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.

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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