Sunday, February 28, 2010
Hey all!! its been awhile.. feels like half a year has gone past... and im like.. checking my calender and wondering why its only the 1 of march.. HOW COME IT ISNT TIME FOR ME TO GO BACK TO SINGAPORE YET?!?!
Lol..
Anyway.. things have been going ok for me here in melbourne..
I wont say great cause its kinda hard to make friends with the people in some of my courses i guess...
Here's my theory as to why: (I've moaned about it quite a lot to manymanypeople.. heheh)
80% of my course mates are angmo.
And the angmo guys wanna get to know the angmo guys, angmo girls and the asian girls.
The angmo girls wanna get to know the angmo girls and the angmo guys.
The asian girls wanna get to know the asian girls, the angmo girls and the angmo guys.
The asian guys are unloved.
So yeahh.. thats my predicament..
Fortunately for me, i still have a couple of friends left in melbourne from trinity days.. and i can make friends quite easily with the asian guys and girls, if i decide i actually wanna open my mouth to take the first step. but its still really hard to mingle.. especially with the locals.. cause when i talk to them this annoying slang comes on.. and i try to force it away.. but it doesnt go away.. and my speach is so restricted cause i keep watching what i say.. so it becomes super forced and uncomfortable.. plus with their lack of interest in us.. yeah... not a very good formula...
But i really thank God for supporting me even now, when i have like.. no friends.. to just send people my way that i can talk to, so i dont feel so lonely and stuff..
Like i randomly ran into my friend, Grace, when i had a free period in between.. and she bought me drinks and stuff and we sat and talked..
And Jolene, my old trinity friend, who came into the computer lab when i was super annoyed at the computer cause i didnt know how to enrol properly.. and she spotted me and helped me through the bigbig mess..
And Shirlyn, my primary school friend who appreciates all the small beauties in life, and lives upstairsss!! =DD
And Ean, who was such a great friend to me all the way, helping me through many of my problems..
And the bubbly aussie aquintance Georgina who sat beside me during my lecture and actually took an interest in me..
And many other people..
Its been such a blessing, to see how God has provided me with the love and care that I need to start up my year at uni straight and correctly.
Anyway, heard that you guys have been doing great!! =)hahah.
Let God continue to be the center and core of our cellgroup ok? =)
Just keep growing in him and let your light shine brightly. Because where the light is, darkness cannot survive.
(Romans 3:38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 12:5) So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all others.
This is part of the lyrics in the closing song of the video you guys gave me.
Somehwere out there, if love can see us through, then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true..
I know my God's love can see us through.
Take care and God bless,
Joel.
Lol..
Anyway.. things have been going ok for me here in melbourne..
I wont say great cause its kinda hard to make friends with the people in some of my courses i guess...
Here's my theory as to why: (I've moaned about it quite a lot to manymanypeople.. heheh)
80% of my course mates are angmo.
And the angmo guys wanna get to know the angmo guys, angmo girls and the asian girls.
The angmo girls wanna get to know the angmo girls and the angmo guys.
The asian girls wanna get to know the asian girls, the angmo girls and the angmo guys.
The asian guys are unloved.
So yeahh.. thats my predicament..
Fortunately for me, i still have a couple of friends left in melbourne from trinity days.. and i can make friends quite easily with the asian guys and girls, if i decide i actually wanna open my mouth to take the first step. but its still really hard to mingle.. especially with the locals.. cause when i talk to them this annoying slang comes on.. and i try to force it away.. but it doesnt go away.. and my speach is so restricted cause i keep watching what i say.. so it becomes super forced and uncomfortable.. plus with their lack of interest in us.. yeah... not a very good formula...
But i really thank God for supporting me even now, when i have like.. no friends.. to just send people my way that i can talk to, so i dont feel so lonely and stuff..
Like i randomly ran into my friend, Grace, when i had a free period in between.. and she bought me drinks and stuff and we sat and talked..
And Jolene, my old trinity friend, who came into the computer lab when i was super annoyed at the computer cause i didnt know how to enrol properly.. and she spotted me and helped me through the bigbig mess..
And Shirlyn, my primary school friend who appreciates all the small beauties in life, and lives upstairsss!! =DD
And Ean, who was such a great friend to me all the way, helping me through many of my problems..
