Musings

I've finally watched Evan Almighty. Yes, finally. three years late, but as the saying goes, it's never too late

Anyways, there were some quotes that I really like from the movie.

The first one is when Evan first meets "God".

Evan: Do I know you?
God: Not as much as I'd like.

How many times have we not known God's voice because we have not been getting to know Him? When God presents Himself to us, with so much to say, are we able to discern His voice or are we lost? More scary, do we mistake someone else's voice as God? Can we reliably differentiate God speaking to us from our own voice, or from the Devil's voice? How do we know Him better then? Just like how we get to know other people better, by spending time with Him.

Moving on, I'd like to ask us something first. We all want to see change happen, don't we? We want to see the systems in our society change. We want equality, justice, peace. We want slaves and the oppressed to be free, the hungry to be fed, the abused to heal, the sidelined to be accepted and recognised. We want the truth to prevail. In short, we want the world to change. And we pray hard, for change to happen. This then brings us to the next quote from the movie, from the conversation between God and Joan:

God: Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives them patience? Or does He give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed for courage, does God give him courage, or does He give him opportunities to be courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does He give them opportunities to love each other?

Bringing this back to our earlier topic. So we pray for change. Does God just bring change, or do you think He'd give us opportunities to make change happen? I think He would. He wants us to be His instruments of change. Change happens when we take steps to bring change. A change in parliament happens when the people go and put their mark on a piece of cardboard to change the people in the parliament. A change in a system happens when everyone in the system makes changes in their own lives that change the system. A change in our relations with one another happens when we decide to change the way we relate to one another. There are opportunities in all areas for us to make change happen. We just need to seize them. And in doing so, we change not only ourselves, but our families, our communities, our nation, even our world. We are God's hands to change things.

But many of us say, that it isn't for us to bring change. God chooses and calls a few to do that. We're not up for the challenge. We're not good enough, not well equipped, etc. Well, next quote:

Reporter: What made you so sure God chose you?
Evan: He chose all of us.

God chose all of us to be part of change. We are all not here, at this time in history, by chance. It is by no accident we were born into this period, in whatever nation we are put in (In my case, it would be Malaysia). There is a reason why we are here, and presented with the opportunities we have. We are a chosen people, a chosen generation, to see change happen. No, to make change happen. All of us, not some of us. It only falls into some people, when all others choose to not be part of it. A shared responsibility only becomes one man's responsibility, when the others choose to let go and leave it to one man. A lot of times we let that happen with change. We make it other people's responsibility, even God's responsibility, when it is our responsibility. No wonder change does not happen.

So many of us want to change the world. We want to leave a lasting impact on our society, on mankind. We want to make the world a better place for everyone, and everything. But the challenge seems so monumentally huge, that we don't know where to start. Yet deep inside, we know that God has called us to do it, to change the world. The last one I want to talk about, is from Evan's first serious conversation with God.

God: Well, I hear that a lot. Want to change the world, don't know how to begin. You want to know how to change the world, son? One act of random kindness at a time.

Well, the answer to that question is simple. One act of random kindness at a time. You don't need to do something huge to change the world. What changing the world needs, is for you and I to do that one act of random kindness as the opportunity comes. It's these little steps taken by individuals, that collectively will change the world, that reshape humanity. And those acts don't necessarily need to be hard or "out there" either. It could be as easy as smiling at someone, or saying hello, though sometimes, doing that is hard because it is out of our habits. It's not out of our way or inconvenient, just out of our ordinary. All it takes is for you to be willing to do them, and to do them continually, at each opportunity that comes. It's one act of random kindness at a time, not just for one time. Just one act might change a life. With many acts, then our world and the world gets changed.

So be active. Change the world with A.R.K. (Act of Random Kindness). Find out what you can do, and do it. Don't let the opportunities slide.

P.S. For those in Malaysia at the moment, Change Your World Tour is coming up on the 4th September, 8.00 pm  to 10.00 pm. It's a public event, open to all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. I strongly encourage (and challenge) you to come for the event. If you're wondering what you can do to make change happen, then come and learn. What is Change Your World? Change Your World (CYW) is a movement organized by a Christian Creative & Music Ministry initiated to mobilize the millennial generation of all race & religion to take City and Nation Ownership as well as to create World in Crisis Awareness. It goes from city to city to create awareness; presenting real issues and practical solutions towards JUSTICE, MERCY & FAITHFULNESS. Passes for the event are going out for RM20 now, and RM30 at the door. Click here for more info on CYW movement as well as the event. For those who are on Facebook, you can click here for the CYW group, and here for the event tour.

