God is Good
Friday, July 29, 2005
Be careful about what you said
I was chatting with my friend online last night, at the end of the conversation, I told her good night, I am going to my dreamland. Goodness, that was what I got the whole night, keep on dreaming all night through, even after I woke up for my toilet break at 2 am, when I go back to sleep again, the dream contiune until morning 6 am when I woke up to go for morning mass, what a night!
And I still can remember part of the dream, it was about Sharon and me at NTU, Sharon and I were trying to do something there, cannot remember exactly what we did, but it was about at the registration counter, the staffs there were not sure how to help us, and we have to go round a few building, from one block to another to get what we want, and the worse thing is that I cannot remember where I park my car, and I got panic, running around and looking for my car, and it was a very "ulu" place, where you can find the jungle around, it was like N U in the 80's when I studied there. Luckily, I found the car and the stuff that we need to do at the end, it was near the "Nan Ta" lake , where the Administration Block is situated... and I woke up by my alarm clock...
I shall not say the word going to dreamland again before I go to sleeep!
Have a Great Day!
And I still can remember part of the dream, it was about Sharon and me at NTU, Sharon and I were trying to do something there, cannot remember exactly what we did, but it was about at the registration counter, the staffs there were not sure how to help us, and we have to go round a few building, from one block to another to get what we want, and the worse thing is that I cannot remember where I park my car, and I got panic, running around and looking for my car, and it was a very "ulu" place, where you can find the jungle around, it was like N U in the 80's when I studied there. Luckily, I found the car and the stuff that we need to do at the end, it was near the "Nan Ta" lake , where the Administration Block is situated... and I woke up by my alarm clock...
I shall not say the word going to dreamland again before I go to sleeep!
Have a Great Day!
The best prayer.
We do not have to talk very much in order to pray well. We know that God is there in His holy tabernacle; let us open our hearts to Him; let us rejoice in His Presence
Monday, July 25, 2005
Sunday, July 24, 2005
Take A Stand!
Let everything you say be...an encouragement.Ephesians 4:29
Gossip by its very nature is destructive, regardless of your rationalisation. It's a sick form of entertainment - and a major sign of insecurity! Let's be honest, knowledge is power; the reason we gossip is to impress others with what "we know."
A student who was the subject of vicious rumours writes: "I remember it like it was yesterday. The queasy stomach, the tears, the hurt. I thought I'd be sick as I sank to my knees on the cold concrete floor...Iknew I didn't deserve this. But that didn't make it any easier. I felt like I didn't have a friend in the world. All because of gossip." God says,
"Evil people relish malicious conversation" ( Proverbs 17:4 ).
Did you get that? Gossip isn't just frivolous - it's down right evil!
So,how should you respond to those who whisper in your ear,
"Have you heard about so 'n so?"
(1) Speak up. Listen: "Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops" ( Proverbs 26:20 ).
Tell your friends kindly but firmly that gossip is hurtful. If that doesn't work, vote with your feet. Walk away!
(2) Consider the consequences. Wise up! Smart people know if you'll gossip to them, you'll gossip about them! And what's worse, you're dishonouring God and degrading your testimony!
TheBible says, "Whatever you...say, let it be as a representative of..Jesus" ( Colossians 3:17 ). You're representing - whom?
(3) Be an encourager. Paul says, "Let everything you say be...an encouragement.
"So whenever you hear somebody being criticised, turn the conversation
around and say something nice.
Gossip by its very nature is destructive, regardless of your rationalisation. It's a sick form of entertainment - and a major sign of insecurity! Let's be honest, knowledge is power; the reason we gossip is to impress others with what "we know."
A student who was the subject of vicious rumours writes: "I remember it like it was yesterday. The queasy stomach, the tears, the hurt. I thought I'd be sick as I sank to my knees on the cold concrete floor...Iknew I didn't deserve this. But that didn't make it any easier. I felt like I didn't have a friend in the world. All because of gossip." God says,
"Evil people relish malicious conversation" ( Proverbs 17:4 ).
Did you get that? Gossip isn't just frivolous - it's down right evil!
So,how should you respond to those who whisper in your ear,
"Have you heard about so 'n so?"
(1) Speak up. Listen: "Fire goes out for lack of fuel, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops" ( Proverbs 26:20 ).
Tell your friends kindly but firmly that gossip is hurtful. If that doesn't work, vote with your feet. Walk away!
(2) Consider the consequences. Wise up! Smart people know if you'll gossip to them, you'll gossip about them! And what's worse, you're dishonouring God and degrading your testimony!
TheBible says, "Whatever you...say, let it be as a representative of..Jesus" ( Colossians 3:17 ). You're representing - whom?
