Posted this before but I really like it =)
ITS ALL GOD's CHILDREN SINGING GLORY GLORY!! HALLELUJAH HE REIGNS!!
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This is like the blogging day. Im blogging everywhere lol. Haha lazy to post too much I spent super long already so yep!!
LDC!!
In all honesty I went to the camp uninterested. I had absolutely no clue what was going on beyond the fact that it was a camp for the sec 2s and the primers are going to outnumber them. Add in to the fact that I was sleepy for majority of the camp because of explorally and stuff so I cant say I thoroughly enjoyed the entire camp haha =p.
Nevertheless, in the course of the camp I did pick out a few notable things.
The presence of God is undeniable in the camp. It doesnt matter whether you are sleepy or not God isnt so much determined by your mood and your emotions as perhaps some might think it to be. In the camp, I stood with a rather outsider's point of view looking at things progress and I have to say that despite myself even right now not knowing half of what the camp was all about even though its over, I have seen the main objectives of the camp accomplished.
Unity in Christ, I see a band of brothers who come together. For spiritual growth, I have seen lives being touched.
I have called this school a land of dead faith. Everywhere I go, it seemed that 70% of the population of the school was Christian and yet majority dont seem to exercise that faith. In some points in my life, I have felt a little like Elijah. I still am often very much amazed at the exchange that took place all the way from 1 Kings 18 to 1 Kings 19. So many things took place there, and in this particular part from 1 Kings 19:10-18 still makes me ponder about it.
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, broken down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." - 1 Kings 19:10
Well I suppose I dont feel like anyone's killing me but I have felt quite alone. To be honest there is a part of spiritual pride in me actually that made me decide that the school wasnt as Christian as I was (gotta keep working on that haha) but despite that, to a certain extent it is true that there are many Christians who dont act as if they were. Anyway thats not the point.
The point is, later in 1 Kings 19:15-18, this scene is so dramatic haha. After God asked Elijah the same question and he repeated the same words.
The LORD said to him, "Go back the way you came, and go to the Desert of Damascus. When you get there, anoint Hazael king over Aram. Also, anoint Jehu son of Nimshi king over Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from Abel Meholah to succeed you as prophet. Jehu will put to death any who escape the sword of Hazael, and Elisha will put to death any who escape the sword of Jehu. Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him."
And to that extent, joining primers made me realise that there are quite a number of fiery Christians in this school. More so than me I fully admit. I am proud to be in primers, under the charge of the officers and guided by the steering comm, two groups of people whom I have discovered to be true God seekers.
Perhaps there are some notable things I need to learn from them. For example, I noticed that they commit everything to God in prayer. I dont do that. Sometimes I still tend to do certain things by myself, but perhaps I really need to start COMPLETELY relying on God instead of struggling with my own ways.
I thought that the prayer room concept was pretty interesting. Though I didnt use it throughout the course of the camp, I think it is a great idea to have a room set apart for prayer that people can use anytime they want. The book left in there for people to scribble down what they have received from God is pretty good too. So Andy, take note =).
I guess the climax of the LDC was really the concluding time of prayer. Which would be an unexpected climax I guess. Its like, time to go off from camp, lets have one final song and a time of prayer. And boom. God works in mysterious ways.
Scanning the room, I see some secondary twos shedding tears. I see people touched by God, and I know the Holy Spirit is doing a powerful work.
At the end, after the time of prayer, we had a mini debrief and then it was time to go. I noticed some bb boys hanging around, one of them starting arranging the chairs in the IAN without anyone telling him to, some of them just standing there blankly instead of streaming out of the place. These are signs of people not wanting to leave. Its 9pm for goodness sake. It was a tough camp. I would expect people to rush out but no, the presence of God is the best place to be. So they stayed.
I remember as we left Church service on sunday, there was almost a foreshadowing of the events to come right there. A soft music was playing in the background as year 2s and year 5s streamed out, and many of us joined in the chorus.
"For greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done".
I have come a long way since I first sang this song. I still remember this song resounding in my heart during the FFLC period in November 2008.
Perhaps.
Oh God, use us, take us, lead us.
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That was the camp in itself. Other than that there were two other incidents that made me think.
