75 Years - Stories From The Heart

Part of the celebration for our 75th Anniversary of our church is the production of a book "75 Years - Stories from the heart ". It is a book of testimonies of how the Lord has work in the lives of PLMC members. As you read through, you begin to see how God has touched lives in many ways. Spiritual healings, emotional and physical healings, God's providence, His peace, etc are all in there. I'm sure that there are numerous people who are similarly touched by God in PLMC and would attest to God's faithfulness in their lives. I thanked God that He continues to be relevant in our lives and doing His regenerative work in us.

I am reminded of the passage in Hebrews 11 where those heroes of faith did what they did, based on their faith in what God has promised them. Paul exhorted us in Hebrews 12:1,

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily hinders our progress. And let us run with endurance the race that God has set before us." ( NLT )

Let us boldly run for Him...

The Golden Compass

JUST how anti-God is The Golden Compass? This was the title of an article that came out in the local newspaper reviewing the soon-to-be-launched movie in the local cinemas.

There was already a huge cry from the religious community in America regards to the theme of the movie as well as its co-screen writer, professed atheist author Philip Pullman. The Golden Compass, adapted into a PG-rated movie, is the first book of Pullman's award-winning His Dark Materials trilogy.

In Singapore, it took on rather a mild tone with churches either ignoring the movie or advising their members to take a cautioned approach when watching the movie.

I came to hear of it from email circulating around warning Christians of its dark theme. I don't usually watch movies. However what I have read so far from this article shows how the underlining theme evolve even though it is so subtle. Someone commented, "It's like introducing the kid to atheism. It's a stealth campaign".

I often argued against material that would go against my basic belief. Witchcraft ( The Harry Potter series ) is one of them. I know a lot of people( including my relatives ) differ in this. My point is very simple - even though if you view that there is nothing wrong in watching a movie that promotes the other side, it can be at best, education & entertainment, and at worst distort your belief system, not to mention the targeted audience, the kids.

There is also the Da Vinci Code and now the Golden Compass, all of which rakes in millions for these writers. Why do I want to give to them ? So that they can continue to churn out controversy and untruths - because it sells?

Think of the millions that goes into debunking all these untruths and also those who for the lack of faith, has turned aside to follow the world.

View the following for a better understanding of the underlining theme :

The Ultimate Authority

During my devotion today, the Lord impressed on me the example of the Bereans in Acts 17:11. When Paul preached to them the gospel, the Bereans’ eagerness led them to examine “the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11). As a result, many believed.

The Bereans has given to us a fine example to emulate. No matter how gifted or charismatic or well-trained and experienced our Bible teacher or pastor may be, we have to form the healthy habit of checking what is being said against the Scriptures.

As I was surfing through the net researching on a particular topic, I was surprised to see so many different viewpoints. Each of them purporting to speak the truth, to the extent that it degenerate to each calling the other "heresy". With so much information on the web, it has become a dangerous minefield for believers to know what is the truth.

So what to do? Go back to the Scriptures. Charles Swindoll commented that "the Scriptures are your measuring tool for making sure the teaching you receive is straight and true. Keep comparing. The teachings need to be congruent between what’s being said and what has been written in the Bible. If you can’t support it with the Scriptures, there’s something missing in the teaching. Don’t believe the teacher. Stay with the Scriptures. They remain your ultimate authority for faith and life."

AW Tozer wrote :

"Whatever it may be in our Christian experience that originates outside of Scriptures should, for that very reason, be suspect until it can be shown to be in accord with them.

If it should be found to be contrary to the Word of revealed truth no true Christian will accept it as being from God. However high the emotional content, no experience can be proved to be genuine unless we can find chapter and verse authority for it in Scriptures. "To the word and to the testimony" must always be the last and final proof.

Whatever is new or singular should also be viewed with caution until it can furnish scriptural proof of its validity. Thoughout the twentieth century quite a number of unscriptural notions have gained acceptance among Christians by claiming that they were among truths that were to be revealed in the last days.

The truth is that the Bible does not teach that there will be new light and advanced spiritual experiences in the latter days; it teaches the exact opposite! Nothing in Daniel or the New Testament epistles can be tortured into advocating the idea that we of the end of the Christian era shall enjoy light that was not known at its beginning.