P.P.S. I did not plan for all this to happen. I did not plan to watch Evan Almighty at this time, so that I can promote Change Your World or the event. It just happened. God works in mysterious ways

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The first sliver of inspiration for this came as I was trying to encourage a friend. Then, it was only a short thought. Then yesterday, as I was just thinking about it, the full revelation of it struck me, so to speak. So here it is.

You know how we always want fire in everything we do? Fire for God, fire for the work we do, fire in our relationships. Fire seems, and is, the life in all that. It is passion. Without it, everything seems like a chore, something we do out of necessity, with no real purpose. So we all keep praying, wishing that there will be fire in all we do. And at times the fire comes, and we celebrate that. However, over time it dies out. Why? What we fail to realize at times, is that fire needs to be tended to, to ensure that it keeps burning. So here is my take.

You know the scientific equation for fire? Let's see it in a new light.

Fuel (God's Word, Revelations, Experiences, etc. ) + Oxygen (Time) + Heat (Holy Spirit) --> Fire

Here's a bit more info on it, and reasons why each is what they are. First up, fuel! Fuel is what keeps a fire burning. It provides the heat something to combust. In other words, it is what feeds the fire. Without fuel, the fire will not have the necessary substance to sustain itself. Likewise, God's Word, the Bible, revelations from God, and experiences form the fuel of the fire. These are what keeps the fire burning. And like fuel also, these things can and will run dry, if we do not keep adding new fuel. This would mean continuing to read His Word, continuing to seek new revelations from Him and of Him, gaining new experiences with Him. A lot of time we run on old fuel. Past experiences, past revelations, etc. And we wonder why the fire is dying. Not to say that it can't feed the fire. God's promises will never be unfulfilled. And so they can and are indeed on going fuel. Yet, we should not be complacent and happy with just what we have. That's one of the tactics the Devil uses to kill the fire. Like an engine (a machine that uses combustion, mind you) thirsts for more fuel to keep running, we should thirst for more fuel to keep the fire burning.

Same goes with relationships, whether it's with friends, family, or any group for that matter. Experiences is the fuel that reinforces what is already there. It becomes a common factor that people have. Common experiences is something that is shared only by those who experience it together. And so it is something unique between the people in the relationship. Let's take for example close friends who do everything together. They can laugh, giggle, cry, and tease each other over experiences that they have had with each other. And they would get all the inside jokes. Those things have brought them closer to each other. Now, someone outside of that group of friends, who may be a casual friend, would not have gone through those same experiences, and so would be lost when they talk about those. Ever been in a situation when some people say an inside joke, and you don't get it because you don't know how it started? That's how it's like because you don't have that experience of how and when it started. And so experiences together are important.

How does this apply to work or the things we do then? Well, if you continue to have new experiences that continue to inspire you and move you to do better, that's feeding the fire already. If you stop doing what you are passionate about, slowly, that passion will fade. As you do what you love to do, you will find greater reason to love it even more.

Next we come to oxygen. As we all know, there is the expression to "fan the flame". This is the act of adding oxygen. Fire only will combust in the presence of oxygen. Cut the oxygen supply, the fire will burn itself out. Oxygen here is time. You need time to make sure it keeps burning. Time can be time to work on the fire, like adding to the fuel (like reading the Bible, seeking God's face), or it could be time to let the heat (Holy Spirit) ignite the flame. It could even be time to rest yourself and recuperate. Never underestimate the importance of time. Without time taken to add fuel, where will the fuel come from? Sometimes it may come just like that, but most of the time the fuel needs effort to obtain, and effort cannot be made without time spent on that. What about time of rest? Seems to clash somewhat with the previous statement? Well not at all actually. Every living thing needs rest, just like how we need oxygen. It keeps you in check and helps you recuperate. Without it, you will be less efficient, and if prolonged, you will probably exhaust the fuel before you refill. And so take time to take a breather. You will need the oxygen. As for time for the Holy Spirit to ignite the fire, we must always remember that all things happen in God's perfect timing. Don't rush things. Do what you can, then chill. Selah, if you will.

