Post-Election Thoughts
Thank God I made it through the UMS Election into the Student Council or Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (MPP), which had its first meeting yesterday noon. The post I am in charge of will be disclosed on Wednesday in our second meeting.
I would like to thank all of my friends who came out to vote last Thursday, much more those who helped me campaigned by distributing flyers, spreading SMSs as well as hanging banners and posters before the election. Thank you all, indeed!
Friends
Friends matter in campus life. “You may have met hundreds of people, but there’s no way you can really know more than a handful of people. You’d be lucky if you had three real friends.” – [Source unknown]
“I realised that I had a thousand acquaintances but, at that moment in time, less than three genuine friends. I have worked on this area of my life, and today I believe I have five real friends including my wife.”
Patrick Morley, author of the Man in the Mirror
A Warning From Heaven
Just a day after the election result was finalised, I cried out to God and asked him to help me through this coming one year to be strong while serving in the Student Council. And during the afternoon nap that same day, I had two dreams. Now, not all dreams come from God or his angels. Some dreams are just dreams and nothing else, and some dreams come from the devil. We must not believe in every spirit. “Instead, test the spirits to see whether they are from God,” – [1John 4:1] and, “… the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…” – Jesus – [John 14:26], for every person who believes in God’s only Son has his Spirit living in that person. [1 Corinth 12:3]
Dream 1
I was climbing up an ancient tall tower. After I reached the top and took what I wanted – which is a treasure looked like purified silver – I saw myself rushing back home, and there was my younger brother offering himself freely to help all the way through, going up to and down from the top of the tower while taking stuffs such as the tools and equipments for me, as I was carrying the heavy treasure on my hand. At one moment on the way going down the tower staircase, I saw my younger brother looking at me bitterly.
Dream 2
I was sick – just a mild sickness. I saw myself standing in front of a modern clinic, where a voice asked me, “Are you alone?”, to which I replied, “I have a group of 5 friends with me.”
After ‘Dream 1’ and ‘Dream 2’, I woke up. Those two dreams were from God,
1) The first dream reminded me of the importance of the relationship within my family. Am I distracted by earthly treasures, to the extent that I neglect the relationship with my family members? My family is not around with me in Sabah, this is a warning from God so that I keep in touch with my family.
2) The second dream reminded me of my relationships with the people around me in Sabah, especially my friends. When I am down, do I look only to my own problems and pay no attention to my friends who are there with me and who are concerned for me?
Our Father in heaven speaks into our lives at his sovereignty (God’s instructions can come through not only the Bible and the Church, but also our parents, dreams, visions, the elders, our teachers, our friends, the children, and even our enemies), and when he does that, we must make sure we respond correctly according his Spirit and his Word.
Practical
Campus life as an MPP member may be busy, but let’s keep one another in prayer so that as we stay close to Jesus, the best friend we can ever have, we also make every effort to express our love in action and in truth to our family and friends while we’re still alive on earth.
“This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you. No one shows greater love than when he lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant does not know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.”
Jesus – [Gospel of John 15:12-15]
WELCOME!
Welcome!
This is my personal blog. Click here for my devotional sharings.
2008/2009 was A Year of Genuine Relationships for me, I am still praying about what theme I should set for 2009/2010.
Latest Posts
1. An Overview On 2008/2009 – YEAR OF BUILDING GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS
2. International Forum (UPLB – UMS): YOUTHS AND ASPIRATIONS
Top Posts (according to total number of views)
1. Finding A Girlfriend (Revised Edition)
2. A Sad SAD Situation? (A Valentine’s Day Sharing)
3. At Membakut, Sabah (A Christmas Sharing)
4. 母亲节：给妈妈的诗歌
5. Loneliness
Please refer to A Portal For SSMP-MPP 2008/2009 for information about campus services and student welfare of Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS).
God bless you!
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My Theme In The Fourth Year
After the 3rd reunion anniversary with my Father was a week of holidays. As I spend some time quietly with God, I was kept being reminded about the importance of genuine relationships over religion, and this is my personal theme for the fourth year of my Christian life,
Right now three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Paul – [The First Letter to the Corinthians 13:13]
Campus life can sometimes be busy and stressful – we are human – and many times people find relief through religion. Nevertheless, I can go to and serve in church, serve in university and in school while keep studying hard to maintain if not improve my academic performance – I can do all those things and still not having a genuine relationship with my Father and his loved ones – you and I are his loved ones.
To practise mere religion is to have no relationship with God at all. Relationship is grown deeper between two beings only when one is continually communing with another. Mere merits through good deeds and ritualistic practices relate to religion, but a genuine relationship through Love, Hope and Faith leads us directly to God himself and, when we remain one with God,
“At that time you will know that I am in my Father, that you are in me, and that I am in you… the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things…”
Jesus – [John 14:20, 26]
Love, Hope and Faith underlie the foundation of genuine relationship between God and mankind. These principles are applicable among mankind ourselves as well. In my coming articles I will share about this theme of my 2008/09 term in University Malaysia Sabah (UMS), stressing on the importance on genuine relationships over mere religion. After that I’ll share my thoughts on Love, then Hope, and lastly Faith. But, as the saying goes, “Actions speak louder than words.” Pray that I’ll really grow in God this year.
My Themes For The Previous Years
… about My First Year Theme : The Year Of Manna
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way these 40 years in the desert, to humble and test you in order to make known what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. He humbled you, causing you to be hungry, yet he fed you with manna that neither you nor your ancestors had known, in order to teach you that human beings shall not live by food alone — instead human beings are to live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” – [Deuteronomy 8:2-3]
My first year as follower of Jesus was one like a desert year. It was this period that I faced all sorts of spiritual attack, seeing evil and false spirits, dreaming bad dreams and being shown camouflaged visions frequently. From then, as I look back now, God directed me to depend on his Word and his Spirit and nothing else to grow spiritually.
… about My Second Year Theme : The Year of Being Rooted
“This set of instructions is not to cease being a part of your conversations. Meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to carry out everything that’s written in it, for then you’ll prosper and succeed. I’ve commanded you, haven’t I? Be strong and courageous. Don’t be fearful or discouraged, because the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” – [Joshua 1:8-9]
My second year journey with God was a year consolidating what he had put into my heart in the first year – to keep relying on his Word and his Spirit and keep growing. I was still struggling in the area of spiritual warfare, but thank God for all my pastors and friends who are from Bukit Mertajam Baptist Church (BMBC) and who are with me throughout those hard times. Half-way through the year I moved from Penang to Petaling Jaya, attending Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC).
… about My Third Year Theme : The Year of Evangelism
“The harvest is vast, but the workers are few. So ask the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” – Jesus [Matthew 9:37-38]
That theme came with three visions during worship with the Church before I came to Sabah. In my third year of Christian life (Last year) I came to Sabah for the first time. In that year, I was further equipped in the area of evangelism besides continuing the course of discipleship. I have been studying in University Malaysia Sabah (UMS) and attending Skyline SIB church.
… about my Fourth Year Theme
I’ve been blessed throughout all those three years in the Lord despite my past disobedience. Now that the fourth year has begun, I’d like to share with you about my fourth year theme in the next post.
