ok, be prepared... cos this entry will be a super long one... cos the riches that i have gained during the youth camp was super HUGE...
TO begin with... this year's youth conference/camp theme: BUILDING A LOVING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FATHER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST
We read through a portion of the bible from Luke 15:11-32, which talks about the parable of the prodigal son... well, to help those who are non-Christians, i will type out the verses :)
11 Then He said: "A certain man had two sons.
12 "And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me'. So he divided to them his livelihood.
13 "And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.
14 "But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want.
15 "Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
16 "And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
17 "But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
18 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
19 "and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants"'
20 "And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.
21 "And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet.
23 'And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;
24 'for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry.
25 "Now his older son was in the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and dancing.
26 "So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
27 "And he said to him, 'Your brother has come, and because he has received him safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.'
28 "But he was angry and would not go in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him.
29 "So he answered and said to his father, 'Lo, these many years I have been serving you; I never transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might make merry with my friends.
30 'But as soon as this son of yours came, who has devoured your livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.'
31 "And he said to him, 'Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours.
32 'It was right that we should be make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again, and was lost and is found.'"
Thank God that throughout the whole of the youth camp, we have been greatly filled by the Holy Spirit and He really let me see a number of things in a new light.
Firstly, the point about the younger brother needing to reconcile back to the older brother when the younger brother had returned to his father (I actually wanted to share this point during the meeting just now but no courage la... Forgive me Lord!). During the last day of the camp, we were suppose to answer this question for our corporate morning watch: "Now that the younger son is back to the father's house, then how will he continue to live his life?" Then brother Say Kin showed us an answer from another angle... that is the younger son need to make peace with his older brother. This is because his older brother is still angry with his brother for being so wilful and irresponsible (as seen in verse 30 when the older brother said 'this son of yours' to refer to his younger brother), and also the Lord has told us that the 2 greatest commandments is to love Him with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds and to love our neighbours as ourselves. Therefore, it is also important that we love one another and bear no grudges with each other, as what our Father in Heaven desires. It is also one of the ways whereby we can build a loving relationship with Him-- to do His will! Hence, if we have offended anybody or vice versa, let us learn to reconcile back to each other and encourage each other to pursue the Lord :)
Secondly, I am very touched by the father's love in the parable. Despite knowing that the reason why the younger son returned to him is due to selfish gains (verses 17-19), the father still showered him with his love and restore the younger son's status (asking the servants to put a robe, wear a ring and put on sandals on him + killed the fatted calf for the son)... although the younger son wanted to become his father's servant for him to be fed. How much more would our Heavenly Father do so for us, as long as we arise, go back to Him, and repent. His love is so marvelous, so wonderful that He will rejoice if we come back to him... Like the prodigal son. All He wants from us is to do His will and one of it is to come before Him to enjoy ourselves in His presence and all that He has forever.
Lastly, I also enjoy the fact that our God is INFINITE. Be it in love, strength or wisdom, we can never comprehend the things that He do and the way that He does them. he is so rich and full that words can never be able to express His works. Who can explain the rationale of why the father in the parable can love his sons so much that he is able to beg his older son to join in the party and ran towards his younger son to recover him? This is even more so of our Father, that He sent His only son Jesus Christ to die for us and to be tortured by His creation. What is man that you are mindful of him?
Unlike the loves of this world, which is temporary, our God's love is eternal, infinite, and everlasting. One day, when the present heaven and earth passed away, what's there will be the new heaven and new earth and till then only God's love can be sustained... So my dear readers, let us start to invest in God's love and not love the world... for it is more worthwhile and more meaningful if we love our Father... A kingdom that is eternal is waiting for us....
Well, i shall stop sharing now... since it's getting a bit too long.... but i hope that the Lord will be able to open your eyes and show you that He is the one that you should love and build a relationship with :) Amen.