And the bubbly aussie aquintance Georgina who sat beside me during my lecture and actually took an interest in me..
And many other people..
Its been such a blessing, to see how God has provided me with the love and care that I need to start up my year at uni straight and correctly.
Anyway, heard that you guys have been doing great!! =)hahah.
Let God continue to be the center and core of our cellgroup ok? =)
Just keep growing in him and let your light shine brightly. Because where the light is, darkness cannot survive.
(Romans 3:38) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 12:5) So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all others.
This is part of the lyrics in the closing song of the video you guys gave me.
Somehwere out there, if love can see us through, then we'll be together somewhere out there
Out where dreams come true..
I know my God's love can see us through.
Take care and God bless,
Joel.
what we could have been, 10:25 PM.
Friday, February 26, 2010
hi guys, my turn to share.. today i want to tell a story which i totally forgot where i heard it la but hope u don't mind.
its a story about a guy, who one day complained to god about all the burdens he is having. after hearing all the mans complain, god gave the man a bag and instructed him to put all the things that are of burden to him in it. next, god took the bag full of the man's burden and threw it off a cliff. they went down and what the man saw was that the bottom of the cliff was full of the same type of bags. god then told him
to look for lightest bag and bring it to him. following god;s instructions, the man went forward and after comparing the bags, he took the one that was lightest to him and took it to god.
god then said:" bag that u have chosen was the one you threw down in the first place." hearing this, the men fell into silence. but god then said:"instead of complaining to me bout your burdens, why not share it with me? i can lighten the load off your back."
so there are two moral of the story here, one is don't compare your burdens with others as theirs might be much more heavier then yours but u just don't know of it..
the second is "cast all your cares on him for he cares for you" 1 peter 5:7
Ok, that it folks hahas, hope u continue to have a blessed week ahead :)
-ZD
its a story about a guy, who one day complained to god about all the burdens he is having. after hearing all the mans complain, god gave the man a bag and instructed him to put all the things that are of burden to him in it. next, god took the bag full of the man's burden and threw it off a cliff. they went down and what the man saw was that the bottom of the cliff was full of the same type of bags. god then told him
to look for lightest bag and bring it to him. following god;s instructions, the man went forward and after comparing the bags, he took the one that was lightest to him and took it to god.
god then said:" bag that u have chosen was the one you threw down in the first place." hearing this, the men fell into silence. but god then said:"instead of complaining to me bout your burdens, why not share it with me? i can lighten the load off your back."
so there are two moral of the story here, one is don't compare your burdens with others as theirs might be much more heavier then yours but u just don't know of it..
the second is "cast all your cares on him for he cares for you" 1 peter 5:7
Ok, that it folks hahas, hope u continue to have a blessed week ahead :)
-ZD
what we could have been, 4:29 AM.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
hey guys, came upon a story, just wanted to share :)
One day, a believer asked God, "Lord, what's a million years to You?"
The Lord answered, "A million years? It's absolutely nothing to Me, but a second"
2 Peter 3:8
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day"
Then the believer asked, "Lord, what's a million dollars to You?"
The Lord promptly replied, "A million dollars? Well, it's nothing much to Me. It's only but a penny"
Then came an awkward pause. Finally, the believer asked again, " Lord, could i please have a penny? just one penny."
Without hesistation, the Lord replied, "Sure, just wait a second"
God bless,
Marcusq
One day, a believer asked God, "Lord, what's a million years to You?"
The Lord answered, "A million years? It's absolutely nothing to Me, but a second"
2 Peter 3:8
"But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day"
Then the believer asked, "Lord, what's a million dollars to You?"
The Lord promptly replied, "A million dollars? Well, it's nothing much to Me. It's only but a penny"
Then came an awkward pause. Finally, the believer asked again, " Lord, could i please have a penny? just one penny."
Without hesistation, the Lord replied, "Sure, just wait a second"
God bless,
Marcusq
what we could have been, 8:48 PM.
hey guys, some songs to listen. enjoy! :D Have a good week ahead and always look to God in times of need. reminder: ZD, your turn to post :D
Deuteronomy 20:4
Deuteronomy 20:4
"For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
God bless,
Marcus Q :)
what we could have been, 8:20 PM.
