these days, I've fallen in love again with classical music, especially Chopin. It makes me reminisce on earlier piano days, the thrill of performing in front of an audience, the pounding of your heart as you walk towards the piano, the heart-wrenching silence right before the first note is played, closing your eyes taking a deep breath in and letting your fingers take off to paint the piano as you breathe out slowly and enter another world written by music geniuses of the past. even more glorious is playing with an orchestra where the music takes on new heights and you're fully enveloped by all the sounds as they combine to create something not of this world.

Music in its purest classical sense I find to be utterly God-glorifying. Your soul is shaken and moved to tears at times at the beauty played out. its as if the melodic lines intertwine and run parallel with humanity's strife and the great love and cause for joy we have through Christ. I remember my piano teacher in the past who wasn't religious or spiritual by any means whatsoever, but who, as we'd discuss music, would talk about how these great composers were trying to 'reach something beyond this world.. to heaven' through song. listening to their works, one cannot help but be moved to acknowledge the unexplainable, that yes someone greater exists. What a huge gift given us. i can't imagine what music would sound like in heaven :)



absolutely breathtaking. you close your eyes and for a moment you're taken out of this world into another realm..

since coming back from canada, i've been under a big pile of "to-do". been a bit overwhelmed by the amount of material left unlearned (plus all the other stuff on my plate) which greeted me when i returned from back home. and ya, beneath this pile of catchup i've been a bit lost.. lost in the purpose and the why of it all..

but yesterday, was reminded again of the why. it was such a simple thing.. met a woman, Maureen. Brisbanites have prlly come across her once or twice. She roams the streets with her big trolley thing that carries practically her whole life in it. quite impressive if you ask me. She's kinda hard to miss.. definitely someone i've always told myself i'd one day want to get to know. well i guess that day came. while i was waiting for the bus to arrive, was about to chow down on some chicken nuggets from Hungry Jack's (mmm..) when i saw her across the street on a bench sitting by herself (as per usual). and there goes that quiet voice saying go share your meal with her. and so i walked over, sat down, and we ate and talked. it was such a simple and small thing, but i was overjoyed to talk with her and to finally know her name. while sitting was thinking how wonderful it'd be to do this more often. she's had a complex life, and perhaps with time she will share her full story with me, and i'll be able to share my testimony with her.

funny how initially when i went up to her & offered my food, it was as if i was the one trying to 'help' her. little did i know, God knew exactly what i needed, a boost to uplift my spirit. but who'd think this boost would come from a homeless lady. i walked out of there being the one who was helped. she reminded me again of the why! its all about the people and the relationships that are built, about being His hands and feet (& God-willing to one day use this knowledge of medicine for that!) wow, how easy it is to get caught up in school with all this studying and my life tucked cozily in the thick of suburbia. no wonder i've been restless & full of unease about school&life, it was cuz i was lost & purposeless under the pile of 'to-do'. and no wonder i was lost, it was cuz i failed to look beyond myself & my plate to the lives of others & what they are dealing with day by day.. that and to see His purpose for my life and to rest in assurance knowing my Father in heaven is watching over me day & night.

So praise God for renewed zest in learning and being reminded again not to be so self-absorbed.. but to remember what all this studying is for (God-willing He allows me to use it for His purposes in the coming future!)

the hard things

In midst of busyness, and a million last-minute things to do that have still been left unfinished, and the impending doom of all the work i'll need to catch up on when i come back, along with my brain feeling like its about to combust, God bonks me on the head and makes me stop running to & fro. He makes me stop with all the doing, and turns my head to refocus my vision back onto the important things. Things like making time for people, sharing & clarifying the gospel to others, spending time reading & meditating on His word, being filled with joy & being content knowing He is constantly working in others (& in me!), being EXCITED for His Kingdom's growth. God is funny, in that during those times we feel most weak, or in my case, most overwhelmed with everything, he will use us and make us drop everything so that at all times we prioritize His Kingdom first. so even though i didn't get anything knocked off my to-do list tonight, oh how wonderful it is to share the message of what our Saviour did on the cross, and what a wonderful msg it is!

