Trophies

“So I will cherish the old rugged Cross, til my trophies at last I lay down”

Above is a part of the lyrics “The Old Rugged Cross” A beautiful old hymn. Written with such a deep revelation of God’s love for us through the Cross and how that Cross urges us to lay down everything in our life to follow Him.

We sang this son EVERY Sunday at my home church during communion time. I didn’t appreciate this song very much those days because I tried of singing it every Sunday and it is such a oldie song!!

But today, this song speaks so much to my heart, especially the above part of the lyrics.

God is urging me to lay down all of my trophies before Him again.

“God, I will lay my trophies down at that old rugged Cross again, so that I may exchange it someday for a crown!”

Good looking? How about your fruits?

Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognised by its fruit (Matthew 12:33)

Ps.Wenan shared to us a while ago that we don’t want to just be a professional church, having a professional pastor and doing professional Christian stuffs. We want to be a church that love God and love His people. We want to see people’ lives and our lives being transformed to be more like Christ. We don’t want to be a good-looking tree but bearing rotten fruits.

How would you define whether you are a good tree or not? Just as the Bible says, look at your fruits: What COME OUT from you, your behavior, your habit, your speech and including to what others at church, uni, workplace say about you.

It is not hard to fake God’s presence in our lives and telling other people that I am a “good” Christian.  We can lie to the whole world but not to God. May we be authentic before God and people.

Even in this period of exams, assignments and work – let us continue to bear godly fruits in our studies and in all things that we do.

No turning back

“I have decided, to follow Jesus. I have decided, to follow Jesus, no turning back, no turning back”

There was this man on the Thai talk show, this man was so in love with this girl but once they broke up, he came to the point where he wanted to suicide! It took him a while before he could realise that there is another person that loves him uncoditionally – his very own mom.

I cried as I watch this Thai show because the mom’s love reflects God’s agape (unconditional) love for me. As I spent time with him on that night, God reminded of the song “I have decided to follow Jesus” and a phrase “no turning back, no turning back” keeps resounding in me.

I tried to picture myself with God and I couldn’t imagine how it would be. There are so many paths that I can choose to walk in this world but today I have decided to walk on the path of righteousness and there is no turning back for me. I have gone with God too far to turn away from him. As I pray tonight, I hope that this will not just be my emotional feeling towards God but let it be a conviction in my heart that no matter what – the choice have already been made – no turning back for me!

called to sing

On 22/08/09, we held Worship Workshop for the first time ever in Daniels – organised by Pethuel aka Gin. It was a great time for all of us learing about the true meaning of worship. I was assigned to share about how God has called me into worship ministry especially in the area of vocal. It was not just a great time of outdoor praise and worship we had but  it was once again a time where I renewed my attitude toward worship and this event brought me back to the simplicity of worship.

This is some points of what I imparted on that day, hope it will encourage you to realise the calling of God upon your life:

Being a vocalist for God, How and Why:

• Before I became a Christian, singing was my hobby and it is still.  God has put this talent in me even before I found Him.

• I became a Christian in year 2002 in Thailand, the moment I first walked into the church (Hope Suratthai), God used music to minister to my heart. God used worship songs to touch my heart to the point where I decided to believe in Him.

• In Hope Suratthani, I was touched to see people sang as if God was right there in front of them.  Soon after I have committed myself to Hope Suratthani, God started to put a desire in me to serve as a vocalist in the church. Being a vocalist for God is a calling that God has put in me since an early stage of my Christian walk. I remember I was seeing singers on the stage and I was telling God that one day I will be on there, singing for Him too – it was just a mere and sincere desire God put in my heart.

• When I was a young Christian back in Thailand, I just wanted to serve God with what I have. I believed that singing is talent and gift God put in me and I am committed to use that to serve the Lord

• God has created me to be an expressive person; I believe God wants to see expressive worshippers.  God told me that He will use my expression of praise and worship to encourage others to expressively worship God with all their heart despite our Thai culture ie. Thai people can be reserved when they worship God.

• I decided to join the worship team in Hope Hatyai (Thailand) and I actively served as a vocalist in Hope Hatyai until I came to Brisbane – the calling to serve God in a worship ministry is still burning so I begun to serve in Ablaze LG as a backup singer, choir in WAM and now support vocalist for church service.  

I always remind myself with the story of 2 fish and 5 loaves in John 6:1-15. I want to be like that boy who offers all that he had for Jesus. My voice is like my 2 fish and 5 loaves unto God – although it is not much, limited and may seem to be useless in people’s eyes, but I believe after I have offered it up to Him, He will causes it to multiply so it can bless His people. Like how 2 fish and 5 loaves can bless the 5,000 people.I know, I am called by Him to sing for Him!