Greetings,

It's been awhile since I last posted. I hope the SG is doing fine despite some of you guys becoming SG leaders. I hope you guys still hang out once a week. Over here I can only hang out with myself.

Anyways, thanks to all the prayers, I got a job related to my course. Though it's not something I am keen to go into, but it's good to know the whole town I will be posted to is an environmentally-friendly town. Despite all, how this town looks like and function is still a huge question mark. Apparently, it's a small town of barely 15000 people living in it. They drink desalinated water and NEwater. It's a self-sufficient town in its own way and please do pray I get to go to a church there. I haven't had church services for the past 3 weeks. Haven't been very consistent with bible study cos' it was really a very draining 3 weeks. Thank God the study component is finally over; though I will be missing some of my friends here.

I guess my 3 weeks here in the "Boston of the East" was really an eye opener. It's really sad that there are so many people in need and yet nothing has really been done to improve the lives of the homeless and people in slum by the governments. With growing affluence, many people have became more oblivious to the people who have barely enough to eat. There are so many of them here and it's not possible for me to buy a bit of food for all of them here. It's really sad to see these kids wearing just a old dirty shirt and a pair of shorts, with nothing more than just skin and bone, walking the streets of Pune in the chilly night when temperature can drop till below 10 degree celsius. It sucks that I have to brush them off cos' there are just too many of them. Poverty is so rampant here, it's just hard to imagine how people can complain they haven't have enough money when they have enough to drive a nice car, wear thick clothing to keep themselves warm during winter and eat 3 or more meals a day.

It's always more fulfilling to travel to a developing nation than to travel in a developed nation. I guess it's time we start counting our blessings and maybe start thinking of the possibilities to help these poor folks. Sometimes, we might think God has a weird sense of humor to allow such sufferings to happen. However, I think what God was really trying to do is to show the darkside of our human nature. If we could really practice the law about loving our neighbour as ourselves, there won't be that many children begging for food in the streets. If people would stop evading tax and government officials will stop misusing public fundings to fund their own selfish interests, there won't be so many poor people around here. I think these people deserves the basic necessites just like anyone of us.

we're Men of Faith

yo dudes ... happy bday to us ... around this time last year was when we first got together proper after initially being in Old School.

we've had our share of reflection and feedback for the past year ... now, we are going to move forward. like apostle paul said before ... (paraphrasing) while we were children, we acted and spoke like one. but when we are men, we act and speak like one.

we've all grown and now, we become the person God has created us to be.

it is going to be a learning year ahead for us all ... these are the challenges abound for all of us.

being overseas and away from loved ones
being in national service
entering a new phase of education
getting out of education and into the working world
critical examinations
relationship challenges
testing of friendships

&

crisis of faith

we will face these ... but the difference between 2007 and 2008 is this ... we have grown into men of faith and we shall act and speak like one ...

Men of Faith ... rise up and sing to the great and glorious King. this year, the people around us in all our lives will see the testimony of Christ's love and mercy in our lives. and let us be the salt and light of the earth that turns men from their dark and sinful ways and to the forgiveness of God through His Begotten Son.

Don't Let Your Past Rob You

Philippians 3:13–14
13Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, 14I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Are you living a life of regrets thinking, “if only…”? If only I had that college education… if only I had married the right girl… if only I had taken up the other job… if only I had not made that stupid mistake… Is your past robbing you of the joy of today? Then you need to forget your past.

You might say, “But Pastor Prince, you do not know what I did in the past!”

Consider Paul. If the devil had anything to bring against Paul, it would be reminders of how he had persecuted the early church, and caused the deaths of many, including Stephen, the first Christian martyr.

Paul had done horrendous things that were hard for him to forget. But he had such a revelation of God’s awesome forgiveness that he could say, “… forgetting those things which are behind… I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Beloved of the Lord, God has forgiven you of all your sins. He has completely forgiven you and declared, “Your sins and lawless deeds, I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)

Like Paul, you can forget your past, the wrongs you have done, and the hurts you have caused others. God can take the tears of yesterday and transform them into the miracles of tomorrow. God can restore in all abundance to you what you have lost. God can cause all things, even the painful things of your past, to work together for your good.

His Word says, “The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 58:8) It will cover your past. Wherever you go, God’s glory covers your past. It is no longer the same past that you know of because God’s glory has descended on it. Your past is past! It has been wiped out. It is gone. So don’t let your past rob you of the joy of today any longer!

raimy's says again:

What is it like forgetting about your past? What your life is like in the past few years? Hmm, wondering whats in your mind, this devotion it says about forgetting about your past, to forget about it, not to remember about it, and life should move on..

What is your 2008 resolution for the Lord? Just like the same question I posted in the previous entry. I hope today's devotion gives you a clearer picture of what God's plan on you ahead in a brand new year yea. Well, thats all I've got for the brand new entry on this new year, do keep in touch with the rest in your prayers yea, God bless!