignments, tuturiols and tests.. overall i certainly enjoyed the company with syndicate 4! =)

CTC aside, the weekend was sure quite purposeful, had a nice long chat with dennis on saturday afternoon and check out the covenant evangelical free church with wanlin and sarah to hear their youth pastor preaching! Sunday basically had a nice time with my youth small grp, GEL at robin hse! And than once i reach home was studyyyy all the way for my last 2 written tests!

GEL FELLOWSHIP SUNDAY@ Robin's hse!

The huge pizza we ate for lunch!

(Some of the group games we played there!)

My lovely grp Syndicate 4!

(SYNDICATE 4!)

(CNY celebrations!)