Nissi: Pls take some time to read

Hi everyone,

I understand that there has been some concern regarding the state of our cell group recently. Please take some time to read my thoughts when you are free.

Personally, as I continue to serve the cell group, I would like to state my stand on certain issues.

Cell group future

I sincerely hope that the topic of splitting will not be raised within cell group for the time being as we begin this rebuilding process. We have worked hard to make the cell group what it is today, please do not destroy what we have built by requesting for the cell group to split once again.

With regards to whether cell group carrying on or not, I am not entertaining any ideas of splitting and will definitely plan as if Nissi will carry on to function. The idea of a merge is also out.

Let me explain the rational.

Our strength is not only in numbers. As Hebrews 10:24 states, the community of believers are called to spur one another on is love and good deeds. The function of the cell group is for believers to spur one another on in their love with God and good deeds. If our cell group has a large number of people but still does not serve to encourage one another, I guess we have missed the biblical basis for cell group.

I understand that some people feel that the cell group is getting too small and wish to see a merge if possible. As we are in this rebuilding phase, I urge you to be patient and allow the Lord to add to our numbers once again. If however you feel that the numbers are too discouraging for you to grow spiritually, then I suggest that you leave for another cell group. Ultimately, I really pray that for any cell group a person attends, the cell group must enable him/her to grow spiritually and be spurred to love God and do good deeds. (back to the function of a cell group)

The idea for a merge is also out because I believe that our cell group will be divided when it comes to choosing a new cell to merge with. A merge will probably be as good as splitting up. This will create even more problems for the cell group.

Church events

Secondly, I do wish to see our cell group members be part of the larger community of Christ. As believers, we have not only a responsibility to one another( Heb 10:24), we also have a corporate responsibility.

Biblical basis:

1 Cor 12:27 tell us that “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

1 Cor 12:21 “ Now the eye cannot say to the hand “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet “I don’t need you!””

Drawing a principle from this verse, we as a cell group cannot flee from our corporate responsibility to the church. If we are part of COR which is the body of Christ, we cannot say that we do not want to be involved in the church events because they are not important. No, we are all part of the body Christ and each member has a role to play.

While I cannot enforce everyone to come for every church event, I sincerely hope that we understand why our presence at any church event is important. It is not only our corporate responsibility as a body of Christ but also our presence will affect the morale of other members as well.

Cell Attendance

As discussed on Sat’s cell group(18 July), we all have shared how critical each person is to the cell group because of small numbers. Noting this, I urge everyone to make cell group a priority. Remember that when choose to make cell group a priority, we are effectively obeying God and I believe that the Lord is pleased.

Final Notes

As we begin this rebuilding phase of our cell group, I urge everyone to make cell group and church a priority as Heb 10:24 and 1 Cor 12:27 commands. I pray that your presence in cell group will not be one out of obligation and rules, but because Christ has loved us so that we may be able love our neighbor as ourselves (2^nd commandment Matt 22:39). Let us strive to please the Lord in this area of our lives.

Some verses of encouragement

Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Romans 12:9-10

Rgrds,

Ruijie

Waiting patiently on God's perfect timing

I've been joggling in my mind this theme of waiting on God's Perfect Timing for the past one week. It started off with my quiet time topic on John 11, talking about Jesus' withdrawal to a place a few miles from Jerusalem, with the possible interpretation of Jesus focusing on his father's timing to be the passover lamb. This topic just echos my current season of waiting: waiting for job advancement, waiting for the studies to finish, waiting for a relationship, waiting for people to change their hearts and so on.

"Everything has it's own timing; when it's time, it will happen." A well-known cliche, even in non-biblical context. But until this perfect timing comes, one just has to wait. Waiting is just a terrible thing, as miserable as receiving a bad outcome or sometimes even worse. Even though I perfectly appreciate, understand and am convinced that God's plans for me are in God's time domain, everything has it's divine order and I am to enjoy every season that God has given , I just find it hard to sail through this period patiently. I am just not the type of person who likes to remain inactive and wait patiently for something to happen. It gives me the feeling that I am really powerless (even though I really am) and I am at the mercy of external forces.

