Wednesday, April 26, 2006
Hey PPLE (YF AND SYF!)
This sunday we'll have a very special programme. We're going to visit a SYNAGOGUE. Find out what that means if you're dunno haha. and if u're lazy...well that just gives u a greater reason to come this Sunday. As this is a once in a life time experience (how many of you have been invited to visit a SYNAGOGUE? There's only one in Singapore btw!), I urge you not to oversleep and come join us for worship and then the visit.
The whole trip will only end at around 2.3o pm (latest 3pm). Worrying that you can't fininsh your weekend HW? Well, Good News! Monday is a holiday. (Labour Day!) However, this should not give u reason to party the whole day away. Therefore, I seek your trust in informing your parents (for those 18 & below...) that this trip will end latest at 3pm, and that wherever you go after 3pm is not the YF Committee's responsibility. I don't want to have parents calling me at 7pm, 8pm asking me where their sons/daughters are! I apologize for not having a consent form done in time to be distributed but as brothers and sisters of Christ, I think I should be able to trust you all to perform this simple task effortlessly and save the Church unnecessary trouble.
The Dress Code by the way:
NO Slippers/Sandals!
NO miniskirts!
NO shorts/bermudas!
NO provocative messages on your tops!
This is a stern warning. I would NOT allow u to go with us if u're dressed in any of the above, and this goes for all ages.
We'll also be having lunch together. Bring some cash and your EZ link card. There won't be any running around this time. If your parents want to know, we'll be at Waterloo Street. It's easy to go home because that place is near City Hall/Dhoby Ghaut MRT. Ok that's all i guess. If you want to know more, don't hesitate to call me! :)
Cya guys!
~[z][x]~
@ 9:17 PM
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Monday, April 24, 2006
Hey I'm not sure if any of you here read yesterday's (sunday's) newspaper Life Section about this girl by the name of Joan Chan Shu Fang. She's from the same batch as yiu ming and I in RJC, though we didn't really know her back then. If you haven't read about her, she was diagnosed with tongue cancer soon after her A Levels Examinations. She's at her terminal stage now, at the age of 20. I found her blog and I would like to share it here with all of you, with her permission of course.
I hope that by reading her blog you would be inspired to look a life with a different perspective.
I hope that by reading her blog, you'll be touched by what some people of our age are going through and how fortunate we are to be healthy and strong.
I hope that by reading her blog, you'll be motivated to keep faith in this Lord, who has promised and IS still fulfilling the promise.... "..neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:38-39)
I hope that by reading her blog, you'll be empowered to make full use of every moment in your life for the service of our Lord, because if a dying girl can decide to do so, why can't we?
I hope that by reading her blog, you'll be filled with the compassion and power of the spirit, and in one tongue together with her many many friends in Singapore and overseas, pray for a miracle to happen, pray for Joan's recovery.
Joan is now taken out of ICU because the medicine and treatment is not working anymore. The only way for her to live is if God is moved and a miracle happens. So financial donations would not be of much help.
Here it is by the way... http://onlyskindeep.blogspot.com/ (u need to scroll quite a lot)
By the way, when i Sms-ed her asking if i could do this on our YF blog, i was honestly quite scared. Coz it was the first time i sms-ed her, plus we never knew each other... n so naturally i felt it was quite a big request for a stranger to ask if he could publicize someone's else personal diary. I expected her to ignore me, or reply 'What's your problem? Can u be more sensitive?', or perhaps even blame the friend who gave me her number.
But her reply was....
"Sure, but I don't regularly update it. Will your YF mind? Will it really help them since I don't have the energy to regularly blog and share?"
At that moment, my eyes were filled with tears.
Dear Joan, If you happen to have a chance to read this, I want to really thank you for showing us the love and the power of Jesus Christ. When I look at you and Christ when he was facing death, I see similarities. Thanks for teaching us that even in our worst of times, we can still be an instrument for the Lord. God has worked wonders in your life. You might not blog regularly, you even know you might never blog again, but look at your blog, look at the number of lives which were changed, the number of souls which were touched, the amount of faith which was rekindled! You have been his Faithful Servant indeed! Our prayers are with you. We pray that you recover and God will continue to use you to tell this touching story. All the best! :)
~[z][x]~
@ 10:15 PM
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Saturday, April 22, 2006
Hi all. Tmr we will be having BIBLE STUDY.
