Last July, for the first time in CAM history, CAM was streamlined into 6 electives; Song Writing, Vocal-training, Dance, Photography, Worship Leading in Cell Groups, and PA.
Before I begin, I want to share a verse from Matthew 23:10 “Nor are you to be called ‘teacher’, for you have one Teacher, the Christ”. What we learn at CAM and at any other time is from God, and Him teaching you anything - can only be good stuff.
Another elective aptly named Finding Your Voice, is meant for those who have a passion for singing and can carry a tune. This elective is meant to help them find the melody in their voice. Basic exercises were taught to help aspiring singers with their song.
A picture speaks a thousand words; which is why CAM vision day included an elective on Photography, to help nurture the talents of a new generation of photographers to take up the slate. Tips and tricks were shared with participants to bear in mind when taking that next shot and to enhance their knowledge on equipment and photography.
PA, the one ministry that knows it has done a job well when no one notices any mistakes. Anything relating to sound is fundamental to this ministry. PA at CAM vision day introduced the basics of PA systems and equalizing, as well as certain systems that are used just to make sound heard well.
Luke6:47 says “I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practise.” So for those who went for CAM vision day, remember to put into practise what you learnt, for it won’t do any good just being in your head. For those who did not go, I encourage you to do so next week, because there is always something to learn there.
Written by Blog Writer
Darren Smith
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Hey Everyone!
How quickly does time fly doesn't it? It wasn't long ago when we were still slacking in our holidays, then the orientation bussel came & with a blink of an eye, FRESHIES WELCOME is over as well!?!
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| The countdown message |
Let me just make a disclaimer that we don't know if it really is the 29th FRESHIES WELCOME, its really the best figure we know, I actually checked with the church administrator before making such a bombastic statement. But even if it isn't, i'm sure we are well & truly close to that number!
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| The awesome ZPH worship team |
I have been in Perth for a little over 6 years now, and if you do your maths right, that's 12 FRESHIES I have been through. And it is safe to say (others say so too, so it's not just my deranged mind that thinks so) that this FRESHIES was the best ever. Top of its class! The running was tight, the worship awesome, the chairing funny & entertaining, the drama griping, the dance energizing, the choir resounded & the message touching. All that left me with sweaty palms, white knuckles & a soaring heart rate trying to anticipate what was next! Not to mention a record 230 people! Curtin & Murdoch together got 570 the next day but we will get to that number in no time :)
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| The resounded Choir |
Even the after party felt like ... an after party! Cosy atmosphere filled with laughter, life & not to mention great music! Especially from the musical talents of some of our good friends, including one Japanese white head who can't speak english but can sing english & chinese songs like a pro. Gotta get his autograph.
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| Dance Poses - not easy |
The great thing is ... our semester has just begun! Still a whole lot to happen this semester & year! I invite you to stay tuned to this blog to see what else is about to happen :)
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| part of the after party |
So to end, a really successfully FRESHIES, a hand to all the performers & service teams, and one major headache as to how to top this next sem! But not to worry, great minds are already at work in bringing more for next time!
So till next time, God bless & see you around.
Regards,
The Blog Team
Heya!
FRESHIES WELCOME is just around the corner!!
Make sure you come early to get a good seat! And we have a wonderful setting for dinner afterwards. If you have problems getting down to UWA, just email us (email add below) or click here to call any of our leaders!!
Wondering what FRESHIES WELCOME is all about? Read last semester's write up about it! Don't forget the details!
The Blog Team
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
FRESHIES WELCOME is just around the corner!!
Make sure you come early to get a good seat! And we have a wonderful setting for dinner afterwards. If you have problems getting down to UWA, just email us (email add below) or click here to call any of our leaders!!
Wondering what FRESHIES WELCOME is all about? Read last semester's write up about it! Don't forget the details!
Sat 5 Mar
UWA Live
4:30 pm
Social Science LT
University of Western Australia
The Blog Team
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Hey All!
Catamaran is over & it leaves behind a wake of both great memories & stinging sunburns ... enjoy the tan lines fellas! I'm sure there are more than a few who are already regretting their choice in attire for the day!
Just a quick PTL (Praise The Lord) comment ...
