It's The End Of 2007

Wow! It's nearly the end of the year - just two more days and we are into 2008. The year went by so quickly that I could hardly cope with the different changes that has taken place in and around me.

I am so indebted to the Lord for His affectionate ways that He has led me thus far in 2007. As I look back on God's tenderness and mercy for my life, I am very appreciative.

Prov 28:19, 20 I am reminded of this verse which says - He who works his land will have abundant food, but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will be richly blessed, but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.

I am pleased to testify that the Lord allowed me to end the year in much abundance. I am in NO lack, in fact, I have surplus sufficient to bless others even though I have no 13th month bonuses (sob!), no VBs etc. God is good and He provides!

I am looking forward to another year of God's blessing and provision as I learn to walk in righteousness, holiness, obedience and submission to the loving will of God. I know that I am under His protection and watchful eye!

Seeking God Wholeheartedly

Working Wholeheartedly
TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. - 2 Chronicles 31:21

Hezekiah was a godly king. He was also a very talented businessman and builder. He was responsible for many noteworthy projects that are described in detail in the Old Testament. We discover from the passage above that King Hezekiah had two major attributes that contributed to his success and prosperity: He sought God, and he worked wholeheartedly upholding God's laws.

Godly success involves a partnership between you and God. Success in God's economy means achieving the purpose for which God made you. That purpose can never be discovered without seeking Him with a whole heart. You may achieve great things without seeking God, but you will never achieve the things God set out for you to achieve without seeking Him. Unless you seek Him, you may find yourself one day climbing to the top of the ladder only to find it leaning against the wrong wall.

What does it mean to seek God? It means creating time to sit before His throne in quiet places. It means reading His Word in order to know Him more intimately. It means developing an ear to hear His voice so that we know when to turn to the right or to the left. God desires to know you.Are you willing to take the time to know Him? If so, you can be sure He will guide you into those things that will bring success to every aspect of your life.

A Blessed Christmas To All

Hi All,

Merry Christmas with love!

It's the time of year to celebrate the birth of Jesus but let's not do it the way the world does!

It's a wonderful time to reflect, ponder, reminisce and consider the goodness and mercies of the Lord upon our lives and decide that we will serve and love Him till Jesus returns.

It's the season to give of ourselves in the area of our time, finances, gifts, efforts, commitments, love and most of all - Me! God honors when we avail ourselves to others because it is a demonstration of His love & sacrifice through us.

Enjoy the time to rest and enjoy with family & friends!

Love, Am.

Christmas Preparation

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders and he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

This is a timely reminder of why we celebrate Christmas - Jesus who was born is given to us so that we could appropriately declare Him as Wonderful in our lives, Counselor in our decisions and affairs, Mighty God as He takes Lordship of our being, a Faithful and Everlasting Father God who is loving and He is the Prince of Peace in the midst of trials and turmoil.

He is to be praised, worshipped and adored! Most of all, He is to be loved by us more and more so that we will run after His desires and satisfy His longings.

Amazed ....

I was shocked and yet very amazed at the way the Lord has been directing my path. Today, I was offered a stake in Kooky Art Pte Ltd and that was a real shock to me ... I did not know how to respond except that I was tearing with REJOICING and wanted to go back to seek the Lord further. To think that I would even be offered a stake in the company meant a lot to me ..... It meant to me integrity, trust, faithfulness, good working relationships etc.

I was at a loss for words for almost half of the day asking the Lord for clarity in this matter. I am still unsure of my next move but will continue to wait in the presence of the Lord for clearer direction and wisdom.

It's still a Year of continued Victories for me .... WOW!!

Awaiting Answers

I have been busy these few days as my boss from HK is down in Singapore. Also, there were many events this week but I thank God for His grace, strength and the rest that I needed in this time of 'stress'.

This week has been extra special because I experienced a new dimension of God in the area of His kindness.

Yes, I am awaiting many answers regarding my own personal life but I know and am sure that God is directing my path and giving me clear assurances as I learn to wait and trust Him. This journey is scary, yet exciting because I know God holds my hand even in the dark.

I have experienced victory upon victory in this year and am looking forward to a 'Sabbath Rest' in 2008. Meanwhile, let's be praying for the Christmas events that's coming and the different outreaches that we are preparing for our friends.

We want to have a different Christmas with Jesus this year!

Happy Birthday To Me

As I took time to reflect on this special day, I am grateful for these 36 years the Lord has guided me thus far. I am thankful for His provision, leadership, direction, comfort, love, kindness, mercies, favor and most of all ... His sweet sweet presence.

I am awed by the way the Lord has 'wooed' me in my journey with Him. I have experienced so much of Him these 20 odd years and I know that I can expect much more in the days ahead.

I receive all the kind well-wishes of abundance, blessings, love, gifts and a spiritual legacy that will be left for my children's children. Ha, of coz .. spiritual children included!

God, I have the next lap to run in this race and am looking to You for that continued leadership and guidance... in the different areas of my life as I trust and give all of myself completely to the work and service of the Lord. I am assured that the Holy Spirit will grant me clear instruction in the days ahead to fulfill the purposes of God for my life as I anticipate Jesus' return and coming!

Remaining Faithful

Had a wonderful birthday dinner organised by my gals ... thank you gals for the yum yum buffet ...we should do this more often. I love just sitting, chatting and letting our hair down.

In such informal times, we have opportunities to share and be accountable to each other about how to remain faithful to our spouses. As Christians, in a day and age like ours, where media is so prevelant with having different sexual partners or even open to same sex marriages, we ought to stay holy and pure - subjecting ourselves to ONE partner and being faithful to love them for the rest of our earthly life.

