Reflections on 2010

January

"Your abilities and interests are an important part of the will of God for your life... Be yourself - your best self - and God will use you in a special way."

"It's not how much we have to start with that really counts but what we have to show for it at the end."
- Warren Wiersbe

February

“What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.”

“Find out how much God has given you and from it take what you need; the remainder is needed by others.”

“Hear the other side.” 

- St Augustine

March

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shTQ5UTbfsM

Sometimes I feel like

I've never been nothing but tired

And I'll be walking

Till the day I expire

Sometimes I lay down

No more can I do

But then I go on again

Because you ask me to

Some days I look down

Afraid I will fall

And though the sun shines

I see nothing at all

Then I hear your sweet voice, oh

Oh, come and then go, come and then go

Telling me softly

You love me so

April

April 12: I went to hospital yesterday morning to pray for a friend's mom who's dying of nose cancer. I had to put on a mask, put antibacterial foam on my hands before entering the ICU room. My friend's mum reached for my hand and I held hers and started to pray for her while trying very hard not to cry. Later that same night, I received an sms from the friend saying that her mom had died.

For myself, I don't think it will be the last time that I will be praying for people in such difficult times so I guess there's always a first time.

Still, at such times like this, 99% of whatever I consider important in my life recedes and I am left with God and God alone. That is life-changing.

May

As we walk with God, we soon fall in step with Him - meaning we align ourselves with His purpose and His heart. And because we're walking with Him, we are both heading in the same direction - with a destination in mind. And because we're right next to Him, we increasingly grow more and more sensitive to Him and what is on His heart. This will then guide us in what we say and what we do.

June

“I walked a mile with Pleasure, She chatted all the way, But left me none the wiser For all she had to say. I walked a mile with Sorrow, And ne'er word said she But, oh, the things I learned from her When Sorrow walked with me!” 

- Robert Browning Hamilton

July

Job and his wife became Christians the same way most Chinese do: A friend who was visiting the couple in their home simply shared the gospel. "She came for 24 hours, and she preached the gospel for 20," Job says of an evening five years ago.

August

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2D0g4Kizto

I will fall at Your feet

I will fall at Your feet

And I will worship You here

Your presence in me

Jesus light the way

By the power of Your word

I am restored

I am redeemed

By Your Spirit I am free

Isaiah 43: 1-2 (ESV)

Israel’s Only Savior

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

September

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read.

October

Boldness in prayer comes when I am assured that the spirit of asking and the thing I've asked for are both according to the will of God.

- Andrew Murray

November

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBhaX0eDBbY

We come with beautiful secrets

We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls

We come to every new morning

With possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange place, small spaces

Calling out the best of who we are

December

"Faith is to the soul what life is to the body.

Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body.

How a person can live and not breathe

is past my comprehension,

and how a person can believe and not pray

is past my comprehension too."

- J.C.Ryle

Lord, thank you for reminding me that spending time with you is the most necessary and important step towards strengthening my personal relationship with you. Lord, forgive me for the mornings and the nights when I thought prayer burdensome and superfluous. Only when I commune with you, Lord, will I be able to break my heart for what breaks Yours and be increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting, so that I can love and serve others as You did when You were on earth. Lord, place in my heart this deep insatiable yearning for You and Your Word, so that I may know Your purpose for my life.

Amen.

What are your five loaves and two fishes?

Five loaves and two fishes - Corrinne May 

So take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and my inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
...You can use it all
No gift is too small

Whatever you have, offer it to Jesus who will use it way beyond what you can ever imagine. No gift is too small.

Despite all my faults

A friend was troubled about the direction in her life. I asked her if I could pray for her and what she would want me to pray about. She requested that I pray for wisdom so that she could be more clear about what she wanted to do with her life. Then she asked me what she could do for me because it seemed to her that I was always praying for others but surely I myself would also need some support. I was very touched by what she said because it was nice to be asked what your own need was, by the person you're praying for. I told her that I, too, have issues; I, too, are not perfect; and that I, too, hope that friends, like herself, would accept me despite all my faults. She said okay.

Every breath we take

 

"Faith is to the soul what life is to the body. 

Prayer is to faith what breath is to the body.

How a person can live and not breathe

is past my comprehension,

and how a person can believe and not pray

is past my comprehension too."

- J.C.Ryle

Lord, thank you for reminding me that spending time with you is the most necessary and important step towards strengthening my personal relationship with you. Lord, forgive me for the mornings and the nights when I thought prayer burdensome and superfluous. Only when I commune with you, Lord, will I be able to break my heart for what breaks Yours and be increasingly sensitive to the Holy Spirit's prompting, so that I can love and serve others as You did when You were on earth. Lord, place in my heart this deep insatiable yearning for You and Your Word, so that I may know Your purpose for my life. Amen.

