Nuffnang

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Was looking through some blogs of a particular friend that I met once only. Read some her posts. Although they were criticizing a particular Cg member of mine, but my heart goes out to her. She looks a perfectly sweet girl. Looks naive, innocent and pretty as well. But some of the words that she used and all don't really tally with how she looks on the outside.
Got reminded of a verse:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.
For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.
-Luke 6:45
When I saw her for the first time only bout a month or two ago, she said she was sec two. 14 years of her life embroiled in bitterness, jealousy and also insecurity. Seeking love in the wrong places. Can you imagine how much she is going through. Sometimes, we often say that someone's character drive a person away from friends and company. But what is the root of the character?
Someone said before that "Character is Not Shaped Overnight."

But I am also disappointed in 'Christians' who defended my member. There is nothing wrong in defending one another, but its how we do it. How we react or respond to an issue. The late Dr. Ed Cole said this, "A childish person reacts to situations, but a mature person responds to it." React rely on feelings, respond thinks first before speaking. The same verse applies:

A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good;
and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil.
For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

-Luke 6:45

Pastor Kong spoke about being a classy people, a classy generation of believers. Not because we want to show that we are superior to others. Not to snub. But to bring and carry the name of our Father, The King; The Lord, well. We carry the reputation of God.

The issue here is this:

Didn't we behave and talk like them (non-believers) before?

Tan Guang Xiang: One of the worst students in Bedok North Secondary School.
Smoking, Fighting, drinking and also VERY Vulgar in speech
Retained in Sec 3;
Almost expelled in Sec 2
(But escaped from it because I pushed the responsibility of the issue to someone else)

But on the 8th of Oct 2005, Jesus came and loved me for WHO I AM and Whom I was, And How I were. People that entered my life, accepted me were Sheena, Royston, Kenneth and also Xianbi and even Jasmine, When I was still who and how I were.
A major part of how I felt God's love is through them.

People, are we too judgmental?
God wants us to be a channel where His love can be felt by not just believers, but to those who never knew Him as well.

Loving God wholeheartedly; Loving People, (Not just Christians or your cg mem), Fervently

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Gilgal->Bethel->Jericho->Jordan-> Double Portion-> Mount Carmel

2 Kings 2
Elijah Ascends to Heaven
1 And it came to pass, when the LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.



2
Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they went down to Bethel.
3
Now the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?”
And he said, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”



4 Then Elijah said to him, “Elisha, stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to Jericho.
But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So they came to Jericho.
5 Now the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?”
So he answered, “Yes, I know; keep silent!”
6 Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, please, for the LORD has sent me on to the Jordan.”
But he said, “As the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, I will not leave you!” So the two of them went on.



7 And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood facing them at a distance, while the two of them stood by the Jordan.
8 Now Elijah took his mantle, rolled it up, and struck the water; and it was divided this way and that, so that the two of them crossed over on dry ground.



9 And so it was, when they had crossed over, that Elijah said to Elisha, “Ask! What may I do for you, before I am taken away from you?”
Elisha said, “Please let a double portion of your spirit be upon me.”
10 So he said, “You have asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if you see me when I am taken from you, it shall be so for you; but if not, it shall not be so.
11 Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12 And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!” So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
13
He also took up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.
14 Then he took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, and said, “Where is the LORD God of Elijah?” And when he also had struck the water, it was divided this way and that; and Elisha crossed over.
15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him.

25 Then he went from there to Mount Carmel, and from there he returned to Samaria.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

The Names of God

Both yesterday night and a moment ago, God has been revealing something about Himself to me that really impacted me.

Like with Peter, God asked me: "Who do you say I am?"
I answered Theologically in the old testament.

JEHOVAH or YAHWEH which means the LORD (All caps)
First use Gen. 2:4 (Jehovah Elohim). From the verb "to be", havah, similar to chavah (to live), "The Self-Existent One," "I AM WHO I AM" or 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE" as revealed to Moses at the burning bush, Ex.3.

And the characteristics of Jehovah is found below:

Jehovah-Jireh: The LORD who Provides
Jehovah-Rapha: The LORD who Heals
Jehovah-Nissi: The LORD is my Banner (Victory)
Jehovah M'kaddesh: The LORD who Sanctifies
Jehovah Shalom: The LORD our Peace
Jehovah Tsidkenu: The LORD our Righteousness
Jehovah Rohi: The LORD our Shepherd (Ps 23)

P.s: I found a few more Jehovah names on the net but I am not familiar with them. But basically BS in CL ever gone through them.

