Boy Zone

TRIUMPH: HIS OR mine?

2010-04-20T21:51:00.002+08:00

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)

we're still alive!

2010-03-24T23:45:00.002+08:00

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

Live like you were dying (1)

2010-01-11T22:16:00.003+08:00

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

highways and crossroads.

2010-01-04T13:56:00.002+08:00

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.

annointing of God.

2009-11-09T21:24:00.003+08:00

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

a nail, a mallet and a bloody hand.

2009-11-01T22:32:00.002+08:00

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

Delivery anyone?

2009-10-28T15:16:00.000+08:00

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

htiaf.

2009-10-25T17:49:00.006+08:00

'Believe'

I say on Sunday how much I want revival,
but then on Monday, I can’t even find my Bible!
Where’s the power?
The power of the cross in my life.

I’m sick of playing the game of religion!
I’m tired of losing my reason for living!
Where’s the power?
The power of the cross in my life.

I’m not content just to walk through my life, giving in
To the lies, Walking in compromises now
We cry out as a generation that was lost
But now is found in the power of the cross!

We believe in You
We believe in the power of Your Word that is true
We believe in You
So we lay down our cause
That our cross might be found in You

I’m not satisfied doing it my own way
I’m not satisfied to do church and walk away!
I’m not satisfied there’s no love in my life but You!

I’m not satisfied living in yesterday’s hour
I’m not satisfied to have the form but not the power!
I’m not satisfied, Lord I am crucified in You!

howdy! hope everyone's doing good despite the busy schedules! don't forget to seek the Lord at EVERY opportunity. He created this world! of course we can relate everything to Him. i pray that this blog has served it's purpose in helping you focus on God at all times! i really apologise for not posting something last week. my bad! but i'm excited cos over the cause of the last two weeks, i have never been closer to God!

this week, we take a break from the parables and re-discover something fundemental. here goes:

i was thinking of a song to suit the whole ASS thingy and i remembered there was such a song Hillsongs sang quite some time ago.it's the song above, 'Believe'. read the lyrics and punch the keys into Youtube and you'll probably find the song. it's a wonderful proclaimation! i have not stopped humming and singing it. i believe people have given me weird stares when i sing too loud on the chorus, but who cares! God cares more than those people do!

"Where's the power of the cross in my life?" if you're constantly asking yourself this question, it's time to go back to the basis of faith. As the bible defines faith in Hebrews 11: 1, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

Our faith in Jesus is based on being sure of what we hope for (God's word does a really great job on this) and certain of what we do not see (we definitely cannot see Jesus but we know He exists). many of us, me included, posses faith by OUR own standards. we always want to SEE things first before believing it's true. 'Seeing is believing' goes the phrase anyway, we give the excuse. we want to experience before we commit.

but no my brothers! far too long have we been living according to OUR own interpretations of faith that we think that it's 'correct'. we all know that if a lie that is constantly said as true, it becomes the truth not because it's right but because of repetition. we ask for God to be near us to heal us, rescue us and lift us. wrong! God is everywhere! are we really practicing faith by praying: "God! Help! i need You HERE. please help me with this problem HERE..."? are we REALLY being certain? truth is, we're too used to ask God to come to us. we're too concerned with God doing this for us rather than what we can do for God.

before i continue, i would like to qualify myself. there is NOTHING wrong with asking God to come to us. BUT it's the context that we ask that makes the difference. there is nothing wrong in asking God to draw close to us when we want to know Him more. BUT plain asking God to come and come again for our benefit is not only insulting to God but also belittling Him. we're implying that He is not sufficient for us! with that, i continue.

i'm currently reading '3:16' by Max Lucado, an awesome read i picked up from my bookshelf. i was reminded by one particular story in Luke that highlights true faith.

Luke 7: 1- 10 reads:
1 When Jesus had finished saying all this in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. 2 There a centurion's servant, whom his master valued highly, was sick and about to die. 3 The centurion heard of Jesus and sent some elders of the Jews to him, asking him to come and heal his servant. 4 When they came to Jesus, they pleaded earnestly with him, "This man deserves to have you do this, 5 because he loves our nation and has built our synagogue." 6 So Jesus went with them. He was not far from the house when the centurion sent friends to say to him: "Lord, don't trouble yourself, for I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. 7 That is why I did not even consider myself worthy to come to you. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8 For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and that one, 'Come,' and he comes. I say to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 9 When Jesus heard this, he was amazed at him, and turning to the crowd following him, he said, "I tell you, I have not found such great faith even in Israel." 10 Then the men who had been sent returned to the house and found the servant well.

how many times do we say: "Lord, don't trouble Yourself. Just say the word and i trust You'll do it in Your good time... i do not derserve to have You in my life...i do not even consider myself worthy of You." the first thing we say would probably be: "God! COME NOW!" brothers! acknowledge God's sorvereignty in our lives and in this world!

the centurion had authority. he even had the authority to arrest Jesus if need be. he had a few dozen men under him, ready to strike. he even commanded the elders of the Jews. he wanted to heal his servant. he could have left his servant to die and appoint another to replace the poor soul. he was willing to send servants to intercept Jesus to ask Him to heal his servant. he did not consider himself worthy of the Lord's feet in his house, probably a huge one filled with treasures. he was not even a Jew. yet he humbled himself before a carpenter and said:"Say the WORD, Jesus, and my servant would be healed."

Jesus was amazed. He doesn't amaze easily. that's faith in action my brothers. true faith in action.

Jesus, i lay down my cause that my cross might be found in You.

ASS251009
isaac

examination exclaimations!

2009-10-12T21:30:00.006+08:00

howdy mates! we're in the 10th month of 2009 and we're 22 months since the birth of this blog. really hope and pray that this blog has been a source of inspiration and comfort for you (and that includes those not from our cell group too!).

in case you've been living under a rock, each monday, now and then, there will be a post to aid us in our daily living from monday to friday. rightly put by our TRAC president, Rev Dr Wee Boon Hup, "...christians spend more time in the marketplace then in church." we're constantly struggling against this After-Sunday-Syndrome inherent in most christians, who tend to live their lives NOT in accordance to the Word of God. realising the importance of living as a consistent christian, we birthed this initiative.

*i thought i could also use this opportunity to encourage our brethren who are currently feeling the heat from the examinations.

there is a rather bad and naggy habit in our youth ministry in which the youth 'disappear' from church to study for their exams. claiming that they need more time, they use the excuse abundantly, inevitably pulling themselves away from church and ultimately God.

i think it's time to address this issue seriously. Matthew 6 : 33 rebukes strongly: "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." By not attending church and cell group, are we saying that God is not worth the three hours in church? aren't we sinning against God? are we lacking faith in God such that we take refuge in our homes and books? Hebrews 11 :1 highlights :"Now faith is being SURE of what we hope for and CERTAIN of what we do not see."

brethren! take heed of what your bible tells you!

for the brothers whose exams have ended(yahoo!) take this opportunity and time to thank the Lord in solitude. *

This week in ASS, we look at yet another popular parable, 'The Parable of the Ten Minas(talents).

Scripture records this in Luke 19: 11 - 27

background: This parable was told by Jesus right after he visited Zacchaeus' house. I feel that Jesus tapped upon the topic of money and giving to approach this topic.

this famous parable teaches us to treasure the gifts that God has given us. we are quite simply told to multiply our talents and gifts for the expansion of His kingdom. have we been doing that? or are we idle, letting others serve while we seat in the background and watch?

one question that brother amos shared during cell group on sat touched me: "Jesus died for me. What am i going to do about it?" are we letting the death of Christ amount to nothing in our lives?

if you look hard enough, there's always space for an extra hand in any ministry in church. the ushers could use an extra pair of hands to count money on sunday, the floral ministry could use another to help with the arrangement. the tape recording ministry could use an extra pair of hands to help with the distribution.

brother, you are served.

Once again i look upon the cross where You died
I'm humbled by Your mercy and I'm broken inside
Once again i thank you
Once again i pour out my life!

ASS121009
isaac

OSIM!

2009-09-28T16:26:00.001+08:00

Oh dear God we ask of your favour
Come and sweep through this place,
Oh we desire you!
I just wanna be with you, be where you are,
Dwell in your presence, O God.
Oh I wanna walk with you!

C: And I will climb this mountain
And I step off the shore
And I have chosen to follow,
Be by your side forevermore!

Tell me what you want me to do Lord God
Tell me what you want for my life
It’s yours, oh God, it’s yours!

Do your will!
Have your way!
Be Lord God in this place!
Oh I want your will to be done!

C: And I will climb this mountain
And I step off the shore
And I have chosen to follow,
Be by your side forevermore!

G’day mates! Wonder what OSIM stands for? Oh Shit It’s Monday! Ok lame, bad Monday joke. Hahaha well seriously, I used to be sceptical about Monday because my life was routinely boring. But after I made a conviction to live my life as consistently as possible, keeping God in focus throughout, Monday is no longer boring! I pray that you will also be committed to keeping your life pure and holy, pleasing unto the eyes of the Lord.

And so, today being Monday, the After-Sunday-Syndrome is creeping back, and here’s a good recipe to kick out! This week in ASS, we focus on arguably the most popular parable Jesus told: The Parable of the Prodigal (Lost in some versions) Son.

Luke 14: 11 – 32 depicts this immensely popular parable, the context being Jesus sharing parables in the presence of the Pharisees and teachers of the law. It is notable that ‘sinners’ were present during this point of sharing, and Jesus was under scrutiny for ‘welcoming sinners and eating with them’.

I don’t have to repeat the story because you know it (unless you were living in Mars) but essentially, the parable has three main parts:

1.The son takes his father’s money
2.The son realises his stupidity and returns
3.Father welcomes him home.

Of course there are other parts that are equally worth mentioning but due to length constraints, let’s keep it to these few.

Let’s tackle one at a time.

~The son takes his father’s money.

I think if I go up to my father and ask for my share of the family’s wealth, I’ll probably get smacked in the head. My point is no one in the right frame of mind would ask his daddy for that kind of money. Not even during that time. It was deemed as rude and suggestive of one’s father’s impending demise.

This reminds me that sometimes when we ask God for things we need, we ask Him to provide for EVERYTHING we want without realising that what we ask from Him is rude. It’s easy for us to fall into this trap, because we feel that we don’t have everything that we want. So we tend to ‘go shopping with God’.

‘Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered all his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.’

Sounds familiar right? Many times we don’t appreciate the grace God gives us and distant ourselves away from Him, thinking we know it all. We’re not God-focused and we don’t allow Him to increase but allow ourselves to increase. Making things worse, when something bad hits us hard, we clamp up even more, blaming God, blaming everyone but us. I’m sure you’ve gone through this before. I did.

~ The son realises his stupidity and returns
Ever had that feeling that you know you’re doing something bad and foolish but still KEEP doing it? I struggle with that too. Let me share a slice of how this relates to me. In Sec 2, I used to like to be nasty with my language in school. I couldn’t control myself. Until one day, I heard myself and I wondered: “Why am I speaking like this?!” God challenged me to stop and within a month I was completely clean. Praise Him!

I think the worse thing to do is to sin and try and cover it up, especially when you’re in church. You put on that goody-too-shoes image that you often hide behind. Don’t do that! If you cannot realise what you are doing, the best thing to do is to pray Psalms 139.

When you realise that whatever you are doing is wrong, you’re on the right path to repent. But repenting isn’t easy work. I had to put in a lot of hard work during that month, and many times I stumbled. But thank God, I never gave up and I repented of my sin.

Need I say more, brother?

~Father welcomes him home.
Our God is an amazing God. When you are sinning, He still says, “My son, I died for you. I have forgiven you of your sins.” When we turn back to Him and take the first step, He takes a thousand more towards us. There is no better comfort than to reside in God.

In the parable, the father saw his forlorn son walking toward the house and ran to him. He put a ring (this is significant because a ring on one’s finger meant power) and the best robe on him. Similarly, when we take a step back to God, He places a ring on us, calling us His own.

Reflection:
Read Psalms 139. Have we been running away from God, not putting our God-given talents into good use for His kingdom?

isaac
ASS280909

ASS230909

2009-09-23T11:31:00.000+08:00

Love that’s stronger,
Love that covers sin and takes the weight of the world

I love you so
And I give up my life to say “I need, you so. You’re my everything.”

In serving the army, there are a few lifelines that make you feel you’re not secluded from the outside world, one of which is music. Since our cell group has evolved from talking about secondary school, concluding that ACS is better than SA(HAHA) to mortars, machine guns and that @^##^! sergeant of ours, I believe many would identify with me here. With that I begin this week’s ASS.

So there I was, listening to music while pretending to do work like all good lao jiao NSFs do, and I realised that, hey! I’m going to leave the service soon! Not to laugh at those who just went in, I mean we all serve 2 years equal, but I began to reflect on my NS life. One of the key verses I held, and still hold till today, was Acts 1: 8. Have I been a good testimony to everyone around me?

I was brought to Matthew 18: 21-35 immediately: The parable of the Unmerciful Servant. After reading it, I questioned myself. Am I like the unforgiving, unmerciful servant who takes grace from not just God but others for granted?

When we look at the parable from a third person perspective, we always find ourselves commenting, “What a lousy guy, forgiven still go and kachiao others.” Twist that around and imagine God’s looking at YOUR life from a third person perspective, sees you doing the very same thing and laughs to himself. “hahaha Isaac! Say people say yourself.” Thank God for His Grace!

The Lord’s Prayer also contains the similar element of teaching from this parable: “….forgive us of our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

Yes, it’s time to reflect on what we’ve done so far. Have we been like the servant that didn’t show grace to his peers? Have we forgiven those who trespass against us?

Freely you gave it all for us,
Surrendered your life upon that cross!
Great is Your love,
Poured out for all
This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life
Forever our God is glorified
Servant and King
Rescued the world,
This is our God.

With His blessings,
Isaac

A journey through time and space and most of all, grace.

2009-09-14T01:59:00.001+08:00

Ok fair warning: the content below contains plenty of history and writing styles you will typically find in a thick history book. If your response to history is to bury the textbook and forget it ever existed, I strongly suggest you read only the part on the parables. Like all history texts, this is expectedly long and I ask for your patience as you scan through the post. I’ve tried my best to shorten it. Haha! Here’s this week’s ASS, history style.