So blessed to meet such an encouraging sister who models selflessness with time, placing people above herself for the sake that they may come to know Christ. Through her God's really convicted me bout the way i use my time. In the past (& now too) i've always been selfish with what i spend my time doing... I saw more value in doing things (especially if it meant pumping up my resume) & getting things done rather than spending time to hang out with people (which in my head i thought of as being 'less-productive'). Oh how wrong this is!

When I come back from canada, yes it'll be crazy busy catching up with school work & all the assignments to complete, yes studying for usmle will be this ginormous mountain to climb (and just thinking bout it makes my knees shake), but oh how I pray He would keep my head & heart above it all, helping me to be selfless with my time especially when it comes to building & bringing others to the faith!

oh the uncertainties but huge open-door possibilities there will be in the future. to keep looking ahead at the path and where it leads, not to get stuck in the tiny decisions speckled on the ground in front of me and not to let pride cause a roadblock on this path; to walk behind Jesus as He leads step by step, throwing away all frustration, weariness, self-preoccupation, worry, and c o n t r o l, and placing my plans, career, earnings, time, heart, all of it for His Kingdom's sake; to have revealed to me the crowns i've stored in my heart, and to help me give them all up till i have nothing left but the crown You offer in heaven.. this is my prayer.

thank you VL for your sharing. am encouraged to question the things i'm holding onto. .

What does love look like?
It has the hands to help others.
It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy.
It has the eyes to see misery and want.
It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men.
That is what love looks like.
-St. Augustine

what a day. i need to write it down so i don't forget to re-visit these places again! in love with Tom's trike. i may have to rethink my whole anti-motorcycle thing, cuz my goodness, what an awesome feeling having air zip past you, and how funny that different suburbs have different smells, but more importantly it was like front row seats to view nature. Rode up to Mt. Glorious (which is so beautiful!), then past Mt. Nebo headed down to Samford Valley, then Samford Village for a cuppa. Afterwards riding by the coast seeing the sun fire up the sky in shades of brilliant red as the sun was setting. Seeing the ocean and waves crawl up to shore along Redcliffe. Best moment was riding across this bridge (the name of which escapes my memory), being surrounded by a great expanse of water on either side and seeing the red fiery sunset on my right and the solemn full moon and its reflection on the water on my left all the while having the wind rush past me and feeling the speed of the vroooom underneath. so sad my camera ran outta batteries today.. but wow, I think i've fallen in love with Brisbane & Australia all over again. i wish there were ocean & mountains closer by. makes me miss home a lot.. but what a beautiful taste of nature today. God's creation is just absolutely breathtakingly glorious!

james 4:1-10

"any compromise with the world is spiritual adultery" - SN
"God's priorities ought to be my priorities!" - SN

....

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." - Titus 2:11-14

Thank God for his saving grace which brings salvation to all, and for his empowering grace which trains us to not compromise our faith! What a continual battle it is to say NO to thoughts that invade our heads, which ultimately stem from our hearts.. full of pride and selfish ambition, weak to the ways of this world. But thank God he helps us recognize these thoughts so that we can stamp our foot down on them and resist the liar as God's Spirit works to scoop out our old desires and our old self, and put in us new meaning, new hope, new life, a new mind and heart that desires to be obedient & holy.

the mountain climb

Some friends and I climbed Mt. Tibrogargan! This from someone who used to be & to some degree still is afraid of heights. When we got to the top, it was beautiful! And then coming down, wow it was deathly steep. There were moments where if I lifted off one hand or one foot or for a second lost my balance, I felt like I would go free-falling & tumble down to my doom. Thankfully, the guys were really good at helping A and myself spot out good holds and foot placements. I definitely took it nice and slow :) At the end when we were all back at the base of the mountain, we then read the Warning Sign off to the side mentioning the climb was "dangerous and may lead to serious injury or death". My goodness! Can't believe we missed the sign on the way up! But just looking up and seeing the crazy mountain we climbed you can't help but feel this HUGE sense of accomplishment of conquering the mountain and going beyond what you thought you'd be able to do! Initially A & i were expecting a leisurely hike at a gradual slope up the mountain, good thing the guys didn't tell us what to expect (& that we missed reading the warning sign on the way up lol), otherwise we might not have done it at all!