So I rant off and off with the Hebrew names of God, Jireh, Rohi, Shalom, etc
And then God stopped me and asked me, which is the common factor in the names. And I answered Jehovah, LORD?

And He replied: I AM WHO I AM, I AM your Provider, Healer, Banner, Sanctification, Peace, Righteousness, Shepherd.
I know its like, ya i know to many, but when God says it to you personally... Man.. Its just different. And then God just whacked me deep.

"I can Provide for you , Heal you, Bring Victory to You, Sanctify you, bring Peace to you, be your Righteousness and also Shepherd You. But the important thing is not in the Characteristics in My names, but that I am God! Jehovah comes before Jireh, Rapha, etc."

I know it sounds like Getting Started or Christian Lifestyle, but believe me.
Knowing is one thing, Experiencing is another

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Zi Ri- ah liang

Goodness... Heard this song today.. Its a song that I used to like.. Haha. Jasmine sang it for a while during Xiao Yong's birthday. Man.. Back to the early 2000's
I even used to able to memorize to entire song. Wow.. Memories

Zi Ri - Ah Liang
子日
曲:黄舒骏
词:武雄 阿亮
编:钟兴民 屠颖


孔子的中心思想是个仁
仁的表现是
己欲立而立人
己欲达而达人
己所不欲他勿施于人
如以仁为本体
表现在具体的行为上
come on everybody一起来
对父母为孝 对兄弟为悌
对朋友为信日 对国家为忠
对人则有爱心

我~亮子的中心思想是个why
why的表现是
搞不懂就问人
搞得懂就答人
没有人懂还可以问神
如以why为本体
表现在具体的生活上
come on everybody一起来
要懂得推理要心存怀疑
要充满好奇要钜细靡遗
要打破砂锅问到底

oh! my god
我听不懂看不懂
学不懂都不懂
究竟谁对谁错
人生多美爱情多痛
please tell me please
生命有太多疑惑
help me help me babe
oh!不要让我自己去摸索

有了车子想要房子
有了妻子想要马子
有了银子想要位子
有了位子拿了架子
搞了圈子使了性子
铁了胆子忘了老子!
什么原因谁人会知

先管面子再管里子
先填肚子再补脑子
先端架子再a银子
先兜圈子再想点子
先捅篓子再找路子
先出乱子再闪条子!
这款人生敢有未来

搞栋房子搞一辈子
停个车子一推单子
挑个担子叫破嗓子
凡夫俗子没有法子
卷起袖子迈开步子
半个傻子一条汉子!
何必怨叹这个时代

撇撇轮子串串门子
上上馆子补补身子
碰碰钉子找找乐子
想想法子混混日子
照照镜子刮刮胡子
打打拍子哼哼曲子!
阮嘛共款逍遥自在

oh! my god
我听不懂看不懂
学不懂都不懂
究竟谁对谁错
人生多美爱情多痛
please tell me please
生命有太多疑惑
help me help me babe
oh!让我知道如何去选择

一间房子两床被子
三面窗子四张椅子
收起爪子拉开帘子
嗑嗑瓜子想想点子
打着拍子唱着曲子
两把刷子好过日子!
轻轻松松笑笑咳咳

先打底子再摆摊子
先看例子再拿耗子
先照镜子再讲面子
先插旗子再给样子
不管汉子还是鬼子
不管老子还是小子!
脚踏实地才有未来

孔子孟子老子庄子
男子女子黑子白子
游子浪子胖子瘦子
正人君子梁上君子
天王老子毛头小子
天之骄子孤臣孽子!
大家共款拢是人才

不当俗子不做判子
不干头子不当痞子
不充胖子不装样子
不耍性子不搞圈子
不扣帽子不抬轿子
不卖关子不碰钉子!
欢乐人生逍遥自在

oh! my god
我听不懂看不懂
学不懂都不懂
究竟谁对谁错
人生多美爱情多痛
please tell me please
生命有太多疑惑
help me help me babe
oh!我只想要简单的快乐

孔子的中心思想是个仁
仁的表现是
己欲立而立人
己欲达而达人
己所不欲他勿施于人
如以仁为本体
表现在具体的行为上
come on everybody一起来
对父母为孝对兄弟为悌
对朋友为信对国家为忠
对人则有爱心

我~亮子的中心思想是个why
why的表现是
搞不懂就问人
搞得懂就答人
没有人懂还可以问神
如以why为本体
表现在具体的生活上
come on everybody一起来
要懂得推理要心存怀疑
要充满好奇要钜细靡遗
要打破砂锅问到底

Tuesday, October 07, 2008

guitar Teachers

Continuing from my last post.. (Nagging Auntie)
I think what Poh really deposited in my heart was the passion and love for God that he really has. The thing that he shared about a moving target was awesome.