The senior groups will be discussing the meaning of Jesus' Resurrection while the junior group will be investigating on the Case for God. I thought these are wonderful topics that sometimes, our non Christian friends might ask us. So do come prepared with questions to challenge not just your daoshis but also your peers in your group as well. Together, when our brains and hearts are working.... then there will be spiritual growth.
Cya~!
~[z][x]~
@ 7:25 PM
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Friday, April 14, 2006
Father, why did You allow Jesus to die??
Click => Why - Nicole Nordeman. <= Click
Anonymous
@ 11:37 PM
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Maundy Thursday Service
This year I attended the Maundy Thursday Service at Seng Kang Methodist Church. I needed to finish my assignment asap and I thought of Seng Kang MC which is nearer to my house. It was quite a special and meaningful service for me. We were given a time for prayer and reflection at the end of the service. Believers are encouraged to come forward to the stage, kneel before the Lord Jesus to pray and to meditate. In fact many believers went forward. Pastors and church leaders were praying for them. It's a heartening moment to see people praying for one another. The Holy Spirit is working and flowing among them. What a special moment. People were just focused in praying for the brothers and sisters. Guo Wei and I went forward too, we experienced the warmth and love of God that flow through us. We received prayer and ministry from them. It's such an unexpected moment for both of us and other believers to get close to God, to kneel before Him, and let his love touches us once again. May all of us experience a different and meaningful holy week this year. And we desire to obey Him and to deny ourselves, carry our cross daily and follow Him.
Janice
@ 9:20 PM
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... He was going home. He was going home a changed man. Not demanding that he get what he deserved, but willing to tkae whatever he could get. "Give me" had been replaced with "help me" and his defiance had been replaced with repentance.
He came asking for everything with nothing to give in return. He had no money. He had no excuses.
And he had no idea how much his father had missed him.
He had no idea the number of times his father had paused between chores to look out the front gate for his son. The boy had no idea the number of times his father had awakened from restless sleep, gone into the son's room, and sat on the boy's bed. And the the son would have never believed the hours the father had set on the porch next to the empty rocking chair, looking, longing to see that familiar figure, that stride, that face.
As the boy came around the bend that led up to his house, he rehearsed his speech one more time. "Father , I have sinned against heaven and against you."
He approached the gate and placed his hand on the latch. He began to lift it, then he paused. His plan to go home suddenly seemed silly. "what's the use?" he heard himself asking himself. "what chance do I have?" He ducked, turned around and began to walk away.
Then he heard the footsteps. He heard the slap, slap, slap of sandals. Someone was running. He didn't turn to look. It's probably a servant coming to chase me away or my big brother wanting to know what I"m doing back home. He began to leave.
But the voice he heard was not the voice of a servant nor the voice of his brother; it was the voice of his father.
"Son!"
"Father?"
He turned to open the gate, but the father already had. The son looked at his father standing at the entrance. Tears glistened on his cheeks as arms stretched from east to west inviting the son to come home.
"Father, I have sinned." The words were muffled as the boy buried his face in his father's shoulder. The two wept. For a forever they stood at the gate intertwined as one. Words were unnecessary. Repentance had been made, forgiveness had been given.
The boy was home.
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If there is a scene in the story that deserves to be framed, it's the one of the father's outstretched hands. His tears are moving. His smile is stirring. But his hands call us home. Imagine those hands. Strong fingers. Palms wrinkled with lifelines. Stretching open like a wide gate, leaving entrance as the only option.
When Jesus told this parable of the loving father, I wonder, did he use his hands? When he got to this point in the story, did he open his arms to illustrate the point?
Did he perceive the thoughts of those in the audience who were thinking, "I could never go home. Not after my life"? Did he see a housewife look at the ground and a businessman shake his head as if to say, "I can't start over. I've made too big a mess?" And did he open his arms even wider as if to say, "Yes, Yes YOU CAN! YOU can come home!" ?
Whether he did that day or not, I don't know. But I know that he did later. He later stretched his hands as open as he could. He forced his arms so wide apart that it hurt. And to prove that those arms would never fold and those hands would never close, he had them nailed open.