This mountain climb made me think about how it relates to life. Many want to see into the future, we want to have that peace of knowing the unknown, and so people seek out fortune tellers or call psychic lines or read horoscopes/zodiacs just so that some sort of comfort can be found with having the unknown made known; what a false comfort. I too find myself wanting to know from God where to go and to know what the next step is. I love being able to know and plan and prepare for things, unfortunately that isn't always the way life works, and God doesn't usually reveal everything to us at once. Often you hear ppl say that its through the unknown where our faith is grown, where we gain peace knowing our steps are prepared for us by Him who goes before us (kind of like how a guide would help a climber know where to go and where to place your hands and feet when climbing a mountain by going ahead). At the same time, by His grace, He also knows it's for our own good that we don't know or see too far ahead into the future. Just like climbing up the mountain, there were moments when I'd look up ahead and all i saw was a sheet of rock going up and up, and would think to myself that I couldn't do it and had to snap myself out of it, so we too can easily be psyched out if God were to show His huge plans for us that are WAY beyond our capability and comfort (unless of course He thinks we're ready to handle it), that we'd jump into a boat and head the other direction. By His grace, He shows us just enough. He leads us one step at a time that is in perfect reach for us, sometimes its a bigger step stretching us, but always manageable with Him leading and showing the way. This way we are not disheartened or overwhelmed on the path. And as we gain more and more climbing experience, he stretches us even further bringing us to new heights, and we are no longer scared or discouraged when joining our eyes with His and seeing the big climbs ahead that He will take us on cuz we have increased strength in our well-exercised faith muscle for our Guide who will help lead us to tackle the seemingly impossible paths.


How awesome it is that God builds us and leads us up the mountain without us even realizing it. How all the struggles, the persistence & perseverance, the experiences and journeys, how it has all shaped us to where we are now, and to where we are going in the future : )

Matt Papa

"I heard someone say once that it's easy to lift your hands before God in worship, but if you aren't reaching those hands out to the world, those hands lifted to God are worthless. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not against lifting our hands in worship. But we also must love this world with those same hands." -- M. Papa

freedom!

Done Exams!!!

its the first day of post-exam bliss. and there's no better thing in the world than catching up on some one-on-one time with myself - i'm a total closet introvert. Went and finally bought a camera after 4 months of being camera-less. finished reading off 2 books - they were pretty small, just enough for my short attention span. went to the gym (today i also commence mission fit-into-dress-for-wedding! i'm inbetween 2 dress sizes.. so either gotta gain a few pounds, or lose a few pounds, i choose the latter). its been a habit of mine to head to schonell theatre after the gym and scope out if the piano's free (there's only ONE piano on campus for non-music students to play on.. how tragic!). usually someone's playing on it (no surprise there since again there's only ONE piano) and i sadly go home. but once in a while it'll be free, and i'll get to twinkle away on it. today was one of those days : )

I remember the very first time i played on that piano in schonell, i was actually quite nervous and very self-aware, just cuz its such a public place and many people sit and listen and hear what you sing or play (you'd think 12yrs of music festival would make a difference..). But after a while, that feeling sorta faded, however i am still very aware of the words i sing (sometimes too aware that i become somewhat self-conscious). I usually play and sing Christian songs, and although at first i was quite timid whenever i sang about some strong cutting truths, i've gotten a bit better at singing with more boldness.. and i'm beginning to see this as another way to tell people bout the gospel. There have been a few times where people would clap, so I know they must be listening. And some have randomly come up to me to ask what songs I was singing. There was this one time where 2 guys & a girl came up right next to me to watch me play (it was quite unnerving at first, but they urged me to keep on going... they just wanted to see me upclose?). they then told me they'd heard me play a couple times before, and wanted to know what songs i was singing and what they meant. (wow! what an opportunity eh?) we started talking about Christianity for a bit, which then progressed into a mini-lesson on how to improv. lol, how random! (i love it!) Today was also pretty random. A girl came up and sat right across from me to watch me play (seriously, why do ppl do that? its really awkward.. for me at least lol) I sang & played some songs that i wrote from before and when i finished this girl said that she was a fan of mine?! ..and then asked for my number. (i think i'd be more hesitant if it were a guy lol) but ya, apparently she's heard me before, and now wants to come listen whenever i play at schonell. i like random encounters : ) i pray God will be able to use this for His glory!

