For survival, man often do things to his advantage and often times will compromise on the interests and needs of others. When Christians compromise, they will not be winning souls. Rather, they will lose sight of the true essence of what being a Christian means to them. Through prayer, man can overcome these challenges for survival. The right choices in life are often due to conviction - biblical conviction to be more exact.
The fear of God is biblical conviction. Proverbs 18:26 says " He who fears the Lord has a secure fortress and for his children it will be a refuge." The fear of God is very much different from our worldly fear of poverty, hunger, gore and maybe even death. The fear of God is placing a high regard for God because for everything thing that you do, every decision that you make, you must seek God first. Proverbs 9:10 says "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."
What is biblical conviction?
1. Fear God or Man
There are many opportunities in our every day lives for us to make a stand for God. What we feel that Man may condemn and avoid but yet is what God that instructs us to do is a classic example of such everyday opportunities.
Suggested Scripture reading: Exodus 1:15-21
2. To think of oneself, God or Man.
God has a purpose to bless his people. When we pay our tithes, we are only repaying to God what God has blessed us through the church. It is through the church where we receive our spiritual blessings and hence our tithes ought and should go to our church. When we give, God will bless.
Suggested Scripture reading: Esther 4:13-16; 1Kings 17:7-24 i.e. Widow of Zarephath
3. Trust God or oneself in dealing with unreasonable and unappeasable enemies.
Gorilla, my current bosses in my current unit... Prayer does wonders.
God spoke to me in church today... Trust in me as I will show you the way. Cast all your worries and fears onto me just as I have told you before. I will be with you.
Suggested Scripture reading
1. 1Kings 18:3-4
2. 1Timothy 4:1-5
3. 2Timothy 3:1-5
Went with Leslie, Raphael and his friend that I didn't catch her name, Henry and Jacob to a Japanese Ramen shop near plaza singapura yesterday. The cold noodles was nice but a little spongy for me. Bought a belt at 77th street at bugis junction after a 'short' walk from the Ramen shop and a stop-over at an art gallery where 2 of Raphael's works were bought by someone at 77 dollars each. Those sketches were the ones he doodled in office and submitted as entry pieces. Abstract art... something that I can never understand. My jeans almost dropped in public...gasps...thankfully for the belt!
Dinner with Andrea was great. She baked cheese cake and chocolate cookies for me. Actually she baked extra and gave some to me. Does she know or she is just waiting for me to ask her. Why the talk about couples in her OG group and relationships to me? Is that a hint?
I am in a dilemma. I have choices to make. How am I to do so without repeating what I did four years ago. Understand where I am coming from please...I am scared...
The Quality of our Faith
Suggested Scripture Reading:
1. Genesis 12
Our faith as Christians speak of the Almighty God. Faith cannot be simply just equivalent to just a mere believe in God. The Bible tells us that it is not enough to just believe in God. James 2:19 says that "You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder."
In the midst of the temptations that we encounter in today's world, the quality of our faith is measured by our faithfulness to God. The refusal to obey God's direction in our lives will eventually lead to a spiritual death.
Genesis 12:1-5 says that
1. Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will she thee:
2. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
4. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram (was) seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
5. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came
The Quality of our faith is measured by our trust in God. At age 75 which was considered middle-age then, God told Abram to move from Haran to Canaan and he will be blessed with a great nation. Despite the uncertainties and worries that shrouded above him, Abram obeyed God's direction in his life. To put it in a practical sense, trusting in God is the only thing in the world with 0% risk.
From Genesis 12:6-8 we see that the quality of our faith is sustained by our communion with God. Prayer and communion with God maintains our faith. Otherwise, our faith is diluted.
From Genesis 13:10-13 we see that the quality of our faith is sustained by our steadfastness in God. If your church is your calling then be steadfast to your church.
