Thank God for receiving forgiveness from a friend

On last Friday morning, I did something that is really wrong. On that night, I confessed it to this friend. Thank God that my friend forgive me after 2 days of cold silence. On Sunday afternoon, I received this SMS "Apology accepted, mercy released." I am so overjoyed that both God and my friend forgive me. This is a very painful lesson for me. Never will I did such a thing again!

Thank God for a well spend day

Yesterday was Childrens' Day and Hari Raya. Instead of staying at home to "nua". I went to SKS book store with a friend. After that, we met up with another friend and we sat down at Chinatown area to have some finger food. After that, we went to Swensen to sit down to talk. The three of us shared testimony of how God worked in us in each of our lives. It was a very blessed and fruitful session. In the end, we concluded that the verse "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" has been a living verse in our life. Throughout the conversation, I was blessed and amazed with how God work in each individuals. Those who have not yet received Christ in their life will not be able to experience such wonderful encounters. I went home yesterday feeling very blessed. I was reminded of this hymn by Fanny Crosby:

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

Refrain

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Refrain

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Refrain

I was reminded of the great things God has done for me, how could I even delight in sin sometimes when I am tempted. Truly God, I had failed thee so many times, help me to fear thee and to keep close to thee. Amen!

Praise the Lord! God did it again.

On 27th Aug 2008, I took my Grade 7 piano exams in the afternoon. I thought I had prepared well but never did I expect that it is the worst piano exam that I had experienced. The examiner is a composer, and an expert in Choral Singing. To my horror, I played all my piano exam pieces with mistakes. I guess this time I am in trouble! That's not all, I think that I also screwed up in the aural. I don't think I answered the period the piece that was being played correctly. Thank God that the examiner was very lenient, he gave me a manageable sight reading piece. I actually did not expect a pass for this exam. After 23 days later, I checked my exam result on the ABRSM website. Since 15 days after the exam, I have been checking every week day for my result. I have been anticipating how I would react after I got my results. Thank God that He did it again. It is not how much I can do, but how He can bless me with ways that I could not expect!

Time flies really fast. I remember that I just started seriously learning the piano in 2004. In only four years time, I am now at Grade 8! This is not me but God worketh in me. He gives me opportunity to serve Him in the Chinese congregation in my church as a church pianist. Although I am not good enough to serve Him when I just started, day by day God had improved my skills amazingly! I realise that nobody is good enough to serve Him. It is only by God's grace that we can serve Him. I remember that I told people to please give me another five years before I serve God. However, God will not allowed His work to be hindered. There is a need at the Chinese congregation in the Sunday worship service. I took up the challenge with faith in God. Amazingly, I saw the mighty hand of God working in my life!

Praise God again that I got 113 for my Grade 7 piano exams! I must say that I felt overjoyed with God's blessing in me! Amen!

Thank God for good fellowship on Saturday afternoon

It has been a long time since I went to East Coast for cycling and relaxing at the seaside. The feeling is really good. What is most important is that I am dwelling among brethren of like-minded faith. We rent our bicycles for one hour and cycled around East Coast area. It is a really good break from our busy schedule from Monday to Friday. I also saw people building sand castles. They are beautiful. After that, we "buried" Rachel and Edmund alive. We took an individual photo of them covered with sand for their "birthday present". After some time, we get into the waters to have a relax swim. After the whole afternoon of events, at around 5pm, we left East Coast. Although at the end of the day I felt a bit tired, but never the least it is an eventful day!

Thank God for good progress in my piano playing

It is good to give thanks unto the Lord! Recently, I have people commented that I had progressed quite fast in my piano grades. It is really by God's grace. Sometimes, I just forget to give God the glory. Firstly, I thank God for my first piano teacher who had patiently guided me in my first piano theory and practical exams. I think these two exams will be the only two exams that I had done exceptionally well. Praise God for that!

After that, thank God that I had prayed for a Christian piano teacher and I had got one! She is a very strict teacher and she can really point out my mistakes every time I play. Sometimes she will scold me until I correct my mistakes. She is the teacher that reminded me, during a choir and piano playing workshop, that a good church pianist can follow what is written exactly in the score. I heed her advice and started to sight read and play what is exactly written. Thank God by doing that, I improved greatly in my sight reading. She also helped me to improved on my rhythmic and musical expression.

Not to forget, God is the one who help me the most. He gives me a lot of opportunity to serve Him in church prayer meeting and Chinese worship service in church. This really helps me improve so quickly. He use me even though I am still so lousy. In short, there is nothing to glory about finishing my grades at a short time. There is still a lot of things I need to improve in my playing. I still remember that last few weeks I am still struggling with my exam pieces. If it were not for God who had helped me; assuring me that if I just kept on practicing, He will help me, I would not have completed learning all the pieces. Yesterday, my piano teacher commented that if will continue to play in that manner, I would have failed. This few weeks, there is still a lot of work to be done in preparation for the piano exam. I need to improve on my playing. However, I am comforted to God is with me!

