I was reading through John 21: 1 - 23 yesterday during MOT Training.
And this is what the Lord spoke to me.
THE PASSAGE
V1 - V3
After Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead after 3 days, he appeared before the disciples at least twice. Simon Peter must have still felt that he had disappointed the Lord and failed to be faithful when he denied him three times. So in verse 3, he went back fishing, the thing that he was most familiar with before he met Jesus.
V4 - V8
Jesus perfored another mircale. A similar miracle which he did at the beginning of his ministry.
That same miracle which he did before he called the disciples to follow him.
The disciples caught so much fish that they could not bring the nets on board but to dragged the nets to shore. Only then did they recognise the Lord Jesus.
V9 - V13
Jesus fed the disciples bread and fish. Not the fish they caught but his own.
V15b - V17
Jesus asked Peter "Do you love me?"
When Peter answered, "Yes Lord", Jesus replied, "Feed my lambs."
This is a re-commission of Peter's calling.
This is to re-instate Peter from his hurt, pain and failure that he was feeling.
V18 - V21
Jesus prophesied the kind of death Peter will suffer.
Peter was concerned about John's death instead.
So Jesus rebuked Peter to focus on his own faith and follow Him.
My Contemplation
God is concerned with my calling and my ministry.
He is concerned with my walk with Him.
Especially when I swayed away from my calling.
When I am discouraged and when I felt that I am a failure.
Jesus is asking me to focus on my calling and my ministry.
Not to look at the situation or at others around.
But to seek God , continue to feed His sheep and follow Him.
My Prayer
Thank you Lord Jesus for speaking to me.
Thank you Lord Jesus for understanding how I feel inside.
Thank you Lord for calling me into the ministry.
Amen!
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
When I say I am a Christian by Maya Angelou
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting, "I'm clean living'."
I'm whispering, "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Lord Jesus, thank you for your mercy and your grace.
Thank you for loving me. Amen!
I'm not shouting, "I'm clean living'."
I'm whispering, "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.
When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!
Lord Jesus, thank you for your mercy and your grace.
Thank you for loving me. Amen!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
POEM IN VIEW OF THADDEUS DEATH
Rev Dr Gordon Wong preached @ TPMC last Sunday and he cited a poem written by the mother of an 11 year old son, Darren who died in an accident in front of his school. This poem touched many hearts on Sunday. It emphasises the reality some things in life that makes no sense like the death of Thaddeus who died after crossing the finish line of the Triathlon. May God continue to comfort all those who have been struck with tragedy in their lives and bring release from their pain.
MY SON! MY SON!
(In loving memory of my dearly departed Darren)
I’ve cried myself hoarse,
Questioning God for the cause.
To your sudden homegoing
And the reason for our mourning.
You were the best son, God had favoured us,
Obedient, optimistic, cheerful, clever, loving and robust.
I thank the Lord for ‘loaning’ you to us for eleven years
The happy moments we have shared; inspite of some fears.
(like the time you were lost in Centrepoint; the time you choked on that fish bone).
The most severe chastisement that God can ever send
Is to whisk our loved ones suddenly into His Presence.
The greatest assurance, comfort and consolation
Is that I am fully assured of your salvation.
Pa and I have come to accept God’s will for you, son,
Although our sorrowful hearts are heavy and numb.
Your dying is not in vain, although it caused such pain.
One day our loving heavenly Father will reveal His aim.
We believe you are happier now, safe in Jesus’ arms,
Although Pa and I longed to hold you in our arms.
But we have the assurance that when our work on earth is done,
We’ll join you in Heaven and be with you, our son.
Meanwhile, life must go on and we thank God we have Daphne,
May you rest in His perfect peace and be happy.
Till we meet again on that beautiful golden shore.
And God will wipe away our tears and we cry no more.
Goodbye, our only dearest son!
Your loving Mummy.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord
MY SON! MY SON!
(In loving memory of my dearly departed Darren)
I’ve cried myself hoarse,
Questioning God for the cause.
To your sudden homegoing
And the reason for our mourning.
You were the best son, God had favoured us,
Obedient, optimistic, cheerful, clever, loving and robust.
