We've heard or seen this somewhere before..

But hey.. good to see and hear it again!!

Of Mice & Men/Women

I have not red the book from which comes this favourite phrase ""The best-laid plans of mice and men/often go awry," "

Just that in the light of the recent happenings,
a. Frog-hoppers
b. Errant SMS with certain pictures
c. Slander
d. Disappointment

I am wondering what has been the fundamental groundings of people who want to live and the people who lead this country?

Are they greedy?
Are they perverted?
Are they crazy?

I just am puzzled why slander? If you're so dissatisfied do something, not at the expense of someone else.

Just because someone does something not contravening with natural law in private that you think you can expose it, you take their pictures and spread it on sms/internet does that make their credibility come under question?

Yes, I speak about Elizabeth Wong, our Bukit Lanjan ADUN. I have not met her personally, but in my reading of emails and news.. I just feel that even if she is single and has a consensual adult relationship.. her privacy was indeed invaded, why then do other ministers consider it grounds for her to step down. especially ministers from the opposite party.

What would happen if their pictures of questionable acts/unwilling acts were put on for show, should they then be terminated from service.

Anyways, give credit where credit is due where there is good work reward them, applaud them, why harp all the time on the bad.
Our oppositions and ruling parties should learn to work together and benefit the people.. they should not be called government servants, but civil servants. without the people where would they be?

Why should ministers be according with such high favours and people treat them with respect/fear that people should accede to their every whim and request.. a civil servant or servant to the public (who is put into a position of power/decision making) should continue to be humble and earn their respect just like anyone of us.

Just because they are called Grandfather this and Grandfather that .. does that mean they have power of life & death over us? We should all strive to live together to earn and give respect as required.

Having said that, from Anwar to Elizabeth to any other public civil servant, your lives are being scrutinised as us Christians have been scrutinised.
For we proclaim righteous principles according to our creeds, hence every evil doer will seek to plot our downfall,
I have a verse to share from the Good Book..
A letter of St Paul to the Ephesians
"Be very careful then how you live, not as unwise but as wise , making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil"

As we entrust every leader in this country with our well-being, safety & security, we pray and hope that their lives will continue to be outstanding and upstanding.

Our prayers are with you, Dear Leaders of Malaysia, for your position of power/responsibility did not come just by mere men, but appointed by God Almighty Himself.

He is ever-Willing but is my faith?, My Journal Entry for 14th February 2009 & Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is here.. how am I celebrating it.. of course with my wife.. but not in the way people usually would.

Well let's begin with what happened this morning.
I woke up at 5am this morning.. and went back to sleep..
The 2nd time I woke up, I awoke with a start at 530am, because a phone call came in. "Where's the key.. what's the combination?".. Yes I completely forgot that I was due to replace Steven (Head of Crew) for JOurnaling Duty this morning. And I had the keys to the amplifier room. No one else had it :0

HORROR of HORRORS as Pr Daniel would say..
I whisked my keys, didn't comb my hair (oppss. WHAT HAIR!?!?!) , didn't brush my teeth.. and was still in my shorts and tees.. drove from BU4 to DC.. It took me 7 minutes .. with Traffic lights.. but I didn't really speed anyway.

But when I reached church with the keys to the amp room, ppl told me that Melvin had already come and started up everything. Thank God for that..

Anyways.. Emily and I are at home right now.. preparing to spend Valentine's day today.. teaching kids.. World Teach's Material : Walk Through The Old Testament... at Dream Centre. So we're leaving in about 2 hours time :P

Here's the journaling I just wrote... I didn't write in Church because I was too flustered about the whole morning incident.

Scripture
Matt 8:1-17 .Verse 10
When Jesus had heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him “ I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith”

Observation
Jesus was ASTONISHED! How can the King of Kings be surprised?
But that the Centurion, who didn’t acknowledge Jesus as Christ, knew the position of power that Jesus came from and the realm of His influence (as he drew from his own experience).
Truly it is because of the faith the Centurion had and the “revelation” that he had of Jesus’ authority.
He knew that because his men followed instructions because they were under his command, so he drew the analogy that part of Jesus’ realm of influence was healing and deliverance, he knew that Jesus could do what he said he would do.

Application

Would we ever astonish Jesus? But since we are in Jesus, He in turns will astonish me when I have faith and see that it will come to pass because He wills it. Earlier Jesus said “I am willing”. Jesus is actually ever-willing for His power to be displayed on earth. His power to astonish us, to show to us He is king, but most of all that He is our savior

Response

Lord I pray for faith to rise up and swell up within me. That many will be astonished (including myself) to the wonders You display. Let me be a conduit of your love and in faith believe for the salvation of many. Yes .. ONE THING IS IMPORTANT… CHOOSE TO BE WITH YOU! Amen.

