Hey beloved Claytonites! =)
Hope all of us had fun at FOF on Friday! Did your friends enjoy it too? Heard of all the FUNKY games - colourful bums, mouthful-salivating biscuits, weird-wacko cultures, and who knows what else! =) Nonetheless, i am sure that we broke the comfort and that God's love radiated through each of us that night. Wow! =)
[if you couldn't make it, don't miss out anymore. come join us on Fridays!]
OCF THIS FRIDAY
BIBLE STUDY 7 (FINALE)
Yes that’s right! We’ve reached the end of our study of Faith (the substance, not the person). What an amazing journey it has been! Let’s conclude the chapter together, as we share and learn from each other on how to run the Race of Faith. To finish this race well as we fix our eyes on Jesus!
:: Friday at 7pm (Pre-OCF prayer starts at 6.20pm)
:: R 3
WINTER CAMP REGISTRATION
If you have not signed up, don’t wait any longer! Winter Camp is gonna be an awesome time, spent with God and each other. A time where God leads us to greater heights, deepens our love, and challenges our passion! If you’re coming, bring a friend along. If you’re not, bring yourself along! =)
:: 3 – 5 July 2009
:: Mt Morton, Belgrave
:: BE ready BEcause I BElieve (Theme from 1 Peter 3:15)
:: $ 70 only!
:: http://ocfclaytonwintercamp09.wordpress.com/
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE
UNITED PRAYER
It is a time when all Monash Christian Clubs (Student Life, Christian Union, etc) come together to pray, for our campus, our friends, and for anything, really. It is also the finale of the 40 Days of prayer and fasting. So come, and let’s join our hands and hearts in prayer!
Monday :: 25 May :: 5-7 pm :: R3
OCF PRAYER
The best place to be when we’re feeling tired and discouraged is at the feet of Jesus. Let’s set aside an hour this week to pray and worship together as Claytonites, because prayer does the things our hands cannot do! I’ve always left the room feeling more energized and encouraged, knowing that we’re standing together in all of this. See you there!
Wednesday :: 12 – 1 pm :: Narthex, Religious Centre
Friday :: 3.30 – 4.30 pm :: Piano Room, Campus Centre Basement
Just a note of encouragement before leaving for bed. The semester is almost at its end, but instead of slowing down or being heavy-burdened, let’s pick up the pace with our God. For in times of toughness, God’s strength is revealed. And truly, He’ll bring us through with His grace. Just as we sang the other day “From hands and feet that were nailed to the tree, as grace flows down it covers me”. Let’s stay covered, under His wings, His shelter. Okay? See you soon! =)
Stay awesome for our awesome God,
Ivie =)
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Easter break week
Hello awesome OCFers!
Hope this finds you well and happy that there’s no school for a whole week!
From Friday to Monday, 40+ of us were at OCF Victoria’s Easter Camp! I don’t know how exactly you felt about it, but I do believe that each one of us who went gained something, be it from the fellowship, God, the speaker, the food, games or whatever else. Personally, I thought centre sharing every night was one of the best parts :)
There is great UNITY among us as we all are bound together in “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:5)! I was encouraged to see so many of you newer OCFers at camp, and enjoying it and being so comfortable with everyone else! You know, there is just so much POTENTIAL in all you guys and I believe there is a hunger in each one of us.
It is my prayer that we will continually seek God and long for more of Him! As we do so with all our heart, we will find Him and get to know more of Him and fall even more in love with Him (Jeremiah 29:12-14) as we realise how MUCH He means to us, and how worthy He is of all our praise and adoration! Let’s even remember to worship God with our minds, so we may know His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2 – camp theme!), so that we can, In His Presence, ACT on what He calls us to! That’s IMPACT, btw – the OCF Clayton 2009 theme. In case you forgot! :D haha.
Okays now, some updates...
Games day – Saturday, 18 April
Games day at Jell’s Park (aka nice, happy, green, big space to have fun in!)
Meet 12noon. We’ll end at about 3ish.
At Robert Blackwood hall in Monash Uni, and we’ll head there together.
It’s basically cell-based games (competition!) and um if I remember correctly, there’ll be free food too! Feel free to bring friends, especially those who went for the Ballarat Wildlife Park trip but don’t join regular OCF sessions. Please contact your cell leader to inform of your attendance.
Also, no Leading Edge session this week. We’ll inform you of the next session soon!
