Psalm 23: My Reality.

2011-02-28T22:17:00.003+08:00

How long has it been since I've posted here? I've been blessed so greatly by God that I don't even know when to start! I'll be back after I get my blessed A level results this Friday! What can I say? Those who place their trust in the LORD shall never be put to shame :)

2010-05-16T11:12:00.002+08:00

This post is long overdue.

For the last month I have been training for two big events simultaneously: a literary production with my usually less than cooperative class for lit night and a competition, the pre-university oratorical competition, which is a speech competition which someone else from CJC won last year.

By God's grace alone, both events were a smashing success. The class is more bonded than ever, we won something in every category for lit night and I even won 1st place in the speech competition.

Truly, those who put their trust in the LORD will never be ashamed!

2010-04-16T19:46:00.002+08:00

What can I say? Today was PURE GRACE. Pure, unadulterated, 100% GRACE!

Got my PW results back. Out of everyone in my class, only 2 got an A grade. I WAS ONE OF THEM! Its really really by grace alone that this happened man!

Got my piano results back. Those in the know would be aware that I was banking on God's grace to pass. I was totally unprepared, learning one of my 3 songs only the night before. AND I PASSED!

Entered a selection trial for public speaking, and I was ranked the top in the group!

What can I say? Those who trust in the LORD will never be ashamed!

2010-03-06T09:55:00.002+08:00

Yesterday I experienced 2 events that made me see once gain ho faithful Daddy God is.

1) A level Chinese results came back to me. I actually managed to get a D grade. D for done(It is finished)! This grade actually beat out many others whom I thought had a firmer grasp on the language. Praise God!

2) I attended a debate competition as a shadow adjudicator(one who judges for practice only and whose judgement does not count towards deciding the winner). But due to a shortage of manpower, I was boosted up to being a panel adjudicator for 2 out of my 3 rounds! Being responsible for the results of a competition was a big responsibility. It went better than I expected actually, but I feel that I gave the teams too little feedback and could have performed better. I pray that I won't have to feel like I wasted an opportunity. I know God will always work His best for me, and nothing I do can sabotage His efforts (:

Next week is a trial-laden one. The whole week consists of exams PLUS a piano exam I'm not confident in. Grace, grace!

2010-02-17T19:36:00.003+08:00

Today my CCA welcomed the new J1s. All of them have great potential to be great public speakers! Sometimes I feel that I cannot succeed in the CCA since I'm considered the second or third best speaker among the J2s only. The J1s add even more competition. Sometimes I even feel left out.

Gonna keep trusting in Abba Father. He knows what's best for me. Through all my doubts and disappointments, He will never fail to comfort me. There's definitely more to achieving success in a CCA apart from winning competitions or being in the EXCO. Otherwise my life as a speaker is a failure.

I want to be able to look back on this post when CCA finally ends and smile, because of what God has done to lift me from this situation :)

2010-02-08T18:37:00.004+08:00

Today, the CJC community welcomed a new slew of J1s with a commencement ceremony. What I didn't expect was that today I would go up on stage to receive a Good Progress Award too.

You know, that really reminds me of God's awesome grace. Just 4 months ago I was worried over my exam results, worried that I would fail to promote like in the past because I wasn't confident about my paper. This whole incident has taught me two things:

1) God never lets your past affect His glorious future for you!
2) God is so good, even in the midst of our unbelief!

Now that I think back, there really was no need to worry. Take a look at this:

“So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? (Matthew 6:28-30)

This is the cure for anxiety and worry. Think about it, if God makes sure that even the ravens and the lilies of the field, small creatures which are usually held in little regard, are fed and clothed, how much more will He supply our needs, as our beloved Abba? Here's a little poem I wrote recently:

Provider

Consider the ravens of dark plumage
As free as can be, entrapped by no cage
They spend all their days in the womb of the sky
No harvest to sow, no labours to ply
Considered by many as ill-omened and crude
Yet God still ensures that they never lack food
Consider the lily so humble and white
Possessed of a presence and stature so slight
Her home is the valley, an overlooked place
Yet God has made sure that she sees no disgrace
For even Solomon, garbed in garments so fine
Could not match her beauty, in raiment divine
If God cares for things that are little and wild
How much more will He give to you, O beloved child!

2010-02-03T20:53:00.004+08:00

Today is 3rd February, 2010. That means its 3-2-10. A fitting countdown indeed. So here's the rest of the sermon I promised. Ready? 3-2-1-0!

Something awesome about the Bible before we begin. There are 594 chapters before Psalm 117, which is the shortest chapter in the Bible. There are also 594 chapters from Psalm 119 onwards, which is the longest chapter in the Bible. 594+594=1188. So what is Psalm 118:8?

"It is better to trust in the LORD
Than to put confidence in man."

How awesome is that? Lets dive into the Word now.

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)

What can we see from this?

1) God is rich in mercy. Some people have the mental image of an angry God, ready to punish them for any sin. Well, its true that God can get angry. But the Bible never records that He is "rich in anger". No, He is rich in mercy! That same lovingkindess sent Jesus Christ to take His wrath for our sins, meaning that His anger will never fall on us! Hallelujah!

2) We are already raised up with Jesus and seated in Him in the heavenly places. You may ask: "How can this be? I'm still here on Earth!" True, but that cannot negate your position in Christ. For example, the Queen of England would still be the Queen, even if she were dressed in casual clothing and eating from a hawker centre in Singapore! Similarly, your identity as a conqueror in Christ is secure, even on this side of heaven.

"But if I am a conqueror in Christ, where is my victory? I still feel this pain in my body!"

Beloved, the devil can only work in the feelings realm. He can make you feel depressed, he can make you feel sick. But what he CANNOT do is to work in the spirit realm, where it is the truth that you ARE healed in Christ! Don't forget that by His stripes we were healed. Take not that it is "we were healed", not "we will be healed." The healing has happened through the suffering of Jesus! So lets not base our feelings on what happens around us. If we do, we would never be at peace. Always feeling restless and worried about situations. But when our foundation for security is based on the perfect work of Jesus, we can rest. Lets believe God's promises because His promises are never revoked!

Some people serve in ministry because they think that God would love them more this way. How sad! Even the prodigal son, who spent his inheritance on riotous living, was loved unconditionally by his Father. We should serve because we are God's beloved, not in order to become God's beloved. Did you know that you can only truly help people when you are secure in Christ? Help people out of the overflow of God's love for you! If you are bound by other people's opinions of you, you cannot help them. God sees you in Christ, even now!

Always remember this: For in Him(Jesus) dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In this security, be at peace. God completes you and come what may, will never leave you nor forsake you. Stay restful and God bless!

2010-01-31T22:49:00.003+08:00

Today the cg and I celebrated Yong De's birthday. His family really loves him a lot! To think that his cousin and sister were able to spearhead the project all by themselves, resulting in the creation of an awesome giant birthday card. Its really all thanks to God that the plan went smoothly.

Today Pastor shared about something that many Christians misunderstand. Many Christians (myself included) sometimes think that we pray for victory. That we pray to achieve God's best for us. Did you know that this is incorrect? We pray BECAUSE God has ALREADY placed us in the victory!

Will update about the sermon probably tomorrow, it is close to my bed time. God bless!

2010-01-28T16:26:00.003+08:00

Recently I have been walking between two MRT stations instead of taking the train to go home. The 20 minute slow walk is relaxing indeed, and I get to spend some time alone with God.

Today, the 'unthinkable' happened. It started raining along the way!

In the past I would grumble and complain and ask "God, why???"But now I just prayed for the rain to stop and continued my walk.

Guess what? The rain didn't stop.

But I was really blessed! The drizzle was light, and the sky which was once dark suddenly cleared, so I enjoyed the pleasant experience of walking in a light drizzle with the sun shining on me. When the rain did get heavier, I had already reached the MRT tracks so I could walk under the tracks and be safe from the rain. Once I had to leave the shelter of the tracks, the rain died down!

It was an awesome experience, kind of like walking in air-conditioning.

Random post, sure, but God is good. I'd like to remember these little things He put into my day to make it special :)

2010-01-17T20:54:00.003+08:00

Sunday service was awesome! Let us continue to stay in rest, it is truly important. For today's sermon, Pastor Prince preached once again on - you guessed it - rest and peace. Let's dive into the Word:

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:26-27)

Do you know what is the word that Jesus used for peace? It was the Hebrew word shalom. Shalom is defined in Strong's Concordance as completeness, welfare, health, prosperity and peace. Peace is just one of the many portions promised to us in that one word shalom! Interestingly, the root word of shalom is sheelem, which means "paid for"! The shalom peace is yours, and it has been totally paid for in the body of Jesus!

Speaking of shalom, the first time God was revealed as Jehova-Shalom in the Bible (The Lord our Peace) was in the story of Gideon. Read all about it starting from Judges 6:11. God's peace is given to us in spite of our doubts and fears!

It is imperative that we let not our hearts be troubled. Although God wants to be our peace, we cannot let ourselves sink into depression and stress. When we guard our inside, God guards everything else! He cannot work mightily in us whenever we try to strive and earn blessings with our own effort. When we rest, God works! Remember that rest is not inactivity but Spirit-led activity. Your friends will be amazed as they see you tackle the challenges of life with a smile on your face!

Did you know that depression can only descend onto you if you allow the devil to influence you by planting bad thoughts in your mind? Don't dwell on the fear you have for that deadline or test affect you. Counter that fear with God's Word, which declares that His peace is given unto you!

A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. (Proverbs 14:30, NIV)

In the phrase "gives life to the body", the original Hebrew word used in that verse is marpe. It means "healing"! Marpe comes from rapha, which means "heal". And rapha comes from raphah, which means "relax; let go"!

Did you know that just spending time in God's Word rejuvenates your body? Isaiah 55:12 should be how every child of God should feel after spending time in the Word:

“For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."

The "trees of the field" refer to the people of the world. God's work in your body and in your life will be so evident that even people of the world can see it!

If God's Word were to be delievered to us all at once, we cannot stand it. We just can't cope with that much wisdom at once! But God wants His Word to come to us like rain.

"For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, andmake it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, butit shall accomplish what I please, andit shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:10-11)

Isn't it precious of God to deliver His Word like this? If all the water in the clouds were to be relaeased at once, a catastrophe would occur. Buildings would be smashed and lives lost! But the rain comes in precious drops that don't even harm a fragile flower, but gives it life instead. And as we receive God's Word, we are also restored!

Wow! Pastor has shared with us another way to rest: spend time in God's word! For it is health to all our flesh and fills us with the peace only God can give. Hope this message has blessed you!

2010-01-07T15:52:00.005+08:00

I've changed the music player and songs on this blog. Many of these songs were heard during the 1st Arrow of this year, and they are all awesome! Indeed, the battle belongs to the Lord, so rest in the security only He can give, beloved!

2010-01-05T17:54:00.002+08:00

Saturday and Sunday service was awesome!

Both Pastor Ben and Pastor Prince preached about the year 2010: the year of R & R (Rest and Reign!)! Or as Pastor Prince put it, the year of restful increase.

Rest is so important, and many people don't get enough of it. They think they have to work or else nothing gets done. They feel condemned when they rest because they are not doing anything. But did you know God gives His children rest?

Lets read Matthew 11:28-30

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Maybe The Message Bible will be clearer for some people:

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

Beloved, stop thinking that if you don't labour, nothing will happen. Our greatest blessing is salvation, and God made it simple for anyone to receive! Our bodies aren't designed for all work and no rest. Lets check Leviticus. God decreed each seventh year as a Sabbath year: a year where no farmer may sow or reap. He did this to give the farmers a break!

You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in. (Leviticus 25:20-22)

When man rests, God works. Solomon received his wisdom in his rest. However, when man uses his own efforts to do his work, God can't help him; he isn't trusting in God but rather himself. Now don't misunderstand me. Rest doesn't mean inactivity. It means Spirit-led activity! When you follow the peace within to guide your steps, rather than toiling from your own strength, you acheive more!

Rest and reign. I'm going to run with this message. Will you join me?

2009-12-31T19:02:00.003+08:00

Partly inspired by Siying's post, partly inspired by a sermon Pastor Ben preached about the importance of giving thanks. So right now, on the last day of 2009, I present to you a list of people I'd like to thank.

