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7 Secrets to Happiness -   Just Dreaming - Your Life - MSN Lifestyle

 

If you read this article, it enumerates ways of being happy. Do you think these are really the ways to true happiness?

1. You Need a Solid Core Group of Friends

2. You Gotta Have Adventures

3. It’s Time to Toss Excess Stuff

4. A Balance of Busy and Dead Time Is Key

5. It’s Crucial to Give in to Temptation

6. Liking Yourself Is Nonnegotiable

7. You Must Stop Mentally Browsing

Where would Jesus Christ come in? I think He should be the first. I believe putting God first brings true happiness now and eternally. Invest your resources on where it matters. Start putting God first.

*Guest speaker Alex Harris, Shanghai Community Fellowship (SCF), July 27, 2008

Philippians 3:1-9

What is true Christianity?

True Christianity has no confidence in the flesh. It avoids any false self-confidence on what we do, and what we can contribute.

True Christianity puts confidence in Christ alone. The essence of Christianity is our relationship with Christ.

Philippians 3:1-9 confirms my claim that Christianity is first a relationship with Jesus Christ before it becomes a religion. It is who Jesus is in our lives and our faith in Him more than how strictly we can follow the law given to us.

In Philippians 3:9, Paul even said that righteousness is gained not because of the law but because of our faith in Christ. He said that we can try to be righteousness on our own but we can never be righteous enough to deserve God's love and mercy. It is only through our faith in Jesus and what He has done that we gain complete clean righteousness. It is not because of what we do but because of what He has done for us.

In summary, what differentiates True Christianity from False Christianity and other religions is that in Christianity, Grace saved us from eternal damnation. God's work has been DONE and that is the basis of our faith. We do what the law says because we have faith in Jesus and His promises. Christianity is a hope for the world. It is our only way to deserve God.

On the other hand, other religions is solely based on what you DO and if you do enough.

What does this mean for us?

Trust in Jesus, marvel in Jesus. Put your complete faith in Him because He alone grants you righteousness.

Whew, so that’s how it feels. I just came back from a super experience. It is my first time to join people in a small group to discuss about faith, reflect about the Bible, pray, worship God.

It’s completely different as seating and listening to messages in the church and is absolutely far from listening from the Internet. It’s a complete opposite of being alone, reading the Scripture, reflecting on it on your own life. Being with a community lets you learn how to be with people, it lets you see how God is working on other people’s lives. It’s amazing.

Just last Sunday, the message in SCF was about community. How great it was for God to put me into one. Praise Him.

Ephesians 2:22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Sprit.

We always say “We go to church” and thus, we have a lot of misconceptions about the church. What is the true meaning of a church? WE ARE THE CHURCH.

• It is not a once a week meeting.
• It is not a social networking class.
• It is not just a structure or a building.
• It is not an entertainment

Often, we think the church are these things. We miss the point of going together with God’s people.

So what should the Church be?

1. We are a household.

We hear people say that the church is a family. Pastor Charlie Engelmann thinks that household is a better word because it includes the structural and relational aspects of a house.

A healthy household has:

1. a foundation, belief in Jesus Christ and setting Him as the cornerstone. ( Ephesians 2:19-20 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. )
2. conflict, teaches us about reconciliation ( Ephesians 2:16 and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hositility)

2. We are the body of Christ.

Imagine a body with all eyes… that's weird and that body is useless. How can it move? How can it talk, think, and express itself?

A healthy body has:

1. Diversity

God gave each of us a different skill. We are different from each other and we can work together and pull all of our efforts together to make more difference.

2. All parts functioning properly

What's the use if you have a feet but has no energy to push you forward? That part is useless. We can make more difference if the body is diverse and each part is functioning properly.

We are different, but we are brought together through Jesus Christ.

When we're having difficulty in dealing with differences between people. Try to learn appreciating God's creation in a different perspective... because He loves, created, and requires diversity.

I have been thinking about joining a cell group. I have been hesitant and I have been thinking about it the past few months. I sent an email to the group now, and I told my friend about it and she said... that's great! You know, I've been praying about it... whew! God is cool! I hope to know God more through other people. I hope to know more friends, and I wish they can help me grow my faith.

I’ve been thinking since last Friday… What will happen to people who have been good, believes in their own god, confess their sins, but have never heard about the true God, and never accepted Jesus Christ? God is just, God is love, God is good… what will happen to them? Should they suffer the consequences of sin?

Anyone?

Accompanied my friend Clarisse who’s studying in Beijing around Shanghai. These are some pictures in Jin Mao Observatory. Although the price is quite expensive, it has a very beautiful bird’s eye view of Shanghai.

Beside the miniature Jin Mao, the world’s 3rd tallest building standing at approximately 420m.

People hang their wishes on this tree. I know I’m hanging mine on Someone that would make them all come true on the right time, and the right place.

WOW, the center of the building a hallow. This is the view from the 88th floor down to the Hyatt hotel lobby. It was really beautiful.

Finally, my friend Clarisse and me.

I also went to Yiwu last weekend and then next week… Beijing, here I come!!!    

 How to Pray the 'Write' Way

In this article, Becky Tirabassi reflected how we often times talk to God. It made me reflect on my communication with Him as well and realized that I am treating God as something like a fairy, a genie, a swordsman, a guard, but never as a father, a friend, a savior, a shepherd.

