I've found a friend who died for me

*The shortest distance between you and the life you want is total obedience to Christ.

John 15:10-11,
If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as i have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

*sin always has a price, and the price is in direct proportion to the sin.

Life is lived infront of a two-way mirror. God can see us, but we can't see Him.

What happens when we disobey God?
->you cannot break the laws of God. You can only break yourself against His laws when you ignore or violate them.

->Sin always has a price, and the price is in direct proportion to the sin. Some sins have a greater consequence than others.

What is the price of disobedience?
The price of disobedience comes in 2 forms.
(i) it comes in the natural cause-and-effect consequences of our actions.
(ii) divine dicipline, commensurate with the sin.

Why does God require obedience from us?
-> everything God asks of us, He does so because He wants to give something good to us and/or keep us from harm.

What is the result of obefience?
-> the Scripture promise joy for obedience.
->joy is the consequences of obedience.

OBEDIENCE IS NOT AS HARD IF WE BECOME PERSUADED THAT IT IS NOT ONLY FOR GOD'S GLORY BUT ALSO FOR OUR GOOD.

Great blessing come to the person who is scrupulously obedient to the Scriptures, who doesn't ask, 'how much can I get away with?', but rather, 'how obedient can I be?'.

If you believe obedience is the shortest way/distance between you and the life you want, you will obey. When you disobey, it is bwcause there has been a breakdown of your faith.

Sorry guys if I took so long. was kinda indulge with twitter, hehe. But I'm continueing my daily readin so I can share what I learn whenever I have time. See you all soon. Also pls pray for me. Results are coming out soon. :)

THE RIGHT WAY TO LIVE IS TO LIVE RIGHT.

*THE KEY TO HOLY LIVING IS "READY REPENTANCE" OF SIN*

1 Peter 1:15-16

As He who called you is holy,
You also be holy in all your conduct
Because it is written, "be holy for I am holy".

What is the biblical mandate for holiness?
->the mandate for holiness is found in 1 Peter 1:15-16

The holiness referred to here doesn't mean theoritically holiness that looks forward to our complete holiness in heaven. It means practical holiness.

God would be less than God if he called us to a lesser standard. But at the same time, knowing we cannot become sinlessly perfect while still on earth, He has provided a way for us to live holy - though imperfect - lives by cultivating a spirit of ready repentance.

What is the relationship between repentance and holiness?

*DEEP REPENTANCE PRODUCE DEEP FORGIVENESS, WHICH RESULTS IN DEEP MINISTRY WITH OTHERS.*

Practical holiness is rooted in repentance. When we are called to holy living, we fear that God expects us never to sin again. I'll tell you, its hopeless. God knows it as well. However, the blood of Christ cleanses His children from all sin.

PRACTICAL HOLINESS IS ROOTED IN REPENTANCE.

Holy living must be taken seriously, but we must also be ready to accept the grace of God when we sin. As we sharpen and cultivate our understanding of holiness of God, we gain a clearer sense of our own unholiness. This drives us to deeper and deeper repentance, which makes us more and more usable by the Lord.

What final lesson can be learned about holiness?
-> We must take holy living seriously, but we must also take seriously God's grace and forgiveness when we sin.

1) To repent means, literally to turn around.
2) God's agenda for the rest of our lives on earth is our growth into greater holiness.
3) We're not cleansed from the effects of our sin without pain.
4) The great task of holiness is grow up by growing down. Tricky I know. I shall explain. Christians become greater by getting smaller. Pride blows us up like balloons but grace punctures our conceit and let the hot, proud air out of our system.
5) We all fail living a holy life.
6) As we grow spiritually, we begin to see how short we fall of Jesus' character.
7) To grow weaker is to grow stronger.
-> To accept each days' trouble, pain and failure as evidence of our weakness, our need for God's strength is key to our daily cultivation of holiness.
8) When we sin, it doesn't mean our salvation is jeopardized, its just mean our fellowship with God is broken.

Woaaaahhhhhh. So much more to learn don't you guys think. I really want to thank miss pushpa for lending me this book. Man, I'm enjoying reading. Well imaprting too. Ahaha. Tomorrow I'll be reading up on the law of obedience and will be talking about the fullness of joy. I'm so excited! Well that's all for now, that's what I've learned today so see you guys soon.

How can we cultivate greater capacity for happiness?

*By being grateful for the things God has given us, rather than ungrateful for what He has not given us.

Once we laid foundation for happiness by putting God in the center of our lives, we gain daily happiness largely by taking pleasure out of little things in life rather than demanding a succession of big thingS. If only big things makes us happy, we won't have a very happy life.

*Remember: God is the only source of pure happiness and unconditional love.

