I guess this will be my first blog entry where I share my thoughts, opinions, and feelings... haha:p
All this while I have been thinking on what to share, but somehow I kept procastinating about it.. so I took my time to blog articles that I had read and was inspired by.. to keep a collection of articles that has made an impact to my life, and that I want to apply them, so that I can live life to the fullest.. making the most of my abilities and being satisfied by the rewards that come from doing so..
Sometimes, I wonder... so what if I share my thoughts here on the web? Who's going to read it? I know for sure my dear2 will... (wink:P)... besides her, who else? Maybe tuanyee and min.. cos they are the two I know who knows that I have a blog.. haha:P
Then again I wonder.. what do I want to share... I know for sure I will not want to blog about gossips, complaints, miserable stories, sacarstic remarks about our Singapore government that I read in some blogs.. Cos I know in our lives, we already have so much burdens and struggles, so why make it even worse? And besides, I really love Singapore.. I am grateful for our government who set the vision and puts the various systems in place that has helped our country prosper, and this is a place I truly call home...
Then comes the next most important question.. why do I want to blog? Why spend time writing down my thoughts for people all over the world to see, where I could have some privacy to my life, and time for my other interests like reading, exercising, watching movies with my dear2..
As I began to ask these questions, the thoughts become clear.. and everything I learned in the past start to surface... and on this Father's Day, I want to dedicate my 1st blog entry to my loving God the Father in heaven, and to my Lord Jesus Christ!
Ever since I accepted Him into my life.. my life has truly been transformed.. And on baptism day, I remembered saying that.. my life will not be wasted from now on.. I want to hold on to those words.. My desire is to truly live life to the fullest and I know now that it can only happen with Jesus in my heart..
Because all this while I have been searching for meaning in life, I really don't like the idea of just going to work, coming home, eat, sleep, grow up, get married, have a baby, then a 2nd baby, see them grow up, retire, go back to dust... There must be something more than this.. yes I know all these are part of life, and a process that I have to go through, but then behind all this, is there something else? Something beyond this normal way of living... what would that be??
And all the answers came as Jesus came into my life... the meaning in life becomes clear.. that as I grew in the knowledge of the Bible, God's Word, I understood why I had been so restless in the past, because after attending countless seminars before I was a Christian, wanting to improve myself, to become a better person but yet still not seeing results.. I realised the missing link... And it is that all those knowledge and the meaning in life that I was seeking are actually from the Bible itself.. and I just need to go to the 'source' and all my questions about life would be answered!
Once I got clear on that, I began to hunger for more.. I studied the Word, I listened to audio sermons, I paid close attention during Sunday service, I joined a bible study group.. wow! And my life began to change for the better.. I am not as confused as before, I know what to focus on.. And I truly understood what it means to live life to the fullest..
And it all has to start from having a great relationship with God, with Jesus.. In the past, I used to think it's something that I am seeking in life, perhaps money.. but now I realised even with all the money in the world, I won't be happy at all.. so now I learn to seek God first, and it's through prayer that I have a heart to heart talk with Him, that I know He loves me and wants the best for my life.. that when I walk right in His ways, according to the righteous standard set in the Bible, that He will bless me with everything that I have ever needed for in life.
I have learned to be dependent on Him and I am truly grateful that He found me. From now on, I want to live out the rest of my life to serve Him, that I do the things that please Him, and to use the gifts and talents He gave to me to make a difference in other people's lives, to be a good steward of the money He provided, and in my daily tasks I perform, my way of conduct, my speech, my actions, will all reflect the character of Christ...
And the next important event happening in my life right now, is Esther and me getting married. I thank God that He has blessed me with such a wonderful girl in my life, who is always so encouraging, so loving, so playful (haha:P), like a best friend in my life and she completes me. (Thank you dear!)
I really want to be a good husband who loves my wife, a good father in future, a good servant of God and I pray O God, that you help me be one, if I may ask, that you give me more of your Spirit, so that I can have the wisdom to be the man worthy of your calling. Thank you Lord, in Jesus' name I pray, Amen!
I don't know if there's anybody out there who's going to read this, but I pray that each message I write from now on, will somehow be found by a person who is searching for it and needs it at the right time... and if it's you.. that the message can touch your heart, that you can be, like me, find the true meaning in life.
May you be blessed,
Victor
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Saturday, June 16, 2007
God The Father by Derek Prince
God the Father has ever been the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and Christ has ever been His Son. In Ephesians 3:14-15, Paul says: “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named.”
This passage shows us not only that God is the Father of Christ, but also that the office of fatherhood in all the earth is derived from and established on the pattern of the office that God the Father holds within the Godhead. All fatherhood is a projection of the nature of God the Father.
A Pointed Challenge
In his influential and very practical teaching, “Husbands and Fathers” (in a moment I’ll tell you how you can receive a copy on DVD), Derek points out that, because of the principle stated above, every father is called to function in three important spiritual roles in the home — that of prophet, priest and king (or governor).
At one point in that teaching, Derek presents a pointed challenge:
Check your performance in each of these three areas, and ask yourself some relevant questions:
1. As priest of my family, am I faithful in regular, daily intercession for them? How often do I thank God for them?
2. As prophet, how well have I represented God to my family? Have I given them a picture of the loving Father in heaven? Or must I acknowledge that the picture I have given them of our Father God is actually an unattractive caricature?