Another reason why oxygen is the one used for time, is because it is the component that can be suffocated. Oxygen supply can be cut by choking. Likewise in our life, we can be so busy that it chokes up our time. We run from one activity to the next that there is no time left. This is one way in which the Devil has gotten to all of us. He has deceived us into the mindset of being busy. Too busy. And this even extends to our free time. We get distracted to do other things than refueling or resting. In fact, some of the things we deem as "resting" isn't really resting. They may be fulfilling, lightens our mood, gives us comfort, but they are neither fully benefitial nor restful, and so keeps us tied down by their empty promises of fulfillment.

The final and equally vital component, if not more than the others, is heat. For our version of the equation, it is the Holy Spirit, God. Without Him, all things are in vain. He ignites people to be on fire for Him. We on our own cannot do what He wants us to do. We burn out, at best smolder. It is when heat (power) from God comes and fills us, then only will real flames be made. And so never leave out the Holy Spirit in all we do. On the contrary, God should be the focus, the reason we do things in the first place. The Devil has used this too to kill the flame, by putting so much in our sight that it blocks our God. All we have is God, and all we will need is God. Work on your relationship with Him. It will be worthwhile, I guarantee.

So, there is my take on the subject of fire. Remember, fire only can happen when all the components are there. Without any one of them, the triangle is incomplete. Without fuel, there is no substance. Without oxygen, there is no continuation. And without the Holy Spirit, there is no ignition and power. Keep in check to work on all. Don't let the Devil stop any of these in your life. Will be hard work, but we can do it, through Christ who strengthens us. May your fire burn bright, like the sun in the sky, and shine for all to see, guiding them, and to propel you further. Amen.

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I was going through some videos of Israel Houghton's songs unplugged, from a suggestion of a friend. And so going from one song to another. And in these unplugged settings, Israel talked about the background and message of his songs. So came to the song The Power of One. And as I was listening to the background of the song, the message of it really hit me. And then listening closer to the lyrics, there is just such a wealth of treasure in them. Here, check it out.

What if it all depended on me
To change the world, to change the world?
What if my only responsibility was
To change the world, to change the world?

Let me be the one to start a revolution
Let me sing my song to the people of the world
It all begins with one

What kind of love can conquer disease
And change the world, change the world?
What can I do to make poverty history
And change the world, change the world?

Let me be the one to start a love revolution
Let me sing my song to the people of the world
To the children of the world

It all begins with one, the power of one
Joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in
One, the power of one
Don't hang around, stand up or sit down and believe
We can change the world together
We can change the world together

So please don't close your eyes, please don't turn away
Let your voices rise, put love on display
And make a difference now
I believe you and me can make a difference now

O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one, the power of one
Joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in
One, the power of one
Don't hang around, stand up or sit down and believe
We can change the world together
We can change the world together
We can change the world together

O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one
O-o-o-oh O-o-o-oh O-oh
It all begins with one

Seems like it's just the season of things. We all think and talk about impacting the world and what not. Big dreams are born. And always with it, some of us, including myself, have doubts and fears. Like Israel said, we wonder how are we supposed to impact the world when we don't have passports, we have never crossed the ocean. Where is the finances going to come? Are we good enough? We can't speak in front of crowds. And so many more fears. But you know what? In the words of Israel, "Sometimes you don't have to cross the ocean to change the world. You could just cross the street. You could just cross the room and make a difference is somebody's life."

This whole song is about the power of one. The power of one person to do something where they are. The first line of the chorus says it all begins with one. It starts with one person, accepting the call over his or her life, and then setting out doing it. You never know how much your one act will do. But if you never take that step, you would never know.

More importantly, it's not just us doing things. The chorus says one joining with the hundreds of millions of people believing in One. It is about that One. The power of One. The One up above who gave us the power to do all things. Philippians 4:13 says "I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." It is His power that we show, when we are available and obedient to follow. It is by Him that we have the strength and power to achieve, not by our own.

