with God, nothing is impossible. With God, EVERYTHING is possible!

i learnt today that there's so so so so much more that i need to know, the feeling of my faith being stretched can still be felt in my heart till now..God give me the divine opportunities i need and a bigger heart to fulfill what i have been called to do...i admit i do feel scared, but i know Your grace and mercies are sufficient to see me thru all things...i can do all things thru God who strengthens me!

Renewing my mind & humbling myself

i need to renew my mind..change my thoughts. Was thinking abt a matter today n i realised that the root of it is pride. i need to humble myself and be a servant, a servant for God. Father, change me by Your grace n mercy. i want to humble myself before You n admit that i am wrong. God, cleanse me n purify me so i can stand before You in purity.

My hope is in You God, my Jehovah Jireh, who will provide me with EVERYTHING i need to see me through all things. For with God, nothing is impossible.

tests and changes

These days things have happened to me, though they are not within my control and you can't really put the blame on anyone when u really think about it, but somehow at that point of time when it happens, i'll always blame myself for it happening. I know that God allows things to happen to us cos He knows we can handle it.. and i realise today (He must be wondering to Himself 'Why did she take so long to realise it?') that all these things are really tests for me..testing my patience, testing my self-esteem..which is where the confession of Romans 8:1 comes in...

Romans 8:1
There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

Maybe u don't understand why i have these issues with self-esteem...i don't like having problems with them too, but problem is i do... n i need to put in more effort than others to deal with them each time they start to surface.

There are other things i've started to learn to accept..things beyond my control.. n i am just trusting God for new and good things to come my way..because i'm sensing that things are changing, that i shouldn't cling on to these old things and expect them to stay the same as it used to be.. but i need to learn to flow with the changes in my life..yes i do feel kinda sad that things have to change but yet i know in my heart that it's for the best n the new things will be good, because they are from God, n when it's from God, He only gives us His best. God, please give me Your grace and mercy to help me to adapt to the changes and learn to flow with You, Holy Spirit, cos without You, i am nothing.

Thank You Lord

Thank You God for the things you've done for me...all things big and small. Thank You for allowing me to serve on stage last weekend, it was a long wait but it was worth it, though i felt a bit tired during praise and i made some mistakes while singing and moving on stage, but...thanks, it's a privilege to be serving You and i can't thank You enough, and yesterday i got another opportunity to serve again! Wow! This time during prayer meeting! Really can't thank You enough for the opportunities. :)

And thank You Lord for my cell group leader who's willing to fight for me, who fights for my best interests, and who's willing to go the extra mile for me. Thank You Father. I am blessed :)

My 1st Love

This weekend actually celebrates my 4th year in City Harvest n my4th birthday as a Christian. Time really flies. It just seemed like yesterday when i stepped into our building in JW for the 1st time n now we r holding our services at Expo! It's really amazing how the church has grown over these years n i'm glad n priviledged to be a part of it. I guess, if u asked me 5 years ago if i would be doing this now, going to church every weekend n serving in church, i would probably tell u that u must be kidding. And especially when it comes to the things i desire to do for God now, the old isabel would never have thought of anything like that. So, i believe, all these dreams & desires must be from God & the Holy Spirit is slowly showing them to me, & at the same time slowly enabling me to handle the things that come together with these dreams.

Today, Pst Kong preached a message so simple, yet so close to the hearts of many Christians, the story of the prodigal son. His sermon really brought forth so many memories, & in a way, i am pretty much like the prodigal son. I went to a mission school from my primary school days till my JC days but i never really thought much of God cos i had a comfortable life & i felt so long as i could study n do ok in school, i would be fine, until a time when i was in such bad shape that i felt i couldn't handle my life anymore, i was desperate, then i turned n ran straight to the church; just like the prodigal son, who had had his fun n squandered all his money, n then out of desperation, came back to his father. But 1 thing Pst Kong said is so true, we think we chose God, which is so wrong, but in actual fact, GOD chose us! & He chose us right from the beginning, when He created us, just that He gives us the freedom of choice, whether or not to choose Him.

