Eagles

27 July, 2005

Some good stuff I found on Isa 40 :) (Click the link for more!)

Isaiah 40:31: "Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."

How often we've quoted and sung this verse, but I wonder, do we really soar on wings like eagles? And what does that mean, after all?


Did you know that 32 times in scripture the eagle is used as an example of the Christian life?

That's because eagles are unusual birds who are born to soar higher and faster than any other bird. And as God's eagles, we are made to soar in heavenly realms.

Eagles always build their nests in the highest possible place for three reasons:
As protection from their enemies
As a perch for surveying the territory
As an energy-saving launching pad.

The Word of God is to us like the nest is to the eagle. It is our protection—our shield—from the enemy of our soul. The written Word gives you a strategic view of the world around you, shows you where to fly and where not to fly; warns you of dangers out in that big world. When your launching pad is God's eternal Word, you're really able to soar like an eagle.

Maybe you've been trying to soar from the ground up. Been flapping your wings a lot lately but going nowhere? You need a better launching pad. Isaiah begins this 40th chapter by reminding us that the Word of our God stands forever.

Jesus is the Word of God incarnate—the Word made flesh that dwelled among us. He stands forever; His love for us will last forever; nothing can separate us from His love; He will never leave us or forsake us. If you're not soaring on wings of eagles these days, check it out. The launching pad is the Word of God. No other take-off will work.

Have you been soaring lately, or have you been more like a canary, in a cage singing a little tune but not accomplishing very much? Or perhaps like a buzzard, sitting on telephone poles, watching everybody else, eating dead things. Or do you look more like a peacock, pruning your feathers?

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TF

10 March, 2005
TF = True Files. You play the Detective in the Case of the Missing Body.
(PS: A good friday evangelistic event for all non-believers and believers. An exciting way to learn about some things... haha)

Find out more here:
http://www.youthnet.org.sg/main.html

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O levels, A levels and the end of the world.

01 March, 2005
So, there we have it, the results are out! Euphoria breaking out in most places... quiet grief in some others ( and I don't mean 6 pointers who are sad that not all their 11 subjects are A1). When I got my results, which isn't actually too bad, I thought I reached the end of the world where I would not make it to NJ or HC and I'm an out and out failure. (Oh what rubbish) To think I actually hid in the school toilet cubicle and cried. Ah well, what to do, results overly-filled my mind. I thought not being at the top means d-day.

So I learnt about failure and what it is like to get back on my feet. Bit by bit. Slowly ... slowly... but I guess I didn't learn. A levels filled my mind. Doesn't matter what you get for prelims, just make it for the A levels and all will be fine. If not, you won't get to uni and it's the end of the world. Hey guess what? I did badly for my A levels. It was bad enough to send me off into a frenzy as I desperately made last minute applications to polytechnics. So, I got accepted into biomedical science in Ngee Ann Poly while waiting for Nanyang poly's reply for my application to occupational therapy. Attended the 1st week in Ngee Ann. Realised that A levels wasn't the end and getting a diploma wasn't so bad after all.

Just as I prepared myself to stay in Ngee Ann poly with the younger ones, by God's grace and mercy, the NUS envelope came. I got into uni. Praise God! So I'm telling you, there's nothing about me being smart for getting into Uni. It's God's grace!!!

The way I view academic life and certificates changed. Slowly of course. I still grumble and joke about becoming a lab assistant who washes test tubes after graduation. But I do see that certificates and results do not make me or break me. There are so many options in life. Let's not see our life as the stereotypical one where we move ahead from school with good grades to successful career bla bla... it may or may not be, but let's do remember God in the days of our youth and acknowldge Him in whatever we do! Fill our hearts and minds with God, not results! :p

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We're made in the image of God. So?

24 February, 2005

There's a big deal!

So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Gen 1:27)

For an interesting read, go here:

http://www.evangelical-times.org/Articles/Aug03/aug03a01.htm

For bit size pieces... (dribs and drabs... read on)

**disclaimer, hope my cut-and-pastes didn't distort things :X **

God's image: Man is, as the psalmist says, ‘fearfully and wonderfully made’ (Psalm 139:14)... ...man is made in God’s image. This is what sets him apart from every other aspect of God’s wonderful creation. All man’s uniqueness, dignity, meaning and worth stem from the fact that the Triune God has made him ‘in our image, in our likeness’ (Genesis 1:26).

