Deuteronomy 18-27

There are so many laws in this reading that some of them had to be categorized as 'Miscellaneous' laws, in my bible at least ;) seriously! in other words, RANDOM laws! hehe. For example: don't wear clothes that mixes both wool and linen (uhh?). Or 'don't plow with an ox and a donkey together (ok..)

But there were some great laws too, like 'don't break your vows' and my personal favorite law of this chapter, 'when a man has taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war or to be charged with any business, he shall be free at home one year, and bring happiness to his wife whom he has taken',and all the men say, woohoo!

Now here's my point. With SOO many laws in the old testament to adhere to, it was impossible to follow all of them. The law is NOT bad, but it is also extremely hard to keep to and is legalistic. Back then, the punishment for breaking laws were mostly death. No wonder Christ had to come and fulfill the law; he didn't come to abolish it but to fulfill it and give us grace and a new way of approaching the law. It is now the 'issue of the heart' more than external doings. It is because of Him that we can be 'free' of many of these legalistic laws and enter into His new covenant; no more of 'breaking laws = sacrificing animals as an IOU for what i've done' but of confessing our sins and asking His forgiveness', because He has paid the price for our sins.

Thank God for what He has done. I can't imagine having to live in those days; may have to view many rebellious sons being stoned in public or wives who tried to defend their husbands in a fight having their hands chopped off. I'm not saying sin can be taken lightly in modern days; the punishment will still be there; in the afterlife, if we don't confess n repent. So live right lives yo!

Deuteronomy 8- 17

"Every commandment which I command you today you must be careful to observe, that you may live and multiply... And you shall remember that the Lord your God let you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord..."

Feels like I'm quite in a wilderness myself. Now at least I know the purpose of it. to humble me, to test me, to know what was in my heart, whether i would keep His commandments or not..

i hope i survive this wilderness, for it is lonely, and painful..

It's good to know He is still sustaining me. He feeds me with that 'manna'; strength enough to get me through the day. Thank You, Lord.

Numbers 34 - Deuteronomy 7

Today I learnt mostly of the need to be humble and to listen to His voice and to yield in total submission to His will.

Not really related to today's readings, which was mostly similar to the previous readings and a recap of laws and other geographical locations etc etc. I was more drawn to understand more about the character of Moses; the unlikely leader who God chose to lead His people out of Egypt and into the promise land. Unlikely because he was unconfident, slow of speech, and exiled out of his own country.

I for one, would hate to take on Moses's job. Here is a man who not only had to deal with all the complaining people who many times refused His leadership but also did not make it to the promise land. For whatever reason God decided not to even 'talk about it'; whether it was because Moses had ONE occasion of outburst when he beat the rock instead of speaking to it so that water came out; the fact of the matter is that God only allowed Moses to 'see' the promise land from the top of the mountain, he was not allowed to cross over the Jordan.

wow. talk about remaining faithful to God and of complete dedication and perseverance. Even when God makes it clear that Moses will not inherit the promise land, his descendants would. If I were Moses, honestly, I would flip. Right there. "GOD! I have served You against my own will for all these years, bringing these people out of bondage, bearing with them through the wilderness, showing them Your signs and wonders and miracles and laws and commands, and now, I'm not even allowed to enter the promise land?! what's the deal with that? Oh sure I was angry with the people that ONE time when I hit the rock but COME ON!" and I would probably throw in the towel, right there.

But Moses, the great leader, the most humble man in all the earth (as mentioned by God himself) decides to still obey God, to follow His commands and His will. Fully knowing he won't be receiving his earthy inheritance, the reward, the goal the Israelites were looking forward all these while. Perhaps his complete trust in God and his dedication to his people kept him going. wow.

I'm a person who gets frustrated. I'm a person who needs to see results. I can't imagine serving Him for 'nothing' (if you know what i mean) but maybe, just maybe God is teaching me something though all this. I need to persevere, I need to be humble. I need to yield myself to Him in total submission. I need to obey him without any questioning. If it wasn't for His grace I wouldn't be alive in the first place. I need to be continually reminded about that.

I've got one more semester in this desert, this fire, this storm, this wilderness. When I'm weary, and tired, without the strength to move on. You are here. You know what's best. I trust in You, God :)

Japheth Chew

Numbers 14-23; Numbers 24-33

A couple of things that stuck me this time round. These readings were hard, as usual. I think a much more effective way of reading is to have a map of ancient israel compared to modern times next to me, a history book of israel text to me, and a lot of patience ;)

God is serious in His judgements. When the people of Israel complain, He is not slow in announcing His judgement; and would do so if Moses did not intercede time and time again. An interesting moment that caught my attention (and was also mentioned by Dr Chew (SIB) at Global Day of Prayer; which was last night at Stadium Melawati - it was awesome!) was the account when God's wrath was spreading in a plague throughout the camp. Moses quickly tells Aaron the priest to RUN to the people carrying a censer (a vessel made for burning insense) and he stood in between the living and the dead; causing the plague to stop - after 14 thousand people perished. Dr Chew mentioned that the censer was the prayers of the saints. How cool is that? Our PRAYERS act as insense to the Lord to halt the plagues of the evil one and counters the cup of wrath that is filling up with curruption and evil; the censer is filling with the prayers of the saints; causing grace instead of wrath to flow over this land.

The next interesting account in this reading was balak trying to get balaam to curse Israel. and a talking donkey! the most ironic thing was balaam answering the donkey back, i mean, if I were him, I would have totally flipped the moment the donkey talked; wouldn't have thought of replying back! So anyway, this account shows me that God STANDS FOR HIS PEOPLE. There were SOOO many accounts of God's wrath being poured forth on His people and of His people being killed. BUT this time, God really shows up for His people, just as how He did with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and in Egypt. He blesses them, through balaam, four times; to the annoyance of balak of course. It brings back a reminder even with all the chastening of God, it is for our own good, and He will always have our back covered, He is Love. Even in modern times, God stands for His people time and time again as can be seen with modern Israel, how God have stood for them in the 'six day war' and other wars, Jews are known for their superiour technology and intelligence and are place in positions of power and influence.

I'm reminded time and time again from these readings of the importance of obeying God's laws, the rewards of obeying them, and the consequences of failing to. I'm also reminded of the precious perfect sacrifice Jesus did at the cross. To cleanse us from our sins and wash us from our past. Jesus made it possible for us to be cleansed and forgiven without having to slaughter lambs and other offerings which was mainly an I.O.U to God until Jesus came to fulfil the debt of sin we owed. We were and are sinners, and are desperately in need of a saviour who died in our place so that we can be free and redeemed and forgiven, a debt that only Jesus Christ, who took the sins of the world upon Himself, could pay.

Let us not forget Jesus in all these readings on the law; but picture how He has come to fulfil it. And I am also reminded to pray for Israel, for Jerusalem, for the Jews, His precious people and nation. May they come to see that their Messaiah has come, He is risen, He is coming back again for His bride. Are we ready?

Numbers 4-13

Interesting how God delegates His tasks to various groups of peoples. "you shall be in charge of this, and you shall be charge of that", teaches us as leaders that we really can't do EVERYTHING, we need people around us to help us.

