The enemy is really working overtime these last couple of days! I have been struggling I’ll admit. Something is eating away at my inner joy and I am finding myself often questioning my call from God doubting in myself, doubting in God’s plan for me. I’m not saying I am doubting in the existence of God, now that is something that will never happen. But the enemy is trying to tempt me into living a mediocre life and letting others change the world. Or the enemy is speaking discouragement into my mind making me doubt by remembering past mistakes or losses.
It’s so hard sometimes… but this struggle will only make me stronger in the end, so in a way I thank the enemy for trying to steer me away because his only helping me to become stronger =D
I had heard from a brother tPan that there were audio samples of the new Hillsong Live album “Saviour King” so i went to check it out today. The album sounds pretty good. The one thing that kinda raised and eyebrow was the video file of “Break Free”.
There are dancers?
Haha, but that isn’t what this post is about. As I was poking my nose around interested in the inner workings of Hillsong, how they bring themselves across to the public, how they engage their members etc, i came across the Media release section of the website.
Hillsong as most will know has recently been in the spotlight a few times in the media. Recently Brooke Fraser one of the girls who sings on the latest United Live Album “All of The Above” appeared on channel nine’s morning show celebrating their 25th birthday singing “Deciphering Me”. Also tPan tells me that channel 9 recently interviewed United Live as they have gone over to the US for a tour. As some might remember as well a while ago Hillsong also received and ARIA award for one of their DVDs in 2005 and that was also a highlight of TV News during that time. The church has also had some coverage in the newspapers some good and some bad. A book that was due to be released was scraped (praise God) where an angry ex-member of the church wrote about the so called “greedy, money hungry” underlying plot of the church.
But that isn’t what this post is about either. There was one media release that really captured me. It was an article released in the Daily Telegraph on 6 July 2005 called “In the Mainstream”. I was captured by the article’s sincerity in standing up for and praising what Hillsong does and teaches and really capturing the heart (well in a way) of what the church aim’s in teaching its members. Ok so they didnt proclaim the truth of Jesus Christ, but they did write about the goodness that is taught to its people, about self-responsibility etc. The article also fought against those who ridicule and mock Hillsong. Although they never actually say CHECK OUT THIS CHURCH ITS AWESOME. Somehow i get the feeling that the person writing this article is trying to evoke it haha. Or even trying to tell the people of Sydney to check it out before you judge, give Hillsong a fair go before you open your mouth and let it rip.
I was quite moved at the influence Hillsong has upon the media. Where the media is even standing up for the church and what it teaches and praising the charity it does. They may not print. JESUS IS REAL. But to have the media on your side is a powerful asset.
I pray that soon Ablaze will have the influence on the youth of this generation. That we will make an impact so huge that even the media cannot deny the truth of Jesus Christ, Saviour of the World! An impact so huge that when Ablaze or Youth Service or Church is searched for in Google we are the number 1 search! Much like Lisa Toh (seriously search for her she fills up like the first 2 pages of search!
Young person, take on the call of God and STOP denying the potential God has placed in you. To make a change you need to change first. To walk towards God you need to walk away from the world. Age is no factor because God can use anyone. If God can use a donkey than God can use you.
One of my pet hates at the moment (besides Spiders and sitting on warm public toilet seats) are impatient drivers!
In the past month i have noticed and encountered many of these drivers, but i had to admit i am guilty of being an impatient driver myself. For some reason i just feel like i need to rush when im driving! Must change this feeling, i think it has a slight hint of anxiety not sure where from! but yes.
But in the past month I’ve been cut off, had the small space between me and the car in front filled in by a car who didn’t plan their trip well enough and needed to get into the left lane b4 the lights so that they can turn left, horned at the lights because i didn’t move as soon as it turned red, had to hold up on traffic at a light while turning right because the oncoming traffic cars wouldn’t slow down at the orange light and continued to keep going through the light right up to the split second before it turned red while i am waiting in the middle of the intersection to turn right.
The worse thought - seeing about 4 cars run a red light in broad daylight! Seriously my lights had turned green and there were still a couple of cars going through the intersection. Drivers are so impatient these days! Driving through traffic lights right until they turn red and ignoring the fact that orange means SLOW DOWN! not DRIVE THROUGH FASTER! I read somewhere that when kids were asked what an orange light meant they answered Slow Down. While when adults were asked they answered Speed Up. Very impatient world we are living in now!
Well as most of you probably don’t know Chris Ng is going for his P’s today so good luck to ya bro! Will be praying fervently for God to guide you and protect during your exam, and also for a nice examiner =D But the update for this part of the post shall have to wait till later on today.
But during our conversation he mentioned about how he won’t be able to drive people around for a little while just because of safety and that flooded back a WHOLE tonne of memories about when I FINALLY (finally being the operative word) got my license.
As some of you know or might not know, getting my P’s was quite a struggle. Not just the physical driving of it but mentally and emotionally i was getting quite beatdown and discouraged. I got my L’s on the first go (just scrapping in with the 3 allowed wrong answers phew) but when i started driving lessons i soon found that my idea of driving a manual car was COMPLETELY WRONG. I thought a manual car was like driving an auto just with a gear stick (damn you Daytona tricking me!) So i struggled quite a bit with getting the hang of driving.
Soon came the time when i went for my P’s at the time i thought i was ready but when i look back… i was far from it and Thank God that my examiner failed me. I might be in jail now for manslaughter. But at the time it was a big blow to my ego, after the exam was grouchy and didn’t wanna talk to mum, i hated the examiner with a passion blaming him for my failure when clearly it was my fault.
Ok now … lets repeat that last paragraph 4 more times. Yeap. I failed my driving test 4 times. I was miserable and found myself wanting to not even wanting to drive anymore! Emotionally i was sick of it, mentally everytime i entered a car all i could think about was “what am i going to do wrong, i am going to make my driving instructor have to suddenly swerve the car for me etc” Towards driving i was a wreck i hated it and desired it… no more… the time came where i drove to Logan for my 5th attempt. I prayed fervently to God to grant me his rest and his peace and with God by my side and the prayers of my mum by my side i began my test. As i sat outside waiting for my examiner another bloke next to me waited anxiously, as the door opened my jaw hit the floor as the examiner who had failed me in my very first attempt stepped out. I prayed and prayed and prayed PLEASE DONT SAY MY NAME and no he didn’t.phew. But My examiner was the same examiner who had failed me in a previous test over minor errors (that made me EXTREMELY CUT) but i Thanked God for him because i now know his little pet hates. And to God’s grace he took me on a different much easier route which involved driving 5 minutes down a straight road!!!
The exam was a success!!! When we returned i was overjoyed to hear the words “You have been Successful” A smile i couldn’t wipe off my face. And to God’s Grace I did a perfect parallel park (for those who know me i am shocking at parking). I came back in gave my mum a hug and got my photo taken. I came home and took the car for a spin ON MY OWN! Now that was a nervous and weird feeling!
The one thing i feared most while driving on my own was the corner just b4 Coronation Drive - where the Highway to the city ends. Why? Sorry lucy =D haha but i remember when i was picked up by lucy when she had just gotten her license and during this turn we almost crashed HAHA.. so for many years i saw this turn as… dangerous HAHA… so i am always nervous coming into it! But I now understand why… that first month of driving on your own is quite nerve-racking especially when you have passengers who are not your family members! I was a shocking driver in my first couple of months! If you need an account of my driving - Talk to Liz haha… she has all the experience but still trusted me enough to drive her around - thanks lizzie! -
Well that’s the memories that flooded back! haha… Good luck to Chris Ng! Waiting for the sms!
This is Mokoto Nagano competing in a japanese tv show called Sasuke (Ninja Warrior) or when it is aired on western Tv it is called Viking. What this show is? It is basically an EXTREME and i mean EXTREME obstacle course. The show is cancelled now but while it aired only 500 guys made it to the final stage but this guy is one of only 2 guys to actually complete all 4 stages successfully! Truly amazing act of human strength. You know people actually TRAIN for this and people come back every year to compete and to try win. This guy has competed before and he actually made it to the last stage but missed the buzzer by.11 seconds! My favourite obstacle. The Spider Walk! His pretty buff too ay boys
Praise God for helping me get through this very tough time in my life, teaching me many life lessons which i shall never forget!