A Video for the Day (for DW)

hehehhe.. *tease*



Dead Man's Rope

A million footsteps, this left foot drags behind my right
But I keep walking, from daybreak 'til the falling night
And as days turn into weeks and years
And years turn into lifetimes
I just keep walking, like I've been walking for a thousand years

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,

If you're walking to escape, to escape from your affliction
You'd be walking in a great circle, a circle of addiction
Did you ever wonder what you'd been carrying since the world was black?
You see yourself in a looking glass with a tombstone on your back

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away in anger, walk away in pain
Walk away from life itself, walk into the rain

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
I'm just hanging here in space

Now I'm suspended between my darkest fears and dearest hope
Yes I've been walking, now I'm hanging from a dead man's rope
With Hell below me, and Heaven in the sky above
I've been walking, I've been walking away from Jesus' love

Walk away in emptiness, walk away in sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away in anger, walk away in pain
Walk away from life itself, walk into the rain

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
I'm just hanging here in space

The shadows fall
Around my bed
When the hand of an angel,
The hand of an angel is reaching down above my head

All this wandering has led me to this place
Inside the well of my memory, sweet rain of forgiveness
Now I'm walking in his grace
I'm walking in his footsteps
Walking in his footsteps,
Walking in his footsteps

All the days of my life I will walk with you
All the days of my life I will talk with you
All the days of my life I will share with you
All the days of my life I will bear with you

Walk away from emptiness, walk away from sorrow,
Walk away from yesterday, walk away tomorrow,
Walk away from anger, walk away from pain
Walk away from anguish, walk into the rain.

A White Flag... Surrender .. Leading To Purity.. :)

A sharing from Purpose Driven Life..

Surrender Is the Heart of Worship
by Rick Warren

“Give yourselves to God ... surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes.” Romans 6:13 (TEV)

*** *** *** ***

The heart of worship is surrender.

Surrender is an unpopular word, disliked almost as much as the word submission. It implies losing, and no one wants to be a loser.

Surrender evokes the unpleasant images of admitting defeat in battle, forfeiting a game, or yielding to a stronger opponent. The word is almost always used in a negative context. Captured criminals surrender to the authorities.

In our competitive world we’re taught to never quit trying, never give up, and never give in – so we don’t hear much about surrendering. If winning is everything, surrendering is unthinkable.

Yet, the Bible teaches us that rather than trying to win, succeed, overcome, and conquer, we should instead yield, submit, obey, and surrender.

And by surrendering to God, we enter into the heart of worship. This is true worship: bringing pleasure to God as we give ourselves completely to him.

Surrendering is best demonstrated in obedience, cooperating with your Creator. You say “Yes, Lord” to whatever he asks of you.

In fact, “No, Lord” is a contradiction. You can’t claim Jesus as your Lord when you refuse to obey him. Peter modeled surrender when, after a night of failed fishing, Jesus told him to try again: “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”Surrendered people obey God’s word, even when it doesn’t make sense.

God is not a cruel slave driver or a bully who uses brute force to coerce us into submission. He doesn’t try to break our will, but woos us to himself, so that we might offer it freely to him. God is a lover and a liberator, and surrendering brings freedom, not bondage.

When we completely surrender ourselves to Jesus, we discover that he is not a tyrant but a savior; not a boss, but a brother; not a dictator, but a friend.

Watch Out for Yourself, Stick Close to Him : Journaling Entry 13th Feb 2009

Scripture
Matt 7:15-29 . Verse 15
Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.


Observation
In this day and age where the availability of the internet and connectivity and mobility, we can see that increasingly that more & more people are becoming “pastors”, “prophets”, “apostles”.
It’s (Internet & Connectivity)availability & ease of use makes becoming a leader is so easy that they control people (spread the word) and making audacious claims about God.
How in this generation are people protecting themselves, educating themselves when “freedom” of perspective is abused? Guided by one’s own belief without a pure relationship with God.
Much can be said about this topic, because “to each his own” is a phrase used too often in the “religious” circles. Making us less caring towards one another.

Application
In my journey as a cell leader, husband, business owner. I have to be watchful, walk close to God. Not allow myself to be full with “knowledge”, pride or self righteousness. Not unwittingly become a false prophet.
I need to walk this journey with my cell members, my fellow leaders, my wife and keep a safe boundary between different persons so that my heart is guarded. Surround ourselves with Godly counsel and stick close to God.

Response
Lord I pray that today, my heart be renewed and reconfigured to do what I planned to do in Your holy and perfect will. Speak each day in Your word to me to guide me to what’s BEST that You have for me so that I may not be swayed nor fall into temptation. Bring the people that are right into my own life. Where there be “wolves in sheep clothing” may I bring your presence so that they can be turned into “sheep who know your voice” May their realization for the need of You be concluded in their life. Give me wisdom to share with them in Love.

