“Top 50 Questions in Life”

While I’m trying to arrange my sermon for the mission trip (NEXT WEEK!!! OMGGGGG!), “isenk2″ I googled and found this interesting article submitted in a threat on July 2009 “Top 50 Questions”:

1. What is the meaning of life?

2. Is there a God, a Creator of the world?

3. If there is a God, does He care for and govern the world or has He left it to fend for itself?

4. What is truth?

5. Are their absolutes, good and evil, right and wrong?

6. If there is truth, where is it?  The Bible, evolution, the Koran?

7. Are the resources of our world, food, oil, electricity meant for our use or is our use of them an invasion of the natural order?

8. If food is not meant for consumption, why is it so perfect for this purpose?

9. Is death the penalty for sin or the natural end of life?

10. Is there life after death?

11. Is there a Heaven and Hell?

12. If there is a Heaven and Hell how do we gain one and avoid the other?

13. Is there one way to Heaven or many?

14. Will we get to Heaven by good deeds or God’s grace?

15. What is the world’s greatest problem?

16. How can we solve that problem?

17. What is the place of Human Beings in our cosmos?

18. Do we have significance in the Universe?

19. Are we more important than animals?

20. If we are not more important than animals, is eating human flesh, say killed in an auto crash, permissible?

21. Is human life sacred because created in God’s image or do we have a utility of life ethic, so that those who do not produce become expendable?

22. Is a farmer more important than a professional athlete?

23. Is an actress more important than a soldier?

24. Is there ever a just war?

25. What is the purpose of Government?

26. Is civil government supposed to provide for all our needs and desires or just protection so we may provide and seek our own dreams?

27. Is Obama really a Messiah?

28. Are there other kinds of government that should be encouraged, for example: self government, family government, church government or are all these wrong? 

29. Will the Cubs ever win another World Series?

30. Will the Vikings or Bills win a Super Bowl?

31. What is your favorite food?

32. How are you?

33. Do you love me?

34. Will you marry me?

35. Does any basketball player match Jordan?

36. Tiger or Jack?

37. Is manmade global warming real or a lie?

38. Are more and more taxes and bigger government good for our country or only for politicians?

39. Cats, dogs or fish?

40. Hamburger or hot dog?

41. Money, fame, power, sex or Heaven, what drives you?

42. Children or no children, many or few?

43. If you were an animal which would you be?

44. Yes or no?

45. To be or not to be?

46. What must I do to be SAVED?

47. Mac or PC?

48. Favorite movie?

49. Favorite quote?

50. How’s the weather?

From these 50 questions mostly asked by people in this world, interestingly almost half of it related with God, life, and truth. Have you found the answer to all these questions? If you don’t, what will you do about it? If you do, do you have the need to share it to those who don’t know yet?

I haven’t got plenty of time to discuss about this further cos I still need to continue my meditation hahaha… So this is just a quick post, just giving points for you to ponder , catch you all later Before I leave, I remember this one song (I wish I had time to record my voice singing this song, maybe next time :P):

“Jesus is the answer, for the world today

Above Him there’s no other

Jesus is The Way

If you have some questions in the corners of your mind
And traces of discouragement and peace you can not find
Reflection of the old past, They seem to face you every day
There’s one thing I know for sure that Jesus is the way

I know you got mountains that you think you can not climb
I know that your skies have been dark, You think the sun won’t shine
In case you don’t know, I’m here to tell you that the World of God is true yeah
And everything that He’s promised, I tell you he would do it for you
Let me tell you that”

Words & Music by Andare Crouch and Sandra Crouch

On Preaching

I hope this entry will be helpful for all especially the beginners (like me) in terms of preaching God’s truth in a much more formal setting, say in church (rather than in home fellowship)

Following paraghraphs were taken from “Preparing to Preach” by Wayne Jackson

God's Words is The Truth

Thorough preparation in preaching involves several crucial elements:

Research (a gathering of the appropriate data);

Meditation (carefully considering the needs of one’s self to the lessons, and then to his audience);

Organization (arrangement into a logically developed, intelligently argued format); and,

Presentation (a delivery that neither distracts from the basic message nor unduly attracts attention to himself).