All the memories of my 1st day in church just came flooding back during our last worship song, the decision i made that day, 4 years ago, to always believe in Him, to make Him my Lord and Saviour forever, i just remembered my 1st love -Jesus. The 1st love i had for Jesus just came back again so strongly, more than ever before, a love that i know can never be replaced by any other.

Sick..

Been coughing a lot these few days, n i really hope to get better soon..can't really speak n i just keep coughing everywhere i go (in the house, i mean). My cheeks have become very red for some reason..n my ah ma actually commented i look better like that..haha..but i really thank her for her concern..making me herbs n 'liang cha' to take every day..n for cooking fish porridge, which never tasted better during this time when everything else doesn't seem appetising at all..

but 1 of the things i'm more concerned abt is singing this wkend for choir..i've been waiting for 3 weeks to serve..n now i'm down with this horrible cough..i really, really wanna be better so i can serve God in the best way i can..God help me cos i believe by Your stripes, i am healed!

Songs of the season

These are the songs i've been singing or listening to for the past few weeks, n i'll feel really ministered to when i sing or listen to them.. i realise, for me, i'll have different songs that i really like at particular stages of my life n these songs will really encourage me to move on in my life for God.


GLORIOUS REDEEMER
CHRISTIAN CITY CHURCH
Worship

I LOVE YOU WITH ALL MY HEART
TRUST YOU WITH ALL I HAVE
FOR YOU HOLD THE HEAVENS AND EARTH IN YOUR HAND YOU DIED ON THE CROSS FOR ME
TOOK ALL MY SIN AND SHAME
YOUR NAME IS HOLY EXALTED ABOVE ALL EARTH

GLORIOUS REDEEMER
YOU HAVE PAID FOR MY LIFE
YOU HAVE GONE BEFORE ME
NOW I’LL WALK BY YOUR SIDE
I LIFT MY HANDS TO YOU LORD
YOU ARE WORTHY OF MY PRAISE
JESUS REIGNS
JESUS YOU REIGN

ONE THING I ASK THAT I MAY DWELL IN YOUR HOUSE FOREVER



RAIN DOWN
DELIRIOUS Key: D
Praise

LOOKS LIKE TONIGHT,
THE SKY IS HEAVY
FEELS LIKE THE WINDS ARE GONNA CHANGE BENEATH MY FEET,
THE EARTH IS READY
I KNOW ITS TIME,
FOR HEAVEN’S RAIN
IT’S GONNA RAIN,
YEAH YEAH

COS IT’S LIVING WATER WE DESIRE
TO FLOOD OUR HEARTS WITH HOLY FIRE

RAIN DOWN, ALL AROUND THE WORLD WE’RE SINGING RAIN DOWN, CAN YOU HEAR THE EARTH IS SINGING RAIN DOWN, MY HEART IS DRY BUT STILL I’M SINGING
RAIN DOWN, RAIN IT DOWN

BACK TO THE START,
MY HEART IS HEAVY
FEELS LIKE IT’S TIME,
TO DREAM AGAIN
I SEE THE CLOUDS,
AND YES I’M READY
TO DANCE UPON THIS BARREN LAND
HOPE IN MY HANDS,
YEAH YEAH

DO NOT SHUT DO NOT SHUT DO NOT SHUT THE HEAVENS
BUT OPEN UP OPEN UP OPEN UP OUR HEARTS

RAIN DOWN,
ALL AROUND THE WORLD WE’RE SINGING
RAIN DOWN

GIVE ME STRENGTH TO CROSS THE WATER KEEP MY HEART UPON YOUR ALTAR, RAIN DOWN GIVE ME STRENGTH TO CROSS THE WATER KEEP MY FEET DON’T LET ME FALTER, RAIN DOWN

DO NOT SHUT THE HEAVENS
BUT OPEN UP OUR HEARTS OPEN UP OUR HEARTS
DO NOT SHUT THE HEAVENS
BUT OPEN UP OUR HEARTS OPEN UP OUR HEARTS