Be strong in the Lord and never give up hope

Sidewalk Prophets - The Words I Would Say

Three in the morning, and I'm still awake
So I picked up a pen and a page
And I started writing just what I'd say
If we were face to face I'd tell you just what you mean to me
Tell you these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Last time we spoke you said you were hurting
And I felt your pain in my heart
I want to tell you that I keep on praying
That love will find you where you are
I know 'cause I've already been there
So please hear these simple truths

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
These are the words I would say

Say from one simple life to another I will say
Come find peace in the Father

Be strong in the Lord
And never give up hope
You're gonna do great things
I already know God's got His hand on You
So don't live life in fear
Forgive and forget
But don't forget why you're here
Take your time and pray
And thank God for each day
His love will find a way
These are the words I would say 

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful

Add To The Beauty - Sara Groves

We come with beautiful secrets
We come with purposes written on our hearts, written on our souls
We come to every new morning
With possibilities only we can hold, that only we can hold

Redemption comes in strange place, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

It comes in small inspirations
It brings redemption to life and work
To our lives and our work

It comes in loving community
It comes in helping a soul find it's worth

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out the best of who we are

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside

This is grace, an invitation to be beautiful
This is grace, an invitation

Redemption comes in strange places, small spaces
Calling out our best

And I want to add to the beauty
To tell a better story
I want to shine with the light
That's burning up inside 

Love is the river that flows through

Love never fails - Brandon Heath

Love is not proud
Love does not boast
Love after all
Matters the most

Love does not run
Love does not hide
Love does not keep
Locked inside

Love is the river that flows through
Love never fails you

Love will sustain
Love will provide
Love will not cease
At the end of time

Love will protect
Love always hopes
Love still believes
When you don’t

Love is the arms that are holding you
Love never fails you

When my heart won’t make a sound
When I can’t turn back around
When the sky is falling down
Nothing is greater than this
Greater than this

Love is right here
Love is alive
Love is the way
The truth the life

Love is the river than flows through
Love is the arms that are holding you
Love is the place you will fly to
Love never fails you

In full swing

The Balancing Barn located near the village of Thorington in Suffolk.  

A playful abode with the swing adding a whimsical touch. 

When I was looking at this picture, 

it reminded me of my relationship with God.

Just as the little girl sits on the swing, 

confident that the house will not collapse on her; 

so, too, should I also place my full confidence in God,

taking my place where He wants me to be,

knowing that I am under His protection

and He is always supporting me

even though I may not always see 

the full picture from where I'm at 

 

A nice gesture

I was very touched when someone said to me earlier today that she had prayed for me the day before. Sometimes I forget that I also need to depend on others and to seek seek help and/or prayer when I'm in a bind or facing difficult challenges etc. A mental note to self - no man is an island. :-)

Longings of the heart

The holy passion of the bride (by Micke Bickle)

Longings of the Heart

Into every human heart God has built seven specific longings that can be satisfied only through our identity as the bride of Christ. As we come to an increased understanding of the bridal paradigm and allow Jesus as our Bridegroom to meet these desires, I believe the Holy Spirit will cause us to overflow in emotional wholeness, with gladness.

It’s important that God supernaturally strengthen our emotions. I believe an unprecedented emotional crisis will confront all who live on the earth in the generation in which the Lord returns. Sinful perversions, occult activity, divine judgments and martyrdom will reach the highest intensity ever witnessed in history. Supernatural emotional strength will be vital in light of the coming global crisis of social, spiritual, economic, political and emotional disruption.

Only a satisfied people who are happy in God will be equipped to stand in that hour. God intends to empower us and give us all the emotional resources we need by answering the longings of our hearts.

1. The longing for assurance that we are loved. This is where we begin our introduction to the romance of the Gospel. In every heart God has placed a craving to be pursued, delighted in and enjoyed—first by God, then by our families and friends. It is so integral to our identity that we become emotionally crippled when we feel rejection and shame from God or from others.

2. The longing for enjoyment. There is a second craving in every human heart— a longing to marvel and to be fascinated, awestruck and filled with endless wonder. The secular entertainment industry has identified this human longing for enjoyment and has exploited it commercially—to their own profit and to our ruin. So many of us search endlessly through worldly entertainment and recreation to fulfill this God-given craving.

3. The longing to be beautiful. Every one of us longs to possess beauty and to feel beautiful. No wonder: A beautiful God created us in such a way that we long to possess and feel his imparted beauty. Unfortunately, our culture has an obsession with physical appearance and vanity because it seeks to answer this legitimate longing in a wrong way. Most of us pursue carnal beauty because we feel so unsettled and unhappy when we feel ugly.

4. The longing to be great. In the core of our being, we long to be successful and noble. Our great God created us with the pursuit of greatness programmed deep within our emotional genetics. Sometimes we misunderstand this longing and assume that we must repent of it, but this isn’t true. We cannot repent of the God-given longing to be great—only of pursuing it in a wrong way.

