our daily bread

2006-08-20T08:01:00.001-07:00

http://myfile.sg/hvi3/
go listen people to huever visit this blog.
walk the narrow way
-dora

2006-08-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

http://myfile.sg/hvi3/
go listen people to huever visit this blog.
walk the narrow way

the one

2006-05-26T22:55:00.000-07:00

__the one__
blast. this is the second time im posting.

i realised alot of people are losing their afith, getting distracted, and hanging on to christ for salvation.

dont lose your hold in christ ever. you lose track completely. like i feel now.
i know its hard to see christ everyday. and inevitably, like infants, we need to see him work.
we need to grow up dont we.

while we declare ourswelves christians, do know what we are supposed to do. to live for christ, not to sign off our souls to god for him to preserve.

i wonder if yall know the song. part of it

and though i havent lost my faith, i must confess right now, its hard for me to pray.

like every other time at church, some part of it strikes my. this has been whacking away at me, i know what its like, and i know sometimes you feel it too.

so even if you dont want to talk, know that when you acknowledge his presence, the holy spirit will speak for you when you have no words to say.
this personal relationship is really important, and if you need external suuport and reafirmation of god's love, read my testimonial on my blog. and pray.

becks

revival

2006-05-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

urgh.where is everybody... so empty.. hmm. i wonder if i post dis post anyboyd would even read it.. anyway. sfyc is organising the roman's trail. the sad thing is that i lost the part 1 notes urhghh. i have all my notes in there. so anyway.i will give you guys a summary when i fnishe part 2 of romans
anyway there is an evangelistic tok about origin of life, why disasters in the world, aferlife and jesus christ, so they having a survey first. pls go to youthnet.org.sg/chickenegg.. and ask all the non christian friend to fill it out too.
pray for yingyue can.. make it even more possible for her go church. and for everyboyd else hu oso cannot go church. pray for yimin renee. and i was thinking bout meng shi too. well just pray. i will try to update more often.

DoRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

hello!

2006-05-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

hello! just wanna say i've been better. and i guess i'll just trust in the Lord and constantly remind myself that he has his plans for me, and that he has a purpose for me. amen. ((:kez

Hmm

2006-02-17T06:15:00.000-08:00

Hey! this blog hvnt been updated for so long! sigh. i wonder if we still can stay in touch. i miss the times when we spend recesses talking about God and just like getting to noe more about him. then psle period i couldnt go to church so all i depended on was ms tan and ODB and sabbby all my other nice nice friends like dora, becks and so on...im glad yingyue converted but now i hv a big problem. i feel so out of place. as in i dun feel like going to church animore coz probably i can spend the time doing other things like studying and revising and now i dun see how God is real. I REALLY NEED HELP. can sumone please like pray for me. erm. with mi. im seriously far from God and i lyk start doubting and evryting. coz i suddenly feel that evryting isnt real. sigh. i shldnt post much. i dun wanna get sued for saying weird stuff online. coz i dun wanna go away. i lyk my new school other than i tink evryone hates mi>.<. sigh. aniwaes, anione who reads this please tag kaez. i just wonder who will ever come back again. i missssss the good old p6 days when we asked ms tan so many qtns and we all learnt so much. i really felt deeply and strongly for God but now. i dunno probably its bcoz i hvnt gone to church. but i mean like God doesnt seem to be real to me animores. sigh. i tink i need to rededicate my life to God. i dun see any importance in going to church and all those stuff now. i wanna start anew. btw can we continue the cell in RGS??? pleasee.

church camp

2005-12-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

yar. i agree with viviene. but right now i feel tat i noe god more. lyk i so secured in him. tat he is so real to me. last time i used to haf lots of doubts and lots of quesiton bout god. but truly. he is a good god. he dun blame but he answers and addresses those questions though different ways. by allowing me to come across certain books. by just popping thoughts in my head. i dun really noe how god is suppose to tok to ppl. ppl jus say, the lord tok to me. but how. through the bible i gess. but i dun really find much answers int the bible. wad i feel is that sometimes i suddenly have dis certain thought i to me, i feel that those thoughts are from god . anyway, i just gone for my church camp. here are some reflections. self-esteem. i gess i haf a super high self-esteem lar= ego. but for those ppl hu haf low self-esteem. remember tat it was god hu created u. i praise u because i noe tat i m fearfully and wonderfully made. i noe tat full well. Psalms 139:14. GOD created u. enjoy yr own self. love yr self coz god loves u. i noe tat some ppl might tink wad crap it tat. sure not. but it is true. god created u in a certain way for a certain purpose. may his will be done. this is wad i feel lar. i dun tink i was saying exactly wad the speaker was speaking. there are other stuff lyk bgr. talents, acceptance but the imprint of those stuff are not as strong as self esteem. yar. during my church camp in june, the song tat touched me was the potter's hand. i tot, i wanna have a strong passion for christ. but as u ppl noe, i am not very determined. atfer 3 mths, the fire died down. but this church camp revived me again and i tot well i wanna continue to grow in the lord. to discover jesus. christianity is bout a relationship with god. i gess we need to pray for everyone to grow in the lord and not get distracted. if u ppl haf read the tag board.should not tat ying yue converted liao. pray for her. me and kezia wanna get her a bible. hu wanna chip in.

the one

2005-11-18T03:10:00.000-08:00

hi everybody, i just want to share with you all some of my views/opinions about my spiritual life and if you want to, you can also do the same.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm not growing spiritually. I have felt this way especially during the past few months and have been crying out to GOd during my devotions and asking him to help my grow. ONly recently, I have come to realise that I am growing slowly and surely. All in God's time. All in God's time. GOd has shown me that putting him first in my life and obeying him is the most important. ALthough it's hard to obey at times and I fail him, he has taught me that he forgives because he loves. WHile reading the heavenly man, God also taught me that I just have to trust in HIm because he has a perfect plan for my life. Even though things don't seem to be going my way, I can be sure that God is working out something good in my life.

Jeremiah 29:11
'FOr I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope'

Sometimes, I feel deserted by God and that GOd is not there with me. Yet, He reminds me time and time again that he loves me very very much and that he is ALWAYS by my side.

Hebrews 13:5
For He himself has said, 'I will never desert you, nor will I every forsake you'

THis promise is not only true to me but true to every single one of you. ALways remember that you are never alone and that when you sin, God is always waiting there with his arms wide open, ready for you to repent and come back to him. WHenever I am reminded that I have such a loving GOd who loves me regardless of my shortcomings, I feel very blessed and a sense of comfort flows through me.

I have one more point to finish up today's blog. I think that our lives we live should be aligned to GOd's Word. THe lives we live should reflect the God we worship. Whenever we want to do something, we should first ask ourselves 'WHat would Jesus do?' and then, do what Jesus would do. Just a reminder, the Fruits of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindess, Goodness, Faithfulness and Self-control
viv

Interview with Rick Warren

2005-11-02T10:33:00.000-08:00

I found this very meaningful. Hope you will too. Enjoy!
In an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, Rick Warren said:

People ask me, What is the purpose of life? And I respond, In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body - but not the end of me. I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillion of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act, the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity. We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense. Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one or you're getting ready to go into another one. The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort.
God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy. We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ-likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the
toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer. I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you got to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore. Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life. No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on. And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for. You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems. If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, "which is my problem, my issues, my pain."

But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others. We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her. It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people...You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy. It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before.

I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for you to own ego or for you to live a life of ease. So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our
lifestyle one bit. We made no major purchases. Second, about midway
through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church. Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan - to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation. Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity? Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?
When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my! bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better ...God didn't put me on earth just to fulfil a to-do list.
He's more interested in what I am than what I do. That's why we're called human beings, not human doings.

reply

2005-10-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone. I think that Dora has really asked good questions because I have thought those questions in my head before. Sometimes, I feel like I'm just praying the same thing over and over again but I agree with Rebekah-that you can tell God about what happened today and so forth. For example, I could tell God about how we made a doll today and how my doll looked superbly funny or my feelings on it. Praying doesn't always have to be about spiritual stuff.

ok now about devotions. I usually do my devotions after I come back home, eat my lunch and bath. Before I do my homework or anything else. It helps you to concentrate more on your devotions. Dora, you're not alone...sometimes I fall asleep while I'm doing my devotions...

Actually, I have also read part of the Heavenly Man before because my mother has the book. It really is amazing how God worked through his life. viv

hell

2005-10-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

speaking of hell and so forth..dora i went for sermon last week. wah seh damn scary sia. the topic was a look at paradise. the first part was about heaven..ya know with the harp and the praise ..and well..paradise.
then later the pastor came to the part about hell where beast is gonna wipe out one third of everything then you have the seven seals and the seven trumpets and the white horse dark horse pale horse etc etc right? that scared the life out of me that day. i was thinking about yimin and was wondering if she went to hell for eternity..it would be my fault. so erm i was trying to get yimin to go my church camp larh. wahlao it will cost 250 bucks. so erm..my dad says he will sponsor but my mom says says that if yimin really wants to go her parents will pay. so dunno how. i was thinking we could pool and try and raise that amount.

anyway dora about prayer. before you prayer i suppose you could think about what happened that day or what is to come tomorrow. then you could talk to him like you would to a friend. like talk about what happened today so on so forth. then thank him continually for his blessings. ask him ASK NOT DEMAND Him to keep you safe always and that you may be used for his purpose and that you would be bold for him.
i dont know really. i just talk to him as a friend. out loud. but when im alone. i dont really pray about personal matters in a group casue i feel absurd. but i suppose you should cause quote from bible when two or more are gathered, so shall i be there.

and personally i m always subconsciously thinking about bible verses or hymns/christian songs
how about the rest of ya. anyway what on earth does it signify if im constantly thinking (subconsciously) about bibal verses and songs?

ya maybe now its your turn to reply yea?
-becks

Healing

2005-10-18T07:09:00.000-07:00

I'm quite interested in the topic of healing. can sum1 share with mi? i mean like how does healing work and stuff liddat. yah. thnx. =)

prayer

2005-10-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

how do we pray? what do u pray about?? i seriously dont know. everynight, i feel lyk i m praying for the same thing. i noe that prayer is not jus a list of request but it is lyk a tok wif god, oso, we should not pray for whta we desire but for god's will to be done. but how do we do tat. i dun tink i can pray well. i noe that when we pray, we are suppose to first praise den give thanks den ask for forgivenss den pray and when we pray we should pray for others den myself but i admit tat i usually pray oni for myself. tat rong rite? but still, when i pray for others, lyk the unbelievers in the world, it is lyk praying the same thing over and over again everynite. when do u ppl do yr devotions. when it is school day, i cant do my devotions in the morning coz i rushing about so i usually do it at nite but hte point is tat i sleep very late at nite so i would fall asleep after i do my devotions, during my prayer and tat is very bad. wah, dis is lyk counselling lyk tat but nvm. PLEASE ANSWER. the place is lyk so deserted. aniwae, yesterday i slept at 2 am coz i was reading dis book.it is called the heavenly man. wah, i lyk doing book review lyk tat. aniway, basicallly it is bout dis person in china lar,, i m really n truly amaze coz in his life, tons of miracles happen. this king of stuff we dont really see in singapore, i gess coz we are all living such nice life. aniway
he was really persucuted. i realised tat in our christian life, if we are true christian, we haf to go through persecutions, be it physical or any other thing. dis is meant as a test of our faith. i tat is really scary lor. now got terrorist rite. what if there come one day where i die for my faith. i mean tat is wad me haf to do rite. but it is so scary lor.dory here

Have FAITH

2005-10-13T04:44:00.000-07:00

This is a true story of something that happened just a few years
ago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a
deeply committed atheist. His primary goal for one required class
was to spend the entire semester to prove that God couldn't exist.