After some time, some research and some experience, I'm convinced that in order to complement this passivity with my restlessness, I can only actively trust, resist and pray. The three elements actually complement and work hand in hand. "Trust in Him at all times, O people." (Psalm 62:8) "I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope.' (Psalm 130:5)

Trusting, because that's the basics of the whole beliefs. If He is not answering my prayers, it's not because He can't hear or He ignores me, but because He has a grand plan, in His time frame and in His way of answering my prayers. By trusting, it pacifies the restless heart.

Resisting, because there is always the temptation of taking things into my own hands. I want to expertise the whole thing, in the end I just show that I don't trust God and I don't listen to God. Pacifying my heart with the trust of my God will probably help me to be filled with patience and rest in God.

Praying, because that's the way to let out all the anxieties and let God handles the whole matter. Very often, when I am troubled, or sad, I (well at least for girls) tend to look for someone to talk to, just someone to listen to my problems will lighten my burden. I don't even intend to seek their advice most of the time. Talking to God is probably the best source that I can ever find. For me, prayer is like a private conversation with God. It is very personal, very intimate and is also the best way of seeking to listen to God's reply. Every time I pray, my focus will be realigned and tuned. The prayer on the matter is different every time, though similar. It's like the Newton-Raphson method of getting to the closest solution through some iterations. It's also like finding the best recipe for a dish. How much salt and sugar to put, how long it should be baked and so on have to be refined through some trials. For every prayer, I check my heart, listen to God's answer and next time when I pray on that same matter, I can refine the prayer and I believe this will eventually tune my heart and make me aware of what God's plan for me. is

God always allows us to have the freedom to choose, to decide and to contribute to our own lives. I believe we are also given the honour to be a co-author of our lives. Even this is part of His plan. Sometimes we can just be easily lost as we have absolutely no idea how to exercise this freedom. We have the freedom to hasten the matters, but if we want to conform to God's time, trusting, resisting and praying persistently are probably good procedures to adopt.

Anna

Blessing for Blessing

Eph 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

My QT this week is on Ephesians. And I am really blessed when I read Spurgeon's sermon on this verse. Below is an extract:

Blessing for Blessing

How, then, do we bless God? Well, I should say, first, that this language is the expression of gratitude. We say with David, "Bless the Lord, O my soul," … We can bless God by praising him, extolling him, desiring all honour for him, ascribing all good to him, magnifying and lauding his holy name.

We also bless God in the spreading of his kingdom. We can win hearts to him through his mighty grace blessing our service. We can fight against evil; we can set up a standard for the truth. We can be willing to suffer in repute, and every way else, for his name's sake. We can by his grace do all this, and thus we are blessing God. Surely, dear friends, if it is well-pleasing in God's sight that sinners should repent, if it makes heaven the gladder, and makes joy in the presence of the angels that men should repent, we are in the best and most practical way blessing God when we labour to bring men to repentance through faith in Christ Jesus.

There is also another way of blessing God which, I trust, we shall all endeavour to practise; and that is by the doing good to his children. When they are sick, visit them. When they are downcast, comfort them. When they are poor, relieve them. When they are hard pressed by outward adversaries, stand at their side, and help them.

You cannot bless the Head, but you can bless the feet; and when you have refreshed the feet, you have refreshed the Head. He will say, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." If they be naked, and you clothe them; if they be sick, and you visit them; if they be hungry, and you feed them; you do in this respect bless God. David not only said, "Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;" but added, "but to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight."

You can be good to them, and in that respect you may be blessing God. He has done so much for us, that we would fain do something for him; and when we have reached the limit of our possibilities, we long to do more. We wish that we had more money to give, more talent to use, more time that we could devote to his cause, we wish that we had more heart and more brain; sometimes we wish that we had more tongue, and we sing,—
"Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer's praise!"

______

Blessed be our Lord Jesus Christ

-ed-

http://www.spurgeon.org/sermons/2266.htm

Some Smokey Mountain Pixs

a boy playing with water







children playing on a mattress





Inside a typical house. The house is so small, about the size of 2 sofa sets









rubbish and mud strewn all over the place










familiar sight of rubbish and mud..sigh