My Commitment as a Christian

(Written by a young African pastor and tacked to the wall of his home)

I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I'm finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me - my banner will be clear!

Daryl's Baptism Testimony - "God used a Centipede to change my Life!"

Before I accepted Christ, I lived without a purpose and direction in my life. My purpose and motivation in life often tend to be personal achievements. I was hot tempered and very insensitive in my words and actions. Vulgarities is very commonly used when I am speak to others. I had a very slack attitude in everything I do and was pretty self-centered. I see no purpose in working hard unless necessary or if the task benefits me. I did not belief in any religion and dislike being devoted to any God, but I somehow knew there is a God. Well all these changed when I came to know Jesus, here is my story.

Fortunately, one of my closer friends that I knew from Junior college (since 1st 3 mth) brought me to FCBC countdown party in 2006. There I discovered that church does not seem as boring as I perceived it to be. I had fun but did not want to commit to any church activities because I always thought it was a waste of time. A week before my enlistment for national service in January 2007, Jaren brought me to service. There somehow for the first time I felt a presence of God . However I was unsure again did not want to commit to church. I told Jaren I needed sometime to think about accepting Jesus.

There I being ignorant and defiant, I challenged God . I told God , God if you are real show me some of your miracles when I am in army.

After I enlisted, there was once in field camp in BMT, I wanted to pull out a camouflage tube from my grenade pouch. However thank God I withdrew my hand in time. To my horror, resting in my pouch was a huge red centipede easily more that 15 cm long. I was frighten. I quickly unfasten my vest and fling it onto the ground. After which , I carefully unbuckled my grenade pouch . There laid the centipede. It made no movement. I took my rifle and trust the muzzle (the front part) at it. Immediately it crawled out extremely fast and was stomped upon by my buddies and me. After the incident, God reviewed that he was actually protecting me for being bitten by the creature. Despite that there was still a sense of reluctance in my heart to belief that it was God. I though it was mere coincidence and that I was lucky. I did not believe that the Lord had actually spoken to me. So being ignorant, I challenged God again to show me another miracle.

In another instance I was doing a road march in a sandy terrain . I was down with flu and phlegm. The sand and marching made me feel worst. I ended up with a bad headache. There I asked God for healing. I went and rested at night. The following day I was completely feeling fine just like before.

Jaren invited me to another service halfway through my bmt , during that service I was unsure but I but I felt God's presence. After encouragement by my friend, I decided to accept Jesus. Ever since than, my life transformed. I felt a purpose and reason in everything I did. I started to receive answers that I couldn't find. Problems did not instantaneously vanish but God used all the challenges I faced in life to mould me slowly. I became more patient and motivated to perform my best in every task given to me. I learned to love the people around me especially my family members.

After I accepted Christ, there was once when I gotten back my A levels results, I was deciding between my current course and computing. Then in army I prayed and ask God that if he is willing send to a unit where I will not be totally exhausted after each day of training so that I can spend more time with him and also for God to help me in choosing my course by allowing me to experience computing in army somehow. The Lord answered my prayer and posted me to signals where I experience some networking in my specialist course. By faith I applied for my current course chem and biochem instead, for I always loved chemistry and did not like doing computing. Praise God I got into the course I wanted.

Nelson's Baptism Testimony - "No more Vulgarities & Bullying - God changed my Life!"

Nelson's baptism @ TCT on 26th June 2009

Before I accepted Christ, I used to think that a man needs to enjoy life to the fullest by doing what he or she likes. In the past, I had a group of friends whom I felt were fun and cool. I followed them in speaking vulgarities, bullying others, stealing, cheating and many other bad habits. I felt good and thought they were the only people I could be with and trusted them for my life.

When I was in primary school, I attended a few church activities arranged specially for the kids. Church was enjoyable and wonderful as interesting stories were shared. During my secondary school time, I wanted to join a church and was once invited to an Easter Day event held at the indoor stadium. A lot of amazing testimonies were shared. People got healed and wonderful things happened there. Since then, I began to know there is a God that heals and many people put their faith and trust in Him. It was a special experience. However, I was still very confused and did not join a church.

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Desert Song - Hillsong

Dear Jaren, thank you so much for sharing the song with us. I remember I first this song in our car ride in Sabah.

As I looked closely at the lyrics written.. tears began to well up in my eyes. And I echo the sentiments you wrote. And I pray that this song will minister and touch all our hearts.

Even at the end of days, everything may have gone wrong for us. But we can still praise God because He is with us. Heaven and earth will pass away but my God will never forsake me. Just based on this truth, I will give praise!

Back to The Future!

Was doing some back up on my laptop hard disk and guess what I found?

Brace yourselves and ENJOY!!!! =D











Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. - 2 Corinthians 3:17-18

We have all TRANSFORMED over the years!!!

A-B-C Guide to Success in Life

In my Junior College days, I was one of the top Ten-Pin bowler chalking an average of 200 PPG (points-per-game). I trained hard and my dream was to one day win an Open competition and be part of the Singapore National Bowling Team.

In the first year of my National Service, I crack-fractured my right wrist (my master hand) during the Standard Obstacle Course (SOC) test. I went through 1 year of physiotherapy and rehab, but never able to carry heavy stuff using my right hand again. I was downgraded to PES C1L2 and I was never able to take part in competitive bowling again. [Reality strikes and my world just collaspe around me... it's a lousy feeling. ]

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In my university days, I was an avid sportsman. I played soccer, basketball, soccer, squash and almost any ball games. In January 2006 during my Masters' studies, I had a freak accident on a rainy day. I slipped, fell and sprained my right ankle (my master foot)really badly. I was out of sports action for almost 6 months, unable to do even light jogging. [I felt really lousy about myself.]

