His Word says...

Proverbs 3:9-10 (New King James Version)

⁹ Honor the LORD with your possessions, 

And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 

¹⁰ So your barns will be filled with plenty, 

And your vats will overflow with new wine. 

Believing in God's Word & promises.. Pressing in; claiming His promises in Jesus' Name.. Amen.. :)

James 3:1...

This particular verse seems to stand out for me today... and therefore, decided to look at it from various versions.. and it was interesting to see how things are put into place... I thought it would be interesting to put all the versions here.. just to share.. the seriousness of what this verse implies.. In fact, I think just by looking at the different versions, we could get an overall picture of what God is saying about teaching His Word.. without even me emphasising anything further.. I guess that is really the beauty of His Truth.. How His Word always stands for itself without being defended. I love it!.. *grin*

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 
(KJV)

My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 
(NKJV)

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 
(NIV)

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. 
(NASB)

Dear brothers and sisters, not many of you should become teachers in the church, for we who teach will be judged more strictly. 
(NLT)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
(ESV)

Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. 
(The Message; v1-2)

NOT MANY [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation]. 
(Amplified Bible)

As I reflect, I really think it is so vital to take it seriously with what we say and teach.. In fact, I find myself going to God even more these days, asking Him to show me how to manage this role.. for honestly, I am unworthy to teach His Word as I am still a sinner.. Who am I to bear such authority to teach? However, if this is what the Lord wants me to do, i.e. to teach His Word; He has to show me how and what.. And at the same time, He has to convict my heart in any areas of my life where I am not holy.. O! I pray for mercy and gentleness as He shows me those areas... for I am weak in my flesh..

The only thing that I do know is that I want to obey Him.. to fulfil the calling that He has given me.. "..to impart His Word to His people.." but the first part of His calling is to establish strong foundation in His Word which is something I am constantly looking at.. trying at least.. and by His grace, He always gives me understand as I read His Word. I am thankful for His many gifts upon my life.. and pray that I would be good steward of them as I live this one life... to make it count for Christ!.. *wink*

He will do it again...

This song spoke to my spirit today as I was randomly listening to the music I have on my laptop, while thinking and preparing for the coming talk that I am going to give.. God knows and He never fail to appear at the right time when I need it.. *grin* Hope it speaks to you as it has to me... The lyrics as follows...

VERSE 1 

You may be down and feel like God

Has somehow forgotten

That you are faced with circumstances

You can't get through

But now it seems that there's no way out

And you're going under

God's proven time and time again

He'll take care of you

CHORUS

And He'll do it again

He'll do it again

If you'll just take a look

At where you are now

And where you've been

Well hasn't He always come through for you

He's the same now as then

You may not know how

You may not know when

But He'll do it again

VERSE 2

God knows the things you're going through

And He knows how you're hurting

You see he knows just how you're heart

Has been broken in two

But He's the God of the stars, of the sun and the sea

And He is your Father

You see He can calm the storm

And He'll find some way to fix it for you

CHORUS

BRIDGE

Oh He's still God and He will not fail you

Oh He's still God and He will not change

Know, Know that He's God and He's fighting for you

Yes, just like Moses, just like Daniel,

And just like Shadrach and Meshach, Abednego

CHORUS

TAG

You may not know how

And you may not know when

You may not know how

You may not know when

But I know that He'll do it again

He'll do it again, again

indeed, He will do it again... even though don't know when and how... the assurance is that He will do it again!.. Thank You O Lord for this song.. for speaking deep in my soul and spirit this day...

Is this right? hmm..

Been thinking about something... and a clear thought that came to mind moments ago... and I have decided that until God shows me a very clear "YES", I am taking it that He is saying "NO"... Is this wise? risky? well.. I don't really know but that is the peace that I have as the thought came to mind.. :) and I believe it is the safest to be in God's hands..

Well.. that settles it then!.. coool.... what is next?

2010! such wonderful beginning......

Even though on the last day of 2009 I experienced some challenging thoughts.... God is so good to bless me with such wonderful beginnings for the new year 2010.... especially when I start the new year with my birthday..... and this year, I thoroughly enjoyed myself in a mini adventure with three other lovely friends..... Hope to scribble more as I get hold of all the photos... and post them here.. but for now, I would post this one up...... a gift from a dear sweet gal.... not sure if she is aware or have I told her about it but actually, the little bear is an answered prayer from God through her.. :)

God always gives the unexpected gifts...... I prayed for good weather.. with sunshine and clear sky and He gave me that today.... aww..... I feel so so so loved by Him..... and I know there are so much installed for me from Him in the days to come..... yippee....... and today, God also reminded me of something which I have meant to do..... well.... I am praying for the provision of a car to be able to achieve that in a more effective way.... The other prezzie He gave me is the UK driving license..... I am so blessed!.. *wink*

My sweet family.. :D

Miss my sweet family.. think I emo today.. lol..

all about me!.. is it?