(3) Be an encourager. Paul says, "Let everything you say be...an encouragement.
"So whenever you hear somebody being criticised, turn the conversation
around and say something nice.
Prayer Snares
You do not receive because the reason you ask is wrong. James 4:3
The manipulative. Direct your prayers to God, not others! For example,don't turn the blessing at meal times into a venting of your frustrations, or try to bounce your prayer off God and hit an unsaved loved one across the dinner table. God gets enough bad PR without that!Jesus said whenever we pray "don't turn [it] into a theatrical production" ( Matthew 6:5 ).
The judgmental. In one church a childless couple was praying for a baby but some members of the prayer group decided that the husband wasn't Godly enough to be a father, so they spent their time asking God to change him. Listen: "We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful" ( Daniel 9:18 ). If God only gave children toperfect parents, the human race would be extinct!
The mass-produced. May be you think there's a better chance of getting answers to your prayers if you involve a lot of people. And sometimes you will. But with God, what matters is the faith with which you pray,not the size of the team. Jesus said, "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven" ( Matthew 18:19 ). When you face a situation too big to handle alone, reach for someone who really knows God and begin to praying agreement with them. By the way, do you have any prayer partners?
The manipulative. Direct your prayers to God, not others! For example,don't turn the blessing at meal times into a venting of your frustrations, or try to bounce your prayer off God and hit an unsaved loved one across the dinner table. God gets enough bad PR without that!Jesus said whenever we pray "don't turn [it] into a theatrical production" ( Matthew 6:5 ).
The judgmental. In one church a childless couple was praying for a baby but some members of the prayer group decided that the husband wasn't Godly enough to be a father, so they spent their time asking God to change him. Listen: "We do not ask because we deserve help, but because you are so merciful" ( Daniel 9:18 ). If God only gave children toperfect parents, the human race would be extinct!
The mass-produced. May be you think there's a better chance of getting answers to your prayers if you involve a lot of people. And sometimes you will. But with God, what matters is the faith with which you pray,not the size of the team. Jesus said, "If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by My Father in heaven" ( Matthew 18:19 ). When you face a situation too big to handle alone, reach for someone who really knows God and begin to praying agreement with them. By the way, do you have any prayer partners?
Dealing With Faultfinders
Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Luke 6:28
How does God want us to treat the faultfinders in our lives? They are people who, when they don't win, act "hurt" and blame others for everything that's gone wrong. Know anybody like that? The Bible says,"Speaking the truth in love...grow up...into...Christ" ( Ephesians 4:15). Here are some pointers to help you:
(1) Never confront with power, only with love! Recognise that the outward bravado of the faultfinder usually disguises deep insecurity; it lets them shift the focus off their own fears and onto the faults of others.
(2) Move towards, not away from. Our first inclination is to ignore or isolate difficult people. Don't! Difficult people often want to be ignored, so avoiding them just provides emotional distance for them to hide. Plus it confirms their belief that you don't care, that you won't listen because you think they're wrong and you're right.
(3)Engage relationally. Show genuine interest in their family, their work and their well being. Faultfinders usually struggle with giving and receiving love. They're inclined to elevate opinion and loyalty above communication and reconciliation. Nowhere is this more evident than in their personal lives. So be prepared to empathise with the trail of broken relationships you're likely to find.
(4) Bless and affirm. Mark Twain said, "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Faultfinders generally get more kicks than kisses.
So,"Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Avoiding them doesn't work; neither does arguing. But "love never fails."
How does God want us to treat the faultfinders in our lives? They are people who, when they don't win, act "hurt" and blame others for everything that's gone wrong. Know anybody like that? The Bible says,"Speaking the truth in love...grow up...into...Christ" ( Ephesians 4:15). Here are some pointers to help you:
(1) Never confront with power, only with love! Recognise that the outward bravado of the faultfinder usually disguises deep insecurity; it lets them shift the focus off their own fears and onto the faults of others.
(2) Move towards, not away from. Our first inclination is to ignore or isolate difficult people. Don't! Difficult people often want to be ignored, so avoiding them just provides emotional distance for them to hide. Plus it confirms their belief that you don't care, that you won't listen because you think they're wrong and you're right.
(3)Engage relationally. Show genuine interest in their family, their work and their well being. Faultfinders usually struggle with giving and receiving love. They're inclined to elevate opinion and loyalty above communication and reconciliation. Nowhere is this more evident than in their personal lives. So be prepared to empathise with the trail of broken relationships you're likely to find.
(4) Bless and affirm. Mark Twain said, "Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see." Faultfinders generally get more kicks than kisses.
So,"Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."
Avoiding them doesn't work; neither does arguing. But "love never fails."
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