5. The longing for intimacy without shame. We long to know and be known before the Lord. God put this longing in us because he wants us to find its deepest satisfaction in experiencing intimacy with him. This spiritual intimacy is available to the redeemed.

6. The longing to be wholehearted and passionate. In our hearts we long to possess the power to abandon ourselves completely to God. We long to avoid the spiritual boredom, disloyalty and compromise that leave us broken and discontent. We desire the ability to give the deepest affection of our hearts back to the Lord (see Matt. 22:37).

7. The longing to make a deep and lasting impact. As human beings we are desperate for a life of meaning, relevance and significance. We long to make a contribution to the lives of those we care about. We experience great enjoyment when we bring pleasure to others.

        

 

On my knees

Lighting up

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine;
      For your light has come!
      And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
       ² For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
      And deep darkness the people;
      But the LORD will arise over you,
      And His glory will be seen upon you.
       ³ The Gentiles shall come to your light,
      And kings to the brightness of your rising.

     

A small gesture

Today, I sent an sms to a dear friend, who was tired, discouraged and trying not to feel down. This was what I sent:

Rest. Sleep. Eat. Laugh. Smell the flowers. Look at the sky. Skip. Jump. Hop. Play with your dogs. Have dinner with your mom. Talk to your brother. Pray. Swim. Write. Read.

A slimy creature fishing for a tip

Dear Lord,

For the first time in my life, I met a very smooth-talking and well-meaning-sounding cab driver whom I did not like. In fact, he reminded me of slime.

I boarded the cab at YWCA around 9.30pm. He asked in a very polite tone:  "Hi Madam, where would you like to go?" When I replied: "Bukit Panjang, Fajar Road", he followed up by explaining very nicely why some cab drivers don't like to pick up passengers heading to places like Bukit Panjang around 9.30pm from town - because they can't get any passengers there and so they waste time driving an empty cab back to town. Then he said: "But, you're the boss and it's the luck of the draw for us, so I go where my customers go." I replied with a "ha ha".

He then moaned about his spate of bad luck at Changi Airport. Of the six passengers he picked up over the past two days, all of them were heading for nearby places like Pasir Ris, Tampines or Siglap. He then explained, very nicely again, to me why some cab drivers would queue up for one to two hours at Changi Airport - because they may get foreign tourists or business travellers who would give them $50 for a trip costing only $25 and say "keep the change".

He also said that sometimes, he will pick up locals who tipped him generously because they were heading for Pasir Ris and wanted to compensate him for his long wait at the taxi queue.

He then mentioned that he was very upset once when he was helping a lady with the luggage, and the lady's elderly mother said: "Let the driver do it, don't hurt your back." He told the elderly lady that taxi drivers were not legally required to help with the passenger's luggage and that under the Workman's Compensation Act, they could be compensated only if they were injured or hurt inside their cabs, and not while they were out of their cabs, and that if he had injured his back carrying their luggage he would not be covered. But he stressed to me that although he was quite angry, he told them in a cool and calm tone.Then he added that a lot of passengers were not aware of the fact that cab drivers were not obligated to help with passengers' luggage.

Following that, he talked about how he would avoid places like Clarke Quay at night because he didn't want to pick up drunks as that would set him back by one to two hours if they puked in his cab and he had to do the cleaning up. He said: "Miss, they usually offer to pay me $20 for the inconvenience but that is not enough to cover the hours and revenue lost when I've to clean my cab."

He also explained, very nicely again, why cab drivers didn't like to pick up a group who were heading to three to four places in a single trip, because they would lose out on the $2.80 starting fares that they would have earned if they had picked up four different passengers on four different trips.

I told him in a similarly nice tone that as a cab driver, he must have seen all sorts of passengers - the good ones and the bad ones, and that he must have very good days and very bad days. And I reiterated to him what he had said earlier: "Yes, it's the luck of the draw."

The journey drew to a stop, and the fare was $15.60. I gave him $17 and it seemed as if he was waiting for me to alight from the cab. I remained seated in the cab, and then he reacted by giving me my change.

Lord, there has to be some lessons somewhere in this for me. Could it be that:

- Some people tell sob stories to derive some benefits they do not deserve?

- Some people who sound polite and nice may not be so and have their own agendas?

- Some people do not believe in a fair day's wages for a fair day's work?

- The Holy Spirit in me is a very discerning judge of character?

Lord, forgive me for being so harsh on this cab driver but I really honestly didn't like him. His superficiality made my hairs stand on their ends at the end of the trip.