well... it seems like it.. with my recent photos... they were taken while having hotpot with the uni students group that I am part of and involved in currently... I love these two photos taken.. and so, I put them up here.. *grin*

and it is not all about me.. in this particular scribbling... coz I wanna put the group photo of the uni students group here too.. the recent one where almost everyone were there.. :) and each & every one of them are precious to God... please say a prayer as you look at the picture... that each of us in the group would personally encounter God in special ways.... that is my daily prayer.. *wink*

by the way.. not sure why but I was right smack in the middle!.. hehehe..

who is right?.. who is wrong?...

it just boggles my mind as I think about words spoken by people.. I wonder, who is right and who is wrong.. or is that such a thing, in fact? or could it be that both are right to some extend? in a sense, that is what I call the complexity of communications... so, how do I handle this confusion? this bizarre thought..? My first instance would be to run to my sweet Lord Jesus and ask Him.. but sometimes (unfortunately it does happen), I try to unravel it myself... and I fail tremendously with more "heartaches".. and it just dawns on me.. "aiya.. why didn't I ask God?"... *doink* *doink*.. call it "pride"... call it "ego".. well.. that is what people call "learning process", I guess.. or at least, that is what I would call it.. hehe..

Why are we so preoccupied of being right? ah-ha.. something to ponder about.. something to ask God about.. hehe.. *wink* and I also remembered a saying that goes something like this.. "does it matter in 1000 years time? if it doesn't, means it is not worth the time 'arguing' about".. but what is the balance? how do we strike a balance? I am learning.. heee..

Reconciliation...

The ministry of reconciliation as written in 2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (NIV)......

Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. We are not trying to commend ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to take pride in us, so that you can answer those who take pride in what is seen rather than in what is in the heart. If we are out of our mind, it is for the sake of God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

first, be reconciled to God.. and then to one another......

May the word of God speaks true in our hearts..

Who is reading my scribblings?

I am a curious cat today.. Just wondering who has been reading my scribblings..... So, if you are reading my scribblings, could you drop a line or two? haha.. I would love to know who you are.... I already have a few names off my head.. but it would be great to hear from you..... *hugs*

Where is home?

This is an extension of my earlier scribbling....... there are many definitions for "home".. but one very interesting definition is.. "dwelling place"..

We people need the Lord......

Indeed.. people need the Lord.. only if they realise that in their hearts... It is so easy to think that people need "me" or "us".. actually, it is really the Spirit of God within me and us that they need..... That something different about "me" or "us" that attracts people...... That peace of God.. that joy of God.... that love of God...

Well.. I ponder about this even as I think of the days ahead.. whether to go home in March? Actually, come to think of it, where is "home"?

Home is where I find myself rested.. where I feel belonged.... Is it really about the place/ country where I was borned? Or somewhere else? Hmm.... Interesting.. very interesting, in fact..... Only the Lord knows where my coming "home" would be..... I am clueless.... I tried figuring it out.... but could it be figured out? Only in His time, it will be revealed....... so, in the meantime, I just wait in Him..... :)

Logical?

Is life logical? depending on what we are referring to, I guess.. which areas? and my guess is that when life is utterly illogical to me, my eyes would be fully turned to the One.. And I emphasize the usage of word.. "Fully".. not partially.. not quarterly.. but fully.. Hmm.. but will life be utterly illogical to some point? and will my eyes be "fully" turned to Him if it does happen?

My best guess is that life to be utterly illogical would happen..... perhaps it is even happening now for my own.. However, my eyes will never be "fully" turned to Him in life because I am still a sinner and still fall short of His Glory.. That's where His Grace and His Love comes in... He knows I always end up doing wrong things and looking at things the other way.. eventhough how much I try.. Which is why He came and die for me.. In a sense, it is truly a learning journey of life to fix my eyes on Jesus..... Of course, when life seems utterly illogical, it would be seemingly quicker for my eyes to fix on Him because there is no one else, there is no other place... yet, there are other distractions... I wonder what the Lord would do with me, being so weak, so silly... hehe.... Well, He still loves me.. He still welcomes me.. He wants to be every part of my life.. It is so comforting and so restful to know that deep in my heart.. and knowing His truth sets me free..

So, from that perspective, it is okay for life to be illogical....... it can be rather fun, in fact.... but God has to be in the picture...... He has to be every part of it.......... *wink*

Do I really know?

how to live by the "Faith Rule"? What does it mean? Well, the following devotion reading spoke about it.. Interesting to read and reflect on it.. :D

****

Living By 'The Faith Rule'

These all died in faith...

