Extremism or Simply Obeying?

I'm back after a long long long sabbatical. The past months has been of much awakening for me. I've really been challenged to live a life of Christ, die to myself and to take up my cross.

It became clearer to me that if I want to live a life of Christ, with Christ, I cannot linger on to my current self-focused(a gentler word for self-centered) attitude.
I was reminded that I cannot be raised with Christ if I do not participate in the dying with Christ bit. Meaning, a total and complete death to self. As Paul noted, "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain".
I cannot see how I can hang on to somethings with my left hand and do the works of Christ with my right hand accomplishing the dying to self prerequisite.

I use to think and ask God to help me put Christ in my workplace and everywhere else I go. I've even learnt practical examples such as saying a little prayer before I send out an email to clients, as if in partnership with Christ for the daily businesses I go about in the office.

However, I missed the ENTIRE POINT. My focus has always been doing well at my workplace. Perhaps even subconsciously hoping for recognition and a better career in the future.
What's wrong with that, you say?
Well, nothing except that I've not been called into being to pursue a career, accomplish a great task or advance my stature.

I've been CALLED to love God, to build my relationship with Christ. In Rick Warren's acclaimed book "Purpose Driven Life", he noted that man will never find his purpose in life as long as he is looking in the wrong places, such as his personal wishes and dreams. Take special note that in Genesis, God created Adam to have fellowship with Himself. Christ came to die for us also so that we might be restored to have relationship with God. Our purpose IS to return to our ORIGINAL PURPOSE for being and our SOLE INTENDED REASON, which is to fellowship with God.

How does THAT fit into our life on earth? Our workplace? Our church? By working our focus toward the things of heaven. By reminding myself to live in eternity with God.
If I were to put God first in my life, career will not matter anymore. My sense of security from the advancement of my financial state and job in the future dies. My dependency on God for all that I need is realized.

I know that when my mind, heart, soul and strength are focused on God and how He wants me to live with my fellowmen, I will have nothing to worry about (Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you - Matt 6:33).

And so, in knowing better the truth about my life, I struggle. It is next to impossible to live my life 100% to God at work. Each time I meet a client, report to my boss, interact with my colleagues, drive on a busy highway, my human nature tries to take over. But what is impossible with men is possible with God. So we give glory to God. And I struggle on. And more so I come in constant fight against doing what I should not do, and not doing what I should be doing.

I pray that God will constantly hold my hand in my struggles, that I may gladly submit my life and struggles to Him, until the day I come back into His presence.

To God be all glory and honor.

Dave D Saved

Child-like Worship

Simply a blessing...
If we can remember and learn to worship with the same child-like faith...



Kaitlyn Maher, the 5 year old who was the youngest ever Top 10 finalist of the hit TV show "America's Got Talent" when she was only 4, sings an original arrangement of the song "Above All" at Christian Fellowship Church's (CFC) Worship Concert on 5/1/09

Do.Re.Mi...Rejoice always...

Let's do this...really a sunshine out of nowhere...Just to remember that we have lots of things to be joyful over, just a matter of mindset.



Dave D Saved

Paul Washer: Clothed In Christ Jesus

A sermon I found very encouraging. It's a wake-up call and reminder to many of us Christians.
Do take some time out to view this.



Dave D Saved

A Dog Named Mace

An article a friend shared with me....enjoy...

A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace.
Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass on the mechanic's lawn,
so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside. The grass eventually became
overgrown. One day the mechanic was working on a car in the backyard
and dropped his wrench, losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find
it for
the life of him, so he decided to call it a day.

That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the
backyard.
The next morning the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting
in the sunlight.

Realizing what had happened he looked toward the heavens and proclaimed,
"A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound, that saved a wrench for me"

Gratefulness, Beginning of Wisdom

Hi all, finally I managed to force myself to update the blog a little. I just returned from a 2 week vacation in Australia.
Thanks be to God, the trip was filled with His presence and blessings at every corner.

I've learnt that being sensitive to His presence sometimes means counting your blessings all the time. I mean ALL THE TIME. Good times, bad time...there are blessings all over...And when I realize that the Lord is good ALL THE TIME and also in control ALL THE TIME, I can be grateful to Him and rest in Him ALL THE TIME.

I was at the verge of falling sick the moment we landed in Gold Coast, as the 8 hour plus flight was not too kind on the body. Lack of sleep, dehydrated and "un-climatize", all I felt like doing was to get to a warm bed and sleep, despite being my first trip to beautiful Australia.
But the grace of God was more than sufficient to sustain me, enough even to take care of my fiancee when she fell in. Again, if you will count with my the blessings of Jesus, I did fall ill even through sometimes we share our food and drinks.

God also blessed us with wonderful people. Chronologically, we first shared a 3 bed dorm with a Taiwanese girl, who was kind enough to share information and even provided a place for our luggage when we had to check out of our accomodation early.
Then we also had the most wonderful couple and granduncle/grandaunt in Sydney, who not only welcomed us with open arms into their warm and beautiful house, but also into their warm beautiful home.
Along the way, we also shared another dorm with an Aussie gentleman on his working holiday. The kindly gentleman generously shared with us his travels and advices on travelling across Australia, which was a really good experience for us.

