I am reading this book entitled "What Ticks GOD Off" by Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz.
It is a very refreshing book written in a very light and easy to read style. But its message is solemn. There are so many ways that we irritate God. Just to name a few examples from the book - failing to acknowledge that God was the source of our prosperity and wealth, ignoring or forgetting God, abandoning God's laws and any connection between Him and the routine of real life, arrogance toward God and rebellion against His precepts, spiritual hypocrisy, running to the wrong direction like Jonah, oppress or neglect the poor, stand aloof and refusing to help those in need, gloat over those in trouble, rejoice when others suffer like Edom etc etc.
But there is good news. The lives of the minor prophets highlight God's grace and forgiveness. Let Bruce and Stan help us to get back on track and find our way back to the heart of God
Wednesday, 22 June 2011
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
James 2:14-16
FAITH WITHOUT WORK IS DEAD
What are some ways that we as believers can put actions behind our words?
Here are some answers I got as I ponder over this question:
1) Do not gamble so as to 'earn more money' for I believe that God will provide. Also God will honour me when I work hard for we must not be lazy or be gluttons. What God has given me through work, may I use this to bless others.
2) Do not sigh or complain as I confess that God is good. So no matter under what situations, let me rejoice for He is good all the time.
3) Do works of charity even as I tell others or believe that God is love. For by spreading cheer or by doing good deeds, i am showing God's love to others.
4) As I believe that God is all powerful and God is my Healer and Master, than I must not worry or be filled with anxiety and fear. What I can do is to tell God what's the trouble, turn to His Word for wisdom and comfort and then seek help from church elders.
5) As I believe in heaven and eternal life with Christ, then I must tell others about it. I can't keep it to myself. Start praying, start fasting, start sharing, start telling. Ask God for His divine intervention to lead me to a person He wants me to reach out to.
What are some ways that we as believers can put actions behind our words?
Here are some answers I got as I ponder over this question:
1) Do not gamble so as to 'earn more money' for I believe that God will provide. Also God will honour me when I work hard for we must not be lazy or be gluttons. What God has given me through work, may I use this to bless others.
2) Do not sigh or complain as I confess that God is good. So no matter under what situations, let me rejoice for He is good all the time.
3) Do works of charity even as I tell others or believe that God is love. For by spreading cheer or by doing good deeds, i am showing God's love to others.
4) As I believe that God is all powerful and God is my Healer and Master, than I must not worry or be filled with anxiety and fear. What I can do is to tell God what's the trouble, turn to His Word for wisdom and comfort and then seek help from church elders.
5) As I believe in heaven and eternal life with Christ, then I must tell others about it. I can't keep it to myself. Start praying, start fasting, start sharing, start telling. Ask God for His divine intervention to lead me to a person He wants me to reach out to.
Friday, 8 April 2011
Father Answers Prayers
A good friend wanted to bring her parents to my place for the TGIF Matthew party. She is very concerned about their salvation as they are quite old. When she brought up the matter to them, the father was willing but her mother refused. When she told me the news, we were both very disappointed. So I suggest we leave it to God but we pray hard. That was last week.
Today my friend called me and told me she brought up this matter again to her parents. Her brother was also together with them. This brother not only encouraged the parents to come to my place, but also inquired whether his wife can come too! My friend could not believe her ears! Both the brother and sister-in-law are unbelievers and have also scolded my friend for sharing the gospel.
I do not know what has happened, but I am very convinced that our Papa God hears our prayers and He answers all our prayers. All the glory to Him. Praise the Lord!
Today my friend called me and told me she brought up this matter again to her parents. Her brother was also together with them. This brother not only encouraged the parents to come to my place, but also inquired whether his wife can come too! My friend could not believe her ears! Both the brother and sister-in-law are unbelievers and have also scolded my friend for sharing the gospel.
I do not know what has happened, but I am very convinced that our Papa God hears our prayers and He answers all our prayers. All the glory to Him. Praise the Lord!