Daddy God. What an awesome year this has been. It has really been a year where Your salvation and free favours profusely abound in my life! From the awesome dare/caregroup You have given me to my year-end exams... You have been so faithful even though I have been faithless so many times. Its hard to believe how next year can be any better, but I believe that the path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter(Proverbs 4:18)! Lord, since you answer exceedingly, abundantly, above all that I can ask of you(Ephesians 3:20), keep me in your rest, that I may be a glorious testimony to Your love. No doubt, every good thing this year is all Your doing. Thanks again, Daddy God.

My family. Without my mum, I wouldn't even be in the youth ministry now! Thanks for arranging for me to attend youth ministry-related events again and again even though I wasn't too keen on doing so. Thanks for going over and above for me in everything I need. I think I have the best sister and grandparents in the world! I feel so privileged that I can talk with my sister about almost anything. My grandma cooks the most amazing dishes every day. She is the reason my home is as lovely as it is! My grandpa is always willing to help the family with anything(memories of the hours he spent waiting for me while I was having tuition pop up now)! I really have an awesome family. Not to mention my cousins Markus, Joanne, Hui Hao and Wan Qi, as well as my fun and caring aunts and uncles. Abba Father, keep them in Your divine protection, always!

My dare/caregroup leaders. From DARE: Keon and Lydia. Lydia is the first youthgroup leader I was placed under, and is probably my first friend in the ministry as well. Maybe she didn't see herself doing anything above the ordinary for me, but I'll always remember the care she showed me while I was under her wing. Keon took over from her. He really made me feel welcome in the group, and is a leader I truly respect. From Arrow: John and IReen. John is an awesome guy: we have many interests and he's helped me with many of the questions I've had in my walk with God. He is really a guy you can depend on and have fun with! And what can I say for IReen? She has made an impact on the many people who have been in her caregroup with her friendly, approachable personality and deep wisdom. Thank you all, for deepening my walk with God. Always keep the zeal you already possess to shepard God's beloved youth!

My daregroup. Adeline, Linus, Hair, Justin, Yanping, Mindy, Siying, Yinlin, Yeu Mahn: thanks for brightening up my life. You all were one of my first friends in DARE and I thank God that you have continued to be such a light in my life. I can rely on every single one of you and each of you have given me strength when I have felt down. Thank you all so much!

My caregroup. I love and am grateful to my whole caregroup, but I want to highlight certain people whom I am really thankful for. Dave, Denise, Yong De, Shawn, Joel, Johannah, Zenda, Kai jie, George, Charmaine: You all really proved me wrong when I thought to myself that Arrow will never be as awesome as DARE. Each of you have built me up since the start of this year, and are awesome friends. Thank you for the commando friendships which you have shared with me!

My friends. Mikhail, Mahavira, Wei Sheng, Shazreen. Thanks for keeping in touch even though its been three years already, Mikhail. Maha, Wei Sheng and Shazreen: thanks for befriending me even when I was kind of like an outcast in my class. I really appreciate it!

My class. My only regret was not opening up sooner. All of you are wonderful people!

My PW group members: Clara, Yiu Si and Eugene. All of you (especially Yiu Si)have done so much for the group in PW that I feel like I did too little in comparison! We may not have seen eye-to-eye through it all but I'm thankful for the chance to work with you all. I enjoyed it! I couldn't ask for a better group.

My CCA. Awesome bunch of people. Thanks especially to Heidi who taught me the basics of debating, and Stella and Clifton for being good friends.

My teachers. Too many to list, from K1 till now. All of you have taught with zeal and tried to make lessons interesting too. Especially Mdm Yeo, Ms Wei Ling, Mr Surhan and Mr Low Jun Meng. I respect each and every one of you. In fact, I am considering teaching as a future profession!

My pastors, especially Pastor Prince and Pastor Ben. Thank you for sharing the deep revelations that God has put in your hearts. I have benefited so much from your ministry!

Not too long a post, and I'm very sure that there are many more whom I'd like to thank. But this year has been awesome, and I'd like to thank the people in my life who has impacted my life. Daddy God, thank you for an even better 2010!

Our Lord is come

2009-12-26T18:12:00.004+08:00

I love Christmas. Any day during which people remember Jesus is a day I like! Here's a little poem (posted two days late) from me to you, sibling in Christ!

Some view Christmas as a feast; there's food and drink galore.
Some view Christmas as parties, gifts and friends but nothing more.
But we who know the truth, let us sing and praise with joy!
For many years ago upon this night was born a Boy.
Our humble Saviour, He was born in a manger lined with stone.
That on the cross He'd die for us, our sins taken as His own.
For this reason we have hope for all eternity:
Jesus and His finished work forever set us free.

Once, not too long ago, I looked forward to Christmas for only one reason: TOYS! I still remember that awesome Power Rangers mecha I received one year(1997?). Sure, I knew that Jesus was the meaning behind Christmas but that was just head knowledge, a little tidbit kept at the back of my mind. I enjoyed the good food, I enjoyed the parties and got the same thing every year: temporal happiness. 'Cause when the tree is dismantled and the decorations kept away, life went on as normal.

The funny thing is that I still look forward to Christmas due to a gift. The gift of Jesus on the cross. I really thank God that He was so patient with me. My mum, my cousins Markus and Joanne, even my former classmate Liyee: all of them were used by God to show me His love for me. Even after the tree is dismantled and the decorations put away, I'm still filled with joy knowing the truth: out of His perfect love Jesus died for me upon the tree, cursed so that righteousness now adorns me like a robe.

Many people get negative thoughts whenever they hear the word 'Christian'. They may think of greedy churches or hypocrites or negative examples in the media. But I'd like to challenge you today: if you haven't already, give God a chance to show His love for you. He is the answer to your doubt, the perfect love that casts out all fear (1 John 4:18). No challenge in your life is above God's ability to surmount (Matthew 17:20). And above all, He loves you for who you are. So much so that He sent His Son to die for a world where nobody cared about Him.

Merry (belated) Christmas!

2009-12-22T17:32:00.001+08:00

God is awesome. So many of my siblings in Christ had an awesome week too, even as I was enjoying myself in Hokkaido. Reading their blogs, I am reminded of God's love for us all.

2009-12-15T10:40:00.002+08:00

Today I'll be heading for Hokkaido! Only three things make me kinda sad about it:

1) I'll be missing carolling with my cg

2) I'll be missing the Christmas party with my cg

3) I'll miss THIS SUNDAY'S CHRISTMAS SERVICE!

Oh well. I know that God will give me an enjoyable time in Japan, but I'm still sad that I'll be missing such awesome events. Nevertheless, I will cling on to God's Word:

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28)

Yup, when you love God, even when you don't see how things could possibly improve in your life, you can be sure that all things WILL work together for your good.

Consider the story of Joseph. At his lowest point, he was a prisoner, put into jail for something he did not do. Yet if he wasn't in that prison, he wouldn't have been able to interpret the dreams of the baker and the butler. If he didn't do that, there wouldn't be anyone to recommend him to the Pharaoh. And Jospeh then wouldn't be poised to save Israel and his family from seven years of famine! (If this sounds confusing, do read his story in Genesis 37-45. Its awesome!)

Even the impossible naturally isn't impossible for God. Its time for us to start believing God's Word radically. Yes, if we lay our hands on the sick, healing SHALL flow! (Mark 16:18)

See you in a week! (if there even are people reading)

2009-12-03T18:45:00.004+08:00

Just got back from Batam. It was an awesome experience. Praise God!

On the way there, while I was sitting on the ferry, I was praying about the trip. I was worried about whether it would be a good trip. It has been a year but I've not really bonded with my class yet. Suddenly, this question popped up in my mind:

Will you cast out your nets again?

This reminded me of a certain portion of Scripture, so I pulled out my Bible to check:

So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat. When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (Luke 5:1-6)

Why was I worried that I couldn't bond with the class? Its because I've already tried before, again and again. Thats why Simon's response struck me. He had tried all night to catch fish and failed. He was even an experienced fisherman! He could have fallen back on the memory of his past, wasted efforts and refuse to let down the net again. So why did he try again?

Because Jesus told him to. And once he let down the net again, he received a boat-sinking load of fish!

Beloved, can you trust that God will make all things new? That He can cause your past actions which resulted in failure to prosper? Of course, if you want something which isn't meant for you yet (such as a relationship before the proper time, or bad company), God will keep you from it out of His love for your well-being. But when it comes to things like friendship, He wants only the best for you! And efforts which have failed before will bear fruit once Jesus steps in. I'm happy to say that I've been able to grow a little closer with my classmates during this trip! I'm trusting God that the work He has begun in this area will be completed!

So you've failed before. But when Jesus tells you to cast out your nets again, will you trust Him? Lets walk a deeper walk with our Saviour. He alone can do the impossible.

I was also struck by how happy the orphans were! I expected them to be melancholic due to their lot in life, but they possessed a happiness I've rarely seen in cosmopolitan Singapore. Really made me wonder: do creature comforts equate happiness?

We painted 3 classrooms! On the last day at the orphanage, some people in my class played a game of "kampong soccer" with the kids: tens of people on each side playing football in a clearing in the forest, with the sea serenely watching. Very inspiring. God willing, I'd like to write a poem on that.

Just like HistoryMaker 2009 (the only other camp I had this year), God has been so faithful in everything. Stay restful, for God is the answer to every problem!

2009-11-29T20:56:00.002+08:00

I will be going off to OCIP tomorrow. Do pray for me!

Pastor Lawrence preached today! He has really become a much better speaker since the last time I heard him, praise God. He raised a really interesting question today, which I'd like to ask you: why do you read the Bible?

Oftentimes, Christians (including me) read the Bible for two (wrong) reasons:

1) I want to learn what I must do to get blessed. (Self-righteousness)
2)God will be more pleased with me if I read the Bible, so I shall. (To earn favour with God)

Do you know what our focus should be on when we read the Bible? It is to see Jesus in the Bible.

Now, the Bible should always interpret the Bible, so here is proof. Let us look at how Jesus revealed Himself to His disciples. His disciples were in deep sadness after Jesus's death, and Jesus spoke with them, though they did not recognise who He was. His disciples were even in doubt about whether Jesus was the chosen Messiah!What did Jesus say?

He said to them, "How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?" And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. (Luke 24:25-27)

Even in The Old Testament, there are so many "Jesus sightings"!

Consider Daniel. He was a type of Jesus. He was thrown into the lion's den, his exit barred by a stone. Jesus was sealed in a tomb, barred by a stone. But just as the lions had no power over Daniel, death had no power over Jesus! Read about it in the book of Daniel.

Joseph was rejected by his brothers and left for dead, but was glorified later at the Pharoah's right hand and saved his brothers from famine, forgiving them of everything. Jesus was rejected by His brothers (the Jews) and left for dead, but was glorified later at God's right hand and has redeemed His brothers from sin, forgiving them of everything! Read about it in Genesis!

Jesus is altogether lovely. No one else is. And by beholding Jesus, we are transformed into His image. For God is the author and the finisher of our faith, not us!

I'd like to go into more detail, but I have to pack for tomorrow. Have a blessed rest!

2009-11-25T11:19:00.002+08:00

Siying has been raving about the movie Fireproof for a while now. When my youth ministry's magazine's first issue contained an excellent review of the movie, I knew I had to watch it. So I did, yesterday.

Have you ever felt that it is hard to love someone, especially when you feel like that someone doesnt even appreciate you at all? That's the dilemma of the main character, Caleb. He wants to save his failing marriage and does all sorts of things to get his wife to appreciate him. Once, after setting up a lavish candlelit dinner, his wife stepped in and said: "Let me get this straight. I do not love you".

But I won't spoil the movie for you. It comes with my highest recommendations. I really felt the love of God in this movie lots! I really feel like sharing what I've learnt from the movie, but I would rather you experience it first hand. Once you're free, do check out Youtube!

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)

2009-11-22T20:55:00.003+08:00

Today's sermon was awesome. Maybe I use this word too often. Hopefully its impact isn't lost. Well then, let me repeat myself.

