Evidence of God

Your right arm is probably bent at the elbow now, hand holding the mouse and clicking away.

Now, stretch out your arm in front of you.

It seems a simple task to you, of course.

But what's happening is a number of extremely complex cycles in your muscles cells that produce energy that affords you to move your arm in the first place. That energy then gets converted into kinetic energy through the contraction of your muscle cells so that your arm can unbend and stretch forth and hold it in that position.

And other than that, there' also the tendons that connect your muscles to your bone, exerting the pulling force on your bones that makes your arm unbend. And also there's also the ligaments that are holding the two parts of your entire arm together - the forearm and, erm, the other part - that keeps your arm from dislocating most painfully.

And then I could go on about other stuff that connects to the simple, simple task - to us, anyway - of stretching an arm forth.

Many say that the world came about through the process of evolution. Many good minds claim that, after the Big Bang, a whole number of incredibly lucky events happened to eventually result in the formation of bacteria which then evolved into more complex organisms, and finally the human you know today.

Okay. Let's just say that, yes, evolution happened, and out of the millions of probabilities of combinations of atoms and molecules, the just-right ones occured to produce proteins and the necessary components for life.

But consider this, all those combinations might, and this is a megnomous might, produce proteins and stuff like that, but no way can any combination of atoms or molecules produce life.

No, no combination of any physical thing could breathe life, could put a spirit, a soul in an organism. For that matter, no combination of anything could create the human mind.

No.

If any of you blog-readers somehow can come up with an explanation for how the process of evolution could bring about a soul, I'm willing to hear you out.

So face it, there is a God out there, the same God who made you, who made me, who made the delicate petals of a sweet-smelling rose, who made the sun to shine.

And there's only one God.

Ta.

- Alexis -

P+W Team

This post is specially a P+W tippy post... ahaha


Chairpersons :

You are the people who will stand in front of everyone and lead the worship meeting. Therefore,

• Appearance is important. It also depends on the meeting. If it's worship meeting, Long pants(not jeans), long sleeve shirts and tie for guys. (brethren, okay. No gals chair. lol) If it's a youth meeting, look presentable. No shorts, singlet, slipper and all, kay. You get my point.
• Prepare before the meeting. Well before the meeting. The 'before' does not mean 10 minutes before the meeting, where you start flipping through the songbook/typing frantically on the lappy. Take the theme/topic of the meeting into consideration, spend time in prayer that God will guide you and proceed to choose the songs and verses that you'll be sharing.
• Let the musicians have the list of songs before the meeting. The 'before' also means at least 2 days before the meeting. Not when the musician is about to sit down with guitar/on the way to the piano.
• Sing into the microphone. Not beside, above, away from the microphone. It is there for a reason, as are you. If, for instance, the congregation is not so adept at catching the starting note, they'll wait for you. Yes, you, the chairperson. This is especially important when teaching a new song. The congregation need to catch the tune, and can't do that very well from just the musicians.
  
• It's especially important to start well. Fumbling, messiness spoils the whole mood, and it's hard to get back on track.
• Warn the musicians and practice well with them before teaching a new song. Otherwise the tune will get 'corrupted' and this is how hymns 'evolve'. ahaha
• Have a back-up song, in case for whatever reason the song you chose doesn't work out.
• Please give hand signals about a phrase or two before the end of a stanza or something so the musicians can prepare for the transition, whether it is to stop, go back to the chorus, repeat the last line or what. Refer below for hand signals.
  

Musicians :

• Appearance, as mentioned before, is important especially when playing for worship meetings. Even if sitting behind the piano. Because you have to emerge from back there sometime, and everybody is going to see you.
• Practice before the meeting. Preferably half-an-hour to an hour, depending on the number of songs. Practice starting(intro), flow of songs, ending, etc. Musicians do not usually play alone, so coordinate with the other musicians.
• Frequently look at the chairperson to see the hand signals. Nod slightly as an acknowledgment that you saw it.
  
• Remember that what you are doing, you are doing for God.
  
• Prepare the songbooks/chords or whatever you are using. Don't depend on the chairperson, this is your job. Have a backup just in case so that things do not get screwed up just as the meeting is going to start.

Hand signals :

• Stop - Clench your fist, fingers facing downwards
  
• Proceed to the chorus - Make a letter 'C' with your entire hand
  
• Repeat the last line(at the end of a song) - Close your fist and extend our last finger
  
• Go to the bridge - Put your four fingers together, tuck your thumb under them facing downwards
• Repeat from the top - Put out your index finger and twirl it in small circles, like the way people do to signal that somebody is crazy. Don't twirl your finger beside your ears, just do it where the musicians can see it.
• Go to the first stanza - Put out your index finger. Hand is upright.
• Go to second stanza - Put out your index and second finger.

I repeat, all hand signals should be shown early, like one or two phrases before the end of the stanza but don't show too early also.

Above all, remember who you're doing it for. =)




- Alexis -

Prayer items :

1. The new year will be coming!!! Pray for every one of us that we will be steadfast and grow in our walk with God all through this coming year!!
2. Pray for the committee who will be planning the coming events for 2009 - That everything will be done according to God's will.
3. Pray for those who will be leaving us to study somewhere else this year - Jon Lim(30.12.2008) and Wei Shern(07.02.2009)

- Alexis -

Here's a small note :

Most of our church youth have gone/are going to go to RBS..