His students were always afraid to argue with him because of his
impeccable logic. Sure, some had argued in class at! times, but no
one had ever really gone against him because of his reputation. At
the end of every semester on the last day, he would say to his
class of 300 students, "If there is anyone here who still believes
in Jesus, stand up!" In twenty years, no one had ever stood up.

They knew what he was going to do next. He would say, "Because
anyone who believes in God is a fool. If God existed, he could stop
this piece of chalk from hitting the ground and breaking. Such a
simple task to prove that He is God, and yet He can't do it."

And every year, he would drop the chalk onto the tile floor of the
classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. All of the
students would do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students
thought that God couldn't exist.

Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for 20
years, they had been too afraid to stand up.

Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to enroll.

He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about his professor.
He was required to take the class for his major, and he was afraid.
But for three months that semester, he prayed every morning that he
would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor
said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said could ever
shatter his faith...he hoped.

Finally, the day came! The professor said, "If there is an! yone
here who still believes in God, stand up!" The professor and the
class of 300 people looked at him, shocked, as he stood up at the
back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God
existed, he would keep this piece of chalk from breaking when it
hit the ground!"

He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped out of
his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his pants, down
his leg, and off his shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled
away unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as he stared at the
chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then ran out of the
lecture hall. The young man who had stood, proceeded to walk to the
front of the room and shared his faith in Jesus for the next half
hour. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for
them and of His power through Jesus.

You have 2 choices:
1. Delete this and never look at it again.
2. Pass this along to your Christian and non-Christian friends,
giving them encouragement we all need every day

When you choose option 2, you have chosen to STAND UP.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this
is a little different:
This is not intended to be a joke, it's not funny, it's intended to
get you thinking..............

Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then
wonder why the world's going to hell.

Isn't it funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question
what the Bible says.

Isn't it funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do
not have to believe, think, say, or do anything the Bible says. Or
is it scary?

Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still
follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God ).

Isn't it funny how you can send a thousand jokes through e-mail and
they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending! messages
regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.

Isn't it funny how the lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene pass freely
through cyberspace, but the public discussion of Jesus is
suppressed in the school and workplace.

Isn't it funny how someone can be so fired up for Christ on Sunday,
but be an invisible Christian the rest of the week

Are you laughing?

Isn't it funny how when you go to forward this message, you will
not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure
what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it to
them.

Isn't it funny how I can be more worried about what other people
think of me than what God thinks of me.

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-10-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

A young university student was home for
the summer. She had gone to visit some
friends one evening and timepassed
quicklyas each shared their various
experiences of the past year.

She ended up staying longer than
planned, and had to walk home alone.
She wasn't afraid because it was a small
town and she lived only a few blocks
away. As she walked along under the tall
elm trees, Diane asked "God" to keep her
safe from harm and danger.

When she reached the alley, which was
a shortcut to her house, she decided
to take it. However, halfway down the alley
she noticed a man standing at the end
as though he were waiting for her. She
became uneasy and began to pray,
asking for God's protection. Instantly a
comforting feeling of quietness and
security wrapped around her,she felt as
though someone was walking with her.

When she reached the end of the alley,
she walked right past the man and
arrived home safely. The following day,
she read in the newspaper that a young
girl had been raped in the same alley
just twenty minutes after she had been
there. Feeling overwhelmed by this
tragedy and the fact that it could have
been her, she Thanking the Lord for her
safety and to help this young woman,

She decided to go to the police station.
She felt she could recognize the man, so
she told them her story. The police asked
her if she would be willing to look at a
lineup to see if she could identify him.
She agreed and immediately pointed
out the man she had seen in the alley
the night before. When the man was told
he had been identified, he immediately
broke down and confessed.

The officer thanked Diane for her bravery
and asked if there was anything they
could do for her. She asked if they would
ask the man one question? Diane was
curious as to why he had not attacked
her. When the policeman asked him, he
answered, "Because she wasn't alone.
She had two tall men walking on either
side of her."

Moral of the story: Don't underestimate
the power of Prayer! This is to all of you
who mean something to me, I pray for
your happiness.

The Three Trees

2005-10-01T02:27:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

hope you all are coping well.

i received this email and i thought it is very meaningful so i shall share it with you...

When things don't go your way or when you don't see the
way ahead, don't be discouraged.

God has His plans for you, but executed in His perfect timing. Because
"as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than
your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Is 55:9

Read on and be encouraged.

THREE TREES

Once there were 3 trees on a hill in the woods.

They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said,
"Someday I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold,
silver and precious gems. I could be decorated with intricate carving
and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship. I will take
kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of the world.
Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and
straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill
and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how
close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and
people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group
of woodsmen came upon the trees.

When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree,
I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter," and he began
cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter
would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree the woodsman said, "This looks like a strong tree, I
should be able to sell it to the shipyard!" The second tree was happy
because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened
because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come
true. One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my
tree, I'll take this one," and he cut it down.

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a feed
box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay. This
was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams
of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.

The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.

The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one
day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed
the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree.
The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but this
manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this
event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second
tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were out on
the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong
enough to keep the men safe. The men woke the sleeping man, and He stood
and said "PEACE" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that
it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the
streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it. When they
came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to
die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree came to realize
that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as
close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your
way, always know that God has a
plan for you. If you place your trust in Him, He
will give you great gifts. Each of the trees got what they wanted, just
not in the way they had imagined. We don't always know what God's plans
are for us. We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways
are always best."

God has a great plan for you! don't lose faith!

sabby.

2005-09-29T05:12:00.000-07:00

hi. im sure many of you have read this story before, but for those who haven't:

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. The pastor was walking through town yesterday when he saw a young boy coming toward him swinging a bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. He stopped the lad and asked, "What have you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply.

"What are you gonna do with them?" the pastor asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time."
"But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or later. What will you do?" the pastor asked.

"Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them." The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those
birds, son?" "Huh? You don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!" "How much?" the pastor asked again.

The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?" The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone.

The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free.

Well, that explained the empty bird cage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story.

One day Satan and Jesus were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" Jesus asked.

Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" Jesus asked.

"Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" Jesus asked. "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you
and kill you. You don't want those people!!"

"How much?" He asked again. Satan looked at Jesus and sneered, "All your blood, tears and your life." Jesus said, "done." Then He paid the price.

Isn't it funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Isn't it funny how someone can say "I believe in God" but still follow Satan (who, by the way, also "believes" in God).

i cried after i read this story. i know i've let God down thousands of times, but each time i ask him to forgive me he does so. it's such a precious, tender love that God has for us.

if you want to renew your love for Christ, review His love for you.

isn't it wonderful to have such a God?

He loved you so much he died for you. he died for you. he made the sky,theflowers,the trees,EVERYTHING just for you. that's the essence of the entire Bible. the cross. the symbol of God's everlasting love for us.

p.s. there's a very nice song by Nicole Nordeman named 'why'. if u can go listen to it. it'll surely lift your spirit if you're feeling down!

the heart

2005-09-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

hey i got this story quite sweet sent courtesy of one of our seniors

"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began,
"I'll open up your heart..."
"You'll fi nd Jesus there," the boy
interrupted.
The surgeon looked up, annoyed "I'll
cut your heart open," he continued,
to see how much damage has been
done..."
"But when you open up my heart, you'll
find Jesus in there," said the boy.
The surgeon looked to the parents, who
Sat quietly. "When I see how much
damage has been done, I'll sew your
heart and chest back up, and I'll plan
what to do next."
"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The
Bible says He lives there. The
hymns all say He lives there. You'll
find Him in my heart."
The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell
you what I'll find in your heart.
I'll find damaged muscle, low blood
supply, and weakened vessels.
And I'll find out if I can make you well."
"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there."
The surgeon left.
The surgeon sat in his office, recording his
notes from the surgery, "...damaged aorta, damaged
pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration.
No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy:
painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis:, "
here he paused, "death within one year."
He stopped the recorder, but there
was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud.
"Why did You do this? You've put
him here; You've put him in this pain; and
You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"
The Lord answered and said, "The boy,
My lamb, was not meant for your
flock for long, for he is a part of
My flock, and will forever be.
Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and
will be comforted as you cannot imagine.
His parents will one day join him here,
and they will know peace, and
My flock will continue to grow."
The surgeon's tears were hot, but his
anger was hotter. "You created that
boy, and You created that heart. He'll
be dead in months. Why?"
The Lor d answered, "The boy, My lamb,
shall return to My flock, for He has
Done his duty: I did not put My lamb
with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another
lost lamb."
The surgeon wept.. The surgeon sat
beside the boy's bed; the boy's
parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and
whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"
"Yes," said the surgeon.
"What did you find?"
asked the boy.
"I found Jesus there," said the
surgeon.
Author Unknown - Celebrate Jesus in 2005
If you aren't ashamed to do this,
please follow the directions
listed below:
Jesus said,
"If you are ashamed of me,
I will be ashamed of you before
my Father.."
I Am Not Ashamed. Pass this on only if
you mean it. "Yes, I do Love
God. He is my source of existence and
Savior. He keeps me functioning each
and everyday. Without Him, I will be
nothing. Without him, I am nothing,
but with Him I can do all things through
Christ that strengthens me."
(Phil 4:13)

Trading my sorrows

2005-09-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

I'm trading my sorrow
I'm trading my shame
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord
I'm trading my sickness
I'm trading my pain
I'm laying them down for the joy of the Lord

And we say
yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord
Yes Lord yes Lord yes yes Lord

I'm pressed but not crushed
persecuted not abandoned
Struck down but not destroyed
I'm blessed beyond the curse for his promise will endure
And his joy's gonna be my strength

Though the sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning...

heyy

2005-09-14T03:55:00.000-07:00

hey about doras thing.. i dont think its about whether there witchcraft or not.
like the only things which constitue a movie being ungodly are like just these:
-blaspheming
-inducing wicked thoughts
-"brainwashing" (in a sense)like when the movies say must do blah blah then stewpid asses go and zao yang zuo
-immorality
-creating a lust for evil

so yea..i mean if like you arnt in any sense affected .. you remain godly etc, then i think its fine

