Lord Give me Your Eyes

Friday, 13 November 2009

  • CCF Open Mic Sharing Night

    uwccflogo

    So this Friday at CCF, we had a Sharing Night where anyone could just come up and share about how God is working in their lives.  As always it was an encouraging night.  I’ve always liked it when we’ve had sharing nights at CCF.  Being able to hear about the faithfulness and awesomeness of God in other people’s lives really does help in my own walk.  For me especially, spiritually lately, I haven’t been the greatest, and my walk hasn’t been exactly eventful either.  I had been slipping little by little throughout most of the term.  This week hasn’t been too bad, but I have lots of expectations for myself and I know I have lots to fix and lots to do to reach the full potential that God has for me.  I was thinking of sharing and felt like I should, but there wasn’t much time, and I still have to see what God has in store for me…we will see.. =D

    Anyways I took some notes for the night and here they are.  I’ve also recorded the audio for everyone that shared, so if you want to hear them or you missed the night, just send me an email at jamvng@gmail.com and if I get permission from the “sharer” I can send it to you. =)  Also, for those that shared, if there are any discrepancies between my notes and what you meant, PLEASE tell me.  o and excuse the really rough notes..might have bad grammar and stuff at times hehe….

    Caleb Yeung
    - hard to forgive myself
    - other times proud of who I am
    - don't compare with others, no need to
    - other's "rubric" is different than God's "rubric" for us
    - we are all unique
    - learn from others (different than measuring ourselves to others)
    - "iron sharpening iron", purpose of tonight, to build each other up
    - when God is faithful to one of us, we should share our joy with others
    - Jeremiah 29:11
    - never take our eyes off of Jesus
    - not just us trying our best to focus on Him, but to get to the point where we can't help ourselves to

    Stephanie Hadi
    - God made us and loves us the way we are
    - we are God's children
    - read God’s letter of love for us (ask for the audio recording if you want to hear it =D)

    Li Chen
    - thankful for CCf even though is only frosh
    - convicted to go into mathematical physics in high school to explore more of His creation
    - didn't think he would get into university because of low english marks, but God gave 76% when the cutoff was 75%
    - Proverbs 3:5
    - trust in the Lord with everything he has
    - got the 80% he needed in Euclid to get into advanced courses (got exactly 80%)
    - God arranged good roommates (thankful)
    - proud of marks, thought he would do well, but it wasn't that easy...almost failed first midterm in advanced CS course when he thought he could handle it
    - God used school to humble him, remembered Proverbs 3:5, give school up to His hands
    - 2nd midterm, God gave me JUST enough to pass course
    - need to trust in God and He will lead you

    Diana Trieu
    - God can use you in ways you can't imagine
    - last weekend, studied with friends downtown
    - went for dinner, stopped at Popeyes, but restaurant was closing, so they went to Pizza Nova
    - man walked in with really baggy clothes
    - asked them for change, looked really intimidating
    - ended up having enough money for pizza
    - looked really sad, asked for ambulance
    - store owner didn't want him in the store
    - he suddenly said he wanted to commit suicide
    - froze, friends were rushed to leave, but couldn't leave/move
    - felt conviction from Spirit to move and speak to him
    - went up to him and asked if he wanted a drink, gave me change and got him a drink
    - he said Thank you and God Bless
    - asked if he was ok
    - talked about how everything wasn't going right
    - he was a believer and told how God has saved his life many many times (4 near death experiences)
    - felt his brokenness and hurt
    - he couldn't hold on anymore
    - told him to take more time with God (gave him Bible) and to really think about how much God loves him
    - felt his pain and started crying
    - reminded him of God's love for him and His faithfulness, need to seek Him, know that God is with you
    - man said he would have faith because I told him to
    - all felt like it was completely planned by God
    - it was the Spirit that gave me the boldness to act on what God told me to go
    - our God is powerful and do so many things in our lives, and work through us powerfully

    see her blog post for more detail =D CLICK here

    Michael Wong
    - feels like his life is a rat race
    - life is boring, asked God for excitement
    - God gave him excitement, almost got in trouble with UW police, but God saves
    - God will answer your prayers even if it is in an unexpected way