Of course, I must also mentioned that God fulfilled my life-long dream by providing a free upgrade from a Hyundai Getz to a Holden Astra hard-top convertible muscle car. It felt like being in an Autobot when it's top started scrambling open and folding into the boot.
Just a simple comparison of the two cars: -

All in all, I know our God is teaching my lessons in gratitude and counting of blessings in all situations. I'm still learning Lord, be patient with me...

Cheers,
Dave D Saved

Psalm 119:105

Ever wondered what the beautiful psalm means?

I did...and I asked a very wise friend of mine a very long time ago...when we were still in high school...no...no...not the musical type...just a regular ol' high school. ;)

Well, here's a recollection of what it means as I remembered my guru friend's explanation:-

Psalm 119:105 - Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path (NIV).

Lamp unto my feet ==> The Word of God guides us for every step we have to take...only we have to take up the "lamp", and have courage to take one step at a time...even though we may not see 2 or 3 steps ahead.

Light unto my path==> The Word of God shows us the "light at the end of the tunnel" so-to-speak...as it is a Light that enables us to have the right direction to walk toward....least we stray to the left or to the right...

Jehovah - The name of the Lord

Hi all...sorry for the slacking and lacking in blog updates...I have always wanted to have a compilation of the name of God...and I found this from another fellow blogger @ http://worship1.wordpress.com/2007/10/05/the-jehovah-names-of-god/

p.s. Thanks Sister Cosima for the compilation...hope you don't mind me plagiarizing your blog...:)

• Jehovah - The Lord
  Exodus 6:2,3

• Adonai Jehovah - The Lord God
  Genesis 15:2

• Jehovah Adon Kal Ha’arets - The Lord, the Lord of All the Earth
  Joshua 3:11

• Jehovah Bara - The Lord Creator
  Isaiah 40:28

• Jehovah Chezeq - The Lord My Strength
  Psalm 18:1

• Jehovah Chereb - The Lord . . the Sword
  Deut. 33:29

• Jehovah Eli - The Lord My God
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Elyon - The Lord Most High
  Genesis 14:18

• Jehovah ‘Ez-Lami - The Lord My Strength
  Psalm 28:7

• Jehovah Gador Milchamah - The Lord Mighty in Battle
  Psalm 24:8

• Jehovah Ganan - The Lord Our Defense
  Psalm 89:18

• Jehovah Go’el - The Lord Thy Redeemer
  Isaiah 49:26; 60:16

• Jehovah Hashopet - The Lord the Judge
  Judges 11:27

• Jehovah Hoshe’ah - The Lord Save
  Psalm 20:9

• Jehovah ‘Immeku - The Lord Is with you
  Judges 6:12

• Jehovah ‘Izoz Hakaboth - The Lord Strong and Mighty
  Psalm 24:8

• Jehovah Jireh - The Lord will Provide
  Genesis 22:14

• Jehovah Kabodhi - The Lord My Glory
  Psalm 3:3

• Jehovah Kanna - The Lord Whose Name is Jealous
  Exodus 34:14

• Jehovah Keren-Yish’i - The Lord the Horn of My Salvation
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Machsi - The Lord My Refuge
  Psalm 91:9

• Jehovah Magen - The Lord, the Shield
  Deut. 33:29

• Jehovah Ma’oz - The Lord . . . My Fortress
  Jeremiah 16:19

• Jehovah Hamelech - The Lord the King
  Psalm 98:6

• Jehovah Melech ‘Olam - The Lord King Forever
  Psalm 10:16

• Jehovah Mephalti - The Lord My Deliverer
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah M’gaddishcem - The Lord Our Sanctifier
  Exodus 31:13

• Jehovah Metsodhathi - The Lord. . . . My Fortress
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Misqabbi - The Lord My High Tower
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Naheh - The Lord that Smiteth
  Ezekiel 7:9

• Jehovah Nissi - The Lord Our Banner
  Exodus 17:15

• Jehovah ‘Ori - The Lord My Light
  Psalm 27:1

• Jehovah Rapha - The Lord that Healeth
  Exodus 15:26

• Jehovah Rohi - The Lord My Shepherd
  Psalm 23:1

• Jehovah Saboath - The Lord of Hosts
  I Samuel 1:3

• Jehovah Sel’i - The Lord My Rock
  Psalm 18:2

• Jehovah Shalom - The Lord Our Peace
  Judges 6:24

• Jehovah Shammah - The Lord is There
  Ezekiel 48:35

• Jehovah Tiskenu - The Lord Our Righteousness
  Jeremiah 23:6

• Jehovah Tsori - O Lord My Strength
  Psalm 19:14

• Jehovah ‘Uzam - The Lord Their Strength
  Psalm 37:39

• Jehovah Yasha - The Lord Thy Saviour
  Isaiah 49:26; 60:16

God Bless...Dave D Saved.

Blessed 2009 Everybody!!

A very blessed 2009 to one and all!!
Too often we have wished people Happy New Year without meaning it. I'd like to wish all my readers a blessed year ahead, that in all that you do and encounter, God will be present with you and bless you all the way.

I was reading through some quotes, this one came up:
Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind - Albert Einstein

I leave you with the quote to digest.

Cheers....Dave D Saved