Hymns of adoration sing

Hello!!

I'm back blogging once again. Its been great doing internship in church and God has been opening doors for me to experience His goodness and see His work. Thank You God.

Well, its been some time since habakkuk; here's what i did

A Walk through Habakkuk’s Prayer

Station 1 - Habakkuk 1, 2 - Asking God Questions

Write on the piece of paper provided questions you have about God, man, Christianity etc

Station 2 - Habakkuk 3:3-15 – A Proclamation of God’s Greatness in the past.

Because of our human tendency to worry, we often forget the times God has blessed us. Take a few moments to see if we can recall any time in our lives when we felt God’s goodness in our lives.

Activity: Write or draw one such event on the piece of paper provided as an act of proclamation of God’s grace.

Station 3 - Habakkuk 3:17 - “though the fig tree does not blossom…”

Habakkuk was thinking of the worst that could happen (famine and starvation).

Activity: Take a few minutes to think of one or more of your most significant fears. Write or draw it down on the piece of paper provided

Station 4 - Habakkuk 3:18-19 – A Pledge to God’s Praise Forever.

Habakkuk was not being morbid by thinking of the worst that could happen (famine and starvation). He was making a resolution to remain faithful to God and His righteousness no matter what.

Activity: Praying for one another

Meditate on the closing words of Habakkuk’s book:

Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,

yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights.

Habbakuk's Prayer

Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there are no grapes on the vines
Though the olive tree is barren
And the fields produce no fruit
Though there are no sheep in the penfold
And no cattle in the stalls
I know the Sovereign Lord my Saviour
Is my strength and is my job

The Sovereign Lord is my strength
He makes my feet like those of deer
I can walk on my high places
Treading bravely without fear.

Chorus:
So I will exalt in the Lord
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!
I will exalt in the Lord
I will rejoice in the God of my salvation!

As we come into His presence
Humbly bow before our King
As we bow our hearts to worship
Hymns of adoration sing
He has promised He will meet us
If we truly seek His face
As we come into His presence
Resting only in His grace
As we come into His presence
We will worship and adore
Christ our one and only Saviour
King of kings forevermore

Many of the youths responded to the challeng to live in faith and by whenever trials and tribulations come their way. I pray that whenever that is, you will remain faithful to the God who has always been so faithful to you :) Jesus Christ

Question the Question

Apologies for the lagg of posts. Been lazy and playing this new game Cabal. This kinda mmopg games really get you hooked on fast.

Anyways, i've been out visiting a few people in hospital in the past month. Brings back memories of when my mum was in hospital. Looking at the patient, looking at the family - i cannot help but try to figure out what is going on in their minds, especially with those whose family member is just on the verge of death. I've gone down this road before and i can empathise. And i'm going to ask this question - Why does God allow us to suffer? Isn't He the God of love, mercy and compassion? Surely He would not bear to see us suffer.

Do we suffer because, it is a test from God of our faith?
Do we suffer because, He wants us to draw near to Him?
Do we suffer because, He wants to teach us something?
Do we suffer because, God is using us as part of His plan?
Do we suffer because, we are sinful by nature?
Do we suffer because, we chose God?

To push the question further, Why does God allow the righteous/innocent to suffer? Look at the wars happening around the world, natural diseasters, violence, crimes. This is exactly the same question the prophet Habbakuk struggled with.

Habakkuk cried to God because the wicked people were treating the good people very badly. He wondered how God could allow the wicked people to do mean things for so long. After a "short dialouge" with God, the answer comes...

The final conclusion of Habakkuk is that we must allow God to be God, and allow Him to do things His way and in His own good time. Our job is to trust Him and to live by faith! "The righteous will live by his faith" (Habakkuk 2:4) --- the key verse of this entire book!! Although things do not always turn out as we would like, yet we will rejoice in the Lord anyway! (Habakkuk 3:17-19).

I have come to terms with this. Whenever we “wrestle” (which is actually what the name Habakkuk means) with such doubts or questions. Have this in the back of your head. Our job is to trust Him and to live by faith! Although things do not always turn out as we would like, yet we will rejoice in the Lord anyway. Faith, Hope and Love.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." - Revelation 21:4

The Case For Evangelism

Jesus, I believe in You

And I would go to the ends of the earth

To the ends of the earth

For You alone are the Son of God

And all the world will see

That You are God

You are God

2 Corinthians 2:14-17 – But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.

The apostle Paul declares that our evangelism is always victorious… whether men submit to Christ in faith, or whether they reject Him… We triumph as God manifests through us the knowledge of Christ in every place. This witness is a sweet aroma to God… regardless of how men respond to it!

