When Tears Fall

In this first week of Advent, let us cast our burden on the Lord, revive our hope in the Lord and let the Lord heal us through this comforting song.





(This is my first issue of Pauline Catechism section in my new church bulletin called The Apostles.)

Day 10- The Heart of Worship

The heart of worship is surrender.

What does it mean to surrender?
Ans: Surrendering is not accepting the status quo. It may mean the exact opposite: sacrificing your life or suffering in order to change what needs to be changed.

Surrender is best demonstrated in obedience and trust.

How do you know you are completely surrendered to God?
Ans: 1) You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work.
"Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him." (Psalm 37: 7a) Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

2) You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

What are the blessings of surrender?
Ans: 1) PEACE 2) FREEDOM 3) GOD'S POWER IN YOUR LIFE

You cannot fulfill God's purposes for your life while focusing on your own plans / personal ambition.

Everybody eventually surrenders to something or someone. If not to God, you will surrender to the opinions or expectations of others, to money, to resentment, to fear, or to your own pride, lusts, or ego. You are free to choose what you surrender to, but you are not free from the consequences of that choice.

- taken from Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life

Day 9 - What makes God Smile?

What should be the goal of a Christian's life?

Ans: To make God smile.


How to make God smile?

Ans: 1) God smiles when we LOVE him supremely.

God deeply loves us and desires our love in return. He longs for us to know him and spend time with him.

2) God smiles when we TRUST him completely.

• Trust God even when things don't seem to make sense.
• Have faith that he knows what is best for our lives.

An excellent role-model: Noah

(Click on Noah's Ark to find out some useful life lessons you can learn from it.)

3) God smiles when we OBEY him wholeheartedly.

• The Bible tells us that Noah obeyed completely (no instruction was overlooked), and he obeyed exactly (in the way and time God wanted it done!). That is wholeheartedness.
• Do whatever God asks without reservation or hesitation.
• Delayed obedience is really disobedience. God doesn't owe us an explanation or reason for everything he asks us to do. Understanding can wait, but obedience can't.
• Partial obedience is also disobedience.
• Wholehearted obedience is done joyfully, with enthusiasm.
• Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15)
  

4) God smiles when we PRAISE and THANK him continually.

People feel better when they receive heartfelt praise and appreciation from someone else. God loves it, too. He smiles when we express our adoration and gratitude to him.

Because God supplies us with everything, from our daily food, family and friends, talents and to our lives, we should be grateful to God. It's not that God is a petty guy and will not bless us if we don't give thanks to him. On the contrary, God will still continue to shower his blessings generously on all human beings. But in the process of praising and thanking God, we recognise that whatever we have comes from God and indirectly, it helps us to develop humility.

5) God smiles when we USE our ABILITIES.

• We don't bring glory or pleasure to God by hiding our abilities or by trying to be someone else.
• Anytime we reject any part of ourselves, we are rejecting God's wisdom and sovereignty in creating us.

To sum up, like a parent, God does not expect us to be perfect or sinless. What matters is the attitude of our HEARTS. Is pleasing God our deepest desire? If so, there is nothing that God won't do for the person totally absorbed with this goal.

- taken from Rick Warren's The Purpose-Driven Life.

I feel that God has given me the grace to have a deep trust in him that he has laid out the best plan for my life and that he is determined is carry out this plan. I would say this is one thing I'm proud of myself with regards to my relationship with God.

But one thing I really need to work hard on is to obey God, who is present in all authority figures and my mother, wholeheartedly. When my mother asks me to run some errands, I would often delay in helping her and sometimes even forgetting all about it. When I'm told to carry out certain tasks, my first reaction would be to ask, "Why?" I used to think that it is only reasonable that I do things for you after I've understood or appreciated its rationale. If I don't agree with your explanation, then there is no motivation for me to do those tasks.

While this thinking may sound logical, at certain critical, especially possibly life-threatening moments, you just don't have the time to seek for the explanation. You must obey your leader immediately, without hesitation, unless you are prepared to suffer terrible consequences.