TODAY'S SERMON WAS AWESOME.

Pastor Lian really preached a message that was close, so close to my heart: that there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Now, that truth has been repeated many times, but do let that awesome truth sink into you.

No matter how many broken promises you have made to God, no matter how often you fail while trying to please Him, no matter how weak you are, no matter even when you forget God. None of that matters.

God's love will always be with you. Always. A love that never condemns. A love that accepts you for who you are, but loves you too much to leave you as you are.

Want biblical proof? Lets read a certain story in John 4 together.

In brief, Jesus met a woman who was feeling condemned. Her short encounter with her Saviour changed her completely in an instant. Please read John 4: 1-29. Please do. Take a few minutes to do that now? Thanks!

INTERMISSION INTERMISSION INTERMISSION

Alright, welcome back. How do we know that the woman was feeling condemned? Notice John 4:6. "The sixth hour" is about noontime. Why did the woman come to draw water so late in the day, in the heat, when she could have drawn water in the morning with the other women? She was feeling condemned. She wanted to avoid the other women for fear of their gossip. After all, they all knew her reputation. 5 previous husbands? No wonder she was feeling condemned.

Now, we must realise that having a Jew ask something of a Samaritan is like your favourite idol appreciating a gift you made him/her. Samaritans were considered to be low-class back then. Imagine how stunned -and pleased- the woman was when Jesus asked her for a drink of water! Imagine how shocked she felt when Jesus later revealed that He knew everything about her dark past, and still loved and accepted her unconditionally regardless! At NO point did Jesus say "Return and make ammendments to your life, change your ways. Then return to Me." And what happened after her encounter with Jesus? Set free from her bondage of condemnation, she boldly strode into the city and told everyone (yes, the people she didn't dare to face before!) about Jesus! Her encounter with Jesus's love left her changed forever!

Jesus isn't judgemental. But God is holy too. So God sent His Son, Jesus, to die for ALL OUR SINS. If there is anyone with the right to condemn us, it is Jesus. Yet He remains such a loving Saviour. He is that love we all desire, the love that says "I may have to correct you, but I'll always love you. Nothing you do can ever change that. And neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate you from the love of God that is I, Christ Jesus your Lord" (Romans 8:39)

Feeling God's love? I hope so. His love is always there to pick us up. And it is this sense of no condemnation that will change our lives to be all that God created us to be.

2009-11-19T15:52:00.003+08:00

Its the middle of the A levels now. All the best to those who are taking the exams! Let God be your answer and source!

I have nothing much to post. But here's a gentle reminder.

God loves you. Do speak with him about anything. He enjoys your company!

Stay restful, God is on your side :)

2009-11-12T08:07:00.003+08:00

People who know me would know that I find it hard to stay awake and alert for the whole day of school. Well, my OP was yesterday at 2.00pm. Guess what? I reached school at 7.30am!

Well, I had to reach early to do something important, but I was still worried that I would get drowsy and fall asleep before my OP! I didn't exactly have a peaceful night of rest the previous day either. So I did the only thing I could. I smsed my CGL, John, and asked him to pray with me that God will fill me with energy, and that I would only be tired after the OP. Frankly, I wasn't confident that this prayer would be answered. After all, I have asked for energy in the past but didn't really see it manifest in my life.

I'm so glad that when we are faithless, God is still faithful. Thats how much He loves us! Amazingly, I was full of energy for my OP and only fell asleep on the bus on the way home! I think I really woke up everyone in that room, student and teacher alike. Like that song "Speak Peace" by my church, NCC, goes:

"Though I go through waters and I walk through fire
I'll not be dismayed, nor will I be afraid
You will deliver, You will provide
Your arm is mighty to save"

The line in green is the promise I've seen manifested in my life through this whole PW period. I wasn't working well with my group until as recently as 3 weeks ago, and I had no idea how God will turn it around. But with God, nothing is impossible. I can confidently say that I share a good relationship with my group members now. How it happened, I don't know. All I know is Who is responsible for it.

God's arm is truly mighty to save. Remember how I struggled during my promo exams? It was my fault that I didn't get enough studying in. But God's grace saved me.Does this make me want to slack more? No! This makes me want to live life fopr God's glory!

Beloved, if you are facing an impossible situation, remember that nothing is impossible for God.

2009-11-07T11:12:00.002+08:00

Something happened to me this week that I never thought would happen.

Overcome with distractions like computer gaming, I totally neglected to spend time with God for a long time.

Thank God for CG yesterday. There is truly wisdom to be had in the counsel of your wise inner circle!

Against all hope

2009-10-27T18:09:00.005+08:00

Want to hear a secret? I'll tell it to you. Jesus loves you!

Its sad that so many people don't fully understand this life-changing, awesome truth. Lets pray that Daddy God uses us to spread His message yeah?

My results came back. Remember when I said that God's grace is enough to see us through? Lately I have been recalling all those nights I wasted away on the computer, not studying. All those hours of dozing off in class. And I wonder: can I even get promoted? I worried especially for Geography and Economics as I especially wasn't ready for them.

I knew that I was worrying too much, far too much. So the recess before I was to collect my first paper, I had a talk with God in a quiet place. I gave Him all of my cares, my worries and was honest with Him about what I was feeling. Then I went to collect my Literature paper.

Lit comes in four parts, all carry a maximum of 50 marks. I was shocked when I saw my marks.

28/50. 34/50. 30/50. 34/50.

Whoa! My best results ever! God is so faithful! Guess what? I actually got NO U GRADES, NO S GRADES and NOT EVEN AN E GRADE! My lowest core subject got 50%, Geography.

I'm speechless. I think about how unprepared I was and look at these marks. Its not me, honest. All the glory goes to God.

I have some classmates who fear for their future due to not-so-ideal marks. I'll be keeping them in my prayers. Despite my joy, I feel sad with them. God, take care of them.

My CG mates did well in their exams too! And as the perfect "dessert" to a wonderful day, I received the news that a friend going through a personal crisis has gotten over it. Thank you, Lord, for all You've done. Make me bolder next time so I can share with my classmates about the grace that You've shown me.

Friends, stay blessed! For because of Jesus, we can hope against all hope, even if natural circumstances seem against us. God's grace supercedes the laws of nature.

Love, Judah

Wisdom, the Principal thing

2009-10-25T09:55:00.005+08:00

Have you ever wondered how to get true wisdom? Here is how NOT to get wisdom:

1) Asking for wisdom only when you think you can't do it. (Trusting your strength)

2) Making a ritual out of asking for wisdom daily. Its not a "good luck charm" when you ask God for wisdom every day just because you always have. God wants a relationship with you. ot to be reduced to a slot machine (put in a prayer, press the wisdom button and out comes wisdom!)

But guess what? He who seeks wisdom shall surely get it from God's ever-supplying hand! Let us see how Solomon received wisdom from God:

At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon during the night in a dream, and God said, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."
Solomon answered, "You have shown great kindness to your servant, my father David, because he was faithful to you and righteous and upright in heart. You have continued this great kindness to him and have given him a son to sit on his throne this very day.
"Now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of my father David. But I am only a little child and do not know how to carry out my duties. Your servant is here among the people you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to count or number. So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?" (1 Kings 3:5-9)

Notice that Solomon made this prayer at a troubling time. He had been just made king of Israel and the task overwhelmed him. Did he let his worry keep him up at night? I believe that he did seek God's peace at that time, for in the night he was soundly asleep! (Seek God's rest! Don't fret about asking for wisdom)

To desire wisdom from God, we need to humble ourselves and realise that we cannot do it alone. We need to be like children to our Daddy God and expect to receive His provision!

Beloved, God provides the question and the answer for you, if you would only desire wisdom!

2009-10-17T19:47:00.003+08:00

My exams ended on Wednesday. Through it all, I have seen wonderful displays of God's grace. I wait in confident expectation for my results!

Went out with half of my class on Thursday. Usually I'm not a very sociable or talkative person among people I'm unfamiliar with(sadly this includes many class members. I hope this changes soon). Sometimes I plan to be more outgoing and am disappointed when I fail to do so. That is why I feel encouraged by Proverbs 16:1 and 16:33:

We can make our own plans, but the Lord gives the right answer. (Proverbs 16:1)
We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall. (Proverbs 16:33)

Do you know what is the best thing about God being in control, no matter what we humans plan? Its knowing that God is the being that loves you the most! His mind is always on your welfare:

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)

In context, the above verse was given when the Israelites were in captivity. Don't let your outward circumstances deceive you into thinking that God doesn't care. Sometimes, we need to undergo trials in our life to walk out the destiny that God has for us. Would Joseph have made a good king had he not undergone hardship? The trying of our faith produces patience(James 1:3). Life may not be easy sometimes, but God is with you, through it all.

This was unexpected. I only intended to blog about my class trip on Thursday. Hopefully somebody will be blessed by this truth. God bless!

2009-10-05T18:45:00.002+08:00

'Tis the first of many exam days. I call them blessed in Jesus's name!

Did you know that when you cast all of your cares to the Lord, you will unstopper His grace in your life?

I'm not asking you to be full of cares. Neither am I asking you to care nothing about what your life is like. Instead, just be care-free!

Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall. (Psalm 55:22)

Do you know what is the best way to cast your cares onto God? Why, by praise, of course! Think about it. Can you listen to your teacher if you are thinking about what to eat for lunch later? Can you pay attention to two things at once? Similarly, you will cease caring about all your burdens when you shape them into prayers using praise! But don't trust any spiritual advice unless it is rooted in Scripture. So here's Philippians 4:6-7 from The Message Bible:

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Have a blessed week ahead!

Judah

2009-09-21T16:51:00.002+08:00

Sorry for slow updates. My promos are coming up in 2 weeks. Do pray for me.

Pastor shared about the Book of Proverbs yesterday. Did you know that "wisdom is the principal thing"? (Proverbs 4:7) For us believers, Christ is our wisdom. Proverbs has 31 chapters. Try reading one each day of the month! The awesome thing about the Bible is that the same chapter can speak to us again and again, in different places, to fulfill our need.

WR due this Thursday. By grace alone!

God bless,
Darren

2009-09-06T23:07:00.002+08:00

It's the last hour of my birthday. What my CG did for me was astounding.

You see, our loving group celebrates everyone's birthdays as a surprise. So for the whole year I expected something for mine too. But 5th Sep(when my DG met me for my birthday, thanks guys!)came and went, and it seemed like nobody knew.

Oh well, I was slightly disappointed. Though I didn't really feel sad, my expectations for a surprise celebration this year dropped to zero.

You know how they say a surprise is a surprise only when you don't expect it?

It came today after 3rd service. I was stunned and shocked. But most of all, happy.

Thanks everyone! Today is a memorable day. Connect '09 was awesome too!

"I am the vine, you are the branches: He who remains in me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit: for away from me you can do nothing." (John 15:15)

Jesus, I abide in you. Give me the desires you would have for me, and I will receive it!

God bless!

2009-08-29T10:06:00.000+08:00

Lots to share.

1)By God's grace alone did I manage to pass my piano exam (grade 2). Can you believe I only started seriously working on scales and arpeggios only a wek before the exam? I really feared that I would get zero for that! Really, all the credit goes to God for this.

2)A little sad since the next Arrow event that most are attending is in 2 week's time. Why aren't more people attending Connect '09? Oh well, my days are blessed, anyway, since God crafted them with me in mind!

3)Since my old music player now blocks all of my songs, I have decided to use a Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) to play my music now. If only it had shuffle, lol.

4)God is so good!

With that, see you. God bless!
Darren

2009-08-17T18:50:00.000+08:00

You know something awesome? I learnt on Sunday that for believers, God can never get angry at you ever again. He even swore it so! Man, when God speaks you know its true. But he chose to swear it! Take joy when you stumble in your daily walk of life. God will never be angry at you again. Jesus took all that wrath on the cross!

Don't know why but I'll use this post to thank people. Thank you, my DG, the first group of friends whom I could be real with. Thank you, my CG, for being there when I need you guys. Thanks for the friendship, all of you. I feel blessed that God has put you guys in my life. Thank you, my family, for being my family. Thank you, pastors, for being such a blessing to the community. Thank you, my DG/CG leaders in church, for being there.