Unique status: We are God’s special representatives on earth and that, in certain respects, we are a unique reflection of God himself.... ...Scripture informs us that ‘the heavens declare the glory of God’ (Psalm 19:1). But in man — at least as he was originally made — something of the reality of what God is like is made visible. Surely man can know no greater honour?

What he is: We see this likeness [to God], perhaps supremely, in man’s intellectual and rational powers. He thinks, he reasons, he contemplates. He asks questions and seeks answers. In the same way, all that Scripture reveals of God shows that he also is a rational being.
We also find evidences of God’s image in man’s moral nature — his ethical sensitivity and conscience. He knows that there is such a thing as ‘right’ and that its opposite is ‘wrong’.

Not alone: Man’s ‘image bearing’ is further revealed in his capacity for fellowship. Even in his pristine condition he was a social being — ‘it is not good for man to be alone’, said his Creator (Genesis 2:18). Likewise, Scripture reveals that God himself exists in the Trinity... ... [Man can] makes decisions... ... [has] aesthetic sense...

There's more... on what he does and Man and earth... which shows our dependence on God and the rights given to us. Read the article! :p

http://www.evangelical-times.org/Articles/Aug03/aug03a01.htm

-sheesh, I'm spoon-feeding you SG people. Next time, you all do the finding out and tell me k! :p

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Huh? God rested on the 7th day of creation? read on...

God rested on the 7th day not because God needed to rest...
Blur blur me found out what the 7th day rest really means... clarified! Hope u guys will see why God rested on the 7th day, esp those who were thinking along with us during SG! :)


First, God rested on the seventh day, Sabbath. The all-powerful God was not tired from creating the heavens and the earth, and yet the Bible shows that God rested on the seventh day, Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath holy by resting was God's first example to man. Here, "rest" simply means that God stopped or ceased His work of creation. God's rest was not the rest of inactivity. It was a rest in distinction to His creative activities of the previous six days.

Second, God blessed the seventh day, Sabbath. This means that God gave the seventh day a special quality of goodness. He created a quality of blessing for the seventh day not given to any other day of the week. Notice that none of the other days of the week were blessed, only the seventh day.

Third, God sanctified or made holy the seventh day, Sabbath. By sanctifying or making the seventh day holy, God declared and made the seventh day to be sacred or holy time.

God did more than merely rest on that first Sabbath. "And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it ? (Genesis 2:3). This was God's final act in His creation week. He took the last day (seventh day) of the creation week and set it apart as a special day. God made the seventh day Sabbath special by blessing it and setting it apart from the other six days.

Taken from
http://www.rezconnection.org/index.cfm/method/content.47E25507-283C-47F5-A0AF9DFAB6ECAF06

About the 3 heavens... check this website out:
http://www.carm.org/questions/threeheavens.htm

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Women shouldn't braid our hair?

03 February, 2005
1 Timothy 2

Instructions on Worship

1 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–
2 for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.
3 This is good, and pleases God our Savior,
4 who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,
6 who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time.
7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.
8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.
9 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes,
10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.
11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission.
12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.
13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.
14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.
15But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.

I guess the purple parts are of particular interest to us girls. Long long ago, one of friends asked my church leader innocently, "Huh? Woman are saved through having children? Then what about those who cannot have children." Yah... what about them?

Now, now, let us take a closer look at the Passage in its context.
Who wrote this? the apostle Paul.
To whom? To Timothy, who is in charge of taking care of the church at Ephesus.
For what? Addressing Ephesus church, which is in a mess and some members in that church had even embraced false doctrines. So...Paul addressed issues like worship procedures, control of unruly women, leadership standards, policies about widows etc etc in that letter to Timothy.

erm, there's a lot to study here... so I guess it'd be good if we can meet up to find out more... :) Meanwhile, it addresses issues on women dressing modestly so as to not be distracting during worship, and that women should be submissive (interesting interesting... haha. we'll learn more eh?)... errr... yah. I'll go read up more. Meanwhile, you all read up more too k! Then we'll come together and look at it! :D

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The Heavens

Heyo peeps! If you've been to SG, you'd know that we've been discussing about the end times, the heavens and earth that will be destroyed.

2 Peter 3:10 says, " But the day of the Lord will comel ike a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar, the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."

Uhuh, and there we spotted H-e-a-v-e-n-s. Wah, you mean there is more then one heaven? Like nice, nicer and nicest heaven? Nah. That isn't so. The bible does mention three heavens, but not in that way. Check out this link to find out more:

http://www.carm.org/questions/threeheavens.htm


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