In response to dora's blog

2005-09-13T06:36:00.000-07:00

Hi
When I read the article that dora posted, I wasn't very convinced because do you think that when j.k. rowling wrote the book, she actually thought of CHrist? also, I think that the witchcraft (which plays an important role in the book) is definetely not of God. For example, I can say that Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory is Christian-based because Willy Wonka can create the impossible where GOd also can create the impossible or Willy Wonka lives in a big place and God also lives in a big place. But obviously, Willy Wonka was not even created in mind of Christ.
That is my point of view but ultimately, it really is your own choice. THis kind of thing is very subjective like yoga or something like that. Sze Min, who is also a Christian, asked me why I couldn't do yoga and she said that I was too narrow- minded. It really depends on where you draw the line. For me, I would rather be absolutely pure and not take any chances because God does not like any sin at all.
vivienne

back to the harry potter debate

2005-09-11T00:04:00.000-07:00

hi guys... u noe previously .. i tink from kezia.. there were a lot of posts bout we should not read harry potter or we would be deceive... perseonally.. i seriously dun c wad the big fuss is all a bout.. it is jus a BOOK.. i lyk it becox the plot is interesting n i dun go round saying expecto patronum.....but aniwae,..i found smthing to back my stand
Books that are rich in symbolism necessarily support a Christian worldview. The difference between believers and atheists or agnostics is that the secular crowd does not believe that anything exists beyond what can be sensed or measured. Everything is a this-worldly quantity. Christians understand the world to be a shadow of the reality of its Creator and that this greater reality—God—is rightly the focus of our lives. Symbolic literature requires—and celebrates—this otherworldly perspective that magically undermines the worldly, atheistic, and materialist perspective of our times.

This explains, too, why books that are rich in specifically Christian imagery, and symbols are as powerful and popular as they are. Tertullian said that "all souls are Christian souls," and Augustine echoed him in writing that "our hearts are restless 'til they rest in Thee." Since we as human beings are designed for the Christian revelation, stories that retell the Great Story satisfy the longing we are hardwired to feel and answer.

Symbols of the animal kingdom
For most of us, the connection between an animal and its symbolic quality is pretty clear. A dog embodies and radiates the virtue of loyalty; a cat, feminine beauty and grace; a lion, power and majesty; an eagle, freedom; and a horse, nobility.

But the animals in Harry Potter are not your conventional domestic pets or zoo beasts. Rowling has a rich imagination and a special fascination for fantastic beasts; she has even written a Hogwarts "schoolbook," Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, cataloging her favorites, A to Z. Are these products of her imagination symbols in the way eagles and lions are symbols?

Yes and no. No, I don't think a fictional lion (say, the one that occurs throughout the Potter books on the banners of Gryffindor House or the lion Aslan in Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia) has the same power to suggest "majesty" as a real lion on the savanna. One works through the sense of vision and the other through the imagination. But, yes, if the fictional beast is capably depicted, both contain the quality that makes the lion regal and stirs the heart.

Many of the animals in Harry Potter are Rowling's own inventions (although the Acromantula reminds Tolkien fans of the giant spider Shelob and of the den of spiders in The Hobbit). However, let's focus on traditional symbols from European literature because of the wealth of references that support the interpretation of their supernatural qualities. If there is a single giveaway of the Christian meaning in Harry Potter, it is in the uniform meaning of the symbols. The magical creatures and figures we will look at more closely are the griffin, the unicorn, the phoenix, the stag, the centaur, the hippogriff, and the red lion. Each is a traditional symbol of arts and letters used to point to the qualities and person of Christ.

The Griffin
I've found only one mention of a griffin per se in the Harry Potter books, and it is a detail mentioned in connection to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall is bringing Harry there in Chamber of Secrets after he has been discovered next to the petrified forms of Justin Finch-Fletchley and Nearly Headless Nick: "Harry saw a gleaming oak door ahead, with a brass knocker in the shape of a griffin."

The griffin is described in Fantastic Beasts as having "the front legs and head of a giant eagle, but the body and hind legs of a lion."' It is an important symbol in the Potter series, though only mentioned once, because "Harry's House, Gryffindor, literally means 'golden griffin' in French (or is French for 'gold'). "So spell it Griffin d'or." As Harry is considered a "true Gryffindor" in Dumbledore's estimation, you can put a bet on there being great significance on the meaning of golden griffin for the identity of Harry Potter.

How does a beast that is half lion and half eagle symbolize Jesus Christ? Two ways. First, Christ is the God-man, so double-natured symbols are a natural match for him. More important, though, is that the two natures here are the lion and eagle. A beast that is half "king of the heavens" (eagle) and half "king of the earth" (lion) points to the God-man in his role as King of heaven and earth.

The Unicorn
Harry first meets a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest under the worst of conditions. The unicorn is dying or dead; Voldemort, as something like a snake, is drinking its blood, which "tonic" curses the drinker but keeps him alive. Unicorns pop up again in Ms. Grubberly Plank's and Hagrid's Care of Magical Creatures Classes.

I remember as a young boy being taken to the Cloisters, a New York museum of medieval art in an authentic castle brought stone by stone from Europe. The highlight of the trip was the tapestries—specifically the unicorn tapestries. The guide told us that the unicorn was the symbol of Christ preferred by the weavers of these giant pieces. Though I was a child of no special faith (or sensitivity), I was moved by the images of the unicorn being chased, captured, and resting its head on a virgin's lap.

A check in Strong's Concordance to the Bible reveals mentions of unicorns in the Old Testament books of Deuteronomy, Numbers, Job, Psalms, and Isaiah. [Translations other than the King James use wild ox for the Hebrew word, reem.] One Harry Potter guidebook comments that "these references, to some scholars, indicate that the unicorn is actually a symbol of Christ." Scholars of symbolism as diverse as Carl Jung and Narnia expert Paul Ford confirm this interpretation of the pure white animal whose single horn symbolizes the "invincible strength of Christ."

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, the unicorn as a symbol of Christ is essential in understanding the meaning of the dramatic scene in the Forbidden Forest.

That the blood of the unicorn will curse those who drink it unworthily, and that it has life-giving power, echoes Paul's discourse on the unworthy reception of the Communion, which is the blood of Christ. When Firenze the centaur explains to Harry that anyone who selfishly drinks the life-saving blood of the unicorn is "cursed" from the moment the blood touches his lips, he does everything but treat 1 Corinthians 11:23-29 chapter and verse.

The Phoenix
My flat-out favorite beastie in Rowling's menagerie is Fawkes the phoenix, Dumbledore's pet. Harry meets him in Chamber of Secrets on a "dying day" when Fawkes bursts into flame and rises as a chick from his own ashes.

Given Fawkes's role in the defeat of the basilisk in Chamber of Secrets, Harry's draw with Voldemort in Goblet of Fire in the cage of phoenix song and light, and that Dumbledore's adult army in opposition to the Dark Lord is called the Order of the Phoenix, this symbol is central to any interpretation of the books or understanding of their power and popularity. How is the phoenix a symbol of Christ? In the Middle Ages the phoenix, because of its ability to "rise from death," was known as the "resurrection bird." Like the griffin, it was used in heraldic devices and shields to represent the bearer's hope of eternal life in Christ." A sure pointer to this symbolism comes in the climactic battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort in Order of the Phoenix. Voldemort has managed to get the drop on his headmaster nemesis and shoots out the death curse, Avadra Kedavra. Fawkes the phoenix dives between Dumbledore and certain death, swallows the death curse in his place, explodes into flames, and rises from the dead on the spot. The phoenix here, of course, portrays not only the resurrection of Christ but also his having intervened for us and taken the curse of death upon himself.

The Stag
Lupin and Black explain to Harry in the crucible of the Shrieking Shack that his father, James, was an animagus. Harry discovers later that night what form his father took: a majestic stag with a full rack of antlers. His nickname at school, Prongs, came from these antlers, which are the stag's weapon and defining characteristic. That Harry's Patronus likewise takes the shape of a stag gives this already powerful symbol even more importance.

Narnia fans recall that the Pevensie children in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe only return to Earth from their Narnia kingdom because they pursue the White Stag into a thick wood. Lewis points to their search for Christ as the cause of their return, because Christ is to our world what Aslan is to Narnia. Paul Ford, in his encyclopedic Companion to Narnia, described the stag as "a beast, the quest of great hunting parties, who was said to grant wishes to his captors. Lewis, as a student of the Middle Ages, would know of the symbolism of the stag for Christ" (emphasis added.) Maybe you don't see how a big deer can link our world and the Christian creative principle.

It's simple, really. The power of the symbolism comes from the antlers. Just as the phoenix is the "resurrection bird" because it can rise from its own funeral pyre, so the noble stag is a symbol of regeneration because of the renewal of its antlers.

As J. E. Cirlot writes in A Dictionary of Symbols, "It's symbolic meaning is linked with that of the tree of life … inexhaustible life, and is therefore equivalent to a symbol of immortality … because of the resemblance of its antlers to branches. … Like the eagle and the lion, it is the secular enemy of the serpent … [and acts] as [one of the] mediators of heaven and earth. … In the West, during the Middle Ages, the way of solitude and purity was often symbolized by the stag, which actually appears in some emblems with a crucifix between its horns."

Given this correspondence, it is no accident that when Harry first sees the stag Patronus who saves him from the dementor's kiss—the living, soulless death worse than death—he sees it "as a unicorn." The stag in Harry Potter, like the unicorn, is a symbol for Christ.

The Centaur
Fawkes is great, but my favorite character in literature may be a centaur out of Narnia because of his last words. In The Last Battle, the centaur Roonwit—literally "he who knows the ancient languages"—reveals to King Tirian the signs that calamity is about to strike Narnia. The king sends him on a dangerous mission, and Roonwit is shot by the archers of invading Calormenes he has been sent to spy on. But he sends this edifying, otherworldly message as he expires: "Remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy."

C. S. Lewis, renowned classicist and medieval scholar of Oxford and Cambridge, was certainly familiar with the conventional interpretations and uses of the centaur as symbol. His centaurs in the Chronicles of Narnia are often of this reveling type, but in Roonwit's case the centaur is heroic and sacrificial in service to the King. In Harry Potter, similarly, we have passionate centaurs and one heroic example, Firenze, who saves Harry from Voldemort in Sorcerer's Stone.

The centaur is first and foremost a symbol of man. It has the head and chest of a man and the body of a horse. The head and chest of a man are man's will, thought, and spirit; the horsey bottom is his desires or passions. The centaur is a comic picture of a man's dual nature as angel and beast. When man is right-side-up, his angelic part tells the horse desires what to do, as a rider directs a horse; when the beast is in control, however, the belly of the horse drags the chest and head where it wants like a runaway pony.