Beware of any man who claims to be wiser than the apostles or holier than the martyrs of the Early Church. The best way to deal with him is to rise and leave his presence!"

The Scriptures remains the ultimate authority to discover truths. All others will be at best, an aid, not the final authority.

Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous

Recent events in the papers has highlighted the misdeeds of a number of charities in Singapore. This has led the government to announce an audit of some of the biggest charities in Singapore. Among those are a number of christian organisations and churches.

Just last week, Ren Ci Hospital and its CEO was found to have questionable practises and are now under probe.

Our newspaper highlighted that one senator in the US is pushing for an audit into some of the mega churches in the US. A member of the Senate Finance Committee, he wants to know how churches are allocating their funds and whether tax breaks given to charities are being abused and exploited. Among the few highlighted were names we have come to know - Joyce Meyer, Kenneth Copeland, Richard Roberts (ORU).

We seems to see a pattern here. Where charities become successful and their coffers are overflowing, there is a tendency for the organisation to over indulge in material comfort which does little, if not at all to the purpose in which the donating public, or members are contributing for.

It was reported during the NKF fiasco, that for every dollar donated, only 10 cts goes to help the patient it was intended to help. It will be interesting to see how the money of each of these charities are spent, although I believe that these charities will no doubt be found to be sound and adequately managed. It is the exuberant spending that we need to be careful of.

We hear of money being spent to buy executive jets, expensive cars, designer toilets, complete with gold plated taps, etc. I pray that the donations given will not be found to be used for feeding the lifestyles of the leaders and their families. If not for whistle blowers, some of them will never be found out.

As christian leaders, our lives must be an "open book" and the organisation we lead must be able to stand up to the scrutiny of the discerning public.

When you look at the lifestyles of some of these preachers in the US, you cannot help but have questions. I think they are also asking to be questioned. I remember going to US for business trips and always tuned in into Joyce Meyer and Benny Hinn programmes. However I get uncomfortable when I see them solicit for donations, especially when Benny showed a beautiful picture of a jet and tells you how much they could do for the ministry if they are blessed with one.

There is nothing wrong in having money and living well. But by being ministers of the Gospel, I would think that how they appears would be more important to them, so that they can deliver their message without any question of their integrity. I like how Rick Warren has handled his success with his "purpose driven" series making it a part of the ministry and its funding rather than taking the money and buying a big place.

The Scriptures give us a principle on financial accountability that is expected of anyone who handles money which people have given to the Lord's work. When Paul sent Titus on a fund raising tour for needy saints, he also sent along an unnamed brother, to help with the accounting, as Paul said, "taking precaution that no one should discredit us in our administration of this generous gift; for we have regard for what is honourable, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men" ( 2 Cor 8:20-21 ). It wasn't enough to be right with God. It also had to look right to the public.

Just like the widow in the Bible who gave her "two mites" into the temple donation box, many Christians are giving their portions faithfully to the Lord's work. Don't let the work be held back because we choose to decorate our brick and mortar building or ourselves instead.

Homosexuality Debate

Homosexuality and same sex marriages has been in the limelight lately. In Singapore, the motion to repeal section 377a of the homosexual act again brought it to the forefront of our usual debate in the forum page of the local newspaper.

On the christian front, I am aware of the problem facing the Episcopal Church,USA resulting in a schism in the entire Anglican community. This leads to a separation of the Episcopal church from the Anglican community. What I didn't know was that this has also been brewing in our backyard. The United Methodist Church has also been struggling with this issue of gay clergy and the blessing of same sex marriages in Methodist churches for the last 10 years.

I am happy that our local bishop has come out strong regards to this and has published the methodist stand against homosexuality which is available on the Methodist website. The bishop again has to make a statement in the Strait Times to distant the church from one of our ex-bishop, Rev Yap Kim Hao who has supported homosexual lifestyle as one that is a gift from God. I have blog on this in an earlier post.

What concern me is not just the debate on repealing of Article 377A but rather the subtle change in the mindset of those who are placed in power. Issues that are "taboo" suddenly becomes "acceptable". Recent examples are allowing the "Crazy Horse" show into Singapore, opening up of casinos and the most recent homosexual debate.

Let's face it. What is changing in the west will inevitably happens here. As christians, we will have to continue to fight a spiritual battle for the minds and souls of the unsaved. The prince of this world is taking his fight within the church of God by sowing discord and false teachings among its members. We have to continue to heed the call to "Watch and Pray". He who is within us is stronger than He who is of this world.

