When the Lord our God was about to destroy Sodom, the only person standing in God's way was Abraham.

He asked," God... If you were to find 50 righteous men, would you spare the entire city?"

The Lord said," Yes i will if i find 50 righteous man."

He asked again.. "What if you find 5 less than 50 righteous men, will you spare the city?"

The Lord answered," Yes i will."

He asked again.. " What if there are only 40?"

The Lord answered," Yes i will spare them."

He said again. "Lord please do not be angry and let me speak again.. What if there is only 30 of them?"

The Lord said," Yes i will."

Lastly, Abraham asked," Dear Lord, please do not be angry and let me ask one last time.. What if you find only 10 righteous men? Will you spare the whole city?

The Lord answered," Yes i will."

See that the last person who ended the conversation was not our God. He was in fact Abraham who ended the conversation by saying that he will ask for the last time. He was, in the whole conversation, afraid that our Lord might get angry and be displeased with him.

We tend to set a limit to ourselves in our lives. We will always think that God might be angry with us if we ask too much. But will He?

We all know that God is almighty and that He can do anything as He pleases and bless anyone who He deems fit. But is there a limit to how much He can give? Is there a limit to how much we can ask for? Or have we been so guilt stricken that we impose a self limit to how much we ask for from Him? Notice that in the entire conversation, all the Lord did was agree.

God's love is so abundant and his grace so boundless that He can forgive and spare the entire Sodom which was sinning so greatly just because there were 10 righteous men. All we needed to do was to askand it shall be given, seek and we shall find, knock on the door and our requests will be given to us. If it is in His plans, He will grant your wish! No matter how ridiculous it is just because He can and He is the Lord our God.

In doing this act of intervention, Abraham blessed Sodom. God wanted Abraham to intervene in fact as He spoke out loud enough for Abraham to hear, which is His plan of destroying the entire of Sodom. True enough, Abraham intervened for the sinful city of Sodom and Sodom was blessed caused if there were 10 righteous men, the Lord will spare the city of Sodom.

This is in fact how we bless our city. This is how we bless our community. It is to be one of the 10 righteous men and because of us, our country, our community may be blessed and spared. I think, even if there were only 1 righteous man, the Lord will spare the city because He loves us.

Our worldly fathers are in fact the same! No matter how much kids misbehave, our fathers will always be there for us, to discipline us, to tell us right from wrong and finally to carry us when we fall.


Hmmm... Kimi no iru machi. Enough said. Haiz...

Same thing from Dreamcatcher and Shawshank Redemption...

Same Shit, Different Day...

Testimony...

Am just glad that i can share my faith with Au Yeong Wenhao today.

Lord i did some work today. I just pray that its some brick off his hardened heart... Break down his heart... So you can bring Him on a faith journey, just as how you brought me.

Amen...

BB enrolment service 2010 in YCC(L)

Here's what you have missed in the last episode of Awesomeville...

This is one of the the big annual events in our BB calendar where officers and boys come together to the our sponsoring church to rededicate our service to His ministry and in this case, the advancement of Christ's kingdom and all that tend towards a christian manliness. Oh well, i skipped the Reverence, Obedience, Self Respect, Discipline part. =P

Our BB colours (flag) is always marched out into the sanctuary at the start of the service by a 2LT with 2 escorts. As the colours are being marched in, we song we sang was Onward Christian Soldiers. As i sing this hymn, it really feels like being part of a crusade, that is to spread the gospel to the world. Well for a start, to our boys. =) It is really inspiring as its a really manly chorus where the boys and officer would sing out with pride. Of course, i am still a Officer Cadet.. Like for the longest of time as i have not attended the BOTC to become a 2LT. Hmmm... Might do this next yeat if i attend BOTC this year. Haha... *procrastinates*



Of course, every march in will have an end. The end of this marching in of colours is a the altar where our Chaplain( Pastor Soh) will be handed over the colours and placed at the altar in front in the sanctuary. Behind him is my company captain, LTA Winston Tan.


I of course manage to just attend the ceremony again without being part of anything. Haha... I admit i was lazy... And that i din't know the boys already. Getting too LKK. However, each year, i would enrol myself again into this company in which had brought me up from scratch. I was a little boy who was scared to do anything. So... All i needed to do was to appear in my function dress and sit back and enjoy. =) My baptism interview is on the bulletin though! =D Haha..

Jack and Me

Andrew, Me, Regina

Yup, i would be wearing that blazer suit uniform if i am going to BOTC. Wa.. Gonna cut another suit... Haha... Anyway.. Andrew was my CSM when i just joined and Regina is my xiao di!. Haha.. She in BB too. Started as a Primer in Poly but now she's a OCT like me. Din't know why she started calling me Lao Da... Started in the church camp where we were in programmes comm. Haha.. Since then.. I'm Lao Da!