Total Attendance : 119
Total No. of Toasted ppl : 119
No. of Current members : 40
No. of Visitors : 79
Did I use a calculator to figure that out : Yes, but please don't judge me, sun got to my brains as well.
Great job organizing team!A pat on the back *screams* Ooo .. forgot sun burn .. Applause for their efforts!
Here's some quick pictures for those of you who weren't there with us. Oh did I forget to mention 4 baby bull sharks were caught in the Swan River only just the day before? Yes, we neglected to tell you guys who went out sailing, ahhh ... isn't ignorance bliss? Pls don't sue lol
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Catamaran is over & it leaves behind a wake of both great memories & stinging sunburns ... enjoy the tan lines fellas! I'm sure there are more than a few who are already regretting their choice in attire for the day!
Just a quick PTL (Praise The Lord) comment ...
Total Attendance : 119
Total No. of Toasted ppl : 119
No. of Current members : 40
No. of Visitors : 79
Did I use a calculator to figure that out : Yes, but please don't judge me, sun got to my brains as well.
Great job organizing team!
Here's some quick pictures for those of you who weren't there with us. Oh did I forget to mention 4 baby bull sharks were caught in the Swan River only just the day before? Yes, we neglected to tell you guys who went out sailing, ahhh ... isn't ignorance bliss? Pls don't sue lol
Look at these guys, life jackets aren't going to save them
Khang Wee definitely doesn't like his chances; ladies = bliss
But he remembers he is stronger & can use the girls as bait to save himself ... happier now; ladies = still very bliss
Our unaware shark adventurers head out!
Dexter teaches us how to get close & personal with sharks & still able to get a great leg tan! - Secrets of a modern metrosexual
Stay tuned for more updates! But for now, let's say hi to our 2 newest best friends ... Aloe Vera & Moisturizer!!
See you red lobsters!
The Blog Team
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Hey everyone!
Details for UWA Orientation 2011 Sem1 can by found by clicking the link on the left under, "Keeping Tabs". OR if you are really that lazy, just click the link below (lol)
Updates will be frequent so please check back to see what has changed.
God Bless!
~ Blog Team ~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Details for UWA Orientation 2011 Sem1 can by found by clicking the link on the left under, "Keeping Tabs". OR if you are really that lazy, just click the link below (lol)
Updates will be frequent so please check back to see what has changed.
God Bless!
~ Blog Team ~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
As orientation is gearing up & the dread of starting school lurks ever closer, at least there's one thing to look forward to ... to be back in the house of the Lord with our favourite mammal friends (no ... its not the seals or whales) ZPH UWA!!!
For all those of you enjoying the humidity back home, here's what you missed from the past weeks!
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
For all those of you enjoying the humidity back home, here's what you missed from the past weeks!
Cell 28 Jan 2011 - Lausy's place
Theme : Games Day
True to Aussie culture (or more like Asians trying to be aussie), we decided to embrace one of the biggest cultures in our adopted land - Sports. Dressed NOT to impress but to sweat, we start our Cell with a nice game of Jungle Speed, with modified rules. Tofu made a guest appearance, wonderful dog. Why? He made dogfobic (bet there's no such term but you get my drift) Steph Sim comfortable, even offering a lick of the hand. Wonderful dog!
Oh did I mention the modified forfeits? Losers have to kiss Tofu ... and guess who lost?
Lausy was not impressed!
Again being the awesome dog that he is, Tofu decides to return the kiss. Beware Jia Hui!
People in deep thought during edi ... Vee's analysing his life right now. Isabel taking notes or texting?!?
We will never know ...
Game day food ... Burgers, Hot Dogs .. all the bad stuff for your figure, no wonder the girls look so grim
Game Day begins! Here were the teams.
In the Red Corner
Kelvin
Jeremy Ooi
Paul
Lausy
Stan
Johnson
Jacq
Christine
In the Blue Corner
Nathan
Max
Vee
Jeremy Tan
Emmanuel
Jonathan
Isabel
Steph
Jiali
Team captains facing each other ... Tofu is sad cos he wasn't pick by any team
Nathan wins the reflex contest ... Team Blue draws first blood
Tight battle with last game to win-it-all!