PLMC has a vision - "We are a family blessed to bless the community and the nation". It is a good starting point - let it begin with us to make a difference.

The Bible exhorts us to continue to pray for our leaders so that we will have peace. Let's us do just that!

When its all been said and done

The moment I heard the song, I was memorized by it. Not because it was sang by Don Moen, my favourite gospel singer but on the lyrics of the song. How true, isn't it?
"When it's all been said and done, there is just one thing that matters - Did I do my best to live for truth. Did I live my life for you". It again affirms my hope of His calling for my life...to live for Him and Him alone. It doesn't matter whether I am doing big things, or small things...just His things.

Enjoy the song...and meditate on the words. I prayed that you will be ministered also.

When it's all been said and done
There is just one thing that matters
Did I do my best to live for truth
Did I live my life for you

When it's all been said and done
All my treasures will mean nothing
Only what I've done for love's reward
Will stand the test of time

Lord Your mercy is so great
That You look beyond our weakness
And find purest gold in miry clay
Turning sinners into saints

I will always sing Your praise
Here on earth and ever after
For You've shown me Heaven's my true home
When it's all been said and done
You're my life when life is gone

He Must Increase..I Must Decrease

Heard one of the leader prayed a week ago and somehow set me on a meditative mood. During WIN, again the verse was used in prayer. John 3:30 ; " He must increase, I must decrease ". We knelt as we allow God to deal with us as we confess that many a times, we have put ourselves up above Christ.

As I meditate on this verse, I sensed the Lord dealing with me as I ran through the many events and situations that I have been in where I felt good and received praises for it. Many a situation I get elevated instead of Christ.

Do I look for recognition or praises whenever I complete a job well? Do others see me more than who I represent - Jesus? I must admit...the "I" stands out many times.

John, the Baptist had a good grasp on his place in the Kingdom … and Jesus' place! His goal in life was to fulfill the mission given to him, whatever that meant, even imprisonment and death if necessary. When his disciples got jealous because of Jesus' popularity, he promptly corrected them. Like John, we must know our place in the Kingdom. All our actions must point to Jesus and the attention must not be on us.

One practical point I could take away from this is to remind myself that the focus must not be on me, but Christ. To this end, I have to condition my heart to give God the glory as He rightly deserve, inwardly as well as outwardly in what I say. I must be conscious of what I do and what I say, in speech or in words, not to direct attention to myself but to Christ.

To quote from someone who put the message across in a most beautiful way :

"Look at a candle and how it burns. The more the light shines, the more the candle diminishes. What a beautiful illustration of the believer in Christ! The more he learns the gospel of Christ, the more precious Christ becomes and the less he thinks of himself. One who is truly the Lord's, shines forth the light of HIS righteousness, grace, goodness, mercy, forgiveness, and truth. In so shining, self does not get bigger and more noticeable--the CHRIST does! The glory is not to self but to HIM. John the Baptist said, "He must increase, I must decrease" (John 3:30)."

Christ be Glorified.

Amen.

Of Prophesy And Healing

WIN on Tuesday night proved to be something of an eye opener. Speaker Bruce Colin spoke on the prophetic and healing ministry. Pastor Peter Koh has been teaching us on listening to God and speaking what we hear for the edification of others. Bruce essentially put the icing on the cake.

John 14:12
The truth is, anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father. (NLT)

The prime theme of his message : You can do what Jesus did. Jesus give us a model so that we can do what He did. We are ambassadors, and as such we have the spiritual authority to do that.

How do we grow in our authority ?

1. Know who we are in Christ - children of God and clothed in His righteousness
2. As ambassadors we can only do what God wants us to do
3. Submit to authority - heavenly as well as earthly - there is no place for arrogance.
4. Keep a clear conscience
5. Keep short account. Do not let the devil use unconfessed sins to detract from what you are doing.
6. As priest of the most high God, our primary motive is to minister to the Lord in worship, prayer and meditation.
7. Use your authority. It is of no use if you don't act on it.

The problem with us (or me) is the difficulty to take hold of what we know (our spiritual authority in Christ) and acting upon it. In prophetic or healing ministry, we seldom venture forth to minister for fear of being wrong. Jesus said that if we have the faith of a mustard seed, we could command the mulberry tree to be uprooted and plunge into the sea, and it will obey.

