Friday, April 25, 2008

Formula One Lifestyle

I took leave today so that I can use the time to rest and also to do up the Missions Ministry Notice Board. Praise the Lord for the time of refreshing as I read His Word, prayed and also spent some time in quiet. I did all that in the morning at the park opposite my home. The weather was cool and conducive as I fellowshipped with the Lord.

I went home after that to wash up. I had breakfast with mum - today is her birthday! May the Lord continue to bless and keep her as she continues her journey in life. :)

I headed for church next! The time spent in the church office was productive - I did some more amendments to the Missions Policy after I spoke to my Assistant Pastor; I also had a short moment of fellowship with him; I went out for lunch with the church staff; I did a sign with the words "Missions Ministry" for the notice board; I also printed a couple of articles to be pasted on the board.

By the time I was done with all of the above-mentioned, it was already evening. A dear brother-in-Christ bought dinner for me. We ate in one of the rooms and I had a fun time discussing with him about photography stuff.

I joined the Youth Ministry Worship Team after my tummy was filled. It was a great time of worship with my younger siblings-in-Christ. The songs chosen were quite challenging but I thank God that they were all eager to give them a shot. In the end, all turned out well.

I read 2 Timothy 3 this morning and it was not really a very pleasant passage but I praise God still for the stern warning He gave through this passage...

"But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over weak-willed women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires, always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these men oppose the truth—men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone. You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

There is no need for me to elaborate what the passage is directing at. It is so clear. It is a warning and we had better take heed of it.

Our pilgrim's journey is like the Formula One race that is coming up in Singapore. We need to take pit-stops every now and then - to allow us to see where our lives are heading and whether we have compromised and become complacent. If we know we have been, then it is better that we do something about it before we sink deeper into the quick-sand of sins and find it tough to get out of it!

Already in church, I have heard of siblings-in-Christ finding pleasures in drinking and getting drunk instead of being filled with the Spirit; using vulgarities instead of praising God; being money-minded rather than being God-centered; reading literatures written by fellow humans rather than the Word of God; entertaining the lust of the flesh instead of keeping the body, which is the temple of Holy Spirit, pure; etc.

Many know what they need to do but yet, they do not practise what is beneficial to their lives. We sometimes live our lives as if we are heading towards hell than heaven! I guess that is why Jesus said entering Heaven is like entering a narrow door.

I shuddered when I reflected on the above passage this morning. We need to go back to the Word to know what else God has to say with regard to all aspects of life.

I was encouraging a dear sister-in-Christ from another church to read the Bible again after she had stopped doing so for a while. When I said that to her, it also served as a reminder for me not to let the Word of God depart from my mouth and heart.

We will not go wrong reading God's Word which directs the readers to live right!

Time for me to sleep now - I have to be in church early for the Local Church Executive Committee meeting.

Thanks be to God for this day! Happy Birthday, Mummy!

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