blessed first birthday to baby rhema!
The Bible is a harp with a thousand strings. Play on one to the exclusion of its relationship to the others, and you will develop discord. Play on all of them, keeping them in their places in the divine scale, and you will hear heavenly music all the time.
--William P. White
mediating on the Word of God at its fullness and wholeness.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work..."
2 Timothy 3:16-17.
2 in you I trust, O my God.
Do not let me be put to shame,
nor let my enemies triumph over me.
3 No one whose hope is in you
will ever be put to shame,
but they will be put to shame
who are treacherous without excuse. - Psalms 25:1-3
28We are assured and know that [[a]God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.
'We give thanks
We give praise
For we know, that all things work together for our good
We give thanks
We give praise
For by faith
We know Your grace, will see us through...'
sis and friends' education centre- opened early in march this year. haha i have a hard time pronouncing the name though.
1. How having four children quadrupled the love I have for my kids instead of dividing it into four.
2. How focusing on meeting my husband's needs results in my needs getting met.
3. Why having a lot of "me" time tends to make me more self-centered, not less.
4. Why serving other people makes me more content, not less.
5. How spending time with God usually results in me accomplishing more that day, not less.
6. Why exercising gives me more energy, and not exercising makes me more tired.
7. How submitting to God's will brings freedom rather than confinement.
8. Why things that taste good often are not good for me.
9. Why having fewer things makes me enjoy them more--and vice versa.
10. How I can know all of these things are true and too often behave as though they are not Proverbs 23
12 Apply your heart to instruction
and your ears to words of knowledge.
13 Do not withhold discipline from a child;
if you punish him with the rod, he will not die.
14 Punish him with the rod
and save his soul from death. [c]
15 My son, if your heart is wise,
then my heart will be glad;
16 my inmost being will rejoice
when your lips speak what is right.
17 Do not let your heart envy sinners,
but always be zealous for the fear of the LORD.
18 There is surely a future hope for you,
and your hope will not be cut off.
19 Listen, my son, and be wise,
and keep your heart on the right path.
20 Do not join those who drink too much wine
or gorge themselves on meat,
21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
22 Listen to your father, who gave you life,
and do not despise your mother when she is old.
23 Buy the truth and do not sell it;
get wisdom, discipline and understanding.
24 The father of a righteous man has great joy;
he who has a wise son delights in him.
25 May your father and mother be glad;
may she who gave you birth rejoice!
26 My son, give me your heart
and let your eyes keep to my ways
freshman orientation in uni. :) at the back from left, eric- our 'boss' the darebin church coordinator, anth- the president of Campus christian movement, logan- the boss of student group hahas.. and in the front: tlp- the '19-year-old' housemate, maggie- the sacrificial and encouraging sister, suet- the 'sleeps-little-but-always-so-energetic housemate', and lastly me.
dinner after caregroup. :) guy in black with blue stripes on his arms- that's danny, the big guy who's a great cook.
and here's some more missing peeps. Simon right in the front- the faithful bro who can walk miles and miles. in clockwise, Carl- the new bro who's into looking at who got longer toes. Agnes in pink- a new sis in christ too, and an ever cheery energetic lady whose laughter is infectious. Chris- need not say more-she's awesome. and the guy between Anth and Eric, that's Leo, a new bro in Christ too who is doing his best to know the Lord. and will forever remember the classic deed he did when we asked for his prayer needs before he knew God. :"just help me say hello to God." :)
Thirty Ways to Praise God!
I'll Move On- Olivia Ong
This road that I’m taking
Twists and turns
My life my chance turning dreams into reality.
Down this path Faced with so many things
Sometimes I feel like giving up and turn away
Can’t seem to go on. And I’ve been thru’ this before.
Now where am I? Where do I stand?
A little lost here.
But I'll remember. All those times you’ve bought me thru’.
I’d be a fool to give up cos’ the goal is near I'll move on I'll go on.
Lord I will take your hand.
And you will guide me along.
Survive thru’ this storm.
So I say, come what may.
I'll hold on to my hope.
Yes, I will walk down this road.
And my passion drive will lead me on
Here I am Once again Caught in the rain.
Looking back I’ve come sofar And I want to carry on
Take a step At a time It’s alright.
Even thru’ this rain, I want to smile again
Don’t hold back now. And i’ve been thru’ this before.
Now where am I? Where do I stand? A little lost here.
But I'll remember. All those times you’ve bought me thru’.
I can feel the sun shining down on me
Here I am, Here I am.
Lord I will take your hand.
