self-centered in a God-centered way

Quiet Time a.k.a Mini Sermon

Anw to introduce the title... Why its "Quiet time a.k.a Mini Sermon"... that's cos I've always wanted be a pastor next time... AND... but *i'm just kidding.

I just thought that quiet time for me, well, i'm gonna try to make it like a mini sermon... it dawned upon me that for every quiet time put as if it were a sermon message for me...then probably, quiet time starts becoming different. that's of course, unless, sermons are boring one hour talks where you start day dreaming or sleeping... but if not, quiet time, and sermon messages share much in common.... Just that through one, God speaks through man, through another, God speaks through the holy spirit... and both from the word of God...

and this is like a "daily sermon"... for me... and if I blog it, it becomes a sermon, not just for me, but for others too! =D

***on the sidenote, maybe I can be a preacher next time if i write enough mini sermons. hahaha!

So if in your quiet time, you read the bible, read it differently...

read it as though it was God's letter and sermon for you. Well, you know... it actually is...

you know, sometimes we say, be God-Centered.
sometimes we say, don't be self-centered.
But when it comes to reading the bible, don't just be God-centred... be self-centred too.

wait* i'm not starting a cult. haha.

you know why be self-centered?
cos God did not write the word for Himself...
and but the word of God, everything in the bible that was written.. is for YOU!

sometimes, we read the bible, just to find out more about God. that's good. God-centered reading..
and even on top of that, read the bible to find out, what God has, JUST FOR YOU! that's self-centered. but that's true... and that's how we should be reading the bible...

and what got me thinking about how we should also be "self-centered' when reading the bible...was just seeing how "man-centered" God was in everything that He did. In everything, His focus was on us, among creation... special... Well, just think why God created animals, the sun, the moon? or the stars? or land... or mountains... or the sea... things to fly, things to swim in the oceans....? why...?

think of the most self-centered answer:

because He was thinking of ME...! that's of course it's not just me but you too, so it's also, because He was thinking of US too.

if you see, God is more Us-Centered that we know... and His words, are more Us-centred than anything else. then when you read the bible, read it as though it for ME/YOU too. that's self-centred reading...

*but it doesn't mean don't be God-centred... cos that's exactly how we should live...

so,
summary: read self-centred, live God-centred.

Read your bible, pray everyday...
so anw, that wasn't my mini sermon...

this is my mini Sermon...
anw, because I finished Jeremiah... I went on to the most random book i could find. well, haha.. it was a short short book. Guess what it was *in the old testament...?

it was Haggai. JUST 2 chaptErs long. haha.

======so adapted from Haggai chapter 2...

before, this was what the people experienced, "When you expected to draw fifty gallons from the winepress, you found only twenty."

but, this is what God said, "I am with you, says the Lord!"

and, this is what God says will happen, "Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, promagranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you..."

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talk about yet praises.

think about the yet blessings.

You know why this verse means so much to me?

through my life... actually since primary school... i have never gotten into a place of my choice... many times, there's wasn't a choice for me. Secondary school was my 4th Choice. JC was my 3rd Choice. in primary school, EM1 was my first choice... EM2 was the way i had to go... NUS medicine was my choice... UNSW was the way to go... well, never did well enough to my expectations. and i guess, many of us, we never ever do well enough to our expectations...

and.. that's exactly like getting 20 gallons when you expect 50 gallons...!

even now, i must say, now... that my expectations have become just hopes... hopes to do well enough. but these hopes become not so hopeful... you know? I just saw and heard about the requirements to do well enough to get an Honours in Medicine... that's really difficult!... I hear how eventually, people just do well enough to pass... maybe that'll be me, i thought to myself.

so even though there's no harvest...
even though you haven't even put your hand to the plough
to even prepare anything for the harvest to come...
and even though you haven't taken your first step YET...
to take the seed out of the barn...

God says, "I will bless you..."

what a way to start!
a start for me in Medicine... what a way to start... :D to start with a blessing.

well blessings... may not just be results... but i know that blessing, is more than enough for me.


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and I love this verse from 2nd Timothy...

This is a faithful saying:
For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.


everything's a reaction to our actions...
see, if we died with Him, we live with Him.
If we endure, we reign with Him.
If we deny Him, we get denied by Him... ...

until... the last part...

If we are faithless, He remains faithful... ... for He cannot deny Himself.

so, but none of what decisions we make, ever takes away God's faithfulness to us.
perhaps, one of the worst things is to be denied... to be rejected... to be accused...
and yet still remain faithful?

that's laying down your guard...
some say it's weakness...
its like putting yourself in the most vulnerable positions of being hurt...

but that's God... and that's love...

for He cannot deny himself....

" If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself."