*.* God's ways are higher than my ways *.*
Matthew 17:20 says this "...if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."
Just how God answers prayers! I'm stil reeling from the excitement that I finally got the Offer from Acceptance for the NTU Computer Science course.
Looking back, I realised how God answers prayers in unique ways. My A-Level results weren't that fantastic to start with. With my results, I was barely able to make the cut-off for the unpopular university courses, let alone try apply the hotly-contested courses. Since I'm interested in computing and software programming, I decided to give it a try.
To be honest, I have never really placed total trust in God, even with my university application. I tried to take things in my own hands, attending university Open Houses with my parents, even skipping church on one of the saturdays (this is not encouraged, though). As I asked the university staff of my prospects of entering the Computer Science course, their common answer was "Chances are rather low, but no harm trying.". I was certainly discouraged, bearing in mind that Computer Science had the lowest cut-off amongst the courses I applied for. Still, I went ahead and applied. I even went to the point of submitting for Discretionary Criteria (by which universities admit up to 10% of their intake that failed to meet the cut-off), getting my secondary school teacher to submit an Appraisal Evaluation on my behalf.
As the days ticked by, I would check my email daily in hope of any signs of reply from NTU. With each passing day, I was getting more discouraged as other fellow A-level in my workplace and my JC classmates had already recieved Offers of Acceptance, yet I was still without reply from NTU. I resigned to my fate and could only pray for God to provide the place in university. As working fatigue overtook me, the university application became more distant in my mind, and it was only after a few days ago that I suddenly remembered about it. Still, I thought that I would certainly be one of those who would have to depend on luck to be admitted via the Dicretionary Criteria. It was just an hour ago that my mum received a letter from NTU in my mailbox, and there was the Offer of Acceptance! Just can't express how overjoyed I was to have God answer my prayer in such a way.
Even as I write this testimony, I am convicted by the Holy Spirit of my lack of trust in God during this journey in university application. If only I could trust God with the university application from the start! So I encourage you, as I remind myself, to put your trust in God. It may be the most doubtful thing to go though, a certain failure, but if only you put that little trust you have left in God, as Jesus promised, faith as small as a mustard seed moves mountains. That little perservence could well make the difference - you never know. Because our God is unpredictable - He answers prayers in His own unique ways.
Ernest
I needed Jesus @ | 7:28 PM
*.* When Opportunity Comes *.*
Thursday, 15 Apr 2010
Wednesday as usual was our life group's prayer meeting day. Really want to thank God for even providing us a place to gather every week, I personally enjoyed the new way we are doing prayer meeting, we brought back our praise & worship songs and the new gathering place is more spacious, giving us more room to move around in.
Things were going well, we prayer for people, our life group, pastor etc. During prayer for personal requested where we prayed for each other in our small little groups, Ian open up to Yu Xian and I more than he normally would.
I personally don't know Ian very well and I rarely speak to him or even hang out with him. I was surprise that he was willing to share something personal with us. He told us some of his insecurities and disappointment in our life group. One of things he mentioned was that he did not felt loved by a lot of people in the life group and the love and concern he received from us was not what he had hoped for.
As we begin praying, I felt Holy Spirit urging within me to pray for opportunity where we can all spent more time with Ian and care for him more. After prayer i realised that God had gave us this opportunity, we were planning to hang out on friday with the army boys.
Earlier in the day, I was told by Anderson that Ian and him had plans on that day and couldn't make it. So we did not bother to invite them again. But I tried my luck anyways and asked Ian if it was possible to change their plans and go out with the rest of us. Ian and Anderson both agreed.
I am thankful that God gave us the opportunity to spend time with the army boys and the soon to be army boys.
Recently i watched Evan Almighty. In the movie, something that Morgan Freeman acting as God said that caught my attention.
"If someone prays to God for patience, do you think God gives him patience? Or the opportunity to be patient? If someone prays for courage does God give that person courage? Or the opportunity to be courageous? If someone prays for the family to be closer, do you think God gives them the warm fuzy feeling of happiness? Or he gives them the opportunity to be closer?"
I think God gave us an opportunity to show love to Ian. We can pray for Ian to feel loved, but faith without deeds is dead. We should take the opportunity presented before us and make a change.
When God is at work, nothing is coincidence. We just need to look out more for God's opportunity. Ask and you shall recieve, maybe not in the way we want, but it is God's way.
See you guys on friday.
Cheers!
Jerrold
I needed Jesus @ | 11:16 AM
*.* God spoke to me through a movie *.*
Last Thursday night, I was really bored and decided to watch random movies online. As I scrolled through the movies, I came upon an old movie, "Bruce Almighty". With nothing better to do, I thought to myself, "Hey why not? Been a long time since I last watched this."
Jimmy carrey did his magic as usual and gave me a good laugh. Throughout the movie, I really identified myself with Bruce, I felt that i could re-write all the wrongs in my life if I was God, because no one knows my needs better than myself.
I mean, hey, come'on, if I did not know what I wanted, it would sound really illogical wouldn't it?
What really caught my attention was when Bruce drop on his knee and ask God to take back the power & responsibility. He shouted "God I don't want to be God anymore, I want you to decide what is right for me!"
I became teary at this point and started to pray for his will to be done.
Most of the time we always ask God to give us this & that, we treat him like a genie. But you know what? God isn't a genie and he knows us better than we know ourselves. He created each & everyone of us. He provides for us what we need, not what we want, okay to be fair, maybe sometimes he does.
I didn't intended to hear God or anything like that, it's not i sat down specifically with a bible in hand and prayed "God speak to me", LOL!!!
But I believe God is speaking to us all the time, it is only a matter of our frequency, are we tuned to hear him?
The most important thing I took away from the movie is that God knows what is best for us and he will provide for us in his own time. Trust in God, for he is our provider!
Bible quote i want to share with everyone, Matthew 6:33 "But seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well".
God bless you y'all!
Cheers!
Jerrold :p
I needed Jesus @ | 3:12 PM