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
FATHER KNOWS BEST
I am not a person who is good with gadgets. I remember I needed my son to help out with the DVD player two years ago when friends came to my place to watch Kelvin's testimony. So I put in some determination to know at least how to get the machine works - with the help of my husband. Finally I manged to play some CDs and even get to watch some movies.
This year our church is celebrating Good Friday by sharing the gospel at home. We name it TGIF. And we will play the CD on Kelvin's wife this time round. So I open my home for the Matthew party again and I was very sure I know how to handle the gadget. We played the CD in church during last week cell meeting. Nothing came on the screen, we tried to push many buttons but no sound came out, but at least the picture came on. So we had to call in the experts and eventually managed to watch the whole thing. So my cell leader reminded me to try it at home. I was kept busy and forgot about it. I received the leader's sms reminder on Monday and I said I would try it on the next day.
In the afternoon I put the CD into the player. I saw the player displayed lights and the CD was moving but no picture nor sound came on. Then I remember the flash flood I 'enjoyed' in February. The telcos' workers came to change the boxes for me as they were all not working due to the water that came in through the window nearby. The repairman told me he had to removed the DVD wire as there just too many wires for him to handle! I completely forgot about the whole matter. Fortunately my husband was in Singapore. For the past years, he came back to Singapore in March for my birthday. Because I was not in Singapore this March, my husband postponed his trip to early April. Praise God for that because my husband finally manged to get the wires fixed (my son does not know how to do it, in fact the last time he messed up all the wires). Thank God that I still remember how to get this DVD player working and am now looking forward to watching this testimony with all friends who will come on TGIF . Hallelujah!
This year our church is celebrating Good Friday by sharing the gospel at home. We name it TGIF. And we will play the CD on Kelvin's wife this time round. So I open my home for the Matthew party again and I was very sure I know how to handle the gadget. We played the CD in church during last week cell meeting. Nothing came on the screen, we tried to push many buttons but no sound came out, but at least the picture came on. So we had to call in the experts and eventually managed to watch the whole thing. So my cell leader reminded me to try it at home. I was kept busy and forgot about it. I received the leader's sms reminder on Monday and I said I would try it on the next day.
In the afternoon I put the CD into the player. I saw the player displayed lights and the CD was moving but no picture nor sound came on. Then I remember the flash flood I 'enjoyed' in February. The telcos' workers came to change the boxes for me as they were all not working due to the water that came in through the window nearby. The repairman told me he had to removed the DVD wire as there just too many wires for him to handle! I completely forgot about the whole matter. Fortunately my husband was in Singapore. For the past years, he came back to Singapore in March for my birthday. Because I was not in Singapore this March, my husband postponed his trip to early April. Praise God for that because my husband finally manged to get the wires fixed (my son does not know how to do it, in fact the last time he messed up all the wires). Thank God that I still remember how to get this DVD player working and am now looking forward to watching this testimony with all friends who will come on TGIF . Hallelujah!
Saturday, 26 March 2011
We are wonderfully made by GOD
As I consider all these wonderful things God made, I am awestruck. All Glory to His Name!
1) The numbers of chromosomes and cells, DNA etc
2) Types of blood, red and white, positive and negative, A B O AB etc
3) Hairs on our body. When the hairs on our heads turn white, so do our eyebrows, side burns and goatees.
4) Types of teeth for various functions etc. Even our wisdom teeth.
5) The extras in our bodies - like the appendix and extra fingers or toes.
6) Bones in our body - even the ear-bone and skull.
7) How our bodies take in/absorb and then later discharge/give out like water, food,air. At times, even feelings like love and wisdom of words.
8) Amazing body parts like nails, ear-lobes with no blood vessels (so that you can wear ear-rings) and also our skin.
9) Colours of our skin, hair, eyes. We also have spots, dimples and birth-marks.
The list is not exhausting.
