I've found a friend who died for me

I was just wondering. What does it takes to love someone?
And all these just seems to enlighten me alot! =D
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The Greatest Is Love.

There are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love,
and the greatest of these is love.
-1 Corinthians 13:13 (TLB)

Love is the first commandment of Jesus Christ.
He says, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38).
Love is also the new commandment of Jesus Christ: “A new commandment I give to you,
that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34).
1 Corinthians 13 gives us five very compelling reasons why we should love:

Without love, all that I say is ineffective (13:1). Words without love are just noise. Love opens up our hearts to each other. It is not enough just to talk a lot without having love. We only listen and respond to loving words.

Without love, all that I know is incomplete (13:2). Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up (8:1). It is better to have a right heart than just to have a head start. People really don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

Without love, all that I believe is insufficient (13:2). There is a misconception that being a Christian is just simply believing in certain doctrines. Guess what? Demons themselves believe that Jesus is the Son of God! But that doesn’t regenerate them.

Without love, all that I give is insignificant (13:3). People often give for the wrong motives of prestige, power and obligation. Unless you mix your giving with genuine love, your giving really means nothing to the recipient.

Without love, all I accomplish is inadequate (13:3). Relationships are more important than accomplishments in life. Success without love is empty. One day, God is going to do an audit on your life. He will not focus on your accomplishments or the size of your bank account. Instead, He will look at your relationships to see how you have lived. The apostle Paul says this over and over again: life minus love equals to zero.

There are three other powerful truths about love. Firstly, love is a choice. You can choose to love whether you feel like it or not. Secondly, love is a sacrifice. The first time in literary history when the word “love” was mentioned had to do with Abraham sacrificing his son, Isaac (Gen. 22:2). Thirdly, love is serving people. Whose needs are you meeting today? Whose hurts are you healing today? Whom are you serving and helping right now?

PASTOR KONG,
5 JUNE 2009.

Found this amazing picture. And surprisingly it is done by Wainee. :\

Ending the month of May with a BANG! <3

As some of you guys are aware of what just happened in the wee hours of a Sunday morning, "Adidas Sundown Marathon 2009"

During the process of dragging my legs to the finishing point, some thoughts surfaced.
-Perseverance.
-Friends and Encouragements.
-Determination and Strong will.
-& Believing in Yourself.
Simple words and thoughts. But carries alot of meanings to it. :/

Anyways, these are phrases that was heard along the race:
- Someone asked me at the point that I started walking,"Are you regretting now?"
I told him straight in the face,"I never regretted in the things I do."
- "Don't worry about the timings, as long you finish the race, you're a winner."
- "I'm no quitter!"
- "God has blessed you with strength, so finish the marathon!"

So, as I passed the finishing gantry, I was so relieved.
What I thought I could never finish before, I have finally completed.
Because, I have always failed my NAPFA 2.4km for 5years straight!
So; Believe it or not. Nothing is impossible with GOD! ♥
____________________________________
A special message of perseverance.
"He conquers who endures." -Persius

A determined mind and strong will to finish something.

Perseverance and failure cannot coexist. Failure happens when you quit.
When all is said and done, perseverance, commonly referred to as "stick-to-itiveness,"
is the ultimate success insurance. Nothing can take its place.

11 Ways To Raise Your Perseverance Quotient:
1. Be grown up, which means, be independent, take responsibility for yourself.
When you step out, take risks, and succeed some people may be envious or fearful that they're "losing" the former you. This can cause them to be critical of your new aspirations and plans. They become "dream stealers." When you are overly concerned about what your family, friends and acquaintances might say, you might lose your drive to persevere and let your dreams fade away.

2. Intentionally select positive re-enforcement.
When you purchase books and tapes, movies and other media for your entertainment, seek those with strong, uplifting themes. Select those which nurture your spirit. Avoid as much negative messaging as possible, including other outside influences that bring you down. For instance, why would you choose to read a magazine article or watch a news program that leaves you depressed or angry? For those times when negativity unavoidably invades your space, find something to learn from it or something humorous about it. When someone hands you the thorns, find the roses!