Finally, this is the entire company in one picture. The screen wasn't supposed to be down! Covered the nice cross we have behind... Crap... But yup...

This is The Boys' Brigade, 19th Singapore Company! Woohoo!

Awesomeness!

Do Not Forget the Lord

Deuteronomy 8:10

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you."

This whole chapter serves as a constant reminder to us christians that even if life is smooth sailing and that we are all having the time of our life in this world, we are to give our thanksgiving to the Lord for it is He who has granted us all these favours in which we had recieved.

It is easy for us to look up unto Him for guidances and grace when we are in trouble. In bad times, we will pray for His forgiveness and that He might show mercy on us so that we can get out of trouble with His powers. It is in our human nature that we look up to our God when times are bad and then forget about Him when we're out of trouble.

All in all, we can come to our Lord in our different individual faith journeys but in the end, we can forget about Him with the same reason and that is, We are too well to do in our worldly lives.

The deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt came with many trials along the way to the Promised land. One of the trial was the lack of food in the desert. The Israelites did not have any food with them when they were wandering in the desert for the 40 years journey. However, God would through is power and might rained manna to the Israelites for food so that they had enough to eat for the day. The people of Israel was not to collect more than they can finish for the day as they will go bad on the next day. Thus, Israel went to sleep every night without any food to spare for the next day. The Israelites knew that they did not have anything to eat the next day for the entire 40 years.

It is something that is very unbearable as all you can do is to trust and believe that the Lord our God will rain manna again for food the next day!

This daily manna was to teach the Israelites that they were completely dependent on God for their survival. They had to silence their fears and to trust that God would provide for them everyday as they had no means to gather food for themselves. This was a trial too as if they were unable to trust in Him who will provide, their attitude will show in grievances and complains that will eventually show in the 40 years. If they are able to trust in Him fully and were contented with the daily manna. their attitude will show too and everything is clear to the Lord. By this, the Israelites will come to know too that it is not only by manna alone which kept them alive, but by the word of God that creates manna every single day miraculously. It became clear that it is through God's power and might that the entire exodus was kept alive.

This test was an act of God to humble the Israelites that without God, they are nothing.

Moses states that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord (verse 3). This is a reminder from Moses that man cannot survive solely on worldly food alone. We live because the Lord has been speaking his word of blessing over our lives that we may have enough to live in this world. Thus, it is never important what we have or don't have because if God doesn't bless us, we do not live. When God speaks, things happen and miracles are performed. Thus, in our worldly lives, we should always seek Him and His Kingdom first so that we will know that when He speaks His Words, we will be blessed.

Usually, the route of seeking Him and His Kingdom is never easy. It was never easy since time began. One example was the One who suffered under the Pontius Pilate.

Here, something came to my mind.. Sidetrack...

This is what we believe in and what we should drill into our minds. Back on track, life is good now that we are always complacent that we tend to forgot that it is God who has given us everything. It is already very hard to discipline ourselves as worldly temptations are all around us. When we give bad testimony of others, did we forget that one of His commandments was to love thy neighbour? I believe that we did not forget totally but it is in our sinful nature that we condemn and not show mercy to those we deem unfit. However, seeking His Kingdom encompasses all these that we through our actions honour God and his Words. All we can do is to seek for forgiveness after which we sinned.

The human nature is a selfish nature. We complain to God when things are not going well and yet we fail to thank Him when we had everything in the world which we wanted. We tend to think that it is through our own efforts and works that we have gotten whatever we possess. Either way, God was never glorified.

Proverbs 30:8,9

"Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.

Otherwise, i may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?' "

It is true. When we have everything we ever wanted, who cares about God? This is why Moses warned the Israelites of their future prosperity which they will inherit from the Lord that it will be the greatest danger to their faith. People say that it is easier to forget about our God when we are in the good times of our lives, but i also believe that it is also the hardest to trust in our God when we're down in our individual lives. We would of course not forget about God when we are in trouble as we need Him! That is self explainatory. However, the trials which He might put on us when we are down is the ultimate test of faith as we can do nothing except to wait for His miracles. Ye who art weak in faith will lose hope and turn his back on the Lord.

Personally, trusting in Him was always harder when i am feeling down and out as i complain a lot to Him. But, the core foundation of our faith is to believe. There isn't always any signs that you can feel or see when God is there to answer your prayers. Some may feel something, some may not.

I am the a person without any gifts. But i am guessing, if i feel peace after leaving everything on His hands, i'll be fine ultimately. =)

Anyway.... To sum up... In bad times, don't forget that God will be there to carry you... In good times, don't forget to give Him thanks as it is He who had provided. =)

Amen

2nd week into the holidays..