Hey guys! :)
About my week... Like any other weeks, filled with lots of ups and downs. But this week there's especially more downs. :(
Why?
1. My teachers has returned most of the tests back, and I think my results are bad. :(
2. I have no idea what to do for my art coursework.
Well, it's too late to cry over a spilled milk right? So I'm going to study super hard for my next test! :) As for my coursework... I'll pray to God and ask for inspirations!
Secondary four is indeed a stressful year. But i know that God will be there to guide us right? :)
Joel, i miss hitting you. :( Hahaha!
Have a blessed week ahead guys! :)
- Alena :)
About my week... Like any other weeks, filled with lots of ups and downs. But this week there's especially more downs. :(
Why?
1. My teachers has returned most of the tests back, and I think my results are bad. :(
2. I have no idea what to do for my art coursework.
Well, it's too late to cry over a spilled milk right? So I'm going to study super hard for my next test! :) As for my coursework... I'll pray to God and ask for inspirations!
Secondary four is indeed a stressful year. But i know that God will be there to guide us right? :)
Joel, i miss hitting you. :( Hahaha!
Have a blessed week ahead guys! :)
- Alena :)
what we could have been, 5:13 AM.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Cool ppl
everyone laughing at themselves!
Joel going to cry soon.
Haha sam's speech.
Joel's crying HAHA...
Watching the video...
Shy evangeline!
HTHT!
Listening attentively!
Woah joel's serving!
Gathering at the twin's place! nice house!
Group photo!
joel's last lesson with us! Awwww.
Laughters
more laughters!
i know....
This is what you get from joel's lesson... HAHA
Cell steamboat! Yes joel we know u can cook la.
sam and marcus.s
Cool pic!
Enjoying the food!
Handsome la gilbert!
The guessing game ahhhhh!
No joel we wont give you money!! :D
Oh no someone pissed the chef!
Look how happy joel is when he has food ahahahaa!
Woah! Looking hot twins! :)Finally want to thank God for such a lovely cell:) We sure are one great cell! But we know that we still have a lot more that we can improve and give right! So lets continue to grow stronger in the word and lets be a cell that will go out and evangelise and spread God's word! Thank God for all these wonderful events that had taken place:) All glory to God!!!!!
-Ray =)
what we could have been, 7:09 AM.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
It actually a comparison between the eagle and the chicken.
An eagle is such a majestic and courageous bird which characteristics we can learn from such as not be afraid or face unfavourable circumstances with boldness and has it's aim which it'll work towards it and not grow tired.
Unlike the chicken who always runs away or hides from setbacks, it's like a chicken with it's head cut off - without any aim in life, and is eaily tired and lack courage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmm.. can quote from the book of Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Therefore the future holds hope for the whole world, which shows that God reigns over all :)
-Carmen :D
An eagle is such a majestic and courageous bird which characteristics we can learn from such as not be afraid or face unfavourable circumstances with boldness and has it's aim which it'll work towards it and not grow tired.
Unlike the chicken who always runs away or hides from setbacks, it's like a chicken with it's head cut off - without any aim in life, and is eaily tired and lack courage.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hmm.. can quote from the book of Isaiah
Isaiah 40:31
"Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Therefore the future holds hope for the whole world, which shows that God reigns over all :)
-Carmen :D
what we could have been, 6:46 AM.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Cellgroup Committees:
Outings Comm: Lisa, Justin
Praise and Worship Comm: Fiona, Samuel, Jeremy
Birthday Comm: Evangeline, Hannah, Melody, ZhengDong
Treasurer of the permenantly in debt treasury: Marcus S, Damian
Followup/WelfareCreative Comm: Marcus Q, Samuel, Lisa, Jared
Prayer Comm (for commander): Kiew Ray
Status Pending: Alena, Felicia, Larissa,
Outings Comm!
-Plan next major cell outing, 1st half of the year =)
-Recruit more manpower here?
-(Joel wants to go to universal studios singapore when he gets back from melb. *hintshints*)
Praise and Worship Comm!
-You guys need to find a new lyrics printer. (QRay is not in PnW anymore. Unless you can convince him to join back. Lol.) Really good stuff with the piano and the good ol' guitar =D
Birthday Comm!