Thank God for a friend who still remembers me

Yesterday late night, I received an SMS from a friend that really troubled me. What I need to thank God is that this person remembers me whenever there is problem in life. This friend will share with me either through SMS or in person. What this friend of mine is doing now is very worrying. This person is walking on dangerous ground. Does money really can solve the problem that this person have now? Is this person really happy now? I doubt so! I treasure this friend a lot.

What is important is that we have to focus on Christ in this last days. I hope that this person will see it soon and know the Lord's Will. In a way, I am also disappointed with myself because after so many attempts to help this person to walk to right path, this person choose to make the wrong step. What I pray is that this friend of mine will quickly turn back and cling on to the Lord. As I shared in prayer meeting in church yesterday, the more you 'see' the world, the more you are troubled by the affairs of this world, the more you will 'see' less of Christ. In the end, you might not even see Christ! You will be drawn away by the world's philosophy, standards and the cares of the world. You will love the world because it is so enticing. You can see, feel and touch the world's things. However for the things of eternal, you cannot see, feel and touch it now. No wonder most of the people in this world will choose the world! They cannot see God, some even denied that God ever exist! The Lord will tell you what he had told his disciples in Mark 8:18 "Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?"

The struggles that we are facing now is not forever. Whether it be financial, relationship or health problems, they are all temporal. Are we able to have the faith and trust in God that He is the Jehova-jireh ( God will provide)? If we kept on getting bitter about our past and wallowing in self-pity, refusing to put the past behind and move on, we cannot be a happy person. God had helped this friend of mine in the past, I believed that God will help my friend again. I prayed that I will continue to show care and concern, and to help my friend to focus on Christ.

Thank God for Church 21st Anniversary

Thank God that yesterday we just commemorate Tabernacle BP Church 21st Anniversary. Thank God for helping me to play for the choir. I must say that I still play rather badly. However, thank God that 2 brethren commented that I play okay. I still have much to improve on. Thank God for keeping me faithful to Him till now as it is sad to see people falling away. If it is not God who preserve me, I would have left the church. Also thank God for helping me to encourage a friend who had stroke 4 times in his life. I really feel sad for him. He got this illness when he was in his youth. Till few weeks ago, he had another relapse again. Sometimes I wonder why God had allowed this thing to happen to him so many times. Everytime, he is able to get back on his knees and God never took his life away. I think that God is really showing mercy to him. God wants him to know that he needed Christ. He told me before that he was depressed and even had the thought of ending his life. He finds no meaning in life. What more He needs God. However, no matter how many times I shared the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to him, he did not believe. He is one of the 13th November person that I hope to see in heaven. Another person is my beloved mother and lastly, a girl that makes me regret of what I say to her. Never the lest, if I remember them, I will still pray for their salvation. May God be merciful to them.

Thank God for the Youth Camp

Thank God for the Youth Camp that had just passed last week. Truly, God's choice is the best choice. 15th Jun had finally past. I think I know what is God's Will in a particular area in my life. Even the QT sharing yesterday, God had spoken to me through a sharing that I heard. I know that I had to be patient in waiting for God's Will to be reviewed in my life. Often times, we are impatient and we want to see the results quickly whereas God wants us to wait patiently for Him. A friend reminded me that this is a test given by God and I know that it is to see whether I am faithful to Him. I pray that God will help me to be patient and wait for Him.

I also rejected a service in a church which I think I am not ready yet. I don't know whether it is the right choice cause I may miss a chance that God can help me to grow. However, I know that I are some problems I have to fixed it myself before I can serve God better. May God help me to grow in Him as I cling on to Him.

Thank God for In Camp Training

Thanks God for a good 10 days reservice! I thought this time I won't get silver for IPPT. The Lord had been gracious to me; that I run better than last year even though I put on some weight. (11:08) Thank God for keeping me safe while diving. I have two more to go before I got the M.R. Cert. Next week, is the Youth Camp. I hope that I will be very much strengthen and encourage by God's Word and dwelling in the midst of like-minded brethren.

Thank God for long time friends that have celebrated my birthday

This year's birthday was quite a special one for me. First of all, the person that I hope to remember my birthday did not forget it. Even though I am not very on into celebrating birthday, I feel that it is a very good time for friends to gather together to have some catch up. In this busy world, everybody is busying working and doing their own things. It is hard to find time to gather together to talk.

Thank God that this year two person gave me a present. Some brethren also gathered together after the Thursday night class to have a simple makan session to celebrate my birthday. On Sunday, there is one aunty also brought a cake for the April babes in the church to celebrate our birthday. Then on last Saturday, four of my close friend celebrated my birthday at City Hall, New York New York! with two of their girlfriends. They even bought a cake and then requested the waiters to sing the birthday song for me. It is the first time I have this kind of celebration. Interesting but really thankful to have such thoughtful friends.

However, it is sad that they are still not in the kingdom of God. I have been trying to evangelise to them but failed a few times. Maybe I did not try hard enough. This year, thank God that He had made me more evangelistic. By God's grace, I think this year because of the hospital evangelism, I have led three people to say the Sinner's prayer. For all three occasions, I did not really have the spirit. However, God is so gracious to use me to be just a tool for His kingdom. What a privilege!

My greatest hindrance to be closer to God is my besetting sin. If this year, I am able to get rid of this sin. I believe I will be closer to God. May God help me.