You're Everything

For those who has not seen this skit, may God show you how much we really want Him.

This skit is always a reminder to me how God wants us so personally.

EVERYTHING - Lifehouse

Find me here
Speak to Me
I want to feel you
I need to hear you

You are the light
That's leading me
To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength
That keeps me walking
You are the hope
That keeps me trusting

You are the light
To my soul
You are my purpose
You're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms
And you give me rest
You hold me in your hands
You won't let me fall

You still my heart
And you take my breath away
Would you take me in?
Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything,everything

You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything, everything

You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything, everything
You're all I want
You're all I need
You're everything, everything

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?
Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Satisfy Me

It came to mind about how people view Christians. Of how Christians are supposed to be 'holy holy'. Of how Christians cannot be seen doing any wrong.

I guess Christians have 'asked for it' - in a sense. Since we profess our faith and tell others about Jesus and God's love, with more fervor than other religions. With all that talk, we'd better 'walk the talk'.

From the viewpoint of those outside the church, we're being watched with eagle eyes our every actions. We're the ones who are kind and happy and loving.

Or are we?

Looking and Searching

However, in the everyday routine of people trudging along their daily struggles and problems, we are all looking for some good against the evil we fight everyday.

As I always hear and believe, we were all made perfect and wholesome, until someone ate the forbidden fruit.

All of us seek that goodness, that 'thing' that satisfies us.

Everyone is looking for some love...

It sounds really hippy, flower power type of statement, but it's true.

Even during the 70s, 'love is all around'... 'spread love'... Although the methodology was wrong, but everyone embraced it because we all know we needed the 'love'.

Even today, other than love, so many people are looking for trust, for security, for assurance, for refuge. Everyone is scared.

Why are so many people hurting and frightened?


Expectations.

A student is expected to do well or else he will not be able to find a job in future.

A businessman has to lie and cheat and bribe in order to get the business in and continue to pay his employees.

A 16 year old girl is obsessed with her looks and knowing her looks attract, use it, but instead, gets raped by her own father.

A clerk has been a clerk for the past 20 years and is full of bitterness and rage at the multinational company's lack of attention on her.

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Now and Here

We're facing a world of injustice. This world has always been unfair. Throughout the bible, no matter where you flip, there will be unfairness.

40 years in the wilderness - do you think the Israelites consider it fair to walk around in circles?

Being flogged and hung on the cross - was Jesus deserving of such harsh punishment?

Fairness is very subjective. Even as I write this, I see how justice and fairness is all about your point of view. God had all His reasons for doing the above and a lesson to be learned from it.

We all try to find reasons for being. We all blame and get blamed. We seek justice for our pitiful lives.

We usually don't find an answer. We feel unjust and bitter and vengeful.

We seek the answers from church and from church members. We don't find an answer.

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You, Me & God

Wait... this whole write up started with why everyone is seeking something good and looking at Christians. But it ends up with unfairness and injustice?

We are weak. Everyone is weak. We seek for something stronger, someone to look up to and depend on.

However, when we don't understand that everyone is weak, we tend to get disappointed when we see other Christians fail in being holy and righteous. Our disappointments are bigger when our expectations are higher.

The larger your bubble is blown, the louder and harder it'll burst.

I've heard of so many people who left the church because of what they have seen or heard that made them disappointed in God, in God's church and in God's people.

You say, "Well, we're here to serve God, not men. Why should we do things to please them?"

That's true to a certain extent. Our focus should be on God. Our expectations should be based on what God wants.

Jesus not only asked us to love God with all our heart, our soul and all our minds, but to also love one another. Jesus said He came to serve, not to be served. (Matthew 20:28)

This verse sums up all that I intend to say:

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
(John 13:34-35)

Christians are given the 'duty' to love and serve. It is through our actions that other will come to know Jesus.

Are we able to do it?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23a



I always check myself to see if I have the above. It's a long and windy road, and I know it will be satisfying at the end of it.

Those of you who are non-Christians - we are only human, like you. Our only difference is that we have God who is our source of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

If we seek all those traits from man, we will definitely be disappointed. Seek it from the main source and we will never be empty again.

Once Upon A Camp 2006 - Melaka

Church Camp 2006

Click on picture for MORE pictures.

Light of the World

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
[John 8:12 NIV]

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We're always scared of the darkness. Scared of the unknown and uncertain. The darkness denotes all things dangerous and evil. Through movies, through our own experiences.

There might be some who say they love the dark. But I'd say it seems more like they're hiding. If I were to hide, I'd find a dark corner to huddle in. A hole. A cupboard.

A store with bright good lighting will be the store with the most people walking in. After several years, the lights fade and the store starts to dim - in business and in its ambience. A well lit fast food restaurant gives it a clean look. People in bright clothes radiate more energy and life.

Work and growth is during the day. Plants grow with the sunlight on their leaves.

Night and darkness is not to be feared. It has been used by satan to create fear in us. God created Day and Night. God created nocturnal animals too, didn't He? And He looked after them as well, didn't He?

"I am the light of the world."

Jesus came to give us light.

He came to help us grow.

To help us be courageous.

Allowing us to see far far ahead.

His light never fades.

A Little Bit of God's Humour

God created all things.

Some things make us laugh more than others. Such as this:



more cat pictures


God either laughed with us, or shook His head at our amusement at the expense of a kitty cat. :)

ONE

One World, One Dream.

Is it ever possible to become one world? Amidst all the power struggles and hatred, what would be the ultimate peacemaker?