And another point on the power of one. It is the power of unity. Being together as one body, one unit. Changing the world is not a one man effort. There is only so much you can do. But when we come together as one, manifesting the power of the One, we can change the world indeed. Notice that the chorus says one, joining the hundreds of millions of people believing in One. That's our unifying factor, Jesus. We are unified because of what He has done, that should be our main cause, the focus. And also notice that the chorus says that we can change the world together. It is a collaborative effort. Each of us, playing our part in God's plan, using our unique gifts and talents, to eventually change the world with His love.

The pre-chorus sings let me be the one, to start a revolution. I like the version Israel sings in the live video, let me be the one, to start a love revolution. Will you be one? Will you join the hundreds of millions of people believing in the power of One? We can change the world together. Let's believe it. Be part of the movement.

Let your voices rise, put love on display
And make a difference now

It all begins with one

It all starts with The One, and us choosing to follow Him.

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I was reading a book a friend passed to me a few days back, when a thought struck me... again. It was something that had been on my mind for quite some time already (and yes, I have only come around to putting them down now).

The book I was reading was a fiction book. The type you would read for leisure. Then the thought that had been making many circles in my head, came round again. Well, it goes something like this: "Funny isn't it? I can use whatever free time I manage find to do everything that's "leisurely" and not find time for what's important."

Now, if you're wondering what that thought was about, let me illuminate you. I've been rather free now, and so I have loads of free time on my hands. And with that much free time, I can do a lot of things that would be worthwhile. Things like spending time with God, reading His word, reading up books that matter, getting back to writing (or typing). Basically, activities that would be more productive, and sow into my spiritual and intellectual life (physical isn't something I do often). But with that said, I have pretty much found ways to use that time to do everything else, than those that I have mentioned above. Things like sleeping for long hours, reading leisurely books like I've mentioned earlier, going on Facebook, et cetera. Don't get me wrong. All these things aren't bad. They do provide some much needed relief in life. But these things aren't the important things in life, much more eternity.

So funny isn't it? That I can somehow use up all that time, doing things that can wait, rather than the things that matter. And making the things that really matter wait. And I'm thinking that I'm not the only one. Lots of times we as people, have somehow negated the importance of really important things, and chose to live for things that aren't all that important. Ask yourself truthfully, how many times have you put off something really important, for something less important, because you didn't feel like it and decided that it can wait? For me, I think there's too many instances to count. And yet, we do it again, and again, and again. Quite a hint of our priorities, ain't it? And to make matters worse, I realise it, like the aforementioned "thought" above. And yet, I have not done much about it. I still go about putting off the important things. I still have not come around to doing the important things with the time I have. Frustrating, yes. But put into action? Not yet.

And so it is with a much heavy heart, that I say I need to set things right, only to know that I will do it all wrong again. However, I believe there's hope. I believe that Man is not too weak-willed to not be able to change his ways. However shall I achieve this? I suppose the first step would be putting desires into action. I desire to do the important things. Now is to add will to it, and to choose to do them. Wish me luck and encouragement. Better get moving, or else I'll never move.

P.S. Yes, there has been another long hiatus. Sorry about that. Things have been hectic before this. And after that has ended, I couldn't really get myself to write again. Pretty much have to kick myself into writing this, finally. But now I am back, hopefully for good. Some ideas and topics on my mind. Will put them to screen soon. Anyways, thank you for being patient, whoever that's still reading this blog of mine. Love you =) (Still a little awkward saying it, though it is getting easier to say)

Ele Musael

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Was just listening to songs in my library and I came across this song. Just felt the urge to share it with all of you.

You make it so hard on yourself
But theres nobody else
That could ever understand
The feelings that you felt
I could hear you think about
All the time I was around
If you could only see me now
I'm right here looking down

So next time that you feel like crying
Next time you don't feel like trying
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you
In the morning you don't feel like rising
Next time you feel like compromising
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you

I know you won't forget
All the time we got to spend
Just because it's been a while
Doesn't mean that its the end
So right here and now
I'll swear you a vow
That I will always be with you
Whenever you feel down
Nothing ever will come between us
Now I'm holding on to the hand of Jesus
(Hand of Jesus)

So next time that you feel like crying
Next time you don't feel like trying
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you
In the morning you don't feel like rising
Next time you feel like compromising
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you