It is not uncommon to hear an after-sermon quip to this effect: “He was great! But I can’t remember a thing he said—except for that hilarious joke.”

There is so much of the Bible to learn that the preacher can study all of his life and never master it. But blessed indeed is the man of God from whom people want to learn—because he genuinely is a prepared “man of the Book.”

A century ago there was a complimentary saying concerning well-studied preachers: “His sermons smell of kerosene,” which signified that he had spent long nights by the light of the coal oil lamp in preparation. If one may be excused for a certain level of crudeness, it might be said of some sermons today: they just “smell.”

Other useful link: How to Preach with Authority and Sensitivity by Kenton C. Anderson, from which I learn about the following:

“The preacher’s job is to help the listener take hold of the message offered.
There are two primary approaches a preacher could choose. The first is by means of explanation, and the second is by means of experience“.

As we prepare a sermon, the four moves above can be uncovered by asking four questions:

Move 1: What’s the Story? (Experience of the Text)
Even in the Book of Romans, there is always a story. There really were Romans. They lived in Rome. They had lives much like the lives of people today. For example, when I preached from Romans 8:18-25 (Read this sermon at preaching.org/groaning.htm), I noticed the text set up the present “groaning” of the people with the “glory” that would one day be revealed in them. I found it helpful, then, to help my listeners identify with the Roman Christians, who were groaning just like we groan over many of the same things. Identifying the story of the original audience can help the listener see the humanity in the text, creating an experiential encounter with the message that will not easily be shaken off.

This is God's Light

Move 2: What’s the Point? (Explanation of the Text)
The Bible offers truth that can be examined, detailed, ordered, and for the most part, understood. The preacher need not shy away from offering points, well explained and carefully put. This was a key component of my Romans 8 sermon. The problem I had, however, was that the passage was almost too rich. There were many aspects that could have been developed for the profit of the listeners. I decided to focus on the big idea, “We won’t groan forever. ” Focusing my explanation around this simple idea allowed me to help the people understand that pain and suffering is temporary and of little consequence when weighed against the glory that God has made available to us in Christ.

Move 3: What’s the Problem? (Explanation of Today)
The problem with biblical propositions is they are not always easily accepted. The Bible is profoundly countercultural. If a preacher offers biblical truth with integrity, there will be inherent conflict in the engagement with contemporary listener presuppositions. Acknowledging the problem from the perspective of the hearer will be important if we care about listener comprehension and assent. In my Romans sermon, I was able to focus on the innate aversion humans have to suffering. Deferred gratification is not a value today’s listeners hold dear. Acknowledging that reality and struggling with it in the sermon helped my listeners see the credibility of the message and deepened their receptivity to the truth of the text.

Move 4: What’s the Difference? (Experience of Today)
Of course, head knowledge without heart response is hardly worth the effort. Every text intends a response from the listener as they grow in obedience to the God who created them.

In my sermon from Romans 8, my challenge was simple. I was counseling patience. I was concerned to help the listener hold on, despite the discouragement that inevitably comes. My goal, then, was less to educate at this point as it was to inspire. I was looking to instill a measure of hope and confidence in God’s promise. This hope would play itself out in specific responses to the challenges of the listener’s daily life.

These four questions will help us organize our notes into a form that can integrate the concern for text and today, explanation and experience. They can help the preacher speak to a variety of cognitive styles. They can help the preacher help the people hear from God.

And here is just the additional tips How to Preach a Lousy Sermon by Rev. Ken Collins, just follow the link

God bless you all my friends, let’s God light shines upon and through us!

“The Town that Has Continued to Break the Law”

That’s what ‘Nimbin’ has been labelled especially from the authority because of its overwhelming drug addiction.

It’s been a ‘decades-old drug culture’ and has caused an increasing violence and a series of social problems including high rates of mental health and homelessness within its population of 500.

What are they missing, Lord?