Jacq the Dragonlady vs Steph the Dogfobic!!!
Match point to the Dogfobic!
Dogfobic wins! Blue Team wins the day!!!
Forfeit for losing? Clean-up.
But alas, Lausy & Jonsy beat everyone to it & already finished cleaning up.
So I guess that means everyone wins?
Nice.
Cell 4 Feb 2011 - Rach's place
Cell proper with Tuart friends! Sorry no pics of the cell but we went to Leederville for supper.
Some of our new friends meeting a legend (Robbie Fowler)
Note very timely Liverpool T-Shirt on Jen
We were asked by Robbie if "Torres" was on the back of her shirt
Thankfully it wasn't.
Where else for dinner? Little Caesars of course!
Jiali & Emmanuel posing
Hungry yet? Bet you don't have these pizzas back home!
Nature Boy (Vee) striking a pose. Good on ya!
One for the memories ...
Can't wait for Cell tmw! I hope you guys are looking forward to a great 2011 together!
It's going to be awesome!
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Hey Guys,
If you are unaware, there has been flooding over at Queensland. It's quite serious stuff, with most of the folks getting caught off guard. At some places, water levels rose 4 meters!! And in some reports, flooding took place in 3-4 mins. From quiet stream creek to massive flood.
Here's a little stats summary of what's happened. QLD is the second largest state in Australia with a total area of 1,852,642 sq km. 75% of that is 1,389,481.5 sq km. That's roughly the size of Peru! Or if you want a better understanding of size, it will take 258 Perths to cover.
Let's take time to pray for those affected. Thank God the fatality isn't high but the rebuilding process is going to be huge.
ZPH will be doing donation for Flood relief. If any of you are interested, please contact your ZS or Cell Leaders. Collection to be done on Sun 23 Jan.
Perth had hail, Victoria got burned & Queensland got flooded. If you find you have nothing to praise God for tonight, remember that having your own dry bed is already a huge blessing, so appreciate it!
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
If you are unaware, there has been flooding over at Queensland. It's quite serious stuff, with most of the folks getting caught off guard. At some places, water levels rose 4 meters!! And in some reports, flooding took place in 3-4 mins. From quiet stream creek to massive flood.
Here are some pictures.
Before & After Shots
This is NOT a bridge. It's actually one of the dams! Awoonga Dam.
Here's a little stats summary of what's happened. QLD is the second largest state in Australia with a total area of 1,852,642 sq km. 75% of that is 1,389,481.5 sq km. That's roughly the size of Peru! Or if you want a better understanding of size, it will take 258 Perths to cover.
Let's take time to pray for those affected. Thank God the fatality isn't high but the rebuilding process is going to be huge.
ZPH will be doing donation for Flood relief. If any of you are interested, please contact your ZS or Cell Leaders. Collection to be done on Sun 23 Jan.
Perth had hail, Victoria got burned & Queensland got flooded. If you find you have nothing to praise God for tonight, remember that having your own dry bed is already a huge blessing, so appreciate it!
For more info, visit ...
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/floodrelief/flood-info-centre-updates-reports-warnings-advice-and-how-you-can-help/story-fn7ik2te-1225985436806Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Alright Everyone!
The moment you all have been waiting for!
Your 2011 Cell List! Version 23**!!!
(in case you didn't know, you can click on the list & it will enlarge ... instead of squinting lol)
**May not be factually true .... but close enough
Hey Everyone!
Another semester has come to an end, and most of you whom are reading this right now, are reading it from a room which has collect quite an amount of dust since you were last back. Things left the way it was when you last saw it? Or were there nasty surprises awaiting you when you got back? Perhaps a certain sibling has invaded your once fortress of solitude? lol I hope not :)
I want to thank you for faithfully reading our blog, I hope it has been a joy reading as it has been for the writers writing. I want to express that even though there are social mediums like FB & MSN for us to keep in touch, I always felt a blog has a very special touch to it. I guess it must be nostalgia. lol
And with that, I just want to say that the blog will be kept updated during the course of the holidays! So if you find yourself bored at night with nothing to do, come pay this site a visit to see what’s new. And if you do find something that’s exciting and fun to read, please pass the word along so others may be blessed as well!