-Eh, 3 people enough already laahhhhhhhh... wahlao 4... hahahah. Outings might need more people.
Treasurers!
-Find a way to not stay in debt. =/
Followup/WelfareCreative Comm!
-Maybe a new cell-t within the year? =)
-Occasionally call people up during the week, sms verses of encouragement maybe?
-Reminders for people in cell who have to prepare lessons for the week.
-Informing and reminding people to post on the cell blog for the blog sharing thingy! =)
-This comm might want 1 more person.
-Please split the workload or you guys'll die sad deaths from stress.
The sequence of the blog sharing is as follows:
#1 ZhengDong
#2 Samuel
#3 Marcus Q
#4 Marcus S
#5 Melody
#6 Larissa
#7 Lisa
#8 Kiew Ray
#9 Jared
#10 Jeremy
#11 Justin
#12 Hannah
#13 Felicia
#14 Fiona
#15 Evangeline
#16 Damian
#17 Carmen <- (We are currently here for this week. Followup, please tell her yeah? =) ) #18 #18 Alena
Prayer Comm!
-Setting of prayer warrior each week.
-Reminders for prayer warrior.
Status Pending!
This is not a committee. You have no committee. WHY?!?!?!?!
But on a more serious note, consider what you can contribute to the cell, and just let Esther know which comm you wanna join when you're ready yeah? =)
Oh and Justin, youre the blog administrator right?
Ummm.. can you like create a new tab right under birthday babies, and list down the committees and their members, and the sequence of the blogsharing please? cause i know you guys'll forget whos in what comm.. =.=
Bye!
-J
Outings Comm: Lisa, Justin
Praise and Worship Comm: Fiona, Samuel, Jeremy
Birthday Comm: Evangeline, Hannah, Melody, ZhengDong
Treasurer of the permenantly in debt treasury: Marcus S, Damian
Followup/WelfareCreative Comm: Marcus Q, Samuel, Lisa, Jared
Prayer Comm (for commander): Kiew Ray
Status Pending: Alena, Felicia, Larissa,
Outings Comm!
-Plan next major cell outing, 1st half of the year =)
-Recruit more manpower here?
-(Joel wants to go to universal studios singapore when he gets back from melb. *hintshints*)
Praise and Worship Comm!
-You guys need to find a new lyrics printer. (QRay is not in PnW anymore. Unless you can convince him to join back. Lol.) Really good stuff with the piano and the good ol' guitar =D
Birthday Comm!
-Eh, 3 people enough already laahhhhhhhh... wahlao 4... hahahah. Outings might need more people.
Treasurers!
-Find a way to not stay in debt. =/
Followup/WelfareCreative Comm!
-Maybe a new cell-t within the year? =)
-Occasionally call people up during the week, sms verses of encouragement maybe?
-Reminders for people in cell who have to prepare lessons for the week.
-Informing and reminding people to post on the cell blog for the blog sharing thingy! =)
-This comm might want 1 more person.
-Please split the workload or you guys'll die sad deaths from stress.
The sequence of the blog sharing is as follows:
#1 ZhengDong
#2 Samuel
#3 Marcus Q
#4 Marcus S
#5 Melody
#6 Larissa
#7 Lisa
#8 Kiew Ray
#9 Jared
#10 Jeremy
#11 Justin
#12 Hannah
#13 Felicia
#14 Fiona
#15 Evangeline
#16 Damian
#17 Carmen <- (We are currently here for this week. Followup, please tell her yeah? =) ) #18 #18 Alena
Prayer Comm!
-Setting of prayer warrior each week.
-Reminders for prayer warrior.
Status Pending!
This is not a committee. You have no committee. WHY?!?!?!?!
But on a more serious note, consider what you can contribute to the cell, and just let Esther know which comm you wanna join when you're ready yeah? =)
Oh and Justin, youre the blog administrator right?
Ummm.. can you like create a new tab right under birthday babies, and list down the committees and their members, and the sequence of the blogsharing please? cause i know you guys'll forget whos in what comm.. =.=
Bye!
-J
what we could have been, 8:40 AM.
