Preaching or Bitching?

I'll gladly lose me to find You

I'll gladly give it all that I've got

To find You I will run and never stop!

That's from the song "Bargain"by Pete Townshend. ResurrectionBand did a cover for it, which was very awesome! Love it a lot man! The song's main declaration was "I call that a bargain, the best I ever had". Glen Kaiser, in the Rez 20th Anniversary Concert, declared "Jesus is the best I ever had... EVER HAD!!" Man, it takes a sinner to know what's really the best for His life. It takes one who have been through much to realise the extent of his misery. The ensuing joy and assurance of being forgiven and having the hope of eternity really drives us to live less for ourselves and more for our Creator.

Suddenly the focus is not on our own lives. It's never about us. Not like Bon Jovi sang "It's my life, it's now or never". It's always never about us. Living life thinking about ourselves is not living at all. People may argue that u can't love others until u love urself, but the basis of our love is shallow; it is based on our moods; and it can sometimes be so self-absorbing that it makes cotton candies taste like bitter gourd.

I always say that living is always for God; for Christ; for His glory. What does it mean to live for God then? What does it mean to make much of Him? It's hard to explain this to a non-Christian, because it totally screws up their perception. Living for God requires the willingness to sacrifice; willingness to consider others above ourselves; willingness to go through the valleys of life; willingness to accept not just the blessings in life but also the trials and ultimately the willingness to obey Christ. Our obedience is the result of God's regenerating work in a believer. Our lives can lie. We can be hypocrites, but God ultimately knows the heart. The work of God in the life of a Christian is for all to see. Christ should be the barometer by which all men must be measured even though there are only a short account of Christ in the bible. But yet, it's everything we ever needed!

Let me share one aspect of being Christian. This was inspired by Liang's and Rachael Lim's messages about how awesome Bible Study had been on Tuesday.

"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

-Jesus speaking in John 14:15

Our love for God and God's work in us compels our whole being to live, love, move and run after the things of God. When we keep God's commandments, others will see and God is magnified and glorified through our words thoughts and action. When our action, thoughts and words match our faith, others will know that we love Jesus. Let's say we use the "F" word out of anger and rage, does that mean that we do not love God? I doubt it, although swearing is not encouraged, but in our desire to glorify God, that swearing convicts us of our weakness and thus compelling us to submitting the the Lord, God is glorified! So the next time we get angry, the Holy Spirit brings to our mind the things that God had spoken thru the Bible and as we bridle our tongue, stop the swearing, cool down and "turn the other cheek''. When we do that, God is glorified and those who see the change will know that we love Jesus because we keep keep his commandments.

Man, u know what I am talking about. I know many are have heard this in ur cell group, pastors and friends who remind u, but are u looking out for ur soul or more for urselves? Are u craving more for God? Ur spirit might be starving of the one thing that can make all of u whole, that is Christ. Take away CHRIST from C.H.R.I.S.T.I.A.N and u'll get I.A.N - "I Am Nothing". We're all somebody in Christ. Everything we ever wanted to become and everything we ever wanted to do must be for Christ and Christ alone. In Him lies all hope, all victory, all blessing and all the glory. To Him all praise and thanksgiving be due!!

Oh, i pray, I do pray ernestly for revival to sweep our church. Not just a feeling of revival, but a revival that will cause not just emotions to rocket into outer-space (we don't want Christians who get "spaced-out"), but a revival that will cause us to be balanced with the written word. U know, I find it really difficult to share this esp in our church, because no matter how bible-believing we claim to be, we're always caught up in some form of "movement" or "waves. SUch things are as man-made as plastics. If we want revival God's way, the result will be a praying church; a repentant church; a bible-study-mad church; a Christ-driven church; a sinner-loving (as oppose to sin-loving) church. I have heard enough about wanting, sensing and feeling the presence of God. Yo, it ain't a presence at at all. What we're experience is just a glimpse of heaven. If we ever to pray for God's presence to be in our church, the very presence of God would have caused a massive concivtion of sin and the turning of lives to God.

(*Boink... suddenly change gear...)

Regeneration06 Committee... I am praying for u!

I just had to trust God for His work in the retreat though I wont be there. Talk about "ownership" that some of the leaders have been talking about. I feel that I own this ministry (yes, I know it is ultimately God, but let me explain). The youth ministry is our playground. It's our backyard! It's the place where most of us grew up in and I want those who play in it to take care of it. I want to make it the place where new comers find God, not just fun and beautiful people, but a place where "greeks", geeks, jocks and jokers find God. A place where new comers will want to comeback to because of the difference in us. Let that difference be Christ!

Oh guess what... I would never stop if SW didn't ask me to eat breakfast with her. So I go spend time with my wife now. I said enuff...