Commitments.

Dear Friends,

I've just decided that I should share some commitments that I've made, and how I've been keeping them up. And probably share more about what my future plans are, with the LORD. And probably address some issues. I pray that everything said will be said in the reverance of the LORD and for His glory. Its probably going to be long. I will spend much time typing and thinking as I type. Hope you will be blessed by it, and probably set you thinking. About life, the state of life, the state of your relationship with the LORD.

How is life? How is your relationship with God? How faithful have you been? Questions that can set you thinking. Is there purpose in your life now? Is there a goal? Is God the primary goal or a sidelined goal? Or has your life been sliding downwards? Have you left the Higher Way and stepped onto the Misty Flats? Answer them in your heart, truthfully. Knowing that God sees the heart, God knows your thoughts. Ask yourself honestly, what is life to you now?

I do not plan to carry on asking. These questions goes on and on and on. It never ends. But O, do I pray and hope that God has been so true in your lives. That you haven't forsaken Him for something of the world. That you, haven't left our dear God out
of the picture of your life. That you are still climbing the Higher Way and not contented with walking in the Misty Flats. Yes, it may seem easier to walk on the Misty Flats - for a short while, to be accepted by the world because you are modern yea? Modernism vs. Fundamentalism. Everything can go well in the Misty Flats - for a short while, but when you see life become blurred, aimless and what Solomon described as "vainity" it really aint nice to be there. You are missing out on the pure joy and happiness to be climbing the steps of the Higher Way. Familiar? It is a paraphrasing of the Isobel Kuhn's By Searching, on the chapter Misty Flats.

Seriously, think about your relationship with the LORD now. Does the Holy Spirit still have power over your life. Is there any sign of conviction? Do you feel the tugging of the Holy Spirit, when you are walking now in the light but in the darkness, in the flesh and not the spirit, with the world and not with God. IF there is, are you answering to God's call for your repentance. O sinner, do not hold back your and hardened your hearts in pride. Do not wait for God's hand of chastening to shove you before you start responding. IF God has still been convicting your soul, when you are alone in a quiet still night thinking and feeling ashamed what you have done, then I pray you will turn back to Him now. You really do not wish to see His hand of chastening to come upon you. Yes, even though it says that God chastens in love but its the process where God breaks you down is going to be painful. He does tend you wounds and carry you after the chastening, but why go through all this when God has been ever patient with you, tugging lightly on your soul when even you know you have done the wrong thing. If you see believe God exists, and you havent been faithful to Him who deserves it. I beseech you to bow your heads and close your eyes and truly come to the LORD in repentance. No one is going to know. It is an accountabilty that you have with God. What are you going to say to God when you see Him someday in heavens. When your life flashes before you and God points out this state in which you are in now? Will you be ashamed that day? So please do not wait. I believe the LORD has been so kind, merciful and gracious to those who have sinned against Him. I have experienced His wonderful grace that is boundless. How I used to give in to the same sin daily and coming back to Him each morning ask for forgiveness. If you still arent convinced that God can take away all your sins, no matter how much, all of them leaving you nothing but a clean and renewed heart, take a look at the verse which says that

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9.

Notice what God emphasizes. He is faithful, cleanses us from ALL unrighteousnes. Now you conviced that if you would bow in true repetance God will cleanse you. I believe God is waiting at your doorstep right now, only to wait patiently for you to say, "Dear Jesus, come into my life and cleanse me from all my sins. I am the chief of sinners, please forgive me." Simple as that. I always tell myself, that every sin I commit, drills the nail deeper into my Savior's hands.

Enough said. The decision is up to you. The amount of conviction. The extend of your surrender to the LORD. The LOVE you have for God. The amound of reverance and respect for the Almighty. All is reflected. If you still does not allow yourself to break the pride that satan keeps there to prevent all God can do for you, then account to God someday when you shall meet Him.

Let God's word speak:

Jeremiah 23:12
"Therefore their way shall be to them
Like slippery ways;
In the darkness they shall be driven on
And fall in them;
For I will bring disaster on them,
The year of their punishment," says the LORD

My advice, stay away from the Misty Flats. Answer the Spirit's conviction now, before it is too late.

It encourages me alot, however, to see from blogs how some christians actually do come together to pray for revival. Why shouldnt we come together, truly seeking that God would convict us thoroughly, leaving no speck of sin in our bodies, but grant us cleansing altogether and a revival of our souls. No, do not wait until the camps. You never know what satan can do to stop you. I pray that we can all start praying for revival of souls. IT really is encouraging to see souls taking and bearing the cross once again after forsaking things of the world.

O how my soul weeps when I see dear brothers and sisters walking into the pitholes that satan has planned but can do nothing about it. O how it hurts my soul when I try to give a helping hand yet turned down by pride. O how I long to see our
church grow, developing genuingly God-loving, Bible-believing christians to go ye into all the world and make disciples baptising them in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. O how I long to see true christians standing up for what is right, and be the peace-makers of the world, helping people make peace with God that is. O how my soul aches to see how much modernisation can do to Christ's body and allowing worldliness to seep into our church. I have such high expectations. Call me an idealistic person or whatever. But these are all just what my soul craves to see in the future. God-loving, Bible-believing, growing, faithful, christians. Church growing. Christ's kingdom on earth to be complete. And O to see Christ coming again, and going to meet Him for my very first time. Face to Face with my redeemer. Face to face what will it be?