On May 7, 1945, at General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s headquarters at Rheims in France, Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, formally ending almost six years of war in Europe. Following six years of violence and bloodshed, it took only a mere three seasons for the Grand Alliance of United States, United Kingdom and Soviet Union to fall into pieces. The broken alliance between ‘The Big Three’ spelt the beginning of the ‘cold war’, a term coined by the preeminent journalist Walter Lippmann of the 1940s, and painted a torrid picture of clashing ideologies for generations to remember.

In the study of history, the basic rule of thumb is to identify the cause and effect the situation brings about. We read that once Hitler invaded Poland, seeds of World War II were sown. That’s cause and effect. I like history because I’m always fascinated on how old men used to lead their younger days, how they made silly mistakes. Turn the clock back to 1945 where an uneasy peace nestled upon the globe, where the world mourned for the lost in WWII. Turn further back and you find part one of the World War Saga, where Hitler was a sergeant in the German Armed Forces.

The point I’m driving across is that we all possess a piece of history tucked under our arms and we do not even realise it. It is recorded in the Gospels, the many parables Jesus told to the people, the hidden secrets of how the Kingdom of Heaven is like. Yet some treat the parables clearly as a boondoggle. We read:

(This week’s scripture text is taken from Matthew 13: 44 – 52)

I was pondering on how we can link the bible to what happens in the not-too-distant history, the World Wars and the Cold War. The flexing of military might is commonplace not only in the form of the United States Army and it’s entirety of weaponry, but also in the bible too. The ten North Korean divisions led by tanks and supported by 1,643 guns crossing the 38th parallel mirrors the invasion of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar and his army.

In more ways than one, history strengthens the why Jesus died for us. Jesus is part of history, but He isn’t history. AMEN! The often-overlooked human cost of fighting the Cold War finds a clear voice in “MIA,” by Marilyn Elkins, the widow of a Navy airman. The prolific incidents of Dien Bien Phu, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Bay of Pigs invasion point at the possible numbers printed on the press listed as dead. Encompassing so many perspectives and events, the cold war succeeds at an impossible task: illuminating and explaining the history of an undeclared shadow war that threatened the very existence of humankind. Jesus Christ succeeded in an impossible task: beating the devil down with two sticks and nails and saving humankind with His blood.

Throw the surface-to-surface and intermediate-range ballistic missiles on Cuba away. Throw the bows, arrows and spears used by King David and his magnificent army away and we have the same thought lingering since man knew how to think: life after death. What is the kingdom of heaven like? Jesus tells the people about the kingdom of heaven through parables because even though they have seen and heard from the Son of God Himself, they still are adamant and do not believe.

As important as the first strike capability was to the US and the Soviets at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis, so is the importance of grasping the meaning of the parables. We are at DEFCON 1-wartime. Because things need to be done and lives are waiting to be saved. Because we hold the key to letting our friends know about the truth of salvation.

“Dear God, thank you for teaching me the valuable lessons through the parables and through history as well. Help me Lord, to identify the areas of my life that are not in accordance to Your Word. Teach me Lord, to use the parables to reach out to my fellow friends. Your will be done, Lord! In the mighty name of Jesus I pray, Amen.”

God and the soldier all men adore,
In time of danger and not before.
When the danger is past,
And all things righted,
God is forgotten and the old
Soldier sighted.*

*The above poem was found in a British sentry box at Gibraltar.

With His blessings,
Isaac
ASS0140909

oops sorry!

2009-09-09T21:16:00.003+08:00

hi guys! if you're wondering where in the World Wide Web is this week's ASS, it's currently in two places. one, in my office com and two it's in my head.

IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

sorry for the delay but i hope that YOU have been seeking the Lord in your time this week. don't forget to do so!

*one good way to start the ball rolling is to ask the Lord: Search me, O Lord. Show me the areas of my life that displease You. Change my heart O Lord, make it ever pure. This is my cry, my one desire. Amen.*

With His blessings,
Isaac

light up the weeds!

2009-08-31T20:16:00.001+08:00

Light up the Weed!

Matthew 13: 24 – 30; 36- 43.

Hola! Hope your weekend was super, mine was! Hahaha had quite a lot of fun at YWCA during the weekend in the Children’s Min Retreat. Awesome!

Well, it’s time for us to turn our eyes upon Jesus and look into His wonderful face. And the things on this Earth, will grow strangely dim in the light of His wonderful Grace.

WEED ATTACK! Ok, this is not a advertisement for you to go on drugs. It’s the story Jesus continued to tell on his little boat, in front of a huge crowd. The parable of the Weeds is told directly after the Parable of the Sower. In the Parable, we read Jesus continues to use to example of a farmer sowing seeds. Only this time, it’s not the issue of how the seeds were scattered, but rather what happens when they grow with WEEDS.

(READ Matthew 13: 24- 30)

I don’t know about you, but I’m really bad at gardening. The last time I helped in gardening, I ended up playing with soil and water, getting really dirty. Haha. But let’s establish what weeds are and what they can do. According to my limited knowledge, weeds are simply unwanted plants. Lousy plants that do not bear fruit, they are a farmer’s worst nightmare. They take up precious water and fertiliser, and the other crop cannot get the best nutrients to grow. They do not kill the crop but use up the resources meant for them. In a nutshell, weeds are bad.

So now that we’ve established that weeds are horrible, we can understand why Jesus used the example of weeds in His parable. He used them as a contrast to the wheat, showing the contrast between believer and the non-believing.

So what does the parable mean?

(READ Matthew 13: 36- 43)

What we can learn from this:

- Not only does God sow good seeds into our Earth, we have to be equally aware that the Devil also sows evil seed into this Earth for his evil purposes.
- God has a purpose for all. It can’t be more explicit when it says there will be ‘gnashing of teeth’. That’s scary.
- The need to save others and be sure of our faith. Jesus not only sent a reminder to the un-saved, but also to the saved not to be complacent of their faith.

Let’s seek God with a contrite heart and an open mind! Have a great week!

Parable of the Sower

2009-08-25T20:44:00.003+08:00

Scripture Text: Matthew 13: 1 - 23.

(READ MAtt 13 : 1 - 23)

This parable is particularly famous in sunday school because it's one of the first parables that Jesus told. some background before this parable was told:

-Jesus had already preached the 'Sermon on the Mount'
-Large crowds were drawn to Him because of His teachings
-Jesus began healing many

As written in the previous post, Jesus knew that the crowd consisted of mainly farmers, fishermen and basically people who work in the rural areas. He started the parable with something they could account with: a story about a farmer.

there's something striking about the way Jesus started this parable. He started out by saying(V 4) "As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path... Some fell on rocky places..."

if you and i use common sense, no farmer in his right mind would scatter his seed on a path or rocky places for that matter. farmers normally scatter their seeds on their fields! I can only guess that Jesus was trying to get their attention(as you can see, the next parable Jesus told was about a farmer sowing seeds into his field).

so what was Jesus trying to teach us, using this popular parable?
(READ Matthew 13: 18 - 23)

i always believe that the Bible was written not to appease the Jews or people who lived in that era, but for everyone, past present future. As can be read in 2 Tim 3:16, "All scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

i think the one thing that Jesus emphasized on very importantly, was the production of the man who was the 'good soil man'. it also goes to show that Jesus wanted to spread the message that believing and understanding the Word of God is simply not enough. we need to produce.

so as we read and meditate on this parable, let's do some self reflection:
are you a 'rocky man', a 'path man' or a 'good soil man'?

ASS 250809
isaac

Parables 101.

2009-08-23T13:40:00.009+08:00

heya guys! i have never been so excited about ASS before! we are going to embark on a WHOLE NEW series to help us lead our daily christain lives! in case you're wondering what's happening, we are going to start a brand new series of blog entries, starting this week, on the Parables of Jesus. watch and look out for them!

before we kick off the parables, i think it's essential that we get the right definition of the word 'Parables'. well, i did a search, like all curious people on the internet do, and i found this definition: (4) ordinarily, in a more restricted sense, a comparison of earthly with heavenly things, "an earthly story with a heavenly meaning," as in the parables of our Lord. taken from BibleDictionary.com

there are a few things that we will find familar with the parables:

1. it probably defined our sunday school teachings

2. it has the popular saying of Jesus: "He who has ears, let him hear."

so what's the purpose of us studying the parables? i believe that God told the parables for a specific purpose. Matthew 13: 10 - 17 illustrates this.

(READ Matt 13: 10 - 17)

Jesus knew that the people he spoke to generally did not believe who He was and did not take Him for granted. although they heard from Him and saw His acts, they still perceived Him as another powerful prophet. Jesus knew that by using parables, He could spread the message about the Kingdom of God effectively! Hallejulah! Jesus purposely made the parables easy to understand(my guess is that the crowd he had made up of fishermen, famers and what not).

Similarly, we can learn plenty from the parables of Jesus. In these stories, we learn the figurative measures Jesus took to portray the Kingdom of Heaven!

let's dive into the Parables! :)

isaac

"It is..."

2009-08-19T14:15:00.000+08:00

booya! firstly wanna say thanks to everyone who contributed to the funfair in any way! really appreciate your help..thank God for His providence although it rained! we raised $180 dollars in total, in case you were wondering, which is quite a good effort considering we didn’t have any start up costs. well done guys!

i really apologise for the delayed ASSes. but I hope that you guys have been seeking the Lord in your own good time! i meant to post this last night, but I SUPER SEH(till the point that I didn’t even know how tired I was till I got home) so forgive me.

here we go! I think there’s a dangerous point in christian living when we start asking ourselves: what now? what am I going to do today with God? let’s see. Prayer? Done that yesterday. Praise? Done on Sunday. Beatitudes? Done on Saturday. Alamak. What to do today ah?!

I guess when we face the above situation, we can only conclude that we aren’t doing our QT on a regular basis. Such that when we pick up the bible, and dust off the mites, we find ourselves at a lost at where to start. I pray that we don’t fall into this trap.

One of the reasons why we fall into the cycle of not doing our QT is that we let the disappointments of life get to us easily. Endless school work, projects, unreasonable bosses, tough army life, the list just keeps going on. Directionless, we fall into the temptation of taking things into our own hands and try to find a solution. But we fail to remember that just two words from the Lord make a WHOLE world of difference.

Three statements from the Lord “It is…” offer us reaasurance, comfort and hope that Jesus is more than enough. The first is found in Matthew 4, “It is written” (vv 4,7,10). In response to the three temptation of Satan, Jesus shows us proof that the Word of God is true and powerful enough to overcome any form of temptation and power.

(READ Matt 4: 4, 7, 10)

The second is found in Matt 14: 27, when Jesus assured His disciples that He alone is enough to calm the raging storms of our lives.

(READ Matt 14: 22-33)

The third and final one is on the cruel tree, the cross, where Jesus proclaimed “It is finished”. He assured us that His death sealed the debt we had to pay for our sins and set us free.

(READ John 19:30)

So if you’re feeling like you dunno what to talk to God today, or you can’t find any place to start, start with the “It is..” verses.

i’m thinking(and I feel lead too) of starting a series on ‘The Parables of Jesus’ by using ASS. Meaning, every week we will focus on one of the Parables of Jesus. We’ll study it closely and the lessons that we can learn from it. Watcha guys think about it?

Material adapted from “The Daily Bread”

our GOD regins

2009-08-11T18:34:00.002+08:00

40 million babies lost to Gods great orphanage,
It’s a modern day genocide and a modern day disgrace
If this is a human right then why aren’t we free?
The only freedom we have is in a man nailed to a tree.

100 million faces, staring at the sky,
Wondering if this HIV will ever pass us by.
The devil stole the rain and hope trickles down the plug,
But still my Chinese take away could pay for someone’s drugs.

Our God reigns,
Our God reigns,
Forever your kingdom reigns.

The west has found a gun and it’s loaded with ‘unsure’
Nip and tuck if you have the bucks in a race to find a cure.
Psalm one hundred and thirty nine is the conscience to our selfish crime,
God didn’t screw up when he made you,
He’s a father who loves to parade you.

Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.

as i pick my pen up(i actually wrote this before typing it out), i feel a strange yet familiar sense of heaviness. i realise that as i'm writing/typing this, children are dying of HIV. some die without the love of parents, some without food or water. it's not much use residing in the fact that we often donate to charities and funds.

why God? why do such things tragic things happen to others?

on the flipside, we've got people in rich countries spending huge amounts of money 'beautifying' themselves. sigh.

as i listened to the song above, sung by delirious, i can't help but feel extremely sad. but yet something in me tells me that there is hope. that there is comfort. OUR GOD REIGNS.

Yes he reigns, yes you reign, yes you reign,
For there is only one true God,
But we’ve lost the reins on this world,
Forgive us all, forgive us please,
As we fight for this broken world on our knees.

it's the only response i could figure to this unexplainable truth. that our God reigns despite all these happenings around the globe. our God reigns in areas beyond our control.

this week in ASS, i feel that God is teaching us to let go of the areas of our lives that we are still clinging on to. we need to release it to God and declare that He reigns in EVERY area of our lives, and not just the areas we want Him to reign in. He reigns in every day, not just saturday and sunday.

this week's scripture reading: Psalm 139.

ASS 110809
isaac

back to the future!

2009-07-27T22:30:00.001+08:00

Hear the sound,
The sound of distant thunder
Watch the sky
The coming of the King!

Feel the wind
Breathing in your spirit
The time has come
To stand and raise the standard for Christ the King!

The future is ours,
The future is ours to take.
The future is ours,
The future is ours to make.

I believe that faith is the answer.
I believe that love makes us whole.
I believe that miracles will follow.
When we arise,
to walk the works of God,
For Christ the King!

The future is ours,
The future is ours to take.
The future is ours,
The future is ours to make.
The future is in our hands,
Build the church together!
The future is in our hands,
All our gifts we offer!

I have the habit of bringing my praise and worship cds along with me (which is why I still use my lovely discman. Not a scratch till this day :) ) to constantly remind myself of why churches worldwide bother to produce albums.