The human spirit

I recently dug up a book whose pages had already turned yellow, and started reading it a few days ago. Liked this excerpt:

"But this was the sense, not forgotten either then or later: that precisely because the Lager was a great machine to reduce us to beasts, we must not become beasts; that even in this place one can survive, and therefore one must want to survive, to tell the story, to bear witness; and that to survive we must force ourselves to save at least the skeleton, the scaffolding, the form of civilisation. We are slaves, deprived of every right, exposed to every insult, condemned to certain death, but we still possess one power, and we must defend it with all our strength for it is the last - the power to refuse our consent. So we must certainly wash our faces without soap in dirty water and dry ourselves on our jackets. We must polish our shoes, not because the regulation states it, but for dignity and propriety. We must walk erect, without dragging our feet, not in homage to Prussian discipline but to remain alive, and not to begin to die."

Finding redemption

Isaiah 43

The Redeemer of Israel

 ¹ But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
      And He who formed you, O Israel:

      “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
      I have called you by your name;
      You are Mine.
       ² When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
      And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
      When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
      Nor shall the flame scorch you.
       ³ For I am the LORD your God,
      The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; 

 

 

More than words

A thank-you note to God

Dear God,

Thank you for the following good things that happened yesterday:

- I received a phone call from the HR department, notifying me that my company has very graciously paid my cash hospitalisation expenses I incurred in Vietnam when I fractured my ankle. The money will be credited along with my pay next week.

- This more than covered the amount I had committed to giving to a pastor in Berastagi (aid for the recent earthquake victims).

- My work day was smooth. I thank God very much for my understanding colleagues.

- I read the FT and was so tickled by management guru Tom Peters' answer to a question that I took a photo of his printed reply with my handphone. He was asked what was the best thing anyone ever said about him, and he replied: "When I turned in my PhD draft to my adviser, one of his first, if not his first, comments was: “You are among the best I've seen at the use of semicolons.” "

- I had a meaningful lunch, where I was reminded of the need to keep one's mind captive in Jesus Christ.

- I went for a refreshing cellgroup meeting, where God drew me to 1 Corinthians 13 and Isaiah 61.

- I called for a cab after the cellgroup meeting because I knew it would be tough to get one off the street at 10.30pm on a Friday night. While I was still on the phone, a cab stopped right in front of me and an elderly couple alighted. I looked at the cab driver and he beckoned me in. Just when I was already seated, the taxi system registered a nearby booking request. That narrow window of opportunity.

- I returned home and there was a big bowl of chicken soup waiting for me.

"In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Amen

This is the day that the Lord has made

Today was one of the strangest days of my life, but in a good way. All glory to God.

I took a cab to the office and was doing my quiet time and writing down notes in my prayer journal. Half-way through the ride, the cab-driver suddenly asked me: "Are you from COOS?" I said yes, I was from Church of Our Saviour. He then told me that he and his family worshipped at COOS and that he had seen me before in church services. We chatted until we reached my office, and he then said he wanted to sms a verse plus some words to me. Only the night before, I had messaged a friend about the difficulty I had in giving my hp number to acquaintances, much less total strangers. Obviously, God knew of this.Going back to the cab-driver, he smsed the verse Romans 1:12 three times to me. I checked the verse in my bible the minute I got out of the cab. The verse was "that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine". I read the verse to mean that I was to encourage people in their faith, and as God's encouragement to me to persevere in what I was doing.

When I reached the office, the same friend from the night before e-mailed me her response to some issues I had. I read her e-mail and in my reply to her, I said that I was so thankful that God placed sensible and well-grounded friends around me. Her responses quietened my spirit and settled my heart. And I could focus on my work. Thank you very much for your wise counsel, Tammy.

After work, I rushed to church because I was attending my first corporate prayer session since I fractured my ankle three months ago. The session started at 7.30pm. I stepped into the auditorium and realised that it was very empty. I looked out for my cellgroup leader and on spotting her, I walked towards her and sat down beside her. I asked her why tonight's prayer session was so poorly attended and her reply was: "It's still early and some people haven't turned up yet. Plus, tonight's prayer session is until 11pm." My jaw nearly dropped to the floor because I didn't know that the session was until 11pm and had eaten only a chicken pie for dinner at 5.30pm. And I realised why the ushers were handing out one bottle of mineral water to every person who came for the prayer session. I could almost hear my stomach growling.

The session started with praise and worship and immediately I realised how much I missed corporate prayer sessions. By the second song, I was in tears. This was the song, which moved me very much. I would have knelt down but for my ankle.

THIS IS OUR GOD

Your grace is enough

More than I need

At Your word

I will believe

I wait for You

Draw near again

Let Your Spirit make me new

I will fall at Your feet

I will fall at Your feet

And I will worship You here

Your presence in me

Jesus light the way

By the power of Your word

I am restored

I am redeemed

By Your Spirit I am free

Freely You gave it all for us

Surrendered Your life upon that cross

Great is the love

Poured out for all

This is our God

Lifted on high from death to life

Forever our God is glorified

Servant and King

Rescued the world

This is our God

The session proceeded and some of the verses that were highlighted spoke to me:

Proverbs 16:3 (ESV)

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (ESV)

And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.

