Take a risk? Sure...after the Swallow has run through a mental checklist, and the result is a satisfying swing to the side of the positive. More often than not, when an immediate and necessary choice has to be made, without the benefit of deliberation or hindsight experience, the Swallow would probably say, "No, thank you, I'll pass." Call her cautious or fearful, but she rather be safe than sorry. Two incidents yesterday drove home that point.
The first incident happened in the morning. After hanging out the laundry, she went to a nearby supermarket to get some groceries. Halfway there, a glance at the sky brought gray clouds into view. Continue on to the store, or turn back home to collect the laundry and bring along an umbrella? Her thoughts fought with her heart. Only a few gray clouds...look, the sun is still shining...make a quick trip...take a risk...
At the checkout counter, what had been a few gray clouds had quickly become an expanse of gray clouds. The sun was hidden from view. The light of the day had dimmed. After making payment for the groceries, the Swallow hurried home, trying to outrun the gray clouds but it was futile. The Swallow was drenched just a short distance from her nest. A (mis)calculated risk...standing at the cross junction, the Swallow realized that she should have listened to the Holy Spirit's prompting in her heart. An immediate downpour seemed to emphasize this thought.
However, the silver lining in this gray cloud was that her laundry was kept almost dry. Her Sovereign Lord kept the rain away from it! His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, even though His faithful ones err from time to time...
The second incident happened in the night. There was a collision between a car and a truck at the spot where a previous accident had happened less than a week ago. Two accidents at the same spot within a week. (Mis)calculated risks by the parties involved...for some risks, the result may be a matter of life and death...
Thursday, 28 July 2011
Sunday, 24 July 2011
Guilt or Forgiveness
No different from most young ones, the young ones in the Swallow's nest need adequate sleep to ensure that they wake up refreshed and ready to face the challenges of the next day. The same goes for herself and her mate.
This morning, suffering from the effects of a late night, getting ready for church was a less than satisfying experience. The young ones dragged their feet...slow to wake and even slower to move. The Swallow's reaction? Suffice to say that it was not a patient mother's response to her young ones' behaviour.
On their way to church, the Swallow was reminded again how easy it was to sin. Imagine if she had to find her own way to heaven, and that way was from doing good works, the Swallow would have fallen short again and again.
Romans 3 : 10 (NKJV)
As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one."
Romans 3 : 23 (NKJV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6 : 23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 1 : 9 (NKJV)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So it was, when she chose to receive the forgiveness offered by the Lord God as she confessed the sins of this morning, instead of dwelling on the guilt of doing something wrong (again!), she was able to worship with a heart of gratitude and a heart welled up with praise to the Living God for His precious gift of the Lord Jesus Christ who took away her sins by His death on the cross.
How wonderful it is that the Swallow need not depend on herself to get to heaven!
This morning, suffering from the effects of a late night, getting ready for church was a less than satisfying experience. The young ones dragged their feet...slow to wake and even slower to move. The Swallow's reaction? Suffice to say that it was not a patient mother's response to her young ones' behaviour.
On their way to church, the Swallow was reminded again how easy it was to sin. Imagine if she had to find her own way to heaven, and that way was from doing good works, the Swallow would have fallen short again and again.
Romans 3 : 10 (NKJV)
As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one."
Romans 3 : 23 (NKJV)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Romans 6 : 23 (NKJV)
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 John 1 : 9 (NKJV)
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
So it was, when she chose to receive the forgiveness offered by the Lord God as she confessed the sins of this morning, instead of dwelling on the guilt of doing something wrong (again!), she was able to worship with a heart of gratitude and a heart welled up with praise to the Living God for His precious gift of the Lord Jesus Christ who took away her sins by His death on the cross.
How wonderful it is that the Swallow need not depend on herself to get to heaven!
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Life is Unpredictable
Sounds of tyres screeching, followed by a dull thud, then the non-stopping blare of a horn broke the stillness of the late morning. Exiting her nest, the Swallow rushed out to the corridor overlooking the cross junction nearby. The horrific result of a four-vehicle collision greeted her.