MAJESTY (HERE I AM)
DELIRIOUS Key: C
Worship

HERE I AM
HUMBLED BY YOUR MAJESTY
COVERED BY YOUR GRACE SO FREE

HERE I AM
KNOWING I’M A SINFUL MAN
COVERED BY THE BLOOD OF THE LAMB

NOW I’VE FOUND
THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL IS MINE
SINCE YOU LAID DOWN YOUR LIFE THE GREATEST SACRIFICE
MAJESTY MAJESTY
YOUR GRACE HAS FOUND ME JUST AS I AM EMPTY HANDED BUT ALIVE IN YOUR HANDS
SINGING MAJESTY MAJESTY
FOREVER I AM CHANGED BY YOUR LOVE IN THE PRESENCE OF YOUR MAJESTY MAJESTY

HERE I AM
HUMBLED BY THE LOVE THAT YOU GIVE
FORGIVEN SO THAT I CAN FORGIVE
HERE I STAND KNOWING THAT I’M YOUR DESIRE
SANCTIFIED BY GLORY AND FIRE

Saturday afternoon

The 1st part of my Sat afternoon was spent at Bro Victor's house at a sharing session conducted by Bro Victor himself. Although the grp was really small with only the 4 of us, the Holy Spirit was there to minister to us. I felt really bad abt being late cos i got lost, n i could just feel the feeling of condemnation rising up in me again, but once i got into the room, i told myself that i needed to put aside those feelings n focus on God, n solely on Him n stepping out if i was given the opportunity to do so.

It was a gd sharing session n later when bro victor spoke a word to each of us, i felt so reassured in my heart when he gave me a word...it was wat i really needed to hear n it confirmed some of the visions i would see from time to time...when he said that i was God's surprise to others n He would use me as His channel..tears just flowed so hard from my face...n i could see some of the faces of pple whom i would be a surprise to as they said it to me that i was a big surprise to them...

something else that really struck me was when bro victor said God had chosen me..n i'm really thankful to God for using bro victor to say it to me..cos it's something i have prayed for many, many times...because there's a verse in the bible that says 'many are called, but few are chosen'.. n ever since i had the desire to be a CGL for God 1 day, i had always prayed to God that i did not want to just be called, but i wanted to be CHOSEN by HIM..it was something that really touched my heart..n even as i'm typing this out now, i can't believe that tears are streaming down my face.. it was really, really reassuring, cos many times i have doubted if i heard correctly from God or whether the things i have thought of doing are in God's plan for my life, but bro victor n sis klessis have really ministered to me these 2 days. Thanks bro victor n sis klessis.

Sis kless, if you are reading this, yes, what u told me at the end of the cg meeting, during ministering time, was really something i have been thinking abt for a long, long time, all these 2, 3 yrs... n i think it's going to come to past very, very soon. :)

i know what i have gone thru n what i'm going through now are things that will help me in the future, no matter whether these things are gd or tough, n God i thank You for these experiences.

Saw this in a names book at Life Bookshop this afternoon...it really encouraged me... :)

Isabel

Origin: Spanish

Inherent meaning: Consecrated to God

Spiritual connotation: Discerning spirit

Related scripture: Isaiah 60:1

Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.

Catching up

I had a really great time talking to a friend just now, and i was just really touched and very encouraged by some of the things she said. My friend's name is Wilma and honestly, it's been a long time, quite a few months since i last spoke to her, ever since she left Children's Church about a month before i did. We started serving in CCH about the same time and quickly became friends. We would often take the MRT home together after serving and she's 1 friend i can really share my thoughts with. Getting to know her in CCH really made staying there worthwhile, still remember her always serving so fervently as a cheerleader in front, a very cheerful and bubbly girl, till she told me 1 day she was leaving to join another ministry. Somehow, her leaving was 1 of the signs for me that it was almost time for me to go too. Had a good long chat with her and it's great to see how much she has grown in the Lord since then, very happy for her that she's doing so many things and impacting so many lives in her cg. May our friendship continue to grow stronger and may God bless our friendship for many good long years to come. :)