Matthew 14:28-31 (ESV)

 And Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat and(A) walked on the water and came to Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid, and beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out his hand and took hold of him, saying to him,  "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Isaiah 43: 1-2 (ESV)

Israel’s Only Savior

But now thus says the LORD, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.

During one segment of the prayer session, I was sitting next to a couple and my senior pastor told us to pair up or pray in groups of three regarding the physical space for Christian worship in Singapore. The three of us had grouped together earlier to pray and so for this segment, the couple told me to lead the prayer. After I finished praying, the lady excitedly turned to me and said she saw a picture for me - it was of a cheongsam and the shoulder areas were very shiny and bright. She actually drew the picture for me and asked me if the picture meant anything to me. I shrugged my shoulders and said: "Uhm...don't know but I will ask God." A while later, they were about to leave when the lady turned to me and said: "You're Li Li, right? I've seen you before. And with regard to the picture, I think God has a new assignment for you." I could feel the hairs on my arms stand and I could only say: "huh..uhmm?!" With that, she smiled at me and they left.

When the prayer session ended at 11pm, I bumped into someone I knew from a church camp some years back and with whom I had kept in touch. She was hitching a ride from her cellgroup leader and I tagged along because we were going to a coffeeshop near Potong Pasir for supper. When we reached the coffeeshop, she told me to go order my food (dumplings in soup). When I had done so, she rushed to the famous barbequed chicken wing stall. She came back with a broad smile and said that we were extremely fortunate to get the last three chicken wings. We talked about her eight-month-old baby girl and how she was coping with motherhood, among other things.

After we finished our meal, we boarded a cab and I dropped her off at her home in Bishan. When we got into the cab, the driver said his meter was running a little behind time and that $1.40 should have been added to the bill because it was already past midnight. When my friend got off, she reminded me to pay the cab-driver an additional $1.40 at the end of my trip. Her comment led the cab-driver to say that she was a very nice lady. He then asked me whether we had just finished work. I told him that we had attended a church prayer meeting in Margaret Drive and had gone to Potong Pasir to have supper.

He suddenly opened up and asked if he could share his troubles with me. I replied "why not?" He then told me he was having a lot of problems with his wayward son, who had just come out of a reformative training centre in March after two years for being in a gang fight. Since March, his son had not been able to hold down a job and was constantly changing girlfriends and bringing them home. He said he really didn't know how to handle or manage his son, who was only 19, and always ended up scolding him. He talked about a few incidents and by the time I reached my home, he had just only finished what he wanted to tell me.

He then asked me what I thought of his situation but said that he wouldn't mind if I just alighted because I had already reached my destination. He then stopped the meter. I told him that it was okay and spent the next 15 mins to half an hour telling him what I thought in Mandarin, peppered with some English words.

I looked at everything from his son's perspective and told him what I felt the son might have been thinking or feeling about his situation and his family. In the end, the cab-driver looked at me, thanked me and said that my comments had given him some new ideas on how to relate to his son. I paid the fare and got out of the cab with a skip in my step. 

When I reached my home, I decided to write this up and wondered if the rest of my life would be as strange and wonderful as this day had been. I'm waiting on God for an answer, and for the meaning behind the picture of the cheongsam with shiny shoulder areas.

主,祢永遠與我同在

主,祢永遠與我同在

主,祢永遠與我同在

危難臨到我信靠你 深知你必領我渡過
祢你信實為我堅持到最後 當暴風雨向我靠近
有祢同在我不至畏懼 祢是我的牧者我所依靠
每個夜 每一天 我知祢永遠在身邊
主祢永遠與我同在 在祢裡面沒有改變
祢的堅定從昨日到今日一直到永遠
靠祢豐盛應許站立 我的未來在祢手中
堅固磐石全能真神我敬拜祢

Witness

參劈 - 祈禱(intro by Witness)

祈禱(intro by Witness)
作詞：參劈 (Tripoets)
作曲：參劈 (Tripoets)

我沒有信仰 對神仙也不會景仰
但我相信人間的一切都受制於天上
一股力量 無形地支配這世界
日子過得不錯的我始終常懷感謝
我很想找張紙 來寫下我的禱告詞
但怕千篇一律像老報紙上的廣告詞
於是我明瞭 禱告內容只是表面
重要的是心裡面願不願意讓它實現
我祈禱 不是為了吃得飽
也沒那麼偉大在為人類禱告
那背著十字架的耶穌在路上跌倒
也沒人掉下眼淚 來為他哀悼
在這fucked up的世界中 唯有祈禱能讓我
懂得自己還有機會來奮力一搏
祈禱的方式有千萬種 我只用一種
我說我的禱告詞 on my microphone

