2 Camps and 2 Dinners!

Been busy during the past week with camp b4 dinner b4 camp b4 dinner!

Combined Youth Leaders Camp was an incredible journey of studying God's word with a whole lot of new friends made. and the amazing thing about these friendships is that they are going to be eternal - for our destination is in heaven. I thank the Lord for the truths learnt, insights gained and the grace to apply it to my life. God causes calamities to punish people for evil. God has no pleasure in seeing the wicked destroyed but that all would turn from the evil ways and come into repentence. Man cannot run away from God. God can use even an unwilling heart in the worst of circumstances to accomplish His purposes. Thank God for Shalom, Zion Bishan, Nazareth, Moriah B-P Church. It was create to know them and to see each one's passion to study the word of God increase!

Had create time of fellowship over sushi (ichiban hoshi) with Allvina, Gwyneth, Alex, Joanne and Shelia. Later we had a good chat over some coffee and milk. Wonderful way to wrap up a camp.

Campus Crusade Metamorphosis Camp was another Spiritually refreshing camp. I was given one day to get to know all the people who have bonded over the course of the last few days as I couldn't make it for the pervious days. I really thank God and them that they were so warm in extending their love. Indeed, such is the example of the love that Christ has shown unto us in offering us salvation.

Camp speaker was Rich Miller, speaking on the last night about "Fear that paralyzes". Am glad that God brought me to be there that night. For it was there that He showed me what fears I am hiding behind that confident front and how my actions and thought-life was dictated by my fears. My fear came in terms of self-worth and image. How to be liked? How to be well-loved? How to be confident? Well, my self-worth is based on what God sees me as. Is it great to be liked and well-loved? Sure... Should we work at it? Why not? But I realise that when we work on it with our own strengths, it's way too tiring... My hearts desire is to love other more, deeply. But it is only possible to do that when my heart's focused on God's love and not my own.
Another thing I re-learnt is that God is in control, now that's head-knowledge. The challenge I had and have now is for that to be in the heart. That the heart knows that God is in control ALL the time. Period. Thank God for blessing me with these truths and enabling me to bless others too.

Great week, now time to go watch-night service.

"To God be the glory great things He have done!
So love He the world that He gave us His Son!"

Combined Youth Leaders' Camp

Met up with Allvina this evening. It's always great meeting up with this blessed sister, and I thank God that she has such a gift of encouragement.

Attended my 1st and last Combined Youth Leaders' Camp meeting. The people were all pretty friendly and I thank God for them all. My partner in counselling is this girl from Shalom BP, Hsiao Yun. I pray that God will enable us to be more prayerful, and to prepare the hearts of the campers. Jonah is a pretty good book to do precepts studies on and while doing day 4's study today, it has really spoken to me. A true heart of repentence, that turns away from sin. A God that hears my cries, if I do what is right, and looks upon me, and will deliver me. A God that hears me, if I will repent and turn away from my wickedness.

Hope I come prepared for this camp. Put in more prayer, put in more heart, and effort.

Gen12ii

I filled in that looong Gen12ii form online this evening.

I commit this "journey" into His hands. I know He can provide and will provide for all my needs.
Every cent and equiping that I'll need from Spiritual training to language. Already there is a small hurdle ahead of me.

Pray that God will make me prayerful.

Japanese Church Service

Attended the Singapore Japanese Fellowship service with Joy today at St George's Church.

It was combined service with the children and adults. The children very cute and they put up a nativity skit entitled「 ほんとうのうクリスマスプレゼント」- meaning "The Real Christmas Present".

I did not realise the translation earphones were at the seat behind and we ended up trying to decipher all that Japanese with our mediocre level of Japanese. Nonetheless, praise God that it is indeed heart-warming to hear God being worshipped and His word being preached in different tongues. The children sounded so cute I even recorded it down.

Jesus Christ - yi ya su ku ri si to (イヤス・クリスト）

Thank God for Joy, it has been a while since I've had a proper time of fellowship with a believer and she has been an encouragement to me. That God will for Himself raise up godly men and women to serve His kingdom, desiring with all their hearts that every detail of their walk be pleasing unto Him.

Memorised Rom6:4
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the newness of life."

Newness of life

Sunday School Camp 2005 was a success by God's grace.

I've learnt much during this camp. Camp verses were Ephesians6:10-18 on the armour of God.

Yet, when I came home in the evening. I was struck by an overwhelming sense of a lack of love for God and a desire to have a truly intimate walk with Him. To say I'm a Christian who loves God is one thing, but to act out my love for God is another. How much time I spent in God's word, compared to TV, hobbies, internet chatting, etc.

King David in Psalms 119:97 "Oh how I love thy law! it is my meditation all the day." Can I say that for myself one day? I hope so.

Picked up my Bible and it was at Romans 6. "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." v5

God thought me that this verse is not only for new believers, but also for seasoned ones. Not yet yielded enough. If I wanted to be a man after God's own heart as King David was, I must start by loving God's laws as much as David did, that it was his meditation all the day. Seeking God and His testimonies and statutes above self-pride and righteousness. Today will start a difference in my life again. I will walk this newness of life.

1Pet 1:16 "Because it is written, Be ye holy ; for I am holy(Lev11:44)"

Accountability:
1) Cut TV
2) Read God's word more each day.

December Hols are here!

Exams are over and Sunday School Camp is coming up in 2 days time.
Have to entrust my results in God's hands.. some papers were just plainly difficult.

Pray that I'll be given the right mind and right heart to be in Sunday School Camp. As assistant camp master, I really desire to do what God would have me do in this camp. Whilst now, I'm just feeling a sense of emptiness and perhaps lostness. Many things to be done... Yet God is concerned about how I choose to do them each, and not that I simply get them done.

Is it not that "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me"(Phil4:13)? Yes, it is. It's God who gives purpose, meaning and fulfillment to the works of my hand. And I will do my works to the best of my might(Ecc9:10).

Watched Saw II with friends today. Grostesque and horror films aren't my liking and this is particularly grostesque. If you watched it and did not find it particularly grosteque, then the world has succeeded in desensitizing you to violence and gore. The very instinct that makes us squirm, fidget and want to shut our eyes when we see violence, gore and other disturbing images flash before our eyes is what has been wired into us, helping us to differentiate what is good and what isn't. It's also a warning, indicating danger for us. Some people may find my opinions particularly extreme, but just look at the desensitized world out there. When 9/11 struck and the world had images of violence plastered all over their tv screens, how many had commented in curiousity "wow... this looks like a movie", before it even occured to feel pity and disgust? I know I was more curious then shock, and pity and disgust came much later then it should.

We ought to be good stewards for God with our minds and perspectives too. I hope that years later I'll still squirm at violence, bloodshed(and not see it as theatrics) and psychotic serial killers. On an added note, yes, I hope I'll be shy about sexual imagery thown about at me everyday and to mention even the word "sex". We seem to have traded our shyness for unfounded boldness and desensitized our minds to sex, as something that has found it's way to casual talk with every television drama and movie flashing a scene or two of suggested pre-marital sex(on this point saw 2 din have any, amazingly).

What to watch, listen, think and do then?

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
~Philippians 4:8