You are currently browsing the monthly archive for July, 2007.
My mind slowly begins to recognise my surrounding as i wakes from a dreamless sleep. Not ready to get out of bed, I snuggled under my blanket as my body begins to respond to the early morning coldness. My mind tells me that the time is between 6am and 7am because of my daily routine. I wanted to reached for my phone to check the time but my body just won’t respond. I doze off again.
The alarm on my phone goes off. It’s 8am. I quickly reached for my phone, switch off the alarm and quickly hide my hand in the comfort of my blanket. I doze off again. At 8:20am, the alarm in my head went off and i jumped out of bed, grab my clothes and head for my ‘wake myself up’ morning shower.
My day begins. Breakfast was a good serving of milo cereal with the fresh daily farmers milk. In the meantime, i grab hold of my $30 Guitar and start practing ‘Have Your way’ for Group Connect. I tried finding the chords online, but i just couldn’t find any. Anway, i tried to work out the chords and it doesn’t sound too bad. So i just leave it as it is. For the first time, our group connect was in Guyatt Park and i think it is a good idea to do it again. The environment is pretty nice.
After connect, i pretty much rushed around to get things done for the I-Week. Picked up a guy from the UQ bus-stop and rushed down to coles to get some sausages, cups and ice. Hang around the new guys as much as i can, trying to make the new friendship work. And finally, finish by cleaning up everything. By the time everything is done, it is 4pm.
With two shepherding lined up for the night, i thought that everything is set for a busy day of ministering to people. Well, plans changed. TM can’t make it at 6pm, so changed the first shepherding to Sunday morning. So head out to dinner with the rest of the guys at the vietnamness restaurant in west end. Half-way through dinner, all suddenly decide to watch the simpson movie, so changed the timing of the second shepherding to Monday night. But couldn’t get hold of any tickets. So we end up in Toowong gaming Counter Strike Source. It has been a while since i am in a internet cafe gaming a few hours of my time away. So it was a really nice memory jolt for me. My old days seems to replay itself on a slow motion mode.
So after bringing everyone safely back home, i just wanted to write about my day. So here i am at this very moment writing and with my body feeling very tired, calling me to bed.
Good Night.
The Girl who God Loves
The thoughts of a girl are
difficult to understand
But the thoughts of a caring girl
can be seen by all
The cares given by a person
touches and impact many lives
Even more so a person
who are strong in their spirit
Those who are strong and caring,
loves the Lord
Those who impact people’s lives,
are strong and caring
Yes, you are that lady of love
Yes, you are an amazing child of God
For your strength are being strong,
and your ability is to care
So be strong for others,
by first being strong in the Lord
And care for others,
for the love of Christ
You are the caring and strong lady of the Lord
Written by
Steven Lee
in remembrance of a wonderful sister
on the 26th July 2007
The Silent Giant
A silent giant is resting.
But the moment he wakes,
the earth trembles and the seas roar.
As the caring giant walks the earth,
many people are shock.
Not of his size but of his nature.
As the giant walk, he feels tired.
He looked around, but found no help.
Suddenly, a voice from heaven called out.
So he looked up, and there he found rest.
He rose from his rest and start walking again.
From time to time, he stops and looked up.
And every time, he found rest.
The impact of the giant is powerful.
The people that he touches are many.
Indeed, a leader of power is born to the people.
The Silent, Caring, Powerful Giant Leader
Written by
Steven Lee
in remembrance of a good friend and brother
on the 26th July 2007
“i felt a nudge from the person beside me, looked to my right and saw the pack of yummy sweets. i took it, stared at it for a moment and pass it along. I start to concentrate on the preaching again. A few minutes later, i was nudged again. this happened a few times and i were beginning to get irritated by the constant distraction.”
“I COULD NOT FULLY CONCENTRATE ON THE SERMON.”
Gosh, these people were actually being thoughtful as they were trying to keep people awake in the sermons. But all of a sudden, it has became a tool used by Satan to bring distraction instead. Let me clarify myself in that I am not against having sweets during the sermon but the passing have to stop. If people want to be thoughtful, they have to go that extra mile by packing it for everyone and pass it to them before the service starts. If people want to be even more thoughtful, they have to go that extra mile by packing it using noise-less wrappers. In such a case, i hope we can stop the work of Satan to bring about distraction in our mist.
The parable of the unbalance two person
Two man were arguing with one another. One argues that there is nothing wrong with eating and drinking when he is hearing the Word of God. Because it is the heart that hears the word. The other rebukes by saying that it is being dis-respectful when one eat and drink when he hears the word of God. For even in the old times, people were standing to hear the Word of God. So we should respect God by not eating and drinking.
When i hear the following conversation between the two person, the word unbalance came into my mind. As i mentioned earlier, there is nothing wrong with eating sweets in the sermon. Because it is true that as long as we absorb the word of God with our heart, it doesn’t matter whether you are eating steak or drinking coffee in the the auditorium.
“Respect comes from the heart, not because of the Action.”
