Since last night I have been trying to re-install all the softwares into my notebook but the process has not been going as smoothly as I wish it would. Even as I type now I am reformatting my hard-disk. Somewhere I might have made a wrong move and I pray this time round everything will go well.
Mum has not been feeling too rosy since her fall. She has been feeling rather lethargic. I hope nothing bad happened when she fell. I just prayed for the Lord to take good care of her now that she is asleep and that tomorrow the doctor will be able to tell us whether everything is okay.
This morning at the 11:15am service, my very first Sunday School teacher, who taught me about God when I first came to church, was the guest-preacher. Her name is Mrs. Joyce Seet. I knew her more as Sister Joyce Chew. Yup, she has the same surname as me.
Anyway, today is the Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS) Sunday. Joyce preached on "Becoming Authentic - Women After God's Own Heart." Though the message was addressed to the women, the lessons can also be applied in men's lives as well. It was quite relevant to me and I praise the Lord for the timely reminder.
In order for Christians to go after the heart of God, there are three masks that need to be taken off.
The first is the Mask of Hypocrisy. Hypocrisy basically starts when we lie to ourselves about what we are really like. The character of an individual is basically who that person is when no one is watching him. That statement is so true. To overcome hypocrisy, one has to practise consistency so that who we are in public does not contradict who we are in private.
The second is the Mask of Competition. A competitive person is eager to be more successful than other people. Just as much as competition is not bad in itself, there is a need to be careful that it should not rule the way we live or the way we view others or start comparing ourselves with them. To overcome this, there is a need for us to practise community-living. This will allow us to view each other as equals and that we do things to complement and supplement one another. This is especially important in ministries. At the end of the day, we need to excel in what we do for the glory of God and the edification of the body of Christ.
The third is the Mask of Self-Pity. Self-pity is a feeling of unhappiness that we have about ourselves and our problems, especially when this is unnecessary or greatly exaggerated. The way to deal with this is to practise contentment - being satisfied with things as they are and not let circumstances or people affect us.
Christians basically need to train themselves to follow God's heart - the story of Mary and Martha showed us that Mary chose to do the right thing by listening to Jesus when He was at their place. Martha was too busy to basically sit and listen. But all of us have a choice and it is up to us to decide what our heart's desire is.
Well, in applying the above lessons to my life, I basically need to overcome hypocrisy - even at this point of my pilgrim's journey, I still struggle with this. I basically need to be real before God and every one else at all times and not just some times.
I also need to release past hurts, bitterness and resentment in my life so that I do not fall into the trap of self-pity which is so easy to let it affect what I do and say.
I guess that is all I want to share. I am still dealing with my computer problems. I really need God to intervene here and advise me accordingly.
Alright, time to go. Have a blessed week of adventure ahead!
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." 1 Peter 2:1
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11
Mum has not been feeling too rosy since her fall. She has been feeling rather lethargic. I hope nothing bad happened when she fell. I just prayed for the Lord to take good care of her now that she is asleep and that tomorrow the doctor will be able to tell us whether everything is okay.
This morning at the 11:15am service, my very first Sunday School teacher, who taught me about God when I first came to church, was the guest-preacher. Her name is Mrs. Joyce Seet. I knew her more as Sister Joyce Chew. Yup, she has the same surname as me.
Anyway, today is the Women's Society of Christian Service (WSCS) Sunday. Joyce preached on "Becoming Authentic - Women After God's Own Heart." Though the message was addressed to the women, the lessons can also be applied in men's lives as well. It was quite relevant to me and I praise the Lord for the timely reminder.
In order for Christians to go after the heart of God, there are three masks that need to be taken off.
The first is the Mask of Hypocrisy. Hypocrisy basically starts when we lie to ourselves about what we are really like. The character of an individual is basically who that person is when no one is watching him. That statement is so true. To overcome hypocrisy, one has to practise consistency so that who we are in public does not contradict who we are in private.
The second is the Mask of Competition. A competitive person is eager to be more successful than other people. Just as much as competition is not bad in itself, there is a need to be careful that it should not rule the way we live or the way we view others or start comparing ourselves with them. To overcome this, there is a need for us to practise community-living. This will allow us to view each other as equals and that we do things to complement and supplement one another. This is especially important in ministries. At the end of the day, we need to excel in what we do for the glory of God and the edification of the body of Christ.
The third is the Mask of Self-Pity. Self-pity is a feeling of unhappiness that we have about ourselves and our problems, especially when this is unnecessary or greatly exaggerated. The way to deal with this is to practise contentment - being satisfied with things as they are and not let circumstances or people affect us.
Christians basically need to train themselves to follow God's heart - the story of Mary and Martha showed us that Mary chose to do the right thing by listening to Jesus when He was at their place. Martha was too busy to basically sit and listen. But all of us have a choice and it is up to us to decide what our heart's desire is.
Well, in applying the above lessons to my life, I basically need to overcome hypocrisy - even at this point of my pilgrim's journey, I still struggle with this. I basically need to be real before God and every one else at all times and not just some times.
I also need to release past hurts, bitterness and resentment in my life so that I do not fall into the trap of self-pity which is so easy to let it affect what I do and say.
I guess that is all I want to share. I am still dealing with my computer problems. I really need God to intervene here and advise me accordingly.
Alright, time to go. Have a blessed week of adventure ahead!
"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." 1 Peter 2:1
"Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:17-18
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Philippians 2:3-4
"I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." Philippians 4:11
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