The way to keep youths loving Jesus...

"...discipleship in the WORD is the way to keep youths loving Jesus even in their later years, rather than following the popular route of fun, games, songs to keep them in the church..."

C

And from a Time magazine report...

Today's teens are more drawn to Scripture and desire to get a better understanding of what they believe.

One surprising finding that Fuller Seminary's Center for Youth and Family Ministry revealed in an ongoing study was that teens attend youth group because they like their youth pastor and to learn about God. Those reasons were listed by the majority of the surveyed students. The Barna Group found the top reason listed among teens for attending church was to "understand better what I believe."

I hope this is true about our youths today. Pls pray for them!!

Watch out or Burn out

In view of all the activities over the next month and half, I know that some of you are involved in one or more of them. Please please do not burn out! May be it's your holidays and u have the time to do them, but u still can burn out. Just watch ur steps and know yourselves. In serving Christ, do not neglect ur spiritual health. It'll be very draining if all u do is serve, serve, serve, give, give, give yet did not receive nourishment from God. For I am reminded in a earlier post "Your relationship with God is more important than ur service". So don't burn out like a dying star.

Spur one another by encouraging them, give them a hug, pray together, etc...

Have fun and enjoy...

Meeting Benjamin

Nothing ever happens for no reason. I went to church today so that I can worship the Lord. With that intent came the reward of fellowshipping with my friends in the main worship team and in R-age. I was blessed by Boss' sermon about putting our focus on Jesus. While everybody went up to the altar, I just sat at my seat focusing and praying, fixing my eyes on the author and finisher of my faith. Nothing happens for no reason.

Liang paid for part of my lunch at Thai Express with of his cell. I talked to Marshall and Cheryl. Jeremy, Geraldine, Sharon and Heng was with us as well. Nothing happens for no reason. It was because of their decision to go to City Link's Thai Express that I met Benjamin Soh. A new man in New Creation now. When I first saw him, I called out his name and extended my arms to hug him right outside Pacific Coffee. I told him how happy I was to see him and he gave me a quick summary of what has happened. He was baptised last December and is now known as Benjamin. While his sms is so filled with the typical NCC jargon, for once I wasn't turned off because in him I really felt the grace and favor of God in his life (I greatly oppose people claiming favour, grace and love of God while wilfully living a life of Sin, deluding themselves that God's grace will save them in the end - a hyper-calvinistic notion). While many used to be so cautious about his past behaviour that he felt oppressed and unloved, I am glad that he has found a place to remind him of God's grace and mercy towards us. There are so many things we wanna share with each other. I look forward to meeting him sometime next month.

I left a guitar with him about 3 years ago before he want AWOL from R-age. Now he uses that guitar to serve in NCC's YA ministry and he even pasted "Jenn" on his guitar to remember me. It's rightfully his now. I told him I want to send him "In You (Don't change your opinion of me)" because he was the one I wrote the song for.

I praise God for finding Benjamin and giving him a new life while doubters doubt and failures fail; their love once reign is now a desert plain; the river ceased to flow from their hearts to the veins. Failing to realise that in Christ we're all the same. As I grow older, the more gracious I must become because God's grace has been evident in me. While I was a sinner now I am free. Am I a saint, yes I am. Am I a sinner, I still truly am, but Christ made the difference in me and that's all that matters and nothing else does. I trust His grace ot sustain me and change me which He has and is still continually doing. Therefore it has changed how I confront other's sin. Not in a holier-than-thou attitude, but with great tremblings for the fear of not showing Christ-likeness. In all my dealings today, that's all I really wanna do. It doesn't mean to go soft on sin, but to be like Jesus. He was uncompromising in dealing with sin, but yet people are still attracted to Him when he was on earth. There is something about Jesus that I want to be! I see Benjamin's life in the same way. His story should be told if we ever do "Let Go of Me pt2" after all, he was once part of us.

It's so weird calling you Benjamin, Danny. But I'll start calling u Benjamin from now on when I pray for you.

There are always two sides of the story. Sometimes we just have to lay the ghost to rest and let the new spirit rise from the ashes of the past then we can give them the space to live a life as a witness to the new life they have in Christ.


