God had also been amazing to orchestrate some things in my life. He led me to spontaneously meet for dinner with my mentee, Etienne and his Kaplan Lifegroup, and then join them for an SMU Uni outreach event after the dinner. Random max!! However, after the event, it was announced that the Kaplan LG will be joining SMU ministry. Etienne just joined Kaplan LG a while back, and God has decided for us to continue to journey together in the same ministry. From being in the same section in Paya Lebar Airbase to now being in the same ministry :) He has also done so by letting me and my previous mentees journey together. Like by letting me and Shaun, be table buddies in KCPSS, and then in same CCAs in JC, and then in the same LG now in NS.
God had also been drawing others to Him during Easter. 4 of my friends came for ESS. One of them did not know much about Christianity and God. He came for 1st service and we even had a great time of sharing after the ESS. 3 of my friends came later. 1 of them is committed to his Buddhist belief since young, but he didn’t mind to join us. Another was unsure, but he said the sinner’s prayer!! Another friend said the prayer too, but he didn’t tell me, and my LG mate told me LOL! I’m really glad that God is drawing these brothers, and I’m sure, He’ll draw more others to Him this year.
I also prepared and took BTT for driving recently. I was quite worried as I did not read the BTT book. I just did test simulators and went for E-trial. On the day before the test, I was even scoring 32/50 on the test simulator D: But the E-trial test before the BTT helped a lot. Jordan from my LG was an ass, he didn’t encourage me but joke that if I fail, it means God thinks I’m not safe enough on the road. During BTT, despite being unsure for some questions I somehow got 50/50, full marks for the first time :) I decided to buy the FTT book, not because I’m scared I may fail. But because I wanted to make sure that I know my stuff well, for driving is an area that I can steward and honor God in, even if driving benefits myself personally.
God also led me to do CPA Internet Marketing. Since I ORD-ed last Dec, I helped my mum in her work, but could also take up a flexible part time job if I really wanted to. But I didn’t. Then at end Feb, my dad told me about CPA, and he even signed me up beforehand for the 3 days weekend workshop. If I did not know what it really was, I would probably not go for it because it was also on Saturday. However, it was an internet marketing that really intrigued me, and it is something I want to know more even as I study Biz in SMU.
It just happened that I’m the only one or two that is doing CPA, and am not working or studying yet. There was someone who already had experience in CPA and she joined my team out of the 12 teams. She helped me a lot. During one of the activities, I was chosen by my group and we got 1st place in it. At the end of the series of activities, my team was suppose to be 1st place, but a careless mistake at the end made us got from highest points to negative points. It was good to experience that mistake during the workshop, so we will not encounter it and make bigger losses when we actually start advertising.
I’ve already spent $900+ in it & only made $146 thus far.. However it’s a biz that you only see more profits as you continue to test and invest. I do not have much left to spend, but as God led me to do CPA, I pray He’ll provide for me to continue doing it. As with many professions and biz, there are practices that are not very ethical. One such example is “R&D”. You would think it’s research & development. Nope, it stands for “reference and duplicate”. It is to take people’s self-designed advertising picture, and use it yourself to advertise. It saves you time. Another would be tools to spy on what advertisement people are doing and how they do it, so you can copy too. I was really really tempted to follow suite as other CPA marketers do. I even bought one such tool. However, after trying to reason that it’s ok, I just said NO, it isn’t right to me and I deleted it. I am a Child of God, I want to delight in God and set myself apart to Him. Now I do not know how I can make profits with my limited $ left, but I want to honor God first.
God also led me to go for Hope Sem Mods, for OT1 & OT2. And even for Bible Interpretation even though I was on waiting list. I’m really glad to know so much more about each book of the OT and about a big picture of God’s redemptive plan since the beginning. However, what really caught me is that God is Holy. He is set apart, and the Israelites are to be set apart. Throughout OT, in Judges and the prophets, the people are constantly called to turn away from idolatry and prostitution to foreign “gods” and nations. God took no delight in their “sacrifices, fasting, sabbath and festival ordinances”. God only wants them to acknowledge that He is God, He is the one who provided for them, He is their God.
And I realized that so many things in the Bible, so many messages and promises, just asks us to acknowledge God! Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and He’ll make your paths straight. Jesus says those who believes in Him, will do greater things. Proclaim the gospel, and He’ll be with you always. Seek Him first, His Kingdom and His Righteousness, and He will add unto you these things.. The list goes on. There are just so many things that I have not fully acknowledge in faith, have I truly put Jesus as the center of my life? Do I believe in the Holy Spirit who counsels, helps and leads me? Do I believe that I can have such intimacy with God, that He can speak to me and that I can bless, heal and love others? Do I believe in really putting Him first before anything?
I’m really inspired by Men of God like Todd White, Reinhard Bonnke, Bill Johnson & Billy Graham. They claim God’s Word, who God is, and who God says they are in their lives. They live in intimacy with God, the HS & Jesus, living 24/7 Kingdom lifestyle. They find themselves still far from all God has created for them to be. And they believe that all of us have these access to the Father, all of us can claim God’s Word, and can have these spiritual blessings and authority.
If not for Hope Sem, it isn’t my personal discipline to study the Bible. It really is important, it’s God’s general revelation to us. All that needs to be known is completed in the Bible. It is the Word of Life & Truth. It is powerful and it’s living. It’s said that all scripture is God-breathed, helpful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training. It is said the truth will set you free. It is said that watch your doctrine carefully, so that you save both yourself and your hearers. It is said that those who delight in the law of God will be like a tree planted by the streams, always fruitful.. And more. I want to commit myself then, to study and know the Word, which then helps me to know and acknowledge God. The scale of how much to study and do is crazy, but I can take steps like to join WFL Book Studies later in the year, or to read books in the Bible like Ezekiel that I’m less familiar. The goodness of acknowledging His Word may not be obvious, but by taking time even in the current ministry to invest in it, it can bear fruits in the future ministries. The seeds you plant in this season, will be the fruits you pluck in the next.
If I can only choose between going Uni or investing in God’s Word, I would choose the latter. However, I do feel that God has placed me in SMU for His purposes. While transition isn’t bad, I kinda dread this coming transition to Uni, which will come along with new people, new things, new responsibilities, new environments. I really want to put God 1st, to continue to deepen my intimacy with Him and acknowledge Him even more. I’m so far from all that I’m created to be, I’ve yet to claim so much of His truths, like to know and let the HS lead me more. However, it starts from this desire, it starts from acknowledging him more, even in little things like my CPA biz, in my struggle, in how I relate to my parents, in listening and acting on His Word more.
We are called to be the salt and light of the World. We are called not just to be different, but to be distinguished from others. The pharisees noted that Peter and the disciples had been with Jesus, after seeing their courage and wisdom. David faced Goliath, not with the sword and spear, but the name of the Lord Almighty. Paul, from persecuting Christians, set himself apart as the chosen instrument to suffer and to spread the gospel everywhere he goes. Daniel refused to eat the palace food, but just vegetables, yet He was beaming with more health. Daniel despite being in foreign and enemy ground, chose to devote to God daily, and acknowledge God in all His ways. God poured out His power, His favor, His grace, His wisdom, His Spirit, His love and more on these people. We are called to reign in life through Christ! How do we do so? Maybe it’s just so hard to imagine, but I believe it starts from the faith to want to set ourselves apart, even in the little things, and then big things, to acknowledge and seek God 1st. God bless you :)
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