Again, God is massively PARTICULAR with details. literally, down to the inches. Heh don't think you can fool God, He definately knows all yo! You might say He is quite the perfectionist ;) I just can't imagine having to live with all those details. hehe.

And... the people complain again. complainers complainers. God has to smite some of em with fire and STILL they complain later on. how similar are we ;) and Moses intercedes for them yet again. Good leader to have :) one who pleads to God not to kill His people though they deserved it..

Let's be thankful for His blessings and obey His commands without complaining shall we? :)

Leviticus 21- Numbers 3

One of the main things that struck me today was the importance of the Sabbath, and of following and obeying His commands.

Most of us are at a stage of our lives when we just cannot afford a 'sabbath' - literally, a rest day from work. I know that it's technically 'ok' to work on a sabbath through what Jesus did in the new testament, healing on a sabbath, which was technically his 'work'; but the principle of resting on a sabbath is profound. God created, and He rested. He didn't have to, He could have kept on and kept on creating, but He rested on the 7th day of creation. wow. the Almighty took a rest and we think we can go on and on our lives in an adrenelin rush without slowing down.. no wonder most of us 'crash' every now and then...

God gives us life in which I believe we should be fruitful, productive, hardworking and diligent in the things He has called us to do; whether you're studying or working or in ministry; but I strongly believe that at least ONE of those days should be spent with Him. and THAT is your sabbath. Taking a rest from the busyness and chaos of life; reflecting and pondering upon Him, giving your mind, body, soul and spirit time to recuperate. feed your soul, quieten your mind, exercise your body and rejuvenate your spirit.

One may say, 'But I can't afford to NOT study on Sundays! I need to spread out my time throughout the week'; well, you're technically not sinning that's for sure, but I sure do hope your spirit and soul is fed enough. and you're not burnt out.

I spend my Sundays by myself mostly. After church I'll rest at home, read a book, and spend time with my family. It is one of the best days of the week :) and I can testify that it's one of those things that keep me going through my crazy weeks. There are many benifits from obeying His commands, even more consequences for dissobeying them. Let's strive to obey Him eh?

Leviticus 11-20

Another hard reading to do. More laws...

God is a holy God. There's no doubt about that. And He demands holiness from us. "be holy, for I am holy", says He. And there's consequences for living unholy lives.. major consequences. Back then most of the punishments was physical death. That principle still remains similar in modern times, spiritual death; separation from God.

One thing that hit me though. Do you know how 'ma-fan' it is for a person back then to 'pay' for his/her sin in order to be cleansed and restored? It's like a combination of various slaughtering activities, restitutions, this and that; JUST to be 'forgiven', in that sense. Again, the principle remains the same for modern day believers; although we don't need to find random animals to sacrifice; there is much to be done on our side - confession, repentance, a conscious turning away from sin, seek forgiveness from those we have hurt etc. Not very easy eh? NOW would you rather sacrifice some lambs and pigeons? hehe

Stay holy, guys. and remain pure. It's worth it :)

leviticus 1-10

Today was probably one of the hardest readings for me. The entire chapter talks about offerings, sin offering, trespass offerings etc.. and it goes on and on about how to BBQ properly (sorry but it did make me hungry :p) but here's what I learnt anyway

Every single blessing God gives us should be appreciated and offered back to Him the BEST of the BEST. Back then, God's blessing to His people were in terms of lifestock, grain, fruits etc and the people offered the lifestock without blemish, firstfruits of their land and best of their grain. For us as modern day believers, God's blessings may be money, time, gifts and talents. Are WE giving back to God the best of what He has blessed us with? Are you faithfully serving Him with your gifts and talents in your ministry and persevering doing so even when times seem hard? Are you a good steward of your money and time? Like i mentioned before in the email, tithing to God even 10% of your day is 2.4 hours; are you giving your best to Him?

For me, the best times are mornings (peaceful, quiet) and I usually can get a lot of things done in the wee hours of the morning. The challenge for me is to give that 10% fully to God during those times; like reading His word and coming before Him in prayer. Hope you are inspired to do the same. God deserves the BEST of the BEST.

*p.s - thank God for His grace too. Back then, if you sacrificed wrongly, you're dead (leviticus 10:1)

Bible Reading

Exodus 31-40

What I've learnt

Interesting how Moses pleaded / interceded for his people when God wanted to 'consume' them in His wrath for worshipping some random golden calf that Aaron made (and lied about it later too, saying 'IT came out of the fire' when he actually molded it. some priest he was haha). Again it made me think. These people SEE God's glory on a daily basis (a cloud by day and fire by night! / moses's shining face / God's glory which passes by the camp so often) and YET they want to party with some molded image. gosh.

It is not surprising then that God wanted to wipe them out and make Moses a great nation. You might say it was God's WILL to send his fire and wipe them out of the face of the earth. BUT WAIT. Moses then pleads with God, intercedes for his people saying, 'if you kill these people, what will the people of the earth think? You brought these people out of bondage just to kill them in the wilderness, you can't do that yo! *majorly paraphrased :p*. and this is interesting, GOD CHANGES HIS MIND and lets them live (punishes them of course through plagues and stuff).

Food for thought. Can God change His will for you? ;) Can God change His will for MALAYSIA if His people intercede for our land?

Can God spare Malaysia from disaster due to its corruption and turning away from Him? Who will go for Malaysia, Who will intercede?

Reading the Bible!

and so I've begun a bible reading marathon with a bunch of MYPG'ers (Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering) people. 10 Chapters a day :)

From yesterday's reading; what I've learnt

Exodus 21-30

We're at a part where the LAW comes in (ceremonial lamb, clothes, tabernacle and whatever not). I learnt that GOD IS A SUPER PARTICULAR GOD. esspecially when it comes to His temple (which is US btw). He wants things in order, He has a blueprint for each of our lives and how we build this temple of His. He is QUITE AN ENGINEER AND ARCHITECH. he knows every detail, every inch, every breakdown, of our life and our work.

yup yup. so take heart when you're reading through geonologies, temple measurements, laws for animals, and whatever not.

God is a God of DETAILS. simply because He cares, is excellent in His work, and perfect. and demands perfection :) Let's live a life worthy of Him and take more effort in getting to know HIm more!

sometimes....

sometimes i ask myself, what if after all this i find myself empty and void?

after all the serving, all the labour, all the sweat blood and tears

after all the victories and failures, after all the gung ho'ness and passion, sadness and depression

after going through ups and downs, joy and pain

it finishes

and i'm off.. sabah perhaps for a year.. doing soul searching and serving at missions

and back... to uncertainties.... this time.. real uncertainties... relationships? work? ministry?

God, I know I should trust You. I tell my friends to, I need to show it myself..

It's scary Lord, and I'm afraid...

that all of this was in vain

that i'll never be able to stand up to a relationship again

that i'll never be totally fulfilled and satisfied with any job or ministry that comes my way

that i've failed you. time and time again

and that i'll run away... from You

why so downcast? oh my soul

put your hope in God

for I will yet praise Him

my saviour and my God

Hey, wanna go for a walk?

