the trouble with 'just friends'

I can promise you, and you may agree, that if there was a community where everyone could enter in and lay their armor down just for one second, where no one would feel judged, pressured or compared, where they could truly trust the people around them, that countless men and women would run to be a part of that kind of community. 

~ The Trouble with "Just Friends"

i love this article (check it out by clicking on the link!) :) i think we all see how the world has influenced our mindset of dating - that it's super important and that kinda makes us think a LOT about opposite sex relationships (even if it's not your but others' opposite sex relationships). if some guy hangs out with some girl, we immediately suspect 'something' is going on. for some of us who struggle with it more, if someone of the opposite sex just talks to you, you're already speculating about whether it would work out if you got together. and maybe for some of us, we only talk (or don't talk) to those whom we have a romantic attraction to.

but let's not let the world cloud the reality of our relationships with each other: we are BROTHERS and SISTERS in CHRIST! and it may sound very cliche but if you consider the implications of that truth, it's really amazing. we are family. and like the article says, we're not just friends. if we treat each other just as friends, we are missing out on a whole lot of what God intended our church to be.

Christ died for all of us and through that, we became part of His family. if we were just friends, it was be less permanent than that. friends may come and go, sometimes we argue and stop being friends, sometimes there is a misunderstanding and we feel awkward fixing it, sometimes we just drift apart. but family is a permanent bond, and for us, it is held together through Christ's sacrifice.

so what does that mean for us?
actually, it means a lot. it means that when we have something against one of our brothers or sisters or we have an argument, we fix it. it means we dont treat anyone as invaluable or invisible (all these are people whom Christ has died for!). it means we listen to each other and share our lives with each other. it means we stop seeing people as benefits or costs to ourselves, but as real people with real lives.

i think that maybe we have sidetracked from the model Christ gave us. He was concerned about people. sometimes we (me included) think too much about checklists - what do i need to get done, is it going to go well, is that person doing what he/she is supposed to etc etc. but i am realising that this is such an impersonal and programme-focused point of view! where is the concern about real people with real lives?

just as we know that we are real people who make mistakes, cant control the outcome of stuff, and in the end are just hopeless without God, let us also give our brothers and sisters understanding and love where they have made mistakes. instead of just pointing out mistakes, let us encourage each other in the Lord and point each other to Him! we are family after all. :)

and when we are able to treat each other in love, as a family in Christ, you can imagine what a wonderful community that will be. :)

let me be a little kinder 

let me be a little blinder

to the faults of those around me

let me praise a little more

let me dream when i am weary

just a little bit more cheery

think a little more of others

and a little less of me! 

elizabeth elliot's passion & purity

elizabeth elliot took this from 'the book of common prayer':

Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

may we desire also to love what He commands & desire what He promises, and find our true joy in Christ! (:

The Wait Poem

by Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said,"Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
"Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate,
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to Wait?"
I'm needing a 'yes,' a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'no,' to which I'll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply.

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting . . . for what?"

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
And He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.

You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me,
When darkness and silence are all you can see.

You'd never experience the fullness of love,
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask,
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see,
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still "WAIT".

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

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

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.