so faith comes from hearing

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed?

And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?

And how are they to hear without someone preaching?

And how are they to preach unless they are sent?

As it is written,

"How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!"

But they have not all obeyed the gospel.

For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?" So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Romans 10:14-17

choosing to lose

today's qt made me realise some things. first off, i'll confess that i haven't really had a quality-kind of qt in a while - it's been more of breezing through passages without any real study. but today things were different, and i'm pretty sure it's only because today i chose to set aside undisturbed, unrushed, unpressured time, and because i really just took my time dwelling in the word.

and what a difference it makes. when there isn't anything else on your mind, you're fully awake, and you really want to analyse and break down the passage and fit it all together again to understand it. so many times i just went with the flow of things and busyness, and let them take precedence and priority in my life. even when i did do qt, i made sure it was short and consoled myself that hey, at least i did it.

i guess i never realised that we really do have a choice, we shouldn't feel like slaves to time or work or stress, or even entertainment or friends. and it extends to all areas of how we spend our time. what jobs we choose to do or what cca/commitments we choose to take up - does it exhaust us and leave us with no time to commune with God and His people? are we choosing temporal, worldly enjoyment over the true joy that comes from building a relationship with our Lord and Saviour?

Jesus says, 'whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.' (Matthew 16:25-27)

now that we acknowledge we do have a choice,

may we choose to lose,

and find that He will save.

The Danger of Being the Same

Have you ever felt a vast difference in your ways of thinking or operating between you and a fellow brother or sister in Christ? Or wished that people in church had the same qualities or opinions as you have?

This article really enlightened me further on how, as a body of Christ, we are united in Christ, yet God has made us each unique, and we can complement each other! :) As someone commented, this article is summarised in 1 corinthians 12, and I think it puts the bible passage into practical, everyday terms!

Let's learn to accept and cherish each other for the differences in the way God has made us! We can actually use these differences to build each other up to become more like Christ! I think it also helps us understand the importance of speaking up in love and being open to receiving suggestions/rebukes from others, after all we are a family in Christ. :)

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/church/features/22252-the-danger-of-being-the-same

bad times?

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 8:28-30
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

every situation we go through, is to build our faith and steadfastness (James), and ultimately to make us more like Jesus (Romans). and these are essential in our growth and our journey towards the end point: heaven. James never wrote "when you're having fun, it will produce steadfastness".

good times rarely make us more like Jesus. it's the bad times that count more. let's find our joy in that. :)

Bible Discussion #2

Reminder: This discussion is meant to be one that will help each of us to gain more knowledge on the bible and on the different perspectives others may have on the same topics. You don't have to limit yourselves to the answers given if you think there's a better answer. I'm just hoping this discussion will push us to desire to improve our understanding of the bible as a whole. So please be open and friendly in your discussion! :)

#2:
What is the good news that we are to proclaim?
a. That Jesus died for the sins of the world
b. That sinners can go to heaven
c. We now have direct access to God
d. God will make a new heaven and a new earth
e. God reaches out to reconcile creation to Himself

...that they may be one even as we are one...

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Ephesians 4:4-6

By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 1 John 4:13-14

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. John 17:20-23

Out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth tweets?

Kenji shared this article on facebook. As social media becomes the dominant form of communication in our society, especially among the youths, it grows increasingly important in our lives.

l Cor. 10:31. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

Do ALL to the glory of God. We spend so much time on the internet, are we doing it to the glory of God? Let's think about how we use social media the next time we "log on".

In His Love,
Xian

http://theresurgence.com/justification_by_twitter

Paul the Roman Citizen

In Acts 22, we hear about how Paul was about to get owned by the Roman tribune. He was supposed to be flogged and questioned, a form of torture to elicit a confession about what he was up to. Some of us have seen caning in Singapore, (http://corpun.com/sgjur1.htm) and know how painful and cruel it can be. Well, the Roman version is 100x worse. It was conducted with a whip of leather thongs loaded with bits of metal or bone; it could maim for life or kill. Jesus was scourged with such a whip (John 19:1). (Ref: Reformation Study Bible)

Now Paul had been beaten before, but had never endured such scourging. We read in the chapter how just as he was about to be flogged, he quickly appealed to his Roman citizenship. He mentioned to the nearby centurion: "Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?"

At first it might seem that Paul had finally succumbed to his human fears. The thought of that painful whip on his back must have been too much for him. He had a way out - his citizenship, which was very powerful and highly valued in those days. (It's like if you're in trouble in school and the teacher wants to cane you and you go "oh, by the way, my dad is the prime minister") So Paul appealed to his citizenship and was spared the caning.

But we go on to read, that it wasn't because of his fear of pain. Paul was prepared to suffer and die all the way for the sake of the gospel. Instead, this appeal to his status was so that he could attain a chance to address the crowds and share Christ with even more people.

For those of us in position of power today (sports leaders, managers, bosses and employers etc), how do we use our position and status? Do we utilize or even abuse it for our personal gain? Do we glory in our position and take pride in what others think of us? Or do we even use it to gain that advantage in life?

Paul used his position for the sake of the gospel. May we learn to use whatever position the Lord has put us in to glorify His name.

Bible Discussion #1

At a recent camp I went to, the campers were each given a set of MCQ questions. We were told to do the questions individually and choose the best answer for each question. After we were done, we were to discuss with our groups, and if our answers differed, we were supposed to convince the group that our answer was the right one (if we weren't convinced to think otherwise ourselves).

The result of this exercise was a realisation that we did not know our bibles as well as we thought we did. Many times, we had just put the answers our churches had drilled into our heads, and not because we had discovered that these answers were what we truly believed, based on what the bible says. Also, we found that the answers we believed in could have come about because we knew/liked some books of the bible better than others, and so our answers were based on those books alone (not on the bible as a whole).