God Bless,
Darren

2009-08-09T21:41:00.000+08:00

Happy Birthday Singapore!

Does anyone still read this?

God is our refuge and provider. Amen!

2009-08-03T00:06:00.003+08:00

Lots of things have happened to me through this week. Sadly I had no time to blog about it. Just had to say this though.

I am a prisoner of hope.

God's grace is enough for me to get up and dance! He has done so much in my life and He's just getting started!

It's all about Him and none of me, for He is the Author AND Finisher of my salvation.

Nothing I do can nullify my status as the righteousness of God in Christ.

With that, have a blessed week ahead!

2009-07-26T21:10:00.000+08:00

Its been a while since I last blogged. I am truly sorry. But the AWESOME Hillsong conference+concert was AWESOMELY, AWESOMELY AWESOME. Pastor Judah Smith is an AWESOME preacher. The songs were AWESOME (though I wish my DG was with me) and today's sermon was AWESOME too. Did I mention that I had an AWESOME weekend?

AWESOME is our God. Have an AWESOME week ahead!
Darren

2009-07-06T19:40:00.002+08:00

A level Chinese Oral tomorrow! Prayers much appreciated(and needed). This will be the last of Chinese Oral exams that I will see in my life. I pray it shall be a memorable one, for all the right reasons (:

Living by faith and not by sight,
Darren

2009-06-29T17:33:00.003+08:00

By natural standards I was woefully, inadequately prepared for the Economics exm today.
My CGL told me to just do what I can and trust in God's favour. To be honest, I felt that if the paper attacked me viciously, I would have had no defense.

Praise God. The very topic that I was unsure out almost didn't appear in the paper AT ALL!

Two of the essay questions were discussed during lesson time, at periods I was ACTUALLY LISTENING!

Favour, favour. I don't know how well I'll do for this paper but whatever the result, I will trust in the Lord. My circumstances can change but 2 things never will.

1)The Word of God (Isiah 40:8)

2)God's agape love for me! (Romans 8:39)

Let's all spend more time in the Word. It was one of my expectations for the camp and thank God, I am falling in love with reading the Bible. Through the Bible (which is forever the same), we gain a deeper revelation of God's love for us (which never changes either!)!

Geography tomorrow... Wait, why am I typing this if it's Geography tomorrow? Gotta run!

P.S. Can someone tag the verses above? TY!

God bless,
Darren

2009-06-28T17:06:00.002+08:00

Here is an excerpt from an email that I Reen, JC South's beloved CG leader, sent out. It really blessed me and I hope it blesses you too!

How does knowing my Abba's love for me cause me to overcome every temptation?

Knowing His love is to know that the One who loves you is the Almighty Creator and the One who freely gives and desires for you to enjoy all things in life. Most importantly, He gave you freely (yet it was not without pain) His Son to die for every sin, every short coming and every missing the mark in your life.

Why Joseph was able to overcome the temptation? How are you able to overcome that porn addiction? That gaming addiction? That temptation to just speak bad?

It comes when i know that Abba Daddy provides for me. Joseph saw Abba's love and hence Abba would provide him THE BEST. He would provide him a beautiful wife - one in whom he can keep himself for and he can thoroughly enjoy, conscience clear, joyous on the Wedding night and able to savour every moment with her. Hence, it was not just being conscious of God but of a loving, giving Father.

Similarly, when you ask Abba for a revelation of who He is. He will surely answer you because His heart is for you. No more comparisons, no more looking at where you fall short anymore because your source is from Him direct!

Greatly Blessed, Highly Favoured, Deeply Loved

Darren

2009-06-22T14:27:00.002+08:00

This is a bit late but I've returned from camp.

AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME AWESOME

I'll never be the same. Lord, take it all, my History. Make Your call, my Destiny. A new life is beginning, I know it!

Greatly Blessed, Highly Favoured, Deeply Loved

Darren

2009-06-14T22:30:00.002+08:00

Will be at HistoryMakers 7 from Monday to Friday. But please don't stop visiting to tag. Abit sad if I get home and see nothing new. But even if thats the case, I probably won't be too sad, cos camp is going to be AWESOME! Pray for me! And for those who couldn't go for camp, don't worry. When the prophet Samuel sought out the David for anointing, he got it anyway even though he wasn't present when Samuel arrived. God will never shortchange His people! ( Samuel 16:1-13)

God bless y'all,
Darren

2009-06-10T16:42:00.003+08:00

I'll be lying if I said I am totally fine with this.

Seems the school decided to use the same person who has won two prior competitions this year for PESA. Sigh. When will I get another chance? There are no more public speaking competitions this year and next year I'll have to compete with new J1s. And I'm to help him with his speech. Not that I find that horrifying but it would be nice... if I could present my own speech rather than channel a modified version of it through him. But strangely I don't feel as sad as I thought I would. Maybe its because I expected it, or that I left the decision to God. I know that in the end my future is decided and it is a bright one. Nothing can change that!

Planning a DG outing is a real chore. Hopefully this Saturday is fine to celebrate Mindy's birthday. HistoryMakers camp next Monday! Its going to be awesome.

Greatly blessed, Highly favoured, Deeply loved,
Darren (and you!).

P.S. The the 1st letters of each word in blue appear together somewhere on this blog in picture form. Can you guess where?

2009-06-06T10:28:00.002+08:00

Guess how the PESA trials went? (I have a strong feeling that it was... wait, never mind.) Me and the guy who won every competition he's been for. The one to represent CJC to be selected by Monday or Sunday night. I'm just going to leave the result in God's hands.

Arrow service this afternoon! Can't wait. I want to receive a revelation today to dispel my twisted, turning, tumultuous thoughts(yay for alliteration). God bless you all and DG, looking forward to an outing soon!

2009-06-02T17:24:00.002+08:00

Well, its the second day of the June holidays. And if you are a JC student like me, that means extra remedials, extra lectures. Not that its bad actually, they have been really helpful. Tomorrow I audition for representing the school in PESA(Plain English Speaking Award). I'm not sure if I wanna get in so I'll just let go and let God!

DG outings! CG outings! A break from school! And most importantly, HistoryMakers!

2009-05-30T11:35:00.003+08:00

Went to watch "Top Girls" yesterday. School recommended us to go but in my class only eight people went. Some other classes had everyone attending! Oh well. The play was enjoyable enough yet I failed in my ulterior objective in getting to know the people in my class who went better... even in the desert God will provide! I'd like to encourage everyone who reads this to stand strong in faith! Your breakthrough will come with believing and declaring your victory in Christ!

Holidays! DG and CG outings! Yay!

God bless you all

2009-05-23T23:20:00.002+08:00

Hey, guys. Didn't even get to finals. But the other representative of CJC won first place. He is really something else. Had only 2 public speaking competitions IN HIS LIFE and won FIRST PLACE in both, this time beating the likes of ACJC and RI. And he only started gaining experience THIS YEAR, same as me.

Of course I'm happy for him but i hope that teachers won't use ONLY HIM for now on. I want to join more competitions!!! But really, praise God that I was even selected to represent my school. I want to win, but I want God's will for my life even more. That was the other guy's sentiment too.

I wanted to pour out my dejections when I met my CG for PLAY at Sentosa, but I didn't get the chance to. Instead, the clean sea breeze and a round of frisbee snapped me out of my dejection!

We had Praise and Worship under the darkening sky with the sand as our carpet. I didn't feel much for some reason but there were moments that touched me as well.

Well this is a rather long post as compared to what I've been typing recently. Stay blessed!

2009-05-22T20:54:00.002+08:00

Tomorrow is the big day! Iid be lying if i said I'm totally cool about it, but I'll leave my performance to the Lord. I really hope to post good news about it soon!

At least I got to draw out the school blazer for this event, IMO it makes anyone look smarter! But wow, the competition came so fast that its a little scary. Grace grace!

God bless, lookin forward to PLAY!

2009-05-18T21:24:00.002+08:00

Wow, this Saturday I'll be attending the TPJC oratoricals! By grace alone!!!

Last Saturday's Arrow service was epic. Pastor Keith was preaching and he gave handy definitions for us to remember by: GRACE: God's righteousness at Christ's expense. PEACE: Promises Effected At Christ's Expense. And here's the GOSPEL in one short phrase: God's Only Son Purchased Eternal Life. Wow! These are so true!

PLAY is on this Saturday too. Pray that I can make it there with good news to share!

And a quick update about my class. Went for tea with a few of them at Tanglin CC, where I went to study and eat while in SJI. Nothing special but at least I didn't feel like an outcast. Praise the Lord!

God Bless!

P.S. I do enjoy tags! Please share!

2009-05-10T20:23:00.003+08:00

Hey all,

Typing this on the last day of the debates competition(SMU Hammers)I participated in from Saturday to Sunday.

Out of the 48 teams which participated, only 2 teams failed to win anything. Mine was one of them. But I enjoyed the experience tremendously! The battle of wit, the strategy, the manipulation, the duel of words, the obscuring... Debating is pretty addictive. And I was sent to gain experience, not to win(experienced only 2 debates before entering)(winning at least once would have been nice, but 3 times we lost by a split decision)(why so many brackets?)

Buried in the ashes of defeat is an ember of experience. The next time I return, That ember would have kindled into a raging fire!

All glory to Jesus, I really thank God for the experience!

God Bless everyone! (P.S. Congrats to CJC's and AJC's band: Gold With Honours!)

2009-05-04T16:28:00.003+08:00

Its been a while since I've shared with my friends about my life. So here it is!

Last Monday, I failed NAPFA's 2.4km run. In addition I suffered from dehydration and had to drink 2 cartons of H-TWO-O(and still wasn't satisfied). Today, I retook the test without having extra training (unless you count 45 minutes on Wii Fit and jumping during service on Saturday =D). I prayed for a reduction of 40 seconds to pass...

And I didn't get it.

Instead my timing improved by almost a minute!!!

All glory to God man!

Now I gotta learn how to do pull ups... I envy those who only need inclined chin ups all their lives, haha.

But the victory shall come in Jesus's name!
I wonder how the DG is doing. Poly doesn't sound easy

2009-04-27T21:26:00.004+08:00

It's Monday and the student council campaign is in FULL FORCE here at CJC. (No offense to anyone but it seems like a vote of popularity, not competence.)

No area of the school has been spared, the onslaught of posters declaring the wonderfulness of the council nominees have emerged!

The sides of this board were empty just 10 minutes before I took this photograph! They spawn quickly...Student Council Tissue Paper anyone? They put one at EVERY table in the canteen!

Yes, even in the toilet, there is no escape...

2009-04-22T21:32:00.004+08:00

Time goes by, though no great change has happened in school, I believe my true breakthrough is just around the corner! Debate training intensity has been ramped up, and I will soon be entering a competition which in the natural I have little hope of doing well. So let me declare my statement of faith here:

Jesus was a fantastic orator whom

EVERYONE listened to as

He spoke. Through His sacrifice, this gift

is now mine!

Yes, I disregard any natural speaking ability I have and give it all back to the Lord. In any weakness, He is strength enough for you and me :D

Believing in Deuteronomy 34:7 as well:

"Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eyesight never became poor, and he never lost his physical strength."

The God Moses has is the same God I have. Praying that soon I can shed my glasses and live to a ripe old age with strength to spare! Same for all my brothers and sisters in Christ :)

God bless!

2009-04-17T16:51:00.003+08:00

Can I count this as an indicator for a positive change??? Dare I???

What the heaven, I shall.

After school today a small group (about 5-8) of people in my class and I hung around to talk. I realised many things about these people that I never assumed before. For example, we were playing a game called "First Impressions" where we were to reveal what we thought of another classmate when we first met at orientation.

And more than one person thought I was cool because I write poetry.

...

Whaaaaaaat????

Firstly, that's the SECOND time someone thought me cool. Secondly, I always thought that it was poetry that excluded me from the class. Now I feel more confident that my class has nice people. Let the icebreaking begin!

By the way, its a little late but I'll be one of two representatives for CJC in the TPJC oratorical! Truly by God's grace... I literally blanked out and said whatever came to my mind during the trials, beating more experienced people and even one DSA debator!

