More about me and why this blog

Hi

In year 2001, a young prefect boy was sitting by the gate of a secondary school, allowing students whose name are to be recorded because of late coming to enter the school. A senior prefect came along one day, and my world was never the same from that day. It was the weirdest conversation you can find between a junior and a senior prefect. She sat beside me, and started telling me all about this guy called Jesus Christ, how He could heal people, how He lived a sinless life, teaching people, and most absurdly, walking on water. Silly though I was, that was something beyond my belief; still I agreed to go for a musical her church (eventually mine!) organized to find out more about what she was telling me. Before the actual day of musical, I was worshiping together with the casts.

I thank God for the many musically inclined friends He placed around me. In fact most of my friends that I am closed to are all musicians. He also made me with such a great passion for music! My first music theory was taught by my secondary school drum major, Khairunnisa, my best friend. Then subsequently in church, many seniors taught me how to play the guitar. Well, I wouldn't say that when I played the first chords on the guitar was to worship God, but as I progress and learn the instrument through worship songs, I grew in love, knowledge and ability in playing music.

Eventually through prayer, solitudes and studying of God's word, often other times my inspirations comes from friends, I learnt to express it in lyrics and tunes. I really thank God for giving me the gift of feeling music and poems, so much that when I read or write something, a tune seems to be attached to the words. Music has a way of amplifying the message.

I need to emphasise that I am not a professional, nor am seeking recognition or fame through this blog, but a sharing of the songs that I have written in hope of encouraging others through my experiences and inspirations. Each song is not a concoction of just poems and tunes, but my prayer and response to God. Please do not listen to the songs itself (for I don't reckon them as professionally melodious for appreciation) but do read the reasons and explanations of the songs.

Feel free to ask for the chords, just email or sms me for it.

I will live in Your strength

Came home late one night in 2005 from youth fellowship, troubled.

Looking at how far my life is from being struggle free, I am beaten. So tired, I sat on my bathroom floor. Clueless of how much water was wasted, or how my skin turned wrinkled from soaking, I complained and whined, complained and whine to God.

However, I stepped out of the bathroom a totally different being. In an hour, this song was written.

Notice how the chorus is a perfect 5th transposed from the stanza? Notice how the song can repeat the chorus to bridge, bridge to chorus, chorus to chorus, bridge to bridge, but we can never transpose back to the stanza? That's life! We struggle and complain, whine and sulk, but only for a moment; when we know that Jesus is our strength, when we learn to live in His strength, we will not be able to go back to complaining again.

Hebrews 4:15-16

For we do not have a high priest
who is unable to sympathize
with our weaknesses,
but we have one
who has been tempted in every way,
just as we are—
yet was without sin.
Let us then approach
the throne of grace with confidence,
so that we may receive mercy
and find grace to help us
in our time of need.

Special thanks to Sheng Yang, my guitar ensemble senior, a genius who wrote the bridge with me after hearing the song once.

I will live in Your strength

Life is so hard
Harder it is a Christian life
Inevitable is suffering
I’m getting weary

Trails they never cease
An end to this I wish
On Your promises I will cling
For You will be with me

Chorus:

Jesus knows that I am weak
A high priest who sympathize with me
You are strong when I am weak
So I will live in Your strength

Bridge:

Come live in me (echo)
Give me strength to face each day
You walk with me
All of my days
Come live in me (echo)
Give me strength to face each day
You walk with me
All of my days

Chorus:

Jesus knows that I am weak
A high priest who sympathize with me
You are strong when I am weak
So I will live in Your
Jesus knows that I am weak
A high priest who sympathize with me
You are strong when I am weak
So I will live in Your strength



I will live in Your strength.mp3 - Jonathon Teo
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