Is that possible?

Contentment

In the recent 5 months, I have learnt many precious lessons about contentment and thought I will blog some of my thoughts as I read Phil 4:10-20 this morning.

Like Paul, I have been greatly rejoicing in the Lord and am learning to be content whatever the circumstances. I can also say that I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I am learning the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.

Even in my little, I continue to give and sow into the Kingdom of God because I know it is a fragrant offering and an acceptable sacrifice which is pleasing to God.

And my God will meet all my needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

A Special Calling

Thought when I read this devotion printed below, it illustrated a certain feeling within my heart today after I heard Nick Vujicic preach at the Sunday service - that each one of us has a special calling from God, whether we are limbless or not. No matter where we are or what we do, we can be limitless for God, have the joy of the Lord (Phil 4:4) and know that His grace is indeed sufficient for us - if we allow Him total access of our lives.

Special Callings TGIF Today God Is First, by Os Hillman

Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. 1 Corinthians 7:17a - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Each of us is called to relationship with God through Jesus Christ. We are called by Him, to Him, and for Him. Once we enter that relationship with Christ, we are called into the physical expression of that relationship. This is where our vocations are manifested as a result, not as an end in themselves.Additionally, there are examples of special callings in the Bible in which individuals have a direct communication from God to do a specific task for Him. Moses, Paul, Peter, and many others had direct communication about what God was calling them to do. Not everyone receives this "special" calling. This is not to say God is not personal with each of us. Some have had extraordinary supernatural encounters with God that led to their calling being specific to a task ordered by God. All of us have been called to follow Christ and live our lives in obedience to Him. Many of us have a sense to go in one direction or another based on our life experiences and giftedness. This, too, is God's calling.Calling goes beyond our work and includes our relationships to others: our wives, our children, our neighbors-and our coworkers. We must remember this in order that our "work calling" does not become elevated at the expense of the other important aspects of our lives. This is the holistic approach to the gospel in which God made all of life equally important.Therefore, the next time someone says, "I was called into the ministry" or "I am in full-time Christian work," stop him or her and tell him or her we are all in full-time Christian work. There is no secular and religious in the economy of God. I have a dear friend who often says, "I am a servant of the living God masquerading as a dentist." So, too, are you first a servant of the living God.

Thrive Like A Green Leaf

Pro 11:28 says that the righteous will thrive like a green leaf ... was meditating about different areas that we could be thriving - in our finances, our emotional state, our knowledge of God, our intellect, our physical conditions etc.

In order for us to be thriving like a green leaf, there is a need to be righteous and what is being righteous?

What is being righteous is all about?
angelic, blameless, charitable, commendable, conscientious, creditable, deserving, devoted, devout, dutiful, equitable, ethical, exemplary, fair, faithful, godlike, guiltless, holy, honest, honorable, impartial, innocent, irreproachable, just, laudable, law-abiding, matchless, meritorious, moral, noble, peerless, philanthropic, philanthropical, praiseworthy, punctilious, pure, reverent, right-minded, saintly, scrupulous, sinless, spiritual, sterling, trustworthy, upright, virtuous, worthy

Perhaps then, if we attempt to live a righteous life will we experience thriving like that of a green leaf. Let's go for it! God's Word will not return to Him void.

Covenant Keepers Who Changed The World

Was reading this book by Kingsley Fletcher entitled 'The Power of Covenant' and was fascinated by a chapter which wrote about Queen Esther and how she responded to her covenant duties ... Let me share it with you.

Mordecai's reply is a timeless warning to every covenant keeper of God about the importance of obedience and accepting personal responsibility for the welfare of others. Esther's response to her covenant duty is what God expects to hear from each of us where His covenant is concerned :

Do you think that because you are in the the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this? Then Esther sent this reply to Mordecai, "Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for 3 days, night or day. I and my maids will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish."

It is clear that the birth of every single covenant keeper in the Old Testament was preordained by God for His divine purposes. Why should it be different for us? God is no respecter of persons and He brought us into this world for a divine purpose unique to us. The only way to live a fulfilled life in Christ is to live as a covenant keeper, as a person who understands that your life is not our own, for we have been bought with a price by blood covenant. We can approach each new day with a new perspective of God's purpose in our lives .....

Waiting Is No Fun!

I am asking the Lord for many answers and issues pertaining to ministry, work, personal and even new dreams for the next year ....

Waiting for answers and inquiring of God is no fun and is sheer hard work! I am pressing in so much that I am getting rather tired and lonely .... where's everyone, God? Are you there??

My heart is heavy and downcast.... Why so downcast O my soul? Put your hope in God!

Overflowing

The way the Lord has been teaching me about the MARKETPLACE Ministry has been a real eye opener. I never realised that I could learn so much about business in these few months.

It is indeed a firm step of faith that we need to have in the Lord Jesus to know that He loves us and has a wonderful plan for our lives. He will never forsake us, in fact, He wants to prosper and bless us to overflowing.

Recently, I was rather upset that I lost a 'big deal' and it was no fault of mine. I lamented to the Lord about this matter and knew that the Lord had closed that door for me. If that project had been on, I would have had no help because of the extent of the project .... instead, when the Lord closed that door, He opened the WINDOWS so large and poured forth a blessing for me.

I had another project which brought in double the amount of sales from the lost project and it was a more manageable group and size. See! God is really at work to will and to do that in our lives ... if only we dare to trust Him completely. I surrender all!

