Went to church service today and missed Barnabas club... doing my regional cinema seminar prep until so late then morning can't wake up. shit man...
Service was good. Message was good. Cell group was good. Well well, at least i could stay away from the personally much-hated ngee ann polytechnic. Feels good man! Service ended, someone's girlfriend (guess who...hahaha) offered me conflakes made at home as promised over the phone on friday. Tastes good...not bad...but maybe a bit too sweet la huh...but nevertheless, tastes good...At least my brother's gonna be fed with nice nice food... They very funny lar...that couple huh...all the best...
It's gonna be boring ya...tmr's gonna be another sad day in ngee ann. just can't wait to graduate and serve the nation! haha
And so, my thoughts of what was preached by Dennis during cell today. I thought about it on my way back home on the train. Very strong passage to me.
1 Samuel 2 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
NKJV at Thomas Nelson Thomas Nelson, Inc.
1 Samuel 2
Hannah’s Prayer
1 And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in the LORD;
My horn[a] is exalted in the LORD.
I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “No one is holy like the LORD,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For the LORD is the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “The bows of the mighty men are broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceased to hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To set them among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest.
The Wicked Sons of Eli
12 Now the sons of Eli were corrupt;[b] they did not know the LORD. 13 And the priests’ custom with the people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16 And if the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.”
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
Samuel’s Childhood Ministry
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, even as a child, wearing a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “The LORD give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was given to the LORD.” Then they would go to their own home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Household
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel,[c] and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. 24 No, my sons! For it is not a good report that I hear. You make the LORD’s people transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against the LORD, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to kill them.
26 And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with the LORD and men.
27 Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’ 30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will see an enemy in My dwelling place, despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 But any of your men whom I do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 Now this shall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them. 35 Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who shall do according to what is in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever. 36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”
My learning points
1. Do not rob God
1 Samuel 2:12-16
I guess i am really neglecting the Lord. My life now is really like a cycle. Go to school, come back from school late at night. Do my work, tired then lie down on bed and sleep. The cycle repeats itself. I've been blessed so much, really so much but i have been robbing God of His grace and mercy and I've not been spending enough time of solitute with him. What on earth is happening to me??!?!?! I'm sorry Lord!
2. Do not treat the Lord with contempt (contempt: The feeling or attitude of regarding someone or something as inferior, base, or worthless; scorn)
1 Samuel 2:17
so clear cut....
Matthew 12:30"He who is not with me is against me, and he who does not gather with me scatters. 31And so I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. 32Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Came across this verse. And really.... Lord I fear You.
3. Teach my next generations the righteous way before it's too late
1 Samuel 2:23-25, 27-29
Just like Eli who only disciplined his children only towards the very last minute, it was really too late. His family and generations down were cursed. As for myself, i better repent those areas which i have to before teaching the correct values to my sheeps. Proverbs 22:6 (King James Version) 6Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Indeed, this is a very meaningful verse... train up a CHILD not a MAN....it's so true that a man is so much harder to train...the older a person, the more stubborn and more likely less teachable spirit. so ya....
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