A New Beginning

im sry if i seem to be over-serious..but this is something so great i just cant share it in a light hearted tone..

"to live is Christ, to die is gain"
how true..

and it breathes new life into me..
for God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life..
dont we just take John 3.16 forgranted?
and tt just goes to show we dont understand the full extent of God's love..
and we nvr will..

we're supposed to reflect on the G12 conference this year right?
and to say its the same thing every year is a big big lie..
cos it nvr is the same..

a man nvr learns by just listening to smth once..
he needs to listen to it time and time again to get it not just planted in his head but in his heart.
and so the Holy Spirit falls so powerfully on me tt i truely believe it is the turning pt like sp said..

watching daniel khong preach for the first time was like watching my generation rise for Christ..
such was the impact of his msg..
i cant say tt he's as fantastic as his father in preaching yet.. but he is certainly very close and will definitely succeed his father in time. sp shd be and i know is very proud of his son.
and wad really hit me hard wasnt chim stuff but the simplicity of it that we just are unable to understand..

1 word:
LOVE..
yes..
LOVE..
u want to know the secret of life?
LOVE..
u want to know the secret of success?
LOVE..
u want to know the secret of happiness and joy?
LOVE..
u want to know the secret of victory?
LOVE..
there's nothing else that cld be the solution to poverty, to war, to discrimination other den the most powerful and lethal weapon tt cld ever exist..
LOVE..

while i watch other people being so pumped up abt being a warrior of light..
and all the talk abt spiritual warfare and really fighting it..
i feel something really deep in my heart..

let me enlighten u guys with a revelation from God..
the warrior of light doesnt fight literally.. he fights not just with prayer and fasting and determination and with the strength and armour tt can only come from God..
but he fights with LOVE..
because love is the root of all gd things..
without love..for the people around you..for the people u love..for the people u hate..for your school..for your family..for your school..for your nation..for the nations..
there is no pt in being a warrior of light..
cos ur motive is entirely wrong..
u want victory so u feel gd..
tts not the way man..
u ought to want victory cos it'll save the people of the world..God's beautifully-made creation in His very own image..
even if it means tt u'll go down..
persecuted alone cos everyone u thought were on your side disowns u.. claim they nvr knew u..
wasnt tt how Jesus felt?
to be sinless yet so badly treated by the ppl closest to him..

if u ask me what is the most impactful and fresh thing i learnt from this conference..
it wld also be found in daniel's msg..

"dont be just christian, be Christ-like"
wham.. he hit the nail right on the head..
we who call ourselves Christians shd be ashamed of ourselves..
the term "Christian" has lost its true meaning..
does a christian behave like the priest and turn a blind eye on a man in need..
or does he behave like the gd samaritan.. and go out of his comfort zone to do smth mind-blowing..
the sin of ommision is too real..

WWJD..
What Wld Christ Do?
i 1st saw this "WWJD" thingy on a wristband in hong kong..
i must admit i thought it was kinda lame being put onto a wristband..
though i knew "WWJD" in itself was smth really great..
but it struck me when daniel mentioned tt..
tt we really ought to live according to tt..
what wld Jesus do?
if we live our lives according to what Jesus wld do, we wld almost certainly be not "not far from the kingdom of God", but IN the kingdom of God..
and tts what so life-changing abt it..

i somehow lost all my desire for "worldly blessings" after tt..
and it appears i can no longer give in to temptation..
maybe tts what they mean when they say tt God changes us "From the Inside Out"..
cos i dun feel any different outside..
but inside..
smth has changed..
and i hope it has really changed all who have heard it too..

lastly..
ps cesar shared tt testimonial in the 2nd men's session tt brought me back to the foot of the cross in tears..
isnt tt how God loves us?
to have nvr experienced the love of a father b4, and falling into the trap of drugs?
and to be left on the streets like an invisible reject?
invisible to people..yes..
invisible to God..NEVER..
and at the split second he decided to commit suicide after he'd get high on drugs..
some policeman pops by and gives him a bible..
i'd not be surprised to find tt tt policeman was an angel..

10 bucks he needed to get drugs but did not have..
he went to a church service..
and asked a woman so kind she gave it to him..
a stranger..
but still.. God's child..
and he'd hear the good news tt fateful day..
abt God's fatherly love..
abt the prodigal son..
abt hope..
and abt someone who cares when no one else does despite everything bad u've done..

he ran up to the alter in tears and so desperately..
cos tts wad he always wanted..
the lady who gave him 10 bucks went up by his side and hugged him..
and he felt like he was hugging a father figure for the very 1st time..

lo and behold..when he opened his eyes..there was no one there..
God really was the one hugging him..
personally..

and from den on..no matter what drugs he took..it had no effect on him..
God protected him even though he turned to sin again..

so it goes tt he went to find help in recovering from drugs..
and this lady helps him..
and guess wad?
they end up happily married in Christ with him being free from drugs..

God's love is so great..
and in His perfect plan, we all will find our way into his arms in heaven one day..
glorified..
and ive nvr felt tt the fact tt our reward truely lies in heaven and not on earth so true and so real..

and the amazing thing is tt all these can happen in our lives if we truely believe..
miracles tt will win the world for Christ when everyone's so confused abt who the true Lord of all is..

now THAT is what i call true victory..
AMEN..

=)

God bless u all with love and love for others
be victorious in Christ..

-tzup