Some people say why bother for this small town consists of ‘500 hippies smoking weeds’. Yet I know You care for them one by one, Lord…

The cannabis is not the problem, their heart is…

 

I read this comment from a thread dated back in 2004:

“Nimbin is a disgrace, possibly the worst advertisment for the cannabis community in the world. Go there, and you’ll have 100 losers trying to sell you dope. An old school friend of mine died there with a needle in his arm. It’s a horror in one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see. The dope sales fuel heroin habits. I’m not fond of cops, but this town needs to be cleaned up”

How can I share the truth, Lord? What is it that You want to share through me?

ps: I’ll be going for a mission trip to Nimbin early next month and will give a message in the Sunday service at one local church with its major theme derived from John 4 about the Living Water. Holy Spirit, I know You will reveal Your heart simply by Your grace. You love this people, Lord. Put Your heart and Your compassion in me. I want to experience the joy of sharing Your heart… 

 

“I am a Slow Learner”

During my various part time works in hospitality industry, I can say I’m a pretty quick learner. I learnt using the coffee machine and cash register pretty fast when I was working at Michel’s and Coffee HQ (that was three years ago!). However, in my spiritual growth in Christ, I’ve just realized today that I am a very slow learner! Seriously. Only God alone who is so incredibly patient enduring all my (mostly same) mistakes!

I yield for a taste of victory, I yearn for a taste of freedom from all of my shortcomings. In the past month I  have been facing difficulties in many areas – in relationship, friendship, even in my ministry in praise & worship team at church. All the difficulties indeed have one single purpose: to shape my character to be more into the likeness of Jesus, and how it is so hard for me to endure the process!

I failed many times at the same area and this distressed me.

Yet everytime I always gain my hope in Christ alone. He, creatively, can use any ways to comfort, strengthen, renew my hope. That’s simply amazing.

He gives me a new heart...

One of those many ways is through a video I watched from YouTube, a sermon by Joseph Prince titled “The Importance of Fellowship Under the New Covenant”. I was taken aback when he discussed the same verse I received last Sunday (that I’d soon forgotten in the midst of my trials) – Ezekiel 36:26-27

I know I’ve discussed this at one of my previous entries yet as I said, I am a slow learner, I need to redig over and over the well of God’s Words to keep the flow of the Living Water overflowing my heart! So, these are the verses:

Ezekiel 36:26-27

“The Lord says, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you,

I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you the heart of flesh.

And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws”

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you…”

When I was born again in Jesus Christ, that new heart has been in me! I have been a new creation, the old has gone! (2 Cor 5:17). That is the reason why I am so depressed when I know I have sinned against the Lord even over sensitive issues that ‘the old me’ wouldn’t even realize it was a sin, because now that new heart is telling me what’s in God’s heart! God has adopted me as His daughter (Ephesians 1:4). If I hadn’t have a new heart, I won’t feel depressed and sad over sins, and that means I’d still live under the bondage of sin! 

But that holy discontentment is a sign that I have had a new heart, God Himself gave it to me when I was born again in Him. Praise God for this truth!

“I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees…”

Not only He has given me a new heart (not ‘He has changed’, He’s given me a completely new heart!), He also put His Spirit to dwell in my body, here, in my mortal body! The God of universe, put His being in me! So I know that greater is He who’s living in me than anyone’s living on this earth!

His Spirit will move me to follow His desires. Not “I” move myself to follow Him, but by His Spirit!

I simply have to follow the way He moves!

The sad feeling of making mistakes is not always a bad sign, it can be a good sign when you realize it is an indicator that you are truly changed in Christ! Sad is different with ‘feeling condemned’. Condemnation always and only comes from the devil to separate ourselves from the love of Christ. The devil knows nothing can ever separate us from God’s love (Romans 8:35, 39) so he tries to ‘persuade’ us to separate ourselves from His love (God cannot force our own free will, free will is a gift that God gave when He first created human – the most loved creature; Jesus didn’t die for animals or angels, He died for HUMAN, ALL human…).

 

I rejoice over this truth indeed. I am a slow learner, after I gain this truth I may (or will, to be exact) make another failure and mistake yet I know Jesus is a very patient Teacher.

He is the most loving Person ever lived in this earth. He is my High Priest, He knows my every single weaknesses. Nothing I can hide from Him. And I am not ashamed to say, “This is me Lord. You know me the best. You search to the deepest of my heart and my thoughts. Nothing I can hide from You.”