So why? The answer is simple. THE FUTURE IS OURS. And what’s got albums and Marty Sampson to do with the future? Easy. The commitment of these album makers is that they are providing a resource to the church at large. They are sowing into the kingdom of God, hoping people all around the world capture their vision and share the gospel. And God reassured me of that this morning. I heard that the future is ours to take. I heard that the future is ours to make.

Whoa. Hold on a sec. the future? I’m not even done with NS God! I’m typing this in NS! Then I realised my folly. God wants me to look ahead, not at the present. God wants me to look beyond the four walls of our church and forget what man can do. God wants me to believe that the works of God promise no limit.

The future is ours. The future of our church is ours. The future of Ang Mo Kio Methodist Church is in our hands. With our church planning on redevelopment, I don’t think it’s coincidental that I somehow listened to the song ‘Future’ twenty times before I wrote this. I take that God is pointing in the direction of us taking up the mantle of our church’s future.

The song ‘Future’ was sung by City Harvest Church when they were expanding from their old Cineplex. This song was the cornerstone of their expansion efforts. And as I listen to it for the umpteenth time while writing this, I can’t help but feel inspired.

The future is ours,
The future is ours to take.
The future is ours,
The future is ours to make.
The future is in our hands,
Build the church together
The future is in our hands,
All our gifts we offer.

This part of the song resounds with not just vision but authority as well. They are claiming a new church. They are claiming a new congregation. There is an element of submission as well, which I think is important. As we expand, we have to acknowledge that God is sovereign and that we offer up our gifts to Him for His work in us.

I believe that faith is the answer.
I believe that love makes us whole.
I believe that miracles will follow.
When we arise,
to walk the works of God,
For Christ the King!

What more can I say! AMEN! Brethren, let’s BELIEVE that faith is the answer!

Hear the sound,
The sound of distant thunder
Watch the sky
The coming of the King

Feel the wind
Breathing in your spirit
The time has come
To stand and raise the standard for Christ the King!

I can’t help but notice that we’ve got to keep the end in mind while we build His church. To keep the second coming of our Lord in constant view and make it our goal. I like the last two stanzas. The time indeed has come to stand and raise the standard for Christ our Lord!

Come on guys! Let’s get pumped up about our church expansion! Let’s pray! Let’s seek the Lord! Let’s make it a point to submit ourselves to God at least once this week.

As we get all hyped up about our church expanding, let’s make this the cornerstone of our belief. Because we are the future of our church. Because we ARE the key to expansion. Because we have a God waiting to use us all for His Glory.

BECAUSE THE TIME HAS COME TO STAND AND RAISE THE STANDARD FOR CHRIST THE KING.

so… are you with me, my follow brother?

ASS270709
isaac.

When I say ‘Jesus’ you say praise Him!

2009-07-13T22:25:00.000+08:00

Mahalo! We’re in the middle of July already! Time really files while you’re at it man. There are plenty of events coming up soon, like the carnival, the yellow ribbon run, YFCamp, etc. I’M EXCITED! What better way to spend time than being with the brotherhood and exalting God at the same time! I apologise for missing ASS out last week. It was a crazy busy week and I confess that I didn’t make time to do ASS. Oh wells.

This week in ASS, we focus on the name of the Lord. As I was worshipping on Sunday, I felt this need to share on the name of the Lord. I for one have taken the name of the Lord for granted sometimes. But the name of the Lord is different from any other name. There’s a vast difference between proclaiming the name of the Lord and any other god. Why? Because the name of the Lord has power, authority and sovereignty.

Familiarity breeds contempt is the way I would phrase our problem with overlooking the name of the Lord. I mean we use it at least thrice in a day after saying grace before we tuck into the food. But if we look closer, we realise that by ending our prayers with ‘In the name of the Lord Jesus I pray, Amen.’ it brings power and authority along with what we pray for. No wonder they say prayer works miracles.

All across the bible we see the power the name of the Lord brings. In Acts 3: 6 – 8: Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him up by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping and praising God.
Peter had faith in the name of the Lord in healing the cripple. He knew that the name of the Lord had power and authority over the cripple’s sickness and just by proclaiming in faith, Peter had done the impossible.

The name of the Lord is sovereign and is unlike any other name of any other god. Simply because it contains the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We might not have HUGE HUGE statues all around our churches, neither do we have numerous chanting books to refer to. But we have THE living word of God and the name of the Lord that is more than sufficient for anything we need.

May the name of the Lord be exalted in our everyday lives, as we try our best to live a constant christain life in our workplaces, schools and homes.

All the Earth will sing your praise,
the moon and stars,
the sun and rain.
Every nation will proclaim “You are God and You will reign”
Glory glory hallelujah
Glory glory to You Lord

isaac
ASS 130709

Lord AND Saviour

2009-06-30T15:04:00.002+08:00

School starts. Moaning begins. And elation ends. As most of us are brought back to the reality of going back to the horrid place they all call school, I pray we have not forsaken returning to the Lord himself.

In case we all forget, we have a promise made to God. When we welcome Him into our lives, we proclaim and PROMISE that He takes over in our lives. He reigns as Lord AND Saviour. But it seems that many are satisfied with only the latter. Are we guilty of treating the Lord as our Saviour and not our Lord? Do we treat Him as a safety net instead of the King of Kings?

The first commandment of the bible clearly reads in Exodus 20: 3 "You shall have no other gods before me. 4 ". Jesus takes sovereignty in our lives and the stone tablets make it crystal clear. Yet many of us lack that reverence and fear that God truly requires.

Reading ‘Angels & Demons’ only made me realise that God’s sovereignty cannot be questioned. Not only because no god comes close, but there is nothing on this Universe that can be compared to His holiness. That in the moment of adversity, the church will stand strong. That faith in God, beyond wisdom of man, is a far better solution than panic. That prayer comes always first.

He is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. Too often believers nowadays focus on the blessings and the promises of God rather than the source itself. We rather place our trust in the things we CAN see. We limit God to stories, miracles and acts when in fact, He’s bigger than the Universe.

Let's stop to reflect. Have we been treating God as He really ought to be treated? Are we worshipping Him out of a perception in our minds? Or have we been giving Him praise for who He really is?

Deuteronomy 3:24 "O Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?

ASS 300609.
isaac

2009-06-22T21:36:00.021+08:00

Haha.. Time to post some pictures.. I am sure, most of you are feeling after-effects of the chalet, which ended yesterday morning.. haha.. Certainly, we had enjoyed ourselves over the three days at Aloha Changi..

Back to where it all started, our all-time favourite chalet, Halton Bungalow D!

A clear view of Old Changi Hospital from our chalet...

Men in Blue.. Welcome to our chalet!

Keep the fire going, BBQ is starting...

Too slow and one pit is not enough, let's use one more pit for efficient of bbq-ing food!Engrossed in playing ps2Everyone look at the camera, not the bang cards.. haha

Just getting ready...
First Successful shot! ahhhh!!!
Let's look cool, shall we or not?
A close up group shot!Ian trying to be the center of attraction.. haha
Bring it on!!
A GREAT escape for Roy..
Finally, we did it, Tau-poking time.. Everyone's favourite picture...

Oh yea, not forgetting a good and scary experience at OCH at night! Now, we know what is it like to walk around at the most haunted place in Singapore... Haha.. More pictures are up on facebook if you have a facebook account... Haha..

Read this week's Ass below this post... haha.. Have a good week ahead and see you all at the cg this coming sat!!

Desmond

ASS

2009-06-22T16:31:00.003+08:00

Ok while you’re still thinking about the superb marshmellows and melted chocolate, once you say I WANT MORE, say IT’S ASS TIME! hahaha.

While we dream of the haunted Old Changi General Hospital, or the superb marinated chicken wings happily sitting on the wire mesh, let’s not forget to draw close to the one and only God. I mean after all, He was in the hospital too you know. I bet He could smell the chicken wings from there. HAHAHA. Ok God, sorry sorry. this week’s ASS is kinda morbid btw.

So I was reading the papers the other day (yes, it’s allowed. I was not skiving) as my daily routine, and I was pretty shocked at the rate violence is going around this small planet of ours. Past all the usual boring economic crisis and how BRIC is going to trash the US and stuff, this was actually quite alarming. I mean, someone does a re-election and people die. Neighbours of the land of Samsung are ready to blast nuclear warheads. And I just ate Wanton Mee at canteen A.

I guess it just brings us closer to the morbid topic of death. I don’t know how the people in Teharn are feeling right now, amidst all the political instability, nor do I know how the South Koreans are dealing with their hostile northern neighbours. But what I do know is that there is a God watching out for all of us.

Death is probably the last thing we have in mind right now. But the frightening reality is that death is real. And it’s happening. And it’s staring blankly in the face of others in the world.

So guys, start to pray for people facing death. Not entirely because it’s Monday and we’re trying to our best not to lead a double life, but because they need it. They need the re-assurance that He’s over them watching.

Isaac.

2009-06-17T23:33:00.002+08:00

Okay, as promised, we will be releasing a list of what to bring for the chalet!!

3 sets of clothes
Running shoes (if u wan to go for run)
Jacket for sleeping, becoz, i think the bedroom is cold when air-con is on.
Slippers
Toiletries
Medicines (if you are on medication)
Tibits/Snacks like, packet of chips and so on (part of entrance fees)
Water Bottle
Bible
At least $20 for your own meal at certain time.
Ez-link Card
Consent Form (if you have not pass to aaron or desmond)
Cards/Board games (please bring it, if you have)

Aaron & Desmond

2009-06-16T22:34:00.007+08:00

It's us again! 3 more days....

This time, we are posting on how to get there for those who are coming at later timing or different days. Quite certain that some of you might not know how to get there, so dun worry! I have put up the map for you to see and also will list down on how to get there without troubles.. Click on the map to enlarge if you cant see it.

Map of Aloha Changi

Okay, follow the guides on how to get there easily...

Go to Tampines Bus Interchange.
Take Bus no. 29
Take the right seats so that later on, you can find our chalet easily.
Don't worry if you find urself travelling along the HDB flats. It will take about 10mins to travel around the Tampines before heading down to changi.
After getting out of Tampines, you should be able to see some Prison building.
Followed by Changi Air Base (West side) then, it will turn to left.
If i am not wrong, the route will be continued from the map above otherwise, just keep your eyes open and look out.
At the end of Netheravon road, before it turn to the right, you should be able to see Old Changi Hopsital Building and our chalet is directly below and in front of it.
Press the bell and get down at tat allocated bus stop as mentioned in the map.
Wait for the bus to go off, and in front of you u can see the Halton Chalet D. A Big "D" can be seen from the bus stop.
Cross the road and follow the path up to our chalet.
Finally, you are there!

Yea.. Sorry for long-winded steps.. But just take note of the landmarks, if you have seen them, then, you are on the right route. If not, ask the bus driver to help u where to alight. If all else fail, call Desmond or Aaron! hahaha..

Check back again tmr!! Tomorrow, we will be releasing the list of items to bring...

Desmond & Aaron

2009-06-15T22:21:00.006+08:00

Okay guys,

Starting from today, gonna give out small information about the upcoming chalet as we count down..

<<Meeting Info>>
Time: 3.30pm
Date: 19th June
Place: Tampines MRT
Who to look out for?: Aaron or Jit Huih

Desmond will going on friday night, about 8pm onwards... So if anyone of you are coming on friday night, msg Desmond so that, we can meet up with whoever is coming at night, and we will go down together...

More info to be released tmr... Check back regularly!

Desmond & Aaron

June Fun-Filled Activities!

2009-06-08T22:10:00.013+08:00

Okay guys.... Finally.. June Holidays are here and we have some programmes for you...

1) PlayMax!
Playmax event which is on Friday(12th June) and Saturday(13th June). Our cell group is planning to go on Saturday. So, for those who are going but haven't signed up yet, please contact Amos or Aaron as soon as possible.. The latest is by tmr(9th June). Thanks! And also, please invite your friends to go as well... Here are the details.....

Event Venue: ST. Andrew's Cathedral
Time: 9am to 5pm
Registration fees: $10 per person (include full meal & hours of fun)
What is it about?: High-Energy fun-filled excitment in 6 amazing sectors.
FoodMax FleaMax StageMax SmartMax CyberMax ExtremeMax

For MORE details go to this link: PLAYMAX

2) Boys' Cell Group Retreat
A gentle reminder, there will be Boys' Cell group chalet from 19th -21st June... Haha, block out those dates and go for it! Haha... A good time for greater interaction and a strengthing of relationships within the cell during this retreat. The retreat will be a time of bonding, fun and learning for us as we come together! Here are the details again...

Date: 19-21 June 2009 (Friday - Sunday)

Venue: Aloha Changi, Halton D.

Yep! More details to be released soon.. Such as what time and where to meet on friday before checking in, how to get there for those who are going later, list of items for you guys to bring and so on... Oh yes, there is a form for you to get ur parent's signature if you are going.. haha.. Ask Desmond for the form if you are going!! haha..

Keep checking our blog regularly for latest updates... And oso pray for these two events as well as our prayer request in the previous post! Hang on guys, for those who are mugging for Mid-Years Exam after this hols and upcoming prelims!

Philippians 3:13-14
"Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

Have a good week ahead..

-Desmond-

Prayer Requests!

2009-06-08T21:25:00.005+08:00

Hey guys,

Before i post those fun-filled activities, let us keep our brothers in prayer over thanksgiving and prayer request which were shared during cell group last sat... I guess, some of you might have forgotten abt it.. Fret not, Aaron had wrote down during the sharing session.. Thanks Aaron! Tot, that i should post it up so tat, we could pray for one another!

Romans 15: 5-6
"May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Isaac - His friend's dad just passed away recently. Pray that God will give peace t his family and protect them.

Amos - Pray that God will protect and keep the tired Playmax's workers healthy as they do their best to serve God.

Sam - That God will protect him and give him strength when he enter army on the 15th June.

Weilie - His sister very directionless now because she got a better job offer but coy doesn't want to release her. Pray that God will tell her His will for her and the right choice to make as well as directions.

Ian - Sailing again from this thursday(11th) until the following tuesday(16th). Pray that God will watch over him and give him the strength to face the seas and long journey.

Desmond - Currently having company attachment. Pray that God will give him strength to do all his 6 'projects' to the best he can glorify God.

Aaron - No one from his class want to go for Playmax. Pray that God will help him to think of and invite other people to go to Playmax.

