A word of encouragement~

taken from daily devotional material - worthy ministries

Proverbs 22:1 : "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver or gold."

My comments and personal messages on facebook and msn has been a lot about God and includes bible verses and personal prayers such as "I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me". I've had comments on "oh you shouldn't put your nickname in MSN like that, it's too extreme"...

Well honestly, would a msn nick "Busy doing assignment, stressing out, going through depression, just ate a nice cake, or a random nick" serve any purpose? I mean really, stop reading this for 5 minutes and scroll through your msn contacts. What do you see? Anything encouraging? Or just another person perhaps looking for sympathy, or articles for assignment, or being bored..

Personally, the reason why I love to put encouraging verses or quotes on my blog, facebook or msn is because I feel that people need it, and I don't want the attention on I, me and myself, it really is ALL about Him, looking at the bigger picture, without Him, all we do or say is useless cuz He is the one who gives us life and the ability to communicate and share His goodness.

Life is bigger than your exam, life is bigger than what happened yesterday night at the party, or what movie you watched, the latest political news or sporting event. Life is about Him, shining His glory and living a life worthy to be called a child of God.

I would encourage whoever who's reading to think about changing your personal message on msn for some time, put anything encouraging, be it a verse, a line in a song, a quote, a promise, and wait and see if people will nudge "thanks bro I needed that encouragement today". There is power in what we say, be it verbal or written, check this out:

Proverbs 18:21 - "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit"

2 Thessalonians 2:15-17 - "So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

and my favorite:

Proverbs 15:23 - "A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, And a word spoken in due season, how good it is!"

Be Blessed! and may we be a blessing to the people around us.

God bless you

Japh

Currently reading~ again..

Boy meets Girl. (Joshua Harris) -

'A couple committed to God's glory places their ultimate hope in God, not in each other. Before two people can please God as a couple, they must first be individuals who want God more than anything else and who know that only He can satisfy the deepest longings of their souls.

One of my favorite authors, John Piper, has made his life message this simple but profound truth: "God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him." What does this mean? It means we can exalt God by trusting in Him and desiring Him above anything else in life- more than companionship, more than romance, more than marriage. When we do, out lives say louder than words that HE is more fufilling than all these things.

Unlike all the fleeting pleasures of this world, when we make God the object of our soul's longing, He truly satisfies us - we find lasting peace and joy that we long for. Only then can we have a healthy, happy relationship, because instead of the relationship being our reason for living, it becomes an expression of the fact that we're living for Someone greater.' (Harris, 2000)

God Bless You!

I will in trust in You, Jesus...

You give and take away
My heart will chose to say
Blessed be Your name...

You open doors and close some
I may not fully understand why
But I chose to trust in You
Cuz You know what's best

"Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;

Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls-

Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.

The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer's feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills."

Taken from Habakkuk 3:17-19

He alone is my Rock and my Salvation
He is my Sheild
I will not be shaken

My deliverer, My comforter in times of trouble
My portion, My everything
My God is mighty to save....

My family~

THe Chew Familylove them to bits!, from left, Japheth, Sarah, Irene, Deborah, Jeffrey Chew ;)

~All About Love~ Steven Curtis Chapman

We've got CDs tapes and videos and radio and TV shows
Conferences retreats and seminars
We've got books and magazines to read on everything from A to Z
And a web to surf from anywhere we are

But I hope with all this information buzzing through our brains
That we will not let our hearts forget the most important thing is...

Love love love love love
It's all about
Love love love love love
Everything else comes down to this
Nothing any higher on the list than love
It's all about love

Now they're fighting in the Middle East and they're fighting down on 7th street
And there are fights in my own house on given days
It's like something¹s lurking deep inside that can't seem to be satisfied
But life was not meant to be lived this way

'Cause it's true for every man and woman every boy and girl
That our only hope for living here together in this world is...

Love love love love love
It's all about
Love love love love love
Everything else comes down to this
Nothing any higher on the list than love
It's all about love

This is the reason we were made
To know the love of our Creator
And to give the love He's given us away
Yeah, the Maker and the Father and the God of everything says...