Dun change your opinion of me when I am down on my knees
I already know I was wrong so I come to bow down
And when the things that hindered me
Tried to shift me from someone I could be
I thought that no one cared
Out of nothing you gave me a chance to...
Believe in You

Dun change your opinion of me when I am down on my knees
I already know I was wrong so I come to bow down
And now I know I had to change
I had to rearrange my whole life messed up
I thought that no one cared
Out of nothing you gave me a chance to...
Believe in You

In You I find my peace
In You I find my place to be
It doesn't matter what I've been
You're always there to share my pain
I found love in You
I found it hard to not believe
What you said in Your words
I believe that it's strange but it's true

Reflection after reading XXX's blog

God always uses the underdog to shame the strong and proud. I read one of our youth's blog which is so alive in Christ. He uses the young in faith, untainted by the cares of this world, to remind us what loving Christ and having a relationship with Him really is all about. Such a faith if tendered will will be prepared to face the trials that will come. They may stumble along the way, but their knowledge of Christ and His word keeps them strong because they have hidden God's word in their hearts since the days of their youth.

If u are not young anymore and this verse "remember your Creator in the days of your youth" don't seems to apply to you. If you did know know the Lord in your youth, the Lord sees us as new. I do not know of a Christian who is not excited about the things of God. The honeymoon period might be over, but that honey taste still lingers in our tastebuds, yearning for more of the spirit to mold us, teach us and go with us in our lives.

In our weaknesses, His strength will be made known

Where's the place to be?

COSBT is awesome.

Godchasers are awesome.LOL.
i enjoyed the time there alot, esp the talk with adelene.
She's great, really. inspiring. enlightening.
Thank God that i went.
I learnt that my relationship with God is more impt than service.
Woah. why so simple i also didnt realise. :/
You're the whisper in my heart that speaks to me.

I really got the urge to leave Grace to join this.
but then the thought of a brand new cell nx yr excites me! :D
let's try to change our own culture first, see how it goes.
If things doesnt work out, den guess i'll have to pray abt it.
Told XXXX abt this, she surprises me by asking me if i wanna move there.
Thats the way we should follow.
The path that leads to Jesus.

I read this report about one of our youth's visit to Church of Singapore (Bt Timah). I am really glad that she has learned something from there and I hope R-age will become such a place where people come and say the samething. It's not about the programmes or activities, it's about the reality of following Jesus. What joy! What exileration!!

I may not be there now, but I will pray for you guys.

I learnt that my relationship with God is more impt than service.
Woah. why so simple i also didnt realise. :/

What an amazing statement! We need to remind our charges this simple truth. In R-age, the youths become leaders too fast and some of them feel some kind of pressure in being given such tasks. May be the circumstances in our church leaves our leaders with no choice but to do it the way we did, I just pray that we will not burn their passion out too quickly by letting them serve unreadily. Read that again...

I learnt that my relationship with God is more impt than service.
Woah. why so simple i also didnt realise. :/

I suddenly feel the fire burning within to pray for R-age. Will any heart not bleed and plea for passion like that?

LORD! TEACH US YOUR WAYS!

For the glory of God

I was reading John MacArthur's "The Keys to Spiritual Growth". The primary reason for our spiritual growth is to magnify God's glory in our lives. Since this quarter started, work has really piled up. I had many jobs that are a few days including Sundays. Since I can't glorify God in my cell groups, I can glorify God at my work. The guilt that engulfed me paralysed me from being an effective witness at work. How silly of me to be in satan's trap. I've already said my apologies and I have already reconciled with God over this matter. I'll take the time off in December to think about how I could serve in church again.

I will not be shaken, but I'll shake the kingdom of darkness with the truth the lives in me!

Forgiven

Last night after SW and EE has gone to sleep, my spirit was filled with that guilt again. Then I prayed and just reminded myself to simply trust and simply obey the Lord and I did. Then I slept in peace knowing that the Lord is faithful and just to forgive all unrighteousness. That is until EE woke us up in the middle of the night. I didn't mind that.

Pls keep me in prayer my friends. I might be out of action in church until mid December.

Thanks...

Year ending

The year is coming to an end. I've started this year well but I don't think I am ending it on a high. While work has been coming in like a flood, I've failed to fulfil my duty as an RL. It's still eating me and it will be eating me all the way thru to the end of December. I read all the blogs and all the things that people talk about their fellowships, the youth services, it really warms my heart. But it absolutely sucks not to be there.

If I can I would
If I could I should

Can't get my eyes of you...

Every morning, I am greeted by your sweet smile. I could never forget that face as I go to work. When I am having lunch I thought about what you're doing and I wish I was there spending time with you. Only a few hours out of the house and I missed you. When I come home from work, you're already asleep, but I look forward to the next morning, because I know you'll be waiting to plant a smile in my eyes again.

Through loving you I finally realised what God's love for us truly means.

Writing this entry reminded me about my love for SW. Sometimes there is a danger of loving the child more than our spouses. That is not the right way of loving in the family. The only reason I could love Chia Ee is because I love SW. If not we're a disfunctional family.

"for zeal for your house consumes me...": sitting alone with God

"for zeal for your house consumes me...": sitting alone with God