Willy - School moving from AMK to CCk next year. Pray that this move will not cause much disruption/inconievence to his studies, friends as well as travelling time.

Roy - Pray that God will give him strength to stay awake in class and learn as much as he can in school.

John - Pray that God will give him strength to continue to put his best into studies and do as much as work as possible during this hols.

Caleb - Pray that God will give the "fair" amount of marks to him for CT and his effort studying will not go to waste.

Jabez - As prelims approaches, pray that he will stick to his timetable and study as much as possible during this hols for it.

Joshua - 3 weeks to A Div, and trainings increased from 2hrs to 3hrs. Pray that God will help him to manage his time to study for exams which is after hols.

For now, do keep them in prayers! Check back again for fun-filled activities...

-Desmond-

2009-06-02T21:05:00.003+08:00

Finally, summer's here.
Good to be chilling out.
I'm off the clock.
The pressure's off.

Well guys.. I know i am abit late to share this good news with you all when this msg came in, in the afternoon while i was at work today.. hahaha

"Gd news! Chalet will be opened from 15 June onwards so we can go ahead!" -
Jit Huih

Yea, in other words, our long awaited Boy Zone Chalet..... is ON!!!

Here are the details...

Date: 19th - 21st June 2009
Time: To Be Confirmed
Where: Aloha Changi Halton D

More details to be out soon at later dates....

And lastly, don't forget to read the ASS for this week! haha.. Have a great week ahead! See ya

Desmond & Aaron

ASS

2009-05-31T23:00:00.002+08:00

happy half-2009 to everyone! woohoo half of the year has past! it's amazing how some of our lives have taken a complete change during these six months. let's continue to trust God for the rest of the year. He is always by our side!

i thought this sunday's sermon was in timely fashion. it strongly convicts us of the need not only to 'pour the flour' but also to be weary of being ignorant christians who chase the wrong things.

anyways, this week in ASS, i thought we could dwell on something that our church is going to embark on next year. MISSIONS!

as we continue to ponder over what was shared on sunday, i thought that missions could be a welcome distraction for us to think about. i bet an ice-cream the first verse that comes to mind is the 'great commission' verse, which is located in Matt 28.

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

sometimes we belittle ourselves when we hear this verses. WAH, i have to baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. we already give up before we even sign up for the mission trip.

my chicken rice conversation on friday with pastor leslie opened my little eyes to how missions is for everyone. i used to think that mission trips are long, exhausting and something not for the faint-hearted. but pastor leslie showed me that mentality was flawed. even going to Kuala Lipis to lead a worship session is considered as an outreach. something simple as dropping by a school to offer the kids love gifts also counts.

let's ponder over this guys. it's worth a thought. let's not keep all of God's blessings to ourselves but let's share it to others who desperately need our help.

isaac

Audio Tape/CD?

2009-05-31T22:52:00.002+08:00

hi guys, i was wondering if anyone is interested in getting the weekly sermon tapes/CD on a regular basis? i think it's a good resource that we can have as a cell that can help us in more ways than one. people who forgot to write down notes or need to hear the sermon one more time to understand can tap on this resource.

it's going for $3 per sermon tape/CD. if you order CDs, it can only be collected the week after though.

so who's up? :)

isaac

by His stripes we're healed.

2009-05-27T16:37:00.002+08:00

hello! hope everyone's week has been good so far. i apologise this week's ASS has taken so long to surface. been rather busy at work.

i was seeking God on what to share on ASS during my QT last night and He guided me to the topic on HEALING. i heard from Him that some of us are sick or unwell and was lead to Matthew Chapter 8. strange enough, today the first case of H1N1 was reported in s'pore.

This week's reading: Whole of Matthew Chapter 8.

i think the bible teaches us clearly that we have to be WILLING for God to heal us. In the first example of the leper, he was more than willing to allow Jesus to cure him. The leper had no idea who Jesus was, but in his faith he believed that Jesus would deliver. and our Lord did.

which brings us next to faith. we gotta have faith when we ask for healing. Jesus healed the sick soldier simply because his commander had faith in the Lord. similiarly, we have to believe that God will heal us of our sickness. He is bigger than any sickness that we face or struggle with.

so start praying now. it might not be you that's sick, but someone you know. pray for that person in faith that God will heal him/her. pray for the person who just contracted H1N1 in s'pore as well as others in the world who battle this illness. because it is by His stripes, no one else, that we are healed.

in love,
isaac

Are we giving adequately??

2009-05-18T20:34:00.002+08:00

Hey guys, Time for ASS again!! Take your time off to read..

This week in ASS we focus on something we have not done in a while. We center our attention on a particular story in the bible. This week we look at the story of Ananias and Sapphira.

Act 5: 1-11

¹Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. ²With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.

³Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? ⁴Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God."

⁵When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. ⁶Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.

⁷About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. ⁸Peter asked her, "Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?"
"Yes," she said, "that is the price."

⁹Peter said to her, "How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also."

¹⁰At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. ¹¹Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Haha.. Ever thought twice when you give to the offering bag? i think after reading this story, we will be scared to give on sundays. well, Ananias and Sapphira did not follow the law of God. They were supposed to give up all the money they earned from the sale of their plot of land to the church. But greed took over and they were punished. They died.

Similiarly, when we say we give our all to God, do we give Him a certain percentage and keep the rest for ourselves? it might not be in monetray terms, but could be in terms of time, our love or our lives.

when we say "God i give you my life" do we really mean it? or do we actually mean "God i give you only areas of my life i want You to work in. The rest are mine." i guess we all are gulity of such a sin. we cling on to the things we don't want to change. Satisfied of the status quo, we don't want God to intervene. Imagine if we had committed such a sin back then, we're DEAD!

In defeating the After-Sunday-Syndrome, i think that we have to establish that we have to give God our ALL. not 75% not 99% but a 100%. Only when we give Him everything and allow Him to work, then can we lead fruitful lives. let's defeat the ASS together!

isaac & desmond

FAST food.yummy?

2009-05-12T16:00:00.003+08:00

howdy! time for ASS again! in case you're reading this for the first time and to refresh our memories, After-Sunday-Syndrome is a feature of the boyzone blog that aims to aid everyone, not just boyzone, to overcome the syndrome of living a 'non edifying christain life' from monday to friday. so here goes.

IN case you're wondering if this week's ASS is focused on the link between fried food and living an awesome christain life(not that there's anything wrong with it), you're WRONG. this week we visit a topic that is not widely talked about and not widely done. FASTING.

for starters, let's qualify that skipping meals AIN'T fasting. yes, fasting incorporates skipping meals but it's not larger than that. fasting is also about praying while skipping the meal and also a time when God speaks to you. it is a time when you have a one-to-one time with the Lord.

fasting was mentioned early in the Bible, as early as Leviticus. it stemmed from the Day of Atonement(see Lev 16 & 23) where the Israelites do not eat and come together to worship the Lord. the bible spells it out clearly that during fasting we pray, worship and draw close to God. Many instances in the bible also point toward this. In Acts 13 we also read that Banabas, Simeon, Lucius, Manaen and Saul received word from the Holy Spirit and went forth to do His work.

so what are we waiting for? if you have not fasted before, i strongly encourage you to fast. but don't fast simply because you want to 'try it out' or it sounds 'holy'. here's some tips i learnt while fasting the National Day Fast ( 8 July - 8 August) :

1. Dont do anything that will stir up your hunger.obviously! dont do sports or vigorous activity.
2. Have a prayer guide or prayer partner to help focus on fasting.
3. Do fast with a friend. Share the pain.
4. If you feel unwell, please break fast. it's not worth the risk.
5. Make sure you drink plenty of water.

fasting is a sacrifice. we sacrifice our food to pray, intercede as well as draw close to God.

"Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary
Pure and Holy, tried and true.
With thanksgiving,
I'll be a living sanctuary for You."

isaac

Indescribable

2009-04-29T01:11:00.013+08:00

Hey guys, It is ASS time!! Let me share with u this very interesting topic.. "How GREAT is our God?" Sorry, it might be a long post... But it is definitely worth ur time... hahaha..

Before i begin, let me share with you on how or what bring me to this topic...

When i was in sec 4, my sitting desk panther and i used to chat alot and this conversation lead me to that topic... Here is goes..

My friend: "Hey, God created the sky right?"

Me: "Ya..."

My friend: "God created the land?"

Me: "Ya..."

My friend: "God created seas?"

Me: "Hmm... Ya.."

My friend: "God created the earth right?"

Me: "Yea.. of coz man.. That's waht the bible says.. haha.."

My friend: "So why did God create the other planets in the universe when the earth itself
alone is just enough for us to live??"

Me: "Hahahahaha, i really have no idea at all..."

In the end, it got me into deep thinking abt wat my friend asked... What he said make sense...Why are there other planets and somemore, they are unsuitable for us to live.. Is there a purpose for it?? I couldnt find the answer and i went to ask my sister about it.. She was unsure about it as well.. We forget abt it until, few months later, my sister showed me that 40-mins long sermon video, Indescribable by Louie Giglio.. and told me tat this sermon IS the answers to that question that my friend mentioned.. Honestly, I was reluctant to watch the sermon but in the end, i watched it..

And, it was mind-blowing as what he mentioned at the start of the sermon!! Let me summarise for you..

Yes, we all know that God created the heaven and earth, but we didnt really think more about it.. And there is more to it..

1) The primary purpose of the universe is to show off his splendor and majesty.(the answer to wat my friend and i were looking for..) Psalm 19:1 say "The heaven declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."

2) As the bible say, "When God say, let there be light.." If you think about it, just a word, 'Light' tat came from his mouth, He formed the sun which is so many times bigger than the earth(we all know that..) lighting up the whole universe which consist of galaxies after galaxies! Can you imagine how great and how amazing is our God?? hahaha

3) Stars that were all over the universe... If a person were to count the numbers of stars, it will take about 2500 YEARS to count the number of stars in the milky galaxy... But for God, He knows them one by one and called them each by NAMES!

4) Significance.. How small we are and how BIG God is. The galaxies and the universe is so big and everything was created by Him and for Him as well... And, we are so small, living in the earth, among the galaxies.. And yet, He is living in our hearts here.. No matter how small we are or how far are we from Him and how big is He, He is able to be close to us and also to fit in us.. Colossians 1:15-16 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him."

5) Lastly, at the center of this galaxy is a black hole which the hubble telescope took a picture of.. And, it is really amazing.. Is like, of all shape or watever.. It is a shape of CROSS!! The entire universe displays God's fingerprint and this is just one example...the cross of Jesus was on the mind of God even as he was creating the universe. check the picture below!

And, there was another short sermon after this.. Again, same speaker as well.. This time, he shared another amazing fact about our body... Laminin.

For those who doesnt know wat is laminin, To put it simply, every living creature has laminin inside of them...the purpose of laminin is that it basically keeps our bodies from falling apart. It holds us together as one united whole. In other words, It is vital to making sure overal body structures hold together.
The laminin protein is made up of three polypeptide chains - α, β and γ, giving it a total of six "ends", accounting for a lot of its flexibility in connecting various molecules. - Wiki

Check out the picture below to see the structure of the laminin when all 3 polypetide chains were together together....
Wow... Another cross shape.. Before i end this post, let me share with u last verse..
Colossians 1:17 says "He is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

As you can see, God leave His trademark everywhere... Even in the universe as well as in our body!! This is clearly shown how amazing and GREAT is our God.. Remember, we are serving a BIG(not in physical) God!!! Hopefully, this post is interesting and then, we will continue to serve our God and admire His creations, always and everywhere.. Haha..

Desmond

40 Days of Community : Boys Cell Project!

2009-04-19T22:23:00.005+08:00

Hey guys! A little update on whats up for our community project. If you guys remember, we've just finished our 40 Days of Community bible study series. And its a good time to practise and test out what we've learnt, and also have fun in the process of carrying out this project! :D

The main organisation we've approached so far, is Covenant Family Service Center. Basically what it does is that it serves residents in the area (in the case of Covenant it would be Hougang) facing a range of problems, ranging from financial, martial, parenting and educational. Most families face a few of these issues at the same time because the nature of their struggles is very much interlinked. Hence the FSC uses a few schemes to help them like the School Pocket Money Fund and GIFTS(Gearing Individuals and Families Towards Self-Reliance)

Well, so much for the FSC, so where are we to step in?Basically our role can be separated into 2 areas:

1. Ad- hoc Events/ Projects
Covenant usually holds some projects that require volunteers. For example,
a. Family Day on Jun 13
The center is holding a Family Day event on Jun 13, 8am to 12 pm. Requiring volunteers to help them set up game booths. Purpose is to build family togetherness as they will invite the needy families to join them in this event. They will need about 4-5 volunteers a booth to plan the games to involve the whole or large part of the family, also to man the stalls and host the games. Logistics will be provided by the center.

b.Needs Assessment Survey
This is a collaboration with an RC to find out how residents are coping after the recent economic crisis. Will extend from May to June, and take place on Monday nights. Volunteers are needed to give out the surveys and hence will need to attend a training session.

c.Workshops
There are 2 kinds of workshops that volunteers can help out in. One would be the volunteers draw up the cirriculum themselves, and carry out the workshop to teenagers/ children. Another would be that the cirriculum is already set, volunteers would just carry out the workshop. Workshops are designed to teach lifeskills (e.g time management, computer skills, etc)

2. Long Term Volunteering
This would be open to those who are interested and also have the time to commit.

1. Tuition Program
Thurs, 745 - 930pm. For Pri Sch Eng, Maths, Sci. Providing free tuition to the needy students whose families are clients of the center.

2. Reading Program
Sat Mornings. To help children who are slow in learning in their reading abilities.

Alright, this is basically the needs of the center laid out here. We've not confirmed yet which activity/activities we're going to take part in, will most probably confirm again next cell group. Do keep our project and also our CG in prayer, that we'll learn wonderful things as we minister to those in need! :D

SINce when was SIN ever personal?

2009-04-13T18:50:00.006+08:00

alrighty, time for ASS! hope everyone had an awesome weekend..i sure did! thank God for all the salvations on friday and sunday.i'm sure there were many others saved in other churches! let's continue to pray that more will come to know the Lord..

