A Heart, Renewed

A Heart, Renewed

by Alice Weng Yin Chan on Sunday, December 19, 2010 at 7:24pm on FB

It has been such a long long time since I feel so "hot" serving Him. Few months ago a sister in Church asked me whether I want to teach tambourine, and I thought, why not?; since I have the knowledge and doing nothing about it, might as well share it out.

I still remember that I do not really planned my teaching materials and most of the time, I just played by ear. There was a week I was feeling very tired due to insufficient sleep and I just do not know what to teach the children. Coincidentally there was an altar call and I went out for prayer. I was touched by God and was renewed for the rest of the day.

I always wonder whether this really worth the effort. That week itself, having no idea what to teach, I decided to have a mini-presentation for the children. I gave them a song, and asked them to think what step they want to put to that song. I was encouraged after that session, because they could remember the steps and although there were some imperfections, it was acceptable.

I try to use a different approach to teach the children as I noticed that many had a different perception on the instrument. To many, it is just another musical instrument. To me, it is an instrument to praise God, and the tambouriners are the front liners.

In September, I asked the children if they want to perform for Christmas and their feedback was positive. On one hand, I was happy because of their passion; on the other, this would mean more work for myself.

To cut the long story short, I was happy to see the children on stage, because they have shown me their effort and commitment. I was taken by surprise myself when they could continue the dance although there was technical problem to the sound system. This really gave me a big encouragement, because they are not relying on the music to dance; and this had also proven that they know what should be their focus.

I hope the children will continue to serve the Lord with the right attitude, and that was my condition when I chose the performers. I have also learnt to be more flexible with the children, and to set my expectation slightly lower. A sister told me to enjoy and not to be too hard on the children, because after all, they are children. A brother told me "a little messy" is actually enjoyable because the adults would find them "cute".

I thank God for the opportunity given, and although it was tiring, and sometimes tedious and frustrating, it was indeed an enjoyable process. There was some technical problems to my slide show today, but in the end, everything turned out to be fine.

Jesus, I thank You for Your Wisdom, Guidance and Strength; and I thank You because You have reminded me to work out on the inspiration. I know that some of the children's father do not attend Church, and I took the opportunity to get the children to draw an invitation card to their parents. I am glad to see some of the fathers today. At least some seeds are being sprinkled on them.

Jesus is amazing, Amen!

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• WindLover Chai, Jocelyn HuOy, Alicia Thong and 4 others like this.
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    Cho Poi Yee Amen!

    December 19 at 7:58pm · · 1 personLoading...
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    WindLover Chai God Bless~

    December 21 at 1:09am · · 1 personLoading...
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    Wai Yip every bit we do is counted,keep it up ya~

    December 21 at 9:58am via Facebook Mobile · · 1 person

Grateful [III]

Yesterday during the children worship session, the song "Path of Grace" was sung. I was close to tears because I feel that God has been very good to me.

When I was six [6] years old I told my mom I wanted to learn ballet. She brought me to the ballet school, only to be told that I was not accepted because the "oldest" age they accept was three [3] years old. I went back with disappointment because I thought I like dancing.

Sometimes God is amazing, He took away one option and gave us a better option. At nine [9] years old I told my mom I wanted to learn piano, and ta-daa, I began my first piano lesson at the age of nine [9]. I thought, given the condition of our family back then, if I learnt ballet, I would not have the opportunity to learn piano. God is good, Amen?

Also at the age of nine [9] I had the opportunity to learn dancing at Church, and that was my very first performance on stage. From then on, I started to serve God with performances. At the age of twelve [12] our Mrs Pastor saw a need for tambourine and the very few youths back then were chosen to be the first batch. At that time I thought, "God is so good to me! He knows I like dancing and although I had no opportunity to learn ballet, tambourine also not bad!"

From then on, I danced tambourine till 1st January 2006, and that was my last day dancing at GTPJ.

I love the tambourine because it is a way for me to build a relationship with God. Few months ago when a Sister asked me whether I am interested to teach tambourine, I said yes and just trust God to lead me through.

My aim was to change the people's perception on the instrument. Many think that it is just another musical instrument to praise God, but to me tambourine is an instrument used during war and tambouriners are the frontliners. The worship team leader is the General leading the team to war.

It is so amazing to see that things just come in place at the right time. For example, I did not purposely choose the colours of the ribbon but it was such a coincidence that the meaning of the colours just match at the right place:-

White - Purity (Jesus)

Red - Blood of Jesus

Silver Lining - Redemption

Purple - Kingship, Royalty

Gold Lining - Glory to God

圣诞节,是庆祝主耶稣基督的诞生.他来到这个世界,为要担当我们的罪,甘心被人钉在十字架上,舍命流血.

  
主耶稣是无罪 的,他的宝血中洗去我们一切的罪，把我们从罪救赎出来.

他死后，被人埋葬，就在死后第三天，神叫他从死里复活了. 耶稣显现四十天后，就升天，坐在神的右边.

他就是我们的万王之王，万主之主!

我们将一切的荣耀都归给神!

The performance is finally over but the mission still remains. I always remind the kids that they are serving God and He should be their only focus. I hope they will continue to serve Jesus with all their hearts, all their mind and all their soul. I pray that God will continue to give me His wisdom, guidance and strength because I am to be a good example to my students.

It is indeed a blessing to see that they are growing up in Christ. No words can describe how grateful I am. I do not want people to say how good the performance is, I want them to see that tambourine is not an ordinary musical instrument to serve God.

I told my students to take good care of their tambourine because it is an instrument mentioned in the Bible, and I am happy that they take my words.