(Lewis, by the way, didn't see the horse, the centaur's driving part, as a passionate creature, but as the desires [or belly], in alignment and in service to will and spirit [chest and head], especially when hoisting a human rider. "For Lewis, the Centaur represents the harmony of nature and spirit," Ford writes. It represents the reconciliation "of our spiritual and physical nature.")

The heroic centaurs Roonwit and Firenze are both symbols of Christ because, as caricatures of men, they are also imaginative "images of God." Through these characters, Lewis and Rowling refer to a tradition that links a man on a passionate beast with heroic, sacrificial, and saving actions: Christ riding into Jerusalem in triumph on a donkey.

The traditional Christian explanation of why Christ rides in triumph into Jerusalem on a donkey rather than a noble steed is that he wanted to show the hosanna-shouting assembly on the sides of the road a three-dimensional icon or symbol of the obedient man. Thus the donkey (certainly a picture of willful, stubborn desire) serves his master, Spirit and God incarnate in cheerful obedience. Roonwit and Firenze give us this scriptural image of the God-man and the rightly ordered soul — another symbol of Christ.

The Hippogriff
I confess to initially thinking that Buckbeak the hippogriff was another one of Rowling's mythological innovations—and a hoot. I had certainly never heard of one. Turns out, it is the creation of a sixteenth-century Italian court poet named Ludovico Ariosto in his Orlando Furioso. The original hippogriff, of whom Buckbeak must be a descendant, is a griffin/centaur cross.

"Like a griffin, Ariosto's hippogriff has an eagle's head and beak, a lion's front legs, with talons, and richly feathered wings, while the rest of its body is that of a horse," Allan and Elizabeth Kronzek's guide to the Potter books explains. "Originally tamed and trained by the magician Atalante, the hippogriff can fly higher and faster than any bird, hurtling back to earth when its rider is ready to land." Cirlot describes the hippogriff as "a kind of supercharged Pegasus, a blend of the favorable aspects of the griffin and the winged horse in its character as the 'spiritual mount.'"

Hippo is the Greek word for "horse" (a hippopotamus is a "river-horse"), and griff takes us back to the griffin. A hippogriff, then, is a combination horse/lion/eagle, or a centaur with a lion/eagle "top." We have already learned how the griffin in Gryffindor is a symbol of Christ as King of heaven and earth. As a griffin/centaur, the hippogriff, too, suggests Christ's divine conquest of the passions, as evidenced by his donkey ride into Jerusalem.

Hagrid describes hippogriffs to his students as "proud," but they are not proud in the sense of conceit or vanity. They are great-souled and aware of their virtue, which the ignoble misunderstand (Hagrid loves them dearly; he knows!). The noble—even supernatural—Buckbeak in Prisoner of Azkaban pecks the disrespectful and shameless Malfoy, is persecuted by the godless Ministry, and is almost executed by the Death Eater McNair. He escapes death at the hands of a world that cannot understand him (and that chooses to hate and fear him) to serve as Sirius's salvation. As with the griffin's and centaur's double-natured symbols, Rowling uses the hippogriff as a symbol of Christ, the God-man.

The Red Lion
Narnia fans have told me they do see Aslan, Lewis's Christ figure from the Chronicles of Narma, in the Gryffindor House lion symbol. I think that is a reasonable link, especially in light of the symbolic meaning of Gryffindor and its opposition to the Slytherin serpent. This idea, however, hasn't been "lifted" from Lewis—the lion, and specifically the red lion, has been a symbol of Christ from the first century.

Saint John the Evangelist had no need to explain this usage in the book of Revelation: "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed" (Revelation 5:5, KJV). It is a theme of Christian literature and heraldic signs, consequently, throughout the Middle Ages. Lewis draws from this tradition both for Aslan (Persian for "lion") and Aslan's devotees in Narnia. Remember Peter's shield? "The shield was the color of silver and across it there romped a red lion, as bright as a ripe strawberry at the moment when you pick it."

The five Harry Potter books are full of alchemical imagery, and even if Lewis was unaware of it (the silver and red in Peter's shield makes me doubt his ignorance), we can assume Rowling knows what the "red lion" means to an alchemist. The "red lion" is the Elixir of Life coming from the philosopher's stone,

The end result of the alchemical Great Work was a stone that produced the Elixir of Life (often called the red lion). This magical object, known as the philosopher's stone, gave its owner immortality (as long as the owner drank the elixir) and infinite wealth. Touching any leaden or base metal object to the Stone would make it turn to gold.

Historians of science, religion, and literature agree on very little, in my experience. However, they do agree that the philosopher's stone is a symbol of Christ. There isn't anything else in the world that promises eternal life and golden (that is, incorruptible or spiritual) riches except Christ, so the connection is transparent. The end product or aim of alchemy is life in Christ; English authors and poets of many centuries have used this symbol of Christ, consequently, to dramatize the search for an answer to death and human poverty of spirit. Harry Potter is no exception.

The Stone in the first Harry Potter book, in case we missed this point, is described as "blood red," a symbol of the blood of Christ received in Communion. The red lion, then, is still another symbolic point of correspondence between Christ and the world of Harry Potter.

Stacking symbols
Does it seem odd that there are so many symbols of Christ? There is a big difference between symbols and allegorical figures. Allegories are stand-ins or story translations of a worldly character, quality, or event into an imaginative figure or story. There can be only one figure representing the other, consequently, or it's difficult to translate; I cannot have two Hitler figures if I'm writing an allegory of the Second World War, or the allegory fails.

Symbols, in contrast, can be stacked up. If I am telling a fantasy story with a Christian message, I can include characters and beasties and events that all point to the various qualities, actions, and promises of Christ. If the symbols correspond with these qualities, even if they are not consciously understood as Christ symbols, they open us up to an imaginative experience of those supernatural qualities. A variety of these symbols woven into a story that itself echoes the Great Story will powerfully stir the soul because the heart is made by God to be receptive to this message. Our soul radios are always tuned to the frequency of the message.

The Harry Potter stories, in their formulaic journeys that end every year with love's triumph over death in the presence of a Christ symbol, find their power and popularity in the resonance they create in our hearts. We connect with them because they point toward the Truth Myth that saves us. The gospel has rarely, if ever, been smuggled into the hearts and minds of readers so successfully and profoundly.
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/128/52.0.html
anyway.. i gess it was i hu let the p5 girl no e url lar.. i put it on my blog....
thx vivian for answering my question... i gess tat baptism is just the next step after salvation....dory

toodeeloo

2005-09-02T04:46:00.000-07:00

Hi this is viv
When I got baptised, I didn't change totally over but you need to be ready, in the sense like being ready to dedicate your life to GOd. After you get baptised, it's like a sign of giving your life whole-heartedly to God. Of course, no one is perfect so we all sin but when we give our lives to God, we would try to obey God and that means not sinning. But when we sin, we just have to ask God to forgive us and he will because he is a merciful God...isn't that great?

By the way, that's the answer to a certain P5 that I don't know. GOd says 'If you love me, you will obey my commandments." If you love God, you wouldn't be doing things that displease him (e.g. swearing) But if you do sin, you can ask GOd to forgive you. By the way, if you feel like not being a CHristian, you don't know what it really means to be a CHristian. Maybe CHristian is just a name to you or just going to church...I don't know. But to me, I feel joy in knowing God and being a CHristian and when you feel joy, that is what it really means to be a Christian. And when you love God and focus on him, those thoughts don't even come into your mind anymore (e.g. feeling like swearing). "Finally, brethen, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things" PHillipians 4:8
P.S. Sorry for not coming on Friday. I kind of forgot.
P.P.S How did the P5 girl get the address anyway????

nothing much

2005-08-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

hey ppl, i m gonna get baptise, on the 25th of september, but how do i noe i m prepared? lyk how u noe tat it is time to get baptise? can someone pls answer..is there any signs or anything or jus tatt u feel u should be baptise... after u bapttise r u allowed to sin?? i gots lots of unanswered questions..... but basically i wanna noe how u noe u r ready for baptisism.......
r u guys really sure u wanna the fellowship session thingy?? i gess it should be okay wif me but wad r we gonna do.. r u sure the halll wil do.. got a lot of ppl there... dory

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-08-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

sorry guys i didnt make it to the session..anyway i agree trust i very important. its like really late gonna have to rush off soon.
i suppose all friendships need trust. jesus being our best friend should receive the most trust.. hard as it may be..just relax and trust him..10% of all successes are due to our work..90% is god..he gives the 90% as we were justly due..you just relax..esp. for the psle
this is quite lame..my fathers bugging me.
so yea just chill..becks

Fellowship

2005-08-29T05:25:00.000-07:00

I think the most basic thing we must have is TRUST and we MUST share our thoughts openly. I am sure that most people dare not share their personal thoughts and feelings well with others. We all (or at least i ) have a fear when sharing with others sometimes. We NEED to step out of our comfort zones and share frankly. Although this is hard, I think i will try my best to talk as much. I don't think i did well today. Haha. I was a li'le shy. Haha. Sorrie bout dat. yeah. i tink ms tan was brave to share larhs. Where did she get her courage from? haha. jkjk. haha. I am HUNGRY. haha. GTG le. byebye pple, ask more qtns next tym. haha. cya all soon!
Btw, we are meeting on wednesday in the hall for our second mini discussion group. Those who are interested can join. Bear in mind not to tell any other tchers. Thnx. BYE!
ur sis in Christ,
da bubbly Kez...yah....*HUNGRY for God*........

Answers...and more

2005-08-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

Hi
fellowship is meeting with fellow believers, sharing experiences and struggles, praying for one another and encouraging one another, making each other strong in Christ.
Baptism is when you make a decision-to deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Jesus. It's not the water that physically washes away your sins. It's just a symbol of Jesus washing away your sins and in your heart saying, Jesus I want to follow you.
I'm open to meeting and fellowshipping once a week if we can agree on a date.

Anyway, here is a short summary on the book 'How to evangelise'. I almost forgot about it but Kezia reminded me in the toilet so thanks, kezia!
1. Preparation of a godly life
reflect God's character and live in godliness. How?
a) THe study of the bible
Obediently, regularaly, systematically, humbly, prayerfully
b)Prayer
Thanksgiving, confession, intercession (praying for others), prayer for the gospel
c) Fellowshipping wiht the church ( in other words, going to church)
d) Telling others
2. Prepare to know the gospel and explain it
Gospel summed up:
a) This is God's world. He made us, loves us and has a plan for our life.
b) We have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God so we are rebellious to this fact.
c) Jesus has died for us so that we can go to heaven and be forgiven of our sins
d) You need to respond to this fact by giving your life to Jesus and freeing your life from the claws of death.

