Apart for Him...

A Decision to keep on serving Him

2010-02-20T00:48:00.004+08:00

So blessed by the Overnight PM with Pst Aries!! 18 Feb 2010... Thursday...

Love the Worship session.. The presence, the intimacy, the knowledge that you know that you know that you know that you love Him...

It is in such presence that you affirm your love for Him once again..

In such presence that you tell yourself and make that important decision that you will give up all to serve Him, to do what pleases Him..

In such presence, you know that you are so small..

In such presence that you understood what was written 'all of creation is longing for the coming of the Lord...'

I need such presence to keep on doing what I'm doing..

I need such an intimacy so as to have that courage to keep on dreaming big and believing..

I need this kind of closeness to move on even when I don't feel at all capable...

I know that I need my God to go through life each day...

Not a religious and professional love, but a desperate love out of a broken and contrite heart..

I need You in my life....

"I see 300... 400..." It shall be!!

It's time to believe..

Thank You Pastor Aries for investing in my life!!

I LOVE YOU LORD!!

Religiosity... Works vs Grace...

2010-02-14T14:28:00.006+08:00

It's amazing how religious we can get without knowing it..

Have been thinking about how much to give to our 4-month Building Fund.. Had a 'discipleship' session by Jae on his bike about sacrificing and religiosity.. Sitting behind him as he 'disciple' me, I was so amazed at how our human mind can conjure up so many things that we think pleases God.. Yet not realising that we should be people of faith, and not just works..

It is easy to think that when we do much works and had great success, God is pleased with us.. And when we are not doing much, without much works and success, then we have to do more for God to be pleased with us.. It's as though we are working so hard for His favor..

We forgot that when God saved us, it was not our works at all, it was entirely HIS work on the Cross.. Why then are we still working so hard for His approval and favor as though we have never experienced it?

Grace - the unmerited favor of God

Of course we must work hard.. After all, we are created for good works... But our works should not be to feel affirmed and approved by God.. Our works should flow out of the affirmation we have already experienced because of His love and grace for us...

Hmmm...... Just thinking about this...

Going out for CNY visitations now...

HAPPY Valentine's Day JAE2!!! I Love You!! :)))
*You're probably not going to read this though.. Haha..*

Bigger Heart...

2010-02-13T04:36:00.006+08:00

The more people you interact with, the greater your heart needs to be.

The more you realize that you are no longer able to be patient and longsuffering to the things that others do, the way people react and act, it's time to have a bigger heart.

When you know that you are unable to love those that are hard to love, those that you do not get along easily with, you need a bigger heart.

When it is harder and harder to love those that you are unsure of, those that you do not feel confident with, you need a bigger heart.

Times when you wonder why you get frustrated and easily angered with what people say and do, your heart needs to expand.

Times when you find it so hard to tolerate and allow love to cover all, your heart needs to expand.

When you are always thinking of how bad you feel, wanting to fight for the rights to your own comfort, you need a bigger heart.

When you wonder and ask yourself what's wrong with you, why can't you love more, you need a bigger heart.

Not a time to point fingers........

I need a BIGGER Heart!!

A heart that loves all, a heart that forgives and overlooks, a heart to accept and sacrifice, a heart that keeps going... A heart that loves...

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends."

Wanna be a child of God that pleases Him.... :)

AZ Leaders' Retreat

2009-09-23T18:26:00.008+08:00

Just came back from Leaders' Retreat!!
Went Batam on 20/09 Sunday noon, back on 22/09 Tuesday afternoon..
From Waterfront Ferry Terminal to Harris Resort to Room 213..

Shop, eat, massage, play, fellowship...

Best of all, to spend time with Pst Aries... :)

I wonder how he does it... The following is his itinery from Sunday to Tuesday while I'm on retreat relaxing myself..

Sunday
Sunday interpreted for Pst Kong in Indonesian service 3pm to 5+pm,
leave Singapore for Batam at 630pm,
reached Batam at 830pm,
dinner (first and only meal of his day),
held a 915pm to 11+pm session of sharing and worshipping and praying,
finally... sleep.

Monday
Got up at 6+am,
held a 7am worship and prayer,
breakfast at 830am,
left for Singapore at 10am,
officiated a wedding in Singapore,

went for a funeral in Singapore,
returned to Batam and reached at 830pm,
seafood dinner at 9pm and communion,
back to hotel at 11+pm,
waited for repairman to fix room lights that cannot on,

conference call for work purposes till 3+am,

slept at 4am.

Tuesday
Breakfast at 830am,
left Batam for Singapore at 10am,

reach Singapore at 1pm,
go office for work and meetings.

I wonder which part of the retreat can he really relax????
It's a retreat for us leaders, but not really a retreat for him our leader..

But I'm inspired!
By his sacrifice and commitment!
Willingness to inconvenience himself, to stay committed to his calling as a Pastor, committed to spending time with us his zone leaders.
Inspired by that passion for what he does, that unending energy he possesses, that commitment to his leaders Pst Kong and Sun his leaders.

Amazing!

