Unashamed

Around last year, I went to a youth camp in Singapore. The theme of the camp was "I am Not Ashamed" and the symbol of their camp logo was a diamond. A friend of mine in the camp told me his interpretation of the symbol, "Well, when you have a diamond, you will wear it around with you to show off because it is precious to you. The Gospel is the same as the diamond. When you have the Gospel, you don't keep it, you show it to others." I like the interpretation from my friend.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17

"God intends us to penetrate the world. Christian salt has no business to remain snugly in elegant little ecclesiastical salt cellars; our place is to be rubbed into the secular community, as salt is rubbed into meat, to stop it going bad.  And when society does go bad, we Christians tend to throw up our hands in pious horror and reproach the non-Christian world; but should we not rather reproach ourselves?  One can hardly blame unsalted meat for going bad.  It cannot do anything else.  The real question to ask is: Where is the salt?" - quoted from John Stott

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:13-16

I am not ashamed by Hillsong

When You found me

My whole world changed

I'm redeemed by Your light

Let the earth see

You are freedom

Turned my darkness to light

You welcomed me in with open arms

Into unending life

[Chorus]

I'm not ashamed of the gospel Lord

Your power, Your love that saved my soul

Now I'm alive in You

I live in the risen Son

You welcomed me in with open arms

Into unending life

[Chorus 3x]

I live in the risen Son

I live in the risen Son

I live in the risen Son

Led by the Spirit

"You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ." (Romans 8:9) Indeed, the Spirit of God lives in us when we received Christ and are baptized in water and Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a helper sent to us by Christ in His promise before He goes back to the Father after the resurrection. "Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear." (Acts 2:33) A Spirit led life enables us to understand the things of God, to fully grasp the understanding of His Word, to know of His great love, to relate with Him and to reach out to the world that is lost. Without being spirit led, the things of God is foolishness to us. The Spirit helps us know the things of God and helps us grow as a part of the branch that is fruitful in the vine. "What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." (1st Corinthians 2:12 - 14) In Revelation 2: 29, "Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches." Knowing that we have the Spirit of the Living God in us lets us know that we can be victorious over the flesh and that we are led towards greater things that what the world and the flesh has to offer.

Let Your Spirit Come by Paradise Live

Let Your Spirit come

Let Your will be done

Let Your presence fall on me 

Christ You've set me free

You're my liberty

Let Your presence fall on me

Let the power of the Holy Ghost

Fall in this place

Come and change my heart renew me

With Your mercy and Your grace

Let the love of Christ surround me

Come closer to my side

Let Your presence fall on me

Everything - Skit & Song by Lifehouse

Everything by Lifehouse

Find Me Here

Speak To Me

I want to feel you

I need to hear you

You are the light

That's leading me

To the place where I find peace again.

You are the strength, that keeps me walking.

You are the hope, that keeps me trusting.

You are the light to my soul.

You are my purpose...you're everything.

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

You calm the storms, and you give me rest.

You hold me in your hands, you won't let me fall.

You steal my heart, and you take my breath away.

Would you take me in? Take me deeper now?

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

And how can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

Cause you're all I want, You're all I need

You're everything,everything

You're all I want your all I need

You're everything, everything.

You're all I want you're all I need.

You're everything, everything

You're all I want you're all I need, you're everything, everything.

And How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this? 

How can I stand here with you and not be moved by you?

Would you tell me how could it be any better than this?

None like our God

Marvelous. Once we quiet ourselves down for a moment and just look at the things that the Lord has done, is doing and is going to do, we just cannot help but marvel at the works of His hands and marvel at how the Lord that created the universe showed so much love to us, a very small dot of His creation compared to the whole universe. The heavens and the earth are His and none can compare to Him. Such is our God, the great and almighty God. Sometimes in life, we just drown in the many things that we face and we live in the shadow of such things in life that troubles us or consumes us. We live in the shadow of such things. Come to think of it, nothing compares to the Lord. If we live in the shadow of such things, then I believe very strongly that we live in the shadow of the Lord almighty and even the thing that overshadows us is overshadowed by the Lord!! Surely the Lord is in control and knows each of our situations. Whatever shadows we live in, that shadow is surely covered in the shadow of the Lord for the Lord is bigger and greater than all things. Whatever situation we face in life, surely we do not fight a helpless battle but we go through the battles and challenges of life together with the Lord watching over us. The Lord created this universe, He surely knows what we go through in this life and He does not give us the easy way out, but He is there to guide us, teach us, disciple us and let us learn and mature through hardships in life.