Imagine what life would be like without food, clothing and shelter. Imagine you had to fear someone kicking the door in and finding you worshipping. Imagine if you lost the freedoms guaranteed in constitution. Imagin if you did not have anyone to love you or anyone to love. Imagine what life would be like if you didn't have little things to brighten your life.

We must learn to:
(i) be aware of the things we like.
(ii) be more appreciative of them

From there our capacity for happiness would increase.

Joy in the life depends on accepting the will of God in our lives and focusing on God's love, what He has done for us' is doing for us and will do for us. Joy depends on enjoying the salvation brought to us in Jesus and knowing all our ultimate needs in life have already been met, and God will see us through the hard times. Joy depends on serving Jesus, telling others about Him, knowing God has chosen to use our feeble efforts to advance His kingdom.

Happiness is a gift to those who follow God's truth.

Not all christians can know happiness. Clearly some non-Christian are happier than some Christians.

The surest road to happiness is living for God, placing our ultimate hope in the next world, and learning to be grateful for the small things that come our way in this world.

That's basically the summary of the first chapter. I'll blog about the 2nd chapter either later night or tomorrow morning :p see you guys soon.

1. THE LAW OF HAPPINESS - AN UNEXPECTED GIFT.
*Happiness isn't found by pursuing it;
It is a by-product of pursuing God.*

- In Your presence is fulness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalms 16:11

What do most people want out of life?
- Most people wants to be happy.

People have different views as what would it take to make them happy while others persues happiness. Money makes some people happy while others are happy in poverty. Not that they are happy about their poorness but at least they have each other to support and get each other's back.

Blaise Pascal once said that,

'All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attending with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this objective. This is the motive of every man, even of those who hang themselves.'

As christians, we may be vaguely uncomfortable admitting happiness is a priority for us. It doesn't sound spiritual. Yet the bible doesn't seem to shy away from presenting happiness as a valid longing;

Psalms 42:1-2 says,
As the deer longs for streams of water,
so I long for You, o God.
I thirst for God, the living God.
When can I go and stand before Him?

Psalms 63:1 says,
O God, You are my God;
I earnestly search for You.
My soul thirst for You;
My whole body longs for You
In this parched and weary lands
Where there is no water.

Psalms 16:11 says,
You will show me the way of life,
Granting me the joy of Your presence
And the pleasure of living with You forever.

The verses above states of deep longings we have and implies that fulfillment of these longings, as well as joy and pleasure, are things God does not find objectionable in humanity. Rather, He seems to encourage it as long as our pursuit of happiness is centered in Him.

How can we be happy?
-> by pursuing God, and trusting Him for happiness.

According to Max Anders;

'if happiness for us comes only through maintaining a sufficient flow of favorable circumstances, life will be pretty hard on most of us. First, we cannot be happy merely withe pleasurable circumstances. Pleasurable circumstances make good frosting but not a good cake. Second, even if circumstances could make us happy, we cannot control them adequately enough to bring us consistent happiness.'

Ok I'll continue the part about pleasurable circumstances later today. Its getting really late(2am) ahaha. So yeah. I'll continue later. :)

This one was supposedly to be shared back last year(28th December 09) but yeah, I have been busy and a lot of crazy things happened. Well anyway, moving on to my sharing.

'Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; though they join forces, none will go unpunished.
-Proverbs 16:5

Reading my bible is realy an awesome way to find out more about God. I read through about noah and his family and how obedient he was to the Lord.

After the flood, God has given Noah and his family 5 things to do. That is:

(i) replenish the Earth with people.
(ii) take dominion over all animals.
(iii) use animals for their food.
(iv) take green herbs for their food.
(v) obey God's law of a life for a life.

After the long confinement in the ark, what did Noah first do?

->His first act was to glorify God by erecting an altar and sacrificing burnt offerings upon it.

It was then that God made a covenant with Noah that He would never again destroy earth with a flood.

God is only pleased with those who worship Him in spirit and in truth. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.' (john 14:6). If we love the Lord because He saved us, we know that nothing we can do with the works of our hands will gain access to heaven. We know that we must come to God in His way.

Ok. That's the first thing I wanna share. I will post another one for what I've read a while ago.

Hey guys! Its been a while. Sorry if i wasn't able to blog for weeks. I was busy with party planning and other stuff! Oh well, I'll continue my reading soon.

Haha. Well, I don't have much mood to share anything today. I'm still thinking of what happened yesterday. Well we sent Aaron off yesterday. The first OLDER friend who I treated and loved like a real brother. Oh it is real btw. he's really a brother to me :).

I'll just start off sharing again tomorrow. So yeah. See you guys!!

