Was talking to God yesterday as I strolled back to my place after jogging.
Learnt practically and experientially a few truths/revelations:
Every wilderness experience is not actually very 'fun' to be in, but as you go through it and finally 'graduate' it, you come to a point where u emerge different, God who Himself will complete/restore and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and place you on a firm foundation.
I think I am starting to grasp the verse in Eccelesiastes 1: 2 a lil better. Go check it yourself.
Telling God to "relax a bit la" in orchestrating the wilderness experience for me is really foolish as He is completing a good work in me.
I realise there is a difference in between true joy in the Lord and joy from what is around you and what you have. Imagine Peter, who still sings praises from his prison cell, when everything doesn't go well, Peter still could find the joy.
Faith is truely tested when circumstances do not go your way. When things go well, is your faith in God only? Or do you have faith in your good circumstances. Hard to say till God reveals it.
Bertrand
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
I'm in lecture
Woohoo...
Blog hopping has yielded its fruits:
Sean's bloggie says that we should not be stuck in old/past seasons.
Must be a confirmation. haha...
Well btw, who are my secret blog readers? Well this blog is kinda black and dull
Think I am gonna give it a facelift.
hmm... somethots
School term is starting, got something to look forward to.
haha.
People are gonna stone me
I am not refering to homework and study, as I believe many people think so. :p
haha.
I can't wait to see my friends again.
To my MSE friends:
Arrgh... Been really busy. Can't wait to see you all again. Serious. We got lotsa time to catch up next sem considering we will be together in school like most of the day each week. :D haha.
To my fellow Churchies:
So glad to get to some of you better this hols. haha... Guess to chat wif u all during school days would be over msn/phone. Those wif 3 day or 4 day school weeks, resist the temptation to gloat over my 5 day, 9am to 5pm, school weeks. Those I am referring to u know who u r. *bish bish* Beat your head if u laugh at me. Will find time to call u guys since we won't have time to catch up much in chuch wif our ususal running around in our busy-ness in the weekends.
To my Dad (the human one, if u r reading this):
Yes I am looking forward to you taking leave. Haha... Thank you for allowing me to have the car for those days this coming sem!!! Wahh hahaha.....
Bertrand
Blog hopping has yielded its fruits:
Sean's bloggie says that we should not be stuck in old/past seasons.
Must be a confirmation. haha...
Well btw, who are my secret blog readers? Well this blog is kinda black and dull
Think I am gonna give it a facelift.
hmm... somethots
School term is starting, got something to look forward to.
haha.
People are gonna stone me
I am not refering to homework and study, as I believe many people think so. :p
haha.
I can't wait to see my friends again.
To my MSE friends:
Arrgh... Been really busy. Can't wait to see you all again. Serious. We got lotsa time to catch up next sem considering we will be together in school like most of the day each week. :D haha.
To my fellow Churchies:
So glad to get to some of you better this hols. haha... Guess to chat wif u all during school days would be over msn/phone. Those wif 3 day or 4 day school weeks, resist the temptation to gloat over my 5 day, 9am to 5pm, school weeks. Those I am referring to u know who u r. *bish bish* Beat your head if u laugh at me. Will find time to call u guys since we won't have time to catch up much in chuch wif our ususal running around in our busy-ness in the weekends.
To my Dad (the human one, if u r reading this):
Yes I am looking forward to you taking leave. Haha... Thank you for allowing me to have the car for those days this coming sem!!! Wahh hahaha.....
Bertrand
Friday, July 25, 2008
New insert!
Wha ha ha...
Just some random comments:
Again I notice how people like to put up an image that they are happy and joyful all the time when in fact they are not. Saying that, I do not mean there are no truly happy people in the world. Just that there are those who are not happy, but like to put up a front of joy.
Again I recall Ecclesiastes 7: 14
" On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won't take anything for granted " (Msg)
God arranges for good days and bad days, so that we, His children will not take anything for granted. Hard to imagine how spiritual heavy weights such as Reinhard Bonnke and Benny Hinn have bad days, but that is true.
Again I think what I learnt during QT yesterday.
Apparently, the first two commandments:
'Do not worship and other God.' and 'Do not build for yourself any graven images.'
cover a vast amount of things, tangible and intangible.
Even for Christians, joy, peace and love can become a graven image, an emotional idol you chase after. Christians are supposed to be God chasers and God worshippers, rain or shine, joyful or remorseful, peaceful or in pain, feeling loved by others or rejected by others.
Joy, peace and love are what God gives as His gracious gift to His children because He loves us. Yet, they are not what we should be chasing after.
Again I think how we sometimes can be judgemental and short-sighted. We see the sin or the weakness, but never understanding or seeking why it is there. Deep down these are all linked to a single source, a longing in an area(s) of their souls which needs God to come in. Nothing that perfect love cannot do!
Just some random comments:
Again I notice how people like to put up an image that they are happy and joyful all the time when in fact they are not. Saying that, I do not mean there are no truly happy people in the world. Just that there are those who are not happy, but like to put up a front of joy.
Again I recall Ecclesiastes 7: 14
" On a good day, enjoy yourself;
On a bad day, examine your conscience.
God arranges for both kinds of days
So that we won't take anything for granted " (Msg)
God arranges for good days and bad days, so that we, His children will not take anything for granted. Hard to imagine how spiritual heavy weights such as Reinhard Bonnke and Benny Hinn have bad days, but that is true.
Again I think what I learnt during QT yesterday.
Apparently, the first two commandments:
'Do not worship and other God.' and 'Do not build for yourself any graven images.'
cover a vast amount of things, tangible and intangible.