A delivery truck was partially lying on its side. Its container had crushed the driver's side of the white car next to it. A black car had jumped the divider and was head to head with a gray car. Policemen, with patrol cars, were already at the accident site and taking control of the traffic. From the sight of a policeman carrying a white cloth with him, the Swallow deduced that there might be a fatality.
Paramedics arrived shortly after and conducted checks on the victims of the accident. The driver of the delivery truck was carried, motionless, in a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Another two people, a boy and a woman (his mother?), who were initially sitting at the side of the road when the Swallow first saw them, were guided to the same ambulance. A second ambulance, which arrived a few minutes later, ferried the driver of the black car and another victim. All this time, the blare of the horn had not stopped.
Firemen in a fire truck, firemen in red rhinos (aka light fire attack vehicles) and firemen on motorbikes arrived too. The horn stopped its blaring only when the firemen removed the body of the driver from the white car. The body was bundled up in the white cloth and placed on the grass patch at the side of the road. A blue police tent was erected above the body.
The Swallow did not continue looking at the gruesome sight after that, but two hours later, when she had to run some errands, she saw several firemen still at the accident site, trying to get the blood stains off the road. Her mate reported to her that all he could see, on his way home from work several hours later, was a broken divider. For anyone else who was returning home from work but had not heard an account of the accident, all would have seemed normal. For these, life would go on as usual. However, for the Swallow who saw the after-effects of the accident, for her family who heard the account of it, and for those who read this post, it is a grim reminder that life is unpredictable.
Isaiah 40 : 6 - 8 (NKJV)
The voice said, "Cry out!" and he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."
Hebrews 9 : 27 - 28 (NKJV)
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
A delivery truck was partially lying on its side. Its container had crushed the driver's side of the white car next to it. A black car had jumped the divider and was head to head with a gray car. Policemen, with patrol cars, were already at the accident site and taking control of the traffic. From the sight of a policeman carrying a white cloth with him, the Swallow deduced that there might be a fatality.
Paramedics arrived shortly after and conducted checks on the victims of the accident. The driver of the delivery truck was carried, motionless, in a stretcher to a waiting ambulance. Another two people, a boy and a woman (his mother?), who were initially sitting at the side of the road when the Swallow first saw them, were guided to the same ambulance. A second ambulance, which arrived a few minutes later, ferried the driver of the black car and another victim. All this time, the blare of the horn had not stopped.
Firemen in a fire truck, firemen in red rhinos (aka light fire attack vehicles) and firemen on motorbikes arrived too. The horn stopped its blaring only when the firemen removed the body of the driver from the white car. The body was bundled up in the white cloth and placed on the grass patch at the side of the road. A blue police tent was erected above the body.
The Swallow did not continue looking at the gruesome sight after that, but two hours later, when she had to run some errands, she saw several firemen still at the accident site, trying to get the blood stains off the road. Her mate reported to her that all he could see, on his way home from work several hours later, was a broken divider. For anyone else who was returning home from work but had not heard an account of the accident, all would have seemed normal. For these, life would go on as usual. However, for the Swallow who saw the after-effects of the accident, for her family who heard the account of it, and for those who read this post, it is a grim reminder that life is unpredictable.
Isaiah 40 : 6 - 8 (NKJV)
The voice said, "Cry out!" and he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the LORD blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever."
Hebrews 9 : 27 - 28 (NKJV)
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgement, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Wednesday, 1 June 2011
School Holidays Are Here Again
"Mama, I'm hungry again, what can I eat?"
In the Swallow's nest, such a cry just an hour or two after a full meal is a frequent occurrence. During school terms, the Swallow need only to cope with preparing dinner and the occasional lunch, but when school holidays come along...
What can a parent do? If one intends to teach her young ones life-long healthy eating habits, thinking of and providing nutritious yet enticing food can take up a lot of time and effort. Thrown into the mix a couple of fussy eaters and one will realise that feeding growing young ones can be a headache, moreso when the young ones are almost always at home.