My take on how I would deal with burnout:

Find that spot (may be at a park, home, library, starbucks etc) where you can run to to find rest and clear your mind

For me: I take regular retreats @ glory place, mantin to spend time seeking Him and quiet my soul ;) On times that I can't afford a retreat: a nice cup of coffee @ starbucks listening to my music or swedish meatballs at ikea or reading at borders has to do ;)

Find that sport (or something you love; rock climbing, basketball, football, bowling, chess? or a random hobby- fishing? anything that can take your mind away from the stresses)

For me: Rock climbing has been my recent craze; satisfiying and enjoyable (climbing and teaching people how to); jogging has been good too

Find that alone time (may be taking a break from friends, internet, phone) just to listen to some silence from the million voices the world throws at us

For me: Taking a break from friends, and facebook, and university, and staying at home has been good. Writing and journalling has been therapeutic too. Just slow down, think, read and write if it helps

Discipline yourself spiritually. God is there longing to fill you. We just miss these 'filling' sessions thinking we can run through life through our own strength and effort. We run so fast that sometimes we miss His still small voice saying, "hey, wanna go for a walk?"

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.

Always enough - Casting Crowns

In the drying weary land
LORD You are the rain
In the sea of shattered ones
Your love comes rushing in
You hold the world within Your hands
And see each tear that falls
Through every fire and every storm
You're Always Enough
Always Enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow
Hope for the orphan
Strength for the weak

Your love is the anthem of nations
Brings out to the ages
And You're Always Enough for me

In the watches of the night
LORD You are my song
Hope is in the morning light
Your love shines like the dawn

You keep my heart in perfect peace
My life is in Your hands
When confusion hides my way
You're Always Enough
Always Enough

And rejoice for my Saviour reigns
And rejoice for the lives in me
God on how set me free and
Worthy is the LORD

In the drying weary land
LORD You are the rain

thoughts at 2am

I need to register to vote

anyone wanna go together? :)

planetshakers - Holding ON

Here it goes,
I'm letting go
Of all that's weighing me down
I believe, in everything,
You are all that I need

I'm reaching out, for more of You
Come and fill me again
More of You, and less of me
That is how it shoud be

So I look to You
And not to this world
I am found in You
And You are found in me

You're the centre of my everything
You're the rock on which I stand
My foundation is in Jesus
I'm holding on to You forever

I'm holding onto You forever
Cause no one else could be the centre
You are the only one for me now
Lord it's You

This crazy road ahead

Dear God,

There's no way I will be able to this by myself. I humble myself before you. I am weak. Frail. Uncertain. Unstable. Unconfident. Only through You, will those Un's be removed. Help me trust in You fully; knowing that whatever happens this year is Yours. Not mine.

Grant me boldness and wisdom. Grant me clarity in speech and a clear mind; a listening ear and an open heart. Help me never to lose focus of You; to be able to focus on things that really matter.

May my life glorify You this year; through my words and actions; that others may see You through me.

I commit Monash Christian Fellowship 2010, the year ahead, and my life; into Your hands. It's Yours God, take control. Use your tools. Use me.

I believe in You.

We will not falter, we will not give up~ endurance through persecution

f God is for us, who can be against us? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 31b, 35, 37-39)

When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. (Psalm 34:17-19)

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. (Psalm 46:1-3)

You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, "My refuge and my fortress; my God in whom I trust." You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. (Psalm 91:1-2,5-6,9-12)

Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity." (Jeremiah 29:11-14a)

But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our bodies. (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)

Through You I can do anything
I can do all things
'Cause it's You who gives me strength
Nothing is impossible
Through You blind eyes are open
Strongholds are broken
I am living by faith
Nothing is impossible
I'm not gonna live by what I see
I'm not gonna live by what I feel
Deep down I know that You're here with me
And I know that You can do anything
I believe, I believe
I believe, I believe in you

Holding on~ by planetshakers

Here it goes, I'm letting go
Of all that's weighing me down
I believe, in everything,
You are all that I need

Verse 2
I'm reaching out, for more of You
Come and fill me again
More of You, and less of me
That is how it shoud be

Bridge
So I look to You
And not to this world
I am found in You
And You are found in me

Chorus
You're the centre of my everything
You're the rock on which I stand
My foundation is in Jesus
I'm holding on to You forever

Pre-chorus
I'm holding onto You forever
Cause no one else could be the centre
You are the only one for me now
Lord it's You

Passion comes with a price

and it's quite heavy too.

Many people view passionate people as those who shout the loudest woohoo! jump around and are very extroverted, talkative, etc..

i believe passionate people are those who put action to their words. meaning, invest their TIME, MONEY, EFFORT, ENERGY and various other sacrifices to achieve what they believe, not just woohoo about it, they will take INITIATIVE to move no matter what people say and think.

It's cool to be passionate for God by jumping, shouting and praising Him. now what are you doing about your belief? Faith without actions is dead.

I'm passionate for God. And I desire to show it through my life. It may be a lonely walk ahead...

From Bukits to Guas

Bukit Tabur Trip

Is crazy dangerous. Imagine 3 hours going through a dusun, up a hill, rock climbing up and down real rocks without a harness, instructors, any form of surveilance, safety features or communication with any ground personal cuz there's none, markers or guidelines on where to go, no real trail which means getting lost and seriously injured is highly possible and there has been a couple of serious injuries and deaths there. And halfway through the trail it RAINED! which means slippery rocks! i like! Good training for one of my dream goal to conquer mount KK!

It wasn't so fun for some of us who went though; a lady fractured her foot; and some of the team had to wait up the hill for the whole day for a rescue team to arrive; and she had to go for surgery; some of the team only came back home at midnight - intense! Rachel, Chien Aun, Jenna, where are we going to next? ;)

Gua Tempurung

2nd time there with relatives from germany, sis and bro-in-law, chien aun and sis and benji. Fun fun fun as usual - crawling and wadding through water in the cave, sitting in pitch blackness for a while, sliding down, going through a hole, and more crawling and wadding through water, while enjoying the beauty of the cave. AND to top it off we had pork ribs wan tan mee for lunch @ Bidur. yum!

CF Christmas party

Party. Food. BBQ. ice breaker. carols. gift exchange. need i mention anything else? hehe. oh and next time we have a bbq, more people better be involved in the whole set-up and CLEAN-UP process. sigh. and bbq parties are expensive (oh gosh i'm beginning to sound like peter :p)

Peter's farewell cum pot bless night

similar to above except the bbq bit, carols and gift exchange; bye peter remember to buy some relient k cds for me when you're in US :p and yes. keep in touch yo!

ok there were many more random dinners and stuff but let's leave those for another time.

New years resolution:

1. Mantain my clean room :D

2. Work out at the rock climbing gym more often (thanks to my new rock climbing shoes!)

3. Finish reading the bible in a year

4. Pump up or at least mantain my grades in uni

5. Focus on serving in CF and making a difference in this last year in monash

Some random after-graduate dreams:

1. Learn spanish (gave up on chinese :p) language and also how to make spanish food!

2. Record personal written songs

3. Climb mount KK

4. Bungee jump, sky diving, para-gliding.......

5. Back to Youth with a Mission and missions work in Sabah for a year

Holiday Happenings

Since after exam:

Road trip to Penang

That was pretty crazy. 35 people. 1 bus. 3 days 2 nights. Ate, ate and.. ate.. I must say that the food in Penang this time round was not that great, to me at least.. It was just food.. that taste the same in KL, or even better in KL *don't shoot me Penang people* hehe. We also visited Fort Cornwallis (or something like that), had bbq marshmallows and chilling out at the beach, shopping, water polo, and lots of travelling on the bus. It was a good end to the year, especially to catch up with some people who have or would be leaving Malaysia, fellowshipping, mafia-ing, random joke telling, cards, worshipping at the beach n swimming pool :) Gotta do this more often! *kudos to Danny Wang who organised this amazing trip!