What is the one dream that most people want today? Wealth? Career? Love? God?

Questions without answers. Questions with multiple answers.



Let's all watch the wonders of the human body. God created each of us with abilities that we never knew existed - the muscles in weightlifting, the speed in sprinting, the flexibility in gymnastics.

It is extremely touching and emotional to see the determination in the athlete's eyes to finish the event.

Run a good race to the finishing line. We need that to run our race too.

Their race finishes in maybe 12 seconds. Ours take a longer time (12 years? More?). Hence, we need a LOT more perseverance and endurance.

Dear God, teach us to watch the Olympics and remember your creation and your mission.

Simple Faith as Small as an Elephant

The bible was and is and always will be the focus of the Christian faith and belief. Mere history in the pages written by mere men.

So what is so great about the bible that we have revered it for so many years?

This question has been asked and answered so many times throughout the ages - which answer will you choose to believe?

Our common sense and logic has to be satisfied. God has created us to think. We think to satisfy ourselves because we are selfish.

(What? You say it's selfish to even 'THINK'?)

Yes, in a sense - because we want answers, not for others, but for ourselves.

I've always thought about why people from the villages (kampungs) and rural areas believe in God with a fervor that amazes me. How do they, who hardly have any education and teachings, build up such unwavering faith in God.

We tend to analyse things too much. I'm not asking you to become dumb.

CS Lewis writes the best arguments about Christianity that I had to read the paragraph several times to understand what he was trying to explain. His book, 'Mere Christianity', gives you a scientific and logical argument about Christianity.

The brilliance of such people are required. We were made to think. I like talking to people who gives an in depth explanation of why certain portions of the bible said this or that. It is information.

We're in an age where information is overflowing out of our ears - literally.

How then, can we still remain 'rural' and just swallow everything we hear? We have become skeptical and doubting and careful. It has become increasingly difficult to believe at first take something that is meant to be so simple.

God created the universe and the earth. God created man and woman in His image, to commune with Him. Man sinned against God, making us unholy and unable to come to God, who is holy, face to face. God (in the old testament) gave man solutions to atone for our sins through blood sacrifices of animals and be as close as possible to Him.

God (in the new testament) gave Jesus (God as man, His only Son) to die on the cross for all our sins, that we no longer need to sacrifice blood to atone for our sins - Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice for us. In doing so, created a bridge for us to come to God directly - as was the initial plan for Adam and Eve.

The only thing we have to do is to believe in Jesus, and confess we are sinners and that Jesus is the Lord of our lives.

This basic truth is too simple to understand. Too far fetched to believe that our almighty and great God had to take several thousand years to plan this out.

With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Peter 3:8b)

Who are we, really, to God? Mere pawns on His chessboard?

You may look at us as pawns and knights and kings and queens - all with a specific purpose. However, He created each of us, not out of game and fun, but out of love and sincerity and purposefully. Everything He created was and is GOOD. The english version only says 'good'. Words are limited.

But consider how God took care especially of Adam. He created all other things and left it for Adam to manage. But he made sure Adam had everything - even to create a woman to help Adam. God did not give the elephants extra attention. God walked together with Adam and Eve. (Genesis 3:8) Why would God take special care of Adam if he was only a pawn whom He didn't care for?

We analyse so many factors of our lives. Where to work. Where to study. What to wear. Whom to marry. What to buy.

It's about time we analyse who God is and who we are to God - and accept it.

Thoughts in Writing

I've been trying to start writing up several topics but I have not been able to get past two paragraphs.

Hence I'm asking all those of you who visit this site to email me any personal write ups that you want to share online with others.

But I have this from Max Lucado to share. It's so true how Christians look at death with such joy.

One day, when I die, I want everyone to have a BIG party! :) With lots of balloons and music and dancing and singing! Well, I guess you are entitled to miss me and cry. But make sure the laughter is equally as loud and long.

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When Death Becomes Birth
by Max Lucado

You live one final breath from your own funeral.

Which, from God's perspective, is nothing to grieve. He responds to these grave facts with this great news: "The day you die is better than the day you are born" (Eccles. 7:1). Now there is a twist. Heaven enjoys a maternity-ward reaction to funerals. Angels watch body burials the same way grandparents monitor delivery-room doors. "He'll be coming through any minute!" They can't wait to see the new arrival. While we're driving hearses and wearing black, they're hanging pink and blue streamers and passing out cigars. We don't grieve when babies enter the world. The hosts of heaven don't weep when we leave it.

Oh, but many of us weep at the thought of death. Do you? Do you dread your death? And is your dread of death robbing your joy of life?

Jesus came to "deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying" (Heb. 2:15).

Your death may surprise you and sadden others, but heaven knows no untimely death: "You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed" (Ps. 139:16).

Dread of death ends when you know heaven is your true home. In all my air travels I've never seen one passenger weep when the plane landed. Never. No one clings to the armrests and begs, "Don't make me leave. Don't make me leave. Let me stay and eat more peanuts." We're willing to exit because the plane has no permanent mailing address. Nor does this world. "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior" (Phil. 3:20).

Why don't you do this: give God your death. Imagine your last breath, envision your final minutes, and offer them to him. Deliberately. Regularly. "Lord, I receive your work on the cross and in your resurrection. I entrust you with my departure from earth." With Christ as your friend and heaven as your home, the day of death becomes sweeter than the day of birth.

taken from http://www.crosswalk.com

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