    Elizabeth Kao
    - this term is her billowing seas
    - past term (winter) everything was well, got into optom, good boyfriend, growing in relationship with God
    - thought this term would be the same
    - had expectations, but God shattered expectations
    - no one to depend on
    - beginning of term, faith was tested
    - asked myself if my faith was even genuine
    - keep on striving to the point of agonizing for your faith
    - because if you don't fight for it, how can you say you're a Christian
    - your perseverance in this race is a testament to God's faithfulness
    - learnt what it means to trust in God
    - faithfulness of God is so true, you see it throughout the Bible
    - Jude 24

    Allan
    - "When you don't believe in yourself, God will"
    - why I am not more thankful?
    - have been trying to find a job before graduating
    - it used to be that when you're an engineer you could find a job right after, but last year only 25% could
    - asked himself why is he not getting a job
    - God has blessed me by coming to Waterloo
    - didn't know anyone, went to Clubs Day, looking for Christian fellowship
    - someone told him that engineers are "builders of men" (sorta like when Jesus said that we are fishers of men)

    _______________________________________________________________________________________

    I want to point out also that Brian Lee also shared a song and passage after hearing Diana’s sharing.  Isaiah 61 (go read it) and “From Ashes to Beauty” by The Vine Band.

    The spirit of the sovereign Lord
    Is on me now
    To love, to speak, to heal, to preach
    The spirit of the sovereign Lord
    Is on me now
    Giving Life

    You turn ashes to beauty
    Mourning to dancing
    Anguish to songs of praise

    Pour your spirit over me
    Let your love rain down 
    Would you take these hands of mine
    And use me
    Pour your spirit over me
    Let your love rain down
    Would you take these feet of mine
    And lead me

    The spirit of the sovereign Lord
    Is on me
    To go, to free, to give, to feed
    The spirit of the sovereign Lord 
    Is on me now
    Spreading love

    I really like this song after listening to it again and checking the lyrics.  It resonates with me and my passions.  Admittedly, this term I haven’t been doing super well spiritually and I haven’t done much to fulfill Isaiah 61.  But I pray that by God’s grace, that I can find the joy in Him again and revive my passion for the lost.

Tuesday, 15 September 2009

  • life direction

    Where am I going? Where will I be in a year? 2 years? 5 years?

    Where do my true passions lie? What do I really really want to do and like to do? What has God called me to do?

    Picking courses, I don't want to take any courses that will be useless (it feels like a waste of money). Not knowing what I want to do or be, it's so hard to judge on what courses I should be taking. Especially after last year, when I was in Physics, I don't know if it's the right thing for me anymore. I took some bio courses this term..but should I be doing that? First lectures are done, I find it interesting so far (and it's not as hard as physics ahah), but still, I don't know... Do I want to be in the medical/bio field?

    From high school, I've always liked science and computers. For the latter, its the reason why I'm taking a CS course this term, but science...even in high school, I like all 3 disciplines (bio, chem, physics). sigh..

    I'm trying to find a course to swap Calc 3 (MATH 227) out of, because it's useless for me if I don't plan on getting back into Physics. I've been planning to just stay in Honours Science. But then it gives me so much options..I duno which courses to take. I dont want to just take a random bird course, because last year felt like i wasted so much time already, I want to just get into it and take the courses I need for whatever I need to go into...

    I know God has a plan for me, and that all this, everything that has happened, is to develop me and guide me to where I should be...I'm going to work hard in whatever I do...

    =/ I STILL DON'T KNOW WHT COURSE TO TAKE!!! (swap calc for whttt)...i shud do it asap..

    EDIT: swapped it for HLTH 101..seems interesting, and more useful..

Friday, 28 August 2009

Thursday, 27 August 2009

Monday, 24 August 2009

Sunday, 23 August 2009

  • new life

    gosh, it's so easy to fall back to the old way of living with excuses of "tiredness", "indifference", "apathy"...

    need to constantly remind myself of the way I should be living, the (many) things I need to do, the urgency that needs to be had in everything..

    we have a new life in Christ...bring glory to God...

    "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
    Romans 12:1

Thursday, 20 August 2009

  • Prayer - Essential

    Jaeson Ma, if you haven't heard of him, is a youth pastor in the States.  jaesonma.com
    His testimony is encouraging, so if you heard of him or seen his sermons, check them out. 

