The Discipline of Study

Took down this sermon notes from Pastor Alvin last sermon at TSS on saturday,,,

Taken from Richard Foster, "Celebration of Discipline"

1) Repetition

2) Concentration

3) Comprehension

"We need to pray and think & meditate until God reveals the meaning of the passage to us"

4) Reflection

"Study demands humility, submit to the system..."

"When we are mastered by the Word of God, we are mastered by the God of the word."

"When you study the bible, you will get to meet the God of the Bible."

John 6:63

New International Version (NIV)

⁶³ The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit^[a] and life.

Hebrews 4:12

New International Version (NIV)

¹² For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Nice Weekend! =)

Saturday

Its been a good weekend, YM Mission Training in afternoon, a friend who I invited to church came back to TSS again and had a good time with some of the guys from my small grp at food for thought. Followed by a second impromptu reunion gathering with some old coursemates whom l remember the last time meeting them on new year eve last yr.

But I would say what really made my Saturday was hearing the really powerful testimony of God's grace to my friend. The last time I brought him to church couple weeks ago, he shared how the sermon on prayer led him to actually start praying. And 5 days of persistence prayer of his direction in life, & reading a book which i past to him on that "Spirit-filled life", actually led to God actually answering his prayers in quite a dramatic way. And this really affirms me again that God would answer anyone who truly seeks him. =)

Fellowship Sunday

Spend the day with my beloved sec 3 small grp, G.E.L's! Where we went ice skating after many years of actually suggesting this activity! Wells although we got bored after going round & round awhile, we actually had a good time seeing the grp bonding with each other! =) So proud at them of how they grew up so much ever since I got to know this kids when they were just P6 transiting into YM.

Inspiring Stories of God's grace!

Came across this couple of inspiring videos of Heaven & God's grace!

A boy who saw Heaven! Really makes one look forward to heaven! =)

This video actually reminded me of what happen to my friend which I posted in the last post! A simple prayer led to his recovery from a coma!

Almost an answered prayer after 5 years...

5 years ago...

I remember sharing & talking abt God with a good friend of mine on the bus on the way back from sch...After we graduated,we left our separate ways and was both very busy in the army. We rarely had the chance to meet up again there after. Until one very day, heard something life threatening happened in his life and found out that someone actually prayed for him in his coma & he actually recovered immediately. After that day, had small chance to talk to him abt God again, and this time it was somehow easier than before.

Suddenly out of the blue recently, I randomly felt a prompting to just invite him for a normal Saturday Service at my church, and he actually surprising agreed to come after many rejections in the past.

That very day when he came, he actually met other Christian friends of mine and we had long deep chats abt God again. He was someone who reads the bible almost every alternate days and hear to podcast sermons after that very life changing incident in his life, yet has yet to receive Jesus personally in his life. But somehow as I talk to him, I sense deeply that the Holy Spirit was actually slowly moving in his heart. He even told me how he didn't know what prompted in his heart to agree to come that day. I believe that as he seeks for this answer of "lifetime passion"... God is slowly revealing Himself to him too! And I really pray that his eyes will be open to see this awesome God in His life! As that will be the answer to that missing thing in his life!

Amazingly, as I invited him again just yesterday. He agreed to come to church again! Wells if this friend of mine is reading this now, I really believe that everything that happen in your life thus far are the circumstances that God has led you too till today. And I wait in Joy for the day you receive Jesus personally in your life as that will give you the greatest deepest passion you have ever ask for! =)

PASSED My Driving Test!

Really want to thank everyone for praying for my driving test today! And I really owe it all to the Lord, as I was constantly praying even during the actual test for His guidance & grace committing the whole test in his hands. And as I looked back God's favour certainly has been there for me. As I realised that during my revision yesterday & warm up & test today, for a total of 4 times we went to the exact same test routel! And even the my tester was really kind as he guided me and even allowed me to keep to the right lane instead of the usual left than right after the U-turn. I certainly can testify to say from this promise from God...

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3" .

In the end made 12 demerit points, all from minor mistakes of driving too slowly & cautiously on the public road. But i'm contented with that! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! =)

God is the Foundation!

Psalm 127:1 “Unless the LORD builts the house, the builders labour in vain.”

1 Corinthians 3:1-17

1)The Partnership of Work(with God)

(v.5-9) God calls us to work alongside Him (its not base on different personalities working alongside each, ITS ALL GOD WORKING,ALL work, starts and ends with God)

"...I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building... "

2) Foundation of Work

(v.10-15) HAS TO BE CHRIST ALONE (ministry cannot be of any self desires at all)

God will test our work we done for Him through "fire" , to see the quality of man's work (e.g, if is the ministry base on self? Or God?

"...By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ..."

3) The Goal of work is PEOPLE (V.16-17) Refer to (v.9) again, the Holy Spirit is working in all of us! He lives in us! Thus God is working thru people...

"...Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple..."

Reflection...Is the ministry we serve in (base on any self desires at all? Or is it ALL GOD alone!)

JESUS MUST BE THE CENTRE FOCUS!!!! ITS A MUST!!!!! Only then the Holy Spirit can work through the ministry and THE LORD's WILL....WILL BE DONE in the ministry and the PEOPLE!

A 11 km run past my old schools!

The past couple weeks, been trying to get back my running routine especially as the Army Half Marathon starts on 4 September...Thus far did 5km , 8km & 11 km the past 3 thursdays during my OFF day. With static exercises at the end of each run...

So this was my last running route... ran round my former school St.Gabriels Sec, thru Wolskel road, run pass my former primary sch, Sec Gabs Primary,followed by Australian International, and then towards the Bidadari Park in woodleigh which was a former cemetery.

My former secondary school...
'
(Was amazed to see former sch St.Gabriel's sec finally having a nice proper syntactic soccer field just now! Finally after 8 yearsss! I still remember the days when we had to outsource all kind of field just to train! From sloping fields to fields with holes & even use paid fields!)

Past my primary school....

(St.Gabriels Primary sure has change alot since I spend 6 yrs of my life here)

(The top of the hill of the Bidadari Park in woodleigh where I do my static exercises after the loooooooong runs and just enjoy the cool breeze & solitude time with God)