Are you giving excuses?

How many times do we give excuses when we try to escape from our commitments?

How many times do we give excuses when God calls us to commit ourselves?

How many times do we give excuses when there's an urgent need, but we turn away from being a good Samaritan?

How many times do we give excuses when things doesn't work out, we try to put the blame on others?

A simple message from a basket ball player, a power reminder for us on how we carry our lives.

Does God still speak to people ?

A young man had been to Wednesday Night Bible Study.

The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice

The young man couldn't help but wonder, 'Does God still speak to people?'

After service, he went out with some friends for coffee and pie and they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways.

It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, 'God...If you still speak to people, speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey.'

As he drove down the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk.

He shook his head and said out loud, 'God is that you?' He didn't get a reply and started on toward home.
But again, the thought, buy a gallon of milk.
The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli.
'Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk.' It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home.
As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, 'Turn Down that street.'
This is crazy he thought, and drove on past the intersection.
Again, he felt that he should turn down Seventh Street.
At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh.
Half jokingly, he said out loud, 'Okay, God, I will.'
He drove several blocks, when suddenly, he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in a semi- commercial area of town. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed.

Again, he sensed something! , 'Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street.' The young man looked at the house.. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat.
'Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going
to be mad and I will look stupid.' Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk.


Finally, he opened the door, 'Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something, but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here.'


He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice! yelled out, 'Who is it? What do you want?' Then the door opened before the young man could get away.
The man was standing there in his jeans and T-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. 'What is it?'


The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, 'Here, I brought this to you.' The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway.


Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face.


The man began speaking and half crying, 'We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk.'


His wife in the kitchen yelled out, 'I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?'


The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face.


He knew that God still answers prayers.

This is so true. Sometimes it's the simplest things that God asks us to do, if we are obedient to what He's asking, we can hear His voice more clear than ever. Please listen, and obey! It will bless you (and the world).

Heart of worship by Wilfred Chua

WHAT is worship? WHY do we worship? WHO do we worship? HOW do we worship? Many of us, we can come to cell group on Friday night or church service on Saturday afternoon and say that we have worshiped God by singing songs and praises to him . However, many of us do not have the right concept and attitude when worshipping God. That’s why sometimes when we go to church or cell group to worship, we don’t really feel the presence of God. We ask ourselves, why all the others seem to be really into worshipping and enjoying God’s presence but I just don’t feel the worship. How come I feel spiritually dry and lifeless? How come God seems to be so distant and so far away?

WHAT is worship? Worship is the ACT OF MANIFYING GOD. By worshipping God, we enlarge our vision on Him just like how a magnifying glass enlarges the vision of an object. Many times in our life, we are so focus on OURselves, OUR problems and OUR worries until we forget about God. Because of this, He seems to be small and distanT. He seems to be so far away. But the reality is that, God’s status doesn’t change but our perception on Him can. Thus, by worshipping God, we are actually enlarging God’s presence in our lives.

WHY do we worship? There are many reasons why we should worship God. First of all, we worship God because He’s great. We worship Him because His work is awesome. We worship Him because He’s the creator of all things. We worship Him because He is worthy of our praise. Worshipping God whether at church or during devotion time is the climax and best part of my day. After class, whether I’m happy, sad or tired, I’ll just go to my room and sing some worship songs while playing guitar, enjoying His presence and love. By magnifying God with my worship, all my problems and worries will seem to be small because during worship my God will seem big. Because I know that there is no problem in the world too big for Him to solve.

HOW do we worship God? We worship Him by doing any act that magnifies God. For example, we can worship God by singing to him, praying to him, reading his words or attending the church service. Last time during the Old Testament, in the book of Exodus, God gives Israelites the instruction on how to worship. He gives them detailed instruction on how to build the tabernacle and how sacrifices are carried out. But why did God ask them to sacrifice a bull or goat as worship to Him? Is it because He needs it?

Psalm 50:8-10 – the verse states that God owns the cattle of thousands hills and thus, He didn’t really need the Israelites to sacrifice bulls to Him. Then, why did He require this sacrifice as worship? God did this because He was looking at the HEART of those who sacrifice to Him. He wants to see whether the Israelites offer their sacrifice whole-heartedly or halfheartedly.

1 Samuel 16:7 - This is because God doesn’t look at our outward appearance but He looks into our heart. When He looks at us, He will not see whether we are good looking or whether we dress nicely or what car we drive but He’s more interested in the condition of our HEART. When He sees us, He wants to see if our HEARTS are really committed to Him. Thus, from the worship, He will know about our heart.

Micah 6:6-8. He says God has no need for us to give Him what is already His; He wants instead is for us not only to worship Him but to be obedient to His ways by acting justly and be merciful. This is what He required of us instead of ritualistic, half-hearted sacrifice and worship that the Israelites offer Him. If God wants ritualistic worship, He’ll just create zombies that will worship Him day and night. Instead, He wants us to walk and commune with Him, day by day, each moment of our life. When we do this, our worship to Him will come naturally for us. It won’t be like ritual but more like outpouring of our love to God for His love and faithfulness.

HOW to worship God? How often we are like the Israelites that do not take worship seriously. Sometime, we are like the lukewarm Christian in book of Revelation that He wanted to spit out. This lukewarm behaviour can be seen by our action when we lose our enthusiasm to worship and serve God. Sometimes, we even have to drag ourselves to church or CG each weekend because it’s expected from us. In our mind, we may feel that it’s a burden because we feel like using the time to sleep, study or work. When we have this mindset, we may let our mind wander off and we think of some other things instead of focusing on God during worship. Sometimes, when we sing songs or hymns, we don’t even mean what we are singing. When we do all these, worshiping God will feel like a burden and can cause us to be weary. This type of attitude does not please God. He wants us to either worship fully or not worship at all. More often than not, we are like the Israelites in Malachi 1:13 in which they complain that worship God has become tiring to them and they even sacrifice crippled animals to God. How often we did the same when we worship God halfheartedly? When we offer halfhearted worship to God, it is like sacrificing sick and lame animals to Him during the Old Testament time. If God is angry to what they did in the past, why should he be any different now?

What should we do to worship God properly? Let’s ask ourselves, do we come prepared for worship before each church service? Do we worship God with a tidak apa attitude like the Israelites? Suppose if we are granted audience with Yang Dipertuan Agong, can we just see him casually without any preparation? Of course not, it’s disrespectful! How can it be any less for our heavenly king? How would God feel if we treat worship lightly? From now on can we make commitment with God, that we worship him fullheartedly and we will not give Him half-hearted worship anymore? That we prepare ourselves spiritually, physically and emotionally before going to church to worship? That we come to church or CG thirsting for an encounter with God? That our worship to Him will no longer be like a ritual but something that excites us? That we don’t just worship on Saturday and Sunday but all the days of the week? I believe with all my heart, if we commit to do all these, we will have the heart of worship that will really please God. The heart of worship is the HEART that CONSTANTLY magnifying God and a heart that proclaimed that is all about you, God. For the Lord looks at our hearts, not our outward appearance when we worship Him.