Planetshakers conference – Wed (today) + Thu (tmr)
The Planetshakers conference is on! Some of us OCFers have been going for the full conference, with more joining at night for the free night rally. The atmosphere is great! The presence of God is there and we’ve been really blessed by the freedom in the worship and empowering teachings of great men and women of God.
7.30pm at Hisense Arena (short 10 min walk from Richmond station)
FREE entry. Bring friends!
Call Ivie/Faith for enquiries. We’ll help you book seats or give necessary directions too! Find out more at http://www.planetshakers.com/conf09/index.php
Ivie and myself encourage you to come with your friends for the next two night sessions to receive and be refreshed and rejuvenated by God. We really believe this is something beneficial for everyone!
Monash Uni Clayton campus prayer and fasting
Last year, a movement began in our uni; a movement where all the Christian groups on campus got together and prayed and fasted for 40 days because we wanted to see more of Christ on our campus. We’ll be doing it again this year! Isn’t it great to be able to take part in furthering God’s kingdom! We really want to be united as one as Christians on campus despite coming from different backgrounds and clubs, and claim this campus for Christ, amen?! More details coming soon.
And last thing…
Happy birthday to these people!
Isaac (Wednesday) - Isaac who did his 540 degree turn during the mm-chee-chee game at camp!
Ellis (Thursday)
Joanne (Friday)
Joshua (Saturday)
Sorry this is so long :/ I tend to type a lot :D See you all on Saturday at noon!
In His neverfailing love,
Faith :)
Hope this finds you well and happy that there’s no school for a whole week!
From Friday to Monday, 40+ of us were at OCF Victoria’s Easter Camp! I don’t know how exactly you felt about it, but I do believe that each one of us who went gained something, be it from the fellowship, God, the speaker, the food, games or whatever else. Personally, I thought centre sharing every night was one of the best parts :)
There is great UNITY among us as we all are bound together in “one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:5)! I was encouraged to see so many of you newer OCFers at camp, and enjoying it and being so comfortable with everyone else! You know, there is just so much POTENTIAL in all you guys and I believe there is a hunger in each one of us.
It is my prayer that we will continually seek God and long for more of Him! As we do so with all our heart, we will find Him and get to know more of Him and fall even more in love with Him (Jeremiah 29:12-14) as we realise how MUCH He means to us, and how worthy He is of all our praise and adoration! Let’s even remember to worship God with our minds, so we may know His good, pleasing and perfect will (Romans 12:2 – camp theme!), so that we can, In His Presence, ACT on what He calls us to! That’s IMPACT, btw – the OCF Clayton 2009 theme. In case you forgot! :D haha.
Okays now, some updates...
Games day – Saturday, 18 April
Games day at Jell’s Park (aka nice, happy, green, big space to have fun in!)
Meet 12noon. We’ll end at about 3ish.
At Robert Blackwood hall in Monash Uni, and we’ll head there together.
It’s basically cell-based games (competition!) and um if I remember correctly, there’ll be free food too! Feel free to bring friends, especially those who went for the Ballarat Wildlife Park trip but don’t join regular OCF sessions. Please contact your cell leader to inform of your attendance.
Also, no Leading Edge session this week. We’ll inform you of the next session soon!
Planetshakers conference – Wed (today) + Thu (tmr)
The Planetshakers conference is on! Some of us OCFers have been going for the full conference, with more joining at night for the free night rally. The atmosphere is great! The presence of God is there and we’ve been really blessed by the freedom in the worship and empowering teachings of great men and women of God.
7.30pm at Hisense Arena (short 10 min walk from Richmond station)
FREE entry. Bring friends!
Call Ivie/Faith for enquiries. We’ll help you book seats or give necessary directions too! Find out more at http://www.planetshakers.com/conf09/index.php
Ivie and myself encourage you to come with your friends for the next two night sessions to receive and be refreshed and rejuvenated by God. We really believe this is something beneficial for everyone!
Monash Uni Clayton campus prayer and fasting
Last year, a movement began in our uni; a movement where all the Christian groups on campus got together and prayed and fasted for 40 days because we wanted to see more of Christ on our campus. We’ll be doing it again this year! Isn’t it great to be able to take part in furthering God’s kingdom! We really want to be united as one as Christians on campus despite coming from different backgrounds and clubs, and claim this campus for Christ, amen?! More details coming soon.
And last thing…
Happy birthday to these people!
Isaac (Wednesday) - Isaac who did his 540 degree turn during the mm-chee-chee game at camp!
Ellis (Thursday)
Joanne (Friday)
Joshua (Saturday)
Sorry this is so long :/ I tend to type a lot :D See you all on Saturday at noon!
