Divine Exchange

C
My heart is captivated Lord by You alone
Am7
Captured by the awesomeness of You alone
F
Melted by the grace and mercy You have shown
G
I stand in wonder
C
I reach to You the One who makes the blind eyes see
Am7
Who breaks the chains of sickness with authority
F
Restoring what was broken
          G
So it may fly again


Chorus:
C
I live to worship You
Am7
I breathe to worship You
          F                     G
All of my days Your face I will seek
C
For as I worship You
    Am7
You lead me to that place
F                G          C
To that place of divine exchange

P/S: A song that I just wanna share with you guys. God is awesome! This song is really rich with it's meaning. Take time to listen and enjoy and worship HIM =D

Challenge for a week.. Ready to take up the challenge?

Are you up for a fight against the devil... I want to ask you to enter a competition by challenging you to change your thoughts towards those who have hurt you. You might ask me what is up for grabs... well you may not be walking away with a worldy prize but you will grow spiritually .... here is the catch, YOU WILL walk away feeling like a FREE person, free from sin and things that brings tears to our Lord and Saviour eyes. All YOU have to do is turn away from gossip and hurtful words FOR ONLY one week. Open your mind up to notice the words that proceed out of your mouth as gossip.  If anything you say about anyone defames or slanders the reputation of someone else, it is not Christ-like. 






Refrain from wrongful thoughts, words and deeds against your family, your husband, in-laws or even your best friend.If what you desire to say demeans  other, then YOU MUST let it go. Hand it over to Christ and see the deep and intimate relationship that can develop when you take your complaints to God, and when you win the battle for this week why not try to make it a life time commitment?

\Your reward will be far better than ANY competition on earth, ITS WAITING FOR YOU.....ENTER.... it’s for FREE!

-Challenge from Carien-Bible.co.za.-

Remember what the Bible says here.

It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice.

Friends in a broken world

What does the Bible says about FRIENDSHIP?

Spiritual friendship: (Paul J Wadell)

Every friendship is formed around shared goods that identify the friendship and help the friends understand the life and purpose of the friendship. In spiritual friendship the principal good is a mutual love for Christ and a desire to grow together in Christ. This is what distinguished spiritual friendship from other relationships. In spiritual friendships, the friends are centered in Christ, they seek Christ, and they strive to live according to Christ. Through their friendship, they want to help one another live a godly and holy life. They want each other to be resplendent in goodness. 

"So while we work to strengthen the friendships in our lives, and in the lives of others, we need to nurture our friendship with Christ..."

FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD (R. Paul Stevens)

Friendship with God and humankind is the ultimate goal of God's grace and the spiritual journey, as modeled by Moses with whom God spoke on Sinai "face to face" as a man speaks with his friend (Exodus 33:11). Abraham was a friend of God (Isaiah 41:8, James 2:23) and Job hungered for God's friendship more than he desired relief from his suffering: 

"Oh for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house" (Job 29:4) 

Satan's question addressed the heart of Job's friendship with God: "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (JOb 1:9) 

Friendship, even friendship with God is not for anything. It has no utilitarian value. That is, our relationship to God should not be a commercial relationship in which we exchange piety for spiritual, even eternal benefits. 

We acknowledge the power of human friendship. But we also see that any chance of radical and permanent change lies in our embracing the saving friendship of God. 

This world is a world full of promise but also a world full of people with crushed hopes.

I pray that each of us will have good friendship with not only our friends but also with GOD-not for the purpose of entering heaven alone but a true friendship that we really value and the honour to be called a friend of God. So read this  book. Only 40 pages. heheheee


Friendship triads should be characterized by 3 biblical injunctions:
1) Accept one another (Romans 15:7)
2) Bear one another's burden (Galatians 6:2)
3) Encourage one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24)

Nowadays with all the technologies that surround us such as facebook, hp(sms and call), twitter, n etc etc.. I just don't find that people's friendship are getting any closer. I miss those days when I start writing letter and I truly enjoy that close friendship through letters. That's where I practiced writing better English and learn from one another. As time passed, even though I no longer write as much as those days, I love to read the letters that I got again and again. Some things can just strike to me in a way I never thought before and I learn something from it again. Reading letters made me smile and laugh again and again. No doubt letters take longer time to reach you but I still find it's better than sms and FB. Oh ya! Nothing beats meeting face to faceeee - as stated in 2 John 1:12 - I have much more to say to you, but I don't want to do it with paper and ink. For I hope to visit you soon and talk with you face to face. Then our joy will be complete. Thank God for friends - they are gifts to you in life. We meet new friends... then we depart from one another. This process is unending but in every season where God send friends to build and encourage us to continue this difficult journey in life, thank God for them.. =DDD We are not alone. We can't deny that we will face all the ups and downs in every friendship but I guess that's what that makes friendship more and more beautiful because we learn to accept one another despite all the downs. =DDD

