NS Area

2009-01-13T17:32:00.000+08:00

Our Blessings in Christ

2008-08-13T23:16:00.003+08:00

Hey all, This was what i promised in last week's cell. Hope it's useful

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Deuteronomy 28 speaks of many physical blessings which God promised to Israel. Note that Deuteronomy 28 is not addressed to believers in the body of Christ. In order to receive the physical blessings, Israel had to “hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments ...” (Deut 27:1), failing which they would be cursed (Deut 27:15).

In contrast, as members of the body of Christ, the Bible tells us that God “hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ” (Eph 1:3). We do not have to work for these blessings and, in fact, we can’t.

What follows is a study of our blessings as believers in the body of Christ.

1. We have received forgiveness of sins.
Col 2: 13 “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;”(KJV) / “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,”(NIV)

Col 1:14 “in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.”

Eph 4:32 “even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. “ (KJV)/“…just as in Christ God forgave you.”(NIV)

2. We have been regenerated or made alive spiritually.
Titus 3: 5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;” (KJV) / “not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,” (NIV)

Eph 2:4,5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)” (KJV)/ “God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions”(NIV)

3. We have been justified (i.e. declared righteous).
In our unsaved condition, we were seen as unrighteous in the eyes of God:

"There is none righteous, no one; For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; ” (Rom 3:10, 23).

Rom 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness “ (KJV)/“However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.”(NIV)

4. We have peace with God.
Rom 5:1 “Therefore being justified [declared righteous] by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

Rom 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

Gal 3:13 “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us …”

Eph 2:14-18 “For he is our peace, … Having abolished in his flesh the law, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; ….. For through him we … have access by one Spirit unto the Father.”

1 Cor 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”

5. We will not lose our salvation.
Rom 8:38-39 “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

6. We have been sanctified.
Sanctify (Gk hagiazo) means to make or set apart as holy or pure.

1 Cor 1:2 “Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints [sanctified ones].”

1 Cor 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Heb 10:10,14 “By the which will we are sanctified through the offering [sacrifice] of the body of Jesus Christ once for all ... For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.”

This blessing of sanctification has, therefore, nothing to do with our conduct. It is the result of the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Nevertheless, in our walk, we are exhorted to behave as saints should behave.

Eph 5:2-3 “And walk in love, as Christ hath loved us, ... But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; “

1 Thess 4:3-7 “For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, ... For God hath not called us unto uncleanness but unto holiness.”

Rom 12:1 “I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

7. We can rejoice in the hope of a new glorious resurrected body.
1 Cor 15:52-53 “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: … the
dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

Rom 8:18,22-23 “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not
worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. … For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.”

In conclusion, when we focus on all the above spiritual blessings, we can:
(i) “Rejoice in the Lord always … “ (Phil 4:4)
(ii) Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
(Phil 4:6,7)

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The 5 Crowns

Crown of Life - James 1:12
Crown of the Imperishable - 1 Corinthians 24:27
Crown of Exultation - 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20
Crown of Righteousness - 2 Timothy 4:5-8
Crown of Glory 1 Peter 5:2-4

Hope Church NS Area Vision Night

2008-08-04T23:55:00.001+08:00

I can't wait for our ministry to be as vibrant as this

A Challenge

2008-04-07T16:38:00.001+08:00

This was an old email from Pastor Joyce, that inspired me and i just wanna share with you all.

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(1) The Lord fights for you. - Deut 1;30, 31;
(2) Repentance from an "unwilling spirit".- Deut 1: 26, 3:22
(3) Eyes of faith for all Deut 3:27

God is simply awesome. He moves among us in an amazing and unexpected way yesterday

Do not be satisfied with yesterday's glory. Ask God for a fresh FIRE from heaven to consume and revive our hearts further, deeper and just more of him. Every single week! Every single day! Let's live in step with the Spirit all the time.

Let’s be challenged to do the following:

(1) A call to true discipleship

(2) God is looking for the Davids who has a passion for his name, who will
say what David said, "Who is this uncircumcised Phlistine that he should
defy the armies of the living God!"

(3) Submission and support to leadership (repentance of your rebellious
spirit towards leadership) A pledge of commitment and renewed loyalty

(4) Leaders to reckon that it is an awesome responsibility and repent if
there has been any unwilling spirit to serve the people and lead.