LOYALTY -- Simple yet BIG

2009-09-23T17:56:00.008+08:00

LOYALTY -- A simple Word, A BIG Commitment

It is so easy to say that we are with you all the way;
It is so easy to say that we are behind you supporting you;
It is so easy to say that we will will work together and stay loyal;
Loyalty sounds SIMPLE...

But...
Loyalty is when you keep going all the way when all has left, even when your closest friend chooses not to go on;
Loyalty is when you keep on believing when you are disappointed with the lack of results;
Loyalty is to go ahead with the plans and visions despite the inconveniences.

Loyalty is TOTAL COMMITMENT.

Total Commitment to God. Never leaving your walk with God, never giving up on your faith.
Total Commitment to your Leaders. Fulfilling their dreams and visions.
*When I fulfill my leader's visions, God will fulfill my own visions too*
Total Commitment to the people around you. To your family, fellow believers, cell group mates.

When I was younger.... Words of Wisdom that I've heard.... I Love them...
> The way up is the way down. Serve willingly.
> It is not your leaders knowing what you know that matters, it is you knowing what your leaders know that will make the difference.
> When I fulfill someone else's visions, God will fulfill my own visions too.
> Press in to your leaders' life, spend time with them, search them out, "pester" them, not just your leaders pressing in to you.
> The best discipleship is when it takes place in the most natural circumstances, when you are spending time with your leaders.

It is time to put these words of wisdom into practice!
It is time to rise up and run with our Pastors and leaders!
To fulfill the visions of our church, to be loyal and committed to our leaders, to carry the burden for souls together.
It is time to make a difference in our world today!!

Let's do it!! :)

Create in me a clean heart...

2009-09-17T18:58:00.005+08:00

It's been so long since I posted anything..

Indeed it is not easy to post regularly.. Hmmm...

Past two weeks it's been so hard to get to sleep, so much on my mind..
Yesterday was not easy either.. So burdened..
Last night before I slept, i decided to pick up my Bible and pray a little and worship a little... Fantastic!! Felt so much better!!

Just felt like reading about King David, and went to my favourite Psalms that He wrote..

Psalms 51

"Create in me a clean heart O Lord, and renew a right spirit within me"

Indeed my prayer.. Right spirit, right heart, right motivation..
Steadfast spirit that keeps going on..

"Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation" And renew a right spirit within me...

Really cannot live without the presence of God, cannot live without God Himself... Need the Holy Spirit sooooooo much so much...

Worshipped and entered the holy of holies...

It's good! I Love my God!!

Psalms 51 - Written by a man that is not perfect,
but loved by an all perfect God..

Sounds like all our life stories...

Keep on Keeping On!! The First shall be the Last, and the Last First...

2009-09-03T10:32:00.005+08:00

Heard Pst Tan share a Word on Tuesday... Felt so encouraged...

Mt 22:14 "For many are called, few are chosen."

3 things Christians ought to do constantly:

1) Repentance

Pst Tan shared that very often we are not the first choice (certainly not me!) in God's plans, we are in actual fact the fifth choice, the tenth choice, or even the twentieth choice in God's plans.
Then how did we end up being the one God chose in the end?

Because we chose to keep repenting (of our sins, our wrong mindsets, our bad attitudes). When we are rebuked and corrected and discipled, rather than feel depressed and give up, we kept on going. We kept on trying to be better people. That is why we are still where we are today.

The first choice, the second choice, the third choice, the fourth choice may have become disappointed and given up. But because we kept on going, we kept renewing our old mindsets, we kept fine-tuning our attitudes, we kept repenting of the things we do wrong, that is how we now become the first choice. The Last shall become First!

2) Believe (Have Faith)

Believing and having faith is the same as repenting... We need to keep on doing!

We simply stubbornly keep on believing till we see what we're hoping for!

When things don't go right, we keep on having faith in God and His Promises. When people and leaders and friends discourage us, we keep on believing. Even if we have believed for the past 10 years and nothing happens, we still keep on believing, we still keep on having faith that what God has promised He will bring to pass, to have faith that what we have sown we will surely reap. This is what persevering faith is all about. This kind of faith and believing is what will help you endure and hold on till the day that Jesus comes back again. Persevering faith is the kind of faith that will lets you see that breakthrough in your family that you've been praying for, the kind of faith that lets you experience that financial breakthrough that you've been waiting for, the kind of faith that lets you see the fruits in your ministry that you've been hoping for, the kind of faith that brings the revival that you've been praying for!! A person who can last this race is the one who can keep on believing. If you can do this, you will be the one that being the Last, you can become the First!

The third thing Christians ought to do constantly......

3) Bear Fruits

This is what sets many Christians apart from each other--the ability to bear fruits. This is what sets leaders apart from each other--the desire and the love to keep bearing fruits. This is what sets YOU apart when you get to heaven and you see the eternal inheritance and reward that you will receive from God for eternity. So we need to reach out to the lost, help the younger ones in God grow, help grow the church and CG, to run with Pst Kong in His God-given vision, to support Pst Aries in his visions for our zone (800 members for CG, 1000 members for Svc by the end of 2009), to build up the Kingdom of God. Bear fruits!!