I thank the Lord for ‘loaning’ you to us for eleven years
The happy moments we have shared; inspite of some fears.
(like the time you were lost in Centrepoint; the time you choked on that fish bone).
The most severe chastisement that God can ever send
Is to whisk our loved ones suddenly into His Presence.
The greatest assurance, comfort and consolation
Is that I am fully assured of your salvation.
Pa and I have come to accept God’s will for you, son,
Although our sorrowful hearts are heavy and numb.
Your dying is not in vain, although it caused such pain.
One day our loving heavenly Father will reveal His aim.
We believe you are happier now, safe in Jesus’ arms,
Although Pa and I longed to hold you in our arms.
But we have the assurance that when our work on earth is done,
We’ll join you in Heaven and be with you, our son.
Meanwhile, life must go on and we thank God we have Daphne,
May you rest in His perfect peace and be happy.
Till we meet again on that beautiful golden shore.
And God will wipe away our tears and we cry no more.
Goodbye, our only dearest son!
Your loving Mummy.
The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away;
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Don't Forget to Remember Me
Another song sung by Carrie Underwood that ministered to me.
It is about a young girl who left her family when she was 18 years old to make it in life in the city. Before she left home, her mother gave her some advise.
After some time, when things got rough and bad, she knelt down and prayed which she had not done for some time and came back to God.
18 years have come and gone
For momma they flew by
But for me they drug on and on
We were loading up that Chevy
Both tryin' not to cry
Momma kept on talking
Putting off good-bye
Then she took my hand and said
'Baby don't forget
Before you hit the highway
You better stop for gas
There's a 50 in the ashtray
In case you run short on cash
Here's a map and here's a Bible
If you ever lose your way
Just one more thing before you leave
Don't forget to remember me
'This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home
And those bills there on the counter
Keep telling me I'm on my own
And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it's not, I tell her everything's alright
Before we hung up I said
'Hey momma, don't forget to tell my baby sister
I'll see her in the fall
And tell mee-ma that I miss her
Yeah, I should give her a call
And make sure you tell Daddy that I'm still his little girl
Yeah, I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be
Don't forget to remember me
'Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven't done this in a while
So I don't know what to say
But Lord I feel so small sometimes in this big ol' place
Yeah, I know there are more important things
But don't forget to remember me
But don't forget to remember me'
It is about a young girl who left her family when she was 18 years old to make it in life in the city. Before she left home, her mother gave her some advise.
After some time, when things got rough and bad, she knelt down and prayed which she had not done for some time and came back to God.
18 years have come and gone
For momma they flew by
But for me they drug on and on
We were loading up that Chevy
Both tryin' not to cry
Momma kept on talking
Putting off good-bye
Then she took my hand and said
'Baby don't forget
Before you hit the highway
You better stop for gas
There's a 50 in the ashtray
In case you run short on cash
Here's a map and here's a Bible
If you ever lose your way
Just one more thing before you leave
Don't forget to remember me
'This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home
And those bills there on the counter
Keep telling me I'm on my own
And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it's not, I tell her everything's alright
Before we hung up I said
'Hey momma, don't forget to tell my baby sister
I'll see her in the fall
And tell mee-ma that I miss her
Yeah, I should give her a call
And make sure you tell Daddy that I'm still his little girl
Yeah, I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be
Don't forget to remember me
'Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven't done this in a while
So I don't know what to say
But Lord I feel so small sometimes in this big ol' place
Yeah, I know there are more important things
But don't forget to remember me
But don't forget to remember me'
Saturday, June 9, 2007
LESSONS LEARNED
On my way home this evening, I was listening to one of songs sung by Carrie Underwood and it ministered to me. Below are lyrics of the song:
Lessons Learned
Sung by Carrie Underwood
There's some things that I regret
Some words I wish had gone unsaid
Some starts that had some bitter endings
Been some bad times I've been through
Damage I cannot undo,
Some things I wish I could do all all over again
But it don't really matter
Life gets that much harder
It makes you that much stronger
Oh, some pages turned, Some bridges burned
But there were Lessons learned.