Well, the message is clear. Do not take away the blessings that the Lord wants to bestow on His people through you simply because you chose to keep quiet.

I am looking forward to hear Bruce speak again during the prophetic seminar coming up in February 2008.

How Time Flies!

I was not looking forward to it...but in the end...it still comes round.
Just celebrated my 50th birthday a few weeks ago. It was a low-key affair. Had a few makan sessions with family and friends.

How time flies! Time for a little reflection. Looking back, I have to say this....God has been good! I am not saying this because I have arrived, or I have achieved my goals. Rather it was a period of up and downs. Many times I felt like I have failed, but it is by God's grace that I am here and able to celebrate my fiftieth year.

God works in mysterious ways. That is why we grow stronger in our faith everytime we see His hands at work in every facets of our life. He is always there. It is when we take our eyes off Him and are overwhelmed by the worries and frustrations we faced that finally put us down.

Two passages in the Bible has been my guiding light these past years.

Galatians 2:20

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (NKJV)


Proverbs 3:5,6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)

Gal 2:20 reminds me of my place in this life. I don't own myself. I am a redeemed person, purchased by Christ with His blood to live for Him.

Proverbs 3:5,6 is my guiding principle. Knowing and trusting Him to guide me in my everyday life helps to ensure that my life remain in focus on Him.

What am I looking forward to after 50? Well, it has to be the same answer. Live my life for Him. God is not finish with me yet. There are plenty of things to do but I pray that those things are what He wants me to do, and not of my own.

Passing Of A Friend

Received an SMS on Sunday that one of my former colleague passed away last Saturday. It was kind of a shock to everyone as she was seemingly healthy. On Friday, while getting ready to go to work, she collapsed and was rushed to hospital. She died without gaining consciousness. She was 34 yrs old. The odd thing about it was that the death certificate records that the cause of death was a stroke and "cancer". No body knew she had cancer.

Again, this reminds us of the uncertainty of the world we live in. One moment we are full of life, enjoying every moment and making plans for the future. The next, our life could be snuffed out...be it health, or accident, etc. We all know that the inevitable will come, we just do not know when.

Do we seek the good life of wealth, health and pleasure in this life? When one comes to die, he comes to say "goodbye" to all these; he leaves them forever. Solomon is an example of one who sought all three: power, wealth, and pleasure, to which he added worldly wisdom beyond any man of his day. Yet, when he reached the evening of life he was constrained to say, "All is vanity and a striving after wind. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, all hath been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (Ecc. 12:13). So many are striving after the vanities of life, paying for these worthless bargains with the price of their own soul, the most precious possession in the world.

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt 16:26).

Jesus taught us that the man or woman who loses his or her soul loses all; one who makes such a bargain, though he gain the whole world, is at the last a fool.

While living this life, we are prudent to also heed what comes after it and to ensure that we prepare for the journey ahead. How do we do that? Well, as christians we know what we will inherit after this life is over. Live life as what God would have you live it...in Him and for Him. Only then can we experience the abundant life in Christ and nothing can take that away from us, not even death.

I take comfort that she is now with Jesus and we will meet again.

The Grace Gospel - My Thoughts

In my previous post, I have mentioned that I will do a review of Pastor Prince's book "Destined To Reign". I have completed it and will share some thoughts here.

Pastor Prince message on grace and the finished work of Jesus on the cross stands out strongly throughout the chapters and I am sure that all will agree that we are saved by grace and grace alone, not of works. What follows after salvation is that the christian should not be bonded to follow the law. Because your sins of past,present and future are forgiven, the believer do not need to ask for forgiveness anymore,contrary to basic foundations of Christian living of continual repentance and producing the fruit or results of repentance. Pastor Prince asserts that the christian who received grace will be so in love with Jesus that he will not want to live in sin anymore. His message is one of living in grace, devoid of laws that binds.

I can understand how Pastor Prince's teachings has stir up a storm. There are major issues brought up in the book that challenges basic beliefs. Top on the list is not seeking for forgiveness for sin and the Holy Spirit role of conviction of righteousness, not sin. This has been addressed in a number of posts on blogsites. I don't intend to start a doctrinal discussion here knowing that there are strong viewpoints on both sides of the fence, judging from the numerous posts on this. Neither am I a theologian to be able to engage in deep theological discussion.