And you will guide me along. Survive thru’ this storm.
So I say, come what may.
I'll hold on to my hope.
Yes, I will walk down this road.
And my passion drive will lead me on.
It is absolutely vital that you pray to the very real God of the Bible if you expect genuine answers to your prayers. He reveals Himself to mankind in many ways—in creation, in the Bible, in His foretelling specific divine intervention in world affairs and in direct ANSWERS to those who seek and obey Him.
The Apostle Paul was inspired to describe the true God in this way: "For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and through whom we live" (1 Corinthians 8:5-6).
In our modern, ecumenical approach to religion, we may think that praying to some vague "blob" off in the sky or to an idol is just the same as praying to the CREATOR—the God of Abraham, Isaac, Israel and Jesus Christ. But it is not the same at all!
The true God was revealed by Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:27). To one of His disciples, He said: "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me…? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me" (John 14:9-11).
We read of Jesus Christ acknowledging that God was a loving, divine Person—a "Father." And we see the Father acting through Christ to heal the sick, to comfort the downcast and to teach those whom He calls to keep the Ten Commandments as a way of life (Matthew 19:17). This should certainly help us to better understand God's character and His desire for us.
Christ also set an example for us in praying to the Father: "Jesus spoke these words, lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said: 'Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You'" (John 17:1). Again, when He taught His disciples the outline—the proper approach to prayer—He said: "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen" (Matthew 6:9-13).
So once again, Jesus revealed that the God to whom we should pray is a Father. And what does Christ reveal about Him? He is "in heaven." He has a Kingdom or Government that will be set up on this earth. He—as our Father—is One who can give us daily bread, forgive our sins, deliver us from Satan and bring us into that everlasting Kingdom.
In describing this true God, whom so very few even today are acquainted with, the Apostle Paul stated: "Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you: 'God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings'" (Acts 17:23-26).
We learn more about the true God from the Old Testament. The great Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, was told that he would be driven from his kingdom "until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses" (Daniel 4:32). And this God will not share preeminence with any other. He inspired Isaiah to write: "Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other. I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath" (Isaiah 45:22-23).
This is an awesome God, with limitless power and glory! When you get down on both knees and lift up your hands in prayer to the great CREATOR of the universe, you should think of to whom you are praying, and "hallow" or praise His name, as Jesus instructed. Remember that He is not only the Creator, but the active GOVERNOR of the entire universe—guiding the rise and fall of nations according to His will. He is the One in charge of the weather—sending "rain in due season" (cf. Deuteronomy 28:12)—or at times drought and destruction upon those nations that must be punished (vv. 24-25).
Yet, if you surrender to Him, obey Him and serve Him, God will become your loving Father, your Protector, your Healer, the Giver of "every good and perfect gift" (James 1:17) and the One who has abounding love and mercy. "For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father pities his children, so the Lord pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust" (Psalm 103:11-14).
Be sure you always pray specifically to this God—the true God—and to no other. As you begin your prayer, think about whom you are praying to and consciously worship this Great God who gives you life and breath.
When I meditated on the word Guidance,
I kept seeing 'dance' at the end of the word.
I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing.
When two people try to lead, nothing feels right.
The movement doesn't flow with the music,
and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky.
When one person realizes that, and lets the other lead,
both bodies begin to flow with the music.
One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back
or by pressing Lightly in one direction or another.
It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully.
The dance takes surrender, willingness,
and attentiveness from one person
and gentle guidance and skill from the other.
My eyes drew back to the word Guidance.
When I saw 'G: I thought of God, followed by 'u' and 'i'.
'God, 'u' and 'i' dance.'
God, you, and I dance.
As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust
that I would get guidance about my life.
Once again, I became willing to let God lead.
My prayer for you today is that God's blessings
and mercies be upon you on this day and everyday.
May you abide in God as God abides in you.
Dance together with God, trusting God to lead
and to guide you through each season of your life.
This prayer is powerful and there is nothing attached.
If God has done anything for you in your life,
please share this message with someone else,
for prayer is one of the best gifts we can receive.
There is no cost but a lot of rewards;
so let's continue to pray for one another.
And I Hope You Dance4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Paul deals with the Corinthians' elevation of spiritual gifts
"without love", it all sums up to nothing.
Paul deals with the Corinthians' spirit of division. What they were -
Paul deals with the Corinthians' claims to spiritual superiority
i love verse 4-7. it often reminds me the purity of love. how it is unconditional and there's absolutely no expectation of returns. how it reminds us to give even though it may be difficult.
1 John 3:16-