(WARNING:longer post than usual.)

this week in ASS, we touch on the topic of SIN. it's a morbid topic, esp after Good Friday and Easter Sunday have passed. but seeking the Lord last night, i was convicted to share this. tapping on the mood of sin-salvation we all have now, i thought we could let this be the centre of our week. :)

Ever asked yourself these questions:
-Since holiness is so basic to the Christian life, why am i not experiencing it more daily in my life?
-Why do so many christains feel constantly defeated in their struggle with sin?
-Why does the Church of Jesus Christ so often seem to be more conformed to the world around it than to God?

More often than not, we find that our attitude toward sin is more self-centered than God-centered. We are more concerned about our own 'victory' over sin than we are about the fact that our sins grieve the heart of God. Sometimes, we cannot tolerate failure in our struggle with sin chiefly because we are success-orientated, not because we know it is offensive to God.

God wants us to walk in OBEDIENCE ----- NOT victory. Obedience is orientated toward God; victory is orientated toward self.
This is not to say that God doesn't want us to experience victory, but rather emphasize that victory is a by-product of obedience. As we concentrate on living an obedient, holy life, we will certainly experience the joy of victory over sin.

(adapted from the book, The Pursuit of Holiness, by Jerry Bridges)

have an awesome week ahead! let's defeat that After-Sunday-Syndrome!
isaac

ASS!

2009-04-08T20:59:00.002+08:00

in this week's ASS, we'll be focusing on Matthew 26-27 A.K.A the last hours of christ..for lengthy post purposes, i will not copy and paste the entire passage here.so please dont be a bum and go read! hahaha!

i believe many see the last few hours of Jesus as a pivotal point in the Christain faith simply because Jesus finished what he intended to do here on earth. It not only reminds us of His love for us, but also exemplifies the greatest sacrifice made in history.

so let's approach this week's topic with humble and meek hearts. to cast away our pride, to say we can't do anything without Him and acknowledge Him as our Lord and Saviour. let's be helpless before the Lord.

i often tell myself to remember this certain story i heard at one of the YF camps. it goes like this:

There was a lady who had sinned against the Lord. She committed adultery against her husband and told plenty of lies to cover the wrongful act. She was unrepentful till one day, the message of forgiveness the pastor shared convicted her to the altar.

She knelt at the altar trembling with fear, stricken with guilt. She plucked up her courage and prayed a simple prayer:

"Dear God, i know what i did those years back was wrong. i shouldn't have done that wrongful act. It's okay if You don't forgive me. I just wanted to let You know i'm sorry."

and God replied,

"What act those years ago? I can't remember."

isaac

updates!

2009-04-06T18:19:00.007+08:00

time for the not-so-often updates!

1. Church Camp registration is now open. Those interested can submit their registrations to the info booth on sundays or via the internet on our church webby.
More details in the bulletins!

2. Boyzone Chalet is CONFIRMED!
Date: 19-21 June 2008
Venue: Changi Aloha Chalets;Houton D bunglow
Expect a time of fun and wonderful fellowship! Theme for the chalet isn't up yet though.
Desmond and Aaron are in-charge of the schedule and how we spend our time there.do approach them if you want to be help out in a certain area.approach them or they will ARROW! :)

3. Movie time! shall we watch a movie this friday? $8 per pax. plenty of i-want-to-see-this-and-that-too movies.

4. And oso not forgettin to keep Matthew(7th April), Kenneth and Joel(11th April) in prayers as they go into police academy and army respectively... Hahaha...

isaac & desmond

2009-03-30T22:27:00.006+08:00

Would like to share this video with you guys.. Take ur 6mins time off from your schedule to watch this meaningful clip..

hi all, it's time for ASS again! hoping this little thing goes a long way in your week!
since good friday is nearing, i thought the next two weeks we could focus on the last moments of our Lord Jesus Christ. The above video touched me vivdly, when i saw scenes from 'the passion of the Christ'. how Jesus suffered, mocked, whipped and died for us impacted me greatly. the song complements the scenes, as the words rang in my ears. take six mins off and watch this video. it has impacted desmond and i, and i'm sure it will impact you too.

After you're done watching the video, pray this prayer out loud:
Dear Jesus,
how wonderful, how beautiful are you Lord. You are my beautiful saviour. Freely you died on the cross for me, took the weight of sin from me and cleansed me. Thank you for all you have done on the cross for me.
Your servant, (your name)

Guys, let's do this together. It's Good Friday soon and let's not pass it by. Let's take the opportunity to thank the Lord for all He's done in our lives.

Sneak Peak on ASS next week: we'll be focusing on Matt 26-27.

have a great week ahead!
isaac & desmond.

Defeating that ASS!

2009-03-23T18:43:00.003+08:00

no, you didn't read the heading wrongly. yes, it's defeating that ASS!

well, introducing:

Defeating That After-Sunday-Syndrome!

more often that not, we hear people sharing how they lead different lives for the first six days of the week and then on sunday they turn on that 'holy' mood when they come to church! well, DTASS serves to defeat that mentality! every monday, we will try to post stuff that we can all think, pray and meditate on for the whole week. kinda gives us a focus for the week thingy. stuff includes perhaps a story from the bible, a particular Jesus incident, a bibical character or a simple psalm.

here is this week's STUFF:

Story focus: The war between the Amalekites and Israel(Exodus 17: 8-16).

8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." 15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. 16 He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."

STUFF we can learn from this:

1. Like the lsraelites, we will always face trials and tribulations in our lives(v16).
-we are not spared from the downs of life

2. When we lift our hands to the Lord and tell Him the battle is His, we will have the advantage! (v11)
-we can tap on the example of Moses who lifted His hands to the Lord as a sign of surrender. It also meant that Moses was proclaiming victory in the name of the Lord.
-Similarly, when we proclaim victory in the name of the Lord, He will carry us through.

3. We are not alone in trials and tribulations! We need our friends and brothers to support us! (v12-13)
-Moses needed Aaron and Hur to support his arms when they grew tired. On the same note, we will grow tired and weary when we face our troubles.
-In times of need, we can rely on God and also our friends to lift and support us!

so, when you're facing something big this week, remember to lift your hands to the Lord and proclaim that the battle is His! It can be school work, deadlines, difficult people in our school/workplaces or simply fatigue, just surrender our situations to Him. Jesus will carry us through!

have an awesome week ahead! and by the way, the chalet(Houton D.WHOOTS) has been booked. YAHOO!

isaac

something to think about :)

2009-03-16T14:36:00.003+08:00

the holidays are here! for some of us that is :) well, i thought with this break, we all could do some reflections on what has happened so far in this year.

i think plenty could be learnt and applied in our lives this starting three months of 2009. for starters, we finished 40 full days of learning of the importance of community not too long ago. just yesterday, we appreciated God's faithfulness in sufferings.

well, for some of us, we are already feeling the pressure of school work, learning to adapt to new changes in our lives and some of us are uncertain of what lies ahead. some of us are in celebration of the result at old trafford, some in disbelief. haha

so why not let's take some time out to do some reflection. while i was doing my personal reflection, i realised i kept going to back to Daniel 6. after reading it, i made it the centre of my personal reflection.

here's part of Dan 6:

9 So King Darius put the decree in writing. 10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
11 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. 12 So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: "Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or man except to you, O king, would be thrown into the lions' den?" The king answered, "The decree stands--in accordance with the laws of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 13 Then they said to the king, "Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day." 14 When the king heard this, he was greatly distressed; he was determined to rescue Daniel and made every effort until sundown to save him. 15 Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, "Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed." 16 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" 17 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel's situation might not be changed.
18 Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep. 19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions' den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?" 21 Daniel answered, "O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king." 23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 At the king's command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

yes. God's not done with us when we get thrown into the lions' den. in fact, He's there with us when we face our fears, our trials and our sad moments.

so why not let's take some time out to do some reflection.

isaac

prayer requests!

2009-03-01T23:11:00.003+08:00

hi everyone, time for some prayer requests for this week! here we go:

prayer tip: This was what Ps. Stanley shared in one of the CPMs. Although some of us might not know what we are praying for or cannot visualise the results of our prayer, we should take the example of the early church. They were praying for Paul and Silas(Acts 16),who were both in jail, although they did not know what would happen next. Similarly, we should tap upon their strong faith that God would move despite not knowing the outcome.

1. Amos' mission trip: Pray for God to grant them favour with the schools they are visiting. Pray for a sucessful outreach to the school kids and that they will respond to their 'main event'. Pray that lives will be saved, and that many will be empowered to share Christ with their friends. Pray specifically for Amos, that he will be strong physically as well as spiritually.

2. Sam's KL trip: Pray for journey mercies to and fro, and for a fruitful trip up north.

3. Weilie's sister: Weilie's sister was recently admitted into SGH from an attack of pneumonia. Pray for complete healing and for good rest. Keep their family in prayer as well, that they may cast their worries and anxieties to the Lord.

4. Desmond's FYP: Des is starting his FYP tomorrrow(2nd March). Pray for wisdom, knowledge and strength as he goes through this long and laborious path. Pray for a co-operative team and for Des to work closely together with his team. Pray that Des will be a living testimony to his team and lead by example.

5. Prayer Mail: Take your time to browse through the prayer mail(which can be found in this week's bulletin). Commit to God the different prayer pointers listed. If you want the full version of the prayer mail, can approach me or Weilie. yup!

happy praying! have an awesome week ahead! :)

In Love,
Isaac

final week

2009-02-23T11:20:00.002+08:00

this week marks the final sermon following the 40 days of community. conversely, our cell is one week behind the sermon series(because of fusion). well, here goes!

FINAL week: 23 feb -- 1 march
Sermon Topic: Worshipping Together
Preacher: Ps. Stanley

When we think of why we worship together, we often lead ourselves to fundemental questions on our faith:

-What is worship?
-Why does the church exist?
Scripture reference: 1 Cor 10:31. "So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." => which simply translates to Glorify God!

worship = worthship
worthship denotes the worthiness of an individual to receive special honour
Scripture reference: Romans 15: 5-6

FOUR ways to glorify God:

1. By cultivating a habit of including God in every segment of our life.
Scripture reference: 1 Cor 10:31

2. By refusing to expect or accept any glory that belongs to Him(God)
Biblical example: John the Baptist.
Scripture reference: John 1: 23-27;John 1 :30
Are we really glorifying God when we serve Him, come to worship services, etc?

3. By maintaining a priority relationship with Him that is more important than any other on earth.
Scripture reference: Matt 10: 37-38

4. By living a life of giving. Everytime we give, we glorify God.
'consumerism worship':one who simply comes to get something out of the service.
Scripture reference: Romans 12:1;1 Peter 2:5
Question should not be: Where can i go to get what i want?
But: Where can i give to help others?

*Worship is not a spectator sport. We come primarily to give to God.
Bad News: We can 'fake' giving glory to God. Pretense on the exterior ISN'T giving glory to God. looking holy doesn't either.
Good News: We can truly come to God in glory. God doesn't give us anything that we can't do.

thought for the week: WHERE are we going for lunch on 1 March. Thomson food court is quite disappointing. (but the indian food is damn shiok.lol)

isaac!

Fusion!

2009-02-16T16:06:00.002+08:00

FUSION 2009!

Details below:

Where: ACS (I)
When: 21st Feb 2009.this sat.
Time: 9am -- 9pm
What to bring:
1. a set of colour pencils(entrance 'fee'.this is important!)
2. sermon notes
3. jacket(just in case it gets cold)
Webby: http://www.weloveourgod.sg/default.asp

ok, here's the thing. some of us are going in the morning at 9, some of us are going in the evening. here's what to do:

-if you're going in the morning, there MIGHT not be transport there. thus we have to arrange our own transport. since isaac is going in the morning at 8, please contact isaac if you're going in the morning.

-if you're going in the evening, there MIGHT be transport there. i will sms ya about the details. please let jit know if you're going in the evening.

there is NO cell grp this coming week, unless you wanna spend it alone with rick warren on the tv. :)

isaac

Horror Fest!

2009-02-09T17:08:00.006+08:00

Hey guys,

Here are the details for Horror Fest this coming friday.. (Friday, 13th 2009).. Haha... We will be renting the dvds from video ezy.. Oh yea!! If you guys happen to have any horror movie dvds, please bring it!! Haha...

Time: 10pm - 6am... Overnight, yep!
Meeting Location: AMK MRT
Things to bring: Tibits & Drinks..
People that are confirmed(Limited 15 seats.. First Come, First Served.. Kidding man!) :
1) Matthew
2)Kenneth
3)Joshua
4)Jabez
5)Caleb
6)Willy
7)Gabriel Lee
8)Ian
9)Isaac
10)Desmond
11)Amos
12)Aaron
13)and counting if anyone is interested..
Whose House are we watching at?: Amos's

to clarify things, we are having a total budget of 50 dollars for this fest. that includes rental fees from videoezy, snacks, drinks, etc. yup! we will come up with the cost per pax by friday.

haha... To make things interesting, we will be releasing a horror movie title everyday, starting from tmr till thur.. haha.. OK, back to studying.. See ya..

Desmond

Week 3. (technically haha)

2009-02-02T12:59:00.003+08:00

Today marks week three in the 40 days of community. let's keep the pace in reading the guide! here's sunday sermon for those who missed it. it's rather lengthy( i copied three pages of notes!!!) so please bear with me:

Week THREE: 2 -- 8th Feb 2009
Sermon Topic: "What destroys relationships and what builds them?
Preacher: Ps Stanley
Scripture Text: James 4: 1-12

Introduction:

* relational conflict extends to every level of society. we're not free from conflict!
*loving one another may be the key, but it is easier said than done.

What is the source of all fights and conflicts amongs us all?
Scripture reference: James 4: 1

What destroys relationships?

-Most fights and conflicts stem from unresloved problems in the past.
-Root cause of conflicts--> DESIRE(carries a negative connoctation in Greek).
Scripture refrence: Mark 7: 20-23
-Summing up, the desires in our heart is the root of all our relationships.

Two desires that constitute the evil desires in our heart:
Disclaimer: This list is not exhaustive, there are many other root causes but due to time constrain, pastor chose these two out of the rest.