National School's Christian Fellowship Leadership Camp

Another crazy camp. 140 campers. 20 officers. I was one of the officer volunteers. Led icebreakers, games, a prayer session, helped at special night and led a small group. I love games and organising games but for 140 campers, is quite intense! Thank God for ideas such as the tank game (from maps) and team fortress (from mcf camp) and random push-the-potato-with-your-nose games! And of course, BUTTBALL! which for some reason everybody seemed to love. It was a great camp, lots of things learnt - about God's will, spiritual disciplines, heroes of the faith and cf-related skills (such as problem solving and programme planning). Special night was great and the campers acted really funny! the night ended with the court case in which us officers took the campers to 'court' for being 'naughty' and demanded they be sent to bed earlier after framing them up (for everything! being late, idolatory, violence, etc). It was won hands down of course (due to our totally unbiased judge and jury which was the camp commandent and the officers haha!) but of course we had to let the kids sleep late..

Sarah's Wedding

My sisters wedding was quite surreal. I knew she was going to get married early in the year but if never really got into my system, not until the rehearsals at least.. when I began to watch her and everybody else practice walking down the isles with the music.. and it REALLY only clicked on the wedding day itself, more in the wedding dinner, when all the speeches were made, it was like. wow. WOW. my sister is getting married.. *sigh*.. (but in a happy aww kinda way). I performed the song 'We will dance' by Steven Curtis Chapman and threw in a little chorus of my own at the wedding ceremony with mark. It went well, according to everybody, but I knew my guitar wasn't working, because I hadn't turned the GAIN up. thank God mark's guitar saved the day. He asked me later on, "so japheth, what have you GAINED from this?" swt. I also realised that weddings are really costly.. everything really. counting the ang pow's during dinner was stressful, and it's just only enough to cover the dinner cost! now, all those dresses... flowers.... decorations... gifts.... shoes.... well i'm not complaining, got myself my first ever suit! woohoo! Everybody's asking, "so when's your turn?" I smile and say, "well, the first step is to find a girlfriend :p"

Personal Retreat

It was good to just take a break from it all after all that. To set a time to relax, seek God's face, review and reflect on how my year has been and what I've learnt from it. No better place than Glory Place, Mantin; to just sit by the waterfall, memorise some scripture, write a song, do some readings and journalling... was with Peter and Li wen for this one; quite fun those two :) gonna miss hanging out with peter once he leaves to the U.S

CF

CF would be taking most of my time and responsibility from now on - plannings, iron'ing out details, portfolios, job descriptions and managing human resources; thank God for the CF'ers! So many willing ones, to serve, to be a part of God's plan for Monash CF next year! To an awesome year ahead! let's start with a Christmas Party! and committee retreat!

Work work

Gonna help out at the kindergarten again; Madeleine Kindergarten, for Jan and Feb. Should be interesting :) I need to get those nuts and bolts in my head active.. Can't afford to idle around too much lol. I need to clean my rooooommm..... gahhh.....

Through God's grace and strength
Japheth Chew

Daily devotionals by Worthy Ministries

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

In this world we will face all kinds of obstacles, trials and tribulations and we should be wary of any doctrines or teachings that say we shouldn’t have to face these things. Why? Because the Lord said we will have tribulations. So the encouragement He is giving is simply this: You’re going to face trials, but GOD is greater than any problem you will face in this world!

As problems present themselves, we should face them in the power of God and overcome them with Him -– because every problem is an opportunity to exhibit the love and power of God in our lives. And it’s often through these situations that the world gets our true testimony as believers in Him!

Lift up your head, and don’t expect “no obstacles" in this life. Continue looking up, and be filled with His joy, because the Lord has already overcome this world and our problems, and we will experience that when we simply give them over to Him!

Daily devotionals by Worthy Ministries

Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.

Historian Shelby Foote tells of a soldier who was wounded at the battle of Shiloh during the American Civil War and was ordered to go to the rear. The fighting was fierce and within minutes he returned to his commanding officer. "Captain, give me a gun!" he shouted. "This fight ain't got any rear!"

In Ephesians, Paul describes the armor that we should put on daily. Have you ever noticed that every part of the body is covered except for one? The back! The Lord didn't want us to run away and turn our back toward our enemy -- it would leave us vulnerable, with no armor to protect us against his attack! And just as a dog would when he senses fear, if we run from the enemy, he will relentlessly chase us until we are broken. But if we take courage and stand strong in the power of God's might, then the battle will be the Lord's... and He has already won the victory!

The battle is raging! It's time to take up our armor and face the enemy head-on! There's no turning back! We're in this together! There's so much work to be done!

Daily devotionals by Worthy Ministries

Psalms 107:2-6 Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

We watched the movie "Pilgrim's Progress" and I have to say, it's remarkably close to the book, which often is not the case when a movie is based upon a book. In his book, Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan has written one of the most beautiful allegories about the journey we all travel as a believers. The book describes the hero, Christian, and his journey from the City of Destruction to his heavenly destination, the Celestial City. Now there's one part of Pilgrim's Progress that I want to focus on today -- walking through the Swamp of Despondency!

At one point during their travels, Christian and his companion suddenly find themselves there....in the Swamp of Despondency. Still bearing his burden, Christian, begins to sink in the mire. His traveling companion manages to get out, but he returns to the City of Destruction without giving aid to Christian. Christian is left all alone and sinking even deeper in the mire, until Help, the allegorical figure for the Holy Spirit, pulls him free from the swamp.

Christian then asks Help why this dangerous plot of land has not been mended so that poor travelers might go safely to the Celestial City. Help replies, "This miry slough is such a place that cannot be mended."

How true it is in real life! As hard as we try to avoid them, whether young in the Lord, or spiritually mature...swamps of despondency seem inevitable, and we must struggle through them!

Charles Spurgeon once wrote to his students in the book, "Lectures to my Students", "Fits of depression come over most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of iron...but surely the rust frets even these."

There are times in our lives when we will struggle through the swamps of despondency -- but praise God that He has provided us a helper for those times of need! We need to press through, seeking and trusting the power of the Holy Spirit to pull us out of those nasty swamps, and set our feet back upon the Rock of our salvation. Let's also look around us to see our brethren who may be struggling in the swamps of despondency, so that, rather than abandoning them, we might give them a hand on their journey to the celestial city!

Which wolf are you feeding?

Daily devotional - Worthy Ministries

Phillipians 4:8-9 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

A friend sent us the following story.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on in every person. He said, "My son, the battle is between two 'wolves'. One is evil -- it is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other is good -- it is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grand son thought for a minute and then asked his grandfather: "Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed."

Need I say any more?

let's start feeding the good wolf, that we might flourish for the Lord and do great things for Him! There's so much work to be done!!