You might ask, what's the difference between the two? The first set of people I mentioned deals with job or task relationship while the second one is a two-way relationship. I think this affects how we treat prayer in our lives. If we treat God as a genie, we pray when we're in need, or we have a wish. If we treat God as a father, we want to maintain a close relationship with Him.

We have to make sure that we have a healthy prayer life. We have to treat God as a friend, a father, a savior, and a shepherd. It makes the difference if you trust in Him as your provider, guide, healer, and protector. It matters if we care about how He feels and not just how He can give you what you need. This article makes sure that we'll be able to maintain a relationship with God by setting up concrete goals about our relationship with Him. God loves us, but do we look at Him the same way He does?

I want to improve my prayer life. That now, adds to my list.

1. Improve my description of being patient.
2. Improve my prayer life.

I thought I am patient because I can control my temper now. I thought I am already patient because I know how to wait for someone or something. My friend just told me a while ago that I am not patient… of course I have to ask why did she say that? It is difficult to see your own mistakes but when people criticize you, you have to ask for the reason. She said that I am easily affected even with the smallest thing and details that happen to me. I felt like she knows me very very well… and told myself you’re right. I never realized that until you told me.

I don’t know how to change it because it is my way of thinking. I guess this is what Pastor Peter Tanchi is talking about when he said, right thinking “can” result to right attitude, wrong thinking “surely” results to wrong attitude. I think I can be more patient with everyone and everything that happens in my life if I can let go and leave it all to God. Actually, I don’t exactly know how to proceed but my goal is to improve myself again, in the patience area. I will pray about it and ask for the Spirit’s guidance.

I want to be more patient, I want to treat people and other things just like how Jesus will do it. What Will Jesus Do?

Mark Driscoll

In the beginning, God... Genesis 1 : 1

- God has been there in the beginning. Apart from God we cannot find the meaning of ourself.

Creation reveals God

1. God is eternally uncaused and He preexist before all of creature.
2. God is living and life comes from God.
3. God is independent while the rest of creation is dependent on Him.
4. God is transcendent and separate from all of creation.
5. God is imminent and actively involved in His creation.
6. God is personal so we are personal beings unlike objects.
7. God is powerful and made things from nothing by Himself.
8. God is beautiful and His creation reflect His beauty.
9. God is orderly and everything He created is orderly until sin.
10. God is good and everything He makes is good.
11. God is a prophet who preaches
12. God is gracious and He blesses His creation.

In creation, I believe that we can see how much God loves us. If you read Chapter 1, you'll see that God spoke everything to existence but God used His hand to create us. We are fearfully and wonderfully made in His own image.

We should worship God as creator and not be stuck worshipping His creation.

Zhu Jia Jiao craziness!

Shopping more than what I've shopped for 6 months in Shanghai. WAHHHH

Bum..no money in my wallet :( sad...

Dianne, Grand, Michelle, and me! Eating in South Memory, Long Zhi Meng

Hangzhou

Oh...the majestic West lake

The historical Pagoda overseeing the West Lake

I conquered the place! WOHOOOO

June 29, 2008 – Pastor Peter Tanchi, CCF

Philippians 1:6-7 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who has began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

The secret of real joy is Christ-Centered mind set. That means that we have confidence in the goodness of God, and we have complete confidence that He will continue and complete His work.

The book of Philippians is about joy in the midst of trials. Paul was in prison when he wrote this book, but he has joy in Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say rejoice.

Philippians 3:1 Finally, my brethen, rejoice in the Lord. It is no trouble for me to write the same things to you again, and it is a safe guard to you.

Real Joy in God should be there always according to Philippians 4:4. Paul did not use most of the time or any other word, but ALWAYS. It means that real joy means we are happy in God during GOOD and BAD times.

Why do we have to be joyful?

Because the God of the Bible, our living God wants us to be joyful! He create us for joy and gladness.

John 15:11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

John 16:24 Until now you have not ask for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Isaiah 65:18 But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.

We need to understand God to become truly joyful. We have to know the heart of God and keep on walking with Him.

Joy Stealers

Thief 1. Wrong Thinking – we have to know the truth.

Thief 2. People

Thief 3. Circumstances – good and bad things happen

I agree with Pastor Peter when he said that knowing these joy stealers is not not as important as knowing how to overcome them.

Joy and the way we think are closely related. I’ll use Pastor Peter’s example because I think it was funny, or maybe it was how he said it that’s what’s funny.

Pastor Peter has several sons and daughters. Some of them are in Asia, Manila, and some are in United States. Last Father’s day, his children that were in Manila celebrated Father’s day with him and he was very happy about it. However he remembered that some of his children in the US haven't greeted him. He began thinking negatively, thinking that they might have forgotten him because they are already financially stable and with their own families. He began to become sad, but he remembered his own preaching and he submitted everything to God. He was able to bring back his joy, and slept well during the night. The next day, he proceed with his daily tasks, going to exercise in the morning and then coming back home. When he checked his cellphone, he found a message from his children in the US and he realized that his children actually didn't forget, it was just not yet Father's day in the United States because we are in a different time zone. If Pastor Peter allowed himself to feel sad the whole day, it would affect him and how he talks to other people, but he chose to submitted everything to God and allow God to do His will.

Why can we be joyful?

We can be joyful because of the Lord. When Christ is the center of your focus, all else will come into prosper.

Be joyful in the Lord, because God promised that He will complete His work and it will be good.