I also did some major baking today! Made "pigs in a blanket" It's the first time i've ever kneaded dough, was quite proud of myself : ) lesson to learn for next time... i definitely need to invest in a rolling pin! it takes SO LOOONG to roll things out with your hands. also in the future when/if i become more hardcore, i just might think of investing in some kitchen scales : ) i used to bash them, but i'm now seeing their usefulness. was so tedious going online and searching out different densities of baking stuff and equating that to find the cup/tbsp/tsp equivalent for grams. ai. Here's a pic of them, using my brand-new camera : ) They were delish! Kudos to Uncle Rick for the recipe!

New music Renewed mind

At church, during the sermon on James 1:26-2:26, Pastor Steve shared this song by Jon Foreman called "Instead of a Show." What cutting lyrics. Definitely gave me a huge nudge (along with the sermon). The song was written based on Amos 5.

"I hate, I despise your feasts,
and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
I will not look upon them.
Take away from me the noise of your songs;
to the melody of your harps I will not listen.
But let justice roll down like waters,
and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream"
- Amos 5:21-24

Listening to this song and the sermon, it brought me back to the CMDFA (Christian Medical & Dental Fellowship of Australia) Conference at the beginning of this year, where one of the speakers spoke on Micah 6. i was reminded of all the hopeful plans i'd made that somehow got drowned out from the busyness of life. I have a lot of praying and thinking to do after these exams.. i want to follow through with it all

"'With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?'
He has told you, O man, what is good;
and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God"
- Micah 6:6-8

"If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world."
- James 1:26-27

"What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, be warmed and filled,' without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
- James 2:14-18

I hate all your show and pretense
The hypocrisy of your praise
The hypocrisy of your festivals
I hate all your show
Away with your noisy worship
Away with your noisy hymns
I stomp on my ears when you're singing 'em
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show

Your eyes are closed when you're praying
You sing right along with the band
You shine up your shoes for services
There's blood on your hands
You turned your back on the homeless
And the ones that don't fit in your plan
Quit playing religion games
There's blood on your hands

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show

Let's argue this out
If your sins are blood red
Let's argue this out
You'll be one of the clouds
Let's argue this out
Quit fooling around
Give love to the ones who can't love at all
Give hope to the ones who got no hope at all
Stand up for the ones who can't stand at all, all
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show
I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood of justice
An endless procession of righteous living, living
Instead let there be a flood of justice
Instead of a show
I hate all your show


-------------------------------------------------

Today was also introduced to a really awesome rapper by my pastor. Shai Linne, like Lecrae, writes theologically meaty music that's just so rich and hearty to hear and take in. The song below goes through basically the entire bible in one song. nuts! Will definitely track down more of his music post-exams. *oh exams... gonna try and sleep early and wake up early. freedom in t - 4days.


Alright check it: lets go back in time, brethren. Divine lessons always keep your mind guessing. The glory of the Triune God is what Im stressing. The origin of humankind was fine. Blessings were plenteous. God is amazingly generous. Crazy benefits in a state of innocence. God told the man what he could taste was limited. Not long after came our nemesis in Genesis. He scammed well, man fell, damned to hell. The whole human race—he represented it. Fooled by the serpent, man through his work, woman through birth—even the earth ruled by the curses. But instead of a wake immediately. God said her Seed would be the One to crush the head of the snake. Yo, wait what is this? Whoa, a gracious gift! In Jehovahs faithfulness He clothed their nakedness. This was so they would know their Saviors kiss and bliss. But first, many growing pains exist suffering in the worst form, ugly deeds. Eves firstborn seed made his brother bleed. Indeed things got progressively worse. Every section of the earth is been affected by the curse. And though Gods judgments against sin were gory, praise the Lord! Its not the end of the story.

Its the greatest story ever told.
A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold.
The greatest story ever told.
Restoring all that the enemy stole.
The greatest story ever told.
The glory of Christ is the goal, behold.
The greatest story ever told.
Its the greatest.