Daily Devotionals - Worthy Ministries

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

While walking through the forest one day, a farmer found a young eagle who had apparently fallen out of his nest. He took it home and put it in his barnyard with his chickens and there it stayed for years. It wasn't long before the little eagle learned to eat and behave like the chickens.

One day a naturalist passed by the farm and saw the eagle confined in the barnyard with the chickens. When he inquired about this strange sight, the farmer told the man his story. "Unfortunately," said the farmer, "the poor little guy just never learned to fly." "Still," the naturalist sighed, "he has the heart of an eagle and can surely be taught. Will you allow me to work with him?" The farmer agreed, but with much disbelief.

The naturalist picked up the eagle and lifted him toward the sky and said, "You belong to the sky and not to the earth. Stretch forth your wings and fly." The eagle, however, was confused. He did not know who he was, and seeing the chickens eating their food, he jumped down to be with them again. The naturalist took the bird to the roof of the house and urged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. Stretch forth your wings and fly." But the eagle was afraid and jumped down once again to be with his chicken friends. Finally the naturalist took the eagle out of the barnyard to a high mountain. There he held the king of the birds high above him and encouraged him again, saying, "You are an eagle. You belong to the sky. Stretch forth your wings and fly!" The eagle looked around, back towards the barnyard and then up to the sky. Slowly, he stretched his wings, and with a triumphant cry, he soared away into the heavens.

Somewhere along the line, we like this poor young eagle, were put in a lowly barn with the chickens of the world around us. We learned to live and eat from the ground and grew up believing that there was not much more to do than sit and cluck all day.

But the reality is that we are eagles! We were created to fly and even soar! God has great purpose for our lives! If we would only realize who we are in Him! let's remember who we are today and stop acting like chickens! We are the head and not the tail! We are Kings and Priests! We have great things to do for the Kingdom!

Daily devotionals by Worthy Ministries

Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

One of my favorite heroes of the faith is Hudson Taylor. For those who are unfamiliar with Hudson Taylor, he led a great awakening in China which continues on till this day.

At one point during his ministry, Hudson Taylor was deeply distressed by many burdens. As he prayed for strength to carry on, he came across Psalm 55:22 -- "Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain thee."

Suddenly this truth entered into his heart and he sprung to his feet and cried, "This fear-allaying truth has evaded me too long! I see it all now. If we are obeying the Lord and still run into difficulty, the heavy responsibility rests with HIM, not with us!" Then he prayed, "Lord, you shall all the burden! At your bidding I will go forward, leaving the results with You!"

With the burden lifted off his shoulder, Hudson Taylor went on to establish a great work in China.

Are you burdened today? Whatever your burden -- cast it upon the Lord -- and allow His peace to overflow your life! There is so much work to be done!

Daily Devotionals - Worthy Ministries

Heb 12:1-2 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In 490 B.C., the Athenians won a crucial and decisive battle over the forces of King Darius I of Persia, on a plain near the Greek coastal town of Marathon. Upon delivering the important message of their victory, the Greek soldier who came to tell the good news died -- he had completed the 26 mile course running and bearing good news, and did it totally unreserved until the moment he died. Today marathons are run all over the world, commemorating that event 2500 years ago.

Anyone who has run a marathon can tell you how difficult the race is. No matter how good you are, how well trained, how prepared, there are times in the race you just want to quit. But those who persevere till the end receive a prize. Back in King Darius' day, one would win only a crown made of laurel leaves. Today, athletes compete for trophies and medals. But in God's race, we win something far more precious -- a crown that is incorruptible.

I bet you're tired today. You are done... overworked, overstressed, overwhelmed. But be encouraged! Just when you think you can’t run any further, you can! C'mon! Press through and press on for the great prize! God is with us, strengthening our feeble knees and moving us in the right direction!! There's so much work to be done!

Bloom where you're planted~

taken from daily devotional material - worthy ministries

An ancient legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak near the gate, the king learned that he was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine. The pine overheard their conversation and added that she, too, was upset, for she could not bear delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely odor of the spruce. And so it went throughout the entire garden.

Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. "Well, little flower," said the monarch, "I'm glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden."

"Oh king," she said, "I know I'm little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized that you if planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, your majesty, I've determined to be the best little flower I can be!"

Our King has planted a beautiful garden. Not one of us is greater than the next. It is his His perfection.

We must come to a place where we trust that God has a reason for creating us the way He has and has planted us in just the place he desired. Comparing ourselves with one another will only make us wither. When we become satisfied in His creation (that is us), that's when we'll find true happiness".. and we will shine.

Let's give God our all our disappointments and be determined to be the best that we can be for Him!

Things I’ve learnt over the past few days:

I want start a course for young men in the future. They may be entering into marriage, already in marriage, or not even married. Those who want to want to learn more on how to be “The Man” in marriage. “MAN-ning a household” – Practical and Spiritual applications in running your household.

I should do something for Monash CF committee 09. Make some gifts / words of encouragement.

3. I have been predestined and called by God to be a servant leader. He will pull me through. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths.

4. Ezekiel 3: We are called as watchmen over our Nation. When the enemy comes, We must sound the alarm. This is to deliver ourselves. If unbelievers doubt, and we fail to blow the trumpet, THEIR blood is in OUR hands. Be bold. Be full of courage. Be ready in season and out of season. Be watchful. Be on alert and cautious. Even though people may ridicule and persecute, our job is to sound the alarm. Be sensitive to the working of the Holy Spirit. If we blow and others scorn, they will be punished, but you would have delivered yourself.

5. Story of Esther and Modecai. God will have His way accomplished whether you want to be a part of it or not. What matters is, do you think you are placed where you are “for such a time as this”

6. “Sometimes in life, you gotta get your hands dirty”. The work that needs to be done needs to be done. Be humble to obey and have a servant heart. Think of the needs of others rather than yourself. Be fruitful and productive. Life moves even whether you like it or not.

7. Put to death the deeds of the flesh and you will live. Treat your flesh as your slave and beat it into subjection as paul did. Treat your slave like a slave. Works of the flesh, its lust and temptations, be gone, shut up, listen to me, i rebuke you, LEAVE!. Don’t entertain your slave (weaknesses of your flesh); don’t treat it with respect and allow it to fester in your life and cause you to sin and go to hell. Take your rightful authority over your sinful nature and beat it into subjection. Only then will you live.

~ Your Mercy Found me ~ Hillsongs

Your mercy found me,
Upon the broken road,
And lifted me beyond my failing,
Into Your glory,
My sin and shame dissolved,
And now forever Yours I’ll stand.

(Pre-Chorus)
In love never to end,
To call You more than Lord,
Glorious friend.

(Chorus)
So I throw my life upon all You are,
‘Cause I know You gave it all for me,
And when all else fades,
My soul will dance with You,
Where the love lasts forever.

Your mercy found me,
Upon the broken road,
And lifted me beyond my failing,
Into Your glory,
My sin and shame dissolved,
And now forever Yours I’ll stand.

(Bridge)
And forever I will sing,
Lord forever I will sing,
Of how You gave Your life away,
Just to save me, Lord You saved me.

With You, where the love lasts forever.

Lord You have my heart~ Delirious?