I'll be right there looking down
Even when the sun don't shine
I'll be right there looking down
All along the winter night
I'll be right there looking down
With a smile on me face
I'll be right there with my arms open wide
Right here on Jesus' side

So next time that you feel like crying
Next time you don't feel like trying
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you
In the morning you don't feel like rising
Next time you feel like compromising
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you

So next time that you feel like crying
Next time you don't feel like trying
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you
In the morning you don't feel like rising
Next time you feel like compromising
Just remember I'll be right there
Smiling down on you

Just wanted to share it as an encouragement to you and me. Hey, life is tough. No one said that it would be easy. Even Jesus didn't say life would be easy. But know this, that God is always there, smiling down on you. Whatever you're going through, when you want to cry, or just don't want to try anymore, when you don't feel like getting up again, or when you feel like compromising, He's always there smiling down on you, encouraging you, looking after you. Don't lose hope. He's there for you. All because it's been awhile since you last got in touch with Him, spending time with Him, doesn't mean that the relationship is over. You can always run back to Him. He's waiting, with arms wide open. And to those who have yet to try, He's also waiting for you. Just reach out to Him.

And to my friends out there, I'm also there for you. I may not be always there at every moment like God can be, or to know and feel everything that you're going through like He does, but I'm there if you need me, to do what I can. Don't give up. He's smiling down on you

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Finally watched the Book of Eli. Pretty okay movie. A little bit of background.

*Spoiler warning. If you don't like spoilers, please watch the movie first before reading the following post*

A world wide war had broken out 30 years before the time of the movie and left the world desolate, with sporadic human life left. Civilisation has regressed. Many cannot read. There are those who only think of survival by any cost, including killing each other for food. The story is revolves around one man, Eli, who found the last Bible left on earth. His task on earth was to head west on the North American continent. At the end of the movie he  reaches Alcatraz Island, where there is a printing press, so that they may reproduce the Bible. He didn't know that part of course while on his journey, and only walks by faith to the west. Along the way he meets a girl named Salora who befriends him and follows him on his journey, as well as another man named Carnigie who intends to rule over whatever population is left. To achieve his plan of total domination, Carnigie wants to obtain the Bible, so that he may use it to get others to believe and follow him. He chases Eli in order to obtain the Bible, which in the end he does succeed, although he is unable to use it due to the version of print the book was in (can't give away everything now, can I? =). Eli then makes the journey to Alcatraz and because he reads the Bible he has everyday, he is able to recite the whole Bible for print. With that, his task was complete and he passed away peacefully.

Now, on one occassion as Carnigie is trying to obtain the Bible from Eli, Carnigie caught both Eli and Salora. Carnigie then treatens to kill Salora if Eli does not hand over the book. Eli then reveals where he hid the book and Carnigie succeeds in getting his hands on the Bible. He takes Salora back with him but she manages to escape along the way and catches up with Eli, who continued on his journey without the book in his possesion. Salora blames herself for the lost of the book, when Eli says a line that really struck me. He said, "In all these years I've been carrying and reading it everyday, I got so caught up in keeping it safe I forgot to live by what I learned from it." Salora then asks what is it he learnt and he replies "Do for others more than what you do for yourself."

You see, Eli actually has a line that he repeats to himself over and over again. At the start of the movie, a couple was attacked, robbed, and killed by a group of motorcycle henchmen for Carnigie. Eli looks from a safe location and says, "Stay on the path. It's not your concern." over and over again. Later on the road there is a scene where he is walking along the road, repeating those same lines. So you can see, that he was pretty much about his own business only, caring only for his task. And now he realises that he should have been living by what he learnt, to help others, to sacrifice to help others, and not just be focused on the task that you forget and neglect other people.

Now, I think we all face that too don't we? We are in many ways like Eli. We have the privilege to read the Bible, and I do hope many of us do so. But if we're just reading from a book, without letting it sink into our hearts and change the way we think and live, what use is it? Are we also like Eli in that we get so caught up doing the work, what is necessary, that we forget to live by the what we learn? Can we take a minute to think for others, to help others, or are we too busy doing "work" to do that? Do we avoid sacrifices to help others? Are we too focused to look left and right to those who need our help? Do we ignore them when we do see their need, saying it's not our concern?