3. Live healthy.
Energy and stamina are musts for perseverance. You need them for focus, resilience, optimism, self-confidence, clarity and intensity.

4. Ask, "What is true?" not "What do others think is true?"
To make effective decisions, you must take the responsibility of perceiving reality as accurately as possible. Decision-making is not a popularity contest and there's definitely no guarantee that what the majority thinks or believes is compatible with the truth. When you seek the truth, you're being true to yourself. When you're true to yourself, you nourish your will to persevere.

5. When getting advice, consider the source.
If you want to shorten the distance from perseverance to achievement, you want to learn from the mistakes of others, rather than repeating them yourself. And you want to use the methods that have brought others the success you seek.

- If you're planning to climb Mt Everest, who will you look to for advice? The best source is someone else who has done it!!
- If you want to pilot an airplane, would you listen to advice from Aunt Matilda who has never done anything in her life more demanding than entering a Bridge contest? Would you ask your accountant? Your best friend? Or would you seek advice from someone who is a successful pilot?
- If you wanted to start a small business, would you seek advice from someone at work, your minister, a university professor, a corporate person, or from someone who is already successful in the business?

And here's a fascinating corollary: if you are looking for a way out, an excuse to quit, you need go no farther than Aunt Matilda, your accountant, the folks at work, etc. You'll get all the negative encouragement necessary to put your dream back on the shelf.

6. Avoid the "no action" alibi. We've all been guilty from time to time of using convenient alibis for not persevering.
Eric Hoffer, who had spent much of his life as a "simple" longshoreman, is a great example of someone who didn't let other people's stereotypes, which he could have used as no-action alibis, prevent him from becoming a best-selling philosopher-author. And Eric Hoffer says it well: There are many who find a good alibi far more attractive than an achievement. For an achievement does not settle anything permanently. We still have to prove that we are as good today as we were yesterday.

"But when we have a valid alibi for not achieving anything, we are fixed, so to speak, for life. Moreover, when we have an alibi for not writing a book and not painting a picture and so on, we have an alibi for not writing the greatest book and not painting the greatest picture. Small wonder that the effort expended and the punishment endured in obtaining a good alibi often exceed the effort and grief requisite for the attainment of a most marked achievement."

The important thing is to be totally honest with ourselves; recognize the alibi for what it is and not make alibis a way of life.

7. Identify counterproductive habits or thoughts you would like to abandon. Then dump them!
Being mentally or emotionally rigid means that you hang on to habits that no longer serve you, habits that can make you unproductive, frustrated, unfulfilled.

Examples of counterproductive habits that may reduce your will to persevere:
---Grousing about politics, work or the neighbors with friends
---Blowing small aggravations out of proportion
---Dwelling in the past
---Worrying about stuff that may not even happen, or that you cannot control
---Viewing yourself as a victim
---Worrying about what others are doing or what others have.

"Be true to yourself."

Focus on what you can do, not what you cannot do. When you focus on what you cannot do, you get more of it! Remember the story of "The Hare and the Tortoise." Live the life YOU want to live; earn what YOU want to earn; do what YOU want to do. Don't be too concerned about how others are living their lives.

8. Willingly forgive yourself and others.
Do this for your own sake, your own peace of mind. Carrying around the emotions of grudges, disapproval, hatred, or disappointment is toxic to your spirit of perseverance. Whether the subject person is someone else or yourself, you are the one feeling the wound. You don't hurt others when you hold hatred toward them; you hurt yourself. And you can hurt yourself seriously by allowing hatred to fester in your consciousness. You can't experience anger and joy at the same time---so leave plenty of room for the joy!

