Reminder on CG Timing

Just to remind one and all of the CG timing for the last weekend of the month. We'll be having CG on Saturday night instead of Sunday morning and if you would like to open your house for the CG please don't hesitate to tell me or Josh.

Date: 31st July
Day: Saturday
Time: 1930H
Location: TBC

Back to School

God bless for the new school term :P Remember to come for CG on Sunday!!

We're planning to have CG on Saturday night on the last weekend of the month at 7.30pm and we hope you'll be able to make it. Location will be arranged at a later date.

Something to Think About

Philippians 2

Apologies for the delay, but you can download the PDF file for Philippians 2 here.

Guard your heart by Steve Green

What appears to be harmless glance
Can turn to romance
And homes are divided
Feelings that should never have been
Awaken within
Tearing the heart in two
Listen, I beg of you

Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
Don't trade it for treasure
Don't give it away

Guard your Heart
Guard your Heart
As a payment for pleasure
It's high price to pay

For a soul that remains sincere with conscience clear
Guard your Heart

The human heart is easily swayed
And often betrayed at the hand of emotion
You dare not leave the outcome to chance
You must choose in advance
Or live with the agony
Such needless tragedy

Ambassadors for Christ

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God."

- 2 Corinthians 5:20

This was the incident I mentioned on Sunday regarding the Romanian diplomat.

ROMANIAN envoy Silviu Ionescu's claim that the embassy car was stolen has been soundly debunked by police investigations, which show he had indeed been driving the car that was involved in the hit-and-run accidents on Dec 15.

Taking the stand on Wednesday, the investigating officer, Station Inspector Raimi Yusof, said in his report that the car had not been stolen outside the Romanian embassy.

'Police investigations have also revealed that Dr Silviu Ionescu is criminally concerned in the death of the deceased, Mr Tong Kok Wai, and the serious injuries caused to the other two pedestrians Bong Hwee Haw and Muhammad Haris Abu Talib,' he said.

Consider the role of an ambassador or diplomat, who is appointed to represent his nation in a foreign land. This was the charge of bringing disrepute to God's name that the Apostle Paul leveled against the Jews.

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

- Romans 2: 17-24

Let us ever be so careful lest our conduct be an excuse for others to speak badly of God, whom we represent as His ambassadors while on this Earth.

Best vs Good

so that you may be able to discern what is best...

- Philippians 1:10 (NIV)

The greatest enemy of "best" is not "bad", but "good". It is a much simpler matter in deciding between doing good and evil, but the test of one's Christian maturity is often found in being able to choose to do what is best as compared to what is simply good. In everything that has been given to us, whether it be time, allowance, spiritual gifts, etc..., let us not just use them in a merely good and acceptable way, but rather use them to the best that we can.

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

- Ephesians 5:16-18 (NIV)

East to West by Casting Crowns

Here I am Lord and I'm drowning
In your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where you found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight

I know you've cast my sins as far
As the East is from the West
And I stand before you now
As though I've never sinned but today
I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scar[r]ed hand to the other

I start the day the war begins
Endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again
Your [T]ruth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scar[r]ed hand to the other

I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me through
To get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel
But by the truth your word reveals
I'm not holding on to you
But your holding on to me
Your holding on to me

Jesus, you know just how far
The East is from the West
I don't have to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
(The arms of your mercy I find rest)
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scar[r]ed hand to the other(x2)

Philippians 1

To all B2S1ers,

We'll be beginning a short study of the book of Philippians starting from this coming Sunday. We'll be starting in Philippians chapter 1 so begin reading it and come prepared this Sunday for some discussion.

I've uploaded a pdf NIV version of it here that you can download and print out. This will help you if you want to write notes or underline stuff that your bible normally won't be able to fit.

A small suggestion. You might want to read the texts in more than one bible version. The versions I usually use are English Standard Version, New International Version and New King James Version. This will help you see the nuances in the various translations.

JAMBO;

i think this picture is so awesome. and 50% of it is in my favourite colour: TEAL

omg i just realised: iHola! looks like an Apple gadget like iPad and so on. wooooahhhh so cool. k let me get to the point of this post. actually theres no purpose for it but i just want to type stuff for fun. ITS LIZZIE"S BIRTHDAY WEEK. And i think she's enjoying it despite the horribly fail cake, which i hope she's enjoying right now. i was actually supposed to type in another "i think" before i realised that i use the 2 words to much. also, i think (omg there i go again with the "i think"s) that *ponders over what her previous thoughts were*

Public Service Announcement

Attention.