But an issue revealed itself if we eat steak or drink coffee in a packed auditorium and in this case, the passing of sweets around. Have we consider those that are around us? Do you like people talking to you or passing you stuffs when you are watching a movie in the cinema? Of course not, cause we want to enjoy the movie and not be distracted every now and then. Therefore, it is also true that we should not eat or drink during the sermon.
“Other people gets distracted because of You.”
So what is the balance? I can only say, do not be a pharisees nor as a person with absolute freedom. Stike a Balance.
My heart cries out in pain, my spirit burns with an anger, and my soul lost + helpless.
“Heal my heart and make it clean, open up my eyes to the things unseen and show me how to love like You have loved me”
“Break my heart for what breaks Yours, everything I am for Your Kingdom’s cause as I walk from earth into eternity”
Give me faith to see,
“a generation rising up to take their place with selfless faith, with selfless faith.”
“a near revival stirring as we pray and seek on our knees, on our knees”
Devotion
Verse1
I’ve been running trying to be one who sees
I’ve been working salavation out of my knees
There is nothing better than knowing
We are redeemed
Verse2
I’m believing trusting in creative hands
I am praying for our world to bow to Your plan
And this one thought is unmistakeable
I take up my cross and follow You Lord
Chorus
When You stand the tall trees and mountains bow
When You speak the fiercest of oceans is still
And i see sinners seek devotion
The lost become chosen
And i fall on my knees
Verse3
I’m forgiven by a Saviour who did not deserve death
He was blameless, I was lost in shamefulness
I’m delievered but it doesn’t seem right
Unless I keep my eyes focused on the Saviour who gave His life
Verse4
In the middle of a world that denies it believes
It is breaking apart at the very seams
In this one thing to be alive for
And it’s to take up my cross and follow You Lord
Bridge
I will take up my cross and
Follow Lord where You lead me
I will take up my cross
And follow wherever You go
The leader
Type:
The Call/Need Leader
Characteristic:
1. Passive – When it recognise a leader in the group, it follows order and remains passive in leadership.
2. Aggressive – When it sense a need for leadership, it steps up and execise leadership authority and carries the responsibility.
You can actually tell when God is trying to speak to you. Because, everything you can think of or come into contact with all surrounds that particular topic.
For me, it is PRIDE vs HUMILITY.
Just a few days back, my QLD Warehousing Manager walks up to me and asked whether i want a cup of coffee or tea. He can make a cup for me.
WoW Wow wOW …
This is a man who knows humility. Despite his position, he is still willing to make a cup of coffee for me, a small fry in the company. I do not know if he is a christian, but if he is not, then even more i should learn to be humble. And if he is a christian, i will like to follow him as he follow Christ. To be a humble servant wherever i go.
Praise God for such a man.
A few days back, i was searching high and low for my specs case which i always kept with me. It contain something which i use almost everyday – my specs cloth. Despite where i look, i just couldn’t find it. After two days of searching, i was going to give up. But while showering, i was reminded of how certain people have lost things, prayed and found it again.
Well, i haven’t made such prayers for a long long time. Prayers have become for something more serious, like my struggles, problems and something more worthy of God to resolve. It shouldn’t be for me to find a cheap specs case or anything trivial. As i was thinking about it, i thought that i should just pray anyway. So i made a prayer,
“Oh God, help me find my specs case.”
After my shower, i head for work. Reaching my car, i reached for the passenger door (usually, i will just open the door on my driver side) and **surprise**, there sits my specs case – hidding at the corner. If i have not open my passenger door, there is no way i am going to find my specs case.
Wow, this incident humbled me much. Despite the prayer for something so trivial, God still take time to answer them. His love is just so amazing. It is truely Amazing Grace.
The Impossible Faith
“Obedience to God is Faith at its Best”
A lot of people told me that i am a man of great faith. But am i really one? Well, if i look at my life, i seriously doubt it. Most of the time, when God calls me to do something for Him, my standard answer is, “maybe next time, i am not ready yet”. I once read about this phase, “Obedience to God is Faith at its best”. With my kind of answer to God most of the time, i don’t think i am a man of much faith.
Recently, I was thinking about the ‘impossible faith’. A faith to declare and see things come to pass. A faith to part the sea, crumble walls and stop the sun in the sky. This kind of faith does not seek to glorify oneself or simply for ‘wow-ing’. In the beginning it might be hard to exercise such faith, but one patiently awaits the time for it to be fulfilled. Trust and humility are involved. The trust to believe in God’s perfect timing and the humility to accept it when nothing happen. This kind of faith is demostrated for a greater purpose.
When Moses parted the red sea, there was a greater purpose - ‘for God to save His people and so that the people will know He is God’.
When Joshua lead the Isrealites against Jericho, thus collapsing the Jericho’s wall, there was a greater purpose – ‘for God to give His people what He had promised and so that the people will know He is God’.
When Joshua called for the sun and the moon to be still in their place, there was a greater purpose – ‘for God to deliver victory for His people and so that the people will know He is God’.
Therefore, there is a greater purpose for having the ‘impossible faith’ - ‘for God’s people and so that people will know He is God’.
ME: “I hate it when someone change my plans.”