(5) Unity in the body of Christ: We are FAMILY

Father's Blessings

2008-04-05T07:12:00.002+08:00

Dont look for the easy options. You are better off living in an environment tt's a lil more demanding, more challenging, more stretching, a lil busier, if its where God has planted me, im better off there than somewhere that's cheaper, easier and or convenient. Im better off in a much more challenging environment but in the Father's blessing, than taking easier options but in a way that's drawing me away from the Father's blessing.

I will NOT settle for the cheap. the easier option is the path away from the Father's blessing

Aftermath

2008-03-22T15:51:00.003+08:00

Hey guys guess what! We serve a gracious God man I managed to contact the driver and he was willing to pay the $70 damage cost. So we're cost-free when it comes to the damages! All that's left for NSNC post admin is the miscellaneous cost. And I'll get back to you real soon! Especially after I return Nigel and Renhao the money for the 100plus, cake and petrol. Cheers!

- Nicholas

NS Area Night Cycling, 140308

2008-03-16T20:23:00.008+08:00

It's a wrap! :)

First and foremost, I'd like to thank the Team that worked so hard to make it possible! Planning's the tough bit, and we saw the fruits of our labour on Friday through the smiles and various conversations along the way. God used many people during the planning stages and ministered to us as an Area, even if you guys didn't notice then. And I'd like to share that experience with everyone. The key thing is, even the PLANNING PROCESS can be aligned with the objectives! We hope to build up not only Men of Faith, but also to equip you with some useful planning experiences and to bring you on a journey of Leadership development!

Let's start off with the objectives our OC (Davi.dKoh) laid out for the team:

The objectives for the NSNC 2008 are as follows:
1. To increase cohesion in the NS Area, especially on an inter-cell level.
2. To forge a strong identity as an Area.
3. To unite the planning core team and to also glean experience in planning for such events. In future, the objective of such events would be more evangelistic in nature.

The objectives were pretty clear, but after looking at them for a while, I realised the fulfilment of all three objectives could only be achieved in two ways:

(1) The Core Team would be small and focused, each person with a large job scope.
(2) The Core Team would be big and the job scope will be less for each person on the team. Basically the Pie is cut up into smaller pieces as compared to (1).

However there are Pros and Cons to both approaches, and I had to weigh them out to best fit the objectives before executing.

The Cons
Our Area comprises of a large group of NSFs and this poses a few restrictions. Availability would be a problem for committee members.

If I chose Approach (1), and formed the committee of purely ORD Personnel (hehe) to organise the event, things would have been more efficient simply due to our availability and prior experience ie Marcus & Nigel. BUT, the rest of the guys in the area wouldn't learn much and that would defeat the purpose in the planning of this!

If I chose Approach (2), most of the team, me inclusive, would be largely inexperienced in planning for a Night Cycling event. Moreover, having to juggle planning commitments and tasks relating to the event on top of your daily duties and tasks in camp would be tricky. Therefore, outsourcing too many tasks in Approach (2) will make everything messier and harder to coordinate (basically as Supervising I'd have a hard time ensuring many things on too many fronts), and quality is expected to be compromised in certain areas.

However, looking at:

The Pros
A big team means greater ownership of the event by the members of the Area. It also means all of you (NSFs HAHAHA:P), would be exposed to the planning process and would learn from it! ORD Personnel aren't going to be in the NS Area forever, you know? :D Basically, Approach (2) fulfils the objectives more than (1) as we get more contact time in planning!

So, I decided to take Approach (2) and deliberately chose the committee across all three cells in the Area to optimise contact between different guys in the Area. REMEMBER, objectives can also be met even through the planning stages!

And now I'd like to thank individuals for their contributions. In no order of merit of course. :) And the objectives were met too! So praise the Lord! :)

DavKoh, for trusting me enough to handle this without prior experience. For your constant prayers and affirmation and for helping out in any way you could. Thank you for obtaining the TP permit for us, and for providing much insight to Jenson and I in the planning.

Jenson, for your wealth of experience in planning for Night Cycling trips. Thank you for laying out the route and settling the bike rentals. Also for handling situations in calmness and grace. Thank you for your trust and patience with me, and for gathering the marshals and briefing us beforehand.

