howdy! i pray that even as updates on this blog are seldom, we would continue to view Quiet Time as THE TOPMOST priority daily. i was pondering on what Amos shared last saturday about loving our brothers and i was compelled to write this.

i think there is an ever-present need for us believers of the faith to constantly align our lives to the gospel. the bible says that God is love, thus setting the standard for love. in doing this, i like to question myself with this interesing question:

-If RIGHT NOW, i were to be face to face with God, what would my position be? would i stand? or would i prostrate myself before the King of kings?

i'd like to think of myself adopting the latter, but it seems in many occasions in my sinful life that i find myself standing, even crossing my arms before God. and i ask myself another question: is it my triumph on the cross when i pray the sinner's prayer? or His triumph?

to gather my thoughts, i placed it in three points:
1. WE ARE SINNERS.
-we ARE sinners to begin with. it's in our nature to do wrong.
-we reject the rule of God, outrightly defy His will and most scaringly, yet visibily, lose the significance of the death of Jesus.
-how can any sinner triumph over the very sin he/she is plagued with? how can any sinner often himself redemption when the most certain path is death? more accurately, how can we turn to temporal things for answers when we confess that Christ is LORD?


Romans3:9 'What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.'
Romans 3:23 'for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God'

2. HE DIED IN OBEDIENCE TO HIS FATHER, SAVING US FROM THE WRATH OF GOD.
-Jesus obeyed His Father right up to death. He evidently struggled (recall: Gethsemane), but decided to willingly submit to the will of the Father (which was the die on the cross).
-He died so we could be reconsiled with our maker, our Father in Heaven. (John 14:6)
-Jesus bore the wrath of God, such that those who believe in Him have eternal life but those who reject Him face God's wrath (John 3:36)
-yet we ARE sinners bought with the price of a perfect man's life. we did and still do not deserve His sacrifice. it was out of GRACE that He died for us.

3. WHAT NOW?
-this leaves us with two ways to live:
~Our way: Reject the ruler God by STUBBORNLY living life our own way. We do not repent, settling on temporal 'high's, 'great experiences' to fuel our faith. We do not base our faith on the Word of God but rather our interpretation of it to suit our ears. We start losing focus when setbacks appear, looking everything but God for answers.

~God's way: Humbly submit to Jesus as our ruler and Lord. Placing our faith in the eternal, relying on HIS TRIUMPH over death and sin. "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:7-8). As God does not change with the times, the word of God does not change, and the gospel does not change, so there can be no legitimate adapation of Christian faith to comtemporary values and philosophies.


you and i hold a piece of history in our arms that records HIS TRIUMPH over sin and death. yet we shelve it, seeking for answers elsewhere. it's time we came back to the gospel and know that HE TRIUMPHED on Calvary. not us. not you. not me. but JESUS.


we will see jesus.

isaac (20/04/10)

alright! boyzone blog just got revived! sorry guys, i've been neglecting this blog! i mean, we all have, so let's make a continual effort to read! if you wanna post, let desmond or i know and we'll pass you the password. yup!

some updates + prayer requests:

UPDATES:
1. Holy Week Services are coming up next week. I propose we go for both the 10.30 services at AMK hub? :)

2. We're planning BOYZONE EXTREME GAMES during the good friday period. anyone with wacky ideas please let isaac or geoffery know. TIME TO GET DIRTY.

PRAYER REQUESTS:
1. Please continue to pray for the A' level brothers! Pray that they will learn to be good stewards of time and to be disciplined in their study and their walk with God. Pray for discernment to prioritise their activities.

2. Pray for the amry brothers. Pray that they will be shining testimonies in their camp. Let your light shine and don't keep it under a bush! Pray for favour with their superiors.

3. Pray for our leaders! Pray that God will continue to guide them and reveal more of His word to them as they seek Him. Pray that they will be sensitive to the Holy Spirit.

Galatians 2:20-> I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.


FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Have i been consistent in my character, when i'm around with different groups of friends?


caasi

in case you're living in oblivion, our church has embarked on another church-wide series, 'Live like you were dying', inspired by the song(same title). like the 40 days of community series last year, our blog will serve the purposes of:

1. providing sermon notes for the extremely lazy/no-pen-on-sunday/whatever you call yourself.
2. being a resource of reference in future.

so here goes:

Introduction:
DEATH: it's not a question of if, but WHEN.
Scripture Reference: Eccelesiastes 8:8