Here's the less dry lesson, remade after the super dry lesson below =) I'll just use the verses you guys chose, cause if i use everything, itll turn out to be more dry than the other one.... Lol... And it's modified too, cause I can't really use my visuals here..... so yup..
hahah, enjoy
Ephesians 6:13-18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints.
So, the 6 pieces of the armor of God are: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.
Today, we'll be looking at 6 titans in the bible, and how they applied some of the armor to their lives.
-Daniel and the belt of truth
-Joseph and the breastplate of righteousness
-Paul and the sandals of peace
-Moses and the shield of faith
-Esther and the helmet of salvation
-David and the sword of the spirit
Belt of truth: Daniel 6:26 I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverance the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever, his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.
This was said by King Darius after he witnessed Daniel's great testimony for God in the lion's den, where God shut the mouths of the lions so Daniel would not become their dinner.
We too should be like Daniel and proclaim the truth of the Lord, letting his light be a testimony in our lives.
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven about and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.
Beastplate of righteousness in the life of Joseph: Genesis 39:7-10 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after awhile his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said,"Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her,"my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has witheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
We should learn to be like Joseph, putting on the breastplate of righteousness and run away from sin, living a righteous life of Christ in us.
Psalm 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Sandals of peace in Paul's life: Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Paul recognises that God has destroyed the enemy, that any barrier witholding him from the Lord God Almighty is broken. So he was not afraid of any problems that presented themselves before him. We should likewise live with this inner peace amidst the storms around us.
Isiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Shield of faith in the life of Moses: Deuteronomy 1:29-30 Then I said to you,"Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.
Even though, the rest of the Israelites were afraid to go to war against the people in the promised land, Moses stood firm on the Lord, entrusting the battle to God even before the battle had begun. Similarly, we should live by faith, and stand firm on the word of God and his promises.
Romans 4:19-21 And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered not all the promise of God through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
Helmet of Salvation in Esther: Esther 5:2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
Esther broke the law by going into the presence of King Xerxes when he had not requested it. But the King, by the grace of God, pointed his scepter at Esther as a gesture of mercy. We should be like her, putting on the helmet of salvation by stepping forward boldly to our challenges and claming victory for the Lord.
Psalm 3:8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.
Sword of the Spirit as used by David: 1 Samuel 17:45 David said to the Philistine,"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
David chose God as his weapon, and he used the power of the name of the Lord against an adversary everyone thought would overcome him: Goliath. In the end, David kicked butt. We should also use the power of the word of God to counter spiritual accusations and deception in our lives, and to move God's hand against the strongholds of sin.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, peircing even to dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Now take awhile and observe the armor of the different characters we have looked at today.
And now, take a look at your own armor. What would you want yours to be like?
The first question I'd like to ask you guys today is this: What do you want your armor to look like, everyone is a unique creation of God, called to a different purpose.
God's purpose in Paul's life was to establish churches and sustain them
God's purpose for Esther was to save the jews from destruction
God's purpose to David was to make him a conqueror and a warrior after God's heart
God's purpose for Moses was to re-establish the connection with his people and lead them to freedom in him
God's purpose in the life of Joseph was to spread His truth to Egypt, to the lowly and those of high status, to gel the nation of Israel together and to deliver them from famine.
God's purpose to Daniel was to give godly advise the Kings' and bring His light to the nobility.
How do you want God to use you?
-> In big congregations as a speaker?
-> To change the lives of friends and those around you?
-> To be the leader of a small group?
-> To go out and aid the needy in volunteer outreach programmes?
-> To mentor others?
The next 2 questions I'd like to ask you is this: What armor pieces are you missing in your life today? And how will it affect you in the ministry that God has called you to?
But, no matter what ministry we are in, our ultimate goal is this: Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
So be ready for this mission, be prepared. Put on the full armor of God so that (Ephesians 6:13) ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Now God can't use a heart that doesn't want to recieve him.
God can't use a heart that's full of other commitments either.
But God can use an empty vessel, and make it overflow and overflow and overflow with His blessings, with His love, to everyone else around him, to shake the nations.
So my last question for you today is this, are you ready to be filled, to let yourself be used by him?
-J's last lesson.
Have a great journey with God ya'll =)
Much love.
hahah, enjoy
Ephesians 6:13-18 Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perserverance and supplication for all saints.