->Selfish Desires.
Scripture reference: James 4: 23
When we stop working hard in our relationships, selfishness creeps in!
Scripture reference: Phillipians 2: 3-4

->Prideful Desires.
Scripture reference: James 4: 6 (adopted from Proverbs)
Pride: huperephanos, which literally means "he who shows himself above other people."
-Pride tends to show in criticism.
-The comparing sprit hints pride.
-The most destructive side of pride: when pride blinds one from seeing one's sin.
-In any relatonship, it takes two hands to clap.

What then builds relationships?

1. Submit ourselves to God.
Scripture reference: James 4: 6
-All relational problems stem from problems with God.
-Our conflict with another person inevitably and indirectly involves God. Why? The bible says, how can we say we love God when we hate our brother? By being in conflict with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, we are indirectly saying we are in conflict with God!

Therefore, humble ourselves before God:
*Submit/confess our sin to God. Forsake our sins!
Scripture reference: 1 John 1:9

*Humble ourselves before others! Genuine confessions involves specific apology and asking for forgiveness. confessions ought to be short and not lengthy.

2. We must resist the devil.
Scripture reference: James 4: 7

How do we resist the devil?

->the only reason how we can stand before any spritual being is because of the blood of Jesus.
->the blood of Jesus gives us the authority.
->But for us to have the authority of Jesus, we must be right with God and our brothers/sisters.
As pastor illustrated, there was a man trying to cast demons out of a man. Instead of leaving the man, they replied to him:"Jesus we know, Paul we know. Who are you?!"
->In resisting the devil, we say,"In the name of Jesus, I reject you Satan and your thoughts."

3. We come near to God.
Scripture reference: James 4: 8
-We fear rejection. Naturally.
-but when we draw near to God, God draws near to us.

4. Stop judging others.
Scripture reference: James 4: 11-12.
-Conflict is inevitable when judging happens.

Conclusion: Psalms 133: 1-3.

i have to say, whatever that is written above MAY not be exactly what was shared on Sunday. Many times i have to paraphrase what was shared so i can copy down more notes. i hope that this helps though. if you do have anything to add, i will be more than willing to 'zheng' this post.hahaha just email the boyzone email. yup!

A not-so-friendly reminder: Please remember to read the guide! cell's the same this saturday at 5! as usual, we will watch the video first before proceeding with worship and discussion. yup!

isaac

Updates!

2009-01-24T23:09:00.003+08:00

time for our not-so-often updates on the boyzone! hahaha.

1. In view of the Chinese New Year, this sunday's sermon will NOT follow the 40 days of community series. Thus, ceteris paribus, we don't have to do the reading this coming week. Take a break guys.

2. For those who still do not have the 40 days of community book(for some weird/strange/funny reason) please get it from jit. yes get it from jit. he has extras.

3. Prayer request: Desmond's dad has been admitted to SGH upon discovery of an inflammed eye. Please pray for healing of the eye as uncle Sunny recuperates in the hospital. Thank God for the positive MRA scan results, showing only an inflammation and not other suspicions the doctors had.

4. Please think of some 'CIP' thing to act in accordance to the 40 days of community. tuition sounds good! :)

Lastly, HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR! HUAT AR!!

isaac

2009-01-20T16:09:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone,

I just changed our profile picture... I need your opinion abt this. For now, the picture is in medium size, so, do u prefer the current size of the smaller size as shown below... Please shout-out at the tagboard>>>>

Haha... Lets take more of group pictures to replace a better ones.. haha.. Keep changing the profile picture regularly to see how much have we grown(in numbers of members..).. haha.. Or maybe, we can compile into a photo slides to display different group photos.. Haha..

Have a great week ahead and read 40 Days of Community regularly!! Haha..

Desmond

Beware: Friday the 13th

2009-01-20T15:43:00.003+08:00

ever heard of the curse on friday the 13th?! when a group of innocent, daring, unknowing and adventure-seeking guys meet at a friend's house to watch horror movies, scary stuff happens. and we're about to break that curse. hahaha.

ok seriously, there's no curse. think you kinda figured that. hahaha! but why stay at home on Friday the 13th when you can have an encounter with the dead? Presenting:

BOYZONE FRIDAY THE 13th SCARY/DISTURBING MOVIE MARATHON

Venue: yet to be confirmed. if you want to open your house, please let me know.

Time: 10pm till next morning.

Movies to watch: ONLY jap/korean/thai horror movies.

When: Feb 13th 2009.

What will happen:

1. we meet

2. we go and buy snacks.

3. we watch

4. we go for supper

5. we watch again

6. (leaves this blank. who knows what will happen.)

we dare you come for this movie marathon. don't worry there's still cell the next day. it has to be held in church, in the Lord's house. hahaha.

Week 2.

2009-01-18T21:42:00.008+08:00

we are in week two of the 40 days of community! those who do not have your workbooks, i believe there are extras with jit. you'll get them don't worry. here's this week's sermon outline for those who missed it:

Week TWO: 19 -- 25th Jan 2009
Sermon Topic: Reaching Out Together!(session 2)
Preacher: Ps Leslie
Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 3: 5-9

P-A-R-T-N-E-R

*We are to love one another and to share that love!

*God didn't create anyone he didn't love and no one Jesus Christ didn't die for!

*The task of evangelising involves different people. All of us have a specific role and together we contribute towards bringing an unbeliever to accept Jesus Christ as his/her Lord & Saviour.
Bible references: Phillipians 1:5

1. Pray together.
We talk to God about the person first before we talk to the person about God!
Bible refrences: Col 4:3
Action step: Make a group prayer list!

2. Appeal to common interests.
Action Step: Discover the common interests in your group! (this ain't difficult!)

3. Reach out in love.
Everything we do, we do in agape love.
God wants us to share our lives with one another.
Bible refrences: 1 Thess 2:8
Action step: Ask God to give you a deeper love for others

4. Tell your story.
Love in practical action is POWERFUL
Bible refrences: 1 Peter 2:9
Action step: Write out your story to share it with your group.

5. Nuture friendships.
Build a friendship bridge so God can walk across!
Bible refrences: Romans 12:16, 2 Tim 1:7
Action step: Bring a friend to your group. Plan a party! Whee!

6. Expect God to Act.
Rememebr the story of the four friends who carried their paralysed friend through the roof to meet Jesus?
Jesus healed the paralysed man because of the actions of faith shown by his friends.
Bible refrences: Heb 11:1
Action Step: Never give up on anyone!

7. Represent Christ with your life.
Sharing God in our community starts with our cell!
Bible refrences: 1 thess 4: 11-12(a)
Action Step: Pray to God: "Use me".

Another Not-So-Friendly Reminder: Please remember to read the daily devotions!

isaac

40 days of community

2009-01-14T14:51:00.004+08:00

so this week marks the start of our journey through the 40 days of community. in order to facilitate those who missed out on sunday's sermon or forgot to take notes, myself or any others will try to update the blog on what was shared during sermon on sunday. yup! hopefully and prayerfully this will be a resource during these 40 days and also after we finish this journey.

WEEK ONE: 13th -- 18th January 2009
Sermon Topic: Why we need each other?(session 1)
Preacher: Ps Stanley.
Scripture Text: John 17:1-26

Three main reasons:

(1) We need each other because it is Jesus' desire and will for us.
Bible refrences:
John 17:11, 21, 22-> Jesus prays for everyone as a whole.
More verses: Psalm 133:1, Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:5-6

*The very shape of the cross suggests two main transactions that Jesus accomplished.
+Upright post stands for restoration of our communion
+Horizontal post stands for restoration with one another
Ephesians 2:13-18

* Genuine commission with God translates active participation into the building of community.

*It is impossible to love God without loving our neighbour.

*By taking one side of the cross, be it horizontal or vertical, we are destroying the cross and what it symbolizes.

*The point of conversion at the cross is where we ought to be, when we obey both sides of the cross.

(2) We need each other for protection.
Bible refrences:
John 17:11, Ephesians 6:12

*FYI: The Devil meant advesary in the old Testament and Satan in the New Testament

*when the church lacks love, the church will break down.

(3) We need each other to be effective witnesses for Christ.

i hope this is sufficent. it's not complete cos i think i went toilet during the last part or something hahaha.

A Not-So-Friendly-Reminder: Please read the daily daily devotions. Feel remorseful if you have not done monday and tuesday already. hahaha kidding! happy reading! cell's the same this sat! see ya folks!

isaac

Updates!

2009-01-04T22:37:00.002+08:00

alright! first post of 2009! just a few updates here and there of what's going to happen:

1. Chinese New Year Celebrations.
-if you do want to open up your house for visiting, please let jit know. we will be more than willing to organise the outings!

2. 40 days of Community
-our church is embarking on this 40 day journey. naturally our cell will follow this series, so do look out and collect your workbooks from jit when you see him.
-the course stretches from jan to feb and there will be sermon series on what will be covered in the workbooks.something like 40 days of purpose.

3. Our church is having prayer meetings every weds at 8pm. if you have not been to one of these prayer meetings, i strongly encourage you to make the time to go. it's a time of prayer and intercession for the church.gives you a better view of the happenings in the church and its members.

happy 2009!

isaac

2008-12-26T21:36:00.004+08:00

Hey guys...

The long awaited-food list for tmr party is about to be revealed.. haha...

Food List
Desmond - Hotdogs
Jit huih & Isaac - Fishball & Curry puffs
Caleb & Jabez - Brownies, Fork, Spoon, Knife, Plate and Serviette
Weilie - Satay & Jelly
Joshua - Packets of Potato Chips
Samuel - Bee Hoon
Gabriel - Chicken Nuggets
Ian - Pork Ribs
Roy - Drinks
Joel - Spagetthi bolognese

Yep.. Thats wat we have right now.. If there is anyone, who wan to contribute foods, feel free to msg me or Isaac anytime as long as before the party.. Haha... See ya guys tmr!

-Desmond-

Post-Christmas!

2008-12-23T14:15:00.005+08:00

alright, this is kinda weird cos christmas isn't here yet but it's good to be prepared! Be ready this coming 27th! it's time for us to party! introducing:

BOYZONE CHRISTMAS PARTY 2008

Date: twenty-seventh of december, two thousand and eight

Time: five-thirty till nine(plus)

Venue: Samuel Chew's House

Meeting Place:Church foyer at five-fifteen.latecomers will have one less curry puff to eat.

What to bring:

1. food (it's a MUST)

2. friends

3. a gift for exchanging(a minimum value of five dollars please)no photo frames,magnet,mug etc..

4. an empty stomach to gobble all the food

expect a time of games, food, fellowship and above all, FUN!

boyzone tip: we will be having our food outside of the house. unless you want to have black feet and be shoo-ed out of the house,it's better to wear slippers or sandals. sam will NOT provide any slippers.hahaha!

just a short note, please sms desmond to confirm what you are buying. it's important.

AND, for the record, we are going for the 8am service this coming thurs.

isaac

We came, we saw and we conquered!

2008-12-14T13:42:00.008+08:00

We have conquered St Francis Meth School once again! The camp is finally over! :) i'm sure we all had our fun and laughter during these 4 odd days of camp. Encounter, Desire and Devotion!

Just a word of encouragement to Weilie, who was in the food arm of the camp comm, great job brother! thanks for all the arranging and the trouble you went through to make food the possible!

I always think that the end of camp is always the start of a new beginning. As Jit shared on the last night, everything might seem the same around us be it school, army camps, work or play. But the defining factor is the inside of us. We can change the inside.

If you have any testimonies, prayer requests or simply someone to speak to on any topic, the boyzone email is always available.

P.S->there is cell this weekend if i'm not wrong.will update you guys asap.
->please do your christmas shopping early! the malls are packed!

isaac

O LIVE!

2008-12-04T22:34:00.003+08:00

Hi guys...its once again December...once again nearing Christmas..

And its time for FACT CAMP 08!
But this time, I implore you guys not to look at this camp as another "once again" "yet another camp" kind of camp! Because this time I believe there are great things God has in store for you guys in what is upcoming :D Look forward to great fun and fellowship with your friends! Especially exotic and queer games :D! A wonderfully edifying and also interactive time learning about God's plan for you to live rooted in Him.

Yep, it will be a blasting time of learning and sharing and playing and EATING :D haha! look forward to seeing you guys in camp!

-weilie :D

Fresh Look!

2008-12-03T02:11:00.002+08:00

Hey guys

Here to present you a new blog skin! It is all thanks to Isaac in helping us to find a new blogskin while, i edited some codes on the right side to make it look much better than before.. haha.. Everyone, please give comments whether is it nice? haha.. Good or Bad, we accept it.. If there is anything for improvement, feel free to speak out.

Aww.. it is getting late already, should be in bed by now, there is sch the following day.. haha.. Nitez everyone!

-Desmond-

UPDATES!

2008-12-02T13:32:00.006+08:00

->time for updates all you brethren! there is NO cell this sat(6/12/08) due to powerhouse! i think it starts at 430 and the venue is the 5612 chapel. will sms again! try not to be late!

->as per below, YF camp is coming up real soon. so please pack early and remember to bring your towel!

->Sunday Lunch Recommendations(new):Aston's Express at A*Star Coffeeshop at AMK.it's near AMK jubilee.

Price Range:10-15 dollars.try and bring 15 just in case of drinks and maybe might wanna HUAT for more food.lol

Food:Mostly Western, with the usual steak, ribs, etc.

Recommended food for the brethren: tried and tasted the ribs.PLEASE go for it.will not regret.another option is the gigantic burger or the fish.the rib-eye is also goody but a little pricey.

rejoice and again i say rejoice! time for glorious food on a glorious day!

-isaac-

YF camp 2008!

2008-12-02T13:23:00.004+08:00

the time has come! YF camp time! haha..anyway, YF camp is starting in almost a week's time, and i guess it's time to start preparing(both spritually and physically) for it! here are a little details:

Venue: St Francis Methodist School
Date: 11th till 14th December 2008.
Camp Theme:O Live For Him!
Webby:Fact Camp'08
Email:Email here

yup! let's look forward to the camp! it's just EIGHT days away! St Francis here we come!

P.S-if anyone has any queries, please direct them to weilie(who is in the camp comm).just bug him as and when you need. :)

-isaac-

Boyzone Welcomes Yuze

2008-11-18T08:41:00.002+08:00

Hi all,

It has been a long time since this blog is updated. Anyway, we have a new friend this week. His name is Yu Ze. Our brother, Gideon, brought him last sat.