I found this really helpful in increasing my desire to know the Word so I'll be putting up the questions periodically so that we can discuss them. Feel free to comment with your answer and why you put it! :)

This discussion is meant to be one that will help each of us to gain more knowledge on the bible and on the different perspectives others may have on the same topics. I'm hoping it will push us to desire to improve our understanding of the bible as a whole. So please be open and friendly in your discussion! :)

#1:
What was God's purpose in creating the world and man?
a. Don't know, only God knows
b. To do His will and obey Him
c. To glorify Himself, whatever "glorify" means
d. In order to save it
e. For the pleasure in the enjoyment of His creation

Practical Advice to be a Good Song Leader

here's some old notes i found on worship leading :)

by Rev Philip Heng from Galilee BP.

Recognising a Good Song Leader

The qualities that are necessary for one to serve as a song leader are as follows:

- He must be a good-natured person.

- He must be a cheerful person who can lead songs with a good spirit and smiles.

- He must have a love for music. He must be sure of music that he may conduct with confidence.

- He must be able to sing.

- He talks only when necessary.

- As he sings, he makes others feel like singing too.

- He must be able to make one enjoy singing, and challenges them to do their best.

- He must be able to help the congregation to understand what they are singing about.

- He can get people to sing even when they do not feel like it.

- He sets the right pace/mood for each song and introduces each song well.

Good Points to Observe

- Manner of speech: clear, distinct, pleasant.

- Announce the song properly. First the number, then the title of the song ad its number once again.

- Cheerful heart.

- Make singers sing well.

- Encourage and commend the singers.

- Neat in appearance. Ordinary and presentable. Not gaudy, ostentatious or conspicuous. You are watched the moment you come in.

- Improve the knowledge of music.

- Know the song well.

- Be prayerful.

- Keep the throat healthy.

- Be pleasant in manners.

- Be confident.

- Help others understand the song.

- Keep the singers together.

- Get people into the right mood to sing.

- Be a good pacesetter.

- Look at the audience, but concentrate on the song.

Bad Points to Avoid

- Rude in speech; crude in behaviour.

- Bad mood.

- Not well-prepared (Do not know music).

- Inaudible.

- Fumbling.

- Staring always into your music book.

- Incomprehensible.

- Not lively or too lively. [Unsuitable for the mood of the song].

- Leaning on lectern.

- Not sure of songs.

- Untidy in appearance; too gaudy (distracting).

- Not knowing how to stop.

- Not punctual.

- Very apologetic.

- Talks too much.

- No eye contact.

- No variation.

- Distracting mannerism - speech or motion.

- Wrong position with respect to the audience.

The Areas Where a Song Leader's Service is Needed

- At pre-worship singing.

- Worship services.

- Evangelistic meetings or rallies.

- Fellowship meetings.

- Prayer meetings.

- Retreats, Camps, etc.

The Goal of a Song Leader

- To give a good start to evangelist or preacher by rousing or quietening the spirit of audience.

- To help the people to concentrate on the programmes of the meeting.

- This is not a light matter: A song leader can help or hinder the message.

Preparation

- First thing to do is to pray. Pray every step of the way.

- Know the sort of meeting and its time limit. Prepare accordingly.

- Choose songs to fit the topic of the message or meeting.

- Liaise with the pianist of instrumentalist to know the songs. Give the required books, pieces, and other instructions, e.g., how many bars to play as introduction.

For the following points, imagine your audience before you:

- Write down all possible songs that you could use. Choose your favourites and those of others. Include a new song, if you can manage. Then select the best ones to go within the time limit.

- Arrange them - in series, or according to topics, etc.

- Choose a good song to start with, if possible, one that everybody knows. Also choose a song with which to end the singspiration.

- Practise your songs well; know the tunes and the words by heart, if possible. Learn the timing, tune and correct pronunciation of words.

- Prepare your comments (if any) on the songs and keep them short and precise.

Pointers for Song Leading in the Fellowship Groups

- Teach variety: Sing in parts, canons (rounds); teach action to the songs (for children). Sing a medley of songs in the same key; sing a cappella (without musical accompaniment). Have them hum one of the stanzas. Get somebody to read one of the stanzas for a change.

- Give opportunity for choice from the audience, if the pianist can manage.

Precautions

- Do not have too many lively songs at a stretch. There will be sore-throats and hoarse, tired voices.

- Do not teach more than one new chorus at a meeting. Instead, revise the old tunes till people catch on. More times of fewer songs rather than fewer times of many songs is preferable.

- Do not talk too much. The time is for singing. Make only relevant comments. Speak distinctly and make it short.

- Watch the tone of voice and manners.

- Watch your mood, such as anger, tiredness and resentment.

- Watch the singing and the singers:

Correct if there is any incorrect tunes and words.

Beware of talkers while the others are singing. To do these, you will need a lot of tact.

Watch what you say that you do not hurt any one.

Comment especially on good singing.

- Make a good start. Keep your mind on the spirit of the meeting - guide and regulate it.

- Keep to the time limit. Leave gracefully.

The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
'Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.'
Revelation 4:10-11

Christ's love compels us!

For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
2 Corinthians 5:14 (NIV)

Using the word "compels" really understates the tremendous implications of this verse! The ESV uses the word "controls" and the KJV uses "constraints". Indeed, that is the implication of what it means to be found in Christ. To be so utterly convinced of His sacrificial death for us and to sincerely want to live every single moment for His glory.

Let's seek to use this blog to encourage one another in our endeavors to lead lives truly controlled by the love of Christ!