So, the 6 pieces of the armor of God are: the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the sandals of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit.
Today, we'll be looking at 6 titans in the bible, and how they applied some of the armor to their lives.
-Daniel and the belt of truth
-Joseph and the breastplate of righteousness
-Paul and the sandals of peace
-Moses and the shield of faith
-Esther and the helmet of salvation
-David and the sword of the spirit
Belt of truth: Daniel 6:26 I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom, people must fear and reverance the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever, his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end.
This was said by King Darius after he witnessed Daniel's great testimony for God in the lion's den, where God shut the mouths of the lions so Daniel would not become their dinner.
We too should be like Daniel and proclaim the truth of the Lord, letting his light be a testimony in our lives.
Deuteronomy 4:39 Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord he is God in heaven about and upon the earth beneath; there is none else.
Beastplate of righteousness in the life of Joseph: Genesis 39:7-10 Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, and after awhile his master's wife took notice of Joseph and said,"Come to bed with me!" But he refused. "With me in charge," he told her,"my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has witheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God? And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
We should learn to be like Joseph, putting on the breastplate of righteousness and run away from sin, living a righteous life of Christ in us.
Psalm 40:10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart, I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness and thy truth from the great congregation.
Sandals of peace in Paul's life: Ephesians 2:14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
Paul recognises that God has destroyed the enemy, that any barrier witholding him from the Lord God Almighty is broken. So he was not afraid of any problems that presented themselves before him. We should likewise live with this inner peace amidst the storms around us.
Isiah 26:3 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
Shield of faith in the life of Moses: Deuteronomy 1:29-30 Then I said to you,"Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes.
Even though, the rest of the Israelites were afraid to go to war against the people in the promised land, Moses stood firm on the Lord, entrusting the battle to God even before the battle had begun. Similarly, we should live by faith, and stand firm on the word of God and his promises.
Romans 4:19-21 And being not weak in faith, he (Abraham) considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither the deadness of Sarah's womb; he staggered not all the promise of God through unbelief: but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was also able to perform.
Helmet of Salvation in Esther: Esther 5:2 When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand. So Esther approached and touched the tip of the scepter.
Esther broke the law by going into the presence of King Xerxes when he had not requested it. But the King, by the grace of God, pointed his scepter at Esther as a gesture of mercy. We should be like her, putting on the helmet of salvation by stepping forward boldly to our challenges and claming victory for the Lord.
Psalm 3:8 Salvation belongeth unto the Lord.
Sword of the Spirit as used by David: 1 Samuel 17:45 David said to the Philistine,"You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.
David chose God as his weapon, and he used the power of the name of the Lord against an adversary everyone thought would overcome him: Goliath. In the end, David kicked butt. We should also use the power of the word of God to counter spiritual accusations and deception in our lives, and to move God's hand against the strongholds of sin.
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, peircing even to dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Now take awhile and observe the armor of the different characters we have looked at today.
And now, take a look at your own armor. What would you want yours to be like?
The first question I'd like to ask you guys today is this: What do you want your armor to look like, everyone is a unique creation of God, called to a different purpose.
God's purpose in Paul's life was to establish churches and sustain them
God's purpose for Esther was to save the jews from destruction
God's purpose to David was to make him a conqueror and a warrior after God's heart
God's purpose for Moses was to re-establish the connection with his people and lead them to freedom in him
God's purpose in the life of Joseph was to spread His truth to Egypt, to the lowly and those of high status, to gel the nation of Israel together and to deliver them from famine.
God's purpose to Daniel was to give godly advise the Kings' and bring His light to the nobility.
How do you want God to use you?
-> In big congregations as a speaker?
-> To change the lives of friends and those around you?
-> To be the leader of a small group?
-> To go out and aid the needy in volunteer outreach programmes?
-> To mentor others?
The next 2 questions I'd like to ask you is this: What armor pieces are you missing in your life today? And how will it affect you in the ministry that God has called you to?
But, no matter what ministry we are in, our ultimate goal is this: Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: And, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.
So be ready for this mission, be prepared. Put on the full armor of God so that (Ephesians 6:13) ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Now God can't use a heart that doesn't want to recieve him.
God can't use a heart that's full of other commitments either.