While there are many whose lives are transformed by God through Pastor Prince's ministry, it is still God who works through him. Give God the glory that is due to Him. Continue to study the scriptures and ask God to reveal His deep truths to us so that we will be able to lift each other up, not put them down. The Scriptures clearly tells us to “watch your life and doctrine closely” (1 Timothy 4:16).

Doctrines aside, I am amazed by what God is doing in NCC. Through the various testimonies I have heard of lives being changed and new converts coming into the kingdom through the ministry and services in NCC, I cannot but continue to praise God for His mighty works done in NCC. I am reminded of Paul's message in Philippians 1:18 that for whatever motives "..the fact remains that the message about Christ is being preached, so I rejoice..".

So, after reading the book, what is my advise to my son? Well, I have told him of the major differences in teachings and continue to encourage him to dig deeply into the Word of God to discover the truths. He can continue to attend NCC as long as he is comfortable and continue to grow in his spiritual life as well as his service to God.

In the final analysis, what is important is where your beliefs takes you. If that leads you to a greater love for Jesus and bearing fruits in the process, all glory be to God. That is where God wants us to be, isn't it?

Prosperity and health and everything good are just benefits of salvation, but that is not the end of it. We must be ready to live for Him, even to the point of suffering, for Him.

The Great Commission awaits...let's not be sidetracked and lose our focus to bring in the harvest...that's my prayer.

Congregation Meeting on Sunday 23 Sep 2007

Sitting back during the congregation meeting held in PLMC on Sunday afternoon, I surveyed the attendees - a good 60+ strong attendance. Many of them, I have not seen for some time. There were a few new additions - 2 new cell groups has been added to the cluster as well as new borned babies. Sometimes it is difficult to keep in contact with each other as all of us attend different services and cell meetings.

Pastor Tay shared on getting ourselves ready for ministry work and it is a good reminder to the group that as we continue to fellowship and learned, we need also to avail ourselves to serve. I thanked the Lord for His faithfulness in keeping the bond between the members strong in this cluster.

It seems to be a beginning of another new phase in Hope. My prayer for Hope is for the members to continue to hunger after God and avail ourselves for Him to do His work in Hope.

Pursuit of Material Gain - Is It Worth It?

A newspaper story yesterday caught my eyes. It wrote of the downward spiral of the life of Mr Jack Whittaker ever since he won the powerball prize of US$315 million back in 2002. His only grand daughter died of a drug overdose. His daughter is cancer strickened and he and his wife has filed for divorce. He has a long list of indiscretions made public and an inability to trust others. 'I don't have any friends,' he said. 'Every friend that I've had, practically, has wanted to borrow money or something and of course, once they borrow money from you, you can't be friends anymore.' He had trouble also in keeping the law. In all, he said, he has been involved in 460 legal actions since winning.

Sounds familiar? There are numerous cases of lives being destroyed because of a sudden change in material status. Judging by the queues at the Toto/4D outlets speak volume of the people pursuing a quick way to riches and a supposedly blissful life thereafter. With the new casinos in Integrated Resorts coming up in 2009, we can foresee more social problems surfacing.

As christians, we must guard our hearts against the pursuit of material wealth. The Bible warns us that "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. " (1 Timothy 6:10).

The cure ? Contentment! "Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content:" (Philippians 4:11)

The steps to contentment?

1. Prayer ( Philippians 4:6,7). Not being anxious and leaving it all to God will bring peace, resulting in contentment.
2. Guard the ambitions of our heart and to control the preoccupation of our mind. Read Psalms 131 - David's example
3. Maintain our Christian priorities. Knowing that we are a redeemed child of God helps us to view issues with the right perspectives.

May God teach us the grace of contentment.

God Answers Prayers

"God answers prayers". The simple truth just blows me away. I was sitting through WIN (Worship & Intercession Night) listening to Tony's message on Exodus 17:8-16 as he shares how the Israelites fought and won the war when Moses hands were lifted up continuously by Aaron & Hur.

Tony elaborated on three points :

1. We pray to give God the glory
2. We need prayer partners
3. God answers Prayers

The message was simple : At all times - Pray.