9. Take reasonable risks.
Without risk, there's no reward. Risk avoidance dampens the spirit, undermining the will to persist in the face of obstacles and reversals. The choice not to choose is probably one of the riskiest choices you can ever make, with zero upside potential!

10. Get support.
You deserve to be around folks supportive of your aspirations.

11. Don't quit.
This shall need no more explanations. Just follow.

Perseverance Quotes
"The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't."
-Henry Ward Beecher

"The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places."
-Author Unknown

"When the world says, "Give up,"
Hope whispers, "Try it one more time."
-Author Unknown

"Nobody trips over mountains. It is the small pebble that causes you to stumble. Pass all the pebbles in your path and you will find you have crossed the mountain."
-Author Unknown

"Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there."
-Josh Billings

"Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did."
-Newt Gingrich

"The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep on running."
-Author unknown, in reference to Ecclesiastes 9:11:
"I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."

"You can't go through life quitting everything. If you're going to achieve anything, you've got to stick with something."
-Family Matters, Television Show.

"Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another."
-Walter Elliott, The Spiritual Life

"But the moment you turn a corner you see another straight stretch ahead and there comes some further challenge to your ambition."
-Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

"Don't be discouraged. It's often the last key in the bunch that opens the lock."
-Author Unknown

"I may not be there yet, but I'm closer than I was yesterday."
-Author Unknown

"One may go a long way after one is tired."
-French Proverb

"Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines."
-Robert Schuller

"Difficult things take a long time, impossible things a little longer."
-Author Unknown

"A door opens to me. I go in and am faced with a hundred closed doors."
-Antonio Porchia

"Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go."
-William Feather

"Big shots are only little shots who keep shooting."
-Christopher Morley

Lastly,
Do what you love to do. Stand up for what you believe in. Make it a part of your life. Work toward it every day. Remember with every "No" you are that much closer to a "Yes" And by learning from each defeat and staying the course, success is inevitable.

As I was browsing on the net about wines.
This was a unexpected result that was displayed,
and I decided to share with you guys. [:
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Can Christians Drink?

At its 36th Bi-Annual National Conference held on April 23-24, 2007, the Assemblies of God in Australia introduced a new code allowing AG pastors to consume alcohol. However it also urged extreme caution when drinking, and highlighted that drunkenness is prohibited.

According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, throughout the first 1,800 years of church history, Christians consumed alcoholic beverages as a common part of everyday life and nearly always used wine (fermented grape juice) in the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper. Many of the early church fathers allowed wine drinking in moderation. The Catholic Church requires properly fermented wine in their Eucharist. The Reformers from Luther and Calvin to Zwingli and Knox strongly supported the enjoyment of wine as a biblical blessing. It was said that Calvin’s annual salary in Geneva included seven barrels of wine. Even the conservative and strict English Puritans were temperate partakers of wine and ale, which they considered as “God’s good gifts.” It was in the mid-1800s when some Protestant Christians moved from this historic position of allowing moderate use of alcohol to the total prohibiting of all drinking.

Are Christians allowed to drink wine and beverages that contain alcohol? Let us look at some standard objections against drinking of alcoholic beverages:

1. Word Study: Those who argue against drinking seek to use “word study” as a pretext to prove that scripturally-approved wine is non-alcoholic in nature. However, their contention is tenuous and doesn’t stand up to close rigorous examination. There are 12 Hebrew words used to denote “wine.” The three most common ones are:

Yayin (H3196), used 113 times in the Old Testament. Opponents of drinking often claim that, depending on the context, this could mean non-fermented alcohol. Not true. According to the authoritative Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary, yayin is definitely fermented, alcoholic wine.

Tirosh (H8492), used 40 times in the Old Testament and translated as “new wine” (Prov. 3:10) or “sweet wine” (Micah 6:15). Opponents of drinking claim this is fresh grape juice with no alcohol content. Again, not true. The Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary says that although it is freshly squeezed grapes, it is nonetheless fermented. Easton’s Bible Dictionary says that tirosh has the root meaning “to take possession of,” implying that it can intoxicate the brain (Hosea 4:11).