And I will search for Yours

Jesus take my life and lead me on

Lord You have my heart

And I will search for Yours

Let me be to You, a sacrifice

I will praise You Lord

I will sing of love come down

As you show Your face

We'll see Your glory here

When is it ever enough?

When will I ever be able to match up to your expectations? or my own...

When is doing what I do enough to please you? or myself...

When am I ever gonna feel useful, satisfied, complete?

Am I just doing things just because there's a need? Or just because I love Jesus...

Do I long to feed the poor just because they're dying of starvation? Or just because I love Jesus...

Am I being a good friend to a lonely person just because they need friends? Or just because I love Jesus...

What am my motives?

What are my priorities?

All my doings.. and goings... activities... programs... needs to be aligned according to my heart for Jesus.. not a to-do list to feel useful, satisfied, complete..

Your grace is sufficient for me, in my weakness, You remain strong.

Help me pull through this. I know You can ;)

Heart in surrender...

Japh

Thoughts of You~ Barlow Girl

Thoughts of you
And how you've changed me
Fill my mind
Without You where would I be

So even though I've tried to express my thanks
It never comes out how I hoped
I want to say so much more so with these simple words
I'll try

I love You My heart is Yours, only Yours
I long to give You all of me
My everything, my everything

God I never could repay You
You gave everything
Without You where would I be

You still loved me even when I
Pushed You away
You stood there and waited
Till the day I'd return

So even though I've tried to express my thanks
It never comes out how I hoped
I want to say so much more so with these simple words
I'll try

I love You My heart is Yours, only Yours,
Jesus I want to give You all of me I love You,
My heart is Yours, only Yours
I long to give You all of me
My everything, my everything

Thoughts of You
And how You've changed me
Fill my mind

Psalms 142~

I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.

When my spirit was overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly set a snare for me.
Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
No one cares for my soul.

I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, "You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me."

Prayer is more important...

M2G - God, it's me, and I'm tired, weary, worn out, please help me. I can't do this on my own. I can't seem to rise above the overwhealming odds that seem to flood my soul. I'm overwhealmed by my weaknessess and failures, instabilities and emotions. I admit I'm helpless, lost, confused and defeated if You don't pull me out of this valley. Lord, I surrender....

G2M - My Son, lift your eyes up to the mountains, from whence comes your help? Your help comes from me, maker o heaven, creator of the earth

M2G - Oh how I need You Lord, You are my only hope, You are my only strength. So I will wait for You, to come and rescue me, come and give me life..

G2M - I will rescue and lift you up, my son. You are dear to me, you are the apple of my eye, you are precious to me.. hang in there buddy....

Forever~ Hillsongs

I'll worship at Your throne
whisper my own love song
with all my heart I'll sing
for You my Dad and King

I'll live for all my days
to put a smile on Your face
and when we finally meet
it'll be for eternity

and oh, wide You open up Your arms
when I need Your love
how far You would come
if ever I was lost
and You said that all You feel for me
is undying love
that You showed me through the cross

I'll worship You my God
I'll worship You my God
I love You
I love You
Forever I will sing
Forever I will be with You
Be with You

Jesus take the wheel.....

or.. really? what happens after that? can i sit back in the backseat and relax while God drives me around? i'm beginning to not think so...

i believe He still lets us drive.. we're still pretty much in control of what we do, actions we take, words we speak.. BUT.... He's right beside us, He's our instructor, He's got us covered cuz He knows it all, been there and knows what's ahead....

scary thing is we don't know what's ahead.. there's so many turns to take... cars (distractions and obstacles) around us.. are we willing to trust Him? are we willing to seek His will and direction for our lives? or do we ignore Him to the point where sometimes He's gotta hit the emergency break on the instructor seat to keep us from straying....

just another interesting thought... i guess our view on surrender should mean submitting our minds, will and emotions to His will... yet not letting go of the wheel of decisions.. but asking Him, what would Jesus do? what would Jesus say? what do You want me to do? where do You want me to go?

and to trust and obey that He knows best....

Guidance~

Took this from a friends blog post, and wow, never thought of it this way before....

Dancing With God

When I meditated on the word Guidance I kept seeing ‘dance’ at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God’s will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn’t flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.

When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It’s as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other.

My eyes drew back to the word Guidance. When I saw ‘G: I thought of God, followed by ‘u’ and ‘i’. ‘God, ‘u’ and ‘i’ dance’

God, you, and I dance.

Rebirth of journalling....

M2G - HI God! it's me checking in with You today, waiting for you, to hear Your voice...

G2M - My son, i'm always speaking to you, are you listening in today?

M2G - Hey dad i'm sorry for neglecting my times with You, for busying myself by doing soo many things out of my own strength and for neglecting what really matters..

G2M - My son, find rest in Me, find peace in Me, let your burdens down, and find your source of strength and hope in Me

M2G - Dear God, I commit myself into your hands, everything that happens today, may You work in me, help me to encourage someone and build somebody up today

G2M - ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find. you will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart, be still and know that I am God

M2G - Thanks dad! I love you~

G2M - I love you too, son~

Brother-Covenant

Lord, help me to:-

1. Encourage and build up those around me
2. Make an effort to get to know others more and do it in love, laying my ego aside
3. Not envy or be self-seeking in the relationships I form and to be patient

So help me God

Japheth

Away - Alarice

Saw the sun peak through the skies to chase the blues away

But I feel a little heavy inside, let’s escape to a new place

So I grab the keys, turn the ignition on, let’s drive for a thousand miles

Away from it all, away from the noise

Just You and I

Away, away, away, here is where I wanna stay

Away, away, away, with You, my love

Feel the waves crash beneath my feet and the sand between my toes

Let’s feel the wind on the palm of our hands, let it weave through our fingers

We’ll drive for miles from coast to coast and leave our worries behind

Away from it all ,away from the noise

Just You and I

Away, away, away, here is where I wanna stay

Away, away, away, with You, my love

We’ll build castles in the sky, just You and I

We’ll frame it in our hearts, forever

My love

Dear God..

Thanks for granting me strength to go through today, it's been a crazy day and I just thank You that You're a God of second chances, every gracious and merciful. I'm sorry for my failures today. I'm still learning God. I'm still learning.. Be with me Lord.

I pray for CF Camp the next few days, I pray for an awesome time together with the CFers. I pray that everyone will learn lots from You and from each other. I pray for safety, security and a good time of fellowship and rest. I commit the committee and every camper into Your hands. May Your will be done in this camp, Lord.

Grant Your children rest and peace. Grant my heart rest and peace.

Thanks dad

Japh

Prayer for today

Hi God!

It's me checking in with You today, just amazed at You, the mysteries and wonders that only You are capable of doing.

Lord, You are good. Your mercies endure forever. Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever is Yours. Creation shouts out Your praise.

Thanks Lord for granting rest and peace to those who honour You. I pray that Your peace would reign in my heart and in the hearts of many. Prince of peace, Lord of lords, King of kings

May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be pleasing in Your sight. Let my mouth sing forth Your praises, now and forever. Help me encourage others today, build others up. May people see You through me.

Thanks Dad, for being who You are and being awesome!