To Vernon and Wei Ming, thank you for your commitment despite your busy schedules. Vernon thank you for displaying a confidence on the roads which I'm sure, rubbed off on others. For Wei Ming thank you for sprinting down to join us as a marshal after a long day of work and teaching guitar lessons, your tremendous spirit is extremely commendable.

To Nigel, I love your resourcefulness and that you strive to do the best in everything that you do. Thank you for coordinating beyond your job scope, for obtaining the stores from church, for the 100plus, for getting the cake, covering safety and even just organising the back of the Kangoo. It grounded and anchored procedures, it tied up those loose ends and thank you for your kinds words of advice. To lead, to excel, to overcome! :D

To Kenneth, whom I learnt alot about in this planning. I understand you had to come out of your comfort zone to plan for games and that it's not exactly your "thing", but I thank you for agreeing to just help out even in the smallest of ways anyway. Thanks for inviting Jeriel and Calvin! I hope they enjoyed themselves too.

To Yu You, who kindly availed himself to cover safety during this event despite commitments in camp. Thank you for settling the First Aid Kit with Renhao, and for leading the convoy in Seng Kang/Punggol. You stepping up was great to see!

To DavidLau, who constantly reminded me to check on the status of the safety vehicle LOL. Who despite being so actively involved in the upcoming Easter production, availed himself to support the event anyway. For coordinating with Thambi for the Cambro, for initially helping to obtain food but fell through simply cos the budget didn't allow for that. But the effort is greatly recognised and I appreciate it.

To Darren, for contacting that insane number of people just to consolidate attendance for the event, for doing it a SECOND time to confirm the well, unconfirmed hahaha. Thank you for doing up the document. YEAH COMMANDO (clerk)! Red beret (from the E-mart)! :P :D

To Renhao, woah thank you for coordinating SO many things. For confirming the attendance for NS3, for availing the Kangoo and being the safety driver despite being sick AND after a full day's work too! Thank you for obtaining so many resources from church. The First Aid Kit, the walkie-talkies, the mineral water.

And most importantly to our Lord Jesus Christ who heard our earnest prayers for good weather and by His grace, cleared the skies and kept it that way for the whole event! We serve an awesome God man our plans are NOTHING without surrendering all to Him. He also kept Jeriel safe despite that slight incident with the Cab. Thank you for covering us and for providing for our every need! Praise be to God!

On that note, the damage to the bike cost $70. But don't worry, I will inform Com.fort of the incident and follow-up action will be taken. I will update everyone on the situation when there are further developments.

Also for the miscellaneous costs, I will update everyone on the surplus and will be accountable as to where the money goes as post-event admin irons out.

So here are some pictures and tired-but-happy faces! :)

Before setting off.

HAHAHA Sorry Darren it's two wheels for you!

Introductions/Conducting Brief

Jenson and his FBO (Full Bicycle Order)

Happy Birthday David!

Supper at Circuit Rd

At Jalan Kayu Prata for a night snack! Calvin, Abel, Kenneth, Ruiwen

Hmm a bit blur .. Hahaha. Darren, Daniel, Alexi, Wei Ming

Group photo!

Again!

Cheers all, til the next time!

- Nicholas

Church-Wide Prayer Meeting & Night Cycling

2008-03-07T00:01:00.001+08:00

Hey all, after learning about prayer these past 6 weeks, i really hope has placed upon your hearts a passion to pray and commune with God.

In continuing our build up to the outreach services, the EA congregation will be holding the monthly prayer meeting next Wednesday, 12 Mar 08 at 8 pm in the Victory Chapel. During this prayer meeting, we will come together to storm heaven for the lives of our guests we have invited for the outreach services. Let's stand together as a NS Area and support this prayer meeting.

Also, as most of you would probably know, we are having an area outing next week.

