Yesterday was the Day of Commission. If you have noticed, I would normally blog right after I got back from service because I felt that such things needed to be blogged down immediately so that whatever I have heard from church can have its fullest effect here on the blog. But yesterday wasn't such a day. I was so tired. I didn't even felt like worshipping God. I just stood with the crowd. Then it became so bad at a point that I cried.

Now, in my life, there are two forms of crying. One is when I cried for God, when I am touched. This is very common in church as I'm usually superly emotionally charged in worshipping God, and sensitive to His Word, what He's saying to me. The other type of crying, I'd categorise it as those that make my eyes puffy red. I have this funny hypothesis that if my tears are not shed for God, then my eyes will become red and swollen. And it's true! These are the tears I shed when I'm very tired, upset about the turns of events (which did not go my way, and God is always asking me to trust Him in handling things His way), or hurt about the way people or things are... Simply put, I cried because of my weak nature, and I did not cry out to God, but rather I just cried in anguish, perhaps out of self-pity. Hence, red puffy eyes. :P

Anyway, though I did not catch much in spirit, I shall just blog down the few sentences that managed to penetrate my thick skull that night:

Joshua 5:13-15
Jericho is a symbol of strongholds because in the Bible, it says that no one was allowed into the city or out of it. But when God's presence begin to manifest, the stronghold will come down.

There is one commander to look to: Jesus. And as we have heard his three sentences on the Cross, let's read His last command to the people in Matt 28:18-20. (The Great Commission). Here, baptizing the people in our time, in our church, it means bringing the people to Encounter. And we need to teach them, not only teaching them the Word, but teach them to obey.

Matt 22:34-40 when a lawyer asked Jesus about the great commands to remember, Jesus speaks of two commands: Love God and love the people. But in v39, Jesus actually makes the two commands into one, which Paul says in Galatian 5:14 about loving your neighbour. So, there should be no distinction about loving God and loving people. Jesus says in Matt 9:35-38 about the harvest not having enough labourers, and continue on in Matt 10 in sending out His disciples, and these two passages are actually linked together.

Finally, Ps Eugene ended off with two things that we need to do:
-eyes to see the crowd
-sense their needs

Day of communion - Let God
(Hehh, and I thought today was a day of covenant, but what the pastor preached about just didn't seem to tally.. well, then I remembered that we had holy communion just now, and communion starts with a 'c'! =p)

God wants to sanctify us to make us more valuable. John 17:15.
Actually today I was rather distracted. Maybe it was because I broke fast and thus was a little uneasy with the spirit within me. Anyway, heard Ps Eugene making this very true remark, 'The less the virgins, the more valuable the virgins become'. Something like near extinction species..

God will sanctify us as we pray and ask for it because Jesus said the very same prayer for us.

Joshua 5:9-12 talked about how the people in the Joshua generation celebrated the Passover before moving onwards - the communion feast with God. This Passover was in remembrance of how God had delivered the people from Egypt during the night when the angel of death swept through the city, killing the firstborn of those whose houses were not marked with the blood of the lamb. The Passover is a symbol of God's protection over His people.

1 Cor 11:23-32. What the Lord's Supper is about, and how we should always take it in remembrance of what our Lord Jesus had done on the cross for us, that we may partake of His Body and Blood.

We had a trailer of the Mel Gibson's movie, The Passion. It was to remind us of the reality of the pain that Christ bore for us as He chose to die for us. That was the word for me - pain. I asked God to show me what He went through as He was crucified, and I felt immense pain. I could only ask, 'Why, God, why?'. I guess I knew the answer only too well.

The three sentences that Jesus spoke while He was on cross recorded in Luke 23 represent three messages that Jesus wants us to do, if we are to follow His example:
-word of forgiveness v34.

-word of acceptance v43.
This part spoke to me again how I often view my friends, especially my close non-Christian friends, as those I would not be able to see them as being saved. Perhaps I know them too well? But this is not right. I don't decide for them. Nein. Instead, I should look on the forgiveness that God has, even til the very end of the life of the criminal, as long as he was willing to believe in Jesus, his sins were forgiven, and he would enter into life in eternity with God.