In His neverfailing love,
Faith :)
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
E-Weekly
Hello Claytonites!
Hope this email finds you well! You're most probably looking forward to the upcoming one week break! :D
Remember the Digging Deeper part of last Friday's Bible Study on Spiritual Gifts? If you're keen to find out your spiritual gift, check out http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1. It's a questionnaire, but note that it is not comprehensive and 100% accurate because it's just a simple one, and the only one I could find free online! A good way of discovering your spiritual gift is through affirmation from people - if different people tell you you have a certain gift, you most probably do :)
Anyways, there's no usual OCF this week *gasp*! But instead, we have EASTER CAMP! Yaaay! It's this Friday to Sunday at Portsea - http://www.theportseacamp.com.au/ and I believe it is going to be AWESOME. Don't miss out on this guys. We have a great speaker, great location, and you'll get to meet new friends from other unis. If you're afraid of being new, don't be! I was new when I went last year too, but I made fast friends (and then suddenly I had 30 more friends on facebook. um something like that). If you're worried about the assignments due after the break, well - play hard for 4 days, still have 6 days to work hard!
For those of you who have already signed up, let me encourage you to come hungry. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled". Also, remember the story of the Pentecost in Acts 2? The people were hungrily waiting in the room, waiting for what Jesus promised would come. And when the day of Pentecost came, God came, and He poured out His Spirit, in response to that hunger to people who were ready for Him.
The hungrier you are, the more you will be filled.
The more you are filled, the more satisfied you will be.
Are you ready for God to fill you?
Come hungry, come expectant.
And. Bug your friends to come if you believe this is going to be good. Bug bug buuug.
UPCOMING
10 - 13 April: Easter Camp (Contact Faith Ho at 0431629837 to register)
18 April, Sat: Games day in the afternoon
Okays stay awesome peoples! Cos God made you so.
In His love,
Faith! (Luo, not Ho!) :)
Hope this email finds you well! You're most probably looking forward to the upcoming one week break! :D
Remember the Digging Deeper part of last Friday's Bible Study on Spiritual Gifts? If you're keen to find out your spiritual gift, check out http://www.churchgrowth.org/cgi-cg/gifts.cgi?intro=1. It's a questionnaire, but note that it is not comprehensive and 100% accurate because it's just a simple one, and the only one I could find free online! A good way of discovering your spiritual gift is through affirmation from people - if different people tell you you have a certain gift, you most probably do :)
Anyways, there's no usual OCF this week *gasp*! But instead, we have EASTER CAMP! Yaaay! It's this Friday to Sunday at Portsea - http://www.theportseacamp.com.au/ and I believe it is going to be AWESOME. Don't miss out on this guys. We have a great speaker, great location, and you'll get to meet new friends from other unis. If you're afraid of being new, don't be! I was new when I went last year too, but I made fast friends (and then suddenly I had 30 more friends on facebook. um something like that). If you're worried about the assignments due after the break, well - play hard for 4 days, still have 6 days to work hard!
For those of you who have already signed up, let me encourage you to come hungry. Matthew 5:6 says, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled". Also, remember the story of the Pentecost in Acts 2? The people were hungrily waiting in the room, waiting for what Jesus promised would come. And when the day of Pentecost came, God came, and He poured out His Spirit, in response to that hunger to people who were ready for Him.
The hungrier you are, the more you will be filled.
The more you are filled, the more satisfied you will be.
Are you ready for God to fill you?
Come hungry, come expectant.
And. Bug your friends to come if you believe this is going to be good. Bug bug buuug.
UPCOMING
10 - 13 April: Easter Camp (Contact Faith Ho at 0431629837 to register)
18 April, Sat: Games day in the afternoon
Okays stay awesome peoples! Cos God made you so.
In His love,
Faith! (Luo, not Ho!) :)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
2009
Just a post to indicate that life is still present on this blog, here are the upcoming activities!
13 March, Friday
7pm at R3
Mamak night and guest speaker!
Introduction of Clayton's ministries
15 March, Sunday
6.30 - 8.30pm
6 Browns Road (Faith Luo's house) - 10 minute walk from school
The Leading Edge #01
The Bible - it's authenticity, power and origin
20 March, Friday
7pm at R3
Bible study #01
21 March, Saturday
Day trip to Ballarat Wildlife Park
For enquiries, contact sueann_y@yahoo.com
See you!
13 March, Friday
7pm at R3
Mamak night and guest speaker!