NS Area Night Cycling
Meeting time: 2200
Meeting place: Simpang Bedok
Cycling Route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1641111

As Mighty warriors of God, let's cover this event in prayer

Pray for the committee (Darren Peh, Nigel Ngern, Yu You, Jenson Chen, David Lau, Nicholas Yeo, Tsai Renhao & Kenneth) as they sacrifice time and effort to plan this event. Pray for them for wisdom and foresight to foresee any possible problems and danger, for resourcefulness and efficiency, and most importantly, hunger for God that their focus not be on just the planning and organizing, but on drawing nearer and pleasing to God.
That this area event can be effective in reaching out to those irregular cell members
That we can interact and fellowship with people from the other cells, developing strong bonds that unite us as an area
For safety for the cyclists, the drivers, the safety team, the marshallers and all others, be it protection against any accidents, thefts, injuries or encountering any trouble, especially with the police and armed forces still searching for Mas Selamat Bin Kastari.

Hope to see you guys next week at both events

Cell Night - What makes you you?

2008-03-06T17:13:00.002+08:00

Hey, this is the main points from the 1st ever cell night for all those who did not make it.

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Have you ever wonder what makes you the way you are today?

Much of who you are, what you do and how you feel towards certain situations and people is determined by your past.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21

V 17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”

How can we resolve the pain of the past?

1. Face Up To Your Past
•Have the courage to face up to your past
•Do this with the grace and strength of God - Recognizing the impact of your past on the present
•“How long do I want to carry on shortchanging my life this way?”

2. Take Personal Responsibility
•Claiming responsibility is staking our ability to respond actively to the world around us
•We can choose to change our response system in us through the help of the Holy Spirit

3. Make Necessary Closure
•A closure means that you close, finish and end with a past event that is still left open
•Making closure is like putting antiseptic cream on the open wound and then stitching it back

4. Find Meaning In Your Past
•Discover some wisdom from our experience
•God wants us to see our past as part of His big plan and purpose to transform us to be more like Jesus

5. Turn Your Past into a Compelling Story
•Everyone has a compelling story to tell, what more a child of God!
•God wants to turn your pains into gains and your scars into stars

Our past is God’s way of constructing a story where people are drawn to Christ.
Whatever is your story, you can impact someone for Christ! Your story is powerful!

Play a part in the Easter Production Team: Stage Hands Needed!

2008-03-05T20:50:00.001+08:00

Hi area!

Easter is coming soon and we need help people to serve as stage hands for the productions. This will be an excellent opportunity to serve in a meaningful way, and I hope that those of you who are free can come together in representing the NS Area to help.A high level of commitment will be needed in order to make this production a success, and it's going to be worth it! You will have to be present for all rehearsals and serve in all 3 services during the Easter weekend. (Rehearsal schedule below) Some of our HighLifers are already in the lead and supporting cast, and it'll be great if more of us can be involved together!

If you are willing and able to serve as a stage-hand, please let me know. You may also contact David Lau at 8180 8102 if you need more info.

The schedule is as follows:
1 March - Rehearsal
2 March - Tech Run
9 March - Full Dress 1
16 March - Full Dress 2
19 March - Full Dress 3

21 March - GOOD FRIDAY SERVICE
22 March - MEGALIFE SERVICE
23 March - EASTER SUNDAY SERVICE

God bless,
David

Names of God

2008-03-05T20:33:00.003+08:00

During last week's NS2 cell, we discussed about the various names of God and the significance of every name. Therefore i'm posting them here for reference. Hope they will be of use to you guys.

ELOHIM" (or Elohay) is the first name for God found in the Bible, and it's used throughout the Old Testament over 2,300 times. Elohim comes from the Hebrew root meaning "strength" or "power", and has the unusual characteristic of being plural in form. In Genesis 1:1, we read, "In the beginning Elohim created the heaven and the earth." Right from the start, this plural form for the name of God is used to describe the One God, a mystery that is uncovered throughout the rest of the Bible. Throughout scripture, Elohim is combined with other words to describe certain characteristics of God.

Some examples:
Elohay Kedem - God of the Beginning: (Deuteronomy 33:27).
Elohay Mishpat - God Of Justice: (Isaiah 30:18).
Elohay Selichot - God Of Forgiveness: (Nehemiah 9:17).
Elohay Marom - God Of Heights: (Micah 6:6).
Elohay Mikarov - God Who Is Near: (Jeremiah 23:23).
Elohay Mauzi - God Of My Strength: (Psalm 43:2).
Elohay Tehilati - God Of My Praise: (Psalm 109:1).
Elohay Yishi - God Of My Salvation: (Psalm 18:47, 25:5).
Elohim Kedoshim - Holy God: (Leviticus 19:2, Joshua 24:19).
Elohim Chaiyim - Living God: (Jeremiah 10:10).
Elohay Elohim - God Of Gods: (Deuteronomy 10:17).