God should be our focus at all times and we should not drift from it. I give all glory to Jesus because without Him, I am nothing and I would have no idea what to do with the students.

Thank You Jesus. Please be my only satisfaction!

A Trip To Hell by Pastor Philip Mantofa

~A trip to hell by Pastor Philip Mantofa

This is a True story wrote by Pastor Philip Mantofa. Please spend sometime to read through this article: 

A TRIP TO HELL

Dear Friend,

January 1st, 2000, 5 am in the morning, I was in the large desert, dry and infertile. The wind was so heavy and weather was so hot. I saw a lot of weird and disgusting animals that I've never seen before in my life. I walked step by step through the desert till I found my self in a gloomy place.I had strange feeling that time and I could feel the pain spread to all of my bones. The situation was silent and dark. No wind blew. Dark cloud appeared surround that place.I could not describe it in better words� because there was only horrified of hell!A huge gate appeared in front of me. I felt nervous and worried but I tried to open that gate anxiously. It was not difficult to open it. I opened it and shocked because there was another gate bigger than the first one. It was written on top of that gate �VALLEY OF TORTURE�.

There was a doubt in my heart implicitly, whether I should continue this trip or not. But something that powerful inside of me made me to go on. My heart beat was loud as I could hear it my self while I opened the next gate and�Oh my God!... I could not believe�I could not believe what I saw�but it was real.

There was a long dark path in front of me. I stood in the side of the gate watching and predicting how large and long that path was but I could not see it clearly. I saw a vogue rise up in the end of that path. I thought it was terrible ocean of fire!

Along way I walked in that dark path, I saw many people were tortured by creatures wearing black clothes and having horns in their heads. I saw they were so cruel in torturing everyone there before they were put into the fire ocean at the end of the path. I heard affecting tears and pain mix up with dirty laugh sounds in that dirty place.

At the edge of the path, there was a young woman whose hands were bound at a piece of wood and she was surrounded by a lot of horned creatures who made fun of her and laugh at her. I saw her face was pail and white filled by fear. A strange weapon that I have never seen before was swinging in front of her face. I did not know exactly what it was but it was like a fork with a sharp cutting edge in the top of it. That weapon was carried by one of the horned devils which surrounded that woman. I heard the devils were threatening that poor frightened woman, �Lie!... Common, lie!!!�I saw her become more frightened. She was completely fell into the power of that horned devils so that she obeyed them whatever they want. That woman answered,� Yes, yes, I lied! I lied!�All of the devils were laugh, seems that they were satisfied with the young woman�s answer. I though after that woman did everything that they want, they will be released her. But what happened next was really made me shock! The devil stabbed that horrible thing into her face! The fresh blood squirted from her face! It was so horrifying! Her face did not have a shape anymore and her cried of pain so heartbreaking!
�Stop! Stop it!� I yelled.

But it strange, they could not heard my voice; even more my appearance seemed invisible for them! I felt disgusted for everything that I saw, but there were a lot of other views that surprise me and made me shock!

Then, I saw a man whose hair was burnt, only rotten skull remain. There were unburnable maggots come out from his skull cavity. He was lying and carrying from the end of the path not far from fire, I thought that they tortured him for a long time. His body was burning and his flesh was melting because he was lying near the hottest fire ever!

The devils who carried him were laughing at him. There was nothing he could do besides surrender him self to them. He was dying but he could not die. He looked like having terrible pain, seemed he wanted to say something for mercy. One of those devils said,� Common, masturbate! Masturbate!!� That man shaking answered, �Yes, I masturbate! I masturbate! Aaaahhhhh!� He was screaming and a lot of maggots come out from all of his body� so many!! I felt disgusted when I saw it, even when I heard his screaming �so horrible�!!!

There were more screaming and commanding that I heard. �Common, drink! Drink! Gambling! Deceive!� and those devils were laughing and enjoying the moaning of pain and tears, as they were listening wonderful music. I was afraid to walk in through that path. I only saw as far as I could and I was sure there were more kind of tortures at that place which is more appropriate to be called barracks of torture.

I found a view that made me really shock, there were many righteous and religion people there!! I did not believe it but I did not have power to deny all that I saw. I heard all their screaming when they were being tortured. They cried out for God, �God, help me! God, do I always be together with You? You tough us at our towns and I served You Lord!

They were begging to God but salvation had already close for them, till I heard they abused Him! My heart was breaking when I saw it! After that I was in the top of the horrible situation� I could not do that �journey� anymore. And I believed if I continued this journey, I will have been dead! �God� I cried �Please bring me out from here! Please God�� All of these were a vision, a horrible vision �vision of Hell! I was so happy when I found out that I was at home, even though after that I got ill for couple days. All of my bones and pivots were hurt; I suffered stomach disorder and got shock day by day.

I prayed to God and wondered what it�s all about, what He wants through my experience. God gave me understanding and deep burden for people around me. God wants me to tell what have been happened and will be happened to everyone. A lot of them are having fun, eating, drinking, having party, free sex, drugs and others seems that they can enjoy them forever. They do not realize that hell and the horned devils are waiting for them. They are the next victims.

I know that God really loves you. This �vision� that is showed to me proof that He still gives you a chance to repent.

My dear friend, I have to write this article to warn you. I do not want you having the same experiences as those people there. Truly, I love you all and I hope you will meditate all of these and repent. Accept Jesus Christ as your savior personally and start a new life and do not come out from the road that Jesus has decided to us.
 
God Bless You.Your friend, Philip Mantofa.