Hey guys, my christmas was awesome. :) partied from 7pm - 24th december till like 5am - 25th december.

I didn't really party until 5am. I slept at 3am cuz I still want to make it to our christmas service. :) It was really really awesome.

Hey guys, i'll post the things i've learnt soon yeah. I haven't really read a lot cuz of christmas preparation. :)

Anyway, I got bored and I googled the meaning of my name and to my shock the meaning of my name is 'Ivan - GOD IS GRACIOUS'. I was really surprised.

I also googled some people's name and here are the results. Aaron means mountain of strength. Jerold means spear ruler. Michelle is the feminine of michael which means gift from God. Nikita means unconquered. :)

I never really thought that my name has biblical meanings cuz my name wasn't really mentioned in the bible if i'm not mistaken. Haha.

Oh well. I feel so blessed after what i've found out about my name. Haha. I thought my name was boring. But now. I'm happy that my name is Ivan.

Hey guys. Its been quite a while. Sorry yeah. Well to cut things short. Was busy. Ok? Up to todays topic! :)

All sins has its roots in and grows up out of unbelief. Humans are now self-centered instead of God-centered. Self is the heart of all sin, whether in Satan or in man.

*GOD IS THE CENTER OF TRUE LIFE AND SHOULD BE ITS BEGINNING AND END*

Sin is like a weed that spread through out the garden. It will choke out all the good in our lives if we allow it to grow.

In Romans 3:23, it says,
For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard.

How can you assure that you are going to heaven?
By doing countless good deeds? NO!
By receiving Christ and accepting Him as your Lord and Saviour.

When a friend invited me to go to their church 6 years ago, first question I asked was 'what religion?'
Then I laughed when I heard born again. Why? Because i stupidly thought that I would have to literally go back to my mother's womb and be born again from there. How stupid right? I came to know that being born again means to a reborn in the spirit.

In order to be saved, we must be born of the spirit.

What does it mean to be a sinner?
Being a sinner means that you have failed to do what God requires to be in right relationship with Him. You have failed to do God's law.

Romans 3:10 - 18 says,
as the scriptures say,
"No one is righteous, not even one. No one is truly wise, no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one."
"Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave. Their tongues are filled with lies"
"Snake venoms drips from their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitternes,"
They rush to commit murder. Destruction and misery always follow then. They don't know where to find peace.
They have no fear of God at all.

Remember this, no amount of good deeds can send you to heaven or please God. Without Christ, it is impossible to please God no matter how hard you try. Because we sin, we were seperated from God and could not be a part of His kingdom.

When Ps. Peh Han asked me last thursday, 'what is the judgment for sin?' I answered death.
I was correct. Its not physical death but SPIRITUAL DEATH.

Notice in Genesis, God said to Adam and Eve that they were free to eat any fruits from the garden except for one for they will surely die.

They didn't die physically, but spiritually.

If you refuse to accept God's love and offer of eternal life through Jesus Christ, then you will remain in your sin and continue to be separated from God. If you die seperated from God, you are condemned to an eternity without God in what the bible calls hell.

Ephesians 2:8-9 clearly states that we are saved by grace - favor of God gives you. It is undeserved, unearned and given freely. Grace comes through faith. Faith is being totally convinced that something is true.

This is what I've learnt for the past 3 days. Well mostly was from my Bible study with Peh Han last thursday. Hope you guys learn something too. :) I'm done for now. I'll impart whatever I learn next very soon. Thank you Peh Han for offering a bible study for me every Thursday! :)

Sorry guys. haven't posted for quite some time. I haven't got the time to post the things I've learnt this past few days and been busy with christmas preparations.

Hopefully I'll blog later or tomorrow.. :)

An update for what I've learnt today! :)

Some people do not believe in God or the Bible. Why? Because they do not or cannot understand it all or simply they're just not yet ready.

I believe that if people do not open their hearts to God, they will never come to know or understand Him and His teachings. Each and everyone of us may not be able to understand him fully, but as christians, we must believe in Him.

The wisest and ablest people in the world are those who are ready to listen to what God tells them, to use what He has given them and to believe in Him and His love.

Unbelieving is the biggest sin according to the Bible.

How does sin comes to human heart?
It comes through temptation.

The devil takes delight in misinterpreting God. He tries to make us think that God is holding back on us. He tells us to pay no attention to God but just do what WE think is right.

Take the serpent in the Bible as am example.

The serpent put in Eve's heart the wicked, terrible thought that there are some other better plan than God's plan.

The devil makes promises but he never does it unlike our Almighty God. God always keep his promises and fulfills them.