From Genesis 14:18-23 we see that the quality of our faith is affected by our convictions. It is not enough to pay homage to righteousness on Sunday and for the rest of the week, our convictions are swallowed up by our compromises. To put it simply, it is not sufficient to praise and worship God on Sundays and ask for God's forgiveness while you sin and turn a blind eye to it from Mondays to Saturdays because you know that there will always be a Sunday for you to turn to God and ask for his forgiveness. Going by this train of thought, wouldn't we have cheapened the sanctity of God's forgiveness for our sins? Wouldn't we have degraded and demeaned the sacrifice from God to let his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins?
The quality of our faith is strengthen by the testing of our faith.
In Hebrews 11:11-12 it speaks of the impossible that God has done for Abram. It is the test of famine and patience. Often times, we expect God to do his wonders instantaneously without ever taking a step back to consider the fact that everything that God will bless us will come in good time and in His time.
In Hebrews 11:17-19, we see the test of sacrifice and obedience. While obedience is considered to be of more importance than sacrifice, but we must admit that sometimes in order to be obedient, we need to make some sacrifices.
In Hebrews 11:8-10 we see that the quality of our faith is founded on the promise of the eternal city. It is because of this promise that we have faith and we hence obey God's commands.
Hebrews 11:1 says that " Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" Without faith, we will never please God. In order to have righteousness, we need acceptance from God. With righteousness, will we then have faith in God.
The call from God may necessarily not be to serve a full-time ministry. It could actually be going into a field where God has plans for you.
I often wonder what are God's plans for me. I have probed and questioned. Yet, God always says in good time it will come. Just have faith in me and trust in me.
This message spoke dearly to me.
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I spent my afternoon getting my UCAS application form in order. I just hope that my two referees will do me this big favour.
Today's Sunday times highlighted on debate coaching. It sort of gave me some flashbacks of when I was a debate coach for PHS's debate team when I was in Year 1 at NJC. The difference was that I was not paid. Not even market rate! It was sort of like a senior helping his fellow juniors and trying his best to take this team to reach a new level and enter a different ball game. At the very least, the team I coached won the 'C' Divison Julia Gabriel Debating Championship. Sometimes I wonder, what would I be if I have continued the debating path? Well...it is no use probing about what's past.
going back to camp with my turtle bag...till later
My Uncle finally fixed up my computer for me yesterday. My iPod really works...basically it was some USB port problem. Computer jargon...ain't my cup of tea. Wouldn't this be ironic since I am a signaller... Well... my new keyboard is kind of cool. There's not only the alphabets but also some chinese characters and believe it or not, japanese characters too!
I woke up from a nightmare. The dream was extremely nonsensical to even begin with but yet it has also been something I feel that ought to be done. Paradoxical.
Woke up late. Arrived extremely late for my dental appointment but my orthodontist understood and sympathised with me. Yet, all he spent on me only amounted to no more than 5 minutes. Just imagining the one plus hour of travelling time coupled with the 30 odd minutes of waiting time...5 minutes...
Raymond and Danny has been bringing me to the gym. Well, gym sessions with them are somewhat interesting. For one, Danny's breathing techniques definitely induces some laughter during gym sessions. Raymond's quite knowledgeable and quite a good trainer also. I have been thinking whether I should invest in protein supplements from GNC especially since I have their membership card. Well I guess you can call it a fair trade since I am helping him to prepare for his 'A' levels. So far, it has been Physics. My most hated subject. Fortunately, I did pretty much well for it.
I may need to shift bunk soon...the third time ever since I have been posted to my unit. Why can't the logistics people plan ahead and reduce all these hassle for us. The army...
I went Sim Lim Square to get a 4-port USB slot. Every floor I went, I encountered a bunch of over zealous and may I add a tat too pushy flier-distributors. Worst, shoppers there actually religiously collected each flier and stood at one corner or against the railing and compared the prices of a certain product against every single flier they had. Prudent shopping I must say...
Been feeling a little sick the entire week. Virus infection or maybe I have just been under the weather...