Next scene: mans sin was extreme. God gets steamed, man gets creamed. The Lord is so Holy that He drowned them in the water. Fire in the valley of slaughter Sodom and Gomorrah. But at the same time, Hes so gracious and patient that from one man He created a whole nation. Eventually enslaved by the mentally depraved, they cried out to the only One with the strength that He could save. He brought them out with signs and wonders satisfied their hunger. Then He appeared on Mount Sinai in thunder. Where He laid down the law for God-ruled government. Commonly referred to as the Mosaic covenant. Sin was imputed. So for man to know hes unrighteous, God instituted animal sacrifices. This was to show our constant need for atonement. And when it came to sin, the Lord would never condone it. And when His people disobeyed and went astray, He raised up prophets and kings to lead them in the way. But they would get foul with their idolatry—wet and wild prophecy—send them into exile. To take their punishment like a grown man. Then with His own hand He placed them back in their homeland. And while in their forefathers land they dwelt, they awaited the arrival of Emmanuel.

Its the greatest story ever told.
A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold.
The greatest story ever told.
Restoring all that the enemy stole.
The greatest story ever told.
The glory of Christ is the goal, behold.
The greatest story ever told.
Its the greatest.

After 400 silent years filled with sighs and tears. In Bethlehem the Messiah appears. God in the flesh—Second Person of the Trinity. At thirty begins His earthly ministry. Baffling cats with accurate, exact facts and back-to-back miraculous acts. A stumbling block to the self righteous. But the humbled—His flock, said Theres no one else like this. He came from heaven to awake the numb. Demonstrated His power over nature, son. A foretaste of the Kingdom and the age to come. But the reason He came was to pay the sum for the depths of our wickedness, our wretched sinfulness. Bless His magnificence! He is perfect and innocent. Yet He was wrecked and His death. He predicted it. Next He was stretched, paid a debt that was infinite. He said that He finished it. Resurrected so the elect would be the recipients of its benefits. Through faith and penitence we get to be intimate. His grace is heaven sent, it never diminishes. Now the Holy Spirit indwelling is the evidence for heavens future residents who truly represent Jesus, the Author, Producer, Director, and Star of a story that will never, ever end!

Its the greatest story ever told.
A God pursues foes whose hearts turned cold.
The greatest story ever told.
Restoring all that the enemy stole.
The greatest story ever told.
The glory of Christ is the goal, behold.
The greatest story ever told.
Its the greatest.

bgr

i think culture places too much emphasis on boy-girl relationships. you're brought up thinking that the only right path through life is to date, marry, have kids, then grandkids. you see it in the movies, you hear it in the songs we listen to, and then there's everyone around us (ie. parents, especially moms, and friends) who pressurize (maybe a better word to use would be 'encourage') you to live like everyone else. and i guess in a way it is the norm, since strictly speaking on numbers the majority of the population do get married. anyone else who doesn't fit into the mold is seen as strange. or rather ppl say "Why is he or she still unmarried?" as if to allude to some innate defect in that person. i hate it. its wrong. and i love how the Bible (as always) is an upside-down reversal of countering the 'normal' ways of thinking.

"I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs - how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world - how he can please his wife - and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord's affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world - how she can please her husband. I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord." 1Cor7:32-35 (NIV)

wow, what a privilege to be single no? it's not to say marriage is wrong. it is a very lovely thing - seeing a man and a woman come together before God to become one. at the same time its not the pinnacle of yearning and hopefulness we ought to look forward to. as a woman, i often find myself yearning to fulfill that path in life of dating, marriage, kids etc.. but i take a step back and have to stop myself. I would in a blink of an eye give up all hopes of family & relationship in the future if it meant seeing many come to Christ. Then again i find myself faltering at times, and feel my words become empty as my heart seeks for something else. I do yearn to live solely-devoted & single-mindedly for the Kingdom. and just as a friend said, if a guy comes along who has that same passion, then maybe we can run side-by-side for the Kingdom. but while I am single, there's just so much work to be done, and perhaps by His grace He will keep me single for long.

out of the blue

i was riding home after a long day of studying at the hospital and as i was on the bridge, i looked up and my breath was taken away by the most beautiful picture. The sky was painted in different shades of violet and red. the clouds stacked over each other, with the sun rays illuminating and bringing them to life. it all just caught me off guard. nature. God's paintbrush and canvas of beauty. and to think this beauty is only a shadow in comparison to its Creator. Days like today make me feel so happy to be alive and to be in Brisbane. its strange but it hit me rather suddenly while i was on my bike that i really wouldn't mind staying in Brisbane for longer than originally planned : )

Sermon Recap

Continuing on the "Gospel OUT" Series: Walking with the Word (part 1)