Hebrews 11:13 NKJV

The Bible says, 'These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them… ' (Hebrews 11:13 NKJV) People of faith anticipate what God promised, whether they ever experience its fulfillment or not. 'How can I believe in a promise I don't see fulfilled?' you ask. People like Abraham didn't live to see the ultimate fulfillment of God's promise in their lives, yet they died believing it. Trusting God means banking on His Word, even when there's nothing visible to demonstrate that what He says is going to come true. Even when you're on your deathbed and it still hasn't happened, you still trust Him. That's living by faith. The words 'in faith' in this Scripture are different from the words used in all the verses that read 'by faith.' The words 'in faith' actually mean 'according to faith.' These people lived by 'the faith rule.' Faith was the ruling principle in their lives! So even if they went to their graves without seeing God's promises fulfilled, they exited saying, 'God still told the truth.' They knew that the fulfillment was coming, and they lived in anticipation of it. That's what God is asking of you today. He wants you to live before Him in such a way that you anticipate His promises, even when every circumstance seems opposite to what those promises say. It also means you don't manipulate the circumstances to 'help God out' as Sarah did when she produced Ishmael. It means trusting God to do it His way, in His time, and for His glory.

****

 

It does seem tough to live by that, don't you think so? Well, I would think so.. It really stretches me even just by thinking of it.... what about living it? Hmm.. Only by His strength that I am able to live before Him in such a way that I anticipate His promises, even when every circumstance seems opposite to what those promises say..... Lord, have Your way, indeed..... I want to trust You to do it Your way, in Your time and for Your glory..... *smile*

God will never let go of me......

Yup.... He will never.... *grin*

This song just touched my heart early in the morning as I went for the morning prayer.......

Actually, I have already decided not to go for the morning prayer this morning but yet, there was the tugging in the heart to go.... God seems to say.. go not because you feel like going.. but go because I have called you to go.. So, it is not by feelings but by being obedient to Him... And, I am glad that I went... God always has some thing installed for me.....

I wonder.. why am I feeling tired today? Why do I feel downcasted? Oh Lord.. You know me.. and even as I think about these things, I am reminded of the famous prophet of all time.. Elijah.... how for one moment he could be so energetic and strong.. and then, another moment, he felt that he wants to die.... Lord.. Lord... what are You showing me? What am I to glean in this time? at this hour? Would I ever regret when I look back with hindsights that I have decided to stay on in UK? Did I actually hear You correctly? O Father.. I want to hear You clearly..... Please take away all those hindrances that are blocking my communication with You, Lord..... Open my ears and eyes to hear and to see...... That is my cry...... I want to hear You.. I want to see what You are revealing to me; in spirit as well as physically......

Thank You Lord for never ever let go of me...... *grin*

Utterly Disappointment..

I wonder.. did I feel that towards people or was it actually towards myself? Hmm.. Could it be that "perfectionism" has kicked in subtly? Oooh.. perhaps.. perhaps it has.. darn.. where did it come out from? Hmm.. What dear Lord is showing me? What am I to learn?

Just feeling downtrodden at the moment... and it is not even about having no job... haha...... This is absolutely crazy, I would think...

But am glad that I went for morning prayer this morning.... He reminded me again that life is not about me, not about others but it is about God.. so.. surrendering this feeling of disappointment to God and trust that He would turn it to something absolutely beautiful! in His Time.. *wink*

*grin*

Joshua has two cakes for his bday!..

cool, isn't it? hehehe.. He has two cakes..... He is so blessed!.. *wink*

My little nephew.. no longer that little anymore..

Josh has grown so much over the years and just turned 4 recently on 2nd November 2009..

Joshua, da-ku is very proud of you.. *grin* and will always be praying for you...... that you would grow up in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men just like Jesus (Luke 2:52)

2 Chronicles 16:9 says..

For the eyes of the LORD
range throughout the earth

to strengthen those whose hearts
are fully committed to Him.

What are you doing?

Keep Preparing Yourself

I have seen a son of Jesse... who is skillful...

1 Samuel 16:18 NKJV

David didn't suddenly become an expert marksman with a slingshot when Goliath showed up, or a master harpist when King Saul invited him to the palace. He took the long, slow, disciplined route. David had no idea what his future held, he simply found joy and fulfillment in discovering and developing his gifts. Your greatest obstacle to personal growth isn't ignorance; it's the illusion of knowledge. It's in believing you've 'arrived.' When that happens you're done growing, which means you're done! Which zone do you live in? The challenge zone: 'I attempt to do what I haven't done before.' The comfort zone: 'I only do what I already know I can do.' The coasting zone: 'I don't even do what I've done before.' Phillips Brooks said, 'Sad is the day for any man when he becomes absolutely satisfied with the life he is living, the thoughts he is thinking, and the things he is doing; when there ceases to be forever beating at the doors of his soul a desire to do something larger which he seeks and knows he was meant and intended to do.'

David's brothers knew his skills, yet none of them told King Saul about him. Be encouraged; you'll get there without them! 'Then one of [Saul's] servants… said, "Look, I have seen a son of Jesse… who is skilful in playing, a mighty man of valour… "' (1 Samuel 16:18 NKJV) David didn't compete with his brothers or complain about his status as a sheepherder. He just kept developing his relationship with God and sharpening his skills, and when the time was right God promoted him. So, keep preparing yourself.

*************

 

I like this devotion reading...... so.. what am I doing.. keep preparing myself in ways God reveals in my heart to prepare.... yippeeee... *wink*