1) The numbers of chromosomes and cells, DNA etc
2) Types of blood, red and white, positive and negative, A B O AB etc
3) Hairs on our body. When the hairs on our heads turn white, so do our eyebrows, side burns and goatees.
4) Types of teeth for various functions etc. Even our wisdom teeth.
5) The extras in our bodies - like the appendix and extra fingers or toes.
6) Bones in our body - even the ear-bone and skull.
7) How our bodies take in/absorb and then later discharge/give out like water, food,air. At times, even feelings like love and wisdom of words.
8) Amazing body parts like nails, ear-lobes with no blood vessels (so that you can wear ear-rings) and also our skin.
9) Colours of our skin, hair, eyes. We also have spots, dimples and birth-marks.
The list is not exhausting.
Friday, 25 March 2011
God Is So Good
This morning I witnessed a scene which really makes me so in awe of GOD's goodness, kindness, love and patience He has with this children, especially the Hebrews in the desert.
I was at the coffee-shop with my son having breakfast. A man was complaining and grumbling to his friend about how a local telco firm has overcharged him for something he did not use. Worse, he was using all the foul and 4-letters words that hurt my ears. A woman who was trying to help advised him to go direct to the company and asked for proof of his usuage of this service. Again he poured out all sorts of words not meant for the ears. Worst, he even scolded the father and his son (MM AND 2nd SON) for being greedy for even such a small sum of his money. At this point I was very angry. Such rudeness, ungratefulness and disrespect to our MM Lee!
As I went for my morning walk at the nearby park later, I quiet down. God shows me just how He felt towards the grumblings and complaints of the Hebrews in the desert. God has done so much for them out of His great love but yet what He got in return was ungratefulness and complaints. But God forgives them each time they repented and called to Him in their distress. He completely forgets and forgives them of all their sins. How great Thou art! All glory to HIM
I was at the coffee-shop with my son having breakfast. A man was complaining and grumbling to his friend about how a local telco firm has overcharged him for something he did not use. Worse, he was using all the foul and 4-letters words that hurt my ears. A woman who was trying to help advised him to go direct to the company and asked for proof of his usuage of this service. Again he poured out all sorts of words not meant for the ears. Worst, he even scolded the father and his son (MM AND 2nd SON) for being greedy for even such a small sum of his money. At this point I was very angry. Such rudeness, ungratefulness and disrespect to our MM Lee!
As I went for my morning walk at the nearby park later, I quiet down. God shows me just how He felt towards the grumblings and complaints of the Hebrews in the desert. God has done so much for them out of His great love but yet what He got in return was ungratefulness and complaints. But God forgives them each time they repented and called to Him in their distress. He completely forgets and forgives them of all their sins. How great Thou art! All glory to HIM
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
DO NOT FRET! JUST PRAY!
Now that there are more ladies in the BSF, it would be really amazing if we can be dismissed on time. Yesterday's lecture was very inspiring and long. The lecturer apologised that she would have to take up some of our time. True enough, when I reached the bus-stop, it was eleven minutes after 11am. I need to rush to work and reach office by 12:00pm (lunch time for my colleague) and he has to eat on time as he is suffering from gastric problems. So I prayed to the Lord and said I wished to reach office before 12:00pm today. After a few minutes, bus 157 came. I would have preferred the other buses as they do not ply the housing estate. But since I have prayed and the bus 157 came, I just boarded it. The journey will take a while, so I took out a book and started reading. Just as I thought, the bus stopped at almost all the stops. I concentrated on reading instead of fretting. Just as I reached the depot (at the junction) I saw bus 79 at the traffic lights - which meant I have just missed the bus that take me to the office! But I trusted the Lord, and true enough a few minutes another bus 79 came along and I reached the office ten minutes before 12pm
How could this be? I don't know but I know God is good. Praise the Lord, all glory goes to HIM.
How could this be? I don't know but I know God is good. Praise the Lord, all glory goes to HIM.
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