I went for a run in the morning. I needed to do that for two reasons: one is to burn away some of the fats I have accumulated over the weekend from the feasting in Malacca; two is to spend time with the Lord in prayer and also in silence as I allowed Him to speak.
Actually I was hesitant to run as my chest did not feel right even after a night's rest and still does not even as I write now. Well, I did not push myself hard during the exercise - just jogged round the park a couple of times.
I was just pondering on one main area of an individual's life - relationship. Some things I gathered as I was reflecting on this:-
1) Relationship cannot be taken for granted that once a certain bond is built, it will be so for life;
2) Relationship has to be constantly cultivated;
3) Relationship needs to be renewed occasionally;
4) Relationship needs to have the element of forgiveness because one will always fail the other due to our human shortcomings;
5) Relationship once broken will take a long time to mend but it is possible so long as both parties allow each other to do so;
6) Relationship requires effort;
7) Relationship has to be maintained regularly;
8) Relationship also needs to have the element of trust;
9) Relationship needs to be centered around love;
10) Relationship between two parties needs to have another to hold them together and that is God Himself.
I am sure there are other factors that I may have missed out but these were some thoughts I gathered as I was talking to God about it.
One thing I have to admit though - I always do not have confidence in relationships. I do not know why. Maybe I just do not wish to lose those that I have already built and when I feel this way, I just have this insecurity. I guess it is still a learning process for me in this area.
I was also speaking to God about the worship session that I am to lead this Sunday at the 11:15am service. The passage I was meditating on was taken from Mark 6:30-46 where Jesus fed the 5000 who were following Him.
Though He and disciples were tired from a day of ministry, He did not reject the crowd when they came to Him. Instead, He began to teach them. He did not stop there, Jesus also met their physical needs by providing them food. Of course it was here a miracle happened where 5 loaves of bread and two fish were multiplied to feed the multitudes. After the meal, Jesus instructed His disciples to go ahead first while He dismissed the people. Jesus basically went all the way in His service.
I guess this is what ministry is about. Yes, it is essential for God's servants to rest and be renewed but service to God should always be one where His servants are ever ready to reach out when a need arises. No one should be turned away.
This lesson has humbled me because there were occasions where I just did not feel like ministering and I shunned some people away by giving excuses. It might just be too late if I decide to reach out to them another day.
Well, a good reminder for me especially for this week when I have to serve the Lord and His people. Like I mentioned in the last blog, I have this hunch that some things may not turn out well leading to Friday when the team meets for the rehearsal and on Sunday for the service but I am not going to let this stop me from trusting the Lord to clear the obstacles ahead.
I just sent out the songs to the Worship Team. I hope as we keep each other in prayer, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us accordingly. I also pray we will encourage one another in our service to the Lord and His people and at the end of it all, God's name be glorified.
I shall end here.
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." Mark 6:30-46
Actually I was hesitant to run as my chest did not feel right even after a night's rest and still does not even as I write now. Well, I did not push myself hard during the exercise - just jogged round the park a couple of times.
I was just pondering on one main area of an individual's life - relationship. Some things I gathered as I was reflecting on this:-
1) Relationship cannot be taken for granted that once a certain bond is built, it will be so for life;
2) Relationship has to be constantly cultivated;
3) Relationship needs to be renewed occasionally;
4) Relationship needs to have the element of forgiveness because one will always fail the other due to our human shortcomings;
5) Relationship once broken will take a long time to mend but it is possible so long as both parties allow each other to do so;
6) Relationship requires effort;
7) Relationship has to be maintained regularly;
8) Relationship also needs to have the element of trust;
9) Relationship needs to be centered around love;
10) Relationship between two parties needs to have another to hold them together and that is God Himself.
I am sure there are other factors that I may have missed out but these were some thoughts I gathered as I was talking to God about it.
One thing I have to admit though - I always do not have confidence in relationships. I do not know why. Maybe I just do not wish to lose those that I have already built and when I feel this way, I just have this insecurity. I guess it is still a learning process for me in this area.
I was also speaking to God about the worship session that I am to lead this Sunday at the 11:15am service. The passage I was meditating on was taken from Mark 6:30-46 where Jesus fed the 5000 who were following Him.
Though He and disciples were tired from a day of ministry, He did not reject the crowd when they came to Him. Instead, He began to teach them. He did not stop there, Jesus also met their physical needs by providing them food. Of course it was here a miracle happened where 5 loaves of bread and two fish were multiplied to feed the multitudes. After the meal, Jesus instructed His disciples to go ahead first while He dismissed the people. Jesus basically went all the way in His service.
I guess this is what ministry is about. Yes, it is essential for God's servants to rest and be renewed but service to God should always be one where His servants are ever ready to reach out when a need arises. No one should be turned away.
This lesson has humbled me because there were occasions where I just did not feel like ministering and I shunned some people away by giving excuses. It might just be too late if I decide to reach out to them another day.
Well, a good reminder for me especially for this week when I have to serve the Lord and His people. Like I mentioned in the last blog, I have this hunch that some things may not turn out well leading to Friday when the team meets for the rehearsal and on Sunday for the service but I am not going to let this stop me from trusting the Lord to clear the obstacles ahead.
I just sent out the songs to the Worship Team. I hope as we keep each other in prayer, the Holy Spirit will lead and guide us accordingly. I also pray we will encourage one another in our service to the Lord and His people and at the end of it all, God's name be glorified.
I shall end here.
"The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest." So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. "This is a remote place," they said, "and it's already very late. Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat." But he answered, "You give them something to eat." They said to him, "That would take eight months of a man's wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?" "How many loaves do you have?" he asked. "Go and see." When they found out, they said, "Five—and two fish." Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand. Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray." Mark 6:30-46
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