Even for Christians, joy, peace and love can become a graven image, an emotional idol you chase after. Christians are supposed to be God chasers and God worshippers, rain or shine, joyful or remorseful, peaceful or in pain, feeling loved by others or rejected by others.
Joy, peace and love are what God gives as His gracious gift to His children because He loves us. Yet, they are not what we should be chasing after.
Again I think how we sometimes can be judgemental and short-sighted. We see the sin or the weakness, but never understanding or seeking why it is there. Deep down these are all linked to a single source, a longing in an area(s) of their souls which needs God to come in. Nothing that perfect love cannot do!
Friday, July 11, 2008
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Psalm 6 - Prayer for Mercy in Time of Trouble.
For the choir director; with stringed instruments, upon an eight-string lyre. A Psalm of David.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
5For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
7My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
8Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.
Well... I am posting my QT up here today, with reference to the Maxwell Leadership Bible:
Observation (in General):
King David wrote many songs, directed unto God. Many songs were about his own affliction and his cry for God to deliver him. David was a man after God's own heart and was not afraid to communicate (or sing) and reveal his emotions or weaknesses.
"The Leader's Humanity: Don't Hide it.
Even as King of Israel, he (David) declared his fears, his anxieties, and his ambitions. Good leaders know how to balance transparency with being an example. Good leaders feel secure enough to be vulnerable" - Maxwell Leadership Bible, commentary on Psalms 6
Application:
People (as especially the men) often think being tough means that they are not easily emotionally effected (or at least they should appear that way.) Hence comes the whole macho mumbo jumbo. For example, I learnt during my NCC days: 'Real men don't cry!' Haha... If that is true, real men are abnormal. Men often hide their emotions and weaknesses from others fearing that others might 'pity' them or see them as 'weak'
However, the KING OF ISRAEL was not afraid to reveal his emotions and weakness. We can see this frm v2, v3 and so on.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
He did so and balanced it with the way he walked his life's journey as an example. King David was transparent about his griefs, but always trusted the Lord and his actions and words portrayed his trust in the Lord. This was the example King David showed to his men. We can see this from v9 and v10.
"9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed."
Men need to know: being vulnerable is not weakness, but
(Vulnerability of weaknesses + true faith in the Lord) are two traits that a Kingdom man will have and the Kingdom man's strength is not of his, but of the Lord's.
The greatest man to show vulnerability is Jesus, as He was willing to die on the cross in front of EVERYONE, not in a closed room. Jesus, although He was sinless and was equal to God, Jesus was willing to be vulnerable in the flesh (to be crucified). Jesus never lost faith in His father God and walked in obedience to be crucified.
Prayer:
Lord, help me learn to be open and vulnerable as a leader. Help me learn to be a Kingdom man. Help me learn to be a man after your own heart, with faith and trust in You and yet secure enough to reveal my weaknesses. Lord, may this little devotion bless those who read it. Give them a rhema word as well Lord. Amen.
1O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your wrath.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
4Return, O LORD, rescue my soul;
Save me because of Your lovingkindness.
5For there is no mention of You in death;
In Sheol who will give You thanks?
6I am weary with my sighing;
Every night I make my bed swim,
I dissolve my couch with my tears.
7My eye has wasted away with grief;
It has become old because of all my adversaries.
8Depart from me, all you who do iniquity,
For the LORD has heard the voice of my weeping.
9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed.
Well... I am posting my QT up here today, with reference to the Maxwell Leadership Bible:
Observation (in General):
King David wrote many songs, directed unto God. Many songs were about his own affliction and his cry for God to deliver him. David was a man after God's own heart and was not afraid to communicate (or sing) and reveal his emotions or weaknesses.
"The Leader's Humanity: Don't Hide it.
Even as King of Israel, he (David) declared his fears, his anxieties, and his ambitions. Good leaders know how to balance transparency with being an example. Good leaders feel secure enough to be vulnerable" - Maxwell Leadership Bible, commentary on Psalms 6
Application:
People (as especially the men) often think being tough means that they are not easily emotionally effected (or at least they should appear that way.) Hence comes the whole macho mumbo jumbo. For example, I learnt during my NCC days: 'Real men don't cry!' Haha... If that is true, real men are abnormal. Men often hide their emotions and weaknesses from others fearing that others might 'pity' them or see them as 'weak'
However, the KING OF ISRAEL was not afraid to reveal his emotions and weakness. We can see this frm v2, v3 and so on.
2Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am pining away;
Heal me, O LORD, for my bones are dismayed.
3And my soul is greatly dismayed;
But You, O LORD--how long?
He did so and balanced it with the way he walked his life's journey as an example. King David was transparent about his griefs, but always trusted the Lord and his actions and words portrayed his trust in the Lord. This was the example King David showed to his men. We can see this from v9 and v10.
"9The LORD has heard my supplication,
The LORD receives my prayer.
10All my enemies will be ashamed and greatly dismayed;
They shall turn back, they will suddenly be ashamed."
Men need to know: being vulnerable is not weakness, but
(Vulnerability of weaknesses + true faith in the Lord) are two traits that a Kingdom man will have and the Kingdom man's strength is not of his, but of the Lord's.
The greatest man to show vulnerability is Jesus, as He was willing to die on the cross in front of EVERYONE, not in a closed room. Jesus, although He was sinless and was equal to God, Jesus was willing to be vulnerable in the flesh (to be crucified). Jesus never lost faith in His father God and walked in obedience to be crucified.
Prayer:
Lord, help me learn to be open and vulnerable as a leader. Help me learn to be a Kingdom man. Help me learn to be a man after your own heart, with faith and trust in You and yet secure enough to reveal my weaknesses. Lord, may this little devotion bless those who read it. Give them a rhema word as well Lord. Amen.
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