Reread: James 1:19-25

Recall: The question that was brought up in the beginning was why read the bible? and so before answering this question, Pastor Steve guided us through the Scripture to see what the bible said about the bible :)

• 2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness"
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13 "And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers"
• Proverbs 6:23 "For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life"
• Proverbs 30:5-6 "Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar"
• Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple"
• Psalm 19:10 "More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb"
• Isaiah 55:11 "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it"
• Romans 16:26 "but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith"
• Psalm 119:103 "How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth"
• Psalm 119:105 "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path"
• Jeremiah 15:16 "Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts"
• Jeremiah 23:29 "Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"
• Ephesians 6:17 "and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God"
• Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart"
• 1 Peter 2:2 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up to salvation"
• James 1:21 "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls"

Restate/Relay: So what is the purpose of reading the Bible? It is to produce and live out the righteousness of God (v20) in order to save our souls (v21). How can we do this? To be quick to listen, slow to speak, and therefore slow to be angry (v19). Meaning we gotta rid ourselves of that self-seeking mindset where we are quick to speak and slow to listen, quick to give our opinion and slow to understand without partiality.. kinda stems out from the heart-attitude of things, i.e. serving self vs. serving God & hence other ppl. Same way goes with reading the Bible... often times i find myself slow to really listen to what's being said in the word, but rather quickly speaking to what I impose on it to mean (hence prone to error of misinterpretation, which isn't so good), or perhaps quick to get onto the rest of my day as the things i've read in the morning fade away as if i'd never read the words on the page to begin with. That and my moral filth (from the influences of social norms, culture, education, tradition, and especially my pride... which ultimately beckons for a love of the self vs. a love for God), like earwax, gets in the way and blocks me from truly listening to His clear words which become muffled and muted from the gradual buildup of wax causing desensitization to His voice, and resulting in disobedience (of which perhaps was in itself the cause of wax buildup?).

What do we do then? What can I do? Simply put from James 1:21-22... (1) repent! (2) receive with meekness the implanted word, not the word that settles on the surface and is blown away by the slightest wind, but the deeply rooted and implanted living word of God in us. (3) apply His teachings to our lives, not merely being hearers and thus deceiving ourselves, but being doers as well! And in that step-wise fashion, before we can even think of doing anything, we need to receive first in obedience. And what is this obedience? It is to look intently into the word, not reading, hearing & forgetting .. but internalizing and letting His living and life-transforming words abide in us.

Pastor Steve gave us some helpful steps to assist in having the word implanted in us (v21b).

1. Hear - Romans 10:17 "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ", Jeremiah 3:15 "And I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding"
2. Read - Revelation 1:3 "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near"
3. Study - Acts 17:11 "Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so", 2 Timothy 2:15 "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth"
4. Memorize - Psalm 119:11 "I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you", Proverbs 7:1-3 "My son, keep my words and treasure up my commandments with you; keep my commandments and live; keep my teaching as the apple of your eye; bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart"
5. Meditate - Joshua 1:8 "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it", Psalm 1:1-6 "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish"
6. Obey - James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves".. making a conscious effort to change our character!

Respond: In an effort to put this into practice, E proposed we start memorizing scripture :) What a wonderful idea! Funny how I make my sunday school class memorize bible verses, yet chose to neglect this in my own life. It's never too late to start though :)

"Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. Therefore put away all filthiness & rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hears only, deceiving yourselves." -- James 1:19-22

Jimmy Needham

& he's a Left-handed guitarist! this song has such a summer-time feel, makes me wanna skip down the street in shorts & a tee lol. LOVE it!



Yours to Take

This is my second chance
This is no song and dance
You came in and renewed a right spirit
This is grace at its best
This is taking a restless, messed up heart and having you clear it

I can feel the weight is lifting
I'm barely staying on the ground
And I can feel the wait is over
Finally the lost is found

[Chorus]
So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He's asking for mine
I've Been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

I was down for the count
I was up, but knocked out
When I heard pardon for the interruption
Then like out of blue
Out came glorious You

You picked me up without barely any introduction
You won my heart by a landslide
You tend to do that every time
So, everything I have is Yours now
Even my very life

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine
Well, I've Been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

Your kindness leads me to repentance
Leads me to the cross, which leads me to forgiveness
So, I'm counting it all as lost