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Well to address my commitment to God and my future plans about how I can serve God. Popped by my cousins's house today to pick up a book. Had a good discussion with him. Asked about the standards of christians, particularly whether we are allowed to watch movies in cinemas. I believe he gave a very good answer and it had set me thinking on certain things I did but shouldnt have done. Well, firstly to address the issue on movies. I am questioned many times why christians can't listen to pop music, why we shouldn't watch movies, why this why that. Some questions, as David said, were not able to be answered easily. Because the bible does not clearer discuss about that topic. Something like going to the movies. But he said that it was the amount of conviction that one has to determine what activities one abstain from. Amen! I totally agree on that. Sometimes its how much you are willing to sacrifice for God. How much of denial of self and taking up of the cross. Titus 2:12 says "teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age". To deny any form of ungodliness, worldly lust, to live soberly, righteously and godly in this present age. There isnt any direct answer God gives to us for why we should watch movies. But David did give me some reasons why he feel that movies shouldnt be where christians should go to. 1. The content. Yes, as we all know, almost all movies that come out know do have sexually content, violence, vugarities in them. So why tempt yourself with these things. Even now in our "Entertainment Box", reality shows, movies have lots of sexual content, violence and vugarities in them, some even brodcast during the evening. Tell
me that you will not be tempted by these contents? Yes, the content in movies shows us that as christians we shouldnt go to the cinemas or watch movies. 2. The enviroment. What kind of enviroment are we exposing ourselves into when we go to the cinemas. What is the general impression of the cinemas? Does it show worldliness? Ok, so lets say we go to the cinemas for "Finding Nemo". Its just a cartoon right? The contents are not explicit, and don't they teach good values? Something about the enviroment is that you know movies have trailers? And sometimes what they show in trailers have nothing to do with the "pure" content of the movies. Arent we again exposing ourselves to temptation? And what David said that Daniel gave this analogy. Its
like going to a rubbish bin to look for a sweet yea? Or something nice. As we know what the cinema shows are really not nice. As christians, we can be inevitably excused if we say that we go there simply for "Brother Bear". Ok so it is the same for the analogy. We go to the cinemas hoping to find a sweet in a trash-filled rubbish bin. Tell me how pure it can get? 3. Testimony. Something that people don't see is this. What impression are we giving to the non-believers if we go to the movies? Going to the cinema now is a norm in this modern society. But we look closely, almost 99% of the contents in the movies have explicts contents. What stand are we making to the world if we ourselves go to the movies and watch them? Are we telling the world that these movies are OK to watch? Lastly, its very simple. How do we spend our money? Haha. Yeah, tell me that 7.50 isn't going to provide for God's work? Consider how much it will be if every christian in the church commits himself to stop going to the cinemas, but put aside the money for God's use instead. Wouldnt it be a big sum for God?

Most importantly, it is your conviction. My conviction personally. I abstain from all kinds of pop music and movies in the cinemas. One thing I commit myself in future is to stop watching even movies from DVD and even on TV. Sometimes the content just is not right for Christians. I do not dare proclaim that I am not tempted when I watch movies from DVDs and VCDs. But to reduce temptations that satan can put in my life. I've commited myself to no more movies and televesion, the minimum.

Hopefully through the LORD's grace and strength I will be able to do it.

There is something I learnt during the June Camp that never fails to help me. If there is a doubt in something you are going to do, don't do it. Doubting is sin.

There is a word called "*pragatism". It means to say that people have different interpretations of things. If used in the context of the bible. We can say that these people believe that bible has many different interpretations. However, we know that the bible is BLACK and WHITE. God's word tells us directly what we should do and what we shouldnt. There isnt an different intepretation. Thou shalt not kill. What is the other intepretation? Haha. Often we allow ourselves to be decieved by saying that "you have your intepretation of the bible, I have mine". Is that true? Can there be two intepretations? God standards are clearly stated there. However, in this present age, we can see that these standards have shaken. What God says, does it matter? These standards have been stated and followed during the early church age, it shouldnt be any different now from then should it? Remember God is always the same. How can He change His standards? If He don't then why do we give ourselves the authority to change them to suit ourselves?

Do Christians really have so many "rules" to follow? Are we so legalistic? No. I believe once you know Christ and learn to love God more, these rules take on a whole new meaning. It no longer appears to be ropes that tie you down. But they are ropes that hold you close to the LORD. Ropes that pull you back when you stray. Ropes that protect you from satan. When you go deeper into a relationship with God, you will pray for God to put more ropes around you and bound you tightly to Him. These so-called "rules" become the way we show our love for God. James chapter 2 says that "What is faith without deeds?" If we truly have faith in God where does it show in our actions?

James 2:10 For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.

Remember that if though we may be faithful in one area, but if we stumble in another, we are really guilty of all. Learn to walk blameless, in reverance and for the pleasure of God.

Well, I am not done. But for today I am. Thanks for reading all the way till here. I hope you have been blessed. Truly, dear brothers and sisters out there struggling with sin and to get right with God. Do pray for God to forgive you. Break the pride. Leave a note and I'll pray for you. Take care one and all. And I pray that may God be true in your very lives. Live every sec unto Him and for His glory. ;)

God bless your heart.

Love,
In Christ,
Jeremy

*Spelling not sure. Oops.