"EL" is another name used for God in the Bible, showing up about 200 times in the Old Testament. El is the simple form arising from Elohim, and is often combined with other words for descriptive emphasis.

Some examples:
El HaNe'eman - The Faithful God: (Deuteronomy 7:9).
El HaGadol - The Great God: (Deuteronomy 10:17).
El HaKadosh - The Holy God: (Isaiah 5:16).
El Yisrael - The God Of Israel: (Psalm 68:35).
El HaShamayim - The God Of The Heavens: (Psalm 136:26).
El De'ot - The God Of Knowledge: (1 Samuel 2:3).
El Emet - The God Of Truth: (Psalm 31:6).
El Yeshuati - The God Of My Salvation: (Isaiah 12:2).
El Elyon - The Most High God: (Genesis 14:18).
Immanu El - God Is With Us: (Isaiah 7:14).
El Olam - The God Of Eternity (Genesis 21:33).
El Echad - The One God: (Malachi 2:10).

"ELAH" is another name for God, used about 70 times in the Old Testament. Again, when combined with other words, we see different attributes of God.

Some examples:
Elah Yerush'lem - God of Jerusalem: (Ezra 7:19).
Elah Yisrael - God of Israel: (Ezra 5:1).
Elah Sh'maya - God of Heaven: (Ezra 7:23).
Elah Sh'maya V'Arah - God of Heaven and Earth: (Ezra 5:11).

"YHVH" is the Hebrew word that translates as "LORD". Found more often in the Old Testament than any other name for God (approximately 7,000 times), the title is also referred to as the "Tetragrammaton," meaning the "The Four Letters". YHVH comes from the Hebrew verb "to be" and is the special name that God revealed to Moses at the burning bush. "And God said to Moses, 'I AM WHO I AM; and He said, thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, I AM has sent me to you... this is My eternal name, and this is how I am to be recalled for all generations'" (Exodus 3:14-15). Therefore, YHVH declares God's absolute being - the source of everything, without beginning and without end. Although some pronounce YHVH as "Jehovah" or "Yaweh," scholars really don't know the proper pronunciation. The Jews stopped pronouncing this name by about 200 A.D., out of fear of breaking the commandment "You shall not take the name of YHVH your God in vain" (Exodus 20:7). (Today's rabbis typically use "Adonai" in place of YHVH.)

Here are some examples of YHVH used in scripture:
YHVH Elohim - LORD God: (Genesis 2:4).
YHVH M'kadesh - The LORD Who Makes Holy: (Ezekiel 37:28).
YHVH Yireh - The LORD Who Sees/provides: (Genesis 22:14).
YHVH Nissi - The LORD My Banner: (Exodus 17:15).
YHVH Shalom - The LORD Of Peace: (Judges 6:24).
YHVH Tzidkaynu - The LORD Our Righteousness: (Jeremiah 33:16).
YHVH O'saynu - The LORD our Maker: (Psalm 95:6).

Some examples of Jehovah:

Jehovah Jireh - The Lord, my provider
Jehovah Rophe (Rapha) - The Lord who heals
Jehovah Nissi - The Lord is my banner
Jehovah M'Kaddesh (Mekaddishkem) - The Lord who sancitifies
Jehovah Shalom - The Lord of peace
Jehovah Tsidkenu - The Lord of righteousness
Jehovah Roi (Rohi) - The Lord is my shepherd
Jehovah Shanmah - The Lord is present
Jehovah Elyon - The Lord most high
Jehovah Sabaoth - The Lord of host

Names of God: The Lord Revealed in YHVH is the Lord Revealed in Yeshua (Jesus)The LORD who revealed Himself as YHVH in the Old Testament is revealed as Yeshua (Jesus) in the New Testament. Jesus shares the same attributes as YHVH and clearly claims to be YHVH. In John 8:56-9, Jesus presents himself as the "I AM." When challenged by some Jewish leaders regarding His claim of seeing Abraham (who lived some 2000 years earlier), Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Those Jewish leaders understood that Jesus was claiming to be YHVH. This is clearly established when they tried to stone Him to death for what they considered blasphemy under Jewish Law. In Romans 10:9, Paul declares, "if you confess with your mouth Yeshua as LORD... you shall be saved." Immediately thereafter, in Romans 10:13, Paul backs up this declaration by quoting the Old Testament, "Whoever will call upon the name of the LORD (YHVH) will be saved" (Joel 2:32). Calling on Yeshua (Jesus) as Lord is the same as calling Him YHVH, because Yeshua (Jesus) is YHVH (LORD), the Messiah foretold throughout the entire Old Testament.