Psalm 89:1-18

A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.

1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

    through all generations.

2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,

    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.

3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

    I have sworn to David my servant,

4 ‘I will establish your line forever

    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”

5 The heavens praise your wonders, Lord,

    your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones.

6 For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?

    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?

7 In the council of the holy ones God is greatly feared;

    he is more awesome than all who surround him.

8 Who is like you, Lord God Almighty?

    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

9 You rule over the surging sea;

    when its waves mount up, you still them.

10 You crushed Rahab like one of the slain;

    with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.

11 The heavens are yours, and yours also the earth;

    you founded the world and all that is in it.

12 You created the north and the south;

    Tabor and Hermon sing for joy at your name.

13 Your arm is endowed with power;

    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.

14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

    love and faithfulness go before you.

15 Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,

    who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.

16 They rejoice in your name all day long;

    they celebrate your righteousness.

17 For you are their glory and strength,

    and by your favor you exalt our horn.

18 Indeed, our shield belongs to the Lord,

    our king to the Holy One of Israel.

Behold Our God by Sovereign Grace Music

Verse 1 

Who has held the oceans in His hands? 

Who has numbered every grain of sand? 

Kings and nations tremble at His voice 

All creation rises to rejoice 

Chorus 

Behold our God seated on His throne 

Come, let us adore Him 

Behold our King—nothing can compare 

Come, let us adore Him 

Verse 2 

Who has given counsel to the Lord? 

Who can question any of His words? 

Who can teach the One who knows all things? 

Who can fathom all His wondrous deeds? 

Verse 3 

Who has felt the nails upon His hands? 

Bearing all the guilt of sinful man 

God eternal, humbled to the grave 

Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign 

Tag 

You will reign forever 

Let Your glory fill the earth 

Desiderata

Desiderata... by Max Ehrmann

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible, without surrender,

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons;

they are vexatious to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain or bitter,

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs,

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals,

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love,

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment,

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigues and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be.

And whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life,

keep peace in your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful. 

Strive to be happy.

Desiderata was a poem written by Max Ehrmann. The Desiderata poem, a beautiful poem in itself has a controversy in its copyright. It was used by rev Frederick Kates from St Paul's Church in Baltimore for devotional materials where he wrote "Old St Paul's Church, Baltimore A.C. 1692" which caused people to think that the Desiderata poem  was found in the church. A court ruling mentioned that Max Ehrmann had forfeited his right to have the copyright of Desiderata protected so that other can use the work gratuitously although later courts ruled in favor of the copyright with the Supreme Court declining to listen to the case. But despite all this confusion on the copyright of the poem, it is a poem that really touches on many wisdom concerning human behaviors and is nicely composed. Cheers to Max Ehrmann.

We love, because He first loved

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35. Love. A powerful emotion. As disciples of Christ we are asked to love. Because the world understood love and through love we will be known as disciples of Christ. "If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." 1 Corinthians 13:1 And Christ asked us to love one another because power and miracles can only so much move mountains and give prophecies but does not move the heart as much as how it moved the mountains if love was not the main ingredient in the power and miracles. Power without love and prophecies without love brings pride to accomplishments of miracles and good deeds done because we boast in our ability to do things and makes us thirst after compliments for the accomplishment of all these deeds done. But power with love and prophecies with love brings humility and lets us boast in the Lord instead of in ourselves, its makes us thirst to long for more of Christ and what He can do through us, not what we can do through Him. Love brings us back to why we do what we do, why we prophesy, why we do good deeds and love lets us surrender to the will of Christ rather than building our own will upon Christ. Love brings us back to the basics and lets us know that before all these, God loved us first, demonstrated through Christ. He loved us first, "Love one another. As I have loved you," that we may learn to love as He did. To experience love first hand from the Lord and pass it on to another.

1 John 4:7-21

Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
 This is how we know that we live in him and he in us: He has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in them and they in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.  We love because he first loved us. Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister.