Yours is the Kingdom And the power And the glory forever is Yours Heaven and earth bow down In the wonder of Your Name Heaven is open Death is broken And the glory forever is Yours Nothing can overcome The power of Your Name  King above kings All the universe will sing Everlasting God You are wonderful You are wonderful  And the shout of the earth Will be Your praise God forever And the light unto all Will be Your wonderful Name For the glory Lord is Yours God forever All the glory Lord is Yours

Unspoken - Jaci Velasquez

I hear daily news
People cry out for their freedom
My eyes turn to You
Don't they know, Lord, You can lead them

If we all pray for peace
Change will come I believe
As we face the unknown
God heals us when we're broken

He is there, use your voice
reach for him, make a choice
None of us are alone
Don't leave your heart unspoken

God heals us when we're broken
Don't leave your heart unspoken

I pray save our souls
Help us find a new direction
We're lost in the cold
Let Your arms be our protection

Out of the dark
Into the light
He is there for us
With all of His might

He has the answers
He hears your prayers
Turn every corner
you'll find Him there

Don't leave your heart unspoken

Home - Hillsongs

Into your courts I run
with praises flowing from my heart
Every day I wake I sing your song
its the anthem of my life

I wanna spend my days in your prescence lord
bowed before your throne
In the house of God is where I've found my peace
its where I've found my..

Home Is heaven
one day I will live
In your courts you'll find me
in worship at your feet
Hide me now in the shadow of your wings
Where I will be
where I will be

Your love is all I need
so desperatly I have sought Your face
I know you hear my every cry
and petition that I make

Jesus, oh you are my treasure

Prayer for today

Dear God,

I admit, I've failed You in many many areas. I'm so sorry, please forgive me

I say that I've learnt many things from You, yet my actions don't seem to show it

I'm sorry for being a hypocrate

I'm sorry for being unreliable, undependable, not trustworthy and full of myself

Please help me change and make my actions right. You're the only one who can do that. Teach me, lead me, guide me. Please?

Reveal Your heart to me, God. Transform me. Renew me. I want to be a new person. I want the world to know that I'm a new person. I want to be who You want me to be.

I do not want my past to dictate how my future is going to be. I do not want to be affected by what others think of me. I just need You and Your acceptance.

Help me get up and live the life You want me to live. By Your strength. Your plans for me are good, to give me a future and a hope.

You have all things in Your control Lord. Including my life and my actions. I place my hope and trust in You.

I pray for grandma, would You heal her Lord. I know nothing is impossible for You.

Thanks Dad

Japh

Lord over all - sonicflood

Be the reason I live
Be my quest, my constant vision
Be the water I drink
The treasure I seek more than gold

Be the fire in my heart
My consuming love and passion
Be the air that I breathe
The song that I sing from my heart and soul

Jesus, Lord over all
Be the Lord over me
Jesus, drawn to this alter I come
Here is my heart
May Your will be done in me

It's finally over!

Yes! those dreadful exams.. are over!! for only 2 weeks but hey! :D....

And yes, back online to update the ol' bloggie.

Praise God for helping me throughout this sem! It's been *wow* quite a journey for me.. personally, but hey you get the picture (come find me if u wanna talk :p)

I've been pretty much ok, need to catch up on some sleep, and some serious cleaning of my room! again!.....

Dear God,

Thanks for helping me in my exams, truly it was your grace and strength that pulled me through, I will trust in You, always ;)

Thanks for an awesome semester, for lots of new friends, for the amount of encouragement and support and for being there, just when I needed it most, and the times I felt I didn't need anything else, too ;)

Thanks for keeping me alive and safe, an awesome family, friends, food, shelter and life

I pray that you will help all who are in need, and show yourself real to many more of your children

Thanks Dad!

Japh

Short Devotion - from tee shern ren's blog

1:1 Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

At the end of the day, we are all meditators, we are all delighted and captivated by life and by certain things in life. For the Hebrew word for meditate was literally to "chew", to ruminate - the same way that, when you have a good piece of well-cooked chicken, you gnaw it down to the bone, and then lick your fingers for good measure. To meditate simply means to allow your mind to be drawn to thinking about something all the time. You don't even need to consciously think about applying it; after a while, whatever we meditate on will automatically begin to apply itself.

When we allow ourselves to be delighted and captivated by the wicked and their flashy ways - when we let ourselves be drawn to the sex and the booze, the money and the power - we slowly become like them. We learn to do things their way (all the time convincing ourselves, perhaps, that each new sin is "harmless", that we are not really like them no matter how much we act like them); we become comfortable standing around them, at the dinner parties and the bar nights and the corporate photo sessions; and at the end of the day their chairs are so comfortable that we sit down with them and become indistinguishable from them. We will identify so well with them that the day will come when, as the righteous gather, we will stare at those we once mingled with in suspicion and ignorance without even remembering that we once considered ourselves among their ranks.

But - the Law, the Law! Not just the Law of Moses but the Law of God - the good and perfect standards for living that God, our Maker, has graciously revealed to us through the Bible. If we draw ourselves into the world of the Bible (instead of the world of this world), if we lose ourselves among the stories of David and Moses and Daniel the same way that modern people lose themselves in the stories of shallow celebrities, we will not be able to stop thinking about the Bible even if we wanted to. Slowly the Bible will start to come to mind, more and more immediately, the minute we are tempted to go the world's way instead of God's way. God's commands will become meaningful, not archaic; God's holiness will become vital, not prudish. Whatever we stare into day and night has the power to change us into its image; and the word of God will transform us, day by day, into the likeness of the children of God.

need.. motivation.. and focus..

recently I've been into thinking quite a bit. am doing a history subject in uni called contemporary worlds. we learn stuff like the cold war, vietnam war, arab-israeli conflict, rise of asia, colonisation and many cool stuff. gets me thinking alot, especially since my recent fascination with war history. am halfway through a really thick book on the cold war for my assignment. I keep thinking like, what if this happened, or that happened, or this never happened, who would it have changed the way we live and the world we live in..

fact of the matter is, history is still being written. Now more than ever. We live in an age that communications has just blown us through the roof. we are capable of making and doing things and finding information and interacting like never before, only a few decades. we are connected and can virtually view every part of the world through a click. satellites can bring us to any destination we want to go. and yet... history still repeats itself. wars are still being fought. people are dying of hunger and poverty everyday. global economies rise and fall. corruption and injustice is still widespread. greed and unrighteosness still prevails in many parts of the world.

what can we do to write history? what can you and i do? Every choice that you are making, Every step that you are taking, Every chain that you are breaking, Every word that you are saying, Every prayer that you are praying, History is in the making. What difference are we actually making? the bible talks a lot on persecution, that those belonging to Christ will face it. Sometimes I ask myself why do I not see persecution among my fellow christian peers? why are we so contented with so much peace we enjoy and become complacent? Is it because we are not doing enough to deserve to be persecuted? Are we not standing up enough for righteousness, truth and justice? Are we just like other 'i-don't-care' what happens people? Think about it seriously. Why are christian in malaysia so fearful to preach to the M people? Why don't we stand up and petition when injustice happens? Why are we scared of being put to jail and dying for our faith when it's clearly mentioned in the bible- to live is christ, to die is gain? No wonder the world labels us hypocrites.