What can a parent do?
In the Swallow's nest, such a cry just an hour or two after a full meal is a frequent occurrence. During school terms, the Swallow need only to cope with preparing dinner and the occasional lunch, but when school holidays come along...
What can a parent do? If one intends to teach her young ones life-long healthy eating habits, thinking of and providing nutritious yet enticing food can take up a lot of time and effort. Thrown into the mix a couple of fussy eaters and one will realise that feeding growing young ones can be a headache, moreso when the young ones are almost always at home.
What can a parent do?
- Read, read and read - for recipes, ideas or suggestions.
- Enjoy, enjoy and enjoy - choose recipes that the young ones will like, otherwise the food will either end up in the dustbin (such a waste!) or in the parent's stomach (don't complain when the weighing machine speaks up!).
- Practice, practice and practice - nothing like on-the-job-training experience to find out what works and what does not.
Wednesday, 25 May 2011
Running & Looking
...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...
Extracted from Hebrews 12 : 1 - 2 (NKJV), the above quote was the theme verse for the Sunday School outing held on 17 May, a public holiday in Singapore in line with Vesak Day. Held at Labrador Park, more than 200 students, with their parents, enjoyed a sunny fun-filled half-day of food, family and fellowship. Games were played, and bountiful food was provided and eaten beside sun-reflected waters that occasionally showered waves upon nearby onlookers when boats swept too close to the shores.
Prior to the games which naturally involved much running and looking, the children spent some time learning some truths from God's word. For the very young ones (children up to Primary 2), the Swallow shared the stories of Zacchaeus and Peter.
The story of Zacchaeus can be found in Luke 19 : 1 - 10. The story tells how Zacchaeus, described as a chief tax collector, rich and short, was running around, looking for Jesus whom he had heard was coming into his town. Tax collectors were usually not well-liked. People shunned them as they tended to take more tax than what was required. Zacchaeus must have heard of how Jesus befriended those that were generally not accepted by others, thus he was quick to seek after Jesus. Alas, due to his short stature, it was difficult. His view was blocked by those that were taller, and maybe due to no one liking him, they did not give way to him. Did he give up? No! Thus the link to 'run with endurance'. Zacchaeus was an example of someone who did not give up easily when looking for Jesus. In order to see Jesus, he climbed up into a sycamore tree. His reward? He reached his goal of meeting Jesus, and from that day on, Zacchaeus was a changed man as evidenced by his declaration to give half of his goods to the poor; and to restore fourfold anything that had been taken from anyone by false accusation.
The story of Peter can be found in Matthew 14 : 22 - 33. Peter was a fisherman, a disciple of Jesus and one of the three found in the inner circle of Jesus' friends. Quick off his mouth and generally described as impulsive, he was a natural leader of the twelve disciples. This story of Peter happened when Jesus, after performing the miracle of feeding the five thousand, asked the disciples to cross to the other side of the sea while He went up to a mountain by Himself to pray. Late in the night, when the boat was in the middle of the sea and being tossed by the waves, Jesus appeared before the disciples, walking on the sea. The natural reaction? "It is a ghost!", they cried out in fear. When Jesus proclaimed who He was, Peter was quick to ask Jesus to command him to go to Him. Given the command, Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. Wow! Alas, Peter took his eyes off His Lord and saw the boisterous wind instead. Though he began to sink, he remembered to cry out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus did.
The children were reminded that they too can be like Zacchaeus or Peter. Like Zacchaeus, not to give up easily when looking for Jesus. He is the One who can and who will meet all their needs. He will be found if they seek Him with all their hearts. Like Peter, having found Jesus, they need to continue looking to Him to meet all their needs. In the storms of life, they need to cry out to Jesus for help. He will save them.
RUN, RUN, LET US RUN by jadeswallow
Run, run, let us run
Run the race today
Looking unto Jesus Christ
who helps us all the way. (Yea!)