Shekar (H7941), used 20 times in the Old Testament. It means strong drink, intense alcoholic liquor. No dispute here.

In the New Testament, the two main Greek words for wine are:

Oinos (G3631), used 25 times. Since it is the counterpart to the Old Testament word yayin, opponents of drinking again claim that it was often unfermented and non-alcoholic; and even if it was alcoholic, oinos was so diluted with water that it had become virtually non-alcoholic. Not true. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament, the fact that Jesus mentions that oinos was capable of bursting wine skins (Matt. 9:17) implies strong fermentation.

Gleukos (G1098), used once in Acts 2:13, and is the counterpart to the Old Testament tirosh. Opponents of drinking claim this is totally non-alcoholic, just like the English glucose, which is dextrose or grape-sugar. Others claim this is nothing more than freshly squeezed grape juice. Not true again. The Strong’s Hebrew & Greek Dictionary says it is a highly intoxicating, fermented drink. The New Unger’s Bible Dictionary says that when “Peter replies (Acts 2:15), ‘These men are not drunk, as you suppose.’ If the wine was not intoxicating, the accusation could only have been ironical. From the explanations of the ancient lexicographers we may infer that the luscious qualities of this wine were due not to its being recently made but to its being produced from the purest juice of the grape.”

Upon close examination, to say that the wine in the Bible was unfermented grape juice or some form of sub-alcoholic, purified water is extremely speculative. In fact, the Bible clearly makes a clear distinction between wine and grape juice. In the Nazirite vow of Numbers 6:3, God instructed that “he shall drink neither vinegar made from wine nor vinegar made from similar drink; neither shall he drink any grape juice, nor eat fresh grapes or raisins.” In other words, when the Scriptures talk about wine, they are not referring to grape juice and vice versa.

A thorough word study of wine will bring us to the same conclusion as the Dictionary of Jesus & the Gospel: “All wine mentioned in the Bible is fermented grape juice with an alcohol content. No non-fermented drink was called wine.”

2. Holy Communion: When the Lord’s Supper was instituted, the wine and the unleavened bread on the table were set apart as the body and blood of Christ. Jesus says, “But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom” (Matt. 26:29). Opponents of drinking take the fruit of the vine to mean grape juice. But when Paul rebuked the Corinthians for their abuse of the Lord’s Supper, he blasted them for abusing the wine to get drunk (1 Cor. 11:20-21). Obviously, one must conclude that the beverage used for the Lord’s Supper could not be grape juice but real alcoholic wine.

3. Qualification of a Bishop: Opponents of drinking often quote 1 Timothy 3:2-3 when Paul says that a bishop must be a man “not given to wine.” The word “given” (Gr. paroinos) means “drunken.” The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament says, “The word does not include the responsible and temperate usage of alcohol, rather, it has in view the abuse or incessant use of it. The word-picture is that of an individual who always has a bottle (or wineskin) on the table and so signifies addiction.”

4. Drunkenness: Without a doubt, drunkenness is a sin. Scripturally, it is portrayed negatively with characteristics such as staggering, reeling, vomiting, loss of mental control, and possible addiction. Poverty, immorality and sexual perversion are commonly mentioned in the Bible as results of drunkenness. Priests and prophets are judged for drunkenness, which prevents them from performing their duties (Is. 28:7). No bishop or church leader can be a drunkard (Titus 1:7; 2:2-5). Drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9-10; Gal. 5:21). Opponents of drinking posit that since drinking potentially causes drunkenness, we should never pick up the first drink. If that argument is true, then the same must be said of food, money, work and sex since they could also lead to gluttony, greed, workaholism and sex addiction. Should one abstain from them all because of potential danger? Of course, not.