God Bless and sorry for the late post :)

2009-04-09T20:43:00.005+08:00

I was shocked. Something happened that completely changed how I saw my class.

I always assumed that it wasn't my fault that I'm being excluded, but my classmate told me I was appearing arrogant in class and that I've been marginalising everyone there!

And on further reflection, I DID do stuff that people may take the wrong way despite my intentions.

Like when I declared that my class was shallow for suggesting superficial ways to improve the school during GP(though it was only a whisper, someone caught it and told the others.)

Lord, change me. I pray that through my future actions, the class's perception of my arrogance will be but a distant memory. There are some who will probably take a long time to forgive me, I pray that it will happen nonetheless. It hurts.

A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And should I stumble again

Still I'm caught in your grace

Happy Easter weekend, everyone. God bless you all richly :)

2009-04-07T21:05:00.003+08:00

Hey everyone, here is a continuation of the sermon I last posted. Sorry for delay.

You can declare your victory and favour all day long but still gain no effect. Why? You must make sure that yoyr declarations have Christ in the picture, that they are not merely "rituals". Deuteronomy 28:12 from the New American Standard Bible:

"The LORD will open for you His good storehouse, the heavens, to give rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow."

The words in bold highlight this truth: No work, God can't bless it! But praise God that He gives you the desire to work and blesses it too! Unlike what many say, God doesn't only help those who help themselves. Jesus came to save (and help) those that can't help themselves too!

Do you want power? Lets see how power is derived:
"And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?" Acts 3:12 KJV

Read the verses before this, it describes Peter healing a man and the people staring in awe. From Peter's statement in Acts 3:12, we can infer that power and holiness are intertwined! When you are holy, you have the power! Power even to cure the sick! And as proven earlier, all who are in Christ are holy!!! Think about it. God's greatest miracle of raising Jesus from the dead was accomplished with the spirit of holiness(which has power!).

Always remember. The crown of thorns which pierced His temple was a curse so that our heads are now crowned with glory. Jesus is larger than life. And if you accept Him as your Saviour, His holiness and power is yours to change all negative circumstances in your life!!!

P.S. Some phrases were italicised in the last post. They represent lines from Christian songs. 1st one to post the titles for all of them wins a cookie :D

God Bless!

2009-04-06T00:08:00.003+08:00

Hey everyone! Sorry for the super brief post last time, wasn't in much of a mood to post :( sorry!

Attended Arrow yesterday. Had to support a debate competition at VJC earlier so met the DG late. Can you believe it? CJC was matched up against Hwa Chong for their very first match*sweats*! Thank God we lost only by HALF A POINT. A miracle in itself, that we held our ground against such a formidable opponent! CJC is still in the running because they tally points, not victories.In any case we won our second debate :)

Saw Mindy and Yinlin for the first time in forever. Okay, make that two weeks. But the last time was so fleeting it doesn't count. Good to see Senbonzakura, Komamura, Suchiko and "Are They" again too! Had dinner and talked randomly until late and got into trouble with my Mum D: thank God it was resolved :)

The message shared during Arrow and today's sermon are in my honest opinion mind-blowing giant hugs from God that lets you know how beloved and precious you are in His sight :D Lets start with the Arrow sermon by Pastor Keith(Pastor Ben took a break?).

He shared a few lines which I have restructured into a poem:

Whatever you reject
From your life it be ejected
Whatever you elect
In your life it be effected.

Pretty self explanatory. How is this all possible? See yourself as favoured always and you will have no problems rejecting the darkness in your life and claiming God's blessings as your won!

Read up the final hours of Jesus's life. If possible, watch "The Passion of the Christ" too! There was a cloud of darkness at the cross, making midday seem like midnight. It was there so that there can be a cloud of favour over you today! There should be joy in your heart today because Jesus was devoid of all joy at the cross. Its that logical. Does this seem too simple to be true? Guess what? Simple, yes. True? DEFINITELY!

Pastor also shared about something close to my heart: loneliness. If you have a spirit of loneliness(not merely lonely but under a constant cloud of loneliness), its there because you have entertained lonely thoughts long enough. Kill that spirit with a spirit. Elect the word of God as your guarantee. Say " No, I am not lonely because at the cross, Jesus was utterly alone, even apart from His Father so that now I am never alone! Jesus is my best friend today and He will never leave me!"

You are the head and not the tail because Christ bowed His head as He gave up His Spirit on the cross. What right do you have to bow your head when He did so so that you can walk straight and tall? Enter God's rest. If you have the favour of God, no weapon formed against you shall remain. No man nor demon can harm you when you are aware that God is for you! Read Deuteronomy 28:9 and 1 Corinthians 1:2 and 1:30. What do these verses prove? All who are in Christ Jesus are also HOLY!

Many people think that righteousness and holiness are subjects, or ideals that Christians must strive for by their own effort. Pastor shared that they are wrong. Holiness is not what we did or did not do. Holiness is a person! As you behold yourself as holy in Christ, faith will JUST RISE UP, FAITH WILL JUST SWELL UP INSIDE and you start to take take take it all, all the blessings and favour of God you will grab because you qualify through Christ! If Jesus paid such a price at the cross for your blessings, who are you not to take all of it?

Did you know? God's favour is not for you to stay as you are. It is to elevate you. Grace and truth came to raise me(and you)up! The Bible itself says that we have become slaves to righteousness.

And since you have been freed from sin, you have become slaves of righteousness.
(Romans 6:18, International Standard Bible)

Here's a question, if you are a slave do you have any say? NO! You have NO CHOICE BUT TO BE RIGHTEOUS BECAUSE YOU ARE FREE FROM SIN! Not through your own works for you have no choice. Once you are free from sin, you are righteous!

You see, grace does not justify you and leave you in a place of defeat. Grace also gives you a desire to be free of that bad habit, that lazy attitude etc! Lets say you are failing all your subjects due to laziness. Grace will give you a desire to study! God gave you this as a way out of your defeat.

Deuteronomy 28:11 (in Basic English) states that "And the Lord will make you fertile in every good thing, in the fruit of your body, and the fruit of your cattle, and the fruit of your fields, in the land which the Lord, by his oath to your fathers, said he would give you." Did you know that land is a representation of rest? Back then the land referred to the Promised Land of Israel where all would be provided for the children of Israel. The people just had to rest in the Lord and the supply will come. Same here! According to Deuteronomy 28:12, when you have land(rest), His good treasures come! Stay in rest and be conscious of the overwhelming favour that Daddy God has for you. What's the first mention of "favour" in the Bible? Genesis 6:8="Noah found favour in the eyes of the LORD." Now substitute "Noah" with "Rest" because actually, Noah's name means rest! Rest finds favour in the eyes of the LORD!

Sorry guys (and girls), I'm tired and I've got a long day in school tomorrow. I declare it blessed in Jesus's name right now!!! Will complete this sermon tomorrow. God Bless :D

2009-04-02T18:11:00.002+08:00

Had devotionals in CJC today. Its a little time of sharing where those in CJC and are in an Arrow caregroup meet up to... share.

2009-03-31T16:44:00.002+08:00

Its been a while since my last post about how I'm doing.

My class is absolutely WONDERFUL. Seriously. Despite me being a rather quiet kind of person, they still accept me as one of their own. I never feel out of place there and I have already made many new friends there! They are in no way superficial or shallow. Really.

Sorry for being so sarcastic in my second paragraph.

I miss the DG. I hope they won't forget me in their new schools.

The only group that I really belong to is the DG. Soon I'll be familiar with my Arrow CG too, I guess. But the DG will always have a special place in my heart.

God Bless.

2009-03-27T15:55:00.005+08:00

Okay, here is last week's DARE/Arrow sermon. Very sorry its taken so long. Wanted to post it earlier but had little time + suffered a fever this week. I hope this blesses you!

Let's dive into the Word.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death." Romans 8:1-2.

A side note, Pastor Ben shared that the words in italics were not in the original manuscript, having somehow found its way into later translations of the Bible.

What is the law of the Spirit of life? Before I get to that, are you familiar with the old covenant? The law of Moses. Basically, under that law, when we obey it, we are blessed! But if we break it, we are cursed. Some people think that's what Christianity is about, a set of rules you must follow to stay blessed. That's religion. Christianity is a relationship, for now we are under the new covenant!

Under the old covenant, God demands that "You do, you do, you do, then I will bless you." Praise God that under His new covenant, He says "I have done, I have done, I have done, you are blessed!" These blessings are free for us believers. "But nothing in this world is free!", you might say. You are right. It cost God a high price indeed. It cost God Jesus, His only begotten Son.

By the way, the law of the Spirit of life is not an old testament law, engraved in stone for Moses to carry down Mount Sinai. Just like the royal law of love, the law of liberty and the law of faith, it is written in our hearts, not set in stone outside.

Another thing. Realise that the Bible calls the Son of God "Jesus Christ" sometimes and "Christ Jesus" at others? Jesus Christ is the man who walked on this earth, fully God yet fully Man too. Christ Jesus refers to the Son of God now at His Father's right hand, all powerful and favoured. "Christ" is both a title and a surname. It means "anointed". Draw your identity from Christ Jesus today! You will become anointed!

BUT DARREN! WHAT IS THE LAW OF THE SPIRIT OF LIFE?

I'm getting to that. Haha.

Its basically the law of no condemnation. When you believe that Jesus is your Saviour, God can no longer condemn you. In fact, He has NO RIGHT to do so! Past, present and future sins have all been punished in the body of Jesus! What a wonderful law. Jesus even defined it as the light of the world.

Have a bad habit? Want to break out of it? Don't use your willpower, use God's. Whenever you screw up and fall into the bad habit again, remind yourself: "There is therefore NO CONDEMNATION for Jesus paid the price for that sin! Don't deny that you screwed up but don't receive the condemnation that comes with it! Step 1: Acknowledge that you fell short. Step 2: Remember that failing once doesn't mean that you will fail in life!

As Jesus is, so are we in this world. Is Jesus an A student? He's the been the smartest guy since forever! You are an A student because you have an A Saviour! Don't believe the doctor's negative report. Believe Jesus's report: "By My stripes, You are healed."

Don't say no to temptation.

...

No, no, no! I don't mean that you should give in to temptation! More importantly, say YES to Jesus! Focus more on Him that your trials!

Oh yes.There is a distinction between correction and condemnation. Correction is dispensed out of love, given to improve you. Example: "Maybe you should change this stanza, it doesn't quite fit with the rest of the poem". Condemnation is dispensed out of a desire to belittle and mock you. Example: "You suck at poetry. Just give it up!". People insult you like that to get a reaction. They are usually insecure and many don't know a loving God that can offer them their security. Sometimes even our loved ones laugh at our dreams. But defy the condemnation.

God does not correct us with sickness, diseases and accidents. Let me repeat myself. God does not correct us with sickness, diseases and accidents.

Would a dad correct his beloved child by driving his car over her legs and saying: "I'm doing this for your own good, so you learn how dangerous the road is. Now don't play there anymore!"

Believers undergo persecution for their belief. But always keep this example in your mind:

If my friend is sick, I shall lay my hands on him until he is well. People may call me a fool, so be it. I'd rather be a fool and see God working in my life, than be "rational" as the world defines it and see nothing!

Have that kind of faith! Tug against the Goliath you are facing in your life, not by your own might but by God's! So that when that problem falls, everyone will know there is a God that helped you. For to them, that problem seemed to consume you forever yet now you are free from it!

Christian life is a life of relaxation. The inner condition in your heart is in peace, peace in the knowledge that you need not struggle to be right with God! Jesus was alone at the cross so we never have to be. Economics lesson, people. Start looking to God to fulfill you unlimited demands, for unlike the world, He has unlimited supply!

Don't worry about having too little faith. The Bible declares that even faith the size of a mustard seed can overthrow and mountain in your life.

My friend, when you realise that God is your righteousness and He is always with you, you lose your appetite to sin. It's easy to sin against religion but its certainly not easy to sin against a relationship. Especially one where we are so loved unconditionally!

Relax! True deliverance requires no effort on our part. God's holy light is not to expose our gory, but to reveal Jesus's righteousness in our life! The law of sin and death drags you down like gravity. But praise be to God, the law of the Spirit of life elevates us higher and higher and higher!