我向天祈禱 在朦朧中賜我力量
走向什麼地方只有天知道
我向天祈禱 在黑暗中帶來希望
走向什麼地方只有我知道

明天是艷陽高照還是烏雲繚繞
風雲變色的那一秒 沒人知道 沒有人會猜得著
沒有人在乎你過得好不好 如果你 禱告
想要 有一個 依靠 需要 一個溫暖的擁抱
需要 一個聲音告訴你 其實做得很好
其實還在正確的軌道 很多煩惱 可能是庸人自擾
老天爺喜歡開我玩笑 有時候關掉 我的頻道
有時候把我的聲音 fade out
是不是我 只在落魄 失意的時候 才找祂溝通
是不是我 只在難過 無助的時候 才向祂求救
才希望祂能伸出援手
能夠 保佑我 能夠 平安度過
這難關重重 so 祈禱也沒有用
so 就讓眼淚一直流 so 我用力怒吼
直到不再委屈 也不再悲痛 no
我把祈禱的內容 付諸於行動 不再困惑

我向天祈禱 在朦朧中賜我力量
走向什麼地方只有天知道
我向天祈禱 在黑暗中帶來希望
走向什麼地方只有我知道

在一生中 你會遭遇多少困惑
多少不能解決的問題圍繞 在你心頭
Children in the ghetto 只想好好過活
然而現實環境只能給予壓迫
Life is a struggle but you must go on
結果 人類無法掌握 或超脫
像行屍 走肉 的生活 我見過
空洞的眼神一雙雙遊移 在街頭
接踵 而來雜務繁多像 接龍
我何嘗不想要一對翅膀 讓我飛走
我祈禱 不是為了要和神佛溝通
是為了明天會更好 起床起的更早
就算 變老 頭髮 變少
我也沒有被宗教洗腦的煩惱
用真誠的心去祈禱
相信虔誠的禱告 最終能改變 生命的浪潮

我向天祈禱 在朦朧中賜我力量
走向什麼地方只有天知道
我向天祈禱 在黑暗中帶來希望
走向什麼地方只有我知道

你是否曾經 經歷無止境的不幸
讓你的心沈浸悲情 彷彿上天挑釁
多麼慶幸 我還擁有生命 我感激
並且時時提醒自己切記 不要忘記
你是否曾經感到迷惘 或是全世界的重量
都落在你的肩膀 正義不能伸張
我祈求上蒼 讓我不要慌張
讓我 看清楚一切都很正常
我何嘗不想 將痛楚淡忘
所以我跪在地上 祈禱人間也有天堂
快站起來 你的人生沒那麼慘
把雙眼睜開來 我們要永遠往未來看
祈禱是讓自己過得更好 讓自己更早
知道這個世界並不總是美好
我充滿期望去祈禱 我知道也明瞭
從今天起誰也不能把我擊倒

我向天祈禱 (我向天祈禱)
我向天祈禱 (我向天祈禱)
我祈禱 我祈禱
我祈禱 我祈禱
我祈禱 我祈禱
明天會更好

Better than a Hallelujah

I grew up listening to Amy Grant. Way back when I was in junior college and university helping out at my auntie's Christian bookstore, people used to come in and tell me that we shouldn't be selling Amy Grant's CDs because she has turned secular with her music.

Well...I had an issue with that because God created music and so we glorify Him by worshipping him. To me, God can be glorified in a Christian punk rock song as much as He can be exalted high through a hymn.

It's not the medium; it's the heart of a believer and the form through which God has inspired him or her to worship Him.  

Here's a recent interview with Amy Grant.

Better than a Hallelujah by Amy Grant

God loves a lullaby
In a mothers tears in the dead of night
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.
God loves a drunkards cry,
A soldiers plea not to let him die
Better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

We pour out our miseries
God just hears a melody
Beautiful the mess we are
But honest cries of breaking hearts
Are better than a Hallelujah.

Woman holding on for life,
A dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes
Tears of shame for whats been done,
A silence when the words wont come
Are better than a Hallelujah sometimes.

Better than a church bell ringing,
Better than a choir singing loud, singing out.

In sync with God

God has been moving in the entertainment circles in Taiwan and Hong Kong. 

Interview with Sammi Cheng

Interview with Vanness Wu 吳建豪

Interview with 梁文音

鄭 秀文 - 終生美麗 

After an absence of close to three years from the limelight owing to depression, Sammi Cheng held a series of eight concerts in May 2007. At the end of her last show, she read out a letter that she had written that morning to herself to share with her fans what she had gone through.

The video's quite touching. Have included the contents of the letter below as well.

Her letter ends with these words: "I know for sure that you're back, and even more important, your courage."

What an inspiration.