Yes! I want to be your friend a little bit more =D

EARC - Personal Reflection

I truly treasure my time in EARC. Personally I never quite like Old Testament and this time there's Bible Exposition on the book of Haggai. Nonetheless who knows God still can speak to our present situation through Haggai rightttt.. The most striking verse that still strike me is "Give careful thought to your ways.." It's repeated in the book of Haggai few times. Give careful thought..not only a thought but a careful one.

There are so many flaws in my life and I start to think... Give careful thought to my ways? But amazingly these situations(those dark times in our life) are the ones that draw us closer to God than ever.

I love those plenaries time. Yeah..we were called not to spend on those branded stuff too much because there's impact and stories behind our global spending. Those branded stuff- Their factories are not in Europe country so that they can earn more (of course by using cheap labour and they work in stuffy condition!) Some were forced to work more than 12 hours just to produce those branded things.

Besides, I also made lots of new friends. Although we didn't get along at first due to language barrier, but eventually we manage to overcome it by speaking more slowly, waiting for others to speak as they struggle to speak in English, use sign language n etc etc.

I am so glad for this experience because we really encourage one another although we were from different countries especially during group sharing and quiet time. Not everyone can live pleasant life as a Christian. Life is life.

Someone said this during EARC, "You cannot live a prophetic lifestyle by being distant and safe. It's a walk that is lonely and not safe, avoided by others and not getting any help."

With technologies affecting us, it gets more and more distracting each day. Distract us from God, from real life, from this n that.. Internet is like an escape to another world.. And in one of my workshops, we did an activity which is " What do you think Jesus FB will look like?"

Ha ha.. We came out with all sorts of ideas but well, think about it..Living in digital era, I wonder what Jesus would do if He has FB, blog n etc. What will He post in FB..What kind of sms will He send? What kind of things He will comment on others blog/FB/...? Something to think about.

I dream ..but I wake up and dream. Does our dreams have the same purpose? Which is to move this world for His glory?

The apostle Paul shared an interesting insight and experience in his, " So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. " (Romans 7:21) 

Speaking about evilness..Pastor mentioned this last week. Sometimes or most of the times we end up doing what we hate..what we despise.. though we know it's wrong but we don't have the strength to overcome them. That's why we need to pray and God will be our advocate - helping us. Evil is bad but as men, sometimes we enjoy doing what is evil although it's wrong and we know it! LIFE.

May the Lord our God continue to help us to walk in this journey of faith.

Passion and Purity

Through letters, diary entries and recollections of her courtship and marriage, Elisabeth Elliot candidly shares the temptations, difficulties, victories and sacrifices of two young people whose commitment to Christ took priority over their love for each other. These revealing personal glimpses, combined with relevant biblical teaching may help to remind you that only by putting your human passion and desire through his fire can God purify your love.

One of Jim's letter to Elisabeth:

Woke early again this morning and shared my devotions with dreams of you. It bothers me somewhat that you are on my mind when I ought to be praying, and it's a discipline not to indulge overmuch in remembering. Not that I feel a conflict - I am assured that loving you is part of my life now - important as eating, and God knows, I need it. 

...



I'm glad that last is still ahead. Glad I'm not jaded by nights in bed with you, as married couples are. They can bear to sit opposite sides of the car. I'm glad I still can't quite keep my hands off you, still must be warned not to "muss you up". I have you now unravished, and that is just how I need you now. The schoolboy in me still wonders and is awkward - we've not had "experience" - which takes the edge off. We will, I suppose, get used to each other, the feel and smell and look of one another, but I am glad it is not so now. As I never felt before, I feel now that I must keep myself for you. God knows it is a stay to purity, and He knows how many shakings to purity are ahead.