So think about it. We're supposed to be people of the Book. Do we live by what the Book teaches then? Or are we too caught up to live so?

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I'm sure you know how we are always afraid of the unknowns. We all fear the future because it's just this huge black hole before us. The world is dark, like a cave, and we can't see where to go, not knowing what lies ahead. We often worry and fret about tomorrow because we just don't know what to expect. Yes, sometimes it can be very predictable especially when it comes to routines in life, but there are always areas that we can never fully be prepared for. That is why Man came up with the idea of insurance. A safety net just in case something bad happens.

And then God comes into the picture. With Him, life is a little less of a gamble because He comes and shows us the way. He lights up the darkness before us, revealing the paths and steps we should take. With Him, we have assurance that we have a future, a sure path that we can take and not just jump blindly.

But even then, if you notice, God doesn't always light up the full path. He mostly just illuminates the parts directly before us, like a few steps ahead. It's like us holding a torchlight. The light only reaches a few steps or metres ahead. Things beyond that is still dark. We can't see beyond that which is just around us. And that becomes a frustration a lot of the time. We want answers, yet God seems to be deliberately holding information, forcing us to walk by faith, taking things every few steps at a time. But so many times, we are afraid to take those steps. We want to see more ahead before we embark on the journey, forcing us to remain stagnant there in the same spot.

This is where we need to step out, and exercise our faith to take the first steps. You see, although a torchlight only has a limited throw of light, that distance travels with us as we move forward. With every step, another step get illuminated. So if we take five steps forward, a further five steps will be illuminated. So here, we need to take the first step with God too. He'll light our path to what He deems fit, and as we move forward, He'll continue to light up more and more of our path ahead. So will you take that first step of faith?

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LoL = LIVE OUT LOUD!

Have you LoL-ed today?

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This song is really great. Speaks so much. Listen, and ponder the lyrics.

Sometimes it's hard to see You, but I see Your people.
Sometimes it's hard to hear You, but I heard Your preachers
My proof is in the way, the way that they shine
That's how I know that

The sun is coming down
I get the feeling that I'm not home yet.
Yeah, it's Your people
They're Jesus to the world

When it was hard to see You, they gave me another chance like You.
When it was hard to hear You, I could hear them speak Your words.
My proof is in the way, the way that they shine.
That's how I know that

The sun is coming down
I get the feeling that I'm not home yet.
Yeah, it's Your people
They're Jesus to the world

It's always the way I know
It's always the way, the way I know
It's always the way I know
It's always the way I know that

The sun is coming down
I get the feeling that I'm not home yet.
The sun is coming down
Yeah, it's Your people
They're Your people
They're Jesus to the world
They're Jesus to the world

I find it really encouraging that there are such people out there. People who are really being Jesus to their world, to the people around them. These are the ones impacting lives for real, for Him. People who are willing to walk in Jesus' footsteps, reaching out to the hurting. And these people are proof, that Jesus is real, that His love is real.

Now bring it closer to home. Are we living our lives like that? Are we Jesus to our world? Do we really live that way? When people find it hard to see Jesus in the world out there, do they see Him in us? When they find it hard to hear His voice in all the noise around them, do they hear His voice speaking through us? Are we proof that Jesus is real, by being Jesus to the people we know, His representative here? Do we shine with His love and hope? Or are we just as dark as everything else, maybe even darker?

Come on Christians of today. Let's rise up out of our seats, our comfort zones. Let's be real. Let's be the Jesus to our world. We have what it takes. We've got the Holy Spirit in us. All God needs now is our willingness to follow. I know I want to. Will you? I pray you do.

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Heard this awesome song today. And I totally love it now. There’s so much meaning in the lyrics, and the arrangement and music is really nice. Here, listen first. Then we dwell deeper.

Hello my friend
I remember when you were
So alive with your wide eyes
Then the light that you had in your heart was stolen
Now you say that it ain't worth stayin'
You wanna run but you're hesitatin'
I'm talkin' to me

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it
There's a girl on the streets, she's cryin'
There's a man whose faith is dyin'
Love is calling you

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

Why do we go with the flow
Or take an easier road?
Why are we playin' it safe?
Love came to show us the way
Love is a chance we should take
I'm movin' out of the way

Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
(Stand out)
Don't let your lights go down
Don't let your fire burn out
(Stand out)
‘Cause somewhere, somebody needs a reason to believe
Why don't you rise up now?
Don't be afraid to stand out
That's how the lost get found
The lost get found

So when you get the chance
Are you gonna take it?
There's a really big world at your fingertips
And you know you have the chance to change it...

