Our Poster

Regarding our blog topic which is 'Hearing God's Voice' and 'God Working in Us', our poster is a combination of edited picture by us and we hope that the poster can convey a brief message about the topic we have chosen.

Simplicity?

Meet Brian. He's 24, out of a job, with his parents and two younger siblings to take care of. He just broke up with a girl he'd dated for a long time. In essence, his life has gone down the drain.

With depression right at the forefront of his mind, Brian could not help but question his faith in God. After all, why would someone so holy give a follower such a depressing fate? Now, he could lose his faith, surrender into depression and kill himself. Alternatively, he could man up, toughen it out and get his life in order.

How does one get his life back in order?

For a believer in Christ, the route seems simple, doesn't it? Pray, pray, pray.

But that doesn't always work. You need to let God actually work in you, and how do you do that?

Easy, embrace simplicity, among other things. Take some time for yourself, to allow God to work in you. Keep it simple.

After all, simple is good.

Simplicity and how God works in US thru it Pt2

We talked (well, I typed, you read, but you get the point) about simplicity in the last post, and how we might use it. Now, we'll talk about how God actually works in us through it. Simplicity, as we have said earlier on, means that everything isn't complicated. There's no upcoming deadlines, no Sword of Damocles above your head.

You might say, 'Gee, that's boring,' and guess what? You might be right! But that's because you're no embracing simplicity. Did you know that some South Koreans check into prison-themed facilities just to have some quiet time for themselves?

If that doesn't show how busy we all are nowadays, nothing will.

How do you embrace simplicity?

To be honest, this is something you're going to have to find out on your own- the best we can do is guide you to it, and even then we might not be able to. Each person has their own way of embracing simplicity. Some find it in quiet meditation, some find it when pondering over their life, and some find simplicity in the happiness of success.

We'll show some people that embrace simplicity in the next post.

SIMPLICITY and How 'God' works in US thru it Pt1

Simplicity: By definition, simplicity is a thing that is plain or uncomplicated, like living as a pastor (unless you live in Mali or Iran, in which case it isn't simple-evading angry mobs of murderous hooligans is rather difficult, no offense intended to those who live there).

But since this a religious study, these reliable definitions get thrown out of the proverbial window. In this post, we'll understand how we can 'hear God's voice' through the act of simplicity and understand how he works in us using this. At the very least, we'll give it our best shot.

Now, the first thing we need to be clear on is that IF YOU CAN ACTUALLY HEAR VOICES IN YOUR HEAD IT MEANS THAT YOU'VE GONE OFF THE ROCKER. When they mean 'hear God's voice,' it's more of a subconscious thought than anything. See, when people say that they do hear God's voice, it's when they know they're going to do something either pivotal, good, or life-changing (you can't expect the Almighty to give you advice on minor things like the best apple pie, right?). Making the decision to donate money to charity is not life-changing. But signing up for extended amounts of charity work, choosing to help out with the old folk's home nearby, or something of the sort is a pivotal decision.

Now, how exactly DO you hear God talking to you? Different people offer different solutions- some say pray, some say spend some time in quiet solitude. I say go take a break. Go, rent a vacation home or a hotel room in the midst of nowhere, take a break from the hectic life we all lead. Keep things simple for at least a while. Read a book or two...maybe pray, you know, the whole drill. But above all, keep it simply. Simplicity in life leads to quietness, and gives us more time to reflect on our lives. Take and use that chance to think of what you can do to better the lives of others. After all, there's no point in being religious when all you use it for is to annoy and waste the time of others.

God might not even 'talk' to you in the sense of the word that we know. It may be revelation that you know you need to do this. Alternatively, he'll leave you to discover your way on your own, giving subtle nudges. But of course, you'll never know if you never try, yes?

Ruth looked at the envelope again. There was no stamp, no postmark, only her name and address. She read the letter one more time...

Dear Ruth,

I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.

Love Always,

Jesus

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the Lord want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer."

With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner."

She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. Seven dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least." She threw on her coat and hurried out the door.

A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with a grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt satisfied as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.

"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags.

"Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."

Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to. "Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."

"Yeah, well, OK lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley.

As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart. "Sir, wait!" The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them. "Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.

"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.

"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one." Ruth unbuttoned her jacket and slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street . . .without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest. "Thank you lady! Thank you very much!"

Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The Lord was coming to visit and she didn't have anything to offer Him. She fumbled through her purse for the door key. But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox. "That's odd. The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day." She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth,

It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,

Jesus

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?"

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

Matthew 25:37-40

http://www.heavensinspirations.com/jesus-dinner.html

1 Corinthians 14:33 - For God is not [the author] of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

LIVE A LIFE OF SIMPLICITY 

Surrender

There are 4 ways to listen to God's voice and it is Stillness, Simplicity, Solitude and Surrender.