LZ: “Ya, i know”
Well, humility sure is one hard character to grow in my life. Pride is like a thorn in my soul. I have been crying out for many years, that God will take away my pride and allows me to be a humble person. But in this area of my life, it stubbornly refused to change. Not that God isn’t doing anything. I know of occassions which He have been using to break my pride, followed by His tender touch to stitch me back bits by bits, pieces by pieces.
Just recently, during the conference, God allows me to comprehend the fullness of His grace and mercy. I might not fully understand it, but it is enough to break my proud self and heart into pieces.
Also, the bible says that God hates a prideful heart and stays away from the proud. It just dawn upon me that I do not want to be hated by God. The urgency to change became even more evident. Pride still lingers around me but i know that God will always remind me of His grace and mercy.
Me: “Yesterday someone wants to change my plans. Crowded by pride, my first respond was to send an email out and explain my plans. Half-way through that email, i dropped the idea. Humbled by the grace of God, I realise that indeed, i have not cover every aspects of my plans. Thinking back, if it is the old me, i will have send out that email.”
The work of healing, changing and moulding started the day i cries out to God. It is now being fullfilled a few years down the road. I believe that for the change to be complete, there are many tough years ahead of me. But reminded constantly by the grace of God, i will eventually overcomes pride and it will no longer be a thorn in my soul.
Truely, it can only be done by the Grace of God.
I run like a rechargeable battery.
Full of energy, power and strength in the beginning of the day.
Empty, drained and used-up just before night fall.
Sometimes i try to conserve it, by switching on and off.
Thus, it allows me to run till bed time where i will get it recharged.
Of course, there will be times when i didn’t recharge.
So i have to run on power safe mode for the rest of the following day.
Sometimes it needs to run on full power, non-stop for 3 full days.
So it have to stay near a power point to get itself charged every moment.
My Precious Power Point – Jesus.
“My heart is troubled. The desire to pray intensified. I want to write back and comment that what they are saying are wrong but i do not know how. I just felt so sad and worried that many will be mis-lead by them. I want to yell out, all of you stop reading that article but i could do nothing. I felt helpless, knowing that there is nothing much i can do.”
While trying to study a certain chapter in Luke, I stumbled across a website - a person claiming that the bible turned him to another religion. The person wrote a full article, using the bible to support his view. A quarter through the article, my spirit just cries out in pain and i could read no further.
“It is just so wrong. The interpretation are wrong. The truth are distorted. The many lives destroyed because of careless writting and interpretating.”
The only thing left for me to do is pray.
“Oh God,
Let the blind see, let the deaf hear – the truth which lies only in You, Jesus. I pray that Satan will never have a way to bring about that 10% lies into our lives. Let the Holy Spirit stirs in our hearts, helping us to discover deception quickly and easily. Speak into our lives constantly and bring us closer to You every single day. For in Your protection are we safe. Thank You Lord, Jesus.
Amen”
As the sound of ringing phone broke the silence in the office. My hand reach for the phone but my colleague was faster. So i turn my attention back to my emails. After putting down the phone, my colleague just shouted across the room to my manager.
“One of F’s relative died, F is going to be late.”
I stopped what i was doing and looked up. Everyone was asking questions.
“Do you know who? Why is he still coming in? Who got his phone number?”
No one got an answer to the questions, so we just kind of get back to our own work and everyone seems to be waiting for F to come in. Well, i am.
An hour later, F stepped into the room and greeted us as usual. There was a uncomfortable smile on his face. People start crowding around him and asking questions; I wanted to just slip up to him and offer my condolences but i was not able to. Nothing could come out of my mouth. So i just ended up sitting at where i was, listening to F as he re-counted what happen. There was saddness from his voice.
“My 88 years old mother-in-law passed away with a heart attack. Just yesterday, she was perfectly fine. My son was playing the piano and my in-law was singing along. We were having our dinner and chatting away. Then this morning around 4:30am, she complain of heart pain and my daughter (who was a docter), quickly examine her, called an ambulance but she died on her way. She was perfectly okie yesterday, but today she is gone.”
When i heard “She was perfectly okie yesterday, but today she is gone”, it just struck me about how life can be so unpredictable.
“People need God. My family need God. My friends need God. It has now become urgent.”
~~ Everything is by the Grace of God ~~
~~ Everything is by the Grace of God ~~
~~ Everything is by the Grace of God ~~
This meant so much more in my life after the conference. I do not deserve the many gifts that God gave me for i did not use them to bring Him glory. I am unworthy to sense His presence for i only seek Him when i need Him. I do not deserve to hear His voice because i usually choose to ignore it. Forgive me Lord.
It is by His grace alone, that i am allowed to draw near to God. If not for His grace, i will have died in His holy presence. It is by His grace that i am even part of His almighty plan for the world. I do not deserve it. I should have died many years back but it is by His grace that i am allowed to live on. Only by the grace of God, that i am allowed to stand in His presence and worship Him. Only by the grace of God.
Forgive me Oh Lord, for taking Your grace for granted so many times.
and what i can only say is: “Thank You Jesus”.
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