Stand Firm

NEHEMIAH received news that the walls of Jerusalem had been broken down and the gates had been burned. When he heard the news he sat down and wept and he mourn and fasted and prayed to God for a few days. Then he went to the king to request that the walls and gates be built again and the king agreed.Therefore he set off to the city of Judah with a few men to inspect the damage done. After inspecting he told his men that the walls and gates should be rebuilt. And they replied, “Let us start rebuilding.” So they began this good work. (Nehemiah 1:18)
Rebuilding the walls were not easy for Nehemiah and his people, they received a lot of problems that came in the form of opposition.

He received much opposition in the form of:

- Ridicule (Nehemiah 4:1-3)
- Enemy (Nehemiah 4:6-9)
- Insiders (Nehemiah 5:1-5)
- Craft (Nehemiah 6:1-7)
- Intimidation (Nehemiah 6:10-12)

The list of people that opposed him:

- Sanballat the Horonite
- Tobiah the Ammonite
- Gesham the Arab
- Ashdod and his men
- Noadiah the prophetess
- Other prophets
- The Arabs and the Ammonites

Wow! Far-fetched is it not?!
So many people were opposing him in so many forms!
But yet... With the help of God, Nehemiah’s labor of rebuilding the walls were not in vain at all, God pulled him through and the walls were finally rebuilt completely in fifty-two days.

Nehemiah 5:16
... they realized that this work had been done with the help of our God.

Nehemiah stood firm amidst all storms. He was there to depend on God each time when trouble came his way. He trusted God to help him rebuild the walls. He did not give up although there were situations which left him no choice but to give up. He had faith in God.

Nehemiah stood firm.

What is your struggle today? I struggle a lot. I struggle to keep my faith and vision for the youths, especially those in my ministry, Youth Energy and also the whole Youth Church. God has planted in me the desire to see each and every youths rise up for Christ and hear their calling in life. Also to prepare them and to equip them in the things of God. To see them one day lead the youth church in their own specific capacity according to their call. To one day not count members in the youth church anymore but start to COUNT LEADERS.

This is the passion I share with Pastor John and it is my deepest passion now. I am doing all I can to make this happen, to start counting leaders one day. As I am working, so is the enemy, I am going through a lot of problems and each of it tries its very best to bring me down, but I know where I stand. Nothing will move me nor break me; instead, each and every problem will strengthen me and make me.

I know that if my labor is of God, it will never go in vain. So...

I will be STANDING FIRM...

Join me all of you.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my dear brothers, STAND FIRM.
Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord,
because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Standing Firm,
Zlwin Chew

Where is God in your Life?

Do we love God?
Yes? No? Maybe?
Many claim we do... but have you asked yourselves...
Where is God in your life?

Daniel was a man who knew where God was in his life. He was a fervent servant of God and he lived a life that showed God. King Nebuchadnezzar made a decree that no one should worship or pray to any other gods within a period of 30 days. His people are only to worship and pray to the king himself and anyone who disobeys the king’s command will be given the punishment of death.
The very moment Daniel came to know about the decree, he immediately went up to his room in the place he was staying and what he did was an act of courage inspired by faith and love. And right in front of an open window that faces the city, where eyes that are prowling around can see him – he got down on his knees and prayed to his God.
What will you do if you were in Daniel’s shoes? Will you be brave enough to even open the window while you are praying? The authorities caught Daniel and he was thrown into the lions’ den, the rest of the story you probably know – he was rescued by God.
Daniel not only knew God – like many of us do – but he also showed people where God was in his life. He wasn’t afraid of people catching him praying although the death sentence had been issued by King Nebuchadnezzar.
He wasn’t even a little shy about hiding the fact that he knew God and loved God.

So let’s back to the question.

Where is God in your life?

Do we realize that we often live our life the way we want it? We live our lives as if it is ours – not realizing who really is the Giver of life.
We live our lives the way the world lives. We only CLAIM we love God and that God is in us but we do not show it.

We claim we love God but we still use curse words.
We claim we love God but we still talk dirty.
We claim we love God but we still gossip.
We claim we love God but we still hate the guy that shouted at us.
We claim we love God but we still plot vengeance.
We claim we love God but we still choose who can be our friends.
We claim we love God but we still love only the ones that do good to us.
We claim we love God but we still reject the unpopular ones.
We claim we love God but we still go against our church leaders.
We claim we love God but we still talk bad about them.
We claim we love God but we still wake up late on Sundays.
We claim we love God but we still come only after church service.
We claim we love God but we still talk do not pray.
We claim we love God but we still do not read the Bible.
We claim we love God but we still talk only about me, myself and I.

Can you relate to any of the “We claims” stated above. That list can go on and on and on non-stop and I know that many of us can relate to many of the “We claims”. This should not be, my brothers and sisters in Christ. This should not be.
Is God the prominent One in your life or is your wealth the prominent one? Or is it your material stuff which is the prominent one? Or is it your skills and talents? Or is it the way you look? Or is it your popularity? Where then is God in your life?
Where is God in your family? Where is God in your school? Where is God in your circle of friends?

Where is God in your conversation? When boys talk about games, DOTA, cars, guitars, music and girls, they can talk for HOURS non-stop. Don’t even ask me do they feel tired sitting at the coffee shop and chit-chatting! Because you know well they don’t!
Where is God in your conversation? When girls talk about clothes, fashion, music, iPods, mobile phones, cameras and boys, they can also talk for HOURS non-stop. Now these are facts undebatable and unrefutable. We can talk about a whole string of stuff; the most famous one would be GOSSIP.
But only 5% of our daily conversation has God inside.

So are we now MORE enthusiastic about the opposite sex, fashion, mobile phones, accessories and gossip THAN God?