It's time to take a stand. For righteousness, truth and justice. For holy living. Against abortion, homosexuality, immorality, rape, murder, deceit, injustice, violence, wars, inequality, sex before marriage and more. Let the world know that we are different. Light and darkness cannot and MUST not mix. Join petitions, NGO's that make stands, be determined to fight corruption and promote righteous behaviour among your friends. Watch what you think, say and do. Pray without ceasing. Join a mission or charity organisation someday, give to the poor. Finish your meals and use only what is needed and necessary. Support your friends and family, encourage and build each other up.

Let's continue to pray for wisdom. For a new attitude when it comes to daily living. Even the way we view our assignments or our work. Always ask yourself what would Jesus do? What would Jesus say?

Let's pray for strength in times of weakness, for joy in times of stress, for peace when the world is turning upside down. We CAN make a difference. We SHOULD make a difference. Live a life that glorifies our creator and worthy of Him.


Random thoughts before class
Japh

What now? - Steven Curtis Chapman

I saw the face of Jesus in a little orphan girl
She was standing in the corner on the other side of the world
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my heart
Didn't you say you wanted to find me?
Well here I am, here you are

And I saw the face of Jesus down on Sixteenth Avenue
He was sleeping in an old car, while his mom went looking for food
And I heard the voice of Jesus gently whisper to my soul
Didn't you say you wanted to know me?
Well here I am, and it's getting cold

So, What now?
What will you do now that you found Me?
What now?
What will you do with this treasure you've found?
I know I may not look like what you expected
But if you remember this is right where I said I would be
You've found me
What now?

Who am i? ~ Casting Crowns

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Who am I?
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I?
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.

Whom shall I fear
Whom shall I fear
I am yours..
I am yours..

Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns

Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is,
And he's holding out his hand

But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Oh, what I would do
to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand

But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

But the stone was just the right size
to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high
from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
singing over me

But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says "do not be afraid"
And the voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Update Update!!

It's been a tough journey for me recently, having a million thoughts buzzing through my brain at the moment, thought I'd stop and chill and update this bloggie after some time...

Am still studying at Monash Uni (well at least trying to - I need the motivation to press on! Lord please grant me the motivation and strength to persevere! please?)

Have been busying myself with some activities and so forth, kinda more to keep me going ~ Ministering through Adventure Programmes (MAPs) has been a great outlet to learn skills and exercise a little on weekends (mountain biking anyone?); Local Youth Prayer Gathering (LYPGs) and prayer meetings in Monash Christian Fellowship (MCF!) and at home has been keeping my spiritual life on check (oh btw there's a young adults prayer meeting at my house on tuesday nights if anyone reading this is interested :D). Have been busy at CF and Monash as usual, with coffee ministry on mondays and prayer everyday; and finally the never ending assignments......

For some reason I've still found time to sleep quite a bit. And write a song recently (weird huh?). I guess that's what happens when there's just too many things I have to do, I just end up trying to sleep it all away.... and then it reappears once I wake up.. sigh. The funniest bit was trying to write an essay on motivation and finding myself needing the motivation to do it! (how ironic!). I still find myself thinking a lot about many things, fighting various spiritual battles and kicking myself out of 'emo-ness' (thank God for the strength He's been so graciously pouring out - I love You Dad!)

I wonder who would still actually view my blog, but I guess I just want to say to everybody (who I know or you know me or have yet to), I'm sorry for not being a good friend (and by that I mean by not making the time and effort to spend time with you, get to know you better, or just have been busying myself with so many things). I really want to make an effort to catch up with old and new friends, chill out hang out yam cha go jamming or futsal but have been selfishly kept to my own activities and efforts. I'm really sorry and I want to be a better brother (in Christ) and friend. I want to encourage all of you and help you grow in your walk with God. Sometimes when I shy away, don't reply sms's or dissapear all of a sudden has been because I most probably am battling stuff inside me (feelings, dissapointments, fear) and I know I should not. But I shall be real and honest, I need help (in organising my life, in conquering habits and living a God-centered and People-loving life). I appreaciate inputs and encouragements!

I don't have anything much left to say. Other than let's pray for each other. I know many youth and young adults out there (you may be included) are facing different battles of your own. I can't say I know the answer to your problems or can help you directly but I will make time to pray for you. God has been teaching me a lot on trusting in Him, focusing on Him and relying on His strength and guidance. We really can't do this thing called 'life' on our own.. we'll just get tired and burned out at the end the more we try. To those who have yet to know this 'Jesus' I'm so crazy about, I pray that you will get to know Him, the saviour who's been keeping me alive and is the reason I breathe. I will be more than happy to tell you why I'm so passionate about Him.

On a lighter note, the Joy of the Lord is my strength!! I will persevere and press on towards the upward prize in Christ Jesus! I will overcome and conquer the battles as I trust in my supreme commander up there! Please nudge back a reply if any of you agree with what I'm feeling right now! I don't want to do this alone!

To those who want to find me and am wondering where I am; or just need someone to talk to, I'm in Monash CF on wednesdays 4-7ish, monday mornings giving out coffee, at 12 noon prayers on tues, fridays; LYPGs every saturday fortnightly in People's Park Baptist Church- next one on the 25th April 11am-1pm, tuesday prayer meetings fortnightly at my house at 8pm and MAPs programmes on some weekends. Other than that, I'm mostly found at home! (besides church on sundays of course). Do call me out yam cha or rock climbing or jamming or whatever!! I malas nak organise edy (u bunch of busy people too! :p)

Take care you all and God bless!
Gal 6:2
Philp 1:6

Japh

The Joy of the Lord ~ Twila Paris

The joy of the Lord
Will be my strength
I will not falter
I will not faint
He is my Shepherd
I am not afraid
The joy of the Lord
Is my strength


The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
The joy of the Lord
Is my strength


Thy joy of the Lord
Will be my strength
He will uphold me
All of my days
I am surrounded by mercy
And grace
And the joy of the Lord
Is my strength


The joy of the Lord
Will be my strength
I will not waiver
Walking by faith
He will be strong
To deliver me safe
The joy of the Lord
Is my strength

Everyday I wake I sing your song, It's the anthem of my life..

The only One - Written by Japh 09

I love You Jesus
I set my eyes on You
I long for Your presence
Come fill my heart once again

I need You Lord
You are the reason I live
I need You to hold me
Come be my master and my saviour

Cuz You satisfy my soul
In You, I am made whole

You are the one who completes me
You are my strength and my fortress
In You I can place my hope and trust

You are my one desire
You are my faithful father
In You I can place my hope and trust
Cuz You're the only One

Your love, it captivates my thoughts
I will be still, and know You are God

LYPG 2

Hey everybody!

LYPG 2 will be on the 7th February at People's Park Baptist Church at 11am till 1pm!It's at the same place LYPG 1 was held, for more information please email klpjlypg@gmail.com and do also reply if you are able to help serve in various areas such as worship, publicity, logistics and feel free to voice out comments, suggestions and ramblings, let's ALL work together on this! Here's the map to PPBC, See you there!!

For more info and videos about this whole mypg lypg thing please check out the KL/PJ Local Youth Prayer Gathering blog at http://klpjlypg.blogspot.com

and the Malaysian Youth Prayer Gathering blog at http://mypg.wordpress.com

Hope to see u there!

Japh