1. Live with a sense of urgency
Scripture Reference: Romans 13: 11-12
*Paul is speaking with a sense of urgency! Time is running out!
-If you could know the exact day of your death, would you want to know it?
FACT: More than 80% of the people surveyed declined.
-Most people, chinese esp, do not wish to talk about DEATH.
-Are we living in denial? Not talking about death doesnt change the fact that we ARE going to die someday.
-SOMEDAY-syndrome: we often classify certain topics, i.e death, under 'SOMEDAY' thinking it won't happen.
-Fact is, it only takes one MAJOR event to alter the course of decisions we take.
*FRANTIC is NOT URGENCY!
QUESTION: Do we allow our past to hinder us from living like we were dying?
-We must always plan for the future!
Scripture Reference: Matthew 6: 27-30
-God wants us to live today to the fullest!
Scripture Reference: Psalms 118: 24

2. Live with a sense of eternity.
FACT: Today is not all there is!
Scripture Reference: Romans 13: 11-12
-Many of us hold the MISCONCEPTION that salvation is a ONE-TIME EVENT.
-The bible decribes salvation in the past,present and future tense!
-There is no chance after death!
*Funerals, if you realise, are not catered to the person lying in the coffin but rather the people around the coffin!
Scripture Reference: Hebrews 9:27

3. Live with a sense of priority
Scripture Reference: Romans 13: 12
-Take off your frantic pace of life!
-If we truly believe that we are dying, we would slow down to enjoy the things of life fully
-yet, it only takes a loved one to falls eriously ill for our priorities to change
Scripture Reference: Psalms 46:10

More about today, less about tomorrow
More about people, less about possessions

happy reading the book guys!
isaac

Making that lovely cup of Milo Godzilla involves many different but quick steps of firstly pouring the milo into the cup, adding ice, greedily piling on the milo powder and finally finishing the sinful drink with three scoops of vanilla ice-cream. there, served. sounds easy, looks easy and done easily.

in more ways than one, some of us started our 2010 in similiar fashion as to how Milo Godzilla is prepared: straightforward. it's same old, same old after all. continue with school, continue with army, continue with routine. New Year resolutions? throw that away. Never does work anyway. and so we continue to flow with the crowd, doing what people do just because it's easy. because it's straightforward.

just like a highway, we zoom past everything. if 'Stop. Record. Play' was any help, it simply fades in the distance, tickling only a fraction of our 'Christian Conscience'.

Paul (or Saul then) felt the same way back then. Acts 9 writes of his continued persecution of the early church. routine as it was for him, he even went to the high priest to gather a list of synagoues in preparation of rounding up the early believers(Acts 9: 1-2).

===================================================================

Brewing teh-chino involves a delicate task of pulling boiled milk from one hot cup into another, ensuring that the froth forms, is thick and holds well, before infusing tea of a certain density and tannin so that it suspends beautifully in between. some summarise the tedious process as experience but i believe it's a myriad of important choices.

in more ways than one, the way some of us started our 2010 mirrors the delicate teh-chino brewing process: important choices. we have to make decisions on where we move on from here, changing the norm, challenging the status quo. we've got to change school, change from army to something else, change our lives.

we stand at crossroads, our minds poising over the choices at hand.

Abraham (then Abram) sympathizes in Genesis 12. He left his father's house to unknown land, unsure of what the road ahead might take him(Genesis 12:1).

===================================================================

whether we are zooming on a highway or stuck at a crossroad, we've got to make a choice. Abraham stuck on to faith, allowing God to use him to birth Israel. Paul changed his heart went on to be arguably the most influential evangelist. we need to know where we stand and where we go on from here. what's the action plan, some ask. the answer lies in God. and in asking Him, we shall find.

So, whether it's teh-chino or milo godzilla you're craving for, it still leads that same little joy and contentment. and writing this makes me want both.

ASS040110
isaac

P.S enjoy both at jalan kayu. ask weilie for directions.

in the not too distant past, during a typical lunch conversation...

Isaac:"eh Jon, i realise that i play much better when i play for church then when we prac for the event."

Jonathan:"(rolls eyes) of course what. playing for God you got the annointing what."

my friend jonathan hit the spot.He's right! when we are annointed, we play much better. we serve much better. we ARE much better.

ANNOINTING is a pretty big but frequently used word in churches world-wide. but just what is it? are we using it correctly?

Annointing is pretty much used in the phrase 'annointing of God'. but if we cut the phrase up and focus solely on 'annointing', we find that annointing is:

1.A purely passive act:
~annointing cannot be attained through the work of two co-operating parties. when you are annointed, you CANNOT do anything to get more or less of it. it is RECEIVED.