For all of you out there. Hold on to Proverbs 4:23-27.
A little something we learnt at summer cell this week. When you are home, guard your hearts, don’t fall away, keep the fire of your faith burning.
Evil likes to hunt when one is away from the pack. Don’t give it the pleasure!
God bless & happy reading!
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
Another semester has come to an end, and most of you whom are reading this right now, are reading it from a room which has collect quite an amount of dust since you were last back. Things left the way it was when you last saw it? Or were there nasty surprises awaiting you when you got back? Perhaps a certain sibling has invaded your once fortress of solitude? lol I hope not :)
I want to thank you for faithfully reading our blog, I hope it has been a joy reading as it has been for the writers writing. I want to express that even though there are social mediums like FB & MSN for us to keep in touch, I always felt a blog has a very special touch to it. I guess it must be nostalgia. lol
And with that, I just want to say that the blog will be kept updated during the course of the holidays! So if you find yourself bored at night with nothing to do, come pay this site a visit to see what’s new. And if you do find something that’s exciting and fun to read, please pass the word along so others may be blessed as well!
For all of you out there. Hold on to Proverbs 4:23-27.
“Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life.
Put away from you a deceitful mouth,
And put perverse lips far from you.
Let your eyes look straight ahead,
And your eyelids look right before you.
Ponder the path of your feet,
And let all your ways be established.
Do not turn to the right or the left;
Remove your foot from evil. “
A little something we learnt at summer cell this week. When you are home, guard your hearts, don’t fall away, keep the fire of your faith burning.
Evil likes to hunt when one is away from the pack. Don’t give it the pleasure!
God bless & happy reading!
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
He placed his palm on my forehead and squeezed it gently. I looked up at him, perplexed and even more anxious than before. He seemed to be in some sort of meditative state, eyes closed and concentrating at the same time, as if waiting for a vision to burst out from within. Then, he took a deep breath and announced, “I give you… POWER!!! Now go and conquer!” With a hearty laugh and a final hug my dad bade me goodbye and gave me his best wishes for that day’s examinations.
The first time he did that was during my kindergarten final exams (please forgive me for being nervous about kinddy exams. Its very competitive in Singapore, mind you!) And for every subsequent examination, right up to my ‘A’ Levels in Junior College, he did the same thing. It became some sort of a ritual between us and it gave me comfort and confidence.
Now, I’m sure all of us have experienced the butterflies in our stomach, sweaty palms and jello-knees, anxiously standing outside the exam hall clutching our notes while waiting for the exam to begin. Or even way before that, while we were preparing for our papers, the thought that there is not enough time to cover everything causes us to start stressing over the lack of time or brainpower.
Yup… I see those little nods of agreement.
Such acts or objects gave us some sort of assurance. Of course, praying for peace and wisdom always helps. But there is one thing that can give us complete peace and comfort. And that is the power of Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:11 says that
“And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.”
Paul is teaching us the significance of being a Christian. When we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, we become children of God and the Holy Spirit lives in us. And thus, the same power that conquered the grave lives in us. When the Holy Spirit lives in us, we are able to accomplish things that we wouldn’t normally be able to do.
Note that it is not because of our own goodness, not who we are, nor what we have done, but simply because we allow God to work in our lives. When we made the decision to follow Christ, our ‘old self’ and everything of our past is erased and we can find our ‘new self’ in Christ Jesus. And when we truly understand that, as children of God, we are the heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, we inherit His power. As His children, and because of Christ that died for us and stood between the gap, we can come freely before God. And when we surrender all aspects of our lives to God, we will realise that it is the Holy Spirit who works through us to perform miracles.
So, if the same spirit that is powerful enough to raise Jesus from the dead is living in you, do you not think that that same Holy Spirit can conquer our nerves and ultimately our grades?
Let’s not let our inhibitions stand in the way of how God’s glory can be shone through our grades. God is not concerned about what we can or cannot do. He alone can conquer all and perform the impossible. All He wants us to do is place our trust in Him and surrender everything to Him.
I encourage all of us to remember and be reminded of God’s power and Jesus who lives in us whenever we weigh our own capabilities and limitations.
Galatians 2:20
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…”
Do your best and God will do the rest!