I hope this message has blessed you :D Gotta run, have to reach Potong Pasir for CG soon! Bye and God Bless :D

2009-03-23T19:14:00.001+08:00

Sorry for the lateness. Today I will be sharing the sermon preached during DARE/Arrow last Saturday. Hope to post last Sunday's sermon soon too!

2009-03-20T22:35:00.003+08:00

Today was rather enjoyable!
Ate lunch with Ade and Siying at Novena. I couldn't join Linus, Justin and Hair to eat at expo as has an errand to run...

After that, me and Ade went to expo to see Linus working while Siying went for band... She seems quite busy.

I never went to expo before in my living memory, its kinda far for me. Food festival was on there! Had the most wonderful fried chicken but since I'm not in the habit of taking pictures, there is none. Sorry.

Found Linus after much difficulty. Seems he was serving in the toiletries section. Wow... Wasn't expecting that. He was so blur that it took him 5 minutes to notice Ade and I! His colleagues already noticed our furtive behaviour but not Linus! He really needs to Scatter.

While waiting for him to get off work, Ade and I talked with a nice lady who was manning a stall selling Chinese tea and dessert. She was lovely! Gave us so many free samples and said it was ok if we didn't buy now :D But the most EPIC part was this:

Lady(Irene): There is another food convention at Suntec.
Me(whispering): Ade! That's our church location!
Ade: That's where our church is!
Irene: You mean The Rock? New Creation? I'm a member too!

Wow.

Wow.

WOW!

Bought 3 packet of their rainbow rice dessert. Not just because we found out that Irene was a sister in Christ, but because its so delicious :D She bid us farewell with a "God Bless".

That's about it I guess. God Bless!

2009-03-19T15:07:00.003+08:00

Sorry for the long delay in posting. I didn't feel very great the last week due to a personal problem.

A lot of things have happened over the last week. I went out with the DG a few times, did Project Work (PW) on Monday with my group mates. Today I will be describing the DG outing that occurred yesterday.

Met Ade, Line and Hair at Ang Moh Kio Station. Bought breakfast at McDonald's and took a bus to East Coast Park. Ade lost her phone on that bus, thank God we got it back.

Everyone cycled. We hung around a large rock by the beach for almost an hour taking pictures while waiting for Justin to arrive.

We ate at Burger King and then cycled some more. Went to Flower Paradise and the jetty(which was closed).

Took a bus back to Ang Mo Kio Hub where we ate at that same McDonald's for dinner, almost 12hours since breakfast.

Was quite fun but I wish more people could have come. Cough*Sara*Cough.

After reading through this post, I find it kinda matter-of-fact/bland. Must be because I'm still facing that problem. Sorry about that.

God Bless.

2009-03-11T18:13:00.002+08:00

Last mass PE today before the NAPFA test. Sigh, I think I'll miss it.

Why? Why hasn't anyone but Linus read and commented on the Sunday sermon's post? I guess everyone else is too busy or (hope not!)doesn't care.

But its alright. I'll just keep posting good sermons. Who knows which random visitor will stumble upon my blog and get blessed?

God bless.

2009-03-09T20:20:00.002+08:00

Can you believe it? I usually dislike PE and after every session, would grumble and murmur. But today, I was smiling! I applied Pastor's preaching that as Christ is, so am I in this world. So I asked myself: Can Jesus run exceedingly abundantly well?

Because I was aware that Christ is my identity, I found it almost effortless to complete my PE when before I would be "near death"! Praise the Lord!

And God bless :)

2009-03-09T18:42:00.002+08:00

Sorry that this is so late, but here it is! Sunday's sermon. I hope this blesses you, I sure was blessed! :)

Do you know who is the biggest problem in your life? No, it's not an insufferable classmate, an unreasonable teacher/boss, an its not even Satan! Who is it? It's that guy you see in the mirror every morning!

We think about ourselves too much. Did you know that both pride and self condemnation both come from the same root? They both result from our preoccupation with our own selves! For example, in a family photo, who do you look for first? OURSELVES! That kind of thing is harmless but it shows us that we all look to ourselves too much. Its a bad habit which is hard to remove.
1) Take away the H, you still have "abit".
2)Take away the A, you still have the "bit".
3)Take away the B, you still have "it"!

Friend, the only way to remove the "i" is through the cross (t)!

Did you know that sinful passions are aroused by the law? If you try not to do something, you most likely will! Imagine there is this classmate you really dislike. You say: "I will not take offense to him, I will not, I will not...". Then at the first word that the classmate says, you find yourself thinking: How annoying! There's proof that this is so in the Bible you know!

"For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death." Romans 7:5

It says that our sinful passions which were stirred up by the law, and we bear fruit resulting in death.The law is like fire, and our flesh, our excessive self-love, is like gunpowder. When they come together, BOOM!

I guess you can compare law to a mirror. Both are inflexibly true and unbendingly factual. Just as a mirror won't show you mercy and hide from your view that pimple on your nose, the law cannot and will not bend to show you mercy. But there is nothing wrong with the mirror, is there? It just shows you your true self. But as long as there is no mirror, we wouldn't know how imperfect we are! As long as there was no law, we could not see how far we have fallen short too!

"What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead." Romans 7:7-8.

The verse above shows that the law is so straight but we are so crooked that the law cannot promote righteousness. In fact, the law is so exacting and impossible to achieve that sin was free to draw sustenance from it. We hate ourselves because we cannot follow the law. Is this the end?

The law is full of "Thou shalt not"s. Grace, my friend, is full of "I shall"!

Can the law say "Thou shalt have peace! Thou shalt have joy! Otherwise you will fall short of the law!"? That only breeds fear and anxiety in us. But grace gives us peace and joy! The biggest example of grace was when Jesus bore our sins even as we are unworthy! Doesn't the thought that the most powerful being in the Universe saw such worth in you that He gave His life for you make you feel joyful and at peace?

We have to adopt Christ as our new identity. Have you read the book of Exodus? When the children of Israel were in the wilderness, not a single one died before the law was given. Its true! The people murmured and complained yet God patiently and lovingly supplied EVERY need! Now read Exodus 19 and 20. Men rejected grace and demanded to be put under law. They said "Lord! Reward me not because You are good, but because I am good!". And after that, God changed His tone completely. Since He had to judge men based on His exacting, unbending law, every time the people murmured or complained, they died.

Don't look at yourself. Look at someone who is perfect and in Him you find invincible and everlasting love and power! Isn't it awesome? The most powerful being in the Universe has the kindest heart!

Jesus is known as the "last Adam". When the first Adam fell, all of mankind fell with him. But when we believe in the last Adam, Jesus Christ, we get all blessings through Him!

Jesus is also known as our high priest. When the high priest of Israel was good, God still blessed the people even though many were bad. Basically, God judges the people based on the conduct of the high priest. Can Jesus be bad? Since he can't, guess how God sees you as right now!

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John 4:17.

As Jesus is at the Father's right hand, so are we! When we know this truth, there is no way that we will fall into depression-inducing questions. Instead of asking yourself if YOU are good enough, ask if JESUS is good enough. That's your answer!

When Christ becomes our identity, we are delivered from anything and are everything Jesus is! Shy? Jesus sure isn't! In Him, you have charisma!

Don't care what the world sees you as. We should care about what God sees you as, and He sees you through His son Jesus Christ! We are talking about how GOD sees you, and He is THE ULTIMATE REALITY. Christ is our measure of health, our measure of everything we desire!

"But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

That is the mirror we should see. Not the hard edge of the law but the glass in which we behold the glory of God! Pastor mentioned that teachings from the pulpit should show more of God's glory, not man's gory! Some preachers find it easier to show man's gory, IE the law and how we fall short, but every religion teaches that.

Friend, Christianity is not a religion. It's a relationship with Jesus, who has FULFILLED the law! We need the Holy Spirit to teach about grace. By the Spirit, the more we behold Christ as our identity, the more we become like Him!

Let's take a look at the four gospels. When Peter looked at Jesus, he became like Him, striding across the water with ease. But when Peter looked instead at the storm and lost focus on Jesus, he became scared and started to sink. Did he think that if the waters were calmer, he could walk on it? Unbelief is so illogical. And how logical childlike faith is. Just trust in Jesus! Sometimes it takes a lot more faith to dismiss Christ and rely on man-made explanations for any situation.

In closing, look to Christ as your identity today! Through His death on the cross, we now have a right to enjoy the abundant life!

Pastor is starting a series on the high priest. He actually said that all that was merely an introduction! Were you blessed by the message? :)

God Bless, Darren

2009-03-07T23:37:00.005+08:00

DARE/Arrow today. Just checked my tag and found its been inactive for four days! Why doesn't anyone wanna tag me? My friends have all been tagged recently...

Anyway, I'll post the message shared at DARE and Arrow. But before that, an update on my personal life.

On Thursday I had dinner with DG. Not everyone could make it and I was too late to go skating. Missed Siying and couldn't be a part of the group photo. Sigh.

On Friday I had lunch with DG and afterwards Linus, Justin and Hair also came to my house. Mindy stayed but for a brief interlude.

I feel like a burden has been lifted from my shoulders. Today's message really spoke to me, and it was during DARE that I cried with the most abandon in church :) Here is my summary of the message preached by pastor:

There are testings in our lives. Who has never faced a trial or challenge, no matter how small or big? But don't worry. Out of each one, God will bring out a testimony of His might! Now, I am not saying that God created your troubles. Satan is usually the one behind them. Sometimes, your troubles are self-inflicted. But God CAN and WILL make them all work out in the end! Here is evidence from the Word:

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28.

Everything! The good, the bad and the ugly parts of your life, the tribulations, will work together for your good! But look closely at the extract. Who are the ones "who are called according to his purpose"? That's all believers! "To them who love God", that qualifies every believer!

"Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified." Romans 8:30.

We are all like raw diamonds. Hidden in the deep darkness of the Earth, God found and mined us out into the light. But no matter how valuable a raw diamond is, it can never become as valuable as a refined one. We are shaped by the events in our lives and once we become refined, we will glitter in God's light!

Whenever you have a condemning thought that does nothing but put you down, it is the work of Satan. Don't let these thoughts destroy you! Things like: "I'm not good enough","I can never make any friends", "I am a weakling". Reject them!

2009-03-03T19:48:00.003+08:00

Not much to report today, but...
Can you find a Pikachu button somewhere on this blog?
Click it for something cool :)

As always, God bless!

2009-03-02T16:49:00.007+08:00

First thing's first. See my links! There is a new link that directs to the official D.Gray Man trailer for the anime's upcoming fifth season! On a Japanese website so no subtitles. The page address was so long that I used tinyurl to shorten it. That's an online service which shortens webpage names.

In school today, I was sleepy then sad then happy. Then sad then happy again. Why?

Well, first lesson was econs lecture. I was so sleepy that I almost slept through everything! Thank God I read the notes beforehand so I know what was being taught.

Then it was PE time. In CJC, PE is somewhat extreme. After the first two mass PEs I basically became ultra tired and produced more sweat than the mighty Linus. So when I was getting ready for PE I was kinda sad. Today, I tried something different. During the run, I was believing that Jesus was my strength and endurance. I managed to keep a much better pace than last time. Then during the push-ups etc I kept reminding myself that the physical torture Jesus went through as he carried the cross up the hill was FAR worse than my situation, and that through His death, I have victory over PE! It was still tiring but not so much, and I felt happy afterwards.

And then I lost my bottle of anointed oil. I felt very sad. It was in a special bottle given out at DARE. Here is a picture of it:

And now it's gone forever...

Or so I thought. It was found by the end of the day! All glory to Jesus! :)

Oh yeah, some of you may not have your own anointed oil yet. Here is an excerpt from my church's magazine, "Solid Rock". It is a prayer you can use to set apart your own olive oil and make it anointed! If you are saved, as a king and priest in Jesus you have the authority!