During the 6 months, I went through intensive rehab and physiotherapy (up to 2-3 times a week, sweating like a madman at every physio session!). In November - December 2006, I took part in a 100KM walkathon, climbed the 72-storey Vertical Marathon @ Swissotel and completed the 42KM Singapore Marathon.

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During my Masters' studies in Bioengineering (2004 - 2006), I was required to take Biology subjects, understand Biology concepts and theories, write reports and do up presentations on them. These were a major challenge for me as I have never ever taken Biology before in my life!

I mugged, studied, burned midnight oil studying and preparing for every single homework, test, exams and presentation. This is on top of being a cell leader and serving in church.

In end-2007, I was conferred my Masters' Degree in Engineering. Together with it, I had three conference presentations, two journal papers, and one patent application to my name. I just collected my Masters' Degree graduation certificate this week. *All Smiles*

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Success in life doesn't mean having a glamourous lifestyle, great achievements, nor popular and accepted by people. All these are good and important things in life. BUT... Is that how you really would define Success?

To me, the A-B-C guide to Success is:

1. Able to star at every challenges that comes in life and see the opportunity for growth.
2. Being able to bounce back from defeats and failures in life - having a never-say-die attitude.
3. Choosing not to compare and envy the people around you, but follow your principles, values and convictions of life.

Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain. In vain you rise early and stay up late, toiling for food to eat—for he grants sleep to those he loves. - Psalm 127:1-2 (NIV)

Unless we learn to put God as central in the area of our work / studies, else we will always be toiling and struggling with the affairs of the world.

Paul Potts - An Ordinary Man, An Extraordinary Gift

Britain's Got Talent winner Paul Potts has spent most of his life feeling 'insignificant'. Bullied at school for being 'different', he realised growing up that he had one true friend and that was his voice. Singing was his escape. He was able to lose himself in his own little world - the vicious words of his tormentors replaced by hauntingly beautiful lyrics and melodies that lifted his heart and spirit. It was a love, a passion, a lifeline that would follow Paul into adulthood and help him through many more periods of adversity. But it was also a gift that was destined to go largely undiscovered, due to a crushing lack of self-confidence that has dogged this hard working and humble man throughout his 36 years.

..... Although Paul has performed at amateur level, most notably with Bath Opera, his chronic lack of self esteem and fear of rejection always prevented him from trying to make it professionally. "As I saw it, if I never asked - never put myself out there - then I'd never get told "No",'says Paul. "It was safer that way."

So instead, he carried on with his day jobs - which have included stacking shelves in a supermarket and, most recently and famously, selling mobile phones, where he was told by one of his superiors that he was a 'natural salesman'. "But I knew I wasn't," says Paul. "When I was selling, I always felt like I was putting on an act. When I sang, that's when I felt I was myself - the real me."

In 2000, Paul used savings and a bit of money he'd won on a quiz show to attend a three-month summer school in Italy, where he learned the language and got to indulge his passion further. He even got to sing in a masterclass for his idol, Pavarotti. But he was about to be dealt a cruel blow.
In 2003, he suffered a burst appendix. While undergoing treatment for this, doctors discovered a benign tumour on his adrenal gland. It was successfully removed but while he was recovering, he was knocked off his bike and broke his collarbone. "Of all the health problems I'd been through, breaking my collar bone was the most painful and it took months to recover," says Paul. " I got very, very low and for once, singing was the last thing on my mind."

..... Though it's fair to say that when Paul strolled awkwardly - almost apologetically - onto the Cardiff stage for his first Britain’s Got Talent audition a week before that final, in his now infamous £35 Tesco suit, and announced to Simon and fellow judges Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan that he was going to sing opera, they never thought for one minute they were looking at their winner. Until he opened his mouth and started to sing.

It was, as Simon has said since, simply magical. "Incredible", agreed Piers. And Amanda, who was moved to tears, said his voice had left her covered in goosebumps. "We were not expecting that," admitted Simon.

"I was so nervous I was shaking like a jelly, but when I watch that audition back, i can see in my eyes that when I start to sing I go to a totally different place and the nerves just vanish," says Paul. "When I stopped singing, there were a few seconds when my heart was racing because I had absolutely no idea what the judges were going to say."

... "All of this is like a fairy tale and I'm terrified I'm going to wake up soon and find I've dreamt it all," says Paul. "The support I've had has been incredible and I feel so touched and humbled by it. It has done so much for my confidence and I really can't thank people enough for giving me the chance to realise my dream. To be given an opportunity like this is more than I ever could have hoped for. Finally, I am going to be doing what I've always felt I was put here to do - something I love and that gives me so much joy"

Reflection:
Just like Paul Potts, many of us get crushed in life because of the hurtful words others say to us, our own self condemnation or even because of external circumstances that are not within our control. But it takes true courage and authentic faith to shake and wake ourselves up from these defeats of life and rise up to the calling and giftings that the Lord has given to us.

I'm not certain if Paul Potts is a Christian. But my challenge is if a normal, ordinary everyday guy can respond in such a way, how about us who knows the Lord Jesus Christ?

Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

Acknowledgement:
- Video taken from www.youtube.com
- Biography of Paul Potts from www.paulpottsuk.com