Written by blog writer,
Debs
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
There are many benefits of having a daily devotion. I’m sure all of you have heard most of them before so I’m NOT going to do a lecture on it. However, daily devotion is a great way to increase your knowledge, not just about the bible, but life skills! Here’s an example from my devotion today.
Enjoy!
Enthusiasm And Experience
Many of the older priests, Levites, and other leaders remembered the first Temple, and they wept aloud when they saw the new Temple’s foundation. The others, however, were shouting for joy. - Ezra 3:12
Young people look forward; old folks look back. Youth embraces the future, where most of its life lies; old age reveres the past, where most of its life has gone. Youth has little in the past to which to refer; old age has not much in the future for which to plan. So when youth and old age stand together in the same place, they look in opposite directions and see different scenarios. Old folks see the good old days; the young see only bright horizons.
Little wonder they often disagree and not infrequently clash!
Both had a point. The old had experience, which gave insight to what had been; the young had enthusiasm, which promised momentum for what was to come.
Enthusiasm without the cautions of experience can lead to projects crashing in flames.
Experience without the fire of enthusiasm can lead to projects never leaving the ground. Old people harping on the way things were can kill the hope of the future, while young people worshiping the way things will be can be wounded if the lessons of history go unheeded.
God made youth and old age for a reason—they need each other! So let’s thank him for youth and praise him for old age, and let us pray that enthusiasm and experience will kiss each other, and that they will live happily together.
Written by Blog Writer,
~Max~
Have a question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!
“Now it came to pass in those days that he went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.”
Feeling drained? Roller-coaster of emotions? Just trying to get through the day? Would it surprise you that Jesus went through these same feelings as well? He is after all, all God & all human. And He also understands all because He has experienced all!
“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” - Hebrews 4:15
So what does our role model do in moments like these? He Gets Away, goes up to a mountain top to pray, to spend time with the Father. And just like Jesus, we all need a place to Get Away from it all. To go back to the one place where we can hear the One voice that really matters. God’s.
Do you have a place like that?
I have. Its called Mill point. Mill point to me is like Jesus’ mountain, it is THE place I turn to when I need to Get Away. The prefect compilation of cool breezes, the slow moving swan river & not to mention the beautiful backdrop of the city skyline. 20 mins is all it takes for me to get back on track, to kickstart my brain & start having creative ideas & solutions flowing back but more importantly, it is the one place where I truly can feel God’s presence & His assurance that His been there, by my side, watching over me all the while.
Now the Bible does say “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father” - Matt 6:6. (Firstly the purpose of this verse is for another context, if you want to know, just let me know) And yes, God is definitely everywhere, & we can meet him anywhere, especially when we close the door & pray. But let me challenge you with this, a get-away holiday is always more fun compared to one spent in your backyard.
Same goes with meeting God. You can meet him in your bedroom, in the study or in the library. But when you intentionally Get Away to be alone with Him, walk beside Him, talk to Him. Those are the times where you truly feel the weight of the world being lifted off your shoulders.
Final assignments are here & exams are peeping around the corner. So when (not if) you find yourself heavy laden, don’t resort to red bull or facebook or worst ... WOW or Shopping. Instead, Get Away ... and let the Spirit of the Lord come upon you & give you REST.
Afterall, God has already blessed us UWA people with a little piece of heaven in our very backyard! Its called Mat Bay. Go, take a walk with Lord, can come back a whole different person!
Written by Blog Writer,
~ Max ~
I went to watch the movie 'Salt' the other day. It was awesome! I was inspired to start jumping onto moving trucks lol. But seriously, I enjoyed the action. POW POW POW!
Which brings me to the point of this entry. Why CAN'T I jump onto moving trucks or run great distances? (Maybe because my stamina stinks.) But it has always been a dream of mine to be able to run, climb over, jump across, and to just overcome every single obstacle that is in my way.
Realistically though, we all know that it’s not possible (my dream has just died a premature death, haha). Which brings to mind, what other obstacle can I not overcome? Like passing my exams? Losing weight? Speeding? Finding a boyfriend?!!
Sure, when we think about it that way, there're a lot of things out there that we cannot achieve or acquire. Like that awesome car, excelling in studies or simply trying to improve your own self.