Please note this Sunday, those who attended the CG "steamboat" thingy, we need to repay Karen. So please come prepared with approx. $10.


Thank You. We now return to our scheduled blog postings.

Easter Thoughts

Have you ever considered how important Easter really is? Was it merely a sideshow after the climax of Calvary?

12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

- 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

Something to think about.

=====================
A video I recommend all to watch

CG Breakfast this Sunday

There will be CG breakfast this coming Sunday in church at 0900H. Odelia has kindly volunteered/been arrowed to take orders for Macs so please help her by sending it in early.

*Warning* If you come late, no one will be held liable for cold pancakes :P

HELLO JELLO SMELLOS.

Hello everyone!

k this week has been super dreary for me but i really hope i can possibly somehow cheer myself up through posting this.....

VIOLA. my two favourite annoying YouTube Videos that never fail to keep me smiling (: check out the series if you find the first ones hillariously annoying / lame / funny. cuz i think its awesome / lame / funny.

Charlie the Unicorn

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5im0Ssyyus

The Annoying Orange

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN5PoW7_kdA

i really love charlie the unicorn the best. it really makes me smile. but maybe not smile smile but just smile smile....

eugh im so tired. can anyone help me think of quotes concerning Greed. the only one i know of is: 'Dont be so greedy, a dollar's a penny to you..' - Top of The World - The All American Rejects.

pshhh. SPLASH. k ciao!

AND CAN PEOPLE POST. cuz apparently only Nicholas Chen Zhi Qiang is posting like super alot of cheem stuff. PEOPLE, GO FOR PRAYER MEETING!!!!!!!!!!!!! (:

AND OMG OMG IM PROLLY IN THE NDP MARCHING CONTINGENT WOOOTS.

Love,

Karen

Short thoughts on QT

I hope that everyone has been and will be diligent in their Quiet Time this week. God willing, we will not be doing Chapter 9 of the Experiencing God book this Sunday, but rather we will be talking about Quiet Time.

Just some pointers for the week though,

1) QT carries with it the idea of being a) daily and b) purposeful.
a) Daily - Doesn't really need further explanation. "Give us this day our daily bread" (Matthew 6:11)
b) Purposeful - It is time deliberately set aside for the purpose of seeking God i.e. Not "I prayed as I walked from my house to the bus stop" (Though if you do that, great! Nothing wrong in that)

2) Time or length should not be the main preoccupation - While it may be tempting to try and jump straight into doing an hour-length QT, like physical exercise, spiritual stamina is built up over time and practice. Beginning slow and growing in the grace of God is always better than over-straining yourself and walking away discouraged. In every case, quality over quantity is to be desired.

3)Finding people who will keep you accountable is always a good thing."Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!" (Ecclesiastes 4: 9-10) If you are comfortable in sharing your QTs with each other in small groups even better.

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

Anyway, just some thoughts that I think will be helpful to you.

On Faith Alone and Evidences of Faith

I just want to make a clarification about what we talked about today at CG and hopefully it would provide a clearer and more wholesome picture.

15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.
18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

- Matthew 7:15-20 (ESV)

Today, looking at James 2, we saw the difference between a real saving faith, which is evidenced by a changed life and good deeds, compared with a false faith that professes belief, but is not marked by any visible change. The exhortation then was for us to examine ourselves, to see whether we indeed truly believe and have had an encounter with God, by evaluating our lives with respect to the Bible and seeing if there has been any discernible change in our lives.

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.

- 2 Corinthians 13:5-6

However we must be careful, that in examining ourselves we do not then become self-absorbed in our failings and performance. We must always realize and hold to that the Love of God for His children is unconditional i.e. not based upon our performance. (Read Deuteronomy 7 for God's reason in loving Israel) Our confidence in our salvation is found in Christ and Christ alone, by His finished work of the Cross.

When reading Matthew 7, we must realize that Jesus is teaching that the good tree naturally produces good fruit and not that by producing good fruit does a bad tree become a good tree (hopefully this is understandable haha). We (the bad trees) are first changed by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith and grace to become good trees and from then on it is natural for good fruit to spring forth.

Hopefully this will bring some small clarification for you all. If there are any comments or questions, do not hesitate to use the comments section below. :)

Desiring the Experience or Desiring God?

As we deal with the issues surrounding "Experiencing God" and His Will and Purposes for us, we must always ask ourselves the question, "What is it that I seek?" As with His gifts, we are all too often caught up in chasing an "experience" rather than the Person. An emotional high that we can then use to justify or validate our faith.

