Week 9

Hahaa I like my new blog skin.

For we walk by faith, not by sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7

I find this truth so true in my life, before, now and even the days to come. Dr Jim Berg's sermon on "Walking by Faith in 2005" summs it up very nicely. I think you should go and download it and listen to it. God's Word puts it plainly, without faith it is impossible to please God. And remember our memory verse in Romans 4:20-21 :

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

To walk by faith we have to, firstly refuse to think even about man's impossibility. But to concentrate on what God has promised before. We shouldnt look at our circumstance and try to manipulate it our way hoping to overcome it. But we ought to as 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; " Bring doubts and human impossibilities into captivity and focus on God's promise to us in His Word. Secondly, to not dispute our doubt any part of God's promise. "staggered not at he promise of God through unbelief" To stagger not would mean to hesitate at God's promise.

When faced with circumstances the first thing we should do is to refuse to think of the human impossibility of the situation and not try in any way to manipulate with our own wisdom. Fix our thoughts on God's promise, hesitate and doubt not, and fully trusting and assured. That is to walk by faith.

Well, for me, my life though now is so free from stress and business of exams tests and assignments, yet is filled with circumstances which may cause me to fall into pits of despair. Holding on tightly to this truth, of walking by faith and not by my own sight has benefited and helped me alot.

Last Sunday's sermon by Rev. Tang I feel was very touching and it really spoke to me, in a special way. Thank God for such an example of prayer as Hannah's in the bible. A humble, earnest and persistent prayer, with faith and to keep promises is one that God would grant unto according to His will. Couple of points I realised that we, though pray, yet are not aware of our inability to pray well.

Humility before God. How often do we see people coming to God and demanding God to do this and that for him/her. I realised that we often do that subtly without ourselves noticing. Whenever we enter into prayer with God, we should start by presenting a laying our a list of requests we need. I strongly feel that God owes us nothing and we never ought to demand anything from Him. Contrary to this, I know God in His lovingkindness wants to meet our needs. If we could only give Him His due respect of coming humbly before Him, acknowledging our sins, our filthiness and our total dependance on Him for cleansing and everything.

Earnest and Persistency in praying is also crucial. I think most often we pray for our friends, youths and even our family without this "earnest" request. As in we must really be genuingly concerned and asking the Lord to intercede, not simply acknowledging and moving on to another request. The reason why some may find there is nothing to pray about because pleading and interceding for others is not done, rather it may seem like just making mention of that person for the sake of doing it. Well, I don't deny God hears these prayers, but I know that God wants to see us getting on our knees or even shedding tears in prayer even for others.

Faith. Ofcourse. Without faith it is impossible to please God. And we may feel that we are praying in fatih, but in fact we arent. I realise this is so so important to me because I often find myself worrying for that thing I prayed for, even right after I presented to the Lord. That, of course, isnt a prayer with faith. I liked the way Rev. Tang illustrated with comparing the prayer of an adult and a child. A child simply casts all his/her cares on the Lord and forgets about it. An adult, however, after praying, worries and is still much bothered by whatever he has committed to God. With faith, means to commit everything to God and after praying, like Hannah, has his/her countenance changed, to go out and eat and drink and be merry. Meaning to have total confidence and faith that whatever we committed to God, is heard, accepted and will be done according to the Lord's will. Remembering to pray and persistently praying for it doesnt equals to being worried and bothered about it. It just that each time we come before God, we remind God of this request that we had cast into His care.

After Rev Tang preached, I was so convinced that I had to have this prayer for my dad's salvation and even my dear friends out there. Humble, Earnest, Persistent, and with Faith.

20 May 2005

I'm leaving for Thailand, Bangkok tomorrow for a short trip for resting, shopping, anything. I'm quite excited about it actually. But I'm bearing with me a burden that I know my God wants to bear. Now its not exactly a burden, but its just something that never left my prayers- June Camp. Its really difficult, but nothing is impossible with God. I need to find courage and boldness and faith to ask dad's permission. Even though I have a strong feeling this year might not be possible, I'm looking to His way and hopefully not mine. My results slipped since last year, and a few other things that dad may not be pleased about, spending too much time on "religion" and not on my studies, these things might be the concluding factor to whether I am able to go. But again, I must remember to walk by faith and not by sight. Not looking at my circumstances and try to manipulate by lookng for reason why he should let me go, but trusting God and His promise that His way is perfect! Do keep my in prayer, there are also other areas that I need God's providence in this matter, pray that God will provide.

The past few days saw me struggling with a decision to make, whether I should continue to train 10 times a week for coming Nationals Track and Field meet, and have all my time committed to it. OR I could take a job that may be looked down upon. Well, my coach actually made it very humiliating for me to take up the job as "training assistance" which my friends conviniently translated as free labour. In the sense that I have only to come down 3 times a week, which is definitely good, but I will not be able to train, and have to do all the logistical stuff like soften the sand for steeplechase, move the steeples, take attendance, timings. I feel that the coach outrightly was out to humiliate people who are in that "group". But I was pondering over having more time to God, myself and studies or to "save face" by commiting time to training. I thank God that He helped me come to a easy decision when my coach helped by suggesting that we were going to help out only, as in he didnt make it seem as we are unwanted in that sense. Aiya, but anyway, I've decided choose time over "face" if I may put it this way. And that means, more time for many things I've always wanted to do, as my coach puts it. But also, less opportunity to train and still not a very nice psot to take up. OHwells. But I wanna do many things. Tennis, as a external sports? Or even take up a musical instrument so that I can serve in future?

Daniel spoke of how he has rooted himself in the Bible, and have his life guided by God's Word. Well, I've been challenged to study the bible whenever I am free and I realised something very comforting. I've never known God's Word to be so true, so powerful and so comforting until I spent my freetimes the past week reading verse after verse, chapter after chapter of Romans. Now, I'm at Corinthians But by simply reading I stand really awed and amazed by the amount of truths that IT has marvelled me with and the comforting words that the Spirit has used to assure me when I'm stressed. When I start, I just cant stop is what I found out. I'll just keep reading and reading and the thing is when you read alot, the large amount of truths cannot all be taken in. So I think I have to re-read for a couple of times more. But I'm just excited and anxious to go on to the other books and episltes and see what more truths I can find. I want my life to be grounded and rooted in God's living Word to, and I believe it to prosper me like a tree planted by the rivers of waters, which brings forth fruits in its season and its leaves shall not wither in times of adversary.

I guess I'm looking foward to this weekend. And the upcoming of holidays. Hopefully to spend my holidays more wisely, studying and really getting to know and "master" the Bible. (:

Meanwhile, will miss church. Sigh. Can't bear too.. Anyway takecare people..