The exam went pretty good i was happy about it. But i wasn’t very happy when i read through the exam to find recycled questions - MODIFIED - how evil can you get. Recycling a question from a past exam paper and then modifying and tweaking it a bit so that it is different! Oh wells, i am quite confident i passed and passed the subject - By the Grace of God!
Praying for all those who still have exams to go! I know - Lorene, John & Mark. Anymore?
Well it is almost time. Time for my final exam for the SEMESTER WOOO!!!!!!!!! Man I cannot wait. After i finish this entry im gonna head up stairs have a nice 4 minute shower then head out to garbo to catch a bus!
The subject is GEOS1100, its … yea its a gay subject i hate it. The exam covers SO MUCH CONTENT! theres stuff on chemcial composition of air pollutants, different ways forests are cut down, to the effects of dams and dredging in rivers to the population growth of the World and much much more. there is ALOT haha… but i feel confident.
I need about 66% to pass this subject as i did quite quite QUITE bad in the assignments. So that is about 80 out of 130. The3 exam is 130 multiple choice so it should be cool! But can’t wait to walk out of the exam room breathe a sigh of relief and head back home with a SMILE on my face!
Thanks to those who smsed me… like Jien-Mae blogged about, it really does lift up your spirits! But i thank God most of all for keeping me cool and sane during this busy time. I really do not deserve God’s grace upon my university marks! So God if i just pass… you know that fairdinkum God, i don’t even deserve that!.
For the past couple of days I have been carrying this heavy burden upon my heart to stand in the Gap for my brothers and sisters in Christ.
With The Healing Church Conference coming up very soon and Ablaze Camp:emPOWER the following week i sense the enemy has sent out a full fledged army to take down God’s people and bring down the faith especially during this time where not only God’s Word is going to be taught, but the power of God is going to be revealed and worked.
Who is going to stand by and watch the enemy knock down the people around you? NOT ME!
Come and stand in the Gap with me for the people who are struggling at the moment! Let’s rise up an army to fight against the enemy! But guess what! When we battle against the enemy, WE’VE ALREADY WON!Y
Deuteronomy 20:1-4
1 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. 2 When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall come forward and address the army. 3 He shall say: “Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. 4 For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.”
Isn’t that awesome! That when we go to war, God will lead us to victory! So let’s claim the VICTORY together for the battle has already been WON through JESUS CHRIST!
Nick. Yes I do. This man is one of the reasons why I am still here today serving passionately in the House of God today. Nick is a man passionate for the things of God, excited for the move of God, humbled by the hand of God, annoited by God & just a fairdinkum down to earth bloke. If you don’t know this guy then your missing out, just one encounter with this man will not only refresh your spirit but also convict it and reignite it to be passionate for the things of God. And i have the privledge of being not just his friend but i am one of his MANY sheep (aka he is my spiritual mentor)! He has taught me so much and i love how our friendship has never been tainted or change by our sheep shepherd status. I love how we can just share about not just ministry life but our personal life and be a support to each other. This man lives and breathes 1 Timothy 4:12
Well today is actually his birthday WOOOT WOOT, hence the reason for this post. Today a very small group of us gathered at Torchie’s house for a lil surprise party for Nick. It started with the cake + happy birthday continued by a gangsta rap by L-Anne and Jay C in the house… followed by 100s of photos and eating cake and then photos and then more photos and then… praying then more photos … then going home!! It was a real nice intimate gathering of friend.
Happy Birthday Nicholas Aik Thong Lim LUV YOU haha xoxo
*refer to birthday card for personal message*
p.s. I AM SO SORRY I PUT THE WRONG SCRIPTURE REFERNCE IN YOUR CARD HAHAHAH!!! 2tim 2:12 i think i put … HAHA SHAME!!! … extra shepherding for me i guess
