Yesterday Christians all over the world celebrated Easter Sunday - the day when Jesus rose from the dead. If there was no resurrection, then the Christian faith is dead but the fact that He is now alive, every day believers, like me, worship a living God!
This morning I attended a funeral of a dear brother-in-Christ - since last August he battled several illnesses (kidney failure, massive heart attack, internal bleeding, etc). Throughout his struggles, God was in his heart and mind and he would continue to cry out to Him for help. Times when the medical staff had given him little hope, he came out of his sufferings and was able to stand before the church to give his testimony on the goodness and mercy of God.
This dear brother is no more in this world, in the physical sense, but he is still alive where he is now - heaven. He is also in the heart and mind of all those who have known him.
It is the same for the God whom I worship. He is not with me physically but in my heart and mind, he will always be so real and true.
I cried when I was at the crematorium - not tears of sadness but those of joy because I know this brother is suffering no more and he is smiling as he walks with the God who has kept him going.
I will meet my God and all my siblings-in-Christ who have gone ahead of me one day when my time here in this world comes to a close. That is the hope I will be clinging on. In the meantime, I will make known to others the love of Christ... who says there is no meaning in life? There is, especially for those who have come to know the saving grace of the risen Lord!
The end here is never an end for me and all my siblings-in-Christ - it is just the beginning! How refreshing a thought!
I am still unwell. In fact yesterday when I was co-leading worship at the Combined Service, my throat was very uncomfortable. The night before it was worse but all thanks and praise to God for sustaining and allowing me to have a great time worshipping Him, along with the rest of the church.
I will be stopping worship-leading till end of this year so that I can concentrate on the Missions Ministry. My Pastor-in-Charge asked me to reconsider but when I was at Changi Beach last evening praying about it, I felt this is really what God wants me to do for now. There is a tinge of sadness but it is something that I have to do in order to give my all in the primary ministry that God has called me to.
Well, that is all for now. I shall get on with my work.
To God be the glory!
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28-39
This morning I attended a funeral of a dear brother-in-Christ - since last August he battled several illnesses (kidney failure, massive heart attack, internal bleeding, etc). Throughout his struggles, God was in his heart and mind and he would continue to cry out to Him for help. Times when the medical staff had given him little hope, he came out of his sufferings and was able to stand before the church to give his testimony on the goodness and mercy of God.
This dear brother is no more in this world, in the physical sense, but he is still alive where he is now - heaven. He is also in the heart and mind of all those who have known him.
It is the same for the God whom I worship. He is not with me physically but in my heart and mind, he will always be so real and true.
I cried when I was at the crematorium - not tears of sadness but those of joy because I know this brother is suffering no more and he is smiling as he walks with the God who has kept him going.
I will meet my God and all my siblings-in-Christ who have gone ahead of me one day when my time here in this world comes to a close. That is the hope I will be clinging on. In the meantime, I will make known to others the love of Christ... who says there is no meaning in life? There is, especially for those who have come to know the saving grace of the risen Lord!
The end here is never an end for me and all my siblings-in-Christ - it is just the beginning! How refreshing a thought!
I am still unwell. In fact yesterday when I was co-leading worship at the Combined Service, my throat was very uncomfortable. The night before it was worse but all thanks and praise to God for sustaining and allowing me to have a great time worshipping Him, along with the rest of the church.
I will be stopping worship-leading till end of this year so that I can concentrate on the Missions Ministry. My Pastor-in-Charge asked me to reconsider but when I was at Changi Beach last evening praying about it, I felt this is really what God wants me to do for now. There is a tinge of sadness but it is something that I have to do in order to give my all in the primary ministry that God has called me to.
Well, that is all for now. I shall get on with my work.
To God be the glory!
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:28-39
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