Going into WIN last night, I was grappling with a few issues at work and feeling frustrated and looking for a quiet moment to worship. God impressed on me the message that although I have prayed about it, I really didn't expect God to solve it and was trying to work out a solution myself, thus robbing God of His glory. God reminded me of the many times He had answered my cries for help and that He will continue to answer when we ask. It was a time of confession and acknowledging His sovereignity over all situations in my life as I ask Him to take over and believe that He will answer my prayers.

Judging by the testimonies last night, some were similarly touched.

Truly, He is an awesome God!

21 South Korean Christians Released...

After more than 42 days in custody, the 21 South Korean christians were finally released and are now safely back in South Korea. Though we are sad that 2 of them died, we are indeed thankful that the rest are safe.

Now, the blame game starts.....

Today's newspaper reported that the South Korean government is asking them to pay some of the expenses incurred. The South Korean newspapers are also blaming the church in defying the directive from the government not to embark on any mission to high risk areas. It was reported that the church group undertook the trip in defiance of foreign ministry warnings. Before departure it was pictured posing with an airport notice warning against travel to the Central Asian nation.

Those that take the hardest hit must be the christian aid workers themselves. The spokesman for the group summed it all up. "We owe the country and the people a great debt," He said.

Enough said...this episode will play itself out in the next few days.

The stakes are always high when we heed the Lord's great commission "To go into all nations..." Matt 28:19,20. In our exuberance however, we throw caution into the wind. We tend to take risk unneccessarily.

Paul in Acts were warned by the Spirit to avoid Asia Minor during his missionary journey. The reason was not known but I believe that it fit into the overall master plan of God. We should then continue to seek the Lord's guidance in our mission work as we send workers into the various mission fields.

Mission work must continue. As we continue to take the road less travelled in our missionary journeys, our hearts must be conditioned rightly - compelled by the love of God to do His will, for His glory alone, not ours.

Floored......by a mosquito?

Didn't managed to write anything in a week...came down with high fever last saturday.Was on MC for 2 days and was told to do a blood test if the fever didn't come down. It did and I went back to work on Wednesday. Started to develop a rash on Thursday and when I went to see the doctor he insisted that I do a blood test. The platelet count was below normal and he suspected that it was dengue. So...no choice. Had to go down to A&E at Tan Tock Seng to have a second blood test. The results confirmed that it was dengue. Today's blood test shows that the platelet count is on the rise and I should be back to normal.

The events of the last few days were still a big blur but one thing I still cannot comprehend - how can you be rendered so helpless by a mere mosquito! Sigh!

Thank God for His mercies and that He watches over our every move.

A Gracious Heart

Last night's WIN was no ordinary event. Pastor shared on false teachings and warned of spiritual attacks coming on the church from the devil. The sharing was followed by a spiritual cleansing event where we broke into groups and did a spiritual walk throughout the whole church.


During the worship,the Lord impressed on me the word "Gracious". I knew that the Lord is gracious and compassionate, but I didn't see the connection. I look up the instances in the Bible where the word " gracious" was used and came across 1 Peter 2:1-3


Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. ( NKJV )


Since we have tasted that the Lord Jesus is gracious, we ought to lay aside all the malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and all evil speaking ( or slander ) and crave after the word of God like new born babes, so that we may improve in grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour. These sins, if left unchecked can both destroy our love and hinder the efficacy of the word, and consequently they prevent our regeneration.

My exhortation is that as we continue to grow deeper into His grace and taste his goodness in all his providences, we must take care to guard our hearts against those sins above so that the church could stand united and be lifted up, not divided and open to attacks from the evil one.

A New Ministry?

My wife was all excited about meeting up with her classmates of some 30 years ago. It is again a chance meeting because one of her friends came down to Singapore to visit her mum who is in hospital and they arranged to meet at the hospital canteen itself. 30 years is a long time....sometime I wonder why it take us so long for each of us to catch up. Caught up with our own life to live, I supposed. The good thing is that all have continued to persevere in the faith and are active in their own church.


Today, I met with Joe for lunch. One of his focus now is to rebuild relationship with friends of old that was somehow lost. Somehow I felt the Lord is leading us into a new area of ministry -that of rebuilding old relationship and helping those who has been with us in the past, but ended up at the wayside.