Verse 1:
True isn’t it? We always start out in our walk with God full of passion. We feel so gung-ho, like we can go change the world for Him. But after time, things get in the way, and we lose that fire. So many times we want to leave, just give up. But somewhere deep in your heart you know it’s real, God’s real, and hesitate to leave it all. I know I’ve felt that way.

Chorus:
It's an encouragement and a challenge at the same time. For one, keep the faith, don’t give up on it. It’s for you. Then at the same time, it’s for others. People do observe you, look up to you. And they are looking to you to see what you would do, and if you would reach out to them. A lot of times we forget that. We forget about how people need other people to believe in something. To be honest, many people are searching for God. They may seem to deny it, down play that fact. But deep down inside, we’re all hurting, and we all want to find God. And they will look to His followers since they supposedly know Him. They want to know if you will really be like Jesus and reach out to them, welcome them. They want, maybe even need, someone to show them Jesus, be Jesus to them, besides just showing the way to Jesus. Now that would indeed be a reason to believe. What are we doing about it? We read and hear of so many people loosing interest and rejecting God because of what His “followers” are doing, treating them. Where do you and I stand in this? Will we rise up out of that self-centred mentality and be Jesus to these people? When we do that, we will definitely stand out, because we’re different when we follow His footsteps. And when we bring Jesus to these people, “that’s how the lost get found.”

Verse 2:
Love the question. Will we take it if the chance arises? To be different and help others out of love? Like the lyrics say, people are hurting, for various reasons. Love is calling out to us to do something. We who have known Love need to bring that love to others.

Bridge:
A question we should ask ourselves perhaps? Seems like we always take that road, to not live out loud. Many reasons we can give. I think we can just condense it all into one word, selfishness. Being too preoccupied with “Me” we don’t see them, or what God sees for the matter. We even make God revolve around “Me” sometimes. Our conversations with Him are about “Me”. The second part of the bridge is so true. Love came, so that we may know Love. Jesus came and showed us the way to God, prepared the way so we may know Him. And that should be what we are doing too. Showing others the way to Love by showing love.

So, like how the song ends, when you get the chance, are you gonna take it? We have the opportunity to change our world, however small it may seem to us now, it’s still a step taken. Will you and I live our faith out loud?

(Live it out)
(Live it out. Live it out)
(Oh yeah)

Imagine this
I get a phone call from Regis -
he says "Do you want to be a millionaire?"
They put me on a show and I win with two lifelines to spare

Picture this I act like nothing ever happened
and bury all the money in a coffee can
Well, I've been given more than Regis ever gave away
I was a dead man who was called to come out of my grave
I think it's time for makin' some noise

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud
Live out loud, yeah

Think about this
Try to keep a bird from singing after
it's soared up in the sky
Give the sun a cloudless day and tell it not to shine

Think about this
If we really have been given
the gift of life that will never end
And if we have been filled with living hope, we're gonna overflow
And if God's love is burning in our hearts, we're gonna glow
There's just no way to keep it in

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud
Live out loud

Everybody
La, la, la...la, la, la, la...la, la, la, live out loud
(I wanna hear everybody sing)
La, la, la...la, la, la, la ...la, la, la, live out loud (loud, loud)

Every corner of creation is a living declaration
Come join the song we were made to sing

Wake the neighbours, get the word out
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud

(Wake the neighbours) Get the word out (get the word out)
Come on, crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout
This is life we’ve been given, made to be lived out
So la, la, la, la, live out loud

La, la, la... la, la, la, la... (Live out loud)
La, la, la, live out loud (Yeah yeah)
La, la, la... (Wake the neighbours)
La, la, la, la... (Get the word out)
La, la, la live out loud
(I want to wake the neighbours, I got to get the word out)
La, la, la... (Wake the neighbours)
La, la, la, la... (Get the word out)
(We got to get the get the word out, about His love...)

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