With a blink of an eye, time had passed so fast that i am here in my holidays with no more work to report to and that the long dreaded ICT is over. So fast, i am already at the last 2 pages of my IA report which will basically sum up all my experiences from Heraeus Materials. Words can't describe the experience though. On the whole, it was a great experience.

Coming to the start of my 4th year in NUS, i am gonna choose my FYP soon. I had chosen my specialisation but have yet to choose/ballot for my FYP project. The suspense is building up quite a lot in me now as many of my friends have already choosen and gotten their FYPs and have started meeting their Profs. I do not deny that i am not that hardworking and that i wish to slack. However, i think that my IA had somehow changed me a lot in the aspect of my degree of tenacity to completing projects. I guess its cause of the projects i had undertaken in Heraeus that molded my patience towards mundane data collecting work as i would have scorn upon these works before. Something had changed in me for good.

I can sign better now. Of course, it is due to the school fees i pay. But i am really thinking that i am more confident in signing. However, i do not have a partner to sign with and this is the sianz part. Plus walking to SADeaf alone is quite ....... *Sigh* I guess... Regardless of whatever, i will finish BS3 ba... My only practising sessions are signing along with songs i hear from my phone when i travel.

This sunday is Youth Sunday cum Bring a Friend Sunday cum BB enrolment service. Woah...Its a total 3 in 1 day and i have no one to bring along to church with me! Haiz..... I tried on Isabel and Wenhao le... To no avail... I kinda understand ba.. Since Wenhao wasn't really interested.

Haiz... Been feeling very easily irritable and feisty lately. Hmmm.... I guess i need to start thinking about my FYP early so as to keep myself occupied.

Its Friday!

Gosh... How many times must i tell myself that today? I kept thinking today is thursday.

I switched dg leading with one of the officers today. Reason? I am meeting Wenhao and Isabel instead on sunday morning for breakfast before they come for church visiting. I guess... Its a real nice change of pace in my normal sunday routine of going to church. I'm gonna entertain someone. =)

I think the reason why i am so excited about this is that firstly, i dun know Isabel at all and secondly, Wenhao is stepping into my church! This is like how amazing la. Lastly is that i had never played host to any of my friends before. Haa.. Next Sunday would be the enrolment service. I did not enrol last year. Guess for this year, i will. =)

I woke up in a fatigued body today. My legs were damn tired from squash and walking in orchard. But i needed fresh air to clear my mind as well as to keep myself occupied. Thus, the clever me decided to cycle with chunkit to Bishan for him to handup his CPF form. The journey took much shorter than stipulated. In about an hour, we reach from Chong Pang to Bishan and we din't even cycle fast. I was whining about being tired all the way. =P

We disregarded the drizzle and hurried on our way back... However, the drizzle became a downpour when we just reach AMK. We or rather i had my brunch. We stood around there for a while and after spending some money in the arcade, we decided that its time to be a man. So we cycled in the rain. Raindrops had never hit me so forcefully on my face before. All in all, i din crash. =) Had to do bike maintenance though...


Anyway... Louelle was right. The word "friend" sucks big time to guys.

Late night emo...

Came home from a fruitless shopping trip with Hong, George and Ben in orchard to read an email about a short interview for our BB enrolment service. Its from Kenneth to the 3 of us from BB who got baptised this Easter.

There were 10 questions in total and all of them were about how i got to know God and my journey to the church. I began to recall my memorises starting from when joined BB. I still remember that i din't have a CCA till sec 2 since i quited NPCC (horror of my sec 1 life). Frankly, BB was the best time of my life in my junior years. Though it was tiring and tough, my brothers were there to take the shit with me. Just because of that, even when we were suffering in training, the smile is always on our face.

Trainings were tough yet not unreasonable. This is one reason why i liked BB so much. As i answered in the interview, the reason as to how i got to know Christ was because the BB officers back then paved the way to church. The Church was there.... Ready to recieve. All i have to do was to walk into the Church. Its an indescribleable feeling... I can find no words to describe everything. It just happened and i know that it is through his grace...

Sometimes i think life is not fair at all. Life sucks as it is so complicated that you fathom what's going on in other people's head. Burning questions can be answered when you just ask them directly and yet, you can't bring yourself to bring them up. In the end, you end up guessing and wondering and gradually you start to think that life really sucks sometimes. Despite this, you'll still wake up feeling as bad as before and yet put a smile on yourself telling yourself that it is going to be a better day. Yes. Being optimistic is always good as it certainly brings up the spirit in your because you continue to hang on to some hope, hope that keeps life going on. However, when life is not fair, you'll end up with the only phrase you get in your head again,

Same Shit Different Day

I guess its just life. So we have to be a man and suck it up.

Sigh....