In an earlier post, I have mentioned that Rick also felt the same call in this ministry. It will truly be a beginning of sorts...and I believe that as we continue to seek the Lord's direction, He will put it very clearly in our hearts to begin the work....that of rebuilding lost relationships.


Hebrews 10:24,25

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (NKJV)

The Grace Gospel

A fellow blogger and brother-in-christ was recently asked to step down from his leadership position in church because of his belief in the teachings of Pastor Joseph Prince of the New Creation Church (NCC). Although I do not know the circumstances surrounding this ( I only read it in his blog), my curiousity is again aroused.

Often times I have heard of youths from my church making a beeline for NCC. This happened to my cell member's son as well as my own son who is now attending NCC. Although I welcome his move to NCC with open arms, I am somewhat perplexed by what I am hearing about the teachings, especially when the church leadership is taking notice and coming down hard on it.

So, where should I start?....The next best thing is to read Pastor Prince's book "Destined to Reign", which happened to be available at home (bought by Michael with my money, of course ).

I am already half way through....will post an update on my findings soon.

Have you heard of Kolo Mee?

We were looking for a place for lunch at Vivocity when this restaurant "Famous Sarawak Kolo Mee" caught my eye. It was supposed to be the sarawak version of our Wonton Mee. Being a diehard fan of Wonton Mee, I was naturally attracted to it. Wow! It didn't disappoint. It was better than the the local version.

Kolo Mee is different - it is like instant noodles but taste much better. The portion is just right but the price is a bit steep - S$6/- for a bowl. Must find someplace that sell it at coffee shop prices. Then probably can bring my brother-in-law to try it.

The "C" Word Again

A dear brother in christ broke the news that he is going for surgery to remove a growth in his liver. The doctor suspected that it is malignant as blood test result shows positive for the cancer marker.

The irony of the whole episode is that we were just about to get together for a good time of fellowship after many years of not being able to come together for whatever reasons. I believe God has provided this divine appointment for us to be able to render spiritual support to our brother at his hour of need.

It is at this time that the church rally around him and his family - to intercede, to give our support in whatever ways so that he, by the grace of God, will be able to sail through this storm, or giant in his life and emerge victorious.

Will post an update soon......

The Ultimate Sacrifice

Have been following closely the plight of the 23 South Korean Christians in the news. Amidst numerous emails and SMSs calling for intercessory prayer for their well being, 2 of them has now been killed and the negotiators are not nearer an agreement to secure their release as when they have started.

Some may be asking, "why does the Lord not save them if He has indeed called them into Afghanistan?".

This episode brings stark reminder of our calling from the Lord to follow Him, even unto death. We have read in the Bible of many who have died a martyr's death. Throughout history, many have laid down their lives for the cause.

Jim Elliot, the missionary to the indians who was killed wrote in his journal : "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.". Such is the motivation of men and women who has been so transformed by the Lord that they are willing to go into the danger zones, just so that some souls could come to know the Lord.

So, what is the lesson here?

While every effort is taken to ensure that safety is taken care of, only He can determine how our lives will end. If He calls, our job is to obey, even to the point that it may result in death.
Far be it that this will deter would be missionaries into the mission fields. As I believe, they know what they are looking for....and it is not of this world!

Meeting of Old Friends...a new beginning?

Had dinner last week with Joe and Rick again. Hmm....didn't meet for 1 year and all of a sudden...2 meetings in 2 months and 1 more scheduled for next month. We had big plans...this time we will be inviting a few more friends to join us. It will be a reunion of sorts. After all, we have not met some of them for years.

It will be an opportunity to catch up on one another. Most importantly, is to give each other an opportunity to take stock of our lives and give encouragement, help to one another as we journey through the straight and narrow gate of our christian life. (Hebrews 10:24,25). Anything short of this will be a gossip session ( as my wife used to say).

Rick is feeling that "A great gathering movement and revival" is going to take place. Again the word "Revival" pops up. PLMC has been praying for revival since last year. Tangible results are seen ..God is going to do much more than we ever imagine in PLMC and I believe He will also continue to work in this small group of ours.

Can't wait till next month....