Dogsled story: Once there was a king who was fighting a war. It was winter and there was snow on the ground so the only way to get around was on dogsled. The king and his servant were on the dogsled when the enemies surrounded them. WIth the king and his servant on the dogsled, the dogsled could not move fast enough to get away from the enemies. It was either the king or the servant who had to die. Who do you think should have died? the servant! But instead, the king jumped off the dogsled and was killed by the enemies while the dogsled raced off with the servant unharmed. Can you interpret this story? DO you know what it is trying to say?

3. Be prepared to answer questions
Example: hOw do you know that Jesus is true?
To do this, you can read books like 'know why you believe' or 'case for a creator'.

all in all, you should ask God to give you the wisdom to know how to answer
viv

ERM,,,

2005-08-22T05:08:00.000-07:00

ERM.....u mean noone bothers to answer my questions? sobx...just need sum1 to reply...and give comments...hmm, noone bothers during the prelim? sigh...byebye

Questions

2005-08-20T04:58:00.000-07:00

A few questions to ask those who bother.
1. What is the true meaning of fellowship? I tink dori metioned a bit about dat, but is sum1 able to gimme a detailed explanation or sumting?
2. What happens during baptism and what does it signify? I heard a bit about this through my cgl. but wan to noe more.
3. This is more on this website. Do you think we can create a bond so that we are able to trust in each other and share our thoughts without fear that pple will lauf at u?
to dori...i wonder how many pple in the world ever talk about their spiritual growth and so on with others. For most pple, it is veri difficult to share ur true thoughts, agree?
Probably we should meet regularly and pray for each other and discuss face-to-face? We can create a bond liddat. We can use the library...yup...do u tink u will sacrifice ur recess or lunch to do dat? I wun mind. Yup. Dat's all for now, cya!
P.S. Viv, probably u can post it here when u are free.=)
Agape Luv,
Kez

Prayer Works Wonders

2005-08-19T07:50:00.000-07:00

Hi pple,
Just wanted to noe if u all want to pray together before our prelims. Starting from Monday, probably 7 in the morning? Can we meet in the canteen or sumwhere? I think the canteen is the best place. I hope to see ya' all. =)...Even if noone is going, i will. It'll be better for more pple to go i guess. Reallie really hope to cya al'!
Agape Luv,
Kez, ur sister in Christ

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-08-18T07:32:00.000-07:00

Dear Lord Father, we pray for your blessing for both our psle orals tomorrow, tt we may do well, and grant us peace, O Lord, help us to stay calm And tt we may represent you even in such a way and impresS the examiners, god again we pray for your blesSing and your hand over us, tt we may keep cool and may you be with us throughout the exam, let us have a good sleep tonight and be energetic again Tomorrow. We thank you for your endless mercies and again we commit all these things unto you lord, and in whatever we do, we do it all in your glory Lord. We will try our veri best and leave the rest in your hands, we will lean and trust in you lord, may your will be done. I pray all these in Jesus’ name, Amen!

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-08-18T05:01:00.000-07:00

http://www.reachouttrust.org/
articles/alternatives/yoga2.htm

website

2005-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I saw that the website didn't come out very clearly on the blog so anyway here it is again: http://www.reachouttrust.org/articles/alternatives/yoga2.htm
viv

catching up...

2005-08-18T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hi I'm back again despite my busy schedule. Thanks Kezia for reminding me. Yes, Sabrina, I do go to the adults service because I feel that it's more enriching for me there, I receive more "meat" (if you know what I mean). I go to church excitedly and with anticipation because there I get to meet with the Lord and I get strengthened. I receive God's Word and this helps me to grow in my CHristian life.

As for harry Potter, the conclusion is: it's witchcraft and don't read it (at least that's my conclusion). I totally agree with what the article said. Harry Potter is a witch's manual. Did you all get asked about yoga? I found this website that you might like to check up: http://www.reachouttrust.org/articles/alternatives/yoga2.htm
God is pure, perfect and holy. He wants us to abstain from sin and not even let a teeny bit of sin enter our lives so if want to obey him, no witchcraft, no Pokemon, no yoga, no swearing etc. Let's keep ourselves clean from sin!
viv

confused

2005-08-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

kezia... its very cheem... so whats the conclusion?!?!?!

sabby...

Harry Potter

2005-08-17T06:21:00.000-07:00

RE: Sabby's post
I found this LONG article in my youth group archives.
it is so very long and i spent 2 hrs editing it. haha.

HERE IT GOES

Should We Be 'Wild About Harry?'
By Stephen McGarvey

With millions of books sold, J.K. Rowling's Harry
Potter series has popularity beyond your average cultural phenomenon.
The Los Angeles Times reports something along the lines of 116 million copies of Harry Potter books sold, making it one of the most popular children's book series in history. Now the new movie, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," based on the first book about the young wizard, is guaranteed to have children clamoring to the theaters for a glimpse of their magical hero.

Rowling's series tells the story of Harry Potter, an 11-year-old who discovers he has magical powers and goes off to study at the elite Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reader follows Harry's adventures (four books so far, with three more to come) as he learns how to use his powers.

While most parents are excited to see their children putting down the
Nintendo and picking up a book, many Christian parents are concerned
about the effects of filling young minds with so much fantasy. These
concerns have sparked a huge debate between the series' fans and those with concerns over the book's seeming occult content. And in this debate, the gloves have come off.

One recent article referred to those who dislike the books as "holy
rollers" and "paranoid kooks who see heresy in every page." It went on to speak critically of "20/20" reporter John Stossel for bringing to the nation's attention a new video produced by Jeremiah Films titled "Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged - Making Evil Look Innocent."

Christians, too, are not without fault when it comes to public discourse on the topic. Many passed on a ridiculous e-mail hoax accusing Rowling of being a Satanist. Others are quick to be divisive
in their churches over the books. One woman interviewed in a Border's
bookstore told a reporter, "In our church I had a friend of many years who told me that, because I read Harry Potter to my kids, she says I'm not a good Christian and now she won't speak to me."

Two books have appeared this year to help Christians sort out this
mess: "Harry Potter and the Bible" by Richard Abanes and "What's a Christian To Do With Harry Potter?" by Connie Neal.

In his well-researched book, Abanes takes the position that Harry
Potter is not the harmless fun for children many would have
us believe. His primary concern is that American society (including
Christianity) is becoming desensitized to the dangers of occultism.
"Occultism is everywhere now, books, movies, TV, the Internet,"
Abanes says.

"Harry Potter and the Bible" proves to be an excellent resource for
parents who are looking to see how much of the occult the books
contain. An award-winning journalist and a former researcher
for the Christian Research Institute, Abanes provides a thorough and
well-reasoned look at the Harry Potter series. In the first half of his book, Abanes goes practically page-by-page through the Harry Potter series giving the reader not only his insights on what aspects of the books he sees as linked to the occult, but also a good overview of the plot and characters. The second half deals with issues and controversies that have arisen among Christian circles about Harry Potter.

Abanes told Crosswalk.com in a recent interview that he wrote "Harry
Potter and the Bible" to warn Christians that the Harry Potter books
"unlike many other fantasy genre books contain real-world practices,"
practices packaged in such a way to be appealing to children.

"Rowling admits she has been studying witchcraft to make the books
more 'accurate,'" says Abanes. She also says roughly one-third of the
sorcery appearing in the books is material that was once believed in
Britain. "What she fails to mention," continues Abanes, "is that the
vast amount of the occult she borrows from historical sources still
plays a role in modern witchcraft."

Although Rowling maintains that her books are imaginary, according to
Abanes her very real descriptions of astrology, numerology, divination, mediumship, channeling, and crystal gazing, fit nicely alongside contemporary occultism. "I'm not saying she's a witch or a Wiccan," clarifies Abanes, "but her books seem to embrace certain aspects of the occult."

Abanes feels that Harry Potter's magic could easily present spiritual
danger to children. Yet how is the magic (or "occult") of the Harry
Potter series different from the magic found in other beloved children's fairy tales and works of literature? Many, like the "Chronicles of Narnia" or "The Lord of the Rings," are embraced by
Christians. According to Abanes, they differ quite a bit.

Many Harry Potter enthusiasts compare the books to J.R.R. Tolkien's
work, yet Abanes notes some important differences, primarily, in the
way Tolkien treated magic. "Tolkien hated the word
'magic' but he had to use it because he couldn't find another." In "Lord of the Rings," he says, Tolkien's, 'magic' is more an extension of natural ability, like singing or dancing, rather than mysticism or witchcraft.

Abanes also asserts that C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" and J.R.R. Tolkien's
"Middle Earth" are mythopoetic places, meaning the stories take place in a fictional world or dimension far removed from ours.
When creating a new world the author can then create new reality with new rules that have no correlation with our reality. This makes a
clear distinction (especially for children) between fantasy and
reality. While many say this is true of Harry Potter, Abanes says that this is a misunderstanding. "Harry's world is actually our own
world," he contends. "Hogwarts exists in the Scottish countryside and interacts with our world, it's just invisible to 'non-magical' people."

Books like "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" use the standard
symbolism of good versus evil, which Abanes says, Harry Potter flips around. "Harry Potter and the Bible" says the Harry Potter story is
written in a relativistic "ends justifies the means" mindset. "We see [Harry Potter and his friends] doing the same spells that the evil [wizards] are doing. They are actually trained at the same school as the evil wizards. In order to overcome evil they must learn more of the same sorts of spells and powers."

The relativism is evident not just in the use of magic. "Sometimes
they must lie, steal and cheat to overcome evil." Abanes
believes such examples in the book send a message to kids that "you
can be a great person and yet do all these bad things." His book quotes several children who say they love Harry and his friends primarily because they are so "mischievous."

Obviously not all Christians agree with Abanes' opinion on Harry
Potter. Many high-profile evangelicals have spoken publicly about how the Potter books can teach valuable lessons. From another perspective Connie Neal's book "What's a Christian to Do With Harry Potter?"
also seeks to help Christians deal with the issues surrounding the Harry Potter controversy. Neal's book does not contain much of an analysis of the books themselves. Rather, it is more of a plea for believers to treat each other properly. "I do not defend Harry Potter," Neal, a mother of three, tells Crosswalk.com. "I just want to show there is not a 'Christian' position on Harry Potter. I want to help people understand this is a disputable matter." Neal recalls an instance when the subject of Harry Potter came up in a friend's Sunday school class. One little girl in class stood up and proclaimed that her mom says Harry Potter is evil and real Christians don't read it. Of course, there was another upset girl in the class whose mother had read her the Harry Potter stories. "You've got people on both sides, and their kids are caught in the middle."

"Whether or not we see the books as witchcraft," she continues,
"Christians must be willing to let each other come to their own
conclusions." And while most Christians would agree with Neal, most
would also want to be warned if something their children might read is dangerous.

Neal defends J.K. Rowling's portrayal of a blurry "good vs. evil" struggle saying that Rowling writes about evil in a real-world way. In an interview last year with Entertainment Weekly, Rowling herself said that she writes "shades" of evil into characters rather than making the bad guys always bad and good guys always good, because that's what we see in life. "You have Voldemort [the book's main villain], a raging psychopath devoid of the normal human response to other people's suffering then you have Wormtail who out of cowardice will stand in the shadow of the strongest person," say Rowling. Neal
believes that parental guidance with the books will help children
see who is really good and really bad if there is any confusion.