2.Only brought about from a higher power/authority through a medium:
~annointing can only come from power from on high.
~no one has power except for God, thus making God the ONLY one that can annoint.
~it acts through a medium:
*Old Testament: Oil
*New Testament: Prayer

Acts 1:8~But you shall RECEIVE power FROM THE HOLY SPIRIT (from on high, as some translations read) comes upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

with these in mind, let's look at examples from the bible that portray the annointing of God:

+King David was annointed with the oil of annointing by the Prophet Samuel.
Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 16.
King Saul was NOT annointed by the Prophet Samuel, he was simply chosen by the people.

+Peter was annointed by the Holy Spirit, as said by Jesus when he was taken to heaven.
Scripture Text: Acts 2

before we continue, let's establish the difference between 'favour from the Lord' and 'annointing of God'.

to avoid the misconception between the two, let's cite two examples:

FAVOUR: Joseph had the favour of the Lord in prison.
Scripture Text: Genesis 39: 20-21

ANNOINTING: Samson had the annointing from God that brought about his superhuman strength.
Scripture Text: Judeges 14:6.

when we receive the annointing of God, we start to do acts for God. because the annointing of God is special. NO ONE else can give it to us except for God.

*if you're struggling to serve Him whole-heartedly, why not pray to God and ask Him for His annointing?*

Dear God, i thank you for dying on the cross for me. i thank you that you're more than a story, more than words on a page of history. Help me to serve you better, Lord. i ask for Your oil of annointing to be poured upon me, so that i will rise up to serve You whole-heartedly. In the mighty name of Jesus i pray, Amen.

ASS 091109
isaac

hello! it's november. looks like one of my wishes at the start of the year came true. TIME FLIES!

"...[The] question is, "What are you going to do with the time that is given to you." Frodo Baggins of the Shire had but one purpose: to reach the fires of Mordor and destroy the Ring that ruled Middle Earth. Jesus Christ of Nazareth had but one purpose: to reach the cross on Calvary and destroy the grip of Sin on Man. Sounds similiar? only thing is, Frodo Baggins is not real. The blood of Christ is real.

Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers shove the Carpenter to the ground and stretch his arms against the beams. One presses a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand. Jesus turns his face toward the nail just as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it.

Couldn't Jesus have stopped him? With a flex of the biceps, with a clench of the fist, he could have resisted. Is this not the same hand that stilled the sea? Summoned the dead?
But the fist doesn't clench....and the moment is aborted.

The mallet rings and the skins rips and the blood begins to drip, then rush. Then the questions follow. Why? Why didn't Jesus resist?

"Because he loved us," we reply. That is true, wonderfully true, but--forgive me--only partially true. There is more to his reason. He saw something that made him stay. As the soldier pressed his arm, Jesus rolled his head to the side, and with his cheek resting on the wood he saw:
A mallet?Yes.
A nail? Yes.
The soldier's hand?Yes.
But he saw something else. Between his hand and the wood, there was a list. A long list. A list of our mistakes: our lusts and lies and greedy moments and prodigal years. THe bad attitudes from last week. There, in broad daylight for all of heaven to see, was a list of your mistakes.

He saw the list! He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn't bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.


*adapted from '3:16', Max Lucado


ASS 011109
isaac

G’day mates! i sincerely hope that ASS doesn’t stop on Monday, cos if it does, we’re gonna have a lot of acronyms ending with S. kill that thought of not doing your Quiet Time! and by Quiet Time, I mean solid time with the Lord and not lying down on the bed ‘meditating’. doesn’t work that way pal.

so I thought I’d share one of the many things that struck me over the cause of reading ‘3:16’ by Max Lucado, and perhaps be that spark that ignites a huge flame for God. I was going to write ‘…passion for God’ but alas, passion for God is not enough. quite simply, we need faith not just in words but through action as well. Faith surrounds us in every aspect of life. saying grace to God is an act of faith.

Ever wondered what God meant by saying, “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God” (John 3:7 NKJV)? Giving birth in its entirety is a passive act. The father encourages. The doctor advises. But the mother pushes. No one labours but the mother.

The mother pays the price of birth. She doesn’t enlist the assistance or the advice from the infant. After all, the baby can’t even take a breath without umbilical help, much less navigate a path to new life. Nor, Jesus is saying, can we. Spiritual re-birth requires a capable parent, not an able infant.

Who is this parent? Check the strategically selected word again. The Greek language offers two choices for again:

Palin: which means a repetition if an act; to redo what was done earlier.

Anothen: which also depicts a repeated action, but requires THE ORIGINAL source to repeat it. It means “from above, from a higher place, things which come from heaven or God.” In other words, the one who did the work the first time does it again. This is the word Jesus chose.

It’s crystal clear. Without Jesus dying on the cross, we can never get eternal life. It’s that simple. Because only He can repeat it. He’s the original source. No one else comes close.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son that whoever believes in Him shall perish but have eternal life.”


In His love
Isaac