That what makes Jesus the most loving Friend I can ever have. A faithful friend who doesn’t compare me to anyone else, He loves and appreciates me just the way I am…

Lord Jesus, Thank You for a new heart and for Your Spirit who dwells in me. May Your works be more apparent in my life, God. May everyday I can see that truly You are real, You are here just beside me through my happy and sad times. Continue to change my life to be Your living testimony.

Thank You for ever bringing me to this world, Lord. To taste the goodness of living under Your abundant love.

Love You Jesus…

“In Christ Alone”

This old hymn is one of my fave songs. Listening to it always reminds me how great the love that God has for me through His Son, Jesus Christ…

In Christ alone my hope is found,
He is my light, my strength, my song;
this Cornerstone, this solid Ground,
firm through the fiercest drought and storm.

What heights of love, what depths of peace,
when fears are stilled, when strivings cease,
My Comforter, my All in All,
here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe,
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones he came to save:

Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied -
For every sin on Him was laid;
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain:
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave he rose again!
And as He stands in victory
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me,
For I am His and He is mine -
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death,
This is the power of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath.
Jesus commands my destiny.
No power of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home,
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand.

I Need You in Person…

I need God’s fresh living water to overwhelm me.

To just forget about what I’m struggling against with, and be immersed in his fresh living water, to simply enjoy the simplicity walking in His grace.

Why is it so hard sometimes to just receive? To just believe?

I am weak. I am so imperfect. Let God’s glory shine even more through my weaknesses.

O Lord, please reach out my hand and let me walk closely to Your side.

Let me feel once again the joy to simply sit at Your feet.

Refresh me once again God. I need You more than ever. I need more of You.

I want to love You all over again.

Reach out my hand and touch my heart O Lord…

Let me feel the warmth of Your embrace

“What is Unseen”

Lord, open my eyes to see that the blessed life not begin only when I receive smt tangible.

Open my eyes to see more of the ‘unseen blessings’ that You have prepared for me everyday by the time I wake up.

Psalm 68:19 “Praise be to the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits, the God of our Salvation”

Help me to see those benefits in the way You see. Help me to see and judge everything not by my human mind and standars, but by Yours, o Lord…

“So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since WHAT IS SEEN IS TEMPORARY, BUT WHAT IS UNSEEN IS ETERNAL” - 2 Cor 4:18

I want this Your very words to be alive in my life.

Please pour out Your grace so I may experience more of You in me.

Thank You God.

“Grateful” is my middle name :)

After having dinner at Sofia last night with my dad, bf, and my bro I succesfully got knocked down sleeping for 10 hours!!! Hahahahahaha ^^” It was a wonderful moment though… I really love my dad, and I will never give up praying for his salvation… I want him to enjoy the best of his life, walking in God’s truth, knowing and understanding how God loves him so much… I want to be together with him in our eternal life… and I know how God longing for that time to come soon too… I yearn in my soul pleading to God for “quickening His steps in saving my dad”… I could only pray may it never be too late…

I am grateful!

This morning I am awed by a new revelation that I read from Joseph Prince’s devotional… He discussed Mark 11:23, “Whoever SAYS to this mountain ‘be removed and be cast into the sea’ and does not doubt in his heart, but BELIEVES that those things he SAYS will be done, he will have whatever he SAYS”, about the power of our words to our faith. This verse is very powerful but I personally think it hasn’t got its ‘major effect’ on me… Now there must be something’s missing or lacking of because God’s words and promises are always YES and AMEN. I realize I haven’t practiced SAYING what I believe! Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ”.

This is different than saying positive statement, I draw my faith and strength from God’s words alone, not from other wise man saying! For this I have faith that the words I speak will have power to my and other people’s life.

And one thing that awes me is, Prince went on to explain how God changed Abram’s name to ABRAHAM which means Father of Many Nations even before he got any child. So that whenever Abraham introduced himself to others, he’s actually saying, “Hi, my name is Father of Many Nations”, isn’t it incredible!?? I’d never thought from that point of view!! Wowwwww….