Credit - http://www.allaboutgod.com/names-of-god.htm

Church- Wide Combined Prayer Meeting

2008-02-27T00:47:00.002+08:00

These are my notes and prayer pointers from the church-wide combined prayer meeting for all those who were not able to be there.

We started with worship and thanksgiving prayer. We should continually thank God for all he has done for us, during good times or bad.

Next, Lisa came on stage for a time of praying for the children, for them to really grow in their walk with God.

Chye Aik came on next, sharing a bit on prayer.

Prayer is not about the mechanics, it is about the passion
Prayer is not about the words but the relationship with God

we should continually ask God to bring us back to the place of passion, the place of our first love for Him

"O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." Psalms 63:1

Our day should start from our being. we must start from where are we in our heart

Ask the Holy Spirit to show us where are we in our hearts, the condition of our heart
Ask the Holy Spirit to lead us to where God wants us to be in our heart

God is not interested in what we do, but what we are. We can only be filled when we empty ourselves.

This was followed by Rev Vincent as he talked about how Pastor Chern Hock Chye, the chinese pastor who preached the week before, shared about a vision of a tree, planted by a river. However there were some withered leaves. Rev Vincent asked us to pray for the withered leaves.

Then he asked for those who are the withered leaves to pray, to ask and seek God for renewal and revival in their souls; to yield and surrender everything before God

Then we went on to pray for the following:

The Megalifers and Megalife Staff Team
For all the leaders and Church staff
The various /ministries (Indonesian, Filipino & Chinese)

Prayer

2008-02-22T07:58:00.003+08:00

Hey all, here is an extract from Kenneth E.Hagin's "The Art of Prayer" that i would like to share with you guys. This is from the chapter "Knowing God's Love"

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...to say, "God save Uncle John and Aunt Lucy," does as much good as it does to twiddle your thumbs and say, "Twinkle twinkle little star." God has already done all He's going to do about saving them.

...

That afternoon, I heard the Lord say into my spirit, "No human in his right mind would drive his car down the highway 100 miles an hour, past blinking red warning lights, past signs that said, "Danger! Bridge out!" and plunge himself out into eternity. But a drunk man would - a doped man would. The same thing is true spiritually. No man in his right mind would plunge himself out into eternity without God. But the god of this world has blinded their minds."

He gave me this scripture, "In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds ..." 2 Cor 4:4

...You fasted and prayed that I would do something and I've done all I'm going to do. The blood has already been shed. The Gospel has already been given. The light is already here. It can't shine in because of what the devil has already done. What you've got to do is break the power of the devil over them,."

Intercession does not change God - God never changes.

Prayer does not change God. Prayer changes you, and it changes others. It does not change God.

I saw what i had to do for my brother, Dub.

...

I rose off the bed with my Bible in one hand and the other hand lifted, saying, "In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I break the power of the devil over my brother Dub's life, and I claim his deliverance. [That meant I claimed his delieverance from that blindness, that bondage of satan.] And I claim his full salvation in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ."

Within three weeks, my brother was born again.

Here is where intercession comes in - we are to loose the sinner form the blindness that he may see the light.

If we can get people to see God as he really is, they will want to love him.

We are one with the great Intercessor in His ministry of reconciliation.

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Hope this is useful to you.

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Encouragement

2008-02-22T05:13:00.003+08:00

hey, here is some encouragement as well as something on prayer that i recieved in a few emails from crystal goh that i would like to share with you guys.
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This is just a lil' encouragement for some of you who have been feeling rather tired, disappointed or a bit worried. You are not alone. Just remember that you have a high priest interceding for you Himself and He is none other than our Lord Jesus the Name above all names. Trust in His sovereignty to bring you through any circumstance you are in right now. You will surely emerge victorious if you put your hope and trust in Him.I n your own quiet time, just praise Him even when you're feeling so down and make a confession of faith.... like maybe say, "Lord,I ask for strength,hope and joy to go through this and I receive what I ask in faith right now. Then...declare it by saying,"I am hopeful! Joyful and Victorious! even if u dun feel like it because faith is seeing the unseen and God says in His word that He is bigger than our hearts and that faith shoud come before our feelings.