"In the name of the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I set this oil apart to be the holy anointing oil.
This oil is the holy anointing oil with the power to cast out demons and to heal the sick according to the Word in Mark 6:13 and James 5:14.
It sets us apart unto God and makes us more than conquerors and overcomers.
It honours God and man, and brings glory to Jesus Christ.
This anointing oil gives us gladness and empowers us for service unto God.
It speaks of the finished work of Christ and gives us protection from all evil.
This anointing oil blesses us and gives us complete victory in Jesus Christ.
Amen!"

Hey, if you have any testimonies to share about the oil, please let your church know! And tag me about it!

God Bless!

(Wow, Mindy is so loved. So long never blogged and still get tags. I feel so neglected in comparison...)

Away, depressing thoughts! Away!

2009-02-28T18:04:00.002+08:00

Today was the cluster activity for the JC people in Arrow.

I really didn't feel like going. I had stayed up almost all night on Thursday to prepare my debate speech and slept late on Friday. Really wasn't in the mood for Captain's Ball, especially with people I hardle knew.

But I went anyway. Met up with Siying who taught me logarithms on the MRT. Now if i could only put her in my pocket for the Week 10 tests. Haha. But seriously, it was really helpful. Thanks a bunch ;)

At the event intself, I screwed up lots of time T.T

But I think I got closer to my new CG, even if it was one small step :)

God Bless :)

P.S. Do you know how i did for debate trials?

...

Praise the Lord, I got in. YAY! Thanks for all the prayers :)

2009-02-26T20:44:00.009+08:00

Debate Trials On Friday. Prayers Much Appreciated!

God Bless!

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

3 hours later.

I'm tired. And there is still 2min of speech to write. Not to mention rehearsing. Sigh. God, give me strength!

2009-02-26T20:44:00.001+08:00

Debate Trials On Friday. Prayers Much Appreciated!

God Bless!

2009-02-23T18:25:00.004+08:00

As you can see, I changed my blogskin :) Too much black can make you moody lol. Aww, the manatee is so cute that it's breaking my heart :) I guess it's meditating on Jesus's great love for him!

First real PE lesson was tiring. Really tiring. Imagine doing 100 pushups, a 3km run and various other activities in 50min. And the PE teacher said it was only HALF LOAD!!!

God, you are my strength. Otherwise I will fail the trainings horribly. Haha.

Jesus must have been a strong, fit guy to be a carpenter... His strength is now mine through the cross!

Blessed day people! Linus has more information on the sermon I posted yesterday, so come check his blog out!

2009-02-22T20:43:00.005+08:00

"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all." Ecclesiastes 9:11

This is the central verse in today's message by Pastor Prince. It was about "right place, right time".

Let's take a look at the verse. The race is not to the swift? The battle's not won to the strong? Skilled workers may not gain favour from their bosses? Yup, truly. Time and chance are what secure victory in your life. Suppose Person A and Person B are looking for a job. Though Person B is more qualified in terms of the number of academic awards he has secured, Person A will STILL get the job if he happens to be at the right place at the right time, say a chance encounter with his future boss at a dinner function!

People can be extremely talented, charismatic, educated, etc in the world yet even now scholars are finding it hard to find a job! Why? They need to be in the right place at the right time. We can't be in the right time and the right place EVERY time we need to because basically, we aren't God. We can't tell the future and thus can't prepare for it. Thank God that Jesus can put you in the right place at the right time!

Remember, double check any teaching you hear with the Bible to prove its authenticity! God gave us the Bible as a manual, a standard for truth!

"And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech." Ruth 2:3

Here's a little backstory. Ruth was a Moabite, a people that are not supposed to mix with Jewish people as they were considered immoral. She is a widow and poor to boot, definitely not a likely candidate likely to be attractive to Boaz, the richest Jew in the place. Ruth put her faith in God that He will provide for her always. She so happened to be in the right place at the right time! God led her to Boaz's field and Boaz grew to love her. Pastor said that God can lead the single to their true love today, just like what He did for Ruth! If you haven't done so, try reading the book of Ruth. It's really a touching love story :)

"And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast showed kindness unto my master." Genesis 24:14

More backstory! Abraham sent this unnamed servant (who is speaking in the verse) to find a wife for his beloved son Isaac. Abraham gave the servant 10 camels to represent all that he owns and sent him to his homeland. However, the servant had no idea where Isaac's future wife is. He came to a well in the evening where the women of the land were drawing water from the well and proclaimed that God could lead him to the right woman for Isaac. Well, the servant found such a woman that was kindhearted enough to offer him and his camels a drink, and that woman indeed became Isaac's wife, the one chosen by God to be Isaac's companion! God really put the servant in the right place and at the right time for this to happen! So don't lose heart if you are already of age and single.

God has already appointed someone for you in life. So don't worry for God will put you in the right place at the right time!

Pastor also shared a personal testimony: When he was at a shopping mall, he was prompted by God to exit through a particular exit. When he opened the door, he saw a cleaning lady who was reading the Bible. Pastor closed the door and decided to exit by another way, buy God spoke to him: "Son, I did not lead you to open the door for no reason. Tell the woman what I will put in your mouth." Pastor then opened the door again and the words came out "Jesus loves you. Your miracle is coming!" And he saw the lady's face shine with happiness. This is our God, friend! He places even people to be in the right place at the right time to help others!

Monday shall be an exhausting day according to my timetable. I pray that it wouldn't be all THAT bad. God bless!!!

2009-02-22T00:00:00.002+08:00

First DARE/Arrow meeting for me in more than a month! YAY!!!!

Today was quite fun. Most of us could attend DARE, including Mindy and Siying (whose parents sometimes place restrictions). Met at McDonald's where there were so many people in the group (almost everyone brought friends) that we needed two tables. This would not be unusual unless the 1st table could already seat roughly 8 people, which it could.

Why do we attend DARE despite having graduated from it? Ans: JUMPING!!!!

Arrow people are a nice bunch, but almost every1 there show a reluctance to let loose during Praise and Worship. No screaming, no jumping, not much physical expression of the love we have for Jesus. Kinda like main service. But I guess every1 worships in different ways. Anyway. In DARE almost every1 DOES jump! So we go there to experience an environment where we aren't the only ons jumping. Lol.

We had to leave after Arrow Praise and Worship because Siying was bringing us to a concert. It was held in a garage and was a celebration of the true Love, Jesus Christ! To be honest the first part before dinner was not very interesting. Just some live performances of secular songs and a short skit. Dinner was from Botak Jones, if you havn't eaten there before, GO ASAP! Lol. The video and sermon after dinner was excellent though. The video was so touching, about 5 missionaries sacrificing themselves to bring Jesus to the Auca Tribe in Ecuador. A perfect picture of what Jesus did for you and me, IMO. We are just like the Auca people, lost, without God and hurting. The missionaries represent Jesus, who came to love us and pay the ultimate price even though He knew we were unable to love Him back as perfectly. I nearly cried :)

Long train ride back after that from Aljunied. But its aaaall riiight, now, in fact it's a gas! Yea its aaaall riight, Jumpin' Jack Flash It's a gas, gas, gas!*

All in all a very fun day touched by God. Lets meet up more often, DG! :D God bless!

*First person to get that reference and post the anwer on my tagboard wins a cookie. Yay!

2009-02-17T17:08:00.003+08:00

Sorry for the busyness, haven't had time to update =(

Yay, my blog's tagboard isn't totally dead! W00T!

I recently wrote a poem, please give me criticism and comments! (unfinished):

Wake up, smell the roses
Which God made from above
Intricate and beautiful
Weaved with care and love

Look up, see the sky

Let sunlight kiss your face

Golden beams, a testament

Of God's amazing grace

Rise up, take a walk

Through forests garbed in green

Each precious leaf, put in place

By a loving God unseen

God Bless, Darren

2009-02-12T16:58:00.006+08:00

Oh, what a day.

My teacher's quite a nice guy. Basically our class screwed up in more than one way and he was really mad, but though he scolded us, he still spared us the punishment that we deserve. Yay!

Today we designed our class notice board and flag. I'm proud to say that I contributed both the design and the phoenix!

Nice? Haha!
Btw, I feel like my tagboard isn't very busy, and JC people like Caleb and Mindy have not been keeping in touch. Does that possibly mean that everyone's forgotten me already??? =(

God Bless!

2009-02-09T15:35:00.002+08:00

Finale night on Saturday at CJC was nothing short of epic.

Glitter was everywhere! Mass dance! Face paint! Wild cheering! Craziness! What a way to end orientation man!!!

Mindy, I pray that in time you'll see why God placed you in AJC. Have fun!!

To Linus's two newly saved friends, I don't know you guys but welcome to the family! :D

1st real study day at CJC. The concept of lectures is kinda cool. I sincerely pray that I wouldn't screw up like in Primary and Secondary school, missing up on homework and filing. In Jesus's name that won't happen to ANYONE!!!

I've got some more things to share which I'll post later on. God bless!

2009-02-06T19:25:00.005+08:00

Yesterday went Dragon boating. We got second place in the race! And they actually let us be irresponsible and stuff like splashing water into other dragon boats from CJ. LOL =D

The games yesterday included a lot of contact with the opposite sex, like the one where a guy and a girl must suck separate ends of a spaghetti strand and waddle to the finish line. If it broke, they must use the SHORTER end and repeat D= Thank God nobody kissed each other. Actually my facil said its never happened before. Haha.

Today we split up into our classes. I am totally unfamilliar with ANYONE in it!!!
But I guess we got a chance to bond when we went to some southern park to play 'Amazing Race' today. It actually started raining halfway so we didn't quite get to finish the activities :(

But its alright. Now I'm trusting God that I've been given this class and an eccentric form teacher for a reason. And no matter where life takes me, I will surely reign! (That goes for you too!)

P.S. cute pet? Haha xD

God Bless!

2009-02-04T21:06:00.006+08:00

On Tuesday I thought it couldn't get any more dirty. I mean, an orientation activity which smothered me in food colouring and water can't get messier than that right? Nope.

Today, we played an obstacle course.

1) Grasp 2 wet sponge balls. One between your legs and one under your armpit.
2)Hop to a nearby pail and squeeze out the water without using your hands. Repeat until everyone has done this.
3)Roll on the field (yes, ROLL.) to the next area.
4)Sit down and link up legs, slither to next area.
5)Everyone makes foam on their head with shampoo and covers a group member in it.
6)Spin 5 times, stuff your face in flour to grab a soyabean in your mouth, run back and spit out the bean
7)Every group member runs up a long flight of stairs to take a bite from a watermelon slice. Game ends when the whole watermelon is consumed totally.

Fun right? Haha. I used to hate this sort of thing. But now I find it very fun! Bonding with new friends much!
Tomorrow CJC's gonna take me to Kallang for Dragon Boating. Looking forward to it!!

Almost forgot. I joined the debate club as a CCA. The world had better watch out!

God bless all of you,
Darren

2009-02-02T20:07:00.002+08:00

1st day at CJC today!

I'm sorry to hear that some people had a BORING 1st day(hint: M_ndy). Don't worry, by God's grace things will get MUCH better :)

At CJC, the facilitators were quite hyper. Their enthusiasm for the games and mass dance was very contagious! Good thing that many SJI boys went there too, at least secondary school was a common topic we could use to talk about!

Tomorrow they promised games that WILL require a change of clothes. I'm quite scared. But praise the Lord, He is with me in every new environment! That goes to all of you too!

God Bless.
Darren

2009-02-01T10:10:00.002+08:00

Last day before I begin my life at CJC.

Feels like I'll be leaving a whole chapter of my life and starting a new one.

Many friends are appealing for the school of their choice. Mindy, Yinlin, Yanping, I pray for all the best to you guys.

To the ECHO of 2008, lets hold on together! It will be such a shame if we drift apart after all this.

"If we hold on, together,
I know our dreams, will never die.
Dreams see us through, till forever.
Where clouds roll by,
For you and I.

Amazing song by Diana Ross. Wow it brings back so many memories when I hear it.
Memories of things gone by yet sorely missed, of trials in the past and hopes for the future, of friends now lost and friends to come.

God bless. For those going to JC, you guys have my love and friendship. Let's not let schools force us apart okay!

(Don't worry, poly and ITE folks, I didn't forget you. Bet you thought I did. )

2009-01-30T23:49:00.004+08:00

Shirei... Senbonzakura kageyoshi.