    Anyways, I follow him on Twitter (www.twitter.com/jaesonma), and just saw a streak of tweets that I just wanted to share.

    Jaeson Ma's Tweets:

    Busyness is the enemy of Intimacy w/ God. Choose your appointments wisely, make your time w/ God #1 each day, schedule it in b4 nething else

    Now enough talk. I'm going into my prayer closet to pray and seek God's face! Psalm 27:4 "one thing I desire this is what I seek..GOD!"

    I prayed for the last 1.5 hours, in the beginning there was a lot on my heart, I had to wait on the Lord till the burden lifted. Pray until.
     
    This is a key in prayer. You must pray till you experience breakthrough in your spirit man. Until you feel an overwhelming peace come over u
     
    Prayer is not just talking. Prayer is not just listening. Prayer is communing from your spirit to His Spirit. It's worship in spirit & truth
     
    Prayer is not complete till you become one with His Spirit. Where the two become so intertwined that you are in Him and He is in you.
     
    Prayer is union with God. When you reach this level of union you have truly prayed & transcended the physical to the spiritual. We must pray

    as @mchammer once said "WE GOT TO PRAY JUST TO MAKE IT TODAY!"

Wednesday, 19 August 2009

  • Persistent Prayer

    "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

     "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

     And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

    Luke 18:1-8

    Yesterday, went to TO to have dinner w/ froshies as well as softball/bubble tea with CCF'ers.  It was nice to see some people that I haven't seen in awhile and just to hang out.  Though it was a little disappointing that by the time froshies got to the baseball diamond, it was too dark to play anymore =(.  Ah well next time haha.

    Sophie drove me home last night.  Had a good conversation on the way home.  The meat of it was about prayer and healing.  Last term (spring term), CCF had daily prayer for Mandy's mother and for healing.  I won't get into the complicated issue of prayer/faith/healer but the thing that did stick out to me was that everyone was passionate in coming to God in prayer. 

    I think that corporate prayer is something that was a little lacking in my first year, prayer meetings were always the most attended.  Just looking at the parable of the persistent prayer.  How often do we pray for something constantly, everyday.  Or even multiple times throughout the day.  Part of the power of a family of believers is that we can come together and talk to our Father.  When I heard of the persistent prayer that CCF had towards this in the summer (prayer meetings EVERYDAY), I thought to myself, why not next term, why not all the time, whether individually or corporately.  With all the passion in the fellowship for outreach, caring and serving, the prayer is all the more important.  Especially for me, with God burdening me with outreach and caring, it really is a great need that we so easily pass over.  Prayer is like the fuel of outreach in a sense, without praying for God's strength and Spirit, we won't be able to speak or make the most of every opportunity as well.  Persistent group prayer is even more powerful.  To get together regurlarly and pray for the campus, the city, the world.  For the hurt and for God to move, for His power because we cannot do it alone. 

    I talked to Mikee before about what he wanted to do next term awhile back.  He stated that he wanted to start with prayer...and he's completely right.  Prayer is what needs to be done before we think of bigger things in the campus; it's essential....

Tuesday, 18 August 2009

  • Surrounded by a cloud of witnesses

    "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

    Hebrews 12:1

    How are we seen by others?  Do they see us as Christlike, or are we just like any other person?  What part of our lives will entice others to follow Christ?  Do we work harder?  Do we have better qualities?  Are any better?  No we aren't, but we have Christ's love, hope and peace, and He lives in us.  But do we let Him?  Do others see Him in us? 

    "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians." -Gandhi

Friday, 14 August 2009

  • Prayer Has to Do with Abiding

    From Prayer: Does it Make a Difference by Philip Yancey

    "Roy Lawrence, a vicar and adviser on prayer to a British bishop, says that we make a mistake to think that effective prayer must involve great effort. "We think of it as hard work, as striving.... That is the way I myself used to think. In fact, often after praying for somebody's healing, I would find the imprints of my own nails on my palms because I had been clenching my fists so tightly as I agonized in prayer."

    Lawrence became convinced that prayer has more to do with resting than with striving. "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest," Jesus said — or, as another translation has it, "and I will refresh you." For guidance on prayer, Lawrence now looks to the passage in John 15 in which Jesus holds up the image of a vine and branches. The branch bears fruit not by striving or agonizing, simply by "abiding" or resting."

jamvng

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