2007, 5 月18日至25日一连举行8场演唱会，这是她3年来的首

次 个唱，sammi演唱会的最后一场，sammi读了一封 自己写给自己的信，将这两年来的心情与所有人分享。读到 最后，“我清楚地知道，你回来了。更重要的是，你的勇气回来 了。

亲爱的mi：

自《长恨歌》之后，你就像人间蒸发。但这长达近两年的蒸发 期，空气中仍残存了不少你的气息。有关你的消息和报道， 恍如腐蚀性的液体，气味浓烈，伤害性也直达百分之百的饱 和状态。但我知道，这个悠长假期，你蒸发了某部分自己，是为 了茁壮另一个自己。

我太熟悉你这个人了。当你在一片负面的声音中，忽然举旗说 要举行演唱会，我深知你必然经过一番深思熟虑，方才让这 决定实行。而我也不会斗胆质疑你的能耐，纵然你已有数年 没站上舞台。我知道你心中抱持的信念，往往是力大无穷的 动力和能量。我看了你一连7场的演唱会，你那爆发出来的 力量非一日而来，我想郑重的告诉你，你这悠长假期，非常 值得。台上的你，像吃了一千粒3A电芯，生猛得恍如西贡 “通记”的游水龙虾。我太快乐了。看到你笑，我也跟着笑。 看着你跳，我也跟着跳。快乐就像感冒菌。这股交叉感染， 谁也逃不掉。这不是法庭，观众澎湃高涨的表现，是最好的证 据。

Mi，你没有让我失望，也没有让为你挤票而弄得面色枯黄的 观众失望。回顾一个多月前，报纸偷拍到你戒烟后滋生出来 的麒麟臂和猪腩肉。恕我直言，从后面看到你那高耸的屁股， 你胖得真的像菜市场的现代肥师奶。我知道你心中必定早 已预设了一系列进入地狱的减肥计划。听说你喜欢从天还没 亮的5点，便开始跑步，长达两小时，然后进行数小时磨人 的锻炼。天啊！我差点以为这特训是为了参加2008年北 京的奥运。不过，一个多月后的你，又极速变回了一个钢条 身形，这背后究竟弄湿了多少件汗衫和流了多少磅汗水呢？Mi， 我想告诉你：“值得”。你流过的汗水不是咸的，是 甘甜的。如果你不相信，请你洗耳恭听观众为你热烈而真诚的拍 掌声。

Mi，我太熟悉你了。你常说人生是一场自己和自己的竞技， 与人无关，战胜一个懦弱的自己，好过击败其他人的生命。 这两年多，我相信你也曾软弱无力，失去了太阳，但你推开 窗，看看今天阳光正在普照。下了一连数天的暴雨，太阳最 终为你而展露微笑。这不就是人生吗？更差更坏的都会过去，但 我们心中要长留一块美丽的境域。

作为一个快将35岁的女人。我相信你对生命有更大的体会， 这两年，是你人生中一个不能避免的起承转合期，你更懂得 感恩，更懂得珍惜。这两年媒体给你特级的特训，负面新闻 有时会形成一股强大的能量，我也感谢媒体在你第一场演唱 会之后的报道，“状态大勇”这4个字，看得我感动连连。 传播力量之大可想而知。你看，媒体对你也有宅心仁厚之时，哈 哈！

Mi，你说今天的你，是经过一场蜕变，像金蝉脱壳般，我知 道信仰是一股何其大的力量，你演唱“I will follow him”的him是指“主”吗？也就是“上帝”吗？如果是的话，我想告诉你，我可以清晰地看到他给你重新出发的力量！

Mi，我知道这场演唱会是你自放假以来，给自己的第一个“大 功课”。这一课，对于很久没站舞台的你，并不轻易。

这一堂功课，我认为你做到了，我清楚知道你回来了。更重要 的，你的勇气回来了。
永远爱你的人Sammi上

The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few

Chinese turn to religion to fill a spiritual vacuum

Excerpts:

The economic boom also is having unforeseen consequences for China's Muslims, in particular its female imams, who report difficulty recruiting new imam candidates, due to the paltry salaries. China is the only place in the world that has a tradition of independent female mosques, with their own ahong, or imams, to lead prayers and teach the Quran to women. But older female ahong report that the economic opportunities offered elsewhere mean that few women are drawn to the profession.

Another recent development is that increasing numbers of younger people are practicing religion. The 2006 survey showed 62 percent of religious believers are 39 and under.

This trend was evident at an unregistered meeting of Christians worshipping in a charismatic underground prayer meeting in the coastal city of Wenzhou, known as "China's ... See moreJerusalem." Many of the devout were young and obviously well-off. Such underground Christians have recently received surprisingly sympathetic coverage in the state-run media, raising hopes that their meetings may be legitimized. 

Great Leap Forward

Why Christianity is blossoming in China 

Excerpts:

Job and his wife became Christians the same way most Chinese do: A friend who was visiting the couple in their home simply shared the gospel. "She came for 24 hours, and she preached the gospel for 20," Job says of an evening five years ago.

