Monday, November 13, 2006
preparation for the King's return
i started my day off quite rocky. i was supposed to hand in my history term paper in hard copy and soft copy last week. but blur me, i forgot all about the soft copy and only realised it when i received the email about getting a zero grade if i failed to do so. that really scared me that i wanted to pee in my pants!! but more than the incident, i felt that God was dealing with me in a very special way. i started praying really hard that God will show me a way out of this, that my professor would be kind enough and forgive my "blurness". haha, but then He asked.. "Do you only pray this hard when you're in trouble?"
this led me to really reflect on what i have been doing these few weeks. Pastor Melvyn's sermons have come to a close and i felt that i should look through the sermon notes again. Each parable in Matthem 25 teaches us about the return of the King and how we should be living our lives till He comes again. Have we been keeping watch, have we been investing the 'talents'? but most importantly, are we the sheep or the goats?
In application, i had these 3 questions for myself.
1. What are the resources and responsibilities that Jesus has given you?
2. How can you handle them in a good and faithful manner?
3. How should the material in this chapter affect your current priorities?
Sounds like a lot, which is why i took super long to reflect. I need to set my priorities again, so that they can be aligned to God's heart. The past few days, i really learnt alot about God's goodness and i'm really thankful for it. On friday, i visited the New Town Secondary School CLASS camp. i had a really enjoyable time there and it was an even greater joy to see some of the students coming to church yesterday. For a while, i was quite 'sian' of attending camps when attached to TYS but i realised the joy of being able to make a difference in the lives of these youths on friday. Even though i wasn't a mentor, i was able to talk to them, make fun of them(i kept singing to irritate them hahaha), and to even talk to this girl who injured her arm. This really is what Pastor melvyn was talking about isnt it? to make use of every opportunity you have to do something good. And i know that if God calls you to do something, he will give you whatever you need-all His resources in fact. I want to live my life intentionally, to do things that are meaningful and God-centered. :)
some of us have perhaps felt that we are the ones who should be at the receiving end due to our circumstances. but i guess its about being contented and not complacent with the possessions God has already granted us. We need to be good stewards of them. Read a blog recently by (wsm) and her elitist comments. I thought it was quite saddening that she failed to see the other side of Singapore and be contented with what she already has. Many in Singapore are still living in an entrenched poverty cycle. Even though we have been brought up in a modern Confucian State and we are always taught that nothing comes for free, sometimes, we do need to be a Welfare state. sometimes, these people need a helping hand, so that they can step out of that poverty cycle. You say that is already present, with the help from NGOs and voluntary organizations. But did you know that the possession of a coloured tv disqualifies them from financial aid? My learning point from her blog was that how far was i willing to go for those less fortunate Singaporeans? How much in fact?
But remember that song that Pastor sang yesterday, and maybe when I have set my priorities straight again, i will be able to do all these with a lighter heart, knowing that what i do now is to build up my inheritance that is waiting for me up there. :P
anyway, my professor was really nice and sweet. he even thanked me for handing it up when i called him this morning, when i should have been the one to thank him!! God is good man, and in preparation for the return of the king, i know that i need to have a more prayerful life. how about you? :)
TURN YOUR EYES UPON JESUS
10:20 AM