Yu Ze is from RJC, heading to J2 next year. His is a member of the Singapore Youth Orchestra play a double bass (i think), all I know its really cool. Haha.

Amos

2008-10-21T23:08:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone!!

We have a great piece of news! Isaac will be discharging from hospital tmr!! Thank God! And Thanks to everyone who have been praying for him..

Let's continue to pray for those who are in the midst of O's!!

Desmond

2008-10-19T21:37:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone..

Yep, as jit mentioned yesterday, that isaac is out of High Dependency Ward and is now in normal ward.. It is a great news.. Thanks to everyone for praying him.. but dun stop there... Continue to pray for him to recover and be well again...

And, lets pray for Aaron and Caleb who will be taking O's starting from tmr!!

Not forgetting Kenneth, Joel, Sam and Matthew who will be taking their A's in few weeks time..

Lets pray for them..

Have a good week ahead guys!

Desmond

2008-10-15T18:41:00.002+08:00

Hi everyone...

I guess, you had received Amos' s msg just now.. If not, i shall update here... Isaac is finally out of ICU and now in High Dependency Ward... Just another few more days more, he will be in Normal Ward which we could visit him... So guys, let keep praying for him till he recover...

Desmond

2008-10-13T21:51:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone!

It is me again... Hmm.. just received msg from Jit huih few mins ago.... He said that isaac is conscious already.. Thank God... But, continue to pray for him.. The next few days which is abt 2 days is crucial..

KEEP ON PRAYING!

Desmond

2008-10-13T18:14:00.002+08:00

hey everyone!

Here is the latest update of Isaac's condition, just in case, some of you didnt receive any msg this afternoon, abt 2plus... Thank God, that Isaac's operation is successfully.. However, as of now, he is at ICU, being monitored to see if his body acccepts the new valves... So, the next 24hrs is crucial..
So guys, dun stop and please continue to pray for him!!

And Caleb's classmate, Joash had been hosptialized with lung puncture. So, lets pray for him as well, so that he could recover in time for O's.

Desmond

2008-10-11T20:53:00.002+08:00

Hey everyone!

As far as we know that Isaac's heart operation had been postponed to next mon, (13/10/08).
Yesterday, some of us visited Isaac, and he look slightly pale. Let's keep Isaac in our prayer everyday!

Desmond

BBQ NIGHT!

2008-10-01T12:15:00.002+08:00

hey everyone! as we all know, the Youth Ministry is putting up a BBQ this coming sat night! yeah! details are as follows:

Time:4-9pm
Venue:Far Horizon Gardens-nearest MRT station would be Yio Chu Kang MRT Station.
this is a link from google maps to the place: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=far+horizons+gardens+singapore&ie=UTF8&ll=1.383177,103.840756&spn=0.008924,0.013733&z=16

Where the boyzone is going to meet before going: Church at about 3:30pm-please do not be late :)
What to Bring:Your friends!
What to expect:Games, food, and much more!

yup! the invites were given out last week, but if anyone needs more, do not hesitate to call me for it!

isaac

owe money pay money! :)

2008-09-02T20:39:00.006+08:00

okay guys! time to pay up! haha..if you fall into either one of the following categories (if you fit both, you're DEAD cos we're coming to get you lol) :

1. Church Aniversary Dinner.

Cost:$50 per pax (those who are praying it's $50 per table, sadly it will not be answered the way you want it lol)

Who to pay to: Jit.

2. Jit's appreciation gift.

Cost: $6 per pax [you're paying for both shirts, frame and the coffee we had over discussing wad to do for him :) ]

Who to pay to: Des/Amos.

pay up time guys! hahaha if not....

the 'O$P$-or else' arm of amkmc boyzone

2008-08-27T16:25:00.003+08:00

Hey guys,

Here to post an important announcement.. I am sure, some of you heard about having chalet after your exams... After much thoughts, we have decided this dates for the chalet..

Date: 4th to 6th Dec 2008.

So guys, please feel free to shout out at the tagboard whether u will be free or going overseas during the period..

We need the response as soon as we can so that we can start to look for chalet and booked earlier, or else, there will be no chalet.. LOL...

Brought to you by Desmond!

Attn: All Tau Hway Lovers!!

2008-08-22T00:53:00.004+08:00

Hi everyone!

I think, it is a good time to post abt this great piece of news! Especially, what we have been talking on tagboard for the past few days... >>>>

Check it out guys! All thanks to Aaron!!

"I just read about this in the 8 Days magazine today. Bet this would be interesting for all Tau Hway Lovers (like me!) :)

"Yong He Eating House

Famed for its soy bean desserts and crispy you tiao along Geylang Lorong 9, Yong He has relocated to a cleaner, more spacious kopitiam further away from the seedy action (increased rent is their main reason for the move). The 24/7 menu remains largely unchanged: you can still get snacks such as tau hway (incidentally smoother here than at its former more crowded premises), and Taiwanese mee sua. But new lunch and dinner items are only avialable from noon to 8pm. Try the dan zai noodles ($3), which are like soupy prawn mee, and the fragrant stewed pork rice ($2.50). The best thing about the new address? More parking lots. Not that you should be drinking and driving.

517 Geylang Road (Lorong 27A), Tel: 6748-4679"

Hope this is the correct stall. Maybe one day can have boyzone field trip to tau hway stall! XD"

Haha.. Yep, as wat Aaron suggested, BOYZONE 'FIELD' TRIP to that stall.. LOL...

"Reporting..... Agent Tan Weilie, I think, you failed in your mission! U failed to notice abt this stall. I, hereby, send you to confinement."

LOL..

Have a great day ahead!

Brought to you by Desmond

Church!

2008-08-19T09:53:00.003+08:00

morning everyone! it's a cold morning, so i thought i posted some food for thought on the blog! our church aniversary is coming up! since we have quite a number of people interested in signing up for a table, i was thinking maybe we can collate the numbers as early as possible so we can work things out quickly. yup! please shout-out if you're going! --->

was also thinking of the church building fund and how boyzone can help! maybe for a start, we can save at least one dollar a day..haha that adds up to about 30 dollars a month! yup! let's save for our beloved church!

alright i'm done here..have an awesome week ahead.remember to pray! today a lot of things going on for our guys! :)

isaac

16th of August:A day history was written

2008-08-16T23:41:00.005+08:00

hey guys! many things happened today!

first, let's welcome john(not john teh) to our cell! yup! hey john, if you're reading this, on behalf of AMKMC Boyzone, WE WELCOME YOU! hope you enjoyed the session today!

*and yes,he has picked up bang so beware lol*

okies, prayer and testimonals next.

thank God for helping ian through his army week, thank God for helping him score first in his tank pit test! awesome!

prayer request for sam chew:sam's got his attachment company.he's the only one attached to his company so let's pray for favor among his peers. let's pray for him cos he's having exams. sam's having his 2nd driving test this coming tues! pray for a smooth ride!

prayer request for weilie:weilie's having his take off on tues.pray for a smooth take-off!

prayer request:isaac is going for his heart operation end of sept.pray for a smooth operation!

prayer request:caleb is taking his english oral this tues. let's believe that God is in control!

prayer request:let's pray for joel,caleb,aaron,matthew, kenneth,samuel yu and willy for their upcoming A O and N levels! keep it going guys!

prayer request:Desmond will be having end of semester exam on mon(18th), wed(20th), fri(22nd) and mon(25th) . Pray for his exam too.

finally, on this day, Usian Bolt broke the 100m finals in Beijing in 9.69s!! Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka won the gold medal in tennis! hip hip hooray!!!

isaac

2008-08-03T20:07:00.003+08:00

Hi everyone,

please take your time to read this.. Caleb is promoting an event from his sch, ACS(I)....

"Hi guys, i have an upcoming guitar orchestra concert on the 15th of August, friday at 7.30pm to about 9.30pm. We'll be playing several genres of songs, including jazz, blues, pop, latin american and also some small group items featuring 2-5 players. I have 10 tickets at $12 each and i need to sell them off. Can all those interested please contact me at 81239430 because i need to return the stubs by next week latest. Thanks for your support!"

So ya, if u r interested in going, please contact Caleb and his no. can be found above it..

One last thing, before i leave, Please keep me in prayer for tmr's final presentation.. Tks alot..

Have a blessed week ahead!

God Bless,
Desmond

It was a Dark and stormy Knight...

2008-07-27T23:15:00.006+08:00

** INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PICTURES? **

** WONDERING WHY EVERYONE IS ASKING 'WHY SO SERIOUS?' **

then join us. join us and find out.

We are watching Batman: The Dark Knight. Monday, 28 July, 2008. Ang Mo Kio Hub, 7.20pm. Please be seated by 7.15pm. Dinner will be served at 6.30pm.

** PLEASE RSVP BY 1PM SHARP ON MONDAY 28TH JULY **

Send a SMS message to Desmond 98441430 / Samuel 90470988 / Isaac 97874132 by the stipulated time above. If not, the joke's on you... Hahaha.

So come down and join us to find out all about The Dark Knight and the Joker... And remember... Why so serious? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! :D

posted by your (Dark) Knight in shining armour, Sam CHEW. (:

2008-07-21T23:28:00.003+08:00

OOPS!

What HAPPENED to all the pictures?

More to come on this mystery... Keep checking AMKMCBOYZONE for details.

20 July 2008

2008-07-21T10:05:00.002+08:00

Boyzone to aid COMPASSION?

2008-07-15T09:11:00.002+08:00

hey guys, some food for thought on this cold tues morning :) joshua sent an email recently regarding COMPASSION, a foundation based on helping needy children..i was thinking that as a cell, we could support a child from COMPASSION..apparently it's 40 odd dollars for a month..well, if ten of us could support a child, it would only be 4 dollars a month(the price of a beef hor fun at church coffee-shop haha)! details are in its site: www.compassion.com

give it some thinking!

*cell's the same this week at 5! cya!*

isaac

Birthdays for July

2008-07-07T12:56:00.004+08:00

hey guys! it's birthday time! haha..weilie and caleb's birthdays are coming pretty soon so i thought maybe we could throw a celebration for them..yupp! was thinking of doing it this week on thurs or sunday..yup! thurs would be dinner and sunday would be lunch! yeah! err any recommendations on where to go eat, when you are free, wad time to eat, wad to buy for their birthday present, how to wack them up etc are all welcome..hahaha..just shout-out or comment! thanks guys!

cheerios!

isaac

Pictures from the stayover!

2008-06-17T22:11:00.003+08:00

List of what to bring..

2008-06-12T16:10:00.002+08:00

Hi guys..

I think, Isaac might have forgotten to post a list of what to bring for Stayover tmr!!

Checklist:

1. Toiletries
2. Twenty dollars in cash money
3. Sleeping Bag
4. A change of clothes
5. Pillow, if needed
6. Any board or card games
7. Snacks
8. And, any items that u wan to bring.. etc..

As for the time and location for dinner tmr.. Will confirm again tonite.. So, pls return back and check for more updates!!

And, let's us thanks Isaac for helping us to make a booking request to church for room despite being busy with his work.. As well as constantly updating the latest news abt it... haha.. See ya guys tmr!!

Desmond

final updates of the stayover!

2008-06-12T08:04:00.004+08:00

ALRIGHT! the stayover on friday is official. yup! the MPH has been booked this friday, 8pm till 9 am on sat..as for the consent forms, they are with me. best is you can meet me can take it or you can take it on friday and let your folks sign it. but please let them know!

the rough programme is this:

1.meet up for dinner at someplace in ang mo kio(please not church coffeeshop AGAIN)
2.after dinner,we go to church to "book in".
3.let the games begin!
4.supper/movies
5.play more and go crazy and super tired/sleep.

those who wanna watch movies, please bring them!

there are some suggestions for watching a late night movie(kung fu panda time)!

anyone in favour of that please shoutout!

finally the boyzone stayover has finalised! woohoo!

isaac

the stayover!

2008-06-07T11:19:00.003+08:00

hey guys! regarding the stayover, i checked with caroline already..those below 21 have to sign a consent form..yup(this is for admin purposes and to protect the church). that's practically everyone! she will be churning the consent form out soon(sorry for the last minute notice)..i will try to confirm the booking early next week so i can post it here..yup!

worst case scenario: we cant get the booking by this week, how bout the 20th?

there's cell group today at 5! see ya there!

*rain rain go away, so that we can play soccer today :)*

isaac

the stayover!

2008-06-02T11:55:00.003+08:00

hi guys! as posted earlier, we will be having our stayover in church during the school holidays..on a friday night..6th is not too good a date cos there's church camp.how about the 13th? please confirm soon cos we need to confirm the booking with church admin. please shoutout at the box to indicate your choice of dates. please indicate any game you wanna bring for that night too! the games that we will confirm be playing would be bang, saboteur, blockus..feel free to bring any games to play!

on the night itself we will meet at say about 7 plus for dinner and then proceed to church for fun! hahaha

isaac

Prince Caspian!

2008-05-25T14:56:00.002+08:00

hey guys! this is about prince caspian on thurs at bishan..it starts at 7..tickets are with me so just meet up and collect it on thurs itself..i was thinking, maybe we can meet for dinner at 6? if not we meet latest at 645 outside bishan GV(level 4)...

payment please make it to jit on thurs(that's if you havent paid yet haha)

*please pray for aaron and caleb:they've got chinese o levels coming up tomorrow!

isaac

what do you guys think?

2008-05-19T22:08:00.002+08:00

hey i was thinking recently about some stuff regarding the cell:

1. WHO'S UP FOR A STAYOVER IN CHURCH DURING THE SCHOOL HOLS? hahaha was just thinking maybe we can organise a stayover in church during the june hols. play bang, saboteur and other stuff..should be on a friday or sat night..who's up for it?

2. cell shirt? jit's got connections with an uncle at queensway. maybe it's time to design one...haha

3. i got this idea from my mum's cell..they're doing a collective savings for the church re-development fund, i.e they save up every month and at the end they'll all donate..seems like a good idea to me if we wanna help the church financially..