Let's start of simple!

The word 'Surrender' in the dictionary means to give oneself up. So to make it simply, it means that we give away ourselves to something or someone else and this, I think, is what GOD wants us to do - surrender and give ourselves to Him. Forget about what the world wants you to become, forget about what you want, forget about earthly things and just come to GOD and surrender in His presence. This is what GOD really wants from us. 

This world is a battleground. 

When we reach the age when we can make moral choices, we must choose whether to follow our own sinful inclinations or to seek God. God promises that when we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. When we find Him, we have a choice to make: do we continue following our own inclinations, or do we surrender to His will?

Surrender is a battle term. It implies giving up all rights to the conqueror. Surrendering to God works the same way. God has a plan for our lives, and surrendering to Him means we set aside our own plans and eagerly seek His. The good news is that God’s plan for us is always in our best interest, unlike our own plans that often lead to destruction. Our Lord is a wise and beneficent victor; He conquers us to bless us.

So enough introduction about surrender, let's discuss about what we could ACTUALLY do in our everyday life to surrender and what 'surrender' can do in our lives and how it will change our lives completely.

What will surrendering do?

Surrendering would change your life completely. How? You won't need to worry about your future anymore because you know that God has plans for you and you've surrender yourself completely to Him. This will also mean that God will take care of you completely, protect you and be with you at all times. When you surrender, you'll feel more at ease knowing that God is there and always will be there for you. You will know that your life is in His and only His hands.

If Springfield (our school, students, teachers and staff) are willing to surrender to God completely, there will be absolute changes in the school grounds. When we surrender ourselves to GOD, we know that we belong to Him and we were meant to serve Him and only Him so in everything we do we do it for His glory. Imagine if we all think that way? That everything we do is only for Him? We wouldn't be selfish anymore, we would work together for Him, we would see each other as a family, help each other in need, there would be no more bullying, no more fear and worry. Isn't it amazing?

Why do we need to surrender?

We need to surrender because God is our one and only creator so to begin with we are, always and have been his children; His work of art. So it is only logical to surrender ourselves to the Creator. Our lives are in His hands to begin with.

How to surrender?

God said that if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him. So the way to surrender is to leave every earthly characteristics and seek Him with all your being. Long for His presence and forget about what the world wants you to become and be what God wants you to become instead. This is how to surrender.

When to surrender?

Anytime you are ready because surrendering ourselves to God means leaving everything behind and let God take the lead. Are you ready for it? If you are then you can surrender so there is no specific time. It depends on the individual. As long as you are sincere then 'when' doesn't really matter. 

God working in us

When God knows that we have decided to surrender to Him, He can finally use us completely. We could be a blessing for others. Give a helping hand for the people who needs it. Isn't it great? When we surrender ourselves to God, He will lead the way, gives us what we need and work in us through our every action and words. We would be an example and when people see us they would recognize us as a Christian. When God works in us, we could bring happiness for others while bringing glory to His name. Our calling would be fulfilled when we surrender ourselves to God and let him work in us for whatever purpose He have in our lives because we were born in this world for a reason right? I believe in that.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Stillness

Stillness. The word "stillness" actually means a deep silence, calm or it's a state where nothings moves or make sound.

Based on what I observed, now a days, a lot of people are busy, some are stressed by school works, tests, and other problems. You can relate that people don't have much time to relax and refresh their mind. 

For example in Springfield, a lot of students would say that they're stressed out by homework and tests and they don't have much time to relax, every day they're filled with things that are need to be done and because of that they don't have much time to relax and be in a state where they can have a quiet time, because of that many of us would not be able to communicate much with God and talk to God.

The first thing we need to do is fix — believe that God is already speaking and start listening. However, that takes time, effort, and focus. For instance, what is your typical answer to the question, "How are you?" Many of you probably answer something about being very busy. All of us seem to be busier than ever, and that's one of the BIG reasonns we don't hear the voice of the Lord better. We're just too busy.

Psalm 46:10 says,"Be still, and know that I am God."

Aloneness and self-criticism, those are the two things that scare us most about stillness, and because of that, we keep ourselves busy by doing endless amount of things.

But it's in stillness, not busyness, that we tune our spiritual ears to hear the voice of God. The Lord always speaks to us in that "STILL, small voice" (1 Kings 19:12), but often it's drowned out amid all the turmoil of our daily lives.

Just remember that God is available to all of us, each one of us just need to give ourselves space for quiet, to communicate with God, just spend some quiet time to talk to him, to commit your mistakes, to thank him for everything that he did.