A friend of mine told me that he appreciated my passion for God. I realised that if it were some time ago I would have jumped on that and be all holy and mighty perhaps. But something Eugene said a few weeks back stuck in me. We have been blessed here in DI. Its a good environment to learn and all. Discipleship is rather strong with iConstruct, prayer meetings abound, and there is a truly God centered culture. Others may not be so fortunate. I have come to see some Christians whom I realise truly have a passion for God but are not as well trained.
And one thing I learnt. Your faith is not determined by how well you sing or play your instruments, how well you lead worship, how many verses you could quote when you pray, how long you could pray, how much of the minor prophets you could understand. All these are good things that must be built but unless the heart of all these things is in God, they serve in nothing but create spiritual pride.
To my friend, you may never see this, but I noticed you stepped out and did something that I didnt do. Something that was floating about in my head and I wanted to do it, I should do it, yet I didnt act upon it.
It was never about how well you could do it but how God can work through you if you were willing.
And I appreciate your passion for God.
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And on that same point, a different issue. Another friend of mine told a little story of how when he was young, he attended a Christian primary school. He used to have nightmares, and when he told his teacher, his teacher told him to pray. And his nightmares went away.
This is rather intimate for me because I realise that I identified with this alot.
My mother used to tell me to do this. It was the only time I ever learnt what prayer was. In fact, up till secondary one or so, I never knew that salvation was not earned by good deeds till I read the Left Behind series. But I prayed every night before going to sleep.
My friend came from a non Christian family. I suppose it would be one of the only times he ever learned what prayer was. And he prayed every night before going to sleep.
Do you see, the kind of impact little things can have? Because I used to pray, I sort of identified myself as a Christian all my life without actually understanding what it consists. And so when I came to a greater understanding of it, I could receive it receptively. When a friend of mine invited me to go to Church, I could go enthusiastically.
My friend till this day, still not a Christian, still prays sometimes. Still a seeker, searching to find this God.
Sheesh. Telling a kid to pray when hes having nightmares. Such a tiny, silly thing dont you think? What kind of impact could you have?
When that happens you realise its really not about what you can do but what God can do through you.
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I am amazed. I stand amazed. God works in mysterious ways.
After camp ended, some incidents happened that tried to pull me down again, but no, I stand, by the blood of Jesus.
I am reminded, of FFLC once again. Funny, X-Factor was definitely more 'impactful' to that extent dont you think? But I am reminded of FFLC.
Arent we all tired of this song? Overplayed much?
But its been a long time friends.
Do you see the tears of the music team?
I remember.
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So yups. My LDC experience. Nothing much about what actually happened you notice? LDC was never that intimate to me. I dont think it ever will be. I doubt there will be a point in time in the future where I look back and say 'hey LDC was pretty awesome' because it didnt feel like my camp, and I was just in and out the whole time, not knowing what was going on. But the lessons I have learnt will remain with me forever.
Fun times. All the ardon and pardon, peat and repeat. Time spent with david sim in the long bouncer duty.
Hmm.
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Somewhere along the way in this blog, I decided to start every post with a picture so it doesnt look like a wall of text, sometimes I put a video like I did in this. A good habit I have stuck with.
Somewhere much more recent along the way in this blog, I decided to put something to thank God for every day. I have forgotten, about it recently, but its alright, when I first started the picture thing I kept forgetting too.
And now one new thing I would like to introduce in this blog. I would like to end of my posts with a prayer. At least one per day if there are multiple posts in a day. We have been called to pray unceasingly and I dont see why I should not pick up this habit. And so with that, I will combine the thank God thing with this. Do remind me when I dont do it for I will probably forget but its something I really want to do.
This has been an emotional post, but praise God.
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So Father God, thank you for LDC, for the experiences shared, for Your power revealed. Thank you God, for lives impacted, eternal destinies changed. Thank you God for quality time spent in Your presence. Thank you God for the laughter, the joy the tears, the heart to heart conversations. Thank you God. Just plain, thank you God. And it is my prayer that we do not leave unchanged. It is easy sometimes, to have a spiritual high and then lose our focus almost immediately afterwards. But God, I pray, help us to really chase after your heart, not determined by these mood fluctuations, but borne out of an intense desire, passion, hunger, desperation for You. Help us all, to come to a greater understanding of who You really are.
Amen.