(sung to the tune of 'Row, row, row your boat')
For all believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, may they too be like Zacchaeus or Peter, never giving up but running with endurance the race that is set before them, looking unto Jesus, the One who will always help them so that they may be found faithful even to the end of their lives. In storms of life, may they remember to turn their eyes back to Jesus, and call out to Him to save them.
Extracted from Hebrews 12 : 1 - 2 (NKJV), the above quote was the theme verse for the Sunday School outing held on 17 May, a public holiday in Singapore in line with Vesak Day. Held at Labrador Park, more than 200 students, with their parents, enjoyed a sunny fun-filled half-day of food, family and fellowship. Games were played, and bountiful food was provided and eaten beside sun-reflected waters that occasionally showered waves upon nearby onlookers when boats swept too close to the shores.
Prior to the games which naturally involved much running and looking, the children spent some time learning some truths from God's word. For the very young ones (children up to Primary 2), the Swallow shared the stories of Zacchaeus and Peter.
The story of Zacchaeus can be found in Luke 19 : 1 - 10. The story tells how Zacchaeus, described as a chief tax collector, rich and short, was running around, looking for Jesus whom he had heard was coming into his town. Tax collectors were usually not well-liked. People shunned them as they tended to take more tax than what was required. Zacchaeus must have heard of how Jesus befriended those that were generally not accepted by others, thus he was quick to seek after Jesus. Alas, due to his short stature, it was difficult. His view was blocked by those that were taller, and maybe due to no one liking him, they did not give way to him. Did he give up? No! Thus the link to 'run with endurance'. Zacchaeus was an example of someone who did not give up easily when looking for Jesus. In order to see Jesus, he climbed up into a sycamore tree. His reward? He reached his goal of meeting Jesus, and from that day on, Zacchaeus was a changed man as evidenced by his declaration to give half of his goods to the poor; and to restore fourfold anything that had been taken from anyone by false accusation.
The story of Peter can be found in Matthew 14 : 22 - 33. Peter was a fisherman, a disciple of Jesus and one of the three found in the inner circle of Jesus' friends. Quick off his mouth and generally described as impulsive, he was a natural leader of the twelve disciples. This story of Peter happened when Jesus, after performing the miracle of feeding the five thousand, asked the disciples to cross to the other side of the sea while He went up to a mountain by Himself to pray. Late in the night, when the boat was in the middle of the sea and being tossed by the waves, Jesus appeared before the disciples, walking on the sea. The natural reaction? "It is a ghost!", they cried out in fear. When Jesus proclaimed who He was, Peter was quick to ask Jesus to command him to go to Him. Given the command, Peter got out of the boat and walked on water. Wow! Alas, Peter took his eyes off His Lord and saw the boisterous wind instead. Though he began to sink, he remembered to cry out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus did.
The children were reminded that they too can be like Zacchaeus or Peter. Like Zacchaeus, not to give up easily when looking for Jesus. He is the One who can and who will meet all their needs. He will be found if they seek Him with all their hearts. Like Peter, having found Jesus, they need to continue looking to Him to meet all their needs. In the storms of life, they need to cry out to Jesus for help. He will save them.
RUN, RUN, LET US RUN by jadeswallow
Run, run, let us run
Run the race today
Looking unto Jesus Christ
who helps us all the way. (Yea!)
(sung to the tune of 'Row, row, row your boat')
For all believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, may they too be like Zacchaeus or Peter, never giving up but running with endurance the race that is set before them, looking unto Jesus, the One who will always help them so that they may be found faithful even to the end of their lives. In storms of life, may they remember to turn their eyes back to Jesus, and call out to Him to save them.
Tuesday, 3 May 2011
Making the Right Choice
Life is about choices.
Choosing what to eat, what to wear and what to do are daily tasks in life. As one grows older, there are the choices of school, career and life partner. Come 7 May 2011, the Swallow, along with her fellow Singaporeans, will need to choose whom they wish to give their support to for the next five years.