I am assured that I won't get tempted to a certain extent that I, myself can't handle. Why? Because, God has promised, wherever there is a temptation, there is also a way out.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says, the temptations in your life are no different from what others experiences. And God is faithful. He will not allow temptation to be more than you can stand.

We are just humans, we tempt a lot. We cannot avoid it but God wouldn't let the temptation to cross a certain level where we cannot take it anymore.

NEVER DOUBT GOD. GOD ALWAYS DOES WHAT'S BEST FOR YOU. HE LOVES YOU MORE THAN YOU THINK. HE LOVES YOU UNCONDITIONALLY!

6 terrible results came upon the whole world when they chose to sin. (Adam and Eve)

1. The ground was cursed.
2. There would be suffering in childbirth.
3. Humans would now have to toil in order to live.
4. There would be physical and spiritual death.
5. There would be fear of God instead of fellowship with Him.
6. Humankind was expelled from the Garden.

Not only humans get tempted, Jesus WAS also tempted by Satan but Satan did not succeed and Jesus didn't fall for the temptation. (Matthew 4:1-11)

*it is important that we know the scriptures for us to resist the temptations of the devil.

What does sin do to us?
1. SINS TAKES AWAY OUR KINGDOM.
Ps. Peh Han have shared to us, '30 minutes of pleasure, can ruin 30 years of ministry'.

2. SINS TAKES AWAY YOUR FEAR OF GOD.
-->one act of compromise leads to action, then leads to habit then forms our character and character leads to destiny.

*whatever is not of faith is sin.

Why is sin terrible?
-->because God hates it. It seperates up from Him and keeps us from heaven. It brings forth death.

Who convicts up of sins?
THE HOLY SPIRIT.

God is a merciful God. He will forgive us if we come to him.

I question I always bear in mind - is what we're living for, Christ worth dying for??

Sorry for the very late blogging. I was doing some stuff but I have written this earlier today. Wasn't able to blog cuz was side tracked! Haha. Very sorry. I'll talk about who knows what tomorrow. Only God knows.

Today, some of us are fasting, I took the opportunity to have a read on my book and learn some more about God. :)

From now onwards, I'll post all the things I learn from christian books and the Bible.

Today, I started out reading the Bible and my personal Praise and Worship. After that, I proceed reading the book 'God's Plan'.

Today, I've learnt about angels.

What are angels?
Angels were created by the Lord to do his bidding. In other words, Angels serve the Lord.

According to the Bible, angels are a distinct class mer beings who have never been human beings.
--> They are ministering spirits.

Hebrew 1:14 says that, 'therefore, angels are only servants - spirits sent to care for people who will inherit salvation'.

God has MUCH MORE for us humans. So if you want to be an angel, I'm afraid you won't make it. God doesn't want you to be an angel. You are one of God's children, and God's children are meant to reign with Him. Angels will serve Him.

Believers in Christ are called saints. They are not addressed as angels.

The word 'angel' which literally means 'messenger' is used in scriptures with reference to 3 distinct kinds of beings.
(1) It is used with reference to God himself, i.e. 'the angel of God'
(2) Also used in reference to men messengers.
(3) A host of spiritual creatures.

I also learnt that there are two classes of angels, namely:
(1) Those who serve God, and
(2) The fallen angels who followed Satan in his revolt against God.

Take note! Special work of an angel is to minister to those who shall be heirs of salvation.

What are archangels?
The archangel defends the holiness of God and fight against Satan.

Besides angels, I also learnt how to resist the devil, by using the ARMOR OF GOD.

Everyday we must wear,
(1) THE BELT OF TRUTH - means that no place for deceit in our lives.

(2) THE BREASTPLATE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS - as Christians we have the righteousness of Christ.

(3) THE SHOES OF PREPARATION OF THE GOSPEL OF PEACE - that means we are always ready to tell the way of salvation wherever we are.

(4) SHIELD OF FAITH - by trusting Christ for strength, we can keep from the devils power.

(5) HELMET OF SALVATION - we must know that we are christians. We must know it because God tell us so in His Words, and His Spirit bears witness with up that we are His children.

(6) The only offensive weapon we have is the SWORD OF THE SPIRIT - which is the Word of God. Christ resisted Satan by quoting words from the scriptures.

In Psalms 119:11, it says, 'Your words I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You'.

Overall, what's missing from the Armor of God? Did you notice that nothing is covering our back? Or a defensive item to protect us? It's because as Christians, we do not retreat in Christian life. We always march as an offensive army.

I'm gonna continue reading. :) This is my very first fasting as a christian. It's really great! I don't even feel hungry for not eating. But I'm hungry for God! :) I'll continue to read and learn more. I'll blog more of what I learn on daily basis. :) I'll see you guys soon