Linus! Thanks to you I bought Bleach: Shattered Blade for the Wii. So far I havn't regretted my decision!

It's such a rush to see Byakuya materialise a row of lightsabers around the battlefield, or to witness Hitsugaya's transformation into a mythical being of ice!

Let's not forget my personal favourite(thanks Ade for pics!). Hihio Zabimaru!

Ahh what a thrill it is to see my opponent slammed into by an undead snake =D

I pray that this game will give me many hours of enjoyment... Although I got it at a discount, it didn't come cheap =(

God bless, ah I'm missing my DG right now =(
But we'll still hang out even after Monday right? =)

2009-01-29T17:19:00.003+08:00

This is old news, but I'd like to post a picture of my new DS lite!

Oh, isn't it shiny? Had to get a new one (thanks Mum!) since my old DS has certain problems (cracked hinge and wild calibration, anyone?)

The two Pokemon are Dialga and Palkia, monsters who are supposed to control time and space respectively. As much as I like the design, I disagree with their powers. ONLY Jesus controls space-time. In fact, he created everything! And I've got this Jesus living in me. Do you? =D

God Bless!

2009-01-27T22:32:00.002+08:00

Oh my gosh! My prayers are answered!

I was actually slated to go to less houses this year due to certain circumstances, so I prayed that my "collection" will not be any less than last year. Guess what? God answered my prayers! Haha.

Cute, yes? That's my cousin's dog, Tiara.

..................

God bless!

2009-01-26T22:54:00.002+08:00

1st day of CNY! How are all your "treasure hoards" coming along? Haha.

God bless.
P.S. Sorry for the ultra long post. I'll come up with a shorter one soon xD

2009-01-24T10:24:00.002+08:00

"I pray that an affordable taxi shall arrive within five minutes... In Jesus's name we pray!"

Yesterday I went out with a portion of the DG to attend New Creation Church's 1st Friday service!(changed because Sunday is reunion dinner)

Me and Adeline met earlier to queue up for seats as the rest would be a little late. Ended up in the wrong queue for the shuttle bus so we got there later, too...

The music team for NCC is awesome! So many nice songs that we haven't heard in awhile during praise and worship, and they even made a few new songs for their play, 'The love story of Xiao Niang'.

After service, we needed to get to the MRT fast. But every taxi we met was 'on-call'. Hence the prayer. Can you believe it? A taxi came over in only about 3 minutes! Praise the Lord =D

To Mindy and her friends, don't feel down that you couldn't attend service. God NEVER shortchanges His people ;)

God Bless,
Darren

2009-01-23T09:39:00.004+08:00

Yesterday the DG went for buffet. That was real fun but i wasted precious stomach capacity on 'conveyer belt sushi'. Kinda because SOMEONE didn't tell us we could order from the menu despite going for this kinda thing lots of times. Haha.

Afterwards though, I started to become moody. Linus was in that state too. Yet everyone only noticed Linus's mood shift. It must feel great to know so many people actively look out for your well-being like that. But I think its better if no one realises. After all why make everyone concerned when you can just keep it in? Hanging out with a smaller group after everyone broke up lifted my spirits a little though. Linus, don't feel sad. You are way more noticeable and cared for in the DG than me.

God bless.

2009-01-21T10:44:00.004+08:00

Yesterday, a lot of things happened. And I seriously mean A LOT.

Went out with the dg for indoor rock-climbing at Safra Yishun yesterday. I managed to make Mindy 10 minutes early! Haha I bet no one would expect her to be early. Maybe (hopefully) the earliness trait an continue in her? Linus was VERY early though, reached Yishun MRT before anyone else.

Ate lunch and reached the site at 12.30pm. Since the opening time was 1pm, we played polar bear and wink murderer. Wink murderer was funny, almost everyone somehow refused to die despite being winked at so many times. LOL. Yeu mahn managed to join us by skipping class. I don't know what to think of it but his presence did contribute to one thing...

(... thanks to him I was flattened twice! With Linus on top! Man I've escaped this sort of thing throughout 10 years of schooling and today it happens twice. Sob. No worries it ended up okay.)

Finally when we entered, everyone started having fun bouncing around the cushiony floors and climbing the walls. Me, I did very little of climbing. No confidence, and I'd rather play 'catching', which I started by tapping Linus. Who knew that that single act could spawn a highly entertaining chase with lots of funny moments. Linus was primarily lying on the floor, rolling towards people to tag them. So funny! Yinlin actually threatened to KICK him if he tagged her! Why so serious lol?

Suddenly the game changed to 'ice and water', which I've always known as 'iceman'. Siying (who coincidentally was the only one late since she lives in Malaysia) tried very hard to freeze all of us but failed. Lol there were just too many people. We decided to play it again with 2 icemen but somehow after a short break, we ended up playing 'animals'. I was the only fictional animal, being a Pikachu. LOL.

After that game, we did a bit more climbing and Russell had to leave early. Waiting to battle his (hopefully legit) Pokemon soon!

We also tried to do a jumpshot and we made some poor random guy in the same room as us take lots of pictures of us trying but failing to get caught while jumping. Haha, if you are that person and you've stumbled on this blog, sorry :)

Siying (as usual) had to leave early. I pray that she won't have to leave so early in the future, Russell too.

After that, on an impromptu decision, Linus, Ade and I decided to go to my house for a while (they both didn't feel like going home just yet). Met Mindy who actually left earlier too but happened to be on the same MRT as us! Praise the Lord who puts us all at the right time, in the right place!

Played with the Nintendo Wii with Mindy, Linus and Ade. Super Smash Brothers : Brawl was so fun! In fact Ade and Linus left later than planned as they were awestruck by the POWER of the WII. Lol haha.

All in all I thank God for yesterday. All my troubles seemed so far away(kinda). Wow this must be the longest post I have ever typed. Ah my DG, I really love you guys a lot =)

This is Darren signing off, and God bless =D

2009-01-20T00:26:00.002+08:00

Here's a short story. It made me smile =)

A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the pearly gates.
St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in."
"Okay," the man says, "I was married to the same woman for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart."
"That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points!"
"Three points?" he says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service."
"Terrific!" says St. Peter, "that's certainly worth a point."
"One point? Golly. How about this; I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans."
"Fantastic, that's good for two more points, " he says.
"TWO POINTS!!" the man cries, "At this rate the only way I'll get into heaven is by the grace of God!"
"Come on in!"

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It reminded me how loved I was, that by deeds I can never enter heaven but just by believing in Jesus, my inheritance is waiting for me! That goes for you too! God bless.

2009-01-19T23:32:00.002+08:00

Just had to share this quick joke. I find it really funny!

A man bought a horse from his pastor. After payment was received, the pastor said to the man: "To make the horse go, say 'Thank God'. And if you want to make it stop, say 'Amen'!"

Unfortunately the man wasn't paying attention full attention.

Later that day, he decided to try out his new horse. He shouted 'Thank God!' and the animal started to trot.

Feeling really brave, the man says, "Thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God, thank God" and the horse just takes off.

Pretty soon all his bravery evaporated when he sees a cliff edge - he and his horse were rapidly approaching it!

"Woah! Stop! Hold on!" But the horse continued charging forward.

Finally he remembers. "Amen!" The horse stops riiiight at the edge of the cliff.

The man smiles, gives a sigh of relief and shouts "Wow...

..Thank God!"

2009-01-19T10:51:00.004+08:00

Wow............

Yesterday Linus, Mindy and I were in a conference till rather late. Mindy and I were trying to cheer Linus up, who has slumped into minor depression. Guess what? It worked too well.

Linus started doing the best Yeu Mahn impression I have ever heard, as well as becoming completely random, changing voices in the blink of an eye and generally unleashing his true power. I was stunned =0 The change was so sudden and shocking lol.

It's okay, its way better than being your depressed self, Linus. Now THAT causes real worry. Seriously, I'd rather undergo that again than to see you so depressed again. I'm sure everyone feels the same =)

The whole thing still has a dreamlike quality to it, haha.

God bless you all :)

2009-01-18T12:11:00.004+08:00

~~Short post. As I slept yesterday night, I had this recurring nightmare that E.C.H.O and my closest friends in it have been split up. This has been repeating itself over the past week...~~

God, give me peace...

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This section was added about 11 hours after the above. No way. No way. No way am I going to let that beat me. Still in internal unrest over that and many other things but that doesn't matter. I must be strong in the Lord now!

Reader, I am not perfect. Far from it. But I believe that I can "do all things through Christ who strengthens me". Praying for a breakthrough now. Well, technically the more the devil attacks, the closer one is to a breakthrough! Do you know why the devil attacks? He is afraid. Afraid that I will achieve my victory over the issue he has created!

God bless you and may you find peace in your own circumstance. i don't know what your circumstance may be but Jesus does, and no way will He let things continue that way for you!

2009-01-17T23:36:00.004+08:00

Went to my second "Arrow" service today. As you can see, Ishida's really "hitting the mark!"

Got introduced to my new CG (JC South). Don't know them well yet but, yeah, that'll change =)

Today, Pastor Ben (our youth pastor) shared with us about breaking into a "whole new level" of favour with God! To illustrate, he gave an analogy:

'A pilot is attempting to travel faster than sound for the first time. As his speed gets closer and closer to mach 1, his cockpit started shaking. But the pilot knew that he could not give up. He edged his craft even closer to the speed of sound. His dashboard started shattering...

Finally! With a resounding sonic boom, the plane has shattered the speed of sound! Instantly there is a peaceful serenity, and a light condensation fills the windows. How soothing...'

Actually, this is a perfect picture of how we can gain favour with God! Keep hearing the Word of God through messages and sermons. As you grow in faith, the devil may attack you; giving you false symptoms that your faith is unfounded; your beliefs false. But I urge you to press on! Sooner or later, a 'sonic boom' will chase the devil out of your life, and you will experience your breakthrough! I especially like the fact that condensation forms when the speed of sound is attained; that precious 'dew' is like a shield against your bad circumstance! Praise the Lord =))

Hey, if you happened upon this blog by chance, check out the services offered by my church. (link provided)

God bless you all!

P.S.
Members of E.C.H.O, lets not drift away! Making new friends is nice but I'd hate to lose touch with any of you... =(

Bleach

2009-01-16T23:35:00.002+08:00

Linus!!! Its all your fault!

Lol, due to his recommendation I've started watching Bleach. Its taking up too much of my time! I pray that it won't turn into an addiction...

Basically, during the days that I don't go out with my DG, I'm staying at home doing random stuff online. Sometimes it gets boring. But I guess that we should always remember that boredom is a hunger, that we try to fill in by doing trivial and meaningless stuff. But the only way to fill this hunger is spending time with Jesus! I believe that all humans are born with a Jesus-shaped vaccuum on the inside. So why not try reading the Bible or talking to Jesus when you are bored? Works for me =)

Good night everyone. God bless!

2009-01-16T11:17:00.004+08:00

Applied for CJC yesterday. Wow, my L1R5 dropped from 27 in prelims to 14! Praise the LORD for all the resources He put into my hands as I prepared for the O levels and rested in His promise, that

The Lord has promised good to me,
His word, my hope secures!
He will, my shield, and portion be,
As long as life endures!

Ah, Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound... I love that song. You really can feel the love of Christ speaking to you!

Hey, if you happen to have any questions about Christianity or want to find out more, this is the perfect place to look: http://www.newcreation.org.sg/.

My church's website. I'm telling you, New Creation is awesome! Come if you want to feel God's love for you =)

Thats all for now. God bless!

Credits

2009-01-15T23:19:00.004+08:00

Seriously, I never expected to create a blog.

But now that I have, a big thank you to the following:

E.C.H.O (you guys know who you are) for being there through 2008
Siying (who suggested I make a blog)
Mindy(who helped this newbie start this up)
Jesus, who loves me and died for me (hey, He loves you too!)
Family
Friends
Et cetera....

Now I have to find something solid to post about... Keep coming and God bless.

Welcome

2009-01-15T21:27:00.002+08:00

First post. W00t!

Haha. Darren here. This is meant to be a very different blog. Instead of making this an 'online diary anyone can read', I will likely fill this up with very different content. Keep coming back yeah? I'm just getting started.