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And I say to you, ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Luke 11:9

We need the Lord to bring revelation to the Church (everybody in the body of Christ) in order for breakthroughs to happen as a result of our intercession!

In response to Jesus's request for us to ask, let us pray for the Spirit of God to teach us how to experience a breakthrough with our prayers. Let the Holy Spirit teach us to pray prophetically.

Father, we come to you in the name that is above all other names. It is the name above sickness and disease, the name above all forms of bondage, the name above all torment, the name above all unrighteousness. In the powerful name that brought a breakthrough 2000 yrs ago, we are asking, for the same power to be released today.

We confess we don't know how to pray the way we should. However, we have the promise from Your Word. Romans 8:26,27 says, In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

We confess, Lord, that we don't know how to pray. We have tried to pray the way others have prayed. We have read a lot of books. We have attended a lot of seminars. We have fasted. We have done a lot of religious things. Now we stand in need of you. Speak to us. Counsel us, Mighty Counselor.

Our hearts are burdened for people who need the Lord. Our cities are in ruin. Nations are in turmoil. Nevertheless, we know You have the answer. Show us how to get Your answer to those in need. Show us how to rebuild our cities. Show us how to release You glory to the nations. What we are really asking is, please bring revelation on how to break through the impossible with the power of answered prayer.

We ask You to do it in our generation, Lord. We don't want You to wait and raise up another generation to do what You have asked us to do. Give us not just more information, but give us revelation. In response to these answered prayers may Your name be exalted in the earth! In Jesus's name we pray, Amen!

Well, that was it! I believe that the Holy Spirit is gonna teach us how to pray according to God's will and when we do that, amazing things will just start happening in the lives under us and around us! God will set the captives free! I know that all of you have a deep desire to bring God's goodness and love to the people around you and effective prayer is the way to get your breakthrough! Let's start praying for the people in our hearts!

If God exists, why is there still pain

2008-01-26T02:30:00.000+08:00

Hey all,

a very interesting email from audrey lim which i would like to share with you guys.

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"Yet I am still confident of this that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." Ps 27:13-14

This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering that I have seen...

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed..
As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects.
When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said:
'I don't believe that God exists.'

'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?

If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain.
I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard.
He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber:
'You know what? Barbers do not exist.'
'How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber.
'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'
'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because
if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside..'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'
'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist!
That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help.
That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

If you think God exists, send this to other people---
If you think God does not exist, delete it!

BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS !!!!!!!

Thanksgiving

2008-01-21T00:59:00.000+08:00

Hey guys,

I think we can all definitely benefit from each others' testimonies, yes? Sometimes we need to hear an encouraging message from a fellow brother, and that can inspire us to continue on in our race of life towards that prize. I urge all of you to begin the week asking God to open your eyes and to use you in ways you never imagined; yield your entire self to Him. At the end of each day, think of one thing that happened during the day to thank God for, and pray to Him in thanksgiving and Praise. This can help us in our daily living with God, and also can give us things to share during cell that will help build each other up. :)

Nigel

Elizabeth Elliott's Daily Devotionals

2008-01-14T16:07:00.000+08:00

Hey guys,

Something audrey lim sent to some of us that i want to share with you guys.

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from Elizabeth Elliott's Daily Devotionals:

A spirit of calm contentment always accompanies true godliness. The deep peace that comes from deep trust in God's lovingkindness is not destroyed even by the worst of circumstances, for those Everlasting Arms are still cradling us, we are always "under the Mercy." Corrie ten Boom was "born to trouble" like the rest of us, but in a German concentration camp she jumped to her feet every morning and exuberantly sang "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus!" She thanked the Lord for the little parade of ants that marched through her cell, bringing her company. When Paul and Silas were in prison, they prayed and sang. It isn't troubles that make saints, but their response to troubles....