Dizzy

Oh man! I woke up this morning with such a terrible dizzy spell. I could not even sit up because the entire world was spinning right before my eyes. I wished that someone would hold me up just at that moment. I cried out to God and went back to bed.

Sigh ... I am still feeling slightly dizzy and nauseaous even scribbling on this blog. Hope its not a virus attack. Lord, heal me in Jesus name!

He Makes Everything Beautiful

Ecc 3 - A time for everything. As I look at the way the Lord has been directing me, in the area of my business or should I say my career or job (oh! whatever!), my friends, my ministry .. even the strangers that I meet because of me ... I am just AWED! I really have no words to describe the way things have been going for me except that God makes all things beautiful in His Time.

There is really nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while we live. That everyone may eat and drink and find satisfaction in all his toil - this is a gift of God. Everything that God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere Him.

Ecc 3:22 This is the best expression I thought to describe myself at this point of time .... I saw that there is nothing better for a man than to enjoy his work, because that is his lot. For who can bring him to see what will happen after that?

I Love You, My Jesus

In this past week, I have had many wonderful testimonies of God's goodness as well as challenges and sorrows that have filled my heart with much sadness.

Well, God continues to challenge me to keep my heart pure, tender, kind and loving. He has assigned me my portion and my cup and have made my lot secure. I believe that the boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places and that I have a delightful inheritance, specially from the Lord.

I know that in this past week, the Lord has been counseling me, even at night my heart instructs me. I will set the Lord always before me because He is at my right hand. I will not be shaken, as I keep Him as my ROCK, my FORTRESS and DELIVERER!

Knowing God's Will

This is a common question many of us ask God constantly and regularly .... Glad that SP preached a sermon yesterday on this topic. It was very good food for thought!

Isa 48:17 .. God will teach and direct us in the way that we should go. Can we believe that He will do that for us in the choices we will make, decisions and crossroads that we will face, especially in times of adversity and doubt?

I am certain of this that God has good plans for our lives and if we decide to choose God's purpose for our lives, trust Him completely and develop an intimate relationship with Him, we will be able to hear God for ourselves and follow His wise leading.

Just yesterday, I had a new tuition referral to teach an Autistic boy. Strangely, his mother had such a positive impression about TOUCH and their services when I mentioned to her that I was from FCBC. God really opened this door of ministry for me to enter into this home to be a blessing. I was so overjoyed! More than that, her sister-in-law also has 2 kids who will be looking for a tutor as well. All 3 under the same roof sounds like a superb idea!! Pray .... Thank God for His provision yet again!

Renewed Vision of 12

Hello people, I have been missing from my blog for a while. Reason being, I have been rather busy with appointments and ministry.

I have been pondering much about this G12 vision thingy and would like to journal some of my thoughts. I really believe that there is authority, government and maturity when we establish our 12. We want to ask the Lord for deep growth as we teach our leaders to find their 12. Is there a need to be single-minded focus? Yes! Phil 3:13 One thing I do ..... Concentrate on one group and make it good soil for growth and we will see a bountiful harvest.

Some other thoughts:

1) We need a balanced lifestyle - Pray and ask the Holy Spirit where we have to juggle.
2) Set realistic goals for ourselves and our people.
3) Constant brokenness and a tender heart is needed - so that Christ can be formed in us.
4) Can our families see Christ in our process of discipling as a good model and example?
5) Being faithful in little so that God will grant us much in due season? Can we see beyond the menial tasks of faithfully discipling, loving and admonishing our 'sheep'?
6) Like Nehemiah, he had 52 days to fulfil his goal, did not get discouraged or become weak until he achieved it. Our people need to be united to work day and night towards the vision, have clear faith and not lack direction.
7) Leaders need to have a good positive attitude and stay motivated in order to impart faith. Engrave the vision in the hearts of the people.
8) An outpouring of the Holy Spirit is experienced when we complete our 12... each person must have a right heart that pleases God.
9) Pray continually for the nurturing of your 12 ... so that they will be strong and successful in all they undertake. They are your 'children' and there is a great responsibility to bring them up in the instruction and fear of the Lord.

That's it for now... will add more along the way .... tata!

Life By The Spirit

I'm back .. hoho! I have been busy with school but I thank God for the new beginnings of 'adventure' with Kooky Art. I am grateful for the provision of friends who came alongside with me to volunteer their kind services to see me successful! That's what friends are for ....

I have been meditation on Galatians 5-6 on how we should live by the Spirit instead of gratifying the desires of the flesh. I reckon that we struggle many times due to our own fleshy nature because the flesh is weak and is in constant battle with the Spirit. We are reminded that we need to be led by the Spirit and to be kept in step with the Spirit ... Holy Spirit I love You & need You, I want Your presence, Your power, Your authority in my life.

It's Your Thoughts & Ways, Lord

You know, I was taking my usual walk at the beach this morning and was telling the Lord how thankful I was for all these months of pruning that He has been bringing me through. I made a simple prayer to God this morning that I would want His thoughts and not my own thoughts, His ways and not my ways .. like in Isa 55:8.

It's a BIG step of faith for me to dare to trust God to open up the doors for me in the area of my ministry and business... I was so surprised that God answered my prayer so quickly. At the end of the day, I had a BIG project in for the business from a school - never happened before!! And the provision of resources for the project .... Wow! And, a new girl who was looking for a cell to visit called and will be meeting me this Sunday ... and she brings with her pre-believing friends to church. How amazing!!

Another leap of faith ... in preparation for 'The Year Of Sabbath'. Meanwhile, it's still 'The Year of Victory' and I am claiming many breakthroughs! Yea!