Love them like Jesus~ Casting Crowns

The love of her life is drifting away
They're losing the fight for another day
The life that she's known is falling apart
A fatherless home, a child's broken heart

You're holding her hand, you're straining for words
You trying to make - sense of it all
She's desperate for hope, darkness clouding her view
She's looking to you

Just love her like Jesus, carry her to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves her and stay by her side
Love her like Jesus
Love her like Jesus

The gifts lie in wait, in a room painted blue
Little blessing from Heaven would be there soon
Hope fades in the night, blue skies turn to gray
As the little one slips away

You're holding her hand, you're straining for words
You're trying to make sense of it all
They're desperate for hope, darkness clouding their view
They're looking to you

Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus

Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you

So love them like Jesus, love them like Jesus
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus
Love them like Jesus

Love song for a saviour ~ Jars of Clay

in open fields of wild flowers
she breathes the air and flies aways
he thanks her Jesus for the daises and the roses
in no simple language
someday she'll understand the meaning of it all

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
as close a heartbeat or a song on her lips
someday she'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
someday He'll call her and she will come running
and fall in His arms and the tears will fall down and she'll pray

i want to fall in love with You

sitting silent wearing sunday best
the sermon echoes through the walls
a great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere, and can't feel the chains on their souls

He's more than the laughter or the stars in the heavens
as close a heartbeat or a song on our lips
someday we'll trust Him and learn how to see Him
someday He'll call us and we will come running
and fall in his arms and the tears will fall down and we'll pray

i want to fall in love with You

it seems too easy to call You "Savior"
not close enough to call You "God"s
o as i sit and think of words i can mention
to show my devotion
iwant to fall in love with You

F.O.C.U.S!!

F- Finish what you need to do!
O- Other things can wait for later!
C- Concentrate on the important things!
U- Utilize every time you have and Use it wisely!
S- Succeed rather than just Survive!

Yes I need more of that! Lord Help Me!

Recently in need of a whole lot of that, although trying to cut down things have been hard, saying 'no' to new things has been even harder!! ish. FOCUS JAPH!!!I guess I'm learning that not every event in life has to be attended. I mean, what's there to miss anyway. And when other things are starting to take priority over your personal time with God, that's dangerous. Nothing, and I mean nothing is more important that spending time with God, not even spending time with friends. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

I've also been learning to really love others the way God wants me too. I mean, though I may have the faith to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing really.. The world has enough racist people, haters, rebels, proud and egoistic people, this world needs people who loves beyond themselves.. teach me Lord to love the way You would..

I always say how life could be better if only this and if only that, but really how about make the best of it in every circumstance? it's a choice to live in whatever state you may be in, and we can choose to either be happy or sad about the choices we have made/ will make. Life moves on. Do your best in whatever you and do and leave the rest to God. It's His life your living for anyway..

Well I could go around ranting but I could have more better things to do haha like getting started on yet another assignment :) and for some reason people have been telling me to enjoy doing it? that's hard! haha.

Japheth

Please Pray for Malaysia!! 16/09/08

I'm writing this on the 16 September 2008 at 1am, the date up there is incorrect for some reason. Anyway.

Many many events has been happening in our nation these past few days.

Please read the newspapers to find out what's been happening.

Racial tension, persecution, politcal unrest and a posible toppling of the government.

Please Pray for our Nation, today. Today is Malaysia day for those who might not know.

I'm seriously pleading with you guys, STOP praying only for your assignments and tests. Our country seriously needs prayer.

Whatever happens whether today or in the next few days will affect the whole nation.

Thanks and God bless!

Japh

Worlds apart~ Jars of Clay

I am the only one to blame for this
Somehow it all ends up the same
Soaring on the wings of selfish pride
I flew too high and like Icarus I collide

With a world I try so hard to leave behind
To rid myself of all but love
to give and die

To turn away and not become
Another nail to pierce the skin of one who loves
more deeply than the oceans,
more abundant than the tears
Of a world embracing every heartache

Can I be the one to sacrifice
Or grip the spear and watch the blood and water flow

To love you - take my world apart
To need you - I am on my knees
To love you - take my world apart
To need you - broken on my knees

All said and done I stand alone
Amongst remains of a life I should not own
It takes all I am to believe
In the mercy that covers me

Did you really have to die for me?
All I am for all you are
Because what I need and what I believe are worlds apart

I look beyond the empty crossf
orgetting what my life has cost
and wipe away the crimson stains
"dull the nails that still remain"

More and more I need you now,
I owe you more each passing hour
the battle between grace and pride
I gave up not so long ago

So steal my heart and take the pain
and wash the feet and cleanse my pride
take the selfish, take the weak,
and all the things I cannot hide
take the beauty, take my tears
the sin-soaked heart and make it yours

take my world all apart
take it now, take it now
and serve the ones that I despise
speak the words I can't deny
watch the world I used to love
fall to dust and thrown away

I look beyond the empty cross
forgetting what my life has cost
so wipe away the crimson stains
"dull the nails that still remains"
so steal my heart and take the pain
take the selfish, take the weak
and all the things I cannot hide

take the beauty, take my tears
take my world apart, take my world apart
I pray, I pray, I pray
take my world apart~