But friends, I endeavour that while we may not be able to achieve all these things, there is someone out there who can. And that person is God. God can and He can achieve them through you! Remember a while back, I wrote about doing things on our own strength? I'm not saying that you cannot achieve all this within your own strength. (It really boils down to your level of self-discipline and determination.) But rather, when you DO NOT achieve all these things, how do you feel? Tired? Depressed? Disempowered?
Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labour or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendour was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Be tired, depressed, and disempowered no more! When we have God in our lives, not being able to jump across those trucks isn't our biggest issue. He is our Jehovah Jireh and whatever your circumstances, be it working towards improving your studies; just remember: He will provide for us. With energy, strength, wisdom, patience, and also peace, for whatever the outcome.
And you never know. You might just see me someday... Jumping across trucks.
God Bless.
Written by Blog Writer,
~Felicia~
My walk with God has not been an easy one. Mostly because I’ve been avoiding God for the first 16 years of my life. I’ve always believed in our one true God; there was no reason for me not to. He showed His love through every answered prayer, however silently they were uttered and despite the little faith I placed when saying them.
Yet, I was like a stubborn, rebellious child refusing the love and concern of a father… believing that I did not need Him in my life.
Every time I share my testimony and the reason why I finally decided to get baptised only after four years of being a Christian, I always joke that I’ve let God wait for too long. This then implies that God is getting impatient with me and hence, being driven by guilt and fear, I hasten to seal this deal with God.
Of course this is completely inaccurate and will remain as an inside joke between my beloved Father and me. However, I do admit that I had my fair share of excuses whenever the opportunity to get baptised arose. “I’m not Christian enough…” “I’m still too young…” “There’s so much more I have to learn and areas where I can serve…” Inwardly, I was casting the spotlight on myself.
When ZPH held a baptism workshop last semester, I received a revelation of the significance of baptism. It says in Romans 6:4:
We were buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, you too may live a new life.
The symbolic act of being submerged into the water and rising up again signifies our new life in Christ. With that act, and through His grace and love, God has made us anew. Only He has the power to transform us completely so that we can live in the peace and freedom that can only be found in Him.
Our baptism is really a declaration of the glory of our Father.
It is not at all about us.
I understood, only four years after being saved; having had my life transformed and the countless miracles I had experienced, that I should be declaring His works, His goodness and His glory. With all the excuses I used to give to justify my delayed baptism, I was converging attention to myself, when what I should have been doing is to point others towards God.
And what better way to glorify His name than to testify of His goodness and works in my life? The water baptism gave me a platform to share of God’s awesomeness through my journey with Him. And when I began to focus on letting God shine, all the excuses and fears just vanished.
In John 3:30, it explains plainly,
“He must become greater, I must become less.”
I encourage all of you to realise that when we start thinking about what we can or cannot do with our current abilities, we’re stopping God from working within us. Allow Him to increase as we decrease, and we’ll begin to see His glory.
To date, has there been something that God has done in your life that compels you to testify of His glory?
Remember: it is not about you, it is all about God.
See His glory and share your story.
Water Baptism Service is this Saturday! Come and support our friend and fellow brother as he takes a life changing step toward the future. There will be many testimonies and you will surely be blessed! See you at the service!
Sat 9 Oct
10:30 AM
Lifestreams Christian Church
Cnr of Hay St & McNaab Loop COMO
Written by Blog Writer,
~Debs~
Fear, we all have our own fears. Some are afraid of tall places (like Max), some are afraid of birds (like my cell helper), and some are afraid of little tiny insects (like me).
But since when did these fears come into our lives? I remember I used to bully insects when I’m young. I used to use my mighty thumb to squash every single ant I saw crawling around. NOW you might say that I’m a weirdo by being afraid of ants, but you have to go google images of ‘ants’ and see them in enlarged pictures. Real Freaky. (Seriously!)
Anyway, I remember there was one thing I did fear when I was young – caning. If you’re from an asian background then you’d probably experienced caning in school. And the period I feared most was after the exams, that was when my class teacher would cane those who did badly in the exams.
So there’s one thing I would always do if I had to go up to get canned, I’d tell myself that “at least I’m not gonna die”. By telling myself that, it helped to toughen me up a bit and thus reduce the chances of me crying in public. Lol.