Matthew 7:19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

The moment you are born, God starts to call you from the world into the Kingdom of God.
But the moment you enter the church, the Kingdom of God, God Himself begins His SELECTION PROCESS.

What is God looking for during the Selection Process?
Are you someone who keeps repenting (in your mindsets, thinkings, attitudes) and keeps changing?
Are you someone who will keep on believing in Him and His Word, to keep the perserving faith in Him?
Are you someone who bears fruit for Him? How much is your fruit?

The Last can become the First in the Kingdom of God, but there are requirements when we want to move up in God's eye. Let's be faithful! Let's not be conformed to the world in the way we think, speak or act. Let's be transformed by the Word of God. Let's do these 3 things (Repent, Believe, Bear Fruits) that every Christians ought to do!!

Let's be the Best Christian that we can ever be! Because WE LOVE GOD! That's what I (Dorcas Xu Yiwen) wants to do!!

Jiayou N161!! :)

To Live for that Moment!

2009-08-27T20:31:00.005+08:00

As I was saying on Wednesday... At Riverwalk... "Sometimes our goal, our aim, our only purpose is to live to make that "moment" come to pass for our leaders." Guess only the 6 that were there at RW will understand this.. It is really about serving them! But the Best thing is "as you fulfill the visions of your leader, God will ensure that your own visions will come to pass too!" We will never always understand everything that they do, but it's about doing it, helping them live for that moment where God can move through them..

Dear CGCs, you have to always remember, that YOU are the ones that your leader depend on to make that CG meeting great, that ministry time powerful, the awesome growth to happen.. Bear their burdens, place importance on what they feel is important, place value on what they value, carry that same vision, have that same purpose. It's not about ourselves. Know their hearts. It is not about them knowing what we know that matters, it is about us knowing what they know that really matters. Serve your leaders, your pastors, your senior Pastor. Ultimately we are serving GOD, not man. Col 3:23

Commissioned to Fulfill the Great Commission!!

2009-08-24T01:39:00.005+08:00

The commisioning to be a lay ZS took place during the past weekend! Four services... 22-23 Aug, 2009.. Something that Pst Zhuang and then Pst Kong prayed really stayed in my heart... "the spirit of faith will come upon them, that faith will arise (to do the impossible for God)"... This is what's in my heart... I really covet for the kind of faith and trust in the Lord that Pst Kong has...

Commissioning done.. So what's next??

SIMPLE!!!!

We tithe because God wants us to tithe, and because it is the right thing to do.

No need to think about how much money we have, how much money we are left with, how we are going to survive on the rest of the 90%.. No need to think so much.. Just obey and give!!

Blessings and provision will come!! Simple!!

So what's next for me after the commissioning??

Once again... SIMPLE!!!!

The Bible says we are to grow, and growing is the right and natural thing to do.

So... No need to think about whether or not God will come through, no need to wonder if we will increase, no need to spend time doubting and being uncertain...

No need to think so much.. Just focus on growth!! Do the works of growth!!

And growth and increase will come!! Simple!!

Christian life is really that SiMPLe!!

It's simply believing in what the Word of God says, and then obey and do it!

But prayer is really important!!

"The health of any group is dependent on the health of the leader of that group."

Therefore, the spiritual health of the CG is dependent on the spiritual health of the CG leader.

Need to PRAY!!

That is what I shall do... :) Now...

Ponders..

2009-08-21T02:28:00.011+08:00

Was just talking to Jason over dinner last night... We're talking about how people can rise up to serve God, and how some will miss the opportunity simply because they don't hold on a bit more. Indeed God does not look at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart... Got reminded once again how we should treat our salvation and calling with fear and trembling.. It is a privilege to serve God!! A tremendous privilege!! Cannot take it lightly!!

All you out there... If you don't have a ministry, IT IS TIME to join one!!!!!!!

Fantastic Lunch:

SOT Staff Lunch @Suntec's Crystal Jade Ramen
Nice!! I'm rather neutral to tofu, but I actually like the ma po tofu quite alot!
Taste yummy enough for me to like it!

Need-to-be-smarter Dinner:

Once again @Soup Spoon, we over-ordered...

Must type this down to remind myself..

Next time order one full sandwich and a soup to share..

Never two soups and a half-sandwich... Will over-eat!!

Gotta sleep.... Got a fantastic CG coming up in 17 hours' time...

Really looking forward to it!

Missed going CG...

Last week had to stay @Suntec to work overnight from Friday to Saturday..
First time I miss CG {minus the time I'm away for missions}...

*In 12 hours' time, my colleague is flying to Bundung...

[Interesting that I just drank bundung 2 hours ago]

*Wanfong... Jiayou!!! Draw fast fast!!!

Okay... Really need to go sleep... :)

First Time!!

2009-08-21T02:08:00.005+08:00

Wow!!

I'm pretty outdated and slow.. Refused to have FB, after thousands of invites, I finally had... Refused to start a blog, and now, finally did Today!! :)

I'm so extremely IT-unsavvy... Will need time to navigate and figure things around here... But I'm excited!! That's a good start!

But it still feels weird to know that people may read what I say, and have an idea of what I'm thinking.. Hmm.. Wells.. Don't think so much...

I shall put up a proper post soon!!