Introduction of Clayton's ministries
15 March, Sunday
6.30 - 8.30pm
6 Browns Road (Faith Luo's house) - 10 minute walk from school
The Leading Edge #01
The Bible - it's authenticity, power and origin
20 March, Friday
7pm at R3
Bible study #01
21 March, Saturday
Day trip to Ballarat Wildlife Park
For enquiries, contact sueann_y@yahoo.com
See you!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Welcome Night
The Overseas Christian Fellowship of Berwick will be having a welcome night for all newcomers and members. Be there at R5 Rotunda Friday (29th February 2008). Do come and join us for a time of praise & worship, games and free food!
Transport home for those not living in Berwick will be provided!
SEE YOU THERE!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
OCF Convention 2007
Hi guys! OCF Convention will be held again in our great state of Victoria! Convention is a time of the year when all OCF centers in Australia gather and spend time together under one roof. It will be full of fun and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, to worship and seek God, to align each individual’s and center’s heart with God’s purpose and also to carry out His Great Commission in spirit and in truth with His anointing and power.AGM: 1-3 December 2007
Convention: 3-7 December 2007
Venue: Campaspe Downs Country Resort, Trenthan Road, Kyneton
Part-timer:$50 per night
Full-timer (6 days)
$200 (VIC State)
AGM
$90 (3 days 2 nights)
SIGN UP NOW!
Contact Jon Raj for further details.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
OCF CLAYTON PRESENTS
We've got the secret to get YOU LOADED!
To find out, come sign up for camp! We're recruiting YOU to be part of this experience.
Dont miss out on this exciting opportunity to encounter the Great I Am and the fun and company of your fellow mates!
LOADED FOR LIFE
When?: 28th - 30th June 2007
Where?: Merricks Lakeside Lodge, Melbourne
Who's Speaking?: Ps. Ken Teoh
How Much?:
$65 if you come alone
$55 If you bring a non-OCF friend
$50 If you bring 4 non-OCF friends
For more information pls Call/SMS or email us
Rachel @ 0431465546
Jeremy @ 0400331005
Ivie @ 0430201449
email: ocfwintercamp@yahoo.com
http://youtube.com/watch?v=HU9oSnaSV9g
Tuesday, March 06, 2007
Welcome to 2007!
hey everyone!
welcome to OCF CLayton's Official Blogspot. We're currently working on updating the whole blog with the latest information, so please bear with us.
if you are looking to join us for our weekly meetings, the details are:
Come along and have fun worshipping and fellowshipping with us!!
welcome to OCF CLayton's Official Blogspot. We're currently working on updating the whole blog with the latest information, so please bear with us.
if you are looking to join us for our weekly meetings, the details are:
Venue: R5, Rotunda (Building 8)
Time: Fridays at 7pm
Contact: Jon on 0430439602
Come along and have fun worshipping and fellowshipping with us!!
Monday, October 30, 2006
OCF Clayton Exams Timetable Sem 2 2006
Hehe...by now I'm sure a lot of you have lost your exams timetable, yours truly included. It's somewhere, maybe it's in my car but I'm just lazy so I got a soft copy from Cat and thought it'll be good to post it here also. =)
Here it is!
OCF Clayton Exams Timetable Sem 2 2006
If you know someone's exams are wrong please let either Cat or me know.
Here it is!
OCF Clayton Exams Timetable Sem 2 2006
If you know someone's exams are wrong please let either Cat or me know.
Monday, August 21, 2006
Day 16: What Matters Most
Don't we all wonder what matters most in our lives? Guess what? Life is all about love. Because God is love, He wants us to learn how to love.. above all else. It is in loving that we are most like Him!
Learning to love unselfishly is difficult because we are self-centred people, but He's given us a lifetime to learn it! God wants us to love everyone, but He's particularly concerned that we learn to love others in His family. Why? Because God wants His family to be known for its love more than anything else. Jesus said, "Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples". Amazing revelation huh?
And guess what? We cannot learn to love if we're in isolation. THAT'S WHY we always stress the importance of being in a care group - having relationship and fellowship with one another! That's why we stress the crucialness (is there even such a word?) of being planted in a church, being in regular close fellowship with other believers! We HAVE to be around people - irritating, imperfect, frustrating people to learn to love! =)
1. Life without love is really worthless. Life minus love = ZERO
1Corinthians13:3
No matter what i say, what i believe, and what i do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Matt 22:27-30
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart... This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the phophets are based on these two commandments.