But God can use an empty vessel, and make it overflow and overflow and overflow with His blessings, with His love, to everyone else around him, to shake the nations.
So my last question for you today is this, are you ready to be filled, to let yourself be used by him?
-J's last lesson.
Have a great journey with God ya'll =)
Much love.
what we could have been, 7:14 AM.
Hey everyone!!
This is the dry, super boring, ewified one. hahahaha. that lacks focus.
But it covers quite a lot more than my lesson today.
So here it is: Being a weapon for God
David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:5-7 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of his coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him.
3 entire verses devoted to Goliath's armor.
Goliath was a titan. A great warrior, and was equipped in the finest armor the world could offer him.
1 Samuel 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armor; and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
David, in contrast, went onto the battlefield without any armor, armed with only a wooden stick, 5 stones, a bag and a sling.
He must have looked like a joke compared to Goliath.
This is a comparison made by King Saul between David and Goliath:
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.
Basically, King Saul believed that David would get owned by Goliath. But what Saul was forgetting, was that God does not despise youths like David.
Matthew 18:3-6 And said, verily verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.And whoso shall recieve one such little child in my name recieveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
And that was exactly who King David was.
He was the youngest of Jesse's sons.
In fact, not only was he the youngest, but the ugliest, and the one who had to do all the chores and take care of the sheep, the insignificant one who had to stay behind while Jesse brought the rest of his sons to the sacrifice, the event Samuel had organised.
1 Samuel 16:11-12 And Samuel said unto Jesse, are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
In essence, David was the last amongst his brothers.
But because God had looked at David's heart, and saw the childlike trust he had in the Lord and his humility, this is what he said:
Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be the first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
And David, in his humility and trust in the Lord says:
1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David trusted in God, and knew that the unstoppable juggernaut Goliath could be stopped, while the rest of the Israelites were shaking in fear. He talked about the defeat of Goliath as an inevitable event, while the Israelites were shaking with fear. He, the "last" in Israel, wanted to redeem Israel while his "betters" were shaking with fear.
And he recognised that every single one of them was a tool for God, that we are all part of His army.
1 Samuel 17:36&37 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out og the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Look at what David says again in verse 37: The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
Delivered me -> Deliver me from the evil one
Deliver me from this exam, this test, just let me pass.
Save me.
David knows that without God, he is nothing. He can't win, and he can't even save himself. But he knows that with God, he is more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
And that is why he chose God to be his weapon, refusing the armor Saul offered him in 1 Samuel 17:39. He didn't need that armor. He already had on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:13-18)
v28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle
v33 And Saul said to David, thouart not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
v42-44 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his Gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
1 Samuel 17:50-51 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
-Yes you will be scorned at by your enemies
-Yes the people closest to you may disdain you and your authorities may belittle you.
But the Lord will be your deliverer, not by your strength but by His,
Not by our weapons but by His.
Isiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prospe, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Romans 8:35-37 Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Back to the story: 1 Samuel 17:52-53 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and spoiled their tents.
Because of David, a servant of God, his cup which was empty, was filled up by God, until it was full. But God kept on pouring on and on and on and, as his blessings overflowed to the army of Israel, a change set in on them. These people, who, at one point, saw the Philistine army as invincible, now chased after their enemies.
This breakthrough all resulted because of one man's heart after God. One man, who, despite being lowly and ugly and young, desired to be used as a vessel for God.
Ok I editted this lesson a lil bit from the original. Took out repeated stuff in the actual lesson today...... so yeah..
-J
This is the dry, super boring, ewified one. hahahaha. that lacks focus.
But it covers quite a lot more than my lesson today.
So here it is: Being a weapon for God
David and Goliath
1 Samuel 17:5-7 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail, and the weight of his coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him.
3 entire verses devoted to Goliath's armor.
Goliath was a titan. A great warrior, and was equipped in the finest armor the world could offer him.
1 Samuel 17:39 And David girded his sword upon his armor; and he assayed to go; for he had not proved it. And David said unto Saul, I cannot go with these; for I have not proved them. And David put them off him.
David, in contrast, went onto the battlefield without any armor, armed with only a wooden stick, 5 stones, a bag and a sling.
He must have looked like a joke compared to Goliath.