"God has his eyes set on China," Uncle Daniel says. "I am seeing that in the policy of the government. I am... See more seeing that in the change of the politics and economics. I'm seeing change in our morality. I believe God will allow China to become strong not just for political reasons, but far more for his kingdom purpose."

The Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989 left many people questioning government values. The killing of unarmed protestors destroyed China's pro-democracy movement, but it also destroyed the nation's soul, says one Chinese leader. As a result, the academic study of Christianity became a maverick discipline in intellectual circles and a curiosity for others.

Following the Cultural Revolution, David Wang says, China ministry meant ministry to China. Years ago, Wang broadcasted readings from Streams in the Desert into China twice daily. Others smuggled Bibles or simply prayed. As China opened up in the '80s, it became ministry in China. English teachers became the face of that ministry.

Today, Wang says, the church is more mature. "I see these young leaders. They are preparing their co-workers to come out of China. I see the young leaders from the house church in China planting churches in southern Europe, western Europe, and Calgary and Toronto. I see them everywhere. So it's now the era of ministry from China.

"We the Chinese church are the ones who are going to bring the gospel back to Jerusalem," he says. "Probably every one of these leaders has been to Jerusalem. Why? Because somehow this crazy Chinese church could never forget that if we could bring the gospel back to Jerusalem, we will complete Matthew 24:14—that this gospel must be preached around the world. So we Chinese have the mandate to complete the gospel circle and usher in the return of Jesus."

Light in the hermit kingdom

North Korean killed for spreading the Gospel

"He told me his dream is to build a church at a good Pyongyang location and work as a pastor there," his brother says. "I thought the religious faith completely changed his fate."

You died for me; I live for you

Who am I - Casting Crowns

I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
Still you hear me when I'm calling,
Lord, you catch me when I'm falling,
And you've told me who I am.
I am yours.
I am yours.
I am yours.

How many steps did it take?

Walking with God

First, I just want to thank God that He has guided me to just following the bible-reading plan printed at the back of an NKJV bible. I've been reading the Bible according to the plan. While I would have preferred a more in-depth study, I guess just reading the Bible and reflecting on certain verses that jumped out at me is it for the moment. But I'm really enjoying it and benefiting greatly from it.

When I was reading Genesis 6, I was drawn to what the Bible said about Noah.

Gen 6:8-9

⁸ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 

⁹ This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.

Gen 6:22

²² Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. 

It never dawned on me the immensity of Noah's character until I realised that he was a man against the world then. Rain had not fallen on the earth as yet during his time, and he must have endured a lot of ridicule and humiliation as he set about building an ark when the land had always been dry. 

I really liked Matthew Henry's commentary on this part:

[1.] He was a just man, that is, justified before God by faith in the promised seed; for he was an heir of the righteousness which is by faith, Heb. xi. 7. He was sanctified, and had right principles and dispositions implanted in him; and he was righteous in his conversation, one that made conscience of rendering to all their due, to God his due and to men theirs. Note, None but a downright honest man can find favour with God. That conversation which will be pleasing to God must be governed by simplicity and godly sincerity, not by fleshly wisdom, 2 Cor. i. 12. God has sometimes chosen the foolish things of the world, but he never chose the knavish things of it.

[2.] He was perfect, not with a sinless perfection, but a perfection of sincerity; and it is well for us that by virtue of the covenant of grace, upon the score of Christ's righteousness, sincerity is accepted as our gospel perfection. 

[3.] He walked with God, as Enoch had done before him. He was not only
honest, but devout; he walked, that is, he acted with God, as one always under his eye. He lived a life of communion with God; it was his constant care to conform himself to the will of God, to please him, and to approve himself to him. Note, God looks down upon those with an eye of favour who sincerely look up to him with an eye of faith. 

But, [4.] That which crowns his character is that thus he was, and thus he did, in his generation, in that corrupt degenerate age in which his lot was cast. It is easy to be religious when religion is in fashion; but it is an evidence of strong faith and resolution to swim against a stream to heaven, and to appear for God when no one else appears for him: so Noah did, and it is upon record, to his immortal honour.

After reading the above, I reflected on what it meant to walk with God. I thought about why God chose to use "walk with" when describing Noah's relationship with Him. 

When I visualised the image of "walking with", some phrases came to my mind:

- Communion
- Companionship
- Presence
- Silence
- Familiarity
- Comfort level
- Assurance
- Conversation
- Bonding
- Security
- Enjoyment
- Engagement
- Closeness




I also remembered the scene in Dead Poets' Society, when the students were told to walk along the perimeters of the square courtyard. After a while, they were falling in step with each other. 

As we walk with God, we soon fall in step with Him - meaning we align ourselves with His purpose and His heart. And because we're walking with Him, we are both heading in the same direction - with a destination in mind. And because we're right next to Him, we increasingly grow more and more sensitive to Him and what is on His heart. This will then guide us in what we say and what we do.

And all this comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:7

⁷ By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.