Till later...
Never do something without planning ahead. My previous email gave me some problems today and after much thought [is 5 minutes considered much...] I decided to change my email address. That's when the problem started. People started asking me who the heck I was and I spent a fraction of the day introducing myself to my friends as though we were on our first day in school. The process was painful and tormenting but it sort of allowed me to get to know some of my friends whom I have not met up with for a long time once again... the irony of things one might say. In order to make everything less painful, I decided to send my friends an email which I hope they read and lets just pray that things will be better tomorrow.
I paid for my breakfast at McDonald and they actually charged me the price of the student meal. The wonders of life...
My mum dragged me to RJC today to listen to Winston Hodge talk about the Raffles Programme. I didn't know what in the world I was doing there as basically I was not even a wee bit interested in his talk about the new JC curriculum. Further Mathematics is no longer an 'A' Level subject... that's so...[can't really express this feeling of anger yet uptightness] No more triple science...the so called perfect combination for medicine has also been squashed. Anyway, my mum was harping about how I should go because after all, I will be working for the ministry in about few years time since as what my mum said " it was Hodge that gave you the scholarship".
I have never since a waiter bow to his customers every time he serves them even if it means refilling a cup of green tea again and again. Edo sushi. Some say that the sushi there are better than Sakae Sushi. Maybe because the rice of each sushi I took stuck to each other. Yet, the rice lacked lustre.
Is gavin chasing after andrea? Is there animosity between me and gavin brewing? Is there... sounds like a typical love drama on Channel 8. I let time do its work and straighten things out and God to do HIS wonders...
Church tomorrow... and thank you Leslie for staying back with me on Friday to accompany me while my dear bosses continued to stay on and work in office...
till later...
Looney Tunes in the morning... the nostalgic remembrance of my days as a kid...
Lunch. My paternal grandparents' place. A somewhat awkward moment considering the company that I was in.
National Day. A dreadful moment to go out as everyone in Singapore will either be in one of those National Day Carnivals situated at the heartland or thronging the roads of orchard. Besides, seeing too much of red and white becomes somewhat of an eye sore after a while.
Fireworks. The awes and woahs from the crowd. Thankfully, I can see the arrays of colours in the sky from my window in my living room. That means I do not need to squeeze and fight my way through other Singaporeans who just refuse to budge. A National Day indeed.
Work. An extremely busy day for me tomorrow. Somewhat like trying to dismantle two atomic bombs within the same day. Arrgh...
USB cable. I need to get a high-power USB 2.0 port. My computer currently has the USB 1.1 port. Incompatible to my ipod mini. My mum actually called the Mac centre at Junction 8 to help me find the solution to my problem. Well, not that I desperately want to use it right away but I do hope to use it as soon as possible.
Physics. Found some of my personal physics notes for Raymond to use for his A'levels. This Raymond is the one who tells me to stuff myself with lots of carbohydrates throughout the day and then go to the gym at night to help me gain some weight. Otherwise I will be freezing to death when I eventually leave Singapore for London hopefully next year.
Wondering. If I chose a pink ipod sock would that make me metrosexual or simply gay? Or, was the salesman hinting at something else...hmm... I chose a blue one...just to be safe...
Till later...
"A blue bag makes my mum look like an auntie." My mum proudly professed to me and my sister when she came home from the market with our breakfast and a green bag. This I know, my mum will be saying for...hmm... a very long time... All of us are guilty of at least one of the three types of lusts mentioned. Pray and in your quiet time, let God heal your soul and purify it.
1. 1 John 2:15-17
Worldliness begins from the heart. It is impossible to serve God and serve the world at the same time. Matthew 6:24 says "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. you cannot serve both God and Money" Loving the world essentially defies the relationship with ought to have with God and will eventually lead to our spiritual destruction.
What are worldly lusts?