This is a comparison made by King Saul between David and Goliath:
1 Samuel 17:33 And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he is a man of war from his youth.
Basically, King Saul believed that David would get owned by Goliath. But what Saul was forgetting, was that God does not despise youths like David.
Matthew 18:3-6 And said, verily verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.And whoso shall recieve one such little child in my name recieveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
And that was exactly who King David was.
He was the youngest of Jesse's sons.
In fact, not only was he the youngest, but the ugliest, and the one who had to do all the chores and take care of the sheep, the insignificant one who had to stay behind while Jesse brought the rest of his sons to the sacrifice, the event Samuel had organised.
1 Samuel 16:11-12 And Samuel said unto Jesse, are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither. And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.
In essence, David was the last amongst his brothers.
But because God had looked at David's heart, and saw the childlike trust he had in the Lord and his humility, this is what he said:
Matthew 20:16 So the last shall be the first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
And David, in his humility and trust in the Lord says:
1 Samuel 17:26 And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, what shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?
David trusted in God, and knew that the unstoppable juggernaut Goliath could be stopped, while the rest of the Israelites were shaking in fear. He talked about the defeat of Goliath as an inevitable event, while the Israelites were shaking with fear. He, the "last" in Israel, wanted to redeem Israel while his "betters" were shaking with fear.
And he recognised that every single one of them was a tool for God, that we are all part of His army.
1 Samuel 17:36&37 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out og the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.
Look at what David says again in verse 37: The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine.
Delivered me -> Deliver me from the evil one
Deliver me from this exam, this test, just let me pass.
Save me.
David knows that without God, he is nothing. He can't win, and he can't even save himself. But he knows that with God, he is more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37)
And that is why he chose God to be his weapon, refusing the armor Saul offered him in 1 Samuel 17:39. He didn't need that armor. He already had on the full armor of God. (Ephesians 6:13-18)
v28 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spake unto the men and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, why camest thou down hither? and with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart, for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle
v33 And Saul said to David, thouart not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.
v42-44 And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his Gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field.
1 Samuel 17:50-51 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.
-Yes you will be scorned at by your enemies
-Yes the people closest to you may disdain you and your authorities may belittle you.
But the Lord will be your deliverer, not by your strength but by His,
Not by our weapons but by His.
Isiah 54:17 No weapon that is formed against thee shall prospe, and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.
Romans 8:35-37 Who shall seperate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter, Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.
Back to the story: 1 Samuel 17:52-53 And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines, until thou come to the valley, and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath, and unto Ekron. And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and spoiled their tents.
Because of David, a servant of God, his cup which was empty, was filled up by God, until it was full. But God kept on pouring on and on and on and, as his blessings overflowed to the army of Israel, a change set in on them. These people, who, at one point, saw the Philistine army as invincible, now chased after their enemies.
This breakthrough all resulted because of one man's heart after God. One man, who, despite being lowly and ugly and young, desired to be used as a vessel for God.
Ok I editted this lesson a lil bit from the original. Took out repeated stuff in the actual lesson today...... so yeah..
-J
what we could have been, 4:46 AM.
Hey guys,
nothing to share but hope that this can encourage us.
I feel that bonding is important.
Bonding is very important. It help us to encourage, concern, help each other. We are able to share our happiness and sorrow together. We can pray for each other to overcome our weaknesses, anxiety and fear.
Last year during the exams, i over came nervousness when you guys prayed for me. Thank you.
I am sec 2 this year. I am sure you guys know how i feel . . . . . . . . Pls continue to pray for me. Thanks
what we could have been, 3:50 AM.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Hey everyone:)Jeremy here and CNY greetings to all! This year, as my school, St. Hilda's Sec, is undergoing renovation and the construction of a new air-conditioned multi-purpose hall, we are trying to raise funds for the project and are selling the limited edition Christian music CD by Warner Music, Faith 3 going at $25 each:D
If you are interested in purchasing the CD, you can approach me to pre-order first and I will tell you at a later date when the CD will be released, as it hasn't been announced yet . The first 10 people to pre-oreder will get a small complimentry bookmark:) So please help our school, ok?:D
Thanks,
J_eremy
what we could have been, 2:31 AM.