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine

So, this is what it feels like to live life
So, this is breathing air for the very first time
The Son of man, He came here to give life
And in return He asking for mine
I've been captured by grace
I'm not going away
I'm Yours to take

so good!

i think i have an addiction to BookDepository. my wish list is TOO HUGE! so in an attempt to deflate the possible purchasing of books & not to mention bankruptcy, i've turned my attention back to the uq library system, which is by far the BEST system i've ever experienced. they deliver practically straight to my door, since bsl is like a few seconds away on bike lol. just found out though that their limit for putting things on hold is 25 books! i think its a sign for me to stop procrastinating through searching out books. oh dear.. back to the grind!

Sermon: Reaching Wholeness through Trials

This past Sunday's sermon topic was: "Gospel OUT: Reaching Wholeness through trials"

Reread: James 1:2-18

Recall: This passage is sort of like the Table of Contents/Introduction for the book of James. It gives the reader a taste of what's to come later on in his letter.

Restate: We can achieve wholeness through: enduring trials (v2-4), wisdom from above (v5-8), viewing ourselves as God does (v9-11), receiving God's reward (v12), and knowing where good and bad come from (v13-18).

• to have joy during our trials (v2)
• to achieve steadfastness (this is why we go through trials!), being made perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.. and hence this is why we can have joy in difficult times (v4)
• to ask of God for wisdom (v5)
• to pray in faith without doubting (v6)
• recognizing our place (..our insignificance in this universe)... we will all pass away like the flower of the grass, therefore place our hope in God alone, not in riches (v9-10)
• it isn't God who tempts us to sin, it is our own inner desire that we give into which causes us to sin and ultimately leads us to death (v13-15)
  
• don't be deceived, remember God is the giver of all good things, our every provision is provided by God (v17)
  

Relay: As a Christian we go through 3 phases:

1. Start = regeneration (being born again) & justification (right legal standing before a Holy God, no longer condemned)
2. Process = sanctification (being made holy/'set apart'... to be more like Jesus)
   
3. End = glorification (achieving perfected character & bodies in a new heaven & new earth)

We're all in the process-part of life, being made holy & being made whole (perfect & complete, lacking in nothing - v4)! It is here where the Holy Spirit works in us bit by bit to erase our old way of thinking & being, and to put in us a new heart and mind :) Worldly 'common-sense' says the opposite of what this passage talks about. If ppl are going through hardships, its typical to mope and complain and be bitter and mad while shaking our fists at God. If we want to have wisdom, we get it from worldly ways and 'street smarts'/'book smarts' not 'God-smarts'. The world values the superficial (riches, fame, beauty) wayyyyyyy too much, more than the real treasure that is godliness. Pride is seen as a good thing, meaning u've got lotsa self-esteem, but the bible says we ought to be humble for who is man but a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes! If good things happen its cuz it was hard-earned and deserved, never are we thankful or grateful or acknowledging the Giver of all good gifts, that is our Creator... but if bad things happen, its cuz God is tempting & punishing ppl, we wouldn't dare to stop and think that our own inner evil desire had a part to play in this. How upside down it all is. But as Christians with regenerated hearts & minds, James tells us we ought to be the opposite of all these things!

Reflect: Pastor Steve mentioned a really good quote i forget who by..

"Mountains are good for the view, but it's on the ground where character is built."

Looking back in the past, this is so true. God's pulled me through some pretty unbearable times. its like climbing up a mountain with fog all around u. u can't see where ur going, at times u doubt if ur even going in the right direction, or u just want to stop and give up. but u keep putting one foot in front of the other, and after a while the fog eases up as u've passed the cloudy section. the Sun now beams brightly down on u and to ur amazement u look to where u've come from, ur miles higher now! And just like the Christian walk, u've got the Son to guide u as u keep looking upwards for direction on the mountain path :) and next time u hit a foggy patch, u have gained confidence and know for certainty it will pass as u look forward to the warmth when the sun reappears (but really it has never disappeared).