Well, here's the official forum site : http://forum.rbs.org.my/viewforum.php?f=1

You can :

1) Keep up with your RBS buddies if you have attended RBS in whatever year.
2) Ask pertinent questions about anything you want to know about RBS. Seniors can answer. Or else, you can just learn from experience yourself... Jkjk... Ahaha.

***********

Note to all blog readers :

The bulletin on the right-hand which tells the dates, time and venue for various events that we'll be having will be updated... Almost as soon as we plan them, which means when I or somebody else gets home and on-9 to post it up.

So keep checking back for events, kay!!!




- Alexis -

P.S : To all those who are posting stuff up on this blog, please write your name at the bottom of the post - thanks!!! =)

'Words' from Down Below...

Hi all,

Missed me?Haha. I certainly have. Missing you guys and gals i mean. Not missing myself. * grins *

Anyways, I was asked to write something down for KGH YF's Blog so here i am. I was praying and asking God, what was it that He wants me to share with my family back home and well. . . i'm going to share from my heart.

In my conversations with you guys back in Klang, I always ask, how's things at YF? The answer i get, "same old same old." I must confess, i get pretty discouraged when i hear that. Not because that it's the same answer but because, it seems that each one of you are comfortable where you are. You stay at home, go to school/college/uni/work come back, Saturday comes, you go for YF, Sunday comes, you go to church. Then you make comments about people who can't wake up for Sunday morning worship. Is this what God has called you to? A life of going through the motions and gossiping and bickering about others? John 10:10 ...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Numbers 16:41-50
Complaints of the people -

41 On the next day all the congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, saying, "You have killed the people of the LORD." 42 Now it happened, when the congregation had gathered against Moses and Aaron, that they turned toward the tabernacle of meeting; and suddenly the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. 43 Then Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of meeting. 44 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 45 "Get away from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."
And they fell on their faces.
46 So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire in it from the altar, put incense on it, and take it quickly to the congregation and make atonement for them; for wrath has gone out from the LORD. The plague has begun." 47Then Aaron took it as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the assembly; and already the plague had begun among the people. So he put in the incense and made atonement for the people. 48 And he stood between the dead and the living; so the plague was stopped. 49 Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand seven hundred, besides those who died in the Korah incident. 50 So Aaron returned to Moses at the door of the tabernacle of meeting, for the plague had stopped.


In my commentary of this passage, it says that, 'it was the intervention of Moses and Aaron for the entire nation that saved them from destruction because of their opposition to God.' God did not pour out His wrath because someone interceded. Are you interceding for the people around you? I hope you realised the power of prayer. You can make a difference in whether the person you sit next to in the bus or school goes to heaven or hell. If that is not power, i dont know what is.

Everytime Moses and Aaron 'fell on their face before the tabernacle', 'God's glory came upon them. Hebrews 11:6 ..anyone who comes to him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Do you have a sense of expectancy when you come before God? Hebrews says that we must BELIEVE. Do you really sincerely believe from the bottom of your heart? i am reminded of the guy in Mark who cried out, Oh Lord, I believe, help my unbelief. (Mark 9:24) When Moses and Aaron 'fell on ttheir face before tabernacle', the Glory of God came upon them. The Glory of GOD!!!!!!!!! (cf Numbers).

Seek God. Seek Him earnestly. GREAT things will happen. I have prayer groups across the campuses in my University and it's just so amazing to see God changing lives and to see HIM MOVING!!!!!!!!! Just recently, a gnostic club was putting up posters around the campus advertising itself as a newly started club. Go google them up if you dont know what they are. When I saw the poster, I was so 'burdened' and 'grieved' that we just could not stop praying asking God to cleanse the campuses again with His blood. The following day when I went to Uni, all the posters were gone and i haven't heard about them since.

Basically what I am getting is how are you living in the light of the His Salvation for You and also His coming again. Isaiah 62:6 talks about a watchman. Look at the times today, are you being a watchman? It's obvious that we are living in the End times.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, please do not put off the importance of prayer, evangelism, doing quiet time, praising God, loving God, loving His people, thanking Him, worshipping Him... Jesus. period. One of the main things that i have been struggling with here in Australia is being lazy. We are a pampered lot, i must confess that. Let's move out of our comfort zone and praise God and thank God for His blessings and start using His blessings for His GLORY.

I do not apologize if i sound harsh as i expect you to rebuke me also if you see me falling away also. This is what family do, loving one another, encouraging one another, rebuking one another, helping one another to keep our eyes on Jesus.

Praying for you.Till I see you again.



Wei Jin

Peer Pressure-ism

You see it everywhere. From the (underage)kids sitting in the coffee shop smoking and trying to look cool, to the young adults who go out for so-called 'social drinking' because their friends asked them to and to the teens who laugh at dirty and so-not God glorifying jokes that nobody should be telling and listening to.


It's easy to succumb to it. Peer pressure, I mean. To want to be part of the group and have friends and 'kakis' as Uncle CC would put it is normal.


But we also have to know our limits. Don't be afraid to say no or to state your stand, to tell your friends how you feel about something that you know is wrong. If they respect you, they'll respect your decisions not to join them in whatever they're doing that's against the principles that we, as Christians, hold.


As Christians we should be 'light and salt of the earth'. Not because nobody else is going to do it, but because we are called to be witnesses for Christ. And by letting people know on which side of the line you stand and why, we're being witnesses.


So I hope that when you guys read this, you'll keep it in mind as you go about your daily lives among your friends.


Just a thought. =)




By Alexis C.