After learning to love God, learning to love others is the second purpose of our lives.
Relationships, are what matters most in life. Why do we then allow our relationships to get the short end of the stick? Busyness is a great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life! They are NOT! The point of life is to love - God and people.
2. Love will last forever.
1 Corin 13:13
These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.
Love leaves a legacy. How you treat other people, not wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. Its not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters. Imagine being on your death bed, you wouldnt surround yourself with objects but what we'd want si people we love and have relationships with. In our final moments we realise that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning the truth sooner rather than later. Let's not wait til then to love.
3. We will be evaluated on our love.
One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. He will review how we treated other people, especially those in need. Jesus said the way to love Him is to love His family and care for their practical needs. Matt 25:40. When we go to eternity, we leave everything else behind except our character. Thats why the bible says "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love".
The importance of things can be measures by how much time we are willing to invest in them. Time is our most precious gift because when we give someone our time, we are giving a portion of our lives that we'll never get back. Your time is your life! Thats why the greatest gift we can give someone is our time.
its not enough to say relationships are important, we must prove it by investing time in them. The essence of love is how much we give of ourselves. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving - giving up our preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy or time for the benefit of someone else.
The best time to love is NOW. We dont know how long we will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. We have no gurantee of tomorrow. The best use of life is love. THe best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.
Learning to love unselfishly is difficult because we are self-centred people, but He's given us a lifetime to learn it! God wants us to love everyone, but He's particularly concerned that we learn to love others in His family. Why? Because God wants His family to be known for its love more than anything else. Jesus said, "Your love for each other will prove to the world that you are my disciples". Amazing revelation huh?
And guess what? We cannot learn to love if we're in isolation. THAT'S WHY we always stress the importance of being in a care group - having relationship and fellowship with one another! That's why we stress the crucialness (is there even such a word?) of being planted in a church, being in regular close fellowship with other believers! We HAVE to be around people - irritating, imperfect, frustrating people to learn to love! =)
1. Life without love is really worthless. Life minus love = ZERO
1Corinthians13:3
No matter what i say, what i believe, and what i do, I'm bankrupt without love.
Matt 22:27-30
You must love the Lord your God with all your heart... This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbour as yourself. All the other commandments and all the demands of the phophets are based on these two commandments.
After learning to love God, learning to love others is the second purpose of our lives.
Relationships, are what matters most in life. Why do we then allow our relationships to get the short end of the stick? Busyness is a great enemy of relationships. We become preoccupied with making a living, doing our work, paying bills, accomplishing goals as if these tasks are the point of life! They are NOT! The point of life is to love - God and people.
2. Love will last forever.
1 Corin 13:13
These three things continue forever: faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.
Love leaves a legacy. How you treat other people, not wealth or accomplishments, is the most enduring impact you can leave on earth. Its not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters. Imagine being on your death bed, you wouldnt surround yourself with objects but what we'd want si people we love and have relationships with. In our final moments we realise that relationships are what life is all about. Wisdom is learning the truth sooner rather than later. Let's not wait til then to love.
3. We will be evaluated on our love.
One of the ways God measures spiritual maturity is by the quality of your relationships. He will review how we treated other people, especially those in need. Jesus said the way to love Him is to love His family and care for their practical needs. Matt 25:40. When we go to eternity, we leave everything else behind except our character. Thats why the bible says "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love".
The importance of things can be measures by how much time we are willing to invest in them. Time is our most precious gift because when we give someone our time, we are giving a portion of our lives that we'll never get back. Your time is your life! Thats why the greatest gift we can give someone is our time.
its not enough to say relationships are important, we must prove it by investing time in them. The essence of love is how much we give of ourselves. You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving - giving up our preferences, comfort, goals, security, money, energy or time for the benefit of someone else.
The best time to love is NOW. We dont know how long we will have the opportunity. Circumstances change. People die. We have no gurantee of tomorrow. The best use of life is love. THe best expression of love is time. The best time to love is now.
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Mission Night 2006
it's this friday night!!!
we're all gonna wave our lil home country flags :)
sing out national anthem
and pray for our country!!
so come along this friday night to OCF to meet the King of Kings :)
see you peeps there!!!
we're all gonna wave our lil home country flags :)
sing out national anthem
and pray for our country!!
so come along this friday night to OCF to meet the King of Kings :)
see you peeps there!!!
Friday, July 28, 2006
OCF Clayton Postboards!
As promised! Our very own OCF Clayton forums are up and running and can be accessed at:
http://forums.ocfclayton.org
Use it for any form of discussion, maybe cell group outing, funny stuff you saw and would like to share! More importantly your thoughts and what God has been teaching you, devotions, Bible studies, anything!
Check it out and sign up now! :)
Have fun and see you there!
http://forums.ocfclayton.org
Use it for any form of discussion, maybe cell group outing, funny stuff you saw and would like to share! More importantly your thoughts and what God has been teaching you, devotions, Bible studies, anything!
Check it out and sign up now! :)
Have fun and see you there!
Wednesday, July 26, 2006
Day 15: Formed For God's Family
I've been really off track on this Purpose Driven Life. This is really bad, what was supposed to be 40 days now seem like would be taking 40 weeks! Kids, don't do this at home! Anyways...
Ever wondered why God made us? Think about it, He is the God of the universe, He created all things, He is all powerful, He sets the stars in the sky and knows them by name. Why would such an almighty Being even bothers with us?
That's because God is love and He treasures relationships! The Trinity is a relationship, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amazing revelation! He doesn't need a family, He already has one within Himself but yet He desires one. So He made us.
When we give God our lives, we become part of His family and being in the family and running the family business has some real perks! We get a priceless and eternal inheritance already stored up for us in Heaven, this is the real reward we should be looking forward to, not earthly possesions.
When we are part of a family, we have family pride; members of the family are not ashamed of their families and will take public steps to identify themselves! Baptism is our step to declare that we are part of God's family, a step not optional and not to be delayed. When I got baptised myself, it was an amazing experience! I've never felt so at peace and so loved, just couldn't help but seeing God smiling down on me saying "I love you my son!"
Ever wondered why God made us? Think about it, He is the God of the universe, He created all things, He is all powerful, He sets the stars in the sky and knows them by name. Why would such an almighty Being even bothers with us?
That's because God is love and He treasures relationships! The Trinity is a relationship, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amazing revelation! He doesn't need a family, He already has one within Himself but yet He desires one. So He made us.
When we give God our lives, we become part of His family and being in the family and running the family business has some real perks! We get a priceless and eternal inheritance already stored up for us in Heaven, this is the real reward we should be looking forward to, not earthly possesions.
When we are part of a family, we have family pride; members of the family are not ashamed of their families and will take public steps to identify themselves! Baptism is our step to declare that we are part of God's family, a step not optional and not to be delayed. When I got baptised myself, it was an amazing experience! I've never felt so at peace and so loved, just couldn't help but seeing God smiling down on me saying "I love you my son!"
Sunday, July 23, 2006
Day 14: When God Seems Distant
Ever wondered sometimes whether God REALLY exists? Especially when situations and circumstances are not pleasant? Well, God is REAL, and He EXISTS, no matter what we go thru. Sometimes we may feel that He's a million miles away, but that doesn't mean He's not real. We may wake up one morning and all spiritual feelings are gone. We pray, but nothing happens. We rebuke the devil, but it doesn't change anything. We go thru spiritual exercises, we have friends praying for us, we confess every sin we can imagine, we fast, do everything we can think of, but still nothing happens. Feels like our prayers just bounce off the ceiling.
It is but a part of testing and maturing of our friendship with God. Every Christian goes thru it at least once. Definitely painful and discouraging, but it is essential for the development of our faith! Will we continue to love, trust, obey and worship God, even when we have no sense of His presence or visible evidence of His work in our lives? Will we?
Worship and friendship with God is not based on our emotions and feelings. We cannot seek an experience (feelings) when we worship. We need to seek GOD! He does want us to sense His presence, but He's more concerned that we trust him than that we feel Him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God. Remember Job in the bible? His life basically fell apart in one day and God was nowhere to be found. It really stretched his faith.
How do we praise God when we don't understand whats going on and God is silent? How do we stay sane without God speaking into our lives? How do we keep our eyes on Jesus when they're full of tears? We do what Job did. Job1:20-21
1. Tell God exactly how we feel.
Everything. Anything.
2. Focus on who God is - His unchanging nature.
Remind ourselves of what is eternally true about Him - He is good, He loves me, He is with me, He knows what i'm going thru, He'll provide, He knows and has the best plans for my life, He is in control!
3. Trust God to keep His promises.
We must patiently rely on His promises. God is never too early or too late. He is always on time. His promises are yes and Amen! Hold on to His word!