P.S: there's coporate prayer meeting this weds at 8.let's make it an effort to go! only ends at 930.
cell's the same this sat! see ya!

isaac

prayer request and thanksgiving

2008-05-19T21:48:00.004+08:00

guys! been some time since the last post..sorry! just posting some prayer requests and thanksgiving we shared during cell on sat(17/05/2008)!

1.sam-sam's taking his final year in poly now...he has to choose a firm to do his attachment, so pray for God's direction and guidance as he chooses between taking a firm which the school offers him or to choose a firm himself.

2.aaron-thank God for giving aaron good results for his MYE..praise God!

3.caleb-caleb didn't do as well as he expected, but nevertheless, let's give thanks to God!

4. aaron and caleb-pray that they will continue to place their fatih in God, and for God to continualy provide for them in every area of need.

5. joel-pray for God's direction as he speaks to his friend about Christ!

6.weilie-weilie has been posted to CAB(changi air base) for his national service..let's pray that weilie will be able to adapt to the new camp and for God to use him to touch the lives of others there.

7.amos-amos is currently undergoing his FYP(final year project) now..heard that he wasn't feeling well last week, so let's pray for a full and speedy recovery!

8.des-des' class is currently kinda siang cos there has been nasty remarks between two groups of friends. let's pray that God will resolve any conflict and negative feelings.

if there's any other stuff that i missed out(cos i accidentally deleted the message i saved)or any prayer requests along the week, please email to the boyzone email: amkmc.boyzone@gmail.com

isaac

The heart of giving is in giving your heart

2008-04-06T21:42:00.006+08:00

Hi guys,

Thought I'll post up a summary of what I shared during CG for the past two weeks so that we can reflect and pray, as well as for the benefit of those who were not with us. Take time to think and reflect. =)

What does it mean to give? (Part 1)

Have you ever wondered what true giving is? When was the last time you gave a gift, rendered a service or did something for someone without really expecting anything in return?

I want to focus on our giving to God and what it entails. This is not just about giving of our tithes and offerings, or serving in ministry. It's about a lifestyle of worship and how much us God has.

You see, many of us are already serving in some area of ministry. In fact I just did a mental count and realised that at least 7 of our CG members are serving in worship ministries in the church! What does it mean to give in ministry? It can get really dry and mundane sometimes doing the same things over and over again, and we may lose the focus of giving of ourselves, our time, energy and resources. Some of us may even be doing it more because you are interested in music or playing a particular musical instrument.

I believe that giving to God is much more than just serving in a particular ministry. Those of us who do not belong to any church ministry, take heart. It definitely doesn't mean you are not giving at all! Let's look at two different examples of how two women gave to Jesus:

The Poor Widow's Offering (Mark 12:41-44)

Jesus was sitting opposite the place where people placed their offerings into the temple treasury. In our context today, this means Jesus was present at the offering time during 3rd Service when the bags are passed around! All the high and mighty, rich and famous put in large amounts from their deep pockets. After which, along came a poor widow who placed 2 small copper coins that were worth a fraction of a penny (hardly worth anything today).

Now we all know that Jesus said this poor widow gave more than all the others. If you think about it logically, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that what the widow gave would not make ANY difference at all. It wasn't going to help the needy or pay for anything; perhaps she should have even kept it for her own livelihood. But I think God is showing us that it is not how much the gift costs, it is how much the gift costs the giver! It's the amount of sacrifice put in. Comparitively, it is much easier to give when you have plenty, but try giving when you are in lack and every dollar counts!

The Sinful Woman (Luke 7:36-50)

Here we have quite a different scenario. Jesus was having dinner at a Pharisee's house when a sinful woman brought a very expensive flask of perfume, broke it and washed his feet. The perfume was worth one year's wages!

Notice that the Pharisee did not even give Jesus any water for his feet, which was customary in those days. Hospitality! And he murmured in his heart that the woman was sinful and why in the world did Jesus allow her to even do such a thing. He completely missed the beauty of what the woman was doing. She was giving her all.

You see, people, it's not how much the gift costs, but how much the gift costs the giver. We have two examples of gifts that differed so much in their value, but God was touched by them.

How are we giving to Him today? It may sound very touchy and religious, but I believe there was nothing religious about what the sinful woman did. In fact, I think she did not give a heck about religion or what people said, because she chose to enter the house of a Pharisee knowing that Jesus was there, and knowing that the people there would mock and judge her. Still she chose to show how much Jesus meant to her.

King David (2 Samuel 24:18-25)

The last example is how King David gave. He was instructed to build an altar and offer sacrifices at the house of a person called Araunah. Araunah immediately obliged and even offered to allow David to use his own oxen so that the king need not spend unnecessarily. But David replied: "I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing". And the king offered to pay for them himself when he could easily have done otherwise.

It doesn't matter if you are a king or a widow, rich or not-so-rich. It's not how much you give, but how much of you God has. The amazing thing is, God gave us His everything too. It wasn't and angel or an agent which came down for us. Some of us may think that Jesus was able to endure the cross; after all he is God and should have some supernatural endurance. But he was also fully man! That's sacrifice! I pray we'll be able to see this!

How are we giving today? How much of you does God have? Those of us who are in ministry, you may be playing, singing, doing things etc, but are you giving to God? They say it's a "sacrifice of praise" and rightly so. May He open our eyes to what giving to Him and others means and may we find joy in that.

Jit

Sentosa!

2008-04-01T21:58:00.005+08:00

hey guys this post is about the sentosa trip we had on the 15th of march! sorry for the late update! yup first of all just wanna thank God for the awesome weather we had that sat! IT WAS REALLY HOT!! haha..wanna thank the F.O.P as well, for all the food and the fun!

well it went like this...

before we/most of us were there:

we met at 9am at vivocity, all fresh and excited!(actually not all, those who stayed over at my hse, seh ah! lol) next we all proceeded to take the tram to sentosa while isaac and jit drove over to sentosa itself..*thanks bernice for letting me carry the awfully heavy tub of bee-hoon*..LOL..jit and isaac arrived shortly(after driving one whole round just to u-turn LOL) and started to lay out the ground sheets..

when we were there:

we started with the rituals first, intro plus ice-breakers..after the one-round-of-introduction,we played 'who do you love', followed by H2O and finally husband and wife..fun fun fun! then the food came..*there was SO(si bei ALOT) much food! let's not talk about the food cos i'm writing this while staying back in the office so i'm really hungry..haha

after lunch we continued with games, kicking off with frisbee..it was a showdown between the oldies and the youngies..then there was captain's ball which obviously the youngies won due the height of alicia..hahaha..but we had to stop.we had to.the sun was really TOO HOT..hahaha even the bottled drinks were hot! lol..ngiam debated to play soccer amist the unforgiving circumstances, of which many of our guys readily agreed(which was a bad decision).we had to stop again..TOO HOT lol..

then the sane ones decided to wade in the water to battle the heat while caleb jabez sam and isaac walked along the beach only to find ourselves running around bare-footed on the hot sand..haha! after wading in the water long enough, the girls went to bathe while the rest sat on the canvas talking about army..(weilie, wad did we say about talking army?!)haha but melissa was intrigued by 'sergant ninja' and his unique ways of catching the NSFs..

after eternity, the girls came back from their bath and we packed up and got ready to go home..sam emerged the overall victor by taking back the coveted mushroon sauce..haha!

when we left:

we took the tram back to vivo after we packed up, and the girls wanted to go eat ben and jerry's..seh ah! that kinda ended the outing, and we didn't really end it off properly cos we were too seh and burnt to do so..hahaha!

P.S we still played bang! at night..haha long live card games!

lastly we(F.O.P and the brethren) want to thank God our creator and father again for the awesome weather and his blessings showered upon us before, during and after the outing..

isaac

Sentosa Pics!

2008-04-01T20:15:00.012+08:00

2008-04-01T12:35:00.003+08:00

Hi guys,

Here're some good articles that I've read...take time to read and reflect on them.

Being the salt and light in the world today: http://www.chc.org.sg/harvesttimes/ht_28/ht_28_02a.asp

Sharing the Gospel with our friends:
http://www.chc.org.sg/harvesttimes/ht_22/ht_22_02.asp
http://www.chc.org.sg/harvesttimes/ht_23/ht_23_02.asp

There will be Cell Group Meeting this Saturday, 5th April. Same time, same place, cya there!

Jit

Holy Week Services!

2008-03-18T22:06:00.006+08:00

Hey guys! Yup hope everyone had a great time at palawan! Three cheers for God and the awesome weather! :)

Yup regarding the holy week services this week, there are services on weds, thurs, friday and sunday! Shall we standardise the different services that we all go to?

Thurs:8pm(not really a choice cos there's only one service haha)
Friday:8 & 10:30(shall we all go to the 10:30 one?)
Sunday:6,8 & 10:30(shall we also go for the 10:30 one? 6 is a little too early..haha)

have a great week ahead! :)

isaac

Palawan beckons...!

2008-03-11T11:10:00.004+08:00

Hi guys,

We'll be going to Palawan Beach, Sentosa this Saturday, 15th March for a combined cell picnic/games outing with the F.O.G (aka girls' cell)...three cheers! Details are as follows:

Where to meet: 9.00 am sharp at HarbourFront MRT station

What to bring: At least $15 cash, water bottle, cap, umbrella, sunblock or suntan lotion, extra clothes

Jit will be calling you to bring either a food or logistic item.

For those of you who will be coming late, you can meet us at Palawan directly. Give us a call when you come. Please do come!

Bring your friends!

Let your hair down and let's all have fun in the sun this saturday!

Announcement, 26 Feb

2008-02-26T22:17:00.003+08:00

Hi guys,

There WILL be cell group meeting this Saturday, 2 Mar as we continue in the Discipleship Explored series. Bible text is from Phil 4:2-9.

However, there will be a short POWERHOUSE (prayer) meeting with the rest of the Youth Ministry before we have cell group. So it'll be Powerhouse from 5 to 6, and then cell group from 6 to 7.

See you there!

Jit

au revoir, Josh!

2008-02-26T22:11:00.002+08:00

We bid goodbye to Joshua once again as he returns to Aussieland for a new semester of school...Josh we know that it is difficult to leave after coming back for so long...you've been around in the cell for almost forever! Everytime you come back, there's that added buzz in the cell - we'll miss you! Have a good semester and draw even closer to Him...may He show you even greater things!

For those who want to send messages to Josh, you can reply to this post.

May Man Utd win the EPL!

Jit,
On behalf of The Brotherhood

Desmond's prayer request

2008-02-16T20:58:00.005+08:00

Greetings everyone.

Here is my exam timetable list.

18th Feb (4pm-6pm) - Computing Mathematics

19th Feb (12.30pm-2.30pm) - Data Communication & Networking

22nd Feb (9am-11pm) - Object Oriented Programming using Java

Please keep me in your prayers. Thanks alot!

Have a blessed week ahead!

God Bless,
Desmond

HUAT AH! @ amkmcboyzone

2008-02-11T22:22:00.000+08:00

A very Happy Lunar New year to one and all!

Firstly, we would like to thank the following families for opening their houses for Chinese New Year(CNY) visiting on Saturday, 9th February:

The Zhuang Family - Uncle Andrew, Auntie Laura, Alicia and Ian
Thanks for the delicious LAKSA and of course a GREAT time over at your place!

The Chua Family - Uncle Anthony, Auntie Angeline, Aaron and Amos
Thanks for the sumptious meal of FRIED BEE HOON and BLACK PEPPER CHICKEN, and a wonderful time at your place... Reminiscing THE UNBEATABLES once again!

Thank you to all these lovely families who opened their homes, cooked for us, gave out ang pows, cleaned up after that (right Aaron?), and basically made us feel right at home... THANK YOU!! Your generous hospitality is greatly appreciated... :D

Remeber, cell is on this week, same time, same place(let's help Isaac to save up on his SMSes, shall we? haha) and please read through the Discipleship Explored booklet and attempt the questions for the week!

Lastly, as this is the week following Chinese New Year visiting period, remeber to work out and exercise regularly, to burn off the excess weight put on, thru eating all the goodies! And even as we work out physically, let's work out spiritually by working out our salvation with fear and trembling. "For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:12-13, NRSV)

HUAT AH!!

Posted by
Samuel Chew

2008-02-07T00:36:00.001+08:00

Hi guys.. first of all, let me wish you a Happy CNY!!

Sorry for the late updates of this Sat (9th Feb) House Visiting..
Here are the following details....

Meeting Time - 12.30pm
Venue - AMK HUB near Bus 25 stand
(For those who are living near amk/bishan/yio chu kang area.)
Please let me or Jit Huih know if you are coming!
My no. 98441430

However, if you are going there by yourself, we can meet at void deck of blk 133, Lorong Ah Soo, Hougang at 1pm.

We will be visiting Ian's and Amos's house...

Last thing before i log off, enjoy collecting hong baos!! Lol..

PS: Pray for nice weather!!

God Bless,
Desmond

prayer requests/testimonies!

2008-01-28T19:51:00.000+08:00

hey guys, i wrote some of our prayer requests and testimonies down during saturday's cell..so here's the list:

1.caleb and jabez's grandma had a fall on saturday.she was bleeding and thank God someone sent her to the nearby clinic.she left the clinic shortly but Uncle Chiam and Aunty Sue(caleb and jabez's parents) couldn't find her.thank God she came back after walking around the shops nearby.let's pray for God to watch over caleb and jabez's grandma and that He will heal her completely!

2.Thank God that kenneth a.k.a ngiam(haha)'s mother was safe after meeting with an accident along novena! skill!

3.Thank God for jit's classes and catholic high acheiving good o'level results! :)

4.Joshua has a job starting today! he's facilitating a P5 camp(nanyang primary school). let's pray for strength,discernment and a good group for him!

5.pray for this blog! pray that God will use this blog to be an encouragement to everyone,not just our cell,and that many will be blessed by it!

happy praying!

isaac

Announcement #1

2008-01-21T21:51:00.000+08:00

Upcoming events...

1. There WILL be cell group meeting this saturday, 26th Jan at 5pm at the same room...(ppl who wanna play sabo before that can come earlier)

Passage for Discipleship Explored this week:

Week 3 - Philippians 1:27 - 2:11

2. CNY visiting on saturday, 9th Feb in the afternoon. Do let Desmond know if u wanna open up your house for us to visit. (and collect ang pows..)

Jit