[Chorus:]
And every tear that had to fall from my eyes
Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night
Every change, life has thrown me
I'm thankful, for every break in my heart
I'm grateful, for every scar
Some pages turned,Some bridges burned
But there were lessons learned.
There's mistakes that I have made
Some chances I just threw away
Some roads,I never should've taken
Been some signs I didn't see
Hearts that I hurt needlessly
Some wounds that I wish I could have one more chance to mend
But it don't make no difference
The past can't be rewritten
You get the life you're given
Oh, some pages turned, Some bridges burned
But there were lessons learned.
And all the things that break you
Are all the things that make you strong
You can't change the past cause it's gone
And you just gotta move on
Because it's all, Lessons learned.
Lord Jesus, even with all the mistakes and hurts that come our way, help us move on and learn from them. Amen!
Lessons Learned
Sung by Carrie Underwood
There's some things that I regret
Some words I wish had gone unsaid
Some starts that had some bitter endings
Been some bad times I've been through
Damage I cannot undo,
Some things I wish I could do all all over again
But it don't really matter
Life gets that much harder
It makes you that much stronger
Oh, some pages turned, Some bridges burned
But there were Lessons learned.
[Chorus:]
And every tear that had to fall from my eyes
Everyday I wondered how I'd get through the night
Every change, life has thrown me
I'm thankful, for every break in my heart
I'm grateful, for every scar
Some pages turned,Some bridges burned
But there were lessons learned.
There's mistakes that I have made
Some chances I just threw away
Some roads,I never should've taken
Been some signs I didn't see
Hearts that I hurt needlessly
Some wounds that I wish I could have one more chance to mend
But it don't make no difference
The past can't be rewritten
You get the life you're given
Oh, some pages turned, Some bridges burned
But there were lessons learned.
And all the things that break you
Are all the things that make you strong
You can't change the past cause it's gone
And you just gotta move on
Because it's all, Lessons learned.
Lord Jesus, even with all the mistakes and hurts that come our way, help us move on and learn from them. Amen!
Esther (My Sermon for 10 Jun 07)
Esther 4
3 Lessons from the Story of Esther
1. REASON
Esther 4: 12 - 14
KEY SENTENCE
Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
That there is a reason for us to be in this world.
That there is a reason for us to be saved.
That there is a reason for us to be where we are (our family, our jobs, etc)
2. RISK
Esther 4: 11
Esther counted the cost and knew that if she went into the King's presence without being summon may costs her her life.
King David will not offer to God something that will cost him nothing in 2 Samuel 24: 24.
Have we counted the cost when we commit ourselves to give or serve God?
Have we thought about what it will cost us and only to give God the best that will cost us a sacrifice?
3. RESPOND
Esther 4: 16
When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.
Esther knew the risk involved and knew the purpose that God has for her.
Then she responded to the call and acted on it.
It is not how much we can give or not whether we can save the world.
But it is whether we choose to respond and make a difference whenever the opportunity comes.
Dear Lord, help me know the reason for my being, calculate the risk involved and respond to obey what you require of me to make a difference to my world. Amen!
3 Lessons from the Story of Esther
1. REASON
Esther 4: 12 - 14
KEY SENTENCE
Who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?
That there is a reason for us to be in this world.
That there is a reason for us to be saved.
That there is a reason for us to be where we are (our family, our jobs, etc)
2. RISK
Esther 4: 11
Esther counted the cost and knew that if she went into the King's presence without being summon may costs her her life.
King David will not offer to God something that will cost him nothing in 2 Samuel 24: 24.
Have we counted the cost when we commit ourselves to give or serve God?
Have we thought about what it will cost us and only to give God the best that will cost us a sacrifice?
3. RESPOND
Esther 4: 16
When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.
Esther knew the risk involved and knew the purpose that God has for her.
Then she responded to the call and acted on it.
It is not how much we can give or not whether we can save the world.
But it is whether we choose to respond and make a difference whenever the opportunity comes.
Dear Lord, help me know the reason for my being, calculate the risk involved and respond to obey what you require of me to make a difference to my world. Amen!
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