Cell Groups

As my fren Jules suggested.. :P I checked out this youtube entry..
aiyo.. hehehehe Enjoy

My Motivation : Journal Entry 11th Feb 2009

My church DUMC (Dream Centre) has embarked on a journey to encourage it's members to Journal on a daily basis. As leader's we've started since January 1st 2009, I have my entries here and there. But as of today... I've decided to write it into Word. So I've become more verbose.. instead of writing with paper and pen ( I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that makes it hard to write)

here's my entry for Today. I'll try to upload as I go along.. take care

My Motivation, 11th February 2009

SCRIPTURE
Matt 6: 1:24 : Verse 6, 7
But when you pray go into your room, close the door and pray that your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret will reward you.
And when you pray, do not keep babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.

OBSERVATION
Jesus speaks in the whole chapter about
Giving, Prayer, Fasting & Rewards (Treasures in Heaven)
He speaks to us about all these things in succession. But in the first 3 segments deals with our conscience/motivation in what we do. Giving, Prayer & Fasting. All 3 sections speaks about receiving rewards. And these rewards are received in relationship with Christ.
The result of this relationship will be a great reward in Heaven, it is built upon the motivation of our BEING. Not the DOING of the 3 actions which can be outwardly seen.


APPLICATION
When I see this in my life and the life of others, I am reminded about being too verbose in my prayers to those around. I am reminded to pray accurately so that the recipient of the prayer, will catch on to the promises in their life.
In Giving, I must be recognize my motivation to give is not for my glory, but to bless and that my heart to be soft. Hence if people see it and praise me, it is for my glory. If they can see this as an outpouring of my own life (submitted to Christ), all the Glory is His. My choice to share this with people, must be a selected group of people who are mature enough to recognize the sharing
The same goes for fasting, it may not be apparent that I am fasting, that it must be life changing and transforming to me. That the Lord and I are connected more closely in our relationship.
My reward is not something to be EARNED, but to be received because of my relationship I have with my heavenly Father.


RESPONSE
Dear Lord,
Thank you for being my Father. That you know the importance of growing deep in you. Teach me each day to surrender my life and receive because You give freely. Let my motivation in my life to be a building experience for me first, because A pure & repentant heart is what you desire of me. Let my motivation be only to please you and not people.
Let my motivation to please you build my life to impact others. Thank you Lord.

THe Call Of Moses. Funny

Christianese... Ever Heard of It?

LOL

Blessings..

I read this particular article, when I accidentally clicked the subscription in my email.. and I think it's very apt in times like this (i.e. the Credit Crunch) to gain perspective..

Why Does God Appear to Bless Evil People?
by Rick Warren

He causes the sun to rise on good people and on evil people, and he sends rain to those who do right and to those who do wrong. Matthew 5:45 (NCV)

*** *** *** ***

A common question among believers is, “Why does God appear to bless evil people?” I’ve asked this question myself.

In Matthew 5, Jesus says God causes his blessing to be given to both the evil person and the good person – and that both those who are evil and those who are good go through difficulties. Whether someone is a believer or unbeliever, evil or good, we all face sickness in our families, natural disasters, and all sorts of other problems.

God doesn’t always protect believers from having to face the same difficulties that unbelievers must face; and he allows unbelievers to experience some of the same benefits that we, as believers, enjoy because we are a part of his creation. One reason for this: it allows those who don’t know Jesus to see what it really means to know him. When someone sees a believer finding even a bit of light in the middle of a struggle, it helps those who do believe in Jesus to see who he really is and that he is the light in the darkness.
*****************************************************

What's Blessing good and evil ppl got to do with the current credit crunch you may ask?

what's a Credit Crunch in the first place.. well.. I am no economist, so I read also what a friend of mine wrote on his blog

And I got a small picture of it..
a. Ppl borrowed money from Banks
b. Ppl can't pay back the loans and close shop
c. Banks can't collect and reclaim property that's worth less than the money loaned out
d. This creates a deficit of money in the market, i.e. banks can't loan out anymore money..



So God makes blessings fall on good and evil ppl at the same time. The difference.. as I see it..
a. Good ppl "should" know how to save on blessings received and re-invest correctly, and hopefully make wise decisions..
b. Evil ppl abuse this blessing and investment in corruption.

Hence.. since the "world" is leaning towards the evil these days, so more and more ppl are overspending uncontrolably and causing even Good ppl to suffer.

Our choice today is, how do we live? Do we whinge and complain about what evil ppl are doing? or learn and be wise in these times..

Just my 2sen worth of sharing..