5. Health: Opponents of drinking claim that alcohol impairs and destroys our body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Not all true. Studies have found that moderate alcohol consumption has health benefits like lowering the risk of heart attack, diabetes, stroke, and Alzheimer’s disease. In some cases, it actually increases longevity. Paul instructed Timothy, “No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities” (1 Tim. 5:23). But drunkenness or alcoholic intoxication affects the brain, causes slurred speech, clumsiness, and delayed reflexes. Long-term excessive consumption can permanently damage the liver and brain, and cause some forms of cancer. As such, moderation is the key.

What then is the Bible’s general attitude toward wine and drinking? One cannot deny that both the Old and New Testament view wine drinking favorably:

Sign of God’s blessing: Abundant wine was considered a sign of blessing and prosperity from God, not something to be shunned (Gen. 49:11-12; Deut. 7:13; Prov. 31:6; Joel 2:24; 3:18; Amos 9:13-14; Is. 55:1; Zech. 10:7). Isaac blessed Jacob by saying, “Therefore may God give you of the dew of heaven, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and wine” (Gen. 27:28). Conversely, the lack of wine was a symbol of judgment and calamity (Deut. 28:30; Is. 16:10; 24:11; 65:21; Jer. 48:33; Joel 1:5; Amos 5:11; Micah 6:15; Zeph. 1:13).

Righteous offering to God: Starting back in Genesis, Melchizedek the priest of God Most High used wine in religious ceremonial offering (Gen. 14:18). Wine was used as offerings to God ever since.

Enjoyment: Psalms 104:15 says that God gives His people “wine that makes glad the heart of man.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Go, eat your bread with joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart; for God has already accepted your works.” Wine was always considered a source of joy, one of the good things created for people (Judges 9:13; 2 Sam. 13:28; Esther 1:10; Eccl. 2:3; 10:19; Is. 24:11; Zech. 10:7). Until today, Jews use wine on Sabbath for Kiddush as well as in the Passover ceremony and in other religious ceremonies, and allow the use of alcohol, such as kosher wine. Many ancient Jewish texts such as the Talmud even encourage moderate amounts of drinking on holidays such as Purim, in order to make the occasion more joyous.

Normal: Like fasting, abstinence from wine was the exception and not the norm for God’s people. We see that in Daniel (Dan. 1:8-16), the Rechabites (Jer. 35:1-19), and the Nazirites (Num. 6:1-4).

Jesus Himself drank wine: “The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’” (Matt. 11:18-19). To be accused of being a winebibber, Jesus obviously drank alcoholic wine. And He permitted the use of wine in festivities like the wedding of Cana (John 2:1-11). In fact, His first miracle was to turn water into wine. Jesus even used the imagery of fermented wine to describe His teaching as “new wine” (Matt. 9:17).

With alcoholism an increasing problem in society, it is understandable why some may want to caution against drinking. But to twist Scriptures in order to prove wine as unfermented grape juice is certainly not an honest way to go.

Abstinence was never an issue in the Old Testament, New Testament, early church or the Reformation. There is never any direct prohibition of the use of wine in the Bible. But anything done in excess is wrong. Moderation is the watchword (Phil. 4:5 KJV). In this case, the Bible permits drinking but at the same time, discourages drunkenness. Besides, the use of wine is dependent upon the conscience and the sensitivities of others. It is not to be indulged in if it will lead others to drink against their conscience (Rom. 14:19-21).

PASTOR KONG,
2 MAY 2009.

Specially for: She who prays for the ability of forgiveness.

Forgiveness Is Essential In Finding The Light Of Life

Forgiveness Quotes allow you a glimpse of the ever
so important act of forgiving those that have wronged you at some point.
Forgiveness is an essential part of living life to the fullest
and in so doing we actually help ourselves as much as those that we are forgiving.

