Miss Fanny's Hat
Let me open with a story about Miss Fanny's hat. Last week, my 5-year-old daughter was rude to my mother. I told her to apologise and she refused. So I brought her into the room to reason with her. By this stage she was of course wailing. I explained to her that she had to apologise. I could see in her tear-filled eyes that she wanted to obey me, but something in her heart was preventing her, as she blubbered "I can't Daddy, I JUST CAN'T". This is called STUBBORNNESS.
Then I remembered one of my daughter's favourite stories. It is called Miss Fanny's Hat. I highly recommend it to all parents.
Then I remembered one of my daughter's favourite stories. It is called Miss Fanny's Hat. I highly recommend it to all parents.
The story is about a very old granny who wears a different hat to church every Sunday. She really loves hats but there is one particular pink hat that she REALLY loves. One day the preacher asks her to donate one of her hats to the church auction to raise funds. She goes home, takes out all her hats and reminisces about each one. Finally she gets to her favourite hat. She looks at it and thinks I really don't want to give this away. Then she remembers her favourite verse "With God all things are possible". So she gives up the hat to the church auction. The church sells the hat for a nice sum and the church repairs get done. They also plant rose bushes around the church and now everytime people walk past the church, they see the pink roses and remember Miss Fanny's hat.
So, I reminded my daughter about Miss Fanny's favourite verse. I could practically see the gears moving in her mind - "I can't apologise!!... but with God all things are possible..." So she tearfully went out of the room with me and apologised to my mum.
The lesson I learned from this whole episode is this: I knew, as her father, that she should apologise and that obviously, despite her protestations, she could apologise. OF COURSE she could. But from her perspective, she genuinely thought that she couldn't. Then God's word comes into the picture. With God all things are possible - then she was able to apologise. SO SHE DID WHAT I KNEW SHE COULD DO ALL ALONG.
In the same way, God the Father KNOWS we can do the things He has asked us to do. We can wail and scream "I can't do it!!!" But that’s just STUBBORNNESS. He knows we should, and more importantly, He knows we CAN. And when God's word is spoken to us powerfully and we accept it, we REALLY CAN. Of course we can. And we do what He knew what we could do all along. The right thing.
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I thought last week's meeting was most effective. Last week we talked about following through on our profession of faith. I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to bless my family and friends - most lately, my grandma. We then shared about who was close to our hearts, in terms of bringing them to the saving knowledge of Christ. Ben mentioned his brother and I was very glad to enter into a pact with him for both of us to meet our respective brothers within the next 2 weeks and build relationships, with a view to strengthening their faith. Since that day we have been faithfully praying for each other. I'm also glad that as a group, we agreed that we would bring a friend, family member or colleague to church for Easter and uphold each other in prayer and with accountability.
This is what our fellowship can do. As it says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Our fellowship can be more than a meeting of people. It can be a catalyst for change, in ourselves and in others. Let me challenge all of us to make use of this valuable resource that God has installed for our use. Is there something you have been meaning to do for God? Bite the bullet and ask someone in our group to pray for you and be accountable to that person.
Let's not meet for meeting's sake (and for the avoidance of doubt, let's not NOT meet at all, for that matter). The office group is here now, and we pray that it will be here for a long time, but who knows when it will disappear, or when we will leave? Thank God for His mercy that He has provided us with a group in SGX - not everyone has this advantage you know. We should therefore make use of every opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the group and of course contribute to the group as a partner in Christ. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Gal 6:10
When's the last time any one of us can say that we took a big step of faith and grew in the Lord? Make a change today. Get someone to help you make that change. Help someone else to make that change too :)
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
So, I reminded my daughter about Miss Fanny's favourite verse. I could practically see the gears moving in her mind - "I can't apologise!!... but with God all things are possible..." So she tearfully went out of the room with me and apologised to my mum.
The lesson I learned from this whole episode is this: I knew, as her father, that she should apologise and that obviously, despite her protestations, she could apologise. OF COURSE she could. But from her perspective, she genuinely thought that she couldn't. Then God's word comes into the picture. With God all things are possible - then she was able to apologise. SO SHE DID WHAT I KNEW SHE COULD DO ALL ALONG.
In the same way, God the Father KNOWS we can do the things He has asked us to do. We can wail and scream "I can't do it!!!" But that’s just STUBBORNNESS. He knows we should, and more importantly, He knows we CAN. And when God's word is spoken to us powerfully and we accept it, we REALLY CAN. Of course we can. And we do what He knew what we could do all along. The right thing.
===================================================
I thought last week's meeting was most effective. Last week we talked about following through on our profession of faith. I thank God that He has given me the opportunity to bless my family and friends - most lately, my grandma. We then shared about who was close to our hearts, in terms of bringing them to the saving knowledge of Christ. Ben mentioned his brother and I was very glad to enter into a pact with him for both of us to meet our respective brothers within the next 2 weeks and build relationships, with a view to strengthening their faith. Since that day we have been faithfully praying for each other. I'm also glad that as a group, we agreed that we would bring a friend, family member or colleague to church for Easter and uphold each other in prayer and with accountability.
This is what our fellowship can do. As it says in Ecclesiastes 4:12 "Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not easily broken." Our fellowship can be more than a meeting of people. It can be a catalyst for change, in ourselves and in others. Let me challenge all of us to make use of this valuable resource that God has installed for our use. Is there something you have been meaning to do for God? Bite the bullet and ask someone in our group to pray for you and be accountable to that person.
Let's not meet for meeting's sake (and for the avoidance of doubt, let's not NOT meet at all, for that matter). The office group is here now, and we pray that it will be here for a long time, but who knows when it will disappear, or when we will leave? Thank God for His mercy that He has provided us with a group in SGX - not everyone has this advantage you know. We should therefore make use of every opportunity to enjoy the benefits of the group and of course contribute to the group as a partner in Christ. "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." Gal 6:10
When's the last time any one of us can say that we took a big step of faith and grew in the Lord? Make a change today. Get someone to help you make that change. Help someone else to make that change too :)
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matt 5: 14-16
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