Prayer For Tribe

The Lord led me to pray much for the ladies under my care early this morning ... that the Lord knows the desires of their hearts and will grant them their desire as they delight in Him.

Bless them to take time to rest upon the Lord and wait patiently for Him, to commit their ways to the Lord and trust in Him. This process of waiting and resting in Him can sometimes cause undue worry and anxiety in the midst of their different circumstances. Lord, help them not to fret as it causes harm but to wait on the Lord for they shall inherit the earth... Ps 37. Lord grant them each a meek spirit that they may enjoy and delight themselves in the abundance of peace. Let them be contented and walk in your steps for the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and you shall delight their ways. Even though they may fall, they shall not be utterly cast down because you uphold them with your hand...yes, your strong arms of love.

Lord, this is your promise to them - that the righteous will not be forsaken and their descendents begging for bread. You will be their Provider and allow them to be merciful and lend to many. They shall see their descendents being blessed many fold. For you love justice and will not forsake your saints and they shall dwell and inherit the land forever.

Thank you Lord! Amen!

Strengthen Our Hearts

Was reading 1 Thes 3:6-13 ... our process of discipleship can be that of a pleasant memory that we will leave behind for our disciples.

Lord, help us to be strong in our body, our mind, our spirit and our faith in You. I want to learn to pray night and day for my disciples that I may see them again and again and supply what is lacking in their faith.
May our God and Father Himself and our Lord Jesus clear the way for us to come .... May the Lord make our love increase and overflow for each other and for everyone else ... May He strengthen our hearts so that we will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.

Prayers Of Little Children

I really believe that the Lord answers prayers especially of those who are pure and pleasing to Him - that of children. I have been taking care of my niece and nephew these few days because of the PSLE marking days and coaching them in preparation for their coming exams. We had an encounter together yesterday when my nephew lost the cap of an ointment bottle and both of them searched for it for more than an hour. I came out soon after and asked if they prayed. They both answered, "NO!" My niece then said that she would pray immediately. Within 5 minutes, she found the cap in a little pocket which holds the remote controls when they had been searching around the area the whole time. See, that is the power of prayer! This encounter for them, I believe, would leave a mark of rememberance for them that God answers and knows every minute detail of our lives because He is a God who loves us and wants to respond to us in the manner that we would receive. That's our loving Heavenly Father!

A Dream

I had a dream last night about the Lord empowering us with Isaiah 11 ...The Spirit of the Lord will rest upon us - the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord - and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

Interestingly, in vs 6 .. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. A Child?? God, in these last days is raising up children to lead because they will be great in the Kingdom of God. A good reminder for us to nurture our kids in the fear of the Lord as well as to bring them up in godly character, reflecting the nature and personhood of Jesus Christ.

Psalm 34

Me was in much pain this morning and was groaning to the Lord ... think I had gout in my ankles which caused me excruciating pain when walking. I am claiming healing in Jesus name for wellness! The angels of the Lord encamp around me who fear Him and He will deliver me from my diseases ....

I want to sit at the feet of the Lord and listen to Him teach me the fear of the Lord. If I love life and desire to see many good days, I must keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.

Lord, you are close to the broken hearted and you save those who are crushed in spirit. Even if we have many troubles, you will deliver us from them all. Even better, our bones will be protected, not one of them broken!

Positive Minds

At Prayer Meeting last evening, we were reminded to Renew Our Minds and I thought the 5 points were good reminders for us .. taken from Philippians ..
1) Find something positive in everything.Phil 1:12-14, 22
2) Find someone positive in every situation.Phil 1:1, 2:19-23
3) Say something in every conversation.Phil 1:4
4) Express gratitude to others daily.Phil 1:3-5, 1 Cor 1:4-9
5) Remove negative words for vocabulary ... Say 'I can!, I know, I will make time, Absolutely, I'm confident, I'm sure!"

A thankful heart is what we desire - God is my Father ...He knows what we need .... I received a brand new Samsung SGH-i600 last evening as a gift because my PDA 'died' on me recently and I have been telling the Lord that it would be nice to be able to have a digital gadget to search for Scripture. Hoho! Thank God for His Abundant Provision!! I am eternally grateful!!

Be Faithful To A Future Generation

Ps 101 reminds us to sing of God's love and justice and be careful to lead a blameless life. Let us walk in God's house with a blameless heart and set no vile thing before my eyes. We are to hate the deeds of faithless men ... as men of perverse heart shall be far from God... have nothing to do with evil.

A good reminder to not slander our neighbours, yes, even in secret coz God will silence. Also, not to have haughty eyes and a proud heart, as God will not endure. God's eye will be on the FAITHFUL in the land, indeed we are to cultivate faithfulness, that we may dwell with Him.

He whose walk is blameless will minister to God. We can minister to the Lord in our time with our families, friends and colleagues. Also, even in the area of our career, hobbies, business and ministry - Do all this in the name of the Lord giving thanks to Him!

No-one who practises deceit will dwell in God's house; no-one who speaks falsely will stand in God's presence. Every morning God will put to silence all the wicked in the land; He will cut off every evildoer from the city of the Lord. Amen and amen!

Proclaim His Love In The Morning

Ps 92 reminds us to proclaim His love in the morning and declare His faithfulness at night. God indeed makes me glad by His deeds so that I could sing for joy at the work of your hands. How great is your works O Lord!

I'm praying His word which says ...The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh n green proclaiming, "The Lord is upright: He is my Rock and there is no wickedness in Him."

Establish The Work Of My Hands

Ps 90 Lord, You have been my dwelling place throughout all generations... A thousand years in your sight is like a day that has just gone by or like a watch in the night...Do we really finish our days with a moan? The length of our days is 70 years, 80 if we have the strength...Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow.