With Harry Potter becoming so enormously popular, Neal feels that
parents are not going to be able to avoid it. Thus, rather than shield their children from the books and tell them Harry Potter is evil, parents should use the books as a teaching tool. "Teach your kids the difference between fantasy and reality, teach them the difference between good and evil, and you won't have a problem with
Harry Potter," says Neal. "My children know the power of God. They do
not confuse it with any 'lesser' power. They have a heart's desire to
resist evil in the world. I've been able to use Harry Potter to help them do that."

Neal contends that the Potter books are merely fantasy and parents should not get too worked up over them. Quoting C.S. Lewis, she says
that fantasy in literature should be considered nothing more or nothing less than what it is within the story.

Abanes, too, says fantasy in literature is "an awesome tool to break
people out of mundane thinking. Yet," he continues, "anything we use
for good can also be perverted and twisted. We have to be careful about whatever fantasy we are reading and see if it is consistent with what we as Christians would say is biblical."

"Parents cannot afford to let someone else do our thinking on this,"
says Neal. "They cannot make this decision based on the opinion of
others." Neal is uncomfortable with people who have come out of a
background in the occult speaking out of their own experience since
she believes their experiences will color their opinions. Because of their experiences, Neal says, Harry Potter "equals the occult" to them. Yet how is the average Christian who is not familiar with the occult to make his own judgment without consulting many sources? Like anything else, responsible parents must investigate something like Harry Potter before turning it over to their kids. If you are looking for a book to help you analyze the content of the Harry Potter books and movie, Richard Abanes' book is a good choice. If you have already made up your mind and you want some advice on how to handle people who disagree in a Christian manner, then Neal's book is probably a better choice.

-----Original Message-----

MAY THE LORD GRANT YOU PROTECTION AS YOU FORWARD THIS
MESSAGE TO YOUR
FRIENDS

What Does God Have To Say?

I am writing this urgent message because I was once a witch. I lived by the stars as an astrologer and numerologist casting horoscopes and spells. I lived in the mysterious and shadowy realm of the occult. By means of spells and magic, I was able to invoke the powers of the "controlling unknown" and fly upon the night winds transcending the astral plane. Halloween was my favorite time of the year and I was intrigued and absorbed in the realm of Wiccan witchcraft. All of this was happening in the decade of the 1960's when witchcraft was just starting to come out of the broom closet. It was during that decade of the 1960's, in the year 1966, that a woman named J.K. Rowling was born. This is the woman who has captivated the world in this year of 2000 with four books known as the "Harry Potter Series."These books are orientational and instructional manuals of witchcraft woven into the format of entertainment. These four books by J.K. Rowling teach witchcraft! I know this because I was once very much a part of that world. Witchcraft was very different in the 1960's. There were a lot fewer witches,and the craft was far more secretive. At the end of that spiritually troubled decade, I was miraculously saved by the power of Jesus Christ and His saving blood. I was also delivered from every evil spirit that lived in me and was set free. However, as I began to attend fundamental Christian churches, I realized that even there witchcraft had left its mark. Pagan holidays and sabats were celebrated as "Christian holidays." As time went on, I watched the so-called "Christian" churches compromising and unifying. I also watched with amazement as teachings from Eastern religions and "New Age" doctrine began to captivate congregations. It was satanic set-up, and I saw it coming. Illuministic conspirators were bringing forth a one-world religion with a cleverly concealed element of occultism interwoven in its teachings. In order to succeed in bringing witchcraft to the world and thus complete satanic control, an entire generation would have to be induced and taught to think like witches, talk like witches, dress like witches, and act like witches. The occult songs of the 1960's launched the Luciferian project of capturing the minds of an entire generation. In he song "Sound Of Silence" by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, we were told of seeds that were left while an entire generation was sleeping, and that the "vision that was planted in my brain still remains." Now it is the year 2000. All of the foundations for occultism and witchcraft are in place. The Illuminists have to move quickly, because time is running out. It was the Communist revolutionary Lenin who said, "Give me one generation of youth, and I will transform the entire world." Now an entire generation of youth has been given to a woman named J.K. Rowling and her four books on witchcraft, known as the Harry Potter Series.

As a former witch, I can speak with authority when I say that I have
examined the works of Rowling and that the Harry Potter books are training manuals for the occult. Untold millions of young people are being taught to think, speak, dress and act like witches by filling their heads with the contents of these books. Children are obsessed with the Harry Potter books that they have left television and video games to read these witchcraft manuals.

The first book of the series, entitled "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", finds the orphan, Harry Potter, embarking into a new realm when he is taken to "Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." At this occult school, Harry Potter learns how to obtain and use witchcraft equipment.

Harry also learns a new vocabulary, including words such as "Azkaban", "Circe", "Draco", "Erised", "Hermes", and "Slytherin"; all of which are names of real devils or demons. These are not characters of fiction!

How serious is this? By reading these materials, many millions of young people are learning how to work with demon spirits. They are getting to know them by name. Vast numbers of children professing to be Christians are also filling their hearts and minds, while willingly ignorant parents look the other way.

The titles of the books should be warning enough to make us realize now satanic and anti-christ these books are. The afore mentioned title of the first book, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", was a real give away.

The second book was called "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets", while the third book was entitled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

Sadly enough, this blatant witchcraft has been endorsed by well-known and respected "Christian" leaders, such as Dr. James Dobson and Chuck Colson, who have proven themselves to be modern day Judas Iscariots. Nothing could be more obvious than that Harry Potter books are pure witchcraft and of the devil. The "Christian" leaders, however, defend them by saying that good magic always wins and overcomes evil magic.

This is the oldest con game ever hatched out of hell. As a real witch, I learned about the two sides of "the force." Apparently, so do many "Christian" leaders. When real witches have sabats
and esbats and meet as coven, they greet each other by saying "Blessed be", and when they part, they say "The Force be with you." Both sides of this "Force" are Satan. It is not a good side of the force that overcomes the bad side of the force, but rather it's the blood of Jesus Christ that destroys both supposed sides of the satanic "Force."

High level witches believe that there are seven satanic princes and
that the seventh, which is assigned to Christians, has no name. In coven meetings, he is called "the nameless one." In the Harry Potter books, there is a character called "Voldemort." The pronunciation guide says of this being "He who must not be named."

On July 8 at midnight, bookstores everywhere were stormed by millions of children to obtain the latest and fourth book of the series known as "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire." These books were taken into homes everywhere with a real evil spirit following each copy to curse those homes.

July 8th was also the 18th day (three sixes in numerology) from the witches' sabat of midsummer. July 8th was also the 13th day from the signing of the United Religions Charter in San Francisco. Now we
have learned that the public school system is planning to use the magic of Harry Potter in the classrooms making the public schools centers of witchcraft training.

What does God have to say about such books as the Harry Potter series? In the Bible in the book of Acts, we read the following in the 19th chapter, verses 18 - 20: "And many that believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the Word of God and prevailed."

As parents, we will answer to God if we allow our children to read witchcraft books. The Word of God will prevail mightily in your life only if such things of Satan are destroyed. This tract has been prayed over, and hope it has helped you. If we may be of further assistance, please contact us.

kezia's party

2005-08-17T02:48:00.000-07:00

hmm... i think kezia's party idea will be good... but not sure if people can make it like if u invite them so... lets hope it doesn't end up as just us christians watching the movie???

hey... you know some christians think that harry potter is bad and stuff... whereas some people think its okay... wonder what you all think... post okay?

PS: vivi... u attend the adults service?

the power of prayer...
sab.

Questions

2005-08-17T01:37:00.000-07:00

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .
A few questions to ask those who bother.
1. What is the true meaning of fellowship? I tink dori metioned a bit about dat, but is sum1 able to gimme a detailed explanation or sumting?
2. What happens during baptism and what does it signify? I heard a bit about this through my cgl. but wan to noe more.
3. This is more on this website. Do you think we can create a bond so that we are able to trust in each other and share our thoughts without fear that pple will lauf at u?
to dori...i wonder how many pple in the world ever talk about their spiritual growth and so on with others. For most pple, it is veri difficult to share ur true thoughts, agree?
Probably we should meet regularly and pray for each other and discuss face-to-face? We can create a bond liddat. We can use the library...yup...do u tink u will sacrifice ur recess or lunch to do dat? I wun mind. Yup. Dat's all for now, cya!
P.S. Viv, probably u can post it here when u are free.=)
Agape Luv,
Kez

sundaysundaysunday

2005-08-12T06:39:00.000-07:00

anyway.. i tink we go to church becoz of the fellowship wif the ppl in churhc coz the bible states clearly tat u must haf fellowship.. but i gess fellowship among us frenws oso can but in fellowship.. it doent mean tat u tok bout the weather.. the clotes.. the cute boys in church.. but u actually tok wif each other obout thier spiritually growth.. accounting for each other.. technically tat is wad we should do but we havent come to tat stage in my church lar... i tink u go to church everyweek also for personal revival..but u cant be a sunday christian... i tink we should also set sundays aside for thinking and devoting our time to god.. not 24 hrs lar.. but i still not really doign tat but i make it a point to do but quiet time on sunday coz sometimes during the weekday sleep so late nva do but on sunday i make sure i do..dory

To becks

2005-08-12T03:17:00.000-07:00

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .
Hardcore jesus freak? lol. i dun tink so. . . so . . for your answer to viv, do you mean evangelism?...spreading God's word?...well, i tink i haf a plan. But it might take a period of time. But at least it is better than nothing.=)... During my b'dae party (at least i tink so), gonna watch The Passion of the Christ together. Hope so. I mean those hu havent watch it will probably want to watch it. Those hu watched will not mind to watch again rite?...pls comment ....thnx....Agape love, your sister in Christ (Kez)

my answer

2005-08-11T23:04:00.000-07:00

viv..we are ambassadors of christ..we have to go out and live for god..and preach..and if we want others to listen..we must be held highly in their eyes..so we should remain righteous do well in as many aspects as possible.. and be bold for him.
becks

hoping for another day

2005-08-11T22:57:00.000-07:00

hey everybody
kezia..i think i go to church cos its the time i set aside for god.we go there and have fellowship, etc. we are not obligated by our parents or becos its habitual and there fore we are inclined to do so. neither are we condemned to it. but we have busy lifestyles..and church time is the time we calm our self before the presence of god. we present our slf before god on those two hours every week head back on course to what god wants us to do. everyday we somehow wander from the way of life god wants us to live.
so go to church everyweek knowing why you do..to praise him
kezia..youre a hardcore jesus freak..and i admire that
becks

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-08-10T23:57:00.000-07:00

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .
Hey peeps. Just wanted to ask a qtn. What makes you all go back to church evrywk?....issit sumting habitual?...or issit bcoz of parents?......i tink those are meaningless....but oh well, most pple are liddat i guess...i believe we all are not liddat.....hope so....=)
Kezia

Question

2005-08-08T05:42:00.000-07:00

Hi this is viv
Can someone please share their views on 'Being a Christian out of church'? I am quite interested in this topic and would like to know your views on it.