3. As king [head of my household], have I ruled my children with a discipline that combines love and firmness and that prepares them to take their place in society as responsible citizens? Have I set boundaries for my children that protect them from the evil forces at work in the world today?
What is your response to these questions? Do you recognize that you have indeed “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”? That is no reason to be discouraged or to give up. God convicts us of our sins not in order to condemn us but to direct us to the remedy He has provided for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Clearly, as we approach this Father’s Day, every Christian man (and every person who loves one), needs more spiritual insight about this vitally important three-fold role.
This passage shows us not only that God is the Father of Christ, but also that the office of fatherhood in all the earth is derived from and established on the pattern of the office that God the Father holds within the Godhead. All fatherhood is a projection of the nature of God the Father.
A Pointed Challenge
In his influential and very practical teaching, “Husbands and Fathers” (in a moment I’ll tell you how you can receive a copy on DVD), Derek points out that, because of the principle stated above, every father is called to function in three important spiritual roles in the home — that of prophet, priest and king (or governor).
At one point in that teaching, Derek presents a pointed challenge:
Check your performance in each of these three areas, and ask yourself some relevant questions:
1. As priest of my family, am I faithful in regular, daily intercession for them? How often do I thank God for them?
2. As prophet, how well have I represented God to my family? Have I given them a picture of the loving Father in heaven? Or must I acknowledge that the picture I have given them of our Father God is actually an unattractive caricature?
3. As king [head of my household], have I ruled my children with a discipline that combines love and firmness and that prepares them to take their place in society as responsible citizens? Have I set boundaries for my children that protect them from the evil forces at work in the world today?
What is your response to these questions? Do you recognize that you have indeed “sinned and fallen short of the glory of God”? That is no reason to be discouraged or to give up. God convicts us of our sins not in order to condemn us but to direct us to the remedy He has provided for us through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross.
Clearly, as we approach this Father’s Day, every Christian man (and every person who loves one), needs more spiritual insight about this vitally important three-fold role.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
The Art of Being, Doing and Having by Zig Ziglar
One of my favorite phrases is, "You've got to be before you can do and do before you can have." In short, you have to be a person of character and do the right things, and then you can have the things you really want. To make the "be, do have" theory valid, look at some examples in your own life.
1. Draw two vertical lines to make three columns on a sheet of paper.
2. At the top of the left-hand column, write BE; in the middle column, write DO; and over in the last column, write HAVE.
3. In the right-hand column list all the things you really want in life, whether it's an education, good family relationships, a beautiful new home, a luxury automobile, a trip around the world, to lose weight--you name it.
4. Work your way down the center column identifying the things that you have to do in order to have the things listed in the right-hand column. As an example, let's say you want a successful marriage. To do so, you must be willing to share your innermost thoughts and concerns with your mate. You must carry more than your share of the workload, encourage your mate when he or she is down, and defend your mate against criticism. You need to remember special occasions. Be particularly helpful when your mate is having a bad day or is not feeling well, or has had a tough day at work. Apply the philosophy that "you can have everything you want out of this marriage if you just help your mate get what he or she wants." Everybody's list varies because each of us has unique needs, beliefs, and interests. However, the formula remains the same.
5. Go to the left-hand column and identify what you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE. To have a successful marriage, some of the things that you must be are faithful, attentive, loving, caring, helpful, empathetic, encouraging, persistent, committed, kind, thoughtful, considerate, and responsible. Not having all these qualities at this moment is okay, because they're all skills, and skills can be developed.
You can use this basic formula for whatever it is you want to have. Look at what you have to do in order to accomplish your objectives, and then examine yourself and determine what kind of person you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE.
1. Draw two vertical lines to make three columns on a sheet of paper.
2. At the top of the left-hand column, write BE; in the middle column, write DO; and over in the last column, write HAVE.
3. In the right-hand column list all the things you really want in life, whether it's an education, good family relationships, a beautiful new home, a luxury automobile, a trip around the world, to lose weight--you name it.
4. Work your way down the center column identifying the things that you have to do in order to have the things listed in the right-hand column. As an example, let's say you want a successful marriage. To do so, you must be willing to share your innermost thoughts and concerns with your mate. You must carry more than your share of the workload, encourage your mate when he or she is down, and defend your mate against criticism. You need to remember special occasions. Be particularly helpful when your mate is having a bad day or is not feeling well, or has had a tough day at work. Apply the philosophy that "you can have everything you want out of this marriage if you just help your mate get what he or she wants." Everybody's list varies because each of us has unique needs, beliefs, and interests. However, the formula remains the same.
5. Go to the left-hand column and identify what you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE. To have a successful marriage, some of the things that you must be are faithful, attentive, loving, caring, helpful, empathetic, encouraging, persistent, committed, kind, thoughtful, considerate, and responsible. Not having all these qualities at this moment is okay, because they're all skills, and skills can be developed.
You can use this basic formula for whatever it is you want to have. Look at what you have to do in order to accomplish your objectives, and then examine yourself and determine what kind of person you have to BE in order to DO so that you can HAVE.
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