Teach us to number our days aright that we may gain a heart of wisdom. Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

May your deed be shown to your servants, your splendor to our children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands for us - yes, establish the work of our hands.

Guard My Life

This morning, I woke up to meditate on Ps 86 ... where David cried out to God to hear him and answer him for he was poor and needy. Isnt' this like Matt 5 where it says Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven? He asked the Lord to guard his life for he was devoted to Him. He also asked the Lord to have mercy on Him for he called to him all day long. There was a longing in his heart for joy when he lifted his soul to Him.

The Lord is indeed forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call on Him. In the day of trouble, we can call to Him and He will answer us.

Teach me your ways, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; Give me an undivided heart that I may fear your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever. For great is your love towards me; you have delivered me from the depths of the grave.

You, O Lord, are compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love and faithfulness. Turn to me and have mercy on me, grant me strength and save me. Give me a sign of your goodness that my enemies may see it and be put to shame - for you O Lord have helped me and comforted me.

Save Me, God

I know, I know! I still owe a teaching on the Sermon on the Mount - Beattitudes... sorry! Will come back to it again.... But I felt the Lord led me to read Ps 69 as I experienced a "crisis" in my heart this week which made me plead God to save me in my situation, for I felt that the waters have come up to my neck, I was sinking in miry depth where there was no foothold, I had come into the deep waters; the floods engulfed me and I was worn out calling for help; my throat was parched, my eyes failed, looking for my God ... etc. All these were my heart-felt feelings .... yet, in all of these situations, I choose to stand firm to know that when I pray to You, in the time of Your favor, in Your great love, O God, you will answer me with sure salvation. You will answer me out of the goodness of Your love; in Your great mercy, You will turn to me and come quickly and redeem me. May your salvation protect me. I will choose to praise God's name in song and glorify Him with thanksgiving. I know that this will please the Lord .....

Attitudes To Have & Adopt ..

I would like to explore the Word of God to study, meditate and ponder upon Matt 5,6 and 7 - the BeAttitudes. I realise that it is so important for us, at

such a time like this, in light of Christ' return, to make our lives count for eternity. We cannot live life the same if we have experienced the goodness, provision and grace of God. We need to stand up and be different, be a light that shines and tell the world that Jesus lives! In times of a shake up, can we be confident to say that we will not be offended by God or with God? Can we rest in the assurance that God is still in control? Will share more .. Cheers!

Thanksgiving

I am grateful that I am properly set up on my wireless internet and am enjoying it. Thank God for teaching me to wait in this process and allowing me to exercise patience and love.

I am also thankful for our sumptuous dinner and wonderful fellowship at Jerry & Margaret's house tonight. Yes! Timor Leste's Alumni (Isa 4:1 Team's) yummy get-together dinner. We had pepper crab, itek tim, cockles ..hmmmm.... delicious! It was finger-licking good!! Thank God also for healing my churny upset tummy the last few days .. think the little red wine helped. No wonder the Bible in 1 Tim 5:23 says this .. Stop drinking only water, and use a little wine because of your stomach and your frequent illness... haha! No excuse to be drunk in wine though.

A Crown Of Beauty

Isa 62 ... The Lord would like to call us a new name, which the mouth of the Lord will designate - A Crown of Beauty in the hand of our Lord, a royal diadem in the hand of our God. We will no longer be called 'Forsaken' or 'Desolate' but God calls us His Delight and He rejoices over us with singing. God is reminding us that in the midst of our different challenges and struggles, we want to go back to the first commandment of loving the Lord our God with all our hearts, strength, soul and might. We want to love the Lord, know Him and serve Him passionately!!

Praise To Arise

Was meditating much on Isaiah 61:10. Why can we rejoice greatly in the Lord? Why can my soul exult my God? He has clothed me with garments of salvation. He has wrapped me with a robe of righteousness, as a Bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels. For as the earth brings forth its sprouts, and as a garden causes the things sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations. There is always a reason to praise the Lord, be thankful and always a blessing!!

Patience, Lord!

I am so frustrated just waiting for my wireless modem. Are they ever bringing it? What’s with the service industry these days? They ‘pass’ me from one person to the next with empty promises given to me more than 5 times. It’s really exasperating!! Anyway, I was reminded – One of the fruits of the Spirit is Patience! Gal 5:22. Holy Spirit, grant me patience to endure this sort of yucky treatment ….. sigh sigh!! Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.. verse 9.

Sigh .. Exhausted

Have been so exhausted from the Encounter preparation and work. Guess it has been quite a struggle to juggle …. Can I take off the next few days to recuperate? Sigh… Isaiah 40:31 Yet, they who wait upon the Lord will gain new strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary. Lord, renew my strength as I wait on you.

Earthquake - Shake Up

Wow! At 7.10 p.m. while watching television with the family and preparing to go for Prayer Meeting, I suddenly felt very dizzy and felt nauseous. I noticed the dangling lights in the hall swinging from left to right and immediately, we knew it was an EARTHQUAKE. We turned to CNA and realized that Indonesia was having 2 earthquakes on the Richter Scale of 7.9 and 8.4 respectively. The tremors lasted for at least 2 minutes and the kids at home were rather traumatized. It was scary! My thoughts were …. Matt 24 :7 Signs of the End of the Age and these are the beginnings of birth pangs. At that time, I began to think to myself about what the Bible has to say that because of such things, many will turn away from the faith and will betray each other and hate each other and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

God, make us strong! Whatever you are shaking up in our lives, we open our hands and hearts to you for your good pleasure ……

Amazed by God

Each day, I am amazed at what the Lord provides for His people. Like daily manna, I wait in anticipation for Him to speak and to provide each day. Want to make a guess what kind of provision the Lord made for me today? I received a call from my mum's ex-colleague to take over her tuition kids. Not just one, but four altogether. And the good part of it was – they all live in the same house. That will save traveling time and they are living in the East, very close-by to me! I marvel at the way the Lord has been opening door after door for me as I learn to wait and trust Him. It is really a test of my faith but this journey has never been more exciting and fun!