Walking in PDA

2005-08-04T04:31:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. This is Viv and I would like to share our pastor's sermon with all of you. I find it very meaningful. Walking in PDA:
P for personal revival: Personal revival means having a personal relationship with God. Doing your devotions, praying and talking to God.
D for divine appointment: God gives us opportunities to share the gospel. I have been praying for Swetha and I seize any opportunity to share to gospel with her. And that meant listening to talk about her Mahabrata or something like that. Anyway, after that, she asked me about what Christianity is. She thought it was all about Noah's Ark. That was when I shared some of the gospel with her (because the bus stopped as it had reached school)
A for active obedience: When God gives us divine appointments, we have to obey! When we obey God, we please him. Obeying God means obeying his word. HIs Word says preach the gospel to all nations, love your neighbour, only saying words that are edifying (build up) and not being conformed to the world (Romans 12:2) Let's obey God!

Maybe you might be saying that you don't know how to share the gospel. There is one thing that you can do: pray. Pick a person you want to come to know Christ and pray for that person. God is faithful, he will answer prayers.
viv
P.S. by the way, I have read this real good book on sharing the gospel. If you remind me, I'll share brief points about it next time I come online. No time now!

thanks

2005-07-27T06:56:00.000-07:00

yar.. thanks guys..for the answers.. i gess tat helped.. a lot.. i lyk the part bout kneelin down when u tink to high bout yrself.. tat made sense.. anyway,... thanks lot guys.. i try to remember ....d.o.r.y.f.i.s.h

another thing

2005-07-23T02:31:00.000-07:00

we all know what we should do as a christian. we do we never do it? i mean we know how we should treat god, what we should do, we kinda of attitude we should have. but again its so paainful to do it.
sometimes we abide by god once or twice, and we think its fatastic.
we know we need to love god, we know why, we want to, but its too hard to live for him..
why?
satan..?
fess up all of you who do the same. and try harder to live for god.
to die for god is easier than to live for him.
god bless, becks

answer to doras post

2005-07-23T02:04:00.000-07:00

heyy
seriously...i think im the worst christian out of everybody here.
i dont just lie on my back and look towards heaven..i lie on my side and imagine hes beside me. its not only informal, it shows like no respect. i talk to Him like i would to a friend. sometimes i think i treat him very badly. im mean not like shit lar..but only very superficial prayers..or sometimes i just ignore him. when i have a problem only then do i come running to him. i have tried to improve this i guess..
i only kneel sometimes..due to feeling very guilty. mebbe you guys can stick it on your prayers lists..a short request for me.
i dont think christians have to be absolutly perfect..its also impossible..we just try to be morally upright. we done have to be the best. we just have to be the best we can be. we cannot slack just beacause things like academics are not realted to God. We are still ambassadors of god.
although we have to know and confess that what the world confesses is righteous god considers filthy..i suppose we have do things to our best to be above the rest. so we can say we are only better due to gods help and grace.i suppose abit erm..prideful, but i dont know a better way to phrase it. lemme try again. we have to things righteous by our standards to impress the world, so the have a good impression and learn to respect us. and when they repect us for our religion, the respect our god.
so i suppose once in a while when were feeling very proud, to get down on your knees and humble yourself to know you will never be perfect.
Salvation is the greatest gift i have had, i had had, i will have. it is more important than life itself for the single reason. it is our passage way to eternal happiness. life itself is short term gratification and is in the end us doomed to death. for death in itself is a part of life. salvation lets us renew this short time on earth by letting us be reborn to live in gods kingdom.
i hope that helped..since the rest of the questions have already been answered
becks

5 things tt makes God happie=)

2005-07-19T10:02:00.000-07:00

"5 things that makes God smile
1: when we love Him supremely
2: when we trust Him completely
3: when we obey Him wholeheartedly
4: when we give HIm praise and thanks continually
5: when we use our abilities
these are the 5 things tt makes God happy
(:
and of cos
wad makes Him sad
is by adding a DO NOT
into the 5 statements"
Kezia..=)

What is God's purpose for us?

2005-07-18T07:13:00.000-07:00

“God has a plan for everyone of us. He reveals his plan when the time is RIGHT. We just have to walk by FAITH that he'll guide us through.
When the path seems so dim, narrow and filled with lots of obstacles, its by faith that God gives us strength, hope and perseverance to "move all mountains"
Heb 11:6, Without Faith it is impossible to please God
for he shall reward those who earnestly seek Him.” Ms Tan

Summary of Dory's qtns...

2005-07-18T06:58:00.000-07:00

A summary of Dory’s qtns…..
1. What do you view God as?
2. How many pple of you out dere kneel and bow when u pray?
3. What do u view salvation as?
4. Do Christians hafta be purrfect?
5. What do we hafta do as a Christian?…(academic results?)
6. How do we know God’s plans for us?

2. I kneel down some of the time...yeah...

4. Christians do sin....but we try our best not to sin...i tink sum1 told me tt ting b4...=)

6. Keep praying...keep praying....hang on dere!=)

Goodbye,
signing off as da bubbly kez..

quesions...

2005-07-16T09:24:00.000-07:00

well well well.. i really wanna thank the lord for making this forum work.. i seriously wasnt excepting it to work coz at first it was lyk oni me and becky and no one else.. but poof.. magic.. evrybody starts posting and givin their views and i am really impress... aniwae i really haf lots of questions in my head.. firstly. i wanna ask u guys out there wad u view god as.. a friend? the creator of the universe? your saviour? your master? u see in the bible chapter dunnoe wad(i tink it is john) verse dunnoe wad.. jesus views his disciples as friends right?? i hope so.. but if we view him as friends then the relationship between us and christ is rather informal.. but if we view him as the creator of the universe, the king of kings and the lord of lords, we haf to respect his majesty and treat him wif formality.. how many of you ppl out there bow and kneel down when u say your prayer.. to tell the truth.. i dont really bow and kneel down.. i lie on my back.. facing the ceiling and start toking to god.. tat's bit informal but i view god as my best friend... i really dun noe the best way to see him as.. but i guess if u see him as a friend though the king.. the relationship between both of us is strong.. but with u treat him lyk some ppl treat the kings with all the formaility.. i guess the relationship is bit strain... which leads me to another question.. how do u ppl view your salvation as.. as in.. do u really repent.. understood the fact that even your righteous acts are lyk filthy rags(i tink dis is how the verse goes lar) but u get the point?? tat u r really sinful.. full of sins tat u without god's grace u will die.. lyk it is very desperate.. coz salvation is based n god's grace. not by our acts .. so salvation is not just admitting u r a sinner and tat all.. u must really admit that u are full of sin and lyk u are lyk nva perfect and u really need god's grace .. as in really really need it.. which brings me to another question... issit all rite for us to just sin a bit.. coz u cant except us to bo perfect rite.. i but all of us each sin a day rite.. whether u tell a white lie.. did something u noe u r not suppose to do.. however minor the sin is.. it is still sinful rte?? so does dis mean that we haf to be perfect... anywae.. dis is my final quesiton.. wad do we haf to do as christian.. if u are a christaitn but u are really bad at studies.. it does not mean that u are a bad christian.. the bible nva dd say that u haf to get A+ to be a gd christian.. it is the society and mindset round us rite???(i hope so) as a student it is our duty to excel in our studies.. but as a christian student.. after we repented .. i offer our lives to him rite.. coz nothing that we haf that is not already his.. except our lives. and yes.. we dedicate our lives to him rite.. so while waiting for our calling.. to find or noe our purpose in life.. do we still continue to pursue our own goals.. my goal is to get 4 A+ for my psle.. is tat wad god wants me to do.. how do i noe wad is my purpose...yar.. i yes dis is bout all..i jus realise the plan part is realted to one of kezia's posts... jus pray tat god would find a suitable plan for u and i tink i post in my 1st post taht we were created wif a purpose.. dory

heyy

2005-07-16T09:06:00.000-07:00

sorry to interupt the unstable forum, but the skin is irritating. mind if we change. i cant see the words. go to www.waitingforjesus.blogspot.com and see if you like.
if you prefer it, just tag.

becks

Regarding becks' blog....

2005-07-15T06:43:00.000-07:00

I asked Ms Tan tt qtn....
"We are the children of God
and our parents are our adopted parents
appointed by God.
God wants our parents to take good care of us on his behalf.
Thus, great responsibility is on our parents.
And as parents,
it is important tt we teach our children well,
teach them God's words and ways,
so tt we can be accountable to God."

trust.

2005-07-15T03:01:00.000-07:00

hey how all of you
well i agree with all of you and what you say actually but except for viv were all kinda wandering off point.
how about the topic of adoption?
are we children of god or just adopted children.
this one im not sure at all so if you can just check your bibles corithians or philipians not sure. i was eavesdropping on the sermon after sunday school. help out kay?
becks

Quoted

2005-07-12T07:24:00.000-07:00

"We learnt about how to listen to God speaking to us today... i guess i've always been searching for that... we pray and pary and the Lord answers but we dont know if that's really the Lord's answer.. i've really been blessed by the sermon today... :)

ok... for those that are yearning to know what i learnt, 3 points from today's sermon:
How does God speak to us during our prayer?

1. Use your brains
'Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.' -Psalm 32:9

its kinda logical la... but sometimes, somethings can get quite confusing.. right?? and your brains fail.. so what do you do??? read on!! haha...

2. Renewal of your mind
'Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will.' -Romans 12:2

i always took this verse as an excuse to do wierd things.. as in like... not doing what usual earthlings do.. haha... and it was my encouragement when ppl say that i'm like wierd or that i'm all holy and all.. never thought it was the key to listening to God's voice....

Mr Joseph Lim(our speaker) pointed out that if we wanted God to talk to us, we have to renew our mind.. tts probably why when we pray, we always start with confession and asking for forgiveness... to cleanse ourselves so that God can speak to us... logical if you think about it... God is so holy and hence we have to clean ourselves as much as we can so that He can speak to us.. not that He despises us when we sin... but.... AIYA.. i'm bad at this.... God loves us and wants to talkt to us.. but sin is what seperates us both.... and He can only get rid of this barrier if we allow Him to... so ya... we have to confess and all first.... get it?? sorry if i confused you.. anyway, on to the last point...