They still are. -- Max Lucado, "Six Hours One Friday"
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Combined Worship Service this Sunday at 10AM.
Plus Lunch too.
~[z][x]~
@ 1:22 PM
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Sunday, April 09, 2006
Today dialogue session
About the 9am praise & worship service changes to an English service. It is actually not a pure English service cos the 25 mins worship singing still bilingual. The only difference is we hv English sermons every Sunday.
Few young people voiced their opinions, perhaps others hv reasons for not saying their view. I actually felt touched when someone said what matters most is, a good speaker whether be it chinese or english speaking, delivers gd message. This is the principle that we always hold on to. Our congregation has grown up and is maturing. They desire good sermon which help them to grow in faith. Glad to see that they are thinking and reflecting christians. We want to hv gd sermon so that we can be ministered and to live the faith and walk the talk.
During the session, people asked questions like why not remains as bilingual service. Sometimes our young people who hv frens come from foreign land, feel more comfortable with mandarin. And they will follow our youths to attend youth group after service.
One concern brought up, our congregation is not committed to bring their non-christian friends to church. Difficulties they face, for example, their fren's parent does not allow them to go church; their friends are English speaking. If we notice, there are many English speaking churches around Dover. There isnt a lack of worship place.
A voice from one of the parents, mentioned dat since the church has no clear strategy now, perhaps we shall consider to wait upon the Lord and seek His will. There isnt any concrete strategy presented to the congregation during service.
Finally, LCEC chairman concluded dat church members submit to the church leaders' decision.
Let's pray for the church. The church is the body of Christ, and we are the church. Our church is unique, the culture is unique as well. We hv people from all age groups, and we hv a close bonding as a big family. It is the love and fellowship that keep people stay.
Let's prayerfully seek God to guide and show us His will for the 9am praise & worship service. Pray dat more intercessors will participate in the work of God's Kingdom.
Are you in the team working alongside with God? Are you considering to be an intercessor for the church, to pray for clear strategy and direction of the church?
Janice
@ 11:43 PM
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Saturday, April 08, 2006
Dear yfers & syfers,
This Sunday, we will be holding a dialogue session. The topic will be about changing our 9am worship service to a English service. We will have Pastor Louis, our LCEC chairman YuanHsin, music and worship ministry chair person WuMei in the panel to answer your questions.
It is an important for all of you to take part in this discussion because you are the congregation affected by this decision. You should be convinced and then get involved to make this change a fruitful one.
I'd like to encourage you to write down your questions before you come. You can ask questions like: Why change? Why not remain? What is the impact? What about our neighbour Aldersgate? Are we competing with them? What is next after this change? Will we have English bulletin, English Sunday school, Bible class and cell group? Are we encouraging English speaking adults to join us? You can give your opinions to some of the questions above. You can also give suggestions like how can we reorganize our resources? How can you contribute?
Some adults from Chinese service would like to join us in this discussion but they hesitated because the announcement in the bulletin is not clear. Actually, any church member can come for this discussion, not just yfers and syfers. So, please help to invite your parents if they are also our church members.
Please pray for a fruitful discussion.
See you all on Sunday.
bud
@ 1:39 AM
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Monday, April 03, 2006
Psalm 121
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip, he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD watches over you, the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm, he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
I had a wonderful lunch fellowship with a few brothers and sisters yesterday. The conservation surrounds what happens to our church recently. One of the brother expressed concern that, due to the recent events, misunderstandings and criticisms may make our serving more painful and difficult; and hence, he has given us suggestions.
I am thankful that the Lord has prepared for us true friends who care and think ahead for us. That is true love: to run ahead of people you love and help to clear the obstacles in their way. Just like Christ who has gone ahead of us and prepared for us the way to eternal life. He loves us so much that He did it with His flesh and blood.
So then, who or what shall we fear? The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?
Dear Lord, thank you for your love and the friends whom you have placed beside us. Please strengthen us. Watch over us so that we will do nothing wrong. Help us to stand firm and serve with clear conscience. Give me the wisdom and love I need in order to lead my flock to higher ground.
bud
@ 4:45 PM
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Saturday, April 01, 2006
Hey guys. We have a prayer meeting tmr for YF. Do come prepared with a heart that desires to speak to our Lord. =)
~[z][x]~
@ 7:50 PM
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