I was led to read a passage in Exodus 15:23 when Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Wilderness of Shur. They went there 3 days and found no water. When they came to Marah, they found that the water was bitter and could not drink it. The people murmured while Moses cried out to the Lord. The Lord showed him a tree and when he casts it into the waters, the waters became sweet. He tested them in that place and said, "If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statues, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord who heals you."

May we experience miracles of 'bitter water made sweet' in our lives as we walk in total obedience and trust in the Lord! ☺

Yet Another Blessing

Today I received yet another blessing – A brand new beautiful grey Lenovo (IBM – Think Pad) 12-inch laptop as a gift all equipped with the application packages etc. from an 'angel'...

Just like Ps 89 .. I want to be able to sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make His faithfulness known through all generations. I will declare that His love stands firm forever. God, you have never failed me nor forsaken me. In fact, I keep experiencing your divine and rich provision again and again. I am so overwhelmed by your deep compassionate love for me …. How could I live without You, Lord? ☺

A Heart Of Wisdom

The cry of my heart at 5 a.m. this morning was that God would teach me to number my days so that I may present to Him a heart of wisdom and as I long for his return. Psalm 90.

In my hectic busy schedule doing 3 events with Kooky Art this weekend, I prayed vs 17 for myself … Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon me. And confirm for me the work of my hands; Yes, confirm the work of my hands ….. or establish the work of my hands. I can testify that God indeed did confirm the work of my hands – I felt victory and success after the events .. but rather physically exhausted. Old bones …Hoho! Thank God for His provision!

Happy Teddy Bear Day

Did you know that 9 September is Teddy Bear Day? It's a special time to thank God for friendships because teddies are good reminders that friends are God's wonderful gifts to us – especially friends in the Lord!! I thank God for you ……☺

Proverbs 22:11 He who loves a pure heart and whose speech is gracious will have the king for his friend.

HAPPY TEDDY BEAR DAY!!

Beary Wishes...

Life Questions

The Words of Agur from Proverbs 30 … two things I asked of You, Do not refuse me before I die: Keep deception and lies far from me, Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is my portion that I not be full and deny You and say, “Who is the Lord?” Or that I not be in want and steal. And profane the name of my God. May God reveal His Heart and Will to us as we continue to seek Him …. Praying much for the coming encounter as I prepare to teach on the ‘The Holy Spirit’ session…What does He want me to share?

A Levite Anointing

Was meditating on the role of a Levite from 1 Chronicles 14 – 17 and there were many truths to learn from it …

1) David inquired of God and God spoke. 1 Chron 14:10.

2) Only Levites can carry the ark of the God because God has chosen them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before Him forever. 1 Chron 15:2

3) Consecration of self. 1 Chron 15:12.

4) Appoint leaders to sing and play instruments as worship unto the Lord. 1 Chron 15:16

5) Be skillful in singing and playing. 1 Chron 15:22

6) Be presentable and properly attired. 1 Chron 15:27

7) Have s spirit of thanksgiving and praise. Look to the Lord and his strength; seek His face always. 1 Chron 16:4, 1 Chron 16:11

8) Minister to the Lord regularly – morning and evening. 1 Chron 16:37

What is God’s calling for our lives? We want to know, obey and follow God’s instruction and call for our lives so that we will be able to glorify His name!

Home Sweet Home

1 Sep

Happy Teachers' Day to all my teacher friends and family out there …. May the Lord renew your passion, love and commitment to serve the kids of the next generation! They are God's treasure and delight! They will be our pride and joy as we invest our lives in them …. ☺☺

We spent the rest of our time in Dili at the beach enjoying the live sea urchins near our hotel. We left for the airport and we had to switch airplanes three times (Dili to Bali, Bali to Jakarta and Jakarta to Singapore), which was rather tiring … but I was looking forward to my beloved bed, pillow, clean loo and my PC. We have been so disciplined to be 'logged out' from the world of internet for a whole entire week but back we come – to reality!!

God has been so faithful and kind. He gave us a safe journey when we drove from the West to the East (~4000 km), good health, hosts, food, water, electricity, weather like cool Camerons and most of all – superb company! The team was so gelled that it was like we had known each other for ages … we even planned for our afterglow in 2 weeks time. We are going to have a treat from our House-husband (only man on our team) – Uncle Jerry who will be whipping up popiah, itek tim, buah keluak, bakwan kepiting with soon, pepper crab, chap chai, ngoh hiang … etc. Is your mouth watering already? Mine is!

A Heart For Viqueque

31 Aug

That morning, Ps Yew Lin had the honor of sharing the word and we prayed specifically for the District of Viqueque (its pronounced VKK). This district is extra special because FCBC has been selected to adopt this district. Unfortunately, we do not have any missions team or base there. Recently, 400 over houses were being burnt up in the district due to the unrest. Also, the infrastructure for this district is not sufficiently set up and they do not even have a proper guest house for us to stay, should we visit. There is apparently only a Catholic orphanage which is run by some nuns and they are willing to provide housing for us.