I remember what Yongxiu shared with me when I was starting out to play
for the cell group. She said that for every song I played for the cell group, I must have a revelation of the song for my own life and for the cell group. That was what Poh shared during the clinic as well.

So many times, heart-felt worship would change the atmosphere of a place.
Worship is a time when I feel closest to God,
Its a time when my spirit and heart would be the most broken to God.
Its a time when God reveals His heart to us. Its a time when I am comforted from all that I am experiencing.

And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’
- Acts 13:22

But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
1 Sam 13:14
What's your revelation during your own quiet time? I just wanna love my God and what He loves more and more.. Thats all I want..
I WANT TO SING
UNTIL I AM LOST IN YOUR LOVE
TILL I'M FOUND IN YOUR PRESENCE
WORSHIPPING BEFORE YOUR THRONE

MOVE BY YOUR SPIRIT
ENTERING INTO YOUR FLOW
HOW PRECIOUS THIS MOMENT
LORD I WANT YOU TO KNOW

IT'S YOU, YOU WHO HAVE WON MY HEART
TAKEN ME INTO YOUR ARMS
COMFORTED ME LIKE A FRIEND

YOUR LOVE
SURROUNDED ME FROM THE START
I NEVER WANT TO BE APART
FROM YOU EVER AGAIN

Passion is something that leads us to wanting to learn more,
Interest is just I don't mind learning more.

Yet many times as Cell Group guitarist, we get complacent with our level of playing and learning, Our pride gets in the way. Usually, a cell group guitarist learns how to play the guitar FOR FREE! And we get complacent, not treasuring the times we have with our teachers, not honouring them as how we should. For the two teachers who taught me almost all the basic techniques that made me who I am, THANK YOU!!!!

They are........

Andy!
Andy was the one who taught me all the fundamentals. From a young, anyhow guitarist who chooses the songs to play for cell group (because can only play a few songs, so whatever Xiu wants may not be able to play) and one knows how to play G, Em, C, D to be able to play the barred chords. Remember that he haven't bought his own guitar yet and was playing a classical guitar with a huge sticker in front. But it was with that guitar that he taught me the power chords and all those as well. Thanks Andy, the sticker classical guitar and the pavilion near your place!

Wei Ming- Jo
Oh!!! This one is the power-packed one! Wei Ming was the one who taught me how to shuffle, strum with the 'piak' (sorry linda) sound, play 3-beat songs (killer!). He was also the one who taught me the dynamics of guitar for Praise and Worship. He also taught me all the Stylo-Mylo patterns and tricks for Praise. And his guitar is VERY heavy! The Ibanez 12-string guitar! Super solid and sounds like marachas. (The got handle kind-of-instrument with beans inside. Plus many people will not understand will it sounds like marachas. Hahaha!!!) He's super cool de lar!

And finally! This person didn't really teach me. But he impacted me tremendously!

Ivan!(left)
Man!!! Many of you may not know him. He is serving the nation now. But he is the best guitarist in our zone. Really the BEST! A word of praise from him about your guitar playing is like going to heaven already. I remember playing for make-up cell group for Chee Kiong and Ivan attended that cell group. When I saw Ivan, I got very nervous! Haha! Cos ar.. really stress when he was there. Its like Rooney or C.Ronaldo is here then you have to play football with them. Haha!
But after the cell group, he came up to me and say, "Hey, you are quite good ar!" Man.. I flew...
He then casually took up the guitar and played casually. But the problem is, what he is playing isn't quite casual at all. Haha! Plus, he is Poh's student. Goodness gracious me. Really inspired and encouraged by what he said. So if someone comes up to me and say that I am a lousy guitarist, I am secured. IVAN said I played well... HAHA!! Praise God!