I think that statement is quite a powerful one. If I know that I’m not gonna die from doing something, then what’s there to be afraid of?
I was thinking of my younger years a few days ago and that statement kicked in. However, with the added wisdom of Christ, I’ve come realized that now ... I’m not going to die anymore! Because Jesus gave us eternal life! So…by that statement, we have nothing to fear at all right?
Hebrews 13:5-6
For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you." So we may boldly say: "The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?"
Truly we have nothing to fear at all! Except the fear of the Lord. Proverbs 9:10 says that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
So imagine if we had courage without wisdom. We’d do all the stupid things right? So courage alone isn’t enough, we need wisdom to direct that courage we have to the right places.
This is an example of courage without wisdom:
So jokes aside, take this home with you: Fear the Lord and there’s nothing else to be afraid of.
Cheers.
Written by Blog Council,
~Wilson~
“ Hey Esther, sorry but I can't make it for your church event on saturday night cos I've got a gig on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, paying $200 a night. I'll find a replacement for you, so sorry about that!” Jayden Williamson, the original drummer of Jive Box spoke on the phone hastily.
My heart sank when I heard the news. It was the Monday before Search For A Star and Saturday was the real event. We had rehearsed everything and we had to rehearse it again with new people! Honestly speaking, with 5 days to spare to the actual event, 2 rehearsals would suffice. However on Tuesday, Nathan, the drummer Jayden got for replacement, rang me up and said he could not make it because Saturday was his friend's 21st birthday. 'Great!' my mind was racing and these letters 'gracefully' paraded acrossed my mind: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R!!!
Now we only have 4 days left and we still got to FIND A DRUMMER, rehearse the jazz fusion song, Cantalope Island, and arrange a medley of Michael Jackson songs. That day, my bassist, Jesse Bryom-Carter, immediately approached Josh Hopkins to be the drummer for the event and he kindly agreed. “Thank God!” I heaved a sigh of relief. I have not met Josh before but he seemed like a nice guy to work with. I made it clear to all my band members that SFAS is an unpaid performance so as to diminish any of their hopes for monetary returns and emphasized that the performance is voluntary. Fortunately, none of the members pulled out after knowing its voluntary. “Thank God!” once again!
The race for time began and we got to settle for a time for rehearsal. I was planning to have 2 rehearsals before SFAS but very unfortunately, everyone can only rehearse on Thursday and ONLY FOR 1 HOUR!!! The letters: D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R, once again, very 'gracefully' paraded acrossed my mind, but this time bringing along its best friend, “ R-E-A-L-L-Y”. So together, “ REALLY DISASTER” appeared big and dauntingly in my mind. That tuesday night, I seriously could not sleep well because the judges of SFAS had good impressions of the original Jive Box during the audition and thus they requested for a pop tune.
I prayed to God that on Thursday rehearsal, everything would be okay and we would finish learning all the arrangement in that ONE HOUR. Thank God for giving wisdom to all the members as we actually managed to learn and arrange all the tunes in that one hour! The band was not sounding very solid yet but at least we managed to go through all the songs for SFAS! PHEW!!!! I was really relieved. I suggested to have another rehearsal on saturday morning before SFAS but the other members were unwilling due to the need for their own personal practice on core tunes for class. Since SFAS is an unpaid gig, I have no valid reason to request for their devotion to the event. “Okay, let God take charge, and I shall not worry.” I told myself.
Saturday arrived and it was time for full-dress rehearsals on stage at PCLC. As my band members were absent during the dry run, we did not have the chance for sound check. Full-dress rehearsal started and my band was called on stage. This was only the 2nd rehearsal for our band for the show. During that rehearsal, I was at the wrong section of the song and apparently, my bassist, drummer and I myself could not hear each other clearly. This got me worried about our performance once again and this time we had no chance to see if everything works, and so I just did what I could … pray to do well for the show! Thankfully, the actual performance was a lot better than the full-dress rehearsal. My saxophonist finally got the ending right and the band sounded good with energy. I was satisfied with it personally and was glad to receive lots of positive feedback as well!
Written by blog writer,
~Esther~
