Sunday, December 10, 2006 . 8:09 PM
Baptism
I have a black book, which i use to record my prayer requests or meaningful verses that i wish to b reminded of again and again.
And recently i found myself writing in the book many times, my prayers. Sometimes i find it hard not to write down things. I like to write down as i pray to God, bcos writing actually helps me to focus more. But ya so tht means i do havea pretty long QT bcos my writting speed is quite slow haha..
I have many things on my mind. Like i worry abt my dance..like i worry abt wat will happen at my baptism, bcos i wanted to bring my dad and mom there. SO i keep praying abt all these. In the end, my dad was not keen about going. Mayb bcos it's a church but he said it's v troublesome for him to go so he rather not go. Then i juz give up asking.
The Black Book...opps..can see my legs...damn. But im so lazy to photoshop it away.
Juz somethings i prayed about the day before my baptism....
Another page where i copied meaningful sentences from this book that i read and a very nice verse.
I know my handwritting sucks haha..but that's not the point ok.
I didn't have much time to worry about my baptism cos im basically so dead tired everyday. But when i realised it's my baptism the next day i started worrying more about it and going into the details.
ANyway on the day itself, i had driving lesson, Deying went to pick me up and we went to clementi for awhile and was pretty rush when we went back to my home to pick up my mom and i packed my stuffs.Rushed to church. Then had a very rush tea reception. Then it was quite hard to make everyone comfortable as there were so many pple and i had to go change n prepare to go for final briefing by the staffs abt wat to do.
As i looked back at my baptism and my prayer lists b4 that, i realised GOd indeed answer prayers and many amazing things that HE did. Im really thankful for Deying as she helped to take care of my mom the whole time and drove us around.
Thankful for Derek, as he went around the altar taking photos of me and Albert as the baptism began. If he's not there, then i donoe who will b doing all the photo taking. So i gez yes God place pple there at the right time, even tho u didn't plan for it.
And my period didn't come until today. GOd also took all my pre menstural uncomfyness away so basically i felt like normal the whole day. Until this morning i woke up and tadaaaa......period. Then cramps. Ay sian. But v thankful for what GOd has done.
When the service started, i was pretty nervous thinking abt how everyone would b looking at mi later on. But as the service started and we began to worship, i really calmed down so much. IN fact, it became clear tht it's just between mi and God and noone else. Then there was no fear but a deep sense of assurance. I hope GOd is well pleased with out baptism, our willingness to devote a life time of serving Him.
Lloyd, my cousin and cell grp pple were around. Even my sunday sch teacher,FoongSim who journeyed with me throughout my secondary life in church was there, as one family was being baptised, the parents are in her cell group. SO she came to congrats them and me. So nice. Evryone was just congratulating each other, was really heart warming.
After that, my cousin had to go hom to rush her assignments. Deying,Derek,Lloyd and my mom went to IMM to eat. Later Deying sent my mom home and Lloyd and i went to watch 'THe Nativity Story' Jurong Point. Thanks Deying, really appreciate it.
I can't believe im baptised. Seriously. Now im officially Lynn Kho. I mean for years, i'm used to saying im not baptised yet. I juz can't believe i actually made the decision to get baptised and i really did get baptised. It just doesn't hit mi yet haha..
There was a period of time this yr..where i experienced the intense experience of loving God. Sometimes i wonder y there are pple who can't stop praising GOd, all the time. It's as if they can't help praising God. But ..i finally knew y ..this yr. Bcos of all the goodness God has done. BCos GOd is good Himself. Bcos God is just so amazing. U juz can't stop worshipping Him. I understood the idea that GOd loves us, but we can never fully understand how much He loves us. But us to love GOd back? It's pretty hard don't you think? Bcos u can't see GOd with ur naked eyes? How do u define loving GOd? This year, i found the answer to that question too. I realised yes..as imperfect n weak we are, we are really capable of loving GOd. The more u know how amazing He is, the more you love God from ur heart.The thought of how wonderful GOd is...easily brings me to my knees. NO pride, no reservations. U juz wan to proclaim his wonderfulness..just want to worship Him.
But as u know, the only way to go after ur spiritually high for a period of time, there's onli way to go down. Sometimes, journey with God can become abit dry.
I won't really expect baptism to bring mi to a spiritual high...but gez i was wrong.
The nativity story was really good.
4 Therefore the Lord himself will give you [a] a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and [b] will call him Immanuel. [c]
Isaiah 7:14
It made me think alot about how GOd put everything together to make everything perfect. ANd it's not pure coincidence. There is a reason behind everything and every person that God chose to use. Even tho the bible seldom actually talks about Joseph, and most credits go to Mary, Mary couldn't have made it without Joseph at her side.The gospel says Joseph is a righteous man. He's liek a perfect husband and father, sacrificial and alawsy thinking for others. And if GOd choose Mary to b the one to fulfill the prophesy, then GOd would have chosen a man of great character to help her, and im sure Joseph is such a man. And as a young couple, the town did not look upon them in favour as everyone thought that Joseph made Mary pregnant, which was not according to the Jewish law which says that they have to maintain distance for a year before they can start a family...so i gez emotionally it muz b hard on them.
If Caesar Augustus had not issued a decree that a census should b taken of the ROman world, which means everyone has to go back to their own birth place to register, then the prophecy would not b fulfilled as well. As Joseph and Mary made their long journey back to Bethlehem...whcih was realy long. In the bible it seems so simple to juz get there but actually the journey is long and tedous. It didnt' occur to me to check the map you see... It's really touching as it reminds us that even when things seem the worst, when things seem hopeless, GOd provides.
Mary finally gave birth in Bethlehem, in a manger as every inn are occupied. In the movie, even as Mary goes into labour, the Lord was with her.
The 3 wise men from the east, who were professionals in astronomy, read the star and followed the star all the way to Bethlehem. King Herold, the king who was in charged of country of Judea was determined to get rid of this 'king of the Jews' as prophecised. HE wanted to use them to find out where this person would b.HE was also really happy about hte fact that they can trace this messiah as he knows that he would b a descendant of the David and since everyone is going back to their own town to b registered they can probably find the messiah. BUt he didn't know that the messiah is not a man..but a baby yet. THe wise men followed the star and found Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus. They worshipped Him with gifts of gold,incense and myrrh. The angel in a seperate incident had notified the shephereds around the area and they too went to worship baby Jesus. Can u imagine???
A baby. It's God becoming Flesh. And a bunch of pple who realises the whole importance of His arrival, the Messiah, went ...to worship Him. At that point in the movie, i also have the strong urge to just pray and worship, for GOd is just so amazing. Nothing is just coincidence in this world. He has been with Joseph and Mary on their journey, im sure they were confused and lost but GOd guided them.
Its amazing to see how pple lived in those days and the realness of the words being spoken from the bible being spoken out on screen. The pple behind us cried. I had to control myself from crying bcos i didn't have er tissue paper hahaa...but after the movie ended, Lloyd and me were just silent, in our own thoughts, both of us personally touched by God ..by the movie.
The Word Became Flesh
1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood[a] it.
John 1:1-5
Personally, i felt teh realness of everything and yes im pretty spiritually high now. Bocs once again, im being brought back to just being in awe of what God does. Wow...It's like understanding y some psalmist can say...his lips shall worship and praise GOd forever...
Mary's Song
46And Mary said:
"My soul glorifies the Lord
47and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
48for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
49for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
50His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
51He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
52He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.
53He has filled the hungry with good things
but has sent the rich away empty.
54He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering to be merciful
55to Abraham and his descendants forever,
even as he said to our fathers."
God has also done many wonderful things for me.
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