1. The lust (desires) of the flesh
2. The lust (desires) of the eyes
3. The pride of life.
Temptation is all around us. Today, the Internet while it may be the quickest way to retrieve information that we need, yet it has also been used as a manipulative tool by the enemy to control our thoughts and dictate the path that we ought to go however much we know the end result of it. The few moments of self-indulgence, while it may be short in its entirety, but the damage it brings about is worth a thought. In James 1:15, it says " Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death'. The battle against such temptations must be won before the imagination of the mind over such temptations take place. In James 4:7, it reads "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." The blood that Jesus Christ has shed for you on the cross is sufficient to redeem us but a deep personal relationship with God holds the answer to God's forgiveness and ultimately decides a repentful heart.
Ways to freedom
1. Come clean, live clean
2. Accept the truth of God's word.
Booking in today... one week without Midget...I see a lot of fun and laughter coming my way...
I woke up feeling all weak and sick. I wasn't in the mood to do anything. I actually slept the whole day.
My mum became a teacher again. She was teaching my uncle's daughter phonics the Montessori way. She is actually quite good at it especially since she actually roped me into one of her lessons last year also... Maybe I will always remain a small boy in her heart...and I think in many other people's eyes too...
Ate a red pill...drowsy...
I missed another Live Run. This is the third month since I have not participated in the Armour HQ's Live Run to prepare us for the Army Half Marathon on the 11th of September. Basically, I think that the next time I will run would be on the AHM itself. Came home and with the Willy Wonka Willy Wonka sang the oompa-loompa way [I think they squeezed their nose and sang this to create that buzzing effect] still stuck in my head, I drifted off somewhere...
Went Delta House [somewhere near Tiong Bahru MRT station] for my course that ate up my whole morning. I almost slept through the course. I remember Delta House. Here's the place with the ancient looking lifts which almost left me trapped inside it on a Friday afternoon. My heart skipped a beat as I entered the lift again.
Raymond was heading to Funan. I went home. Basically, I had to go home, eat my lunch then rush to UOB and get my card linked to my account before 4pm. I did all that, and reached the bank at 3.55pm. There was a queue. A relatively short one though. One of the staff approached me, took my green 11B and told me to sit down on the couch and wait for a while. 10 minutes later, she walked out and told me to use my card after 6pm on the day itself.
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory... 
Watched it at Lido. The movie was great and definitely worth-watching. The oompa-loompas and their hilarious song and dance tickled the funny bone inside me. I think watching this movie is much better than having a botox injection! I can almost feel my face muscles tighten. Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka was a rather impressive performance.
I am home today because I am going for a course tomorrow that is suppose to last for the whole day but everyone in the right frame of mind just know that having a course that lasts the whole day is pretty much crap.
Been trying to find someone to watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with me. Sadly, I found no one.
Gorilla pissed quite a few people off today. Not only will he be remembered for the guy who lets out the stinkest fart in our unit [he let out 2 farts in the office and 1 more in the store], he shall also be remembered as the guy who doesn't do any single work at all and just loves hogging the INET [the equivalent of an Internet]
Played Monopoly the whole week with Leslie, Raymond and the Computer in the store. Quite fun. At least it helps us pass our time faster and help keep our brain thinking and active.
Andrea's been rather stressed out with her school work. University just started for her and I guess she is trying her very best to catch up with the pace of the lessons. I think I may be like her or even worst when I enter university. Just imagine, the army has taken away a good 2 years of your life and your brain is effectively left to rot and decay by the silliest things you have to do in the army.
Someone said that I need to learn to be less sarcastic when I speak to certain people or when I am pissed off because of certain things. Well, I guess I need to tone down my sarcasm to a certain extent. Yet, how do you change a figure of speech when you have been using it for all your life... interesting...
There are some things I wish to completely erase...a few minutes of self-perceived pleasure yet it brings about a somewhat eternal remorse that haunts you for the rest of your life at the very least. Let God heal the heart and soul...
...till later...