Read the account given in John 6 about Jesus' feeding of the five thousand.

When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!"

- John 6:14

On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.

- John 6:22-26

The only reason why these people sought Jesus, even willing to go across the Sea of Galilee to find Him, was so that they could get another free meal after witnessing the miracle of the previous day. Let us examine ourselves; Do we only follow Jesus because of the blessings He has given us?

"Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal." Then they said to him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent." So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to him, "Sir, give us this bread always."

- John 6:27-34

Notice the astonishing demand of the people. Having already witnessed the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, they yet demand a further sign from Jesus so that they may believe His words. For those who continually seek after signs and blessings in order to validate their faith will never be satisfied.

Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, "I am the bread that came down from heaven." They said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, 'I have come down from heaven'?"

- John 6:35-41

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, "This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?

- John 6:60

Let us beware lest we be like those people with Jesus that day. When finally faced with the reality of who Jesus Himself was and His all-satisfying nature, many turned and walked away. (cf. John 6:66) Let us desire Him because He is the One who satisfies us. Let us desire Him for who He is and not what He gives, for that is the difference between a Christ-centred Christianity and a Man-centred sub-Christianity.

Now I am in no way denying or downplaying the role of emotions, for how can one remain "dead" and cold in his spirit when one comes into contact with the One who is Life Himself? (cf. John 14:6) Nor am I saying we should deny or flee from encounters with God, for such times are extremely helpful in building up our faith and showing that God is a God who is with us and does not remain aloof and unconcerned with His creation. But we must always be cautious and circumspect in what we do and why we do it, because it is so easy for us in our flesh to desire what God gives rather than God Himself as well as to build our faith on shaky subjective experiences rather than on the secure nature of God as revealed in His Word.

DECKTHEHALLS.

As you can see, BIG Nick is already posting his extremely cheem notes here! ITS TIME FOR THE REST OF THE CG TO FIGHT BACK AND POST THINGS TO TALK ABOUT. Utilise the blog!
hahahaha. i just came back from dinner and im hungry for macs. Please use the 'Event' App in the Blog to plan our future CG outings. and please let me know when you guys can make it for the STEAMBOAT so that i can tell my parents and plan a day out for them! most prolly dinner would be good i guess? yeah cuz only wierd orange monsters have steamboat for lunch. cool green monsters have it for dinner! and please post the links of your blogs here so that we can all link up and check on each other yarpedoodles?

k have a fun week awesome people.

Love,
Karen

P.S. i highlighted the main points in RED for easier reading.

Mid-Week Update (24/02/10)

I hope everyone is diligently reading through chapter 5 of the Experiencing God book. For those of you who haven't, you've got an extra day on Saturday to catch up.

Hopefully I will post some thoughts on the earlier parts today or tomorrow so that we (the few of you anyway who happen by this blog heh) can get some online discussions going instead of waiting till Sunday before you unburden all your questions. If you like to begin any discussion then please do go ahead and start it, don't always have to wait for me.

The God who Reveals

One fundamental aspect of God seen throughout scripture is the fact that God is transcendent i.e. He is so completely different and superior to us in substance, power, wisdom, etc....

The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens! Who is like the LORD our God, who is seated on high, who looks far down on the heavens and the earth?

- Psalm 113: 4-6

He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.

- 1 Timothy 6: 15b-16

And yet the great mystery is that this infinite God makes Himself known to finite Man. Have you ever wondered why did God create human beings? Was it because of some need He had for companionship? Surely not.

For thus says the LORD,who created the heavens (he is God!), who formed the earth and made it (he established it; he did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!): "I am the LORD, and there is no other. I did not speak in secret, in a land of darkness; I did not say to the offspring of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I the LORD speak the truth; I declare what is right.

- Isaiah 45: 18-19

The Lord desires people to seek Him out. This presupposes of course that God has also revealed Himself sufficiently to be sought out and known. Out of His overflowing abundance God created the world in order to reveal Himself through nature (Psa 19:1-4, Rom 1:20) , through His Word and, most importantly of all, through His Holy Spirit. He has, in essence, condescended to make Himself knowable to His Creation and this is no better illustrated than in the incarnation of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Consider what this means. That God, while being so fundamentally different and superior to us, does not remain afar but willingly and graciously comes down to us so that we can glory and delight in His Presence.

============================
Comments are welcome. I hope we get a discussion going. :)