-word of submission v46.

Then there was this song, I know it is written by someone in the YouthNet. It's called Jesus Died For Me. There's one part of this song that says 'God loves me and He never hid His face from me'. Gosh, I felt so ashamed of myself again. How many times I have hid myself from Him! Or rather, hid Him inside me instead of showing Him to everyone. Look at it this way, God owning up that I'm His daughter even when I've done wrong in His eyes, and me, on the other hand, denying His Presence even when He has been good to me. God revealed to me instances of me saying grace in a most hidden manner as to how I have not announced His goodness to my life in providing for my needs. God, I repent!!

Day of circumcision - Let Go
(based on the text from Joshua 5)

Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin from the male organ, the penis. This was the definition made by Ps Julie. For once, it sounded so clean and grammatically correct. There was no laughter or any crude remarks made on that from the audience. Or, maybe was it due to the church setting? Hmm..

Talked about little foxes today. (Songs of Songs 2:15)

And what are the little foxes in our lives?
-Prov 26:13-16 Sluggard = Laziness
Wua, a very chim verse, especially coming from Proverbs! *shudder*.. Ps Julie sure made it easier to understand. The reason for the sluggard to say that there's a lion on the road is so that he can stay indoors and not go out to work. Then the illustration of the door on the hinge. Haha.. That was funny. She said that the door held on the hinge can only open and close, but it will always remain there, held by the hinge. Similarly, the sluggard who tosses and turns in his bed, will still remain, nomatter how much he tosses and turns, on his bed. *laugh*

A brilliant advice from Ps Julie to her children is to get a power sleep of 30mins before continuing with their studies. Think I can implement that though I use to give myself only 10mins' sleep. I think that is what I should now call as my mega-power sleep.. Lol.. She also speaks about her time back in NJC (wua, she's from NJC!!), and her principal made it a point that the students were always dressed properly when they went to study in the library. Even the school T-shirt were not allowed to be worn in. His reason being that if you are dressed properly, then you'd be serious about studying properly as well. Hm! Talk about being disciplined, it's even up to the point of being dressed properly for the occasion! The Lord demands excellence!

-1 Cor 5:6-12 Little yeast
Contamination of our values, our thoughts.

The one thing that strikes me deep in my heart is my friendship with this world. Too many times I have allowed myself to shake hands with the things of the world. Too many times I have fallen into the hands of the Evil One, to allow him to make me tolerable of things displeasing to the Lord, sins in the eyes of the Almighty One. Love the sinners, hate the sin. It's rather hard actually. 'Cos I always feel the strain that if I was to hate the sin, I might end up hating the sinners as well, or the people may feel that I don't like them anymore. Sigh.. Lord, help!!!

-Gal 5:16-17 Flesh
The tongue - pray daily to God that He might guard your tongue.
Pornography and sex - ask God to cleanse your eyes, ears (for the ladies because of what we hear.. *gossips!!*), and mouth.

Circumcision causes pain because it has become a part of us. Sometimes we know what is good, but we just don't do it. Here are three things that we need to do after we have identified our little foxes:
-admit that there are little foxes in our lives.
-guard your prayer life.
-count on people who can help you (accountability).

Today marked the first day of sanctification. And also a day when I will start inputing a lot more stuff in here. So, what did I learn today?

We cannot stand unless the cross is lifted high.

This was a powerful statement made by Ps Eugene. I really felt moved, and very much ashamed of my current life. Has the cross ever been held high in my life? Have I done my part as a Christian? Lord, help me to stand.

Why sanctification?
1 Thess 4:3-8
Sanctification is both an act and process.

Be holy, because I am holy. ~1 Peter 1:16

A necessary stage. Joshua 5:4

We are going to discover these three things over the next 3 days:
-Who am I NOT?
-Who am I?
-Whom do I serve?

Today is a day of commitment.

Homework for tomorrow:
Read Joshua 5. Relate it to Gen 17 when God made His first covenant of circumcision with Abraham. Many key events followed: Abram --> Abraham; Sarai --> Sarah; naming of their son Isaac.

Christian's walk is a walk of daily dying to our life.

What blocks obedience? - Sin and Pride.