Choices are usually non-essentials...choosing to eat fish instead of chicken, or choosing to wear blue instead of black, or reading a book instead of watching the television. In fact, one can even have the best of both...eat fish and chicken, or wear blue and black, or read a book when the advertisements are being shown on television.
There are times, however, when the choices made could mean the giving up of something for another (which may not necessarily be the better choice). In such situations, fear of not making the right choice becomes real. There is an unknown factor because one would not know whether the thing he gave up would actually have been a better choice.
What is one to do then? Refrain from choosing? Allow others to dictate one's choices?
The answers boil down to a very basic choice that affects all other choices...
Joshua 24 : 15b (NKJV)
...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...
Joshua 24 : 15e (NKJV)
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
When the Swallow was in the final year of secondary school, she made a choice to serve her Lord God - to follow His call wherever He would lead her. She did not anticipate what a major impact that choice would have on her life. She did not realise that it would mean the giving up of close family and friends.
When the time came to join the working force, no doors were opened for her in Malaysia. Applications for employment were either rejected or ignored. "Lord, what should I do? Where should I go?" was a constant cry to her Lord. His answer came through wise counsel from her dad. "Why not consider Singapore? It's just a train ride away."
Making the choice of taking up employment in Singapore was not easy. There were days of anxiety and sleeplessness. Days of fearing the unknown. When she finally decided, with the Lord's peace in her heart, it was with the thought that the leaving would only be a temporal one. "Just three years. I'll be back before you know it." was the answer she gave to family and friends before she left. However, the Lord's plans were not her plans. Gradually, during the three years, the Lord taught her to put her reliance on Him, to look to Him for comfort in times of loneliness. He gently taught her that He alone would provide for her daily needs and necessities. Through His Word, He reminded her daily that her trust must be in Him and Him alone.
Looking back, the Lord was in control at all times. He knew the fears the Swallow had. He lead her, slowly, step by step, to trust in Him. Days of despair often followed days of trust. But the Lord was steadfast. His love for her never failed. He helped her to shift her former dependence on her parents to a full dependence on Him. Now, as she makes her choice on polling day, it is no longer with fear of the unknown. He has shown Himself as the Sovereign One, the One who knows and holds the future. Whatever choice she makes, He already knows the outcome. He will see her and her family through the days ahead. How wonderful it is to serve a God whom one can trust!
Choosing what to eat, what to wear and what to do are daily tasks in life. As one grows older, there are the choices of school, career and life partner. Come 7 May 2011, the Swallow, along with her fellow Singaporeans, will need to choose whom they wish to give their support to for the next five years.
Choices are usually non-essentials...choosing to eat fish instead of chicken, or choosing to wear blue instead of black, or reading a book instead of watching the television. In fact, one can even have the best of both...eat fish and chicken, or wear blue and black, or read a book when the advertisements are being shown on television.
There are times, however, when the choices made could mean the giving up of something for another (which may not necessarily be the better choice). In such situations, fear of not making the right choice becomes real. There is an unknown factor because one would not know whether the thing he gave up would actually have been a better choice.
What is one to do then? Refrain from choosing? Allow others to dictate one's choices?
The answers boil down to a very basic choice that affects all other choices...
Joshua 24 : 15b (NKJV)
...choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve...
Joshua 24 : 15e (NKJV)
But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
When the Swallow was in the final year of secondary school, she made a choice to serve her Lord God - to follow His call wherever He would lead her. She did not anticipate what a major impact that choice would have on her life. She did not realise that it would mean the giving up of close family and friends.
When the time came to join the working force, no doors were opened for her in Malaysia. Applications for employment were either rejected or ignored. "Lord, what should I do? Where should I go?" was a constant cry to her Lord. His answer came through wise counsel from her dad. "Why not consider Singapore? It's just a train ride away."
Making the choice of taking up employment in Singapore was not easy. There were days of anxiety and sleeplessness. Days of fearing the unknown. When she finally decided, with the Lord's peace in her heart, it was with the thought that the leaving would only be a temporal one. "Just three years. I'll be back before you know it." was the answer she gave to family and friends before she left. However, the Lord's plans were not her plans. Gradually, during the three years, the Lord taught her to put her reliance on Him, to look to Him for comfort in times of loneliness. He gently taught her that He alone would provide for her daily needs and necessities. Through His Word, He reminded her daily that her trust must be in Him and Him alone.