Ps BC felt that for this trip, as a blessing to the other districts, we will not be making a trip down South to Viqueque so where we were, in Lospalos, we prayed for Viqueque from afar. We asked the Lord specifically for teams, local partners and even a couple to be stationed there. We also prayed that by the end of this year, we would see someone or groups of people taking full ownership of that land…. The Lord gave us some visions as we prayed… that Viqueque is like a choked-up place. I saw a vision of a big bottle filled with lots of treasure inside but it was corked up. Another vision the Lord gave to me was a dry well and I saw many people pouring water into in. Later, Ps BC shared with me that indeed the visions I saw was correct. The wells in Viqueque are really dry. May the Lord uncork the bottles of treasure and fill the dry wells to overflowing so that the Work and Word of God can be penetrated into this specific district. It’s OURS as we learn to claim the inheritance that God has given to us, just like Abraham when he saw the vast land in Gen 13:14. Lift up your eyes from where you are and look North, South, East and West. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. What an awesome promise for us to claim!!

That night, I had a vivid dream of Ps VT driving in a 4-wheel drive (like the type we were driving) and going round the mountains in Timor. He was so fearful of the sides that he kept shouting out. Somehow, this came as another surprise to me – I was told later that he had been to Timor twice and each time he drove, he would be fearful of the road. Ha! What was God trying to tell him? I must tell him my dream when there is an opportunity … is there a higher calling for him?? Hoho!

A New Calling?

30 Aug

Pastor Beow Chin was asked to share the word that morning after breakfast and I was ‘arrowed’ to lead the time of worship. God was among us that morning. She shared from 1 Cor 16:8,9 and Acts 19 about how Paul made his decision to leave or to stay in his Missionary journey …. We could consider what God was doing and what man was saying in the process. When we see the Holy Spirit’s outpouring, doing miracles, casting demons, healing and the Prophetic, we need to fix our eyes on God rather than on the opposition (verse 19) where there was disunity, false prophets and there was much fear in the hearts of the people especially during the riot with Demetrius. It was a great lesson for us as we considered the activity of God rather than that of men.

We drove off to the district of Lautem in the town of Lospalos where we met Ps Lily from Singapore’s Victory Family Church and her team. As it was such a long journey, we were happy to have found a little ‘restaurant’ called Angel where we ate yum fish with sauce, organic vegetables and hot peanut soup. After which, we were brought into the village to visit her team members. Ann and Boyle were so hospitable to host us as they shared about their work in the village. They left 4 children behind in Singapore (age ranging from 17 – 36) for a term of one year to serve the Lord in Lautem. Interestingly, Boyle was a horse trainer with Singapore Turf Club and gave up his job after he received the Lord some 3 years ago, to serve together with his wife, Ann in the mission field. How loving!! We had a time of prayer together at their cosy home and God released many words to us. I was weeping like a baby when the Lord spoke to me very vividly about a call and also released words for the team. Ps Lily also had a word for us ….”This is a new calling for you. God is sending you with a new vision when you come here. You will come and pray in a new dimension and will have a better perspective to capture the cry of the Timorese. The good life that you have will be paid back in the spiritual dimension.. whether you are the Go-er ..or the Send-er.” I believe that God opened our eyes to see how we could either send our people to serve on short or long term mission trips as well as ‘catch the fire’ and bring it back with us to ignite in the lives of our people back in Singapore.

At dinner time, in Roberto Carlos Hotel, we had an opportunity to share together at the table why we came for this trip and where we will go from here. Guess the Lord brought me there to have a glimpse of the work in Timor Leste and filled my heart with compassion and love for them. I am praying that there will be many more opportunities for me to go into the land to serve … God-willing!

From West To East

29 Aug

We had a sunrise service together at 6.30 a.m. (Timor time – Singapore time 5.30 a.m.) where we had a time of worship and prayer for the village of Mialiana, Ps Edson and the Government. It has been a long time since I played the guitar but I guess God uses weak vessels like us when we avail ourselves …It was awesome because the day before, we went up to the Indonesian border to pray for revival and we stuck our ice-cream sticks with verses that we wrote on it into the ground. We are trusting that the Word of God be planted in this district of Bobonaro and in the town of Maliana. As a result of our prayer today, we want to see miracles happening, just like we saw when we prayed for a local who visited us at the guest house (Mandano) who was suffering from Tuberculosis. He experienced the power of God come upon him and something was happening with his lungs when we prayed. Also, we want to pray a hedge of fire and protection over every pastor in that city, church worker and over Maliana. We are expecting a revival in the Timorese congregation that God would send a revival because of our prayer. Say bye bye to West Timor …..

After breakfast, we set off back to Dili and headed straight to Manatuto – East Timor, to visit another Singaporean couple from St John St Margaret’s Church – Francis and Grace. It was such a delight to be with them as they shared briefly about their work with us with 30 kids whom they were teaching English to and how their next door neighbour, who happens to also be their landlord, was selected the District Administrator because of their help to type his resume when they set up their dial-up internet service … yes … dial-up for us who are so used to broad-band speed … repent!! Oops….

We set off to another district Baucau to visit a Victory Family Church Base headed by Ps Vakaran and his wife Ruth who was managing a guest house to train local Timorese to teach Bible study to the Orang Laut people. He’s from Calvary JB and he shared how God called him and ‘blocked’ all the blessings when he chose to ran away from the call God gave. We were very thankful that we had beds (yes! again …), yummy bee hoon and clean loos to use. God sure knows how much we could bear, in terms of our tolerance for cleanliness and rest…. That’s our super duper Heavenly Father who loves us so much! This group of people in this guest house are real prayer warriors – they are up at 3 a.m. daily for personal devotion and at 6 a.m., they come together for corporate worship and devotion and at 7 a.m. they have breakfast together and then they are sent out into the villages to minister to the people. When our team heard about their daily schedule, we were ashamed that we prayed so little .. compared to them. But God still loves us …. Hee hee!!