3. God's ultimate plan
'All the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him:"What have you done?"' -Daniel 4:35

i always took it that God has a plan for me and its perfect... but i never thought of the fact that His plan for me might not be what i want... like everyone wants a happy life, and i do too... but that might not be His plan for me... not that God doesnt loveme, He does...He just has other plans for me.... and i trust Him on that... look at Jesus.. His life wasnt very happy, it wasnt very nice.. He even had to die the most awful death... but yet, He ended up as my Lord and Saviour... hey! He saved the whole world...God's plan doesnt mean a smooth life to happiness too... when Joseph got betrayed by his own brothers(Genesis 37 onwards) His future didnt appear very bright... but in the end, he was the king's most trusted man.... and this took place over TWENTY YEARS... so the rough patch you are going through might last a long time.. but you can be sure the Lord will carry you through... :)

today's message really really spoke to me in that way.. and the last statement Mr Joseph Lim said, said it all...

God knows your future. Trust Him.

today is the first sunday after stopping work as a youth worker.. its kinda hard to stop being one once youve been one cause you kinda naturally start worrying about the things you worried about when you were a youth worker... but i guess you'll have to let go sometime..... hmm..."

From http://agape-luv.diaryland.com/.....u might wan to take a look....meaningful...=D
May the Holy Spirit continue to our lives....
signing off,
bubbly Kezia...

Regarding Rebekah's and Kezia's blog

2005-07-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

hi it's me again. Responding to REbekah's blog, I think that God looks at the heart and not at the outward appearance for the BIble says '...for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7. Some Christians claim to be but their actions do not reflect the God they worship. e.g. they use God's name in vain which is violating one of God's Ten Commandments! "Not every one who says to Me 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven' Matthew 7:21. If the Catholics heart is pure and follows after God, if they accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour anddo the will of God, they will enter heaven

As for Kezia, amen to everything you said! 1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man and God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also that you may be able to endure it." Trust in God because he knows everything that we need or want. "For I know the plans that I have for you...plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11. Wow Kezia, I admire you for being able to stand strong despite your family being non-Christian. HOw did you become a Christian? Hang on in there. I'll be praying for you. viv

kezia...

2005-07-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

I totally agree with vivienne. Amen! Let us leave evrything in Gods hands. For He will never give us something we cannot handle. Imagine the love He has for us. Unmentionable. Wat bout parental disagreement?.....I come from a non-christian family. Instead, I have a feeling my whole family is against christianity. except for me of course. Tries to pray daily bout dis. Pray for me k?....
It is faith dat we need to have and not fear. Satan is always working on our FEAR. Thus, we need to have FAITH in God and trust in Him. Let's all do dis together. Probably u wan to meet up during recess?....pls comment....thnx
signing off,
da bubbly Kezia

hey

2005-07-07T06:14:00.000-07:00

sup guys... well this forum is getting more buisness i suppose.
amen vivienne, im with you, and i suppose the rest are. i hope.
any body knows whether catholics will go to heaven? i mean they do believe that jesus died for their sins. but they also kinda pray to virgin mary.
so they going or not?
sorry to all the non christians who think im assuming on groundless terms. but catholics and christians do conflict right.
i should think everything here is based on christianity.
christians reply.
becks.

Do not conform to this world

2005-07-07T02:45:00.000-07:00

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . . Hi this is Vivienne. This is my first time to this site and I think that it's wonderful to have some friends that you can bond together in prayer and the Word of God.

I feel that the best way of reaching out to people is being a good example yourself. God said "Let your light shine before men, in such a way that may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. " Matthew 5:16. We need to realise that we are not of this world but of God. "Do not be conformed to this world but be tranformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:2.

Some basic things that we can do in every day school life: Don't complain. "Do everything without grumbling or disputing that you may prove yourselves children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world." Phillipians 2:14. Go the extra mile. e.g. helping someone up when they fall down, helping someone to photocopy a worksheet when they have lost theirs, lending someone your pocket money when they dont' have any etc. Always smile. Forgive those whom you find hard to forgive. Most importantly, have love in your heart. If you do, all the other above things will just fall into place.

Yet, all these things cannot be done without God's help. A very good suggestion to you is to do your devotions everyday. Once I did that, my relationship with God became closer and everyday I go off track, my devotions will put me in the right perspective. Church is also very important. Praying and fasting is what I'll be doing tomorrow as part of my schedule. You might say that you don't have the time to study but once you put God first in your life, everything else will be added unto you. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you" Matthew 6:33. I have been doing this for the past 6 years but my studies haven't detoriatied because I trust in God and God is faithful.

A Winner's Promise

2005-07-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

A Winner's Promise:
* I will have confidence in myself and put my trust in God.
* I will have courage for the big things and patience for the small things.
* I will admit mistakes, learn forgiveness and go on with the game.
* I will not call myself a loser or a failure until I've failed to try.
* I will set sound, worthy goals and work for them one day at a time and one play at a time.
* I will do what I can and not worry about scoring, winning and making the big plays, because just doing my best and playing fair is what really makes me a winner, both in life and on the playing field.

Story

2005-07-04T06:20:00.000-07:00

Just a story i would lyk to share.....

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand; one belonged to him, and the other to the Lord. When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only on set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.

This really bothered him and he questioned the Lord about it. "Lord, you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand and why when I needed you most you would leave me." The Lord replied, "My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Psalm 23:4 (KJV)

AMEN! TO GOD BE THE GLORY
Signing off as
The bubbly
Kezia....

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

2005-07-04T06:16:00.000-07:00

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .
We are taking a plane to heaven. But, we need to have a transit to heaven. The place where we wait for our second plane is earth. This is not our home. We are just passing by. The motive for God to place us in this place is to develop our characters, make us better pple. Thus, we should try to improve ourselves....to serve him for ETERNITY.....this is just our TEMPORARY TRANSIT. We should grow in character here. Make ourselves better. Only thru constant prayer and effort, this is possible. AMEN? AMEN!GOD IS GD ALL E TYM......anonymous

2005-07-03T05:21:00.000-07:00

There is none like you
There is none like You.
No one else can touch my heart like You do.
I could search for all eternity long and find
there is none like You.

Your mercy flows like a river wide,
and healing comes from Your hand.
Suffering children are safe in your arms;
there is none like You.

There is none like You.
No one else can touch my heart like You do.
I could search for all eternity long and find
there is none like You.
I could search for all eternity long and find
there is none
there is none
there is none like You.

The Lord takes care of us in all circumstances, no matter what we do, he will forgive us.
There is definitely no one who can ever replace him in our hearts
He takes care of anyone and everyone from the young to the old, the poor to the rich
But yet not everyone has come to notice that.
We should try to tell everyone we can about Him and what he has done for each and everyone of us...
Never give up no matter what happens!!!!

40 days of Purpose

2005-07-03T03:20:00.000-07:00

Harlow, This is Kezia here. There is recently this program in my church(TPMC). Hope you all will be able to join.
The website you should go to to find out more is:
http://www.40days.sg
Thnx!

With all I am

2005-07-03T03:15:00.000-07:00

With all I am

Into Your hands, I commit again,
All I am, for You, Lord
You hold my world in the palm of Your hand
Now I'm Yours forever

Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the Reason that I live,
the Reason that I sing
With all I am...

I'll walk with You whereever You go
Through tears and joy I'll trust in You
and I will live in all of Your ways
and in Your promises forever.

Jesus I believe in You
Jesus I belong to You
You're the Reason that I live,
the Reason that I sing
With all I am...

living for Him too

2005-07-02T01:14:00.000-07:00

hey i see this blog has been a leetle bit deserted huh..... im not sure what questions to ask but this is a weird way to hold a forum.
ok then lets head back to science
who believes in evolution
i dont. according to the bible, the earth was created from nothing.... no big bang theory, no nuts.
therefore also there would be nothing for the apes to evolve from, no apes to begin with. animals were created before man, a few days before. the bible also says that man was created on the sixth day, so.. well yeah.
dora and the other christians around, please add on
becks

n e earth shall be filled

2005-06-24T01:38:00.000-07:00

And the earth shall be filled

Chorus
and the earth shall be filled
with the knowledge
of the glory
of the lord just like the waters
cover the sea

lifting up a standard for the nations
to demonstrate the purpose of the nations
his people unshamed
to proclaim his name
as the goodness of the lord fills all in all

i realised tat tis song is for evangelism...tat we as his people should proclaim his name... its hard.. but we haf to try...
dory

church camp

2005-06-22T02:57:00.000-07:00

dori here.. and church camp rocks so much.. so dis is wad i learn/....our christian purpose here on earth is to store up treasures in heaven as we are gonna spend enternity there.. we should spend our life on earth chasing materialistic stuff. we haf to be rich in gd deeds(1 timothy 6:17).. we do not belong to earth.. jus a passing place.. our place is in heaven belove.. so we haf to be prepared... the bible said tat we r gonna be rulers of the universe.. we seriously need to wake up and do something... god already haf a purpose for us.. he choose us to be his ppl before he even made the world.. so we must take action... not just be rich in gd deeds.. be witness for him.. which is hard.. we haf to go thru trials and tribulaiton... it is hard being a christian.. but god said he will provide a way out... we got to be zeolous for the lord(romans 12:11).. professing him as our lord and saviour is not enough.. we must obey him.. let him take control of our life... we must put jesus 1st.. not on the same par as out luv ones.. luv him more den tat.. luv him wif all our heart, mind, soul, might... cANnot enjoy life.. he left us in the world to take away our sinful nature.. go through trials to get stronger.. it is by his grace tat we can sustain our selves...and here on earth.. we oso must reach out..as a fellower of christ..we r soul winners.. and the great commission already asked us to make disciple... (proverbs 11;30) he hu wins souls is wise...souls are very prescious.. it doent = the world.. wad will happen if they go to hell...it is our responsibilty.. rite now i m preaching to yimin whu say s she already knew but she wouldnt change.. evangelism is not a one dya thing.. we must follow up on the person day by day.. so tat they noe we r sincere.. and we haf to be gd crhstiandss.. gd witness.. through our actions.. aniwae.. tat's all

our daily bread

__the one__

revival

hello!

Hmm

church camp

__the one__

Interview with Rick Warren

reply

hell

Healing

prayer

Have FAITH

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

The Three Trees

the heart

Trading my sorrows

heyy

In response to dora's blog

back to the harry potter debate

toodeeloo

nothing much

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

Fellowship

Answers...and more

ERM,,,

Questions

Prayer Works Wonders

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

website

catching up...

*confused*

Harry Potter

kezia's party

Questions

sundaysundaysunday

To becks

my answer

hoping for another day

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

Question

Walking in PDA

thanks

another thing

answer to doras post

5 things tt makes God happie=)

What is God's purpose for us?

Summary of Dory's qtns...

quesions...

heyy

Regarding becks' blog....

trust.

Quoted

Regarding Rebekah's and Kezia's blog

kezia...

hey

Do not conform to this world

A Winner's Promise

Story

B e l i e v e . i n . g o d . . .

40 days of Purpose

With all I am

living for Him too

n e earth shall be filled

church camp

the one

the one

confused