Exams are coming up in 2 weeks. and studying has been going really reallly slowly! today felt especially excruciating sitting down all day. but looking over this past week, its been a good one! some small & big things that gave me great joy this week were::

• heavy rainfall dancing on the ground (it takes me back home whenever i hear rain's song outside)
• being soaked through and through by rain (at first u fight it and hate the idea of getting wet, but then you give in and all of a sudden how wonderful to feel refreshing water on the face.. its like God's giving me a shower lol. but hrm, gotta remember to take my umbrella with me more often!)
• spontaneous music creation ( i miss jamming with ppl though...and i miss the piano.. )
• smell of fresh rain & fresh cut grass (wherever i am, these smells are always the same. i love it!)
• hearing of random encounters & conversations with random ppl that turn out to be a blessing (how awesome & cool!)
• learning a new chord on the guitar (its still so very hard to bar chords though.. *sigh)
• learning more bout the life Jesus led while he was here on earth (yay for bsf!)
• witnessing faith giants persevere through attack after attack and coming out stronger on the other side (SR u are a great encouragement to my faith! Wow is all i can say)
• seeing someone come to Christ in God's timing, and witnessing the growth and life the Spirit is doing in her heart (Praise God!!!!!)

music memory lane

heard kim walker sing on someone's music mix today! it brought me back to last yr when i just found out about her through the MoveIn Vision website (sidenote- they're definitely worth checking out! its awesome what they're doing in canada.. being intentional with where they move into, and ultimately the neighbors they can reach out to..) but ya, i used to play Kim Walker's song "Where You Go I Go" on repeat till i could no longer bear hearing her....lol. it was a pleasant surprise hearing her voice today though. Made me re-visit MoveIn, and her music :)




Where You Go I Go :
Where You go I go
What You say I say
What You pray I pray
(repeat 2x)

Jesus only did, What he saw You do
He would only say, What he heard You speak
He would only move, When he felt You lead
Following Your heart, Following Your spirit

How could I expect to walk without You
When every move that Jesus made was in surrender
I would not begin to live without You
For You alone are worthy You are always good

You are always good
You are always good
Always good
Always good

(Bridge)
Though the world seems to forget
We will not forget
Who You are and what You've done for us

You are my God
(repeat 5x)


Was also reminded of Lecrae when checking out MoveIn again. They write biblically sound musically stirring intellectually provoking lyrics! and were the sole reason why i started liking rap last yr. Given the thumbs up by John Piper as well (its funny picturing him listening to lecrae while bobbing his head up and down haha.. )




Don't waste your life
[Verse 1]
I know a lot of people out there scared they gone die
couple of em thinking they'll be livin in the sky
but while Im here livin man I gotta ask why
what am here fo I gotta figure out
waste my life/ no I gotta make it count
if Christ is real then what am I gone do about
all of the things in Luke 12:15 down to 21 you really oughta go and check it out
Paul said if Christ aint resurrect then we wasted our lives
well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive
everyday I'm living tryin show the world why
Christ is more than everything you'll ever try
better than pretty women and sinning and living
to get a minute of any women and men that you admire aint no lie
We created for Him outta the dust he made us for Him
Elects us and he saves us for Him Jesus comes and raises for Him
Magnify the Father why bother with something lesser
he made us so we could bless Him and to the world we confess him
resurrects him so I know I got life matter fact better man I know I got Christ
if you don't' see His ways in my days and nights
you can hit my brakes you can stop my lights
man I lost my rights I lost my life
forget the money cars and toss that ice
the cost is Christ
and they could never offer me anything on the planet that'll cost that price

[Verse 2]
Suffer Yeah do it for Christ if you trying to figure what to do with your life
if you making money hope you doing it right
because the money is Gods you better steward it right
stay focused if you aint got no ride
your life aint wrapped up in what you drive
the clothes you wear the job you work
the color your skin naw we Christian first
people living life for a job make a lil money start living for a car
get em a house a wife kids and a dog when they retire they living high on the hog
but guess what they didn't ever really live at all to live is Christ yeah that's Paul I recall
to die is gain so for Christ we give it all he's the treasure you'll find in the mall
Your money your singleness marriage talent and time
they were loaned to you to show the world that Christ is Divine
that's why it's Christ in my rhymes That's why it's Christ all the time
my whole world is built around him He's the life in my lines
I refused to waste my life he's too true ta chase that ice
heres my gifts and time cause I'm constantly trying to be used to praise the Christ
If he's truly raised to life then this news should change your life
and by his grace you can put your faith in place that rules your days and nights