So right now I want to start to practice saying what I believe.. and the title of this entry ‘”Grateful” is my middle name’, I got it from one friend’s Facebook status update. Just before I read Prince’s devotional about Abraham’s name I’ve already signed “Natalia likes this” And now after I discover the power of words in my growth in Christ, I become truly understand how this sentence effects me even greater

I am struggling with discontentment pretty often and I do not want to give up! I want to keep clearing away the rubbish from my heart! So yep, God will help me through I believe, and by saying Grateful is my middle name I will always remember ‘being grateful’ is a part of my identity!

Lord, pls pour out Your grace so Your truth may emanate from my life…

Thank You Lord and I am ready to face another new day You have made!

“Why Me, Lord?”

This morning I and my bf pick up my dad and my brother from airport. My brother is taking his summer classes while my dad is holidaying (again) in Melb I am so excited when my brother gives me ‘tons’ of presents from my lovely mom in Indo! Before I made a list of things that I wanted her to buy for me from Indo (much cheaper and in certain area of product category Indo is more ‘innovative’ eg. BB casing for Javeline -couldn’t find one in Melb!- hahaha…) and she did buy all for me! She even bought me other things that I did not ask but surely I am more than happy to receive it!

Then an hour later all of sudden Holy Spirit reminded me of my friend’s status update in FB that I read days ago, it was about how people often ask “why me, God?” when they are faced with trials and difficulties but rarely ask the same question when they are blessed beyond their expectations.

I feel so blessed by how my mom has been so nice to me buying me a lot of presents and also how my dad has supported me in many ways.  Then my mind thinks, there are a lot of people out there who may not be able to enjoy the same privilege like I do. They may even have lost their parents. And although my family and my parent’s relationship is far away than perfect, they are still together. They don’t get divorced and not throwing things to each other everyday. I’m saying these things not to take any advantages or try to make myself feels better than others who may have to endure those life situations, I’m saying these things because I realize how a selfish person I am amd how I have to be content for everything I have in my life at this stage! When I am enjoying God’s blessings why don’t I ask God “why me, Lord?”… I am so undeserved! Truly I have received all by His grace and by His favor only!

Just last night I ‘complained’ several things to God while writing in my journal then I prayed for God to change me, for giving me love, understanding, and patience to live happily with my ‘unmet expectations’ and be content. Then the next morning His Spirit revealed me this, praise God!

 

I also find hope in God’s word I receive from my pastor today. God able to change my heart! What seems extremely very hard for me to have a changed heart (impossible) is possible for God! God is not giving me good advice to change my behavior (I used to read one best-seller self-help book titled “The Giant Within” before I came to know Jesus personally and the more I read and tried to apply it in my life, the more I realize how I was even more far from a giant if I stood by my own strength!). In fact, God is giving me promise that He can change my heart, the root of all my behaviors!

An advice and a promise is so much different not only in words, meaning, but also in its context of use! Advice means “you must do something in order to be/ to get another thing”. Promise means you simply receive it! You do not need to do anything else, just believe in the promiser!

And God has promised in Yehezkiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh”. Notice that God does all the works in this verse!

I rejoice in this great truth so much, it truly lifts up my burden.

He promises me to get into the root (my heart) and fix it from the inside!

I know I have a lot to learn about contentment, living in grace, endurance, patience, love, and soooo many other thingssss! But just as a good father leads his son in doing his homework, he will guide me through all the process in ‘finding the correct answer to that tough Math question’. The father will not give all the answers straightaway to him (he will make his own son stupid if he did that because no exercise for his son’s brain), but this smart and good father will lead his son to discover together the right answer for that tough questions!

 

I am rest secured knowing that God does not leave me in tough situations and does not leave me to struggle alone in any dilemmas — He is always there through my happy and sad times. God is Emmanuel, He is always with me teaching me and changing my heart to be more like His.

Well I guess that’d be it my sharing for now…

 

GBU all

Not realy good…

I cried last night… but the feeling was so terrible compared to the last time I cried because of God’s strong presence in my room…

I cried because I hated myself…

I hate all my weaknesses…

I know through it all God’s grace will be even more abundant just as Romans 5:20 said, “But where sin increased, GRACE increased all the more”.. but for now I feel so difficult to experience His grace… to feel the warmth of His sweet voice and forgiveness… I feel I cannot forgive my own self…

Lord, please help me…