What 2012 Meant to Me Part 1

Hey guys

Apologies that I haven't been blogging for awhile although I did promise to. Hope all is well and I'll try my best to continue updating every Wednesday from next year so really hope to keep in touch with you readers! (by faith I believe there are some loyal followers! haha )

Would like to write a post about what was really memorable to me in 2012 , and some the achievements I had in this transitional year. I really want to encourage you guys to write one as well. Would really like to find out how your year has been.

Anyway. I started the year still in Smart Learners as a teacher. Ended in March as I wanted to go to SOT. Hence I switched to full time tutoring and SOT studies.

The most memorable event of 2012 for me was definitely going to SOT. I really got to understand and know God on a deeper level and I did many wonderful things by the grace of God in ministry that I never thought possible! Not to mention I made an awesome bunch of friends both in my team and in choir ministry! Here are some events in SOT that really impacted me greatly.

1) I finished reading the Bible for the first time in my life! This was really a challenge but with the encouragement of friends, cell members and classmates, I did it! I found that reading the Bible indeed is a gateway into God's promises and it's like reading God's love letters to us! I was both touched and motivated by the stories of faith , peace and love. All in all, it opened my mind into the incredible amount of knowledge and wisdom that God has for us! Next year I will definetely aim to read it one more time so that the words really comes alive!

2) I was used by God to prophesy quite a bit! To me, this help me to distinguish God's voice and the impressions He leaves in my heart. It also helped me to understand how our God is a loving God who really cares for his children. Further more, He is ever so willing to use us as vessels to do wonders by His name!

Some of the really accurate prophecies I'm really thankful for are.....
1) Prophesying for Jacelyn Tay's son that He will become a man with influence just like Dr A R Bernard! It was actually confirmed by her blog in which she wrote that her son would be a change-maker!

2) Prophesying that God has prepared a special someone for my cell member. True enough, in 2 weeks He got attached!

3) Prophesying that all is going to go well financially for an SOT friend. True enough God blessed her for her faith and she's getting married in Dec !

4) Prophesying for a cell member that He will have the creativity from God to help him in his school projects! True enough, he was in the midst of trying to get inspiration to take his work to a whole new level.

There are still some others that I can't remember but all in all. I really want to thank God for using me as a vessel and for giving me the courage to really speak into the lives of others. Really want to encourage you guys to do the same!

Also would like to thank God for using me to pray for healing as well ! I don't really know if my prayers were answered but by faith I believe! It's a first step to really trusting God to do the miracle through you!

Apart from the gifts of the Holy Spirit. I believe God also showed himself supernaturally to me in many instances during SOT !

1) There was once I was really prompted by the HS to giuve an amount to an international student who was really in need. I knew that it was God when the moment she received it, she teared! A few moments later, another international student blessed me back with the same amount!!!!!! This was the most tangible God-incidence I ever felt !

2) For my preaching during mission trip. I was so stressed the night before that I couldn't sleep. The message I prepared was also very different from the demographic I met at the cell group. BUT, by His supernatural grace and power, the Holy Spirit gave me words to say that I believe brought a very good and strong msg to the people! This was also my first time preaching and it was AWESOME!!!! The whole mission trip was really filled with God's presence !

Other firsts for me in SOT were....
1) Being used in the guitar and cajon ministry!!
2) Day fasting for 21 days!
3) Being delivered
4) Taking different segments in cell group
5) going for a life changing mission trip!!

All in all, SOT really changed my life. It helped to shape my character and build my confidence in the Lord! I also learn very practical skills like planning sermons, preaching, moving in the Holy Spirit, communication skills, discipleship, theology and many more! It you are thinking of going to SOT, I say JUST DO IT! Your life will never be the same again!

Next up, 10 other achievements unlocked in 2012!





  

Who am I to shine for Jesus Part 1

It's been 4 days since my last post and I really want to thank you guys for the overwhelming response for this blog. I have been blessed writing it and I do hope you have too.

In order to keep you updated on when new content comes up, I'll be allocating 2 days a week where you can look forward to new and interesting content from the word of God. The days will be Wednesday and Saturday. For now, here's my next post entitled "Who am I to shine for Jesus"

Many of you may have heard messages on faith and about having a heavenly father to whom “we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us” (Phil 4:16) Yes it sounds greatly assuring but when think about this in relation to our surroundings, this may be a tough pill to swallow.

Have you ever felt so on fire for Jesus that you are provoked by a strong desire to do great things for God in your environment?  You listen to the message on the weekend and you’re so eager to start being salt and light in your environment, be it work or school.

 However, the ‘realities of time’ soon hits you straight in the face. There are honest mistakes made at work that caused reprimanding from employers. You find it hard to stay focused in class and your grades don’t seem to be improving. You’re not the vocal sort and no matter what you do, people seem to be always looking down on you. You need time to catch concepts and procedures that demand instant responses.  You are tasked something but somehow you were not able to do it in the way that your superior wanted.

Suddenly, somehow, that fire that you caught at Church got caught in the blaze of the work place/school instead. You so very much want to shine in your workplace/school but somehow you feel inadequate instead.  A little part of you feels like you’re letting God down.

Well, to be honest, this is how I sometimes feel as well.  This is why I’m writing this post because as I’m writing, I’m also convincing myself on the truth that God has laid down for us. The good news is that ‘YES’ God knows exactly how you feel as well, and He does have a way through it because He is Jehovah Shalom, the God of peace and Jehovah Rohi, our shepherd.

Always remind yourself that no matter what your going through, God is always ALWAYS thinking of you . A good verse to meditate on is this 

Psalm 139:17-18

"How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can't even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me!"

Firstly,  as a basis, let’s look at what God’s nature is and the truths as to what He thinks of us

Romans 8:1

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,”

Galatians 3:28

“There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.”

From these 2 verses, we can infer that God is good. He is a God that shows no favouritism. His love is all-encompassing and it doesn’t matter what background, education or work experience you have, He loves all! Rob Bell mentioned in one of this videos that John and Peter, whom God choose to be his disciples, were men who ‘didn’t make it’ in their education. In those days, only the best of the best would continue to further education and be discipled by a Rabi. Those who did not make it would in turn follow in the family business. In their cases, this was being fisherman.

Even so, Jesus, the Rabi of all Rabis, chose these fisherman to be his disciples. What more we, who have diplomas, degrees , A or O Levels! You must understand that God loves us all and you must be assured in your heart that He can use anybody despite the many thousand weaknesses you may have, This assurance of ‘FAITH’ will give you the motivation to get back up despite the mistakes, to try and try and try again! Despite the fact that the journey may be a long a different one, we must continually set our sights on the prize! to know that God has a ‘hope and a future’ for us (Jer 29:11).

Phil 3:14

“I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus”

Don’t let the evil one steal your faith. Have faith that God will pull through for you!

It is also important to note that a good book to read is Proverbs. Use what you’ve learnt from there and write down some reflections on how you can improve based on guidance from the book.

As what Dr Edwin Louis Cole writes in his book ‘Courage’, always write down what you’ve learnt so that you won’t forget. This way you will be conscious of your mistakes and what you’ve learnt from the Bible to apply to those mistakes.

I pray that you will find new wisdom in your workplace!

Part 2 to come soon !