4. Remember what God has already done for you!
He deserves our continual praise because of what Jesus did on the cross! Remember what cruelty He had to go thru, just to save you and i! This is the greatest reason for worship!! He gave up everything, so that we could have everything. He died so we could live forever. That alone is worthy of our continue thanks and praise. NEVER again should we wonder what to be thankful for.
It is but a part of testing and maturing of our friendship with God. Every Christian goes thru it at least once. Definitely painful and discouraging, but it is essential for the development of our faith! Will we continue to love, trust, obey and worship God, even when we have no sense of His presence or visible evidence of His work in our lives? Will we?
Worship and friendship with God is not based on our emotions and feelings. We cannot seek an experience (feelings) when we worship. We need to seek GOD! He does want us to sense His presence, but He's more concerned that we trust him than that we feel Him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God. Remember Job in the bible? His life basically fell apart in one day and God was nowhere to be found. It really stretched his faith.
How do we praise God when we don't understand whats going on and God is silent? How do we stay sane without God speaking into our lives? How do we keep our eyes on Jesus when they're full of tears? We do what Job did. Job1:20-21
1. Tell God exactly how we feel.
Everything. Anything.
2. Focus on who God is - His unchanging nature.
Remind ourselves of what is eternally true about Him - He is good, He loves me, He is with me, He knows what i'm going thru, He'll provide, He knows and has the best plans for my life, He is in control!
3. Trust God to keep His promises.
We must patiently rely on His promises. God is never too early or too late. He is always on time. His promises are yes and Amen! Hold on to His word!
4. Remember what God has already done for you!
He deserves our continual praise because of what Jesus did on the cross! Remember what cruelty He had to go thru, just to save you and i! This is the greatest reason for worship!! He gave up everything, so that we could have everything. He died so we could live forever. That alone is worthy of our continue thanks and praise. NEVER again should we wonder what to be thankful for.
Friday, July 21, 2006
Day 13: Worship That Pleases God
God wants ALL of you!
...not just some, not just partially but ALL!
Everyone worships...but are we doing it right? For the right reasons? With the right attitudes?
God is pleased when our worship is accurate
God wants us to worship Him as He says He is, not what we think He is. We cannot create our own image of the God we want to worship. We have to worship Him in spirit and in truth! His word gives us a clear enough image of Him!
God is pleased when our worship is authentic
Worshipping in spirit doesn't mean in the Holy Spirit but in our spirits. Worship is our spirits responding to God's Spirit! How cool is that? You can now chuck those warped worship concepts you've always had in your mind out the window!
God looks straight into our hearts, past whatever facade we put on during worship. When I read this, Matt Redman's song "Heart of Worship" came to mind....beautiful song! We can worship God imperfectly but not insincerely!
One truth that struck me while reading this section is that if God made us all unique, shouldn't we be praising and worshipping Him in the ways that we are most comfortable in? Why must we all sing hymms only? Why must we sing to fast praise songs only?
God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful
We must engage our minds when we worship, not just recited repetitions of "Praise the Lord". If someone just came up to you and say "Good job! Well done!". You'd definitely be wondering "Uhh...for what?". Exactly. We've gotta praise God specifically and not just say "Praise God". Think about what you are saying the next time you worship.
God is pleased when our worship is practical
Worship is a lifestyle and that has been said so many times it's a cliched statement but it's true! What we do in our daily lives is a reflection of how much we love God. Our lifestyle have to reflect one that is of sacrifice, taking time to worship God even when we are tired, or helping others when you are stretched. That's true worship!
...not just some, not just partially but ALL!
Everyone worships...but are we doing it right? For the right reasons? With the right attitudes?
God is pleased when our worship is accurate
God wants us to worship Him as He says He is, not what we think He is. We cannot create our own image of the God we want to worship. We have to worship Him in spirit and in truth! His word gives us a clear enough image of Him!
God is pleased when our worship is authentic
Worshipping in spirit doesn't mean in the Holy Spirit but in our spirits. Worship is our spirits responding to God's Spirit! How cool is that? You can now chuck those warped worship concepts you've always had in your mind out the window!
God looks straight into our hearts, past whatever facade we put on during worship. When I read this, Matt Redman's song "Heart of Worship" came to mind....beautiful song! We can worship God imperfectly but not insincerely!
One truth that struck me while reading this section is that if God made us all unique, shouldn't we be praising and worshipping Him in the ways that we are most comfortable in? Why must we all sing hymms only? Why must we sing to fast praise songs only?