'All I Have is Christ' by Sovereign Grace Music

Verse 1

I once was lost in darkest night

Yet thought I knew the way

The sin that promised joy and life

Had led me to the grave

I had no hope that You would own

A rebel to Your will

And if You had not loved me first

I would refuse You still

Verse 2

But as I ran my hell-bound race

Indifferent to the cost

You looked upon my helpless state

And led me to the cross

And I beheld God's love displayed

You suffered in my place

You bore the wrath reserved for me

Now all I know is grace

Chorus

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ

Hallelujah! Jesus is my life

Verse 3

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone

And live so all might see

The strength to follow Your commands

Could never come from me

Oh Father, use my ransomed life

In any way You choose

And let my song forever be

My only boast is You

Unshaken

“Tough times never last. Tough people do.” (by Robert H. Schuller) Tough times. Everybody has different tough times. Different scales. Different issues. Different consequences. Different impact. Tough times comes in different packages to everyone and has different impression towards everyone. And these tough times have different time scales, some last longer and some shorter but we all know one thing, that it will end at a certain point just like how Job's testing comes to an end and Noah's ark did not have to float on the flood until forever. However, Job didn't go through the testing by hiding in the cave until all the things has been successfully taken and replaced and Noah didn't go through the flood by floating in the air. Job has to watch all things taken and was taunted by his friends and he has to go through it until the restoration by God. Noah has to built the ark, be on the ark and wait until the flood is over. There's no shortcut. There never was. Because shortcuts makes us lazy and we learn nothing out of being lazy. One thing for sure, Job and Noah knew that God is with them as they walk through the heat of their tough times. They held on to God, drew strength from God and hope was alive in their hearts because they know the deliverance of God will come, but they must first go through those tough times and completely trust in God. God's unfailing love also has proven to be the thing that kept King David going through most of his trials. In most of King David's psalms, he often mentions going through those times with God and by holding on to God's refuge and His unfailing love. These people are unshaken, because they know that they have a God that is bigger than the tough times and that God is faithful and in His unfailing love, He will bring us through those tough times and deliver us. Unshaken, not because we are strong by ourselves or because we believe ourselves to be tough. Unshaken, because we know we are not in the battle alone, that we are not helpless in our struggle, God is there for us.

Psalm 16
A miktam of David.

1 Keep me safe, my God,
    for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
    apart from you I have no good thing.”
3 I say of the holy people who are in the land,
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
4 Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names on my lips.
5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
7 I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

We Will Not Be Shaken Lyric by Bethel Music

For we trust in our God

And through his unfailing love

We will not be shaken x 3 (repeat)

Though the battle rages

We will stand in the fight

Though the armise rise up

Against us on all sides

We will not be shaken x 3

For in the hour of our darkest day

We will not tremble, we won't be afraid

Hope is rising like the light of dawn

Our god is for us he has overcome

For we trust in our God

And through his unfailing love

We will not be shaken x 3 (repeat)

All those against him will fall

For our God is stronger he can do all things

No higher name we can call

For Jesus is greater, We can do all things (repeat)

For we trust in our God

And through his unfailing love

We will not be shaken x 3 (repeat)

Lead me to the Cross

"The cross before me, the world behind me." (Christ is enough by Hillsong) Lead me to the cross, and in saying that does not simply, just be led to Christ only to enjoy His presence and what He has done on the cross, but also to partake in the sufferings of Christ and understanding His death and resurrection, to take up our cross as well, to deny ourselves and live our very lives crucifying the old self to the cross and living the new victorious life in Christ, in which part of the process will include the letting go of certain things we hold dear in this world that contradicts us in our walk with God. Christ said Himself in Luke 9:23-25 "Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?" The thing we hold dear might not necessarily be materialistic things, but also can be our certain characteristics, titles, pride, positions and so forth. The other day I read an interesting article online by Jason Brooks on worthy living and this is what he wrote concerning Apostle Paul: "That’s why the Apostle Paul said that he considered his life as “rubbish” (in some translations, “dung”) when compared to Christ. Not his race, or his religion, or his reputation were worth a thing when compared to the Savior. Paul knew that the things that make us human – where we come from, how we were raised, what people think of us – are the very things that separate us from God. And despite his fierce love for each of those things, Paul saw them all as worthless when placed beside the Holy Christ, because it is in Christ that we find life." (by Jason Brooks). So how many of us is ready to become disciples of Christ, to take up our cross as well and follow Christ, to dive deeper in our relationship with Christ, instead of just enjoying His finished works and His presence on the surface only?

Philippians 3:7-1 "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

"Lead Me To The Cross" by Hillsong

Savior I come

Quiet my soul remember

Redemption's hill

Where Your blood was spilled

For my ransom

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as lost

[Chorus:]

Lead me to the cross

Where Your love poured out

Bring me to my knees

Lord I lay me down

Rid me of myself

I belong to You

Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I

Tempted and trialed

Human

The word became flesh

Bore my sin and death

Now you're risen

Everything I once held dear

I count it all as lost

To your heart

To your heart

Lead me to your heart

Lead me to your heart