Bobonaro, Here We Come ...

28 Aug

We set off early from Dili and arrived in the town of Bobonaro in a little village Maliana where we met 2 sets of families from Singapore. This couple – Sebastian, Andrea and little Timothy had a nice place where we spent time praying and worshipping in their house. We released the Word of God to them and ministered to them. We also partook of the Lord’s Supper together with them. They were from His Sanctuary Church, back here in Singapore.

There was another family, also in Maliana, a pastor from COOS, Ps Derrick and his wife Trisker, their son Elijah and Pearl. They are expecting their 3^rd child. It was nice to see how they lived when we visited them in their homes. More than that, we had an opportunity to pray for them, minister to them and shared about our prayer journey and how God led Ps Beow Chin, 2 years ago to plan for this trip to be on-site to bless the land. We are certain that as we make this journey to bless the Missionaries who are there, we are going to see a revival in that land as we, by faith, believe that God will plough up every hard ground and bring transformation to the lives of the Timor Leste people.

Thank God for the Guest House we stayed in that night. It was better than I expected when Ps Edson, the person in charge of the Guest House hosted us. There was a bed for each of us (even with a mosquito net), a proper loo and even yum goring ayam for us to feast on. The Lord gave a word that we needed to do an ‘Opening Ceremony’ of our trip with a sunrise service the next morning ….. so we had to go to bed really early.

YWAM Base in Timor

27 Aug

We visited the Nazarene Youth Centre in Dili where there was a lady Pastor AChae who just gave birth to a little baby girl. It was such a joy to be able to bring a little Moses basket and a sarong/ carrier for her and her new born baby as a gift from the ladies in my network. She needed it to bring it along when she went out for ministry. Thought that was such a sweet gesture on the part of my gals when I asked for it before we left. They were all generous to share and that is really the heart of Jesus for the poor and the needy.

We also visited the YWAM Base in Dili and met Annabel and the team. Many of them are Brazilians with some Australians and even Koreans serving there. They prepared delicious cheese bread and brownies for us! (I decided that I shall attempt to make the cheese bread when I return to Singapore. The recipe’ rather simple… I hope!)

The YWAM team shared with us about the state of the church in Timor Leste and also about the condition of the hearts of the people. The people of Timor Leste needs a revival – in their school system, their health conditions, the infrastructure of the Government but most of all, God must begin a transformation in their lives. There was an interesting testimony that the team shared with us that they had an opportunity to speak to the President and requested to have a prayer room next to his office. They wanted us to pray that God would grant that favor because it would be awesome if prayer teams had access to ‘speak’ into the lives of the high ranking authorities and declared God’s Word and Will to the nation. Indeed then, when the Government opens its doors to the Church, the nation would turn God-ward.

The team (East) was really doing a good work in Timor Leste. They were building houses for the people, especially those youths who had no education, were in financial bondages, lacked parental care or who were orphans. They were like family to them and cared and loved them, just like Jesus would. There was another testimony that was shared of this 8 year old boy who was beaten blue-black by his parents when all he did was sold a rooster in the market for $3 instead of $4. Parents used harsh methods of discipline on the kids and the team wanted us to pray that these parents would have the heart of God the Father…. What they lacked was the Father’s love.

The team (West) was doing something different. They were setting up mobile clinics and Music groups, Women and Kids Ministries and teaching the Timor Leste people how to make handicraft. They were requesting for prayer to increase the number of Missionaries there are now.

The team (South) had a partnership with the Village President to be involved in a project to build zinc houses and to help the people find produce from the land. They are to built 16 houses altogether and it would be a fund raising project for the Government to endorse so that they could establish the relationship with them through these means.

We prayed for the team before we left – for safety for them, their health, opportunities to meet the right people and connections, resources, a God-given model and strategy for other parts of Timor Leste to be transformed.

Arrival at Bali

26 Aug

You may want to view our photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/congal-csn/sets/72157601815579166/. We arrived at Bali airport after dear family members and friends sent us off at Changi Airport at 9.15 p.m. We checked into Aston Inn and went for a sumptuous dinner bought by Uncle Jerry – this uncle who made the entire Timor trip quite memorable. It didn’t seem quite like a mission trip especially the soft cushiony quilted bed in this Hotel in Dili. Well, guess God knew how much we could bear. Then again, God is sovereign! We chatted at the Restaurant till past 12 midnight where Uncle shared many wonderful testimonies of his life and how he met the Lord and was delivered from many bondages, strongholds and curses in his life. It’s all about the mercies of God constantly reaching out to us.

East Timor, Here I Come!

Hey, its finally time for me to leave for East Timor today .. after months of praying and planning (heart preparation, I mean .. hoho!). The thought of going to an underdeveloped country makes me shudder especially the loo … (oops) and also the unrest in the country recently. Guess God has sustained and spoken to the team to continue in this journey so we will be making the trip after all.

Pray for us as we go that all will be well and we will be focused and precise as we step into unknown territories ….. The Lord goes ahead of us and is our WARRIOR! He fights every battle on our behalf and these battles have already been won on the cross for us. Hallelujah!!

You will probably miss me blogging for a week…. Don’t worry! Be happy! I will be back in one piece … safe and sound! Till then, tata!