God is pleased when our worship is thoughtful
We must engage our minds when we worship, not just recited repetitions of "Praise the Lord". If someone just came up to you and say "Good job! Well done!". You'd definitely be wondering "Uhh...for what?". Exactly. We've gotta praise God specifically and not just say "Praise God". Think about what you are saying the next time you worship.
God is pleased when our worship is practical
Worship is a lifestyle and that has been said so many times it's a cliched statement but it's true! What we do in our daily lives is a reflection of how much we love God. Our lifestyle have to reflect one that is of sacrifice, taking time to worship God even when we are tired, or helping others when you are stretched. That's true worship!
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Day 12: Developing Your Friendship with God
I'm SO sorry we've been missing for awhile! We'll be back on track! =)
After knowing that God WANTS to be OUR best friend and we can be His when we have constant conversations and continual meditations with Him, we now need to learn how to develop our friendship with the Creator in a deeper way.
We are as close to God as we choose to be. It doesn't happen by accident, it takes desire, time and energy. Like any other friendships and relationships, we need to:
1. Choose to be honest with God.
We need to be completely honest with God, about our faults and feelings. I often feel frustrated and angry at situations and certain things in my life, and He, God of ALL, wants to know about it! He encourages me to express myself and just rant everything out on Him! Likewise, there are many examples in the Bible like Abraham, David, Job and many others who shared with God honestly - they complained, accused, vent bitterness etc etc! Genuine friendship is built on disclosure - He really wants us to be honest with Him, sharing our TRUE feelings, not what we think we ought to say or feel.
2. Choose to obey God in faith.
Everytime we trust God's wisdom and do whatever He says, even when we dont understand, we deepen our friendship with God. Jesus modelled this kind of relationship with His Father - He did whatever the Father asked Him to do - out of love, out of obedience. He treasures the simple and 'small' things we do for Him when we do it out of loving obedience - telling the truth, being kind, encouraging others etc!
3. Choose to value what God values.
Friends care about what is important to the other person. The closer we get to God, the more we will care about the things he cares about, grieve over the things He grieves over, and rejoice over the things that bring Him pleasure. The dearest thing to the heart of God is the death of His Son. The second dearest is when His children share that news with others. Are we caring about all the people around us whom God cares about? Are we telling our friends about God? Because those are the things that are dear to Him.
4. Desire friendship with God more than anything else.
We are as chose to God as we choose to be. We need to intentionally seek it. God told the captives in Babylon, "When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, i'll make sure you won't be disappointed." Today, He's telling us that too.
Friendship with God is the only relationship that will last forever. It is the most important thing in life - and we don't want to miss that, do we? Remember, its our choice.
After knowing that God WANTS to be OUR best friend and we can be His when we have constant conversations and continual meditations with Him, we now need to learn how to develop our friendship with the Creator in a deeper way.
We are as close to God as we choose to be. It doesn't happen by accident, it takes desire, time and energy. Like any other friendships and relationships, we need to:
1. Choose to be honest with God.
We need to be completely honest with God, about our faults and feelings. I often feel frustrated and angry at situations and certain things in my life, and He, God of ALL, wants to know about it! He encourages me to express myself and just rant everything out on Him! Likewise, there are many examples in the Bible like Abraham, David, Job and many others who shared with God honestly - they complained, accused, vent bitterness etc etc! Genuine friendship is built on disclosure - He really wants us to be honest with Him, sharing our TRUE feelings, not what we think we ought to say or feel.
2. Choose to obey God in faith.
Everytime we trust God's wisdom and do whatever He says, even when we dont understand, we deepen our friendship with God. Jesus modelled this kind of relationship with His Father - He did whatever the Father asked Him to do - out of love, out of obedience. He treasures the simple and 'small' things we do for Him when we do it out of loving obedience - telling the truth, being kind, encouraging others etc!
3. Choose to value what God values.
Friends care about what is important to the other person. The closer we get to God, the more we will care about the things he cares about, grieve over the things He grieves over, and rejoice over the things that bring Him pleasure. The dearest thing to the heart of God is the death of His Son. The second dearest is when His children share that news with others. Are we caring about all the people around us whom God cares about? Are we telling our friends about God? Because those are the things that are dear to Him.
4. Desire friendship with God more than anything else.
We are as chose to God as we choose to be. We need to intentionally seek it. God told the captives in Babylon, "When you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, i'll make sure you won't be disappointed." Today, He's telling us that too.
Friendship with God is the only relationship that will last forever. It is the most important thing in life - and we don't want to miss that, do we? Remember, its our choice.
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