"Everything about which we are tempted to complain may be the very instrument whereby the Potter intends to shape His clay into the image of His Son--a headache, an insult, a long line at the check-out, someone's rudeness or failure to say thank you, misunderstanding, disappointment, interruption. As Amy Carmichael said, "See in it a chance to die," meaning a chance to leave self behind and say YES to the will of God, to be "conformable unto His death." Not a morbid martyr-complex but a peaceful and happy contentment in the assurance that goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives. Wouldn't our children learn godliness if they saw the example of contentment instead of complaint? acceptance instead of rebellion? peace instead of frustration? "

May God teach us to be content in all circumstances!

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-marc.NS2

Highlife Vision Statement

2008-01-14T16:00:00.000+08:00

REVOLUTIONISE OUR GENERATION
- Serving the students and lecturers in the campuses (lifestyle)
- Praying 24/7 for revival and blessing in the campuses
(campus prayer drive/ cell or area-based prayer meetings)
- Starting campus cells by anyone who feels the burden
- Initiating campus outreaches that will impact the camps and campuses (cell-based or area-based initiatives)

RISE TO OUR CALL
- Strong Leadership Raising Culture
- Training/Mentoring

REACH BEYOND OUR PRESENT
- Strong Mission-minded training (kairos course for graduating HL-ers) and gospel revolution culture
- Emphasize God’s calling over personal career (communicated through X!changes, mission trips etc.)
- HL Mission Trips

Official opening

2008-01-12T02:10:00.000+08:00

Hey NS area, this is the official opening of the NS area Blog. just wanna share with you guys some stuff that i dug out while doing my spring cleaning of my hard drive.

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Dont look for the easy options.

You are better off living in an environment tt's a lil more demanding, more challenging, more stretching, a lil busier, if its where God has planted me, im better off there than somewhere that's cheaper, easier and or convenient. Im better off in a much more challenging environment but in the Father's blessing, than taking easier options but in a way that's drawing me away from the Father's blessing.

I will NOT settle for the cheap. the easier option is the path away from the Father's blessing

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The Making of a Mighty Warrior
Judges 6:7-16

1. Start with men tired of being defeated. (Verse 7)
1.1 Not until you get tired of being beat up will God make you a mighty warrior for Him!
1.2 It took 7 years for the Israelites to become tired of being defeated. How long will it take you?

2. Add one prophet that tells the truth. (Verse 8-10)
2.1 I’m going to tell you the truth. The reason you are defeated is because you don’t listen to God!
2.2 God will not do what He wants to in our church until He can get a few good men to listen to Him and commit to becoming mighty warriors.
2.3 He doesn’t need all the men, just a few good men! Don’t wait for someone else to do it. You can become a mighty warrior!

3. Wait for God’s presence to come. (Verse 11-12a)
3.1 You will not be the mighty warrior without the presence of God!
3.2 How can you enter into the presence of God? Stop holding back during worship. Stop resisting the Spirit during an altar call! Stop making excuses for not being a mighty warrior!

4. Believe what God says about you. (Verse 12b)
4.1 Everything about Gideon’s circumstances said that he was a coward, but God said he was a mighty warrior!
4.2 Who are going to believe, God or your circumstances? I choose to believe God! What God says you better believe!

5. Quit arguing with God! (Verses 13-14)
5.1 This is your biggest problem.
5.2 Notice it’s now the Lord that is talking to Gideon.
5.3 Gideon didn’t get an answer he got military orders to go.

6. Go in the power and presence of God Almighty. (Verse 14-16)
6.1 Go in the strength you have. You don’t need any more preparation. Quit saying, “I’m not ready.” God in the strength that you have right now and God will add the rest! Romans 8:31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? (NIV)
6.2 God loves to use a man’s weakness and turn it into power and victory! (SEE 2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

Heavenly Ops Orders - This is Your Commanding Officer Speaking:
1. Fight your flesh.
2. Fight the right enemy.
3. Get involved in God’s army.
4. Recruit new mighty warriors for God.

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So lets all rise up to be mighty warriors for God, not looking for the easy way out but finding God-given purposes in all we do

- Marcus.NS2

Thoughts of Darren Peh

2008-01-10T21:58:00.000+08:00

1 Chronicles 28:20 says that "David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the LORD is finished."