Looking back, the Lord was in control at all times. He knew the fears the Swallow had. He lead her, slowly, step by step, to trust in Him. Days of despair often followed days of trust. But the Lord was steadfast. His love for her never failed. He helped her to shift her former dependence on her parents to a full dependence on Him. Now, as she makes her choice on polling day, it is no longer with fear of the unknown. He has shown Himself as the Sovereign One, the One who knows and holds the future. Whatever choice she makes, He already knows the outcome. He will see her and her family through the days ahead. How wonderful it is to serve a God whom one can trust!
Monday, 25 April 2011
Pistachio Nuts
 |
| Pistachio Nuts - shelled (left) & with shells (right) |
The nuts are usually sold in Singapore supermarkets in 1kg bags during festive periods. At other times, smaller bags of 180g can be found although they would be pricier.
Occasionally, the slits are too small and it is difficult to remove the nuts from the shells. At such times, insert the end of a teaspoon into the crevice, and twist the spoon. This will usually work, but if it does not, one can always resort to a hammer...
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
Be Exalted, O God
Today's Bible Study Fellowship (BSF)'s lesson stopped at the end of chapter 12 of the book of Isaiah. After several chapters of judgement and destruction upon Israel, both this chapter as well as chapter 11 brought hope of a brighter future - a time of peace, a time of harmony - when "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of His roots" (Isaiah 11 : 1, NKJV).
Amidst the numerous news of natural disasters and personal pain, this is a welcomed reminder that the Lord God is sovereign. He holds the future. The Swallow's hope is in His everlasting and steadfast love. The obstacles that lay in her journey on earth are merely instruments of restoration and tools of refinement so that she will be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing glory to God.
The trick to overcoming such obstacles is to apply the Lord Jesus' instructions to the Samaritan woman at the well in the city of Sychar, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4 : 13 - 14, NKJV). Only then can one echo the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'" (Isaiah 12 : 2, NKJV). Only then can one "Praise the LORD, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted, sing to the LORD, for He has done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." (Isaiah 12 : 4 - 5, NKJV).
The members in the BSF were asked what song they would like to sing to God after studying the first twelve chapters of Isaiah. This was the Swallow's choice...
BE EXALTED, O GOD (author unknown)
I will give thanks to Thee
O Lord, among the people
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations
For Thy steadfast love is great
Is great to the heavens
And Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness, to the clouds
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth!
Amidst the numerous news of natural disasters and personal pain, this is a welcomed reminder that the Lord God is sovereign. He holds the future. The Swallow's hope is in His everlasting and steadfast love. The obstacles that lay in her journey on earth are merely instruments of restoration and tools of refinement so that she will be more like the Lord Jesus Christ, bringing glory to God.
The trick to overcoming such obstacles is to apply the Lord Jesus' instructions to the Samaritan woman at the well in the city of Sychar, "Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4 : 13 - 14, NKJV). Only then can one echo the words of the prophet Isaiah, "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; 'For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'" (Isaiah 12 : 2, NKJV). Only then can one "Praise the LORD, call upon His name; declare His deeds among the peoples, make mention that His name is exalted, sing to the LORD, for He has done excellent things: this is known in all the earth." (Isaiah 12 : 4 - 5, NKJV).
The members in the BSF were asked what song they would like to sing to God after studying the first twelve chapters of Isaiah. This was the Swallow's choice...
BE EXALTED, O GOD (author unknown)
I will give thanks to Thee
O Lord, among the people
I will sing praises to Thee among the nations
For Thy steadfast love is great
Is great to the heavens
And Thy faithfulness, Thy faithfulness, to the clouds
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth!
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens
Let Thy glory be over all the earth!
Friday, 25 March 2011
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