Friday, October 03, 2008

Poh's Lesson

Today is a great day to be happy and to thank God for. =)

First things first, early last morning!
Berbatov scores his first two goals for United!
Mm1 sélectionné dans Sport
Man! There are a few moves and link-up plays that are really mouth-watering when Dimitar gets familiar with the players around.
=)

Second thing!
I finally learned how to play scales on my guitar. Like finally....
Thank God for Martin, all-guitar-chords.com and Guitar4christ.com I found the pattern and finally understand what do the diagrams mean.

The third and most important thing that made my day is....
The Worship Clinic with Brother Poh!!!!
(Okay.. This was a long time ago picture. And I did put on weight recently. Pray for me)

Woah.. Blown away by what he taught, the anointing he has, and the heart, the passion and love for music and God.

He taught about smth that some of my fellow guitarists and myself couldn't really agree and put into words, yet agree at the same time.

A Cell Group or Church Guitarist needs which one more or rather focus on:
Skills or Spirituality?

All the Cell Group guitarist I know agrees on this: Spirituality is very impt to the guitarist or else we can just get, with all due respect, Yamaha teachers to come to our Cell Groups and church to play. But they will never be able to create a spiritual atmosphere.

Poh taught that if we have a Spiritual rating of 9/10 but skills-wise 1/10. The influence we carry would be 9X1=9/100 (Area multiplication and 10X10=100). But if we balance it like Spirit=8, skills= 8. We get an influence of 64!!! which is not bad at all!

And Poh said smth that caused me to ponder and think about.
He says once a guitarist came to him and the guitarist said this: My Cell Group leader asks me to be more spiritual and pray." Which he did but the next week, his cell group leader asks him to pray AND fast. Which he did, but yielded the same results. He did pray and fast, but if he is spiritual, it means the other side of the equation is out of balance which its his skills!

Ps 33:3
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.

1 Sam 16:16
Let our master now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp. And it shall be that he will play it with his hand when the distressing spirit from God is upon you, and you shall be well.”

I begin to think about how to get about and increase our ratings on both skills and spirituality.
And I figured out this.

Skills take humility, passion, practice and hardwork to learn.
The Spiritual side, frankly speaking, is a matter of Want or Don't Want.

Not discrediting any of them, but skills really take more out of us.
Seeking God, worship, fasting and praying Should be a delight.
But learning skills take a lot out of our character and one impt thing, our pocket!

Also Poh said a thing that touched me.
Relationship is impt in the Kingdom of God!

Like what he said, a guitarist really spends hours practicing behind closed doors, buying all those strings, (NOT CHEAP!), carrying a heavy guitar to CGMs. (Worse if there's school or work before CGM) Its easy to feel unappreciated, unloved and lonely. But the reward is in heaven!
And frankly speaking, from the bottom of my heart, Its all worth it!

I don't really think I am ever the first choice guitarist for many leaders or song leaders. I am not really a very good guitarist. From the start, when I picked up the guitar, it was just to worship God in a way that I can express myself more (rather than through the inflexibility of the CD player). I remember till today, someone came up to me, I didn't even have my own guitar then, and told me that I can't play the guitar because my fingers are quite fat, so it will be difficult to press the chords. But who cares... I am playing because I love my God and I am playing for Him, not anyone else. I practiced real hard.. Till my fingertips are scarred, and I don't think it will recover, cause it never has. My first guitar's fretboard are totally worn out! Haha!!!

I remember praying to God: "God, if I can't bring and touch Your Presence when I play the guitar, What's the point of me playing at all."
And then came E431 where I got a chance to play for the cell group, not because that I am that good. Its just because there is not one else. I am not plan A, really. But God do has a purpose and plan. I remember my breakthrough song. The Song's lyrics are:

I have come to bow down at Your feet, Lord Jesus
In Your presence, there is fullness of joy,
There is nothing, there is on one to compare with You
I take pleasure in Worshipping,
I take pleasure in worshipping
I take pleasure in worshipping, You Lord

And Poh said smth in Worship today that sparked me into recalling that moment:
He said, "God wants you to enjoy Him, not just to play the guitar or song-lead."
Wow... Inasmuch as we are always saying that we wait upon God, He is also waiting for us all the time.

Man.. I felt that I could go on blogging and blogging nonstop! Haha! But I know long post bores people.. Do wish to continue. But maybe in another post sometime. Praise God! =)

My $300 piece of furniture is what links and brings me Closer to God!