And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:24,25 (NKJV)

It's WIN Every Tuesday Night

WIN....the acronym for Worship and Intercession Night. It never cease to excite me as I look forward to spending 2 hours every Tuesday night in the Chapel....singing, worshipping, listening and interceding for and on behalf of the church. God never disappoints! He made His presence felt in so many different ways.....the joy..the peace..the stillness...the repentant heart...you never know what comes next! That's why sometimes it strikes fear in people's heart. The fear of the unknown....

WIN was started in PLMC as a prayer meeting 2 years ago for the cell church conference but slowly became a permanent fixture in PLMC's calender. It refused to be extinguished because the people hungered for more of God....more than 200 strong each week.

Why do I want to go? Well...It's a heart matter...

Psalms 84:10 and 27:4 sums it all up :

"One day in your temple is better than a thousand anywhere else. I would rather serve in your house, than live in the homes of the wicked. " (CEV)

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple. " (NKJV)

PLMC's 75th Anniversary

Today we celebrated Paya Lebar Methodist Church's 75th Anniversary. It was a highly anticipated event, as the church comes together to attest to God's goodness and faithfulness in leading us through these 75 years. It is wonderful to see missionaires from the field returning to base and getting tuned to the heartbeat of PLMC throughout this period. Even Rangsit Methodist Church (our outreach project in Thailand) send a delegation to join in the celebrations.
In his message, the TRAC president, Rev Wee Boon Hup spoke on "Being filled with the Spirit", taking his text from Ephesians 5:15-21.
What did I take away from it? Well, I felt the connection I had earlier when we sang in unison to praise and glorify Him, together with the message in verse 19 : "as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, ". It is not so much of how well or bad you sing....it is whether they are from your heart. Next time you enter into a service or gathering, check your heart condition. Getting tuned into God's heartbeat set yourself up for God to fill you with the fullness of His Spirit.
I was glad to have a colleague joined us for the service with her boyfriend. Having moved so near to church (Kovan Melody) was indeed an opportunity for me to extent the invitation. I am sure that they enjoyed the service and I look forward to do some follow up activities with them.
Jo Lau and her 2 kids (a former cell member, who migrated to Canada) made a surprised visit to church today. It was wonderful to hear how God has work in their lives as they settle down in their new home. Praise God indeed!

Facing the Giants

Facing the Giants! - the message came across to me - loud and clear - in church today. How relevant! We faced giants everyday in our lives. Some big, some small. All have a potential to get you down and render you ineffective to do God's will for your life. It could be a disappointment, fear, failure, etc. Are we wallowing in any of these? It seems to consume us and we don't seem to be able to get out of it.
Take heart. The answer lies in Philippians 4:10-13 "But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"(NKJV). Paul found that the key to fighting our giants is "To be contented" because "I can do all things through Christ who give me strength"(Philippians 4:13)

Don't take it upon yourself to fight your battle alone. Draw strength from Him who says "The battle belongs to the Lord".

Incidentally, there is a book from Max Lucado of the same title where he explore the fight between David and Goliath (Hence the title). A short narration is reproduced :

Giants. We must face them. Yet, we need not face them alone.
This profound look at the life of David digs deeply into the defeats he suffered, and the victories he won, as he faced the giants in his life. When David focused on God, giants tumbled. But when David focused on giants...he stumbled.
Goliaths still roam in our world. Debt. Disaster. Dialysis. Divorce. Deceit. Disease. Depression. These super-sized challenges swagger and strut into our lives, pilfering our sleep, embezzling our peace and robbing us of our joy. And while these giants try to dominate our lives, we know what to do! We've learned what David learned, and we do what David did. We become God focused. We pick up five stones. We make five decisions. And we take a swing.

Also, out of the book came a movie of the same title. A short clip was shown in the service.

You can be sure both of these are on my shopping list the next time I visit the christian book store.

Father's Day

It's Father's Day today. It didn't register in my mind until when I sat in church and the service started with the acknowledgement of fathers in the congregation and a series of dedication items honouring fathers. Hmm....as I thought of my 3 children, I can't help but reflect on what they have become and how extensive my role as a father has impacted them. My wife used to tell me that I have not spent much time to bond with them. Well..it's never too late to start especially when Pastor said in his sermon that God will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children's hearts to the fathers (Malachi 4:6).
The evening was spent having a Father's day dinner with my extended family (my dad and my 3 siblings' families). It's nice to be able to come together once in a while to celebrate and the family bond has grown stronger each passing year. Thank God for His providence.