I bought this book in Singapore and I truly glad to be able to keep a copy of this book. Do read this! Don't miss it! If you have read "I kissed dating goodbye" and "Say hello to courtship", do not miss out this book! Joshua Harris wrote his book based on Passion and Purity =D

From Elisabeth's journal:

Teach me to feel that Thou Art always nigh

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

George Croly (Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart"

When obedience to God contradicts what I think will give me pleasure, let me ask myself if I love HIM. If I can say yes to that question, can't I say yes to pleasing HIM? Can't I say yes even if it means a sacrifice? A little quiet reflection will remind me that yes to God always leads in the end to joy. We can absolutely bank on that.

Sharing for EARC

http://esthertan21.blogspot.com/

(This one only halfway....many more to come) ha ha

Nernny's Personal reflection on EARC

Shalom semua 

First of all I would like to thank our DADDY for the opportunity to join EARC 2011. So I just want share my personal reflection about EARC 2011 which really an eye-opening for me.
Before this actually I never think of joining EARC because of other things including financial problem. Even when I get the EARC form I just take it and forgot where I put it. But during the final week of EARC registration, Sis Kim Cheng was asking me if I want to join. And that time I do not know why I quickly answered-boleh bah! I was worrying about the fees but then I thank God for opening doors for me especially in my financial during EARC.

The second thing that I really want to thank God was the opportunity to become the student assistant leader for Malaysian Delegation. First when I received the call from FES staff-Beatrice, I was a little bit not confident of myself. I was telling my self-how can I help leading such a big group in an international conference. But then again I want to thank God for the strength and courage that He has given me especially during the country sharing. Honestly I was very nervous speaking in front of many people from different nations for the first time. But as I was preparing the county sharing that morning, this verse really strengthens me:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. (Php 4:6 ESV)

7 days in Singapore during EARC really an adventure for me. I don’t really know actually what the theme for EARC 2011 hahha is until we had our quiz time in the train on the way to Singapore.

The powerful theme for EARC 2011:
WAKE UP AND DREAM; THE TIME IS NOW!

During our first Bible exposition God opened my eyes about how God can use ordinary people to glorify His name like Prophet Haggai. Before this actually I always limit God in doing His work through my life. I always think that I am not capable enough in doing things like others. I ought to compare myself with what others can do in many aspect of life. I have no confident of myself and because of that it makes me sleep and don’t dare to dream big things. Even though I have dream but I kept it for myself without telling anyone. Again I want to thank God for the chance He gave me to be able to wake up from my slumbers and dare o dream.
Sometimes we scared to dream big things because of security and the risk. I feel the same thing before. I have a dream but then I always ask my self-HOW IF? The HOW IF stopped me to dream also until I find God is our Powerful God who capable to use us.

In my small group, there are 9 of us which one of them is new friend from Malaysia and the rest from other countries. During our discussion I always have this in mind..
‘Let see how they talk and giving their idea about God’
and because we came from different denomination from the charismatic, protestant and even Catholic, so I was able to see different perspectives. Why I am telling all this because God reminded me something about unity back in UKM. We have PERKEB,CSS and MCC. We only combine for certain activities. This is my personal opinion, I guess all the CFs in UKM just want to compete which CF is better and more members. But we never try to sit together as a Body of Christ and think what can we do for UKM and the students there together. I am sorry to say this but this is what I really think that we should change. We have to come together and leave the difference between us behind for God’s glory in UKM. And if we want changes-we must get ready to lead the changes.

Other than that, during EARC we had listening for many countries sharing from different places. What came to my mind during the country sharing was-how grateful we are as a Malaysian. Yes we faced many issues too but as I listening to the other countries sharing, I think we just take for granted all the opportunity and blessing God has given us in our country and campus. In other country, the university students have poor facilities including limited classroom. The students have to do their exam on the ground in the university area because not enough classroom. On the other side, CF are not allowed where students will faced high risk if they get caught involve in any Christian fellowship. The government will give strict punishment like kick them out from school (hahha betulka ayat) and not allowed to go out from their country.

You see, they faced even harder and difficult situation than us but they still continue to look for God. I was thinking, what are we doing in our campus? We have CF but we don’t really have the desire to seek God because of other things?

After coming back from EARC, actually I was worried how if I can do what God wants me to do especially the changes. But thank God again that He reminded me that He just wants me to continue trusting and obeying His commands. I really want to thank God for teaching me many new things during EARC and I think that’s all for my personal reflection.

God bless you all!