Where is God in your life? This section may be hurting to those who are sensitive but well, I have to say what I have to say. I am not pointing fingers at anyone here so don’t get me wrong. Get ready...

Where is God in your life?
Where is God in your BLOG?

A blog is like an online diary right? Just that this diary can be read by all. And a diary is a book or now even a blog where we can tell people about our daily happenings, our frustration, our happiness, our sorrows, our dreams, our life. We blog because we want to tell people about our lives.
But where is God in your blog? All we read is something like,
“Today at school my teacher was absent, and we had a whole load of fun taking pictures, chit-chatting.......”
or something like,
“My friend pissed me off today. He was suppose to pick me up but last minute he called and gave a stupid lame excuse and I have to f****** take a taxi to Mid Valley! Gosh! I hate you ***!...”
Read this kind of post before?

If a blog is about your life and if God is suppose to be in your life then where is God in your blog?

Blog = Life
Life = God
so
Blog = God

Enough said here. Ponder about you have read. Get mad at me if you want. Say I am a fanatic if you want. Post something bad in my cbox if you want. Sue me if you want. Hate me if you want. Curse me if you want. I just want to ask you...

Where is God in your life?

Is your life so BIG that everyone can see but
God so SMALL that He can hardly be seen?

This post was not targeted specifically at anyone. If you feel offended, I am sorry. I understand that not many of you out there experience God daily in life. I was once like you and I sometimes am too. What I can tell you now is this...

Psalm 145:18
The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Jeremiah 29:13-14
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.

So let God shine. Let Him be known through you.
Let Him be known through the way you talk, the way you react to situations, the way you live.
Let Him be known through your life.

Put God back into your life.

Matthew 5:14-16
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.
Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.
In the same way, let your light shine before men,
that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

Once again,
Where is God in your life?
.
.

Making Who Seems Unknown Known,
Zlwin Chew.

FRIENDSHIP DAY

HEY FRIENDS!!!

Youth Energy had a YE’S FRIENDSHIP DAY yesterday and those of you that didn’t turn out, well you have missed it! Too bad! But don’t worry; I will share with you in this post about what happened yesterday.

The event was kicked off with Adrian Yap and his team leading us in a God-lead Praise and Worship. It was a whole load of fun in God’s presence! Pictures below, catch’em.
Then we introduced the new-comers with a rather spotlight-introduction. Later on Mr. Handsome Ang Wei Loong took 300 seconds from us to tell us briefly what are FRIENDS...

Now the interesting part... Two very gila gila men were specially invited for this event. They are Kwang Yew and Desmond Lim. Both of them have been best of friends since they were in diapers (I think). And Mr. Larry Chew interviewed them ala Late Night Show With David Letterman but this time was Late Afternoon Show With Larry Chew Wai Kum (Pictures below)
Questions were thrown out at them to answer. Funny and embarrassing questions haha. I can’t tell you here cause um they are ahem... Private and Confidential. You got to be there to hear for yourselves =)

After the “Show”, Her Majesty, the Queen Lee Jian Quin had us play a game involving plastic bags! Gosh! Terribly hilarious!

Okie, pictures time!!! =)

The LIFE Cells Leaders!!!

God bless you all!!!

__________________________________

FRIENDS...

Why is it important? Does the Bible tell us the importance of friends? Oh yes it does. Let me now share with you what the two best friends Kwang Yew and Desmond shared and I am going to add on.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down,
his friends can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Also, if two lie together,
they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Two are better than one because they have a good return for their work:
When one goes to the field to gather the crops for the day, he comes back carrying 10 baskets full. Imagine the toil and sweat. But if a friend helps him, they might come back carrying 5 baskets each or even 10 baskets each so it adds up to 20 baskets! That is what the Bible mentions in the verse above. Help one another.

If one falls down, his friends can help him up:
If one falls and stumbles, one can pick himself up. But wouldn’t it be much easier if there is a friend to help him up? In this race we Christian run, many of us will eventually fall along the way, the man of the greatest faith even faces temptations and stumbling blocks. That is why it is important to have a friend to help us in our journey and see to it that we finish the race and meet Jesus face to face one day. But pity those who fall and doesn’t have a friend to help him up. You can do something today: be a friend to those who don’t have friends.

Also, if two lie together, they will keep warm:
Note, this verse speaks in a double language; it does not encourage us to sleep together or something yea. This verse speaks about sharing and caring. If one is left out in the streets with no home to stay during the winter, a true friend will go out in the streets in search of his homeless friend and when he finds him, he will gladly bring him to his house. That is the warmth of a friend. In the Bible days, travelers face the freezing cold at night, especially in the deserts. So what they do is to lie close to each other to share the body heat. But how can one keep warm himself? A friend is in need.

Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves:
In times of trouble, a true friend will be there to see you out safely. No matter what it may cost, a true friend will risk everything to help his friend. If one is overpowered by the enemy, it is hard for him to stand alone. But if two are together and the enemy attacks, they can defend each other’s back. That’s what friends are for.

A cord of three strands is not easily broken:
There is power in numbers. A chopstick can be easily broken, but a bundle of 10 chopsticks will prove you weak! Here the number three is mentioned, this is because the number three in Biblical terms means the Divine Completion. And here it also means that two friends are good, they can help each other and defend each other against out foe. But three is the divine completion; the third person must be Jesus Himself. Two true friends in Christ will prove the enemy weak.

Greater love has no one than this... That a man would lay down his own life for his friends...

The Greatest Friend of all...
The Best of the best...
The Friend of friends...

JESUS CHRIST...

John 15:13-17
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his FRIENDS.
You are my friends if you do what I command.
I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you FRIENDS, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
You did not choose me but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father in heaven will give you whatever you ask in my name.
This is my command: LOVE EACH OTHER.

.

.

A Friend,

Zlwin Chew.