However, concern for the nobleman's soul was not the supreme motive that moved Christ to witness to this sinner. Running even deeper within His breast was a love of God. Though induced by a desire to save men, Christ was primarily motivated by a longing to glorify His Father. You cannot carefully read the Gospels and fail to see that our Lord's chief aim in every act was to do the will of His Father and to make His glory known to men.

-John Piper, Let the Nations be Glad!

Take The Lead

"Men draw a circle around themselves and vow to protect and care for all who fall within it. For some men, that circle includes their "woman" and children. For others, their extended family. For great men -- leaders like D'Leh -- it includes many, many people. A man must decide who falls in his circle of influence."

I just caught Leap Years and 10 000 BC in like a 5 hour span. Amazing but true. haha. Leap years is one of the best Singapore production ever made. Almost. Except for the overload on Corinne May songs says Ms Guo. I'm glad to have caught it otherwise, i would to wait another 4 years -.- ok not funny.

10 000 BC, thats' where the above quote is from is kinda like a Lord of the rings + 300 + Independence Day + Jurassic Park + Ice Age combined. You get my drift. Set in a time before Abraham, the film pictures a world in which different people groups worship varying gods. Every Tribe prophesise of a great leader who would deliver them, with everyone of the prophesies coming true.

I want a big circle. how bout you?

We Worship - Based on Psalm 24

Verse:
Open up the doors, lift up the gates
The King of Glory, take His rightful place
Let His power fall, may His glory fill
May thy Holy Spirit, come do as it will

Chorus:
We worship the Lord Almighty
We worship the King of Kings
We worship the one who saved me
Jesus, who died to set me free

Bridge:
Lift our hands
Lift our voices
Lift up our praise to thee

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

Psalm 4

1 Answer me when I call to you,
O God who declares me innocent.
Free me from my troubles.
Have mercy on me and hear my prayer.

2 How long will you people ruin my reputation?
How long will you make groundless accusations?
How long will you continue your lies?

Selah

3 You can be sure of this:
The Lord set apart the godly for himself.
The Lord will answer when I call to him.

4 Don’t sin by letting anger control you.
Think about it overnight and remain silent.

Selah

5 Offer sacrifices in the right spirit,
and trust the Lord.

6 Many people say, “Who will show us better times?”
Let your face smile on us, Lord.
7 You have given me greater joy
than those who have abundant harvests of grain and new wine.
8 In peace I will lie down and sleep,
for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.

Don't you just love the Psalms :)

The Importance of Fellowship on the horizontal plane

I have for a while been pondering on the idea of “church” and why we meet every Sunday. I had many questions circulating in my mind about whether it is important for us to keep meeting and running services like this at a regular basis or not.

For me, a person who has pretty much been attending church "religiously" all my life, it is quite easy to just go through the routine without thinking twice or questioning why i'm doing what i'm doing.

If someone were to ask me about 4 years ago why I go to church, I’m pretty sure I would’ve said something naïve like “to meet with God, of course”, without thinking anything of the absurd statement I just made. First of all it would’ve been a completely dishonest thing for me to say, and secondly, why can’t we meet with God outside of church? Does God only dwell in the closed up space of this fellowship we call church?

The way a church service is run, it is designed in a way so that we are able to put God in the focal point – Singing songs to GOD, having someone share a testimony about GOD’s work in their life, and hear the word being preached about what we think GOD is saying to the church etc. This is the place where we are taught about the wondrous being of God and how we are able to take part in His ultimate plan, and the interaction with one another connects us to the greater body of Christ.

The constant exposure to God’s revelation of the Word and the unity that is achieved in taking part in the corporate worship, exaltation and adoration of God should fill us up to the point where our hearts are overflowing with compassion and love. When the community feels dry and unfulfilling, maybe it’s time we re-examined what our personal purposes are in going to church. Because I think that church is a place where we build each other up, edify and encourage one other.

Fellowship is not just being together but doing together. It is not just doing anything together but it is working together to accomplish God’s will.

42They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

- Acts 2:42-47 - The Fellowship of Believers.