Forgiveness Quotes
"Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you."
-Ephesians 4:32

“Forgiveness is a funny thing. It warms the heart and cools the sting.”
-William Arthur Ward

“The remarkable thing is that we really love our neighbor as ourselves:
We do unto others as we do unto ourselves.
We hate others when we hate ourselves.
We are tolerant toward others when we tolerate ourselves.
We forgive others when we forgive ourselves.
We are prone to sacrifice others when we are ready to sacrifice ourselves.”
-Eric Hoffer

“In the Bible it says they asked Jesus how many times you should forgive,
and he said 70 times 7. Well, I want you all to know that I'm keeping a chart.”
-Hillary Rodham Clinton

“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
-Mahatma Gandhi

“Forgiveness is not an emotion, it's a decision.”
-Randall Worley

“Humanity is never so beautiful as when praying for forgiveness, or else forgiving another.”
-Jean Paul Richter

Last but not least, which I find the most meaningful:

“In the long run, it's not a question of whether they deserve to be forgiven.
You're not forgiving them for their sake. You're doing it for yourself.
For your own health and well-being, forgiveness is simply the most energy-efficient option.
It frees you from the incredibly toxic, debilitating drain of holding a grudge.
Don't let these people live rent free in your head.
If they hurt you before, why let them keep doing it year after year in your mind?
It's not worth it but it takes heart effort to stop it.
You can muster that heart power to forgive them as a way of looking out for yourself.
It's one thing you can be totally selfish about.”
-Doc Childre and Howard Martin, The HeartMath Solution

Weicheng was sharing this article by Pastor Kong. Hope you guys enjoy! :\

Envy, Strife and Division.

For you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?
-1 Corinthians 3:3

The Corinthian church was a congregation very much open to the power of the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, a partying spirit arose among the people and there was much compromise in their midst, especially in the realm of sexual morality. Instead of centering on Christ, the Corinthian believers were a very egocentric lot. Jesus was their Savior but not yet their Lord.

They were more interested to get rather than to give. The apostle Paul wrote to rebuke them for their spiritual immaturity. He highlighted in no uncertain terms: “You are still just babies in the Christian life. You are not following the Lord but your own selfish desires. I cannot talk to you as I would to healthy Christians who are filled with the Spirit” (1 Cor 3:1, TLB). The Corinthian believers had divided themselves into quarreling groups, jealous and suspicious of each other. Paul chided them for “acting like people who don’t belong to the Lord at all” (3:3, TLB).

Do we see that among the body of Christ today? Absolutely. “Church politics” and infighting are widespread in many quarters of the kingdom. Rival ministries are often comparing and competing with each other. The Corinthians were proof of that. Simmering below all the spiritual gifts and revelatory knowledge in the Corinthian church was a whole range of jealousy, friction, resentment, bitterness and hatred for one another.

In Genesis 26, Isaac went to the Valley of Gerar and started digging wells to get drinking water for his family. Contention arose when some Philistines claimed the right to the well. Isaac called that well Esek, which means in Hebrew, “quarrel” (26:20). Not wanting to create strife, Isaac dug another well. But again the Philistines fought him over the second one. He called the second well Sitnah, which means “hatred” (26:21). Why did the Philistines behave in such a bullying way? Because they had previously seen the prosperity of Isaac, and they “envied him” (26:14).

Envy makes you quarrel and fight. Envy fills you with hatred for others. Envy is a work of the carnal flesh (Gal. 5:21). Whenever we allow envy, strife and division in a fellowship, not only do we hurt ourselves, we bring tremendous disrepute to the gospel. Such “church politics” and fleshly maneuvering should never be present among Christians. Isaac refused to stoop down to the level of the envious Philistines. He dug another well.

This time, he called the well Rehoboth, which means “spaciousness.” God had made room for him to be fruitful in the land (Gen. 26:22). When you choose to be a genuine disciple of Jesus and refuse to embrace the envy and strife of the world, God will ensure that you will come to your own realm of fruitfulness.

PASTOR KONG,
26 MAY 2009.